My thoughts on the SOTU

This will definitely be a post for the records. For once, I'm not going to bash the President.

Yep, you heard me correctly.

Don't get me wrong: I think that his State of the Union address last night was complete and utter garbage (so much for my not bashing Bush). I also maintain that this speech (along with the fifteen or so that I've actually watched since following politics) is a clear and televised reminder that there is no such thing as "bipartisanship". But I must admit that Bush was brilliant in his delivery. Normally, you would never hear me say "Bush" and "brilliant" in the same sentence (unless of course I was saying "Bush is soooo not brilliant"), but I have to concede. The 2007 SOTU was...well...brilliant. Now let's be clear on something: when I say that, I'm not implying that it was brilliant in the sense that the speech's highlights were lucid, well thought out, and feasible. Rather, I mean brilliant as in clever. The president was clever in his attempts to continue pushing his destructive agenda; at the expense of taking smaller losses in other areas.

For starters, consider that he faced a situation completely foreign to him. For the first time during his presidency (or, as I like to see it, his reign), he was pitching his SOTU ideas to a Democrat-controlled Congress. He and his folks were no longer the home team. But despite all of that, he was able to stick to his guns on the most important issues to him and remained unrattled doins so. Stubborn and pig-headed? Yes. Brave? Yes. Stupid? Not really.

However, despite remaining true to his position on Iraq (I'll be writing on this soon), he willingly gave the Democrats some appeasement when he addressed liberally-based issues. He started by giving a shout-out to Nancy Pelosi in a pretty classy and dignified way. Then he addressed issues like immigration reform, health care reform (though he didn't present solutions. He basically said that tax cuts would help make prescription meds more affordable. Now that was a pretty stupid thing to say.) and "global climate change" (he didn't say "global warming", but we get the point). Hell. He even mentioned Darfur. Though he painted an inaccurate picture of the economy and didn't even touch Katrina, stem-cell research, or gay marriage; he was quick to deliver many issues to the Dems on a silver platter. Openly discussing and "reaching across the aisle" to address Democratic agendas was a pretty calculated move to get more people to subscribe to his nonsensical viewpoints about the war, connections between Iraqis, the Taliban and (interestingly) Hezebollah, along with the escalation of troops. Apparently, it worked. I mean, did you notice when he got a standing ovation when he equated increasing military presence in Iraq to "supporting the troops"? Even if he pissed off some of his already defecting buddies in the GOP, he at least bought more time and less opposition from the Dems.

The fact is: Bush cut some of his minor losses to acheive his ultimate goal: pushing forward with his foreign relations agenda in Iraq (or lack thereof) and gaining support for doing it. Basically he told his Democrat-controlled Congress that "I'll give you these things (all the issues I mentioned earlier) and I'll take this thing (Iraq). Support, in this case, doesn't necessarily mean agreeing with him or even standing by him. Instead, support in this case means 'no real opposition of'.

That's why Bush's speech was brilliant. Thank you.

*Pause for standing ovation*

- ACL

The Have Nots

Last MLK Day was pretty busy for me. I did some volunteer work at a local outreach center, attended an Affirmative Action rally and an MLK Symposium on the main campus, and capped the day by going to watch my beloved Pistons lose to the miserable Timberwolves. But, perhaps the most notable thing I did was the volunteer work that a few of us put in at one of the food banks in the city. The experience wasn’t noteworthy to the extent that I felt like I did a great thing for the world (in fact, probably the opposite). Rather, it was notable because it helped me to realize something that too many of us fail to think about: Poverty is really a big deal that, oddly, does not seem to garner the attention that it requires.

In today’s social climate, it’s clear to me that poverty has become one of those ping-pong balls that we enjoy hitting every now and again (we hit it away from us, but it eventually comes back). But we have failed to produce any concrete and LONG-TERM solutions. Every time I hear a politician declare to the world that they plan to fight poverty, I turn red in the face. The sobering reality is that politics, no matter how manipulative and influencial, is NOT an adequate mechanism for tackling this issue. Most of us enjoy hearing soundbytes from politicians (in fact, most of us demand that they address it in their “agenda”), because we want to reassure ourselves that we care about the poor. We want to believe that we’re not as shallow and heartless as most other people. We want to believe that supporting a politician who speaks out against poverty is really doing something in the interest of the poor (even if they don’t do anything at all). I liken it to buying the mega-sized tub of popcorn, the bulk-sized box of Goobers, and a diet Coke; thinking that the diet soda will somehow add some nutritional value.

It’s my belief that poverty exists in this country because we; the middle to high-middle income folks in society; need for poverty to exist. The poor of the world are used to satisfy our sense of value and self-worthiness. Similar to the junk food/diet Coke example, we throw a couple of coins to a poor person and think that we’ve actually done something to help them out of their situation. This, to me, is exactly why even some of the riches cities in the country have not been able to truly address the problem of poverty. Like so many others, the presumption is that “spare change” kindness and governmental programs are the only solutions to the problem. But, I’m convinced that there are deeper factors that must be considered. What they are, I don’t know.

One of the reasons why I decided to start a blog was to keep my thoughts and reflections in a secure place where I could also share with others (as long as the Internet is not destroyed by Iran, I should be good). Maybe one day, my blog will serve a greater purpose. When God calls me home, maybe Landon or one of my own kids will stumble on this site and will get an idea on how Uncle Andre or (*gulp!*) Daddy thought about some of the situations the world was facing in my time. But more importantly, maybe peering into my thoughts will help them to successfully come up with solutions to the problems of their time. That said, I have a simple question for any readers out there (present and future):

You’re a state governor. Your state is represented by an assorted demographic (made up of whites, blacks, Hispanics, men, women, etc.) One of the most significant threats to your state is poverty. How do you resolve this problem?

I’m not expecting any answers to this. But if you’d like to take a crack at it; by all means, do so. For the most part, this is just a simple activity that I use to question myself on how well I understand things. It’s not hard to sit back and blame the government for the problems of the world. It’s just as easy to blame rich, pampered, and spoiled celebrities. But, the biggest question is: How do YOU deal with the issues?

- ACL

Taking eggs from the basket

I can't remember exactly where, but I heard an incredible story that I'd like to share:

There was once a boy with two parents. His mother had always been loving, sensitive, and caring toward the boy while his father -- an alcoholic -- was mean, abusive, and disparaging.

One day, in the heat of an argument, the father pushed the mother down a flight of stairs; killing her instantly. For his act, the man received a life sentence in prison.

During the funeral, the little boy spent most of the service standing directly in front of his mother's body. Inexplicably, as he stared down at his loving, nurturing mother, the boy found himself unable to cry. As hard as he tried, he could not produce one single tear.

The boy eventually grew up, graduated from college, obtained a successful career and started a family of his own; doing it all just to prove to himself that he didn't need his father. Building a strong hatred and resentment for his father, the man refused to allow his father any access into his life or the life of his family. For him, the grudge was rooted too deeply. One day, the man received news that his father died in prison. Though he vowed to himself that he would never allow his family to get involved with the father, his wife was able to convince him to attend the funeral.

At the ceremony, there was clear tension in the air. As the man approached the casket and looked down on his father, he was immediately reminded of all of the painful memories that were allowed to endure over the years. Suddenly, much to the man's suprise, seeing his dead father caused him to cry uncontrollably. While he was unable to cry for his loving mother, he cried for a man for whom he held a deep-seated hatred.

Is there a point to this story, you ask? I think there is. You see, the man became so consumed by the strong emotions that he had for his father (hatred in this case, but this could apply to anything), that once his father died, the man lost the one thing driving him. Essentially, he had nothing else to live for. He placed his hatred for his father above the love of his mother, his career; even his own family. His father's death left a void in his life that nothing else could fill.

Let this story serve as a warning: Do NOT put all of your eggs in one basket. If you do, and you happen to lose that basket, you'll live to regret it.

- ACL

A rock in the road

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is dealing with some difficult problems in her life. Interestingly (but not coincidentally, I believe), I received an email from Diane that helps me make sense out of the trials and obstacles in our lives:

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Someof the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand: Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

This is why we struggle. This is why God allows for obstacles to get in our way.

Thanks for this, Di.

- ACL

What if?

Though we don't always see eye-to-eye on everything, my blogging buddy Will raised some interesting questions about our faith.

Be prepared to be challenged.

- ACL

How to study the Bible (part 2)

Yesterday, I started a piece about how to study the Bible. Here's the rest of it:

Pull out the pen and paper
At last point, I was talking about investigating the Bible. But once you get your exploratory juices flowing (that didn't sound right), you have to be able to record it all.

When you’re reading passages of scripture that’s all you’re doing. When you study however, you should also get in the habit of writing stuff down. The best way to identify how much you know and understand is by being able to record your thoughts. This seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often this step goes undone. By writing down the things you study not only will you be able to recall it later, but it shows that you’re able to dissect and discern the things you have read.

I suggest you use index cards, notebooks, portfolios; essentially anything where you can take notes and store them away for safe keeping. You should make note of the chapters and verses you read, along with any notes (dates, questions, references) that you need to refer to. I think that this is a pretty good tool for organizing your information as well as to provide you some insight on how much your understanding of things has changed over time.

Using a good ‘Good Book’
Hands down, one of the most difficult aspects of studying the Bible study is getting past the verbiage. Ye, Thou, doest, doeth, etc. Some of that language is strange enough to make a grown man cry. It’s important to realize that many of the literal interpretations of the Bible were lost as they were converted from Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) to English. Words used in one way could very well mean something entirely different.

That being said, when you study your Bible, you want to be as careful and thorough as possible when it comes to obtaining accurate interpretation. In addition to the King James Version (the standard Bible used in most churches), I also recommend using a modernized Bible like the New International Version (NIV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or student Bibles. These books are most likely to have a good balance of accurate interpretation, contextualization, and readibility. There are all sorts of great Bibles to use, but these are just a few.

Picking a Bible is like picking a car or a cell phone. You make your choice of Bibles based on the features it has. For the sake studying, I recommend some of the following:

Book prefaces: In some Bibles, each book is preceded by an introduction. These intros usually contain important information about who wrote the book, the audience to whom the book was intended, important dates, historical data, the themes to be explored, etc. This commentary is good to know when reading so that you can contextualize the content.

Scriptural cross references: Good Bibles include an area where text is accompanied by additional scriptures that address related concepts. For instance, the term “water” (or it’s equivalent) can be found in multiple verses; used for varied reasons.

Concordance: A concordance is a perfect tool for people like me, who have a terrible memory when it comes to verses. They help the reader to located verses based on a keyword found in that passage.

Word/topical indexes: Many Bibles allow the reader to locate verses based on topic. From abortion to forgiveness, to salvation, this index is a great reference point to complement a concordance.

Dictionaries: Confused about what a sepulcher is? Want to know how big a cubic is? Biblical dictionaries are excellent in making sense out of the terms that are not used in our everyday conversation.

Seek additional assistance
I usually resort to personal study or study with people on campus; largely because I spend most of the time there between classes and work. But I strongly recommend that you seek additional study at your church. It’s likely that your pastor has attended and/or has been certified at a reputable theological institute and will be able to impart his/her knowledge on how to read and study the Bible. Other good sources include personnel at different bookstores, Internet study tools and various computer programs.

Understand why you study
I think the absolute most important part about studying the Bible is understanding the why. This, I think, is where many ultra-religious people get it twisted. Learning the Bible is not about memorizing verses that you can use to support arguments, bash 'sinful' people over the head, justify ignorance and intolerance, or to show how much you know. Rather, studying is an important step to knowing God; as He wants us to know Him. Equally as important, studying the Word is crucial so that we can take what we've learned and relate it to our lives.

As you study, I think it's important to remember that no one (not even the writers) will ever completely understand the Bible. Since the words are inspired by God and God is infinitely beyond us, none of us will ever get to the point where we've cornered the market on knowing God. But with each new idea you obtain and the more open your mind is to making new discoveries, you will inch yourself closer and closer to learning God. That's better than studying for some silly quiz anyday.

- ACL

The Greater Gator

*Ahem*

In the heat of an intense debate I had with my boy Aldo, I promised that if the Florida Gators won it all, not only would I admit that I was wrong and that Florida is the better team; but I'd also post it on my blog for the world to see.

Sadly, I'm a man of my word.

After Florida feasted on the then-number 1 rated Ohio State Buckeyes, I have to tip my hat to Aldo and all of the Gator nation; as much as I hate it. I was amazed at how stifling Florida's defense was; shutting down one of the country's most potent offensive attacks. Now, you could argue that OSU lost because one of their most important players, Ted Ginn Jr. was hurt. You can also argue that having almost two months off made the team rusty. And you'd be correct. But, let's not rule out the fact that Florida was completely and inexcusably dominant in this game.

Interestingly, this blowout proves that the BCS system can get it right sometimes.

...even if it also gets it wrong.

I'm still remaining faithful to my beloved Wolverines. I still think that the BCS raped us by not putting us in the championship game in the first place. But after we got smacked around by USC, and after Florida's impressive thumping of Ohio State (to whom we lost), Florida is no-doubt the better team. I didn't say the "best" team; considering that an undefeated Boise State didn't even get the chance at playing for the national title (if anything, their undefeated record should've given them a shot at OSU above Florida and...as much as I don't like to admit it...Michigan).

But, the purpose of this post is not to spout or complain about what should've or could've happened. This post is to declare to the world that Aldo's Gators are the best team in college football.

OK. That's done. Does anybody have the number to a good therapist?

- ACL

" Beauty "

I can't remember where I first saw this video. I think it was Joslyn who sent it to me (if I'm wrong, I'm sorry). But it's a pretty mind-numbing piece that shows how manufactured the "beautiful" people of the world are.

I think everybody needs to see this...

- ACL

How to study the Bible (part 1)

Every so often, someone will ask me where I get my Biblical knowledge. Let me just say for the record that I don’t know jack about the Bible. I’m not a theologian. I haven't been formally trained in the Bible. At best, I'd say that I'm a novice. In fact, as one of my friends who I consider to be a theologian tells me, it takes an entire lifetime to learn the Bible. Even then, you still don't know much. Each time you read a passage in the Bible there’s something new to learn.

The truth is: I can’t quote scriptures, nor can I quickly reference particular passages in ordinary conversation. As a matter of fact, I’ve never even read the entire Bible (I’d say I’ve read about 45% of it, but that hardly counts as the whole thing). So, to that end, it’s reasonable to conclude that I’m far from being a Bible scholar. But I can – at least – offer some suggestions on how to study your Bible, at least how I do it. That’s a start, I guess.

**I admit, this piece got a little long. So rather than strain your eyes I'll go over this in multiple parts.**

The approach I take to studying the Bible isn’t much different than the approach I would take in studying for an exam in school. It involves pretty rudimentary steps that, if done efficiently, can improve study skills:

Knowing what's what
For starters, I think it’s important to know that there is a difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible. Reading the Bible can be done in large blocks if so desired, like reading numerous chapters at a time. If you wanted to, you could probably read your Bible from start to finish in a few months. Studying the Bible, however, involves the reader to focus their attention on individual topics, verses, characters, or circumstances raised in particular sections. This process takes far more time than it would to simply read a verse. For example, consider the popular verse in Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.”

It probably took you about four seconds to read that line. But if you were studying it, it would have probably taken you at least five to ten minutes to fully comprehend it. That involves taking time to dig deeper into the passage to see what it’s really trying to say. Doing so (at least for me) requires a chunk of uninterrupted time where you can focus on what you’re reading.

Being a “Biblical Detective”
I think that the most critical component of effectively studying the Bible is being investigative. As the student, you must be able to ask important questions as you read the text. As my former Sunday School teacher used to tell me, you need to turn yourself into a “Biblical Detective”. Look deeply for clues. Ask questions. “What is this passage saying?” “Does anything stand out in this verse?” “What don’t I understand about this verse?” “Are there any abnormalities in this passage of Scripture?”

For example, use the well-known discussion that Jesus had with the woman at the well; found in the fourth chapter of John:

(5) Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
(6) Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
(7) There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
(8) (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
(9) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
(10) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
(11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
(12) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
(13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
(14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

When reading this passage, some of the questions that come to mind include:

• Does the time of day when this event happened matter?
• What were the customs of that time?
• Why did the disciples leave Jesus alone?
• Is Jesus demanding the woman give Him water or is He asking?
• Why don’t Samaritans and Jews deal with each other? What kind of history do they have?
• What does Jesus mean by “living water”?
• Was there any significance with the woman pointing out how deep the well is?
• Why does the woman compare Jesus to Jacob?
• Does Jesus seem rude to the woman?

I think you get the point…

It’s important to realize that there are no certain questions that you have to ask. Any questions you can come up with will be important to help you understand what you’re reading. But, to give you an idea on what types of general questions to ask, here a few my late pastor taught us to ask:

• Who wrote the passage?
• To whom was the passage written?
• When was the passage written?
• Why was the passage written? What issue or situation was being addressed?
• Is there any background information pertinent to the passage?
• What lessons can I learn from this passage?

There a dozens of questions you can ask yourself as you read. The whole point is for you to figure out what needs to be investigated. Only you can determine what you’d like to know.

Part 2 tomorrow...

- ACL

Angel in the subway

I don't consider myself to be the frisco, roughneck type. At the same time, I don't particularly wear my emotions on my sleeves. But I heard a story on the news yesterday that literally moved me to tears.

According to the story, New York resident Wesley Autrey showed the world what it truly means to be a hero. While with his two daughters in a New York subway, Autrey noticed a man fall on the tracks after suffering from a seizure. After handing his daughters off to the closest person around, Autrey then did the unimaginable: he jumped down to retrieve the man. This act would not have been as heroric except for two things: (1) the tracks are electrically charged and (2) there was a train coming. Nevertheless, Autrey instinctly jumped on the tracks and covered the convulsing man as the train passed over them.

The train missed Autrey's head by inches.

Both men emerged from the incident unscathed. The man who initially fell only received minor bumps and bruises, but is in relatively good shape. Autrey indicated that he was OK as well.

Stories like this refresh my faith in people. We hear countless stories about greedy and corrupt politicians, spoiled celebrities, negligent parents, violent offenders, etc. But very seldomly do you hear stories of selflessness, valor, and heroism. I mean, this man risked his life (in front of his daughters, no less) to save a complete stranger because, as he puts it, "...it was the right thing to do." While others stood and watched (I probably would've only been an onlooker myself), this man flirted with danger for somebody else. Most of us won't make simple sacrifices for the people we call "friends"; let alone risk our lives for complete strangers.

Mr. Autrey is starting to become somewhat of a celebrity because of his deeds. He's been scheduled to be on a couple of talk shows, has been given donations from some celebs (reportedly, Donald Trump gave him $10,000 which -- to me -- is an insult considering that he's a billionaire), scholarships have been set up for his daughters, and they've received lifetime passes to Disney World. Let me just go on the record by saying that whatever good fortune this man gets for his deeds won't be enough.

His ultimate reward, I believe, will come later when God says to him "Well done, my good and faithful servant..."

Thank you, Mr. Autrey.

- ACL

Bowl-ing for Justice

As if watching my beloved Dallas Cowboys lose to the miserably bad Detroit Lions wasn't enough, I had to sit back helplessly as my heroes in the Maize and Blue had their tooshies handed to them by USC. Dag! I can just feel a lashing coming on from Aldo any moment now...

As I stated before, there is no justice left in the world of college football.

But at least Boise State gave me something to celebrate. If you guys missed this game, I'm sorry for you. You missed a classic! Congrats guys.

- ACL

Alphabet soup

A friend of mine sent a email with some pretty clever letter arrangements. I thought it was pretty interesting and worth sharing. Enjoy!

PRESBYTERIAN:

When you rearrange the letters: BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:

When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters: A ROPE ENDS IT

DORMITORY:

When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM

THE EYES:

When you rearrange the letters: THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:

When you rearrange the letters: HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE :

When you rearrange the letters: HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:

When you rearrange the letters: CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:

When you rearrange the letters: IS NO AMITY (which means friendship, peace, harmony, etc…)

ELECTION RESULTS:

When you rearrange the letters: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT!

SNOOZE ALARMS:

When you rearrange the letters: ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:

When you rearrange the letters: I'M A DOT IN PLACE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:

When you rearrange the letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE (both equal 13. How cool!)

MOTHER-IN-LAW:

When you rearrange the letters: WOMAN HITLER

Whoever came up with this list must be the King (or queen) at Scrabble or just has too much time on their hands...

***Update***

I just found this website that converts words and phrases into anagrams. I was deeply disturbed to find out that ANDRE = A NERD...

- ACL

The season for sharing?

I think it is.

However, when I think about the idea of “sharing”, I believe that it goes further than just giving out presents. I think it has less to do with giving out Xbox 360s and Ipods, and more to do with providing for those who are in need.

After I finished my finals (I can just smell a 4.0 now!), a few classmates and I decided to do some volunteer work for a couple of days at a local food bank. We’ve been doing varying things throughout the year; so this time was really no different. The tasks we did were pretty menial; mainly sorting out donations and making care packages. Though the work was pretty basic, I think that we all shared a sense of satisfaction that came with giving of ourselves; even if only a little bit. But I still couldn’t help but think that I didn’t really do that much.

Not too long ago, I read an article about the top ten charity donors in the world. On that list were philanthropists like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Gordon Moore. These folks – at no surprise – were all billionaires and were more than capable of giving what they did. In fact, people of this stature are not only in a position to give a lot of what they have, but to give most of what they have.

Under each person’s bio, there were a series of questions they were given. When asked why they don’t give most of their fortune away to charity (most billionaires can afford to give away 99% of their fortune and still live insanely comfortable), most of their responses were interestingly similar. They all indicated that they don’t give away everything so they can use what they have left to create more money and continuing giving over the long term.

This raises an interesting question; one that I’ve subconsciously thought about for a long time: How can we give to those who are in need if we don’t have much to give in the first place? How can we reasonably expect to give of ourselves if we’re swimming up to our necks in debt, we’re morally bankrupt, or bombarded with our own issues? Are we really in a position where we can make a difference in someone else’s life?

I think there’s a lot we can learn about taking care of ourselves before we can reasonably expect to bless others. Ephesians reminds us to “…labor, working with [our] hands the things which are good, so that [we] may have something to give to him who needs.” (4:28). In that respect, I think that taking cues from ministers who preach about prosperity and financial blessings can be good for us. For the record, I’m not talking about those cats who are all about money, money, money; and who pimp the Bible for their own personal exploits (those are the people that I think Timothy 6:10 clearly warns us about). Instead, I’m talking about people like Jabez; who specifically asked God to give him stuff (and a WHOLE LOT of it) for the sake of doing God’s will for others.

I guess what I’m wondering is: given our call to help ‘the least of these, shouldn’t we make an effort to pursue the material blessings that are out there? Perhaps the bigger question is: can we promote God’s true gift to the world (Jesus, the Perfect Lamb) without promoting physical and material gifts?

Your thoughts?

- ACL

In the news

For today, I thought I'd share a few assorted things from the news; some old, some not so old:

Oh Rosie:

Actress, comedian and daytime talk show Rosie O'Donnell is being blasted in the media for making racial slurs toward Chinese people. See it for yourself here. It's interesting that a person who represents a couple of discriminated groups (overweight people and lesbians) would make such a comment. Sometimes, it's just better to shut up.

Some people are comparing her comments to Michael Richards. But I think a couple of things have to be considered. (1) Michael Richards ranted about a time when blacks were lynched and oppressed. Rosie, in her defense, wasn't trying to be deliberately offensive. And (2) Richard's comments involved violence that he would've done to his 'victims'. I think that's what annoys me most about his comments. The 'nigger' reference didn't bother me as much as the references to hanging people and sticking forks up rectums. Interestingly, nobody seems to focus on that part.

Praisin' God while lockin' and loadin':
This story is too funny to pass up. Apparently, there is a new video game on the market that promotes Christianity and killing. In the game Left Behind (based on the famous Apocalyptic fiction series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins), fanatical Christians are dispatched into the world to convert as many people as possible. Those who they can't convert (Catholics, gays, Muslims, etc.) are to be killed.

I don't think I have to say any more.

Activist arrested:
According to this article, peace activist Cindy Sheehan has been arrested and is scheduled to be tried for trespassing. She, along with other members of their progressive anti-war group were detained for attempting to take a petition against the war to the United Nations Building which I guess is private property.

Don't get me wrong. Radicalism is usually welcomed the most if its done without violation (then again, that's debatable). But anybody with the nerve to arrest a grieving mother should be ashamed of themselves. Even if some grievers are OK with the war (incidentally, many people who have lost loved ones in Iraq still support Bush and his nonsense), opponents of the war should have an opportunity to protest without penalty.

This story bothers me on so many levels.

Chavez re-elected; dismisses U.S.
Venezuela has spoken. In an interesting turn of events, President Hugo Chavez has been re-elected. One of the first things on his agenda was to completely extinguish any possibility of talks with the United States. Calling the U.S. government "decadent", he dismissed it until they are ready to openly dialogue as equals.

I guess the next step for the U.S. is to launch a pre-emptive attack on Venezuela.

Another Canadian school bans, then supports pro-life student club
Although I've gone on the record stating that I'm against the agenda for pro-lifers, even I was disturbed to hear this story. As recently as last week, Carleton University in Ottawa banned the mobility of a student organization promoting pro-life. It was the second college in Canada to make such a move. Recently, however, it has finally dropped its ban and has now allowed tht group to meet.

Though not entirely related, the Hippie Conservative wrote a great piece about the hypocrisy of "free speech". Since this story involves Canadians; and I'm not too familiar with Canadian rules, I can't comment too much. All I know is that you can't allow a platform to one group and not the other...even if you disagree with them.

Another gay evangelical resigns
According to sources, another closeted homosexual minister has been discovered. I'm not the type to down somebody at a low point in their life; and I'm certainly not the type to gay-bash. But this story is really funny. I guess that I'm amused because of the sheer hypocrisy of it all. The ones who protest and make the most noise are apparently the ones with the most hidden in their closets.

William Jefferson re-elected
Filed under "WTF?", Representative William Jefferson, the crook involved in a series of bribes and corrupt activites that have been investigated by the FBI was re-elected to his ninth term. When I look at black Dems like him and Cynthia McKinney, I can't get mad at them. They're both nothing but products of the voters who put them there.

Sigh. Chalk up another one for ignorantly following Democrats; despite their record.

Out with a bang
After 'resigning' from his duties as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rums-failed (I mean, Rumsfeld) was giving a momumental ceremony to recognize his efforts. Only in America can a person complete f*** up a war, waste billions of dollars, and expend thousands of lives and still get a 19 gun salute.

Veep's daughter pregnant

After all the hoopla about gay marriage/adoption during the 2004 Presidential election, Vice President Cheney's daughter Mary is pregnant. OK. Everybody laugh with me now.

Presidential wacko not so loved after all
At first glance, you'd think I was talking about Bush. But not this time. Much to my suprise, many Iranians have voiced their displeasure with President Ahmadinejad in the partial elections held on Monday. As it appears, many Iranians prefer a moderate and less agressive government than the one under which they currently live. Is it possible that Armageddon will be put on hold?

HIV medics to be executed
This story really disturbs me. A Libyan court has found five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor guilty of infecting over 400 African children with HIV. While the people of Libya see this as justice for the victims, Bulgaria is seeing it as an injustice against the defendants and has cited the poor conditions of the hospitals in the area.

Truthfully, I don't know who to believe. I do think that AIDS is a man-made disease, but I'm not so sure that people in the medical field would deliberately infect others. But then again, there was also Tuskegee.

Fight night at the Garden
Suspensions and fines were passed out like Christmas gifts after another NBA brawl broke out during the closing moments of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of people catering to overpaid thugs who can't seem to recognize the responsibility that comes with being in their position. You've got families who paid good money to be at these games, and children who look up to these jerks. In response, they decide to act like n***gas.

Yeah, I said it.

Duke or Earl?

I just read that the alleged victim in the Duke University rape case is pregnant and is expecting in February. Though paternity tests indicate that none of the Duke players is the father, this story is still getting uglier by the moment. I don't know what to believe anymore.

Chinese Money Torture?

Despite the Federal Reserve ruling out the possibility, some anxiety is brewing with the rumors that China may get rid of its U.S. reserves. Being the alarmist that I am, I'm inclined to think that this story; albeit a suspected rumor; represents a larger problem we're facing. Even though I don't think China would dump their shares in the U.S. economy (since it's so closely tied to ours), I can see why they'd want to pull out. When the Feds stopped publishing M3 data, it's just become too hard to tell how much money is being printed and how much value the dollar has lost. Either way, this situation tells me that we've put too much of our debt in the hands of competing markets. Personally, I blame Bush and his war in Iraq.

Well I think that about does it for the news. It's the holidays for goodness sake (albeit, pagan. But that's another story for another day). Until next time, have a great week!

- ACL

...in with the new

Recently, I came up with a list of 50 things I hope not to see in 2007. Rather than just leaving the world with big holes from not having that stuff, I've come up with a list of things that I hope to see (or see more of) instead. Again, these are in no particular order:

1. Landon
My new nephew has been a much need breath of fresh air for my family. At five months, he’s already doing some pretty impressive things. I can’t wait to see which Ivy League school I’ll have to visit for his commencement.

2. Facebook.com
Opposite of blackplanet.com and myspace.com, this is a site where you can really CAN network and exchange thoughtful conversation. At least the part that I know about…

3. The abolition of the two-party system

If you’re like me and you’re sick of being represented by asses (Democrats) and pachyderms (Republicans), I think the emergence of a third, fourth, and possibly fifth party would be most welcome. For that matter, why don’t we just eliminate parties altogether? That would make for an interesting political environment.

4. Corinne Bailey Rae
Ever since I met her (figuratively speaking) in May, 2006, I’ve been in love. I just hope that her humbly beginnings keep her newfound fame in perspective.

5. Beyonce
Minus pretty dismal acting skills, she has the potential to be one of my favorite artists. If she can get rid of the ass-shaking part of gimmick and rely solely on her singing ability, she’ll go a long way in my book.

6. Academic success
I’m not rich. I’m not heavily desired/sought after by the girls. Hell, I can barely keep friends. One of the only bright spots I have right now is the sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving goals. Academic success is one of them. Andre Louis, Ph.D. Nice ring, dontcha think?

7. Keith Olbermann
Sure he’s clearly a liberal. Sure he’s as biased toward the GOP as Fox News is toward John Kerry. But you can’t argue with the fact that he’s one of the wittiest and most articulate editorial journalists around. Watch out “Bill-O”.

8. Barack Obama
I don’t think he should be bracing up for a presidential run so soon, but I’m completely enamored by his politics. It’s people like him who give me a restored faith in the political machine.

9. Dave Matthews Band
Now that Dave Matthews has got the ‘going solo’ thing out of his system, I’m hoping that he and his band can reclaim their title of the best band ever.

10. Spiderman 3
Lots of people are starting to grow tired of superhero movies. Not me. Sweet Lord, not me. In fact, if they don’t release this movie soon, I might have to vicariously live out the Spiderman experience. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight seeing me squeeze into a Spiderman costume and swing from buildings.

11. The Hippie Conservative
I often tease him about having an oxymoronic name. But, truth be told, it’s refreshing to see someone who doesn’t subscribe to every single tenant of one particular group.

12. Jon Stewart
Whenever you have a witty and satirical news show that is more reliable and relied on than ‘real’ news, you’re doing big things.

13. Youtube.com
Whether you want to find your favorite commercial from the 80’s or if you're trying to resolve a bet about how the Curious George theme song went, you can find virtually any clips and videos on this site. Google landed themselves a goldmine when they got onboard.

14. House, M.D.
For a while, Nip Tuck was the cutting edge show that I couldn’t get enough of. But once the Carver storyline made the show as sharp as a plastic spatula, House has become my new favorite show. I hope that its success lasts. Finding new favorite shows can be exhausting.

15. Mel Gibson

I know what you’re thinking: Why would I support this guy? Whatever you have to say about him being a jerk is absolutely correct. But – like him or not – he has an amazing ability as a writer/director. Between Braveheart, the Passion, and Apocalypto, he does as good a job as anybody in making us uncomfortable.

16. Warren Buffet
When I found out that he committed to donating 85% of his entire fortune to fighting AIDS, he became my new best friend.

17. Jim Gaffigan

Besides Sinbad, is there a funnier comedian around who doesn’t have to cuss and call the audience the n-word?

18. Bill Maher

ABC really dropped the ball when they cancelled “Politically Incorrect”. Since then, his show “Real Time” is the highest rated show on HBO. Whoever thought that bad mouthing the President could be so lucrative? Apparently not ABC.

19. Jeopardy
By yelling incorrect answers out loud, this is the worst way to prove your intelligence (but incredibly fun, nonetheless). What is “Playing Jeopardy”?

20. Music downloading sites
Before you sick the RIAA on me, I’m not talking about free file-sharing sites where you can pirate music. I’m referring to legitimate sites where you can purchase individual songs and .mp3s; versus an entire album. You can finally get the songs you want; rightfully pay for them, and get spoiled, whiny artists and their team of $1000/hr. lawyers off of your back.

21. Don Cheadle and George Clooney

While most of the entertainment world is focusing their attention on which celebs are in conflict with each other, who wore what at what event, or how many kids Madonna is stealing, it’s encouraging to see people use their status to address serious yet ignored issues like the crisis in Darfur.

22. Less complacency
One thing that 2006 has taught me is that complacency impedes change and progress. From mindless church practices to how people treat me, accepting things “as they are” doesn’t do me any good. Sometimes intolerance can be a good thing; especially when tolerance negatively affects change.

23. Political investigations
Had it not been for deep undercover exploration, the UN’s corruption would have gone unchecked, Jack Abramhoff, Tom Delay, and William Jefferson would still be accepting bribes and Mark Foley would still be sending “naughty” emails to young male pages.

24. The Practice on DVD
With the exception of maybe the last season, I’d eat my own children to get The Practice on DVD. Oh, wait. I don’t have children. Well then; I’d eat yours.

25. Paid student athletes
While we’re paying $45-60 per game to see these kids play every week; which allows the schools to generate millions, the students are getting just enough to pay for school and a week’s supply of Ramen noodles. Something is wrong with that picture.

26. Stephen Colbert
Not only is he hilarious on his show, but he’s one of the only people who can stand right in the President’s face, insult him, and have him not even know he’s being insulted. But since it was President Bush, I take that back.

27. John Legend
Similar to Beyonce, he’s a young black artist who actually has skill. A rare commodity in today’s industry.

28. Turbo Tax
No more waiting in long lines and paying big bucks at H&R Block. For a small fee you can own the tax preparing software that is likely to put CPAs out of the business (or lower their rates) pretty soon.

29. Hybrid Technology
Finally! Toyota and Honda and broken into the hybrid market. Their 60-mile-to-the-gallon babies are making a mockery out of the big three U.S. automakers. Fuel-efficient vehicles that don’t have to be powered by foot. Fred Flintstone must be fuming right now.

30. Joanne Rosario
After having a so-so first album, this Gospel talent blessed me infinitely with her second album. The future looks bright for her.

31. The Green-Eyed Girl on Planet Earth
Whoever came up with the idea that “opposites attract” must’ve had us in mind. Greeny’s optimism and my “pessimism” are a perfect mismatch.

32. Alicia Keys

Another R&B sensation who has brought a unique and refreshing sound to the music industry. Not to mention, she’s got a Juilliard education. I’m not a fine arts guy, but even I know that’s impressive.

33. Funnier Super Bowl commercials

They say that; proportionately speaking; commercials aired during the Super Bowl are the most expensive thing on television. For once, I’d like for the ads that interrupt my game-day experience to have a little more than Jessica Simpson selling pizza.

34. Michigan’s Proposal 2 Overturned
The so-called Michigan Civil Rights Initiative snuck its way onto the November ballot and relied on deception and false advertisement to gain support from Michigan voters. Hopefully, people will realize the error of their ways and overturn the voting outcome.

35. Jay Bakker

The son of Pastor Jim Bakker (an evangelical, turned crook, turned evangelical again). Challenging the traditional upbringing of his parents, this young, new-aged minister is just what we need for religious folks who have lost their minds these days.

36. State of the Black Union
As a young intellect (at least I’m aspiring to be), watching a collection of positive, intelligent blacks with immersed and prophetic agendas is a refreshing balance to people on BET talking about cars and jewelry.

37. The elimination of the Electoral College
Unless we can rationally explain to our grandchildren how a guy could receive more votes in an election and still lose, I think it’s time for the U.S. to catch up with everyone else and lose this silly voting system.

38. National Public Radio
Once NPR starts addressing minority-related issues with more frequency and lose their sponsorship from “private” organizations, they’ll dominate every radio market except for the gun-totin’ religion-promotin’ card-carrying members of the GOP.

39. Jazz radio stations
Some people argue that urban communities aren’t sophisticated enough to enjoy jazz music. But at the Flint Jazz festival; not a single person was shot, arrested, or involved in a brawl. Compare that to the notorious nightclubs in the area and the so-called music they play. I rest my case.

40. A June Jordan anthology
Being one of the most righteous black intellectuals of our time, I hope that her works will be available in an entire collection one day.

41. You Can’t Do That On Television
The hit Canadian comedy show – turned Nickelodeon classic – gave us everything we needed a children. I admit: it was pretty edgy for its time. But I think that we adults can now appreciate how funny this show really was. Not like some of the other shows; that are so w_tered down. Ha! You thought I was going to “water”. *Cue the liquid*

42. Relocation
If everything goes according to plan, I should be finished with graduate school in 2007. From there, I’d like to move. I just don’t feel like there’s anything left for me in Michigan (except for Michigan football perhaps)

43. Spirit Airlines
Initially I wasn’t a huge fan of theirs. But any airline that can get me to DC and back for under $60 easily becomes a friend of mine.

44. Accurate movie trailers
If movie trailers were a true indicator of movie quality, perhaps I would not have been as angry with The Village. Better movie trailers mean a happier Andre; which means no complaining.

45. Retro TV

Looking for episodes of Fat Albert? The Facts of Life? Voltron? Double Dare? Jem? Mr. Wizard? Transformers? A television station that airs 24 hours of 80’s and 90’s shows will help me relive the childhood that I was forced to abandon for the sake of adulthood. As much as I love Spongebob, I’d gladly give him up for Alvin & the Chipmunks.

46. Yo Momma
This show probably wins the award for ‘best guilty pleasure’. Except for a cheesy, borderline homosexual host, this show is a winner. I get a kick out of it every time it’s on.

47. NBA on TNT
This award winning show is the only thing that makes professional basketball even remotely interesting these days. Well that…and the brawls.

48. Jill Scott
Her organic sound, poetic flow, and tight beats give my ears something to take rock to outside of the sterile and vacuous world of today’s hip-hop.

49. Scheduled naps at work
I don’t know about you, but nothing says “productivity” more than allowing time at work to sleep. Maybe if there was a designated 'nap time', I’d stop dozing off in staff meetings.

50. Safer automobiles

For an additional $110 per unit, vehicles produced in this country can be manufactured considerably safer. Isn’t human life more valuable than that?

There you have it. More wishful thinking...

- ACL

Out with the old...

Well, the new year is almost upon us. 2006 has had its share of ups and downs; joys and disappointments. But a few things really stuck out this year; particularly the things that just annoyed the Hades out of me. So without further ado, here are the top 50 things I hope NOT to see again in 2007 (in no particular order):

1. Ann Coulter
If she wasn’t so much of heartless Jezebel, I’d listen to some of her points more often. But since she’s a political witch, I wouldn’t be mad if somebody sent her to Salem.

2. “Rev.” Fred Phelps
The author of the ridiculous claim that “God Hates Fags” is clearly covering up for the fact that he’s gay.

3. Mo’Nique
Unless you like loud mouthed, sassy, intellectually offensive, poster children for celebrating obesity, somebody should pull her microphone out and turn the cameras away from her.

4. Prussian Blue
I continue to be amazed that a racist, teeny bopper group can make it mainstream. Between their racist tone and their…uh…tone deaf tone, I think I’ll hang myself if they’re still around. One more dead black guy. Score one for the racists.

5. Myspace.com
I’d have a better chance at exchanging thoughtful conversation if I talked to my plant. Besides, if myspace.com finally went down the tubes, maybe the secretary in our office would finally get some work done.

6. BET
You already know why I hate BET and most of the “artists” it promotes. Do I really have to go into detail?

7. American Idol
Honestly, this show isn’t really all that bad. OK, yes it is. But at least I get entertained during the horrible auditions. But seriously: getting singing suggestions from these judges is like getting tutored in English by George W. Bush.

8. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS)
For you college football fans out there, I think you’ll agree with that it’s high time to get rid of the BCS and adopt a playoff system. If a loss of income is feared by the colleges, the schools should receive rankings/seeds and get paid accordingly. I’m still trippin’ that the BCS chose measly Florida over Michigan. Riiiight.

9. Destiny’s Child
Can we please strip them of their celebrity status before they make up more silly words that get put in the Dictionary?

10. Fox News
Dick Cheney shoots someone and all they can do is spin the story to blast Liberals, gays, Muslims, and anyone else who ‘tears down traditional family values’.

11. “Director’s cut” and “Limited Edition” DVDs.
It’s bad enough that the shows/movies that I actually love haven’t made it do DVD yet (or, if they have, they’re expensive as hades). But when they come out with the “Final, super duper, can’t-miss-the-bonuses, golden deluxe, ultimate version” of the DVD's you do have, the copy you own just doesn’t seem that impressive.

12. Dakota Fanning
I don’t know why America decided to adopt her; but can we please stop putting her in every movie? If I'm not mistaken, didn't she manage to make an appearance in Casablanca as Humphrey Bogart’s lost daughter?

13. The NBA Dress Code
From Ben Wallce’s headband controversy to the no-collarless-shirt rule, I’m sick of this silly dress code. How hypocritical is it for the NBA to shun the very urban culture that is making them a fortune? If I wanted to pay money to see professionals wearing suits, I’d visit Wall Street. Of course, after the Pistons/Pacers brawl, what better way is there to improve the NBA’s image that with a dress code, right?!

14. Celebrity Marriages
For people who are interested in protecting the “sanctity of marriage”, how about we start with lame-brained celebs who get married to advance their careers, get hitched in Vegas, refuse to lose their individual identity to become man and wife, and then break up two months later.

15. IPOD carrying accessories
IPOD socks. IPOD gloves. IPOD sleeve holders. I’m sorry; but when your IPOD is more snuggled than the guy sleeping in the New York alley, we should reexamine some things.

16. Flavor of Love
If you need to follow the adventures of an old, feeble man with a host of young and ditzy eye candy, read Playboy.

17. Cedric the Entertainer
Can I return him to the store? He's defective merchandise.

18. Desperate Housewives
After Sex in the City finally got Herpes and died, I thought we were free from shows about sexually promiscuous women. Boy was I wrong. Women, please do me a favor: stop equating “empowerment” to acting like (fill in the blank).

18. Paris Hilton
Sadly, since some people actually like ‘her’ book and ‘her’ CD, she probably won’t go away any time soon. I guess this is what happens when you can pay somebody to write a book and produce a CD while slapping your name on it. I remember a time when a person was celebrity based on their own talent and worth; not based on something their daddy could buy for them.

19. Hannity & Colmes
Sean Hannity is a overpowering, pompous, right-wing jerk and Alan Colmes is a weak, left-winged pushover. Since it’s named “Hannity & Colmes, it’s pretty appropriate that Colmes seems to get owned every week.

20. The Black-eyed peas
When they first broke into the industry, I enjoyed their free-spirited approach. Now it just annoys me. These guys have sold out more than the Playstation 3. By the way; Fergie, I wouldn’t go around bragging about having humps. Maybe you wanna get that checked out. It could be cancerous.

21. M. Knight Shamalyan
Opposite of a fine wine, this director and his movies seem to get worse with age.

22. America’s Next Top Model
As if it’s not bad enough that this show perpetuates America’s warped definition of pencil-thin “beauty”; the idiotic judges (who use every ridiculous hyperbole in the book to describe the models) makes me want to throw my TV out the window.

23. Cell phone contracts
I had to learn – the hard way – these ball and chain, expensive-as-Hades contracts can be deadly. They get even worse when you add somebody else to your plan. Lesson learned; in the Cingular Zone.

24. E! Entertainment
The only thing worse than the shallow, empty, and vacuous world of the celebrity is devoting a TV station to the legion of followers, reporters, and commentators who do nothing but talk about the shallow, empty and vacuous world of the celebrity.

25. 50 Cent
While I give him kudos for calling Oprah out, I’m laughing at his attempts to maintain his thuggish street cred. I can’t think of a better way to destroy your ‘gangsta’ legacy than by coming out with your own vitamin water.

26. Scientology
As if the other man-made religious weren’t bad enough, L. Ron Hubbard had to be born. Poor Katie and Suri; cursed to be headed by a man whose life has been defined by jumping up and down on talk show host’s furniture and throwing away incredibly lucrative career to join a cult who believes in galactic emperors and spaceships. But I suppose it’s not as ridiculous as any other religion.

27. Ashlee Simpson
I really love the song “Pieces of Me”. Now, if I only knew who I should give the credit to (maybe it’s the same person who did Paris Hilton’s album).

28. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Maybe I’m just being heartless, but this show is starting to get ridiculous. Building a million dollar dream home for a family (who, by the way, didn’t have a net value of a tenth of that amount) seems to be a lousy waste of resources. If your home was whisked away in a hurricane, I’m sure you wouldn’t get bent out of shape if your new home didn’t have an indoor pool in the guest room.

29. Kanye West
At one point I thought that he was going to be the righteous artist that hip hop needed. But after his second album and the pseudo-intellectual messages he’s making, now I think he needs to get his jaws wired shut again.

30. Bill O’Reilly
To this guy “fair and balanced” means that it’s fair for him to ambush people and to balance out their rationale with his overpowering yelling.

31. Hurricane season
Contrary to my predictions for 2006, hurricane season wasn’t that bad this year. I pray that this continues for ’07.

32. Nancy Grace
Nothing about her is graceful; except maybe her exit from televison.

33. Survivor
Out of all the reality shows I despise, this one ranks as one of the most hated. After being on the air for over a decade, in a controlled environment where – oddly – no one has suffered from so much from a paper cut, I wonder if the winner is really a “survivor”. I think the next season should take place live from Baghdad.

34. World Series of Poker
Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I always thought that the sports channels were supposed to air…well…sports. Since when does a card game that you play while sitting on your butt, eating Cheetos, and smoking cigars count as an athletic competition? Calling it “The World Series of…” doesn’t make is a sport.

35. George Dubya Bush
You know, I take that back. I’ve enjoyed Bush’s tenure in the White House. It’s been one of the best laughs I’ve gotten since Fat Albert.

36. Nicole Ritchie:
I’m sorry. But if your clothing weighs more than you, it’s time to pack it up. She’s once. Twice. Three times less of a lady.

37. Missing white women
Unless you’re JonBenet Ramsey, Natalee Holloway, or Lacy Peterson, don’t count on getting coverage in the media if you go missing. The only solution for you women who plan on going missing in 2007 is to dye your hair blond before you get kidnapped.

38. Oprah Winfrey
Once she finally decides to buy another multi-million dollar something and bleach her skin, I think that the handful of blacks who haven’t already divorced her will so do pretty soon. Maybe at that point, she’ll just phase herself out and retire.

39. Anti-smoking ads
Did you know that these ads are sponsored by tobacco companies in an effort to avoid civil liability? I’ve got a better way for them to do it: STOP MAKING CIGARETTES!

40. Anna Nicole Smith
Whenever the courts are faced with an inheritance lawsuit between an uptight, Conservative snobby son and a gold-digging wife; and I side with the Conservative, something is wrong.

41. Brittney Spears and Kevin Federline
Aside from Paris Hilton, can the media zero in on bigger, less talented hacks than these nuts?

42. Dancing with the stars
This show deals with two things that I really despise: dancing and ‘stars’. Put them together and I’m throwing my TV out the window again.

43. Violent cartoons
It annoys me that cartoons can’t rely on their sheer wit and humor nowadays. Instead, they have to resort to violence to get a cheap laugh. Not the “anvil falls on my head and I’m back in the next scene still trying to get the Road Runner” type of violence. I’m talking about the let’s kill people, cut their heads off and blow them up for humor type of violence.

44. Erectile dysfunction medication
If you’re having a hard time getting aroused, do what most other low self-esteemed men do to compensate: buy a Corvette. While pharmaceutical companies are trying to fix stuff, how about the fix cancer and AIDS? You may not be able to lay as many women down by the fire, but at least you'll still be alive.

45. Carlos Mencia
Who ever thought that the “Mind of Mencia” could be so…well…mindless?

46. Support ribbons
From AIDS, to the soliders, to Iraq, I’m getting annoyed by these silly ribbons. However, I’ve got the best ribbon ever on my office door which reads “Support the troops (or whatever is trendy)”

47. The Simpsons
OK. This show was fun after the first hundred years. But since it has LONG since jumped the shark, I think that a burial at sea would be pretty appropriate.

48. OJ Simpson and the Brown/Goldman families
Which one is worst: A killer who is trying to get rich from his deeds or victims’ families who are trying to get rich from his deeds? This is one is anybody’s guess.

49. Lifetime
Airing movies about abused wives, missing children, and anorexic teens is enough to make any woman lose her mind.

50. Tyra Banks
Whoever established the stereotype that supermodels weren’t all that sharp apparently got it right for once.

**Notables include**

Everybody in the Bush administration, the Olsen Twins, Lindsay Lohan, country music television, Puffy, Saturday Night Live, Dr. Phil, Wheel of Fortune, Cynthia McKinney, HDTV, Republicans, snow, UPN, poverty, rappers, the National Hockey League, Chris Matthews, crazy ex-girlfriends and their crazy mothers, Kim Jong Il, any Peter Jackson movies that aren't Lord of the Rings, Al Sharpton/Jesse Jackson, and junk mail.

I know. I know. This is all wishful thinking. But a guy can have hope, right?!

- ACL

On my way

Rejoice and be glad!

I successfully defended my thesis proposal and it was approved! Now comes the hard part: applying for grants.

Nevertheless, life is peachy again...

- ACL

Brain teaser

Yesterday my friend sent me a great brain teaser. She's pretty notorious for picking my brain with stuff.

Anyway, I had fun with this puzzle. So much so, that I decided to post it; but not before I figured it out myself. Now that I have, I'm sharing it with the rest of you. Enjoy!

OK. The puzzle involves the following characters: A police officer (with the blue suit and handcuffs), a criminal (with the striped uniform), a father, a mother, two sons and two daughters. Included in the puzzle is a 2-man raft. The object of the game is to successfully move all of the characters from one side of the river to the other using the raft.

Oh, if it was that simple. Here are some rules:

• Only two people can be on the raft at a time


• Only the police officer, the father, and the mother know how to steer the raft


• The father can't be alone with the daughters; without the mother being there (imagine if parents were the same way with Michael Jackson, but I digress...)


• The mother can't be alone with the sons; without the father being there.


• The criminal can't be with anybody without the police officer.

To access the puzzle, click here. To start, click on the circle in the lower right corner. Don't freak out over the Japanese language. I suspect that it's just the instructions. To place characters on and off of the raft, click on them. To move the raft back and forth, click on the poles by the river.

If you'd like the solution, feel free to drop me an email. If nobody comes up with a solution, I'll post the one I came up with.

Have fun!

- ACL

Why I'm starting to dislike Black churches...

Enough said.

- ACL

A slap in the face

Anybody who knows me is already well aware of my disdain for rappers nowadays. I'm not against them in the same way that most overly religious zealots are; but I stand as an antithesis of the agenda that they set nonetheless. Their actions are irresponsible, ruthless, and laced with ignorance; all things that go against the progress that blacks need to strive for in these days.

My friend Agent J just sent me this disturbing mini-video of famed hip hop mogul Jay Z getting physical with a young lady; apparently in response to her taking an unauthorized photo of him. I don't know the full story behind what went down (I haven't been able to find much on the 'net about it. Goes to show how $$$ can make things go away). So I'm not in a position to do a lot of heavy commentary on this. The news that I have heard is pretty conflicting. One source said that everyone was playing around and it was all light-hearted. Another source indicated that Jay Z was seriously angry and was actually assaulting her (if this is true, I think he should be arrested and sued; along with all those brothas sitting around watching it). But I can't tell for sure what went down. Again, my knowledge about this situation is limited to the brief clip that you see. But based on what I see here; coupled with the lack of respect toward woman for which rappers are notorious, this reaffirms the self-destructing nature of this new-aged hip hop culture.

On the one hand, I'm not entirely casting blame on the entertainers themselves. Women choose to parade around like objects and prostitute themselves to get stuff (i.e. Flavor of Love, BET, etc.). Likewise, consumers eat this stuff up; evidenced by the high ratings and profit margins that are off the scale. But entertainers also bear the burden for providing the outlet for people to get exploited. I wonder how they'd respond if it was their mother, sister, daughter, girlfriend, or wife getting pimped, exploited and -- as in this video -- smacked up? What if this was old Mrs. Jay Z? What if this was Beyonce (his girlfriend)?

It's scary to see this type of stuff promoted; largely because its audience (made up primarily of young people) are not educated and conscious enough to discern this from reality. For many young people in our society, this becomes their reality. For them, success becomes a product of how many cars you own, how much jewelry you own, how much money you have, and how many women you can get to serve you. The end result is that incidents like the one portrayed in this clip become the norm; not the exception.

Welcome to the frightening world of ignorance.

- ACL

Love is in the air

Mmmmm...

Corinne.





- ACL

Blank, empty, and devoid

Hey all. It's been a week since my last post; and a little longer since my last meaningful post. I've just been incredibly swamped lately. But fortunately, I was able to do a little unwinding for the Thanksgiving break. I gave myself some "me time" and spent a couple of days in DC (sorry to invade your turf with calling first Mari). I had been there once before; but the visit was pretty brief. This time around however, I had the opportuntity to do a little bit more while I was there. Hooking up with an old college friend, seeing the monuments, going to a couple of museums, visiting the federal buildings, touring the downtown area. Overall, I'd say that I had a good time; odd for a person who hates politics. Eh, Greeny?

At any rate, the semester is winding down and I'm at the home stretch. My thesis proposal is due in two weeks and will likely steal most of my time. But if I have any random and spontaneous thoughts to share -- rest assured -- I'll let you in on them. Until then, stay blessed and stay safe!

- ACL

History repeats itself. Again.

Michigan - 39
Ohio State – 42

There is no justice left in the world.

- ACL

100 things to know about Andre

I was over on Diane's page the other day. I noticed a post with "1oo things..." about her. Since I'm in the habit of stealing her ideas, why stop now?

I had been working on this one for quite some time; adding tidbits as they came to me. I would've never guessed that talking about myself could be so exhausting.

At any rate, here are 100 Things to Know about me:

1. I’m the fourth of five children; the oldest boy.
2. I’m stubborn as a mule. No. Worse...
3. I worry about stuff too much.
4. Opposite of the previous point, I can also be annoyingly apathetic about many things (so I'm told). “Whatever” is probably the most frequently used word in my vocabulary.
5. I’m the only person in my immediate family with green eyes.
6. In high school, I got the sixth highest ACT score in my entire graduating class, despite sleeping through large chunks of it.
7. I'm a perfectionist.
8. I hate long distance driving.
9. I’m lazy.
10. I’m not very sociable.
11. I don’t care that I’m not very sociable (refer back to point #4)
12. I’m cheap.
13. Likewise, I hate spending money.
14. As much as I talk about how I don’t like them, I get along well with young children. For some reason, they seem to be fascinated with me.
15. I hate un-straightened rugs.
16. I’m a neat freak at home.
17. Inversely, I’m an unorganized slouch in my office.
18. I hate making up my bed.
19. I’m very impatient.
20. I can draw just about any cartoon character around.
21. My favorite food is pizza with feta cheese and black olives.
22. I hate reality shows.
23. One of my eyes is smaller than the other.
24. I'm an 80's brat. I've seen every episode of Jem, Transformers, Thundercats, and He-Man.
25. I don’t like politicians.
26. I’m very argumentative. Sometimes I play Devil’s Advocate just to find something to argue about.
27. I talk in my sleep.
28. I can’t swim.
29. I stutter. When I’m presenting at large forums (conferences, workshops, etc.), I don’t stutter as much. Odd, huh?
30. I’m a nice guy. A really nice guy. A really, really, nice guy. Sometimes to my detriment.
31. I hate ironing clothes.
32. If you look closely, I’ve got small freckles on my cheeks.
33. I don’t like holidays.
34. When it comes to “courting” with women, I’m incredibly shy.
35. I hate admitting when I’m wrong.
36. My favorite beverage is Apple Juice. A close second is my Kool-Aid. Third is my sister’s Kool-Aid. Fourth is my nephew’s mother’s Kool-Aid. Rounding out the group is A&W Cream Soda.
37. I try to avoid confrontation. Both a good thing and a bad thing, it seems…
38. I gripe too much.
39. I hate feet and toes. Unless I’m just getting out of the shower, you probably won’t catch me without socks on.
40. My favorite TV show is the Twilight Zone. Others include House M.D., Alias, Spongebob Squarepants, Law & Order: SVU, Nip/Tuck (before the Carver nonsense at the end of season 3, anyway), and Married w/ Children (*wink @ Greeny).
41. I’m the only male employee in my department (we’ve contracted a guy from Ann Arbor, but he’s only here once a week).
42. I hate losing to other people in Jeopardy.
43. I’m a procrastinator.
44. My favorite book in the Bible is Proverbs. It’s the only book I’ve read in its entirety.
45. I tend to provide unsolicited advice (though I’m really getting better at this one.)
46. I can’t dance. My running joke is that I’m the only black person on the planet without rhythm. But I’m starting to think it’s true.
47. My favorite song is “In the Still of the Night”
48. I correct people’s grammar (but only when it’s just horrid).
49. I often say stupid things at the wrong time.
50. Fall is my favorite season.
51. I find value in what people say and think; even if I disagree with it.
52. I can’t parallel park.
53. I’m very moody.
54. I don’t like flowers.
55. I’ve got small moles that stick out on my neck and under my left arm.
56. My favorite musicians are Earl Klugh, Norman Brown, Tony Roster, Jr., and Miles Davis.
57. I don’t know how to sew.
58. I get irritable when I don’t get enough sleep.
59. On a related note, I sleep too much.
60. As an undergrad, I had a crush on a professor on our campus. Too bad she's married.
61. I’m a self-taught drummer.
62. My favorite colors are earth tones; especially green.
63. Sometimes I act first and think second.
64. It’s always been my dream to play in a band.
65. I don’t take compliments very well.
66. I love working outdoors.
67. Ironically, my favorite quality in a woman is sociability (odd for someone who isn't sociable himself).
68. My ultimate career goal is to become a Chancellor or President at a major college or university (The University of Michigan, perhaps?)
69. I get defensive easily.
70. I think that good can be evil and vice versa; depending on whose version you hear and why they say/believe it.
71. I once had a crush on Babs Bunny, from the Animanics cartoon.
72. I look too much into some things.
73. I have a bad habit of getting people angry, even if it’s not my intention.
74. I can cook pretty well.
75. I’m not very good at making small talk.
76. I have a fervent dislike for most celebrities
77. I try to find shortcuts too often.
78. I was accepted into six out of seven colleges I applied to as a high school senior (Arizona State, U of M – Ann Arbor, U of M- Flint, Depaul University, Morehouse College, and the Ohio State University; denied by Kettering University)
79. I was only accepted into three of the five grad schools I applied to (U of M-Flint, U of M-Ann Arbor and Indiana University; rejected by Arizona State and the University of Chicago; my two top choices).
80. I was a vegetarian for four weeks. Then I had a hamburger.
81. As a child and an early teen, I habitually suffered from nose bleeds.
82. I don’t have a hard time making friends. The challenge comes in keeping them.
83. I want to write at least three books before I die.
84. When I first started understanding politics in high school, I wanted to register as a Republican. Pretty ironic, huh Hippie?
85. My siblings jokingly nicknamed me “The Captain” because I’m selfless and always “saving” others, even when they don’t reciprocate it. But lately, this is starting to change a bit for me. I’m starting to get more self-centered; but not in a bad way.
86. I’m allergic to cats. Interestingly, I just found this out with my neighbor’s feline.
87. I get comfortable/complacent too easily.
88. I’m pretty submissive to others. Very seldomly do things happen “the way I want them to.”
89. I’m horribly ticklish on my neck, especially around my mole.
90. My political views are slanted toward being socialist.
91. I’m highly opinionated…about everything (I mean, you’ve read my blog, haven’t you?!)
92. I don’t drink alcohol, do drugs, or smoke.
93. I can move my left ear.
94. I don't like waiting at traffic lights (if no one's around, I'll run them). Goes back to being impatient.
95. I don't always speak my mind when I should. Oppositely, sometimes I do speak my mind when I shouldn't.
96. I’m ignorant when it comes to cars.
97. I love watching lightning storms.
98. My favorite game is Monopoly.
99. If I could between being rich or being in love, I’d choose being rich.
100. Above everything, I'm a sinner redeemed by the Cross.

Well, that was fun. Now it's back to work I go. Lots to do before this weekend. Have a blessed rest of the week!

- ACL

Patience + Faith =

For all of those out there who growing impatient with God:

Honestly, have you felt like the things in your life were too confusing and hurtful to even bother dealing with? It's like you're stuck in some sort of perpetual conundrum with virtually no solution in sight. Occasionally, the answers will show up right in your face, while other times they're way out of view. What happens when you get to the point where you feel like you've lost purpose to the things in your life? How do we deal with these feelings?

I think I'm starting to finally realize that we should tackle these feelings with expectancy for the future. What I mean by this is that we should allow God to have control over our lives today, while expecting great things to materialize tomorrow. God is bigger than anything that we could ever imagine. He has the ability to make the impossible things in our life possible. Why then, do we consistently gripe and complain about our present conditions?

Man, I got hit with this lesson pretty hard.

From my experience, I think that we spend too much time looking at our lives through the fog of the past. That fog not only distorts our present view, but it completely blinds us to what the future can hold. What happens as a result is that we respond to the present and the future with negativity and cynicism. We say things like "I can't do this" or "I can't see myself being able to do that" or "I don't think that I can get from here to there". But little do we realize; each time we limit what we can do or -- more importantly -- what God can do, our vision of God's power becomes blurry and jaded.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that those who wait on God will have renewed strength (40:31). What does this mean? Frankly, it's as simple as it sounds. I don't think that there's some sort of deep and hidden meaning to the word "wait"; except for maybe one caveat: that we "wait" with our minds in a state of expectancy. At this point, we're are putting our trust -- our complete trust -- in God to do whatever needs to be done. It's expecting God's plans for our life to materialize, according to His will...no matter what the past situations looked like.

I think that the more expectancy we have, the less difficult it is to deal with uncertainty, confusion, troubles, and hardships. Since God has promised to constantly renew our strength, the very least we can do for Him is to be patient with Him. The word reminds us that we'll be able to soar like eagles, run our race without without getting tired, and walk confidently without passing out. If we put our faith in God, He pay us huge dividends by pouring His strength and blessings on us.

Just wait.

Thank you (you know who you are) for helping me to see that.

- ACL