Jay Z, Barney's, Shop & Frisk, And Black Peoples' Perpetual Search For A Savior.

I love Black people. A lot. I'm married to one, and I've created three more of them. So yeah, we're cool and whatnot. But if there's one thing about us that really annoys me, it's our insistence on holding a handful of relatively well off people responsible for the "saving" all 44,456,009 of us when something goes wrong. You'll recall the backlash Oprah Winfrey took when she donated money to start a school for girls in Africa. Folks complained about pro-athletes who didn't jump on the Jena Six bandwagon and boycott the state of Louisiana. Dr. Dre gave millions to USC, but didn't give sh*t to Morris Brown. Reverend Al Sharpton (and at one point Jesse Jackson) is expected to fly into town and launch a Million Aggrieved Black Persons march everytime some kid gets yelled at by a white teacher. And how come nobody famous broke Trayvon Martin's parents off with a lil' somethin'?

I've always found this "pick a savior, as long as he/she is famous" line of reasoning faulty. It presumes that the person being asked to take a stand not only cares about said stand, but is actually capable of taking said stand. Just because someone can rap doesn't mean they're literate on issues as complex as racial disparities in public school funding. When you take someone (black/white/or other) and try to shoehorn them into making a social statement when they probably can't even spell "social statement", you end up with bewilidering scenes like this.[1]

No celebrity personifies this "please save us" mentality quite like Jay Z. His rags to riches ascension from the projects to household name has been told (and embellished) ad nauseum. He's the rare rapper who can get away with calling his own wife a b*tch in a song, and skirt charges of sexism.[2] He allows himself to be used as the smiling public face of emminent domain, yet can spin it by claiming he "owns the team", when he owned about as much of the Nets as I own Sirius XM. He's a walking, talking contridiction. Actually, that's untrue. He's a business, man. Not a businessman. Expecting him to be about anything more than money is unrealistic.

So forgive me if I can't get on board with the petition asking the Jigga Man to sever his relationship with Barney's, after the retailer was accused of using Shop & Frisk tactics to harass a couple of young black customers last week.

Jay-Z — under increasing pressure to back out of a collaboration with the luxury store Barneys New York after it was accused of racially profiling two black customers — said Saturday he's being unfairly "demonized" for just waiting to hear all of the facts.

The rap mogul made his first statement about the controversy in a posting on his website. He has come under fire for remaining silent as news surfaced this week that two young black people said they were profiled by Barneys after they purchased expensive items from their Manhattan store.

An online petition and Twitter messages from fans have been circulating this week, calling on the star to bow out of his upcoming partnership with Barneys for the holiday season, which will have the store selling items by top designers, inspired by Jay-Z, with some of the proceeds going to his charity. He is also working with the store to create its artistic holiday window display.

But Jay-Z — whose real name is Shawn Carter — defended himself, saying that he hasn't spoken about it because he's still trying to figure out exactly what happened.

"I move and speak based on facts and not emotion," the statement said. "I haven't made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys. Why am I being demonized, denounced and thrown on the cover of a newspaper for not speaking immediately?" he said, referring to local newspaper headlines.

The two Barneys customers, Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips, said this week they were detained by police after making expensive purchases.

Christian sued Barneys, saying he was accused of fraud after using his debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in April. Philips filed a notice of claim saying she would sue after she was stopped by detectives outside the store when she bought a $2,500 Celine handbag in February.

As the criticism grew, Barneys said Thursday it had retained a civil rights expert to help review its procedures. The CEO of Barneys, Mark Lee, offered his "sincere regret and deepest apologies." Kirsten John Foy, an official with the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, said he would meet with Barneys officials on Tuesday to discuss the racial profiling allegations.

Jay Z also dismissed reports that he would profit from the collaboration. He said he's "not making a dime" from working with Barneys. Instead, his Shawn Carter Foundation, which provides college scholarships to economically challenged students, will get 25 percent of all sales from the collaboration.

"This money is going to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships to help further their education at institutions of higher learning," he said. "My idea was born out of creativity and charity... not profit."

He also said that "making a decision prematurely to pull out of this project wouldn't hurt Barneys or Shawn Carter but all the people that stand a chance at higher education," he said. "I have been working with my team ever since the situation was brought to my attention to get to the bottom of these incidents and at the same time find a solution that doesn't harm all those that stand to benefit from this collaboration."

There are so many things wrong with this story. Where should I begin?

1) Jay Z thinks he's "being demonized, denounced and thrown on the cover of a newspaper for not speaking immediately?" Jigga please. You're being asked to be held accountable for the actions of the people you got in bed with. Whether fair or unfair (or downright misplaced), this is what sometimes happens when you're the sole, smiling black face attached to a multibillion dollar corporation. Deal with it.

2) Jay Z says he's "not making a dime" and doesn't want to stop his Barney's promotion because it would cut off funds that would otherwise be going to charity. Seriously? A guy who raps about watches he can't spell and most of his listeners couldn't afford is suddenly worried about a few hundred thousand dollars? Really? We don't believe you. Cut the damn check out of your own pocket. It's just a tax writeoff anyway.

3) "I move and speak based on facts and not emotion" has to be the biggest crock of Jigga Nonsense I've heard since American Gangster. In other words, unless these kids have proof that they were profiled, he's gonna side with the people who are paying him. And make no mistake: whether with actual cash or social currency, Barney's is paying Jay Z. If you think he's doing this out of the kindness of his heart, you prolly actually liked American Gangster.

4) "I have been working with my team ever since the situation was brought to my attention to get to the bottom of these incidents and at the same time find a solution that doesn't harm all those that stand to benefit from this collaboration." = I had a weedcarrier Memphis Bleek Google this to see what he could find out. He didn't find anything, so I just sent him to pickup my Outback to-go order instead.

5) In response to the claims, {read between the lines here) Barney's called Reverend Al and cut a check to the National Action Network. Damnit that man is great at extortion! He is the Michael Jordan of recordin' Extortion!

The most ironic part of this entire story is that the two poor saps who were (allegedly) profiled as they bought those overpriced belts and bags probably got the idea from a Jay Z song.

Just so nobody is mistaken, I don't think a petition to get Jay Z to end his relationship with Barney's is a good idea. Mostly because Jay Z isn't the sort of artist who gives two sh*ts if you get profiled at Barney's. Also because Jay Z is an ass who only cares about getting paid. And even if he wasn't that kinda guy, a better solution is to simply not give good money to people who don't respect you.

Which would also include one Shawn Corey Carter.

Question: Should Jay Z be more socially conscious and tell Barneys he is one of their 99 Problems? Shouldn't the National Action Network give some of that shakedown money to the actual victims of this sad episode? Are there better ways of telling Barney's "F*ck You!" than the ones I suggested?

[1] Seriously, do you think Kanye had any idea what "Occupy Wall Street" was all about? Did 90% of the Occupiers even understand what "Occupy Wall Street" was all about? I haven't seen a black man who looked more clueless about his surroundings since... well... since I watched RGIII vs the Broncos yesterday. Seriously, Robert, get your sh*t together.

[2] "Bad b*tch... H-Town.."

AB.com NewsBriefs.

Some choice linkage...

Hannity Reveals That Obamacare Hotline Operator Who Took His Call Got Fired - Hannity gets a black woman fired by playing a prank on her on his radio show. What an a-hole!

Hannity Pledges To Recoup Salary for Obamacare Operator Who Was Fired for Talking to Him - Yeah, right.

Herman Cain: Sexual Harassment Charges Were Orchestrated by 'The Devil' - Uhhhhmmmm, yeah okay. The Devil had you paying some chick's rent and texting her at 4am?!? Got it, Daddy Cain.

Shooting Reported on Tennessee Naval Base - Deja vu.

Conspiracy Theory Emerges That Woman Fainting at Obama Speech Was Staged - Just laugh at the absurdity and keep it pushin'.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

Maryland Attorney General Attends Underaged Drinking Party. Does Nothing.

An interesting battle for Governor is brewing in my (adopted) home state of Maryland. Presumed front-runner and state Attorney General Doug Gansler is gearing up to face Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown next year, in a battle of two Democrats with interesting credentials. Since this is a solidly blue state, whoever wins the primary is a virtual shoo-in to take the Governor's mansion.

Gansler is a career climber who has gone from local politics to statewide office in record time. It's also clear he's the guy the state Democratic Party is "pushing" for the seat. Brown, who looks an awful lot like Barack Obama (and whose new wife looks a lot like Michelle) wants to become the state's first black governor, and hopes to leverage his name recognition and the fact that almost 1/3 of the state's voters are black. This lead Gansler to make a pretty riduclous statement about Brown a few months ago that pissed off a lot of potential voters and lead Gansler to checkmate Brown by finding himself a black female running mate from Brown's home county. So yeah, lots of pettiness here. Early polls have indicated the race is neck in neck, but I'm thinking Gansler's chances just took a turn for the worse.

A month after launching his campaign for governor, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler was entangled Thursday in yet another controversy, this time acknowledging a lapse in judgment when he appeared at a beach-house party and did nothing to stop apparent underage drinking going on there.

At a half-hour news conference in Silver Spring, Gansler (D) said that when he stopped by a party for graduating high school students in June, he should have been more vigilant about ensuring that the teenagers were not doing anything illegal. A photograph shows Gansler in the middle of a party scene, surrounded by young people. He said that failing to more thoroughly investigate what was going on at the party was “a mistake I made.”

In hindsight, I probably should have assumed there was drinking and talked to the chaperones about what they thought was appropriate,” Gansler said. But Maryland’s top law enforcement official said he was there as a parent, hoping to talk briefly to his teenage son about travel plans, and not as “a police officer or anything else.”

He saw teenagers drinking from red plastic cups that night, Gansler said. “There could be Kool-Aid in the red cups,” he said, “but there’s probably beer in the red cups.”

At the news conference, Gansler was shown a copy of the photo that appears to show him holding a phone. When asked whether he was taking a photo with it, he said he had not yet learned how to do that with his new iPhone. He said he thought he was reading a text message.

Last week, The Washington Post reported that written accounts by the Maryland State Police alleged that Gansler regularly ordered troopers assigned to drive for him to speed and run red lights, even on the way to routine appointments. Gansler accused a police commander who documented those concerns of being a politically motivated “henchman” trying to help Brown’s campaign.

In August, before Gansler ­formally announced his long-anticipated bid for governor, The Post reported that he was secretly recorded at a meeting with volunteers saying that Brown was relying on his race to get elected and that his campaign slogan was: “Vote for me, I want to be the first African American governor of Maryland.”

But Gansler told the Sun: “Assume for purposes of discussion that there was widespread drinking at this party. How is that relevant to me? . . . The question is: Do I have any moral authority over other people’s children at beach week in another state? I say no.

For those of you missing the bigger picture here, the state's "top cop" essentially walked into a party in which 17 and 18 year olds were drinking, and looked the other way. His insistence that he didn't know kids were drinking, and that they might have had Kool Aid in those solo cups, and that he didn't know how to use his new iPhone is just laughable. He also seemed to be caught taking pictures of (possibly underaged) girls twerkin' on a tabletop.[1] So yeah, this isn't a good look. At all. And of yeah, there's this.



Not. A. Good. Look.

I suspect Brown is behind this "leak", just as he was behind the "race tape" and the story about the red lights. And I personally think this is fairly smart politics. Make a guy whose job it is to essentially be the legal/moral compass of an entire state look like a total and complete hypocrite by simply throwing out factual examples of his own contradictions. A winning formula if there ever was one.

Brown might wanna start watching his back though. There's a long time between now and the primary.

Question: Is the attorney general responsible for reporting a potential crime even if he's out of state and off the clock?

[1] That's him in the white shirt, looking like a narc.

AB.com Group Therapy: Session One.

The other day here on the blog, a Friend Of AB.com posed a work-related question to the others. We collectively gave her some advice, which I believe she has taken to heart and will use to improve her career. It was a textbook example of many helping one.[1] It was lovely, and it in some small ways restored my faith in this blog's mission.

I hate using terms like "Group Therapy" because that has a certain clinical connotation that turns many off, but so what. Black people have had this stigma about getting/asking for help for decades, and it doesn't really help us. We assume asking for professional help is "sh*t white folks do", and ignore some serious issues in our communities as a result. While it still lags far behind the rate of whites, the levels of suicide in the black community have skyrocketed in recent years. In short, we need help, and helping each other is a way to do so. Your issue might be about relationships, family, your job, self image, whatever. We're here to help.

With all that said, I'd like to experiment with a new feature here that I'll call AB.com Group Therapy. It works like this:

1) If you have a dilemma, situation, or issue that you'd like the advice of others on, leave a comment below.
2) If you can help, chime in white well reasoned, helpful, and earnest advise in the thread below the original issue comment.
3) If you're a regular and you want confidentiality, leave your comment as a guest. We are not here to judge.
4) Be descriptive when explaining the issue. People are more likely to help if you give the necessary detail.
5) This is not a political thread. This a about relationships. If you don't know the difference, don't comment.
6) Play nicely. This is not a forum for trolls, male/female bashers, or for people to project their own issues.

Okay the floor is open. Speak on it.

Question: Do you have an "issue" you'd like to toss out there for AB.com Group Therapy?!? Let us know.

[1] Note: I'm not in any way equating giving someone workplace advice to giving someone counseling/mental health advice. Monday's question simply gave me the general idea for this new feature. That's all.

AB.com Monday Open Mic.

Busy on The Day Job today, so ya'll are on your own. Play nicely.

Question: What's on your mind today? Drop some links, start a convo.

When Did Dr. Ben Carson Turn Into Such An A$$hole?!?

Dr. Ben Carson was one of those black people my parents always told me I should emulate growing up. The was the consummate "credit to the race" My Dad damn near forced me to read Gifted Hands while in college. Dr. Carson's back story was one even Hollywoood couldn't make up, even though it tried with the absolutely unwatchable Cuba Gooding Jr. flick that came out a few years ago.

Carson, once almost exclusively known in the black community, has increased his public profile over the past couple of years. He (in)famously stood up the President at a prayer breakfast, and has become a favorite of Conservatives, many of whom want him to run for President in 2016, although he has absolutely no qualification for President other than being black smart. Like many people who go from marginal notoriety to high profile in a short time, Dr. Carson seems to be getting high on his own supply. Witness this gem he dropped at something called a Values Voters Summit last weekend.[1]



The worst thing that happened to this country since slavery? Seriously, my n*gga? The worst thing? Worse than world wars? Worse than recessions? Worse than AIDS? Worse than Jim Crow? Worse than Homeboyz In Outer Space? Seriously, my dude?

Can we have a word here? Just you and me?

Dear Dr. Carson,

You are a smart man. You surely know the meaning of the word "Hyperbole". So please tell me when Obamacare:

1) Made patients work in deplorable conditions for no money.

2) Physically whipped, beat, and hung patients.

3) Treated patients as property to be sold.

4) Systematically broke up patient's families.

5) Robbed patients of their heritage, culture, and identity.

You are making a caricature of yourself, just to gain the approval of people who will discard you the moment you say something they do not like. Please stop this, or we will have to reinstitute The Drop Squad to pay you a special visit.

Sincerely,

One Black Man who really used to admire your accomplishments and now finds your schtick nauseating.

Question: What the f*ck is wrong with Dr. Carson? Can you think a few things worse than ObamaCare that have happened since The Big S?!?

Philly Video Shows What Stop & Frisk Looks Like In Action.

I am just going to give you guys a news story, a video, and an open forum. Take this convo wherever you think it needs to go. Maybe I'll chime in later, maybe now.

This disturbing video of two Philadelphia police officers berating two men on the street was brought to our attention following today’s Daily News story about ex-cop Herbert Spellman and ongoing problems with Philadelphia’s stop-and-frisk policy.

The YouTube video, which was filmed Sept. 27 according to accompanying text, starts with one of the cops calling out, “Yo, my man,” and the man responding, “How you doing, sir?” And it goes downhill, quickly. An officer threatens to one man that he’ll “split your wig open” and calls one a “f---ing dirty ass.” When they complain that they haven’t done anything wrong, the officer responds: “Why don’t you shut the f--- up! Everyone thinks they’re a f---ing lawyer and they don’t know jack sh--.”

“You’re jaywalking, by the way,” the second officer adds.

The first officer later says: “Don’t come to f---ing Philadelphia, stay in Jersey.”

“I have family out here,” the man responds.

“Yeah, don’t come over here,” says the cop. “We don’t want you here, anyway. All you do is weaken the country.”

“How do I weaken the country? By working?” the man asks.

“No, freeloading,” the cops says.

When the man says he’s a server at a country club, the officer responds: “Server. Serving weed?”

And now, the talking pictures.



Question: What are your thoughts on this?

Tea Parti... Errrr... "Veterans" Behaving Badly.

Honest question here: if several hundred black people stormed the White House demanding reparations[1], would the police/media response look somewhat different than this?

Booing, verbally berating, and confronting police, with a casual "Kenya" remark tossed in because.... actually I have no idea how a few dozen cops simply doing a job they aren't being paid for "looks like Kenya". Do you?



Bonus points for the "put the Qu'ran down" slur. Classy!



Did any other speaker (including some elected officials) verbally castigate this guy? Did they cut his mic? Was he booed off the stage? Maybe I missed that part. Damn librul media!

Question: Seriously, how quickly would Negroes behaving this poorly had their heads busted up and down Constitution?

[1] I think reparations are a lost, trivial cause, with zero chance of actually ever happening. Just as I think whatever the hell these numbnuts are demanding (Impeachment? The end of Obamacare? Free Rascal Scooters?) is a lost, trivial cause, with zero chance of actually ever happening.

Truckers Against Obama: Perhaps The Dumbest Tea Party Protest, Yet.

I don't take the Capital Beltway to work, but I once did. Until we moved deeper into the burbs a few years ago, I wasted hours and hours of my life sitting still, wondering where it all went wrong. After we moved, my commute was slashed to 1/4 of it's prior duration. And the subtracted stress of "people who can't drive!" added a few years to my life, I'm certain.

For those of you only vaguely familiar with DC traffic, I-495's reputation is well earned. The region routinely has among the 3 worst commutes in the nation, according to smart people responsible for gauging this sorta stuff. After "the sports teams suck" and "the houses are too damn expensive", it's my biggest qualm about the DC Urreah, an otherwise splendid place to call home.

I say all of that to say I'm happy I'm not on the Beltway today, because a very, very, very stupid Anti-Obama Tea Party protest is taking place, and a lot of locals are not happy.

No major traffic delays were reported on the Beltway during Friday’s morning commute, police authorities said, despite a protest by about 30 tractor-trailers and pickup trucks against what organize describe as excessive government intrusion.

Around 8:30 a.m., police said, the trucks crossed into Maryland from Virginia on the Beltway. They were were traveling in the right lane of the Beltway at the rate of the rest of the traffic — around 40 to 45 miles per hour, due to the wet road conditions, according to Virginia State Police spokesman Corinne N. Geller.

At one point, four tractor-trailers started driving side-by-side, across all four northbound lanes of the inner loop. That caused traffic to slow to 15 miles per hour. State police troopers stopped the vehicles and “warned them not to impede traffic,” Geller said. The drivers were not issued tickets and allowed to “proceed on their way.”

There were no other major incidents reported as a result of the truck protests, she said. Minor delays were reported near the truckers at Route 236 in Annandale at the Braddock Road exit on the inner loop, but it was unclear from traffic cameras if the slowdown was due to the truckers.

On parts of the Beltway, police said the group stood out because they had American flags draped on their vehicles, along with signs that said “#T2SDA” (Truckers to Shut Down America).

Geller said the organizers of the protest, dubbed “Truckers Ride for the Constitution,” plan to take shifts and drive around the Beltway throughout Columbus Day holiday weekend. Extra troopers are on the road because of the expected uptick in holiday drivers, and because of the protest, she said.

The protest group’s agenda has evolved since the story began making the rounds of news outlets early this week, with a story in U.S. News & World Report that said some truckers wanted members of Congress arrested, while others called for the ouster of President Obama.

Andrews said the group still wants to get rid of Obama, but will do so by legal means. She said independent truckers also are upset about new regulations, including on idling and hours of service, that, she said, threaten to put them out of business.

If you Teabaggers understood "irony", you'd grasp a few cold, hard facts:

1) You're protesting Obama (and Congress... sure, okay) but he lives nowhere near the Beltway, and he doesn't drive either. So not only isn't he being inconvenienced by your "protest", but it's also possible he doesn't even know you nimrods exist.

2) I doubt any Congressman is actually hurt by your traffic jam, since many of them live inside the Beltway, or have drivers. BTW, most of them were prolly already at work well before your little stunt began.

3) You're not hurting the people who (allegedly) are tyrannically oppressing you. You're hurting taxpaying, hardworking "Real Americans" who just want to get to the jobs they're still lucky to have, to pay for houses they're still lucky to afford.

4) You're protesting government tyranny, but make your living on roads maintained by the government.

Get your dumb asses off the Beltway, and go deliver some freight. Assholes.

This is literally and figuratively DriveBy Activism.

Question: Am I being too hard on these fine "Real Americans" who just want to exercise their right to free speech? Will this protest have any lasting effects?

Washington Redskins: Term Of Endearment Or Racial Slur?

As a fan of a team that probably has the second corniest name in all pro sports[1], I can sympathize with the plight of those who want the Washington Redskins to change their name. No, Washington Wizards isn't offensive in the same sense that the Redskins moniker may be the some, but it just sounds awful. The team went from arguably one of the most gangster names in all of pro sports (Washington Bullets!) to the lamest. I didn't like the change when it happened, and I am hoping the team's ownership eventually goes back to Bullets.

Many detractors of the Redskins name want it to be changed to something less offensive, but the team's owner has stated repeatedly that he will never do so either. The war over whether or not the name is actually offensive has waged for decades here in the DC area, with many saying it's honors Real Native Americans and others saying it's a term with a very disgraceful history. Polls of Native Americans have given mixed messages, and fans as a whole seem to be split as well. Dozens of national journalists have recently pledged to simply refer to them as The Washington Football Team which seems odd since these people hadn't given two craps until the team got RGIII and was suddenly relevant again last year. But I digress.

Recently, The Sports Fan In Chief (belatedly) weighed in, and a push to change the name seems to be reaching a groundswell.

On the same day that NFL owners began gathering for a fall league meeting in Washington, Native American leaders, politicians and student activists gathered in a Georgetown hotel with one goal: Changing the name of Washington Redskins.

“Washington’s team name is a painful epithet that was used against my people when we were held at gunpoint and thrown off our lands,” said Ray Halbritter, a representative of the Oneida Indian Nation . “When marketed by a professional sports team, it is a word that tells Native American children they are to be denigrated.”

The meeting at the Ritz Carlton comes three days after President Obama took a stance in the long-standing debate, saying that if he were the team’s owner, he would think about changing the name.

The Oneida Nation which is leading a “Change the Mascot” campaign, scheduling radio ads to run in every city the team visits, organized the panel of speakers. Among them were two students who pushed for their school to drop the name “Redskins,” a psychologist who has studied the public health consequences of the word’s use, the head of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Kevin Gover, and politicians Betty McCollum and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D).

“Believe me, we love out Redskins now, but it does not have a glorious history,” Holmes Norton said as a third generation Washingtonian. She added that she could think of no reason to continue using a word that has a negative impact on any Americans “and especially our first Americans.”

In May, team owner Daniel Snyder said he would “never” change the name in an interview with USA Today.

I'm a lukewarm Skins fan at best. I like the team mostly because VLatte gives me free tickets every year (thanks!) and they're a good diversion until the NBA season starts, at which point I typically ignore them. But all that said, I think the team should change the name. Enough people are offended, and given the dicey racial history of the guy who named them Redskins in the first place, I think it's intellectually dishonest to pretend the moniker is some grand gesture of respect. It's obviously not.

Besides, they could just change the name to the Washington Pigskins. It's a football term that won't offend anyone and it allows the franchise to keep the same colors, fight songs (with a tweak here and there) and sell brand new merchandise to existing fans. Seriously, imagine the influx of freshly minted bills as you sucker a family into purchasing new jerseys because the old ones are suddenly outdated?

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this, but how hard would that actually be?

Hail To The Pigskins!!!

Question: Should the Redskins change their name?

[1] Congrats Pelicans fans! You win!

Fun Times With The Idiots Of Fox & Friends.

I don't watch Fox News anymore. There's no particular reason for this, since I don't really watch cable news period anymore, because with three kids my ability to watch anything that doesn't appear on Nick Jr, Sprout, or Disney Jr is hampered. So I haven't tuned into my old morning favorite Fox & Friends in awhile, and I've apparently missed a cavalcade of stupidity in the past few days.

Fox & Friends co-host Anna Kooiman fell hook, line and sinker for a fake story that claimed President Barack Obama is personally funding “The International Museum of Muslim Cultures” during the government shutdown and attempted to call him out on it during a segment of the October 5th show.

The National Report, a site known for it’s political satire, posted the satirical story which included the following statement from President Obama: "“During this shutdown, people will have to deal with some of their favorite parks and museums being closed,” Obama told reporters. “Just keep in mind, they will always be there. The Grand Canyon and the Smithsonian are not going anywhere.” Obama continued, “The International Museum of Muslim Cultures is sacred. That is why I have taken it upon myself to use my own personal funds to re-open this historic piece of American culture.”

As one would expect, the folks over at Fox were whipped into a frenzy over this fake horrific injustice, particularly when World War II veterans are not able to visit the World War II memorial because of the GOP shutdown.

Here's the video.



Not to be outdone, the show's weekday hosts made a cultural snafu of their own, insulting a colleague on air during a mangled Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Friday said he assumed that the network’s Latina meteorologist “grew up on tacos,” even though it is not a traditional food in her native country of Nicaragua.

To celebrate National Taco Day, Fox & Friends asked Fox News Weather team member Maria Molina, who was born in Nicaragua and grew up in South Florida, to host a segment explaining how to make tacos.

“So what are the tips we need to know?” Kilmeade asked Molina. “You grew up on tacos, correct?”

“No, I did not grow up on tacos!” Molina shot back. “I’m Nicaraguan. It’s not a native food.”

This looks even more awkward on video...



Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezula... same sh*t. Whatever.

You couldn't make this sh*t up...

Grand Theft Auto: DC.

I contemplated calling this post Need For Speed : DC but that game doesn't usually end with the driver full of bullets. #TooSoon

I, like most of you, watched the latest made for TV realtime news event unfurl yesterday, as a motorist allegedly caused a ruckus at the White House, before leading Capitol Police on a high speed chase that ended in a flurry of bullets just outside the US Capitol. If you're familiar with the layout of the Mall, and how thick DC traffic can be mid-day, you know just how improbable a story this is on the surface. The motorist, it turns out, was a black woman from Connecticut who had her child in the back seat. And no, she didn't make it. The baby is ok, as is a cop who crashed into a security barrier while in pursuit (I think).



As with any breaking news media event, pundits, speculators, politicians, and random Negroes on Black Twitter all chimed in with their theories on what was up. Some thought this was about Obama. Others the shutdown. Some blamed gun nuts (the driver was initially mislabeled as a shooter). A few (like me) critiqued the use of excessive force. Many said terrorism. And a few imaginative souls said this was an elaborate promo for last night's season premiere of Scandal. Gotta hand it to Black Twitter... pure entertainment. Not factually based, but entertaining nonetheless.

Turns out this is garden variety mental illness/she just snapped. The woman appears to have had a dispute with her child's father, and acted out in the most erratic (and suicidal) fashion. Assuming you pray, pray for the child, and those injured in this horrific incident.

Question: What was this all about? Give us your "what I honestly though in the moment" theory.

Which Is Better: ObamaCare Or The Affordable Care Act?!?

You've probably already see this Jimmy Kimmel skit, since it's gone quadruple viral, but just in case, soak it up. 'Merica!!!



Of course these clips are taken out of context, and we don't know how many people who did know the ACA and ObamaCare are the same thing were omitted, but still... I said from the start here that the President needed to do a far better job describing his initiatives given the mountains of misinformation spewed by his opponents. The same thing happened with the Stimulus Package, and hell, every signature accomplishment of this administration. So instead of blaming Fox News for this, I'm gonna place it squarely at the foot of the President. He shoulda known better.

What's in a name? When it comes to the debate over health care, apparently a lot.

In CNBC's third-quarter All-America Economic Survey, we asked half of the 812 poll respondents if they support Obamacare and the other half if they support the Affordable Care Act.

First thing: 30 percent of the public don't know what ACA is, vs. only 12 percent when we asked about Obamacare. More on that later.

Now for the difference: 29 percent of the public supports Obamacare compared with 22 percent who support ACA. Forty-six percent oppose Obamacare and 37 percent oppose ACA. So putting Obama in the name raises the positives and the negatives. Gender and partisanship are responsible for the differences. Men, independents and Republicans are more negative on Obamacare than ACA. Young people, Democrats, nonwhites and women are more positive on Obamacare.

Never misunderestimate the ignorance of Real Amurricans.

Question: Are these people really indicative of the ignorance of the average voter, or did Kimmel cherry pick dumb people to make a pointless point?

NYC Street Bikers Attack Motorist.

I'm not a motorcyle enthusiast. Not even remotely so. In fact, I find "bikers", especially the "urban" variant, annoying and childish. Seriously, what grown assed man with real life responsiblities has time to put on a leather outfit and spend the entire weekend riding around the Beltway doing wheelies at 70mph in congested traffic with other grown assed men in matching leather outfits? Join an adult softball league and call it a day, sheesh.

That said, I really enjoy those World Star Videos where the "urban biker gangs" in New York City ride through congested city streets doing wheelies at 70mph. They pose no personal danger to me (unlike the assholes flying down 495) and if you watch the videos on a good TV with the surround sound on, they're actually an entertaining way to blow 15 minutes.[1] The bikers all have cameras mounted on their handlebars to capture the action, they splice the videos to accentuate the tricks, set it to some ignorant music, and voila. Instant entertainment.

One NYC family was not so entertained this past weekend, however, as a (literal) run-in with a biker gang turned violent.

A gang of bikers terrorized a dad driving with his wife and baby daughter on the West Side Highway — chasing after their SUV and then dragging the man out and beating him to a pulp in front of his horrified family, authorities said.

One of the thugs even posted a video of the sickening beatdown on YouTube (images at left) after filming the pursuit using a helmet-mounted camera Sunday.

The attack seemed to come out of nowhere, authorities said. Alexian Lien, 33, of Manhattan, was driving the family’s Range Rover north near West 125th Street in Harlem when the gang, known as Hollywood Stuntz, surrounded the SUV at around 1:30 p.m., according to officials.

A biker pulled in front of the car and slowed down, forcing Lien to stop — at which point, as seen on the gang’s video, the bikers stop and a confrontation ensues.The panicked dad gunned the engine, striking several bikers — one of whom was seriously injured — as he sped off, with the pack of thugs in hot pursuit, police sources said.

“He feared for his life and the lives of his wife and daughter,” a police source said.

The thugs chased him more than 50 blocks north, as seen on the 6-plus-minute video, which quickly went viral.The crew pummeled Lien on the pavement in front of his wife, Rosalyn Ng, and their 2-year-old daughter, police sources said.Lien, who also was slashed during the melee, was rushed to Columbia University Medical Center. He needed stitches to his face and chest and had two black eyes.

Sources said the injured biker was being prepped for surgery Monday night, and doctors feared he might be left a paraplegic.

Here's the video. Fast forward to the end.



Note to self: if you're ever in pursuit of someone, with the intent to commit a felony, remember to turn off your video camera. And if you forget to turn off the camera for some reason, be smart enough to not upload the video to the internet once said felony has been committed.

The video was uploaded by the biker to Live Leak with the caption, "A black Range Rover ran over a group of bikers in New York City during an annual street ride." The information posted with the video claimed that a biker was killed when he was hit by the Range Rover, but police said that was not true.

Police are investigating witness accounts. A video of the chase and confrontation was also uploaded to the Internet. Pisano said police are "combing everything" as part of their investigation, but no arrests have been made yet.

Idiots.

I hope these imbeciles have the highest possible charges levied against them. I'm also not 100% convinced this isn't a hate crime, because I doubt these morons would have chased down a car full of N-words that looked like them. Maybe this'll convince cities to pay more attention to biker gangs (and street racers for that matter).

Question: Yeah, I know I sound like an old assed man, but please tell me ya'll aren't ok with this sorta activity. Please.

[1] No, I haven't actually done that. I have a life. But I'd imagine it's pretty cool.

Shut Em' Down.

So yeah, after months and weeks and days of chest-thumping, the House/Senate/POTUS failed to come to a reasonable compromise leading to the US Government's (partial?) shutdown this morning. I'm sure I'm supposed to have something deep and profound to say about this, but I really don't. It's nothing more than the culmination of 4+ years of angst against a President the GOP has a deep seated hatred for. I'm smart enough to know this isn't about the deficit, and it sure as sh*t isn't about The Affordable Care Act.

If shutting down the Goverment is all about opposition to ObamaCare, then that might even be sadder than "having a deep seated hatred". That would mean the GOP cares more about device manufacturers and wealthy business owners than the health and wellbeing of "Real Americans" who cannot afford healthcare of their own.

In any event, we all know this will be over in several weeks, if not days. The moment people start missing paychecks, essential government services, or some notable public event occurs, both sides will conveniently come to an agreement. Sorta like how the NFL and the referees came to an agreement after that embarasing Monday Night game.

Till then, best of luck to any of ya'll with a Federal gig, or with a gig that depends on a Federal gig. Keep your head up, and play a bunch of GTA5 with your newfound free time.

Question: What's this shutdown really about? When the two sides inevitably strike a deal to end it, what exacly will the compromise consist of?