For those of you who don’t regularly read Michelle Obama Watch, its been foolishness central this week.
First, we had TY, the Beanie Baby manufacturer calling all of the American people stupid fools to our faces by trying to convince us that their new dolls, Malia and Sasha, were NOT inspired by the weeMichelles. It is just a coincidence that the only Black dolls EVER were named after the weeMichelles. Yeah Right.
The poor leader of the Black Artists Association who complained about Michelle Obama not wearing a Black designer at the inauguration revealed that the Black Artists Association doesn’t even represent Black designers and they have been getting death threats since the remarks. I bet they wish folks were singing “Kum Ba Ya” right about now. But seriously people, chill out.
Reporters keep pushing the meme that FLOTUS Michelle Obama is a high voodoo priestess who is exercising mind control over President Obama. Tim Shipman: “Michelle Obama: the real power behind the presidency”. Yeah we know how all that “co-President” stuff went for Hillary Clinton. First Lady Obama isn’t going to play Wiley Cayote to the media’s Road Runner. Beep! Beep!
Baby Bump Watch
I started seeing pregnancy rumors pop up on the gossip blogs because delusional American’s everywhere believe that they are seeing FLOTUS Michelle Obama sporting a “baby bump”. Nope folks, that was body armor. Folks have been spotting baby bumps as far back as June when FLOTUS Michelle Obama sported the purple Maria Pinto dress. If she was pregnant back then, the baby would be teething in the womb by now.
Rumors of Michelle Obama’s pregnancy have been swirling around D.C. for weeks. Yet neither Michelle or Barack have denied the rumor leading to more rampant speculation. It isn’t like they aren’t aware of the rumors. We know Michelle reads the blogs.Anyway, congrats to them. And I might add that if it’s another girl: Sandra Rose Obama has a nice ring to it. Sandra Rose
Y’all have fun running around looking for little green men, a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, calorie-free chocolate, diet pills that help you lose 20 pounds in one week, and imaginary FLOTUS baby bumps. Have a great weekend folks!
FLOTUS=First Lady Of The United States… for all of you who never watched The West Wing. I miss that show.
Have I mentioned lately that journalism is dead? DEAD as a doorknob. Because what else would explain the ridiculous reporting on the mass slaughter of an entire family. To read the headlines, you would think that Ervin Lupoe was some tragic figure caught up in the aftermath of the economic downturn. He’s not. He’s a brutal woman and child killer.
The murder-suicide of seven members of the Lupoe family in Wilmington is a tragic reminder of what despair can lead to in troubled times such as our current economic crisis. This is a wake-up call for all of us to do everything we can to avoid such tragedies in the future. La Opinion
The edge, in this case, is not just a distressed individual committing suicide but taking out his or her family, too. This horrific and desperate act has been tragically played out three times in the last two weeks in Los Angeles County. Each time a family member, apparently despondent over job loss or financial worries, killed himself and other family members. New American Media
Then this nugget from the Mayor of Los Angeles:
With unemployment in Los Angeles at a 14-year high of 9.5 per cent and climbing – higher than the national rate – Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa fears there could be more.
‘Unfortunately this has become an all too common story in the last few months but that does not and should not lead people to resort to extreme measures,’ said Villaraigosa. ‘I don’t think there is any shame in this economy for anybody who has been laid off in accessing support and help to get through this because it is a traumatic experience.’Source
Folks are attempting to tie mass execution of innocents to job losses sweeping the country, but reports are that Ervin did not lose his job because of an economic downturn. He and his wife were medical technicians who were let go for non-economic reasons.
This had NOTHING to do with the economy. Ervin Lupoe was fired for cause, not layed off. There is a difference.
The man believed to be responsible for killing his wife, five children and himself in Wilmington had been fired from his hospital job along with his wife for allegedly forging a supervisor’s signature on a child care application, according to Kaiser Permanente officials. LA Times
This was a classic case of a narcissist and control freak attempting to exercise control over his family through violence. ..and a cowardly control freak at that. Because what else would explain his defamation of his murdered wife on his way to HELL.
Instead of accepting full responsibility for slaughtering his children, he blames his wife and says they got together and had a “conference” about how it would be in everyone’s best interest for them to “not leave the kids” to someone else.
Lupoe wrote in the fax, “after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone else’s hands … we have no job and 5 children under 8 years with no place to go.[Yet he called his wife's brother to tell them she was dead. ].” Source
Bull@%$!
Then came the words that left Ramirez stunned. Lupoe said, “Your sister and the kids are dead,” a source familiar with the case said. Lupoe asked Ramirez to leave the keys to the house in one of the family cars so the police wouldn’t break down the door. “Then he said, ‘I’m sorry, I had to do it. We love you and I’m next,’ ” and he hung up, sources said. LA Times
You think this crazed loon actually sat down and had a rational discussion with his wife? He didn’t have a rational discussion with his boss. He didn’t have a rational discussion with the bank. He didn’t have a rational discussion with the unemployment insurance folks. He didn’t have a rational discussion with any family or friends to see if they could provide temporary assistance, but he wants us to believe that he and his wife got together and had a problem solving session and came up with this solution together? yeah right!
The family car was packed to head to stay with relatives in Kansas:
Cortez says Lupoe planned to take his family to his brother-in-law in Garden City, Kan. The family’s vehicle was packed with children’s clothing and snow chains. AP
For all we know, Anna Lupoe thought she and her kids were on their way to Kansas. And how do we know that Ana Lupoe even knew Ervin had forged his supervisor’s signature on the daycare form?
So yesterday while listening to the radio, why was some psychologist talking about the role Mrs Lupoe played in the murders? What evidence do we have that this woman had any inkling that her husband was about to go on a murderous rampage?
Ana Lupoe was “always talking about the kids,” said co-worker Hamlet Narvaez. Source
Why are we believeing a man who faxed his suicide note to news stations? Clearly he wanted to control the narrative about what he did. You know what? IT WORKED.
Why isn’t the media covering this as a domestic violence story? Why is this cold blooded murderer being treated like a victim?
Today everyone is reporting that Lupoe had “CONSIDERABLE DEBT.” So what’s considerable?
Detective David Cortez said Wednesday that Ervin Lupoe was at least one month behind on his mortgage. He says the 40-year-old Lupoe owed at least $15,000 to the Internal Revenue Service and thousands more on a line of credit. Source
15,000, 25,000, 50,000 is not “considerable debt” That’s the average student laon burden for most college students these days.
This ain’t the first time folks have lost their jobs? I grew up in an area where the petrochemical industry was the largest employer. Do you know how many times plants closed down?
The worst case scenario in a bad economy is homelessness and starvation and both are optional. Yes I said OPTIONAL. It ain’t PC, but its true. You could always move to the woods near a fresh water source, hallow out a tree for shelter and live off the land.
Or pick up the kids and move to several small towns that are giving away land to increase the population -sell your blood plasma- sign up to be a human test subject- give the house back to the bank take whichever car is paid off and live in the dayum car- ask a relative to take your kids- ask a relative to stay in their garage- go get a job at Taco Bell….or here is a stretch…head to the Gulf Coast, plenty of construction work- not to mention thy are building a liquified natural gas terminal and that means lots of high wage refinery construction jobs.
To repeat, this man would have been fired during an economic boomtime. He wasn’t fired from his job because of the economy. He was fired for fraud. That alone OUGHT to be a sign that you shouldn’t believe a word he says.
The news media is too obsessed with reliving the great depression. Nope, this is the run of the mill domestic violence case we hear too often about and I am offended that these people would print this man’s final act of control by dragging his wife into this. Ervin Lupoe did this. He didn’t do it because he was broke. He didn’t do this because of the economic downturn. He did this because he was a control freak with no impulse control and you can’t convince me that Ana Lupoe was involved in any way.
Another What About Solutions post from WAOD reader Lorraine:
A great opportunity for our girls!
Let’s start them young. This program also builds self-esteem…they do not need to be interested in politics to be chosen to attend!
COST: The program is entirely FREE of charge, and travel scholarships are available to sophomores, juniors and seniors!
Running Start is accepting applications for their 2009 Young Woman’s Political Leadership Retreat. Please share with teachers and encourage any high school girls you know to apply!!!
WHAT: Running Start encourages high school girls from across the country to channel their leadership into politics. Participants will meet extraordinary women leaders of diverse backgrounds and learn the importance of having more women in political leadership and running for office. EVEN if the girls are not interested in politics, this is a great program way for them to build self-esteem, practice public speaking and learn to collaborate with other young women.
WHO: Open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school
WHERE: American University, Washington D.C.
WHEN: July 15-19, 2009 (no applications will be accepted after February 16, 2009)
COST: The program is entirely FREE of charge, and travel scholarships are available.
WAOD Application Assistance
Don’t let the essay portion stop Black girls from applying. We’ll go the extra mile with this What About Solutions post and offer to hold a teleconference to help high school students interested in filling out their application. Literally!
Whew! I made it through the first month of 2009 keeping my promise to feature solutions to many of the problems we address everyday on this blog. This is our last What About Solutions entry for January. YAY! If you want to promote a group or individuals fighting the War on Black women, click on “contact” at the top of the page and let us know. Our final entry is The Sisterhood Agenda Join the Movement Campaign:
Sisterhood Agenda, Inc. is a global, award-winning nonprofit organization created to uplift and aid in the self-development of women and girls of African descent, a historically at-risk and traditionally underserved population. Sisterhood Agenda serves over 3 million women and girls each year in over 30 countries.
Sisterhood Agenda creates and centralizes resources for females of African descent to address health, cultural, social, and economic needs through a variety of innovative approaches, publications, programs and services.
Sisterhood Agenda recognizes that the most effective programs often operate at the grassroots level. Sisterhood Agenda’s social impact is expanded through partnerships with agencies, individuals and businesses throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, United Kingdom, and Africa. Sisterhood Agenda
Here are ways that founder Angela Coleman says you can becoem involved:
This post is about Goliath, not David. I could go on and on about David and his “issues” with women.
Yesterday, we had a guest post where a WAOD reader asked a rhetorical question about her dream that Barack Obama would shut down gangsta’ rap right after he closed down Guantanamo Bay. Part of her post addresses the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling honing in on inauguration festivities and like the good narcissists that they are, making the whole thing “all about them.” In particular the profane rants of Young Jeezy and Jay-Z. ( I’m mad I have to type “Jeezy”)
That sparked the typical circular conversation about the musical mustard gas of the Regime of Bullets, Booty and Bling – what it is, what it isn’t, and how it affects women and girls in this country. Just reading it tired me out.
I’m not going to lie, inaugural events were slightly marred by the conspicuous participation of people who believe that I, as a woman, am less than human. It was marred by the conspicuous presence of people who promote indiscriminate violence against Black people, mass distribution of illegal drugs and celebrate “pimping” aka human sex trafficking. If you think the election of a Black president means the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling are going to slink off into the sunset, you’re deluding yourself. If anything it means that the giant is more cocky than ever having wrapped himself in the cloak of respectability.
Many of you watching may have wondered how on earth you can battle Goliath when he’s hanging out with the President of the United States. That’s what Goliath wants you to think that he’s close to the center of power and thus respectable and invulnerable.
Believing Goliath’s PR blitz many of us fell into old habits. We sat around talking about Goliath. Complaining about Goliath, but nobody wants to walk up to Goliath and whack him between the eyes. We’re just falling for Goliath’s propaganda.
When someone comes on this blog and tries to argue that the EXCLUSIVE depiction of Black girls as sexually available props and prostitutes has no affect on the way Black girls are treated by others and the way they treat themselves – That’s propaganda.
When that person claims to be attempting to prevent HIV in young Black girls and can say with a straight face that the culture and the devaluation of Black girl’s bodies might not affect their willingness or ability to care for themselves. -That’s propaganda.
When they argue that repeatedly sending the message that the only way to gain the love an affection of a man is through granting access to your body doesn’t make young Black girls risk their lives for the semblance of the love they clearly crave. That’s propaganda.
When someone tries to make you think that rich powerful interests haven’t infected Black culture and used it to promote a narrow set of values and view points THAT’S propaganda.
When someone tells you that the Regime of Bullets, Booty and Bling is in decline and will just die out on its own-Propaganda. Wishful thinking!
Propaganda works. You know it. I know it. If apologists of the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling choose to ignore that the Hip Hop Corprotocracy has chosen to reward and provide a platform only to those willing to step enthusiastically into the role of modern minstrel – THAT’S Propaganda.
Propaganda tells you that its the “little people’s” fault because if only they would all collectively decide individually on their own without prompting to stop buying garbage, then none of this would be happening. In other words, don’t blame the musical mustard gas, blame the people who are choking on it for not being stronger and wiser. Blame the slaves for slavery instead of the slaveholders because all they had to do was rebel and take over since the southerners were out numbered. Forget the concept of power, money, influence and psychology.-That’s propaganda
Folks what you saw inauguration weekend when the Regime of Bullets, Booty, and Bling descended on Washington, DC like a plague of locusts at NBA All Star Weekend is a clear attempt at gaining power in “respectable” circles. Propaganda everywhere like the BET ball. If Barack Obama had embraced BET’s values, then I doubt he’d be president.
Propaganda like the Trade association for musical mustard gas, the Hip Hop Summit Action Network handing out awards to T.I. and Young Jeezy. As if someone should be recognized for being a felon and attempting to acquire automatic weapons so that when he attempts to kill, he can take out as many people as possible. Give him an award for working with the kids in the community after being forced to by the courts. Give him a gold star! Act as if exercising your right to vote deserves a prize!
Let me tell you how good the HSAN is with propaganda, they actually have a program to “support women’s” empowerment. Uh huh.
Its all propaganda to further normalize the systematic dehumanization of Black woman and Black boys. Yes, Black boys, because what could be more dehumanizing than celebrating indiscriminate violence or engaging in risky entrepreneurial ventures that will land most regla’ Black men in jail for 10 to 20 behind nonsense.
Is a musical genre responsible for all that ails Black America? No. but you can’t ignore the impact of a propaganda machine that pushes a narrow stereotype incessantly.
They’re good at it. So good that this year, the NAACP is giving the VANGUARD AWARD to Russell Simmons. According to the NAACP, Simmons is receiving this award because:
Simmons has been instrumental in bringing the powerful influence of hip-hop culture to every facet of business and media since its inception. His groundbreaking vision was crystallized with partner Rick Rubin in the creation of the seminal Def Jam Recordings in 1984, launching the cultural revolution known as hip-hop. He has been credited as the most influential mogul in the genre, producing and/or managing such early hip-hop artists as Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, and the Beastie Boys to signing superstars like Jay-Z , Foxy Brown and Ludacris.NAACP
Now according to the NAACP, the Vanguard Award is supposed to go to to the person whose work increases understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. Then do me a favor and Google the lyrics of Foxy Brown, Jay-Z and Ludicris. Does “Move B*tch Get Out the Way” Ring a bell? Don’t y’all feel empowered?
It doesn’t get more “respectable ” than the largest and oldest Civil Rights organization giving you their most prestigious award. We might think the NAACP is an obsolete dinosaur that’s indifferent to the suffering of Black women and girls, but in many circles their still regarded with some esteem.
Some of Russell Simmon’s favorite propaganda is that the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling combats racism and brings Black folks and White folks together. Brilliant propaganda and true! He’s right.
Nothing brings Black men and White men together better than the Black man’s willingness to play a stereotypical role.
Name on current dominant hip hop character that doesn’t come right out of central casting? If y’all trot out Common, then you get an “F” try someone else for a change other than the token “message rapper.” That’s a propaganda too!
Another way to view Simmon’s and the NAACMP’s (National Association for the Advancement of Male Colored People) latest piece of pro misogyny propaganda is that what currently disguises itself as “Hip Hop” brings folks together is that nothing brings men together better than the wholesale marginalization and dehumanization of Black women. But you won’t be Hearing that at this year’s Image Awards.
The Bastille of Bullets, Booty and Bling will crumple to the ground only when the frustrated plebeians march on is and dismantle it brick by brick.
That means driving a wedge between the mainstream money which is paying to prop up the Regime of Bullets, Booty and Bling. By mainstream I mean Disney, Jet Blue Air Ways, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Jet Blue and KFC sponsored that trade association ball where violent felons were celebrated. Are those the values of Jet Blue and KFC customers? Disney was responsible for that “Neighbor Hood Ball” the guest post was complaining about yesterday.
Take a look at who is paying for Russell Simmon’s Vanguard Award:
Chrysler (Didn’t they ask me for some bailout money?
Fedex
Southwest Airlines
American Airlines
Bank of America ( more of my bailout money)
Blockbuster
Ford ( more of my tax money being funneled)
Safe Way
Are these companies’ corporate values consistent with marginalizing Black women and girls? Dose Fedex think B*tches need to move and “get out the way?” Does southwest airlines believe in the “”Il Na Na”. Does Ford have “99 Problems But a B*tch Ain’t One?” They must since they are subsidizing an award to Russell Simmons because he helped produce and disseminate these messages.
This Inaugural weekend Goliath roared. He taunted. He showed you that he had been wrapped in the warm embrace of the establishment. In a celebration of freedom, Goliath, a promoter of the mass exploitation and cultural enslavement of Black women tried to tell you how big he is. How powerful he’s become. Everywhere you looked this weekend, there was Goliath. It was all obfuscation and redirection-propaganda.
Goliath doesn’t care how much you talk about him. Goliath wants you to talk about him. He wants you to go out and tell the world how big he is, how invulnerable he is, how invincible he is. He want’s you to waste time arguing with his henchmen and henchwomen over whether or not he’s as bad as you say he is. Goliath taunts you and calls your arguments against him unfounded and weak. Goliath has good propaganda. His propaganda was so good everyone was afraid to fight him. So they sit around and trade stories about him.
The regime knows most of you aren’t prepared to fight. They don’t fear you, and they have no reason to. Because Black folks have been complaining about the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling for 20 years, but the only rocks we want to throw are aimed at Goliath’sfeet. We want to go have panel discussions and a colloquy. We want to come on blogs and post comments about what we WiSH somebody else would do.
Heaven help us if we find a David or Davina and then we want them to offer themselves again and again to fight Goliath until they get tired and Goliath wacks their head off when they run out of stones.
A few of you are in touch with what must be done and the consequences if you don’t do it. If you are one of those people, ignore the comments section. Don’t believe people who tell you that the Regime of Bullets Booty and Bling is going to give up because of poor record sales or fade off into the sunset. Even if it did, what would replace it?
Stop trying to convince people. Go to war with the army you have. If your army is an army of one, you reject the heavy armor of the King. You don’t need to be wearing Goliath’s bling and cereal box-inspired neck pendants. Travel lightly with 5 rocks and a slingshot.
When Goliath taunts you. Don’t waiver but don’t run out onto the battle field running around swinging on emotion because Goliath ticked you off. Even if you have to pause for 40 days, that’s cool because you only need one good shot. Don’t aim at Goliath’s feet or his armor. Hit Goliath direct between the eyes and watch how quickly he falls on his face.
If any of you happen to show up outside the taping of the Image Awards with some placards, take lots of pictures and send them in. I’d love to post them. If any of you ask Ford, Fedex, and Southwest Airlines whether they agree with the values of Def Jam records, let me know and I’ll publish their letters. If you get together with five friends and take out a full page add in Los Angels or Baltimore newspapers pointing out the hypocrisy. I’ll republish it here. But if all you want to do is whimper and whine about how big and strong Goliath is or engage in the foolish wishful thinking that Goliath is goign to slink away without a battle, please stay back at the camp.
The following is a guest post sunbmitted by WAOD reader Kwhyte. The WAOD benevolent dictator added the video.Read her whole post before you comment on the title. She answers her own question.
Watching President Obama and First Lady Michelle dance their first official dance to Beyonce’s cover of Etta James’ “At Last”, at the Neighborhood Ball, I was so overcome with emotion that I actually wept. However, soon after Jay-Z took the stage, I cringed. You know that collective cringe many black people feel anytime they hear gangsta rap songs chock full of sexual, criminal, and misogynistic references? It’s that cringe you feel when you hear anyone, especially a black person use the N word as if it doesn’t carry the pain and oppression of an entire race of people.
When I saw Jay-Z take the stage, I naively thought that he would have written a G rated rap song about the Obamas who represent the best of all of us. I imagined a rap song that would have extolled the virtues of education, hard work, and an unyielding love of family and country. I foolishly allowed myself to get a bit excited, thinking that I would finally be able to dance to a mainstream rap song that portrayed blacks in their most favorable light. But, by the time I heard the second verse of Jay Z’s “History”, my shoulders sank as I listened to the lyrics. Here is a sample from verse 2:
So now I’m flirting with death, hustling like a G
While victory wasn’t watching took chances repeatedly
As a teenage boy before acne, before I got proactiv I couldn’t face she
I just threw on my hoodie and headed to the street
That’s where I met success, we’d live together shortly
Now success is like lust, she’s good to the touch
As I quickly came to grips with the fact that on the day the first Black man was inaugurated as the President of the United States of America (POTUS), the day our ancestors probably never imagined possible, the day the world saw the very best of us, the day the world saw that America truly is the country that any minority can dream of the stars and actually touch the sky, I became offended and incredibly disappointed. How could you Jay-Z? How could you compare victory to a woman you are lusting after? How could the words death and G come out of your mouth on a day like that? How could you rap about hustling on the street on such a magical day? How could you reinforce those ugly stereotypes about black men that President Obama is the complete antithesis of?
And more unanswered questions swirled through my mind. Was there no publicist, manager, friend, confidant, hangers on, or family member in either Jay Z’s or Beyonce’s circle who asked, “Does anyone think this is an appropriate song choice?”. “Do we think POTUS and his First Lady would approve of this song?”. “Would they let Sasha and Malia watch Jay Z’s performance?” “Is this what the planet Earth needs to see and hear when Barack and Michelle Obama have shattered every negative generalization and stereotype about black men and women?” Did absolutely no bells go off prior to his going on stage?
So, just when you think it cannot possibly get worse, my cringe turned to absolute horror when I turned to Fox News to watch “The O’Reilly Factor”. And what do I see? A video http://vodpod.com/watch/1303201-video-bill-o%E2%80%99reilly-vs-jay-z-young-jeezy from a club appearance in Washington DC during Inaugural weekend where both Young Jeezy and Jay-Z are spewing the most vulgar and profane words about former President Bush. I am no fan of Dubya, but even he deserves the utmost respect in public as our former Commander in Chief.
Here are two of the most offending lines that came out of Young Jeezy’s pottymouth:
I wanna thank the motherf*&%#r overseas that threw shoes at George Bush…Keep it movin’ b*&%h, because my president is motherf*&%#g black, n***er!!
And not to be outdone, Jay Z chimes in:
“You can keep your p*$$y, I don’t want no more Bush… No more white lies, my president is black!!”
So, as my shock and awe waned and I finally fell asleep, I dreamt of President Obama taking the podium and announcing that he is shutting down one house of horrors (Guantanamo) and for good measure banning another one (gangsta rap). But, when I woke up, I reminded myself that two wars, a sinking economy, record unemployment, a housing crisis, global warming, and the Middle East will surely take precedence over the scourge we know as gangsta rap. Because gangsta rap isn’t President Obama’s problem, it’s ours.
So we have yet another study. It says that Barack Obama is raising academic test scores for Black students. File this under”Let Me Marinate On This For a Minute.” You mean to tell me that there were some Black children who were intentionally testing lower on academic tests because of an anti-academic racial stereotype? :
Educators and policy makers, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, have said in recent days that they hope President Obama’s example as a model student could inspire millions of American students, especially blacks, to higher academic performance.
Now researchers have documented what they call an Obama effect, showing that a performance gap between African-Americans and whites on a 20-question test administered before Mr. Obama’s nomination all but disappeared when the exam was administered after his acceptance speech and again after the presidential election.
The inspiring role model that Mr. Obama projected helped blacks overcome anxieties about racial stereotypes that had been shown, in earlier research, to lower the test-taking proficiency of African-Americans, the researchers conclude in a report summarizing their results.
“Obama is obviously inspirational, but we wondered whether he would contribute to an improvement in something as important as black test-taking,” said Ray Friedman, a management professor at Vanderbilt University, one of the study’s three authors. “We were skeptical that we would find any effect, but our results surprised us.”New York Times
So assuming this tiny sample size holds up on a larger scale. Do you believe that Barack Obama’s election could raise student test scores in a matter of months? and Why? Is it because academic excellence is no longer stigmatized? Is it because the students are more confident in their abilities?
<rant>Standardized tests have been very good to me over the years. My ability to figure them out at an early age meant going to college for free. However, I revile them for any other purpose other than diagnosing areas for improvement. I think that high stakes standardized test taking will lead to the destruction of American civilization where we value having the right answer on a multiple choice test above all else.-Squelching creativity, innovation, and problem solving. </rant>
I suspect we’ll see an “Obama Effect” study about once a month for the next four years.
Tommy Lee Poindexter, 20, Nathan Walker Jr., 18, and Avion Lawson, 15, face charges including sexual battery, kidnapping and burglary. Another teen charged in the case — Jakaris Taylor — pleaded guilty and received a 20-year sentence in exchange for his testimony.
According to police, the 35-year-old Dunbar Village woman told police that about 10 masked teens sexually assaulted and beat her and her 12-year-old son in their apartment in June 2007.Source
Folks tried to convince us that there wasn’t anything to the Huffington Post’s repeated use of “sassy” to describe Sasha Obama, They are at it again, this time on their 23/6 “comedy” site. No stereotypes here. None at all.
Sasha Obama didn’t tell anybody off. The youngest first daughter is brimming over with sass, and she COULD HAVE spent the day adorably demanding that people talk to her tiny hand or shaking her hips defiantly at every photo op, but she chose to reign it in. Incidentally, Secret Service have already changed her code name to “The Little Handful.” Huffington Post
We told y’all so. SO I guess we are going to chalk his one up to the multiple definitions of the word right? Are we going to sit by for four years of the Huffington Post taking digs at this child? They’ll try to hide behind “humor” but at its root is the racist belief that Black women and girls “spirit” is “attitude”.
UPDATED: To all the people who think thisi s “cute” and “harmless,” will it be “cute” when she is 11 or 15? Have you read the studies about the interpretation of African American girls “spirit” and “sass”?: How about this one about why Black girls being punished for being assertive:
A new study shows that teachers tend to view the behavior of black girls as not “ladylike” and therefore focus disciplinary action on encouraging behaviors like passivity, deference, and bodily control at the expense of curiosity, outspokenness, and assertiveness.. . The teachers’ actions appeared to be less the result of conscious racism or sexism than an unwitting tendency to view the behavior of black girls through a different lens than that of their peers.Gender Public Advocacy Coalition
She’s being what’s called “pre-tracked” for being a normal child her age.
The NABJ, the National Lawyer’s Guild, the National Bar Association, the NAACP, Rainbow PUSH and other “Civil Rights” groups who know little to nothing about broadcasting or cable signed up to be Bob Johnson’s foot stools to create the MYTH that there was widespread support for approval of Johnsons’s underhanded proposal to crush other minority broadcasters and turn them into broadcasting share croppers.
Two weeks ago, we were at the lead of the pack (ok it was a ‘pack’ of one), to publicly come out and voice opposition to Bob Johnson’s Urban Television. Most members of the media like Broadcasting & Cable merely reprinted press releases from RLJ, Bob Johnson’s holding company.They left the impression that Bob Johnson was championing the cause of “diversity” but we all know better.
We spoke out in the face of almost unanimous cowering from the Civil Right Industrial Complex because it was the right thing to do. Instinctively we knew something was anti-competition about the whole thing and turns out we were right. Unlike groups like the NABJ and the NAACP, minorities who actually are involved in broadcasting have come out against Johnson’s proposal to create a broadcasting sharecropping channel.
Community Broadcasters Association (CBA), filed comments noting that this “share-time” approach is not the ticket to achieving greater minority and small-business access to media; rather, the ION/Urban approach would merely establish Urban as a new “gatekeeper” with whom minority programmers would have to deal to gain access.
The Africa Channel, Gospel Music Channel, and SiTV (a Latino cable network) filed a joint petition arguing that the ION/Urban deal is a gimmick to get around must-carry restrictions. If it succeeds, they observed, it will be the smaller minority programmers who will suffer, as cable capacity will be used up by subdivided full power stations and become unavailable to smaller minority programmers. They said that the proposal for “amoeba-like” subdividing of a TV channel is nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the limits of the must-carry rules.
They also noted that: the Urban/Johnson programming proposal is vague (a point which even the supporting parties were forced to acknowledge), while existing minority programmers have existing schedules that are real; and the traditional FCC “share-time” concept involves two separate stations subdividing the hours of the day, not one station subdividing its spectrum.
Entravision – the prominent Spanish-language media company – chimed in with comments asserting that the proposal is an attempt to circumvent must-carry rules and give big business another foot in the door to cable carriage. Communications Law Blog
So why is it that all of these people who actually have television stations are in opposition, but the NAACP and the NABJ offered their unconditional support even if that meant a decrease in diversity by crushing smaller competitors. Why did the Civil Rights organizations take up the cross for the corporate behemoth instead of the little guys? Why did they lend their name to this FARCE? When is the media going to go beyond reprinting Bob Johnson’s press releases and doing some actual reporting on this Urban Media scam and digital land grab?
Bob Johnson is good at being FIRST. He is TERRIBLE at being the FIRST of MANY! When Bob Johnson walks through a door, he swiftly shuts it closed behind him and charges confiscatory rates for all who wish to enter in behind him. That is his M.O. it has always been Bob Johnson’s M.O
Why don’t y’all ask the NABJ, the National Bar Association, and the NAACP, why they are rushing to sign other minority broadcasters up to be the indentured servants of Bob Johnson and Ion Media???
I tried to tell y’all two weeks ago, that this MESS was blogable. Just because it involved mass communications law doesn’t mean its boring. This is a modern day David vs. Goliath story and Bob Johnson is so not DAVID!
