I have tried to watch a game and I cannot seem to get through a single one...
Its unexciting, until of course this fight.
Candace Parker, the WNBA current prodigy, is involved in a brawl similar to the Pistons-Pacers fights years ago. But even the fights in the WNBA lack the excitement and adrenaline that NBA fights do...
I wish it were better.
For those looking for the fight, click here.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Mistreated Military.
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3776975n
Watch the above video first. All of it. It is very disturbing but it offers an intimate window into the treatment of our veterans. We tack on "Support Our Troops" magnets to our cars. We speak proudly of our troops while they are away. We never speak ill of troops. But none of these amount to anything. What happened to that young man is a travesty. This is not a new story but it is still a relevant one and if you haven't seen, now you will never forget it. This is reality, unscripted and in your face. If you have aspirations to join the American Military be wary of how exactly you will be treated. Life after war is still a war. I have spoken to a number of Vets and they have expressed the need for change in what is available to them post-war. We need to do something for these young men. If we are going to throw in the line of fire, we need to make sure there are protections in place to ensure their safety afterwards. Physical and mental insurances that will cover them.
In a recent Time article found here it discusses how the military is prescribing pills to stymie the psychological effects of war. They give emotion numbing pills, which ultimately create robots or zombies with automatic weapons. The perfect soldier is one that does not think and follows orders but now we are ensuring we are creating those perfect weapons. These men not only become reliant on medication to get through the horrific circumstance of war but now see killing as systematic. Forget the killing of 'insurgents' as being an issue of contention. When their own comrades get shot they do not have to feel the loss anymore. It is setting them up for problems when they finally get a chance to go home. Hooked on pills and emotionally unavailable to the people they come back to.
These are only a few of the practices that have leaked. Does allowing this to happen really "Support our Troops?"
Nas - Nigger
I was passed the new Nas album from the bootlegger at my barbershop yesterday and I finally got through the whole piece. With Nas you know you are getting lyrics. Needless to say this album shows him stepping it up a notch from last years Hip-Hop Is Dead album but his beat selection is off. The cameos from Game and Chris Brown are horrible and leave one question "why?" Chris brown is usually discard but he seems out of place on record as does Keri Hilson. She sings the hook on Nas's single 'Hero', which is ok but too poppish for my tastes.
The whole concept behind the album original title is tackling the issue behind the word "Nigger," is a pretty interesting and progressive title. I am a black man who embraces the word and sees the hypocrisy in holding a funeral for the word when the meaning is still intact.
A word on its own has no meaning behind it until someone puts meaning or establishes context behind it. "NIgger" is a very volatile word and I would not dare dismiss the blood behind those letters but you cannot bury a word. You cannot bury the meaning. We are not that far away from the race issue. As we have seen in the media depiction of Obama the Jeremiah Wright scandal that broke out putting a black mark (pun intended) on Obama relatively smearproof campaign. Obama had to go out and denounce the words of a preacher while John Mccain's conservative racist evangelicals spout the same, if not worse, racist screed that Wright was accused of but McCain is not asked to cosign the statements of his supporters. Obama's blackness entitles to him absolute scrutiny about everything. He is not a Nigger by Chris Rock's definition but he is a nigger according to the 'one-drop' rule.
I refuse to allow the word nigger to pass because at that point the history will be forgotten. The word nigger is the most tangible artifact of American history. A history that many refuse to acknowledge and even more wish it could actually be buried. The NAACPs attempt to bury the word is a feeble attempt at moving past the power of the word and I applaud Nas in his attempt to unearth what was buried alive. Too bad the album is not as powerful as I would have liked.
Here is a sample track from the album:
Black President feat Barack Obama himself.
And here is the Album Version without Obama
This track is one of the better tracks on the album.
Cop the Album July 15th, 2008.
The whole concept behind the album original title is tackling the issue behind the word "Nigger," is a pretty interesting and progressive title. I am a black man who embraces the word and sees the hypocrisy in holding a funeral for the word when the meaning is still intact.
A word on its own has no meaning behind it until someone puts meaning or establishes context behind it. "NIgger" is a very volatile word and I would not dare dismiss the blood behind those letters but you cannot bury a word. You cannot bury the meaning. We are not that far away from the race issue. As we have seen in the media depiction of Obama the Jeremiah Wright scandal that broke out putting a black mark (pun intended) on Obama relatively smearproof campaign. Obama had to go out and denounce the words of a preacher while John Mccain's conservative racist evangelicals spout the same, if not worse, racist screed that Wright was accused of but McCain is not asked to cosign the statements of his supporters. Obama's blackness entitles to him absolute scrutiny about everything. He is not a Nigger by Chris Rock's definition but he is a nigger according to the 'one-drop' rule.
I refuse to allow the word nigger to pass because at that point the history will be forgotten. The word nigger is the most tangible artifact of American history. A history that many refuse to acknowledge and even more wish it could actually be buried. The NAACPs attempt to bury the word is a feeble attempt at moving past the power of the word and I applaud Nas in his attempt to unearth what was buried alive. Too bad the album is not as powerful as I would have liked.
Here is a sample track from the album:
Black President feat Barack Obama himself.
And here is the Album Version without Obama
This track is one of the better tracks on the album.
Cop the Album July 15th, 2008.
It was pulled from underneath me.
Turning over a new chapter into our nation history finding me unable to clearly see the words. The future is absolutely uncertain. Our country is in dire straits. This fact was made clear as day to me this week. I have been searching long and hard for a job to pay off my debts that I have accrued within the last few years and I thought I struck gold with my last interview. I was hired on the spot and was asked to return the following Monday to being job training.
Monday arrived and I was excited to begin my first day training to be a Loan Officer for American Mortgage & Investment in Largo, Maryland. It was five minute from my house, the possibility for an unlimited income was high. My confidence was high. The first day of training was an absolute bore, however. The trainer was dressed very well, in a tailor-made suit and had a really nice silver attaché. I sat in a class of five and played audience to the trainers accounts of his exploits in his first year in the business. After his “lecture” he let us go early. I met a really nice Nigerian dude who graduated from Howard University and a sweet girl who manages a bar a DC the name of which I have since forgotten. We spoke about our hopes for this job and were all generally looking forward to knocking out training and making our money.
The next day, we all met in the conference room to wait for our trainer to get into the office. All of us sat silently, probably because it was too early for many of us, it being 11 o’clock and all…Anyways, in our silence was a sweet luxury, listening to the conversation in the room next door. Well, it can be loosely described as a conversation…there seemed to be a group of gentleman in room with one yelling and screaming obscenities. He seemed quite irate but my only thought was that he was firing people. Firing people would leave more money for me! (or so I thought)
Our trainer came by, in the same suit different shirt, this time no tie, and he seemed disheveled. He walked us to the classroom and we began. He got straight into the material, no jokes, no ice breaker, and definitely no exchange of warm sentiments. Two hours later he gives us a break. We all decide to just sit in class and talk. We discussed our goals, hopes and the problem we had with some of the stuff he was teaching us. Twenty minutes later he comes back in and tells us,
“I’m sorry to tell you this but we are no longer able to hire any of you. We thank you for your time and if you like I will finish todays discussion but otherwise I wish you luck in the future, and again, we are sorry.”
We sat for minute or so while this all settled into our heads. The first inclination was to assume that he was testing us or weeding out the weak or something but sadly, this was not a joke. I asked him,
“What Happened?”
To which he replied,
“What do you mean what happened? Our branch is being completely closed to due to a lack of production. So, if any of you know someone hiring a sales manager, let me know.”
We all left. Didn’t say word. We were all really disappointed. So I have this for the next President. Jobs are being lost all over the place. Blips of unemployed souls are sparking every second and it happens in droves not one by one. Something needs to be done, the people need to be put first. American needs to begin to care about its own. I urge the American government to stop looking overseas and in essence, looking over your own people. Focus your legislation to help your people first. We are no longer the super power we once were. Drowning funds in hard power is not effective against countries like China and Russia who are focusing on strengthen their own economic situation. Both countries still have ways to go in social reform but they are heading in the right directions. We cannot keep lagging behind. What chance do we have if you can get layed-off during job training? American needs to find stability and working towards making that the norm.
Monday arrived and I was excited to begin my first day training to be a Loan Officer for American Mortgage & Investment in Largo, Maryland. It was five minute from my house, the possibility for an unlimited income was high. My confidence was high. The first day of training was an absolute bore, however. The trainer was dressed very well, in a tailor-made suit and had a really nice silver attaché. I sat in a class of five and played audience to the trainers accounts of his exploits in his first year in the business. After his “lecture” he let us go early. I met a really nice Nigerian dude who graduated from Howard University and a sweet girl who manages a bar a DC the name of which I have since forgotten. We spoke about our hopes for this job and were all generally looking forward to knocking out training and making our money.
The next day, we all met in the conference room to wait for our trainer to get into the office. All of us sat silently, probably because it was too early for many of us, it being 11 o’clock and all…Anyways, in our silence was a sweet luxury, listening to the conversation in the room next door. Well, it can be loosely described as a conversation…there seemed to be a group of gentleman in room with one yelling and screaming obscenities. He seemed quite irate but my only thought was that he was firing people. Firing people would leave more money for me! (or so I thought)
Our trainer came by, in the same suit different shirt, this time no tie, and he seemed disheveled. He walked us to the classroom and we began. He got straight into the material, no jokes, no ice breaker, and definitely no exchange of warm sentiments. Two hours later he gives us a break. We all decide to just sit in class and talk. We discussed our goals, hopes and the problem we had with some of the stuff he was teaching us. Twenty minutes later he comes back in and tells us,
“I’m sorry to tell you this but we are no longer able to hire any of you. We thank you for your time and if you like I will finish todays discussion but otherwise I wish you luck in the future, and again, we are sorry.”
We sat for minute or so while this all settled into our heads. The first inclination was to assume that he was testing us or weeding out the weak or something but sadly, this was not a joke. I asked him,
“What Happened?”
To which he replied,
“What do you mean what happened? Our branch is being completely closed to due to a lack of production. So, if any of you know someone hiring a sales manager, let me know.”
We all left. Didn’t say word. We were all really disappointed. So I have this for the next President. Jobs are being lost all over the place. Blips of unemployed souls are sparking every second and it happens in droves not one by one. Something needs to be done, the people need to be put first. American needs to begin to care about its own. I urge the American government to stop looking overseas and in essence, looking over your own people. Focus your legislation to help your people first. We are no longer the super power we once were. Drowning funds in hard power is not effective against countries like China and Russia who are focusing on strengthen their own economic situation. Both countries still have ways to go in social reform but they are heading in the right directions. We cannot keep lagging behind. What chance do we have if you can get layed-off during job training? American needs to find stability and working towards making that the norm.
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