Happy Thanksgiving in plezWorld

in plezWorld, this is such a special holiday as it gives me a chance to STOP...

...and give thanks for all of the blessing in my life!

my mother always told me, while growing up, that i should not count my blessings, so i will not list them here.. but know that i carry them all in my heart.

...and i thank all of you who have blessed plezWorld for the past year and a half.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Come On People - Cosby & Poussaint - Overview

A few weeks ago, plezWorld was contacted by the promoters of the new book by Dr. Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint, "Come On People," which combines messages of personal responsibility with practical solutions, and retells the stories that have been included at community call-outs in cities across the country for the past three years. In exchange for a review copy of the book, plezWorld has agreed to write an honest review of the book.

I am not a professional book reviewer and my command of the English language is up for debate in some quarters, but I agree with the tag line for the book: "No matter your economic status, no matter your age, no matter your race, no matter your gender, and no matter your religion, we are all allies in changing our future for the better." I have taken on the task of writing a review for the book. My wife has also read the book, so there is an opportunity for a Guest Blog with her perspective on the book. In posts over the next two weeks, plezWorld will review a different chapter in the book:

1. What's Going On with Black Men?
2. It Takes a Community
3. We All Start Out as Children
4. Teach Your Children Well
5. The Media You Deserve
6. Healthy Hears and Minds
7. The High Price of Violence
8. From Poverty to Prosperity

Overview: This appears to be a self-help book on how America (specifically, Black America) must take a long hard look on what we've learned from our past and how to translate that legacy into solutions of success for our collective futures. These solutions translate well for ALL of America, but the book concentrates its focus on the Black community which needs this help the most.

If you'd like a preview, here are links to three downloadable PDF's of excerpts from "Come On People":
We All Start Out As Children (pages 77 - 88)
Teach Your Children Well (pages 124 - 132)
Healthy Hearts and Minds (page 168 - 174)

At www.BillCosby.com you can purchase copies of the book and you will find a forum called "The Cos," that is designed for community members to discuss issues beyond those addressed in the book, as well as a place for people to come together and offer solutions.

Whitney Houston on "Silver Spoons" (1985)

in 1985, i was a fresh-faced college student who kept hearing reference to a young, new singing sensation by the name of Whitney Houston. radio airplay of her hit, "Saving All My Love," had me liking what i heard: i can recognize TALENT. she had IT!

i stayed in my chapter's bustling frat house, so we had little occasion to watch much television, but i heard that Ms. Houston was going to be a guest on the sitcom, "Silver Spoons." i had never watched the show because the basic sitcom formula at the time involved some pre-pubescent smartass kid in some contrived situation: Diff'rent Strokes, Punky Brewster, Webster, Silver Spoons, The Cosby Show, Gimme a Break, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, ad nauseum...

the following video is Whitney Houston blowing up with "Saving All My Love" (notice how she changed some of the words - "making love the whole night through" was changed to "holding each other the whole night through" - for the censors). dexter, the business manager (played by the late Franklyn Seales), falls "head over heels" with the gorgeous and sumptous young Houston and follows her to LA.

like dexter, i was smitten by her beauty and that soulful voice after this episode. i have been a big fan ever since, including her latest incantation on "Being Bobby Brown."

Whitney Houston on "Silver Spoons" (1985)

plezWorld on Michael Vick - Another Word

Michael Vick reports to jail, early. ESPN reports that Michael Vick has surrendered to authorities prior to his sentencing date in order to begin his sentence and get the sordid details of his federal dogfighting conspiracy charges behind him. Vick pleaded guilty in August to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge after his three co-defendants pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with authorities. He's scheduled to be sentenced December 10, 2007 on a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge but worked out a deal "to voluntarily enter custody prior to his sentencing hearing," according to a court document.

plez sez: after vick pleaded guilty to the charges, i excoriated vick in this forum. i hate what he did to the falcons, his fans, and to himself. what a waste of talent.

at the time, the Dirty Birds were at 0-3 with zero wins in sight. since that time, the Falcons have eeked out 3 slim wins against an equal number of dismal losses. and yesterday, they turned in their worst performance of the season, barely escaping a shutout at home against Tampa Bay. it goes no easier as the Super Bowl Champs (yeah, peyton manning and the colts) roll into town on thursday night to cause indigestion for any Falcons fans with the stomach to watch the debacle!

i said that i wouldn't waste any more pixels on michael vick on plezWorld, but i gotta backslide on that promise, if to do nothing more than to issue an appeal to the owners of the woeful Falcons... you saw yesterday's game, out of three quarterbacks, we have none! with a bunch of overpaid coaches, they have provided no motivation to win! with a roster of crybaby, overpaid athletes, we have no winners!

the ONLY winner that this franchise has even smelled in the last SIX YEARS has just checked himself into the federal pen!

our draft day decisions have been abysmal, our free agent acquisitions have all been a bust.

the ONLY person who has made this pig's ear of a football franchise even smell like a rose has just checked himself into the federal pen!

as a resident of atlanta and witness to the falcon's ineptitude for the past 25 seasons, i implore you... no, i beg you: let's wait vick out! give him a year in the pen, give him another year's suspension, restructure his contract to the league minimum... but keep michael vick on the falcons roster! this has to be a business decision... don't worry about empty seats, they'll fill up for a winner (hell, they're empty NOW, so much for taking the moral high ground)! there's no draft day solution to the falcon's doldrums. there's no magic pill for a head coach to turn this shit into Shinola.

the ONLY HOPE for this franchise just checked himself into the Big House... when he get's out, let's get him back on the field in a falcons uniform... and let #7 win one for the ATL!

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present was broadcast on Democracy Now!. If you have not had the opportunity to listen/view this program, choose one of the links below.

Program Description:
Medical scholar Harriet Washington talks about her new book, “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present.” The book reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and the roots of the African American health deficit. It also examines less well-known abuses and looks at unethical practices and mistreatment of blacks that are still taking place in the medical establishment today.

A report by the American Cancer society shows that African Americans are still more likely than any other group to develop and die of cancer. The study states that socio-economic factors play the largest role in this disparity - African Americans have less access to health care and information, and are less likely to get screening and medical treatment. Well, a new book offers one answer into why black Americans deeply mistrust American medicine.

Harriet Washington. Medical writer and editor. She is a visiting Scholar at DePaul University School of Law. Previously she was a Fellow in Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School and at Stanford University. She is the author of the new book, “Medical Apartheid.” -- January 19th, 2007.

Watch 256k RealPlayer Video of the "Medical Apartheid" Interview

Listen to "Medical Apartheid" on Democracy Now!:

Interview begins at 17:00 on the divShare Audio Player

plez sez: this interview about medical apartheid in america ran chills up my spine!

i was aware of the Tuskegee Experiment, but was not aware of the amount of medical experimentation that had been wrought on Black people since we landed in this country as slaves. and the chilling experimentation that continues to this day in Africa and Brazil on behalf of large pharmaceutical companies.

after listening to this, one can see why illness and disease (cancer, hypertension, diabetes, hiv/aids, mental illness, etc.) always seems to be worse in the Black community. and i have no doubt that this long history (over 300 years) of being used as guinea pigs by the medical establishment is one reason why Black people are so leery of preventive medicine.

[Hat Tip: That Black Lesbian Jew]

Tech Wins 27-25 Over UNC

In a ACC game that turned out to be much more exciting than it should have been... Georgia Tech pulled out a win against North Carolina on a sparkling afternoon in Atlanta. Tech QB fumbled at 5:05 left in the fourth quarter and UNC took advantage to score a late TD. This left Tech behind by one point and needing a late fourth quarter drive to line up a Travis Bell field goal.

Read the entire game wrapup here.

My family went to the game on Saturday afternoon, but it took until Sunday afternoon for me (the high tech wiz) to figure out how to transfer the video from the SD card in my Treo 680 into plezWorld.

The Georgia Tech Gold Rush Dance Team is situated in front of my family's seats at the Georgia Tech games. So, the final score gave me the opportunity to capture them high kicking the final score of the game.



My wife grew up wanting to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader because of their long white boots... so she gets to see some long white boots every Saturday at The Flats!

A Mohito Moment

It's late on Saturday night, I'm feeling a little saucy...

and I think I need a drink:

I couldn't pass up a recipe with a slammin' soundtrack!

The perfect Mohito is not too tart and not too sweet... a toxic blend of citrus, mint, sugar, and rum. Simple, yet complex.

[Hat tip: Cocktails Zone]

Clinton & Romney Top Early Iowa Polls

The Des Moines Register reports that an American Research Group poll of likely caucus-goers (+/- 4%) conducted this week give Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney the lead in early polls for their respective party presidential nominations. The Iowa Caucuses will be held on Thursday, January 3rd, 2008, the earliest date ever for such an event.

Democrats:
27% - Hillary Clinton
21% - Barack Obama
20% - John Edwards
12% - Bill Richardson

Republicans:
26% - Mitt Romney
24% - Mike Huckabee
11% - Rudy Giuliani
11% - Fred Thompson
10% - John McCain

Two other Iowa polls show similar results. With just under 2 months before the first primary votes of the 2008 presidential election year cycle, Clinton and Romney are nursing slim leads in each of their respective races. The importance of the Iowa Caucus is mainly because the "straw poll" is the first votes of the election cycle, but the winner of the caucus is not necessarily the eventual party nominee.

For Democrats: George McGovern lost to Edmund Muskie in 1972, Jimmy Carter lost to "Uncommitted" in 1976, Michael Dukakis came in third place in 1988, Bill Clinton came in third place in 1992. For Republicans: Ronald Reagan lost to George H. W. Bush, and Vice President George H. W. Bush came in third behind Bob Dole & Pat Robertson in 1988! So the Iowa Caucus is more symbolic of the beginning of the election year rather than a prognosticator of the eventual party nominee.

For more Iowa Caucus information.


plez sez: all of the polls (democrats & republicans) show tight races and it doesn't appear that losing the Iowa Caucus will do much damage to a candidate's ability to win the party nomination. the new hampshire primary is a better indicator of the eventual nominee. jimmy carter and michael dukakis won the new hampshire primary, and bill clinton moved into second place in new hampshire (an ascent that ended with him being elected president). on the republican side, after 1972, the eventual nominee won in new hampshire except for bob dole in 1996 and george w. bush in 2000.

i'm still a strong supporter of barack obama because of his opposition to the war in iraq, and his message of change and hope for this country. i will vote for barack obama in the georgia democratic primary. i feel that hillary clinton lacks conviction and will tend to be a populist who governs via poll results... i'm not that crazy about populists (she did vote to go to war with iraq)! john edwards is hanging around and he has a chance to surprise the field with an early win in iowa or new hampshire.


i'm a bit perplexed that john mccain is still hanging in there with his low numbers and lack of money. he'll probably drop out after finishing no higher than fourth place in iowa or new hampshire. and fred thompson is probably kicking himself for waiting so late to get into the republican race, he brought nothing new to the table with his late entry.

it will be interesting to see what rudy guiliani does in the first 2 or 3 primaries, since other than mitt romney, he's probably the only other republican who will be able to beat clinton.

plez predicts: mitt romney will win the 2008 presidential election over hillary clinton in a very close electoral vote; her negatives and bill's baggage will energize the GOP voters enough to go out to vote against her. it appears that this will be the third straight presidential election that will come down to the winner of one or two swing states (like ohio, tennessee, or florida).

Half a NaBloPoMo

half halfback halfhearted
half life halfness halfpence
halfpenny halftime halftone
halfway half man half way between
latter half half marathon half way through
half ass half as good half the fun
half hour half of them half of these
more than half half of those nearly half
half of what roughly half half as much
half the battle half bake half the length
second half split in half half the size
upper half lower half half cocked

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November...

With today being the 16th of November, means that plezWorld is halfway through NaBloPoMo... hurray!

Visit plezWorld at NaBloPoMo

Barry Bonds Indicted

BARRY! BARRY! BARRY!

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Barry Bonds, seven-time National League MVP and baseball's home run king with 762 homers, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs. The indictment, culminating a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes, charged Bonds with four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Read the entire article here.


plez sez: the feds have obviously been sitting on this for at least a year or two... so why an indictment? why now? and what the heck have these federal investigators been doing for the past 4 years? is ruining Barry Bonds that high on the federal prosecutor's list?

i understand that Barry Bonds is probably the least liked athlete of our generation (OJ Simpson is from an earlier generation), but to come out with a federal indictment against just him when ALL of baseball was tainted by steroids is ridiculous. how was this ONE GUY pulled from the pack and held up to prosecutorial scrutiny after a 4 year investigation? is it because he is surly? is it because he is uppity? well, nobody likes an uppity negro! is it because he's not afraid to tell a sports writer to "f*ck off"?

raphael palmero flunked a drug test mere months after LYING before congress... where's his federal indictment? mark maguire wouldn't answer any questions about his steroid use before congress... where's his indictment? there were at least two baseball players who were caught purchasing a years worth of HGH this season (one was a pitcher in the American League playoffs)... where are their indictments?

and you know where i'm going with this... Barry Bonds in Black. everyone else i've named is white. i'll be honest, this is scary, because it is becoming more and more detrimental to your freedom and livelihood to be a Black man in this country. the disparity in news coverage, the heavy handed sentences, the lack of plea agreements, the blatant and obscene racial overtones that pervades every conversation on the topic... gives plezWorld a reason to pause!

i'd like to think that Bonds didn't take steroids, but he would've had to have been an idiot to turn down the opportunity to take something that would improve his game, yet was NOT BANNED by MLB! and does anyone reading this blog think that if Barry Bonds had admitted to steroid use, like jason giambi, that he would've gotten a pat on the back and no suspension?!? his ass would be rotting in jail RIGHT NOW (if you recall, jason giambi was given a pat on the back and continued to play the rest of the season)!

at this point, i can only wish the best for Bonds and his family. federal indictments aren't anything to play with and after 4 years, i'm sure they've scraped up enough evidence to prove perjury. i just hope he doesn't get too much time in prison, because this whole fiasco stinks to high heavens... and the need to go after one person for so long for something so benign just escapes me.

Solution: Legs in the Bus?

Last week, I posted the Legs in the Bus brainteaser. It's a pretty challenging math problem; it is not a trick question. Some people got it right (David after a couple of attempts, Anali, and Karen ) and others - who will remain nameless - didn't even come close.

There are 7 girls on a bus

Each girl has 7 backpacks

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats

For every big cat there are 7 little cats

So how many legs are there in the bus?

Scroll down past the NaBloPoMo badge to see the solution.

Visit plezWorld at NaBloPoMo

plezWorld Solution

There are 7 girls on a bus

Each girl has 7 backpacks

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats: 7 girls x 7 backpacks/girl x 7 big cats/backpack = 343 big cats

For every big cat there are 7 little cats: 7 girls x 7 backpacks/girl x 7 big cats/backpack x 7 little cats/big cat = 2401 little cats

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 girls x 2 legs/girl = 14 girl legs

343 big cats x 4 legs/cat = 1372 big cat legs

2401 little cats x 4 legs/cat = 9604 little cat legs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14 girl legs + 1372 big cat legs + 9604 little cat legs = 10,990 legs

There are 10,990 legs in the bus

Georgia Governor Prays for Rain

This is not a joke.

On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, Governor Sonny Perdue (R) joined more than 250 Georgians on the steps of the state capitol for a prayer vigil to ask God to rain on Georgia. Perdue told the audience, "We come here very reverently and respectfully to pray up a storm."

Georgia is coping with the worst drought in over 100 years and the few reservoirs in the state are quickly drying up. It is estimated that without rain, the state has little more than 100 days of water left. There are mandatory bans on outdoor watering and several landscaping businesses have already gone under with this drought.

There were a few stories about this prayer vigil in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (here and here), and CNN also covered the prayer vigil. Read more about the drought and its devastating effects on Georgia here.


plez sez: hmmmmmmm (wrinkling my brow while rubbing the stubble on my chin)...

the Guv'na of the Great State of Georgia is spending his lunch hour on the capitol steps praying for rain...

hmmmmm... not quite sure what to make of this. we haven't had any appreciable rainfall in the state since the middle of the summer. lake lanier, lake alatoona, and lake hartwell (i was up there 2 weeks ago) are drying up. but then again, the Army Corps of Engineers releases 3.2 billion gallons of water every day to Florida because there are some endangered mussels and sturgeon in those states that are protected by the federal government.

hmmmmmm... shouldn't we be saving every last drop of water in Georgia's lakes and reservoirs, rather than trying to hydrate some inedible snails and fish in Florida? maybe the Guv'na should have been praying that the Army Corps of Engineers would stop releasing so much of what little water we have left to basically flow out into the Gulf of Mexico? maybe the Guv'na should just send the Georgia Guard to stop the release of the water? whose gonna stop us, the National Guard is in Iraq keeping the oil flowing there!


maybe he should be doing something other than begging for a friggin' miracle on Peachtree Street?!?


hmmmmmm... isn't Georgia like DEAD LAST in SAT scores, nationally? lower than Alabama! lower than South Carolina! lower than Mississippi! lower than Louisiana! lower than Arkansas! maybe the Guv'na should have a prayer vigil for smarter kids? or pray for better teachers? or pray for better parents who send their kids to school ready to learn? or just pray for SAT scores that ain't at the bottom of the barrel!

hmmmmmm... hasn't this mess with predatory lending habits by mortgage companies plunged a substantial portion of Georgians into financial ruin and foreclosure? maybe Sonny Purdue should start praying that these people get big raises at work so they can pay their mortgage? or pray that the interest rates on their mortgages miraculously get lowered by the bankers who swindled the homeowners into signing for those mortgages in the first place? or pray that every person who is about to default on their mortgage wins the Lotto?

hmmmmmm... my daughter gave me a list of Christmas presents that is about as long as my arm, maybe the Guv'na can pray for Santa Claus to bring us all the gifts she wants? and while he's at it, he can pray for a white Christmas (i ain't seen one of those since i've been living in the South)?


sonny, the joke's on us... meaning all Georgians. i'm sure you meant well, but praying for something to happen isn't what i would expect the chief executive of one of our 50 states to use as his fall back plan. i doubt many people outside of your close family, friends, and those 250 wacko's who showed up at the capitol on yesterday are relying on your faith to end this drought... actually, i'd really prefer it if you'd keep your faith to yourself. there still ain't a cloud in the sky, i haven't watered my lawn in over a month, and another billion gallons of water are making its way down The Hooch to Florida!

next week: sonny purdue in a feather headdress joined by authentically clothed native americans doing traditional rain dance on the capitol steps!

BLOG UPDATE (11/15/2007):
guess what?!? it rained last night in georgia... and not only around PacMan Jones! a small cold front passed through the atlanta area and we got between a quarter and a half of inch of rain. that's not much rain, it won't raise the lake level any, but i guess it's a start. since the lakes are over 10 feet below normal, if it rains like this for the next 500 days we'll be in good shape!

so what do you know? prayer does work!

...and with this small miracle, maybe now the Guv'na can start working on the state's low SAT scores?

Drumroll: SWD - Reality TV

The local periodical, CrossRoads News ("East Metro Atlanta's Community Newspaper") recently ran an article on an upcoming show on the new Peachtree TV station (WPCH-TV in Atlanta has broken away from the national TBS Superstation to air more local programming. It appears that you'll have to check with your cable or satellite provider to find the station: on DISH Network, it is Channel 17). The show will follow the very popular Southwest DeKalb High School Marching Band (in South DeKalb County, Georgia) as they prepare for the upcoming football season.

Excerpts from the article:

For the past month, members of the Marching Panthers of Southwest DeKalb High School have been under a microscope -- well, sort of. To be more accurate, the 265 band members have been under the cameras - literally.

A team of camera operators and sound engineers has been all over them, whether it was in the band room, at rehearsals, at football games, as they prepare for the debut of "Drumline: SWD," an eight-episode reality television show chronicling the fall season of the marching band on Peachtree TV. The show, which will air in one-hour segments, premieres at 8 p.m. on November 20, 2007.

And the cameras are catching everything - great moments and, well, some not so great ones too.

The show will be the first original series on Peachtree TV, which launched on October 1, 2007 as an Atlanta-only station when Turner Broadcasting decided that WTBS-TV would no longer simulcast the national TBS feed.

Music mogul Dallas Austin, creator of "Drumline: SWD," originally wanted to create a sequel to his 2002 blockbuster movie "Drumline," which also featured the Marching Panthers. Austin said 20th Century Fox refused to do a full-budget sequel, so it never materialized. Austin said he then thought about doing a marching band competition show, but when he saw MTV's "Two a Day," a documentary-style program about high school football players, he decided reality television would be a better route.

Two weeks into taping, Superintendent Crawford Lewis stepped in to ensure the same thing and some people thought the show would not go on. Seda said that at that point the school system was still in negotiations with the studio and the production company. The parties agreed that the School System gets to sign off on anything that is aired about the band. Seda said it's a completely different dynamic when you're dealing with under-aged kids. "Our protection of them is paramount," he said. "Once they [the studio] understood that, there was no problem."

After four weeks of taping, Derrick Barnes, the story producer, said he has met some interesting students with stories he wants to tell. "We try to connect with the students so the viewers can get to know and love them personally," Barnes said.

But in the midst of telling those stories, Seda, who has been band director for seven years, also wanted to make sure their practice regimen was not compromised. "The film crew pretty much managed to learn our routine and know when to step in and when to step back," Seda said. "And they did it in a way that was not distracting. The T.V. show is great but we still have work to do."

Read the full Atlanta Journal=Constitution article here.

SWD at Bands of America Grand National Championship

This was the first time a high school band was invited to perform in the exhibition, it had always been college or university bands.

Pay close attention as the SWD Marching Panthers show who runs the show!

plez sez: i am looking forward to watching the debut of this show. i live in South DeKalb County and live only a few miles away from the school. everytime i've seen this marching band live, i am always amazed at the skill and musicianship of its young members. alums of the band performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta, the Rose Bowl, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and have traveled internationally to perform. my old house was less than a mile from southwest dekalb high school, and i can still hear the drummers practicing their cadences as the sun set on a hot summer's eve.

considering the treatment that the movie "Drumline" received from Dallas Austin (it's still one of my favorite coming of age movies and the SWD Marching Panthers were one of the college bands in the movie), i am looking forward to an entertaining, yet in depth view behind the curtain as a superstar high school marching band prepares for the football season. and it's also cool to be able to watch some of the local talent get some exposure on a national stage.

BLOG UPDATE (11/15/2007):
Peach Buzz reports that Peachtree TV and hip-hop impresario Dallas Austin have changed the name of the new network’s first series from “Drumline: SWD” to “Drumroll: SWD.” The new network did not want to cause confusion between the film ("Drumline") and the reality series about the Southwest DeKalb High School marching band.

They also pushed back the launch date from Nov. 20 to Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. And instead of eight half-hour episodes, they are opting for four one-hour episodes.

i have now re-programmed my DVR to record WPCH-TV on November 27th at 8:00 p.m.

Quote of the Day - November 13, 2007

“The child that you send over is nothing like the child that comes back to you."
- The mother of a soldier who was wounded in Iraq.

One day removed from Veterans Day, the New York Times runs a piece on the devastation that the War in Iraq lays on a family in Staten Island, NY. This mother speaks of mental and emotional damage that this war has brought to her family. Her son was badly injured (and received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart) when a roadside explosion ripped his Humvee apart and rattled his brain, damaged nerves and hurled shrapnel into his spine, thigh and abdominal wall. Some of the shrapnel still remains embedded in his body.

Her son doesn't allow her to attend his Veterans Affairs doctor visits with him, but when he gets home, he cannot remember what the doctors told him. And they will not give her any information about his condition. Her son decided to join the Army soon after the 9/11 attacks that killed a firefighter neighbor of his.

Read the entire New York Times article here.


plez sez: i want to say "Thank you" to all of the men and women who are giving their lives for the War in Iraq. 'tis such a noble deed to give one's life for his country.

i do not agree with the war; i have never been a supporter of our country (or any country for that matter) that will attack a sovereign nation without provocation or cause. the evidence is in and the justification for this war was manufactured to ensure a Declaration of War from Congress. 60 Minutes ran a story on "Curve Ball" no less than 3 weeks ago, which detailed how the story of weapons of mass destruction (wmd) was created on a pack of lies by an Iraqi informant who had no such knowledge. after US officials visited the so-called manufacturing plant, nothing was found and there was no evidence that any weapons (big or small) had ever been manufactured in the plant.

then there's the tall tale about al-Qaeda in Iraq... if they were there before the blew the place up, they sure were pretty quiet with Hussein in power. and NO ONE ever wants to talk about why we haven't bombed Afghanistan into the rubble that we did in Iraq, since that's where Al-Qaeda has been holed up since before 9/11!

how the current Congress does not find one impeachable offense by the current Bush Administration is beyond me. the current administration orchestrated a WAR - yeah, the thing that kills and maims thousands of people - without any evidence to support the war. this war was a personal vendetta by bush against Saddam hussein... nothing more... nothing less! thousands have lost their lives and thousands more are being "maintained" due to their massive injuries. i am not voting for any candidate who does not support an end to the War in Iraq.


my heart goes out to all of the families who have been adversely impacted by this illegal war. yesterday, i was sick: so, happy belated veterans day!

Sick Day in plezWorld

Well, I have the sniffles, a few chills, and I generally feel like *ish* ... I guess that qualifies for being sick, huh?

I did work today and have a couple of conference calls in the morning, so I'll just take another double shot of Nyquil, a glass of OJ, blow my nose with these Puffs Plus tissues, and call it a night.

Ah-CHOOO! See you tomorrow.

plezWorld on The AfroSpear

The AfroSpear

plezWorld joined this little group about 6 months ago with about two dozen other erstwhile Black bloggers from around the world. since that time, the membership has swelled to close to 100 member blogs.

i've virtually met some very interesting folk (and i ain't gonna name 'em here because i know i'll leave someone off) and have had a great time honing my writing skills, debate chops, and reasoning skills as a result of communicating with some of the brightest minds of the blogosphere.

a few things i've learned as a result of my affiliation with the AfroSpear:

i am a damn good husband and father - i love my family and they love me... and i'm so fortunate because there a lot of people out there who would love to be in my shoes.

i am not a Liberal - if anything, i have a growing disdain for those who spout a Liberal dogma... it does nothing for me... i'm a straight up Moderate - as shown here and here.

i am not very Religious - kinda spiritual, maybe even agnostic... all those chilly mornings that my older brothers dragged me out of my warm bed to attend Sunday School and sing in the church choir are all for naught at this point. but i better stop there before i offend one of my readers.

i am not a very good writer - i started and sputtered to a stop with my Great American Novel so many times in my youth, i think i'll stick to short 5 or 6 line blurbs so that i don't get in trouble (i have an over-reliance on the ellipsis...)

i am an attention whore - i won't be satisfied until i have 1,000 people stopping by plezWorld on a daily basis... and i happen to know it ain't gonna happen, because i don't write half as good as Field Negro or Dave J.

i am growing increasingly tired of the Race Card - something tells me that white folk start to think we're "crying wolf" because that damn thing gets played just about every other day... note to the AfroSpear, use it sparingly!

i still find that that KFC commercial to be offensive!

the AfroSpear ain't nothing like i thought it would be, but it has been fun watching it grow and evolve in the short time that i have been a member... and i feel privileged to be a part of it.

in April 2007, plezWorld wrote: "...the AfroSpear is the realization of a think tank of 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."

BLOG ON!

The AfroSpear BlogRoll

An Easy Read

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So just about everyone who stumbles upon plezWorld should be able to read it!


At first, I was a bit dismayed at the pedestrian level that my blog is ranked, but then I rationalized it this way: people covering a wide intellectual range can read and understand my blog.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the high level of the blogs that I have decided to include on my BlogRoll. Please take a few minutes to check out the College level and Genius level blogs that I read on a regular basis that are linked to plezWorld site (in no particular order): Booker Rising, Eddie Griffin, Francis Holland, Wandering Caravan, Field Negro, Skeptical Brother, sullsblog, Exodus Mentality, Liberal War Journal, Wandering the Ether, Ross Knight Photography, Nat Turner's Revenge, Electronic Village, Craig Bardo, and Jack & Jill Politics.

If you evaluate your blog, please post a comment here with its reading level.

Merck Agrees to $4.85 Billion to Settle Vioxx Claims

The NY Times reports that Pharmaceutical giant Merck has agreed to pay $4.85 billion to settle 27,000 lawsuits by people who claim they or their family members suffered injury or died after taking the drug, according to two lawyers with direct knowledge of the matter. Based on the fact that the 27,000 suits cover about 47,000 sets of plaintiffs, the average plaintiff will receive just over $100,000 before legal fees and expenses, which usually swallow between 30 and 50 percent of payments to plaintiffs.

Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market in September 2004, after a clinical trial proved that it increased the risks of heart attacks and strokes. But internal company documents showed that Merck’s scientists were concerned about the risks of Vioxx several years earlier. And a large clinical trial that ended in 2000 also showed that Vioxx was much riskier than naproxen, an older painkiller sold under the name Aleve.

Read the entire story here.


plez sez: do the math people... if a plaintiff settles, all they can expect to get is between $50,000 and $70,000 after legal fees. this appears to be a no-win situation for the poor people who were adversely affected by this drug.

More Good News For Genarlow Wilson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Genarlow Wilson, freed on October 26 by Georgia's Supreme Court after nearly three years in prison for oral sex with a 15-year old girl during a hotel party in 2003, has received an offer of financial aid from the Tom Joyner Foundation so that he can go to college.

Joyner announced during a show this week that he will provide Wilson with financial aid, and Wilson's lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, confirmed the offer Wednesday. The help will come through the Tom Joyner Foundation and will cover what's needed after Wilson seeks aid from other sources, Bernstein said. Wilson, 21, said when he was released that he hopes to pursue a degree in business or sociology.

Read the entire story here.

plez sez: this is good news... no, this is really GREAT NEWS!

i've seen Genarlow Wilson interviewed after his release; he is obviously a very bright young man and he has definitely learned a very hard lesson after having to spend 3 years in jail for his indiscretion.

i really wish him the best and i have no doubt that he will succeed with the love and support of his family and generous benefactors like Tom Joyner (click here to hear the Tom Joyner Morning Show).

Brainteaser: Legs in the Bus?

I was sent the following brainteaser a few weeks ago. It's a pretty challenging math problem; it is not a trick question.

There are 7 girls on a bus

Each girl has 7 backpacks

In each backpack, there are 7 big cats

For every big cat there are 7 little cats

So how many legs are there in the bus?

Leave a comment with your name and your answer. The correct answer will be posted HERE next week.

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