What are you getting for Valentine's Day - 1.31.2007.2

On a completely different thought, I want to mention that I have added 2 more clothing lines at my online store www.cafepress.com/nova68. This brings the number to 12 clothing lines in total.

The latest 2 lines feature, I’m Black and proud and Respect my mind (model photos of these new clothing lines will be up after the next photo shoot). Past clothing lines include the Cowboy Ride, Nothing sexier, Battery died, Rejoice in me, I am the myth, Character is Forever and several others.

I’m sure with the well over 200 items available, you can find a unique something that will stand out for Valentine’s Day. I even have an Ex’s are Forever line for those not feeling the holiday’s spirit.

I’m not the only one mentioning that the ladies need to see something different from the same couple of roses as last year. “Many guys who are attached, semi-attached, or about-to-be-attached simply tend to run the same plays year after year, making Valentine's Day as predictable as finales of The Bachelor. Though the average man spends about $125 on Valentine's Day, he's likely not spending it in the right places… Only 1 in 5 women say they want the traditional dinner and less than that want the traditional card and flowers (about 15 percent).”

Well there you go.

By the way, if there is a design you’d like to see or any other change/addition to any of the sites, please get in touch with me. Also for those in the Binghamton area, I am always looking for models (men and women, all races and ages) for my next model shoot.

You can contact me either by going to my contact page or using info@blackentertainmentblog.com.

Fear Master Shake, and who is most desirable - 1.31.2007.1

Well there were a few things that caught my eye today. One item, was the sad reminder that large amounts of wealth and a strong dash of fame rarely mixes well with friends and family. In this case it’s the signal of perhaps the end of a long friendship for Mr. Bruce Willis. While the lawsuit was settled, the fact that it had been made may be the breaking point between Mr. Willis and his friend. I’m always sorry to hear of stories like this. There are never any winners in this kind of situation.

Speaking of a no-win situation, imagine that you are just coming home after a particularly stressful day. Your only thought is to get home and relax watching television in that massage chair you got over Christmas. You sit down, turn it on, and after a few minutes you pop up wondering what you left on the stove that was burning. Sadly you realize that it’s actually your chair on fire. Not a good day at all. Luckily for most of my readers it’s not an issue, the massage chairs made by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd, are sold in Japan and Asia (and are being recalled). So perhaps your day here is not as bad as you might have first thought.

In terms of relaxing, it seems that there are quite a few men that daydream about a few stars. A list was made by AskMen.com on the 99 most desirable women of 2007 [why 99? And isn’t it a bit early to be doing this kind of list in January?] had Ms. Beyonce Knowles at number 1. A good choice I think.

Who didn’t make the list? Well I think Ms. Alicia Keys should have made it. Talented and good looking, but the low profile she had in 2006 kept her out. That’s a shame. On the other end of the spectrum Mrs. Britney Spears (is she still married?) didn’t make it either. Thank goodness. I’m so tired of seeing her face. Limited talent, not really that pretty, no class – why do people still talk about her? And where was Mrs. Jada Pinkett-Smith? She is classy and sexy and deserves to be on the list, married or not. I have to add a long time favorite of Ms. Claudia Black. [Ayrn Sun rules! I don’t give a frell if you don’t agree. My fellow ‘Scapers know what I mean.]

Now as for the other women on the most desirable list, Ms. Gabrielle Union is far too low at 94. Ms. Rosario Dawson made it to 77, Ms. Jennifer Esposito got 69 (higher than Ms. Dawson?), Fergie is 60, Mrs. Gwen Stefani hit 56, Ms. Mandy Moore ranked 53, Ms. Tyra Banks was what to high at 26. Ms. Charlize Theron could have been higher at 24, Ms. Angalina Jolie caught 9, and Ms. Jessica Alba was far too high at 3. There are a huge number of women I have never seen before (but I’m not big on basic television or low quality programming so that could be a factor). And why are most of the women so thin that they have little or no curves? Face it, they may say that Ms. Knowles is number 1 because of abilities, but her sex appeal didn’t hurt either. That sex appeal is in no small part the fact that she has curves. Why most forms of entertainment are afraid of women with curves I have no idea. If models were shaped more like Ms. Knowles or Ms. Mayra Veronica I’m sure Top Model or runway shows would be far more interesting, for men and women. But that’s my take on the list you can check it out and make your on decision. [Ms. Hilary Duff, Ms. Jennifer Aniston, Ms. Lindsay Lohan, Ms. Penelope Cruz, Ms. Jessica Simpson, Ms. Eva Longoria all made the list and I have no idea why.]

Lastly, I hope that the actions or guerilla marketers in Boston will not adversely affect the programming at Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. You may have heard how the various images of Err, and Master Shake shoke-up the city with fears of a terrorist scare or bombing hoax. It actually was just advertising that went wrong. It seems similar marketing ploys are in 9 other cities, and have been for weeks. I have to wonder though, that since these items were around for a couple of weeks (as was reported), did someone from the parent network decide to get some extra attention and called in the first couple of bomb reportings? Maybe an exec with a desire to get more traction since some poll showed the marketing wasn’t getting enough attention? I have to admit that I thought something was up when Err was pictured on screen and reporters fumbled to figure out who he was and the name of the show. They couldn’t even get the Moonites name right at first. Watching them describe the Aqua Teen Hunger Force show broke up the tension a lot! The apology at 7:59pm on Fox News, for screwing up the details, was classic!

This is what I think, what do you think?

Bob Marley, Stephen Colbert, & Armed and Cancelled

I am shocked and amazed. The magnitude of this event is inspiring. This may even herald a new trend in television programming. Yeah, right. So what am I almost gushing about? The latest bottom of the barrel scraping, Armed and Famous, has been canceled. This silly idea of a ‘reality’ program flopped, just as I thought it would. The Mayor of Muncie may have felt it was a good idea, a way to show off the police force but the ratings confirmed my thought that it was just stupid. Rather than “showing what they’re doing in the middle of the night…” (something that is better served by COPS in my opinion) it just was something to put people to sleep early in the night. Let hope the executives at CBS learn from this and stop with the ‘reality’ shows. I’m sure they can afford to put on a new television show, and please don’t make it another CSI spinoff.

Well as one Mayor has failed to win an audience for his town, another has lost his birthday. Yes, it’s true. Mayor of Oshawa, Mr. John Gray, can’t celebrate his birthday on March 20th because he will be busy celebrating Stephen Colbert Day instead. Fans of Mr. Colbert’s show and readers here may recall that a bet was made on a hockey game during an episode of the program. The Saginaw Spirit, the Ontario Hockey League team favored by Mr. Colbert due to its Steagle Colbeagle the Eagle mascot, beat the Oshawa Generals 5-4 guaranteeing the day of celebration in Mr. Colbert’s honor.

Now knowing Mr. Colbert, I am sure that there will be something special happening at that event. I would not be surprised to see him visit the city and join in the festivities. Either way, with the added press and interest of fans, it should be a fun time. I might even go up there to see what happens. If I can figure out where Oshawa is. What can I say, it’s in Canada and I’m a better-than-average-yet-geographically-challenged-American. [yes, another bad joke. Are there any comedy writers out there?]

Another trip worth taking will be on February 10th. On that day a concert celebrating singer Mr. Bob Marley will be performed at Nine Miles in Jamaica. The show will be a tribute to Mr. Marley, and the performers will be his sons – sans Ziggy. I wasn’t nearly old enough to go to a Bob Marley concert when he was alive, but his music conveys a feeling to me that it was something I would have loved.

I’m sure everyone has heard a song or several by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Most may not get the fact that Mr. Marley was highly political, and hopeful of world peace. The songs Buffalo Soldier, Wake Up Stand Up!, and many others are wonderful to listen to, but also hold far deeper meanings.

There was a Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America, Stolen from Africa, brought to America,
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival – from Buffalo Soldier

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time –from Redemption Song

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time – from Could You Be Loved

Look, how long (wo-o-o-o)
And the people they (wo-o-o-o) still can't see.
Why do they fight against the poor youth of today?
And without these youths, they would be gone All gone astray – from 400 Years

That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes -
Me say war. – War

Don’t just hear the songs, listen to them. Mr. Marley did more than just entertain, he taught those who took a moment to look deeper. Entertainers like this are far too rare, sadly.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Hanoi Fonda back to old tricks - 1.30.2007.1

This is a post that deals with mostly one actress and politics. I have posted it on the entertainment blog due to that fact. I have let you know that it is political as opposed to most other posts. Also if you are a fan of Jane ‘Hanoi’ Fonda [I first commented on her in my post jul 26 2005], I’d advise you to skip this.

I just heard about the protest that occurred on Saturday. There were several celebrities there, including Mr. Tim Robbins, Mrs. Susan Sarandon (Mr. Robbins wife), Mr. Sean Penn, and someone I truly hate – Jane Fonda. Let me start off that I respect every person in the crowd that voiced their view on the war (except fonda). It’s a vital principle of American life that they can protest, and unlike other countries none of them were shot dead for it. The differing views are important to keep the balance of America and to attain the best for the nation.

I will mention that this is similar to the actions we saw during the Viet Nam war. Perhaps many of the youth today are too young to recall what happened. I was young when the protests were occurring myself. But I was old enough to see the result on my father, a Marine and veteran of Viet Nam. And that stuck with me for life.

I respect the actors that feel strongly enough about the actions of the government to risk their public images in protests. I respect the ordinary people that want the government to know that they disagree with the actions currently ongoing. But I think they are all wrong.

I do not feel they support the troops as their actions fail to match the definition of ‘support’. Anyone who disagrees with that should look up the definition of the word and explain to me how their actions fulfill that. That is my opinion, and it is no more or less worthwhile than theirs.

I do see this being the beginning of actions that will be similar to those of Viet Nam. Perhaps Democrats such as Senator Jim Webb had good memories of the return home, my father did not. And I will be extremely angry if anyone treats the young men and women returning from Iraq as they did my father. Some need to take a moment and recall that the only reason they can call names and not support the troops is because those same troops, and all those that have bled, sweat, and died before them, have made it possible.

As for Hanoi Jane, I agree with Mr. Danny Bonaduce in that I would be happy to have seen her shot for treason years ago. Protest all you want, but aiding the enemy of our nation and our troops is treason. I have no respect for the woman. Her (what I feel are) false and half-hearted apologies do not sway me. Some 30+ years later she has admitted remorse. Am I stupid? That is a political and economic response, timed perfectly to match a book and a movie release. I do not forget, nor will I forgive her. She had decades to apologize, or explain her thoughts. She was a grown woman, aware of her actions and their impact when she made them in the 70’s. Her hope, I feel, that the youth of the nation would not remember and thus forgive does not work with me. I am repulsed by violence against women, but I would pay to have a woman give Jane ‘Hanoi’ Fonda a beat down. I feel that strongly about her actions.

As for Deborah at News Hounds, Mr. Bonaduce is not perfect. There is no question of his well documented past. But I demand you find one instance where he sided with declared enemies of our nation, especially when our Armed Forces were fighting and dying. Hanoi Jane did do that, it is a fact. She posed for the photos and supported the enemies of the nation as our sons and fathers died. She was not forced. Mr. Bonaduce never did anything even close to that. Showing the photos she voluntarily posed for or mentioning the actions she did is not slander or nasty, it’s factual. The age that Mr. Bonaduce saw the photo has nothing to do with its impact. I was young as well and the repercussions made an impact on my family. Trauma is not restricted to an age group. Also the definition of treason during a time of war is what Hanoi Jane did, and should have been tried for. The punishment at the time was death, to remind those too young to remember this is not a false accusation. If it wasn’t true I’m sure some lawyer would be suing now. As for quoting 30,000 – that is tens of thousands, 3 x ten thousand to be exact – thus the estimate sounds accurate to the math I was taught.

Lastly, yes we all have made mistakes. Waiting 30 years to admit it is not a show of remorse to me. Consciously siding against your nation is not a mistake, no matter the time it takes to admit what was already documented in photos and other media. To remind people of the facts, and to express an opinion is not cowardly, nor a bully tactic. It’s little different than going to a war protest. If you can’t accept that, that is unforgivable.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Screen Actor's Guild Award winners - 1.29.2007.2

Excuse me for a moment as I take a second to give myself a bow. Yes I got 5 out of 7 right – 71% - which I call pretty respectable. If you are wondering why I’m so pleased with myself, of the guesses I made on January 9th for the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards [Bad films and Screen Actors Guild Awards hopefuls - 1.9.2007.1] I came pretty close to a clean sweep.

Not too bad for a regular guy. Perhaps the Oscar Award voters are paying attention. They should be. Considering how they have completely disconnected with the public, again, in not nominating Dreamgirls for Best Picture. I would love to hear the reasoning on why it was not nominated. I will give the SAG Awards the benefit of doubt on Little Miss Sunshine, at least they recognized the talent in Dreamgirls by giving them a nomination for best ensemble (basically best picture).

The snub really irritates me. 8 Oscar nominations, but not best picture. Never in 79 years has the leading nominated film not been a best picture. If it is so highly regarded how can it not also be best picture? This reminds me of the fear in 1993, when Malcolm X was not nominated for best picture, nor Mr. Spike Lee for best director. Yet there was large critical acclaim for the film, it won several awards (lesser ones but still won all the same), and Mr. Denzel Washington was easily recognized for his portrayal. In that case though I think the political commentary of Mr. Malcolm X was too much for the predominantly liberal white Oscar committee. [By the way I think this was the reason Mr. Washington won the Oscar. Often the Oscars will give a deserving actor/actress an award in a later good movie for a phenomenal role they were passed over on previously.]

The excuse for Dreamgirls escapes me. It’s popular, making money, still in movie theaters, well done and critically acclaimed – even before the Oscar nod. The only reason I can see for it to get snubbed as it has is a horrible and deplorable reason. I can only hope that isn’t the reason.

But to get back to the point of this post, I am sure that my winning choices will win the Oscar Awards as well. The choices that apply anyway. My congratulations to the winners, Mr. Hugh Laurie (you really should see him play the title character House. Biting wit and sarcasm matched with intense ability. Well written and balanced by an excellent cast), Mr. Forest Whitaker (a long time favorite of mine. His work in Ghost Dog is especially good, though his role as Idi Amin is even better), Mr. Eddie Murphy (I spoke about him in What does Eddie Murphy make you think of? - 12.22.2006.1), Ms. Jennifer Hudson and all the other winners.

Now let’s see how I do for the Oscars.

This is what I think, what do you think?

LL Cool J, Julia Child, and Amobi Okoye - 1.29.2007.1

There were a couple of things that most might have missed in the last couple of days. One is a nice tribute to the original television chef that started the industry niche. I’m speaking of Ms. Julia Child. I’m sure many my age and older recall this chef and her cooking program, that was on the same channel as Sesame Street and the Electric Company. I loved watching her put together a meal, which was always a bit better when you add a bit of sherry. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I recall her often taking a sip of sherry or 2, or more, in every episode. But she always looked like she was having a great time, and it was well worth the time to see what she created. It always looked like something you wanted to eat.

While younger readers may not be familiar with Ms. Child, they should take a moment to do a search on her. Without her show (which to my knowledge was the first cooking show, or at least the only one in the 70’s and 80’s) I doubt if there would be a Top Chef, or Food Network. Because of her achievements, Ms. Child is being honored by being added to the National Women’s Hall of Fame. It’s a shame this is being done after she has passed, but it is something I’m glad to see happen.

Another nugget of news is about LL Cool J. He has a new book out, LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, that he hopes will help people improve their body and lives. I’m sure there are many women, and some men I’m sure, that love his physique. Well now anyone can get a better body, perhaps even one like his. But the big point is that it’s not about the outer image but the inner one. Unlike most stars that hock a video or book about dieting or getting in shape, LL Cool J is centered on the inner development that works its way out. That’s the difference, and that’s why I’m mentioning it. I haven’t read the book, but I did read his interview. Considering his words I think it could be worth the time for some.

And another inspiring item is a potential NFL draftee. Mr. Amobi Okoye is 19, entered high school at 12, got into college at 16 and a degree 3 ½ years later in psychology. He is expected to be in picked up in the first round of the draft. This is the kind of kid I think should be allowed into the majors. Unlike the high school kids that have no back-up plan, nor maturity, this is a kid that has accomplished a lot quickly. Especially when you consider that he is from Nigeria, he came to America when he was 12.

Now this is what more African American kids should be striving to be like. Success in more than just physical abilities. His mind has had at least as much growth as his body. He has adapted to the environment he is in, and he has excelled. I pose this young man as the example that there is more to life than trying to be a ‘baby-daddy’ or ‘thug.’ There is more you can gain than drinking a 40 on the corner waiting for someone to shoot you dead. There is a reason to stay in school. Maybe you won’t be a star athlete, maybe it will take longer to get your degree, but there is no reason you can’t do it. African Americans don’t need to learn a new language [and eubonics is not a language, it’s an excuse to allow people to be uneducated and poor – in my opinion] or travel to a different country to have a better quality of life. The color of your skin does not prevent you from gaining knowledge and improving your life. You just have to want it, and strive for it.

There was an old television ad by the NAACP, I believe it went, ‘There nothing worse than wasting a mind.’ Mr. Okoye knew this, perhaps the television ad needs to come back to remind everyone else.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Old bands, water and Wii, and the weird - 1.26.2007.2

While I have pointed out a few odd things overseas, there is no lacking of oddity here at home. Actually some of them are more like acts of stupidity. One example is the DJ’s responsible for the death of a wife and mother in California. Many should have heard by now of the contest where contestants were told to continuously drink as much water as possible without using a restroom. The goal was to win a Wii video game system.

Whether of not this was a dumb idea, or whether the contestants should have been more prepared for the potential consequences, the fact that the DJ’s didn’t care is irresponsible. They stated on air, which has been replayed at various news media outlets, that their only concern was their own legal liability and publicity. They ignored the comments by contestants, and at least one nurse. Thankfully these people, all the ones associated with this program, have been fired. The radio station and its corporate parent Entercom/Sacremento, as well as several individuals are all getting sued.

It’s a shame that sometimes, we do things that are stupid instead of just odd. There is no word I have for what it is when it takes a life.

Someone else I have no words for is Mr. Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson has announced that he is now back in the United States. Parents watch out for your kids. Having traveled the world the quiet re-emergence of Mr. Jackson here gives me pause. It’s been rumored that he is nearly bankrupt, so that may be one reason for the return. Of course where his children may be, and what is there mental state remains unknown. Fans, particularly in Japan, seem to not care about this though. It’s been reported that he is going to be having a ‘fan event’ that will bring in about 990,000 dollars. I don’t know. If all the allegations against the man are true I’d pay that to see him locked up.

In some unique mundane news, it seems that the most of the original Van Halen will be getting back together. It’s about time too. Mr. Sammy Hagar wasn’t bad, but the band was far better with Mr. David Lee Roth. If the deal works out, there could be a limited tour this summer. Of course if the deal is announced before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in March it should make the meeting of Mr. Hagar and Mr. Roth, and Mr. Eddie Van Halen quite interesting. Cross your fingers and we’ll see what happens.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Historical news and odd events this week - 1.26.2007.1

In the past week in history:
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams opened one of the first schools for Black nurses in 1891
Dr James Robert Gladden became the first African American certified orthopedic surgeon in 1949
The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1865

To date there continues to be no response from any Presidential candidate that has been sent a letter from me. Considering the first letter was sent in December 2006, I begin to wonder why. The link for all the letters sent to candidates can be seen above.

Well the weird items of the week have quite a range this week. One of the first thinks is the extreme luck of a diver in Australia. Many of us have heard of how deadly a shark attack may be. The movie Jaws helped drive home a fear of Great White sharks, which is partially deserved. For those that survive an attack there is usually dismemberment and severe trauma, but I have never heard of anyone surviving an attack where their head was swallowed by a shark. That is until now.

Mr. Eric Nerhus has a singular ‘privilege’ to have had a Great White shark virtually gobble him up head first and survive. He has lots of wounds on his chest, which was protected by a lead diving vest and the only reason for his survival. I can’t imagine a luckier man. I’d suggest that Mr. Nerhus take a trip to Vegas, luck like his might win him quite a bit. Even without going though he has won the best deal possible, living to see another day. I’d suggest laying off diving for a bit though.

Looking overseas in the other direction I found out that the Dutch are at it again. I think there have been several items that have originated from the Netherlands, and this one is as odd as any. It seems that a man has officially gotten a driver’s license with him pictured as the Joker, from Batman comic book fame. While he was trying to prove a point on security, similar to what a couple of guys from California (I think) did late last year here, I am at a loss on what the workers at the Dutch DMV were thinking. Then again it would seem the Netherlands has a DMV that is no less inefficient and clueless than those found in America. Really scary when you think about it, in a world filled with terrorist threats and cowardly suicide bombing attacks. By the way, watch out for D.C. Comics, they get touchy about the trademark of one of their best villains ever.

In Belgium I am perplexed. It seems that an iguana, named Mozart, who had Viagra it seems, has had an erection for a week now. Vet’s are so concerned by this extended problem [my puns getting better?] that they are going to amputate the penis. That sucks for Mozart. I would feel bad for him [just like I felt horrible when my Chow was fixed, poor guy] but he does have a spare penis. I’m guessing the second is not being effected as the first has been.

But my real question is, how and why did Mozart get Viagra in the first place? Now I could be wrong, I am lead to believe Mozart got the drug due to the title of the article. If the title does in fact match the story, how did Mozart get a prescription? Or get the drug in his system? If it was just joke, it was cruel. If it was an accident, I’m not sure how pills are left around for him to get to. If anyone from Belgium knows about this [yes I have readers there too] please let me know what is going on.

Lastly, in the overseas items, London has really impressed me with the most absurd real estate offer I have ever heard of. While I consider a condo one of the more silly ideas people do, there is an apartment that just proves that some people have too much money. The flat [what an apartment is called there] is going for $335,000 dollars. Now by Manhattan rates it’s a tiny price (I’ve met several people that own million dollar + condo’s, and heard of many for much more) but seems to match the stature of the place. The condo is 77 square feet, or about $4340 a square foot. Yes, it’s more than tiny. I recall a friend that rented a room in off-campus housing that was slightly larger and thy only paid $250 a month in rent. And he at least had heat. If you would like heat or electricity you need to spend another roughly $60,000. All this just to say you live in a ritzy (or tony as I believe it’s said) neighborhood. I’ll say it again, some people have too much money.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Hollywood movie bias, the reality - 1.25.2007.1

Sometimes you have to wonder what people are thinking. I mean that I can see a point being made, yet I think the extreme view being posed is just gratuitous. If you wonder what I am referring to, it’s a new report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission in Britain on how movies portray Muslims.

I will give this report the fact that since 9/11 Muslims are the ‘bad guy’ choice du jour. More than any other group they are the favored group to be seen losing to the good guys and that of course is due to the current political and social environment in the world. I can see how that can annoy the tens of millions of Muslims that live quiet lives, being productive citizens of their respective countries.

While the emphasis is on Muslims, today, there continues to be the re-enforcement of the African American as a negative image in every medium in America. Long before Arabs and Muslims were picked on, Black Americans (particularly males) were the only pimps, dealers, petty criminals and poor in movies. While Black Americans were the first minorities to be included in American films, the roles were even worse with portrayals as slaves or complete caricatures. This negative image is no less consistent now, with 60% of all images in news of poverty or lack of education or violence being matched with images of Black Americans.

While I admit this is not a fact I have seen quoted, it is something that is often commented on. Some may recall the Mr. Carlos Mencia Comedy Central episode that provided 2 news reports focusing on images of people in waist deep water right after Hurricane Katrina. One image had a Black American in holding a bad, the caption accusing him of being a looter. The other image had 2 White Americans in similar water each holding a bag, the caption reading that they were trying to scrounge for food. Neither image included any background buildings or any indication that either of the people had food or goods in their bags. Some may recall my post where Yahoo News placed an image of Mr. Chris Rock along side a completely unrelated article dealing with investigation by the government on the mob. [Chris Rock, Andy Garcia, M:I3 and Snoop Dogg] The people in the article were all white. Watch the evening news and any time there is a mention of unemployment, welfare, government aide, and similar stories you will see a predominance of images of Black Americans – regardless of where in the nation you live or the fact that since African Americans only make up ~14% of the nation it’s impossible for us to be the only, or even major, cause or recipients of these items.

So I can appreciate the feeling by Muslims that it is now their turn on the negative public image machine that is Hollywood, movies and other media. Still to carry the extreme to say that movies such as Disney’s Aladdin were negative is silly in my opinion. They are shooting themselves in their own foot with such an accusation. All the characters in that movie were Arabic, and yes the architecture, timeframe, and clothing indicate they are all Muslim. But I cannot agree that this movie was done in bad faith. Equally off-base to me is the claim that Raiders of the Lost Ark made a similar negative portrayal. As I recall one of the leading supports is an Egyptian Arab character, and a good guy. Virtually all the bad guys are White and Nazi’s. Perhaps I am naïve, but I do not recall any stereotypes that were not balanced by other characters that were neutral if not positive. And any negative images were minor compared to the positive main characters in both movies.

American media and Hollywood in particular, love to portray all minorities in a horrible light. That is a fact. Minorities are excluded from having major impact in front of and behind the camera to this day, though it is incredibly slowly changing. Addressing the fact of this imbalance, and its consequences, is a positive for change. To go to an extreme, claiming insult where none was seen for literally decades does not help but hurt such a cause.

Muslims should not be unfairly judged. Neither should Black Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans and other minorities. But at the same time it should be noted that some leeway must be given when a nation is at war. Much as the Germans, Italians, Japanese and others have been made objects of anger for a time during conflict against America so will be any other group. That’s just human nature. Rather than place a blanket on all things ever done, seek the positives and note the negatives. Your cause will be better helped I think.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Historically bad Oscar omission, great Razzie choices - 1.23.2007.1

Ok, I’m shocked. This took me completely by surprise. Whoever is on the nominating committee for the Oscar’s should be checked for drug use, in my opinion they are acting like they are on crack. Perhaps that’s too harsh but I still think the dramatic move away from tradition is severely unwarranted. Of the few historic moments in Oscar history, this is not the one most might have hoped for.

I’m speaking about the omission of Dreamgirls from the Best Picture category. I’d love to hear the justification for this. In 79 years, the total time Oscar Awards have been around, there has never been a leading nominee not also being in Best Picture. It’s more than an a snub its an insult. Perhaps those that chose felt a Golden Globe win was enough, or that Mr. Martin Scorsese has earned a win. I would hate to think it was a remnant of the ‘old boys club’ mentality.

With 8 nominations I think Dreamgirls deserves the nomination. I am not shocked with the nominations of Mr. Eddie Murphy and Ms. Jennifer Hudson. I had picked them earlier in the month to win the Screen Actors Awards and the Globes. I feel Mr. Murphy will get the win, as he has had many films over the years and most have been well liked. In addition it’s time that recognition be given to his ability, as I mentioned in December he has played more characters in a single film more times than any other actor to my knowledge. Mr. Murphy’s current portrayal is just the feather in a cap of a career filled with memorable roles.

Sadly, I don’t think Ms. Hudson will win for the same reason that Mr. Scorsese, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Forest Whitaker will win. They all have a body of work with many powerful performances behind them. Mr. Jamie Foxx has already won, deservedly for Ray, and Mr. Will Smith has been nominated before.

I will say that it is interesting to note how many deserving African American actors are getting noticed for the roles they should be noticed for, since the win by Mr. Denzel Washington. After decades of being ignored, en masse, it’s refreshing to see the change. Still I think Dreamgirls is being affected by the same thing that hit Mr. Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, it’s a subject the Academy doesn’t want to look at.

On the other side of the movie industry, there are the Razzie Awards. How they were able to whittle down the numerous losers from last year it’s hard to say. One pick I had thankfully forgotten was Little Man. Mr. Keenen Ivory Wayans is a great director, and his comedic instinct is usually on the mark. Still there is only so much that can be done with material like the stuff of that movie. Then again it was a far better film than the forgettable Basic Instinct 2.

But it was a bad year for big names overall. Many of the normally steady actors made choices I have to imagine were just for the money being offered. Mr. Robin Williams, Mr. Tim Allen, Mr. Nicolas Cage all had films that just didn’t match up to the films they usually work in. Well anyone can make a mistake from time to time. Of course the people greenlighting films like Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, The Shaggy Dog (remake), and the multitude of needless sub-par remakes [mentioned in my recap of the worst films of 2006] get it wrong far too often. There should be Razzie’s for worst greenlight, most remakes okayed without any idea what the original was, and most likely to buy an ice cube in Alaska during a snowstorm in winter (executives and movie companies only).

This is what I think, what do you think?

Repost of Letter to Senator Obama - 1.22.2007.1

This is a repost of the letter sent to Senator Obama, found orginally at Vass. Any response from the Senator will be posted unaltered when received.

January 22, 2007
Dear Senator Obama,

I am contacting you today as part of an ongoing series of letters that I am sending to many of those that are planning to run for President of the United States. To date I have written letters to Senator Clinton, Mr. John Edwards, and Mr. Mitt Romney.

I am the author/writer of several blog sites including Black Entertainment USA (www.blackentertainmentblog.com). My letter to you, as well as any response from you will be posted on these sites without alteration.

Senator Obama I am aware that you are a junior Senator, having served 2 years at this time, representing Illinois. As I am from New York I am not familiar with the platforms you were elected for. What was the main issue that you campaigned on, and what progress have you made in attaining that? What laws have you helped to pass, or prevented from passing, that have directly benefited your constituents and African Americans in general?

As a fellow African American I’m sure you are aware that there are several issues that are of great impact to the Black community. One of the most important may be the issue of education. What have you done to improve the number of African Americans that finish high school and/or seek higher education? If you were to be elected President, what plan would you follow that will improve the education system in America?

In terms of your own education I ask a question that has recently been in the news. It has been stated that during the 4 years in Jakarta you had attended a Madrasa. I wonder if you feel this has any influence on the education you received, or more importantly do you believe that having lived and studied overseas provided you any benefit that your peers may not have had?

It has also been stated that you are a smoker. If this is true do you believe that has any effect on your views on healthcare? In addition how do you feel about the current trend to leave businesses without a choice and disallow smoking? Do you believe that the smoking ban is fair to businesses, and does it make sense to have a ban while also allowing adult citizens to purchase cigarettes?

As a lawyer that worked on civil rights issues, what do you believe you can do, or are doing currently, to improve the rights of African Americans and Latino/Hispanic Americans or any other people of color in this nation? What do you feel is the largest obstacle and what plan do you have to remove it?

In terms of national healthcare, do you agree with the push for a national healthcare system? If you do how would you have this program funded? What would you do to motivate institutions and individuals to seek out new innovations with the profit motive removed? How would you ensure that a national program would not function in the same manner most feel other government institutions do, such as the education system (which most feel is a failure)?

What role, if any, do you feel religion plays in the government? Do you believe that the fact you have never served in the Armed Forces would have any effect on your ability to perform as Commander-and-Chief?

Speaking of the Armed Forces, at this time there is a general feeling that the war in Iraq is going badly. President Bush has just announced a plan that would elevate the number of troops serving in Iraq. The democratic party is generally opposed to this plan. What exact alternative would you implement in place of this current plan, and what plan would you establish to ensure the safety of Americans if Iraq becomes more unstable (thus promoting terrorist attacks on America)?

Do you feel that the fact you have little experience in the Senate, or with dealing with international politics, is a hindrance to your ability to act as President and if not why?

Recently there has been a growing apprehension among some in the nation about the number of immigrant that are allowed into the nation for non-European nations (as per Rep. Goode). How do you feel about this? Also there is a strong debate on what to do about the large numbers of illegal immigrants. What plan do you have to deal with this issue?

I thank you for taking the time to read and to respond to this letter. As I stated earlier this will be posted on several sites, particularly Black Entertainment USA (at the address noted above).

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting, Inc.
Author – Black Entertainment USA and Vass
info@blackentertainmentblog.com

Remakes, I told you so - 1.20.2007.2

Well don’t say I didn’t warn you. Reviews are out for the re-made movie, The Hitcher. Without any shock I see that it is almost universally panned. I knew it when I first mentioned from the promo shots what I thought of the movie. The villain is far less intimidating than Mr. Rutger Hauer’s Ryder. The protagonist is now the woman (of course) and even less believable that Mr. C. Thomas Howell’s unlucky lead. Gore has replaced actual plot or interesting action. Like most of the re-makes in recent time this only serves to motivate a trip to Blockbuster for the best version.

Of course there are even new lows in the world of re-makes. It seems that the various advertising companies have lost any hope of new ideas, or at least the one that made this decision. I’m speaking of the new Orville Redinbocker Popcorn commercials. For those that don’t know, there was a real man by this name. He did own the company, and the picture on packages is his. He did many commercials for his company in the 80’s, until he died.

But dead is only a temporary setback for ad creators without vision and on a deadline. There are now commercials that have brought back a computer enhanced version of Mr. Redinbocker. That’s just sad. It says something about the company and the ad guys, and in my opinion that’s not a good thing. One thing for sure, I won’t buy their product. If they can’t respect the dead, nor their own company’s founder I have doubts on what they think of the living. Using a corpse to hock their goods is just low class, and the bottom of the barrel in my opinion. Maybe you disagree, or didn’t know. My bet is that they are counting on the fact that the youth of today have no idea that the man existed. I hope Wendy’s doesn’t follow on this poor taste bandwagon.

In more hopeful thoughts the movie Smokin Aces seems good. While it is a January film (usually not a good sign) and it does have 2 hip-hop entertainers [Ms. Alicia Keys and Common] in it (incredibly bad sign) I hope it will be good. Mr. Jeremy Piven is quite an actor, as is Mr. Ryan Reynolds, Mr. Ray Liotta, and Mr. Andy Garcia. It looks to be stylish, with some type of plot and really good music and effects. Either way I will check it out. I might get surprised and the hip-hop wanna-be actors may be good, or at least have incredibly small roles if they aren’t. Anyone want to take odds on their performances?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Booty augmentation, what's next - 1.20.2007.1

There was some news yesterday that caught my attention. It was reported on Mr. Neil Cavuto’s show on Fox News at 4:50pm that there is a new trend in plastic surgery. The trend, which is like wildfire now, is for augmentation of the buttocks. Bigger and firmer butts are the rage, and plastic or cosmetic surgery is the answer that many are using to fill out those designer jeans.

Now this is kind of sad. Spending $25,000 dollars to make your bottom emulate Beyonce or Mrs. Jennifer Lopez is just a waste of money. Sure there are millions of women that could use the improvement, but it just seems like a waste of money. It also makes me feel a little ill thinking of what that could feel like. There’s no silicon in this process, they use body fat from the stomach it seems. According to the experts discussion of the process and the number of procedures a week he is doing (3) I am led to believe that this is being done for ‘larger’ people. I say people because men are getting this done as well, though in far fewer numbers, I say larger because of the liposuction that is involved. Of course the age range on this is like breast augmentation going from young women to those in their 60’s.

Listening to this bit of news I could not help but think that this is yet another example of White America trying to be Black, but not admitting it. Seriously, it’s just one more example. Madonna never inspired anyone to get a butt like hers. Cher may have helped promote cosmetic surgery (debatable) but no one is out trying to emulate her. Yet ‘J-Lo’ and Beyonce definitely have as has the desire to be called ‘bootylicious.’ How many billions are spent each year to get a tan, whether it’s real or from a bottle? How far do people travel to get to a beach or other tropical locations just to get a touch of deeper color to the skin.

Think of the language used sometimes. How many women speak of wanting a “tall dark handsome” man? Or the compliment for having a “healthy glow” because they have a tan. These are just a few.

Then I must ponder how there are so many kids today that want to, safely, live the “thug” “ghettofabulous” life proffered by rappers. I think of the fact that rap, hip hop and hip hop clothing could never make as much money as they do without the cross-cultural buying makes a statement. Listening to the slang and quasi-uneducated eubonics of non-African Americans highlights the undercurrent of admiration.

Still with all these various statements, actions and emulation there is the fear of Black Americans. Perhaps fear is too strong, but I think its accurate. I know it’s a generalized statement. Many do not isolate or discriminate. Yet the American culture does find that having too much color is bad. You can have Beyonce’s butt, wear Apple Bottom Jeans, listen to Jay – Z and Snoop Dogg on your Ipod and speak like you have a third grade education if you do it when you’re not on duty at work as a doctor (for example) if you are White and there is no consequence. But I can be in a suit, speak perfect English, prefer to listen to Rock and Roll, don’t own an Ipod, and own my own businesses and people think I’m a drug dealer, or walk up to me and speak to me about how wearing a suit must “help me pick up hoes.”
It’s just an observation. Some of you may have seen the same things, wondered the same thoughts. What does it mean? I don’t know. But I do find it ironic that there is this dichotomy in the society. I wonder what cosmetic surgery will be next?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Golden Globes, Sundance, and Poker - 1.19.2007.1

So here are the events of the week, I have a new page just for Valentine’s day. Click on the heart and you may see something your sweetheart will enjoy. Go ahead and check it out. My other new section deals with the 2008 election and the people that would run for the Presidency. I need your support on this. Let’s get them to respond to more than just major donors and their political parties on their platforms. Check the link above, or in the sitemap for more.

As for the calendar : Mr Muhammad Ali was born on the 17th in 1942, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was born on the 18th in 1856 – he was the first to do a successful open heart surgery.

One of the first things I want to mention is that I’m glad to see that Ms. Jennifer Hudson, Mr. Eddie Murphy, Mr. Forest Whitaker, Mr. Guillermo Del Toro, and the movies Dreamgirls and Pan’s Labyrinth have all been recognized. Each won a Golden Globe, which is a strong indication of where the Oscar’s will go. I would love to see each of these individuals, and the respective movies, win Oscar’s. It would be a sweet feather in their cap for each of them. There is no question of ability here, they deserve it. Let’s hope that the Oscar’s infamously rumored biases are put on hold and they get it right. But considering how the Oscar’s work, I doubt if more than one person in the above mentioned group will win anything. [I’ll make a guess and say it will be Ms. Hudson. While the Oscar’s rarely give the award to a new actor/actress I think they want the attention that giving it to an ex-Idol participant will generate.]

In reference to the comments by Mr. Robert Redford (a fantastic actor and solid director) at the Sundance Film Festival, I will make a brief comment. I will simply mention that equally famous, respected, qualified, talented individuals in the entertainment industry that are republican exist and I doubt they feel as he does. [Some of those people include – Mr. Denzel Washington, Mr. Jerome Bettis, Mr. Shaquille O’Neal, Mr. David Robinson, Mr. Bo Jackson, Mr. Reggie White, Mr. Tiger Woods, Mr. Karl Malone, Mr. John Hughes, Mr. Frank Capra, Mr. Bruce Willis, Mr. Quentin Tarantino and more.] I will simply state that there is more than one way to look at what the President has done, failures and missteps inclusive, and to request an apology is unwarranted. To ask it on behalf of the nation is arrogant. I don’t want an apology, nor do I wish Mr. Redford to ask for one on my behalf.

And as for the odd news going into the weekend there is the question of Poker. Is poker a game of chance or skill? It doesn’t seem too hard to figure it out. No matter how skilled you may be, it all depends on the cards you draw right? Well it’s not that simple in East London. It is a question that the courts there will be ruling on. The reason is that a private club was hosting poker games, and in England that is illegal without a gambling license. The government believes that any game of chance, which they include poker in, must be licensed. The owner of the club obviously disagrees.

This should take no time at all. It’s a silly matter that I think must be seen as a waste of the courts time. And it’s pretty simple to figure out. What are the odds of getting 4 of a kind, in a game of say 5 people. Now figure out the odds for a skilled player – the best in the world. Do the odds improve? Since they won’t the risk involved is random and thus it’s a game of chance. But that’s one American’s view. I’m sure our British cousins will work out the details and get to the same point, it just needs to be done with a stiff upper lip and the proper manners. [That’s supposed to be a joke, I realize I’m not a comedian so don’t send me letters about the lack of humor.]

This is what I think, what do you think?

Belated birthday, Paul Sorvino, and Madonna - 1.18.2007.1

Yesterday was the birthday of The Greatest. No other title or additional words need to be said to describe him. I have no doubt that he is the most famous and loved athlete in the world in the last century, at the least. He has conversed and humbled royalty, while being humble himself. Well at least when he wasn’t at work.

Have you guessed whom I’m speaking of? It’s Mr. Muhammad Ali. He turned 65. Like many of my generation, and those before us, the name conjures an image of a powerful, healthy Black man who’s strength of will seemed to be matched only by the speed of his mind and the abilities he displayed in the boxing ring. Many focus on his boxing abilities, which are no small thing, but it’s only one aspect of the man. His efforts to release the hostages in Iran, his humanitarian work that continues today, the worldwide respect for his actions cannot be limited to so small a space as a ring. Parkinson’s disease and many incredible battles have taken their toll on his body, but friends and family state his mind has never dulled. They say he is happy and enjoying life. I hope that is true. Because The Greatest deserves no less.

In thoughts of another man I respect I want to mention Mr. Paul Sorvino. In news that I have not seen catch any attention, Mr. Sorvino pulled a gun on a man. Well I don’t know if I’d call the other guy a man. Let me explain. The ex-boyfriend of one of Mr. Sorvino’s daughters was threatening to kill her and break into a hotel room she was staying at. Ms. Amanda Sorvino called the police and her father. Mr. Sorvino arrived and he had a gun. No one was shot, no charges against Mr. Sorvino were made. And that’s how it should be. I commend Mr. Sorvino for protecting his child and standing up to a man that also threatened to kill him, allegedly.

That is what fathers should do. That is what a man should do. Especially as opposed to the cowardly and ill-formed actions of this other guy, whom I won’t even bother to mention. This wasn’t some kind of attempt to show off, or draw publicity. It wasn’t some kind of misplaced bravado or self-aggrandizement. The gun wasn’t some accessory or fashion statement. There’s more to being a man than being a ‘baby-daddy’. This might not have been the best example, and it wasn’t intended to be one. Yes it’s an example all the same. And there’s more than a few young boys that need to learn.

As for the next item, I have mixed feelings. While I am glad that the Malawi boy adopted by Madonna will have a great life, I don’t like how and potentially why she adopted him. I don’t like the apparently growing trend of entertainers and celebrities adopting children from 3rd world nations (especially African ones) because of the ease or lack of laws in the process. I’m glad those individual children will live better, though thousands, perhaps millions, of others will not. I’m disturbed that Madonna would suggest anyone should adopt a child on the basis of ease, like it’s online shopping or Ebay. The fact that millions of children in the U.S. could go on without a family due to Madonna suggesting people should go for ease over anything else is troubling.

It further makes me wonder about her motivation. And one has to question the intent. Is Madonna saying that this same child wasn’t worth a bit of extra effort if he had lived in America or another African nation that had formal laws on adoption? Did she make the donation just to ensure the, relative, ease of the process she went through [which I commented on, in a post previously, violates established laws]. Does the process that Madonna has brought to light mean that anyone with enough money deserves to get a child, quickly without any real checks to see if they are mentally stable or a pedophile? And why is Madonna talking and promoting the ease of the process in adopting the boy, instead of about the boy himself? [I didn’t see the David Letterman show she was on so I don’t know if she did]

I don’t know, but this whole event has made me feel unsettled.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Repost of letter to Senator Clinton - 1.17.2007.4

This is an exact copy of the letter sent to Senator Clinton, originally posted on my Vass site. All responses from any Presidential candidate will be posted unaltered.

December 16, 2006
Senator Clinton,

I am a citizen, former military, an entrepreneur, and resident of upstate New York. As we approach the 2008 presidential race, more and more of the talking heads on television are commenting that you are the leading hopefully for the Democratic Party. Based on that I would like to ask a few questions.

Before I go any further I must mention that I am the owner of 2 blog sites, and co-author of a third. The site that pertains to this subject the most is the www.mvass.com site. This letter, along with any response I receive, will appear in at least that blog.

If you review the site you will see that I have followed your progress and commented on several actions. While these reviews may be critical, that is due to my desire to promote the best government possible with disclosure to the public that consists of detailed relevant commentary. I invite you to review the site and respond to any comments I have made. My focus is not personal, as I do not know you, and has always centered on the actions or comments of your office and fame.

With the above said, I wonder why should anyone expect that you would run for the Presidency? While many believe that as a female candidate you could cause more women to vote than what is normally found in an election, but that is not a valid reason. To say that you are one of the few Democratic political figures that have name recognition and little negative exposure is also a good thing, but not a reason.

What legislation have you initiated, that has passed, that has benefited those living in NY state and/or this nation? When I say benefited I ask that you demonstrate the actual improvement and not the projected improvement that a study or poll has stated. Obviously any recent legislation (less than 6 months) can’t be expected to have necessarily had an immediate effect.

As a key Democrat I ask, what your party has done for African Americans in the last decade, and more importantly since you have taken office. What legislation has passed that benefits African Americans that was initiated by the Democratic Party since you have gained office? To be fair, what legislation has the Democratic party prevented that would have harmed African Americans (in NY state and/or the nation) and how did the party derive that this legislation was harmful?

What are your positions on the platforms? I have heard several soundbites for multiple politicians and none seem to really mean anything when thought about, at least to me. In the recent mid-term elections many Democrats seemed to have won, in my opinion, on the basis that they were for a change in policy. Yet none seemed to have an answer as to what that new and different policy was or could be. In a soundbite such an answer may work, but that is not a reason to be elected for, especially not presidential candidates if such a choice were up to me.

In addition I ask what are you doing to help small businesses? What are you doing about improving the public education available in New York State (especially city schools)? What are you doing to address the drop-out rate of African American males? And what are you doing for Latino/ Hispanic Americans on the above matters?

Lastly, what is your position on the various laws and actions that are in place or proposed to impede illegal aliens from entering this nation from our southern border only? Do you agree or disagree with the thought that more should be done to protect our largely unwatched northern borders, especially since there has been evidence of how dangerous this lack of attention has been.

Senator Clinton, I look forward to your responses on these questions. I also plan to ask these questions, or similar ones, of Senators Obama, McCain, and any other candidate for the presidency (actual or rumored) throughout 2007.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
info@blackentertainmentblog.com
President – M V Consulting, Inc.

Repost of original letter to Mr. John Edwards - 1.17.2007.3

This is an excact copy of my original letter to Mr. John Edwards, posted at Vass.

January 5, 2007
Mr. John Edwards,

I recently heard of your decision to run for President of the United States. I am owner and author of multiple blogs, one of which deals primarily with political issues and individuals. This letter is both based on my personal interest and that of my readers. [My sites include www.mvass.com and www.blackentertainmentblog.com]

I am a native American citizen, with my heritage coming from African Americans and Latino Americans. I was born and raised in the Northeast, though I have traveled and lived across the country and am a former Marine. The focus of the blogs are presenting news and events from the perspective of an African Latino American view; which I feel is under-represented in the media.

Given these facts, and that I am largely unfamiliar with your past, I have several questions for you. I have already asked several questions of Senator Clinton and am awaiting her response. I intend to ask similar questions of all (or at least most) individuals that intend to run for the office of the President. I look forward to your responses.

I understand that you have pursued initiatives in healthcare, education, social security and medicare throughout your time in the Senate, and previous to that to a degree in your work as a lawyer. In regard to your work in the Senate, what laws did you initiate, that were passed, that directly improved these issues for Americans in general, and Black and/or Latino Americans specifically? What exactly do you propose to improve the education system in America, specifically for those students in the inner city?

In regard to your desire to create a universal healthcare system in the United States, how do you expect that system to be paid for? In addition what do you believe will be a motivation for professionals and medical industries to work to current standards or to create new advances without the benefit of profit?

What exact plan do you have that will allow Social Security to continue to exist or to be modified for future generations as the baby boomer generation continue to age and existing funds continue to fail to meet the need?

In the 2006 mid-term elections, the democratic party won several seats in both the House and Senate with the cry of changing the current policy in Iraq. What is your exact position on Iraq? I feel that it is not possible to support the troops and question the mission that we have sent them on. I further feel that to remove the funding of the troops, while still engaged in the mission, is neither a show of support nor a plan to win. Do you agree or disagree with this? If you were to be Commander and Chief of our troops what would you have them do to complete our mission in Iraq? Do you feel that the fact that you have never served in the military is a benefit or detriment to the country?

Your party, as I have understood, has no stated plan to change the events and status for the war in Iraq or against terrorism, beyond the statement that change is needed. What exact plan do you wish to implement if you were to be elected that could prevent future attacks by terrorists against this nation?

In terms of the economy, what exactly do you propose that will help those below the middle class to improve their standard of living? It is often held that the democratic party believes that taxes, particularly for the upper incomes, should be increased to provide funds for programs that benefit those of lower income, do you agree with this position? As a business owner and member of the middle class I would like to know what are your economic plans for the country?

Considering events such as the shooting of Mr. Sean Bell, the Duke rape case, the Rodney King riots and other similar events have highlighted the racial tensions that continue to exist in the nation, what would you do to help improve race relations.

Perhaps one of my biggest questions is that America has apologized and made reparations to Native American Indians and Japanese Americans for atrocities and crimes made in the past. Given this fact, how do you justify that America has never made an apology or considered reparations for slavery, jim crow, and segregation. Would you as the President finally provide an apology for these acts? Would you make reparations, and if so what might those reparations entail?

I must mention that I intend to post this to the abovementioned blog. In addition to posting this I will post your response, unaltered, on the blog as well.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting, Inc.
Author – Black Entertainment USA and Vass

Repost of my letter to Mitt Romney - 1.17.2007.2

This was originally posted at my political blog Vass. This is an unaltered repost of the letter.

January 10, 2007
Mr. Romney,

I am aware of your recent declaration to enter the race for the Presidency of the United States. I maintain several blogs (www.mvass.com is most relevant) as well as being a citizen, a former member of the military, and a small business owner. For these reasons I wish to ask you some questions about why you believe you should be President. It is my intention to also post this letter, and any response from you, verbatim on at least one of my blog sites. I have previously sent a similar letter to Senator Clinton and Mr. John Edwards. I plan on sending a similar letter to several candidates for President, as time and their declarations allow.

I am not familiar with your positions or your actions as Governor of Massachusetts. Given this lack of knowledge can you tell me what you have done for your former constituents, especially those of Latino/Hispanic and African American heritage, that has improved their lives.

In regard to your position on healthcare, I have read that you believe in universal care – at least on a state level. Given this I would like to know, how would you fund a federal universal healthcare plan? What would you do to motivate innovation and the quality of care that currently exists in the current profit motivated system? If the healthcare is universal, does it also mean that illegal aliens are entitled and if so where would the funds for those individuals come from?

In regard to education, I see that in 2002 you were in favor of school vouchers and the reform of underperforming institutions, how effective have you been in MA? Considering that nation-wide there has been a huge increase in African American dropout rates, what would you do to improve those numbers? Based on your reported desire to abolish the Department of Education (2002), what would you have to replace it and how would it function?

It appears in what I have read, that you have a very strong stance on punishment for convicted criminals. I would like to know, do you agree with the death penalty? Since you believe in mandatory sentences, and increasing sentencing, how would you correct the imbalance that exists in the justice system currently? To clarify my point, African Americans, and to a slightly lesser degree Latino/Hispanics, are routinely given stiffer penalties and sentences than White Americans for the same crimes. This is even more evident in sentences that are for life or the death penalty. What initiatives would you take to ensure a more even-handed approach?

In recent weeks a great deal has been made of Representative Ellison’s informal swearing in using the Quran. As an individual of the Mormon faith, if you were to be elected President, would you use The Book Of Mormon to be sworn in on? (Please excuse my ignorance about your faith but I believe that is your religious text) Do you feel that your religious background would have any affect on your performance if elected President? Would it have any affect in dealing with dignitaries and governments that hold a different religion, and if so what? What place do you feel religion has for any elected official, if any?

For some time now politicians have said that they are for ‘family values’. I have heard this stated by politicians and candidates of every party. How do you exactly define family values? How do you plan to promote those values, if you were elected? And what recourse or alternative would be available to those Americans who have values separate of yours?

It appears that your views on abortion and gay rights have changed over the years. What has prompted your change of view? What is your exact position on these issues today?

Consider that America has taken on a war against the ideal of terrorism, and terrorists, in addition to being engaged in an active war in Iraq and maintaining troops in Afghanistan. Given this do you feel that your lack in being a member of the Armed Forces is a benefit, detractor, or of no concern? How do you come to this conclusion? What are your plans to protect America, as Commander-and-Chief?

Currently there have been many soundbites used by politicians of every party in discussing every platform and idea. In each question I have asked I hope for full and complete answers. I would rather an extremely long and complex answer that details exactly your plans and goals, rather than a short answer that details and explains nothing. I feel strongly about the use of snippets of information to almost convey an actual position. I feel that the recent win by democrats in the mid-term elections were due to this use of soundbites. How do you feel about this?

I thank your for your time to review this letter. I, and my readers, look forward your responses.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting, Inc.
Author – Vass and Black Entertainment USA
info@blackentertainmentblog.com

Second letter to Mr. John Edwards - 1.17.2007.1

This is in response to my letter to Mr. John Edwards. I have not received a response from Mr. Edwards, though I have received mass email blasts, that I did not solicit. So in an effort to get a proper response from Mr. Edwards and the other Presidential candidates, I will post my letters to each on Black Entertainment USA in addition to Vass. I do not like to break from the normal nature of the commentary on this site, but understanding whom will lead this nation is important. There are far too many issues that affect all Americans (and far to many that affect African Americans and Latinos and Hispanic Americans directly) to not address this in the largest medium possible, especially since it seems that it's the only way to get a response.

The following is an exact copy of my letter sent to Mr. John Edwards on January 17, 2007. Any responses will be posted unaltered. Thank you for your understanding.

January 17, 2007
Mr. Edwards,

I want to thank you for the 3 emails you have sent to me to date. Each of these emails has been received based on the letter that I sent to you on January 5, 2007. While I appreciate that the receipt of these emails, each containing information on statements you are making to the media in support of your run for President, which confirms that you have in fact received my original letter. Of the 3 candidates that I have written to as of this date, you (or more accurately your organization) are the first to present any response.

Sadly these responses are far from an answer to the original letter I sent, or any of the questions I have asked of you. I have not posted your mass email blasts, as I am not seeking to promote any political figure or candidate for the Presidency at this time. While it is interesting to read the canned commentary that you send out, seemingly to anyone who has contacted you for any reason, it is of little interest to me if you cannot respond to the original cause of your acquiring my email address.

I do not believe that this is due to a lack of concern, or lack of attention to detail. I will give you the benefit of doubt that you have not had the time to respond in detail to the direct questions that I have asked. I prefer to think that you are not unconcerned with the voice of this one voter, or the thousands of readers that have also seen my letter. Perhaps you have not received my previous letter directly due to a staffer failing to recognize that at least one of my sites (www.blackentertainmentblog.com) is ranked considerably well [Technorati has the abovementioned site raked at roughly 250,000 out of well over 4 - 10 million blogs depending on conservative estimates].

Given these reasons I am not upset that I am now getting mail that amounts to little more than spam. I say spam as I did not contact you or your organization for updates on your PR releases. I did not request any updates or other information beyond the answers to my questions. Perhaps if you had provided a response to my questions I may have considered discussing your email blasts on my blogs. Until you do I definitely will not. I also feel it only fair that I will, from this point forward, forward my original letter to you each time that you send an unsolicited email blast to me until you respond to my questions.

In addition, as my political blog may be too small for your attention, I will post my letter to you, and every candidate for President I send a letter to, on my largest blog if not all of them. If there is a critical mass that is necessary before you or any Presidential hopeful will respond, I should easily reach this number as I estimate my total readers to be about 16,000 per month and growing. I should also note that while I have a diverse group of readers worldwide, my target audiences are predominantly African Americans and Latino/Hispanic Americans. I’m sure you are familiar with the demographics of the nation and how valuable both groups are to any political hopeful.

I will be posting this letter at the abovementioned blog among my others. I will also publish each response from any Presidential hopeful, unaltered. I look forward to your response to my original letter. For your ease, I have included a copy of my original letter with this one.

Sincerely

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting, Inc.
Author – Black Entertainment USA and Vass
info@blackentertainmentblog.com

Recap of the 2nd week of January 2007 - 1.16.2007.1

There are a few things from last week I didn’t get a chance to mention. I’ll try to catch up now. First the week in history. During the last week: Fisk University was founded, Dr. George Washington Carver was born, Delta Sigma Theta is started, Twelfth Night or the Epiphany occurred (the baby Jesus was born in January not December and the 3 wise men visited him last week).

Beyond those events, this is the second week I can mention that of the 3 individuals considering or running for President that I have contacted none have responded to date. Now to be fair I did not send my letters to each all on the same day, but they have had some time. Of course I may not be the first name on their list to respond to. Still considering that the questions I am asking are what I believe are important to you as well, I think that they should be in touch soon. Then again, some of them may not wish to clearly define where they stand on issues important to Black Americans, Latinos and Hispanic Americans, and others. But when they do respond I will post every word, unaltered, for every one of the tens of thousands of you to read. [Yes I feel good that so many pay attention to my blogs] You can look forward to reading my letters to Senator McCain, and Obama in the near term. Possibly Rev. Sharpton as well.

You can reach each letter posted to date at the following:
Letter to Mitt Romney - 1.10.2007.1
Letter sent to John Edwards - 1.5.2007.1
Letter to Senator Clinton - 12.16.2006.1

As for some events that happened last week, there is an interesting bit on the rapper Noreaga or NORE or whatever he goes by now (his name is Victor Santiago and I will refer to him as such). In Mr. Santiago’s desire to build record sales, he had no problem befriending and employing a couple of members of the Murder Unit gang. That’s not my opinion, he said, “Hard-core hip-hop tends to sell more records. It's about selling an image.” Mr. Santiago stated this as a witness in the trail of one of the members of the gang. It seems that the accused allegedly murdered 3 victims and stole cocaine. My opinion is that Mr. Santiago’s claim that he was unaware of any of these gang members he employed were selling drugs, carried weapons, and were violent is either false or the man is beyond dim. Since he knows how to use people to promote himself, as well as possibly providing him with the drugs he admitted to using [a shame they couldn’t arrest him for that] I doubt dim. I just find it infuriating when an entertainer (especially a Latino/Hispanic) brazenly uses drugs, chases women, employs potentially violent drug dealing felons and brazenly admits to it while cracking goes at a trial. All this just to sell records and make money on an image. Wealth is just not worth it, I think.

Something worth speaking about are the continuing efforts of Mr. George Clooney and his father in bringing more attention to the Dafur atrocity. If you have missed the news on Darfur, which is easy since little is mentioned about it on the news [though there is plenty of time to discuss say the Trump vs. O’Donnell idiocy], over 200,000 Africans have died since 2003. Over 2.5 million have had to flee from their homes. Mr. Clooney has spent a good deal of time raising the awareness of this situation, having spoken to the U.N. twice already trying to get international attention on the matter. I respect Mr. Clooney as a man due to his efforts, as well as respecting his choice of movies and ability in them. If you missed the presentation of his documentary film A Journey to Darfur, look for a replay on the AmericanLife TV Network. Or ask for it to be put on DVD or on a local station near you.

Perhaps 2007 will be the year we see some of these rappers, or other celebrities, entertainers, and politicians do something to help these Africans that are in need. It may not be as much fun for them, but I hope they all don’t want to live like Mr. Santiago.

This is what I think, what do you think?

My message concluded - 1.15.2007.4

Continued from part 2...

...

Without these items the creed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” is just hollow words. The equality can never be realized, not when we feed the flames that inequality thrives on. The dream that, “…my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” cannot come true when we allow the character of a person to be based on the color of their skin.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, but it was not something that he wanted to only dream. He had a vision of a better America, stronger by the inclusion and respect of all the colors and religions that comprise America. Dr. King, and many others, worked towards taking the dream and making a reality. Sadly Dr. King has not lived to build that reality. Thankfully he did not live to see this failure on the steps he helped the nation take forward.

We have stumbled. Not just White Americans, Black Americans, but ALL Americans. In the same way we grew and moved forward as a nation we have faltered and stumbled together as well.

I feel the time has long passed to wait for another Dr. King. As African Americans we need more than a figurehead, real or imagined by the media, to bring us forward. We need to accept that the vision of Dr. King, Malcolm X, and all who sacrificed those short decades ago is the vision we all share. Dr. King was a great man, and great men lead. But all great men are so due to being followed. Though Dr. King has passed we can each still follow his vision, as we did when he walked among all people in Alabama, Mississippi, Washington D.C., and in life.

If we do this, the dream becomes a reality. The creed takes meaning. The lives of all in the nation improves. Perhaps the lives of all the world may one day live this dream come true. But if in our community and culture we do not live the dream, it fades from memory and distorts. It becomes a part of the past that has no meaning in the current and thus cannot be in the future.

I, for one, do not wish to see a future like that. I do not wish my nieces and nephews, or those children of my friends, to grow up in that kind of world. Perhaps this can help to ensure such a world of negativity never exists. It’s a small step, but a step all the same. Now what step will you take?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Part 1

Part 2

Dr. King message part 2 - 1.15.2007.3

Continued from part 1...

...

In a less quoted part of Dr. King’s speech he stated, “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’”. In ways that note is still unpaid. The failures from Hurricane Katrina, the injustice of the murders of Mr. Sean Bell and many others, and multiple other events confirm this.

But there has been some payment made. Minority businesses are not just the ‘crazy dreams’ of ‘those muslims’, but an encouraged reality in virtually every city in the nation. Where the military was highly segregated, now we have seen an African American reach the highest levels. Where there were political offices devoid of any persons of color we now have Cabinet members and Secretary of State. Today we even can see Black Americans as millionaires and billionaires in business and serious consideration of the potential of a Black President. Not long ago (a mere 20 years) such a thought could only be the fodder of comedians.

Yet for all of that there is still what Dr. King called, “…the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,” in that same speech from 1963. And like all drugs it is addictive. Today the youth fail to take the educations that are available to them. With desegregation, the internet, and yes mediocre schools there is the potential to expand our minds; yet the dropout rates have risen to unheard of levels. In the past we were barred from learning, today it is abandoned. In the past there was degradation placed upon us, in restrictions on where we could live, sit, and eat. In the past there was dehumanization placed in the words used to describe us. Today we degrade ourselves in words used to greet and converse with ourselves or others. Today we belittle our women as props and possessions in music videos, song and movies. Today we insult and destroy our families with terms like ‘baby-mama’ or ‘baby-daddy’, and actions such as creating families and not providing the resulting children with a father. We divert ourselves in a quest for wealth by any means, without concern of what those means and their resulting consequence cost.

These are the things we have done and allow to exist. There is no question that problems exist, beyond our causation. These serve only to compound the issues that we place on ourselves. Dr. King said, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I humbly add to these important words, we cannot be satisfied to pretend that our ghettos are treasures, somehow known only by ourselves. We cannot be satisfied to allow our children to grow up without knowing both their parents. We cannot be satisfied with the unspeakable brutality enacted by African American on African American in the name of whatever gang or petty monetary gain. We cannot be satisfied with the lodging provided by prisons and jails as a second home. We cannot accept the platitudes of politicians, offering us the ability to continue in this lifestyle without enabling us the ability to improve our lives, and returning them votes to continue this process.

... continued in part 3

My message as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King - 1.15.2007.2

For many today is a day of remembrance. Today is a day to think of hope. This is a time to look to the future and see a better America. For just as many today is just another day. A day that holds no glimmer of hope, no potential for better and no end to the sometimes harsh conditions that every day brings.

The differences in those 2 thoughts tends to be age and education, in my opinion. For many of the youth of today there is no understanding of what happened some 40 years ago. The youth of today have never been beaten for sitting in the wrong seat on a bus, based solely on the color of their skin. They have not had fire hoses placed on them because they tried to go to school, but had the wrong race to be allowed in. The youth of today have never been lynched because they dated, or looked at, someone of a color not their own. For too many of the youth today these are all items of ancient history, perhaps as relevant as the War of 1812, perhaps slightly more when a movie starring a favored actor is seen.

This is not entirely their fault. I cannot say I am greatly different. I am not different in that I did not suffer those same things. I had the benefit of growing up after that time. After the sacrifices of Dr. King, and Mr. Malcolm X and many others, most who were not famous enough to have their names recorded but sacrificed all the same. The difference is that I am old enough to have heard the bile in being called the N-word. I am old enough to have had a Mother, and uncles and a Father that did suffer those events. I am old enough to know that some have, and continue, to value the color of a person’s skin above their actions. I am old enough to have experienced the problems that go with that mindset. And that makes me understand that these things aren’t history, ancient or recent, but current in the world.

On this day I think to the breakthroughs we see. My own past success in becoming a stockbroker (a vestige of the ‘old boys club’ mentality still but not quite like it was), in traveling the world, in being able to attend a college (of my choice), and to live in places I chose. I see the things that have changed in the world. Actors and actresses of African American and Latino/Hispanic decent that are able to lead films without having to portray the villain, the drug dealer, the gangster or prostitute. I have seen characters on television that are Black that portray the American President, doctors, and leaders of industry. I have seen celebrities embraced throughout the world, and this nation, with skins ranging from dark to light. I have seen entertainers step back to their roots and enrich the lives of all there.

Yet I must say that with each step that has improved there are those steps that have gone backwards. I have heard the famous words of Dr. King often quoted and played, yet I’ve seen few continue them. Let me be clear, as much as the world is better for Black Americans it is also worse. And part of that worsening is the fault of the Black community and culture.

... end of part 1
Continued in part 2

What's been keeping me busy - 1.15.2007.1

I realize I'm a little behind in posting. Don't worry, I'll be back at it shortly. If you are wondering what has been taking up my time I suggest taking a look at the gift catalogue.

Of the currently 10 clothing lines, I've added photos (done by photographer Mr. Eddie Di Salvo, and models Ms. Amanda Chestnut and Mr. Ken Warren as well as myself) of some of the more recent additions.

You may be surprised that currently there are over 150 gift items to be found at my online store. You may want to check from time to time as i am consistently adding new product lines, and I try to have photo shoots to show them off when time permits.
Currently you can find Hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, thongs, teddy bears, stamps (yes real stamps), gift cards, mugs, throw pillows, jewlery boxes, Journals, baseball caps, and mouse pads to name just a few gift items.

Valentine's Day, a birthday, a special moment, just because, for men or women, just check it out and see for yourself.

Well now you know what I've been up to. Tell your friends. Enough of my self promotion.

[Oh, if you are interested in becoming a model just send me an email and a photo and maybe you can be featured in the next product photo shoot.]

What 250 million dollars gets - 1.12.2007.1

Ok, I’m annoyed. I’ve read and heard quite a bit about Mr. David Beckham’s move to the L.A. Galaxy. Much of the news has been of a negative bent. I’ve seen many debate the cost of Mr. Beckham, or question his ability. I’ve read many sing the continued doom of the national soccer leagues and even a couple sneer at Mr. Beckham and his use of the term futbol (which is the international name of soccer). Well here are some facts.

There has been international futbol, or soccer, competitions since 1900 (summer Olympics – demonstration only initially, official after 1908). The World Cup has been played 17 times in 76 years. It has only not gone on 2x due to World War II. Current nations capable of qualifying number 207. It IS the most watched sporting event in the world with over a billion viewers. The final in 2002 captured 1/6 the entire population of the planet in 213 countries alone. The U.S. has qualified for games 7 times, with a semi-finalist showing once in 1930, that is the best we have ever done. [I should also mention an error I made previously. The USA did play in 1990, losing every game and I had forgotten it. I incorrectly mentioned in a previous post that the US had not played in a Cup since 1950 until 1994.] Considering the status of the nation and our obvious athletic abilities (as seen in our dominance of Olympics and national sports) to perform so weakly is embarrassing.

That said, I feel the naysaying and negative attitudes of some against the MLS league is sad. Some have questioned the price of acquiring Mr. Beckham. As I understand roughly $150 million of the price is due to sponsorships that are attached to Mr. Beckham no matter where he goes (he will actually be paid $10 million a year by the Galaxy and he gets a percentage of product and ticket sales). Even considering that, the price is not that unheard of. While this does place Mr. Beckham in the number 3 position of highest earning athletes in the world it is not so far out of place in comparison to the $252 million for Mr. Alex Rodriguez (which I understand, perhaps incorrectly, as being without endorsements). At $50 million Mr. Beckham is very close to Mr. Tiger Woods who makes an estimated $80 million per year. Let me compare these individuals.

Mr. Rodriguez is very good, but he is not one of the greatest players in the world. He does play for the best baseball team (debatable I’ll give you) but he does not elevate the sport in the U.S. nor the world. He does not raise the bar of competition in the sport among its players. And to compare baseball, it’s a game lasts 3-4 hours on average with about half the players sitting about half the game at any one time. While the players are in great shape, the main exertions are occasional 90ft sprints and arm strength/quickness.

Mr. Woods is the best player in the world (no debate there). He has raised the bar of competition. He has elevated the sport and drawn the youth of the world towards playing the game. Everyone involved with golf (predominantly professional) has made more money due to his performance than prior to it. In comparison of the game, overall fitness is essential though some are far from intensely fit. There is no running or extreme exertion. A match runs about 3 hours. It is an intense individual competition.

Mr. Beckham is one of the best in the world. Even at his older age, he is considered a star and better than most in his position. He does raise the bar of competition, especially in America where there is no comparable competitor. He does elevate the game, especially in America where there is little attention spent on a game we historically can’t play well at. He does bring the youth to the game, and thus elevating the potential of future players. He does open the door for other quality players to arrive and they too can help to elevate the game and quality of American competition. The game requires a little over 100 minutes of play with starters expected to play virtually the entire game (there are only 3 substitutes per game). The game requires constant sprints across up to the entire 300ft of the pitch. The player must be in extremely good condition with high stamina, strong legs and torsos.

Simply put, soccer gives more and requires more from a player than virtually any other sport. That requires discipline, which most have in abundance at the international level. What doesn’t normally happen are team fights like in baseball and basketball. You don’t see individual fights like in the WWE or hockey. There is no reliance on technology like in NASCAR. Why wouldn’t we want to promote or see the growth of futbol in America?

So in respectful disagreement with Mr. Josh Peter and others that question the price and worth of Mr. Beckham, I say that it is easily worth it. Just in the same way Pele was worth it to re-create a foundation that Team USA was built upon, I think Mr. Beckham will cause future growth. Respectfully to Mr. Dan Wetzel and others that think a more WWE approach is needed to gain an audience I disagree. I don’t think that wonton violence (which is implied in wrestling today) as seen in the MLB and NBA (team and individual fights or those with fans – each of which is a new trend that seems to be growing) is the reason for fans to view a game. I think than many of the youth will be interested, just as Pele motivated Team USA players, and their parents, (I think) that wound up returning America to World Cup competition in a manner never before seen.

Rather than sing doom, wait and see. There is more than enough room for another game in this nation. The WNBA proved that, regardless of its performance. Mr. Woods proved it in golf (that did not have the appeal it now has with him). Maybe, just maybe futbol, or soccer if you prefer, will have the same effect with Mr. Beckham.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Beckham arrives, Team USA wins! - 1.11.2007.2

Finally some significant news for American soccer fans. For decades there has been a desire and rumor of international players coming to play in the U.S. leagues. Other than Pele there has really been no significant player for the U.S. Now things have changed.

I’m sure the performance by the U.S. teams in several of the last World Cups has helped us to finally get some respect from the rest of the world. Some would say that it’s just about money, that we have never offered enough to draw a major player. I disagree. There is more than enough money for any sport we want. We have been able to attract players for every sport, even those from China (Mr. Yao Ming) a communist nation that has spotty relations with America. The question is not money it’s respect.

For decades, since Pele was kind enough to help draw attention to the fledgling soccer league here in his final years in the game, the thought of American leagues has been a joke world wide. I recall the disdain that was shown when the U.S. team finally made it to the World Cup in 1994, due to the fact that we hosted the games. I think the disrespect was most evident in the fact that when Columbian player Andres Escobar scored a home goal that cause a U.S. win and the elimination of the Columbian team, he was killed when he returned home. I think that his causing such an inferior team to win was the cause of his death. That same disrespect has been the reason why no major player has considered joining the U.S. leagues. It would be like Michael Jordan, at the height of his career, deciding to leave the Bulls and going to play for the South Korean basketball league [I’m not sure they have one, but you see the point].

But with our improved playing and actual qualifying for subsequent World Cups has started to change the world image. Currently I think we are just seen as bad, and not embarrassing, with some potential. Lots of talk of Ronaldo joining a team here was seen as his swan song. Equal to a model ending her career with a Playboy photo shoot. But now we have Mr. David Beckham.

Still in his solid playing days. He can elevate the whole of American soccer. He can draw fans and create new ones. Sadly he’ll draw new fans from the attempt of the media here trumping him as some type of model or for his good looks and former Spice Girl wife. Still this can lead to a real competitive league. It opens the door for international players to come to America without instantly ending their careers. Is there a chance of seeing Ronaldinho in America? Never. Not in the near future at the best. But there are many others that might consider it. And the benefit is an improved league and a real competitive national team.

Some may wonder why this is so important to me. I’m a fan of soccer, called Futbol in the rest of the world. I am a fanatic during the World Cup. Readers may recall my many posts during the entire World Cup of 2006. I love this game. Unlike the Super Bowl (which I think is fantastic) or the World Series, this is the only true international sport. It’s the only game where every country competes and many have a chance to win. To be in the World Cup is to have bragging rights. It’s a reflection of your nation and pride. It’s so important that a civil war stopped just to watch the national team play.

Considering that, and the desire by America to be the best at everything we do, I am of course desirous of a national team that can beat the world. To win this is to be the best for 4 years. It’s the real deal and I want to see America win. This is the first step in that process. The $250 million is a small price for America to get some respect, especially since I think we have the resources to excel.

So we have Mr. Beckham, maybe Ronaldo in the near future. Who’s next? And once they are here, watch out. I think the Golden Ball, Golden Shoe and the Cup itself are coming with our grasp. Go Team USA!

This is what I think, what do you think?

M V Consulting, Inc. Announces Growth and Expansion Through 2006

This is a copy of my recent press release issued Jan 9, 2007

New York, NY (PRWeb) January 9, 2007 -- Mr. Michael Vass, president of M V Consulting, Inc. ("MVC") and author of Black Entertainment USA (www.blackentertainmentblog.com) and Vass (www.mvass.com) - wholly owned by MVC, announced the achievement of milestones and annual growth for the year ending December 31, 2006. Since the January 2006 launch of the websites over 320 web posts have been published to date. In this first year of operation there has been a large range of topics covered including: Black African American cultural trends in television, theatrical movies, music videos, video games; news relating to athletes, musicians, politicians, actors and other entertainers and celebrities; reviews of movies, books, and restaurants; national and or international events such as the World Cup and the war in Iraq.

"This has been an incredible year of growth. Since the inception of the sites there have been tens of thousands of visitors the sites owned by MVC. Visitors to the sites have come from countries across the globe including England, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and Venezuela to name a few. Acceptance on a global basis as has happened is a happy surprise and an expression of the need for honest commentary from a unique perspective," stated Mr. Vass.

Mr. Vass went on to say that, "With the speed that news and events can be learned of and communicated, larger media cannot always provide enough time for a topic that may be of interest. Busy individuals can't always take the time to seek out subjects that are important to them, if they even know these subjects have news. The fact that these sites also contain a personal viewpoint on these subjects adds a level of personal interaction that many media outlets cannot provide. These are the assets that I feel are vital to the growth that has occurred and continues as I speak. "

The websites, a blend of a traditional website and a blog (or weblog), have continued to expand in their content throughout the year. Currently the websites include sections such as a biography of Mr. Vass, original poetry, audio files for both the poetry and selected web posts, a continuously growing reference list of websites and information of importance, 2 reader feedback surveys, portions of a storyboard for a potential graphic novel or motion picture, a large and growing catalogue with models showcasing unique clothing lines found at the company's online store (cafepress.com/nova68), and a simple but effective sitemap to help guide visitors through the sites.

For additional information on this release, comments about this article, or general site information contact Mr. Michael Vass or visit either BlackEntertainmentBlog.com or MVASS.com. Comments on any posts should be added to the appropriate comments section on the sites.

About Michael Vass and M V Consulting, Inc.
Mr. Michael Vass is a former securities industry account executive of good standing, and currently works in the field of investor relations. He is additionally a webmaster of several internet sites and weblogs. He has lived abroad, in Moscow and Tsblissi, and in various cities throughout the United States. It is the combination of these experiences that have lead Mr. Vass to the creation of M V Consulting, Inc. and Black Entertainment USA.

Verizon commercial and Trump vs. Rosie, why? - 1.10.2007.2

Before I mention how annoyed I am with the “Trump vs. O’Donnell” garbage, let me ask a question. Have you seen the Verizon Wireless commercial with the Black American family? I like it. It’s funny. In this commercial the father asks his kids (a son and daughter) how they like the Chocolate and EV (I think) phones that he got them. The kids think they are great and are happy. The father asks what they got him, and the daughter mentions “We got you cologne.” The father replies, “No. Dad got hosed.” Now that is funny. One of my best friends mentions similar thoughts every Father’s day, his birthday and Christmas. The way the Black man mentions it, I have to guess he is a dad in real life. Finally a commercial that is not insipid or berating that stars African Americans. There aren’t many, but it’s nice to see it and the reality based humor works too.

But, going from a funny thought to something so stupid it should be funny yet it isn’t. Yes I mean the whole back and forth with Ms. Rosie O’Donnell and Mr. Donald Trump. While I agree that Mr. Trump was wronged first, it’s long past time for it to end. The whole thing is a waste of time, and more importantly a waste of news airtime.

Here is what is annoying me about it. So far this has been going on for about 20 days now. [see my post The odd and dumb before the holiday - 12.21.2006.2] Virtually every day there is commentary and reports on who responded and what they said. There have been debates on who started it (which is obvious) and whether whatever statement is true or not. It’s taken up what I estimate to be about 2 or more hours of news time for almost as many days as it’s been going on. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot, except you may not realize that in a regular day most items only get about 30 minutes of coverage in 30-45 second soundbites.

Think about it, as I estimate, there has been almost 40 hours of time spent on this one story over almost a month. [based on 24-hour news networks] The death of President Ford barely got more coverage, but it was in about ¼ the number of days. And he was a former President. News coverage for the murder of Mr. Sean Bell lasted 2 days and had maybe 6 hours of coverage. The actions of Michael Richards captured all of 4 days and 12 hours of attention. Am I the only one wondering what is being tossed out to cover a battle of words among 2 celebrities that affects nothing.

Seriously, this changes nothing. It’s minor gossip on television. There is nothing that will be improved or affected in the average American’s life, yet this is being covered more than almost any other story. I’ve seen coverage of too many stories in 45 seconds as opposed to the average 3-5 minutes this gets. It’s bad enough that news has been relegated to mere soundbites and partisanship, but now it’s becoming even less interested in actual news.

I’d love to know more than 30 minutes in a single day about why Mr. Al Sharpton is considering a run for President. I’d enjoy more than 2 ½ hours on Senator Obama, and not spending that time on how good he looks for being a smoker and African American. I’d occasionally like to know a bit more on, perhaps. what African American children have been abducted or are missing in the nation. [I’ve seen maybe 3 stories since the beginning of the year about White children that have been abducted. It’s a good use of news time; I’m sure more can be done to cover such stories and perhaps covering some of the other racial groups that are having this done to them as well.]

Television was meant to entertain and educate. It’s evolved to just provide entertainment. News has always been held to be the exception to that rule. Until now. I don’t think I’m the only American with intelligence. I think we all deserve more respect, and should be able to get a full news report on things that matter. I don’t think gossip and ‘drama’ need to be added, life has enough of that. Entertain me when I watch a comedy, or drama, or sci-fi. Inform me when I watch the news. Is that a lot to ask for?

This is what I think, what do you think?

Dennis Miller, Yvonne De Carlo, and Golf changes - 1.10.2007.1

A mixed day of information today. I’ll get into my further thoughts on the debacle that is Mr. Donald Trump vs. Ms. Rosie O’Donnell in a subsequent post. I’ll simply state that at this point it has more attention than it ever deserved.

On a higher note, there is news that Mr. Dennis Miller will be starting a radio show soon. This is a great thing as I find him talented. While I connect more with, and find funnier, Mr. Chris Rock there is no question of the abilities of Mr. Miller. He hits the high ground in an arena of comedy that generally goes for the low-brow. There’s nothing wrong with the comedy of Mr. Ron White (who I think is also funny), or Larry the cable guy. I just like to enjoy a conversation that has a bit more depth from time to time.

Similar to the aforementioned Mr. Rock, and Mr. Steven Wright, having to think about the joke isn’t a bad thing. I like that some comedians respect and expect that there is an audience that can grasp a complex subject and the jokes about it. Those comedians are few these days. Mr. Wright is unseen these days, Mr. Rock is working on other projects more than his stand-up, and Mr. George Carlin is getting up there in age. Mr. Miller is the only choice and it’s not a bad one. If you haven’t seen his work before, you may want to get a tape of his early work on Saturday Night Live. Or just listen to his radio show once it hits the air.

In sad news, which there has been too much of lately, I send condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Yvonne De Carlo. Many of the younger readers may not realize who this is, but I think TVland or Nick at Nite carries a show that they may recognize her face from. Ms. De Carlo played the character Lilly Munster on the show The Munsters. While this may be her most immediately recognizable role she had many others. Ms. De Carlo was a Canadian that played a Hebrew wife to Moses (Mr. Charleston Heston) in the classic and impressive The Ten Commandments. Her career started in 1941 and continued until 1995 including many roles in westerns including a favorite of mine McLintock! [Yes I am a fan of Mr. John Wayne] I’m sorry to know that she has passed but glad that she has a body of work that will live on for many more generations to come.

For the golfers out there some news that may have been missed. It seems the PGA thinks that instituting a points program similar to the one in NASCAR will help draw more interest to the game. It seems that the 4 big majors are not enough of a draw, and the multiple other matches are not interesting enough. It’s pure money talking, which will screw up the game without a question in my mind. Going for the ratings may be great for physical competition sports but I don’t see it for golf. It’s a sport of individuals, with the majors being the reward. A points competition should not be more important than a major, nor equal to it. If joe average isn’t watching I doubt if a 37 match scoreboard will be a draw. It may help Vegas, a whole new thing to put odds on, but that’s about it.

Some things shouldn’t be about the profit. Profit is a good thing and it’s great as a secondary goal, but it shouldn’t be the drive. Mr. Tiger Woods is after the legacy of a legend, not the money. Many newer or younger players are out to become Mr. Woods or try to surpass him. It’s not about money. When kids say they “want to be like Mike” they mean the ability of Mr. Jordan, not his money.
The focus on money always trickles down to the players. It always dilutes the game and lessens the quality. Baseball used to be a game of greats, now I find it a battle of businesses. The same can be said of basketball, players forsaking educations and self-discipline for a grab at the cash. Golf would be unwatchable if it forgets it’s a gentlemen’s game. Even worse it could be unplayable as etiquette-less players storm courses with dreams of cash. Profit isn’t worth that to me.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Laurence Fishburne, Sealand, Disney and Iwao Takamoto - 1.9.2007.2

Here is some recent good news for Mr. Laurence Fishburne. It seems that he is expecting a new child with his wife Gina Torres. Mr. Fishburne is a father already, with 2 other children, so I’m sure he’s well prepared for the task of fatherhood. I wish their child a health birth and great success.

In odd news I think I know what you can do if you win the lottery for XXX millions. If you think it’s too crowded where you live, or disagree with the government you can always just buy your own nation. I’m serious. The principality of Sealand is now on the market according to Prince Michael Bates. It seems the family took over a platform that’s 7 miles off the coast of England and claimed sovereignty. Already the miniscule nation has fended off a hostile takeover and the British Navy. So you get a little history with you nation. And a currency as well as a national anthem.

I wish I had the money. Though the view is a bit parse, and it’s hardly self-sufficient. If it comes with a seat at the U.N. (and thus international aide) I think it’s a steal. I could really have some fun with this. So what would you do if you had your own country? Talk about a dollar and a dream.

In other odd news is the announcement that a sequel to a 43-year-old movie is now going forward. Yes it’s only taken more years than I have been alive. The demand must be intense, the money has been rolling in. Or so you’d assume. In fact is a sequel to It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. This is a genuinely funny movie. It’s filled with an ensemble cast (which is virtually impossible in the current environment of mega-pay for top entertainers) and a decent script. It made me laugh at least. But the plans have been made to continue the story with stars from today. Considering the quality of most sequels and re-makes these days I don’t have high hopes. Since most stars will not forgo their pay to make a movie, lesser stars are probable and I doubt a top notch comedy director is available at a discount (though most comedies these days makes me wonder who is a top-notch comedy director). Lastly the story is a bit dated, without a solid comedy writer I don’t think the idea grabs today’s generation. Essentially all the reasons why Rat Race was such a failure. Let’s hope this try is better.

Another thought that scares me a bit is the fact that Disney seems determined to enter the MMO space. If you aren’t familiar a MMO is a massively multiplayer online game. You may have heard of, or seen commercials for, Everquest and World of Warcraft. These are not a niche game genre, many games boast millions of players. And they get to play together in real-time. So you begin to see the attraction for Disney.

While the current efforts to bring a Pirates of the Caribbean MMO to life may be interesting I’m just afraid of a trend. Disney is know for running amok when it goes in a direction. I base that observation on Disney Europe and 42nd Street in New York City. Some may enjoy the mini-Disney that is now on west 42nd, I tend to feel that all the character has been sucked out of the area. When I’m there I don’t feel like I’m in NYC, I feel more like I’m in some kind of corporate vortex. So news that this corporation plans to try to map out world’s of whatever vision it would like to sell to our kids, terrifies me. My only hope is that they lose enough money to prevent any other mega-corp from following. If not I fear the gaming landscape that will appear.

Lastly, I wish a sad goodbye to Mr. Iwao Takamoto. His name may not be familiar to many but his creations are known world-wide. Mr. Takamoto created one of the most loved dogs ever, Scooby-Doo. Mr Takamoto was an animator, a career he started on due to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. His legacy far outstrips the deplorable conditions that gave rise to it. In multiple decades his animations have brought joy to millions. Whether it’s the humor of Alexandra from Josie and the Pussycats, or Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web (which he directed), to Astro from the Jetsons. The artistic that provide us such wonderful gifts always go too soon. Any time we lose them it’s always too soon.

This is what I think, what do you think?

Bad films and Screen Actors Guild Awards hopefuls - 1.9.2007.1

Well it’s January and the worst of the films of the year are starting to be released. I’m sure many may have noticed that the early weeks of the year seem to have a bunch of films that blink away with a speed that is rarely seen. This of course is a good thing, as many of these films don’t deserve to be released in a theater and I doubt many will be worth a DVD either. One such film, I’m guessing, is Code Name: The Cleaner.

Cedric the Entertainer (his real name is Mr. Cedric Kyles) can be a funny man. I’ve seen some of his stand-up on film and it wasn’t bad. Star quality it was not, nor has anything in his body indicated that he has leading man capabilities. That’s not to say he doesn’t have talent. I just think his talent isn’t being conveyed in the films he has done.

Beyond his support work in The Steve Harvey Show, which had it’s moments though they were few to me, his movie Johnson Family Vacation is probably his best film work. I’m not counting the 5 animated roles where he supplied his voice (including the upcoming Madagascar 2). I am including his leading role in the Honeymooners remake [horrendous] and the sequel supporting role in Be Cool [just bad]. The Cleaner looks to be on par with these lesser films and will no doubt clean the few pockets that view it. Of course there is a following for Mr. Kyles, as well as those that will watch anything that has an African American lead because they are showing support – even if that support goes to cheap and tasteless theatrical films like Soul Plane. I admit I haven’t seen it, nor will I, but if others do and disagree please let me know. If you convince me of the worth perhaps I will watch it, via a bootleg DVD.

Speaking of movies, here are some of my choices to win the Screen Actors Guild Awards. I hope these will lead to nominations and wins at the Oscar’s as well. For best actor I chose Mr. Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland. I think it will be Ms. Helen Mirren in The Queen. For best support I pick Mr. Eddie Murphy in his stand out performance in Dreamgirls and from the same movie I pick Ms. Jennifer Hudson as best supporting actress. In the cast category of course I chose Dreamgirls.

In television I have fewer choices as I don’t watch many shows. I may well be off on these but here are my choices. For best actor in a drama I think Mr. Hugh Laurie wins for House. For a comedy I would chose Mr. Tony Shalhoub for Monk, though I do like the comedic acting of Mr. Jeremy Piven. Sadly I have not seen Entourage so I can’t say if his work is better than Mr. Shalhoub.

As for the other television shows, I have no comment. I watch little regular broadcast television programs. In general I think the effort executives have put into finding the lowest common denominator in programming is so bad as to not warrant viewing. And yes I do prefer a more high-brow television show so that doesn’t help either. Still a preference towards House, 24, and the West Wing does not prevent me from enjoying Farscape, Gilligan’s Island, or Cheers.

Well let’s see how good my choices are.

This is what I think, what do you think?

The joys of Will Ferrell, Ping Pong and the Police - 1.5.2007.1

With the new year started I’ve decided to add a few different thing to the posts for the site. One thing that I will be adding is specifically due to the up-coming Presidential elections. For those that have visited my Vass site this is not new news but I am planning to write letters to the Presidential candidates, hopefully all of them, addressing concerns and asking specific questions on their platforms. My letters to these individuals will be posted unaltered, and when I receive a response it will be posted unaltered as well. At this time I have sent a letter to Senator Clinton, and Mr. John Edwards. Neither at this time have responded. I will try to mention the status of the letters going out, and any responses received on this blog once a week, but definitely at least once a month. The leadership of this nation is our choice, this is an opportunity to learn what we are choosing.

A separate item I plan to add on a weekly basis is a bit of a calendar. I hope to highlight various dates of note to Black Americans, and Latino Americans. This includes birthdays of famous individuals, ground-breaking firsts, and other items.

In this week:
Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln
The first African American child is born in America in 1624. His name is William Tucker.
Congressional Black Caucus formed in 1974
The fountain pen is patented by William B. Purvis in 1890

Looking at other things happening in the last couple of days, there was good news for Mr. Will Ferrell and his family. Mr. Ferrell is now the father of his second child, a boy born just two days short of the new year. Congratulations and cheer to Mr. Ferrell and his family on this wonderful addition. I wish him the best.

In hopeful news there is a rumor that the band, the Police, will perform together again. It’s been some 2 decades since the band performed a tour and many have hoped to get a chance to see such a performance. While some of my readers may be unfamiliar with this band I believe they may be familiar with the lead singer and sometime actor Sting. For those that are unaware Sting did not start off as a solo artist. Actually they were not even a band at first, they were English teachers at a British school as I recall. (Yes Sting is British as are the other members of the band.)

It wasn’t until after the band had several chart topping hit albums that Sting went off to try his hand at a solo record. This lead to a very successful career. But there was never any reason why the band could not have continued. Unlike other break-up stories there were no frictions that would cause the band to end, as happened with the Beatles as an example. So a final performance tour would be a coup for fans who never got to see them together one last time. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the arena of the unusual there is news of a new challenge for Ping Pong players. If you thought you could take on Forrest Gump this is the next level for you. It’s called TriPong and the game is played with 3 players on a modified table. This is no joke, the game has been picked up and should be available for the next holiday season.

Perhaps it’s because I’m a city boy, but is there a real demand for ping pong? I mean I’ve never known anyone with a table, and only saw people playing the game at college. Call me sheltered but I never knew it was that popular. I suppose if you do have a table, this is a must have. I can definitely see how it could be good to give all the kids something to do besides playing a computer game. So if you are worried about your kids eye-hand coordination your wish has been answered. Except if you live in the city, I think.

This is what I think, what do you think?

UFO arrivals on time at gate 7 - 1.4.2007.2

Here is something for the UFO conspiracists out there. Odd things happen even without the weekend. What I am speaking on is the report on the 1st that weather and not visitors from another planet were responsible for the reported sightings over O’Hare airport on November 7, 2006.

Now this sighting was not some group of beer drinking kids, or questionable individuals, but a group of United Airlines employees. This group included pilots and at least one supervisor. Not a group of individuals known for flights of fancy [yes another bad pun – I’m not a comedy writer you know].

Of course this sighting was called a ‘weather condition’ and is not being investigated. I’ve noticed that sightings are always called ‘weather conditions’ or infrequently ‘military aircraft’ – whether experimental or not. It’s just seems too convenient. Especially when otherwise credible individuals step up and mention the sighting.

I can’t say that this was incorrect. I do note that no follow up or investigation will be conducted. I am concerned that something seemed to be of concern to these individuals over a busy airport and there is no interest. Some things should not be casually laughed off, even if they appear to be odd. And this does qualify as odd.

For the record I will mention that I do believe we are not alone in the universe. Other beings exist. It is complete arrogance and statistically impossible for there not to be other lifeforms. It is equally arrogant and impossible that all those other beings are less intelligent or advanced than ourselves. Given these probabilities it is possible that UFO’s exist and do visit the world.

To further clarify what I think, there will be no government that will openly confirm or acknowledge the existence of other life in the universe. This is especially true of intelligent life. If it were similar to life on earth, then they have a belief of life (perhaps a religion). These beliefs may well be very different than our own. Even if similar they bring into question every concept of life and our intelligence and place in the universe.

If other beings exist, life on earth becomes chaotic. Our dreams of a future like Star Wars, or Star Trek, or any other expansion and domination of the universe go out the window. Our views of religion come into question. Our superior status over all life we know of ends. Human beings at this point cannot accept such an absolute change on the principles we have founded civilization on. Thus we will never hear about it.

I don’t know what happened at O’Hare. But I would like to know more than the usual and casual ‘weather condition’ answer. We have enough knowledge in the populace that a better answer can be given. And if some earthly means were at play, I’d like to be assured that it’s not a potential danger. You know, like a satellite breaking apart as it falls to earth. That happens constantly, but it’s nice to know that it’s not something that is a danger to watch out for.

So the UFO conspiracies can start on this. But don’t get too carried away. I still prefer my aliens in a video game or a movie theater.

This is what I think, what do you think?

2007 starts with Oprah, Indiana Jones and Edward James Olmos - 1.4.2007.1

Well the new year has started with a bunch of new announcements. Things are off with a bang now with the news that there will be at least one more Indiana Jones movie. Still untitled at this point, the script is being finalized at this time. Not to worry, filming will start this year as well, with the film coming out sometime in 2008. While this is yet another sequel, the good news is that this series has been quite good. The second movie notwithstanding, I expect this will be a solid film. Both Mr. George Lucas and Mr. Steven Spielberg have been working on the final script. Mr. Harrison Ford has been quite consistent in his choice of films, and his ability to give a quality performance. So here is something to look forward to, I’m sure there will be more news as information about the film as script and location shooting begins or is leaked.

In more political news Mr. Edward James Olmos continues his fight with the government over the Vieques Island contamination and bombings. For those not familiar, this is an island 6 miles from Puerto Rico. For a long time the U.S. Navy used the island to test bombs, preventing habitation, ruining the environment and potentially endangering lives. I too disagree with the past bombings, or the renewed bombings there again. Like Mr. Olmos I feel that this is far too close to people to be allowed.

If the Navy were doing this bomb testing 6 miles of the coast of Long Island, or San Francisco, or Seattle there would be an outcry that would be deafening. The fact that Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth does not give the right to ignore the reasonable protests or the lives that this directly affects. I’m glad a public figure like Mr. Olmos and others are continuing to remind the government that this is not right and that we will not stop fighting for it to stop.

On another somewhat political note is Ms. Oprah Winfrey. Her school for South African girls has opened, with a price tag of $40 million dollars. This is a great positive for those young women and I’m glad that it has been created. I understand that it was a meeting with Mr. Nelson Mandela that inspired the drive to create this school and place it in South Africa – a region of the world where elitism and classism continue to exist in an extreme disparity rarely seen. Still I do wish that such a school, co-ed, had been created in America (of course it probably would have been 3x as expensive). But there will be another school created, co-ed and in South Africa again, in the near future. I understand and respect Ms. Winfrey’s desire to give back to the land of her ancestors. It’s commendable. Still I think there are many young African Americans that need this kind of help as well.

One thing I haven’t seen commented on that I would like to know more about involves the guests at the opening ceremonies. Mr. Mandela was among a group including, Mr. Spike Lee, Ms. Tina Turner, Ms. Mary J. Blige, Ms. Mariah Carey, Mr. Chris Tucker, and Mr. Sidney Poitier. Each of the celebrity guests were asked to bring a book that they had autographed personally. My interest is not what these entertainers wrote, but the choice of book they decided top contribute. I feel it is a defining statement of a person and their character. If anyone can let me know which book was giving by which person I’d love to know.

There of course is more to this new year, but for now…

This is what I think, what do you think?

The upseting start of 2007 - 1.2.2007.1

On a separate note I’m upset by a commercial I saw for the first time today. Time Warner Business Class has a new commercial out today. I really didn’t notice the first 20 seconds of the television commercial, but the last 10 got me. The television commercial is a knock-off with no real drive or importance. Time Warner is touting their greatness and how valuable they can be to small business. Fine, whatever. A business owner states how is difficult to manage the employees of his non-descript business. A guy complains about someone stealing his pens. Then Time Warner tells us how great they are at helping out running the tech portion of the business. Then comes the part that annoys me.

The boss is standing nest to a water bottle with a clock in the background that shows 9:20 or 9:23 on it. Up walks a tall 20-something, perhaps thirty year old Black woman. She’s dressed well and holding a coffee cup. She walks right up to the boss and state, “Is 9 am a starting time, or is it a guideline?” Thank you Time Warner. Nothing like throwing in a stereotype for absolutely no reason.

I’ve heard comedians joke about c-p-t (colored people time) and I’ve heard racist mention it. I’ve rarely heard it mentioned anywhere else. But out of the blue a major corporation comes out with a commercial where they just buy into the thought. I’m not saying they are racist. But is it insensitive and building on an old stereotype, definitely. Did they need to, definitely not.

They could have had anyone in that role. Someone thought up the line. It works in context of the commercial. But someone decided that the character in the television commercial needed to be African American. They decided that they needed to promote the stereotype. Why? Why not have the African American be the person complaining about the pens that were being stolen? If I have heard of the stereotype [I’m 38] I’m sure the people greenlighting, casting, and directing the commercial know it too.

It’s not a racist commercial. But it is disappointing. Those responsible for this should are aware. They knew what they were doing. They knew what statement they were making and it was unnecessary. Had anyone else portrayed the character making that statement I’d have ignored it completely, like I did the rest of the commercial. But they made a decision and I am reacting.

Maybe there are some who are younger than me who have not heard this racially biased comment. But I have and I know those older than I have heard it often. Targeting smaller businesses, obviously non-Black businesses, is no excuse for such a statement.

I hoped that 2007 would start without a negative incident. Already there have been 2. The loss of Mr. Darrent Williams of the Denver Broncos was senseless. An argument that seems to have not involved him leads to a cowardly drive-by shooting. Stupid and horrendous. And on its back I get to see the actions of Time Warner. Some think racism and racial insensitivity are a thing of the past. Some say I am overly sensitive. And I think that some things are being done, almost subtly and in the guise of innocence that prove to me they are not things of the past but the present.

Maybe the year will improve. The proposal after the win by the Boise State player is a great image of the future. I’ll keep that in my mind focused on that. But in the back of my mind is the reality that some chose to act in a cowardly manner for no reason, and some wish to promote images that are archaic and wrong-minded.

Perhaps the thought for the year that has just begun will be that time has passed, but people may not have. Trends come and go, but some come back. And if we forget we will not travel back in time but relive the failures of the past. But I will try to keep the thought that the unexpected can be positive and invigorating. Those sweet and innocent acts can happen any day at any time. Boise State proved it, as did the player that is now engaged. I hope the executives at Time Warner saw it too, and learned. Maybe the rest of the year will follow their example (Boise). I can only hope.

This is what I think, what do you think?

The early upset of the Fiesta Bowl - 1.1.07

What a start to the New Year. I must say this was a day of surprises to me. One was an upset the other was upsetting. Let me explain. I’m not a big fan of college football. That said I have occasionally watch how my Rutgers Football team has done for the last 20 years. This year they finally got the bowl game and recognition they deserve, and has been promised since I went to school there. But this is not what I am speaking of.

Boise State played in the Fiesta Bowl tonight against Oklahoma. I’m a fan of neither team and knew little of the history of either team. Luckily for me a friend of mine was aware. Boise State deserved to play Ohio as an undefeated team, but instead they played Oklahoma. It was a good game, which Boise dominated. Like another friend of mine watching the game I agree that the announcers, and the referees were biased against Boise. The 2 pass interference calls in the 4th quarter, with fewer than 3 minutes to play, were absolutely wrong. The announcers seemed resigned to see Oklahoma win. Thankfully the Boise State coach was not listening to either.

If you fell asleep or failed to see the end of the game you missed out on what may well become a classic college football game. With the game tied (due to bad calls by the referees in my opinion) the game went into overtime. Oklahoma seemed to have deflated the opposing spirit with a one play overtime touchdown. But Boise had some tricks left. After fighting for the initial first down, they moved forward and set up a wonderful series of plays. The bold touchdown they scored was impressive, but it was only a setup for what was to come. While I and my friends were screaming for the extra point to tie the game, and to rely on the defense that had played extremely well versus Oklahoma the coach called the team over for a special play. With the quarterback going into motion the ball was thrown by a receiver for a touchdown. Who knew that was in the playbook.

I believe it is called a statue of Liberty play. What I do know is that it was a superbly executed behind the back off-hand hand off to get the 2 point conversion and the win. Again I say who knew that was in the playbook. There was no point in which Boise was not stepping up and playing like they were going to win. The special plays they pulled showed that they were ready and determined to win. If I were a fan of either team I think I would have been going insane watching the end of this game. And if I were betting this is the dream over that you would want. If you stayed up, you have to agree it was worth it. If you missed the game, shame on you. And I have to ask, why didn’t they deserve to play against the other undefeated team, Ohio?