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1.31.2007

I'm back from Vegas and I've been a little out of it. I'm trying to catch up at Law School and there has been a two-day Woot-Off at woot.com, so I'm very distracted. Also, I'm realizing how much money I really lost this weekend and I'm kind of freaking out.

I was really heartbroken to hear about this. SI.com: Barbaro euthanized after complications. I felt so sorry for this horse and then I saw all the work that was going into trying to save him. The last article I read in the WAPO said he was doing very well, but I guess things turned around and they had to put him down. At least they tried. Seemed a shame. The horse was getting better care than most humans get, but for all that effort I at least hoped he could be a regular horse again.

The latest trend is to attack race-based caucuses. The Hill: Tancredo calls for prohibition of race-based caucuses. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) took a few minutes from his fight against illegal immigration to suggest we put an end to things like the CBC or their equivalent for Hispanics & Asians because they are racially exclusive. I am against racial exclusivity. You can still be the CBC and whatever. Just don't exclude members by race. Organizations such as the National Urban League and NAACP don't exclude membership, but stay focused on black issues. Maybe some of the wrong black issues, but still they haven't become a white-led organization. Getting rid of them is a bit of a stretch because there is still enough racism on The Hill to make these groups necessary. Maybe one day there won't be, but I don't think that's right now.

Another article on how Obama was an even-handed leader who brought people together even in his younger days. A bit of a love fest, but worth a read if not only for the pic with the goofy smile. Boston.com: At Harvard Law, a unifying voice. Honestly, I doubt anyone could argue the man is a natural born leader. Some people just have it. Clinton had it; still does. Here's another about his Harvard Law experience. NYTimes: In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice. I guess some members of the media are trying to combat others who want to make it seem like he went to a Muslim terrorist school. I thought that was too ridiculous of a stretch, considering the school is as mainstream and coed as any other, but the Right is desperate and they are going to try and milk it for something. BTW, here is some follow up on the Muslim School he went to. ABC News: Nothing Extreme About Indonesian School Attended by Obama

And I know this has nothing to do with anything, but just found this pic of the Jordan home (top of pic), which is some of what Juanita is getting in the divorce settlement. Only some. I wonder if she's going to move her new man in anytime soon? Bossip: Juanita Jordan's Crib. There's also a bit in this piece about what Sheila got out of the Johnson divorce. Of course, they built that empire together, so half is legit. I don't know about the gossip about Robert & Debra; I'm doubting it. They've worked together too long, but who knows. Either way, Sheila is the corporate & social maven she was meant to be in the D.C. area and has a new husband anyway. Just saw a pic of her getting on one of her private jets to leave for Cali. All ends good.

Those Atlanta child murders are not going to go away. I recently heard a telephone interview with Wayne Williams, the man convicted of the killings had from jail and he seems confident he will be cleared. I'm not sure what I think of this whole thing. It seems like the evidence was strong that he's guilty, but would people still be this focused on it if it was clear? Now they are going to do new DNA tests. We'll keep you posted. CNN.com: New DNA tests OK'd in 1982 Atlanta murder cases

Why would I post anything about Nick Cannon? Okay, I kind of liked Drumline. Other than that, not so much. However, I wasn't too surprised to hear he is going to play Arthur Ashe in the story of his life. After seeing him in Bobby, that's who I was thinking he kind of looked like. Someone else must have seen it too, because they picked him out. I would definitely see a movie on Arthur Ashe. You don't hear enough about him and I remeber his wife was kind of weird looking. It would probably be a bio on his life, but I would also like to see the controversy his statue in Richmond alongside Confederate heroes caused. ContactMusic.com: NICK CANNON - CANNON SET FOR LOVE MATCH AS ASHE

I know this is late, but here is Dick Cheney totally checking his Blackberry during the SOTU speech. For some odd reason, I thought it was funny.
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FOOLISHNESS ONE DAY EARLY

1.25.2007

I'm leaving for Vegas tomorrow, so I won't post until I get back Tuesday. Because of that, I'm leaving you with an inbox full of posts with a heavy emphasis on the foolishness I usually leave for Friday. Have a fun weekend!

The most foolish story I've read in a long time was this one. USAToday.com: Toddler's temper ousts family from plane. How can you complain about getting kicked off a plane for not controlling your 3 year old child? Both mother and father were there and the little brat didn't want to sit down. Well the plane can't take off if she isn't sitting down. The parents refused to handle their child and begged for more time to "deal" with her, but they got kicked off. Now they are mad. I wish I could meet these people and tell them something.

I bet they were trying to logically reason with her while she was showing out like a little fool. I don't believe in physically disciplining chldren, but the parents need to be slapped. How can both a mother and father working together not handle a 3 year old girl enough to get her to sit down in a seat? Did they really think it was fair to make a whole plane full of people that have places to go and things to do (not to mention the airline) be further delayed because they would prefer their child choose to obey them then being forced to. My parents had six kids and we were in line without being beaten. These fools can't handle one little brat. They should be too embarrassed to speak.

For fatasses like me, I'm not too happy to hear that other fatties are being made to take an I.Q. test before they can get that gastric bypass surgery. I am totally against that surgery anyway, but I understand that for some people it is the only choice. But just because someone might be stupid doesn't mean they don't have a right to the surgery. As long as they aren't mentally challenged and unable to understand what the choice is, why bring intelligence into it? Also, this only applies if you're a fatass with BlueCross BlueShield in TN. FOXNews.com: Anger Erupts Over Insurance Company's IQ Test for Weight-Loss Surgery. I couldn't find the pic I wanted, so this one will have to do. They're fat, so it fits.

I don't blog video too often, but this kind of freaked me out. I thought it was some kind of fake, but it's real and it's freaky. This is supposed to be a prehistoric shark, but it's swimming around today. It's a horribly ugly thing, but fascinating. Evolutionists will be very happy. Reuters: Rare sight of ancient shark

wcbstv.com - 5-Year-Old Kicked Off School Bus, Left In Projects. You know what? I wish someone would do this to my baby (which I don't have, but I'm just saying). Talk about ring the alarm. I would be raising hell like no one has seen. What could have happened to that little boy? What if it had been a girl? Something similar happened to my niece when she was in grade school. A lot of kids were acting up and the bus driver just lost it and kicked all the kids off the bus, including the 1st graders. My niece was in the 5th grade at the time. Now this was all the kids and it was in a relatively safe northern suburb of Chicago, so not the same as one little 5-year old alone in the projects, but they were scared. My sister had a fit! This driver should be fired, sued and prosecuted for endangering a child.

Now, we've all heard about that gorilla who gave birth in the pride where all the males have had vasectomies. Not so big a deal because vasectomies can be reversed and can reverse themselves. But this story is a little more curious. This Komodo dragon gave birth to five babies without having sex. Not only that, but she's never been exposed to male Komodos in her life. So, what are they? Clones? I feel like quoting Dr. Malcom from Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way." Yahoo! News: 5 Komodo dragons born at British zoo

Okay, I'm all for purity and crap like that. Kids, including high school kids, should not be having sex for too many reasons to go into. But things like this are very odd to me. Glamour.com: Would you pledge your virginity to your father?. Purity balls are where a father pledges to fight for his daughter's virtue and the girl pledges to her father to keep her virginity until marriage. WTF with making a formal gala out of it? What ever happened to keeping your personal stuff, personal? And your father doesn't own your vagina, so why are you pledging to him? I thought this was a promise to God or yourself.

Also, what is this glaring double standard? It's nice and all that you want to keep your daughter pure, but girls don't have sex with themselves. Uhm...well, you know what I mean. What about the boy's purity balls? Okay, that didn't sound right, but you know what I mean there too. Stop putting on the pressure to be virtuous on the girls and stop making a public display of your sexual values. Also, double WTF with old boy in the article with his 25-year old daughter going to the ball? What is a man doing having any say in a 25-year old's sex life or lack thereof? Sorry, but this is weird.

Don't chant "USA!" at sports events because that makes you a jerk and will insult people who are attending the game and...I guess don't like the USA. At least that's what I think this article is saying. Either way, it's foolishness. WiscNews.com: Cheers have some wound up

I don't know either of these people, nor do I care about them, but if you've been married 51 years, how in the hell are you getting a divorce? Is it even legal to be divorced after 51 years? Isn't there a statute of limitations where if you make it past 45 years, you have to stay put no matter what? Their adult children must be like, "You two better stop this foolishness." They are both in their late 70s talking about "irreconcilable differences." You don't have any irreconcilable differences after 51 years of marriage. What madness. TMZ.com: Not the Happiest Place on Earth

I thought Quakers were supposed to be pacifist? Yahoo! News: Palestinians beaten at Guilford College

Off to Vegas! I'll leave you with my two favorite men from FOX although I prefer Wentworth without hair.
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RACE AND/OR POLITICS ROUNDUP

1.24.2007

We've got another group of illegal immigrant raids and arrests which will cause pro-illegal groups to accuse the government of being Nazis and end up doing nothing because all they'll do is tell the people to show up in court on a certain day to be deported and they won't. Honestly, how many of these people are actually sent back? Since we can't figure out how to do this effectively, we need to just focus all our efforts, time and money on securing the border, preventing anymore illegals from coming in and figure out what to do with the ones who are here when we can come up with a plan that actually makes sense and works. These public relations raids/court dates are a waste of time.
LA Daily News: Officials net 761 illegal immigrants
Washington Times: Aliens ask wrong people in van about work

Fed Chair Bernanke is just saying what anyone with more than a pea for a brain knows. Our social systems cannot sustain the baby boomer generation. Yahoo! News: Bernanke: Fiscal action needed as America ages. They are already under unreasonable strain. What about 10 years from now? 15 years? What does that mean for your parents when they turn 70, 80 or 90? When the social services runs out, you're going to be supporting them at a time when their medical care and cost will be astronomical. Also, this will be around the time your kids are in college and need your help too. How can you do that when you have to save up to support yourself? Because there will be no Medicare or social security when our generation retires. This is how you end up with a majority poor country. Can you count on your kids to support you? I don't think so. The cost will be unmanageable. Better beef up that 401k and pray.

The Ultra Left-Wing black website, Black Agenda Report, makes a good point about bringing back black radio. Honestly, on most black stations, the news segment is about 5 seconds long and always includes something about Jay-Z and Beyonce. And we wonder why blacks are so misinformed. I'm not advocating the Black Panther Network, but get a little deeper than we are now. blackagendareport.com: Bring Back Black Radio News

I found a new website I'm kind of digging, Racialicious: The intersection of race and pop culture. Check it out. This site turned me on to Addicted to Race, New Demographics series on America's obsession with race. It also dips into celebrity a lot which is a fun escape. But my favorite black gossip website, and stop snickering because you know you read it too, is Young, Black, and Fabulous: Still Providing The Gossip Swagger.... Very funny commentary.

This comes in a little late, but here's an article on the fallacy of the minimum wage hike. I'm sorry, but although this hike will cause some to fall through the cracks, ultimately it's a good thing. Every economic shift causes tremors and has sacrifices, but we can't stay put when staying put isn't helping anyone. EPIOnline: Raising the Minimum Wage: Another Empty Promise to the Working Poor. In a capitalist society there will always be a working poor. It seems like a cynical, unAmerican thing to say, but it's true.
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OBAMA -- MRS. OBAMA REVEALED -- ETHNIC HEADLINES -- THE OSCARS

1.23.2007


The problem I have with the Obama thing is not with him. The problem is that his lack of experience gives bigots a great excuse. They will not vote for him because he is half-black, but they'll all say he doesn't have enough experience. They will have to excuse that they voted for Bush in 2000 by saying he had only a minutes worth of experience, but it was as a Governor, not a Senator, who basically governs nothing more than their Senate office. If Obama decided to run after he had more experience, they still wouldn't vote for him because of race, but they'd have a harder time excusing the real reason away. Or they could just say that he went to an Islamic school as a child, so he must be a terrorist. WAPO: Howard Kurtz - Campaign Allegation A Source of Vexation/

Johnathan Alter compares Obama to another Senator turned President who had little experience, JFK. However, that didn't really turn out that well for JFK.
MSNBC.com: Obama and the Camelot Comparison

Now what is Jesse going to do, after all that time he spent with the Clintons? I mean all the work he put into their marriage counseling, which he did with his pregnant mistress at his side. You can't go through that stuff and not have a bond. Well, I think Jackson is going to drop the Clintons like a sack of dirt and run to Obama. Not necessarily a good thing for Obama. I know they're neighbors and all, but if Obama wants to keep that "fresh, new black leadership" shine, he needs to keep Jackson & Sharpton at arms length. CNN.com: Jesse Jackson: 'All of my heart leans toward Barack'

Also, The Chicago Sun-Times, the red-headed stepchild of Chicago news, does a piece on the woman "behind" Obama. Why not "beside"? Don't get me started. Anyway, it's a very flattering piece that points to her sense of humor as well as her upbringing, her various charitable involvements and pristine Ivy-League credentials. After reading more about her background I'm wondering why she isn't running for President. Oh that's right. The article points out that she never wanted anything to do with politics. I'm sure she's loving this now. Also, I think the writer of this article has a thing for Michelle. Check this out. "Michelle has since grown into a 5-foot-11, sleek and striking woman who enjoys a good 4:30 a.m. workout. When she raised her arm to wave to an adoring 2004 Democratic convention crowd, she revealed just a whisper of bare, taut midriff." SUSPECT! CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The woman behind Obama

Wonkette has something to say about the NYPost choice of words when announcing Hispanic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's hat in the ring. I think it's funny, but you know how sensitive people are these days. He's a Mexican. It's a joke. Wonkette: NY Post's Hilarious Ethnic Headline. If they had wrote Obama Throws Afro Into Ring, I would have laughed too. It's too ridiculous to be angry about.

The Oscars are in:
1. Best Picture: "Babel," "The Departed," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Queen."

2. Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond"; Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"; Peter O'Toole, "Venus"; Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness"; Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland."
3. Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Volver"; Judi Dench, "Notes on a Scandal"; Helen Mirren, "The Queen"; Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"; Kate Winslet, "Little Children."

4. Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children"; Djimon Hounsou, "Blood Diamond"; Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"; Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed."

5. Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, "Babel"; Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal"; Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"; Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel."

6. Directing: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Babel"; Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"; Clint Eastwood, "Letters From Iwo Jima"; Stephen Frears, "The Queen"; Paul Greengrass, "United 93."

7. Foreign Language Film: "After the Wedding," Denmark; "Days of Glory (Indigenes)," Algeria; "The Lives of Others," Germany; "Pan's Labyrinth," Mexico; "Water," Canada.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, "Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"; Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, "Children of Men"; William Monahan, "The Departed"; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, "Little Children"; Patrick Marber, "Notes on a Scandal."

9. Original Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, "Babel"; Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, "Letters From Iwo Jima"; Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"; Guillermo del Toro, "Pan's Labyrinth"; Peter Morgan, "The Queen."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Cars," "Happy Feet," "Monster House."

11. Art Direction: "Dreamgirls," "The Good Shepherd," "Pan's Labyrinth," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "The Prestige."

12. Cinematography: "The Black Dahlia," "Children of Men," "The Illusionist," "Pan's Labyrinth," "The Prestige."

13. Sound Mixing: "Apocalypto," "Blood Diamond," "Dreamgirls," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

14. Sound Editing: "Apocalypto," "Blood Diamond," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters From Iwo Jima," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

15. Original Score: "Babel," Gustavo Santaolalla; "The Good German," Thomas Newman; "Notes on a Scandal," Philip Glass; "Pan's Labyrinth," Javier Navarrete; "The Queen," Alexandre Desplat.

16. Original Song: "I Need to Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth," Melissa Etheridge; "Listen" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler and Anne Preven; "Love You I Do" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger and Siedah Garrett; "Our Town" from "Cars," Randy Newman; "Patience" from "Dreamgirls," Henry Krieger and Willie Reale.

17. Costume: "Curse of the Golden Flower," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Dreamgirls," "Marie Antoinette," "The Queen."

18. Documentary Feature: "Deliver Us From Evil," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Iraq in Fragments," "Jesus Camp," "My Country, My Country."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Blood of Yingzhou District," "Recycled Life," "Rehearsing a Dream," "Two Hands."

20. Film Editing: "Babel," "Blood Diamond," "Children of Men," "The Departed," "United 93."

21. Makeup: "Apocalypto," "Click," "Pan's Labyrinth."

22. Animated Short Film: "The Danish Poet," "Lifted," "The Little Matchgirl," "Maestro," "No Time for Nuts."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)," "Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)," "Helmer & Son," "The Saviour," "West Bank Story."

24. Visual Effects: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," "Poseidon," "Superman Returns."
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BEARS WIN, HILLARY ENTERS & OTHER NEWS

1.22.2007

Yeah!!!!!!! My Chicago Bears are going back to the big game for the first time in more than 20 years (Whatever happened to Willie Gault?). Is that not the best? Unlike then, we'll be the underdogs, but so what? We're going and it's going to be a great game. I'm looking forward to the annual food-off between the city's respective mayors. Chicago is unbeatable when it comes to food; the kind that keeps you warm in the winter, puts a smile on your face and makes you make sounds when you're eating it. Indianapolis has uhm.....

For those of you who don't have a dog in this race, you'll probably root for the Colts because of Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning. If it was anyone but the Bears I would too. Tony has worked hard with the Bucs and the Colts and deserves this win. But sorry, family is family. Either way, a black coach wins the Superbowl and Prince performs at half time, so its a win-win.
CNN.com: Black Super Bowl coaches make history
Sports Tri-Cities: Bears, Colts set for historic Super Bowl
STLtoday: Chicago delivers a win that is vintage Bears

Forget reinforcements. Basically this 20,000 Bush is sending in will be replacements at this point.
NYTimes: U.S. Toll in Iraq Is 27 for Deadly Weekend
Telegraph: US troops surge into Baghdad as 25 are killed in day of bloodshed

What is his problem? CNN.com: Chavez to U.S.: 'Go to hell, gringos!'. He reminds me of that kid in junior high who nobody pays attention to until he's starting some mess or the one who craves attention so much that when someone else is getting it, he gets all upset and starts pouting.

NYTimes: 51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse. This study about 51% of women living without husbands is kind of short-sighted. No one would care about how many men are living without wives. It's as if somehow 51% of women are missing something. What about the lesbians, the ones too young to get married, the divorced ones who aren't looking to get married again, and the ones living with a man who they aren't married to and are happy with that? There are assumptions in this study that just bother me. The study also offers more proof that black women "who want to get married" need to explore their options and expand their field. "In addition, marriage rates among black women remain low. Only about 30 percent of black women are living with a spouse, according to the Census Bureau, compared with about 49 percent of Hispanic women, 55 percent of non-Hispanic white women and more than 60 percent of Asian women." Keep chasing after these brothers that aren't trying to hear about marriage and you'll end up another statistic. Remember, love is where you find it.

Last but not least, Hillary has entered the race formally. You just know she has a voo doo doll of Obama in her purse and has been sticking needles in non-stop. She wanted to take as much time as she could to avoid the hard questions. If it wasn't for Obama, she would probably hold off until at least this fall, talking about "I'm considering it, but haven't decided." It's January 2007 and this election is November 2008. Time moves faster than one thinks, but this is going to be ridiculous. Poor John Edwards. Are you still there? He's the only candidate who actually has a chance of getting elected and the Democrats are going to completely ignore him and repeat 2004.
BET.com: Hillary Clinton for President?
Salon.com: Hillary Clinton's Life Pivots Once More
ABC News: Hillary Clinton is 'in' for '08, but crowd grows
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FOOLISHNESS FOR FRIDAY

1.19.2007

When thinking of book titles, Wendy Williams is my new role model. This is her follow up to Drama Is Her Middle Name. Can't get much more real than that.








Found this pic of Edwards & Obama at Wonkette, one of my favorite blogs ever! You caption it.


Also from Wonkette and the NY Times, all four of these members of Congress live together in a townhouse. I would think that Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer would have their own sweet digs, but not the case. Clearly their wives were like, "Hell no, I'm not living in D.C." Anyway, if you ask me, the place looks a mess like some college boys live there. It must get crowded, especially when they bring their mistresses over. Allegedly. NYTimes: Taking Power, Sharing Cereal


Colbert & O'Reilly traded shows yesterday. Didn't see O'Reilly, but Colbert was funny. As suspected, O'Reilly just can't get the sense of humor necessary to put up with Colbert's foolishness. To be honest, when O'Reilly is making sense, he makes a lot of sense. I agree with him more often than I'd be willing to admit. It's just that so much he says is total B.S. and gets clouded by this self-appointed symbol of truth he thinks he is. Colbert is just a fool and you can't not like him.Everybody has their opinion about yesterday's shows.
Yahoo! Colbert, O'Reilly face off on both shows
CBC.ca Arts: Parody, reality cross paths on Colbert, O'Reilly shows
LAist: Morning Question: Who Did Better? Colbert on O'Reilly or O'Reilly on Colbert?

Today might be the last day I can blog about a possible Bears/Colts Superbowl. Wouldn't that be nice to have two black coaches in the Superbowl? USAToday.com: Coaches chasing Super Bowl and history. If they do make it, we will quickly get sick of the poignant meaningful pieces about the racial milestone. I'm nervous about my Bears but I will stay with them until the end. If they make it, as much as I think Tony Dungy has earned a Superbowl, I can't root against my Bears. But first we have to get over the New Orleans Saints and Reggie "he can get it" Bush. It doesn't make any sense how fine that little boy is.

Remember Spike Lee was going to have an NBC scripted show on life after Katrina in New Orleans? I thought it might be interesting, but doesn't look like it's going to happen. Nola.com: NBC spikes Lee. It looks like Spike got a little too complicated for them. He might want to hit up HBO or Showtime.

Racial profiling can get expensive. NBC6: Passenger Awarded $400,000 In Racial Profiling Case. We need to figure out a better way to do this. I'm not an idiot. I'm aware that Arab terrorist are likely to look like Arabs and it makes no sense to take aside a 12 year old black girl or 80 year old white woman at the airport in defense of fairness, but you can't just go buck wild on anybody with a shade of brown.

Why does the brother have to be the crazy Muslim talking about eating his enemy's blood? CNN.com: Radicals vs. moderates: British Muslims at crossroads. "At a recent debate over the battle for Islamic ideals in England, a British-born Muslim stood before the crowd and said Prophet Mohammed's message to nonbelievers is: "I come to slaughter all of you." "We are the Muslims," said Omar Brooks, an extremist also known as Abu Izzadeen. "We drink the blood of the enemy, and we can face them anywhere. That is Islam and that is jihad." Come on now.

The ACLU is again going after states for enforcing the law. Some state troopers pulled over a van full of illegals from Guatemala and detained them because they were here illegally. Apparently, they think this is unfair. PROJO.com: Rhode Island news: ACLU Sues State Police

I in NO WAY endorse spanking kids. I don't think you use violence to teach respect and self-discipline. However, good luck trying to tell people they can't knock their kid upside the head if they feel the occasion calls for it. The state of California, big surprise, is going to try. MercuryNews.com: No-spank bill on way
cbs5.com: Majority Oppose Calif. Spanking Ban. I was the youngest of six kids, so my parents had gotten all the spanking out of them on my older brother and sisters. I would talk back and they would just roll their eyes and go about their business. After being warned he was going to get a spanking, my nephew once told my brother-in-law that "you can't spank the baby." My brother-in-law's response was, "I'm Daddy. I made the baby. I can spank the baby. Trust me." The government has no place interfering with his authority. That being said, don't hit the little bits.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN....

1.18.2007

NEW ORLEANS
Since they are back to killing a person a day in New Orleans, the city is not only considering a curfew, but other measures to do something about the crime. The people of New Orleans have also taken to the streets to do something. You hate to give up, but it's almost a hopeless situation. So much for a new start.
CNN.com: 1,000 march against crime in New Orleans

Also, in New Orleans, Zagats is back. So if you aren't afraid of being taken down in a rain of bullets, feel free to go dining with confidence again. CNN.com: Zagat releases first post-Katrina survey of New Orleans

MICHIGAN
Talk about kicking it old school. A high court in Michigan wants to make adultery illegal and punishable with jail time. Well, it is one of the top ten according to God. Freep: Adultery could mean life, court finds

MISSISSIPPI
Remember I blogged about that reverse voter discrimination case in Mississippi? Well, it's going to court and it will be interesting to see how this turns out. It's shame this is happening in MS because the verdict is going to be based on race and not right. If he did do the things he's accused of, I hope he gets convicted because you can't say something that was immoral for whites to do to blacks is understandable the other way around. Someone once said to me that "Two wrongs don't make a right, but does make it even." I disagree. He's in a position of power and that's what matters. WAPO: Alleged Voting Rights Violation With Twist Goes to Trial

NEW YORK
So, reading the NY Times, I hear Bloomberg Plans to Cut New York's Property Taxes by 5% and eliminate the city's sales tax on clothing and footwear. This is in response to a booming economy mostly due to the real estate market. This is a great idea. For many people, especially those who have paid off their homes, property tax is the killer that forces them to move out of the neighborhoods they've lived in for the longest.

CONGO
I usually don't do animal posts, but this bothers me. BREITBART.COM: Congo Rebels Said to Kill, Eat Gorillas. First, eww. Second, these are very endangered animals and someone has to protect them. They can't eat them period, but especially the silverback males because those are the only ones allowed to mate with the females within their society. There are so many people needs in that part of the world, it's easy to forget about the animal needs, but we are all connected. I know I sound like a tree-hugging freak, but I this is a very important animal to the human culture and history. Not as cute as Pandas, but just as worthy of our protection. The babies are cutie pies.

D.C.
At least they aren't giving up. WashingtonTimes: D.C. voting rights bill reintroduced in Congress. Poor D.C., so long suffering. They have a right to a voting voice in Congress. It's so ridiculous this is taking to so long. Mayor Fenty needs to speak up more on this topic as well. Seriously, would you pay taxes if you have no voice in how they are spent or allocated? You might as well just hand your hard earned money over to the next guy you see walking down the street.

VIRGINIA
When people ask me where I'm from, I say Chicago. When they ask me where I live, I say the Washington D.C. area. I'm not saying Virginia unless they force me to and even then I will make it clear I live in Northern Virginia. Stuff like this is why. WAPO: Fury Over Delegate's Remarks on Slavery. I'm not in favor of any slavery apology legislation. I think it's all a waste of time and full of crap anyway. So the man says that blacks should get over slavery. Is this really something an 80-year old white man from Richmond, VA is in a position to "suggest?" He also angered others by saying it's the same as asking the Jews to apologize for killing Christ. There's a bit of a time gap issue here that could make a difference in the effect of the two apologies, but more importantly, if the man reads his bible he'll learn that the killing of Christ was SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN and the result has been God's forgiveness and grace for all of us. Also, Christ was resurrected and went to back to Heaven to be with his Dad. All in all, it turned out to be a good deal for us. Slavery...not so much.
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OBAMA'S OFFER -- FORD, JR'S OTHER NEW JOB -- MEDICAL APARTHEID

1.17.2007

Need I say anything? Obama has begun his exploration. Barack Obama - Obama Exploratory CommitteeOf course I like the guy even though I think his politics are too liberal for me. Of course I'm glad that a legitimate black candidate is putting his hat in the ring (as opposed to others in the past who had no chance in hell). Is he prepared for the ugliness he and his family will face during the next two years? And all of it just to lose anyway? All the charm and character aside, by the time decision making comes around, his political views will be picked through with a fine-toothed comb and that "he seems like such a nice, honest guy" isn't going to carry. I think he'd make a great Vice President and then President. Meanwhile Hillary is just salty because she has to step up her game sooner than I'm sure she planned.
iWon News: Obama Takes 1st Step in Presidential Bid
MiamiHerald.com: Obama's White House bid built on `change'
Chicago SunTimes: Obama, off and running.
Chicago Tribune: He sets his sights on the White House. Now the hard part
SFGate: Obama emerges as Clinton's rival for Dems' left
Also, I like this picture of him and his wife from Ebony magazine, so I'm posting it too.











Is former TN Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. an immigrant of Island descent? Because he's racking up the jobs like it's nothing. He's supposed to have accepted the job as new Chair of the DLC. Radar magazine shared a copy of what was pretty much an acceptance letter. I blogged on that yesterday. There are some gay groups not too happy about that because Ford is against gay marriage and I think they are just concerned about his tendency to lean right sometime. Outinamerica.com: Stonewall Democrats Issue Strong Call of Concern over Harold Ford, Jr.But now we have confirmed that he will also be teaching a public policy class at upper-crust Vandy this year. This job could be fraught with danger. I'm sure the RNCC is already planning a commercial showing how many white girls are on that campus. Seriously, good job. You know I like Ford and I'm glad to see him getting these prestigious offers. He deserves him and I'm sure he'll do a great job.
Memphis Flyer: Harold Ford Jr. to be Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt
NewsChannel 5.com: Harold Ford, Jr. Takes On Teaching At Vandy

In between visiting blogs and YouTube, you should read a book sometime. And no, I'm not talking about some street lit where the heroine is a former ho turned baby mama trying to get one last score before she gets out the game. I'm talking about something that helps you understand your history, America's history. Unequal Treatment: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans From Colonial Times to the Present is written by Harriett Washington. If you thought the Tuskegee experiment was the whole story, please read this book. If you don't think this happens anymore, please read this book. "Washington enumerates how black Americans have disproportionately borne the burden of the most invasive, inhumane and perilous medical investigations, from the era of slavery to the present day." The book also describes how this trend has gone global. Have you seen The Constant Gardener? Netflix it.
WAPO: Unequal Treatment
Amazon.com: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present
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TUESDAY IS ABOUT THESE PEOPLE

1.16.2007

There is more fall out from Barbara Boxer's ridiculous statement to Condi Rice last week suggesting that because she has no children, she doesn't understand war. She knows very well she would have never said that if the Secretary of State was a man without children. It was an obnoxious, sexist thing to say and she should apologize. Did I just say that? I hate the apology crap, but I have to say I am offended. Any idiot can have a kid. It's biological and nothing more. Boxer also got the business on The Daily Show & The Colbert Report last night.
AP: Rice: Single Women Can Understand War
NYTimes: Exchange Turns Into Political Flashpoint
National Ledger: Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer & Hillary Clinton: Womb Politics

I read over at Booker Rising that Harold Ford is going to take over as DNC Chair, a pretty powerful position as we head towards 2008. We all expected to see him doing something. He's too good to just disappear. He's a very good fundraiser, so this could be a good job for him. I thought he might prefer to stay in TN and try to recover from 2006 in case Senator Alexander decides to retire. If he spends the next two years in D.C., then he'll lose his local swagger.
Radar Online: DLC Taps Harold Ford as Next Chair
The Memphis Flyer: Harold Ford Jr. To Be DLC Chair?

Well under the radar, a woman, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), has taken the helm as the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. "During the ceremony, which seemed more like a church revival than a political event, Kilpatrick said the theme of her tenure would be "change course; do something different."" Hope she means it, because the CBC could really use some change.
blackenterprise.com: Carolyn Kilpatrick Sworn in as CBC Chair - Chairwoman’s new focus: Change

We all knew the haters would come on sooner or later with Obama and it turns out it was sooner rather than later. While some resort to trying to make him a member of Al Qaeda or the former ruler of Iraq, others just say he isn't black enough.
TimesOnline.uk: Obama's charm lost on America's black activists

All the presidential candidates scrambled for a prominent black church to give their MLK speech at on Sunday. Very cliche, but what are you gonna do. They'll show up on MLK day and then two weeks before the election. Candidate John Edwards, the only almost-socialist that I like (besides Jon Stewart), made his MLK speech at Riverside Church in Harlem this past Sunday. It was an "in your face" gesture to Hillary Clinton who is supposed to be running things in the N.Y.C. Like she cares. She's married to Bill Clinton. With most blacks in NY, that gives her a "get the black vote" free card. I like Edwards because he's smart and understands real pain (lost his son, wife had cancer), has a smart wife and seems like a "normal" person. Hairstyle is a little too pretty for me, but he's handsome.
New York Daily News: Edwards plans MLK speech - on Hillary's turfNewsMax: Hillary Answers 'Attack' by John EdwardsBlackAmericaWeb: John Edwards: On Issues of Race, War and Poverty in America, Silence is Betrayal – And Dreaming is Not Enough

And how much do you love 24? I'm so happy it's back. Yes, they did kill Curtis and I'm upset about that. I almost had a heart attack when they killed the man who was supposed to be my baby's daddy, President Palmer, last year, but I sort of saw this one coming. Curtis was some serious eye candy for me. He has that...BAM! But you know no one besides Jack & Chloe (aka Rat Face) are guaranteed on that show. I can't complain about killing off the brothers either because with the kill count on that show, I'm surprised Curtis lasted this long. Poor Jack almost cried because he had to shoot him. He's such a broken man, making him even more unstable than he was before, which was mighty unstable. I still love him and he's my American hero, but I'm not sure I'd want to be alone in a room with him. Crazy! Wayne Palmer as President? Not so much. He ranged from either incompetence to looking like he was going to cry. His brother, David, is such a hard act to follow though, so I'm trying to cut him some slack. He is rocking the goatee acceptably. Love me some Regina King and she certainly looks like she's going to cause some trouble. I'll be in class until 10 every Monday, but you know I'm watching this as soon as I get home. All I can say is if Jack says, "Lower your weapon" someone is about to die.
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FOOLISHNESS FOR FRIDAY + BECKS IS COMING

1.12.2007


So if 5,000 birds just drop dead to the ground in one town, how can people not be completely freaking out?! 5,000 not 500 - although 500 is enough to make me scared. "Around 5,000 birds have been found dead in Esperance, Western Australia, since mid-December, according to Nigel Higgs, spokesman for the state's Department of Environment and Conservation." They say they have ruled out bird flu, but there has to be some new toxin in the air. What does that mean for the people? "Earlier this week, authorities discovered 63 dead birds in a section of downtown Austin, Texas, and temporarily shut down the area. Officials are awaiting lab results to determine the cause of the deaths." I don't want to be a pandemic freak, but we're all going to die. CNN.com: Officials flap as birds fall from sky

The cases against the insurance companies in the Katrina disaster are building up and it looks like this one went against the insurance companies. They need to pay those claims and quit messing around with these people. CNN.com: Jury hits State Farm for $2.5 million in Katrina case

Democrat Senator from California Barbara Boxer dealt a low blow to Condi Rice the other day. She tried to make her irrelevant or less than because she doesn't have children. People who do that are basically admitting to the world that they have no argument or they've lost the argument. What's next Barbara? Condi can't possibly know how diplomacy works because she's never had a husband and let's face it, there's no other way (for a woman, because this certainly doesn't apply to men) to understand anything unless you've been married with children. Feminists should be proud. To suggest a woman is not fit for a job because they don't have a kid is ignorant and offensive. She would have never thrown that out at a man in Condi's position. NYPost: BOXER'S LOW BLOW
Newsbusters.org: Sec. Rice Attacked by Sen. Boxer Over Childlessness

Everyone already knows about the Jason & Joumana Kidd foolishness. If these reports are true, he needs to divorce her and get those kids away from her. If she is dragging their son along to her little spying missions and he is witnessing his mom degrade his dad in public like she did at the game in front of everybody, that is child abuse. Even if your man is a piece of you know what, you shouldn't degrade him in front of the kids. I had to laugh at the GPS devices she put in his car, because every woman wants to know where the heck her man is going sometime and thought about the GPS thing, but really...if you don't trust your man, a GPS isn't going to help. From what we all know, he's smacked her around a bit and it looks like she's done the same. Call it even and cut the cord. Deadspin: Jason Kidd Was Heckled And Beaten By His Otherwise Placid Wife

Remember the Dallas pizza chain that I blogged about taking Pesos? I thought it was beyond ridiculous. Just wrong, wrong, wrong. Seriously, this really bothers me and I would hope that people would stop buying from there to prove their point. However, the death threats and hate mail I'm not down with. It is uncalled for and degrades the point. When you do this, you make people sympathize with them and they don't deserve sympathy. Stop acting a fool and just boycott. Go ahead and write a letter, but don't be hateful. They can't live on pesos alone. My Way News: Texas-Based Pizza Chain Accepts Pesos. I have about $15 in Canadian coins from my last trip to Vancouver, so who is going to take that for me? That's like $1.00 American, right?

And my other baby's daddy is coming to join me in the States. Yes, L.A. is a little distance from D.C., but it's closer than Madrid. I couldn't care less about soccer, but Becks is hot. And don't act like you don't know that man is fine! In honor of MLK and racial harmony, I'll leave you to ponder on his hotness over the long, holiday weekend. SI.com: Beckham will play for MLS' Galaxy in $250M deal




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ISSUES & PEOPLE

1.11.2007

Just sending more people isn't really a plan is it? I'm confused. He's upping the manpower by a mere 15% with 20,000 new soldiers to do what? Unless there is a clear "actionable" plan that is different from what we are already doing, all we're doing is sending more men and women to get blown up by IEDs.
My Way News: Bush Works to Sell Troop Buildup Plan
BREITBART.COM: Timetable for Troop Boost Unclear
NYTimes: Democrats Plan to Fight Expansion of Troops

Also, I realize that we messed this up. Like Colin Powell said, we broke it so we bought it, but we just sort of broke it worse than it was already broken. We do owe them something, but their refusal to step up and take control of their own country is not on us. Either they want freedom or they don't. We shouldn't keep dying because they can't make up their minds. Bush can give Iraq all the stipulations it wants, whether they meet them or not, we need to try this last "plan" and then get out of there. Maybe a civil war is inevitable. We had one during our fight towards a better nation.

The house passed the minimum wage increase bill, so it's on to the Senate. The legislation would raise the current $5.15 minimum to a whopping $5.85 within a couple months of being passed, then an astronomical $6.55 a year later and an outrageous $7.25 a year after that. You can go buy that BMW X5 you've been wanting. Seriously, there are clearly minuses to this, but the pluses far outweigh them. Some people will lose their jobs, but the general working class will be able to raise their standard of living a little bit and ultimately be able to purchase more goods, which will create more jobs. CNN.com: '100 hours': House passes minimum wage increase
FOXNews.com:Minimum Wage Measure Moves to Senate

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison was the Guest Voice for Newsweek's On Faith Section. Since his faith has been attacked by more than a few in the past couple of months, he clearly has some perspective on this issue. He does a good job of putting forth some liberal political viewpoints in a compassionate tone that might make someone who disagrees with him seem like a meany. Democrats are better at that than Republicans. His overall message is positive, common sense stuff that any person of any faith can relate to. We share these core principles and we have to remember that. But can anyone espousing the "politics of generosity" really be taken seriously in Congress these days? On Faith: Guest Voices: Choose Generosity, Not Exclusion

Also, the comment responses are interesting. Most are positive or reasonable. Some are this, "I find it odd that a member of a faith which has openly stated through it's leaders that it wishes to destroy the United States and either convert or kill all non Muslims should feel he has the standing to write an article such as this."

White House spokesman Tony Snow, who has made more than a couple of borderline racial (not racist)references is stepping away from HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson who has made some comments about whites and blacks in prison that have upset some people. You know you can't say anything these days. "There's no comment from the president's spokesman about a statement from Alphonso Jackson, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, about "white folks" having little to do with the poverty levels for blacks. But he did say the president believes families and family ties are significant." Jackson also did the "Jesse and Al victim business for profit" speak that I mostly agree with, but get tired of hearing.
WorldNetDaily: Snow steps back from Jackson's race opinion

I can't wait to see this. I love The Colbert Report. This man probably gets millions of dollars to act like a straight fool for a 1/2 hour four nights a week and he does it well. He is making fun of Bill O'Reilly, so I think it's only fair that they trade show appearances. The problem with Bill is that he doesn't have enough of a sense of humor to deal with Colbert's sometimes caustic style. Stephen will stick it to you and Bill is really sensitive for someone who himself likes to stick it to people. Bill will also be going into a hostile audience whereas O'Reilly doesn't have a live audience to boo Stephen.
L.A.Times: Colbert and O'Reilly to visit
USAToday.com: They will meet: O'Reilly and Colbert
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ATHIESTS -- 2 BLACK PRESIDENTS ON 24 -- MLK PAPERS -- MARRYABLE MEN

1.10.2007

Athiests are getting upset about not being heard again. CSMonitor: Atheists challenge the religious right. You know I look for any excuse to use this picture because I love it, but really, who is listening to this group? I'm all for not shoving religion down people's throats, but you can't tell 96% of the population to keep something that is generally the foundation for every principle they have locked away in their homes and churches. Our humanity, relationships and sense of good, right and fairness all stem from our faith and appreciation of God's grace, mercy and sacrifice. It would be impossible not to have it influence the way we do business & government.

Now you all know that I wanted President Palmer from 24 to be my baby's daddy. I love that man. His skin, his smile, his voice...yum, yum. So when they killed him off last season, I was devastated. Hottest President Ever! I'm sort of in love with Jack Bauer too. He's a complete psycho, but I can't get enough of him. I never liked Wayne, the President's brother. He just rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. When I heard that he was going to be President on Day 6, I wanted to write someone a "strongly worded letter," but it's TV so who really cares, right? I got the whole "It's like RFK and JFK. The country elected him over the pain of their beloved President Palmer getting killed." Whatever. However, this interesting SFGate article discusses the Presidents Palmer and what political and social message the show is giving by having two black presidents. It also discusses the political theme of the show. Most people know the show's producer is one of the only openly Republican power brokers in Hollywood and Republicans love this show because Jack breaks all the rules to protect the country and people still love him. The White House literally stops when this show is on. He's a hero and liberals would have him tarred and feathered for the stuff he does. Everytime someone starts talking about diplomacy and protocol, Jack either shoots them or shows that disobeying them saves American lives. SFGate: '24' reflects post-Sept. 11 mind-set. Jack is back this Sunday & Monday for 4 hours!

CNN American Morning is running a special on the MLK papers to celebrate his birthday month. May sound a little boring, but if you click on some of the video shorts, it's really interesting stuff. You think you've heard it all before, but there's always a back story. CNN.com: American Morning Martin Luther King Special

Every woman has done this (including you, so don't lie). You put a guy in three categories. 1-Aint never gonna get it. 2-Good for a fling. 3-The Marrying Type. There are some guys who you know would be fun to spend time with and would probably be great in bed, but not someone you would want to spend the rest of your life with or not husband-material, meaning he isn't very reliable, trustworthy, stable or has very little earning potential to help you take care of the little bits you want to have.

Then there are the guys who you can see building a life with that is complex on levels that go far beyond sex & fun (although those have to be a part of it). He's someone who understands that life is in stages, you can't live like a boy and be respected as a man, and responsibility and obligations are a sign of maturity, not a death sentence. He would take pride in taking care of his family and not see it as a burden he'd wished he could get away from. The problem is too many women try to make the Good For A Fling type into the Marrying Type and get all salty when he won't do it. And you waste so much time on the Fling guy that Marryable guy passes you by and you end up with nothing. Fling guys are good for flings, but when you are ready for something serious, something forever, you need to let that boy go. He's not the one.

Somewhat related, but not really, a recent study says that what makes a woman pick a fling guy from a marryable guy is not as complicated as personality. It's all in the looks. Yahoo News!: How Women Pick Mates vs. Flings
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LOCAL RACE & POLITICS ROUNDUP

1.09.2007

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Now you know there was plenty of partying going on this past Saturday night at Adrian Fenty's Mayoral Inaugural Ball. Plenty of pictures of handsome Adrian and his beautiful wife Michelle, lovely gowns, important people. But I have the prize, people. The prize of the evening is Marion "The Bitch Set Me Up" Barry getting his groove on. Even Adrian had to point him out because Marion is acting like this is his party. I don't even want to know how this fool behaves when the electric slide comes out. You can just hear Barry saying, "You don't know nothing about this, boy."


SOMALIA
I'm not sure exactly when things starting popping off in Somalia for us, but it is on and I hope, whatever we are doing, we win. We are supposed to be going after those people who blew up the American Embassy in East Africa in 1998. I'm not surprised there is a large Al Qaeda presence in Somalia as the country has become overrun with Islamic extremists. We just really need a win somewhere and with the tarnished image of Black Hawk Down in this same country, it would be nice to get something good done.
CBSNews.com: U.S. Hits Al Qaeda In Somalia, New Air Strikes Reported As Forces Target 1998 Embassy Bombing Suspects
CNN.com: U.S. airstrikes target embassy bombers, official says

NEW YORK
Can you believe this mess? CNN.com: Employees find noose hanging at work. You are reading right. December 7, 2006 someone came to work to find a lynching noose. Now the company is saying it has no tolerance for racism, but come on. If someone feels comfortable enough in a place of business to pull something as extreme as this, then you obviously do tolerate it. Somebody will be fired and everybody's ass gets sued.

BOSTON
Poor Patrick Deval. He was upstaged by MN Congressman Keith Ellison getting sworn in using Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran and WV Senator Robert Byrd acting like he was at a backwoods revival while being sworn in on the Bible. Out of the spotlight of The Hill, all Patrick could find was the bible of some freed Amistad slaves. You know the story. John Quincy Adams, blah, blah, blah. Funny that in the midst of all that was going on then, someone was still trying to convert these poor souls. You know they weren't trying hear about no Jesus at the same time you want to make them a slave. You can't stop Jesus. The book, named the Mendi Bible for the men's tribe, is part of the collection of the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Mass. The Boston Globe: Patrick to take oath on bible that belonged to freed Amistad slaves

NEW ORLEANS
The N.O. is back in the swing of things. Murdering all over the place. Eight murders to start the first week of the year is just sad. The opportunity for New Orleans to be something different, something better appears to be lost already. It's a shame to have to implement a curfew like this was Baghdad, but that's what they are acting like, so implement the curfew already. My Way News: Big Easy Mulls Curfew After 8 Slayings

IRAQ
Speaking of Iraq, the WAPO did a great spread on American women dying over there. Daughters, mommies and wives. In all, 62 women have died in Iraq so far; compared to 16 in all of WWII. Not that our men dying is acceptable because it never is, but to read about these women, some of them having left babies behind, is heartbreaking.
Washingtonpost.com: U.S. Deaths in Iraq Mark Increased Presence

VIRGINIA
Congressman Virgil Goode, now famous for saying he wanted to deport MN Congressman Keith Ellison and any other Muslim he could get his hands on, had to suffer through the unfortunately public display of civility when Keith came to shake his hand. If that wasn't enough, the poor guy didn't even know that someone with a lot of time on their hands had meticulously stenciled "BIGOT" on the window of his District Office. There's also a Thomas Jefferson connection. Nobody can explain it better than Wonkette. Wonkette: Vandal With Lots of Time on Hands Target Virgil Goode
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ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE WINNING -- A NEW CONGRESS

1.08.2007

Here's an amazing article about illegal immigrants with long criminal histories in the United States. Each time they are arrested it is noted that they are here illegally, they are let go and arrested for another crime and another. This is too ridiculous for words. Yahoo! News: Some immigrants are re-arrested 6 times

When I read this, Dallas Morning News: Dallas Based Food Chain To Accept Mexican Pesos, I wanted to slap someone. Someone needs to be slapped. How can you respond to this foolishness? What did I tell you? Illegals are not coming here to be a part of America, they want to make this country Northern Mexico. Whatever.

Here is another article that had me fuming. The President of the United States of America worked out a deal with the Mexican government to allow illegal aliens granted amnesty in the future to claim credit for the time they worked illegally. There is so much bullshit in this article, I don't even know where to begin. Since when do we work out deals with another country on how we disperse our benefits? Since when do you compensate people for illegal activity of any kind? You want to give them amnesty? I'm against that, but if that's what the majority rules then that's what the majority rules. If so, then allow them social security benefits for the time they work once they get amnesty, but not for before. Don't even get me started on the fact that the money they earned while illegal was probably by using fraudulent and stolen social security numbers. We can barely afford social security for American citizens and legal immigrants. Now the millions of illegals are going to get in too? Look, I have already accepted that social security isn't going to be around when I retire, but until it runs out, it should go to American citizens and legal working immigrants, not illegals. Washington Times: Social Security for illegal aliens

This WAPO article talks about how many are complaining that thousands of people are deported illegally because illegal immigrants aren't guaranteed a lawyer in these situations. Many want this treated the same as it would be in criminal court, where a defendant is appointed a lawyer, but that is taxpayer money which goes to make the system work for Americans. To provide lawyers for hundreds of thousands of illegals that end up in court would be us again paying them a benefit they don't have a right to. WAPO: Battling Deportation Often a Solitary Journey

I had hoped the border cameras would yield some good results, but it doesn't appear to be doing much. Houston Chronicle: Border camera test nets few results

California Governor Schwarzenegger will propose that all Californian children, including those in the state illegally, be guaranteed medical insurance as part of the health-care overhaul he intends to unveil next week. These are not American children of illegal immigrants, but illegal immigrant children. It is estimated that this will cost as much as $400 million a year. I think this amount is a joke because once they will qualify, illegals will be bringing their children out of the woodwork for this care every day. Wanna bet this $400 million becomes $1.5 billion by 2010 just because of illegals? Including illegals is a mistake. Especially in a state like California where taxpayers know a significant amount of their money will go for illegals benefiting from this service. I have always said that healthcare is something that everyone should get, but illegals should have to pay for it. These types of programs should be reserved for American citizens and legal immigrants. L.A. Times: Gov. to seek insurance for all children

They are starting to attack the U.S. Border Patrol. Pay attention to this because we are going to see more of it. We are finally cracking down and securing the border and they will not tolerate it. By they, I'm not just talking about the illegals who want to come over but the country of Mexico who is totally complicit in this overtaking of America. They want America to become Northern Mexico too and they will fight our attempts to stop this. This is just the beginning. What is going to happen when we actually start to be effective at border patrol? AZCentral: Guardsmen overrun at the Border

You know how there are certain men who just get pissed off at the thought of women being in charge. They can't admit it because it is no longer excusable to say that women should be behind men, so they come up with some other excuse or just brood and moan. Well, with Nancy Pelosi becoming the Speaker of the House, has dredged up some of those feelings and the Chicago Sun-Times talks about it. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ladies' first scares some

When Congress came back to session last week, re-elected Dollar Bill Jefferson got a standing ovation by the Congressional Black Caucus. Foolishness. Why is it the CBC has to put the black eye on the opening of a new session? CNN.com: Congressional Black Caucus Gives Jefferson Standing Ovation

Race always find its way into something whether it is invited or not. Here's an article on how racial overtones changed the usual procedure of handing over the whip in the Majority Whip role. Granted, I didn't even know they still did this mess. I would let it go entirely, but some people thought it might be wrong for a white man to hand a whip over to a black man. It's all so meaningless, so it wouldn't have offended me, but you know how sensitive everyone is these days. KansasCity.com: Racial undertones complicate handover of whip

Oh yeah, and remember how it was very impressive for the new Democratic Congress to enact a 5-day work week instead of the 2.5 days they have been working? Well, we should have known that was a bunch of crap. DRUDGE REPORT: DEM VOW ALREADY BROKEN: HOUSE SETS 4-DAY WORK WEEK
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BLACK FATHERS -- GOVERNOR DEVAL -- ELLISON & GOODE MEET

1.05.2007

Pursuit of Happyness gave you a good feeling about black fathers. It reminded you there are some really good ones out there who understand the pain their absent father caused them and are determined not to repeat the cycle. When it comes to bad parents in the black community, both men and women qualify, but the simple fact is as long as the women stay with the kids, they are the ones given the benefit of the doubt. It's the one who isn't there wiping the nose, reading the books, making sure they eat all their vegetables that will get the short end of the stick respect wise. Men can complain about it until they turn blue, but it isn't possible for everyone to know the details of every situation. What people know is who stayed with the kids and who left. Who fought for the kids and who didn't. May not be fair, but if life was fair we wouldn't even be in a situation that would bring this up. Here are some interesting articles on black fathers in the U.S. and the U.K., who is to blame and what to do. Don't agree with most of it, but I'm stubborn on this issue.
Fathercare.org: DISCRIMINATION Blame the Law and not Black Fathers
Christian Newswire: Project 21 Member Speaks Out About Black Fatherhood

Deval Patrick was sworn in as Governor of Massachusetts yesterday and becomes the 2nd black Governor in U.S. History. Douglas Wilder was elected Governor or Virginia in 1990. That is 16 years apart. Hopefully the third will come a lot sooner than that. Maybe Patrick can work on the image his state has in regards to blacks.
Yahoo! News: First black governor of Mass. sworn in. Other blacks have served as governor, but only Patrick & Wilder were elected.

Here is the video of Keith Ellison going up to Virgil Goode who pretty much said he wanted to deport Ellison and any other Muslims he could before they infect our children. Of course Keith approached him because you knew Virgil wasn't going to do anything. As a matter of fact, before the camera leaves them it looks like Virgil is doing everything he could to get out of there. What do you think Keith said? Whatever it was, you know what he was wishing he could say.


Also, here he is being sworn in using Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran on loan from the Library of Congress.
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LOCAL RACE & POLITICS ROUNDUP

1.04.2007

KENYA & SOMALIA
Have you noticed there are problems escalating between Kenya & Somalia? Probably not. A nuclear bomb could go off in Africa and most people would be like, "Meh." Well you shouldn't, because guess who is going to have to come in and fix it? Kenya has closed its borders to keep Islamic refugees out and has placed more soldiers at the border. Somalia is being completely overtaken by Islamic extremist and, surprise - surprise, it's causing a lot of suffering, especially for women. The African Union has gotten involved, so we'll see if they can help cool the tempers a little. iWon News: Kenya Said to Close Border With Somalia
BBC NEWS: Ethiopia urged to leave Somalia

ALL OF AFRICA
I always give big ups to President Clinton for his work in Africa, this in addition to his other charitable works and commitment to obesity issues in American children, have completely changed my opinion of him. Or rather it changed back my opinion of him. I thought he was pretty great before all his foolishness. I don't give Bush enough credit for his work in Africa and he deserves some. His legacy will be Iraq, so he's screwed either way, but he has tripled aid to Africa during his Presidency. He hasn't done everything he said he would, but considering everything else that is going on, I think the continued commitment is still respectable. WAPO: Bush Has Quietly Tripled Aid to Africa

MINNESOTA BY WAY OF D.C>
Very happy to hear that MN Congressman Keith Ellison is still going to use the Koran to swear in today. I'm not pro-Islam, but I believe in the American idea of freedom of religion and the pitiful attempts by some to try & stifle Ellison's expression because he is Muslim is UnAmerican. He's going to swear on Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran, so take that. Now, it will only be a few minutes before the "Thomas Jefferson was an Islamic Facist" websites start popping up. WAPO: But It's Thomas Jefferson's Koran!
Wonkette: Keith Ellison Shocker: Thomas Jefferson Hated America!

VENEZUELA
What do all of Hugo Chavez's supporters have to say about this? Could they be so stupid as to try and suggest this is something other than a political leader trying to shut down the voice of his opposition? Probably. People will look for all types of excuses before admitting they are wrong to support someone. Just because a man does some good doesn't mean he's actually any good.BBC NEWS: Chavez to shut down opposition TV

SOUTH FLORIDA
One South Floria Newspaper is labeling another South Florida newspaper, well actually THE South Florida newspaper a big, fat racist. You have such good weather, what are you complaining about? browardpalmbeach.com: Racism Central

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Adrian Fenty was sworn in officially, although he's pretty much been mayor since he won the Democratic Primary. Again, beautiful pics with the perfect family.

Also in D.C. - This event is over, but I thought it was cool that the public schools were outdoing the Ivy Leagues. WAPO: Comeuppance for the Ivies. I know you're supposed to like Chess; people who play it act as if it means they have some class. Whatever. Don't like the game so sue me. "The squads from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County thumped Yale and Northwestern in the first round and Harvard in the second. The University of Texas at Dallas trounced Emory. Miami Dade College clobbered New York University."

TALLAHASSEE
A convicted felon wants to give other convicted felons the right to vote. Big surprise. Currently a felon's rights can only be restored by the state's clemency board, which can take a long time, but so what? They're lucky they get the chance in the first place. SeattlePI: Convicted lawmaker wants felons to vote. We've heard this before, but check this out. This man himself is an elected lawmaker who, as of August 2006, is a convicted felon. He was convicted in August on felony grand theft charges for having employees work on his 2004 re-election campaign on state time. He was sentenced last month to three years' probation and 300 hours of community service. He wants all rights restored to felons a year after a sentence is served. And yes, he is a brother. Well, he's black. I don't know about brother. And WTF at him being able to hold elected office after he's been convicted of a felony?

SOUTH KOREA
The first school for biracial children will open in South Korea in 2008. This is a non-government thing, but there is a need for it because of the increase in interracial marriages in South Korea. Most of them are of South Korean men to women of other Asian races. Sounds weird to me. If someone tried that here, you know everyone would trip over themselves to have a fit. LEAD: First international school for children of interracial marriages to open

My nieces had this little biracial kids group once as a place for kids to celebrate their races and not be among those of us who want them to choose one or other. Or to put it more plainly, most people don't want them to choose one or the other, they want to choose for them and get mad if they don't accept the race chosen for them. The group was disbanded because there are so many biracial kids in Evanston now that it was deemed unnecessary. My niece Erin loves both of her cultures (white & black) and her and her little friend Lily (white & black also) don't see themselves as black, which is what most people want to make them believe they are, or white, because that is actually what she looks like she is. It amazes me to see how uncomfortable and sometimes angry people get in reaction to this. How dare you get angry at someone defining themselves? It's their God-given right. This generation of biracial kids of all backgrounds are not going to fit in any boxes we try to push them in because we can't get beyond our racial issues.
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READ THIS STUFF

1.03.2007

I am not yet ready for a lot of reality, so I'm going to throw a lot of articles that have nothing to do with each other at you. They are interesting though, so read up.

ABC Family is coming up with a new drama called Lincoln Heights where a black cop moves his family to Lincoln Heights, a rough inner-city neighborhood. I thought you try to move your family out of the rough inner-city neighborhood. It's supposed to be a positive black family drama about faith in the community. So I'm wondering where the daughter gets her white boyfriend from? Sounds interesting. I don't have time for all the TV I already watch, so I doubt I'll check it out.

You know women across America want to know what man conducted this study. Probably the same one that put out the Men are smarter than Women study. I am very skeptical because just about every woman does the housework and millions still got cancer. BBC NEWS: Housework cuts breast cancer risk

At BlackAthlete.Net, Boyce Watkins asks Can Our Athletes Ever Be Men Again? Don’t Count On It. Solving the problem of the black athlete is pretty complicated. Honestly, when I think of the NBA I think of men with arrest records and illegitimate children by several women. That's my image. I know that isn't every one of them, but that is what comes to mind. Not so much the NFL although it is almost getting there. Baseball doesn't evoke a negative image for me as far as players being bad people or criminals, but the NBA does and the NFL is getting there. The NFL does a better job of really highlighting the good that many of their players are doing for charity and they get a lot more time during the 3-hour game to talk about the players as human beings and not just recent bad headlines. I would never spend my hard earned money on an NBA game. Character counts.

Madonna's adopted baby's Daddy wants an update. I don't know how I feel about this. Adoption is about someone giving up their child and generally, unless agreed by both parties, they let go. Clearly if she didn't give this man even a hint at how to reach her, she is not looking for a co-parent. You can't have it both ways. I'm still wondering if this guy is trying to get some sort of lifestyle out this too. SUSPECT. Besides, David has a Daddy. Yahoo! News: Father of boy adopted by Madonna wants news of him

People laugh at this stuff and call these people weirdos, but wait until your baby wants to go off on their own for the first time and see if you don't think about tacking a GPS on that little bit. Local6: Man Develops GPS Shoes

So the image of baby mamas being young girls who don't know much better and can't understand the consequences of their behavior is going out the window. These women know what they are doing. Many of them have given up looking for a husband. I still think children should be born into marriage and you'll never convince that a kid with a mother and a father doesn't have the best chance of a balanced life and viewpoint of relationships, but I wouldn't deny any woman the right to be a mother just because she can't find a man. I think any woman who wants a munchkin and can take care of one should be able to have one. Key phrase "Can take care of one." MontereyHerald: MANY UNWED MOTHERS OLDER
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NEW YEARS ODDS & ENDS

1.02.2007

I hope everyone had a great New Year. Our offices are closed for the Day of Mourning. I'm watching the funeral of President Ford and I care more than I thought I would. Ford was before my time and I don't have any emotional references to his leadership. I know more about his wife and her center than him and his Presidency. No one ever talks about him. But after hearing so much about him this morning and seeing his beautiful family, I am compelled to watch more.






We've been having incredibly wonderful weather in D.C. this holiday season. Not a lick of snow and temperatures in the 50s. It's actually going to get up to 65 next Saturday; January! I hate cold which is why I left Chicago, but this does bother me. Ice caps falling, polar bears on the endangered species list...is there anyone else who doesn't believe in global warming anymore? CNN.com: Ancient ice shelf breaks free from Canadian Arctic






Everyone has been blogging and reporting about the increase in crime in Houston due to Katrina evacuees. Murders, break-ins, rapes and landlords being pissed off because people won't pay their rent now that the government is cutting many of them loose. Murders are at all time high and the Mayor is placing blame. All Headline News: Houston's Mayor Says Katrina Evacuees Increased Murders. PC people will be upset with this. They'll try to play with statistics and make it a gray area, but they know better. It's a shame. This could have been a new start for so many of those people and I'm sure some of them have taken this new start and made a better life for them and their families, but it appears that many haven't.

Back in New Orleans, it doesn't appear that the cops are getting away with everything. USAToday.com: Seven New Orleans officers indicted in post-Katrina killingsThe already corrupt police force probably crossed all sorts of lines during Katrina and afterwards; some we heard about and some we didn't. Most of them got away with it just like they had before Katrina. Hopefully this is a sign of change. Don't get me wrong, I am on the side of the police. Most of them are out there trying to protect us and keep order, but bad cops gotta go down.

From this photo taken last week, it looks like Boris Becker is still running after the sisters. They have certainly burned him too. I know, I know. Who cares? But my brother played tennis and Becker was one of his heroes, so I grew up knowing everything about him and you know how you oddly follow these people. I'm not a tennis fan at all, but I follow Boris Becker because of some odd connection to my brother as a little kid. I've always been interested in Boris' attraction to sisters. In the beginning it caused such a stir in Germany for obvious reasons. He was their hero and it probably bothered a lot of people. He also did that provocative naked ad with his first wife on the cover of some magazine that caused a flurry. Ultimately he became some sort of symbol of racial unity. That was until his divorce came around and his wife screwed him over. Then the other sister, who was half black and half Russian, sued him for child support and he denied he was even with her. I think the blonde baby gave him away. Now he's very close to that daughter. There was also the sister who he was caught hitting it with in a coat closet at some restaurant, right? There was an Indian girl he dated for a little while. Well, he's out of the news in the U.S., but he's still popular in the UK and of course Germany. His autobiography is titled "The Player."
Wikipedia: Boris Becker

USAToday.com: Michael Jordan, wife Juanita divorce after 17 years. I must be late, but I thought they were already divorced. Oh well, you know Michael and Juanita have been playing on each other for years now. My sources in Chicago tell me that she straight up brings her man to family events, outings and everything. And Michael still rolls mostly with sisters, but he's going through a blonde phase right now. The article says they have lived separately since February. Please. They have lived separately for years. I remember when I lived in Chicago (8 years ago people) and I saw Juanita and her girls carrying on with young men at the club. Don't know what was going on, but SUSPECT! Me and my girls ran up on a street light in Highland Park next to Michael Jordan at 3:30 in the A.M. SUSPECT! I'm thinking, What is a married man doing running the streets at 3:30 A.M.? I was naive in those days. Daddy says this is one case where "It's cheaper to keep her!" We will see. Michael was supposed to be my man anyway, but I'm over him now. He missed this boat.

Every new year brings new laws in every state. You'd better check to find out if you have a new minimum wage, can still talk on your cell using your hands, smoke in a restaurant, rent to illegals. Washington Times: New year rings in multitude of new laws in states

Rolls Royce is coming out with a drop top. You know all the rappers and ballers are going to go after this one and the upper crust, the people Rolls Royce is probably targeting, won't want anything to do with it. CNN.com: Rolls Royce to unveil convertible
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