AFROSPHERE NEWSFLASH: Shaquanda Cotton Interview

April 23, 2007
By Eddie Griffin

I had to see Shaquanda Cotton in person, the Paris teenager locked up in a Texas Youth Commission (TYC) detention facility for shoving a school hall monitor. I had to see for myself if the child was okay after the trauma of being incarcerated for a year. I had to be there on Sunday, April 22 at the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church where a rally was held in her honor.

When I started out for the small northeastern Texas town, I had absolutely no idea where I was going, as I crept around winding back roads, through rural wooded farmland and sparsely populated communities, and no map for guidance. But I was driven more by faith than common sense to see the young lady that I had written so many stories about and who become a folk legend as the youngest civil rights hero. I felt that this was my child, who had been set free by public protests, radio talk show publicity, and a massive online campaign through the Afrosphere blog world.

To read more about Eddie Griffin’s meeting with Shaquanda Cotton, visit the Eddie G. Griffin (BASG) blog.


plez sez: Eddie Griffin should be commended for going to Paris, Texas to lend his support for this young lady who was a victim of a justice system that considers race when it metes out punishment. I believe that Shaquanda Cotton should have been punished (i.e. school suspension) for her actions that day, but i also believe that she did nothing to warrant being incarcerated for a year in the TYC Detention Facility. i am pleased that she has been released, but i also hope that there is some benefit to her incarceration and plans for a correction to "lady justice"!

AFROSPHERE NEWSFLASH: Hundreds in Pettaway March

The Ron Pettaway website reports, on April 21st, hundreds gathered at Atlanta's Frozen Palace Bar, where an unarmed Black man, Ron Pettaway, was shot in the back of the head by police on April 15. The march began at the location of Pettaway's murder and concluded at the church where his funeral was held. His brother Roy was also shot in the back in the same police attack. Ron Pettaway was among 14 people killed by Atlanta area police in the past 15 months, including 92 year-old Kathryn Johnston, who was shot to death in a botched drug raid in November 2006.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution, reports that the organizer of the march, Rev. Markel Hutchins, said,

"The family of Ron Pettaway has made a determination that they are the last family to go through this. We are going to call for a major march in the city of Atlanta. We are going to shut this city down to make them stop killing our young men."

A number of Afrosphere blogs Black Accused Support Groups (BASG), Ron Pettaway Justice March Blog, and Francis L. Holland Blog - are diligently working to raise awareness of these constant miscarriages of justice in the Black communities in around the United States.

plezWorld joins these blogs in crying out for a change to the policy of laying death, destruction, and misery at the doorstep of our Black communities. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," and these words echo no louder than in this case of the senseless murder of Ron Pettaway.

We must continue to bring these issues to the forefront, demand equal treatment from the police, and demand accountability for those officers who believe that they can continue to kill our people with impunity. I implore you to contact the Fulton County District Attorney and demand justice in the senseless murder of Ron Pettaway.

Alexyss Tylor Speaks Sexual Power

These two videos (Vagina Power and Penis Power) are making the rounds on the Internet... and plezWorld found them quite "interesting." Alexyss Tylor is an Atlanta native who had a brief cable-access show in Atlanta. She has a very frank, graphic, and (at times) hilarious take on the power of sex.

She keeps it REAL! Class is now in session.

WARNING: These videos contain language that is sexually explicit... they are not suitable for children or your work environment!

Vagina Power

Penis Power

plez sez: i think this is what they call viral video... something that spreads unfettered throughout the Internet. when i finally stopped laughing, i knew that i had to share these videos with plezWorld! what the HELL is a Jackrabbit? ROTFLMAO!

she killed me with the reference to the $2.99 special at Long John Silver, she is obviously speaking from experience! HA HA HA!

plezWorld's Global Village

I spent this week in an Executive Leadership Training Class for my job. The company that I work for has a global presence, but to be honest, I thought that most of the class participants would be from the United States. I guess I should've known something was up when my riding companion from the airport was from Madrid, Spain.

Imagine my astonishment when a poll during the opening session revealed that less than 40% of my fellow managers were American. The assemblage of over 150 managers and facilitators were from literally every corner of the globe! The lead facilitator was from Singapore and the two instructors for my breakout session were from Paris, France and London, England.

As the week went along, it felt as if the whole world was shrinking before my eyes. I was talking with, laughing with, and relating to people who were from places that I'd only read about in books or were from places that I'd never heard of. I was an occupant of a true global village.

My 4-person team consisted of a delightful lady from London, England, an analytical guy from Singapore, and a fun chap from Buenos Aires, Argentina. And of course, I'm a driven soul from Atlanta, Georgia.

Did you know that Singapore is the name of the country and the name of the city? It is a small island in the South Pacific near Malaysia. Most people there speak Mandarin Chinese, but in our offices everyone speaks English. Did you know that in Argentina, everyone speaks Spanish at home and at work?

Africa:
I met an interesting fellow from Lagos, Nigeria, he travels frequently to London, England and Houston, Texas to visit friends and family. He came to the United States for college (undergraduate and graduate school) and stayed here for close to 15 years before returning to Nigeria to live and raise his family.

I ate lunch one afternoon with a young lady from Khartoum, Sudan, she said that she grew up in Ethiopia. I also met a guy in another breakout session who was from Johannesburg, South Africa.

North America:
Less than a third of my breakout class was from US and Canada. I did some role play exercises with people from Montreal, Quebec and Phoenix, Arizona. Compared management styles with a older lady from Houston, Texas. And tripped out at lunch with a crew that included folk from Boston, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Others who were not in my breakout included two Black guys from New York City and I was on the same flight home with a colleague from our Atlanta, Georgia office.

South America:
In addition to two Argentinians, there was also a young lady in our breakout who was from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She was very quiet and I didn't get an opportunity to speak with her.

Europe:
There were more Europeans in the class than from any other continent, and I was surprised by the number of managers from the Nordic region: Copenhagen, Denmark, Stockholm, Sweden, Amsterdam, (North Holland) Netherlands, Oslo, Norway, and Helsinki, Finland.

Another role play partner was from Brussels, Belgium, which he referred to as the Capital of Europe! There was a guy (with the coolest accent) from Rome, Italy, a guy with that smooth French accent from Paris, France and two guys from Germany: Munich, and Frankfurt.

Asia:
The other two guys from Asia (Tokyo, Japan and Shanghai, China) were very quiet and didn't speak much during the class. There was also one Black guy who kept contributing stories about how he does things in Japan, but he was obviously not Japanese... his country of origin was (and is) still up for debate!

As you can see, the learning environment of the past week was as interesting as the learning material. I learned a lot about people (in general) and as barriers fell throughout the week, I began to see everyone as just people. To varying degrees, we all spoke the same language and encountered the same issues in managing and developing people in our jobs. This week was an education within an education, and I feel that I am all the better for it. Thanks for joining plezWorld's Global Village.

Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable II

plezWorld participates in the Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable, which features a series of questions that are answered simultaneously on the different Georgia Tech blogs during the offseason.

1. A group of playoff proponents have a questionable theory on how to break out of the bowl system and get a D-1A playoff: Boycott the Rose Bowl. What's your take on the never-ending playoff vs. bowls debate?
   
   It's just that, a never-ending debate which will continue until NCAA takes control of the Bowl System and forces the hands of those conferences that continue to profit off of the setup of these antiquated bowls. The bowls were set up when there were only 3 or 4 major conferences, now there are probably closer to 6 or 7 conferences that could realistically place a contender in a championship playoff series. I would love to see how a Boise State or even a Georgia Tech would fare when given a chance in a 2 or 3 game playoff series that selected the TRUE National Champion in Div 1-A football.
   
   
2. What change to our football personnel makes you happier this year: Taylor Bennett at quarterback, or John Bond as offensive coordinator?
   
   I am cautiously optimistic about the emergence of Taylor Bennett at quarterback; from his debut in the Gator Bowl, I could see that he has good talent and can really lead the team. I'm a bit worried, though, about the change in offensive coordinator/quarterback coach with the departure of Patrick Nix. I'm not familiar with John Bond.
   
   
3. Last weekend, Steve Spurrier spoke out against South Carolina's practice of flying the Confederate flag over the state capitol. Should football coaches get political like that, or just stick to coaching?
   
   College football is a business and I have no doubt that certain political issues will have an effect on the success of certain football programs. In the South, the Confederate Flag carries unsavory and unwanted political baggage that more than likely affects the decisions of some student-athletes who would otherwise come to college in that state. Steve Spurrier is a great recruiter who knows that the Confederate Flag Issue is just one more thing that diminishes his competitive advantage when it comes to a visiting recruit who may be offended by the imagery evoked by the waving of that flag. In all honesty, I wouldn't want my son to play sports or even attend college in South Carolina or Mississippi, in part because of the Confederate Flag's prominence in those places.
   
   
4. There are always rumors at Georgia Tech of expanding our varsity athletics programs. What programs would you like to see added next? One for men, one for women.
   
   I'm not interested in seeing any additional varsity sports at Georgia Tech, but if I had to pick some, it would be soccer for men and field hockey for women. Or do we already have these teams?
   
   
5. The matchups were just announced for the 9th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge in basketball, and GT plays at Indiana (the teams' first meeting since 1969). In the history of the challenge, the ACC has won 48 out of 75 games, and has "won" the challenge every year. Is this a tradition you care about, or would you rather see something started with another conference (e.g. an ACC/SEC Challenge or ACC/Big East Challenge)?
   
   I'm kind of torn on this one, since the Big Ten teams would rarely get to play an ACC team unless they met in the NCAA Tournament. But allure of a regional rivalry with the SEC or Big East may be just as appealing. And the way things have played out of late (with Florida, Georgetown, Kentucky, Connecticut, etc.), winning the challenge would no longer be a "slam dunk" for the ACC.
   
   
6. Lightning Round!! Other Conferences Edition!! (Cue "The Matrix" fight music)
   Name the first thing that comes to mind:
   
   Big East: The ACC should've taken West Virginia (football) instead of Boston College.
   
   SEC: Leading football conference and almost tied with the ACC for basketball!
   
   Big Ten: Why not change the name, since they have 11 teams?
   
   Pac-10: Those USC National Championships were a fluke... the SEC was locked out each year that they won.
   
   Big XII: An SEC wanna-be.
   
   Sun Belt: You're kidding, right?!? I had to look this one up on the Internet... can you say: Mid-Major!
   

Check out the rest of the Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable:

Ramblin' Racket

GT Sports Blog

What's the Good Word?

YellowBlazer's World

moderated by Jeff at www.RamblinRacket.com

plezWorld on the Virginia Tech Massacre

First and foremost, my heart goes out to the family and friends of those students who were so brutally murdered on Monday morning at Virginia Tech.

I almost went to Virginia Tech to study engineering (I chose Georgia Tech instead) and I had a number of good friends who received their degrees from there. I cannot imagine the agony and sheer disbelief that must be running through the minds of the students who survived the ordeal nor the parents who will never see their children again. I can only imagine the heartache associated with losing a loved one through such a senseless and unprovoked attack.

The gun man (I will not give his name any space on my blog) was a distraught and deranged individual who was intent on creating his own immortality. The media, bloggers, newspapers, and the like do an injustice to the 32 people who died at this monster's hand by showing his face, displaying his name, and playing his sick video. He didn't earn any infamy and most certainly doesn't deserve any. He took innocent lives in a calculated yet cavalier manner, so I will dishonor him by leaving his name blank: "____________".

The Media
On the morning news, it was reported on ABC's "Good Morning America" that ________ sent a videotape of himself to NBC during a break in the killings (how morbid was that). It is a rambling and incoherent diatribe (some had the audacity to call it a manifesto) about what drove him to kill. It was a sick attempt at immortality. Robin Roberts interviewed a psychologist after viewing the homemade video made by the shooter. The psychologist was incredulous that ABC, NBC, CNN, or anyone would be showing this video (especially, only a few days after the murders). He said that it was a gross injustice to the families of the victims, made thousands of Virginia Tech students re-live the events of Monday in graphic detail, and gave immortality to the gunman. He said that they were irresponsible and no good would come out of the viewing.

plez sez: I agree wholeheartedly with the psychologist. In this age of instant news coverage and sensationalism, the media is constantly falling over itself to "report" newsworthy information. Well, some information is not newsworthy and some information is downright damning! Imagine the horror of a parent having to watch that "monster" basically boast about murdering their child in cold blood, imagine the students who heard the gunfire having to re-live those moments while watching imagines of that vile excuse for a human being, imagine the unstable minds around the country who now have a blueprint for misery and despair as a way out of their pitiful and pathetic lives by destroying the lives of others. How many more sociopathic souls are currently plotting their own "Virginia Tech Massacre" or "Columbine" because of seeing this video?

I have no doubt that by the time you read this, the scenes of school and campus evacuations as a direct result of some sick person trying to emulate this event will have already started. School officials will be dealing with this issue through the end of the school year.

That tape should've been repackaged by NBC and sent to the FBI as evidence for their investigation. Period. We did not need to know that it even existed. It is not fit for human consumption.

The Constitution
The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate and later ratified by the States in 1789, reads:

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was written and debated over the summer after the inauguration of George Washington. The populous, especially those Antifederalists, was a wary group: the country had gained independence from Great Britain a few years earlier and the French were fomenting rebellion, as well. The Antifederalists were especially wary of transferring the strong central government of Great Britain to the newly formed United States of America. James Madison proposed a Bill of Rights that would protect these "new Americans" from the government abridging their rights and taking their property (which they had taken from the Indians, but that's for another topic!). This was a time when there were few police powers being exercised by the states, one could hunt and shoot anywhere (remember, there weren't that many people in the New World), and one needed "arms" to protect his family and property and slaves (oops! that's for another post, too.) from bandits and pirates.

plez sez: Fast forward about 230 years. In 230 years, there has never been a need to thwart the advances of the US Military by a "well armed militia" in any state; the militia argument didn't even come up during the Civil War in 1861 because the Confederate States were the aggressors! So I ask you, whose rights are being protected by the Second Amendment? The rights of people who use guns to hurt and kill other people. Personally, I don't like guns. I see no need for guns, because they can only carry out the will of someone who is too unstable to use their mind to do something else.

I was speaking with a colleague of mine from Norway earlier this week; they don't have many guns in Norway. The police don't even carry guns in Norway. They have only one or two murders per year in Norway. As of April 15, Philadelphia, PA (nickname: Killadelphia) has already had 114 murders! On April 16, Virginia Tech had 31 murders! If you do the math, it just doesn't add up. I have not heard a good reason for anyone to have/possess a gun in this day and age... I welcome it!

I know that it is not politically expedient for someone in Congress to even have someone think that they are thinking of tampering with the Bill of Rights, but I think the 32 lives that were lost on Monday morning in one selfish act of revenge is more than enough ammunition to change that stance.

Repeal the Second Amendment!

plezWorld on the AfroSpear

What is the AfroSpear?

I've seen the term "AfroSpear," "AfroSphere," and "Blackosphere." I guess I'm partial to the title and associated logo! To my way of thinking, the AfroSpear is the realization of a think tank (and forum) for Black (African-American) progressives to discuss, muse, and ruminate issues that affect our communities. Inasmuch, we are not a monolithic entity, the AfroSpear will encourage lively debate, discourse, and an occasional disagreement as we hone a thought or platform on a particular issue. With the power of the current bloggers on the AfroSpear list, I'm encouraged that positive and actionable results will become self-evident.

plezWorld is anxious to participate in the given topics that will foster some genuine conversation. But the real power and effectiveness of such an AfroSpear will be borne out of its ability to affect change in our way of life and in a broader sense, that of America. Let's see if our collective foray into the great abyss of the blogosphere will be a call to those who need our votes or to those who seek our approval.

As thefreeslave wrote in his blog on this subject: "The ‘AfroSphere’ (Asabagna’s invention) must become an Afro-Spear, carving a path for our people into this 21st Century."

Who is the AfroSpear?



How to AfroSpear?

• Create an AfroSpear List for your blog
  
• Visit and contribute to blogs in the AfroSpear on a regular basis
  
• Join the AfroSpear Forum
  
• Occasionally develop posts and invite (tag) the AfroSpear to participate

Barack Obama in Atlanta

Turn the Page to a New America - Barack Obama for President

Barack Obama came to Atlanta today and delivered his stump speech on the campus of Georgia Tech. Under cloudy skies and with an audience of thousands, my daughter and I watched in awe as Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) enthralled the crowd with his message of change.

This guy is the real deal, he has the credentials (professor of Constitutional Law at University of Chicago Law School, US Senator), he has the education (Columbia, Harvard Law School), he has the drive, and the vision for an America AFTER the Bush Administration. He spoke eloquently of an inclusive America and a government that governs by right and not political expediency. He is against the War in Iraq, yet sees the need for a measured withdrawal that will not leave the Iraqi people with an unstable country. He spoke of supporting our troops in Iraq AND when they return home. He spoke of Universal Health Care for all Americans and exploring the means of adequately funding the "No Child Left Behind" policy of George Bush. He spoke of providing incentives for car makers and oil companies to create energy efficient transportation, he spoke of creating an industry that will profit from making our environment safer and cleaner.

My eyes welled up with tears at times during his speech as I held my daughter close and listened to his powerful message for change. He is the kind of man that I want to lead this country for my daughter and my daughter's children. He spoke to my mind, my heart, and my soul when he spoke of an America that threw off the shackles of slavery, empowered women, enacted fair labor laws and a minimum wage, created a middle class, and championed civil rights for all Americans. Barack Obama has so much optimism and spirit, I cannot imagine anyone but him occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20, 2009.

These are some pictures that I captured on the camera on my Treo 680:

Barack Obama working through the throngs of supporters









My daughter experiencing her first political speech









A ticket and Barack Obama for President buttons









Sign up for change in America at www.barackobama.com.

Your Ideal Presidential Candidate

Check out the 2008 SelectSmart.com Presidential Candidate Selector. The site asks voters a series of questions and then determines which candidate most reflects the voter's viewpoints. Below are my results:

1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100%)
2. Barack Obama (73%)
3. Al Gore (65%)
4. Ron Paul (63%)
5. Bill Richardson (60%)
6. John Edwards (59%)
7. Dennis Kucinich (58%)
8. Wesley Clark (58%)
9. Hillary Clinton (56%)
10. Joseph Biden (52%)
11. Christopher Dodd (51%)
12. Kent McManigal (50%)
13. Elaine Brown (42%)
14. John McCain (32%)
15. Rudolph Giuliani (32%)
16. Mike Huckabee (31%)
17. Mitt Romney (30%)
18. Mike Gravel (29%)
19. Tom Tancredo (29%)
20. Chuck Hagel (29%)
21. Sam Brownback (28%)
22. Tommy Thompson (27%)
23. Newt Gingrich (25%)
24. Jim Gilmore (23%)
25. Fred Thompson (23%)

plez sez: i was just minding my own business when i stumbled across this list of presidential candidates on another blog (hat tip: Booker Rising). i consider myself to be just slightly left of center politically, so i was anxious to see the results of my survey.

it just so happens that i RSVP'd for the Barack Obama Rally that will be held tomorrow morning on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. even though i haven't sent his campaign a donation yet, i'm pleased that i'm supporting him and this survey goes quite a ways to validating my selection of Senator Obama as my guy for 2008!

Run Obama Run!

Gotta Get Goals

One Alex Shalman gets the credit for creating this "Gotta Get Goals" meme along with its associated rules. I was tagged by my buddy, Dave, over at Wandering the Ether to enter a set of my goals. This is a tricky proposal because I'm not an open book about my personal matters and by posting my goals, I actually may have to achieve them! *smile*

I feel that goals should be achievable, measurable, and be bound by a specific time period - which makes this task even more daunting.

Another part of the meme process is tagging other blogs in your sphere of influence and invite them to participate. My blogosphere of influence is kind of small, so if I've tagged you in an earlier post (like this one), then consider yourself tagged. And if you are a new visitor to plezWorld, then consider yourself tagged, as well! How's that?!?

Gotta Get Goals for plezWorld

Goal #1: Financial - Save 5 Percent

My wife and I make a decent living; we live in a quaint house in a nice suburban Atlanta subdivision with a lush green lawn that contains no trace of the snow-like cherry blossoms that fell a few weeks ago. We spent my daughter's spring break from her private school at a beachfront resort in south Florida last week. I don't brag because I know others are doing much better than me, but I'd like to put my current financial situation in context. We are in debt and we walk a very taut financial tightrope on a monthly basis with very little savings in the bank. A few years ago, I was unemployed for close to 2 years while still paying a pretty hefty mortgage on this house, and as a result we pretty much exhausted all of our savings and have yet to replenish them.

My first goal is to save at least 5% of my annual salary in the bank by the end of this year. That would be a sufficient amount to "save" us in the unlikely event of a large debt or emergency. This financial goal cannot be attained until I reduce our credit card debt, so that will be a nice by-product of attaining this goal. Plus, I'll be staring at my 20th wedding anniversary in a few years and I need to have a nice sized knot (i.e. money) saved up to purchase that bigassrock that I intend to buy for my wife! *smile*


Goal #2: Lifestyle - Lose 20 Pounds

I used to be very active playing on adult basketball leagues, coaching church league basketball for 8-10 year old kids, playing lots of team tennis (ALTA), golfing, and going to the YMCA 2 or 3 times a week for aerobics classes. For the past 10 years, I have not been very good to my body: I've slowly and methodically dropped those more active endeavors (mainly due to my bad knees) to a more sedentary lifestyle (mainly watching TV and typing at a computer screen, like this one!). The arrival of our little bundle of joy 5 years ago sort of put the final nail in my active lifestyle coffin, I even cancelled my membership at the YMCA. Well, this more "settled" lifestyle has gone straight to my midsection... and it is quite evident when I step on that damn scale in my bathroom - my friends and I joke that I am no longer pimpsize! *smile*

My second goal is to lose the 20 lbs. that I have gained over the past 10 years. I will have to return to eating more healthy meals, and endeavor to hit that dreaded treadmill in my workout room (yeah, I have a complete gym here in the house) or in the hotel when I'm on the road at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. By the end of this year (2007), I should be back to my "playing" weight and able to comfortably fit in all those clothes that I can no longer zip up.


Goal #3: Professional - Hire Somebody

"To whom much is given, much is required."

This quote means a lot to me because I have lived a blessed life: raised in a God-fearing, yet loving family by my father and mother, provided with a world-class education from nursery school through my college degree in electrical engineering, compensated by a company that values my contributions to delivering our services, loved by my wife and daughter, and emboldened by my continued youth and vigor well into middle age. With that said, I feel that I haven't done enough in return for the blessings that I have received until I can share my blessings with someone other than my immediate family members. Which leads me to Goal #3: I want to be directly responsible for the recruitment, hiring, and mentoring of a professional in my area of expertise.

I would consider it an honor to reach back and see someone from being latent potential to being a high performing professional. As a college fraternity chapter advisor, I am responsible for mentoring a large number of young men to prepare them for life after college. As a recruiter for my company, I was responsible for visiting college campuses around the country to find those students who would add value to my company. And as a manager/supervisor, I have been responsible for hiring, nurturing, and even firing personnel who report to me. But in the whole of my professional career, I've never had the opportunity to do all three with one person. Since this goal will require a measure of luck in finding the ideal candidate(s), I seek to fulfill this goal at some point within the next 2 to 5 years.


Goal #4: Communications - Blog Alot

I stumbled upon the blogosphere quite by accident, I went to a friend's blog and I had to register on blogger.com to leave a comment. That was February 14, 2006 and I've been hooked ever since. Unfortunately, plezWorld has no more direction than it did when I first started, but I think I've at least honed my message and hopefully, I'm able to communicate more effectively because of it.

I use sitemeter.com to keep track of the numbers of visitors I receive on a daily basis. Right now, I'm averaging around 15 visitors per day, but I notice that the number increases with the frequency that I post new blog entries. So Goal #4 is to increase the rate that I post entries to my blog to 3 times a week in hopes of raising my visitor average to 50 per day by the end of 2007.


Goal #5: Toyz - A New Car

That new car smell is something that you can only get in a new car! My car has not had that particular odor in over 10 years - I currently drive a 2007 Desert Plum Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Explorer. It is time for a new car in plezWorld!

I bought my wife a Lexus SUV a few years ago when her car turned 10 years old. I don't think our garage will be complete until I have a newer car to join my wife's Lexus. I'm thinking along the lines of the following: either a 2006 Claret Red Cadillac Escalade or a 2006 Black Lexus GX SUV (I don't like buying new cars, I like to get them after they've depreciated for a few years)! Goal #5 is to have one of those new SUVs sitting in my garage by the Summer of 2008.

WARNING: I'm not the most environmentally correct guy out there, so if it doesn't have a V8 and some serious "get up and go", you probably won't see it on my side of the garage!

plez sez: It may not seem like it, but this was a very difficult charge which took me a few days to complete. I have included some short term (1 year) and longer term (>2 years) goals on my list.

Now comes the hard part, finding a way to accomplish these goals. I understand that in order for me to attain any of these goals will require some changes on my part. But if any of my blogosphere buddies have any good ideas to give me a jumpstart (especially, with losing weight and saving money), I will gladly take your ideas under advisement!

In Rotation - It's Humpday, Ya'll (Part VI)

For the past 3 months, I've had a team working on a project for one of my key clients. Today's challenge was a 3 hour presentation to the executive steering committee on our results. And now it's time to unwind! I'll let my iPod hype me up with my PurpleDance playlist, featuring Prince's more upbeat and danceable tunes... if you want to dance, you can:

1. "Pop Life" from Around the World In A Day LP (3:42)
   it's pretty nasty in the way Prince has the delayed lyrics in the left speakers, huh? oh, you never noticed that, did ya?
   
   
2. "Irresistible Bitch" from The Hits/B-Sides LP (4:12)
   i love the chimes in the background, almost sounds like the song was recorded in a church... bitchin'!
   
   
3. "Batdance" from Batman LP (6:14)
   "go... go... go with a smile!"
   
   
4. "Partyup" from Dirty Mind LP (4:24)
   the boy started out bad with a war protest song that you can actually dance to... check out those rough riffs on the guitar and MF bass line...
   
   "how ya gonna make me kill someone i don't even know?"
   
   
5. "200 Balloons" from The Hits/B-Sides LP (5:05)
   "fly with me, 200 balloons!"
   
   
6. "Controversy" from Controversy LP (7:15)
   driving bass, ticklin' those strings on his guitar... this is the album that i wasn't supposed to buy, because i gave my little sister the albums poster of a half-naked Prince in the shower! OOOPS! and to add insult to injury, he had the NERVE to recite the Lord's Prayer (a la Jimi Hendrix) to the beat! BLASPHEMY!
   
   
   "people call me rude, i wish we all were nude,
   i wish there was no black & white, i wish there was no rules."
   
   
   
7. "Little Red Corvette" from 1999 LP (5:03)
   "i guess i should've known by the way you parked your car sideways that it wouldn't last..."
   
   
8. "Sexy Dancer" from Prince LP (4:18)
   i drove through a snow storm from New York City to Hampton, Virginia to see Prince as the opening act for Rick James in 1979.
   
   
9. "Erotic City (Dance Mix)" from Erotic City (Single) EP (7:26)
   when i was in college, this was MY FAVORITE dance song... erotic city come alive!
   
   
10. "Damned If I Do" from Emancipation (Disc 1) LP (5:21)
    under the moniker "the artist formerly known as prince", he did an independent release of some of his best STUFF in 1996 in a 3 disc boxed set.
    
    
11. "Anotherloverholenyohead" from Parade LP (4:00)
    i'd rather dance to this cut from the "Parade" LP than the much more POPular "Kiss".
    
    
12. "Uptown" from Dirty Mind LP (5:32)
    oh shit, now i'm gonna be humming this song all night: "i don't usually talk to strangers, but she's so pretty... gotta go Uptown!"
    
    
13. "We Gets Up" from Emancipation (Disc 1) LP (4:18)
    yeah, Prince was droppin' it on disc one of this collection... he's got the bass kickin' ass and those funky horns bringing up the rear... and you gotta stay around to the end of the song to hear Prince to tear it up on that guitar. "We gets up!"
    
    
14. "Sexy M.F. (12" Remix)" from My Name is Prince [Remixes] LP (7:34)
    i love a good remix that's true to the original, but adds just enough edge to make you wanna get up outta yo' seat... this is IT!
    
    
15. "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man" from Sign O' The Times (Disc ?) LP (6:29)
    "i may be qualified for a one night stand, but i could never take the place... of yo' man."
    
    
16. "Live 4 Love" from Diamonds and Pearls LP (7:00)
    i love the countdown and the awesome drum solo and bass line that kicks off this joint... damn, i think i'm working up a sweat.
    
    
17. "I Wanna Be Your Lover" from Prince LP (3:42)
    i guess i'll shut this jam session down with one of Prince's first hits... genius endures.

Don Imus to Visit With Al Sharpton

The Associated Press reports that Don Imus will appear on Al Sharpton's radio show today to discuss the racially insensitive "thing" that he uttered last week on his show after the Rutgers-Tennessee Women's National Championship Game. To those who haven't heard, Don Imus referred to the basketball team players as some "rough girls with tattoos" and then referred to them as "some nappy-headed ho's!"

Excerpts from the AP article follows:

Calling himself a good person who said a bad thing, radio host Don Imus said Monday he would check his acid tongue after being lambasted for making racially charged comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

"Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," he said on his nationally syndicated radio show Monday morning. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean it's going to be what it's been for the next five years or whatever."

Imus said he was "embarrassed" by the remarks, in which he referred to the mostly black team as "nappy-headed hos." He said he had made the comments in the course of "trying to be funny," but he was not trying to excuse them.

Imus said he hoped to meet the Rutgers players and their parents and coaches, and he said he was grateful that he was scheduled to appear later Monday on a radio show hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has called for Imus to be fired over the remarks.

"Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media," Sharpton said Sunday. "We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we've got to stop this."

Meanwhile, the Rev. Jesse Jackson planned a protest in Chicago. James E. Harris, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, demanded Sunday that Imus "resign or be terminated immediately."

plez sez: here we go again... can you say, "Michael Richards"? i thought you could!

my sister is a graduate of Rutgers and played basketball in high school. i take offense for all of those hard working and beautiful Black young women who grace the Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball team. they are student athletes who were playing for a national championship (for Christ's sake), i am offended that a blubbering idiot like Don Imus would take advantage of his position to disgrace their integrity and their heritage with impunity!

first, i deplore what Don Imus said because it was aimed at college students and not professionals, and the fact that he had to stoop so damn low to try to grab a laugh in what i would consider a fading career in broadcasting. he's not funny, he's not relevant, and he's not going to have much of a television show after this week.

second, what the HELL is going on with Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson?!? looks like they are falling over each other trying to "interview" every clown who makes a racist/insensitive remark. i didn't know either of them had a radio show and now it begs the question, what the HELL do they talk about when there's no Don Imus or Richard Michaels to skewer? like Imus, these "Black leaders" are left with a questionable careers, lack of relevance, and certainly very little of a radio show after this week! i guess it's not enough for an irrelevant NAACP chapter in NJ to demand that Imus be fired, these two preachers have to try to elbow each other out of the way to garner some ratings for their non-existent shows.

Don Imus (and his producer Bernard McGuirk) needs to go to Rutgers University, sit down with the team and their parents, and issue his apology to them, face-to-face. he doesn't need blowhard povertypimp pastors to get it for them.

if you are so inclined, you can check out the Don Imus Apology here ... look at that dried up carcass, not only is his career fading, so is he!

and for truly bold, you can listen to Rev. Al Sharpton on the radio here ... and i'm still trying to figure out what the HELL he's going to talk about tomorrow?

lastly, although, i'm still pissed with Don Imus, we have to realize that this ain't going to be the last insensitive comment that we'll hear... it's time to grow up! everyone doesn't like you, everyone doesn't respect you, you'll have to get over it.

Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable - I

Ramblin' Racket is hosting a roundtable of Georgia Tech Sports Blogs. Being a loyal Yellow Jacket, Tech alum, and 10+ year GT Football Season Ticket Holder, I've decided to join in on the fun.

The Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable features a series of questions that are answered simultaneously on different Tech blogs during the offseason. plezWorld is not a Tech sports blog, but I welcome the GT Sports Fix to get me through the next 5 months until I can get back to Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Please take some time to check out the answers from the rest of the Roundtable:
Ramblin' Racket
GT Sports Blog
What's the Good Word?
YellowBlazer's World

Ramblin' Wreck Roundtable

1. (Single obligatory basketball question) What do you make of the ACC's postseason in basketball? Was the conference overrated, or did the teams just get unlucky draws in the tourney?
   
   It appears that the SEC has pulled close, some would say that it is almost even with the ACC. And I would contend that the ACC may be slightly overrated. Tech was a marginal selection to the NCAA Tournament and UNC was only slightly better than Tech. The proof is in the pudding, no ACC teams in the Final Four: welcome to parity in college basketball!
   
   
2. On to football! Where will Georgia Tech be ranked in the preseason polls, and where do you think the Jackets should be ranked?
   
   Despite our wins and close games against top opponents (Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Miami, etc.), GT Football doesn't seem to get much respect from the pollsters. I see us falling between 25 and 30 in the preseason. After an early win against a top opponent (again), we should fall into the top 20, but we'll have to be undefeated to even smell the top 10 next season!
   
   
3. All due credit to Tech's 2006 squad, but we benefited from Miami and other teams' lackluster seasons. Will the big-reputation programs like FSU and Miami be back in 2007?
   
   Miami will have a new coach and a new attitude, but I expect them to be only marginally better than last season. Florida State may be "down" until Bobby Bowden decides to call it quits.
   
   
4. Our out-of-conference schedule is exciting, with Notre Dame and Georgia bookending the season, and while Army is a cupcake, playing a military academy is kinda cool in my book. Which game are you more stoked about between ND and UGA? Also, what ACC games are you most excited about?
   
   I like the history of playing a storied team like Notre Dame, but NOTHING gets me worked up like getting ready for the Georgia Bulldawgs (my wife is an alum of UGA)! I'm love it when we play Clemson, always a good game. And I'm sure Virginia Tech will come to Atlanta looking for revenge for last year's near blowout!
   
   
5. Lighting Round! (Cue "Eye of the Tiger") Name the first thing that comes to mind, as fast as you can:
   * Calvin Johnson: The Best... ever!
   * Tailgate Food: Jim Beam marinated steaks, grilled chicken wings, potato salad, and a Corona (hold the lime).
   * Beesball: B-o-r-i-n-g! I played Little League for 6 years and never understood the allure of baseball.
   * Taylor Bennett: Hope springs eternal... Godsey-in-waiting!
   
   
6. How do you deal with the football offseason? Prayer? Hibernation? Blogging?
   Hibernation. I will come out of hiding at the Notre Dame Kickoff on September 1st.

Vacation Blog

As much as I enjoy being on here on a daily basis, I will be absent for about a week as my family goes to The Beach for a well deserved vacation during my daughter's spring break from school. I'll be sure to catch up when I return on April 7th. SEE YA!

2007 Black Engineer of the Year Award

The Black Engineer of the Year Award is presented by Daimler Chrysler and recognized outstanding achievements by Black engineers. Richard Roundtree is the host of the event which begins with a 2 song set by Jennifer Holiday. This video is the complete 3 hour award show. This year's recipient is Rodney C. Adkins, VP of Technology for IBM Corporation. I suggest that you "fast forward" to the 2:37 mark to see the actual presentation of the Black Engineer of the Year Award.



plez sez: I decided to blog about this event for a number of reasons. Number one, this is a good news story about Black people doing the right thing at work and in their community. Number two, I know Rodney C. Adkins. He is my fraternity brother (he was quite "instrumental" in my becoming a member of Kappa Alpha Psi back in 1982), he is a fellow Electrical Engineering graduate of Georgia Tech, and he has been a friend and a mentor over the past 25 years.

It gives me great pride to post something positive about a good friend of mine.

In Rotation - List of 7 Songs (Part V)

There is this "List of 7 Songs" challenge going around the blogosphere (courtesy of African American Dad by way of DJ Black Adam). I've been thinking about this for the past day or so, and came to the conclusion that there was absolutely no way in God's green Earth that I would be able to accomplish the feat of selecting my top 7 songs without alittle help. So I have decided to CHEAT! Yeah, that's right... if you're not cheating, you're not trying!

I have decided to let my iPod do the heavy lifting and with shuffle mode firmly in place, I have decided to grace my loyal readers with the first 7 tunes that pour into my brain.

1. "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass
   This Sound of Philadelphia classic ushered in the sexy, soulful voice of one Teddy Pendergrass.
   
   
   
2. "Sometimes It Snows in April" by Prince
   I often find myself humming this sombre song; I once witnessed an April snowfall while visiting Colorado Rockies about 10 years ago. This song is from the "Parade" album which served as the soundtrack for Prince's oft-forgotten movie: "Under the Cherry Moon."
   
   
   
3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson
   Michael broke onto the scene as a solo artist with his "Off The Wall" LP back in 1979. You gotta dance to this: "you're a vegetable, you're a vegetable, they hate you, you're a vegetable. you're the buffet, you're the buffet, they eat off of you, you're a vegetable"!
   
   
4. "I'm Stone in Love With You" by The Stylistics
   OK... you can see that I'm pretty big on the 70's classics out of Philly! I just love the timbre of Russell Thompkins, Jr.'s falsetto! Just about song that they recorded between 1971 and 1974 was a hit; they only had one more hit after their songwriter (Thom Bell) stopped working with them in 1974.
   
   
5. "The Star Spangled Banner (Live)" by Jimi Hendrix
   I'm not sure where this was recorded and cannot authenticate the amount of drugs that were consumed prior to hitting the stage, but this song ranks up there in the pantheons of pure guitar artistry! Jimi took our national anthem and defined an entire generation (the Love Generation, ya'll) with one performance.
   
   
6. "I Want You, I Need You" by Bobby Brown
   I got this groove on his "Remixes in the Key of B" CD. Undoubtedly, the most talented of the old New Edition (and the new New Edition, as well)... it's a shame that he has continued to deprive us of his immense talent.
   
   
7. "I Would Die 4 U" by Prince and The Revolution
   It's a trip that two songs from different soundtracks by Prince would be on this list (from "Purple Rain"), but if you know me, you know that it would be difficult to go more than 4 or 5 songs without a song by Prince popping up. I love the danceability and the "hidden meaning" of this song (he's singing about Jesus: "I am not a woman, i am not a man, i am something that you'll never understand... and if you're evil, i'll forgive you by and by... i would die 4 u!")
   
   
8. "Y.M.C.A." by The Village People
   This BONUS CUT was added because (1) I love disco music - I was a teenager during the mid-70's, and (2) I was in the youth choir at my church and one of guys who would eventually join The Village People (who's father was the Pastor at the church - First Baptist Church in Elmsford, NY) was the director of our choir. He's the FIRST person I know who had a hit record!
   

Part two of the challenge was to "tag" 7 other blogs. Once again, I'm not one to follow the rules, so I decided to "tag" the blogs where I have posted comments in the past 7 days. Please take a moment to use the links below to view some excellent blogs:

Charcoal Link by Aulelia
Free Slave
Wandering the Ether
Anali's First Amendment
DJ Black Adam
African American Dad
Georgia Politics Unfiltered
Our Kind of Parenting
jaebrysonblog
Georgia Tech Sports Blog
Nat Turner's Revenge by Chris C.
Diary of a PhD Student by Anthony H.
The Field Negro
The State of...
Booker Rising

Georgia's Confederate History Month - update

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the bill that would designate April as Confederate History and Heritage Month will not be going before the Georgia State Senate. An excerpt from the AJC reads:

Senate Bill 283 passed a key Senate committee a few days after Republican leaders in the House initially gave a lukewarm response to a request by the state NAACP for the General Assembly and Perdue to apologize for slavery.

State Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway) said he planned to file a resolution calling for recognition and reconciliation of the state's role in slavery, and he gained the support of Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah).

"I'm a good team player," Mullis said. "I was prepared to ask for SB 283, but I saw that leadership determined it was unavailable." Mullis said he is scheduled to meet with Williams this week, and looks forward to working with him to see if they can work on proposals that recognize slavery and the Confederacy.

plez sez: My my my... how the worm has turned! Last week, Sen. Mullis was pretty adamant about not tying slavery to his Confederate Month bill. I guess the Senate leadership must have gotten to him about the error of his ways.

I've already stated my opposition to this bill and the addition of a line about slavery isn't going to do much to change my stance. But with the legislative session winding down, I'm pretty sure it won't see the light of day this time around; I guess ole Sonny Perdue will just have issue his perfunctory recognition of Confederate History Month without the law.

Oh yeah... you read that right: the governor will issue a proclamation for Confederate History Month in April just like he's always done! Senate Bill 283 was just going to be the state law in case some wayward governor decided not to do it! Now do you see why I oppose it?

I wonder if someone in the Georgia State Senate read my blog and decided to let this bill die in committee? *smile*

I-den-ti-ty!?

thefreeslave is featured on my BlogRoll; this blog offers a constant stream of thought-provoking subjects. The following list of questions were asked (and answered by plezWorld in the Comments section) on the March 8, 2007 post entitled "I-den-ti-ty!?".


Who are you?

most people call me plez, i've even been called plezure! those who are linguistically challenged, are afflicted with mild speech impediments, or are hard of hearing will call me anything from pledge to fred to thez to clarence (i never quite understood the last one)!

What are you?

to make things easier on everyone, i just say that i'm black. some say african-american, but i'm not a hyphenated type. i am also a husband, a father, a son, a brother (in more ways than one), an uncle, a lover (not a fighter), a pragmatist, an occassional elitist, a worker, a producer, a rabble rouser, and a hell of an engineer!

What is your primary identity?

i don't know. the times that i can actually look at myself in the mirror, i just see me looking back. but i can't say that i strongly identify politically, religiously, ideologically, or any other -ly that i can think of.

What ethnic, racial, nation-state do you identify with?

i am a black american.

Or do you identify with none at all?

asked and answered.

How did you learn who you are/how to categorize yourself?

i hate to label myself, but will not bat an eye to label someone else! i was shaped and morphed by my environment - in total. and since i've had various environments and influences, and since i was shaped (in part) by all of them, it is very difficult for me to categorize myself. i was born and raised in New York, but have spent the greater part of the last 30 years in the south (Virginia and Georgia). most of my close friends and relatives are black, but i've also had a fair number of white, asian, hispanic (and other) influences in school and work. i was "raised in" the Baptist Church, but of late, i've been more strongly influenced by the spiritual rather than what was manufactured for the Bible.

How does having/maintaining an identity detract/support one being their authentic self?

being a Black American, or i should say, trying to be a successful Black in America, one has to be able to quickly and effortlessly switch between life in the Black community and existence in the mainstream community. i would be the first to say that i've probably lost a great deal of myself while constantly switching between the two. am i the self-loving Black man or the consummate corporate cog? i am realistic enough about myself to know that you cannot be both!

When we confront people as labels or categories, how does that affect our ability to see them for who they are?

unfortunately, we label people to make it easier to deal with them in that environment. until you get to know someone outside of the environment that spawned their label, you will probably never get to know them or see them for who/what they really are. think of interactions with co-workers, your boss, or other students at your school; you only know those people from your interactions in that environment. you will probably see them in a totally different light, if you were to move the interaction to another environment.

Is having a simplistic, hand-me-down identity a form of ’security,’ and a strength or an ‘escape’ from the anxiety of growing into something beyond the flowerbox you were planted in? Or both?

you gain 'security' in being able to quickly label someone; you can quickly place the "proper" barriers around your interaction with them (this is where prejudice comes from). it is the fear of the unknown that keeps us from growing (or venturing) outside of our flowerbox.

Do you ever ask yourself who and what you are, who and what you are supposed to be and whether you are being your truest self?

nope! i'm sure the answer would scare the HELL outta me! *smile*

Krishnamurti says that the drawing of lines, of distinctions in one’s mind has and does create all of the conflict, all of the war on the planet. What say you?

if that was what Krishnamurti really said, then i agree with him/her! think of our Civil War, think of WWI & WWII, think of why we are in Iraq, think of all of the strife in the Middle East and Israel. we all have drawn the proverbial "lines in the sand" about what we think of those other "labels" AND what we will do to them if/when they cross our line.

Speak now or forever hold your peace

plez sez: I welcome your responses, as well.

iRack

This is a hilarious!

plez sez: I own an iPod, but you have to check out the iRack!

hat tip: In Search of Utopia

In Rotation - Humpday Smooth (Part IV)

It's been a long time since I mellowed out at work to some music on my iPod. It is the middle of the week, I'm waste deep in Excel spreadsheets, and my eyes are bloodshot from too many Sam Adams at last night's networking event, so I throw on the headphones and let my iPod take me to another place for an hour before my next meeting. It's Wednesday afternoon, so I must be listening to my "Jazzy Stuff" Playlist to hear songs that are smooth and mellow, but won't put me to sleep.

Here's the music flowing out of my iPod into my earhole:

Under Your Spell by Phyllis Hyman (4:35)
Kiss of Life by Sade (4:10)
Running Away by Roy Ayers (6:55)
Love Ballad by George Benson (4:16)
Betcha By Golly, Wow by Phyllis Hyman (6:15)
I Just Had to Hear Your Voice by Oleta Adams (3:38)
Love All the Hurt Away by George Benson & Aretha Franklin (4:10)
Never As Good As The First Time by Sade (3:58)
Living in Confusion by Phyllis Hyman (7:03)
Lover's Holiday Oleta Adams (4:10)
Window of Hope by Oleta Adams (4:23)
Can't We Fall In Love Again by Phyllis Hyman (5:16)
The Day I Stop Loving You by Oleta Adams (5:04)
Is It A Crime by Sade (???)

Putting the N-word in Perspective

In an undated performance on HBO's Def Poetry, Julian Curry puts the N-word in perspective.

Caution: The N-word is used often... and with emphasis!

plez sez: This is a powerful and in-your-face treatise on why no one should ever use the N-word again.

Georgia's Confederate History and Heritage Month

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran an article on how a panel of the Georgia State Senate passed a measure that would permanently establish April as Confederate History and Heritage Month. This bill comes up a week after the NAACP asked the Georgia Legislature to consider making an apology for slavery.

Excerpts of the AJC article follows:

A bill that would permanently establish April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Georgia sailed through a Senate committee Thursday without any opposition.

Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga), the sponsor of Senate Bill 283, told the Senate Rules Committee that the proposal would help promote tourism in the state and preserve an important part of the state's and the nation's history.

"I'm not doing this for controversial reasons, but to commemorate a struggle that happened," said Mullis, whose North Georgia hometown was the site of a major Civil War battle in 1863.

The proposal has offended some civil rights leaders, who last week asked the Legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue to offer a symbolic apology for the state's role in slavery. The Rev. Francys Johnson, the NAACP's Southeast region director, said the organization is "vehemently opposed" to Mullis' bill and finds it hypocritical.

"At the same time that the proponents of this bill want to deny any responsibility for state sanctioned and sponsored slavery from 1755 to the end of the Civil War, they still feel the responsibility to honor the treasonous conduct of the Confederacy. It doesn't seem like you can have it both ways.

"You can't honor the past and not take responsibility for it."

Mullis said he has been working on the bill for several months, long before lawmakers and civil rights groups asked for the apology.

Senate Bill 283, if approved by the Senate and the House, would encourage Georgians each April to honor the Confederacy, its history, soldiers and the people who "contributed to the cause of Southern Independence."

The bill also encourages the Georgia Civil War Commission to develop a curriculum to teach Georgia's Confederate history in elementary and high schools, as well as colleges and universities.

Reginald Bohannon, 46, of College Park said that he has no problem with a curriculum that teaches state Confederate history in schools as long as the lessons include both the good and bad parts of history.

"Yes, teach how Georgia had the second-most Civil War sites," Bohannon said. "But also teach that Georgia was on the wrong side of black people's freedom. Teach how some Georgians were Christians, yet condoned lynching, murder and Jim Crow."

The next step for the bill is for the Senate Rules Committee to decide if and when the proposal should come up for a vote by the full Senate.

Click here to view Senate Bill 283 which would establish the month of April as Confederate History and Heritage Month.

plez sez: Here we go again, first it was the Confederate Battle Emblem on the Georgia State flag and now it's this. It appears that my slack-jawed-tobacco-chewing-Confederate-flag-waving-trailer-trash-loving-treasonous-miscreant neighbors, also known as the inbred occupants of the Georgia State Senate, have taken it upon themselves to leave their indelible stain on the fabric of Georgian history.

Despite the fact that the formation of the Confederate States of America was an act of treason against the United States of America, despite the fact that the Civil War was bitterly fought to preserve the institution of slavery (in spite of their ceaseless drivel about taxes and states' rights), and despite the fact that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was a cross dressing fairy (look it up, when the Union army caught up with him, he was captured wearing a dress and patent leather pumps!)... the mindset of those in the Georgia State Senate who support this measure is the same mindset of those who - 146 years ago - split and plunged this country into Civil War.

Personally, I'm having trouble understanding why ANYONE would find any honor in glorifying an ancestry that wrought such misery, hate, bigotry, war, the KKK, and treason! And to think that these cretins want the public schools to incorporate Confederate History into their curriculum; I'm sure their version of history is in stark contrast to what I happen to know is true (there were no happy Negros shufflin' and grinnin' in the watermelon patch). The scars and cancerous lesions of the Confederacy continue to plague and badger the Black community to this day, yet these same people scour in disbelief when the NAACP asks for a token apology for slavery!

I'm not big on apologies, especially from people who had absolutely nothing to do with the "Peculiar Institution," but by the same token, I don't feel that they can have it both ways: honoring their past while dishonoring mine!

March Madness: HBCUs and NCAA

Two separate news stories touch on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the "stigma" attached with being relegated to the play-in games associated with the NCAA Basketball Championship (March Madness).

The following is the March 11th Washington Post article titled "Battling Against 'Stigma' of Play-In":

Hampton made two NCAA tournament appearances during Jeff Granger's college basketball career, both losses, but the experiences were very different.

The first was in 2002, when, as a redshirt, Granger watched the No. 15 seed Pirates lose to No. 2 seed Connecticut in the first round at a sold-out Verizon Center. The other was last year, before fewer than 8,000 fans in Dayton, when Hampton was assigned to play Monmouth in the "opening round" for the right to get into the bracket of 64.

"I know what being in the tournament is," Granger said. The opening-round game "was kind of, sort of, that experience. But it wasn't."

The NCAA tournament's opening-round game, which was added in 2001 and is commonly known as the play-in game, still faces the perception that it is not truly a part of the tournament. It is an issue of particular interest for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), whose teams have been relegated to the Tuesday night game most often. If the NCAA selection committee keeps with its current pattern when the field of 65 is announced today, it would mark the sixth straight season that the champion of the Southwest Athletic Conference or the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the two leagues that comprise Division I's historically black colleges, will be sent to the play-in game.

"[It's] a backdoor way into the tournament," Hampton President William R. Harvey said.

The play-in game was created as a compromise to preserve the number of at-large bids in the NCAA tournament after the creation of the Mountain West Conference increased the number of automatic bids from 33 to 34. Held in Dayton, Ohio, it pits two of the least competitive teams in the field for the right to be a No. 16 seed and face a No. 1 seed in the traditional field of 64. It is the only game in the tournament that is not a part of the television deal between CBS and the NCAA.

"Dayton has hosted that game in fine fashion and the NCAA has done everything possible to treat the game as a tournament game," said Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson, a former member of the NCAA selection committee. "But there is a stigma attached to the two conferences that are playing in that game."

Since its creation, three representatives from the SWAC and two from the MEAC have been sent to the game. The Big South, with two appearances, is the only other league in the country that has sent a team more than once.

The trend is alarming to some affiliated with the two conferences, especially coaches such as Florida A&M's Mike Gillespie, who said that the majority of their teams face unique challenges that make it difficult to compare their competitive résumés to those of other schools.

"I feel the MEAC is every bit as good as the Southland, the Northeast," said Gillespie, who led Florida A&M to the tournament in 2004. "Our top five teams are every bit as good. Why do we have to be singled out each and every year?"

First-year Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry called the opening round a "pseudo conference tournament game," one that a conference champion shouldn't have to play.

"I dare anybody to say that the experience of a kid in a HBCU is any less important than anybody else's," Nickelberry said. "They got up at 5 o'clock in the morning, they lifted weights, they did everything else that they do at Auburn, Maryland and Ohio State. Their experience is being compromised, and you're basically saying it doesn't matter."

The situation also creates a quandary for members of the NCAA tournament selection committee, which five years ago created a subcommittee asked specifically to handle seeding for the tournament's bottom rung in hopes of combating what Benson called the "stereotyping" of seeds.

But since the game has been created, the SWAC and MEAC have ranked at or near the bottom of the country in the Ratings Percentage Index formula, one of the tools used by the committee to slot teams. The conferences also have had some strange postseason luck. Last season's MEAC tournament provides the perfect example: Delaware State won the regular season title but Hampton earned the NCAA berth through winning the conference tournament.

"When it's like that, what are you going to do?" said Jack Kvancz, George Washington's athletic director, who is a former member of the selection committee.

Jerry Palm, a national expert on the RPI formula used by the committee, said the simplest way to avoid the play-in game is to earn a higher rating by winning more games. "Those teams are down there [in rankings] because they can't beat anybody," said Palm, who operates the Web site http://www.collegerpi.com. "I think that those teams are genuinely not-so-good."

But Gillespie and Nickelberry said the problem is much more complex.

HBCUs typically schedule what are known as "guaranteed money" games against elite programs, which are capable of delivering the largest payouts. At Florida A&M, Gillespie said, a typical slate of between seven or nine guaranteed money games generates nearly $275,000 annually, money the school's athletic program depends on for survival. For smaller schools, these games are played on the road and are often guaranteed losses, which have devastating effects on a team's RPI.

"To get beat by 30 points doesn't create confidence for a team and doesn't raise your RPI," said Nickelberry, whose Pirates are one of the few black college teams that don't have to play money games.

While accepting money for a mismatch deal is common among the nation's smaller conferences, HBCUs play the most -- which Gillespie said distorts team records. This season, the MEAC's 11 teams averaged four games against schools from the six major conferences this season, the most in the country, and went 0-45 in those games. The SWAC averaged just over three games against the majors, finishing 1-33.

Palm said some smaller schools and conferences that have managed to increase their RPIs have done so by playing lower ranked mid-majors that are more likely to enter home-and-home scheduling agreements. Though the payouts aren't as large, the competition gap isn't as large. But, Nickelberry said, most schools in the historically black conferences can't afford to do away with money games.

"If you play that many guaranteed games, it's not possible, based on the equation, to copy what other people have done," Nickelberry said. "You can't do it."

While MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas maintains the play-in game will remain part of the tournament, he knows first-hand what a better seed can mean for a program. He was the athletic director at Hampton when the 15th-seeded Pirates beat No. 2 seed Iowa State, 58-57, in 2001 in one of one of the greatest upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament. Another MEAC school was behind another stunning upset in 1997, when No. 15 seeded Coppin State beat No. 2 South Carolina, 78-65.

"It's kind of ironic when two upsets in recent years have been from the HBCUs," Nickelberry said.

The thought of joining those ranks is one of the reasons that Nickelberry said he left his spot as an assistant on Oliver Purnell's staff at Clemson to take the job at Hampton, which with an endowment of more than $220 million can avoid the pitfalls of other HBCUs.

"But what about the teams that can't do it?" Nickelberry said.

The following is an excerpt from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution article titled 'Selection boss deflects slap at play-in game':

Niagara, which won Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament, said it felt "disrespected" because it was put into the first-round game with Florida A&M (an HBCU which won the MEAC Conference Championship) Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

Niagara (22-11), which started the season 1-6 because it had suspended several players, felt it should not be in the Tuesday night game because there were other teams in the tournament with lower rankings than its 134 in the RPI.

"I think it was shocking," coach Joe Mihalich told the Associated Press. "I think everybody was shocked and maybe some people were insulted by it. But that's good. That's fine with us."

Walters dismissed the suggestion that asking teams to play in Tuesday's game cheapens their NCAA experience.

"There are 260 teams that would love to be playing in the opening round game tomorrow night," Walters said in a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon.

The tournament field expanded from 64 to 65 teams in 2001 because the number of conferences that received automatic bids grew to 31. The larger conferences wanted maintain the 34 at-large bids that had previously existed so the play-in, or opening round, game between two of the lower seeds was created. It is not always reserved for the two lowest seeds in the tournament.

Walters conceded that there has been sensitivity not to put two representatives of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (MEAC, SWAC) into the opening round game. With Florida A&M, in Tuesday's game this marks the sixth straight season that a team from one of those two conferences has been in the Tuesday game.

"There were about 40 teams with 20 wins that didn't even get in the tournament," Walters said. "Nobody was out to punish anybody. I don't understand why there is concern about Niagara playing in the opening round game. It's an honor to play."

plez sez: I have a strong bias about this issue because my alma mater is a member of the ACC (GO JACKETS!) which has 6 teams in the NCAA Championship Tournament.

I am glad that the field of teams was expanded to accommodate more conference champions, because without it, probably only one HBCU would have the opportunity to participate, instead of the two that we have now (Florida A&M and Jackson State). Admittedly, these schools are much smaller than most Division I schools, have much smaller athletic budgets, and attract basketball players who by-and-large are not recruited to the much larger programs.

Over the past week, I took the opportunity to watch some of the games in the MEAC and SWAC Tournaments. The level of competition was several rungs below that of a mid-major; I saw very few starters who could even walk-on at an ACC, SEC, or Big 12 university. To be honest, it is refreshing to read that the selection committee is sensitive to limiting the play-in game to only one HCBU, because in reality, both of them should probably be playing tonight!

I am going to keep it real, though, I'll be rooting for Florida A&M tonight (GO RATTLERS!), if I can find the game on TV!

The Trifling File: 6 Kids on the Way

The following is an excerpt of a news story from the March 9, 2007 Cincinnati Enquirer:

When Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Melba Marsh asked Ricky Lackey during sentencing Friday on a charge of attempted theft how many children he had, the 25-year-old said, “None, but I have six on the way.”

A stunned Marsh tried to clarify. “Are you marrying a woman with six children?” she asked.

“No, I be concubining,” he said. A concubine is a woman who cohabitates with a man to whom she is not married.

Prosecutors said Lackey is expectant father of six children with six different women. The women all are expected to deliver between August and October.

Lackey’s lawyer, Stephen Wenke, stopped his client from saying more.

Lackey, a music producer who told Marsh he was on the cusp of a $2 million deal that would net him $300,000 upfront, was convicted Friday on a reduced charge of attempted theft.

Prosecutors say the Avondale man defrauded U.S. Bank out of $3,975 by depositing empty envelopes into ATM machines, claiming they contained cash, and depositing bad checks. Once the accounts were falsely inflated, Lackey withdrew all the money before the bank could detect the fraud.

Lackey has repaid the money, according to court records.

Marsh ordered no other sentence since restitution had been paid.

plez sez: I'm afraid that I don't even want to know the particulars, but this has definitely been filed under "Trifling"!