Thursday, August 26, 2010

Proud Uncle

NAME: ARTHUR DARSEAN SMITH
AGE:15YRS
HT: 6'0
WT:240LBS
POSITION: OFFENSE/DEFENSE LINEMAN /TACKLE
#79

The massive child whose stats are listed above is my young nephew. Yes, the same nephew who I used to sling around and changed his pamper as a baby is now a massive man-child. He plays his first game tomorrow and I gotta say I am as nervous and as happy as can be. I only wish I was there but you better believe I will be making my way down there to see my big homie play against the best Mississippi has to offer. Jeez, looking at the photo is not making me feel good about my chances if I get challenged to a physical feat.


There. Much better. Good luck nephew!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Happiness is food.

My good friend Sterling already wrote about the Publican, but I'd be insulting the fantastic food if I too didn't make an attempt to convey the glorious deliciousness that was placed before me at the Publican.

The best tasting pork belly ever with a maple glaze...just mmmm.


F'in delicious.


That's the look of happiness right there.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Edward Kennedy Eulogy for RFK



After reading the Last Lion, a fantastic book on Ted Kennedy, I felt I had to post this beautiful eulogy for his fallen brother. It still after all these years is remarkable powerful.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

My take on the Dr. Laura controversy

Before last week I had no idea what Dr. Laura Schlessinger was actually a doctor of, I just assumed she was a doctor in the same way Dr. Phil or Dr. Pepper was. Now I know she is a doctor af asinine logic and fake martyrdom. If you haven’t heard, the esteemed Dr. Laura was asked a question by a caller to her show and instead of using her platform to help as her call in line supposedly does, she uses it to open a pandora’s box that she can’t close. Here is the conversation in it’s entirety.

CALLER: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?
DR. LAURA: It depends how it's said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's ok.
CALLER: But you're not black, they're not black, my husband is white.
DR. LAURA: Oh, I see, so a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can't do much about that.
CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the n***** word, and I hope everybody heard it.
DR. LAURA: I didn't spew out the n***** word!
CALLER: You said "n*****, n*****, n*****" and I hope everybody heard it.
DR. LAURA: Yes they did, and I'll say it again: n*****, n*****, n***** is what you hear on HBO.
[Crosstalk]
DR. LAURA: Why don't you let me finish a sentence? Don't take things out of context. Don't NAACP me, leave them in context.

The question the caller had was how should she convey to her white husband it offends her when he and his friends us the word nigger. What Dr. Laura did was use her platform to in my opinion maybe justify her own previously unaired use of the word. And when the caller who is clearly offended by the word from the get go is offended once more, she besmirches the name of an organization that has done a lot of good for the African American community and uses the flawed logic of “well if they can do it, I can do it.”

The debate over whether or not to use the word is a complicated one. I have been called out of my name before using the epithet in question and it Is downright dehumanizing. But I can see the point of those who say if you are going to try and degrade us, we will take the power out of the word by making it our own. But to go off on a tangent such as the one she did shows there was some residual bubbling under the surface for her. I’m not saying she’s a racist but perhaps an internal battle brewed inside her as to whether or not she should be allowed to say the word.
I also took offense to her just assuming all black guys refer to each with that same greeting. I tend to use the name of black friends instead of the Boyz in the the Hood era greetings in which she has unfairly put on all young men of color. Yes the statistics are sad regarding my demographic but the assumption we are all the same is unfair and cheapens the hard work we have done to become functioning members of society.

If her intent was to bring attention to the n-word debate, mission accomplished. But then she made an appearance on Larry King Live and one comment in particular after her announcement to leave her show at the end of her contract rubbed me the wrong way.

"The reason is I want to regain my First Amendment rights. I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors. I'm sort of done with that."

Oh I get it! You are being denied your right to free speech. Wait…you were allowed to go on your rant. The first amendment does not mean you are exempt from any backlash that your statements may cause. My right as an American is to voice my disapproval with how you got your point across. It is anyone whose eyes may come across this to disagree with me on any forum the choose. That is the beauty of America. You can’t have your right to free speech and deny the people who disagree with you their right. That’s not how it works.

If I had my way the word would not be banished as if it were some leper, it would be learned about. The pain the word has caused must be remembered because if we don’t learn from our mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Pippen > Bayless


Anyone who knows me knows that one of the things that I am downright fanatical about is basketball. especially for my adopted hometown's team the Chicago Bulls. So imagine the great pride of seeing one of my favorite Bulls and one of the best all around players Scottie Pippen get elected to the basketball hall of fame. And for the most part anyone who knows anything about the game has said it is deserved and spoke of the versatility of the consummate team player. That is except for the king of the haters Skip Bayless.

Bayless on ESPN made the ridiculous claim that because Pippen played with the greatest player of all time he was just a product of the system and had nothing but open looks. Nevermind the fact Brad Sellers and Orlando Woolridge both failed in the role to an extent, never mind that his all around game has been praised from John Wooden to Chuck Daly, two guys who know a thing or two about the game, no it was all because of Jordan. I can't make a case just by being loud like Mr. Bayless, but what I can do is use the statistics to prove it.


Bayless claims because Pip didn't even score 20,000 in his career he was just a good player. A list of players who need their status revoked from the Hall would include Isaiah Thomas, Bob Mcadoo, Dolph Shayes,Rick Barry, and Dave Bing. Oh yeah those guys were bums. He didn't win whenJ ordan left. Uh, how about 28 other teams didn't win either.Also the Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and were a Hue Hollins blown call away from making the finals without MJ. He brings up when Pippen didn't go back in the game when Phil drew up a play for Toni Kukoc to take the last shot, I can't defend it because I don't know what happened. Scottie saidhe had a migraine and I have to say I have had migraines that almost brought tears to my eyes, I would prefer to think of the moment as a temporary moment of selfishness from an otherwise selfless player.


The title Hall of famer doesn't mean one's game is without fault. Each and every member has a hole in their game that can be picked apart and made to seem like they were not an all time great. Bill Russell was limited offensively, Wilt Chamberlain was a selfish player with mediocre defense, Magic Johnson's defense was never anything to write home about. Does it take away from their greatness? Not at all.


But hey, no one can be as perfect as Skip Bayless I guess.