​​During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be looking at the Women that have been profiled thus far highlighting the fact that everyone can make up their minds to do something beneficial for the community and have an impact.  It doesn’t matter whether you get famous or not, it simply matters what you are doing. ​

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be looking at the Women that have been profiled thus far highlighting the fact that everyone can make up their minds to do something beneficial for the community and have an impact.  It doesn’t matter whether you get famous or not, it simply matters what you are doing. ​

Unfortunately we weren't able to produce the show we wanted to as an introduction to our Black Women's Celebration Month of May for technical reasons.  But we have decided that, given the current political environment, to re-run the show on How Democracies Die.  To go directly to that show post Click Here. 

​The turmoil happening in Venezuela while definitely extreme is not totally unique when the extremeness of the situation is removed.  A less extreme but potentially more explosive situation is occurring right now in Sudan.  Most of us are somewhat familiar with Sudan with the southern portion of it becoming a separate nation in July of 2011.  This made South Sudan the first new country to come into existence in Africa since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993.  But as of this moment, the Sudanese Military is in the middle of a tense standoff with civilian protesters after deposing longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be talking about what’s going on in Sudan and how we got here.

​In 2000 the US declared itself Measles free.  Thanks to a measles vaccine that had proven to be very effective at preventing the spread of the disease, measles went from infecting 3 to 4 million people per year to infecting less than 100 in 2005.  But the disease won’t fully go away and the numbers of the infected have begun to rise.  We are currently experiencing outbreaks of various levels in more than 25 states some of which have declared a state of emergency.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be getting into what the measles is, what it can do to you, and why it isn’t going away.    

​In February of 2019 Larry Charles produced a docuseries on exploring comedy in various places around the world.  While the written show description mentions him traveling to china russia and various other places, I will say right here that I only recall him going to Africa, the Middle East, and the US.  But despite that, the 4 episode series did take a look at some interesting places and some interesting concepts.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be talking about Larry Charles Dangerously Funny.

In 2001 Venezuela was the richest nation in South America largely on the back of its oil production.  It boasts the largest oil reserves in the world and for a period it was a shining example of what some would call socialism, others would call democratic socialism, others would call a government taking care of its people, others would call a government covering corruption and nepotism, and others would call a nation headed for disaster.  And while in some form or another all of those people would be right, it can’t be denied that the country had cut its poverty in half, raised its literacy rates, raised the quality of life for its people, and in general was a better nation than it had been.

All of that is a far cry from where the country is now.  A country that has seen more than 3 million of its 30 million people fleeing as refugees.  A country with an inflation level currently at 2.6 million percent (and expected to reach 10 million percent at some point this year if things continue).  A country that has had to change its currency 3 times in the last 10 years to combat inflation. Which you’d have to do if a 99 cent pack of gum all of a sudden cost $25,000 which is roughly what 2.6 million percent inflation looks like (for further reference, imagine that same $1 pack of gum costing $100,000 and you are now thinking about 10 million percent inflation).  A country that has 2 presidents fighting for power and has become another staging ground for the ongoing standoffs between China, the US, and Russia. In 2017 some sources say that the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds of body weight and 90% of the people live in poverty. On this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to be talking Venezuela, how did we get here, and what can we learn from it.

In March of 2019 Joseph Ward released the 3rd volume of his On the Shoulders of Giants Series of books with this one being focused on South America.  The book gives a brief summary of the life and impact of 12 South American Heroes and 1 South American Culture group from the view of the Black Diaspora in South America.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be taking a look at this book in typical Lessons from the Screen fashion.

In 2018 a documentary was released with a focus on vitamins.  The documentary seeks to answer one question: how do we decide whether or not to take vitamins?  The film takes us on a journey that is one part Sesame Street (or maybe schoolhouse rock would be a better fit), one part hardcore documentary.  We are taken on a journey to explore the history and modern state of vitamins.  In this episode of lessons from the screen, we are going to look at this documentary and do what we do, is it worth watching or not and what are the takeaways.  

Original Show can be found here

​During this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to be looking at the development of the Modern Black Feminist.  We will be talking about the often difficult position black women find themselves in, their invisibility, and their warrior spirit, and what we can do to support them better as men and as a community.  On this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be talking about Black Women in America. 

​On December 27, 2018, during the middle of the government shutdown that continues, the EPA issued a proposed rule change that would revise the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, aka the MATS rule.  This rule put in place by the Clean Air Act of 2018 required air emissions from various places to be monitor and to have harmful substances removed from their exhaust.  During this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to dive into what that all means and how it affects us as well as what we can do about it.  

​EPA will accept comments on the proposed rule for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794 and may be submitted by one of the following methods.

Online: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments to EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794.

Email: Comments may be sent to a-and-r-Docket@epa.gov. Include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794 in the subject line of the message.

Mail: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), Mail Code 28221T, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460.

Fax: Fax your comments to: (202) 566-9744. Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794. 

Hand/Courier Delivery: EPA Docket Center, Room 3334, EPA WJC West Building, 1301 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004, Attention Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794.

​Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

​September of last year the master returned with his latest project.  Michael Moore (love him or hate him) has been a very powerful figure politically and socially through his documentaries and this time he was taking aim at what seemed to be the very institutions of Political America.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be diving into Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9.

​On the 21st of December 2018, the First Step Act or S.756 was passed into law.  It was hailed as a landmark passage, one that was desperately needed and that would change the American Justice System for the better making it more equitable and more humane.  While it is just a first step as the name implies, it was treated with such fanfare and such excitement that many thought this was the law to end the discriminatory practices of the Justice System.  We took a few weeks, let that fanfare die down, and studied the text of the law to determine if it really was worth all the excitement.  On this Episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be diving into the First Step Act of 2018.

​In April a documentary came out with a focus on the medical device industry.  An industry that is one of the fastest growing and least discussed industries in America.  The documentary takes a look at whether the industry is growing too fast, and whether or not the industry is serving the best interest of the people.  Interesting things to think about when you consider the vast amounts of medical devices available, everything from pacemakers to birth control inserts.  But while the documentary is focused on medical devices, we will do what we do here on Lessons from the Screen and focus on whether or not this documentary serves a purpose and adds anything worth its nearly 2 hour run time to the discussion.  

​A few days ago Netflix released a documentary detailing rise and journey of 4 social media stars.  The film showcases from the perspective of the stars themselves, the ups and downs of being a social star in the modern age.  What attracted me to this film was the idea that a conversation could be had and led by those that have achieved the fame and attention that so many people are craving on the internet.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be looking at the film like we always do and talking about somethings that can be taken away from it.  

​In 2016 the BBC took a chance at creating a documentary on one of the most heated debates in American in the last 20 years, what really happened on September 11th.  We figured it’s time to take a show and just relax and enjoy after the doom and gloom of the climate change reports and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be looking at 9/11: Truth, Lies, and Conspiracies.  

​Released in 2013 and this documentary looked at the sex trafficking business from various angles. While it is an old documentary, considering the fact that sex trafficking is still a problem the world over, it’s still a very viable and necessary conversation. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be giving our take on this documentary and the conversation in general and letting you know if this documentary is something that you should add to your tool kit.

​  Today we finish up our series on the Climate Science Olympics focusing on the 4 National Climate Assessment Vol 2.  The 4 year report which gathers multiple scientist across multiple fields together to present climate science from multiple angles focusing both on causal factors and potential impacts.  The last show was on the first half of the report which primarily focused on the environment, this show is focused on the second half of the report which is more focused on its affect on communities and regions.        

​Volume 2 of the 4th National Climate Assessment was released Friday and like the NATO report released in July, it tells of a frightening future if we don’t do what’s necessary to reduce our negative impact on the climate.  The first volume of this report was released in November of 2017 a called the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR).  While Volume 1 focused more on the science behind climate change and how it is physically affecting the earth and everything on it, this report focuses on the impact of the science and analysis presented in volume 1.  On this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be diving into this report in our typical LftS fashion, breaking it down were we can and making it a bit more digestible while also opening up the lane for conversations. 

​Released in 2015 and produced by Jon Whelon, Stink follows his journey to find out what chemicals were used on his daughters pajamas creating the smell that overwhelmed the house after they opened the package.  This search for the chemicals led him down a rabbit hole regarding the secrets of chemical use in corporations.  Today on Lessons from the Screen we are going to be talking about this documentary, what it means, if its good, and is it worth your time.

Earlier this year in July of 2018 Kimberly Reed released a documentary that takes aim at the dark money flowing in politics following the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision.  With a focus on the State of Montana as one of the last remaining bastions of hope for transparent campaign financing, this documentary dives into the fray of one of the most talked about subjects in politics.  On this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be looking at the documentary in our traditional style of doing so.  I hope you enjoy it, and take the time to let me know what you thought by going to the website and leaving a comment.  

With the election Tuesday, the American People had a chance to give their opinion in the most direct and influential manner possible within the American System of Government; voting.  The people voiced their opinions and what happened was somewhat expected, somewhat joyous, somewhat upsetting, and very much representative of the world we live in.  As has been the fallout from those upset that things didn’t go totally their way.  Renewed concerns about the irrelevance of voting especially amongst us Black Folk who found members of our race on the losing end of 3 Governors’ races; Florida, Georgia, and Maryland.     

While these loses were upsetting for many of the Black People hoping to be a part of history making in their respective states, the larger liberal movement, of which the majority of Black Folk consider themselves to be a part, did have an overall good election.  Democrats received the lion’s share of the votes taking control of the house in congress, and also improving their control locally.  They increased their control over total state governments, meaning having control over the governorship and both chambers of congress, from 8 states to 14.   They increased their control of legislatures in states from 14 to 18, and they increased their control of legislative chambers from 31 to 37 (legislative chambers are local houses and senates).  While these are all great gains, they are also modest gains falling below the average and on the lower end of midterm changes during which the controlling party usually loses control.  In this case, the Republicans maintained control of the senate and of the majority of state legislatures, and even though Republicans lost 6 governors seats, they still maintain control of the majority of them with 26 State Governors seats. 

So the results are a mixed bag, and while the majority of the news coverage has been explaining that mixed bag.  Today on lessons from the screen we are going to talk about what this mixed bag means for us as Black People.  We are going to be talking about the 3 governors races, what the difference between the house and senate are on the federal level, and what it means to be a race of people that live predominantly in red states while identifying politically with liberals.   We are also going to be talking about some of the common misconceptions surrounding voting and the American government.  We have a full plate on our return show, so let's dig in.

Because of an intense project I'm working on with Pacts Inc, I don't currently have time to prepare an adequate show.  With that being said, this show was a great show on the Middle East and it's major players that has renewed interest because of new developments regarding the actors.  The show post with the description can be reached by clicking here or by going to the website at www.freedomtrainradio.com.  It has aged out of the podcast directories that only carry the last 25 shows, but the website has all of the shows and much more.  

Also if you want to support the show the become a patron by going to www.patreon.com/LFTS.  Thanks again and I look forward to returning.  

​With the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans have effectively consolidated power for the next few decades on the supreme court, effectively gaining control of the judicial branch far into the future.  At this point, they have control of all three branches of government on the federal level. The 33 governors mansions that are lived in by republicans effectively give them executive power at the local level in roughly 70% of the nation. 31 State Governments are controlled by Republicans, with 26 states being totally controlled by Republicans compared to just 8 for Democrats and the rest have a combination of mismatching governors and legislators. By these measures, they have near total control of the American Political Establishment with Democrats being opposition virtually in name only.  

While it is true that this could change next month and Democrats could take control of the legislative branch, Republican power has still been locked in and will take years to unseat.  In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to talk about how the Republicans managed to go from the party of Civil Rights to the party of States Rights (which has become code for having the personal freedom to mistreat and abuse others in a lot of circles).  The party that while only making up 25% of the population, controls the nation.

Go and become a patron of the show by subscribing through our Patreon Page.  Click here or go to: www.patreon.com/lfts 

​Back in January of this year, we got Fire and Fury from Michael Wolffe, a pretty entertaining and damning expose of the first year or so of the Trump White House along with his campaign leading up to his election.   It was viewed as an interestingly accurate picture of the administration, but that picture was viewed as more of a caricature than a portrait.  Since that time there has been a slew of administration books coming out, seems like everyone that leaves the administration writes a book and it seems like every reporter or journalist with a name has written a book.  None of them reach the level of detail and have the level of credibility as the book produced by Bob Woodward entitled Fear.  During this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to talk about that book a little bit and help you make the decision about whether you should read it or not.