I'm Back. 1st Debate Preview

Hello folks, I am back blogging. I want to post comments on everything political for the last 35 days. Technology has certainly changed since my last post. I am typing this post on my smartphone now in contrast to using a desktop.  Now that I have a smartphone now, I hope to be able to post on a regular basis.
Anyway, I have a quick opinion on the debate tomorrow . Romney needs to come out swinging and put President Obama on the defensive . He needs to respectfully get the President to answer. For the lack of jobs and economic growth. The pressure is on Romney to get some momentum .  He has to present himself as the best alternative for a'future. President Obama needs to look  calm, not patronizing or demeaning . Avoid any gaffes and smile a lot. I believe that both will happen and both sides will declare victory .

Thank You Jesus

This is what this weekend is all about folks. Have a great Easter/Resurrection Sunday

Is She the New Rosa Parks?

I'm back. It has been over three months but I'm returning to blog bout everything. I just wanted to comment on the case of Kelley Williams-Bolar. The Ohio woman had been jailed because she lied to school officials bout the residency of her two daughters. She had been given 10 days more importantly felony conviction. Now, she cannot become licensed to teacher for special need children. Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post doubts that she is the modern day Mrs Parks. I believe her sentence was too harsh. She should not be denied to be teaching. Her case is the textbook example for school choice. if the money would follow her children instead of the schools, this situation could have been avoided. She is no Mrs. Parks, she could have moved her kids to her father's residence or applied to other schools in neighboring districts, but her problem demonstrates the growing problems in our educational system.

Fall election predictions

I know it has been about six months since my last blog, but I promise to give you more posts in the future. I would like to post my predictions for today. In North Carolina, the only incumbent House member that will fall is Mike McIntyre (D), and Larry Kissell (D), all others will win. Richard Burr (R)will retain his Senate seat easily, the Dems gave up on Elaine Marshall soon after her primary win. The Dems will lose control of the House, but retain control of the Senate with a net loss of 7 seats. That is it. I will post my reaction Thursday night. I miss all of you guys!

Black and White again

CNN did a story last week on the results of a study about race with young kids. The kids were asked after looking a series of drawings of dolls where they only differed by skin tone. All kids had a favorable bias toward the white dolls, with white kids having a much stronger bias toward white dolls. I wrote about a filmmaker who depicted the famous doll study done by researchers in the 1940's. It doesn't look like much has changed since that study. This study differed that the previous ones in that white kids were surveyed as well as black kids. I think that this story should open some compelling questions. After almost 60 years post-Brown vs the Board of Education, where blacks have made some of the greatest advances in human history, why is this negative impression on blacks still prevalent? What are we doing as parents, brothers, sisters, consciously and unconsciously to promote this attitude? What aspects of American society and culture maintain and spread this viewpoint? If going to school, work, and living in the same neighborhoods do not mitigate this attitude, what can be successful? These are questions we must answer in the coming years as the country gets browner and browner.

White Sorority Wins Sprite Step-Off (sort of)

A few weeks ago, there was a national step-show competition in Atlanta. One of the finalists were Zeta Tau Alpha, a predominatly white sorority from the University of Arkansas. For those of you who don't know, stepping is a rhythmic series of stomps and claps used in a dance form. Stepping has been performed by predominantly Black fraternities and sororities for decades. Many times, these organizations will perform step shows, where they promote their group and put down (mostly playfully) the other organizations. Anyway, the white sorority won which caused an uproar with Blacks not only at the competition, but across the country in barber shops, beauty parlors, online chat rooms, and talk radio. Look at the reaction when the winner was announced




I am a fellow Black Greek and I looked at the winners and runners up performances. The Zetas kept it simple and did a little better. However, after the uproar, Sprite, the corporate sponsor of the show, "discovered" judging discrepancies, and awarded first place to both the Zetas and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority who came in 2nd place.

This scenario sounds like it was ripped out of the TV docudrama of the week. You know the movies where some outsiders (usually someone black) overcomes obstacles and succeeds in an area usually reserved for whites. Later, during the credits, it is pointed out that the achievement had been taken away or minimialized by whites. In this case, it is reversed. If we are truly going to "overcome", we have to accept it will be mutual transitions. As blacks and other minorities continue to break through barriers in fields usually reserved for whites. Whites will do the same things in areas usually reserved for minorities. You can't have it both ways. Applaud people who break down barriers fairly on both sides. The AKA lost a close competition. When I was involved in stepshows, I always thought my frat won too. You just suck it up, and try to win next time. Let's continue to move forward people, not go backwards.

Anita Baker Avoids Jail

I am back! I will be blogging on a regular basis now through the rest of the year. My first post is about one of my favorite singers of all time. I cannot believe that Anita Baker is being forced to give half of her royalties to her ex-husband for albums made during their 20 year marriage. Did he write anything, sing in the studio, go on stage with her? Their kids are basically grown and she should pay to support them, but I think that this guy needs to get a job and stop draining Ms. Baker. However, if she signed an agreement as part of their divorce to give him half, I guess the courts will force her to cough off the dough. It is a shame that they could not work out a 20 year marriage. It would have been definitely cheaper for her to keep him.