WEEK – NOVEMBER 8

PROVERB OF THE DAY: The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

I AM SICK WITH A TERRIBLE COUGH, BUT RECOVERING

Yes people, this is news worthy. I haven’t been feeling the best. It is killing me. I got sick from work the other day last week. But, I went to the doctor yesterday and I learned that I do not have the flu. No H1N1 for me. So as of right now, I am recovering. The doctor gave me some meds that will have me on my feet soon. But right now, they have me on my butt because they make me quite drowsy. Yet I will be back to work with focusing on the Weekly and providing the truth according to my thoughts.

There are germs out there and we all have to be very careful about where we are, who we are around and we must be careful that we wash are hands and stay free of any germs as best we can. Folks stay safe and stay vigilant.

TAYLOR SWIFT WINS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR – COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS

If many of you are like me, you totally missed the Country Music Awards this week. But you hear the news the day after like me, you heard that Taylor Swift won just about all the awards that she was nominated for. You heard about how the whole group of artists that made an appearance on stage to speak made fun of Kanye, and you know that now Taylor Swift is now the darling of Country Music and music in general. This is amazing to me.

See, Taylor is a good singer. She’s aight. I won’t take anything away from her there. But people, let’s be real… You all know like I do that Kanye jumping on stage put her on the map. If it wasn’t for that happening to her and the world feeling sorry for her, which they do, her fame wouldn’t have happened so quickly. The big bad Black man wolf tried to stop Little Red Riding White girl. It is what it is. Congrats Taylor. Be sure that you send a thank you card to Kanye.

FORT HOOD SUSPECT MAY BE PARALYZED

According to the defense attorney for the Fort Hood shooter may be paralyzed. According to the Associated Press, Civilian attorney John Galligan said Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan told him that he had no feeling in his legs and extreme pain in his hands. Hasan, who was shot four times by civilian police officers, said doctors told him the condition may never improve. According to the AP, Galligan said that his client’s medical condition remains “extremely serious” and that Hasan didn’t flinch when Galligan touched his leg.

The fact that this man hasn’t died yet or wasn’t killed during his actions against the people of Fort Hood makes many people mad. The fact that this dude is paralyzed is justice for me. Now, he hast to live the rest of his life in total dependence on people and in pain knowing that he has been stripped of something he was once able to do. Keep the families for Fort Hood who lost someone in your prayers.

HEALTH BILL PASSES IN THE HOUSE OVER THE WEEKEND

Over the weekend, the House of Representatives passed the landmark Health-Care legislation that President Obama has been selling to Congress and the American Public over the past couple of months. This bill has a few modifications, but the most important of all the changes is that this bill does include a public option. The bill passed 220-215 over the weekend, 39 Dems voting against and 1 lone Republican voting in favor of the legislation.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, where a number of moderate Democrats are in open opposition to the bill, specifically because of the public option. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has yet to schedule debate on this issue on the Senate floor and has hinted that this legislation will not be resolved by the Senate until next year, much to President Obama’s dismay. According to the Associated Press, here are some differences in the House Bill and the Senate’s proposed Bill:

• The House would require employers to provide coverage; the Senate does not.
• The House would pay for the coverage expansion by raising taxes on upper-income earners; the Senate uses a variety of taxes and fees, including a levy on high-cost insurance plans.
• The House plan costs about $1.2 trillion over 10 years; the Senate version is under $900 billion.

Please stay tuned and I invite each of you to contact your U.S. Senator and let them know exactly how you feel and what you expect them to do as your elected official.

CAMDEN’S PROMISE NOT FULFILLED

I found an interesting article in the news paper yesterday regarding the recovery effort in Camden. In the Philadelphia Daily News article, the author speaks about how millions of dollars in investment have shown little in the way of returns so far. Check it out at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20091108_Camden_Rebirth__A.html

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WEEK – NOVEMBER 1

CHARLAMAGNE “THA GOD” FIRED FROM 100.3

Can you believe that this dude got fired from 100.3? Why? We’ll, 100.3 says that they want to go in another direction. The timing couldn’t have been more funny. Friday, Charlamagne played his interview with Beanie Sigel regarding Jay-Z and all that stuff…Monday, the man gets fired. 100.3 already struggles with credibility from its listeners…here is another moment where they have messed up. Charlamagne was actually the best morning person they’ve had since the fired Jonesy a few years back. Charlamagne is the only dude with the courage to call out Lil Wayne, Drake and Young Money for whom and what they are…promoters of stereotypes that damage Black minds.

What’s worse is the possibility of Jay-Z being behind the firing. Really, you don’t think it could be possible??? Some of you maybe too young to remember but Wendy Williams was fired from a radio station many years ago, I believe Hot 97, for calling Puffy gay – and yes, Puff was behind that. Remember folks, Jay-Z has an image to protect with his higher-ups. He is in another place, as Sigel said. And for someone to throw “rocks at the throne,” quoting Jay himself, the king must put his subjects in place. It is only an allegation, but one that I can believe.

Check out the following site for more information… http://www.sohh.com/2009/11/update_charlamagne_speaks_on_radio_show.html.

RIHANNA ON 20/20 TONIGHT

I, along with the rest of the “Hip Hop” world will be watching this interview. I put this story out a few days ago that this interview was tonight and that Ri Ri would be going in depth with her tail of the night of the Grammys. I just want to take time to say one thing as you all anticipate the horror of Chris Brown tonight; the horrible things that he said and did and how he shouldn’t have touched Rihanna…It takes two to tango and if you think that Rihanna didn’t touch him that night in that car, you are a damn fool. In honor of this event tonight, I will repost a blog that made me famous (in an upstart sort of way) that I wrote many months ago. The fact of the matter is that she pushed his buttons and best believe that she took him there. All women know how to take a man there and some women actually do it. All I am saying is that while it is not right what Chris Brown did, Rihanna knew what she was getting herself into, especially if he did this previously…It wasn’t right for Whites to hose Civil Rights leaders back in the 60’s but those civil rights workers damn sure went downtown to march…they knew what they were gonna get if they marched…and so did she.

Check out my comments on this story on the President’s Page… http://bonation.wordpress.com/the-presidents-page/

 

THIS IS DEATH OF A GOVERNOR…MOMENT OF SILENCE

No, Jon Corzine didn’t die, but he is no longer governor of New Jersey. Chris Christie is the new governor and the first republican to be elected to the post since Christine Todd Whitman in 1997. New Jersey, a historically Democratic stronghold, chose to go in a different direction concerning its chief executive position, due to issues of high taxes, the loss of over 150,000 jobs and a uncertainties regarding the economy in the state. According to the Courier Post, with 97 percent of the precincts reporting as of 11:15pm last night, Christie had 49 percent of the vote and Corzine had 44 percent – the margin being 106,000 votes. Chris Daggett was a non factor with only 6 percent of the vote.

I sincerely hope that things change for the better in New Jersey for the folks who need help the most and particularly for the middle class who are in need of a bailout themselves. Regardless of who you voted for, let us continue to monitor those in office and pray for them as well. Look at this picture…Christie looks so goofy. He indeed needs your prayers and mine.

HOMETOWN PRODUCT IS NOW THE HOMETOWN MAYOR

New Jersey State Senator Dana Redd, 5^th District, was elected mayor last night for the city of Camden. The victory was a done deal, considered by most due to the political backing of the Democratic Committee in Camden County. Redd won convincingly over her contenders and she vowed to “change Camden like never before.”

The 41 year old Camden (Fairview) resident will replace three-term mayor Gwendolyn Faison, who announced that she wouldn’t seek reelection early in the year. Many criticized Redd for leaving a powerful senate seat to take the lowly job of Mayor of Camden; under control from the Governor appointed chief operating officer. But Redd believes that she can work with the COO to improve the city and she also sees a future where the mayor’s office will once again be in control of city powers.

Redd said that she would start her term by addressing issues of government accessibility, education and leveraging partnerships between the city and business. Here at BlackOut Weekly, we wish the City of Camden well, along with its new mayor.

RIHANNA SPILLS THE BEANS

Rihanna hopes to use her painful humiliation via domestic violence as a lesson and help for other young girls abused by men. “Domestic violence is a big secret,” Rihanna said to Glamour magazine. “The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.”

Rihanna will be on 20/20 this Friday night at 10 EST to discuss in depth the violent event that happened between her and Chris Brown. Both entertainers have resumed practicing their crafts. Rihanna’s album will be releasing soon, which is no coincidence to me that she has decided to speak around the time of her album release. Hopefully, Rihanna can contribute something meaningful to the fight against domestic abuse.

 

TOYOTA ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS

This morning, Good Morning America reported on the death of a family in San Diego that was caused by a Toyota with issues surrounding the accelerator. This family was driving down the highway and when the driver had his foot on the accelerator, the car immediately sped without his prompting. He then removed his foot from the petal and it continued to go fast. The car reached 90 mph and the car crashed into a nearby tree and bush.

This is not a new situation. Toyota has been experiencing complaints regarding this issue for months. In September, the company issued a recall for 3.8 million vehicles. The company reportedly has been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a remedy for this problem with its cars. According to the Associated Press, NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved; it was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a high-speed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn’t stop the vehicle.

For those of you with Toyota’s please be mindful of this development and careful as you drive your cars. Be smart and always be safe.

RACIAL DISPARITIES IN ETHICS INVESTIGATIONS

According to Politico, The House ethics committee is currently investigating seven African-American lawmakers — more than 15 percent of the total in the House and an eighth black member, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), would be under investigation if the Justice Department hadn’t asked the committee to stand down – Not a single white lawmaker is currently the subject of a full-scale ethics committee probe.

According to Politico, The committee — which has one African-American lawmaker, Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), among its 10 members — on Thursday considered three referrals from the recently formed Office of Congressional Ethics; it dismissed a case against Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), who is white, but agreed to open full-blown investigations of California Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson, both of whom are black.

For more on this story, please visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091103/pl_politico/29055

OBAMA VISITS CAMDEN

President Obama returned to New Jersey to fulfill a promise to both Governor Corzine and the South Jersey Democratic Faithful. On a day that had the Eagles playing the Giants at 1pm and the Phillies playing the Yankees at 8pm, the President made a trip to Camden, New Jersey to campaign for the Governor.

“I’m just glad to be back in Camden,” Obama said to the crowd of over 6,000, according to the Courier Post Newspaper. According to the latest Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll shows Corzine and Republican Chris Christie in a statistical dead heat. Obama also visited Newark for a campaign rally for Corzine as well. Conservative opponent Chris Christie spent most of his Sunday campaigning in Central Jersey courting independents. Taxes are the No. 1 issue of concern among likely voters according to the Monmouth/Gannett poll show, followed by the economy and jobs. Most people are angered at the state’s 9.8 percent unemployment rate.

Tomorrow marks Election Day. We will see if Obama’s visit made any difference in helping Jon Corzine get reelected. BlackOut Weekly will provide you with the late evening results.

BY THE PEOPLE – ANOTHER HBO SPECIAL

This Tuesday, HBO will premier another documentary this time chronicling the campaign of President Barack Obama. By The People: The Election of Barack Obama, will air tomorrow night at 9pm on HBO. The film was put together by filmmakers Alicia Sams, Amy Rice and actor Edward Norton.

According to the Associate Press, Rice was inspired by Obama’s speech to the Democratic national convention in 2004 and wanted to do a film about him as an up-and-coming political leader. Her friend Sams signed on, but they couldn’t get their phone calls to Obama’s office returned until Norton called on their behalf. If nothing else, this film will be interesting for anyone who is curious to know the inner workings of the well oiled machine that was the Obama campaign. The film will document everything from the upset victory in Iowa to Election Night a year ago. This is a documentary that you might not want to miss.

FORD REPORTS BILLION DOLLAR PROFITS

The Ford Motor company, the only U.S. based Car Company that did not declare for bankruptcy during this recession reports an income level of 1 billion dollars. Chrysler and GM have a lot to learn from Ford.

According to the Associated Press, the automaker said Monday earnings were fueled by U.S. market share gains, cost cuts and the Cash for Clunkers program, which drew flocks of buyers to showrooms this summer; Ford’s shares rose 68 cents, or 9.8 percent, to $7.68 in morning trading. But with that good news comes with the bad realities for a number of people. In order to help with that revenue boost, Ford cut costs by $1 billion during the third quarter, accomplished through layoffs in North America and Europe, reduced pension and retiree health care costs and improvements in productivity and product development, according to the company.

Indeed, the only thing that matters in business is the bottom line. Ford isn’t hurting – that’s all that matters, to them.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

[Please forgive me people. It’s Friday and I am just so tired. Y’all feel me. The News is abbreviated for the day. I was too tired to write anything for the news, so here is the topic and the link if you are interested in the story. Happy Friday to you all and enjoy your weekend…Remember that it is Mischief Night to night, and be careful on Halloween. For your viewing pleasure, please see the following Halloween rules, followed by news links.]

HALLOWEEN RULES

These rules are designed to help you as we enjoy another Halloween full of parties, candy and trick-or-treaters. Please, follow these directions carefully.

• Offer Trick-or-Treaters a piece of fruit in addition to candy.
• If you take a child trick-or-treating, you can eat some of their candy
• Thriller must be heard at least twice.
• Halloween is over at Midnight Sunday morning so please take off your costume at 12am.
• If you are going to a Halloween party, please do not leave any food or drinks unattended.
• If you have a costume and it is wack, don’t wear it.
• A regular outfit while wearing a mask or sports jersey or other one-piece attire is not a costume.
• Do not waste your money on purchasing a Halloween inspired alcoholic drink…stick with what you normally drink.

Do not go to a Halloween party with the intention of meeting someone of the opposite sex…the metaphoric nature of people masquerading themselves is enough of a clue as to why.

At all times, watch you’re whereabouts…people are crazy.

Have a safe Halloween!!!

U.S. DECLARES EDUCATION STANDARDS ARE TOO LOW

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091029/ap_on_bi_ge/us_schools_low_standards

OBAMA VISITS CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY ON SUNDAY

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20091030/NEWS01/910300351&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

IS THERE A SUCH THING AS FOOD RACISM?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/30/navarette.food.racism/index.html

LET THE DOLLAR PROVE ITSELF

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/30/ron.paul.fed/index.html

BIRMINGHAM MAYOR GUILTY OF FRAUD AND BRIBARY

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/13817

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

TRUTH TONE RECORDS…FEEL THE MOVEMENT

Indeed, it is blow-up time again. As you all know, I do support my local peoples trying to do something positive for themselves. In order to play the game, you have to start and in most cases, you start at zero. Well, Truth Tone Records are well over the hundred point mark and they are looking for more.

President and CEO Kevin Lavender a.k.a. Verbal Hemlock, is a friend that goes way back to childhood. He was always destined for great things and his vision lead him to create a powerhouse label designed to create what most people in the industry can’t recognize…music. Truth Tone Records based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, houses musicians dedicated to conscious hip-hop, soul and R&B. In addition to Verbal Hemlock, the group is comprised of Conscious, IM, Yogi, Maliika, Vokab, Dust n Clay and Crystal Meth.

Please know that their music is ridiculously fire and makes me a believer again in the idea that people can actually make good music. The soulful sounds mixed with though provoking lyrics will send you on a mental and emotional ride and when the music stops, you’ll wish the ride didn’t stop. Most people who know me know that I am Earth, Wind and Fire, the Isley Brothers and Anita Baker all day. Truth Tone does an excellent job of reminding me of that old school soul mixed with the passions and forcefulness of that street hip hop. The song California puts me in the mind of a queen speaking of the love for her king. DC does her thing rappin with grit and submission simultaneously. The hook on Lately reminds me of a time when things changed with a girl that I was really feelin…the lyrical content is strong on that song. You can ride to that when you’re boo just isn’t acting like they use to. Indeed a song to play in the car when you need to do some serious thinking and contemplating. The production is enough to make people look at you as if you have problems, because you will be knocking your head to the beat with that “yo momma can’t cook” look on your face.

Check this group out at http://www.myspace.com/truthtonerecordsmzk, where you can find out about shows and new material. To my South Jersey family, I know that they are from Michigan but the founder is one of us…born and bred from Pennsauken. If you are looking for some real music, Truth Tone cannot disappoint you because they do nothing but make real music. Show your love and support for some real artist. Special love to my brotha Verbal Hemlock and my sistas D.C. and Crystal Meth…they are my Pitman Avenue family right there. This ensemble is doing their thing and BlackOut Weekly is proud to promote their artistry…Truth Tone is indeed a work of art.

GAME ONE GOES TO CLIFF LEE

Okay, this one is for my sports fans out there. Now, I am not a baseball fan…It is so, how do I say, “Old Negro-esk.” But you have to appreciate an athlete who puts on a show. And last night in the World Series, Cliff Lee put on a show for all of the world to see.

In sports, there are only a few places known as places of sports royalty…Yankee Stadium is one of them and to pitch there in the World Series is like the Mecca of all things sports. Even I know that. And this man pitched what they call, a “GEM.” He is the first pitcher since the very first World Series to pitch a 10 strikeout, no walks and no earned run game. He is the first pitcher to have 10 strikeouts against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium in the World Series. That is Major. For those of you who don’t understand, The Yankees are America’s Team…Not the Cowboys. The history, the mystique and the greatness of this franchise is unmatched in any sport, and to play them in this stage is priceless, which is why I cannot find nor afford to buy any tickets to game three in Philly Saturday night.

Here is what Lee said, “I knew I had my stuff,” Lee said. “I was locating pitches. But I knew with an offense like (the Yankees) you can make a couple of mistakes and it can go south on you real fast.” This man was a beast last night. And the killer is that the Cleveland Indians had this man and CC Sabathia on their team…they are both playing in the World Series but for different teams. Let that be the foreshadowing for Cleveland fans for what’s gonna happen with LeBron James after this season, because at this rate, Bron Bron will be leaving for greener pastures elsewhere, but I digress. Lee indeed did his thing last night. The Yankees are down a game with game 2 tonight and Pedro is pitching. I don’t know how that will turn out, but all I know is that A.J. Burnett is going tonight against the Phillies and he is a right-hander…Ryan Howard has 39 homeruns and 108 RBI’s against right-handers this season…If the Yankees aren’t careful, this could get ugly.

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HUMPDAY OCTOBER 28, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: He that diligently seeks good procures favor: but he that seeks mischief, it shall come unto him.

LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM DISQUALIFIED DUE TO PLAYER AGE

A little league team in Pontiac, Michigan was disqualified from playing in the league playoffs because one of the players was age 10 by the day of the playoff game. League rules say that players must be ages 7 to 9.

According to MSNBC, The Pontiac Panthers play in the Northern Youth Football League, National Division, and were about to play their first playoff game Sunday when they were told player Jeremy Cosme didn’t meet age requirements.

According to team organizer Jennifer Washington, the issue was already discussed with league officials in the first few weeks of the season and it was determined that he would still be allowed to play. Cosme was 9 by the beginning of the season. The team of more than 30 kids made it to the playoffs with an undefeated record. The league forfeited the playoff game on behalf of the Panthers. Families of the players protested. The league had no comment.

For more on this story, please visit http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/21421058/index.html

BLACK COLLEGE SELECTS WHITE HOMECOMING QUEEN

Hampton University, in Hampton Virginia, saw the election of its homecoming queen for year 2009 this past weekend. The “problem” with this picture, for Hampton University, was the fact that the queen was not a Black woman. The winner was in fact a 22 year old White Student.

Nikole Churchill, a tall and thin White woman, was elected the winner of the homecoming crown and many were none too pleased by her winning the crown. According to the Washington Post, a handful of people at the homecoming game heckled the senior nursing major as she appeared on the field during halftime for the homecoming court. Saddened by what she was experiencing, Churchill decided to go to the top with her displeasure. She wrote a letter to the President…not of the University, but of the United States.

According to the Post, Churchill wrote to President Obama, “I feel as though you could relate to my situation…I am hoping that perhaps you would be able to make an appearance to my campus, Hampton University, so that my fellow Hamptonians can stop focusing so much on the color of my skin and doubting my abilities to represent” [the school].

After discovery of the letter, Hampton student leaders and students were not happy. All groups vented frustrations to one another, but there is still hostility on campus. For more on this story, please visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/15/AR2009101504227.html

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 27, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people

NO GUARANTEES FOR A PUBLIC OPTION

The health care debate in the U.S. Senate now shifts to the issue of the public option or government sponsored health care. Senator Harry Reid will make his case for the public option, seeking to persuade a handful of moderate senators to back the plan, but it is no guarantee that the plan will gain Senate-wide support.

The public option is the most hotly contested issue within health care reform. All you need is 60 votes to pass the bill and block a potential republican filibuster, but according to the Associated Press, Reid, D-Nev., didn’t claim to have the 60 votes needed to pass his proposal when he ended weeks of speculation by announcing that the Senate version of sweeping health care legislation would include a provision for the government to sell health insurance in competition with private insurers.

Reid’s new angle for proposing a public option is allowing states the opportunity to opt out of the public option – excluding themselves from allowing individuals to choose the public option as an insurance plan. The White House said that they are happy that the Senate chose to include a public option within its health care reform bill, even with the option to opt out. Still, private insurers are skeptical and oppose any government run health care.

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY CONVICTED OF FRAUD IN FRANCE

According to the Associated Press, a Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than 600,000 euro ($900,000) on Tuesday but stopped short of banning the group as prosecutors had demanded.

According to the report, the French court convicted the Church of Scientology’s French office, its library and six of its leaders of organized fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used “commercial harassment” against recruits.

According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has been active for decades in Europe, but has struggled to gain status as a religion—It is considered a sect in France and has faced prosecution and difficulties in registering its activities in many countries.

FACEBOOK LOVES THE DEAD

Apparently, death does not separate you from the internet world. According to Yahoo News, the five-year-old social networking site Facebook will “memorialize” profiles of the dead if their friends or family request it – Such accounts will be different from regular Facebook profiles. According to Yahoo News, the site will remove any contact information and bar people from logging in. The person’s profile also won’t appear in the “suggestions” section of Facebook, and only the deceased person’s confirmed friends will be able to find them in a search.

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MONDAY OCTOBER 26, 2009

UPDATE!!!!!

My apologies to everyone for missing a few days on the site. I am still here and still committed to spreading the message of truth and promoting controversial thought. I’ll be back tomorrow with frsh updates and Hot News for the day. Stay tuned for new features to BlackOut Weekly as well. Be blessed and thanks for the continuing love and support.

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HUMPDAY OCTOBER 21, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

ANGER OVER ILLEGAL ALIEN COSTUMES

According to a report from CNN, Immigrant rights activists are calling on U.S. retailers to stop selling two controversial “Illegal Alien” costumes that have surfaced for Halloween, saying the outfits are a broadside attack on illegal immigrants. Here is a description of the costume as quoted by CNN:

The “Illegal Alien Adult Costume,” manufactured by Forum novelties, includes an orange jumpsuit, similar to prison garb, with “Illegal Alien” stamped in black across the chest; a space alien mask; and a fake Green Card. The “Illegal Alien Mask with Hat” also includes a space alien mask, this time with a dark handlebar mustache and a baseball cap.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles wrote letters to various retailers asking that they remove the costumes from their shelves. In response, Target Corp. removed the costume from its shelves and from its website. Although this is a stab at illegal immigrants, do retailers have a right to sell such products? Would the African American community be offended to see Slave costumes in retailers for Halloween? I think that we would. But should people be aloud to sell these costumes? I advocated for Rush Limbaugh’s right to purchase the Rams…I am calling myself out on this because how can I advocate for Rush’s right and not do the same for retailers if they choose to sell this…The fact of the matter is that we need to be mindful of the feelings of all community groups. Yet where does political correctness end? Should it end? These are tough questions that we as a community must answer.

LATINO IN AMERICA

Soledad O’Brian does it again with another piece in her America Series. We watched when she did Black in America 1 & 2. She has now turned the attention to the Latino Community, asking the questions of what does it mean to be Latino in America; what are the struggles of Latinos as Americans; what have been the successes and struggles of Latinos in America? This hopes to be a provocative conversation about the growing Latino community in our country. I intend on watching and seeing things from the Latino perspective. I encourage everyone to take a look at this. The Latino community is the largest growing population in the United States and it is my opinion that Latinos will soon become the majority within this country in the next hundred years. The elite of the Dominant Culture are in stark protest of Latino growth, but they might as well get over that and they will, by grafting select Latinos in the overall global agenda. They’ve done so with Blacks…so be careful.

But I will digress from my conspiracy theory speak and say tune in to this critical documentary. Latino in America airs tonight and tomorrow on CNN starting at 9pm EST.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OPENS UP

This is a story of interest to me because I am fascinated with conspiracy theories and the Catholic Church due to my love of history, religion and the fact that I went to a catholic school for my entire elementary, middle and secondary education. The Catholic Church is changing folks. It is opening itself up. Not because it is losing membership, but because they seek to grow—grow the kingdom so to speak.

First, a report came out yesterday about the Vatican making conversion easier for Anglicans pissed with the course of the Anglican Church. Why is that a big deal you ask? The Anglican/Episcopalian Church is born from the Church of England—the official church of England is the Anglican Church, and the Queen is the head of the church…quick history lesson, when King Henry VIII couldn’t get a divorce writ from the Pope, he left the Catholic Church and took Britain with him. He created the Church of England and declared the crown the ruler of the church – the Anglican Church.

Now because the Anglican churches are excepting homosexuality and have allowed for homosexuals and women to pastor churches, Anglicans are leaving in droves. Leave it to the Pope to capitalize on this. Then, I read an article at CNN.Com saying that Latinos are the future of the Catholic Church in the U.S. you can check out the article at http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/10/21/lia.browning.catholic.church/index.html.

What is so fascinating is the fact that the Church is strategically placing itself back into a position of strength and relevance in the world. My Western Civilization professor in undergrad, shout out to Dr. Jacob Soll, told my class that the Catholic Church is structured like the Roman Empire and is so structure because it took the place of the Roman Empire. And I wouldn’t be shocked if the Catholic Church was mixed in the talks of a New World Order, the Bilderberg Group and all other things secret…Keep your eyes on the church—It might be worth watching.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 20, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

PHILLIES – ONE WIN AWAY

If you live in the Delaware Valley, or are from the Delaware Valley, only you can understand that what is happening in this area with the Phillies is absolutely amazing. It hasn’t been since the mid to late 70’s up to the early 80’s that this area was use to having dynasty talk amongst the local sports teams. The Flyers were good, the Sixers played in 4 NBA Finals winning once and the Phillies won a World Series…Even the Eagles mad the Super Bowl. It was a great time. But since, this area has seen disappointment after disappointment. Not since I was a toddler had a team from Philadelphia won a professional championship, until the Phillies.

Last night, this team proved again how clutch they can be. This team is like that new girlfriend that is everything you wanted…you have a hard time fighting the demons of your past: the hurts and pains of previous relationships, but this new girl seems to have the ability to wipe it all away. These are the Phillies. The team has been so bad for so long and now, they are not only the best team in Philadelphia, but they are the best team in baseball by default and the defending world champs. Right when it seemed to be over at the end of the eighth, Jimmy Rollins makes a clutch hit and brings home by the tying and go ahead runs to win the game. Philadelphia was electric. That might have broken the camel’s back.

And I like Joe Torre, I like Manny, and a Dodgers Yankees Series is very sexy, but I’m from South Jersey…A Phillies Yankees World Series would be awesome. And I am not a Phillies fan, Flyers fan, Sixers fan or an Eagles fan (although I live with an Eagles fan) but I always cheer the teams on as they progress through…I even do it with the college teams. Some might call it front-running. If it were that, you’d see me in Phillies clothing all day. The fact of the matter is, there is an intrinsic feeling of good will.

1 IN 6 AMERICANS IN POVERTY

According to the Associated Press, A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government’s official figure. The National Academy of Science formula shows the poverty rate to be at 15.8 percent, or nearly 1 in 6 Americans, according to calculations by the NAS this week – higher than the reported 13.2 percent given by our government.

Here are some statistics according to the calculations of the NAS:

• About 18.7 percent of Americans 65 and older, or nearly 7.1 million, are in poverty compared to 9.7 percent, or 3.7 million, under the traditional measure. That’s due to out-of-pocket expenses from rising Medicare premiums, deductibles and a coverage gap in the prescription drug benefit.
• About 14.3 percent of people 18 to 64, or 27 million, are in poverty, compared to 11.7 percent under the traditional measure. Many of the additional poor are low-income, working people with transportation and child-care costs.
• Child poverty is lower, at about 17.9 percent, or roughly 13.3 million, compared to 19 percent under the traditional measure. That’s because single mothers and their children disproportionately receive non-cash aid such as food stamps.
• Poverty rates were higher for non-Hispanic whites (11 percent), Asians (17 percent) and Hispanics (29 percent) when compared to the traditional measure. For blacks, poverty remained flat at 24.7 percent, due to the cushioning effect of non-cash aid.

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MONDAY OCTOBER 19, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

BEWARE OF FAKE SECURITY ALERTS ON YOUR COMPUTERS

We get tons of security pop up alerts while we surf the internet. Because we are so afraid of viruses harming are $1,000+ investments, we are careful to make sure that our computers are protected. But many of us, in seeking to further protect our machines, have done further damage to them.

According to a report from Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center, Tens of millions of U.S. computers are loaded with scam security software that their owners may have paid for but which only makes the machines more vulnerable. Cyber crooks more and more are planting fake alerts to pop up when you access a legit website. The alert warns you of a virus and offers software to protect you and depending on who sends it, it could be free or cost a fee.

“Lots of times, in fact they’re a conduit for attackers to take over your machine,” said Vincent Weafer, Symantec’s vice president for security response. TrafficConverter.biz, which has been shut down, had boasted that its top affiliates earned as much as $332,000 a month for selling scam security software, according to Weafer. Folks, please be vigilant with computer and internet scams. Be sure that you guys are monitoring what get downloaded on your computer and if you purchase antivirus software, be sure that it is from a reputable source.

FARRAKHAN SPEAKS TO A NATION: DON”T BE PACIFIED BY OBAMA’S ELECTION

Has anyone noticed that Minister Louis Farrakhan is still alive??? Well, he is and on the Nation of Islam’s Holy Day of Atonement, the Leader of the Nation of Islam urged his followers not to be complacent with the election of our Nation’s first Black President. He reminded people that it is up to African Americans to build up their communities and that President Obama was elected not to manage our affairs, but rather to handle the affairs of this nation as it pertains to the rest of the world.

The Ministers speech focused specifically on how to reduce crime in our urban neighborhoods. According to the Associate Press, Farrakhan didn’t lay out details in his 2 1/2-hour address, but he did say that members of the Nation of Islam have shown a blueprint for helping people repair their lives citing the fact that millions have been rehabilitated from prisons due to the teachings of the Nation of Islam. I have many mixed feelings about the Nation of Islam; its teachings, its system and its structure and history. What I cannot be mad at is any genuine attempt to help Black folk who suffer from violence in their communities.

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SUNDAY OCTOBER 18, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

INTERRACIAL COUPLE DENIED LICENSE

In Louisiana, a justice of the peace denied a marriage license to an interracial couple, citing that he was concerned for the welfare of the future children of this couple. According to CNN, Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish’s 8th Ward, refused to issue a marriage license to Beth Humphrey, 30, and her boyfriend, Terence McKay, 32, both of Hammond. Bardwell told Hammond’s Daily Star in a story published Thursday that he was concerned for the children who might be born of the relationship and that, in his experience, most interracial marriages don’t last.

In a quote from Bardwell, “I’m not a racist…I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children.” Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has called for the firing of Bardwell and so have other politicians and lobbying groups. The U.S. Supreme Court tossed out any racially based limitations on marriage in the landmark 1967 Loving v. Virginia case. In the unanimous decision, the court said that “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state.”

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

PARENTS, LITTLE BOY AND THE BALLOON – ANOTHER DISTRACTION

Yesterday, I was in a long staff meeting at work. When I got out, my wife called me and asked had I heard about this little boy that was in this hot air balloon traveling in the sky? She said all the news networks carried the story. I told her no, I hadn’t. We’ll, as soon as I got home, the story was on the news and this morning, all three networks—NBC, CBS & ABC—was interviewing the family, the sheriff and whoever else had anything to do with this crazy situation.

This family…they are adventure seekers…they chase after storms. They encourage their children to “explore” and also seek adventure. Well, little Falcon sought after the adventure yesterday when he and his brothers decided hoax the world by setting the balloon loose and lying about Falcon’s whereabouts. The whole country was looking for this boy and the whole time, he was hiding in the attic. And the parents ought to be investigated because the boy Falcon said that he was doing this for the show; for the show? What show? The parent’s story is a bit shaky.

Now a few points on this story… (1) Those little kids…yeah, I’d beat they ass. Excuse my language but to say beat their butts…that phrase just doesn’t capture the anger and disgust of a parent. I’d beat them real good…all three. When I got through with them, they wouldn’t do anything like that ever again. (2) Investigate those parents…it may not seem like much, but I don’t trust them too much right now…all because that boy said that he did all this for the “show”—don’t trust them. Finally (3), this was all just another distraction…which is why I don’t trust the parents. Why in the world do I want to hear about this at 7am? The women wonder why men watch Sportscenter all the time…it’s because there is nothing else on television. I want to know about the President, the economy, foreign relations…not this. The network morning shows had this story on for about 45 minutes in the morning and they went back to it at 8am. Who cares? And then the people get all excited about this and have opinions and cares for it, but they have no clue what in the world the health care bill is about—unacceptable. As you all continue to watch the news, check out the news stories that are talked about and judge whether or not they are more distraction or more news worthy. I am sure you’ll find more distractions, just like this story.

SHOW ME THE MONEY LAMAR

As many of you all know, I arrested Lamar Odom a few weeks back because of his fast marriage to Khloe Kardashian. Check out the Superstar Negroes Under Arrest Page. Well, Khloe said show me the money. You talk about hitting the jackpot—Khloe list her demands, or her lawyer did to Lamar’s lawyer. The pair got married a few weeks back but legally, the marriage isn’t official; not until the lawyers work out the terms of the prenuptial agreement. Well, yesterday, it was made known what Khloe wants. Here are the highlights of her demands—if the couple gets a divorce:

• $25,000 a month in general alimony
• $1,000 a month for hair, nails, feet, make up and all beauty keep-up
• $5,000 a month for shopping
• Season tickets to the Lakers—Courtside—for the duration of his career

This bitch is crazy…crazy. She wants $31,000 a month for never having done anything. There are some people that don’t make $31,000 a year. There are people that make $30,000 a year and work harder than she ever had to. What kind of message does this send to the children??? Really, what message does it send the kids—that you can get a reality show and marry even richer than you are? That is the message. Now, those girls would have never gotten a show if 1) there father wasn’t a rich lawyer who happened to defend O.J. Simpson and died and 2) Kim Kardashian hadn’t made that sex tape with Ray J. There is no way in the world…I’d EVER do what Lamar Odom has done to himself. Wouldn’t be me. I knew that girl was after the money and more fame when she hooked up with him…shouldn’t have done it.

Lamar…………listen to me brotha…it’s not too late…you can still back out of the deal. The marriage isn’t final in the eyes of the law…And even though you probably had sex with her, the marriage cannot be consummated legally, until the paperwork goes through. Lamar…Don’t Do It…just don’t do it brotha. This marriage has “I am going to screw you good” written all over it. I love you brotha. Call Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan…call one of them…buy them some things…Call Rosalyn Sanchez…just not Khloe…Please brotha…for your sake…Kobe has made enough mistakes for all the Lakers, don’t you be the next.

What is the lesson out of this – If you are a Black athlete, don’t go to Los Angeles…there is nothing good there for you…you just lose money.

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

RANGEL UNDER INVESTIGATION

U.S. Congressman, Charles Rangel, Democrat from New York City [Harlem], is under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee for possible financial ethics violations. According to Politico.com, the inquiry is reportedly focused on allegations that the chairman [Rangel] misused congressional letterhead to solicit contributions to an institute named in his honor and that he failed to disclose income from rental properties. The Democrats have stood by Rangel through the probing process by the committee. According to Politico.com, last week, the GOP attempted to sanction Rangel, a resolution to strip him of his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee, but the Democrats shot down that attempt on a 246-153 procedural vote. Stay tuned as the investigation continues.

NO COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR SENIORS

According to the Obama Administration, There will be no cost of living increase for more than 50 million Social Security recipients next year, the first year without a raise since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. In response, President Obama called for a second round of $250 stimulus payments for seniors, veterans, retired railroad workers and people with disabilities. Unsure if this $250 stimulus will be enough to compensate for the lack of an increase this year, seniors will have to again, figure out alternative ways of surviving under the current economy. According to the Associate Press, the average monthly Social Security payment for all Social Security recipients is $1,094. Is that enough? The President and Congress continue to debate how to fix this situation.

FLU SHOTS—A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR DRUG COMPANIES

In a story for all my conspiracy theorists out there, here is another reason not to get the swine flu shot – according to ABC News, drug companies have sold $1.5 billion worth of swine flu shots, in addition to the $1 billion for seasonal flu they booked earlier this year—these inoculations are part of a much wider and rapidly growing $20 billion global vaccine market. Your Congress has set aside $10 Billion dollars for H1N1 monitoring, flu virus research and flu education to the public. According to ABC News, taxpayers are footing the $1.5 billion check for the 250 million swine flu vaccines that the government has ordered so far and will be distributing free to doctors, pharmacies and schools. Which drug companies are making out: Glaxo Smith Kline, Novartis and Sanofi-Pasteur. I haven’t had a chance to do the research, but I am sure that there are congressmen attached to some of these companies…follow the campaign donations.

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

READ THE HEALTH CARE REVISED BILL FOR YOURSELF

I advocate for everyone to be informed so that there is nothing that the people in charge can do to violate your rights and privileges as Americans. Politicians always go out of their way to overcomplicate and make super complex legislation designed to help people—I am speaking specifically about this health care reform bill. Yesterday, the Senate Finance committee approved a revised bill via vote of 14 to 9. What is the big story that the media is promoting??? A republican voted with the Democrats. The real news should be the contents of the amended bill. If you are interested on seeing exactly what these guys voted on and cut out of the bill, visit the following link: http://www.finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/100209_Americas_Healthy_Future_Act_AMENDED.pdf

Take a look at this thing and draw your own conclusions and I urge all of you to contact your local representatives if there is a question that you have or a concern that you have. We need to be informed and properly represented.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

COLLEGE JUST GOT A BIT…LONGER?

We all know that college takes time. We all know that life gets in the way of classes, focusing on studies and life even gets in the way of graduating all together. But now, the recession has just jumped totally in the way of progress.

10 years ago, you could still get a job paying $13 to $15 dollars an hour with a high school diploma. Now, a BA is the new high school diploma. So, more and more people are attending college nationwide. But what happens when you add more people to a system with depleting resources? You get havoc and frustration. Nationwide, major budget cuts plus a shrinking of government funding is causing universities to reduce staff, lay off instructors and eliminate classes. This is a problem.

Calls from as high as President Obama have come calling for state colleges to move students through the system as efficiently and effectively as possible, yet the chances of that is made tougher when school budgets shrink, and continue to shrink. If you don’t know about how college works, here’s the situation. You have a major but in addition to that, there are core classes that the whole of the university must take. Usually, these courses are offered once an academic year. If class time or the number of classes is eliminated in any core area due to the budget, the course offering may go from once a year to once every three semesters or once every two years. That means everyone and their mom will register for the class and some won’t be able to take it until the next time it is available, prolonging their stay at the university. This can also come about when there aren’t enough professors available to teach a specific course.

According to a federal study of 1999-2000 graduates found it takes students roughly 4.5 years on average to earn a bachelor’s degree – about two-thirds of traditional-age college students who finished got through within five. According to the Associated Press, the 450,000-student California State system — the nation’s largest public university system — the average is longer, in part because of large numbers of low-income, part-time and transfer students; A 2007 study of students who entered 12 years earlier found they took an average of 5.7 years. Officials say that number was probably falling slightly before the current cuts hit.

First our kids have a tough time finding a job when they graduate, now they have a tough time graduating. Pray for our high school and college students. We’re getting to the point where public education will no longer be free in opportunity – students will compete for the best spots and opportunities…a class system is in the works.

CHANGE IN RICHARD PRYOR BIOPIC

In the hotly contested and highly awaited Richard Pryor biopic, there has been a change. When the project was in the infancy stages, it was assumed that Eddie Murphy would be Richard Pryor. Why? Because Pryor was Murphy’s idol and all of that. He portrayed Pryor during a skit in one of Murphy’s comedy specials, Raw. Murphy got a chance to create the movie of his dreams, working alongside Pryor in Harlem Nights, with legends Redd Foxx and Della Reese. Later, Eddie Murphy got the job and the honor of playing Richard. Now, he’s decided to not portray his idol in film.

The film titled, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said, will be directed by the same guy who directed Dreamgirls, Bill Condon. Things seemed to fall in place for Eddie, seeing as though he was working with the same director from the only movie he received an Oscar nomination from. I am sure that Eddie Murphy, or any one for that matter, wouldn’t receive an Oscar nomination just because this is a biopic – if anyone thinks that this could be a Jamie Foxx/Ray Charles situation, I am not sure because the person portrayed can have as much to do with Oscar selection as does the acting. I am sure that it’s not farfetched to say that Ray Charles is a bit more endearing to society than Pryor – the antithesis to America’s favorite Black comedian Bill Cosby.

Murphy has dropped the film citing conflicts with Paramount Pictures. Who is playing Pryor now…Marlon Wayans. That’s right…you cannot get rid of those Wayans brothers no matter how hard you try. Wayans 13 minute tryout sealed the deal. Adam Sandler and Chris Rock will produce the film along with Pryor’s widow. Shooting starts spring of 2010.

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MONDAY OCTOBER 12, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: A violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him into the way that is not good.

THE TRUTH BEHIND COLUMBUS DAY

Normally, mediums such as mine will have recognition of a holiday at the very top of its page, celebrating it and wishing the best of wishes for mankind. Well, today is “Columbus Day” but there is no real reason to celebrate. If you aren’t aware, Christopher Columbus was a tyrant and a guy not worthy of all the accolades and appreciation that he receives. Fact of the matter is that Columbus set sail to find new lands to conquer. He landed in many parts of the Caribbean, served as a tyrannical leader [governor] in certain lands and brought back with him to Spain some of the Native Peoples.

How did this day become a recognized holiday in modern times? New York City held the oldest known Columbus Day celebration in 1792. Colorado held celebrations as well, but it was President Franklin Roosevelt that made the day official nationwide. Roosevelt decided that the depression needed a holiday to cheer folks up and he chose October 12^th as the day to celebrate Christopher Columbus in 1937. Under Richard Nixon, the holiday got moved to the second Monday in October.

Yet according to the Wall Street Journal, 22 states currently do not recognize the holiday. Protestors of the day claim that Columbus’ journey marks the beginnings of the dark days of European colonization, and that the belief in Columbus’ early navigation is false due to the earlier navigation of the Scandinavian Vikings who came to the Americas centuries before. I really don’t care, because Columbus was really a guy that wasn’t welcome to come and visit, and he’s really not a great guy. He is just a guy who was a tool for folks to further an agenda. But I will say this, if the President can make a federal holiday because of bad economic times, and Obama loves Roosevelt, then Mr. President, I say that you sir create a federal holiday that must be observed by everyone…so we can all have another day off. You can have off as well.

NORTH KOREA FIRES SHORT RANGE MISSILES

This morning, North Korea fired 5 short range missiles off of its eastern coast. According to the Yonhap news agency who cited an unidentified South Korean government official, the North test-fired the missiles on Monday afternoon from its eastern coastal launch pad.

As this story continues to develop, we’ll have updates throughout the day.

NFL PLAYERS UNION OPPOSE THE LIMBAUGH BID

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, NFL Players executive director DeMaurice Smith on Saturday made a move to solidify the union against a bid by conservative talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh as part of a group that aims to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Rush Limbaugh is a part of a group, including current St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, seeking to purchase the team from its current ownership. Limbaugh has made it clear that he is a fan of football. ESPN hired Limbaugh in 2003 as a part of its Sunday morning NFL Countdown program as a special analyst. He was later fired for his comments that the media wanted Black quarterbacks to succeed and thus they are overhyped to be better than what they are.

According to Mortensen, Smith sent an email to the player union executive committee saying, “I’ve spoken to the Commissioner [Roger Goodell] and I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred.” On Sunday, Smith elaborated, On Sunday, Smith briefly elaborated, “This communication is more about what we stand for than the reality of our role in any franchise sale. While it’s true the subject matter was related [to Limbaugh's bid], I do understand that the NFL does not present ownership bids to me or the NFLPA. I encourage our players to express their views.”

7 NFL players have already openly offered their disapproval of any possible move by Limbaugh to by a league team. Smith has encouraged other players to speak their minds on the subject and voice their opinion. Stay tuned as this situation unfolds.

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SUNDAY OCTOBER 11, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

SOUTH JERSEY TALENT SETS PHILLY ABLAZE

I normally do not do this. But I believe that we must support each other. Contrary to public opinion, South Jersey does have some talent people. We do have some talent in the area. Last night, my wife and I got an opportunity to check out some of that Good South Jersey talent.

Comedian Derek Gaines, 25, a local product from Lindenwold, NJ, performed at the Laff House in Philadelphia last night. A product of Overbrook Regional High School, Gaines gave the crowd a great show. He had the crowd laughing over topics ranging from how to win the war in Iraq, racism, and the gangster breakfast conversation. There was a point when one of the jokes didn’t register with the crowd, but Gaines calmly dealt with the crowd and kept the jokes coming. One of my personal favorites of the night was his joke about the locker room speech prior to entering the club with your boys. Indeed a lot of us have heard that speech and some of us had to take one for the team. Gaines had the crowd captured with his clever jazz riffs integrated in his jokes as well as his rendition of a Latino dance, as he explained to us that Latino’s cut to the point in church to get to the celebration and more dancing. The integration of music, poetry and current events will leave you laughing, crying and with a headache form all of the laughing and crying.

Gaines is indeed on the come up and he is indeed destined to make his own dreams a reality for the world to see. If you have an opportunity, check out Gaines tomorrow night at the Laff House at 7:30pm at the special Christian Comedy Show. Although he was cussing last night, he is just as funny when clean. You can buy tickets at the website – http://laffhouse.tix.com/Schedule.asp?OrganizationNumber=111. You can also check Gaines out on this season’s Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes. He can be seen on Saturday October 24 at 10:00pm on TVOne. You can even Google Gaines…Yes, he can be googled and you can find some great material on YouTube. Also, he’s on Facebook and you can search under his name – Derek Gaines.

One issue that we have in our community, the Black Community, is that we don’t support each other as we should. And when we do support our folks, it’s when they already have blown up. We never want to support folk when they are on the come up. This guy is trying to make his way in the society by taking our mind off of the horrible conditions of life by making us laugh. Kudos to Mr. Gaines for all of his hardwork in mastering his craft. Derek Gaines: indeed a star on the rise. You have the support of the BlackOut family brotha. Keep up your hustle.

IF YOU ASK, I CAN TELL YOU NOW

President Obama reaffirms at a homosexual rally in Washington D.C. that he will end the military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, although he didn’t give a firm timetable on when exactly he would end the military policy. Obama is working with the Pentagon and the Congress with ending the policy created by President Bill Clinton in 1993.

“We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country,” Obama said. “We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage … especially when we are fighting two wars.” According to the Associated Press, Obama also called on Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits and He [Obama] also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners.

Our President has received a lot of flack for making promises with no timeline for completion of the various goals he has promised. The Gay and Lesbian community indeed question his genuineness regarding his efforts to address the concerns of their community, just as the Latino community holds Obama accountable for failing to address the Immigration issue. We’ll see how Obama responds in the coming days and weeks.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 9, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.

OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

President Barack Obama was award the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The news was stunning to both the White House and President Obama. President Obama won due to his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.

According to the Associate Press, Obama’s election and foreign policy moves caused a dramatic improvement in the image of the U.S. around the world – A 25-nation poll of 27,000 people released in July by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found double-digit boosts to the percentage of people viewing the U.S. favorably in countries around the world. Also, according to the Associated Press, the award appeared to be a slap at Bush from a committee that harshly criticized Obama’s predecessor for his largely unilateral military action in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks; the Nobel committee praised Obama’s creation of “a new climate in international politics” and said he had returned multilateral diplomacy and institutions like the U.N. to the center of the world stage.

Congrats to President Obama. We finally have a guy that is working to make things a bit better for our country and our world. But does anyone think that this was way too soon? I do. No knock on Obama, but he hasn’t been in office for a year, and I am not sure when rhetoric earned you a peace prize. I caution President Obama, there is more work to do…starting with this health care situation. Guaranteeing that all will be insured sounds great, but this plan in Congress seems nothing more than more people paying the same crooks. Mr. President, I urge you to continue to address your international peace efforts and domestic policies designed to promote justice for all.

WATER ON THE MOON?

NASA successfully launched a rocket to the moon’s surface this morning in an effort to see if there is any water on the moon. According to CNN, the mission cost $79 Million. NASA believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency’s quest to explore the solar system.

I think that exploring the Solar System isn’t the end of what American is looking to find out. I believe that our nation is looking for water so that (1) they can possibly transport water from the Moon to the Earth and/or (2) people can live there. That may seem farfetched, but I doubt that it is. Stay tuned people.

NCAA STRIKES AGAIN STRIPPING A POTENTIAL TOP TEN PICK HIS SEASON

In an interesting story from the world of sports, the NCAA has suspended indefinitely Oklahoma State standout Wide Reciever Dez Bryant for a NCAA rule violation. The infraction was that Bryant, “fail[ed] to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU.”

According to ESPN Radio’s Doug Gottlieb, a former Oklahoma State basketball player, [Oklahoma State ]Cowboys coaches told him last year that Bryant would “disappear” for days at a time to train with Primetime — who operates his own camp for NFL hopefuls, “Prime U,” — in Dallas, and found Sanders evasive when they tried to contact him about his relationship with Bryant. Bryant visited the home of Deion Sanders last summer to do some offseason training. Bryant will make his appeal to the NCAA for leniency next week.

According to Deion Sanders, here is how the whole thing went down: “The kid panicked, man…He panicked. He thought it was a violation to come over to my house and it isn’t. He said no, that he hadn’t been over here, and I said, yeah, he had been over here. I don’t lie and he panicked.” With that being said, Bryant’s college career is over. The NCAA strikes again. Bryant shouldn’t have lied. But the NCAA doesn’t have to be too strict. NCAA…get over yourself.

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

$829 BILLION FOR HEALTH CARE

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the latest version of the Senate Finance Committee proposal would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion. Also, the Congressional Budget Office also notes that the legislation would reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over a decade and could lead to continued reductions in federal red ink in the years beyond.

Unfortunately, the 6 percent left uncovered in this new plan amounts to 25 million people – 17 million who are U.S. citizens. The full rollout of the plan will be in effect by 2019. Currently, 50 million people are uninsured in the United States. According to the Associated Press, beginning in 2013, Americans would be required to get health insurance, through an employer or a government program or by buying it themselves – Failure to obey the requirement would result in penalties of up to $750 per family. Purchasing health insurance individually from a company can be tough to do in terms of finding the best deal for the best price. The Administration would have helps in place to help those families/individuals purchasing insurance themselves.

According to the Associated Press, The legislation also would ban current insurance industry practices that deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and restrict companies’ ability to charge vastly higher premiums on the basis of age, gender or other factors. Democrats hope to hold votes on both the House and Senate floors in the coming weeks.

BAREFOOT BURGLAR

Since November of last year, Washington State had to deal with someone crashing small airplanes after he stole them from where they sat. The last plane to be crashed was worth a reported $500,000. Who does the County Sheriff suspect, a college kid.

18 year-old Colton Harris-Moore has been on the radar of the police for years, starting with his arrest when he was 12 years old for burglary. “Colt” as he is affectionately called has a fan page on facebook. He is dubbed the “barefoot burglar” because of course, he burglarized homes barefoot. According to CNN, Harris-Moore dropped out of high school and police believe he spent his teens burglarizing unoccupied homes on Camano Island, a vacation community of about 15,000 people off the Washington state coast. Before the age of 15, Harris-Moore had been arrested nine times. Harris-Moore is considered a suspect in the recent crashing and stealing of planes in Washington State. Authorities are investigating the various reports and hope to arrest Harris-Moore soon. They might have a hard time finding him…he lives in the woods. Good look to the cops.

NFL ROOKIE AND IRAQ VETERAN DIES

Tony Fein, a veteran of the recent Iraq war and an NFL rookie linebacker, recently passed away from an unexplained causes after collapsing at a friend’s house in what his agent said appears to be “an accidental situation,” according to the Associate Press. Fein, 27, was an undrafted rookie from the University of Mississippi. He was recently cut from the Baltimore Ravens at the end of Training Camp.

According to the Associate Press, Fein was lying face down and unconscious, vomiting and barely breathing when medics arrived at a house outside Port Orchard on the Kitsap Peninsula just before 9 a.m PDT Tuesday. There is no suspicion of foul play, drugs or alcohol associated with the death.

According to the Ravens website, Fein played quarterback for South Kitsap High School before graduating in 2000. At age 19 he enlisted and spent 3 1/2 years in the Army, including duty in Iraq as a 19 Delta reconnaissance scout. He later enrolled at Scottsdale, Ariz., Community College, became one of the nation’s top junior college recruits and played for Ole Miss in 2007 and 2008. In two seasons at Ole Miss, he had 136 tackles (77 solo) in 24 games, according to the club’s Web site. On behalf of the BlackOut staff, our sorrow and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Fein.

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2009

PROVERB OF THE DAY: A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother

NOTE TO OBAMA: NO MORE D’S FROM MS. KATRINA

According to the Institute of Southern Studies, 50 local leaders from the Gulf of Mexico region gave the Obama Administration poor grades when it comes to the Katrina Recovery effort in the gulf region. According to the study, Gulf Coast leaders give the Obama administration’s recovery efforts a grade of D+ and the only area where Obama ranked higher than a D was in the administration’s willingness to “publicly acknowledge the challenges facing recovering Gulf Coast communities,” which earned a C-. Also, according to the study, the Gulf Coast leaders didn’t report much improvement over the previous administration: The Obama’s grade of D+ was only slightly higher than the D- grade for President George W. Bush.

Note to the Obama Administration – I know that you got a lot of initiatives going on with the country and I commend you for your hard work: Let’s not forget the Gulf. To see the report, please visit this link: http://www.southernstudies.org/ISSKatrina%204YearReport.pdf

CONGRESS TO GIVE YOUR UNBORN CHILD MONEY

Yes, the United States Congress are actually debating giving your child a bank account upon their birth with the goal of promoting savings that would later be used for education, a first home, or retirement. It is called the America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement and Education Act.

According to Yahoo finance would give each child born in the United States a $500 savings account. Recipients could then use that money once they were older to pay for education, a first home, or retirement; Low-income children would receive additional funding, and all participants could add to their accounts over time. This idea already has bipartisan support and other than the hurdle of fiscally accountability and how this thing is gonna be paid for, this might pass in Congress. This is an awesome idea because maybe, just maybe, this could be a springboard or inspiration for families, who wouldn’t do so otherwise, to save for the future of their kids. Kudos to the government for investing in the nation’s unborn. Folks, now you have a reason to make those babies.

KWAME KILPATRICK: STILL LIVING LARGE

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could be on his way back to jail if he is not too careful. The man is living in Texas and is on Probation from his scandal back in Detroit. To refresh your memory, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to assault and obstruction of justice charges for his role in firing the city police chief, not to mention he cheated on his wife with his chief of staff, which was what got him in trouble with the federal charges in the first place: they found emails and texts that came into question which broke open the scandal.

Detroit prosecutors are upset that Kilpatrick has been reported to have a Cadillac Escalade and living in a million dollar mansion in Southlake, Texas…He owes 1 million dollars to the city of Detroit, so to have the house and Caddy is a bit suspect to the courts. His lawyer argues that the car was a gift and the house is being paid for by Kwame and a “friend” and that the scrutiny is only because it is Kwame Kilpatrick. According to Black America Web, several black professionals said Kilpatrick could find himself back in jail if he’s not careful. “This could get ugly,” said one Detroit political observer who has had previous associations with the Kilpatricks. Kwame…brotha…get it together. Let the likes of Marion Berry and O.J. Simpson teach you that you only get 1 “negro get outta jail free card.”