President Obama’s First Day by Ted Rall
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Laughable, Politics
The man hasn’t even been sworn in yet and the political cartoons about is first day are already coming. With any president you’re going to have critics, but let’s give him a chance! Remember, GW still has until January 20th to reek more havoc on America.
While I may not agree with the overall message, I thought the cartoon was funny. It reminded me of something I’d see on South Park and the old school Batman scene really cracked me up. Whether you agree with Obama’s policy or not, he was the best man for the job. No one thinks he’ll fix all the problems we face as a country over night. It took eight years to screw it up, so I think it’ll take a little longer to fix it. Change is scary for a lot of people (me included), but in the end we tend to see it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be.
In all fairness, here’s a cartoon they made about Sarah Palin. Job well done Ted.
Election Watch Party at Friendship West Baptist Church
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, Politics, Society & Culture
Please mark your calendars for 7 p.m. on Election Night (November 4th) for the “It’s All The Way Live” Election Watch Party hosted by Friendship-West Baptist Church and Dallas South. I’ll be there blogging live and watching the Internet to report on the final outcome. They’ll be a number of places where you can participate online. I’ll post them as we get closer to the big day. If you haven’t already try to early vote. Time is almost up!
Click here for more information
Fred Hammond, Geno Young, Don Diego, and Eddie G are scheduled to perform in what promises to be an exciting evening. The M.C. for the evening will be comedian J. Red. More information will follow on this one of a kind event. So if you plan to vote for John McCain, Barack Obama, or none of the above, join us on November 4 at 2020 Wheatland Road in Dallas.
Political Hip-Hop
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Politics, Society & Culture
I received an email from a reader asking me to showcase this video from Jasiri X regarding the current events in America, including the campaign. I’ve heard his music before and for those who listen to the Michael Baisden Show he gets a lot of love and support from them also.
While some may want to focus on the negative side of hip-hop, I like to showcase those who have a message. Whether that message is one of hope or one detailing life from a point-of-view we tend to ignore, you can’t deny the impact its had on our society. It’s an outlet and when used in the right way can really be used to make a difference.
Nationwide Radio One “One Vote” Registration Drive
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, Politics
On Tuesday, September 30, 2008 from 6:00am-9:00pm Radio One stations in conjunction with the Respect my Vote Campaign will be hosting a nationwide “One Vote” registration drive. If you aren’t sure if you can vote or you want to register online you can do so at voteforchange.com. Let’s spread the word and get as many people out as possible.
The deadline to register is Monday, October 6, 2008.
Who: Radio One-DC Stations
What: One Vote Day – Voter Registration Drive
Where: Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Raleigh/Durham, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland and Charlotte
When: September 30th, 2008, 6AM – 9PM
Why: To help the community realize the American Dream Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Raleigh/Durham, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland and Charlotte
Chris Rock HBO Special This Weekend
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Laughable, Politics
On Saturday, September 27th at 9pm Eastern, I will be watching Chris Rock’s HBO Comedy event Kill The Messenger. As most of you may know, when it comes to political humor, he along with D.L. Hughley are in my opinion the best out there. They say what’s on their mind and don’t care about what anyone things. And most of the time they are right on the money. One of my favorite movies, Head of the State, showed what could happen if a black man ran for president. Who would have thought it would actually happen a couple of years later.
The comedy series is unique in that it will be one show based on his performances in South Africa, London and New York. It looks like we’ll be in for a good time. For more information check out the HBO website.
Beijing Olympics Recap Part II
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Society & Culture
This year’s 2008 Beijing Olympics was full of drama, heartache, surprise, and hard work paying off in the form of solid gold! Here’s part deux of my recap.
Before I had an opportunity to view any Track & Field events I had already heard the stories about this Jamaican guy that blew away the Men’s 100M sprint record but I could’ve never imagined how it. Not since the late Florence Griffith-Joyner in the 1988 Seoul Olympics can I personally remember a track athlete engagin so many people who don’t follow track sports. Even before the race it was very apparent that Usain Bolt, who owns one of the greatest track names ever, was either going to smoke the field or embarass himself severely with his aloof overconfidence before the race began. His untied shoe and untucked shirt served only as cursors for the already obvious. The 6’5″ runner was mentally defeating most of his competition who’d heard or seen his pre-Olympics hype. With only 20 meters left in the race, Bolt had already begun to slow up and extend his arms in defeat of the world’s fastest runners and still managed to scorch the earth with a 9.69 time.
One athlete who got buried under the Track & Field and Gymnastics coverage is Keeth Smart. Keeth was a member of the US Sabre fencing team who went through adversity more painful than a stab from a blade to gain his silver medal in Beijing. Earlier this year he competed at a tourney in Algeria and returned to discover he’d contracted a rare blood disorder called ITP. Doctors expected he could die within hours of his diagnosis. After weeks of ICU care to overcome his severe ailment his mother lost her battle with colon cancer. One would imagine anyone should be an emotional mahjong puzzle after so much difficulty. However, Keeth used the opportunity to lead the 7th-seeded American team to victories over 2nd-seeded Hungary and 3rd-seeded Russia who featured 5x world champion Stanislav Pozdnyakov. Since the Olympics’ end, Smart has decided to retire from the Olympics to focus on his pursuit of a post-graduate degree at Columbia University this Fall. We wish him well.
For every happy Olympics outcome there’s always one on the opposite end of the spectrum. Lolo Jones found herself caught at the wrong end of that spectrum. With a commanding lead in the Women’s 100M hurdles, Jones’ foot caught on the 9th of 10 hurdles causing her to partially fall. That one miniscule mistake removed her from medal contention as Jones staggered to a 7th place finish. Her sister and mother watched in horror as they saw Lolo’s lead vanish along with her dreams of gold. This after years of working odd jobs despite her Economics degree at LSU and depriving herself of A/C in the Louisiana heat to save money all to pursue her Olympic dreams. The true tragedy in it all was that Lolo gave NBC a very composed interview only minutes after having her dream snatched. NBC returned the favor by stabbing her in the back and showing footage of Jones crying under the bleachers immediately after her interview. I don’t (and wouldn’t) expect them to be the most scrupulous group of people but that shot was beyond low.
Check back for the final chapter in this Beijing Olympics recap where I’ll cover US Men’s Boxing, the US Women’s B-ball Team, and the Redeem Team.
Dr. Eric Durham Enters the Blogosphere
Filed under: Black Blogger Postings, Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, General, Podcasts - Tha Brothas, Politics, Society & Culture
I had to give a shout out to this brotha because he is the perfect person to get into blogging. You’ve heard him before on the podcast and I’m sure he’ll continue to bring the real in his blog. I can honestly say, he’s never at a loss for words and that’s what makes him a fun guy to hang around. Real talk is what you’ll get when you enter his realm and I’m sure he’d be glad to get the same from you.
You can find him blogging on the websites below. TheGoodDoctor is now in. Hope you enjoy.
Creating More Black Swimmers
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, Society & Culture
This has to be the best swimming relay I’ve ever seen and I’m glad they chose Cullen Jones to be on the team. I first read about Cullen in an article at Black Gives Back. I was just reading through her blog and happened upon the article, which was good timing because I had just started my three year-old in swim lessons a couple of weeks before. My wife and I thought it would be a good idea because we wanted him to be comfortable around the water. Being a Pieces, I love the water and I want to be able to take my kids to the pool without having to worry about them being fearful of it.
According to an article in the LA Times (and Black Give Back), nearly 60% of African American children don’t know how to swim and the rate of accidental drowning deaths is nearly three times higher for minorities ages 5 to 14 than it is for whites. I’m hoping as more people learn about Cullen and his accomplishments these numbers will decrease. There are a number of organizations who specialize in helping kids learn to swim. You can find more information on the YMCA website.
When Palin Says Country First, She Means It!
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Community, Education, Entertainment & Sports, General, Life, My Thoughts, Politics, Society & Culture
There’s been a lot of debate over Sarah Palin and whether she can “do it all” as a Vice Presidential mom. It’s become a hot topic over the last couple of days, but it’s nothing we haven’t heard before. My wife works and she has had this same discussion with other moms many times. Being the soft-spoken, politically-correct Democrat that I am, I tend to keep my mouth shut regarding the subject. But I do have my own opinion and after seeing Sarah’s speech I was inspired to write this little post.
Being raised in a Christian household, I was taught the Bible has the answer to any situation you can face. While it may not always give you the exact answer, through prayer and studying there’s enough to get you on the right path.
Here’s a post from gotquestions.org regarding women in the workplace. I heard a similar response in a family ministry Bible study my wife and I attended a couple of years ago:
Beijing Olympics Recap Part I
Not since the 1992 Olympics have I personally followed the games with much scrutiny. Several factors contributed to an uninteresting 2004 Olympics including an unexciting USA Men’s basketball roster being among those. Well, the 2008 Olympics have “redeemed” anything that happened in Athens and basketball has actually been far down the list of redeeming factors. For something so grandiose I could never do it justice with just one posting so I offer for your approval my first in a series of three reviews of the Games we know and love as the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
How better to begin a recap than beginning with the Opening Ceremony? I know some folks weren’t fans but I thought it was SPECTACULAR! All commendations go to the Chinese for organizing such a visually appealing show. Obviously, a lot of hard work, practice, and dedication went into the production of such a grand performance. I thought the drummers, with their excellent precision, were off the chain. My wife nearly had a conniption because she has a phobia of too many things moving simultaneously. I guess anything involving China shouldn’t be part of her daily dose of television.
The other thing that struck awe for me during the intro ceremony were the moving Chinese printing blocks. The blocks represented China’s legacy as the first country to use paper or to print words. Again, the synchrony and precision involved with performing inside of something so large certainly took hundreds of hours to prepare.
Moving on to the beginning of the actual games, there were several benchmark moments that kicked off these games. Several performances come to mind such as Nastia Liukin, the flop of the US Boxing team, and Mr. Indelible himself; Michael Phelps. His performance during the Beijing Olympics has been so well-documented his surname has been made an adjective; Phelps-ian. Still, even Michael Phelps would admit that he wouldn’t have been able to achieve his, um, Phelpsian feat without the contributions of teammates like Cullen Jones. Cullen was born in Bronx, New York and grew up in New Jersey having once almost drowned at an early age. Jones was able to take that experience and turn it into a strength as now he’s the first African-American to share a world record in swimming and only the THIRD African-American to ever make the US Swimming Team. His story is reminiscent of Shani Davis during the Winter Olympics a couple of years ago. I just wish we could have seen more of Cullen in other competitions. A million congratulations go to both Cullen and Shani as they tear away at preconceived notions of what a Black athlete should be.
Check back for the Part II portion of my Olympics recap as I dive into the Jamaican assault on track sprint competitions, Keeth Smart, and how NBC’s camera crews can’t discern Dateline investigative work from giving Lola Jones her space after a heartbreaking loss. Until then, enjoy this video from Cullen Jones on his victory.
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