Because I'm The King

Yesterday, an old woman I check on everyday quipped; "You're supposed to be here to help me - not to pick up my grand kids (great grand kids) from school. That's what my daughter pays you for."
When I told her that her daughter doesn't pay me - "Why would you do all this everyday for free?", was her reply.
"Because there is a need.", I said.

Yes, I'm the king.
The King Of Lazy.
Back when I used to wait on tables, I developed the habit of trying to make other waiters and bussers better.
Being that I was the new guy at the restaurant, I got stuck on the sorry shifts with the sorry workers.
You see, I could handle my tables and make money, but it seemed that many other waiters were always "In the weeds" (overwhelmed).
Because these guys and girls were sorry, they'd often require help - which took time away from me making tips.

There were two remedies for the problem.
One; Become even better and faster to enable myself to handle the responsibilities of mine and those around me.
Two; Teach those around me the skills to be better at their job (maybe even becoming good enough to help me when I needed it).
Being that I was The King Of Lazy, option Two seemed the most likely and the most profitable (for all involved).

Why do I try to help people better themselves?
Because I'm too lazy to do everything myself.

Like A Fellini Movie

Oingo Boingo once had a song titled; "Little Girls".
I liked the song, but I had no idea what it was about.

Are we the New Rome?
Let's go down the truncated list.
- The Catholic Church settles the cases with little boys who were molested by priests.
- R. Kelly knows that was him in that video pissing on that little girl.
- Michael Jackson's sins of "affection" seemed forgiven after his death.
- Push deals with a poverty stricken overweight girl and her troubles in dealing with her babies born to her incestuous father.
- And now Roman Polanski is arrested in Switzerland after thirty years on the run after being convicted of drugging and raping a thirteen year old girl.

Damn... this is was Danny Elfman was talking about?

All Too Common

While this beating death of a teen was caught and recorded on a camera phone - most are not.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/08/chicago.teen.beating/

But the thing is; this happens all the time.
Boys are taught from an early age that they must be aggressive.
That they must dominate instead of being dominated.
But the thing that is not being taught is when to be aggressive and when to stop before things go too far.

Back in the day, my youngest brother (a Blood) was involved in a gang fight with a group of opposing Crips.
He ended up in a coma for a few months but he lived.
The thing is; within the week after the gang fight, two of the most vocal Crips ended up dead and the others in jail.

Was I mad at the Crips?
No, not really.
I always told my brothers that the games they chose to play would have a huge impact on the events in their lives.
This time, it was just my brother's turn to be on the receiving end of a beat down.
It was just part of that game.
(And for the Crips, that was just part of the game too.)

Kids fight.
That's it.
Anyone who has gone to a hood school knows and expects this.
The days leading up to any break (Christmas, Spring, Summer,...) are often filled with fights and people getting jumped for something they'd earlier said or done, or sometimes for being in the right place at the wrong time.
And with crowds often encouraging such behavior, things often escalate to the point of death.

Is this beating case anomalous?
Nope.
These kids were taught and encouraged to act this way.
Sadly, it's all too common.

No, It's Not Neverland Ranch

It seems that life will continue, even without the presence of humans.
Just take a look at these photos of Chernobyl taken more than twenty years after their nuclear disaster;
http://villageofjoy.com/chernobyl-today-a-creepy-story-told-in-pictures/

It's not that a nuclear holocaust will kill the Earth - the Earth will recover.

It's just that any surviving humans will have huge quality of life issues.

Big Black Guy

When I was a kid, the worst thing that could happen to a guy was to loose a fight.
But even worse than this was losing a fight to a girl.
And even worse than that was losing a fight to a white kid. (Which was only slightly worse than to have a white kid be better than you in track, football or basketball.)

But this thinking is flawed.
Why is okay for a white kid to be smarter, just so long as thy aren't tougher?
Why do many Blacks view other Blacks as being big King Kong looking ne-ga-roes?
Because they don't know enough Black people.

Many Blacks have been promoting the image of the scary Black Man for years.
And now (as always) we seem to be paying the consequences as well as enjoying the benefits.
To many whites, when they see Barrack Obama - this (above photo) is what they see.
How is this possible?
Because thy don't interact with enough Black people.

Black v. Brown

Maybe it was where I was brought up or maybe it was how I was brought up - but I just don't quite understand all of the resentment that is going on between Blacks and Browns.

My hometown was far from perfect - but it makes the effort.
In the above photo, one can see the district football stadium at Martin Luther King High School.
Sure, a lot of municipalities put their stadiums in the "Black side" of town.
And a lot of towns have a school named after Martin Luther King Jr..
But look at the houses in the surrounding neighborhood.
Those are not small shacks in the ghetto - instead, they are nice homes in a nice part of town.

When the school was proposed and a name sought, many new residents from the O.C. wanted to name the school Ronald Reagan High or Bob Hope High.
But the district and long-time residents wanted to send a different message - that Dr. King's ideas were not important only to Black people, but for all people.

Being a product of a Black and Brown marriage, my perspective may be a little different from many others'.
When I first moved to this small Southern town; "I hate Mexicans", "Mexicans are dirty", and "They are taking all of our jobs" were the statements made by most Blacks with whom I'd come into contact when speaking about Hispanics/Latinos.
When I'd tell them that I was half Mexican, "Well, they're not all bad.", or "Yeah, you work hard and fast like a Mexican." were the most common responses.

I understand resource competition and having pride in one's culture - but when did things get this bad?
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/713/blacks-hispanics

Hip Hop is often thought of as a purely Black culture.
But one of the early elements (break dancing) in this culture was dominated and brought mainstream by the Hispanic group The Rock Steady Crew.
Another aspect of Hip-Hop was the art of graffiti.
For every Dondi White, there was a Zepyr.
Black and Brown used to get down to create art out of almost nothing.


Rollin' in your '64?
Got a long Steve Harvey type Zoot-Suit?
The Brown brotha's made these moves within the same communities that often included Blacks years ago.

Being that it is Hispanic Heritage Month - I just had to weigh in on the disconnect between our communities.
But what the heck is HHM?
HHM is a celebration of Hispanic/Latino culture that was endorsed by Lydon Johnson in the sixties as Hispanic Heritage Week.
In the eighties, Ronald Reagan expanded the week into a month.
Why is it celebrated from September 15 - October 15?
Because five countries celebrate their Independence days on September 15 (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala) or close to it (Mexico-Sept.16, Chile-Sept.18,Belize -Sept.21.)

A Black v. Brown beef?
Well, that's between them.
As for me, I'll just enjoy a cerveza mas fina with my Brown brothers (until I celebrate Oktoberfest with my white homeboys).
On Christmas Eve I'll celebrate with my Brown brotha's once again as we eat tamales made by by boy Fernie's mom.
The beef in the tamales with a red sauce is the only beef I have with Mexicans.

Real Global Warming

There was once a time when one actually had to expend energy in order to obtain energy.
When hunters would hunt - the feast after of few hours or days of work would only last until it was time to hunt again.
The result was a lean and fit population.
But people thought that they could do better by getting more while doing less.

With the advent of cheap, quick and easy food - even many of our young are becoming human energy storage systems.

Have you even been in a large cool empty room that seems to suddenly become hot when it gets crowded?
Why is this?
It's because as the room fills with people, who have an average body temperature of 98.2 degrees, who take up more and more space and release more heat than the air within the empty room previously contained?
So if we use the Gaia model; Are humans a miniature example of what happens when we consume too many cheap resources for too long by too many?
Is the Earth feeling the side-effects in the same way as does an overweight person whose "success" seems to be the cause of their forthcoming demise?

USC Beats Number 4 Mississippi

Okay... so it wasn't the University of Southern California Trojans - but it felt good to say it anyway.
But the Trojans did manage to bounce back against the only team in their conference with a losing record with the return of freshman quarterback Matt Barkley.
It seemed like a cakewalk for the Trojans as they made easy work of Washington St. to settle for a split in the state.

1 Florida - Damn... that's why I like college football - you can actually hit the quarterback.
Sure, Florida beat Kentucky - but at what cost?
2 Texas - An easy win against a 1-3 UTEP team. Who says the Trojans don't play anybody?
3 Alabama - Okay, this game can always go either way regardless of rankings. The Tide won a game they should have won.
4 Mississippi - Lost to the other USC (South Carolina) ensuring that my USC (Southern California) will move up in the polls.
5 Penn State - C'mon Joe Pa, hang 'em up. Iowa looked like a contender in the Big-10 with this quality win.

-Perennial power Georgia struggled against perennial Pac-10 also ran Arizona St. with a narrow victory at home.
- Boise St. is still in the mix after a win against Bowling Green. Bowling Green? That's like beating Slippery Rock State.
- The Utes beat a Louisville team that seems to have seen it's best years pass.

Whitopia ?

Anon. asked; "Can you help me understand why white people are stocking up on guns?"
The short answer is; Because they are afraid.
Afraid of what?
Let's see...

Blackest cities in America (infoplease.com)
Gary, Indiana
Detroit, Michigan
Birmingham, Alabama
Jackson, Mississippi
New Orleans, Louisiana
Baltimore, Maryland
Atlanta, Georgia
Memphis, Tennessee
Washington, D.C.
Richmond, Virginia

Most Dangerous Cities in America (CQ Press)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Camden, New Jersey
Detroit, Michigan
St. Louis, Missouri
Oakland, California
Flint, Michigan
Gary, Indiana
Birmingham, Alabama
Richmond, Virginia
North Charleston, South Carolina

Gary, Indiana
Detroit, Michigan
Birmingham, Alabama
New Orleans, Louisiana
and Richmond, Virginia make both lists.
So most people would conclude that they (whites) are afraid of the crime associated with the influx of Blacks.

Whitest Cities in America (CBSnews.com)
Livonia, Michigan
Cape Corral, Florida
Boise City, Idaho
Independence, Missouri
Scottsdale, Arizona
Springfield, Missouri
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Warren, Michigan
Manchester, New Hampshire

Safest Cities in America (CQ Press)
Colonie, New York
Allen, Texas
Greece, New York
Amherst, New York
Clarkstown, New York
Brick Township, New Jersey
Newton, Massachusetts
O' Fallon Missouri
Mission Viejo, California
Ramapo, New York

But wait...
None of the cities from the "Whitest" list also appear on the "Safest".
Maybe there are more factors than race when one considers crime.
But for a more eye opening look at Whitopia, check out;
http://www.richbenjamin.com

Class

After a week of hearing about the poor behavior of Blacks in the spotlight (even from many Blacks) - it's good to see a story about a kid with a troubled past who seems to have found redemption in a sublime act;
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976
For every Serena story there is one like this.
(Note to conservatives; Not every kid from a bad situation is a classless thug.)

Two Words - "Bleach" and "Off"

Too bad much of the water dropped on Atlanta in the past week will be lost as run-off.
(Are y'all still having a drought?)
-Make sure you have enough bleach to kill most of the mold that will grow on anything that has been exposed to water.
-Make sure you have enough "Off" to fight all of the mosquitoes that will be looking for food once the water subsides.

It's Not The Gun But The Bullets

Let them buy all the guns they'd like,
but I as I said in an earlier post - without the bullets the guns are no good.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090923/ap_on_re_us/us_ammo_shortage

Can A Woman Raise A Boy To Be A Man ?

The simple answer is "Nope!".
Well not unless she thinks she can't.

Why?
Because if she believes that she can properly raise a boy to be a man she will rely on her maternal instincts in her decision making.
She will not notice when her son still sits down to pee.
She will not notice when her son is afraid of the same things she fears.
She will not notice when her son lacks heart.
She will not notice when her son lacks decision making skills that don't draw on emotion.
She will not notice when her son seeks comfort more than exploration.
She will not notice when her son spends most of his time talking on the phone, worrying about his hair style, and making sure every item of clothing matches.
She will not notice that her son has become a male version of her.

But if a woman does understand that she cannot raise a boy to be a man;
She will seek out challenging situations for her son to overcome.
She will push her son beyond the limitations he puts upon himself.
She will seek male role models who settle for nothing less than maximum effort.
She will not give in when her "baby" gets his feelings hurt.
She will speak to her son as though he were a man instead of trying to be his friend.
She will make sure her son understands that she is the boss of the house.
She will be the leader of the family and not a victim of her circumstance.
She will raise her son to be the man she wishes she'd married instead of the one she settled for.

How can a woman raise a boy to be a man?
By understanding that she can't.

Because WE Were Broke

Okay, I get it.
The kids are just trying to be cool.
Like leather jackets and jeans in the 50's,
Hippies in the 60's,
Afros and Dashiki's in the 70's,
the Punk Rock look of the 80's,
the Grunge look of the 90's - today's kids are just just making the statement that they are not of their parent's generation.

But why emulate a "poor" ghetto culture?
Because "cool" comes from the poor.
When has an established dominant culture created a new trend?

Slabbin' Pants
We used to pull our pants down low to enable us to prevent the detection of our pants being too short by school year's end. We didn't get new clothes because we outgrew them - we had to play it off the best way we knew how. No one wanted to be called out for "flooding".

Over Sized Shirts
Again, the product of necessity.
We often wore hand-me-downs.
When an older brother outgrew his clothes, they might still be a little big for his younger sibling.
But these big shirts also covered the fact that one had his pants pulled down past his hips.

Corn Rows and Short Hair
Back in the day, one wore a Shag (a Black version of the Mullet), or a curl.
But these styles require money to maintain.
To save money - we would just cut off almost all of our hair and place small lines and parts in strategic places to imitate a hairstyle.
If this was not an option - one's sister (or a girl down the block) could always be called on to plat ones naps.

White T's and Wife Beaters
Because they were cheap.
Any Swap Meet (Flea Market) sells three to five shirts for ten dollars.
And they match any jeans or Dickies.

Dickies
They were cheap and held a crease.
With a white dress shirt they could pass for a nice pair of Khakis.

Cons (or Chucks)
These shoes offered no support but they often acted as ghetto cross-trainers.
After a few hours at the local sandlots, open fields or basketball courts - one understands why they invented today's modern designs.
But these too were cheap.

I only lived in the hood until I was eight (and again for two years after my mom divorced my step-dad from the ages of 14-16.). The other half of my childhood was spent in the suburban hillsides of a small California desert town.
But those years spent in the hood enabled me to handle most situations.
Those years in the hood enabled me to interact with people who others might fear.
Today I laugh at the kids who feign poverty with ghetto styles with pants that cost more than my old wardrobe.
But I get it - they're just trying to be cool.

Because It Looks Like Fun

So it's the fault of rappers, Bloods and Crips that America is in a state of decline?
Puh-leese!
Americans have glamorised criminals since the invention of newspapers.
How many movies and books have been produced that make Jesse James seem like an American hero?

Do I even need to bring up the influence of John Dillinger, Bugsy, Legs Diamond, Lucky Luciano or Al Capone?

So when Frank Lucas gets the same treatment, it is more of an issue with American culture than it is the glamorization of a Black way of life.

Even Bernie Madoff thought the gangster role looked like fun.

It always does - until you get caught.

Man Bites Dog

If most crimes against Blacks are perpetrated by Blacks,

and most crimes against whites are perpetrated by whites -

why do we focus on the inter-racial crimes?

Simple. Because they are not as common.

Because it is not news if a dog bites a man,

but it is news if a man bites a dog.

Really, Do Y'all Even Know Some Nucka's ?

Really?
All of America's problems can be blamed on only 20% of the population?
How can a group of people who are under-educated, poverty stricken, in prison, and making babies have the wherewith all to corrupt a whole country that is ruled by the vastly superior race and the Talented Tenth of their own race?

The Debo, pit bull, big rims, gold teefess, slabbin' image is one of the hood for the hood.
Everyone from the hood knows this.
This image says; "Don't eff with me".
This swagger lets possible assailants know that they should look for an easier mark.
This swagger lets people know that you are one of them and that the two of you should hunt together for an easy victim.
The Debo image is a hood tool used for intimidation and survival.

The idiots you see faking-da-funk at the mall are usually working to middle-class Black kids trying to emulate the imagery they've seen on BET.
Since few in their direct circles of influence can accurately define what it is to be a confident Black man - they look to celebrities for guidance.
Who is more cool; Colin Powell or Jay Z?
Their imitation of Jay Z is more of an affectation than if they were to emulate Bob Johnson.(Which makes these kids even more dangerous because they don't fully understand the implications of their actions. These are the kids who get caught up and end up spending years at the Grey Bar as somebody's wife for something someone else did. These are the kids who pretend to be hard and who'll do anything to prove their worth. After they do their time, they get stuck in the system and become full fledged members of the set which they wish they'd never met.)

Just nod and say "S'up?".
Most of the time outsiders are targeted because they exude an air of superiority.
You don't have to be certified, just be able to respond in case some ish pops off.
(But know when it makes sense to walk (not run) away.)
Don't try to sound all hood when you know you grew up in the hills.
This lets people know that you're not afraid (but polite, or showing respect) and that they should look for an easier mark.

Pay attention.
Anyone can "get got".
Watch your back but don't be obvious.
Don't scurry to your car like a frightened mouse.
Make sure you're loudly letting everyone know that you're leaving as they will watch you walk away. (I know... but if your in a situation where you feel threatened, you gotta' let a little hood out.)
Don't panic when you lock your car doors.
Don't panic and clutch your purse even more tightly. (Some guys would be offended that you thought they were going to rob you and... they'll end up robbing you.
The locals know how to dress for where they're going. A cheap knock off isn't worth losing your life over. But the Boug-chick shows up with her real Fendi bag just asking for it to be taken. Think of it in the same way the rich have costume jewelry made to match their real jewelry for less than secure occasions.)
In other words - when in Rome...

Why am I writing this?
Because it seems that there is an element of our culture that judges other members of our race by only the "facts" they view on television or the "facts" they read on the Internet without any perspective on how to interpret them.
Because there are members of our race who only come in contact with those who have less means through they're volunteer work.
(Volunteer work is fine - but it can cause some to view those from the hood with the same mentality as many police officers (That everyone from the hood is a worthless piece of ish.)).
Because, it seems, few Blacks even know any nucka's but they are quick to distance themselves from them.

Can you shoot?
No, not at a target - but at someone who is shooting back?
Most people who can't shoot do the John Woo/Juice/GTA method of holding a gun to the side.
But since most people's wrists are weak - the recoil causes the bullets tend up and to the left of the shooter (if right handed).
Just stay low and moving to your left.
If someone has a laser site on their gun - they probably can't shoot.
By the time you wait to place the red dot on a moving target - you're probably already shot.
People with sub-machine guns usually spray and waste most of their bullets - in this case, stay low and hide. With all those bullets flying, they will probably get lucky and put one in you.

Wear rubber soled shoes.
Get rubber soles put on your Cole-Haans (Donald J. Pliners already come with rubber soles).
Why? Because leather soles slip on asphalt. (There is no use in looking good but getting knocked out because you slipped trying to land a right.)

Are these suggestions foolproof?
Nope.
But if you walk like a victim, talk like a victim and act like a victim - you will be a victim.

Ummm... Never Mind

At least until USC runs the table on the rest of their opponents.
To live in Texas and be a USC fan is worse than being a BYU fan living in Watts.
Since the Trojans' loss, I've yet to answer my phone because I know it's just someone calling to talk trash.
But that's okay - these U.T. fans (and some alumni) can't even spell "U.T.".

And all hope is not lost.
In 2003 LSU started out at number 12 in the first BCS poll before winning the (disputed) BCS National Championship.
And last year USC went 10-0 after their loss to Oregon St.

So okay Max... this week is your week.
1 Florida - Yeah... they beat a less than stellar Tennessee team. But so did UCLA.
2 Texas - The Horns avenged their only loss from last season against an untested Texas Tech.
3 Alabama - North Texas? What are they...the 13th best team in the state of Texas.
4 Mississippi - SE Louisiana? Can SE Louisiana even beat Grambling?
5 Penn State - Temple? Temple. The Owls haven't been a contender since Cosby went there.

(10 USC - For now. But seeing as how the voters love to prop the Trojans up in their polls, look for the Men of Troy to move up in the rankings with each successive win.)

Are We Obsolete ?

It seems that the shorter a people's lifespan, the longer the things they create last.
Ancient cultures produced buildings, goods, and even gods who have lasted for centuries.
Is this a trait of "primitive" cultures?
Or did they understand the importance of sustainability?

Vegas is beautiful - but will it last?
Can it last?
Or is Vegas an example of our longer lives but meaningless culture?
Is Vegas an example of us at the apex of our evolution?

One only needs to look at buildings and products from only a century earlier to see this trend.
Cars, structures and products were built to last.
Now we fill our long and uninspired lives with things that look really good but that last only for a short while.
Everyday there is a new trend to follow, everyday there is a new upgrade to purchase, everyday there is a "new and improved" gadget that we seem to think we must have.
It seems that the longer our life expectancy the more things are planned to become obsolete.

More Black Babies

If the country is 20% Latino/Hispanic, 20% Black, and 55% white - how do we make things equal?

Whites have immigrated freely from most of Europe for the past four hundred years.
Since there was a larger pool to start with - there are more whites in the country than any other group.
Hispanics just gotta' cross a desert or river to increase their numbers.
But what can Blacks do?

Well...,
We could form stable families, communities and towns to cut down on the desire to have so many abortions.
Or...
We could all have kids with someone of a different race.
Seal has two or three kids with Heidi Klum - the result; two or three more Black babies and two or three less white.

What % Makes One Black ?

Some discount Tiger Woods', Halle Berry's or Barack Obama's level of Blackness - Why?
Is half-Black not really Black?
What about Obama's daughters? Is 3/4 Black, Black enough?

Marcus commented that he would disown his progeny if they brought home a partner who wasn't Black.
A lot of families do the same.
A large part of me growing up with my (almost useless) mother and my mean-as-hell step-father was that it was in defiance to my grandmother. (That, and I had two younger half-brothers that I wished to protect from their circumstances.)

My paternal grandmother (well.. both grandparents) could have offered a much more comfortable life.
At least once a year, I would take a break from my tumultuous home life to be spoiled by my grandparents.
During every summer or Christmas break spent in Texas, they would offer some type of incentive (money, motorcycles, cars, trips abroad, etc) for me to be raised in a "better" environment.
But my grandmother hated my mother - and even though I didn't see the value of having her, she was still my mother.

My grandmother hated her half Mexican/half Native American daughter-in-law but loved her grandchildren with half of the same genetic make up?
I couldn't see it.
In fact, the only reason the entirety of their inheritance went to me was because I was the only grandchild who refused to be bought.
They respected (but hated) my insolence.

But what makes me Black?
Is it the experiences acquired while living in the hood? (Is living in the hood requisite?)
Is it the color of my skin? (What "color" is Black?)
If I was brought up by my somewhat well-to-do Black grandparents - would I be more Black or less? (If one has more opportunity - are they less Black?)
Is it the whole of my family's culture? (Which one?)

Would It Matter ?

It seems that some people get mad whenever they see an inter-racial couple.
But what are they really mad at?
Is it that "White (Asian, Hispanic, other) girls are taking all the good brotha's"?
Or is it only that all the good brotha's seem to settle for a less than attractive white girl?
If Drake went all Nick Cannon and dated an older Rosie O'Donnell - who would be mad at Rosie (besides her wife)?
But everyone would be mad at DeGrassi.

Brad could probably get away with dating Monique.
And many Black women could deal with Monique putting it on Brad.
But white women would be vexed. (And white men confused.)

But Let Flava Flav put his hands on Gossip Girls' Blake Lively and we'd have an Emmit Till style lynching.

Screech has the Afro, but what if he pulled Keri Hilson?

White guys could see the attraction, white women would be happy to let him go, brotha's would be a bit hostile and sista's would be confused.

Most brotha's can see what Ice-T sees in Coco.

Most Black women don't see the attraction.

But unless women are working with what Coco's got goin' on - how do they expect to distract a brotha from the bootie?

My question;

Is it really about race or is it more about seeing one person settling for less because the other person is from another race?

Black Gold In The Hood

I just heard a news story which stated that PXP out of Houston, Texas believes that the oil levels in South Central Los Angeles are rising.
No, not to the highs of the 1920's - but to a level that makes more drilling a viable option.
Maybe it's just seepage from other untapped sources - or is the Earth in a constant state of creating petroleum?
http://www.cityprojectca.org/ourwork/baldwinhills.html

http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2008/09/baldwin-hills-oil-drill-baby-drill.html

Iconography

While Dan Brown's new book deals with the meanings behind several well-known symbols - I'll bet none of these make the list.

Any guess to their meaning?

(Okay, so even this test is culturally biased.)

(Answers; 1-Ska, 2-Public Enemy, 3-Prince, 4-Red Hot Chili Peppers, 5-Fishbone)

If you scored 100% - give yourself a slap on the back for having an eclectic mix of musical tastes and for having a reasonable knowledge of modern hieroglyphics (Or maybe you grew up in some Southern California suburb in the 80's and 90's).

PE

Best Album.

Most Prescient.

Racist Rants ?

Jimmy Carter and others feel that racism was the motivating factor behind Congressman Joe Wilson calling President Barrack Obama a liar.
Why?
Because one is white while the other is Black?
Maybe Joe just doesn't think Obama's plan is the best plan.
Maybe Joe listened to too many of the talking points of his fellow Teabaggers.
Maybe Joe was just acting like the rest of his kind.
(But IMO - Race is the motivating factor behind Joe's outburst. Which is sad because he should have been more composed and thoughtful in making his valid arguments known.)

I wonder if Kanye would have gotten up and taken the mic from anyone other than a little frightened white girl.
While race was not the motivating factor behind Mr. West's actions - his perception of the girls race was.
He knew that Taylor would not knock him the fuck out.
Mr. West's words were neither brave nor noble - instead, they were a feeble attempt at demonstrating his idea of a dominant culture.
They were harsh words stated in a safe environment against a safe victim.
In other words - Kanye is a punk.

Serena had to know that the little Asian woman would take any animated criticism levied against her a threat against her life.
Just look at the line judge - she looks like a docile puppy who was caught pissing on one's carpet.
Since the perceptions of the respective races are at the opposite ends of the spectrum (Black = big and bad, while Asian = slight and feeble), the muscled Serena is seen as picking on her terrified victim.
Was race the motivating factor or an underlying cause of Serena's anger?
Was race even considered when Serena protested the call?
Nope.
The heart of the argument was the wrong call at the wrong time by a line judge who doesn't understand that fans come to these events to watch players play - not to watch line judges make calls.

So... in the three recent cases of poor etiquette (all being blamed on race) - only one seems to even have originated with race.
Apparently, not all negative interactions between races are examples racism.

Jinxed

Most people wish for fortune and fame and for their voice and views to be heard - but what happens when people find all the things they were looking for?
Dave Chapelle could deal with being $5.00 funny, maybe even $5,000,000.00 funny - but how could he surpass his past successes and be $50,000,000.00 funny?

He couldn't, and that pressure became too much to bear.
This seems to be a common trait for those who do what they do for the pure joy of doing it - and not for the fame and money that go along with that success.
The extreme material and social rewards can become a distraction and distort creative people's perception of their place in the world.

This is what happened to DMX.
Being used to being the underdog and having to always fight at one's best (even in losing battles) conditions one to become inured to losing or being doubted or being taken lightly - but one's greatest vulnerability becomes the success which they desire.
This is why many fall from grace just at the pinnacle of their success.
They were prepared for failure, just not for success.

Tyson seemed to thrive while fighting in obscurity and with doubters questioning his place in the hierarchy of the boxing world.
But when Mike was thought to be the baddest man on the planet, he imploded.
His hard fought for success and fame were benefits of his skill that he was ill prepared to deal with.
Now Kanye West seems to be the latest celebrity to suffer from one's success being too large for their ego to properly process.
Some would say that Kanye already has a big enough ego - maybe, but he lacks any real confidence to support all of the hype that those surrounding him seem less and less inclined to regulate.

Fame brings leaches. And these leaches depend on an other's success as their sole means of survival.
These leaches can't tell a celebrity to take a break or to stop producing, or that their actions are improper - if they did , they would have to look for a new job.
(Who would have been close enough to Mike to tell him (and beat his ass until he listened) that he was effing-up? No one - he was their meal (ticket).)
So clown Kanye and write that his need for treatment is a joke.
But as you do - realize that his claim to fame is real while yours is probably only a big as your blog audience.
Your claim to fame gets you pennies-per-click on Google adSense and a good table at Red Lobster - while his claim to fame gets him the girl that you probably think about as you masturbate, millions of dollars and trips to Europe.

I'm no fan of Kanye - but I recognize the need to just get out before one gets taken out.
Kanye can keep doing what others expect from him and get paid and go crazy - or he can do what he wants to do and miss his market's tastes (and not get paid) but retain his sanity.
Kanye's actions were in poor taste - but the man needs to just take a break...
That is, if he wants to live.