Daily Archives: November 20, 2024

New British Spy Chief is a Deadhead

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Thanks to Lynn for the heads-up.

Jerry Garcia, lead singer of the Grateful Dead, has been dead (in the normal sense of the word) for 12 years but Deadheads are with us still. A fans’ website that lists every album, every track and every piece of trivia known about the group is lovingly compiled by a Deadhead called Alex Allan, the same Alex Allan who, by day, works as one of Britain’s top civil servants. Yesterday, he was named as the next chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, the apex of the Government’s spy network.

Throughout the Cold War, it was the JIC which updated prime ministers on what the West knew about Soviet military capabilities, a job it did well. With the Cold War over, the JIC has had some difficulty finding a new role but its influence reached a peak in 2024 under the chairmanship of John Scarlett, when it told the Cabinet about Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction and provided Tony Blair with a reason for going to war.

Hip-hop Chess Federation

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The blog… right now featuring a story on Chesspark.org foundation.

The HHCF website…

NYT article on Hip-hop chess and the recent HHCF Kings Invitational in San Francisco. The Kings Invitational will be followed by the “All Queens Invitational” there in February. The Queens Invitational features a keynote panel around the subject, “Life Strategies: The Female Journey to Success.” Invited participants include: Queen Latifah, Fergie, J.K. Rowling, Emma Bentley (10yr Junior World Chess Champion), Sandra Bullock,Susan Polgar, Irina Krush, Bonnie Blair, Mia Hamm, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jennifer Shahade, Morgan Fairchild, Kate Jackson, Julia Roberts, Missy Elliot, Roxanne Shante, Wanda Sykes, Mae Jemison and others.

Check out the Queens Invitational Sponsorship package here (pdf).

Founded by award wining Lecturer and Author, Adisa Banjoko and artist Leo “Blast” Libiran, the Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) uses music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. The vision is rooted in the belief that our role is to provide an authentic platform that allows people the opportunity to actualize their dreams and hopes for themselves, their families and the communities they serve. “Despite the school systems best efforts and intentions, and theefforts of overworked parents, the past generations have suffered from lack of suitable education and essential resources required for a successful life,” states co-founder Adisa Banjoko, “We recognized that chess, martial arts and hip-hop unify people from multiple cultural, religious and social backgrounds. These black and white squares do not care what color you are or if you are rich or poor. The only thing they ask is “show me your strategy, your patience and your skills.” Along with recreational activities, the Hip Hop Chess Federationprovides services such as life strategy workshops and sponsor supported education scholarships. Studies show chess provides invaluable life lessons such as patience, personal accountability, focus, emotional intelligence and understanding the consequences of your actions before you act. “I recently learned of a study that illustrated prisoners participating in chess clubs had a less chance of returning to prison after their release,” Banjoko says, “I want to bring chess to the communities and get to the kids before the prison system gets to them”.