Empty Vessels

Imagine for a second this scenario. You are up for a new job and the following exchange takes place with you starting the conversation.  

"I am perfect for this position.”

"Well, have you done this type of work before"?

"No."

"Well, this job requires dealing with individuals with strong personalities and opinions. Are you comfortable working in such an environment"?

"Maybe."

"The decisions made in this job will shape the lives of millions of people for years to come. I will list a few of issues and ask your opinion on them."

"I’d rather not."

"Excuse me"?

"I’d rather not say." "This job requires you take a position, how do you feel about these issues"? [she runs through a quick list]

"I cannot say that I feel strongly either way."

"Are you ever going to give me a straight answer to a question"?

"I may."

If this exchange happened in a normal interview process you would probably be swiftly escorted out of the building sporting a boot print on your behind; however, this pretty much summarizes the Supreme Court selection process. It is truly a condemnation of our political system that in a job in which you will be rendering opinions daily, the #1 qualification for the job appears to be the ability not to express an opinion or have a “paper trail.”

Tomorrow the new Supreme Court Justice is supposed to be selected. I expect to be completely underwhelmed by whomever the pick may be and for them to pale in comparison to the legacy left by retiring Justice Stevens.

The Truth is Back

Quite possibly the most relevant show on television in regards to social commentary has returned. The Boondocks kicked off its third and final (say it ain’t so) season this past Sunday night. It examined, documentary style, the 2008 election that led to the ascension of the first African American President of the United States. In true Boondocks fashion, no party involved escaped unscathed from its biting criticism:

• From the people who didn’t know why the hell they were voting for Obama: “He represents hope or change or something. Well, he’s black.”

• To the rappers whom had no idea who he was: Here’s looking at you, DMX!  This spawned the night's best line with “Otis has found success like many Negro-Americans entertainers today… by being a professional baffoon.”

• To the entertainers using Barack’s fame to boost their own profiles: Hello, Will.i.am! You still “d*ck-riding Obama”?

• To Obama himself for saying all of the right things to get elected and subsequently breaking the campaign promises that people cared about the most: Iraq – still there, Afghanistan – still there, Gitmo – still open, Bush’s illegal surveillance programs – still going on.

• To Black people acting like they had won the “O.J. Prize” . . . again.

• McCain, Palin, and the rest of the republicans didn’t escape scrutiny either.

Uncle Ruckus, as he does in any episode he is featured in, absolutely stole the show. His complete lack of tact usually allows him to make the most relevant points. The show may offend some and many people are put off by the rampant use of the “N-word”, which ironically is done to demonstrate how offensive and prevalent the word is in our society. However, if you are brave enough to endure those minor quibbles, you will be rewarded with the type of compelling observations of life that may not grace our television screens again for a very long time.

The Boondocks can be seen on The Cartoon Network on Sunday nights at 11:30.


http://www.boondockstv.com
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/theboondocks

Message to Corporations: “Stop B*tchin!”

In a Wall Street Journal article last week (AT&T Faces Data Dilemma) AT&T had the nerve to state that some customers were placing too much strain on its network and that they may have to come up with certain “incentives” them to curb their usage. Incentives is a thinly veiled way of saying make their customers come up with more cash. The overwhelming success of the iPhone and their exclusive agreement with Apple has led to this issue. To which I say, “What the hell did you think was going to happen?” Everyone knows that Apple puts out that "crack" (really popular products that people become obsessed with). AT&T negotiated a deal in such a way that the people who want it can only buy the product from them and then they are going to whine about people liking their product too much. Get the hell out of here that mess. They talk about it placing too much strain on the network. Well, you know what; they had three options:

• They could have built a more robust network. I see why Verizon clowns them in those TV ads. The only thing I don’t understand is about the U.S. (and this really should be a rant of its own) is its terrible broadband. If Japan and South Korea have networks where you can watch HDTV on mobile devices, then AT&T should be able to build one that won’t go out just because everyone wants to check their Fantasy Football scores at the same time on Sunday.

• They could have limited the number of iPhones sold, therefore not taxing their fragile network and making the internet experience better for their customers. But nah, those cats wanted to rake in as much cheddar as possible, network be damned. So live with it.

• They could have negotiated a non-exclusive agreement with Apple, therefore allowing the iPhone to be sold by other carriers. This would have spread the data load across all carriers and alleviated the strain on their delicate network. But no, they didn’t want anyone else to eat; they wanted the whole plate. They wanted the cachet, not to mention the additional customers that would defect from other wireless providers that having the iPhone all to themselves would bring. They were really on that “Greed is good” tip. So I say, “You stuffed yourselves silly, now deal with the indigestion.”

I know I can’t be the only person that is getting tired of all this corporate whining.

Never Can Say Goodbye

There is not much that I can say that has not already been said about Michael Jackson. He was a masterful musician, showman, and artist.  He will be dearly missed.

Some of my favorite MJ memories:

Billie Jean @ Motown 25th Anniversary Special



It's the Falling in Love

Credit Card Reform . . . Well, Kind of . . .

So Thursday in New Mexico our Prez gave an uplifting speech about the need for credit card reform (see full remarks here).  He talked about how the industry needed to be reigned in and how American consumers must bear some culpability for their role in the matter.  Both points are true and laudable, however your boy was not impressed.  That's right, I said NOT impressed by the latest Kabuki theatre from the new administration (I will write a full post on the other issues later that will discuss why I call it this).

While there are currently credit card reform bills winding their way through Congress addressing things like the following:

• making it more difficult for people under 21 to obtain credit cards
• clamping down on "excessive" fees (of course, who gets to determine what is excessive)
• presenting contract terms in plain language (this has been tried and failed before)
• establishing minimum time windows for billing

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Regardless of what the traditional media might lead you to believe in the video above (and this is where they do the public a huge disservice), these changes will not make a dramatic difference for consumers who are already suffering under the crushing weight of debt.  BTW, the average consumer that carries a balance has accumulated approximately $8,700 of outstanding credit card debt.

No, if the administration and Congress were sincere about making a difference in the lives of these Americans they would reinstate the ability of the states to enforce usury laws, which were basically rendered void by the Depository Institutions Deregulation & Monetary Act.  Better yet, in conjunction with these "reform" bills, Congress could set a national cap on interest rates for loans and credit cards.  But wait.  What is that you say?  There was a bill by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have imposed an interest cap of 15%?  Well, how did that bill do?  Sad to say, it was shot down like some clay pigeons.  However what is worse is that it could only muster the votes of 33 senators.  Only one-third of the Senate felt compassion to stand up for the American people.  Now you have to discount 40 percent of the Senate.  Those being the Republicans.  You already know how they get down.  But it was especially disheartening to see how many of the Democrats, the so-called "People's Party" voted against this bill.

The blog Firedoglake has a great chart (click here) showing how the Democrats who voted "no" on the Sanders' bill voted on the two TARP bills (giving taxpayer money to large financial firms).  It also shows how much in campaign contributions these senators have received from the Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate (FIRE) sector.  Sometimes it is really just as simple as following the money.

In case you do not wish to follow all of the links the list of Democrats voting "no" is printed below.   You may notice a striking resemblance to the names on this list and the members of the Conservadems group I wrote about previously.

Akaka (HI)
Baucus (MT)
Bayh (IN)
Bingaman (NM)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Hagan (D-NC)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Warner (D-VA)  

Let My Swagga Go

Just like the "Shiny Suit" Era came to an end, it is time to let the utilization of the word "swagga" go. Now don't get it twisted, I loved MIA’s song “Paper Planes”, especially the Dirty South remix w/ Bun B and Rich Boy. Her hook “No one on the corner has swagga like us” spawned the T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West song by the same name which was that fire. However the madness has to stop and it must stop today!

Peep the clip below. Are they really discussing Obama’s “swagga” on CNN. Are they really debating whether any of the white presidents have had swagga? Why does Kyra Phillips get that stupid look on her face every time she says the word. I think she even attempted to do a neck-roll. And did she really ask TJ for the “terrorist fist jab” at the end? I can't take it.  Please, someone, anyone put the word “swagga” out to pasture.

The New Face of Crime

The Daily Show's Larry Wilmore gives the 411 on the "new" face of crime.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
The New White Face of Crime
comedycentral.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things w/ Demetri Martin Political Humor

"I'm Not a Member of Any Organized Political Party . . .

I'm a Democrat." These famous words were spoken by Will Rogers, but they are still very relevant today. With the Republicans engaged in an internecine battle over the very soul of their party at best, or just running around like chickens with their heads cut off at worst; it should be easy for the Democrats to enact and pass whatever they want. And after eight years of Bush, this is definitely the time to enact real CHANGE. However, instead of maximizing the advantage of the Presidency and the wide legislative margins in Congress, they are playing prevent defense on themselves.

At a time when the nation is in the most perilous period that it has experienced at least in my lifetime, the conservative members of the party want to do what the Republicans can't, and slow down the Administration's agenda (which is only mildly progressive if you ask me).

What I want to know (and I’m asking this entirely rhetorically) is “What the hell were they doing for the last eight years?” While Bush was pulling a Kanye and saying, “Y’all can’t tell me nothin’;” the Democrats were embodying the title of that Roots tune “Don’t Say Nothing.” Where were their voices of fiscal restraint? Where were their voices calling for investigations into the questionable and sometimes illegal practices of the previous administration? Where were their voices of dissent then? They were nowhere to be found. They were real quiet; acting like D’Bo had just rolled up on them or something. Now that it is time for the mess to be cleaned up, they want to object. Now that it is time for action, they want to rise up and say "slow down." It is downright appalling.

No one would be happier than I if the Republicans wandered around in the wilderness for years out of power; however, they really do not have anything to worry about. The Democrats, even when they have all of the tools necessary to succeed, find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With the Conservadems doing their thing, the Right will be back on top before they know it.

Rachel Maddow expounds more elegantly on the situation below.

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The Lonely Blogger Likes to Free His Mind @ Night

Kid Cudi's "Day N' Nite" is one of my favorite songs of the past year. This is probably due to the overwhelmingly catchy beat. A beat so popular that several rappers have decided to spit their own verses over it; the best probably coming from Joell Ortiz and Jim Jones (yes, i really did just say Jim Jones). Hey, he can't rap on his own songs, but he's killer on other people's hits.

I'm also a big fan of the acoustic sound and that is why this video of London's Little Boots doing a cover of Day N' Nite is so fascinating. From what I understand, she is a classically trained musician and DJ who is currently lighting up the charts over the pond. She is also a performer at the upcoming SXSW festival next week, so if you are in the Austin area you might want to check her out.

Can You Smell What Barack is Cooking?

President Obama is known for his cool demeanor, and it has definitely served him well in his political career thus far. However, I must admit that I would love to see him "lay the smack down" on the Republicans more often. Saturday Night Live offers us a glimpse into what that might look like.

Girl from Another Planet

One of the very few perks of living in this icy outpost is that it surprisingly gets a bunch of great musical acts. I think it’s because they decide to try out the show and work out the kinks here before taking it on to larger metropolitan areas. But whatever the reason, it was one of the little things that made living here bearable.

One of the concerts I checked out near the end of last year was Janelle Monae. The Kansas City born, ATL living Afro-punk star was the opening act for some cat named Jaime Liddell. I still have no idea who he is as I didn’t stick around to watch his set. However, her set was absolutely amazing. If you don’t have her album, Metropolis: The Chase Suite (and shame on you if you don’t), her set is basically a straight adaptation of the studio performance. However, whatever amount of energy you thought she put into the album is greatly exceeded in the stage show. She dances, turns, kicks, swings her hair, and moves her hips nonstop all while still singing flawlessly and not running out of breath. You would think that she went to the Matthew Knowles singers’ boot camp. It was truly a remarkable site to see. She has a stage presence that is strikingly similar to Andre 3000 (circa “Hey Ya”), right down to the permed-out guitar players. This is probably not by coincidence, considering that she was “discovered” by Big Boi and appeared on both his Purple Ribbon All-stars Compilation and the Idlewild soundtrack.

Her voice is strong and robust. Not really what you would expect from someone who is so tiny. It really filled the room even with the drums blaring and guitar thrashing. And just to prove that she can really carry a tune, she takes a break to sing a cover of “Smile.” It was totally beautiful. Her voice was a rich as Swiss milk chocolate. It was definitely a contrast to the rest of the show, but somehow still worked. The slowdown also helped the crowd to catch its breath before she continued with the more upbeat fare.

Although the crowd was sparse (probably due to the demographics of this area), she still decided to do a stage dive. This resulted in me literally being the only one holding her up at one point, and that is when I realized that she is really little. Like really, really little. Like she may weigh 100 pounds little. But after passing her off to another concert patron, she eventually made her way back to the stage and continued the show. She finished with the song “Lettin’ Go”, which is probably her most recognizable tune, before ceding the stage to her band mates who lit into a five minute jam session. The permed-out guitar players did their best Jimi Hendrix impersonations and the drummer head-banged while beating out some monster rhythms. He ended by throwing his drumsticks into the crowd of which I managed to snag one. I even was able to get Janelle to sign a copy of her album after the show. Needless-to-say, I left the show as a very happy camper.

If you have not checked out Janelle’s album yet, I highly recommend that you do so. You can hear some of her songs at her website www.jmonae.com or MySpace page. There is also a new special edition of the album available through iTunes. If you get a chance to see her live, definitely go. The show is high-energy, she sings her heart out, and on top of all of that she is extremely gracious to her fans. What more could you ask for?

Chopped N Screwed

Unfortunately, your boy was one of the 598,000 people that got laid off in January. It's a totally surreal experience if you have never gone through it. One minute you are diligently working at your desk and the next you get called in the boss's office, told that you have 3 hours to pack up your personal items, meet with HR, and turn in all of the company property before security comes to escort you out. I'll elaborate on this more at some point; but needless-to-say, this is why I will have much more time in the interim to get my blog on.

As I was driving home, I heard this song on the radio. And although it is clearly not a perfect metaphor for the situation, it somehow seemed strangely appropriate.

And I'm Back . . .

Due to certain events that will be explained later, I'm back to writing and will be spending a lot more time doing so over the coming weeks. I actually have a few pieces in the can that I finished last year, so you'll be seeing some of those as well (at least the ones that are still quasi-relevant). So here's hoping that the Holiday Season and the New Year have been good to you thus far, and that y'all are ready for more commentary.

-AIR

Yes We Did!!!

Change

Betfair's Presidential Election: National Chart

Gamblers literally put their money where their mouths are. Studies have shown that betting markets are oftentimes more accurate than polls because of this fact. In 2004, Betfair got the call of every state right even when exit polls were saying differently. Let's see how it turns out this year.

Protect Your Vote

Wassup 2008

Colin Powell: "I'll be Voting for Barack Obama"

"Who is this Batman . . . Um, I mean Barack Obama?"

In case you were one of the 250 million people who had something better to do than watch the debate on Wednesday, this classic clip from the 1960s Batman TV series gives you everything that you would need to know in less than three minutes.

It's totally uncanny. The Penguin lays out all of John McCain's classic hits from this campaign: from questioning Obama's associations, to saying he's not going to sling mud while of course slinging mud, and making references to his "enthusiastic" crowds. It's almost unbelievable how spot on this is and it's pretty funny too.



(h/t) Marc Ambinder