"The Ultimate Life Plan"

So, North Carolina just got the Lottery and some form of Powerball recently. I have no idea how it works so I can't really explain it to you. I was talking to my boy Jimmy and he was telling me that when he was younger he used to write down where and to whom his money would go if he ever broke the bank.

Jimmy says, "my real plan was to win it when it got up to like $300 million
and then spread Bojangles franchises to the North and West." For those who might read this and aren't from the south, please go look up Bojangles.

At any rate, he calls winning the lottery the "Ultimate Life Plan" and though he is joking , I started to think about what I would do with the money if I won say a $100 million powerball.

First off the money is offered either annually for like 25 years or in a lump sum which comes out to around $48 million cash, if I did the North Carolina Tax "math" correctly.

Without a doubt, the opening order of business would be to take 10 percent of that ($4.8 million) and give it to my home church, Evergreen United Holy Church in tiny Salemburg, NC.

Let's see that leaves $43.2 million that I would have at my disposal. I'd take $25 million of that and put away in an high interest account or some form of CD. That way I could basically just live off the interest of it each year, securing my financial freedom and probably that of my children as well.

Already "down" to $18.2 million and I haven't given my family anything, bought a house or car or done any philanthropy. So time to knock that out.

I'd give my parents $2 million, my brother and sister-in-law $1 million and everyone I consider "close" I'd tell them to give me two non-mortgage/car bills and I'd pay them for 2 years. For example, Jimmy would be on the "list" and I'd pay say his power and cable bill for two years.

It might not seem like a lot but that would be right at $7,000 per person and let's say there are 30 people I'd do that for. With the money I'd given my parents, my brother and sister-in-law and relatives and friends, I come having spent an addition $3.2 million. Bringing the total down to $15.2 million.

I'd give at the highest level to the Black Student Movement, Carolina Athletic Association and Ram's Club at UNC and the Athletic Department at North Carolina Central University(say $1 million a piece) making sure that the groups that helped me become who I am were able to continue to function for many many years.

That $4 million brings us down to $11.2 million. Being me, I'm starting to get a little nervous like I'm running out of money -- not good.

So I'd take $3 million more of it and put in the high interest account or CD, taking me to $28 million in savings and $8.2 million left in hard money.

Next I'd hit up some philanthropy giving $200,000 to different organizations that focused on issues like sickle-cell, AIDS and Diabetes research, gang-violence and after-school programming in so-called "urban" settings. That's another $1 million gone right there bringing the total down to $7.2 million.

Again I'd see that I only had $7.2 million left and I'd put $2 million more in the bank bringing my total in savings to $30 million.

"Only" $5.2 million left -- what am I gonna do? Buy stuff.

Volvo S60 ($35,000) Cadillac Escalade ($50,000),Mercedes CL 600 ($119,000), a nice home in the mountains of North Carolina ($200,000), a Condo in Miami ($600,000) and a Penthouse in New York ($ 1 million). That comes out to $2.4 million.

With "just" $2.8 million left I'd buy a minority share in Jordan Brand and call it a day.

That sounds like a pretty good "Ultimate Life Plan"

In Search of Caniacs

Bomani Jones (been mentioned previously here) is a weekly contributor to ESPN's Page 2 and recently did a spot about the Carolina Hurricanes (professional hockey) and how they are or aren't being embraced here in the South.

That made me think about whether or not anyone outside of the North really cared about or have even watched a hockey game. Particularly for those of us who are black, it doesn't seem to hold our attention that well.

My questions are "Why is this the case?" and "Can 'we' ever get into it? (as fans)

Where are the Hockey Fans?!?!?

Excerpt:

While sipping my morning cup of "SportsCenter" a few weeks ago, I saw the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., on the verge of exploding during a Carolina Hurricanes win over the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So according to the reported attendance, at least 18,730 people 'round these parts care about hockey.

So how come I only know two of them?

In three years, this much has become clear to me about North Carolina: Basketball is the state's religion and NASCAR is its pastime. Football's a big deal, too, even though the Big Four ACC schools have been stuck on sorry for much of the 21st century. But you'll sooner see Lenin on the $20 bill than find a place where football isn't beloved.

After I sat at the bar, the manager left his game of pool -- yes, the place was so empty that the manager was playing pool -- to tell me the drink and appetizer specials. So I decided to ask him if hockey fans normally come to his establishment on game days.

"They must all watch the games at home," said the manager, who requested that both he and his place of business not be named. "I don't see any sales because of the Canes."

Then he asked when that night's game would start.

"Half an hour ago," I said.

He laughed before pointing to the televisions on the walls.

"You see I don't even have the game on."

He can't be blamed for that. This manager said that his establishment used to pull out lots of stops for Hurricanes games. He said he used to offer a buffet during hockey games, but he stopped because the food would go to waste.

I Was Wrong...

When I said that music had hit an all-time low, when "Laffy Taffy" became the No. 1 song in the country a few months back.

Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty" is now the top song on the Billboard Hot 100. The chorus to that song is as follows:

They see me rollin'
They hatin patrollin and tryna catch me ridin dirty
Tryna catch me ridin dirty (*4X*)
My music so loud I'm swangin
They hopin' that they gone catch me ridin dirty
Tryna catch me ridin dirty

Now I'm not on some "okayplayer hater" (attribution Talib)type stuff but seriously -- whenever I hear the song and he says "they hatin" i start laughing out loud. It's just, to me, really bad.

This isn't one of those "it doesn't have a message so it's dumb" type posts, this song just is awful.

Who actually listens to it and is it really that popular, to the point that it's the #1 song in America?

I have my doubts...

715, Sports, and the Modern Hero

So yesterday Barry Bonds hit magic number 715 and passed Babe Ruth on the alltime homerun list. This is big. I am a baseball guy, so I know that this is big. I am a baseball guy, so I know that this is big, but for some reason I am more relieved than amazed...and not even relieved that I can now watch something on ESPN without having to watch Barry live...and not relieved for Barry...just relieved as in tired of it and finally getting a respite.

So what is it? Is it that Barry is simply a terrible media presence. Is it that he purposely tries to make himself unlikable? Not really. I kind of enjoy him putting the press back in their place and him confidently being himself.

Is it the steroids thing? Maybe, I mean he most likely used steroids for some of his career; however, 715 is a huge number and steroids or not, he has serious game. With 715 you can't question hil talent or his heart, even if you can question his integrity.

Or maybe that's it. Maybe I resent the fact that the modern sports world is bent on manufacturing heroes. It's part marketting, part hype, part tradition, but it adds up to something sickening. It adds up to a recipe for the modern hero--someone accomplishing something amazing--whether or not he bent the rules or shaded the truth to get there. Please, oh please, oh please be in awe of him, don't worry about his character, and, oh yeah, buy this shirt. What is wrong with the heroes of our fathers being our heroes? Do we need new ones manufactured in order to feel like we measure up?

And I am not talking about the Babe. I am talking about Aaron in that vein. This is not a race thing. This is a celebration of second place that seems a little to media driven, a little too contrived, and it is robbing the joy of it. I am a bears fan, but I don't want to watch every run that puts someone second behind Emmit Smith for the all time rushing leader, even if it means they ran for more yards than Sweetness himself. We don't celebrate second with this much fervor in any other sport. Baseball is trying a comeback, but it hurts to see it be this self-generated. Don't get me wrong, 715 is great, but Aaron hit 755. 755!!!

Or maybe it is just that I still cannot completely forgive the guy that ended up with the ball. He was in line at the concession stand "gettin' a coupla beers." What! Who sold this idiot a ticket. He knows that Barry is up and he is in line for beer? How good can the beer be at the old ball park? How much of a fan can you be at this point? Why does fate smile on the stupid?

My Favorite Ten...

or should I say "least" favorite ten people in the world right now. Note, this isn't "ever" , just right now.

Rasheed Wallace - Yes he is a Tar Heel but he can get really annoying. Just shut up and play the game instead of complaining after every single play. Also, you're 6-10 stop jacking three's from 30 feet out, instead use your unstoppable face-up game.

David Wells - Now i'm not one to call people slobs because of their apperance but pretty much David Wells is a john brown slob. Always looks like he's just been drinking, shirt not tucked in -- just looking rough.

"Super" Okay Players - Not all people who visit okayplayer, really just the 30 people who are just crazy. They hate on every single kind of music that comes out whether it be rap, rock, soul, r&b -- whatever. If they don't like it, they hate like no one I've ever seen.

Super I hate America Guy - it's real simple, if you don't like it, if it's so terrible just move. Take your hyrbrid car, your rainbows, your dave matthews cd and your jimi hendrix posters and go to Cananda. You don't have to pay certain taxes AND you get free health Care! HOLLA!

Kobe Bryant - You ARE NOT MICHAEL JORDAN! No matter what you do you won't have the drive, the passion or the ability (yea I said it) to be what Jordan was. Why don't you go back to colorado and... nevermind I won't even go there.

You know I don't hate that many people -- that's five right there, I'll let yall discuss who you please.

Want Twins......EAT DAIRY!!

This article was released a few days ago and it was all over the news. It's basically saying that if you want to increase the probability of having twins, each meat and dairy products. For a while I've stood behind my beliefs that the growth hormones they inject in cows aid in the early development of puberty in young boys and girls. Well......now these hormones are aiding in multiple births. Considering that both of my parents have a twin sibling, it makes me wonder if their births were due to nature or nurture. Here is an excerpt:

Women who have a high intake of animal products, specifically dairy, are five times more likely to have twins, but it can be modified by certain dietary changes, finds a study.

Gary Steinman, an obstetrician who is well known for his care and research in multiple birth pregnancy, compared the twinning rates of women who ate a regular diet, vegetarian diet with dairy, and vegan diet, reported the science portal EurekAlert.

The culprit may be insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein that is released from the liver of animals, including humans, as a response to growth hormones. It circulates in the blood and makes its way into the animal’s milk, said Steinman.

IGF increases the sensitivity of the ovaries to follicle stimulating hormone, thereby increasing ovulation. Some studies also suggest that IGF may help embryos survive in the early stages of development. The concentration of IGF in the blood is about 13 percent lower in vegan women than in women who consume dairy.

The twinning rate in the US has increased significantly since 1975. The intentional delay of childbearing has also contributed to the increase of multiple-birth pregnancies, since older women are more likely to have twins, he noted.

"The continuing increase in the twinning rate into the 1990’s, however, may also be a consequence of the introduction of growth-hormone treatment of cows to enhance their milk and beef production," said Steinman.

The researcher also found that vegan women had twins at only one-fifth the rate of women who commonly do not exclude milk from their diets, according to the study published in the May 2006 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine.

"This study shows for the first time that the chance of having twins is affected by both heredity and environment, or in other words, by both nature and nurture," Steinman pointed out.

The obstetrician also found that women who become pregnant while breastfeeding are nine times more likely to conceive twins than women who are not breastfeeding at the time of conception.

However, he was quick to add that dietary changes could influence a woman’s chances of having twins.

Bush: U.S. would aid Israel if attacked

Finally President Bush is doing something that's proactive AND positive. I've always held the political philosophy (which I must admit is strengthed somewhat by my religion) that we should do whatever it takes to stay on Israel's good side and never turn our back on them.

Though there is a growing army of young militant Islamic men who are being raised in the post-9/11 era, we've got to stay with Israel. Kudos to "W."

So at last count for WWIII (which I think will tentatively being sometime in 2008)the Allied Forces are the US, Germany, France and England.

The "Axis of Evil" is Iran, China, North Korea and Pakistan.


Talks between U.S., Israel leaders focus on borders, Iran, Hamas

Excerpt:

President Bush said Tuesday that the United States would come to Israel's aid if it were attacked by Iran and welcomed the Jewish state's plan to define its borders.

He made the comments at the White House during a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert after a meeting between the two leaders. It was Olmert's first official visit to the United States as prime minister.

Bush also praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and called on the Hamas-led Palestinian government to meet international demands.

Israeli officials have joined the United States in voicing outrage over Iran's moves to enrich uranium, which could be used to build nuclear weapons, in light of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent calls for the destruction of Israel.

Iran's leaders have insisted that they are pursuing a nuclear program solely for peaceful purposes, a claim challenged by the United States and much of the international community.

"The prime minister and I shared our concerns about the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons ambitions," Bush said. "The United States and the international community have made our common position clear: We're determined that the Iranian regime must not gain nuclear weapons.

"I told the prime minister what I've stated publicly before: Israel is a close friend and ally of the United States. And in the event of any attack on Israel, the United States will come to Israel's aid," Bush said.

Contributors

Yall still out there? Lol...

Senate Rejects Plan To Allow All Illegal Immigrants To Stay

Good.


Feinstein offered proposal as alternative to 'three-tiered' compromise

Excerpt:

The Senate rejected a California Democrat's plan to allow the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country to remain, work and eventually become Americans, preserving a fragile bipartisan coalition needed to pass the bill.

Several lawmakers who voted against the proposal offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday said they did so reluctantly, but out of necessity to ensure survival of the broader immigration bill. The legislation is expected to win Senate passage Wednesday or Thursday.

"This legislation is on the edge of the ledge as it is," said Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, one of the Republicans supporting a delicate compromise that has kept the bill alive -- letting two-thirds of illegal immigrants stay but making the other third leave.

Feinstein's amendment, defeated 61 to 37, would have supplanted the compromise that allows illegal immigrants here five years or more to stay and work six years and seek legal residency after paying back taxes and fines and showing they were learning English.

Sing It With Me Everyone!

Ding Dong! The Spurs are dead. Which old Spurs? The Wicked Spurs!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Spurs are dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Spurs are dead. They're gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Spurs are dead!

As Mayor of the City of Dallas, In the County of the Land of Mavericks, I welcome you most regally.

But we've got to verify it legally, to see

To see?

If they

If they?

Is morally, ethic'lly

Spiritually, physically

Positively, absolutely

Undeniably and reliably Dead

As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined them.
And they're not only merely dead, they're really most sincerely dead.

Then this is a day of Independence For all the NBA fans and their descendants

If any.

Yes, let the joyous news be spread The wicked Old Spurs at last are dead!

The Fifth Day of "24" Comes to An End Tonight

And yes I'll be watching the "24" season finale OVER the Mavericks-Spurs.

CALL IT A DAY

Excerpt:

What a great day it has been. I'm talking about the pulse-pound ing, nerve-jangling, heart-stop ping fifth season of Fox's "24," with each episode representing a suspenseful hour in another one of those save-the-world days for ace anti-terrorist agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland).

But all good things must come to an end, and the thrilling fifth season of Fox's "24" reaches it's two-hour finale at 8 p.m. Monday on WJW Channel 8.

Did I say good? Scratch that. This has been the best season yet for "24."

"It's big," Gordon said. "I have to say, it's a pretty epic showdown. Beyond that, it has been brewing. I think you get the sense with this last bunch of episodes that there's really a gathering storm. And there's a sense of dread happening on all sides."

You can expect the main story to be resolved in an emotionally satisfying manner. Questions will be answered, but the finale also will serve up a stunning moment to keep fans guessing until the sixth season.

'Da Vinci Code' Was Good

So I'm gonna have to disagree with all the reviews and even my friend Twilla who said "The Da Vinci Code" was basically a bad movie.

I thorougly enjoyed it when I saw it friday and those who I went with (4 of them) hadn't read the book yet they still followed. The movie followed the book almost exclusively (some minor-mid changes but nothing earth-shattering)and the flashbacks (except for the Sacred Feminine ritual) were very well done in my opinion.

The complain I've heard is that the movie was too "wordy" but I mean how else can you explain everything that Langdon, Teabing, Sophie and the others are discussing without being somewhat wordy. Seems to me that comes from people being lazy and not wanting to think during the movie.

At any rate as the headline read, the movie did amazingly well despite (or because of) all the protests and bad reviews.

'Da Vinci' Has 2nd-Biggest World Opening


Excerpt:

Moviegoers gave their blessing to the "The Da Vinci Code" over the weekend, spending an estimated $77 million to see the Tom Hanks religious thriller.

While the film didn't set a domestic box office record, it was the largest weekend opening of the year so far and became the second largest worldwide release after "Star Wars: Episode III." It garnered some $224 million worldwide, according to Sony Pictures.

The film received mixed reviews and protesters picketed outside a number of theaters, upset over the story's suggestion that Jesus Christ was married and had a child. But the controversy did little to deter moviegoers, who packed theaters in almost every country the film debuted.

"You had a built-in audience from the book and the awareness levels were so high from this film," Dergarabedian said. "You would have to live under a rock not to know this movie was opening."

The movie also set opening-weekend records in Italy and Spain, Sony Pictures said.

Who Cares That This Horse Broke Its Leg?

It's kind of odd that a horse breaking it's leg is the most important news on ESPN. Now I'm not an animal hater, but I'm also not a card-carrying member of PETA. I just think all the coverage it's getting is a little ridiculous.

Barbaro Emerges From Full Day of Surgery

Excerpt:

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro came out of a day-long surgery Sunday to repair three broken bones in his right rear leg and "practically jogged back to the stall," the colt's surgeon said.

At this moment "he is extremely comfortable in the leg," said Dr. Dean Richardson, who stressed before the marathon procedure that he's never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse.

At the front gate, well-wishers already had tacked up signs: "Thank you, Barbaro," "Believe in Barbaro" and "We Love you Barbaro."

My Favorite Ten...

artists that perform music other then what's looked at as "black" music. I thought this would be a good "my favorite ten" list this week because I have a theory that sometimes, we as black people aren't very open to musical diversity. I mean it's getting a lot better with advent of the mp3 and more top 40 stations truly playing the top 40, but on a whole (i could be generalizing here) I feel like non-blacks are MUCH more open to different forms of music then blacks are.

John Mayer - I know a lot of people think he is somewhat poppy and to a degree maybe that's true. However, he is a talented and well-rounded musician before he is anything else. "Daughters" is an amazing song and the work he did on the "John Mayer Trio" CD has A LOT of soul in it. I can't stress enough how important he will be and how long he'll be around in the music business. Talent always wins out in the long run I believe and Mayer has tons of it.

Rascal Flatts - If you saw "Ray" you know the Ray Charles quote about how good Country music (some would call them pop with a "twang") is at telling stories and panting pictures. Well, to me personally, they are among the best at this. I know they don't write all their songs (what artists does?) but the lyrics on some songs like "I'm moving on", "I feel bad" and "God bless the broken road" are really gold mines. Think Boyz II Men with less talent (that's not a bad thing) and the aforementioned "twang."

Maroon 5 - I had a running arguement with some friends of mine (David and Jeff) about whether not Maroon 5 should be considered "Pop." Me being the Maroon 5 defender I am, of course I said no. However, they were steadfast in their belief that M5 was pop. Maybe so, but if more pop sounded like M5 the world would be a better place. "Songs about Jane" (to me) is one of the more complete albums, regardless of Genre, to come out this decade. It's going to be hard to top (kind of like Nas with Illmatic) but I look forward to good music from them in the future.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Simply put, these guys are legends. They've made a very interesting style of music that incorporates several musical styles and blends them into a "funk mixed drink" of music. Flea may be the tightest bass player (in a major music group) ever and everything they make just has a nice edge to it. By the way, "Stadium Arcadium" is off the chain.

Rage Against the Machine - This kind of cheating I suppose -- in some circles "Rage" could be considered Rap with a Rock edge. But they had some pretty serious messages in their songs (usually down with the government type stuff) and they were the kings of the "fight riff." To this day I really wanna hear some tight rappers (Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Luda, Common, etc) over their beats. It'd be off the chain.

Coldplay - First off, outside of maybe U2 there is not another group that does/gives more Humanitarian aid then Coldplay. You've got to respect that and while their style is very different at times -- again like the others on the list, they're just amazing musicians. Just listen to "Clocks" "Yellow" and "What If" and tell me that, that ain't some good music.

Eric Clapton - Gonna make another sweeping statement that might make some of you upset but outside of BB King and Lucille, Clapton might be the best guitar player on earth. Another legend, his been making hits in the music "game" for like 40 years now. But he has played almost every Genre from rock (Cocaine) to the blues (Riding with the King) to Pop/R&b (If I could change the world with Babyface) and done it amazingly well. Not to mention the song most people identify him with "Tears In Heaven" that is among the best songs regardless of genre and regardless of time.


It's funny this is the third list I've done and this will be the second one that I don't finish. Those are really the only seven groups/individuals that I own basically all their material. There are plenty of other groups/individuals tthat I listen to on a great deal but not as much as those. Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Creed, The Streets, Fall Out Boy, Green Day are a couple.

So I'll leave the other three for yall...

Songs that Should Never Be Remade (UPDATED 4:30 p.m)

This is gonna be a running post and it's going to require a bit of interaction from you the reader.

Basically I'm sick and tired of wack artists trying to remake songs that they have no business remaking or even attempting to sing.

Now I love Leela James, I really do, but Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a song that you just can't remake. No matter how well you sing it, rearrange it or whatever -- you're going to lose.

So let that be song #1 on the list, as you think of songs post them in the comments or e-mail them to me at rellevent@yahoo.com

SONGS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE REMADE


1) Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come

2) The Temptations - Just My Imagination

3) Tracey Chapman - Fastcar

4) Al Green - Let's Stay Together

5) Stevie Wonder - Knocks Me Off My Feet (I know it's already been done)

6) Stevie Wonder - Ribbon In The Sky

FROM ELLE B

7) Bohemian Rhapsody (it was remade by a group called the The Braids)

8) Time after Time (I think it was done by Changing Faces - it could have been called "All Bad")

9) Let's Get it On, by the late Great Marvin Gaye (Anonymous)

10) A House is not a Home --Luther Vandross. (Miz JJ)
FROM P

11) Lenny Williams: Girl, You Know I Love You. Please tell folks not to embarrass themselves and US as a peeps by doing such.

12)Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson - Tevin Campbell made an attempt at it I was highly disturbed by that.

13) Been Such a Long Time/Wildflower - New Birth (Didn't somebody try to do wildflower and it sounded Absolutely Ridiculous?).

14)This Christmas - Donny Hathaway. Could you please tell everyone to stop effing that song up, The Whispers Included.

15)Midnight Train to Georgia/Gladys Knight and the Pips. No one says "I got to Go, I got to Go" like her, and no one EVER will.
FROM JAMES

16) The Love We Had Stays on My Mind - the Dells - Dru Hill jacked this up. I should hope it never happens again.

17) Take A Stroll Through Your Mind - the Temptations - If you've never heard this song then you are missing some good music.

First Reviews of "The Da Vinci Code" Are In...

from the Cannes Film Festival, which I am proud to say my friend Twilla is actually attending and will be at the World Premiere of the Da Vinci Code. Let me just say that with Ron Howard, Tom Hanks and Ian Mckellen attached to this project I just refuse to believe that it won't be entertaining and well-acted (is that a phrase?).

‘Da Vinci Code’ misses mark for Cannes critics

Excerpt:

“The Da Vinci Code” drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world’s toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It’s a movie about whether the greatest story ever told is true or not, and it’s not the greatest movie ever screened, is it?” said Baz Bamigboye, a film columnist for London’s Daily Mail. “As a thriller, well,” he continued, shrugging.

“Maybe the next day I’ll forget about it,” said Igor Soukmanov of Unistar Radio in Belarus. “But today for two hours it was good entertainment. ... As a Hollywood movie, it’s a very nice picture.”

Critics got their first look at “The Da Vinci Code” a day before its world premiere at Cannes on Wednesday, when it also debuts at theaters in France and some other countries. The film opens worldwide over the following two days, including the United States on Friday.

Directed by Ron Howard, the movie stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou as strangers hurled together on a frantic quest for the Holy Grail after a series of murders is committed.

The filmmakers add some twists and variations here and there, but the general thrust of the novel remains intact, including its theory that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child, which has prompted denouncements from many Christians.

The Cannes audience clearly grew restless as the movie dragged on to two and a half hours and spun a long sequence of anticlimactic revelations.

“I kept thinking of the Energizer Bunny, because it kept going and going and going, and not in a good way,” said James Rocchi, a film critic for CBS 5 television in San Francisco and the online outlet Cinematical. “Ron Howard makes handsome films. He doesn’t make bad ones, but he doesn’t make great ones.”

Hillary in 2008?

This is from Mike T (former contributor and frequent commentor)...

"Hillary is setting up for 2008 with $20 million in the bank, but more
interesting is who is throwing this benefit for her. Rupert Murdock is
the owner of media outlets everywhere including the conservative Fox
News. She might sit right in the middle of the road and win America --
even as an independent."

Who Are You Hillary Clinton?

Excerpt:

I know a businessman who says that if the answer to a question is not about money, the question has to be restated. If that applied to politics, the answer to the question of who the Democratic presidential nominee will be in 2008 would be simple: Hillary Clinton. She has far and away the most money.

But politics is not just about money -- not quite yet, anyway -- if only because ideology and principles are not yet "products." That being the case (I hope), then Hillary Clinton's vast lead in fundraising -- she now has more than $20 million in the bank -- will be offset by growing questions about her principles and ideology. In other words, who is this woman who wants to be the next president of the United States? Is she the wife of Bill Clinton, who we were once led to believe was more liberal than he was, or is she actually far more conservative? The answer, at the moment, is something I cannot provide.

The latest reason for my perplexity is Clinton's agreement to have Rupert Murdoch host a fundraiser for her this summer. Murdoch is the very personification of the contemporary conservative movement. He is the proprietor of both the New York Post and Fox News, both of which are ideologically biased, sometimes blatantly so. No doubt Murdoch can raise lots of money. That's not the question. The question is: What will it buy?

Murdoch has always used his media properties to advance his business interests. In that regard, he is without ideology. Conservatives may loathe the communist Chinese regime, but when Murdoch wanted to do business in China, he kowtowed to the government and ejected BBC television from his Star satellite service. Earlier, when he ran into some business problems here, he went from being an Australian to an American citizen -- not exactly the reason school kids donated pennies to build a base for the Statue of Liberty.

When Clinton gets into the room with Murdoch and his band of merry millionaires, will she emphasize her liberal credentials? Will she say she's pro-choice and favors a government role in health insurance? Will she revive talk of the "vast right-wing conspiracy" that she correctly said had managed to impeach her husband? Beats me. There's no telling what she'll say anymore.

A Quick Definition

il·le·gal- Prohibited by law, contrary to or in violation of a law

Kobe vs Lebron

I seem to be having this debate ad nauseum lately. Whether it be at the Barber Shop, with my uncle or brother over the phone, at my grandmother's house or VIA Message boards and IM.

Everyone is having difficulty deciding who is the better player. It's hard to judge straight up because Kobe is a veteran, been in the league nine years, has three championship rings and has had plenty of time to develop and learn the NBA game.

Lebron on the other hand is just 21-years-old (I need to see a birth certificate), in his third year in the league and just probably three to four years away from his "peak."

So you can't compare what they do directly, however you can forecast some things and two great writers Bomani Jones and Gene Wojciechowski have basically said it for me.

"Like to Hear It?" (Bomani's)

Excerpt:

Although he has made some poor decisions in the clutch -- like passing to Eric Snow on the final possession of the Portland game -- he never looks afraid. LeBron seems perpetually concerned with giving Cleveland its best chance to win. It just so happens that the Cavs' best chance at victory doesn't always mean his taking a shot.

If the path to superstardom is so narrow no one else on the floor is worth considering, then LeBron is doomed. And superstardom ain't all it's cracked up to be.

When Jordan looked to do nothing but attack, he couldn't get past the conference finals. Using MJ's trials and errors -- and probably Kobe's -- as a reference, LeBron has been precocious in his ability to both score and help others score. Observers should be happy with that and watch as it translates into more victories.

And so should he.

"Here it go" (Wojciechowski's)

Excerpt:

Kobe, this is how you lead a team.

You don't defer to the Bryant-ettes. You don't hide behind "the game plan." You don't enter a witness protection program, take just three second-half shots and score zero field goals in the last 24 minutes of a playoff elimination game.

Instead, you do what LeBron James did Saturday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals: You let the game come to you. And when it gets within arm's reach, you grab it hard by the earlobe, pull it close, and don't let go until it whimpers for mercy.

If Bryant didn't see King James cut Detroit's series lead in half, then Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson ought to DHL him the game tape as soon as possible. James wrote a baller's how-to manual against the conference's -- and maybe the league's -- best team.

When the Pistons were up by those double digits, James didn't go into a funk (like Kobe did in Game 7 against the Phoenix Suns). He didn't pout (like Kobe did). He didn't play like he was on sedatives (like Kobe did).

He led. He inspired. He willed.

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." Following are the results.

Best Fiction of the Last 25 Years

THE WINNER:
Beloved

Toni Morrison
(1987)

A History of the Air Jordan

I found this on the Nike Talk forums and thought it was one of the better ones floating around online. This is important because ALL women need to know about the history of Air Jordans and how paramount they are to the survival of the under 30 male.

When I propose to my wife and give her a ring, I want a pair of Jordan XI Concorde's in return. Hopefully you learn something...

The Essay:

This is an Air Jordan. (Hold up sneaker). Air Jordans have been the signature basketball sneaker for Michael Jordan and Nike since 1985, and carry a great deal of history behind them.

It all started in 1985. Michael Jordan was in his first year as a professional basketball player, after leaving as junior from the University of North Carolina. The Chicago Bulls picked him with the 3rd pick in the draft. Suffice to say that Jordan was blazing through the NBA during his rookie campaign.

This caught the attention of Nike and CEO Phil Knight. So, Nike decided to sign Jordan to an endorsement deal. Jordan was reluctant to make the deal at first because throughout his college career he had been wearing Converse sneakers and was comfortable with them.

After much persuasion from his parents and manager, Jordan flew out to Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon for a meeting. He was shown slow motion highlights of his college career, along with sketches of the would-be Air Jordan I with matching apparel. Jordan claims at this meeting he had no intention to sign with Nike. Through the entire meeting, Jordan seemed uninterested, but when Nike staff left the room he told his agent to make the deal.

The first Air Jordan came out in 1985 towards the end of Jordan's rookie season. Before this shoe, most basketball sneakers were all white. The first Jordan I was only black and red, which broke NBA uniform rules. This black and red model led to a great deal of controversy, which caused the NBA to ban it from the league. Jordan continued to wear it anyway, facing fines up to $5000 per game.

Nike was happy to pay these fines off though, because the controversy kept the public talking about the shoe, and sales took off. According to author Ruben Santamaria in the article “Air Jordan I” found in the February edition of Sole Collector magazine, he states, “All I cared about was saving enough money for my next chance to purchase the Air Jordan I.”

When it came time to create the Air Jordan III in 1988, Peter Moore, the lead designer of the Air Jordan I, and Rob Strasser, who brought Jordan into Nike, left the company and tried to bring Michael with them. They were slowly luring Michael away from Nike, and he was almost set on going with them.

Tinker Hatfield was brought in to design the Jordan III. He turned an image from a poster of Jordan dunking into a silhouette, and had it stitched on the sneaker’s tongue. This became known as the famous “Jumpman” symbol, which represents the Jordan Brand to this day. (Hold up picture of symbol).

It came time for Jordan to decide what company he would go with. When the Jordan III was presented in a meeting, Jordan showed up 4 hours late and in a bad mood. He was set on leaving Nike. Tinker Hatfield showed him the new shoe, and that’s when everything changed.

Tinker Hatfield states in Michael Jordan’s 2005 book Driven From Within, “When I pulled off the cover, Michael just lost it—his bad attitude disappeared.” From that moment on, Jordan stayed with Nike.

The Jordan wave grew in the 1990’s. The Jordan 7 in 1992 was a popular model because of its catchy advertising. Commercials featuring the Bugs Bunny cartoon caught many people’s attention, and helped Jordan become associated with children. For this reason, collectors have nicknamed the white/grey/red color of this shoe the “Hare Jordan”.

The Jordan 11 was released in 1995. It broke through on many levels, being a shoe with a lot of firsts. It was one of the first basketball sneakers to have patent leather, a feature that many fans loved. Sneaker collectors like the look of this Jordan so much that some have even taken it as far as wearing them with a tuxedo on their wedding days. It also introduced new technology to the footwear world, a carbon fiber shank plate for added support on the sole.

When the 11’s came out, people would do anything to get them. Sneaker stores sold out within minutes, and supply couldn’t meet demand. This is one of the first times when violence over sneakers really got serious. People were getting robbed for their Jordans all over the country, and buying sneakers for over $100 wasn’t anything to be joking about anymore.

In 1998, Jordan retired from basketball. After 6 championships with the Chicago Bulls, he decided that the writing was on the wall, and it was his time to leave the game. This was also the year the Air Jordan 13 was released. Everyone at Nike was nervously wondering if the shoe would still sell with Michael away from the game. When the sneaker went on sale for the first day, word came back to Nike that the sneaker sold out completely, and more orders were placed. According to author Robert Jackson in his 2003 book Sole Provider, “It’s the Air Jordan that after 13 years made the world recognize that it wasn’t always about the basketball legacy he laid down—the shoes had established a legacy on their own.”

In the 2000’s, new models continued to be released. With Jordan’s comeback to the NBA in 2001 with the Washington Wizards, the Air Jordan 17 was launched. The one thing that turned heads about this sneaker was its price -- $200. According to the author known as “Retrokid” in the article “Air Jordan XVII: Words I Manifest” found in the February 2005 edition of Sole Collector magazine, he states, “At $200, the XVII took the Air Jordan from regular footwear to luxury item.”

The Air Jordan 20 came out last year, and designer Tinker Hatfield, who stopped after the 15, was brought back to work with Michael to celebrate the 20 years of Jordans. The new model had a strap across the top of the foot for more support. This strap also had symbols representing things in Michael’s life lasered on it, something that had never been done before. As in the past, the sneaker was popular and sold out. This proves that with Michael gone from the game, his legacy lives on.

I have given you the history of the Air Jordan in the 1980’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. Each of these time periods adds to the story of the Air Jordan. So now when I hold this up (hold up sneaker), you all know a little more about the history behind it.

Normally I don't do this... [College Tag]

but I found an interesting "tag" on Nikki's blog. It's probably a little easier for me considering I just graduated in May 2004, but alas it's still fun to think about the "good times."

YOUR FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE......What do ya'll remember?

School: University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

Where did you live?
Katherine K. Carmichael Residence Hall (Carmichael for short). Room 534 Freshman year and 404 soph and junior years.

Who was/were your roommate(s)?
Freshman year - Scott Hackworth
Sophomore year - Walt (don't remember his last name)
Junior year - Anthony Grosch (just for Fall semester, had a double room as a single during the spring semester)

Do you still talk to them?
I haven't heard from Scott in at least four years, Walt never talked to after I moved out and I've seen Anthony occasionally.

Ever get in trouble in the dorms?
One time I had some Kirk Franklin playing really really loud, with the window open before church on a Sunday morning to make sure all the heathens woke up from their Saturday night of drinking (lol, kind of but not really).

Something you remember about when you first lived on campus?
I lived in a special cultural diversity housing my freshman year called "UNITAS" (oneness in greek) and I was the only black male and the only freshman. So I just remember being asked how black males felt about every issue imaginable to man. I was the voice of black men to the people on the fifth floor of Carmichael.

Your campus phone number or other number:
(919) 914-2855

First party attended?
Hmmm -- still waiting on that one. lol...

First Bar you got wasted at?
Never been wasted...

Favorite Pizza Place?
Dominoes. I knew one of the guys who worked there, he hooked me up with pizza I made sure he got into a few Carolina b-ball games.

Favorite place to go out to eat?
The Rat, Applebees and Outback. We went to Outback like every Thursday and Applebees like every Friday. How in the world we paid for it, I have no idea.

Did you go to the library?
all of the time. i actually liked being there. It was one of the more happening spots on campus.

What was your Favorite Floor you'd always be on?
3rd Floor of Hinton James for some reasons I care not to discuss.

Club, Athletics, Frat or Sororities, you joined?
Communiversity (mentoring program), BSM, Carolina Fever and CAA (Carolina Athletic Association).

Where did you buy your books?
Student Stores because I was young and naive and thought that was the only place I could get books at.

Who made the best wings?
BDUBS! Still do!

Ever attend a sporting event?
I think I attended every single sporting even that was held on campus. Seriously...

Ever attend a concert or comedic performance?
Went to a Gospel Choir concert, Harmonyx concert (acapella group, Chips show (improv comedy) and Opeyo! (dance) show.

Have you ever spent the night on campus not in your dorm hall?
No Comment (which is basically like me saying "yes" but I'd just rather say no comment).

Favorite night to go out on, and where did you go?
Hmmm I didn't really "go out." Mostly just chilled in people's rooms, played basketball and went to sporting events. That was my "going out."

Where did you get coffee?
I don't drink coffee.

Favorite part of Halloween?
Ummm, when 70,000 people crowd two blocks on franklin street.

Go see a play or been in one?
Nope, never went to one unfortunately.

Did you ever have a job at school?
Yep I worked every year of college. Freshman year I worked with asking alumni for money (Phon-a-thon) then I worked two jobs sophomore year (phon-a-thon and sports marketing intern) then junior and senior year i was just a sports marketing intern.

What do you hate about your college?
Not much, but sometimes the smug attitude of Carolina elitism really gets to me. Besides that it was the best.

What did you love most about it?
Too much to name. Friends, growth, sports and life -- would four words I would use if I had to do it in four words, which no one said I did. But you get my point.

Ever leave to go on a road trip, where?
Freshman year like first night, I took a random trip to A&T in Greensboro, don't ask.

Where would you believe is the best location to live in?
Shoot I'm still in Chapel Hill (granted I'm in grad school) but there must be a reason.

Graduated or still attending?
graduated, now geting my MSA

Will you go back?
I was just there today playing basketball.

How many parking tickets have you gotten there?
Freshman year at least 10. Total? At least 20

Finally, ever gotten arrested?
No.

Death is Proof of Gods' Love

This is a repost from something I wrote almost a year and a half ago. A cousin and close family friend passed in a tragic accident. Since then my mother has lost her father and friends have lost loved ones. I know it seems far-fetched, particularly because we're dealing with the pain of losing that person. The dichotomy of the "well their going to heaven" group and the "i'm so hurt that they're gone" group is always interesting, but both are right.

So yea -- just figured I'd let yall see this and get your reactions. it's originally from January 18,2005.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


So, it's been a while since I last updated this thing. Partly because I've been running all across the state the last week and partly because some things happened in my home and church families that was shocking.

Teresa Bannerman, 45, a friend and cousin of us all died tragically last thursday morning at 6am on her way to work. No one saw it coming, it was a single car accident and she died shortly thereafter.

Death is never an easy thing to deal with. We fear it, we see it as menacing, dark and horrifying. I mean everything associated with Death is depressing and black. Black Limousines, Black Dresses, Black Suits, Slow sad music, people crying and sad eulogy's.

The Grim Reaper, who in pop culture represents death, carries a sharp puncturing tool and wears oversized black cloth.

But what if we as a culture have it all wrong? What if death isn't some menacing predator just waiting for the opportunity to have its way with us?

What if death is something more -- proof of god's undying love for us. Think about it?

We live in a horrible, cruel, obnoxious and sometimes downright disgusting world. (Sure that may be a cynical look at things but the fact the elements for such a world are all in place, allows me to continue my point.)

Wars happen with regularity, there seems to be a genocide almost each generation. Power-crazed dictators rise and fall like the sun and moon do everyday.

Our very own technology, innovation, science and sense of discovery, the things we claim are our greatest assests, also will eventually lead to our demise. These things while helping, have created the atomic bomb, the nuclear bomb, chemical warfare and a host of other weapons that man shouldn't have control over.

So with all that said, God gives man Free Will. Which is why the above mentioned things happen and hurt his precious people. However, because God still controls everything and as my brother would say -- exists in the past, present and future at the same time -- he can see the incoming strife or burden that a person will have to take-on and carry because of their own actions and choices.

And, this is what I believe, just like in Teresa's case, that God will take his child out of that situation to give them eternal peace with no worries about death, destruction, mayhem and melancholy.

Even if you are skeptical of this analogy, then think about this one. Jesus Christ, our lord and savior, was God's only begotten son. Only meaning, singular, 1, he was it.

It is no coincidence that the greatest moment in the history of man, happened through death. Jesus death, while painful on the eyes and most certaintly his flesh -- is and will always be held as the greatest and most beautiful event in history.

Because of this moment we all have a chance. We all are put on earth and have a chance to do something great and impact positive change in a decaying world.

At times our minds might not be able to handle that because we are thinking as simply humans, as "sinful" duplicates of a perfect master trying to strive and achieve for said perfection.

Just think about... That's great. The reason death is a part of life? Because God made it so. So, if the person is right with the lord, Death is an awesome, wonderful beautiful thing.

We all have to do it someday, it is the only 100% mathematical certainty of life. Instead of fearing it, we should look at it as simply proof of Gods'love for us and those around us.

Thoughts?

At strip clubs, hip-hop is big business

Great article on Yahoo! passed on by Mike T. It talks about how a lot of hip-hop tracks are now broken at the strip club and how strip clubs are becoming kind of the new "barbershop" (my words, not theres) for as they call it "one of the fastest-growing but underserved demographic segments -- the universe of highly successful and increasingly affluent urban males."

Hip-Hop and Strip Clubs

Excerpt:

It's no longer just the hardworking women who make money at strip clubs. These late-night hangouts, with their booming sound systems and gender-mixed crowds, have become big business for the record industry, particularly for hip-hop labels.

"Strip clubs have become the main breaking place for records, especially in the South," says Jermaine Dupri, president of urban music for Virgin Records.

Record executives love the easy access to quick feedback provided by strip clubs. "You can often gauge how hot your record is by the number of times strippers request the song during a given night," says one major-label promotion executive who requested anonymity.

Among the bounce-friendly, beat-banging R&B/hip-hop hit records that Atlanta's Hittmenn collective has promoted first in the strip clubs are Ciara's "1, 2 Step," Dem Franchize Boyz's "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It," Young Jeezy's "Trap or Die" and D4L's "Laffy Taffy."

"Lil Jon, the Ying Yang Twins and Ludacris are all artists who were helped early on" by strip club exposure, Smith adds. "Now today they are some of the biggest artists in the country."

Rice: Iran Letter Doesn't Resolve Standoff

WWIII is inevitable it seems...


Excerpt:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed a letter that Iran's president sent to President Bush on Monday, saying the first direct communication from an Iranian leader in 27 years does not help resolve the standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator called the surprise letter a new "diplomatic opening" between the two countries, but Rice said it was not.

"This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," the top U.S. diplomat said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way."

Rice said the letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was 17 or 18 pages long and covered history, philosophy and religion.

Rice's comments were the most detailed response from the United States to the letter, the first from an Iranian head of state to an American president since the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

She would not discuss the contents in detail but made clear that the United States would not change its tack on Iran.

"There's nothing in here that would suggest that we're on any different course than we were before we got the letter," Rice said.

Could cyclic universe explain mystery?

One of the biggest mysteries in cosmology could be explained by a controversial theory suggesting that the universe goes through repeated cycles of death and rebirth.

Theorists suggest Big Bangs and Crunches lead to cosmic balance

Excerpt:

One of the biggest mysteries in cosmology could be explained by a controversial theory in which the universe explodes into existence not just once, but repeatedly in endless cycles of death and rebirth.

Called the cyclic universe theory, it could potentially explain why a mysterious repulsive form of energy known as the "cosmological constant," which is accelerating the expansion of the universe, is several orders of magnitude smaller than predicted by the standard Big Bang model.

The idea of a cyclic universe, first proposed in 2002 by Steinhardt and Turok, is an alternative to anthropic selection.

"The [value of lambda] is one of the prime mysteries of physics," Steinhardt said. "It's really been so puzzling that it's driven the physics community to this anthropic approach. So it's important to know if a non-anthropic solution might exist."

The researchers' latest tweak to their model is to have the value of lambda decay over time with each passing cycle of the universe and even within a single cycle.

Scientists experimented with a varying lambda before within the context of the standard Big Bang model, but it didn't work because the time required for it to reach its current low value was far longer than the known age of the universe.

Combining a decaying lambda with a cyclic universe potentially solves this problem.

Oil Prices Slowly Declining

Oil pulls back below $70

Excerpt:

Oil fell below $70 on Monday on hopes that tension over Tehran's nuclear ambitions will ease after Iran said its president would send a letter to U.S. President Bush seeking to resolve the "current situation in the world."

Prices are more than $5 below their record highs touched two weeks ago but up about 15 percent since the start of the year.

An Iranian official said Monday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would send a letter to his U.S. counterpart to be delivered to the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S. interests in Iran.

"In this letter, he has given an analysis of the current world situation, of the root of existing problems and of new ways of getting out of the current vulnerable situation in the world," government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham said.

The United States has led action against Iran's nuclear plan, which it says is aimed at building atomic weapons.

Iran, which has been reported to the U.N. Security Council and has so far been defiant to calls for it to stop work on its uranium enrichment activities, says it needs nuclear fuel for civilian use.

Analysts were cautious over the impact of the letter on oil prices.

"The news from Iran is certainly bearish, at least immediately anyway. But the extent of how bearish it is going to be depends on the content of the letter, which no one knows as yet," said Tetsu Emori, the chief commodities strategist at Mitsui Bussan Futures.

My Favorite Ten...

TV Shows in no particular order (this is ever by the way).

Lost - People get lost on an island, crazy stuff happens, people die and you have to pick up on clues and be a detective. solid solid stuff.

24 - The format is really one of the stars of the show in that you feel like you're witnessing a horrible day in the life of Jack Bauer. Speaking of Jack Bauer he just might be top 10 human beings to ever live (well since he is an imaginary character) live might not be such a good word.

The Cosby Show - Every black family dreamed of one day being the Cosby's. They had money, were always happy and were together. Also, Claire (as mentioned in previous posts) is the ideal woman. I want my wife to be just like her.

A Different World - Whitley, Dwayne wayne (KB, lol), Colonel Taylor, Ron, Kim, Freddie (good ole Freddie) and others made a show that I could relate with, even though I was only like nine when it initially came out. It was good to see minorities in college and see how life at college would be.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Will Smith's ascension to becoming a super mega-star has a lot to do with this show. It was funny and kind of a 90's Cosby Show with a bit of a humor twist. Actually if you think about it part of the show could've been mocking the Cosby's to a degree.

South Park - Simply put -- it's the greatest satire of our age. They can find a clever and unique way to pick on anything (when i say anything I mean ANYTHING) and have done so for almost 10 years now. I marvel every Wednesday at how they are able to do it.

Martin - Hands down, the funniest show I've ever watched. Each week was something just crazy and over the top that you never saw coming. So many thing I learned from Martin (phrases and sayings) that I still incorporate into my daily life.

The X-Files - It brings out the inner-conspiracy theorist in us all. They touched on every things from the paranormal to panspermian theory to aliens to the devil. Moulder and Scully are our generations greatest detectives if you ask me, CSI punks could never handle it if they were assigned to the X-Files.

Chappelle's Show - Who needs SNL or "Who's Line?" when you have Chappelle's Show. It was so innovative and fresh that people soaked it up. Some people like it for the cheesy one-liners "I'm rick james!" while others liked it for it's deep satirical rants and explotation of other people's explotations (leave a comment if that doesn't make any sense).

Pardon the Interruption - The show that changed the way sports is discussed and debated. It stars Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, two long time columnists with the Washington Post. They have a list of sports topics they talk about and basically just argue for 30 minutes. It's great...

Will you Witness Tonight?

What Apparently No Democratic Strategist Can Figure Out

I'm certainly not a Democrat, which makes the fact that "I feel their pain" ironic. No one in America gifted with the rare duo of political insight and a shred of honestly believes that the policy product of our current Republican leaders is acceptable. Why then, in spite of the abominable poll numbers the Bush administration keeps posting, do we still all have this gut feeling that the Democrats are fighting uphill? Here's a great start to the task of explaining it:

The Democrats made a huge tactical error a few decades ago. In the middle of doing the great work of the '60s--civil rights, women's liberation, gay inclusion--we decided to stigmatize the white male. The union dues--paying, churchgoing, beer-drinking family man got nothing but ridicule and venom from us. So he dumped us. And he took the wife and kids with him.

I encourage you to read more of this pointed rant by Caitlin Flanagan here. Until the Democrats figure out how to overcome this problem, it doesn't even matter that they have no agenda to offer America.

Earl Woods March 5, 1932 - May 3, 2006

Let me just say that we do a lot of "hating" on here or so we've been told. More like constructive criticism if you ask me. I know I've personally bashed everyone from Jesse Jackson to Kobe Bryant to Elijah Muhammad and rightfully so.

However, we also like to point out the positive out there. And the world lost a great black man in Earl Woods, father of the soon-to-be greatest golfer ever Tiger Woods.

Woods (the elder) died of Cancer and Diabetes (a disease that plauges African-American) community. By all accounts he was an amazing father, though he didn't marry a black woman, he loved his son, he loved his wife and was in his son's life -- which is better then most of us (black men) do.

So, I would be remiss if I didn't make a post celebrating his life to some degree, he raised a great son and helped, in a small part via sport, to change the world.

Tiger Woods' father, Earl, succumbs to cancer

Excerpt:

Earl Woods, who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and became the architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods' phenomenal career, died Wednesday morning at his home in Cypress, Calif. He was 74.

"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply," Tiger Woods said on his Web site. "I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring."

A habitual smoker who had heart bypass surgery in 1986, Woods was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998 and was treated with radiation, but the cancer returned in 2004 and spread throughout his body.

Last month, he was too frail to travel to the Masters for the first time.

The last tournament Woods attended was the Target World Challenge in December 2004, when his son rallied to win and then donated $1.25 million to the Tiger Woods Foundation that his father helped him establish. The Tiger Woods Learning Center, another vision inspired by his father, opened in February.

Woods decided not to play in the Wachovia Championship this week in Charlotte, N.C. Two of his best friends on tour, Mark O'Meara and John Cook, withdrew from the tournament and flew to California to be with him.

Jack Nicklaus, who also was 30 when his father died, said he had long "admired and related to the close bond" shared by Tiger and Earl.

"My father was my best friend, my mentor and perhaps my greatest support system. Earl was all of that to Tiger," he said.

We Are All Witnesses...

to the coronation of Lebron James, who one day (for the generations younger then us) will be as revered as Michael Jordan.

The main things that people said Lebron lacked were consistent defensive intensity (still lacks that), the "killer" instinct (i'd say he's let people know he has that in this series) and the ability to seemingly will his team to victory (see Games 3 and Games 5).

Kobe's days as the consensus "best player in the league" will soon be at an end.

Lebron Does It Again

Excerpt:

Like another No. 23 before him, LeBron James saved his finest moment for the biggest one.

James muscled through traffic and dropped in a layup with 0.9 seconds left in overtime as the Cleveland Cavaliers moved closer to the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 121-120 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

With the Cavs down by one, James, who finished with 45 points, took an inbounds pass with 3 seconds to go. After sliding past Antawn Jamison, James knifed inside of Michael Ruffin, Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood.

He rose in the lane and softly dropped in his layup, sending a sellout crowd of more than 20,000 into a frenzy.

"I had enough room on the baseline," said James, who added seven rebounds and six assists. "If I wore an 18 or 19 size shoe I wouldn't have made it. But I wear a 16 and was able to tightrope that baseline to get a layup."

The Best Commercial You Never Saw

Millions Expected To Join Walkout (Let's Debate this some More)

Organizers predict unprecedented rallies to support immigrants

Now I'm not anti-opportunity or anti-do-what-you-feel-do is right by any means. However, we have to ask ourselves a few questions about this rally tomorrow.

If there are illegal immigrants there -- I think they should be arrested and deported immediately. That might sound harsh, because they're just peacefully marching right?

If you're an "illegal alien" you don't have the right to protest because you're not a citizen. Therefore, I really hope that it's legal immigrants marching for those illegal immigrants who don't have a voice, I'm fine with that.

But don't use "rights" you don't have to protest for more rights. That's all I'm saying.

Excerpt:

Organizers are predicting an unprecedented turnout for Monday's rallies against a proposed crackdown on illegal immigration and a widespread boycott of jobs, schools and businesses meant to show the economic power of immigrants.

"It will be tens of millions from coast to coast, from Los Angeles to New York," Javier Rodriguez, a spokesman for the March 25 Coalition, told CNN. "You can expect L.A. to be at a standstill almost totally. You will not have truckers. You will not have taxi drivers, garment workers, hotel workers, restaurant workers -- half of the teacher force will not be going to school."

The demonstrations, dubbed "A Day Without Immigrants," follow previous rallies that drew crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles, California, and Dallas, Texas. Other cities, including Atlanta, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Phoenix, Arizona, saw tens of thousands of people turn out for such protests.

But Monday's events will be unprecedented in their scope, said Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican-American Political Association.

"We're going to see something that's never occurred in the history of this United States -- a day in which immigrants withhold their labor, withhold their consuming power -- they don't go to school, they don't go shopping, they don't go selling," Lopez said.

Good Summer for Movies

That's basically the point of this post. This summer could have a really good box office as there seem to be some quality movies coming out between now and the end of August.

Some of those include:

Mission Impossible III (May)
X-Men 3 (May)
Superman Returns (June)
The Da Vinci Code (May)
The Simpsons Movie (n/a)
The Omen (remake) (June)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (July)
Miami Vice (July)
World Trade Center(Oliver Stone 9/11 fil starring Nicolas Cage, August)
Idlewild (August)

Which ones will you see?

"If It isn't Love"

This could be the next big thing. I'm just gonna go patrol all the local nursing homes and assisted living places, chat with some older ladies and then hopefully marry one.

They are not going to be talking about how I ain't no good or how men today are terrible, instead she'd tell me stories of yore, a simpler more pleasant time.

There are some obvious disadvantages, but I mean hey, age ain't nothin but a number right?

Couple, 33 and 104, Reportedly Marry

Excerpt:

A 33-year-old man in northern Malaysia has married a 104-year-old woman, saying mutual respect and friendship had turned to love, a news report said Tuesday.


It was Muhamad Noor Che Musa's first marriage and his wife's 21st, according to The Star newspaper which cited a report in the Malay-language Harian Metro tabloid.

Muhamad, an ex-army serviceman said he found peace and a sense of belonging after meeting Wook Kundor, whom he said he initially sympathized with because she was childless, old and alone, the report said.

"I am not after her money, as she is poor," Muhamad reportedly said. "Before meeting Wook, I never stayed in one place for long."

And So the Events Leading Up To WWIII...

are about to begin. Not a smart move -- Iran isn't who we want it with, as we've discussed previously.

U.S. confident of Iran sanctions

Basically it's gonna be the U.S, Britian and France vs Russia, China and Iran. Germany is the Wild-Card.

Excerpt:

The U.S. diplomat heading crucial talks on Iran's nuclear ambitions has predicted full European support for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would allow sanctions or even force.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's meeting in Paris, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told CNN that backing from France, Britain and Germany would see the implementation of a key U.N. resolution.

"I think you will see a serious Chapter 7 resolution emerge in the next couple of days at the United Nations," he said.

A resolution under the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7 makes any demands mandatory and paves the way for the use of sanctions and possibly force.

"I think the process would be a Chapter 7 resolution that would ask the Iranians to suspend their nuclear program. If Iran does not comply with that then I think it is inevitable that you'll see an effort for a sanctions resolution to follow probably in a month or so."

The Paris meeting was being held to discuss a response to a report released Friday by the International Atomic Energy Agency that said Iran was violating demands to halt uranium enrichment -- a development that could allow it to create nuclear weapons.

At the meeting, the powerful council's five permanent members -- plus Germany -- were due to weigh up possible sanctions against Tehran, which has accused the United States of threatening it with nuclear attack.

But while the U.S., Britain and France were expected to back heavy trade embargoes, they face resistance from Russia and China, the other veto-wielding council nations.

Burns said there is already broad international agreement that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and should not be allowed to proceed unfettered with a program that could produce nuclear weapons.

Iran has already dismissed the prospect of sanctions, saying Russia and China will not agree to them.

It has also complained to the United Nations about what it calls "illegal and insolent threats" by Washington -- citing President George W. Bush's refusal to rule out a nuclear strike on the country.

The Time 100: People Who Shape Our World

Time has put out there annual 100 most important people list and there are some surprises along with the usual. The usuals, Condoleeza Rice, President Bush and Bill Gates return again. Actually, I don't know enough about some of the other people for them to be considered surprises.

I ask this though, Why is Oprah listed under the "Leaders & Revolutionaries" section? I mean I know she has the Book of the Month, Oxygen, the Oprah Show and "O" magazine, but leader and revolutionary? I think more along of the lines of Nat Turner when I hear Leader and Revolutionary, not Oprah -- no disrespect.

Also, This may seems really stupid to most but I think Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of South Park) should be on the list.

If there are better satirists in the world -- I've never heard of em.

The Time 100

Artists & Entertainers
This diverse galaxy of influential stars has won fans and spawned imitators around the globe

* J.J. Abrams
* George Clooney
* Dixie Chicks
* Ellen DeGeneres
* Nicolas Ghesquiere
* Wayne Gould
* Philip Seymour Hoffman
* Arianna Huffington
* Ang Lee
* Renzo Piano
* Rain
* Rachael Ray
* Jeff Skoll

* Kiki Smith
* Will Smith
* Zadie Smith
* Howard Stern
* Meryl Streep
* Reese Witherspoon
* Rob Pardo
* Daddy Yankee
* Tyra Banks
* Dane Cook
* Matt Drudge
* Stephen Colbert

Scientists & Thinkers
Whether by harnessing the power of the Internet or probing the mysteries of the mind, they have come up with the big ideas of our time

* Mike Brown
* Kelly Brownell
* Nancy Cox
* Richard Davidson
* Kerry Emanuel
* Jim Hansen
* Zahi Hawass
* Bill James

* John Jones
* Ma Jun
* Jim Yong Kim
* Steven Levitt
* Jacques Rossouw
* Andrew von Eschenbach
* Jimmy Wales
* Geoffrey West

Leaders & Revolutionaries
Dictators, democrats, holy men (and a TV host)—these are the people with the clout and power to change our world

* Muqtada al-Sadr
* Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
* Hugo Chavez
* George W. Bush
* John McCain
* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
* Ayman al-Zawahiri
* Hillary Rodham Clinton
* Pope Benedict
* Condoleezza Rice
* Wen Jiabao

* Ehud Olmert
* Pervez Musharraf
* John Roberts
* Ismail Haniya
* Angela Merkel
* Jigme Singye Wangchuk
* Archbishop Peter Akinola
* Junichiro Koizumi
* Oprah Winfrey
* Bill & Melinda Gates

Heroes & Pioneers
Meet some global icons—actors, politicians, athletes, entertainers and others—who are using their influence to do the right thing

* Bono
* Michelle Wie
* Wynton Marsalis
* Angelina Jolie
* Bill Clinton & George H.W. Bush
* Steve Nash
* Orhan Pamuk
* Elie Wiesel
* Jan Egeland

* Joey Cheek
* Chen Guangcheng
* Ian Fishback
* Wafa Sultan
* Pernessa Seele
* Ralph Lauren
* Mukhtaran Bibi
* Paul Simon
* Al Gore
* Katie Couric

Builders & Titans
Innovation, grand plans, style and substance—that's what it takes to be influential in the world of business

* Vikram Akula
* Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe
* Franz Beckenbauer
* The Flickr Founders
* Sean Combs
* Jamie Dimon
* Brian France
* Tom Freston
* Huang Guangyu

* Omid Kordestani
* Eddie Lampert
* Patricia Russo
* Sheikh Mohammed
* Anne Mulcahy
* Nandan Nilekani
* Jim Sinegal
* Steve Wynn
* The Skype Guys
* Dieter Zetsche