Things That Make You Go, "Oh Hell No"!

You know, it is always so important that in our daily lives, we stay positive, upbeat and focused on happiness.  Sometimes, we need to even make a conscious effort to do so by affirming to ourselves that we are happy and that life is indeed, good.  But every now and then, some small thing happens in the course of the day to attempt to throw us into that abyss of negativity that snowballs into an all out bad day (in reality, there is no such thing.  It's just how we see it).  Now often times, these things are so trivial and unbelievably funny when we look back at them, but as creatures of habit, we do not necessarily like abrupt change.  Here's a few funny "Oh hell no!" moment I want to share with you:

You go to the drive thru at any fried chicken chain and order a two piece specifically asking for and having paid for, a "wing and a breast".  You get home, open the box and you have a, "leg and a thigh".  OH HELL NO!

You are on a diet and have been eating rabbit food for weeks now, working out and passing on desserts.  The last time you were on the scale you were, 189 lbs.  You are excited after all these weeks of sacrifice and  finally decide to get on the scale to see how much weight you've lost.  You step on the scale and watch the dial as it teeters back and forth from 168 to 215 pounds but eventually stopping at 191 lbs.  OH HELL NO!

You and all of your friends have purchased airline tickets and made accommodations in New Orleans for Bayou Classic months in advance just as you have for the past 18 years. On the first week in November, you manager calls you into his/ her office and gives the following announcement: "I know you have worked hard all year but you realize that we are understaffed and because of that, we are all required to work from that Friday through that Monday after Thanksgiving this year and it is mandatory."  OH HELL NO!

You decide to put off paying the your utility bill for a week or so and use that money to invite some friends over for a small get together with spades, food, drinking, etc.  On that hot Saturday afternoon, all of your guests have arrived, you are frying fish, pouring drinks and a good time is being had by all.  Two hours into the gathering, all power to your house goes out.  "Somebody must have ran into a telephone pole or it could have been a transformer.  They blow all the time around here" you keep saying to everyone.  Your cousin walks in late and asks why is your house so dark and you give her the transformer story.  She replied, "Well all of your neighbors have lights."  OH HELL NO!

Your friend has a small dog and asks you to keep him for a few days while he goes out of town.  He brags about how well behaved and hose broken, "Friskie" is.  Friskie does appear to be a good, sweet dog and even sleeps at the foot of your bed later that night.  Things have gone so well that you decide to leave him out of his kennel the next morning while you go to work.  Returning home that evening, you are real excited walking in the door because you assume Friskie is going to greet you with that level of happiness that only mans best friend can deliver.  However, Friskie is nowhere to be found. What you do find is that Friskie has torn up every magazine and book on your coffee table, bit holes in your sofa, destroyed the sofa pillows, dug the one plant out of its pot you did have and took a dump in the middle of your bed.  Two hours later Friskie cautiously emerges from the very bed you have been trying to clean since you got home and growling at you.  OH HELL NO!

You make an attempt at online dating and eventually meet this guy or girl, that by looking at his/ her pictures and their conversation, in your mind, you are already walking down the aisle.  You say to yourself, "This is the one".  Weeks go by and the conversations become more exciting and more intense so you finally decide to meet for a first date.  You want to play it safe, so you opt to meet at the bar in a popular restaurant.  You are there waiting at the bar when you get a phone call asking, "I am inside, where are you".  You reply by saying that you are sitting at the bar and turn around looking...looking...looking when you realize that the one person in the entire restaurant you are hoping and praying could not possibly be your date, is indeed your date and that those pictures you have been seeing, were from 2003.  OH HELL NO!

You keep getting calls from an unfamiliar number and after weeks you finally decide to answer it since whoever it is calling have no messages.  When you say hello the person on the other end address you by your first name and you confirm who you are.  The call suddenly takes a turn when you realize that it is the rudest bill collector on the planet.  You explain to this person that you do not have the money at this time to pay the debt and ask if they can call you next month.  You are given a barrage of suggestions on where you should get the money and then asked to go as far a pawning your television set they he can see by your credit report you recently purchased using your Best Buy credit card.  You ask the debt collector, if he/ she is crazy and he responds, "No, but you must be to pay 24.9% interest for a $499 television that you will have paid $3025 for at the end of your term.  This is what happens when you have bad credit.  Now do you want to start repairing it today by paying what you owe us"?  OH HELL NO!

What's your, OH HELL NO moment?

The Question Behind the BP Oil Spill

With 2009 profits (that's right, profits), exceeding $16 billion dollars, you would think that BP could afford to write checks left and right to the people whose livelihoods depend on a viable environment along the Gulf coast, but they're not.  I hear that getting some compensation from these people is like pulling teeth.  Now what really puzzles me is the fact that gas prices have been on a steady decline for the past couple of weeks.  I am not certain how this plays in the whole oil spill scenario, but consumers had better beware.  I have always known that oil prices determine gas prices and those prices are based on supply and demand.  (to be continued)

The Eloquent and Ever so Lovely, Khia (Thug Misses)

While the rest of the rest of the world is clapping and singing showtunes with the cast of Fox's hit show, "GLEE", the ratings over at ABC must be dropping faster than Kendra Wilkinson's panties, because they invited the Thug Misses herself, Khia to stop by the studios for an interview. Now I am not a big Khia fan, but I must say that she handled herself fairly well when Tanya Rivero made attempts to make Khia look bad and even fuel rumors of beef between she and Janet Jackson. Her intelligence did surprise me. But my question is, why is it that like many other performers and comedians, certain audiences (and we know who they are) get the buffoonery and broken grammar while other audiences get the opposite? You pop the top, watch and tell me:  http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/khias-bad-girl-10848482?tab=9482931

We Really Need to Know This, People!

(Article from the Washington Post)

Talks continue as GOP senators block advance of financial overhaul bill

By Brady Dennis and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 27, 2010; A01

Republicans voted unanimously Monday to block an effort to overhaul financial regulations from reaching the Senate floor, pledging to hold out for significant changes to the bill even as they acknowledged the political risk of appearing to obstruct a popular cause.

The 57 to 41 vote in favor of beginning debate, short of the 60 needed, was expected, although Democrats did suffer an unanticipated defection when Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) joined Republicans as a no. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) was prepared to call further votes Tuesday, Wednesday and beyond.

"We need to keep the pressure on to get a deal as quickly as possible," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said.

About two-thirds of Americans supported stricter regulations on the way banks and other financial institutions conduct their business, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Majorities also backed two main components of pending Senate bill: greater federal oversight of consumer loans, and a proposed fund paid for by the financial industry that would go toward dismantling failed firms that put the broader economy at risk.

Given the public support for tougher Wall Street rules, the unanimity that Republicans demonstrated Monday may not endure. GOP negotiators said their goal remains a final bill that includes enough changes that it can win broad support from both parties. But Democrats are looking to limit their concessions and say they will probably win a few conversions among Republicans who have expressed support for the overwhelming majority of the bill in its current form.

Democrats say they believe about half a dozen GOP lawmakers are open to switching their votes. They include Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.), and Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa).

Grassley, a conservative who is up for reelection in November, surprised colleagues recently in voting to support strict new rules for derivatives, one of the most complex but fundamental parts of the legislation.

The 1,400-page bill would also create an agency to protect consumers against abusive lending practices, establish a council of regulators to monitor potential risks to the financial system, and give the government authority to shut down large, failing firms before they collapse.

Snowe has outlined two main concerns about the current version of the bill, including a proposed $50 billion fund to be used in liquidating distressed financial firms and restrictions on community banks that engage in certain types of small-business lending.

"There are some concerns about the legislation, and I want to make sure they're addressed," Snowe said. But she added: "We're not going to have unanimous support for this legislation."

Brown said he voted "no" Monday to allow the Senate banking committee's chairman, Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), and the panel's ranking Republican, Sen. Richard C. Shelby (Ala.), more time to rewrite several major provisions. "People want this area addressed," Brown said. "They don't want to have problems like they had before, including me."

But even as Reid pledged to hold vote after vote, some Democrats warned privately that the strategy could backfire if he appears to be short-circuiting negotiations. Snowe and Brown, along with other GOP lawmakers, complained that the Monday vote was premature.

"It's clear that they're trying to score political points," Brown told reporters after the vote.

Nelson said he had opposed starting debate on the bill because he objected to consumer-protection provisions that could harm "Main Street businesses" back home, including dentists, whose patients often borrow to finance major procedures that their insurance policies don't cover, and auto dealers.

But after talking with Nelson, Dodd said, "Dentists and auto dealers did not come up."

Instead, Dodd said, Nelson had spoken with him about making a change to the derivatives portion of the bill. Nelson favored including a provision that would exempt owners of existing derivatives contracts from having to post additional collateral, as required in the legislation.

This requirement could force companies that use derivatives to set aside large sums of money to cover possible losses, and these set-asides could eat into profits by depriving the firms of resources they could use in another way. Critics of the requirement say firms should not have to redo existing contracts.

Dodd said he was not willing to insert the exemption Nelson wants in his bill.

In the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, respondents were evenly split on President Obama's handling of financial regulation, with 48 percent of those polled approving of his performance and 48 percent disapproving.

But compared with congressional Republicans, Obama has a clear advantage. A slim majority -- 52 percent -- of Americans said they trust Obama over the GOP on the issue; 35 percent favored congressional Republicans. Independents preferred Obama by 47 to 35 percent, with 16 percent trusting neither side on the issue.

Dodd and Shelby have said in recent days that they are on the cusp of a bipartisan agreement, and they have expressed optimism that further negotiations will end with consensus.

Shelby aides said Monday that although the two men have continued to talk by phone and meet periodically, their staff members have not met to hammer out specifics for more than a week.

"We need to be in a room, at the staff level, nailing down the language, and that's not happening," one Shelby staff member said. "They stopped talking to us."

To illustrate the work that remains, the aide said that if Dodd and Shelby "met today and resolved every issue, it would still take us days to get it all together."

Shelby aides repeated previous criticisms of the Democratic legislation and said Republicans probably would introduce their own version of the bill.

"We have been drafting an alternative approach since the very beginning," said one staff member, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation more frankly. "It may come to the point where Republicans decide, 'Let's just put out specifically what we're for.' That decision hasn't been made yet."

Aides declined to talk in depth about how a Republican alternative bill would differ from the legislation sponsored by Dodd. But they said it almost certainly would include language to overhaul the government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Staff members on the Senate banking and agriculture committees huddled through the weekend with Obama administration officials to merge competing measures aimed at reining in the $600 trillion derivatives market. Derivatives are private contracts that allow traders to bet on the direction of the prices of stocks, commodities and other assets. Many companies also use such deals to lock in prices for goods, such as oil, which often fluctuate in value.

Dodd and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), who chair the respective committees, said late Monday that an agreement had been reached. Key provisions put forth by Lincoln's committee remained largely intact, including a measure that could force big Wall Street banks to spin off their derivatives operations.

The bill also aims to increase transparency by requiring nearly all derivative contracts be traded in public on exchanges and approved by a separate body called a clearinghouse. In addition, the measure imposes a "fiduciary duty" on dealers, like the one required of investment advisers, to look out for the best interests of clients such as municipalities and pension retirement funds.

The legislation provides exemptions for commercial businesses and manufacturers that use derivatives to hedge risk, such as an airline seeking certainty on fuel prices. But Dodd and Lincoln said the bill gives regulators the authority to close loopholes so financial firms cannot claim exemptions. The two senators said the measure also gives regulators "broad enforcement authority" to punish bad actors.

In the latest poll, support for federal regulations of derivatives draws an even split, with 43 percent supporting federal regulation of the derivatives market and 41 percent opposing. Nearly one in five -- 17 percent -- express no opinion on the complicated topic.

"Window Seat" Erykah Badu (Update)

(UPDATE)

She had been charged with disorderly conduct and may have to pay a $500 fine. That's it? So I can walk the streets butt-naked and just pay a $500 fine? I have always wanted to do that...

I just watched the video for Erykah Badu's latest single, "Window Seat" and am puzzled. I am not sure to call it art or disrespect. You tell me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YktxpSsfLu8

And on top of that, was it the smartest thing to do since the Dallas Police Department is looking into pressing charges?

Finally Some Financial Relief We Can Actually See

Like many people out there, if you’ve been facing bank overdraft fees, the feds could be putting a stop to that real soon. For years, banks have been able to charge customers every time they have an overdraft in their account, but on Thursday, the Federal Reserve released a new rule which prohibits banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft protection programs, that charge fees when consumers spend more than they have.
Starting on July 1, 2010, all banks will have to ask their customers to enroll in overdraft protection plans for ATM and most debit card transactions. Some banks are charging their customer up to $39 when customers overdraw their own bank account by even low dollar amounts. With about 75% of banks automatically enrolling customers and charging overdraft fees, this will give bankers some type of consumer protection. Although the new rule will help with debit and ATM transactions, banks will still be allowed to automatically enroll customers in overdraft services for personal checks and automatic transactions such as monthly bill payments.

Healthcare Reform, Moving Right Along

This past weekend, the House of Representatives narrowly voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. In case you did not know, in over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history. The House voted 220-215 late Saturday, with 39 Democrats opposed (who were they?) and one Republican in favor, to approve what would be the biggest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was created more than 40 years ago. Now on to the Senate, the bill hasn't even been released yet, but the battle will be far more critical because of the opposition from Senate leaders and insurance companies that are pressing hard push this thing back into history's past. The House vote that lasted less than an hour before midnight Saturday, was not without its fair share of drama. With eight seconds left in the voting period, Democrats began counting down and erupted in roars when Pelosi declared, "The bill is passed" and banged the gavel. Go Nancy!

Is Ebony Magazine For Sale?

In the latest issue of Newsweek Magazine, a report said that the 64 year old Ebony Magazine is up for sale. A spokesperson for Ebony, Wendy Parks issued the following statement: "As we've indicated previously, we are exploring a range of options to support our core media business,". Ebony which has been a premiere source of entertainment that caters to African-American, news, entertainment and politics has had its struggles even before the death of former founder and CEO, John H. Johnson died, but even more so in recent times, primarily due the the expansion of online media leading to declining revenues. I love Ebony, I grew up on Ebony. My only hope is that it doesn't end up falling into the hands of some media conglomerate and end up like BET. We wish the Ebony Magazine family all the best.

Police Bodyslams 84 Year Old Woman (Please Pass Along)

Please watch the video first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lznHMoIDRRg

When I first saw this video, I was enraged beyond belief to the point that tears had began to run down my face. There was nothing in me that would allow me to say, "Well, it just happened." I had to have the facts to put my mind at ease. As a result, I have personally spoken with Sgt. D. Kelso of the Whitehall, OH police department regarding this incident and scolded him and his department for not posting a statement on their website to let the public know what actually happened here. Anyway, Sgt. Kelso said that the woman, who is actually 84 years old, has a progressive form of Dementia and was on an outing with her daughter from a nursing home where she lives on August 1, 2009. The daughter stopped at a local Wal-Mart and left her mother in the car napping while she went in to pick up a few items. While in the store, the aging mother wakes up and finds a knife in the vehicle and proceeds to saw through her seat belt and gets out of the car. Now out of the car, she approaches several individuals on the parking lot (including a baby) wielding the knife. Needless to say, like most dementia patients, she is aggravated and confused so her approach may come off as being very aggressive. Some people on the parking lot call the police and give them the impression that there is a woman on the parking lot intentionally looking for people to stab with a knife, so when they arrive, this is what they are going off of. The female officer who approached the elderly woman first, asks her to drop the knife a total of three times and she adamantly refuses. Then for a moment, when the elderly woman's attention is drawn elsewhere, a window of opportunity is open for the female officer to subdue the elderly woman. Here is where the story gets tricky: According to the report, the female officer grabs the elderly woman's arm and pulls it upward to make her drop the knife and supposedly lowers her by that same arm to the ground, still in an attempt to remove the knife from her hand. The report also says that the elderly woman twisted her body to the point where her own weight caused her to hit the ground injuring her head. In the words of the officer, she was not body slammed. Sgt. Kelso went on to say that her injuries were not a bad as they seemed on the video and that the elderly woman was home that evening doing well. Also in an attempt to unsensationalize the story, Sgt. Kelso made the statement to me that this was, "old news" so I asked him just how old and that is when he told me that the incident had occurred on August 1st. Now correct me if I am wrong but, Michael Jackson's death may be old news, the fact that we have an African American President may be old news, but the fact that an elderly woman with impaired mental faculties was brutally brought down and had her skull busted, primarily due to the inexperience of a police office just less than a week prior was not old news! I told Sgt. Kelso that while the actions of the officer was an attempt to diffuse the situation and in the interest of the public safety and the elderly woman, it was far too aggressive and another form of physical management would have been better suited for a woman as frail as she, especially since at the moment of apprehension, she did not seem to post a significant threat to anyone.

Do you think that the officer arresting this woman deserves disciplinary action? If so, call the Whitehall Police Department at 624-237-6333 and express your concerns because I do not believe this story has gotten enough attention. The report number on this case is #0902637. Please pass this story along because in my heart I feel, as though the officer acted improperly in this case and that further training my be in order as opposed to disciplinary action.

It is important that this story gets the coverage it deserves because in the eyes of God, this woman is as valuable to Him and to our society as Mr. Henry Louis Gates and our President was all over that. Had this been your mother, Grand-mother, etc. would you not want to know that someone cares enough to at least stand with you in a time of injustice? It's so funny that the "Gotcha" is this whole situation is that Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton nor the high and mighty Nancy Grace aren't all over this. Why? Because this story has not gotten enough attention to carry a purse full of dollars.

P.S. And if you know me personally, you know why this means so much to me, so pass it along.

Straight Outta The NYC (with a knife in your back)

I hear that the Bloomberg administration is giving away free one-way airline tickets to any homeless family to anywhere they wish to go. The project was started to hopefully deplete the costly expense of homeless shelters in the city, which cost about $36,000 a year per family. Since 2007, more than 550 families have left the city and all it takes is for a relative to agree to take them in.

This stinks to high Heaven. What are these people thinking? I use the analogy that if I am the parent of seven children and because times get hard, I tell any of my children to go live with another family if they would like because my money is little low. Where is the loyalty? This is so wrong on so many levels. What do you think?

Who is music's undisputed "KING"? Elvis vs. Michael

Since Michael Jackson's passing, I have been hearing more and more discussions about who was the better overall entertainer, Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson? Well, I have decided to do my very own poll from my readers. Look at the videos and use the comments section (if you like) to tell who you think should take the overall "KING" title. Don't forget to vote to the left side of the screen

Mr. Presley, you first:

Very good, Mr. Presley.

Mr. Jackson, you wanna take the stage and do your thing now?

That was wonderful Mr. Jackson, but it's up to the people to decide, who the real reigning KING of music is. Let the comments/ voting begin (voting is done via the poll to the left). Voting ends on 8/29/09, which is Michaels birthday.

The Real "Action Jackson"

LaToya Jackson has recently been quoted as saying,

“Michael was murdered and we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive." She went on to say, “I know who did it and I won't rest until I nail them….a couple of years ago Michael told me he was worried that people were out to get him. He said, 'they’re gonna kill me for my publishing. They want my catalogues and they're gonna kill me for these!”

Joe Jackson feels the same way, but no one is taking him seriously or paying him any attention. Get em' LaToya!

Interesting Article About the Black Church

The following story comes courtesy of www.livesteez.com. It is very interesting but I know some people that favor Mega-Churches are going to want to beat me with bibles and tambourines then smother me with choir robes and stuff me in the broom closet right outside the fellowship hall, but I didn't write it, I just though it was interesting.

Where is the $420 Billion in Tithes and Offerings the Black Church has Received Since 1980?

LiveSteez research shows that Black churches, in aggregate, have collected more than $420 billion in tithes and donations since 1980. With a Senate investigation into the finances of several mega churches underway, the “Prosperity Movement” has been the target of mounting criticism from inside and outside the Black Church. Specifically, the affluent ministries of The Reverend Creflo Dollar, Bishop Eddie Long and others have drawn the attention – and ire – of some clergy and laypeople alike.
Researcher Henry E. Felder’s study of Blacks’ donation habits demonstrated per capita spending of $508 per year in 2009 dollars. Another source, Tyler Media Services, estimated that Black Church revenue approached $17 billion in 2006.
One church, the Reverend Dollar’s World Changers, reported $69 million in 2006 income, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Mainstream politicians and Black community leaders are demanding a better accounting of the “return on investment” offered by churches to the communities that fund them. Meanwhile, legions of faithful churchgoers defend their pastors and accuse their detractors of applying a double standard that ignores the largesse of wealthy, white televangelists, while underplaying the economic development and social service functions provided by the Black Church.
“The church has gotten caught up in materialism and greed, a lifestyle. Many ministers today want to live like celebrities and they want to be treated like celebrities. In other words, instead of the church standing with the community, the church has become self-serving. It has strayed away from its mission” according to Dr.Love Henry Whelchel, professor of church history at The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.
Few people – not even the ongoing Congressional investigation by Senator Chuck Grassley accuse the mega church pastors of outright larceny, and congregants generally approve of their pastors’ luxurious lifestyles. However, in a blatant recent example, a father-son pastor team, 76-year-old Richard Cunningham of Moreno Valley and his son, 52-year-old Philip Cunningham of Laurinburg, N.C., pleaded guilty to felony grand theft and fraud charges. The younger Cunningham also pleaded guilty to forgery. Over five years, prosecutors say, the Cunninghams stole from Calvary Baptist Yorba Linda Church and School bank accounts and used the money to buy time shares in Hawaii and Palm Springs, golf club memberships and a Cadillac. Prosecutors say the men have paid $3.1 million in restitution to the church.
LiveSteez’s investigative series will take a forensic editorial approach to quantifying the return to Black America for the $350 billion in tax-favored donations it has given to the Black Church, examining the arguments on both sides of the pulpit. In this series we will seek answers and advisory to the following questions:
- How often and how much do church leaders take advantage of the faith of poor black people?
-We will investigate and indentify the churches they are showing a strong return on investment that goes beyond inspiration.
- What does the black community have to show for the $350 billion in tax free dollars?
- Expert analysis on what could potentially be done with such a huge amount of money and how it could improve the state of our communities.
- Why do some church leaders refuse to participate in the Grassley congressional Investigation, which requested the financial records of several mega-churches.

THE BET AWARDS

NO COMMENT!!!

Well maybe a few questions:

1. New Edition as the Jackson 5. Why?
2. Jamie Foxx as host. Why?
3. Keri Hilson. Why didn't you stop performing like 3 minutes earlier than you did?
4. Beyonce'. Hummmm...what?
5. Was it me or did Diddy look like it was killing him to not take the stage for a MJ tribute.
6. Did the O'Jays turn it out or what? Yes.
7. Was it me or did it seem like Don Cornelius may finally be aging?
8. Jamie Foxx like 4 performances. Why?
9. Soulja Boy. Again, why?
10. Why all the hype about Maxwell?
11. Didn't Janet make you just want to hug her so tight?

All in all the BET Awards have gone to hell in a handbag and tried to ride the death of Michael Jackson in a attempt to boost ratings. So sad. The network is shit! Yes I said it, shit. Most people watch the awards to see the baffoonery not the talent because they don't even expect that anymore.

12. Why didn't they call me and ask me to sing a number for Michael?

You Better Look Straight Ahead!

First Lady, Michelle Obama is giving this woman a look like she is ready to jump on her like a hungry man with a coupon for a free 2-piece grill combo at KFC. LOOK OUT for Michelle "Beat Em' Down Mama" Obama!

Don't do it Michelle.

17 Year Old Rapes and Murders 8-Month Old Infant (Read With Caution)

The following story is not only tragic and disturbing, it is downright sickening. The only reason I am posting it is because I would hope women reading it would take the initiative to be more selective and cautions of the people (men and women) they become involved with and bring around their children. Again, please read with caution!

A 17 year old teen was arrested for the rape and murder of an 8 month old infant in Jefferson Parish. 17 year old Arnold T. Ross was arrested when neighbors heard loud noises coming from the house where he was babysitting the infant that he raped and murdered.

Arnold T. Ross, who had previously been arrested for possession of crack cocaine, marijuana, obscenity, battery against a correctional officer, three counts of battery on a teacher, three counts of theft, assault and illegal carrying of a weapon. My one and only question is why in God’s name was Arnold T. Ross left to babysit anyone, let alone an 8 month old infant?

The infant, named Da-Von Lonzo, was taken to the hospital in Terrytown, Louisiana where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving there. The Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s office had initially deemed the death as unclassified. That is until an autopsy revealed that the infant had been raped and murdered.

The autopsy showed multiple fractures consistent with a beating and the infant’s anus had been torn. Arnold T. Ross, at first told officers that the child had fallen down the steps, but later confessed to beating the infant when he would not stop crying. He said it’s anus was torn when he tried to “clean it up”.

The mother of the infant is the girlfriend of Arnold T. Ross, and for some unknown reason trusted him enough to leave the child with him. This terrible case speaks to the weaknesses in our justice system; Arnold T. Ross, with his long record at only 17 years of age, should have been in a correctional facility; not babysitting for anyone.

Now, I have never been an advocate for the use of the death penalty and in this case, still not. Because I do believe that would be too good for this monster. I say let him get a dose of his own medicine with a long sentence in a prison full of big, burly, horny "lifers" in search of fresh meat pounding his back out whenever they feel like it. That would be a good start for this son of a bitch. He deserves the maximum punishment under the law.

I am not blaming the system for this one people.

The Lena Baker Story

My 16 year old niece asked me a few weeks ago if she could do some research on my computer for a report she was writing on a woman named, Lena Baker. I asked, "You mean Josephine Baker"? She said, "No, Lena Baker" and went on to tell me who she was and her place in history. Needless to say, although embarassed, I was proud at my niece for having an interest in such an individual. I was also surprised and delighted to find out that there was recently a movie produced about her life that would star actress, Tichina Arnold. Here is some background on Lena Baker:

Lena Baker (June 8, 1901 – March 5, 1945) was an African American maid who was executed for murder by the State of Georgia in 1945 for killing her employer, Ernest Knight, 67, in 1944. At her trial she claimed that he had imprisoned and threatened to shoot her should she attempt to leave, whereupon she took his gun and shot him. Baker was the only woman to be executed by electrocution in Georgia. She was granted a full and unconditional pardon by the State of Georgia in 2005, 60 years after her execution.

Baker was born and raised in Cuthbert, Georgia to a family of poor black sharecroppers. Her mother, Queenie, worked for a farmer named J.A. Cox, chopping cotton.
At the age of 20, Baker and a friend found they could make money by "entertaining gentlemen." This came to attention of the Randolph County sheriff as their clientèle were white and interracial relationships were illegal in Georgia.The two were arrested and spent several months in a workhouse. On release she was ostracized by the black community, leading her to become an alcoholic. By the time she was in her early forties, Baker had three children.
In 1941, Knight hired Baker to care for him after he broke his leg. In the town of Cuthbert, Georgia, Knight was viewed as a brutal and abusive man, a failed farmer who ran a gristmill and who always had a pistol strapped to his chest. A relationship developed between the two. Knight was believed to provide Baker with alcohol in return for sex, and the whole town knew of the relationship. Knight was persuaded by his oldest son, A.C. Knight, to move to Tallahassee, Florida in an effort to break up the pair, but Baker soon followed. A.C. Knight then gave Baker an ultimatum to leave, which she did, but Knight followed her back to Cuthbert.
On the night of April 30, 1944, Lena Baker went to the house of J.A. Cox, who was now the town coroner, and told him that she had shot Knight. Cox told Baker to go to the sheriff, while he would go to the gristmill where Baker said Knight's body was. Baker did not go to the sheriff, but instead went home.She was picked up by the sheriff later that night, but was cooperative. He gave her two days to sleep off the effects of the alcohol in her system before questioning her.
Baker then told her version of events. Knight had come to her house drunk and asked her to come to the mill. She did not want to go and tried stalling him by asking for money to go buy some whiskey. He gave her some money and she went to the "colored bar" on Dawson Street to buy alcohol, but found it closed. She waited there for a while hoping that Knight would leave her house, but when she returned, he was still there.She was forced to accompany him to the mill, but escaped and hid in the underbrush. She bought some whiskey and went to sleep in the woods near the convict camp. On waking the next morning she decided to go to the mill, sure this was the last place that Knight would go; this was exactly where Knight was, however. He held her prisoner for several hours, even through several hours of his absence, when he attended a "singing" with his son.He returned and told Baker he would kill her if she tried to "quit" him. Baker was the only living witness to the details of what happened, but in the ensuing struggle, Knight's pistol went off, hitting him in the head and instantly killing him. Baker claimed she acted in self-defense.

Lena Baker was charged with capital murder and stood trial on August 14, 1944, presided over by Judge William "Two Gun" Worrill, who kept a pair of pistols on his judicial bench in plain view. The all-white male jury convicted her by the end of the afternoon. Her court-appointed counsel, W.L. Ferguson, filed an appeal but then dropped Baker as a client. Governor Ellis Arnall granted Lena a 60-day reprieve so that the Board of Pardons and Parole could review the case, but clemency was denied in January 1945. Baker was transferred to Reidsville State Prison on February 23, 1945. On entering the execution chamber, Baker calmly sat in the electric chair, called Old Sparky, and said "What I done, I did in self-defense. I have nothing against anyone. I'm ready to meet my God." She was buried at Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

In 2001, members of Baker's family petitioned to have a pardon granted by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, seeing the original verdict as racist. This was granted in 2005, with the Parole Board, granting her a full and unconditional pardon, suggesting a verdict of manslaughter, which would have carried a 15 year sentence, would have been more appropriate.

A novel, The Lena Baker Story, authored by Lela Bond Phillips, chronicled her life. This book was the basis for a screenplay by actor/director Ralph Wilcox filmed in 2007 in Southwest Georgia. The film, also entitled "The Lena Baker Story," stars Tichina Arnold in the title role, Peter Coyote, Beverly Todd and Michael Rooker and is due for theatrical release in Spring 2009.

Thanks to Panachereport for the bio.

US Journalists Sentenced to 12 Years Hard Labor in South Korea

This story is interesting and whats even more interesting is to see how the U.S. responds. I heard that Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton sent a letter to the North Korean government demanding their release. This situation could escalate into something well beyond these two women. Read full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/08/nkorea.journalists/index.html

Aging Rappers

Have you ever seen a brother in his 30's or 40's walking around with the baggy jeans, baseball cap, earrings and stuff and just wanted to tell him, "You are to old for that". I am so glad you didn't because I would have hated to help you pick up your teeth after I knocked them out (I'm just that kind of nice guy). Anyway, rappers are getting older, but most of them have managed to stay in the limelight and still do fairly well for themselves considering the industry being so age driven. Take a look:

Ice Cube (June 15, 1969) – 39
Jay-Z (December 4, 1969) – 39
Raekwon (January 12, 1970) – 39
Q-Tip (April 10, 1970) – 39
Redman (April 17, 1970) – 39
Ghostface Killah (May 9, 1970) – 39
Fat Joe (August 19, 1970) – 38
Scarface (November 9, 1970) – 38
DMX (December 18, 1970) – 38
Method Man (April 1, 1971) – 38
Snoop Dogg (October 20, 1971) – 37
Common (March 13, 1972) – 37
Busta Rhymes (May 20, 1972) – 37
Black Thought (October 3, 1972) – 36
Eminem (October 17, 1972) – 36
Bun B (March 19, 1973) – 36
Nas (September 14, 1973) – 35
Mos Def (December 11, 1973) – 35
Beanie Sigel (March 6, 1974) – 35
Andre 3000 (May 27, 1974) – 35
Styles P (November 28, 1974) – 34
Big Boi (February 1, 1975) – 34
Jadakiss (May 27, 1975) – 34
50 Cent (July 6, 1975) – 33
Talib Kweli (October 3, 1975) – 33
Rick Ross (January 28, 1976) – 33
Cam’ron (February 4, 1976) – 33
Kanye West (June 8, 1977) – 31
Ludacris (September 11, 1977) – 31
Young Jeezy (October 12, 1977)- 31

Ok, my rap album drops later this summer. It's going to be titled, "Kolonoscopy Killer".

Please buy American, Seriously

People, more than ever before, we need to boost the American economy by buying American, from household products to cars...especially cars. With bankruptcy looming at General Motors and Chrysler LLC, both troubled automakers have announced new moves to try and avoid that fate. But even if the companies are able to stay out of bankruptcy in the near-term, several experts believe it may be too little too late to save both companies for the long-haul.
GM proposed Monday to cut more brands, plants and workers, and eliminate $44 billion in debt and other obligations by issuing a sizeable amount of additional stock to pay off creditors, the government and union trust funds. The company is hoping to reach an agreement with those three parties on this new plan by the end of May or it could be forced into bankruptcy. America cannot afford to lose these icons of the international auto industry especially since the majority of immigrants in the U.S. don't care to buy American cars.