The Cult of Fox News

I’m a big fan of the Simpsons and the other night, I watched the episode where the townspeople joined a cult where “the leader” was in charge. Everyone gave up their wordly goods, moved onto a commune, harvested lima beans and awaited the building of a spaceship that would take them all to a new life on “blisstonia.” As hilarious as that episode sounds, cults like this exist in the world and they promise everything from getting on a spaceship, creating a utopia on earth or worst (as we have seen in historical references) freedome through loss of life at the hands of a “leader.” The Tea Party movement has used anger over the Obama administration to bring out the worst in human nature. I will be the first person to say that I have no problem with anyone having conservative viewpoints. Where I have a problem is when a conservative viewpoint is used to advance hatred in any form against any person or group. Fox News Network in my opinion has been a fertile breeding ground for planting the seeds of “Cult Think” where conservative beliefs and viewpoints have turned into beliefs which drive a larger agenda of hate.

Merriam-Webster defines Cult in several different ways. The most appropriate definition for what I have defined as Cult Think is: “great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book);especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion.”

My observations of Conservatives is one of a group who hold their beliefs strongly and in many cases, wear those beliefs on their sleeve. The ideas of limited government, tough positions of crime and punishment, low taxes and self responsibility are noble ideas. When these beliefs are twisted into loaded statements that suggest that only certain groups of people are responsible citizens, or disagreeing with the government (respectfully) makes you a terrorist, to me that is brainwashing. In addition, each argument based on these points takes the issues down to the lowest common denominator and the “talking points” become predictable and insulting. Why now that we have a black president is everything he does is “dangerous” and now it has been the call for every good citizen (read: white) to rise up and reclaim the country? What are we reclaiming it from? I think what scares me more is what do these folks want to do when they “take the country back.” The cult thinking has these Americans scared and wrapping themselves in the flag, the Constitution and around their so called God given right to arm themselves. These folks are so scared, the line has been blurred between conservative thought and action and outright fear mongering from their cult leaders at Fox. When will the brainwashing end? At this rate, the Tea Party which has done nothing to counter the hateful aspects of it’s organization will become the GOP. Frankly, I don’t see the line, hate is hate now matter how you slice it.

Cathy Hughes: Kill Ya Self!

When Rick James said, "They never should have gave you n*ggas money" he must have been talking about Cathy Hughes. How in the hell do you have money and the opportunity through media to promote positivity and just fuck it up completely? Why does it seem that every black capitalist wants to put their boot on the neck of the rest of us? She hates artists getting their just due in the form of being paid for their work and she hates her radio talent even more by recently cleaning house at a number of her stations in the DC area. She has been in a verbal war with Dionne Warwick over radio stations paying artists. It does make me chuckle that the person going to bat for artists these days is an artist who hasn't released an album in 3 decades but right is right. Musical acts aren't in the business for free, someone needs to pony up and right now radio (strangely enough) is generating crazy ass revenues where they could break someone off a slice.

Honestly, I haven't listened to the radio since 2006 and if you read my blog or my tweets you know why. I get my music from iTunes and travel with my iPod just about everywhere I go. Listening to my iPod reminds me what radio used to be like and should be like: variety. Every one of Ms. Hughes' stations plays the same 5 songs by the same 5 shitty artists over and over. As much as I hate music these days and as weird as it is that their interests are being lobbied for by an artist who can't relate to the problems of today's artists, but there has to be a . Ms. Hughes on the other hand wants to protect her position by stating that she is broke and she doesn't owe anything to the artists whom she makes money off of on a daily basis. That makes her as bad as Bob Johnson selling off BET to make large profits and create the modern day minstrel show on cable. Ms. Hughes is the worst kind of black capitalist, I think slave owner would be a better title.

Cathy Hughes....KILL YA SELF!!!

Cleveland just got posterized...highlights on Sports Center

Let's face it, Lebron James is like any other employee. Well, maybe not quite any other employee. That brotha makes WAY more money than I do, but he has people to answer to as well as a whole city. Last night, he broke a lot of hearts and may now be the most unwelcomed man in the state of Ohio. Should anyone be surprised that he left? No, there is no loyalty in any line of employment. Whether you make 10 million or $10/hr, you can either quit or get fired (usually without explanation). The only difference is when I left my job in May, I didn't have it televised. Frankly most folks outside my own organization (or within it for that matter) wouldn't have given a shit. Which leads me to a question, what was he trying to prove by having a one hour special to make an announcement that needed 15 minutes in a secret location somewhere? I like Lebron but he lost some cool points and gained some douchebag points for that move. I would have to give him a 3 on the Kobe Bryant douchebag scale for that crazy ass stunt.

As for the future, it can be really bright or it can be another 7 year title drought for the King. With D Wade and Chris Bosh it is possible to bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to South Beach but a couple of things have to happen.

1. Wade and Bosh need to stay healthy

2. Past the "new big 3", they need a good bench or it's like having a uzi filled with BBs

Will they win right away? Probably not. But it better be within 7 years or Lebron will be having another special to go play in __________

2010 Beef????

Cruising YouTube is like going to the supermarket. Your intent is to go to the store for 5 minutes to pick up one or two things and you end up leaving an hour later with a cart of crap you would never use in life. So I took a YouTube trip one night late looking for who knows what and ended up finding my intended video and everything else in between. This was interesting though, I ran across a chick from Baltimore named Keys who decided to lyrically take a swipe at Nicki Minaj and taped it. If you haven't seen it, let's look at the video tape shall we?

I saw this and I was like ok, you got skills and yeah you can rhyme but the comments were interesting to me. I would say from just glancing at what folks had to say, it was about 50/50 Keys/Minaj. In essence you had folks saying that Keys has skills and Nicki is garbage and vice versa. One of the other prevailing comments was Why is this chick going after her? She won't get discovered doing videos and dissing someone who is already famous. Some even went as far to use the H-word. Yep, our favorite black person word, hater. Once again, I don't in any way, shape or form see this as Keys hating on Nicki. What I do see is a gritty MC who is challenging the current state of the genre and showing that she doesn't like what is going on and that there is diversity of styles in the rap game. I see Hip-Hop becoming more and more divided among lines of those who can spit and the more commercialized type hip-hop of Nicki Minaj.

I will say it again for the record, I REALLY tried to like Nicki. I listened to one of her mixtapes and she had maybe one halfway decent track but for the most part, it was the most disjointed album I have ever heard by ANY artist. However, she has appeal to alot of folks for reasons I can't understand but that is why she is a star. But why when someone comes hard like Keys or keeps it real like Talib Kweli, it is classified as "alternative" or "underground" hip-hop. Hip-hop represents a wide variety of musical and lyrical styles. You can classify a particular hip-hop style by say the origin of the group or artist but to me it appears that we are denigrating some artists because they choose to remain true to the origins of hip-hop.

Not too long after this came out, Nicki responded. Initially I tried to watch this at work but damn this video is PAINFUL to watch. I finally watched it a couple of nights ago at 3am...I knew I had no place to go and at worse I would just fall asleep watching her form a sentence. If you have to go to the bathroom, choose any part of this video. Her sentences are so choppy, you can probably see 30 seconds and get the idea of what she is saying (or not saying).

A mind is a terrible thing to develop without help. I say it over and over and over again!!! Watching this video you can't help but think that. There are really no words, I have nothing to say about this train wreck. And so the back and forth continues as Keys pops up in response:

I shared this with my partner and crime Uniqpoet and we had a very interesting discussion about all of this. He did make a good point, what do folks want to hear these days: Another rapper from the streets talking about stacking chips and doing dirt or a rapper who delivers lighhearted, party-themed lyrics? Why, he adds does every "hungry" emcee have to be gutter and hood? I think this shows the wide divide in hip-hop as emcees from both sides battle for the soul of hip-hop.

At this point I am thinking, is this the next rap beef? Fat chance on that but it sure makes things very, very interesting! I wonder if Keys is going to get in the black trucks and ride on Nicki? Ha, ha...Stay Tuned!

Do you mind if I hang a Confederate Flag? VA's Gov strikes again!

I am getting really tired about writing about the mistake it was to elect Bob McDonnell Governor of Virginia. What's sad about that statement is that he and his administration have done more to reverse the achievements of Gun Control advocates and Homosexuals in 3 whole months in office. Just when you thought it was safe to think maybe it would be clear for a while and he would focus on roads, economy or even crime, this jackass creates Confederate History Month. Somehow, I kind of wish that this was a Ashton Kutcher "you got Punk'd moment" but it isn't, this guy is serious. Where do I go with this? Two points:

1. If Gov. McDonnell wants to advance the idea that the GOP is a compassionate party in the light of all of the bulls*it with health care, stop now. You are not helping your party garner any new favor among minorities or moderates whose voices are being drowned out by the right wing nut jobs in the GOP. Although I think if anything, this move was self-serving and outright insensitive. What do we gain by reliving the history of one of the most ugly periods in our nations' history? Also, who is telling the REAL history of not just the Civil War but of out nation? Texas has already decided that the history being taught in their schools wasn't diluted enough and opted to tell more lies to our kids who need to understand that the true source of the angst in our nation is the inability to tell the true story of our history and confront the pain that resulted from it.

2. I am a student of history and ok I acknowledge there are groups who live their life relishing in the Civil War and the roles their ancestors played. These folks wave the Confederate flag as often and as vigorously as the American flag but when confronted and ask why do they display a symbol of hate their reply is "It's heritage not hate." So your heritage is one of starting a war over enslaving a race of people and believing said race is inferior to your own? I don't know about you, but that is not a heritage I would want to be proud of. And if that argument wasn't complicated enough, then hate groups wave that damn flag and then a few Civil War ancestor groups quietly dispute that but not loud enough to make them look a little repentant for their "heritage."

Maybe the Virginia GOP wants to appear as though they don't give a rat's ass about anyone's beliefs, well-being or safety. Now that I think about it, that's the platform of the National GOP. What's next Mr. Governor, State endorsed lynchings???

Where in the World is Shabba Ranks?

Note: This is a repost with an update (Some old and new here). Read, laugh, whatever. Be easy.

Yeah, I know the picture probably scared the shit out of you but as I was flipping through my iTunes I was thinking where the hell is Shabba Ranks? (aka Mr. Ugly Man) I must admit, he had a few of the hot jams back in the day (Mr. Loverman, Ting a Ling, Housecall with Maxi Priest) but then there area few songs which make me think he definetly had to work to get it (Bedroom Bully, Pay Down Pon it, Muscle Grip and Telephone Love). Has there been any Shabba sightings? Are there still people with eyes after that sighting?

Update: I was in Maryland this past summer and Shabba was in DC making a club appearance. His radio inteview was very interesting simply because I still couldn't understand a damn word he was saying. Shabba is still making the rounds it appears, glistnin' with baby oil, singin and scaring the s*it out of folks. Thanks for all you do Shabba!

College Basketball: Tell em' why you mad Prof...

This is the time of year where all is fresh, renewed and all of the male species disappear for hours at a time to live in March Madness. I always feel so rejuvenated at this time of year as warm weather returns and the thrill of sport is at it's apex. Even when I am not my best, March Madness always manages to bring a smile to my face and some comfort and solace from what is happening in the other aspects of my life. With all of that said, it feels a bit weird to write a blog expressing my disappointment in college basketball at the beginning of the major conferences crowning champions and awaiting the Christmas Day of the season, Selection Sunday. Is it me or is going to college for one year now the norm for these phenoms?

Don't get me wrong, as an ex-athlete and a basketball fan, I can appreciate someone who has extraordinary talent and can play a sport extremely well. I look at it as a gift from God that one has the gifts, talents and the physical tools to play a sport very well. Through sport, many have gone to college and achieved at a high level. So I ask the question, if you aren't trying to stay at least 2-3 years, then why are you "jerking off" the fans and then stopping before they get it in? In essence, that is what is occuring in my opinion. These players who play at the High School level like a man amongst boys get to the college level and make it seem easy. But it is bad that EVERYONE knows that "so and so is going pro next year." WHAT!??? You came long enough to give a team a great season and then off you go to further dilute the NBA talent base. There are great players in the NBA, I can agree on that. But what I see is a dilution of the civility of the league, just guys who are "professional" as it is implied that they are all professional basketball players. Nowadays, if you are in your 30's, you are considered over the hill and put out to pasture because you have guys coming into the league younger and younger.

There is however a much larger issue at play here, I am concerned about the difference between players who have phenominal skill and those who are good players but their head is soooo pumped that they believe all the hype associated with them. The former players are typicall y those who do the 1-2 years of college, grow some and get a bit of education and move on. These players typically have done well. The latter guys are the ones who come out of High School, some unknown and untested and others who are well known and tested. I see a mixed bag of success in this group and I think success here is based on the support group that you have. If a player has level headed, honest input from family and business folks, then the sky is the limit. But there have been too many who go this route and end up with nothing, far short of the dream of NBA riches and success. Couple all of that with should I go for the money or should I go because I can play also complicates things. If money is the issue, I can fully understand. Playing in college for 1-2 years as I mentioned can be a big help in achieving the goal and after hopefully making it in the league, finishing a college degree can be done. Going because you can play well is a recipe for disaster in my opinion and has been the downfall of many.

Overall, I blame both the NBA and the College Game. Colleges are supposed to be showing young men the way in education while the NBA should be looking out a bit for it's image and self-interests. From the way things are shaping up, neither cares about education or image.