Same to you, Harry.

A typical e-mail reads like this: Field how can you side with those racist republicans who are jumping all over Harry Reid? You are nothing but a House Negro, field. That is House Negro behavior on your part. There is no way you can compare this to what Trent Lott did. That man was calling for segregation.......and on it goes.

I am going to post this again so that I don't have to respond to individual e-mails or comments.

What. Harry. Reid. Said. Was.Ignorant.And. Racist. What.Trent.Lott.Said.Was.Ignorant.And. Racist. Why are we playing this your racist is worse than mine, game? Black people, WTF? If I see one more pretzel logic style article defending this clown I will renounce my black card and put in an application with the Native Americans tomorrow. And now you have the CBC putting out a statement about this bullshit.

I swear, when it comes to your politics you Negroes will take anything from massa. (See the alleged comments Bill Clinton made about his O ness and the silence from you people as example A. If you think about it, it's worse than Reid's, but not a word.) Well, not me. F%$k Harry Reid! To me, he is no different than Lott, Imus, Rush, and all those other clowns.

He should not get a pass anymore than Lott should have. I understand the need for dumbocrats to circle the wagons and defend this clown because the republicans-of all people-smell blood. They have, all of a sudden, become sensitive to us poor black folks and how we feel. I know, I know, it's laughable. And every time I see one of these clowns on television screaming Harry should go because of racism, I want to pull my hair out. OK, I don't have any. But I get really really mad.

Still, let's stop defending Harry; call the repukes out on their bullshit. Trent wanted to go back to a time when Niggers knew their place. Nuff said. No need to bring that up to defend what Harry Reid said. The two acts speak for themselves. It's not comparing oranges to oranges, but it's not comparing apples to oranges, either. It's more like comparing oranges to grapefruits if you get my drift.

Dumbocrats shouldn't get a pass on racial insensitivity just because we are ideological soul mates on most issues. We should denounce them as loudly as we denounce the repukes when they go all David Duke on us. Trust me, they will be giving you a lot of opportunities to do just that for the next four years. -A leopard can't change his spots-. Take the high road now and when the inevitable happens you will be able to call them on it without having to worry about them saying: Why didn't you take that position when Harry Reid had his little racial issue? They will accuse of being a hypocrite, and you know what?.... They will be right.

The truth about Harry.

First, let me say for the record that I have a Jamai-Rican/Negro dialect, and I am dark skinned, so I won't be hiring Harry Reid (that soon to be unemployed Senator from Nevada) to run my next political campaign.

Folks unless you live on another planet, I am sure that you have heard about the latest gaffe coming from the dumbocratic side of the political aisle. Seems my man Harry Reid has been channelling his inner GOP. And just in case you just got back from your long trip to Mars; here is a news- line about the quote from the Sun News Company:

"WASHINGTON -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid apologized on Saturday for saying Barack Obama should seek - and could win - the White House because Obama was a "light skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Now personally I am not surprised that old Harry feels this way. Negroes in A-merry-ca are supposed to speak with a...well, "Negro Dialect". "The man" can always tell when it's one of us when they here us on the phone, or when they hear us speaking without actually seeing us. It's just one of those Negro things here in A-merry-ca. Poor Harry has been around a long time so he was just stating the obvious. Let this be a lesson to you Negroes in A-merry-ca; master the art of hiding that Negro dialect and the sky will be the limit for you. There is nothing A-merry-ca loves more than an articulate Negro. And if he or she happens to be a little lighter in skin tone, it just makes the package that much better. I mean let's fact it; you darker Negroes can be a little threatening.

Anywhooo, seems his O ness wasted no time in forgiving old Harry. I guess this was not a "teachable moment". No beers for Harry on the White House lawn. Gee O man, I know the man belongs to your political party and that you need him to herd* those cats for you in Congress, but would it have killed you to wait a little longer to accept his sincerest apology *eyes rolling*for that unfortunate comment?

"I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart," Obama said in a written statement. "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

O man, this is why you are...well, the O man. You can actually see in people's hearts.

And I love Mrs. Field's home girl, Donna Brazile, but I heard her on one of the Sunday morning talk shows defending Harry and saying what a fighter he was for black folks and how he gets a pass because of his record- blah blah blah- and I wanted to throw up my eggs. Donna, with all due respect, that's bullshit! The only reason you were defending him is because he is a dumbocrat just like you. Had he been a repukelican your ass would have been all over him, and rightfully so. So let's not pretend that it's only old white repukelican men who are capable of ignorantly stereotyping people. The dumbocrats can hold their own in this department with the best of them, so spare me.

Hip Hop Mike, I saw you doing your usual jig this morning as well. Stop it! Yes there is a double standard, but you are in no position to talk. Had this been a a repukelican who made this statement your ass would have been jigging to his defense quicker than a conservative walking past a civil rights convention. Sorry Mike, your house has way too much glass in it for you to be in a television studio throwing stones.

Oh well, I am out. I have some more work to do. Trying to seem like an articulate Negro in A-merry-ca can be soooo hard.

What would the Colonel do?

I have to hurry up and do this post, because I have to catch my birds play the stinking cow-girls later.

I caught my man Dave Wilson from The Grio on NBC this morning , and he was talking about the latest controversy surrounding black folks.

This one involves a KFC ad. that dealt with a poor Aussie stuck between a bunch of Yawdies and fellow West Indians while his cricket team plays the Windies. Dude breaks out a bucket of chicken and the natives are suddenly cool with him. The point of the ad. seems to be, break out some chicken around black folks, and no matter what the situation, they will be distracted. Because when it comes to black folks, it's all about the chicken.

Now here is the thing: folks have been sending me e-mails about this ad. ever since it went viral, and Honestly, I saw the insensitivity of it, but I never expected it to get any play with anyone else besides us racism chasers. Why? Well, over the past few months, I have seen many instances of corporate insensitivity to black folks, and the Aussies showing their clulessness. So this was just par for the course as far as I am concerned.

I want to also state for the record, that I understand more than anyone how passionate Windies fans are about their cricket and the intense rivalry with Australia. Which is what makes this ad. so fraudulent and bogus to begin with. There is no way in hell that a damn bucket of chicken could distract a bunch of West Indians from focusing on their cricket. (Especially in a "Test Series" with the Aussies.) So that's two strikes against the clueless ad. execs.

Anyway, as is usually the case, it's mea culpas all around; the ad. has been pulled, and all is well that ends well. No one wants to offend those black A-merry-cans and their newly elected president. Besides, KFC knows who is buttering their bread.

"KFC Australia is removing the television advertisement that was being run in conjunction with the Australian cricket season," the chicken fast food giant announced in a statement."We apologise for any misinterpretation of the ad as it was not meant to offend anyone."

So it's all good Colonel. You have to do a whole lot more than that to pull us black folks away from you.

Searching for a movement.

My problem is that I was born about 50 years too late. And if you consider yourself a progressive like moi,-not a dumbocrat- you probably feel the same way. The A-merry-ca we live in today will never be the A-merry-ca we hoped that it would be. Poll after poll tells us that A-merry-cans are more conservative than progressive, and that most A-merry-cans, when it comes to their politics, like to play it safe. Anything that seems to lurch away from their sense of normalcy sends them into a panic.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, especially after reading Harold Meyerson's excellent article in the Washington Post and after reading some of the comments on this very blog. ( I think it was La-Coincidental.)

Part of my disappointment with Barack Obama is that he seems to be just more of the same. Just another politician -albeit one who looks like me-playing the Washington political game.

I wanted something more extreme. I wanted change. Real change. I was hoping that O and his O-Aid drinkers would start a real movement for change in this country. They have not. The Obamaholics have been sitting on the sidelines and hoping for the best. They seem to be glad that their boy is in power, and they sit around and twiddle their thumbs while they wait for the other shoe to drop.

But where is the activism? Where are the folks who licked stamps and handed out flyers for his O ness? Where is the grass roots movement? It certainly isn't on the left. No folks, unfortunately, it's coming from the right. We rip the tea-baggers and Glen Beck's 9/12 wingnuts, but they are loading up buses and heading to Washington. They are sending their money and devoting their time to taking down Obama and his agenda. As much as I hate to say it; the wingnuts are the real activist in A-merry-can politics these days.

"... The reasons for the stillbirth of the new progressive era are many and much discussed. There's the death of liberal and moderate Republicanism, the reluctance of some administration officials and congressional Democrats to challenge the banks, the ever-larger role of money in politics (see reluctance to challenge banks, above), the weakness of labor, the dysfunctionality of the Senate -- the list is long and familiar. But if there's a common feature to the political landscapes in which Carter, Clinton and now Obama were compelled to work, it's the absence of a vibrant left movement. .."

"Absence of a vibrant left movement"? Nope, there is an absence of a movement, period. Back in the day, as Meyerson points out, there were viable progressive movements in this country advocating on behalf of the poor, and disenfranchised. No more. Now these same people have been hoodwinked into thinking that they have a voice in the halls of power and that the folks sitting in the inner circle and pulling the strings on behalf of A-merry-ca, represent them. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Those people represent lobbyist and their corporate benefactors. No one else. And, sadly, I am starting to believe that a certain smooth talking fella from the Midwest with an Arabic name isn't representing them, either.

Poor white people in this country have been indoctrinated into thinking that they have their skin color, so no matter how poor and powerless they are, they will always be better than the black guy or the immigrant sitting next to him. No need to team up with those people to form any type of political or social movement, because it won't benefit them. It will only benefit those other people.

".. In America, major liberal reforms require not just liberal governments, but autonomous, vibrant mass movements, usually led by activists who stand at or beyond liberalism's left fringe. No such movements were around during Carter and Clinton's presidencies. For his part, Obama won election with something new under the political sun: a list of 13 million people who had supported his campaign. But he has consistently declined to activate his activists to help him win legislative battles by pressuring, for instance, those Democratic members of Congress who have weakened or blocked his major bills. To be sure, loosing the activists would have brought problems of its own: Unlike Roosevelt or Johnson, who benefited from autonomous movements, Obama would be answerable for every loopy tactic his followers employed. But in the absence of both a free-standing movement and a legion of loyalists, Congress isn't feeling much pressure from the left to move Obama's agenda. .."

Maybe, Mr. Meyerson, the" left" isn't pressuring Congress, because they don't think it will do them any good.

Torturing the faithful.

*

It's stories like this that's got my love meter for his O ness dipping:

"Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by Timothy Geithner, told American International Group Inc. to withhold details from the public about the bailed-out insurer’s payments to banks during the depths of the financial crisis, e-mails between the company and its regulator show. AIG said in a draft of a regulatory filing that the insurer paid banks, which included Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Societe Generale SA, 100 cents on the dollar for credit-default swaps they bought from the firm. The New York Fed crossed out the reference, according to the e-mails, and AIG excluded the language when the filing was made public on Dec. 24, 2008. The e-mails were obtained by Representative Darrell Issa, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee..." [More here]

Let's call it the "Chinese water torture" effect. Drip. Drip. Drip. My dome is starting to feel wet.

"President Obama wants the final negotiations on health care reform - a reconciliation of the House and Senate versions of the bill - put on a fast track, even if that means breaking an explicit campaign promise. "The House and Senate plan to put together the final health care reform bill behind closed doors according to an agreement by top Democrats," House Speaker Nanci Pelosi said today at the White House. The White House is on board with that, too, reports CBS News political correspondent Chip Reid. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stressed today that "the president wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible." Special Report: Health Care Reform During the campaign, though, candidate Obama regularly promised something different - to broadcast all such negotiations on C-SPAN, putting the entire process of pounding out health care reform out in the open. (That promise applied to the now-completed processing of forging House and Senate bills, too.) Back when Republicans controlled Congress and George W. Bush was in the White House, it was Democrats who angrily complained about secret backroom deals. Now the roles are reversed..." [Story here]

I know a lot of people don't watch C-SPAN, but just an hour on that network is not enough. His O ness promised me transparency and that's what I want.

But field, it's not only Obama, congressional dumbocrats are the real reason that these deals are being done in secret, The president does not have any control over the process.

That may or may not be true. I am not as up on the inner workings of Washington like some folks, so I can't say for sure. But what I can say is that White House sure isn't pushing for wall to wall coverage on C-SPAN. I am sorry, I must be missing something, but what the hell do these lawmakers think will happen if folks see how the "sausage is being made"? This is A-merry-ca, damn it! I didn't like secrecy with the frat boy, and having my man in the beige house doesn't change how I feel about that.

Oh, and before I go, I want to thank Glen Beck for finally settling this little name issue for us black folks. Apparently he doesn't like the term African American, either.

"African-American is a bogus, PC, made-up term. I mean, that's not a race"

Obama, my love meter for you just went back up a few notches. Why? Because " The enemy of my enemy is my friend. "

*Pic taken from the Rosetta Sister blog.

Just check Negro.

Boy you Negroes sure are sensitive. Now you don't even want the man to put the word "Negro" on the new census forms because you think it brings back bad memories. The census this year is a really big deal, and we don't need you Negr...-oh excuse me- blacks complaining and screwing things up.

"The fact that it's 2010 and they're still putting 'negro,' I am a little offended," said Secaucus resident Dawud Ingram. Question #9 on the this year's census asks about your race. One of the boxes you can choose is "black," "African American," or "negro," all placed next to the same box. Ingram said it's not a word he uses to identify neither himself nor anybody else. "African Americans haven't been going by the term 'negro' for decades now. It's really confusing," he said.

Calm down Dawud. Black; African American; Negro; what's the difference? You just want to be counted, right? I swear every time I look around you Negr..blacks are complaining about something. Besides, the census people said that older black folks prefer the term Negro.

".. census officials disagree, saying they found some older African Americans identify themselves that way and they're trying to be inclusive. In a statement, they said: "Results from the census in 2000 showed that a number of respondents provided a write-in response of 'negro' when answering the question on race." In fact, Congress approved the form more than a year ago. Newark resident Jabbar Ali can't believe it. "I thought it was something we left behind a long time ago – the word 'negro,'" said Ali."

Jabbar, I can tell by your name that you are one of those radical blacks, so I am not surprised that you have some issues with the word Negro. But, take heart, you are not alone:

"Is the word negro offensive to you? That depends on who you ask. According to The Grio, many older blacks preferred to be called "Negro." "Some prefer it because of their complexion, whether they're light-skinned or dark," said Jeanne R. Stanley, a retiree in Richmond, Va. "Others still have a slave mentality. There are a lot of people who still have a color complex." Personally, I don't like the word. Isn't African American on the form sufficient? Gee, since the authors of the census form are going for the jugular on differentiating races, why not put "Colored" there as well, to denote the lighter skinned blacks among us? The word negro is archaic and surely we can get pass this at this stage of our country's history. " [link]

And then there are Negr..blacks like Derri Gowns:

"Others don't understand why the question of race has to come up on any form. "I'm an American. What's wrong with just being an American?" asked Newark resident Derri Gowns."

Nothing wrong with "just being an American", Derri. I am sure that most other groups feel the same way. I bet white Americans are wondering the same thing: Why do I have to identify myself as white American, why can't I just be an American....?

Anyway folks, regardless of where you come down on this issue, just remember that the 2010 census will be a big deal. (It will even have its own road tour.) I am of the opinion that you should make sure that you are counted. I know some folks always see some kind of evil conspiracy in everything that the government does, but I doubt seriously if an accurate count of the people who make up A-merry-ca would qualify as such.

So fill out the damn form and stop your whining. And just be glad that you don't have to put house or field before that word you hate so much.

Guns N Dummies

I was going to go down to the Wachovia Center and check out my Sixers play the Wizards tonight, but I didn't want to get shot! That guy Gilbert Arenas adds new meaning to the term "shooting guard". Talk about irony, the Wizards used to be called "The Bullets". I think they should rename them again.

Seriously, how dumb can some of these Negroes be? Gilbert, didn't you hear about what happened to a certain football player for the New York small men? Let me clue you in: Plaxico Burress is doing hard time for getting his club on with his "Nina" on his hip.

Tammates- Arenas and Javaris Crittiton- were about to draw down on each other in their locker room because Arenas allegedly owes Javaris a gambling debt. ( I sure hope that they weren't betting on NBA games.) And then, to make matters worse, my man Gilbert jokingly tweets about it later. Gilbert, guns are no laughing matter.

Oh field, so the man had a gun in his locker room, he had a new born at home, what was he supposed to do, leave the gun and go to work? The man has a second amendment right to carry just like any other citizen.

Yes, but he doesn't have a right to pack his piece at work. And with all his money, I am guessing he could have built a very secure gun locker to keep his piece from his new born in his home.

So, once again, we are left with a case of wealthy young brothers behaving badly which makes the news. Brothers who should know better, and who have much to lose after being blessed with a very rare gift. It's sad, and it infuriates me.

It will happen again, and I will be just as mad the next time. This is a serious matter, because the authorities in D.C. are still investigating. Forget the loss of potential income and a suspension from the league. You two knuckle-heads could go to jail.

Finally, speaking of jail, congrats to Seth Williams who became Philly's first ever African American District Attorney. Actually, he becomes Pistol-vania's first ever African American DA as well. That's pretty impressive stuff. He joins an African American mayor and police chief to form-to steal a horse racing term- a trifecta of crime fighting which had better stand and deliver for the people of our fair city. Seth, you vowed to get guns off of our streets and out of the hands of criminals, and I really do hope you succeed. I know it was down from 2008, but 304 murders in a city the size of Philly is not cool.

So Seth, go to work, and here is hoping that you deliver on all of your campaign promises. Oh, and while you are at it; you might want to check in the visitor's locker room at the Wachovia Center.

Praying for dollars.

Ahhh it's good to be home. Philly, in spite of it's bad rep, inspires me. There is just no other place like it. So here I sit, typing away, and still pissing off the racist and the trolls. ( BTW, please feel free to keep the hate e-mails and comments coming, but please try to be a little more creative in 2010.)

Tonight there is so much I could be blogging about. Danny Glover is dissing his O ness. Evander Holyfield is broke. Down in Tennessee, Nazi gear is all the rage. And here in A-merry-ca we still try to go all John Wayne on folks when things don't quite go our way. Still, I don't want to blog about any of that. Nope, tonight I want to blog about sacrifice. Yes sacrifice.

I would like to personally make a pledge of $1 to Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. It seems that things have been a little tough on old Rick and the mega church industry lately. So I want to do my part to contribute even though I am not a member, because I think that there is no better way to make sure that society functions smoothly than to make sure that folks can freely attend the mega church of their choice. If there is no church where will they go? Pastor Rick needs at least $900,000.00 pronto (no more than two days) or bad things will happen: Bills will go unpaid...(Didn't Oral Roberts- may his soul rest in peace- try this once?)

"I have thrilling news to share with you below but first some seriously bad news: With 10% of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated. Still, with wise management, we've stayed close to our budget all year. Then... this last weekend the bottom dropped out."On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow."

I wonder what the "thrilling news" is? Yep, those half full offering plates can be a bitch.

....Oh wait, It's a miracle! The goal has been met. See, this is why I hate the Internet age, shit can happen right in the middle of your post. Sorry folks, apparently I was late with this one. Rick Warren, thanks to the generosity of his church members, is going to be just fine. (I guess I can keep my $1.)

One more mega church saved. I couldn't have imagined A-merry-ca without it.

Kinder and gentler, even in a "police state".

*

I think I am losing some of my edge. This latest vacation has me going all soft. Maybe it's the flashes of kindness and humanity that I have been seeing from strangers that is making me get all Hallmark all of a sudden. (The day before Christmas I met a young white college student at Suburban Station in Philly, and she was sharing her meal with a homeless person. Not only was she sharing her meal, but she was obviously sharing her time as well. I sat there watching the scene so long that I almost missed the R-1 train to the Airport. Damn near brought tears to my eyes.) Still, I am not sure if this is a good thing. It could all be a set up for future disappointments down the road.

Speaking of disappointments; someone sent me an e-mail with a couple of links that I have to share with you. (h/t to Stacey) If it's true, well then damn it, my Christmas high could be over already.

Seems his O ness might be going all George Bush on us. Again, if true, this is not good. I understand the need to fight terror and to make the job easier for law enforcement, but I am not comfortable with law enforcement officials having carte blanche powers over my person. I am just not there yet. Yes, I am slowly getting my faith back in humanity, but sorry, I am still a cynic at heart. My Kumbaya moments don't last very long.

Some bloggers aren't pleased. And that's not surprising, given that they are not fans of his O ness. I am different. I happen to have some love for his O ness, so count me as someone who is extremely disappointed if all aspects of this story is true. There is only so much an almost O-Aid drinking heart can take.

I am sure that the cats over at Interpol do a fine job, but arresting U.S. citizens on A-merry-can soil? I will have to take a serious look at that again when I get back to the plantation. Jody, if you are reading this, maybe you can tell us what you know about this latest Executive Order coming from the beige house. Inquiring, if not kinder minds, want to know.

I am out.

*Pic courtesy of Sloone.com

Day 1.

It's finally over. 2009 and the decade that started off with an attack on our homeland, and ended with our financial bubbles bursting in the air, has finally come to an end. We almost lost a great city, and, sadly, we did lose some of our beloved icons. In many ways, A-merry-ca will never be the same. If you have a job you are one of the lucky ones. If you are black and have a job, you can really count your blessings. And speaking of black; A-merry-ca elected a black president, and came closer to fulfilling her incredible potential. We are still at war, and there is no end in sight. There will be many painful days to come. Not only are we at war in far away places, but we are fighting domestic terror in the cities of our homeland as well.

And yet, we move on. We have our distractions to keep our minds away from our real problems and the things that really matter. We have Tiger, and Lindsey, and Brad, and Angelina, and....well, you get the picture. There is no problem too large that a little superficial distraction can't cure. It's the A-merry-can way.

Unlike most of you I won't start this year with a resolution. I try to treat every I day like the start of a new year. If you think about it, every day is the start of the rest of your life. Every day that you are alive is a milestone.

Some of you will no doubt have goals: Get a new job; find a new mate; get into school; or get that home or car that you always wanted. Whatever your goals; go for it. If you are reading this post I am guessing that you are going to give it 110% That's what field Negroes and honorary field Negroes do.

It's 2010. ( I like that. It has a nice ring to it.) I am pumped. I will have so much to write and share my opinions about. And, hopefully, you all will be there with me; checking me when you think I am wrong, and adding clarity to my position when you think I am right.


So, to steal a quote from my man "Jigga", "Let's go get em".

Ranting to close out 09.

The po po shooting unarmed men in church; The Chinese putting mentally ill foreigners to death; The Iranians shooting protesters to death; and big time college football coaches allegedly hazing their players. What a way to end 2009. Stop the world, I want to get off.

If you are his O ness you must be wondering what the heck you got yourself into. Did you see the poor guy at his news conference yesterday? He looked like I would have been looking if I had to interrupt my Hawaiian vacation to calm you softies here in A-merry-ca. What a bunch of babies.

You cried long and hard for your president to come and assure you that everything was alright, and he had no choice but to emerge and tell you that everything was OK, and you could relax. Yes there were some failures, but your government is getting it right now. That is, of course, until the next lunatic decides to carry out his mission of death and destruction against the infidels.

Of course watching the way his people botched the first few days after the flying Nigerian did his thing, I guess he figured if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Not that it did much good. Folks are still jittery, and his critics are still chirping.

And speaking of chirping; I want to chirp about something else that has me seeing red tonight: It's the treatment of poor women in California. As my man John McEnroe would say: "You cannot be serious!" Cutting cancer screening to women who make less than $21, 600.00 per year? (How did they come up with that figure?) So if you make $21,601.00 I guess you are OK.

I know states are facing a budget shortfall, but these are the lives of women we are talking about here. Couldn't they find somewhere else to cut? Like the salaries of their elected officials, for instance. That would be a nice start. Cali is looking at a 20 billion [with a b] budget- shortfall, these cuts would save about 10 million. I guess they have to start somewhere, so why not with the lives of a bunch of insignificant poor women?

Isn't the actions of some of the people charged with making decisions in California a form of terrorism? The people of California should have some new and improved screening for their asses before they vote them back into office.