I wish the knuckleheads at ESPN would call TO a selfish nigger and get it over with. We know they want to. All I hear is this "TO is selfish. TO's all about TO. TO this, TO that".
I don't agree with how TO handled his situation (Rosenhaus should be out on his ASS) but the blame isn't just his. As I have said before, the Eagles are leadership-deficient. The front office is so heavy-handed and power-hungry, they do not want strong characters in the locker room. It shouldn't have gotten as far as it did. They didn't come to TO as a man and say "Welcome to the Eagles. Your past is of no consequence. Let's play some football. But, we do have some rules we ask you to respect.". TO is a grown man...he could have either agreed or disagreed. Instead, both sides were inconsisted and it got ig'nant. Nobody's hands are totally clean...and TO's isn't the only loser in the situation.
I know some of you are saying 'Wait, Donovan McNabb is a leader'. I disagree. Donovan is still one of the league's premier QBs, don't get me wrong but he has yet to really grab the Eagles reins. I think he punked out a little bit when he made the comment that they didn't need TO for the Super Bowl. I think he meant (and what he should have said) is that, win or lose, they can only play the guys that are suited up. If TO is one of those guys, great. If not, we will have to find a way to fill that void. Not, "we don't need him" because that's bullshit. He came back from a broken friggin' leg to have a 9 catch, 100+ yard game in the Super Bowl. He played like he was the only one that wanted to win and outwardly showed it.
I think TO exposed greater questions in the Eagles organization like: why would Donovan back out on lobbying for more money for TO and do a 180 when it comes to Brian Westbrook.
I KNOW the Eagles were missing Duce this season.
Ever since Jeff Lurie bought the team and f**ked Randall Cunningham's career up by trying to change him into something he's not, I had no love for that jerk. Andy Reid? If it wasn't for McNabb, he would be just another Mike Holmgren wannabe. And Hugh Douglas? You are retired, for all intents and purposes, what are you doing goading players (I don't care if it was TO) into fights? What is your malfunction?
The Eagles have really dropped down the list of my favorite teams...they are now in the 30's. Only the Ravens are below them...hell, I like the Texans more than them. David Carr, at least, has heart...he keeps getting up after all of those damn sacks.
Well, that or a death wish.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Let's not forget....
Today is the 39th anniversary of the Apollo 1 disaster as well as the anniversary of the 1986 Challenger disaster. February 1 is the 3 year anniversary of the Columbia disaster as well...this is not a good time for NASA, the families of the lost or people affected by that day. I remember when I was in 4th grade and everyone talked about a teacher in space. We wished it was our teacher, Mrs. Harsh (who was anything but)...that is until, 73 seconds after lift-off, the shuttle exploded. We were all shocked...I can barely remember it...it was that rattling. Yahoo has a commemorative article.
Also, there were 4 women or people of color on that shuttle. Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, the aforementioned teacher, Christa Macauliffe and Ronald McNair.
Also, there were 4 women or people of color on that shuttle. Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnick, the aforementioned teacher, Christa Macauliffe and Ronald McNair.
Being a Cleveland sports fan...
"Cleveland ought to be ashamed to look herself in the face." -- John D. Rockefeller, 1914
Some people wonder "why the Cardinals?" Well, I am from Cleveland and it can't be worse than rooting for the Browns....or the Indians...or the Cavs.
Here is the MLB Misery Index and the NFL Misery Index.... not the kind of 1 - 2 punch that Cleveland needs.
Oh, and let's not forget the story about how George Steinbrenner wanted to buy the Indians...
As detailed in this article:
In an effort to interject some life and direction into the town, he organized a group of young up-and-comers, christened them Group 66, and set out to make something happen. Among the first things they did was to resurrect the defunct air show, a symbol of the city's better times.
Steinbrenner established a pro basketball team in the 1960s, composed of some of the best college players of the time. While both league and team failed, he was relentless in his quest to run a professional sports franchise.
His father, Henry, argued that his son's future was in the family shipping business, not sports. Occupants of the Rockefeller Building still speak of overhearing furious debates between father and son.
By 1973, Vernon Stouffer, who made his money in frozen foods and restaurants, was having financial problems. He was willing to sell one of his least promising holdings: the Cleveland Indians.
Stouffer had purchased the team largely as a civic gesture, and the beleaguered franchise floundered. There was talk of moving the Tribe to New Orleans.
Steinbrenner formed a group of local investors to buy the Indians. The asking price was $10 million. But when Steinbrenner and partner Dan McCarthy studied the financials, they found a team strapped with debt and concluded that its real value was around $6.3 million.
The group offered $8 million anyway, says McCarthy, since Steinbrenner and Stouffer were friends. Yet Stouffer was adamant; he wanted $10 million. To this day, some still wonder whether it was Stouffer's drinking or his dislike for Steinbrenner's Jewish partners that caused the deal to collapse, because what happened next made no sense.
Stouffer sold the Indians to Nick Mileti, a charming promoter who flashed across Cleveland like a shooting star. Mileti gave Stouffer $1 million in cash and a lot of paper. Paper to Mileti was like tissue to Kleenex.
Jack Torry, in his book Endless Summers: The Fall and Rise of the Cleveland Indians, wrote that Mileti "bought the Indians with nothing more than green stamps." He would eventually resign his role as general partner.
With his investment group intact, Steinbrenner learned that CBS wanted to sell the New York Yankees. For virtually the same amount of money, the band of Clevelanders purchased what would become the richest sports franchise in history, estimated by Forbes to be worth $832 million.
The Guardian: Why There Wouldn't be a Black Brokeback Mountain (or Down-Low Mountain? Ain't no Mountain)
Gary Younge of the Guardian has written an excellent article on "Where there will never be a black Brokeback Mountain". It brings up the fact that, when white men cheat on their wives with other men, it's a moral failing. When it comes to black men, it's the "Down-Low", like it's somehow different and black men are beholden to some animal instinct to fuck, fuck, fuck.
I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of getting it on with another man...women are just too damn amazing...but people have to be with who makes them happy. I think that people should be honest with the feelings within themselves. Also, society needs to chill out on chastising homosexuals which is part of why people, especially minorities, find it hard to come out -- I can't even imagine what former NFL DL -- DL for Defensive Lineman -- Esera Tuaolo had to go through as a minority gay male professional athlete. If it really is a sin, God will take care of that. Not us. Our job is to love, respect or, at least, tolerate, each other, not judge (or worse) each other.
I am so tired of people using what adults do in their bedrooms as a smokescreen issue while our schools, infrastructure and jobs are going to hell in a handbasket.
Sickening...way more sickening than two men or two women in love (which, I believe, isn't sickening...even though it's not for me). I think that heterosexuals and homosexual haters should focus more on loving those they care about than hating on people that did nothing to them.
I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of getting it on with another man...women are just too damn amazing...but people have to be with who makes them happy. I think that people should be honest with the feelings within themselves. Also, society needs to chill out on chastising homosexuals which is part of why people, especially minorities, find it hard to come out -- I can't even imagine what former NFL DL -- DL for Defensive Lineman -- Esera Tuaolo had to go through as a minority gay male professional athlete. If it really is a sin, God will take care of that. Not us. Our job is to love, respect or, at least, tolerate, each other, not judge (or worse) each other.
I am so tired of people using what adults do in their bedrooms as a smokescreen issue while our schools, infrastructure and jobs are going to hell in a handbasket.
Sickening...way more sickening than two men or two women in love (which, I believe, isn't sickening...even though it's not for me). I think that heterosexuals and homosexual haters should focus more on loving those they care about than hating on people that did nothing to them.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
Peter B. Lewis
It's been a long time since I have commented on things Cleveland by way of posting. Because of some work obligations, I couldn't comment very much on the mayoral race. If I were living in Cleveland, I would have abstained from the assignment but since I am an Akronian and can't vote anyway, I figured I would.
I must say, I am pulling for Mayor Jackson. He sounds kind of like older members of my family. He says things that some of them would say and he grew up in the same environment as my grandmother and her siblings did. (near east side of Cleveland). There is something familiar about him. I hope he can make this city better *cough* stop Wal-mart *cough*.
I was watching the news this morning and I heard about Peter B. Lewis's donation to his alma mater, Princeton, to the tune of 101 MILLION dollars. It's pretty sad when Cleveland's most wealthy businessman would rather give money to a school in NJ than one here. This is 101 million hints for all of Ohio's (especially Northeast Ohio universities) ...come up with a plan and SERVE THIS AREA. It does not involve building rec centers, dorms or branch campuses in exurbia (I won't name names...oh, what the hell...Cleveland State, Cleveland State and Cleveland State). Those are parts of the picture. What matters is class size, availability of classes to facilitate minimal logistical impediment to graduation ( in laymen's terms, classes when students need them), professors that provide academic rigor and creative ways to present information.
Cleveland State has thumbed its' nose at spending on academic improvements...which is probably why PBL is not blessing them with dough. CWRU proved it was unworthy after the business building's overruns (there's another debacle involving that building but don't even get me started on that.)
Education is paramount...other stuff is gravy.
I must say, I am pulling for Mayor Jackson. He sounds kind of like older members of my family. He says things that some of them would say and he grew up in the same environment as my grandmother and her siblings did. (near east side of Cleveland). There is something familiar about him. I hope he can make this city better *cough* stop Wal-mart *cough*.
I was watching the news this morning and I heard about Peter B. Lewis's donation to his alma mater, Princeton, to the tune of 101 MILLION dollars. It's pretty sad when Cleveland's most wealthy businessman would rather give money to a school in NJ than one here. This is 101 million hints for all of Ohio's (especially Northeast Ohio universities) ...come up with a plan and SERVE THIS AREA. It does not involve building rec centers, dorms or branch campuses in exurbia (I won't name names...oh, what the hell...Cleveland State, Cleveland State and Cleveland State). Those are parts of the picture. What matters is class size, availability of classes to facilitate minimal logistical impediment to graduation ( in laymen's terms, classes when students need them), professors that provide academic rigor and creative ways to present information.
Cleveland State has thumbed its' nose at spending on academic improvements...which is probably why PBL is not blessing them with dough. CWRU proved it was unworthy after the business building's overruns (there's another debacle involving that building but don't even get me started on that.)
Education is paramount...other stuff is gravy.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
This is really contrived...thanks Reese:
Ten Top Trivia Tips about Derek!
- It takes forty minutes to hard-boil Derek.
- Europe is the only continent that lacks Derek.
- People used to believe that dressing their male children as Derek would protect them from evil spirits.
- You would have to dig through four thousand kilometres of Derek to reach the earth's core.
- A Derekometer is used to measure Derek!
- If you break Derek, you will get seven years of bad luck!
- An average beaver can cut down Derek every year!
- Derek cannot be detected by infrared cameras!
- Derek is often used in place of milk in food photography, because milk goes soggy more quickly than Derek!
- Some hotels in Las Vegas have Derek floating in their swimming pools!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
All aboard the bus...for the last time?
Let's get this straight. When the Browns and Steelers renew acquaintaces twice (and once, three times) yearly, I root for the orange and brown. I pretty much have to, I was born in Cleveland. Even my little man does.
But, you have to respect the Bus. I liked Jerome Bettis back when he was in Notre Dame (though I think they gave him the shaft in St. Louis--imagine him and Marshall Faulk running in the same backfield...how lovely would that have been? Maybe Faulk would have stayed in Indy...and Indy would have never drafted Edgerrin...Manning, Faulk and Harrison...how nice would that have been...but, I digress...)...it was something how number 6 would just steamroll half of the cats and out run the rest. Sure he's blown through the Browns more times than I care to remember...but he's a good football player and, from what his teammates have to say, a good guy. From a NY Times article:
I hope that, if the Bus does pull into the depot, he considers coaching. Guys like TO need coaches like him. Guys that will teach them. TO didn't go off the deep end because he's crazy. He went off because he felt like no one cared. I am not saying coddle him, but someone should have said "Yo, you are an Eagle now. We live and die together. You don't have to like me. I don't have to like you. But, on that field, it's you and me for 60 minutes." The Bus did that with a guy who could take his job, Willie Parker. Why couldn't anyone do that with TO? Why can't Brett Favre sit down and do that for Aaron Rogers? But, why does Jerome Bettis do it?
He's a big man...a man of character. That's why I still pull for the bus. Even though my football brain says Denver, I still want the Bus to do well, win or lose.
But, you have to respect the Bus. I liked Jerome Bettis back when he was in Notre Dame (though I think they gave him the shaft in St. Louis--imagine him and Marshall Faulk running in the same backfield...how lovely would that have been? Maybe Faulk would have stayed in Indy...and Indy would have never drafted Edgerrin...Manning, Faulk and Harrison...how nice would that have been...but, I digress...)...it was something how number 6 would just steamroll half of the cats and out run the rest. Sure he's blown through the Browns more times than I care to remember...but he's a good football player and, from what his teammates have to say, a good guy. From a NY Times article:
Ward became particularly close to Bettis during his contract holdout before the season. Bettis became Ward's spokesman, in the locker room and in front of the microphones. In an interview with The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bettis said that Steelers players were watching how the organization handled Ward's contract. But behind the scenes, he advised Ward not to let the situation become personal, and he told Ward to call Cowher. Ward did, and that eventually led to the end of his holdout.
I hope that, if the Bus does pull into the depot, he considers coaching. Guys like TO need coaches like him. Guys that will teach them. TO didn't go off the deep end because he's crazy. He went off because he felt like no one cared. I am not saying coddle him, but someone should have said "Yo, you are an Eagle now. We live and die together. You don't have to like me. I don't have to like you. But, on that field, it's you and me for 60 minutes." The Bus did that with a guy who could take his job, Willie Parker. Why couldn't anyone do that with TO? Why can't Brett Favre sit down and do that for Aaron Rogers? But, why does Jerome Bettis do it?
He's a big man...a man of character. That's why I still pull for the bus. Even though my football brain says Denver, I still want the Bus to do well, win or lose.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Platform of Choice: Through the Years
It seemed like forever ago. Back in 1992, when I first became a member of the Upward Bound program at Case Western Reserve University during my sophomore year in high school, I first cut my computer networking teeth on a OS called System 7. If someone asked me what OS this Mac runs, I would look at them like they were crazy and say 'what other OSes are there for a Mac'? At the time, there were none...oh how 14 years can change things.
I was a loyal Mac person until I went to school at Allegheny College. There, they were users of the NeXT OS created by our good friend, Steve Jobs...and the hardware that went with it. The hardware SUCKED but the OS was secure, intuitive and user-friendly. It had cool things that I didn't realize the beauty of until now. I could go into command-line whenever I wanted, I could use Objective-C to code whatever I wanted. The web browser, while no Netscape 1.1, held its own. But the beauty of it was...it was UNIX. I couldn't ever go back to non-UNIX OSes now...
...then came Windows95 which messed up my world.
Then, one day, during my second tour at Allegheny, Glenn Buchholz (forgive me if I didn't spell your last name right, Glenn...I could just call you JAWSSSSSS, as Randy did but I digress...big ups to you guys!) gave a talk about...this UNIX...that you could put on a PC...it was called...Linux.
Holy Shit.
That day changed my life. I knew that, one day, me and Linux would eventually have to hook up. That day was during the summer of 1999. I bought my first parts from a computer and I bought a Linux book and wrestled with Caldera OpenLinux 1.2...and Windows 98, Second Edition. For the last 6 1/2 years, I haven't gone more than 2 weeks without a distro of Linux on one of my regular use machines.
Right now, my main machine has Win XP Pro and Kubuntu on a dual boot.
...but I am typing this on a Mac, running OS X.
Love is hard.
I was a loyal Mac person until I went to school at Allegheny College. There, they were users of the NeXT OS created by our good friend, Steve Jobs...and the hardware that went with it. The hardware SUCKED but the OS was secure, intuitive and user-friendly. It had cool things that I didn't realize the beauty of until now. I could go into command-line whenever I wanted, I could use Objective-C to code whatever I wanted. The web browser, while no Netscape 1.1, held its own. But the beauty of it was...it was UNIX. I couldn't ever go back to non-UNIX OSes now...
...then came Windows95 which messed up my world.
Then, one day, during my second tour at Allegheny, Glenn Buchholz (forgive me if I didn't spell your last name right, Glenn...I could just call you JAWSSSSSS, as Randy did but I digress...big ups to you guys!) gave a talk about...this UNIX...that you could put on a PC...it was called...Linux.
Holy Shit.
That day changed my life. I knew that, one day, me and Linux would eventually have to hook up. That day was during the summer of 1999. I bought my first parts from a computer and I bought a Linux book and wrestled with Caldera OpenLinux 1.2...and Windows 98, Second Edition. For the last 6 1/2 years, I haven't gone more than 2 weeks without a distro of Linux on one of my regular use machines.
Right now, my main machine has Win XP Pro and Kubuntu on a dual boot.
...but I am typing this on a Mac, running OS X.
Love is hard.
Wired News: Eat, Sleep, Work, Consume, Die
I think technology's great. Of course I do...I am a geek. If it wasn't for technology, I would probably have no marketable skills at this current time. But, at the same time, I am human. I like to think that I get along well with people. Sure, I like to go and play Madden '06 with my boys but the best part is hanging with my boys. I could play Madden '06 in my house and lock myself in...but I go and play for the camaraderie. Big ups to my peeps.
Tony Long, who refers to himself as "The Luddite" and he works at Wired...go figure...wrote an article about consumption and how it has overcome life as we know it.
Just because you can work from almost anywhere, doesn't mean you should. I think that the line between work and play has blurred but I am not sure if that's a good thing for the worker or the employer.
Comments?
Tony Long, who refers to himself as "The Luddite" and he works at Wired...go figure...wrote an article about consumption and how it has overcome life as we know it.
Just because technology makes it possible for us to work 10 times faster than we used to doesn't mean we should do it. The body may be able to withstand the strain -- for a while -- but the spirit isn't meant to flail away uselessly on the commercial gerbil wheel. The boys in corporate don't want you to hear this because the more they can suck out of you, the lower their costs and the higher their profit margin. And profit is god, after all. (Genuflect here, if you must.)
But what's good for them isn't necessarily good for you, no matter how much filthy lucre they throw your way.
Just because you can work from almost anywhere, doesn't mean you should. I think that the line between work and play has blurred but I am not sure if that's a good thing for the worker or the employer.
Comments?
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Wow...
Did I ever say that Aaron McGruder was the man? If not, let me say so, here and now. I don't care if everyone hates on him for this episode of The Boondocks where MLK comes back (I just saw it via Adult Swim's Friday Night Fix)...review coming after it shows on Cartoon Network....11 PM EST...Sunday, January 15 (how appropriate). I had to watch it again...
Friday, January 13, 2006
Go Maryland!
Why can't Ohio do this:
It's about damn time. Companies have been relying on the government to provide healthcare for their employees so they don't have to when they should pay. Wal-Mart and those of their ilk are abusing the system worse than ODB ever could. Wal-Mart and anti-labor interests are stating that this is the work of unions. No, it's the work of a government that is tired of footing the bill for those that can. This study says so...as does the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In this articleit shows that it's not just in California, Georgia or Maryland:
I am all for government aid to support the poor and working poor...but I will be damned if my tax money goes into the pockets of Wal-Mart's shareholders while their employees scrape by. Wal-Mart...America's biggest welfare cheat!
politicians in Maryland passed controversial "fair-share" legislation. The bill, aimed almost exclusively at Wal-Mart, calls on companies with more than 10,000 employees in the state to spend at least 8 per cent of their payroll on health insurance or make up any shortfall with a contribution towards health schemes that are publicy run.
It's about damn time. Companies have been relying on the government to provide healthcare for their employees so they don't have to when they should pay. Wal-Mart and those of their ilk are abusing the system worse than ODB ever could. Wal-Mart and anti-labor interests are stating that this is the work of unions. No, it's the work of a government that is tired of footing the bill for those that can. This study says so...as does the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In this articleit shows that it's not just in California, Georgia or Maryland:
The state of Connecticut discovered in January 2005 that it pays an estimated $43 million annually to cover health costs for workers at the state's 25 largest employers; Wal-Mart was at the top of the list with 824 employees or employees' adult dependents on state public assistance programs. Beyond Connecticut, Wal-Mart had the most employees on Medicaid in a total of 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to examinations in those states [Employee Benefit News, 5/01/05].
I am all for government aid to support the poor and working poor...but I will be damned if my tax money goes into the pockets of Wal-Mart's shareholders while their employees scrape by. Wal-Mart...America's biggest welfare cheat!
Short and sweet (what really matters)
As I tore a few minutes away from my scintillating job to rest my overworked mind, I found this post:
This is how I want to live my life...though I wouldn't have thrown out DVDs or video games, I agree with his outlook. Many times these things get in the way of who we want to be and what we want to do.
...burn your TV, it’s a black hole for time and energy -
it has nothing to do with real life.
Just remember; life is short, time is fleeting so love your family, love God,
find Jesus (He is the narrow gate.)
Be a nerd, be a geek. Love your nerd, love your geek.
But balance your nerdish geeky tendencies with love.
This is how I want to live my life...though I wouldn't have thrown out DVDs or video games, I agree with his outlook. Many times these things get in the way of who we want to be and what we want to do.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
My Quick Feelings About the War
Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the Unites States, professor and WW II veteran said here:
What's key to that statement is dealing with fundamentals. America still hasn't answered the question "Why were some people so mad with this country that they jacked some airplanes and ran them into the largest building in NYC and the Pentagon?". Many people know why but America isn't addressing the way it treats the rest of the world...and those within its' borders.
Terrorism remains a frightening phenomenon all over the world. But war cannot stop terrorism, because war is itself terrorism, breeding rage and hate, as we are seeing now. War is a substitute for getting at the roots of terrorism, and the United States has turned to it, because to deal with fundamentals rather than symptoms would require radical changes in policy.
What's key to that statement is dealing with fundamentals. America still hasn't answered the question "Why were some people so mad with this country that they jacked some airplanes and ran them into the largest building in NYC and the Pentagon?". Many people know why but America isn't addressing the way it treats the rest of the world...and those within its' borders.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Black Identity and Politics
from this article:
Who determines how Black a particlar candidate is? Does being a Republican make them less black? Does being from a third party make Black candidates more out of touch with the predominately Democratic Black America? Do you have to be poor or grow up poor to be really black? If you went to "white" schools, does that mean you lose your ability and perch to talk about the state of black communities?
Black America needs to answer this question. Oh, and anyone over 40, I don't want to hear from you. Mad? Well, good. How do you think that we feel? When previous generations have gone to college and moved forward, they were lauded. When Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. went to Yale from his West Virginia hometown, people were happy for him almost as if themselves or their child made it. However, when we do the same, we are treated as outcasts because we are too "white" or we are "sellouts". Sure, there are some who abandon their moral stances for the dollar but that's not a specifically black phenomenon.
I am tired of people from the Civil Rights generation turning their nose up at black folks now. Once, white America cracked the door, many just ran in and barricaded it in accordance with the "one-nigga rule"--there can only be one nigger here and that's ME. They didn't provide support or mentoring for blacks that didn't have the resources to get to the door. In short, they believed that poorer blacks were incapable and they didn't want to give back. Our generation wants to be different.
This staus quo has bred contempt (listen to hip-hop sometime...especially in the late 80's and early 90's). Young, black, intelligent and savvy (as much as I hate to use this term) Gen-Xers are everywhere. There are hip-hop pediatricians (like my homie, Jarret), hip-hop lawyers (Jaime and Reese) and countless hip-hop teachers, engineers and planners (what up G) that see a world beyond Democrat and Republican, red and blue. Barack Obama and Cory Booker, I hope, are just the beginning.
We grew up exposed to more information and culture than any generation of black folks before. Many of us have lived among people that aren't black and have exchanged cultural information. Our receptivity and understanding of the fact that we are more alike than many are willing to admit. Many people, such as older black leaders, retain their power because of difference. Because young blacks are willing to embrace those that believe in their vision, black or otherwise, older blacks accuse people like Booker as being "not black enough".
It's time to stop being nice to people that impede progress. A few years ago, Aaron McGruder, as described in this article called comfortable white liberals not to rest on the laurels of past accomplishments. We can't let older blacks do it either. Props to the Michael Eric Dysons of the world that challenge people like Bill Cosby when they make statements about today's young people.
To Bill Cosby: You aren't squeaky-clean either. Help solve the problems that create the situations or have a nice glass of shut the fuck up with your pudding.
Like I said, time to stop being nice to those that hold you back.
"You have to learn to be an African-American and we don't have time to train you." -Sharpe James, Newark Mayor (since 1970)
Who determines how Black a particlar candidate is? Does being a Republican make them less black? Does being from a third party make Black candidates more out of touch with the predominately Democratic Black America? Do you have to be poor or grow up poor to be really black? If you went to "white" schools, does that mean you lose your ability and perch to talk about the state of black communities?
Black America needs to answer this question. Oh, and anyone over 40, I don't want to hear from you. Mad? Well, good. How do you think that we feel? When previous generations have gone to college and moved forward, they were lauded. When Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. went to Yale from his West Virginia hometown, people were happy for him almost as if themselves or their child made it. However, when we do the same, we are treated as outcasts because we are too "white" or we are "sellouts". Sure, there are some who abandon their moral stances for the dollar but that's not a specifically black phenomenon.
I am tired of people from the Civil Rights generation turning their nose up at black folks now. Once, white America cracked the door, many just ran in and barricaded it in accordance with the "one-nigga rule"--there can only be one nigger here and that's ME. They didn't provide support or mentoring for blacks that didn't have the resources to get to the door. In short, they believed that poorer blacks were incapable and they didn't want to give back. Our generation wants to be different.
This staus quo has bred contempt (listen to hip-hop sometime...especially in the late 80's and early 90's). Young, black, intelligent and savvy (as much as I hate to use this term) Gen-Xers are everywhere. There are hip-hop pediatricians (like my homie, Jarret), hip-hop lawyers (Jaime and Reese) and countless hip-hop teachers, engineers and planners (what up G) that see a world beyond Democrat and Republican, red and blue. Barack Obama and Cory Booker, I hope, are just the beginning.
We grew up exposed to more information and culture than any generation of black folks before. Many of us have lived among people that aren't black and have exchanged cultural information. Our receptivity and understanding of the fact that we are more alike than many are willing to admit. Many people, such as older black leaders, retain their power because of difference. Because young blacks are willing to embrace those that believe in their vision, black or otherwise, older blacks accuse people like Booker as being "not black enough".
But finally, what makes the conflict so potent is that the older generation of black leadership does not want to be displaced, even if the battle has moved on. "They will fight to the end to hold on to it," says Queens minister and former congressman Floyd Flake. "The younger guys are going to have to make their way, because what's really most threatening to them is that here is a generation of kids that are not locked up in the struggles of the civil-rights era. And the older generation is saying, 'They're not ready because they're not black enough'? It's a sad indictment on us as a race."
It's time to stop being nice to people that impede progress. A few years ago, Aaron McGruder, as described in this article called comfortable white liberals not to rest on the laurels of past accomplishments. We can't let older blacks do it either. Props to the Michael Eric Dysons of the world that challenge people like Bill Cosby when they make statements about today's young people.
To Bill Cosby: You aren't squeaky-clean either. Help solve the problems that create the situations or have a nice glass of shut the fuck up with your pudding.
Like I said, time to stop being nice to those that hold you back.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Vote for Somebody
In this MSNBC article, Craig Crawford talks about the Jack Abramoff scandal and how it could be the biggest scandal to hit DC (bigger than even Watergate). He states that corruption is ubiquitous because:
He also states that the voting public is to blame by voting for the biggest spenders. He says let's try voting for the person who spends less for a change. I, for one, agree. Think about how that money could be used instead of using them on TV and radio ads. They could actually go to people who need help...they could do good in their district. That wins votes...not mudslinging commercials.
"Money is the dominant political party in the nation's capital. This is an era where the average House incumbent spends $1 million to stay in office, and senators spend far more."
He also states that the voting public is to blame by voting for the biggest spenders. He says let's try voting for the person who spends less for a change. I, for one, agree. Think about how that money could be used instead of using them on TV and radio ads. They could actually go to people who need help...they could do good in their district. That wins votes...not mudslinging commercials.
oh my...
For once, I actually agree with Terry Pluto.
Hell might actually freeze over.
This article is actually on-point. The Browns need stability. Phil Savage picked some good guys this draft. Romeo Crennell is a class guy. Charlie Frye was 2-3 as a starter. Many have done worse. Andra Davis had a Pro Bowl caliber year and Kenard Lang and Chaun Thompson showed some upside.
But they are still 6-10.
They should trade down, get some good line guys and then we could see playoffs if not next year, the year after. That is, if the Browns get a good president.
As for me, I will be watching the Cardinals. Yes, the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, they do still exist.
Hell might actually freeze over.
This article is actually on-point. The Browns need stability. Phil Savage picked some good guys this draft. Romeo Crennell is a class guy. Charlie Frye was 2-3 as a starter. Many have done worse. Andra Davis had a Pro Bowl caliber year and Kenard Lang and Chaun Thompson showed some upside.
But they are still 6-10.
They should trade down, get some good line guys and then we could see playoffs if not next year, the year after. That is, if the Browns get a good president.
As for me, I will be watching the Cardinals. Yes, the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, they do still exist.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
2006 is here.
Wow...
The 2000's are half-over. 2001-2005, all history. I hope that the last half of this century was better than the first half. This is shaping up to be almost as bad as the 80's. So many big questions: do we have an exit strategy for Iraq? What happens to those displaced by Katrina? Will they even rebuild New Orleans? How can rising medical costs and lower real wages be a good combination? Will America avoid becoming a third-world nation? Will all of the dirty tricks that the "President" pulled see the light before he skates away on his term-limited retirement?
Then there's education. This will ultimately kill America if it's not handled. How did India, where the citizens are VERY poor, produce so many engineers, DBAs and the sort? Education. Same with China. There is an emphasis put on succeding...not on just getting by.
We need fewer slumlording charter schools. Yes, White Hat, I mean you. We need more schools like The Intergenerational School in Cleveland.
More change at public schools...and I don't mean a new proficiency test. Tests are tools to ascertain knowledge acquisition and understanding, not to dictate them.
We need fresh ideas to educate our populace -- especially our children, not prepare them for a life of just-getting-by jobs and rampant consumerism. There needs to be a stand in the cities, the states and all the way up saying, "we will educate these children, not indoctrinate them with an ethos of mediocrity for most and inferiority for some".
And, racism? Don't get me started. Racism is still alive and kicking in America. It's the reason why a lot of the problems in America haven't been solved especially some of the ones I mentioned above. People try to blame the abdication of self-accountability for the shortcomings of our poorer citizens *cough* Bill Cosby *cough*. It's so much more. People still don't believe that people of color are equal...there is lots of inter-group and intra-group racism (not to mention other -isms such as sexism)...sickening.
This is where my mind is when I look at the world in 2006.
The 2000's are half-over. 2001-2005, all history. I hope that the last half of this century was better than the first half. This is shaping up to be almost as bad as the 80's. So many big questions: do we have an exit strategy for Iraq? What happens to those displaced by Katrina? Will they even rebuild New Orleans? How can rising medical costs and lower real wages be a good combination? Will America avoid becoming a third-world nation? Will all of the dirty tricks that the "President" pulled see the light before he skates away on his term-limited retirement?
Then there's education. This will ultimately kill America if it's not handled. How did India, where the citizens are VERY poor, produce so many engineers, DBAs and the sort? Education. Same with China. There is an emphasis put on succeding...not on just getting by.
We need fewer slumlording charter schools. Yes, White Hat, I mean you. We need more schools like The Intergenerational School in Cleveland.
More change at public schools...and I don't mean a new proficiency test. Tests are tools to ascertain knowledge acquisition and understanding, not to dictate them.
We need fresh ideas to educate our populace -- especially our children, not prepare them for a life of just-getting-by jobs and rampant consumerism. There needs to be a stand in the cities, the states and all the way up saying, "we will educate these children, not indoctrinate them with an ethos of mediocrity for most and inferiority for some".
And, racism? Don't get me started. Racism is still alive and kicking in America. It's the reason why a lot of the problems in America haven't been solved especially some of the ones I mentioned above. People try to blame the abdication of self-accountability for the shortcomings of our poorer citizens *cough* Bill Cosby *cough*. It's so much more. People still don't believe that people of color are equal...there is lots of inter-group and intra-group racism (not to mention other -isms such as sexism)...sickening.
This is where my mind is when I look at the world in 2006.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Talk about classless..
The Minnesota Vikings have had a hard (no pun...ok, some pun intended) season. The started a woeful 2 - 5 in their first seven games and rallied to finish up 7 - 2 to finish 9 - 7 and just outside of the playoff picture. Considering losing both Randy Moss to the Raiders and Daunte Culpepper (torn ACL, MCL and PCL) and having a notoriously cheap owner sell the team mid-season to a real piece of work whose last name looks like a before picture of the Soul Train Scrambleboard (what the hell kind of name is Zygi Wilf?) and a relatively young coach that didn't have all that much to work with (and let's not even get into the "Love Boat" fiasco), they had a lot to deal with and they won more than they lost.
Despite a win against the second best team in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, the aforementioned Mr. Wilf saw it necessary to fire Mike Tice in the locker room shortly after the game. For a owner that had missionaryesque zeal about ethics and values (remember, he came up with the "code of conduct" after the boat misadventure, this is really low.
Despite a win against the second best team in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, the aforementioned Mr. Wilf saw it necessary to fire Mike Tice in the locker room shortly after the game. For a owner that had missionaryesque zeal about ethics and values (remember, he came up with the "code of conduct" after the boat misadventure, this is really low.
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