Gone for Fall Break - See you in November

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong – Juan Williams makes the case for Honesty.

“But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.” ~ Juan Williams

The unemployment rate increased!!! That wasn’t the headline on the National Public Radio website yesterday morning but it should have been. After Journalist Juan Williams voiced his view of “brown skinned” Muslims in America, he was promptly let go by NPR. He had a gig with them as a news analyst but that ended with him running his fat mouth.


Side Note: Remember America, we can’t mix up the different colors of Islam. If you put the brown ones in with the white ones, Americans get confused.


See what fooling around with Bill O’ Reilly will get you – THE AXE!!! Now NPR is
facing blistering online (is there any other way to do it now) attacks from the Far Right, The Right, The Middle, and some on The Left. Now we will be subjected to Freedom of Speech talk from every person with a keyboard and a microphone. People are already pulling out old videos from the Ghost’s of NPR’ s past.


I think the first part of what Williams said was extremely dumb. But I don’t think
he should have been fired. And it’s not because the dumb excuse of “he was only
saying what everyone else thinks.” I don’t think that way! I’m not afraid/suspicious of Muslims because some rouge Muslims terrorized us. The Klu Klux Klan has been terrorizing black folks since the 1800’s and I don’t start crying when I see white people. His views show the narrow-mindedness of my fellow Americans. Now if he was a hiring manager, I would be more concerned. His job was to provided opinion and insight (sort of like crotchety Pat “It’s obvious that I don’t have experience dealing with people that are non-white” Buchanan over at MSNBC). Buchanan says things that should have him jumped in a dark alley but he is still cashing a paycheck. If NPR was bothered by his relationship with Fox News, they should have stopped it awhile back. They apparently decided to let the relationship stand and now we see dislike on both sides. Also NPR opened themselves up to the ridiculous criticism of them being a speaker box for the liberal elite. It’s obvious that they see themselves in a different class from Fox News (as most news outlets do). But I always imagined it would be Fox News firing an employee they didn’t agree with. I knew eventually they would fire someone before another media organization would (oh yeah, they already did!).


In the end, Williams was correct when he said we shouldn’t lump all Muslims in the same category. But because he started off the way he did, the whole statement sounded like a contradictory mess. I get it!! He was being honest! But what was said still was a prejudice statement. Like so many television pundits that are talking every week. They make prejudice statements and then hide under the veil of honesty. You can be honest all day long but if you are prejudice that’s what you are. Your employer has the right to fire you based on what you do and say. NPR just happened to exercise that option. And Fox News will no doubt take care of him. They want to look like the good guys in all this. Unfortunately Williams will not be able to count on some black folks to rally behind him. He has burned many a bridges with his commentary on black life and politics.


Some of his greatest hits misses have perplexed some black folks to no end.

Is Clarence Thomas worth the call? Do you think he looks like Denzel in the dark?

Ginny Thomas made a fool out of herself when she called Anita Hill asking for an apology. If you don’t know anything about the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill saga, you were either in a coma, outer space, or a newborn. Apparently Ginny is still upset over what allegedly happened between Ms. Hill and her husband. Maybe she is psychologically scarred because she thinks her husband likes black women. Well let me be the first to ease her fears – that cat doesn’t want to have anything to do with black women. If a black woman was on fire, he wouldn’t piss on her to put the flames out. Usually it is the other way around – a black woman is calling the white woman about her man (post racial love I guess?). Mrs. Thomas needs to realize that no black woman (AND I MEAN NO BLACK WOMAN) wants her husband. Well maybe a single version of Conservative Black Woman would like him?


When I first heard about the phone call I thought Mrs. Thomas was on the sauce. But I realize that she didn’t really want any drama. She called Ms. Hill on Saturday. What college professor is at work on Saturday? Ms. Hill is a professional lady so she probably did the right thing by turning the tape in. If she called a “Sista” from “around the way”, she would have been thoroughly cursed out!!! After 19 years, she was not going to apologize!! And now after the phone call, she ain’t never ever ever ever ever going to apologize. Mrs. Thomas must be feeling herself because of her new fame. She has been running with the Tea Party (another bandwagon Republican trying to hitch a ride on the train because they think it will boost their agenda) and bad mouthing President Obama anytime she gets in front of a microphone. I personally think that his wife shouldn’t be involved in these activities because it shows bias. But since we are being honest, maybe Clarence is already biased? New information regarding meetings involving Thomas and other conservatives has hit the internet. It’s tough presenting your case in front of the judge when they have already decided the verdict!!!


Side Note: Still think it’s crazy to think everyone in Washington is on the take?


Mrs. Thomas needs to learn how to “CHARGE IT TO THE GAME.” This woman called Ms. Hill like her husband was Denzel Washington. Let’s be real about who Clarence Thomas really is? It’s not like dude is Ebony Magazine cover material!! But if his wife thinks he is worth fighting for, I’m not going to change her mind. I just think it’s funny that the other woman never wanted him.

If I thought you could win, I would send you some coin change.

Constitutional Confusion: Befuddled by the Founders

Never have I seen so many, be so loud, and be so proud, and know so little.

According to the Pew Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, black folks (average %) scored near the bottom when asked 32 questions that tested their religious knowledge. Actually we were just above the last place group that scored the lowest (i.e. second to last place). Praise God!!! Oops… my bad! Second to Last Place???? I know black folks were reading that last sentence and thought second place. Just like when we think they called our lottery numbers. Nope!! I know people are sitting at home confused and saddened that some test has proved that they are religiously ignorant. After all those years of Vacation Bible School, Revivals, and Sunday School we end up 2nd to the bottom??? I know black folks that spend all Sunday in church….CORRECTION…they spend all Sunday, and 3 times during the week in Chuuuch!!! All these televangelists on television and we haven’t learned anything? Who can we blame for this tragedy???


Mom, for arriving to church late because she had a scuff mark on her church hat?

Dad, for impatiently waiting for church to end so he could catch the 1st quarter of the football game?

That Deacon that prays so long that you forget what you were originally praying about?

Reverend Ike and his Science of Living? (Yes, the Science of Living….I wish I could make this stuff up!)


Was this a faulty test or an example of Christian Know-It-All’s being exposed?? I’m going to go with the latter!! The people that took the test didn’t have to part the Potomac River or turn water into Ciroc. All they had to do was answer 32 questions. Oh Lordy!! Why hast thou forsaken the people that think they are at the right hand of God himself??


The problem with America is that everybody, who calls themselves a Christian, thinks they have a direct line to Jesus Christ. They are good at quoting scriptures on why you shouldn’t do what they don’t want you to do. But they can’t tell you anything about the person that said the scripture. America is fast becoming the land of “The Haves” and “The Have Nots.” Corporate greed and low employee wages have now become synonymous with regular business practices. And Illegal foreclosures are shrugged off as “well they shouldn’t have been in that situation.” I don’t remember Jesus walking around Jerusalem wearing tailored suits talking about Prosperity Preaching!! I must have missed that part of the bible where his mule was called Lamborghini. If more people truly followed the teachings of Jesus, we would be better people. But you don’t have to be a Christian to treat people with respect and have empathy for people that have less than you. We expect the President to be a holy roller and some of us are the biggest sinners. We have what I like to call “Cafeteria Religion”. We pick what we like and put back what we don’t like. It’s apparent that any nut job can pick out what they want to use out of the bible for their twisted agenda. You have a group of “so called Christians” protesting dead soldiers funerals claiming their deaths are because we are an immoral country.


Side Note: To all you Muslim haters out there, we got religious lunatics in America too!!!!


Black folks need to take another look at the way we practice religion. It has gone from what Jesus said to what Bishop said. People are being led around like donkeys because they refuse to use common sense. It is okay to fact check your minister (study to show thyself approved). Matter of fact he/she should challenge you to read the word for yourself. Stringent qualifications to get into the pulpit can cut down on some of this foolishness. But the rest is up to us.

I guess the White House invitations got lost in the mail??

Last week President Obama held a meeting with some well known black bloggers at the White House. I can only assume he was trying to get the bloggers to help him get his message out. You know, Democrats are Good and Republicans are Bad. Sounds like it might have been a good idea in theory but once again the White House fell short. My mama thinks that I’m too hard on Obama and that my generation doesn’t know real racism.

Side Note: I want to make a martial arts movie with my mom fighting Christian Ninjas from the Religious Right. It can be a cartoon because my mother doesn’t really know martial arts. I want to call it “The Dueling Bibles.”

Mama will be happy to know that this fiasco was not Obama’s fault. He has a lot of incompetent people surrounding him. Unfortunately they all look good on paper because they have Ivy League degrees (aka Smart Folks). But Mr. Ed looked smart when he put on glasses too.

If you are wondering what the problem is, that means you don’t know much about blogging. And that’s okay because this is what we in America call “A Teachable Moment (no beers or salty nuts included).”


There are many types of Bloggers (examples of some are) –

Business

Lifestyle/Fashion

Celebrity Gossip

Sports

Technology

Political


Now which of these blog types definitely shouldn’t have received an invitation to the White House to discuss politics?

*jeopardy theme music*

That’s correct – Celebrity Gossip

People are struggling financially, we are fighting war after war and politicians are on the take from corporations. And the White House invites bloggers that write about the sex lives of entertainers?! I know it’s exciting to get bloggers that have huge followings. But that shouldn’t be the determining factor for real dialogue. To let you know - I have nothing against celebrity gossip blogs. I believe there is enough room for all of us. I work my side of the street and they work their side. But too many bloggers were left off that list. Bloggers that would have asked the tough questions and not be a rubberstamp for the president. And I’m not saying that people that were invited were going to be rubberstamps. But Obama needs to answer some questions before folks take marching orders.

Apparently nothing constructive came out of the meeting because all you keep hearing was how messy it was.

Side Note to the White House: The next time you want to keep the details of what you discuss private. Don’t invite bloggers that write about gossip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Living in 3rd World America...

"We can do for ourselves if we get the right help." ~ Patty Roseboro, resident of Blackmon Road.

America is one of the richest countries in the world. But you wouldn’t know that if you lived on Blackmon Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina. American’s are living in conditions that could resemble any of the poorest countries in the world. Most of the residents of Blackmon Road live without running water, electricity and septic tanks. If you are thinking that this can’t be true, it is. Have you ever heard of a neighborhood in 2010 that needed a Wash House? And if you are wondering why people don’t know about this, they do. Former Senator John Edwards went there in 2007 to highlight the plight of the residents. Unfortunately his message of putting a spotlight on poverty was dimmed by his sexual exploits.

These folks have been living like this for awhile and it seems that only a few care. One individual is a Republican by the name of Marvin Rogers. You can stop laughing now because it’s true!! Don’t confuse him with South Carolina’s other famous Republicans. I didn’t say Representative Joe “I’m famous for calling the president a liar on TV” Wilson or Senator Jim “I don’t like Gays and Single Women teaching my children” DeMint. If it was up to them, they would nuke the residents and put up condos. But Marvin Rogers seems like he really gives a damn. Unfortunately for him he has a big problem in my opinion. He might be a black republican but blacks won’t vote him into office. Mr. Rogers can thank Fox News and Rush Limbaugh for that. This neighborhood is an example of the many skeletons that America has in her closet. We truly can’t call ourselves a great nation when we have people living like this. This is disgraceful….

So this is who the “Real” Mad Men were? The life and times of Steve Frankfurt.

I don’t watch the current television show “Mad Men.” I know it’s a period piece so I understand the lack of diversity. To be honest with you – I just don’t like all the hoopla around it. When I hear people talking about the “Good Ole Days’ and they don’t look like me I get nervous. Those days weren’t so “Good” for people that looked like me. Although more work needs to be done with diversity in advertising, there has been some progress. I did learn something new though. Frankfurt was involved in taking one of my favorite photographs of all time.

Check out how advertisement agencies look these days –


Austin and El Paso, TX

Chicago, IL and Atlanta, GA

Chicago, IL and Tampa, FL

Atlanta, GA

Brooklyn, NY - Detroit, MI – Atlanta, GA – Miami, FL

The Hypocrisy doesn’t surprise me. Who do you think is really doing the Heavy Lifting???

Lou Dobbs got caught with Illegal Aliens working at his plantation farm…..um…er….yawn!! Are you really surprised??? He owns a Horse Farm that houses million dollar horses. Who did you think would be cleaning up horse poop??? Illegal Aliens do all the dirty work that no one else wants to do. Picking fruit in 90 plus degree weather – illegals!! Building new homes from sunup to sunset – illegals!! Taking out the trash in office buildings – illegals. I know I know…this is where you tell me that “illegals are taking over everything.” The influx of illegals has put a strain on our resources – education, social services etc. But they wouldn’t come if we didn’t offer them work. I’m all for reform but we need to punish these companies that hire illegals for low wages. That includes meat packing companies and former television hosts that own horse farms.

Facing Ali

If you have not seen this film yet please check it out. It's magnificent.....

Muslim-American Public Service Announcements.

It's a shame they have to do it but that's how we are living now.

The Lesson I learned Last Week about Public Servants.

FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE…….PAY THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!