"CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN"? LET'S HOPE SO.

Now that his O ness and his team will be operating out of D.C., I hope they understand that they can't exactly control their message and everything that team Obama does like they did during the campaign. Washington is a town of leaks and whispers, that's the way it has always been.

So that might explain how the O man's pick to run the CIA got leaked before he could call who he needed to call. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CAL) is pissed off because she was not given a heads up, and apparently she isn't too pleased with Leon. Yessum Ms. Daisy, I is going to do betta next time Mam... Let me quit. She is, after all, going to be Chairperson of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, so maybe she could have been given a courtesy call. Still, Leon doesn't believe in torture, and that's a welcome change from our VP and his ilk.

These last couple of days haven't been the best for his O ness. His silence on the conflict in Gaza continues, and Dollar Bill Richardson had to withdraw his name from being his Commerce Secretary. Seems the Feds have their eyes on him too. O man you might want to do a better job of vetting your peeps in the future. Then, there is the Blago problem, whose man, as I write this, is sitting in coach on a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Washington. Harry seat that man! I want to see Harry and company not seat this guy and then turn around and seat Al. Franken from Minnesota. Burris says the Lord is sending him there, so let's see if the dems can stop a man that the big guy upstairs is personally involved with.

Poor O man, the guy isn't even president yet and already the problems are starting to mount for him.

But it's not all bad news, at least the girls made it off to school okay.

Those pets again.

Here Apollo, here boy........come on boy, get off that ice covered pond, you might fall in. Oh no! Hang on Apollo, I am coming in to get you boy..... Let me stop, because a poor woman actually lost her life.

But once again, we hear of a situation, where someone went just a little overboard (no pun intended) to save the life of one of their four legged friends.

I am talking about 61 year old Janet Howard of Plainsboro, New Jersey. This animal loving and caring soul, jumped in to a frozen pond to save her grandchild's beloved German Shepard, and lost her own life in return. Folks, no matter how much you love your pets, it's not worth your own life to save them. It's just not. And please save the comments about how important pets are to our lives and what the way we treat pets say about us blah blah blah. I get all of that. No one advocates being cruel to animals, and anyone that does is just plain sick in my estimation.

But at some point we have to understand just where pets fall in the food chain. They are animals, we are humans, there is a difference. You just can't risk your own life to save theirs. If poor Ms. Howard had seen a human fall into the ice, or wander out on a frozen pond she would have called 911 and wished the poor soul her best. But it was a pet. So what does she do? She goes out on a frozen pond over 25 feet, risking, and ultimately losing her own life to save old Apollo. And I guarantee you that if she had actually seen Apollo fall in she would have done the same thing.

Now you all know how I feel about this phenomenon, especially among some people, and stories like this one only serve to strengthen my argument. If Michael Vick had killed a man he would not be as vilified as he was for fighting those poor little dogs. But this is A-merry-ca, and we are serious about our pets here. I once sat in court and watched a prosecutor cry to a Judge over a defendant's treatment of a dog. The Judge threw the book at him. Whenever I pick up a client in my criminal practice I always look at his sheet to see if he has any priors involving cruelty to animals. If he does, I always look for a plea bargain for obvious reasons. It's that serious out here with A-merry-cans and their animals.

The other sad part about this story, is that old Apollo lived. Yep, just jumped right up out of the water, swam to shore, and went home. Janet who? That's another thing about these animals, they are so damn ungrateful.

Oh well, Eagles win!

"Lost Boys".

"Although the overall rate of homicide in the United States remains relatively low, the landscape is quite different for countless Americans living, and some dying, in violence-infested neighborhoods," ~James Alan Fox, Criminologist~

Gee, ya think? I know that most of you have seen or heard about this study by now. The one that talks about the shocking state of teenage black on black violence in this country. Especially among young black men. I won't bore you with the numbers. As is usually the case in these types of reports, they are staggering. A 40% rise in black teen killings since 2000, and almost 964 black males between the ages of 14-17 committed fatal shootings in 2007 alone. I could go on of course, but you get the idea. And none of our major cities are immune from this deadly plague. From Oakland to Boston, we all suffer.

It's funny, at a time when most of you are outraged at Israeli aggression in the Middle East, which has unfortunately caused innocent civilians to lose their lives. Right here in your own country young boys who look like you are losing their lives to the streets, and some of you don't seem to give a damn. You are passionate about human rights in the "Holy Land" but not about the right of our children to live past 21 here at home. Thanks to the policies of the right; social programs, local police and juvenile crime prevention programs, and other key local government programs geared to help keep kids off the mean streets, have been cut. So while the frat boy was keeping us safe from Al-Qaeda, he forgot to protect our children from each other, and from the killing fields of urban A-merry-ca.

I keep a running side bar of the killings here in Philadelphia, and I guarantee you that in about 362 days it will be over 300. Of that 300 80% of those murders will have been committed by young black men. Why? The code of the streets? Poverty? Poor families at home? A poor educational system?A prevalent Hip Hop culture? I have heard all of the excuses and possible causes, and yet the senseless violence continues.

Which begs the question: If we have all the answers why aren't we doing anything about it? Why aren't we investing more resources into the problem? Because it's young black men killing each other? Because most of these crimes take place far away from the WSZ? (That's white safety zone for those of you who aren't familiar with field speak) Or because most of them weren't going to be productive members of society so they are disposable? See all the questions I have tonight? I have all these questions because every time I think I have some answers, I see a report like this which just frustrates the hell out of me all over again.

I don't have kids, but I always wonder what will become of the next generation of black boys.----The ones who are just coming into this world--- Will they kill each other and others like this group? Will they still have very little respect for their lives and that of others around them? Will they walk away from their families like those who brought them here walked away from them?

Damn it questions again. And for once I wish I had some answers.

Go ahead and let him sit.

Dateline: Tuesday, January 6th, 2009:

Where do you think you are going?

I would like to go to my Senate seat.

Ahhh, that ain't gonna happen there big guy, we are under strict orders not to let you sit.

So what are you going to do if I try to go in there, physically remove me?

Yes.

That exchange could actually take place next week when Roland Burris, the man who Blago picked to replace his O ness, actually tries to take that vacant senate seat.

Apparently the dumbocrats are hell bent on not making it happen and they are planning to stop my man by any means necessary. Now I don't like the fact that Burris is allowing himself to be used by Blago. The whole thing just seems a bit desperate to me. Somehow I can't get the idea out of my head that Burris is being used like so many of our Negro polit-trick-sters have been used in the past. The behavior seems houseish (is that a word?) to me.

I mean let's keep it real folks: do you really think that if Bagojevich did not get himself in trouble with the feds he would be sending Mr. Burris to Washington? This is just a desperate ploy on his part to hang on to power by playing the race card. And a part of me is pissed at Burris for even accepting Blago's offer and letting this side show play itself out.

Still, how dumb are the dumbocrats? I mean give me a break. What are they thinking with vowing to block Burris from being seated? It makes no sense. Personally, I think as it stands now, Blago is on solid legal footing. He has not been convicted of a crime and he is still the Governor of Illinois, and under the laws of his state he has the right to make this appointment.

If Harry Reid and those clowns try to block him and my man sues he will win. The Supremes have already set precedent for this when they told congress that they could not exclude Adam Clayton Powell (D,NY) back in the day. (Why is it always the black man that they try to block?)

Burris himself is not tainted by scandal, and his governor has not been convicted of a crime. And he meets all the other requirements spelled out in Article 1 Section 3 & the 17th Amendment: He is over 30, he is an A-merry-can citizen, and he is a resident of Illinois. So now what?

This is also a dumb move politically by my clueless dumbocratic friends. You just know black folks are going to be looking at this and saying that "the man" is coming down on a brotha. Can you imagine the imagery when Burris goes toe to toe with Senate Aids? Cynthia McKinney's little cell phone moment won't have anything on this one.

So Harry, a word of advice from the field: Let the guy sit and enjoy his time as a Senator, and get over it. I know you all didn't like how it went down, but that's too bad. The guy might actually turn out to be a pretty good Senator. Hell he can't be any worse than the rest of you clowns, and you all were elected to go there by a lot more people.

The Revenge Of The White Moviegoers.

James Joseph Cialella, Jr. is a hero to every white person in A-merry-ca. Why? Because he did what everyone of you have wanted to do at some point or another in your life, that's why.

I first heard about this story while I was out of town. So when I came home, after doing some investigating, I confirmed that the victim was one of my cousins. Of course I am not surprised. My cousins tend to.....how do I say this? Well, they tend to be very animated and prone to loud talking while there is a movie going on. Most of us have grown so accustomed to it by now that we just consider it a part of living with my cousins here in A-merry-ca. Some of us, who can't stand people giving them a verbal blow by blow of the movie they are watching, tend to live by the 12% rule like moi, and go to movies in places where my cousins don't tend to frequent.

Some of you, in spite of being aware of this little phenomenon, still take your asses to movie theaters where my cousins tend to congregate. The moment I heard about this story and that it was in Philly, I could have told you, without hearing anything more, exactly where it was and that the victim was one of my cousins. Back in the day, looooong before Mrs. Field (as Bernie Mack used to say: "a long long time ago") and when the field was still single, I went to that very same venue with a date or two, and I vowed that I would never go back. In fact, going to the movies have pretty much become a suburban thing with me.

So old James was angry, and he let that 380 do the talking for him. I guess my cousin forgot that he was in Philly. Here is the thing; white boyz in Philly ain't like white boyz in other cities, some of them are actually just as ignorant as some of my cousins, and they really do believe that they are living in Dodge City.

What's disappointing is that James was actually watching "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button". Not exactly a man flick if you know what I mean. How does he explain that he was watching a chick flick by himself to his boyz? Yo James, I heard you popped that "mooli" for talking shit. Way to go bro. Hey but they got that movie wrong right? Like yo, you weren't watching that Brad Pitt flick were ya dude? I mean, come on now, which man gets so mad at someone for talking through a flick like that?

Still, the wildest part of the story is that after shooting cus, James sat back down to watch the movie in peace. Boy he must have a serious thing for Brad Pitt.

Oh well, all is well that ends well. James could be looking at some jail time, and the victim, my cousin, might just have learned a valuable lesson in life: Never talk during a chick flick if you see a man watching it by himself.

Welcome 2009!

I am still rubbing my eyes (long night), so if I make more than my usual spelling errors etc. with this post, please hang with me.


So anywhoooo, today is the first day of 2009. I can't say that I am anymore excited than when it was the first day of 2008,2007,2006,2005....hell even 1999 (the Prince hit not withstanding) didn't make me feel like there was any historic or meaningful significance to the dawning of a new year.


I think New Year's resolutions are meaningless. If you have something that you want to do with your life, just do it. Don't wait for the first day of a new year to vow to do what you can do during any given day of the year to begin with. [That little Joel Osteen moment was brought to you by the field Negro]


Anyway, I was thinking; what should I post for the first day of the new year? And thanks to my hung over state of mind, I couldn't think of anything. So I decided to just let you see my favorite images from the fields from this past year. No order of significance or importance, just the ones I liked.


Here goes:

BTW, TO ALL OF YOU WHO WISHED ME AND MINE A HAPPY NEW YEAR, LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, SAME TO YOU!

Still in the fields: And I have some Jewish friends with me.

"I know I'm rambling but whats with black people defending Israel when there doesn't appear to be a significant alliance between blacks and Jews (and YES I know about the whole civil rights movement thing) what else besides that have we worked together on?"

One of the beautiful things about hosting a blog site is that you can respond to very thought provoking and sincere questions with an entire post.

Quite a few of you were taken by surprise and somewhat upset with my stance on Israel and the Jewish people. And given the unfortunate events taking place in the Middle East right now, I can honestly say that I understand where some of you are coming from.

But as sorry as I am for the innocent victims on the Palestinian side, I am just as sorry for the countless Israelis who have been killed by suicide bombers and other despicable acts of terror over the course of that country's history.

So why do I defend Israel? Wow, where do I begin?

First, a little history lesson: Many of you are under the false assumption that the Israelis took away the Palestinian homeland and are now occupiers in a land that they have no claim to. (Kind of like us folks in A-merry-ca and what we did to the Natives, I guess) But you would be incorrect. See, there was never a country called Palestine. Jews came from Judea not Palestine. There is no Palestinian language, no Palestinian culture distinct from other Arabs, and there has never been a land governed by Palestinians known as Palestine. NEVER!

Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. [I am not religious but I will play along, because I know that most of you are.] King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and Muhammad never visited Jerusalem even once. Jerusalem was under Turkish rule from 1517-1917 and under British rule from 1917 until 1948. Jewish prejudice caused many Jews to flee Arab countries and most Jews in Israel today are of Arab, not European decent.

Jews purchased that land from Arab landlords, and there was an Orthodox Jewish community living in Palestine long before the rise of Adolph Hitler in Germany forced many Jews to flee Europe and settle in Israel.

Now I ask you, what were the Jews supposed to do? Our beloved A-merry-ca had turned many of them away after they tried to flee the tyranny of the evil one. (Read about the voyage of the St Louis sometime) So Jews established their own homeland. A homeland, by the way, which they have had to defend in four wars against Arab aggression. A homeland which is the only one they can call their own (the Arab world has over 20), and a homeland which they have managed to do a pretty good job of keeping their own citizens happy in. Oh come on field, what about the poor Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank? Don't they live under Israeli Occupation? You mean the Palestinians who can't get their own shit together? The ones who fight among themselves for control and power as much as they fight the Jews? Those Palestinians? Let me see now; Fatah rules the West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza. Nice. A "Two State Solution"? Try a three state solution, because I guarantee you that no matter what, those groups are going to be fighting among themselves for power.

But the Jews are such easy targets. Why isn't anyone blaming the other Arab states for leaving thousands of Palestinian refugees hanging after the 1948 Arab Israeli conflict? Why don't we point our trembling indignant fingers at that scum, King Abdullah of Jordan, for betraying the other Arab nations? Why aren't we outraged at that thief, Yasar Arafat, who stole millions from the Palestinian people? Because it's easier to blame the Jews? Why don't we blame the British for making three different promises with nefarious intentions in mind with their now infamous "Balfour Declaration" after World War I?

So why do I defend the Jews? Because they stood by my side when the chips were down. Hell, some of them hung by my side. Because they helped to start organizations like the Urban League, and the NAACP. Because of stories I hear about Ida Wells in Memphis, Tennessee when blacks organized a militia called the Tennessee Rifles to defend themselves, and it was a Jewish shopkeeper who risked his life to get them those rifles. Because I have mad love for Haile Selassie (Save the Rasta jokes) and when that tyrant, Colonel Mengistu Mariam, overthrew him and started persecuting the Beta Israel people in Ethiopia, it was the Israelis who took them in. (Yes, there are actually Jews from Africa.) Maybe I got tired of seeing Jews trying to just live their lives, only to have their heads cut off on the Internet to make a fucking point. Maybe I like the fact that it's a Jew who started the Southern Poverty Law Center which tracks racist groups in this country and is one of the best run organizations in A-merry-ca. Maybe I like the fact that they don't proselytize to me about their faith like some people.

I know that Jessie and the rest of Rev. Inc. has made it cool to demagogue against Jews in this country. And the only thing that many black folks and Jews have in common is love for a certain chosen one. If you are black and conscious, it's the chic thing to do; bash the Jews. Remember when Professor Grif of PE told the folks in London that "if the Palestinians took up arms and went into Israel and killed all the Jews it would be cool"?

Sorry, I won't bite. The Jews are the least of my problems. To steal a line from the aforementioned PE, I won't "believe the hype".

O man, it's your war now too.

"Hey Field why haven't you mentioned anything about the mudering[sic] SOBs who are supposedly God's people. "

I take it Phil4Real is referring to the Jews and the Jewish state of Israel.

We all now by now what has been going on in Gaza. The Israelis have launched a bombing campaign supposedly against Hamas which has killed over 290 Palestinians, and as I write this they are preparing for a possible ground assault. Israel blames Hamas for instigating the conflict by launching rocket attacks into Southern Israel. Attacks which Israel claims have killed Israeli civilians. As a result, they seem hell bent on destroying Hamas once and for all.

Now many of you who read this blog know that I am a big defender of Israel. I am one of the few so called black progressives who have constantly defended the Israeli people and their right to be able to live in peace. I won't get into the long history of this conflict because that is not the point of this post. But needless to say that Hamas is funded by the Iranians, and they have vowed to destroy Israel and everyone in it. So I don't blame Israel for wanting to go after Hamas.

Still, there is an issue of proportionality here. It's no secret that some civilian targets have been bombed (Including the Islamic University in Gaza), and that is troubling, even for a supporter of Israel such as myself.

But what is almost just as troubling has been the reaction to this latest Middle East conflict by the President and President elect. Treating it like a hot potato won't help the situation, and it certainly won't make it go away.

The frat boy has a few weeks left before his miserable presidency comes to an end, and he is just trying to ride out his last remaining days at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. The O man isn't much better; he is just praying that this thing goes away before he takes office. Did you hear his boy, David Axelrod, on "Meet The Press"? Talk about moonwalking. "But we've said repeatedly through this transition period that there's only one president at a time, and President (George W) Bush speaks for the United States of America until January 20th, and we're going to honor that moving forward." Translated: We are going to leave this Middle East shit alone, because it is way too hot to handle right now. But I am sorry O man, you can't do that. And how do you look trying to play low key now when you said the following back in July? “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.” Sooo does that mean that you believe that Israel has a right to defend itself? Come on man, speak up.

O man you better get used to this stuff. It's not going to get any easier. You can't just put this foreign policy stuff in Hillary's hands and tell her to do her thing. You had better become the world leader that you seem to want to be. You are admired and loved on the world stage, so try and use your bully pulpit to the best of your ability to try and bring peace to that region.

Notice I said "try". Because many of your predecessors thought they could get a handle on this Middle East thing only to be in for a rude awakening. A shaky truce between Israel and Egypt which cost Anwar Sadat his life is the best we could do so far.

Anyway, once again, the Middle East is on the brink of an all out war. And it looks like his O ness will have to deal with it whether he likes it or not when he takes office. Obama has big plans for his domestic agenda, but his foreign policy is going to have to be a priority as well. We don't expect him to save the world, especially not in that region. The division and hatred runs too deep. It's so deep that not even the "Magic Negro" can say abracadabra and make it go away. But he will have to try something. He might not be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but a real cool card trick would be nice.

The "S" word again.

Poor O man, seems he just can't shake that "Magic Negro" label. Now comes Chip Saltsman, who is in the running for the RNC chair, representing the latest in a long line of repubs to make fun of his O ness and his pedigree.

I know, I know, it's satire. ["I think most people recognize political satire when they see it"] It wasn't meant to offend, everyone is just having a little fun. Just a little something to relieve the racial tension here in A-merry-ca. You black people are just way too sensitive.

Well Chip, I was checking out your album, and I have to be fair to you, not only do you make fun at black folks, your album, "We Hate the U.S.A.", makes fun of the poor, liberals, certain religions, and immigrants as well. Hey, at least you are an equal opportunity satirist. But some of your lyrics could use some work: “See, real black men, like Snoop Dogg, or me, or Farrakhan, have talked the talk, and walked the walk, not come in late and won..” I think you could have been a bit more original, don't you?

Honestly, whenever I read about stories like this one, I always wonder what the black folks in the RNC camp are thinking. Do they think it's funny? Are they embarrassed? Do they pick up the phone, call their comrades in arms, and say: hey man, you are killing me here? Do they tell their republican pals that they are making it way too easy for certain bloggers of color and black folks to label the party as insensitive?

Personally, I love it. Just more stuff for me to write about and to dissect. Just more insight into the souls of my friends on the right. I want to learn as much as I can about you folks. Because the next time you express yourselves in a satirical way, I really want to be able to say: I get it.

Just an accident?

Add me to the list of bloggers who are saying hmmmm about this story.

I really hate the Bush republican cabal for making me think this way, but here I am, a living breathing skeptic of all things Bush and Cheney.

Please read below and tell me if you aren't just a tad bit skeptical yourself:

"At 3:31 PM Friday, December 19, Michael L. Connell, a top Internet consultant for the Republican National Committee and for the Bush and McCain presidential campaigns, left Washington from the small airport in College Park, Md. Alone at the helm of a single engine Piper Saratoga, Connell's flight plan anticipated arrival at his hometown Akron-Canton Airport in a little over two hours, at 5:43 PM.


Instead, about three miles short of the Akron-Canton Airport, Connell's plane crashed to the ground in an upscale section of Lake Township, killing Connell instantly. "I was standing in the kitchen and I looked out the window and all I saw was fire," Taylor Fano told The Akron Beacon Journal. "It took out the flagpole and the cement blocks surrounding the flagpole . . . . It skidded across the driveway and right in-between a line of pine trees and a small fence around an in-ground pool."


The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and has not yet filed a report, but there was no immediate evidence of wrong-doing or sabotage.
Many in the blogosphere have called for further investigation of the crash, suggesting that Connell was about to provide crucial information in the case of alleged vote fraud in the 2004 Ohio presidential contest, and that that information would implicate Karl Rove and others in the Bush administration. [see update below]



Just last month, Connell was deposed in the ongoing case, King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell. According to accounts of the November 3rd deposition, Connell denied any knowledge of attempts to fraudulently manipulate 2004 Ohio vote counts.


There is, however, a more immediate and relevant question: How much will Connell's death, even if the accident was entirely without malfeasance, impede congressional committee investigations into the more controversial activities of the Bush administration over the past eight years - including the ongoing investigation into thousands of missing White House-RNC emails sent and received by some 22 White House political aides, including Rove. These emails are believed likely to shed light on the political firings of U.S. Attorneys, and to show if the White House had any role in controversial decisions to prosecute former Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman.



After first emerging as a web consultant during the 1998 gubernatorial campaign of Jeb Bush, Connell quickly became a key member of the Republican brain trust and quickly became part of a small network of political consultants and lobbyists favored by Rove. He advised both Bush-Cheney campaigns, and was a regular consultant to the RNC and other GOP committees.



Connell, and his firms - New Media Communications, Govtech and Connell Donatelli Inc. - were part of a universe that included such other GOP operatives as Tony Feather and Jeff Larson of FLS Connect, Tom Synhorst of the DCI Group, and Jeff Averbeck of Smartech. Their companies have received millions of dollars from the Bush-Cheney campaign committees of 2000 and 2004 from the three major - national, congressional and senatorial - Republican Party committees; from such conservative interest groups as the National Rifle Association and Citizens Against Government Waste; from a host of corporations and trade associations seeking to remain in the administration's good graces; and from dozens and dozens of Republican House and Senate campaigns."



More here.



Oh field, has it ever occurred to you that it could all be just a big coincidence? Actually, no. Not with this bunch. But I will take a wait and see approach. I just hope that no stone will be left unturned in this investigation. And if there is no investigation, we will scream loud enough for every reasonable person in A-merry-ca to hear and then demand one.

Holiday horror!

I happen to be sneaking in this post because I promised Mrs. Field that I would take a 48 hour break from blogging. Not!

Anyway, reading this story seriously upset me over the the X Mas break. Honestly, WTF is wrong with some people? This animal killed eight people because of a beef with his ex. Now I am used to killings, and I am pretty much at the stage in my life where nothing really seems to shock my conscience anymore. But this clown, dressed up as Santa for crying out loud, started out his sickening and disgusting act, by shooting an eight year old point blank range in the face. DRESSED AS SANTA!!

Now, I am too old to believe in Santa, but I understand how important the Santa myth and legend is to children all over the world. And this sicko should be put down on the spot for committing his atrocious act in Santa's suit. Honestly, I need help with this one. What is it that would possess someone to kill eight people over a relationship gone sour? I mean I love Mrs. Field, but if the day should ever come where I even thought about doing something like this because she rolled on me, I hope everyone of you reading this would petition to have me committed.

Still, at least he saved us the trouble and took himself out. One less depraved human being living among us. One less sicko to shatter our holiday spirits and harm our children.