Race and the Office of the President

When the Presidential election was called in President Barack Obama's favor last year, one group of cable news anchors and pundints expressed open shock and surprise on air. They turned to the nearest black man, who was a pundit as well and asked him something to the effect of "Now what?" The black man of course had a perplexed look on his face because he didn't immedeately understand why he was on the hot seat.

He told them an approximate of, the country would be run businesses-as-usual just like every other day in America. The only difference would be that the President is now black instead of white.

The fact that the nearest liberal black man was asked for further instructions on what next to do just because America had just elected its first black President was outlandish but emensly entertaining to watch because it seemed to be genuine emotion.

However, it is questionalble if everything is being conducted business-as-usual since the election in this country. Blacks thought that there would be some miracle sea change in public perception of blacks and that their social status would rise and everyone who wanted a job would automatically get one--right away. Whites thought that peace would blanket the earth and we would all finally get along. Or did they?

Not every white voted for President Obama in the presidential election however almost every black did.

"The Catfight" (jeeze)

When the announcement of Diane Sawyer to anchor the ABC Evening News reached the morning re-hash, I actually heard the word, "catfight" slide out of the mouth of a man who supposedly was important enough to speak for all of media. I believe he said, "all of media loves a catfight." or something equally as illiterate. (Even if he was only repeating what he heard elsewhere)
Still? Are we still on the women as journalists thing? After maligning Katie Couric for weeks on end, now they start Diane Sawyers hard earned climb to the top off with the phrase, "a catfight". Well understand that just last week, they stopped slapping women in the newsroom on the ass and calling them honey.
Okay, no they didn't. And they still have to get coffee for the boss in between writin' articles about food and kids and housework.

Don't Give Up on Addiction Recovery: Hundreds of Events Planned Nationwide to Celebrate Recovery Month | Suite101.com

Don't Give Up on Addiction Recovery: Hundreds of Events Planned Nationwide to Celebrate Recovery Month | Suite101.com

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy dies - Yahoo! News

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy dies - Yahoo! News

Buy the book! Buy the book Eighteen Months and Short Stories, Real Life today!

I'm with the President, not Stupidly

It is stupid not to use one's skill set to defuse or de-escalate a situation. That is what police officers do all day long all over the country-- correctly. However, when they do not do that, situations, misunderstandings and arrests occur.
Ask any police officer if they are anxious to fill out unecessary paperwork for a battle of egos. The answer is no. However, instead of throwing cold water on the hot tempered Harvard Law professor, the veteran officer joined in the ego struggle and hauled the man down to the station only to see him released later.
The police officer did this because he could and because he wanted to prove a point and teach the Harvard Law professor a lesson.
A lesson in what? Intolerance? Acting stupidly?
We don't even have to look at race. We can just look at basic facts: A Harvard Law professor and a seasoned veteran law enforcement professional could not come to terms, work out a simple misunderstanding or find a solution on their own.
The officer's solution was to assert his authority to arrest. The professor's solution was to cry foul and reportedly yell and scream. I cannot see if he had stood silent except for yes sir answers to questions that he would have been placed under arrest.
The situation will be made worse if that is the case.
However, if these two intellegent men cannot come to a reasonable agreement, then how can the general population of morons that comprise the rest of the world be expected to do better? I'm no professor nor veteran cop. I have a big mouth and an attitude problem when provoked. Don't ask me to understand s*it else.
So when the President says the officer acted "stupidly", understand he is referring to the basics in law enforcement that were ignored--de-escalating situations and soothing flared tempers. Police are taught conflict resolution but it is useless or stupid if it is not practiced.
It is also stupid to yell at a cop. He could arrest or shoot you.
And that is my explination of "stupidly."

Michael Jackson had something for everyone--no need to blame Jamie

Well, I went to the Jamie Foxx web site and there is a virtual race war-of-words going on there. Some are accusing Mr. Foxx of being a racist after viewing the Black Entertainment Television Awards Show last week.
If any of you watched Michael Jackson’s memorial on Monday and heard Al Sharpton entire speech, then maybe you will get the hint that Mr. Jackson was indeed a black man. Don’t blame Jamie Foxx for that, for he too is a black man. There are some things relatable across the races and some things relatable to the races. Mike’s last CD was a testament to the love he felt for his community. His entire music catalog is a testament to how he loved music and his fans.
Invincible was played at every stepper’s set for years and still got some play before he died just because it was gooooood! We like and appreciate that Mike, so thanks. We liked all of his songs but some of those syncopated beats scream foot work and some scream other dance moves--stuff I‘m too old to do. We all like some things more than others. That is just the way people are made up. No one calls Foxx a racist when he is hosting the Country Music Awards. He is just as funny and shocking as ever. So I think the rub in all of this is that Foxx reminded folk that Michael Jackson was a black man.
Some of his fans do not want to take this fact into consideration. He was everything but to them. The truth is that he was a little black boy from Gary, Indiana--which is 85 percent African American--who grew up in Los Angles using his talent to his advantage. Was he more than just a black man? Yes, just as all black men are more than just a black man and just like all white men are more than just white men,
et cetera. We are all more than just our race. However, it seems being black sticks under the craw of many. I don’t know why but it just seems to make a difference. As assimilated as we are, it should not be but it is and it takes a great effort on a black person’s part to downplay anything that gets in the way of acceptance. Mike proved that. As blacks we are still making and counting firsts. Mike proved that too.
Let us not find a blame in all of this surrounding MJ’s death but take entertainment at face value and not make it a political action committee. If you want to fight for rights or anything else good that helps the human race, President Obama has several very fine outfits people can join.

P.S. Ladies no one will care if you work, are on government assistance, have had children out-of-wedlock or whatever. Those things are your personal choices and do not give nor take away your right to speak out. So please stop prefacing comments with ”I am a single mother…” No one cares and we are not giving out awards for choosing to birth and/or raise children. We used to but not anymore because everybody’s doing it.

Flag Day has roots in Chicago (and it's m daughter's birthday- 6/14) - Chicago Breaking News

Flag Day has roots in Chicago - Chicago Breaking NewsI
I'm posting this story because Flag Day is he day my sweet Lauren was born.

Say a prayer for Steven Johns today and stop glorifying racist nobodies

If I have to hear one more news item about this white racist fuck who shot a black security guard, I will scream.
Memorials to the slain officer have been few. What about his family? Why do we glorify racist hate and violence on the news as if this old fart-who will rot the rest of his miserable life away in a hole-is a fn hero?
And I had the nerve to hear a news report that many war veterans are upset that a black man was elected president. (I heard it on CNN)
Blacks have to develop their own communication vehicle and start caring about their own community before we can be accepted into the Circle of Life. Only a few of us have made it so far.
Whites won't hire blacks hardly at all because they certainly cannot send their children to a black community for a damn job--one as good as they could give their children.
I know many whites wonder why blacks won't do more, care more for themselves and stop trying to force whites to accept us and include us. I wonder that too and I don't know.
When black college students graduate, do they get jobs at black corporations and newspapers?
Mostly, that is not the case and I am struggling to understand why.
Now I am not saying that the races should be separate. It's just that I cannot help but to notice how different groups of people react to news about events that happen in their community and it is shocking to me.
Say a prayer today for the slain officer, Stephen Johns and his family. He had a son and a job and lots of people who loved him in his life and I am sure they are hurting right now.

MTT Special Education/Autism Software Wins Two Awards

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio--ComputEd Gazette and the Association for Educational Publishers (AEP), two organizations respected for their highly competitive awards programs, recently honored VizZle(TM), a web-based software for educators from Monarch Teaching Technologies, Inc. (MTT) with awards for MTT's autism/special education software.

"The special education field desperately needs viable, cost-controlled solutions to optimize a school's ability to serve children with special needs like autism," said Terry Murphy, CEO of MTT. "Now more than ever as public schools try to qualify their spending under federal stimulus funding guidelines."

VizZle both earned the Teacher Tools/Special Education Website accolade and received the distinction of a standout review for its autism and special education software by the ComputEd staff writers (http://www.computedgazette.com/page8.html ).

AEP sponsors one of the educational publishing industry's largest and longest-running competitions, the prestigious Golden Lamp Awards. The AEP describes Golden Lamp Finalists as "...defined by their superior use of content, design, and fulfillment of the product's educational mission. Four finalists are chosen in each entry category, representing 16 of the year's most elite educational products." VizZle was named as a finalist in the Technology Innovations category, which is considered an award in and of itself. The final winners will be announced in June (http://www.aepweb.org/awards/index.htm )

VizZle is a proprietary, web-based software as service providing educators and parents with convenient, easy-to-use tools to create or modify customized interactive visuals-based educational materials for autism and special education. For more information, visit http://www.monarchtt.com/.