What's Really Goin On?

What a Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:23:00 +0000

I know I know....still not mentally into blogging right now....tryna pay da bills. But I had to post this. The Sean Hannity's and Limbo's of the world have been taking Barack to task about inflating tires, but Barack fired back today with one helluva quote. "It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant." Oh no doubt they do. But I worry bout the folk listening to these nut jobs who don't realize that these talking heads are in fact ignorant.

Angry Sistas

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:15:00 +0000

I don't know why I torture myself by watching Faux News. With a black man as the Democrat nominee, I should not be so shocked to see the direction their news will be going. Now, the focus is of Michelle Obama. And their aim is to somehow convince those white viewers that she is the epitome of the ANGRY BLACK WOMAN!!! Yikes!!! So scary. They have began to compare her to Maxine Waters and Cynthia McKinney. But here is the comment that made me drop the remote.

Cal Thomas: "And who are the black women you see on the local news at night in cities all over the country. They’re usually angry about something. They’ve had a son who has been shot in a drive-by shooting. They are angry at Bush. So you don’t really have a profile of non-angry black women."

So far she is his "Baby Momma","ANGRY" or "His Bitter Half". Are they saying that whites don't know of any happy black women? I mean Oprah comes to mind first, but...does your average white person see black women as angry? For that matter do they see all black men as thugs? It's truly effed up that there is an effort to smear a very talented and educated sista. Here the rest of there bs...

Not all media is playing this game, watch Dan Abrams get that azz.

Gas Shortage My Azz

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:29:00 +0000

Its kind of funny how there are those saying there is a gas shortage and we gotta drill more, so we can get that oil. Whatever...pay close attention...

Supreme Busters

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Pop's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:42:00 +0000

I glad to see readers are wodnering what the heck is going on with the lack of posts. Well its called being too tired to write at the end of the day. But I intend to do better. I say hope to. Anyway, I wanted to post something for Father's day, and found a great speech. It was delivered today by Barack Obama. What are your thoughts? Oh, I did edit this transcript, just a little.

Good morning. It's good to be home on this Father's Day with my girls, and it's an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord. Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But it is also built on another rock, another foundation - and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier. In forty-eight years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong - a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty; joblessness and hopelessness. Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr. King's side all those years ago. He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century. And on this Father's Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier.

Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it. But if we are honest with ourselves, we'll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing - missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it. You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled - doubled - since we were children. We know the statistics - that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home, or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many? Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more afterschool programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.

But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child - it's the courage to raise one. We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That's what keeps their foundation strong. It's what keeps the foundation of our country strong.

I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren't as tough as they are for many young people today. Even though my father left us when I was two years old, and I only knew him from the letters he wrote and the stories that my family told, I was luckier than most. I grew up in Hawaii, and had two wonderful grandparents from Kansas who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me - who worked with her to teach us about love and respect and the obligations we have to one another. I screwed up more often than I should've, but I got plenty of second chances. And even though we didn't have a lot of money, scholarships gave me the opportunity to go to some of the best schools in the country. A lot of kids don't get these chances today. There is no margin for error in their lives. So my own story is different in that way. Still, I know the toll that being a single parent took on my mother - how she struggled at times to the pay bills; to give us the things that other kids had; to play all the roles that both parents are supposed to play. And I know the toll it took on me. So I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle - that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls; that if I could give them anything, I would give them that rock - that foundation - on which to build their lives. And that would be the greatest gift I could offer.

I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father - knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now. I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers - whether we are black or white; rich or poor; from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb. The first is setting an example of excellence for our children - because if we want to set high expectations for them, we've got to set high expectations for ourselves. It's great if you have a job; it's even better if you have a college degree. It's a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children, but don't just sit in the house and watch "SportsCenter" all weekend long. That's why so many children are growing up in front of the television. As fathers and parents, we've got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework, and replace the video game or the remote control with a book once in awhile. That's how we build that foundation.

We know that education is everything to our children's future. We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children from Indiana, but children from India and China and all over the world. We know the work and the studying and the level of education that requires. You know, sometimes I'll go to an eighth-grade graduation and there's all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers. And I think to myself, it's just eighth grade. To really compete, they need to graduate high school, and then they need to graduate college, and they probably need a graduate degree too. An eighth-grade education doesn't cut it today. Let's give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library! It's up to us - as fathers and parents - to instill this ethic of excellence in our children. It's up to us to say to our daughters, don't ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals. It's up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we live glory to achievement, self respect, and hard work. It's up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.

The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy, but empathy - the ability to stand in somebody else's shoes; to look at the world through their eyes. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in "us," that we forget about our obligations to one another. There's a culture in our society that says remembering these obligations is somehow soft - that we can't show weakness, and so therefore we can't show kindness. But our young boys and girls see that. They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife. They see when you are inconsiderate at home; or when you are distant; or when you are thinking only of yourself. And so it's no surprise when we see that behavior in our schools or on our streets. That's why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them. We need to show our kids that you're not strong by putting other people down - you're strong by lifting them up. That's our responsibility as fathers. And by the way - it's a responsibility that also extends to Washington. Because if fathers are doing their part; if they're taking our responsibilities seriously to be there for their children, and set high expectations for them, and instill in them a sense of excellence and empathy, then our government should meet them halfway.

We should be making it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them. We should get rid of the financial penalties we impose on married couples right now, and start making sure that every dime of child support goes directly to helping children instead of some bureaucrat. We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills. We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after - programs that have helped increase father involvement, women's employment, and children's readiness for school. We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income. We should take all of these steps to build a strong foundation for our children. But we should also know that even if we do; even if we meet our obligations as fathers and parents; even if Washington does its part too, we will still face difficult challenges in our lives. There will still be days of struggle and heartache. The rains will still come and the winds will still blow. And that is why the final lesson we must learn as fathers is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children - and that is the gift of hope. I'm not talking about an idle hope that's little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face. I'm talking about hope as that spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us if we're willing to work for it and fight for it. If we are willing to believe.

I was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin the other day and a young man raised his hand, and I figured he'd ask about college tuition or energy or maybe the war in Iraq. But instead he looked at me very seriously and he asked, "What does life mean to you?" Now, I have to admit that I wasn't quite prepared for that one. I think I stammered for a little bit, but then I stopped and gave it some thought, and I said this: When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me - how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want. But now, my life revolves around my two little girls. And what I think about is what kind of world I'm leaving them. Are they living in a county where there's a huge gap between a few who are wealthy and a whole bunch of people who are struggling every day? Are they living in a county that is still divided by race? A country where, because they're girls, they don't have as much opportunity as boys do? Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don't cooperate effectively with other nations? Are they living a world that is in grave danger because of what we've done to its climate?

And what I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children - all of our children - a better world. Even if it's difficult. Even if the work seems great. Even if we don't get very far in our lifetime. That is our ultimate responsibility as fathers and parents. We try. We hope. We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock. And when the winds come, and the rains fall, and they beat upon that house, we keep faith that our Father will be there to guide us, and watch over us, and protect us, and lead His children through the darkest of storms into light of a better day. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father's Day, and that is my hope for this country in the years ahead. May God Bless you and your children. Thank you.

Well spoken I must say.

Anutha Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:15:00 +0000

Baracky

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:01:00 +0000

Pennsylvania is posed to select between Hillary or Barack tomorrow. The polls show Hillary in the lead, but.......Obama only needs to keep it close to maintain his delegate lead. So....with that, here ya go.

Hope to get back to some bloggin consistency soon.

Ghost

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:20:00 +0000

I know, I know, I aint posted in a hot a minute. A brotha just been busy and because shit on every level is so depressing, I just haven't had it in me to discuss the issues, feel me? Plus since I read this article, I prolly need to retire my lil spot. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/technology/06sweat.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

But look I'm still alive...hanging out in remembrance of Dr. King. Me and Harry Belafonte Me and Congressman John Conyers Me and Congressman Lewis Me and Rev. Joseph Lowery Me and Danny Glover.......remember the Color Purple...Seely and them.

Obama and Race

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:41:00 +0000

I had to post after having an opportunity to hear it today. Will the message reach those who need to hear it most?

And what does anti-american mean? WTF? Does that mean as black folk, we have to overlook and ignore the bullshit death and destruction this country and its leaders have allowed and endorsed since its creation? Seriously...

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:41:00 +0000

Fiesty Gregory

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:43:00 +0000

For some reason this year I didn't have much zeal to wake up early and watch Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union on C-Span. But, I did catch Dick Gregory talk about the "First Black President". Thought he was gonna have a heart attack..

Smurred?

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:26:00 +0000

I told ya'll it was just a matter of time before dirt get tossed on Barack. Well let the durt begin.

But to be honest, what's the difference between this photo and when some of us rock Kente Cloths during graduation? I mean can't one represent their cultural or ethnic garb and not get slammed for being aligned with "Terrorists"? That's messed up. What impact does that photo have on you?

"The obvious difference is this: when white politicians go ethnic, they just look funny. When a black presidential contender does it, he looks foreign. And when the ethnic apparel in question is vaguely reminiscent of the clothing worn by Iraqi and Afghan fighters (at least to many Fox viewers, who think any headdress other than a baseball cap is a declaration of war on America), the image is downright frightening" Read the rest of the article, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080317/klein

To all my Wire watchers I had to sit on Omar getting killed by a kid for damn near a week. Didn't wanna spoil it for you. Can't believe it still! What's the big deal about the Wire? http://www.alternet.org/movies/77751/

Tiger Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:12:00 +0000

I guess there is a rivalry between the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee. It was obvious after this weekends showdown between the top two basketball teams in the nation. Folks rocking there blue and white and the other side rocking their orange. Oh, there was one color challenged Omega who was rocking peach...but that's a whole nutha story in itself. I actually enjoyed the game, hated to see the Tigers lose. Some folk were doubly sad, not only losing but losing to U-T. Adding insult to injury, just more fuel to those who say Memphis is U-T's uh..shall I say itch in respects to athletics. Either way, rather see them lose now than in the Tournament.

Since I am on the Tigers, let me take a moment to congratulate two former classmates at the Law School truly representing. These cats made it to the finals for the Mock Trial competitions. I don't recall any brothas or sistas making it to the finals for Mock Trial during my time there. I got dropped in the semi-finals. Glad I got a chance to catch them in the finals. Looked like the deck was stacked against them from the start the way his Honor was ruling on motions and objections, but these cats did a great job and I am happy for their success.

Some of you may find their success no big deal, but from my viewpoint, when you only have six or seven or let me go long and say ten brothers in all three classes collectively, it's worth mentioning and highlighting. Sisters over there, ya'll know I'm wit you, but let me go there for a moment, not negating any of ya'lls accomplishments there...cause ya'll have been truly doing the damn thang. I find it an absolute shame that in a class of 140, 150, or 160, total students you have four black men. That's an absolute shame given the makeup of this city. My class of 143 students had thirteen black students, of that four were men. I mean walk the halls and look at the composites, how many bro's are in those graduating classes? Seriously? Don't be embarrassed by doing it, I did. Reminds me of the scene in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, "Yo Mookie...how come aint no brothers on the wall? Now, before I go on one of my tirades, let me start by saying, maybe word has gotten out to the brotha's and they just aint applying to U-M Law, yea...maybe that's it. Or, maybe admissions just aint really looking to increase those numbers. I'm not going to believe anyone in that department that says there are few qualified applicants. I'm just not. Are they not qualified based on numbers alone? Sometimes numbers aren't the right indicator, I would know wouldn't I? And, yea, with TIP being modified, who knows what the numbers will be looking like a year or two from now.

Since I'm on the law school, let me stay there and address faculty real quick. I did write a few months back about crossing paths with a former law professor who straight up called some of the professors there some of the most petty unprofessional individuals he had ever been around. There were some who he/she said found the students to be nuisances and didn't really want to teach. Given that, I wonder how it is the School allows some of it best professors to leave to competing institutions? How do you let another school recruit your own folk? Yea, it's a part of the business, but damn, at least make an effort to retain the good ones? Ok..ok, let me ask first are we making an effort to keep these professors once they decide to leave? Sheet, the folk that need to leave still up in there reeking havoc upon students. Now I'm not trashing any professor in particular, per se....but students can distinguish between a challenging professor and one that's just going through the motions. Interjecting race into the equation, how many black professors are currently teaching core course there now? Uh..that aint leaving?

All I know is I receive those monthly requests to support my law school, but you know what, ok wait aint ready to say that yet... With the law school hyping up its new downtown building, it's hard to get excited when you know the same folk within the administration will be making decisions in the new building. That says new building, same ish. How bout some new fresh decision makers? I learned a while back at a function,(due to me slipping on an e-mail) that some faculty cruise through here from time to time. I needn't add any disclaimer about the respect I have for those individuals either, (just did), but these are legitimate issues. I'd love to hear them addressed. Why should I support an institution that doesn't appear to want to hire and retain new blood (professors) or an institution that's not dedicated to having a diverse study body? Straight up. Sheet I may as well start sending money to the Federalist Society if I just wanna start giving money away.

Then & Now

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:22:00 +0000

You know, you never know what is in store for you on any given day, we plan and then as you know God has planned. So as I was getting dressed for work last Monday morning, my mind was on your average work day thoughts. I could not have foreseen that by mid-day, I would be watching a man take his last deep breaths of life.

I have to go back almost nine years, just starting my new job, getting acclimated, learning the ropes. My job then, required me to establish a good trusting relationship with high ranking officials within a certain tight knit department of government. It was my first meeting with one of those high ranking officials. I remember walking in to this individuals office, the smell of fresh cigarette smoke tainting the air, and then seeing this light skin dude with a tight fro sitting behind a desk. I wasn't really nervous, so I strolled on in towards an empty seat and before sitting, introduced myself, advising him who I was with and why I was there. I remember dead silence....and him.....looking at me with beady eyes, kind of like staring me down.....still not saying anything, just looking me up and down. Still waiting for him to say something, he reaches for a cigarette, lights it up, blows out the smoke, then he takes a deep breath and says....Spike...have a seat. By now, I'm thinking this dude crazy. What is he trying to intimidate me? That wouldn't be unusual for his profession. But I go ahead and take my seat. I begin to tell him my angle, why I will be looking for him and his staff's cooperation. The whole time, he's got the beady eye thing going, puffing his cigarette and not saying much, just listening. So I request a file, something I know he's not gonna give me, at least not on the first meeting. That question at least forces him to put the cigarette down. Spike, I can't give you the file, at least not right now. Meaning, he had to call some other folk to find out who the heck this young dude was in his office requesting sensitive material. So with that I get up, and he rises from his desk, still staring me down, extending his hand to offer a handshake to which I too extend my hand. He doesn't walk me out he just stands at his desk, and I make my way on out of his office, closing the door behind me. The meeting to say the least was, uncomfortable and I'm thinking dude is crazy. But there is his secretary, sitting at her desk smiling; I guess she had read my facial expression, so she says........"He does everyone new like that...you've gotta earn his trust."

Needless to say, he and I established a good working relationship, especially when he noticed I had started growing a lil fro. I'd request a file, and he'd deliver. I guess I earned his trust. He was later transferred elsewhere, and we crossed paths very infrequently, when we did, he was very friendly, no beady eyes, no silent stares. Then I left for school, and can't remember the last time we had talked.

Little could I have imagined back then that years later, I would be standing at the foot of his bed, saying a prayer for him as he lived his final hours. It was so eerie to me. I hadn't been on this job more than a month, just as it was years earlier and here I am in front of him again. Who could have imagined that possibility? I just kept thinking how unlikely this event could be? And then he slowly drifted away. RIP MSJ.

So I'm sitting inside of the church for this gentleman's homecoming celebration, or at least that's what they call it. Sitting in a funeral gets your brain to thinking. When my time comes, will I be ready? Some other questions come to mind, some to uncomfortable to type, but it all goes through one's mind. Will anyone be present? Will anyone have anything good to say about you? Not that any of that is important in the big scheme of things. I guess it truly boils down to how you lived your life on this planet and whether you lived a life good enough to bring you success in the hereafter. Gotta lot of work ahead of me. What about you?

Grilled Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:23:00 +0000

So you know now that McCain and his old antiquated azz has received the GOP nomination, there is talk about who would make a good running mate. I guess due to the fact that the Democrats are having success with both a woman and a black man, the Repugs feel the need to counter such appeal. So.......

There's talk of none other than Condorskeeza excuse me...Condoleezza Rice as a potential Vice President. Well she's a woman and she's black, I think? Anyway, from what I've read a lot of folk behind the scenes are pumping her up. Sheeet...what has she done in her tenure in this administration? Played the game, been the tender lips near to her boo's ear, enforcing his insane foreign policies. In other words she been a part of the problem and not a part of the solution. Oh...Happy Valentine's Day. So as I was saying, actually I can't remember.....soooo

Oh..now I remember! Condo showed me she was a true sister today while appearing before a Congressional Committee. No doubt she a sista. She had her Boomquisha neck roll in full effect, had the Tyrone get yo ish hand gesture poppin, she represented South Birmingham to the fullest. Congressman Wexlex struck a nerve in sista-gurl. Have at it. Shocked the hell out of me. Oh...her answer was some bullish...

Obsessed? No.

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:44:00 +0000

It's not that I am obsessed with the Occupation, cause I'm not. I'm simply disgusted everytime I hear about that a soldier died, or some Iraqi civilians have been killed. You know its f'd up when you have to estimate how many civilians have dies, numbers ranging from 680,000 to 1,000,000. All on account of our so-called war on terror. Some absolute bullshit. That's the Iraq war, Afghanistan might have been called for. But that's the forgotten one. Last I checked, it was said we were losing ground there. Any way, if you feel like being disgusted some, watch this brief two minute film on the cost of the occupation. You wonder why we are in a recession?

"The continued ambivalence of the American population as a whole toward the war in Iraq, perhaps best manifested by the superficiality of the slogan "Support the Troops," all the while remaining ignorant of what the troops are actually doing, has led to a similar amnesia among politicians all too willing to allow themselves to seek political advantage at the expense of American life and treasure." Scott Ritter, The Truth Is, Iraq's Future Is Abysmal. Click here to read the rest of the article.

And if you have been keeping up with the whole waterboarding issue, I aint even gonna type anything, I think I shared my thoughts on it months back. But....this scene here says it all. Powerful aint it.....Shred the constitution?

Supa-Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:19:00 +0000

So there was a shooting at Hamilton High. A tenth grader there shot another tenth grader over get this. Some damn rap lyrics. WTF??? What, were they disputing the deep lyrical message of KRS-One, or Nas or maybe Chuck D? Naw, these fools arguing over Yo Gotti lyrics. WTF??? I mean it aint like I've never raised my voice over whose lyrics were more on point, but damn, pull a gun out and shoot someone, come on.....

So tomorrow is Super Tuesday, I got my early vote on. I can't say who I voted for but Lil Momma below can!

A good article supporting Obama, http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080218/hayes . No matter who you support, get your vote on!

By the way, tomorrow will be the fifth anniversary of when Colin Powell killed all of his street cred, making that bull-ish azz presentation before the U.N. about all the weapons of mass destruction is Iraq.

Your Gubment N Da News

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:27:00 +0000

It's kind of funny how the powers that be tout when an alleged corrupt politician is so called brough to justice, but when that same "powers that be" is found to also appear to be politically corrupt, not much can be done to correct it. Bill Moyers does a great job exposing some of the current issues addressing this issue. Oh...have you yet figured out who or what Blackwater is? Watch both parts of the piece. Quite interesting, quite sickning.

Here is part One, http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02012008/watch2.html Here's part Two, http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02012008/watch3.html

Then there is the FISA law, look it up, and the whole issue of giving immunity to the telecom companies that have spied on Americans phone calls and e-mails on the behalf of BUSHCO. Keith Olbermann does a great job breaking it on down.

You know, it's not like we really know where the meat we dine on comes from? I'm sure we'd like to believe that it comes from some nice clean farm, and the meat is processed and packaged in the most cleanest of factories. That said, would you eat meat from a cloned animal? Yes, cloned? I'm not to kool on the whole idea, but given the fact that I don't hesistate to enjoy a juicy steak, not knowing its origins why would I be just as excited to break off a juicy cloned steak? I dunno? Here is a recent article from the NY Times," F.D.A. Says Cloned Animals Safe to Eat" http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/business/15cnd-clone.html?_r=1&ex=1201064400&en=83a1db7b1632c12a&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Here's a pro cloned meat article, http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/74615/ , and a con, http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bal-fo.kasper30jan30,0,2681564.column

To all my Wire heads, did you see the fear in Omar's face?

Kudos Montell

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:13:00 +0000

She lost her Husband in Iraq.

The death of the cat that played in Brokeback (never seen it) was sad, but it's always sad when a young person's life ends. But as always, the media tends to over analyze the death of one, and ignore the others. (Yes, I'm going there) In particular the deaths of the the young men and women who seem to die daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, we never saw them in a movie, but the fact that we never saw them on the big screen doesn't make their death any less tragic. Hell if the media over analyzed why they died, maybe we wouldn't still be occupying Iraq. Montell Williams sort of got this point across well on Faux.

Just in case you wanna see the faces of those who have recently died in the occupation, here you go, http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/

Addicted

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:14:00 +0000

Ok ok, I can no longer deny it. Yes, I have an addiction. I'm addicted to "The Wire". It's a show I refrained from watching because it seemed too urban, too hood, just another urban show exploiting all the ills of the black community. It wasn't until my winter break, bored, that I by chance decided to watch an episode. I was blown away. This was about the realist urban show I'd ever seen. I watched every episode I could find on Demand.

Since I stared watching midway through the fourth season, I had to find someone who had the previous seasons on DVD. Luckily, my trusted cousin came through. So I think spent two days glued to the t.v., bringing myself up to speed.

What's the show about? Wow. Everything. From street level drug dealers fighting for more territory, to public corruption, to police juking the stats, to the struggles of a school system, the show mixes it all into one story line. It's absolutely brilliant. It's funny though that this show has yet to win any awards. Great acting and great story lines. And the bad thing is, it's absolutely realistic. From how drugs make it into the urban cities to how politicians find themselves getting caught up with durty money. Any way, I found a few clips for your viewing pleasure. Don't get addicted, I'm not trying to get you sprung. Selling Out Your Boy

Homicide detective breaks it down to murder suspect

Senator finding out he's being investigated

The Kids...

All You Can Read Buffet

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:40:00 +0000

Here's what I got out of this past King Holiday after hearing all the speeches and watching all the marches and the old footage of Dr. King.

It's not wrong to evaluate the blackness of others politically, we use it to gauge others in other avenues of life.

Some folk don't join the movement till their actual interest is in jeopardy. Until their interest is at stake, there will criticize your participation in the movement.

If you make it big, use your "bigness" to help somebody else. Who have you helped besides you?

Some Black folk talk about they made it on their own, but it was the civil rights strikes and marches that made somebody read their resume or their application. You aint the first qualified negro. Dig that!

Organizing and protesting aint old school. Can we say Jena, LA?

If you scared to speak out, say you scared, sit down, and let someone else be vocal. Whoa..that reminds me of BLSA.

Why can't there ever be more than one negro vocal at one time? Back in the day, there was Malcolm, Martin, Fannie Lou, Thurgood and others all advocating for the cause. Now days....who is there?

What side are you on and what role do you wanna play?

Do you have meaning and purpose?

Hope is ok, but FAITH is much better.

Last week I touched on Bob Johnson and his nerve to go there with Barak about his past. Mind you Bob made a living off BET as it glamorized the gangsta life and booty poppin. It was on his watch that the network dropped quality programing like Teen Summit, or people like Ed Gordon and Tavis Smiley. Here's a good read on more of Bob's dealings. This writer laid into him, http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=505&Itemid=1

Foreclosures are forcing Mayor's to seek aid. "Facing a collapse in the subprime mortgage market that has pockmarked their cities with vacant houses and crippled their budgets, the nation’s mayors pleaded Wednesday for a huge infusion of federal aid." Read the rest, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/us/24mayors.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

So, the economy is in the tank. Omg...say it aint so, who could have foreseen such a thing? Hmmm....I...R...A...Q.....700 Million a day? "A war against Iraq could cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars, play havoc with an already depressed domestic economy and tip the world into recession because of the adverse effect on oil prices, inflation and interest rates, an academic study [by William Nordhaus, Sterling professor of economics at Yale University] has warned." [Independent, 11/16/02]

So now the big story is the economic stimulus plan. Both taxpayers and non-payer will reportedly receive $300 to $800 bucks and those with kids get 300 per kid, I believe up to $1200. Damn I aint go no kids!! Not to be so damn pessimistic, but, I'm not sure how that's gonna kick start the economy when as soon as you cash the check, you are sending that loot to pay off Visa, Discover and Mastercard for one's monthly expenses. I'm no economist, but..... I did come across a good article written by Nomi Prins, and she asks, "Will Bush’s Stimulus Package Work? It Depends on Who You Ask" http://www.thewip.net/contributors/2008/01/will_bushs_stimulus_package_wo.html Here is another opinion on the proposed stimulus package by Paul Krugman of the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/opinion/25krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

I guess that's all for now folks...gotta bust a move.

Overkill

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Ok...ok...I don't wanna run this whole Obama thing into the ground but more stories have hit the net and a ridiculous video popped up on Youtube. So I had to put it out there.

Some reporter from the Washington Post wrote a piece linking Obama to Louis Farrakhan. The link is that the Pastor of Obama's church has a daughter who awarded Farrakhan some award. So the writer wants Barak to disavow Farrakhan because is a so so called racist and anti-semite. Maybe he is, maybe he isnt. But I'm not surprised, that's how some you smear. So when your average American thinks Obama, they think Farrakhan which then ='s Barak's an anti-semite. That's ugly. Here is the article. You link someone to a person who the public frowns upon, so when you think of one person you think of the other. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402083.html . Then there's Jesse Jackson piece in the post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR2008011701121.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Now, the videos. I need not break it down, check'em out. http://mediamatters.org/static/video/hnc-20080117.wmv and this one, its really ignant

You know how I love to bash Fox News, gotta love this pic.

FYI - Rev. Jackson and Al Sharpton will be at Mason Temple in Memphis on 1/19/08. Townhall Meeting. Come check it out if you aint doing anything. Peace...

M.L.K.

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:10:00 +0000

"To take the first step in faith, you don't have to see the whole staircase; just take the first step." -- Martin Luther King Jr. Happy Birthday Brother King.

Hold Up, Wait A Minute, Time Out

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:18:00 +0000

I was not really ready to further evaluate the going ons of the Presidential race, particularly the treatment of late of B. Obama. There has been soooo much media going on as it pertains to him. But what concerns me is the large amount of hating that's going on not from from racists, but from the black community.

There appears to be some interesting dynamics at play. But, since I am so undecided, I'm going to try and be as opened minded to the criticism as possible. But...

Why are the old heads hating? I figure it's because Barak is the first to rise up not having to go through the "Civil Rights Hazing Process." What I mean is he did not come to prominence by rising through the ranks or by the blessings of those who did come through that era. Yes, I'm talking about the Jessie's and Al's. For the most part I think these cats are just hating cause they never garnered the support per se that Barak has enjoyed from particularly whites voters. These dudes aint win a primary or nothing. So naturally they are gonna hate. That doesn't make it right though. They are probably like, how this dude gonna come out like this with all this success and we aint even give him "our blessings." The problem with that thinking though is that there will never ever be a quote on quote black leader if the litmus test is what he did during the civil rights era.

Then there is the political angle that I think the Clinton camp is about to take up. Allowing Clinton to praise Barak, while contracting the bashing of Barak to other black folk. Whether it's Andrew Young asserting he is too young or Sellout Johnson, oops, Bob Johnson, former owner of that wack azz network BET, raising questions about Barak's admitted drug use during his younger days. Ok, I just did the same thing Johnson did by calling him a sellout because of rise and fall of BET, I mean who is he to even try to tell me who to consider when a few years back he was licking BuckFush's boots, yes admittedly, I digressed. But I find this type of politics to be hazardous to the black voter. Black folk can be quite trendy and at times victims of manipulation. Meaning, if we hear one or two or three other colored folk going in one direction, we will follow, not taking the time to figure out why they're going that way, and not looking to see on our own whether there is another alternative. Further, it will be quite disgusting if we see more and more black folk speak out negatively against Barak. That's the kind of shit we see everyday in the inner cities, brothers gunning down brothers over petty shit. I'd hate to see politics get played out like that. You know, allowing the white community to sit back and watch us tear down one who I consider our own.

And yes, I said one of our own because there are those who won't quite say, he is a brotha. Way I see it though is his granny and his grandaddy (deceased) still living in Africa, that prolly make Barak more of a brotha than me. I mean to even question his blackness is just dumb. As I previously asked, what, are the Clinton's or Edwards more black? That's the dumbest damn thing any other black can ask? Although, if you asked me if say Tiger Woods was black enough, I might give you some leeway with that one! When you look at it, one would think that once black folk realize how potentially close Barak might be to taking the White House, it would drive black folk into a voting frenzy just to be a part of such history. Clearly though, for him to win he will need the support of both black and white voters. I just cringe at the thought of him being destroyed by his own, you know? I think the test will be how well he does in the South Carolina primary. Like I said, I'm undecided.

Here are some of the articles on the above issues, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/bet-chief-raps-obama-in-sc/index.html?hp , http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/11/AR2008011102000.html?referrer=emailarticle , http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=1

Mind you, this criticism is coming from other Democrats. The right wing has not yet placed him in their scopes. But they are warming their engines, starting with Karl Rove writing an article in the Murdoch Street Journal. Here are a few excerpts from Alternet.org, analyzing the article,"Rove's race-baiting isn't subtle, but here's a translation for cloistered liberals who have "never met a racist": When he says Obama is "lazy" (what he means to say is "shiftless"), he's reinforcing a racist stereotype. When he claims that Obama "bluffs" and makes "misstatements" or "exaggerations," he's appealing to bigots who believe black people are inherently dishonest. Here's a classic code-talker sentence: "His trash talking was an unattractive carryover from his days playing pickup basketball at Harvard, and capped a mediocre night." "Trash talking" is perceived by white racists as both a black slang phrase and a common form of minority behavior, while whites have seen African Americans play "pickup basketball" in a thousand ghetto movies. (And bonus points to Karl for "cap," which is hip-hop slang for shooting people. Is he that smart? We report, you decide.) When he adds that Obama looks like a "vitamin-starved Adlai Stevenson," the portrait is complete: Obama's a shiftless, uppity, fancy-speakin', trash-talkin', basketball playin', anemic white-boy wannabe. Throw in a talking point or two from the Clinton clan and the pitch to white racists is complete." To read it all, http://www.alternet.org/story/73651/

What U Wanna B?

noreply@blogger.com (Spike Zee) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:26:00 +0000

So my Chargers are still in it...trying not to get to hyped up.

I survive Afghanistan and I survive Iraq, but I come home mentally shattered and can't shake the urge to kill. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/us/13vets.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

My reading has been limited these days. It's a shame I can't sit down to read books anymore...feels to much like law school. Yes, I lost my reading mojo in law school. Damn shame aint it? I get about five pages under my belt and then that's it. I think I will start listening to books on CD, that may work. I really want to check out Barak's last book. Try and see where this cat is coming from. Like I said, I'm undecided.

I'm ready for a road trip. For some reason I enjoy getting on the open road and enjoying the scenery.

A friend was asking the other day, what did I want to be when I was growing up? I actually kind of laughed when the question was posed. I mean, when was the last time I actually thought back on those days you know?

So....don't laugh, no lie, a brotha wanted to be an astronaut. Stop the snickering! I was always intrigued with "Space"...the stars and planets, and the idea of zero gravity. I begged and begged my parents to send me to Summer Space Camp in Huntsville. Sent off for the application and even gave them a well put together presentation. Didn't work though. They had a young negro disappointed. Anyway, I went from wanting to be an astronaut to wanting to be a pilot. My granny started my love of flight by taking me on trips as a child via plane. Planes were the coolest thing to me, and to some extent still are. Once again, I tried to pimp my folks into getting me flying lessons. Instead, they bought me a Flight Simulator game for my computer. As I got older I entertained the idea of joining the military to go to flight school or helicopter training. But those damn recruiters seemed just a little too accommodating. Figured Uncle Sam was trying to pimp me, and have me on some front line somewhere not in a plane, but in a ditch so I passed on that.

It wasn't until I was in about tenth grade and I was reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X did I come across a statement that kind of opened my eyes. Can't remember the exact quote, but something to the fact that the people who help bring change to black people during the struggle were Ministers/Preachers, Doctors, and Lawyers. So I took that statements and marinated on it for a good while. A preacher, me? Naw....I mean I'm spiritual and all but...a religious leader, me? That's too much responsibility for a brotha. Then there was medicine, I didn't even take the time to consider the many fields of medicine, the thought of blood and guts alone took control of that analysis and I moved on. That left law. I could be the cool guy, like Blair Underwood in LA Law (Remember that show?) I thought, I like to read, like to write, like to talk, and love to debate, I might have this law stuff sowed up. Little did I know of the how's, when's and what's that it would take to even get on the right path. I guess I can say, we plan and then God plans.