1) Immigration - A quick rehash...the government is trying to pass an immigration reform bill and the latinos in particular are all in a twist over it. Seems they don't take kindly to having to pay taxes and learn the english language. Well here's the funny thing I still can't understand. Why are latinos against this bill??? It provides for a guest worker program, gives illegals already in the country a route to become a citizen without having to go back to their own country and stand in line and (somehow) doesn't propose to put any of them in jail! It also talks about building a big-ass wall to prevent competition in the lucrative American jobs market. What's not to like? These are the things that latino rights groups La Raza and LULAC have been arguing for years to get! It's my thinking that the latinos would be at home celebrating this bill while other groups took to the streets to demonstrate against it. Instead, we have latinos abandoning jobs and schools to march against this bill while the rest of us legal immigrants sit at home and do nothing to stop it. What's wrong with this picture? OH...That's right...they'll have to learn english and start paying taxes. Yeah...I'd be pissed about that too!! One suggestion though...if we're gonna build that wall, we better build it before telling anyone. Otherwise there's gonna be a mass migration north to get in before it goes up ala the Muriel Boat Lift. Speaking of which, the immigration department this week demonstrated it's keen grasp of reality by catching a boatload of illegals entering the country by landing in Florida. The boat had many haitians and one cuban onboard. Under the "dry feet" law, the cuban was allowed to stay and the rest were deported home. Are we to believe that the boat they came in on left Haiti and made a pit stop in Cuba before coming to the U.S.? Makes perfect sense to me....
2) Cynthia McKinney - She continues to make noise as even her fellow Black Caucus members advise her to back off and shut up. The more she talks the less she says and the stupider she looks. I almost busted a gut during her interview on CNN's American Morning show with Soledad O'Brien. If it wasn't so sad it would be funnier. Hell, her attorney said more than she did. Not bad for someone with 'something to say.' As posted earlier, I believe she owes us all an apology but will never give one. The continuing state of single-sided race relations....
3) NASCAR - Bill Lester, all-American race car driver(and black man), drove a nice clean race and managed not to wreck himself or anybody else. He gained valuable rookie experience and berated the press for making a big deal out of it. In the mean time, as the black community shouted as one that IT'S ABOUT TIME, NASCAR continued it's quiet commitment to it's minority driving program. In other news, I continue to note that while there is a Family Channel sponsored car, there's no BET Channel sponsored car.....Wrangler has a race team, FUBU does not....Joe Gibbs has a two car race team, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan combined don't have one between them. So what are P Diddy, Oprah and other black billionaires doing to promote blacks in racing? Apparently they are sitting around on their collective asses waiting for white folk to make it happen. Color me surprised.....
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Sunday, April 02, 2006
It's ALWAYS About Race!!!
Isn't it? Oh sure....everytime a white guy gets promoted before the black guy, everytime a white guy cuts off a black man on the freeway, everytime the white candidate gets elected over a hispanic candidate, everytime a hispanic woman is fired by a white woman, everytime a black man is jailed for a crime, everytime a TV show features mostly white characters, everytime a talk-show hostess is kept out of a department store after hours, everytime a taxi passes on picking up a famous black actor off the streets of New York late at night, everytime a minority of any color is turned down for a home loan, car loan, credit card or...ahh heck, you get the idea, right? In case you don't, there are those in this country who would have you believe that the entire white race is out to get, destroy, put down and generally hold back the minorities in our country. Forget the thousands of whites who gave their lives in the civil war...forget that a VERY SMALL percentage of whites actually owned or condoned slavery, forget that most whites were immigrants once upon a time who stood in line and learned the language to become citizens, forget the hundreds of thousands who marched for and voted for civil rights in the 60s and raised kids to think the way that they did. APPARENTLY....we (white folks) just want to hold minorities back, keep them from succeeding and put them down when they do somehow manage to beat the "system." Need a good example of this? Check it out....
AOL News: Politics - No Apology From McKinney for Hill Scuffle
Congressional Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia is crying racism over a recent incident in which she accuses a Capitol Hill police officer of being a racist as he grabbed her "inappropriately" and detained her against her will. Did he tackle her without warning? Did he verbally abuse her and call her by racial epithets? Did he grope her and make disparaging remarks about her color? Nah...all he did was his JOB!! Whuh? Huh? That's right, he did his job and nothing more. As a member of the Capitol Police he is charged with protecting the 100 members of the Senate and the 535 members of Congress. He is to ensure that they are safe and protected by guarding the entrances to secure buildings. Not too long ago, it seems Rep. McKinney tried to enter a building by flashing her ID, not wearing her congressional lapel pin and bypassing security. Normally, this is how things happen. On this day, however, the guard did not happen to recognize the Congresswoman and asked her, not once but three times to stop and identify herself. When she refused to, he attempted to detain her.... I.E., his job. Her response? Well gosh, as a 6 term Rep (and grown, mature woman) I would expect her to get indignant, identify herself and give the guard a dressing down. Instead, she ignored three verbal warning and then struck at the officer as he attempted to block her entry to the building. THEN, as seems to be the norm these days, she went on National television and painted this whole incident as racially motivated. When I first saw this reported on CNN, without any details on the incident being provided, all we got to see was the congresswoman and her lawyer with lots of other minorities on a podium announcing that an investigation was necessary! That this is just another indication of the severe problem we have in America! That it was unforgivable that this type of incident should happen to a (heavy annunciation here) "black.... woman.... Congressman!"
Days after the incident her tone seems to have changed. She now says that she "regrets" the incident...that the guard probably didn't recognize her due to a recent makeover. Other members of congress believe she should be charged with assault. The Capitol Police are considering it. One Rep decided to say that is was no big deal. Another pondered how many police will be hit before it becomes a big deal?
So far she hasn't apologized to the police officer or the department. I'm betting she won't, but if she does, it won't be publicly. Personally, I think she owes the whole nation an apology. She is a highly positioned elected official. She is EXACTLY the kind of person that young folk of any color should be able to look up to. Sadly, she just destroyed any credibility she had by blowing this incident into something it never was...a racial incident. The guard did his job and she reacted by acting like a spoiled child. By going before a national audience and crying race, she undermines a ton of progress in race relations. Other minorities who look up to her will decide it's OK to cry race everytime they feel wronged. And all of us white folk, raised to judge by character, will realize that she has no character and even less class. By promoting a non-existent situation she continues to erode progress and set us back ten years or more. She encourages others to do the same. And when proved totally wrong, she will never apologize for it.
I see a pattern here that gets more set every year. Black comedians will spend half of their set joking about the crackers with no rhythm. But if a white man tells a joke about black people liking fried chicken and watermelon, stand by for the fury! Black people can get national news coverage about baseless accusations of racial harassment. You'll never see the guard on TV talking about how he was just doing his dang job. Do I think that racially motivated incidents deserve national attention? Darn right!! Do I think CNN showed a severe lack of judgment with this story being aired as it was? Damn right. I think most major news organizations are so geared up to report nationally significant news that they will cover ANYthing that just sounds juicy. Funny how it is then buried deep within their websites when the facts and public sentiment is better known. I honestly don't know what is more irresponsible to report...the Congresswoman's baseless rant or the crap that Charlie Sheen was spouting off about 911. I always thought of CNN as an authoritative news organization unaflicted by the crap and incapable of airing unmitigated crap that has no place in the 'news.' I guess I thought wrong.
AOL News: Politics - No Apology From McKinney for Hill Scuffle
Congressional Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia is crying racism over a recent incident in which she accuses a Capitol Hill police officer of being a racist as he grabbed her "inappropriately" and detained her against her will. Did he tackle her without warning? Did he verbally abuse her and call her by racial epithets? Did he grope her and make disparaging remarks about her color? Nah...all he did was his JOB!! Whuh? Huh? That's right, he did his job and nothing more. As a member of the Capitol Police he is charged with protecting the 100 members of the Senate and the 535 members of Congress. He is to ensure that they are safe and protected by guarding the entrances to secure buildings. Not too long ago, it seems Rep. McKinney tried to enter a building by flashing her ID, not wearing her congressional lapel pin and bypassing security. Normally, this is how things happen. On this day, however, the guard did not happen to recognize the Congresswoman and asked her, not once but three times to stop and identify herself. When she refused to, he attempted to detain her.... I.E., his job. Her response? Well gosh, as a 6 term Rep (and grown, mature woman) I would expect her to get indignant, identify herself and give the guard a dressing down. Instead, she ignored three verbal warning and then struck at the officer as he attempted to block her entry to the building. THEN, as seems to be the norm these days, she went on National television and painted this whole incident as racially motivated. When I first saw this reported on CNN, without any details on the incident being provided, all we got to see was the congresswoman and her lawyer with lots of other minorities on a podium announcing that an investigation was necessary! That this is just another indication of the severe problem we have in America! That it was unforgivable that this type of incident should happen to a (heavy annunciation here) "black.... woman.... Congressman!"
Days after the incident her tone seems to have changed. She now says that she "regrets" the incident...that the guard probably didn't recognize her due to a recent makeover. Other members of congress believe she should be charged with assault. The Capitol Police are considering it. One Rep decided to say that is was no big deal. Another pondered how many police will be hit before it becomes a big deal?
So far she hasn't apologized to the police officer or the department. I'm betting she won't, but if she does, it won't be publicly. Personally, I think she owes the whole nation an apology. She is a highly positioned elected official. She is EXACTLY the kind of person that young folk of any color should be able to look up to. Sadly, she just destroyed any credibility she had by blowing this incident into something it never was...a racial incident. The guard did his job and she reacted by acting like a spoiled child. By going before a national audience and crying race, she undermines a ton of progress in race relations. Other minorities who look up to her will decide it's OK to cry race everytime they feel wronged. And all of us white folk, raised to judge by character, will realize that she has no character and even less class. By promoting a non-existent situation she continues to erode progress and set us back ten years or more. She encourages others to do the same. And when proved totally wrong, she will never apologize for it.
I see a pattern here that gets more set every year. Black comedians will spend half of their set joking about the crackers with no rhythm. But if a white man tells a joke about black people liking fried chicken and watermelon, stand by for the fury! Black people can get national news coverage about baseless accusations of racial harassment. You'll never see the guard on TV talking about how he was just doing his dang job. Do I think that racially motivated incidents deserve national attention? Darn right!! Do I think CNN showed a severe lack of judgment with this story being aired as it was? Damn right. I think most major news organizations are so geared up to report nationally significant news that they will cover ANYthing that just sounds juicy. Funny how it is then buried deep within their websites when the facts and public sentiment is better known. I honestly don't know what is more irresponsible to report...the Congresswoman's baseless rant or the crap that Charlie Sheen was spouting off about 911. I always thought of CNN as an authoritative news organization unaflicted by the crap and incapable of airing unmitigated crap that has no place in the 'news.' I guess I thought wrong.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
(I have) Immigration Issues
Today's biggest headlines: AOL News - Immigration Debate Heats Up in Senate
Immigration? IMMIGRATION!?! We don't need no stinkin' immigration! And so goes the rant of legal and illegal immigrants alike who feel they (the illegals) have the right to walk right across a national border, earn a living without being taxed (and yet being represented), and have the audacity to send the majority of that money right back across the border! So now, faced with a swift end to the gravy train, they are taking to the streets to demonstrate. Gravy train, you say? They work jobs that other Americans won't for slave wages, right? Let's get one thing straight. These workers are sending home their "meager" wages to the tune of 20 billion dollars per year! Guess what Mexico's #2 source of income is? Wages remitted by migrant workers. Second only to oil exports! We're talking free medical care, driver's licenses, small business loans, court appointed lawyers, fire and police protection, minority preferences, education ...it...never...ends! All the benefits of being a citizen without paying taxes or learning the language. As previously ranted about, they'd just as soon you hurry your ass up and learn spanish already. They're tired of not being able to communicate with you! Are you mad yet? No? Well sit back, i'm just getting started.
Guess who is being hurt the most by the illegal immigrants? You? Me? Not even close. That would be the poor, uneducated people who have legally immigrated here and can't find a job! They wait their turn as millions before them have, they learn the language and they pass a citizenship test and for what? No jobs, unaffordable medical care and not a lot of prospects? Welcome to America. All the goodies have gone to the border hoppers. They get all the freebies and you get the shaft. If not for the illegals, you'd have a decent paying job and some benefits. Funny how you thought you would help your own cause and take to the streets and defend the illegals!
Here in America, we have such a good thing going on that people from all over wish to be here more than anywhere else in the world. Anywhere! Damn near every day, our Coast Guard and Navy is patrolling the southern shores, turning away Haitians, Cubans, etc. Even if they get ashore, we ship them right back. (Except for the Cubans. Under the "wet foot dry foot" laws, if they make it to shore, we let them stay. That too should be changed.) In the mean time, we embrace the Mexican illegals with all of the benefits and none of the hardships that come with living here. (NO, I am not saying it is a breezy life to be a migrant fruit picker.) They need to be shipped back the minute they are discovered. People who employ illegals should be heavily fined and regularly inspected. A wall should exist between our countrys. It is to the benefit of EVERYONE to control immigration. This is a national crisis!
Now, for those of you bleeding hearts who feel we should leave our southern borders wide open, let's talk about who all crosses it. Now, i'm not gonna talk about muslims and terrorists. I want to introduce you to MS-13. Who? MS-13! The Most Dangerous Gang in America - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com They are crossing our border regularly and will soon be bigger in America then our own homegrown Crips and Bloods. They bring drugs, violence and prostitution over the borders faster then we can keep up. So when an illegal immigrant with body armor and an automatic weapon makes your heart bleed for real, DON'T come a bitchin' to me! You've been warned. (Oh yeah...as if that ain't enough, Mexico has a bad habit of dropping off some of their most violent criminals at the border. Aren't you tired of being the carpet under which Mexico sweeps it's crap?)
OK...one more victim of illegal immigration to run under your nose. Are you ready for this? Mexico! The majority of the outlying villages are dying a quick death due to the fact that there's nobody around of working age. The farms are going unworked and the infrastructure is non-existent. All that's left is the very young and the very old. The schools are closing. There is no medical care. The following facts were gleaned from an article in my local paper by Jay Root of Knight-Ridder services; In five states, remittances from abroad now equal 100% or more of the salaries generated locally. There are nine times more people from the town of Joaquin Amaro living in Cicero, IL than are living in Joaquin Amaro itself. Can you believe this? Wait, it gets worse. A woman in the Mexican state of Zacatecas recently went to the immigrant assistance office for advice on how to get her 2 year old daughter (born in the US) back to Oakland, CA for treatment of a hip condition. The agency directors (un)official advice? Hire a smuggler and sign up her US born child for welfare. For the full story, go here. KR Washington Bureau 03/23/2006 Migration of working-age people has devast Mexico is bleeding itself dry as it migrates north to bleed us dry. Like Locusts. How far will we let it go? Write your national leaders. Illegal immigration has become a disgrace and a nightmare. You are inheriting it!
PS - If I were a business owner and my workforce decided to just skip a day by walking out to go demonstrate in the streets, they'd be looking for a new job. If I were the principal where the kids walked out of school, there'd be detention. Period.
Immigration? IMMIGRATION!?! We don't need no stinkin' immigration! And so goes the rant of legal and illegal immigrants alike who feel they (the illegals) have the right to walk right across a national border, earn a living without being taxed (and yet being represented), and have the audacity to send the majority of that money right back across the border! So now, faced with a swift end to the gravy train, they are taking to the streets to demonstrate. Gravy train, you say? They work jobs that other Americans won't for slave wages, right? Let's get one thing straight. These workers are sending home their "meager" wages to the tune of 20 billion dollars per year! Guess what Mexico's #2 source of income is? Wages remitted by migrant workers. Second only to oil exports! We're talking free medical care, driver's licenses, small business loans, court appointed lawyers, fire and police protection, minority preferences, education ...it...never...ends! All the benefits of being a citizen without paying taxes or learning the language. As previously ranted about, they'd just as soon you hurry your ass up and learn spanish already. They're tired of not being able to communicate with you! Are you mad yet? No? Well sit back, i'm just getting started.
Guess who is being hurt the most by the illegal immigrants? You? Me? Not even close. That would be the poor, uneducated people who have legally immigrated here and can't find a job! They wait their turn as millions before them have, they learn the language and they pass a citizenship test and for what? No jobs, unaffordable medical care and not a lot of prospects? Welcome to America. All the goodies have gone to the border hoppers. They get all the freebies and you get the shaft. If not for the illegals, you'd have a decent paying job and some benefits. Funny how you thought you would help your own cause and take to the streets and defend the illegals!
Here in America, we have such a good thing going on that people from all over wish to be here more than anywhere else in the world. Anywhere! Damn near every day, our Coast Guard and Navy is patrolling the southern shores, turning away Haitians, Cubans, etc. Even if they get ashore, we ship them right back. (Except for the Cubans. Under the "wet foot dry foot" laws, if they make it to shore, we let them stay. That too should be changed.) In the mean time, we embrace the Mexican illegals with all of the benefits and none of the hardships that come with living here. (NO, I am not saying it is a breezy life to be a migrant fruit picker.) They need to be shipped back the minute they are discovered. People who employ illegals should be heavily fined and regularly inspected. A wall should exist between our countrys. It is to the benefit of EVERYONE to control immigration. This is a national crisis!
Now, for those of you bleeding hearts who feel we should leave our southern borders wide open, let's talk about who all crosses it. Now, i'm not gonna talk about muslims and terrorists. I want to introduce you to MS-13. Who? MS-13! The Most Dangerous Gang in America - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com They are crossing our border regularly and will soon be bigger in America then our own homegrown Crips and Bloods. They bring drugs, violence and prostitution over the borders faster then we can keep up. So when an illegal immigrant with body armor and an automatic weapon makes your heart bleed for real, DON'T come a bitchin' to me! You've been warned. (Oh yeah...as if that ain't enough, Mexico has a bad habit of dropping off some of their most violent criminals at the border. Aren't you tired of being the carpet under which Mexico sweeps it's crap?)
OK...one more victim of illegal immigration to run under your nose. Are you ready for this? Mexico! The majority of the outlying villages are dying a quick death due to the fact that there's nobody around of working age. The farms are going unworked and the infrastructure is non-existent. All that's left is the very young and the very old. The schools are closing. There is no medical care. The following facts were gleaned from an article in my local paper by Jay Root of Knight-Ridder services; In five states, remittances from abroad now equal 100% or more of the salaries generated locally. There are nine times more people from the town of Joaquin Amaro living in Cicero, IL than are living in Joaquin Amaro itself. Can you believe this? Wait, it gets worse. A woman in the Mexican state of Zacatecas recently went to the immigrant assistance office for advice on how to get her 2 year old daughter (born in the US) back to Oakland, CA for treatment of a hip condition. The agency directors (un)official advice? Hire a smuggler and sign up her US born child for welfare. For the full story, go here. KR Washington Bureau 03/23/2006 Migration of working-age people has devast Mexico is bleeding itself dry as it migrates north to bleed us dry. Like Locusts. How far will we let it go? Write your national leaders. Illegal immigration has become a disgrace and a nightmare. You are inheriting it!
PS - If I were a business owner and my workforce decided to just skip a day by walking out to go demonstrate in the streets, they'd be looking for a new job. If I were the principal where the kids walked out of school, there'd be detention. Period.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Crime and Punishment! (Of the victim, that is...)
The things I learn never cease to amaze me. Just when I think I have it all figured out, something comes along that changes everything. Apparently. there are still 29 states out there that have "duty to retreat" laws still on the books. What, exactly, does this mean to you and me? Let's keep this nice and simple. Basically, if you are attacked in a public place, (I.E., anywhere but in your private domicile) and you defend yourself to the demise of the attacker, the attacker or (in the event of his/her death) his/her family can sue you , have you prosecuted or both if you did not retreat from he criminal attack. Whuh??? That's right. In these states, if you are confronted, attacked, mugged or carjacked in a public place, you must first attempt to "disengage" the situation by backing away. The idea is to avoid potentially deadly situations. Now, while I understand the spirit of these laws, they are absolutely ripe for abuse. Someone who has been attacked by criminals does not need to be victimized a second time by a second-guessing legal system.
It comes as no surprise to me that the NRA is a staunch supporter of these so called "Stand Your Ground" bills. For once, I actually agree with them. Florida was first to pass them, a year ago, allowing everyday citizens to use deadly force against muggers, carjackers and such. The new laws protect the citizens from being prosecuted should the attacker decide he was "wronged" by picking on the wrong person. Several states are considering similar legislation. It just stands to reason, to me, that if I have the right to kill an intruder in my house that I should be able to shoot a carjacker, instead of jumping out of my car and backing away, hoping he'll change his mind and not take my car or hurt me. I see this as a huge step towards taking back our streets. Along with concealed weapons laws, the citizens are starting to get an upper hand on the criminals who don't live by laws and morals. Naturally, there are detractors.
Zach Ragbourn of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence the proposals "are more acurately called 'shoot first' laws. They allow a person who just feels something bad is going to happen to open fire in public." Well we are not a nation of Bernie Goetzs. I just don't picture a bunch of folks running around looking to be vigilantes. I see criminals wondering of the little weak victim they chose to mug is armed. I see carjackers hesitating to run up to any given window. I see citizens unafraid to stand up for themselves in the face of common street thugs. I personally live in a state which allows for an eye for an eye. If someone comes at me with a gun, I can shoot back. If they come at me with a bat, I can take the bat away and beat the hell out of them with it. If they attempt to take me down with their bare hands, they're gonna get thrashed. I don't have to fear reprisals, provided I don't 'escalate' the intended violence. 'Course, between you and me, I'm a piss poor shot. Like I've been told before, shoot for center mass and claim you were aiming for a leg.
It comes as no surprise to me that the NRA is a staunch supporter of these so called "Stand Your Ground" bills. For once, I actually agree with them. Florida was first to pass them, a year ago, allowing everyday citizens to use deadly force against muggers, carjackers and such. The new laws protect the citizens from being prosecuted should the attacker decide he was "wronged" by picking on the wrong person. Several states are considering similar legislation. It just stands to reason, to me, that if I have the right to kill an intruder in my house that I should be able to shoot a carjacker, instead of jumping out of my car and backing away, hoping he'll change his mind and not take my car or hurt me. I see this as a huge step towards taking back our streets. Along with concealed weapons laws, the citizens are starting to get an upper hand on the criminals who don't live by laws and morals. Naturally, there are detractors.
Zach Ragbourn of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence the proposals "are more acurately called 'shoot first' laws. They allow a person who just feels something bad is going to happen to open fire in public." Well we are not a nation of Bernie Goetzs. I just don't picture a bunch of folks running around looking to be vigilantes. I see criminals wondering of the little weak victim they chose to mug is armed. I see carjackers hesitating to run up to any given window. I see citizens unafraid to stand up for themselves in the face of common street thugs. I personally live in a state which allows for an eye for an eye. If someone comes at me with a gun, I can shoot back. If they come at me with a bat, I can take the bat away and beat the hell out of them with it. If they attempt to take me down with their bare hands, they're gonna get thrashed. I don't have to fear reprisals, provided I don't 'escalate' the intended violence. 'Course, between you and me, I'm a piss poor shot. Like I've been told before, shoot for center mass and claim you were aiming for a leg.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Patriot Act - Good for You, Good For Me
Out there in la-la land is a guy (who I won't name because i'd rather not give free advertising) who "invented" a game called Patriot Act: The Home Version. As an Arab civil rights advocate, he bitches and moans about how he feels the act has curtailed American's freedoms. In a blatant rip-off of the game Monopoly (he has enough imagination to think his freedom is in trouble...can't he come up with something a lil' more original?), players basically try to outlast each other. As you move about the board, your freedoms are removed one by one until you end up in Guantanamo, Cuba. (Instead of jail.) The overall aim of the game is to 'poke fun at the historic abuse of governmental powers' by the newly renovated anti-terrorism laws. I'd really love to see the game in person to get a feel for exactly what he is talking about. In the mean time, I'm gonna write out a list of all the things the patriot act has meant to me and my personal freedoms.
1) I have to be at the airport an hour earlier than I used to.
2) If I call an Al-Qaida outpost overseas my call may be monitored. (NOT for quality
assurance!)
3) Flying is safer, ports are more tightly controlled and borders are better patrolled.
4) Ooops! Almost forgot. The government now knows how often I visit porn sites on the
internet. Remember how Google refused to turn over information to the government on
what everybody was searching for during a given week? Well before that happened, pretty
much EVERY other ISP and search engine in America already had without a fight or peep.
Think about that before you go searching again!
Well, I think that's about it. I really feel the Patriot Act has done more FOR me than against me. Obviously the 'inventor' of this game hasn't lost the ability to get his name in the paper. As for my freedoms and privacy, give me a break. Anyone who pays attention knows that we are all monitored in one way or another. Whenever you enter a bank, airport, government office building or casino, a computer somewhere is running your image through a facial recognition program. Everytime you go into a bus station, train station, shopping mall or convenience mart, you end up on video tape. Anytime you pass through a toll booth, border check station, weigh station or most parking garages, a picture is taken of your license plate and you. Oh, and lest I forget, if you use the right combination of words enough times in phone conversations and e-mails, the U.S. Secret Service WILL pay you a visit. (Use your imagination.) The majority of the time, this is done for your protection. These records are being used to prevent and solve crimes.
When they are misused, it is generally by nefarious employees. Something that nothing can prevent. You say you need something to worry about, though? That you just can't sleep unless something horrible could be happening in your life at any given moment? Here, let me help. Identity theft, phishing, drunk drivers, road rage, outsourcing, illegal immigration, racism, the impending tropical storm season and the fact that the average American reads and comprehends at an EIGHTH GRADE LEVEL. (This is not a misprint.)
The article that prompted this rant was printed on page A-2 of my local paper. On page A-3 was an article concerning a man in Afghanistan. He is currently being prosecuted in a Kabul courtroom on a charge of converting from Islam to Christianity. This is a crime against Afghan's strict Islamic laws and he could be sentanced to death. Really. Maybe somebody could come up with a game about that.
1) I have to be at the airport an hour earlier than I used to.
2) If I call an Al-Qaida outpost overseas my call may be monitored. (NOT for quality
assurance!)
3) Flying is safer, ports are more tightly controlled and borders are better patrolled.
4) Ooops! Almost forgot. The government now knows how often I visit porn sites on the
internet. Remember how Google refused to turn over information to the government on
what everybody was searching for during a given week? Well before that happened, pretty
much EVERY other ISP and search engine in America already had without a fight or peep.
Think about that before you go searching again!
Well, I think that's about it. I really feel the Patriot Act has done more FOR me than against me. Obviously the 'inventor' of this game hasn't lost the ability to get his name in the paper. As for my freedoms and privacy, give me a break. Anyone who pays attention knows that we are all monitored in one way or another. Whenever you enter a bank, airport, government office building or casino, a computer somewhere is running your image through a facial recognition program. Everytime you go into a bus station, train station, shopping mall or convenience mart, you end up on video tape. Anytime you pass through a toll booth, border check station, weigh station or most parking garages, a picture is taken of your license plate and you. Oh, and lest I forget, if you use the right combination of words enough times in phone conversations and e-mails, the U.S. Secret Service WILL pay you a visit. (Use your imagination.) The majority of the time, this is done for your protection. These records are being used to prevent and solve crimes.
When they are misused, it is generally by nefarious employees. Something that nothing can prevent. You say you need something to worry about, though? That you just can't sleep unless something horrible could be happening in your life at any given moment? Here, let me help. Identity theft, phishing, drunk drivers, road rage, outsourcing, illegal immigration, racism, the impending tropical storm season and the fact that the average American reads and comprehends at an EIGHTH GRADE LEVEL. (This is not a misprint.)
The article that prompted this rant was printed on page A-2 of my local paper. On page A-3 was an article concerning a man in Afghanistan. He is currently being prosecuted in a Kabul courtroom on a charge of converting from Islam to Christianity. This is a crime against Afghan's strict Islamic laws and he could be sentanced to death. Really. Maybe somebody could come up with a game about that.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Are you paying 5$ a gallon?
You probably are...you just don't know it yet. Am I talking about milk, not quite. (That'll happen when the mad cow scare takes effect.) How about gasoline? Despite ever climbing prices, that time has not yet come either.(At least not in my neck of the woods.) The substance under discussion today is....are youready for this? Water!! Wait a second...water? Water? Damn right, water. If you drink it out of a bottle more than you drink it out of a tap, you are paying between 3 to 5 dollars a gallon. For water. REALLY. Of course, the average price of water coming out of your tap? $.23 a gallon. Twenty-three cents vs. five bucks? Somebody is making a tidy profit here and it sure as heck ain't me. But hey, we all drink bottled water for a reason, right? Let's look at that.
Some time ago, during America's "lets scare ourselves to death" phase, we decided that the ground water was becoming more polluted every day. Chemical companies and commercial farmers would cause us all to have cancer by the age of 30. Back then, bottled water was pretty much a European thing. Perrier and Evian (naive in reverse) represented the bulk of the market and globe-trotting Hollyweird types brought it back to the U.S. as a symbol of wealth and arrogance. Before long, a market developed and the stuff was being sold all over the place. Fast forward to 2006...over 600 brands of bottled water exist worldwide. It outsells soda. Now, if you've ever traveled through Europe, you'd know why they came up with bottled water in the first place. Their water distribution systems are ancient, the plants are a mess and standards non-existent. They needed bottled water. Here in the U.S., most households have reasonably decent enough drinking water. It may not taste great and it may be full of minerals, but it won't kill us. I remember as a child drinking water straight from the garden hose. On a hot summers day, it was like pure elixir. Kids these days would probably choke at the thought as they clutch their sports bottles. Now, the water where I live is so full of minerals I have to literally wash the car with one hand and dry it with the other. If I don't, it'll be ugly and cloudy when it dries. Still, if the water is cold enough, I'll drink it straight from the tap. I also have a refridgerator with water in the door and a filter in the back. Even better. It's only $50 per filter and it lasts several months. Certainly cheaper than bottled. But wait, you say...bottled IS better. Or is it?
To avoid potential lawsuits, i'll simply say this. Current FDA standards allow for bottled water companies to fill their bottles from a city tap. Any tap. Use your imagination.
One of the conveniences we arrogant Americans take for granted is that when we turn on the tap, water will come out. Around the world and even in some places here, there are about 1.5 billion people who don't enjoy that privilege. A FRACTION of the money spent on bottled water around the world would solve that problem. Maybe those 600 companies could set aside .05 a bottle for a few months. That is about all it would take. Spend a little profit so people who don't have running water and can't afford bottled water can get a tap in their village. It's the least they can do. It's the least WE could do. There are quite a few organizations dedicated to this cause. They deserve a few of your dollars.
Side Note: Attention enviromentalists! When you are done quoting gas mileage rates for SUVs vs your lil' hybrid and have completed your demonstration against wind farms for the sake of the birds, crunch these here numbers. It annually takes 1.5 BILLION barrels of oil to make the plastic bottles that water comes in. Collectively, we place some 2.5 MILLION plastic bottles per HOUR into our landfills. As they break down, they release toxic run-off that leeches out and causes the landfills to be shut down. At this point, we are closing landfills almost as fast as we open new ones. Just think...somewhere in this world a billion people are going thirsty for want of that problem.
A few final thoughts, if you please. When I lived in the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Arabian gulf, I could buy a 2 liter bottle of water for about fifty cents. The water was manufactured in a reverse osmosis plant and the bottles were all recyclable. This seemed pretty reasonable. I drank it because the water that came out of the taps was barely tolerable for a shower, much less consumption. We had big bottled water in our flat that was delivered for about $1.90 per 5 gallon jug. That was for cooking, drinking and making ice. Damn reasonable. And now for the other end of the scale. The hottest new thing to have in ones hand in Hollyweird is a bottle of "Bling H20." At around $34 dollars per LITER that's a pretty bold statement. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I still think i'd drink out of the hose on a hot summers day. The nostalgia it brings is priceless.
Some time ago, during America's "lets scare ourselves to death" phase, we decided that the ground water was becoming more polluted every day. Chemical companies and commercial farmers would cause us all to have cancer by the age of 30. Back then, bottled water was pretty much a European thing. Perrier and Evian (naive in reverse) represented the bulk of the market and globe-trotting Hollyweird types brought it back to the U.S. as a symbol of wealth and arrogance. Before long, a market developed and the stuff was being sold all over the place. Fast forward to 2006...over 600 brands of bottled water exist worldwide. It outsells soda. Now, if you've ever traveled through Europe, you'd know why they came up with bottled water in the first place. Their water distribution systems are ancient, the plants are a mess and standards non-existent. They needed bottled water. Here in the U.S., most households have reasonably decent enough drinking water. It may not taste great and it may be full of minerals, but it won't kill us. I remember as a child drinking water straight from the garden hose. On a hot summers day, it was like pure elixir. Kids these days would probably choke at the thought as they clutch their sports bottles. Now, the water where I live is so full of minerals I have to literally wash the car with one hand and dry it with the other. If I don't, it'll be ugly and cloudy when it dries. Still, if the water is cold enough, I'll drink it straight from the tap. I also have a refridgerator with water in the door and a filter in the back. Even better. It's only $50 per filter and it lasts several months. Certainly cheaper than bottled. But wait, you say...bottled IS better. Or is it?
To avoid potential lawsuits, i'll simply say this. Current FDA standards allow for bottled water companies to fill their bottles from a city tap. Any tap. Use your imagination.
One of the conveniences we arrogant Americans take for granted is that when we turn on the tap, water will come out. Around the world and even in some places here, there are about 1.5 billion people who don't enjoy that privilege. A FRACTION of the money spent on bottled water around the world would solve that problem. Maybe those 600 companies could set aside .05 a bottle for a few months. That is about all it would take. Spend a little profit so people who don't have running water and can't afford bottled water can get a tap in their village. It's the least they can do. It's the least WE could do. There are quite a few organizations dedicated to this cause. They deserve a few of your dollars.
Side Note: Attention enviromentalists! When you are done quoting gas mileage rates for SUVs vs your lil' hybrid and have completed your demonstration against wind farms for the sake of the birds, crunch these here numbers. It annually takes 1.5 BILLION barrels of oil to make the plastic bottles that water comes in. Collectively, we place some 2.5 MILLION plastic bottles per HOUR into our landfills. As they break down, they release toxic run-off that leeches out and causes the landfills to be shut down. At this point, we are closing landfills almost as fast as we open new ones. Just think...somewhere in this world a billion people are going thirsty for want of that problem.
A few final thoughts, if you please. When I lived in the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Arabian gulf, I could buy a 2 liter bottle of water for about fifty cents. The water was manufactured in a reverse osmosis plant and the bottles were all recyclable. This seemed pretty reasonable. I drank it because the water that came out of the taps was barely tolerable for a shower, much less consumption. We had big bottled water in our flat that was delivered for about $1.90 per 5 gallon jug. That was for cooking, drinking and making ice. Damn reasonable. And now for the other end of the scale. The hottest new thing to have in ones hand in Hollyweird is a bottle of "Bling H20." At around $34 dollars per LITER that's a pretty bold statement. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I still think i'd drink out of the hose on a hot summers day. The nostalgia it brings is priceless.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
12.5% vs. 87.5%
Tonight's story is the latest in stupidity to arise out of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Victoria Cinna is the Director of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance. (MIRA) She spent two days before Katrina hit landfall begging the Gulfport, MS tv stations to broadcast evacuation messages in Spanish. She knew that hundreds of Latinos lived along the gulf coast and many spoke little, if any english. The stations finally relented just hours before the storm hit. In her mind, this was completely unsatisfactory. I agree, but with stipulations. We'll get to that in a minute. First, i'll also address a related matter. FEMA apparently neglected to provide temporary emergency housing or shelter to Latinos it mistakenly presumed were undocumented. The Red Cross is also accused of requiring Latino hurricane survivors to show documents proving their legal status before they could recieve aid. This is a violation of the Red Crosses own policies. This is wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to start. Let's just say that ANY victim of ANY hurricane seeking temporary emergency shelter and aid should get it, regardless of status. But for now, let's fry some bigger fish.
If I'm gonna go live in another country, permanent or temporary, rich or poor, young or old, documented or otherwise, I'm gonna learn a few phrases...be it along the way or once I get there. I'm gonna know the words for fire, i'll learn how to summon the police and how to cry rape or robbery or whatever is pertinent. Ms Cinna was pleading to put out the word over the television which says that these folk had access to them. Now, we all saw the national coverage that this hurricane got in the few days before landfall. I could be a deaf, arab speaking polynesian from central China and I still believe I could figure out what's going on on the TV. I'd at least know that SOMETHING was going on and find someone who could tell me what it was. But there is yet a bigger problem.
Go ahead, call me a racist, but this is America and we speak English here. The title of this entry suggests the 87.5% of us in America who speak English as a first language vs. some part of the 12.5% of America's latino population that doesn't. Throughout the southwest one will see highway signs and restaurant menus in English and Spanish. The announcements in the airports as well as the grocery stores are done in both languages. Indeed it is difficult to get a job as a teacher unless you are bilingual. This is the root of the problem. Lots of folks in this country are shooting for the whole bilingual thing on a national scale. They would like for the 87.5 percent of us to bend over for them. It's not enough to recognize Cinco de Mayo or even to have a Latino history month. They want us to be bilingual from front to back. Sorry, but I refuse and I protest. The more we give in to the demands of the latino community the more they get behind. Having a bilingual teacher in school can help the english as a second language students to understand certain things. I believe, however, that it does more harm than good. The students quickly learn to rely on the teacher speaking what they probably hear at home. In my current hometown(population - 52% latino), we have several spanish TV stations, radio stations and newspapers. Last year a high school student was on the frontpage of the local english language paper complaining that the annual aptitude test was only given in one language. Excuse me? He was actually bitching that he couldn't pass the science portion of the test because he didn't understand the technical terms in english. This, he told us, will surely keep him from his dream of going to law school. No, your inability to speak english will do that. By coddling these kids and not forcing them to learn english they get further and further behind the learning curve. The latino community apparently thinks that going bilingual on a national scale is the solution. I once was waiting to be assisted at a national chain store while two clerks were speaking to each other in spanish. I politely explained that it was rude to speak in a foreign language in front of a customer who didnt speak that language. After one (somewhat) politely explained to me that it was quicker and easier for the two of them to converse in their native language, I said "Well, welcome to America...been here long?" It was then quickly and tersly explained to me that she was born here. As was her mother. She's a citizen of the U.S. and damn proud of it, for crying out loud and how dare I!! And I replied, "Then English is your native language." I've had arguments with other latinos who were happy to inform me that America has no official language...perhaps it should be spanish. Well guess what....the International Association of Airline Pilots have an official language. So does the International Maritime Commission. It's not spanish. It's english and it's become the standard for a lot of things, worldwide. I traveled extensively with the military from eastern Europe to the middle east. Everywhere I went I could find someone who spoke english. Spanish, however, not so much. Except in Spain, of course.
If you can find me another country that bends over as much as we do to make illegal immigrants feel welcome, I'd sure like to know what it is. It's time we had english as an official language. Period. I'm all for education all around, but teaching in spanish is just setting these kids up for failure. A few months ago I watched a special on CNN about some NBA players who went to central Africa to give support and money to food, clean water, housing and education programs. What amazed me the most was not the money grubbing athletes actually being generous with some of their wealth. CNN interviewed a sixth grade local girl from a tiny village with a ramshackle schoolhouse run by volunteers in the peace corps. She spoke better english than anybody else on the program. It's not quality of education sometimes....it's the willingness to learn. Excuses and finger pointing seem to be the norm in America these days. I suspect the problem lies elsewhere.
If I'm gonna go live in another country, permanent or temporary, rich or poor, young or old, documented or otherwise, I'm gonna learn a few phrases...be it along the way or once I get there. I'm gonna know the words for fire, i'll learn how to summon the police and how to cry rape or robbery or whatever is pertinent. Ms Cinna was pleading to put out the word over the television which says that these folk had access to them. Now, we all saw the national coverage that this hurricane got in the few days before landfall. I could be a deaf, arab speaking polynesian from central China and I still believe I could figure out what's going on on the TV. I'd at least know that SOMETHING was going on and find someone who could tell me what it was. But there is yet a bigger problem.
Go ahead, call me a racist, but this is America and we speak English here. The title of this entry suggests the 87.5% of us in America who speak English as a first language vs. some part of the 12.5% of America's latino population that doesn't. Throughout the southwest one will see highway signs and restaurant menus in English and Spanish. The announcements in the airports as well as the grocery stores are done in both languages. Indeed it is difficult to get a job as a teacher unless you are bilingual. This is the root of the problem. Lots of folks in this country are shooting for the whole bilingual thing on a national scale. They would like for the 87.5 percent of us to bend over for them. It's not enough to recognize Cinco de Mayo or even to have a Latino history month. They want us to be bilingual from front to back. Sorry, but I refuse and I protest. The more we give in to the demands of the latino community the more they get behind. Having a bilingual teacher in school can help the english as a second language students to understand certain things. I believe, however, that it does more harm than good. The students quickly learn to rely on the teacher speaking what they probably hear at home. In my current hometown(population - 52% latino), we have several spanish TV stations, radio stations and newspapers. Last year a high school student was on the frontpage of the local english language paper complaining that the annual aptitude test was only given in one language. Excuse me? He was actually bitching that he couldn't pass the science portion of the test because he didn't understand the technical terms in english. This, he told us, will surely keep him from his dream of going to law school. No, your inability to speak english will do that. By coddling these kids and not forcing them to learn english they get further and further behind the learning curve. The latino community apparently thinks that going bilingual on a national scale is the solution. I once was waiting to be assisted at a national chain store while two clerks were speaking to each other in spanish. I politely explained that it was rude to speak in a foreign language in front of a customer who didnt speak that language. After one (somewhat) politely explained to me that it was quicker and easier for the two of them to converse in their native language, I said "Well, welcome to America...been here long?" It was then quickly and tersly explained to me that she was born here. As was her mother. She's a citizen of the U.S. and damn proud of it, for crying out loud and how dare I!! And I replied, "Then English is your native language." I've had arguments with other latinos who were happy to inform me that America has no official language...perhaps it should be spanish. Well guess what....the International Association of Airline Pilots have an official language. So does the International Maritime Commission. It's not spanish. It's english and it's become the standard for a lot of things, worldwide. I traveled extensively with the military from eastern Europe to the middle east. Everywhere I went I could find someone who spoke english. Spanish, however, not so much. Except in Spain, of course.
If you can find me another country that bends over as much as we do to make illegal immigrants feel welcome, I'd sure like to know what it is. It's time we had english as an official language. Period. I'm all for education all around, but teaching in spanish is just setting these kids up for failure. A few months ago I watched a special on CNN about some NBA players who went to central Africa to give support and money to food, clean water, housing and education programs. What amazed me the most was not the money grubbing athletes actually being generous with some of their wealth. CNN interviewed a sixth grade local girl from a tiny village with a ramshackle schoolhouse run by volunteers in the peace corps. She spoke better english than anybody else on the program. It's not quality of education sometimes....it's the willingness to learn. Excuses and finger pointing seem to be the norm in America these days. I suspect the problem lies elsewhere.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Black.Smart.Fast
NASCAR Driver Tries to Break Color Barrier
Now here's a black man I can stand behind. After going on and on about a man I can't stand yesterday, here's the guy who should be held up for all to see. It's not groundbreaking and it's not even new. But this guy is setting a fine example. He bid his time and paid his dues. After a couple years in the Craftsman Truck Series and several good runs in the Bucsh Series, Bill Lester is going to attempt on Friday to qualify for Sunday's Nascar Nextel Cup race in Atlanta. Is this a good thing? Yep. Is it ground breaking? No. Black drivers have been in Nascar before. Lester has been driving professionally for years. Heck, Danica Patrick did well in Indy cars long before everyone 'discovered' her after she qualified fourth at the Indy 500. As NASCAR says in a new ad campaign heralding their diversity, "there's room for everyone." There has been for years. As i've previously stated on numerous occasions, the NASCAR color(and sex) barrier has been gone for a long time. The biggest factor between minorities and NASCAR is drive, experience and time. You can't just put people in the driver's seat who don't belong there and haven't earned it. Women and minority drivers have had enjoyed a large presense in Drag Racing for years. But the difference between a drag racer and a oval circuit racer is huge. It takes years of racing from the time a person is too young to get a driver's license and the dedication of a finely tuned athlete. It won't happen overnight. For two years running, NASCAR has provided and funded a minority racing program to help "diversify" racing. It will help, but we need something more.... Here's my suggestion.
Attention Rich Vocal Minorities: I'm putting out challenge part two to the likes of Oprah, Kanye West, Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al and various other minority bankers, investors, hollywood stars, gansta rappers, etc. Quit bitching that not enough is being done and put your money where your mouth is. Build a dirt track. Build a paved track. Start an inner city soap box derby league. Contribute to the program and start being part of the solution and less a part of the problem. Nothing in my mind is sadder or stupider than a bunch of minorities sitting around grousing for "someone" to fix a percieved inequity when the solution was at their fingertips all along. Racing takes time, money, dedication and money. Lots of white drivers don't make it because they lack one of those ingredients. Lots of minority drivers won't make it for the same reason. White folks aren't keeping black folks out of NASCAR. Their parents, friends, teachers, etc are. Popular society is telling our minority youth to strive to be basketball players, hip-hop singers, athletes and thugs. They should be telling them to strive to be scholars, engineers and politicians. The astronauts, race car drivers and fighter pilots will come along on their own. As previously stated, hip hop quashes dreams and re-enforces the negative stereotypes that minorities put on themselves. I'm sick and tired of minorities blaming everyone but themselves for not getting where they want to be. Let's celebrate Bill Lester's achievment, and not cheapen all he's put into it by making a huge deal out of it. He's just another rookie in the field who's earned a right to be there.
P.S. When Lester does start racing regular in the Cup series, and he has that same fat yellow rookie stripe that all the rookies put on their car, he will crash. He will have few friends. He will have a hard time. Like ALL the other rookies who came before him. If he doesn't perform in a reasonable amount of time, he'll be canned. It has nothing to do with color. Welcome to the big time, Bill. I hope you do well.
Now here's a black man I can stand behind. After going on and on about a man I can't stand yesterday, here's the guy who should be held up for all to see. It's not groundbreaking and it's not even new. But this guy is setting a fine example. He bid his time and paid his dues. After a couple years in the Craftsman Truck Series and several good runs in the Bucsh Series, Bill Lester is going to attempt on Friday to qualify for Sunday's Nascar Nextel Cup race in Atlanta. Is this a good thing? Yep. Is it ground breaking? No. Black drivers have been in Nascar before. Lester has been driving professionally for years. Heck, Danica Patrick did well in Indy cars long before everyone 'discovered' her after she qualified fourth at the Indy 500. As NASCAR says in a new ad campaign heralding their diversity, "there's room for everyone." There has been for years. As i've previously stated on numerous occasions, the NASCAR color(and sex) barrier has been gone for a long time. The biggest factor between minorities and NASCAR is drive, experience and time. You can't just put people in the driver's seat who don't belong there and haven't earned it. Women and minority drivers have had enjoyed a large presense in Drag Racing for years. But the difference between a drag racer and a oval circuit racer is huge. It takes years of racing from the time a person is too young to get a driver's license and the dedication of a finely tuned athlete. It won't happen overnight. For two years running, NASCAR has provided and funded a minority racing program to help "diversify" racing. It will help, but we need something more.... Here's my suggestion.
Attention Rich Vocal Minorities: I'm putting out challenge part two to the likes of Oprah, Kanye West, Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al and various other minority bankers, investors, hollywood stars, gansta rappers, etc. Quit bitching that not enough is being done and put your money where your mouth is. Build a dirt track. Build a paved track. Start an inner city soap box derby league. Contribute to the program and start being part of the solution and less a part of the problem. Nothing in my mind is sadder or stupider than a bunch of minorities sitting around grousing for "someone" to fix a percieved inequity when the solution was at their fingertips all along. Racing takes time, money, dedication and money. Lots of white drivers don't make it because they lack one of those ingredients. Lots of minority drivers won't make it for the same reason. White folks aren't keeping black folks out of NASCAR. Their parents, friends, teachers, etc are. Popular society is telling our minority youth to strive to be basketball players, hip-hop singers, athletes and thugs. They should be telling them to strive to be scholars, engineers and politicians. The astronauts, race car drivers and fighter pilots will come along on their own. As previously stated, hip hop quashes dreams and re-enforces the negative stereotypes that minorities put on themselves. I'm sick and tired of minorities blaming everyone but themselves for not getting where they want to be. Let's celebrate Bill Lester's achievment, and not cheapen all he's put into it by making a huge deal out of it. He's just another rookie in the field who's earned a right to be there.
P.S. When Lester does start racing regular in the Cup series, and he has that same fat yellow rookie stripe that all the rookies put on their car, he will crash. He will have few friends. He will have a hard time. Like ALL the other rookies who came before him. If he doesn't perform in a reasonable amount of time, he'll be canned. It has nothing to do with color. Welcome to the big time, Bill. I hope you do well.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Black.White.Stupid
This nights entry is about the new 'social experiment' by rapper/actor/director/producer Ice Cube. Let me start this off with the one statement of truth that you would have suspected had I not said it in the first place. I haven't actually watched the show. So, you say, what do I have to say about a show I have not seen? Simply this. I will not watch a show that is in anyway associated with Ice Cube. For the same reason I wouldn't watch a show on race produced and directed by, shall we say, David Duke, I believe his views to be one sided and his motives questionable. For whatever reason, the media lends credit to his controversy and gives him air time in prime time. Sure he's done two (count 'em, two) successful movie series. He's made lots of music. He's a hell of a lot richer than i'll ever be. But none of this removes him from his roots. For example....
Word, but who the *uck has heard?
It's time to take a trip to the suburbs
Let em see a *igga invasion
Point blank for the Caucasian (reprinted w/o permission)
Does this sound like someone who should be on TV? The only people he seems to hate more than white ones are other black ones who don't subscribe to his particular coast of rap style. How we ever came to legitimize a style of "music" so steeped in civil disobedience, self-pity, disrespect for authority and general hatred is beyond me. Can you see a radio station airing a country group singing about going to the hood to blow away some nice black folk? But that's another rant for another day. My point is, that this is simply the wrong guy to be the face of racial understanding. Go to his website...he's handing out guns! His show will go down as simple entertainment that should have never been aired in the first place. Sadly, as previously discussed, racial harmony and diversity don't sell headlines and TV commercials, controversy does. I'll put this show in the same place as Wifeswap, The Bachelor and other "reality" crap. Put on 'Everybody Hates Chris' instead. Now THAT show was funny and worth watching.
Now, for those of you who will acuse me of bigotry, racism and other various crimes, let us sample one more bit of Ice Cube's "music." This from a more recent piece.
But you still in for some danger
And when i'm thru, I take your *itch and finger bang her
But if she looks tossed up, i'll slang her
Beat you like mama dearest with a clothes hanger
Now, if the basis of hip hop and rap is "keeping it real," (to maintain street cred), I fail to see the point of having it in the main stream. If this is what the kids want, it's no wonder we're in trouble. Call me Tipper if you want, but 99% of country, rock, pop, etc is not full of hatred, curse words, racial epitaphs and the general debasement of women. 99% of rap and a good chunk of hip hop is. 'Nuff said.
Word, but who the *uck has heard?
It's time to take a trip to the suburbs
Let em see a *igga invasion
Point blank for the Caucasian (reprinted w/o permission)
Does this sound like someone who should be on TV? The only people he seems to hate more than white ones are other black ones who don't subscribe to his particular coast of rap style. How we ever came to legitimize a style of "music" so steeped in civil disobedience, self-pity, disrespect for authority and general hatred is beyond me. Can you see a radio station airing a country group singing about going to the hood to blow away some nice black folk? But that's another rant for another day. My point is, that this is simply the wrong guy to be the face of racial understanding. Go to his website...he's handing out guns! His show will go down as simple entertainment that should have never been aired in the first place. Sadly, as previously discussed, racial harmony and diversity don't sell headlines and TV commercials, controversy does. I'll put this show in the same place as Wifeswap, The Bachelor and other "reality" crap. Put on 'Everybody Hates Chris' instead. Now THAT show was funny and worth watching.
Now, for those of you who will acuse me of bigotry, racism and other various crimes, let us sample one more bit of Ice Cube's "music." This from a more recent piece.
But you still in for some danger
And when i'm thru, I take your *itch and finger bang her
But if she looks tossed up, i'll slang her
Beat you like mama dearest with a clothes hanger
Now, if the basis of hip hop and rap is "keeping it real," (to maintain street cred), I fail to see the point of having it in the main stream. If this is what the kids want, it's no wonder we're in trouble. Call me Tipper if you want, but 99% of country, rock, pop, etc is not full of hatred, curse words, racial epitaphs and the general debasement of women. 99% of rap and a good chunk of hip hop is. 'Nuff said.
Friday, March 03, 2006
A Town Without Sin and Gay Adoptions...
Tonight I present polar opposite stories that just serve to point out how utterly stupid some people can be. Now before you jump to conclusions about who I think is being dumb here, READ!
First up, a trip down to south Florida where Tom Monagham (founder of Dominos Pizza) is building Ave Maria University. It's a privately funded roman catholic school with a curriculum of faith based learning. So far, so good. A developer is building a town next to the university with a huge (1100 seat) roman-catholic church at it's center. No problem there. Tom himself and the developer have stated emphatically that ALL (faiths, races) are welcome to live, learn or teach here. Great! The problem comes when word gets out that the founders might request that the town be 'sin free.' By this, as clarified by the founders, they mean adult type businesses are requested to stay away(IE porno shops, adult theaters, topless bars, etc.) and stores setting up shops in the town limits are requested to abide by roman-catholic beliefs by not selling contraceptives and such. (Bring in the lawyers!) Now, according to various pundits and civil rights advocates this amounts to absolute heresy! We are stomping on free speech, free enterprise and the all-american right to buy condoms. And by doing this we are probably telling gays and minorities that they are just not welcome. Gimme a break! Just because someone wants to build what in their mind is an idyllic community does not give anyone the right to assume that it's an underhanded attempt to build an all white, catholic, straight town. We are so quick to judge that the barbs were flying before the newsprint was dry on the page. Of course, I'm certain that if someone were to plan a community based on interracial marriage, gay rights and swing parties, the religious right would jump into full scale 'kill the sinners' mode. Just goes to show that you can't please all of the people ever and some people just don't want anybody outside of their circle of happiness to have their own kind of fun.
Our second story concerns the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachussetts who have asked that the churches' adoption agencies be exempted from state law requiring some adoptive children to be placed with gay parents. (Hands on cheeks in bad imitation of "Home Alone.") Heavens no!!!! Placing children in need with loving parents? MUST.... STOP..... NOW! OK, so the point is that the Pope himself has declared gay adoptions as 'gravely immoral.' The bishops claim that the state law takes away their religious freedom by requiring them to consider gay couples as adoptive parents. This from the bunch who rarely consider the right of young men not to have their booties popped by horny ol' priests. But I digress. Apparently the bishops haven't convinced everyone that they are right. Seven members of the Catholic Charities Board resigned their posts to protest the Bishops' request. It seems the board members think the bishops' position "undermines their moral priority of helping vulnerable children find loving homes." Halleluiah!!! Somebody has seen the light. In a nation brimming with needy, unwanted and unloved children and childless, loving couples willing to devote their lives to raising them, the last thing we need is the moral religious right trying to get out giving everyone a chance at being a loving, adoptive parent. Now, don't get me wrong. I have a great respect for people who stick to their religious guns. However....I don't think this is the time. In a time when adoption in the U.S. has become so restrictive that alot of couples choose to adopt from outside the country, the last thing we need is one more hang-up. Not that I have a problem with the growing trend of celebrities adopting from China and various third world countries. But can't we save a little more charity for home?
First up, a trip down to south Florida where Tom Monagham (founder of Dominos Pizza) is building Ave Maria University. It's a privately funded roman catholic school with a curriculum of faith based learning. So far, so good. A developer is building a town next to the university with a huge (1100 seat) roman-catholic church at it's center. No problem there. Tom himself and the developer have stated emphatically that ALL (faiths, races) are welcome to live, learn or teach here. Great! The problem comes when word gets out that the founders might request that the town be 'sin free.' By this, as clarified by the founders, they mean adult type businesses are requested to stay away(IE porno shops, adult theaters, topless bars, etc.) and stores setting up shops in the town limits are requested to abide by roman-catholic beliefs by not selling contraceptives and such. (Bring in the lawyers!) Now, according to various pundits and civil rights advocates this amounts to absolute heresy! We are stomping on free speech, free enterprise and the all-american right to buy condoms. And by doing this we are probably telling gays and minorities that they are just not welcome. Gimme a break! Just because someone wants to build what in their mind is an idyllic community does not give anyone the right to assume that it's an underhanded attempt to build an all white, catholic, straight town. We are so quick to judge that the barbs were flying before the newsprint was dry on the page. Of course, I'm certain that if someone were to plan a community based on interracial marriage, gay rights and swing parties, the religious right would jump into full scale 'kill the sinners' mode. Just goes to show that you can't please all of the people ever and some people just don't want anybody outside of their circle of happiness to have their own kind of fun.
Our second story concerns the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachussetts who have asked that the churches' adoption agencies be exempted from state law requiring some adoptive children to be placed with gay parents. (Hands on cheeks in bad imitation of "Home Alone.") Heavens no!!!! Placing children in need with loving parents? MUST.... STOP..... NOW! OK, so the point is that the Pope himself has declared gay adoptions as 'gravely immoral.' The bishops claim that the state law takes away their religious freedom by requiring them to consider gay couples as adoptive parents. This from the bunch who rarely consider the right of young men not to have their booties popped by horny ol' priests. But I digress. Apparently the bishops haven't convinced everyone that they are right. Seven members of the Catholic Charities Board resigned their posts to protest the Bishops' request. It seems the board members think the bishops' position "undermines their moral priority of helping vulnerable children find loving homes." Halleluiah!!! Somebody has seen the light. In a nation brimming with needy, unwanted and unloved children and childless, loving couples willing to devote their lives to raising them, the last thing we need is the moral religious right trying to get out giving everyone a chance at being a loving, adoptive parent. Now, don't get me wrong. I have a great respect for people who stick to their religious guns. However....I don't think this is the time. In a time when adoption in the U.S. has become so restrictive that alot of couples choose to adopt from outside the country, the last thing we need is one more hang-up. Not that I have a problem with the growing trend of celebrities adopting from China and various third world countries. But can't we save a little more charity for home?
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Katrina, FUBU and Uncle Tom
Tonights' rant is brought to you courtesy of the wonderful folks at AOL who found it necessary to educate me about Black History (all month long.) I thought today's lesson sounded interesting enough to read. It's about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Actually, it's about the book, the real Uncle Tom and what today's definition of an 'Uncle Tom' is. For those not in the know, or like me haven't read the book in a long, long.....long time, here's a quick refresher. Uncle Tom was a long suffering slave who was sold to one bad owner after another. In the end, he helped other slaves to ecape and was beat to death for not telling where they went. In his dying breaths he forgave the man who beat him. Now...in the eyes of many blacks, he was a traitor for always giving in and doing what 'massa' wanted. (Except, of course, for the final thing.) In the mean time, many historians credit this book with firing up the nice folk of the North enough to cause them to invade the south. It also is thought to have sickened the British enough to convince them not to fight with the Confederacy. So while the book did a great job educating white folk with the reality of the world of slavery, it also created a character which modern blacks hold against one of their own who they feel has 'gone to the other side.' Sssoooooo...let me get this straight.
In today's world, the stated reasons for quotas and anti-discrimination laws is that a black man just cant get ahead with out help. However, if a black man DOES manage (as thousands upon thousands have) to get ahead, he must be a "tom." It's as if it is inconceivable for the black man to get ahead on his own. (According to other blacks, anyways.) So while every proud black parent sends their children off to school with the hopes that he or she will study hard and become someone substantial, their peers and indeed many pop cultural icons are telling them that if they should happen to suceed above the level of their peers, they will be disowned by THEIR OWN PEOPLE. So basically, we're talking about a society that punishes you if you try hard and get ahead, and will reward you and admire you for staying poor, living off the state, (thus making all those dumb white folk and toms pay for their lifestyle) and spending your life bitching that the man is holding you back. Does this make any any sense whatsoever??? It's a self defeating cycle that's just getting worse. One man actually stood before his fellow blacks and tried valiantly to put a stop to it. None other than Bill Cosby himself did a multi-city tour last year and went to inner city lecture halls and implored his fellow people to rise up, get themselves off of the welfare train and be a functioning part of society. In most places, they booed him, called him Uncle Tom and generally threatened to 'do him in' for speaking his mind. Not overly surprising a response from a people who will kill each other over the kind of rap music they might make. (East coast VS west coast.) Trust me, 2Pac and Biggie Smalls were killed by fellow musicians, not 'the man.' Anyways, I think that it is simply amazing that as hard as we might try and indeed even pass laws to help the minorities, they neither want nor need our help. The only help they seem to want comes in the form of our tax dollars being wasted!!
So now I have to wonder...are the CEOs and President of FUBU inc. a bunch of toms? FUBU is an allegedly black owned clothier who's 'trendy fashions' seemed to hit the streets around the same time that rumors were flying that Tommy Pull-my-finger was a racist who couldnt stand the thought of minorities wearing his clothes. (Wonder who started those rumors?) Anywho, I look at the owners of this company as hugely successful. 'Course, that's all subjective. You see, FUBU stands for For Us By Us. In other words, it's like the "N" word. Only they can use it. 'Cept that I have never heard or read about ANY FUBU profits going back to any black organization. No donations to the UNCF...no gifts to the Rainbow Coalition and not one dime to Hurricane Katrina relief. I think when they came up with the For Us part, they meant themselves, not black folk as a whole. So after I laugh at every black person I see wearing a FUBU product, I laugh even harder at all the white folk I see wearing them. Be they unknowing, upity or just a wannabe, I have to give the folks at the company credit for a brilliant campaign. By saying the clothes were for blacks only, it became like forbidden fruit to white folk who either wished to show their 'support' for the black man or who believed that no one could tell them what they could or could not wear. In either case, the money continues to roll in...I wouldnt mind holding some of that stock.
Meanwhile, down in New Orleans, we spent 2.5 million dollars holding Mardi Gras, in case some folk might forget where it's held if we skipped it for a year, being as most of the city was destroyed by the worst natural disaster in the US...ever! I wonder how many homes that money could have built. Speaking of building homes, I cant help but keep hearing how Oprah donated a boatload of money to help build a bunch of them. Nice of her to part with some of her 41 BILLION dollar empire. Same with Bill Gates. I wonder how much he actually put in of his enormous fortune? I think it's worth noting, however, that at least they did something. Loud mouths like Sean Combs and Kanye West seem unable to put their money where their mouth is and continue to be much more part of the problem, than the solution. No surprises there either.
In today's world, the stated reasons for quotas and anti-discrimination laws is that a black man just cant get ahead with out help. However, if a black man DOES manage (as thousands upon thousands have) to get ahead, he must be a "tom." It's as if it is inconceivable for the black man to get ahead on his own. (According to other blacks, anyways.) So while every proud black parent sends their children off to school with the hopes that he or she will study hard and become someone substantial, their peers and indeed many pop cultural icons are telling them that if they should happen to suceed above the level of their peers, they will be disowned by THEIR OWN PEOPLE. So basically, we're talking about a society that punishes you if you try hard and get ahead, and will reward you and admire you for staying poor, living off the state, (thus making all those dumb white folk and toms pay for their lifestyle) and spending your life bitching that the man is holding you back. Does this make any any sense whatsoever??? It's a self defeating cycle that's just getting worse. One man actually stood before his fellow blacks and tried valiantly to put a stop to it. None other than Bill Cosby himself did a multi-city tour last year and went to inner city lecture halls and implored his fellow people to rise up, get themselves off of the welfare train and be a functioning part of society. In most places, they booed him, called him Uncle Tom and generally threatened to 'do him in' for speaking his mind. Not overly surprising a response from a people who will kill each other over the kind of rap music they might make. (East coast VS west coast.) Trust me, 2Pac and Biggie Smalls were killed by fellow musicians, not 'the man.' Anyways, I think that it is simply amazing that as hard as we might try and indeed even pass laws to help the minorities, they neither want nor need our help. The only help they seem to want comes in the form of our tax dollars being wasted!!
So now I have to wonder...are the CEOs and President of FUBU inc. a bunch of toms? FUBU is an allegedly black owned clothier who's 'trendy fashions' seemed to hit the streets around the same time that rumors were flying that Tommy Pull-my-finger was a racist who couldnt stand the thought of minorities wearing his clothes. (Wonder who started those rumors?) Anywho, I look at the owners of this company as hugely successful. 'Course, that's all subjective. You see, FUBU stands for For Us By Us. In other words, it's like the "N" word. Only they can use it. 'Cept that I have never heard or read about ANY FUBU profits going back to any black organization. No donations to the UNCF...no gifts to the Rainbow Coalition and not one dime to Hurricane Katrina relief. I think when they came up with the For Us part, they meant themselves, not black folk as a whole. So after I laugh at every black person I see wearing a FUBU product, I laugh even harder at all the white folk I see wearing them. Be they unknowing, upity or just a wannabe, I have to give the folks at the company credit for a brilliant campaign. By saying the clothes were for blacks only, it became like forbidden fruit to white folk who either wished to show their 'support' for the black man or who believed that no one could tell them what they could or could not wear. In either case, the money continues to roll in...I wouldnt mind holding some of that stock.
Meanwhile, down in New Orleans, we spent 2.5 million dollars holding Mardi Gras, in case some folk might forget where it's held if we skipped it for a year, being as most of the city was destroyed by the worst natural disaster in the US...ever! I wonder how many homes that money could have built. Speaking of building homes, I cant help but keep hearing how Oprah donated a boatload of money to help build a bunch of them. Nice of her to part with some of her 41 BILLION dollar empire. Same with Bill Gates. I wonder how much he actually put in of his enormous fortune? I think it's worth noting, however, that at least they did something. Loud mouths like Sean Combs and Kanye West seem unable to put their money where their mouth is and continue to be much more part of the problem, than the solution. No surprises there either.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Current Events - 2/24/06
Tonight, an interesting article...
WorldNetDaily: 'Hate crime' victims: Young, poor, white
What it says is, essentially, that the tide has started to turn. It is more likely that black people will commit hate crimes against whites than vice versa. Does this surprise or shock me? No. What also doesn't surprise or shock me is that this was not and will not be widely reported. Why?
Anyone who pays reasonably close attention to the press today knows that black on white crime and (to an even larger extent) black on black crime goes largely unreported. Why is this not newsworthy? Do we believe that white people getting beat by black people deserved it or were owed it? Do we really think that just because they were white they had it coming to them? As for B on B violence, I feel the idea is to report the black community in general as a well adjusted cohesive unit when it reality it is in complete turmoil. B on B violence proves this and is thusly not widely reported. What is reported, often on a national scale, is the slightest thought of impropriety between a black citizen and a white police officer. Example...I've seen tons of videos on TV shows that show a white guy leading police on a 3 county high speed chase, endangering innocent lives, taking lots of risks as he refuses to pull over and taunts the police. When they finally blow out his tires and get him to stop, they yank him out of the car and proceed to beat the hell out of him. I don't have a problem with this. He might have killed me in his recklessness and I think he deserves every lick he gets. All he had to do was pull over. But let it be a black man being chased and beat by white cops and the whole nation is in an uproar over civil rights abuses. Many times we read about how a white or black cop was attacked by a white person and had to resort to deadly force to save their own life. Generally we pat them on the back, call them brave and thank God that they are here to protect us. But let the attacker be any minority and the cop white and immediately the attacker becomes the 'victim' and the cop is on admin leave and under investigation. Time and time again this double standard rears its head. If a white person died, it might make local news. If a black person dies, it's national headlines. The more the press continues this trend, the deeper the rift between the races will become. I would like to think that most rational people, given the straight facts, would agree that we go way overboard way too often. The press, however, has a gift for manipulating the facts and telling only what they want you to know. As stated in previous entries, stories about racial harmony and community togetherness DON'T SELL PAPERS!
WorldNetDaily: 'Hate crime' victims: Young, poor, white
What it says is, essentially, that the tide has started to turn. It is more likely that black people will commit hate crimes against whites than vice versa. Does this surprise or shock me? No. What also doesn't surprise or shock me is that this was not and will not be widely reported. Why?
Anyone who pays reasonably close attention to the press today knows that black on white crime and (to an even larger extent) black on black crime goes largely unreported. Why is this not newsworthy? Do we believe that white people getting beat by black people deserved it or were owed it? Do we really think that just because they were white they had it coming to them? As for B on B violence, I feel the idea is to report the black community in general as a well adjusted cohesive unit when it reality it is in complete turmoil. B on B violence proves this and is thusly not widely reported. What is reported, often on a national scale, is the slightest thought of impropriety between a black citizen and a white police officer. Example...I've seen tons of videos on TV shows that show a white guy leading police on a 3 county high speed chase, endangering innocent lives, taking lots of risks as he refuses to pull over and taunts the police. When they finally blow out his tires and get him to stop, they yank him out of the car and proceed to beat the hell out of him. I don't have a problem with this. He might have killed me in his recklessness and I think he deserves every lick he gets. All he had to do was pull over. But let it be a black man being chased and beat by white cops and the whole nation is in an uproar over civil rights abuses. Many times we read about how a white or black cop was attacked by a white person and had to resort to deadly force to save their own life. Generally we pat them on the back, call them brave and thank God that they are here to protect us. But let the attacker be any minority and the cop white and immediately the attacker becomes the 'victim' and the cop is on admin leave and under investigation. Time and time again this double standard rears its head. If a white person died, it might make local news. If a black person dies, it's national headlines. The more the press continues this trend, the deeper the rift between the races will become. I would like to think that most rational people, given the straight facts, would agree that we go way overboard way too often. The press, however, has a gift for manipulating the facts and telling only what they want you to know. As stated in previous entries, stories about racial harmony and community togetherness DON'T SELL PAPERS!
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Current Events - 2/22/06
Tonight, let's talk about the Supreme Court for a minute. They are actually spending time (and your tax dollars) debating whether or not a manager at Tyson Foods is racist and can be sued for calling black employees 'boys.' Now, I'm not going to even venture a guess as to the merits of this case because I know none of the pertinent details. I will, however, discuss two huge problems near and dear to these proceedings.
First, is the use of the term 'boys' by various ethnic groups. Amongst rappers, boys is a term used to describe the closest of associates. 'Me and my boys, etc., etc.' Between the average black male and his friends, I have often heard them refer to each other as 'my boy.' Latinos seem to enjoy the company of their 'boys and homeys'. Females of every race are often heard praising their boyfriend or husband by saying 'that's my boy!' Sometimes the term of endearment is 'my man,' but just as often, it's 'my boy.' But if a white man says this word to anyone other than his son, it's a racial epithet. Speaking of hugely offensive words, every black man I've ever met condemns the use of the "N" word found in 60% of all rap songs. If black people hate this word so much, why are they perpetuating it? It's already getting to the point where anything I say can spark off a potentially serious situation. I often work in the computer field where we have primary and secondary drive systems. If I slip up and refer to them as master and slave, I'm instantly branded as a grand dragon. Give me a break! I don't think anybody ever thought of those designations as racially descriptive of a black/white relationship. In case you didn't know it, there were slaves of all colors in this world long before Africans were brought to America. Here's a thought....If one tries hard enough to find something, he will, whether or not it actually exists.
My second problem is with the press and what I call ambush reporting. Stories about racial harmony and diversity working in a community do not sell papers. What does sell is inflammatory stories about people, generally minorities, being wronged. This particular article I referred to tonight presents the following facts; 1. A white supervisor referred to some black employees as boys. 2. These same employees were passed over for a management position for which they had applied at a plant where they worked in Alabama in favor of a white man with decades less experience. 3. One judge had already awarded the men 1.75 million each in damages for this case, but it was overturned on appeal. If this represented the bulk of the facts in the case, I would handily agree that there was some kind of evil at work and that those men were wronged! However....if I were a member of the jury or a judge in this case, I would have to know what the newspaper isn't telling us; 1. Is it indeed racism, or perhaps nepotism? 2. Did the white man with less experience at that plant come from somewhere else where he had gained the skills needed for the position? 3. Was there a missing educational requirement? 4. Would the black men have made good managers? (Now before you get in a twist, let me be perfectly clear. Some people, and by that I refer to no-one of a particular background, color, religion, etc., are just not management material. I have had several supervisors of various ethnic backgrounds over the years....some I would follow into battle, others had no business telling their own children what to do. The color of their skin had nothing to do with their ability to lead and manage people.) 5. Finally, did that manager refer to all males in the plant as boys, or just the black ones? Anyways, this is but one example. To give you another, I refer to an article that seems to make the rounds about once a year in the national press concerning credit denial amongst minority groups. A screaming headline usually tells us that skin color has everything to do with loan approvals for houses, cars, etc. Indeed, if you read the first couple of paragraphs you find that a tiny number of minorities are approved for loans against the vast number of anglos that get approved. Sounds bad, right? But it's only half of the story. If you read through to the end you'll find that once you factor in the numbers for population, loans actually applied for, etc., the percentages of approval amongst the different races is the same. This is just the type of crap reporting that sells papers but doesn't get us anywhere. Let's face it, the majority of loan applications done these days are submitted over the internet. Your computer has no idea what your ethnic background is! Neither does theirs. Maybe someone will report that black folks aren't getting approved because the bank knew they were black because they typed it like a black person. Farfetched? I don't think so! Not too long ago, a consumer advocacy group reported about widespread racial discrimination in people seeking housing after being displaced by hurricanes Katrina/Rita. Their criteria? They called various landlords on the phone and inquired about available housing while first using "language mannerisms favored by African-Americans" followed by "language mannerisms favored by caucasians." All right....enough already!! In today's society I would hesitate to guess a persons ethnic background by looking at them, much less conversing with them over the phone. The stupidity has got to end! P.S. Hey Oprah! French people don't hate black Americans...they hate ALL Americans. Trust me, I've been there enough times to know. Get over it.
First, is the use of the term 'boys' by various ethnic groups. Amongst rappers, boys is a term used to describe the closest of associates. 'Me and my boys, etc., etc.' Between the average black male and his friends, I have often heard them refer to each other as 'my boy.' Latinos seem to enjoy the company of their 'boys and homeys'. Females of every race are often heard praising their boyfriend or husband by saying 'that's my boy!' Sometimes the term of endearment is 'my man,' but just as often, it's 'my boy.' But if a white man says this word to anyone other than his son, it's a racial epithet. Speaking of hugely offensive words, every black man I've ever met condemns the use of the "N" word found in 60% of all rap songs. If black people hate this word so much, why are they perpetuating it? It's already getting to the point where anything I say can spark off a potentially serious situation. I often work in the computer field where we have primary and secondary drive systems. If I slip up and refer to them as master and slave, I'm instantly branded as a grand dragon. Give me a break! I don't think anybody ever thought of those designations as racially descriptive of a black/white relationship. In case you didn't know it, there were slaves of all colors in this world long before Africans were brought to America. Here's a thought....If one tries hard enough to find something, he will, whether or not it actually exists.
My second problem is with the press and what I call ambush reporting. Stories about racial harmony and diversity working in a community do not sell papers. What does sell is inflammatory stories about people, generally minorities, being wronged. This particular article I referred to tonight presents the following facts; 1. A white supervisor referred to some black employees as boys. 2. These same employees were passed over for a management position for which they had applied at a plant where they worked in Alabama in favor of a white man with decades less experience. 3. One judge had already awarded the men 1.75 million each in damages for this case, but it was overturned on appeal. If this represented the bulk of the facts in the case, I would handily agree that there was some kind of evil at work and that those men were wronged! However....if I were a member of the jury or a judge in this case, I would have to know what the newspaper isn't telling us; 1. Is it indeed racism, or perhaps nepotism? 2. Did the white man with less experience at that plant come from somewhere else where he had gained the skills needed for the position? 3. Was there a missing educational requirement? 4. Would the black men have made good managers? (Now before you get in a twist, let me be perfectly clear. Some people, and by that I refer to no-one of a particular background, color, religion, etc., are just not management material. I have had several supervisors of various ethnic backgrounds over the years....some I would follow into battle, others had no business telling their own children what to do. The color of their skin had nothing to do with their ability to lead and manage people.) 5. Finally, did that manager refer to all males in the plant as boys, or just the black ones? Anyways, this is but one example. To give you another, I refer to an article that seems to make the rounds about once a year in the national press concerning credit denial amongst minority groups. A screaming headline usually tells us that skin color has everything to do with loan approvals for houses, cars, etc. Indeed, if you read the first couple of paragraphs you find that a tiny number of minorities are approved for loans against the vast number of anglos that get approved. Sounds bad, right? But it's only half of the story. If you read through to the end you'll find that once you factor in the numbers for population, loans actually applied for, etc., the percentages of approval amongst the different races is the same. This is just the type of crap reporting that sells papers but doesn't get us anywhere. Let's face it, the majority of loan applications done these days are submitted over the internet. Your computer has no idea what your ethnic background is! Neither does theirs. Maybe someone will report that black folks aren't getting approved because the bank knew they were black because they typed it like a black person. Farfetched? I don't think so! Not too long ago, a consumer advocacy group reported about widespread racial discrimination in people seeking housing after being displaced by hurricanes Katrina/Rita. Their criteria? They called various landlords on the phone and inquired about available housing while first using "language mannerisms favored by African-Americans" followed by "language mannerisms favored by caucasians." All right....enough already!! In today's society I would hesitate to guess a persons ethnic background by looking at them, much less conversing with them over the phone. The stupidity has got to end! P.S. Hey Oprah! French people don't hate black Americans...they hate ALL Americans. Trust me, I've been there enough times to know. Get over it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Current Events - 2/21/06
Ok....so there's not much new in the world tonight so I present you with a round-up of what I call "Color me surprised!" stories. For those of you out there who don't understand sarcasm, this means that nothing in any of these stories should be news to anyone with a brain and some free memory. I'll start with the somewhat mundane and progress to the ridiculous.
Out in California, it seems they have a problem carrying out an execution. Apparently, they are a lot more concerned with the 'cruel and unusual' pain that the man being executed will feel than they are with all the pain and suffering that his 17 year old rape/murder victim felt. Excuse me?? He had a right to a trial by his peers, legal counsel, three squares a day and a comfortable bed throughout his rightful appeal process. Do we really need to ensure a painless death? Mind you, we're not talking about a claim that he might be innocent. We just don't want him to feel the alleged 'excruciating' pain that might occur as the injected chemicals are putting him to death. Sorry, but I am of the opinion that he doesn't get that right. To (mis)quote Robin Harris, "I ain't afraid to pull the switch! Hell, you ain't even got to pay me. I'll do it for free. Just line 'em up and strap 'em down. BZZZT...Next!"
In Ohio, we're catching terrorists! Forget all the expense of finding them overseas. Now we're housing them right here! Plotting to kill U.S. citizens and soldiers in Iraq, no less. I just have to wonder, though....did we catch them by listening in to what they were saying over the phone to known Taliban operatives? That's all I'm going to say about that.
Bryant Gumbel. I almost don't want to talk about him because it gives him the attention he so desperately seeks. Anyways, he found it necessary to tell us there is a 'paucity of blacks at the winter games.' After taking my non-college educated hiney to the nearest dictionary, I find he's letting us know that there is a "smallness of number or quantity." Surely this can't be news to anyone, so I'm supposing he's saying it to let us know that it is our (white folks) fault that there aren't more blacks at the winter Olympics. Can't be....can't be. As stated in previous columns, nobody is stopping them and those who want to, will. Don't want to hear it from me? Fine...go talk to USA's gold medal winning speed skater who counts Bonnie Blair as an influence. Or perhaps our women's bobsled team. Better yet, go interview Phillip Kimely Boit. (For those who don't know, he is Kenya's one man winter Olympic team who competed in cross country skiing.) Now there's a man who overcame obstacles to live out his dream. And by the way, Gumbel, you were no Brokaw. So quit putting down other reporters for giving great broadcasts to dedicated fans. P.S. Gumbel says we need more 'diversity' at the winter games....athletes from 80 countries coming together, sharing, socializing and getting along? I think they set a fine example of what true diversity is!
Speaking of 'Real Sports,' another NFL player, another drug charge. Now there's an example for our children Bryant! Not to be outdone, the brilliant minds at NASCAR suspended Jimmy Johnson's crew chief for an additional three races for blatant cheating during Daytona 500 qualifying. (Insert loud sound of tires squealing on pavement as I apply the brakes heavily.) Wait a sec....NASCAR was built on beating the other guy by finding an edge...bending the rules...making a loophole. If we start booting people for getting back to the roots, it's gonna be a short season, folks.
Meanwhile, in the world of older rock and pop stars, Gary Glitter is molesting children while Madonna (amongst others) curses on the BBC during a charity concert. Maybe momma was right about rock and roll messing up your mind. And shame on the BBC for not inserting a 10-second delay anyways. Ya'll should know better.
Continuing into the Hollyweird scene, it seems that lots of big name stars have similar problems to regular rich folk. Their maid is an illegal immigrant and steals from them. Seems she only stole from those who treated her poorly....mebbe that makes it ok? Nah! Also, there are (shocking?) reports tonight that some of Hollywood's underaged elite stars are partying in nightclubs that they shouldn't have been allowed into in the first place. A) This is NOT news. B) It's been happening since the dawn of time. C) I would much rather spend time reading about how the club owners were fined and jailed for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As for Nick and Jessica, if the roles were reversed, he'd be paying her out the patutie. Period. Women want equal treatment....give it to 'em!
Out in California, it seems they have a problem carrying out an execution. Apparently, they are a lot more concerned with the 'cruel and unusual' pain that the man being executed will feel than they are with all the pain and suffering that his 17 year old rape/murder victim felt. Excuse me?? He had a right to a trial by his peers, legal counsel, three squares a day and a comfortable bed throughout his rightful appeal process. Do we really need to ensure a painless death? Mind you, we're not talking about a claim that he might be innocent. We just don't want him to feel the alleged 'excruciating' pain that might occur as the injected chemicals are putting him to death. Sorry, but I am of the opinion that he doesn't get that right. To (mis)quote Robin Harris, "I ain't afraid to pull the switch! Hell, you ain't even got to pay me. I'll do it for free. Just line 'em up and strap 'em down. BZZZT...Next!"
In Ohio, we're catching terrorists! Forget all the expense of finding them overseas. Now we're housing them right here! Plotting to kill U.S. citizens and soldiers in Iraq, no less. I just have to wonder, though....did we catch them by listening in to what they were saying over the phone to known Taliban operatives? That's all I'm going to say about that.
Bryant Gumbel. I almost don't want to talk about him because it gives him the attention he so desperately seeks. Anyways, he found it necessary to tell us there is a 'paucity of blacks at the winter games.' After taking my non-college educated hiney to the nearest dictionary, I find he's letting us know that there is a "smallness of number or quantity." Surely this can't be news to anyone, so I'm supposing he's saying it to let us know that it is our (white folks) fault that there aren't more blacks at the winter Olympics. Can't be....can't be. As stated in previous columns, nobody is stopping them and those who want to, will. Don't want to hear it from me? Fine...go talk to USA's gold medal winning speed skater who counts Bonnie Blair as an influence. Or perhaps our women's bobsled team. Better yet, go interview Phillip Kimely Boit. (For those who don't know, he is Kenya's one man winter Olympic team who competed in cross country skiing.) Now there's a man who overcame obstacles to live out his dream. And by the way, Gumbel, you were no Brokaw. So quit putting down other reporters for giving great broadcasts to dedicated fans. P.S. Gumbel says we need more 'diversity' at the winter games....athletes from 80 countries coming together, sharing, socializing and getting along? I think they set a fine example of what true diversity is!
Speaking of 'Real Sports,' another NFL player, another drug charge. Now there's an example for our children Bryant! Not to be outdone, the brilliant minds at NASCAR suspended Jimmy Johnson's crew chief for an additional three races for blatant cheating during Daytona 500 qualifying. (Insert loud sound of tires squealing on pavement as I apply the brakes heavily.) Wait a sec....NASCAR was built on beating the other guy by finding an edge...bending the rules...making a loophole. If we start booting people for getting back to the roots, it's gonna be a short season, folks.
Meanwhile, in the world of older rock and pop stars, Gary Glitter is molesting children while Madonna (amongst others) curses on the BBC during a charity concert. Maybe momma was right about rock and roll messing up your mind. And shame on the BBC for not inserting a 10-second delay anyways. Ya'll should know better.
Continuing into the Hollyweird scene, it seems that lots of big name stars have similar problems to regular rich folk. Their maid is an illegal immigrant and steals from them. Seems she only stole from those who treated her poorly....mebbe that makes it ok? Nah! Also, there are (shocking?) reports tonight that some of Hollywood's underaged elite stars are partying in nightclubs that they shouldn't have been allowed into in the first place. A) This is NOT news. B) It's been happening since the dawn of time. C) I would much rather spend time reading about how the club owners were fined and jailed for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As for Nick and Jessica, if the roles were reversed, he'd be paying her out the patutie. Period. Women want equal treatment....give it to 'em!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Current Events - 2/20/06
Well there's a surprise! After years of fighting and (mostly) untold sacrifices in the war on terrorism we have decided to invite the terrorists to dinner. Better yet, we have decided to pay them to safeguard our ports. Does anyone besides those who will profit from this believe it to be a really bad idea? I know, I know, I know!!! Anybody can infiltrate any company at any time. HOWEVER, it's a heck of a lot easier to do it on your own turf than in a strange land. Those who believe the world is a better place without democracy will find it easy to join this company overseas and then infiltrate it from within. Let's face reality. One price of our freedom is wide open borders. One huge hole that has been shrunk considerably since 9/11 is our ports. We've almost gotten to the point that European ports have been at for years. You must have and maintain positive control over everything that crosses your borders, be it by land or sea. Now before you point at me and call me anything, I get it. I don't hate anyone because of their ethnic background or choice of religion. What I do know is that these people don't just learn the hate from their parents. It's not simply passed on by elders or expected to be picked up at the young folks' pleasure. It is taught to them in school! While American high schools teach tolerance and diversity, Arabic schools teach intolerance and hatred for all persons not Muslim or Arabic.
Mark my words, they will attack us again. Whether we go after them or not. Whether we attempt to pacify them or not. Like the terminator, they'll just keep coming. Handing them our ports on a silver platter is just a bad idea. The DOD will placate us by saying 'measures are in place' to ensure our safety. The terrorists don't care about rules...laws...measures. I'm just thankful that my local large port isn't one of the six being turned over.
Mark my words, they will attack us again. Whether we go after them or not. Whether we attempt to pacify them or not. Like the terminator, they'll just keep coming. Handing them our ports on a silver platter is just a bad idea. The DOD will placate us by saying 'measures are in place' to ensure our safety. The terrorists don't care about rules...laws...measures. I'm just thankful that my local large port isn't one of the six being turned over.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Current Events - 2/19/06
Today was a terrific day for sports all around. We not only enjoyed many hours of great Olympic competition but also the running of the "Great American Race." (The Daytona 500, for you non-rednecks.) So what's there to rant about?
First we have the Gold Medal performance of Shani Davis. This is the stuff that Olympic dreams are made of. A young athlete comes from relative national obscurity to realize his potential in front of an international audience and triumphs. Should it really be shoved down our throats that he is the first 'African-American' to individually medal in the winter games? Did we do this for the first Asian-American? Native-American? American of Latino decent? Can't we just celebrate that he is a gifted American athlete? Also, the press and other American skaters should just leave him alone about not skating in the men's pursuit event. You can't accuse a man of not being a team player if he was never on the team.
Secondly, we have NASCAR. (Not Actual Sport Centered Around Rednecks) I have enjoyed watching this form of entertainment for well over 15 years now and it's just as exciting today as it was then. Some people, however, take great exception to the sports' current demographic. Indeed, my local sports section today reported one man's opinion that NASCAR racing cannot be a 'truly national sport' without more diversity. Conversely, they charge NASCAR itself with making that happen by inventing and backing minority programs aimed at involving inner city youth and such with 'opportunities they wouldn't normally have.' Excuse me?? Last I checked they didn't have any programs aimed at white kids from the country. How is this unfair? If some rapper wants to start a soap box derby league for 'disadvantaged' youth, NASCAR is not stopping him. If Oprah wants to build a dirt track on the south side of Chicago she is free to do so. I am sure that the United Negro College Fund is used to obtain the necessary engineering degrees that the top teams in racing today have every day. Nobody has become a Nextel Cup star overnight because they are the 'right race.' Most of them suffered, sacrificed, starved and worked damn hard for many years to get where they are. Yet in the name of diversity, we are willing to pipeline kids through an accelerated program and pump them all up inside, only to then shove them into a world they are not prepared for and certainly don't have the experience to excel in. This isn't fair to the kids and even less fair to the people being pressured to make this happen, because they will shoulder the blame when the first thing goes wrong. It's completely unfair to those who are out there right now, sacrificing everything to try and live a dream with no corporate backing because they are not a 'minority.'
Diversity is what makes America great. Forcing diversity breeds resentment and backlash. Minorities who really wanted to be in motorsports have gotten there, without outside help, just the same as non-minorities. All it took was time and dedication. Just like all those who came before them. And they have been there for years.
First we have the Gold Medal performance of Shani Davis. This is the stuff that Olympic dreams are made of. A young athlete comes from relative national obscurity to realize his potential in front of an international audience and triumphs. Should it really be shoved down our throats that he is the first 'African-American' to individually medal in the winter games? Did we do this for the first Asian-American? Native-American? American of Latino decent? Can't we just celebrate that he is a gifted American athlete? Also, the press and other American skaters should just leave him alone about not skating in the men's pursuit event. You can't accuse a man of not being a team player if he was never on the team.
Secondly, we have NASCAR. (Not Actual Sport Centered Around Rednecks) I have enjoyed watching this form of entertainment for well over 15 years now and it's just as exciting today as it was then. Some people, however, take great exception to the sports' current demographic. Indeed, my local sports section today reported one man's opinion that NASCAR racing cannot be a 'truly national sport' without more diversity. Conversely, they charge NASCAR itself with making that happen by inventing and backing minority programs aimed at involving inner city youth and such with 'opportunities they wouldn't normally have.' Excuse me?? Last I checked they didn't have any programs aimed at white kids from the country. How is this unfair? If some rapper wants to start a soap box derby league for 'disadvantaged' youth, NASCAR is not stopping him. If Oprah wants to build a dirt track on the south side of Chicago she is free to do so. I am sure that the United Negro College Fund is used to obtain the necessary engineering degrees that the top teams in racing today have every day. Nobody has become a Nextel Cup star overnight because they are the 'right race.' Most of them suffered, sacrificed, starved and worked damn hard for many years to get where they are. Yet in the name of diversity, we are willing to pipeline kids through an accelerated program and pump them all up inside, only to then shove them into a world they are not prepared for and certainly don't have the experience to excel in. This isn't fair to the kids and even less fair to the people being pressured to make this happen, because they will shoulder the blame when the first thing goes wrong. It's completely unfair to those who are out there right now, sacrificing everything to try and live a dream with no corporate backing because they are not a 'minority.'
Diversity is what makes America great. Forcing diversity breeds resentment and backlash. Minorities who really wanted to be in motorsports have gotten there, without outside help, just the same as non-minorities. All it took was time and dedication. Just like all those who came before them. And they have been there for years.
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