Hair today.......

First, let me start this post by saying that Rhonda Lee is a gorgeous woman. I was sad to hear that she lost her job at television station KKKTB3 in Shreveport, Louisiana (color me shocked) for responding to some racist ignoramus on Facebook.

How do I know that he is a racist?

Field Negro Exhibit-1:

"On November 14, a viewer named Kenny Moreland, whose Facebook profile picture is the Little Rascals‘ Buckwheat character with the caption “Buckwheat Say: O-Tay,” posted this comment on KTBS-TV's Facebook page:
Not to start any trouble, because I think that the annual “Three Minute Smile” is a great function and I love to see kids so happy. Am I the only one that has noticed that this year, all the kids, lets say, are people of color? This is Channel 3, not KSLA, the “Project Pride” network, that might as well be part of the BET channel. Did KTBS slip up on a news story, and owe S’port’s criminal mayor Cedric, a favor? Seems like some racism going on to me. Just saying…..

Moreland wrote another comment on the station’s website earlier that same day:

Has anybody else noticed that this years “3 minute smile” contestants are all of the same race? I thought this was Channel 3, and not KSLA the “Project Pride” network. Looks like racism to me. Not to put it down… I think it’s great for the little kids to get such a chance, but come on….. Are Ya’ll on Cedric Glover’s secret payroll now?" [Source]

Ms. Lee's big mistake was responding to the knuckle dragger. This, of course, gave her equally ignorant bosses a reason to terminate her. We must always protect the racist troll posting on Facebook and not our own employees.

Did the black people in Shreveport tune in to watch Ms. Lee? That was a rhetorical question. What black people think or want in places like Shreveport, Louisiana doesn't really matter.

"Lee told Mije.org: “I was the one who brought it to their attention after they let it fester on the page for 6 days, but was then chastised for responding at all. I sent a screen grab to my boss via e-mail telling them that I’m ok with the anti-Rhonda commentary sometimes, but what has been posted at the time was . . . racist, and I asked them to please support me in removing the ones that didn’t encourage thoughtful, respectful and civil discourse on our FB page. I never got a reply, only punished. To this day the posts are still there.”

She added: “. . . Race has been the issue with me since I started. That much is VERY true. Weather is an older white boy business and arms have been less than open for a young black girl — a polar opposite. As reported I’ve had more problems here in the south than I have anywhere else in my 25+ years in the business. Perhaps there is a pattern, but I am a glutton for punishment (ha, ha), and I want what I deserve as any professional would so if I have to fight for it I will.”

Yes you are a "glutton for punishment". You know those people down in Shreveport had issues with your appearance. Why not too long ago some viewer wrote that your hair was too "natural" for television.

"Lee told CNN's Soladad O'Brian that she was not aware of the company’s social media policy and was never warned about any unsatisfactory actions. She also said that there is no hard copy of the policy.

It seems that Lee was punished for discussing race rather than the commenter being banned for his racist comments. It is a sad, yet accurate reminder of how being comfortable with our Blackness is a symbol of inferiority to others, namely the commenters who attacked her on Facebook. We can look Black but not too Black, as was the case for Lee. Though She told CNN this is not the first time her hair has threatened her job security."

Ms. Lee, it might be time to find a nice wig and weave shop.  (h/t AgentX for commenting about this story) 

Bad Twinkie, and the food stamp people.

Now we know the real reason our beloved Twinkies won't be around with us anymore.

"Hostess pensions funds were redirected and put towards other company operations [see executives pay] as the business fell towards bankruptcy, it has been revealed. Hostess Brands Inc. executives allegedly were supposed to apply designated funds towards employee pensions, but injected the money into the company instead.

It is unclear how much money is missing from the pension plans or how many employees are affected, according to Yahoo Finance, which has reported that in August 2011 the company said it would stop making pension contributions altogether.

Hostess shut down just last month following a strike by one of the unions representing employees working at the company.

Hostess's chief executive officer, Gregory Rayburn, has said in an interview that he thought it was "terrible" that employee money meant to go towards their pensions were not used for their intended purpose.

He has said, "I think it's like a lot of things in this case. It's not a good situation to have." [Source]

Gee, ya think? You can always count on "the man" to screw the little guy.

Finally, the next one of those red state wingnuts try to tell you about all those urban folks sucking up freebies from the government, remind them about the following story:

"Seventy percent of counties with the fastest-growth in food-stamp aid during the last four years voted for the Republican presidential candidate in 2008, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data compiled by Bloomberg. They include Republican strongholds like King County, Texas, which in 2008 backed Republican John McCain by 92.6 percent, his largest share in the nation; and fast-growing Douglas County, Colorado."  [Source]

Of course republicans are claiming that this is the case because they (republicans) can't find jobs under Obama and they are now forced to depend on the government for something as basic as food. (It looks like that 47% is growing.)

This, of course, is not true. Poor white people in America have always voted against their own best interest. This is because they feel that they are somehow connected to those who are wealthy and influential by race, religion, or gender. Besides, it's so much easier to blame those other people for your station in life than to actually look in the mirror and see what a f&*^ up you are.  Here is the thing, it doesn't matter who is in power in Washington. What goes on in D.C. isn't going to affect your live in Eubank, Kentucky. You were using food stamps when George Bush was president, you are using them now that the Kenyan Socialist is in power, and you will be using them when the next president (be they republican or Democrat) takes office. 

  

He wouldn't have gotten my Heisman vote, and a prank gone wrong.

I get the whole "Johnny Football" hype. Congrats to winning the Heisman Trophy as a freshman there, kid. I loved your speech in New York. But excuse me if I didn't believe a word of it.

I am not stressing over you getting arrested. College kids do dumb things. But sorry, I am not feeling folks who stand up for racists and who hang around with racist friends.

But field, his coach is black and so are some of his teamates, doesn't that  count for something?

Nope, not when your "adopted brother" and lifelong friend finds it necessary to drop the N word to a total stranger just because. I mean I know that they are in College Station, Texas, but that's a bit much.

"Moody said that when Marvin approached the two males, he began to get close to Steven who had called him the vulgar word. [Manziel] stepped in between Steven and Marvin and told Marvin that Steven had not meant to say the word and that he was taking him home. Moody said that Marvin continued to push against [Manziel] and [Manziel] shoved Marvin in the chest. Marvin then swung at [Manziel] who charged Marvin and began punching Marvin back." [Source]

Fortunately for Johnny and his friend, ole Marvin isn't exactly Money Mayweather. If he was, I suspect that Johnny wouldn't have had a chance to show off his skills this past season.

Finally, I feel for the family of that British nurse who took her life after being punked by those Australian DJs, but I am not going to join the bandwagon and point fingers at the DJs for their prank. The now infamous two even came out and apologized today. (Those tears didn't look real.) Some people are even calling for them to be prosecuted for the woman's death. That, of course, is preposterous. No one could have foreseen that the poor woman would take her life after a silly prank. I suspect that this woman had some other issues that were weighing her down, and this was just the straw that broke the....that might be a poor choice of words, but you get the point. 

Some accidents shouldn't happen, and the Romney jinx hits Manny.

I know that you pro gun folks won't like this post, but something happened here in Pistolvania that I feel compelled to write about it.

"A man’s handgun went off while he was holding it as he got into his truck in the parking lot of a western Pennsylvania gun store Saturday, and the shot killed his 7-year-old son, authorities said.

Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, of Sharpsville,[in pic] was getting into the truck when the 9 mm handgun discharged, wounding Craig Allen Loughrey in the chest, according to state police. The boy died at the scene at Twigs Reloading Den in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Investigators said Loughrey told them he didn’t realize there was a bullet still in the chamber. “This happens all too often where people think the gun was empty,” Lt. Eric Hermick told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review." [Source]

I am all for responsible people owning guns, but unfortunately more and more gun owners do not fall into that category. (I mean they are finding semi-automatic weapons in the frozen food section of the grocery store for crying out loud!) A young child has now lost his life because his father was not responsible, and he has to live with himself and the thought that he killed his own child for the rest of his life.

Finally, most of you know by now that Manny Pac Man Pacquiao got knocked out in the sixth round of his fight with Juan Marquez last night. (That  sound you hear is Floyd Money Mayweather, Jr., crying over all the money he just lost.)What you don't know is that right before the fight he met with Mitt Romney.

".. the Romneys were guests of Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Bill Brady, who hosted a fundraiser for the Republican nominee during the campaign.

Before the fight, Romney met Pacquiao in the fighter's dressing room at the MGM Grand, according to the New York Times, which described the "surreal" exchange:

In came Mitt Romney. Yes, that Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and the presidential runner-up, every hair on his head in place. Romney, in fact, came in twice. His introduction was at once awkward and hilarious.

"Hi, Manny," he said. "I'm Mitt Romney. I ran for president. I lost."

Pacquiao then followed suit.

"I got hit by a punch I didn't see," he said." [Source]

Now the people of the Philippines know how the republicans in this country feel:
Like losers.
  



 

Players behaving badly, and the sad case of D'Vante Dotson.

What the heck is going on with these NFL players? I am starting to think that because these boys are bigger, stronger, and faster, when they hit each other it is starting to seriously affect how their brains function.

Now, just days after Jovan Belcher kills his child's mother and does us all a favor by killing himself, we have one Dallas Cowbaby dead and the other charged with causing his death. Here we are in the middle of the season, and this guy -and his now deceased teammate- find it necessary to go driving down the road at a high rate of speed while intoxicated. *shaking head* This is truly sad, and I feel for the families of these two. Mommy, please don't let your son grow up to be a football player. And this wasn't the first time for Brent. He has had trouble with the law due to DUI issues in the past.

So now we can all get on our soap boxes and start relating society's problems to the NFL: We need more gun control; people shouldn't drink and drive; domestic violence is wrong; and young men who suddenly come into large amounts of money should learn how to manage their lives.

I agree with all of the above.

Finally, staying with the football theme, a young promising football player at a fine high school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was recently hospitalized with some serious injuries. The circumstances surrounding his case remain murky, and the Baton Rouge police department has some explaining to do.

"16-year-old University High School football player is recovering after an ambiguous incident late Friday night at the BREC Perkins Road Community Skate Park left him in a medically induced coma.
 
Though the Baton Rouge Police Department said the investigation is ongoing, one fact has been confirmed – D’Vante Dotson had alcohol in his system. But speculation has run rampant on Twitter and Facebook about Dotson meeting teammates who possibly beat him into a comatose state.

“We’re still investigating, but at this point we have no evidence to believe he was assaulted,” said Baton Rouge Police Spokesman Lt. Don Kelly. “All signs point to he voluntarily consumed a mass amount of alcohol and fell on his head on the concrete, and that was the cause of his injuries.”

Carolyn Dotson, the high schooler’s grandmother, told nola.com her grandson was “doing a lot better, and he’s able to get up and walk around with the help of his mother.”

Dotson was supposed to have a CT scan Wednesday morning.

A Facebook page created Tuesday and numerous tweets support the rumor that teammates beat up Dotson, with a group of tweets compiled on neverjaded.com chronicling the evening.

Tweets on the website indicate that Dotson arrived at the skate park after being called to meet “three of his white teammates.”

“When he arrived he was attacked in the bathroom and beaten with bottles and a bat" [Source]

The Baton Rouge PD, as is to be expected, is playing this one very close to their bullet proof vests. -Some wealthy well connected kids attend U High (a feeder school for LSU)-Black mothers, on the other hand, are understandably concerned. 

I will be watching this one.

*Pic of D'Vante Dotson from Asis Chronicle.





   







 




 

Daddy dearest and self filibustering.

We all should love our parents, and I am all for families showing each other love, but this.....come on now.

"Aspiring porn star Tiffany Hartford and her father George Sayers Jr. were arrested after a DNA test proved they had a child together, according to police in Bethel, Connecticut.

Hartford and Sayers Jr. denied knowing that they were father and daughter, but Hartford allegedly introduced Sayers to her ex-girlfriend as her "husband/father,” reports the NY Daily News.

The unidentified ex-girlfriend agreed to allow Sayers to take photos and shoot a video of her and Hartford having sex.

However, when the ex-girlfriend discovered Sayers was selling the videos for $40 and pictures for $5, she called the police, reports The News-Times.

The video is not considered child pornography because the women were at least 16 at the time.

Police discovered it was a case of incest after testing the DNA of Hartford, Sayers and their child.

Hartford and Sayers Jr. pleaded not guilty to third degree sexual assault, obscenity and conspiracy to commit obscenity for the photo distribution." [Source]

My friends, there are some truly sick people in the world.

Finally, I hope that the people of Kentucky encourage Ashley Judd to run for Mitch McConell's senate seat. Because, honestly, if someone doesn't get Mitch out of there soon, it could reflect poorly on the citizens of the Blue Grass state.

"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may have made United States senate history today when he beat his own legislative baloney, blocking a straight up-or-down vote on a proposal that he, himself, offered for a vote Thursday morning. The bill, which would have taken the debt ceiling gun away from the head of the U.S. economy by requiring a two-thirds majority to override a presidential increase to the debt ceiling, was McConnell’s idea, but when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed with McConnell’s request for a vote on the bill Thursday afternoon, McConnell objected.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wanted to prove on Thursday that Democrats don’t have the votes to weaken Congress’ authority on the debt limit. Instead they called his bluff, and he ended up filibustering his own bill.
The legislation, modeled on a proposal McConnell offered last year as a “last-choice option” to avert a U.S. debt default, would permit the president to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling unless Congress mustered a two-thirds majority to stop him.
McConnell brought up the legislation Thursday morning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) initially objected, seemingly proving the Republican leader’s point that it cannot pass the Senate. But then Reid ran it by his members and, in the afternoon, agreed to hold that same vote. This time it was McConnell who objected.
“The Republican leader objects to his own idea,” Reid declared on the floor. “So I guess we have a filibuster of his own bill.”

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) also weighed in on McConnell’s maneuver, innocently noting that “it really calls into question whether or not this was the kind of offer that one would consider to be good faith.”

The Obama-era Republican Senate Minority has made unprecedented filibuster abuse their calling card, but this may be the first instance of filibuster self-abuse. What will historians think?" [Source]

Historians will think that this, the era of the tea party, were strange political times.
.

One corporation sees the light and the light shines on another.

It's nice to see that the Darden Restaurant chain is finally reconsidering their position on providing health coverage to their hourly workers. Hey guys, your workers shouldn't have to suffer just because you hate president Obama.

"Last month I wrote about restaurants making a stand on President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act stating that they would hit employee and customer pockets if the health care law went into effect in 2014.

Today, the Orlando Business Journal reported that Darden Restaurants – owner of Red Lobster and Olive Garden – has backed away from its idea to cut worker hours to avoid paying for health care under the new law.

The Orlando-based business received national backlash after it experimented with hiring part-time workers in four markets to measure the potential costs of health care. The outcry led to Darden revising their earnings into a downward projection." [Source]

I guess all you Negroes staying out of Red Lobster (that must have been hard) had some effect on the company's bottom line.

Speaking of corporations in America. It looks like yet another company was caught off guard with comments that should have been kept between...ahm,  certain people. (h/t Greg Fuller for this story)

"The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has found that the Foothill Ranch-based Wet Seal illegally discriminated against a former store manager after one of the company's executives complained about too many black employees at a store in Pennsylvania, according to a New York Times report and an attorney involved in the case.

Citing evidence of racial discrimination, the director of the commission's Philadelphia office found that Wet Seal's "corporate managers have openly stated they wanted employees who had the 'Armani look, were white, had blue eyes, (and were) thin and blond in order to be profitable,'" according to statements from attorneys involved in the case." [Source]

Oh my! We can't have too many "blah" people in one store; it might actually discourage other people from shopping there. I wonder if this is why they are having financial issues.

"Wet Seal released a statement Monday saying the company fully cooperated with the federal agency and has made substantial changes to its equal opportunity policies.

"We demand our employees' full commitment to and compliance with these policies," said Kenneth Seipel, president of The Wet Seal Inc.

"We ask them to think carefully about the meaning and importance of every sentence; to reflect upon whether their words and actions are fully supporting these policies."

Riiiight.

Is this justice?

*

Congrats to my man Lenny McAllister from over at Politic365. Lenny is running for Jesse Jackson, Jr's congressional seat in Illinois.

Lenny seems like good people, and he is exactly the kind of candidate that republicans should be running for public office. Let's hope that they learned their lesson after November 6th. Although, from the looks of things, not much has changed.

Lenny's chances are slim, but at least he is out there helping his party's brand.

There is still no positive word on this looming fiscal cliff. It's Grover and his merry men against the President. Who will blink, first? Hey I have an idea: Why don't we just hold hands and jump off the cliff together? I think that there are a lot of people in America who are secretly hoping that we will all go over the cliff. Some, on the other hand, are not so secretive about it.

The following is from a blogger who styles him/herself "Liberal Anthropologist":

"There has been much talk recently about how one side or another should deal with the fiscal cliff. The Democrats are a lost cause (at the moment) when it comes to fiscal matters. This is most evidenced by the absolutely ridiculous proposal made by Obama’s team.

So this is my suggestion to the Republicans. Just announce now that if the president’s people do not put forward a serious proposal that involves massive spending cuts that the fiscal cliff will be gone over.
And it is a good thing.

Why? Because we need to cut all of that spending anyway. It is not even enough. It is a down payment on the spending cuts that are really needed. So the automatic spending cuts are a good thing." [Source]

Now that's tough talk. And, to be fair, O and his peeps are talking just as tough.

"The White House is "absolutely" prepared to go over the so-called "fiscal cliff" should negotiations with Republicans fail to muster a deal that would prevent a devastating series of tax hikes and spending cuts from triggering Jan. 1, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said today.

Geithner, whom President Obama assigned to be the point person on his "fiscal cliff" proposal, told CNBC in an interview that an agreement won't be reached by year's end unless the GOP concedes an increase in tax rates for the top two percent of wealthiest Americans. Disparity over whether to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans or only those making less than $250,000 a year has barricaded any headway on a plan for months." [Source]

Folks, it's time to start saving. I think that you are going to need every penny.

Finally, I am going to leave you with a story. I don't want to give my opinion, because there are some folks out there who just out of GP will say black if I say white. Rather, I will let you read and decide for yourself.

"In October of 2006, the Jackson family of Solomons, Md., would be rocked, when their 21-year-old son, *Brandon (pictured), was reportedly jumped by 7 to 8 White males. Six years later, Brandon would be sentenced by a nearly all-White jury to 12 years in prison for attempted murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon for defending himself against one of the “victims.” Struck down but buoyed by faith, Brandon’s mother, Gloria Fisher, spoke with NewsOne about how she won’t stop until she gets justice for Brandon.

While Brandon helped his employer move furniture at her house in Jackson, N.J., he allegedly noticed that a fight had broken out at a party across the street. After walking toward the altercation to investigate the melee, one of the individuals involved, who is said to have been visibly intoxicated along with the raucous group, began fighting with him.

According to Gloria, Brandon quickly shut the aggressor down and attempted to return to the house he came from.

But that would be just the beginning.

The aggressor — now allegedly armed with 7 to 8 other White males in tow — followed Brandon and then reportedly began stomping and kicking him while yelling, “Kill the n*gger!”

According to Gloria, Brandon pulled out his 3-inch work pocket knife in self-defense, forcing the group back, but it was the homeowner’s call to police that would finally force the motley group to stand down.

On the police report, even though the officer would list the incident as a “racial offense” and Brandon would sustain injuries to the back of his head and knees and even had a fingernail bitten off, he would later be the only one charged with aggravated assault and illegal weapons possession.

It wasn’t until April of 2009 that Brandon’s case would go to a grand jury. By then, the charges would somehow be trumped up to include attempted murder.
Even though Brandon’s lawyer would manage to get a statement from the homeowner, proving that he had indeed been attacked by the group of White teens, the prosecutor’s office reportedly refused to give this vital information to the defense attorney. Brandon’s trial would then be postponed yet again before finally taking place in September 2011 — almost 5 years after the trial first began." [Read more here]

For the record, the young man in this story was found guilty by an all white jury and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

But read the story for yourself. Something about the prosecution's case convinced those jurors that this violent young black man did the crime.

*Pic from Newsone.com

Bob versus the NRA.

I am no fan of Bob Costas, in fact I thought his comments about Idi Amin- when the Ugandan athletes came out during this past summer's Olympics- was one of the most ignorant things ever said by a person covering sports.

But I am going to have to side with him in his fight with the NRA. Maybe he should have chilled with the editorializing during an NFL game, but when you agree with someone's message it's hard to rip him.

So more on that message: Costas quoted from another guy who is not going to be on my Christmas list, Jason Whitlock, who basically said that the NRA was the same as the KKK.

“Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it.”

On Martin’s podcast, Whitlock compared the NRA to the Ku Klux Klan, reports Dailycaller.com. Whitlock also said that he did not believe the Chiefs wanted to play Sunday, after the Saturday tragedy, but the team's owner wanted the game to proceed.

Whitlock said: "You know, I did not go as far as I’d like to go because my thoughts on the NRA and America’s gun culture, I believe the NRA is the new KKK. And that the arming of so many black youths, uh, and loading up our community with drugs, and then just having an open shooting gallery, is the work of people who obviously don’t have our best interests [at heart].”

“I think it’s obvious if you’ve traveled abroad, and traveled to countries where they have legitimate gun laws, that we don’t have to have what we have in America, where people somehow think a gun enhances their liberty, and that people somehow think a gun makes them safer."

“It just doesn’t. A gun turns some kids listening to music into a murder scene. And uh, you know, if you don’t have a gun, you drive home. You know, kids listening to some loud music, you don’t like it, you go home and complain to your wife. But when you have a gun, you open fire, potentially, and take the life of a child.” [Source]

I feel you there Jason, although Mr. Belcher was not a good dude. If he didn't kill that poor woman with a handgun he might have beaten her to death. Still, I do believe that the people in the NRA are a bunch of pimps, and that they care more about lining their pockets than the 2nd Amendment. But "loading up our community with drugs"? That's not the NRA. And, let's keep it 100% with each other; at some point more personal responsibility has to come into play. Those NRA dudes aren't splitting young black buck's wigs over a bad drug deal.

Now Costas is feeling the heat, and Costas being Costas, well... he is walking back some of his comments.

"He first told Patrick that the feedback he had received had been “tremendously positive,” but that there had also been “considerable backlash,” and attributed some of it to “the gun lobby.” He explained to Patrick that the reason the situation had even taken place was because he had been told he’d receive “about a minute and fifteen seconds” to address the Belcher tragedy, and that he felt the best way to “come at” the situation from a different angle was to try to point out issues that hadn’t been addressed.
He went on,

“For a long time, I’ve been wanting to get off my chest my disgust with this idea that every time something tragic happens, no matter what it may be, that in any way touches sports, there’s a chorus of people saying, ‘you know, this really puts it in perspective.’ Which is a bunch of nonsense, because if that was true, we wouldn’t have to have that perspective adjusted every time the next tragedy occurs. It’s a bunch of nonsense. And what I was trying to say was, that if you want some perspective on this, there are a number of issues related to this that we could begin to talk about and think about.”

Although he called his comments a “mistake,” Costas cited lack of time as the primary reason he was targeted for criticism, telling Patrick, “My mistake is I left it open for too much communication.”  [Source]

Maybe critics like Mike Gallagher ( who on his radio program today said that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved and that black radio commentators basically get a free pass in America because they are...wait for it, black.) will debate Costas on this issue. Although somehow I doubt that this is what the folks on the right and the NRA supporters want. Keep in mind that these are the same folks who cry that they can't debate black folks and liberals on issues like racism and gun control. Oh the irony.

It always takes a high profile tragedy to bring the gun control debate to the forefront of our consciousness. Sadly for all of us, we will have another chance to debate it really soon.     




 

Ink and ignorance.

Please believe I am bumming today. The folks who gave us Boardwalk Empire found it necessary to rub out one of my all time favorite television characters, Giuseppe "Gyp"Colombano Rosetti. (If Bobby Cannavale doesn't get serious Emmy considerations there ought to be a congressional investigation.)"Barney Google With the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes." Classic!

So anyway, I want to talk about this Sporting News columnist who found it necessary to rip -San Francisco 49ers QB- Colin Kaepernick because of all the ink that he is sporting. Yes, you read right; a sports writer criticizing an athlete, not for his play, but for his decision to wear tattoos.

Now, as is to be expected, the writer is being accused of racism by Dr. Boyce Watkins and others. At first glance it would seem that this is race neutral ignorance on the part of the writer. I mean wearing tattoos pretty much crosses all racial and demographic lines here in America. But then, after reading more of what he wrote, I might have to agree with folks accusing this moron of having a problem when it comes to matters of race.

"The column’s opening line, (written by David Whitley) makes an immediate comparison between Kaepernick’s ink and inmates at a California state prison:

“San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick is going to be a big-time NFL quarterback. That must make the guys in San Quentin happy.”

Whitley didn’t stop there:

“[Kaepernick] is the CEO of a high-profile organization, and you don’t want your CEO to look like he just got paroled.”

Whitley also draws a line between the tattoos of white quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Alex Smith and the tattoos of black quarterbacks Michael Vick and Terrelle Pryor:

“I realize not all NFL quarterbacks are pristine. Ben Roethlisberger has a “COURAGE” tattoo on the right side of his upper body. Smith has one honoring his Serbian heritage. They can’t be seen when the players put on their uniforms.

Then there are Michael Vick and Terrelle Pryor. Neither exactly fit the CEO image, unless your CEO has done a stretch in Leavenworth or has gotten Ohio State on probation over free tattoos.”

In other words, not all tattoos are created equal." [Source]

Actually, Mr. Whitley, all tattoos are created equal.

Still, I am used to folks like David Whitley making ignorant statements on matters of race. What I will never get used to are folks like David Whitley trying to justify it by playing the "some of my best friends", card.

"Shortly after the column was published, Jason McIntyre of influential sports blog The Big Lead tagged Whitley as a “racist” and nearly all hope for constructive criticism or discussion was lost.

Instead of acknowledging that his column was ill-informed, untimely and offensive to many, Whitley chose to deflect. Whitley chose to declare his non-racism.

Whitley chose to reveal he has two black daughters through adoption.
Finally, via Twitter, Whitley chose to sarcastically refer to himself as “David" Duke,” the former KKK grand wizard:

Actually, if i am going to be honest, I respect David Duke more than this clown. He wouldn't try to deflect from his ignorance by claiming that he has black friends or black adopted children. You know exactly where folks like David Duke are coming from. David Whitley, on the other hand, no so much.

      

Sarah is "bright" but Susan is not?

I am going to have to hurry with this post, because I have a date on the Boardwalk ,tonight.

Anyway, I was following the saga of this brother down in B-More via twitter and The Baltimore Spectator,-this social media stuff is no joke- and I realized that you can make a cause celebre out of damn near anything these days. Still, I wish the brotha luck with his situation. I really hope that he didn't break any laws. (Always watch out for those warrants)

I still can't get over the fact that a guy who picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate said that Susan Rice "isn't very bright". (Sorry Kirsten, Toure was right and you were wrong.)

First, let's take a look at her pedigree:

Father is an economics professor at Cornell, and he is a former governor of the Federal Reserve System.

Her mother is a guest scholar at the Brookings institute.

Now to Rice herself:

Class valedictorian and class president at a very prestigious prep school in D.C.

A Harry S. Truman scholar at Stanford University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

A Rhodes Scholarship and Master's and Doctorate degrees in International Studies from the University of Oxford...there is more, but I think you get the picture.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand, well she works over at FOX NEWS these days.

Finally, former congressman, Allen West, is actually comparing himself to Honest Abe.

"GOP House Representative Allen West (R-FL) told NPR’s Michel Martin Friday that his recent defeat won’t deter him, because, after all, “Abraham Lincoln only served one term in Congress, too.”

Allen, I can't wait for the movie about your life.

*Pic from Mildlyrelevant.com