Friday, April 30, 2010

The "big dig" continues.


My friends, just when you think that Matt Sludge (the scumbag who is single handedly preventing fedoras from making a comeback) can't get any lower, he does. And which story does he feature on his site today? The National Enquirer report that his O ness is having an affair. Yep.

"PRESIDENT OBAMA has been caught in a shocking cheating scandal after being caught in a Washington, DC Hotel with a former campaign aide, sources say.And now, a hush-hush security video that shows everything could topple both Obama's presidency and marriage to Michelle!A confidential investigation has learned that Obama first became close to gorgeous 35 year-old VERA BAKER in 2004 when she worked tirelessly to get him elected to the US Senate, raising millions in campaign contributions.While Baker has insisted in the past that "nothing happened" between them, the ENQUIRER has learned that top anti-Obama operatives are offering more than $1 million to witnesses to reveal what they know about the alleged hush-hush affair." [Article]

Just who are these "anti- Obama operatives" with a million to throw around? I guess Rupert Murdoch's door step would be a good place to start looking. One million dollars! Wow! That's a lot of loot to catch his O ness with his pants down. Hey, back in the day "Mr. Charlie" used the FBI to dig up dirt on King. I guess we can't do that anymore because his O ness controls "Mr. Charlie." So in comes the operatives and their millions of dollars. There is even a mysterious limo driver who could be rich soon if a video tape- which every wingnut in A-merry-ca is praying exists- surfaces.

Let me say this for the record: I never believed that A-merry-ca could recover after the frat boy. Now, it seems, we are on the road to normalcy. And for that I have to give credit to the man who currently occupies the White House. If it turns out that his O ness was [or is] having an affair, it will only confirm one thing: That maybe, just maybe, he will go down as one of A-merry-ca's better presidents. Just like the two notorious womanizers who came before him.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

"The law is an ass"


I think Mr. Bumbles meant that the Law-yer is an ass.

Stay with me. I am giving you the following little anecdote for a reason.

Today I am getting on the elevator on my plantation with an African American security officer who works with me. There was a well dressed young lady (she seemed to be in her early thirties) in the lobby with us, and she walked behind us to the elevator. The guard and I got on, but girlfriend stopped short. The guard, to his credit, held the door open, looked out at her, and asked her if she was going up. (The elevator only went up, we were on the first floor and this elevator does not go down.) The poor child got on and seemed both embarrassed and terrified at the same time. Face pressed against the door; never looking back even once; even when the guard tried to make small talk with her. (Oh field, stop it, maybe the poor girl was afraid of elevators. Ever though of that Mr. Racism Chaser? ) So anywhooo, turns out the young lady was a lawyer and she was going to my floor to have a hearing in front of one of my colleagues. -I was kind of hoping it was me.- Hey, not that I would not have been fair to her client. Unlike Radio Rwanda, I really am "fair and balanced". I never let personal biases or outside influences affect my decisions. Strictly by the book for the kid. It just would have been interesting, that's all I am saying.

So I tell this story about this young lawyer to tell you another one about future lawyers at one of A-merry-ca's finest legal institutions. Sadly, my friends, even those among us who are supposed to be "enlightened" can't seem to shake themselves from the shackles of bigotry and ignorance.

The following *article is by Kashmir Hill writing for AboveTheLaw.com:

"Every time you put something into an email, please remember that someone you send it to may hit Forward. If your email makes the case for a biological reason for racial disparities in intelligence, someone might hit Forward and send it to Black Law Student Associations across the nation.

That’s what happened to a Harvard 3L yesterday. We’ll call this 3L CRIMSON DNA. According to our sources, DNA made some controversial comments about race at a dinner held by the school’s Federalist Society. CORRECTION: This dinner was not an official Fed Soc dinner. [FN1]

After the dinner, DNA felt the need to send an email to a few friends clarifying those views. Here’s an excerpt:

'I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent. I could also obviously be convinced that by controlling for the right variables, we would see that they are, in fact, as intelligent as white people under the same circumstances. The fact is, some things are genetic. African Americans tend to have darker skin. Irish people are more likely to have red hair.'

One of the 3Ls to receive that email, available in full after the jump, was very upset by it. We’ll call this student CRIMSON OUTRAGE. OUTRAGE arranged for the email to be sent out to the Harvard Black Law Student Association list-serv, including DNA’s name and the fact that after graduation, the author will be doing a federal clerkship.

After that, the email went viral, apparently circulating to BLSAs across the country. There are now plans to try to go after DNA’s clerkship….

UPDATE: We’ve added a statement from the president of the Harvard Federalist Society below, a statement from Harvard BLSA over
here, and a statement from Dean Martha Minow over here.

We got the email multiple times last night, from lots of first-time tipsters horrified that a person at Harvard Law School with a federal clerkship offer in hand holds such views. The person sending out the email to the Harvard BLSA wrote:

I am saddened that a current HLS student holds such antagonistic and archaic views about our people and that the potential impact of her ignorance is only strengthened by her prestigious affiliations and credentials." [Article here]

A "federal clerkship"? Oh Lawd! O man, please do not select that Judge this person will be clerking for to the supremes. Although, to be honest, I bet they would feel right at home in Washington.

*Thanks for the story, "A". ;)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

"Hoes" always produce great athletes.


Is your mama a ho? This is, in essence, what Dolphins GM, Jeff Ireland, asked potential NFL first rounder (and future Dallas Cowgirl) Dez Bryant on his interview with the club leading up to the draft.

Jeff, are you serious? WTF were you thinking? Were you trying to see if the guy could keep his temper in check when pushed? Did you really think his mother was a prostitute and it might affect his play on the field? Did you think that he would love prostitutes-because his mama is one- and he would spend all of his time in Miami's red light district instead of in his play book?

"Last Wednesday, the night before he was selected 24th overall by the Cowboys, former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant(notes) told me that during one of his predraft visits, a high-level executive of one NFL franchise had asked him if his mother, Angela, was a prostitute.“No, my mom is not a prostitute,” said Bryant, whose background – including his mother’s lifestyle and past legal troubles – was under great scrutiny prior to the draft. “I got mad – really mad – but I didn’t show it.” The offender was Ireland, whose franchise apparently holds nothing sacred in regards to its evaluations of potential employees.
In recent weeks, we’ve heard about some preposterous questions that have been tossed at this year’s top draft prospects, including one team’s query to defensive tackle
Gerald McCoy(notes) during an interview at the NFL scouting combine: Do you play in a G-string or a jock strap? (Creepy.)"

Yes, "creepy" indeed. I mean I know that these teams view these players in the same light that horse trainers view their horses. But they should try to add a little dignity to the process. I heard a house Negro on sports talk today saying what's the big deal? (I am sure that some folks will comment after this post and say the same thing) The Negro is going to be making millions of dollars, no question is off limits. "Mike" he said to the host, "is there any question you wouldn't answer for 40 million dollars?" Nothing like a few dollars to make the house Negro jig.

Can you imagine a potential associate at a law firm being asked a question like that? How about a potential bond trader at a major financial institution?

Look, I get it, teams have to make sure that they don't blow their investment. They don't want some knuckle head going out and getting arrested or letting his body go down because he spends all night chasing women and drinking. But surely there is a better way to find out where a young man's head is than asking him if his mother was a prostitute.

“I don’t care who you are or who you’re talking to – that kind of question usually gets your [expletive] teeth kicked in,” says former NFL lineman Kyle Turley(notes). “I mean, where do these people come from? That’s just completely [expletive] classless and totally unprofessional.”

“We need to make sure the men of this league are treated as businessmen," Smith said. "During interviews, our players and prospective players should never be subjected to discrimination or degradation stemming from the biases or misconceptions held by team personnel. NFL teams cannot have the free reign to ask questions during the interview process which can be categorized as stereotyping or which may bring a personal insult to any player as a man."

It's nice to see former players and the current head of the players association speaking out. I am waiting to hear from the commissioner next. Of course, now that he has been outed by Yahoo Sports, Ireland has also apologized:

"Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will “take appropriate actions if necessary” against general manager Jeff Ireland for asking former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant(notes) whether his mother was ever a prostitute. Ireland apologized for the question, and the NFL players union raised concerns Wednesday about discrimination and degradation. Ross issued a statement saying he’ll look into the matter personally. “As an owner of many companies and organizations, including the Miami Dolphins, I have always strived to comply with the highest standards in all aspects of my businesses, including recruiting,” Ross said. “In interviewing employees, we always look to obtain relevant and appropriate information in adherence with the best industry practices.”

"Relevant and appropriate information"? Is your mama a ho? Was your daddy her pimp?

I hate the Cowgirls, but I can't wait to for them to play the Dolphins. Here is hoping that Bryant torches them for over a 100 yards and a couple of scores. And while he is doing his end zone dance he points to Ireland's box and says: I got your prostitute right here.


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Spare the rod, and spoil the prom.


I would like to start this post by welcoming home "Mr. Big." You must have felt really at home in the Big House Ronald. Big house, get it? Let me stop.

Anywhooo, tonight I have spanking on my mind. (Get your minds out of the gutter freaks, not that kind of spanking.) The kind that some folks down in Crimson Tide country would see fit to put on some young ladies for violating a school dress code.

"Oxford High School, a school in Calhoun County, Ala., prom dress codes are strictly enforced. Some say too strictly. This year, the Anniston Star reports that 25 students were disciplined for violating the prom dress code. The strangest part of the story, though, is that the students were allowed to stay at the prom, but the following week, they had to choose the option of receiving corporal punishment (by paddling) or a three-day suspension....The principal, Trey Holladay, defends the policy stating that, "We're using the same policy we've had for the last five years. Being a parent, I want to make sure girls and guys act accordingly. We're a high school, and our community has certain expectations of what is appropriate."

Damn Trey, who is going to do the paddling? I am sorry folks, I understand that you Negroes have no problem with putting a rod to the behind of your youngsters, but I am not sure if I am cool with a high school breaking out the paddles for the violation of a dress code.

Spare the rod and bring out the hoochie mama? Look, I am all for discipline in schools, and lord knows I am not down with young girls going all Janet Jackson on their prom night. But isn't the penalty in this case a bit much? (Yes, even the three day suspension.)

"According to the Oxford prom dress code, females must wear evening gowns or cocktail dresses. The dresses cannot be made of transparent material, there cannot be slits more than four inches above the knee and there must be no revealing neck lines or back lines. The dresses can be sleeveless or strapless, provided all body parts from the shoulder to the knee are covered. Girls also can't wear two-piece dresses with the midriff showing or with removable material covering the cleavage area.Males must wear tuxedos or suits. They cannot wear tennis shoes or oversized clothing."

Dress code? Fine. Punishment for violating said dress code? Not so much.

"Jerry Snow, a former assistant principal for three years at Oxford, said the code was enacted because there were problems with female students wearing dresses that were seemingly too low cut or exposed too much skin. If students are not sure if a dress conforms to the rules, "They have plenty of opportunity to bring pictures of the dress," he said."We want the prom to be a dignified affair," Snow said. "We want people to have pictures they would want to show to their grandparents or kids."'

Yep, they sure won't be able to show off those pictures with paddle marks on their backs. [Article]


Monday, April 26, 2010

Be safe Mr. President. There are rappers out here trying to get at you.


I knew it! I knew it was just a matter of time before one of these damn rappers took this rap shit too far. After you rap about something long enough you start to believe it.

"Now they all wanna jock my fame (all wanna jock my fame)When I'm comin down in my foreign and I'm rollin one deepThat should tell you bout me (S.U.C.)I don't give a damn about none of you hoesI blast on site cause I ain't trippin no mo'"

So is this why you think you can go to the airport with a gun asking to see the president, fool? Man you rappers are crazy. This Joseph McVey character AKA "Z-Ro" done lost his damn mind. Boy what would your mama say if she knew your black ass done went and got arrested for being a threat to the first black president?......wait......oh damn, I am sorry y'all, I think I have the wrong Joseph McVey.

Joseph Sean McVey, 23, of Coshocton, Ohio, holding a gun and impersonating a police officer, was arrested at an airport in North Carolina as President Barack Obama's plane prepared to take off.

McVey told police that he wanted to see Obama and parked his car, which he outfitted to look like a police cruiser, near a gate that led to a runway.

Air Force One was taxiing when McVey was arrested, according to police.
Police and Secret Service took a handgun from McVey, and he was charged with misdemeanor gun possession. He's being held on a $100,000 bond.

The most distressing aspect of this case is the fact that McVey's front and rear dashboards were equipped with LED police-style strobe lights and a digital camera in the front window. He had a siren located under the steering wheel and large antennas attached to the trunk.
If this guy wasn't up to some serious trouble with the president a few hundred yards away, then my name is Mickey Mouse.

It's great that the authorities were on their toes and caught McVey before he could do any damage.

But the sad truth is that the good guys have to be right every single time, but the criminals who want to hurt the president only have to be right just once to throw this country and the world into chaos.

Unfortunately, McVey won't be the last person suspected of threatening the president. "

Whoops, sorry "Z-Ro", you can go back to your rapping now. The other Joseph McVey is actually a good kid who just got caught up in some stuff. He is such a good boy that I am sure it was all just a misunderstanding.




Sunday, April 25, 2010

Some perspective about the tea party movement from another side.


Boy field, I sure hope that this is it for you and the teabagger posts for awhile. I am sick of you and these teabaggers. Can't you write about another political group?

Well, not quite yet. I just have one more cut and paste job about my wingnut friends and then I promise to leave them alone. *fingers crossed*

Still, I understand about my reputation for racism chasing, and I have acknowledged the folly of my ways. I mean how can I truly see what is in a man's heart? I am not a white person who had white parents, and who grew up in a white household,-especially one in the south- so how would I know what goes on behind closed doors?

Which is why I am glad that I have folks like Carlos Dews to kind of give me an idea:

'The nigger show."
I first heard this expression used to describe the Obama administration during a visit to my hometown in East Texas during the early summer of 2009. I understood what the epithet meant: Our minds are made up, the president lacks legitimacy, and there is nothing he can do that we will support. I was not surprised to hear such a phrase.

I grew up in the 1960s during the ragged end of the Jim Crow era, where many of the books in my school library were stamped Colored School, meaning they had been brought to the white school when the town was forced to integrate the public school system. I recall my parents had instructed me, before my first day of elementary school, not to sit in a chair where a black child had sat. And I remember my sister joked that her yearbook, when it appeared at the end of her first year of integrated high school, was in "black and white."

The outward signs of racism of my home state have now disappeared, but racial hatred remains. My father and his friends still use the word nigger to refer to all black people, and the people of my hometown don't hesitate to spout their racist rhetoric to my face, assuming I agree with them. I hold my tongue for the sake of having continued access to this kind of truth. I learned long ago how not to accept the hatred I was being taught and how to survive not having done so. More recently, I realized that I also learned another lesson: how to recognize racism when it masquerades as something else....... Ironically, until the election of Barack Obama, my discussions of racism in the United States seemed historical. I felt that with the passage of the civil rights legislation of the mid-1960s, the country had turned a corner, that the slow evaporation of overt racism was perhaps inevitable. Now, my personal experience of Southern racism feels current and all too familiar. A news story about the Big Read that appeared in La Repubblica on Sept. 20 (unaware that my grant was awarded during the Bush administration), presciently brought Rome, Obama, To Kill a Mockingbird, and racism together in its headline: "Obama brings antiracist book to Rome."

Jimmy Carter was lambasted for having recently explained that the vehemence with which many Americans resist Obama's presidency is an expression of racism. Carter was accused of fanning the flames of racial misunderstanding by labeling as "racist" what on the surface could be perceived as legitimate policy differences. Like Carter, as a white Southern man, I can see beyond the seemingly legitimate rhetoric to discern what is festering behind much of the opposition to Obama and to his administration's policy initiatives. I also have access, via the racist world from which I came, direct confirmation of the racial hatred toward Obama.

The veiled racism I sense in the United States today is couched, in public discourse at least, in terms that allow for plausible deniability of racist intent. And those who resist any policy initiative from the Obama administration engage in a scorched-earth policy that reminds me of the self-centered white flight, the abandonment of public schools, and the proliferation of private schools, that followed the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision to desegregate public schools. The very people, like my own rural, working-class family back in East Texas, who stand to gain from the efforts of the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress are, because of their racism, willing to oppose policies that would benefit them the most. Their racism outweighs their own self-interest.

Unfortunately, racists in the United States have learned one valuable lesson since the 1960s: They cannot express their racism directly. In public, they must veil their racial hatred behind policy differences. This obfuscation makes direct confrontation difficult. Anyone pointing out their racist motivations runs the risk of unfairly playing "the race card." But I know what members of my family mean when they say - as so many said during the town hall meetings in August - that they "want their country back." They want it back, safely, in the hands of someone like them, a white person. They feel that a black man has no right to be the president of their country.

During a phone conversation a few weeks after Obama's election, my father lamented that he and my mother might have to stop visiting the casinos in Shreveport, La.: Given Obama's election, "the niggers are already walking around like they own the place. They won't even give up their seats for white women anymore. I don't know what we're going to do with 'em."' [Article]

Mr. Dews, you are just another racism chasing white man. Maybe your family was different than all the rest. And what are the chances that folks like the ones in your family are part of the "tea party movement", today? Come on Mr. Dews, get with the program. This is about the man's politics, not his race.......

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The re-education of Skippy Gates.


Some of you Negroes in A-merry-ca sure "make me wanna holla". Take, for instance, my man Skippy Gates. Wasn't it just a few months ago that we all saw this Negro being hauled off in handcuffs and crying racism? Fortunately for him he was buds with the most powerful man in A-merry-ca, which led to beer on the White House lawn and not a rap sheet.

Now this Negro is telling folks in the majority population that slavery wasn't really their fault because, well, dem black folks did it to themselves.

"For centuries, Europeans in Africa kept close to their military and trading posts on the coast. Exploration of the interior, home to the bulk of Africans sold into bondage at the height of the slave trade, came only during the colonial conquests, which is why Henry Morton Stanley’s pursuit of Dr. David Livingstone in 1871 made for such compelling press: he was going where no (white) man had gone before.

How did slaves make it to these coastal forts? The historians John Thornton and Linda Heywood of Boston University estimate that 90 percent of those shipped to the New World were enslaved by Africans and then sold to European traders. The sad truth is that without complex business partnerships between African elites and European traders and commercial agents, the slave trade to the New World would have been impossible, at least on the scale it occurred."

Of course, Skippy Gates, like all the other apologist for slavery before him, misses the point. We all know that tribes in Africa were at war and sold other Africans to European slave traders. They were also in the business of slavery. But here is the thing. If we are going to buy into A-merry-can exceptionalism and hold up our founding fathers and those who helped to make A-merry-ca what she is as the standard-bearers of virtue, we are going to have to hold them to a higher standard. Isn't A-merry-ca supposed to be different? Didn't-white- folks come to this country to escape the type of ignorance and persecution that was taking place in Europe? So why excuse slavery -regardless of who was taking part in the slave trade?

" Our new understanding of the scope of African involvement in the slave trade is not historical guesswork. Thanks to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, directed by the historian David Eltis of Emory University, we now know the ports from which more than 450,000 of our African ancestors were shipped out to what is now the United States (the database has records of 12.5 million people shipped to all parts of the New World from 1514 to 1866). About 16 percent of United States slaves came from eastern Nigeria, while 24 percent came from the Congo and Angola."

And what exactly is Skippy's point? That some Africans were bad so that as a race they all deserved to be enslaved and treated like chattel in the New World?

The problem with Skippy Gates and other Negroes like him is that they want so much to be relevant here in A-merry-ca. I guess he misses the shine he was getting during his beer summits with his O ness so he had to come up with this specious thesis to grab some headlines. There is nothing new here. Every first grader in A-merry-ca who studied history knows that Africans were involved with the slave trade, but Skippy felt a need to remind us to make his point.

And what I found particularly repulsive was his use of the reparations straw- man in his diatribe.

"THANKS to an unlikely confluence of history and genetics — the fact that he is African-American and president — Barack Obama has a unique opportunity to reshape the debate over one of the most contentious issues of America’s racial legacy: reparations, the idea that the descendants of American slaves should receive compensation for their ancestors’ unpaid labor and bondage. "

Ahh, excuse me. What debate over reparations? Sorry Skippy, I am not sure what circles you run in, but I don't hear black folks asking for reparations here in A-merry-ca. That is, quite frankly, bullshit. It's just something that certain folks like to throw out there for red meat for others who think like they do. You know why those blacks don't work? They think A-merry-ca owes them reparations. You know why they all support Obama? They think he is going to give them something in the form of reparations. And so it goes. A-merry-ca, let me be very clear: You don't have to give me shit. Just don't f&*k with me while I am on my way to getting mine.

Skippy, you should be ashamed of yourself for taking the time to pen that load of crap. And the next time the po po drags your dumb ass off in cuffs I hope they will have a legitimate reason to bring you in. Maybe spending some time in a jail cell will give you time to rethink your position on slavery. Hey, then you can pretend that your jail cell is the bottom of a slave ship, and that the police officer who booked you was black.




Friday, April 23, 2010

"Where are the Tea Party protests about Wall Street?"


You know, I was thinking the very same thing:

"We're down to the wire here on financial reform. I can't think of a better time to put pressure on Wall Street and Washington to make sure there is adequate regulation to ensure that we never have another bailout. The AFL-CIO is about to have a protest at Wall Street on April 29th. Great, that makes sense. I'm sure the right-wing groups who are also upset about the bailouts will join them.

If you remember, the Tea Parties were originally formed to protest the bailouts. They were so mad at the Wall Street bankers who destroyed the economy and then took our hard earned money for their efforts.

So, they will take this opportunity, of course, to launch their own protest of Wall Street. They will protest the TARP money, the easy credit, the lack of regulation, the wild risk taking and the excessive bonuses paid with taxpayer money. They're really going to take the fight to them.
Just kidding. They're not going to do anything. They're going to sit out this fight on financial reform and put absolutely no pressure on Wall Street at all. Because they are tools easily manipulated by right-wing organizations funded by corporate America.

I really feel sorry for them. They're dupes. They think they are so fiercely independent when in fact they are the most easily manipulated people in the country. All that anger toward the power establishment and what happened? They were used by that same establishment to fight against health care reform and to try to protect the health insurance companies. Suckers.

Now, when it's time to fight the financial companies, where are they? Nowhere to be found. Why? Because
FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity didn't organize any bus rides to Wall Street. They didn't manufacture the outrage they did in protecting the health care companies. They used the Tea Party protestors for their own purposes and then left them on the side of the road, only to be picked up again when they need to protect another company or industry.

I issued a challenge back in January to the Tea Party organizers to rally against Wall Street or even against the Obama administration (Tim Geithner in particular) for being too soft on them. And what's happened since then? Nada. Zilch. Zippo.
So, I was proven right -- they're never, ever going to protest Wall Street because they are ignorant dupes being led by the nose by their corporate overlords. And they think they're so tough and independent-minded. What a farce. The whole movement is a sad joke being played on its own members." [Story]

Yep, they are kind of like certain republicans (like one in particular who frequents this site) who like to say that they are not republicans. But don't believe them, that is exactly what they are. They try to use the independent label to gain credibility with the rest of A-merry-ca. Unfortunately for them, however, they have none.

Just ask yourself this question: If George W. Bush was president of these divided states do you think there would even be a teabagger movement? If you answered yes to that question please send me your e-mail address. I would love to sell you on this idea I have and possibly get some investment dollars from you. It's called bottled air.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Progress? Maybe not.


I have to post early tonight because I want to see who my birds pick up in this year's NFL draft.
Tonight I have two stories that have me scratching my head. One is a sign that we are still not achieving progess in A-merry-ca when it comes to social issues, and the other, in my humble opinion, says that we are.

I will start with my man Conrad Zdzierak, who took this "Soul Man" thing to a whole other level. Seems old Conrad is smart enough to realize that if you are going to do wrong in A-merry-ca, there is no better way to do it than disguised as a black man.

"A white guy, disguised as a a black guy, managed to rip off four banks and a CVS in Ohio before he was caught. No, we're not kidding.Maybe Conrad Zdzierak was inspired by "Soul Man (1986)," or even Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in "Tropic Thunder" (2008), but the 30-year-old, former Florida resident didn't rely on tanning pills or surgical procedures, respectively, to darken his skin. Instead he played out his John Dillinger Chaz Williams dreams while wearing a Hollywood style mask (called The Player) that was good enough to fool bank tellers and police into thinking their suspect was an African-American. You don't get the feeling anyone bothered to ask, "Are you sure the culprit was black?," though. It wasn't meddling kids that foiled Zdzierak's plans, but the fact that he never bothered ditching his getaway car. While charged with six counts of aggravated robbery, bail set at $3 million, there is no word on whether or not Zdzeriak, who was born in Poland, will be craving black and white cookies while in jail."

Three Million? Damn that bail is kind of high. I guess old Conrad pissed off some white folks as well. [Story]

Now the next story has me hopeful. Here in Philly there is a race for the 182nd House District. And one of the candidates, the incumbent, Babette Josephs, has accused her opponent of pretending to be Gay in order to get votes. Yep, you heard right; pretending to be Gay. Seems her opponent has hinted to the powerful Gay constituents in that district that he is bi-sexual, but Josephs says that it's a scam. There is nothing Gay about her opponent.

"I outed him as a straight person," Josephs said during a fund-raiser at the Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant, as some in the audience gasped or laughed, "and now he goes around telling people, quote, 'I swing both ways.' That's quite a respectful way to talk about sexuality. This guy's a gem."...Kravitz, 29, said that he is sexually attracted to both men and women and called Josephs' comments offensive."

Don't you just love progress?

BTW, speaking of outing people. I see where Lindsey Graham (who supported a constitutional ban on Gay marriages) has been outed by his own teabaggers. That ain't right. Politics is really getting down and dirty these days. Oh well, here is hoping that if it's true old Lindsey will come clean. He will never get elected to a statewide office in South Carolina again, but he could always move to Philly.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

You could be next.


I swear folks are losing their minds in A-merry-ca. In the state of Arizona the state legislature is expected to pass a law that will make it legal to profile brown people.

Imagine, if you will, that you are a Latino man who just ran out to Home Depot to get some supplies to do some yard work. You just got your supplies and you are outside loading your Chevy F-150 and some local po po rolls up on you and demands that you prove that you are an A-merry-can. Can you imagine? Well, that is exactly what the law could allow them to do in Mr. Morton country in the next couple of days. These assholes in "the land of the sun" just told the federal government to go and f*&k themselves because they have a border control problem.

"Arizona’s Republican Governor, under pressure from right-wing rivals for her job, has until Saturday afternoon to sign or veto the measure. The Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles, a leading champion of immigration reform, has denounced it as a mandate for “German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques” of snooping and betrayal.
Up to ten other states are said to be considering similar laws as pressure mounts on the Republican Right and along America’s southern border for state-based immigration crackdowns in the absence of federal immigration reform. The Arizona Bill would make it a crime for legal immigrants not to carry their alien registration papers, and would allow police to arrest those unable to produce them — potentially upending the presumption of innocence underpinning US law and the principle that its enforcement should be colour-blind. "

For all you non-lawyers out there, let me break it down in really simple terms for you: This new law would make it a newly created misdemeanor under their criminal code to be caught without immigration documents if you are even a legal immigrant. All law enforcement officials would need to make life miserable for some poor Latino- who happened to leave home without their Immigration Express Card- would be a reasonable suspicion to check them. That's it. This poorly worded law is too broad and it's too vague. It will be challenged and it will be struck down. Just imagine two local cops talking in Arizona:

Hey Harry, see that guy over there looking like Ricky Martin? I bet he is a Mexican. Nah, he looks like a white guy with a really nice tan. Or, he could be Italian. Nah, if he was Italian he wouldn't be driving a Chevy. Those Mexicans really love Chevys. Yeah,you might be right....look he is talking to that other guy, can you tell if he is speaking English? Naw, I can't see from here....

The poor folks in law enforcement don't even want this bill, because guess what? It's actually going to make it harder to fight crime for all those dumb ass xenophobes in Arizona. And, so far, a similar national law has not even been working.

I agree with Ruben Naverette when he writes:

"The real tragedy in all this is that the bill, which professes to take a hard line against illegal activity, will almost certainly produce much more of it. By proposing a law that deputizes every local and state law enforcement officer in Arizona to enforce immigration law, Pearce has single-handedly destroyed the trust between law enforcement agencies and the immigrant communities they have spent years trying to better serve.Good luck finding people who are willing to report crimes and be interviewed as witnesses now that they are afraid they might be arrested or deported. That makes these communities easy prey for criminals and makes the job of law enforcement much harder."

Not to mention the fact that law enforcement officials will be overworked trying to find the illegal bogeyman while real crimes are taking place.

And why now? Why these draconian and unconstitutional measures now? I wonder if the the folks in Arizona realize that the illegal immigrant population has actually been going down. (About one million over the past two years) That might be due to the fact that they are actually doing better in their own damn country than they would have been here in the land of "milk and honey." But try telling that to the folks in Arizona. The brown people are the root of all of their problems. Can't get a job? It's those damn illegals? Crime rate going up? It's those damn illegals. Value of your home plummeted? It's those damn illegals. Wife banging the Gardener? Well, that just might be the illegal....let me stop.

"American people are fair-minded and respectful. I can't imagine Arizonans now reverting to German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques whereby people are required to turn one another in to the authorities on any suspicion of documentation,"

Thank you Cardinal Mahony. And this is the perfect time to end with a very famous quote from another man of god: Pastor Martin Niemoller:

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.THEN THEY CAME for me and by that time no one was left to speak up."

Fortunately, there are plenty people speaking up now; let's just hope that it makes a difference.





Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"Mass Appeal"


"But I'm so real to them it's scary And with my unique skills na you can't compare me And no we don't make wack tracks and all the suckers get pushed back when I'm kickin real facts I represent set up shit like a tent boy You're paranoid cause you're my son like Elroy And you'd be happy as hell to get a record deal Maybe your soul you'd sell to have mass appeal" ~Guru~

Sorry, I had to start this post with some Gang Starr lyrics. It's a sad day for hip hop indeed. Merging Jazz and Hip Hop? Yeah that worked. R.I.P. Guru.

I am going to use Guru's lyrics and the title of that classic Hip Hop track to focus on what I want to talk about: Mass appeal, and what some folks will do to get it. Some of you bloggers out here are trying hard to get it. You know who you are. And, some of you, already have it. But at what cost? Some of you can't wait to get on television and radio (you know who you are), and when you do, you can't wait to let the rest of us know about it. That's great if you blow up, but what are you going to do with your new found high profile? Just sell more ad space on your blogs for more money?

Hey, I am not mad at bloggers who use their blogs to get paid. Times are hard out here, so go get your hustle on. But don't just post shit with the bottom line on your mind. And please don't tell others how to run their blogs. I don't sell ad space because, frankly, I don't need the money. But that's just me. Don't send me a-mails asking about ads on my blog, telling me how I could be getting paid, or asking me to change the blog name so that it will sound more "main stream".
Producers from major cable network and radio program to the field:

"Mr. Field we would love to have you on, but frankly, the name of your blog might be offensive to some of our viewers."
"Mr. Field do you mind if the host just introduces you as attorney----- and not by your blog name? "

Other bloggers talking about the field:

"Field tolerates too much cursing and disrespect on his blog."
"The comments on his blog have really gone down."
"The intellectuals don't go there anymore."
"Field is too offensive with his posts."
"Field's blog is popular but there is just too much drama over there."

Yes, but field is saying exactly what he feels. And, for the most part, so are the people who comment in his blog. So as the kids like to say: "Do you".

Finally,- as if losing Guru wasn't enough- America lost a great civil rights champion and educator today. Dorothy Height was 98 years old, (now there was a lady with "Mass Appeal") and still she died too soon as far as I am concerned. She was a great American and a true field Negro.

The next time I see one of my black conservative friends I will have to ask them why I got a press release from Chris Van Hollen and the DCCC, but nothing from the RNC or any other republican group.

"DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on the passing of Civil Rights Leader and former President of the National Council of Negro Women, Dorothy Height.

“For nearly half a century, Dorothy Height was a strong and tireless leader in the struggle for equality and human rights for all people. As the only woman serving at the highest level of the civil rights movement, Dr. Height helped shape every major achievement along the way.

“For 40 years she led the National Council of Negro Women, advocating for African American women. Dr. Height continued the fight for the rest of her life to ensure that our nation was a place where everyone, regardless of gender, race or background could achieve the American dream. We should all rededicate ourselves to building on the legacy she left behind.”

Wait. Maybe they issued something but they just didn't send it to me. Le me google the RNC, republicans, and Dorothy Height.........nope, nothing. It figures. I guess she didn't have "Mass Appeal" after all.

Monday, April 19, 2010

DEJA VU.


Let's take a moment of silence to remember the 168 people ("19 of them children under six years old") who lost their lives in Oklahoma City ,15 years ago today.........................................

Thank you.

This is a day, of course, that the wingnuts would like us to forget. (I bet you won't hear much mention of it over at Radio Rwanda.) Why? Because it was a wingnut who carried out the dastardly and despicable deed.

They would also like us to forget it because they have now created an environment where the next Timothy McVeigh could be the unemployed trucker down in trailer home number 7. According to the AP this current climate has created a perfect storm from which another Timothy McVeigh "wannabe" could emerge.

" OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — The United States marked the 15th anniversary of its deadliest domestic terror attack Monday amid rising political tensions and anti-government sentiment. The April 19, 1995 truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in downtown Oklahoma City by members of an anti-government militia killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured hundreds of others. As survivors and family members of the victims remembered everything they lost that day, terrorism experts warned of frightening parallels between current political tensions and those of the years leading up to the bombing.
Nearly one out of three Americans view the US government as a "major threat" to their freedoms, and four out of five say they don't trust Washington to solve their problems, according to a new poll published Monday. That mistrust has given rise to the Tea Party movement, which has been criticized for the extremist sentiment displayed at rallies where some members tote guns, call for a new revolution and wave signs equating President Barack Obama with Adolph Hitler or an African witch doctor. "

Hey, I didn't make up those words, that was an exact quote from the AP news story.

Of course the wingnuts will tell you that they are not violent. That they simply love A-merry-ca and the Constitution. That this latest brand of extremism and wingnuttery (where a sitting congresswoman called the president's administration, gangsters) is just a case of god fearing A-merry-cans who love their country exercising their rights as citizens to protest. Fine. Protest all day and night for all I care. March from California to Maine to make your point. But just remember that when the lone wolf you are blowing the dog whistles to breaks away, the blood of your fellow citizens will be on your hands.

Ironically, (or maybe not) it's left leaning Rachel Maddow who is doing a documentary on Oklahoma City and McVeigh.

"The documentary, narrated by msnbc’s Rachel Maddow, has already provoked a strong discussion on Maddow’s blog, with viewers concerned that it might incite extremists.
“Some people will say they don't want to hear anything about Timothy McVeigh and we respect their feelings on that,” says Herbeck. “But others are interested in hearing what made a terrorist tick.” “[It’s an] oral blueprint of what turned one young man into one of the worst mass-murderers and terrorists in American history,” says Michel.
Michel and Herbeck received similar criticism after publishing the McVeigh biography “American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing” in 2001.

.. Maddow says she isn’t concerned that McVeigh will come across as a martyr to those who share his anti-government views. “McVeigh is profoundly unsympathetic — even repugnant —on his own terms, you don't need to work to make him seem that way,” she says. “There's a huge distance between the hero he is in his own mind, and how basely unheroic he seems to anyone hearing the tapes now.."

Rachel, I hope you are right, but you have more faith in your fellow A-merry-cans than I do.

Finally, before I go, I would like to give a shout out to a wonderful program that is being run out of New York called The Global Language Project. It centers around something that's dear to my heart: educating our children. I am so proud of Angela Jackson (the program's director) and what she is doing that I promised to mention the project in my next blog post.

Please go here and put one down for the folks over at the Global Language Project so that they can get this grant from "the man".

Sunday, April 18, 2010

A meeting of TBCE.


I caught some of 1/2 of Reverend Inc's conference on TV One. It was the latest effort by the black community experts (or TBCE) to cure all that ails black A-merry-ca. All the usual suspects were there. (Except Tavis) And, of course, they talked; and talked; and talked some more. Black folks sure love to talk. 1/2 of Rev. Inc. said that his conference was different. He actually had a 12 month plan and goals that he wanted the participants who were there representing various organizations to meet.

"Among the pledges:
Sharpton said that NAN will launch a voter registration drive in key states with a goal of a 5% increase turnout in mid-term elections in November.
Marc Morial of the National Urban League said his organization will help 10,000 people find jobs over the next 12 months.
Debra Toney of the National Black Nurses Association said her organization would identify, train or re-train 10,000 people for the nursing field.
Dr. Lezli Baskerville, who represents HBCUs, said the network of campuses would provide 500,000 students for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts and that more campuses will make their facilities available to young people for after-school activities, including recreation."
(h/t The Root)

I sure hope that this isn't 1/2 of Rev. Inc. showing Tavis that two can play that game. Of course Tavis never accomplished much. (Except for Tavis.) Let's see if something meaningful can come out of this from some of the grass roots organizations that were represented. 100 Black Men is a fine group, and their leader was in the house. So that's a good sign.

ER Shipp writing for The Root said the following:

As the Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, told me after a ministers' luncheon Friday at the National Action Network annual meeting: "This conference is important at a moment like this because we are still confronted with major issues in the African American community, and in some ways they are more complicated than they were 30 or 40 years ago. Our coming together around shared struggle, sustained resistance and deep analysis - in some ways it takes more work."

In trying to tackle some of those "major issues," Tavis Smiley has been at it for years with his State of the Black Union summits that seem to draw from the same pool of leaders every year but which accomplish little. He held a pared-down version in March in Chicago, where the focus of 12 panelists was on pressuring President Obama to reward black support by explicitly addressing that elusive "black agenda".

The National Action Network came at it a little differently during the convention that concluded Saturday. It promised a 12-month action plan. I naively expected a plan in the form of a document prepared ahead of time that would be discussed, modified and endorsed. That was not the case. Instead, an impressive revolving panel of leaders of one thing or another and academics and journalists talked for two hours in a forum broadcast by TV One."

"A 12 month action plan" in the form of a prepared documents would have been nice. But then, if there was such a document, what would there be left to talk about? Black folks need to talk.



Saturday, April 17, 2010

Mr. Black wingnut, I think I know why the Gays won't debate you in public.


Because you use words like "Publically."
Because you wear short sleeve dress shirts.

Because your jeans looks like you got them from K-Mart.

Because, maybe like me, they don't trust a man who doesn't wear a watch.

Because you have on a crew neck undershirt with a collared shirt.

Because you are big black man carrying a sign that displays your ignorance in public.

And finally, because I am sure that they think it would be pointless.


And one more thing: As we approach the 15th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombings, I see Bill Clinton has weighed in on the debate about domestic terror, and he has called out the wingnuts for promoting hate in a very large echo chamber which could lead to a repeat of that tragic day.

The following is from the ABC News website:

"In my EXCLUSIVE “This Week” interview, former President Bill Clinton told me Rush Limbaugh’s assertion that Clinton had “set the stage for violence in this country” and that “any acts of future violence” would be on Clinton’s shoulders, “doesn’t make any sense”.
Clinton marked the upcoming 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on Friday with a major speech to the Center for American Progress, in which he warned that “the words we use really do matter, because there's this vast echo chamber, and they go across space and they fall on the serious and the delirious alike. They fall on the connected and the unhinged alike.”

Conservative talk-radio host
Rush Limbaugh took to the air, Friday, after the speech and said that Clinton’s remarks, which drew parallels between the anti-government sentiment in the mid-90s and present-day anti-government expressions, “just gave the kooks out there an excuse to be violent.”

Responding directly to Limbaugh, Clinton told me, “The only point I tried to make was that we ought to have a lot of political dissent -- a lot of political argument. Nobody is right all the time. But we also have to take responsibility for the possible consequences of what we say." [Story]

Sorry Bubba, the last thing a wingnut will do is take responsibility for his or her actions.
BTW, before anyone accuses me of being a hypocrite. Let me say for the record that those teachers in New Jersey who made threats against the republican governor of that state need to be called out as well. Hate speech on both sides of the political spectrum is wrong. Period.


Friday, April 16, 2010

America's number one fans: Not!


I love my hometown, I really do. But here in Phillly we have a problem when it comes to our behavior. There is nothing brotherly about how we treat each other, or worse, outsiders. I am speaking, of course, about our sports fans. Let's just say that we have some issues.

I don't think that there is a fan of an opposing team in A-merry-ca that enjoys coming to a game in Philly. And honestly, I can't say that I blame them. The stories about throwing snowballs at Santa? It's true. The holding cell and court room for unruly fans in the stadium? True. Fan killed outside ballgame? True. Cheering when opposing player gets a career ending injury? True. All of these things of course are bad. But what happened at a Philly's game a couple of nights ago takes the [Tastee] cake:

Seems that one of our typical knuckle dragging fans, while loaded with alcohol, decided to force himself to vomit by sticking his finger down his throat, and heaving in the direction of an entire family. You read right. He literally used his vomit as a projectile to assault a family. This scum bag belongs under the jail, and fortunately that is exactly where he ended up. (Well, not under it, but you get the picture.) Oh, did I mention that the children he vomited on was part of an off duty policeman's family? Nice.

"Matthew Clemmens, a 21-year-old from South Jersey, took boorish behavior at a sporting event to an all-time low at Wednesday's Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, authorities said.
Police said that Clemmens shoved his fingers down his throat and vomited on the 11-year-old daughter of off-duty Easton Police Capt. Michael Vangelo, then slugged the cop in the head several times. 'It was the most vile, disgusting thing I've ever seen," said Vangelo, 'and I've been a cop for 20 years.' The revolting display followed several innings' worth of slurred curses, spilled beer and spit that Clemmens and another man directed at Vangelo, his two daughters and one of their friends, said Philadelphia police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.
There was no motive known for the continuous harassment - except, perhaps, sheer stupidity." [Story here]

Wait, did that article say that the "knuckle dragger" was from South Jersey? Well that explains a lot. Still, he is a Philly's fan, so unfortunately our fine city has to take ownership of him.
A-merry-ca, let me apologize now for what I am sure will be more of the same in the future. Please don't hold this type of behavior against us. Hey, we gave you Benjamin Franklin, cheese steaks, and the liberty bell; how bad can we be?







Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tax Day.


True confessions: I hate tax day. I will leave it at that. (I know the IRS monitors these blogs.) Having said that, I will never be mistaken for Wesley Snipes. I have no problem with paying my fair share of taxes. I love the roads that I drive on and all the other benefits I reap from the federal government while my tax dollars go to work. So there. All you teabagger protesters can kiss my ass. If you really want impress me and make a sacrifice for something you believe in, give up your social security checks when it's time to retire. And, when Father Time grabs you and you start getting sick, pay out of your own damn pockets for whatever medical care you will need.

And while we are on the teabaggers, let me take a little time to praise his O ness: Just a couple of years ago ago this country's economic foundation was on the verge of a collapse. The Dow was tanking, unemployment was rising, and the big D was on every one's lips. (Brother can you spare a mortgage payment?) Now let's be honest wingnuts, we are over a year into the age of Obama and things ain't looking so bad. The Dow is up over 11,000 points, unemployment is holding steady. (Didn't the wingnuts predict that unemployment would be at 12% by now?) And even though home values are way below what they were during the peak of the housing bubble, the bleeding seems to have stopped in the housing market.

On the international front I see O doing some good things as well: (His feud with my home country not withstanding.) He is trying his best to rein in the nukes ,and even though I am still not down with the war in Afghanistan, he seems to be doing a great job with the war on terror where Pakistan is concerned. There has been no major terrorist attack on A-merry-can soil (knock on wood), and he is reaching out to world leaders in a meaningful way to increase our -moral-standing in the world.
Do I have some issues with the guy? Sure I do. But if I am going to be totally honest, so far he has been better than the frat boy at playing leader of the free world. (Oh field, you are just saying that because he is black like you. If he was a white republican you would be all over him.) Nope, if he was a white republican they would be getting his bust ready for Mount Rushmore.



Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sometimes I am so proud of my people.


“we wouldn't ask why a rose that grew from the concrete for having damaged petals, in turn, we would all celebrate its tenacity, we would all love its will to reach the sun, well, we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals, dont ask me why, thank god, and ask me how” ~ Tupac Shakur~

For all intents and purposes Gary, Indiana is as concrete as it gets. It reminds me of the city of Camden which is just across the bridge from where I sit typing this post.


But out of Gary comes what can only be described as a beautiful rose. Her name is Katie Washington, and I just love telling her story.

"For the first time in the 168-year history of Notre Dame University, an African American has been crowned valedictorian.

'I am humbled,' said 21-year-old Gary, Indiana native Katie Washington to the Northwest Indiana Times. “I am in a mode of gratitude and thanksgiving right now.”
Washington has been accepted to five schools, including Harvard, but the biology major and Catholic social teaching minor will take her 4.0 GPA to Johns Hopkins University next fall, where she plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D.

'Katie works so hard,' Washington’s mother Jean Tomlin told the newspaper. 'I told her when she went to Notre Dame, ‘You are representing your family, your church and the city of Gary. Make us proud.’ University officials said they couldn’t recall ever having a black valedictorian, and don’t keep record of their race."

Katie, you have made your family and your city proud. And now, you can add a black man from Philadelphia to that mix. [Story]

Thanks for the story Reena.




Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Andrew and Jacoby.


So, once again, we have to call wingnuts on their bullshit. This time, as Warner Wolf used to famously say: "Let's go to the video tape"

"Three Democratic congressmen — all black — say they heard racial slurs as they walked through thousands of angry protesters outside the U.S. Capitol. A white lawmaker says he heard the epithets too. Conservative activists say the lawmakers are lying.
What does the video show? Not much. Indeed, new interviews show that a much-viewed YouTube recording cited as evidence by conservatives was actually shot well after the time in question."

Wait, you mean the video tape that the wingnuts were calling the smoking gun was full of blanks? Now there is a surprise. Yet they still persist with this charade.

"Stung by the charges of racism, conservatives and tea party activists insist it never happened. And one of them is offering big money if anyone can prove it did.
With so many media and citizen cameras at the demonstration, any epithets would have been caught on tape, says Andrew Breitbart. He's the web entrepreneur who released the video of ACORN workers counseling actors posing as a pimp and prostitute, and has pledged $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund if anyone provides proof of the epithets. "It didn't happen," said Breitbart, who wasn't there. "This is 2010. Even a racist is media-savvy enough not to yell the N-word."

Andrew, if you weren't there, how the hell do you know that it "didn't happen"?
And again, why the hell would I take the word of a bunch of rabid wingnuts over the word of a civil rights icon?

"Listen, I was there," Carson, D-Ind., said in an interview. "In many regards I think (the challenges are) a veiled attempt to justify actions that are simply unjustifiable. I think we need to move toward a dialogue that explores why this kind of divisive and reprehensible language is still making it into our political debate."A fourth Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, who is white, backed up his colleagues, telling the Hendersonville (N.C.) Times-News that he heard the slurs. "

Hear that Andrew? Even a white man who was there backs up Lewis and company.

But I tell you what I am going to do. I don't have $100,000.00 to throw away like Andrew Breitbart. But if you wingnuts can prove that it didn't happen, I promise I will raise $10,000.00 and donate it to the local Tea Party Chapter. And, just to sweeten the deal for you wingnuts out there; I will stop blogging forever. [Story]

Finally, I can't let this next story go without blogging about it. My man Greg Fuller sent it to me, and as painful as it is for me to write about, I have to share it with the rest of you. That's how we do here in the fields, we try to keep it one hundred percent at all times.

So here is the story:

"Jacoby Laquan Smith says he will turn himself in to St. Paul police this week for what must be the most unmanly crime on record: domestically abusing his armless, legless girlfriend.
Smith allegedly punched Tiesha Bell in the face 10 times during the March 22 incident and faces a misdemeanor fifth degree assault charge and a gross misdemeanor for interfering with a 911 call. Bell was in no position to defend herself, being that both hands and both legs were amputated due to a childhood illness. But Smith says don’t let that fool you–Bell is like a handless, legless Ultimate Fighter. 'She’ll swing, push me down and choke me with her nubs,' Smith told the Pioneer Press."

.................I am sorry y'all, but I am speechless. It's hard to write after reading some shit like this. And for all you pro- life folks out there, I have a serious question for you: After hearing about Jacoby Laquan Smith, would you care to rethink your position?

"Smith said that prior to the domestic dispute, Bell was cheating on him.
That’s right, Smith was being cuckolded by a quadruple amputee. That can’t be good for the self-esteem. He turned on the TV and Bell got mad, he says. She punched him in the groin with her deadly nub and then proceeded to dowse him in urine from a bed pan." [Full story]


Jacoby, you are one sick dude.




Monday, April 12, 2010

BROKE!


I met Derrick Coleman back in the day. I was hanging out at a spot in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (way way way before Mrs. Field) and he was there. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he was at the tail end of his career and the folks in Philly were all over him because of all the money the Sixers paid for what the home fans considered a bust.

Having said that, I was sad to hear that Mr. Coleman is officially broke and filing for bankruptcy. Now I will be honest, I was going to rip into Coleman tonight, because, quite frankly, I am sick of young black men making millions of dollars and pissing it away on bullshit.

But after reading more about Coleman's situation I am going to give him a pass. Seems he invested a lot of money in financially troubled Detroit (his home town) and because of the tanking real estate market there most of his investments pretty much went under.

So Coleman gets a pass, but not Exhibit A for young black men pissing away dollars. I am speaking, of course, about one Evander Holyfield. Now this Negro was living in a 20 million dollar 54,000 square foot house. Why? Couldn't the Negro settle for a 5 million dollar crib? (I bet the Duva's ain't broke. ) No, this Negro had to go get a bigger house than all of his "baller" friends.

"You’ve got to look at this place. It’s got a rotunda and everything. The house is 54,000 square feet. That’s almost 1¼ acres. Most people would agree that 2,500 square feet is a decent-sized house, and Holyfield’s spread is 20 times that size. He’s got 107 rooms and 17 baths? The grand entry is bigger than my entire house – or at least it looks bigger. See for yourself."

One hundred and seven rooms? Hey, I know he has ten kids, but that seems like more than enough room for every last one of them.

I am making light of this situation, but it's really not funny. There is just too much of this going on. Antoine Walker made over one hundred million in his career, and he is broke. (Yes "Toine", too many of those hundred thousand dollar medallions will do that to you.) If only some of these cats had spent as much time getting good financial advise as they did trying to find out where the best jewelers were, I am guessing that some of these bankruptcy lawyers wouldn't be getting paid like they are now. Sadly, if you look at the top athletes who have gone broke over the years you will find one glaring similarity. And if you guessed that they all used E.F. Hutton move to the back of the class.

All that money pissed away and for what? A few nice whips that are worth a fraction of what was paid for them? Apartments for jump offs who have moved on to the next "baller"? Just think if all that money had gone into something really worthwhile? A scholarship foundation for needy kids? A start up company for a young entrepreneurs (not a rap label). Or, just some better investments for your damn family so that your own kids can look forward to a better future. (Not you Shawn Kemp. All those dam kids by all those different women? I am guessing you would still be broke)

Oh well, I would start a collection for Derrick and the others, but I can't trust them to do the right thing with the money. Maybe going broke will be best for them. Sometimes the bankruptcy judge knows best.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Kitty told me.


You all know me, I am not a blatherskite. I don't like to delve into the salacious and juciy gossip out there. Strictly the serious stuff like societal problems and politics for the kid.....OK OK, that's bullshit. I love a juicy story as much as the next guy. So with that in mind I have to write about Oprah and her former paramour.

Now there are strange couples and there are strange couples. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but Oprah and John Tesh just seems kind of strange. I know she likes her men tall but...

"Before Oprah loved Stedman, there was John Tesh.
An exclusive excerpt from
Kitty Kelley's upcoming tell-all Oprah Winfrey biography claims the talk-show queen enjoyed a 1970s romance with an unlikely live-in lover: John Tesh.
The towering 6-foot-6 Tesh and a barely out-of-her-teens Winfrey shared her
Nashville apartment until he bolted in the middle of the night, according to the first-ever look inside the book, obtained by the Daily News.
According to Kelley, the "social pressure" on an interracial couple in
Tennessee at that time proved too much for Tesh to handle.
"He said one night he looked down and saw his white body next to her black body and couldn't take it anymore," another Tesh ex-paramour told Kelley." [story]

Oh lawd John, what were you thinking? Still, don't feel bad, I could have bought shares of Disney's stocks a few years back and I passed. You must have the same sinking feeling thinking about what could have been. Oprah!? Just think John, you let a little thing like interracial dating come between you and millions of dollars. Mr. and Mrs. John Tesh. That has a nice ring to it. But sorry, it's too late to get her down the aisle, now. Just ask Stud...I mean Stedman.

Kitty Kelley, I sure hope you ain't lying about the "Queen of daytime." Because if you are, she will sue your ass and it won't be pretty. And I can't say that I would blame her. I mean just imagine, you put something like this out there and the next thing you know it will show up on all types of blogs.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Racist dogs! No, not the four- legged ones.


The dog days of summer aren't quite here yet, but a few stories today have me thinking about dogs.
The first one involves his O ness and his lack of a best friend-the four- legged kind that every man should have. Apparently when you are president of these divided states it helps to have a pet. It seems that Obama's black side is winning the battle on whether to have a pet or not and that's not a good thing. He got a dog for Sasha and Malia, but now, apparently, he might need to get one for himself.

Diana C. Mutz, the Samuel A. Stouffer Professor of Political Science at Penn, studied the electoral appeal of Barack Obama in the fall, crunching a wealth of voter data from the 2008 campaign, and came to a simple, surprising, but unshakable conclusion:
Dude could have used a dog.
Turns out all that sensitive talk about selecting the right sort of pooch for daughters Malia and Sasha (rescue or pup? what's good with allergies?) reinforced the qualities that Mutz suspects cooled some voters to his candidacy.
Instead of making Obama seem pet-friendly, focus on his canine considerations underscored the fact that the presidential contender did not have a dog - or any animal at home.
And in this country, pets and politics have long gone hand in hand, paw, or claw.
FDR had Fala. Nixon had Checkers. LBJ had those beagles he dangled by the ears.
Obama turns out to be the first petless person elected president in our nation's history, according to Mutz's research. (Chester Alan Arthur, the 21st president, was similarly petless, but he wasn't elected; he rose to his position after James Garfield was shot.)"
[story]

My friend Daniel Rubin might have really stumbled unto something here. It's all about the pets.

O man if not a dog, may I suggest a parrot? Just make sure you keep him in the room with your top advisers when you are not around. You might want to find out later what they said behind your back.

The other dog story involves a dog who has probably been hanging around the tea party folks too long. Did you know that dogs can be trained to be racist? I did. I saw that movie back in the day. Still, it's not the poor dog's fault. The poor animal can only do what he is trained to do. I blame the owners. But honestly, the very thought of a racist dog is almost laughable. As if us racism chasers don't have enough to worry about with humans. Besides, I honestly thought that dogs couldn't see colors. Oh well, maybe some dogie expert reading this can help me with that one.

"Let's forget for a second that the dog was doing his job (barking at an intruder) and look at some science. Most animal behaviorists agree that dogs can be taught to react against sets of individuals. A dog could also learn to dislike individuals if they suffered some trauma by members of a group at an early age.

The dogs' vision can also play a role. Though dogs can see colors, they do so with far less sharpness than humans. I've read a report where a dog's eyesight had deteriorated to the point that dark moving objects appeared to be big scary moving blobs. Jeeze! I would bark at that too.So, yes, a dog can react negatively to certain people. But I refuse to call a dog racist." [ story]

Me too. It should be the other way around.

Finally, speaking of dogs; did you see the latest comment from Newt?

"..Mr. Obama is "the most radical president in American history," Gingrich said. "He has said, 'I run a machine, I own Washington, and there is nothing you can do about it.'"
"What we need is a president, not an athlete," Gingrich said during a question and answer period after his speech. He added: "Shooting three point shots may be clever, but it doesn't put anybody to work." [story]

Translated: we need a real president not a black man pretending to be a president. You know all those black people are good athletes. But that's all they are; athletes.