Katrina

It's been two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and parts of the Mississippi coast. To date, there has been a great deal of recovery and the tourist industry is back on track. Those residents who have returned are slowly trying to rebuild. Having recently been in New Orleans, there is so much more to be done. As a matter of fact, there are still some bodies that have yet to be buried. Sad aint it? And yes I go back to the Occupation. Billions wasted over there while folk here struggle to regain their lives. Then I look up today and see another 50 billion has been requested for the Occupation. WTF? I am glad I had an opportunity to give back to a resident in New Orleans. Wish I was in a position to do more.

Related articles, http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/08/29/ed.edit.katrina.0829.p1.php?section=opinion, http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3535552 , http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=3526090&page=1 , http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_anniversary , http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/08/29/ED5MRQUMT.DTL

This & That

Glad all that Vick chatter is ova. Yea right

I figure I could start a lil ish. What ya'll think about this quote? "I have nothing against black women, but they’re raised differently. White women are raised to respect and serve their men. Black women are taught to question [their men]. Black women look at submission as being weak. White women look at submission as being a woman. And anyone who has a problem with this statement is ignorant. Just look at the divine order; it goes man, woman, child"

Naw, that's not a quote from me, came across it the other day. Marinated on it for a second? Whose quote is it? Some dude named Polow Da Don.

I really intended on talking about the Occupation, and I know some of ya'll get tired of me ranting on and on about the "war" but it is such a travesty on both sides. I came across Bill Moyers piece on PBS and he summed my thoughts up so well, touched on everything I wanted to hit on. Damn he is good. Do watch. No, I implore you to watch.

Oh, here is a good one too, http://www.crooksandliars.com/Media/Play/20692/1/RT-Robbins-Hayes-08-25-07.wmv/

Ok, after all that sober reality stuff. I have to end with a little comedy. Glad to see black kids aren't the only kids having problems communicating. Listen to the question and listen to her answer....

Fly By

So I got my popcorn and soda and plopped onto the floor to watch my Top Chef to cheer my boy Tre on....I should have watched something else. I was sooooo unprepared to see the brother go down. I have to admit, I would not have ate that dessert he prepared, but you can't hold that against him. He has been strong all season and prepared some great dishes. Oh...well, time to find a new show. http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=146221

Isn't this goofy, http://www.foxfunnies.com/

I was looking over my resume, damn I need to join some new organizations....hmmm...

I guess I can do some free pubbing for my frat, you know what...just give me a free ticket.

Vicked

I'm trying to wrap my mind on the issue of Michael Vick's decision Monday to plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges. Let me first acknowledge that his alleged actions are in fact a violation of the law. Dog fighting is illegal, true. He should have never participated in any aspect of it, whether it was organizing, breeding dogs or just placing bets. It was straight stupid for him to be there period. But, yes, there is a but, but, should his career be put in jeopardy over all of this? Let me just say this, a Tennessee woman just spent what, sixty some odd days in a mental house for shooting her husband in the back while he was asleep, and yet, Vick faces jail time and losing millions because he chose to participate in some illegal dog activities. Something aint too right about that picture.

Now lets just be real for a moment. I know cats in Memphis that have/were/are involved in Dog fighting. It's somewhat of a hood ultimate fighting type thing. The same cats that like that violent ultimate fighting crap that comes on TV, are some of the same cats that will bet money on dogs fighting to the death. Personally, its all sickening to me. But back to Vick, this cat grew up grew up living in a public housing project in Newport, Virginia. I'd probably imagine that he grew up watching dope boys fight dogs, and in the back of his mind he probably imagined one day when he was paid like them, he was gonna do dog fights too. Those were his surroundings back then, that's what he grew up seeing. It's funny because, people literally expect that once these brothas get their hands on some money, they instantly expect them men to somehow perhaps through osmosis inherit class and culture. Let me say that again, some people really expect a person born and raised in the heart of the hood to somehow instantaneously become outstanding citizens the moment that check hits the bank. Shit aint happening, they simply become hood cats with clean money. That said....

Let's be real too, most black folk treat their dogs like white folks treated their slaves back in the day, while whites treat their dogs like humans. Seriously, how many of ya'll remember back in the day, your relative that had a dog that stayed in the back yard, probably named "King", sleeping under the porch, getting leftovers, and rarely if if ever taking a trip to the vet. Shoot, if the dog got sick, what yo folk do?....take the dog for that one time, one way trip in the family car. But you go over your white friends house and their dog is running wild in the house, with a tight dog house in the back yard, dining on that good healthy dog food with vitamin supplements, looking well groomed, waiting to take that daily chained walk with its master.

So, you have to at least acknowledge there is a difference in the perception of Vick's actions. Some folk think, though illegal, it's no big deal, and to others, it's almost as worse as murder. Should he be punished for his actions? Sure I guess, it was illegal. Should he be facing jail time in the pen, and face losing 15 to 20 million in signing bonus money? Hmmm...I dare give an answer to that one.....

Ranting Like a Rockstar

Are schitlins the black man's caviar? Think about it...

So I'm registering folk to vote for the upcoming local elections. I never fully realized just how many black folk are unable to vote due to their being convicted of a felony. In under two hours while in Blackhaven I met about 30 brothas who are currently ineligible to vote. I do believe the state has a policy in place to restore one's right to vote, but I don't know whether many are aware or even care to get the right back.

The Memphis School Board voted to shut down Yo Memphis Academy, a local charter school. I couldn't disagree more with the board's decision. I think Dr. Milam has done a good job with the program. It's my understanding that the kids could pass the Algebra portion of the TCAP the past two years. I dunno...seeing how far some of those kids have come, would be reason enough for me to press for continued progress, instead they shut them down. To my friends on the board, you blew this one, can't wait to see you at the waterhole.

I've been catching a little flack for the lack of substance in my past few posts. Can I not give my brain a break from all the serious stuff and just have a little fun?

Speaking of, sitting here watching VH-1 Soul, where is Adina Howard....I bought that CD just for the cover alone.

So then, I'm watching my new show Top Chef, rooting on my brother Tre. The episode challenge was to come up with a dish for the late night partier. So I was immediately thinking something involving grits. No sooner than the thought come to mind, the brotha Tre says, "I'm gonna do cheddar grits with bacon wrapped scrimps." And with that creation, he actually won the challenge for the week. The show is actually helping a brotha with his culinary (my new word) skills.

Ok, I know I am tripping, but in Star Wars III, why in the hell did Samuel Jackson go confront the Chancellor with the weakest damn Jedi's. What were they Jedi interns or something? Got his azz kilt fooling around.

Ok ok....I admit I'm a lil uh... sleepy, I wanna end with this....the democrats punked out two weeks ago when they authorized this administration to spy on us, and when the gubment admitted that spy satellites will now be used against U.S. citizens, and after Padilla, a former Taco Bell employee, known also as the durty bomb terrorist who was held for two years without given his rights under the constitution, and who while held was tortured, and who confessed to every crime that has gone unsolved and who went to trial not for the durty bomb but on some other bs charges and who was recently found guilty, well why don't you read about it, there are some very interesting legal questions...I mean it could be you detained on some bs...

Read the article...http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0815/p08s02-comv.html and http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0815/p01s08-usju.html

I Stand Corrected

It was brought to my attention that I left a classic comedy out of my top three. Coming to America, how could I even forget?

So I was in court this morning and I started nodding off...

Hot Damn

Yo it's hotter than a (you finish the sentence). There is a Jherri Curl/Wave Nuveau heat advisory today too, so be careful. Damn, I think I forgot to put some deoderant on today too.

Da Movies

I was looking at some old black movie last night. Movies back then were so damn stereotypical as it related to black folk. You know, pimps, hoes and thugs. Not to say all were like that, there were a few positive junts. So with that, I unveil my top three black movies for drama, action comedy and romance.

Drama Number 3 Glory

Number 2 Eve's Bayou

Number 1 John Q

Honorable Mention for best drama would be Boyz in Da Hood, Menace II Society, Do The Right Thing and Bamboozled (not too sure how to classify that movie).

Best Action Movies

Number 3 Enemy of the State

Number 2 Bad Boys

Number 1 Training Day

Comedy

Number 3 A Piece of the Action

Number 2 Friday

Number 1 I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

I had to add anutha clip..

Romance

Number 3 Love and Basketball

Number 2 Love Jones

Number 1 The Best Man

Edjuma-Who

Damn...who's that peeking in my window?

The new law Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is referring to would expand the government's authority to intercept without a court order the phone calls and e-mails of people in the United States who are communicating with people overseas. Gregory Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, predicted that the bill's approval would lead to the monitoring of ordinary Americans by the National Security Agency, which conducts most of the government's electronic surveillance. "If this bill becomes law, Americans who communicate with a person abroad can count on one thing: The NSA may be listening," he said. Your right to privacy and your civil liberties? Negro please...we must do this or those terrorist folk want to come here and kill you. For more analysis, I turn to Keith,

If you still don't get it, here is a more detailed assessment of the surveilance issue. http://consortiumnews.com/2007/080207.html

Rumor has it that the State of TN will likely be taking over several local schools for its students lack of academic achievement. Those schools are Airways Middle, Carver High, Cypress Middle, East High, Fairley High, Frayser High, Geeter Middle, Hamilton High, Kingsbury High, Sherwood Middle, Southside High, Treadwell Elementary, Treadwell High, Vance Middle, Westside Middle, Westwood High, and Winchester Elementary. Wait, wait, damn, those are all predominately black schools. Boy am I in shock. I mean, how can this possibly be? Whose fault can this possibly be? School board? Maybe the teachers? Could be the students themselves? Hmmm...the Parents? Naw, couldn't be, gotta be those undevoted (is that a word?) teachers.

I think there are a lot of hard working teachers in the Memphis City Schools. They are very dedicated, and very motivated, and who really put their heart into trying to drop knowledge on their students. But they can't do it alone. Often all their hard work is for naught because their absolutely no academic reinforcement from the parents. It's downright pathetic. How can you expect a child to truly learn when in most cases their own parents don't value education. But value and encourage ish like this.

Get Money

So I'm sitting here counting my dividends when I see that the Army is offering new enlistees $20,000 dollars cash if they sign on for two years, $25,000 for three years and a maximum of $40,000 if they enlist for four to six years. Damn that is the lick. I'm straight hyped on that. I can show use that cash. Well actually......my family could show use it for my funeral expenses when I return from Iraq in a body bag.

I wonder since enlistment is down, and those who are already enlisted are on their third and fourth tours with little or no down time, why isn't there any talk of bringing back the draft. Or as I have suggested before, why aren't those Young Republicans that love to call folk like me unpatriotic (they wanted me for their army or whatever, picture me giving a damn I said never...Here is a land that never gave a damn About a brother like me....They could not understand that I'm a Black man And I could never be a veteran...Chuck D) breaking records enlisting. Now don't take that the wrong way, a many black folk have for a long time enlisted, obtained a skill and in some cases a lifelong career. But right now, in these days, with the current occupation, the odds of you obtaining that career or getting maimed or killed in Iraq looking 50/50. I aint no gambling man, so...damn them 20 g's.

Damn, you telling me I've been getting pimped with the bottled water thing. Thinking I'm sipping on some pristine source of water, the whole time I'm sucking down tap water. I could have just filled a bottle up from the faucet or a regular water fountain. I'm glad to see brotha Wilkins has filed a class action suit against the bottle water makers. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-morrison2aug02,0,1198210.column?coll=la-opinion-columnists

Though the media has been somewhat silent about the matter, there is an arsonist at large in Memphis. This particular arsonist is targeting abandoned homes, in particular abandoned homes which are actually used as crack houses. Over a hundred houses have been torched. I guess, I'm trying to figure out whether dude needs to be arrested or should his actions be looked upon as something like community service? I'm not too sure, so long as no one is injured either in the fire or putting it out, an argument might be made that dude is ridding the community of urban blight. I dunno?

The media can report what they want about polls and the Mayor's race. I recognize that Dr. Herenton has pissed some folk off, but at the end of the day, I think people recognize he's done a good job with this city. All of his moves may not have been the right move, but no one gets it right all the time. I'm not an apologist on his behalf, but personally, I think he has been good for the City. Nonetheless, it will be an interesting race no doubt though.

This goes out to all the little knuckle heads, standing on the corners, looking for or starting up trouble. Oh...viewer discretion is advised.