Ward "Coon" Connerly

 

"Voters in five U.S. states where illegal immigration is a hot-button issue may see affirmative-action bans on their November 2008 ballots.

American Civil Rights Institute founder Ward Connerly, who successfully pushed similar votes in Michigan, Washington and California , has begun campaigning for November ballots to ban affirmative action in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma, USA Today said.

Connerly, a California management consultant, said the campaigns are part of efforts to end race- and gender-based policies nationwide and his organization would stay away from immigration issues, the newspaper said.

Critics, however, said that may be impossible.

"Affirmative action, by its nature, is associated with minorities," Michael Kanner, a political science professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told USA Today. "In Colorado, for example, the dominant minorities are Hispanic, so it is inevitable that the two will be tied together."

My respoonse:

Ward Connerly makes me sick.  Idiot. 

No Charges filed against Brandy

The Los Angeles city attorney's office said they will not charge Brandy in the crash that killed 38 year old Awatef Aboudihaj.

According to a spokes man, there is "insufficient evidence" for a jury to find the 28-year-old actress-singer guilty of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt.

Brandy's legal battle is not over, though. She still has to defend against a civil suit filed by the victim's parents, children, and husband for more than $50 million.

This is still a sad, unfortunate accident. I pray that everyone comes out of this trial all right.

Movie Review: The Great Debaters

Me and the fam went to see The Great Debaters last night. I was expecting to be let down because so many times when people go on and on about a movie it turns out to be just okay for me.

But I cried three times in this movie and on several occasions the sold out crowd applauded. One person even did the church thing and stood up and clapped. It was sooooo good.

Inspirational, educational, and entertaining. Denzel, you did good.

Go see the movie. Excellent!

More protestors in Jena

But this time, there's a twist...

A white separatist group planning a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Jena is suing the town, claiming officials are violating the Constitution by asking participants not to bring firearms, changing the parade route by one block and requiring the posting of a bond.

The Nationalist Movement filed the federal lawsuit Dec. 14 and is seeking a temporary restraining order to keep the town from interfering with the Learned, Miss.-based group's "Jena Justice Day" rally. Group officials claim the town's rules violate their 14th Amendment rights to due process.

The planned Jan. 21 march is in response to the thousands who rallied on Sept. 20 in Jena in support of six black teens who have become known as the "Jena Six," and against what they claimed was disproportionately harsh treatment of blacks by prosecutors.

The Jena High students were initially charged with attempted murder in connection with a Dec. 4, 2006, attack on a white student. All charges were later reduced to aggravated second-degree battery or second-degree battery.

"When a group of, say, minorities or homosexuals want to have a parade, they aren't usually required to put up a bond or pay for police or pay for cleanup," said Barry Hackney, a spokesman for the organization.

The ordinance, Mayor Murphy McMillin said, has been in place for "many, many years." All seven of the organizations that participated in the September rally complied with all the guidelines, town officials said.

There were no reports of arrests or vandalism after more than 20,000 rallied in support of the Jena Six.

Hackney said the Nationalist Movement will not come to Jena if their concerns are not resolved by Jan. 21.

Walter Dorroh, attorney for Jena, said the community would follow the laws and let due process work.

The Nationalist Movement has among its missions revoking integration at the University of Mississippi, and has called on its football coach to de-integrate the team.

In an Oct. 15 letter to McMillin, Richard Barrett, an attorney for the Nationalists, asks the town for electricity for loudspeakers and electronic equipment, "adequate security," restroom facilities, access to drinking water, "adequate and secure parking" and no noise from hecklers.

In McMillin's Nov. 27 response to Barrett's requests, he asked Barrett to fill out the permit application and provide proof, as is required in the ordinance, of a $10,000 bond. He also pointed out that the town doesn't have responsibility for and wouldn't be providing restrooms, water, food, on-site emergency medical care or electricity.

McMillin said these services were provided by the parish for the September rally, and he encouraged Barrett to contact the LaSalle Parish Police Jury about those needs.

The Nationalists say Jena's rules governing public demonstrations are invalid and unconstitutionally over-broad.

The Nationalist Movement successfully sued York, Pa., over fees the city tried to charge it for a rally the group held in 2003. That rally drew five members of the movement.

FSU suspends 23 players for bowl game

Twenty-three players are expected to miss the game as a result of an academic misconduct case involving student-athletes and a former tutor who provided improper help with an online test, according to sources close to the process. The defense is expected to be the hardest hit.

FSU will not identify who the 23 players are, but,uh...when we don't see them at the bowl game, we'll know who they are.  I'm just shaking my head.  I'm not mad at them for cheating. I'm mad at 'em for getting caught. Tee hee. 

Naw...I'm just joki-- serious. LOL!!!

Awe, learn how to laugh.

Say That!

It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others. . . . One ever feels his twoness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warrings ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.


W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
The Souls of Black Folk (1903)"

Ex-Black Panther sues Emory professor over calling her a snitch

Welcome to AJC! ajc.com: "A woman who once chaired the Black Panther Party says in a lawsuit that one of the now-defunct party's most prominent figures has spread false rumors that the chairwoman was an FBI snitch.

Elaine Brown, who led the organization from 1974 to 1977, has filed a lawsuit against Kathleen Cleaver, ex-wife of the late Panthers spokesman Eldridge Cleaver."

Brown, who is currently seeking the Green Party nomination for president, accuses Kathleen Cleaver and her son-in-law, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, of defamation and other offenses for spreading allegations that Brown was an informant for the FBI.

The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court on Dec. 3, says Cleaver told another former Panther last June that "she would never support Ms. Brown because she was an FBI informant."
Kathleen Cleaver, who was a prominent Panther Party member herself, is now a senior lecturer at the Emory University School of Law. Brown, an author and activist, lives in Brunswick on the Georgia coast.
The lawsuit includes a copy of an e-mail allegedly from Cleaver's son-in-law accusing Brown of instigating the shooting deaths of two Black Panther members, then falsifying her testimony at the resulting murder trial.

Brown's lawsuit says the defendants have damaged and continue to harm her reputation, her ability to earn a livelihood and her chances for political success.

The Fulton County Daily Report, which published an article on the lawsuit Thursday, said efforts to reach Brown via her campaign Web site's e-mail and a request for comment relayed through her attorneys were unsuccessful. The newspaper's telephone and e-mail messages for Cleaver were also not returned. Cleaver and Brown did not immediately return messages Thursday from the AP.

The Black Panther Party, founded in 1966 in Oakland, Calif., played a highly publicized role in social unrest in the U.S. the 1960s and 70s.

Former NFL QB , wife fined $5,000 for allowing underage drinking | ajc.com

Former NFL QB , wife fined $5,000 for allowing underage drinking ajc.com: "Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jack Trudeau and wife Lisa agreed to pay a $5,000 fine Friday for allowing underage drinking at their home during a high school graduation party for daughter Danielle.
The Boone County prosecutor dropped all other charges against Jack Trudeau, including a felony count of obstruction of justice and misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor."

Where's the outrage!

Williams Floyd and Terrell Buckley get their degrees tomorrow

William Floyd promised his mother and coach Bobby Bowden upon leaving Florida State a year early for the 1994 NFL Draft that he would complete his college education.

Two years earlier, Terrell Buckley made the same vow to his mother and FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Floyd's oldest son, Andrew, was just 3 years old. Buckley's three daughters weren't even born when he left FSU with unfinished business

But it is for their children, as much as anyone, that the former teammates will walk in Saturday's FSU graduation ceremony.

Congrats Floyd and Buck.

Talking smack about Xavier Lee

I hopped on nolesports.com to read about bowl preparation. Instead, the first thing that got my attention were comments about Xavier Lee. Pretty much the same ol' comments but it still made me want to do a post about it.

Some of the comments said that Xavier is inconsistent and that's why he isn't starting. That's true. He is inconsistent. So is Drew.

Some say he can't read the play book. Don't know about that one.

But you know the conversation quickly turned to race. He isn't playing because he's black.

Before you go talking about Charlie Ward, let me fill you in on that. Charlie was only given the starting job because the QB in front of him got hurt. There was no one else to play. Charlie just did what Xavier didn't. He played so well that Bowden would have been crazy to yank him.

Something stinks at FSU and I won't say what it is but I'll tell you this...if my son were ready to go to college right now it wouldn't be FSU. Not under this administration.

And that's all I've got to say about it...for now.

Say That!

"Ultimately, it is about respecting people of faith, including those whose faith is so important to them that it influences their vote. America was, and remains, a religious nation where voters take their values, derived from their religious beliefs, to the voting booths. But, that is truly America’s established tradition of religious liberty. " -- Ken Blackwell, conservative Republicasn commentator and former Ohio Secretary of State.

Casey to FSU!!!

I say we start a petition and demand that Casey be placed on the FSU coaching staff. Don't we need a quarterback coach?

Casey makes a statement

The following is a statement Casey Weldon made on Thursday to the North Florida Christian football team, students, fans, parents, faculty and staff:

“I want to give so many thanks for the support before this, during this and after this. There are so many people to thank. I just really appreciate the support me and my family have gotten … I’m not perfect, I haven’t been perfect. And when I wasn’t I owned up to it. To the entire school, I just love it. I love it. I loved the opportunity to coach these kids. I felt like I was getting better.

“And I learned so much. I got so much from these last two years. It was the best two years of football that I’ve ever had. And that’s saying an awful lot. It was just so, so rewarding. I hope that these boys will be better men, better husbands, better fathers having been underneath the coaches. Not me, not just me, but all of the staff that we’ve had the last two years.
“I love NFC. And I always will.”

Classy, classy guy. Too classy for NFC.

Read this column about Casey's firing. I couldn't say it better myself.

Low down and dirty

Just when I thought the Weeks/Bynum controversy would fall off into oblivion...

Bishop Thomas Weeks was on the Tom Joyner morning show on Monday talking smack about Juanita Bynum.

He appeared to announce the debut of his book, which was selling for $13.95. It included pages detailing what Weeks said were the couple's "weaknesses" in chapters with titles like "Opposites Attract, But Do They Last," and "She Wanted To Be the Next Oprah at Any Cost."

About 48 hours later, "What Love Taught Me" was yanked from distribution with this message on his website to his wife and his Global Destiny church family: "I want to speak to my wife," Weeks pleads. "I haven't been able to talk to her since Aug. 21, but I want to share something very personal and heartfelt. ... I have wounded her emotionally in the last 48 hours. I want to say publicly, globally and privately from my heart, I'm sorry. I am pulling every book that would have been shipped."

Weeks, an author and leader of a global ministry, promises a "full refund" to those who have ordered the book and says he will rerelease it at another date under a new title, "What Love Taught Me — Only."

I'm just shakin' my head. Scandalous. And we act like we don't know why attendance is down at church. Help us, Jesus.

Vick asked for mercy

Michael Vick wrote a five-page letter to Judge Henry E. Hudson prior to Monday's sentencing hearing in Richmond, Va.

In it, Vick declared "I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be" and asked for leniency in a letter to the federal judge who sentenced him to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy.

Vick's handwritten letter was one of several submitted on behalf of the suspended Falcons quarterback. The documents were unsealed by the court on Thursday.

Other supporters who wrote letters on Vick's behalf included Hank Aaron, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and former boxing champion George Foreman.

Read the letters here.

Black Like Me

So, remember my "Race Row' post? Well, apparently, he opened a can of worms he should have left closed.

James D. Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and winner of the Nobel prize, raised a storm recently when a British newspaper quoted him saying that black Africans are not as intelligent as whites. But his own brilliant DNA seems to blur the lines.

A new analysis of Dr. Watson’s genome shows that he has 16 times the number of genes considered to be of African origin than the average white European does — about the same amount of African DNA that would show up if one great-grandparent were African, said Kari Stefansson, the chief executive of deCODE Genetics of Iceland, which did the analysis.

And you know if you have one drop of black blood then you are all the way black. How you like them apples? LOL. I love when ignorance is exposed.

Read it here.

Ike Turner is dead

Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife and icon Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.

"He did pass away this morning" at his home in San Marcos, in northern San Diego County, said Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's musical career.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death, which was first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in his later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for "Risin' With the Blues."

But his image is forever identified as the drug-addicted, wife-abusing husband of Tina Turner. He was hauntingly portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the movie "What's Love Got To Do With It," based on Tina Turner's autobiography.

In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Turner denied his ex-wife's claims of abuse and expressed frustration that he had been demonized in the media, adding that his historic role in rock's beginnings had been ignored.

"You can go ask Snoop Dogg or Eminem, you can ask the Rolling Stones or (Eric) Clapton, or you can ask anybody - anybody, they all know my contribution to music, but it hasn't been in print about what I've done or what I've contributed until now," he said.

Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.

But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record - it was recorded with Turner's band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.

And it would be another singer - a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock - who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.

Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced singer the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.

The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, "A Fool In Love," was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine."

But over the years they're genre-defying sound would make them favorites on the rock 'n' roll scene, as they opened for acts like the Rolling Stones.

The densely layered hit "River Deep, Mountain High" was one of producer Phil Spector's proudest creations. A rousing version of "Proud Mary," a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and won them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

Billy Joe is going to Alabama

Billy Joe is returning to the sidelines.

But not for FAMU as some would like.

The former Florida A&M coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee has accepted the head football job at Miles College, a NCAA Division II school in Birmingham, Ala.

Good for you, Coach! Blessings to you!

Click here to read the rest.

North Florida Christian Fires Casey Weldon

After two years and two appearances in the Class 1A state championship game, Casey Weldon is no longer the head coach at North Florida Christian.

Casey was notified today that he will not be back in 2008.

How in the world does a coach with a 23-5 record, lead a football team to the State Championship for two years in a row and get fired? I'll tell you how, read this former post. Apparently, Casey refused to kiss the pastor's behind so he had to go. I told you some of these pastors think they are God Himself. It makes me sick.

Casey is a Seminole and when you mess with him you mess with Seminole Nation. I was contemplating sending my son to NFC. No way in the world would I send him now...unless they hired Shaun King as a head coach...NOT

The leadership at NFC is a bunch of jerks. I hope they lose every game they play next year...talkin' about it was God's will. Some of these folks are gonna bust hell wide open lying on God.

Casey, God bless you, baby. Everything happens for a reason and what was meant for your evil will turn for your great good. Watch.

PetriNO is gone -- Good Riddance

I have never heard Warrick Dunn say a negative word about anybody. But Petrino brings out the worse in one of the nicest players in the NFL.

"We play on Monday night and he's not at the meetings," tailback Warrick Dunn said. "Guys noticed that. We talked about it before the game. Then word gets out this guy might be going to Arkansas. I heard this before the game. To be able to look at him face to face and for him to try and lead you and motivate you is tough.

"He sold us a dream. He put this organization last in his life. He's selfish. He's definitely a liar. One of the things we have hanging in our meeting room is [a sign] 'Finish.' If he wanted to leave, you can at least finish three more games. It's 18 days. You can finish it and say, 'You know what, this wasn't for me.' You can respect that. But to let it go yesterday the way that he did and the disrespectful way that he did it, to me he has no heart."

My response:

I don't know why everybody is acting all hurt because Petrino is gone. I say "Good riddance." He was a horrible coach. One thing that I noticed was that he hardly ever gave Ovie the ball and he made Dunn look like he was done. Now that he's gone, maybe the Falcons can have a winning season next year.

Sherraye Speaks -- Authority isn't always right

I hate authority. I have no respect for authority. I don't like anybody telling me what to do and I definitely don't tolerate being talked to any kind of way. For that, I do not apologize.

A few weeks ago, my daughter was accosted by a teacher. The teacher told my daughter that she couldn't go in the gym but my daughter explained to her that she had to get her books. When she went in the gym she noticed that other students were in the gym playing basketball. Apparently, the teacher felt it was okay for them to be in there. My daughter looked around, made an observation, and said under her breath but loud enough for the teacher to hear it, "Oh, I can't come in the gym but these white kids can, huh?" She was actin' like her mama. The teacher put her hands in my child's face and was bumping her with her chest. You know I hit the roof don't you?

Then some of the school officials tried to lie. Um huh. After I got through pulling a Johnnie Cochran on 'em they acted like they had some sense.

I don't like authority. Things like that happened to me all the time when I was a child. Grown folks act like they can say anything they want to you just because they are grown. Police officers act like it's okay to beat the crap out of suspects just because they are police officers. Pastors act like anyone who doesn't bow down and worship them will be struck down by God Himself. Please

I can't stand authority. People in authority kill innocent people, frame innocent people, enslave people, and imprison innocent people. I fight against it, I speak against it, I rebel against it.

Really, it's not that I don't like authority. I just hate when it is abused.

Just a rant for the evening. Clearly I'm ticked off about something.

23 Months for Vick

Hey everybody. I took my last final today and true to my word, I'm back. You know I got to talk about my boy Vick. By now I know you know that he got 23 months. Yep. He got 23 months for dog fighting. Meanwhile, the murderers of Martin Lee Anderson are at the house chillin'. This is why some people don't respect the legal system. Justice is not blind. It has a seeing eye dog.

Not Blogging Until After Exams

here

World AIDS Day

Today folks around the world are celebrating World AIDS Day 2007 the theme of World AIDS Day 2007 (December 1st) is “Leadership”. There is no better time than now for all leaders at all levels to recommit themselves to Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise! People have been participating in their own way all week and today is the culmination of those events.The stats are wild to say the least. As the latest report indicates, over 5700 people died each day from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007. Over 6800 people are still being infected with HIV daily, about 1200 of whom are children under 15 and about 2900 are women 15 years and older. The infection rates in young people ages 15-24 remain frighteningly high. We know these infections and these deaths are preventable and avoidable if promises by countries to scale up access to prevention, treatment, care and support for all are to be fulfilled by 2010. The reduced figures for the HIV epidemic and stabilization in some areas of rates of infection in fact make such universal access by 2010 more achievable. Be sure to visit The World AIDS Campaign official website to find out how to donate to the cause, support the cause in our area, and/or just to educate yourself on the AIDS epidemic in general. It’s not a game out here peoples. Being fabulous is being aware. And to stay the fabulous person you already are…it’s time to take action.