DarkStar Spouts Off

Running On Your Record?

I find it interesting that Republicans, instead of running on their record, are now starting to state, "You don't want Democrats controlling Congress! Imagine [insert Democrat bogeyman here] controlling [insert committee name here]!"

SAT Scores and Income

From the Examiner:

There is a direct correlation between income level and SAT scores nationally — results that matched locally with the new U.S. census findings, according to newly released data released from the College Board.

The overall SAT results were broken into 10 family-income blocks, beginning at less than $10,000. They increase in $10,000 increments to students with family income levels greater than $100,000. Students from families with less than a $10,000 income scored a mean of 429 in critical reading, which improved to 445 in the $10,000 to $20,000 income range. That score jumped in each of the next eight income groups, peaking at 549 with students from families earning more than $100,000. The same trend occurred in math: Students at the lowest-end income level had a mean score of 457, which crept to 465, 474, 488, 501 and then 509 in the $50,000-$60,000 range. The numbers kept improving to a mean score of 564 at the $100,000 and above level.

Talking Education

One day the governor of Maryland was on the radio talking about education so I called in and gave my views and ideas. He said he would get back to me after the election, if he won. A staff member took my telephone number. I got a call yesterday, and they want to meet with me to discuss some of my ideas.

The reason for this is because the race between Gov. Ehrlich and Martin O'Malley, mayor of Baltimore, is close. Education is turning out to be a key issue and it is one where Ehrlich can win because the Baltimore City Public School System stinks.

[ Update 9:00 PM ]

The meeting is tomorrow, Friday. These are the ideas I will bring to the table:

1. All public school students in the state of Maryland must be allowed to transfer to any school that has space. If the student wants to go to a school outside of his school system, the money to educate that student must follow the student to the new school system.
2. All schools in Baltimore that meet the state standards must be allowed to become charter schools without review.
3. All schools in Baltimore that do not meet standards must present a plan to become a charter school. These schools will be forced to under go intense monitoring and are subject to being paired with educational institutions to turn the schools around.
4. Parents of Baltimore city school students will be offered the chance to use school vouchers.
5. All parents of Baltimore city school students will be offered the chance to have tutors and tutoring service paid for until the students leave the public school system via graduation. This holds true even if the students leave the state.
6. All current members of the school board must be terminated.
7. A new school board must be created comprised of the following (I understand this is a huge board and is prone to problems):
   • One board member appointed by the state.
   • One board member appointed by the city.
   • One board member appointed by elementary school teachers. This member must be an elementary school teacher in good standing.
   • One board member appointed by middle/Jr. school teachers. This member must be a teacher in good standing.
   • One board member appointed by high school teachers. This board member must be a teacher in good standing.
   • Four board members who are at large members who are voted into office.
8. All current board members must be blind folded and shot.
9. State tax credit or state tax deduction for parents who get tutors for their children.
10. State tax credit or state tax deduction for parents who have education savings accounts.

Clarification Of Views: "Acting White"

This will cover my view on the popular belief that Black kids believe being studious is "acting white."

I don't think that is the case at all. The media and certain pundits are too lazy to do the real intellectual hard work to track down what is really happening. Now, I'm not saying that some Black students have not accused other Black students of "acting white." But this so-called "anti-intellectualism" is not anti-intellectualism but may be a strong case of jealousy. Aren't the few kids who use this term, not performing well in school? I think an investigation would show this to be the case.

It may not be about "anti-intellectualism" vs. a student standing out as different.

But, at this point, this is just conjecture on my part. Here is where I present research to show that the "acting white" charge may be overblown.

First, a relevant post on "Acting White".

Second, an earlier study on "Acting White" titled, The Burden of "Acting White": Do Black Adolescents Disparage Academic Achievement? This study comes to the conclusion that the "Acting White" charge does not discourage academic achievement.

Third, a recent study titled An Empirical Analysis of "Acting White" comes to the conclusion that the "Acting White" charge doesn't affect Black students in segregated [ Black ] schools or private schools. There is some evidence that it does affect Black students in integrated schools.

An honest reading of these should cause the reader to start to question the "common knowledge" of the "Acting White" mentality.

Clarification Of Views: Affirmative Action

I dated a woman in the admissions office of a state university. She told me when she wanted to recruit at a "majority minority" school, she had to justify why she wanted to recruit at the school. Many times, she was asked to provide statistics about the number of applications received from the "majority minority" schools and the rate of acceptance to rejections. When her co-workers wanted to recruit at a "white school," such information was not required before the recruiting visit was allowed.

She told me of her hard fighting for minority candidates in the admissions process. Many times white students with questionable credentials were admitted while minority candidates of equal questionable credentials were put on hold or rejected. She told me that a few times, she brought up the disparity in the judging process.

At some companies where I worked, I was told by people in human resource the added justifications they had to go through to add HBCUs to the college recruiting tour.

At one company where I worked, I helped interview a candidate for a technical position. I, along with another Black engineer, stated that a Black candidate was the best fit for the open position. A white co-worker rated the person very low and suggested another candidate, white, who had less experience in the area that was needed. The company hired the less qualified candidate, despite the affirmative action program in place.

I support affirmative action. However, I don't support the justification of affirmative action by using proportional representation.

When I graduated from college, I was one of a total of about 10 who graduated with a computer science degree that year. Later, in the workforce, I would often be the only Black person, or one of less than a handful, on a software project. If "12% of Blacks" who graduate aren't getting computer science/information systems degrees, how can anyone expect 12% of software engineers to be Black? That doesn't make sense.

If you want more detail, look at this link.

Oh, one other thing: I don't place any belief in "Thomas Clarence" idea that affirmative action is an admission that Blacks are inferior. In my mind, anyone who thinks that way about affirmative action, probably thinks that way in general. As such, it is more a personal problem than my problem.

How To Ensure Vandalism

I bet this Radio Shack location suffered from a lot of vandalism and stolen items.

RadioShack Corp. notified about 400 workers by e-mail that they were being dismissed immediately as part of planned job cuts.

Employees at the Fort Worth headquarters got messages Tuesday morning saying: "The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately, your position is one that has been eliminated."

Company officials had told employees in a series of meetings that layoff notices would be delivered electronically, spokeswoman Kay Jackson said. She said employees were invited to ask questions before Tuesday's notification on a company intranet site.

That is foul and guaranteed to bring negative press.

This Is What I've Been Saying

This is what I have been saying. I wonder, now, if more white people say it, if it will start to be thought about more.

What is missing, however, from "Enough" is another book or a documentary series on National Public Radio written and hosted by Juan Williams to show what is actually happening now, across the country, by black community leaders, teachers, young organizers, parents, preachers, politicians not beholden to party lines, who go beyond slogans and memories to bring back alive not just the words and the tune of "We Shall Overcome," but the true grit of those who made a difference then but knew there was so much more to do.

Message T-Shirts

When I was a teenager and young adult, I wore t-shirts that had a message:

• "It's a Black thang. You wouldn't understand"
• "Warning: Dangerous Individual. I'm an educated Black Man!"
• The picture of Malcolm X on the front and back

I had t-shirts that had funny sayings on them. One of them had Tweety and Sylvester on it.

All of this to say, some of the t-shirts I'm seeing today really bother me.

It seems many girls are wearing t-shirts with words outlined in glitter or fake jewels. But the comments are biting, sarcastic, nasty, and "attitudinal." I don't like it and I think it is speaking to the growing darkness of these young women's souls and they are too young, and in many cases, well off, to be sporting such attitudes in words.

I was over my daughter's mother's house, going over some things with my daughter. Her "friend" was there and I called him into the room to "give him a hard time" on GP. I saw the saying on his shirt and didn't like it one bit.

I told him that he knows better than leaving his house with a shirt like that and it showed disrespect to people around him and himself. I told him it was ignorant and I know he is better than that. I left it alone.

A few days later, he called my house, by mistake. I then gave him a stronger denunciation of the shirt and how I was not happy about it at all. I told him that it was a disservice to him and his family. I then ended it by saying if he ever showed up at my home with something like that, or showed up at my daughter's mother's home with something like that, and I was there, I would rip off his shirt and throw him out.

I'm old school. I guess I should have whopped 'em.

Kinda Sorta Random Notes

Some kinda sorta like random notes:

• OK, so now it is clear that the freak didn't kill that blond girl who was prostituted put in beauty contests by her parents. Some people in Denver need to be fired.
• The people who did this should have a special place in hell just for them. These sisters should have an express lane to heaven, just for them.
• I don't care that Survivor is doing a racialist show. In 1998, no one cared that the white audience at the National Spelling Bee started rooting against the young Black Jamaican girl who eventually won. So, what's the big deal? It's just out in the open.
• Spike Lee's documentary was biased, but he let the people who went through it, and who are still going through it, speak for themselves. When people resort to lying about the documentary, that means something about the documentary, at least to me.
• Phylis LeBlanc. I like her style.
• When you have an electronic voting system, and removing a person who is not allowed to be a candidate, takes more than 2 weeks to accomplish, something is wrong with the system.
• OH, and Andrew Young was right. I grew up in an area that seems to fit the description by Young. Blacks should be in those areas, doing the exploiting themselves. And if they feel bad about it, then they can think of a way to give back.

Dear Mr. Cosby, XI

Dear Mr. Cosby,
I wrote you a letter about a woman I know named Trina. Here is an update.

The school year is starting. A mutual friend told her when her children have to be in school, what supplies were needed, and other information about the school Trina's children will attend.

The mutual friend's children go to different schools in another school district from Trina.

It appears that Trina's children are not at the stage of development they should be at for their age. They know their names but don't know how to spell their names. They don't know the alphabet. They can't count past 20.

But my friend continues to try to help Trina, even though Trina is more interested in other things.

Do you have any suggestions Mr. Cosby?

I Fought The Weeds

And the weeds won! :-(

Clarification Of Views: Education

When I've written about education, I've focused on the school system more than I have the responsibility of parents and the children themselves. That doesn't mean parents and children don't shoulder the burden of getting a proper education, they do. However, right now, what touches me more is the irresponsibility, neglect, and incompetence of the school system.

When I was a teenager, after taking the SAT, I saw a girl I knew from Jr. High School. I went to her to speak and ask how she did. She, literally, broke down crying about the test. She said she received good grades in high school and was taking "advanced" classes at the school, but had never seen much of the material on the SAT or the format of the SAT. That has left a strong impression on me. What good is a child performing well in school and being studious if the school doesn't provide the opportunity for a good education?

That is at the core of the reason why I support vouchers and charter schools. Both provide wider options for children to be able to take advantage of a better education. But that doesn't absolve parents of their responsibilities, which include:

• Prenatal care when the woman first finds out she is pregnant
• Reading to children
• Encouraging children to read
• Taking children to places and events where they can learn and expand their world view
• Taking an active part in the child's eduction
• Making sure children do their homework
• Helping children review material that is causing them trouble
• Encouraging children to explore
• Being a member of the PTA
• Going to school board meetings to make sure the board is acting properly
• Turning off the boob-tube
• Making sure children get plenty of rest
• Making sure children get to school on time
• Making sure children understand what is required of them
• Setting high and reasonable goals for your children.

So, is that clear now?

Clarification of Views: "Black Leaders"

The following links give a good understanding of my point of view on "Black leaders". I quote "Black leaders" because I don't believe in the concept.

• Personal Responsibility ("Black Leaders")
• Why Focus on "Black Leaders"
• "Black Leaders"

I think the problem for partisans is, I can believe seemingly opposing views at the same time. For example, while I am not a fan of Al Sharpton ("negative view"), I can state with clarity that Al Sharpton has spoken out against the filth in rap ("positive view"). I think that Al Sharpton is a media chaser ("negative view"), yet after observing him, I think the man is intelligent ("positive view").

To make this clear: Just because I state a FACT about someone or something that is opposition to a point being made, it doesn't mean I am in opposition to you or maybe the view. It means that I am bringing facts to the "debate" to try to elevate the debate.

This "problem" that I encounter when "debating" partisans, be they "left leaning" or "right leaning" is something that will be a constant under current in this series.

What Do Political Endorsements Mean?

What do political endorsements mean?

To me, as a voter, they mean nothing. Just because I like the person who is doing the endorsing, that doesn't mean I'm going to give the person endorsed automatic credibility. I still look at the issues and stances on the issues of the politician.

As a politician, endorsements mean money, advertisement, and access to "political machines" so, for them, endorsements mean a lot.

So, former Maryland governor Parris Glendenning endorsing Mfume means nothing to me as a voter. Russell Simmons endorsing Michael Steele means nothing to me as a voter.

But what do I know?

Wilbon Defends Bryant Gumbel

Today, Michael Wilbon wrote a good article defending Bryant Gumbel's right to say what Gumbel said about Gene Upshaw.

Wilbon doesn't agree with the comment and writes a powerful defense of Upshaw. Frankly, I thought Upshaw was weak as well. Then, Wilbon writes this:

It's a position I reject for the simple reason that pro football, regardless of who leads the union, has never had and will never have the leverage that pro basketball players and baseball players have in collective bargaining negotiations. The NBA sells stars, plain and simple, and stars are paid lavishly. MLB does so to a lesser extent, but the baseball player as an iconic figure has been an American cultural phenomenon for more than a century.

Pro football, on the other hand, sells the jersey and hardly anything else. Right now, if Santana Moss walked down Connecticut Avenue in a pair of khakis and a polo shirt, 95 percent of Washingtonians would have no idea who he is. His face is obscured by a helmet, his body by pads. Partly it's a numbers game; basketball has 12 players on a team; football has 53.

...

Upshaw didn't cross that line. Players did -- union members. And they did it because many realized it doesn't matter to patrons who is inside the jersey. They'll go to the games regardless. People packed RFK Stadium for that last replacement game and the owners won that labor fight in a beat-down. Nobody's going to see a Wizards team of replacements. But if there were an NFL work stoppage tomorrow morning, the owners would put replacement players on the field to open the season and most stadiums would be packed. The owners know it and Upshaw knows it. So he proceeds wisely, in a way that makes sense for his constituents.

With those paragraphs, Wilbon showed me I was wrong on the matter.

But I still like Gumbel's resolve to say what he wants to say.

Spike Lee's Katrina Documentary, II

Wow...
What a way to start it off....

• Video of Kanye West saying Bush doesn't like Black people.
• A home made video of a white man and his friend, coming back but being blocked because V.P. Chaney is a few feet away. After they walk over, you see one white man say to, "F... you!" Not once, but twice.
• Next, there is a clip of two white women. One white woman tells Bush to kiss her ass. She then tells FEMA to kiss her ass. She then tells the U.S. government to kiss her ass. Those 3 clips showed Lee's brilliance.
• This is one of the reasons why Spike Lee is so damn frustrating. He put out crap like "Girl 6", but is producing this gem.
• Yeah, he's biased but showing those 3 pieces, back to back, was a great move. It wasn't just a "Black thang"!

[ Update 1 ]

• Lee's use of jazz for this is great. It sets the tone like no other music form can do.
• Stress related deaths. I never thought about that for this situation.

[ Update 2 ]

• Where are the buses? Where are the trailers?
• FEMA working well with Mississippi but not Louisianna? Politics? Incompetence? Both?

[ Update 3]

• "Black Men of Labor"? I'll look them up...

Great documentary.

In Case Anybody Thinks "We" Are Not Involved In Terrorist Mess

From the EUR

BIN LADEN HAS CRUSH ON WHITNEY HOUSTON: Terrorist's former sex slave says he also wanted to get rid of Bobby Brown.

A Sudanese poet who claims she was once a sex slave for Bin Laden

...

"He said he wanted to give [her] a mansion that he owned in a suburb of Khartoum. He explained to me that to possess Whitney, he would be willing to break his color rule

...

Despite his devotion to Houston, Bin Laden completely dismisses women of African descent, according to Boof. She quotes him as telling her, "African women are only good for a man's lower pleasures. What need do you have for a womb?"

Stating further issues with her braided hair, she said he stated that "only monkeys" did that.

So, if there are any of "us" who thinks "we" are not a target, think again. His hatred of Blacks is right there in the open.

Spike Lee's Katrina Documentary

My impressions as I watch:

• Sad
• He just showed floating dead bodies. DAMN...
• He's showing the people of New Orleans helping each other. These are the people that many, including myself, wondered why they didn't leave and why they were helpless. Well, damn if this doesn't fill in some blanks, including people helping each other.

[ Update 1 ]

• The media are some sorry &%&%*#@!^$&$$!!!!! Here is Spike Lee, showing Blacks and white people, whereas the media showed mostly Blacks.
• He handled the conspiracy theories well. He put it out there for you to decide, but it seems there is enough information to say, "I understand what you are saying, but it was nature not a bomb."

[ Update 2 ]

• Wife is crying. She's no longer watching.

[ Update 3 ]

• Yeah, this is Spike's biased view, but this is good none the less.
• Spike is going after Bush.
• Now Condi Rice.
• Now Ray Nagin

[ Update 4 ]

• The U.S. military kicks ass.
• Leaving your mother's body to spoil in New Orleans heat...

[ Update 5 ]

• If you know, now, where your family is, how come you all can't come together, some where?
• Dyson is a smooth talker, but he irks me.

Spike Lee's skill is in documentaries; period.

Letter To The Washington Post

After reading Juan Williams' opinion article in today's Washington Post, I decided to send the following letter to the opinion page editors.

In reading Juan Williams' opinion piece, "Banish the Bling," I wonder why Juan Williams mentioned lack of marches, which in my opinion do not accomplish anything, but does not mention the people who are addressing the issues that he mentioned.

For example, in Washington, D.C, Concerned Black Men (http://www.cbmdc.org/) has an "adopt-a-school" program where members "serve as positive role models by working with the students in the classroom."

 

In Washington, D.C., 100 Black Men (http://www.100blackmen.org/) has the "Saturday Leadership Academy" whose purpose "is to enhance school performance and to be a vehicle for African-American youth" or the "Each One Teach One Program" which is a one-to-one mentoring program.

 

More groups are listed at Black Self Help Information (http://www.blackselfhelp.info), are these not examples for young black people?

 

Why does Williams ignore the every day black people who are working for change? Why does Bill Cosby ignore these people? Why does the media ignore these people?

 

Quick Notes On A Saturday

Some quick notes on a Saturday while "DS 2.0" is taking a nap:

• I sent  an email to politicians in the Maryland State Assembly, the governor, to media people, and to members of the Baltimore City Council concerning Baltimore City schools and how to improve the system by adding more flexibility for parents to move their children around. My email to them was based on thoughts I had in this post. I spoke to a member of the state assembly and she was real good at blowing smoke up my pants. Essentially, she said it is not in the current law to allow the provisions that I suggested and that there was no support for those provisions. But the smoke and dance was VERY good. I'm not in her district, thank goodness.
• I also called into a radio show this morning and spoke with Gov. Ehrlich. He has my name and number and promised to call me after the election, if he wins, "to do something dramatic." I'm hoping he wins, more so because of my fear of having O'Malley in office with the full support of a Democratic controlled state body. That is frightening!
• I hate to see marriages end, but in some cases, it really is better than staying together, no matter what some people say.
• The housing market has collapsed in my area. Houses that took 2-3 weeks to sell are still not selling after 3 months.
• Gregory Kane gets it right concerning lowering standards. I am a proud Poly grad!

[Update]

• Marion Jones seemed to have been caught "jucin'". Well, DUH!!! One, the company she keeps, two, last season she ran like crap, this season, she's kickin' butt.
• The murder of a cute, blond haired, white little girl whose parents dressed her inappropriately for her age is back in the news again.
• I have seen only a few Mfume for Congress stickers. All of those have been on the bumbers of cars driven by white people. Meanwhile, Cardin is acting as if he, Cardin, has the nomination in the bag.
• Strange search of the week: a Google search "black women"+"support o.j." got a hit on my blog.

Mr. Williams

Mr. Williams,
To you a job well done, sir.
Rest in peace.

May I Say?

May I now say that I think the U.S. will not succeed in the Middle East as long as we have the idea that Iraq political rule must be 21st century westernized instead of more "Middle Eastern"-ized?

In other words, the U.S. is going to have to accept that ruling Iraq may mean brutality and human rights violations.

But what do I know?

Education and Parents

When a friend of mine had her pregnancy confirmed by the doctor, her mother, sister, and women friends told her the importance of eating well, getting rest, and making sure she kept up her prenatal care.

After the child was born, people told her to make sure she reads to her baby, feeds him regularly, preferably breast milk, and talks to the baby using full sentences not baby talk.

As the child got older, people encouraged her to read to the child, keep the television off, and make sure he ate good meals.

After the child started attending school, she was encouraged to help the child with homework every night, do extra work with him, read with him, and visit the school on a regular basis. She was also told to make sure the teacher knew who she was and how to contact her, because that way, she would show the teacher that she cared and the teacher, in turn, would probably care more about my friend's child. She was also told that she should get involved in the PTA and, if when necessary, go to school board meetings to find out what future "big plans" lays in store for the system.

In short, she was told about what her responsibilities as a parent are to her child concerning education.

This isn't all, but it's something that I threw together quickly to say, there are not enough
school system parents, a critical mass if you will, who are doing enough for their children in the Baltimore City Public School System. That's why the school board could lower standards and that's why some politicians can tell the parents that the s*** they are being fed is chocolate.

I'm livid but I am not a Baltimore City resident. However, one thing I do know is, "DS 2.0" won't be attending public schools if I can help it.

I'm going to contribute money to people who are running against the Black incumbents who stopped the state from taking over the Baltimore City schools that are "under performing."

I'm going to volunteer for the Ehrlich campaign because his opponent, Martin O'Malley, doesn't give a damn about anything but obtaining higher office.

This Is How You Quit A Job!!!

OK, this is funny! Ghetto, but funny!

I quit this job!

Richard Jewel II

So, the Ramsey's weren't involved in the death of their daughter?

Richard Jewel II?

Something ain't right...

[ Update ]

Either Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey were innocent and received the Richard Jewel treatment or this guy lied in confessing and the media is giving him the Richard Jewel treatment.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jonbenet1.html

AUGUST 17--This is the JonBenet Ramsey autopsy report released by the Boulder County coroner on August 13, 1997. While a Thailand immigration official has said that John Karr, who was arrested yesterday in Bangkok for the girl's murder, reportedly claimed to have drugged the child before raping her, the autopsy notes that a "blood drug screen" was negative.

Again, something ain't right.