Politics As Usual???

It was a nice day on Tuesday so I decided after my mid-day workout that I'd walk to Subway to get some lunch. As I was walking to Subway to grab a sammage I was approached by a woman that I initially thought was homeless (whoopsie) who handed me the flier below.

The woman then said to me "making history together" in a somewhat uninspired tone, thanked me, and walked away. My first impression of the flier was "why is this black man on the flier with the President?" Then I flipped it over and saw the following image:

If you can't make that out, on the left side it shows all the names that were on the Baltimore City primary ballot (Tuesday was primary voting day in Baltimore City) with Barack Obama's name checked along with C. Anthony Muse's. On the right side it lists the composition of the 112^th Senate and highlights in red that there are zero black members in the U.S. Senate but that we make up 12% of "US Demographics" (I assume this means population).

It was at this point that I just shook my head, realizing that this was a blatant and obvious attempt to race-bait my vote. I got a little insulted by it actually. I was insulted because a flier like this assumes a few things like: 1) if I'm Black I support Barack Obama, 2) I will vote for any Black man "aligned" with Obama (and by "aligned" I mean Photoshopped onto a flier with him), and 3) THAT IT'S THAT EASY FOR YOU TO GET MY VOTE!!!

He may as well have just said on the flier: "You black, I'm black, Obama's black, vote for me!" That's what the flier boiled down to for me.

When you consider that there was no mention of what this man stands for, no one-liners about his platform, or even a website address for me to visit to learn more if I actually wanted to, what this says to me is that it's acceptable to go into a community and race-bait their votes because you assume they don't know any better way to pick their political candidates. And coming from a Black man running for a public position in the Obama era, that's pretty insulting to a person even if that person doesn't have a college degree, a white collar job, a mortgage to pay, or any of the other things we assume come with being "better-off" in this country. This flier actually made me NOT want to vote for him and to tell others to think a bit deeper about why they would vote for him.

Even with all that said, it's not C. Anthony Muse's fault that this kind of political tool is very well tried-and-proven in garnering the votes of poorer, less educated voters. It's just a "tool of the trade" I'm sure and it's up to US to hold our candidates to better measures than promotional materials like his. But by choosing to use it you're effectively saying "I don't expect any better from you than to see me and Obama and as a result, hand me your vote."

I can't wait for the day (if it ever comes) when ALL people will take the time to think deeply about who they're voting for and why on both the local and national levels. The assumption that you don't have to give me any information as to what you stand for on a flier or a website where I can learn more about what you stand for is insulting to me and those who actually put some real thought into who they vote for. And it's the main reason why I did't vote for someone like C. Anthony Muse (at least not in this election) even though I'm sure to him it's not insulting, it's just a means to an end or a "tool of the trade" and once he gets in office he gon' "look out" for us. Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what's going to happen.

Reverend Wright: This Focking Guy

"That ni99er crazy girl! Don't say nothing to him!"


Ok, he probably isn't crazy. But he doesn't seem all that bright at this point either.

When the shenanagins surrounding Reverend Wright (now known as Obama's former pastor) first started, I remember having several conversations with friends asking: "Why didn't he just come out and immediately say that his statements are just that, HIS statements. And that they may or may not be a reflection of the beliefs, principles, or politics of Barack Obama." That's like giving Barack an alley-oop for what most people think was a slam dunk (his speech). Opportunity squandered I guess.

When asked, most people responded along the lines of: "He and Barack probably talked about it when it first hit the fan and Barack probably asked him not to say anything." Reading between the lines, I think people meant this to say that Barack didn't want him to say anything so he could seize the opportunity to give his speech on race. I didn't so much buy that idea and I still don't. I don't think they spoke about the comments Reverend Wright made when they were first aired to the American public and I definitely don't think Barack asked him to not say anything.

What I do think is that there is tension between the two that probably existed from the moment those videos first hit the airwaves and the tension increased exponentially after Barack straight-up denounced Reverend Wright's comments (which didn't seem all that crazy to me anyway). I'm sure Reverend Wright didn't appreciate that considering he's known Barack for quite a long time.

But Reverend Wright could have spoken up a long time ago and separated his sermons from Obama but he did not do that. Instead he sat in the background for a month and a half and probably contacted Obama after the speech (in which Obama denounced his statements) and I assume Barack said something like:

"Look Rev, I respect your opinions and I understand why someone might have those thoughts and suspicions. But you have to understand that you are focking up my run for the presidency so I had to say something. There's no way I can do what I want to do for this country if I am associated with statements that I don't believe in or feel are conducive to bringing this country together rather than dividing it. So I'd appreciate it if you just do you and Imma do me."

I'm sure this conversation might have hurt the Reverend's pride a bit considering he is the man up in Trinity and Barack is really just a church member (not even a deacon for that matter).

So perhaps, after some time to think about it, the reverend decided he needed to speak up for himself and tell people how he really felt.

"M*therf*cker for WHAT!?!"

He waits a month and a half to reintroduce himself (and more importantly, his controversial speeches) back into the spotlight. And seemingly just so you can try to assuage your own ego while saving a little face? I don't get it! Reverend Wright gets the media all worked up (again) about an issue that was losing steam and in the midst makes himself look like the lead character in a minstrel show to those who don't understand the nuances of how Black preachers preach. Once you take that style of preaching out of the pulpit and to the American masses, someone's going to NOT understand. A lot of us Blacks know that in a lot of Black churches the pastors are almost like entertainers. Charismatic and humorous but at the same time poignant and uplifting. But the rest of America doesn't necessarily know this. They haven't sat through those sermons. Reverend Wright has to realize this or he's an idiot, which I don't think is the case at all.

But let's be real here. I'm not naïve enough to think that the media isn't manipulating these videos and how they are presented to the mainstream American public. And the man has a right to say what he wants and also a right to defend himself if he feels it's necessary. But why wait so long? Why do things during your (post-controversy) speeches that could be completely re-purposed and misrepresented? Why not just turn the volume down a little in hopes of not undermining Obama's run at the White House?

It seems like Barack is wondering the same thing and also trying to separate himself even farther from the Reverend. I don't blame him!


(Props to Notes from a Different Kitchen for posting this video.)

I think what we have here is a case where Reverend Wright felt like Barack betrayed him, which is not something I completely disagree with. But there's a time and a place for everything. I'm not so sure this was the right time for him to come back into the spotlight. At least not this way. Barack just lost Pennsylvania and needs to re-gain some momentum and the heat had died down a bit from those Reverend Wright's videos that were brought to light. But it seems to be more about Jeremiah Wright and his selfish pride than about the larger goal of getting a man in office who may be able to do great things that change the American landscape to the point where Reverend Wright won't have to make those "God d@mn America" comments ever again. But the Reverend seems a bit short-sighted and self-centered if you ask me. Not that you did, but still.

Put yourself ahead of the greater good. Serve your own personal agenda and potentially undermine Barack's run at the White House just to save some face fairly long after the fact? I don't get it. As religious leader I'd think that Reverend Wright would want to serve the greater good rather than himself and his ego. Or maybe I've got this entire situation confused.

I'm 73% Hussein

Barack Hussein Obama that is.

I took a test to see who I should vote for in the 2008 election and it appears that Obama and I stand pretty close to one-another on most issues. According to this particular test anyway. My results are below (by the way, who is Bill Richardson? LOL):

You match up well with...

Barack Obama - 73% match

"You must be ambitious and idealistic, like Barack Obama. Obama is a liberal democrat who, unlike his rivals, opposed the Iraq war from the start. With only 8 years in the Senate, his inexperience worries some and sometimes reveals itself in the debates, but he also has the charisma and popular support that the others lack."

Bill Richardson - 67% match

"You're looking for a moderate Democrat like Bill Richardson. Experienced in state, national, and international politics, Richardson has been a Congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, and is now the governor of New Mexico. He is pro-choice, strongly favors rights for the LGBT population, advocates for affirmative action in government contracts, and even championed the idea that Congress should revoke the original authority it gave to go to war with Iraq. Richardson also supports the death penalty and gun ownership rights."

Hillary Clinton - 65% match

"Hillary Clinton is a liberal democrat who is unpopular among conservatives for advocating universal health care, abortion rights, and civil unions. She is resented in the anti-war crowd for having authorized a military strike in Iraq and not apologizing since. People see her as power-hungry and willing to do anything to get to the top, even stay with her unfaithful husband. However, Clinton has 8 years of experience in the White House, 25 years in national politics and is currently serving her second term as a popular New York senator. She knows how to make and deliver policy which puts her ahead of the inexperienced presidential hopefuls."

Summing it all up, I guess I'm looking for a candidate with Barack's charisma, Bill's experience, and Hillary's marital resources (LOL).

Take the test for yourself.

The New Yorker = Risqué Provacateur

I understand what they're trying to convey/do here, but there are so many other ways to prove your point. A satirical sketch painting the Obama's as terroristic militants may make sense to those who keep up with politics and those who have tried to paint the Obama's with that brush. But aren't there better ways to make the point that painting the Obama's as such is not fair or accurate? But this is what the New Yorker does so I guess it's just par for the course.

Being provocative can be great, but many people are just going to see the cover, view it as offensive, and not take the time to understand the point that's being made. And that's not the magazine's fault by any means as it's our responsibility to stay abreast of what's going on. But with all the other tasteless and stereotypical stuff that's been thrown around with regard to the Obama's, you'd hope that the New Yorker would find a more tasteful way to be provocative (read: make their point) or just leave it alone altogether.

UPDATE: Here's a very thought-provoking and quite honestly "on point" article focusing more on Michelle Obama's image in the above picture.

Don't confuse me with Colin Powell, HOMIE!

Barack Obama wants to help us all find lust love

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Barach giving the bruhs a shot-out

Peep this article about how Barack apologizes to a guy for messing up his "game."

"Apparently, Obama made a joke at the expense of a reporter at a press event a while back, and the reporter wrote a half-joking editorial about how Obama made him look bad in front of a girl he was interested in."

Then listen to Barack's actual phone call to the same individual, apologizing.

Imma translate that one for everybody (of course, right):

Dude: Hello

BO: Wassup Nick?

Dude: [jye upset for real, but...] Chillin.

BO: It's me man!

Dude: [frontin] Yeah, what's up man!

BO: Actually man, I read your article and I wanted to apologize for messing your game up. I wasn't trying to cock-block you or anything. You know I got enough of 'em anyway. But for real, if she sweating that situation, you really don't want to holla at her anyway.

Dude: [now a Obama-groupie] Yeah, you right joe. I don't even want to holla at her now that you said that. Good looking out!

BO: No doubt. I'll holla.

Dude: Peace.

Fellas, you gotta love that! I'm sure he just got the black male vote right there! LOL.

The REAL Video of the Day: Obama Barbeques McCain

Obama goes in roasting McCain. By the way, what a time for an event where Obama gets to roast McCain? This is just too easy...



I KNOW McCain had to be a little salty about this. I know swag doesn't account for that much when it boils down to the issues but...

Obama's swag > McCain's platform, POW story

UPDATE: Posterity people, posterity...

POLITICS: Sounds GOOD, but let's not get our hopes up...

Is it pronounced O-Bomba or O-bama?

Anyway, the hottest man in democratic politics right now (at least from what I hear) is this man...



Barack Obama (learn more)

Senators and mere civilians like myself describe this guy as charismatic, a breath of fresh air, refreshing, etc. But what does all that really mean? Does it mean he'll be a successful Senator? Does it mean he'll one day run for President of the U.S.?

The jury's out on all that stuff, but here's some of the thoughts I have on Barack and the prospect of an African-American man running for and possibly winning the presidency of this country.

1. Any guy who's last name is Obama already has one strike against him the post-911, current Iraq war (whether they've stopped calling it that or not) America. Osama, Obama...It's gonna be the same to ignorant ears. Believe that! Especially Republican ears.

2. There have been alot of charismatic "leaders" in this country, but what does charisma really get you? Does it mean you're an effective politician and change inducer? And speaking of charismatic, Don King's pretty d@mn charismatic if you ask me. "Only in America!"

3. A black man being president is a scary thought for multiple reasons. 1) Any black man smart enough to become President should also know that he should NOT become president (at least not in the current day and age). Why? Because you'll do more good alive than you will dead. If you wanna be a martyr for black folks, the key is to stay alive. Yeah I know that's probably an oxymoron or just doesn't make logical sense, but that is what it is. If you wanna influence black folks and have your legacy really held onto for years and years, stay alive! See Martin Luther King and Malcolm X for my reasoning. If Martin was still alive, how different would things be? 2) A black President would require so much security that it would force us all to pay higher taxes. Now it might create solid jobs for underpriveleged youths, but who wants to pay more taxes?

4. Obama's a FIRST TERM Senator! Give him some time to prove himself on that level before we start throwing his name into the presidential race already.

5. "Hawaii-born African American with a Kenyan father, Kansan mother". I bet they'll find some way to render his citizenship invalid.

6. Can you imagine what this country would be like if a black guy actually won the presidency? Maybe I view this differently than most people, but I see potential civil war. That would scare the shyt out of alot of ignorant folks in *certain states*.

Now I admit I am not the most politically informed or learned, but sometimes being an outsider gives you a decent view of what's going on inside. So I say all this stuff with an air of "I know enough to be dangerous" about me...LOL.

Being THE CHOSEN ONE Barack Obama

"I need you to hate, so I can use you for your energy"

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In the past few days I've had several conversations about Barack Obama. And of course, I've touched on him in one of my recent posts because he's a pretty hot topic right now in American politics. So here's a couple snippets I wanted to share from my convos about Barack. I really suggest reading each article before reading my comments so I don't sound like a raging maniac. LOL.

EXHIBIT #1

After reading this article entitled "Who does Barack Obama think he is?", I had some thoughts. Essentially, she uses Barack's extreme popularity right now to justify her stance that a woman could never receive the same acclaim, popularity, or political impetus at this point in her political career. She even gives examples of several woman in comparable positions to Barack at this point. But that was then, and...Well, you can read my thoughts in a second but I'll just say that the media is far stronger today than it was during the timeframes in which she references the female politicians in her articles. But I'll save all that for another post and just put my thoughts in the air real quick like:

Whoever wrote this #1 sounds like a serious feminist. #2 makes some good points nevertheless. But #3, it's not Barack's fault that he's been catapulted into extreme popularity. The man seems genuine and not seeking the spotlight. The media is firmly placing it on him and he is using it strategically but not excessively.

EXHIBIT #2:

After being asked about what's revealed in this article entitled " Obama to form panel to explore presidential bid", by a friend today, I had some thoughts (in addition to my thoughts from yesterday):

I think that Barack's announcement pretty much says he's going to run. It gives him the ability to start raising funds "under the radar". But most of all, I think it's a smart move because it shows that he is putting a lot of thought into his moves leading up to his announcement as to whether he'll run or not. By doing this, he can gauge public reaction as to what they think he's going to do while raising money just in case he does run and also using his knowledge combined with other people's knowledge (his panel) to assess whether or not he should run.

EXHIBIT #3

Last but not least, after my co-worker sent me this article entitled "Effect of Obama's Candor Remains to be Seen", I had some more thoughts. This one really took the cake though. It's not as scathing as the article in Exhibit #1, but the more I think about it, the more I am disappointed in the fact that people may be searching for a reason to use this man's sincerity against him.

What I don't get is that there has to be an effect because of his candor... A man can't come across as genuine, open, honest, and charismatic in the political world without being questioned. Whereas the effed up [dishonest] politicians come across effed up and they still end up in the oval office for 8 str8 years. This makes no sense! The man should be applauded (if anything) for being as open about his mistakes as he's been. We've had two recent presidents who've lied about having sex with an intern, smoking weed [and/or cocaine], and leading us into a war that we never really needed to be in. On top of that, the latter two took place while the president's occupied the oval office! And yet and still, we seek to either complain or search for potential detrimental affects for a man who's up to this point been honest and given us no reason to think otherwise. GO MEDIA GO!

But what can you expect when a man of minority-blood has received such hype and such great expectations have been placed on him not by himself, but the monster that is the media. I guess this is why my co-worker Todd said he thinks that Barack will be eaten alive by the media machine. I think I get it now Toddler, I think I get it.

EXTRA CREDIT
My co-worker:

"Just because there's political excitement surrounding Barack doesn't mean doesn't necessarily mean he'll get shot. who was the last american assassinated? does lennon in 1980 count? otherwise we're back to what? rfk and mlk in 1968?"

My response:

Dude, Tupac got killed like 10 years ago. That was an assassination for sure! What about Bobby Kennedy? Martin Luther King? Not president's but serious political swag was wielded by these guys.

The shot that will be felt round 'the hood will have nothing to do with political excitement, it'll have more to do with ethnic background and what some people will fear that ethnic background may mean when-and-if he makes it to the oval office.

My perspective right now. We'll see Hillary as President before we see Barack. Why? Because Barack is going to be viewed by most as Black regardless of what his bio says. Why? Because he has dark skin. People may not want to admit it or believe it, but it is what it is and that's how he'll be viewed. With that said, the politicians will fear him because of that. They don't know if he'll get elected and get in the oval office and start having 40s and blunts every week. They don't know if he'll get in there and go either Tupac or Huey Newton on Congress. They just don't know. But, they probably assume/think that if there's a woman in office that (because of the covert machismo in this country) they'll be able to manipulate her, control her, and/or use her as a puppet. Even if it is someone as intelligent and strong-willed as Hillary Rodman Rodham Clinton. So while I may know jack-shyt about politics in the big scheme of things and even less shyt about political posturing and maneuvering, I know he's Black (to most) and she's a woman and people fear women less in this country than they fear intelligent, charismatic, and forward-thinking Black men.

And of course, I have my thoughts in general about Barack that have found their way onto this blog and been engaged in some great conversations over the past few months. Most of you probably already know that I am really a fan of Barack and I hope good things for him. But at the same time, I fear for him because of all that surrounds the current point of his political career. Too much too early could be very detrimental. While not moving while you're HOT could be even more deadly. I am proud of you Barack, but I don't envy your position nor the stress and ridiculous amount of media coverage and personal investigation that comes with it. Thank God you seem to be comfortable with you are, where you've come from, and wherever it is that you decide to go. You've officially made my list of role models!

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I wonder what Mel Gibson or Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf would do to Barack!

Why Democrats should be completely fine with Donald Trump mouthing off

"A wise man told me once 'Don't argue with fools. Cuz people from a distance can't tell who is who'" - Jay-Z

Hopefully Obama ignores Donald Trump's short-sighted, politically amateur, and seemingly idiotic banter. All my enjoyment of The Celebrity Apprentice notwithstanding, I think Donald Trump is on the road to make lots of money, but doing it with little to no self-awareness or dignity. Why this guy is personally attacking the President is beyond me and I can only surmise that it's because he's trying to create a buzz and run for the Republican nomination just so that he can lose horribly and somehow generate more interest in himself and his business ventures as a result. That's really the ONLY logical explanation here. Either that, or he's just plain stupid. And I don't think for one millisecond that Donald Trump is dumb or that this is (brings out elephant) racially motivated. This has to be a business move.

Trump's gone from questioning Obama's citizenship - something that has already been verified - to now questioning how he made it into Ivy League schools. The citizenship question wasn't quite as laughable as the latest question about getting into school. Obama went to Occidental College, then transferred to Columbia, and then to Harvard. Conventional wisdom might say that even if he did slip through the cracks and get into Columbia by a hair, he then went on to Harvard which I'm sure wasn't an easy place to get into. But according to Trump, he can't fathom how Barack was able to get into not just one, but TWO Ivy League schools. I guess he thinks BOTH were flukes or something else was at play. Meanwhile Barack "went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude 1991 and was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review." Something tells me that probably wasn't a fluke and moreover, neither were his admission into either school.

I hope that Donald Trump keeps talking though. His popularity among Republicans is rising and my guess is that this will only help the Democrats. Trump may very well force polarization of the Republican Party that might come back to haunt the eventual GOP nominee (Mitt Romney anyone?). Donald Trumps loud-mouthing of the President is only going to hurt his credibility and further expose his political inexperience. In the end, the more support he gets from non-Tea Party Republicans (the majority of his supporters are Tea Party folks I believe), the better-off the Democrats are. For that reason, there's no real need for the Democrats to respond to his accusations until absolutely necessary. And that may never be the case, lol.

This post inspired by this article at the Huffington Post.

Obama's Blueprint for CHANGE

Since lots of political pundits have questioned whether or not he's just a motivational speaker as opposed to a politician who has a vision for this country (read: more than just rhetoric), here's Barack Obama's "Blueprint". No Jay-Z or KRS ONE.

Miscellaneous Randomness....

• Obama's smarter than any of us could ever have imagined: Obama to form panel to explore presidential bid
  
  Very smart move! I just hope it's not the panel from those "Man Law" commercials. More seriously though, exactly who is going to make this panel? I'd like to think it would be some sort of Black Brain Trust, but who really qualifies to fill the Black Brain Trust? Really, I'd like to know.
  
  For more of my thoughts on Barack, check here



• Use my wireless connection at your own risk: A Singaporean teenager who illegally tapped into a neighbor's wireless Internet network was placed on 18 months' probation by a district court Tuesday
  
  I guess this means I should stop using that "star" network my computer's wireless card finds? Then again, this isn't Singapore. You people out there with wireless networks at home better get on your WEP-key GRIND! And YES, I know this probably should have been a web nerd alert.



• God is GOOD: Embryo saved after Katrina is born.

  "Sixteen months after being rescued as a frozen embryo from a hospital flooded by Hurricane Katrina, Noah Benton Markham entered the world Tuesday morning and was greeted by his cheering family."

  Reminds me of something NaS wrote a while ago. It's not really directly related at all, but I think you'll understand why I thought of it...
  
  I existed in a womb just like an abyss/
  Came straight from spirit land my hands balled in a fist/
  Punching on my moms stomach kicking on her cervix/
  Twitching cause I'm nervous/
  Thought my intended purpose/
  Was to be born to reign, not in scorn or vain/
  But to take on a name, my pops chose for me/
  Bloodstream full of indo/
  Developing eyes looking out my belly button window/
  My father's face wears a frown/
  And I'm wondering if they even want me around/
  Cause I'll go back to spirit town/
  So I could rest longer before I come back down/
  The chute again, in the near future when/
  My moms and pops can agree on this/
  Was here before but my moms saw her gynocologist/
  He dumped me off, first they want me then turn around and they dont/
  You got a 120 days do what you want/
  But as for me coming back this be my last time/
  Abort me, keep me, give me away, make up ya mind/
  
  They must wanna keep me, cause 4 months past and I'm still alive/
  Guess I got what you call an ill-will to survive/
  When I look hard the lights is killing my eyes/
  I know when moms is laying down cause I get bored and start to get live/
  Move side to side hear loud music and vibe/
  All black babies are born with rhythm thats no lie/
  Solar energize, mineralize food through my mothers tube/
  I'm covered in this thick layer of goo/
  Month two was the least most comfortable/
  My umbilical cord choking me/
  But month 3 was closer, see/
  Thats when pops took moms to see the doc at the clinic/
  But I was saved cause he changed his mind in the last minute/
  Watching 'em yell, heard my moms voice well/
  Feared fist fights, so terrified when we fell/
  While they broke up furniture and smashed plates on the wall/
  I wondered if I am born will I be safe at all/
  This place they call the world though my view was so large/
  Couldn't wait to get up, grow up and take charge/
  Month 5, Month 6 went by, hoping I'm born in July/
  But the Lord already figured out a date and time/
  Septemeber 14th, 73/
  Get ready world, doctors in the front waiting for me/
  Arms open cause they know when I drop, alot of sh*t's gonna stop/
  See how the goverment will start re-training cops/
  Month 9, I'm a week over due, the labor induced/
  Pops told my moms to push and take deep breaths too/
  Said stay calm, holding her arm, I'm trying to hold on/
  Surgical gloves touching my scalp, my head pops out/
  Everything blurry, my first breath screams out/
  Tears pouring down my pops face he's so proud/
  Wanted to hold me, but I was so bloody/
  They washed me off and he said "At least that ni**a aint ugly!"/
  Placed me in his arms snuggly, laid me on my mother/
  Finally, I got to see who held me in her body/
  She loved me,and I plan to over through the devil/
  Y'all bout to see this world in trouble/
  Moth%rfuck%rs/

This is a lawsuit waiting to happen

Obama Fried Chicken in BROOKLYN. I wonder how many people are going to call this racist because it's an Obama (ie - Black man) FRIED CHICKEN spot.


This is actually pretty smart from a marketing standpoint. Whether it's legal however, is another question (lol). Spotted @ Bol's.

"That marketing plan was me!" -- Jay-Z

I'm not voting Republican, but they sure have some witty bumper stickers, lol

Back in 2009 I got a kick out of this anti-Obama bumper sticker. Don't worry folks, I'm still a Democrat.

And this year it turns out those sneaky anti-Obama folks have come up with another catchy little bumper sticker that I happen to think is hilarious.

I saw that one on the way into the office morning and couldn't help but chuckle. You have to be a serious Republican to put that on your car and ride around with it, lol.

My president is Black, hopefully.

I will do my best to NOT keep up with the election results until tomorrow morning. But we all know that's not going to be possible. In the meantime, I'm going to revel in being able to be part of a historic day (win or lose for Obama) where I felt like I was part of a serious movement and part of history. It was a fantastic feeling walking into the voting booth with everyone around smiling and feeling the energy of the room. It's something I've never felt on an election day before and I like it.

So let this post be my little note in history that I voted on November 4, 2008.


For Barack Hussein Obama!!!

I'm Just Saying....

I thought I was the only one that noticed this. I also noticed how disrespectful it was to call Obama "that one". I also noticed how disrespectful it was to not even look at Obama in the first debate.

I'M.JUST.SAYING!

Poli-Tricks: Billary and O'Drama

If you didn't read the picture above...Please take a quick second to read it!

(FYI...Billary = Hillary Clinton; O'Drama = Barack Obama.)

I haven't really talked that much about the Democratic primary race but I've been keeping up half-azzed for a while now. Glancing at the news ticker while at the gym counts as such, right? Then again, I've checked out a couple debates, videos, websites, etc. so I think that's good enough. With that said, unless there's a serious change in vision, stances, and the all important swag factor (Barack has swag, you gotta admit) between now and the Maryland primary (Feb. 12), my vote will remain in the O'Drama camp.

I've known for some time now that I am going to vote for Barack. Not because he's Tiger Woods style Black (although that makes it sweeter), but because I agree with him just about 100%. Pull the troops out of Iraq. Provide affordable healthcare for all Americans. Decrease taxes for the middle-class. So on and so forth.

As a matter of fact, I've been on the O'Drama bandwagon since way back as can be seen here, here, and in my open letter to O'Drama. I even managed to include Barack and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the same blogpost. (In the words of your favorite cRapper, Ahmadinejad is a "PROBLEM"!) Granted, some of my feelings have changed since I first started supporting and learning about Barack Obama. But most if not all have changed for the better as I've become a bit more engaged and started to learn more about the political process (still don't really understand this whole delegate count thing though).

The reason I call Hillary, Billary, is simple. When you think of Hillary you think of Bill. For some reason, a lot of young Democrats associate Bill Clinton with great presidential tenure. As in, he was a good president. I guess I can't complain too much about his tenure as president. The economy was doing well, negros had jobs (not that they don't normally have jobs, but it just seemed like more of us had jobs), and bamas was getting head in the oval office and God knows where else. The latter of which is pretty much Bill's legacy in my mind. He got head in the Oval Office.

I didn't understand politics as much as I do now, back then. Granted, I still feel like there's tons of stuff I don't know or understand (re: delegate counts), but I'm learning. But as far as Hillary goes, I am not sure I'm ready to give her the credit she seems to want to be given for being the First Lady. I'm sure she played a significant role during Bill's tenure in some way, but how much was he really telling her or asking from her when the man was getting brain at the White House? Seriously. Don't get me wrong, Hillary is sharp in her own right. Add Bill to that and together they're the sharpest political couple out there. But for those of you who are thinking that Hillary in office means that Bill's back, don't be so sure. At least, I wouldn't be.

As for Barack, I call him O'Drama because I heard DJ Drama say "you can call me Barack O'Drama" on a mixtape a minute ago. LOL. I'm not afraid to admit that there's really no point to that one. But if he wins the primary and gets into office, there will inevitably be some drama. I can only imagine the background checking that media outlets and the government will end up doing if Barack makes it into office. Regardless of what may potentially happen though, I don't think anyone can argue that Barack isn't the most intrigiung, captivating, and charismatic candidate across both parties. He's the only candidate that makes you feel like you're a part of something larger than just an election (besides maybe Ron Pizzy). You're a part of a change that's needed in order for our country to move in a positive direction. And that's a big part of the reason why I am voting for him. Not because he's Black and not because he's a Democrat. Simply because I believe that his vision coincides with what we need as a country. And that's change... CHANGE we can believe in.

...Hello? You still there? WAKE UP!

Miscellaneous Randomness....

Respect this man


Respect this man

Gilbert is the TRUTH

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VERY interesting article ladies and gents...

"B*tch Don’t Just Stand There Wit' Your Nose Up"

Wamp wamp!

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My lovefest for everything that is Barack-related continues...

More on Obama...You know, like his voting record. This might come in handy (for those who actually vote) if he formally decides to run for the oval office.

"What Obama's record tells voters"

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Yesterday I wore pink

A pink shirt to be exact. Collared, ironed, and crisp. I know the CamRon jokes are coming but it's all good. My point is to say the following:

Everybody, I wore a pink shirt.

Women seemed to think it was stylish...Men looked at me as if they thought I was gay... Men who seemed gay to me, looked at me like I was dessert...The shim that works at the CVS by my job looked at me like he/she ALREADY had sex with me and wanted more (ICK)...I looked at myself, and I kinda liked the way the shirt looked on me.

Everybody, I wore a pink shirt.

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LOL

Hip-Hop's 10 Best Animated GIFs

I stole these from Complex.com's post of the 50 best and basically compiled them into the ones that I thought were the best. And just as a point of information, you can make an animated GIF out of any video footage so while a lot of these are animated GIFs technically, they're not true animated GIFs in that they were originally a set of still images combined into an animation (webNerd much?).

Without further adieu, here's my list of the best 10 out of Complex's 50, and a couple bonus ones I picked out.

Rolling in at #10, Mr. Bentley himself (Complex had this one at 47)...


Whatever happened to Mr. Bentley? He went from being Diddy's manservant to allegedly selling umbrellas to allegedly being signed to G.O.O.D. Music to being invisible. I guess he might have just pigeon-holed himself with the whole buffoonish manservant act. I hope not because dude is actually pretty daggon bright (as in, well-educated).

Coming in at #9 is Jay-Z and his Roc Boy's salute (Complex had this at #31)...

Fellas, you did this, at least once... With one of your friends.

Next up at #8 is Jay-Z again, but for all the wrong reasons, lol (Complex had this at #12)...


If you watched the Fade to Black DVD then you know that Jay-Z has a proclivity for making weird faces when he's feeling his music and this seems to prove he makes the same type of faces when listening to other people's music. It's hilarious how Jay-Z can be cool as a fan in pic #9 and a goofball at #8.

Who's up at #7 you ask? None other than Diddy himself (Complex had Diddy at 33)...

Sometimes I am thoroughly entertained by Diddy and other times I feel like he poaches hip-hop. It's really a case-by-case situation. But the Diddy Bop is classic. Perhaps not as classic as this though...

Number 6, Dame Diddy (Complex had this one at #34)

Dame might stay losing post-"BreakUpAFella", but when Rocafella was at its prime, Dame was a dancing machine (no Michael Jackson). This is one of his most classic moments doing the "roll the dice" dance. What Rachel Roy saw in an azzhole like Dame that danced like this I will never know, lol. The only issue I've got here is Dame being shirtless.

Number 5 (Complex had this one at #39)...I wonder how Jay-Z feels about me having Dame at #6. Well....

I bet this sums up how Jay feels very accurately. "He's alright but he's not real. Jay-Z's that deal", lol.

Coming in at #4 is the homie Brad Jordan aka Scarface aka Mr. Scarface (Complex had this at #6)

This is probably the last face you'd expect to see FaceMob making but if you saw the video from which this GIF was made, you'd totally understand why, lol. Real Face fans know about hittin' her with the "High Notes", lol.

Number 3 (Complex has this at #19) is dedicated to all NYers that think everything is about NY hip-hop and nothing else

This might be one of the lamest, most homo-erotic things to ever happen in hip-hop. I love New York hip-hop and always have but if this is what NY hip-hop has to rely on to "bring NY hip-hop back" then good riddance to NY rap. Personally, I think the people who ONLY respect NY rappers as lyricists and give less credit to southern other rappers with ridiculous skills (ie - Lil Wayne, TIP, Scarface, Andre Benjamin, etc.) should be forced to listen to MIMS move to Atlanta or Houston for about a year so they can get some "hip-hop exposure". New York was the birthplace and used to be the epicenter people, but the genre & culture is bigger than NY now and there are other talented artists outside the NYC's 5 burroughs. Get over it. Or pull a Diddy/Fat Joe and ride the south's "gonads" until you become relevant there.

Number 2 (Complex had this at #36) is one that needs no words really

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!

And my number 1 hip-hop animated GIF of all the times (at least from those that I pilfered from Complex.com's list) is...

Hands-down the coolest President eVAR! No, it's not because he's black and I am too. No it's not because being cool matters when it comes to Presidents. But simply because Obama is the type of cool that every man wants to be but only few are born with. I don't have it and most of you cats reading this don't either. But few men are blessed (yes, blessed dammit) to have his coolness, intelligence, speaking ability, confident humility, and overall presence. Even if Obama wasn't the President he'd be somewhere being the coolest mofo in the building and you can't deny even if you want to, lol.

Honorable Mentions

In case you were wondering what Complex's #1 choice was, it was CamRon arguing with Bill O'Reilly...


And here are a few others that I think are worth checkin' out...

This one is just completely hilarious!!!


It's really Officer Raw$e's reaction to LeBron's "Decision" but someone did a great job of making a hilarious animated GIF out of it, lol.

This one's really for the fellas. I used to be a big Rosa Acosta "watcher" but then she got to the point of over-saturation on the InterWeb and I stopped being interested, as much. Her stretching videos are pretty well-known in hip-hop webnerd circles so this one you've probably seen before but the sheer sexiness of it demands I post it here.


Watch for the hook hat!


Aubrey, Aubrey, Aubrey! He gets so excited about his music and performances sometimes he just can't stand up straight.



Im not really sure why or maybe it's because this kid is Justin Beiber-ish but this makes me laugh out loud (no lol).

Nick Cannon is going to eff Eminem's life up for fun

Riiiiiiight. Just like 50 Cent did to Rick Ro$$.

From Nick's Blog (which appears to have been taken down from the actual website www.nickcannon.com/blog.html):

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Well, well, well. Fresh off the plane with my wife from our second honeymoon on the beautiful secluded islands of the Maldives and what do I find in my email box? A mediocre (at best) Eminem record that sounds like it was written in 2001. At first I thought it was old material that had been dug up from when dude “fantasized” about having a pretend fling with Mariah. I was thinking to myself, “Hey that was before me so it is really none of my business, so I’m going to give him a pass.”

So as I continued to semi enjoy Marshall’s rhyme scheme and flow, I mean let’s be honest dude used to be incredible. He was a witty lyrist with dope delivery and timing. Some even say, one of the best to ever do it. I had nothing but respect for this dude. But all of a sudden I hear my name in the verse! My first reaction was like, “This is his new shit??? Wow, that’s too bad…” Then I felt sorry for him because he must really be stuck in the past. Not only has his music not evolved, but also homeboy is still obsessed with my wife, the same female that wouldn’t let him get to second base from 8 years ago! He even describes his desperate lameness in this bad excuse for storytelling track. That’s some real middle school shit right there! (What type of grown ass man lies about getting with a chick) Only Slim Lamey! LOL!

So as I further examine the track, I hear dude cross the line. He begins to call my wife out of her name! Now as y’all know, I don’t take that type of nonsense lightly. So on some grown man shit I’m instantly like, I got to get at this Lame. I know it’s only entertainment and I’m all for freedom of speech. But I’m from the school of thought where if you are tough enough to talk shit, you got to be tough enough to deal with the consequences that come with tough guy shit talking! Then the little angel on my shoulder said, “No Nicholas, there is no need to play into his negativity. He is just a troubled soul yearning for the lost spotlight. You must be Christ like and turn the other cheek”

But then the dude on the other shoulder said, “ What Nigga?! Is you scared?! You can’t let no man ever disrespect your wife! Especially not some Peroxide drenched homophobic has-been! This is like some Paquiao vs. Hatton shit! He is underestimating you with his ass out and you can drop him in the first round!”

Then, without listening to either one of the voices on my shoulders, I analyzed the situation from a logical perspective. Am I going to battle Eminem and try to out rap him? No, that would be stupid. The dude is nice on the mic. Even though nowadays he lacks substance, rapping about when he used to be hot. Like when Al Bundy gloats about his High school football prime.

Then I asked myself should I go find this Bitch and just whoop his little ass? But that might have just been the Creatine and protein shakes talking! LOL. Even though most people don’t know that I’m nice in the ring and have been training in boxing and Martial Arts for years that would just be childish and silly of me to bully this dude. He clearly has been picked on all his life and I would hate to add to his deep-rooted pain. As we all know he has had a hard life and has major insecurity issues and is very confused and unhappy with himself. So a guy like that doesn’t really need another ass whoopin, he needs a hug. We should really pray for his troubled heart.

So just when the good guy in me is about to emerge and shine through, something hits me… Something bigger than rap beefs, something bigger than jealousy infused insults, something bigger than lackluster attention seeking punchlines, something bigger than artistic expression. I realized, that this so-called man has just disrespected and slanderized one of the world’s most significantly influential artists, one of the most notable BLACK females of our time, the incredibly cherished, globally loved and world-embraced woman of color, Mariah Carey!

Some people may not realize or tend to forget that my wife is a Black woman. And she has had enough difficulty in her life dealing with racial and ethnicity issues. Believe it or not, Mariah is the same racial mixture as our beloved president Barack Obama. [Black Father + White Mother= BLACK]

Maybe I’m going too far, but I thought we got passed the days where white men could spew vulgar obscenities at our beautiful queens and get away with it. What’s next? Are we going to let this trash say something horrible about our lovely first lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama? Or would Marshall have talked sideways out of his neck like this about Oprah Winfrey? This act of racist bigotry cannot go unnoticed. Calling my wife a “cunt” and a “whore” is way worse than anything Don Imus could have ever said. So trust, repercussions will be served. Anybody got Al Sharpton’s number?! LOL

Let’s not forget about Eminem’s amateur mixtape rants of calling African Americans Nigger and how he hates “Black Bitches”. How did we let him get away with that in the first place?! He is a natural born racist in disguise. Someone tell this coward that he finally barked up the wrong tree. For his entire career he strategically only tried to beef with people he could bully. I mean, what real man picks fights with women? Real MC’s battle other real MC’s. Ask Nas, ask Jay Z, you didn’t see them starting beefs with women! That is truly some punk shit!

So I’m putting this out there now. Marshall Mathers, you need to holler at me on some grown man shit. Man to man, let’s meet up and deal with this like adults. This is my invitation to you, whenever and wherever you like sir. So when you come out of your introverted hiding place and ask your bodyguards if you can go out and play by yourself, I’m here Pimp!

Your blatant disrespect not just to Black women but ALL women in general must stop. You are a despicable excuse for a man. I can’t even see how you can call yourself a father! Imagine if someone said half the stuff you say about women to your daughter, Hayley. (And I’m pretty sure they will because you got it coming Marshall.) That’s how Karma works.

You sold your little records and made a little bit of change but now you are stepping in the wrong territory. You may have been able to rape and pillage our artform like an old school Caucasian con man and nobody said anything because we respected your talent, but now you’ve made the ultimate mistake. Don’t you know that the black woman is the foundation and the strongest force in our culture? Take notes homey, Elvis would have never disrespected Aretha Franklin or Diana Ross. You were supposed to just do your little song and dance, make your little racist money and call it a day. But no, you had to dishonor the black man’s most precious counterpart.

I’m taking full action on you Eminem. I don’t know why no one has stood up to your bitch ass yet. But I guess it’s going to take a corny, wack rapping, boy toy from Nickelodeon to set you straight. And trust, I am going to be relentless. Even though I got a lot of other obligations and occupations, you are my new full time job “homey”! As a matter of fact I think you going to bring my wack rhymes out of retirement! That’s right haters; you can thank Eminem because I’m going to start rapping again! LOL Just for him! And don’t forget about the jokes! We coming at you hard body!! Non-stop on your Manic-depressive-Insecure-Maclovin-Nazi- Liza Minelli haircut havin-lookin ass!! [Pause] That’s what I do all day Bitch!

So Miss Marshall, I’m going to make you wish you never spoke my name and regret the ungodly things you said about my wife. This is going to be fun! It’s however you want it! Just remember, you did this to yourself! Your legacy has now been tainted from this day forth! You will now be known as the rapper who lost to Corny-ass Nick Cannon!!!

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My thoughts...

- Nick Cannon is a clown for even taking the time to write up all this stuff. I respect this dude's hustle in the entertainment biz but this is just corny. He could have at least done a youtube video, lol.

- Marshall is going to tear Nick a new one, lyrically.

- Since when has Mariah Carey embraced her bi-racial roots (not even her Black side) to the point where the Black community should feel outraged about her being disrespected.

- Doesn't everybody know that Eminem does this stuff for fun/entertainment and if he was really going in on Nick/Mariah then he would have went wayyyyy harder?

This is what happens to Black Men in America!!!

Well yeah, this type of shyt does happen *sometimes*, but not ALL THE TIME. What am I referring to? Nothing other than the shytuation revolving around the arrest of world-renowned professor and Director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Studies Henry Louis Gates Jr., affectionately known as "Skip" by friends.

Apparently the statement "This is what happens to black men in America" was uttered by Gates at least 2 or 3 times during his incident with the police in Cambridge, MA.

Well yes, it is what happens, sometimes. We [Black men] get stereotyped. Sometimes I wear my fitted cap backwards with a tilt and people look at me differently than they do when I have on slacks and a shirt. Sometimes the "wow, I'm shocked you went there" expression shows on people's faces when I tell them my alma mater. Sometimes, even though I smile and say hello women grab their children's hands and bring them closer if I have on "casual" clothing and I'm walking down a semi-darkly lit street at night. But sometimes none of these negatively stereotypical things happen to me. And this is why I think Gates' shytuation is so thought-provoking, sobering, and well REAL. The truth of the matter is that the election of a Black president don't mean much on the ground-level. On the macro level the shyt looks great. On the micro level, brothers still getting stereotyped. There is no such thing as post-racial people. Get that through your thick skulls.

Obama's election meant "yes we can" in more ways than one. You can call it the infinite entendre if you like.

Yes WE can move past prejudice and racial stereotyping.

Yes WE can be Black and achieve in a society where we are the minority.

Yes WE can help non-Blacks understand our past, present, and where we are headed in the future.

Yes WE can help show others that not all of us who dress a certain way ACT a certain way.

Yes WE, can.

Based on what I know of Henry Louis Gates I would suspect that he would not have said "this is what happens to black men in America" haphazardly. He wouldn't have said it to victimize himself unnecessarily or make the officer(s) uncomfortable. He would say it because that's how he truly felt. Henry Louis Gates is a highly educated man who surely understands how blurting out accusations of prejudice and racism can be more than just an accusation that makes the accused look bad. It can also make the accuser appear a racially hyper-sensitive, subconsciously self-victimizing, ignorant BLACK PERSON NI99ER. And the last thing we as a people need is one more of us looking ignorant. Especially not one that's as well educated and respected as Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The story goes that Gates was returning home from a trip to China and he was having trouble getting into the door of his home. How you have trouble getting into your own front door is beyond me but sometimes you've gotta "wrench around" and jiggle the lock the bit more so I'll assume he was just tired and somehow the door wouldn't open on the first try. A "white woman" phoned the police saying that a break-in was taking place.

Question #1: Do his neighbors not know who he is? I assume the white woman was his neighbor. I also assume that he is probably one of only a few (if not the only) Blacks that live in his neighborhood. And in case you don't know, in rich neighborhoods non-Blacks know EXACTLY who the Black people are and where they live. It's obvious to me that whoever called the police may have been profiling Gates moreso than the police did.

Gates made it into the foyer of his home by the time the police arrived and they asked him to step outside. He responded "No, I will not". This is where Gates took one step in the wrong direction (to "niggerdom"). I understand he was mad and he felt like he didn't have to deal with the bowlshyt but BLACK MEN, DO NOT get it twisted, one step towards acting like what "they" think a "nigger" acts like is a step toward a bad outcome for you.

Question #2: Why didn't Gates just step outside, show his identification, explain what happened, and (probably) avoid the situation altogether? My guess is that he was pissed because he was just getting home and caught off-guard for some reason he was not remotely aware of. AND, because he didn't want to step outside of his own home. Yet-and-still, are those reason enough to start off your conversation with the police on an insubordinate tip? And I know some of you will be upset at the use of the term inSUBordinate and I don't really like it now that I re-read it but it is what it is.

Gates them demanded to know who the police officer was and his badge number. This one is a bit tricky because I am pretty sure citizens have the right to do this but depending on how you are saying it, it could definitely come across as belligerent. I'm going to guess that Gates came off with a smidgeon of confrontation. Just a guess. Oddly enough, the officer told him who he was and asked him to step outside again and Gates then goes "Why? Because I'm a Black man in America!?!"

Question #3: Seriously, why did he have to pull the race card. Up to this point it appears the officer was not doing anything wrong but yet-and-still if you're a white officer and you're dealing with a Black "suspect" you get the race card pulled avec le quickness. It's not always fair to the officer. I'm not taking up for the litany of white police officers who are effed the eff up and racially profile or are straight up racist. I'm just saying that some of these white officers out here are just looking to protect and serve all people.

Gates then refused to show his ID but eventually gave in. In the end, Gates ended up blurting the "...black man in America" line a couple more times and eventually arrested for taking a 3rd step into niggerdom disorderly conduct.

In the end, the charges were droppped and we all know he should have never been arrested. Ray Charles could see that. But he also should have drank a hot cup of STFU at a couple points during the shytuation and it would have saved some drama. Or perhaps Gates decided at some point during all this that he wanted to be a martyr (of sorts) and bring some attention to the issue of racial profiling by policemen. A highly-respected Black man being arrested in a liberal town for breaking into his own home??? Why not bring some MUCH-NEEDED attention to the issue of racial profiling and injustice? Perhaps this is what Gates was thinking, I'm not sure. This incident will bring light to the situation as we can all see by our President addressing the situation and contacting both Gates and the police officer involved. And at this point, someone in Gates's position probably should speak out during situations like that because there are many young Black men in the less wealthy neighborhoods of this country that have no voice at all when it comes to situations like this. The more light the better.

I read this article on the Inside Higher Education website and I walked away with several quotes that stuck in my head and I'd like to share:

"Odd, isn’t it? Here we are in the age of Obama, and some things haven’t changed. Blackness is associated in the public mind with wrongdoing; if we are spotted in an unexpected locale, we must be up to something." - Stephen L. Carter, Yale University Law Professor

"When incidents like this occur it lets the greater population become aware of something that most black men are aware of simply by nature of having been black in America" -- Michael Cuyjet, acting associate provost for student life and associate professor of education at the University of Louisville

"[Jack] Levin, who is white, said the take-away from the incident is that Gates and other black men live in a world where racism is prevalent enough that Gates would reasonably conclude he was targeted because he’s black." -- Jack Stripling

The comments on the Inside Higher Education article are rather interesting as well.