Waterstar

That part about it being a "bad joke" in the article really stood out to me. I know there have got to be more details than the ones that were given in this news article, but I just don't see how the details point to his statements being made as a joke. His statements, at the very least, seem to express something that he wishes that he (or someone else) could do. His statements did not seem like a "threat" but they definitely did not seem like mere jokes. Plus going so far as to show the firearm that he would use to shoot her? I don't know how many people would think that's funny if they are the center of such a "joke". Also, Homeboy is on administrative leave... Can you imagine what the legal reprecussions would have been for this person had these statements been made about Laura Bush when her husband was the president?

Cynique, I notice that most of the time that I spend responding to your questions to me is spent on my telling you that I never said or implied the the things that you have inferred. I certainly enjoy interacting with you for many reasons and I will definitely continue to interact with you as much as you allow me to do so and I view each instance of interaction is always one in which something, even if inadvertently so, can be learned and/or taught.. However, I am not going to continue to go back and forth over things that I never once said and repeating my purpose of stating things that I say when the other party is not really interested in clarification but the further countering of things that I never once said or implied. In other news, I'm not sure if this guy is a republican, but my wild guess would be yes. Even if he is not, he could make the list as an honorary member. :-) Ol "Uncle" Joe (Trust me, it gets more hilarious as it goes along. It's not supposed to be hilarious, but it definitely is. LOL "Coona$$" is a term of endearment.) In Living Color's Clarence Thomas skit. (This one is actually "supposed' to be funny.)

Did Everything But Think.. That's D.E.E.P. (Dang Economic Effects (of) Perception) I think that so many of us have been so trained to think as the topic of the influence of perception as " too abstract" when it comes to "reality", but perception and reality do not at all seem separate. I think that our perceptions are of utmost importance in so many areas and the area of finances is no exception. Also, you seem to break the information down into pieces that are easy to digest so people can see things clearly and have a much better understanding as opposed to many books in which talk about getting people out of debt but are filled with information that is about as easy to digest as raw steak. I enjoyed the clip and it is really good for many reasons that you the free financial literacy lectures. Will your book also be available for order on this site?

It is so wonderful that you were able to write a book about your tribulations as well as your joys, Taschalnc. I have a feeling that it was truly inspired by your heart to express and also for the purpose of reaching back and helping others through their journey. So many brilliant children are being pushed aside systematically, ignored instead of being stimulated differently. So often the difference between a child realizing what he or she has to offer and never realizing it is the influence that we as adults have on him/her. Not every child learns in the same way and instead of saying, "It's the cookie cutter or the highway", we as the adults around them, should want the best for each and every child and act accordingly. It is a downright lie that it all boils down to having or not having enough money to do these things. Sometimes it takes extra time and that extra time might actually be outside of school hours, but with a little less selfishness, these things that should be done can be done. I think the attitude of the parents is so important, yet with all the negative response to that which is outside the norm, it's quite understandable how it can really get to even the best of parents sometimes. From the frustration of meetings more centered around red tape and that which is best for the system as opposed to that which is best for the children that they are supposed to be helping to a society in general that is just often hostile to anything that is not of the cookie cutter mold, it's not easy for the parents just like it is not easy for the children. At any rate, thank you for sharing this book with us. How can it be ordered?

Michelle Obama death threat by D.C. cop under investigation Michelle Obama death threat? A Washington D.C. motorcycle cop said he would shoot the first lady, the Washington Post reported. But some officials say it was a 'joke.' By Staff, Associated Press / July 13, 2012 Washington A District of Columbia police officer who worked as a motorcycle escort for the White House and other officials has been moved to administrative duty after he allegedly made threatening comments about Michelle Obama, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The officer was overheard making the comments Wednesday as several officers from the Special Operations Division discussed threats against the Obamas, the Post said, citing unidentified police officials who were not authorized to discuss details of the case. The officer allegedly said he would shoot the first lady and then used his phone to retrieve a picture of the firearm he said he would use, according to the report in the newspaper's online edition. Asked about the report, D.C. police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said: "We received an allegation that inappropriate comments were made. We are currently investigating the nature of those comments." Officials familiar with what happen say that it was a bad joke made by someone who should have known better. “Pump the brakes on this one,” a Secret Service official told NBC. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan told The Associated Press the agency was aware of the report and would "take appropriate follow-up steps." Typically in the case of a threat against a member of the first family, the Secret Service interviews participants and witnesses and then makes an assessment on how to proceed. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The video has the words backward, but I couldn't find another link with the full Bigsby story, so I'm posting it anyway. The black white supremacist, Clayton Bigsby. For those of you who haven't seen this, Bisby is tthe leader of the KKK...and he's black. LOL He's blind. No one had ever told him that he was black and the KKK members didn't know because he'd always worn a hood. Wait until you find out why he left his wife. This is too hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i9iTYe6tEk

:-D Oh my goodness, Troy has brought out a real Boondocks moment for me. (Just to let you know, this contains profanity.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmA34MGSJTQ

FBI report: No evidence George Zimmerman is racist An FBI investigation into the shooting of black teenager Travyon Martin concluded that there's no evidence the suspect, George Zimmerman, was motived by racial bias or hatred. By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer / July 12, 2012 FBI report: No evidence George Zimmerman is racist After interviewing 30 people familiar with George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain charged with killing African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, FBI agents found no evidence that the shooting was driven by racial bias or animus. Before Thursday's release of a Department of Justice report, both sides have argued over whether smatterings of racially charged testimony should be released to the public before the trial – in particular, the testimony of “Witness 9,” whom state prosecutors say has described an “act” by Mr. Zimmerman that suggests “he had a bias toward black people.” The report released Thursday made clear that the FBI found no one willing to go on the record as saying Zimmerman is racist. Even one of the most skeptical local investigators with the Sanford, Fla., police department, Chris Serino, suggested to the FBI that Zimmerman followed Trayvon “based on his attire,” not “skin color,” and added that he thought Zimmerman had a “little hero complex,” but is not racist, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which obtained copies of the document. RECOMMENDED: How 5 young black men see the Trayvon Martin case Prosecutors say Zimmerman profiled Trayvon as a criminal (though the teen was doing nothing wrong), followed him, confronted him, and then killed him after a brief scuffle. Zimmerman says he shot Trayvon in self-defense after the teen jumped him, knocked him down, and bashed his head against a sidewalk. The case caused a national uproar over racial profiling and gun laws after local police originally declined to charge Zimmerman. Forty-four days after the shooting, a special state prosecutor charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder. The report outlines how FBI agents asked each person interviewed whether Zimmerman "displayed any bias, prejudice or irrational attitude against any class of citizen, religious, racial, gender or ethnic groups." No one said he had. Despite the FBI’s findings, questions about Zimmerman’s mind-set and possible biases could continue to play a part in his upcoming trial. Three weeks ago, Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester ruled that the “Witness 9” statements should be released, but both the defense and the prosecution pleaded with him to reconsider. In a previously released statement, Witness 9 is quoted as saying, “I know George, and I know that he does not like black people.” Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman's lawyer, has vowed to keep such statements out of the jury’s hands, saying they’re irrelevant to the case. But prosecutors say they’re ready to challenge the issue if Zimmerman tries to bolster his defense by suggesting that race did not play a role in his decisionmaking that night. Other evidence released Thursday included: Details of an old MySpace account featuring a 21-year-old Zimmerman’s writing voice (he's now 28). At one point, he disparaged Mexicans and gloated over having two felony allegations for accosting a police officer reduced to one misdemeanor. “Workin 96 hours to get a decent pay check, getting knifes pulled on you by every Mexican you run into!” Zimmerman wrote in 2005. When the Web page was revealed earlier this year, Mr. O’Mara acknowledged that the statements could complicate the legal case if admitted into evidence. While detailing a slew of robberies in the neighborhood over the winter, the FBI report also includes police documents showing that Zimmerman called 911 four times in the weeks before the shooting to complain about “suspicious” young black males prowling the neighborhood, after a spate of burglaries. In one such call, Zimmerman described a black man going through trash cans in the neighborhood. "He keeps going to this guy's house. I know him. I know the resident. He's Caucasian," Zimmerman said. "He is going up to the house and then going along the side of it and then coming straight and then going back to it. I don't know what he's doing. I don't want to approach him, personally." During his later confrontation with Trayvon, Zimmerman ignored a dispatcher’s warning to stop following the person he had described as a suspicoius black man, and at one point mumbled, “These [expletive] always get away.” Zimmerman is half-white and half-Hispanic. His family has testified that he was a mentor to two poor black kids in the Orlando, Fla., area, and rallied the community to help a homeless black man who had been sucker-punched by a police officer. But questions about Zimmerman’s character and credibility have intensified this summer, after the judge remanded him back to jail for conspiring with his wife, Shellie, to lie about their finances so as to secure a lower bond, and perhaps to plan an escape from the US to flee prosecution. He was rereleased from jail last week on a $1 million bond. RECOMMENDED: How 5 young black men see the Trayvon Martin case Related stories How 5 young black men see the Trayvon Martin case George Zimmerman, the Constitution, and the shifting politics of self-defense Judge's rebuke to George Zimmerman: turning point in Trayvon Martin case?

Actually, Cynique, my purpose was not at all semantic nit picking. To tell you the truth, I recently brought this point up the other day to an organization that I am a part of and I have thought like that for a very long time, but the point was articulated so well in the book that I had recently read by Mumia Abu-Jamal and Marc Lamont Hill that I definitely wanted to share it to make us consider our use of such a reference as "the slaves". I am aware that you cannot quote any of my words that suggest that I was suggesting that the use of the term negates the fact that our people were forced to be exploited and to provide free labor. On the other hand, I am aware that you could quote the words that I used suggesting that we examine our use of that term in reference to how it negates the humanity of our people and our connection to them. On Mumia Abu-Jamal, the name that he was given by his parents is Wesley Cook. He had a very notable career as a journalist that went very well until he started using his position in media to give the voiceless a voice. He had been an activist for most of his young life, but his politics really became refined during his college days. As is the case with many of our people, especially the ones who could best articulate the conditions of the people to the people, who were targeted, by covert government operations at that time, Mumia Abu-Jamal was framed for the murder of a police officer just like Angela Davis was, but luckily in the case of Davis, she was acquitted of the bogus charges. Mumia Abu-Jamal, on the other hand, is a political prisoner to this day who had spent the bulk of his prison sentence on death row. In spite of his own personal struggles, Mumia, who is an award winning journalist, continues to resist and struggle to give voice to the voiceless from prison. TROY! BAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA You got Uncle Ruckus up there, too!! HILARIOUS!! (I swear I can hear that trumbone playing sometimes as I read.)

LOL Troy, you need to add Clayton Bigsby to those images; that looks like a collage of black white supremists. As an aside... Have we ever thought about how we play into our own dehumanization and our disassociation from our ancestors when we refer to them as "the slave"? "Even the most enlightened history books about our people refer to us as 'slaves'. We weren't slaves; we were enslaved. We were captive."-Mumia Abu-Jamal "[That's an important point]. Words like 'slave' allow our humanity to be stripped away. Slaves were brought to America. People were."- Marc Lamont Hill Some of us are even quick to refer to patriotic land hijackers as "our forefathers" yet when it comes to our own blood, they are "the slaves".- Sure there are many of us who are called ' Afrocentric' who romanticize Africa, but how can they be blamed for this? All they have known is the life of exiles in a foreign land. Then there are some of us who are not concerned with the romanticization but with the building of solidarity of continental and diasporan Africans in the spirit of those such as Marcus Garvey, who was a man with very great and practical ideas yet he was surrounded by people who could have helped to make them happen had their minds not been so occupied with the work of building for and working in the best interests of others vs themselves. Yet all is definitely not lost. Some black people are republicans for the very reasons that some black people believe in the democratic party; they appreciate the amenities that it offers them. Many black republicans are businesspeople so while republican initiatives and policies might not be the best for the "regular people" of the black community, they are the best for the businesses/investments that these black republicans are involved in and for the communities that these black republicans live in. Sadly, such black republicans have more incentives to be republicans than black democrats have to be democrats. Yet, the blind allegiance that our people have to the democratic party continues and to make matters worse, those of our people who are democrats are teaching the children to carry the same blind allegiance. It's like something that is done primarily for the sake of tradition. All that being said, however, here is the take away... and it comes to us from Troy. . On a fun note, Herman Cain would have probably been on Romney's VP ticket had he not "fallen from grace" re: sexual allegations. (Actually most likely NOT!!) :-D ...But here is the republican's party to prove that someone like Herman Cain ever even had a chance. Let's see if Alan West will be on the VP ticket.

I read the post about your book in the thread in the other forum. Interesting information.

In the midst of all of those very real things is the thought that we've "arrived", that since we can sit anywhere on the bus as we so please and that, as those t-shirts read, "our president is black", we are free. Loosely quoting Mama Harriet Tubman. "I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew that they were slaves." Perhaps the saddest reality in all of this, Troy, is that our own people will be the first to attack those of us who say that we are under attack, that we are not yet free. The boat can have holes in it and that's quite all right, but don't you dare rock it. Still, as my beloved elder who is now in the realm of ancestors would remind us, we have all been affected and the effects take diffferent forms, but the effects are there. Generation after generation of living in terror and deprivation can screw up even the best of us. Resistance from within, of various degrees and for various reasons, is to be expected. Also, as you said, we need to wake up and do something and it is imperative that it takes place in this order and not the other way around. I feel that it is very important to organize on the grassroots level and not just wait for somebody behind a podium, be this a politician or a 'public intellectual'. When we look around, we see that there are even more churches in da hood than liquor stores. All of these churches and yet there is no community organizing taking place. What is the need for ALL of these different churches anyway? Just think of what could happen if most of the people from these various churches decided to come together with common goals in mind. Why should a thought like this be considered too "ideal"? It was not so long ago that the implementation of such an idea was commonplace, but then again, maybe it is because it's hard to stay asleep when you're being sprayed with water hoses and being attacked by dogs. I have a feeling, however, that if Romney is elected, black people will be forced to wake up. I think that four more years of Obama will be four more years of slumbering while the house continues to burn down, because for most of our people, Obama has been The Great Anesthesiologist. Lastly, in building for the future, the minds of the children should be of utmost importance. We have got to stop thinking that children are too young to be taught about what it is that we are facing and their roles in it.They need to be taught that their gifts/talents are not just for self-centered benefit but that they are primarily for the uplift of the collective. Since we are teaching much of what will be taught and tthey need to be taught very early on that they are being groomed on today to carry the torch on tomorrow.

I love Ledisi! That sista is simply amazing. Hearing her from the heart lyrics is enough to convince me that she has the potental to write a book that would be worth my picking up.. I will be doing just that, too. "Never forget the root of who you are; where you come from." -Ledisi

Indeed, indeed. I sure wondered how public opinion would go about this particular corporate thug life story. I think that they should be made to pay fines and made to serve time, too. We don't seem to recognize thuggery when it is wearing a suit and tie.

Wells Fargo Agrees to $175 Million Settlement Over Lending Discrimination Wells Fargo has denied claims of lending discrimination and said it's settling "solely for the purpose of avoiding contested litigation with" the Justice Department {C} {C} Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images Wells Fargo has denied claims of lending discrimination and said it's settling "solely for the purpose of avoiding contested litigation with" the Justice Department Wells Fargo Bank agreed to pay at least $175 million Thursday to resolve allegations it discriminated against black and Latino home buyers, in what the Justice Department called the second largest settlement over fair lending violations. The bank allegedly charged minority borrowers higher rates and fees and sometimes steered them into subprime loans when they would have qualified for regular loans, Justice Department officials said. At least 34,000 people may have been victimized by the practices in 36 states and the District of Columbia. "This is a case about real people, African American and Latino, who suffered real harm as a result of Wells Fargo's discriminatory lending practices," said Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez, who leads the civil rights division at the Justice Department. Authorities say they reviewed 2.7 million loans that originated between 2004 and 2009, the height of the housing boom. A separate review of loans originated from the bank's own retail business could add about 4,000 more victims to the settlement. Perez, of the civil rights division, offered some examples of how about 30,000 minorities were disadvantaged by higher fees. A black wholesale mortgage customer in the Chicago area, he said, paid on average $2,937 more than a white applicant with similar qualifications. And in Miami, a black borrower seeking a $300,000 loan paid an extra $3,657 in what Perez called a "racial surtax." Wells Fargo said the allegations mostly stem from mortgages sold by independent mortgage brokers. The bank said in a statement that it is "settling this matter solely for the purpose of avoiding contested litigation with the DOJ." Today's deal also covers pending lawsuits filed by the state of Illinois and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Wells Fargo said it would enter into a separate agreement with the city of Baltimore, under which the city will withdraw its lawsuit and the bank will provide funds for community improvement and foreclosure related initiatives. The agreement with Wells Fargo marks the second largest fair lending settlement in history, the Justice Department said, after a deal last December with Countrywide. Bank of America, which owns Countrywide agreed to pay $335 million. As we've reported, a November 2011 report from Center for Responsible Lending found that during the housing bubble "borrowers of color were 'twice as likely to receive subprime loans' than their white counterparts and now that the housing bubble has burst, borrowers of color 'are more than twice as likely to lose their home as white households.'" "The department's action makes clear that we will hold financial institutions accountable, including some of the nation's largest, for lending discrimination," said deputy attorney general Jim Cole.

Comparison Between two party and Multi-Party System Ajay Rathore Two Party vs. Multi-Party Systems: Democracy has functioned as successfully in multi-party systems as in two- party system. There are, however, certain relative advantages and disadvantages of a particular system. To begin with, the supporters of multi-party system argue that: (a) it more effectively corresponds to the division of public opinion especially in a plural society like India; ( it represents and satisfies the aspirations of diverse interest groups; © under this system, a voter can choose among more parties and candidates than available under the two-party system; (d) it reduces the fear of absolutism of the majority; and finally (e) it is more flexible because under this system groups can be freely organized, can unite and separate in accordance with the exigencies of the circumstances. In theory the multi-party system, has much in its favour, in practice not so much. As we see in India today, inability of any single party to command absolute majority and consequent inevitability of forming coalition government led to the crisis of stable government in India. The members of the Council of Ministers instead of working under the leadership of the Prime Minister seek guidance from their party bosses and even a single Member of Parliament tries to blackmail the government by threatening to withdraw its support. Not surprisingly, the government does not find enough time to devote attention to the task of governance as it remains busy with keeping its partners in good humour even at the cost of national interest. The major party is also forced to abandon its electoral pledge to cobble a majority in the lower house of legislature. The Cabinet in consequence comes to represent, not a general body of opinions, but a patchwork of doctrines leading to a gap between the electorate and the government. On the other hand, the supporters of two-party system argue that is enables the people to choose their government directly at the polls as voter is not perplexed by a multiplicity of candidates and he can simply opt between the two. Secondly, it providers unity of policy in the government since the party in power does not have to depend upon any other. This facilitates effectiveness of the government. Thirdly, two parties hold each other in check and prevent either from being too extreme, since each party shall try to win over the supporters of the other and to appeal to independent voters. Fourthly, as democracy is supposed to be guided by the public opinion, the two-party system provides an ideal condition for debating the issues between two opposite camps. Laski, therefore, observes, "A political system is more satisfactory, the more it is able to express itself through the antithesis of two great parties." But the two-party system has to pay certain price for the stability provided by it. This system implies that there are only two schools of thought in a country. In reality, however, there is always a variety of opinions and ideas present in process of political thought and discussion. This is seldom recognized in a two-party system. Certain artificiality is thus inevitably introduced into this system leading to the establishment of vested interests in public opinion which is best illustrated by the American spoils system. In addition, the two-party system brings about the decline of legislature and paves the way for cabinet dictatorship. The party in power backed by a solid majority inside the legislature reduces the latter to its play-thing. In view of the above-mentioned advantages and disadvantages of the multi­party and two-party systems, it is not prudent to lay down a general rule concerning the desirability of a particular type of party system in all countries. As such the merits and demerits of the various party systems need to be seen in the context of various social, economic and historical forces at work in a given country. The whole world need not be patterned according to English or American way of life. In fact, what is most crucial in this regard is the nature of political culture. If the splintering process in the multi-party structure operates within a broad framework of normative and institutional consensus, the party structure is not likely to experience enormous strain as we find in the case of Scandinavian countries.

Two-Party System Summary: Is a two-party system preferable to a multi-party system? Introduction Author: Dr. Kevin J. Minch ( United States ) Context The political systems of several nations are dominated by two parties, most notably the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Other countries are nearly two-party systems, in the sense that two parties dominate and one or two smaller third parties ensure one or the other major parties maintains power (Germany being a good example). These systems stand in contrast to multi-party parliamentary systems where coalitions regularly shift (Israel, Japan, various Eastern European countries, various Latin American democracies). Recent developments have seen a number of countries, such as France and Italy, move towards a more two-party system as a number of smaller parties have come together under an umbrella organisation for the purpose of contesting elections. On the other hand, after the 2010 general election the UK now has a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government for the first time since 1945. The 2010 Australian election also failed to provide a majority in parliament for any one party. There are strong voices on either side of the debate over which kind of system is preferable. Some countries began more as multi-party systems, but they gradually settled into a two-party pattern as the electorate’s preferences polarized. Other countries, traditionally dominated by one or two parties, have seen the gradual emergence of influential third parties (such as in Canada). Advocates of the multi-party system are fond of its diversity and the fact that it forces coalition building. Advocates of the two-party model argue that those governments are more stable and experienced. Pros Cons Where two-party systems have emerged it is either the result, or reflection of the will of the electorate. Often the two parties represent key ideological divisions within society over the direction of policy, e.g. between left and right, small government and activist government, liberalism and authoritarianism. Most voters have little interest in the minutiae of policy, but they can understand the broad political choices presented them by a two-party system and make their decisions at election time accordingly. While ideology and the will of the electorate may have been a factor at one stage in the development of a two-party democracy, these are historic factors that limit political progress today. The cold war with its left/right divisions is over and ideological labels are increasingly meaningless as, for example, traditional parties of the left have embraced the market. Such historic precedents mean that third parties often find it difficult to emerge later, even if they have a decent following. The dominant parties tend to shape electoral rules to the exclusion of smaller parties, and the more dominant parties tend to be the most successful at raising funds. This eventually reduces the choice of the electorate. Governments in two party systems are more able to drive their policies through the legislature as they have a clear majority of the representatives there. This means they can implement important changes quickly and without compromise. Multi-party systems tend to produce coalition governments which have to work to balance interests and produce a consensus around the need for change. This makes it more likely that such changes will be accepted by the country at large and not reversed at the next election. Because two-party systems tend to be less volatile in terms of election results, voters retain their representatives as incumbents longer. This means the level of experience of legislators is greater. This results in better and more consistent policy, and more effective scrutiny of the executive. Incumbency can mean complacency. The longer people hold office, the more comfortable they become and the less likely they are to take risks and make controversial decisions. They can even end up "captured" by lobbyists and losing touch with their electorate. The freer marketplace of ideas in a multi-party system forces politicians to adapt their message and become more responsive to minority voices. Two-party systems are more stable. Because parliamentary majorities in multi-party systems can shift suddenly, those systems are far less stable. Multi-party systems are also less fair to the electorate, as the government and policies formed after an election are often the result of backroom deals between parties, not on the basis of manifesto promises and the number of votes cast. The threat of a no-confidence vote, a collapsing coalition, or the departure of a coalition partner from a governing majority forces leaders to make compromises and compromises make for policies that serve the interest of the majority of the voters. Moreover, most countries have mechanisms in their constitutions to ensure a relatively smooth transition to a new government and new elections. Two-party systems better reflect mainstream, centrist views. In order to remain competitive with only one other competitor, parties will tend to moderate their platforms. Moderation is not necessarily in the public’s best interest. A multi-party system helps to ensure the views of a variety of different interests are considered when policy is made. Voters get more of a choice in the platforms they wish to support in a multi-party structure, ensuring that minority groups’ interests have a voice in the political process.

Troy, predictable is correct. Biden was there in front of the NAACP, twangin n' politickin. Surprisingly, he didn't say, "Where my homeez iz at?" Actually, he sounded as if he were trying too hard to do that trying- too- hard -East- Side -High- pep- rally voice that Obama uses when he addresses certain people. Anyway, back to your adjective: predictable... The claps and the amen-vibe overtook the event as expected. (My people, my people. ) I don't know if I would consider Obama's not attending an example of ill advising. It is probably the best move in terms strategically speaking. Especially this close to elections? Almost sure to be a suicide move.Think of all the black people that would probably be out there waiting to meet him with protests at such an event. The Press would have a field's day! Think of all the people who are not of color (and some of color) who would think that this would be an example of catering too much to one group of people. Those are just a few brief possibilities, but his attendance would have most likely opened and re-opened way too many doors of public discussion that could have a negative affect on public opinion. I guess he and his team weighed the pros against the cons of attending the convention and decided that the potential cons outweighed the potential pros. As an afterthought, some are already calling Biden's NAACP speech "divisive" as he mentioned Jeremiah Wright in a way that was not negative. I wonder what doors this alone might have opened /re-opened. Hmm... I'm not an Obama fan a'tall, but that does not make me blind to the fact that this president has got to be the most scrutinized, most criticized president of all time. I mean let's face it. We know that it is because of his race that he had to face so much even before he got sworn in to the office, because of his race that he didn't even really enjoy the benefit of the traditional "honeymoon" period. Every step he makes, there will be those on the left criticizing him for not doing enough, those in the center that feel as if he could be doing more and those on the right who first of all hate his chicken and watermelon smelling guts and outside of feel that he has done way too much. I recognize all of that........ but he still ain't gettin no sympathy vote from this one. Will my -1 vote make a dent in the elections? I suspect that it will not. Yet, that is far less important to me than knowing that I will not add a drop to the bucket of piss that is, yet again, about to splashed in our faces..

Wow. And we are free? You know how people do the "iIt's complicated" thing to an otherwise yes or no question? Well, that seems to be a very much "complicated" freedom.

It's such a wonderful experience. I can't even call it a book.

If Obama is the anti-christ, that is GREAT NEWS! For it won't be long til King Geezus comes down from the sky and makes all the bad people PAY BIG TIME!!!! Oh snap, I wonder if I made the 144,000. (All my bein good betta not prove to be a waste like it did in the case of Santa Clause!) LOL@ "I do love that music." Romney got booed. :-( Perhaps the crowd would have been much more receptive (possibly downright minon-like) if he played a saxophone and supported policies that were against African American interests yet belonged to the democratic party.

As an aside, I LOVE FRANTZ FANON!

Thank you, Brother. There have been quite a few times that I have seen great insight offered on there on HuffPuff's 'Black Voices' and have quoted it, but what you just said has caused me to not support the madness that is going on there. However, I'm just a reader. Imagine what could happen if the writers had such a mentality about their own exploitation.

The Classroom and the Cell: Conversations on Black Life in America by Mumia Abu-Jamal and Marc Lamont Hill Praise for The Classroom and The Cell This poignant volume gives voice to what is rarely heard: African American men speaking for themselves, without barriers or filters, about the many forces impacting their lives. From their discussions about love to those about the state of emergency our educational system is in, Mar Lamont Hill and Mumia Abu-Jamal offer us an important gift of insight and analysis and we must treasure it. -Susaan L. Taylor Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Essence Magazine Founder, National CARES Mentoring Movement This book is extraordinary. It's a glass of cool water for all those who, like me, often feel stranded in the barren desert of contemporary political discourse. Marc and Mumia's brilliance, candor, openness, humor, and insight will rejuvenate and nourish you- while also challenging you to think more deeply, more honestly and more courageously about our individual experience and our collective struggle for genuine liberation. - Michelle Alexander Civil rights lawyer, legal scholar, and author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Mumia Abu-Jamal and Marc Lamont Hill have consistently challenged and inspired me. Now, with this book of conversations, the entire world can see their brilliance, courage and deep love for Black people. This book will change your life! -Talib Kweli Hiphop artist and activist The Classroom and the Cell allows us to see how we are captured in the daily grind of our lives and how, while even on death row, brilliance breaks through and takes us to school. Complex, provocative, and deeply moving, Mumia Abu-Jamal and Marc Lamont Hill exemplify the power of loving, democratic conversation in the service of fundamental change. -Dr, Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Chair, African American Studies Department, Princeton University

Gotta love Mama Zora Neale Hurston "How the Brother was Called to Preach" Aw, Ah don't pay all dese ole preachers no rabbit-foot," said Ellis Jones. "Some of 'em is all right but everybody dats up in de pulpit whoopin' and hollerin' ain't called to preach. "They ain't no different from nobody else," added B. Moseley. They mouth is cut cross ways, ain't it? Well, long as you don't see no man wid they mouth cut up and down, you know they'll all lie jus' like de rest of us." "Yeah; and hard work in de hot sun done called a many a man to preach," said a woman called Gold for no evident reason. "Ah heard about one man out clearin off some new ground. De sun was so hot till a grindstone melted and run off in de shade to cool off. De man was so tired till he went and sit down on a log. 'Work, work, work! Everywhere Ah go de boss say hurry, de cap'n say run. Ah got a durn good notion not to do nary one. Wisht Ah was one of dese preachers wid a whole lotta folks makin' my support for me. ' He looked back over his shoulder and seen a narrer li'l strip of shade along side of de log, so he got over dere and laid down right close up to de log in de shade and said, 'Now Lawd if you don't pick me up and chunk me on the other side of dis log, Ah know you done called me to preach. "You know God never picked 'im up, so he went off and tot' everybody dat he was called to preach." "There's many a one been called just lak dat," Ellis corroborated. "Ah knowed a man dat was called by a mule." "A mule, Ellis?" said Little Ida. "All dem b'lieve dat, stand on they head," said Little Ida. "Yeah, a mule did call a man to Preach. Ah'11 show you how it was done, if you,stand a straightenin'." "Now, Ellis, don't mislay de truth. Sense us into dis mule callin' business." Ellis: "O Lawd, Ah wants to preach. Ah feel lak Ah got a message.If you don called me to preach, gimme a sign." Just 'bout dat time he heard a voice, "Wanh, uh wanh! Go preach, go preach, go preach! He went and tol' everybody, but look lak he never could git no big charge . All he ever got called was on some saw mill , half-pint church or some turpentine still. He knocked around lak dat for ten years and then he seen his brother. De big preacher says, "Brother, you don't look like you gittin' holt of much." "You tellin' dat right, brother. Groceries is ain't dirtied a plate today." "Whut's de matter? Don't you git no support from your church?" "Yeah, Ah gits it such as it is, but Ah ain't never pastored no big church. Ah don get called to nothin' but sawmill camps and turpentine stills." De big preacher reared back and thought a while, then he ast de other one, "is you sure you was called to preach? Maybe you ain't cut out for no preacher." "Oh, yeah," he told him. "Ah know Ah been called to de ministry. A voice spoke and tol'me so." "Well, seem lak if God called you He is mighty slow in puttin' yo' foot on de ladder.If Ah was you Ah'd go back and ast 'im again. So de po' man went on back to de prayin' ground agin and got down on his knees. But there wasn't no big woods like it used to be. It has been all cleared off. He prayed and said, "Oh, Lawd, right here on dis spot ten years ago Ah ast you if Ah was called to preach and a voice tole me to go preach. Since dat time Ah been strugglin' in Yo' moral vineyard, but Ah ain't gathered no grapes. Now, if you really called me to preach Christ and Him crucified, please gimme another sign." Sho nuff, jus' as soon as he said dat, de voice said "Wanh-uh! Go preach! Go preach! Go preach!" De man jumped up and says, "Ah knowed Ah been called. Dat's de same voice. Dis time Ah'm goin ter ast Him where must Ah go preach." By dat time de voice come agin and he looked 'way off and seen a mule in de plantation lot wid his head all stuck out to bray agin, and he said, "Unh hunh, youse de very son of a gun dat called me to preach befo'. " So he went on off and got a job plowin'. Dat's whut he was called to do in de first place. TOP These was two bothers and 'one of 'em was a big Preacher and had good collections every Sunday. He didn't pastor nothin' but big charges. De other brother decided he wanted to preach so he went way down in de swamp behind a big plantation to de place they call de prayin' ground, and got down on his knees. ? Armetta said, "A many one been called to de plough and they run off and got up in de pulpit. Ah wish dese mules knowed how to take a pair of plow-lines and go to de church and ketch some of 'em like they go to de lot with a bridle and ketch mules. " Ellis: Ah knowed one preacher dat was called to preach at one of dese split-off churches. De members had done split off from a big church because they was all mean and couldn't git along wid nobody. Dis preacher was a good man, but de congregation was so tough he couldn't make a convert in'a whole year. So he sent and invited another preacher to come and conduct a revival meeting for him. De man he ast to come was a powerful hard preacher wid a good strainin' voice. He was known to get converts. Well, he come and preached at dis split-off for two whole weeks. De people would all turn out to church and jus' set dere and look at de man up dere strainin' his lungs out nobody would give de man no encouragement by sayin' "Amen," and not a soul bowed down. It was a narrer church wid one winder and dat was in pulpit and de door was in de front end. Dey had a mean ole sexton wid a wooden leg. So de last night of de protracted meetin' de preacher come to church wid his grip sack in his hand and went on up in de pulpit. When he got up to preach he says, "Brother Sexton, dis bein' de last night of de meetin' Ah wants you to lock de do' and bring me de key. Ah want everybody to stay and hear whut At got to say. De sexton brought him de key and he took his tex and went to preachin'. He preached and he reared and pitched but nobody said "Amen" and nobody bowed down. So 'way after while he stooped down and opened his suitsatchel and out wid his .44 Special. "Now," he said, "you rounders and brick-bats --yeah, you women, Ah'm talkin' you. If you ain't a whole brick, den you must be a bat and gamblers and 'leven-card layers. Ah done preached to you for two whole weeks and not one of you has said 'Amen,' and nobody has bowed down." He thowed de gun on 'em. "And now Ah say bow down!" And they beginned to bow all over dat church. De sexton looked at his wooden leg and figgered he couldn't bow because his leg was cut off above de knee. S ohe ast, "Me too, Elder?" "Yeah, you too, you peg-leg son of a gun. You bow down too. " Therefo' dat sexton bent dat wooden leg and bowed down. De preacher fired a couple of shots over they heads and stepped out de window and went on 'bout his busines But he skeered dem people so bad till they all rushed to one side of de church tryin' to git out and carried dat church buildin' twenty-eight miles befo' they thought to turn it loose.