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For the first time in the 40-year history of Monument Hill Country Club golf will not be offered to its members. Management has made the tough decision to cancel golf this season due to high water rates.
"We can't support golf in Woodmoor based upon the rates of water," Vic Harshberger, COO of the Monument Hill Country Club, said.
Instead golf will be offered at nearby Kings Deer Golf Club. The rest of the country club will remain open and continue to offer aquatics, tennis, a fitness center, dining and other social activities.
Harshberger said over the past three years MHCC has paid approximately $180,000 in irrigation per golf season. That is compared to 2007 and 2008 when they were only paying $85,000 per season. Their annual renewable water investment fee is close to $20,000. The renewable water investment fee pays for bonds issued to finance the purchase of the JV Ranch. Despite their golf rounds increasing by 80 percent and using extreme conservation efforts to conserve water, MHCC is still paying eight times more in irrigation than Kings Deer Golf Club.
Harshberger said that current water rates and fees imposed by Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District make it impossible to keep the golf course going. Harshberger said he tried to meet with WWSD on a number of occasions to work with them on water rates and even offered to meet with the board of directors in executive session but he said WWSD couldn't find a way to make it work.
"I'm very disappointed," Harshberger said. "I really don't see anything in the future that will provide us reasonable rates."
Jessie Shaffer, district manager for WWSD, said to his knowledge the district never received a request from the country club to meet about closing the golf course.
"District staff and individual board members have met, upon request, with representatives of the country club several times over the past few years to discuss site specific operational practices and to suggest ideas for more efficient water use that could lower the cost for the country club," Shaffer said.
Shaffer also said the district has met with representatives to discuss using Kings Deer water but necessary project improvements to deliver Kings Deer water into the district were deemed unfeasible by the country club. He also said that the district met with representatives in the late summer to discuss a substantial leak and significant loss of water, approximately eight million gallons, which was occurring on one of the course ponds. He said the discussions resulted in a deferral of payments and reduced water usage charges because of the circumstances and with the understanding that the country club would fix the leak by December. Shaffer said that they were never notified that the leak was fixed.
Harshberger said that is inaccurate and during a 2012 WWSD board meeting he requested to meet with the board to discuss the "health of the golf course" in the board's executive session and was refused. He said it would have been inappropriate to discuss a possible golf course closure in a public meeting that was covered by the press.
"Jessie was present when that request was refused," he said, adding that several email requests were sent to board members asking for a private meeting and Shaffer was copied on at least one of those messages. He said none of the board members agreed to meet with him in private telling him that, "This is a discussion that should happen with the board as a whole or with Jessie as a conduit to all of us."
Harshberger also said that WWSD never suggested ideas for efficient water usage.
"They have never exhibited knowledge of golf course agronomics. We did discuss utilizing the main irrigation pond to store water to avoid the penalty rates of bracket 2 and 3 for non-potable water. We had to get the approval of the state, not WWSD in order to use our pond to store water for later use," Harshberger added.
As for the idea of using Kings Deer water Harshberger said Shaffer was the one who rejected the idea. He said in an email sent to him by Shaffer in December of 2011 Shaffer said that transmission loss would be over 25 percent to move water from King's Deer to Woodmoor and that there was no value in building a pipeline between the two.
Regarding the leak Harshberger said they were required to pay WWSD for millions of gallons of water they didn't use. He said WWSD insisted they pay for the water which the experts the country club hired say was seeping back into the same water table the wells draw from, but did agree to only charge them at the tier one rate.
"When we asked to extend the payment plan at the Sept. 2012 board meeting, Jessie presented us with a non-negotiable plan that required a letter of credit from a bank within 25 miles, only 24 hours to respond, and we had to agree to pay their attorney to prepare the agreement even before we could secure the letter of credit. The overall terms were onerous and we declined. We didn't notify the district about the pond repair because it has not been repaired," Harshberger said.
Harshberger said the dam engineer they met with on a number of occasions offered some information on the JV Ranch that Woodmoor Water purchased more than a year ago.
Water and rising costs
Woodmoor Water purchased the JV Ranch in Fountain for close to $30 million in October 2011 as part of their renewable water plan much to the disappointment of their customers who were against the purchase. The water district's long-term plan is to construct a storage and treatment facility at the ranch and then have water pumped 44 miles to the district. The estimated cost to deliver the water will range between $30 -$100 million according to Woodmoor Water's website. Harshberger, who believes customers should have had the opportunity to vote on the purchase, said on top of that there is a dam that, according to a state dam engineer, needs about $5 - $10 million of repair work done.
"I can't imagine a 2,000 acre community absorbing that cost," Harshberger said.
The dam referred to is the Calahan Dam and Shaffer said the dam is not damaged and does not require any mandated repairs from the Dam Safety Branch of the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
"The district has not been contacted by anyone from that agency regarding damages or repair mandates," Shaffer said.
Dam safety engineer John Hunyadi said he has been out to Monument Hill Country Club on a number of occasions to look at their pond. He said that upon inspection of the Calahan dam it is conditionally satisfactory if WWSD stores approximately 300 acre feet which is typical. He said he has heard that the water district might want to store more than that and in that case it would cost money to raise the dam to hold the storage and he said what he told Harshberger was that he's seen that type of work typically cost between $5 - $10 million. However he said that doesn't mean it would cost that much to raise the Calahan dam and has not looked at any designs for it. He's not sure that WWSD even has a plan to store more water and for now it is satisfactory.
Options and concern
Harshberger said a vast majority of their members are concerned with the water situation and there is concern from nearby property owners as to what the impact will be on the values of their property if the country club is not irrigating the golf course.
"I am very concerned that Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and Monument Hill Country Club could not reach an agreement on water rates to keep the golf course open. I am concerned about our property values with a potentially unsightly, un-maintained golf course," Jim Hale, Woodmoor Improvement Association president, said. "Woodmoor has nearly 130 lots on the golf course and many more in close proximity. Those residents are going to look out on a dry, brown weedy view by mid-summer. The country club has bent over backwards to try to negotiate a compromise and has even suggested alternative water sources, but WWSD has stood firm on their outrageous water costs to the club."
Harshberger said artificial turf is not a solution and opening up the golf course to the public is not an option either because they wouldn't be able to get enough rounds from the public to offset the cost.
"The ideal solution is to get competitive water," Harshberger said, adding they might have to shorten the length of the golf course if they want to offer golf again in the future.
He said members join Monument Hill Country Club because they enjoy golfing in the trees.
"Members are disappointed. We didn't want to have to do this at all," Harshberger said.


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Alt Hôtel Quartier DIX30Brossard 450 443-1030 | 1 877 343-1030 althotels.com/quartierdix30
The Hotel Alt Quartier DIX30 is located on Rome Boulevard, right at the heart of the Quartier DIX30 Lifestyle Centre. You'll find spas, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and plenty of boutiques just steps away from the hotel. Beautiful rooms with absolutely everything you need: a comfortable bed, a nice hot shower and...
Auberge du Lac Champlain, Chalets & SpaVenise-en-Québec 450 244-5244 venisesurlelac.com
Located on the shores of Lake Champlain, only 45 minutes away from Montreal, the Venise-sur-le-Lac resort centre offers a turnkey getaway such as an overnight stay at the Auberge du Lac Champlain inn with a spa and pool, and two restaurants on Lake Champlain and Lake Champlain cruises. An enchanting setting for your...
Auberge Handfield & Spa Les ThermesSaint-Marc-sur-Richelieu 450 584-2226 | 1 855 579-2226 aubergehandfield.com
Since 1945, the Inn has prepared regional cuisine in its rustic and warm decor. Dining room, private banquet rooms, terrace to the marina in the summer, Sunday brunch. Dining with or without accommodation.
Auberge HarrisSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 450 348-3821 | 1 800 668-3821 aubergeharris.com
Located only 20 minutes from Montreal, facing the Richelieu River, Auberge Harris is a perfect site for your business meetings: 5 conference rooms, with natural light, complete service of breaks and meals, 77 rooms and suites , confortable and warm , with mini fridge, kitchenettes and microwave oven, terraces or...

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- Brief Synopsis:
- "Lookit, Tex, it wasn't you -- I mean, I didn't aim to take it out on you like that." I didn't know what he was talking about and I didn't care. "I'm going to get my horse back," I said. "Pop wouldn't let you sell those horses if he were here."
- Long Synopsis:
- "In Tex, the raw energy for which Hinton has justifiably reaped praise has not been tamed--it's been cultivated, and the result is a fine, solidly constructed, and well-paced story."--School Library Journal, Starred An ALA Best Books for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Book Size:
- 191 Pages
- 9780440978503
- Publisher:
- Dell Publishing
- Date of Addition:
- 02/25/09
- Copyright Date:
- 1979
- Copyrighted By:
- S. E. Hinton
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Categories:
- Literature and Fiction, Teens
- Submitted By:
- 170
- Proofread By:
- 170
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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Dr. Scholls Jennie Striped Sneaker - Womens
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
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Item # 266832
Get back to basics with the casual, comfortable women's Jennie low-top sneaker from Dr. Scholl's. With cushioning right where you need it and a Free Step™ construction, your feet will thank you!
- Canvas and heather fabric upper
- Lace-up closure
- Free Step™ lightweight and flexible construction features an anatomical last and allows for a natural foot strike
- Neoprene stretch collar ensures a great fit
- Seamless Dri-Lex® lining wicks moisture away
- Aegis Microbe Shield® controls odor
- Removable Energy Wave™ insole provides superior underfoot cushioning
- Lightweight and flexible traction outsole
- More colors available
- Imported
- View more Women's Dr. Scholl's Shoes
By: chankk
Location: santa fe
July 11, 2014
Cute sneaker
"This shoe is adorable. I love the fit and feel of it. My only complaint would be that they are pretty sweaty if you don't wear a sock with it."
By: AndyshoeB
Location: Marietta
June 23, 2014
Comfy and Cute
"These Dr. Scholls Jennies are cute and comfortable. The foot bed moves with your foot and is super cushioned! This is my third pair in a different color. They do feel a bit different that your typical sport shoe since they are made to allow your normal foot movement as you walk, however the comfort is undeniable."
By: FrenchTweety
Location: Bothell, WA
June 18, 2014
Addicted to this style
"I now own this same style of shoe in 5 colors. I am wearing this new pair right now actually. What I love about them is how well they fit the back of the foot and heel. i am getting a bone spur and these shoes fit better than any other style I wear. They never pinch and are really fast to break in. They also look great with jeans or dress pants so are perfect for work and riding the bus."
By: IrisJade
Location: Virginia
June 04, 2014
"I work in retail and these shoes are very comfortable to wear for several hours at a time! Highly recommended and very comfortable!"
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PRICE-Ileene Sargent Oliveto, age 87, passed away March 12, 2012 at Parkdale Care Center in Price. She was born April 2, 1924 in Hoytsville, Utah to John "Si" Sargent and Beatrice Gibbons. After meeting Dominic Oliveto at Hill Field in Utah, they married on June 30, 1947 in Price.
Graveside service, Saturday, March 17, 2012, 2 p.m., Price City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Soroptimist International, Box 965, Price, Utah 84501. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price where friends are welcome daily and may share memories of Ileene at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.


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This is the ultimate destination for anyone who loves sports. The only sports bar with 22 projection TVs and 140 flat screen TVs. If your sport is on TV they have it! OTB, slots, shuffleboard tables, pool tables, sand volleyball, team trivia, indoor tobacco shop and lounge. Fantastic menu, MUG club and drink specials. Three separate bars and private spaces available for catered parties. Salsa dancing w lessons featured on Tuesday's and Friday's as well as Team Trivia Tuesday's and Thursday's.
Trackside Waukegan offers a casual, comfortable setting to wager on horse racing from around the world, broadcast on 250 television monitors. Watch and bet on races in the Finish Line Restaurant and Lounge, Grandstand Bar, Teletheater or Backstretch Deli.
Gordyville USA is a family-owned and operated establishment. The heated spacious building encompasses 160,000 square feet of space all under one roof. The multi-functional grounds are the site of several diverse events such as horse shows, flea markets, farm equipment sales, estate and land auctions, and the Annual Gifford Bank Craft Show. There is also a restaurant on the grounds.
Just 20 minutes west of downtown Chicago, Maywood Park features live standardbred horse racing action on a ½ mile oval every Thursday and Friday night all year round. Live race post times are 7:10pm. General Parking is free.
CITY:Melrose Park
Watch and bet on telecast thoroughbred and harness racing from all over the United States. A restaurant and lounge offer daily drink and lunch specials.
CITY:East Moline
Fairmount Park is home to live thoroughbred horse racing action. From March through September, the horses run on the one-mile oval dirt track Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Arlington International Racecourse
At Arlington International, we aim to make every day of the season special by combining the excitement of thoroughbred racing, gorgeous grounds and fantastic food to create a winning track experience for our guests! Whether you're looking for a fun and exciting day out with friends and family, a casual and charming afternoon at the races, or a sophisticated and stylish get-together, Arlington International offers an extraordinary experience for everyone! Live racing and entertainment from May through September or find a full calendar of race dates and events at arlingtonpark.com.
CITY:Arlington Heights
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Friday, September 18, 2009
Gordon Gartrelle is a Welfare Queen: Confessions of an ACORN Beneficiary
The national press' latest idiotic distraction is the community organization ACORN's supposed corruption of such timeless American values as denying assistance to poor and minority populations. ACORN, of course, is still in the news only because Communist in Chief President Obama had a connection to the organization.
Those on the left have taken three main approaches in responding to the shameless duncery of the right wing machine and the lack of integrity of the mainstream media, which have combined to treat this ACORN-video scandal foolishness like a legitimate story:
1.) Point out the foolishness of the controversy and note its status as a non-issue manufactured by mental midgets, opportunistic ideologues, and news whores.
2.) Renounce ACORN. Cut all support for ACORN in theory and in practice , simply because the political damage to the President and Democrats is not worth the effort required to defend the organization.
3.) Defend ACORN. Defend the organization and its mission on the grounds of social justice, especially with regard to poor, underserved minority communities.
It should be clear that I'm in the first camp. I'm also in the third one. Defending ACORN isn't a purely ideological matter for me, however; I have personal, practical reasons for supporting ACORN: it helped me buy my first home.
In my attempt to seize on the low interest rates, I decided to buy last summer after only a brief period of preparation (little did I know that rates would continue to decline). Based on income and the location of the place I was buying, I qualified for an ACORN first-time homebuyer's program*. The program provided substantial credit toward closing costs and a lower down payment with no private mortgage insurance (this was key, since I decided to buy without a year's worth of savings).
Check out the dastardly obligations ACORN required of me after they cleared my paperwork and financials:
A) Mandatory attendance at a 4 hour homebuyer's informational seminar. During this seminar, a real estate agent, a loan officer, a real estate lawyer, and a home inspector spoke about common mistakes and misconceptions about the home buying process, and were especially focused on highlighting various scams.
and B) Two private sessions with a representative that included discussion about the terms of the program as well as Q and A sessions about every aspect of the home buying process.
I know, how insidious, right?
I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable guy, but the amount of information I needed to digest in such a short time period was massive. These ACORN sessions helped me ask the right questions to the lawyers, the bank, and the real estate agent. As helpful as this ACORN program was to me, this would be exponentially more helpful to parents and people with lower income, bad credit, and limited education.
That such a ridiculous attempt to smear this organization is not only treated credibly, but is framing the debate about community social justice programs is disgusting enough; having had first hand experience with the people of all races and ages who benefit from ACORN's services, and having witnessed the professionalism of the ACORN workers, who were clearly understaffed, underfunded, and underpaid, I find the tactics especially loathsome.
It's open season on the black President—that's a given. He's been in the PE crosshairs since he became a serious contender for the highest Office in the land. It's also open season on anything that can even remotely be construed as benefiting black and brown poor people.
*This program may not even exist anymore because its funding was cut soon after I applied.
The Right Wing Populist Tea Baggers Speak for the Little Guy or Timothy Egan's Ownage of Mark Williams in the New York Times
This is representative democracy? And Barack Obama is an Indonesian, Muslim turned welfare thug, and racist-in-chief. I can't even begin to parse this one out.
Right wing, demagogue, bloviator, corporatist Mark Williams is talking about "blowback" and speaking up for the "little guy"--does the hypocrisy of the American Right know any bounds? As I have said many times, the elements which are threatening to destroy the Republic are hiding in plain sight.
Better than I could have expressed it, here is some ownage of Williams and his tea party ilk from Timothy Egan at The New York Times:
The first nine years of the new century have yet to find a defining label, something as catchy as Tom Wolfe's "Me Decade" of the 1970s or the "Silent Generation" of 1950s men in gray flannel suits. Bookmarked by the horror of 9/11 and the history of a black president, the aughts certainly don't lack for drama.
But last week, lost in the commotion over the brat's cry of Joe Wilson and the shotgun blast of rage in the Washington protest, something definitive was released just as this decade nears its curtain call.
For average Americans, the last 10 years were a lost decade. At the end of President George W. Bush's eight years in office, American households had less money and less economic security, and fewer of them were covered by health care than 10 years earlier, the Census Bureau reported in its annual survey.
The poverty rate in 2008 rose to 13.2 percent, the highest in 11 years, while median household income fell to $50,303. Ten years earlier, adjusted for inflation, it was $51,295.
Of course this reflects the ravages of a horrid recession. But the decline started before the collapse in the housing and financial sectors — and it was calculated, in the eyes of some.
Harvard economist Lawrence Katz called it "a plutocratic boom." If anything comes close to defining the era, that would be my nomination. President Bush cut $1.3 trillion in taxes — and the biggest beneficiaries by far were the top 1 percent of earners. At the same time, Wall Street was inflated by the helium of a regulation-free economy that eventually gave us Bernie Madoff and banks begging for bailouts.
Now consider the people who showed up in a state of generalized rage in Washington over the weekend. They have no leaders, save a self-described rodeo clown — Glenn Beck of Fox News — and some well-funded Astroturf outfits from the permanent lobbying class inside the Beltway. They are loosely organized under a Tea Party movement, but these people are closer to British Tories than 18th century patriots with a love of equality.
And they have the wrong target.
Mark Williams, a Sacramento talk radio host, was speaking to CNN on behalf of the demonstrators — many of whom carried signs comparing Obama to a witch doctor, an undocumented worker or a Nazi — when he played the blue collar card.
Who is Williams? A garden variety demagogue who calls Obama "an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug" and the Democratic party "a domestic enemy" of America. He also refers to the president as "racist in chief." That says all you need to know about leaders of the Tea Party movement.
Williams repeatedly invoked the "working stiffs" who feel left out. Working people are always the last to get aboard the gravy train, and the first to be used in campaigns that will not advance their cause. And with these demonstrators, and the hucksters trying to distract them from real issues, history repeats itself.
Where was the Tea Party movement when the tax burden was shifted from the high end to the middle? Where were the patriots when Wall Street, backed in Congress by Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, rewrote securities laws so that the wonder boys of Lehman and A.I.G. could reduce home mortgages to poker chips at a trillion-dollar table?
Where were the angry "stiffs" when the banking industry rolled the 2005 Congress into rewriting bankruptcy law, making it easier to keep people in permanent credit card hock?
Where were they when President Bush started the bailouts, with $700 billion that had to be paid on a few days' notice — with no debate — to save global capitalism?
They were nowhere, because they were clueless, just as most journalists were.
But now, at a time when a new president wants to reform health care to fix the largest single cause of middle-class economic collapse, he's called a Nazi by these self-described friends of the working stiff.
"A working class hero is something to be," John Lennon, that product of ragged Liverpool, sang just after leaving the Beatles. "Keep you doped with religion and sex and T.V."
As someone who had a union card in my wallet before I owned a Mastercard, I don't share Lennon's dark view of blue collar workers. But as long as they can be distracted by people who say all government is bad, while turning a blind eye to manipulation at corporate levels, they're doomed to shouting at phantoms.
One more detail caught my eye in these new economic reports on the lost decade. People in their prime earning years — age 45 to 54 — took the biggest hit in the last years of the Bush Administration, their median income falling by $5,000. And the region that suffered most — the South.
Older southern whites — that's who got hit hardest by the freewheeling decade now fading. They should be angry. But they're five years too late.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
We Have Our First Brave Entrant in Our Contest to Win a Copy of Hill Harper's "The Conversation"
My respectable negro friends and allies, I do apologize for my recent hiatus. I have finally finished moving into my new apartment (twice in 2 weeks folks)--silence is bliss. And the first week of classes are behind me. Zora should be returning soon, and Gordon has some things in mind as well, so business should be picking up.
We began a contest to win a free copy of Hill Harper's book The Conversation a few weeks back. Much to my surprise, folks didn't seem to want a free book (maybe they were scared to talk about black love--does anyone get my Whitney Houston/Bobby Brown joke? or am I just being self-congratulatory?)
Now, we finally have a first, brave entrant in our contest. Who will join him in sharing their diagnosis of what ails the black relationship?
Here is a (re)introduction to our contest:
In the spirit of the Church of James Brown (wasn't that a fun contest?), we bring you the chance to play ...insert drum roll...
Each of the submissions should have the following format.
1. Tell us what the symptoms are of the patient (i.e. if the Black Male/Female relationship was a patient, what would he/she come to you as the doctor complaining about?)
2. What condition is the patient in? Please use this helpful guide:
Our first entry courtesy of Vee (Scratch):
I usually tend to get 10 - 20 walk-ins, but I only take 5 - 7 appointments a day at the Center for Black Relationships Health & Research Studies. I'll tell you about one recent appointment, names will be withheld as per the center's policy.
This couple was particularly odd. The male subject appeared to be intoxicated, possibly on marijuana. His female counterpart was very agitated and could not wait for our session to end, repeatedly stating that she needed a strong drink. Normally I would write off their relationship as being critically unstable but they've been able to endure each other for several years, seven to be exact. One time during a heated argument, I noticed the male cringe as if he expected to be hit by the female. This was odd because he exuded many alpha-male qualities except when relating to her. He has been between jobs while pursuing a career in music. The female was working full time, assuming all the financial responsibilities of the household. She complained that although he kept the house clean, organized and cooked great meals, he did not have any real ambitions or plans.
I noted all the complaints and frustrations then I asked them what made their relationship work. She quickly stated that the sexual relationship was great and they have a great time only when they go out together. The male subject simply nodded in his stupor. After pushing him for a reply he stated that he loves her but wishes she was more sympathetic towards his dreams. The male subject offered that the relationship was fine when he was financial supporting her through grad school, but then things changed. Before their back and forth, tit-for-tat argument began to escalate again I decided to stop them in their tracks.
Their relationship is as fairly normal as it gets but they can make it great. They have their highs and lows. No real expectations are explicitly declared and they obviously share different values and morals. I told the male subject that I strongly suggest he begins to learn how to open up emotionally, find a Plan B and to reduce his marijuana intake. I let the female subject know that she needed to respect the man she fell in love with, learn to listen effectively, and reduce her alcohol consumption. Then I told them to quietly list the roles of a man and woman, indicating which were cultural or universal. For the next session, we will discuss the roles and expectation of men and women in intimate relationships. I explained that like many relationships, the repair and growth requires understanding and education. Prior to the next appointment, I insisted that they participate in our Communication 101 workshop. I let them know that I thought they had hope for a great rewarding relationship; it all depended on how much time and work they invested in making it flourish.
Please note that this is one example, not indicative of the majority of Black Relationships. I've had many cases that informed me that despite what the statistics, surveys and op-ed pieces in major media outlets say about this subject, our relationships are not monolithic and are determined by a variety of factors like education, religion, culture, socio-economic and educational backgrounds. I must admit, while there's a cause for concern, through focus, education everything will be fine.
Questions About Race and the Media Coverage of Annie Le's Murder
Based on reports from national media outlets, the only people who ever go missing seem to be:
a. White
b. Female
c. Thin and relatively attractive
d. Upper class (by virtue of income or education)
What, then, do we make of the case of Annie Le, the Asian American Yale grad student who was reported missing last week and, unfortunately, found dead earlier this week? From what I can recall, Le is the first Asian American woman to have received national attention in a missing person's case.
Some quick questions:
1. Does the fact that an Asian American woman got national attention normally reserved for white women count as progress? Is this an indication that a racial barrier has been broken? Can we expect more national coverage on missing women of color (not immediately, of course, but perhaps in the future)?
2. Does Le's case going national say something about how far Asian Americans have been assimilated? Have Asian Americans, like Irish-Americans in the early 20th Century, been granted a pass into the hallowed hall of Whiteness? Did the fact that Le was going to marry a white/Jewish man make her more worthy of coverage?
3. What does it say about corporate media and its vision of America that a missing person must possess characteristics b. through d. in order for their disappearance to be deemed newsworthy?
By the way, there were still issues with how the police handled the situation, and some wonder whether her race had something to do with it.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Weekend Laughs: Which is Funnier? Pastor Manning? The Coffin Preacher? Or the Casket Practical Joke?
Pastor Manning is at it again! You got's to love him. I think that some enterprising video game developer should make a first person shooter or role playing game featuring Pastor Manning--now I would buy that for a dollar!
Behold the coffin preacher:
As the blog Oh Hell Nawl put it, this video damn near made me poop myself:
So which of these is funniest? I vote for Pastor Manning as my default, because as you all know he is my personal happiness pill.
Question: Is Pastor Manning putting some sort of Christian science hoodoo curse on Barack Obama? We know that prayer is purported to be able heal the sick, but can a "reverse prayer" make sick the healthy?
Not casket related, but a worthy bonus. Question: if the following happened to you, would you not just go ahead and simply "bless" the fool?
Chauncey DeVega says: Don't Say We Don't Give Equal Time To Our Enemies or Pat Buchanan Says "America is Coming Apart"
Seeing that we got a great deal of mileage off of our faux interview with Pat Buchanan, it seems only fair to give him equal time and the chance to speak in his own words. Even more priceless is the fact that his latest editorial on WorldNetDaily is a real gem that even we could not parody-- lest we diminish its inherent schizophrenic, paranoid, xenophobic, madness. It seems there is indeed a culture war afoot...and folks like Buchanan are leading their foot soldiers straight through the gates of Hell.
Is America Coming Apart?
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Flying home from London, where the subject of formal debate on the 70th anniversary of World War II had been whether Winston Churchill was a liability or asset to the Free World, one arrives in the middle of a far more acrimonious national debate right here in the United States.
At issue: Should Barack Obama be allowed to address tens of millions of American children, inside their classrooms, during school hours?
Conservative talk-show hosts saw a White House scheme to turn public schools into indoctrination centers where the socialist ideology of Obama would be spoon-fed to captive audiences of children forced to listen to Big Brother -- and then do assignments on his sermon.
The liberal commentariat raged about right-wing paranoia.
Yet Byron York of the Washington Examiner dug back to 1991 to discover that, when George H.W. Bush went to Alice Deal Junior High to speak to America's school kids, the left lost it.
"The White House turned a Northwest Washington junior high classroom into a television studio and its students into props," railed the Washington Post. Education Secretary Lamar Alexander was called before a House committee. The National Education Association denounced Bush. And Congress ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate.
Obama's actual speech proved about as controversial as a Nancy Reagan appeal to eighth-graders to "Just say no!" to drugs.
Yet, the episode reveals the poisoned character of our politics.
We saw it earlier on display in August, when the crowds that came out for town hall meetings to oppose Obama's health-care plans were called "thugs," "fascists," "racists" and "evil-mongers" by national Democrats.
We see it as Rep. Joe Wilson shouts, "You lie!" at the president during his address to a joint session of Congress.
We seem not only to disagree with each other more than ever, but to have come almost to detest one another. Politically, culturally, racially, we seem ever ready to go for each others' throats.
One half of America sees abortion as the annual slaughter of a million unborn. The other half regards the right-to-life movement as tyrannical and sexist.
Proponents of gay marriage see its adversaries as homophobic bigots. Opponents see its champions as seeking to elevate unnatural and immoral relationships to the sacred state of traditional marriage.
The question invites itself. In what sense are we one nation and one people anymore? For what is a nation if not a people of a common ancestry, faith, culture and language, who worship the same God, revere the same heroes, cherish the same history, celebrate the same holidays and share the same music, poetry, art and literature?
Yet, today, Mexican-Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a skirmish in a French-Mexican war about which most Americans know nothing, which took place the same year as two of the bloodiest battles of our own Civil War: Antietam and Fredericksburg.
Christmas and Easter, the great holidays of Christendom, once united Americans in joy. Now we fight over whether they should even be mentioned, let alone celebrated, in our public schools.
Where we used to have classical, pop, country & Western and jazz music, now we have varieties tailored to specific generations, races and ethnic groups. Even our music seems designed to subdivide us.
One part of America loves her history, another reviles it as racist, imperialist and genocidal. Old heroes like Columbus, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are replaced by Dr. King and Cesar Chavez.
But the old holidays, heroes and icons endure, as the new have yet to put down roots in a recalcitrant Middle America.
We are not only more divided than ever on politics, faith and morality, but along the lines of class and ethnicity. Those who opposed Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court and stood by Sgt. Crowley in the face-off with Harvard's Henry Louis Gates were called racists. But this time they did not back down. They threw the same vile word right back in the face of their accusers, and Barack Obama.
Consider but a few issues on which Americans have lately been bitterly divided: school prayer, the Ten Commandments, evolution, the death penalty, abortion, homosexuality, assisted suicide, affirmative action, busing, the Confederate battle flag, the Duke rape case, Terri Schiavo, Iraq, amnesty, torture.
Now it is death panels, global warming, "birthers" and socialism. If a married couple disagreed as broadly and deeply as Americans do on such basic issues, they would have divorced and gone their separate ways long ago. What is it that still holds us together?
The European-Christian core of the country that once defined us is shrinking, as Christianity fades, the birth rate falls and Third World immigration surges. Globalism dissolves the economic bonds, while the cacophony of multiculturalism displaces the old American culture.
"E pluribus unum" – out of many, one - was the national motto the men of '76 settled upon. One sees the pluribus. But where is the unum? One sees the diversity. But where is the unity?
Is America, too, breaking up?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Chauncey DeVega's World of Ghetto Nerds: Is Barack Obama a Zombie Who Wants to Eat Representative Joe Wilson's Brains?
We are going to do a more serious, incisive, and analytical post on President Obama's health care speech to Congress in a few hours, but because I am a ghetto nerd who loves Bro'Bama, and I will ride or die with the man, I feel that I can make the following observation.
Have any of you have seen the photo of President Obama on CNN's homepage?
Does he not look like one of the undead? Do you remember during the campaign when that kindly looking, black elder was trying to kiss him, a moment that many (including me) joked that she was a zombie trying to bite him? Could Bro'Bama be infected with the z-virus?
For your inspection, here is Barack Obama side by side with THE Romero zombie Bub from Day of the Dead, a little Black Zombie obligatorily thrown in from Land of the Dead--and Romero's cemetery zombie from Night of the Living Dead:
Do we have something to worry about? And after Congressman Joe Wilson's impolitic outburst, doesn't President Obama look like he wants to eat said offender's brains? Are we in the beginning stages of a full scale zombie apocalypse--a trickle down, brain eating, end of the world, scenario?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Do You Want to Win a Free Copy of Hill Harper's New Book "The Conversation?"
Another day, another set of prizes to give away.
Courtesy of Gotham Books, we are hosting a contest featuring Hill Harper's (the actor of CSI fame) new book "The Conversation." Hill's work, I just got my copy today and will be reading it on the bus to and from work, presents a light, insightful, and accessible user's manual for African American men and women to better understand that which keeps us apart (and hopefully what can bring us closer together). I am not a big fan of self-help books, but The Conversation is fun reading and I do recommend it.
Now, we respectable negroes have always talked around the dynamics surrounding gender relationships, but this contest seems like a great entry point into this impassioned conversation.
We respectable negroes also have a biting sense of humor-- so of course we can't just give copies of this book away. You all need to work to get this swag. In the spirit of the Church of James Brown (wasn't that a fun contest?), we bring you the chance to play ...insert drum roll...
Each of the submissions should have the following format.
1. Tell us what the symptoms are of the patient (i.e. if the Black Male/Female relationship was a patient, what would he/she come to you as the doctor complaining about?)
2. What condition is the patient in? Please use this helpful guide:
As an example, if I were to submit a response, here is what mine would likely be.
I was the attending physician for the Black Relationship's visit to the emergency room on September 8, 2009. The patient arrived complaining of shortness of breath, headaches, and swollen joints. There were suspicious marks on the forearms and chest that would suggest defensive injuries from an attack, cutting, or a history of domestic violence. The patient's neck also displayed scarring consistent with being burned by hot grits or cooking oil.
In addition, the patient described acute conditions that are associated with a generalized anxiety disorder. I ran a standard exam and the vitals were within a normal range. However, said patient's blood pressure was extremely high (both systolic and diastolic) . When questioned about its lifestyle habits, the Black Relationship became upset, confused, and belligerent. He/she was paranoid and fixated on a deep internal schism around love and acceptance. There was also a repeated reference to "interracial dating," "white people stealing our good women and men," something called "BMW," as well as to "Angry Black Women." I suggested that the Black Relationship consult a mental health professional. At first resistant because of cultural norms, the patient quite wisely and lucidly agreed to do so in the future.
Physically the patient is in FAIR condition. However, the mental and emotional state of the patient is SERIOUS.
My PRESCRIPTION for the Black Relationship is intensive psychotherapy, a series of in depth physicals, as well as a consultation with a nutritionist.
In short have fun. We are giving away 3 copies of the book. But, I will probably have some additional prizes for the runners-up.
Monday, September 7, 2009
You Make the Call: George Clinton's Maggot Brain versus Metallica's Unforgiven
Totally random. I just got back from seeing the one and only George Clinton (can you smell the p-funk on me?) at the Africafest in Chicago. Gordon and his queen were also in attendance. At the climax of the show--one song before "Flashlight"--George Clinton's boy Michael Hampton played "Maggot Brain." Am I just that late to the party, but did Metallica borrow some of "Unforgiven's" chord progressions from Parliament's "Maggot Brain?"
In union, Gordon, his queen, and I noticed the similarities between the two songs. Are we crazy? What are some other funk-rock-metal borrowings/samplings/collaborations that are so obvious they have subsequently gone under the radar for most listeners? Enlighten me please as I enjoy adding those selections to my music rotation.
I am still waiting for the mothership!
I wonder if Riley Martin will get me a seat on the next outbound shuttle to Alpha Centauri?
When We Countenance Evil Anywhere, It Diminishes All of Us Everywhere: Father Wants Son's Beating Treated as Hate Crime
As we discussed earlier this week. Where is the outrage? And where is the "social justice" community? Remember, when we countenance evil anywhere, it diminishes all of us everywhere...
from CNN:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Brian Milligan Sr. believes his son's race triggered a brutal attack on the streets of Buffalo, New York.
Armed with a chunk of concrete, several assailants beat Brian Milligan Jr. on the back of the head on August 18, leaving a 3-inch gash. They kicked him in the face, breaking his jaw.
Bloodied and bruised, the 18-year-old managed to walk five blocks to his grandmother's house before being rushed to the hospital.
Milligan's father believes several African-Americans beat his son, who is white, because he is dating an African-American woman. He wants police to treat the beating as a hate crime. He also has criticized what he calls a deafening silence from the community, police and the national media.
"If this was a black guy who was beaten by a group of white guys for dating a white girl, people would be up in arms," he said. "There's a double standard."
Buffalo police believe a group of about 10 to 15 African-American men attacked Milligan late at night, police spokesman Mike DeGeorge said. Police have made no arrests and are still investigating the motive, he said.
Milligan Sr. says he believes the attackers are the same "neighborhood guys" who threatened his son and his African-American girlfriend because of their interracial relationship.
The younger Milligan and his girlfriend, Nicola Fletcher, who is also 18, had recently complained of an increase in insults and threats in east Buffalo, where Fletcher lives and where Milligan was staying with his grandmother, Fletcher said.
"Every time they walk the streets, people stop him and call him 'cracker' and ask her why she's not with a black guy," Milligan Sr. said.
Two days before the attack, Fletcher said she was shot with paintball pellets by the same group of neighborhood aggressors.
"I'm afraid to walk the streets," she said. "Those guys are still out there."
Police "are making good progress in the case," said DeGeorge, the police spokesman. Investigators are still trying to determine if it should be declared a hate crime.
They have asked members of the community to call police if they have any information.
When Milligan was taken to Erie County Medical Center, he was unconscious and suffered blood on the brain and brain swelling as a result of the beating. He will see a neurosurgeon on September 10 to be evaluated, said his father.
He is now recovering at home and remembers nothing about the attack, which has made the police investigation even more difficult.
The story has touched a nerve with several members of Buffalo's African-American community, including a local pastor who leads a predominantly black church in Buffalo.
"At first, it didn't affect me the way that it would have if I heard it was a black teen attacked," said the Rev. Darius Pridgen, who spent years fighting for civil rights for African-Americans.
"But after I saw his father on TV pleading with the community to find the assailants, I decided I had to go after the people who beat this kid."
Pridgen said he felt that the community has turned a collective blind eye to the beating. So he gave a fire-and-brimstone sermon at the True Baptist Church on a Sunday after the attack, appealing to his congregation to help find the culprits.
"He didn't deserve to be beaten this way," Pridgen recalled saying at the service. "If you believe this, put your hands together."
If it was a black teen, Pridgen said, "We would have been protesting with flags and everything else."
Rod Watson also addressed the issue in his column in the Buffalo News. Watson, who is black, pointed out that interracial marriages are nearly 10 times higher than they were in 1960, according to U.S. Census data, but still those couples have a tough time being accepted by society.
"If blacks in Buffalo in 2009 are acting like whites in Selma in 1959, this society has big problems, despite electing a president who is himself the product of an interracial union," Watson said.
Judy Milligan, a community activist and Brian Milligan Jr.'s great-aunt, said she has been overwhelmed with support from her friends, both black and white.
Mary Woods, a member of Buffalo's African-American community, reached out to Milligan to offer her support.
"I don't care what color you are, when something like this happens, justice must be served," Woods said. "There had to be someone who saw something, and they should come forward."
Milligan Sr. has criticized the Buffalo Police Department for spending too much time "trying to prove this crime wasn't a hate crime instead of performing a solid investigation."
But DeGeorge said the department is pursuing the attackers with the same vigor as it would any crime.
"People tend to want crimes solved yesterday," DeGeorge said. "We are performing a thorough investigation and that takes time."He expressed optimism that Buffalo residents would come forward to help bring the perpetrators to justice.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Power of White Women's Tears (Redux) or Right Wing Mother Cries over Barack Obama's Speech to School Children
A colleague who forwarded the above clip to me summed it up best with his email that:
This woman's tears has inspired me to start a new feature: every time a Conservative (of if appropriate a Liberal) becomes histrionic about Barack Obama--and their only real motivation for said complaining and panic is the fact that the President of the United States is a Black man--I will play an appropriate video clip.
Today's installment of "we are really upset that a Black man is President but we don't have the courage to tell you is"...
Friday, September 4, 2009
Chauncey DeVega says: A Mugging On Lake Street or Let's Talk Honestly About Ignt's, Black on White Violence, and Liberal (or Not) Guilt
Hat tip to Ta-Nehisi Coates for this one. I was a victim of an attempted robbery at gunpoint (by a young black ign't) and am thus a bit too close to this story to offer a traditional essay.
Consequently, I have more questions than answers and will share accordingly.
I must applaud John Conroy's honesty in sharing the complex mix of feelings he experienced in the aftermath of his attack by a group of black hoodlums. For the uninitiated, Conroy is a local Chicago journalist who is good people and has worked diligently to highlight injustices wherever he has found them. In total, Conroy is a sincere defender of the "powerless" and the "disadvantaged"--how ironic then, when a member of said group viciously attacks him.
In reading "A Mugging on Lake Street" I must ask: what happens when you are one of the good guys (in this case a self-avowed, white progressive) and you are betrayed by those folks who you are invested in helping? Do you give up the fight? Should you? Or is this betrayal a litmus test for how deep one's commitment to a cause really is?
For example, if a person is invested in rehabilitating pitbulls, and one of those poor abused souls does not return the generosity of your deeds--except for a sudden and painful bite...so much just rewards for your hard work--are you a fool for continuing with that cause? How do we reconcile the moment of praxis that occurs when theory meets practice?
Did these ign'ts attack Conroy because he was white? Or did they attack him because he happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time? Are these predators so utterly unreflective, and controlled by their base impulses, that to assign any amount of premeditation to their deeds functions as an ironic, backhanded "complement"--one which they are not worthy of receiving?
When you hear about instances such as Conroy's attack, does your mind wander to the inevitable question, "what if a group of white kids had attacked a local black journalist? Wouldn't there be protests?" More generally, what of our common humanity? I bring hell down on white folks when they don't stand up for justice, and I try to bring the same rain down upon black and brown folk as well: Where were/are Sharpton et al. when hate crimes are committed against White people?
Or is this is a story of power, where "the powerful" i.e. White people, have enough advocates already? Thus, those who speak for the "weak" cannot and must not divert their attention from that cause? Or is the reluctance on the part of the media, public intellectuals, and activists to turn a bright light on hate crimes against whites a function of how these violent incidents are often taken as a cause de celebre by White Nationalists and other hate mongers, and thus there exists a natural aversion to giving said groups any additional ammunition?
Finally, what is more disturbing? "Larry's" behavior? Or that of the "responsible" adults around him? Is it not at all surprising that so many young black men end up in prison as much because of poor choices, as because of how those around them act as enablers? What is the over/under on how long until this young ign't, piece of human debris ends up in prison? I say 2 years, 5 on the outside. What is your bet?
Am I too callous, when after reading these stories I shake my head and say incidents such as these aren't about race at all? That instead these happenings are more precisely a commentary on the thin dividing line which separates the civilized and the savage--and that Conroy is actually lucky because if he were black those young ign'ts might have just as soon killed him?
Some choice excerpts:
I was willing to believe that this was just an example of the inexplicable teenage mind at work. Carolyn Frazier, a Northwestern law professor who often represents juveniles facing criminal charges, told me recently that her clients sometimes use the phrase "going on dummy" to describe doing something stupid, something bad, offering "a big 'fuck you' to society. . . . It's that whole frontal cortex issue: They are just incredibly impulsive; they are not thinking about the higher consequences." Of course, not every kid behaves that way, so there's obviously more at work. "It's peer pressure; it's what you see in your neighborhood, what values you are being raised with; it's all sorts of things." Maybe, she said, "you got dummied."
"Some people are just thugs," an African American friend of mine said. And I thought there might be something to that. I just had the bad luck to run into one—they come in all colors—and perhaps mine was an equal opportunity thug. Maybe if I'd been black, I'd have hit the same piece of pavement.
Larry sat still for all of this, his eyes downcast. Aaronson asked him to reply. "Wasn't no motive," he said quietly, his voice hardly carrying to Aaronson's end of the table. "Nothin' like that." He was hesitant, didn't seem to be able to look at me directly, and there was no trace of cockiness or street toughness. "We was playing basketball at school, and then we got off the train, and one of the guys said, 'Let's do somethin'.' 'Like what?' 'Like beat up somebody.' Thirty seconds later you came riding by on your bike."
Larry maintained that he wasn't the guy who'd hit me. He said that he hadn't objected to the plan, and that afterward he had just run away with the others. "Seeing the way it happened, I had no feeling. Didn't know what to feel." The whole thing had nothing to do with race, he said. "If it was any other person in that state of mind we was in as a group, it would have happened to anyone. . . . Really wasn't no reason. Just kids doing kids."
"Why didn't you steal anything?" I asked.
"Wasn't part of the plan."
I called seven more times, trying at hours when I thought I might catch Larry but not his aunt, but had no success. Finally, I called on Memorial Day. Larry's aunt answered and said her husband wanted to talk to me. "I don't see what it is that you want to know," he said. "You got mugged, he got in trouble. So what is it that you want to know?"
"I'd just like to know what is behind it, what happened that day."
"So, what you writing—a book, a movie, or what?"
"No, I'm just trying to write a magazine article. I'm not using—"
He interrupted before I could explain I wasn't going to use Larry's name. "Oh, you just writing a magazine article? That means you gonna get paid."
"That's right."
"So is he gonna get paid?"
"Okay, then he ain't gonna do the interview. I am his uncle, and that's the end of that. Thank you. Have a nice day." He hung up.
Dan Savage on Beck, Malkin, Bachmann, Palin et al.--They Basically Want to See the President Assassinated
I have completed my move back into Chicago--and will be moving again in a week--I thought I would be able to live comfortably next to the subway but I ain't that strong (I think the CIA should just take suspected terrorists and put them in an overpriced apartment next to the CTA or Metra and wait the obligatory 3 days until said terrorist begs for mercy).
Until I get settled in, here is a quickie to tide you over--my boy Dan Savage, yes Dan Savage of "Savage Love" fame--offering some analysis of the death cult that is Beck, Limbaugh, et al.
Who would have thought that the father of "santorum" and one of my favorite advocates of booty love would be so sharp.
Kudos to you Mr. Savage.
Here is a bonus:
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Would Should a Respectable Negro Do?
I work with a white guy I've known for years. We are somewhere in between good friends and casual acquaintances. He is a stand up guy and a raging liberal (he has all the symptoms of liberal overcompensation syndrome: he is from a small, lily white suburban town; his parents are super-conservative). We talk politics and race frequently, and we both employ sarcasm and humor when talking about these things.
So, this guy and I were in a meeting, and he wrote a bunch of things on the whiteboard. When we were finished, he smiled, tossed me the eraser, and said, "Here you go, clean this up for me" (I've made similar jokes to him in the past). I shot back "Oh, so the black man has to clean up after you?" We both laughed.
As I stood up to leave the room, I saw the black janitor emptying the trash. I'm fairly positive that he heard us even though he gave no indication that he did. As I'm one of the few men in our office, the janitor and I end up talking a lot every afternoon. He's never mentioned anything about this, and there's been no change in the tone of our discussions.
I feel terrible, even though I don't think the joke is really offensive. Should I feel bad about the joke? Should I apologize to the janitor?
Friday, August 28, 2009
Jayson Blair & the 2 Rules of Judging Black Screw-Ups
Disgraced negro Jayson Blair is in the news again. It seems that the
Reading the many news reports on Blair's new career made me remember how thoroughly he screwed up his last career. These reports also remind me how mainstream media depict Blair's blackness as central to his deceit and his shoddy work.
The predictable way in which the Blair case played out in the media gives us an opportunity to illustrate the two broad rules governing how black screw-ups are perceived (and therefore judged) in mainstream American public discourse. These rules also shape how black folks respond to black screw-ups.
A version of the first rule is stated at around the 5 minute mark of this snippet from Chris Rock's 2004 stand-up special Never Scared:
Rule 1: A black person who screws up is attacked more severely than is a white person who screws up.
In Rock's corollary, "only the white man can profit from pain." The words "wrongdoing" and "incompetence" can often replace "pain," but the point stands. Rule 1 is what responsible black parents instill in their children when they state, "you have to be x times as good as a white person in order to succeed" (whether x is 2 or 5 or 10 depends on the parent, the place, and the year).
In popular discourse, Jayson Blair has become the poster boy for plagiarism. When I see this yoke placed on the lone black writer among the dozens of contemporary mainstream writers busted for plagiarism, my antennae go up (think also of high profile black offenders becoming the poster children for corruption and racial discrimination in the criminal justice system).
The journalistic fraud of former New Republic associate editor Stephen Glass was arguably as impressive as Blair's; nevertheless, the public was more sympathetic to Glass' fictionalized (auto)biographical novel The Fabulist as well as the movie it spawned, Shattered Glass than they were to Blair's opportunistic literary cash grab, Burning Down My Master's House. Glass certainly received his fair share of loathing, but, as evidenced by the sneering undertones pervading the reports of Blair's new career, there is a little something extra in the condemnation of Blair.
Those who point out Rule 1 are often accused of "playing the race card," which is supposed to imply a refusal to hold black people personally accountable for their self-inflicted woes. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Rule 2: The misdeeds of any black screw-up are attributed not just to that lone screw-up, but to black people as a whole.
Rule 2 is significantly more pernicious than the first. One of the biggest advantages of being white is having the luxury of being treated as an individual—for people who aren't white, the sins of any become the sins of all, while the good deeds of any are exceptional and are used to denounce the masses ("you're one of the good ones;" "why can't the rest of you be like so-and-so?").
Mainstream media framing the Blair affair as a black mark against affirmative action is an example of Rule 2 in action. This framing is hardly surprising coming from conservative opponents of affirmative action, but the affirmative action meme has also featured heavily in liberals' accounts of the scandal, though sometimes merely as a foil. Such an interpretation calls into question the qualifications and character of all people of color and, most insidiously, undermines formal attempts to address systemic exclusion.
Rule 2 can also bolster the notion that the failures of a black screw-up can be attributed to some inherently flawed aspect of black culture (e.g. homophobia, misogyny, violence, anti-intellectualism).
Contrary to popular opinion, black people are the harshest critics of black screw-ups. Even though black people know the rules are unfair, the attitude seems to be that if you're too reckless or stupid to ignore the rules, you get what you deserve. It should be noted that this attitude is not borne of defeatism or internalized self-hatred, but of individual and collective self interest: black screw-ups make us all look bad.
There is often black pushback against both rules, however. Black people may relent in their criticism of a black screw-up when it appears that whites are giving the knife in the back of that black screw-up an extra twist. Since explicit, anti-black animus has been driven from public discourse, these impulses must be either coded or channeled into publicly acceptable outlets. Black people can usually sense when white folks are criticizing a black screw-up in order to vent their anger toward black people in general.
I am willing to forgive Blair's past screw-ups, and I wish him much success in his new endeavor, but since the rest of us are penalized for his missteps, he'd better not screw up again.
A Limerick for a Hoe, a hoe, and a Hoe's Grandma or You All Are Going to Jail--15 and 17 Year Old Girls Caught Working at Strip Clubs
Here's a tongue twisting kind of sort of limerick for you: so a Hoe's grandma attempts to beat a reporter with a hoe for reporting on her granddaughter's Hoeish behavior, a Hoe who is working at a local strip club--where said Hoe is a hard working Hoe and hoe. Hoes a plenty it seems!
Grandma was going to work over that reporter with her very own Shaolin spade--and I am impressed. But I must ask: is "grandma save a hoe" actually more akin to being an expert at Filipino stick fighting than the Shaolin martial arts?
Who says the black family isn't strong?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Keep on Keepin' On Edward Kennedy or Senator Edward Kennedy Passes Away at 77
Some Black/White dap from me to you. And Bro'Bama will be speaking at your homegoing ceremony. The torch passes? I hope so...
Travel well most honorable Senator Kennedy. You weren't a respectable negro, but you simultaneously WERE a respectable negro.
Senator Kennedy, can you please do me a favor? When you get to your destination have a drink with your brothers Bobby and John, and make sure one of my faves, President LBJ, gets a sip of the good stuff as well.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
"Double Down" on Diabetes---We Are Indeed a Society Too Sick to Survive: KFC Has a "Sandwich" Where the Bread is Replaced by Fried Chicken
Again, I am rendered speechless. Is this sandwich a crime against humanity? Where is the UN?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Gordon Gartrelle says: Which Part of Michelle Obama's Body Will They Debate Next?
Chauncey and I often discuss Michelle Obama's booty. It's not what you think. Well before her backyard became a news story, Chauncey and I had tried to unpack the fixation on the body of Michelle Obama (the fixation on President Obama's body is related, but distinct).
The treatment of Mrs. Obama's figure goes beyond the typical, inane, sexist reduction of First Ladies to their bodies and clothes. With Mrs. Obama, there is a fixation on her perceived or imagined nudity. There is also an unreasonable expectation that she uphold stodgy norms of decorum (e.g. hugging the Queen, dressing conservatively and formally at all times). These hangups signal the persistence of race and class stereotypes about black women's behavior while recalling the historical public uneasiness about the black female body.
Peep the slow creep of the debates surrounding Mrs. Obama's body parts:
*September, 2008: Her boobs
This one didn't really make a splash.
*Nov, 2008: Her butt
This one did make a splash, and it's not surprising why: black women are more commonly associated with their butts than with any other body part. Even we got into the action a bit. I think that media folks were so uncomfortable with the sexual connotations of this discussion that they abstained from overt discussions of Mrs. Obama's body…but only for a short while.
*February, 2009. Her hair
This moved us away from her lower half altogether, but it's really a black thing; I'm not sure that everyone else gets the class and cultural implications of this one.
*March, 2009: Her arms
Now they've moved back down her body. Though stupid, this discussion seems safe because womens' arms aren't commonly sexualized or racialized.
*August, 2009: Her legs
Is it appropriate for a distinguished woman to wear active/vacation wear when she goes on vacation? Because of this dumb (non)story, I've probably sworn off TV news for good.
And believe me, it's not over. So, we ask our readers--which of Michelle Obama's body parts will be the next subject of debate? Where will it end?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Jon Voight, Why are You Making Me Boycott Karate Dog? or Proceed to Vomit as Jon Voight Speaks at Sean Hannity's "Freedom" Concert
From my cold dead hands! Oh sorry, wrong confused Hollywood celebrity.
In looking through my bedside copy of the DSM IV, I have finally made my official diagnosis: Jon Voight and the GOP are manifesting a classic case of Freudian projection where they attribute all of their own worst traits to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
In a previous piece, I lambasted Jon Voight and promised to never again watch Rosewood. That was really difficult for me because I love the Ving Rhames school of method acting, and Voight's nuanced portrayal of the stereotypically greedy Jewish store owner was an Oscar winning performance. Now, after his appearance at Sean Hannity's "Freedom" Concert, I am forced to boycott other Jon Voight classics such as: Anaconda, Bratz, Four Christmases, and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.
And for the record, Jon Voight can show up at a Klan rally and I would still keep U-Turn in my film rotation--tell me that Jen Lopez's sex scenes in that movie are not something to behold, go ahead...I dare you!
A few random thoughts. One, Sarah Palin is a great American who will lead the GOP to glory? Lord, I hope they nominate her in 2012. Two, am I the only one who gets the sad irony that a rich man with access to health care (Jon Voight) is pandering to the masses with another corporatist (Sean Hannity) while a senior citizen who is likely covered by Medicare cheers on their Rightist, political, circle jerk? Three, "if we let Obama have his way he will create a civil war in this country." Huh? I didn't know that progressives, centrists, and liberals were showing up at health care rallies with pistols and assault rifles. And my conservative friends, wasn't Timothy McVeigh one of you folks? Four, am I alone in being disturbed that the CIA was praised as though they are a bunch of superheroes? The CIA is a necessary evil, but a citizenry cheering on the National Security Apparatus is a bit too fascist for this respectable negro.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tim Wise is a Bad White Man or Tim Wise on Barack Obama, How Race is a Factor, and Health Care Reform
Tim Wise is a bad white man. You get me, no? We have picked on Tim Wise a few times on this site, but this a White man who is on point--especially here.
Brother, we have met before, next time I will offer you a Sapporo beer and a sit down--one of my highest complements. We respectable negroes got some allies in the struggle and Tim Wise is (likely) one of them.
Yes or no?


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Curiosity got the better of me guys, sorry. Seriously, who do you think is gonna die first? I'm aiming mostly for input on whether it's Allen or Kanda but discussions on the longetivity of the other characters are welcome too.
I say Allen will die before Kanda at the end because:
- He's a Parasitic Type (which drains life force). He's been using it to exorcise at a younger age than other Exorcists and he'll be using his Innocence a whole lot more.
- He's going to have a showdown with the Earl, the biggest bad guy, and it might take some sort of sacrifice on Allen's part.
- Kanda won't die until he meets 'that person' who will probably appear before the end. But he's decided he's still going to outlive the beansprout.
It's either that or Allen would be someone akin to Rosette Christopher in the last chapters of Chrno Crusade. Either way it would be sad.
I also won't be able to reply to any comments until somewhere in February or March so I apologise for not being here in advance.


text: 10 Things You May Have Missed In TV This WeekMadeleine Davies6/08/12 7:00pmFiled to: TV10 ThingsLori beth denbergWorkaholicsAll thatGirlsChris o'dowdThe Daily ShowWisconsinJimmy KimmelAndy SambergSnlMad MenThe Glee ProjectConanAmerica's Got TalentCarly rae jepsonJimmy FallonThe RootsGame Of ThronesFb31EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink In this week's TV roundup, dead people walk on Game of Thrones, Chris O'Dowd wants a threesome, Jimmy Fallon does "Call Me Maybe" and we bravely face the return of The Glee Project. 1.) OMG! It's the return of Lori Beth Denberg! Everyone's favorite All That cast member appeared as herself on an episode of Workaholics. Oh, Rumer Willis was there, too. 2.) Chris O'Dowd is a real creeper on Girls. But we love him so much that we'll forgive him anything — even that not-so-hot American accent. 3.) The Daily Show covers the aftermath of Wisconsin's failed recall. Wisconsinites are the closest thing this country has to Canadians. Correction: They were the closest thing this country had to Canadians. 4.) Andy Samberg discusses why he didn't get a Kristen Wiig-style send-off from SNL. You want to know what happens when you procrastinate? Mick Jagger sings for someone else. 5.) Ken Cosgrove makes a major move. Overall, it was a very dark week on Mad Men, but there was one bright spot. Ken Cosgrove — arguably the most good-hearted person on that whole damn show — leveraged himself into a pretty powerful position, locking Pete Campbell out in the process. 6.) The Glee Project is back with a whole new band of real-life misfits. On this season: a lesbian, a blind person, a transgender boy, a girl in wheelchair and Rufio. 7.) And here's Conan nuzzling a couple of baby jaguars. SQUEEEEEEE. 8.) Don't judge a book by its cover on America's Got Talent. Careful. Andrew might make you cry your milky lenses right out of your eyeballs. 9.) Here's Carly Rae Jepson, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots doing "Call Me Maybe." That was cool. Now, can we all agree to never listen to this song ever again? 10.) Oh, no. The white walkers are en-fucking-route on Game of Thrones. Holy shit. What a terrifying and awesome ending to an overall amazing season. Game of Thrones Bonus: JAQEN H'GHAR FACE SWAP.Reply31 repliesLeave a reply


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Pet and Animal Safety
Your pet may be your best friend and faithful companion, but Fido and Fluffy can sometimes carry bacteria which may be harmful to you and your unborn baby. However, there's no need to ship your furry, scaly, or feathered friends off to the pound just because you have a baby on the way. With some extra precautions and safety measures, you can maintain a healthy and happy relationship with your best friend throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
Some of the most common bacteria carried by animals include:
Campylobacter are bacteria that can be found in the intestinal tract of animals, in untreated water, unpasteurized milk and raw milk products, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, and raw shellfish. Infection causes fever, stomach cramps, muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. While the bacteria themselves cannot cross the placenta and do not directly harm your baby, the dehydration resulting from the symptoms can cause miscarriage or preterm labor.
Chlamydia psittaci are intracellular bacteria that live within the respiratory system of birds and cause chlamydiosis, or parrot fever. You can become infected by inhaling the dust, dander, and nasal secretions of infected birds - especially parrots and turkeys. The flu-like symptoms that result from infection, including respiratory problems, pneumonia, muscle and joint pain, general malaise, and fever, range from very mild to life-threatening and are often misdiagnosed as influenza. C. psittaci can cause miscarriage or stillbirth. To prevent infection, have your vet examine your bird for signs of the bacteria, always wash your hands thoroughly with hot water after handling the bird or its cage, and avoid cleaning the bird cage. Running filters in your house can also help remove bird dust and dander from the air.
Cryptosporidium is one of the most common causes of waterborne diseases in humans in the United States and is found in the fecal matter of infected individuals and animals. You can get cryptosporidiosis from drinking infected water, changing a diaper or litter box, or eating unwashed, contaminated fruit. Infection causes watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, low-grade fever, dehydration, and weight loss. The symptoms of infection can cause miscarriage or preterm labor in pregnant women.
If you live or work on a farm, avoid working with silage (partially-fermented fodder) or at least wear gloves and wash your hands well after contact; avoid handling stillborn animals; and don't drink untreated water (if your water comes from a roof tank, well, bore, lake or stream, be sure to boil it well before drinking it).


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More Videos...
2016 Chevy Cruze vs Honda Civic vs Hyundai Elantra Mega Mashup Review
( http://www.TFLcar.com ) The 2016 Chevy Cruze and the 2016 Honda Civic and the 2017 Hyundai Elantra all compete for your car buying dollars. In this TFLcar Mega Mashup Review Roman drives and reviews all three to see which one is the best. ( http://www.patreon.com/tflcar ) Please visit to support TFLcar & TFLtruck. Check us out on: Facebook: ( https://www.facebook.com/tflcar ) Twitter: ( https://www.twitter.com/tflcar ) and now even Truck Videos on YouTube at: The Fast Lane Truck ( http://www.youtube.com/user/tflcar ) and classic cars as well at: TFLClassics ( http://www.youtube.com/user/ClassicsUnleashed )
Hyundai 15 - Trials and Tribulations
I have no idea why you watch my videos? I don't have any major stuff to break on this car anymore. None of my running cars even perform particularly well? But at least I always manage to break something, and I guess that's the entertaining part? All I know is that I'm having fun. I'm staying challenged. Owning a driveway full of Mitsubishis and Fords pretty much guarantees I'll have tons of opportunities to have to fix things that you never have to fix on any other car, and maybe that's the hooks? Engine builds are GREAT when you get to control the process and the trajectory of the subject material, and once they're assembled, you LOSE that control. Suddenly the car dictates everything. Maybe if there's a lesson in this... it's that... once you replace the thing that went bang, it's not actually fixed. Perhaps there was more than one thing that made it go "bang"? I think I found it. Man, it sucks, too. Watch the video, no spoilers. Oh... and I'm glad you're here, BTW. Forget all that stuff I said about "I don't know why you guys watch?" I already know you come here for the advertisements. ;)
Hyundai Assembly 6 - Manifolds & Turbo
I love music videos. They're so much easier to narrate. I don't want to upset anyone by not providing commentary about what I'm doing or where this build is going... and this is the video where all that stuff comes together. Quite frankly, I missed you. I really enjoy these little talks we share. In this video is a little fabrication, maintenance, comparison and assembly. Un-boxings, cleanup, break-fix... Variety! You know... The stuff that keeps happening as you wrap up any build. It's not a longblock until it has manifolds, and a turbo build has a few more things than just that in order to make it complete. My attention has now turned towards preparing the chassis and accessories for installation and I promise there will be more involved videos following this one for the hardcore auto techs. Whether you're watching or wrenching on this one, all this stage does is create anxiety for wanting to hurry up and finish the install, but don't rush. Do it right! These are the non-reusable parts for the turbo install. ALL of the other part numbers in the video were shown: MF241255 x2 Oil Drain Bolts (upper) MF101229 x2 Oil Drain Bolts (lower) MF660031 x2 Oil Drain Gasket (washer) MR258477 x2 Oil Drain Gasket (flange) MF660064 x2 Oil Feed Crush Washer (turbo) MF660063 x2 Oil Feed Crush Washer (head) MF660065 x4 Coolant Crush Washer (turbo) MD132656 x4 turbo Bolt (M10 x 80 x 1.25mm) MD132933 x8 turbo Spring Washers Thank you all for keeping up with this build. Thanks especially for the kind comments and interest in this project! You guys are the best!
Hyundai Assembly 1 - Blueprint Everything
HOLD ON TIGHT! HERE WE GO! We begin the blueprint and assembly on my 1992 Hyundai Elantra's bastardized 4g63. The parts used in this are from a mash of different brands and models outside of the typical 2.0L 4g63, but the specs and standards I am following for its assembly are for the 2.0L DOHC. If you want to follow along in your service manual to verify what I've done here in this video, the processes we cover here detail pages 11C-95 through 11C-105 of the 1g Overhaul manual. I would prefer you not rip them from the binding and throw them away, relying only on this video for instruction... but rather use this video as a motivational guide, and as a demonstration of the techniques involved in those sections. You gotta do the cooking by the book. I never had any intention of making instructional videos on this particular car, but after it blew up I slowly realized it's actually a better case study for how a 4g63 ticks than anything else in my driveway. There are several reasons for this. One being that it's a mix of parts that shouldn't be bolted together, and the other is that many of you watching my videos aren't trying to build a 600hp engine out of aftermarket parts. You're trying to put back together what used to be your daily driver. This car covers those bases. Don't think for a second I won't go through this same trouble and level of detail for the GSX. I will. When I do, having this information in this video will give you a better understanding on how and why I do things the way I do when I get there. This was the shortest I could condense this video. I've never uploaded a video this long, and I hope I never have to do it again. It took a month to create on cutting-edge equipment, 16 hours to export, and 9 hours for YouTube to process. My script for the voiceover is 6 times longer than the whole script for the movie Pootie Tang. 6 times. Longer. Than a Hollywood movie.


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|Posted by mary . h. on April 15, 2002 at 23:12:44:
|In response to Re: Americast Sinks
: : Our Americast sink was beautiful when we first got it. However, since you can't user abrasive cleaners, it is impossible to clean pot marks. I would NOT recommend this sink to anyone.
: : I love my sink. We have had it for 4 years. It is white and I use Comet to clean it. There are no marks in it. The only problem is that I have found that it is cracking underneath. You can't tell from inside the sink. I hope that Americast stands by their products!
|Replies to this post
|There are none.


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Change Location
ACE Fit Share
Our sophisticated take on tartar sauce combines low-fat mayonnaise with chopped gherkins, pimientos and shallots.
Nutrition Profile:
Diabetes Appropriate
Gluten Free Diet
Healthy Weight
Heart Healthy
Low Calorie
Low Carb
Low Cholesterol
Low Sat Fat
Low Sodium
Serves 5
Prep Time 5 min
Total Time 5 min.
Step 1
Combine mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, pimientos and shallot in a small bowl.
Featured Workouts
Check out our 12-week fitness plan designed to boost your strength, endurance, muscle definition, energy level and overall health.
Flatten your stomach and build strength in the muscles that provide stability and mobility for the spine, pelvis, ribs and hips.
Focus on pulling, rotating and building strength with workouts created alongside Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes.
This workout provides a challenging total-body workout that can be done from the comfort of home with no equipment other than bodyweight and space.


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Sam Edelman Sidney Western Bootie
Sorry, this item is sold out!
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Item # 283103
Show your playful side with the Sam Edelman Sidney bootie. You will surely grab attention in this boot with its western flair and fun details!
- Leather upper
- Side zipper closure
- Fringe, stud and metal embellishments
- Almond toe
- 1¾" stacked block heel
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
- View more Women's Sam Edelman Shoes
By: mimisview
Location: Frazier Park, CA
August 29, 2013
sooo cute
"great fit cute -- hate to cover up with pant leg.I wish they weren t so expensive... but worth the splurge if you got the bucks.Love how they look and feel like you had them forever."
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In 2005 the film-maker Jeff Simpson was thinking of making a documentary about my fellow Python Graham Chapman's life. He met up with David Sherlock, who had been Graham's partner for many years. They had a long chat and a rummage around the house, which didn't produce anything exciting, but as Jeff was leaving David mentioned the unreleased recording of his book A Liar's Autobiography, which he had made at the singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson's recording studio.
Then in 2009 Jeff heard that my son Bill Jones and his producer-partner Ben Timlett were making a six-hour documentary called Monty Python: Almost


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Showing 1-24 of 45 items found in Arts & Culture
- Sort by:
Our Common Ground is a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing local art by organizing mixed media shows in rural communities.
Carolyn's Cottage has a large collection of bird houses, Native American art, home and garden decor, and much more.
The Looking Glass Playhouse was started in 1972 by a small group of volunteers to raise money for McKendree College by directing and producing a musical play. The play was a success and they have been putting on performances ever since. Drama, musicals, and comedy performances are on the bill.
The 60-seat facility is complete with a restored 1928 Barton 12-rank theatre pipe organ. It was originally built to perform popular music and to accompany the silent movies of the 1920s. Group tours available.
The Music Theatre Company explores the musical in the interest of expanding the canon of musical theatre through fully-staged productions, commissions of new works and musical experiments.
Old GM&O Depot Roscoe Misselhorn Gallery
Two thousand original drawings, paintings, and woodcuts by Roscoe Misselhorn, the Norman Rockwell of the Midwest, are displayed in the depot. Much of the work is in black and white and depicts historic sites throughout the area.
Belleville Philharmonic Society
The nation's second oldest continuously performing symphony orchestra (1867-2005) gives concerts throughout the year.
One of the smallest country chapels in the world was built in Nashville in the late 1980s. Thousands of travelers from all over the globe have stopped to visit this miniature chapel.
CITY:New Athens
Three Sisters Crafts & Gifts offers handmade crafts, beads, jewelry-making supplies, home decor, scrapbook and quilting supplies, and much more.
This talented troupe can be found at a variety of venues from dinner theater at Fischer's Restaurant to stage shows at Southwestern Illinois College.
St. Clair County Historical Society Museum
This Victorian adaptation of a Greek Revival home was built in the early 1800s. In addition to period furniture and vintage clothing, artifacts, and quilts, the museum contains an extensive research library and gift shop.
Washington County Historical Museum
Built in 1871 as a private residence, this building now holds hundreds of artifacts from the country including a display of period wedding dresses.
The Schmidt Art Center and Gallery
Over 350 permanent works, including a beautifully landscaped and sculptured garden, are on display.
Shows are performed at the Turkey Hill Grange, Progressive Grange, and The New Athens Senior Center.
CITY:New Athens
This Renaissance Gothic architectural masterpiece has a 222 ft. tall bell tower. Tours avalaible.
The museum focuses on the businesses that helped the city grow, particularly milling.
The Showcase performs at the historic Avon Theatre. Call for a schedule of plays.
This museum has a large collection of post cards from the 1904 World's Fair, a drum from the civil war, Native American artifacts, old uniforms, and school artifacts.
Centralia Illinois Downtown Theatre
This former vaudeville and movie theatre has been restored to its former glory.
Marissa Academy Museum & Coal Miners Monument
Memorabilia celebrating the city's growth from a coal-mining town to the present makes this a fascinating touchstone of local history.
The Lemming Armada Theatre Co.
Performances throughout the year include music, drama, and comedy.
Calico Moon features primitives, dry goods, rug hooking, primitive stitch, supplies, and classes.
Distinguished speakers, concerts, and drama are all part of the playbill at The Hett, McKendree College's showcase Center for the Arts.
Hard Road Theatre Productions is a non-profit community theater organization committed to providing the Highland area with high-quality, affordable, live theater productions.


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The Society for Economic Botany
Fostering research and education on the past, present, and future uses of plants by people.
Julia F. Morton Award
This award was created at the 1997 Council Meeting, to honor the late Julia F. Morton, and was first awarded in 1997. The award is to be presented for the best poster at the annual meeting for students or young professionals (5 years or less post-doctoral experience). The recipient recceives an award certificate and $500.00. Eligible young professionals should indicate their eligibility for this prize when they submit their abstract to the annual meeting.
2014 Janessa Aneke, Emory University
2013 Jocelyn Mueller
2012 Juan Manuel Otálora Villamil
2011 Amanda Vickers
2010 Xitlali Aguirre-Dugua
2009 Rebecca Hamilton
2008 Neeva Shrestha (University of Hawaii at Manoa)
2007 Brian Doyle (University of Illinois at Chicago)
2006 Surote Paengma (Khon Kaen University, Thailand)
Arika Virapongse (Khon Kaen University, Thailand)
2005 Tegan Jones (Northwestern University)
2004 Linda Lyon (Frostburg State University)
2003 Sarah Khan (New York Botanical Garden – CUNY)
2002 Co-Recipients
Anna Herforth (Cornell University)
2001 Sandra Banack (University of Hawai`i)
2000 Michael Walker
1999 No Award granted
1998 Anne Martinussen (Aarhus University, Denmark)
1997 D. Milanowski (Washington University, St. Louis)


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By WILLIAM SHARPCastle Dale
Welcome to the socialist republic of Emery County. Recently, on July 14 your Emery County Commissioners passed 135 pages of new restrictions, restraints, coercion, force, invasion of your privacy and removal of your property rights, giving county government complete control over your private property. A careful reading of this new ordinance clearly reveals a determination to make the people of Emery County slaves (you do what they want with your property, this is a clear definition of slavery) to the Government forcing you to comply with government restraints even though it is against your will, in a fashion consistent with socialist communism wherein personal freedoms are suppressed in favor of doing what is best for the commune.
From this new ordinance I quote Article "1-6 Severability: This Ordinance and the various parts, sections, and clauses, are hereby declared to be severable. If any part, section, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid, it is hereby declared that the remainder of this Ordinance shall not be affected thereby. The County Commission hereby declare that it would have passed this Ordinance and each part, section paragraph, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions thereof be declared invalid"
Incredible, in other words they don't care if the new ordinance is constitutional, they have passed the ordinance anyway. They shot for the moon in grabbing all the power they could get and hope to hold onto it unless someone stands up to them. These are the kind of leaders we have over our county.
Without firing a shot they signed on to take away more than 200 years of your well established American personal property rights, ignoring your long standing rights, the Constitution and hundreds of quotes from the founding Fathers and gave you in return a 135 page tyrants wish list. Briefly, because this is a newspaper article and not a 135 page book like the new ordinance, I will highlight some of the ordinances articles which completely betray American individual freedom and the oaths of office our commissioners took.
"Article 3-2-1 The planning commission shall exist of nine members ... 3-5 The Planning Commission shall have all the powers and duties, explicit or implied, given planning commissions by Utah State law , including but not limited to, the powers and duties set forth in this section.. to administer the provisions of this ordinance." Think of it nine enforcers right here in our county, with explicit or implied (make it up as they go) and not limited to, powers. This is the kind of vague language giving powers only a tyrant could wish for. And what will they have power to do?
"3-7 Entry onto private land (b.) Preparation and enforcement of its land use ordinances. "No search warrants, no probable cause, no rights to private property or privacy on that property. Enforcers can walk right in on their own say so and dictate to you what you can and cannot do with your property having "1-3-3 quasi-judicial powers granted herein" (hard to believe I know but the ordinance actually says this.)
Thus making the Enforcers judge, jury and executioner so to speak giving them sole power to decide thus basically removing the checks and balances and due process guaranteed by the Constitution. And what will be their sole power to decide? Among the many things mentioned: "5-4-0 Uses prohibited unless expressly permitted. Any use of land which is not expressly permitted within a zone is hereby declared to be expressly prohibited therein." Are virtually an unlimited number of things 'not expressly permitted' in this ordinance. "2-5 Nuisances- Any activity or condition which annoys" ? (vague, vague, vague, can be interpreted anyway an enforcer likes) or "a. being unsightly, obnoxious or offensive to the senses." (unsightly to who? One man's trash is another man's treasure. Obnoxious to who? Golfing is obnoxious to me should it therefore be an illegal activity if I can get three people to agree with me as the ordinance states. Offensive to who? Shall each enforcer have their own likes and dislikes enforced? What are the penalties? "7-11-2 Misdemeanor: Any person violating, causing or permitting a violation of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. Such person shall be deemed to be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day, after a citation is issued, during which any portion of any violation of this Ordinance is committed, continues, or permitted by such person."
Like much of this ordinance the language is so vague that power hungry enforcers could easily find some way to attack whomever they wish while leaving alone those whom they favor. This ordinance easily lends itself to the kind of selective enforcement always found in dictatorships where people are forced to rely on the good graces of their tyrant rather than the clear protections of God given property rights, where each property owner is guaranteed to be the sole director of their own property.
What action will you take? Will you rely on boot licking or your standing in the community or favor with the commissioners hoping they will let you slide? Or will you stand up for your constitutionally guaranteed right to be the sole director over your own property. If you believe in the Constitution and don't want to sleepily give up the property rights millions of patriot-heroes have died preserving, then we ask you to sign our petition asking the County Commissioners who voted for this socialistic control, to step down from their positions and if they are unwilling to do so, the petition asks for your pledge to vote against them in any future elections they are involved in.


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By Brandon Speck/NEMS Daily Journal
BELDEN – Pernell McPhee was going to let a few campers wear his Super Bowl ring. Until Jason Ferguson thought better of it.
NFL names like those are why the Tupelo Christian football camp could grow into a star-studded yearly affair.
Ferguson, a former Nettleton and Itawamba CC standout who played 13 years along defensive lines with the Jets, Cowboys and Dolphins, laughed and instead passed the diamond-laced ring around in its case.
McPhee, a former Itawamba CC and Mississippi State standout and current linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, won it with a victory over the 49ers in only his second year in the league.
"It's been a blessing, a great opportunity to do some things a lot of guys haven't done in their life. One, fortunate enough to win the Super Bowl," McPhee said. "Two, playing with one of the greatest of all times – probably football player, I wouldn't just say middle linebacker."
That middle linebacker is now-retired Ray Lewis, who McPhee helped out with a bang. McPhee, a fifth-round pick in 2011, will help fill Lewis' void, turning from defensive end to outside linebacker.
Sacks helped McPhee make his name in the first place.
McPhee led the nation at ICC in 2008. After a rookie NFL season with six sacks, knee injuries kept him out of four games and he finished with 1.5 sacks and 21 tackles last season.
He did have a major part in a playoff win at Denver. After a fumble by Ravens running back Ray Rice, McPhee said Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was on a roll.
"Three plays later I had a sack, forced fumble and we went down and scored that same drive," McPhee said. "That was a big turnaround in the game."
It tied the game that Baltimore won in double overtime.
McPhee is already talking about coming back here next year. Shaune Holiday's two-day camp also featured former Amory and Ole Miss tight end Rufus French and Ole Miss and Chicago Bears guard Terrence Metcalf. Ferguson said campers drill him about football, but that's not all.
"How many sacks, how many cars, do you have a mansion,?" Ferguson said, then laughed. "It's fun questions. I always tell them I've got a bicycle."


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Columbia Drainmaker Slip-On
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Item # 239405
The Drainmaker by Columbia is a versatile water shoe that has the comfort of a running shoe and will keep your feet dry and feeling terrific. This slip-on gives you the freedom to explore off the beaten path and keeps you up for the challenge with its durable design and lightweight feel.
- Mesh upper helps keep feet dry and wicks away moisture
- Midsole with draining ports in heel
- Removable contoured footbed provides cushioning and comfort
- Lightweight siped, Omni-Grip® rubber sole
- Imported
By: ping7262
Location: Bismarck, ND
September 28, 2012
What A Cool Shoe
"I teach alot of exercise classes in the pool and was looking for a shoe that had a good grip on the deck and was easy to slip on and off. This shoe did exactly that for me and all the attendees wanted to know where I got them."
By: jarihotdog
Location: NM
July 18, 2012
"These are nice shoes but the green color is VERY bright, husband didn't think he could wear them out other than to do sports."
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