Did you know you can buy or rent a timeshare resale online for up to 50% off the resort’s price? Look for timeshare resale marketplaces with a lot of inventory to get the best deal. BuyaTimeshare.com reviews are quite good, and would be a good place to start.
That's right folks, it's about that time again. It's been a minute, but AverageNation™ Week is coming soon, and I'm looking for participants.
To the clueless, or newbies, or both, AverageNation™ Week is when readers like you write posts for AB.com. The topics can be about anything you'd like. Personal stuff. Views on the world. Creative loafing. You name it. If you've ever wanted to jump on a 3,000 views/day soapbox and sound off, this is your time.
I'm looking for participants now. Holler at me, pitch your idea and let me know what's good. I'll choose 5 folks and run their posts here. As an added wrinkle, the post that gets the most comments wins an AB.com Prize Pack.
Ya'll know the drill. I have a real Day Job, and yesterday they had the gall to make me pull a 14-hour day (no bull). It's rinse & repeat today. Customer deadlines don't care about blogs, so ya'll are on your own. Maybe I'll be back soon.
Anyways, ya'll throw some topics at each other and see what sticks. In the meantime, if you wanna peep what I've been up to over on AOL BlackVoices, go here.
Critics are abuzz about Lebron James' new Nike commercial, which takes some subtle jabs at his critics, all in the name of (of course) peddling overpriced sneakers.
LeBron James turned the negative feedback he received from his decision to sign with the Miami Heat into the theme of his new Nike commercial. James asks several questions in the new ad, beginning with "What should I do?"
Throughout the commercial, James brings up the variety of different criticisms he took for his decision. He even gives a shout out to Charles Barkley, who called James out for saying that race played a factor in the negative backlash. The commercial ends with the most significant question: "Should I be what you want me to be?"
No need to lie, I think this commercial's pretty cool. It shows a rare sense of self-awareness (I know, this probably wasn't his idea) and self-deprecation from a guy to whom those are usually foreign concepts.
Silly as it might sound, this commercial had its intended effect: it actually sorta made me like Lebron. While I won't be dropping $200 on his shoes, I've already paid to see him a couple of times this coming season. Sure, I'll boo him like I always do, but maybe, just maybe this commercial's a step in the right direction.
Ehhh, who am I kidding? This commercial is actually what got Lebron back on my good side.
Question: Ashy or Classy? Are the subliminal jabs at his haters (ie: Charles Barkley) in this ad a good idea or not?
Man, there are few things worse than watching an athlete who just doesn't know when to give it up and check into Shady Knolls. I suffered through the Wizards' version of Michael Jordan, so I know that of which I speak. When Jordan arrived in DC, he still had some of that mystique about him. But once he took the court, it was clear he shoulda stayed his a$$ in Chi-Town. When he wasn't busy pounding the ball into the floor, draining the clock, and launching contested 18-footers, he was getting his a$$ handed to him by players who had posters of him on their bedroom walls growing up.
It was like finally discovering Santa Claus was actually just your Pops assembling Big Wheels at 2am on Christmas morning. Or something like that. Needless to say, between his on-court futility, his awful front office decisions, and his after hours philandering in Dupont Circle (no, don't draw any wrong conclusions) I lost a lot of respect for MJ, not that I was ever a huge fan in the first place. Clearly, he needed to know when to hang it up, but didn't. The results were just awful.
Of course, Allen Iverson's no student of history, and now he's taking his own special brand of ball hogging and unconscious chucking to the only place still willing to put up with his chicanery. That's right, Eastern Europe.
Allen Iverson has agreed to sign a two-year contract worth $4 million to play with Besiktas of the Turkish professional league, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports. Iverson is expected to sign the contract this week, and is expected to report to his new team sometime during the first week of November.
The contract reportedly gives Iverson the ability to opt out after this season, but not to leave before then and return to the NBA.
Iverson last played for the team he created his legacy with, the Philadelphia 76ers, back on February 20 of this year. He left the team for personal reasons to be with family to deal with an undisclosed illness to his four-year-old daughter, although that was just the latest of the likely three strikes that has left him without opportunity in the NBA.
I predict AI's stay overseas will be shortlived. There's no TGI Fridays' in Istanbul. He reportedly would have signed even sooner, but his camp and the team disagreed on a key sticking point. Reportedly, Iverson wanted it written in his contract that he couldn't be fined by the team.
No, really, stew on that one for a sec.
I have no idea why Iverson's still playing, in a terrible league, for a mere pittance. Well, actually I do.
It's sad that a guy who probably still has some game left in him can't get out of the way of his own ego. If he showed a willingness to accept a reserve role, lose the attitude, and mix in an occasional pass, I have little doubt teams like Miami and Boston would have had interest. Instead, by clinging to the relevance he last enjoyed, oh, about 5-6 seasons ago, AI basically bought himself a one-way ticket out of the league. And now he'll be plying his wares in a country most people (Iverson included) probably couldn't locate on a world map.
Sad, but it is what it is.
Question: How long will Allen Iverson last in Turkey? What could he have done to avoid such an end to his career? Got any other examples of athletes who just didn't know when to hang em' up?
Ya'll prolly remember last Summer when the Tea Parties were all the rage that some poor Negro named Kenneth Gladney became an overnight hero in Conservative circles. Gladney, who was selling some of those "Don't Tread On Me" flags in front of a rally, got into a small dustup (ie: he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground) with a couple of people wearing SEIU t-shirts. I reviewed the tape a million times and failed to see any real "confrontation".
Of course none of this matters to TeaBaggers, who happily hoisted Gladney (a guy who wasn't even a Conservative, just an opportunist) on their shoulders as a monument of racial tolerance for enduring such a pummelling at the hands of "SEIU Thugs". Not a week goes by that I don't still hear reference to this incident on Conservative radio, although the charges against the alleged assailants were dropped. No matter, the Conservative message was sent: Liberals and union folks are intolerant thugs who will drop dem' bows on anyone who dares stand in the way of their agenda.
Lauren Valle, of the progressive group MoveOn.org, was wearing a wig and planned to present the Tea Party-backed candidate with a fake award prior to a debate with Democratic candidate Jack Conway Monday night in Lexington, Ky.
Television footage shows Valle's blonde wig being pulled off before she's pinned to the ground. A man then puts his foot down on her head a couple times and presses down on her.
Police said they were not aware of any arrests.
Here's the video.
So, lemme see if I got this right.
A white woman literally gets kicked (albeit not very hard) in the head. Crickets.[1]
A black man trips over his own foot. Miscarriage of justice!!!
Come on, Conservatives, surely life can't be this much of an "Us vs Them" proposition. Really?
When I heard about this incident on the Alan Colmes Show last night, I was convinced this was prolly some ole' typical whining liberal bullsh*t. But watching the tape, come on, the chick literally got kicked in the head. I told ya'll the level of polarized political rhetoric in this country was eventually gonna result in violence. Does anyone believe me now?
Where is the outrage, Conservatives?
Question: Will Conservatives ignore this story since it doesn't fit the "liberals and thugs" narrative?
[1] In all honesty though, driving from DC to Kentucky to confront a Senatorial candidate in this political climate was prolly not the smartest idea. This lady's lucky she just escaped with a headache and some bruises.
The big mid-term elections are just around the corner, and with the GOP expected to regain control of the House, the chances of a couple of Black Republicans have been mostly overlooked. Tim Scott in South Carolina, and Col. Allen West[1] in Florida have good shots to become the first Negroes on the GOP side of the House since JC Watts finally wised up and went back home. Scott's win came out of nowhere with little party push and probably had a lot to do with his opponent's last name. West is a Tea Party favorite who's gotten a decent push from the party, but might pull defeat from the jaws of victory now that some not-so-nice allegations are coming forth.
Of course, there two aren't the only black Republicans running for House seats, they just happen to be the ones in best position. We've covered lots of these GOP longshots here at AB.com in the past, but I've always gotten the impression that they aren't really getting the resources needed to make a legitimate push. As much as Michael Steele talks about big tents, I could only the GOP's outward hostility towards minorities shows up inside the party at times. And now, with little push from the party and little chance of winning, a few Black GOP House candidates are committing the cardinal sin of Conservatism. That's right, these ungrateful Negroes had the nerve to play the race card.
Three long-shot African-American Republican House candidates are fuming at national party leaders for not doing enough to help get them elected.
Campaign managers for Chuck Smith in Virginia, Charlotte Bergmann in Tennessee and Marvin Scott in Indiana all said the support they've received from GOP leaders this cycle has been dismal. They added that there could be consequences for the party if they are elected to Congress next year.
Jerry Alexander, campaign manager for Marvin Scott, who is challenging Rep. Andre Carson (D), said the Scott campaign has received virtually no help from state or national GOP leaders.
The Scott campaign is miffed that Steele traveled last week with his bus tour to Rep. Dan Burton's nearby 5th district but didn't stop at Scott's district, about 3 miles away.
Smith's campaign manager, Lisa Creeden, said she wishes her boss could count on the party's help; no Republican has held Virginia's 3rd district in 18 years.
"We're looking at pastors who have stepped away from the Democratic Party machine to say we can't support this man anymore and we want the Republican," Creeden said.
She added that the GOP has created challenges for Smith, including pulling the campaign's access to a voter vault earlier this year.
"I think the Republican Party is going to damage themselves with the African-American community," Creeden said. "I understand part of it is they are focused on races they can win easily, but our point is we couldn't necessarily win this easily, but we can still win it. The effort to reach out to the African-American community will pay out in future elections."
"The Republican Party is going to damage themselves with the African-American community."
Uh, scuse me, but if this heifer serious? What rock has she been living under, ohhh, the past 30-some years? Have you heard of Willie Horton? "Paling around with terrorists"? Do you watch the news in your own backyard?[1]
Sorry if this seems harsh, but I have no sympathy for candidates of this sort who continually trash the black community, but then act shocked that they can't get any votes.
Negro please.
Question: Do these candidates have a legitimate beef with the GOP for not supporting them or should they have known better from the jump?
[1] No disrespect to those in the military, but what sorta self-respecting Negro still has a high-top fade in 2010?!?
[2] Could someone please tell that sista to take that BlueTooth earpiece off? BlueTooth earpieces are the 2010 equivalent of wearing rollers and a showercap in public.
Man, if there's a luckier man than Clifford Smith, I've yet to meet him.
How else do you explain being busted with a car full of drugs on Sunset, violating your parole from a prior arrest for illegally amassing a stockpile of military-grade firearms, and still getting off with a quick gubb'ment paid country club vacation.
Thank you high-priced Jewish lawyers Jesus!!!
T.I. is finally getting a break -- TMZ has learned the L.A. County District Attorney has rejected the drug case stemming from his arrest last month ... and we're told there may have been legal problems with the case.
As TMZ first reported, T.I. and his wife were busted back on September 1 for possession of a controlled substance. According to the D.A.'s Office, they are not going forward with charges because, in essence, he's already been sentenced to prison since the arrest was a violation of his federal probation.
However, law enforcement sources tell TMZ, there were significant legal issues over probable cause which led to T.I.'s arrest.
Cops claimed they smelled marijuana but no pot was ever booked into evidence. And, we're told ...T.I. was pulled out of his $250,000 Maybach immediately after he made the illegal U-turn and prior to any registration check.
So in short, LA County is dropping its charges because they didn't have evidence, and pulled TI out the car before making him show his rental agreement for that Maybach. This doesn't spare him the Fed time for violating his probation (what violation?) but it prolly means he'll be back home by King Day, rather than Labor Day.
I guess I'm a little conflicted about this one. If T.I. was framed (that seems to be the between-the-lines message here) then he's probably got a nice lawsuit on his hands. On the flipside, for a guy who doesn't seem to "get it", isn't a slap on the hand (ie: a short sentence) the last thing he needs right now? I'm not saying T.I. needs to go to jail for a decade, but maybe he needs some free time to reflect on how stupid his actions have been. And we all need a reprieve from more pointless Trap Anthems.
Apparently, the city of Detroit thinks so. Ya'll know how I hate over quoting stories (reporters have sent me hate mail for doing this), but I think all the relevant facts need to be presented to help you make a call on this very touchy subject.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is pushing for a law that calls for jail time for parents who skip parent-teacher conferences, a plan some call inspired and others consider the nanny state run amok. Worthy pitched her plan Tuesday to the Detroit City Council and is shopping it to the Wayne County Commission and state Legislature. Drawing a link between parental involvement and youth crime, Worthy wants a sponsor to guide the idea to law.
Her plan would require parents to attend at least one conference per year or face three days in jail. Parents of those excelling in school would be exempt, as would those whose health issues make travel difficult and those “actively engaged” with teachers through e-mail, phone calls or letters.
“We have to find any means necessary to get parents involved,” Worthy told the council. “We have to start talking about prevention. “Some children don’t have a chance the day they are born.”
Worthy staffers said the proposed law would be the first in the nation. She said she prefers a statewide law, but would start with a city or countywide one. No legislation is pending in the state House, county commission or council, but the proposal is generating plenty of talk — and controversy.
Wayne County Commissioner Laura Cox, R-Livonia, said Worthy’s intentions are admirable but the prospect of jailing parents is “inappropriate on a lot of levels.” A colleague, Kevin McNamara, D-Canton Township, said he feared a law would become a “tattletale version of pin the tail on the bad parent.” “The question is, ‘How much government do I want in my life?’” McNamara said. “The reality is it would be an unenforceable mandate that we don’t have time to do.”
Daniel Lessard, a Livonia Public Schools board member, called the plan “the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard in my life.” “You can’t legislate parental involvement,” he said. “If the law forces parents to go, what will it do other than fill up a room with parents who don’t want to be there?”
Worthy received a better reception before the council in Detroit, where school officials have complained about poor participation at parent-teacher conferences. Council President Pro-Tem Gary Brown said, “If you aren’t involved in your child’s education, and he or she is failing, it’s child abuse.”
Council President Charles Pugh said the proposed law would “send the right message.”
Okay, I'mma be honest: I like this idea in theory, but I see bigtime problems with the execution. Namely, why should parents of kids who are doing well in school be exempt? Aren't we making a rash judgement that kids getting good grades have involved parents? We all know this is hardly the case, nor is assuming that kids struggling have parents who don't give a sh*t. Neither's mutually exclusive. That part of the proposed legislation definitely needs some refinement.
You truly can't legislate making someone give a sh*t. This would be the one rare case where I agree with the TeaBaggers. Making a parent take time off work, catch the PeopleMover all the way to their kid's school, and pretend to listen while a teacher tells them how sh*tty a job they're doing is probably not going to provide the intended result. On the contrary, I think you'll just agitate these parents even more. Besides, you're only making the parents attend one measly conference a year. What good is that really gonna do?
While we all know the problems, I don't pretend to have the solution to the problems with urban education. But much like pilot programs that pay kids for grades, something about this idea just screams chronically lowered expectations and "FAIL!"
Nice try Detroit. Now try harder.
Question: What do you think of Detroit's proposal to jail parents for missing school conferences? Will the threat of incarceration force parents to care about their children's education?
Just in case you were wondering how our AverageBro Fantasy Football Pick em' 2010 leader board looks 1/3 of the way thru the season, here goes. Click on the image and get all up in that.
I hate losing at my own game but Jeff Bempong, who also won our March Madness pool last year, has the game on lock so far. Maybe I'd have better luck at online poker, people actually make a living by playing online poker there. Since I'm not a football guy, maybe that's more my speed.
Still plenty of games left to play though. Watch your back, Jeff.
Juan Williams Gets That Arab A-Rod Money - Well, never let it be said that Fox News isn't "inclusive". Just hours after getting fired from NPR, the network inked Juan Williams to a 3 year, $2M contract extension. I'm a bit curious as to why the network publicly disclosed the financial terms of the contract, which is pretty much a no-no in media circles. Anyways, if Juan's smart, he'll know he's really made a deal with the devil now, and that he'll need to be on his P's and Q's even more. If he thinks Fox is paying good money for some wishy-washy Obama supporter, he clearly knows nothing about their concept of "free speech". I see this one ending badly. Mark my words. And while we're at it, someone tell Mr. Williams to quit playing the "victim" role. Negro please.
Palin And Co. "Refudiate" NPR For Firing Williams - I know it's a popular talking point, but pulling the little Federal funding NPR gets isn't going to put a dent in their coffers. Caribou Barbie please. And no, Williams' "right to free speech" wasn't violated. He was an employee of a company, they've wanted to can him for awhile, and after this incident they fired him. Period. He could lawyer up, but clearly he isn't. The funny thing is, you know Conservatives are only behind Juan because he said something they agree with, and wish they could have said. If Williams had gotten fired from NPR for making a sexist comment about Palin, would she be coming to his defense? Of course not. The fact is, his anti-Muslim comment is in lock-step with the network's current narrative. That's the only reason why he's now their hero. Like I said, watch you back, Juan.
Michelle-O's Oprah Effect - A Harvard Business Review study by NYU professor David Yermack reveals that Mrs. Obama earned designer brands and the stores that sell them $2.7 billion from the 189 public appearances she made between November 2008 and December 2009, according to New York magazine. Take that, Oprah!
NAACP Report Shows Racism In The Tea Party - In in related news, the sun rose this morning, and set last evening. Seriously, what clown is running the NAACP? Do they have any concept of timeliness? This story essentially died a year ago, yet here they are dredging it up yet again on the eve of the mid-term elections. What's the point, guys? We get it. Some folks in the Tea Party are indeed racist. Why keep running this into the ground? Do you really think it's helping restore the little remaining integrity you guys had when you tossed Shirley Sherrod under the bus? Your picture is now in the dictionary beside the term "day late and a dollar short". Bourgeois Negroes please.
Question: Does Juan Williams need to be extra-careful now that Fox broke him off that huge contract? Do you get style cues from Michelle-O? What's the NAACP trying to prove that hundreds of Tea Party signs didn't already prove back in 2009?
In case you didn't notice earlier, yeah, I'm sorta low on bloggable material this week. Got any ideas, pass em' along. Until then, more pointless, but funny web junk.
* Just in case you live under a rock and don't get this one, peep this, and this.
I've defended Williams in the past as the sole voice of reason amidst Fox News' sea of hatred. No, he isn't the "textbook liberal" (neither am I) but more times than not, the guy's the only person on the entire network that says what I'd probably say if put in the same situation. Of course, his frequent missteps (ie: that Michelle Obama/Stokeley Carmichael comment, defending Rush Limbaugh) tend to overshadow this, and most folks see Williams as just another Fox propagandist, if not a bootlickin' Uncle Thomas. Needless to say, I don't agree with this.
I once "met" Williams, long ago in the DC studios while I was doing my ill-fated stint at NPR. It was little more than a quick "and who the heck are you?" in the green room before I went on as he dropped in to say hi to another guest. He seemed like a nice enough guy. So maybe that why I was willing to give Williams the benefit of the doubt for something as truly ignant as this.
I mean, come on, what the f*ck were you thinking, Juan? The whole "I'm not racist" disclaimer. The "they all look alike to me too" sentiment. The obvious pandering to O'Reilly. The racial profiling double-standard. It was just so out of character, even though he tried to smooth it over.
National Public Radio said it terminated the contract of a news analyst after he said on a Fox News show that he gets nervous when he sees people with Muslim garb on planes.
Juan Williams had worked at NPR for a long time, but his other job as an analyst on the "largely conservative and often contentious prime time talk shows of Fox News has long been a sore point with NPR News executives," an article on NPR's website said.
Williams made the comments recently on Bill O'Reilly's show "The O'Reilly Factor."
Williams worked for 21 years at The Washington Post and hosted a national call-in show with NPR for a year along with being a news analyst for the radio company, according to his biography on NPR's website.
While I found Williams' comments terribly hateful and ignorant, I don't necessarily think they warranted an automatic loss of Day Job. Definitely a sincere on-air apology, and probably a lengthy suspension, but not the hook. The again, Williams' contract with Fox News has frequently been a sore spot for über-liberal NPR, so this little Muslim slur was probably just the final straw.
Question: Should Juan Williams have lost his NPR Day Job for this anti-Muslim comment? Will this only raise his profile with Conservatives, or do the same "martydor" rules not exactly apply to an independent like Williams?
It's happened to us all, especially those of us who travel for a living. You pull a crazy 10-12 hours on The Day Job, and inevitably the boss/random co-workers comes around and asks "So, what are you doing for dinner?"
And you're presented with a quandary: do you tell these folks to kick rocks, or do you play the good corporate minion and go out to eat with folks whom you're already tired of? If you're missing the connection here, substitute lunch for dinner.
Everyone knows that succeeding in the corporate world is about 75% talent and 25% interpersonal. We all know that guy who's kick-ass at the actual work itself, but has no social skills whatsoever and finds himself continually treading water. We also know that incompetent suck-up who routinely takes credit for other people's work, but is the boss' weedcarrier right-hand man, and thus he stays winning when it comes time for bonuses and promotions to be handed out. I'm sure many of us have found ourselves trying to toe the line between the two extremes.
No need to lie, I hate schmoozing, and find the "obligation" to spend 3 more hours after work with folks whom I'd rather not see off-the-clock a constant struggle. Why do I want to listen to another 3+ hours of whining about the customer and dry-snitching on Bob in accounting? After 5 is supposed to be my time, not my employer's. But you don't go and you run the risk of being branded as "not-a-team player" or "anti-social". While it's sometimes interesting to watch your co-workers down a few too many Heinekens and try to hit on Becky from The Sales Department, quite honestly I'd rather chunk the deuce, go my own way and see these folks again in the morning. You know, when they're actually paying for my time.
But of course, it's a balancing act. What ya'll think?
Question: Do you ever find yourself begrudgingly going along with co-workers to lunch/dinner when you really would rather go back to your hotel room chill? What risk do you run of continually doing your own thing in the workplace? Any notable personal stories you wanna share?
Okay, these Black Marriage Negotiations videos are all over the black blogosphere. I don't have time to add my usual analysis and snark, so ya'll go in.
Anyone who has followed this site for any extended period of time knows where I stand on President Obama. I still support the man, albeit with not as much enthusiasm as when I took days off work to assist with the campaign in 2008. I think he's had some significant legislative victories, some of which were purely circumstantial due to the House and Senate majorities, some of which were borne of his own effort. I think his leadership style and decision making in choosing the team around him has been woefully lacking. I don't regret voting for him, and won't hesitate to pull the lever again in 2012. Overall, I think he's done an average job as President, but he still has the potential to be great provided he makes the necessary adjustments.
I've also been critical at times, mostly regarding his lack of foresight in dealing with the GOP in the quest for that mythical entity known as bipartisanship. He misunderestimated[1] just how desperate they would be to regain power. When they intentionally distorted his signature healthcare reform bill, he didn't act quickly enough to counter these fallacies. He allowed the GOP to pile billions of dollars in tax cuts into the Stimulus package, only to have them reneg on any promised votes of support, and paint the entire package as rampant spending. He stood by idly as a buffoon named Robert Gibbs who was woefully unprepared for the job of Press Secretary did little to combat a mountain of misinformation that changed public perceptions of his policies. He didn't realize the need to sell the messy and annoying public relations stuff along with the policies themselves. In short, committed the cardinal sin of politricks: never underestimate your opponent. Now, months later, the GOP, with narry a fresh idea for fixing any of the issues that plague us, are poised to regain the House and possibly the Senate. And now, it's time for reflection.
I'm sure ya'll have already heard about last week's NY Times interview in which Obama and Co. recapped their mistakes to date, and talked about what needed to be done to get things back on track if he wants to serve two terms. If you haven't read it yourself, sans the biased media filter, I'd suggest you do. It's a fascinating, albeit long, story that more or less recaps all the myriad rookie mistakes and miscalculations that I've harped on repeatedly here. If nothing else, it gives you a sense that Obama, in his own words, reads the field exactly like we do here at AB.com. He knows where he messed up, what he would have redone differently, and what he needs to do next.
Anyways, since I've been intentionally off the political tip for a minute, I figured I'd open the discussion back up now that November 2nd is nearing.
Question: What tactical errors has the Obama White House committed? Do you think the GOP will take over the House and/or Senate in November? What will Obama have to do to work with a rebalanced Capitol Hill to get things done over the next two years if this happens?
No need to lie, when I saw the limited television ads for N-Secure, as well as that hideous movie poster, my expectations were pretty low. Seriously, that is the worst, lamest, cheapest Photoshop job I've ever seen. But the old idiom says never judge a book by it's cover. Interestingly, N-Secure adds a wrinkle to that cliche. Never judge a movie by it's cheap assed poster and D-List cast, because it turns out this is actually a pretty good flick.
Beautifully shot in the city of Memphis, N-Secure follows a very insecure and very rich man named David Alan Washington (Cordell Moore, whom even I've never heard of, but nails the role) who is incredibly controlling, jealous, and bordeline OCD. When his girlfriend (Essence Atkins from all those UPN sitcoms) cheats on him, Washington immediately dumps her and hooks up with another woman (Denise Boutte of Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married) whom he suspects won't hurt him. When Washington's jealous nature gets the better of him, the usual urban thriller hijinx ensue. And thankfully avoiding Negro cinema cliches, there's no contrived come-to-Jesus moment and no sangin'. I could probably tell you a lot more, but I'd likely ruin the movie.
If there's one underlying message in this movie that sorta irked me, it's that every woman David encounters thinks he's a total jackass (and he is, make no mistake), but they all seem to stick with him because he's rich. As a result, it's kinda hard to find any likeable characters in this movie, which is usually a fatal flaw with any flick. Strangely, that doesn't derail N-Secure, but I sure hope nobody gets fooled into thinking this is a "positive" movie just because there are some nice cars being driven and all the women look fabulous. There's a dark undertone to this film that goes beyond the 107 minute running time.
Well paced, although nearly two hours long, N-Secure is a rare quality black drama in post-TP America. With a solid supporting cast of folks (Lamman Rucker, Tempestt Bledsoe, Steve Harvey's weedcarrier Nephew Tommy) you probably know more by face than by name, it's the kind of movie that makes you yell to the screen repeatedly, but in a good way. Save yourself some trouble and don't go see this on in the hood' if you're the type who's easily annoyed by this sort of behavior.
The Verdict: If you like compelling dramas, you'll probably like N-Secure. Don't let the cheesy poster and trailer fool you. This is a pretty good movie.
[Editor's Note: Yeah, so this unofficially turned into "Examining Hip-Hop" week. Maybe next time I'll make an occasion appropriate banner image.]
So, last week, on this very site, I ran a video that disturbed a lot of ya'll. It was the infamous "I'm Sellin' P***y" video by a trio of hoodrats from the great state of Florida, of course Atlanta who had the unmitigated gall to refer to themselves as "The First Ladies". As the title of the song suggests, these ladies were talking about the time-honored profession of prostitution.
Response to me running this video wasn't exactly positive, but I think most of ya'll missed the (admittedly muddled) message: namely, what made these ladies any different than your favorite female rap or R&B artist? Sure, the cinematography was lacking, and that one chick who got looowwww in the 3 point stance did look a whole lot like Albert Haynesworth[1], but what exactly was so unusual about women saying they're selling the goods? Ain't that essentially the same thing being pumped into kids' headed 24/7 on your local Hot/Power/Kiss station? Don't believe me, peep this...
Ladies, how many of ya'll were in the club just last weekend shakin' ya'll a$$es to this? Be honest.
How is Diamond any different than those other hoodrats, other than slightly better hair extensions and airplay?[2] Again, same sh*t, different lacefront.
If you're still not quite making the connection here, cause you're bourgeois and missed the understand ghetto brilliance of "Nuck If You Buck" a bit older than the Hot/Power/Kiss key demo, here's another one just for you.
And another one...
And if you're a 70's baby and still clueless, try this one on for size.
As much as hip hop music is (rightfully) assailed as being misogynistic, how come nobody ever sits down and dissects the psychological effects of listening to "No Money, No Coochie'" on both girls and boys? While few would argue that reducing women to body parts for a man's personal pleasure is a sh*tty message to send, why isn't anyone likewise talking about how reducing a man to the size of his paycheck is an equally sh*tty message? Has anyone ever stopped and thought about how much sh*t men do solely to impress women, and how messages like this probably fuel a decent amount of the illegal activity in the black community? Do dope boys sell dope to keep the lights on and food on the table, or because they can use the proceeds to buy stuff that "impresses b*tches"? Cause a man's gotta get his, and if he has to rob me to buy a pair of Rock & Republic jeans to get your attention ladies, then that's pretty sad.
I'm just sayin'.
I think we can all agree that black relationships aren't helped by either sentiment. So how come Hoe-Hop™ is treated as some accepted norm? Ya'll tell me?
Question: Was this a reach, or do you think there's some co-relation between this steady "no romance without finance" drumbeat and a lot of the dysfunction between sexes in the black community. Be honest, ladies, were you at the club last week dancing to "Gotta Lotta Money" or are you above such hoodrat behavior?
[1] Hat tip to blackchildinkorea. That punchline was good enough to be stolen. So I did.
[2] Well, okay, Diamond's better looking. And I read a comment somewhere saying that the lil' chick in The First Ladies was actually a First Dude, soooo.
Once, long ago, in a blogosphere far, far away, I won a Black WebLog Award for the "Blog To Watch". It was a huge accomplishment for this blog, which was barely in existence 6 months at the time, and brought many new members to AverageNation™, some of whom still comment here today. It also gave this blog the web-cred that opened the doors at NPR, The Washington Post, and my current side-gig at AOL BlackVoices.[1]
In the subsequent years, I haven't even gotten a sniff of an annual award from the fine folks at BlackWebLog, but hey I'm not bitter. Who, me bitter? No way.[2] I guess all's well that ends well. Recently, they caught up with me to find out how cyber-life has changed since this major accomplishment, and I happily complied.
Sorry, but ya'll know I'm just naturally a hater skeptical about certain stuff and can't turn off my Negro Intuition when something don't seem quite right. So while I'm sure lots of you are going to jump on my back for questioning a life-saving humanitarian gesture, let's consider the whole story here.
Rapper T.I. says the help he gave police in preventing a suicide jump Wednesday had nothing to do with his court hearing Friday, when a federal judge will decide whether to revoke his probation.
V-103's Ryan Cameron noted in an interview with T.I. that "there are going to be some out there who say this timing is quite impeccable, that T.I. would do this, that he saw something to gain for his own situation."
Wednesday afternoon, T.I. said he was pulling out of his driveway and headed to a video shoot. He said he heard on V-103 about the man threatening to jump from 400 Colony Square, the 22-story Midtown building that houses the radio station.
Peachtree Street was temporarily blocked off between 14th and 15th streets, and MARTA buses were rerouted, police said. Witnesses in nearby buildings reported seeing a man sitting on the edge of the building.
T.I. "came to the scene and offered to talk to him," Officer James Polite with Atlanta police told the AJC.
An officer at street level recorded a video message from T.I. and sent it to a negotiator on the roof, who showed it to the 24-year-old man.
T.I. said the message simply stated "that I was here and I was looking forward to meeting him and that no matter what's going on in life now, it gets better."
When the man came down, he spoke to T.I. for about five minutes.
The man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for evaluation. He will not face charges. Atlanta police credit T.I. with helping avoid a potentially devastating event.
Sorry, folks, but this all just seems a wee bit contrived, and given T.I.'s pending court date, a bit too convenient.
I'm obviously not suggesting that the Atlanta police are in collusion with a cRapper most of them only know from his impressive mugshot collection, but something here seems fishy. A Grand Hu$tle if you will.
Question: Does this story seem a wee bit unbelievable to you? Will the judge be more lenient on T.I. as a result of this heroic gesture?
I've got one foot on the Redskins bandwagon, but I'm probably about 2 weeks away from tuning the NFL out altogether now that basketball season is nearly underway. As if you couldn't already tell, I never played football growing up and have no particular fondness for the football. It's a plodding, possession-oriented sport whose cultural relevance is exaggerated by the fact that teams only play 16 games per season. To me, it exists purely for watercooler convo, and to break the monotony between the end of the NBA summer league and the start of NBA preseason.
I've waxed poetic repeatedly here about why I think the NBA is the best sport, period. A recent study proved why MLB really sucked, and reminded me of a prior study that proved how much of a snoozefest the typical NFL game actually is.
Here's something even dedicated students of the game may not fully appreciate: There's very little actual football in a football game.
According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.
In other words, if you tally up everything that happens between the time the ball is snapped and the play is whistled dead by the officials, there's barely enough time to prepare a hard-boiled egg. In fact, the average telecast devotes 56% more time to showing replays.
So what do the networks do with the other 174 minutes in a typical broadcast? Not surprisingly, commercials take up about an hour. As many as 75 minutes, or about 60% of the total air time, excluding commercials, is spent on shots of players huddling, standing at the line of scrimmage or just generally milling about between snaps.
Football—at least the American version—is the rare sport where it's common for the clock to run for long periods of time while nothing is happening. After a routine play is whistled dead, the clock will continue to run, even as the players are peeling themselves off the turf and limping back to their huddles. The team on offense has a maximum of 40 seconds after one play ends to snap the ball again. A regulation NFL game consists of four quarters of 15 minutes each, but because the typical play only lasts about four seconds, the ratio of inaction to action is approximately 10 to 1.
The recent study I referenced above noted that the typical major league baseball game only has about 14 minutes of actual baseball. The NBA, well, it's gotta have at least 48 minutes of actual basketball because the clock stops during fouls or when the ball is dead. I'm sure these eggheads will find a way to insist that time spent dribbling up the court doesn't count, but that would be shortsighted. To be fair, you'd also have to count free throws as actual "basketball", even though the clock is stopped while they're attempted, so I'm willing to bet this number is closer to 60 minutes per NBA game. Which again, just goes to prove how much better a sport the NBA is by comparison.
Because seriously, in what other sport are you gonna see a 7-2 guy pull off something like this?
Javale McGee, by all accounts, is an average NBA player. He's barely even starting for his team, but even he can create a play-of-the-week candidate.
Before the resident NFL purists step in and says something about one-handed catches or perfect spirals, please. Hold the comments. You seen one, you seen em' all. How many NFL games are decided in the final seconds by anything other than a lousy field goal? Very few. How many NBA games are decided in the final moments? Most of em'.
Okay, I promised I wouldn't go knee deep in comparisons, so I'll step off now.
Question: Are you shocked to find out how little action exists in an NFL game? Knowing this, isn't the NBA 20 times more exciting by comparison?
Damn that Antoine Dodson! He can't seem to keep himself off the internets, awards shows, and now, political attack ads? F'real?
So, not only is Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell a witch, she's also dumb enough to take the tagline from a viral video and use it to attack her opponent? Wow. Just. Wow.
Good luck with that one, Delawarians.
Question: Is using the "Dey Rapin' Errybody" tagline in a political ad the stoopidest thing you've seen this year, or savvy marketing?
[Editor's Note: AB.com NewsBriefs is now Hot Topics. Final reminder.]
I'm busy today, here's the rundown...
Chilean Miners - Is this a made-for-TV movie just begging to happen or what? These dudes were trapped 33-deep in a mine shaft the size of a studio apartment for 2 1/2 months. What's it going to be like re-adjusting to life above ground? And since we're on the topic, I guess I'd ask: if this were you, are you quitting that mining gig or going back to work? I doubt it's that cut and dry for these guys, many of whom have been working in the mines since age 12.
BET Hip Hop Awards - I was downtown watching John Wall's home debut, so I missed this. What happened, other than Antoine Dodson's 15th minute of fame officially expiring?
Michelle Rhee Steps Down - It's amazing how differently a story can play out locally vs nationally. If you didn't know any better, you'd assume DC Schools Superintendent Michelle Rhee was some superhero with the magic formula to fix the horrible state of urban Negro education. She's been on the cover of Time and Newsweek, lauded by pundits on both sides of the political aisle, and featured in the new movie Waiting For Superman. That's her around the :30 second mark.
Locally, she's seen as an opportunist who takes credit for the education reforms of the guy who proceeded her, has zero people skills, is unnervingly anti-union, and abuses power by firing teachers just for the sake of firing them. I'm sure she'll land somewhere even more high profile now that the incoming Mayor has no use for her. Word is Obama's a fan, and a DoEd job could be coming. I shudder at that thought.
Judge Ends Military's Ban On DADT - Will this ever end?
Brett Favre Levis Ads Still Running - Hmmmm, so a guy who's supposed to be all about All-American family values sends emails of his junk to a team employee, but gets to keep his endorsements? Alrighty then.
As a hip hop purist, I spend a lot of my rare spare time online watching rap battles. Nah, I'm not talking about contrived "The Label Made Us Do It" BS like 50 vs Rick Ross, Eminem vs Nick Cannon, or Jim Jones vs Fabolous, I'm talking about the underground genre of "battles" usually only seen in person or online. If you're unfamiliar with this uhhh, artform, it's essentially just two people playing the dozens in front of a crowd of instigators. It's not like that made-for-Hollyweird scene in 8 Mile, because there's usually no instrumental being rapped over, and getting a record deal is seldom the end game. Nope, this is all just about gaining a level of fame in a very small circle of the underworld. Or in this case, The Internets.
I don't really co-relate the ability to battle rhyme with being a "rapper". Rapping involves putting together cohesive song concepts, condensing messages into 16 bars and a hook, an ear for what's radio friendly, and the ability to work with diverse producers. This, by comparison, is like streetball vs the NBA. Similiar skillsets, but entirely different sports.
More often than not, these "battles" delve deep into sexist, homophobic, violent, racist, even xenophobic rants in which nothing but the N-Word (used against a black person by a non-black) is out of bounds. The battler who comes up with the wittiest, funniest, most personal punchlines and elicits the most audience response (usually in the form of "Ohhhhhhhs!") is usually the winner. The question is, what exactly do they win?
Here's a few of my favorite recent battles. Please, be forewarned that the following videos contain some extremely unsettling language. If you're at work, please, please, please put on some headphones first.
E-Ness vs Iron Solomon
QB vs Miss Fit
Rich Dolarz vs D.N.A.
I hate sounding all analytical and whatnot, but damn, it's hard watching this sort of talent going to relative waste. All of the folks pictured above have an incredible ability to improvise on the fly, to go on 10 minute streams of conscious rants without stumbling over a word, and to perform in a pressure packed situation. So what exactly are they doing with these incredibly awe-inspiring talents other than spitting a bunch of violent ignorance?
Forgive this pointless rant, which is know is clearly not for everyone in AverageNation™, but if you're familiar with this whole "artform", chime in below.
Question: Ashy Or Classy? Are battle raps an amazing display of lyrical dexterity, or just an amazing display of hateful ignorance? Are battle rhymers wasting incredible talent on nothing? What sort of profitable, legal hustle could you apply these very same skills to and improve your lot in life?
Ya'll know the drill. I have a real Day Job, and sometimes they actually require me to do real work. Today would be one such day. I'm also tired as all getout from this past weekend. We threw the party of all 2nd birthday parties for my now 2-year-old son. I dressed up in an Elmo suit. The Dougie was done. Hilarity ensued.
Anyways, ya'll throw some topics at each other and see what sticks. In the meantime, if you wanna peep what I've been up to over on AOL BlackVoices, go here.
There's a lovely punchline just begging to be written for this story, but it's a Friday and the Day Job's definitely gotten their money's worth this week. Thus, I got nothing left. So why don't ya'll supply the color commentary on this one?
The X-rated photos included in the video posted on Deadspin Thursday afternoon claim to show legendary quarterback and devoted family man Brett Favre like you've never seen him before: naked from the waist down.
The wisenheimer website posted three pictures of private parts it says the Minnesota Vikings quarterback sent to Jenn Sterger in 2008, when Favre was with the Jets and the sexy TV personality was a Gang Green sideline reporter. "It's a good story for us," Deadspin editor-in-chief A.J. Daulerio said. "We cover the dark side of sports."
Daulerio also posted voicemails he says that Favre - a 40-year-old grandfather - left on Sterger's phone in a clumsy attempt to woo the 26-year-old model, actress and television host.
"Send me a text," Favre said in one voicemail. "Love to see you tonight."
Favre declined to comment on the Deadspin post while meeting with reporters at the Vikings training facility Thursday. "I'm not getting into that," Favre said. "I've got my hands full with the Jets." Favre and the Vikings play the Jets at the New Meadowlands .Stadium on Monday night.
Daulerio said Sterger did not provide the photos and voicemails and declined comment for his post.
Daulerio would not identify the source of the materials, but said the source contacted Deadspin after Daulerio first reported in August that Favre had sent X-rated photos to Sterger. Daulerio said he's convinced the photos and voicemails are authentically Favre. Daulerio said Deadspin paid for the photos and voicemails but declined to say how much.
Deadspin also reported that Favre may have had a wingman. The website reports that Favre told Sterger in a MySpace message that a Jets media relations manager "will either slip you my # or ask for yours."
Deadspin first reported in August that Favre had sent X-rated photos to Sterger. Daulerio reported that Sterger had told him in January about the photos and voicemails. She wasn't willing to go public with Favre's off-field passes, according to Daulerio, but she held onto the pictures and voicemails to laugh at with her friends. It was not clear in August that Sterger consented to Deadspin's use of the information.
Sterger sent Daulerio a Feb. 15 email, later posted on Deadspin, that said she was not interested in hooking up with Favre, who has been married to Deanna Favre for 14 years.
I'm obviously not gonna post photos of a man's junk on this site. If you must see Favre's loose balls, find them on your own time.
I really have nothing else to add here, but I'm assuming Lauren's gonna swoop in with an "I told you so" any moment now. Have at it.
Question: Is this a bad look for Brett Favre's "All American Boy" image?
They Should Have Never Gave You N*ggas ProTools!!!
...or a green screen. Or EBT cards for that matter.
You've surely already seen the latest viral video sensation making laps about the NegroNet™ by now. It's not too different from the equally low-budget Smokahontas Jones video of a few months back, which also bragged about sellin' p*ssy.
Reactions around the web have been universal: These chicks are rappin' about sellin' cooch, yet call themselves the First Ladies. How dare they shame Michelle O's title! cRap music is ruining our kids. Blah blah blah.
While this new Hoe-Hop™ genre of music is getting annoying, personally, this doesn't bug me much. The subject matter's sorta lame, but how different is this than the other 500 songs currently in rotation on your local Hot/Kiss/Power/Jamz at the moment? All those songs talk about the same thing: dudes paying for sex and women expecting money/cars/clothes in exchange for sex. At least these ladies are cutting to the chase. How are they any different than Nicki Minaj, or Diamond, or Trina? Same sh*t, different lacefront.
Besides, I kinda like this. The second chick actually has a nice voice/flow, and the beat's a knockoff Gucci Mane/Wocka Flacka/OJ Da' JuiceMan number. Cop your headphones and listen. That sh*t is knockin'.
I'm gonna give this a Moderately Ashy, mostly because the video is so turrible. Can these Negroes even spell tripod? But lemme say I don't mind the subject matter, and the song itself isn't the worst sh*t I've heard this week.
Question: Ashy Or Classy? Do these chicks need to stay on the track, or can they keep layin' tracks?
