Tuesday, May 31, 2011

New Georgetown University Report Shows College majors Disproportionately Segregated By race

A new study released by Georgetown University in Washington has found that majors in college are highly segregated disproportionately by race as well as gender. Using census data, the report categorized 171 majors into 15 fields, discovering different majors led to different industries.

The report, “What’s it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors” produced out of Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce analyzes data from the 2009 American Community Survey, whose results were released last year.

Findings indicate that white men are concentrated in the highest earning majors, such as engineering and pharmaceutical sciences, and have higher median earnings across all fields except three. For example, Petroleum engineering majors make about $120,000 a year, compared with $29,000 annually for counseling psychology majors, researchers found. Math and computer science majors earn $98,000 in salary while early childhood education majors get paid about $36,000.

Moreover, the areas with the highest concentrations of whites was noted to be agriculture and natural resources (90 percent), while the highest concentration of Asians is in computers and mathematics (16 percent).

In comparison, law and public policy has the highest concentration of African-Americans (14 percent) and Hispanics (10 percent). Also, School Student Counseling has the highest proportion of African-American Bachelor’s degree holders (38 percent), followed by Human Services and Community Organization (21 percent) and Counseling Psychology (20 percent).

In addition, African-Americans earn the most with a major in Electrical Engineering (median: $68,000) which is significantly less than the median for Whites ($90,000) and Asians ($80,000) in these majors, but just slightly ahead of the Hispanics ($60,000). African-American Bachelor’s degree holders earn the least with a major in General Medical and Health Services (median: $32,000) which is $18,000 lower than Whites with the same major.

The significance of these findings is that college graduates overall make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only high school diplomas. Fields with virtually no unemployment: geological and geophysical engineering, military technologies, pharmacology and school student counseling.

Friday, May 27, 2011

The President, Congress, Senators and Wall Street: The True Sodomites

Now I am no biblical scholar, but I can admit to reading the Bible as well as the teachings of Buddha from cover to cover. The reason I am writing this is based on what I isolated in a post last week regarding the West-Obama narrative. Now I basically pounced on Black and Africana studies for two reasons, first it is not an area of science and singularly doesn’t mandate scholarly or intellectual discorvey pertaining to African descendents and our culture via existence. Secondly, it seems to promote more discussion regarding the use of the word black as a descriptor and issues of race and racism than pedagogy.

Many found that Dr. West statements regarding President Obama as a personal attack. In some accords they were but in other I do not think so and in fact would wager that if he had not used the descriptor black his statements would have accurately described every President since `1980 and nearly every politician within the beltway. West described Obama as being a "black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats."

Now if he had just called Obama a “mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a puppet of corporate plutocrats,” he would have been 100 percent on point. That’s why it seems strange to me that the quasi intellectuals who want to make a big deal of this appear to only focus on the use of the word “black” and name-calling.



The reality is they cannot tackle the content of the assertion for the reality is that Wall Street is handled as if it is more important than the people of America. They get bailed out and we loose our jobs and homes. Wall Street bankers have amassed and wield more power than Harry Potter, or the politicians they purchase like EMF’s.

Obama, just as Bush and Clinton and Regan before him are all guilty and regardless of color, “mascots of Wall Street oligarch (A very rich businessman with a great deal of political influence). Yes they are for oligarchs of big business and Wall Street have employed large amounts of loot to corrupt both Democrat and Republican politicians equally. I wonder why Prof. Melissa Harris-Perry piece in the nation doesn’t even discuss this.

Why is it wrong to note that without Wall Street, in particular Goldman Sachs (Obama's Top contributor), that Obama would have never been elected. Why is it wrong to note that the Obama policy assisted in giving bankers on Wall Street $700 billion after his election when most folks were just satisfied to have his picture on the wail on the side of Jesus opposite martin Luther King, Jr. in the front room.

Like Bush, he has sang the GOP and big business song that deficits are what we need to deal with first before we deal with the poor and middle class. In Ezekiel 16:49 the problem with those of Sodom was that they “had pride excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.”

I have been saying all along that Obama was no different than the crooks that occupied the Whitehouse before him. That he was another in a long line of sodomites who give it to the populous with no Vaseline. Although sodomy is used to refer to gay sexual acts, there is no mention of such in the bible – none. Who ever came up with this was like an old television show I grew up watching, “Lost in Space.” In today’s world in the United States, The President, Congressmen, Senators and bankers Wall Street are the true sodomites, for while millions of Americans, of all ethnic/racial distinctions have lost jobs and homes, politicians like the president and others inside the beltway have turned a blind eye to the criminal activities of Wall Street’s banking and finance system. All we see are the outcomes – the transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the uber-wealthy oligarchs. But what can one expect for a collection of millionares the likes of Obama and the wolk on Capitol Hill.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

$179,000 a Year at work or not? Business as Usual

I got this via email from a friend. Just wanted to share.


House Minority Leader pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP)
The guy sitting in the row in front of these two....he's on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.
These are the folks that couldn't get the budget out by Oct. 1, and are about to control your health care, cap and trade, and the list goes on and on?.
Should we buy them larger screen computers - or - a ticket home, permanently ?
This is one of their 3-DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for (salary is about $179,000 per year).

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Obama Administration Policy on Middle East and Africa all over the place

If one has followed President Obama’s statements and position on the middle east and North Africa prior to his policy speech on the region last week, you like me probably have no clue to the reasoning behind his words. After reading his remarks last Wednesday, I am even in more of a stupor of consternation.

What I can say is that his approach and policy alike are whimsical or fickle at best and unprincipled and inconsistent at worse – thus the rarefied stupor I alluded to previously. For example, I recall how initially in Egypt, he proclaimed his support for Hosni Mubarak in word, but fleetly altered this position upon the observation that President Mubarak did not have the support of the military. Similarly in Bahrain, he offered effeminate words of support for the long ruling leadership yet at the same time; he attempted to protect the leadership and longtime alley for the sake of the fleet anchored in its harbor. Even as the Monarch, with the aid of Saudi Tanks and military, killed unarmed protesters, the administration and its figure head turned a blind eye to the citizenry desire for democratic rule and liberty. This same behavior and action drew harsh military reprisals and words from Obama via NATO requesting Muammar el-Qaddafi leave office.

In Libya, our military are protecting the innocent, but we do no such protection for those in Yemen, Syria or Bahrain. In his speech, Obama commented, the “humiliation that takes place every day in many parts of the world – the relentless tyranny of governments that deny their citizens dignity. “ He added we can – and will – speak out for a set of core principles – principles that have guided our response to the events over the past six months: “In fact the President eludes to hearing the calls for help, but strangely it is only in the middle east and Libya but no other parts of Africa.

The problem for me is that there is not one standard stated; for there isn't any unifying principle that guides this new policy. Meaning, that any effective policy for unstabilized governments on our behalf will require coherence, which thus far is lacking. Will he treat all attacks on the general populations the same? Will King Abdullah of Saudi be held to the same standard of Qaddafi? What makes a distinction to have different positions between Qaddafi and Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad? He did not even mention Bahrain or Saudi Arabia in his speech.

The Obama administration is all over the place, for to say we hear the calls for democracy yet cover our ears from similar cries from the Congo, Uganda, Sudan and other nations is disingenuous and fails the litmus test of reality and consistency.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Reality TV: Home Sweet Home For Dysfunctional Black Women

Used to be difficult for anyone who displayed any type of dysfunction at all to be successful. Not anymore in the age of buffoonery, self-centeredness and reality television. And if you are a black woman who is dysfunctional, no doubt this is the place for you.

I must be candid and admit I have not seen too much of this, but where else can one be a wife when she is divorced, was never married and has no husband. Where else can a former stripper be called a house wife and parlay it into to working for the Donald? Nowhere in the real world, but for certain on reality television. Yes, reality television, a never never land of contrived events that would never manifest in the general public. Like an amusement park, twenty women under the ages of twenty five can vie to obtain the pretend love of fifty year old hip hop hype men with gold teeth. Or chase after some famous professional athlete displaying groupie qualities while maintain they are the epitome of womanhood.

From Celebrity Apprentice contestants Star Jones and NeNe Leakes to Oxygen’s Bad Girls andVH1’s Basketball Wives, there is not one presentation of what it means to be lady-like. In all cases, regardless if one is an ex-wives or baby mamas of a wealthy professional athlete, they parade around as if they cannot go anywhere without their weave and acting as if the only word in their vocabulary is bitch. Even worse is the appearance that civil discord is impractical and that the only way to deal with a problem or conflict others is to scream, curse, and speak down upon others with the might of all of their anger; giving the locution that violence is the only way to solve ones problems. Even shows like Keyshia Cole promote dysfunction as if it is common place among African American women.

These show are an abomination and it is evident that more destructive is the increase in viewership they gather among young African American women. I used to think hip hop videos were bad, now I’m torn between the two. I just wonder will we ever see African America women portrayed as they really are in our community, or used to be? This thought has me afraid that this may be what our women have actually become.

Friday, May 20, 2011

West-Obama Narrative: Shows all Wrong with Black Academy and African Studies

I have always wondered what was the importance and utility of Africana Studies Departments around the Nation, as well the utility of a doctorate in such a field. Over recent weeks I have come to the personal conclusion that there value in the grand scope of collective community betterment is miniscule. This has been personified in recent weeks through the unmerited recapitulation of what some may call the West-Obama narrative.

First, this is not a question of intellect or lack thereof, for I do note the brilliance in many current public relations scholars including but not limited to Cornell West, Eric Dyson, or a Melissa Harris-Perry. But what is more than oblivious is the overt need of such persons to be heard and seen, all scholarship aside.

Now it may just be my locution that is misplaced – one that sees intellectuals as being scientist and researchers first over the pedantic. Although I too am considered to be an intellectual by many, most see me as a scientist first, as my research abides by scientific methods although my academic training is in psychology and statistics. However, I see such rigor lacking in the work of many that proclaim the banner of Africana Studies.

In past regardless of discipline, if one expertise was history, religion, sociology, chemistry or biology, their natural science or philosophy was justification enough to document their intellectual prowess in their said field even when it entailed the study of Africans and their descendants.

The discourse attributed between the confederates of both sides of the West-Obama discussion reflects all that is wrong with the cannon of Africana studies intellectualism. It is an aspersion that one the one side portrays a dismaying senescence and on the other, an “inchoate mutterings” to use the words of Howard Thurman. They miss the need of oration for the sake of science singular for the mundaneness of sound bites and public relations.

Strange it is to me, that when I am called to NIH by a Nora Volkov (Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse) for example for my expertise in infectious disease, I never see representatives of Africana studies. Strange it is that John Hope Franklin, Howard Thurman, W.E.B Dubois or Benjamin E. Mays never claimed the banner of Africana or Black studies. Frantz Fanon was a Psychiatrist, Dubois a Historian and economist, Charles Drew, a Chemist, yet all considered them scientist of their discipline first who served their race through their science.

Even our greatest minds, who did not attend universities, were developed in a discipline like John Henrik Clarke, Fredrick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Now, there are some scientists that do such that happen to be of African descent who place their discipline of study to better their race without using race as a jumping point. Economist Roland G. Fryer Jr is one example.

I know some would assert I am or may be jealous, but truth be told, I couldn’t tell you about any of the work most in Africana or black studies do. And it has nothing to do with where they work. I mean I was on faculty and conducted research at Emory University for 14 years, and from where was department head in the department of Community and Preventative Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. But they are not the folk I look up to and no where close to a Chekih Anta Diop, who was a physicist, chemist and paleontologist as well as historian.

I respect the intellectualism of any scholar, but I will use my science to solve problems and proffer discussion to solve problems as opposed to speak for the purpose of being heard or to propound that I am blacker than another person. For the simple truth remains that such does nothing to tackle food inflation, the 21 percent of children living in poverty in America, the inordinate disparity of disease and incarceration in our community or that somewhere in the world someone starves to death every 3.6 seconds, and 75 percent of those are children under the age of five.

Yes, I may be wrong but I was taught scholarship and intellectualism was to serve the needs of the people, not the self. So I advise all considering doctorate degrees to avoid a PHD in black studies, we need more in math, chemistry and physics, for we are top heave in pedantic who expound expertise in the study of the color black.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

If I were a Conspiracy – The French Connection

One thing that ticks me off is the notion of conspiracy theory. Frankly, I do not know what this means. When it is used, it is often in an attempt to vilify another’s radically different use of observation and reason to formulate a tenable answer to some conundrum. In simple terms, a conspiracy is a secret plan or agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act which is usually grounded in some form of political motivation.


Now, I would ask if any remember reading the Book “The French Connection” by Robin Moore but doing such would only date me. I read the book in the mid 70s, around the time I was in Junior High School and found it fascinating. Based on a true story, eventually it would become a movie about the criminal underworld of the drug trade. It was such a god read. And in this age of internationalism and global economics, it doesn’t seem improbably that a man can be tricked and set up based on personal habits alone.

This week in Manhattan, the Chief of the International Monetary Fund (
IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of attempted Rape. Now if you listen to my blog talk radio show, you are aware that I reference the World Bank, IMF and the Federal Reserve Banks frequently; as well as to specific individuals and policy positions. Now as a scientist, I like to produce all possible reasons for an outcome and this entire fiasco holds up red flags.

See Strauss-Kahn aint the typical international big banking mogul rich mutha fuca, no he is the Socialist Party of France leading Presidential candidate. He by many estimates had a great chance to replace Mr. Sarkozy and placing his party back on top of French Politics. But this may be over. It was well known by reading the French dailies like Le’ Figaro or Les echos, it was obvious that he was aware of his hurdles. Less than three weeks ago, Dominique Strauss-Kahn met with two journalists from the daily Libération.

He indicated that the biggest issues he would confront in attempting to become president were “women, money and being Jewish.” Regarding women he said, "Yes I like women, so what?" he asked. "For years, there's been talk of photos of a giant orgy, but I've never seen them come out." He also seemingly prophetically proffered a hypothetical situation of something that could destroy his efforts: "A woman raped in a parking lot who is promised half a million Euros to make up her story."

Now I am not saying that he is guilty or innocent, but the timing, the methods and the circumstances are extremely convenient and coincidental. Not to mention there are a host of folks who would benefit from his being incontinently occupied in the US criminal justice system.

Sarkozy: If you follow French politics or even read an online version of their major papers, it was no secret that the current President was in the market for collecting any information or dirt that could be used to discredit Strauss-Kahn. And given the well sustained notion that he loved the ladies, his affair with an IMF economist (Piroska Nagy) and alleged assault on writer Tristane Banon, fabricating an assault based on past events could be easily accomplished, especially with the resources and connection one gets as President of France. Not to mention no telling what he discussed with President Obama when President Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, were having that cozy dinner in the White House last year. It should also be remembered that it was president Obama who helped France assume a more prominent role in NATO’s military command structure.

China, Brazil or Turkey: When we think of the IMF, what is known is that traditionally, the head, just as Mr. Strauss-Kahn is a European. The number two is most always and American. With the increasing wealth and might of once developing nations like China and Brazil, the pressure has been growing for the next leader to be from one of these emerging market economies. And as with Sarkozy, with the resources and connections as the above have economically, anything is possible. Lipsky, the American in the number two spot has indicated that he planned to leave the IMF before the year is out meaning, both the top two positions may be open. We must recall that it was earlier this year when the IMF via the number 2 man John Lipsky said that China, Brazil and other fast-growing nations were “growing too fast.” Brazil and some other nations in return raised taxes on foreign investors attempting to slow inflows of investment money and ward off inflationary pressures. This position was reiterated last week by IMF Western Hemisphere Department deputy director Miguel Savastano. No doubt anyone of these nations would love to see Mr. Strauss-Kahn out of the way.

JP Morgan: Now JP Morgan is a metaphor for US banking interest and can stand to represent Goldman Sachs or Merrill Lynch as well. As I noted prior, the number two is an American and the current Yankee in this position if former JP Morgan banker and US Treasury executive John Lipsky. Like I said, Lipsky said he was leaving, but if he doesn’t he may move up front and have his fingers on the bailouts established by
Strauss-Khan for Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Many in America thought that Strauss-Khan showed too much favoritism to Greece. Maybe some big bankers on Wall Street hoped that the arrest of Strauss-Kahn would derail the current austerity approaches the IMF has implemented across Europe. We know where the American banking Industry and Wall Street stand – neither has ever said anything complimentary of the IMF’s bailout, especially related to Greece. Just last week The Wall Street Journal reported that a new $86.1 billion bailout from the European Union and the IMF would be given to the Greek to continue assisting in the nations efforts to restructure its debts.

In summary, all I am saying is that this has the potential to be one of the biggest political gadfly’s ever. The entire world of global finance and French politics were aware of Strauss-Kahn's weakness – his affinity for women. Strauss-Kahn denies the charges. Truth is in France both consensual extramarital sex and having a mistress isn’t big news. But I do know that this is all too easy with the facts thus far which are:
  • A Woman who said Mr. Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted him selected him
    Out of a line up.
  • The alleged victim, a 32 year-old African Immigrant was led out of
    Police headquarters with a blanket over her head
  • Mr. Strauss-Kahn called to see if he left his cell phone (which he had not)
  • Police coached person taking the call and instructed them to falsely
    State that his phone was indeed at the Sofitel.
  • All involved were coached by police, workers of the Sofitel

Now Im just thinking outloud, with shows like NCSI and criminal Minds on televison, who am I to say a set up, based on a well documented history of behavior by a one Dominique Strauss-kahn could not be accomplished. I mean any maid, if they were in his room, has acess to DNA if he was or was not in the rom at the time. It is just as easy for a woman to swipe hairs off of the sink, floor, or lay in the bed or even take semen from a condom in a garbage can. Now I offered a few folk who may be interested in a frame up of dude, but more importantly, Im saying I find all of this dificult to believe - I have seen the true life shows where one hair with DNA can send a man to jail for life, even if innocent. Again connubial issues aside, this just don’t seem right – I’m just saying.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Redistricting and the Electoral College: Two Reasons Why Obama May Loose in 2012

Around the media world and blogosphere I incessantly see articles suggesting how Barack Obama has assured a victory in the 2012 Presidential election after his decision to go into Pakistan and kill Osama bin Laden. Words used to describe his eminent reelection included “sealed”, “slam dunk” and certain. This only demonstrated to me how little some black folk know about American government as if a bump from an assignation is all he needs.

Now I too, wrote a piece some weeks ago asserting six reasons why he had the inside road to winning in 2012. Although I stand by it, it was written before the raid on Osama bin Laden and more importantly, the actual redistricting of the GOP. Redistricting occurs once every ten years which just happens to be now.

Redistricting efforts will be very important in the 2012 Presidential elections since many states have become Republican dominated since the November 2010 elections which saw sweeping changes in legislations across the nation. The census shift that was documented last year will more than likely hurt Obama in 2012 since people have left traditional blue states for Red ones. Texas is one such case where it is expected to pick up three house seats and electoral college votes while Michigan, a traditional democratic state is expected to lose a house seat. In fact, census data indicate that states won by John McCain in 2009 are projected to gain six seats in congress, meaning states Obama won will lose six. New York and Ohio, also traditional democratic states are expected to lose congressional seats as well.

In North Carolina for example, the Republican-controlled state legislature looks to create new districts benefiting its party and are planning to try to re-draw the districts that would shift power to Republicans statewide by increasing GOP voting strength in non-Black regions. The reality is that November's elections put Republicans in control of dozens of state legislatures and governorships, just as states prepare to redraw their congressional and legislative district maps. Republicans now control the governor's offices and both legislative chambers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Indiana, Maine and Wisconsin. They are governors' in Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia and Iowa.

Those that assert his re-election is assured by the raid on the bin Laden compound are missing or lack the foresight to include the aforementioned and the electoral college on the selection of the Presidency. The Electoral College, administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is a process that began as part of the original design of the U.S. Constitution. It was established to serve as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by popular vote. The political parties nominate electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party's central committee in each State and often recognize and are dedicated to their political party first.

Although Obama has a good chance of being re-elected, he may just as likely lose due to the census, gains in republican dominated states and the electoral college. He laso has on his side, a group of GOP hopefuls who for lack of a better word are comical to say the least. So if he doesn’t win and the projections of pundits based on one political/military event that he would, just remember their failure was due to a lack of knowledge of the constitution and middle school civics.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

US Economy to African Americas Says "Once a Slave Always a Slave

Listening to all of this discussion inside the beltway on the deficit, our national debt and raising the debt ceiling should get some folk to investigate their personal and individual connection with all of these events we too often define as having nothing to do with us. But what is missed is how all of the bickering and indecisiveness hurts African Americans more than any other racial/ethnic groups. Now this is not to assert that other folks are not hurting economically, just that the history is incessant and well verified to this observation.

It has been reported that the current national economic recession that officially began in December 2007 and said to have ended last year, continues to take a major toll of workers, in particular black males. In theory the back and forth between the Whitehouse and House Republicans is to deal with creating an environment, via budget cuts to improve the economy and grow jobs. But jobs for whom? Not African Americans.


As of April 2009, the recession had already abrogated about 6 percent of all employed men and about 10 percent of the jobs held by black men at the time. Since the onset of the recession overall black unemployment rate increased at a faster rate than whites. And after the recovery started in June of 2009, the unemployment rate for blacks increased two percentage points above 16 percent while white unemployment has returned to its rate prior to the recover (8.7%). African Americans have been the hardest hit during each of the past recessions. For example, during the 1990-91 recession Asians and Hispanics gained 55,104 jobs and 60,040 jobs, respectively, but blacks lost 59,479 jobs, especially in states with the highest immigration.

A recent study by Andrew Sum, professor of economics and director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., called “The Impacts of the 2007-2009 National Recession on Male Employment in the U.S. through January 2009; noted that Black male employment fell by 6.4 percent (482,000), compared to overall Black employment at almost 3 percent (463,000); and that the unemployment gap between Black men and women increased with Blacks the only group where the gap favors women. Currently, a third of blacks live in poverty with employers tending to fire blacks while retaining and hiring people of other ethnicities during a recession.

What makes all of this worse is the seemingly endless onslaught of republican legislation outside of Washington that impacts if not intentionally, brazenly accrues more harm with those traditionally at the bottom of the economic totem pole. In Alabama, U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) whose district was one of the hardest hit by the recent plague of Tornado’s across the south, prior to this tragedy along with other Alabama Republicans, voted against funding for satellites that are critical for accurate storm forecasting.

Strange how Karma works, Bachus, Martha Roby, Mo Brooks, Robert Aderholt, Mike Rogers, and Jo Bonner--voted against a bill that would save lives in rural areas via more accurate weather information and warning systems suggesting that they were a waste of money and unnecessary. Lamentably they were more interested in protecting the $5.5 billion in subsidies and foregone royalty payments for Big Oil.

In Florida, GOP Lawmakers have just approved deep cuts in unemployment benefits. Legislators have just passed a measure that would cut maximum state benefits to 23 weeks from 26 when the state has a jobless rate near 11 percent. The rate for African Americans in the state is near 20 percent.

Across the nation, April’s unemployment figures display how African-Americans are suffering. Along with increased cost for gas and other staples, it is no wonder household participation in food stamps continues to steadily luxuriate. Data reported by the Department of Agriculture for February of this year evince that an additional 11,517 recipients were added, representing a household participation rate of about 14 percent nationally.

Now something has to give. Either folks become proactive and recognize how dire these circumstances are for the masses, and take the time to learn more about economics, saving and global economics as a function of the value of the dollar or either we continue to lag behind. Too many folk think and worse, believe that President Obama has the ability to do something about this or that he actually cares. The reality is that actions speak better than words.

Under Obama’s current budget, federal prison spending will rise from $6.2 billion to $6.8 billion. His budget also desires to reduce $5.1 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program to $2.57 billion. Last year he cut spending for Food stamp programs.

We need to look at this troubled period with objective eyes, for the way I see it, Republicans in the house and Congress, as well as the Democrats under the leadership of the current administration, do not have the interest, or best interest of our community at hand and both seem content to let us suffer most of the burden of this faltering economy. For they understand, live practice and through their actions know that when it comes to Money, credit, and debt: Once a slave always a slave.

Monday, May 09, 2011

Bin Laden’s Legacy Will Always Live As Long As We Have TSA

Ding dong the witch is dead. Shot in the head and buried at sea so that he will not be enshrined in any living act or memorial. Some folks still have questions. Some folk say that we shot an unarmed man. My response to them is that no one on the planes or in the towers were armed either. Some folk say that we have removed him physically as well as his psychological presence. My response is that “we still have the TSA.

Yes, the way I see it, Bin Laden’s main legacy is a beast of our own creation, the establishment to of the TSA. You see, I remember not only a time when one could smoke on planes, but when you could take on toys, lighters, toothpaste, and was even served meals. Anything I could fit in my bags was acceptable and allowed on board as long as it was seen via X-ray. Plus I did not have to take off my shoes and no one was able to cop a free feel on my genitals under the false guise of “increased security;” as if my penis was going to come out and start smacking folks in the head, and choking them like one of Dr. Octopus’s robotic arms. I could even walk t9o the gate with my family.

In theory, the Secure Flight program operated by the Transportation Security Administration’s fulfills a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission by assuming responsibility of watch list and providing aviation security. But I was never scared of emotions and this organization is the antithesis of respect and liberty.

The Transportation Security Administration uses full body scanner machines and also much more invasive pat-down searches. The say passengers have a right to opt out of the body scanners, but in some cases, TSA employees are not giving them this option. These machines use x-rays to create a naked outline of your body. If one does opt out, you may then be subjected to an invasive pat-down of your body at the hands of TSA screeners. These pat-downs are now much more invasive, allowing screeners to use the front of their hands and to touch areas around breasts and groins.

The TSA states that they are re-analyzing the radiation levels of X-ray body scanners installed in airports nationwide, after testing produced dramatically higher-than-expected results. The TSA, which has deployed at least 500 body scanners to at least 78 airports, originally said that these devices were safe. But new studies indicate that due to a prior “calculation error” in safety studies, results showed radiation levels 10 times higher than expected. Even Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) expressed concern about radiation levels and refuses to enter the machines.

So the truth is Bin Laden will live forever via the TSA. So as long as they exist, six-year-old girls under TSA pat-downs will continue to be terrorized. As long as they remain, there will be more like the man from Detroit, who was humiliated and covered with his own urine after an enhanced pat-down by TSA officers recently happened at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Yes Osama bin Laden may be dead but the TSA will continue to keep him alive in each and every airport in America.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Body Blow: How Obama killed the Bin Laden, the GOP and Neo-Cons with one Punch

Strange how things come full circle. Cartesian mathematics could not have had a better postulate for the circle than Obama’s terse maneuvers to take out the aging and dialysis requiring Osama Bin Laden. During the election, Obama made it clear that he was not opposed to all wars but rather Iraq was not a battle that targeted Al Qaeda. He made it clear that, if elected, he would focus on both Afghanistan and Pakistan. John McCain ridiculed him for adding Pakistan as his main focus.

Obama’s announcement that Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, occurred just two years into his Presidency, successfully keeping his promise to capture and kill America’s public enemy number one.

Obama has always been underestimated by the GOP even when for 8 years, Bush falsely elevated terror alert levels to provide a fake penumbra the safety of America was priority number one. Especially when we consider that the Bush administration was warned by the CIA on Monday, August 6, 2001, that this attack by Al Qaeda was imminent and that he did nothing about it. The GOP incessantly suggest that Democrats are “soft” on terrorism, while the bloodiest attack on this country since Pearl Harbor happened on the GOP’s watch. Also recall how the Bush administration, swiftly flew members of the Bin Laden family out of the country before they could be questioned. Yes, how quick we are to remember that OBL was a member of the Saudi Royal family. I will not even introduce how Bush pulled our military out of Tora Bora when they were within an inch of capturing bin Laden.

Obama has even taken it from the left when he vowed to escalate the fight in Afghanistan – a tactic that placed more pressure on bin Laden. He alone directed Panetta to make it a priority to get Osama and personally authorized the hit.

Although a great week (he has put the birther movement to shame, visited the tornado ravaged south, and was a star at the Whitehouse comedy gala this past weekend). Yes he has been vindicated. The query now is if he will use this to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan and cut our military budget, and save Medicare and our economy?

I hope note, the first part that is and would like to see him use this model in Yemen to get American-born Anwar Al-Awlak. The president has demonstrated that actions speak louder than words. While Trump and the birthers were looking for birth certificate and threating to close own the federal government, Obama looked for and found bin Laden and kept it a secret with his stellar poker face.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Oklahoma Republican Says Blacks don’t work as hard and have less initiative than whites

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate affirmative action in state government. Just last week President Obama revealed his long form birth certificate in an attempt to satisfy birthers, which it did not. And from sea to shining sea, republican politicians are showing their innate racist tendencies. This past spring in Georgia, a Republican pushed a bill to make abortions a crime punishable by life imprisonment or death. Now, the stage has been set in Oklahoma, where a proposed amendment passed by a vote of 59-14 Wednesday evening, with 28 members absent or not voting, to ban Affirmative action.

What makes this worse are the beliefs voiced by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City who suggested that minorities, namely African Americans earn less than white people because they don’t work as hard and have less initiative than whites.

Rep. Kern added to her inflammatory and ignorant remarks by saying, “We have a high percentage of blacks in prison, and that’s tragic, but are they in prison just because they are black or because they don’t want to study as hard in school? I’ve taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn’t study hard because they said the government would take care of them.”

It is obvious that Republicans, as well as their Tea party constituents desire to “take America back,” which means restoring the legacy of white power, white supremacy and discrimination for the benefits of whites at the expense of others including Spanish speaking immigrants, Muslims and African Americans.

They desire to turn the clock back far enough where Blacks will not be able to vote or hold office. Kern and Trump feel that the solution to America in the age of Obama is to discriminate more and make it hard to discern any distinction between a "birther" and a "racist.” They fail to see that they are the problem and that if Oklahoma is like the US Congress, as legislators, they work less than the average American, yet receive a FULL benefits package. Republicans claim that playing the mythical race card is bad politics but yet they live on divide and conquer.