Ah... Wal-Mart. The great ubiquitous American retailer and home of "low prices... always".



There's so many things about Wally's that make it unique. There are always certain sights and sounds you'll see at Wal-Mart and only at Wal-Mart. In fact, these things can be seen at any Wal-Mart for that matter.

Now I admit, I frequent Wal-Mart just as much as anybody else especially since I live less than half a mile from one. As the U.S. trade deficit grows and seeing as how Wal-Mart is responsible for almost 10% of U.S. imports from China (source) and more and more American jobs get sent overseas, I've become increasingly leery about spending so much of my hard earned cheese there every payday. I'm hoping Costco, who I've heard nothing but good things about, will build one of their stores in my hood as soon as possible. But I digress.

In my past few visits to Wal-Mart, I've observed a few things that I've come to expect there. I started to save this list for a Thursday Thirteen but I'm feeling witty and expressive so I thought I'd bang out this list tonight. Here are my top list of things you'll always see at Wal-Mart.

1. Bad kids - Ok, perhaps I shouldn't use the word "bad". Undisciplined is probably more appropriate. Parents that don't exert proper control over their kids are a mainstay at Wal-Mart.

2. The morbidly obese - I'm not trying to crack on "big" people or anything. I'm just saying... Everytime I go to Wal-Mart, even if I just pop in to grab just one item, I always see somebody sooooo fat I can't help but say to myself "Good Lord!!" when I walk past them.

3. Cheap knockoffs - Name brand clothes, shoes, food, electronics, you name it. With names like Equate and Great Value, if there's a name brand item out there chances are Wal-Mart has a cheaper alternative. (That's cheaper in price and many times cheaper in quality).

4. Somebody you know - Looking for a long lost relative, childhood friend, or even an old classmate? Hang out at Wal-Mart long enough (especially between the hours of 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM) and chances are you'll run into them in the Electronics department sifting through the $5 DVD's. I don't know why that is but whenever I go to Wal-Mart I always see a familiar face.

5. People working past retirement age - I know you know what I'm talking about on this one. It might be the elderly greeter that hands out stickers to little kids, the older lady working in the Arts and Crafts department, or the cashier that takes forever to count your change out but he/she is so old and frail that you don't even mind that they move so slow. They're the ones you look at with pity and wonder why or even how in the world they're still working as old as they are. Surely they have no choice in these hard times. When I see someone like that working there I always start to wonder if I'm putting enough into my 401K to save for my golden years.

6. Motorized cart riders that have no business riding one - Um... ok. It seems to me that if you're out of shape and in need of a light cardio workout, walking around a big megastore that sells everything would be just what the doctor ordered. I realize that some folks have medical conditions and what not that prevent them from doing so and that's all fine and dandy. But I see so many seemingly able-bodied people riding those cart thingy's when they don't look like they need to. They only go 0.000957 miles per hour anyway.

7. Tattoos - and lots of them! Oh yeah... they've got low prices. But for a minute there, I thought they had a tattoo parlor in the back too! I've seen employees and customers alike that look like they just left a tattoo convention and stopped into Wally's to pick up an item or two on their way home. Why they hang out there late at night, I have no eye deer.

8. Long lines - nuff said.
________________


These are just a few of the things that one is almost guaranteed to see at Wal-Mart. I'm sure there are many others that I didn't mention. That's only because I'm sleepy and can't think of any more right now. I may update this post in a day or two if more come to mind. Until then, feel free to leave a comment and share your own.

Labels: Miscellaneous

This quote comes from Jack Daniels. And no, before you ask... this quote did not come to me in a drunken haze after consuming large quantities of the whiskey with the same name!

Jack* is an entrepreneur, author & speaker who also publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "For The Fellas". This particular newsletter was published (via email) several weeks ago but since I'm a big fat no-blog-updating drooling slob, I'm just now getting around to giving him his props.

"Fellas, I'm here to let you know that your value is not determined by the cash you carry, but it's determined by the character you convey. Its not about the size of your account, it's about the size of your accountability. I find it discouraging that some women have discounted and disconnected from a population of real men because of their stereotypical summation of what he embodies according to his occupation. Fellas, I encourage you to keep standing with your chests out and chins up. Regardless of the internalized ignorance of a few, we still know how to provide for our women, protect our women, produce for, lead, love and teach our women in hopes of successfully growing together."

With so many humbling experiences under my belt in relation to my children and the struggles that I've endured over the years, I found this quote especially encouraging. Thanks Jack!
_________________________

*As of this writing, Jack does not his own web site; otherwise I'd include a link. He's promised to have his site up "soon" so when that happens I'll be adding him to my blogroll.

Labels: Miscellaneous, Quotes

I'll back soon. I've been busy (emotionally and mentally). In the meantime feel free to browse my archived posts.

Later

Ok, here's one that has me scratching my head...

While watching the NFL playoffs this past weekend and after listening to some football experts... er... I mean "football analysts" on ESPN, I'm a little confused. I heard a word being thrown around that had me a bit befuddled. Thanks to a 3-day weekend, I heard it used in a context that doesn't really make a lot of sense to me so maybe somebody out there can help me get some understanding on this. I heard this word used like this:

"For the Chargers to be successfully, they're going to have to get in there and be physical on defense and stop the Patriots passing game."

-OR-

"The Packers are a physical team with a strong physical offensive line."

-OR- (my personal favorite)

"Maroney is big strong physical runner that knows how to use his blocks downfield to his advantage."

PHYSICAL:
Pronunciation: \fi-zi-kal\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English phisicale medical, from Medieval Latin physicalis, from Latin physica
Date: 1580
1 a: of or relating to natural science b (1): of or relating to physics (2): characterized or produced by the forces and operations of physics
2 a: having material existence : perceptible especially through the senses and subject to the laws of nature b: of or relating to material things
3 a: of or relating to the body b (1): concerned or preoccupied with the body and its needs : carnal (2): sexual c: characterized by especially rugged and forceful physical activity : rough




Excuse my apparent ignorance here Mr. Analyst but isn't it more than obvious that football is a physical game. It's not like we're talking about professional bowling or chess. It cracks me up how these sports guys use the word as if they're dropping something so profound. You know it's really deep when they use it twice in a row. "Yep, they're a physical physical team". Ooh...

Maybe I was just in one of my reflective contemplative moods this past weekend but that was really bugging the heck outta me every time I kept hearing it. Yeah, I know this is probably petty but I heard it on ESPN again this morning so I finally decided to go public with my venting. I feel much better now. Thank you.

Labels: Give me a break, Miscellaneous

It's a new year and as you can see I finally got around to updating my Blogger template. My favorite color is blue so I'm sticking with that same basic color scheme for my site. I would've customized some of the stuff like font color and sidebar thingys but I'm too lazy. Just doing this was a chore. I need a nap now!

Also, I can't seem to get the code loaded for Haloscan comments so for now Blogger commenting will have to do. Once I get it figured out I'll switch back to Haloscan so any comments left for the time being may not be there in the next few days.

Oh yeah... feedback regarding my new boring layout is welcome (I think).

Labels: Miscellaneous

Working in youth ministry at my church, I often get to help plan various youth activities. Today during an email conversation with another youth worker about games the kids could play during an upcoming activity, dodgeball was mentioned. I voiced my reservations about it not being a good idea to play at church. But I was reassured that soft foam balls would be used, nothing would be damaged, and no one would get hurt. Plus this person with whom I was conversing said he had seen it played at another church's youth function with much success. "Mm hm", I thought. My next email reply to this was a short story of why I hate this medieval, cruel, and juvenile sport. My email went a little something like this...



I'm probably just flashing back to my middle school days when I got pummeled in 6th grade gym class. If my memory serves me correctly, I was in Mr. Hardy's P.E. class at Arrowhead Middle School in Kansas City, KS. It was 2nd or 3rd period I think. The last thing I remember from that game was running up to the line separating the two teams and grabbing a ball that had rolled across after bouncing off of someone else. I ran up to get it eager to blast some poor defenseless un-athletic runt or better yet, a girl. I reached down to get it and as I was raising back up and about to retreat back away from the line, everything suddenly started moving in slow motion sort of like a fight scene from The Matrix. I looked up just in time to see a round dark red blur whizzing straight towards my face at about 120 mph. Did you know those red bouncy balls kids play "four square" with in elementary school make a low humming whirling sound when they're moving really fast? Up until that second, I didn't know that either.

Anyway, the ball that I had grabbed, a few teaspoons of my saliva, and my left shoe all went flying. Everything went black and my face felt like King Kong himself had slapped me square in the face with a giant flyswatter. Since those red balls are very malleable, it felt like it touched every inch of my face from ear to ear and from my hairline to the bottom of my chin. Every pore on my face stung like the dickens. As I lay there flat on my back semiconscious, I distinctly remember this roar of laughter from all the other kids. At the time I didn't even know what they were laughing at. I don't even remember hitting the gym floor. Among those that were laughing was Raquel. She was this cute Hispanic girl in my gym class that I had a crush on. It was at that point while laying there dazed and helpless that I realized that I had forever blown my chances of ever getting with her. Apparently the "hit" was so ferocious that some of the other nerds felt sorry for me and came to my aid. They helped me up and guided me to the locker room. I say "guided" because I was temporarily blinded from the stinging.

By the time I had made it to the locker room my face had already started swelling up like a fat kid having an allergic reaction. I just kept telling the kids that were laughing at me "It's not funny! Stop laughing! It's not funny!". But they just kept laughing! They wouldn't stop! I later found out that this kid named Darryl Judy was the one that threw the ball at me. Dude had to have flunked about three times in elementary school because he had a goatee and he was mad tall - way taller than he should've been for his age. Plus he always had super crusty lips. (I don't know why I remember that about him but I'm telling you, if you would've seen him you would've said "Man! Now THAT dude has some crusty lips!" You would've got thirsty just by looking at him. His lips were that crusty!).

Anyway, after I made it to the locker room my newfound best friends grabbed a towel and ran cold water on it for my face. I remember looking in the mirror at my welt of a face still not sure as to what had just happened. They were looking at me as if I had somehow cheated death and wasn't supposed to still be alive. But I was. Obviously, I made a full recovery from that incident - physically anyway. But a big chunk of my ego and self esteem didn't pull through.

To this day, I don't care much for dodgeball. It's a cruel demeaning and barbaric gym class activity that kills kids emotionally. And to answer your question - No, I have not seen the Dodgeball movie. Although from the snippets I've seen when it was being advertised, I must admit that it does look quite funny. I just might have to check it out. I assure you that any similarities between that movie and my very real-life experience are quite coincidental.

Labels: Funny, Miscellaneous

With all of my personal and work related applications and programs that I use on a regular basis, it's a miracle I don't go bonkers. By my best estimate, I currently have about 60 to 70 user ID's and passwords. That includes network sign-ons and ID's for work applications, various consumer accounts, secured databases, message boards, email accounts, etc. Many of my user ID and password combinations are the same but used for different unrelated applications and many of the applications are seldom accessed. Still, when I do need them, without the proper credentials I'm helpless.

I have a somewhat archaic method for keeping track of my passwords. It's not the most sophisticated method but it's secure (depending on how one defines "secure") and it works for me. I'm curious folks... How do YOU keep track of your passwords? Or am I the only one that deals with this issue?

Labels: Miscellaneous

The other day while I was forced to work from home due to an ice storm that hit KC, I noticed how excited my kids were when they saw that Tom and Jerry was coming on. I thought it was interesting because I used to react the same way when I watched it when I was a kid. I didn't find out until I was well into my adulthood that the Tom & Jerry cartoons I watched in my childhood were actually made years before I was even thought of.

After watching Tom and Jerry with the kiddos while um... "working" of course, I did a YouTube search and within seconds I found the T&J episodes below. It was like looking into a window of my childhood. Back then, in the 1970's (Man that sounds like eons ago!) nobody that I know of complained about stereotypes or the way black folks were portrayed on TV. Based on the time period T&J originally aired, there was no such thing as "political correctness". Since the first video below was labeled as "uncensored" on YouTube I'm assuming that it has since been modified to be politically correct. When you watch it you'll see why (maybe).






I can see how some would find these offensive although I don't agree that they are. I wasn't offended by them as a kid when I watched them and I'm not offended by them now. Either way, they make for great entertainment.



I miss the good ol' days. (sigh) They just don't make good funny cartoons like these nowadays.

Labels: Funny, kids, Miscellaneous, Race

This quote comes from CNN commentator Roland S. Martin

Commentary: Black men must reclaim our children

As the mug shots of the alleged killers of NFL star Sean Taylor were shown on television, I kept wondering when we were going to see their parents step forward. I saw a couple of mothers, but their dads were missing in action.

Dads matter, and it's ridiculous for us to act as if all it takes is a loving mom.

Now, I don't know what it means not to have a father in your life. I'm not familiar with a mom being strung out on a crack binge. And when my parents were called to the school when there was a discipline problem, Mom and Dad didn't go off on the teacher or principal. In fact, I can still feel the pain of my elementary school principal's paddle being applied to my butt when I acted a fool. The principal could only pop me three times. Dad? He had no limit.

Bottom line: I can sit here today and celebrate them and enjoy a wonderful life because my parents were hell-bent on raising their children to do right by them, especially my dad.

We can spend all day talking about the ills afflicting urban America -- and there are plenty that are institutional -- but the decaying value of life in inner cities clearly can be traced to the exodus of fathers from the lives of so many young men. Excuses often are tossed about as to why black men leave their children (and their children's moms) to fend for themselves. But a lot of them are just sorry and refuse to accept the responsibility that comes with raising a child.

*Read the entire article by clicking on the link.

The more I read/hear about Roland Martin's commentaries, the more I like this dude. And on this issue, I couldn't agree with him more. Unfortunately there are those that think the root cause of the problems in the black community is something other than fatherless. To me, it's so blatantly obvious. The day that black fathers start being fathers is the day that things start changing.

Labels: Fatherhood, kids, Miscellaneous, Parenting

If you're a loyal reader of this blog you've probably noticed it's been a pretty unproductive year for me. I haven't felt very expressive as of late for reasons that are still unknown to me. I'm committed as ever to my beloved blog and more determined than ever to not let it be just a passing fad for me. With stuff like MySpace and YouTube being around I guess I've been a bit distracted as far as my blog goes. And that's OK by me. With life being as stressful as it is, we all need our outlets and sometimes we may even need some time to "veg out".

Oftentimes my mind can be a traffic jam of ideas and thoughts and nine times out of ten they usually don't make it to paper or to type. What am I really saying? Nothing really. I guess I'm just justifying to myself and my loyal readers my reasons for not doing much on here the past few months.

Anyway...

I was perusing YouTube the other day and came across these gems that I thought I'd share. They feature two things that I take a keen interest to - Barbecue (BBQ) and AK-47's. Enjoy

Labels: Miscellaneous

After hearing about the comments made by Duane Chapman (AKA "Dog") I wasn't the least bit surprised. "Here we go again", I thought. Another famous person gets caught slipping using the N-bomb when they thought no one else would hear it. But as much as the media would like for me to be, I'm not the least bit surprised.

Just as Michael Richards did when he was videotaped saying it, Chapman is quick to proclaim,"I am not a racist". And just like Richards, he'll probably end up on Larry King Live or Letterman in a likely fruitless effort to save his career and redeem himself. The sad part is that he freely threw the word around in a casual private conversation and by his own words he "uses the word nigger sometimes here". Do I believe him when he says he’s not a racist? Nope. But that would depend on how one defines a "racist". This was a simple case of what I call "nigger rage". He supposedly got caught up in the moment and his emotions got the best of him and the word "nigger" just jumped out of his mouth. If a racist is defined as someone that refers to a black person as a "nigger", then I believe there are many closeted racists in American society.

It's been said that "road rage" is only called "road rage" because of where it occurs. Driving (or the driving of others) is a situation that causes some people to react out of anger and sometimes even violence. Those things already existed in the heart of that person and it took that situation to reveal it. The same could be said when it comes to “air rage” or "parking lot rage".
From a Christian viewpoint this only affirms Jeremiah 17:9.

I’m not one to believe that all non-blacks will at some point experience "nigger rage" but I strongly believe it lies dormant in many unbeknownst to them. It’s a subtle practically undetectable form of racism that only rears its ugly head when certain emotional racial perceptions are triggered. Examples of this would be like when a suburban white man’s daughter announces she’s dating a black boy, or when a white woman is raped by a black man and it gets widespread news coverage, or anytime a horrendous crime is committed by a black person against a non-black person, or in a situation where a black person is perceived to have gotten over on society in general such as the case with O.J.

The quiet subconscious form of “nigger rage” when dormant, is so elusive and hidden and it’s next to impossible to spot for some unless you’ve been on the receiving end. I see it in the subtle but disdainful glances I get from people on my job that don’t me, the dude in the car next to me at the red light, the store clerk that rings me up with a shallow cautious smile, the friendly police officer that’s just doing his job enforcing the speed limit, and sometimes even next door neighbors. I can see “nigger” just itching to come out of their mouths. Sure, all of these people are almost always friendly but as a black man I can't help but wonder sometimes. What do they really think of me? What do they really think of us black folks? Deep down inside I suspect some just might freely say “nigger” in their most private conversations when blacks aren’t around. I can’t prove this as fact but I can only speculate. In the case with Chapman I can do more than speculate because he admitted that he says it regularly.

But what’s frustrating more than anything is that it’s the kind of racism that can’t be proven or documented. Unlike a private conversation, it can’t always be monitored by a third party or secretly recorded and later revealed to the world.

To me, subtle hidden racism is just as ugly as the kind exhibited by neo-Nazi’s who boldly proclaim their racist views. The point I'm simply making is that it exists and I believe it’s much more common that people are willing to admit. On the flipside, blacks are guilty of this too. I've heard blacks whom I never considered racist use words like "peckerwood" and "cracker" and even though it was out of anger, it was just as disturbing and wrong. The hard truth though is that “nigger” will always be that one trump card that non-blacks can use that evokes more hurt and anger than probably any word in the history of the English language.

I wonder how many more Michael Richards and Duane Chapmans are out there. Regardless of my paranoia and cynicism about the hearts of some people, I’ll still do my best to treat everyone with love and respect even if they call me nigger behind my back.
____________________________________________

Update: 11/2 - 11:58 AM
- For the latest news about this story go here.

- An unedited version of Dog's recorded comments can be found on the website of the National Enquirer.

Labels: Race

In case you haven't heard what all the fuss is about with Bill O'Reilly and Al Sharpton eating at a Harlem soul food restaurant, here's what's sparking all the controversy...

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has raised some eyebrows by saying his experience at Sylvia's, a famous Harlem restaurant, was "exactly the same" as any other restaurant in New York City, "even though it's run by blacks, primarily black patronship."

O'Reilly also said: "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' "

"You know, I mean, everybody was -- it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all," O'Reilly said.
(CBS News article)

I honestly wasn't offended by his comments. O'Reilly is obviously very ignorant when it comes to us (blacks) but I think his comments highlight the negative and socially incompetent perception that we give of ourselves to the rest of America. It's sad but the reality is that the only exposure to black folks that some people like O'Reilly get is on TV. I'm not excusing what he said. I'm just saying that I believe he spoke purely out of ignorance.

For that to be true that would mean that there are those out there that believe we're not capable of behaving "exactly the same" as the rest of the population or without any "craziness" when it comes to operating and patronizing a restaurant.

Yes, O'Reilly's comments were ignorant and insensitive at best. But I'm more concerned with the reasons behind his ignorance and the root cause for the assumptions that he has. His comments also reveal how little he must think of blacks. That's unfortunate but people like that will always be around. I tend to not let that mentality get to me. If someone is shocked that I behave rationally and like I have some sense, then I can't help but look inward and wonder what it is about me that would give them that impression in the first place.

And of course you also have to consider the fact that Bill O'Reilly is despised by others in mainstream media who just so happen to lean to the left politically. That's the only reason why this story is even getting the attention it is. But that's a discussion for another day.

Labels: Miscellaneous, Race

Guilty plea in S.C. teen abduction, rape

"Filyaw had left the bunker before police arrived. He made it several miles away before deciding to surrender. "If I gave up, I would have full medical coverage, three meals a day and never have to work again," the manuscript said."
- Vinson Filyaw

This quote is taken from a manuscripted confession Mr. Filyaw had written in his guilty plea to charges that he kidnapped a 14-year old girl and held her captive for 10 days. Oh yeah... he repeatedly raped the girl and held her in an underground bunker he contstructed likely for the sole purpose of doing what he did.

Here's just one more reason that I think the death penalty should be applied to child molesters and rapists. Why should this perv get "three hots and a cot" for the rest of his life at taxpayers expense? He mentions these amenities as if they're just that... AMENITIES that he'll be able to enjoy. He actually thought about that as he made his decision to surrender. Unbelievable!

Labels: Give me a break

Why is it that I hardly ever hear these fives words when I walk into any fast food restaurant in the hood? Honestly, the last time I checked, a little courtesy never killed anybody. I don't remember it costing anything either for that matter. In the past few months I've made it a point to notice the greeting I get (if any) when I visit businesses in the hood compared to in the suburbs. The contrasts are like night and day.

When I visit an establishment in the burbs the greeting I get is usually something like this: (picture Marcia Brady after downing a case of Red Bull)

"Welcome to McDonald's/Wendy's/any fast food joint. Will this be dine in or carry-out?"

I've had instances where the person behind the counter was so friendly to the point that they were just downright annoying. I admit, there have even been times that I wasn't in a very talkative mood. But the gum-chewing teeny-bopper ringing me up insisted on asking me how my day was, what I thought about the weather we were having, or what I thought about the Royals or Chiefs.

Of course, on the flip side... my experiences in the hood are too often quite different. You'd think I could at least get a "Hello", "How ya doin", or even "Wussup". But no... too often, all I got is this:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E


And sometimes I don't even get eye contact. When this happens I try to take the high road and make sure I speak regardless. Sometimes I even look at them as a challenge to try to start a conversation or God forbid get a smile out of them. I do get a little ticked off though when I go to Wal Mart and the person behind the counter just starts ringing me up without acknowledging me. One time at a fast food restaurant I just stood there waiting to be greeted as the cashier waited for me to blurt out my order. The chic behind the counter had the nerve to look at me as if something was wrong with me like she couldn't figure out why I was just standing there. Most of the time in situations like that it's a young person in their teens with some self-esteem issues probably or some young dude with so much swag that he's too cool to greet somebody.

If anything I find this disappointing. I know there can be a world of emotions behind a person's facial expression that everyone else is oblivious to but I was raised to be courteous no matter what. If I worked at Wally World eight hours a day it would get to me too but I would never be rude and not speak. Maybe it's just me. Am I just naive? Are some folks so worn by the everyday challenges of living in the hood that they can't even greet another human being - even when its their job to do so? Do some people just not have any home training? Apparently not.

_______________________________________

ADDENDUM: There is one major exception to my experiences that I almost forgot to mention (Please forgive me, Mr. Gates!) Whenever I go to a Gates Bar-B-Q in the hood or suburbs, I know for a guaranteed fact that I will be greeted each and every time. If you live in the Kansas City area and you've visited Gates before you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Labels: hood life, Miscellaneous

is Sinbad...



Unlike so many of the most popular comedians of our day, Sinbad is not potty-mouthed. He's completely family friendly and most important of all, he's funny! Houseguest is one of my favorite all time movies.

Labels: Funny, Miscellaneous

I saw this at my neighborhood grocery store right next to the Hamburger Helper and immediately busted out laughing. Surprisingly, it was not another one of those "only in the hood" moments since I was in the burbs when I spied it.

Is anything not safe from bootleggers these days?

Labels: Funny, Miscellaneous

NAACP urges NFL to let Vick play again (article)
ATLANTA - A civil rights organization says Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation.

"As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football," said R.L. White, president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter. "We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

White said the Falcons quarterback is a human being who has made a mistake and should be allowed to prove that he has learned from that mistake.

Dear NAACP,
In light of your recent statements in support of Michael Vick and the trouble he seems to have gotten himself into, please allow me to respectfully open your eyes to a few things. As of late your organization's role and purpose seem to have significantly diminished. I applaud all that the NAACP has been able to accomplish in the areas of racial equality, social justice, and anti-discrimination over the decades of your existence. (The UNCF is a wonderful resource for our black youth that's working towards erasing those disparities). However, times have changed.

To put it bluntly, allow me to explain why I think you're no longer influential and relevant such as in the years past. Your support of Vick and your statements advocating a second chance for him underscore the opinions that many blacks have about the NAACP. You're viewed by many of us as opportunistic, out of touch, and irrelevant and you seem to only focus on divisive issues that consistently paint blacks as victims of injustice and racism rather than victims of ourselves. Oftentimes, such as in the case with Michael Vick, we (black folks) tend to imply racism whenever a high profile negro gets in trouble rather than denouncing the alleged behavior that led up to it and all of the evidence pointing to it. Rather than sparking division by making statements discouraging a "rush to judgment" why not just carefully monitor the case and point fingers if/when discrimination actually occurs? And shouldn't a national organization with your prominence have more pressing concerns to worry about than Michael Vick?

A big problem I have with you is that you seem to put the onus of the "advancement of colored people" on everybody but colored people. Forty years ago when Jim Crow was still around and when we were still "colored" that would be acceptable. But this is 2007 and it's not.

In summary, I offer this solution: Revamp your entire organization's mission and purpose by focusing on the problems within the black community in America. Instead of focusing on so many of the disparities that exist in areas of education, income, and home ownership in this country why not focus on some of the causes from within? Either that or just dissolve altogether. Oh, and a name change wouldn't hurt either.

Sincerely

Eddie Butler

Labels: Give me a break, Race

What does this mean? I've always wondered. I see shoes tied together and hanging from overhead power lines all the time. Usually when I see it, it's somewhere in the hood.



If anyone knows the significance or meaning of this, please let me know.

Labels: hood life, Miscellaneous