Hope
everyone had a great X-mas. I gotta tell you, I love my family. I know
that is probably the most obvious statement ever made, but I do. I'm
always ready to leave when its time to leave, but my people are good
people. They're funny, honest and I can feel the safety and certainty
when I'm with them. They will always be there. And our little ones, no
matter how bad ass they are, are just as cute as buttons. I prayed for
people who are alone this holiday, because I couldn't imagine not
having these crazy people in my life.
We left the kids with
the men (and prayed they would still be alive when we came back) who
took them to see Happy Feet and watched Football. We (the ladies) went
to the movies to see Dreamgirls and The Pursuit of Happyness. Both were
good movies, although Pursuit made me a cry a little. Dreamgirls was
very entertaining. Jennifer Hudson & Eddie Murphy were great and
Beyonce was strikingly beautiful. Even when she doesn't wear makeup
she's pretty, although she looked about 15 years old. They really did
the diva thing on her. She wasn't a weak link in the movie like others
said. She didn't stand out, but her character wasn't supposed to. I
think it was just people hating on her because she is overexposed.
Pursuit was a tear-jerker, but had its funny parts. Smith does deserve
an Oscar nod for his performance and his little bit, Jaden, did a great
job too. He definitely made you want to meet the man, Chris Gardner, in
real life because he must have had incredible character to get by in
that world with so much against him. Thandie Newton did a good job of a
woman who was spent and fed up. I couldn't hate on her even though I
thought she should have fought harder for her baby.
Okay, back to reality. Here's what's happening in your neighborhoods:
ATLANTA

Did
you think it was all over for Cynthia McKinney now that the 109th
Congress has folded? Wrong. You can't stop crazy. Although a Republican
lawmaker in Atlanta is trying to erase her from the books like they did
in Ancient Egyptian times when someone messed up. He is beginning his
campaign by attempting to turn Cynthia McKinney into "She Who Will Not
Be Named" by taking away a road dedicated to her.
AJC.com: Strip McKinney's name off road, lawmaker says 
VIRGINIA
Prince
William County, what used to be the last affordable county in Northern
VA, but not much longer, is really concerned about the financial toll
illegal immigration is taking on the community and they plan to do
something about it. For a community that is growing like rapid fire,
the toll it takes on the local government is already impossible to keep
up with. What they are finding is that a good part of that is illegal
immigrants and this is a problem. Good for them.
WAPO: Anxiety On Costs Of Illegal ResidentsSAN ANTONIO
Speaking
of illegals, they are upset over the recent sweep of raids. They want
the government to stop. Basically they are saying they have a right to
break the law, benefit from it and it is wrong for the government to
enforce the law against them because they...don't like it. And they
also played the Nazi card, comparing it to the SS raids of the Jews. I
guess the civil rights card wasn't working too well. I'm sure survivors
of the Holocaust feel like its happening all over again. I wonder if
they'll want the police to enforce the law if they are a victim of
theft or assault? I guess obeying the law only applies to other people.
Yahoo! News: Hispanic groups call for moratorium on work raids
DENVER
And
for all those people who said that illegals do jobs that Americans
won't do, read this article. ICE raids have been weeding illegals out
of manufacturing jobs in the Denver area and guess who is lining up out
the door, around the block to fill those jobs? Americans and legal
immigrants.
Rocky Mountain News: Loss for one is another's gain -- Applicants line up to fill jobs left empty by Swift plant raidOMAHA
As
I've said before, what is the point of these raids if you just let the
people go and ask them to show up in court so they can be deported?
They aren't coming back. They don't care about the law. If they did,
they wouldn't be breaking it in the first place.
Yahoo! News: Some workers seized in raids releasedHOUSTON
This
isn't political, but there is a rapist running around Houston targeting
males. We don't hear about this a lot because although reports of rape
have increased for women, it is still too embarrassing for many men who
are sexually assaulted to report the crime. If you've ever seen a movie
called The Rape of Richard Beck, you'll know what I'm talking about.
This man was very insensitive to women who were victims of rape (he was
a cop) until he was attacked himself. I'm glad enough men are able to
come forward so the cops can at least warn the public and get some
clues to try and find the guy.
BAW: Rapist preys on men in Houston area
CHICAGO
There
are many reasons why I'm proud of what will always be my hometown,
Chicago, but the business opportunities for blacks is one of the top
reasons. Although it is too damn cold for me to ever move back there, I
would encourage any black professional looking for a new scene to check
it out. The food alone will hook. Just don't go from November to May.
Boom Town: Black entrepreneurs are thriving in Chicago Also in Chi-Town, unsatisfied with the lack of stick they are getting by trying to

equate
IL Senator Obama with Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein because of his
name, the Right is trying to bring up this old land issue and trying to
make him seem dirty. Come on, now. After this year in Congress with
wife stranglers, cop abusers, pedophiles & the like, you are going
to have to come harder than this.
Slate.com: For now, Obama's scandal is too small to hurt.Despite it all, the Wall Street Journal gives us reasons why Obama will probably not run.
OpinionJournal: Not So Fast
MINNESOTA
Incoming
Congressman Keith Ellison is a better person than me. Because he is a
Muslim, he has had to face a lot of ignorance and pure ugliness and he
hasn't even started his new job. He has responded with dignity and
character, which is probably why the people of Minneapolis voted for
him. I would have been sticking pins in voodoo dolls and secretly
leaked lies about people's mamas at this point.
CNN.com: Ellison: Lawmaker has 'a lot to learn about Islam'OAK PARK, IL
A
small newspaper in Oak Park is looking at the African and
African-American Paradox. Most of the time we hear about the tension
and conflict between the groups. This article talks about how they are
learning from each other and communicating.
AustinWeeklyNews.com: The African and African-American paradoxSAN JOSE
Another
bus ride with black kids being singled out and moved, a driver says
it's all innocent and the NAACP wants to get involved.
MercuryNews.com: Bus ride upsets black students
FRANCE
The
U.S. Congress has a problem with France for honoring a cop killer on
death row, who also appears to be some kind of a hero to a lot of
people who ignore the fact that he is a cop killer.
Maynardije.org: U.S. House Slaps Abu-Jamal Supporters