Should the press just "shut up" and not report on the lies? Stephen Bannon thinks so.

"Negative motivation" is a tool used by preachers, politicians, and even us lawyers at times.

It's motivating by fear. "If you don't repent you will burn in hell". Or, "If you don't vote for me the other guy is going to make your life miserable".

Donald trump uses this tactic brilliantly to keep his minions and followers in line: "America is going to hell in a hand basket. It's in terrible shape, and if you don't let me do what I want, things are only going to get worse." 

He was at it again today while visiting us here in Philly.

" President Trump said Thursday that Philadelphia's murder rate has been "steady, I mean, just terribly increasing.

 By almost any interpretation, he's wrong.

First, let's look at his full quote:

'"Right now, too many families don’t feel secure. Just look at the 30 largest cities. In the last year alone, the murder rate has increased by an estimated 14 percent. Here in Philadelphia, the murder rate has been steady, I mean, just terribly increasing.”'

The most accurate interpretation of his remarks about Philadelphia would be to say the murder rate last year was steady. That is correct: In 2015, the murder rate was about 17.86 per 100,000 residents, according to a calculation using police statistics and census data. In 2016, it was about 17.41 per 100,000 residents.

But after saying "steady" Trump added, "I mean, just terribly increasing," which is incorrect. It's true that 2015 and 2016 had higher murder rates than 2013 and 2014. But the earlier two years had the lowest murder rates the city had seen in decades: " [Source]

The Philadelphia Inquirer is being kind. He knows that he is "wrong"; he flat out lied.

But that's how trump rolls, he just lies for lying sake. He can't help himself. It's one lie after another. Lying has become the new normal for an American president. Facts be dammed, we have "alternative facts" to give you.

Today trump was in Philly, and there were thousands and thousands of protesters in the streets. He can't lie to me about that, I saw it with my own eyes. But we all now how obsessed he is with crowds. (Ordering a government agency to find proof to back up a  lie is beyond the pale.) Soon he will go on some national cable show and try to convince us that there were no protests in Philly today. And the scary thing is that some people will believe him.

Is it any wonder, then, that his number two guy does not want the press to report anything and just "keep its mouth shut".  

Hopefully no one in the Fifth Estate is listening, and everyone will just keep writing and talking.

El Chapo, D-Money, Shifty, and The Central Park Five in- between.

In the infamous words of Alonzo Harris: "Oh what a day! What a motherfucking day!"

First, congrats to the Mexican Navy for capturing El Chapo. (That's him above in better days.) I must admit that I never thought that they would take this guy alive.

Word is that they owe this capture to US intelligence operations. I am quite sure that if our friend Donald trump was our president he would take credit for his apprehension.

Then late last night here in Philly some lunatic tried to execute a police officer in the name of Islam. (Save the "It's Always Sunni In Philadelphia" jokes, please.)

 

The Poor cop is lucky to be alive. Dude just runs up to him and starts blasting. The cop gets shot 3 times, and gets out of his patrol car and returns fire.  

 

The shooter's mother says that he had some mental issues.  He used a stolen police officer's weapon (irony alert) to do the shooting, so background checks would not have prevented him from getting his hands on this particular weapon.

 

I am not going to make excuses for his depraved behavior like certain folks like to do when we have situations like this. The mental issue he had is that he is a depraved lunatic who probably should not have been on the street.

 

Up in New York some poor teacher was fired for wanting her students to know the truth about something that actually happened for fear that it would "rile up black students".

*

The case of the Central Park Five should be taught to these children so that they can learn about the injustices that can take place in this country. The fact that the school district tried to fire this teacher for teaching her students actual history is a disgrace.

 

But this is a part of a larger pattern in this country where those on the right and other like minded individuals would like us to rewrite history.

 

"Thanks to social media, it has become easier for parents to call out these issues in history classes. Last October, for example, one Houston mother’s Facebook post about her son’s McGraw-Hill textbook, which incorrectly referred to slaves as “workers” and included slaves in a section on “Patterns of Immigration,” went viral. The textbook manufacturer eventually printed new textbooks and offered the new edition to schools across the country.

Educators and education journalists also brought attention to “Playing History: Slave Trade” — a video game that was sold as an educational resources about slavery, but that actually allowed players to stack slaves on top of each other like Tetris. Screenshots of the video game were retweeted many times on Twitter, and the criticism eventually led the CEO of the company that made the video game to address the controversy.

Still, there has been substantial backlash from conservatives who want to present U.S. history with fewer references to the civil rights movement, discrimination, slavery, and violence against Native Americans. After the College Board changed its AP history standards to include more information on slavery and Native Americans, the RNC said the standards “emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects” and advocated for Congress to stop funding the College Board. Conservative legislators began pushing legislation to prohibit spending on AP U.S. history courses, and eventually the College Board caved to the pressure — agreeing to add specific mentions of the Founding Fathers and use the term “American exceptionalism.”'

And did you hear the one about the man from North Dakota who drove all the way to Washington to kidnap the Obama's dog, Bo? 

"An officer responding to a tip from the Secret Service tracked down Stockert at the downtown D.C. hotel. He admitted that he had a shotgun and a rifle in his pickup truck, both unloaded, along with ammunition for the weapons, according to a police report.
It's illegal to possess unregistered firearms in D.C.

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The report said police also found a machete and a billy club."

At first I was a little concerned for the first dog, but then I read this:

"When he was arrested, the police report said, Stockert claimed that his parents were John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe and that he came to the capital to announce his campaign for president and advocate for a $99 per month healthcare plan."

This dude is clearly crazy. But I wish him luck with his campaign for president. He can't be any crazier than some of the candidates already in the race.

Take for instance Donald trump, he was telling his brown shirts to throw a protestor out in the cold last night and take his jacket.

"Republican front-runner Donald Trump directed security to kick out Bernie Sanders supporters from his Vermont rally and to confiscate their coats.

"Throw them out into the cold," Trump ordered security, as protesters shouted "Bernie! Bernie!" during his rally Thursday night in Burlington, Vt."

Yeah I would probably vote for the wannabe kidnapper over the trump dude. 

     Finally, someone should remind the governor of Maine (and Chris Christie supporter) what century we are living in.

LePage, talking about Maine's heroin epidemic, described out-of-state drug dealers as "guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty" and said "half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave."

LePage, who's white, didn't describe the races of the drug dealers on Wednesday during a town meeting in Bridgton, and a spokesman said Thursday he wasn't making a comment about race.

But moderate Republican and LePage critic Lance Dutson, who called attention to the remark, said the governor was playing to people's racial fears.

 

"This is one of the most blatantly racist statements he's ever made," said Dutson, a former CEO of the conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center who helped create the GOP group Get Right Maine to combat extremism. "One of the things that's offensive about it is that it's reminiscent of this fearmongering in American history that people would like to think is long gone." [Source]

 

If true, what does this say about the "young white girls" in Maine? Maybe he should be lecturing their parents and not D-Money, Smoothie, and Shifty. (Where did he get these names?) I am going to ask the one person I know in Maine how this guy was even elected in the first place.  

 

*Pic from atlantablackstar.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doing good among those who don't.

I don't know how my man Francis does it. Dude has to be pushing 80 and he is acting like he plays guitar for the Rolling Stones or something. They are the only other septuagenarian who can rock so many crowds and keep going like this. Washington. Congress. The UN. Harlem. Madison Square Garden. Philly. And crowds in the hundreds of thousands out in the streets just trying to get a glimpse of him, while he just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny with that perpetual smile on his face.

Anyway, he will be here in Philly tonight. Unfortunately he might have the city all to himself. Damn near everyone who lives in the city has left town or vowed not to venture anywhere near Center City.

I have my fingers crossed that the Mayor's plan to shut the city down doesn't backfire. I am looking at Washington and New York and folks are coming out in droves to show love.  I have heard that we are expecting a million or so saints.  Right now we are just "praying" that they come.  

"Heading into the final week before the pope’s U.S. trip, hotels in Philadelphia had more than 1,000 rooms available. Regional transit agency SEPTA had sold only about a third of its papal visit rail passes, and the southern New Jersey commuter rail, PATCO, less than a sixth. 
And a plan to turn Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the nation, into “Francis Fields” campground was scrapped due to a lack of interest." [Source]

Y'all better come out and show Francis some love. The Eagles are 0-2 for crying out loud!

Speaking of showing Francis love, my man has been getting love everywhere he goes. He talked about Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech in East Harlem, and seemed to be more at ease with poor people, immigrants, and children than he was with all those dignitaries in Washington and at the United Nations. That's my kind of guy.

Speaking of dignitaries in Washington, one of them decided to make a life changing decision after meeting the Pope, yesterday.

"WASHINGTON — It took a visit from the pope, a brewing conservative rebellion, and a good night’s sleep for John Boehner — the son of a bartender and a devout Catholic from Cincinnati — to decide that Friday morning was the right moment for him to end his tumultuous five-year speakership and bring his 25-year career in Congress to a close.

“This morning, I woke up and I said my prayers and I decided today’s the day I’m going to this,” Boehner told reporters in an emotional news conference on Friday afternoon, a few hours after he stunned Washington by announcing that he planned to resign, effective Oct. 30. “It’s as simple as that.”

But of course, it was not that simple.

Boehner disclosed his decision less than 24 hours after he reveled in the first-ever papal speech to a joint session of Congress, something he has dreamed of for 20 years — and as the government was on the verge of another shutdown, with Boehner's fractious caucus battling over a bill to fund the government beyond Sept. 30."

Poor John. As usual he got all weepy, but those might be tears of joy because he doesn't have to deal with some of the lunatics in his party anymore. They actually cheered at a big republican conference when the "faithful" heard that he was on his way out, and some of the republican candidates for president couldn't wait to kick him in the ass as he went out the door. 

I suppose that they are all still mad that they couldn't stop the Socialist in Chief from getting two terms and getting his way with some significant pieces of legislation.

Now we know, of course, that they started plotting on inauguration night.

"WASHINGTON -- As President Barack Obama was celebrating his inauguration at various balls, top Republican lawmakers and strategists were conjuring up ways to submarine his presidency at a private dinner in Washington.

The event -- which provides a telling revelation for how quickly the post-election climate soured -- serves as the prologue of Robert Draper's much-discussed and heavily-reported new book, "Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives."

According to Draper, the guest list that night (which was just over 15 people in total) included Republican Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.), Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Pete Sessions (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) and Dan Lungren (Calif.), along with Republican Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Ensign (Nev.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.). The non-lawmakers present included Newt Gingrich, several years removed from his presidential campaign, and Frank Luntz, the long-time Republican wordsmith. Notably absent were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) -- who, Draper writes, had an acrimonious relationship with Luntz.
For several hours in the Caucus Room (a high-end D.C. establishment), the book says they plotted out ways to not just win back political power, but to also put the brakes on Obama's legislative platform." [Source]

Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.

*Pic from nhpr.org. (Courtesy of David  Goldman/Getty Images)

 
 
 

"Tase that motherf*cker"

I was walking in Center City, Philadelphia a few days ago, and a police officer in uniform approached me and wanted to know if I was the Field Negro. He had that look on his face that said: don't even try to deny it because I know you are, so I had to come clean.

"Yes, you got me, guilty as charged", I told him. "I knew it", he said. "Man I love your work. I look forward to reading your posts every night."

Dude seemed genuinely excited to meet me and it was flattering. I told him that it felt good to have a police officer approach me (in uniform no less) and tell me that he reads my blog and supports what I am doing. "How do you and your brothers in blue feel when I write posts that are critical of the police?" I really wanted to know. "Oh man, I personally don't mind at all. There are bad apples in every group, and they need to be exposed. "

I write about that experience with one of Philly's finest  because I want to share yet another video of alleged police abuse with you.

"A video posted to YouTube on Wednesday shows a massive and violent police response to one black man, who is seen on the ground as he is punched, kicked, Tased, and cursed at by police officers.

The video, posted by Los Angeles blogger and journalist Jasmyne Cannick, reportedly documents the arrest of Tyree Carroll, a 22-year-old Philadelphian who the camerawoman and witness says was stopped while riding his bike.

It starts with the man being held down by four cops. He is struggling or writhing, screaming and calling out for his grandmother. A bicycle can be seen a few feet away. A cop punches him repeatedly. Then another police car pulls up and an officer gets out yelling, “I have a f*cking Taser, here I come! You’re getting the f*cking Taser!”

An officer can then be heard saying, “Tase that motherf*cker.”

Multiple officers can then be seen pummeling the man with fists, another screams, “you f*cking bit me you piece of sh*t!”

The woman holding the camera says to a companion that the man was Tased four of five times. By the end of the video, at least two dozen officers are on scene. The camerawoman counted 11 police cars and 26 officers – most of whom appeared to be white.

“Four cops had him, he wasn’t going no where,” the videographer says to her companion. “Thank God he lived — right now.”' [Video]

Now don't get it twisted, police officers in cities like Philadelphia have a tough job, and we have to tip our hats to the good cops who are holding down every day and doing the right thing.

But at the same time we have to call out the bad ones as well. It's hard enough controlling crime and maintaining law and order in poor urban areas without having to deal with incompetent and corrupt police officers contributing to the problem.   

*Pic from bossip.com





      

Before Dylann, there was Edgar.

Today is a good day to talk about Edgar Ray Killen, the unapologetic racist who was responsible for killing three civil rights workers in Mississippi back in 1964.

Sadly, there were many Dylann Roof types back then, and he was just one of them.  

Today he sits in jail after finally being convicted of that terrible crime.

"And he steadfastly refuses to discuss the “Freedom Summer” slayings of three civil rights workers, which sparked national outrage, helped spur passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and landed him behind bars.

Killen was interviewed by the Associated Press inside the Mississippi state penitentiary, where he is serving a 60-year sentence; it was his first interview since his conviction on state charges of manslaughter in 2005, 41 years to the day after James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were killed and buried in a red clay dam. An earlier trial in 1967, on federal charges, resulted in a mistrial.

Killen wouldn’t say much about the 1964 killings. He said he remains a segregationist who does not believe in race equality but contends he bears no ill will toward blacks.

The three civil rights workers – black Mississippian Chaney and white New Yorkers Schwerner and Goodman – were investigating the burning of a black church outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, when they were stopped on an accusation of speeding and held for hours in the Neshoba County jail. Witnesses testified that Killen rounded up carloads of Klansmen to intercept the three men upon their release and helped arrange for a bulldozer to hide the bodies.

The bodies were found 44 days later, buried miles away in a red-clay dam." [Source]

It's important to remember this monster because now, 50 years later, the kind of hate that drove him and others to do what they did , is still permeating throughout certain segments of the country.

Over the past few days at least six black churches have been burned to the ground, and we are all collectively sticking our heads in the sand as if it didn't happen.

Were it not for black twitter (shout out to the #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches? movement) these stories would be getting even less publicity than they are now. It's sad, but the story has to actually get worse before the producers at cable news networks will have the courage to put stories like this front and center.

Look, we get it, a lot of Americans have Negro fatigue, so stories about black churches being burned to the ground just won't get their attention.  It's just too depressing to think that the country we love and cherish is going through this. Heck we are just getting over what happened in Charleston for crying out loud. Leave us alone!!!

Field, you don't even go to church, why do you care so much about these churches burning?

Because I understand the importance and historical significance of the church in the black community. And because church folks are such a forgiving bunch that I am sure that whoever is doing this will get nothing but love and another cheek from my church going brothers and sisters.

"Chaney’s sister, the Rev Julia Chaney Moss of Willingboro, New Jersey, said she was not surprised Killen wouldn’t talk about the slayings.

“I can only wish Mr. Killen peace at this juncture in his life ... If he can achieve a modicum of peace, I wish that for him,” Chaney said."

See what I mean?

Anyway, I sure hope that Rev. Julia and others at least believe in Proverbs 20:22.

~Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.~

Hurry Lord, we are getting tired of waiting.  








 





    

An inconvenient intrusion.

"Honey I am home!" It's nice to be back on the plantation, it really is. I really love traveling but Philly is where my heart is. (At least for now.)

Before I forget; thanks for all the holiday shout outs and the wonderful e-mails and comments that you all left me. Right back at [everyone of] you.

Now enough of the niceties; let's talk.

I recently encouraged all of you who care about real American history to visit the wonderful President's House Memorial here in Philly. Sadly, not everyone shares my sentiments. It seems that some big shot arts critic from the New Yaawk Times took issue with the new attraction here in the city where our "founding fathers" left their mark.

Edward Rothstein penned the following:

"PHILADELPHIA — The convulsive currents that roil the telling of American history have become so familiar that they now seem an inseparable part of the story itself. Here is a nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to a proposition of human equality, that, for much of its first century of life, countenanced slavery, institutionally supported it and economically profited from it. The years that followed have been marked by repair, reform and reversals; recompense, recrimination and reinterpretation. Extraordinary ideals and achievements have been countered by extraordinary failings and flaws, only to be countered yet again, each turn yielding another round of debates......

And here, in this city where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were signed; where a $300 million Independence National Historical Park has been created, leading from the National Constitution Center to Independence Hall; and where the Liberty Bell, as a symbol of the nation’s ideals, draws well over a million visitors a year, a great opportunity existed to explore these primal tensions more closely on a site adjacent to the Liberty Bell Center in Independence park. Unfortunately, those opportunities have been squandered in “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” which opens on Wednesday.....

“History is not neat,” we read. “It is complicated and messy. It is about people, places and events that are both admirable and deplorable.” And the President’s House, we are told, “exposes the core contradiction at the founding of this nation: enshrinement of liberty and the institution of slavery.”

But what precisely is being exposed? A few yards away, the Liberty Bell Center discusses abolition and slavery; the park’s visitor center has an exhibition about the Underground Railroad; the nearby African American History Museum has a powerful audio and video history of blacks in Philadelphia. Accounts of slavery are even found at Mount Vernon.

Here, though, we get neither a sense of the place, nor a sense of the issues (and much of the year, the open air will be inhospitable). We don’t learn about the differences between Washington and Adams. We don’t learn much about the pictured events. There is no real narrative. Illustrations can also be melodramatically contentious: we see a seemingly disdainful Washington dangling a “peace medal” before a suspicious Seneca Indian leader

As for slave life, it is also difficult to piece together. The video screens that come to life above the fake mantels give the impression of a half-finished 21st-century home. The videos themselves (with scripts by Lorene Cary), in which slaves and servants provide first-person accounts of experiences, at least provide some sense of life. But how do we put these experiences in context? What was Philadelphia’s free black community like? How did white workers and black slaves live together here?

We are told that the President’s House “offers an opportunity to draw lessons from the past.” But what lessons? That Washington was flawed? That slavery was an abomination? Are these revelations? A memorial to the practice of slavery is mounted here, inscribed with the names of African tribes from which slaves derived, but it has no particular relationship to Philadelphia or this site. The need for some such memorial is keen, but here it seems thumped down as an intrusion..." [Read the full article here]

And that, my friends, is the problem with so many folks in the majority population: They view the sad legacy of slavery as nothing but an "intrusion". Memorials such as this one only reminds us of the flaws that even the "greatest" among us had. And if they were flawed, what does that say about us?

I am glad that folks like Annete John- Hall and my friend Michael Coard responded.

"The esteemed critic obviously missed the point of the exhibit.

Rothstein argues that the commemoration, by focusing on slavery, loses sight of other important history. You know, real American history.

Like more about George Washington, for one. The father of our country, America's foremost patriot. Military man. President. Name and image affixed to every stamp, currency, school and monument you can possibly imagine.

Except that a narrow little inconvenient truth surfaced as plans were made to build a president's house memorial. Something conveniently omitted from my history books: Washington unapologetically owned more than 300 Africans, nine of whom he shuttled back and forth between his Virginia plantation and his presidential home in Philadelphia." [Source]
Well put, Anette. But you have a long way to go if you want to convince the rest of A-merry-ca that your position is the correct one. I leave you with the words of "Tyrome". (Not a real name, I am sure. Just someone trying to be funny by poking fun at what he/she perceives as an ethnic name from a certain group.)

"PC ot[sic] of control. We don’t care about 1700-era slave stuff. The whole slave/victim/in-the-past thing is gettning[sic] real old to Americans.

My Irish ancestors where mistreated but thats[sic] not worth building a monument.

George Washington did great things for OUR country. People shouldn’t hijack it to push there[sic] PC victimhood shtick. "

2011 should be fun.

I thought black folks couldn't swim. Why are you Negroes going to the pool in the first place?

Look mommy, that nigger is getting in the water. Oh my, and there is even more of them. I bet they are from Philadelphia. What's the matter, they don't have their own public pools? Hurry dear, jump out of the water before you catch something.

Honestly, I don't know if that conversation took place between little Johny and his mom or not, but let me say this; knowing this area the way that I do, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it did.

Now what I do know is that a bunch of day campers made up of mostly black children, were told in no uncertain terms that they could not swim in the Valley Swim Club, pool. Yep, it seems the white parents and swim club members were outraged when they saw all the little Negroes invading their pool space. Poor white folks, No matter how hard they try they just can't get away from those Negroes.

Apparently, according to the President of the club, all those Negroes would change the color of the water in the pool. Did you know that if Negroes are in chlorine long enough that the black will come off? Nothing worse than trying to swim in dark water.

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.

Of course Mr. Duesler, I understand exactly where you are coming from. Nothing like a bunch of Negroes to change the "atmosphere" of a joint. Trust me, I know all about it, I invented the 12% rule.

"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.

Oh come on Dymire. Are you sure she said black kids and not b-a-d kids? I am sure you all were acting up. You know how you little Negroes can act up sometimes. Especially when you see water. You all saw that that big swimming pool and lost your minds.

Seriously folks, I have been getting e-mails from folks wondering about my hometown and how this can be happening in 2009. Folks, welcome to the real world. Philadelphia, Pistolvania is no different than Philadelphia, Mississippi in terms of racial attitudes. In fact, it might be worse. Oh it's a "city of neighborhoods" alright, and it's a proudly segregated one. But it's not just Philly; pick any city in the Northeast. Anyone. I guarantee you that you will find the same type of prejudices and ignorance among the races.

The Valley Swim Club is a nice Sunday morning jog from my house, and the type of people who make up the membership are the ones who joined to get away from all the Negroes who might pollute the city pools. So this story is not surprising. What's surprising is how surprised everyone seems to be that this actually happened. Obviously they don't read black blogs. And they certainly don't keep up with the racism chasers. If they did, they would realize that we can't keep up. Racism is all over the place, and chasing it is becoming just too damn hard.

Holla at the folks at The Valley Swim Club and let them know that in the age of Obama even little Negroes should be able to swim in peace.

THE VALLEY SWIM CLUB

22 TOMLINSON RD HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA 19006

(215) 947-0700

"Many are called but few are chosen".

Rikyrah (who is seriously cool people in my book) and the rest of you Obamaholics won't like this post, but you all know that I have to keep it 100% with you and tell you I feel about things. Well, actually, in this case, it's not just me, it's a whole lot of my fellow Philadelphians.

Now here is the deal: seems his O ness wanted to do the whole train down to D.C. thing like his boy Lincoln and other presidents did back in the day, an inaugural train ride if you will. Just a another way for him to go into to D.C., and show some folks some love along the way. A "Whistle Stop Tour" they are calling it. (He slipped into our very chilly city last night) So far so good, right? Yes but here is the problem: His O ness is going to start his trip right here in Philly at our venerable 30th Street Station, but the station will be closed, and only 250 of his closest friends will be allowed in to see his O ness start this historic journey this Saturday.

Here in Philly, we are not feeling the "brotherly love" from a certain president elect. In fact, we are feeling a litle like red headed step children. "I am disappointed for the masses of people here in Philadelphia who would like an opportunity to show their love and affection for this family before they leave" So said one woman, Ruth Birchett, from North Philly. I hear you Ruth, it would have been nice. And to add insult to injury, his O ness will be making stops to meet and greet his adoring fans along the way in Wilmington and Baltimore. I wonder if he realizes that Philly came out for him big time, and helped him to wallop the salty one (AKA Mr. Morton) by over 500,000.00 votes. Without those big numbers from Philly and its suburbs he could not have won Pistolvania, and that was huge. Baltimore? Wilmington? Yeah okay, we will see how much time you spend in those cities come 2012.

I wonder who these lucky 250 people are? Chris Mather of the Obama inaugural committee said that they were mostly "campaign volunteers" and not "big shots". Okay Chris I will take your word for it. But how did these people get selected? What about the people here in Philly who busted their butts knocking on doors and volunteering their time for your boy? What about the folks who sacrificed their time and hard earned dollars because they believed in the change that your boy was selling? Didn't they deserve at least a shot at being in that number? "I think there is some disappointment at not being able to see him in Philadelphia....There was an e-mail going around. Some people were expecting a large public gathering." Said another Obamaholic, but alas, it was not to be. Even my buddy Seth Williams, who could be our city's next DA, and who organized the O man's petition drive in these parts, was surprised. " I just assumed there was going to be a big parade" Apparently so did a lot of other people. But as we are all beginning to learn, his O ness likes to do things his way.

Which is cool. As long as he does a good job I am sure all will be forgiven. It's just that us folks here in Philly are feeling a little slighted, that's all. But hey, we are used to it. I just hope his O ness realizes that we have long memories. (We still haven't forgiven Wilson Goode for dropping that bomb on the Move people) So have fun on your train ride O man, and pack a few cheese steaks for the trip. Hey, you need something to help you remember us. But don't worry, we won't forget you.

GO EAGLES!

The field Negro Noose Shop

Now this shit is getting ridiculous. (Thanks for jumping on this EV) I mean it just kept getting closer and closer, and now the noose is right in my home town. What is it with folks in the frat boy's A-merry-ca all of a sudden with these nooses?

But fuck it, you know what? Rather than bitch and moan about it, I am going to try and make the best of a bad situation, and maybe even make some money from these sad developments. After all, that is the A-merry-can way right?

So folks, I have decided to open a Noose Shop. Yes you heard me, a Noose Shop. I have a little money saved up. I figure I can take out a small business loan, get a nice little commercial store front property right there on South Street, (Perfect name right?) and get down to business. Hey, nooses are the in thing in A-merry-ca now.

I could sell all types of nooses. Think about it? The noose will be already tied, and all you would have to do is come in, pick out your favorite noose, and roll. No questions asked, just pay your cash, get your noose, and go. I would expand my inventory and offer noose accessories too. Want to to be able to carry your noose wherever you go? How about a nice noose case? Want somewhere to hang your noose when there is nothing around? How about your own portable noose hooks. Or better yet, a fake tree?

I think A-merry-ca is ready for this you all, I really do. And in my noose store the customer will come first. We will sell you nooses in all different sizes. We could sell you a big noose for things like a construction site or a large tree. Or, we could sell you a small one, for say, a school locker, or a door. We could sell neon nooses that glow in the dark for a night time effect, and we could sell camouflaged colored ones for blending in outdoors. That one would be great, because the intended victim wouldn't even know that he is standing right under a tree with a noose until it's too late.

I didn't even get to the colored nooses yet. ( No pun intended black folks) But think of all the possibilities with that one. You could get a noose with your favorite school colors for all those late night college pranks. Think about it. Blue and white for all you Penn State fans. Purple and gold for all you LSU fans, and crimson and white for all you Alabama fans. (I bet that one will really sell). But wait, I could do more, I could even have corporate nooses as well. You gotta love that idea; your corporations logo right on your noose. I bet that FOX NEWS noose would just fly off the shelf.

Yep, I am going to start setting up my business plan right away before someone else steals my idea. I will set up my first store right here in Philly. How appropriate; after all, wasn't Philadelphia A-merry-ca's first capitol? Why not be the city with the first noose shop? Then I will branch out. I will set up franchises (I am sure I won't have any problems getting folks to buy in) from California to Maine. It will be like the Golden Arches, but instead of a big "M", it will be a big brown rope.

Now if I could just think of a name.........

The Philadelphia Hunting Club

I am sure that my friends down South are familiar with Hunting Clubs. I remember when I was living in Louisiana that was a big deal. Come hunting season you would go on acres and acres of your club's land and shoot all the Bambi's, wild boars, and water fowls to your heart's content. All for an annual fee.

So anyway, I was reading about the latest killings in my hometown of Murderdelphia (189 and counting) and I had one of those light bulb moments; this great idea popped into my head, and I want to share it with you.

You know how cities are always struggling to find new ways to generate revenues. Usually it takes the form of a tax, or a fee for some form of essential service. So I was thinking; why not open the city to hunting come hunting season? We would allow as many people as we like to come in and do some serious hunting.-After they pay the required fee of course-Now you do understand that they wouldn't be hunting deers, and wild boars. No, these hunters would be hunting a different kind of game, they would be hunting young black males between the ages of 17-30. All the other citizens of Philadelphia would of course be off limits. So for instance, if you accidentally shoot a black male in one of the hunting zones, and you find out later that he is 35 years old you would be out of luck. Because you just might be banned from ever hunting in Killadelphia again; or, you could face some very stiff fines.

So what do you think folks, do you think it could work? I do. Think about it folks; if you are a red neck down in Alabama whose only wish in life is to shoot a few niggers before you checks out, this would be your big chance. Or, if you are some young buck who just joined the Army reserves, are about to be sent to Iraq, and you want to experience killing in an urban environment, well then you join the Philly hunt club. What if you are some white collar yuppie in New York and you want to impress your girlfriend? "Honey I was just in North Philadelphia, and some thuggish looking black guy came up on me, and I shot him to death. It was such a rush! Oh sweetie you are so brave." We could charge a couple of thousand dollars for a urban hunting license. There would be other restrictions as well. The areas in the city where hunting is allowed would be well marked out and defined. No hunting in places like Center City,Chestnut Hill, or Society Hill. If you accidentally shoot someone in one of these areas that's your ass. You wouldn't just face a stiff fine; your ass will be charged with murder. But think about all the revenue the hunt club could generate for our city. We could use the money to hire more police officers, and even expand our prisons. And, we could even set up a wild game compensation fund, so that the families of the game would receive something for their troubles. At least it would pay for the funeral expenses. Besides, we wouldn't want them suing the city or anything now would we.

Of course every black male in the designated areas between the ages of 17-30 would have to sign a waiver. And we could even give them a monthly stipend for being eligible to be in the hunters game. I mean what the hell, they might as well get paid for possibly getting shot every f*****g night!

So what do you think of my little plan? Do you think it could work? I do. All we need is a little political will, and the good folks of Philadelphia to cooperate. I see all the senseless and random killings going on, and I am thinking we are already half way there.

I Will Take My Chances In Philly

Right wing fanatics never cease to amaze me. And now the latest from the minds of those that live in the bizzarro world known as the right wing blogosphere: Here is the latest proclamation from one of their more popular bloggers, a gentleman blogging over at Wizbang known as Alexander K. McClure. It seems that Mr. McClure has come to the conclusion that Baghdad is not much more dangerous than my adopted city of Philadelphia. According to Mr. McClure, Baghdad only has three (3) times more murders than Philadelphia, and for a war torn country that ain't so bad. The not too funny Mr. McClure tried to make a joke out of Philadelphia's murder rate by writing: "Isn't this a quagmire? Isn't it time to consider pulling out?" This of course, is just another example of those on the right trying to make a sick twisted attempt to justify this war. Just recently, Iowa Republican, Steve King, claimed that living in Washington D.C. was just as dangerous as living in Baghdad. Yeah, I guess when you are from Iowa it can feel that way. But seriously folks, to read this type of twisted logic, and then to read the posts that followed, -making fun of the murders in Philly as if over 350 of their fellow Americans losing their lives is something to laugh at- made me realize that we are not at war with terrorist, we are at war with some of our own sick psychopathic fellow Americans. F*&K it, we have our own civil war going on right here in this country.

Anyway, I am looking at the statistics, and it reads like this: Baghdad 53,200 killing per year, Philly, about 350 killings per year,and at the rate we are going now, maybe closer to 400 this year. So let's break that down a little; Baghdad, mmmmm about one hundred and seventy seven (177 ) murders or killings a day. Philly, approximately one (1) killing per day. So yeah, I think Baghdad is worse. I mean clearly worse, which begs the question: why do right wingers want to put down cities in their own country to make them seem as dangerous as a city half way around the world in the middle of a war? Well one reason is, that most of these people don't even consider cities like Philadelphia part of THEIR America. Philly, and cities like it, is an urban jungle, with animals running around killing each other; a fungus in the in the middle of this beautiful land called America. Infested with crack addicts, drug dealers,stick up kids, and welfare mothers. I would imagine, a place to be bombed, just like Baghdad, if they had their way. Gotta over throw that Mayor Street, and create a green zone right in the middle of City Hall. Street, and the Mayors of Detroit, and St.Louis represent an axis of evil. Their cities must be stopped.

But seriously, are there problems in Philly, and is Philadelphia a dangerous city? You bet it is. Anytime you have six murders in one weekend, a woman shot to death in her wheelchair, a four year old caught in a cross fire after a nineteen year old and a thirteen year old were shooting it out like the OK corral; we have a problem. My stance on the crime wave in this city has been pretty consistent from day one. We need to get rid of our current police chief, and put someone in there that knows what the hell he or she is doing. And, we need to confront this problem head on. Larry Platt, the Editor of "Philadelphia Magazine", made a good point recently. He said: "This is not a North Philadelphia problem, it's a Philadelphia problem, and we need to tackle it head on." Of course he was forced to make this statement after Ed Grose, the President of the Philadelphia Hotel Association called on all the Center City hotels to pull "Philadelphia Magazine" -which was doing a feature on our murder rate here in Philly as their cover story- from their night stands. Mr. Grose did not want our visitors to our city of brotherly love scared and fearing for their lives every time they walked out of their hotel room. Never mind that just two of the three hundred and forty or so murders this year were committed in Center City. Apparently he was expecting a lot of republicans.

So back to Baghdad. Honestly, if it's between Baghdad and Philly, I think I am going to stay right where I am. I know I can get jacked walking through Southwest or North Philly in the middle of the night. But damn, I don't think I could be sitting at my desk in the middle of the day, and a convoy of cars loaded with thugs from the hood would come in and kidnap me and one hundred and fifty of my co-workers. Or, I don't think I have to tattoo my name and address on my body so that when I am blown to bits by a suicide bomber-you know, one of those disgruntled Eagles fans-I won't have to worry about my loved ones identifying my body in the morgue. Or, the trash on the side of the street blowing me to smithereens when I go to pick it up because it's an IED. Yep, looks like Philly for me folks.

The sad thing is, not one of these cowards talking about Baghdad not being much worse than Philly would spend a minute let alone a full tour in that God forsaken place. Yeah, ask some of those brave soldiers over there who are putting their lives on the line every day where they would rather be. I am guessing, that even with our proximity to Jersey, they are going to say Philly. And to compare 53,000 killings to 400 in a given year is insanity. I don't care if Baghdad has five and a half million people to our one and a half million. It's still a ridiculous comparison.

But this is what happens when extremes take over, we get these types of ridiculous pronouncements and statements. Hey, desperate people do and say desperate things. And to say that Baghdad is not much more dangerous than the "city of brotherly love" sounds pretty desperate to me. Like I can get a good cheese steak in Anwar Province.

"Isn't it time we consider pulling out?"

That's the problem Mr. McClure, your President and his ilk pulled out of our cities a long time ago.

**Oh, and before I go, I want to send some love to A.I. (Allen Iverson), for picking up the cost of the funeral of the young man who was shot three years ago for not giving up his A.I. jersey. The brave young man-Kevin Johnson- was just recently taken off a life support after suffering irreparable brain damage when his breathing machine failed. Another touching thing about this story, is that the young man forgave the men that would ultimately kill him before he died.

Yes Mr. McClure, you can find that type of courage and grace in Philly. But I bet it's no where to be found on Wizbang!