Michael Jackson - dead at 50
Written by Black Entertainment USA
I am really shocked. This was news that was completely unexpected. Michael Jackson died today at 6:15 EST from a heart attack. He was just 50 years old.
I saw earlier today when news came out that Jackson was being brought to a hospital. Reports at the time said he was not breathing. But I thought this was just a case of exhaustion as he was preparing to launch into 50 concerts later this year. But it seems that the situation was far more severe and dire.
No matter the personal opinions we all may have about the private life of Michael Jackson, there is no question about his abilities as an entertainer. He is among the top of all pop stars, the only male artist to have 13 top 100 hits. His career has spanned 4 decades, and 45 years of his entire life. He brought joy and celebration to tens of millions of fans, across the globe. He was truely a superstar.
I am sad. While I have been a harsh critic of Michael jackson in his life, I too am struck by his passing. I am hoping that his children were not a witness to his heart attack. That they will be well-cared for, and that his will can provide them some level of comfort that the can never replace a father but may ease some difficulties life brings in such a moment.
I give my condolences to all the members of the Jackson family and their friends. The sudden death of a family member is never good news. I hope they can take strength in all the condolences fans will provide at this time.
Jon & Kate Plus 8 – the show must go on
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Actually it shouldn’t. I have been disgusted with the tabloid coverage of this couple. The media frenzy over their marital difficulties was abominable. And it all culminated with the show this evening.
After the endless speculation and paparazzi attempts to confirm the worst of thoughts, Jon and Kate Gosselin have publicly declared they are getting a divorce. And television, especially reality television has found a new low in its search for the common denominator.
With the pressure and unforgiving presence of the media, a family now is broken. And millions got to watch it happen. It is perhaps the largest mass media sadomasochist event so far in the history of the medium. The money generated by this event will never make up for the lives that have been ruined.
The lives I’m speaking about are the 8 children of the Gosselin’s. None are old enough to full understand what has happened. But they are old enough to feel every repercussion of this event. And thanks to television and the media at large, they will be able to relive this all their lives. A fact that television executives I am sure are happy about.
There are so many reasons why this is wrong. The effects of this will last far longer than the “reality” show. In the end, the pain inflicted will likely not be seen until it hits a headline down the road. Yes, all 8 children are now 1000% more likely to become part of a more tragic statistic than growing up with divorced parents. They may become part of the child stars that have lives damaged permanently – like Dana Plato, Todd Bridges, Lindsey Lohan, Tatum O’Neal, Danny Bonaduce, Britney Spears, Brad Renfro, Michael Jackson and so many others.
Just for the momentary amusement of the public. The joy of letting someone feel better about their own lives by watching someone else’s problems. And it only took the infliction of pain on the minds and lives of children that can’t even understand what has happened.
Would this have happened anyway? Maybe. But there is no question that having the parents chased down by the vulture hordes of cameramen looking for any failure in their lives made raising so many children just that much more difficult. There is no question that the pressure of having their lives documented for the watercooler commentary of the masses did not make it easier. Not getting a chance to just be loving parents, or a married couple, just ensured what was announced today.
Yes, over 50% of the people married today get divorced. Yes, society does not view divorce the same as say 30 years ago. In fact, it is now considered as much a part of marriage as anything else. But do we really need to be a part of this happening? Do we really need to know intimately how this happens to a family in weekly episodes?
But millions have gotten their pound of flesh. They are reminded that the Gosselin’s are just like them. Television has found a new low to sink to. The commercial success of this family breakdown guarantees executives duplicating the events for even higher profit.
So when you see the Gosselin kids in the headlines in 10 years, don’t be surprised. When you see the paparazzi chasing them down courthouse steps, or seeing their mugshots, feel as smug as when you watched their parents announce their divorce. Because every viewer, the cable network, television, the tabloids, the major media, all helped it to happen.
What a proud moment for the tabloids. What a grand experience for America. What a heyday for the viewing public, indeed.
California: home of towns that are an insult to the U.S. military
Written by Michael Vass
The more I hear of the laws and issues promoted in towns across California, the more I wonder what happened to their gene pool out there. Actually that might not be fair, as Southern California seems to have its head on its shoulders as opposed to stuck up an orifice, most of the time.
The issue at hand this time are laws passed to restrict military recruiters. 2 towns, Eureka and Arcata, voted to restrict recruiters from speaking with those under the age of 17. There was nothing preventing the minors from contacting the recruiters first though. Of course the federal law is that no one can join the military under the age of 18, except those 17 with parental permission. And theAppeals Court have just shot these laws down as unconstitutional.
But my point is that why would anyone attack the military in such a manner. As if it is a terrible thing to defend one’s country. To voluntarily step up and support the Freedoms and Rights the majority of Americans take for granted every day. In passing these laws these towns had made joining the military seem as if it were akin to joining a gang or an illegal activity, or somehow shameful.
And it’s not as if the laws regarding military recruitment have changed in the past 30 years of so. Thus I am led to believe that the people in these towns are cowards, disrespectful, and ungrateful. This is a political action, pure and simple. It’s a statement directed at the wrong people for the wrong reason.
It’s no surprise that this happened in California. A State where in the Northern half Marines returning home from Iraq are asked not to enter the public ways of the airport. Where the Navy is asked to not allow any leave when coming into port. Where institutions proposing to offer higher learning describe Marines as “unwelcome intruders”.
They make me almost wish that an enemy army were to attack them, because you know they would be screaming for the very same military they do not support or respect to come to their rescue.
I’m sure Nancy Pelosi is proud of these insulting actions by her fellow Northern Californians. They reflect the views and actions she and Sen. Harry Reid have shoved onto the American people via their control of the Congress, and now White House. Too bad that North Korea and Iran agree with their views as well. Thus their nuclear weapons programs are going full tilt.
I wonder how unwelcome Marines would be if North Korea shoves a missile up San Francisco’s ass.
But to the point at hand. Maybe it’s the veggie burgers, or the health fanatics. It could be the liberal use of drugs (since the 60’s through to today with medical marijuana). Or it could be all that sunshine and earthquakes alternately baking and then shaking the brains of those in California. Whatever it might be, they are an affront to those that make the choice, especially in these difficult times, to offer to defend this nation with their lives.
I wonder if Obama’s Stimulus package can be used to provide Eureka and Arcata with one-way tickets to Venezuala so they can live under Hugo Chavez. That at least would be worth the money.
I remember the words of Vice-President Biden
Written by Michael Vass
Do you recall what Vice-President Biden said back on the campaign trail? It was October 2008. And he asked every American to mark his words. I did.
“He’s gonna have to make some really tough - I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen.”
I recall that at the time I stated
“…Will Obama try to sit down and talk with a leader of a nation that hates America as say crude oil shipments are held hostage? Or perhaps North Korea will openly renew efforts to build a nuclear weapon…”
Well I called that right.
But over the past several months, North KOREA has made every effort to challenge the Obama Administration. They have openly restarted developing nuclear weapons, they have launched multiple missiles – each with further range than the last. They have insisted that the Korean War restart, and just today have threatened the U.S. with 1000-fold retaliation for any act that displeases the isolated nation.
A time for tough decisions indeed. Yet the response has been anything but decisive or remarkable. We allowed the missile launches. We chided North Korea verbally and at the U.N. We are awaiting a strong rebuke from China and/or Russia to North Korea. Essentially we are doing nothing.
Is that the equivalent of President Kennedy that Vice President Biden was referring to? Somehow I don’t see the actions of the Obama Administration being the equal, or even in the same ballpark, as that of President Kennedy. Without surprise, the results have been just as incomparable.
I posed this question at the time
“So the question should be, do we want a President that will be challenged internationally at a time when we are still reeling from monetary instability, engaged in 2 warfronts, and headed by an Administration that is internally conflicted?”
The answer seems to have been yes. President Obama was elected, though the promise of Vice President Biden was downplayed and ignored in the media. But now, 6 months into the Presidency, I am remembering the words of Biden – as he asked all Americans to do.
President Obama is in the middle of running 2 auto companies and several banking institutions. He is embarking on a crippling budget – even by the estimates of his own reports. The nation is continuing to experience rising unemployment, and the Obama Administration is cutting Defense projects while increasing the national debt. We are still engaged, and will be for an unknown amount of time to come, in 2 warfronts. We are confused in dealing with the detainees in Guantanamo Bay, even as the President has mandated their removal from the base. And for all the apologies and posturing to nations across the globe, we have gained no greater support than what we had a year ago.
So what will come of this growing crisis? Vice President Biden gave no answer. He had no solution. He gave no sign of hope or positive outcome. Which to me means he had no confidence.
But now that we are stuck in this Presidency, what can we expect? Vice President Biden is no longer allowed to discuss his thoughts on this. And all indications are that President Obama will allow North Korea to move ahead with their plans unfettered.
Not quite the symbol of President Kennedy is it? But at least we can chalk up 1 more of the few campaign promises that were kept by Obama-Biden. Don’t you feel warm and fuzzy, maybe a tingle going up your leg, just like in October?
text messaging - the sport ESPN won’t cover
Written by Black Entertainment USA
It’s official now. The world is going to hell in a hand basket.
Why? When there are competitions, equating a form of athleticism to sending a text message well then the future is just all over. Seriously, there was a competition for the fastest, and most accurate, text messager.
Obviously this was a ploy by LG Electronics Inc. to spur the use of text messages and generate income. The winner of the “event” was Kate Moore. At 15 years of age she gained her “skills” by sending 400 or more text messages a day. Which includes in school when she should be learning lessons, and at home when she is supposed to be having dinner.
Now I must add that the young Ms. Moore states that she has good grades. Which I will take at her word. Though I bet that her grades were higher, and could be higher, without the texts. And she is involved with performing in her local school plays. Which leads me to believe she will not become a serial killer as she has real world social skills, to some degree.
But more importantly is the thought that for the predominance of young people, interactions and just life have become more of a secondary action to being tied to a cell phone or similar device. 250,000 people, all at or under the age of 22, showed up for this “competition”. And I don’t get why.
So she can text well and fast. Why does that deserve a trophy or $50,000 (how much of which I wonder will be spent on her cell phone bills)? How is this useful or even interesting?
Consider any sport. There is a skill and athleticism involved. There are social attributes that are gained. Some degree and form of socially redeeming qualities can be found. But text messages? If this is the best we can expect from the generations to come, plan on moving to an island.
I can see it now. Movie stars that win Oscars for the best emotes in a sentence. New debates about English being the only language vs. the hyper-abbreviated language of texts being spoken. OMG
I honestly am not picking on this young girl. But I am picking on a non-achievement that has been raised to a point that it pretends to be worthy of acclaim. I am picking on the lowering of standards and expectations of the next generations. She won $50,000 big deal. What she and other young people may be losing in the long run is priceless.
Should David Letterman be fired?
Written by Black Entertainment USA
When I first wrote about the inexcusable comment that David Letterman made about the daughters of Gov. Sarah Palin, I was firmly entrenched in the thought that it was political. And an insult to all women. It was more than just a “bad joke”.
To say it was merely a bad joke is to say that inferring lewd sexual acts between a young woman and a man 2x her age is occasionally good natured. Which I do not agree with. To also have that joke be ambiguous such that it can be related to a 14 year old minor is even worse.
But that is part of my problem with this whole situation. Letterman continues to insist that the joke is about an 18 year old young woman. As if that excuses the whole thing. As if everyone had understood that he was directing the joke at this young woman, as he now claims, that it would have been ok. No, it does not become ok just because one daughter is of legal age and another is not.
But the people now calling for Letterman to be fired are solely focused on the 14 year old. Because it adds fire to the flame. Inferring that an 18 year old is fair game. Which I beg to differ on.
If the calls for Letterman to be fired were solely based on the repulsive nature of the comment, and the fact that it was driven by Letterman’s barely held back hate of Conservatives and Republicans, then I can see its merit. There is little difference in what Letterman said and Don Imus.
After Don Imus publicly insulted the Rutgers basketball team, I was among those calling for him to be fired. Because he attacked a group of young women, without cause, who were non-public entities. In addition the attack by Imus was the kind of racial commentary that led to lynchings in the (not very distant) past.
A public figure, lashing out at non-public figures in a manner that is solely meant to denigrate the attacked is always wrong. And I support the removal of that public figure for such actions. It doesn’t matter if that person is White, Black, Hispanic, Male, Female, or whatever. The public airwaves are a sacred ground with protections that only mean something if we enforce them.
The Palin daughters are not public figures. The Governor of Alaska is. So just in the same way that attacks against the Obama daughters are insanely wrong, or attacks on college teams, or against your family, to attack the Palin’s is the same thing. Something that I find extreme Liberals like Letterman, and much of the major news media, fail to comprehend.
So that reasoning is worthy of firing Letterman. It is the same reason that Embassy Suites pulled their advertising from his show. Insulting women, because of a political belief of the attacker, just to be cruel and vile is hardly worth defending, or supporting with advertising.
Thus the focus really should shift from the claim that this was about a minor. This was a political attack and an attack that covered ANY young woman in a manner we would like to believe does not exist in the 21st century.
So does Letterman deserve to be fired?
Well this was done on public airwaves. It took a week before enough pressure hit Letterman to force him to make a barely sincere apology. In fact in reading his apology it becomes clear that this is more of a tactic to preserve his job than remorse over what was said, or the motivation for what spurred it.
Given how well this lines up to the reasons that Don Imus was rightly fired, I would have to say yes. David Letterman deserves to be fired. It is a terrible way to end a 30 year career, but Letterman knew what he was doing, and he didn’t care as long as he got to grandstand his hate of Conservatives and Republicans – especially in the case of Gov. Sarah Palin.
Will Letterman be fired? I doubt it. He has a huge following. He is a huge political supporter. He has the general support of Hollywood and the media in this political climate. His contempt of Conservative views is lauded across the internet and major media. He will more than likely weather this storm.
But I say again, David Letterman is the same as Don Imus in this situation. Thus I support the same end result. CBS should fire him now.
Captain America returns!
Written by Black Entertainment USA
When I was growing up, there were a few things that you could always count on. Death, taxes, the fact that every President was a descendant of a European, the only time you would hear about Black history was in February – and that was mostly just Dr. Martin Luther King, Superman was the ultimate boy scout and Capitan America loved and defended our nation. But as I have grown some of these things have changed. Some for the better, some worse, and a few we are still wondering about.
Death though never changes, and it even hits fictional characters. First to Superman, and more recently to Captain America. In both cases there was an outrage among comic book fans. In fact some people were upset that had never read a single comic issue of either character.
Superman was of course brought back. The whole death was a big gimmick to stir up cash at DC Comics, and thoroughly confused fans with not one version of the boy scout but a half-dozen or so. This has eventually been straightened out. But it must have inspired someone at Marvel.
In a move that I can only call idiocy, Captain America was killed. Not fighting for America, or defending our nation overseas. But by the cowardly bullet of a hidden lunatic. It was a chilling moment.
The fictional living embodiment of all the virtute and Freedoms that is America was struck down. In a post-9/11 world where sacrifices of Rights and lives are all too common, this one symbol of how the nation endures and overcomes every challenge was gone. It was a bleak message reflecting, as comic books often do, the strife and turmoil within our society. In my view too bleak.
But 2 years after the fact, Marvel Comics has re-thought its actions. Either that, or they are preparing for another movie converting Captain America from ink to flesh and bone. (In fact movies starring and featuring Capitan America are planned in the next 3 years) Thus the word is out that Captain America will be back. Yes, on July 1st of 2009, the living American ideal will enrich the pages of comic books again, and thus the minds and hearts of us all – if just subliminally.
If this turns out to just be a marketing gimmick, Marvel will lose. Just as DC crushed its fanbase and had to resort to revisioning Batman (who is no longer around either) and Superman in film, Marvel will lose its fanbase. In fact I think that the films will not recover some of the older fans, or those they influence.
Because you cannot sell freedom, nor equate the Rights of the American people to dollars and cents. For all the negatives of international thought, and the dislike of capitalism, the differences of religion or the seemingly eternal issues with race relations, America is unified in our belief that we are a great nation. Great because of the ideals we live and, many, die by.
If this whole fiasco has been designed with a thought of evaluating what is America today, of what are the true strengths of the nation, then this was a great plan. If the re-born Capitan America is redoubled in his belief in our nation and what it stands for, and thus imparts that message to our youth, then it was time well spent. If this iconic symbol of America, that men and women of all ages and backgrounds know of, is the rebirth of true heroes and the best of America – Marvel will have earned every dollar that this can bring them.
But if this is just about money, if it lowers the ideals of the nation, if it cheapens what it means to be American, I will be more angry and insulted than when they killed Captain America. Some things are worth more than money. Some things have a far greater impact than just the form and style they are thought to convey. To me, it would be the equivalent of burning the flag in Congress.
If this sounds too harsh, too serious a discussion because it’s just a comic book character remember one thing. His name is Captain America, not joe blow superhero. In ways that affect us like our other national symbols, he is more than just a comic book character. He is grander, like our nation. To sully that is to sully us all.
President Obama apparently protects supporter, fires Inspector General
Written by Michael Vass
Let’s say that a President was elected with a majority of votes. Let’s say that this President has a number of supporters, some of whom run organizations that receive money from the U.S. Government. Let’s say that one of those supporters got into trouble with their business, due to an appointee that the Government hired. What do you do?
I’m sure some are thinking this is referring to President Bush, and the massive non-scandal that was created when he fired lawyers that served “at the pleasure of the President”. That would be a mistake.
I am in fact referring to President Obama. The organization is in fact St. HOPE Academy, which runs AmeriCorp, and received hundreds of thousands of Government money. The supporter is Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who runs St. HOPE Academy. The problem and the man who found it was that perhaps millions were misspent and misused as the investigation of IG Gerald Walpin determined.
What is the problem here? Well according to President Obama
Of course IG Walpin found
“The IG found that Johnson, a former all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, had used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities, run personal errands for Johnson and even wash his car.”
In fact Johnson and the nonprofit agreed to repay some $850,000 that were received in Government money. Which sounds like Walpin did his job. He found people wasting our money, and got at least some of it back. The fact that this happened to be an Obama supporter really shouldn’t matter.
But it does matter. Because it appears that doing your job, protecting the money of the public and identifying those responsible, is only useful if they are not President Obama supporters. I mean what else would make you not confident in a person responsible for recovering almost $1 million dollars of taxpayer money?
But here is the part I’m really interested in. How much notice will this get in the major news media? How many commentators, Senators, and watchdog groups will say something? Will this be swept under the rug, or will there be an outcry like for President Bush?
From what I can see this is a blatant political smackdown. It’s the President protecting his people over the protection of the American people. There needs to be more of a reason given than a loss of confidence for someone doing their job.
But will the majorly liberal media step up? Will a Democrat-led Congress raise an eyebrow? Will anyone even pause to question the “annointed one”?
IF there isn’t a big stink on this, then it will be more than sad. It will be a further breakdown of the Government. It will be another example of politics overshadowing the reasons elected officials are in office for.
We deserve a better reason than “loss of confidence”. The President must always be above petty acts of favoritism. People doing their jobs well should be commended and promoted, not fired. If the news media fails to question this, we need to wonder what will they ever question. And how many Rights will we lose by that time?
David Letterman, Judge Sotomayor, Speaker Pelosi - all examples of liberal bias
Written by Michael Vass
You know, I find it interesting how liberals get away with outrageous comments. The media just ignores any comment by a liberal entertainer/celebrity/commentator/politician, no matter how insulting or rude. But dare a Conservative or Republican say an even questionable remark – well the floodgates just get sent wide open.
Obviously there are the remarks of Judge Sotomayor. Every Liberal and Democrat in politics has defended her now famous quote. A quote that virtually any man, especially a White man, would likely lose their career over. But Judge Sotomayor is a Liberal, somewhat activist, Latina Democrat Judge. Which means that no matter how racially biased her words, she can keep her seat on the bench if not get a promotion to the highest Court in the nation.
There are the consistent words of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her most recent debacle being her questionable knowledge, or lack thereof, about waterboarding and torture of terrorists. She has gone from absolute statements that she is against these acts, to denials of being informed and allowing them, to outright claims of being lied to by the Government.
Throughout this window into the poll watching, opportunistic view of Speaker Pelosi we have seen time and again proof that she knew of waterboarding for YEARS. That she, if not directly approved, implicitly condoned the enhanced interrogation techniques. That she never once, from several years ago right up to this moment as I write this, has filed a complaint or memo to hold any Government agency responsible for misinforming her and thus the public. Yet she has wasted no time to publicly make such claims, defending her position and power.
Not a single Democrat chided her. Not a single media publication (that has any liberal or Democrat leanings) took her to task for her faulty memory, inability to act decisively, and her actions that seem more akin to pandering and a popularity race on American Idol than the actions of a Speaker of the House.
And the most recent is of course David Letterman. Without a blink of an eye, Letterman insulted minors and women. He degraded a young woman on national television, and in doing so insulted working mothers across the nation as well. Yet I have not noted a liberal backlash.
His response to this was an unsympathetic apology. Which was turned into yet another round of bashing women and added insults to yet another profession. All of this, because he does not like the political ideals of one woman.
Yet I have not heard about N.O.W. or any other women’s rights group insisting on a boycott of the Letterman show. I have not heard demands for a sincere apology. I have not seen the blogs eviscerating Letterman’s actions. In general (as I believe there must be some criticism occurring in the liberal media somewhere) the media, like Democrats, have turned their heads as if they never heard about this.
But imagine a Conservative saying these kinds of things about First Lady Michelle Obama. Or perhaps the Obama children. Do you think that the media would be silent? Do you think that Democrats would act as if it never happened?
And that’s the problem. The Liberal Democrat mantra has become
“You can say anything… As long as we agree with it.”
That’s not freedom. That’s not a free society. That’s an authoritative stance, which seeks to wipe out or minimize any view except what is approved. That’s 1984, it’s China, it’s UN-American.
David Letterman, like Judge Sotomayor and Speaker Pelosi, has the Right to say what he wishes. With the limitations we place on all celebrities, politicians, and entertainers as a matter of decorum. If he wants to spend his time creating a McCarthy-esque list of Conservatives and Republicans that he dislikes, he can do so. If he wants to debate politics and promote a specific liberal Democrat view, more power to him.
But only a fool and a weak coward, in my opinion, chooses to attack minors. Especially when that child and/or young adult is not in public life and has never once said so much as boo to or about Letterman in public. I find it to be no different than a man who abuses a woman, because his warped view of life says that this is ok. It’s the same kind of action that those that abuse children do. It’s ok, because Letterman is more popular, has more political support, and the media will absolve his bad behavior. That’s a bitter and twisted view.
Suffice to say that if the comments of Letterman, or any of the others I have mentioned, cannot be said by ANY Conservative, Republican, Man, Woman, Race, Religion, and so on without instant and massive criticism, Liberal Democrats should not be summarily excused either. They are no better, nor more saintly or correct than anyone else.
David Letterman should be ashamed. House Speaker Pelosi should be investigated and castigated. Judge Sotomayor should never be approved for the Supreme Court. If they all were treated by the media the same as non-liberals and non-Democrats, there would be no issue. But they aren’t, and the repercussions of this biased favoritism will affect our politics, entertainment, and Rights for years to come.
Lollipipe candy: Introducing kids to drugs
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Of the many products I have seen over the years, I have run into few that are as exploitative and potentially dangerous as the Lollipipe. And when I say dangerous, I mean promoting drug use in minors. When I say exploitative, well just read on.
The Lollipipe is the invention of Kzee Novelty Products LLC. It is marketed as a tobacco pipe, but the shape of the product makes it clear that it is intended for marijuana. Add to that the fact that it is sold exclusively, to my knowledge, in “head shops” – places that sell drug paraphernalia under innocuous names.
The Lollipipe is designed in bright playful colors that will attract the youth. It is also designed with flavors like Watermelon, Green Apple, Grape, Strawberry, Peach, and Blueberry. Again this is a marketing trick that targets the youth. It has a claim that the Lollipipe will not melt from flame being applied to it. It is completely edible.
Thus in effect we have a product that targets young teens or even smaller children. It is designed to make them feel like drug-adled adults and/or cool. It will give them the sugar buzz that all kids love. And while hard to purchase, in some places, it is not illegal. Add to that the ability for the product to be consumed, so as to hide its use from even the most attentive parent.
I am disturbed by this product. I am reminded that the Tobacco companies were sued for tens of billions of dollars to advertising and marketing programs that never dared to go this far. Yet I have not heard one word about this product.
IF colorful packaging is enough to cause the Tobacco companies to lose in courts, this product should be at the top of DEA and consumer boycotts. Yet I doubt most parents even know of its existence. In fact, I bet there are more than a few liberals, and/or those in the hip hop community, that think it’s a great idea.
This must be a huge hit with those that want to legalize drugs. I guarantee that your local drug dealer likely has dozens of these Lollipipes that they are giving out to kids in playgrounds across the country. Yes, even your kids in the suburbs and small towns where you might not think there is a drug problem. Yet. But the Lollipipe is a great introduction into a life of drug addiction.
I can only imagine what will be next from this company. Maybe a Peppermint flavored crack pipe? How about an edible syringe? Heck, why not a kid-sized mini meth lab.
Obviously there is a market for this product. Irresponsible parents and family of infants/children that are given hits of drugs as seen on Youtube and the major media will flock to these products in droves. Word of mouth will likely fill elementary schools. Hey, do you think pedophiles will stock up on this stuff too?
What a way to make a buck.
This is disgusting. It is my fond desire to learn one day that Kzee Novelty Products LLC has failed and become bankrupt. If there is anything I might be able to do to help this company fold, I will surely do it. Because there is nothing that is positive about their existence in my opinion.
By the way, their website is not yet done. They currently have a static image of their product – tastefully packaged to provide as little direct knowledge of the contents as possible. And just to make sure they are capturing as wide an audience as possible, the company promotes the product on their joke of a webpage as “Eco-Friendly”. I am sure that global warming fanatics will be happy to add this company among the roster of those touting change.
I cannot think of a better warning right now than what I have already mentioned. But I would love to hear from anyone that would defend this product. And I will be sending a copy of this post to Kzee. I wonder if they will have the balls to respond?
Will there ever be justice for Oscar Grant?
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Oh my god. Could it actually be that Justice will be served in a case where a police officer shot, and killed, and unarmed young Black male?
The end of the preliminary trial for ex-BART officer Johannes Mehserle has ended in Oakland, still without the media coverage that such a case deserves to have. This is especially true given the fact that video evidence exists for this case from multiple sources. Add to that the blatant and extreme nature of a police cover-up. Then finally include an astounding revelation from one of the key officers involved with the murder of Oscar Grant
The facts of this case are so blatant that the Judge presiding over the prelim made the following statement after ruling to allow this case to go forward to trial
Yes, it’s so obvious that a Judge was willing to say that publicly. Of course this will likely cause the trial to be moved. And I’m willing to bet that the new location for the trial will be the equivalent of Simi Valley. And we all know how impartial that kind of jury pool can be.
Since I first learned of this case in January 2009, days after the murder of Grant, I have seen no reason to doubt the guilt of Mehserle. I have followed this case while the major news media has actively ignored it at every turn. I have questioned what has been done to cover-up the situation, and speculate about the cause of news media disintrest.
So far we have learned that ex-officer Mehserle initially excused his murder of Grant with a claim of an unseen, non-existent gun. Later, after time with a new lawyer and the quick cover story speculated by the Oakland Police Chief, the story became the accidental use of deadly force.
We have learned that every officer involved has (in my opinion) perjured themselves with lies of chaos and impending doom. Accusations of angry mobs rushing forward, attacks against officers, and resisting arrest have all been soundly debunked by witnesses and multiple videos of the event.
How this case has not been subject to a quick plea bargain leads me to one thought. Mehserle believes he can get off scot free.
This is even more likely if the venue is moved. It is backed up by precedence of officers across the nation being absolved of the murders of, and/or violence against, unarmed, innocent, young Black males. It is supported by a news media that has tried to actively maintain doubt, in the most of the few times the case has ever been mentioned. It is reinforced with the persistence of criminals covering their crimes with accusation of imaginary Black assailants that are readily accepted as fact by the media and most of the nation (most recently by a Pennsylvanian woman who was in Disney at the time).
That is gut-wrenching sickening. That a defendant can be guilty as sin, with more than ample proof, and the odds of gaining justice or even a semblance of punishment are maybe 60 - 40 against is unacceptable in the least. And I still get people advocating the innocence of Mehserle. I still have people that wonder and debate why African Americans across the nation fear and shun police officers. I still hear people deny the imbalance of the legal system and misrepresentation of Justice in America.
In my opinion, Mehserle is guilty of murder. Yet I still cannot be assured that he will be convicted of this obvious and insanely vicious crime. Because in the end, it was just another young innocent defenseless Black male. And in America that is the same as a deadly weapon in the hands of Osama Bin Laden. Lady Justice is weeping.
Gambling - New York State’s answer to fiscal irresponsibility
Written by Michael Vass
There are a few things you can always count on in life as I have observed. The Government always gets bigger over time. People always drink when the economy is good, and 2x as much when it is bad. And any sales pitch offering free money will make the salesman rich.
Taking the last thought as an example, I am reminded of a conversation with a colleague. In New York State there are several racinos. These are horse racing tracks that also offer other betting opportunities. Currently you can go to one, say Tioga Downs, and bet on horse races, video poker, lotteries, and video slots. Card games are not allowed, yet.
It’s not Las Vegas. You really can’t even compare it to Atlantic City. It’s just slightly better than a bingo hall. But these racinos get filled daily. Because the lure of free money is addictive. This is why more and more States are licensing these venues each year.
The concept is that this is not hardcore gambling. It’s recreational. It’s a fun pastime. Except they are in the business of free money. And the Government gets a huge slice of the profits. Just like Lotto.
Any time you can see a huge payout on any bet, you can be assured you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning. A $200 million lottery prize means that the state will likely clear $400 million in bets. Even if a dozen people do win, each of them are more likely to have been struck by lightning – even if they each had a dozen tickets each. Thus the tens of thousands of people, if not more, are doing only 1 thing – making the lottery rich. Honestly the best bet is always a single lottery for a buck.
But the State Government knows a good thing when it has it. Lotto worked wonders. Then came the racinos (in an attempt to gains some of the money that was being lost to the Indian casinos) with video gambling. But that was when the economy was decent.
Right now New York State is in such dire need that a purchase of soda is going to have multiple taxes added to it. If the State could tax breathing and get away with it, I think they would try it. Because the wanton spending of the likes of Gov. Patterson and those before him are finally catching up with them. They have so embraced the “tax the rich” concept that either the rich don’t exist as they did, or they have moved to a State with far more fair tax codes.
Thus the racinos are now about to get a new trick pony. Video gaming tables, likely followed by actual card games. Which to me spells the death knell for the State budget. It is an act of desperation. It is preying upon the foolish and the sick (gambling addicts) in the hope of continuing on the current path of irresponsibility.
The addition of video gaming tables is expected to add some $150 million to State revenues. These tables are a neat loophole in current laws by the way. It is a large touchscreen table. You can sit at the table and play poker, electronically and without a dealer, as if it were video poker. Except you are actually playing against other people. But since the deck and dealer are electronic this bypasses the laws that would restrict these games.
Not that a few laws matter. Not in the face of a budget deficit similar to that of California. Thus the push for real card tables is underway. Expect that to change in 2010.
The net effect is that the State is acting like a crack dealer. They are pushing an addiction for money. An addiction that inevitably destroys the addicts. Thus the only way to keep up this ponzi-like scheme is to always get more people hooked.
Look I like gambling like everyone else. I’ll play poker with the guys (and a few ladies too). I’ll buy a Lotto ticket for a buck on occasion. I love to play craps at the casinos. But moderation and the lack of opportunity are critical. As is my understanding that the odds are rarely ever better than my chance of being struck by a meteorite.
Most people don’t understand how outrageously bad the odds are against winning any bet made. They have even less of a concept of this when the State Government is behind the bet. The State is supposed to help and protect the citizens, thus implying a fairness and opportunity that does not exist. It’s the same reason some people will spend $100 or more on Lotto, thinking they have increased their odds substantially – which in fact has made almost no realist effect.
I don’t like it when a State is acting more like a drug dealer than a proponent of the people. Especially when the motivating factor is the idiocy of the politicians in charge. Video gaming tables are a bad idea. It’s the worst substitute for efficient policies and fiscal responsibility. They are a suckers bet, and are a means to feed the State’s habit (spending money like an alcoholic drinks) while violating the public trust.
ex-officer Mehserle on trial for Oscar Grant murder - justice undone
Written by Black Entertainment USA
And so it begins. Almost 6 months ago to the day, the year 2009 rang to life. At almost the same time Oscar Grant’s life came to a close with a sharp bang. That bang was a gunshot through his back and into his lung. Oscar Grant was lying on the ground, possibly handcuffed, with one police officer kneeling on his neck with another standing and having shot him.
This was the cause of riots in Oakland, California. This was the start of yet another cry for justice from the Black community across the nation (a cry the major news media ignored). And it was the target, along with another murder and shooting – all by police, of multiple posts and videos by me. And I’m not done yet.
On the 26th of May, the defense for former officer Mehserle has claimed that the officers at a BART station on January 1st feared for their lives and were receiving resistance from at least Oscar Grant among 4 men detained that night. One officer has stated that Grant was grabbing her arm shortly before being shot in the back. It was stated that Grant had to be forcibly made to sit down by officers, and that he was being restrained when he was shot in the back.
Oh, and the major point that everyone has waited for the defense to say: Ex-officer Mehserle thought he had his stun gun out when he shot Oscar Grant in the back while he lay on the ground, defenseless.
This is bullshit. Not unexpected but crap from start to end.
While I cannot comment on the actions of Grant or the other men that night from before video was available, I can comment on the video before and during the time he was shot. The video that the earliest news reports denied existed. Video that was available to the world, and I featured in my posts of the event.
Here are the facts as I saw on the video. Grant was not resisting officers. Grant was on the ground, restrained and under control of an officer who was on his neck. None of the other men being detained moved. There were some 5 or 6 officers on the scene. Not one officer made a move for their guns or stun guns. None were reaching for or had out their mace/pepper spray. While the situation was loud, not one officer was moved against with aggression from the crowd on the scene. Officers did try to confiscate videos being taken of the event.
Most important is officer Mehserle. After he stands, he is alone from all other groups and officers. He takes out his gun, which is not near his stun gun, just because of this supposed occurrence. He aims for about 2 or 3 seconds, then fires.
So the actual visual record, from at least 3 video recordings of this event, all show the same thing. The officers did not have to fear for their lives. They may have been uncomfortable, but they were in no apparent danger. They were outnumbered, but they also were in force and not mobbed by a crowd. None felt the situation to be so precarious as to arm themselves.
Mehserle is the only officer to become armed. He took his time, and acted with purpose. He was seemingly in full control and was unencumbered nor rushed. He is not a rookie, and was supposedly well trained.
Grant was lying on the ground. His hands are behind his back, likely restrained. Which means this was cold-blooded murder.
The news media will likely not cover this story, just as it did not cover the initial event. There will probably be no mention of this on the national cable networks. The few stations that do cover this trial will likely take the stance that the police offered immediately after the shooting. That it was a tragic accident. The actual videos of what happened will likely not be mentioned. And the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson will remain absolutely silent.
In fact, other than a quote from the family of Grant, the existence of a video was barely mentioned in the news report by the San Fransisco Chronicle
So the average American, who probably never heard of this murder, and don’t know that video evidence of the actual shooting exists, will think that an officer in fear of his life accidentally shot a kid that was resisting arrest. Which is a lie.
And I’ll even say more on that. It’s a lie because officer Mehserle would not have quit the police force rather than go thru an internal investigation of the shooting if it was an accident. Mehserle would not have left the state prior to charges being placed against him (well over a month after the fact). News organizations would not have omitted the existence of multiple videos of the event, nor would the police have denied all but one source of video (which conveniently had the worst view of the shooting). This is a set-up. It is the means by which a former cop is being protected from the truth of his actions.
Again I tell you that I have covered this story in detail. You can see all my posts at http://blogsearch.google.com/?bl_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackentertainmentblog.com%2F&ui=blg&as_q=grant
True justice demands that Mehserle gets the death penalty. Justice would be his imprisonment for life, and the awarding of all his possessions and funds to the Grant family (in particular to Grant’s daughter that will never see him again). But this is America. Mehserle was a police officer who killed a young Black man. Odds are that Mehserle will walk away from this with barely community service.
And people wonder why African Americans are so angry at the police and the legal system. Just imagine the press coverage, and speed this would be happening at – not to mention the ultimate outcome – if this was a Black cop that killed a young White father while he was lying on the ground defenseless. If you can imagine that, you cannot compare it to this mockery. That’s why we are angry.
But I will continue to follow this, even as the major media avoids it like the televised plague.
Pitbull attacks son of Pittsburgh Steeler
Written by Black Entertainment USA
It’s sad news on any day when you hear that a child has been injured. That doesn’t change where the child has a parent that is famous or not. Because we all want children, anyone’s child, to be safe at all times.
But there is something in this story that infuriates me. The source of the injury to Pittsburgh Steeler’s linebacker James Harrison’s child was a pitbull dog. And I’ve heard these kinds of stories way to often. The breed should never be around children. In fact, I believe the entire breed should be destroyed.
But before I go on, let’s get this into perspective. The pitbull is NOT part of dogfighting. The dog was not abused, or mistreated. There have been no reports of the dog causing trouble, or getting loose, or anything that would indicate it would harm anyone. This is not a Michael Vick kind of situation. This is all about the breed.
Pitbulls are a breed of dog bred for one thing, fighting. They are known for their aggressiveness, and the injuries they give to adults as well as other dogs and animals. They are prone to sudden vicious attacks, without cause. In my experience, every pitbull will at some point turn and attack without cause at some point in their lives. And the manner of raising the pitbull, and it’s parentage have little to do with that.
Case in point, back in the mid-90’s I was working at a stock brokerage firm in NYC near Wall Street. In the middle of one day a call came in that the daughter of one of the brokers I knew had just been taken to the hospital. The cause of her injuries was the one of the family’s pitbulls.
This pitbull had been raised with the child from birth. It was bred as a family dog, and the broker was a recognized breeder. All of his dogs were raised in a gentle surrounding, with good bloodlines. Up to that point there had never been an incident with the dog. The attack occurred in the kitchen, with the mother and a family friend present.
The little girl was just 6 years old. The dog was 5. For no apparent reason the dog turned on the girl as she entered the kitchen. It bit her face, requiring plastic surgery though she face would always retain marks from the attack. But at least she survived.
Just as James Harrison’s son will survive. He was bit in the leg. He will be in a hospital for at least another day, as the injury is considered severe but not life threatening. Just as with the experience my broker acquaintence learned about, Harrison’s dog attacked without provocation. 2 adults, one being the mother of James, were also injured while trying to rescue the boy.
Why do people continue to have these animals? Especially around children? I just don’t understand it.
They are beasts at the best of times. They are popular because drug dealers in the 80’s used them to protect crack houses from police raids. They serve no purpose, and are without any merit in my opinion.
How many children will need to suffer from attacks by these beasts before they are destroyed? How many people will be attacked? How many more headlines will it take before the status of owning such a vicious and unpredictable creature fades?
Owning a pitbull leaves you with one result. Given time it is bound to attack. I’ve found that to be true in every case of someone owning a pitbull. And sadly, children often are the victim of these attacks.
Canada, Australia, England, Norway, France, Singapore, Iceland and even Serbia get it. They all restrict or forbid the breed. Various cities and counties across the nation including Sioux City, Overland Park, Miami-Dade, Youngstown, and Sparta among many others get it. Even the state of Oklahoma has proposed the ban of these dogs.
I am sorry to hear of the injury to Steeler’s linbacker Harrison’s child. But I hope that if any positive can come out of this horrific attack, it is that it helps to end the existence of this breed so that no other child ever goes through this again.
PSA: Fake Part Time Job offer circulating net
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Beware the latest trend in fake emails meant to steal your money. As always criminals are taking advantage of economic events and trying to use them to get your money. The latest of these is an email supposedly from Global Shipping Agency Ltd.
The email goes along like the following, with my notations added:
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Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Melisa Cunningham [This is a fake person], I am a Personnel Department manager in Global Shipping Agency Ltd [Fake use of corporate name] and I would like to offer you a job of Customer Service Financial Assistant in our company [Fake Job].
First of all, I would like to make a brief review on our company. Global Shipping Agency Ltd.– is a world famous full service transportation company with the head office based in Hong-Kong. Our company is a leader and one of the most famous freight services providers. We work both with companies and private individuals. We specialize both in transportations by air, sea and road as well as in household removal services. GSA Ltd. has more than 10 affiliated branches around Europe and Asia and constantly develops. For more information, please visit our web-site http://hurec.eu [Fake site].
Today we would like to offer you a position of our Customer Service Financial Assistant with a prospect of a career growtsh [Note the poor spelling and bad grammar in this document - a corporation will not send an email like this. Plus a corporation would never give a job randomly to anyone].
In January, 2009 our Marketing Department started a research in the USA to determine the states with the highest customer activity [Actually the criminals behind this are seeking out areas that respond the most to random unsolicited emails]. By the time research finishes, there will be 5 states chosen, with the highest level of clients’ activity. We will be happy to offer you a position of a full-time manager at one of our newly opened US offices, once you perform well at a part-time position.
As for now, let me tell more about a part-time position of a Customer Service Financial Assistant.
At this position, you would be responsible to deal with the payments form our American customers; these can be companies or private individuals. You will be a middleman between our customers based in the US and the regional branches of the company based in Europe and Asia. Your mission will be to fasten the process of payment delivery, so that to help us get the payments in regional branches efficiently, deal with each of the customer orders in shortest possible dates, attract extra customers and improve company’s total profit [This is illegal. It is money laundering, a violation of 9/11 finance laws, and international law].
Moreover, it is important to notice, that we work on special program under patronage of U.S. Government for reducing cheap-contracts taxes [The U.S. Government is not involved with this at all. Note that no specific Agency of the Government is stated]. The reason we join that program is the European Union economic restrictions that affect us. If the payment is forwarded directly to one of our European accounts, our customers would have to pay another 25%-27% as a fee to the European government [There is no single European Government], which would make their expenses much higher. This 27%-Law was made by European Bank Association to protect the interests of European banks, but it affects us as well.
This is a step-by-step description of your responsibilities on a position during the approbation period:
You will have to deal with the customer payments, arranged by the Company Head Office for you. Our Head office will arrange every new coming payment with you in advance over the phone (so that to make sure you are available) and then send you an e-mail with all the details that you might need, a step-by-step instruction, exact amount transferred, the name of the customer who made the payment and the details of the regional branch the money is supposed to be sent to [This is an attempt to launder money, and gain your banking information].
We try to arrange all the customer payments to be made like wire transfers – we consider this way of sending money to be the safest and the fastest one – transaction is checked by a Federal Wire System and is normally released for the beneficiary in 1 hour after the money has been sent.
So, after the customer makes a payment to your bank account, we will send you an e-mail with all the details of the payment. Once the payment is shown at your available balance, you are supposed to deduct your 10% commission first. Out of the 90% left you are supposed to deduct the related charges for the Western Union fee. The amount left after all the deductions are made is supposed to be transferred by Western Union to one of our regional branches (depending from and to what destination the transportation is required) [No corporation of worth handles its banking with random people, or outside of a bank. Western Union is not a banking service. This is an attempt to circumvent detection by the Government].
We use Western Union service to fasten the process of payment delivery – this I an instant money transfer service, and the money you sent is available for the receiver immediately.
As this is a part-time job position – you will get 2 payments a week to deal with during the approbation period and then up to 3-4 payments a week once we sign up a working agreement with you. Once you get some experience, you will probably need less than 1,5 hours to finish the whole task [By the end of the "approbation" you will likely have frozen accounts and/or the criminals will have stolen your money].
We offer that for the approbation period for the incoming customer payments you either use the existing bank account of yours [Never give this information to anyone! If you would not give the information to a stranger on the street why would you give it to a strange company?] or open a separate bank account for the company needs (the amount of each payment on the trial period will not exceed 10000 usd). Once we sign up a long-term working agreement with you [Will never happen], we will assist you in opening a business account for the company payments as we will expect more payments of larger amounts to be arranged for you to deal with. The business account takes some time and effort to be opened, and so that not to lose time (as we are just going to test each other) we advice to start with some private account first [Again, never give your private information to anyone!].
The approbation period lasts for 2 weeks, which allows both of us make sure we are comfortable to deal with each other [Just long enough to get your information, steal your identity and money, and disappear before the Government gets involved]. We will sign up a pre-contract agreement with you, which will be valid through the approbation period only. Once the approbation period has gone through successfully, we will be happy to sign up a long-term working agreement for part-time employment on a regular basis with you. Some of our lawyers come to the US every 1-2 months, so once a lawyer comes to the USA, we will arrange a meeting for you, for all the papers to be signed up.
This position offers excellent benefits and basic salary of $2000 a month, along with long term career progression opportunity. Apart from a basic salary, we also offer you a 10% commission out of each project you are dealing with, so that to encourage you to deal with more payments and keep your interest in finishing any new coming task in shortest possible dates. [Sounds nice, but all lies sound good. But this is illegal and false from start to finish]
Once you get more experienced and are able to come with your duties easily, you will be offered to take more responsibility on a position. Experienced managers normally do all the arrangements regarding new coming customer orders themselves – communicating with the customers and regional branches, making lists of transportations, authorizing each new customer order with the company Head Office, dealing with the payments and sending them to the final destination. These responsibilities involve more time to be spent, but as well higher earnings. For all the business calls to go through successfully, you will be equipped with an iPhone. As well we will cover your international call expenses.
If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to e-mail us.
We are looking forward to hearing from you ASAP.
The Company this proposes to be is a fake. The website is a fake. The actions it is asking people to be involved with are illegal, and meant to steal your money.
The goal of this is to get you to use your bank account to launder money. In addition the hope of these criminals is to get your bank information and take any funds you have as well. Either way they gain cash, and you receive extreme trouble.
This is the 3rd iteration of this specific scam. The first 2 versions have been identified at http://www.bobbear.co.uk/global-shipping-agency-ltd.html and http://www.bobbear.co.uk/global-shipping-agency.html.
In each case the same website and virtually the same email has been used. Who knows where the next version will appear at.
Facts
I am glad to know that www.bobbear.co.uk and other sites are identifying spam and phishing emails and sites as I am. People that commit these kinds of acts are scum of the earth. Be aware and don’t be fooled.
Hip Hop and Washington DC – going back to the beginning
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Rap and Hip Hop today has taken a huge leap backwards, which is actually a great thing to happen. When I say backwards I mean to the beginning of the entire genre of music. Back before there was the current mainstream of gangsta rap there were the diversified and influential styles of rap music.
From Grand Master Flash introducing the first serious rap song in 1982, The Message, there was a growth in the music that spoke to serious issues. This culminated in perhaps the strongest voice for political involvement and criticism from the rap hip-hop industry ever: Public Enemy.
They might not have been the most loved rap group among White America, or even people of color, but they were vocal. They took the entrenched political status quo and shouted for them to be accountable. They looked at African Americans and demanded we do better. That we become involved rather than be directed. And they had an effect.
In fact Public Enemy, along with serveral other rappers and groups, became such a force for change that the music industry stood up and paid attention. Their reaction has been denied for decades, excused and deflected. They found, pushed, and manipulated gangsta rap.
In the over a decade since 1992, gangsta rap has become the standard rather than a sub-genre it started as. It has almost entirely avoided any serious involvement in politics or political action. It has promoted violence, drug use, abuse of women, and crime. It has distracted the masses with illusions of wealth and giggling of female anatomy. The music executives did their job so well that even when leaders in the rap and hip hop industry tried to get serious about politics (2004) no one listened. And they were undercut from within with actions like that of Kanye West during the Hurricane Katrina Fund Raising efforts.
But then came President Obama. And the rap and hip hop industry rallied. Because President Obama is relatively young, a Democrat, full of promises, and most importantly (if we are honest) he is Black. And they jumped in with both feet, in an election more defined by a national breaking of the ultimate glass ceiling than most anything else.
Now I do not fault rappers or hip hop for this. I in fact am happy to see they have finally gone back to their roots and suddenly realized the power that was thrown away (or bought off) 17 years ago. The latest attempt to regain the past impact on politics is the Hip Hop Caucus.
The Hip Hop Caucus is a lobby group made up of rap artists, guided by the Congressional Black Caucus and supported in some issues by members of Congress. As of this moment they are seeking to have a bill introduced, with the support of Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Ed Markey. Their goals – green reform, education, re-entry legislation for prisoners, lessons on the Constitution in schools and funding for voter registration.
These are all good ideas (to varying degrees). The big question though is if Hip Hop is capable of making the transition back to where it started. Especially as the music genre continues on its path of glorification of violence, drugs, and abuse of women. Can it make money for music executives focused squarely on distraction of the masses, while encouraging the youth to become involved in the politics that shapes their lives?
I think not. To me only one master can be served at a time. Which means either Rap cleans up, potentially causing another backlash from the music industry, or the Hip Hop Caucus and other such groups fail.
The quote is a true statement. But as long as we affect the next generations with thoughts and images of exclusion from the mainstream of America, of living in a manner that is counterproductive to society in this nation, then all of the speaking out will be little more than static in the air.
Secretary Clinton - the past stays hidden
Written by Michael Vass
Call me a purist, but I tend to respect when the media pays attention to the news of the day. This tends to happen sporadically, if ever, but since the candidacy of President Obama it’s become a rare treat indeed. Case in point, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
I know there are many examples of the inefficiency of the Obama Administration, the rampant failure to pay taxes, the hoards of people that fail to gain acceptance to Cabinet positions, and the multiple policy reversals and broken promises of President Obama himself. But in the Secretary’s example we see just how willful and different the media is behaving.
Secretary Clinton, back when she was a candidate in the Democrat Party, took $1 million in campaign contributions from a known fugitive of the law. This is not a matter of politics, but fact. Not only did her campaign take the money, not only was Norman Hsu an associate of the Clinton’s (photographed often with them), but her campaign actively stonewalled attempts to reveal how much money was given to them by Hsu. They even went one step further in blocking attempts to identify and repay funds from Hsu, which were found at that time to have been stolen money.
You would think that should have been enough to end the career of then Senator Clinton. It did not. In fact, Clinton nearly won the Democrat nomination. Stop for a moment can consider all that being done by a Republican. The news media would have eviserated them. The careers of all involve would have been crushed. But in the Democrat Party, Clinton was rewarded with a Cabinet position. At least she did pay her taxes.
You might think that all that was swept under a rug back then because she might become President. Which seems ludicrous to me as I think that should have been a reason not to let this go. you might think it would have come up at her confirmation hearings. you might think that it would come up now during the trial of Norman Hsu. And you would be wrong on all counts.
Yesterday, for the briefest of moments, the fact that Secretary Clinton took stolen money from a known fugitive, and tried to keep it was slightly addressed. Today it is a memory. At least for the major news media.
I continue to have to question any political party, and any President, that would count as one of its key operatives a person so power hungry as to be this corrupt.
Again this is not political. For me. Because a Republican under these same circumstances would be under attack by me as well. Likely the news media would also be involved, with a daily recount of the trial and all the facts proving the guilt of the politician. Hell, the Bush Administration is still under fire for the firing of people that serve exclusively at the will of the President. Seriously, people that could be fired at any time, for any reason, at the president’s whim. And our Secretary of State bloody near committed a crime. (If not factually breaking several)
Considering the first 100 days under President Obama, we have seen a pandering to the most extreme liberal Democrat views, the violation of the most important of campaign promises, the active violation of the Constitution, the weakening of the military and Intelligence divisions of the nation, and wasteful spending the size of which is incomprehensible to everyone save perhaps the astronomical scientific community. But beyond some bloggers, the near complete news media industry has turned a blind eye.
So I have to wonder who this benefits? Just as I wondered who benefited from the failure to repay all the money Norman Hsu donated to the Clinton campaign. Because in the end, I know who is suffering - America. Everyone may not see it right now, but considering the cast of incompetents we have leading Congress (will Speaker Pelosi ever give a straight answer that she remembers) and the Cabinet, we are all sure to live the repercussions shortly.
President Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner
Written by Black Entertainment USA
So over the weekend the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner took place. And the Dinner was quite interesting. The remarks made at this annual event are comical in nature, plays on the events and scandals at the time. It’s a time for the White House to get back at it’s detractors, poke fun at gaffes, and lighten the mood over controversial policy decisions. Obviously Vice-President Biden was not one of those speaking at the event.
I thought that President Obama did a decent job at the event. He got in jibes at FOX News (which you knew had to happen) and even Michael Steele. He had a few really good jokes, though I think some of the best were directed at himself and Vice President Biden. Perhaps the best joke was at the start of his speech. That was dead on.
So hear is the full speech of President Obama. What do you think was his best joke of the night?
The first 100 days of President Obama
Written by Michael Vass
So we have made it thru the first 100 days under President Obama. The nation is still called America. This is still a democracy. The public, and more importantly the major media, still love President Obama. But this is no longer the nation that I grew up in.
There have been many changes under the Obama Administration, some due to the President and other due to the Democrat-led Congress. All of the changes have been based in the goals of the far-left and selected campaign promises.
Let’s start with the appointees. There are many critical Cabinet positions that have yet to be filled. Several have had a revolving door of nominees, leaving some of the most critical positions that effect the economy open. Worse yet, there has been an undeniable consistency that virtually every Democratic nominee has failed to pay taxes, in some cases for multiple years, until nominated. Which is troubling in a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of way.
But beyond the appointees are other troubles.
President Obama has failed to live up to many of his campaign promises. The Guantanamo Bay Detention will be closed, eventually, though there is mass confusion on what to do with the detainees. Will some be imprisoned in American jails. If so at what higher cost than normal. If not in America then to where? So far only France has accepted exactly 1 detainee. So much for international support and their belief in President Obama.
President Obama has failed to increase transparency on 7 of 9 major laws since taking the Oval Office. This too was a campaign promise that was broken. The most notable case of this was the $787 billion stimulus bill. A stimulus package that does not spend all the money now, that limits the income level of those that can use it, that applies only to citizens that RECEIVE a paycheck, and is primarily a tool of social change.
There are numerous examples of millions being spent on projects like artwalks, skate parks, and non-existent homeless projects in cities without homeless problems. All of these are attributable to the stimulus package, and the fact that to this date almost none of the members of any level of the Government has read the full law. In fact almost no member of Congress or the White House read the entire bill before it was voted on and approved by Democrats. Nor did the public get a chance to read it before President Obama passed it into law. The reverberations of this are still being felt now.
Moving on, President Obama has enforced the ability to gain an abortion, even in later term pregnancies. Which is in line with his long-standing political beliefs, though not exactly the beliefs of the nation at large.
President Obama has approved the use of embryonic stem cells, another issue that flies in the face of overall public opinion.
President Obama allowed Congress to break the Constitution by retro-actively penalizing American citizens. This was in the form of specific and non-grandfathered taxes to the executives at AIG. These taxes were on bonuses that the executives received as part of their contract, that the Government did not renegotiate when they had the chance, and in fact guaranteed in the stimulus package that no one read. The Congressman that guaranteed the money? Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat and in charge of the Banking Committee.
Also, while violating the Constitution - which President Obama taught at one point - the concepts of all contracts were broken. In violating the contracts that the Government itself assured, all contracts are theoretically void. Because if the Government can break one it can break them all.
Plus the Government asserted its ability to control private business. First in taxing the AIG executive, thus stating the Government can retro-actively dictate pay. Then in forcing the removal of the CEO of a major auto company, while demanding changes to the operations of that company along lines that only the Government desired.
All this before the Government requested the expansion of power