"He is so well-spoken!" - Chris Rock

Time to put in my pennies on Joe Biden's comments about Barack Obama. Joe Biden (D-Del.) announced he is running for president in 2008. He then gave an interview and said the following about Obama:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

Now the media is all over it. I think the political correctness police need to sit down. Allow me to dissect the comment.

Is Barack Obama:
mainstream African-American? Yes
articulate? Yes
bright? Yes
clean? Yes (By this, I know that Biden meant 'fresh and clean' in the Outkast way. A better word could have been 'sharp'.)
nice-looking? Yes

We are kidding ourselves if we believe these aren't huge reasons that people are all over Barack Obama. We have never come close to nominating a black man for President. Now, like a tidal wave, the country is ready for change! Bullshit. Fact of the matter is, mainstream white people feel 'safe' and unthreatened by Obama's blackness. "A black candidate that I would trust with my daughter!," they think. At the same time, they get to gloat about their "open-mindedness" while getting their morning espresso at Starbucks.

Shirley Chisolm, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Rev. Al Sharpton are all articulate, bright and clean. All amazing. I especially love the Rev. Al Sharpton. However, they never got close because they lacked the mainstream and the looks. The previous black candidates come from the civil rights movement. With that comes a certain amount of threat felt by mainstream white America. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, is light-skinned, new, and has an impeccable smile. Let us not forget our shallow, shallow culture.

I don't make it a secret that I lean left, and I like Barack Obama for the right reasons (No pun intended, and I am not saying he is my #1). This includes having him as our first black President. Storybook indeed. He has a lot of great things to say, and I am sure many people like him for the same reasons. But, the people don't need to freak out if Joe Biden throws some truth back in their suburban Anglo faces.

Satyagraha

Satyagraha: truth, non-violence, self-sacrifice
"In the application of Satyagraha, I discovered, in the earliest stages, that pursuit of Truth did not admit of violence being inflicted on one's opponent, but that he must be weaned from error by patience and sympathy. For, what appears to be truth to the one may appear to be error to the other. And patience means self-suffering. So the doctrine came to mean vindication of Truth, not by infliction of suffering on the opponent but one's own self."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was murdered on this date 59 years ago. Like many other slain prophets, Gandhi stood for non-violence in the face of violent oppression. He was preceded, and succeeded, by many others that used peaceful, civil disobedience to win over their oppressors. Here are more words from Gandhi...

"Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong"

"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

"The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles."

"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, always."

To the ones that back into parking spaces...

1... Why do some people insist on backing into parking spaces? If you do, please explain your logic. Fact: It is harder to back into a parking space than to back out of a parking space. Therefore, the easy departure from the parking space doesn't make much sense. Because it is also easy for me to pull into the parking space. Is it just fun?. I don't see what is fun about it. Is it the challenge? If that is the reason, they maybe you shouldn't be putting the cars next to you at risk. Why, why, why?

2... If anyone gets HD channels through Time Warner/Brighthouse, you should check out a movie on INHD called Baraka. That, or Netflix it. It is a 'nonverbal' film from 1992 that is entirely put to music. Probably some of the best cinematography you will see, they travel all over the world showing you 'exotic' locales they don't usually show on TV (Exotic meaning foreign to westerners, not sandy beaches). No actors, just real people in real locations. A large portion is of ancient cultures in the East. It might sound hard to watch, but it is hard to stop. Certain parts, mixed with the music, make it feel like your brain is going to explode... AHHHH

3... Another driving pet-peeve. When people wait for parking spots when there are visible spots a little farther down. I will go around these people and take the farther spot. They wait while someone gets to their car with a cart, empties the cart, puts the cart away, gets in their car and takes forever to back out. All the while, this jackass is sitting there with their blinker on while I walk past them. This is even worse when it is a spot at the very front. Their car is all cock-angled, not fully pulled into the parking aisle, blocking the entire lane. Lazy Americans!

Barbaro Dies at 3, Barely Escapes Toddlerhood

Today the Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro got the proverbial bullet in the head. They may not shoot million-dollar horses with broken legs these days, but dead just the same. I find it comical when news outlets refer to Barbaro as if he were an athlete. As if Barbaro went up the ranks though high school and college racing to be drafted by a top professional horse racing team. This is a horse that never asked to race, never wanted to break his legs so we could watch him race, and never told anyone "Please...kill me!" because he was in pain. If this is the case, then maybe Terry Bradshaw should be put down. Anyone that shares my disdain for the Fox crew would give the television a "So long, Terry!" and go grocery shopping.

But Barbaro is not an athlete. Barbaro is part of a long line of "thoroughbred" million-dollar horses (or, investments) bred to race for our amusement. Horse racing, and all other forms of organized animal racing for sport, is laughable. But more than that, disturbing. "Whatever, Wes. Horse racing is long-steeped in tradition dating back thousands of years! That is absurd! Cry Seabiscuit! Cry Secretariat! Surely our fine ancestors didn't whine about the cruely in using animals for amusement!" To that, I say that humans have a longer, rich tradition steeped in absurdities. It is mankind that prides itself in being selfish, fighting wars, and inventing the hot dog.

Innocent traditions can grow old and stale. Things that once seemed reasonable become hazy. Then it becomes clear, and the resolute see them for what they are. What does it say about us that we organize horse races for money? After all, it isn't the spirit and determination of the horse that wins the race, but which horse has the best genetics. The horses don't even race on their own, they need pseudo midgets to slap them on the ass and tell them where to go. That is not sport. It is mint juleps and fancy hats.

The Kentucky Derby is now being called "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands". We can rest easy knowing that Barbaro died so people could be reminded of the nutrition and tastiness of KFC and Taco Bell. Maybe Barbaro should have chosen a simple life, instead of sports superstardom and big endorsement deals. A fulfilled life of eating grass on some sunny, breezy countryside.

Read some Kentucky Derby madness. Read Hunter S. Thompson's "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved".

Grab Life By The Horns

Not long ago I was backing out of my driveway. A friend of mine rode beside me as the tires began to roll for the first time that day. It is a long driveway that leads to a house tucked back in a culdesac. There is tall shrubbery hugging the length of the concrete, coming to a close and making a tight fit at the entrance. This usually results in careful driving with little haste. Visibility to the sidewalk and culdesac is limited. This day, everything seemed clear. However, I found myself in the middle of the culdesac, with the rear-end of a grey truck in reverse, staring down my back bumper. Close call. Seems we both had somewhere to be, at the same time. Our cars pull away from each other and circle a path outward to the exit like synchronized swimmers. The truck stops at the neck of the culdesac. For a brief moment, we thought there might be some sort of showdown. A dirty glare. A gnashing of teeth. A showing of fingers. The moment passed and the truck proceeded out of the subdivision, while I cautiously followed. Of course, I left ample space at the stop sign in case the bastard tried to block me in for Round 2. I wouldn't let that happen, my three-thousand pound weapon could not be neutralized.

The truck turned left, and I followed. Hoping to end the embarrassing confrontation, I drove slowly so it could be a passed cloud on an otherwise beautiful day. But you can only drive so slow, and the truck seemed intent on not losing us in his rear view. My gas tank was empty, and we were on our way to the gas station ahead on the left. The truck was in the right lane, proceeding through a stoplight, as we pulled off the road. I could finally put this episode behind me.

I have a bad habit of not filling up until my gas light is on. Surely, I am not the only one that does this. As I pumped gas, I listened to the soothing sounds of three car stereos playing different songs at the same time. The bass became one unbroken line of ear-bleeding noise. It was around lunchtime, so the place was packed. I was entertained by two sheriff patrol cars, too many worktrucks with matching trailers filled with various outdoor equipment, kids that should be in school, and I looked up and saw the grey truck pulling in for gas right next to me. Damn! It had been at least 5 minutes since I pulled up to this gas pump. Where had this guy been? This is not the kind of intersection someone goes through, only to turn around and end up buying gas next to someone that almost rear-ended you. The 'coincidence' was maddening.

I quickly completed my transaction and left that gas station. If the truck followed us, it would become a battle of fuel efficiency. I would win that battle. We made our way to the movie theater where we had an appointment with cheap entertainment in exchange for a small fortune. We arrived to an empty parking lot, characteristic of an early afternoon movie theater. My friend advised me to easily back into my parking space in an empty parking lot. I refused on principle!

Two hours later we emerged from that megaplex of soft drinks, snacks, advertising, empty hallways, and sticky floors. More cars in the parking lot now. We discussed the movie and weather just before we dumbfoundedly looked at the grey truck parked next to us in the once-empty lot. We realized that this truck may not be driven by mere man. But behind its' limo-tinted windows lie some unspeakable evil. A truck driven by an unknown darkness that cannot forgive a careless driver on a pretty day. It was hunting us down, chiseling away at our nerves, and would not give up until we were served our comeuppance.

In a stroke of good fortune, that was the last of the grey truck that day. It is possible, or highly likely, that it did not see the movie that we saw. If it had, I, at least, would see this obsessed truck again until it had purged my existence. But it has been days, and I can only assume that it saw The Pursuit of Happyness instead.

Michael Vick and SNL

Backing In Again...

Update on a previous blog...

In a busy UCF parking garage, I witnessed multiple people backing into their spots today. All during the busy, busy hours of UCF parking-spot hunting. One in particular, which was right next to me, stopped the flow of traffic for a "3-point back-in". Unable to achieve the reverse-park in one shot, she held up a line of 5 cars waiting to find their spot. Thank you ma'am, for interrupting other people's lives so you could leave faster.

PeerGuardian 2 says you are being watched!

Hey everybody. This is the first blog in which I will be giving you tech advice! HaHa. I am not savvy enough that you should expect many more.

I came across a free program today called PeerGuardian 2. It blocks access from other computers trying to access your IP address. Since I started running it, you wouldn't believe how many people are checking you out! It is definitely scary.

This is a smaller program that runs in the background like your anti-virus. It is also a clean download (Thanks to download.com! They rule.) I recommend you at least try it for a day. After you see what shows up, I guarantee you won't uninstall it. It especially comes in handy if you are a 'downloader'.

PeerGuardian 2 at Download.com

In the last 10 minutes, "Chinanet network in Wuhan City Hubei province" has tried to access my IP address 11 times.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are nihilists.

I watched an episode of South Park last night about Hybrid Cars. I am sure the readers that watch South Park have seen it. In the episode, everyone in South Park is inspired to buy Hybrid Cars. A synopsis:

"Stan persuades all the citizens of South Park to buy hybrid cars. A disaster of epic proportions threatens the town and Stan is to blame -- just as everyone starts to feel really good about what they're doing to help save the earth, scientists discover a stormy, dark mass accumulating over the town."

The "disaster" they speak of is a cloud of "smug" that envelops South Park and threatens its' existence. This, of course, implys that everyone that drives a hybrid car is full of themselves. It implys that since they are doing something good, that they think that are better than those that drive SUVs. In this writer's opinion, they are. The episode makes a crack at those that say, "be part of the solution, not part of the problem". What is funny about that statement? Nothing. If everyone adopted that state of mind, things could be very different. Since so many people adopt the American "rugged individualism" frame of mind, nothing ever changes. You know, that macho "I'll do whatever the f*#& I want and leave me alone! Wal-Mart has awesome prices! I'm gonna eat my ass off and be fat as shit! Give me a steak and a cheeseburger for breakfast!" attitude.

Personally, I don't think South Park is very funny. It is clever, but not very funny. I find people constantly asking me, "Have you seen the South Park episode when...?" I always have to answer that I don't really watch South Park. (Then again, the only TV show that I have consistently watched over the last few years is 24, The Office, and American Idol.) Every time I happen to watch South Park, they always seem to be making fun of a group of people. Whether they be Christians, Jews, Muslims, Lord Of The Rings fans, porn freaks, right wing, left wing, or environmentalist Hybrid car drivers. I get it. That is their jist. Make fun of everyone. Offend everyone = comedy. But it gets old eventually. At least for those that demand more. It makes me wonder, can a show truly have value when its' only purpose is to make fun of everyone? At some point, shouldn't all art stand for something? Yes, I consider South Park art. In the end, some opinions they satirize might not be actual opinions. Some of them are correct beliefs with firm absoluteness.

The episode I write about is one of those "opinions". It is a fact that energy from fossil fuels is the root of the world's 21st century violence. (Put the 20th century in there, too.) We have been sucking energy out of dinosaur juice for over 100 years. There has been little advance in automobile engines. Sure, they have fancy engine computers now, but it is still a combustible engine getting you to the mall. If it were possible to help eliminate our dependence on middle-eastern oil with the snap of a finger, things could be vastly different. But every time the fingers get ready to snap, they have been silenced by politicians, oil companies, and their collective money.

When an automobile company takes a step in the right direction (i.e. - Hybrids), I am highly impressed. Car companies have been circle-jerking with big oil for years. While Hybrids are only a baby step, it is a step. This swing of the pendulum came after many years of SUV madness. For a mass of people to care enough to be early adopters of this technology, I applaud them. This is how things change. Montgomery buses don't get desegregated without Rosa Parks saying "No."

Trey Parker and Matt Stone irresponsibly knock the folk that are trying to, a) end environmental damage caused by oil b) end American dependence on foreign oil, and c) change the conversation about where energy can come from. You know who I find to be smug? I think the assholes that drive gas guzzling Hummers are smug. The materialistic hacks that have to make up for their penis size by driving huge cars are smug (small cars make your penis look bigger). Celebrities on E! and MTV Cribs with their smug collection of cars. The Moms driving the Navigators and Escalades that tour your local shopping mall? The ones with little show-off stickers with their soccer-playing, cheerleading kid's names; usually names like Morgan, Dylan, Jacob, and Madison? They have smug-stink oozing from their orifices. In fact, when I am driving, I have 'bigger' words than smug. And contrary to South Park's satire, they cloud their air with smug and SUV smog.

Do Trey Parker and Matt Stone think it is OK to tell their audience that Hybrid cars are for assholes? That everyone should keep driving huge cars? I don't see how you can expect allare ridiculous! Matt and Trey did it again! Genius!" I say more often than not. I don't give the general public credit to know the difference. viewers to know the difference between comedy and buying into a real South Park ethos. How many fans think it is more than comedy when the show makes light of Christians (all the time)? How many of them say, "Yeah, those Christians really

In the last 60 seconds of the show, the town declares that they can drive Hybrid cars and not be "smug". They then realize they would just rather take the easy route and drive SUVs. I don't think a 60-second message where the people consider a change of heart is enough to make up for the rest of the episode, which is an onslaught of Hybrid-knocking. They cleverly call the Hybrid car "Pious". Hardy har.

"Rejecting Sanitized Celebrations of MLK"

____________________
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Adam Taylor: Rejecting Sanitized Celebrations of MLK

This weekend, our nation paused once again to remember the life of a modern-day prophet. In pulpits across the country, preachers offered sermons reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King's seemingly timeless message. While Dr. King's words were quoted across the nation, I fear that the majority of Americans only heard a perfunctory mention of King's dream of racial harmony, with barely a mention of his even bolder words against what he called the "giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism."

Too often our churches are guilty of sanitizing and domesticating King's radical message. We embrace the King of Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, while ignoring the King who boldly and courageously opposed the Vietnam War, arguing that "America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube." We lose sight of the man who was assassinated while supporting sanitation workers in Memphis. We forget that prior to his death, King was in the midst of organizing a Poor Peoples campaign to unite white, black, and brown around a shared economic justice agenda. Dr. King understood that the next phase of civil rights had to realize economic justice for the disinherited of America. At worst, some will proof text and manipulate King's words – such as "we should be judged not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character" in order to justify their own ideological arguments to reverse many of the gains of the civil rights movement, including in affirmative action programs.

I want to remember Dr. King as he wanted to be remembered. In 1965, King said of himself, "I am many things to many people, but in the quiet recesses of my heart, I am fundamentally a clergyman, a Baptist preacher. This is my being and my heritage, for I am also the son of a Baptist preacher, the grandson of Baptist preacher, and great-grandson of a Baptist preacher".

Dr. King embodied so much of the best of the prophetic commitment of the black church. King stood tall in representing a tradition that witnesses to the seamless connection between personal salvation and social and economic liberation. In too many churches across America, this prophetic tradition has been overshadowed by a narcissistic gospel of greed. Too often, the old rugged cross has been draped in the American dollar and the American flag.

Dr. King's birthday represents a day not only to celebrate the birth of a great American prophet, but also a day to recommit ourselves to the prophetic work of the church and realize the unfinished business of the kingdom.


Adam Taylor is director of campaigns and organizing for Sojourners/Call to Renewal, and an associate minister at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/

MySpace

I have been very frustrated with MySpace over the last 24 hours. The blogs have been down, back up, and down again. But come to think of it, MySpace has to be the least reliable website on the internet. Relative to the amount of users, that isn't very good. I am sure many of you feel like throwing your mouse from time to time.

"Hey, Wes! Give them a break. It's tough for Tom to keep up. He has to deal with 100 million people out of the bonus room in his townhouse!" Actually, did you know that MySpace is owned by News Corporation? "NewsCorp" is the company ran by Rupert Murdoch. The same guy/company that created Fox News; the red, white, and blue propaganda machine. Fox News is only a small part of the NewsCorp empire, but is reflective of Rupert Murdoch and the company's politics. They also own: all things Fox, DirecTV, HarperCollins, and the crappiest newspaper in America, The New York Post. [The majority owners that NewsCorp purchased MySpace from was Intermix, a spam company. Could they be the geniuses behind the 'outfart the lumberjack' spam games?]

Sometime soon, I plan on doing a blog about how many companies actually run corporate America. Most would be surprised at how many companies and familiar brands are owned by larger conglomerates. For example, most of the the food in your pantry is from 2-3 corporations...not the 50 brands on the packaging. You might find ConAgra's name on 50% of your food. That is, if you eat shit. Hopefully you don't.

It is surprising that such a large company can't keep this website running smoothly or handle the traffic of 100 million users. Google and Yahoo don't seem to have this problem.

MLK Day

Today I did not have to go to school because it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Not only did I have no classes, but I got to reflect on one of the greatest figures of the 20th Century.

First, I feel "White America" dumbs down this man with a few pictures and clips of his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (you are doing it right now, think about it). There is a common perception among White America that this is not their holiday as well. That this man did not also stand for them. Black communities have parades, while everyone else gets the day off to go shopping. He is a figure that all human beings should look upon when change must be made to the unjust.

I saw very little coverage of the holiday on the TV today. Even the History Channel devoted only 2 hours of programming to this man. They gave about 2 hours to Houdini, and another 2 hours to the Jonestown cult. I opted against drinking their Kool-Aid, and changed the channel. In fact, 1 of the hours of MLK coverage was a conspiracy doc. I don't buy a solo James Earl Ray, either. But that is hardly reasonable for half of the day's MLK documentaries.

Fact of the matter is, America was an atrocious place 40 years ago. A segment of society was not allowed to vote because of the color of their skin. They were 'subhuman' and not constitutionally protected. 40 years ago. Not only oppressed by some racist southerners in Alabama, but the U.S. government. The "representative" government that gave no constitutional rights to a race of people. While it took thousands to achieve change, it was the inspiration of this one man that started it and kept it going. Things could be quite different without him.

I find his accomplishments to be phenomenal. In my lifetime, I don't think I will ever witness an American change the country like he did. He preached that non-violence was the only rational way to achieve these lofty goals, and he was right. He had to lead people under the fear of ugly and violent racism, while trying to raise a family of his own. I see many young people wearing Che t-shirts and talking revolution this, revolution that. I find more strength in the image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A non-violent, Christian minister from Atlanta that achieved far more than the famous Argentinian.

I think everyone should make time to read Dr. King's Letter From Birmingham Jail. It is essential literature on civil disobedience, or disobeying unjust law. (As is Thoreau's Civil Disobedience.)

On the 10th Anniversary...

The Gators win another title. Go Gators!

*Note - photograph is actually a C.H.U.D...not an alligator

Snitches get stitches...to hold t-shirts together

This is following up my "American Gangster" blog from a few days ago. I saw a website that sells "Stop Snitchin'" shirts on the LOCAL NEWS! I know there are many outfits that makes different versions of snitch-shirts, but this one took itself particularly seriously.

The only thing dorkier than Liscensed NFL gear...get your 'Stop Snitchin' shirts here!!!! If you ever use the word snitch in a sentence, and you are not making fun of or criticizing it, you are a dork. The t-shirt makes you a bigger dork. Don't forget to pick up a "street credible" mixtape. These MC's don't snitch! Street cred is more important than actual skill on the mic!

What I find amusing is that, while there is a hint of jest, they are actually serious. Like the worst problem on the streets is snitches. Not violence. Not poverty. Not liquor stores on every corner. But snitches. Get those snitches off the streets!

A picture of a snitch.

The Burning Woods

I was leaving UCF today and drove through the office-building-filled Research Park. I used to take that route every day to and from work. Now it is only for school, and I haven't done that in about 3 weeks. As I emerged from the twisty back road, I came upon a clearing that used to be forest. Now, it is smoldering piles of dead trees, dirt, and tractors. My first thought is that it looked like Isengard from The Two Towers, with armies of Orcs tearing down the trees and burning the land for development.

Of course, being in Orlando I have seen this before. But it never looked quite so dramatic. It is acres and acres of land cleared for some new office building. Despite the office buildings, Research Park is relatively well-wooded and covered with small lakes. My familiarity with this particular area over many years may have been what angered and upset me so much. Trees that have been growing for over a hundred years, homes to thousands of animals including deer that cross that road every single day. The largest forest area on the edge of East Orlando is getting smaller and smaller. All because some suits can have a fancy new office building for their company. Maybe we should have them watch tranny prisoners go train-style on their grandmothers. That would even it up, no?

Hey, that's tamer than what the "eco-terrorists" do.

I see empty commercial buildings in older parts of Orlando all the time. They can't seem to get any use; other than a Spirit Halloween store every October. Why can't these businesses be forced to operate out of already-vacant buildings? If they won't, then tear down the old buildings and plant some trees. This is similar to the older houses that won't sell, yet developers keep on building new subdivisions. It reminds me of a Matrix quote, when Smith likens humans to a virus, "You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area." Fill the old houses before you build new ones. Oh, that's right. It's a free market. I almost forgot! Let all decision-making people (who are generally shallow) do whatever they want!

What goes around comes around. Our children's children are going to have a shit-planet to live on, so I hope the profiteers enjoy their beamers.

Chug-A-Lug

A new year usually means new resolutions. Millions of people across the world decide to improve their lives. However, as we all know these changes rarely stick and in a short time everyone falls back into their routines. I believe the reason for this is because the promises people make to themselves are generally empty and shallow. If they weren't, people wouldn't be waiting until the new year in the first place. If you are serious about making a life change, it has to be done immediately. Procrastination, lack of motivation, and routine. These are the culprits that cause the general public to lead mundane lives.

As the calendar eases into 2007, I have decided to make a change. Actually, it is coincidence that it falls at the start of the new year. I could care less about the date. But call it a resolution if you want. A few months back I began to realize that I had a drinking problem. Before you get that dramatic feeling, allow me to elaborate. I am no Nick Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. There are far more serious cases of alcohol abuse than mine. With some perserverence, it can be self-defeated. But the first step is admitting you have a problem, right?! There are people that drink more than I do and would say they don't have a problem. Maybe they don't. But for me personally, it has taken too large of a hold on my life. Is alcoholism not relative to the individual? If I drink 4-5 days out of the week, it might be time to self-actualize.

If I look back at the last 10 years, one of the biggest hinderences is alcohol. Or, beer. I love beer. The other biggest is my own mental issue with motivation. But I have to defeat the external affect before the internal issue can be fought. From roughly 18-23, I would say lack of motivation came first. I didn't drink with as much frequency as I have the last 5 years, when nightly beer-runs have become routine. If I could limit drinking only to when I am with friends, it may have never come to this. But I drink by myself more often than not. Just writing this blog makes me want an icy-cold 24 oz.!

I have an addictive personality. So at first, I find it crucial to quit cold turkey. If I don't dive in 100%, I will always find a reason to hit up the gas station. Maybe in a couple months I can start limiting it to special events. But, hopefully by then I won't need to drink at all. When I look at who I truly am, or who I was, it doesn't involve alcohol. It is like I let a stranger into my house and he won't leave. If you can succeed in life with beer, enjoy the suds! But for me, I feel better days can be had without it. After all, it is a depressant and it does just that. Webster uses the following to define depress: to lessen the activity or strength of.

Julie is aware of this admirable pursuit. Much of my drinking has been done while she is working the night shift. So I will physically be going at it alone. I also felt it important to blog. By letting other people know about it, it makes me feel more accountable for my actions. I can hear you saying, "Wes, isn't your wife and future child enough reason to straighten up and fly right!" Yes, they are. But I am still telling you... at the risk of sounding showy. Which I assure you, I am not. I have had some conversations on this with like-minded friends lately, and wanted to share.

"American Gangsters"

Show me someone that doesn't believe there are mind-control conspiracies at work everyday in America, and I will show you a fool. Generally, the media in itself must keep you under control to stay in business. But more specifically, TV programming like news (fear), sports (diversion), and MTV (commercial sex) all perform important roles in keeping you in your place. I recently discovered a show on BET called "American Gangster" that focuses on infamous black criminals.

"An aggressive programming strategy...produced more top BET original series than in any other year. Topping the list of a string of hit series was AMERICAN GANGSTER, cable's #1 Weekday original series among Black Households and Blacks ages 18-34 for 2006. The docu-drama premiered with a 1.6 rating (1.3 million households and 1.6 million total viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research, and the numbers have consistently held strong week to week." (Yahoo finance)

The show is apparently pretty big in the BET line-up. If you listen to today's commercial rap music, much of it pushed by the same media conglomerate that owns BET, maybe you understand why. (Then again, if you listen to Young Jeezy, you probably don't care.) I simply find it appalling that such blatant, irresponsible programming can go on without various community leaders/public figures speaking up. Doesn't this so-called black network (see below) have a responsiblity to it's community? They know damn well that the at-risk black youth aren't going to see these shows as cautionary tales. Isn't that at least "5%" of the point of having a black network? Shouldn't you be telling people what the other networks are not? It is sad that it becomes the same materialistic bullshit like the other channels.

You can find "crime-docs" on many channels like A&E and MSNBC. What is the difference between how these are presented compared to BET's? Ahhhh, more proof for my pudding. The predominantly white criminals on A&E and MSNBC are presented as a bunch of psychopaths, as they should. They are NOT presented as anti-authority heroes. However, the criminals on BET are presented as, well, american gangsters. You know, the Scarface model. Getting back at the economy that left them behind by illegally getting rich. (I don't like that economy either.) I can't find a reason to need a black-focused crime-doc show like "American Gangster". Isn't the title itself selling the 'cool'? To add to the 'coolness', it is hosted by Ving Rhames. (Why, Ving? Why?)

It must be said that BET is owned by Viacom (recently renamed CBS Corp.). Viacom owns at least half of the TV that you watch. This includes CBS, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, Nick, and SpikeTV. So regardless of the skin-color of the programming director, BET is a corporate tool of 'entertainment'.

There is a veil that is put over society these days that says there is no more racism or economic profiling. They imply that if everyone watches Oprah, then things must be fine. If hip-hop is the #1-selling genre, everything must be fine. Right? Wrong. The reason for this is because the powers that be don't need to be directly racist anymore (aside from your local neighborhood skinhead). Everyone is already duped. They have the controls in place to pull your strings as they see fit. They know that as long as you are pre-occupied, you won't think for yourself or stir up any trouble. In relation to this TV show...If it doesn't make kids commit crime, it makes the other kids spend their money as if they had. Crime or no crime, it is all about materialism and 'want'.

The website also illustrates how this is being sold to the impressionable. You can check it out here. Don't forget to take the "How Gangster Are You?" quiz. You know, to see if you would make the cut. You f*@&# gangster! "Congratulations! You passed the test! You can be a gangster, too!"
Also, there is a message board that probably rehashes some stuff I said. BET welcomes any debate this creates because it only makes the show more popular.
Cha-ching! BET/Viacom = American Gangster

*Postscript :
I forgot to include this part of the website. They have a poll asking if you would "snitch on your crew?". The adolescent nature of this poll also helps my point.