Blackpot

Sittin' On Peas - Chapter Four: The First Full Day of Not Being Whole

2011-04-08T01:58:00.002-05:00

I may have overdone it.

Didn’t feel any pain when I woke up this morning. That was a pleasant surprise. So with that, I did normal household stuff, even though it was suggested I stay off my feet for a couple of days. Which means carrying the two month old around, going to the store, bringing laundry from the bedroom to the washing machine, etc.

I don’t know if the lower abdominal discomfort I feel now (not pain, just enough to remind me I had surgery less than 36 hours ago) is due to the lack of support (I ditched the jock strap Thursday morning) or the increase of activity. I fear wake-up time Friday will be more challenging than wake-up time Thursday was.

One last thing. I didn’t plan this surgery to coincide with the Masters, that was a happy accident. Unfortunately, the gentlemen who run the tournament decided not to let the cameras on until 3pm; by that time I was doing other things (like thinking of swapping my gas smoker with a charcoal one). I’ll try to use (ahem) massive pain I am suffering to hunker down in the basement for a couple of hours tomorrow.

Sittin' On Peas - Chapter Three: The Beginning of the Aftermath

2011-04-06T08:39:00.004-05:00

Well, that’s done.

The procedure took less than 30 minutes. I’m home in no pain currently; I’m sure that will change when the local wears off.

I forgot to take the Valium (damn!), but I guess I didn’t need it. I got a prescription for Vicodin, so I can fall even further down the road to chemical dependency. I’ll try not to take any; hopefully Extra Strength Tylenol will be enough.

The only disconcerting part of the procedure was the smell of something burning. That something was me as the ends of the vas deferens were sealed. I didn’t feel anything and I couldn’t see the doctor applying the soldering iron to my most delicate area, but intellectually I knew what was up.

As for what happens to the semen, it gets broken down and absorbed in the body.

At one point, there was a change in shift for the assisting nurse. The change led to these comments:

Assisting Nurse: I assume if you had fantasies of two women administering to that area, it did not look like this.
Me: The costumes were different.

Included in the post procedure instructions was the fact that it will take approximately 20 ejaculations to flush out any semen remaining downstream of the vasectomy (samples at 6 and 8 weeks will also be taken to ensure I am no longer firing live rounds). So basically I have a doctor's note to jerk off. I don’t know what kind of countdown clock I’m going to use, but whatever it is, it will have to be something benign enough to avoid an explanation to the four year old daughter.

Sittin' On Peas - Chapter Two

2011-04-06T05:11:00.002-05:00

Thought flowing through my mind a couple of hours before:

· I could have negotiated this with the wife better. We both knew The Peanut was going to be our last child, but I volunteered getting this done too quickly. I don’t know what I could have gotten in the negotiation (French Maid outfit? More golf? A banishment of ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ from the household?), but something could have been acquired.
· Have to remember to ask where the sperm goes after the procedure.
· I was given a Valium to take before to relax me. It will be my first experience with the drug. It would be sad if a vasectomy was the gateway to a nasty Rush Limbaugh-like prescription drug addiction.

Packed and ready to go. See you on the flip side.

Sittin' On Peas - Chapter One

2011-04-05T21:52:00.005-05:00

Things I’ve learned preparing for the procedure:

· My wife has jokes.
· Target doesn’t sell jock straps.
· I won’t be in stirrups.
· The reason there is a fractional chance of regaining fertility is, instead of cutting out a section of the vas deferens (the tube that makes semen leaded instead of unleaded) and sealing the edges (forcing the sperm to make an Evil Kneveil like jump to freedom), there is just a snip and and seal with the end butted against each other.
· Sterilization is a word used regularly. I’m not terrible excited about that word. Makes me feel like I’m a victim of the Tuskegee Experiment.

Nine hours to go.

P.S. When you look for images on Google for jock strap, you see more scantily clad men with rippling abs than heterosexual men are prepared for.

Sittin' On Peas - Prologue

2011-04-05T16:07:00.005-05:00

In under 18 hours, I will go in for a vasectomy.

Since I found out I would be a father for a second time, I knew 2 was the maximum number of children I would want to sire. Combine that with my distaste with wearing condoms for the remainder of my life (which is about 7% of the reason I got married) made the choice fairly clear.

I will be off my feet for a couple of days, it gives me a chance to write about the experience. Stay tuned…

The Unequal Comparison Between Harsh Political Discourse and Violent Entertainment

2011-01-11T17:09:00.003-05:00

Like a broken clock, Rush Limbaugh isn’t horribly, pig-headedly wrong every once in a while *:

Go out and try to tell these same people that one of their top grossing movies has influenced abject perversion or radical behavior and they will attack you left and right, saying, "That's entertainment. It stands alone. People know the difference." You go out and accuse them of engaging in work, their art, such as crucifixions in jars of urine or whatever other acts of perversion they engage in that they call "art" -- their movies, their music -- and you go try to tell them that their music is responsible for criminal behavior. Look at the reaction you get from that. You are considered to be a numskull, old-fashioned, out, and not with the times. They permanently, constantly insulate themselves from any influential behavior they might be responsible for and yet run off without any evidence whatsoever and admit they've got no evidence.

This was Limbaugh’s response to critiques of he and other conservatives’ coarse political discourse in the wake of the assassination attempt on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. In a nutshell, Limbaugh tells the left you can’t say Sarah Palin love of guns is causing nuts to shoot people, then say Michael Bay’s love of guns or Young Jeezy’s love of guns doesn’t cause nuts to shoot people. Limbaugh is correct there, but he misses two important points.

First, the threshold for our political leaders should be higher than our entertainment leaders. Sarah Palin, in particular, is considered a political leader. She doesn’t currently hold an office (this is where I remind everyone Palin quit her job), but she is considered at least the face of the modern Tea Party movement. There are things the average person can say that we don’t want our political leaders to say (Barack Obama calling Kanye West a jackass comes to mind, irrelevant of how true it is).

More important, the entertainment Limbaugh refers to isn’t real. The movies and music are realistic, but at some point a director says cut, or a music producer stops the recording and the artist goes back to a trailer and enjoys illicit drugs and casual sex a spot of herbal tea. It is the responsibility of society to ensure the less able members (the young, the mentally challenged) know this.

This hits home for me personally as a fan of hip-hop and a father. I happily listen to songs with lyrics calling for the murder of rivals, the regular sale and/or ingestion of illegal drugs and a repudiation of sexual fidelity. I am also a (gulp) 40 year old man and know this isn’t real. And it is my responsibility to make sure my children understand the entertainment they take in shouldn’t always be taken at face value.

If Pailn and Limbaugh want to admit their discourse is mere entertainment, I’d happily put them in the same category as ‘The Sopranos’, ‘True Grit’ and the latest Jay-Z album. I imagine they would both defend themselves and their comments as deadly serious.

If that is the case, I refer to my comic book geek past: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’

* The link is to Andrew Sullivan's blog referring to Rush Limbaugh. Rush sin't getting any pageviews from me if I can help it.

Delicious Desparation

2010-08-17T22:10:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama has claimed another victim.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced Tuesday she will not renew her radio contract that is up at the end of the year. Schlessinger, who has helmed a successful radio show for decades, lit a firestorm by using the word nigger 11 times during a call on August 10. She apologized the next day and now has decided to end her radio show as of the end of the year.

What does this have to do with Obama? Ever since January 20, 2009, there have been a small but vocal percentage of Americans who just can’t stand the fact the leader of the free world is, well, you know… And every day he stand before the country as the political leader, every day he is seen making a speech to crowds of cheering supporters, every day the realization that this small minority of people are just that, a small minority, they get a little crazier until they burst like a pipe under pressure.

Whether is the Birthers, swearing Obama just can’t be President irrelevant of any facts, or people screaming at town meetings they want their country back (from whom I’d like to ask), to Dr. Laura doing her best Katt Williams impersonation, people are going crazy from the heat.

And I couldn’t be happier.

I call it the delicious desperation. The realization that the world has changed under the feet of this small minority; that their borderline overt racism has been rejected by the majority of voters on November 4, 2008 (happy birthday to me, by the way) and there is not much they can do about it. The thought of them raging against forces totally out of their control gives me a warm feeling. The mental image of this small minority yelling ‘who’s with me?’ and seeing the remainder of the country slowly step back as if they just dropped a turd fills me with delight.

As for Dr. Laura, two other comments. First, in announcing the end of her radio show, she mentioned she wants to “regain my First Amendment rights”. That is a lie. What she wants is to be able to avoid consequences:

Now, what makes me sad...what pains my heart deeply...is that, beyond the reasoned letters which I continue to get, I have heard comments from some broadcasters and letters from some people that cannot be described as anything other than hate-filled diatribes. Hate-filled. This does not make me angry, but it hurts my heart.

My hope with my apology, which was true and immediate and uncoerced, was that the silver lining might be that a dialogue be started to stop hate and bigotry. I still hold out some hope... but I am a realist and I fear that there are those who frankly want to encourage hate and anger.

Dr. Laura insulted people by using the word nigger. She angered people. It would be nice for everyone to forgive her for her transgressions, but some won’t, which is their right. This is the bed you made Dr. Laura, and as uncomfortable as it is to lay in, whining about how uncomfortable it is doesn’t change the fact that it was all your creation.

Second if someone is paying you to talk, the speech is not free. Dr. Laura would be hustled off the air if she decided to insult her syndication company or her sponsors. I can say Comcast sucks (ask me about that company if you have an hour to kill), but I sure can’t say it if I have a radio show and Comcast is buying time. If you want pure free speech (to her, um, credit, Dr. Laura is doing this) get a soapbox, go out to a corner of your local municipality, and free speech away.

Stevie Wonder - Superstition live on Sesame Street

2010-08-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

It is Stevie. On Sesame Street. Singing Superstition.

Stevie should be taught in the schools.

Why Golf Is Fine and the Chicken Littles Are Wrong

2010-08-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

Golf is an appropriate pursuit for someone as bourgeois as I. Writing about golf may cross the bourgeois line into stuffy. Nevertheless, I've done such a thing at Waggle Room, a blog dedicated to professional golf. I'm pretty proud of it so I will link to it here.

A Fire-able Offense

2010-07-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

Shooting 106 at Poolesville this morning gave me a lot of time to think about Shirley Sherrod.

For those who don't know who she is or what is the issue, here is my attempt to explain:

Shirley Sherrod was the USDA's rural development director for the state of Georgia. A couple of days ago a video was released, championed by conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart and aired initially on Fox News, showing Sherrod, a black woman, stating she found it hard to help white farmers. The NAACP and the Obama administration (through Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture) immediately denounced her comments and she was forced to resign.

Soon after the resignation, video of the entire speech became public. While Sherrod did say she initially found it hard to help the white farmer (in fact, steering him towards an white lawyer), she quickly determined the error of her ways, helped the farmer keep his farm and now she and the farmer are friends. In fact, the farmer in question has come out repudiating any bias against him and his family and called for Sherrod to be reinstated.

Now, everyone involved is scrambling for the lifeboats. Pundits on the left and right are clamoring for Sherrod's reinstatement. The NAACP has apologized for Sherrod. In an embarrassingly tone deaf statement, the Obama administration attempted to lay all blame on on the Dept. of Agriculture (as if it isn't a part of the Obama administration). Even Andrew Breitbart, who is pugnacious by nature (I'm trying to be nice and not call him a asshole) said the video was not released to get Sherrod fired, but to show the NAACP is the real racist organization and not the Tea Party movement, which the NAACP suggested a week ago.

I couldn't care less what Andrew Breitbart does. I care slightly what Fox News does. but they are grown men and women and can run their network as they see fit. My ire is pointed right at the Obama administration and the NAACP. Someone should be fired from both organizations.

The fact that no one in either organization thought to check out the whole tape before running to the closest microphone they could to denounce this woman is as close to dereliction of duty as you can get without leaving your post in Kandahar. The remarks were made an an NAACP function for crying out loud. Here, I'll write your comments for you:

The Federal Government takes raced-based bias seriously. We will fully investigate the charges brought against Mrs. Sherrod and take appropriate action.

Please give me the $200K job of the person who should have done the above.

Not only is it a fire-able offense on its face, it speaks to the lack of readiness the two political organizations have against political opponents. If someone had done a bit of research before rebuking an innocent woman, we would be talking about how irresponsible Breitbart and Fox News are. Instead, we are talking about how reactionary and cowardly the Obama administration is.

Someone messed up bad here, costing a low level civil servant her job. Whomever that someone was shouldn't get another chance to mess up. And those around that someone need to know that screw-ups on such a grand scale have consequences. This is the big leagues. Start acting like it.

Wondering if the DeLorean can take us back to 1983

2010-07-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

This will be impolite, but when did Rev. Jesse Jackson regain national credibility?

Jackson, commenting on Cleveland Cavaliers' majority owner Dan Gilbert somewhat unhinged complaints about LeBron James signing with the Miami Heat instead of James' home state based Cavaliers, went with what he knows; it's a black thing:

He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a
runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship--between business
partners--and LeBron honored his contract.

Jackson is getting smacked around pretty good thanks to the above. And he deserves it. What I find lazy is the mainstream media is treating Jackson as if it is 1983 and he just got the pilot out of Syria. If Jackson had a sliver of juice left, didn't his 'cut his balls off' comment finish that off?

Obama is Failing the Gays

2009-06-12T19:59:00.001-05:00

“Doc, I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

I don’t know if Marty McFly said those exact words to Doc Brown in Back To The Future, but the idea of the hero trusting the eccentric inventor/doctor/risk taker when no one else does is a staple of dramas far and wide. In that vein, I say this to the Obama administration when it comes to gay rights:

“Barack, I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

The gay community ranges from concerned but hopeful (Andrew Sullivan) to ready to go to the mattresses (Dan Savage) over the actions and inactions of the Obama administration. Since Obama has been in office he has allowed members of the armed forces to be court-martialed under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell statute. His administration has filed a brief in California in support of the Defense of Marriage Act; a law that decrees the Federal Government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states. This is in sharp contrast to promises made on the campaign trail to the gay community.

Until today, I was fully confident that Team Obama was working behind the scenes, making sure when policies and laws were changed; they were changed for good and not subject to crippling opposition. For example, he had to learn from President Clinton’s failure of fulfilling his campaign pledge of allowing gay to serve openly which lead to DADT in the first place.

Now, I’m only partially confident. You can make the argument Obama has made more positive overtures to Iran than gay Americans; he surely has made more public overtures. If you want to be really cynical, you could say Obama is treating gay Americans like the Democratic party has been accused of treating African-Americans; giving them noting but lip service with the knowledge they have no where else to go politically.

I still believe there can be a happy ending to this. It isn’t as hard as the Middle East peace processes and the Americans who would rally against DADT and DOMA were probably not voting for Obama in the first place. I just hope the happy ending happens soon, before I have to join the proverbial group that gives up on the Doctor.

Robert Powell = Sista Souljah

2009-03-26T22:33:00.001-05:00

You can almost set your watch to it. At some point during election night coverage on an 24 hour news network, a Republican operative will respond to a media exit poll stating African-Americans vote Democratic by a wide margin by stating the party has to do a better job getting their message out to African-Americans. I don’t believe it Republicans really mean it. Maybe not all Republicans (Gov. Chralie Crist comes to mind) but as a party, it doesn’t seem they want to do the heavy lifting (or any lifting for that matter) to repair this void in their electoral maps.

Which brings me to Robert Powell.

Officer (as of 11pm 3/26) Powell is now infamous for pulling over NFL running back Ryan Moats and his family as they rushed to the hospital to say goodbye to a terminally ill family member. Video from the police car’s on board camera recorded Powell threatening to arrest Moats for running a traffic light as he and others in the car tried to explain their rush to the hospital and methodically holding the occupants there as hospital security guard confirmed the story to write a ticket. The family did not make it into the hospital in time to say goodbye. Because Moats is a football player in football crazy Texas, this has become news. The Dallas police chief has apologized to the family and Powell is on paid administrative leave.

If Republicans were serious about the African-American vote for a moment, they would be tripping over each other setting up press conferences (with the Moats family in attendance) decrying this abuse of power and calling for the termination of the officer (which will probably happen anyway). They don’t even have to mention race, black people will get it. And this case is so egregious, only the most unrepentant racist would dare call this racial politics. Texas governor Rick Perry should be all over this, it is perfect.

But that would mean Republicans actually care enough about the African-American vote to make their own version Sista Souljah. Sure worked well enough for Bill Clinton in 1992.

Don't buy those Michael Steele commerative plates just yet

2009-02-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

I guess Michael Steele winning the Republican National Committee Chairmanship is historic, in the way Pumpsie Green being the first African American player to play for the Boston Red Sox (The Sox being the last MLB team to integrate) is historic.

Frankly, if Steele didn’t win the post, it would have been a bigger story. Steele’s last opponent for the post (five other gentleman were up for the position, dropping out when it became evident victory was out of reach) was South Carolina GOP chief Katon Dawson, who dropped a membership of a all-white golf club in 2008. Other candidates were Mike Duncan, the then incumbent chairman (when your party get the national drubbing it did in 2008, the guy in charge of the party doesn’t really have a lot to base reelection on) and former Tennessee GOP chairman Chip Saltsman (who thought it was a good idea to send his associates a mix CD with the “Barack The Magic Negro” parody song for Christmas). If Steele, who is as bland as Oatmeal made with water, couldn’t beat these guys, it would signify the GOP is doubling down on the Real America/Not Real America that worked so well in November.

And Steele loves puppies!

Not to mention Chairman of the Republican National Committee barely gives him the prestige to ensure his regular table at the Mrs. K's Toll House Sunday brunch. Current Virginia governor Tim Kaine is doing the job on the Democratic side on a part time basis until his current term ends in 2010). He moves up the list of people the 24 hour news networks call for punditry, but that is about it.

What is more interesting to me is some conservatives consider his victory an ode to identity politics, as if Steele was any less qualified (he was the chairman for the Maryland GOP before becoming Lt. Governor) than anyone else for the post. While I am sure some of this was bitterness that their respective candidates didn’t win (PUMA’s anyone?), some of it has to be the idea the main reason an African-American candidate for anything wins is because of his or her race. Of course, this did not stop the GOP from giving Steele a speaking part at their national convention; it seems for the GOP, identity politics are okay as long as the identity in question doesn’t actually have any power.

Damn

2008-01-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama wins the Democratic Caucus; Huckabee wins the Republican Caucus.

He may be the next President.

Somebody got some 'plaining to do

2007-12-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

A victim of circumstance. Sean Taylor was a victim of circumstance.

It is becoming evident that the murder of Sean Taylor was due to nothing more than criminals wanting to rob his house while he was (unbeknown to said criminals) there. These criminals didn’t know Taylor; they seem to be friends of the boyfriend of Taylor’s half-sister, which is akin to being the guy who details Taylor’s barber’s neighbor’s car if you are looking for a connection between Taylor and his assailants.

What will the ‘the past came back to haunt him’ crowd have to say now? If the only reason his house was targeted was it had valuables, what is the difference between the attack on Taylor that cost him his life and the attack on New York Times journalist David Rosenbaum, who died due to brain injuries stemming from a mugging in Washington DC in 2006? Will there be a mea culpa from Leonard Shapiro (Taylor's Death Is Tragic but Not Surprising) for assuming Taylor somehow contributed to his demise due to anything more than owning a nice home?

And what of people like Mike Wilbon (Dying Young, Black) and Jason Whitlock (Taylor’s Death A Grim Reminder For Us All) who speed past the tragedy of Taylor’s murder to get their somewhat connected point across, as if the loss of live wasn't enough. Whitlock in particular wins the ‘How can I connect this to my worldview?’ award for putting his disdain for the lyrics to a Soulja Boy song in his article as an example of the current black culture that killed Taylor, as if Taylor’s killers yelled ‘ youuuuuu!’ and did a nifty choreographed dance step after shooting.

There was a rush to judgment about this tragedy. And it was unnecessary. The tragedy of a 24 year old being gunned down in his home was enough to hold off on the speculation until at least Sean Taylor was put in the ground.

An Open Letter to Isiah Thomas

2007-11-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Isiah Thomas:

I have been in your corner for a while. When you traded for Stephon Marbury, I was down with it. When you traded for Eddy Curry, I was down with it. When you signed Larry Brown, I was down with it. When you signed Jared Jeffries, I was down with it (in fact, I was thrilled). When you signed Jerome James,….okay, my allegiance wasn’t blind.

When people bashed you as a GM, I reminded them how irrelevant the team was under the Scott Layden/Howard Eisley/Clarence Weatherspoon era was. When people wanted to throw you over the side for Larry Brown, I reminded them of his insubordination (going behind the GM’s back with trade proposals) and asked what exactly Brown did so great in his first year to deserve more power.

I’ve had your back for a while, but I can’t ride with you anymore. Not (and I know you have heard this phrase before) if you are going to go out like a punk.

The same man who escaped the Chicago streets, who thrived under legendary coach/bully Bob Knight, who was the toughest man on the Bad Boys is now scared of Marbury?

You were doing the right things early. You told Marbury, Curry and Jamal Crawford their defense was not acceptable in the preseason. You gave it a couple of games, saw that playing the Knicks was Christmas for opposing point guards, and decided to bring Marbury off the bench. He loses his shit, bolts the team at a time where Zach Randolph and Renaldo Balkman were out, leaving your team woefully shorthanded against Phoenix. If the reports are right, you went to the remainder of the team and asked them if Marbury should play in the next game, they unanimously voted no. And you played him.

You took the path of less resistance. Sitting Marbury may have added to the circus atmosphere surrounding your club, but it would show Marbury in particular and the rest of your team in general that failure to meet the coach’s standards has consequences.

Instead, you went out like a punk. And you probably lost the remainder of your team in the process.

Fast forward to today. The day after your team suffered an historic blowout on national television against the Celtics, the day after you say the team’s performance was the most selfish you have ever seen, you run the same starting five out on the court to start against the Bucks. Once again, no consequences for failure.

What does Marbury have on you? Did you and he double team and kill a hooker during the summer? Does he know you ATM card code? Are you a financial backer of his sneakers? What hold does them man have on you that you seem to be willing to throw everything away just to avoid conflict with a player who you would smash into a million pieces when you were playing?

The Knicks becoming an embarrassment isn’t all your fault. But enough of it is your fault that I don’t want you as my coach, my GM or my President anymore.

Now, all I have to do is work out

2007-10-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

My current workout Playlist:

Daytona 500 – Ghostface Killah
Put Them In Their Place – Mobb Deep
Spit Your Game – Twasta feat. Notorious B.I.G.
Switch – Ashanti feat. Nelly
Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Smashing Pumpkins
Go Getta – Young Jeezy feat. R. Kelly
Badman – Ghostface Killah feat. Elephant Man
Ice Box (rmx) – Omarion feat. Usher & Fabolous
What You Know About That – T.I.
When I See You (rmx) – Fantasia
Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
I’m Just Getting Warm – Busta Rhymes
Triumph – Wu-Tang Clan
SOS – Rihanna
Push It – Rick Ross
Connected – Stereo MCs
Toxic - Britney Spears

Come On Bill

2007-10-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint were on Meet The Press this morning in support of their book Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors. In the book, they decry the current state of black America and urge black people to be better parents and citizens. Cosby has been touring the country in the last few years, spreading this message.

While I agree with the major points he makes (the lack of fathers has been devastating to black America, especially to young black males/the fact that there is institutionalized racism in this country does not mean black people can throw their hands up and not try/the value of an education needs to be higher in the black community), there are two issues that bother me:

Hip-Hop as a sickness instead of a symptom. Cosby (for expediency, I am critiquing Cosby; both authors can be painted with the same brush) rightly holds some Hip-Hop music to task for their language, glorification of violence and (most importantly) their negative portrayal of women.The problem with making Hip-Hip a significant bullet point in their thesis is this: I listen to Hip-Hop and know the difference between what T.I. or Jay-Z says in a song and real life. I know no matter how many time Jay-Z says he runs through more chicks than Colonel Sanders, he may be holding Beyonce’s purse on a shopping spree right now. I know this because of the education and parental guidance I have received, which are much more important than anything The Game or Lil’ Wayne can say.
Why are they on Meet The Press? When asked why he robbed banks, notorious criminal Willie Sutton replied ‘because that’s where the money is.’ While I do understand Meet The Press is a prestigious program, the target audience for his book isn’t watching Meet The Press. They are watching BET. That is where he should be. I would find it hard to believe that BET would not give Bill Cosby however much time he wanted to talk, and if they didn’t the fact that they refused him would be a powerful way to generate publicity. He is going to be on Oprah this week, which is a little better, but he needs to go where the money is.

Hopefully, back on the grind

2007-10-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

Miss me?

Work and family responsibilities (hi Bean!) have kept me away from the blog for a while. I’m going to try to come back and post something every day, even if it is a sentence or two.

What spurned this return? My high school had their 20th anniversary last week. While I couldn’t go, I did get to see a number of posts from classmates, some of which had blogs. Reading them reminded me how much I enjoyed writing, even if it is just for myself.

Hopefully I do better than my plan to exercise regularly. I actually brought a gym bag to work Thursday with hopes of working out there (we have a small gym with free weights and an ellipse machine to protect my balky knee from treadmill pounding). I went down to the gym around 4:30p, changed into my workout clothes, only to discover there were no sneakers in the bag. I’m smart.

So, here we go again. Blackpot 2.0.

The links baby, the links

2007-07-04T19:27:00.000-05:00

Haven't been here lately and I don't know when I'll be here next. I've added The Golfing Negro to my blogging empire, where I talk about my pitiful golf game as well as other golf things that catch my eye.

I've added that link to the page, along with Soccer By Ives, a professional soccer blog by my friend Ives, who writes for The Jersey Herald and ESPN.com. He doesn't need my help but why not.

Jason Whitlock:

2007-05-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

L’affaire Imus caused a lot of people to lose; Don Imus, CBS Radio, MSNBC, free speech (if you believe certain radio personalities who believe they could be next). Only two people can thank the firestorm for improving his or her professional status; Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer (who indirectly got a book deal out of it) and sportswriter Jason Whitlock.

Well before Imus blew himself up, Whitlock has used his status as a columnist at the Kansas City Star and AOL Sports to state the biggest problem in the African-American community is, as he puts it, the ‘Black KKK’. Whitlock believes African-American culture in general and hip-hop in particular celebrates a prison mentality (Bill Cosby also feels this way, and has been speaking out over the past few years). In the aftermath of Imus’ comments, Whitlock wrote an article reiterating his point:

While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos. I ain’t saying
Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

This contrary position propelled Whitlock to numerous spots on news networks, Oprah (twice!) and Harvard.

While I don’t agree with Whitlock’s ranking of problems in the African-American community (I believe the lack of male role models is more important than anything else) I do agree with a lot he has to say. I share his point that black folk don't have to jump to attack when obvoiusly baited (Read: Rush Limbaugh). My main critique of Whitlock is, and excuse the pun, he sees things too much in black and white.

Whitlock seems to live in a zero sum world. Because 50 cent uses bad words and black people don’t protest, Don Imus can’t be criticized for using bad words. Because Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton don’t challenge The Game for the words they use (by the way, they have) they can’t challenge Don Imus. Why can’t both be wrong?

And his attack on Vivian Stringer was beyond the pale:

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had. Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.

So Stringer’s crime against black folk is bad public speaking? And as for opportunism, where does one press conference weigh against appearing on Orpah (twice!)? When Whitlock comes out with his book (and if doesn’t have book out by the end of 2008, I’ll be shocked) will that be opportunism? Or is it that since you are fighting the good fight against Snoop Dogg and Dave Chappelle, you get a pass?

Whitlock seems so hyper-focused on this issue, nothing else can penetrate his universe and no one that doesn’t share his views exactly can be painted with the same brush as the people who he believes actively advance the ‘prison culture’.

His attitude is not going to help his cause.

Standing up for big brother

2006-10-31T19:11:00.000-05:00

Monica Turner is Michael Steele's sister.

She is starring in Steele's latest political ad, combating the ad by Ben Cardin, his opponent for the U.S. Senate seat in Maryland, featuring Michael J. Fox.

In Cardin's ad, Fox urges Marylanders to vote against Steele because he is against stem cell research, research that could help find a cure for the Parkinson's disease Fox currently suffers with. Turner responds that Steele is for stem cell research and he must care about sick people because she has Multiple Scherosis.

First of all, it appears Steele is for stem cell research that would not destroy human embryos, but it against research that would cause the destruction of them. I don't agree with that stance, but I put that in the 'reasonable people can disagree' category.

More importantly, MONICA TURNER MARRIED MIKE TYSON!!!

How can anyone take anything she says seriously with that lapse of judgement on her docket?

Speaking of Iron Mike, he 'endorsed' Steele, his former brother-in-law for the Senate seat, even though

He isn't a Maryland resident
He can't vote, due to that pesky rape conviction thing
The sister of the man he is endorsing cleaned his clock in divorce proceedings

While I don't think Tyson is working on his Mensa application in his spare time, I think he is smarter than people believe and has a keen sense of self awareness. The endorsement is payback for the divorce in general and Steele's alleged involvement in the negotiations in particular.

Then again, Steele may just be a fan of felons in the boxing world. He also has the endorsement of Don King.

Always a good look

2006-10-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

Giants 36
Cowboys 22

Roger Clemens doesn't want to talk about the past

2006-10-01T07:57:00.000-05:00

So Pedro is basically done. Between rotator cuff surgery mileage on his arm and the fact other parts of his body are failing like the warranty just expired, the days of Pedro as the bulletproof ace are over.

But that is not important to me right now. The most important baseball story to me is that Roger Clemens name has been mentioned in an affidavit as using performance enhancing drugs.

If you gave me a choice between a New York Mets World Series win and the Clements drug rumors to be true, the Mets wouldn’t get out of the NLDS. I want this to be true so much, I may go to church and pray for it.

I want to find out Rog was on the gas back in the mid 90s, when he went from a sub .500 pitcher with the Red Sox (10-13; 3.64 era) to a Cy Young award winner in Toronto the next year (21-7; 2.05 era). By the way, he was in is mid 30s then.

I want to buy a Roger-centric Game Of Shadows like book, giving the time frame and his drug of choice. I want to put money in the pocket of the writer that puts it all together.

I want the mainstream sports media to take Roger’s (most likely shriveled) testicles out of their respective mouths and hound Clemens like they hound Barry Bonds.

I want people to see all the crazy shit he has done (brushback pitches at his wife, tossing various baseball equipment at various Mike Piazza body parts) as a side effect of the drug he was taking.

I want a blowhard congressman to interrupt his pornographic IM chat with a teenager to say Roger Clemens is a bad role model for kids.

I just want what Roger deserves.

Landscaping is completed 9/23

2006-09-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

Finished. Azaleas, Blue Juniper (for ground cover) and pine mulch have been planted.

Here is a root that had to be pulled out with rope and the truck of my neighbor.

Landscaping continues 9/22

2006-09-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

The sod is in.

Landscaping contiues 9/21

2006-09-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

The latest pictures of my front yard.

Notice the huge root up against the house. It will have to be pulled out with a rope and a car.

The shrubs on the left have already been pulled from the yard. The county wouldn't take the bin full of roots last week, so I will have to ~~illegally dump them in the wooded area across the street~~ recycle them to the wooded area nearby.

A picture of the yellowjacket hive in my yard. Spraying got most of them; I'll give it another dose tonight as I've seen some straglers around.

Michael Steel's Commercial judgement

2006-09-16T11:25:00.000-05:00

Michael Steele is the current Lt. Governor of Maryland. He is running for Senate on the Republican ticket. This is a screenshot of a portion of his first television commercial.

Wow. You have to see the whole commercial to get the full effect (this is not an endorsement of his campaign). There is a camera cut to this knowing glance while he is stating he approves the message. The commercial looks like the best MySpace personal ad I've ever seen. As a commercial for someone running for a U.S. Senate seat? Not so good.

Undaunted, a second commercial was produced in the same vein as the first. In this, he warns Maryland voters the attack ads are coming, including...

He does have an answer for that critique though...

He doesn't even use a different dog for the newspaper mockup.

Besides the cheapest ads outside the HeadOn pain reliever, Steele is portraying himself as an Washington outside. This may have some traction, considering his opponent, Democrat Ben Cardin, has been in the House for almost 20 years. He has also not mentioned in either of his commercials that he is a Republlican. Not the dumbest move, considering Maryland leans solidly to the left politically.

He also recently received an endorsement from Rudolph Giuliani, who I hate more than any politician in America. This means Steele has gone from an entertaining goober I won't be voting for to a asshole by association I won't be voting for. How Rudolph didn't have his security team shove a nightstick up Steele's ass for old times escapes me.

Sun Rises In East

2006-09-15T19:09:00.000-05:00

This may be the most unnecessary front page story ever.

Carl Pavano is a pitcher for the New York Yankees. He got himself into a minor bit of controversy when he got into a car accident in Florida, broke two ribs, and didn’t tell Yankee management. This all hit the fan about two weeks ago.

Today, the Daily News reported Pavano had a female passenger in the car. One who has been a Miss Italia, Miss South Beach and Miss American Teen.

This somehow is news; a single male athlete in a car with a single woman.

Get Out Of My Pocket (9/13)

2006-09-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

The first of a (hopefully short) series on how companies try to get me to give them extra money

Back in July, I received my mortgage bill, along with an escrow account review. It was a year after my wife and I bought our new house and the company that holds our mortgage chose that time to review taxes and insurance payments that come from them.

Our total bill was to increase by over $100. The fact there was an increase was not surprising as property rates in Montgomery County have been rising with great speed over the last few years. The size of the increase was surprising. Further investigation into the review found a ‘reserve requirement’ of about $80. I spoke to the realtor who helped sell our old home; neither he nor a mortgage contact he uses had ever heard of such a charge. It seemed legitimate; our mortgage company even had a breakdown of how the reserve requirement was determined. I finally called the company to get information on this charge. It turns out the reserve requirement is there to provide a cushion on my escrow account in case of any tax or insurance increase. If, at the end of the fiscal year, there is still money in the escrow account, that money is returned.

In other words, an interest free loan to the mortgage company. Luckily, I could ask for the reserve requirement to be removed. Which I did.

Fast forward today. I get another escrow account review in the mail (the company is settling into reviewing the account at the beginning of the fiscal year). And, shockingly enough, they tried to sneak the reserve requirement past me a second time. I quickly called and had it taken off. Again. I have a feeling I’ll be doing this every year until we have no mortgage.

Landscaping continues 9/12

2006-09-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

The bushes on the right side of the yard have been cut back.

Pulling the roots will be a pain in the back/legs/arms/.

The latest project that will cause me grief - 9/11

2006-09-11T13:06:00.000-05:00

The shrubs in front of our home are sickly at best. With fall approaching, it is time to remove them and add new ones. For the sake of comedy (and cheapness), I am doing the work myself instead of hiring people to do the work for me.

I was able to clear out most of the bushes from the left side of the yard. I was stopped by rain and what appears to be an undergound bee colony under the remaining bush.

After all the bushes are removed, the roots will have to go. Much digging and cursing will acompany that detail, I'm sure. Then get some topsoil, new shrubs, and mulch.

We will see how this goes. One thing I can be sure of; I won't be going to Home Depot for any purchases.

Kitchen remodel 6/27

2006-06-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

We are in the homestretch.

The new railing is in.

Ironically, we don't drink much wine.

All that is left to do is paint the walls and other cosmetic changes (adding a dimmer for the center recessed lighting fixture, adding the moulding to the walls and base cabinets, etc.) , but the kitchen works. We have power to the microwave and electric cooktop.

I'm not the only one who hates Comcast

2006-06-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

Another satisfied customer.

Kitchen remodel 6/15

2006-06-15T22:39:00.000-05:00

The room looks like a kitchen

We have a sink but no faucet. The plumber comes Friday to hook up the water. I never thought I'd be so excited about washing dishes ever.

We don't drink much wine, but we have a wine rack.

The pantry doors will be stained the color of the cabinets at some point.

Kitchen remodel 6/6

2006-06-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

Somehow, I haven't killed anyone at Home Depot or the contractor yet. I won't know what to do with a kitchen when it is finally competed.

Please ignore the paper on the window. The glare from it doesn't allow for a clear picture.

Allegedly, the people measuring for the countertops show up Thursday.

Line of the day

2006-05-18T18:16:00.000-05:00

From Jason Whitlock, guest hosting on PTI

"...the Cardinals have asked rookie quarterback Matt Leinart to tone down his late night partying with no booty having billionaire bimbo Paris Hilton.'

Kitchen remodel 5/16

2006-05-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Please excuse the mess, the kitchen is being rebuilt.

The microwave isn't operational yet, but it is up.

Yes, the floor tiles have been fully installed.

Kitchen remodel 5/9

2006-05-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

Progress is slow but forward.

We have a working oven! It heated up frozen potatoes sucessfully Saturday. Also, notice the lack of door to the right of the oven. It will be replaced by a simple frame.

It must be sabotage

2006-05-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

According to the Daily News, the Knicks may be interested in pursuing Kenyon Martin.

On Tuesday, Martin did not attend a season-ending players meeting with Karl. Afterward, Karl said that he would like to speak with Martin but added that the six-year vet needs to get "mentally and physically healthy."

The Nuggets will look to trade Martin during the offseason and the Knicks and Heat have emerged as potential suitors. Denver, which desperately needs outside shooting, may be willing to take Quentin Richardson and Maurice Taylor's expiring contract in exchange for Martin, who is scheduled to earn a whopping $71.9 million over the next five years.

The Knicks wouldn't blink at such a hefty number, which is both a strength and a weakness of Garden chairman James Dolan. However, a defensive-minded power forward who competes on every possession is exactly the type of player Isiah Thomas would want to pair with Eddy Curry. Having Frye off the bench to back up Curry and Martin is another plus.

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

The last thing the Knicks need is an undersized, injured power forward with an attitude problem and a maximun contract on their roster. Isn't it enough for Larry and Isiah that they helped two teams dump their high priced players (Steve Francis and Jalen Rose) off their rosters?

Excuse me, I'm wrong. what would be even worse than have having the undersized, injured power forward with an attitude problem and a maximun contract on their roster is having the undersized, injured power forward with an attitude problem and a maximun contract on their roster taking time away from the Channing Frye. You know, the guy who showed enough promise in his rookie year to make the NBA All-Rookie Team?

They are really testing my loyalty.

Kitchen remodel 5/1

2006-05-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

Please don't ask me why it took so long for this current post. I don't have the energy to go on the rant today.

Notice the removed soffit. The cabinets (if they ever arrive) will go to the ceiling.

The box our new wall oven will go into.

Marketing works

2006-04-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

Today, I purchased a TaylorMade R7 425 driver. I can't hit my current driver straight, and there is no reason I should be able to hit this driver straight. But I did hit last year's version of the R7 well at a demo day, and the club looks cool. So I traded in my old drivers and got this one. Went immediately to a driving range and couldn't hit anything straight, even the irons I've owned over a year. I'm going to assume this is because I pulled a muscle in my back last week and this is the first time in a couple of weeks I swung a club with a outcome in mind.

Of course, in the back of my mind, I think I just wasted a bunch of money. Damn commercials.

David Toms - Whiner

2006-04-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

David Toms is a very successful professional golfer. He ranks in the top ten of the PGA Money list and the World Golf rankings . Over his career, he has 12 PGA Tour victories and has made over $25 million dollars on the links. As a Louisiana native, he has been on the forefront of the golfing community, raising awareness and funds for Hurricane Katrinia relief. Under any criteria, Toms can be considered one of the finest golfers on the planet today.
And that is why his constant whining is so unbecoming.
First, at the Ford Championship at Doral, he complained players who drive the ball far have an unfair advantage on the course, specifically on the famous 18 hole where water beckons on the left side of the fairway:
"I just don't think it's fair," said Toms, who shot 6-under-par 66 and was two
strokes behind first-round leader Tiger Woods and one behind Villegas. "Why do I
have to hit into whatever that little fairway is and a third of the field can
just hit it as hard as they want to?"

Um, because it is a sport, David? Bigger, stronger, faster has always been the way of sports. Unless you believe players are cheating, or have access to different equipment that you, what leg do you have to stand on? How long should players be allowed to drive the ball, only as long as you can?
At least the driving complaint is rooted in his ability to make money at golf. Most recently Toms had this to say about the Masters tournament:
"To me, it's still a place where the players walk around on egg shells, not knowing if they are in the right place,'' Toms said Tuesday in a conference call. "They're worried about their cell phone being on, having to stop by the hut on the way in to scan your ticket, making sure you only have one parking
pass and somebody else doesn't get in there.
"It's the only place all year where the players don't feel like they're the most important thing there,'' Toms said. "That's the way I see it, and I don't think I'm the single opinion on that.''

Allow me to translate this for people who don’t follow golf regularly:
“It isn’t right that this tournament doesn’t kiss the ass of the players like other tournaments do. For a week out of the year the world is not my oyster and I’m not happy about it. Don’t you know who I am?”
There is nothing I dislike more as a fan of golf (and sports in general) is a blatant sense of entitlement. David Toms is one complaint away from being the poster child of the self entitled.

F*%k you, watch me

2006-04-13T16:14:00.000-05:00

Jason Whitlock writes an entertaining column on the Page 2 portion of ESPN.com. His latest piece talks about the current season of The Sopranos. He isn’t too enamored with it because he feels the show makes him think too hard to understand it. Late in the article, he makes this comment:

David Chase has either forgotten why we watch "The Sopranos" or he doesn't care why we watch. It's probably the latter. He wants us to watch the show "the right way."

This should have been in the beginning of the article. Because David Chase doesn’t care about you.

Have you ever heard the phrase 'fuck you money'? If you haven't, it is the amount of money you would have to have to feel comfortable to tell anyone you don't want to deal with (bosses, spouses, parents, etc.) to fuck off, regardlesss of the consequenses. Chase has a fuck you show. He doesn't have to worry about ratings, since he is on HBO. He doesn't have to worry about actors getting pissy; none of them were such stars at the beginning of the series that they have many demands, most of them have been so typecast by the show they dare not leave (except maybe Edie Falco) and if any of them annoys him, he can just kill them off. He's killed off characters he likes, why wouldn't he kill someone asking for more dough.

David Chase is like Dave Chappelle in this way; he is a true artist who's art is wildly apprecaited by the masses. Because he did not have to compromise his art to achieve public acclaim, he can have three episodes of Tony Soprano dream sequences without worrying about any backlash. Becasue he didn't have to compromise his art, he can take two years off between seasons without batting an eye.

I enjoy the program. And when I hear people complaining about it, I just laugh to myself. Chase is taking us for a ride, and doesn't much care if you don't like the scenic route.

Kitchen upgrage 4/12

2006-04-12T06:50:00.000-05:00

Not a kitchen, but an empty room with random circuits and duct work coming from the floor.

Kitchen Upgrade 4/9

2006-04-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

The kitchen before any work has been done

It is hard to root for the Red, White & Blue

2005-09-21T22:01:00.000-05:00

I’m a golfer. I like and follow professional golf. I’d like to think the average professional golfer isn’t a pampered, spoiled horse’s ass. Then something happens to make me realize otherwise.

The President’s Cup, a set of matches pitting a team of American golfers against their international counterparts, begins Thursday. The players have been practicing this week at the course hosting the event, where the following brouhaha occurred:

Presidents Cup captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player engaged in an animated
exchange over players signing autographs during practice rounds at the
Presidents Cup on Tuesday.
Nicklaus, who is captaining the U.S. team for a
third time, confronted Player on the driving range and accused the International
team captain of breaking an agreement to not allow players to sign autographs on
the golf course.

World No. 2 Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen and the
International team in general were seen signing autographs throughout the day as
they practiced at the Robert Trent Golf Course. Later, some U.S. team members
also signed for fans.

After talking with Player, Nicklaus told fans
around the driving range -- as he was signing autographs -- that some of his
players thought the Internationals where making them look "like jerks," said
Nicklaus.

…

The European team drove the U.S. to distraction at
last year's Ryder Cup in Oakland Hills near Detroit, signing autographs and
mingling with American fans as part of a major charm offensive designed to help
diffuse some of the hostility they might face during the event.
The plan
worked as the Europeans received a mostly warm welcome from the pro-American
crowd as they rolled to record-breaking 18½-9½ victory.

Let me put this in another way. The American team basically said to the International team ‘Look, we have no urge to be cordial to the people that help pay our salary by signing a few autographs, but we don’t want to be called out as the jerks that we really are. Could you not sign autographs either so we can pull off the scam that we can’t possibly tear ourselves away from practicing for a second? Thanks a bunch’. The International team agreed, waited for the American team to leave, called them a bunch of wankers/blokes/chumps/hosers and ignored the request. And since the America side is not just pampered and spoiled, but thin skinned, they couldn’t for a moment be seen as the bad guys and out came the Sharpies.

Mr. Nicklaus, if the International team has no problem signing autographs during a practice session and the American team does, the Americans don’t look like jerks, they are jerks. Also, Mr. Nicklaus, if the American team can't learn their lesson when competitors used the nefarious autograph signing gambit just last year, not only are they jerks, but they are dumb jerks.

A letter to Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele

2005-09-03T00:36:00.000-05:00

This is the text of a letter I wrote to Michael Steele, the African-American Lieutenant Governor of Maryland regarding the late action of the federal government in helping victims of Hurricane Katrinia, specifically the ones in New Orleans

Lt. Governor Steele:

My name is Anthony Nurse and I am a resident of Montgomery County. I moved to this state in 2001, so I am not intimately familiar with Maryland politics in general or you in particular. I do know three things about you though; you are the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, you are rumored to be running for U.S. Senate in 2006, and you are black.

I’m sure you, along with the rest of the country, have watched in horror the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly in New Orleans. I have been absolutely stunned by the late response from the federal government to help people stranded in the city without food, power or water. I’ve seen what this country can do for people in need both in and outside this country during times of natural disasters, and it wasn’t done in this case in a timely matter. The only difference in this case is the majority of the affected are black, like you and I.

Outside of rank incompetence, I can’t think of any other reason the federal government would be so lax in helping people, except that the pain of black people doesn’t mean much to them. The federal government which is currently controlled by your party.

I want to be wrong. I don’t want to be so cynical about the current leadership of this country that I believe latent racism would cause a delay in getting help out, but I don’t see any other reason. I don’t want to believe a man like yourself, who must have a level of intelligence and personal success to be chosen for such a significant post would willingly throw his lot with a group who thinks less of people that look like you and I. That is why I have written this letter to you. I want you to convince me otherwise.

If there is another reason for the failings of the federal government, I need to know. If there isn’t; if the rank and file members of the Republican party can’t be bothered to help black people, like you and I, in a time of desperate need, I can’t be bothered to vote for any members of the Republican party. Including ones who run for Maryland senate seats.

2005-08-24T20:26:00.000-05:00

For the second post in a row, I’m talking about a fired radio host.

Michael Graham, who hosted a midday political talk show on WMAL-AM in Washington D.C., was let go this week. A couple of weeks ago, he called Islam a ‘terrorist organization’. He was suspended, and when he did not agree to apologize on air for his remarks, he was let go.

While I agree that comments were wrong headed, that is not what brought me to post. Instead, these comments made by Graham after the firing got me going:

As a fan of talk radio, I find it absolutely outrageous that pressure from a
special interest group like CAIR can result in the abandonment of free speech
and open discourse on a talk radio show (emphasis mine)

Ah, the old ‘free speech’ crutch. Used my many broadcasters when their comments get them in trouble. I looked up the text of the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.

No where in that text does it say a member of the media has to keep their job when they say something that offends people.

The First Amendment protects Graham’s ability to say Islam is a terrorist organization without being arrested. He could stand in front of the Capital building in D.C. and sing it to the tune of ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ and not get sanctioned by the government.

Graham didn’t get fired because he broke the law, or because the Federal Communications Commission was breathing down WMAL’s neck. He got fired because WMAL decided Graham was bad for business. He got fired because the Council on American-Islam Relations, ‘special interest group’, was threatening to go after WMAL’s advertisers, i.e. cut off WMAL’s money. And since WMAL is a business, it took steps to protect the money. And if a midday radio host has to get the boot to protect that cash, so be it.

Here is a tip for Mr. Graham, Larry Krueger, and the next media member to wrap him or herself in the Constitution when they say something stupid and pay a price; when someone is paying you to say something, the speech isn’t free.

LeBron doesn't listen to Chris Rock

2005-08-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

From ESPN.com:

Coca-Cola will test LeBron James' crossover appeal when the company puts the Cleveland Cavaliers guard on Bobby Labonte's hood this Saturday night.

A comic book character resembling the 20-year-old NBA marketing icon will
be plastered on the hood of the No. 18 car for the Sharpie 500 at the Bristol
Motor Speedway to promote POWERade's new James-inspired flavor, SourMelon.

...

Coca-Cola will be flying in James to see his first live NASCAR race.

"I really like the look of the race car," James said in a statement. "But I'm thinking we need to add some new rims."

We will never get ahead as a people.

Oh yeah, I have a blog

2005-08-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

Some sports related articles have caught my eye recently:

KNBR, the flagship radio station for the San Francisco Giants, fired talk show host Larry Krueger. While station management gave other reasons for the firing, Krueger was a center of controversy for stating the Giants had too many "brain-dead Caribbean hitters hacking at slop nightly," during his post-game show. Giants’ manager Felipe Alou, among other Latin players in and out of the Giants’ organization, was publicly upset about the remarks.
Fellow KNBR host and San Francisco sportscaster Gary Radnich thought the firing was unwarranted and said the following;

"Felipe Alou got rolling, got a head of steam up, and in this politically
correct world, you don't get a second chance any more,"

Excuse me as I whip out the smallest violin and play a tune.

First of all, if you are a broadcaster and you are stupid enough to insult a whole group of people, you get what you deserve. Why should Latin people in the Bay area listen to KNBR if they are going to get insulted during a post game show?

Second, Alou did nothing wrong. Blaming him, however subtly, for Krueger’s firing is like blaming a mugging victim for reporting the offense to the police. Tiger Woods caught similar flack for not throwing a life preserver to Fuzzy Zoeller after he made the chicken & collard greens crack at the Masters in 1997. It is not the job of the insulted to bail out the insulter. If it is in the heart of the insulted to do so, like Yao Ming did with Shaquille O’Neal’s "Tell Yao Ming, 'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh." comments in 2003, so be it. If not, tough luck.

Filip Bondy, columnist for the New York Daily News, takes the PGA Tour to task for the lack of diversity of players in the upcoming PGA Championship;

“Don't let the skin color of Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh fool you, over the
next four days of bleached television coverage. The top levels of this sport are
not getting any darker, any more diverse, any more accessible to minorities in
this country. Woods stands alone, in more ways than one.

As of early this week, there were 156 tentative entrants in the PGA
Championship, and 90 of them were from the U.S. Of those 90, there was one
Asian-American, one Hispanic-American and one Asian-African-American, who
happens to be the greatest player in the world. The rest were white guys. The 24
club pros who qualified for this championship were all white again, which tells
you that the mid-level pipeline is not pumping out diversity.

We are still seeing too many pros who had enough money to hire the
right coaches, or to grow up around a golf course when they were young. Woods'
success has not enabled or energized the black population to take up irons in
earnest.”

Okay, now what?

Is the PGA Tour doing anything to keep people of color away from the links? No. I believe PGA Tour officials would jump up and down in glee if they had more golfers of color on their tour. I watch a lot of golf (much to my wife’s chagrin), and I see a number of The First Tee promotional messages, bringing golf to places where it wasn’t played before (read: the ‘hood).
Is golf in general doing anything to keep people of color away from the greens? No. If you think golf coaches wouldn’t like to get their hands on the athletes that are currently playing basketball, football and baseball, regardless of color, you are crazy. If an Al Queda follower could hit a 300 drive straight down the fairway, he would get a college scholarship faster that you could say As sala'amu alaikum.

There are few to no golfers of color at the highest levels of the sport because golf is expensive (as I unfortunately know, it would be cheaper and less addictive if I took crack cocaine up as a hobby) and because golf has only become cool in the last decade, corresponding with Tiger’s accession to the top of the golf world. The kids who Bondy describes growing up with a club in their hands are in their teens now; too young to challenge Fred Funk and Sergio Garcia.

By the way, if you want to see the first waves of Tiger Woods’ effect on high level golf in America, look at the LPGA. The teenagers threatening to take over the women’s tour (Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel) were in grade school when Tiger won the Masters. While 17 year old boys can’t contend on the PGA, 17 year old girls have been able to place well in LPGA tournaments.

I don’t see any solutions from Bondy on how to get more color on the PGA Tour. I’m not one to buy into the ‘patiently wait, your time will come’ idea of getting what you want, but in this case, patience will reap rewards.

2005-08-04T03:36:00.000-05:00

From the rumors section of AllHipHop.com:

Mary J. Blige once had a classic album called No More Drama but, from what
I hear, she can still bring it. Apparently, Mary is fast at work on her next
album and was dealing with a younger R&B starlet. Something happened in the
studio and I heard that Mary issued a smack down. I don’t know who the younger
singer was, but if I find out, I’ll let you know.

Is it so wrong for me to hope this is Ashanti?

Comcast reeks

2005-07-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Mrs. and I have moved into our new house. All in all, the move was easy enough; the moving company didn’t break anything, most of the essential equipment has been unpacked, two of the four rooms we plan to paint have been, and I have only spent 6 million dollars at Home Depot.

Oh yeah. I told Comcast to jump into a lake.

Allow me to backtrack a bit. Since I moved to Maryland, where Comcast is the local cable company, I’ve found the customer service of the company to be lousy. Like the time Comcast switched internet service provider companies and I had to go into a local office to find out the cable modem I had wasn’t compatible with the new service after over two weeks of waiting, information their technical support office couldn’t provide me. So I was understandably wary while setting up the service in the new place.

I called June 18th to make an appointment for the service to be turned on. The earliest day they had available was Monday, June 27th; between the hours of 10am and 2pm. No problem, the appointment was made. The fateful day arrives; no Comcast technician. I called back, where Carlene, the “customer service” representative, told me I made the appointment for Wednesday, June 29th. This is impossible as I knew at the time I made the appointment I wouldn’t be in town that day. I then asked when the next available appointment could be made and was told July 18th. No way. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was put on hold. After a few minutes, Carlene informed me the supervisor, Jasmine, was working with another customer and would be a while. I gave Carlene my number and asked for a callback. This was at approximately 2:30pm.

At 4:40pm, I had yet to receive a callback. I called again, this time getting Greg in the technical service department. He attempted to reach Jasmine, only to find she had left for the day. Having enough, I told Greg if a technician couldn’t be sent that day to set up service, I would take my business elsewhere. No one showed up and I quickly called Verizon for DSL service.

When I came home Wednesday the 29th, there were two calls on my answering machine from Comcast technicians, to confirm I’d be home. This is after telling their customer service department I wouldn’t be home that day. I chalked it up to normal Comcast customer service, and erased the messages. Ironically, I also received a bill from Comcast for July internet service. I called to ensure the account was cancelled and destroyed that bill.

Thursday June 30th, sometime in the 6pm hour, a car drives up to our home. A man in a Comcast polo shirt tells me he is there to turn on my internet access. I don’t know if I am more stunned he would show up unannounced, angry that he was there at all, or happy that I would be able to tell him about his company’s woeful customer service. After explaining to him (in front of the house; I wasn’t letting him in) that I cancelled our account with Comcast because of current and past mistakes and signed up for DSL, he asked me to give his company one more chance, that this would be the beginning of a new Comcast.

Right. A new focus on customer service since Monday.

I asked him about the lack of call back from the customer service center. He apologized for that and said it wouldn’t happen again. I told him I didn’t trust his company. I asked what would happen to Jasmine, the supervisor that didn’t return my call. He said this incident would be put in her file. I replied ‘in other words, nothing.’

Finally, I told him the DSL service wasn’t scheduled to begin until Wednesday, July 6th. If somehow, Comcast could impress me that they were truly changing their ways (and some sort of financial remuneration for the annoyance), I’d consider coming back. He said I would be hearing from him the next day.

I didn’t hear from him. I did hear from Verizon, informing me the phone lines were now ready for DSL service. And that is how I am able to post this message.

Blackpot's Music Review

2005-06-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

I've been gone for a while, I know. Preparing to move into a new house will suck all your time and energy.

Da Goodness

Hate It Or Love It/The Game feat. 50 Cent – Somehow, they made a song that is uplifting and gangsta and pop at the same time. Game and 50 had a falling out, forcing Aftermath to recycle the beat for MVP/The Game & Mary J. Blige. Still hot, though.

We Belong Together/Mariah Carey – EXACTLY the type of song Mariah should be singing 26 hours a day. America has spoken Mariah; they don’t think you and hip-hop are a good look together.

Wait (rmx)/Ying Yang Twins frat. Free, Busta Rhymes, Jackie O – This is hard for me, because I HATE Ying Yang and all that they stand for. Plus, when Wait first came out, I thought theysaw Chris Rock’s latest comedy special, heard the joke about women dancing to songs with misogynistic lyrics (‘slap her with a dick; slap her with a dick’), and figured they could do better. But damn if the song isn’t catchy, and the remix may be the best raunchy song since Dreams by Lil’ Kim. Get the version with Jackie O, she has rhymes on it that are enough to peel paint off the walls.

Gillahouse/Redman – Almost anything Red does musically is fine with me (don’t ask me about his ‘acting’ career), and it has been too long between projects.

Straight Garbage

Baby Mama/Fantasia – A good idea from a marketing standpoint. Fantasia is a kuntry as pigs feet on sale and someone has to sing for the ghetto girl who thinks Mary J. Blige got too bourgeois. Monica can’t do it all. Too bad the actual song is ass.

So Icy/Guccy Mane – I fully admit my East Coast hip-hop bias. It took me a while to warm up to any Dirty South music. This isn’t getting it. Lame topic, lame rhyming skills. Actually, I don’t really know the lyrics because I always turn the station the minute I hear it.

Gimme That/Webbie Featuring Bun B – The other song on my ‘gets immediately turned away from’ list.

Destiny Fulfilled album/Destiny’s Child – From the jump, it sounded like a contractually obligated album, hurriedly written and recorded between (bad) acting roles for Beyonce, trips to the bridal salon for Kelly, and whatever the hell Michelle does while she waits for the next tour. They have announced this is the last album, and I could not be happier.

If you thought The Honeymooners remake was bad

2005-05-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

My wife regularly teases me that someone will remake Caddyshack with an all black cast. Out of boredom (and an attempt to own my fear), I will now try to cast the main characters in the movie, titled (of course) 'Tha Shack'

Ted Knight/Judge Elihu Smails - Phil Morris
The go to beaugois black guy, last seen as the foil to Wanda Sykes in her short lived sitcom.

Chevy Chase/Ty Webb - Damon Wayans
Samuel L. Jackson should own this role, but he wouldn't take it, considering the movie would be packed with athlete and rapper cameos. Now that My Wife & Kids is cancelled, Damon has some time on his hands. He would have to play it straight though; I still don't forgive him for ruining Bamboozled.

Michael O'Keefe/Danny Noonan - Nick Cannon
I think he is still young looking enough to play a teenager. And as Dave Chappelle's son knows, he's hilarious.

Rodney Dangerfield/Al Czervik - Busta Rhymes
Unlike, for example, L. L. Cool J, who is equal parts actor and rapper, Busta is a rapper first. He can act a little though; his performance in Finding Forrester was credible. He could easily play the over the top blinged out rapper who joins the club, annoying the more conservative members.

Bill Murray/Carl Spackler - Mike Epps
Another role that should go to someone else (Dave Chappelle could just reprise his role in Undercover Brother and clean up, but I would be too afraid he would leave halfway through filming to get his head right in Somalia). Since Mike is contractually obligated to appear in every black ensemble cast, I'll put him here.

Of course, there would be scenes that would make me squirm in my seat:

The Escalade golf cart with spinning rims
The video hoochie selling Kool-Aid, shots of Hennessey and White Owl cigars out of the beverage cart. Or worse, Moniqué manning the beverage cart
Everyone showing up to the movie ending golf battle wearing red shirts and black pants, like Tiger Woods

When it movie comes out, I’ll cry. The only way it could be worse is if the announcer says ‘From the producers of Soul Plane’ during the commercial.

WTF?!?

2005-05-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

He had to go all the way to South Africa to get his mind right?

Comedy Central star Dave Chappelle has checked himself into a mental health
facility in South Africa, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported on
Wednesday
....
Chappelle flew from Newark, N.J., to South Africa on April 28 for
treatment, said the magazine, quoting a source close to the show it would not
identify. Entertainment Weekly said it had corroborating sources for its
story.

Viacom might as well release the season 2 DVD now. The discs may warp if they are waiting to coincide the release with the start of season 3.

The Jennifer Wilbanks package

2005-05-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of the New York Post:

Bolting bride Jennifer Wilbanks was chaste away — by her fiancé's insistence on abstinence, friends of the sex-deprived couple claim.

"She told people the fact that she and [husband-to-be John Mason] were not
having sex was upsetting," a friend of Wilbanks' told People magazine, which
hits newsstands today.

Mason was once a "wild" guy who "dated a lot," his running pal Ted King
said.
But he became a born-again virgin — eschewing premarital sex — five
years ago after pledging himself to his Baptist faith, friends said.

"He's been saving himself for the right woman," Mason's friend Andy
Parsons told the magazine.
And friends say that likely drove the marathon
enthusiast to run — from the altar.
In Wilbanks' hometown of Gainsville,
girlfriends told The Post the 32-year-old woman had once enjoyed a very active
social life — regularly dating men from a local gym as well as firemen.

Some travel agency should come up with the runaway bride package. It would include roundtrip bus tickets from anywhere in the continental U.S. to Las Vegas, three night’s lodging and access to a nightclub in one of the casinos hotels. For women with self esteem issues, escort services can be provided for an extra fee.

I'm Late, Biatch!

2005-05-05T03:33:00.000-05:00

Well, damn.

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Comedy Central said that the highly
anticipated third season of Dave
Chappelle's show will not make its May 31 premiere date.
a d v e r t i s
e m e n t

"Comedy Central has suspended production on the third season
of Chappelle's Show until further notice," network spokesman Tony Fox said in a
brief statement. "All parties are optimistic that production will resume in the
near future."

No official reason was given for the shutdown, but sources told E! News
that Chappelle has been MIA from the set for weeks. There was no indication on
how long the suspension would last.

He must be able to afford the really good weed now.

Cold feet gone too far

2005-04-30T07:14:00.000-05:00

Ga. Woman Found, Reportedly Got Cold Feet

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A Georgia bride-to-be who vanished just days before her
wedding turned up in New Mexico and fabricated a tale of abduction before
admitting Saturday that she got cold feet and "needed some time alone," police
said.

I'm mostly surprised a black man wasn't blamed for the abduction, setting off a manhunt that would have thousands of black men in Goergia face down on the side of a highway.

Whitlock vs. Blackpot

2005-04-14T21:42:00.000-05:00

Jason Whitlock, a columnist for the Kansas City Star and ESPN2, has written a well thought out article regarding his approval for the proposed 20 year age limit for incoming NBA players and his disapproval of Jermaine O’Neal saying the choice is about racism.

Once I totally disagree with.

Fans don't enjoy the game the way they used to, and they're becoming more and
more hostile toward the players. O'Neal has a $100-million contract. In his
mind he's a huge star. He has no clue how much more of a star he would be had he
spent two or three years in college being hyped up by Dick Vitale, Billy Packer,
Jay Bilas, Digger Phelps and Clark Kellogg. O'Neal spent his college years
sitting on the Portland bench, collecting a fat check. That was good for
Jermaine O'Neal. It was not good for the NBA.

There are two problems with this attitude. First, there are bigger reasons American fans aren’t as in love with the NBA than high school players going right to the NBA. For example, as much as I love the New York Knicks, the thuggish style of play they perfected (the ‘Bad Boy’ era Detroit Piston were the originators) under Pat Riley has made the game Wanda from Living Colour ugly, making breaking the 80 point mark cause for celebration.

More importantly, you have drank Billy Packer’s Kool-Aid if you believe the best place a young man can improve his basketball skills is on campus. If the NBA had a real minor league, instead of the loosely affliated CBAs and NDBLs, Jermaine O’Neal would have been playing 30 minutes for a team in Tacoma. Not only would he be improving his basetball skills, ithe carrot of getting called up to the show would help keep his head from getting to big before he accomplishes anything.

David Stern's job is to do what's good for the league. He can't react when the
league bottoms out. He'd lose his job. Stern must improve the NBA now and get on
top of any image problems that might damage the future financial health of the
league.

The last three image nightmares for the NBA were the brawl in Detroit (started by Ron Artest, who went to St. Johns for three years), Kobe Bryant’s rape charges (no college) and Latrell Sprewell (who attended the University of Alabama for four years) choking his coach. Two of the three protagonists were college guys.

But let’s call a spade a spade when you speak of the NBA image problem, if you will excuse the choice of language. The problem is young black men with f**k you money. Thanks to the success of the NBA during the Magic/Bird/Jordan/Stern era (and yes, Stern is as responsible for the current success of the NBA as any of the players mentioned), players don’t have to be squeaky clean to acquire endorsement money. Their salaries are large enough so that they can be tattooed and smoked up if they choose to. You don’t have to be Grant Hill or Shane Battier to make ridiculous cash. You can be Allen Iverson, and if your skills are exemplary, you will get paid.

Not only are players more fundamentally sound after spending a few years in
college, they are far more marketable after going through the NCAA hype machine.

The reason European players are more fundamentally sound than their American counterparts when they begin their respective NBA careers is because the European players have been professionals since their teens before getting to the NBA. The same opportunity Whitlock wants American players not to have.

So, yes, David Stern and NBA owners have a vested interest in the success of
college basketball. There's nothing wrong with that.

Of course there is something wrong with that. College basketball is much more powerful that it should be due to it’s de facto minor league status. As much as I enjoy(ed) watching college basketball, it shouldn’t be the only place an athlete can apply his skills to better himslef.

It's not uncommon for the prep-turned-pro to sit on the bench for three years
maturing mentally and physically. He can't help. He's stealing the roster spot
and paycheck of a veteran who might be able to help a team win. Given the makeup
of the NBA, that veteran player is more than likely going to be the same color
as Jermaine O'Neal.

I fully agree with that. Said prep-turned-pro should be playing for the team’s affliated minor league program.

is O'Neal right that it's hypocritical for the public to be outraged by
high school basketball players' turning pro when baseball players have done it
for years?

Yes, O'Neal is right. The public outcry is hypocritical, and perhaps
driven by a bigoted double-standard.

Perhaps? High schoolers are encouraged to start their professional careers in baseball, tennis, soccer and hockey, just to name a few sports. Jennifer Capriati’s parents should be in prison for child abuse for what they did to their daughter, but America is more ‘worried’ about an 18 year old black boy than a 14 year of white girl.

Making business decisions based on the hypocracy and bigoted double standards of a populace empowers the hypocracy and double standards.

Not dead yet

2005-04-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday for me was chock full of action. My wife and I went to a funeral for a member of her family in the morning. Later in the day, we submitted a bid for a new home. Those two things are don’t seem to have anything to do with each other, but they do.

During the reception after the funeral, family and friends made comments about the deceased’s life and what he meant to them. I started welling up during the more emotional speeches, and I couldn’t understand why. Later I realized, listening to family and friends tearfully speak about their passed loved one, I am afraid of dying. Not as much out of fear of death, but more out of fear of breaking the hearts of loved ones by dying.

If I died while I was single, while I assume my family would be upset, no one would be without a provider or a parent or a partner. I’ve screwed part of that up by getting married. If/when we move to a new (bigger) home, it would mean a larger financial responsibility. I can’t up and quit my job without negatively affecting my wife. I certainly can’t up and die. And heaven forbid we have kids, then I am stuck having to stay alive.

We will return to your normal opinionated mostly sports related postings later.

Free Jolly Jenkins!

2005-03-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

Good news:

The Cartoon Network has ordered 15 half-hour episodes of the popular comic strip
The Boondocks. The animated show will be based on the award winning comic strip
series created by executive producer Aaron McGruder. The series is set to
premiere this October on Cartoon Network’s popular Adult Swim block of
programming. Like the comic strip, the animated series will focus on the
exploits of Robert “Granddad” Freeman and his grandchildren Huey, who is
10-years-old and Riley, who is 8.

Hopefully, The Boondocks doesn't beat Chappelle's Show to my television screen.

Busy, busy, busy

2005-03-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

I’m sorry I haven’t posted much lately. The wife and I are looking to sell our current home and buy a new home. Which means lots of work and visions of me sweating over yard work dancing in my head.

I’ll post when I can.

Does anyone know how the NCAA games came out today

2005-03-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

Thoughts after following the congressional hearing on baseball and steroids:

McGwire is sunk

There is no way McGwire can deny taking steroids, being the only person, besides Canseco, to invoke his 5th amendment rights. And his ‘I don’t want to talk about the past’ is the new ‘wardrobe malfunction’ in my world.

I’m not surprised by his teary opening statement. He had to sit and hear parents talk about the death of their children due to steroids. The last time we saw McGwire get choked up is at the press conference announcing his last contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He cried then when he mentioned his foundation, which was and is focused on fighting child abuse. I believe the idea of children suffering makes him emotional, and he got that in spades listening to dead children’s parent testifying their sons idolized baseball players.

I believe he will admit in public his steroid use before the end of the year. The internal and external pressures will be too great for him to stay silent.

By the way, when I heard McGwire say his message to kids would be ‘Steroids is bad, don’t do them’, I nearly ran myself off the road.

Canseco may have experienced the worst book plug ever

In his book, he is an unabashed defender of the use of steroids, under proper supervision. At the hearing, he said he wrote the book over a two year period, and some of the things he wrote then he doesn’t believe now.

This can’t help book sales.

Sammy Sosa looks pretty good

He vociferously denied, under oath, ever taking steroids. He may be lying, but it is very hard to not give him the benefit of the doubt. He wasn’t mentioned in Caseco’s book, he has no connection to BALCO, and there is no publicized investigation connecting him to steroids. The only reason his name has been thrown into speculation is he has big arms and he has hit a lot of home runs.

Jim Bunning is the bitter old man, telling kids to get off his lawn

Bunning, a Senator from Kentucky and a former MLB pitcher, complained almost as much about pitchers not pitching inside and smaller ballparks as he did about steroid abuse. And he stuck up for the players in his era:

"If they started in 1992 or 1993 illegally using steroids, wipe all of their
records out," Bunning said. "Take them away. They don't deserve them. Go ask
Henry Aaron. Go ask the family of Roger Maris. Go ask all of the people that
played without enhanced drugs if they would like their records compared with the
current records."

I’m sure he doesn’t mean all the pitching records. I wonder if he will advocate the pulling of Gaylord Perry’s records, since he was an admitted spitballer.

He also mentioned the 230 pound elephant (Bonds) in the room without mentioning him by name:

When I played with Henry Aaron and Willie Mays and Ted Williams, they didn't put
on 40 pounds and bulk up in their careers, and they didn't hit more home runs in
their late 30s than they did in their late 20s. What is happening in baseball
now isn't natural and it isn't right."

The good thing about getting old is you can say what you want.

Tom Lantos is an idiot

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), during a question and answer period with scientists, made references to Martha Stewart and the television show Extreme Makeover. I want to move to San Mateo just to vote against this guy.

Lantos was able to get all players to say they favor federal intervention if Major League Baseball can’t fix their steroid problem. So maybe idiot is too harsh. He does need better focus.

Tom Osborne. TOM OSBORNE?!?!

The head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 until 1997, currently a Republican congressman from Nebraska, is on the congressional subcommittee holding these hearings. I bet he is happy to be one of the people asking the questions and not one of the people being asked.

Don Fehr is the MAN!

Nothing shakes him. During the portion of the hearings both Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB executive vice president for labor relations and human resources Rob Manfred slightly lost their composure during their grilling. Fehr maintained his calm at all times. He must pee ice water.

Save them kids!

Over and over, I hear that everyone involved talk about the kids, the poor kids that idolize these steroid taking players. But there were no panelists called that work with these steroid taking kids. There were grief stricken parents called to tell the stories of their late sons, but no one who works with young athletes.

Remember, when anyone says they are doing anything for the kids, watch your wallet.

PAB

2005-03-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

O'Jays slam Timerlake
R&B veterans The O'Jays apparently lodged a protest about Justin
Timberlake's involvement in their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
...
singer Eddie Levert commented that the band were unhappy about
Timberlake inducting them into the Hall.He said: "We protested, kicked and
stomped. But it is out of our control."Bandmate Walter Williams added: "No
offence to Justin, because he deserves the respect he has earned, but I could
think of a few people who know more about our pain and suffering and
history."

The O'Jays know the truth; Justin Timberlake is a punk ass bitch.

Okay, this is starting to turn into a sports site

2005-03-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

Everybody is looking out for the kids these days.

Congress is holding hearings next week regarding steroid use in Major League Baseball. One of the stated reasons for the hearings (besides providing good publicity for the congressmen involved) is to deter kids from taking steroids and emulating professional baseball players.

The NFL recently enacted strict rules against what they called unnecessary celebrations. One of the stated reasons behind that decision (besides cultural disconnect between the old white men who make the rules and the young black men who play the game) was the NFL was receiving complains from youth coaches, saying their players were emulating the professionals.

Everybody is looking out for the kids. Except the ones who should be. The youth coaches. Too many youth coaches abdicate their primary job; developing teamwork and good sportsmanship in their charges. They become more interested in their secondary job; wins and losses.

I played little league baseball. One game, while playing shortstop, I was bored and flicked pebbles at the pitcher while in the field. I was taken out after three innings. After the game was over, the coach asked me if I knew why I was taken out (I was one of the better players on the team and rarely sat the bench). I knew. And I never did anything like that again.

While college and professional coaches aren’t absolved from providing this type of guidance, they are dealing with young adults whose personalities have been formed for the most part. Plus, coaches on that level are hired and fired for wins and losses. Ask Tyronne Willingham why he isn’t the coach of Notre Dame. Or Bill Curry why he isn’t the coach of Alabama.

If more youth coaches, from tee ball all the way to high school, worried as much about the sportsmanship of their players and they did about wins and losses, kids wouldn’t be so apt to ape their poorly acting professional counterparts.

And the kids wouldn’t have to be looked out for so much.

R.I.P. B.I.G.

2005-03-09T18:34:00.000-05:00

8 year ago today, Christopher Wallace (A.K.A. Biggie Smalls, Notorious B.I.G., Frank White) was murdered.

My memory is vague, but I believe I was on my way to work when I heard about his death. I was waiting for the bus from Jersey into the city with had my headphones on, listening to Hot 97. The announcement came on and I felt a loss, like something was taken from me. I was in the same place when I herd Tupac was shot a few months earlier and I didn’t feel the same way. Partially because he wasn’t dead yet, partially because I felt he was asking for it, running with Death Row and acting crazy.

If you are a hip-hop fan of a certain age, Biggie vs. Tupac is your Beatles vs. Rolling Stones. I don’t dislike Tupac’s work and I don’t want to bust a gat at Tupac fans, but given a choice, give me Notorious. While I believe Tupac is the James Dean of hip-hop, a iconic figure that shined brightly, Biggie is the better hip-hop artist.

And make no mistake about it, Biggie owned New York. Biggie owned New York in a way Jay-Z, Run DMC, L.L. Cool J, Fat Joe or 50 Cent never did, or could. There was an emotional connection between Biggie and hip-hop fans, especially in New York. Maybe it was because he wasn’t the best looking guy out there. Okay, let me stop playing. He was ugly. Self admittedly ugly. Maybe it was his talent in putting words together. Maybe it was the humor in some of his rhymes. Maybe it was because, even with his most violent, most misogynistic songs, there appeared to be a wink to the audience that said ‘I’m just playing, y’all, having a little fun with this rap thing’ that doesn’t appear in today’s hip-hoppers.

Not counting the Junior Mafia posse album and the posthumously slapped together Born Again, Biggie only put out two albums, the last of which came out after his death in 1997. Besides the fact children were left without a father and a mother was left without a son (and it is almost distasteful to put that face aside), fans missed out on what would be next. We only got a taste of Biggie and Jay-Z on ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’ they were rumored to be planning a whole album together. What would Biggie have done with new styles coming out (anyone who heard him rhyme on ‘Notorious Thugs’ with Bone Thugs N Harmony could attest he could do your style better than you)?

Rest in peace, Biggie. And big up to Brooklyn.

I'm weird: Part I

2005-03-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

I came to a revelation about myself recently. I really like sad songs.

Not any generic sad song will do though. I like songs where the protagonist is either neck deep in an unhealthy relationship or psychotic because he or she just got out of a relationship 15 minutes ago. For example:

Down Here in Hell (With You) by Van Hunt
Charlene by Anthony Hamilton
Lovefool by The Cardigans
Just Like A Pill by Pink
Hopeless by Dionne Farris
Cardigan by Pearl Jam

This has nothing to do with my personal life. I have never been more content (except for Freshmen Fifteen’s older cousin; Married Twenty coming to visit me) with the way my life is going. Just a quirk.

It could be worse, Barry

2005-03-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

I can’t seem to stop talking about Barry Bonds. Or at least around Barry Bonds.

Jon Saraceno wrote an article about Barry Bonds in USA Today last week. The point he was trying to make is the reason people (read: sportswriters) don’t like Barry Bonds has nothing to do with him being black and more to do with the fact his is an asshole. In the article, he used the career of Frank Robinson as an example of a black man who was truly attacked because of his skin color. At the end of the article he says; Bonds has it easy and doesn't know it.

And that is where he lost me.

There is no denying Bonds has it easier than his black predecessors. But to say Bonds has it easy invalidates any and all claims of prejudice he or any black athlete has in this day and age. By holding up Robinson’s career against Bonds’, he is basically saying, “What’s the problem Barry? We’re not calling you a ‘coon to your face or hanging you or anything. Lighten up.”

The mainstream media (I saw Jim Rome make the same point that Saraceno did on his television show this week), in their battle against Bonds (and don’t be fooled; if and when a reporter gets any proof of Bonds using steroids, he or she will never have to buy an adult beverage in the company of his or her peers) have to be careful not to get too hysterical in their attacks on him. When you reach too far by basically saying there isn’t any prejudice in 2005, or some prejudice is acceptable, you look ridiculous.

Bash the pen from this brother's hand

2005-02-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

My wife job puts her in contact with book publishers, giving her access to free books. She is not a sports fan, so when the buzz began for Jose Canseco’s book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, she asked me some questions about Canseco’s career. In return, I got a free copy. It was laying around the house for a couple of weeks until I read it on a flight this weekend.

I’m glad I got it free.

Unlike most books written by sports figures, there is no co-writer. From the level of writing, I doubt there is a ghost writer involved either (my wife insists there was a ghost writer; if there was he or she should be banned from writing anything longer than a laundry list). The publisher, Regan Books, should be ashamed that they didn’t assign one to this project. Between Canseco’s interesting career and his willingness to tell tales out of school about fellow baseball players, there is a lot of raw material in the book that would make a good book if there was a writer with some talent involved in putting it together. The book is being sold on the steroids angle, but he has some interesting stories about life on the road and umpires that, if they weren’t ghettoed in their own respective chapters and fleshed out further, would have added to the enjoyment of the book.

I can sum up the main themes of the book and save you the $18:

Steroids are a good thing, when used properly. And Jose knows how to use them properly.
Jose isn’t as bad of a person that he is made out to be.
Latino players get less slack than comparative white players by the media.

The last subject runs through the book almost as much as his love for steroids and human growth hormone. It is one of the reasons I think he wrote the book, to have his career shaped on his terms and not through what he considers a biased media. He is very bitter about his treatment by the media in comparison to other players like Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken Jr.; players he referred to as ‘untouchables’.

The book’s release is being used by the media to turn up the heat on Major League Baseball and its player regarding steroid use, so it is good that it is out. This does remind of Dennis Miller’s comments when 2 Live Crew albums were being banned in Florida in the later ‘80s. He said censorship should always be fought against, but he is disappointed artists are forced to go to the wall for songs like ‘Me So Horny’.

I feel the same way about this book.

That is going to be a fun Hall of Fame speech

2005-02-24T00:46:00.000-05:00

Barry Bonds had a press conference where he basically flipped the assembled media the finger Tuesday. Words like combative, defiant and angry have been used to describe the tone of his comments. Throw the steroid and BALCO controversies in the mix, and I’m surprised Bonds didn’t bring a flamethrower to the meeting. Most people assume this is just Barry being Barry; that he never had much use for the media in general.

I just think Barry Bonds doesn’t care for white people much.

Oh, I’m sure he has white friends (Greg Anderson, AKA Mr. Flaxseed oil, comes to mind). And he has proven bedding down with a shapely white woman is not beneath him. But the average, run of the mill white person? Not so excited about. Unfortunately for Barry, he has chosen a profession where he is surrounded by average, run of the mill white people. And they want autographs and pictures. And to ask him personal questions in the locker room and at press conferences.

Where was Bonds’ opinion of white people formed? Look no further than his father (the late Bobby Bonds, major league player), his godfather (Willie Mays, considered the best living baseball player) and the man who holds the home run record Bonds is currently chasing (Henry Aaron). I have not a stitch of proof, but I believe Bonds saw his father and godfather treated poorly by the media during and after their playing careers as he grew up. He probably heard them bitterly talk about it around the dinner table. In private. In the bitter tones that come from having to smile and be the bigger man in public.

Hank Aaron may be the best person to use an example of where Bonds attitude may come from. Aaron caught hell for having the audacity to break Babe Ruth’s all time home run record. Not ‘did you take steroids’ hell. More like ‘if you play today, I’ll shoot that nigger head of your shoulders’ hell. Aaron had to just take it. And he is still mad. He can’t come out and say it (he is getting a nice salary from the Atlanta Braves to not complain about not having anything to do), but he is more bitter than skunky beer left outside in the summer. Trust me; shoot some truth serum into Aaron and he will make Paul Mooney sound like Wayne Brady.

Bonds knows this and truly respects Aaron for what he had to go through as much as his baseball accomplishments. One topic you can get Bonds to talk about is Aaron. He has suggested it is more important to him to pass Babe Ruth than it is to pass Hank Aaron, using the weak argument that both he and Ruth are left handed hitters. As opposed to the glee he will feel besting the great white hope of home runs.

The cold war between Bonds and the media will continue until far after he ends his baseball career, with both sides entrenched in their respective positions. The one good thing for Bonds to think about is the last all time great to have this contentious relationship with the media was Ted Williams. Not a bad person to be compared to if you are a baseball player. And the good news for the media is, with Bonds’ age and failing knees, they won’t have to deal with him much longer.

Fore-shizzle!

2005-02-20T20:18:00.000-05:00

I got my last Christmas present Friday. It is an Odyssey White Hot 2-ball putter. My brother got it for me before he went back overseas.

I didn’t need another putter, but Mike was going to buy me a new golf bag. Thanks to Ebay, I didn’t need one, and I suggested the putter. By suggested I mean I told him the exact model and size of putter to buy when he went into the golf store, as the only think Mike knows about golf is he doesn’t play.

How did I, a black boy from Brooklyn, become a golfer? Blame the following:

MATT: My friend and father of my godchild. Part of the bachelor proceedings was the ‘Dead Man’s Open’ a golf outing with friends. As a member of his wedding party, I was invited. It was my first time on a golf course as a participant. He also sold me his old clubs when he bought new ones. He doesn’t seem too guilty about introducing me to the game; he laughs at me when I tell him I’m sucked in and it is his fault.

(By the way, it is also his fault that I am not a better golfer than I am now. His wife and I were supposed to learn to play at the same time, but he had to go out and get her pregnant. By the time she recovered from the wrath of Cameron, I had moved from Jersey to Maryland. I hope you are happy, Matt.)

USA NETWORK: After I graduated from college and before I started work at CBS, I took a freelance job with USA Network. I worked in the production truck during the 1995 Ryder Cup, a bi-annual competition between the top American and European golfers. It was my first time on a golf course of any type. As a general sports fan, I knew a little about golf, but I wasn’t a fan. Working the event was my introduction to golf in general. Now, the Ryder Cup may be my most favorite sporting event of them all.

MY RIGHT KNEE: Before golf, my two favorite sports to participate in were bowling and basketball. Unfortunately, my right knee does not much care for running and jumping, especially on blacktop or concrete. One spirited game of full court leads to 10 days of limping around. I needed another sport to channel my competitive juices towards and I couldn’t find a bowling league that fit my work schedule.

There are other reasons that I got involved in golf. A chance to look preppy in golf clothes, a reason to get out of the house, seeing Tiger Woods’ succeed. Whatever the reason, now I am locked in. Just in 2005 I have purchased new Ping irons, a bunch of used Titleist NXT balls (you can be a cheap golfer if you try), and three new shirts (thanks Ebay). I’ll be going out to Arizona for a long weekend with the Mrs. and try all my new gear out.

I’ll probably stink, but with my latest Christmas present, I’ll look good stinking.

Man hating for a price

2005-02-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, had a prime time special last Tuesday. Because my wife is a fan, we recorded the program and watched it last night. The show was nothing more than a night time version of his syndicated show, focusing on relationships. He talked to Jonathan and Victoria from the latest season of The Amazing Race (quite possibly the most distasteful game show/reality show participants ever, right up there with Beth from the Real World: Los Angeles), gave dating advice to a successful woman who is searching for Mr. Right, and counseled an engaged couple, Corey and Mary, who are having doubts about going through with the marriage.

The couple in question had issues. She had banished him to the basement because she felt he was invading her space. He had come up with a sexual contract to make sure the amount of nookie didn’t decrease after the marriage. While watching the introduction, I decided there is no way they should get married, since they were both insane.

So Dr. Phil goes into his shtick, which is supposed to be no nonsense common sense. He pulls Corey aside and, with good reason, derides his idea of a sexual contract. Phil also critiqued how Corey proposed to Mary (in the front yard, while mowing the lawn). Not a four star Dr. Phil reaming, but a strong rebuke to the way he interacts with his fiancée.

Then, it was Mary’s turn. And it happened. Or I should say, it didn’t happen. Phil doesn’t give Mary his patented ‘marriage is not 50%-50%; it is 100%-100%’ speech. He doesn’t give her the ‘what were you thinking!?!’ regarding her throwing him out of the bedroom and into the basement. He gently says she should not stand for anything less then exemplary treatment. I nearly spit out the snack I was eating. Once again, Phil bashes the man and treats the woman with kid gloves.

I may have seen one episode of Oprah when Dr. Phil was a regular. But, from what I have been told, he became a hit by giving people the unvarnished, straight answers to their questions. He got his own show, and did basically the same thing. At some point during the first season (yes, I was watching), some one got to him and told him he had to hammer the men more because women were his audience. And he listened.

Now, I’m not one to knock the hustle Dr. Phil has going. Yes, he is as safe as kindergarten scissors. Yes, most of what he says is common sense. Unfortunately, there are some stupid people in this world that do not have enough common sense to come out of the rain. They need Dr. Phil to tell them it isn’t a good idea to cheat on their spouses, or eat their way to a visit from Richard Simmons, or drop out of school to begin a career dancing on the pole. And the rest of us need Dr. Phil and his rotating freak show guest list to feel superior to. Everybody wins.

I’m funny in how I deal with entertainment. My suspension of disbelief threshold is pretty low. I know the teary eyed teen begging her mother to put down the booze and be a parent on the WB drama went right to her trailer after the scene was over. I just ask performers to try to hide the fact they are after my time or money. Don’t make it obvious. And Dr. Phil is making the nuts and bolts of his show obvious to me.

He's rich; biatch!

2005-02-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

I’m worried about Dave Chappelle.

Okay, I’m not worried about his ability to feed his family, with the $50 million deal he signed with Viacom to continue Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central. That should keep him in high grade weed for a long as he lives (as long as he keeps away from Wayne Brady and his Sherman Hemsley). I am worried that Chappelle’s has peaked as an artist.

First of all, with all his current success, I don’t think Chappelle is an all time great comedian. He, in my opinion, pales in comparison with Sam Kinison (for generating humor out of shocking material), and Chris Rock (for generating comedy from the black experience) for example. I won’t even mention Richard Pryor, who will be the funniest man in the world a year after he dies.

Second of all (and I hope I’m wrong), I don’t know if Chappelle can be as funny as he has been now that he has ‘made it’ financially. Can and will Chappelle keep his nose to the grindstone and put out top flight, original comedy, even though he can take his ball and go home? Chris Rock has been forced to dig deep and bring the funny every time out because, with all his critical achievements, he never truly ‘made it’. I love Chris Rock’s comedy, and he couldn’t get me to see Head of State or Down To Earth. He may be rich, but he doesn’t have f^%k you money. Chappelle has f^%k you money. Eddie Murphy has f^%k you money, and he has become Mr. Safe Family Comedy. It is hard to rage against the machine under 350 count sheets.

Most importantly, Chappelle seems to curse what the success of his show has brought him; more notoriety. I saw him in concert after his first comedy special (Killin’ Them Softly) struggle with a drunken fan, throwing out lines from the special. The guy wasn’t maliciously heckling; he loved the performance so much he couldn’t help himself. One of the main themes of his latest comedy special, Dave Chappelle: For What It’s Worth (which seemed rudderless and rushed on a whole), was how his show made him so famous he couldn’t interact honestly with the public, making it harder for him to entertain and mine for further material. He touched on that problem again at the MTV Music Video awards, apologizing to rapper/producer Lil’ Jon for ruining Jon’s life (Chappelle did a number of skits, impersonating Lil’ Jon, single handedly increasing Jon’s Q rating).

I’m convinced none of the public figures Chappelle lovingly impersonated* (Lil’ Jon, Prince, the late Rick James) minded the attention. Rick James was so offended, he did a tricky double reverse at the 2004 BET Awards; impersonating Chappelle impersonating himself with the now famous ‘I’m Rick James, bitch’ line. The only person struggling with higher notoriety is Chappelle himself.

I hope I’m wrong. The third season of Chappelle’s Show (along with the release of the second season on DVD) was scheduled to begin around this time. According to Comedy Central, the premiere was pushed back to May because of an illness to Chappelle that postponed production. Hopefully, the extra time will be used by Chappelle to recharge his batteries, figure out how to deal with the fame and come out stronger then ever. I’m not betting $50 million on it though.

* This does not include R. Kelly. I’m surprised the Awrra can leave the house after the ‘Piss On You’ and ‘Piss On You (remix)’ videos Chappelle put out.

Avoiding O-Dog and Doughboy

2005-02-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

I got the idea to write this post from reading Tomato Nation. Sars is an actual writer. You should go there.

A couple of years ago, the fellas came down from Jersey to visit me in Maryland. I don’t remember if there was a specific event they came down for, besides the fact that I live here now. A couple of the guys are Steeler fans, and they like to come down to Baltimore for the Steelers/Ravens game and soak up the atmosphere at the ESPN Zone at the Inner Harbor, but that wasn’t this trip. Another one of my friends fell in love with the Friday night atmosphere of Jaspers in Greenbelt, MD. But I digress.

Two of the fellas showed up later than the rest (who set up in a hotel) and wanted to hit a strip joint. The only spot I was aware of at the time was the Penthouse on Georgia Ave in Northeast DC. I wasn’t too excited about going. Number one, I’m not as excited about hitting the go-go spots as some of my friends, although if the group decides to go you don’t have to drag me to one. The Doll House in Irvington NJ did take some of my money in the late ‘90s. More importantly, the Penthouse was in the ‘hood. And it wasn’t my ‘hood.

Let me explain. I grew up in Vandeveer Estates in Flatbush, Brooklyn. While Flatbush isn’t as bad an area as say, Brownsville or Bed-Stuy, Vandeveer was (and probably still is) the ‘hood. During my tenure there, I knew where to go and where not to go in order to stay relatively safe. I didn’t become an adult until I left (and I’m not going back, thank you), but I imagine I would know where I could get a drink in the area without undue danger.

The fellas I run with come from Essex County, New Jersey. The towns we used to hang in when I’d go down there (Irvington, Vauxhall, East Orange) weren’t ‘hood like parts of Newark are, but you could get caught out there if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time (one time we saw someone get hit over the head with a champagne bottle, then stomped down until he was under a parked car). But they lived there and knew where to go. I never felt it any danger running with them, to the point I could come down on my own and meet up with them, no sweat.

I guess I should mention crew I run with averages 6’1” and 230lbs. And one of us is a cop. That may have something to do with feeling safe waiting for your beep patty at Jessup’s at 2:30 in the morning.

I had no idea about Northeast DC, except that I drove through it to get to and from work. I didn’t know if I parked my car on Georgia, would I have windows or a radio when I came back. I didn’t know if side streets off Georgia (a major thoroughfare) were especially dangerous. I haven’t lived, and I have rarely frequented anywhere that could be considered a ‘hood since I moved to Maryland in early 2001. And I have no desire to pick that back up. The funniest thing my brother ever said to me is we don’t keep it real; we keep it gated, as in gated community.

The ‘hood had 18 years to get me; I’m not giving it bonus shots.

We did end up going to the Penthouse, once my friend agreed we could use his (rented) car. Had an okay time. Got home safe. I couldn’t recommend that establishment for your naked dancer needs, but I’m probably not the person to go to for that.

Wahhhhh!!!!!

2005-02-11T11:35:00.000-05:00

Jason Giambi held a press conference yesterday, where he never specifically mentioned he took steroids (which he reportedly admitted during federal grand duty testimony, leaked to the San Francisco Cronicle), but he inferred he did something wrong which he regretted. When asked specifically about steroids, he refused to give specifics due to legal matters. Giambi is getting hammered in the press today, which is an example of the following rule:

When the press doesn’t get exactly what they want, they get pissy.

Never mind that it is against federal law to leak the grand jury testimony Giambi offered, even by Giambi. Never mind the Yankees investigated voiding the last 4 years and +$80 million of Giambi’s contract, but couldn’t because there isn’t any tangible proof Giambi did anything wrong. Never mind that; the press wanted their pound of flesh, and when they didn’t get exactly what they wanted, they lashed out.

This isn’t about steroids. It is about arrogance. Listen to Jay Mariotti on Around The Horn sometimes. If you took a shot of Jagermeister every time he said ‘(sports figure) needs to prove to me…’, you would be dead of alcohol poisoning by the time Pardon The Interruption came on. When I watch (and I don’t watch the show much these days) and he says that, I scream at the television screen ‘No they don’t! Who the hell are you?’

When I was in high school, I loved to read Mike Lupica’s column in the Daily News. As I got older, I soured on his sports=morality play aspect of his writing. By the way, he moved from the News to the short lived National, to Newsday and back to the Daily News. Remember that the next time he complains about an athlete moving from one team to another for money. And I dare you to get through one of his heavy handed, cliché filled fictional novels. House painters don’t use strokes as heavy as Lupica does on character development.

Not all sports columnists are arrogant pricks. But enough of them are to annoy me.

Blackpot = Black + Crackpot

2005-02-10T21:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Blackpot. I'm the Blackpot, also known as TwoNuse over at the Fametracker forums.

I wanted to have a place to spew my opinions on whatever is going through my mind. Plus, I'd like a place to write. I'm not a writer. I shouldn't even use the word writer in a sentence. Hopefully, practice makes me better.

What would be some of the topics I touch on? Sports? Yep. Race? Uh huh. Popular culture? Sure. Hardcore politics? Most likely not. Bollywood movies? Nope. I don't fully know where this will end up.

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully you'll be back. Hell, hopefully, I'll be back.

Forget about keeping it real, you better start keeping it right

2005-02-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

I had a long IM conversation with a former co-worker that turned into a phone conversation. She and her husband have a foster child, whom they most likely will adopt when the state allows her to. She and her husband are white and the child is black. Among the concerns she mentioned to me was the fear that, because she would raise her adopted child just like she would raise a biological child (private school in a predominately white neighborhood, hockey as an activity, etc.) the child wouldn’t be able to relate to other black people.

This hit a chord for me, because I was that kid that was considered ‘acting white’ by other black kids in the neighborhood, because I was relatively successful in school and spoke proper English (thanks Mom and Dad). I didn’t think much of it as I was growing up; I knew I wasn’t like other kids my age growing up in Flatbush and chalked it up as such. By the time I got to high school, I was around enough people like me that I didn’t have to worry about that too much. Now that I am a grown man; the idea that black children, especially young black boys, are bent by peer pressure to achieve less and act up more pisses me off.

In my opinion, one of the largest problems in the African-American community is the lack of self esteem in our children where a sporting event or the curvature of one’s ass isn’t a factor. Not enough of our children are told they can do anything, so they don’t do anything. And when a child is instilled with self esteem and attempts to achieve, he or she is dragged down like crabs in a barrel by ‘peers’ either ignorant of how to properly act in society or scared that their anti-social behavior would not be seen as ‘keeping it real’. Do you know who is ‘keeping it real’? Wayne Brady. I have no doubt in my mind the Wayne Brady you see on television is the same Wayne Brady you would see at home. That is ‘keeping it real’, being true to yourself and not putting on airs to fit in to a cookie cutter image of what being black is.

I’m not saying all black people should have Carlton Banks (another nickname I caught) posters on their wall. I have enough Jay-Z CDs and Def Comedy Jam DVDs to appreciate urban culture (by the way, the fact that Eddie Murphy: Delirious isn’t on DVD is a national tragedy). But there has to be the understanding the way you interact with your boys at the club isn’t the same way you interact at a PTA meeting.

I apologize for going all Bill Cosby on you. I promise no women were drugged and fondled in the writing of this post.