Inside Andre's head ©

The Last Straw!!!!!!

2008-06-27T23:04:00.006-04:00

Hey folks,

I've had it UP TO HERE with Blogger. As much as it pains me to move on, I don't feel like I have a choice any more. This site isn't worth the headaches its been giving me lately. That said, I've decided to move on. My new blog can be found at: http://unmitigatedword.wordpress.com/. Until I figure out how to import my posts over to my new blog, I'll keep this one active for a grip in case you want to puruse the archives. But I'm not gonna post here anymore.

Also, in the event that I forgot to include your link to my new site please let me know. Feel free to contact me at giantkiller56@gmail.com.

See ya at the new site!

-ACL

Where's my belt?!

2008-06-26T12:25:00.009-04:00

"I'm punishing you because I love you..."

"This hurts me more than it hurts you..."

"One day when you're older, you'll appreciate what I'm doing here..."

For those of us who actually got whoopin's as children, we usually heard nonsensical psychobabble like this right before we got the beating of our lives. Incidentally, I'm inclined to deliver similar lines to Sen. Obama as I post this butt-whoopin' of a clip:

To be sure, I'm a huge fan of Sen. Obama. I don't think I need to qualify that any more than I already have on this blog. But sometimes, "tough love" is necessary to keep our elected officials honest. We have a duty to be critical of our leaders; even the ones for whom we have the strongest support.

That said; even though this may "hurt me more than it hurts you", what the HELL were you thinking; Senator; when you publicly said this?! If you don't want this ultimate in flip flopping to come back and bite you in your John Brown hindparts, you need to clarify your position on Iraq and explain what you meant when you said this. If not, you may cause me to reconsider how much of an advocate I'll be willing to be for you down the road. When I think of all the volunteers, bloggers, and donors that have worked tirelessly to get you in this position, I call on you to honor our commitments by setting the record straight with us. After all, it's not just your credibility that stands to take a hit (though you stand to lose the most), it's our credibility that suffers as well.

As I've said a thousand times before, I'm far more forgiving of flip floppers when they change their positions based on open-mindedness and enlightment. I'd rather see a person change their mind if they were wrong about something than to cling to false and unproven ideas solely based on stubborness, pride, or an unwillingness to see consider the other side. But if you're just playing a twisted game of fair weathered politics, you may have lost one supporter. I might just have to roll with Cynthia McKinney come November. If my saying that stings a bit, then my job of being the loving supporter was performed successfully.

- ACL

The Obama car ad

2008-06-24T23:31:00.002-04:00

Uh, OK...

- ACL

Random news

2008-06-23T21:25:00.005-04:00

Hey party people,

It's been a while since I did a miscellaneous news post. So here are some of the stories currently hitting the airwaves:

Pioneer comic dead

I just found out that George Carlin; one of the more groundbreaking comics I've ever heard; has died of a heart failure. He was 71. While I admit that I negatively internalized some of his jokes about people who believe in God (being a Christian myself), he was one of the most entertaining, well polished and thought-provoking comedians to be found.

RIP Mr. Carlin.

Obamonkey...?

David and Elizabeth Lawson, a Utah couple who created the "The Sock Obama", a hand puppet of a monkey dressed in a suit, have announced they will proceed in manufacturing the controversial toy. The couple maintains that since people have often caricaturized President Bush as a chimp, it's only fair that they should be able to do the same with Sen. Obama.

News flash to the Lawsons: Comparing black folks to monkeys was, is, and will FOREVER BE a racist gesture. Carry on.

Imusunderstood...?

Speaking of racist expressions, Don Imus, the infamous shock jock who was recently suspended for his "Nappy Headed Hoes" comments directed at the Rutgers' women's basketball team, is at it again. This time he made -- what some are calling -- inflammatory and racist remarks about newly acquired Dallas Cowboy Adam "Pacman" Jones. Jones, who himself has been no stranger to controversy because of off-the-field antics including a shooting a Vegas night club, was the subject of discussion as Imus and his co-host made a stereotypical comment associating blacks with violence.

Imus later offered an explanation; indicating that he meant to say that Jones was simply getting picked on because he was black. But we all know the score; the racist tone of Imus' remarks. For that matter, I'm not suprised. While others are outraged (again), I predicted this would happen a long time ago. I predicted that the punishment Imus received would not reform his behavior and -- if anything -- would cause him to come back stronger than ever. Now, I couldn't predict how Imus would come back, but I knew he would.

Pregnancy pact?

This story is a few days old, but is still worth mentioning only because of how ridiculous it is. A group of teenage girls at a school in a small Massachusetts town have reportedly made some sort of pact to all get pregnant and raise their children together. These girls are said to lack self-esteem and are relying on parenthood to give their lives purpose.

I'm sorry, but it this is true all these girls should be in jail and their children put up for adoption. Maybe I'm sounding a bit like a Republican in this case, but I get endlessly annoyed seeing dumb a** kids bringing other kids into this world without being able to adequately provide for them. If these kids are so desperate for a sense of belonging, give them something to do. Volunteer work. A summer job. Play softball. Reading a book. There are plenty of time-consuming, self-esteem building, and engaging activities outside of inadequately bringing another life into this world. Why haven't these boneheaded girls, their parents, or THE BABY DADDIES pick up on this?! Aaagh!

In and out of context

Dan Abrams and the folks over at MSNBC have gave the Dems a little bit of fire to match the fire toss at Michelle Obama for her comments about being proud of the country for the "first time in [her] adult life." Footage was uncovered showing Sen. John McCain stating that it wasn't until he was "deprived" of America as a POW that he truly loved it. Uh oh...!

Now, taking his comments into context, I know exactly what he meant. He certainly wasn't implying that he hated his country before becoming a POW. He was stating that it took that horrific experience for him to truly appreciate his country. It's no different that someone saying they didn't know how much they loved someone close to them until they died (a little extreme, but you get the point). I get him. I forgive him. Now, if he and his camp can extend the same courtesy to Michelle for her poorly contextualized comments. While we're at it, I'd challenge both the Obama and McCain camps to SAY WHAT THEY MEAN. As I've stated before, it's far too easy to get points lost in the way they are communicated.

Obama's presidential seal

Sigh. C'mon Senator. For real?

The Obama campaign has announced that the presidential seal it recently unveiled will be removed. The seal duplicating the seal of the President -- which included the words "Vero possumus (roughly translated as saying "Yes We Can") has been viewed by many as an indication of Obama being too overly confident during this heated political campaign. While I'm praying to God that Obama pulls this off and will eventually stand behind the actual presidential seal, WTF?!

Flip flopping politicians

Both John McCain and Barack Obama now have something in common with Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election: both now have the label of "flip flopper" on their names. This week, both candidates went on the record by changing their positions on issues critical to this year's election. Sen. Obama indicated that he would opt out of public financing for the general election while Sen. McCain stated that he now supports drilling off the coast if states give their consent. As we speak, both candidates are using their flip flops against each other.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have a problem with politicians changing their positions. Rather than staying committed to their incorrect policies, it's refreshing to see policiticans see the error of their ways and make changes accordingly. But the secret is: they have to sell it as a learning experience. If McCain and Obama can 'fess up and admit how they came to change their positions, campaign damage can be alleviated in my opinion.

Heil ESPN!

Here's another old story but still worth mentioning. Last week, ESPN suspended one of its columnists for making a pretty crude and inappropriate reference to Adolf Hitler when writing about the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. In one of her columns, ESPN writer Jemele Hill said, “Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim. It’s like hoping Gorbachev would get to the blinking red button before Reagan.”

One day, I'll figure out what the deal is with sports personalities and why they can't seem to leave the inappropriate hyperbolic statements at home. For one, the line made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Secondly, drudging up shameful reminders of the history's atrocities is no way to effectively come up with sports metaphors. If this lady got fired for her comments, there wouldn't be any tears shed from these hazel eyes.

I guess that's it for the time being. But I'm sure the news will provide much more to talk about soon. They never seem to disappoint.

- ACL

Celebrating the Broken Chains

2008-06-19T19:29:00.005-04:00

On a warm day in July of 1776, a document was signed that declared this nation's independence from the tyranny of the British government. Close to one hundred years later on another warm summer day, black Americans who had populated the same "free" nation for years prior as slaves were finally awarded the same freedom.

On this day in 1865 -- over two years after the Emancipation Proclaimation was signed, a general order was announced in Galveston, Texas indicating the end of the long and bloody civil war dividing the country. The order also called for the release of the close to 250,000 slaves in the state. This day of jubilee for those newly freed slaves became the day we know as Juneteeth.

Since that time, African Americans have used this time to commemorate the pain and triumph that came with years of captivity. While there is no doubt that American is deeply immersed in the shameful legacy of slavery (as much as people refuse to see that), there is much to celebrate. Now -- more than ever -- black Americans have considerable access to the same "American Dream" formerly reserved for whites. Even when only one state recognizes Juneteenth as a state holiday (Texas, for obvious reasons), the significance of the day will never be diminished.

Though I'll never be able to fully comprehend the anguish that came with bondage, I try to at least imagine the sheer joy that must have been the slaves as the document proclaiming their emancipation was finally enacted. Though it was long overdue and only truly recognized after the Civil Rights movement another 100 years later, the day was ours. We were officially declared a free people. That freedom has never been more apparent than it is today. The road for us to travel has been paved by the worn, calloused, and bloodied hands of those who came before us. We have hitched a ride to the new 'land of opportunity' on the whipped backs of our ancestors. For this reason, we owe it to those overworked and enslaved dreamers to not only remember their struggle, but to also seize every opportunity they have provided for us.

Today we have Juneteenth. But I'm also looking forward to the time where I can thank each and every one of them when we all meet in Glory.

- ACL

Getting paid to drive a billboard...?

2008-06-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

Where do I sign up?

- ACL

Beyond mere punishment

2008-06-18T14:37:00.013-04:00

File this under "Things We Can't Blame on Racism."

I just read one of the most unbelievable stories ever:

A 5-year-old Los Angeles boy was fighting for his life today after suffering what police called one of the worst cases of child abuse they have seen, allegedly at the hands of his mother and her live-in girlfriend.

Police said the boy had countless cigarette burns all over his body, including his genitals, was unable to open his hands because he had been forced to put them flat on a hot stove, and was repeatedly beaten and forced to sit in his own urine.

What's worse is that these women deliberately tried to cover their tracks:

[They] brought a healthy child of a mutual friend to the appointment and tried to pass him off as [her] son, officials said. While [the women] were at DCS, a stranger found the boy abandoned and notified authorities, police said.

I was completely floored when I read this story. Obviously there is the element of torture to consider. I don't care what kind of behavioral issues this child may have had, no child deserves to be tortured; especially like this. Being a person who got his tail smacked on more than one occasion as a child, I'm not at all opposed to the occasional whoopin'. But the horrific punishment inflicted on this poor child does not constitute a whoopin' or anything comparable to one. Then I think of how these women tried to conceal the evidence of abuse by using another child to deceive child services. That to me is a clear indication that they were not out of their minds. They were well aware of their wrongdoing. Finally, I think of all the people who can't conceive children but would provide a far more loving environment; while these low lives are able to/allowed to pop out babies.

H/T to Avery from Stereo Describes My Scenario for the story.

**This Just In...**

No sooner than I could finish entering this post, Gina from What About Our Daughters just dropped a heart-wrenching post about a woman and her child being brutally slain in Minnesota. The assailants, two black teenagers (sigh...) beat their victims, stabbed them over 100 times and finished off the woman by smashing her head with a television.

Two teenage boys have been charged in the murders of a Minneapolis mother and her 10-year-old son.

The criminal charges detail a grisly scene. Police found three knives, a golf club and a television at the scene of the crime, all of which they believed were used as murder weapons. Court documents say blood was splattered all over the house and a toddler who was in the home at the time of the brutal murder was also splattered with blood. Police say Daniels was stabbed more than 100 times, Shepard died after being smashed in the head with the television.

I tell you: as more of these stories begin to surface, the less of an opponent I am of strapping people to The Chair. Of course, I won't presume to play God and determine who deserves what. But I can't say that I'd shed any tears for any of these monsters should they get their just desserts.

- ACL

Obama in Michigan; The Morning After

2008-06-17T10:04:00.009-04:00

Last night I had the opportunity to see Senator Barack Obama for the first time. Let me just say that it was an absolute treat!

For starters, I admit: it was a little disheartening at first. Though we arrived over two hours before the doors were expected to open, we still found ourselves in a seemingly mile-long line that wrapped all the way around the arena. We later discovered that the pile up was due to a limited number of entrances being used. Though the wait was long -- almost convincing us to turn around and go home -- we were nonetheless content in knowing that we're standing in a line of history. We were in line waiting to see the first black person in our nation's history to be a legitimate nominee for POTUS. That -- and being entertained by the hoards of vendors selling Obama merchandise and petitioners passing out fliers -- made the long wait manageable.

As we finally entered the building, you could feel a strong security presence. At the entrance, we were immediately met by armed U.S. Secret Service agents who thoroughly examined each person entering the premises. Of course this was to be expected, so I traveled as lightly as possible. Other people weren't so lucky. People were forced to discard all sorts of items that -- I'll admit -- seemed pretty inconsequential. But I guess you never can be too safe...

From there, it took us a few minutes to find a seat. The floor seats were reserved for media, public officials, and randomly selected audience members (I suspect this was to represent the diversity of the attendees). Admittedly, it was pretty hard to find a good seat in the jam-packed Joe. But we finally did. By the time we were seated, the rally was just getting started. A couple of local grassroots organizers (one of whom, a solider returning from his third tour in Iraq) kicked things off. But some early audio problems (which prompted the crowd to chant "We can't hear!") made it hard to process everything they were saying. I caught bits and pieces of their shpeel, which focused mainly on the importance of organizing and contributing. But most of their talk was lost in bad audio. Shortly after that, a local Detroit singer did her rendition of the National Anthem. While the woman could definitely blow, I was getting a little restless with her gettin' her Bleeding Gums on.

Immediately after the National Anthem, the official rally began with Detroit Pistons' All-Star Chauncey Billups. The crowd erupted. Honestly, I don't think they were cheering as much for the fact that it was Chauncey Billups. I mean, the dude is crazy famous in Detroit and everything, but I don't think that was necessarily it. I think it was that he's crazy famous and an Obama supporter that got people excited. He's even gone on the record numerous times-- along with several other affluent personalities -- vocalizing his support for Obama. So when he walked through the curtains, the crowd understandably went nuts. Billups went on to talk about the importance of registering to vote and actually getting out to vote. And you know that celebrities are somehow more effective at delivering a message than you or I ever could be...

The cheers that Billups generated quickly turned into boos as the next speaker --Govenor Jennifer Granholm -- took the stage. It's no secret that many Michiganders (including Democrats) have not been particularly pleased with Granholm's performance lately. The lukewarm reception she received was a clear indication of that. It got a little better for her as she began to work the crowd more; mentioning the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings and of course Sen. Obama. She seemed to be doing well until she threw in a plug for Sen. Clinton whom she previously supported. From there, the boos were even stronger than when Granholm first took the stage. I mean, you would've seriously thought that the Colorado Avalance were in the building. Once she finished getting jeered by the audience, she called to stage the main event: Senator Obama and his latest endorser Al Gore.

(As a side note: it was no accident that Kwame wasn't anywhere to be found.)

As Gore stepped to the podium, you would've thought that he was the one running for President. His speech was full of the passion that I maintain was missing-in-action during his run in 2000. Though his endorsement came waaaaay too late in the game (which in itself drew some criticism with folks I spoke to), his speech still generated all sorts of electricity from the crowd. Even when he acknowledged the campaign of Sen. Hill Spawn (albeit, a pretty crappy campaign in my opinion), the crowd wasn't as ready to barrage him with boos as they did with Gov. Granholm. Overall, I'd say he did a pretty good job working the crowd. He was engaging, on point, articulate, and -- yes -- even funny. For a moment there, I almost forgot who I listening to.

From there, Senator Obama took center stage. At that point, the noise was deafening. I recorded the ovation on my PDA. During playback, my phone actually vibrated (if you can believe that).

Obama's message wasn't all that dissimilar to any other speeches he has delivered up to this point. Perhaps the only unique difference this time around was with his inclusion of Michigan-specific references. When citing John Mc(Ins)ane's proposed tax cuts for instance, he jokingly suggested that the only person in the building who would benefit was Chauncey Billups. He mentioned a few colleges and universities in Michigan which could pave the way for education in the state. He referred to Flint as the birthplace of GM (the pop we heard at that point gave us an indication of how many "Flintstones" were in the building). And of course, the Red Wings were given another shout-out.

From there, the remainder of his speech was pretty uniform with others he's made before. Like Gore, he praised Senator Clinton -- which was received by scattered boos. But as he chastised those hecklers, he called for the crowd to join him in acknowledging her for making him a better candidate. The crowd gave in to his request and clapped in reverence (this proves to me that rift may be resolved amongst the candidates, but has a loooong way to go with the supporters). He tossed in a few recycled jokes like how he never expected the the primaries to go as long as they did and how children who were born when the primaries started are now walking and talking. He ended his speech by stating his policies on health care, jobs, the economy, education, and the war in Iraq.

I've been to a few rallies before but this one was the most powerful and impactful. It was a pretty important event to have in a city like Detroit. Given how places like Detroit and Flint have been embattled by questionable political leadership, economic hardship, and identity seeking, people are growing restless with the way things are headed. They have an insatiable thrist for change. Obama's message last night left them (I think) with a sense of hope that such change actually is in the foreseeable future.

Yes we can!

- ACL

Obama in Michigan

2008-06-16T12:49:00.004-04:00

In eagered anticipation my hometown of Flint, MI just got a rare treat. Sen. Barack Obama has finally brought his energy and his vision to Michigan. I suspect that Obama's visit was done in large part to "deruffle" (not sure if that's a word, but you get the point) some of the feathers that came with not having his name on the ballot during this debacle of a primary season. Besides that; as Michigan's economy continues to loom, promoting a message of change and a renewed economy could not have fallen upon more suitable ears than Michigan voters.

The video below is from his speech at Kettering University, here in Flint. Check it out.

The chaos of getting tickets to the event and my busy workday didn't lend me the opportunity to go. But I'm going to his rally later on tonight at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. I'll blog about it tomorrow if I have time.

Yes we can!

- ACL

More than just a "rolling stone"

2008-06-15T12:33:00.005-04:00

For the fellas to whom this applies, Happy Father's Day to you. Key word: Father. Trust me when I say I know that there are a lot of "daddies" out there; but for all you real fathers who are handling your business, I commend thee.

To Dad, Demetrius, ToeJoe, and the other fathers holdin' it down; here's to you!

- ACL

America's Best Gold-Digger

2008-06-14T09:23:00.003-04:00

I make no bones about being broke. So that -- coupled with the following video -- is why I will forever stay single:

I hope Congress will finally get around to passing legislation disallowing these women to have offspring.

H/T to Gina from What About Our Daughters for the clip.

- ACL

Tim Russert (1950-2008)

2008-06-13T17:02:00.006-04:00

Just found out that NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” Tim Russert has died after collapsing at work. He was 58.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Russert family.

- ACL

Barack's Achilles' Heel..?

2008-06-12T12:19:00.012-04:00

I was over at Mirror on America reading an interesting report from Rikyrah; one of the site's contribitors. She wrote a post promoting a new site "Michelle Obama Watch"; created to "...monitor the media’s treatment and depiction of Michelle Obama..." The site was established by Gina McCauley at the popular blog What About Our Daughters .

After emailing a link to Rikyrah's page to some of my fellow Obama supporters (many of whom were women), some of them gave me flack for a response I posted on her page. When referring to the Michelle Obama Watch site, I said the following:

I hope this campaign to 'protect' Michelle will be successful. Lord knows, she will need it.
In the interest of "keepin' it real", we live in a pretty shallow and vacuous society that does indeed call for its leaders (including spouses and children) to fit a certain model in order to gain acceptance and validation. In that respect, Michelle's tough, no nonsense, and forced smile approach might just be an Achilles' heel to Sen. Obama's campaign when it's deemed to be the antithesis of what folks would consider socially graceful. That's not a diss on Michelle from my end. But to expect the hick in W. Virginia or the bigoted old white man in the deep south to see Michelle's strength and NOT interpret that as a negative attribute is a stretch.

I mean, even Laura Bush smiled while she delivered a pretty icy reply to Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner (I admit, I'm not sure if she said what everybody thinks she said, but the rumors have gone uncontroverted...)

I guess my ultimate point is: sometimes our identities need to be compromised...nay...softened if we want to successfully enter arenas predominately populated by superficiality. Essentially we have to "fit in to get in." This is especially true for the person who stands to be the country's first lady.

To be sure, I like Michelle Obama. I especially love what she represents: a strong black woman who climbed the ladder of success but remained devoted to her family in the process. But my liking her doesn't blind me to the reality that she will prove to be a weak spot in Barack Obama's campaign over the next few months. It's an unfortuate reality. But it is reality nonetheless.

Joslyn sent me a text yesterday reminding me of the story that made its was all over the internet (most notably in the black blogosphere) about Fox News referring to Michelle Obama as Barack's "Baby Momma." Initially, I was pretty upset about this. Not suprised, but certainly upset. This was textbook exploitation by Fixed Noise. But then I recounted a story where Michelle openly referred to Barack as her "baby's daddy." For the uninitiated, the term "baby daddy" was derived from a rap song released at the time by B Rock And The Bizz. Please forgive me for actually posting this, but I needed to so I could provide some context:

I'm sorry you had to see that. But I'm even more sorry that stuff like this is often the more portrayed aspect of black culture.

At any rate: Back to the post...

I've always maintained that black professionals are typically given an unfair charge to table our individualism to gain a certain level of social validation. As it stands, I challenge Michelle to do just that. Not to be confused with shufflin' and dancin' fo Mista Charlie, there are some activities that should never make their way to the light if you're a black person trying to accomplish the ultimate in mainstream validation: winning the Presidency of the United States. Truth be told: I'm not as critical about the Obama pound. I thought that was pretty cool (plus, if you get too critical of that, you must also go after Bush for chest-bumping a cadet during a graduation ceremony). But I am critical of (and concerned about) Michelle barely cracking a smile in front of the cameras, referring to a potential POTUS as her "baby's daddy" (as opposed to "the father of her children", which doesn't carry the same urban ties that apparently scare white folks), or any number of her antics that scream "I don't care what the world thinks." While it's pretty refreshing to see somebody so bold and committed to "keepin' it real", as an educated woman she should know that such boldness is not without consequence. As comedian Dave Chapelle joked, sometimes keepin' it real can go very, very very wrong.

If Michelle is not careful, she could very well lose this thing for Barack. But that's just what I think. What say you?

- ACL

The complain-free diet

2008-06-12T08:37:00.009-04:00

I started my day in the exact opposite way I should have. I started it with a seemingly endless barrage of complaints.

As I woke up this morning (late; which has been a usual trend for me lately), I started by complaining to myself about how much I absolutely did not want to go to work. I went on to complain to myself about having to iron my clothes. I made a fuss about not having anything good to eat for breakfast. As I stopped to get gas, I complained to myself about how my $43 wasn't even enough for a fill up. Traveling along the expressway, I complained to myself about the inconvenience of road construction and lousy drivers who made it worse. Arriving on campus, I complained to myself about the double-parking job some student pulled in faculty/staff ramp; where they should not have even been in the first place. As I arrived at my office, I found myself complaining about my packed schedule and my overwhelming workload. I even took a moment to complain about the perfume one of my co-workers was wearing.

On and on I complained about how everything was annoying me. I mean, I've been profuse with my complaining before, but today was just one of those days.

Inexplicably, God put it on my heart to check out CNN. On the site, there was coverage about the twister in Iowa that killed four boys at a summer camp; along with all of the other tornadoes that have been ravaging the central and midwest parts of the country. Reports have been coming in from numerous states tracking the destruction -- both in property and lives -- brought about by the recent rash of storms. From reading that, my mind immediately shifted to the deadly cyclone that recently leveled Southeast Asia; creating an estimated death toll of 22,500 (with another 41,000+ missing). I also recalled the time when Pakistan was destroyed by a massive earthquake; which killed about 73,000 people; along with the recent earthquake in China which tallied a death toll of over 61,000. I remembered the Indian Ocean tsunami that wiped out 11 countries, killing an estimated 225,000 people (possibly more). The ever-increasing mass murdering in Darfur also came to mind. I even started to think about the time I recently spent in New Orleans. At that point, I buried my face in my hands; feeling nothing but shame. Here I am itemizing my calamities like my name was Job or something; while other folks in this world are truly suffering.

While I complained about dragging myself out of bed, a child in Indonesia just arose from the street where they slept the night before.
While I complained about having to iron my clothes, a flood victim in the midwest just lost every single possesion they've ever owned.
While I complained about having an unsavory food selection in my fridge, there is an ongoing food crisis around the world.
While I complained about how hot it was in my apartment, another family in Darfur was just raped, tortured, or murdered.
While I complained how underpaid I am at my job, unemployment offices are filling up all over the country.
While I complained about rising gas prices, a mother in China is arranging her child's burial.
While I complained about some of the people I don't like, my dear friend Sylvia has been going through the unimaginable with some close people in her life.

What I realize after some contemplation is that it is very easy to overlook your blessings. At times, we feel so entitled that we even go as far as to expect for things to go our way all the time. So when life deviates from our blueprint of expectancy, we gripe about it. I'm probably the worse one in the pack. I mean, I make no bones about the fact that I can be a real jerk sometimes. My blog often reflects that. While I try to use my blog responsibly as a general clearinghouse to express my "thoughts, reflections, and rants", I admit that I can go over the top with the "rants" part at times. Don't get me wrong: I think it's important to be critical of things (especially with our religious/community/political leaders and the goings on that are socially impactful). But I think that it's equally important to accentuate all the positivity associated with our blessings.

God has been too good to me (and indeed, to us all) for me to spend too much time focusing on the miniscule things bothering me. That being the case, I've decided to once again challenge myself to go on a complaining fast. The concept is simple: whenever you feel the need to gripe about something (especially verbally) substitute that urge with either a word of thanks to God for His bountiful blessings and/or a thought or action for our brothers and sisters who are dealing with difficult situations.

It is important to remember that we are citizens of this God-given world. As such, we should make it a point to do as much as possible to leave it and its residents a little better off than we found them. This starts by being mindful of the 'least of these'; while discounting the inconsequential things that may betide us. At the end of the day -- considering all the tragic things going on in the lives of ordinary people; my paying $4 a gallon for gas doesn't seem as bad.

Please keep the world in your prayers. And, when possible, get those hands dirty.

- ACL

Obama/??? '08

2008-06-10T09:45:00.010-04:00

I was talking to the Hippie Conservative not too long ago where we were discussing potential VEEP candidates for Sen. Obama. I tend to avoid posts that include predictions and suggestions (especially in the likelihood that I'm wrong), but in the off-off-off-off-off chance that Sen. Obama finds my blog (everybody laugh with me now), I put together a list of my choices for VP. *Note: although a previous post suggested that Obama needs Hillary to win (and I still believe that -- to an extent), I would absolutely LOATH an Obama/Clinton ticket. I'm praying that it won't happen.

John Edwards: You already know how I feel about Edwards and how he and Obama would make the real Dream Team. Edwards -- being a southerner -- would be a breath of fresh air for a Democratic nominee trying to gain footing in the deep south. The GOP will be a lock in many of those middlebelt states, but I think that Edwards' southern roots can make Obama a little more appealing to those ostensibly unchanging white, lower to middle class southerners come November. Politically, he and Obama are as similar as two people can get without being carbon copies of each other; particularly relating to energy policy, grassroots organizing, and the ecomony. Edwards' initial support of the war in Afghanistan could be a hinderance, but I doubt it. I mean, even I was supportive of actually going after the real bad guys (as opposed to the ones we made up in Iraq). These similarities could be helpful as Obama plans to launch a campaign focusing on his message of "change" over the next few months. While most of the other potential candidates were unmistakably Washington insiders (none more than John McSame and Hill Spawn), Edwards bring a fresh, youthful (50 something is a newborn compared to McCain. Just keepin' it real), and innovative ideology that has been missing in the billions of years of old, white men running the White House.
Kathleen Sebelius: What better way to kill all of the nonsensical cries of sexism from Hill Spawn than by selecting Gov. Sebelius as a VP? As a commenter of my blog mentioned: if these so-called feminists are so committed to breaking the glass ceiling, should it matter that the pioneer is not Clinton? VP Sebelius would be the ultimate litmus test to Hill's claims that it's time for a woman (not named Clinton) to make her mark. Issues of gender aside, Sebelius still makes a great choice politically. What I particularly love about her is that she truly shares in Obama's vision of 'reaching across the aisle' to make things move for the country. Rather than focusing on partisan bickering and muscling the opposition, Sebelius has used her civility and class to extend to her opponents without relinquishing her progressive idealogy. To have a so-called "Red State" govenor on the Democratic ticket (even when she's not Republican herself) could be seen as the ultimate in unification. Now, I'll admit: when it comes to issues of national security, neither she or Obama have any real experience to speak of. But what they both do possess is the competence and willingness to put together a solid team of advisors (I suspect from both parties) who can be fruitful in establishing sound policy. I'm definitely riding the Sebelius bandwagon.
Bill Richardson: Hippie seems to think that he is the most suitable candidate, but the highest he can get on my list is third. I'm a little torn on Gov. Richardson. But it's not because I dislike him. It's just that (1) I think he is an antithesis of the "change" mantra and (2) it's possible (not likely, but possible) that the role of Hispanics will be overestimated in November. In the event, however, that their role will be as significant as it was during the primaries, Gov. Richardson would be a most suitable candidate. Additionally, Richardson brings tons of experience on foreign policy (where diplomacy is needed now more than ever), responsible spending, energy conservation, and strategic planning (all pets he gained during his tenure with the Clintons).

Those are my top three picks. But others could include:

Gov. Ted Strickland: I hate to admit this one, because I have my bones to pick with white evangelical types in high political positions. But being a more moderate Democrat, he could provide the balance necessary to win over key states like Ohio and Florida.

Representative Jim Marshall: Also a well-known war vet, another moderate Democrat, and another Democrat in a Republican populated area, Rep. Marshall could be equally successful (I think) in captivating more of the white southern vote critical to Obama's campaign. Just as Gen Clark, Rep. Marshall can use his service as a counter to McCain's military experience pitch. Outside of that card, McCain doesn't have much else to play.

Former Representative Cynthia McKinney: It's both a good and bad thing that she's rolling with the Green Party. Good, because it's long time that we kill this two-party nonsense. Not so good because she's running during a time where a Democrat could actually be the changemaker we've been seeking. On top of that, she is set to pull another Ralph Nader with Hill Spawn's supporters. All of this is unfortunate because she would make a terrific VEEP to compliment Sen. Obama. Plus, I have to admit: it would be cool to see black faces in the two highest positions of the Executive Branch. I'm just sayin'...

General Welsey Clark: While I agree with some of the critics who cite Gen. Clark's blunders with NATO, Gen. Clark can offset McCain's trump card; his military experience. Again, as our foreign relations' image is the worst it's been since Somalia, Clark's overall experience could be a good thing. But I'm not holding my breath for him.

John Kerry: Uh...scratch that.

Please don't be suprised that Hill Spawn is not on this list...

As I've said before, Obama is not in an enviable position. Selecting the right VP will be critical if he is to repair some of the damage made by Hill Spawn's relentless and viciously attacking campaign. I'm praying that he makes the right choice.

- ACL

Clinton Endorses Obama

2008-06-07T13:34:00.005-04:00

As it appears, Hill Spawn has thrown in the towel. In the jam-packed National Building Museum in Washington, Clinton announced her campaign's suspension, vocalized her support for Sen. Obama, and pleaded with her followers to set aside their animosity to join her in helping Obama secure the White House.

A large part of me remains skeptical of Clinton and her die-hard supporters. For one, I think this "blaze of glory" concession was strategically done later in the week to draw national attention during a time where the buzz was on Obama's nomination. Also, I don't completely trust that the deep-seated tension realized during this campaign season can be resolved so soon. Hill Spawn and her surrogates have pulled some major fouls during this campaign that many of us won't soon forget. Likewise, her supporters feel that she got a raw deal. So to expect people to suddenly sing the campfire version of Kumbaya with an accoustic guitar is a bit of a stretch.

Still, I have to give Hill Spawn her due. I can imagine how difficult it must have been to end a long, closely contested race -- and to do it in front of many of her most dedicated followers. Admitting defeat is hard. Supporting the person who defeated you is even more difficult. Getting others to support the person who defeated you is challenging beyond words. Several times in her speech, she did attempt to shift her constituency to Obama's campaign. Even on her website Hill is calling on her supporters to jump on Obama's team. Some debate can be had on whether or not she is doing/will do enough to get Obama elected. Still, I'll concede to the more important point for me: that even somebody as vile as Hill Spawn can show a good side. Say what you want, but her speech was truly amazing and captivating. Maybe if she keeps it up, she might position herself for the White House next time around. Who knows: I may even ditch the Hill Spawn monicker some day.

- ACL

The Obama Pound

2008-06-06T11:30:00.005-04:00

Regardless to what happens during the General Election, Obama will always be my homeboy. I mean, how many other presidential nominees have you known who gave their spouse a fist pound to celebrate? How cool is that?!

Even Obama winning the nomination has to take a backseat to this as being the coolest moment of this campaign season:

Way to defuse those accusations of elitism, Senator!

H/T to Rikyrah over at Mirror on America for the story.

- ACL

Where Hillary tanked

2008-06-05T16:56:00.008-04:00

As Hill-Spawn delivered what should have been a concession speech, I couldn’t help but notice the defeated looks on both Chelsea and especially Bill’s face after a long and drawn out fight with Sen. Obama. In an attempt to salvage any remaining dignity from the loss, they and many of Hill’s supporters have tried repeatedly to accentuate the positive aspects of her campaign. But as for me and my house, I see the Clinton run for president exactly how it should be viewed: a complete and utter failure.

The way I see: Hill Spawn made several major mistakes during this primary season. Hopefully, the Obama camp can take their cue from Hill’s screw-ups and perform better in the General Election. Without further ado, here’s how I think Hill Spawn lost this election:

Employing the incumbent strategy
I’ve heard quite a few people cite this mishap of the Hill Spawn. I’d be far pressed to disagree. While Obama strategically took the mandate we gave politicians during the 2006 election and formulated a campaign promoting change, Hill relied too much on “experience” and the Clinton brand for validation. I suppose that if she wanted people to look past her being female, using the legacy-based Affirmative Action would make sense (had to toss that in for the folks who think that Affirmative Action only applies to race). Unfortunately for her, it didn’t work. While she spent her time getting fitted for the crown that ostensibly comes with being a Clinton, she ignored people’s desire to change the channel on Washington insiders. Don’t get me wrong: her name and background were/are formidable weapons to wield. But just like any other weapons, the key is to know how and when to use them. She flunked that part of the exam.

Drawing too many cards at once
Allowing Geraldine Ferraro to stir up racial discussions, looking the other way as Uncle Bob Johnson made his subtle inferences, not putting Bill in the doghouse for his antics (i.e. juxtaposing Obama to Jesse Jackson), not checking her “researchers” who raised the madrasah question. These are prime examples (though just a small sample) of the cheap and subtle shots involving race and religion that eventually spelled Hill’s doom. While Obama attempted to rise above those issues, Hill and her surrogates drew from that well way too often. To make matters worse, Hill also played the role of the gendered Jekyll & Hyde during this campaign. At the outset, she played the tough guy act – drinkin’ beer with the fellas and shootin’ guns with Rufus and ‘em. But when things went south for her, sexism was the first word that came out of her mouth. In fact, during a couple of debates, the self-professed “strongest candidate” got her panties in a bunch (no pun intended) when she had to answer first. Egad! If Clinton playing the race, religion, and fear cards didn’t work, pulling the gender Queen of Hearts did the trick.

Playing on a lousy team

As great as he was, Michael Jordan didn’t become a winner until he had a solid supporting cast. Hill Spawn’s campaign team – who essentially lost this for her -- was one of the worst to ever assemble. It’s amazing that she got as far as she did with the horrible cast of characters pushing for her. For instance, there are reports indicating that one of Hill’s strategists was unaware that the Democratic primaries did not follow the same winner-take-all format as the Republicans use. I’m not entirely sure on just how true that is, but relying solely on the swing states to pitch the argument of electability is a strategy that only a complete moron would endorse. Yet that’s exactly what Hill Spawn and her folks did.

I won’t even bother picking on her surrogates any more. I think that point has already been driven home.

[Not] Showin’ us the money

If arranging her campaign team was bad, arranging the campaign’s fundraising efforts was atrocious. While she was able to collect an impressive amount of money from her donors, campaign finance laws only allow donors to contribute so much money. For most of Hill's big-check donors, it was a one-time deal. Obama – on the other hand – relied on Al Gore’s Internet to generate funds (OK, the Al Gore line was a little uncalled for. I'm sorry...). While he took advantage of millions of people making much smaller donations to fund his campaign, Hill Spawn -- to her disadvantage -- rested on the laurels of being a Clinton and relied on her smaller pool of large donors (and perhaps some of Slick Willy’s questionable business connections…?). When she ran out of dough, she had to draw from her own stash. And she had the nerve to call Obama an elitist…

Discounting caucus states
Every time I hear Hill Spawn drone on and on about winning the popular vote, making every vote count, etc, I get a chuckle. When she refers to the number of votes she received, she does exactly what she did during the primary season that sealed her doom: discount the caucus states. Yet, it was those very caucus states that Hill ignored where Obama secured many of his pledged delegates.

No stamina for the later rounds

To steal an analogy from the Hippie Conservative, Obama was to Hillary what Leon Spinks was to Muhammed Ali. Hill went into this contest thinking that she was going to steam roll the field in Iowa and set it in cruise control until November. I suppose you can't fault her for that. Most of the world was complicit in Hill's coronation. But exhausting so much of her energy and funds in the first round -- only to fall third in line -- was a major blow. By the time she was able to recover, some little known freshman Senator from Illinois was building up tons of momentum. Even more interesting was the amount of future preparation the Obama camp made in states weeks (and in some cases, months) in advance. Though the idea to plan ahead may have appeared as a detriment at the time, Obama made the most of it while Hill was crushed for not doing the same.

There you have it: my thoughts on how Hill pulled the ultimate Leon Lett-type fumble. But -- in Lett's defense, at least he got to the end zone before he lost the ball. By the time Hill even made it to the end zone, Obama was already there waiting. So let this be a lesson to anyone ever planning on running for office. If you every feel the need to say “Full speed ahead to the White House..." , maybe you should check for icebergs.

-ACL

Why I gave up on MySpace...

2008-06-05T14:39:00.008-04:00

...and for that matter, why I hate teenager girls:

For the full story, click here.

To be certain, I'm not excusing the irresponsibility associated with having casual sex. But stories like this continue to amaze me. Not one, but TWO unsuspecting young men will spend time behind bars while being permanently labeled as sex offenders because an underaged girl lied on her MySpace page?

I mean, for real?!

You know, I'm this close to siding with R. Kelly. Well, maybe not. But you get the point. Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

Hat tip to The Happy Go Lucky Bachelor for the vid.

- ACL

Protect your ideas

2008-06-04T11:11:00.007-04:00

If you never listen to another word I say, it is imperative that you listen to my tale of woe and learn from it.

It's no secret that I hate being poor. So in my efforts to get paid, I came up with a quite a few good get-rich-quick ideas; including my brilliant concept for the next big black play. But none of my ideas were as unique and income-generating as my hit song "Lick It Like a Na' Lata." Na' lata (or for you vernacular buffs,"Now & Laters"; the popular 80's candy) was going to be the one hit wonder necessary for me to earn untold fortunes. The object was simple: I come up with the most insipid and ridiculous rap song possible, add a tight beat, and watch the river of cash come flowing in. I mean, you've seen some of the nonsense on B.E.T. these days, haven't you? It was an instant hit.

But then, it happened.

I got a call from my sister regrettably informing me that some rapper named Lil Wayne came up with a song called "Lick It Like a Lollipop." I was floored. Here he is, stealing my concept and somehow going number one on the Billboard charts. This was MY IDEA!!!! I felt cheated. I felt as cheated as the Clarence Walker; the real star of the Beatles. To see his tragic story, click here. But I'm warning you: it's not pretty at all.

Stories like ours are painful reminders that you should always protect your ideas. There are some really selfish and nefarious players in this cruel game of life; lurking in the shadows waiting to rip off other people's ideas. Be on the lookout.

- ACL

Our time!

2008-06-04T09:37:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, after months of doubt, hyper-vetting, and cynicism (many of it admittedly coming from yours truly. At least I'm being honest), your 2008 Democratic Presidential nominee:

Senator Barack Obama.

Senator.

Barack.

Obama.

Yes we can!

- ACL

What really happened...?

2008-06-03T13:33:00.006-04:00

Some of the latest buzz coming from Washington surrounds former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan and his new tell-all memoir "What Happened" where he offers a candid account of his time as the spokesperson for one of the most controversial, disliked presidents in our nation's history. Spending three long years of his life being left in the dark, tossed into the shark-infested waters of the Brady Press Briefing Room, and being forced to destroy his own credibility by protecting the President's blunders, McClellan undoubtedly had the the hardest job in America. That said, I suppose that I shouldn't be suprised by McClellan's recent breakdown. After being subjected to that type of treatment, it was only a matter of time that he would crack. And McClellan is only the latest of former administration officials who have become turncoats (included in the group are people like former Chief of staff Larry Wilkerson, Senior Executive Service member Richard Clarke, National Intelligence Officer Paul Pillar, and Deputy Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives David Kuo). Still, his book -- an expression of repressed guilt for his role in peddling Dubya's policies on the rest of us -- comes at a suprise to many; none more shocked that the White House themselves.

It was no secret that McClellan was pretty upset when Karl Rove and Scooter Libby essentially set him up to take the bullets they deserved for the now infamous White House version of Spygate. He's made that abundantly clear in his book. But I would have never thought -- in a million years -- that he'd use a publication to terminate his relationship with the same people for whom he claims he frequently lied. Even as he stands to make a fortune off this book, I would've assumed that a tell-all of this magnitude would have been reserved for a near-death bedside confessional. McClellan unleashes attacks all over the place and about virtually every controversial aspect of the Bush Administration; from 'complicit' agents in the media, to mishandling Katrina, to the Iraq War.

After listening to some of his interviews (yes I admit that I've been following this guy way more than I should), it seems like McClellan is also protecting Bush in some ways. He defends Bush on his intelligence (or lack thereof) and often releases him from any deliberate role played in the Valerie Plame case. But that's not to say that the President has been off the hook completely. In fact, in other circles I can't seem to tell whether or not they were ever friends the way he attacks Bush for being delusional, misguided, deceptive, and confusing (my favorite example was when McClellan cites how Bush "forgot" whether or not he used cocaine when he was the Govenor of Texas).

Said McClellan in his book:

As I worked closely with President Bush, I would come to believe that sometimes he convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment. It is not unlike a witness in court who does not want to implicate himself in wrongdoing, but is also concerned about perjuring himself. So he says, 'I do not recall.' The witness knows no one can get into his head and prove it is not true, so this seems like a much safer course than actually lying. Bush, similarly, has a way of falling back on the hazy memory defense to protect himself from potential political embarrassment. Bush rationalizes it as being acceptable because he is not stating unequivocally anything that could be proven false. If something later is uncovered to show what he knew, then he can deny lying in his own mind.

As to be expected, this clear defection from the Bush Adminstration has not gone unpunished by the right. Pundits have lined up to take shots at McClellan. Whether being accused of money grubbing, exaggerating stories, or speaking on policies and information about which he had no access, conservatives looking to do a little damage control have pulled out all the stops to destroy any hint of credibility McClellan has. Even some of the liberal press has been critical of the timing of McClellan's story; particularly the idea that he too was complicit in the Bush Administration's antics by so assuredly feeding lies to the public. Admittedly, I've thought the same thing. "Why now?" is the question that resonates most with McClellan's book. If he felt so vehemently that Bush and his peeps were deceiving the country, why wait until now; after we've waged a violent, costly, and reputation shattering war; to come forward?

All of that notwithstanding, I must admit that I have a certain level of sympathy for McClellan. From some of the exerpts I've read, his book seems to portray a person who is indirectly convicting himself for some of the more regrettable aspects of his time as Press Secretary. I haven't read the entire book yet, but I get the feeling that he's not painting himself out to be a victim; though the situation could very well have made him one. I can only imagine how hard it must be to find yourself neck high in political turmoil while trying to remain loyal to a person and an office. Doing the right thing may not be as easily discernable as it would be after introspection later on down the road.

But ultimately even in the face of that possibility, I'm not as open-armed to McClellan as many liberals seem to be. Where my sympathy goes away is when I refuse to believe how McClellan -- who was confused about how Bush "forgot" about his drug use -- failed to see the difference between right and wrong himself. That said, my message to right-wingers is simple: go after McClellan without cease. If it is indeed his intention to get rich by purging his demons and the demons of others, I say make him earn every cent.

- ACL

Hope may lieth in the enemy

2008-06-01T22:39:00.008-04:00

It pains me to write this particular post, mainly because of the mounting frustration I have with Senator Hillary Clinton. All throughout this campaign season, Sen Clinton and her surrogrates have provoked dirty attacks, selfishly created a gaping hole in the Democratic party and has given a GOP nominee who is the second coming of George W. Bush a legitimate chance of winning the Presidency despite the fact that people hate Bush and what he represents. But one thing this primary/caucus season has taught me is that -- as much as I fight the concept -- Senator Barack Obama cannont win without Hillary. Obama has found himself in the precarious position of wheezing his way to the finish line and; sadly, the only person to give him that last boost is none other than the person who attempted to derail his run from the very start.

For starters, one of the major mistakes often made by us Obama supporters (and, yes I'm including myself in that number) is that we use his record-setting fundraising and recent popularity as the sole litmus test for his electability. On one hand, I give it up to Sen. Obama for how he continues to create a certain energy from new voters that was virtually non-existent before now. Additionally, there is no denying that he is currently riding an enormous wave of popularity amongst his followers. But all of that notwithstanding, Obama's campaign -- particularly his moral high ground approach -- has made him as politically vulnerable as former 1988 Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis and his "Massachusetts Miracle" campaign (it's amazing I can still remember that). I know that sounds pretty harsh, but in the effort to stay committed to reality, we have to at least consider Obama's weaknesses as we approach November.

In order to stand a chance against the Republican machine during the general election, the people's support will be paramount. But in a culture where racial politics reign supreme, I can't say for sure that the nation is completely ready for the unification Sen. Obama has included in his platform. With the number of Clinton supporters on the rise despite her polarizing campaign, I'm convinced that Obama trying to go above the fray will not be without some consequence. In fact, even with the positivity Obama has tried to bring to politics, it has not been potent enough to compel people outside of his circle to learn much about him outside of the ongoing association with Rev. Wright. This has not been any more evident than in the Clinton's recent landslide victories. and indeed the too-close-to-call numbers in the popular vote. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that if the Dems used the same winner-take-all process for assigning delegates as the GOP uses in selecting their nominee, Clinton would have likely had this contest wrapped up. All of this in spite of Hill's attacks; subtle and otherwise. Try as I might, there is no denying the power that she brings to the table.

Also (and again, I hate to concede this point), but Hill brings a certain force to Obama's presidential campaign that others in the field may not. As much as I like John Edwards as the pick for Obama's Veep, or as much as Bill Richardson could captivate more of the much needed Hispanic vote (apparently, much more needed now as Clinton recently creamed Obama in Puerto Rico), or as much political experience as a Joe Biden would bring, Hill has shown how she can bring a mixture of all of their elements. Adding to that, she can also deliver on another highly sought group far more than any of the other prospects could: female voters. In an interesting and ironic twist, feminist types who -- in other circles -- have been socially irrelevant (that's not a diss. I'm just keepin' it real) have been making a lot of signifcant noise for Clinton that won't go away any time soon. As I watched the Rules and Bylaws committee rule on the Michigan and Florida votes, I also caught the act of some of Hill's women followers and how deeply passionate they were about the outcome. In a time where their attempts at activism have been a lost cause in most circles, the one time where their mobilization will actually be effective could be at Obama's expense.

We must also examine some of the major thumpings that the Obama camp has suffered at the hands of the Clinton camp in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, W. Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Those huge losses could potentially spell serious problems for Obama should he secure the nomination. Too many people are so deeply entranced by Hill's spellbinding campaign (most likely because they share the nation's fear of having a black president) that they have indicated that they'd rather support an arch nemisis Republican candidate than they would somebody who is not Clinton. Obama cannot simply rely on his message of change to appeal to people's 'better selves' . Instead, he needs a candidate with the necessary support and credibility to attract those not entirely convinced by Obama's spirit, message, and intentions. Regrettably, stories about Obama's fictional ties to Islam, his 20 year relationship with Rev. Wright, his "unpatriotic" lapel pin issue, etc. have been pushed so much that he can't defuse them alone. Instead, somebody who "white hard working Americans" trust like Clinton (I know. I can't figure it out either) can debunk those claims far more effectively than anybody else can. I mean, these folks cling to Clinton like she suffered, bled and died on the cross for our sins.

Most Obama supporters have become so disenchanted with Hill's shrewd tactis during this race that they've severed any ties to her. I -- for example -- make no bones about the fact that I'm decidedly done with the Clintons. Likewise, many Clinton supporters are too sore of losers to accept anything but a bid for the presidential nomination (you know: those "bitter" folks to whom Obama was referring). Still, I have to admit that an Obama/Clinton ticket may be the very thing that is needed to secure the White House. As much as I'd like to think, Obama can't do this with all the steam he's lost from diehard Clinton supporters. Likewise, we all know that we can't rely on a third party ever offering any legitimacy to the campaign. So we're stuck with the crazy Democratic party we have or the even crazier Republican party we have. But before we can start talking about striking before the iron is hot, the iron must first be heated up. Unification has to be forged before McCain can be soundly defeated. Ironically, said unification may need to be accomplished with a figure as polarizing as Clinton.

- ACL

Uncle Tom-dre...?

2008-05-29T13:24:00.010-04:00

I hate putting myself on blast. But sometimes, maybe I just deserve it.

Yesterday as I was leaving a gas station, I was confronted by a young, white woman in tears. Appearance wise, the woman seemed relatively "together"; insofar as I could determine. She was wearing an Nike jumpsuit, had her hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail, and was wearing a hint of conversatively applied makeup. Minus the cigarette she was puffing (I get endlessly annoyed by smokers) she appeared innocent enough. She proceeded in giving me a sob story about how she ran out of gas up the road, how her cell phone died, and how she didn't have any money. Though I offered to take her where she needed to go (Admittedly this is a pretty naive and dangerous habit of mine. I'm working on that.), she declined. Instead, she asked me for "a few dollars". Without hesitation, I pulled out the last $8 I had on the planet and gave it to her. She thanked me for the money and started on -- what I think was-- a trek back to her vehicle.

After that encounter, I stuck my chest out in a self congratulatory manner; praising myself for doing what I considered my good deed for the day. But upon further reflection, I thought about all the times I was approached by scrungy, unkept people with similar stories where I wasn't so quick with my benevolence. I thought about the brothas I see in downtown Flint to whom I'd likely not be so generous. While I do still make it a point to offer assistance if it's requested, I never, ever freely distribute money. Instead, I'd take it upon myself to buy the goods or service they needed. For instance, if someone asked me for money to buy something to eat, rather than giving them my cash, I'd offer to buy the food for them. I simply don't trust people enough to use my cash donations for the purposes they indicate. Yet, when it came to this innocent looking (and yes, pretty) white woman, I did the exact opposite. When she came to me in distress, I not only gave her cash -- thus breaking my own rule -- I did it without hesitation.

I can't help but to feel like I somehow displayed the same kind of prejudice that continues to pervade our society; prejudice based on looks and race. I mean, I could've very well given my last $8 to a pretty, white con artist to whom I immediately showed compassion -- just because she looked a certain way. What does that say about me? Does that make me as bad as the media of whom I'm so critical?

Your thoughts?

- ACL

Putting the ASS in Assassination, part 2

2008-05-27T10:52:00.017-04:00

During an on-air discussion on with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer, contributor Liz Trotta jokingly endorsed the assassination of Sen. Barack Obama. This coming right off the heels of Hillary's vile and tasteless comments.

When asked about the aforementioned story with Clinton, Trotta stated that "some are reading [this] as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama." Hemmer quickly inteceded by pointing out Trotta's intention to say "Obama" instead. From there, Trotta goes on to say "...both if we could". This was immediately followed by chuckles. See for yourself:

It's bad enough that Fox News once again put somebody in front of a camera who apparently can't seem to make the distinction between an honorable man running for the highest office in the country with the heartless person who masterminded the attacks of September 11. This is a clear attempt to undermine the legitimacy of Obama's candidacy by using associative propoganda (by name) as an imaginary link to some sort of clandestine terrorism. Accentuating the "Hussein" part of his name is another such tool. I get that. I'm angry about that, but I'm certainly not suprised.

Where I draw the line is with Trotta's contention that not only can Obama and Osama NOT be differentiated, but that they both need to be assassinated.

Trotta tried to offer an apology later:

...but like Hillary's tepid and bland apology, Trotta's apology fell upon my deaf ears.

I don't know how gaffes about killing a human being make you feel. But as for me and my house, I refuse to tolerate this any longer. Whether or not Trotta was joking is irrelevant to me. Whether or not Trotta was contrite is irrelevant to me. Yes, I may be willing to forgive the unforgivable. Yes, I'm the biggest fan there is of freedom of speech. But if I can get detained for joking about blowing up an airplane (I haven't, but you get the point), people should be brought to bear for joking about the assassination of a presidential candidate; particularly when the blood of so many other political leaders has been spilled in similar grotesque fashions.

While I have indicated that I will forever be a proponent of the freedom of speech, I've also indicated that this freedom does not necessarily provide a cloak for expressing said freedom without some level of consequence. That said, I'm following in Malik's footsteps by urging you not to go after Fox News themselves. We all know that protests are pretty pointless these days. Instead, hit them where it hurts: through their sponsors. Similar to how Gina from What About Our Daughters successfully launched a campaign against BET by calling out its sponsors; I urge you to let Fox News' advertisers know that you will not support them as long as they subscribe to nonsense "news" outlets that openly allow people to joke about assassinating presidential candidates.

I'd like to be the optimist and say that most decent Americans don't endorse -- nor are entertained by -- the lunacy that gets produced on Fox News. Still, the very existence of such lunacy is in itself problematic. Again, to deny its existence is to deny every freedom that we have as Americans. But the media must be held accountable when they choose to deviate from their journalistic responsibilites of increasing our understanding of the world and sustaining our discursive democracy instead of broadcasting the ultimate in disrespect that comes with joking about assassinating our leaders.

H/T to Malik for this story.

- ACL

Putting the ASS in Assassination

2008-05-24T10:03:00.008-04:00

Hillary is at it again. As if her racebaiting, gender card pulling, sore loser campaign couldn't get any worse, Hillspawn has hit a new low. When asked why she refuses to drop out of a race where she is mercilessly being beaten, Clinton responded:

My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it.

I seriously couldn't make this up. Hillspawn later offerd some cheesy "what had happened was..." explanation for her comments, but to little avail. The damage has already been done. A prominent senator deliberately invoked the horrendous concept of assassination while discussing a presidential campaign. Doesn't this have the same effect as using the word "bomb" at an airport? I'm just sayin...

As to be expected, Keith Olbermann chimed in. As usual, he verbally assassinates Clinton's comments and indeed her character:

In an interesting turn of events, Bobby Jr. is urging people not to take Hill's comments offensely. In that respect, I tip my hat to Kennedy for essentially shrugging off Hillary's ridiculous and exploitative comments about his father. But to expect the rest of us NOT to make a connection between an assassination and a black man (who has received death threats himself since becoming a legitimate contender) is a bit of a stretch. She knew exactly what she was saying. But she opened up anyway. That's what makes her sociopathic comments unforgivable.

This woman is clearly soulless. Any chance she ever had of earning my respect was lost this week. I am now -- and will forever be -- vociferously ANTI-Clinton.

- ACL

Special request

2008-05-20T16:26:00.005-04:00

I just received some bad news. Both a grandchild and a friend of Sylvia's (one my closest blogging friends) just passed away. Out of respect to Sylv, her friend, and the family I won't go into too many details. But I ask you to keep them all in your prayers.

Sylv, do stay encouraged. Always be mindful that God is an endless source of strength; even when things are the most painful and the most difficult. Remember Psalms 46.

Peace!

- ACL

Redemptive endorsement...?

2008-05-19T16:11:00.012-04:00

OK. OK. OK. I know that I was supposed to take a break from my regularly scheduled programming about the madhouse that has become the Democratic race. But I couldn't resist myself.

Today I discovered that in a strange and pretty unexpected turn of events, Sen. Obama has been endorsed by West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd. Yes, that Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

Byrd's endorsement came at a pretty bizarre time; considering that W. Virginia -- the state to whom he is beholden was overwhelmingly pro-Clinton during their primaries. It's strange to me that an elected official would so blatantly go against the wishes of his own state.

But perhaps what's most surreal about this whole thing is the endorsement from Sen. Byrd itself. We're talking about the same Robert Byrd who was formerly of the Ku Klux Klan. The same Robert Byrd who attempted to filibuster a vote for the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The same Robert Byrd who opposed the appointments of Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Thomas, and Condoleezza Rice because they were black (though I must admit, he got it right with Thomas and Rice. I'm just sayin...)

Optimistically, I'm hoping that Sen. Byrd's endorsement represents the ultimate in redemption. As a former Klansman who fought assiduously to deny blacks any equality whatsoever endorsing a black man for one of the most prominent positions in the world speaks all throughout the cosmos. It's true that Byrd has renounced many of his former racist ways, but no single statement speaks to a potential reformation more than by publicly endorsing the very type of person against whom Byrd was once so opposed.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of this situation. I want to believe that Sen. Byrd has made a complete 180; transitioning from a racist with no social or moral constraints to a rehabilitated person who has learned from his mistakes. I mean, I strongly believed in the redemption of Stanley "Tookie" Williams; and I hate everything about gangs. So should Byrd be any different? Obama doesn't seem to think so.

In his latest book The Audacity of Hope, Sen. Obama eloquently states:

Listening to Senator Byrd I felt with full force all the essential contradictions of me in this new place, with its marble busts, its arcane traditions, its memories and its ghosts. I pondered the fact that, according to his own autobiography, Senator Byrd had received his first taste of leadership in his early twenties, as a member of the Raleigh County Ku Klux Klan, an association that he had long disavowed, an error he attributed—no doubt correctly—to the time and place in which he'd been raised, but which continued to surface as an issue throughout his career. I thought about how he had joined other giants of the Senate, like J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and Richard Russell of Georgia, in Southern resistance to civil rights legislation. I wondered if this would matter to the liberals who now lionized Senator Byrd for his principled opposition to the Iraq War resolution—the MoveOn.org crowd, the heirs of the political counterculture the senator had spent much of his career disdaining.

I wondered if it should matter. Senator Byrd's life—like most of ours—has been the struggle of warring impulses, a twining of darkness and light. And in that sense I realized that he really was a proper emblem for the Senate, whose rules and design reflect the grand compromise of America's founding: the bargain between Northern states and Southern states, the Senate's role as a guardian against the passions of the moment, a defender of minority rights and state sovereignty, but also a tool to protect the wealthy from the rabble, and assure slaveholders of noninterference with their peculiar institution. Stamped into the very fiber of the Senate, within its genetic code, was the same contest between power and principle that characterized America as a whole, a lasting expression of that great debate among a few brilliant, flawed men that had concluded with the creation of a form of government unique in its genius—yet blind to the whip and the chain.

From the passage above, it's clear that Obama is ready to turn the other cheek; even to a person who would've fought tooth and nail against a black man ever running for president.

All of this nothwithstanding, I can't help but wonder if Byrd's rehabilitation is more of reflection on the changing of times than it is with the changing of his personal beliefs. For the first time in history, people who engage in racist acts can actually be brought to bear, arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for those activities. Racism -- though still manifesting itself in many covert ways -- simply doesn't have the same kind of openly mainstream validation as it once did. Has Byrd's political career as of late -- including his shocking endorsement -- been a much needed corrective action for his shameful past or is he still the same racist; only closeted because of the lack of overt social and institutional support of racism that existed but a few decades ago?

Your thoughts?

- ACL

Gimme that food!

2008-05-19T09:33:00.013-04:00

I haven't been on Bush in a while. Either I'm losing my steam, I'm too focused on the Dem battle and how Clinton supporters are ruining America, or Bush has been on his best behavior lately.

I can at least rule out the last option.

This weekend, when asked about the ongoing global food crisis, somebody unfortunately allowed your Commander-InComptent to respond. His answer was simple: Blame India. Said the President regarding India:

When you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food. And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up.

As to be expected, people around the world are pissed.

If I can digress for a moment, I'd like to happily annouce that I've lost 31lbs this month on a diet I've been on. But -- and getting back to the point of this post -- just by virtue of the fact that I'm in a position where weight loss is even an option, I'd hardly say that the food crisis is fault of poorer nations. Yet, your President can't seem to understand that notion.

The President's comments are another sad example of the audacious and brazen acknowledgment of the arrogant 'leadership' in the Western world. The ability of the West to flourish is overwhelmingly predicated on a certain level of plundering of smaller, poorer nations. Whether by neo-colonialism, hegemonic policies, or simply being the proverbial "fat cat", industrialized nations need to accept their role in this and stop blaming poor folks for everything wrong in the world. I liken this to the fat kid blaming the paper thin kid for all the food being gone.

This type of pillaging has become a calling card of sorts for some of the world's leading nations. As such, deflecting the blame is certainly not the way for us to strategically position ourselves in a global market. Yet, that's the idea being conveyed by Bush.

This is why somebody seriously needs to cut this dude's microphone off. Or perhaps we can just stick some food in his mouth to shut him up. I'm just sayin...

- ACL

Progress

2008-05-16T18:12:00.002-04:00

Hat tip to Carmen for this video:

- ACL

Black, missing, & insignificant

2008-05-15T08:41:00.004-04:00

A while back, I wrote a post about how America tends to place a higher premium on missing white women than they do for just about any other group in this society. After reading that post again (as I frequently do with some of my older stuff), I thought that perhaps I was writing with hyperbole. Maybe things weren't as overt as I speculated.

That is, until I heard the story of Romona Moore. Here's the Reader's Digest of the story:

Romona Moore was a 21-year old daughter of a Guyanese immigrant and a student at Hunter College in New York. One day she stepped out to go to a local Burger King. She never came back. Worried, her mother -- Elle Carmichael -- called the NYPD; who essentially blew off the report. Moore was later found tortured and murdered. The NYPD is now being sued for botching this case.

What was most interesting about this case is that Moore's disappearance came fresh off the heels of another woman abduction that grabbed the attention of all of New York. In contrast to Moore's case, the NYPD launched a massive seearch for Svetlana Aronov; spouse of an affluent white doctor fom the Upper East side of New York. They pulled out all the stops during Aronov's investigation; including search dogs, door-to-door visits, and -- get this -- a psychic. A PSYCHIC!!! Oppositely, they didn't even so much as file a report for Moore.

For the full story, check out the article written by Sean Gardiner from the Village Voice. It's a little lengthy, but well worth the read.

Reading this article -- coupled with the conspicous reality that people of color apparently don't make good news stories (unless they're the ones committing the crimes), I'm convinced that my thesis about missing white women is not that far off after all.

Having a few police officer friends myself, I try to show a little more tolerance and forgiveness for the men and women wearing the badge. But stories like this; where those who operate under the "protect and serve" mission ignore particular types of people; sicken me to no end. But I don't place the onus solely on police negligence. True, they likely could do far more to address victims of color; especially considering the resources they willfully devote to the Natalee Holloways of the world. But I'd be remiss if I wasn't equally as critical of the media who feed off stories centering around white vicitimization while casually dismissing people of color. As the Village Voice article points out, attempts to involve the media in Moore's case were met with apathy by the media -- who are ostensibly committing to disseminating information affecting our world. When they decide to exclude particular groups in the interest of others whom they consider more 'newsworthy', they have to be brought to bear.

It is indeed a sad day, when people have to consider bleaching their skin in order to receive any validation in this country.

Hat tip to Malik for this story.

-ACL

The real Dream Team

2008-05-14T18:17:00.004-04:00

Senator John Edwards has finally resolved the mystery of who he'd endorse when he came out for Barack Obama. Though Edwards is not of superdelegate status, having this endorsement is a major boost for the Obama camp. It's conceivable that the 18 delegates earned by Edwards during the Democratic nomination will move over to Obama; furthering the likihood of Sen. Obama gaining the party's bid. This obviously is not set in stone; considering that Edwards' pledged delegates were only pledged to Edwards. Still, I don't think that anybody in the Obama camp will turn him or his delegates away.

I have my theories about this development. I suspect that Obama already knew about Edwards' endorsement well before the West Virginia primary. Speculating a major loss (which did, in fact, come into fruition), I think Obama deliberately waited until now to make the announcement. What better way to stop the bleeding and steal the thunder away from a major victory by Hill than to use the endorsement of one the most heavily sought politicians in America. Besides that, Edwards -- with his Southern accent, perfect hair, and son-of-a-mill worker upbringing -- is a perfect candidate to get those "white, hard working Americans" to the polls.

I've always thought that John Edwards would be a perfect Veep. I think he'd even make a great president. Maybe this endorsement is a step in that direction.

- ACL

Yo, Hilllllaryyyy!

2008-05-12T12:23:00.014-04:00

I was over at Carmen's site last week; where I participated in a discussion regarding Senator Clinton's overly-ambitious attempts to win the Democratic nomination despite being significantly behind in every major electoral category. From that discussion, it is my contention that Hill continues to stay in the race for one of two reasons:

(1) Her clear sense of entitlement; or
(2) Because she plans to dismantle Obama's campaign so severely for the General Election that she becomes the clear and undeniable candidate in 2012.

I wasn't able to get anybody on Carm's site to bite on my theory. But I really believe I'm on to something. For additional reference, look no further than her campaigning in Pennsylvania.

When Clinton cleverly juxtaposed herself to Rocky, the iconic fictional boxer who became the poster child for underdogs everywhere, I immediately cringed. Though using the label of "underdog" is somewhat of a misnomer for a person worth $109 million and who -- at one point -- was all but crowned the next president, I still got a chill when she said it. Being a Rocky buff, I immediately knew where she was going with this. Again, while I hate propogating conspiracy theories, this one may have a bit of legitimacy. Consider:

In Part I, Rocky lost a close contest to the heavily favored champion, one Apollo Creed. But the real hands-down winner in the contest was Rock. Not only did most of the media side with him; thinking that he was robbed of the title; but the physical and mental beatings he put on Apollo wore the champ down just enough to set him up for the ultimate knockout in the sequel. Hill's sequel = 2012.

By my estimates, Hill is no longer in this Democratic contest to win it. She's in it to RUIN it.

With every comment about how Obama can't win with the "white, working class", every unfair and unbalanced association with Rev. Wright, every attack on Obama's "experience" and every cry of disenfranchisment of Michigan and Florida voters, Hillary is using every Republican-feeding attack she can to methodically soften Barack up to take a loss during the General Election. If Sen. McCain can capitalize on Hill's subtle Obama-thrwarting and is given the opportunity to continue George Bush's legacy for the next four years, Americans will become so upset (and at the same time, possibly enthralled by Hill) that the only option they will consider is to put Clinton in office during the next term. I can see it now: "I told you so..." would be her campaign slogan.

I hate to openly admit things that I got away with, but I know the story of self-benefitting sabotage against somebody else all too well. I've done it myself. Except, my "prize" wasn't anywhere near the significance of winning the White House. The booty that stands to be won here will be worth the wait for Hill; especially since age apparently is not an issue when running for President.

Fortunately though, at the end my diabolical scheming didn't work. Hopefully, Hill's won't either.

- ACL

One side of the knife

2008-05-12T09:19:00.007-04:00

I was just over at Mother Jones, where I read a very interesting op-ed by David Corn. In his piece, he questions whether or not Senator John McCain will ever be brought to bear for his association with televangelical Rod Parsely, who has called for the "eradication" of Islam. In lue of all the anguish Sen. Obama has been left to endure because of Jeremiah Wright, I'd ask the same question:

Will Sen. McCain be found guilty by association with controversial religious figures?

We all remember when Rev. John Hagee (another McCain supporter, I should point out) tried to play God by suggesting that Hurricane Katrina was a punishment to New Orleans for its sinful nature. As if that wasn't bad enough, now Rev. Parsley is urging us Christians to stand up and fight Islam; what he considers a "false religion." In similarly controversial sermons, he has lashed out against homosexuals, suggested that America is complicit in a "black genocide" and even compared abortionists to Nazis. Yet both he and his friend Sen. McCain has been given a pass. I mean, seriously: if Rev. Wright said anything like this in his sermons:

...all hell would break lose. And it has. It continues to.

This begs an important question: since Sen. McCain frequently referred to Rev. Parsley's as his "a spiritual guide," why hasn't the MSM brought him to bear because of Parley's statements? Two words; say it with me now: "Double Standards."

Talking heads in the conservative media (and indeed, even some of the more liberal outlets like CNN) have been working around the clock to punish Obama for his affiliation with Rev. Wright. But I challenge these hypocrites in the media RIGHT NOW to examine some of the associates involved with the other two candidates currently running for President. If after all that, the MSM still chooses to go after Obama, fine. But if Obama is going to be tried and found guilty for relationships with questionable figures, the knife must cut both ways.

Closing thought:

I usually don't like to push propoganda. But in this case, I just couldn't resist:

- ACL

Mommy dearest

2008-05-11T19:41:00.003-04:00

Well Anna Jarvis might be spinning in her grave for my saying this, but Happy Mothers Day to you moms out there. Regardless to that whole "...and God made man" thing, you're the real reason we're all here. Thank you.

Relax fellas. I'll give the dads their props pretty soon.

- ACL

The Good Side of Hip Hop

2008-05-08T10:49:00.008-04:00

It's not very often that I credit hip hoppers as being a voice of social consciousness. But, I ain't even gon lie: even I was impressed when I read that hip hop mogul Jay-Z (Sean Carter) has set up an education fund for the children of Sean Bell, the unarmed man recently killed by three police officers.

According to the New York Times:

The rapper Jay-Z has established an educational trust for the two children of Sean Bell, the unarmed man shot and killed by the police in November 2006 on the day he was to be married, allhiphop.com reported. Last month the three policemen tried for Mr. Bell’s death were acquitted of all charges by a New York judge. Mr. Bell’s fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell, has been appearing in “I Will Not Lose,” an advertising campaign for Rocawear, a clothing company founded by Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.

Source

Granted, he is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and this (relatively speaking) is a drop in the bucket compared to what he and others like him could be doing for millions of other poor children. And -- yes -- he stands to make even more loot from his new marketing campaign for Rocawear. And -- yes -- I have an issue with people profitting from tragedy (case in point). But I still give Jay kudos for using his platform to uplift somebody who has gone through the unimaginable. Good lookin' out, Jay.

See? Hip hop is completely the devil. Just 90% of it.

- ACL

Turning back the dial

2008-05-07T09:15:00.006-04:00

File this one under "Things we can't blame on racism."

In this video, some obnoxiously ghetto girl in Atlanta is acting like a fool toward an elderly woman. I don't know what caused the incident and I'm not sure on any other developments that may have come out of this story. But what I do know is that I'm ashamed to be a black person right now. I'm also ashamed to admit that I've actually rode on the MARTA:

[Warning: Explicit Content]

When watching episodes like this, it's important to be reminded that no social or racial groups on this planet are monolithic. We don't all act like this. Still for me, it hurts to see my people showcasing themselves in this light, even when it's not done as often as people suggest.

I think about all the battles waged to open the world up for minorities; whether it's the fight for equal opportunities, combatting negative perceptions, or raising social awareness in our communities. So when I see igornant a** stuff like this, (especially in my hometown of Flint, Michigan; where it's more of a norm than an exception), I admittedly wonder to myself: "What's the use?"

What is we gon' do?

- ACL

Lost priorities (continued)

2008-05-06T09:25:00.005-04:00

If you're an animal enthusiast, I suggest you turn away now. This post won't be pretty.

Last Saturday after severely breaking its ankle, Kentucky Derby second-place contestant Eight Belles was euthanasized. NBC was on the scene reporting as it all went down:

As a result of the euthanasia (which I should remind people is a MERCY killing), PETA has been all over the place protesting this event and the jockey who was riding the horse. My frustrations with pointless protests aside, the most bothersome aspect of this story is the unusually high premium placed on animal "rights", all in a time where human rights are seemingly being trampled on ad infinitum.

I was over a Jared's place where he made a convincing argument which I support. Though it's not entirely related to euthanasized thoroughbreds, it ties in to my feelings about animal "rights":

Currently, the ASPCA is running commercials that publicize a new program through which you can sponsor an animal in a shelter, and provide food, care, and medicine, etc. The approach is indestinguishable from that of Compassion International, World Vision, or any number of other groups who do the same things - but for kids. That's the somewhat frightening thing, here; those kids are now fighting dogs and cats for a limited pool of charitable resources...and it's a given that in many peoples' minds, it's a 50/50 proposition as to which group will get their donaitons.

When you honestly think - even for a second - that a dog in a shelter in Mumbai is more worthy of your $30 a month than the Dalit kid dying of dysentery in the street outside of that shelter? When you spend more mental and emotional energy worrying about the animals being displaced and killed by China's Three Gorges dam project than you do in trying to find a way to bring some semblance of hope to a North Korean family huddled in a safehouse in that country? You've lost me, and further convinced me that - as a culture - our perspective continues its slide off the rails.

But he also concedes to the issue of compassion toward animals, as do I:

Obviously, there's nothing wrong with loving your pets, taking care of animals, or believing in the inherent evil of animal cruelty (and taking steps to stop it, and to punish it). I'm right there with you on each of those counts. It's not an either/or proposition, of course. We can be compassionate toward people and animals, but for some reason, we're struggling more and more with the order of things.

Simply put: there is nothing wrong with having a love for animals. Indeed, they're cute, cuddly, and all of that other good stuff. But at the end of the day, they are just animals. They DO NOT possess the same faculties of reason and morality as humans even if they can feel pain. Since they don't have the same faculties as humans; as Dr. Ed Locke from the University of Maryland argues; the same rules about honoring "rights" should not apply. Nevertheless, somewhere down the road our priorities have gotten horrible lost. When PETA can come out and declare that they would be opposed to a cure for AIDS if it came at the expense of animal testing, there is some fundamentally flawed thinking at work. Incidentally, this is the same group which launched a campaign where animal killings were compared to the Jewish Holocaust; using Theodor Adorno's famous quote as their foundation (a bad quote, by the way, since oppressed groups like Blacks and Jews were dehumanized and treated like animals; whereas animals are already animals. There's a HUGE difference.). So I suppose I can't be suprised by PETA and other similar groups. But still, I am at least disappointed.

As I've always maintained: animals have an important place in this world. Above anything we may think about them, they are -- first and foremost -- God's creatures. As such, they are deserving of love, respect, and compassion. But if you think for a moment that they warrant as much attention and care as the abused, neglected, and persecuted people of the world, you're sadly mistaken.

PETA, how about we have a nice steak dinner? My treat.

- ACL

A-bama-ham in '08?

2008-05-05T07:06:00.002-04:00

A great story I once heard:

Once upon a time, there was a prominent Senator from New York who was seemingly a shoo-in to receive the party's nomination for President. But out of nowhere -- and against overwhelming odds -- a relatively unknown politician from Illinois emerged. This politician wasn't particularly rich or influencial. He didn't have the experience necessary to convince people that he could get the job done once in office. His speeches were often accused of being lofty, devoid of substance, and poorly indicative of how he would do as Commander-in-Chief.

Nonetheless, Abraham Lincoln still overcame William Seward, won his party's nomination, and ultimately took the White House.

Have you made the connection yet? If not, here's a little help for you.

- ACL

Choose your friends wisely

2008-05-02T12:53:00.010-04:00

I was over at the Hippie Conservative's joint. He just wrote an interesting piece about how each of the current Presidential candidates have been linked in one way or another to some pretty questionable characters. This got me to thinking:

For starters, I'm really not as focused on John McCain right now, largely because the media doesn't seem to care themselves. I will at least note that I think we should be paying more attention to him, especially since the dude has done virtually no real work during this campaign season, but is still a viable contender for the Presidency. But for the sake of a random thought I'm having at the moment, I'll focus squarely on the Dems.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you know about Barack Obama's recent divorce with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Personally, I think it was a necessary sacrifice for the sake of any political progress that rests on the horizon for Obama. I mean, the dude has been losing a lot of steam with his white supporters since Wright's fiery comments found their way on YouTube. Whether or not you agree with his take on social justice, retribution, oppression, etc., you can't deny that those comments have been hurting Obama's chances to secure the nomination. As such, some people have been crying foul.

Well, not me.

Admittedly, it pains me to see 'my' candidate dropping in popularity because of the antics of somebody else. But I'd be a complete hypocrite if I started crying foul at this point. After all, when Bill "Slick Willy" Clinton, Geraldine "Get a Clue" Ferraro, and Bob "The Black Sellout" Johnson kept putting their feet in their collective mouths -- and damaging Hillary's campaign in the process -- I sat back and cheered. But now the same thing is happening to Obama. This shows that the campaign has all the makings of a double-edge sword. Both sides run the risk of getting cut pretty deeply.

Opposite to what Sun-tzu said: maybe these candidates should keep their enemies close and their friends closer...

-ACL

Death Murder of a Madam

2008-05-01T22:25:00.008-04:00

I just read that Deborah Palfrey, the so-called "DC Madam" recently convicted for organizing a high-class ring of prostitution in the Washington DC area has reportedly committed suicide. According to sources, she hung herself in her mother's shed in Florida a little over a month before she was set to be sentenced for her conviction.

Yeah, right.

If this woman killed herself, then I'm Nancy Reagan.

You won't be able to convince me that this woman killed herself. The truth is: I think she was taken out in a way to make it appear to be a suicide. Before I'm accused of being some conspiracy theorist loon, consider the that she was threatening to name a slew of DC politicians whom she served as clients. She stood to damage the reputations and political careers of a bunch of people. Now all of a sudden she's found dead. And we're supposed to believe it was suicide?

OK.

- ACL

Entitlement

2008-05-01T08:17:00.004-04:00

The more I think about Hillary and her "tenacious" campaigning, the angrier I get. Hypothetical question for you:

If Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton switched hats; where he was running out of money, losing in pledged delegates, dropping the ball on what was once considered a coronation, and pulling foul antics against a fellow Democrat, do you think he would've still been in this race?

Even if Hillary ~~steals~~ wins the nomination, the fact that she has been fueled by her sense of entitlement (whether that be race, wealth, or legacy) has been apparent. And disgusting.

I will never, Ever, EVER vote for another Clinton. Not even if it was George Clinton. And I loved Atomic Dog.

- ACL

The reincarnation of the poll tax?

2008-04-30T11:23:00.012-04:00

I just read that by a 6-3 margin, the Supreme Court has upheld the Voter ID law in the state of Indiana. This coming only a few days before the pivitol Democratic primary election.

According to MSNBC:

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws. In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement, which Democrats and civil rights groups said would deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Its backers said it was needed to prevent fraud....

...More than 20 states require some form of identification at the polls. Courts have upheld voter ID laws in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, but struck down Missouri's. Monday's decision comes a week before Indiana's presidential primary.

The decision also could spur efforts to pass similar laws in other states.

Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, said he hadn't reviewed the decision, but he was "extremely disappointed" by it. Falk has said voter ID laws inhibit voting, and a person's right to vote "is the most important right." The ACLU brought the case on behalf of Indiana voters.

The case concerned a state law, passed in 2005, that was backed by Republicans as a way to deter voter fraud. Democrats and civil rights groups opposed the law as unconstitutional and called it a thinly veiled effort to discourage elderly, poor and minority voters — those most likely to lack proper ID and who tend to vote for Democrats...

...There is little history in Indiana of either in-person voter fraud — of the sort the law was designed to thwart — or voters being inconvenienced by the law's requirements. For the overwhelming majority of voters, an Indiana driver license serves as the identification.

Read the rest of the article here.

For once, I think Republicans got something right. I'm not diametrically opposed to the idea of using identification to vote. I mean, even in my home state of Michigan, I've seen voters who were able to hit the polls without showing so much as a paper ID. So I think having a legitimate form of picture identification is a necessary thing; especially when we recall the debacle in Florida during the 2000 Presidential Election; where certain people (many of whom were black) were erroneously denied their right to vote because of identification issues. Knowing who cast a vote is one of the best check and balance systems we can have.

Still, I'm deeply concerned that a misapplication of this law could spell trouble for minority and poor voters; particularly those who would most likely vote Democrat. While I think that people should have identification anyway and not just for the sake of voting; I fully accept the reality that many people simply do not. The hundred bucks or so that I can spend to keep my identifications up to date is not necessarily a privilege held by poorer people. For those people, mandating them to purchase ID for voting comes dangerously close (to me) as reinstituting the poll tax; which was deemed unconsititutional after the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

If the Voter ID law is to be effective without trampling on the poor and marginalized, I think the government should create a universal Voter Identification Card for all age-appropriate voters. These cards should include the person's name, photo, social security number, date of birth, and an unduplicable seal. Further, these cards should be issued as a courtesy to anyone who decides to exercise their right to vote (including convicts). Anything less than that is a slap in the face to democracy.

That's what I think. But what say you?

- ACL

Hillary's fighting chance

2008-04-29T08:38:00.005-04:00

Very compelling commentary on how Hill can still legitimately beat Obama. I only hope that she's not demonic enough to try any of this:

Hat tip to the Unapologetic Mexican for the video.

- ACL

Pointless protests

2008-04-28T12:11:00.002-04:00

After the officers who killed Sean Bell were found not guilty, Rev. Al Sharpton -- at no suprise -- organized a peace march in opposition to the verdict. Though the story has been receiving national coverage, fewer than 200 people actually assembled for the march. While some people were shocked and disappointed about the low turnout, I was neither. Perhaps an even greater injustice to the Bell family than the verdict itself is the notion that organizing a march will somehow alleviate everything that has gone down. This is what 'movements' have been reduced to: meaningless demonstrations against social injustice that lead to little change -- if any at all.

As another example: I was watching the Daily Show not too long ago (apparently, the real “Most Trusted Name in News”). On it, Jon Stewart and his staff made a mockery of anti-war protesters. As left-leaning as a show can get, many liberals have been up in arms about how the Daily Show could make light of protests; what many people consider a powerful expression of resistance. Sadly for them, videos like this are the very reason why today’s liberalism is fading sentiment:

Though this video was done in jest, the point of the video is pretty pragmatic: it’s easy to mock today’s protesting and organizing because it’s simply NOT effective anymore. Keep that in mind the next time you paint your signs, wear your buttons, kiss random strangers, and come up with catchy rhymes to chant in the street.

There is no denying that protests were once laced with social significance and were indeed an important part of progressive movements of the past. But today’s protests are nothing than insipid and failed demonstrations of people doing ridiculous and outlandish stuff. Protestors today have no skill for organization, no mission, no strategy. All they have is tons of hot air and lots of paint. Any toughness they think they have is merely a product of habitual exposure and inurement; complimented by the mental and moral elitism to which they lay claim. Quite frankly, none of this matters to policymakers. It may be annoying to them, but certainly will never again create an impetus for change.

I think I should be clear on something: I’m always amazed (pleasantly) to see people – especially younger people – exercising their rights to be politically charged. And far be it for me to begrudge anyone the opportunity to protest the moron who has cursed our nation over the past seven years. But at the same time, I think it is time that some responsible, progressive minded person understand what the score really is. We are cultivating a culture of people who see today’s organizations through the lenses of protesters from four decades ago; people who can organize demonstrations powerful enough to rattle the very foundations of the greater society. They try to emulate those organizations in today’s time to combat the various social and political dynamics faced in the present. But sadly, they just don’t get it. What was effective back in the day will not only be ineffective today, but is borderline lunacy.

For starters, protesters today often fall into a pretty damning (albeit superficial) trap: being defined by their actions and their looks. When fake blood covered anti-war protesters somehow infiltrated a hearing with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, people chalked this up to silly antics by liberal loons with too much time on their hands. Rather than this being an effective strategy to end this nonsensical war, this demonstration merely contributed to the foolishness they were trying to protest. When Al Sharpton picks up his bullhorn to proclaim his anger, people pick up their earplugs. BAMN; a left-wing advocacy group came out in groves to protest when the anti-Affirmative Action proposal; the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative was being introduced. Despite their protests, it still passed in to law overwhelmingly. Similarly, the Berkley anti-Marine shop demonstration wound up being defined more by the ridiculous antics of the protesters than the actual outcome of the protest itself. This may hurt some feelings, but parading around in the streets, having the occasional lesbian moments (i.e. with Code Pink), and singing and hugging may give the media something to talk (or laugh) about, but it certainly doesn't bring this country any closer to progress. It doesn't present solutions to racism that we got from Affirmative Action. It doesn't get us out of Iraq. It won't bring Bell's killers to justice. It's all just incessant noise.

During the 60’s and 70’s you could make a compelling argument about how organizing efforts that were considered awkward could – in fact – defy the status quo. In a culture that called for conformity on every turn, dress, hairstyle, and behaviors put a foot right on the throat of what was forced on society as being “normal.” Challenging that system ensured that neatly drawn out plans of going to the right college, marrying the right person, getting the right job, and subscribing to the ‘right’ morals could be averted if one so chose.

Fast forward to today. Some of the very conformist expectations that were once opposed are not only still in existence today, but they have become a mark of validation. Likewise, the same system classes exist to promote those conformities. But using crazy clothes and hand-in-hand protests don’t get the job done today. I mean, with clothing for instance: the same rummaged look that came to define a movement forty years ago is now sold for hundreds of dollars at Urban Outfitters. Tactics of movements from days gone by are – in no way – threatening to the status quo. If anything, seeing today’s protestors is more of a relief to the power structure; as it suggests weak and socially irrelevant opposition to their agendas. A thousand people making out in the street, marching to the beat of Janis Joplin, and donning pink t-shirts does not strike fear into the hearts of a systemic power structure. Progress won't come about because of these types of demonstrations. For that matter, these demonstrations are not even legitimate enough to get political parties to endorse candidates who will even address the issues being demonstrated.

Protests of today can now be ignored because...well...protestors of today are different. Elected officials know that once their little protests are done, most of the participants are going to go back home and complain with their buddies over tofu and a glass of soy milk. Riots in the street are a thing of the past. Campus takeovers are lost in legend. Even non-violent approaches like using the power of the vote are met with apathy and laziness. At the end of the day, nothing will change.

I’m certainly not implying that the only way to tame the social power structure is by waging a full-scaled Les Miserables-style revolution. No. Instead, we can fight and protest in a way that will draw attention to a cause and will cause the policymakers and leaders to take notice: hit them in their pockets. Imagine the chaos if we stopped working, stopped buying, stopped making companies and interest groups rich. They would cave one by one. Disrupting commerce is the way to make a real statement. Unfortunately for us, we’d take the hit as well. On top of that, many some institutions that have been subjected to boycotts are not necessarily rooted in commerce. It’s for those reasons why protests and boycotting – while having its share of effective outcomes – will never be a holistically effective method of opposition.

At the end, all we’re ultimately left with are organizers who can do as good a job as any to give people headaches, but are absolutely useless when it comes to bringing about change. That’s the only card we have. And that's why "rage against the machine" is nothing more than a tagline.

-ACL

Justice unserved

2008-04-25T22:14:00.004-04:00

I just received word that three NYPD detectives; charged with killing an unarmed black man just hours before his wedding; were just acquitted. The judge found the officers -- two black and one white -- not guilty, despite evidence showing that they shot at the victim, Sean Bell and his two friends, over 50 times.

50 gunshots at an unarmed man...

...and the officers walked....

...without so much as a slap on the wrist.

I haven't heard a story of denied justice this insane since the 41-shot killing of immigrant Amadou Diallo. I'll concede to one point: I don't know all the facts in the case. I've heard that Bell and his friends were unruly and belligerent toward the officers. But at the worst, that's an offense punishable by a couple of hours in jail; not a death sentence. Shooting semi-automatic firearms 50 times only means one thing: they were out for blood. And they got it.

...and they walked.

That's justice for you.

- ACL

Better late than never (I guess...)

2008-04-25T10:56:00.001-04:00

I think I need to be a little more prolific (and timely) with my blogging. Other bloggers seem to beat me to the punch about EVERYTHING these days.

Earlier this week, one of my boys and I were talking about Alicia Keys' recent conspiracy comments regarding the state of Hip Hop. After our discussion, I was prepared to form an argument in her defense. I was prepared to cite that -- while I thought she was wrong -- she certainly wasn't off base for her suspicions. Having just watched a segment on the History Channel about how the FBI historically attempted to subvert Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, I was prepared to argue that her ideas were pretty justified. But then I found this video on J Smooth's site:

So once again, my attempts to be smart have been twarted by somebody else who got there first. I'm like the Christopher Columbus of the blogosphere (minus the whole slavery, rape, and genocide thing). I really need to get my act together.

-ACL

Prosperous thinking

2008-04-24T08:50:00.005-04:00

I'm going to take a break from what has become my regularly scheduled programming about Democratic elections, moronic Presidents, racial discussions, and the like. Instead, God has put something on my heart that I have to get out. Bear with me.

Lately, I've noticed somewhat of a deluge of -- what I would consider -- bad teachings and off-doctrine regarding the idea of being prosperous. From Leroy Thompson's "Money cometh to me now" proclamation to Crefalo Dollar (how appropriate of a name is that?), the message that seems to persist is that what you've gained materially is somehow indicative of your walk with God. Your faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for God (i.e. contribute to a multi-million dollar life center before you pay your own light bill) gets translated into material as a reward for your efforts. At least that's what being taught. But I submit to you that God is not a vending machine, where you pop in some money, hit a few buttons, and watch every little thing you've ever wanted crank out (frankly, I'm glad God isn't a vending machine. Have you seen some of crap that comes out of those things?). To me, understanding God is understanding that God is not a machine. He is not programmed to respond to our stewardship. If vending machines don't give us what we paid for, we can get our money back. But God is not required to give us a single thing. He does it because of His love for us; not because of what we put into it.

I was reading a piece about prosperity where Old Testament Joseph was used in the discussion. Before I get to crux of it, let me give you the Reader's Digest version of Joseph's life:

Joseph was sort of a "daddy's boy" who received favor above all of his brothers. It didn't help his case much when he started having dreams about ruling over his already pissed brothers. In their jealousy, they sale Joseph to a merchant named Potiphar. Potiphar then grants Joseph authority over his house when he's away on business. Things are well with Joseph for a while until Potiphar's wife tries to get her groove on with him. When he resists, she frames him. He's subsequently arrested and jailed. Once in jail, he's placed in charge of the other prisoners and -- after being able to translate enigmatic dreams haunting the Pharaoh -- is rewarded with royal favor.

This fascinating story aside, what struck most to me is that Joseph -- like the rest of us -- didn't need to be in high positions in order to receive favor of prosperity. Joseph was just as prosperous as a slave and as a prisoner as he was in being one of the Pharaoh's chief officers. Location, material, and social positioning are NOT what makes us prosperous.

Prosperity is not calculated by what we have or where we are in our lives. While I jokingly suggest that money is the root of my happiness (to some extent, I'm serious about that though), my approach to living prosperously isn't dictated to by bank accounts. We can have the nicest homes, drive the flashiest cars, and wear the most stylish clothes and still be out sync with God's standards of living. The accumulation of stuff is an inconsequential definition of prosperity when you compare it to being in God's will and being as close to Him as possible through our daily walk. For me, the most definitive aspect of prosperity is not what I drive, spend, wear, or cash out. It's knowing that the people I see, the places I go, and the things I do were blessed by God's hand being in the mix. When I become a better person because of the God that is in me, my life has increased; regardless to what my monthly bank statements may say.

- ACL

ABC = Absolutely Biased (for) Clinton

2008-04-17T12:47:00.010-04:00

Am I simply a blind Obama supporter or was ABC's "debate" between Sens. Obama and Clinton last night overtly biased in Hill's favor? I would liken this ~~debate~~ debacle to a crusade against Obama, but that would be too nice of me to say. This was sabbotage; through and through. And I'm not the only person who seems to think so.

For starters, George Stephanopoulos; a loyal Clinton supporter and former advisor was one of the moderators. Red flag, anyone? As if that somehow wasn't enough, he and Charles Gibson were pitching Obama fastballs full of titaniam, while tossing underhanded pitches to Hill with softballs filled with marshmellows. That, to me, makes for a pretty unbalanced homerun derby (or is it that ABC debate questions = performance enhancers for Hillary?).

On top of everything, not only were the questions clearly pointed, but they were tragically shallow; considering that America is facing more crises than we've ever experienced. For that matter, most of the MSM has been disappointing me so far. Rather than focusing on international policy, economic matters, this endless war, etc.; areas like Rev. Wright, lapels, "bitter" citizens, etc. all keep finding their way to the forefront. On one hand, the candidates need a national forum to put these stories to rest. But once they've sufficiently addressed them they NEED to actually be put to rest.

CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC putting out dismal performances is pretty expected. They're serving special interests of their respective networks. But ABC should know better. Shame on them.

**Update**

Here's the director's cut of the PA debates that we didn't get to see:

**UPDATE (Again)**

On the real, Obama has responded to that ridiculously biased debate. Check it out:

- ACL

Black card REVOKED!

2008-04-15T18:53:00.007-04:00

BET founder and devout Clinton supporter Bob Johnson is once again up to familar race-baiting antics against Senator Obama. To refresh your memory, during a public appearance for the Clintons, Johnson weasled in a cheap shot about Obama's drug use as a teenager. After the damage was done, he denied ever saying anything; only to then apologize for it. But recently as he interviewed with the Charlotte Observer, Johnson gave a hat tip to former Clinton advisor Geraldine Ferraro for her recent declaration that Obama would not be in the position he's in had he been white. Apparently, Johnson didn't learn a lesson from the hailstorm that ensued from Ferraro's comments.

Then again, this dude also conceived BET. So it's not that uncommon for him not to 'get it.'

Said Johnson:

What I believe Geraldine Ferraro meant (is) if you take a freshman senator from Illinois called 'Jerry Smith' and he says I'm going to run for president, would he start off with 90 percent of the black vote? And the answer is, probably not. Would he also start out with the excitement of starting out as something completely different? Probably not. He would just be a freshmen senator...

"Geraldine Ferraro said it right. The problem is Geraldine Ferraro is white. This campaign has such a hair trigger on anything racial. It is almost impossible for anybody to say anything."

Call me crazy, but I think Johnson is jealous. I think he's pissed that -- with all the billions he has -- the greater society will never respect his work as much as Sen. Obama's. Being the father of the worst black form of media in history, Johnson can never match the style, charm, class and dignity (and apparently, a legitimate shot at the White House) that Obama has. Obama represents everything wonderful about black people; while Johnson represents everything sad and unfortunate.

But I'll concede on one point. Johnson and Ferraro are right: Obama would not be in the position he's in if he were white. If he were a white candidate:

He probably wouldn't have people associating him with Islam at a time where being Muslim is the new "Black"
He could probably buy his way into the White House.
He probably wouldn't have any student loans to pay off.
He most definitely would not have worked his way up from the streets of Chicago. Unless of course he was doing community service as a replacement for the prison time he SHOULD'VE had.
He would've completely blown Hillary out of the water a long time ago.
He would not have been accused of "shuckin' and jivin'.
People would never make references to his race.
He would not be guilty by association with his controversial minister.
He would have never been called "Boy" (which, in some context, is the same as being called a nigger).
He could actually be an elitist and not be called one (versus the opposite with Obama)

I guess they were right about Obama all along.

Now, I'm not trying to suggest that Johnson must be loyal to Obama simply because it would fall under black-on-black support. I mean, I wasn't exactly leading any protests in support of black Congressmen William Jefferson (also a Democrat, I should point out) when he was caught with his hands in the cookie jar (or should I say the freezer). I'm not exactly on Jesse Jackson's mailing list. To this day, I still bury my head when I see Evander Holyfield give an interview. So if Johnson wishes to remain committed to the Clintons, all power to him. But at the same time, I'm disgusted at how Johnson would stoop so low when it involves another brotha; a righteous and prophetic brotha at that. But after watching BET for a half hour, I'm reminded that Bobby has never really had black interests in mind.

- ACL

AIDS-ing and Abetting

2008-04-10T10:08:00.016-04:00

My sister sent me the following video this morning. I can't tell whether or not this particular video is a hoax, a public service announcement, or truly authentic. I'd like to think that people aren't so evil and callous as to maliciously do stuff like this, only to then broadcast if for the whole world to see. But that's anybody's guess.

Whether or not there is any veracity to this video, I still feel obligated as a blogger with a voice to share this.

[Warning: This video contains explicit language]:

I've heard the urban legends about moviegoers deliberately being infected with AIDS , gas pumps with AIDS needles attached, and stories of prostitutes intentionally dragging their unsuspecting clients into "The World of Aids". It's likely that the masked villian in this clip will eventually get added to the directory of this ever-so ubiquitous folklore. Even when he does drop what appears to be actual names, let me remind you that urban legends always seem to happen to a friend of one of our sister's hairdresser's cousins.

The point of all of this is not to promote fear-mongering propoganda. Nor is it oppositely my intention to expose this video as a fraud. And this certainly isn't a post about moral vs. immoral sex (contrary to what religious fundamentalists think, passing AIDS is not exclusive to pre-martial sex). I'm simply challenging you to use this as an opportunity to be aware of the dangers (mythical or not) associated with unsafe sexual practices. If you absolutely must have sex, be safe about it. Demand that your partner get tested. Wear condoms. Know who's sharing your bed (or backseat, closet, whatever...).

Otherwise, your name might be read on the next video.

- ACL

Beneficiaries

2008-04-09T10:16:00.005-04:00

Whether it's indirectly or directly, racism has its beneficiaries. Understanding this is the first step to reconciliation.

Hat tip to Barry Deutsch (aka Ampersand) over at Alas, A Blog for this strip.

- ACL

Shameless plug

2008-04-07T18:15:00.006-04:00

For all y'all spoken word fans out there, I've got a treat for you. Here are a couple of joints from my homeboy Edwin Wilson (aka the Future). This dude is crazy sick on the microphone. Check him out:

I'm not good at promos but if you like what you see, he's got more stuff (even better, in my opinion) to check out on his page or his Myspace spot. Check him out some time!

- ACL

Racism in the courtroom...?

2008-04-06T13:39:00.013-04:00

I was watching Fox & Friends the other day (strike one). On the show, they were discussing the racial implications of a controversial story surrounding Marvin Arrington, a black judge in Atlanta who removed the white attorneys from his courtroom as he lectured to black defendants prior to their sentencing. Using the lame and baseless citation of "reverse racism", some of the commentators were quick to call the judge on being racist. After all -- they say -- if a white judge demanded that blacks leave the room while he addressed white defendants, the NAACP, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson would be all over the place.

I can address their observations and claims in two words: DEAD WRONG!

For starters, I will at least concede on one point by saying that the judge should have used a more tact in clearing the courtroom. I believe he would've likely been less accused of racial isolation if he met with the defendants privately in his chambers. Oppositely, his decision to essentially kick people out of the courtroom exuded the notion of separtism, thus fueling the "reverse racism" argument.

That concession aside, I'm amazed at how people can sit back and play the race card on this story. But I'm not letting them off the hook; no more than I let blacks who unmeritability play the race card off the hook. Consider the following:

(1) Judge Arrington's moves were not anti-white. They were pro-black. There's a HUGE difference between those two ideologies. Arrington didn't use his platform to villify those 'white, blue-eyed devils'. Instead, he wanted to smack some sense into black defendants who keep appearing in his court. Now one might say that a "colorblind" judge would have that same level of sympathy for all people, regardless of color. And I'd agree with that. In fact, even Judge Arrington agrees with that himself. But, as I've argued before, delivering messages to a person or group of people is far more effective when it's done by someone who has a shared experience; even if that experience is as cursory as race (though I personally don't think that race is a superficial topic at all. But you get the point). The fact is: the judge saw this as an opportunity to empathetically intervene in lives of black kids in a way that a white judge probably could not or would not have intervened. I mean, who better to kick knowledge about being black to other blacks than ANOTHER BLACK PERSON? I remember watching an episode of The Practice where a white judge became the laughing stock of his courtroom when he tried to give moral lectures to black defendants. For this reason, Judge Arrington is the right man for the job.

(2) The hypothetical scenario of "reverse racism" is foolishly and incorrectly used in this situation. Contrary to what we might see on Judge Joe Brown, Judge Mathis, or any of those other ridiculous court shows, the American judicial system is predominately made of up white officers and black defendants. In order to use a hypothetical argument effectively, you have to consider the complete inverse of the scenerio currently being assessed. So in the case, the judicial system (and indeed, the greater society at large) would have to be set up where blacks were the controlling and leading elements and whites were the socially oppressed minority group. If that were the case, then I'd see nothing wrong with a white judge -- sick of seeing his people damaging themselves and their communities -- unleashing a "Judge Arrington" on trouble whites teen. If he felt it necessary to kick blacks out (thus avoiding the bad practice of airing dirty laundry), you best believe I'd be supportive of his cause.

Again, I don't deny that the judge should've avoided kicking people out or making his 'lecture' solely focused on blacks. But I applaud Arrington for addressing an issue and indeed people central to his own existence. The occassional house cleaning is good for us; especially when it's done by us.

- ACL

40 years later

2008-04-04T08:46:00.006-04:00

An excerpt from a speech delivered by an angry black preacher:

God didn't call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war. . . . And we are criminals in that war. We've committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I'm going to continue to say it. And we won't stop it because of our pride and our arrogance as a nation. But God has a way of even putting nations in their place.
...and if you don't stop your reckless course, I'll rise up and break the backbone of your power.

No; this didn't come from the now villified minister of Sen. Obama, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. This came from the one and only Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Source

As we commenerate his death -- 40 years to this date -- we should ask ourselves how the media would respond to this passage from Dr. King. Lord knows they still refuse to lay Rev. Wright's "anti-American" comments to bed.

- ACL

Insignificant numbers?

2008-03-25T12:14:00.015-04:00

The number of U.S. troops who have died since the invasion of Iraq: 4,000.

Iraqi civilian deaths: estimated at between 83,000 - 90,000 (but unknown for sure)

When told in an interview that most Americans don't think this death toll was worth whatever "success" has come from the Iraqi conflict, your VEEP Dick Cheney said, "So...?"

So?!

SO?!

At this point, all I can do is pray for Cheney's redemption. I really hate to say this because it's not my place; it's for the Creator to determine: but at this rate, Cheney's soul will burn eternally for this.

- ACL

Richardson endorses Obama

2008-03-21T21:17:00.007-04:00

I just found out that New Mexico Governor and former Presidential candidate Bill Richardson has offically come out to endorse Sen. Obama. I can imagine that Hill is steamed. Not so much at Richardson or Obama, but at President Clinton.

Apparently, while they were hanging out watching the Super Bowl, William Jefferson didn't spike Richardson's french onion dip as well as he thought.

-ACL

Fire Kwame!

2008-03-19T09:41:00.011-04:00

I'm gonna take a break from my regularly scheduled programming about a black politician who inspires me (Obama) in favor of a black politician who continues to embarass me.

I just read that Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has rejected the city's call for resignation after being caught up in a host of scandals (H/T to my sister for the link). Ever since his appointment as mayor he has been engulfed in a variety of controveries; most recently the scandal where he and Christine Beatty; a high ranking city aide were complicit in a steamy, illicit series of communication via text messaging on a city cell phone. When questioned under oath, both Kilpatrick and Beatty perjured themselves. This story has been parodied by a few folks, but here's the funniest clip I've seen to date:

This, coupled with giving his boy millions of dollars in undeserved contracts, relying on the race card to get himself out of trouble, allegedly hosting a party with strippers (on the taxpayer's dollar), the now infamous Whistleblower lawsuit, leasing an SUV for his family during a budget crunch, and secretly receiving over $8600 to stay in a five start hotel in La Costa. As far as scandalous public officials go, Kwame's at the top of the list.

What's particularly unnerving is that all of this is happening as the city -- and, indeed the entire state of Michigan -- is on the decline.

As much as I’m trying not to come across as being another crab in the barrel, the city of Detroit needs to aggressively push for current mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to resign if it stands any chance of emerging from its current state of decline. The city has been left in a state of paralysis by Kilpatrick’s corruption. All throughout the time of his administration, he has repeatedly demonstrated that he has absolutely no regard for the city and the people to whom he is beholden.

Only the most crooked, sleazy, underhanded city officials could sit back and watch as his city's schools shuts down, thousands of its jobs get elimated, hundreds of its communities decay, and precious city revenues get soaked up for personal amusement. The city's deterioration under his negligent watch not only cripples Detroit, but it leaves a black eye for the entire state. The largest city in the state is losing more and more of its ability to gain the political posturing and economic influence necessary to convince businesses to invest in the state (in fairness to him though, our illustrious Governor also shares much of that responsibility). Why would anybody come to this state when we have an incompetent Governor and a thug mayoring its largest city?

Perhaps what's even more annoying is the love he's still getting from many black supporters just because he's black. If a white politician pulled some of the same stunts in a predominately black city, he'd be gone in a nanosecond. Oh...scratch that. Maybe it doesn't have as much to do with him being black as it does with him being a Democrat. I mean, we all know how black folks love them some Democrats, even if they don't love us. Maybe it's just that some of Detroit's citizens are masochists. Perhaps they get a certain kind of pleasure from being abused. Who knows?

All I know at this point is that the city is in desperate need for someone who will tirelessly fight for quality in public education, job development, neighborhood improvement (and not just when the Super Bowl comes to town), and for the citizens. Frankly, that's not happening now. For that reason -- in addition to the obviously scandalous behavior of said mayor -- Kwame needs to be fired IMMEDIATELY!

I won't even lie: I initially predicted some pretty big things for Kwame; largely because we share many common interests. He's a young, African-American professional with an interest in politics, a perfect marriage of "book and street smarts", and had a bright outlook for a diminishing city. But it didn't take too long into his adminstration for me to realize that maybe I put my hope in the wrong person. Instead of using those skills and attributes to the city's advantage, he's using them for himself and his crew. Not good for the city.

***UPDATE***

I'm conceding to Joslyn and the Hippie Conservative who think that their Kilpatrick videos are funny than the one I used. Here they are:

Joslyn's video:

...and the Hippie Conservative's video:

I'll let you decide.

But at least we should all be able to agree that this joker needs to get fired. Now.

-ACL

Race, religion, and hypocrisy

2008-03-18T10:36:00.021-04:00

In a strange, but somewhat expected turn of events, Sen. Obama ~~is set to address~~ has addressed the nation regarding race relations ~~tonight~~. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect in this speech, though he’s at least hinted that he will address some of the controversial statements made by his fiery preacher Jeremiah Wright regarding this country’s lingering history (and consequences) of social injustice. Hopefully this damage control will be adequate enough to dissipate some of the backlash Obama has been receiving during this presidential campaign. But I’m not holding my breath.

Similarly, I’m not counting on hypocritical right-wingers to turn the spotlight on themselves while they attempt to smear Obama for his association with Rev. Wright.

Week after week, hoards of GOP supporting, white ministers unleash heavy assaults on this country because of its “wrongdoing”. They preach of our impending 'Sodom and Gomorrah'-type doom for embracing homosexuals. They label the country as murderers for legalizing abortion. They preach that AIDS is God’s way of condemning this country for its ‘immoral’ sexual practices. Hell, even one of my old colleagues (conservative, if you didn’t already know) said that God allowed 9/11 to happen because the nation “turned our back” on Him. This sentiment, I should note, was also proclaimed by both Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell; two preeminent conservative ministers. Yeah -- thousands of people (whose only sin was to report to work that day) died because our country turned our back on God. Gotcha.

Despite all of these clearly inflammatory statements from white, conservative ministers; Rev. Wright’s messages are the most scrutinized. When Rev. Falwell died last year, I clearly recall conservative leaders, pundits, and average GOP subscribers conspicuously remembering him as a ‘great American’, a ‘man of God’, and a ‘prophetic leader’. But not ONCE did I hear anyone mention his hateful and ignorant statements. Not once did I hear any of the aforementioned fans of Falwell being asked to “reject or denouce” any of his anti-America statements.

In a scene from the movie “A Time To Kill”, Matthew McConaughey’s character gives his closing arguments in a racially-charged case involving Samuel L. Jackson (on trial for killing two men who raped and brutalized his young daughter). In the summation, McConaughey has the all-white jury imagine the gruesome details of the crime. At the end, he then asks them to imagine the victim being white. I’m challenging the GOP to do the same thing. I’m challenging conservatives RIGHT NOW to take all of the controversial, hateful, scornful messages being allowed to run free from evangelical pulpits and imagine those messages being delivered by Rev. Wright. All hell would break loose. Before he could say “Oops, my bad”, Wright would be crucified with old rusty nails. He’d be labeled un-American, un-patriotic, treasonous, and any number of other bullshit labels we use for people who don’t buy into the flag-waving, anthem singing, American pie eating duties to which we all apparently have to subscribe. White conservative ministers in the Bible Belt say this kind of stuff and they’re calling for the nation to repent. Wright does it and he’s number two on America’s Most Wanted list; only proceeded by Osama bin Laden.

I can only hope that enough people will wise up to this nonsense before the conservative media can capitalize too quickly. Likewise, I hope that Obama’s attempts at assuaging this situation (though he shouldn’t have to) will be successful. But, as I stated before, I’m not holding my breath.

While all this is going on, I can imagine how the Hillary camp is salivating. It's no secret that Hill has been pulling out all the stops to smear Obama; most predominantly using race as the stimulus. Their attempts to undermine Obama's campaign are only fueled by the virtual marriage they're in with right-wingers who devote every ounce of their being to also smear Obama. But I wonder what naughty little sermons can get dug up from some of these peoples' ministers. Would the onslaught cease at that point? I'm not so sure. But if I were Obama, I'd at least pose the question. What's the harm in that?

***UPDATE***

My illustrious blogging buddy has informed me that I'm late. Sen. Obama has already given his speech. Transcripts can be found here.

***UPDATE (Again!)***

The video of the speech has been posted on YouTube. Here it is:

H/T to Carmen over at All About Race for the video.

-ACL

Shake that money maker

2008-03-17T16:54:00.004-04:00

I'm gonna leave this topic alone, mostly because it's not worth the time it takes to blog about it (You know; that whole war, bad economy, upcoming presidential election thing ranks a little higher on the priority list). But Jay Smooth makes a brilliant and compelling argument aimed at folks accusing the Spitzer call girl of being a sexual opportunist:

Of course, she really is a sexual opportunist. But hey: if the demand is there, why not offer the supply?

- ACL

Getting your money's worth

2008-03-14T07:18:00.005-04:00

Maybe I'm going to hell for this, but am I the only person who thinks that the call girl involved in the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal is not pretty at all? Just in case you haven't seen her, here she is:

I'm in no way endorsing prostitution, but if I were to ever get caught up in a sex scandal with the exotic type, I'd go for the most beautiful woman on the planet. Her.

- ACL

Keith lays the Smackdown on Hill

2008-03-13T08:23:00.002-04:00

Here's a clip of Keith Olbermann's "Special Comments" where he rips into Sen. Clinto for basically being idle while former campaign committee member Geraldine Ferraro unleashed a series of ignorant, racially charged statements about Sen. Obama. Take a looksy:

Daaaa-yum!

H/T to Don for the vid.

- ACL

Elections for Dummies

2008-03-12T12:34:00.014-04:00

My blogging homeboy, the Hippie Conservative just wrote a great piece which offers the most lucid answer to the Michigan/Florida primaries controversy I've heard so far. Just to give you a recap of the sitchy-ation:

Michigan and Florida legislators decided to essentially break ranks with the DNC party rules which state that only Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina were allowed to hold democratic primaries before February 5. Michigan and Florida wanted to increase their influence on the process of selecting the party's candidate (Honestly, I really can't say I blame them for this. I happen to agree.)

The DNC punished the two states by removing their delegates from the convention.

Five of the Democratic presidential candidates (included in the group is current front-runner Sen. Obama) honored party rules by not campaigning in the violating states; nor did they place their names on those state's ballots. Consequently, those candidates all got rolled into the "Uncommitted" section on the ballot. Meanwhile, the remaining candidates (included in that group is Sen. Obama's opponent, Sen. Clinton) placed their names on the ballot despite party rules.

Clinton wins both states convincingly. But, assuming the nomination was in the bag, Hillary thought nothing more of those two states. But since Obama has emerged as a legitimate (and arguably, favored) candidate, Clinton is demanding that those once insignificant delegates be reinstated.

Hippie goes through all the possible scenarios currently being tossed around to handle the controversy. So I won't bore you with the details. Instead, I wanna highlight the conclusion: where he presents a pretty brilliant solution fair to both Obama and Clinton. The simple solution to this whole debacle is to reinstitute another vote at the expense of the state legislators who decided to break party rules in the first place. Let them jokers pay for it. That way, the onus to fix the problem falls on the very people who created it.

See? This is what I'm talkin' about. This is why Hippie's the odds-on favorite to be my running mate one day. Unless, of course, he's losing in the popular vote. At which case (following the Billary model), I'd have to be his VP.

- ACL

In the news

2008-03-11T09:13:00.009-04:00

Here's a roundup of some of the stuff hitting the airwaves (or not):

Spitz or swallows?
OK. Fine. That was a little crude. Still, it's a pretty appropriate headline for NY Govenor Eliot Spitzer after it was revealed that he has been tied to prostitution. Using the psuedonym "Client 9", Gov. Spitzer -- husband and father of three -- was recorded by an FBI wiretap engaging with a high priced called girl in Washington. With him being a resident of NY, some folks are calling for him to be prosecuted under the Mann Act; which (among other things) prohibits transporting women to other states for prostitution.

I honestly can't say whether or not the charges will stick. But whether they do or not, this dude still needs to resign immediately. Maybe I stand alone in my principles, but I'm sick of hearing about these corrupt politicians. Yes; we all do wrong. Whether the vice is money, drugs, or sex, we all have our demons. But how many of us stand on a bully pulpit everyday decrying the very sins that we commit ourselves?

Hill to Obama: Be my VEEP
Obama to Hill: Hell-to-the-naw!

According to reports, Billary has been hinting at the notion of having Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama as a Vice President. Sure, Hill's got...uh...35 years of experience (Oliver Willis has his fun with this argument), but as it stands: she's currently LOSING this contest. If Hill wins the nomination, this offer will make a little more sense. But right now, isn't it a bit presumptuous and arrogant to assume that a person currently winning a contest should lie down and become an underling?

Obama thinks so:

Supporting torture?

According to the AP, sources from the White House have announced that President Bush will veto the anti-torture bill this week. This bill will prohibit the use of waterboarding, or simulated drowning, or suspected terrorists.

It always makes me chuckle when I remember how Bush said that Jesus was his most influencial political philosopher. I mean, we all know how Jesus loved him some war and waterboarding.

Don't drink the water

Speaking of supporting things, here's another classic example of your government "supporting the troops". KBR, a contractor hired by the U.S., has been providing soldiers stationed in Iraq with questionable water which has likely contributed to health problems of some troops. If you think Blackwater is bad, try Dirtywater.

KBR (then owned by Halliburton. Yes. That Halliburton...) was first investigated regarding dirty water in January of 2006. But it's just now being brought to light. Between this, overcharging for food, and contractor's fraud, somebody is due for some serious prison time.

Deadly day in Iraq

Another eight U.S. troops and 16 Iraqis were killed Monday from separate incidents involving a roadside bomb and a suicide bomber. These deaths are pushing us close to the 4,000 U.S. casualties mark. All this, and the war still doesn't have an end in sight.

Suing for stupidity

File this one under "WTF?!": A former attorney who lost nearly $1 million has filed a $20 million lawsuit against several casinos in Atlantic city, who she has accused of allowing her to compulsively gamble away her own money. I'm seriously not making this up.

Lester Street Murders

My heart sunk after hearing this story; particularly since I was in Memphis not too long ago: Two toddlers and four adults were brutally tortured and murdered inside a Memphis residence. Three other children are being treated in the hospital with injuries ranging from mild to critical. Though the police have a suspect, they have been unable to form a solid case.

Interestingly, another development in this story has surfaced. A blogger somehow snuck into a Memphis funeral parlor and took gruesome photos of one of the murdered victims. As far as I can tell, no charges have been made on the blogger.

What disappoints me about this story (in addition to the obviously horrific nature of the crime) is the limited attention this story has received from the media. While "the nation is mourning" the deaths of UNC student Eve Carson and Auburn student Lauren Burk (tragic as they both are), very little coverage has been devoted to the Lester Street murders. I suspect that America's Missing White Woman Syndrome also applies to stories of murder. But -- whatever the case -- let's keep all of these victims' families in our prayers.

I guess I'll wrap it there. I'm not sure if I can handle too much more of this for one day. God bless this nation. God bless this world.

- ACL

Awwww! Poor little rich kids

2008-03-08T14:08:00.002-05:00

Whoever said "Money can't buy happiness" is an idiot. Or, at the very least, they didn’t watch C-SPAN yesterday.

Yesterday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing about the extraordinarily high compensations received by financial executives in the face of a looming mortgage crisis. Included on the panel were a host of high level executives from some of the nation's biggest mortgage lenders.

This hearing was long overdue. It's no secret that, by all measures, executive compensation has been steadily on the rise while the pay of average workers continues to diminish. In the 80's for example, CEOs earned somewhere around 35 times the salary of an average worker. Today however, they make nearly 360 times as much. Though today's figures are down as compared to a couple of years ago, the disparity is still too alarming to ignore. Particularly interesting in this situation is that these CEOs are being rewarded with insane compensation packages even when their companies have performed miserably; recording billion-dollar losses, contributing to a record number of property foreclosures, and causing shareholders to lose millions.

As expected, the questions, comments, and observations provided by the committee cut across party lines. Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) vehemently justified the compensation for CEOs; citing that the committee was playing a "...derivative and potentially damaging role in the discussion of complex transactions, proprietary business decisions and marketplace dynamics." Meanwhile, Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD) was scathing in his assault of these CEOs (most notably former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo who -- in a 2006 memo -- complained about Countrywide not paying the taxes that incurred from his wife's travel on the company jet. Yes. While his company was recording major quarterly losses, he was trippin' about paying taxes for his wife to fly on their company jet.). One by one, the committee (with the exception of the more-than-forgiving Republican members) grilled the CEOs on their exorbitant salaries; juxtaposed to the miserable losses faced by their companies. One by one, the executives defended themselves by testifying on how they really did deserve their payoffs.

Finally -- also as expected -- the committee adjourned by doing absolutely nothing. Well, I guess to say they did nothing is a little understated. Committee chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) did at least congratulate the CEOs on their success and "their many contributions to our country" before ending the hearing. He also made it clear that the committee's questions were -- in no way -- intended to "disparage their records”. Yes, you heard me correctly. At the end of the day, executives who land hundreds of millions of dollars while their companies burn are likely to only receive a figurative slap on the wrist.

So I say again: whoever says "money can't buy happiness" is an idiot.

- ACL

When race and music collide

2008-03-05T12:08:00.004-05:00

I was just over at Jess's site: Stuff White People Like (You should stop by. I think you'll agree that -- regardless of race -- this site is hilarious!). Just so I'm not branded a racist (just covering myself here), I think the author of the site is white. So please folks, no nasty letters.

Anyway, one of her guest writers put togther a list of the top 10 rap songs white people love. To keep things on an even keel, the writer also created a list of the top 10 rock songs black people love. I haveta admit, I found myself doing the occasional air drumming when I heard some of the rock songs on this list. Likewise, I can remember times being out with some of white friends watching them cut a rug to some of the rap songs on the other list. Ultimately though -- at the end of the day -- I gather this is all just a little racial/musical humor.

Still, I was a little suprised not to see Kris Kross's "Jump" on the white people's rap list:

...or Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" on the black people's rock list:

What other songs do you think should've made the cut?

- ACL

Bill Clinton endorses Obama

2008-03-04T13:16:00.003-05:00

Wow! Who would've thought that Bill Clinton would ever diss his wife; especially after being put in the doghouse after the Lewinsky affair? But apparently, he has. In lue of one of Hill's latest attack ads:

...and one of Barack's messages of hope:

...Bill Clinton has jumped ship and is now officially endorsing Obama:

Cool, huh?

- ACL

In that number

2008-03-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

'Sup party people?! I'm back from New Orleans. Actually, I've been back for a few days now. But tying up loose ends hasn't left me much time to blog. As it usually is the case with my hiatuses, there's lots to eventually catch up on. But in the meantime, I'd like to share a little bit of what went down in the Big Easy during the week.

As a reminder, I joined a group of UM-Flint staff, faculty, and students in Louisiana for the school's annual Alternative Spring Break. Though the university typically changes venues each year, our terrific experience last year was enough to motivate us to go back again this year. Besides as I mentioned before, for this city to even become a sample of what it once was, rebuilding projects will be needed for years to come.

For starters, we stayed at the India House; a hostel close to downtown New Orleans. Having never been to a hostel, I didn't know what to expect. In fact, I was admittedly a little anxious about the idea of staying there; mostly because of the bad rap hostels receive from the horror flick. But the location was nothing like the movie (thankfully). Instead, it had a sort of frat house feel to it. We essentially rented a bed while having access to all of the common areas; the bathrooms, a kitchen, a television room; a sitting lounge, and the outdoor facilities. This common sharing gave us a strong sense of community; especially in interacting with other visitors literally from around the world. In addition to the rich and unique experiences the other residents brought to the table, the hostel staff (all NOLA residents) were incredible to us. Between sharing their pre/post Katrina lives and offering tips on the cities hotspots, they did everything possible to make our stay as comfortable and memorable as possible.

Our work was with the Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association of the lower 9th ward (NENA); a grassroots organization committed to providing consulation and aid to displaced victims of New Orleans. Made up entirely of residents (both current and former) of the 9th ward, the NENA staff have committed their time, skill, and energy to reviving their homes while avoiding red-taped bureacracy that comes in aiding others; much more than what the city, state, and federal governments have been able to do at this point. The work they've done up to this point is nothing short of amazing. Particularly, our group was assigned to do debris removal and clean up in vacant lots. What we initally thought would be a relatively easy job (especially compared to last year's work) wound up being just as arduous. However, I have to admit that -- in a sombering way -- this work wasn't as rewarding as were our previous efforts. In the Musician's Village, we were able to see the fruits of our labor. We were were able to see the houses we helped build, the fences we helped to erect, and the residents who labored with us. In the case of our work with NENA, we were clearing out a vacant yard from a homeowner who had no intention of returning, and which is likely to be cleared away once city contractors came around. Still, just knowing that we've saving the city some expenses with our work left us with a sense of reward. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of our work came in the shape of the beautification projects we took on for homeowners still in the area. For some of NENA's clients we cleaned yards, hauled debris, and planted flowers. In areas that were completely leveled by the storms, such beautification were most welcomed.

Our free time was mostly spent in the French Quarter and the surrounding area. As expected, this section of the city is fully restored and doesn't appear to be at all affected by the storm and its aftermath. Multi-colored beads still fly through the air at unsuspecting street walkers. Local musicians still play sets on the corner while trying to get "discovered." Bourbon Street is still...well...Bourbon-ish. As I've cited before, I've always been disturbed at how this section of the city was relatively unscathed while the rest of the city has been left to ruin. However for our kids (and I suspect for most tourists), a restored downtown was a much needed escape from being around destruction all day. I suppose that it also represents the vitality and life that can be found in an otherwise dead city. However, I'm confident that with years of dedication from individuals like NENA, the same life and energy that can be found in the Quarter can one day be shared by the entire city.

To date, this is my fourth visit to New Orleans; the third since Katrina. Each time I visit, I've try to take something new away from it. While some things have been pretty consistent (namely, the opportunity to meet new people and hear new stories), I did at least acquire a new-found love for cajun-prepared alligator (this stuff is OFF THE HOOK!). Yet one thing that has gone unchanged is my anger and sheer frustration with our government. While it continues to commit billions of dollars a month in Iraq, the government's response to the suffering of the average person in America remains laissez-faire. This is especially evident in New Orleans, but it isn't -- by any means -- exclusive to this city. What makes New Orleans so noteworthy to me is that (1) it's considered one of the greatest cities in the country; yet still largely ignored, (2) most of the diaster is the product of man made failures, and (3) that the tourist sections of the city are fine while residential areas remain in dire need. Still; as with before; I'm forever encouraged by the strength and fighting spirit of the residents. Even when their government has failed them, their President has ignored them, their insurance companies have robbed them, the media has lied on them, and their countrymen have criticized them, they remain committed to rising from this. I believe it can be done. But it will take time, resources, and most of all -- us.

If you can, I strongly encourage you to get involved in some aspect. Indirectly, you can always donate money, supplies, or food. But directly, I'd encourage you visit the area for yourself. Make your mark. You can find relatively inexpensive lodging; especially at places like hostels or volunteer camps. And trust me when I say that you won't have a hard time at all finding a place to voluteer. Organizations are in desperate need of volunteers to do just about everything. The harvest is plentiful. Laborers are needed. Get those hands dirty!

- ACL

Marchin' in again

2008-02-23T13:35:00.003-05:00

Hey folks. I'll be taking a brief hiatus from blogging over the next few days. I neglected to mention that I'm heading back to New Orleans for Alternative Spring Break tomorrow. I'm definitely looking forward to having another great experience. I'll be back some time next week.

Continue to keep the folks in the Gulf Region in your prayers.

I'll holla!

- ACL

Beauty school beatdown

2008-02-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

In most cases I try not to advocate violence; especially the black-on-black variety. But this story was too funny not to share. Apparently, a dude tried to rob a beauty salon before the ladies inside gave him the a** whoppin' of his life:

The reporter said it best: I can only imagine how hard it will be to tell the cats in jail that you got beat down by a bunch of women getting relaxers and pedicures.

- ACL

In the News

2008-02-21T09:11:00.023-05:00

I haven't done a news piece in a while, so I thought this would be a perfect time to do so. So without further ado, here's a roundup of some of the things going on in the world:

Women refs are unholy
St. Mary’s Academy -- a private religious school outside of Topeka, Kansas -- removed a female referee from a boy's basketball game because of the often mistaken interpretation of a Biblical rule forbidding women from "having authority" over males. Though school officials had no comment regarding the affair, their website clearly indicated that they often practice separation between boys and girls in according to "Biblical standards."

Is there any wonder why I have a HUGE issue with organized religion...?

Overinflated economy

If you think you're getting poorer, you're probably right. According to reports, the rate of inflation has risen up 4.3% more than what it was last year. Between that, the ridiculously skyrocketing oil prices, and a weakening dollar, we should all start running for the hills. Pretty soon (with the mortgage crisis on our hands), we'll probably be living in those hills.

Boozed-up pregger

File this story under "Things We Can't Blame On Racism": A Pennsylvania woman seven months pregnant was charged for assaulting a bartender who refused to serve her drinks. The mother-to-be smashed the bartender in the head with a beer bottle. This incident required the bartender to get part of her ear reattached.

After hearing this story, I'm now convinced that some people just should NOT be allowed to procreate. Where's Darwin when you need him?

Funky cold Madea

As if he couldn't leave well enough alone with those insipid plays, Tyler Perry is now turning his horribly stereotypical character Madea into a cartoon. I guess -- on the one hand -- I can't hate on the brotha for his success. But a part of me just can't forgive him for his ministrel-like representation of black folks; particular black women when he performs in drag.

Perhaps I won't be as critical once my play blows up.

Pimp your gun?

Stories like this make you shake your head. Much to the dismay of police (and rightly so), Jim's Gun Supply store in Barbarro, Wisconsin is in the business of custom painting firearms. In doing so, firearms that should be distinctively recognized as dangerous items are starting to look more and more like toys. This supplier even does -- get ready for this -- Hello Kitty themed artwork. If this doesn't open a window for children to become further fascinated with guns...

Conservative joins ACLU for prisoner rights

Hat tip to Malik for this story: David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union, has partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union in challenging laws currently in place to curb prisoners lawsuits. I should also point out that Keene's son is currently incarcerated himself.

I guess I can't blame Keene for wanting to get involved in this case. But he hasn't exactly been a champion for prisoner's rights before now. So that begs the question: Would this conservative hardnose be such a staunch supporter of convicts' rights if his son wasn't a con himself?

No supply of vitamin E(ar)

I thought I was finished with the stories that make you shake your head. But I guess not.

This time the story is about PETA's ridiculous fight to have Christopher McCuin (who was charged with killing and eating his girlfriend), placed on a vegetarian diet while being held by the police. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Though there is no evidence showing that McCuin actually ate any parts of his girlfried, police did find what they think is an ear boiling in water and a piece of flesh in a plate on the kitchen table.

I'm in now way downplaying the heinous nature of this crime; but stuff like is the very reason why I despise PETA with all my heart and soul. Only they could somehow compare the killing and eating of a human being with that of an animal.

Jena 6 member in trouble again

This story is a little old, but still worth mentioning. Bryant Purvais, one of the members of the Jena 6, was arrested once again for assaulting a student; this time the student being someone whom he suspected of vandalizing his vehicle. Included in the charges are choking the student and ramming his head into a table.

When the Jena 6 case first went down, I was all for the organizing and protesting done to rectify some of the blantant civil injustice (trying teenagers for attempted murder because of a school fight). But I also get unnerved when Black America uses criminal defendants as the motivation behind different movements. Since (as far as I'm concerned), the civil rights component of the Jena 6 case has been addressed and resolved, our support of this situation should be over and done with. Now's the time to start to smacking some sense into these kids and holding them accountable for their actions.

McCain-gate

The NY Times released a stinging article accusing Presidential Candidate John McCain of having an affair with Vicki Iseman, one of his lobbyists. Naturally, Senator McCain is denying the incident.

I honestly can't say that I believe the reports; mostly due to opportunistic timing of it all. On the heels of a Presidential election, the almost sure-shot nominee for the right is being attacked by a newspaper commonly believed to have a liberal slant. Still, if it is true, I have to give Sen. McCain some dap. He did a whole lot better than Bill Clinton back in his day. *Joke*

But more importantly, if this is the kind of "political experience" that Sen. Obama doesn't have, all the better for him.

Os(b)ama

It's possible that this one may get chalked up to being a simple mistake, but I'm not entirely convinced. An MSNBC employee was recently reprimanded for flashing an image of Osama bin Laden while Chris Matthews was leading in on a story about Barack Obama. This isn't the first time that such associations have been made publicly, though I can't recall it coming from the usually liberal MSNBC. Despite all of that, I'm in favor of the reprimand; especially since I'm always on Fox News for their constant mishaps.

Hillary's concession?

According to sources, some of the folks in the Obama camp are calling for the Hill machine to call it quits. While I'm truly excited that Barack Obama has built considerable momentum over the past few weeks, he really needs to put his surrogates in check. There are still over 1,000 delegates left to earn. This thing is far from over. As I've stressed before, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Bill-O's lynch party

In an attempt to give Michelle Obama the "benefit of the doubt" about being an angry militant, conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly recently said that he wouldn't form a "lynching party" against her unless there's evidence supporting that claim. (H/T to Mirror on America for the story).

Now I know that O'Reilly would never personally organize a lynching party for Michelle Obama. So I'm not taking his words directly to heart. Still, you'd think that with all of the uproar about blacks and lynching, a little more caution would be used when linking those two ideas together in a discussion. But I guess that being conscious enough not to make those kind of comments is asking too much.

Bush = Worst president ever

An American Research Group study indicates that -- at 19% -- Dubya's approval rating is the lowest ever. You don't say?! I suppose that next they're going to tell us that Michigan is a cold and miserable state to live in. Sheesh!

Castro resigns

Fidel Castro, the aging leader of Cuba has retired after 49 years. But Cubans who were not necessarily loyal to Castro are not so quick to celebrate; considering that Castro's brother Raul is set to take over. I wonder what this will do to US/Cuba relations -- if anything.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I'm done entertaining you for one day. Until next time: Peace!

- ACL

My rich friend

2008-02-20T11:19:00.005-05:00

I just got the coolest email from my dear friend Peter Wong. Apparently, it's one of many:

DEAR FRIEND,

I am Mr. Peter Wong I work with Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong, Executive Director and i have this transaction proposal of $44.5million USD for you. Should you be intarested I will prefer you send me your 1,FULL NAME. 2,COMPLETE HOME ADRESS. 3,OCCUPATION. 4,PHONE NUMBER.

Below is my email account you can reach me with. E-mail:peterwong12_65@yahoo.com.hk Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated. I await your response.

MR Peter Wong.

Yeaaaaah, buddy. I'm finally about to get that payday I've been waiting for all this time! And to think, all I need to do is disclose all my personal information to some fictitious dude in Nigeria.

Anybody else wanna get down?

-ACL

A comprehensive celebration

2008-02-19T09:46:00.005-05:00

We are officially half way through Black History Month. But for some inexplicable reason, I haven’t had even a remote interest in taking part in any BHM celebrations or commemorations. I suppose that I’m done with the novelty behind the month.

I guess I should’ve prefaced this post by making it clear that I will forever recognize the importance of noting the contributions Black Americans have made – and continue to make – in our society. But – IMO, dedicating one month of the year waters down any significance of that proclamation.

Perhaps what fuels my argument most against the notion of Black History Month is the narrow scope it offers. Every year, we hear about the MLK’s, the Rosa Parks, the Harriet Tubmans, and the Fredrick Douglasses. With enough motivation, folks may even be inclined enough to toss radicals like Nat Turner and Malcolm X into the discussion. But don’t push it too far. Ultimately, Black History Month has been used to comfortably discuss some enslavement, some oppression, and some figures who rose against it. But that’s about it. While those elements certainly shape the way the world has come to be, they certainly don’t exhaustively cover the history of blacks in this country. What’s more: Black History Month is becoming dangerously similar to a bad round of Jeopardy. [This man invented the cotton gin. Who is Eli Whitney? Judges? We'll accept that.]. I’m sorry; but the ability to recall a few names, a few feats, and a few inventions will never replace having an understanding of the historical and modern-day implications associated with these tidbits of knowledge.

Though I’m sure nobody will ever listen to me (when has that ever happened..?), I have a way to deal with my frustration with Black History Month while also truly honoring the past. I don’t presume to have the lone solution, but I think it’s a start. I think the answer starts in the classroom, but can easily spread to just about every public institution. Rather than focusing on random trivia for an entire month, why not integrate Black history into American history? For that matter, we should be able to toss in contributions made by every marginalized group in this country. There are enough of them to go around; trust me. Contrary to how American tends to have a ‘celebration of the month’ philosophy, the struggles and histories of different groups is not somehow separate from the country’s struggles and history.

For the sake of concentrating on the ‘Black’ element of history (it being Black History Month and all), why not focus as much on the thoughts and ideological motivations behind different activities as we do on the activities themselves? We know about the marches, the speeches, the sit-ins and boycotts, but what’s being conveyed about the philosophies regarding those acts? How did the debates between WEB Dubois and Booker T. Washington set the stage for the openly expressed debates between MLK and Malcolm X? How did those public exchanges relate to the today’s systemic racism vs. personal responsibility debates between Michael Eric Dyson and Bill Cosby? How would some of the heroes that we honor from the past feel about the state of Black America today? What would they say about B.E.T., the growing problem of black-on-black violence, the rampant drug use, the explosion of teenage pregnancies, and the rising rate of AIDS?

As my dear blogging friend Sylvia pointed out, Black History is not limited to what has happened in times past. It also addresses present-day events and how those events will undoubtedly shape the future. It’s not just about the suffering and oppression we’ve endured, but it’s also about the strength, resolve, and esteem that arose. BMH is Joslyn, Sylvia, Carmen, Malik. It’s the emergence of the HBCU. It’s Tony Dungy. It’s Barack Obama. It’s Oprah Winfrey. It's the long list of white anti-racism activists in this country. BHM even has its occasional black sheep (pun intended).

Black history is not just as month long celebration. Black history is you. Black history is me.

-ACL

Stop in the name of love. Or just stop, PERIOD...?

2008-02-17T17:18:00.010-05:00

I'm gonna take a brief intermission from the more serious topics that have come to shape this blog; and zero in on something a little more personal and maybe not as serious. Fellas I'm looking for your input particularly. But ladies, feel free to chime in as well. Your feedback is most welcomed.

Have you ever had the nagging feeling that somebody for whom you kinda sorta had a thing was deliberately avoiding you? If so, what (if anything) did you do about it?

Go.

-ACL

Pop quiz on gun control

2008-02-16T18:39:00.006-05:00

In my previous post, I jokingly suggested how safe I feel; given that Congress has so much time to spend on steroids in baseball but not other pressing issues we face. Humor and sarcasm aside, in some instances, I actually don't feel safe at all.

Just in case y'all haven't been following the news, there were two more shootings on college campuses this week. The first shooting -- which you've probably already heard about -- took place at Northern Illinois Univeristy and resulted in the deaths of six people (the gunman included). The second shooting -- not so well covered -- involved a student at Louisiana Technical College who killed two others before turning the gun on herself. Out of respect for all the victims, I won't go into a rant about the level of coverage each story received.

Instead, I'll admit that stories like this make me a little more nervous each day. Working at a university myself, I can appreciate just how easy these kind of attacks are to perpetrate. Sure, we've got a Department of Public Safety; but when you're in open and unsecured areas, you find yourself far more prone to this level of victimization. Frankly you never know when, where, and how these events will occur. Don't get me wrong: I fervently believe in praying to God for His grace and protection. But my faith won't necessarily stop a nutcase with a gun.

I don't presume to have any answers for this one. I doubt that using stories like this will ever be successful at providing a politcially and socially charged impetus to revisit (and possibly overhaul) the 2nd Amendment. Besides that, even if gun ownership is strictly prohibited to you and me, nutcases will still find a way to get their hands on one.

I guess all we can do at this point is pray for the victims, pray for ourselves, and stay alert.

-ACL

My Beefed Up Sense of Security

2008-02-15T07:54:00.006-05:00

This morning while I was getting ready for work, I got a stunning revelation from ESPN's Sportscenter that I'd like to share with you all.

Apparently, America is in the best shape it's ever been in and we can all feel completely safe now.

How did a sports news show help me come to that conclusion? Well, it's simple. In the face of a miserable economy, an endless war, insane oil prices, corruption in high offices, a vast immigration problem, rampant violence, illegal and legal drug epidemics, lousy schools, etc; the 110th Congress has enough time to make steorid usuage in professional baseball a major issue.

I find a certain solice in knowing that with all these Congressional hearings going on, all of the aforementioned problems (and then some) have been taken care of. I mean, when you have time to go on and on with investigations and hearings about cheating in baseball, you must have lots of free time on your hands. Whew! That's a relief. Apparently, I was getting all worked about that other stuff for nothing.

*End of Sarcasm*

OK. I understand that we're talking about some serious anti-trust ramifications affected by millionaire athletes who cheat in sports. But at the end of the day, this really is JUST A GAME! It bothers me that Congress has so much interest in this topic.

Kinda makes those consistently low approval ratings make a little bit of sense, yes?

- ACL

We're #1 (and #3)!

2008-02-13T11:08:00.010-05:00

According to sources (hat tip to my sister for the link), Detroit, Michigan is the most miserable U.S. city to live in. Third on the list is my hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Go 'head Detroit/Flint: Way to put the state back on the map! Represent, baby BAY-BAY!

- ACL

The Presidential Duel

2008-02-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a little in-your-face humor for those of you following the No-Holds Barred, Steel cage match between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Warning: supporters of either candidate run the risk of being offended by these skits. But, c'mon people: they're just jokes.

Sort of.

Part 1:

Part 2:

- ACL

Kryptonite for the Superdelegates

2008-02-09T15:38:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I'm a litte bothered by all of this superdelegate nonsense. Though (to be completely honest) I never even heard about the notion of a superdelegate until now, I'm already annoyed by them. What's worse is that these few hundred people will be key to determining who our next Democratic nominee will be.

Just a brief somethin' about how this whole thing works: Certain delegates are assigned specifically to a candidate based on how well that candidate does during caucuses and primaries. Essentially, those delegates are obligated to endorse the candidate who won their state. Superdelegates (elected officials, former Presidents, big wigs, etc.) are significantly different; in that their votes are not limited to the same regulations and they can cast their vote for the candidate of their choosing; even if that candidate is outside of the party. For better insight, the Hippie Conservative wrote an incredible piece on how it works. What can I say: this guy's a walking almanac. But, I digress.

Anyway, superdelegates will be critical during this election year, especially considering that people are speculating that it will be virtually impossible for Clinton or Obama to win the Democratic nomination solely based on the pledged delegates. But if enough of the superdelegates fall in line with the candidate who comes in second, that candidate could easily get moved to the head of the line. So anybody with even an ounce of belief left in our system of democracy should be OUTRAGED by the idea that the interests of few people can (and most likely will) trump the interest of an entire collection of people. Hmm...sounds a little bit like why I hate the Electoral College.

Fortunately for you, I've come up with an answer to this problem. After all, I've always got ya back. That's what I'm here for...

Effective immediately, Congress should require all superdelegates to swear an oath to vote for the candidate who earns the most non-superdelegate votes. Of course, Congress would never make such a move, but I believe it would significantly reform our present situation. Even in the event that this initiative is only supported by one of the Democratic candidates, the other would almost be forced to jump on the bandwagon, at the expense of coming across as being an opponent of democratic voting. As the candidates all catch on, it would only be a matter of time before the DNC and its superdelegates also got the hint. They'd be faced with mounting political pressure to support this initiative by Congress.

In the end, this initiative would cause Senators Clinton and Obama to spend more time trying to earn votes from you and me and not the privileged few. Because of this, the person who eventually receives the nomination would have done so by being represented by the majority.

There you have it. This electoral kryptonite I just proposed is the very thing we need to stop the "Delegates of Steel" from their overpowering grasp.

- ACL

Counting the Cost

2008-02-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

"Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth. "

- Mike Tyson

The other day, I got an email from a friend of mine talking about prosperity through faith. It was from one of those cats who makes it a common practice to pimp the Word for personal gain. Her email annoyed me for a couple of reasons: (1) in a job where I receive and respond to hundreds of emails a week, this was the last thing I needed to see and, more importantly (2) the implied message of the email; suggesting that following Christ translates to prospering financially.

I think that one of most critical mistakes that people in the Body of Christ make is in believing that following Christ will somehow lead to a materially prosperous life; while minimizing the true costs associated with being a follower. Living a life in Christ was never meant to be easy. Let we've allowed for a few ministers wearing flashy clothing and jewelry, driving in expensive cars and jets, and living in beautiful homes to convince us that their material accumulation was the direct result of their devotion to Christ. But I assure you: following Jesus is not the guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme it's often portrayed to be.

As far as I can tell, the only guarantee Jesus gave us concerning our decision to follow Him was that following Him would only lead to more troubles we would face; not less. In Matthew 6:34, He states:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Paul also chimed in when he offered the following commentary from II Timothy 3:12:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

That doesn't sound like a cake walk life in Christ to me. Instead, it sounds like following Christ may require us to take a few of those punches that Mr. Tyson mentioned in the quote above.

Often, many believers (new and experienced) have been inadequately prepped for the punches that are sure to come from being a follower of Christ; whether those hits come from life's conditions, the Devil, or even from other believers. We've been appeased or appease others by chanting a few prosperity catchphrases; mindlessly used to assuage the situation. But little do we realize that God may have indeed allowed certain situations to get ahold of us so that we can shape our character and remind us on how much we need Him to sustain. Most of all, facing difficulties that come with following Christ cause us to reexamine our faith. Can we stay committed to Christ when it becomes unfashionable to do so? Certainly, suffering for Christ is not the same now as it was back in the day (Don't be fooled by the speculated prowess of the religious right. It's not at all fashionable to be a Christian these days). But following Christ does have its share of costs that must be counted.

Are you willing to count those costs or are you just looking for the huge mega-lottery pay day? If it's the latter, you might be pretty disappointed in the end.

- ACL

The Media Focus

2008-02-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Normally, I don't make it a point to discuss celebrity news. Frankly, I've always thought that celebrity news (mostly in the form of gossip; who's sleeping with whom, who's in rehab, etc.) is a strategically used ploy to distract us from the more important issues that the AVERAGE person has to face. Don't believe me?

Who is this person?

Now, who is this person?

The first is Britney Spears, a spoiled, untalented loon who has as many mental issues as she has stacks of hundred dollar bills at her disposal. The other person is Andrew Olmsted; one of Jared's blogging buddies who was recently killed in Iraq during this nonsensical war. He is joined by the mounting list of U.S. casualties that continues to grow daily.

In everybody's defense (I guess), it's impossible to know the names and stories of each solider who has fought, continue to fight, get hurt, and die in this war and in wars past. Oppositely, celebs are household names; internationally famous for what they do. Still, we should be mindful that while we're glued to the tube to see our favorite stars (or other socially insignificant stuff which, I hate to say includes...gulp...sports), another person has been hurt or killed who will receive little if any fanfare.

Montel Williams was quick to bring the media to task for it in this clip:

(I wonder if it's a coincidence that his show was also cancelled...?)

I don't presume to know how we can adequately honor people who have suffered and died; especially through the media. But after watching this clip, I have to ask myself how often my misguided priorities dishonor their sacrifice. Does my knowing about Heath Ledger's death but not Andrew Olmstead's make me any better that the media who only cover the former? What about you?

- ACL

Snub 'O War

2008-01-30T07:56:00.000-05:00

OK. So President Bush gave his final State of the Union address the other night which, if you like recycled speeches, wasn't too bad. He droned on about how the state of the Union is strong, reminded us about how we must continue taking the fight to the enemy, and spewed some other drivel that has come to personify the SOTU speeches over the past few years. Nothing new there.

But perhaps the highlight of the evening (or, should I say, one of the highlights) was the now infamous "Senator snub job" allegedly given to Hillary Clinton by Barack Obama. As some sources have indicated, Clinton came by to acknowledge Senior Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) after the speech; during which time Obama was photographed with his back turned away from her.

Oooooooooooooh! How riveting! I haven't heard such juicy gossip since the Flint Northern/Northwestern marching band fight back in high school.

Just in case y'all can't tell from my tone, I'm being sarcastic.

From some of the blogs and op-eds I've checked out, people are suggesting that this 'snub job' makes Obama a political hypocrite: being ostensibly committed to alleviating (if not completely tearing down) bad relationships that the U.S. has created and sustained with its enemies, while not even being able to acknowledge Hillary. Normally, I'd consider that viewpoint pretty valid. But accepting a proclamation like that at face value would be so unlike me without also considering the counter; especially in light of everything that has gone down since the start of the Democratic primaries.

First, let's consider the source of this whole story: one still shot frozen in time. CNN recently aired a segment, Campaign Killers, where former and current ad executives discuss various tactics used to attack someone politically (interesting, given how CNN themselves have been known to distort the truth. Most media folks are guilty as charged in that respect). Anyway, included in those stunts are identifying the most incriminating photos you can find; even if the act -- in larger context -- is no where near as damning. Any person with even a remote sense of celebrity runs the risk of being exposed for a split second engaging in something that completely gets distorted.

Secondly, to snub someone implies that you are casually dismissing their attempt to address you directly. As far as I can tell, Senator Clinton came by to address Senator Kennedy (which I admit was an interesting move, considering that he is now endorsing Obama). Any other acknowledgment is secondary. Addressing Clinton may have been the polite thing to do. But not addressing Clinton wasn't necessarily impolite.

Lastly, lest we forget; Clinton and Obama have been involved in a series of heated exchanges lately. Though most of the blows came vicariously from hubby Bill (who -- interestingly is used to being the one getting the blows. *snicker*), B.E.T. sell-out Bob Johnson, or Hillary's staff, it's no secret that Hill has been pulling out all the stops herself as well. So if the snub was really a snub, I welcome it. In a chamber full of enemies making fake, half-assed attempts to play nice for the cameras, I welcome a second or two of realness. If anything, my view pleasure would've been increased somewhat after watching a slugfest. I mean, for a while I was a diehard devotee to the WWE for crying out loud. This snubjob is childplay in comparison. Well, I guess you could say that it's pretty child-like anyway.

- ACL

Knowing the Man

2008-01-22T08:34:00.000-05:00

I once heard a great story that I think sums up the nature of human relations. It goes a little something like this:

Once upon a time there was a young man driving his carriage along a narrow road. The young man was an orphan who never knew his father. Still that did not deter him from being a good person. As he is driving down the road, he sees an old man coming towards him driving a carriage of his own. The old man had no son (or so he thought); but that did not deter him from being a good person as well. As the two good men meet in the middle of this narrow road, they get into an argument over which good man should move aside to let the other good man pass. In the heat of the exchange, the young man, who is quite angry at this point, picks up a rock from the side of the road and strikes the old man in his vulnerable head; killing him.

After reading this story, I suspect that you'd chalked this up to another case of road rage. You'd be correct in thinking that. Still, others may recognize this story from the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex; where Oedipus unwittingly fulfills an oracle's prophecy by murdering his long lost father.

Do you think that Oedipus would've killed, hurt, or even raised a rock to this old man if he knew it was his father?

The moral of the story: get to know the other man.

- ACL

Dream turned nightmare?

2008-01-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

There is something special about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but it’s not the stuff they write in the history books.

Many people are unaware of the reality, but Dr. King's support and popularity from the general society saw a significant decrease as he drew closer to his assassination. Don't be completely taken by all the commenorations, the furniture sales, and the commericials you see. For a while Dr. King was a far stretch from being an "American hero." In fact, it wasn't until after his death that his cause was able to acheive the type of mainstream validation prevalent in today's world. As with just about any other personality with a profound message/agenda, Dr. King was more appreciated in death than he ever was in life.

I believe that we should keep this in mind when we celebrate Dr. King’s life today.

Some are quick to point out that Dr. King was awarded a Noble Peace Prize while he was still alive. But I submit to you that he received that award in Norway, not in the deep South. Let's face facts: people simply did not like him. In fact, as he drew closer to his death, his popularity significantly diminished. His bold anti-war protests made him a target by governmental agencies. His association with Bayard Rustin drew criticism and rumors. Many fellow blacks resisted his nonviolent approach in favor of retaliation. Colleges and universities withdrew their offers to have him speak. I even heard rumors of him being involved with Rosa Parks.

Although Dr. King is now widely celebrated as a great American hero, we must never forget that he was also once seen as one the greatest threats to the American agenda.

Interestingly, though most of the assault came from bigotted right-wingers who boastfully stood in the way of black progress, MLK was quick to point out the role of liberals who were typically resistant to the flourishing of blacks in the south. He often called out liberals who were ostensibly committed to being the "moral" voice who -- when it was time to act -- did nothing and often steered clear of the awesome role of embracing blacks. This disassociation provide as much of an obstacle to black progress as the blantant racism of opponents to the Struggle.

Sadly, I can't say that things have progressed all that much. While we celebrate Dr. King's life, many of the things he stood against are allowed to live on. We still rely on the machine of war to promote our version of "right". Republicans still dismiss the plight of minorities, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Democrats still tip toe around the prevalent issues of the time, while doing little (if anything) to annihilate racism, sexism, and classism. Many sections of Black America continue to be divided, uncommitted to progress, and supportive of socially void and destructive institutions (*ahem* B.E.T.)

So much for "The Dream."

**UPDATE**

In the spirit of the times, I think I still have a little hope remaining in this world. Especially after seeing this again:

Preach Brotha Martin!

Let our world's healing being NOW!

- ACL

We almost had a great joke

2008-01-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

So my sister and I were joking about how creepy this weekend's Giants/Packers football game was. First, the game itself:

And then there's the surreal prediction embedded into one of my favorite comedies of all time:

This joke was ALMOST ours. But then people on YouTube started coming up with the same idea. From there, it was all over. No chance at making a comedic name for ourselves. All we're left with are thoughts of what COULD have been.

Stupid telepathy.

- ACL

Whites, PLEASE get it Right!

2008-01-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

To all my white readers out there, let me first say that I appreciate you sticking with me so far. Admittedly, some of my commentary regarding race relations (particularly about white privilege) may be a little uncomfortable at times. But let me just say that I commend you for taking the bumpy ride with me. But, I've got one more request that may be a little uncomfortable, but necessary: please tell your fellow white folks to stop being so damn stupid.

I was ready to put the Tiger Woods lynch joke behind me. Until I read this article:

Golfweek magazine replaced the editor responsible for illustrating the current cover with a noose and apologized Friday for its depiction of a Golf Channel anchor’s use of “lynch” in a comment about Tiger Woods.

“We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country,” Turnstile Publishing Co. president William P. Kupper Jr. said. “We were trying to convey the controversial issues with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic.” Source

So let me get this straight: the woman who made the joke in the first place only gets suspended for two weeks, but the editor who brings the issue to light while trying to address the problems of racism in golf was ~~forced to resign~~ fired?

Unfortunately, I know this score all too well. Too many White Americans are unwilling to accept the fact that this time-honored sport is littered with a shameful and racist history of exclusion and marginalization (I should point out that the absence of blacks in golf is not a reflection of the idea that we don't play. In fact, it's actually just the opposite). It's just a shame that as long as the sport of golf can maintain its covert system of racial inequality and segregation (with the occasional exceptions), people will never realize the impact blacks have made in the sport over the years.

Perhaps what's worse is that apparently racist stupidity from people like Tilghman (deliberate or not) is given a slap on the wrist; while trying to be disturbingly critical about it will most assuredly get you canned. Instead of using this magazine story/cover as a method of engaging in hard-hitting discussions about race, some folks would rather brush it under the rug. At the end of the day, shit like this does very little to deal with the problems. If anything, it only makes it worse.

So again to my readers, please get the rest of your folks to get a clue. Lord knows I'm not doing a good job of it.

- ACL

Lynching on the back 9

2008-01-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

So, PGA Tour announcer Kelly Tilghman of the Golf Channel recently joked that the only way for younger players to beat Tiger Woods is to "lynch him in a back alley."

Tilghman was laughing during the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. But the comment became prevalent on news shows Wednesday, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined the fray by demanding she be fired immediately.
Faldo and Tilghman were discussing young players who could challenge the world's No. 1 player toward the end of Friday's telecast when Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up for a while."
"Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman replied.
In a statement, the Golf Channel said: "While we believe that Kelly's choice of words was inadvertent and that she did not intend them in an offensive manner, the words were hurtful and grossly inappropriate." Source

Apparently, her comments weren't too "hurftul and grossly inappropriate"; the chick was only suspended for two weeks.

Oh.

Again, I'm a proponent of free speech. But for real?! Who do I have to run over with my car for there to be a more suitable punishment for using one of the nation's greatest atrocities as the butt of some crass humor? I'm just curious...

**UPDATE** I just found a clip of the incident on YouTube. Decide for yourself:

- ACL

My thoughts on Obama and Iowa (**and now N.H.)

2008-01-05T19:02:00.000-05:00

As much as I hate to admit it, when it comes down to the Presidential election, I have no idea where my loyalties lie or what's gonna happen in the next few months. Lately, I've been starting to dig Ron Paul a lot more. Depending on what day of the week of it is, I like -- or can at least tolerate -- Dennis Kucinich; or so I've been told. Hell, I even make no bones about liking Mike Huckabee. But, even when he does stupid things like disenfranchise my vote as a Michigander, I'm still enamored most by Barack Obama. And now that he's won the Iowa caucus, many analysts say that the White House is but a hop, skip, and a jump away.

But the fat lady hasn't even started to get her voice ready yet.

There's no doubt about it: Obama's win in Iowa was amazing especially considering its historic precendence and the nature of race relations in this country. But to say that this is a prelude to living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is a bit of a stretch right now.

For starters, consider that Sen. Obama hasn't had the same run-ins witht the media (especially CNN) as Hillary has as of now. In fact, it's been the very opposite. Ever since his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he's been adored by virtually everyone in the national media. Now, I'm not saying that this isn't well deserved. I mean, the brotha did come across as being far more charming, relatable, and likable as Hillary has ever been (even with her Sopranos parody). Most of the backlash Hillary receives in the media -- though not equitable when compared to the other candidates -- is pretty justifiable. Still, I'm a little nervous that the same media who is currently shouting "Hosana" as Obama makes his way through the primaries riding his donkey will the very folks yelling "Crucify him" when it becomes fashionable to do so later on.

What's also been bothering me about Obama-mania is how the concept of race relations has been significantly skewed by analysts. Many analysts are using Obama's victory as some sort of indication that race is not a factor for Obama and that America has somehow moved beyond racism. But what they often miss (easy to do when you're a privileged white person in America) is that though the racism which disallowed blacks to have a significant presence in politics is a thing of the past, deeply rooted systemic racism is still alive and well. Sure a black man is currently a legitimate candidate for president. But this is a drop in the bucket when you juxtapose it to the racial inequality still prevalent in the world.

Also, I think everybody needs to stop making a big deal every time Obama wins a primary. if you recall Jesse Jackson; as disliked as he was and still is; won eleven different contests during his run for President (including seven primary elections and four caucuses). Democratic candidates for President; even those as legitimate as Obama; are just not newsworthy anymore. You wanna impress me? Find a legitimate Black candidate who wins primaries in the GOP race.

Finally, I've always maintained that I think Obama's momentum will be seriously compromised by his decision not to be on Michigan and Florida's ballot. One thing that connects Michigan and Florida (besides the thrashing that the Wolverines just gave the Gators! HA!) is that both are critical swing states with expansive memories. They won't soon forget about how he and three of his fellow Democratic Presidential hopefuls all decided to skip out on us. I'm curious to see how this will effect his chances. But frankly, I'm not optimistic.

Simply put, Obama has indeed been impressive so far. But this thing is far from over. I mean, even Kerry won in Iowa; and we all know what happened next. Let's not get too carried away yet.

- ACL

Justice at last!

2008-01-02T18:33:00.000-05:00

Plane ticket: $180
Bowl game tickets: $320

University of Michigan - 41
University of Florida - 35

Priceless!

Oh, yeah: Happy New Year and all that jazz too...

- ACL

Taking the CHRIST out of Christmas - REPOST

2007-12-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

I wrote the following Christmas post two years ago. But not much has changed in my heart since then. So rather than recreating the wheel, I decided to just do a repost. Enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------------

Yet another Christmas has come and gone. It's funny to think about all the changes I'm made from this time last year to the present day; from all the personal challenges that I've faced this year concerning my faith, to the issues surrounding love life, to the changes I've made in my attempts at growth. But some parts of me have remained the same. Namely, I'm still boycotting the concept of Christmas.

I must make it clear that I'm not, in any way, in opposition to the birth of Jesus Christ (although He wasn't born anywhere near December 25th). Rather, I'm boycotting the commercialization of Christmas. I'm really getting annoyed by it all. Mostly, I'm annoyed by all the people racing to the stores, looking for the best sale, making out lists of what to get and what they want, and supporting the lies about a magical jolly fat man who travels around the world to bring gifts (who seems to forget the poor and starving children of the world every year. But, I digress..).

Last year, I went to Miami for Christmas. While I was walking through downtown, I saw an interesting headline for an article from a progressive newspaper with the title "Merry Giftmas". Though I only saw the headline, I could infer what the article was about. It gave me a pretty good chuckle.

When I think about Christmas, I think about the Magi who went to see Jesus. It's not so much that they gave Jesus gifts (although their gifts were hot in the streets!). It's that they did acts that honored Him. They traveled from a great distance solely for purpose of worshipping the baby Jesus; and doing so in spite of the orders of King Herod. It should also be noted that they risked their lives by not reporting back to Herod about the baby they found. In essence, they made a brave and honorable sacrifice for what they believed in. It was their act -- not the gifts -- that mattered most. But what about us? What do we do today? Instead of honoring God, we get caught up on what to buy or what we want to receive from others. We fail to put actions behind our beliefs (James 2:17).

I often hear people say "we need to put Christ back in Christmas". I disagree. Instead, we should take Christ out of Christmas and place Him in our hearts where He belongs. This is a year-round concept that shouldn't be reserved for one day. As for the holiday that we celebrate on December 25th, let's call it for what it really is: "Giftmas". I mean, that's what it's been reduced to, right? For all of you who may think that my ideas are too sacrilegious or blasphemous, answer me this: Have you ever found the word "Christmas" in the Bible? Have you read anywhere in the Bible where Jesus' birth was ever celebrated during His life, through His death or after His resurrection? Hmmm...?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for celebrating Christ, family, and togetherness. But let's not get in the habit of dishonoring the birth of our Savior by trippin' about some material crap that will only keep up satisfied until we get newer stuff.

-------------------------------------------------------

Whether or not you're a Jesus freak, I'm happily declaring that I AM! So for me, Jesus truly is the "reason for the season." But just in case He isn't for you, still keep in mind that life's common denominators are love, family, friends, and togetherness; not the stuff you can neatly wrap and fit under a tree with lights (which, I still maintain to this day is fire hazard. I'm just sayin...). It's not about the giving; it's about the living!

Have a blessed and safe holiday season! See y'all in the '08! Go Blue!

- ACL

War on Fear

2007-12-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

This week federal, state, and local officials all collaborated in making a huge gang bust in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. Bringing down the Pierson Hood gang, as they call themselves, has been said to be a critical move in alleviating criminal offenses currently plaguing the city.

Yesterday, a friend and I were talking about this bust and the significance it can and/or will have on the city and – indeed – the nation. She seems to think that this bust is a perfect application of HR. 1279 [109]: The Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005 which passed through the House two years ago, but has not been voted on by the Senate. This anti-gang bill along with the recent efforts in Flint are said to be battles in the so-called "War on Gangs".

Frankly, I’m not as optimistic.

Whenever I hear about a new "War on (fill in your own fear-generating phrase), I cringe. Not only do these "wars" provide the breeding ground for bigotry and other potentially harmful implications to certain individuals, but they also allow politicians and officials to create and legitimize a corrupt and exploitative agenda.

For as long as I can remember, "war" catchphrases have been used as a subterfuge for politicians to effortless gain support for insipid (at least I think they are) and resource-depleting programs (you can’t argue with that one. I dare you.). But, as a consistent trend, each of these initiatives have failed miserably; largely due to the negative implications that rose from them. LBJ’s “War on Poverty” did nothing but create an increased dependance on "the government" to fix everything. Obviously, that hasn't work very well. Richard Nixon’s "War on Drugs" only made getting medicine from Pfizer more expensive than getting weed from your neighborhood Nino Brown. Most recently, Dubya's "War on Terror" has only led to a universally-uncontested removal of our civil liberties and an expansion of the very terrorism we claim to be fighting.

The process for creating these wars is simple. To start, an enemy has to be established. But it can’t just be any simple enemy. It has to be an enemy that is undeniably harmful. Islamic fundamentalists easily fit into this equation, but it can be virtually anything we consider threatening. From there, a description must be made about enemy in the worst case scenario. This will undoubtedly cause the general public to be scared out their wits. From there, launching a campaign against that threat will be sure to gain support, even if our way of life is compromised in the process. And don't think of going against that agenda. If you're brave enough to oppose the steps done to combat these issues (at least according to the Prez ), you’re with that enemy.

The unfortunate consequence of allowing these "wars" to materialize is that we fail to realize just how flawed they are. Rather than sending them back to manufacturer as defective items, we casually sit back and watch them fail; especially if they appear to be successful once in a while. Sure, the "War on Drugs" may have brought down a big-time kingpins like Frank Lucas. But "illegal" drugs are cheaper, stronger, and much easier to come by now than ever before. Poverty rates may have initially declined during FDR’s tenure, but rising costs, inflation, the ongoing mortgage crisis, outsourcing, and shifty labor markets continue to create a neo-generational age of poverty. The War on Terror has done nothing but give the feds the ability to arrest and detain without probable cause, deny Constitutional liberties, keep us from taking hand lotion on an airplane, and use "excessive interrogation techniques" on suspect. None of which, I should note, have made us any of us safer. Now, even when Flint's gang bust was successful (depending on how you define "successful"), it will most likely add to a growing incarceration rate without also addressing the core problems of why people join gangs and commit crimes in the first place.

Oh, eff it. I think I’m going to start my own "War on Fear" campaign. It should be a real doozy. Do I have any takers?

-ACL

More holiday fun

2007-12-17T09:19:00.001-05:00

Probably one of the more entertaining versions of "12 Days of Christmas" I've heard in a while.

If I'm not careful, I might just get in the holiday spirit after all.

- ACL

In the news

2007-12-14T14:39:00.000-05:00

Just in case you haven't been following the news (watching Dancing with the Stars and all), here's a roundup of some of the more interesting stories I’ve seen in a while:

The phone is on, but nobody's home
According to reports, an Icelandic teen was able to figure out the President's personal phone number and gave him a call. The teen, posing as the president of Iceland, left Bush a message requesting him to return the call. Though the Secret Service finally caught on to him, the kid (as far as I can tell) has not indicated how he came across the phone number. Some say he got it when Jenna Bush called the Prez on the Ellen DeGeneres show; while others suggest that he just simply outsmarted White House security and officials. Either way, this kid is brilliant.

Cookie Jar Contempt
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- by a 12-7 vote -- approved criminal contempt resolutions against former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. Six months ago, the Committee requested Rove's public testimony on the now infamous attorney firings and issued subpoenas for internal White House documents. As the custodian of such documents, Bolten was cited for refusing to hand them in.

Frankly, I don't think that anything is going to come out of this. Though the resolutions are expected to move to the Senate floor, I don't think any actions will be taken this year. For that matter, I don't think the Senate will have enough momentum to do anything at all.

Gonzo wins award for "Lawyer of the Year"
Former Attorney General Alberto "I don't recall" Gonzales has been honored as the 2007 "Lawyer of the Year". Initially I thought to myself "WTF?!" But when I saw this report from the Associated Press, it all started to make sense to me.

As it appears, the American Bar Association doesn't necessarily recognize the most outstanding lawyer each year; just the one who is the most newsworthy. Think of this way: when Time Magazine voted Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and -- yes -- Dubya "Persons of the Year", it wasn't necessarily because they were the best people in the world (certainly not as cool as you and I apparently were one year). They just made the most noise. That being said, Gonzo truly deserved this award.

Gore finally catches up to his award
Speaking of awards, Nobel Peace prize winner and "former President" Al Gore has made environmentally-friendly improvements to his home. Uh…can you say “about time?” Maybe I'm just being a hater, but when Gore received the Nobel prize for his recent documentary about global climate change, maybe we should've been looking at him as one of the biggest culprits. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to hear about his award. But when you think about how lifestyles don’t match up to sermons, the preacher tends to lose credibility.

Another shock jock back on the air
This story is a little old, but still worth mentioning. Hip Hop disc jockey DJ Star (real name Troi Torain) is back on the air after being fired for comments he made about a rival DJ. Torain was released from a popular New York radio station last year when he threatened to sexually assault and urinate on his rival's then four year old daughter. This dude made Don Imus look like Ghandi by comparison.

Now, we all know my stance on free speech. But, come people: where's the outrage? Threatening children? For real?

Congressional holiday plans: Stay at work?
I just read an op-ed piece from the Washington Post citing the potential plans of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in keeping the Senate running during the Christmas break to stop the Prez from making blind appointments in certain vacancies. Reid organized these special sessions before. He may try it again.

Personally, I think Congressional work should be a year-round job anyway. These clowns typically put us in situations that don’t rest. Why should they get to?

Ex-CIA official chimes in about waterboarding
John Kiriakou, formerly of the CIA recently revealed that not only was waterboarding used in interrogations with suspected terrorists, but that the process was directly approved by the White House.

While all of this was going on, current CIA director Michael Hayden was called into an unpublicized meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee to offer testimony about the process. He is publicly claiming that the Committee knew about the CIA's interrogation techniques, while they claim to have no knowledge of it. Clearly we have a case where somebody or EVERYBODY is lying. So, you can expect for this to be the first of many more hearings.

Halli-hurtin'
I'm torn on this story; mostly because it involves two groups whom I frequently have a hard time believing: greedy corporations like Halliburton and alleged rape victims. Halliburton is currently under fire from accusations of rape by former contractor Jaime Leigh Jones. Jones, a former employee of the billion dollar contracting firm, released a story about how she was gang raped by some of her co-workers, locked away in a storage unit without food or water, and how the company tried to cover it all up.

On one hand, I wouldn't be suprised if this story wound up being true. Halliburton is notorious for raping you and me as American taxpayers. So why stop there? But on the other hand, I wouldn't be suprised if this Jones girl is an opportunist; using the unimaginable (and untouchable) idea of being raped as a chance to either get even with her former employer or to get famous from her screenplay. I dunno.

A Slow Food Nation?
Apparently Los Angeles, plagued by obesity and diabetes, is making a push to ban fast food restaurants from the area. The proposed ban was approved by the council's Planning and Land Use Committee even though two city officials indicated that more work was needed on the proposal.

Honestly, I'm confused by this one. Rather than committing more resources to promote health (exercise facilities that don't cost a fortune, better/safer parks, less expensive health food stores, etc.) the city wants to ban fast food joints?! Somebody pul-LEASE explain that logic to me. I must be slow or somethin'.

Though some studies have suggested that fast food is addictive, this hasn't been as universally accepted as being as truthful as cigarettes being addictive, for example. Until these studies are universally accepted as truth, the city council needs to factor personal responsibility somewhere into this discussion. Sheesh.

“Liberty City 7” terrorists not so terrorizing
According to reports, none of the seven suspects connected to plans of terrorism in the Sears Tower were convicted. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about this story, but I will say that this seems to represent a failed attempt to get people so scared about terrorism that they commit kneejerk reactions. The resources devoted to manipulate our thinking and to make these guys out to be bogeymen worked; apparently until they got to court.

New Jersey abolishes death penalty
By close votes of 44-36 in the state Assembly and 21-16 in the state Senate, New Jersey has become the first state in over forty years to abolish the death penalty. Governor Jon Corzine has indicated that he will sign the bill, effectively making it state law.

I’m not sure what to think about this decision. On the one hand, I’ve always maintained that the death penalty is a barbaric and archaic way of issuing justice; especially considering the number of falsely convicted people executed in recent years. Still, the argument can be made that some of the criminals who were indeed guilty of brutal crimes lost their right to life. But I guess I still believe that a lifetime of losing your freedom (and not being pampered with our hard-earned money; like many convicts are) can be a fate worst than death.

Ike Turner dead
Ike Turner, the infamous rock and roll pioneer is dead from unexplained circumstances. He was 76. Turner was known just as much for his Greatest Hits on Anna Mae Bullock and his Greatest Hits on the pipe as he was for his Greatest Hits in music. Maybe he got a bad rap; maybe he didn’t. Interestingly, Tina didn’t have any comments.

As always, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's going on in the world. As more stuff surfaces, I'll be sure to offer my two cents. So keep tuning into to "Inside Andre's Head"; the most trusted source in news. The Hippie Conservative is the second most trusted source; albeit a distant second. :)

- ACL

The Wedding Crasher

2007-12-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

Food for thought: While other people's children continue to suffer in the streets of Iraq, the President's child is getting married.

Huh.

-ACL

The Bushism Schism

2007-12-11T15:14:00.001-05:00

Over the years, folks have had a field day with our current President. Between the way he's been bungling the war, his insanely massive and irresponsible spending, his unwavering support of corrupt cronies, screwing up speech after speech, making toilet paper out of the Constitution, and being an overall moron, Bush has failed the citizens to whom he's beholden time and time again. Thank God he's almost out of the White House.

Still, I can't help but to wonder if he could run for office one more time, how many people would vote for him again. Sadly, I think the numbers would be pretty high.

What say you?

-ACL

Masters of the Universe

2007-12-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

Though I haven't quite finished my thesis yet (I'm about 80% finished. Give a brotha a break), I can finally announce that I'm all finished with classes! I's a graduate!

Yeeeeaah Boi!

- ACL

You said what?!

2007-12-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

I was just over to Hippie’s spot (He’s back on the blogging scene. Yeah, you have me to thank for that.). In his latest piece, he posted a YouTube clip of an old episode of Crossfire; the political and social debate program. On this particular episode, there is a heated exchange between Washington Post columnist John Lofton and the late recording artist Frank Zappa about free speech. Interestingly though this clip is quite a few years old, the debate over free speech is still brewing today; with a different cast of characters, of course.

I make no bones about it; I’ve always been a fan of the 1st Amendment. In fact, it’s the very concept of free speech that has allowed me to host this blog for as long as I have. In other nations, having this type of clearinghouse for discussion would likely get me dragged outside of the city walls and stoned. Whether my commentary has centered around spirituality, social/cultural happenings, politics, or just your average Monday morning water cooler discussion, the Constituition does its job in allowing me a considerable forum to speak and be heard. As it does with the rest of you...

However, what the First Amendment does not…and I repeat…DOES NOT do is protect us from certain types of consequences we might face for expressing ourselves; namely criticism from other people. I can post virtually anything I want on my blog (at least anything not in violation with security); citing my first amendment rights in the process. But similarly, my readers -- barring any censorship I can do as this site’s administrator -- also have the rights to call me out for what I say. Future employers have the right to use the content of this page to make decisions on my employability. My mother has the right to be pissed and knock me upside the head if she read some of the stuff I’ve written on my blog. Simply put, the First Amendment protects our rights to speak freely. It does not shield us from the backlash that may occur from doing so. When Don Imus, for example, was fired because of his comments about the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team (only to later be rehired, as I predicted), it wasn’t because he broke any free speech laws. The government didn’t detain and convict him on charges of violating the Constitution. He simply lost his job because of the consequences of his free speech. Supporting sponsors -- fearing public boycotts -- pulled out of him faster than (insert dirty insertion jokes here).

So whether you're a complete free speech advocate, only in favor of free speech when it applies to you, or a loon out to censor EVERYTHING, we all need to take a chill pill. Let's not get things twisted: the government can’t constitutionally barge your door down and arrest you for having an opinion (though, the Patriot Act is freakishly close to allowing that). But before you try to cloak yourself in the First Amendment, that doesn’t mean that your brother, sister, or best friend can’t attack you in a different way. It is within a their rights to challenge you on different things; even if those things were a product of you exercising your rights.

Attack my comments all you want. It's a free country...

...at least for now.

-ACL

A little holiday fun

2007-12-05T18:47:00.000-05:00

OK, I admit: I'm not exactly a Christmas spirit-y type of person. I'm also not a fan of too many Will Ferrell gigs outside of his SNL days. But this clip from "Elf" always gives me a little holiday chuckle for whatever reason.

- ACL