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Transportation Security Administration officials want you to wear clean underwear!! That’s probably the next sign you will see at the airport next year. Because the Government has authorized scanners and body searches, in order to protect the unfriendly skies, you have a citizenship that is uneasy. Poor President Obama, another thing under his watch that people don’t like. Good thing the Car Company Bailouts are working out for him. Oh, I forgot, they aren’t giving him credit for that. Anyway, I knew we would eventually get to this point. The Terrorist must be laughing at us. They have us so afraid of dying on an airplane. We will let complete strangers touch our naked bodies searching for weapons we know we don’t have.
TSA Agent: That family from Iowa on their way to Disney World must be doing something suspicious. I know they have a 1 year old but who carries that many diapers??
I know I know…this is where you tell me, “what about those “Brown Skin Terrorists!!!”” Not to be confused with those “Pale Skin Terrorists” that have been terrorizing Americans for years. Everyone in America, except for minorities, loves racial profiling when it comes to safety. It’s easy to pick someone out of the crowd when they don’t look like you. I’m waiting for when we have to use retinal scans to determine our identity.
Mr. Erroll Southers was going to be the man in charge of this process. But the Republicans stopped him from get hired. And the fact that The Obama Administration backpedaled away from him didn’t help either but I digress… It’s really strange that some conservatives are complaining about the TSA but they also say Obama isn’t making America safe enough. Mmmmmm… sounds like someone is playing political games again!!! But before we blame conservatives for lying again, some other folks aren’t that supportive of these measures either. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she isn’t down with the searches. And she is a credible source on fondling because she is married to President Bill Clinton. I don’t think that Department of Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano has an honest opinion because she doesn’t have a clue. She was only hired because she’s from a state that borders a foreign country. When does the Mayor of Buffalo, New York get his shot at a government job??? Well, Thanksgiving has ended and it's recorded in the books. Let’s see what happens when people travel this Christmas.
Last week I received an email entitled “Black Wall Street, a Semi-Formal Casino Charity Event.” The event is sponsored by Patron Spirits Company. I guess they used the “Black Wall Street” name to make the event sound classy. They even attached a flyer with black folks dressed up in clothes from the Roaring Twenties. These days it is truly all about how you market your events. I’m sure they will attract the Ballers and the pseudo Ballers looking to have a good time. For critics that think they’re desecrating the Black Wall Street name, I will say this. They did give a shout out and brief history of the real Black Wall Street. It was the Greenwood, Oklahoma Black Wall Street that they gave the history on. But not the Durham, North Carolina Black Wall Street, that in my opinion never gets enough press.
Because of the shame that comes with what happened to the Oklahoma Black Wall Street, it is never talked about in history books. I’m sure the State of Oklahoma wants to forget what happened as well. And because some black folks do such a horrible job teaching their children their history….well…I digress. When I looked up Black Wall Street on Google it came up with a lot of stuff. And I’m being kind when I use the word “Stuff.” Sure you had information on the North Carolina and Oklahoma Black Wall Streets’ but you also had information on rappers and their labels. What?!?! What does a rapper have to do with black businesses that were sustained by black folks? A model of business that is used by ever other minority in America is synonymous with Rap now? It was even worse when I used Google Images. I saw Rims, Gold Teeth, and Guns. Really?!?! The Miseducation of the Negro is still in effect as far as I can tell. Instead of associating yourself with Black Wall Street because you have some gold records. How about starting some businesses (key word business is multiple) in your neighborhood? How about providing jobs for the residents of your community?
It seems that the spirit and intent of Black Wall Street died along with the community. What was started by the residents but never passed on will always be a mystery to me. It’s not to say that what was accomplished in Black Wall Street was in vain. Oprah, Jay Z and a host of other blacks have become business leaders in their own right. I believe they are standing on the shoulders of those that came before them. And because of that, those residents of Black Wall Street need to be honored for what they created.
It’s easy to talk trash on the side lines. But playing in the game is a whole different story. Sarah Palin is going to find this out real quick if she decides to run for president. I thought she was just playing around but it appears that she is really thinking about it. The great thing about this country is that anyone can run for president (if they have enough money). The bad thing about this country is that anyone can run for president. Yes!!! Sarah Palin, I’m talking about you!! Palin has mistaken her celebrity popularity as thumbs up for running for the highest office in the land. Just because you have a fan club doesn’t mean that people like you. It only means that some people like you. This is the part that confuses a lot of pseudo celebrities (Palin and everyone that has a show on VH1 and MTV). People like you on TV but they don’t want you in public office. Not one political party has ever approached Snooki about running for office. Although she seems like a nice girl, I don’t think anyone can imagine her as a congresswoman. When Palin was a Governor from that state up north somewhere, she was credible (using this term loosely). She quit before her term ended and gave the most confusing reason for doing such. But after you saw how her career picked up, you finally realized why she left. She likes the spot light. She wants to be seen and heard. Sort of a like a child that wants the attention of their parents. She is riding high on a wave of popularity that only seems to be getting bigger. So I guess the next step would be to run for president (or become an astronaut).
But before her fans get too excited, we need to get real about this whole twisted proposition. First of all I believe in giving blame where blame is due.
Senator John McCain created Frankenstein’s Monster and now we have to live with it. Okay now back to the rest of this post…….
Palin has two big problems that are glaring to anyone that wants to notice.
Some Republican’s don’t like her. I’m not talking about the “Blue Collar” Republicans. I’m talking about the “Intellectual” Republicans. The intellectual ones have advanced degrees and make really good money. They know that Obama really isn’t all those things they say he is. But they love stirring up the blue collar ones to go after Obama. They are the real thinkers in the party. And they are strategic in everything that they say and do. Does any of that sound like Sarah “off the cuff” Palin? PROBLEM #1
How is she going to appeal to Black Folks!! Young Folks!! Latinos!! and Moderates!! She can’t!!! It would be mission impossible for her. She has spent the last 3 years bad mouthing President Obama and his wife to anyone that will listen. That’s not going to sit well with many black folks. I’ve never seen her say anything about Latinos that didn’t involve the words: Border and Secure. And young people and independents?? No comment!! Folks are pissed off that her non-limber daughter is winning a television dance competition. PROMBLEM #2
Side Note: I don’t watch the show because I’ve always thought it was wack but how did she beat Ray J’s sister in a dance off??
If people don’t want your daughter winning on a television show, what does that say about you? Palin has to win over a lot of people and I don’t think she can do it. America is changing. In case you haven’t notice, the country is getting beiger (i.e. interracial relationships and Latinos). She is not going to be able to win people over with divisive rhetoric. And she damn sure won’t be able to keep ducking the media (anyone but Fox News). She doesn’t like answering questions on what she reads but she writes books?!? Really People?!?! The job is called The President of the “United States.” Not the President of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”
Want to know why large pockets of Black America remain in great despair despite all our amazing post-Civil Rights era advances? Well, look no further than the incredible lack of vision and imagination of our Black leaders--be they elected officials, ministers and imams, public intellectuals, heads of social service organizations, educators, entrepreneurs, or grassroots activists.
~ Writer and Activist Kevin PowellLast week the House ethics committee voted 9 – 1 to censure Congressman Charlie Rangel on 11 of 13 charges of rules violations. I guess 1 person thought it wasn’t unusual to not have paid taxes for 17 years. I wonder what the IRS would do if I stopped paying taxes for over a decade? Actor Wesley Snipes is getting ready to do a 3 year bid for not paying his taxes. I guess being in politics helps when it’s tax time. Fellow Congressman John Lewis testified on behalf of Rangel calling him "a good and decent man." Maybe that’s why 1 person voted against censure on 11 of 13 charges of rules violations. This is not a good look for the Congressional Black Caucus. They still have to deal with Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ upcoming ethics trial.
The CBC also spoke on behalf of Majority Whip James Clyburn’s campaign to become the Minority Whip. They let it be known that there might be consequences if Clyburn didn’t get the job. It’s kind of like when your drunken uncle shows out at Thanksgiving. A lot of tough talk but it’s just really more bark than bite. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who originally created this conflict, solved the problem by giving Clyburn a #3 spot in the leadership last week. That’s like kids making up play titles on the playground. A kid can call themselves a cosmonaut without actually going into the cosmos. What does a #3 position do? Especially when you didn’t need one 2 years ago? I wonder what actually happened in that meeting the CBC had with Pelosi? Bob “pimping ain’t easy” Johnson was even writing letters to politicians promoting Clyburn’s campaign. I guess he finally realized that even his ole greasy self can’t influence them all. This is not a good look for the CBC. They showed that they can be easily swayed by backroom deals.
Congressman Allen West, who could pass for Radio Raheem’s dad, criticized the liberal leanings of the CBC. Meanwhile, he was attempting to gain entry into the organization last week. So the CBC could possibly have a tea party backed candidate in their caucus? That would be against everything that they stand for. But because he’s black they can’t turn him down. Imagine turning down a fellow black congressperson because he has Sarah Palin’s number in his cell phone? How would that look to black independents and republicans? This is not going to change the organization but it will change the way you look at them. Is this the beginning of more black moderates and conservatives joining the organization (that’s if they get elected)? It always starts with one person. If the CBC were smart, they would turn their meetings into a reality show. Why not make some money off the infighting that is going to take place? Ask the cast of “Jersey Shore” about it………………….
Yeah, last week was a bad one for the CBC.
When I was younger, I’d spend many a day watching the television show “Saved by the Bell.” It was a fictitious show that involved six Bayside High School students. Lark Voorhies was one of the actresses on the television show. Besides the crazy antics of the group, she was an important reason to watch. Wasn’t a lot of Sista’s on Saturday Morning shows so she was a big deal!! I always thought it would be cool to go to a school like Bayside High. However, I did stop watching the show once they entered college. How did over 50% of the group end up at the same college? And why did Zack get Kelly? And why did A.C. Slater cut his shag? There were too many questions that couldn’t be answered when I came of age. But in reality it was just a television show. It’s not really possible to go to an imaginary school and receive a real degree??
Oh, excuse me, I guess you can. But don’t tell the folks at www.belfordhighschool.com that. They probably think they are real. They even created their own college like Saved by the Bell!!! What a great deal!! Who wouldn’t want to obtain a GED or High School Diploma without attending classes and studying for exams? And you could earn all of this within 15 days for the low low low price of $249.00 with free express shipping. There is a catch!! You need to have at least 2 years of work of life experience satisfied in the following ways:
Oh, excuse me, I guess you can. But don’t tell the folks at Belford that. They probably think they are real. They even created their own college like Saved by the Bell!!! What a great deal!! Who wouldn’t want to obtain a GED or High School Diploma without attending classes and studying for exams? And you could earn all of this within 15 days for the low low low price of $249.00 with free express shipping. There is a catch!! You need to have at least 2 years of work of life experience satisfied in the following ways:
*Prior job experience in any field.
*Previous educational achievements.
*Employer-sponsored training and attendance of workshops.
*Participation in organizations, both professional and non-professional.
*Employer-sponsored training and attendance of workshops.
*Participation in organizations, both professional and non-professional.
*Personal goals, lifestyle, hobbies, and travel.
*Participation in volunteer activities and community service.
*Independent reading, viewing, listening, or writing.
Sounds too good to be true? I would like to go on record and say: This is a bad thing!!! But before you call me an East Coast Liberal Elite, let me explain why this is bad.
Schools (using the term “school” loosely) that put out these factory degrees circumvent the true spirit of education. They treat education as some sort of product that can be packaged and shipped like a business product. A high school diploma is the minimum amount of education that one can receive. High School classes are made up of subjects that are learned by repetition. After you take the test you can practically forget what you just learned. People it ain’t rocket science!! I’ve seen people sleep their way through high school.
Side Note: I'll be honest and say we do need to fix how and what we are taught in high school.
When did life experience become credit for a WHOLE DEGREE??? I can see you using it for a class subject i.e. paper, test, quiz, project but a WHOLE DEGREE??
It’s amazing to see political pundits complain about our educational system but won’t discuss how America has devalued higher education. The Republican Party spent the end of Bush’s 2nd Term and the 2008 Presidential Campaign badmouthing degreed people (i.e. anyone that has a Bachelors, Masters, PhD). I find that especially funny when the same people making the attacks have degrees themselves. When people refer to any part of the township/city/state/country as elite – it means the residents must be snooty because they attended college (God Forbid someone attending school to improve their lives!!!). Meanwhile the Democrats are too cowardly to call them on this because they want to fit in at the county pork barbecue cook off.
Media darling Sarah Palin (Mama Grizzly) eventually finished college with a degree in communications. Sarah who likes to hunt and fish with the regular folks says nasty things about the media. But that’s interesting considering she was a sports reporter on television. WEIRD!
President George W. Bush (Dubya) attended the finest Ivy League Schools in America. But he’s just a regular guy that you can have a beer with. He also was a former owner of a professional sports team. You know the kind of teams that regular folks own. WEIRDER!!
President Barack Obama (His “O”ness) is a constitutional lawyer but he has been made to look like an unintelligent elitist that doesn’t understand the constitution. But before he was president, he was a community organizer in the inner city. I wonder do regular folks live in “The Hood?” WEIRDEST!!!
America has decided that it would rather spend its money on Never Ending Wars than build new schools. High Schools across America are being shut down because school districts can’t afford to run them. Compared to other countries we have the lowest scores in math and science. And because we don’t build anymore, (Thanks East Asia Trade!!) who needs Engineers and Architects. We pay teachers less than we do pro athletes that work 7 months out of the year. And politicians will not answer any more questions on what type of literature they read. Why? Because that is considered a trick question!!! Politicians dumbed American's down when we created an US vs. Them atmosphere. And now we are paying the price dearly with congressional gridlock.
So if you still want to know, what does this have to do with an on-line high school? How will we find our next Scientist, Doctor or Teacher? Who will design our energy efficient buildings and cars? Who will find our alternative sources for energy? Who will find a cure for cancer?
With the astronomical costs of a college degree and the scorn from politicians that come with it. We don’t want American youth thinking “why work hard in high school? Because in the end, will it really even matter?”
Tickets available through http://www.ticketweb.com/
Because of America’s Slave Trade, many blacks do not know where their ancestors come from. I’m sure most black folks would love to be related to African Royalty. I could only imagine what it would be like to find out that you are flushed with cash, diamonds and oil. Well maybe just cash. Between America and China, the diamonds and oil might be all used up. Africa, the continent that gets pimped out by other countries but I digress….
Maryland resident Peggielene Bartels (don’t ask me how to pronounce this one folks!!) is the king of a fishing village of Otuam, Ghana. The crazy thing about Peggielene (besides her name) is that she is a woman. You usually hear about women being Queens but not Kings. Her Uncle was the former king of Otuam but he passed away. And the good folks of Otuam performed some ritual to determine the next king and Peggielene got the call. I guess they don’t use butterfly ballots like they do in Florida?
Bartels is known in Otuam as Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI.
Side Note: Black folks and names but I digress….
Before you think that some village in Africa is looking for your name in the yellow pages. Keep in mind that Bartels is a naturalized U.S. citizen. That means she knew about her ties to Otuam. I’m not saying that this couldn’t happen to “Tyrone” or “Keisha”. But I think that the chances are very slim. LeBron calls himself the “King” but that’s because sports writers promoted that concept. It’s not going to be easy for Bartels because it is a fishing village. In the American Greed Index - Oil makes more money than Fish.
The line to buy a lottery ticket is almost as long as the one for the soup kitchen. Many American’s spend their days dreaming of being rich and famous. YouTube is flooded with people that want to be overnight celebrities by stretching their 15 minutes of fame. Just think of all the time and energy people exert to have some pseudo title. And Bartels was minding her own business and now she is a King.
I guess Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi didn’t get the memo on Election Day? She was an unknowing actor in republican ads all the way up to the election. The republicans lumped her and President Obama together as enemies of the state. People in Ohio were subjected to hearing about a woman that lived in San Francisco. And that this woman was the cause of their pain and misery.
Side Note: The last person hated that much from San Fran was Barry Bonds.
Apparently Pelosi doesn’t want to step down as leader of the democratic caucus (yawn…..). As usually a politician doesn’t want to give up their spot (what else is new). You have a write in candidate in Alaska that is only running because she hates the former Governor. When politicians lose, they take that as more incentive to not quit. If that logic involves athletes it’s a good thing, but with old wrinkly politicians…..um…er…ew…not so good. I like Pelosi because she pisses people off (that’s the type of dude I am). But I think she should step down and let some freshness come in.
Unfortunately, the freshness would be in the form of Congressman Steny Hoyer. Here is another old man that has been in politics forever and a day. And behind him is Jim “James” Clyburn. This is another old man that has been in politics forever and a day. The democratic must not have any young folks on deck? It’s like trying to be a minister at a black church. The young pastor has to wait for the older pastor to drop dead from eating too much fried chicken.
Current House Majority Whip Clyburn wants to become the Minority Whip next year. Majority Leader Hoyer wants to become the Minority Whip too. Notice they are both going from Majority to Minority (thank the Nov 2nd election gentlemen!!) Just in case you asked why was all of this happening? It’s because Pelosi wants to be Minority Leader. So Hoyer wants to go back to being #2, which would put Clyburn as #3. It’s all quite confusing if you think about it. But it wouldn’t be politics if it wasn’t confusing.
Side Note: Did I tell you that all of these people are friends.
The bad part about all of this foolishness – enter Bob “Pimping Ain’t Easy” Johnson to the mix. He has started a campaign to help Clyburn get the job. I know some of ya’ll love Johnson because he’s rich (so is Bill Gates) and he owned a television channel (so did Ted Turner). If you haven’t learned by now, if Johnson is involved, race will be rearing its ugly head.
A paragraph from his letter to Congressional Black Caucus leaders regarding Clyburn –
"As you are well aware, Jim has served for 18 years and not only has a strong standing throughout the Congress having served as Majority Whip, but as a distinguished Member of the CBC. He is a steadfast advocate for issues that have a direct impact on the African American community, and his voice must remain at the forefront of the 112th Congress. To diminish his leadership role in Congress would run the risk of losing a significant part of the Black vote, a decision the Democratic Party cannot afford at this most critical time in history."
Clyburn not keeping his seat could cause “the risk of losing a significant part of the Black vote”?????????? Didn’t that already happen on Nov 2nd???? Black folks came out in larger numbers than previous off year elections but not like they did in 2008. I think Bob Johnson used that same logic when he was running the Charlotte Bobcats into the ground. Clyburn is shaking hands with the devil on this one. I don’t care if he wants to keep his job or go fishing next year. He shouldn’t have Johnson shilling for him because there is always an ulterior motive to anything Johnson does. I don’t know what he wants but he wants something. Clyburn should thank Johnson for being concerned and kindly tell him to butt out. Clyburn might need help but he doesn’t need that kind. That kind of help can cost you.
You’ve heard about it in the news for months and finally it has arrived. The republicans swept through America like the plague on Tuesday. We knew they were going to get some wins but WOW!!!!!!!!!! From the national stage to the local stage –democrats took some L’s!!!!! It didn’t even matter if they were long time politicians. If they looked, smelled or felt like Democrats they got “lit up!!”
In my current state of North Carolina, the republicans had a historic victory. In 2008, North Carolina was thought to have turned a corner (A Red State to a Purple State). That didn’t last long. The republican’s almost took over the Mecklenburg County Commissioner Board with 3 at large bids. They only received 1. The other 2 went to the democrats. One of the democrats, incumbent Harold Cogdell Jr was everywhere speaking to anyone who would listen to him. I guess it worked out for him....
When I went to bed early Wednesday morning; Congressman John Spratt was talking
about a re-count. Dude!! It’s South Carolina, give it a rest and keep it moving. That’s why I’m laughing about people making a big deal about Republican candidate Nikki Haley (or the name her parents gave her Nimrata Randhawa) winning as South Carolina Governor. They haven’t had a democratic governor in 10 years. You can celebrate the fact that she is a woman but this was no upset.
Former Governor Charlie Crist is now unemployed after getting his head handed to him.
And based on the results Congressman Kendrick Meek should have never entered the
race. The democrats knew he couldn’t win but they let him run anyway. He was another person that got caught up in Obama’s 2008 win and thought he could duplicate it. Meek seems like a nice guy but he has the appeal of a loaf of wheat bread.
President Obama’s old Illinois Senate job was won by a republican and the governors’
race (as of this post) was still neck and neck. Republican candidates cleaned up state governors’ races in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wyoming and New Mexico. And Wisconsin has its first Republican Senator in 18 years!!!!
Blacks and other Minority Republicans kicked down the door on Tuesday night in grand fashion. At first glance, the minority “Tea Party” backed candidates help the Tea Party image of being inclusive. But after another look, Tuesday’s high level turn out of white male voters helps to negate that same message. I hope the congressional black caucus is not waiting for these new folks to join. Their allegiances are owed elsewhere.
Both snoozefest candidates Harry Reid and Andrew Cuomo beat lunatic opponents to win Governorships. And California turned down pot, elected a senior citizen and passed on a former CEO. Christine O’Donnell lost (no surprise) making witches and warlocks sad all across the nation (although she did say she wasn’t a witch). Personally, I would not have had a problem with her being a witch (even though she said she wasn’t a witch). Sabrina the teenage Witch was cool and she was cute too. And Bewitched was a hilarious television show (but again, she said she wasn’t a witch).
Republican Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao lost his bid to become a second
term U.S. House of Representative member. Cao became congressmen under
amazing circumstances. The democrat who had the job before him was crooked
and Hurricane Katrina misplaced the residents of the majority black district. He
seemed like a nice guy when you watched him being interviewed but I guess that
seat was always meant for a Democrat.
What happened on Tuesday was not a surprise or a fluke. With Obama’s “Spock” like nature, he comes across as being distant. But that’s just part of the problem. The real problem is what the democrats fail to understand.
The Democrats didn’t win all those seats in 2008 because they were such great politicians. Many of them were in office during “The Bush Years” and they let him walk all over them. They won because they were riding Obama’s coat tails (this list doesn’t include black politicians in mostly black districts, whites in strong democratic districts and Nancy Pelosi). Obama was able to win folks over by engaging them and making them believe he was different. He used social media to reach younger voters and he had canvassing in every state. And he was even on black radio more than Lil Wayne.
But a funny thing happened during the two years of the Obama presidency. The democrats stopped engaging the people that voted for them. Many of these folks were young, first time voters, and minorities. No one explained how politics worked and how they needed to stay active. These voters were left to watch the congress and the White House horse trade for the last two years. While politicians made closed door deals and argued over birth certificates and gay soldiers. The same people that voted for Obama, young people and minorities, were losing jobs, and homes. Ask an inner city black male, age 20 – 30, if he is doing better now than he was two years ago. Ask a teenager in the suburbs how hard was it to get a job last summer. And the first time voters….well you shouldn’t have expected a lot from them. If 2008 was the first time a 40 year old man voted……well….um…no comment. So in 2010, did you really expect these same people to come out in full force? As they say in New York….Come on son!!! Many Obama voters are suffering from voter apathy. And it showed on Tuesday night. The Republicans didn’t win a victory because American’s are tired of Obama. They won because their base was motivated and the other side wasn’t.
Let me get this straight!!! A former welfare recipient is running for office as a Republican? And the city of Compton would be part of her district? This is alot to take in when you are sober and not on any type of narcotic. I just have a few points to make: If I were her, I wouldn't brag about being endorsed by Alan Keyes. He's a lunatic and he looks like a raccoon in a suit. And I wouldn't add Pat Boone to that endorsement list either. He has covered stolen so much music from people that he probably doesn't have an original thought. I will be following the results of this race to see what happens. Now this is truly "Must See TV".
