With the release of her new book Going Rogue: An American Life, former Alaskan Governor and Republican party VP nominee Sarah Palin is once again being given a spotlight she does not deserve. Under normal circumstances Palin would have drifted into obscurity by now; a political has-been who never was. Instead, a sub-par politician with no substantial constituency; no command of relevant issues, and no solutions to substantive problems, is being given air and face time as though she really matters. The simple reality that few are willing to articulate is, if she were not relatively attractive, of European ancestry and a woman, Sarah Palin would be day old bread.
Former Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) did not select Palin as his running mate because she was a “rogue”, innovator, or had demonstrated intellectual heft. McCain simply pandered to the Conservative Right, tried to siphon off some of the disgruntled Senator Clinton supporters, and gave America more of the same ole’ politics. From that point until now, Sarah Palin has continually tried to reinvent herself, but continues to give Americans more of the same; “all sizzle and no steak”.
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Thousands of readers have been responding strongly to the article written by Dr. Boyce Watkins about the Chris and Rihanna situation. The comments range from enlightening to flat out stupid. Read the comments below and make one of your own!
Anonymous said...
now if a man came to us and told us they had herpes w vwould try to fight them to but just because chris brown is a celeb everybody is making a big deal about it.Yes,if my man came tome and said he had herpes probably would have done the same thing.
I feel that Rihanna was very wrong for giving her lover Chris Brown STD .People also need understand that is herpes Chris brown will have to live with that for the rest of his life. Rihanna should be a shame of her self.And yes i feel chris brown should have handle this matter in another way but u have to really think about how chris was feeling at that time. Now Chris have to live his life everyday Knowing he have herpes.I feel that Rihanna should be charge knowing the fact she had herpes. a was willing to give her nasty herper to a yong gentel man chris brown.I work as a nurse and my heart goes out to Mr Brown.All Chris Brown can do is give it to god and let god work it out for him.
I feel no man have rights to hit a woman . But Rihanna is very wrong and she should be charge too.Knowing the fact she been had that mess.That is herpesso that mean Chris Brown will have that mess for the rest of his life, who to say what else Rihanna might be hiding i think Chris need to check make sure he dos'nt have anything else .I feel there should be a law for people that walk around here in this world and knowing that they have herpes our what ever the case my be. if they can have the ball to give you there nasty STD they should be put away for the rest of there life.Because all they are going to do is go somewhere else and give it to somebody else.There is alot of sick people in this world.All you can do is just give it to god he can do all things.
1. You'll don't know if that's the reason why they had the altercation. 2. Rhianna had an outbreak some weeks ago and during that time Chris was all over her. Go look for the pics. So, I don't believe that there is any way that he didn't know that she had herpes. 3. Even if he eventually found out she had herpes and transmitted it to him, who is to say that she always knew she had it. Herpes is a disease that if you don't have an outbreak and haven't gotten tested you wouldn't know you have it. There are lots of people walking around with herpes passing it to others and don't even know. You can use a condom and still possibly pass it to your lover. Know the facts about the disease before you start making comments. 4. Who is to say Chris isn't the one to give her herpes. Everyone doesn't have the outbreaks so their is no way to know who gave it to whom. That being said he still had no right hitting her like she is his damn child. He better get it together quick before Jay or Tay Tay roll up on his behind and wear him out.
Dayum yall some week-assed niggas in here! What "credible" source do you have stating that Rhianna gave Chris herpes. SHAME ON YOU DR. BOYCE! Glad to see sum of us thinks its okay hittin a woman.
Strong black woman, notice that he said "allegedly" gave him herpes. He didn't say he knew it. He is not saying that he knows for sure. Plus, the story is being reported in all kinds of news outlets, so I believe it.
This article is right on point Dr. Boyce. It's sad that there are black men on this listserv who think that women should be hit. You guys are pretty fucked up. Thank you for speaking up for black women everywhere, well the ones that are not crazy.
I just wanna say who cares if you think it's scary people are on Chris Browns side. That's what fans do lol. I'm almost thirty and have never bought either of their cd's. We already have Beyonce and Nelly Furtado any thing in between is not needed. Rihanna will have tO stand up for herself before she can stand up for other women!! I hope she takes everyones advice and leaves him for good...for HIS SAKE!!!p.s Rihanna is loved...but not All around the world...sorry.
yeah it was wrong for chris brown to hit rihanna but if its true that rihanna gave chris herpes, thats wrong. no man should put his hands on a woman period. i've been in a abusive relationship that i got out of after 11 monthes. I like chris brown and rihanna but they need to work things out and whatever started the argument needs to stop and chris should of walked away or something then hitting rihanna. chris brown is cute and doesnt deserve to have a STD from anyone he's too young for that.I say that chris brown needs help with his anger so things can work out between him and rihanna. i think that chris and rihanna is a great couple but not if chris continues to beat on rihanna for whatever it is. i also think that men who beat on women are pussys and do it cuz they are insecure with themselves and cant control nobody else but women. I like you chris brown but you need to quit your abuse on rihanna and try to work things out with rihanna then hitting on her and taking your anger out on her, try to talk things over about your feelings with rihanna it might work out between you two. i hope things work out between you and rihanna.
Despite President Obama's vow to open government more than ever, the Justice Department is defending Bush administration decisions to keep secret many documents about domestic wiretapping, data collection on travelers and U.S. citizens, and interrogation of suspected terrorists.
In half a dozen lawsuits, Justice lawyers have opposed formal motions or spurned out-of-court offers to delay court action until the new administration rewrites Freedom of Information Act guidelines and decides whether the new rules might allow the public to see more.
In only one case has the Justice Department agreed to suspend a FOIA lawsuit until the disputed documents can be re-evaluated under the yet-to-be-written guidelines. That case involves negotiations on an anti-counterfeiting treaty, not the more controversial, secret anti-terrorism tactics that spawned the other lawsuits as well as Obama's promises of greater openness.
"The signs in the last few days are not entirely encouraging," said Jameel Jaffer, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed several lawsuits seeking the Bush administration's legal rationales for warrantless domestic wiretapping and for its treatment of terrorism detainees.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals knows how to grab attention. And show off its laundry.
The animal rights group, which every year stages a protest at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, had two of its members dress in Ku Klux Klan garb outside Madison Square Garden on Monday.
Their goal, according to a post on the PETA website, was to draw a parallel between the KKK and the American Kennel Club. "Obviously it's an uncomfortable comparison," PETA spokesman Michael McGraw told the Associated Press.
But the AKC is trying to create a "master race" when it comes to pure-bred dogs, he added. "It's a very apt comparison."
The group passed out brochures implying the Klan and AKC have the goal of "pure bloodlines" in common.
"I can't speak for everyone, but the vast majority of the people exhibiting and handling and showing at Westminster are more interested in the health of dogs than anything else," Westminster spokesman David Frei told the AP.
"We want to produce the next generation of healthy and happy dogs," he said, "not just for the show ring but for the couches at home."
Bystander Fatima Walden told the AP the KKK imagery was inappropriate no matter what the message.
"They could have used something else as an example," she said. "You should be considerate to everybody."
Other than a shouting match during the hour-long protest, police said the scene remained calm.
A contentious debate over a "Buy American" provision in the economic stimulus package poses an early test for President Obama on both domestic politics and foreign policy.
The Senate this week is considering an $885 billion bill designed to help mend the ailing economy, which requires all "manufactured goods" purchased with stimulus money to be made in the United States. The House already has approved a narrower bill mandating the use of domestic iron and steel.
To supporters, including labor unions that helped the Democrats retake the White House last year, a "Buy American" requirement is just common sense at a time of economic crisis and rising unemployment. Factories have been hemorrhaging jobs for years; manufacturing employment is now 12.9 million, down from 17.2 million at the end of 2000. If Congress doesn't insist upon the use of U.S.-made materials, taxpayer funds could line the pockets of European or Chinese workers rather than hard-hit Americans.
Afrosphere Action Coalition Worldwide Web – July 16, 2008
Press Advisory
After contacting the A&E Network and some of its advertisers about the return of Duane “Dog” Chapman’s show “Dog The Bounty Hunter” to the air waves, the Afrosphere Action Coalition released a statement onJune 17th “expressing our dissatisfaction with the network’s decision”. In anticipation of the planned return of the show, we also hosted the Day of Blogging for Respect in Media: www.blackperspective.net/index.php/afrosphere-action-coalition/day-of-blogging-for-respect-in-media/
A&E’s regrettable reply was predictable and dismissive. Nonetheless, the AAC and our constituents remain undeterred in our opposition to the shows return as “Dog” has never owned up to what he actually said, nor demonstrated any change or shown action to make amends; but instead simply put on a PR show with the desire of maintaining commercial viability.
As the new season of “Dog The Bounty Hunter” airs this evening, Wednesday July 16th the AAC will be monitoring the program for those advertisers who have chosen to put their brands at unnecessarily risk by propping up the position of a public figure who engages in racial denigration; after which we will continue to alert the broader public about those who choose to stand for respect of all peoples in media, verses those corporations standing simply for what they perceive will advantage the bottom line, above all us.
The AAC has and continues to “urge A&E in the strongest terms to reverse course and withdraw their support for Duane Chapan and the Dog the Bounty Hunter show. Until A&E does so, we have no alternative but to inform the viewing public and urge them to withdraw support from A&E and its advertisers. If Duane Chapman had come clean about his racial demeaning behavior and attitudes, thereby demonstrating real sincerity towards actual change, perhaps there may have been a place for him again in the public square. But on the record A&E has set before us, he has simply gotten a vacation and we cannot accept that he is again receiving a platform and further financial reward.”
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Will Smith, the closest thing to a sure bet in Hollywood these days, flew to the top of the worldwide box office with his critically mauled superhero saga "Hancock," distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday.
The comedy-drama, in which Smith plays a drunken crime-fighter with an image problem, sold an estimated $185 million worth of tickets, the Sony Corp-owned studio said.
Moviegoers in the United States and Canada contributed $107.3 million in the six days since the film opened on Tuesday evening, and the film racked up an additional $78 million in 50 territories. Columbia said the film opened at No. 1 in 47 of those 50 markets, including Britain, Germany, Australia, Brazil and South Korea.
The North American tally includes sales of $66 million for the U.S. Independence Day holiday weekend, beginning Friday. "Hancock" ranks as Smith's eighth-consecutive chart-topper, and his 12th overall, Columbia said.
"Audiences love Will Smith and the characters he plays," said Rory Bruer, Columbia's president of domestic theatrical distribution. "People want to share in the things he's doing."
Smith, 39, a one-time rapper famed for his gung-ho performances, ventures into darker territory with "Hancock." His slovenly character's messy crime-busting efforts cause more problems than they solve, and he enlists a public relations man, played by Jason Bateman, to help restore his reputation among the displeased citizenry of Los Angeles.
Critics were intrigued by the basic premise, but were vexed by a dramatic sub-plot involving Charlize Theron, who plays Bateman's wife. Peter Berg ("The Kingdom") directed the $150 million film, which was notably brief at just over 90 minutes.
Smith has ruled the July 4 holiday weekend five times, beginning with 1996's "Independence Day," the biggest movie of his career. Adjusted for ticket-price inflation, the "Hancock" opening ranks at No. 3 among those offerings, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
Sen. Barack Obama said today that a jazz performer's decision to sing the "Black National Anthem" at Denver's State of the City speech this week was wrong.
"Well, 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' is a beautiful song that has been sung in African-American churches and other events for a very long time," the presumed Democratic presidential nominee told the Rocky in a telephone interview on his way to North Dakota. "We only have one National Anthem. And so, if she was asked to sing the National Anthem, she should have sung that."
Obama's remarks came as the controversy entered its third day.
Rene Marie, the jazz singer who belted out a surprise performance of the black anthem, triggering a public outcry, said today that it wasn't a "self-centered and calculated publicity stunt."
But in a lengthy statement posted on her Web site, Rene Marie informs people about how they can buy her CDs.
"Once we receive the money order, your purchase will be shipped within 24 hours," Marie said in the statement.
The first half of the statement, however, deals with the anthem uproar.
"I didn't expect that singing the song would garner this kind of attention," Marie said.
"After all, I had sung the exact same song at the Colorado Prayer Luncheon earlier this year before a much larger and wider audience and there wasn't even a ripple," she said.
Marie said she understood how her actions could be perceived as dishonest since the mayor had invited her to sing the national anthem instead.
"But I looked at it a different way: I am an artist," she said. "As such, if I wait until I am asked to express myself artistically, or if I must ask permission to do it, it would never get done."
She also denied that she was trying to make a political statement even though she told 9News that she was trying to express how she left about living in the United States "as a black person."
"I am apolitical, choosing to address social issues through my art, not politics," she said.
Talk was never cheap for Rush Limbaugh, but now it is getting a lot more expensive.
The radio host will be paid about $400 million to continue serving up his daily dose of conservative patter through 2016. His $50 million a year paycheck represents a raise of about $14.4 million a year over his current contract, which was paying him $285 million over eight years and was set to expire in 2009.
The deal — struck a month short of the 20th anniversary of "The Rush Limbaugh Show" — is thought to be the most expensive in radio since Howard Stern moved to Sirius Satellite Radio for a reported $500 million in2004.
"I'm not retiring until every American agrees with me," Limbaugh, 57, said on his radio programWednesday.
The deal amounts to a major bet by Clear Channel Communications and its syndication subsidiary, Premiere Radio Networks, that Limbaugh's brand of conservative talk will prosper well into the next decade. The company announced the contract renewal on Wednesday, though the financial details were supplied by Limbaugh in an interview with The New York Times Magazine for an article that was posted online at www.nytimes.com on Wednesday and will appear in print onSunday.
Limbaugh's windfall comes at an acutely tough time for the radio industry, which has been troubled by technologies like iPods and a sluggish advertising climate. The total time spent listening to radio has fallen 16 percent in the last decade, according to data compiled by Arbitron, the measurementfirm.
Advertisers have taken note: Nielsen Monitor-Plus, an advertising information service, measured a 3.6 percent decline in national radio spending lastyear.
"Frankly, since 2001, we've had a number of things going against us," said Jeff Haley, the chief executive of the Radio AdvertisingBureau.
In April, the bureau, a trade group, helped introduce "Radio Heard Here," a marketing campaign that is meant to reiterate the medium's relevance and emphasize that it reaches 235 million listeners a week. "Rush represents the reach of radio," Haleysaid.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hours after sparring with Barack Obama over immigration, John McCain told crowd at fundraiser Saturday night that "Sen. Obama's word cannot be trusted."
Sen. John McCain had harsh words for Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday.
"You know, this election is about trust, and trusting people's word, and unfortunately apparently on several items, Sen. Obama's word cannot be trusted," McCain said in Louisville, Kentucky.
The comment came as McCain criticized Obama for reversing positions on public financing and other issues.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced McCain and joked that the two don't always see eye-to-eye.
McCain said, "I take difficult positions sometimes. Mitch will tell you, I'm not elected Ms. Congeniality every year in the United States Senate. But the fact is that I'll keep my word to the American people, and you can trust me."
McCain's charges followed speeches from both candidates at the annual conference of NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
At the conference, Obama accused McCain of backing down on immigration reform for political reasons.
"One place where Sen. McCain used to offer change was on immigration. He was a champion of comprehensive reform, and I admired him for it. But when he was running for his party's nomination, he walked away from that commitment and he's said he wouldn't even support his own legislation if it came up for a vote. We can't vacillate. We can't shift," Obama said Saturday in Washington.
McCain, who spoke before Obama, also issued a strong challenge to Obama over his call for the Illinois senator to join him in a town hall meeting.
Both candidates were trying to reach out to the Latino voting bloc.
With the recent announcement by the network company, A&E, of the scheduled return of the TV show, “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” some black bloggers and activists are relentlessly pursuing the agenda to prevent this action. For those who are unfamiliar with the incident that led to the termination of the show, here’s the rundown: Once gang member and street-criminal, Duane Lee “Dog” Chapman - turned bounty-hunter and Bail Bondsman - used the n-word profusely in a taped phone-call made to his son. Mr. Chapman, who is white, seemed to be irate by the idea of his son dating a black girlfriend. Following the release of the phone-call, Chapman made few TV appearances to purge his name of the new reputation he had garnered. One of those was an exclusive hour-long interview with white-supremacy apologist, Sean Hannity. Following the decision by A&E to renew the show, certain activists have risen to the occasion, and are actively campaigning against the motion. One of such activists is D. Yobachi Boswell of BlackPerspective.net. He is a writer, spoken word poet, hip hop artist, social activist and political-watcher based in Nashville, Tennessee. I had the pleasure of interviewing him earlier today. This was the exchange:
Thanks for joining us, Bro. Yobachi. We really appreciate it. For how long has this campaign been going on?
It’s been in the planning stages for about three weeks. I initially said on my blog back in ‘07 when they first pulled the show, that they were just waiting for the dust to clear and they were going to bring ‘Dog’ back; and that we need to act then to make sure that didn’t happen (http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/dog-chapmans-a-racist-liar-and-hes-not-fooling-me/). Well, I got distracted by other campaigns and didn’t come back to this until I saw news reports that they were starting to film the new season. We started organizing a few weeks ago internally within the “Afrosphere Action Coalition;” debating how to frame the action, where to go with it, etc.; and once we got things together internally, we just announced it publicly on, Monday, the 9th.
What is the short-term and long-term objective in your fight against Duane "Dog" Chapman's return to TV?
The short-term goal is to see that the “Dog the Bounty Hunter” program is pulled, if and until Duane Chapman makes meaningful amends for his words and attitude; and demonstrates that he’s done anything to change who he is in regards to his attitudes towards Black people.
When the tapes first came out, Dog initially just blamed the Black woman, Monique Shinnery, who his son was dating for what he said; and tried to disparage her character to justify himself, even though on the tapes he clearly says the only reason he doesn’t want her around is because he didn’t want to chance “some f-cking nigger” hearing “us say nigger” and turning them into “the enquirer.” All ‘Dog’ has done since then is claim that he meant “nigger” in a friendly way. He’s - not only - not owned up to his racist animosity; he’s surely done nothing to change from it if he won’t even admit to it.
Long-term, we want to forge a bar of integrity against defamation of all races. This is not a one-shot campaign. It actually continues work that’s already been done with getting BET’s “Hot Ghetto Mess” off airs, Brave New Films “Stop Spreading the Virus Campaign,” and what, “YouBlackWorld” is doing vis-à-vis Fox Advertisers.
So far, in this specific battle, what have been your notable accomplishments?
Well the campaign in essence just started, so we are not at the point of assessing any benchmarks yet. Nonetheless there’s been great response to our announcement of the campaign from the public; and many people have signed up to join in.
Have you been contacted yet, by Network Executives from A&E?
Not yet, but our letter to them just went out this week.
What kind of media exposure has this campaign been favored by to-date?
As the Afrosphere Actions Coalition is an open-coalition where anyone of like-mind is invited to join the actions we conduct; we tend to get a wide range of individuals who just jump in and join the actions.
What was your perspective on the "n-word" before the 'caught-on-tape' rant by Mr. Chapman, and did it in any way influence your philosophy afterwards?
Hearing another person such as Dog Chapman say it, didn’t change anything for me. It’s nothing new and hardly surprising. My opinion on the N-word - in all its forms before the tape and now - is that it needs to die a permanent death at this point.
I was once an active practitioner of flinging “nigga” around between fellow Black folk; the real problem to me is that far too many Black people felt that somehow it was even appropriate to do this in mixed company; thereby giving permission to white people to do the same as long as they change the “nigger” to “nigga” (a ridiculous notion). Some Black folks even think it’s cute, or a sign of racial progress to allow white people to call them “nigga.” This is ridiculous; it’s demeaning to those who were lynched and brutalized under that word, and fought so Black folks could walk the streets of America without being denigrated as “niggers;” and it is unacceptable.
'Dog’ used this usage of the word by Black folk as an excuse for how he thought he was cool enough with Black people to use it. We know it is just a B.S. excuse as the way in which he said “nigger” and referred to Monique as a “f-cking nigger;” that he didn’t mean it in any sort of friendly or benign way, and him making this claim was just another one of his justifications; which is why he must still be held accountable. Yet, our ‘open- public-mixed-company,’ blatant use of the word and perpetuation in keeping it alive; gives cover for people such as ‘Dog’ to denigrate us and then claim he was ‘just using it in the street way like Black people do.’
Do you suspect that A&E will hearken to your call, and are you prepared to take further action - if need be?
A&E, having been given cover by racism apologist and accommodationist, Nigel Innus, surely believes they can point to the ‘house boy’ and say, “well he says Dog’s okay” and he’s Black; therefore all is settled.
‘Dog’ is A&E’s number 1 show, so I’m sure they’ll put up resistance. As I stated, I pointed out that this was their plan all along. The primary concern seems to be their bottom line, and that’s what they’ll default to; but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt - that being show of disregard of people of color by bringing this program back - that they can ultimately be persuaded to do the right thing.
But in the meantime we’re going to lean on their advertisers and their bottom lines to help push A&E in the right direction. Economic power is the tool. Black people must learn to exercise their power, and not just accept degradation in the public square. If Dog had said something even a tenth as benign about Jewish people, he would never work in the entertainment industry again; because they don’t put up with this sh--; but we do. They get respect because they stand up for themselves. Black folks far too often excuse and accommodate everything, so we’re not too respected. There’s a new guard of Black activism out here, though, that is determined to see this changed.
In your assessment, what is the biggest challenge facing Grassroots today, and what is the most progressive way of meeting those challenges?
Apathy amongst the masses is certainly the biggest challenge. It can often be like banging your head against the wall for a grassroots activist to get the people you’re trying to help or represent to believe that they’ve got power and can stand up and make things change.
Determined activism is the best way to meet this challenge. Those who do have the inclination just have to keep plowing away, and can’t stop just because it’s hard and frustrating. A few of us have to stand up, and when others see us, over the long-haul they will join us; and as Barack Obama is fond of saying, a few more will stand up, and then a few hundred, and then a few thousand.
Michelle Obama is referred to as a "Baby Mama" by Fox News. The black community is outraged over this statement and considers it to be an insult. This is not the first time that Fox has insulted the black community. It has allowed Bill O'Reilly, one of it's most prominent talk show hosts, to refer to actually lynching Michelle Obama. Additionally, it has paid many African American commentators to say degrading things about the black community.
Michelle Obama and Barack Obama haven't responded to the statements, but many in the black community are concerned about the racism terrorism used by Fox News in this election.
Anonymous said... 
