Criswell College Interim President Dr. Lamar Cooper in Hot Water for Calling Illegal Immigrants "Wetbacks

Criswell College interim president Dr. Lamar Cooper in hot water for referring to illegal immigrants as "wetbacks" during radio-broadcast on Sunday.

Criswell College interim president Dr. Lamar Cooper's recent comments about the Arizona immigration legislation before a radio-broadcast last Sunday during which he referred to illegal immigrants as "wetbacks." Wow, how compassionate! According to the Dallas Morning News, church officials have condemned the remark and said it was "off-hand" and "unfortunate." Er, it was very insensitive.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the broadcast has been taken off-air indefinitely and the church is apologizing individually to each person who has complained about Cooper's language.

Criswell, a small Christian college in Dallas, prides itself as developing "God-called men and women in the Word, both intellectually and academically. Really? Compassion is one of the first things Lamar Cooper ought to develop. He should learn to lead by example.

Ex-Boyfriend Marqz Robotham Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Allison Owen Outside CT Bank

Ex-boyfriend, Marqz Robotham, charged in stabbing death of Allison Owen outside Connecticut bank as horrified customers watched.

Marqz Robotham, Hartford, CT, is accused of killing his former girlfriend, Allison Owen, in front of horrified customers at Windsor Federal Savings Bank Thursday afternoon. According to the Hartford Courant, police received calls from patrons at the bank who witnessed Robotham, 18, repeatedly stabbing Owen in the bank's rear parking lot. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died.

Windsor police Capt. Thomas LePore said both had graduated from Windsor High School in 2009 and had been living together until their relationship ended recently, according to the Courant. They were high school sweethearts and honor students.

Robotham's bail is set at $1 million and he will be arraigned Friday at Superior Court in Enfield. The reality is that domestic violence knows no boundaries and is more prevalent than we think. My thoughts and prayers go out of the family of Allison Owen.

Glenn Beck's Viewership on Fox News Plunges Nearly 30%

Fox News wingnut Glenn Beck's television audience plunged nearly 30% since the beginning of the year, since more people are coming to the realization that the man is crazy. Fox News, despite Beck's plunge is still leading the ratings charge. The company averaged 1.9 million viewers in April, which beat the combined audiences of MSNBC, CNN and HLN.  Fox has now led its rivals for 100 months.

Beck lost about 800,000 viewers since the start of the year, though he still has 2.1 million watchers. I think Glenn Beck has gone totally radical since he left CNN. Unless he was being restrained there and since Fox News doesn't have a problem coming off partisan and nutty, then I guess they let him flourish.

Jumar Henry Charged in Decapitation Death of Mother, Jennifer Renee-Henry Ling, After Altercation

Jumar Henry charged with murder of mother, Jennifer Renee-Henry Ling, after headless body found in her home and head found a few blocks away in plastic bag.

Jumar Henry (Florida Times-Union)

 My  mother is my heart and I can't imagine anything sinister ever happening to her. I can't even fathom how someone could harm their mother, much less decapitate her. Shocking. Jumar Henry, 21, of Jacksonville, was charged with murder after his mother, Jennifer Renee-Henry Ling's bloody, headless body was found inside her home. The decapitated head was found in a bag a few blocks away from her home on Sunday, according to the Florida Times-Union. Police said witnesses saw him leave the home carrying an identical bag and then returned a few minutes later empty-handed. What's equally shocking is the fact that he went to church to pray for forgiveness shortly thereafter. She was reportedly killed following an altercation with Henry. Police said the murder weapon was a steak knife from her kitchen.

Read more:  Jacksonville police arrest son in decapitation death of mother

Sheila Crump Johnson Says She is "Ashamed of BET," the Company She Co-Founded

BET co-founder Sheila Crump Johnson, says she is ashamed of BET and that it is potentially making the spread of AIDS worst by promoting promiscuity in late night rap videos.

Well BET co-founder, billionaire Sheila Crump Johnson, unloaded on the company she founded with her former husband, Robert Johnson, during a recent interview. She said she is ashamed for the company and what it has become -- ghetto. The programming is a disgrace and I am appalled that BET let slip out of its hands the opportunity to be a positive force in the black community. Sorry, it's pure ghetto and that includes Mo'Nique's show. She also said BET was potentially making the AIDS epidemic worst by promoting promiscuous, unprotected sex in raunchy late-night rap videos. They couldn't even get the tribute to the late Michael Jackson right. They bungled it by having raunchy performances by Lil Wayne and others. My children have never watched BET. That's not the type of television programming I want them to even view.

“Don’t even get me started,” says the 60-year-old Johnson, who has since divorced and remarried (charmingly enough, to the Virginia circuit court judge who presided over her divorce). “I don’t watch it. I suggest to my kids [a 20-something daughter and a college-age son] that they don’t watch it… I’m ashamed of it, if you want to know the truth.”

She said BET is making matters worse, and potentially contributing to the spread of AIDS, by promoting promiscuous, unprotected sex in raunchy late-night rap videos.

It wasn’t always that way. “When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television,” Johnson tells me. “We had public affairs programming. We had news… I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up… And then something started happening, and I didn’t like it all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artists…and we had to start showing them. I didn’t like the way women were being portrayed in these videos.” Source: Daily Beast

I agree with her and I wish TV-One would step up to the plate and blow BET out of the waters. BET is a disgrace. When a show like "The Tiny & Toya Show" They are only in the business to make money and not care one iota that they perpetuate negative stereotypes about blacks. BET could have made a real difference and become a real positive influence to the black community, but they let money get in the way. The reality is BET brings out the worst in the black community.

David Westley Walks into Phoenix Police Station & Makes Shocking Admission He Murdered his Wife

David Westley enters police station in Phoenix and made shocking admission that he murdered his wife outside police station.

SHOCK: Dwight Westley, 58, covered in blood, walked into Phoenix police station and made a rather shocking revelation -- he murdered his wife. The man shot his wife near the police station, between two buildings at 7th Avenue and Washington surprised even them, according to the My Fox Phoenix.

When officers went outside, they found a woman, dead inside the man's car. Police say the couple was estranged and going through a divorce. The woman was driving her husband to work when an argument started and he stabbed her repeatedly. Source: My Fox Phoenix

Westley was arrested and faces a charge of first degree murder. There is no justification for what this man did. Domestic violence is a serious problem  and too many people fall prey to cruel husbands and boyfriends who would not hesitate to take their lives in a second.

Elected Official Mark Ridley-Thomas Pays $25k To Be In “Who’s Who In Black Los Angeles”

Los Angeles County official Mark Ridley-Thomas pays $25,000 to be listed in "Who's Who in Black Los Angeles" with taxpayer funds.

I came across an interesting article on the blog Corruption Chronicles. It seems that Los Angeles County  Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas would rather spend $25,000 of scarce taxpayer funds in his county to secure a spot in a friend’s publication about notable black leaders -- “Who’s Who in Black Los Angeles.” His actions are reckless, considering the unemployment rates in California and his county are in double digits.

Promoted as a “tremendous tool for both networking and educating,” the 344-page publication costs $34.95 and features more than 400 members of southern California’s influential and affluent African American community, referred to as “some of the most tremendous assets the City of Angels has to offer.”

A former Los Angeles City Councilman, Ridley-Thomas said he bought space in the book to tell the history of the African American experience in Los Angeles. Many in the area’s African American community don’t know that there are black people in leadership positions in the county of about 10 million, the supervisor laughably asserts in a local news report.

The money to promote Ridley-Thomas’s version of the African American experience went to a longtime friend (Anthony Samad) who did time for fraud and has donated money to the supervisor's political campaigns. Ridley-Thomas also gave his good buddy a $25,000 city “consulting contract” while he was an L.A. City Councilman for expertise “not otherwise available.” Corruption Chronicles

It should also be noted that this isn't the first time Ridley-Thomas has been reckless with taxpayer funds. A few months ago, he came under fire for his proposal to spend $707,000 on renovations for his county office. If he wants to be in the "Who's Who in Black Los Angeles" directory, or any other for that matter, it should be funded with his money. The reality is he needs to reimburse the county for this ridiculous expense.

Harvard Law Student: 'African Americans Are, On Average, Genetically Predisposed To Be Less Intelligent'

Stephanie Grace, a third year Harvard University law student, says 'blacks are genetically predisposed to be less intelligent than whites."

A third-year Harvard Law student has made some racist claims about blacks being less intelligent than whites. What's scary is that this person, who is anonymous at this point, sent the email to some colleagues after making some inflammatory statements during a speech. What is equally shocking is that this person will be awarded a prestigious clerkship after graduation. The email was reported by Above the Law and reads:

I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent. I could also obviously be convinced that by controlling for the right variables, we would see that they are, in fact, as intelligent as white people under the same circumstances. The fact is, some things are genetic. African Americans tend to have darker skin. Irish people are more likely to have red hair.....

Everyone wants someone to take 100 white infants and 100 African American ones and raise them in Disney utopia and prove once and for all that we are all equal on every dimension, or at least the really important ones like intelligence. I am merely not 100% convinced that this is the case.

 I wish someone would send me the name of this racist ingrate so I can post it prominently in this article. Her name is reportedly Stephanie Grace.

UPDATE#1: Stephanie Grace has apologized for her outrageous statements. Personally, I think she's just trying to save face and is not being sincere. Her speech and her email seem to be based on a lot of thought, so I find it hard to believe she deeply regrets the "pain" her statements caused. Here is an excerpt from her apology:

"I am deeply sorry for the pain caused by my email. I never intended to cause any harm, and I am heartbroken and devastated by the harm that has ensued. I would give anything to take it back. I emphatically do not believe that African Americans are genetically inferior in any way. I understand why my words expressing even a doubt in that regard were and are offensive. I would be grateful to have an opportunity to share my thoughts and to apologize to you in person. Even beforehand, I want to extend an apology to you and to anyone else who has been hurt by my actions."

Tim James, Alabama Gubernatorial Candidate, Says Drivers License Tests Should Only be in English

Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James says no to state drivers license tests in multiple languages.

Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James can't seem to understand why his state offers its drivers license test in 12 languages. In his latest campaign ad he said, “This is Alabama. We speak English. If you want to live here, learn it,” he declares. “We're only giving that test in English, if I am governor." James says it's just a common sense thing: "Maybe it's the businessman in me," he says. "But we'll save money. And it makes sense. Does it to you?"

I agree with him in theory. This is an English-speaking country and there are many who speak Spanish, therefore, we should have the tests in two languages only. Sorry, you don't see traffic signs in this country in another language.  The same proposal is floating around Georgia's state legislature as well. We'll see how this plays out. I don't see it as a racial issue against Latinos or any other immigrant group.

Thor Fans Upset Black Actor Idris Elba to Play Role of Norse Diety Heimdall in New "Thor" Movie

Controversy swirls over black actor, Idris Elba, playing role of Norse deity, Heimdall, in upcoming "Thor" movie.

Drama is unfolding with actor Idris Elba playing the role of Norse deity Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh's new film Thor. It seems that Marvel comic book fans have turned against Elba for no other reason but the color of his skin. So, it's okay for whites to dress up in blackface, but all hell breaks loose when the opposite is true. Elba, who starred in the Wire said of the controversy,

"I was cast in Thor and I’m cast as a Nordic god. If you know anything about the Nords, they don’t look like me but there you go," he said following a press conference for current film The Losers. "I think that’s a sign of the times for the future. I think we will see multi-level casting. I think we will see that and I think that’s good.

"There has been a big debate about it: can a black man play a Nordic character?" he added to TV Times. "Hang about, Thor's mythical, right? Thor has a hammer that flies to him when he clicks his fingers. That's okay, but the color of my skin is wrong?"

Here's my two cents. If you don't want blacks to play so-called white roles, then please, stop appearing in blackface in movie roles meant for blacks -- Soul Man and Tropic Thunder come to mind.

UPDATE#1:  According to the U.K. Guardian, white supremacist group, Council of Conservative Citizens is upset that London-born Idris Elba, star of The Wire and BBC detective series Luther as well as a number of Hollywood films, is to play deity Heimdall in the Marvel Studios feature. The group, which opposes inter-racial marriage and gay rights, has set up a website, boycott-thor.com to set out its opposition to what it sees as an example of leftwing social engineering. Oh, so it's okay for whites to play blackface and for Angelina Jolie to play Cleopatra, but it's a cardinal sin for blacks to be cast in a white role? 

Read more:  Idris Elba defends Thor film role

Tom Hennessy, Colorado Brewer, Proposes Mandatory Voting Statute for Ridgway

Tom Hennessy proposes mandatory voting statute for town of Ridgway, Co. Could impose fines for non-voters without good reason.

Tom Hennessy, owner of Colorado Boy Pub and Brewer, is proposing that the mostly dirt-street town of Ridgway, near the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, become a national model by enacting a mandatory-voting statute. Residents who don't vote for no good reason would be fined. Wow and they call President Obama a Socialist. This is the same town that reportedly fine residents if their fences are too high or their weeds are out of control. Hennessy, a brewer and pub owner, said, "We could do this. It would be a paradigm shift." "We could be the great civics lesson in representative democracy."

Well, he has some support. The Town Council agreed to put the matter on the ballot for a recent town election as a nonbinding opinion question. I can understand Mr. Hennessy's frustrations since only 170 of the 790 registered voters marked ballots in the last town election and in the past decade, as few as 82 voters have gone to the polls, the Denver Post notes. Still, you can't force people to vote and threaten them with fines in the process.

Read more: Proposal to make voting mandatory riles Ridgway | Denver Post

Derek Stansberry Allegedly Disrupts Delta Flight from Paris to Atlanta, Plane Landed in Bangor, Maine

Derek Stansberry, 26, is being detained by authorities for unruly behavior that led to a Delta flight from Paris to Atlanta being diverted to Bangor, Maine, earlier Tuesday.

U.S. officials said Stansberry made verbal threats, claiming to have explosives in his luggage and a forged passport.

Birthers Planning to March on Washington D.C. May 29

The "birthers" are planning to hold a march in Washington D.C. on May 29.

The birthers will conduct a march in Washington D.C. on May 29. Attorney Philip Berg, a driving force in this march, said opposition to health care reform will be part of the march because the bill (ObamaCare) signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, is unconstitutional and voidable since he is ineligible to serve as President of the United States. There's more. He claims that even if Obama was born in Hawaii, he lost his citizenship when he lived in Indonesia. And this idiot passed the bar exam? Er, you don't lose your U.S. citizenship by living abroad. There are many American nationals living overseas who haven't lost their citizenship.
Eligibility Flyer Re March 04.23

Two Suspects in Police Custody in the Baseball Bat Attack on Natasha McShane, Stacy Jurich in Chicago

Two people in police custody in the baseball bat attack on Natasha McShane and Stacy Jurich as they walked to Bucktown section of Chicago.

 Two people, a man and a woman, are in police custody in connection to the savage attack on Natasha McShane, 23, and Stacy Jurich, 24, with a baseball bat last Friday morning as they walked in the 1800-block of North Damen Avenue in the Bucktown section of Chicago.

As of Tuesday morning, Natasha McShane remains in critical condition, while Jurich was upgraded to fair condition, according to ABC 7 News.  Police said the suspects stole the women's purses. The baseball bat reportedly used in the attack has been recovered, according to media reports. Police used records from the women's stolen cell phones and credit cards to track down their attackers, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

McShane, who is a citizen of Ireland, is a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She works part time at Butch McGuire's Irish pub. Jurich worked for a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney brokerage office after graduating North Central College in Naperville.

UPDATE#1: Heriberto Viramontes, 30, of the 3100 block of North Springfield, and Marcy Cruz, 25, are charged with aggravated battery and armed robbery. According to the Sun Times, Cruz has been arrested in the past for minor crimes, but never charged. Viramontes, on the other hand, is a career criminal who should not have been out on the streets. He has felony convictions for burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle and about 30 other arrests on his record. This dirtbag should never have been out on the streets.

Louis Lebherz Disciplined by St. Mary's College for Telling Student to Sing 'Old Man River' With Racial Epithet

Louis Lebherz, instructor at St. Mary's College, punished for having student sing original version of 'Old Man River' with racial epithet.

St. Mary's College his punished Louis Lebherz, an instructor and brother of a trustee, after a black student complained he had a student sing the original version of the show tune "Old Man River," which refers to blacks as n-word -- "niggers work on de Mississippi; niggers work while de white folks play." The song contrasts the hardships of blacks and the struggle of the time to the endless flow of the Mississippi River, from the view of a dock worker on a showboat.

According to the Contra Costa Times, Lebherz had been ordered to apologize to the class and complete diversity training. Beth Dobkin, the college's provost, told the paper that his employment at the school had also been affected although she would not elaborate.

Lebherz has apologized for his "insensitivity" in a letter to the student. The incident comes as the college  is striving to improve  race relations following stinging criticism from accreditors. While I applaud the school for its zero-tolerance stance against racist behavior, shouldn't we hold the rappers and others who use the n-word as a regular part of their vocabulary to the same standard?

Watch the video of Paul Robeson singing "Old Man River" (2nd version)

Congressional Candidate, Vaughn Ward Told by Marines to Pull Ad From Drudge Report, Says it Violated Directive

Marine Corps tells congressional candidate Vaughn Ward to pull ad that appeared on the Drudge Report because it violated Pentagon directive.

Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward has violated a Pentagon directive that prohibits the creating the impression his campaign is supported by the military, according to the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps wrote Ward earlier this month saying his online ad on the Drudge Report website on March 31 and April 1 violated the directive. The ad showed Ward in camouflage and body armor and said, "With Your Help I Will Vote To Repeal ObamaCare!"

The $2,500 ad encouraged contributions and directed viewers to the campaign website, vaughnward.com. But the ad failed to provide the"prominent and clearly displayed disclaimer that neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or their particular Military Department." The ad had no disclaimer of any kind.

"Maj. Ward was asked in writing to remove this ad because it did not comply with the (Department of Defense) Directive," Capt. Brian Block, a spokesman at Marine Headquarters at the Pentagon, said in an e-mail. Ward took responsibility for the mistake in an interview Wednesday and promised not to repeat it. "It's my fault. I saw the ad," Ward said. "I should have made the correction." In the letter, "They said, 'Vaughn, you need to refrain from using this information if you're not going to put a disclaimer on it,' " Ward said.
 
The directive also prohibits images of candidates "in uniform as the primary graphic representation" in campaign material. Ward's photo comprises about one-third of the ad. He said his ad did not violate that part of the directive.

Wow and they call President Obama the one trying to indoctrinate our children! This man clearly knew he was violating the Marines' directive by creating an impression that his candidacy was backed by the military.

Read more: Marines tell Idaho congressional candidate Vaughn Ward to pull campaign ad

Evangelical Researchers Claim Discovery of Noah’s Ark Atop Mt. Ararat in Turkey

Evangelical researchers claim they have discovered wooden remains of Noah’s ark atop Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey.

According to media reports, a group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers said they discovered wooden remains, thought to be Noah's ark, on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. The group from Noah's Ark Ministries International claims that carbon dating proves the relics are 4,800 years old, meaning they date to around the same time the ark was said to be afloat. Mt. Ararat has long been suspected as the final resting place of the ark by evangelicals. This discovery would validate many of the biblical stories in the Old Testament.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) Tells Goldman Sachs Executive during Senate Hearing: "You Knew it was a Shitty Deal"

Sen. Carl Levin tells Goldman Sachs executive, "you knew it was a shitty deal" during Senate committee hearings on SEC fraud charges against the company.

Once again, another member of Congress has interjected profanity in the political process. In the tradition of "you lie" and "baby-killer," Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) was front and center. He lit into the Goldman Sachs executives, including Fabrice Tourre, over the recent fraud allegations brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He called a Goldman e-mail, in reference to one named Timberlake as "one shitty deal" that show what they were telling themselves and what they were telling clients were two completely different things.

Daniel Sparks, the former head of Goldman's mortgage department, repeatedly declined to utter the simple statement that he had acted in the clients' best interests, as did two other Goldman witnesses including Tourre (who took the opportunity to deny all the SEC charges against him). "You knew it was a shitty deal," Levin told Sparks, repeating again and again a word seldom heard on the record from high public officials. "How much of that shitty deal did you sell to your clients?" Source: Newsweek

 I think it was very unprofessional and even though Goldman Sachs deserved such colorful language and more, the hearings are being televised and Sen. Levin could have gotten his point across without resorting to profanity 11 times.

Protesters, Chanting "No Human is Illegal," Walk Out as Tom Tancredo Spoke at UNC-Chapel Hill,

Protesters walk out as former congressman Tom Tancredo spoke at UNC-Chapel Hill about values of Western culture.

Former Republican congressman Tom Tancredo got a welcome he will never forget Monday evening as he spoke on the values of Western culture at UNC-Chapel Hill. At least 100 protesters walked out as he spoke. According to the News Observer, the group stood in unison, yelling, "No human is illegal," before moving outside the Student Union and into the Pit, a concrete courtyard at the center of campus activity.

As the demonstrators filed out of the union auditorium, Tancredo said fear of debate was driving them away.
"No one here is afraid of you," one yelled.

Read more:  Some protest, but Tancredo speaks

Avatar Star Laz Alonso Accuses On The Border Restaurant at LA Airport of Racism

Avatar star Laz Alonso accuses restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport of racism, for refusing to serve him.

Avatar star Laz Alonso has accused an On The Border Mexican restaurant located at Los Angeles International Airport of racism, after he said he was refused service on Saturday morning. He took to the Twitter to let his anger be known and called for a boycott of the restaurant chain:

He Tweeted: “I was just refused food at "On The Border" at terminal 4 at LAX because my divers license expired. But the airline & security let's me fly?”

Then, a friend replied: “DO NOT EAT @ ON THE BORDER PLEASE BOYCOTT !!!! THE EMPLOYEE ARE RACIST PLEASE RT...KEEP IT GOING !!!”

It is ironic that he was able to clear airport security with the expired license with no problems, but was not served at the restaurant. Laz claims he was just ordering food, therefore, an ID should not have been requested. The restaurant manager, Ralph Shen, told RadarOnline that "we check everybody’s ID when they order drinks, it is the California law.” Either Laz Alonso attempted to order alcoholic beverages and was denied or there was some type of misunderstanding. I find it hard to believe that the restaurant could be so blatantly racist in such a busy place, that's usually very ethnically diverse.

New Jersey High School Students to Walk Out of Classes & March to Protest Proposed School Cuts

High school students from seven Newark, NJ, schools to walk out of classes and march to protest school cuts proposed by Gov. Chris Christie.

Thousands of Newark, N.J., high school students are expected to walk out of classes and march to the school board building to protest cuts in after school programs and layoff being proposed by Gov. Chris Christie (R) According to the Facebook site, more than 16,000 students plan to leave school between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Students from seven high schools in Newark are expected to walk out at 1 p.m. and march to the school board building at 2 Cedar St. to protest cuts in after school programs and layoffs. Students from around the state are expected to participate in similar marches throughout the day.

The protests were initiated by Michelle Ryan Lauto, an 18-year-old college student who spent her high school years in Bergen County. Lauto, said she set up a Facebook event page about a month ago encouraging the walkouts. By Monday evening, more than 16,000 people said they’d be participating — a number that was rising by hundreds every few hours.

Read more:  N.J. student protests set for today

Concertgoers Beat Group of Men Dressed in Full Nazi Regalia Outside Old City Bar in Philadelpia

Concertgoers, dressed in full Nazi regalia, attacked by as many as 50 people outside Old City bar in Philadelphia after leaving hardcore punk show.

Some wannabe Nazis got a beat-down last Friday night after they left a hardcore punk show at Khyber, an Old City bar in Philadelphia. They were reportedly attacked by as many 50 people in the streets after leaving the bar. According to Philly.com, the wannabe Nazis showed up at the concert in "full Nazi field dress." Embracing the Third Reich isn't exactly what most people in the United States of America are about.

.....In the posting, he had described the men as tattooed with "Nazi-inspired symbols" and as wearing "camouflaged combat pants; woolen, WWII-era coats adorned with SS emblems and authentic Third Reich hats with Nazi insignias emblazoned atop them."

He said the crowd kicked and punched the Nazi-wannabes and used weapons that included beer bottles and cue balls, although postings on other online- message boards describe the attack as more tame. The only information police have on the incident is that they responded to a report of a disturbance on 2nd Street at 11:33 p.m. No arrests, hospitalizations or assaults were reported, a police spokeswoman said. Source: Philly.com

While I hate what this stands for, these guys were within their First Amendment rights to dress as such. It's also strange that the police turned a blind eye to this altercation and didn't arrest anyone for disturbing the peace.

Vajinder Toor, Medical Researcher at Yale University, Shot and Killed by Former Colleague Lishan Wang

Vajinder Toor, a postdoctoral clinical fellow at Yale University's School of Medicine, shot and killed by Chinese national Lishan Wang, who is being held on $2 million bond.

Vajinder Toor, 34, a postdoctoral clinical fellow at Yale University's School of Medicine, was shot and killed outside his home in Branford, CT. Monday morning. Lishan Wang, 44, a Chinese national, has been charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, carrying weapons in a motor vehicle, carrying a handgun without a permit and unlawful discharge of a firearm. According to Yale Daily News, he is being held on $2 million bond and will be arraigned in New Haven Superior Court on Tuesday. Police theorize that the homicide was not related to Yale and was not a random act. Police Lt. Geoffrey Morgan said the shooting was most likely related to previous job-related disputes Toor was involved in when he worked in New York City, according to the Yale Daily News.

Shortly before 8 a.m., a man shot Toor multiple times in the parking lot outside Toor's condominium and also tried but failed to shoot Toor's wife. The couple has a three-year-old child, and Toor's wife is six months pregnant, according to police. The murder occurred in the Meadows, a quiet Branford condominium complex where violence of any kind, let alone a shooting, is a foreign concept, a resident said.

Neighbors near Toor's condo on Blueberry Lane in Branford heard the shots and immediately called the police, who stopped the shooter near the Meadows condominium complex as the suspect, Wang, was attempting to flee in a van. After seeing firearms in plain sight in the vehicle, police arrested the driver. “I was looking out my window, where I have coffee, yesterday morning when I saw a red van driving around,” Lopa added. Asked if he thought the presence of the van yesterday indicated that Wang had been carefully surveilling the area before the crime, Lopa answered: “Definitely.” Source: Yale Daily News

Toor was reportedly a first-year fellow in the infectious diseases section of the Department of Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine.  According to the department's website, Toor graduated in 2001 from the Guru Govind Singh Medical College in Punjab, India, and from Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York in 2008.

President Obama Calls on Blacks, Latinos, Young People & Women to Vote in 2010, Drudge Calls it Pulling the Race Card

Right-leaning Drudge Report says President Obama pulled the race card by rallying blacks, Latinos, young people and women, to vote in the upcoming Congressional elections.

The Drudge Report is saying that President Obama is pulling the race card by rallying his base -- blacks, young people, women and Latinos -- to go back to the polls in 2010. The Democratic National Committee released an ad this morning with this video as a means of rallying the voters for the Congressional elections. Er, the Republicans are rallying their bases, so why should the right wing paint the president's actions as pulling the race card? Some have said the president spoke with unusual demographic frankness, but what else should he have done? How is it pulling the race card, when millions of whites voted for Barack Obama in the presidential elections? Once again, the Drudge Report proves that it's all about racebaiting. They deliberately omitted young people and women -- also inclusive of whites.

Joseph Sean McVey, Arrested After Appearing with a Gun at NC Airport During President's Departure

Joseph Sean McVey, appears at North Carolina airport, armed with gun and police gear, as President Obama was leaving. Said he wanted to see the president.

Joseph Sean McVey, 23, of Coshocton, OH, was arrested and charged with going armed in terror of the public, for being at a North Carolina airport parking lot just after Air Force One departed Sunday. He reportedly had a car equipped with police gear, including a siren and flashing lights. He also reportedly told the police he wanted to see President Obama. Sorry, but a misdemeanor for McVey's actions amounts to a slap in the face of the president. He was up to no good and he should be charged with a felony. President Obama and his wife spent a weekend vacation in Asheville and security was heightened at the airport because he was headed to a memorial service for 29 West Virginia coal miners killed in an explosion.

At about 2 p.m., airport police saw McVey get out of a maroon car with Ohio plates and that he had a sidearm, Smith said. Both airport police and the Secret Service questioned him and he was taken into custody. The suspect was nowhere near the president's plane, which had just departed, and was in a rental car return lot that is open to the public, Smith said.

His car was equipped with clear LED law enforcement-style strobe lights in the front and rear dash, Smith said. The car also had a mounted digital camera in the front window, four large antennas on the trunk lid, and under the steering wheel was a working siren box. Smith said McVey was not in law enforcement.

When McVey got out of the car, he was listening to a handheld scanner and radio that had a remote earpiece, Smith said. Police said he was monitoring local agencies and had formulas for rifle scopes on a note in his cup holder. Police did not immediately elaborate on what the formulas might mean and Smith was not available to comment late Sunday.

McVey gave authorities an Ohio driver's license, but a computer check failed to show the number was valid, police said. His hometown of Coshocton is about halfway between Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio. When Officer Kaleb Rice asked him what he was doing, McVey told him he heard the president was in town and wanted to see him. Source: Huffington Post

This is further proof that given the chance, a homegrown terrorist will harm the president. So, all the extremist rhetoric coming from some on the right, will only serve to agitate the fringe elements of our society. This seething anger is reminiscent of the climate that existed before John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Arlington National Cemetery Sits on Once Bustling Freedmans Village, Where Newly Freed Slaves Lived

Arlington Cemetery sits on the what was once the bustling Freedmans Village, a city where newly freed slaves lived.

Until today, I had never heard of Freedman's Village, which was located across the Potomac River, on the land where the Arlington National Cemetery is today. It was once a city where newly freed slaves lived during and following the Civil War. The Freedmans Village at Arlington was established in May 1863, and was dedicated December 4, 1863. The U.S. Supreme Court closed Freedmans Village in 1882 and the federal government later obtained the rights to the land, it was later given to the military, which meant the residents had to leave. On December 7, 1887, the people at the village were given 90 days to leave.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Arlington Charter buses roll up to Arlington National Cemetery every day, depositing tourists who scramble uphill to see the eternal flame on President John F. Kennedy's grave. People stream in all directions, toward the Tomb of the Unknowns or to remember at tombstones of loved ones lost to war.

Few, however, head downhill to a quiet corner near the Iwo Jima Memorial. Down here, there are no memorials to ancient battles, no ornate headstones honoring long-dead dignitaries. There are only rows of small unassuming white tombstones, many engraved with names like George, Toby and Rose. They are the only visible reminders that part of the nation's most storied burial ground sits atop what used to be a thriving black town -- "Freedman's Village," built on land confiscated from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Arlington National Cemetery was established on land confiscated from Lee and his family in 1861 after the general took command of the Confederate forces. The Civil War leaders of the Union buried soldiers' bodies on the property in hopes that Lee would never want to return, and Parks' ancestor dug the very first grave near the Freedman's Village burial site.

The federal government turned some land about a half-mile north of Lee's mansion into a town specifically for freed slaves who had nowhere to go. At its height, more than 1,100 former slaves lived in a collection of 50 1½-story duplexes surrounding a central pond.

It is amazing that the Freedmans Village played such a pivotal role in the lives of blacks and many prominent government workers visited the village when it first began. Sojourner Truth was appointed by the National Freedman's Relief Association to work at the Freedmans Village. She counseled, preached, helped people get jobs, and helped them resettle in the North. The area became a bustling village with the establishment of schools, training centers, homes, hospitals, churches and farms. It is ironic that such innovation took place in those days, when the freed slaves wanted to learn new trades to become blacksmiths, wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers and tailors. Today, the school statistics are very shocking. The drop-out rates of blacks, particularly males, are very high. The same holds true for the recession which has adversely affected the black population. While Freedmans Village may be no more, we can learn some valuable lessons from our ancestors. They were innovative and determined people who literally reached for the skies and many succeeded against the odds. We need to capture that very essence.

Read more:  Emancipation at Arlington: Freedman's Village, 1863

Geraldo Rivera Tells Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Sheriff Joe Arapaio May Stop Him on Phoenix Streets if He Looks Latino

Geraldo Rivera tells congressman Licoln Diaz-Balart that he may get stopped on the streets of Phoenix because he looks Latino.

Geraldo Rivera told Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), a Latino, Saturday on his show, that he might get stopped on the streets of Phoenix by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio as a result of the new anti-immigration law signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer the previous day.

Discussing the newly-passed legislation with guests Arpaio and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) on "Geraldo at Large," the host started the segment by asking, "Sheriff, how do you define reasonable suspicion? Is it like obscenity that you don't exactly know how to define it but you know it when you see it?"

Arpaio responded, "[D]uring the course of the duties of law enforcement, my deputies, if someone doesn't have a license, doesn't speak English, ten guys stashed in back of a van, I think that's reasonable action or probable cause to take action."

Shortly thereafter, Rivera said, "Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, let me just warn you, maybe if you were walking around the streets of Phoenix, Sheriff Joe might stop you. You look sort of Latino, we're not sure even though you have a storied family background"

I agree that something drastic has to be done to fix the problems with illegal immigration, but I have to express some concern about the manner in which this new legislation will be carried out. From a historical perspective, the potential of racial profiling is a very real possibility and it will lead to a deluge of lawsuits, that may very well derail this legislation ever becoming the law.

Jose Tomas, Top Spanish Bullfighter, in Critical Condition After Being Gored in Mexico

 Jose Tomas, one of the best-known members of the Spanish bullfighting community, in critical condition after being gored in Mexico.

Jose Tomas, one of the best-known members of the legendary Spanish bullfighting community, was severely gored during a performance Saturday and is in serious condition in a Mexican hospital. According to BBC,  he sustained a torn vein and artery when an 1,100-pound bull's left horn drove four inches deep into his groin.

Tomas, 34, was operated on at the scene before being moved to the hospital. He needed 17 pints of blood and has not regained consciousness, the AP reports. In the aftermath of this shocking turn of events, the announcer at the ring in Aguascalientes appealed for fans in the crowd who share his rare blood type, A-negative, to donate blood.

Drunk State Trooper Capt. James Williams, Jr., Sent to Motel instead of Jail after Traffic Stop

N.C. Highway Patrol captain James Williams Jr., who was caught driving while extremely intoxicated, sent to motel instead of jail after traffic stop.

Capt. James Williams Jr.

James Williams Jr., a captain with the N.C. Highway Patrol, was caught driving while "extremely drunk" on April 3, at 1:50 a.m., after a traffic stop. Instead of being taken to jail, as most people would, he was taken to a hotel instead and no charges were filed against him. According to the News Observer, he was placed on desk duty last week, pending an internal affairs investigation at the Highway Patrol. The reality is that Butner Lt. D.C. Parrott's and his boss, Maj. A. W. Moss, should be suspended without pay for their reckless actions. Had that been an average person who was stopped, they would have been locked up for drunk driving. Talk about a code of silence and brotherhood in law enforcement!

Recordings of radio traffic and telephone calls released Friday include Butner Lt. D.C. Parrott's initial report of seeing a motorist in a Ford Mustang convertible traveling south on Interstate 85 and swerving from lane to lane. Butner Capt. W.B. Williams, the supervisor on duty, came to the scene and called headquarters to ask that a message be relayed to his own boss, Maj. A.W. Moss. "Advise him I have a trooper stopped," W.B. Williams says on a recording. "He is a captain with the Highway Patrol and he is extremely 10-55." The police code 10-55 means "intoxicated driver."

Moss was asleep at home. The dispatcher, caught on tape, tells Moss that James Williams was stopped. "You say he was extremely drunk?" Moss asks. The Butner officers called a tow truck for James Williams' Mustang and gave the trooper a ride to a Best Western. A few moments later, a hotel clerk called Butner Public Safety to report that the driver with "car trouble" changed his mind about getting a room and needed a ride to the station. Source: News-Observer

It would a stretch of the imagination to ask whether a breathalyzer test or a roadside sobriety test was administered on Williams, since the official documents about the incident reportedly omitted the trooper's name and stated that the traffic stop was resolved "without report." What is equally disturbing is the fact Williams is responsible for overseeing operations in a 12-county area that includes Wake, Durham and Granville counties, the News-Observer said. I hope Williams will not get a slap on the wrist for driving under the influence of alcohol and the officers involved in this cover-up should be terminated immediately.

NY Police Launch Investigation after "Racially & Ethnically Charged" Notes Found at Nassau Community College

Officials at Nassau Community College have warned faculty and students to be on the alert after "racially and ethnically charged" notes were left on a desk in the school's nursing department, located in Building V.

According to media reports, the undated notes were found Thursday and threatened faculty members, as well as students in the nursing program.

The incident is being investigated by law enforcement.

Vatican Provides Grant to University of Maryland-Led Consortium to Study Adult Stem Cells from Intestines

The Vatican provides grant to University of Maryland-led consortium to study adult stem cells from the intestines in hopes of finding cures for diseases.

The Vatican is providing financial backing to an international group of scientists, led by researchers from the University of Maryland, to study adult stem cells from the intestines with the hope of discovering treatment for diseases. The consortium will also include researchers from the University of Salerno, Bambino Gesu, an Italian children's hospital; and the Istituto Superiore di Sanita, which is the Italian equivalent of the National Institutes of Health. It important to note that this research will not involve embryonic stem cells, which have been a very controversial issue.

This is not the first time the Roman Catholic Church has funded stem cell research, said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of pro-life activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catholic dioceses in South Korea and Australia have supported adult stem cell research with grant money, he said.....

The exact amount of the grant is being determined, but University of Maryland researchers said the Vatican agreed to fund $2.7 million, which will go directly to the University of Salerno's Medical School Foundation to be distributed to the project partners. Maryland researchers say the Vatican award shows the Catholic Church stands behind scientific research while supporting a type of stem cell study that holds great possibilities.

Read more:  Vatican, University of Maryland enter stem cell research partnership

Chinese Government's Confucius Classroom Grants Spark Outrage in Hacienda Heights' Cedarlane MS District

From The St. Petersburg Times:

At a recent school-board meeting, Bobby Fraker and a dozen or more older, mostly white opponents of a Chinese government program that will fund a middle-school language class delivered fist-shaking denunciations.

"These children have young brains that are very malleable and they can be indoctrinated with things that America would not like," Fraker, a diminutive woman with tight auburn curls, implored board members, who approved the plan in January. Communities across the United States, from Smithfield, R.I., to Medford, Ore., have welcomed with open palms the so-called Confucius Classroom grants from the Chinese government, like the one proposed here for Cedarlane Middle School.

But Confucius is not going down smoothly in Hacienda Heights, a middle-class town about 16 miles east of downtown Los Angeles with a history of racial tensions between longtime residents and relatively recent Chinese newcomers. Ethnic Chinese comprise the majority of the school board.

The Cedarlane student body, meanwhile, is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with three out of every five students at the school qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, a poverty indicator, according to state data. The dustup may portend trouble for China's efforts to expand its cultural clout by bankrolling language programs in primary and secondary schools across the United States.

What I have a problem with is the fact that there are millions of poor people living in China, why won't their government help them instead of trying to get their hooks into people in other countries?

Read more:  Chinese gov't school grant divides SoCal community

Jafar Karzoun, UConn Student, in Critical Condition After being Punched in the Face, Suspect Edi Rapo Charged in Assault

UConn student, Jafar Karzoun, in critical condition after being punched in the face by Edi Rapo in alcohol-fueled fight.

Jafar B. Karzoun, a student at University of Connecticut, is in critical condition after being punched in the head in an alcohol-fueled fight near a restaurant at UConn early Friday morning. The perpetrator, Edi Rapo, a 19 year old student at Manchester Community College, has been arraigned in Superior Court in Rockdale on charges of second-degree assault, breach of peace and third-degree forgery, according to the CTNow.com. Rapo reportedly had a fake ID in his possession.

At first, Rapo told police that he wasn't involved in the fight, according to a police report. Then he acknowledged that he punched Karzoun once in the face with his left fist. Karzoun immediately fell unconscious. Rapo told police he didn't mean to knock Karzoun out, the report states. His attorney, Leslie Cunningham, told the court her client had been threatened and that " he was defending somebody else." His family is from Albania, she said. "They came here to provide a better education for him," Cunningham said. He is their only child. Source: CTNow

The university is celebrating its Spring Weekend and 17 others were arrested on a variety of criminal charges Friday night.

UPDATE#1:  Officials from Hartford Hospital said a University of Connecticut student who was assaulted last weekend has died. This is such a tragedy.

Stephen Baldwin Wants You to Restore His Finances and Pull Him Out of Bankruptcy

Talentless actor Stephen Baldwin launches website to seek donations to pull him out of bankruptcy and restore him to his former glory. Ignore real poverty.

I am a Christian, but I get really turned off by those so-called Christian brothers and sisters who use religion as a tool to make money by exploiting other believers. Enter Stephen Baldwin. He's the Baldwin brother with the hefty resume -- playing the bumbling idiot Barney Rubble in The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas, and is now bankrupt. We reported on that some time ago. What is a disgrace is the method in which he and his believers are bent on restoring him to his former glory -- give him some of our money. And if we do, he will be "publicly restored in front of millions and God will get all the glory." He is now painting himself as a Christian martyr. Wow, this has to be his best role yet! He wants you to ignore real poverty and give your donations all to him.

To read more about shake-down, visit the Restore Stephen Baldwin and watch the video below, which explains the project in more detail. What's even funnier is the fact they are comparing Stephen Baldwin to Job. The obviously flawed argument they are making is that like Job, he lost everything due to his beliefs. Er. I beg to differ. You see, Job was tested and his belief in God was so deep that he gave it all up because he knew God would take care of him. Stephen Baldwin is broke because he and his wife lived the high life. How dare he compare himself to Job.  He is being publicly ridiculed because this hair-brained scheme is nothing more than a shakedown. To date he has the endorsement of four so-called leaders in the religious world -- Pastor Frank Davis, Pastor Chris Musgrove, Daniel Southern, who is the president of his ministries and Ted Baehr, founder of Movie Guide. I will give Stephen Baldwin some credit for coming up with an innovative way to con believers into giving him money. He should be up for an Emmy Award with this performance. LOL.

Watch the video:

Kevin Keller, Gay Character, to Join Archie & the Gang at Riverdale High School, to Debut in September Comic Book

Archie comic books get its first gay character. Kevin Keller will make his debut at Riverdale High in September's issue of "Veronica" No. 202.

Comic book shocker! Archie and Jughead's favorite stomping ground, Riverdale High School, is opening its doors to an openly gay student -- Kevin Keller. This is the first in the comic's 69-year history. According to the NY Daily News, Dan Parent, the artist-writer behind the series, said, "We're trying to reflect society and we're just trying to show Riverdale is a diverse place."

Kevin Keller will make his debut in "Veronica" No. 202, which goes on sale in September. He will be portrayed as a hunky new kid who catches Veronica's eye. Though she is used to getting her way, she's finally meets her match. A young man who's immune to her charms. Parent says he hopes the positive message will offend as few people as possible, but adverse conservative reaction "was not a reason not to do the story."

I think this this a good move. The gay and lesbian community can't be swept under a rug. They are productive members of society and should be treated as such.

Wadner Tranchant Sues Ritz-Carlton for Discrimination for Complying with British Family's Request for "No Black Waiters"

Wadner Tranchant, food server at Ritz-Carlton's Naples resorts, sues company for discrimination after company complies to British family's request for "no black waiters."

Wadner Tranchant, a Haitian-born food server at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples, Fla., has filed a federal lawsuit against the hotel because he was told March 12 his services wouldn't be needed that day. Why? The hotel reportedly chose to bend over backwards to make sure that the a racist British family's, Rodney Morgan's family, demands to not be served by "any black people or anybody with a foreign accent." To make matters worst for the Ritz, a note in the hotel's computer system read "this couple is very, very prejudiced." The lawsuit states, Tranchant, who is seeking $75,000 in damages, was "humiliated and embarrassed" by the incident. It is shameful what some people will do for money. If the allegations are true, the hotel encouraged discrimination on the basis of making money. That's avarice at its worst.

The Rodney Morgan family checked into the hotel Feb. 28, and a note in the hotel’s computers, directed by Vice President and Director Edward Staros, said, “as per Mr. Staros, this couple is very very prejudice.’’ The note went on to say the family didn’t want to be served by anyone of color or with a foreign accent, according to the lawsuit.

On March 12, Tranchant, a U.S. citizen who has worked for the hotel for 15 years, was prevented by his immediate supervisors from serving the Morgans at The Grill restaurant, said his attorney, Michael McDonnell of Naples. Ritz Carlton spokeswoman Vivian Deuschl wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit, saying the company doesn’t discuss pending litigation. “The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company does not tolerate discrimination from our employees or our guests,” she said. Source:  News-Press

I hope the note in the system was not deleted by management to cover their butts. This should never be tolerated in America.

To read the lawsuit, CLICK HERE.

Richard Barrett, White Supremacist Lawyer, Found Stabbed to Death, Neighbor Vincent McGee Charged with Murder

White supremacist lawyer Richard Barrett found stabbed to death in a burning house in Jackson, MS. Neighbor, Vincent McGee, who is black, arrested and charged with murder.

Richard Barrett, a White supremacist lawyer was found stabbed to death in a burning house on Thursday in Jackson, Miss. Authorities later arrested a neighbor, Vincent McGee, 22, and charged him with murder in the case. According to the Houston Chronicle, Rankin County Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said additional charges, including arson, could be forthcoming. McGee, who is black, had done yard work for Barrett in the past, Pennington said. This almost sounds like a copy-cat case of the recent bludgeoning death of South African white supremacist Eugene Terreblanche on his farm.

Barrett, a New York City native and Vietnam War veteran, moved to Mississippi in 1966. Soon after, he began traveling the country to promote anti-black and anti-immigrant views and founded a supremacist group called the Nationalist Movement. One expert on hate groups said Barrett was well known for his news conferences and protests in places having racial strife, but that he had mustered little real clout in the white power movement.

Barrett attracted about 50 supporters to his 2008 rally in protest of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the Louisiana town of Jena, where six black teenagers were charged with beating a white classmate. Years earlier, he sued over a ban on Confederate flags at University of Mississippi football games.  Barrett operated the Nationalist Movement from an office in the small rural town of Learned, Miss., about 20 miles southwest of Jackson, where he also ran a school for skinheads. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barrett told AP he believed there would be a revolution in the United States if Barack Obama were elected as the first black president. Source: Houston Chronicle

No matter how you hate what this man stood for, he didn't deserve to be murdered. Some say you live by the sword, you die by the sword, but it isn't right for others to believe they have the right to take the life of another. In one instance I want to say good riddance, but murder isn't the way to solve problems.

"Little Black Sambo" Comes to Japanese Nursery School, Sparks Widespread Outrage Over Book Published in 1899

Little black Sambo comes to Japanese nursery-school. Reignites racism row over book written by Helen Bannerman and published in 1899.

 From the Japanese Times:

"Little Black Sambo, Sambo, Sambo/His face and hands are completely black/Even his butt is completely black."

Word of nursery-schoolers in Saitama Prefecture chanting a "Little Black Sambo" song — "akin to what might be taught by a white supremacist group" — spread online recently, prompting 21st century-style activism:

Facebook postings, blogosphere commotion, an online petition, CCed e-mails to Tokorozawa City Hall. In a phone call, a Midori Hoikuen nursery school employee admitted to having read and then re-enacted — with toddlers — the best-selling children's book "Little Black Sambo" (known here as "Chibikuro Sanbo"). The re-enactment's song lyrics, as printed above, were allegedly translated by a biracial child's concerned parent and then uploaded onto Facebook.

It should be noted that the Story of Little Black Sambo, was a children's book written by Helen Bannerman, a Scot living in India. It was first published in 1899. The cartoon has been banned from public display in the United States due to the racial nature of its content. So, without getting really ticked off about this, please, read the entire article and share your opinion on this really offensive portrayal.

Watch the Little Black Sambo video below. If this isn't a racist portrayal of blacks then I don't know what else is. It is rather shameful that this portrayal of blacks persists in Japan.

Conrad Zdzierak Foils Ohio Police in String of Bank Robberies by Using Blackface

White bank robber, Conrad Zdzierak, foils Ohio cops in string of bank robberies by wearing blackface.

Blackface bank robber Conrad Zdzierak (Newser)

From Newser:

Ohio police say they've apprehended a wily white bank robber who threw them off the trail by disguising himself as a black person. Authorities say 30-year-old Conrad Zdzierak would rob the banks in a high-quality mask, then take it off as he drove to his next robbery target, confounding police on the lookout for a black man.

He allegedly managed to hit four banks and a CVS within just three hours, ABC reports. His mistake? He never disguised his car. Police got a report of a vehicle outside a hotel matching the getaway car's description. They found it with an interior stained red by the dye bank tellers had slipped into the money bags.

Inside the hotel, they found Zdzierak, the money, and “what I'm calling a 'Hollywood quality' mask,” said a police lieutenant. “These things cost $600-$700.” Zdzierak is now in custody on $3 million bail. “You are the type of villain we read about in novels,” the judge told him.

This is crazy but not surprising. Considering Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder in 2008, and C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man in 1986, this fool was emboldened to wear blackface in his string of robberies.

Glenn Beck Lists Purported Similarities Between "Our Side" and Martin Luther King Jr.

Fox News Glenn Beck lists purported similarities between "our side and Martin Luther King Jr.

Here we go again, Glenn Beck is on his usual tirade and this time he's listed similarities between his side and Martin Luther King Jr.

Woodland Middle School Principal, Dr. Terry Oatts, Under Fire for Allowing Rapper T.I. to Speak at School

Georgia principal, Dr. Terry Oatts, under fire for allowing rapper Clifford Harris Jr., or T. I. to appear at Woodland Middle School. Oatts said "at least it wasn't George Bush."

Some parents in Henry County, Ga., are upset because rapper T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., visited Woodland Middle School and the response they received from the principal Dr. Terry Oatts at his decision to have the rapper on school grounds. Tom Myers, who has four daughters in the Henry County School System contacted Channel 2 Action News to discuss the response he received from the principal about the fact that he, and other parents simply wanted to know ahead of time who will be speaking to their children during school assemblies. Myers took offense to the rapper being a guest speaker at the school.

Here is an excerpt from Channel 2 Action News' website: 

In an e-mail to Oatts, Myers took issue with the selection of T.I. as a guest speaker because the rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., is a convicted felon. In early March, the Myers said one of their girls came home and said, “Guess who was at school today? T.I., the rapper.”  Last year, Harris served a one-year sentence on federal weapons charges for possession of machine guns and silencers. His criminal history dates back to 1998.“ Had I had the opportunity to not let them go, I would have had them sit out,” said Tom Myers. Myers wrote an e-mail to Oatts, which read in part: “In the future, if T.I. or any other convicted felon needs to perform community service, ask for parental permission to allow our children to be exposed to these questionable individuals.”

Myers said Oatts replied with the following e-mail: “I thought about asking a guy who snorted cocaine and got arrested for DUI when he was 30 to come and speak to our kids, but President George W. Bush was not available.” “I could not believe that he would put that in an e-mail or that he would say that,” said Myers.

In another e-mail from Oatts to Myers, Oatts said: “Mr. Harris has never been convicted of homicide. We would not be able to adequately staff our states general assembly, our U.S. Congress or the executive branch of our government using your apparent standards."

T.I. spoke at the school on March 5 and a school representative maintains that parents were notified in advance. Here's my two cents. T.I. was just released from a half-way house, he has not reintegrated himself with society yet and it was premature to have him speak on how he turned his life around. I could understand if he had been out of prison for a few years and had a verifiable track record of rehabilitation. If I'm not mistaken, it seems that during his first week of complete freedom, he chose to party it up in a club, rather than being with his family.

Obama Entertainment Club to Open Next Week in Shanghai, China

Obama Entertainment Club to open its doors April 26, in Shanghai, China.

Obama Entertainment Club, Shanghaiist

It seems that a new club, named Obama Entertainment Club, will open its doors on April 26th in Shanghai, China. According to an ad from the company, that I found on the website Shanghaiist:

The Obama Club is probably the largest entertainment clubhouse in Shanghai. Designed by renowned American interior designer Cagley and Tanner from Las Vegas. Occupying a total space of 4,000 square m. The Obama Club is pampered and lavishly decorated - fitted with international top of the range multi-media, audio and visual equipment designed to blow your mind.

I don't think President Obama would be too pleased with his namesake gracing such an establishment.

MSNBC Host, Donny Deutsch, Off the Air After Criticizing Colleague Keith Olbermann

MSNBC host, Donny Deutsch, off the air after criticizing colleague Keith Olbermann during interview with radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.

From TVNewser:

TVNewser has learned Donny Deutsch, who'd been filling in on the 3pmET hour this week on MSNBC, won't be anchoring for the rest of the week after a segment yesterday seemed to criticize his colleague Keith Olbermann.

This week, Deutsch has been calling his show "American the Angry." Yesterday, he played a clip of various radio and TV talkers in all their anger -- including Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann.
Adding insult to insult, Deutsch's guest, radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, then called Olbermann and Ed Schultz, "the biggest hate mongers on television." Deutsch responded, "I'm not taking the side of either one."

TVNewser has learned MSNBC president Phil Griffin talked with Deutsch and the show's producer and expressed his disappointment with the segment (clip after the jump).

An MSNBC spokesperson tells us Deutsch was going to be off the rest of this week due to a personal issue.

> More: Insiders tell us Deutsch was planning on being the air as of this morning. Guests, including Andrew Ross Sorkin, Pat Buchanan and the CEO of Spirit Airlines, had been booked. We also hear the EP of the show was sent home this morning. Bookings were already being worked on for tomorrow.

> More, More: Olbermann responds about his involvement: "What I know of what happened is this: Phil Griffin phoned me yesterday enraged at what was on that show and I didn't disagree with him." Olbermann himself will be off his show for the next two days. "Colonoscopy, nothing wrong, just a new fact of life after my late Dad's issues," he tells TVNewser

It seems to me that Keith Olbermann has been pretty vocal about his disdain for the rightwing, but is that a reason to kick Deutsch off the air? MSNBC is proving that it is "fair and balanced" like Faux News, in one direction -- left wing, in this case.

Watch video:

Army May Pull Franklin Graham's Invitation to Attend National Day of Prayer Over Anti-Islam Comments

Army mulling recision of invitation to Franklin Graham to attend National Day of Prayer because he described Islam as "evil."

The Army is mulling whether to rescind an invitation to evangelist Franklin Graham to appear at the Pentagon for the National Day of Prayer because a religious liberty group, The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, complained about the he described Islam as "evil."

Sorry, but the Army is caving to pressure. There are some elements in the Muslim community who are evil, that's the reality we live with each day, but the entire religion is not evil. The Army leaders should ask Graham, the son of Billy Graham, to clarify his comments before they throw him under the bus. The reality is that there are vehicles of evil in every religion and when we cast aspersions, we only end up looking really stupid. If Graham uttered these words, then an argument can be made that there is evil in his religion as well. Take the latest dust-up with the Roman Catholic Church and the abuse allegations made by thousands of victims against some priests. The argument can be made that the Catholic church is built upon evil motives perpetrated by pedophiles, who were not reported to law enforcement, but moved from parish to parish by their superiors.

Graham was reportedly invited by the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force, which works with the Pentagon chaplain's office on the prayer event. The organization said Muslim employees at the Pentagon were offended by the invitation. It should be noted that another religious leader, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddlebrook Church, came under a scathing attack because of his flawed position on gays and lesbians. He had to recant his statement and offer an apology. Why put your foot in your mouth in the first place?

UPDATE#1: The Army has rescinded its invitation to Franklin Graham. He has also refused to recant his comment about Islam being "evil."

Coast Guard Says 11 Workers Still Missing After Louisiana Oil Rig Explosion

SHOCK: The Coast Guard said at least 11 people are missing and seven injured after an explosion and fire at an oil drilling platform off the coast of Louisiana.

It is believed that most of the 126 people were believed to have escaped safely after the explosion at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mike O’Berry said. The explosion and fire occurred about 52 miles southeast of Venice on Louisiana’s tip.

The rig was still burning Wednesday morning and was listing about 10 degrees, O’Berry said. Seven workers were airlifted to a Naval air station near New Orleans, then taken to hospitals. He said two of the seven were taken to a trauma center in Mobile, Ala., where there is a burn unit. Source: Fox News

The rig, which was drilling, but not in production, is owned by Transocean Ltd. and under contract to BP.

Birther Movement Gets Small Victory in Arizona as Amendment Calls for Proof of American Citizenship

Birther movement gets small victory in Arizona, as amendment to bill calls for candidates to be required to show documents to prove he or she is a "natural born" American.

It is absolutely amazing that the "birther" movement is still alive and its supporters are elated with the recent amendment made by state Rep. Judy Burges (R-AZ), to a bill concerning how candidates can get on Arizona's ballot, would require them to show documents to prove they are a "natural born citizen." It could mean that if President Obama chose to run again in 2012, he may need to prove to the state of Arizona that he was a "natural born" American. The reality is that this bill will have an uphill battle before it is enacted into law. How many times does President Obama have to answer questions about his natural born American status? I can't recall Sen. John McCain being forced to deal with this issue repeatedly.

Now dubbed the "birther bill," the provision won a preliminary 31-22 vote, but the bill itself still faces a formal vote before it is sent to the state's Senate. Attempts have been made in other states, such as Florida and Oklahoma, to introduce similar legislation. None of them have ever become law.

"Republicans continue to take Arizona down the wrong track by wasting taxpayers' time on frivolous legislation instead of working on important issues like health care for kids and seniors and education," said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, in a statement. Source: NY Daily News

I guess my question is to each person born in this country, do you have the original copy of your birth certificate? It would be rather hard to get that, but President Obama is being forced to do so. Gee, I wonder if Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) would have received the same outpouring of skepticism if he had become our president, considering that he wasn't born in the United States, but in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936. The reality is that questions of his eligibility didn't generate the same kind of interest and fervor. One has to wonder what the real motivations of the so-called "birther movement" is. Could it be that they just can't stand having a black president?

Keli McGregor, Colorado Rockies President, Found Dead in Salt Lake City Hotel Room

Keli McGregor, president of Colorado Rockies found dead in Salt Lake City hotel room. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

SHOCK: Keli McGregor, 48, president of Colorado Rockies, found dead Tuesday morning in Salt Lake City, UT, hotel room, police said. According to media reports, police received a call shortly before 9 a.m. that a man was found unconscious in a room at the Grand America Hotel. Medics tried to revive him, police said. At this time, the cause of death is unknown.

Team chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort said he was in Utah on a business trip with McGregor and team executive vice president Greg Feasel. McGregor had been the team's president since October 2001, according to the team's website.

McGregor's untimely death has sent shock waves through the baseball community. He will be sorely missed.

Marcus Baker, Father of Four, Shot and Killed in Apparent Robbery in Northeast Atlanta, Suspects At Large

Marcus Baker, father of four, shot and killed in apparent robbery in northeast Atlanta. Suspects still at large.

Marcus Baker, a father of four, was shot and killed Monday morning in northeast Atlanta in an apparent robbery. The police are looking for two suspects in connection with this heinous act, who were last seen driving a gold car.

According to WSB-TV, Baker, 29, was shot at around 12:40 a.m. at the corner of Wabash Avenue Northeast and Boulevard Northeast in the city’s Old Fourth Ward. Police said Baker was struck by a bullet at least once in the chest and died after he was taken to Atlanta Medical Center.

Nothing good happens after midnight, especially in a rough area such as the Fourth Ward. Some news reports are saying Baker sold drugs to supplement his income and that the suspects may have known about that. I am not sure what to make of that, but it is a shame that four children have lost their father.

 How does a mother tell her four children that their father was mowed down in the streets by two armed thugs? That's a real tragedy and if you have any information that could assist in apprehending these dirtbags, please, contact the Atlanta Police Department.

Dorothy I. Height, Civil Rights & Gender Equality Pioneer, Dies at 98

Civil and women's right pioneer Dorothy I. Height has died. She was 98. Ms. Height was the founding matriach of the civil rights movement who crusaded tirelessly for racial justice and gender equality. She died at Howard University Hospital. Rest in peace my sister. You have done well.

Frostburg Student, Tyrone Hall, Charged with 1st Degree Murder & Attempted Murder in Double Shooting, One Dead

Frostburg State student, Tyrone Hall, charged with 1st degree murder in shotgun death of Brandon Carroll and attempted murder for wounding Ellis Hartridge.

Tyrone Hall, a student at Frostburg State University has been accused of shooting two fellow students, killing one, with a 12-gauge shotgun, after a fight began at an off-campus party. According to the Baltimore Sun, Hall of Glen Burnie, was charged with first degree murder and first-degree attempted murder in the shooting death of school basketball player, Brandon Carroll, 20, and wounding Ellis Hartridge Jr., 21, who is expected to make a full recovery.

Police say Carroll and Hartridge were part of a group that went to Hall's home to confront him around 4 a.m. Sunday after he allegedly assaulted a woman at a party earlier in the evening. Hall remained in his home after the shooting until police arrived.

Frostburg State University's student government organization has planned a candlelight march at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday with a vigil service that begins at 9 p.m. The university has also made counselors available to speak to students. Source: Baltimore Sun

Why do people have to solve their disputes with guns? It only leads to violence and possibly death, as in this case. Hall is headed for a bond review hearing 11 a.m. Monday. Hall, who has no previous criminal history, is currently being held without bond.

Florida Republican Candidate Lt. Col. Allen West Says He Will Tell Nancy Pelosi "Give Me the Damn Gavel" in January '11

Allen West, a retired Army lieutenant colonel is the Republican Party's new ray of hope in Florida's 22nd District. He is challenging first-term Democratic Rep. Ron Klein. According to the American Spectator, West's first exposure to the media spotlight in 2003 was the result of an assassination plot against him while he was serving with the Army's 4th Infantry Division in Iraq's Sunni Triangle.

According to National Review, West was interrogating a prisoner (an Iraqi policeman identified by military intelligence as part of the plot) and fired a pistol next to the prisoner's head. The prisoner confessed, giving up detailed information that helped foil a plot to ambush West's unit.

"If you're a bad guy, don't ever get between me and the safety and the lives of the American people," West says of the incident. "As a commander, your moral responsibility is to take care of your troops."

Two months later, however, the Army told West he had a choice: Retire or face a court-martial. West retired and moved to Florida, where he spent the next year teaching high school in Broward County. Source: American Spectator

West,  who has been endorsed by ex-Gov. Sarah "Quitter" Palin, had some choice words for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a recent speech. He said that when his term begins next January, he will say "one simple thing to Nancy Pelosi. Give me that damn gavel." West has emerged has collected $838,450 in the first quarter of 2010 for his challenge of Ron Klein. I must say, I like his spunk.

Ex-Boxing Champ Edwin Valero Kills Himself in Jail Cell in Venezuela

The truth always comes to light when you least expect it to. Venezuelan police said ex-boxing champ Edwin Valero, who was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife, has committed suicide in a jail cell.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Nominated for Russian Hip-Hop Award

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin nominated for Hip-Hop award by Russian Street Awards.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been nominated for a Hip-Hop award, the Russian version. Try to keep a straight face. Rap music is a worldwide phenomenon. According to Pravda, Putin was nominated by the Russian Street Awards because he took part in the "Fight for Respect: Start the Street Awards" show on Muz-TV. He expressed his support for the hip-hop culture and said rap was filled with social meaning and speaks about social and youth issues.

During the show shot in November of 2009, street dancers, graffiti artists and rappers from all regions of Russia demonstrated their talents trying to prove that hip-hop and healthy lifestyle are compatible. Unexpectedly for many, Prime Minister Putin took part in the show by giving awards to the winners and expressing his support to rap and brake dance.

According to Putin, rap is filled with social meaning, and speaks about social and youth issues. Graffiti is becoming a form of art, and brake dance is propaganda of healthy lifestyle since it is hard to imagine that this complicated dance can be compatible with drugs and alcohol.

Later Putin was criticized for his desire to market himself to young crowd. Yet, during live call-in show with Russian people Putin explained that he wanted to attract attention to the issues of young people. “It has nothing to do with rating. Thanks God, we have no elections,” he said.

In any case, Putin’s meeting with the rappers impressed the community, and the organizational committee of Russian Street Awards decided to include it into the nomination “Event of the Year.” The event compares in its significance only to the breakup of Centr band and Hip-Hop City splash 2009 festival. The first national award in hip-hop culture will take place on April 21 in Crocus City Hall in Moscow.