Donald stalks Hillary through the second debate.

 I just saw the latest Hillary trump debate, and, if I am going to be honest, it was a couple of hours of my life that I now wish  that I could get back.

Donald trump, as is to be expected, was horrible. But that's just me. I actually like my presidents to be smart and to know what they are talking about. (Stalking Hillary all around the stage was not a good look. Somebody give that man a Tic Tac.)

The moderators were pretty decent, but they couldn't stop trump from bringing four of the women from Bubba's past to rattle Hillary. Nor could they stop Donald from threatening to lock up Hillary while he stalked her across the stage. There was even a Third World style press conference before it all got started.

Hillary was....well.... Hillary. The poor GOP has to be thinking that if they only had another candidate they probably could have won the whole damn thing. But, sadly for them, they are stuck with the orange haired one. And from the looks of things, they will be in the L column this November.

That tape over the weekend might be too much for Donald to overcome. It's one thing to read about something he said, it's quite another thing to actually hear it.

Then, to make matters worse, there might be more tapes out there, and another shoe might drop one day soon.

I hear that Mark Burnett  (Producer of The Apprentice) might be sitting on that tape, and there is mounting pressure for him to release it.

There is apparently a five million dollar fine for anyone of his former staff members who was on the set, and who reveals or discloses anything that they learned.

I think I might start a fundraiser to try and help raise some money for anyone who comes forward.

Maybe one of these billionaires supporting Hillary (I see you Mark Cuban) can kick in some dollars as well.   

The next few days should be interesting.

Sterling light?

"If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there’s a guy that has tattoos all over his face - white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere - I’m walking back to the other side of the street." 


That's Dallas owner, Mark Cuban, doing his best Donald Sterling impression.
(I have news for Cuban: If a black kid in a hoodie or a white bald headed kid with tats sees his crazy ass coming, they might switch sides of the street as well.) Although, to be honest, I am glad that he is being honest about his feelings. We don't have enough of that these days. Most people are afraid to discuss their prejudices and face their benighted state of mind, publicly.


Still, as someone who should be worldly and somewhat sophisticated, I am surprised at Cuban's simplistic views about street smarts.


The truth is we all have to practice some level of street smarts. I have been told --that even in my old age--- I look like an NFL linebacker. I am black (not beige) and I have a bald head. So I am sure that if Mark Cuban saw me on a very dark night while I was leaving the gym--- and we were both alone--- he would probably cross to the other side of the street to avoid me.


He says that he would do the same to a bald headed white guy with tattoos, and he would be just as ignorant to do that as well. Unless, of course, he was standing outside of an Aryan or Nazi training camp in the middle of Idaho.


This is also true for the black guy with the hoodie. It's all about where you are and what you are doing. Cuban should know that. And I suspect that he does. Someone like Mark Cuban will never find himself in the type of neighborhood where he would really need to watch his back. I have been in those neighborhoods, and I practice street smarts; not profiling.


But let's be honest, Cuban's views are shared by many, and I am not surprised to see that there are already op-eds  praising his stance.


"Let's be honest, white people don't write or talk publicly about race unless it's to condemn people for being racist. It's easier that way. If we all create a universe where everyone and everything is either racist or not racist, then it's about identifying your camp, you're on one side or the other, either entirely racist or entirely not racist. There's no room for nuance or awkward uncertainty. 


The company line from most white people is this: Racism is bad and we're not racist. In fact, most white people today fear being called racist more than just about anything in the world. How much so? Put it this way, if your average white person had to choose between getting arrested for a DUI or being publicly branded a racist, just about every single one of us would pick getting a DUI. That's right, we'd rather put countless lives in danger, go to jail and face criminal charges than be called a racist in America today.


That's how potent the charge of racism has become.
 
And you know who talks about race less than white people? White people involved in business. Aside from a generalized and glib stance in favor of affirmative action and diversity -- buzz words that frequently translate to insubstantial action -- most white executives would rather be waterboarded than asked for their personal views on race relations. I mean, sure, every CEO in America hates racism; we all know this, right? They abhor it deeply from the depths of their nearly all-white gated communities and the nearly all-white private schools they send their kids to and from the nearly all-white country clubs they play golf in. Why do you even have to ask? These people hate racists. 


Which brings us to Mark Cuban. 


God love Mark Cuban for being an NBA owner who didn't see the ongoing Donald Sterling mushroom cloud and think, "You know what, maybe I'll avoid talking about race today in a business interview. Maybe it's not the right time to talk about who I cross the street to avoid. Maybe it's not the right time to admit that I sometimes judge people based on what they look like."


Nope, Mark Cuban saw all this controversy and thought, "Now's the perfect time for me to talk about race in America today." [Source]


And I am glad that he did. I am glad to know that Marc Cuban is not a racist like Donald Sterling.


Nope, his racism is "nuanced and awkward."








 

Some things you just don't do.

This is a memo to Mark Cuban from the field:

Mark, I know that you hire a lot of black men to play on your team and you are an owner in the NBA, which means that you have a lot of interaction with black men by default. But there is something you should know: DON'T YOU EVER EVER DISRESPECT A BLACK MAN'S MAMA! I don't care how much of those "dead presidents" you have just sitting around collecting interest. Some things you just don't do. I know you got caught up in the heat of your team's playoff series, but don't let that shit cause you to end up in a Dallas hospital some damn where. And for the record, your apology on your blog was lame.

Your actions the other night, as you walked off the court, towards Kenyon Martin's mother, had me wanting to kick your ass. There is a reason we say "your mama" to each other if we really want to rumble. Not your wife. Not your daddy. (Well, most of us don't know our Daddies) And not your grandma. Your mama is what gets our blood boiling. Because, for better or for worse, we just love our damn mamas.

And let's be clear; the real villain in this sad episode is not you, Mark. No, the real villain is that coward, David Stern, for not slapping you with a big fat fine. (I guess there is a different standard for owners) You have created an environment in Dallas that could lead to something nasty, and leaving the family members of visiting players exposed to that Texas mob (ahhh Texas, again) in your arena is just downright irresponsible.

I never agree with Jason Fatlock, but I might have to this time. He is right when he says this:

"Right or wrong, disrespecting a black man's mama publicly has always been a drop-the-gloves moment. When a billionaire white man does it, it becomes a ride-or-die episode for the entire neighborhood.

Last I checked, Martin plays in a league dominated by black men hailing from the don't-talk-about-my-mama culture. I don't have any doubt that La La Vazquez and every other Nugget sympathizer who entered American Airlines Arena for Game 4 came with an attitude looking for tiny signs of disrespect.

I'm sorry. I don't blame them.
I'm 42. I'm mature. I'm a pacifist. I haven't been in a fight since college. I honestly can't remember the last time I was fighting mad. But had Cuban wagged his finger at my mother, loud talked her and told her I was a "punk" and/or a "thug" — after I pulled my mother (father and brother) off him — I would have delivered at least one mouth shot."

Mr. Fatlock, make that two of us.

Josh Howard is an American too.

This post is going to piss off some of you in the A-merry-ca "love it or leave it" crowd. It has to do with Josh Howard, a very fine, and to some, misguided player, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks. It seems Howard pissed off patriotic Americans from California to Maine, when he refused to recognize the national anthem at an Allen Iverson celebrity basketball game. And, of course, folks are up in arms. Most average A-merry-cans view this as damn near an act of treason, and they want Howard punished (Thank god he works for Mark Cuban). To compound things, Howard injected race and invoked the name of his O ness in his little You Tube moment, which made all the folks on the right even more pissed.

Well, not so fast. The last time I checked, this is A-merry-ca, and the reason we love this country so much, and are so patriotic, is because it allows young millionaires like *Josh Howard to say fuck you to the national anthem. Dwight Howard had every right to do what he did, as much as we have every right to stand at attention and cross our hearts when we hear it. (The anthem)This is A-merry-ca damn it, and no matter how much it offends us, if someone chooses to say screw patriotism, we have to live with it. Because that is exactly what makes this A-merry-ca; the fact that ordinary citizens---even young rich black ones---can choose to take a position on something that offends us, without fearing being thrown into jail, or having his or her right to make a living taken away. That is the kind of shit they do in countries that we overthrow, and invoke our will on. That is not the kind of shit we expect in a democracy.

Honestly, like Matt Watson who wrote the piece in the last link I provided said: I sure hope Howard does not backtrack and apologize for what he did. I hope he fesses up and says that he did exactly what he wanted to do. I am sick of faux patriotism and the hypocrisy of celebrities and high profile people.

So if you are a Mavericks fan, enjoy Howard's game, and hope he can get your team an NBA championship. If you are not, boo Howard like hell the next time he is introduced in a game, but boo him because he plays for the opposing team, not because he has views about his country that you find offensive.

*Thanks for the correction "ruffian96"