...and that is the question...

On health care...

Senator Obama has just mentioned that a universal mandate would play into insurers hands creating automatic demand. I definitely agree. It would be more difficult to hold them accountable.

Welcome back to Cleveland, Tim Russert...

Tim Russert, of Meet the Press and Brian Williams' right hand man in this debate, has a connection to the area. He is an alum of both John Carroll U and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

HILLARY IS NOT BILL....

The thing that bugs me about this election cycle is how people think that just because they shared matrimonial vows that former President Clinton and Senator Clinton are politically one in the same.

I think that they are very different politically and as people. Bill strikes me as a person who very easily vibes with people...Hillary...well, not so much.

focus...

Joel Libava gave me an idea that's been running through my head. Maybe I should focus on a particular area...

Of special interest to me in this debate is race, class , who locally is supporting who and why, education funding and support and aid for the working to middle class (here's a gauge...if the thought of not having a paycheck for a whole month scares you, you are working-to-middle-class).

Liveblogging @ channel 3

From The Melting Pot in Lyndhurst to another melting pot...

...except some of Northeast Ohio's finest and most prolific bloggers are nothing like the fondue I had at my work meeting (which I hustled -- thanks to my understanding boss and coworkers for their support) but less than an hour ago.

I sit here with George Nemeth, Tim Ferris, Joel Libava (The Franchise King), Will and Laura Kessel, Roger Bundy and Gloria Ferris, all writing about the goings-on here tonight at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University.

I will start tonight's blogging by saying I have decided to throw my support behind Barack Obama. While I respect Senator Clinton as a statesperson, I do think that the change in approach Senator Obama represents is necessary for the dire situation our country is in after our current president's tenure.

Charles Barkley for Barack Obama

Charles Wade Barkley...

I recently read his Barack Obama chapter in his book "Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man" and I really appreciate the chapter. I think that Charles Barkley is a very straight shooter and the best power forward ever. I think that seeing Barack as president would do wonders for the self-esteem of some of the kids out there with no hope.

I love Barkley's take about judgemental conservatives as "fake Christians". When Wolf asks him if he feels comfortable about his stance, he says, "I don't work for them." Classic.

Race and BHO (Barack H. Obama)

One issue that keeps coming up in this race for the top job in the most racially charged country in the world is race. If Senator Barack Obama left the race now, we know he has already traversed uncharted territory. No black person has ever done this well (Yes, Jesse, this includes you. Come on, man...Hymietown? What in the hell were you thinking? But, hey, you weren't presidential material anyway...) in a race for the presidency. As of this post, Senator Barack Obama, including pledged superdelegates (that's another story entirely) is LEADING Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by 42 delegates (Source: CNN ).

But, there is one refrain that I hear from some black people...

...Barack's not black or Barack's not black enough.

Legendary NBA coach (and former Cavaliers coach) Lenny Wilkens said in his autobiography that he recognized that America will see him as a black man but he knows as well that he is the sum of his black father and Irish Catholic mother and both are inextricable parts of who he is. Barack's boat is similar, being of similar lineage. But, what Barack has that many of us black Americans don't have is a direct and distinct tie to the motherland. Let's not forget his father is African while many African-Americans who claim to have two black parents are more racially diluted than they know -- or care to admit. So whether he's biologically black enough
is moot.

Socially, I believe that many black people put restrictions on who they are and what they can be because they simply think "Oh, black people just don't do that." What if Willie O'Ree (the first black player in the NHL - 50 years this year, as a matter of fact) said hockey isn't for black people? What if Shani Davis said speedskating isn't for Black people? What if Ben Carson said being a surgeon isn't for Black people? What if Mae Jemison said being an astronaut isn't for Black people?

Sen. Obama, like the people previously mentioned, are expanding Black people's expectations of their own abilities. They are showing young kids in general, and young black kids in particular that your only limit to what you can be is your willingness to work and your drive to find who you are. Others' preconceived notions about the limitations about black people (even from black people) don't matter.

This isn't why I am supporting Barack for president but it is part of why I always liked him as a man.

Hillary the Bigot?

...that's how they want you to see her. Do I think that Hillary's lauding the civil rights record of LBJ (no, not LeBron James, Lyndon B. Johnson) was offensive? No. I just happen to think she's incorrect. But, people are quickly painting her as belittling Dr. King.

Senator Clinton doesn't have the power to step on the legacy of Dr. King and I don't think she was trying to. Many true bigots and hateful people couldn't and I don't think Senator Clinton is a hateful person. I respect her a great deal and I support her...but not for president.

These are the things we DON'T need to be focusing on. We need to be more issues oriented. Barack, John, Hillary and Dennis, let's stick to the issues. Forget all of these people who want to see you all duke it out. They don't matter, I don't care who they are.

Favre 1, Arnold 0 F

Ok, it's over.

The Brett Favre hatefest is officially over.

My boys often harass me for my disdain for Brett Favre. I rooted for him when the Pack was in the Super Bowl but I was turned of by his wishy-washiness about retiring.

But, good is good, and Favre is good...very good.

There, I said it.

But they are still going to lose the Super Bowl to the Jags.

The Night the Spark Went Out in Louisiana

"We played a lot tougher teams, mentally tougher. When they got down, they shut it down."
--LSU safety Harry Coleman

When a backup safety says these kinds of things, something's wrong. It's one thing to play hard and fall via a missed field goal or a pass just out of the reach of a receiver's grasp away from victory. This fate befell the Browns. But, over the last 15 games, the Browns went 10-5 and showed considerable heart, even in defeat. Sure, they made mistakes but they showed guts and stayed in the game.

Unlike the Buckeyes.

I have said, get up on a Jim Tressel team, they fold like a poorly constructed house of cards. When you see a team implode like that, you have to look at leadership. College is about building character but folding under pressure runs counter to that end.

Dare I say it....fire. Fire. Jim. Tressel.

Summit County and Mass Transit

I posted this at BFD.

It's about mass transit and Summit County, Ohio.

reaping and sowing

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a
man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7 KJV)

I am not a biblical scholar but this statement has been proven true way more than it hasn't. (That God, she's pretty smart, you know.)

I thought of that phrase when I heard about the beating of Kevin McDermott of Shaker Heights a few days ago around E 146th and Onaway, near the Shaker - Cleveland border by multiple assailants. Articles such as this one, took a really sad tone, a tone that said "Oh my God, senseless crime in the suburbs? How could that be? This only happens to them...over there". Listen, our world could be a lot safer and many people, like Mr. McDermott, are casualties of miscreant perpetrators. With any issue, we have to find its' source and its' source is... the very suburbs that were supposedly immune to these types of acts.

Why? How? The American suburb, for many, was used as an escape hatch to flee the poor, the less educated and the different, for some. Some people had growing families and didn't have the room to expand in the city, which happens. But many people, didn't run to the suburbs as much as they ran away from the city. Instead of helping to solve the problems, they ran and left it to those that couldn't to solve the problems. Lack of educational opportunities and lack of hope turn hopeful, imaginative children into guys that walk around looking for some guy to beat up in Shaker Heights.

I am sure critics are thinking "Oh sure, blame society. Why couldn't they be more responsible." I think they should be too but it's pretty hard when you were never taught or if you felt like being negative was a better choice than being positive. It's too late for Mr. McDermott's attackers, they must reap the consequences of their violence once they are apprehended. But, as long as people run from neighborhoods instead of working with and respecting the people in them (it's not just about fixing housing stock, people) better, we will continue to get what we get.

Some first post of the year, eh?

Ends and Beginnings, Part I

Life itself has a beginning and an end for each of us. Sometimes the interactions of beginnings and ends make life very interesting and educational.

Earlier this month, my great-aunt, Paula R. Campbell, returned to the essence. There are people who you meet who have this presence without really striving for such. Aunt Paula had that kind of presence. Every time I interracted with her, she was sharp and engaging. One thing about my family is that the women in my family aren't meek. My mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins, all the way up to my 91 years young great grandmother (who is the strongest of all. She showed me you don't have to be loud to be strong) are all women of strength. Aunt Paula definitely fit the bill. Though I didn't get to see her as much as I would like (one of the drawbacks of having a big family), she will be missed.

A simple thing...

Here's a little thing that brings me joy: watching a friend or loved one do what they love.

Give it a try.

life...

This happened yesterday: Akron man killed in Fairlawn crash.

This man is Roger Kevin Flee of Akron, 49. This could be your friend, co-worker, spouse, cousin, et cetera. It just happened to be my son's great uncle and someone who I considered a friend.

Kevin, as those who knew him personally knew him, was a guy who always tried to give people a fair shake. He was a really affable guy. He and I would often talk about computer stuff. Sometimes he would call and bounce some things off that he could try. No one's really sure why the accident happened but it took the life of a good guy.

Rest in Peace, Kevin.

To you all...remember, love all of your friends and loved ones and show them as such. Life's too short to do otherwise.

Why I Love Hip-Hop...Stakes is High

Stakes is High means that times are getting hectic. It is not a time for complacency or taking things for granted...especially when it comes to hip-hop. It came out 11 years ago and it still holds true today.

Dennis Kucinich - PBS, News Hour

You know, if anyone else was saying what he was saying, people would be falling over themselves to support him.

Just because he's Dennis Kucinich...

Kucinich represents what's best of Cleveland. He makes me proud to be from the 'land.

Why I Love Hip-Hop: Foreign Exchange - Sincere

Hip-hop has been international for a long time. Thanks to the Internet, it has only become more so. The Foreign Exchange is a collaboration between Phonte Coleman (1/2 of Little Brother) of North Carolina and Nicolay of the Netherlands.

Yes, the Netherlands.

This doesn't sound like Little Brother in style and in substance. Phonte even sings on some tracks of their initial CD, Connected, which has this song, "Sincere". A new Foreign Exchange CD is expected soon called "Leave it All Behind".

Hip-hop at its' best can bridge language and cultural barriers...like any good music can.

Why I Love Hip-Hop: Cesar Comanche - Lamb to Lion

The independent MC. Many MCs decide, for many reasons, to go the indie route. Some are trying to secure major deals. Some enjoy the freedom that is part and parcel of independently produced music. Some want bigger creative control and/or financial rewards.

The brothers of the Justus League are some MCs that represent what's right about independent hip-hop. They are just regular brothers with wives, kids and a love for hip-hop. That's what it's all about.

Hip-hop heads are real people. We were kids, we hung out. We have relationships, some work, some fail. We have jobs, some we like, some we don't. We go to college (which is how much of the Justus League met each other).

I chose this song because Cesar Comanche is one of the founders of the Justus League. One of my favorite groups, Little Brother, is among the members of the Justus League and they have cameos in the video.

Why I Love Hip-Hop: Kurious feat. Sadat X, Mike G - 'Mansion And A Yacht'

Hip-hop has dictated some good fashion statements as well as some more forgettable ones (think Kris Kross...). This video has a lot of things in it. A reference to Madden (for you non-gamers out there, Madden = John Madden Football, the biggest selling video game series ever. It's most recent iteration, Madden NFL 2008 is available for the PC, XBOX, XBOX 360, PlayStation 2, PSP and the Nintendo Wii -- not sure about the Gamecube). Also, you have a lot of blacks and latinos in...hockey jerseys? Before this, you didn't see people wearing hockey jerseys unless they were heading to a game.

This song is also one of my favorite b-sides ever. Ok, for the peeps that don't have or have never had records, sometimes an artist would put 2-3 songs onto one 12" piece of vinyl. This, in hip-hop parlance is called a twelve-inch. There was a popular song (or song that they wanted to garner popularity for) on the "A" side and a more obscure song on the "B" side, much like how it worked with other genres. See my post about the remix to understand why remixes and b-sides are a boon to hip-hop fans.

Why I Love Hip-Hop: Leaders Of The New School - Case Of The P.T.A. (Video)

1991...the key word in this post is yes.

Yes, that is Busta Rhymes along with Charlie Brown and Dinco D and yes, they make up the original line up of Leaders of the New School (Cut Monitor Milo/Milo in the Dance, cousin of Busta Rhymes, would join the group for the second album, T.I.M.E(The Inner Mind's Eye). Yes, Charlie Brown is wearing all Cleveland Browns paraphenalia. Yes, Chuck D of Public Enemy fame, christened this group, Leaders of the New School (known by heads as the LONS). Yes, this intensity while spitting rhymes that make sense is not seen enough today. Yes, this tape (yes, I had tapes) Future Without a Past stayed in my Walkman. Yes, this album helped me survive 10th grade...my worst year EVER. Yes, I still remember the words to this song. Yes, I screamed them when I saw Busta Rhymes perform last year. Yes, this was my second favorite group -- my first still being De La Soul -- until they broke up due to personal infighting.

Why I Love Hip-Hop - Nas - World is yours (Q-Tip Remix)

The Remix...House music and club music did it but hip-hop took it to another level. Yes, this is the same artist and song that I just posted...but Nas decided, well, let me change some lyrics here and there and get a beat from Q-Tip instead of the Pete Rock classic. It's the same song but reworked enough to give it a different vibe.

Why I Love Hip-Hop - The World is Yours

I am starting a series that combines my love for hip-hop with my jones for YouTube...it's called Why I Love Hip-Hop.

Hip-hop is catching a lot of crap lately. Hip-hop is the music of my life. The essentials of hip-hop, the writing (graffiti art), the rhyming (rapping), the djing and the b-boying (breakdancing) are the cultural expressions of working-class black and latino youth...but, it has spread world wide. Some of this spread has been perpetuated by those who wish to profiteer off of hip-hop. But there are some that still believe in the power of words and a beat and believe in the core of what made hip-hop special: stories told with honesty and dexterity. The flair doesn't come from jewelry, cars, and scantily clad women...those are machinations of those that see hip-hop as a cash cow. The music is about the rhyme, the beat and the interplay between both. I will highlight some examples that I feel that merit mentioning. There are so many more...this is just one fan's opinion.


Whose world is this? It's mine, it's mine, it's mine...

This song was damn near my anthem summer of 1994. I had just graduated 2 weeks earlier and I was participating in my normal Friday night ritual. Yo! MTV Raps! from 12am to 2am. I did it before I took the ACT and the SAT and I did it after I got back from prom. This is the second single from one of the most highly regarded hip-hop albums ever, Nas's debut Illmatic.

As soon as that Ahmad Jamal trio sample (from the song "I Love Music" hits), it takes me back to the optimism I had back in 1994. This was before 9/11, this was before the petty east coast/west coast stuff, this was before Bush's robbery of the White House, before Monica Lewinsky, before Katrina, back when Pac and Biggie were tight with each other...those were the days.

This is how hip-hop should sound...it should have this kind of soul, this kind of personality. This is why I love this music.

Do YOU know about the Jena 6?

This video is about a travesty in Louisiana...no, not Katrina.

Chris (from Columbus) puts it extremely well.

While it's not right to meet intimidation with violence, our legal system doesn't seem to have come very far in the days of horribly lopsided and unfair trials that were consistent with the Jim Crow days. The legal system still dogpiles on people of color without the means to defend themselves. Speaking up for legal rights doesn't imply condoning of actions (the argument of many opponents to real judicial reform). It's just the right thing to do. If you are going to send people to jail, do it fairly.

Def Poetry - Common - A Letter To The Law

And y'all thought I was kidding when I called Cheney gangster...

KRS-ONE - Sound of Da Police

If anyone ever feels why black folks are hostile toward crooked cops (legit cops are too few and good human beings and the bad ones mess it up for them too.)...

TELL THE TRUTH - Mos Def - Immortal Technique - Eminem

Weapons of mass distraction...

What Cleveland Metropolitan needs.

Maybe this is all the CMSD needs...(thanks Carmen)



Why aren't there movies about black and latino teachers inspiring their youth other than Stand and Deliver and Lean on Me. I know Jaime Escalante and Joe Clark aren't the only educational role models for Latino and Black students. There are teachers, black, white, asian, latino, male and female that won't let kids fail without the drama and the schmaltz. I know some of them personally.

Chocolate Rain / Best Week Ever Version

Tay is a very good sport. I love the R. Kelly shot...

Are you ready...

Are you ready for some kickball?

Maybe you're thinking "man, I haven't played that since elementary school". Well, some adults were playing kickball yesterday at Shaker Middle School...and I was among them. A fun time was had by all. Why were we playing kickball?

Because of WAKA: the World Adult Kickball Association. There are two Cleveland-area divisions: The Great Lakes Division, which is scheduled to start play a week from yesterday and the Rock and Roll Division, which is having a preseason pick-up game next Tuesday.

For more info, hit up WAKA . Yes, that's a working URL.

the losses of insularity

Sometimes, you lose a lot in life from what you don't do and who you don't connect deeper with. I have met many people in my life that, because, at one point, I was so insular, I didn't connect with as deeply as I should have. These were people I could relate to and people I could understand that understood me. I ran into one of those people a couple of days ago....actually, this week, I have run into a few of those people.

Handsome Boy Modeling School promo video

Handsome Boy Modeling School...this is my next career move. Forget web development...anybody got 60 dollars?

Oh no, not you too Lime Spider!

I just read this today and it broke my heart. One of my favorite haunts in Akron (it's a damn shame that it took me so long to find it) is The Lime Spider and it's closing in September. It's the only place in Downtown Akron that has 1) independent rock shows, 2) a plethora of beer, both mainstream and microbrew and 3) WIRELESS!. I was trying to think of a place in Akron proper that has decent food and wireless.

All I could think of was Panera Bread (which, technically, is in Cuyahoga Falls)..and the Lime Spider late nights. ( Big ups to the bearded grill guy whose name I don't know).

I will definitely represent there a few times before it's last call for the Lime Spider.

Common's new CD or Why People Don't Buy Music as Much...

I bought Common's new "Finding Forever" CD 2 days ago (it came out 3 days ago) and...wow. Common is the same man as he was when he started rapping...but he has not been shy about the fact that he has grown since "Can I Borrow A Dollar". Growth is a part of life that is often devoid of hip-hop. People don't talk about how to grow themselves, their communities, hell even the losses that result in growth experiences. This is real life. Forget what BET is showing you. Forget what MTV is showing you. Common is real to me. I can relate to songs like "Book of Life" from "Resurrection" about being young, black and full of life questions after college doesn't go as planned.

People don't buy music because they don't feel music. It doesn't touch your soul, the essential part of who you are or who you are aspiring to be. Common's CD does that for me.

I hope you all find music that strikes you like that. If you don't have a relationship like that with music (or some kind of art), you are missing out.

A fine example of journalism...

I got a bulletin from the Dennis Kucinich for President campaign and they sent a YouTube video with a 1978 interview of Dennis by Tom Snyder (who just passed, RIP). Tom is asking some hard-hitting questions and Dennis isn't ducking.

They don't make politicians or journalists like that much anymore.

He's been saying the same things for the last 29 years. It's all about the people and serving the will of the people not, as he put it, genuflecting at the altar of big business.

The video is here...

I also love the blacksploitation-esque music.

Straight Outta Touch

As any of my five readers know (Tim, next time I see you,I owe you a Red Stripe on me. Hooray beer!), I have been critical of Mansfield Frazier's writing (see my post from April of this year called "Imus and Gangsta Rap") on CoolCleveland in his Straight Outta Mansfield column. While I appreciate the fact that CoolCleveland has a black writer, he is very critical (though some of it is deserved) of youth -- especially black youth.

This week's column is no different. Mr. Frazier makes some strong points about the complacency of councilpeople in areas that started to brown over the last 30-40 years. Instead of creating structures that promoted racial harmony such as Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights, they let the people in the neighborhoods (mostly white) see them as a threat simply because of their skin color. I partially blame realtors (I think that any realtor that said sell because "they" are moving in should be punished...and not in a nice way.)

The youth that Councilman Polensek railed against (which is quite unbecoming of a representative of the City of Cleveland) was acting up not just because his mom didn't raise him right. I don't know her or him so I can't really say. But, I can say this. Many kids, black and white are getting the short shrift from the city. Where is the rec center that was promised to the Collinwood neighborhood years ago? Where are the after school activities? When kids have nothing constructive to do, some become destructive. While personal responsibility should govern every young person's actions, they are more likely to make constructive choices when there are more constructive options are available.

This kid is an example of what neglect of neighborhoods has done to Cleveland. It's not just about black kids, white kids, Latino kids, Asian kids or Native American kids. It's about the green that these kids grew up without because if any of these kids had parents with green, they wouldn't be in this environment. The massive selling off of Cleveland's jobs, the expense of retooling and the inability for the educated to find jobs have created a downward spiral for all of us.

The mom of the kid threatened to sic Al Sharpton or George Forbes on Councilman Polensek? What are they going to do? Please, don't get me started on black "leadership"...if Councilman Polensek did make the race of a kid an issue, then black Collinwoodians should remember this when he comes calling for re-election and proceed to use their vote to get him out. As far as if he would do the same to a white ne'er do well, only Councilman Polensek can answer that one.

Me and Cleveland...

I posted a comment on REALNEO and I said something that really encapsulates my feelings about Cleveland:

I grew up during arguably Cleveland's worst historical period. I am the product of black and white suburban flight. I am the product of Cleveland Public schools (post-Remedial order and pre-city takeover). I am the product of dedicated honors program teachers with short resources and good parents who didn't have either the resources or desire to move. I am the product of forced busing and tax abatements for Gateway, the BP Building, The Galleria, Tower City and other projects that took (and still takes) money from the schools. I am part of the first class of students subjected to the Ohio Proficiency Test which has become a tool to narrow the education of young Ohioans everywhere. I have taken all that Cleveland has thrown at me and I still exist. Cleveland owes a lot of people. Cleveland owes the next few generations more than it gave mine. People of my generation are used to thinking of Cleveland as less than a prosperous place because it hasn't been such during out lifetimes...and people wonder why I hate Reagan and Voinovich so much. Though there's much contempt and frustration, Cleveland was home when it wasn't en vogue to be home...so I can say whatever I want about it.

How do you feel about your hometown?

Realization...

I just came to a realization...I don't have to rewrite War and Peace everytime I blog. I just have to write something of meaning, not short, not long, just meaningful.

I think that's why so many bloggers experience burnout. The key? Write something little every day and, should I need to write something bigger, I think it may come out easier.

This is how people such as Jack can post for years straight. I ran into Jack again at the July Cleveland Blogger Meetup and he mentioned that he has been blogging for a couple of years every day. I realized, I hardly ever write. I always want to write these long pieces completely encapsulating my point of view. I don't have to do that. I put too much pressure on myself.

This is why slow and steady wins the race...

getting in the president's ass...

When I said that someone should get in Dubya's ass, this is NOT what I meant.

burying "nigger"

The NAACP decided to engage in their first relevant act of the new millenium (truly, what have they done?) and it's...burying the word "nigger"? Come on! It's nice to see that black America has all of its' problems solved to the point where this is the primary concern. Our schools are educating kids exactly as they should be. Our colleges are priced reasonably enough for all kids to attend. Everyone has reasonable child care and health care...

...oh, wait, we don't have these things?

Then, why are we wasting time with this?

I see the NAACP's publicity stunt (it wouldn't be a publicity stunt if it had relevance) as another bourgeois way to "pile-on" to hip-hop. Hip-hop has needed to be more responsible for what is said on the mic way before Michael "Kramer" Richards and Dumb Anus (excuse me, Don Imus) every uttered the words they showed their asses in the national limelight. But, why do they get to shirk responsibility and deflect it upon us. Imus essentially said "Oh, the rappers do it, so it must be ok." What happened to responsibility for the words that are used that folks have been preaching to hip-hop since its' existance? Responsibility is a bedfellow of the first amendment not something you can remove at your convenience like a comforter on a warm night. The public has left Imus alone since he decided to blame his malfeasance on hip-hop...and bourgeois and misguided black folk have jumped on hip-hop's case....again.

If only institutional racism or educational reform could elicit such a response from the black elite (I refuse to call them black leaders...who are they leading?)...

Red Stripe Reggae Dance Commercial

Hooray beer!!!!

So, how's your LibraryThing

A friend put me onto LibraryThing. It's a site that allows you to input and tag books you own. It's very cool. It has clean interface and you can even tie in with certain local booksellers (as well as the bigger online ones). I haven't tried this yet because none of my local booksellers are one of the supported ones.

Here is my bookshelf. It would be bigger if I hadn't lost some books while moving.

Cavs...Cavs...Cavs...

After losing two heartbreakers on the road (a hell of a lot better than the Bulls slaughters in Games 1 and 2 in their series), the Cavaliers get to come home to the friendly confines of The Coliseum the Quicken Loans Arena for two at home.  People have been dissing the Cavs, saying they don't belong but they gave the number one seed in the Eastern Conference all they could handle, holding them to 79 points (twice) and losing by a total of 6 points. 



Now it's time to come home and even the score.  Should the Cavs hold home court, it's a 3-game series. No need to think about the closeness of Games 1 and 2.



I still think that LeBron did the right thing in Game 1 because he trusts his
teammates.  I always thought of him being more of a Magic Johnson than
a Michael Jordan.  Magic came in the league thinking team ball. He was
fortunate enough to have two clutch guys in James Worthy and Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar and contributors like Byron Scott and AC Green to dish to.






I think that Michael Jordan poisoned team basketball because his
success led owners to think that the could pay one superstar and a
bunch of role players.  It's better to pay a few really, really good
players and have them build some chemistry.  This is why the Cavs let
Carlos Boozer go...and this is why Jim Paxson is no longer the GM. 
Drew Gooden is solid but imagine a Carlos Boozer given a looser rein to
score as he has shown he is capable of in Utah?  He could have been the
"Big Game James" to LeBron's "Magic" .  Larry Hughes was supposed to be
that....Hughes isn't bad, just inconsistent.





The Cavs aren't pretty.  LeBron isn't even pretty as much as the media would like.  He likes team ball.  He likes getting others involved.  He cares about substance more than style.  He and Mike Brown might have disagreements about that but they agree that winning ugly is more preferable than losing. Period.



Should the Cavs mount 8 more wins...nothing else will matter.  The Larry O'Brien trophy will be here.  No one can argue with that.  I think they have a chance.  Should the Cavs face San Antonio, we will see the Eastern Conference win the title for the third time in four years.  Mike Brown knows Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and those guys (he used to work under Popovich).  What Popovich doesn't know is LeBron and the hodge-podge that is the Cavaliers.  Cavs in 5 in the Finals.  You saw it here first...



...that is if we can make it through the D.

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Chuck D comes to Akron

Chuck D comes to Akron
Originally uploaded by theunseen

My friends Sean (far left), Lorans (far right) and I (second from right) got to meet a legend in Hip-Hop, Chuck D (second from left), frontman from the seminal hip-hop group, Public Enemy.

It was amazing. I had heard him speak as a senior in high school at Cleveland State back in 1994. As a man, I have a stronger appreciation for his art and his viewpoints. I bought a couple of his books: Fight the Power:Rap, Race and Reality and Chuck D: Lyrics of a Rap Revolutionary.

Grey's Anatomy and Women...

I haven't watched much of Grey's Anatomy (I might have to do so online on ABC) especially since I read this review from the New York Times about how much the show (and its' upcoming spinoff) denigrates women...in that Ally McBeal sort of way.

"People complain that hip-hop stars use obscene lyrics and lewd music videos to demean women. Sometimes, so do even the most bourgeois women’s television shows."

Any comments?

The Real Meaning of Mother's Day

As many of you know, retailers love to convert holidays from their true meanings to something that can make them money.

Mother's Day is no exception. My friend, J, from Long Island sent me this article about the origins of Mother's Day in America.

Peace for mothers by bringing their husbands, sons and daughters home from war...a novel concept.

Bye-bye, Rosie...

As you all know (or may not know), Rosie O'Donnell is leaving the view. I never really thought that she was collegial enough to work with co-hosts. Her style is akin to a singer that rose to prominence as a solo act that joins a group later in their career.

It also didn't help that she probably knocked Elizabeth Hasselbeck on her ass more than the Steelers did her brother-in-law Matt Hasselbeck in Super Bowl XL. If nothing else, the participants on The View must learn to stand up for themselves and their opinions.

Now, to find a replacement for Star Jones's replacement. Hmmm, Soledad O'Brien is available. If I were Barbara Walters, I would call her not now but right now. Why? Soledad O'Brien is a great journalist (I still can't believe she's not working?!) Here are a few reasons that I think that she should be considered:

She's relatively young.

Ms. O'Brien is only 40. She has a hip, world-wise aunt appeal. She's old enough to have experienced life but young enough to effectively explain it to those that haven't.

She's classy

On Today, on CNN, I have never seen Ms. O'Brien be less than professional. Sure, sometimes she would be silly but that was appropriate for the light mood of the Today show. Rosie was a little too...ok, a lot too abrasive for The View. I could see Ms. O'Brien putting Elizabeth Hasselbeck in check but doing so in a Claire Huxtable "I am confident because I am using facts and not rhetoric to argue with you" sort of way. I used to love when Claire would dress down anyone that came at her in a way that didn't show her the proper respect. She didn't get loud, she was surgical with her dismantling of her foe. Now, that's class.

She's a working mom (she has 4 children)

The View is about women. Some work, some are moms. Ms. O'Brien is both. Four kids is no joke even if you are married (which Ms. O'Brien is). I bet this would earn her stripes with The View's core audience.

She is American diversity at its' finest

She's Afro-Cuban and Irish-Australian...which is how you get a name like Soledad O'Brien. Only in America. Is she Black, white or Latina? She is all of them and she embraces it. Anytime an intelligent woman represents well (especially my women of color), I want to see more.

She could take over for Barbara Walters if she hung it up

Barbara Walters has been in the media for a very, very long time. The day is coming where she hangs it up. Who better than a strong journalist like Ms. O'Brien to pass the baton to?

And, I didn't even mention that she's absolutely beautiful. I say she's beautiful not solely based on her looks because with no personality, looks don't matter. When she smiled during the news, I couldn't help but do the same.

Imus and "Gangsta Rap"

Like many people, I found Don Imus's comments to be abhorrent. One thing I did is to check myself because I am a man and, as men sometimes do, they gauge women's looks.

Though I don't try, sometimes men can be sexist (yes, male privilege is real). Why? Because, to me, it wasn't about the looks of the players (who cares about looks when it's time to play some ball? I know I don't.), it was about the game. The two best women's programs this year. Tennessee came out on top but both teams played their butts off and both Coach Summit and Coach Stringer are classy and great teachers/role models.

Since Imus's comments, both coaches have proven that they are the class acts they have been throughout their careers. The Rutgers women's squad has followed Coach Stringer in that path of class and they are to be totally commended. They have class, beauty (inner and outer)...and skills to kick me up and down the court.

But, what I am starting to grow tired of is people trying to tie rap music into what Don Imus said. Don Imus is no friend of hip-hop. It's insulting to be lumped in with him. The misogyny and violence that exists in some hip-hop is an effect of lots of issues, not a cause of misogyny or violence and certainly not the impetus behind Don Imus's comments. Some parties in America are good for regarding effects as causes of problems when they are attached to have-nots and marginalized groups.

But I didn't think that Cleveland would buy in. I read the CoolCleveland e-mail blast and above Mansfield Frazier's article (on a side note, I think it's funny that the column is called "Straight Outta Mansfield", a take on a seminal "gangsta rap" album, "Straight Outta Compton" by the group NWA - also, the late Eric "Eazy E" Wright, a leader within NWA took five guys from the Glenville area and put them on the hip-hop map. The name Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony should ring a bell), there was a quote from C. Delores Tucker that stated"

"It’s a crime that we are promoting these kinds of messages. The whole gangsta rap industry is drug driven, race-driven and greed-driven... it’s not healthy for our children."

Mr. Frazier stated :

"Didn’t we give anyone and everyone license to disrespect us by continuing to allow young, Black, empty-headed, no-talent performers posing as “artists” to continually disrespect Black womanhood? And I am as guilty as the next Black elder for not speaking out sooner. But enough is enough."

The answer to the question Mr. Frazier poses is absolutely not. It is not up to these "no-talent performers" to give license to anyone to disrespect women period. They are wrong for doing so but to insult a whole genre because some of its' practitioners lack of respect for various groups is ridiculous. Also, there have been many black entertainers that have degraded women either in practice or in lyrics before the creation of hip-hop (I suppose no one saw Ray or What's Love Got to Do With It?) so Mr. Frazier's argument suffers from a case of historical amnesia.

While I think that some of the more base and tawdry aspects of hip-hop are getting entirely too much light, attacking artists is like cutting off a leaf and expecting a tree to die. I believe that artists should write about what they know. Quentin Tarentino wouldn't remake Sarah, Plain and Tall. Violence and discrimination are, unfortunately, as American as apple pie. They must be fought but throwing rappers en masse under a steamroller (like Rev. Calvin Butts did with some of their CDs back in the 90's) and calling it the best solution is pointless.


Mr. Frazier is right about one thing: a problem is the major labels. As many of the independent music fans around here can attest, some really poor music is getting lots of press lately. It's no different in hip-hop. Groups that have a more positive and inclusive message get pushed by the wayside. Why? Because they don't sell. Why don't they sell? It's simple. If you have to market hip-hop that's not negative, that means that you have to say *gasp* that you can be true to what you believe and who you are without resorting to negativity. Placing black men in a positive light that aren't selling something is not a strong point for corporate America.

There is no singular black experience. I will say that again. There is no singular black experience.


Earlier, I said that "gangster rap" was an effect and not a cause of some of problems that plague America in general and disproportionately affect the black community. Crime and violence come from lack of educational opportunities. An educated kid has more options for expression and expansion of thought than kids without education. These kids without education aren't stupid (meaning, they have the capability to learn) but they aren't appointed with the proper venue. Once they become adults, they are left to their own devices and too many choose the lowest rung (the illegal life). Before the massive flight (not just white flight, black folks left in droves as well), higher-income black people and lower-income black people lived in the same neighborhoods. A storekeeper would live next to a mailman who would live next to a doctor who would live next to an attorney. You would have a very economically diverse neighborhood which allowed for strong connections. Then, many who saw moving out as moving up, left these community-rich neighborhoods for the 'burbs instead of using their new found, post civil-rights influence to improve their current neighborhood. This is why many predominately black areas of Cleveland are economically depressed.

Music in particular and America in general needs to be more respectful of marginalized groups. Calling one particular genre out and blaming it for problems in society that are caused by people IN NO WAY RELATED to the genre (Imus) is insulting.

Specifically, I am tired of the rap bashing. Hip-hop had been blamed for everything short of global warming (and I think Bush is working on that one). These artists are grown men and women. We should take each individual to task for what they say and see what they have to say...then, we should talk to their bosses. It's more about green than you think...

Screwing the Cavs...

I watched the tail end of the Cavs game while I was watching Wrestlemania 23 (which was a vastly entertaining pay-per-view, one of the best in a while) and I saw the worst call ever. With less than 30 seconds left and the score tied, Delonte West of the Celtics drove to the hole, stepped on Anderson Varejao's foot and a foul was called. On Varejao! West makes the two foul shots and on the other end Damon Jones misses a game-winning 3 and the game is over.

Boston 98, Cleveland 96.

It was probably the most horseshit call I have ever seen. It seems like the officials have it out for the Cavaliers.

Delonte West said: "Well, I didn't fall on my own, It was just one of my veteran moves. I drew the contact. I drew the contact and fell to the floor. The refs did a good job making the right call."

What a crock. A couple of years ago, he couldn't hold Jameer Nelson's jock at St. Joseph's. I still think Nelson's the better player.

Well, tonight's the night. Ohio State can exorcise all of its' demons this year with a win tonight. If the men's b-ball team fails, they can only go to the football team for consolation. Monday night. National Championship. Florida. But, unlike the neutral to friendly confines of the University of Phoenix Stadium (Cardinals, son!), they are in the Georgia Dome. Georgia. The state next to Florida.

We shall see in about 12 hours...

Common....

"A conscious n***a with Mac like Steve Jobs" - Common f/ Kanye West, Southside

If it's going to be this kind of year...life's good. Common's still my favorite solo MC.



This is insanity...Common and Kanye kill it.

On a side note, I think Taye Diggs could have a future in sportscasting. He's very cool in his improptu interview with Reggie "I do care about Black people" Bush.

Large and in charge like Paul Sorvino

Why would you mess with Paul Sorvino?!

WHY?!

Here's a story about a guy who did just that...

Didn't he see Goodfellas?

separated at birth....

As the year closes...

After my first mini-vacation (I had Christmas and the day after off...I am off to work after this post.), I am thinking about Christmas and here's my thoughts:

-My son still loves Cars. We watched it on Christmas Day.
-James Brown has passed away. That's not a song title. He really is. Dilla and the Godfather of Soul in the same year...sad but, we still have this...


-Gerald Ford is dead too. I was born during his 2 year and 5 month term in the White House...he and I also share a birthday: July 14th.
-I saw pics of my dad and I saw one of him eating. It was fairly recent and it made me think of one of the last things he said to me..

"Don't be a knucklehead like your old man"

I didn't get it when he first said it but he meant "don't make the mistakes I made". To me, one of them is not eating right. I miss him.
-I have 3 work days left in this year.
-The Browns BETTER beat Houston.
-I hope the Cardinals don't fire Denny Green.
-What kind of complaints will the sports media come up with after Ohio State runs the table again?
-How will Ted Strickland do as governor of Ohio?

CNN LINKS BARACK OBAMA TO AXIS OF EVIL

This is such bullshit.

Who knew that CNN became tabloid TV?

Rejoice Ad

This is HILARIOUS!

PRE-SCHOOL POLITICAL AD

This is more mature than some ads I could name. Take notes, Tennessee.

There's another Derek in town...

Since this is subset of derek, after all...

How about Derek Anderson? Who? No, not Ken's (you know, Barbie's ex and K-Fed's inspiration) friend.

He's the Browns backup that helped the Browns Beat the Chiefs in OT, 31-28.

It's good to see Dereks doing good things :-).

The Black Athlete

Tavis Smiley interviews William C. Rhoden


I can't give this issue justice...I will try later though...

When did peace become a five-letter word?

This article appalled me.

Standing up for peace these days is almost an act of treason. It's bullshit.

I wonder what Jesus would think about this...you know, Jesus, whose birthday is coming in less than four weeks? The whole basis of Christianity?

"Kramer" loses it...

I saw this on YouTube and one of the comment said...

this is nothing compared to richard pryor, eddie murphy, many many more attacks on white people which have been ok'd by most. oh well, shit happens.

Richard Pryor(RIP) took shots at white folks but who did he have his most cinematic success with? His buddy, Gene Wilder. Many black comedians used humor to make light of heavy situations (slavery, economic inequality, discrimination) as a form of therapy, like when female comedians bag on men.



Michael Richards lost all points in my book. He turned a less than optimal situation (a heckler, which is par for the course in stand-up) into an arena for hate or ignorance. There's a big difference between "white people walk and talk funny" comedy and "N***er" this and "n****r" that. He clearly wasn't joking...there's nothing funny about that. There are better ways to take down a heckler or a disrespectful audience member, whatever the object of his epithets was. His ass needs a drink from the firehose...

Election Redux

"YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" - Howard Dean, Chair, DNC

I am feeling pretty good about this past election. There's a black governor in Massachusetts and the Republican rule of Ohio's executive branch and the country's legislative branch is over!

Now...let's get working...minimum wage, health insurance, affordable higher education, equitable K-12 funding await..

Kellen Winslow...

People bashed Kellen Winslow II when he said he was one of the premier tight ends in the league, if not the best.

I went to NFL.com to see if the stats prove him right.

Surely enough, he's 9th in the league in catches. He plays in the league's worst offense. Here's the list of tight ends with more catches...


...

...
Hmmm...it's empty. Maybe he is a @#$& soldier. My new nickname for him is "GET OFF ME!" because when guys try to tackle him, he shakes them off like "GET OFF ME".

UPDATE:

Through 8 games, Kellen Winslow has 51 catches. That's more than all but two receivers. Period. He would have more yards in a more vertical offense. Kellen is for real people...barring injury.

The crazy thing is...he's still only 23. If he stays healthy and plays 9 years like the senior Winslow, he will be better.

You can quote me on that.

Words to live by...

"You handle animals. People you have to deal with."
-Arnold "Red" Auerbach, 1917-2006

I wish more people felt that way...

What in the hell...

Now, I know the GOP is hard up to retain power in Congress but this is probably the most classless political ad I have EVER seen.

To top that off...it's in Tennessee. Somewhere, an idiot is changing his vote..

and you wonder...

...and people wonder why Ye said that George Bush doesn't care about black people...

Check this out...

CARTHON GONE!

Maurice Carthon is fired..

It's about damn time...the question is, who will replace him. Where's Don Coryell when you need him?

My two favorite teams (Browns and Cardinals) have the two most inept offenses in the NFL. It's not for a lack of talent.

UPDATE 1035 AM:

nfl.com >states: "It's unclear if Carthon quit on his own or was forced out by Crennel, who hired him last year and had been reluctant to remove his close friend."

Bill Clinton

There are only 2 presidents during my lifetime that I feel had a rapport with the common man...well, President Carter did until the b-list actor started his Bullshit Brigade (Morning in America...give me a break). He kept it real when everyone wanted fake. He was like Al Gore with balls.

The other being Bill Clinton. Say what you want about his sexual dalliances (shoot, if I was him and single, I would have spent some time with Monica. Bill and I are both fans of the smart, thick women :-) ) but he's an intelligent and witty guy. I would go have a beer with him.

"They say if you vote Democrat, they will tax you into the poorhouse. And, while you're in the poorhouse you will see a terrorist on every street corner and stumble upon an illegal alien."
--Bill Clinton, 10/23/06 in Columbus

"Not So" Ugly Betty...

Salma Hayek had an idea...let's bring the telenovela to the American audience. She also had another idea...I want America to be the lead...as in America Ferrera. Anything that has her in it makes it something I want to see. I LOVED Real Women Have Curves.

But, Ugly Betty?!?!

I can't even think of America Ferrera in the same breath as ugly. She has done great, classy work even though she's only 22. She also had this to say about weight (from IMDB):

"I think Hispanic women are beautiful with their curves. I'm not sure who feels that way in Hollywood. I was never told to lose 50 pounds. If they think that they just don't bother with you. You just don't get the role and you never know why. That's still better than physically harming yourself and becoming unhealthy just to star in a movie."

Curves are comforting. Curves make you wish for rainy nights and cold, lazy days...but that's another post. I will be checking out Ugly Betty online and watch live (hopefully) next week.

my general disgust with music right now...

I wrote a lot on my MySpace blog about how pissed I am with music, especially hip-hop right now...no, more specifically, popular hip-hop right now. I was thinking about this Lionel Richie (yes, Nicole's dad -- yes, of The Commodores -- yes, that song from the Starburst commercial) video that I saw last week called "I Call It Love".

It turns out Mr. Richie has a big Arab following. In another case of good music breaking barriers, ABC News did a story on the Iraq's love for Lionel. I think it's intriguing. The man behind one of the first songs I ever sang "Brick House", which is prophetic in so many ways, is big in the Middle East. I wish we could all get together and sit down and pull out our iPods, crates, CD cases and/or boxes full of tapes and just listen to music. We would realize that our artificial divisions (yes, nationalities are artificial) don't matter as much as what binds us as humans.

The Goal of Terrorism? : Scare people

Terrorism is created to scare people. Terrorist acts don't have to kill people, they just want to scare them a little bit. Have you ever been in a relationship where you were with someone and they were ignoring you and you say "well, so-and-so in the office finds me handsome/beautiful". Of course, you wouldn't run off with Emily or Armando from the office but you put a little thing on the mind of your significant other "hey, maybe I should pay more attention to my relationship..."

Multiply that by a few thousand and voila! Terrorism.

This article states that the media and the powers that be are playing right into the terrorists hands by using rampant fear-mongering for personal gain. It's not unlike politicians using the "tough on crime" talk to garner votes.

It's all bullshit. It doesn't deserve more of an explanation.

Women's Liberation is Men's Liberation as well...

This is part of why I am down for feminism.

http://www.jwa.org/feminism/_html/_pdf/JWA067a.pdf

Wow...

I have seen an amazing thing.

Last year, when I went to OSCON, I met Miguel de Icaza (the GNOME master). During OSCON, he had a keynote address about the new generation of GNOME technology..and it involved wobbly windows. I saw it and I couldn't !@#$!#@ believe it. I have been waiting and waiting to put this on merman (my computer's name...my laptop's name is trapjaw).

You have to see it...here and here.

Vista, eat your heart out.

T-Mobile...are you listening?

Now this is the phone I want!!!

-Derek

Ohio...where are you?

Ohio claims that they want to prepare their students for the 21st century.  They do it by empty mandates such as this one made by Governor Taft, outlined in his State of the State address this year:

First, require all students to take rigorous course work that will prepare them for the workforce or college – this means four years of math, including Algebra II; three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics; four years of English; three years of social studies; and at least two years of a foreign language. To give families and schools time to prepare, the core curriculum should apply to students in the graduating class of 2011.

That's all very nice Mr. Taft but do you know that we have a hard time keeping teachers as it is, especially in math and science.  You are creating more need for teachers in districts that you are still unfairly funding.  You and former Governor Voinovich are to blame for this and should be jailed until there is an equitable means to fund Ohio schools.

After that, you could do what Indiana is doing.  Instead of rendering unto Microsoft, you could take the Linux route in placing computers in clasrooms.  For what high schoolers learn on computers, whether it be word processing, use of a spreadsheet or a web browser to web design and development, the rudimentary principles (and sometimes the apps are the same -- e.g., Firefox) are similar enough to translate.  In some applications, such as programming, Linux is superior because of the number or programming language options available at little to no cost.

  If Indiana can do it, we can. 

How bad is it to steal Jobu's rum?

  


isss very bad...

Hundreds of Britons expected to fuck themselves...

What more can I say..Read the story here

Malls and Development

An article on Ohio.com , talks briefly about the rise and fall of Rolling Acres Mall and how it isn't unique to Akron.  One only has to look up Route 8 to see that Rolling Acres's bigger sibling Randall Park Mall has had problems since its' salad days in the late 1970's and 1980's when both were the new kids on the block ( Rolling Acres opened in 1975 and Randall opened in 1976. )

Why are malls like Rolling Acres and Randall Park beleaguered when smaller malls that predated them like Richmond, Chapel Hill and Summit Malls have survived? What can we learn from their fates?

Giffels asks:

One of the great themes of our age is the upward spiral of consumer
culture. The question underlying that theme is how far it can be built
up before it can no longer sustain itself.
The local answer: Rolling Acres.

Also,

Every so often we have to stop and wonder: how much is enough? How
is it possible that all of these businesses can survive while feeding
on the same host? And what does it say about us that we seem to need
this many places to spend money?

This is one of those times to wonder.

If there is a time to really think about development of retail in our region, it's now.  I think that our failures (and, yes people, Rolling Acres is a failure) have more to teach us than the successes because who is to say that Montrose won't be the next generation's failure? 

Someone long ago probably stood at a then-makeout point for Kenmore teens on the Akron/Barberton border and thought that it would make a great spot for a mall...thirty-one years later, we see how that turned out.

Why I am glad that I don't believe in the death penalty

As some of you might know, I got selected for jury duty the week after Memorial Day. Instead of some shoplifter in a dollar store or something equally benign, I am considered for a capital murder trial. Not just a regular murder trial, a capital "this person could die" trial.

Not just any trial. This trial.

There are a couple of reasons why I am glad I wasn't on the jury:

1. I don't believe in the death penalty.

Why not? I believe that, quite frankly, too many states fuck it up. What else can you call it when innocent people die? It's bad enough that the victim dies innocently. Adding to that by killing the wrong person in retaliation is not the smartest thing in the world. Also, there are considerable racial and class rammifications in sentencing in capital cases which no one wants to look at. Also, execution of the mentally retarded (which is one of our president's hobbies as governor of Texas) is totally inexcusable.

2. I don't feel that I have the right to determine if another human should die.

With the notable self-defense exception, I don't feel that I should hold someone else's life in my hands. Sure, Clarence Fry is more fucked up than a Pinto in a NASCAR wreck but I am still not God.

The World Cup...

I have been trying to watch some World Cup action and I have, now that the US is out, have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Ghana lost the defending champ, Brazil, 3 - 0 today in the round of 16. I have been pulling for Ghana since they beat the Czech Republic and I rooted strongly for them against the United States ( Bruce Arena is a horrible sport and should be relieved of his duties. Come on, 1 goal?!? The Italians shot just as many balls in the US goal as the US did in 3 games?!?! Fifth best in the world? I don't see it...).

According to this article, the strong performance of Angola (who got 2 ties) and Ghana has inspired folks all over Africa. Coupled with the fact that South Africa will be hosting the 2010 World Cup, the time for the rise of African football is coming. I am an international soccer newbie but seeing all of the countries putting great teams together will only make the World Cup more exciting. And, if this can create some dialogue on equal footing, all the better.

First Flock Public Beta is out...

The first public beta for Flock , a web browser based on Firefox (with some really neat social networking tools added ) is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  In fact, I am using the Linux version to type this post. 

Yummy goodness...

technorati tags:flock, software, web 2.0

Blogged with Flock

The Americans and their Cars

Out of all of man's inventions in the last 125 years, nothing has changed the landscape of the world (and, especially America) like the car.  Some of you may be saying "whoa there, what about TV? Radio? The Salk Polio Vaccine? American Idol?"  Specifically, the propagation of the car.

The car is repsonsible for a lot of our pollution.

The car has irreparably changed housing patterns, facilitating the birth and growth of suburban America. Twice. (after both world wars)

The car has even changed how we watch TV.  Have you ever wondered why TV shows premier episodes in September? Think about this: when do new car models come out? Exactly, the fall. Car and car-related companies (e.g, Texaco) financed early TV programming.  

The car (along with the Cold War) is responsible for America's rollback of public transit (included in this is passenger train and intercity bus transit).  Eisenhower felt that America should have a national network of highways to facilitate easy travel between and among metropolitan areas in the event of an attack.  The attack never came but the freeways are still here...and so are the orange cones and resurfacing projects that only get more and more costly and time-consuming...remember what aspalt is made of.  Oil byproducts.

Did I mention oil? We won't even get into that.

Cars have been usurping control of our lives for years.   When are we going to take it back?

Ghost is for the Parents...

This is what Ghostface Killah had to say about parenting in this interview...

Listen, man, you got to chastise your kid. If you dont lay your foot down, your kid is going to be [saying], Fuck you. And you going to be sitting there crying [in a high-pitched voice]: Oh, what have I done; I havent done nothing to this boy. And that little motherfucker barking on you [in a little boys voice]: Nah, fuck you, mommy. Im going outside with my friends. I dont give a fuck what you say. Parents get that when they dont put they foot down. Niggas got to start going hard on they kids again. Aint no law and order any more. I am not saying you got bust your kids ass everyday, but you got to go back to the ole remedy. I dont know about you, but I used to get my ass whipped, and that kept me on a straight path. If I did something wrong or said something wrong to somebody, fuck around and get popped in my fucking mouth, and thats just what it is, G.

I have always believed that parenting is a benevolent dictatorship. Some parents are too benevolent (the parents on Maury and some are too dictatorial (think Carrie's mom from Carrie). It's about that balance. Kids will be kids but if a kid gets out of pocket the way a grown person would, you have to remind them...no one talks to you like that, ESPECIALLY not your kid. Spanking, denial of privileges, that's up to you to decide. But you have to punish them...otherwise, they will think that they can fuck up with no repercussions. That's just not how life is...unless you are Ken Lay or Dubya.

why I love and hate reading Roldo...

I read more of what Mr. Roldo Bartimole said here and this article is a prime example on why I love AND hate to read what he has to say. First, why I love to read his writing:

• He challenges the reader to find out what some of the things he talks about means
  
• He pulls no punches
  
• He does not talk down to his readers
  

Now, why I hate reading his writing:

• He paints Cleveland as a city where the rich continuously take advantage of their "stroke" to deny resources to the poor and needy

Oh...wait, the rich in Cleveland do do that...

Never mind about the hate part.

Jesus Christ: Lord, Savior....killer app?!?!

This article on CNET talks about how technology is driving how people worship. Imagine, a BSOD during communion..."we need to put some money in the collection plate to pay for a copy of Windows Vista. Praise Bill...err, I mean Praise Jesus.". I don't really have a problem with churches modernizing their methods of communications (podcasting of sermons would be really kick...umm, butt) but this is crazy:

Perhaps America's best example of the tech-savvy house of worship is the Houston-based Lakewood Church, which last year recorded a weekly attendance of 30,000. Pastor Joel Osteen needed the Compaq Center, a former basketball arena that was once home of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, to serve as his chapel.

Osteen employs three massive video-display screens to project his image to people sitting in the nosebleed seats. Illuminating the walls and the giant globe spinning behind Osteen's pulpit are Altman Micro Strips, strip lights that use a range of tungsten halogen lamps to create different lighting effects.

Here's my question: what about Free/Open Source Software in the church? I have seen a couple of bible apps in Free/Open Source but not much else. If you are trying to save money while maintain functionality, Free/Open Source would be the way to go.

Praise the Lord and pass the install disks.

Performancing...the best thing on earth.

I am posting this blog entry using Performancing.  This is probably the coolest  Firefox add on I have seen...

(slobber....)

I don't normally....

I don't normally post about my own posts...but this is what happens when you are entirely to (expletive deleted) silly for your own good...

things that rhyme with 15

Reese, I know you will laugh....

name change...

As I was so humorously informed at the Cleveland Webloggers Meetup, chasing the dragon was a reference to smoking heroin. Not surprising considering I lifted it from a Steely Dan song, ("Time Out of Mind" if you are wondering). In light of this development, I chose a new name...something that's a little more me.

Enter, a subset of derek.

subset (noun): a set each of whose elements is an element of an inclusive set.

Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

So, a subset of derek is merely part of a whole. I am pursuing a Bachelor's degree in mathematics, as many of you know. Subsets are merely parts of a set. Subsets are also crucial to proving set equality. If two sets are subsets of each other (meaning that there is no item that can be found in A that cannot be found in B and vice versa, given that A and B are sets, of course) then they are equal. This reminds me of a problem that I need to be working on...

Later all...

come on...

This article from The Register talks about a New Zealand Microsoft ad geared towards students. I would describe it but you have to see it. I can't really do it justice. You can see it here.

Come on, sex with geeks isn't that bad...

finally....

I don't commment much on abortion because I don't have a womb. I cannot have abortions. I can't give birth. I am male. I think that each decision is in the hands of the woman who owns the womb.

I think that the sanctimony of some "pro-lifers" is absolutely disgusting. Once the baby is born, no one gives a damn...especially if the baby is any or all of the following:

a child of color
a girl
poor
addicted
mentally retarded

That is why it was heartening to see an anti-abortion group and the ACLU in support of the same single teacher that got fired for being pregnant. from the original ABC News article:

"If you take away the resources, you could unintentionally drive a woman to having an abortion," said Foster.

"It is not pro-life to take away the resources and support that women need and deserve to bring children into this world," Foster says. "The appropriate response for the employer when they found out she was pregnant, is to say, 'Congratulations,' and, 'How can I help?' "

Here's an interesting insight into the impetus behind most abortions:

A 2004 survey by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights but is cited by both sides in the abortion wars as having reliable data, indicated that 73 percent of those seeking an abortion were doing so because they could not afford to have a baby.

"We have to systematically eliminate the reasons that drive women to abortions, and the root causes are lack of resources and lack of support," Foster says. "Women deserve both."

Why do I believe women have a choice? I respect women as equal human beings, capable of intelligent thought. That's really it. As my man, Butterfly says of Digable Planets in La Femme Fetal on their first album reachin'(a new refutation of time and space):

Hey pro-lifers need to dig themselves
because life don't stop after birth
and to a child born to the unprepared
it might even just get worse

Yahoo! Sports : Why Figure Skating is Not A Sport

This article talks about why figure skating is not a sport.

Sooo, by his logic, Division I-A college football isn't a sport either. All of the people who determine the championship (or computers whose algorithm had to be written by someone) are not players...they are pretty much judges too. The BCS is like that horrible French judge from a few years back...

Why Heads Might Not Respect K-Fed

According to this article, Kevin Federline (who is currently married to Brittney Spears) states that he is being criticized because "He hates his children, he treats his wife like dirt, he gets high all day." and because he's white.

Eminem (and 3rd Bass and the Beastie Boys before him) proved that you can be white and rock the M.I.C.. Skills are skills. You will, however, face increased scrutiny because you are of the Caucasian persuasion and because you haven't shown us much.

You can dance, though. But, people haven't heard enough of your stuff to have a decision one way or the other...

You have a very high potential for being wack. When you are new, just do what you do and see what happens. There's no need to be arrogant. I know y'all are thinking "What about Kanye?". Kanye had bangers for other folks before he did his own thing. People still bang H.O.V.A.(Izzo) so he has a history of really good work. So far, he has lived up to his own hype.

But, time will tell...but, if the first joint is the strongest you have...goodbye Mr. Federline...you will be placed in the Rob Van Winkle Wing of the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.

You know shit's bad #1

You know shit's bad when...

Martha Stewart is downing a 40....

derek's classic rock knowledge..

The Veteran You scored 78%!

You've picked up the majority of the classic rock basics. You probably have a classic rock collection and can sing along with most of the songs on your local radio station. This is not the highest score, but it is arguably the best: that subtle combination of impressive knowledge and not being a pretentious geek.

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 29% on notes

Link: The BASIC classic rock Test written by allmydays on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

RIP Dilla (1974 - 2006)...

According to this article, James Yancey aka Jay Dee aka Jay Dilla has passed on.

Jay Dee, a producer's producer, was revered by the hip-hop nation for his unique boom-bap style rooted in soul and jazz.

Born James Yancey, Dilla made a name for himself as one of the members of A Tribe Called Quest's venerable production team, The Ummah, as well as produciong for the likes of De La Soul, Pharcyde, Common, D'Angelo, Busta Rhymes and his own group, Slum Village.

Damn. I wish I had "McNasty Filth" with me right now...instead, I am playing "It's Your World" by Common off of the Be album...rest in peace.

probably...

probably...
Originally uploaded by theunseen.

This picture is bad...this is my "The State of the Union is on" face.

miracles never cease

Now, like Seahawks Fan in Bronco Land, I hate Skip Bayless. He's an arrogant prick who thinks his crap smells like roses and cinnamon. But, in this article, he does tell the truth.

Seattle got screwed. Hard. Here's a list of entities that beat the Seahawks:
1) The referees
2) The Seattle Seahawks

Note that the Steelers weren't on that list. 39 Super Bowls and no REALLY bad calls. Guess they were saving it for 40. eXtra Lousy officiating.

DMX and Avis...We Try Harder, Dog

I had The Weather Channel on for ambient noise and I hear DMX's "Ruff Ryder's Anthem" (STOP! DROP! SHUT 'EM DOWN OPEN UP SHOP!) on a commercial for...Avis?!?!

This is more shocking than seeing OJ come back to doing Hertz commercials. Imagine that...all of the women that would have said "Go OJ Go!" would be saying "NO OJ NO!".

I am glad that I am not in advertising. People would be messed up for life watching my commercials.

You are NOT the father...

Our state Supreme Court is determining verdicts like this when they should force schools to find remedies for funding.

What this ruling basically says that if a potential father presents DNA evidence that he is not the father of a child(ren), he no longer has to pay child support. Previously, the law said that the father had a year or else they would be treated as the father.

I think that this is how it should be. I am a father that contributes to the well-being of my son...key word being MY son. I don't think that men should have to pay, under any circumstances, for someone else's child unless they choose to.

At Least...

At least I'm not from Cleve....HEY!!!

my plan...for working poor

Here's a post of mine at REALNEO...