DarkStar Spouts Off

The Daily Show Is Satire On The COMEDY CHANNEL!!!!!

To me, the best satire is one that takes a look at some event, and then builds off of that event in a way that is plausible, and then just goes over the top in some way. It could be taking the event and extending it to the extreme or it can be an explanation that starts in truth and then ends in the absurd.

I tend to like irony so if irony is involved, I think the satire is likely to be successful.

To me, that was the goodness of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

If anyone went to that show to get "news", then they are the one's who have the problem. How can you go to...
... wait for it....
.... wait foooooorrrrrrrrrr itttttttt......
The Comedy Channel for news!?!?!?!?!?

Anyone who claims Jon Stewart was anyway dishonest in "presenting news," is part of the joke and shows the brilliance of the show. They have been P*WNED!

Iggy Azalea Haters, Take Several Back Seats!

I don't know Iggy Azalea from the reptile -- wait for it ‪#‎DryHumor‬ -- but I think her critics need to close their mouths, sit down, and take the back seat.

Rap went WORLD WIIIIIIIIDDDDDDEEEEEEE and when you have "the children" of the original hip hop and rap, producing the GAR-BAGHE, they are producing, now, what do you expect?

So I'm sorry -- ‪#‎NotSorry‬ -- but everyone saying "cultural appropriation!" can forget that. I'm not claiming that trash called rap today as part of My Black History and Black culture!

Things Many Public Conservatives, Including Black, Don't Want You To Know

I'm tired. So, here are some things that many public conservatives, including public Black conservatives, do not want you to know:

• Blacks don't consider Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, Sr., to be leaders:
  

  8. Which of the following speaks for you most often?

  Person	Percent (%)
  Reverend Al Sharpton,National Action Network	24
  Reverend Jesse Jackson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition	11
  Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D‐CA)	9
  Benjamin Jealous, President&CEO,NAACP	8
  AssistantDemocratic Leader, Congressman James E. Clyburn (D‐SC)	5
  MarcH. Morial, President & CEO, National Urban League	2
  Michael Steele,former Chairman ofthe Republican National Committee	2
  None of the above	40

• A quote from Tim Scott
  

  And unlike other, more prominent black Republicans — Herman Cain or Ben Carson, for example — Scott isn’t likely to accuse black voters of being enslaved to the Democratic Party.

  “That language doesn’t suit me,” Scott says. “It’s really hard to offend someone into changing their minds.”

• Black business creation 2009:
  

  African-Americans and older Americans experience greatest increases in business-creation rates from 2008 to 2009

  ...

  Entrepreneurship rates by race show that African-Americans experienced the largest increase in entrepreneurial activity between 2008 and 2009. Rising from 0.22 percent in 2008 to 0.27 percent in 2009, the rate was the highest over the 14 years of reported data but remains below other racial groups. In contrast, both Latinos and Asians experienced declines in entrepreneurial activity rates.

•  

  Poor Blacks get LESS of the government benefits:
  Another finding of the study is that the distribution of benefits no longer aligns with the demography of poverty. African-Americans, who make up 22 percent of the poor, receive 14 percent of government benefits, close to their 12 percent population share.
• Black college degree vs. white college degree attainment:
  
• The out of wedlock birth rate for Black women is falling:
  Among unmarried black women, the birth rate dropped 11 percent between 2007 and 2012, to 63 of every 1,000 live births.
  
  

Praise In The Good Times

Please bare with me.

This morning my son woke up around 5 AM, as he normally does, because he wakes up with the sun, and it's summer time. Because of my resulting lack of sleep, I've been somewhat less tolerant of things.

I received sad news about someone's son and received updates while my son and I were out and while my wife had things to do. The following was sent to me from the person giving me updates.

"At the point of realizing Only God Can -- tired but encouraged."

The news saddened me; the comment rocked me to my core.

I've been agitated off and on but my son is healthy. He has been funny today, at times, as well as aggravating. He made some insightful comments, today.

I'm blessed. I have to praise in the good times.

Public Black Conservatives Refuse To Spotlight Blacks Handling Business

For some time I've said, and written in Usenet (remember that?) posts and web chat and blogs and Tweets here and there, that I don't think public Black conservatives really want to help those Blacks who are not doing well, to do well. I know that's a harsh statement to make, but I make it because, time and time again, you will read, hear, or see, most public Black conservatives stating there are problems in the Black community, and there definitely are problems, and that Blacks are not facing those problems.

They are wrong and they know it.

Let's start off with business. Many public Black conservatives will say that Blacks are not creating businesses nor do Blacks seem to be interested in business creation. For example, how many public Black conservatives pointed out this information?

Yet, entrepreneurialism is the one area in which these women stand out. Black women are starting businesses at three to five times the rate of all businesses, and entrepreneurship among black women has surged by 67% since 2002, according to a July 2012 report by the Center for American Progress

Also, many public Black conservatives will complain about the spending patterns of Black Americans, but will not point out the Black economic mainstay, Black Enterprise @blackenterprise, for years now, has been in the market of providing information so that Blacks will create businesses AND providing information to get Black readers to better manage their money. In fact, there is a regular feature that gives a Black family a financial checkup and advice on improving their situation. Earl Graves, Sr. backs Democrats. Is that a reason why Black conservatives refuse to spot light this magazine?

Years ago I approached Project 21 and asked why they don't add a section to their web site that highlights Black people and organizations that are doing exactly what they proclaim they say is needed. There was no response. That, and a prodding from Mike Bowen, caused me to create The Black Self Help Information web site (@BlackSelfHelpIn). (If you know of groups or people or news articles that should be mentioned, drop me an email).

Here is something sad and yet funny. On Twitter, I was blocked by @BlackRepublican for pointing out that public Black Republicans and public Black conservatives don't seem to give mention of groups like 100 Black Men (@100BlackMen), 100 Black Women, Concerned Black Men (@CBMNational) or people like Dr. Steve Perry (@DrStevePerry) or Corey Brooks (@CoreyBBrooks). 

Not only her, but Crystal Wright as well. In fact, you will find hundreds of Tweets by her claiming victim status, but not one from her proclaiming the work of Black organizations or churches or people working to fix the problems she Tweets about. I guess I'll mention here that I take it as a badge of honor that she blocked me as well. For what? Asking her why she doesn't post about Black organizations or churches working to solve problems.

I bet Sean Hannity would never have a panel of Black conservatives and ask them if what I wrote is accurate.

Pondering If The Profit Is Worth The Loss of Family Time

"Back in the day" I remember very long shopping lists being generated before the holidays so the shopping could be completed because the stores weren't open on the holiday. On the holiday, the store was closed and if you didn't get something, you either went without or went to a neighbor asking for something.

While the convenience of having the store open is nice, I feel for the people working because their family time is abbreviated. Is the profit worth it?

Latest Drop Squad Candidates

I present the members of the New Black Panther Party to be Drop Squaded for offering a bounty on George Zimmerman. Yes, I think Zimmerman belongs in jail and then should get a court date for murder, but offering a bounty on him? Way beyond uncalled for.

I also present Spike Lee for tweeting Zimmerman's address and if that wasn't bad enough, the address was wrong!

Actually, Drop Squading provides the opportunity for these people to get back in the good graces of Black people. Forget the Drop Squad. They should be forever banned from being Black!

Yeah! I said it! WHAT!!!!!

It's Not About The Hoodie

Keeping it 100.

Maybe I've lost my street edge. I never thought of Black teens or men in hoodies as threatening.

If it is cool or cold and I'm being approached by a brother in a hoodie? I'm not threatened.

If its hot outside and dude isn't looking like he's working out? Yeah, I'm rolling in the opposite direction.

Dude has on a hoodie and then starts to look around and pull up the hood or is peeping around the corner and pulls up the hood? Yeah, I'm rolling out HARD.

It wasn't about the hoodie. I'm not even convinced it was about race. Zimmerman was looking for trouble and he found Trayvone Martin.

Political Quickies

Rush Limbaugh called a woman who said the government should fund women's contraceptives, a slut. I think the government needs to stay out of everyone's sexual concerns, but I find it interesting that the man who was caught with Viagra in his possession (which is legal), by a TSA agent, when Limbaugh was going to the Caribbean, is calling someone a slut. Especially when you consider the understated fact that
there are Caribbean "sex tours" that cater to American men.

Andrew Brietbart died and some on the left are celebrating. Celebrating the death of a person is twisted in some circumstances, especially when the celebration is happening because he was a political opponent. However, the same people decrying the celebration, didn't say a thing when some on the Right, celebrated the death of Corretta Scott-King.

[ ADDED ]

Where are the Black Republicans commenting on the FEDERAL JUDGE who forwarded email that he considered racist but sent it anyway because he's anti-Obama?

Politicians Are Amoral At Best

Some time ago, I came to the conclusion that politicians on the national level are amoral at best. In that vein, think about this.

What does it say about Rick Santorum that he would ask Democrats, in an open primary state, to cast votes in the Republican primary race to vote for him? What does it say about Santorum that he would claim to be THE conservative in the race, yet has for Democrats, liberals, to vote for him in the Republican primary?

I think this shows some of Santorum's character and what is being shown is not a good think, IMO.

The Poor

Romney said he isn't worried about the poor because the existing social net is in place and if there are holes, he is willing to patch the holes.

The problem is, welfare doesn't eradicate poverty, it sustains it at a certain level. From my point of view, in the long term, that's not what you want to happen. You want the family getting welfare to be able to earn enough so that they no longer need welfare. The same thing applies for WIC.

I'm just saying.

Steve Jobs: Disruptor and Capitalist

Steve Jobs was a technology disruptor.

The Apple computer was the anti-PC PC. Starting from the beginning, the style of the Apple was anti-geek. He and his company tried to make the Apple stylish, and for its time, it was definitely stylish and the user interface over the operating system was, and still is, advanced and far ahead of the major competitor for the personal computer market. Today, if you notice the major pc vendors are selling "all-in-one" computers that try to copy the iMac.

People are talking about the iPod and how it revolutionized how people listen to music. It was, and is, a technology distruptor. Instead of boxes and racks full of alblums and cassettes and CD cases, we have disks full of music that gets put on an iPod device for carrying around.

And the iPhone totally revolutionized the "smart phone" market. Single handedly, the iPhone has crushed the market share for RIM Blackberry and has brought the email and "mobile computing" market to the masses.

I can't forget about Pixar, which created entertaining and advanced animation movies. It did so well that Disney, considered to be animation company, brought it to learn from them AND to gain movie market share.

All of these were disruptors to the current technology and business market. The iPod has helped to change the music industry for better or worse. The animation you see now in the movies is really top notch. Would "Avatar" be possible without Pixar? Would the smart phone market be what it is, today, without the driving force of the iPhone?

And how many businesses would not be around, today, because of the disruption Apple, led by Steve Jobs, caused in the technology and entertainment markets? Just consider all of the smart phone app makers and the companies needed to push and stream all of the data to your smart phone. That's where the capitalism comes in. That's how one company and spawn multiple companies and cause wealth to be created and spread. That's how one company can force older companies to innovate or be squashed under the competition.

And, frankly, I think the NeXT operating system was WAY ahead of the pack.

What The Cornel West Mess Really Means

Cornel West is blasting President Obama on what he, West, believes is the president's inaction on "Black issues" as well as progressive/liberal issues. As a strong defender of President Obama, Al Sharpton, somewhat rightly, has defended the president by saying he, Obama, is the president of the United States and not just president of Black America.

That last point is something I heard many Black supporters say about Obama soon after he won election and that was something I expected to hear since then candidate Obama couldn't win with just the Black vote.

In 2010, I wrote that I thought the election of Obama as president meant the change within Black America politics was manifesting itself.

West's polemics are a clear indication of a "civil rights agitator/thinker" trying to get a non-civil rights based politician to "get in line." But what, I think, people are missing, is that some so-called "Black leaders" are now calling for accountability. What has been missed in this mess is, even Al Sharpton has criticized President Obama.

Simple Question

What the hell is a member of the IMF doing staying in a $3000 a night
hotel room?

Pakistan, In Plain View

1. Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan, in a urban area living in a big
compound; not in a cave. So much for common assumptions, huh?
2. He was in Pakistan.
3. The Navy Seals met no resistance getting to the compound, which to
me says, Pakistan authorities knew he was there and let the killing
happen because they are tired of the U.S. placing drone strikes all
over the place.
4. See # 3.
5. See # 3.

Words Have No Power

With the conservative media all saying strong rhetoric does not cause people to do criminal acts, such as going on a killing spree, I have to wonder something. Will members of that same media now stop blaming Al Sharpton for the nutcase who set the fire at Freddy's Fashion Mart which killed people?

Just askin'

Thoughts: Back from England

I was in England for a week and I come back with some thoughts:

Politics:

The British conservative party is in charge and Prime Minister David Cameron has proposed massive cuts with a plan to get the UK out of deficit spending in four years. Among the things I remember are cutting of government employees by 500,000 jobs. This includes cutting back on policemen. I found that VERY interesting as crime is a problem that they can't solve just with a massive and intrusive array of police cameras. Critics aresaying children and the social net are taking most of the hits but from what I could see, I don't think that's accurate.

The conservative party in England is doing what the Tea Party affilitated/backed/aligned politicians claim they want to do. If it works in the UK, I think it bodes well for the U.S.

Taxes:

The value added tax (VAT) rate is about 16%, which is VERY high AND there are still income taxes on earnings. At the start of the year, the VAT is being raised to 20%. To me, that's oppressive. and it is a STRONG signal as to why I'm against the VAT. Twenty percent and they STILL have an income tax?

Sports:

Soccer is THE GAME in England, and THE BIG STORY other than the cutbacks, was soccer player Wayne Rooney's desire to leave Manchester United. A prostitute said she had sex with Rooney during the time his wife was pregnant with their child. The club owner criticized Rooney and Rooney had a fit saying he would not renew his contract. The entire week I was there, this was the number 2 news story. It ended with Rooney signing a new agreement. It reminded me of the LeBron James media mess after he announced he was going to Miami.

Culture:

We are about 40% similar and the rest is very different. From the words and phrases we use, to the times stores close outside of London, to how people eat at a restaruant, to how we drive way beyond driving on the left side of the road in a right hand steered car... We are different and it is eye opening the differences that occurred over a few hundred years.

Cars:

England has MANY MORE car makers than the U.S., which is supposed to be a very big market. And the options for small cars of all engine sizes is amazing by our standards but not amazing when you drive on narrow streets.

I drove the European version of the Ford Focus while there and I was IMPRESSED by the car. Not only that, I was FLOORED by the look of many European Ford products. I really liked the Ford Mondeo and was reminded of the old Ford Merkur that was sold in the U.S, based off of a European model. It was a bust in the U.S. but I liked the car and EVERYONE who had one that I asked, LOVED the car. The Mondeo doesn't look like that car, but just the difference in styling. BTW, there the Honda Accord is the Acura TSX.

More later...

Not fully baked: Help Me Work Something Thru

This piece isn't fully baked but I'm throwing it out there anyway.

Help me think about something...

When technical companies like Microsoft were young, they were in bidding wars for the services of software engineers/programmers/analysts. Not only was it a matter of pay, but it was a matter of perks to go along with employment: matching the 401K, vacation packages, flexible hours, snacks paid by the company, health club memberships, stock bonuses, stock purchase plans, etc.

In Silicon Valley, California, it was common for people to work for a company, then give 2 weeks notice and leave the company on a Friday. On the following Monday, they would go to work for the new company, right across the street from their old employer, only then they were earning more money.

Now, technical companies are using H1-B work visas to bring in immigrants to work the technical jobs. Bill Gates has said it is because the U.S. lacks the technical workers, but the out of work technical workers say the companies, after years helping to elevate the cost of technical workers, are now trying to lower the costs and the H1-B visa program is the way they are trying to do it. There has been some salary surveys which back them up.

In the meantime, the companies have outsourced the work to places like India with the idea that the work will be the same, if not better, but the costs will be much cheaper. The thing is, the work produced has not necessarily been better and the cost of outsourcing is actually increasing because the employees of the companies that are doing outsourcing, are now in the same situation as the Silicon Valley companies: they need people so the people are demanding higher wages and better benefits.

What are possible long term effects?

1. A loss of technical expertise as the techical problems arise overseas and it is the people overseas who develop the technical know how to solve the problems by coming up with "standard" solutions as well as innovations that move the technical world forward a step or a mile.
2. A higher unemployment rate as people who should be employed in this country doing technical jobs, no longer have those jobs as options.
3. A lower standard of living for those in the technical field in the U.S. because the price of the technical workers will be lower.

Is this a situation where lower taxes for those companies will help keep jobs in the U.S.? No.

Is this a situation where unions can be blamed for the rising cost of employees? No.

Is this a situation that can be blamed on excessive regulations? No.

Should the federal government be involved in this type of situation at all? As I see it, no. If American businesses want to focus on the near term bottom line to such an extent that it may wreck their long term bottom line and even maybe cause a loss of intellectual property, so be it. The only time the federal government should get involved is if a foreign country is using tariffs to make imports from the U.S. less competitive.

So what am I getting at?

In this silly season, just try thinking about the quips the politicians make when campaigning. Think about the talk show hacks are really saying. Think about what the pundits are writing.

Peace Loving Muslims, Speak Out!

So what if "peace loving Muslims" speak out?

What does it mean if they do?

It means nothing.

Why do I say this?

Because non-peace loving Muslims are still going to do what they do: threaten and kill. So the non-peace loving Muslims will add the peace loving Muslims to their list and go about their business.

Email Exchange: I Got Your Plantation Right Here!

From an email exchange, today:

I'm Black and I'm a Republican. What I hate is Black Republicans and Black conservatives, alike, LIE about the progress that Blacks have made.

Did you know that for the past few years, Blacks have been leading, proportionally, in creating small businesses?

When listening to public Black Republicans and public Black conservatives, people would never know that 20-25% of Blacks are on welfare vs. MOST which people like [ public Black conservatives/Black Republicans ] would have you believe.

A serious side note: the same public Black conservatives/Black Republicans say that Al Sharpton is a race hustler and leader of most Blacks. Yet, Sharpton won ONE mostly Black voting district [ in the Democrat Presidential primary race he ran ] and at "his rally" this past weekend, less than [ a couple of thousand ] people who showed up. And the NAACP membership has been dropping since the 1980s!

But pointing that out takes away from talking points.

But I didn't write anything new.

Commentary Hash

Stream of thoughts:

• The ethics case against Charles Rangel seems cut and dry. He dodged paying taxes, didn't report income, and didn't fully disclose his finances. To quote the late Robin Harris, "gotta go, gotta go".
• The ethics case against Maxine Waters seems weak to me. As I understand it, before TARP, she had a meeting with a Black owned bank organization, of which One United is a member. Later, One United gets TARP money. But, the problem is Maxine Waters' husband has a financial stake in One United. From what I can tell, the ethics charge is weak.
• I've read and heard that it has been confirmed that Democrats are using "racist charges" as political strategy against opponents. Black Democrats and so-called "Black leaders" need to be riding the charge against this practice since it weakens the racist claim. (I'll wait until you finish laughing).
• Alicia Keyes hooks up with Swiss Beatz, a major producer, who is married. They are now married and the ex-wife is taking every opportunity to call Keyes a home wrecker. Given Beatz is in a lot of tax trouble, I think Keyes got the bad end of the deal.
• Fantasia is messing with a married man and from the looks of it, the man's wife is setting Fantasia up for an alienation of affection lawsuit. If she is having money troubles, now, just wait, especially if the wife's claim of sex tapes is true.
• A flight attendant tells a passenger to sit down and wait for the plane to come to a complete stop. The passenger ignores him, opens up the overhead bin and the baggage falls on the attendant's head, causing a gash. At this point, the attendant curses out the passenger, grabs the intercom, curses out everyone on the plane, grabs a beer, and leaves via the emergency  escape chute. The SWAT TEAM goes to his home to arrest him. At the time, the attendant is, ummm, "busy."
  
  Hello! The man gets a gash on his head, curses people out, grabs a beer, and leaves via an emergency escape chute. Is that a reason for SENDING OUT THE SWAT TEAM!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
• Google teaming up with Verizon to say that wireless data traffic should be subject to traffic prioritization makes good business sense from the network provider and service provider point of view. The provider gets faster access which may mean people want to go to their site over competitors. The network provider gets to benefit because they get paid on a continuous basis to shape traffic which is a part of their network infrastructure hardware. It costs very little to implement and monitor. I don't like it but, frankly, I expect it.
• I also expect the unlimited wireless data plans to go away within 5 years. They are getting us hooked on the wireless access crack. After we get hooked, we will pay for "privilege."

Killing Your Kid With Love

Later tonight I'm going to post a link to an article that is an example of loving your kid to death. This is a sad case and this is a situation where adults need to be adults no matter how much whining happens.

[ UPDATE ]

What this story isn't saying is John Crowder went back to his old neighborhood after his grandmother said he could come back home. The young man needed structure and discipline. His grandmother didn't provide the discipline.

In the toughest sections of Baltimore, even the most hopeful stories can end up breaking your heart.

That's what Brodie Crowder wants you to know about the murder of his cousin, John.

John Crowder spent most of the last two years trying to straighten out his life. He earned solid grades in his classes at Towson Catholic and Mount Carmel. On the basketball court, the 6-foot-8 teenager soared over competitors to snare rebounds and cram home dunks. Coaches knew him as a big puppy dog who greeted them with hugs and broke up the room with his crazy laugh. Division I recruiters had their eyes on him, and the scholarship he badly wanted seemed a sure thing.

That made it so much harder when the calls began buzzing around the city's tight-knit basketball community on Monday morning. The baby-faced kid, known as "Big John" since the sixth grade, had been shot and left bleeding in a yard near his grandmother's house in Northeast Baltimore. He died a few hours later at nearby Johns Hopkins Hospital. Police sources say he had drugs on him when he was found. No one has been arrested.

This young man had what many, too damn many, young Black men don't have, and that is people who care and who do things to help steer them to the right path and keep them there. The sad thing is, if he didn't have basketball skills, he probably would have met harm earlier.

IMO, his grandmother loved him so much she let him slide. That love killed him.

Independence Day

I'm grilling for the nuclear family. We may see fireworks tonight, depending on the mood of D.S. 2.0. He gets, shall we say, very strong willed when he lacks sleep and so far, we are not having a good day.

I'm grateful to God for allowing me to be with family, yesterday, and for securing my and my family's, nuclear and extended, safe travel and return. I'm grateful to God for placing me in my family and extended family, although not all has been wonderful and trouble free. I'm grateful to God for placing me in a family who is placed in a country, who, at this time, now has the relative freedom to try to be what they want to be.

The country didn't start off perfect and still is not perfect. The stain of slavery will forever bear it's mark on this country, but God Bless America, now and always.

The Last Airbender

A world is full of people who can master only one fundamental element. A person is born who has the ability to master all "fundamental elements" but that person is born into a group of people who master one element. When that person dies, he/she is born again to another group of people who master a different element. The person grows up and learns, again, to master all elements, and the Avatar line continues.

That's multiculturalism with a heavy dose of Earth worshiping.

I LOVED the anime series and look forward to seeing the movie.

Slush Fund?

OK, the $20 billion dollar fund that BP has agreed to is being called
a slush fund.

Huh?

There are asbestos companies that went bankrupt in order to avoid
paying into the asbestos claim fund that came about as the result of
lawsuits. There are business analysts who are saying BP may be forced
to go into bankruptcy because of this spill and if that happens, the
cleanup will not be funded by them.

Slush fund?