The Desultory Life & Times of a Public Citizen

Fox News viewers turn on Juan Williams and you thought NPR was bad!!!

2012-01-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

“Howis it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes?”

~Samuel Johnson

The folks onthe left already thought Juan Williams was suspect and now they are clowninghim on the right. Williams fanciedhimself as a black man that couldn’t be pegged into a neat little circle. He wasn’t too far right and he wasn’t too farleft. But when NPR gave him the boot,Fox News scooped him up with the quickness. NPR known by the far right as a “Bastion of Liberalism” and Fox Newsknown by the left (notice I just said the “Left”) as the “Epicenter of “ConservativeThought.” Williams worked for both organizationsat the same time before NPR ditched him. And I think he thought that it gave him “Street Cred” in the “I can’t bepigeonholed” category. But it was an actthat he was ill prepared to pull off. His views angered black folks and liberals alike. That made him sort of like a “Black BestFriend” to the Right. Or at least thatwas until he moderated the Republican Primary Debate in South Carolina.

After theDebate, a Newt Gingrich supporter thanked him for “putting Williams in his place.” Uh Oh!! Where have we heard that before? In just about every movie that ever featureda racist person or old video footage of racist southerners talking about the CivilRights Movement. But bytoday’s standards she wouldn’t be a racist….she would be called a “ConcernedAmerican Citizen.” In this “New”America, racism doesn’t exist and there are only “Those that work” and “Thosethat beg”!!! Or as those crazy hippiekids camping outside say: the 1% and the 99%.

So what wasit that Williams said to upset the good folks of South Carolina? What were the questions that he asked thatmade Republican voters want to break off a piece of leather in Williams John Brown hind parts??

- Governor Romney, your father was born in Mexico. You still havefamily there, yet you have taken the hardest line of anyone on this stage on immigration reform, including opposition to key parts of the DREAM Act, which is supported by 80 percent of Latinos in this country. Are you alienating Latino voters that Republicans will need to win the general election?

- Senator Santorum, the Obama administration has not specifically addressed high levels of joblessness and a 25 percent poverty rate in blackAmerica. They say they want to fix the economy for all, but given the crisis situation among a group of historically disadvantaged Americans, do you feel the time has come to take special steps to deal with the extraordinary level of poverty afflicting one race of America?

- Speaker Gingrich, you recently said black Americans should demand jobs, not food stamps. You also said poor kids lack a strong work ethic and proposed having them work as janitors in their schools. Can’t you see that this is viewed, at a minimum, as insulting to all Americans, but particularly to black Americans?

So insteadof Juan Williams playing his role, he wanted to show that “he couldn’t bepigeonholed.” Too bad it didn’t work out for him that way. Although he may think he can’t be labeled, aGingrich supporter let him know exactly who he was. And based on the cheers that she receivedwhen making the statement, a lot of people feel the same way.

Deuces Herman Cain, I hardly knew you.

2011-12-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Mediocrity requires aloofness topreserve its dignity.

~ Charles G. Dawes

Becoming famous in America has becomeas easy as ordering a number one at McDonalds. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can be a star if they believe in themselves andcan get in front of a camera. But thereare serious pitfalls to having too much pride in your abilities. Sometimes you believe that you are great whenyou really aren’t.

Hence the story of Herman Cain, aformer pizza executive that wanted to be Head of the American Empire. But as he ends his campaign, we are stilltrying to figure out who he is? He triedto shake off all previous allegations but couldn’t shake a 4am phone text. What married man sends a text to anotherwoman at 4am in the morning and periodically gives her money? Did I forget to mention that Cain’s wife didn’t know anything about this woman? Cain sold himself as a Christian with moral values. And now a woman is claiming that he wasserving her more than pizzas? Cain needsto call Eliot Spitzer for some advice ASAP!!!!! Don’t forget the allegations from the many women that claimed hesexually harassed them. For a minute itstarted to look like a Tiger Woods Mistress coming out party.

When I first heard a former CEO of apizza company wanted to be head honcho, my mind started swimming. I thought it would have to be someone from a successfulwell known company. Pizza Hut? They are tops in everything plus thosepersonal pan pizzas are the bomb!!! Domino’s? I know they had someissues but they are making a comeback and their crust tastes a lot better. Papa John’s? So that dude in their commercials wants to be president? Little Caesars? I think their Hot and Ready Pizzas is aninteresting concept. But it hascheapened the product a little. CiCi’sPizza? YES!!!…I love that place. I know their pizza isn’t quality pizza buttheir buffet is one of the cheapest deals around (i.e. recession prices!!) Hungry Howie’s Pizza? I know I know, their pizza probably isn’t thehealthiest but those flavored crusts are amazing. Well that’s all the pizza places that…..waita minute...did you say Chuck E. Cheese’s? No? Oh what’s that? Godfather’sPizza? Really? Where are they located? Omaha, Nebraska….are you serious?? Unless you are in the Midwest or the smallestmost backwoods town you could get lost in. There is a good possibility that you have not enjoyed eating at aGodfather’s Pizza. But none of thisstopped Cain, who felt that he had something to offer America.

But if he had something, only hishardcore fans and the lady he was sending 4am texts to knew what it was. I don’t know if people actually believed inhim or they were just that pissed off at Mitt Romney. What can you say about a presidentialcandidate that knew absolutely nothing about foreign policy? He couldn’t point to countries on the map orpronounce them. He made light of hisforeign policy credentials and told us that the voters are looking for someoneto fix the economy. But wouldn’t it besmart for him to know something about China, because we do still owe themmoney. And because we still get oil fromthe Middle East, shouldn’t he know something about them too. Not to mention Korea and India who willbecome major players on the world stage in the next few years. I guess we’ll never know if Chuck Norris wason the short list for Secretary of Defense. So foreign policy wasn’t his specialty. He still had his business acumen working for him. Who could forget about his financial plan thatsounded like an ad for a pizza commercial? And based on the plan’s figures, it seems that a pizza coupon would bebetter for you financially than his actual plan. His Chilean 999 plan sounds like somethingyou get at the Mustang Ranch in Nevada. Sincehe was such a successful businessman, he couldn’t come up with anything better. I’m curious why journalists never asked whyGodfather’s Pizza wasn’t as well known as the other pizza chains. Wouldn’t it have been impressive if he tookGodfather’s to the highest level possible? What if they were as competitive as the other chains..i.e. stores on every corner, online ordering,adding chicken and pasta to their menus and putting more cheese in their cheesybread (because you can really never have enough cheese stuffed in a pocket ofbread). But in the end, all we knowabout his time at Godfather’s is what the women that he allegedly sexuallyharassed said about him.

Although Cain had no more business inthe White House than a 14^th and K Street Prostitute, I hated to seehim go out like this. Just because Ididn’t think he stood a chance didn’t mean I hated the guy. I just thought he wasn’t qualified and lackedthe intellectual curiosity that I think he needs for the job. He reminded me of the drunken uncle thatalways had these crazy life stories. Even the dumbest stories seemed to be the funniest. My major problem with him was that hepandered to conservative whites entirely too much. So much so that he seemed to dismiss blackfolks as some lost group of people that needed direction. Did he not think that black folks (thataren’t tethered to the Republican Party) weren’t going to vote for him? Allblacks aren’t liberals. You have a lot ofthem that are Independents like me. Ican judge a candidate on their views and make an intelligent decision. And it doesn’t matter the gender or race ofthe candidate. But what I won’t do is vote against my own self interests. And I won’t vote for someone that clearly wasn'tup to the challenge.

ELIZABETH AND HAZEL Two Women of Little Rock.

2011-11-07T10:15:00.000-05:00

Thefollowing Book Review has been sponsored by www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com

DavidMargolick has written a moving yet somber piece of work. His book perfectly captures the mood ofracial progress in America. For all theanswers you thought you knew, there are just more questions. Are white folks really interested in racial reconciliationor are they unable to admit their culpability. Or maybe black folks have toomuch anger and resentment to move on from the past. Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Masserywere part of history for all the wrong and right reasons. Their story starts in 1957 during America’stumultuous Civil Rights Era. Two women from different sides of the tracks meton a day that changed their lives forever. Eckford one of the Little Rock Nine, only wanted to get aneducation. And Massery only wanted to beseen. At the end of the book I had my own questions. Was Eckford doingsomething noble or was she being used as a pawn? And was Massery better suited to be ascapegoat than an agent of change? Don’tget me wrong because there is reflection and redemption in these pages. But while we have made many significantstrides, we still have a long way to go.

Throwing Stones at other people’s God$.

2011-10-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Thereasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists intrying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on theunreasonable man.

~ GeorgeBernard Shaw

When I first heard Chuck D, front manfor Public Enemy, say “Is your lord a god. Or is your god a dog?” I almost fell out of my seat. Wow!!! What prophetic words!!! Chuck D was asking you a very serious questionwith that chorus to his song. Is the Godthat you serve a false God?

Well move over TeaParty, there is a new movement in town. The Occupy Wall Street Movement has taken the country by storm. GroundZero for the movement started at the financial district of New York but it hasspread to different cities. The groupthat is involved in this movement calls themselves the 99%. No, not the 99, and not this 99% but this99%. Who knew that 99% was a popular number?

Side Note: I hate math so if it was my movement it wouldnot be a fraction.

Becausethis movement is taking aim at America’s Financial Institution it has taken ongreat criticism. There are people pissedoff that these dirty hippies have invaded Wall Street. And that they are unorganized and do not havesome ready-made list of demands. Thismovement is getting shade because the 99% are going after other peoples’Gods. Capitalism in this country isworshiped like Christianity. And youknow how “us” Christian’s get when people talk about sweet baby Jesus. The 99% are hitting people where they hurtand they don’t like it. Anytime you badmouth capitalism you set yourself up for harsh criticism. But don’t just take my word for it. Next time you see someone bashing the OccupyWall Street Movement take a look at their background. What ties do they have to Wall Street?

One of thegood things about being an independent thinker is that you can make your owndecisions. I’m not bound by Democrat orRepublican Thinking. Whether you want tocall it rich folks bashing or wealthy white men hating, it’s obvious thatpeople are mad. And that they are madenough to do something about it.

The middleclass is shrinking in America and it’s not a big secret. People know something is wrong when their 79 year old grandmother still has to work to eat. They also know something is wrong when theyhaven’t had a raise in 5 years. Theyhave watched their jobs go to foreign countries and their medical insuranceincrease. To try to play the public asif they are stupid is the wrong move. Iremember when the Tea Party was belittled and called a fringe group. Now they influence public policy – go figure. I don’t know where this movement is going butI’m not dumb enough to sleep on it.

Don’t diss the White Folks. You are going to need them next year!!!

2011-10-03T13:15:00.000-04:00

Show me a Hero and I’ll write you a Tragedy.

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Onceagain, Obama Loyalist and Foot Soldier, PhD. Melissa Harris-Perry has providedher two cents about President Obama’s critics. Apparently white folks that are disappointed in Obama since electing himin 2008 are now racist. Gofigure??? Who knew that you could turnwhite folks into bigots within a 3 year timeframe? I hope Patrick J. Buchanan doesn’t get a holdof that serum or gas or whatever it is that’s turning them. Harris-Perry attempted to compare the recordsof the original 1^st Black President William Jefferson Clinton andthe New 1^st Black President Barack H. Obama. She felt that Obama’srecord has been more progressive and that he has actually gotten more thingsdone. What she fails to understand is thatthe people who had homes in the 90’s are facing foreclosure NOW! They aren’t looking for a trip down memorylane. They are looking to keep their home. As Janet Jackson once said "What Have You Done for Me Lately?"

WhenRepublican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain tells you he’s blacker than Obama,you know things have gone completely wrong. Black folks have “Gone off the Reservation”and are increasingly showing their dissatisfaction with Obama. I know Obama told us to “put on your marchingshoes.” But I still haven’t figured out where we are marching to? Even Congresswoman Maxine Waters has issues with Obama telling blacks to take off their house slippers. She even claimed that she doesn’t own a pairof house shoes. Really? No house slippers or house shoes in a blackhousehold? Someone needs to fact checkthat!!!! Obama met with the Latinos lastweek and told them a completely different story. He said that “this notion that somehow I can justchange the laws unilaterally is just not true." I didn’t hear him telling them to suitup and get ready to march. He soundedlike he was pleading with them to give him a break. Meanwhile black folks have got to quitcomplaining and suck it up??? Gay folks can now serve freely in our armed services and they arestill upset with Obama. Are Latino’s andGay’s racist too??? I think it’s safe tosay we can cut white folks some slack….well at least for today.

IfHarris-Perry hasn’t figured it out yet, a lot of folks have fallen out with Obama. A large part of it has to do withnot standing on principles and giving in to the opposition. But maybe I read that from a fortune cookie somewhere.Obama Loyalists can chastise blacks, liberal whites, gays, latinos, and theyouth all they want. The even can attemptto make them pariahs and turn their own people against them (YES…..I’m talkingabout you Tom Joyner). But that still doesn’t change the issues that led to thefallout.

AmI to believe that the issue of unemployment is a faux issue that can bedismissed with “well it was higher when Clinton was in office too?” Obama came in with higher expectations thathe himself promoted and ran on. Hetalked a big game when he was running for office and now all you hear areexcuses. The fact that he was acommunity activist was supposed to mean something. We finally had a president who understandsthe plight of the working class and poor. So why is it inappropriate to now display dissatisfaction with LawrenceSummers (formerly against regulation of the financial industry) having a formerprominent role in the White House? Youcan’t throw stones at the banking industry without at least grazing Obama. Sonow that white folks are off the hook, who takes the blame? Should hissupporters be blamed for their high expectations? Or should Obama be blamed because he lowered his expectations? Meanwhile, I wonderwhat the real racists are doing while all this back and forth is going on?

If you don’t like Tea, get another drink!!!!

2011-09-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Iadore political parties. They are the only place left to us where people don'ttalk politics.

~OscarWilde

If you thought the tea party was going to be a passing fad,after last week you now know the truth. The Tea Party is here to stay!!! Withthe announcer starting off with the following statement: Tonight, eight Republicans, one goal: to win theWhite House and kick Barack Obama out. CNN’s Sept 12 Tea Party RepublicanDebate kicked off in grand fashion. CNN looked like they were getting ready toshow a football game instead of a political debate. Being last in the ratingsmakes you do some crazy stuff sometimes.

The Tea Party finally had all of the Republican presidentialcandidates together in one room. They even had “Old Man” Newt Gingrich andHerman Cain, the former CEO of Godfathers Pizza. Back in the late 80’s Gingrichwas a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. That also was the last timethat I would see a Godfathers Pizza Commercial. Wow, what a coincidence?!

I know that a lot of folks are still upset over audience memberscheering when Representative Ron Paul was asked if society should let a man dieif he decides not to purchase healthcare and suddenly needs intensive care.Some yahoos in the audience did shout “Yeah!!” when CNN Moderator Wolf Blitzerasked Paul that question. I think it is safe to say that was a chilling moment inAmerica. Now do all Tea Party Members feel that way??? I can’t say yes withcertainty. Besides I personally know a Tea Party Member and my experience withhim has always been on the up and up. But until last week many folks didn’tknow the Tea Party had that much pull. To be able to have your own politicaldebate on live t.v. is no small thing. But I still have to wonder where theCoffee Party, Cocoa Party, or even the Brown Sugar Party is???????????????

Black folks started off in politics during the Reconstruction Eraand we still play the political game like rookies. We still haven’t figured outthe importance of having Political Action Committees or Lobbyists. Sureeveryone hates (in public) Lobbyists but they need them in order to push theirpolitical agenda. Sure everyone bemoans (in public) Political Action Committeesbut they raise the money and have the votes to push their political agendas.Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on who you ask) this is how the game isplayed.

My point is this: I’m sick of hearing black folks complain aboutthere not being an alternative to the Tea Party.

If you are bothered by it, create your own!!! Call up Van Jones ifyou need to know how it’s done. I left the Democrats after 2008 because of thehypocrisy involved in the 2008 presidential campaign. I decided to become afree agent i.e. independent because the two party system sucks. Don’t think fora moment that I left the Dems and happily skipped over to the Republicans. Thiswas the same party that southern democrats defected to after the Civil RightsAct of 1964. If you have conservative views on some issues and liberal views onothers, what party actually fits you? NONE!! So I’m not thrilled about someonecreating another political party but I’m tired of the belly aching. So eitherput up or shut up!!! If you don’t like tea, find another drink.

MLK and the Battle of New America

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come backmarked ‘insufficient funds.”

~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We are at a crossroads here in America. The country that was called Amerikka byrapper Ice Cube back in the 90’s is changing. A perfect sign of that change – Ice Cube, once known as “The N****A YouLove to Hate”, stars in family friendly movies now. Another sign of change is the eventual “Browningof America”. America’s minorities willbecome the majority by the year 2050. As early as 2023, minority children will make up half of all children in this country. That figure includes our Latino population which will eventuallybecome the largest minority population. After it’s all said and done, 1 out of every 3American’s will be Latino. BlackAmerican’s numbers will increase but not at the projected level of their Latinobrethren. Then add the fact that morepeople now are identifying themselves as being of more than one race. America, things are about to get sticky!!!!

Side Note: If Slave Owners would have known this day wascoming, they would have fought harder in the Civil War.

America is changing and the country is ill prepared for thechange of direction. America has itsfirst minority president and you see him catching hell (some of it his own doing)every time you turn on the t.v. Aftercoaxing Mexicans (That is Mexicans from the Country of Mexico) to do our dirtywork by offering them low wages (which to them looked like big money). We are now trying to kick them out of ourcountry because they decided to stay for the quality of life that they couldn’tget in their own country. And to add tothe foolishness, slavery is now being passed off as the best thing that has ever happened to blacks. I don’t thinkthat the majority in America is ready for the future. But that is their problem!!

What does all of this mean for black folks? While we fight each other over who has theright to criticize President Obama. Someof our brothas and sistas are slowly languishing into an abyss of despair. Some blacks are done with all the symbolismat the White House and want something of substance. Without a job – you can’t feed your family –you can’t afford healthcare – and you can’t better your situation in life. You can’t pay for gas, college, groceries ora hospital bill with photos of the Obama family. America is set up for you to succeed based onCASH and CONNECTIONS. If you learnedanything from the Great Recession, it should be that having money and knowingsomeone means a lot. Of all the corporations that failed or were bailed out,how many of their CEO’s ended up being punished for mismanagement? Many blacks were (and still are) living fromcheck to check. If their jobs let them gotomorrow and they could not find work for 3 years…………well you know the rest. This Recession has also been the greatequalizer. Blacks with master degreesare standing in the same lines with blacks with high school diplomas (or nodegrees at all). Meanwhile the gap between the haves and have nots should be an embarrassment to any country thatcalls itself a leader among countries. Andthe educational problems in America’s majority black communities are shamefulat best. A mix of bad parenting and crimeriddled streets, have produced children that even the Terminator would beafraid of.

Last week was the opening of the Reverend Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. Memorial in our nation’s capital. It was good to see that Dr. King was able to receive an honor that waswell overdue. But this isnot the time to rest on our laurels. Dr. Kingwould even have to agree that there is much work to still be done. No, I’m not calling to arms militias of angryblack folks. That last sentence was forthe people that think black folks are looking for revenge for slavery. Don’t think I’m not paying attention to howhistory is being skewed on tell-lie-vision these days. Most blacks won’t be looking for payback in2050. Although they will be looking fora paycheck!! This country has had aterrible history when dealing with its darker skinned natives:

Japanese Internment Camps

Forcing Native Americans to live on Reservations

The Middle Passage – Slavery

But we all still managed to move along as a country (eventhough some American’s came along begrudgingly). Dr. King believed that we could live togetherin this nation but it would take a strong commitment to make that happen. Ifyou didn’t know, Dr. King was an agitator. In his last years, he pissed off peoplefor speaking out against the Vietnam War and shining a light on America’s poorest citizens. Dr. King knew that you had toroll up your sleeves and get dirty in order to get things done. You might have thought of him as a pacifistbut he was a fighter. A battle is not always about the physical fight. He pushed President Kennedy to action whenAmerica saw black children getting their tails kicked on tv by law enforcementofficials. That was strategic to havechildren protest along with adults. Whowould actually try to touch a child? Kennedyhad no choice when the moral outrage grew because of the events. What does this mean for us today? It means that we still have more fighting todo. In order to create the society thatDr. King dreamed of requires a great hardship. The issues that Dr. King faced in the 60's still exist. Poverty, Inequality, and a Never Ending War are just some of the high points. Just remember that there are forces dead set on Dr. Kings vision not becoming a reality (Dr. King wasassassinated remember?). The reality isthat the fight didn’t end that sad day in Memphis. It was actually the beginning. A true “Call to Arms” but we weren’tpaying attention. Its 2011 folks!! Are you paying attention yet?

You can blame yourself for the fighting in Congress!!!

2011-08-01T10:01:00.002-04:00

Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing – after exhaustingall other alternatives. ~ Winston Churchill

Why is it that a single mother can prepare a budget better than a politician? It seems like all they do on Capitol Hill isargue about money. You have politiciansthat don’t pay taxes and others that spend money like drunken sailors on shoreleave. They even vote on wars thatAmerica can’t afford. And now they arefighting over raising the debt ceiling!! The concept of raising the debt ceiling has been around for years. But some of the folks in our legislativebranch act like they don’t know what it’s all about. Hold on….wait a minute…my bad….they don’tknow!! With 87 new members in the Houseof Representatives and 12 new Senators it makes perfectly good sense. These new Republicans came in under the waveof discontent for our current political process. Tea Party Members were well organized whenthey executed their game plan in the 2010 Midterm Election. And President Obama’s fan club all but vanishedin 2010. In my voting precinct inparticular, if you were a Democrat or had an ethnic name (i.e. black) it was awrap. You weren’t going to get a firstterm in office or “back” into office. Itwas just one of those years…..

Flash-forward to now and, if you look in the distance, you can see thechickens coming home to roost. To sum it up: we got what we paid for!! Thefighting that is going on regarding the debt ceiling is one that was caused byus! Yep, you got it!! The Tea Party was able to get their folks intooffice by holding their feet to the fire. Not by being seduced by “Chicken Dinners” and the occasional churchvisits. Obama didn’t capitalize on his 2008election and lost a lot of folks in the process. People wanted “Hope” not “Beer and Peanuts”on the White House lawn. Obama missed animportant opportunity to educate his followers that were new to politics. When they saw the name calling, fighting andoverall ill will. They just tuned out. All he has left are loyalists. And to be honest, some are just following himbecause he is black…ooops..did I say that?

Our current divided government is a representation of our country. We are anation that is divided by class, color and sexual orientation. What might be good in San Francisco ishorrible in Tuscaloosa. If it is a surething in New York, it might be suspect in South Carolina. We are a divided country that only comestogether for sporting events and alien invasions. So don’t be shocked by the deranged behaviorgoing on by our politicians. Either youvoted them in or you didn’t vote at all.

After 4 ½ months the NFL Lockout is over!!! Congratulations to the Groupies and Mistresses.

2011-07-25T21:47:00.002-04:00

The streets are alive again!!! Football is back!!! For all of those loyal fans that thought thiswas going to be liquor-less fall and a tailgate free winter. You can rejoice and know that Millionaire$and Billionaire$ are back to doing what they do best – making thatmoney!!!! Granted, there will be some bitterfolks that aren’t happy with the deal that was struck. “First Round Draft Picks” who will bereceiving a smaller paycheck than previous first rounders. And their ~~handlers~~Sports Agents that will be receiving an even smaller check. In the end,everyone will still be rich….well except for the fans that watch the sport. But let us celebrate the win win situation forthose that truly benefit. The peoplethat would have been hurt the most by the lock out. Let’s give a round of applause to the truewinners.

Groupies – Things were looking stark for these individuals. They were sandwiched between a NationalFootball League lockout and a pending National Basketball Association lockout. It appeared that they wouldn’t have anyone tochase behind. Hockey Players? Sure, I guess they could. But Hockey groupies aren’t thatcolorful. And if you don’t watchbaseball, you couldn’t name a player if you tried. But Football is America’s game. Every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and evenon Holidays you can see a game. Theyeven have Arena Football that is played indoors on a smaller field. Then there is Fantasy Football for the “whitecollar” set. Hotel Lobbies, Bars andClubs (the frequent hang outs of Groupies) would have been empty all overAmerica with a lockout. Just think ofall that money being lost. The ClubOwner makes his living by rustling up some lucky individuals to sit in the club’sVIP section. The Hotel Doorman sneaks womenup to the player’s rooms. Look at all ofthese people that would have been out of work. We can’t afford anymore unemployed folks in this economy!!! Happy Hunting Ladies!!!

Mistresses – Without a football season, the players havefewer excuses to get out the house. It’shard to make a trip to see your jump-off when you are out of work. How many times can you keep using the liftingweights excuse before it gets old? Thesewomen needed this lockout to end more than anyone else. They needed bills to be paid (mortgage, rent,car, gas, electric, clothing allowance, hair care, and jewelry). Being a mistress is a part time job that makesup at least 30 – 50% of their monthly income. Someone has to make sure these modern day gladiators are ready forbattle (sexing them as much as possible). Unfortunately their wives can’t do it because of their busy lives (tonsof children to take care of/daily visits to the salon and spa). Mistresses around the country can now let outa sigh of relief and rejoice in the good news. Go get your paper!!!

So I give a hearty salute to the Groupies and Mistresses.And I wish for them to have a Good Season!!

The New Me Accelerator Program

2011-06-30T10:00:00.002-04:00

12 Minority start-ups will be invited to Silicon Valley for an opportunity to be mentored by industry leaders and successful veteran startup tech entrepreneurs. The nine-week incubator is designed to enable participating startups to develop their products, build their network, and pitch in front of Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, and the media.

If Joe Jackson is making cologne, it must smell like sweat and underachievement!!

2011-06-27T22:00:00.003-04:00

I’ve heard all the different ways that black folks have tried to humanize Michael Jackson’s father. I never knew that terrorizing your children and pimping them out was viewed as quality parenting. I can only imagine what kudos you get for beating them with an extension cord vs a belt. Joe Jackson is what he always was. A Pimp!! Even after his son is gone and buried, Joe is trying to make money off his name.

Joe Jackson had a deal on the table to create a “fragrance” using his late son’s name. No word yet if the bottle is designed to look like Bubbles the Chimp! The company that is guardian over MJ’s commercial rights has put a kibosh to the planned project. I’m not shocked that Joe was trying to circumvent the company in charge of MJ’s name in order to make some side cash. Joe is only doing what Joe knows how to do.

Living off MJ is a Jackson trait that was passed down from Joe Jackson. Everyone except for Rebbie and Janet are always letting you know that they are a Jackson. The worst offender is Jermaine Jackson, who looks like an exhibit at Madame Tussauds. How is it possible that for such a talented guy, “per his own definition,” he is not bigger in the music industry? If it wasn’t for the Jackson 5 you wouldn’t even be able to pick out the rest of them. It’s an absolute shame that MJ’s legacy will always be used by someone that carries the Jackson name. I don’t know who this Franck Rouas character is that Joe was doing business with. But it appears that Joe might need to watch his back on this one. For the first time in his life he might be the one that gets pimped.

Congrats to JCSU's own Dr. Davida Haywood

2011-06-22T11:15:00.003-04:00

Representative Anthony Weiner ain’t thru catching Hell yet!!!

2011-06-07T21:09:00.000-04:00

Poor @RepWeiner!!! I’m personally not shocked about his photos!!! The pictures that he sent aren’t that shocking. It would be the same if Bishop Eddie Long was white and skinny. You do have a right to be mad at Andrew Breitbart. Breitbart did you dirty but that’s his job. He is a conservative crusader who has yet to have his own card pulled. But it was you that eventually got caught slipping. I do feel bad for Weiner because I just found out that his wife works for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The good news is that his wife might not leave him.

The bad news is that his bedroom is going to be cold for awhile!!! A long while!!! A long long long while…

Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin, is the personal assistant to Clinton at the State Department. She has been with Clinton since 1996. Can you believe Weiner’s wife actually works for the Ice Queen herself!! Trust me!! No matter how big the mainstream media makes this out to be. No matter how the Republicans use this against him. You can best believe Weiner is going to get his!!! You saw the way President Bill Clinton was looking after the Monica “Original Supa Head” Lewinsky scandal broke. He looked like a whipped dog. He is just now getting his swag back.

Great American Hood Heists - Waka Flocka Flame and Some Random Dudes.

2011-05-10T12:13:00.003-04:00

Waka Flocka Flame (I can’t believe I’m actually typing this name) came to Charlotte NC in February to upgrade his tour bus stereo system. While he was enjoying our fair city his brother was an “almost victim” of an attempted robbery. Flocka Flame (real name Juaquin Malphurs) was hanging out with his fans in front of a car stereo store (how cliché is that) when the shooting began. The gunmen (Six Men!!!) were attempting to rob Flocka Flame’s brother of his jewelry. Flocka Flame’s brother was wearing more than $100,000 worth of jewelry.

Side Note: $100,000 worth of jewelry? Just let that sink in for a moment.

Who has that much Gold on? Or was it Platinum? I can’t keep up with the latest trends and fashions of the pseudo-rich. Eventually the robbers were caught and the shooting was in broad daylight so this should have been a closed case. NOPE!! The District Attorney was not able to close the deal on locking these would be robbers up. Although one person suffered a gunshot wound the witnesses could not identify the shooter. They also did not have evidence that the robbery took place. SAY WHAT?!?! Didn’t all of this happen in the daytime?? The court paperwork to dismiss the case said the following:

"There has been no identification by any alleged victim or witness of any of the six defendants as being present and/or firing a weapon during the incident. Although many details of the incident differ, these defendants were in agreement that no one who went to this stereo store had any intent to rob anyone, They said their intent was to 'chill,' 'hang out,' or 'holler at' the rap artist.”

Side Note: It’s obvious that the no snitching campaign has been a smashing success.

A lawyer for one of the alleged gunmen said his client “was an innocent bystander who only went there to talk to Mr. Waka about getting a record deal” If he had of seen the movie “Hustle and Flow” he would have known that never works. We have such a hard time locking people up around here. And when they are wearing their ankle bracelet, they just cut the thing off. What will it take before we can bring these criminals to justice? We need to do something fast because they are already starting out young.

Visiting my Blogger Family ~ Black 'n Bougie

2011-05-05T12:15:00.001-04:00

I'm over @ my blog cousin's house this week. Check me out here.

Nothing against that lovely couple in Jolly Ole’ London but when is the Wedding going to be over??

2011-04-28T12:30:00.004-04:00

I enjoyed London when I visited back in the day. I even enjoyed riding the “Tube” (their rapid transit system…i.e. subway) and I’m not a fan of public transportation!!! The best part was that I only spent 100 dollars to get to England (I believe in balling on a buget!!) So when I tell you that my disgust with America talking about a wedding (in another country!!!) is not personal, it’s not!!! I just believe we have bigger issues to be concerned about right here in America!!!

Right now in our very own country we have:

People that have to make a decision between paying their mortgage or feeding their family.

Politicians that are millionaires arguing over how the middle class and poor folks are going to live..i.e. health care, employment and retirement.

A broken Education System that is more concerned with how you take a test than how you actually learn what you were tested on.

Millionaire Athletes and Billionaire Athletic Team Owners fighting over money.

A pre-presidential race that is overshadowed by investigators combing through hospital birth records.

And don’t get me started on our Churches, Local City and State Governments and the fact that every U.S. President (as long as I have been living) says we are going to stop our dependence on Oil but Gas is almost 5 dollars per gallon??

Wedding my arse!!! We got issues!!! The only thing we have in common with the wedding - America is like the bride’s father. After all the festivities are over we are alone and left with the bill….

10-minute short film "Clap" by Pharoahe Monch

2011-03-28T12:15:00.002-04:00

I could have told Jalen Rose that nobody wants to hear the truth.

2011-03-20T17:47:00.001-04:00

You can tell a lot about a university and a country based on who it excludes and who it exploits.

~ Mdotwrites

Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Black Folks can be mad at last Sunday Nights “The Fab 5” documentary on ESPN all they want. But, kudos to the Jalen Rose produced documentary that earned high ratings. I’m just sorry that the folks watching didn’t get what they watched. Instead of dealing with the issue of college athletes being exploited, we have spent a whole week on who is and isn’t an “Uncle Tom”. Who knew that “The Fab 5” would air black folk’s dirty laundry?

Jalen Rose said the comment below in the documentary -

“For me, Duke was personal. I hated Duke. And I hated everything I felt Duke stood for. Schools like Duke didn’t recruit players like me. I felt like they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms.”

This is what Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Blacks heard when he said the above comment –

“Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah if you were black and played for Duke University you are an Uncle Tom”.

Keep in mind that these comments were made when Rose was a teenager. Jalen Rose also said the following –

“Schools like Duke didn't recruit players like me. I felt that they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms. ... I was jealous of Grant Hill. He came from a great black family. Congratulations. Your mom went to college and was roommates with Hillary Clinton. Your dad played in the NFL as a very well-spoken and successful man. I was upset and bitter that my mom had to bust her hump for 20-plus years. I was bitter that I had a professional athlete that was my father that I didn't know. I resented that, moreso than I resented him. I looked at it as they are who the world accepts and we are who the world hates.”

The above comment apparently bothered Grant Hill and he felt the need to write an op-ed in the New York Times. In it he quoted some Latin (good to know that someone else besides Clergy, College Professors and Treasure Hunters in Movies know Latin). He mentioned his ties to my frat brother the great Historian - Professor John Hope Franklin.

Side Note: Usually blacks get mad at our white counterparts when they reference black folks that they know in order to seem like they are cool with black folks but I digress…

He also talked about former Duke University players and how successful they are now. To all of this I say…..yawn!!! I have nothing personal against Grant Hill. We are from the same state and we both come from 2 parent homes. He was an excellent player in college and he seems like a nice guy. And his wife is HOT!!!!! But he read into this statement and wasted his time trying to defend what can’t be defended. People call Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and “Uncle Tom” all the time. Do you think he cares?? He doesn’t care what black folks think about him. He probably doesn’t even realize he’s black until he looks in the mirror. If someone calls you an Uncle Tom, laugh it off and keep on trucking!!! That title is so played out that it should have been retired with the word “Honky”.

Side Note: In the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” where the name came from, Uncle Tom was not the person that he has been portrayed in modern society. Uh Oh! My bad for ruining that for black folks that love to hang that title on other blacks.

Let me break down what Jalen said so we can separate what he meant and what you heard.

WHAT JALEN SAID: Schools like Duke didn't recruit players like me. I felt that they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms.

THE BREAKDOWN: No the players aren’t Uncle Toms. That is silly and something I would expect a teenager to say. But he was right about Duke being selective in their recruiting. Duke basketball players are usually well groomed, well spoken, and tattoo less. In college and after college, you never hear about them getting arrested. These are all good things and it should be something Duke should be proud of. But let’s be honest….. Duke has a reputation for being snobby and everyone knows it (well except for Duke Students and their Alumni).

Side Note: most of the people I know that have a degree from Duke are cool people. But they weren’t snobby to begin with either.

The only people that like Duke are people that went to Duke and people that wish they could have gone to Duke. Talk to long time black Durham N.C. residents and see what they have to say about the university. But again, let me say that all of this is completely okay. Duke Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has the right to obtain the type of players he wants. And Duke has the right to enroll the type of students that will enhance their reputation.

WHAT JALEN SAID: I was jealous of Grant Hill. He came from a great black family. I was upset and bitter that my mom had to bust her hump for 20-plus years. I was bitter that I had a professional athlete that was my father that I didn't know. I resented that, moreso than I resented him. I looked at it as they are who the world accepts and we are who the world hates.

THE BREAKDOWN: Jalen admitted that his anger came out of him being JEALOUS!!! What part don’t folks understand? His logic is the same reason kids make fun of other kids for doing well in school. Or why kids are picked on for wearing designer clothes, taking ballet or speaking proper English. There is a resentment among blacks that is based on our economic standing. This isn’t anything new!! It’s just that Upper Middle Class and Middle Class Blacks don’t want to discuss it. It’s uncomfortable to talk about because they hate feeling the need to justify why they live in a nice neighborhood and their children attend good schools.

So what was not discussed this week? The exploitation of college athletes from the schools they attend and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). All the money that the University of Michigan made from selling Fab 5 paraphernalia and they never received a cut. All the money the NCAA made from their television games and ticket sales and the Fab 5 never received a cut. Now this is the part where you probably say “why should you pay college athletes?” I was the same way until I realized the money that these student athletes were making for their schools. You have student athletes who can’t afford a hamburger and schools are making money off these kids. They could at least receive a stipend for their service. Even a pimp lets his ho keep some of their money from trickin….

Of course Charlie Sheen is Winning!!!

2011-03-09T12:08:00.007-05:00

Success is the strongest intoxicant America legally supplies ~ Jason Whitlock

Charlie "The Messiah of Malibu", Sheen, former star of the television show “Two and a Half Men”, was recently fired ~~let go~~ from his 1 million plus dollar job. Sheen was essentially making money playing a caricature of how he is in real life. Duh!! It ain’t “The Tragedy of Hamlet” people!!! Last week we were witness to the madness or genius, depending on who you are, of Sheen. CBS/Warner Brothers made Sheen the highest paid actor in a comedy series. Dude doesn’t even do standup outside of t.v. I’ve never seen him on Def Jam or The Comedy Channel. Sheen’s private demons have been public for awhile (too many to name so just Google Charlie Sheen). One of the reasons CBS/Warner Brothers put a halt on his latest foolishness was because of his diss on “Two and a Half Men” producer Chuck Lorre.

Side Note: General Rule in Hollywood, you can’t talk about Jews and Gays. Chuck Lorre is of Jewish decent.

So with Sheen being out of work and gaining new legions of fans, how is he winning??

Minorities and individuals from low income neighborhoods have been arrested for having less than an ounce of weed. And Sheen is a known drug user and he keeps getting a pass.

Individuals solicit prostitutes are arrested for just asking how much for a “Blow Job”. But Sheen keeps associating with prostitutes – REPEATEDLY associating with them.

Black actor Isaiah Washington called one of his former co-workers a Faggot back in 2007 (Notice I Said Former Co-Worker) and he was kicked off “Grey’s Anatomy”. Washington was last seen on the failed reboot of “Bionic Woman” in 2007. Have you seen him since? Sheen is on radio, television, the internet….his Tweets on Twitter or even sponsored now!!!

Side Note: *Side Eye* to Shondra Rhimes for letting other people run her business!!!!

So compared to most people in America that fall below the poverty line or are middle class. Sheen is winning!!! Hell, he even beats out his peers in Hollywood in winning (well of course his minority peers)!!! Maybe it’s because of his complexion for the connection or just dumb luck. But so far, Sheen is Winning!!!

And I thought this was a myth!!!!

2011-03-07T12:15:00.002-05:00

Aiesha Turman's "The Black Girl Project"

2011-03-03T12:15:00.002-05:00

Please support this project by going here

6th Annual Phrozen Hour

2011-03-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

CI Afterparty Breakfast

2011-03-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

Sol Kitchen meets JCSU Young Alumni

2011-03-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

A game-changer for children of color?

2011-02-17T12:45:00.002-05:00

Listen and learn from people who have already been where you want to go. Benefit from their mistakes instead of repeating them. Read good books…..because they open up new worlds of understanding.

~ Dr. Benjamin Carson

Could this website be a game-changer for black children across the globe? NorthParan.com is adding a philanthropic touch to the business of selling black books. For every book purchased on the site, North Paran will donate a book to a child in need. The site’s slogan is Buy One, Give One.

Congressman Chris Lee trying to get that sweet Chocolate.

2011-02-14T15:15:00.007-05:00

What do you have when a married Republican Congressman sends flirtatious e-mail messages and a shirtless photo of himself to a woman online? You have the plot for a story on the Lifetime Movie Network. But if the woman was black and the politician was white? You might have the script to a Tyler Perry play!!

Second-term congressman Chris Lee was an up and coming politician from Western NY. The 46 year old fiscal conservative was known for bringing his family to campaign events. And he recently was given a seat on the Ways and Means Committee. But deep beneath the surface, everything about Rep. Lee was not what it seemed.

Yesha Callahan, a 34 year old single mother, put an ad on Craigslist in the “women seeking men” section.

Side Note: I though Craigslist was for buying and selling goods or services? Lately it seems to be used for selling prostitutes and hook ups!! Hold up?! I guess those would be considered goods and services…

Callahan received a response from a Christopher Lee shortly after her request was posted. He described himself as a 39 year old, 190 pound, 6 foot, blond hair and blue eyed lobbyist. Callahan being cautious about the response requested a photo from Christopher Lee. This is where the story gets good!!! I guess we can assume that Rep. Lee (i.e. Christopher Lee) knew that Callahan was Black. And from the photo of her, she definitely is a Sista!!!! What I don’t understand is why Rep. Lee decided to step out on his wife via Craigslist? I’m sure he could find an escort service that provides black women. Was it all these Beyonce commercials that drove him to do this? I know watching all that thickness can drive a man to madness. Or was it that sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry in the movie “Monsters Ball?” Either way, Rep. Lee made two miscalculations after Callahan requested a photo.

First Miscalculation: He sent an actual photo. Why? This was his opportunity to back out and get back to stopping Health Care. He actually sent a photo where Callahan could see his face. Ooops…my bad!! I forgot!! He also sent shirtless photos…. à la Bishop Eddie Long. I don’t understand why these photos are so popular. It seems like people love taking those bathroom shots. I’ve even seen photos of people where the bathroom was dirty (geeezzz!!)

Second Miscalculation: He sent the photos to a Blogger. Rep. Lee did not have a clue that Callahan was an actual Blogger. If he did, he would have been a dummy for sending photos. I think I need to provide this following message for all the non-bloggers reading this. You NEVER EVER EVER send information (i.e. photos, documents, and emails) to a Female Blogger because they will research to verify if it’s true!!!!

Callahan ended up doing her due diligence and found out that Lee was the biggest liar this side of the Mississippi (He’s not in his 30’s and his hair actually looks Salt and Pepper-ish). And the website Gawker.com ended up getting the story of the incident. With a name like “Gawker” you know that your business is about to be on front street. And Rep. Lee ended up resigning before the Republicans would have driven a stake through his heart. Awhile back I would have said Strom Thurmond (when he was living) would be grief stricken by this incident. But we all know now that he liked a little taste of chocolate himself.

What makes this whole incident so weird is not the color issue. Sure I’ve got jokes for days about that. And that is only because of the strained relationship between MOST blacks and Republicans. The speed at which this incident was swept up under the rug doesn’t even phase me. The story broke so close to the weekend that it was Friday night before I received the whole story. I kept hearing people giving kudos to fellow blogger - The Black Snob - for getting the lowdown. I remember when she was just starting out. I never imagined she would be involved in “swirlgate.” What makes this story so weird is that they never had sex. This man possibly/maybe-ish ruined his career and he didn’t even get a taste. In the movie “Harlem Nights” (excerpt shown above) the guy that leaves his wife had sex numerous times with “Sunshine.” “Sunshine” was an attractive black woman that was said to have the best nappy dugout ever. Most politicians that get caught in this predicament have actually done the deed. Rep. Lee has got to be the worst adulterer of the Last Decade!!! This man had his career cut short over a knock bootless affair!!!

On a positive note, we have short memories in America. If the person that takes over for him does a horrible job, he might be remembered for being a great politician. And then he will get a television show on CNN like another famous New Yorker.

How to Celebrate Valentine's Day Without Spending Money.

2011-02-14T12:15:00.006-05:00

President Obama will roll out the FY2012 Budget on Valentine’s Day, but will he get love in return? The Democrats, Republicans and Tea Party Members are going to want domestic spending cuts but will that be enough?

Stalley's Lincoln Way Nights: Feb 11th @ 350 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY.

2011-02-10T20:30:00.006-05:00

Et tu, Taco Bell?

2011-02-01T12:30:00.002-05:00

Oh Why Lord!!!!!

Last week college students and marijuana smokers all over America heard the worst news ever!!! Alabama-based law firm Beasley Allen filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell. Why? The Firm said that Taco Bell’s meat is actually “taco meat filling.”

Side Note: Excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth.

“Meat Filling” would be non-meat substances that have small portions of beef and meat seasonings. “Meat Filling” doesn’t qualify for the United States Department of Agriculture definition of beef. U.S.D.A. Beef is without seasoning and has only 30% fat. Of course Taco Bell said the lawsuit is not true and they are going to fight it. But they still get a *side eye* for putting Silicon Dioxide in their food.

Silicon Dioxide (aka silica) - Forms as sand or quartz crystals and is extremely hard. It is used to make glass, toothpaste, cement, pesticide, and a food additive that helps absorb water. Silicon Dioxide is sorta harmless but it does have some risk to it. It is dangerous if inhaled (in its powdered form) but I doubt we would see it in powder form. Unless we worked somewhere that used the powdered form or created it. **walks away whistling**

Taco Bell probably uses Silicon Dioxide as a food additive to keep all the ingredients together. I say this crossing my fingers thinking about all the Taco Bell I have eaten throughout the years. When I was a young boy McDonalds was my favorite restaurant. Eating there was a rare treat because we didn’t eat out often. When I left home for college, Taco Bell took my attention away from Mickey D’s. “The Bell” was cheap, service was fast and the food was good. Don’t get me wrong because Burger King briefly distracted me. They sold 2 for 2’s i.e. Two Cheeseburgers/Hamburgers and Two Fries. In college, that was like eating steak and potatoes at a fine restaurant. But I couldn’t deny that Mexican Pizza and those darn Soft Tacos. I finally left McDonalds when Taco Bell introduced me to Mountain Dew BAJA BLAST. It’s the only place where you can get that type of Mountain Dew drink. It’s like selling crack at only one crack house!!! The agony!!!

So what happens now? If this lawsuit turns out to be true, I will not be able to support this establishment anymore. It would be like staying in a relationship that was based on lies. I usually have beef in all of my Taco Bell products. Sometimes I get Steak but even then they always get the order wrong and give me beef. I go to Taco Bell for the “Real Stuff” and not for some kind of pseudo meat filling. Caramel Color and Natural Smoke Flavor have nothing to do with beef!!!

Guest Post: Will the 9/11 First Responders Law Do the Job?

2011-01-31T16:15:00.005-05:00

Please give a warm welcome to fellow Blogger Barbara O’ Brien. She is dropping by to increase awareness on the 9/11 First Responders Bill. And you know how much America loves Health Care. So without further ado -

In the final days of the 111th Congress, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation Act, also called the "9/11 First Responders bill," finally passed. The Act will provide medical monitoring and care for those who worked on the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks, as well as for many who lived and worked nearby.

However, at the insistence of some senators, the final bill was considerably watered down from what it had been originally. More than $3 billion in funding was cut from the previous version of the bill, for example. Will the revised bill still do the job?

When the Senate passed the bill, initial news reports said that the monitoring and health care program would end after five years. However, the actual language of the bill provides for funding limitations for monitoring and health care after fiscal year 2016, which suggests the program might continue if Congress authorizes funding for it.

The monitoring issue is particularly critical. The collapse of the mammoth World Trade Center towers released thousands of tons of toxic particles into the air. For many weeks after the attacks, people who lived and worked in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn suffered burning eyes and hacking coughs from the foul air. Yet at the time, the federal government and the city of New York assured people the stinging fumes were not dangerous, just unpleasant.

Several days after the terrorist attacks, some independent researchers slipped past the police barricades to take samples. They found the air contained more than twice the number of asbestos fibers considered “safe,” as well as deadly levels of benzene, dioxin, and other toxins.

Why should people exposed to the toxins continue to be monitored? Asbestos in particular is a very slow killer. It has been well documented that the first symptoms of the deadly lung cancer mesothelioma may not show up for 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. But early detection should prolong lives and make mesothelioma treatment and other medical care more effective.

The final bill does close the Victims Compensation Fund in five years, which is separate from the health monitoring and care part of the bill. It also provides for more stringent monitoring of benefits, which might make it harder for people to get into the program.

Today — more than nine years after the attacks — many rescue and recovery workers are
suffering deteriorating health. A study published in April 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that New York City firefighters and emergency workers continue to suffer from severe and persistent lung problems because of their exposure to the World Trade Center debris. Some of these 9/11 heroes already have died.

Firefighters, police officers, and other responders who had been begging Congress for help for nine years called the passage of the bill a “Christmas miracle.” Let us hope the final version of the bill will do the job.

Crooklyn is starting off the year all wrong!!!

2011-01-26T16:00:00.002-05:00

Kavina Irving, Brooklyn resident, was shot in the face by rival teens on her way to the store at the Seth Low houses on the 16th of January.

Joe “Benedict Arnold” Lieberman’s last Soliloquy…

2011-01-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

Senator Joe Lieberman is going out the door lying. But I wouldn’t expect him to do anything less. He wants you to believe that he served his time and is ready to move on. LIES!! He is one of the reasons why I don’t associate with any political party. Either you stand for something or nothing at all (yes, I’m talking about you too Senator Arlen Specter).

Lieberman has been upset that the Democrats didn’t give him carte blanche when running for president in 2004. I guess he thought because he was the Vice Presidential Nominee in 2000 he was owed something. But for him to turn around and kick it with the same party that caused him to lose in 2000….well that is some Whitney Houston type stuff. Lieberman is a man without an island. The Democrats hate him and the Republicans don’t trust him. He miraculously became an independent in 2006 when he couldn’t win the Democratic Party Primary. And ever since then he has been sticking it to the Democrats. And because they put up with his shenanigans they deserve every bit of Hell he gives.

But not everyone has decided to bend over and take whatever Lieberman gives out. Apparently people are starting to wise up and have decided that they are going to give him Hell. Lieberman’s number one nemesis is Markos Moulitsas, founder of the liberal blog Daily Kos, a liberal blogger and general pain in the behind to all Republicans. The liberal grassroots organization that Lieberman would have faced for his 2012 reelection would have been fierce. The truth is he is leaving office a disgraced man. He has lost the confidence of the people that voted for him and the Democratic Party he still caucuses with. Stop telling those lies going out the door and just go.

Brotherhood Unity Weekend.

2011-01-14T12:15:00.001-05:00

Everybody wants to be a Hero.....

2011-01-12T12:20:00.007-05:00

Real-Life Kick-Ass Update: Ass-Kicked

When Rhetoric becomes Reality: The Cold Blooded Shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

2011-01-10T12:15:00.007-05:00

“We serve who walks into our office and we don’t even ask what party they belong to.”

~ Gabe Zimmerman, Congresswoman Giffords 30-year-old communications outreach director - Zimmerman one of the victims of the Arizona Shooting on Saturday.

This past weekend a home grown terrorist unleashed his fury in Arizona. The terrorist walked up to Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and shot her point blank range in the head. He also killed 6 other people including a 9 year old child. And let’s not forget the 13 people that were taken to the hospital for various shooting injuries. A Federal Judge, one of the victims of this terrorist attack, had received death threats in the past. In 2009, he had received death threats over a $32 million civil rights lawsuit filed by illegal immigrants against an Arizona Farmer. Oh Uh! Illegal Aliens have rights?? Not in Arizona!!!! They build fences to keep out that kinda stuff…

The terrorist, Jared Lee Loughner, is being described as someone with a “mental issue.” Unlike when people in “The Hood” are murdered, it’s because of cold blooded animals and not people with mental defects. But I’m not a Psychologist so don’t take my opinion. I just follow the facts:

A classmate that went to school with Loughner said that he was very interested in politics and was unimpressed with Giffords.

It is confirmed that Loughner was invited to attend an event with Giffords after corresponding with her staff.

Videos that he posted on YouTube show his deep distrust of the government and religion and described America’s laws a “TREASONOUS.”

TREASONOUS??? Where have we heard that word before?

Is Obama committing Treason by advancing the cause of the Mexican takeover of the American Southwest?

We aren’t done with you yet Obama – you disloyal Manchurian African Socialist.

Now how did Sarah Palin get mixed up in all of this? Gifford voted on the healthcare bill that the Republican’s refer to as “Obamacare.” Because of that she was put on Sarah "Don't retreat; reload" Palin’s Take Back the 20 List. This list aimed (and I mean that literally) at knocking off 20 Democrats who voted for Obamacare in GOP-leaning districts. The GOP-leaning districts were designated by sniper crosshairs (that is the map that is shown above).

So if you take a deranged young man, who is possibly linked to an anti immigration group. Convince him that the Government is involved in treason and they support illegal immigrants. Wait for it….wait for it and use rhetoric involving guns and solving problems by force. You have the recipe for a Home Grown Terrorist!!!!

Now I know people (mostly on the right side of the aisle) will accuse me of attacking Palin. As I said numerous times on this blog – I’m an Independent. I don’t like the Republicans or the Democrats. But I know something is obvious when I see it. If Palin didn’t think she had any responsibility for this shooting, why was her “Take Back the 20 List” taken down off the internet? I also know that people (mostly on the right side of the aisle) will say this wasn’t a politically motivated shooting. LIES!!! What more proof do you need??? It doesn’t make sense to pretend that our current political climate didn’t cause this. The time for denial is over!!!!

Unlike many of my fellow Americans I’m not shocked that this happened. It’s not normal for a U.S. Congresswoman to be shot outside of Safeway. But we aren’t living in normal times. People are scared about the present and afraid of the future. Using Rhetoric that whips them into a frenzy isn’t helpful. It does nothing to solve problems or to create unity. It’s an excuse for people to take sides and disagree with anyone that doesn’t agree with them. For the individuals out here that are suffering from mental issues it’s worse. It plays into their irrational fears and anxieties. Thus creating a delusional world based on falsehoods that only they live in. Our words can be used as weapons or tools to build. We have the power to create the world we want to live in. We can live in a world of civility or watch the decline into civil unrest. Which world do you choose?

I wish all my fellow Bloggers and Followers of my Blog a Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T23:59:00.011-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Desultory-Life-and-Times-of-a-Public-Citizen/113999018623719

twitter.com/citizenojo

Black Republicans in the Obama age. The Real Deal or an Illusion of Inclusion?

2010-12-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

"The recent decision by the Obama Justice Department to drop all charges of voter intimidation against the New Black Panther Party during the 2008 Election represents a sad day for all Americans. For an Administration that promised a new era in race relations, Obama and the Democrats in Congress have demonstrated that race will continually be exploited for political gain. It is outright hypocrisy that the Justice Department under Attorney General Holder is suing a sovereign American State, yet dismissing this heinous violation of our Constitution - the right to vote."

~ Allen West, Black Republican, and candidate for the United States Congress in Florida's 22nd district

Black Republicans are ATTRACTIVE!!!

Black Republicans are GOD FEARING!!!

Black Republicans are YOUNG!!!

Black Republicans are ATHLETES!!!

Black Republicans are ORGANIZED!!

Black Republicans are CONNECTED!!!

Although Michael Steele is fighting to keep his job as Republican National Chairman, 2010 has been a good year for Black Republicans. They were once hard to find like Leprechauns, Unicorns and a Cerberus. And when you did see them, they came across like the biggest herbs ever!!! Ron Christie, Republican political strategist, is always defending his fellow Republicans. It doesn’t matter how racist or ignorant they sound. He doesn’t ever express any opinion that might differ from his political party. So although he might be a decent guy, he comes across like the black manservant that always says “YESA BOSS”!! Black folks are not a monolithic race and I think it’s good that we don’t always agree. But when someone is talking about ONE black person, they are talking about US ALL.

I say that this was a good year because of their new additions to congress. And the new additions to their local and state level offices. The black conservatives that ran in predominately white districts really have something to be proud of. They stuck to their principles and were able to win people over based on actions and not rhetoric. It is too early to tell if the Republican Party will take notice and increase their reach to black folks. If their current history is any indication, I won’t be holding my breath. They have the notorious image of being a slave owner party. And it doesn’t help that their leaders all appear to be old white men.

Side Note: The face of America is changing and it’s not getting any “whiter”.

Republicans are facing the possibility of being reduced to regional party status. Sure the Democrats got drubbed in the 2010 elections but they didn’t lose the U.S. Senate. Republicans cleaned up at the state and local levels where race and class are more entrenched. But on the U.S. Senate level where people of all types have more of a vote, things are different. But again!! That still depends on the state. Think about what the future may possibly hold for black conservatives. A black Republican could have a better chance of winning the Governorship in Alabama than Representative Artur Davis. And maybe…just maybe….South Carolina will get a black U.S. Senator.

So what about the black voters that aren’t currently voting Republican? We know that the Republican Party is so/so on reaching out to blacks. But what are black Republicans doing to appeal to people that look like them? I don’t see them in “The Hood” doing voter registration drives. I don’t see them recruiting on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Where is their advertising in magazines geared towards black folks?? It’s as if they have decided to forgo reaching out because of the difficulty. Don’t they realize that black independents are up for grabs? Black independents are party-less because they don’t like either party. But they have to choose a party because it’s the only party in town. Don’t be fooled by the talk of blacks not voting. All blacks aren’t sitting at home on Election Day watching “Good Times”. If you don’t believe me ask Adrian Fenty. He won and lost his job based on black voters. In some of our American cities, blacks make up 15 - 54% (% depends on each city – check your city for more clarity) of the population.

So in the end what does all of this mean?

1. Black conservatives have an opportunity to increase their political clout if they stick to their principles.

2. In order to attract more blacks, the Republican Party needs to reach out beyond their comfort zone.

3. Black conservatives need to increase their appeal to blacks that aren’t currently in their party.

Whatever happens next I can guarantee that this is only the beginning. You have not seen the last of the Black Republicans.

Nollywood is looking real good to me...

2010-12-29T21:00:00.006-05:00

Actress, singer, fashion designer and producer Genevieve Nnaji is one of the hottest stars in Nollywood. What is Nollywood you ask? I didn’t know about it either until recently. Nollywood is the name for Nigerian cinema. The Country of Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest movie makers. I find it funny that we complain about not seeing enough black actresses in American films. But Genevieve has over 60 films made and she is only in her early 30’s. Go Figure…..

To all the radical minority loving left-wing neo-Marxists that are destroying America. Peace Love and Have a Happy New Year!!

2010-12-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

Black folks make up 12 maybe 13% of the United States population. The unemployment rate for black men is around 16%. For black women it is around 13%. The only black owned television networks are BET (which was known for playing music videos all day long), TVOne (which will be showing their very 1st scripted show produced by them next year) and OWN (its Oprah so you will see a mix of races on her network). There are no national news anchors (6pm News) that are black. No blacks host their own news show on FOX, CNN, MSNBC or Headline News. But every now and again we have angry white folks complaining about how they are robbed by minorities. I call it the “Black Folks are taking over” complex. They said we were a more racially tolerant nation because of the election of the first black president. That’s (Insert foul word here) ____________!! Ever since the news reported about white folks being the minority in 2050, some of them have lost their damn minds!!! I hate they were even told that. Some people take a little piece of information and run with it. They never said that minorities would be running anything!! They said whites would be the minority and they never said who the majority would be!! No matter how many unplanned pregnancies black folks have (based on Maury Povich Statistics) it won’t be us. They keep trying to kick out anyone in this country that looks brown (so that rules out Latinos and Arab Americans). Asians would have to start producing a lot of babies and calling their cousins from the old country to increase their numbers. And Native Americans??? The ones that weren’t killed off by the people that stole their land are backed up on Reservations. Sure they make money from gambling but what’s a casino when you owned America. So who are these angry white folks really afraid of?

Two issues to discuss and then I’m done…

1. Leave the Comics alone!!!!

If one character named the “Black Panther” is bothering you, don’t read the book. Comic Books have always been socially conscious from gay characters, feminism, race, class and politics. The character was made during a cultural shift for black folks in this country. Don’t be mad because the story line involved evil white people!! Sure there are some evil black people out here but we only make up 13% of the population. So mathematically you have a larger probability of seeing more evil white people. Just like more white people are on welfare. Anyway the storyline is from a made up book about a made up character. None of this is real!!! Duh…..

2. Stop complaining about Athletic Prowess…

It’s not a conspiracy because people of “certain” races aren’t or are playing “certain” sports. A lot of it comes down to access and athletic skill. You never knew black folks did speed skating but we saw one in the Winter Olympics. Some black lady dragged her son out of the house to make sure he learned how to skate. God Bless her but I don’t like cold weather (along with a lot of black folks I know – let’s be honest!!) so it’s not for me. If you make sports available to everyone (regardless of suburban or hood affiliation), you will see more people participating in sports they previously weren’t associated with. The sports media loves the quintessential “Great White Hope”. Why do you think they give Brett Favre a pass on all the things he does? Why are Quarterbacks that pass from the pocket praised for their leadership and poise. Meanwhile the “running” Quarterbacks get praise for their athleticism and chastised for risk taking. But let Tim Tebow break out in a run and he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. If they could find a white receiver that runs like the wind or a white running back that reminds you of “Jim Brown” he will get noticed!!! Believe That!!!!

On Any Given Tuesday

2010-12-29T12:15:00.006-05:00

Everyone thought this game was going to be a blowout. With the snow cleared from Lincoln Financial Field it was a no brainer (Mike Vick would be able to run and gun with ease). So how did the Chicago Bears end up with a 1st round playoff bye and the #2 seed in the National Football Conference?

Joe Webb and the Minnesota Vikings were good enough to beat a good team that played like an average one. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell should have kept his big fat mouth shut. He probably helped give fuel to a Minnesota team that was already mad that the game was postponed. Remember that Minnesota and Chicago were playing out in frigid weather the week before. Minnesota was probably tired of staying in a hotel and wanted to get out of the city. Philly sports fans are cruel – I cheer for the Cowboys so I know!!!

But the hero of the game was Minnesota Quarterback Joe Webb. Webb played QB for the University of Alabama-Birmingham in Conference USA. Just like most black QB’s that play in college, the National Football League gets amnesia and doesn’t know what to do with them. He was drafted in the 6th round as a wide receiver (go figure). His talent was described by Draft pundits as the following:

Webb is a size/speed prospect with the impressive arm strength to be viewed as a developmental project. Overall physical tools allow him to contribute in a variety of ways. Needs a lot of refinement reading defenses and with his passing fundamentals. Potential late-round pick or undrafted free agent prospect.

That doesn’t sound like the guy that played against Philadelphia last night. Most black QB’s start off at a disadvantage because they don’t fit the typical NFL QB mold. The solution is to break the mold!!! It’s unrealistic to hold these young men to the same standard as Johnny Unitas. They spend high school and college playing as QB’s so that is all they know. So coaches shouldn’t shake their heads when they have a tough time catching footballs and running routes (THEY AREN’T RECEIVERS). I have to congratulate former Minnesota coach Brad Childress for realizing the talent that Webb had and switching him to QB.

United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc. (UVCC)

2010-12-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

Founded in April of 2006, United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc. (UVCC) a non-profit organization with a tax exempt status under section 501 (c) (3) is dedicated to fostering progressive self-esteem, pride, dignity, self-respect and introspection throughout the African American community.

Recognizing that negative lyrics, scripts, dialog and scenes which enter the human ears and sight has a negative effect on the human mind and in of itself lends to a debilitating, self-defeating image hereby declares censorship on the use of the n-word by African Americans.

Griff the Invisible

2010-12-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

What about the "Tough" guy in the White House??

2010-12-27T12:16:00.004-05:00

Obama’s problem thus is stark and simple: He’s the right guy at the wrong time.

~ Columnist Richard Gwyn

It seems that all the love for President Obama has slowly dissipated. Not since Julius Caesar has a public figure been cheered while just walking down the street. If he is sitting in the Oval Office wondering what happened, he should look in the mirror. Apparently something he is or isn’t doing is making the media tight!! You have commentators calling Obama out like a bullied school child. Women and even black men are getting shots in on the president.

Obama's victory wasn't just about his progressive platform. It was a historic, racial barrier-busting victory that was supposed to make it just a little easier for black boys to imagine being president. But Obama is proving himself to be a most peculiar commander in chief. Maybe another black boy will someday grow up to become president, but if he turns out to be like Obama, it'll be hard to call him a black man.

~ Courtland Milloy, Columnist

The problem is that he seems to come off as a soft dude! Obama is from Chicago so people expect a certain toughness. Chicago is known for its brash characters and groups – Al Capone, Sam Giancana, The Vicelords, and The Black Disciples. These aren’t people that believe in negotiating with their sworn enemies. Apparently Obama feels that he can get more done if he is congenial. And for the last 2 months, he has been correct in his assessment. The problem his critics (i.e. supporters) have is that he’s too congenial. Obama would be a horrible poker player. I don’t even think he could play spades right. He always seems to fold right before the debate begins. You can’t just throw in your hand without bluffing them first. Maybe his style of negotiating is one where his critics can’t comprehend. Matter of fact, I don’t think anyone can comprehend his style. So what can the White House do to toughen up the prez?? Nothing!!!

If you have a problem with someone that isn’t tough, the best thing to do is to surround them with tough people.

Enter: Joseph Biden, Jr,

That’s right!! Vice President Joe Biden is the guy you need. Biden is the embodiment of the quintessential 19th century American male. His “real” talk from the hip attitude and his blue collar background appeals to people. It really appeals to the individuals that Obama seems to not be able to impress – White Men. White men have been told that he is a crazed socialist Kenyan that was raised by Black Panthers. Maybe he should have showcased his mother more during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. You can’t get any more American than a white woman from the Midwest (per the mainstream media). Obama’s family looks like they belong to the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie Clan and he has been painted as a racist that hates little white boys and girls. No matter how nasty his enemies get, Obama still turns the other cheek. He does what the rest of us wouldn’t do on a good day. But the people that voted for him want a liberal George W. Bush. I just don’t think they wear cowboy boots in Chicago!!!

Vice President Biden needs to be more of a voice these next two years. He needs to show that someone in the White House is willing to fight for what they believe in. He also needs to slap people down (not physically but verbally) when they try to test the president. Biden is a brawler and he doesn’t mind mixing it up. He came from a period in time when men were men (that sounds like a cigarette commercial). Yes, Obama needs a “My Bodyguard” type deal. Why keep dragging President Clinton into the mix. His fighting days are well behind him. He is a lover not a fighter. If you don’t believe me, the proof is on Monica Lewinsky’s dress (or maybe she finally had it dry cleaned). The message is clear - Get Biden ready for next year!!

The passing of Teena Marie 1956 - 2010

2010-12-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

Teena Marie aka Marie Christine Brockert has passed away. The Grammy nominated singer and protégée of Rick James was only 54. Apparently she had some recent health issues but as of now the death is due to natural causes. Teena Marie was an honorary Black Person (i.e. she gets a pass). Yeah I said it!! The majority of her fans were black. And when she died blacks on Twitter and Facebook were giving her tributes. Besides what White Woman could deal with Rick James and all his Rick James-ness??? Teena Marie proved that good music transcends race. And if we never learned anything else from her, that was more than enough.

If we argued with our Boss in public, what would happen to us?

2010-12-27T07:30:00.003-05:00

The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who sat by the Door.

2010-12-23T12:15:00.003-05:00

When I first saw the original movie I was blown away. But I knew that it would have been controversial during the time it was created. I've never read the book but again....I can't seem to find it!!!

It’s a sagging shame…even in the age of Obama, they still won’t dress the part.

2010-12-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

There are many inventions that we need to make our lives better. I would even accept a waffle maker that doubles as a clock radio. Some inventions aren’t worth the paper they were drawn on. The concept of “Supply and Demand” means that people need a product so you must make it. But this thing right here is the worst!!! Harlemnite inventor Andrew Lewis must be trying to make Black History. And that is saying something because Lewis is a White Man!!!

Lewis has shamed the ancestors of The Harlem Renaissance and created “Subs”. No!!! Not the deliciously hot or cold sandwiches that you can eat at either end!! Sub’s are suspenders that you can wear while still keeping your pants sagging. In layman’s terms this is an “Outside the Prison Gates” garter belt. Millions of young black men can now let their pants sag without them falling off their behinds. It’s especially beneficial to young drug dealers that spend their days running from the cops. It’s just what we needed: Another reason to not dress appropriately.

Just when I think it can’t get any worse. People somehow find ways to be more ignorant. This is the part where we have collectively thrown up our hands. We can’t keep our children’s pants up. Young men don’t want to keep their pant’s up. And some men in jail wish they didn’t have to wear pants (easy access). Every fad that is imitated by (insert generic urban name here) doesn’t need to be turned into a fashion statement. This doesn’t provide anything of worth to our youth.

You can’t wear sagging pants to a job interview.

You can’t wear sagging pants to the bank to apply for a business loan.

You can’t wear sagging pants to meet your girlfriend’s parents (unless the dad wears sagging pants).

And if you end up in jail, you shouldn’t want to wear sagging pants (easy access).

I hear my younger contemporaries always talking about how people don’t respect them.

Well you won’t get any wearing something like this. Even Jay Z is wearing suits now!! For all the black folks that thought an Obama Administration would change how young black men viewed themselves, you were sadly mistaken.

If there is a crime involving Cookies, I know who the #1 suspect should be!!

2010-12-22T12:15:00.002-05:00

For a guy that owned 3 restaurants, you would think he would be famous (well at least “Hood Famous”). Now when I finally hear about him it’s for all the wrong reasons. Charles Rivers aka Chip Nutty is missing!!! Apparently the cookie connoisseur hasn’t shown up to work since last Wednesday. And he hasn’t been seen since then, along with some office supplies. Oh, did I forget to mention his employees haven’t been paid. Uh Oh! This isn’t a fake case from the cancelled television show “Without a Trace.” This is a real live mystery. The Cookie Man is gone and the dough is missing!!!

I bet Rivers never thought he would obtain this type of notoriety. It must be hard trying to make a Chocolate Chip Cookie that tastes better than any of the current ones in existence. We mere mortals will never know the long hours of labor that goes into making a chocolaty masterpiece. Well Rivers knows!!

"A lot of the stuff in those (other) cookies is not real. It's not even real chocolate. If you taste my chocolate chip cookie you will pass out. You have to sit down when you eat my cookie."

~ Charles Rivers, in a 2009 interview with the Charlotte Post.

Side Note: I heard a female say something like that in college once but I digress……

I can’t stress the importance of finding a man that has 50 flavors of cookies to choose from. This should get the type of press that is usually provided to young white girls. We need to put Nancy Grace on this case! And tell Jane Velez-Mitchell to put a round table together to discuss this disappearance! How will I ever be able to go to his bakery if he never comes back? I don’t want them to turn his spot into a check cashing place. They will you know!!! The only business growing faster than check cashing is McDonalds. Let’s review this timeline that I have put together based on watching episodes of “Remington Steele.”

On March 19th, 2010 Chip Nutty received glowing reviews on their Cinnamon Rolls from Charlotte’s Creative Loafing Blog.

In the month of June 2010 Chip Nutty was featured in Charlotte Magazine Online.

On September 13th, 2010 some dude on Yelp.com gave Chip Nutty 5 stars.

On November 26th 2010 some lady on the blog southernlightphoto.com raved about Chip Nutty’s red velvet cupcake with vanilla drizzle (there is nothing like a good drizzle, or so I’ve heard).

On Dec 15th 2010 Rivers doesn’t show up to work.

This is serious business people!! Either the man is a no good low down snake in the grass crook or the Cookie Monster’s got him!!!

Christina Aguilera & Rihanna - Too sexy to watch with your Grandma?

2010-12-21T20:45:00.008-05:00

Was this December 11 performance on tv's the X Factor too hot to handle? And why are we hearing about the complaints now? I guess Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake never performed together in Jolly Old England!!!

Drowning In Oil - BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit.

2010-12-21T12:30:00.005-05:00

The following Book Review has been sponsored by FSB Associates

“My mother had to be identified by DNA because there was not much of her left. She had been severely burned and decapitated during the blast. I will never forget seeing my father’s blood-soaked face with the lines running from his eyes down his cheeks from the tears that he cried before he died. I often wonder what he was thinking at that moment.”

~ Eva Rowe, her parents James and Linda, died in BP’s Texas City refinery explosion in 2005.

WOW!!! This book actually left me speechless. I see now that the “Oil Business” is slimy but it’s not because of the “Oil.” Loren Steffy has done an exceptional job with putting this book together. The title sounds like it could be a bash British Petroleum book. But if you read the book, you will realize that’s not the intent. Steffy gives a documentary style assessment without sounding like a snarky environmentalist. The book gives a thorough background on BP’s humble beginnings to their mega status in the oil game. You also get an understanding of how companies drill for oil in the deep sea. If you never understood the oil business, this is a great book for a quick tutorial. It does take an emotional turn when you hear from the oil workers and their families. All have been changed by trying to get that tricky fossil fuel out of the ground. I hate to sound like a pessimist but we’ll never stop using oil. We are addicted to it like a crack head is addicted to crack. And we are enabled by poor government regulation and an overflow of cash. I don’t think we are really serious about getting “Beyond Petroleum.” I will admit that it is a catchy slogan.

What? Kids that want to learn? Stop playing!!!

2010-12-16T12:15:00.010-05:00

If you think the system is working, ask somebody who isn't!

2010-12-15T12:15:00.002-05:00

The last couple of years have been a golden era for employers—they’ve found that they can hire whom they want at lower wages, and that it’s easier to retain folks without having to boost salaries. But at some point companies that want to grow will have to break down and hire new people, or turn part-timers into full-timers, or put contractors on the payroll. Many employers are treating existing and potential employees as if they’re desperate for work. And plenty of Americans are.

~ Daniel Gross Newsweek Online Article, August 15th 2010

My former employer mailed me a Happy Birthday card. Key word is “Former”!! My birthday was last week and they laid me off a week before Thanksgiving. The card came from some woman with some high title at corporate headquarters. I’ve never heard of her before and I’ve never seen her a day in my life. I guess someone put the card on her desk and she signed it before she went to lunch.

This was my second time getting laid off. I’ll be honest: it sucks!! Getting laid off is like a girlfriend breaking up with you for no apparent reason. One day she just says I don’t think “we’re” working. You ask what’s wrong but she can’t tell you. In corporate speak, you have become a financial drag on the company. I was laid off in the 4th Quarter so they were trying to get us off the books for this year. Not since the slave trade have I seen people moved like numbers. The first time I was laid off, people cried and visually looked sad. This time – Nothing! Three years on the job and all you get is a boxed lunch to go.

So I was shocked when I received a birthday card giving me well wishes. Why would they take the time to do this? This is an example of what modern society has become. A “denial of employee angst”! Employees’ are going to work every day wondering whether it will be their last. They are holding on to jobs they can’t stand because the alternative is unemployment. They also are overworked and underpaid. Compared to other countries we work like rented mules. And don’t get me started on how much management makes compared to everyone else. The card represented denial by telling me “everything is alright.” Don’t worry about being unemployed before Christmas! Don’t even worry about getting ready to lose your medical benefits. This is business as usual. And in the end, everything is going to be alright!!!

With jobs going overseas and a loss of manufacturing we’re in trouble. Other countries are surpassing us in education, green energy and transportation. In our quest to make it cheaper and faster we are destroying the employee class. We are also giving up jobs to people in foreign countries. I’m not mad at them because I know they need to work. But I’m tired of the language barrier I have to face when calling about my credit card. And that brings up another point, why does someone in India have my credit card information. Isn’t this a security issue?? If you thought you could graduate from high school and work at the plant, scrap that! If you thought you could work for the same company for 30 plus years, don’t plan on it! We can’t create jobs in America because we are giving them away!!!

I lost my job because the process we worked on became automated. A fancy way of saying we can do the work of 6 people with just 2. I always laugh at the people that are too naïve to believe they can’t get canned. I have two degrees and that doesn’t mean anything. In the future, college students might have to adjust their career choice in order to work. It would be sad to give up a degree in directing movies so you could be an accountant but what can you do? Are we headed for a future of all business degrees and jobs in healthcare and fast food? People are getting sick and we don’t really cure them. We just kind of keep them moving along. And the drive thru at McDonalds is packed every day. America: Where people get sick and eat!!! Don’t be surprised if McDonalds has a robot working at the drive thru in a few years.

When is this movie coming to Charlotte???

2010-12-13T12:15:00.004-05:00

2010 Individual World Poetry Slam

2010-12-09T12:15:00.001-05:00

A New and Updated "Where Does the Money Go?"

2010-12-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

A new and updated version of Where Does the Money Go? will be out this January. Authors Scott Bittle & Jean Johnson, have updated their book to include the impact of the Great Recession, the Wall Street bailout and the new health care law. The fact that this book was revised means these subjects aren’t played out. And that is bad news!!! Could 2011 be the year of serious talk concerning America’s Deficit Problem?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt from an article entitled:

"Turning the Clock Back Isn't Enough: The Nasty Surprise Awaiting the GOP on Health Care and the Deficit." by authors Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson

In today's hyperpartisan political climate, too many people believe it's enough to block the other guy's plan. That counts as a victory. But the truth is the status quo is not an option. And it's not at all clear that the Republican ideas on health care, such as a voucher system for Medicare or eliminating the tax breaks to employers to provide insurance, are going to be any more popular with the public than the Democratic plan or do any more to reduce costs. The Republicans have mostly ridden the wave of "not this." They haven't done the hard work of preparing the public for "what now?" But "what now" on health care is the question that really matters on the budget. If we don't answer it, a lot of the other ideas might turn out to be Band-Aids.

I might be unemployed but I’m not getting taxed. Thanks, I think?

2010-12-06T12:15:00.002-05:00

Apparently, the Republicans and Democrats are close to a deal for extending Tax Cuts and Unemployment Benefits. A few months ago the debate was strictly about tax cuts so how did we get to this point? And who was involved in this deal? Or was the Obama Administration working backroom deals again?

Republicans don’t want the Bush-era tax cuts to end for all citizens. They especially don’t want them to end for small business owners who would be penalized by higher taxes. If the tax cuts expire, they will increase to higher levels. Republicans feel with higher taxes, business owners would not hire people or create new jobs. But what constitutes as a small business?? Some small businesses have multi-billion dollar revenues. They only classify themselves as small businesses in order to enjoy great tax benefits.

The Democrats want tax cuts permanently extend for all but the highest earners. If they don’t extend, the middle class will have to deal with a tax hike. And the middle class is already dwindling as we speak. Democrats want tax reductions that would benefit everyone making less than $250,000. Most people I know are scratching their heads trying to figure out when did $250,000 become a middle class salary? If $250,000 is a middle class salary, then I should be on welfare and living in the projects.

So what does unemployment benefits have to do with any of this? Apparently at the end of the year, they are set to end as well. And the Republicans were not going to sign off on them. They felt that the benefits were another thing that would increases the deficit. Probably, but aren’t tax cuts going to increase the deficit? So the two issues were somehow combined into one measure and that is how we got to this point.

So how long should tax cut extensions last? A one-year extension would put us right back where we are a year from now. A two-year extension would be revived again during the 2012 campaign. A three-year/four-year/five-year extension would be some other presidents’ problem.

Democratic constituents back home must be confused about what is going on in the District of Columbia. Republican senators and moderate Democrats blocked liberal Democrats from cutting tax rates on high income levels. I keep saying these “Blue Dog” Democrats are going to be the death of the Democratic Party. Even though the Republicans were able to do this, they still don’t have enough votes to extend tax rates permanently. So if it’s a stalemate, does that automatically mean you should compromise? President Obama doesn’t have his back up against the wall (i.e. held up at gunpoint). So why not call the Republicans bluff?? Is it because Obama doesn’t have the confidence that it will work out in his favor? He has proven before that he can be easily punked (please don’t ask me to name an instance because there are too many – but just to throw out some - British Petroleum and Shirley Sherrod)!!!

I didn’t major in finance and I don’t know anything about balancing a budget (À la Congress Charlie Rangel). I can balance my check book and the last time I looked I didn’t see an increase in salary. The problem middle class people have (if we are still being called that) is that everyone else is getting over but us. Many people were previously unemployed because of illegal actions by corporations. Many people are currently unemployed because corporations are trying to get them off their year-end books. Yet the people who run these corporations are about to receive a tax cut while their former employees fight for unemployment benefits!! If we are going to reduce the deficit, we have to make hard decisions. We can’t keep cutting taxes! I even hate saying it myself but fiscally it doesn’t make sense. What does make sense is to do SOMETHING that is going to create job growth. After this debate, the next one better be about how to create jobs. This two party system is getting real old. If the current parties can’t figure out how to decrease the deficit and create jobs, we will need a 3rd party who can.

Is that a Bomb in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

2010-11-30T12:19:00.010-05:00

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.

Will your daughters be dancing to this song next year?

2010-11-30T09:44:00.004-05:00

Black America's forgotten center of black commerce, and entertainment.

2010-11-24T12:15:00.003-05:00

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.

Sarah Palin's delusion of Popularity.

2010-11-23T12:30:00.001-05:00

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.”

A bad week for the Congressional Black Caucus.

2010-11-22T12:15:00.002-05:00

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 Powell

Last 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.

The blurred lines of American anti-intellectualism through on-line diploma mills.

2010-11-18T12:15:00.003-05:00

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?”

The Good Times Tour: Camp Lo, Stalley & Terry Urban.

2010-11-16T12:00:00.003-05:00

Tickets available through http://www.ticketweb.com/

It's not Zamunda, but it will do...

2010-11-15T12:30:00.004-05:00

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.

Majority to Minority: That's a demotion playa!!!

2010-11-11T12:15:00.001-05:00

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.

My take on Tuesday’s Election Results: A few wins and a lot of losses. But the Republicans shouldn’t get it twisted.

2010-11-04T12:00:00.002-04:00

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.

All kinds of Black Folks are out and about this election year!!

2010-11-01T21:00:00.004-04:00

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".

Gone for Fall Break - See you in November

2010-10-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-22T12:30:00.005-04:00

“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?

2010-10-21T12:00:00.004-04:00

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.

2010-10-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

Constitutional Confusion: Befuddled by the Founders

2010-10-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-20T15:30:00.000-04:00

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??

2010-10-19T20:30:00.006-04:00

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...

2010-10-18T13:15:00.001-04:00

"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.

2010-10-15T12:30:00.001-04:00

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???

2010-10-13T12:20:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-11T20:30:00.002-04:00

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

Muslim-American Public Service Announcements.

2010-10-11T12:15:00.003-04:00

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.

2010-10-11T09:15:00.003-04:00

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

Music Showcase - Stalley

2010-09-30T12:30:00.006-04:00

Stalley might be from the Midwest but he has an old school east coast flow. Somebody (Kanye, Jigga) needs to take this kid under their wing so the Massillon, Ohio native can get the exposure that he needs. I would hate to see this dude get labeled with that “Dopest MC you never heard of title” that a lot of cats are running around with (no thanks to Radio and suspect A&R’s).

Question: Why put a music link on your blog? Answer: Because radio sucks. Listen to individuals/groups that should be on radio.

Would you like some hot lead with that Pizza??

2010-09-29T12:20:00.001-04:00

Another case of why they are building more jails than colleges. I hear black folks talking about how the system is taking advantage of young black men but that’s all who you see on the 6pm news. They aren’t walking across stages receiving diplomas and they aren’t being interviewed for coming up with a cure for a disease. They are robbing, raping and running for cops. Sure we could refute these images if there was a news program to counter that but we’ve been there already. Two young men lost their lives trying to rob a chain store that makes pizzas. This wasn’t some Oceans 11 type stuff. This was a step up from robbing a package store. This scenario isn’t just happening in my city of Charlotte. It’s being playing out across the nation. I hope the guy that killed them doesn’t lose his job. Although I don’t know how Pizza Hut will look down upon his form of “Rough Justice.”

Velma Hart told tales out of school. Uh oh!!!

2010-09-24T12:15:00.003-04:00

I learned something from President Obama’s town hall on CNBC this week. The Democrats are in trouble!!!!! Organizing for America won’t be able to email their way out of this one. Velma Hart spoke up and said what a lot of people are afraid to say. The words “I’m exhausted of defending you,” wasn’t a made up statement. They are words that are spoken in silence by many of Obama’s supporters. The last 2 years have been a doozy. How did we go from “Hope and Change” to this?

On Tuesday, Andre Egleshon sat in for Reverend Al Sharpton on his radio show. Apparently Egleshon was upset with Hart for speaking her mind. He blasted her for putting Obama on the spot. Every time he stands in for Sharpton he spends his time praising Obama. Egleshon must be trying to get a job in the Obama Administration. Too bad for him - Obama has already hit his black quota for new hires. I’m sick of black folks dissing other blacks because they aren’t kissing black politicians behinds. Black folks are not monolithic and we should be able to speak our minds. Hart voted for Obama so she has no interest in seeing him fail (how ignorant would that be if she did??). Every other black is afraid to say something for fear of losing their “Black Card.” Black folks have rested on Symbolism and have lowered expectations for our politicians. Instead of “Real Change” blacks are hoping that they can get the pot hole in the street filled. You question black folks on Obama Administration policies and all they can tell you is how good 1st Lady Michelle Obama looked on TV. Really??

Every other race and gender is knocking on Obama’s door. Anytime black folks try to speak to Obama they get dirty looks from other blacks. It seems blacks have to suffer in silence in order to keep the symbolism going. I know that Obama is the head of the American Empire so he has to look out for everyone. I get it!! I wish black folks would stop saying that to calm the waters. No one is telling the Latinos, Gays and Jews to stop pressing Obama. People look out for their self-interests in politics. That’s how the game is played (fortunately and unfortunately). Everyone else is playing “Chess” while black folks are playing “Tunk.” The Democrats are going to be in a world of hurt this November. The White House gambled on making the economy a quaternary priority and now they are paying for it. You have some Democrats that won’t even get near Obama in fear of losing their elections. Republicans ran from President Bush in his last years!! Wow! The Democrats are starting early!! Obama’s opposition is fired up and ready to take him on. His support staff never saw this backlash coming. But then again they don’t have experience dealing with a black man that’s president. I guess they figured if they run from black folks and call out Glenn Beck they will be okay.

The Democrats should use Velma Hart as a voting barometer for this November. The new voters that became Democrats weren’t doing it to be Democrats. They wanted to be Obamacrats. A lot of loser Democrats rode into office on Obama’s coat tails in 2008. If they were on their own, they would have never made it past the primary. So imagine if voters are feeling “Some Kinda Way” about Obama now….well you can figure out what will happen in November.

Message From a First Time Father

2010-09-22T09:00:00.004-04:00

Back in 1996, I completed a Senior Investigative Paper entitled “Adolescent Alcohol Abuse and Aggression.” Essentially the paper dealt with the relationship between teenager alcohol consumption and the violent behavior that comes from drinking. In writing this paper, I found an interesting piece of information that I was not expecting. Research showed that parent-adolescent bonds can have a direct influence on adolescent drug use. The children of divorced parents and single parents are more at risk to be involved with alcohol. Because I come from a two parent household I take a lot of things for granted. I’m amazed by single women that I know with children. I don’t pity them. I am in awe of how they are able to hold it together. But unfortunately these women are the exception. I have a lot of friends who grew up in single family homes. They all turned out to be upstanding men and women. So just because you come from a single parent home doesn’t mean you can’t be successful. But based on research, children have greater odds of success if they grow up in a two family household (i.e. mother and father in the home).

You look at the evening news every night and see the same thing. Young black males being escorted to police cars wearing handcuffs. To reiterate what I said – I said EVERYDAY!!! Every blue moon they will show males from another race being whisked away by the law. But the very next day it will be back to “blacks on screen!!!” If you do the background search on their home life, all the young males have a common problem. They are all fatherless boys!! And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the young black females that are on the news. They are having daddy issues as well. It’s not a surprise that Big Brothers and Big Sisters are pushing harder than ever for mentors for children. If you ask people that work for them, they will tell you that there are not enough “Bigs” for the children. By now you are probably wondering where did all the children come from? And what does all this mean?

Look no further than Maury Povich for the answers. His self titled television show is famous for episodes where women confront their boyfriends with DNA and lie detector tests. The men never believe the baby is actually theirs!! So the women have to prove them wrong to get child support (i.e. pampers, milk and a meal down at the Dairy Queen). The worst ones are where the women don’t know who they slept with. They bring a parade of men on stage testing each and everyone. It reminds me of when the Airforce gives physicals before sending people off to basic training. And they do it by the bus loads!!! Do I think that this show is completely on the up and up? No! But the women and men on his show represent real people that aren’t on stage. And the scary part is that we actually know some of them.

We have a problem with irresponsible boys having unprotected sex with irresponsible girls and creating irresponsible children. There I said it!!! Now I’ll probably get hate mail for this one but don’t blame me. Get mad at the evening news. My friends that are teachers tell me horror stories about the parents of their children. Parent teacher conferences where mothers dress like they just got off the stripper pole. Dealing with parents that argue about why teachers shouldn’t discipline their children. And working with Parent Teacher Associations where parental involvement is practically non-existent. But it doesn’t matter if the teachers can’t educate them. The Prison Industrial Complex will pick up where the school systems left off. Jail is big business!! Every year cities struggle to come up with money for schools but new jails are always being built. Bill Cosby talked about this same problem and he was crucified. It’s an uncomfortable subject to talk about because it hits home with many of us. We don’t want to offend our family and friends. But it’s too late because “the chickens are coming home to roost” and the evening news doesn’t care about hurt feelings.

Today the No Wedding No Womb campaign was launched in declaration and acknowledgement that the out-of-wedlock situation in the black community has reached a critical mass. NWNW calls for both men and women to take into account the trauma that motherless or fatherless children experience when procreating is taken so cavalierly. The scars are long-term, and often for life. But NWNW doesn’t NECESSARILY equate to marriage, per se, but commitment–a lifelong partnership between mother and father. Both are “married” to the idea that a two-parent household is better than a single, struggling one. Of course there are exceptions, but they do not make the rule. NWNW also fights against the normalization of baby momma and daddy-ism. Clearly as a whole, this mentality is NOT working for us as a community.

I joined this campaign because of my wife. At the beginning of next year I am going to be a first time father. Am I nervous? Yes! But I am also very excited. But I’m more excited for my wife. When we met in college I was very immature and not ready for a committed relationship. My wife knew exactly what she wanted at that young age. She wanted to get married and then have children. And she was adamant that there was not going to be any pre-marital sex going on. So you ask why am I proud of her? It’s not because of the fact she waited to get married to have sex. I don’t look down on people because of that. If that was the case, I wouldn’t be able to look at myself because I didn’t wait until I was married. I’m proud of her because she never compromised her beliefs. She knew what she wanted and she stuck to her principles. No matter how much pressure she was up against and even when she had to remove people out of her life. I am honored to call her my wife and that she is carrying “our” child.

I know that everyone doesn’t have an ideal family situation. People deal with divorce and parental death can come earlier than expected. But we as a society have to be careful of the decisions that we make when having unprotected sex. The consequences are too big to make light of. The process of bringing a life into this world needs to be more than an afterthought. Children are being born to end up in prison. They aren’t even making it out of high school with a diploma (with black men having the worst graduating numbers). We are losing out on our future Doctors, Lawyers, Fathers, Mothers, Teachers and Engineers. My personal responsibility in all of this madness is to be the best father I can be. I have a family that depends on me and I don’t want to let them down. I guess we’ll have to work on this one child at a time. I guess….

Did you know about "The Green Book"?

2010-09-20T12:15:00.002-04:00

Harlem postal employee, Victor H. Green created “The Green Book” in response to Jim Crow discrimination and violence in America. Essentially the book was a travel guide for blacks. It’s not surprising that a postal employee could come up with this concept. If he contacted black postal workers across the country, he would be able to find out where blacks lived. The book directed black travelers to safe lodging, restaurants, and other services. Many blacks traveling the highways had to deal with “sunset laws.” Sunset Laws basically meant that blacks had to be out of the town before sunset. Things have changed for black travelers since the books first publication in 1936. But “The Green Book” still represents a shameful time in American History.

Introducing Clinton Portis - Sexual Harassment Counselor

2010-09-15T10:30:00.004-04:00

"You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she's going to want somebody. I don't know what kind of woman won't, if you get to go and look at 53 men's (bodies), I know you're doing a job, but at the same time, the same way I'm going to cut my eye if I see somebody worth talking to, I'm sure they do the same thing."

~ Redskins Running Back Clinton Portis talking on the 106.7 The Fan Radio Show.

Ines Sainz, a reporter for Azteca TV, claimed that she was harassed by the New York Jets during one of their practices. Apparently the NFL is tripping all over themselves trying to clean this one up. But I’m actually not surprised that the NY Jets might have been trying to score with Sainz. They can’t get any points on the field so they had to try somewhere. On the flip side, there is a debate going on about Sainz’s dress and appearance when she is interviewing Football Players. It seems like every other picture in Google Images looks like she dances at bars on the weekend. Painted on jeans and tight fitted shirts seem to be a part of her wardrobe. I don’t know if anyone has ever told Sainz but I don’t think people respect her journalism skills. Google Katie Couric and see what happens. Meanwhile Couric’s network, CBS, has a video slide of Sainz in bathing suits. I think both sides have a lot of explaining to do but Portis’s comments are really bothering me. I just wish that he would stop saying ignorant things. Anytime he gives his opinion about something it ends up being the dumbest thing you have ever heard (example here). Can someone shut him up???

The Kitchen Shrink – A Psychiatrist’s Reflections on Healing in a Changing World.

2010-09-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

The following Book Review has been sponsored by FSB Associates

“Have you met Dr. Steve Fleck?” Dr. Byck asks. “No. Who’s he?” “A real character. Before you leave, you must meet Steve Fleck.” One evening, in a quiet corridor, a frail white-haired man shuffles by, his eyes fixed on the floor. He is thin as a skeleton in his long white coat. His nametag reads: “Steve Fleck, M.D., Psychiatry.” “Dr. Fleck,” I call to him, “Dr. Byck says I have to meet you. I’m Dora Wang. I’m applying for psychiatry residencies.” He shakes my hand, nods, and looks back at the floor. “Do you have any advice for a new doctor starting out?” Our hands are still grasped when he utters the only two words I will ever hear from his lips, words I will always remember. “Single payer.” He turns and shuffles down the hall.

~ Excerpt from - The Kitchen Shrink (pgs. 122 – 123)

I was a Psychology major when I was an undergraduate student. I wanted to be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist. I didn’t want to be a Psychologist that listened to peoples’ problems all day long. That would have been depressing to my soul and draining to my spirit. I definitely would have never been a Psychiatrist. I thought this was just going to be a book on Psychiatry. It was and it wasn’t. Dr. Wang talked about her career in Psychiatry from being an eager medical student, to an overworked professional. When Dr. Fleck said the word “Single Payer” to her, he was foreshadowing future events involving health care. Throughout the book, you could see where the Health Insurance Industry had taken over the medical profession. Doctors in the book went from being concerned about patient wellness to meeting quotas. I kept reading the book going “so that’s why my Doctor does that.” It was an eye opener to the reality of our modern healthcare. In my opinion, the beauty of the book was how she humanized her patients. Many of us look at people with psychotic behavior and shun them but we forget they are human beings too. I highly recommend this book for individuals thinking about a career in the medical profession.

Four Ways to Electric Relaxation - Regular, Slowed Down, Jazzed Up and R&B'd up.

2010-09-10T11:00:00.003-04:00