Keeping It Right

Keeping It Right is for thought provoking conversationist. It's for those who love to talk about today's issues, yesterday's history and tomorrow's future.

Name:
Location: Texas, United States

Monday, June 30, 2008

Whitlock: Imus talk brings ratings, but misses point..

Jason Whitlock: Imus talk brings ratings, but misses point..

I blame the white media — liberal and conservative — for the sensational coverage of Don Imus' latest attempt at shock-jock relevancy.

The O.J. Simpson double-murder trial taught white television and radio executives they could attract huge ratings by allowing a white host to referee a simple-minded argument pitting opposing views on an alleged black-white racial dispute.

Under the guise of promoting racial dialogue, the networks have created a collective talk-show hybrid, "The Mr. Gerald Springer III Show," a shirt-and-tie, race-based spinoff of "Jerry Springer."

The show topics change from week to week, bouncing from the Jena Six to Imus to Duke lacrosse to whatever most-coveted guest Al Sharpton has on his mind that day. What doesn't change is the stupidity of the conversation or the serious, concerned, irate and predictable look of the white host throughout the segment.

I first learned that Imus had said something "controversial" when I looked on my cell phone and saw a missed call from CNN. The news networks call me just about whenever something racial happens within the sports world.

It's no secret I like to write about and discuss race. The problem is I like to do it in an honest, intelligent fashion. What I learned from the first Imus-Rutgers go-round is that it is nearly impossible to do that on television.

The hosts are generally clueless about the topic and, worse, scared to death that they'll say something that provokes Sharpton to call their boss. The other guests are generally just as clueless, afraid they'll say something that provokes Sharpton to call them an Uncle Tom or a bigot and are primarily concerned with demonstrating they're worthy of an invite back or their own TV show.

I'm telling you, O.J. Simpson started this (spit). His trial launched TV careers, networks and got Marcia Clark a makeover that almost made her attractive in a non-sexual, Greta Van Susteren after-the-second-facelift kind of way.

So the interview requests poured in for me this week.

Imus suggested Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones' six arrests were rather predictable given his African-American heritage. A day later, Imus clarified his statement — and tried to avoid trouble — by stating that he was making a sarcastic point about America's unequal criminal-justice system.

Imus was right both times. But Imus being right doesn't make for good television and certainly does not pay for the conk in Rev. Sharpton's wig.

No, sir. This was a full-blown racial controversy, a Nielsen-ratings-mover, a chance for white talk-show hosts to climb into the Octagon and let Kimbo Slice and Jimbo White Rice knuckle up until the viewers tapped out.

I took a pass.

The networks don't want to really get into this issue, not in a substantive way. Statistically, Pacman's problems with law enforcement are predictable in a "well, there you go" way given his age, African-American heritage and residence in the United States.

The incarceration numbers for black men age 18-30 (about one in nine) are staggering, frightening, and lift-every-voice-and-sing alarming. And just as Imus suggested, the reason for this brand of volunteer slavery can be directly linked to the unequal form of criminal justice long practiced in America (along with a black youth culture that is morally and educationally bankrupt thanks to a lack of fathers in the home).

I wrote about much of this in the June issue of Playboy Magazine. As you read in a previous column, the white editorial director at Playboy, Chris Napolitano — perhaps in an audition for a job in TV — slapped a simple-minded, ratings-grabbing, distracting headline on my article.

No one wanted to talk with me about this issue in depth. Hell, Playboy didn't even want the issue presented in a serious fashion.

But let Don Imus or anyone slip and say something that can get Al Sharpton some face time with Larry King, and every radio and TV producer will have me or some other race expert on speed dial. It's depressing. It's really kind of dangerous for our democracy.

I normally don't pay attention to politics. But the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton race for the Democratic nomination was rather fascinating. Early on in the primaries, I sensed that the TV networks (and hosts and regular guests) desperately wanted Obama to win because they realized he gave them an easy racial angle to talk about whenever there was no legitimate news to address.

Obama is the Tony Soprano of politics, a guaranteed ratings winner. It made sense for the networks to renew Obama's reality show for the general election. Don't be surprised when Rev. Jeremiah Wright reprises his role as Uncle Junior and causes Obama problems from a mental hospital.

I digress. My point is that what Imus said warrants discussion. We just don't need to discuss Imus. He is not our problem. Pacman Jones, with his off-field antics and stupidity, has done more damage to the image of American black men than Don Imus could ever hope to do.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Gregory Kane: Despite Ire Over Imus' Comments, Many of Us Believe Exactly What We Accuse Him Of...

Gregory Kane: Despite Ire Over Imus' Comments, Many of Us Believe Exactly What We Accuse him of...

When I first heard radio shock-jock Don Imus’ comments about NFL defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones, I just knew Imus couldn’t have meant what I thought he meant.

For those of you not aware, the exchange between Imus and sportscaster Wolf Blitzer went something like this. Blitzer mentioned that Jones has been arrested six times since the Tennessee Titans drafted him in 2005.

“What color is he?” Imus asked Blitzer.

“He’s African-American,” Blitzer answered.

“There you go,” Imus said. “Now we know.”

At first I thought the same thing Imus’ critics are now thinking: That Imus implied that Jones, being black, had a kind of natural proclivity for crime. But I figured that couldn’t possibly be it. Imus may be a shock jock, but the man isn’t stupid. He’s got to know there are plenty of white guys in jails and prisons.

To read more: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/kane626

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

LA Times: Big Oil Isn't the Big Problem

I can't believe this is from the L.A. Times, but here it is:

L.A. Times: Big Oil isn't the big problem
Jacob Heilbrunn - 6/24/08

Here we go again. Soaring oil prices have sent Washington politicians into overdrive to come up with a variety of legislative plans that aim to lower the cost of energy by targeting oil companies. Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, for example, has declared: "I'll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits, and we'll use the money to help families pay for their skyrocketing energy costs and other bills." It may sound good in theory, but if history is any guide, this is a pipe dream. The real danger isn't that Congress will do too little, but too much.

The recent past suggests that, in fact, efforts to influence the supply of energy can actually boomerang, driving up prices and consumption. Rather than demonize Big Oil, lawmakers should focus on tamping down demand.

Washington's record when it comes to forcing oil prices down by trying to manipulate the supply of energy is dismal. In August 1971, the Nixon administration, mired in an expensive war in Vietnam, worried about the state of the dollar and fearful of rising inflation, introduced wage and price controls for a period of 90 days, which turned into several years. President Nixon scrapped most of the controls in 1974 (they weren't working generally), but because government needed some sort of response to increased oil prices, he kept the provisions relating to energy. Under the scheme, there were limits on the price and therefore the profits on oil produced domestically. At the same time, however, there were no such limits on imported oil. Oil companies could make more money importing oil than producing it at home.

The result was predictable: The United States became more, not less, dependent on Arab oil-producing countries. As Americans lined up at gas stations and shortages occurred, the price of fuel soared. President Ford floundered. Not until Jimmy Carter became president were price controls mostly lifted in 1980, with President Reagan finishing the job in 1981. As part of a bargain with Congress, however, Carter supported a windfall profit tax on domestically produced crude. It meant substituting one bad idea for another.

Once again, a measure intended to help low-income Americans simply meant that the country became even more reliant on imported crude. Domestic production sank in the 1980s, and the tax never brought in much revenue to federal coffers. Reagan finally killed it in 1988.

Now that the cost of gasoline has more than doubled since President Bush took office and America's dependence on foreigners is greater than ever, Democrats are essentially vowing to revive the very same failed policy. It may sound good in theory, but if history is any guide, this is a fairy tale.

Consider Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid has been lambasting "oil barons" as though we were back in the bad old days of John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil cornering the market. He is touting a Consumer-First Energy Act that would, among other things, punish oil producers with a complicated 25% windfall profits tax and create a government program to reinvest that money in renewable energy, perhaps with some of the same companies. That's too much government, too little common sense.

A worthier bill is the proposed Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, which would extend tax breaks for alternative energy producers. It incentivizes innovation without the government deciding what is and isn't innovative.

The truth is that conservation and innovation are the key responses to the high cost of gasoline. Corporations are already adapting to the end of the era of cheap oil. Thus, the modest miles-per-gallon targets that Congress imposed last year may look irrelevant. In a superbly researched article in the current Atlantic magazine called "Electro-Shock Therapy," Jonathan Rauch shows that General Motors is in the middle of a crash program to reinvent the automobile by relying almost exclusively on electricity:

"With the Volt," he writes, "GM -- battered, beleaguered, struggling for profitability -- hopes to re-engineer not just the car but the way the public thinks about cars, the way the public thinks about GM, and the way GM thinks about itself."

More prosaically, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that for six straight months, Americans have driven fewer miles compared with last year. And Americans aren't the only ones cutting back. China has stated that it will increase the cost of its subsidized fuel, which should slow the growth in energy use.

But more can be done. The approach of the United States and other oil-importing countries shouldn't be to create apprehensions among the Saudis and other exporters about the lessening demand for gas, it should be to scare them silly. Such fears prompted Saudi Arabia to declare on Sunday that it will increase production by 200,000 barrels a day to try to keep prices from going even higher.

After bungling the energy challenge in the 1970s, America now has a second chance to liberate itself. It should embark on a program of conserving energy, encouraging new technologies and developing alternative fuels, from solar to nuclear power, that will help wean it from its dependence on foreign oil.

Until then, the Middle East will continue to have Washington where it wants -- over a barrel.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Shaq - "Kobe, Tell me how my a--! Taste

I dunno what Shaq was doing, but to kick a man when he's down is low. The man is number 24 and quite frankly Shaq, you're better than that...but since it's about number 24, PAB ranked number 1a...

DUDE THAT WUZ SOME FUNNY SCHIT!!! AHHHH

Check out the TMZ video: http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1626146951

Friday, June 20, 2008

Movie Quote - "Knocked Up"

Here is an excerpt from the movie "knocked up." I gotta tell you..it's a good azz movie. Had me busting up...Let me set this up, A pregnant Allison and her older sister Debbie have been told they can't get into the club by the doorman. Debbie has already gone off on the doorman and here is his response...

Doorman: I know... you're right. I'm so sorry, I fuckin' hate this job. I don't want to be the one to pass judgement, decide who gets in. Shit makes me sick to my stomach, I get the runs from the stress. It's not cause you're not hot, I would love to tap that ass. I would tear that ass up. I can't let you in cause you're old as fuck. For this club, you know, not for the earth.

Debbie: What?

Doorman: You old, she pregnant. Can't have a bunch of old pregnant bitches running around. That's crazy, I'm only allowed to let in five percent black people. He said that, that means if there's 25 people here I get to let in one and a quarter black people. So I gotta hope there's a midget in the crowd.

The movie is on satelite/cable, check it out...

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Elder: If "The Media" dislike Hillary, How do they feel about Republicans?

Larry Elder: If "The Media" Dislike Hillary, How Do They Feel About Those...Republicans?

"I was struck when I got to Iowa and New Hampshire in January," said Joan Walsh, editor-in-chief of the liberal Web site Salon.com, "by how our media colleagues were just swooning over Barack Obama. That is not too strong a word. They were swooning. The downside, though, is that they hate -- hate Hillary Clinton, most of them. Hate is not too strong a word."

What, media bias in favor of Obama, a leftist Democrat? Yet the same left-leaning media "hates" Hillary Clinton? Really? How about a little evidence?

To read more: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/LarryElder/2008/06/19/if_the_media_dislike_hillary,_how_do_they_feel_about_those_-----_republicans?page=full

Fanz23 Sports - Jason Whitlock on Roots of Celtics Title..

Jason Whitlock: Roots of this Celtics title were planted by Red


There appeared to be nothing muted about the celebration in Boston. TD Banknorth Garden shook with energy and emotion Tuesday night when the Celtics claimed their 17th championship.

Even when Kevin Garnett howled at the top of his lungs, in an apparent audition for the remake of Bad Moon, Celtics fans did not stop their delirious rejoicing.
A Finals roster composed of a dozen black men, led by a black head coach provoked pride, ecstasy and pandemonium in a city and a fan base that are often accused of bigotry. For a moment, Boston seemed to love this collection of last-minute-thrown-together Celtics as much as the Larry Bird squads that were pieced together and groomed over a decade.

Obviously, this does not mean that Boston is without racial flaw. It is no different than any other ethnically diverse American city. Our history shows that when things go well, we enthusiastically come together; and when things go bad, we retreat and point fingers, often along color lines.

To read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8262606/Roots-of-this-Celtics-title-were-planted-by-Red

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Ben Shapiro: Why I'm Voting Democrat

Ben Shapiro: Why I'm Voting Democrat

A new video on YouTube is taking the Internet by storm. Entitled "I'm Voting Republican," the satirical clip depicts actors playing conservative Americans of all shapes and sizes explaining why they would vote for the GOP.

"Arnold Jones" says he's voting Republican because "all other countries are inferior to us" -- and his wife, "Trudy Jones," adds, "and we should start as many wars as we need to keep it that way." A soldier in Iraq states that he's voting Republican "so I can stay in Iraq" -- and a young boy, labeled "future draftee," points a fake gun at the camera and smiles while saying "so I can go to Iran!"

A black couple says they're voting Republican because they "like a conservative majority on the Supreme Court," with the wife noting, "we really like knowing that even if we're separate, we'll still be called equal."

This insulting nonsense is precisely what liberals think of conservatives: We're all warmongers, racists, environmental rapists and secret emissaries of big corporations. We're going to reinstitute the draft, start a war with Canada and then relocate African-Americans to Quebec.

This sort of tripe should be dismissed out of hand. In the spirit of evenhandedness and fair play, however, I feel it my duty to explain why I'm going to vote Democrat.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that the best strategy in war is defeat. It broadens the mind to learn Japanese, German and Arabic. Talk about multiculturalism!

I'm voting Democrat because I'm mad that George W. Bush hasn't caught Bin Laden. That's because Bin Laden is the only Islamic terrorist in the world.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that if I don't have enough money, the solution is for the government to take more of my money. Who needs money when gas is $5 per gallon?

To read more: http://townhall.com/columnists/BenShapiro/2008/06/18/why_im_voting_democrat?page=full

Whitlock - Trophy Goes to the toughest team...

Whitlock: Trophy Goes to the Toughest Team
6/17/08

BOSTON | It’s funny the generalizations we can make without creating a fuss.

Now that the Boston Celtics have exposed the Los Angeles Lakers as frauds, much of the NBA offseason will be spent discussing why it’s nearly impossible to win pro basketball’s most prestigious title with a roster polluted with non-American players.

Oh, of course, this discussion will only transpire after we in the media finish blaming Kobe Bryant for not dragging LA’s collection of soft, spot-up shooters to the championship. The first rule in the NBA is to blame Kobe for whatever goes wrong.

Plenty went wrong for the Lakers on Tuesday night at TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics closed out the NBA finals with a finishing kick below the belt that probably wouldn’t even fly in the UFC, blasting the Lakers 131-92.

To read more: http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/668737.html

L.A. Times - Bill Plashke: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke18-2008jun18,0,4426477.column

Fanz23 - Wine, Beer and lots of shots..24 of them....

Three weeks ago, Lakers legend and Hall of Famer, Earvin "Magic" Johnson called out the 2007-8 Lakers and called them "soft." And the team responded by dispatching the Spurs and raised Magic and series with the Celtics. Well..apparently the hand Magic had, outweighed the response by the Lakers, because not only did "soft" show up, but somebody took their "heart" cause what happened to them on Tuesday night, never! and I mean NEVER! happened to a team with the MVP on it. It didn't happpen to Iverson, It didn't happen to Malone, it didn't happen to Barkley and when Kareem and Magic were winning MVPs and losers in a championship series, it damn sure didn't happen! and whether Laker fans want to talk about it or not, it didn't happen with Shaquille O'Neal.

So why in Chick Hearn's name did the lack of heart show up with this years MVP, Kobe Bryant? Easy.

His character. I've been railing about this young man's public perception every since he threw up that awful airball against the Utah Jazz in his rookie season. Yeah, he can say, he's changed and he can throw out a few "God blessed me and I pray" references, but he's still the same pouty and spoiled person! When his team blew, choked away a 24 point lead to the Celtics, his reply..

"wine, beer, lots of shots, 24 shots" what?! Hey Kobe, I know you measure yourself to arguably one of the greatest players in league history, Michael Jordan, but quite frankly, you shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence..

Theres no way, MJ would let his team quit, theres no way MJ would be shut down without dying first, don't believe me, ask Detroit! and oh Kobe! MJ was a constant threat on the court, even when his azz was on the freakin' bench! His team knew the standard and complied with the high bar of excellence...

Next, it's justice, Kobe. Your %#&@$!in' and whinin' about this time last year about wanting to be traded, the Lakers organization lying to you and you throwing a young Andrew Bynum under the bus and motivating him to be, hell barring the injury, your team's MVP...Hell, you weren't MVP on your own damn team and you're suggesting alcoholic beverages.

Well, drink up, because you allowed your team to quit, when the Celtics clamped you down and you did something Magic could never do...

Disappeared.

MVP? Chris Paul was robbed.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Gay Marriage: A New Bind for Church Groups..

Gay Marriage: A New Bind for Church Groups

Oakland, Calif. - The same-sex marriage march begins across California Tuesday, with thousands of gay couples expected to wed in the coming weeks. But some notes of discord and rebellion can already be heard above Pachelbel's Canon.

Several county clerks have said they will stop performing marriage ceremonies for all couples, gay or straight. And the state supreme court, fresh from its decision to legalize gay marriage, will decide shortly on whether a private-practice doctor can deny artificial insemination to a lesbian couple.

As gay marriage gains wider legal footing, scholars anticipate a flood of such conscientious objector cases. A key flash point will be religiously affiliated organizations that serve the public, such as hospitals, schools, and adoption agencies, and hold beliefs opposed to gay marriage.

Gay rights advocates say the courts have found workable compromises so far. But opponents warn that religious groups may have to retreat dramatically from the public square unless legislatures agree to create some religious exemptions.

To read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080617/ts_csm/achurchgay

Friday, June 13, 2008

Fanz's Take: Oh Dat Had To Hurt!!

"Wine, Lots of Beer, Shots, About twenty shots." - The Player Identified as No. 24 for the Los Angeles Lakers

That was "The Player" giving his take on what happened to him, last night against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics came back from a 24 point deficit (Ironic, it's the same number of "the player") and beat the No. 24 to take a COMMANDING!! Three game to One lead.

Now as stated earlier, I am presently boycotting the NBA and now with new allegations, in which 85% of the country believes that some games are fixed or heavily biased for favorable players. But when I flipped on ESPN-news and saw what happened....

Oh! dat had to hurt....

So what happened? well for one, the referees were just that, refs. Not the Boston Celtics, not No. 24 and his coach Phil Jackson, but refs! According to the box score, the game was called evenly and that's how every game now and in the past should have been called.

So when meltdowns like last night happen..It's on the team and the coach, not because some ref is looking to fix the game so he can cover a bet or a favorable player or hometeam has more of an advantage.

Last night, No. 24 blew a 24 point lead...and it's his fault.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

RF23 - Why I Can't Watch Anymore

Why I can't watch anymore....

After last night's game between the Lakers and Celtics, I've had enough. It's not that I don't like these two teams or not respect them. It's the league! the whole doggone thing and it stinks to high heavens. Old skool basketball fans should be outright disgusted! by the product that is before them. And I'm not talking about the so-called "hip hop" "gangsta" ballplayers on the court. I'm talking about the obvious fixing of ball games, where games had no business, being fixed.

Last night's game ended it for me. I had my fill and I can't watch anymore and it's been brewing for maybe two or three years. This year, I went the whole season and watched only one ball game. The new look Celtics v. Toronto Raptures. After that, nothing. Two seasons ago I was happy for Elton Brand and the Clipppers and I watched them for at least two games. After that. Nothing.

So how come the decline? Is it the stupid dress code rule the league imposed on it's players? eh. Is it the constant calling of pitty pat fouls? eh. Is it the long drawn out playoff season? eh.

How about the games are so boring that I rather watch Candace Parker and the L.A. Sparks play! because, either the women's game has rose or the men's game has declined! I choose the latter. Because of all the stuff mentioned above is a good "GD" reason to stop watching altogether. And it's a shame, that I have to treat a game ruled by Chamberlain, Russell, West, Baylor, the Big "O" Oscar Robertson, Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Erving and his air-ness Jordan and all the other greats; that I have to treat this poetic game, like I do baseball. I don't watch baseball games until the season is almost over. Not because the games aren't any good, the season is too doggone long.

The difference between these two sports is huge, baseball if you take away the steroid era or allegations period hasn't changed. The league is still the same as it was, when I picked up a baseball bat and glove. But basketball, the game also taught to me by my dad, has changed greatly. When I played and watched, games won, were earned. There were no easy lay ups or rebounds. And if the refs weren't part of the Harlem Globetrotter tours, we had no business, knowing the names of the refs. But today, right before tip-off, we see who they are and after putting up with season after season of seeing superstars getting calls or non-calls and playoff home teams get call after call. it's to a point that if you start to recognize which ref is straight up or you should just turn the television.

It's going to be hard, not watching or taking interest. I tried to hold on to see Shaquille O'Neal, the last of the physical big men walk away. But he's outlasting me.

Funny thing is that game retired players like Shaquille...

Years ago.

Monday, June 09, 2008

Fanz23 "Off Season" Sports Report

NBA Finals:
Well, well, it looks like the Lakers are going to take their rightful place, when it comes to playing the Celtics, in Championship games. The Celtics took a two game to none lead over the visiting Lakers. Laker fans should not get giddy over the late comeback and worry about why they were 24 points down. And speaking of "24", you are supposed to be the MVP...do you mind playing like one and not just in the late quarters to balloon up your scoring average.

If the Celtics take game 3 on Tuesday, well in the last words of President/General Geo. Washington: "Tis Over."

SOCCER:
If you are shocked I'm writing about soccer, well you should be, but then again, If I'm talking about soccer, it's something negative to say about the "worlds" favorite sport, where the players sport mullets and have one name. And lets not forget the injuries, these mullet wearing, one name superstars act like they got kicked in the nuggets, the way they roll on the ground, kicking and screaming, while a team-mate screams for a medic. And I won't even talk about the pre-game, during game and post game riots err!! fights. One can only shudder if Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is around. She'll call it an "up-rising." But enough of that, while watching the post game comments of the NBA game, I saw that the USA v. Argentina game was off the hook! oh excuse me, forgot what audience I was writing too. The USA v. Argentina game was competitive and real entertaining.

Nonsense! It was 0 - 0! and I didn't see that a team won, because they had more penalty kicks! it ended in a tie with no one scoring! I hope there was fight err!! riot in the stands. I mean Argentina could have picked on USA about the war, the president and rooting for the England for kicking the Argentine's butt over the Falkland islands. I'm sure some patriot would have took exception to the insults, but wait! USA soccer fan wasn't there, because the Celtics were playing the Lakers...

Horse Racing:
I must be on a roll, but from one "sport" to another "sport." I gotta tell you, I wasn't surprised at the outcome of Saturday's Belmont, where once again an athlete, had a chance of being a triple crown winner. No! I'm not talking about the WNBA horses, I'm talking "John Wayne" ridin' in the western desert horses. Brown Bag and his jockey failed in it's bid to become a triple crown winner, by coming in dead last! Bag was supposed to be the fastest horse on the track according to so called experts, and with bad hooves, it was supposed to win. Well, it was because of the injuries, that I wasn't comfortable with this thing winning and look what happened...


Baseball:
Since I'm in a fortune telling mood, I figure I let Dodger fan on a little something. So I want all Dodger fans to press their face to the monitor and read this, very, very closely...

ready?

JOHN SMOLTZ IS DAMAGED GOODS!! FEEL FREE TO NOT SIGN HIM!!! Now most of you are western fans, so I'm going to give you a line from "El Dorado" starring John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and two fine honeys, Charlene Holt and Michele Carey:

Nels McLeod: [Thornton is trying to distract McLeod outside of Jason's saloon] What are you doing here, Thornton?

Cole: Thought we'd settle the issue of which one of us is better, McLeod.

Nels McLeod: How do you plan to do that with that arm?

Cole: Let me get down from this wagon and I'll show you.

Bart Jason: McLeod!

Nels McLeod: Hold on a minute, Jason; I want to see how he plays this. Why should I give you a chance, Thornton?

Cole: Professional courtesy.

Now Dodger fan, you need to be Bart Jason and this time stop your GM from being Nels McLeod, although Smoltz had a helluva career, he doesn't deserve "Professional Courtesy."

Meanwhile if go South on the "5", the other Los Angeles Team is doing okay. In first place, where they should be, but I'm afraid this team, might be just that, AL West Champions and nothing more. I think with Guerrero being a little dinged, the Angels should hire the services of Bonds or consider a trade with the Reds, who are looking to unload Griffey. Sorry Dodger fan, but you signed a big league hitter, last year.

What's his name?

Boxing:
This shouldn't be last, but I think boxing has it next great hope and he's not hype. With Mixed Martial Arts overtaking boxing in popularity, I believe Kelly Pavlik IS the next big thing. On Saturday, he took a part a game opponent and just demoralized him. Really. In round 2, he forced his opponent to take a knee and a kneeling eight count, not once, but twice and in the third, Inzo Calzalghe, did something he's never done with his son, middleweight champion, Joe Calzalghe, throw in the towel. Pavlik is worth, your offering and tithes money, lunch money and loose change, he's that good of a fighter and not just hype. If you're not into boxing, you might want to see this kid. He might be better than his home town hero, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini...

Friday, June 06, 2008

D-Day: 6th of June - Can't Forget.

With today being the 6th of June. I find it necessary to send this one picture of men going into battle on the beaches of Normandy. Look at the picture, of the men heading toward the pill boxes of the German defenders. Some of these men took their final breaths, some of these men took their final steps and Some of these men, will never be the same physically and mentally.

Sacrifice.

To see more pictures: http://todayspictures.slate.com/20080606/?GT1=38001

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

RF23 - Sports Media Double Standard Continues...

Over the weekend, CBS debuted Showtime's EliteXC featuring internet backyard brawler and bad boy Kimbo Slice aka Kevin Ferguson. Slice, who came into the octagon, 3 and 0, with three knockouts was receiving a lot of criticism from other MMA fighters and writers. Criticism that went along these lines:

1. He's a fraud

2. He hasn't been tested on the ground

3. He's one dimensional

and the last.

4. He's not the face of mixed martial arts..

So lets tackle, if we will the claims.

1. He's not a fraud, he's fought and defeated every opponent put in front of him, including a game opponent, who was much bigger and more experienced on the...

2/3. mat, which goes to the claims that his ground game is weak. Slice was tested and the results are that he needs more practice on the ground. Which is a problem, because one of my criticisms of MMA is the minutes of two men on the ground just laying there, doing nothing...And I'm not alone in this, there were boos from the crowd when the fighters got unto the ground...which means, they prefer the stand up type of fighting where two guys, beat the bejesus out of each other. Now don't get it wrong, if they do that, it's boxing..Wrong! it's the fight club! It's straight "lets see if you can take my best punch, kick or submission hold." And Kimbo Slice in his fight proved that his willing to take his fight to the ground or stand up...

4. This is where I have a problem...a huge problem...about this time last year, the face of the MMA was UFC's Chuck Liddell and before him Tito Ortiz, but Liddell got the most press and props. He was on sports shows and on Sport Magazines propped as the "baddest man in sports." Lets talk about Liddell's game, he is a brawler, he prefers to stand and fight then hit the ground...Kimbo Slice is a brawler, and he prefers to stand and fight. Liddell was knocking people out...Slice was knocking people out..Liddell is white and Slice...is apparently not the face of the MMA...Even now, Liddell is getting press and more so than the man who knocked him out about this time last year, that man being Quinton Jackson. Jackson is black and at this point has not received all the bad boy or baddest man in the game props that Liddell got.

So let's discuss why, you have a sport that started off, predominantly white. Dominated by men of different martial arts or wrestling backgrounds and lets face it, if baseball is suffering a no-show from young black athletes, I'm assuming wrestling is a little spotted. But you take a sport, where a guy could get paid for just knocking a mofo out! and be done....Knock someone out, and look good doing it...Man, brotha's was lining up, don't believe me? On BET TV, there is a show called "Iron Ring" and guess what it showcases, black fighters doing their thing and guess who's in the audience...Every freakin' body! white, black and others..

Remember I stated earlier that one of my disappointments about the show, specifically the UFC is the lull of the ground game..Well, if you check out "Iron Ring" you won't be disappointed..It's action packed and if Liddell and Slice was on the "Iron Ring....."

Critique Number 4....would be absolutely right.

Prof. Henry Louis Gates: Color, Controversy and DNA

Henry Louis Gate: Color, Controversy and DNA

A conversation between The Root Editor-in-Chief Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nobel laureate and DNA pioneer James Watson about race and genetics, Jewish intelligence, blacks and basketball and Watson's African roots.

Link: http://www.theroot.com/id/46667/page/1

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

New Beginning: Blacks Giving the Mormon Church a second look..

A New Beginning: Blacks Giving the Mormon Church a second look

Angela Carson used to jump up and frequently yell "Hallelujah!" in church. Now, she sits in the middle pew and sings quietly, with a softer, gentler demeanor.

Carson, a 28-year-old black woman, left her Baptist church in New York last year feeling uninspired and removed from the congregation. She visited many traditional black churches, but she found her new home with the Harlem branch of the Mormon church.

The religious pillars of service and community outreach appealed to Carson, but so did something that may surprise many blacks: the commitment to diversity she saw at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I was approached by two younger African-American Mormon missionaries, and it made me think about the church in a different way," she said. "So many people have asked me why I joined a racist religion, which makes me sad that people would think this faith teaches hate."

To read more: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/05/31/faith/zdd38e874d718daa2882574580060d8a2.txt

The Spirit of General Patton....(Patreus)

Will The President get props for this....

Washington Post: The Iraqi Upturn...

THERE'S BEEN a relative lull in news coverage and debate about Iraq in recent weeks -- which is odd, because May could turn out to have been one of the most important months of the war. While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled them for years and sending key militants scurrying to Iran. At the same time, Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda. So many of its leaders have now been captured or killed that U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, renowned for his cautious assessments, said that the terrorists have "never been closer to defeat than they are now."

Please read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR2008053101927.html


Jeff Lukens: The American Thinker
Was the Iraq War Worth It?

They say if it bleeds, it leads on the nightly news. The recent silence from the mainstream news media on Iraq, however, is speaking volumes. While the war remains unpopular, our success there has been unmistakable. The Iraqi people, with the help of the U.S. led coalition, have succeeded in establishing the world’s first Arab democracy. Their achievement is a milestone in the war on terror and for the cause of liberty.

Beyond the Iraqi Constitution and the elections, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has emerged as the true leader of the governing coalition. He has battled and won against fellow Shiite and problem child Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia. The Sunni, Shiite and Kurd people work together in a national Iraqi Army. Together, they are taking their county back from the foreign insurgents that have invaded their homeland. Iraqi troops took the lead in clearing Basra and Sadr City, and are now finishing off the insurgent remnants.

No one likes to go to war, but even an elective war is sometimes necessary. With all the consternation these past years, President Bush may finally be able to say "Mission Accomplished" to what he originally set out to do.

This we know, Saddam had Weapons of Mass Destruction. He even gassed his own Kurd and Shiite populations in the 1980s. What happened to those chemical weapons? Who knows? Whether they buried them in the ground somewhere or trucked off to Syria, we had every reason to believe he had them.

In the months leading up to the war, Saddam acted as if he were hiding a nuclear program by obstructing UN inspectors visiting his installations. We have since concluded that his nuclear program was still in its infancy, but we could not have known that then. Saddam's power was in his bluff, but his bluff was called.

To read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/06/was_the_iraq_war_worth_it.html

Monday, June 02, 2008

RF23 - Sex in the City...For Women Only..Prolly Not.

Look, I get that wives, girlfriends and/or partners have to drag us men to see chick flicks. And that we're not down with all the sensitivity and venting in movies. Most of us don't care too much about how women think or feel, because well, it's like looking for Hoffa's body, we'll never know! But Sex and the City is a show that I watched on HBO and had no problem with watching pro-women shows. Just like I had no problem in watching "Living Single."

But I finally figured out why I liked "Sex in the City, " it was written by a dude! So basically, I didn't get the female mind, I got a guy's mind and was fed the everyday problems most singles face in looking for the right guy or gal. Is there drama? Yep, Is there the issue of dating a person, thinking that they're the one for you and find out, they want kids, marriage and the whole nine yards, when all you wanna do is watch a few ball games, talk politics and well....have one on one horizontal contact.

I liked the show, cause I liked the characters, each one totally different, but all end up with the same results...Yeah, in the end, the main character, Carrie is able to get Mr. Big, but she went through a lot to nail that guy down, and in a way, so did he, when he was ready to settle down.

Then you have the Samantha, the playa, if you will, the no - nonsense, I just wanna screw and get mine, character. Now fellas, if you don't identify with Samantha, who has no fantasies about white picket fences and family life...Maybe Miranda is your type, hard-working nose to the grinder gal, who only has time for an occasional relationship, but work is gonna take precedent. But speaking of white pickett fences and the family girl, meet Charlotte.

So there you have it, if you watched the HBO show, and it was one of the titans that had HBO number one in cable television shows. I'm gonna see the movie, cause I liked show.

And it's closure.

RF23 - If I'm McCain..I'll Hold Up On Obama...

Presumptive GOP nominee, John McCain (RINO-AZ) might want to hold off on attacking Obama or at least fire some rounds at Hillary too. With the DNC primaries wrapping up and noone reaching the required number of delegates to secure the party's nomination. McCain shouldn't waste his rounds on a nominee, who hasn't secured..nothing but the monolithic "ride or die" black vote.

Yes, McCain is correct in attacking Obama on his statements of talking to Iran and other countries that harbor and advocate terrorism, attack his participation for two plus decades of a church where remarks would sink a white politician. But he should continue to attack and link Clinton and Obama together, as two socialist leaning, two nominees that are literally the same. Point out that G Dubya was re-elected at a time the war was at its worse and that a presumptive pull-out will give Osama Bin Laden the victory he does not deserve. A blood bath equal to or more than Vietnam. Our men and women who have sacrificed, life and limb deserve to have their honor in history and not hit with an asterik.

John McCain should point to the American public that Clinton and Obama pose a threat to the constitution by having the power to chose an activist judge that is going to ignore what the constitution is saying, by his or her liberal views.

John McCain should point out the American public that the gov't should not and ought not be this large end all,tell all institution. That the states should be able to govern by the will of the people.

So McCain, hold up on the Obama attack and continue with lumping Hillary and Obama together. Pound it well enough, that American people will have a nice clear HD picture of what the democratic party is serving the American public. Because like 2000 and 2004, we got it right and looking to keep it....

Right.