Barry Bonds Watch: 711

After a very slow start to the season, it looks like Barry Bonds' bat is heating up. With very few opportunities to actually hit the ball (he gets walked at almost every at-bat), Barry Bonds has hit a home run (#710 and #711) in each of his last two games against the New York Mets, leaving him four shy of eclipsing the 714 mark that was set by Babe Ruth.

In a losing effort this evening, Barry Bonds came in to pinch hit in the ninth inning and sent the game into extra innings with a home run.

plez sez: The remarkable thing is he is 41 years old, he missed all except 14 games in 2005 due to extensive surgery on his right knee, he has a number of bone chips in his left elbow, Major League Baseball has begun to investigate his alleged use of steroids (he claims that he may have used them unknowingly), and he is constantly barraged by a media circus.

I'm still ticked off with the whole steroids controversy because steroid use was not banned by baseball until the 2003 season and sanctions for their use were not put into place until a year later. If he used them as it is alleged between 1998 and 2003, he did nothing but make baseball a better game to watch with all of the home runs he was hitting. And I find it hard to believe that Barry Bonds was the only player in the league who was enhancing his performance with steroids, he just happens to be the BEST (and most visible) player in the league... period!

I'm not a big baseball fan, but this story has me intrigued because I love to see people triumph over what seems to be insurmountable odds. It is a long season and I would love to see Barry Bonds present a serious challenge to Hank Aaron's record of 755 career home runs. This is probably Bonds' last season in baseball and it is doubtful that I will ever live to see another major league baseball player hit over 700 home runs.

All together now: "Barry! Barry! Barry!"

Disney's "High School Musical" is a Phenomenon

I couldn't believe it: Sunday afternoon while preparing dinner, my daughter implored me to play "High School Musical." My wife taped the movie on our Dish Network DVR a few months ago and I was more than happy to find something for my 4-year old daughter to do while I cooked. The movie begins with a song... and she knew every word! And she knew the next song and the next song and the next one! She would even rewind it back to sing some songs two and three times.

I missed the bus on this one. Apparently, "High School Musical" is the greatest thing since Annette Funicello met Frankie Avalon! The soundtrack for the movie has hit Number 1 on the charts and millions of kids have been watching it since its debut on the Disney Channel in January. I still haven't watched the movie from start to finish, but it looks like Disney has a bona fide blockbuster on its hands. I wonder if they plan to make a series out of it - a la "That's So Raven"?

From the "Horse Has Already Left the Barn" Dept.

The Associated Press reports that President Bush, under pressure to do something about gasoline prices that are expected to stay high through the summer, has ordered an investigation into possible cheating in the markets.

plez sez: Just in time for the November elections. We'll be nice and desensitized to paying over $3.00 per gallon, and this will be a non-issue. Frankly, I've already forgotten what it's like to have gasoline for under $2.00 per gallon (and that was just 12 months ago)!

Cynthia McKinney - Again!

US Representative Cynthia McKinney speaks again. She came home to the 4th District this weekend for some home cooking and made the mistake of settling in for an interview with a local news station. What happened at the end of the interview is ... well, NOT shocking! Click the McKinney Speaks Again link on the CBS46.com Video Headlines section to see the actual video footage.

plez sez: I call Cynthia McKinney, my Boo, because I just love the way she represents my district in Congress and in the media! She always knows just what to say and do, and when to say and do it. I'm sure that Congress in its entirety hopes that she retains her seat in the upcoming election, because what would Washington, DC be without my Boo!

Now, how in the heck are you going to come home, grant an interview, and then get pissed off when the reporter asks you questions about you making an ass of yourself while you are supposed to be representing your constituents in Congress? How in the heck are you going to lamblast one of your staffers when YOU are ill-equipped to answer questions that anyone (including a television news reporter or any one of your constituents) would want to ask? How in the heck are you going to come back on the air and try to strong arm that television news reporter into not using the audio of you lambasting one of your staffers and maintain even the slightest modicum of dignity while doing it?

plez sez more: If you vote for Cynthia McKinney in the upcoming Congressional election, then you are an idiot. 'Nuff said!

Georgia Tech in the News

Tech student charged with supporting terror group
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a 21-year-old Georgia Tech student taken into federal custody last month has been charged with giving "material support" to a terrorist organization.

plez sez: From the article, it appears that this young man has been on the federal government's radar for quite some time (at least a year before his arrest). It looks like the "war on terror" has finally yielded a real win.

Crittenton arrival forces Fredrick's departure
It appears that with the arrival of top basketball recruit Javoris Crittenton, Zam Fredrick has decided to transfer to another school.

plez sez: These kids should be going to college for an education and a quality education is one thing that Georgia Tech offers. I am sure that Zam Fredrick is a talented young man and wants to play basketball, but he should also weigh the importance of playing college basketball while receiving a quality degree against his prospects of being able to earn a living of playing professional basketball. I've seen him play... he needs to concentrate on his degree!

Click to hear the Ramblin' Wreck Song Medley.

Audio portions of this blog are powered by

Why news from Georgia Tech? I received my degree in electrical engineering from there and I've had football season ticket for over 15 years!

In Rotation - Purple Humpday (Part III)

I thought I'd fire up iTunes and listen to my Prince playlist this afternoon. It's Humpday and what better way to pass a few hours than with the Purple One! I'm going to try something new and also provide a plezcast with a few snippets of my favorites as they are played ... check it out:


Shhh from The Gold Experience CD (plezcast)
Alphabet Street from Lovesexy CD
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World from The Gold Experience (plezcast)
Trust from The Batman Soundtrack (plezcast)
Pope from The B-Sides CD
If I Was Your Girlfriend from Sign O' The Times CD
Dirty Mind from Dirty Mind CD (plezcast)

Let's Work from Controversy CD (plezcast)
The Holy River from Emancipation CD
Let's Go Crazy from Purple Rain CD(plezcast)
Housequake from Sign O' The Times
Let's Pretend We're Married from 1999 CD (plezcast)
New Position from Parade CD
Sleep Around from Emancipation CD (plezcast)
America from Around The World In a Day CD

Click to hear my Purple Humpday plezcast.

Audio portions of this blog are powered by

Atlanta's Tribute to Andy Young Hits Bump in the Road

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the effort to erect a downtown monument to Andrew Young is a melodrama chock-full of controversy, miscommunication and behind-the-scenes machinations.

plez sez: Andrew Young is a giant in the city of Atlanta; other than Martin Luther King, Jr., he may be this nation's greatest civil rights icon. He has been a civil rights leader, an ambassador to the United Nations, US Congressman, the mayor of Atlanta, a driving force in getting the Olympics to come to Atlanta in 1996, and a myriad of other noteworthy accomplishments. I only hope that the city can get their act together to honor this man for all that he has done for the region and all people of the United States.

Gas Prices Hit a New High

Reuters reports that oil prices surged to a record high above $72 on Tuesday on concern that Iran's nuclear stand-off with the West could cut oil exports from the world's fourth-largest crude exporter.

plez sez: And I thought we'd hit the ceiling for gas prices after Katrina last year. There doesn't appear to be any relief in sight as the summer driving season approaches with its anticipated jump in prices. It looks like we'll be well over $3.00 a gallon before the summer starts... and I can remember gas being under 30 cents a gallon as a child. My father would tell the gas station attendant, "Fill 'er up with high test," before the guy would wash the front windshield of our 1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. Oh, the memories of filling up your car for less than 5 bucks. Yesterday it cost over $55 to fill up my SUV.

Five FAMU Students Face Hazing Charges

Five members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Florida A&M University fraternity were arrested on Monday night on felony hazing charges after students pledging the fraternity said they were brutally beaten with broken canes, smacked and taunted until some passed out. The undergraduate Alpha Xi Chapter of the fraternity has been suspended from campus until 2013.

Marcus Jones, whose father reported the alleged hazing in March, was
one of as many as 26 students beaten during a series of Kappa Alpha Psi
initiation incidents from Feb. 23 to Feb. 28, according to a
probable-cause report from the Leon County Sheriff's Office. Jones, 19,
a sophomore from Decatur, Ga., had surgery March 7 for wounds to his
buttocks, which required 25 stitches and a drainage tube, according to
the report. Jones also suffered a ruptured eardrum and will not regain
100 percent hearing in his left ear, according to the report.

plez sez: This was a very difficult post for me to write because I am a member of this Fraternity and I am an advisor of an undergraduate chapter. My heart sank when I first heard of these allegations a few weeks ago. These types of incidents do not bode well for the fraternity system as a whole and Black male college students in particular. I will reserve judgement and further comment on this particular case because even those who used to live in glass houses should refrain from throwing stones!

But I will say that it is about time that fraternity members who engage in felonious assaults on other students be held legally accountable for their actions.

Tagged

Well, I wasn't really tagged, I just wandered to D-Place, liked what I read, and decided to post my responses here. I just love these lists:

If you were to be the opposite sex for one day, what would you do?

Hope that I wasn't on my period.

If you had to name the most difficult thing about being a teenager today, what would you say?

Same problem teenagers have always had: the issue of trying to fit in.

If you had to name the most embarrassing moment of your life, when was it?

When my mother discovered my stash of hard core porno magazines when I was a teenager.

If you had to name the most overrated actor in Hollywood, who would it be?

Halle Berry - pretty as a button, but couldn't act her way out of a brown paper bag.
And the Oscar for "The Prettiest Woman Trying to Act Like She Enjoyed Getting Boned by Ugliest Bag of Bones in Hollywood" goes to...

If you had to name the one personality trait that you have tried the hardest to change in yourself, what would you say?

Arrogance

If you could go back for one minute to the Garden of Eden and give Adam advice, what would you say?

You've have plenty of ribs left, tell the Old Man that you need another baby's momma!

If you were to name the best “I told you so” you ever got to deliver, what was it?

"That stuff will f*ck you up" - telling a friend to leave crack alone back in 1986.
He didn't listen.

If you were Madonna, what would you do for your next publicity stunt?

Die.

If you could have a lifetime 50 percent discount in any single store at your local mall, which store would it be in?

The Gap - I can't keep my wife out of that damn place.

If you could have one more pet, what kind would you get, and what would you name it?

I have such fond memories of growing up with my Labrador Retriever named Ace.

If you could have God perform one miracle today, what would you want it to be?

Do an in-studio interview on Larry King Live.

If you could spend New Year's Eve doing anything you want, what would you do and who would you do it with?

Go to Times Square in New York City with my wife and watch the big ball drop.

If you were to set your country’s immigration policy, what would it be?

Build a big ass fence along the border, then round up every illegal alien and send them south of the border, and then grant them access to this country through legal means.

If you were given the power to settle the issue of gays in the military, what policy would you set?

There is no issue to settle: if you want to get your ass shot off in defense of this country, have at it! I don't want to do it, so I sure as Hell ain't going to deny the opportunity to someone who does, regardless of their sexual orientation.

If you could have one person you have lost touch with call you up tonight and invite you to dinner, who would you want it to be?

My fraternity brother who pledged with me back in 1982 and I haven't seen him in over 20 years (Yo! Clark, wassup?).

If you could change one thing about your love life what would it be?

Just more of the same.

If you could have prevented one book from ever having been written, which book would it be?

I only say the Bible because some people think it was written by God, when in fact it was edited by people.

If you have to name the best music album ever recorded, which would you select?

The best music album ever recorded was "I Never Loved A Man The Way That I Love You," by Aretha Franklin.

If you could have one thing made out of pure gold, what would you choose?

My next paycheck, then maybe I wouldn't spend it as fast.

If God were to whisper one thing in your ear, what would you like Him to say?"

I never asked for 10 percent.

Delta Airline's Pilots Poised to Strike

I travel for a living. Since I live in Atlanta, almost all of my travel is booked on Delta Airlines. Since the airline has been in bankruptcy, they have made numerous attempts at cutting the pay of employees, especially the pilots, who at one time commanded the highest pay of any major airline. The company is currently attempting to void the current pilot's contract and re-work their compensation. The pilots threaten to strike as early as next week if the arbitration panel rules in favor of the company.

plez sez: WOW! If the pilots go on strike, Delta Airlines will cease to exist. There will be the loss of over 40,000 jobs and it will have a devastating affect on the economy in the Atlanta area. On a more personal note, I have hundreds of thousands of frequent flyer miles that will be useless; miles that I have been saving for a trip to Europe with my family.

On the flip side, we must consider that the pilots are being asked to take a big A pay cut. Their pay was cut by 32.5% back in 2004 and this past December, they gave up another 14%. Now the company wants to cut another 18% from their wages. I don't know about you, but the last time I looked, the price of groceries, gasoline, insurance, and mortgages hasn't gone down in the past couple of years. I'm sure Delta Airlines doesn't want the pilots to work for free!

Personally, I want them to keep flying, but I don't agree with the company continuing to diminish the quality of life of their pilots. Delta Airlines must be doing something wrong, and I don't think they're going to fix it by shafting the pilots who fly their planes.

BLOG UPDATE - April 14, 2006
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, Delta Air Lines Inc. and its pilots union reached a tentative agreement Friday on pay and benefit cuts that could avert a strike at the nation's third largest carrier and ease uncertainty among travelers over the upcoming weekend.

Georgia's Voter ID Law Under Fire

In 2005, the Republican-led Georgia legislators passed a law requiring that all voters present a government issued photo identification at the ballot box. Supporters argued it was needed to prevent fraud. A coalition of voter and civil rights groups (including Former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes) challenged the law in federal court.

A U.S. District Court Judge has ruled that the law amounted to an unconstitutional poll tax and issued an injunction blocking its enforcement. In January 2006, the Republican-led Legislature amended the law to provide free photo IDs to any Georgian who needed one.

plez sez: Everytime I vote, I show my drivers license, which qualifies as a government issued photo ID. The main concern with this law was the access to the availability of obtaining such an ID which the Legislature has taken steps to address.

If you go to a bank, you must have a photo ID to get your money; if you drive a car, you must have a photo ID to prove your identity; I don't really see the issue with having to provide a photo ID when you vote.

McKinney and Tupac

She's at it again! Slugging it out with Capitol Hill Police is not the only thing Cynthia McKinney does. My congressional representative continues to prove why she is the Queen of Conspiracy Theories. A few weeks ago, U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney filed her latest piece of legislation: House Resolution 4968, "The Tupac Amaru Shakur Records Release Act of 2006."

For those who don't know, there is a Tupac Shakur Center for the Arts located in Stone Mountain, Georgia (in the heart of McKinney Country). I've never been to it and I guarantee you, I never will. Why it is in Stone Mountain is beyond me (I guess no one else wanted it). Tupac is not from Stone Mountain, never lived in Stone Mountain (but I think his mother is a current resident).

Well, Ms. McKinney is up in Washington, DC on my dime filing ridiculous resolutions like this! She apparently believes that his death was part of some massive government coverup and she's out to get to the bottom of it. Some would ask why? I can only ask, "Who cares?" I think he was a proponent of the "Thug Life" and i think he died in a violent manner consistent with his rap songs and thug-like demeanor. If I recall correctly, he was fleeing a violent incident at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with his pal, Suge Knight. Apparently, a gang banger pulled up on them and opened fire. He wanted to be a thug, well, he got the full treatment. Let his poor soul rest in peace ... or as some say down South, "Let sleeping dogs, lie!"

And as for Cynthia McKinney, I hope my neighbors assist me in voting her ass out of Washington!

Immigration Battle at Home

Last week, I was on vacation on a white sand beach in South Florida... no PDA, no e-mail, very little television. So I was more than alittle surprised with the groundswell of activity around the immigration issue. Here in Georgia, close to 60,000 people marched in protest of immigration reforms.

I'm torn by this entire issue. Being a minority myself, I know how bad the immigrants of Latin descent want to reap the benefits and rewards of hard work in the United States. But I also know that large numbers of immigrants come to this country illegally on an annual basis and I cannot help but wonder if their presence is contributing to the low wages for some jobs that are simply unacceptable for US citizens. The president of Mexico has gone on the record of saying that his people will do the work that Blacks in the United States will not do. He left off one very important caveat, and that is that the wages that some immigrants will work for are woefully inadequate and there are no Blacks nor Whites who will do them for those wages.

I do not agree with the criminalization of illegal immigration, but I feel that our borders should be more secured to control the flow of illegal immigrant traffic in and out of this country. As the old saying goes, "Good fences make good neighbors!"

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. I'll be sure to catch up when I return on April 8th. SEE YA!

Human Highlight Film Elected to Hall of Fame

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Dominique Wilkins, the Atlanta Hawks' all-time leading scorer, the Human Highlight Film, and an icon of Georgia sports has finally been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame . For those who don't know, Dominique Wilkins out-Jordaned Michael Jordan in the Basketball Dunking Department on a number of occasions, but he rarely had a great supporting cast (and he didn't play defense like the Great One until late in his career)!

Dominique was the third pick in the 1982 draft by the Utah Jazz and was later traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He flourished in Atlanta as a pure scorer averaging close to 25 ppg during his NBA career. Nique reached the pinnacle of his career when he went toe-to-toe with Larry Bird in an epic 1988 playoff battle with the Boston Celtics. He was also a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner.

Wilkins is currently a Hawks vice president, advising ownership on basketball-related issues and working on public relations initiatives.

plez sez: Being a long time resident of Atlanta, I'm pleased as punch, because Dominique Wilkins is at the top of the list of true Atlanta star athletes (on par with Hammering Hank Aaron and Michael Vick). I hate that he was snubbed by the selection committee last year and he was left off of the Original Top 50 NBA Players list.

KUDOs to Dominique... who is truly Magnifique!

New Orleans Voter Rally

CNN reports that earlier today, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton led a rally in New Orleans in support of the displaced residents who will not be able to vote in the April 22nd city election. Less than half of the 450,000 residents have returned since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region in September 2005. The rally included a march across the Mississippi River bridge that connects New Orleans to Gretna where residents trying to flee the excessive flooding in New Orleans were turned back.

plez sez: I'm torn. I agree with the protest, because this appears to be an attempt to disenfranchise those New Orleans residents who have not been able to return. I'm sure a number of the displaced residents are more concerned with rebuilding their tattered lives than an election. And considering the fact that the elections are 3 weeks away, it is going to be difficult for the city to just cancel or postpone the elections. I wonder why this rally wasn't held a few months ago.

Now, I'm at a bit of a loss as to why the march across the bridge was included in today's rally. It would appear to me that the rally would be a lot more effective with an emphasis and concentration on the main issue of disenfranchise, rather than diluting the day with bitching about something that they cannot do anything about.