Simone Biles Withdraws From Olympic Events

Not that it matters, but let me first start off by offering a disclaimer: by no means do I want to sound insensitive in discussing this. 

Athletes are different these days. Well, people overall are different because the athletic world is just a microcosm of society.  However, the greatest gymnast I've seen in my lifetime is not participating on the highest stage and it's disappointing. The reason doesn't matter. 

Regardless if it would have been due to a physical injury or something of that nature, to not see the best at a competition not perform in a once-every-four-year event is disappointing.  It's like listening to Phil Collins performing "In The Air Tonight" and your power cuts off on your sound system before the drums can kick in.  All that build up with no conclusion.

And I feel let down because this is all new to me in the world of sports.  I'm from a generation when athletes stood out because they "found a way" to compete on the biggest stages despite the pressure or pain that came along with it.  

Muhammad Ali is considered the Greatest of All-Time by many boxing fans, but he lost 5 times in his career.  Serena Williams is considered the GOAT of the tennis world, but she's lost in a major event championship 10 times in her career.  So, they're simply not great because they won a lot.  They're great because they continued to come back after a loss.

Whatever athletes like Simone, Naomi Osaka, Kyrie Irving and others may be going through, I hope that they can work through it.  How I feel is inconsequential to them, as it should be.  The media is tough and social media critics are relentless.  I'll never know the pressure they may feel just for being who they are.  But I will say this: 

It's okay to lose.

We need to instill that mindset into younger people sooner rather than later.  What made Ali the greatest boxer of all-time to me is not that he won a heavyweight championship.  It was the fact that he lost the championship belt multiple times yet continued to fight until he won it back.  His perseverance is what made him the GOAT in my opinion.  The same goes for Serena.

Something needs to change.  We need to say "no" to participation trophies.  No more celebrating someone's presence as being enough.  We have to teach people how to take an "L" and be okay with it because no matter what you do in life, failure is going to rear its ugly head multiple times.  You will lose at something.  

The word "life" even starts with an "L"!

We all go through things in life that a lot of people may not be aware of at the time.  And although it sounds like I'm bashing Simone, I'm really not.  I don't blame her one bit in this because I truly don't know what she's going through.  Her story isn't done yet.  She's still the greatest gymnast I've ever seen and I hope that she has a comeback story like an Ali or Serena.  

It's the system that I hate.  I question the system that has been in place for at least a generation that says "not participating" is the route you take when things get hard instead of a focus on helping people cope prior to getting to that point.

White People Need To Stop Being Racists

This logo is as accurate as it is iconic.  PE#1.

Now that I have your attention, let me give some background on myself to explain why that I think that statement is 100% true: I grew up in a predominantly white school system.  I had a lot of white friends in my childhood, so I saw the good in white people.  I was oblivious to a lot of the atrocities in the U.S. because of the type of education that I received and the environment in which I was raised.

Then I went to an HBCU (Google it if you don't know the acronym) and I met other people who looked like me who had totally different experiences growing up.  By the way, this is generally how one learns about the world.  Being exposed to all walks of life is what expands our way of thinking.  But, back to the topic at hand...

I spent a lot of my youth and some of my adult life explaining to minorities how "the conversation" about racism should be approached with white people.  I found myself speaking from a place that protected the good white people that I knew.  It took growing older in society to realize that they didn't need me to defend them.  Their privilege alone gave them the protection that they needed.

The point I'm trying to make is that black people have no responsibility in stopping racism.  White people do.  And it's always been that way despite how others have tried to spin it over and over again.  It's not a woman's responsibility to have "a discussion" with an abusive husband.  He just needs to recognize that he's wrong and stop abusing her.  See how simple that is?  Problem solved.

We don't need a table of "black leaders" to sit down and discuss why we shouldn't be unlawfully shot by police, denied opportunities for leadership positions from being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company to being an NFL head coach, or refused loans and/or housing based solely on the fact that we are enriched with melanin.  Black people have complained for decades on the things that prevent us from truly being equals in this country, so there's nothing new to talk about.  All white people have to do is stop doing it.  It's just that simple.  Nothing else is required.

And for all white people who have done things to help promote the end of racism, I thank and applaud you.  We wouldn't have made it this far without some of you.  But, you're going to have to do more.  Because in order for you not to be unfairly grouped in with racists, you have to convince the racists to cut it out.  So, it looks like you have the responsibility of helping this madness end.  Not black people.

Sports "Journalism" Has Turned Into Reality TV

I once was a huge fan of the talking head shows on ESPN.  From "Pardon the Interruption" to "First Take", I was setting my DVR to "embrace debate".

However, over time, I started to get suspicious of the content that I was viewing on a regular basis.  The debates started to get really outlandish.  The talking heads were not being objective over the topics of the day, but instead, they started showing a bias based on their favorite team/player.  And every day one of the talking heads would make what appeared to be an illogical statement based on how he/she felt rather than anything pertaining to the game itself.

The shows I once enjoyed because of the great points that were being made had turned into reality TV.  They looked to be over-produced prescheduled arguments that cause an MSNBC/FOX News type of divide with the viewers.  The debates are now more heated than some of the arguments I've witnessed in sports bars and sometimes with just as little analytics involved.  It's great for ratings, but bad for sports fans. 

I've had a hard time facing the fact that nothing is sacred any more.  The media only cares about increasing viewership and if that means having someone screaming about "LeBron being better than Jordan" or "Baker Mayfield being the next Tom Brady", then they're all for it.  They don't care if the arguments have been run into the ground or if the points attempted to be made are valid or not.

ESPN, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports are all trying to out-crazy one another to get the more eyes on their screens and I think that it's working.  Unfortunately, I can no longer lend my eyes to the count.  These shows are no different than "Real Housewives of (Insert City Here)" to me.  Just a bunch of fake outrage over cliche topics.  I guess it's back to reading sports websites because these shows just don't hold any value to me anymore.

Do We Over-Sexualize Female Role Models?

How many mainstream female celebrities out there aren't hot?

Did you come up with anyone other than Condoleezza Rice?  :)

Okay, I shouldn't pick on Condi. I asked that question from a cynical standpoint.  Let me try again...

When's the last time you saw a mainstream female singer who wasn't hot?  I'll wait...

I recently read a quote by singer, Rosie Lowe, that talked about how Beyonce and Rihanna reinforce stereotypes because they sexualize their bodies to promote their music.  Therefore, they are bad role models for young women.

First of all, I see what Rosie is saying, but I don't agree with it.  Entertainers are just that.  Stop making them into more than what they are.  Although that's very hard to do when adults are slobbering over these celebs even more so than the kids.  Have you seen Facebook timelines after a Beyonce video gets released?  It will make you think that Jesus has returned.  And that's not Bey's fault one bit.  If her body and how it moves brings in just as much money as her voice, then why shouldn't she make money off of them both?

Most female celebs probably couldn't care less how the use and display of their bodies affect your daughters as long as your kid is watching them and buying their products.  The responsibility falls on mom and dad to raise their kids, not some R&B singer who doesn't even know that your child exists.  Parents should teach their child that twerking on the Billboard Awards for a paycheck is different than twerking at the club for a drink.  Much different.

But, let me return back to the topic: do we over-sexualize female role models?  Yes.

We have even gone as far as commenting on the bodies of the current and the previous First Ladies of the United States.  Even when some sick-in-the-head female teacher takes advantage of one of her underaged male students, what's the first thing that comes out of some guy's mouth: "Man, she's hot enough to have any dude she wants, why does she want a kid?"

No woman is off-limts to being rated.

Will it change?  Not in my lifetime.  Should it change?  Absolutely.  No one should look at a successful, good-looking woman and wonder if she's actually achieved her status by hard work or was it given to her because of her looks?  After all, we don't rank men based on looks.  Do you know how many ugly dudes are on TV making a nice career for themselves?  Steve Buscemi is worth $35 million dollars!

That's completely unfair to women and we need to find some way to stop it.  Talent is talent.  Looks need not apply.

Steve Buscemi

Black Lives Don't Matter, But Cops Lives Do

So, a couple of more unarmed black men are approached for something petty and ultimately gunned down at the hands of cops.  One of many reasons why I wrote about black people being extinct by the Year 2100.

Let me start off, like every other black writer, by saying that I have nothing against the police.  For some reason, people think that if you're pro-black that you're anti-white or anti-cop.

That's just stupid.

Just because you want to stop breast cancer doesn't mean that you're all for cervical cancer.  This blog encourages common sense, so those who actually use it before commenting or inboxing me are appreciated.

The Media

First of all, I'm tired of the media regurgitating the same ol' rhetoric that means nothing.  I'm tired of hearing "It's time to have the conversation about..."  About what?  We've been talking for 60 years and nothing has changed.  The only difference between 1956 and 2016 is that we have the ability to film the killings today.  The only downside to that is how the media exploits it.  They're the main reason cops are afraid of black men today.  We're portrayed as predators and the police hunts us down as such.

The officers being shot last night in Dallas was a tragedy.  The media should be bringing their family together via satellite with the family of the unarmed black men who were recently shot to show their similarities.  Instead, they act as if those grieving black families no longer exist.  Because the shooting of cops is more important to them than of unarmed black men.  Black lives don't matter, but cops lives do.  The value of their lives are unequal in the eyes of the media.  That nonsense is passed on to the American viewers who ultimately start to subconsciously believe the same thing.

The Police

The same police who scream about how snitching is protecting criminals in the black communities are ALWAYS tight-lipped about one of their own who commits an atrocity against an unarmed black man.

Has anyone in the police department ever stood up and said, "my partner was wrong for shooting that man"?

If so, then I'd love to see a video of it because I've never seen it.  Police protect their own yet chastise the black community for doing the same.  The irony in that is astounding!  They want black people to help them find cop killers, but won't help black people find unarmed black men killers.

Black Cops

If you're a black cop and you don't speak out against your own people getting killed, then punch yourself in the throat.  It's a shame that some black cops will protect the law enforcement brotherhood while ignoring their own.  Is this lady the only cop with guts to speak out against the treatment of her own people?  Does it have to be someone in your family before you start to care?

Oh, I almost forgot.  The Commander in Chief needs to take a stand for the killing of black men like he has for the LGBT community's rights and health care.  Stop ignoring black people, Mr. President.  This has nothing to do with gun control unless you're going to start taking guns from the police.

Conclusion

This will never end.  It will never end because we will always have an Us. vs. Them mentality.  There is a ton of evidence of blacks snitching on blacks for the greater good.  When police start doing the same with each other, then maybe some trust can be developed.  When police actually start going to jail, then maybe black folks can be alright with the PD.  When the media actually bad mouths police like they did Christopher Dorner (a former black cop), then maybe black people will come around.

Oh, and Christopher Dorner was a terrorist for sure.  But if you think that he's much different than the cop who shot Philando Castile, then you're not capable of understanding the point that I'm trying to make.

Good and bad doesn't have a color, but we don't treat it that way.  If it were, then armed white men wouldn't get taken into custody and bought sandwiches while unarmed black men get taken to the coroner with multiple bullet holes in them.

The Greatest of All-Time Has Left Us #Ali

I had fallen asleep on my couch with my TV on ESPN.  However, I woke up and noticed a mural on the left hand side of the screen showing Muhammad Ali's face.  Before my eyes could adjust and focus on the words on the screen, I knew that Ali had died.  I'd just spoken to my cousin about Ali just hours ago about how grave his condition was.

My first "favorite athlete",  Muhammad Ali, was dead at the age of 74 years old.

There aren't many men like Ali being produced in this country any more.  Now, don't get me wrong.  He had his issues when it came to his wives.  He wasn't perfect.  But he did more for this country than anyone who may have stepped foot on the White House lawn in the past 50 years.

People who don't know the man think that he was "The Greatest" because of what he did inside the boxing ring.  No.  Ali was "The Greatest" for what he did outside of the boxing ring.  Ali inspired the world with his approach to day-to-day living.  He was a motivational speaker.  He was a civil rights activist.  He was an entertainer.  Oh, he was such an entertainer!

Ali had a relationship with the media that we will never see again.  He gave interviews that resembled stand up comedy sets.  The beneficiary of many of those interviews was a sports commentator named Howard Cosell.

Cosell and Ali were partners.  They fed off of each other in their interviews to become two of the biggest figures in sports.  The respect that they had for one another provided entertainment for more than a decade.  Despite their close relationship, Cosell remained unbiased in his journalist approach unlike what we see with some talking heads today.

Howard Cosell and Muhammad Ali turned each other into legends.

Ali won many awards and honors during and long after his boxing career.  I won't go through all of his accomplishments because the talking heads will do that over the next week.  However, I will mention his impact on today's culture.  Ali started a culture of brashness that we see in sports today.  This was a man who not only showed you in the ring that he was "The Greatest", he would tell you that he was, too.  The predictions that athletes make today, the "getting in the head" of their opponents, and things like that were made famous by Ali.

Seated: Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

He embraced his blackness and his message resonated throughout black communities around the country.  He stood for his beliefs regardless of the controversies and criticisms that surrounded him which is something athletes refuse to do today.  Ali didn't care if you liked him.  He didn't care if he lost money from losing fans.  Heck, he didn't even care if he went to jail for what he believed.

Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X

There are many things that I wish that I could change with the world.  There are many things that I wish that I could go back in time and fix.  But if I had one wish to change anything regarding Muhammad Ali, it would be for him to forever have his voice.

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984 and it slowly robbed him of all of the gifts that he'd displayed for us over the previous 25 years prior to that.  If he only had the opportunity to continue speaking, what would his contributions to black communities and to his religion would have meant to society today?

Muhammad Ali and Sam Cooke

Would he have put black athletes and celebrities in their place when it came to their selfishness?  Would he have continued to inspire people to do more with their lives and not be ordinary?  What would Ali have given us had his voice not been trapped inside of his body?

We will never know.  The first athletic entertainer is gone.  A lot of people speculated that Ali was in a bad place this time around as we got word that he was being hospitalized.  Over the course of 24 hours, we all knew that his condition was getting worse and that he may be passing on.  Despite that being the fact, it still feels like a body punch to the gut to wake up and find out that my favorite athlete is gone.

R.I.P., Champ.

My Take on Cam Newton and Super Bowl 50

Is Cam a sympathetic figure or not?


The Super Bowl has come and gone for the 50th time.  Although I wasn't impressed very much by the game, it still had some interesting story lines.  The main one is the story of one Cam Newton.  The guy with the huge grin who terrorized defenses all season long.


Here is why I think that he's being treated unfairly, but how he brought it on himself:


Muhammad Ali was one of the biggest trash talkers of all-time back during his hey-day.  What made him loved by few and hated by many is that he didn't mind telling you how good his was.  He didn't have to worry about social media criticism.  He came along decades before Facebook and Twitter.  He didn't have to worry about the media that much because they idolized athletes during those days.  The media would sometimes even protect an athlete by not disclosing certain stories rather than exposing them.


However, as good as Ali was, he got put on his tail quite a few times.  He lost 5 bouts.  But he never stopped talking about being The Greatest no matter how badly he lost.


Fast forward to 2016 and the atmosphere is completely different.  The media waits to prey on athletes with "gotcha journalism".  Athletes are subjected to fan scrutiny from social media and blogs like this one.  TV stations have a 24 hour rotation of talking heads who tell us what should make us feel outraged and what shouldn't.


Enter Cam Newton into that environment.  He has the bravado of Muhammad Ali, but at the moment appears to lack the resiliency. 


Last night, when the game ended, he walked through the hoard of media types to shake hands with Peyton Manning to congratulate him.  It was classy of him to do so, but I can't give him credit for it because that's what he's supposed to do.  You don't get credit for things you should do anyway.  However, his display of professionalism during that exchange is a lot more than Peyton Manning did in 2010.


Manning lost the Super Bowl in 2010 and didn't congratulate the winning quarterback (Drew Brees) on his team's victory.  Instead, he walked to the locker room with a look of dejection.  Completely classless and unprofessional, although you'd never know it because the media has its tongue inserted in Manning's butt cheeks on the regular.  They refused to bad mouth him to the extent that they are with Cam Newton.

Cam has been blasted over the past 24 hours for walking out of a press conference before it was completed.  He got tired of answering questions on why Carolina lost and he got tired of overhearing a nearby Bronco explaining how Carolina lost.  So, he just got up and left.


Completely unprofessional, but not even remotely as big of a deal as Peyton Manning not shaking hands.  However, unprofessional nonetheless.


But it's only a big deal because he made it one.  He spent the entire season essentially saying "look at me!"  His team destroyed their opponents throughout most of the season and Cam didn't have a problem celebrating that fact.  He invited the pressure that he received going into the game last night.  He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "if you want to stop me from dancing, stop me from scoring." 


Denver was up for that challenge.  Like Mike Tyson once said, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."


And Cam got punched early and often and he didn't know what to do.  What was so easy for him all season long turned out to be the most difficult thing for him to do on the biggest stage there is.  Cam didn't just get punched in the mouth, he got KO'd.  And now all of the people who told him to "stop dancing and smiling" were dying to ask him questions on why he couldn't win the Big One.


That's rough.  Anyone would have a difficult time getting through those 3 minutes of questions, but again, Cam invited this.  He's been a champion on multiple levels and it never crossed his mind (nor should it have) that he could lose this game.  But he did and he should have dealt with it better than what he did.


Someone on my Facebook said, "He's only 26.  How was he supposed to handle it?"


Seriously?  26 years old is over halfway to 30.  At what point do you consider a person to be grown?  Geesh.


Someone else said, "Until you've lost a Super Bowl you wouldn't understand."


No, I've never lost a Super Bowl, but 40-something other quarterbacks have.  I wonder how many of them walked out of press conferences? 


Another said, "Cam's human. What is he supposed to do?"


True.  He's human.  He got caught in his feelings.  But, let me drop this quote on you:

"Too bad they don't make Band-Aids for feelings." 

Guess who said that?  Cameron Jerrell Newton.  I guess he need one for his last night.


Cam Newton is a lightning rod for media bias because of he is a black QB.  Let's be honest there.  That's a huge part of it.  He invited even more scrutiny with his actions.  I have no problem with that whatsoever.  But he let the media and the haters win with his actions and that's why I'm disappointed.


I want Cam to get back out there and do his thing.  I enjoy him giving footballs to the kids, the dancing, and Superman poses.  Heck, I grew up in a culture of trash-talking.  But you have to pay the piper when someone beats you.  You don't have to give an eloquent speech after the biggest loss of your career, but you have to live up to your obligations.  That's what makes you a "professional football player" and not just a "football player."


He could have said "no comment" for 3 minutes last night and I personally wouldn't have cared.  But to walk away in the middle gave the haters and racists all of the ammunition that they needed.

Do You Even Know Why Blacks are Angry?

(This is based on a statement given on my radio show a few weeks ago..)

As of late, the country has been focused on the city of Baltimore. However, very few are talking about how a man died and the police's role, if any, in his death. Instead we are pounded with video and photos of rioting. I've stated on my show numerous times before that I'm against rioting. I said that I didn't agree with rioters tearing up their own cities.

That was back during the Trayvon Martin trial. Since then we've seen the following:

Victor White III, 22, Iberia Parish, La.—March 22, 2014 The coroner says he shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser.

Eric Garner, 43, New York, N.Y.—July 17, 2014 Choked to death by a cop while being restrained by other officers.  Famously known as the "I can't breathe" killing.

John Crawford III, 22, Beavercreek, Ohio—August 5, 2014 Crawford was fatally shot while carrying a pellet gun in a Wal-Mart. The gun was unsold merchandise and out of its package. A man named Ronald Ritchie told 911 that he looked like he was pointing it at people, but a month later he admitted that Crawford was not pointing the gun at people. Aftermath: No indictment.

Michael Brown, 18, Ferguson, Mo.—August 9, 2014 By now my line of thinking is swaying a bit. I said on the air that I don't condone rioting, but I would understand it more if people rioted in the communities of the oppressors instead of their own communities. 

Ezell Ford, 25, Los Angeles, Calif.—August 12, 2014 Ford was shot by police who were conducting "an investigative stop." " A struggle ensued," read the LAPD's news release. Ford's family members say he was lying down when shot. Aftermath: The LAPD, which hasn't closed the investigation into Ford's death, put an indefinite "investigative hold" on the coroner's autopsy report to prevent witness testimony from being tainted.

Tamir Rice, 12, Cleveland, Ohio—Nov. 22, 2014 Officer Tim Loehmann shot and killed Rice, who was holding a BB gun, seconds after spotting him at a park. This is after a 911 caller told dispatch that they believed that the kid was carrying a toy gun and not a real one.

Rumain Brisbon, 34, Phoenix, Ariz.—Dec. 2, 2014 Brisbon, an unarmed black father of four, was shot to death in when a police officer apparently mistook his bottle of pills for a gun. Aftermath: Pending.

Baltimore, MD then hits the scene with a man who died from serious injuries sustained during an arrest. My stance: I still do not condone rioting. But, for the first time, I understand it. I understand that people have reached a boiling point. Too many unarmed black people are dying at the hands of cops without investigations that make you feel the slightest bit of confidence in the justice system.

Do unarmed white people get shot by police? I'm sure that they do. They probably get shot more than black people because there are a lot more white people than black people in this country. The odds favor that. However, does the media report it when it happens? Absolutely not. It's not going to get the reaction and ratings as much as an unarmed black person being shot.

Those who know me know that I'm not one to complain unless I have a solution. Did everyone that I named above either commit a crime, tried to run from the police, or tried to resist arrest? Just about all of them did at least one if not all of those things. That still doesn't give the police the right to shoot them like dogs in the streets though.  However, for those who did either one of those three things, they do have some responsibility in what happened. Now, I'm not talking about the wrong place/wrong time victims. I'm talking about the people who had opportunities to comply and chose not to do so.

My plea to those black men out there now who may get stopped by police: if you comply then you may get a chance to live. You may not be doing anything wrong, but try to stay alive first and save the arguing for the courts.  Ice Cube once rapped that he would rather be "judged by 12 than carried by 6."  In other words, let a jury decide your fate rather than take matters in your own hands and later be carried by pall bearers.  There's no sense in being right if you're dead right.

Next, the police. The ones who are sworn to "protect and serve." I know that you all are scared. If you're scared then quit. Policing is not for you. It's just that simple. Learn how to take subjects down without your gun being a first resort. There are too many weapons from rubber bullets and salt pellets to pepper spray and tasers that you can use to take people down. Even if someone runs from you or even swings on you, you don't have a right to kill them. They may even deserve to be roughed up and society may even be better off to be rid of them. But, that's not up to you as a cop. That's up to a jury. You're not Judge Dredd.

And lastly, the media. You took a city of 400,000 black people in Baltimore and painted the picture that every last one of them is burning the city down. Let's be honest: out of those 400,000 black people there may have been 500 or so rioting? To be generous let's say there were a thousand rioting. 

Don't act like .0025 of the black population is representing all black people. Especially you, FOX News! 

There are a lot of people trying to peacefully protest yet they always seem to escape your cameras. There are Twitter photos taken by white people of white people looting convenience stores, but those photos don't represent what the media wants conveyed to the public.

As long as black people are portrayed as the boogeyman the more a cop would prefer to shoot one rather than take a chance to see what his real intent is. We've spent days watching videos of cops vs. Black Baltimore. People are criticizing the rioters. People are criticizing those who are criticizing the rioters.

No one is asking the question: why are they so mad? Why are cops so scared? Why is Freddie Gray dead?

I'm guessing a some of you didn't even know his name.

Cop Shootings in America

Another tragedy has occurred in the St. Louis, MO area.  An 18 year old black male was shot and killed by a police officer.  Regardless of who pushed the first domino to commence the event, none of this had to happen.  Just one small variation could have turned the tides on this entire ordeal.  Of course the stories vary on who did what, but the overall picture is still the same: another young, black male is dead at the hands of police.  It's time that we re-educate America and stop these senseless acts and both black people and the cops can help.

Black People

Stop teaching your kids to hate cops.  I know that all of us don't do it, but there are enough of us who teach that even if subconsciously.  Cops are to be respected for multiple reasons: they're hired to be an authoritative figure our communities and oh, yeah, they also carry guns and a license to kill.

The latter should be reason enough to teach your kids how to protect themselves by respecting the law.  Teach your kids (especially sons) to remain calm at all times around the police.  There's no need to get emotional even if you're in the right.  If you get pulled over then already have your license and registration in your hand before the cop gets to your car.  Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times.  You want them to always be visible and not move in a quick or unpredictable motion.

I know people are thinking, "why should I be forced to do that?"  The answer?  Because you want to increase your chances of getting home that night, that's why.  What's more important: how you feel or being alive?  Even if you're being harassed or unfairly targeted it's better to have your day in court than to do something that can cause a misunderstanding.  Ice Cube once famously said in a song that he'd rather be "judged by 12 (jury) than carried by six (pall bearers)."

And I agree with that 100%.

Cops

Stop assuming that all black males are dangerous.  If there is anything that is embedded in our brains in this country is that black males are to be feared.  We see things everyday that lead us to believe that they're unpredictable and have no respect for authority.  In some cases, that may be true, but you're not going to get me to believe that it represents anywhere near a majority of black males.  I know too many of them to believe that.

Here's what needs to happen: cops need training.  Badly.  Being a cop is more than just physical conditioning and gun training.  It should be more mental training than anything else.  Somehow you have to scrub their brain of every racial bias known to man and I don't think that it's as easy as one would think.  Even if you hire 500 cops, just 1% of that number can be enough to ruin the entire reputation of the police force.  That's right.  Just five people.

So, if and when a suspicious shooting does occur, it would be more beneficial for the police to treat it like a normal crime (which it is) rather than to start playing politics.  It would also give citizens more security in thinking that you are trying to protect and serve them and not just your own interests.

The police also need a change in policy.  Shooting to kill should never be the first option; it should be the last option.  Why some cops feel as if they need to empty their guns on a person is beyond me.  Especially when there are multiple cops on the scene.  Again, that goes back to training.  You can disarm a person without killing them.

Oh, I know that I only listed two things at first, but I have to add a third and it may be the most important of them all...

Media

Often they are the root cause to the mental images we all have of black males (and sometimes the police).  Whenever there is a shooting of a black male some of the media can't wait to post the most "gangsta" of photos of the victim.  Just like with Mike Brown who was shot in Ferguson, MO.  A recent high school graduate who may or may not have been a model citizen (I won't claim to know the kid), but he should have been afforded an "innocent until proven guilty" opportunity.  What does the media do?  They post this photo of him all over from the USA Today to lesser sites.

That's right. Show a photo of him throwing what a majority of the country will consider a gang sign.  That makes the police so much more believable when they say what they said about the incident.  After all, Like Trayvon Martin, he's not here to defend himself, so there's no backlash, right?

What was wrong with using this photo below instead?

Oh, too tame, right?  We wouldn't want people thinking that black males graduate now do we?

I know that I'm starting to get cynical with all of this, but it comes from a point of frustration.  We all realize that there is a problem yet we choose to only protest a few days after an incident happens.  Then it's on with our lives until the next incident.  I'm somewhat guilty of that, too.  However, I do exercise my right to vote and makes attempts with each election to actually vote for the best candidate and not my favorite political party.  If a majority of people gave Independents a chance we could actually see a change in this county.

But, that's a blog post for another day.  As for Mike Brown and other victims, all we can do is hope for justice.  Hopefully convincing evidence will show that either Mike Brown was well within his rights and gunned down unfairly or that the cop was well within his rights to protect himself.  It doesn't matter as long as it's the truth.

The only problem is: who's willing to tell it?

Celebrities & Sex Tapes

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Garbage In. Garbage Out.

What do you consume on a regular basis?

I don't mean food.  I mean content.

TV.  Music.  Internet.

What does a typical day consist of in your world?

I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher the other day and he made a great point in which I'd never considered.  I can go to Yahoo! right now and pull up my home page.  If you went to Yahoo! at the same exact time, what comes up on your screen is going to be different than what comes up on mine.

Your computer personalizes what you see based on the sites that you visit.  Also, a lot of sites allow you to customize what you see.  Mix in the fact that newspapers are dying a slow death and you're left with millions of people in this country getting random information.  This is probably why so many people haven't heard of certain news stories when you mention it to them.  It probably wasn't on their customized feed.

Let's look at how this affects young people.  The average college student probably doesn't read the newspaper or watch local news.  When you consider their electronic gadget options then more than likely their homepage consists of Vine videos, Facebook status updates, tweets and entertainment news (oxymoron).

It's safe to say that a lot of young people in this country go days or even weeks without seeing a news story.  Instead their mind is constantly consuming only what they wish to view which is normally related to entertainment or social networking.  With days upon days of reality show fight clips, viral videos and Instagram Likes a person's brain essentially dumbs itself down (or never grows).

How can a person possibly expect to be a part of the outside world if they don't even live in it?

If you constantly consume garbage then that is what will constantly come out of your mouth when you speak.  It's also going to be all that you know and understand and you will not fit into some places in society because of it.  A person doesn't read Spanish and speak French.  That's not how your mind works.  What you put into it is all that you can get out of it.

There has to be a balance.  You have to get some good to offset the bad.  I love the NFL, but I have enough diversity in my life to prevent it from being all that I know.  If I go to a party, I don't have to sit around and wait for someone to bring up football just to join the discussion.  As you can see from my blog, I have the ability to discuss almost anything.

If you don't have balance then customizing your homepage or personalizing your phone can pretty much make you stupid.  If it's only garbage going in, then you can rest assure that it will only be garbage coming out.

Have you ever met a person who knows absolutely nothing about anything important?

Racial Inconsistencies in Sports: @RSherman_25 Isn't A Thug

Mitchell 10 years ago; Rodgers present day

It's a shame that on MLK Day, I'm blogging about something race-related.  As far as we've come in this country in regards to black and white, there are things that remind us that there's still a long way to go.

Sports has been called the "great equalizer" when it comes to uniting the races.  The "Remember the Titans" movie is a perfect example of that.  Still there are some inconsistencies in the media that make me shake my head.

Time and time again I see the media portray people differently based on race and culture.  Last night, Seattle Seahawks defensive back, Richard Sherman, went off on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Michael Crabtree and social media went wild.

People called him a "thug" (which is a popular word used when describing aggressive black people), classless, an embarrassment and other unflattering words.  What they saw on TV was a black man who should "just be happy to make millions playing in the NFL."  He should be humble, appreciative, keep his mouth shut and just play the game.

It takes me back in time to my youth when I first started noticing inconsistencies in the media based on race.  I remember when Deion Sanders played hurt in a football game once.  He was clearly hampered by the injury, but chose to play and try to help his team.  He didn't play well and I remember one of the commentators saying that he was being "selfish" for playing at less than 100%.  That same day, the Jets played and one of their players named Wayne Chrebet was also playing hurt.  He went on to have a poor game, but the commentator said that he was a "warrior" for trying to gut out a win for his team.

Scoring touchdowns is something that is viewed differently at times.  The term "act like you've been there before" comes up often when black certain players celebrate after scoring touchdowns.  Yet when Aaron Rodgers of the Packers scores a touchdown, he gets applauded for that "championship belt" gesture he does.  In fact, instead of being chastised, he even has commercials for what is now called the "Discount Double-Check" move.  What's even worse is that he didn't even invent that scoring celebration.  Former Philadelphia Eagle, Freddie Mitchell, was doing the "championship belt" move back in 2003 when Rodgers was still in college.

Do you see the inconsistencies that drive guys like me nuts?

Last one: back in 2007, a player named Anthony Smith from the Pittsburgh Steelers guaranteed a victory over the Patriots in an upcoming game.  Tom Brady torched Smith and the Steelers defense en route to victory.  On one of the TD passes Brady threw, he ran up to Smith and got facemask-to-facemask and taunted him.  The stories that made the headlines the next day talked about Tom Brady's "passion" and how he was "teaching Smith a lesson" and being a "fiery competitor."

Where are those words when it comes to describing Richard Sherman?  Crabtree and Sherman were jawing at each other the entire game, so why doesn't he get to have the last word like Brady did?  Why is he a "thug" instead of a "fiery competitor?"

Lou Pinella kicked dirt on umpires and cursed them out.

Brian Wilson beat a Gatorade cooler with a baseball bat.

Bobby Knight threw a chair on the court of a basketball game.

John McEnroe yelled at judges on the tennis courts.

Larry Bird was a legendary trash talker.

John Tortorella, Mike Ditka, etc.  The list goes on and this still occurs to this day.  There are some white people in sports that have berated, cursed, intimidated or (technically) assaulted others and yet they are still "feisty heroes" to many media types. Not even once have I ever heard any of them referred to as "thugs."  Never.

Richard Sherman finished 2nd in his high school class in GPA and went on to graduate from Stanford in Communications.  He even went back for his graduate degree.  He's never been arrested and doesn't play dirty in the field of play.  He's not a "thug."  He's the best cornerback in the league (statistics will back that up) and he had the last word against a mouthy competitor.  At least I thought that he had the last word...

Crabtree obviously didn't learn his lesson because he's still disrespecting Sherman.

Does the media (including social media) treat black athletes different than white athletes?

Why Black Face Still Bothers Some

Julianne Hough as "Crazy Eyes."

Julianne Hough started a ripple in the social media waters when she appeared in "tanned face" at a Halloween party.  In her attempt to portray a character from "Orange is the New Black," she decided to go the "extra mile."  The character, "Crazy Eyes," is known for her eyes and her hair.  However, Julianne thought it was important (for reasons unknown) to also capture her skin color.

Big mistake.

You can't do things like that, even in 2013.  As long as there are people still on this planet who lived prior to Civil Rights being granted to black people, then there will not be a shortage of pissed off minorities.  Although I view her outfit as being stupid more than I do racist, my father (born in 1941) would be furious.  He grew up during a time when he wasn't even respected as an equal.

I think the idea to do this is stupid because she had to know people would flip out over this.  And if she didn't know, then that just shows her ignorance when it comes to the real world.  I'm guessing that she doesn't have that proverbial "black friend" who could have told her this would be a bad idea and a media nightmare.

Now, although her tanned look is mild at best, there is a reason why black face still bothers some.  It's still a sign of disrespect to a lot of people in this country.  When black people dress up for Halloween, how many of us have you ever seen put on "white face" to be Batman or Indiana Jones.  When is the last time you saw a black person use eye makeup to be Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?  Odds are you probably haven't.

And it's not just a black / white thing either.  It's sometimes a black / black thing.  Most blacks also get upset when people who aren't white change their appearance to look white.  See Sammy Sosa and Michael Jackson.

We're a long way off from this not being a big deal.  With insensitive idiots like the below (portraying Trayvon Martin) still displaying foolishness, people who think this isn't a big deal can maybe understand where some of the rage originates.

Do you think that it's time to "get over" black face or is it still a problem in America?

More #Miley!

Miley is making the most of her renewed fame.  The former child star has moved into adulthood with a bang all starting with her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.  She is now one of the most talked about people in social media and her recent appearance on Saturday Night Live has thrusted her even more into the spotlight.

We see this pretty much every few years.  A young star who comes off as inappropriate in his/her quest to be an adult.  Brittany Spears went through a phase where she was on top of the world after performing at the Super Bowl.  From there her image changed and the next thing that you know, people were calling her "trailer trash."  Justin Beiber went from an adorable child prodigy from YouTube to a bad boy speeding up and down his community streets despite complaints from neighbors.

It wasn't always like this, but times have changed.  Remember back in the day when the cast of "Diff'rent Strokes" were having their issues?  Child stars from 30 years ago simply used drugs or did porn.  There was no social media to really put themselves out there, so a lot of the abuse they endured were self-inflicted and somewhat private.  Dana Plato (Kimberly Drummond) did porn and drugs and it ultimately killed her.  Todd Bridges (Willis Jackson) and Gary Coleman (Arnold Jackson) had brushes with the law as well.  Ironically, Conrad Baines (Phillip Drummond), the man who played their father on the show, almost out-lived all of them (only Todd is still alive).

Child stars transition to the adult world isn't so private any more.  In fact, it's more in your face than ever.  The media force-feeds us photos and stories about these kids each and every day.  With that kind of pressure to stay in the headlines, it's no wonder that these kids go to the extremes that they do to stay relevant.  We can't help but see them all over the place and for those who aren't fans, it drives us nuts!

I personally have nothing against Miley Cyrus.  I never watched Hannah Montana and I never listened to her music.  I don't care that she attempted (poorly, I might add) to twerk on stage or the fact that she sticks her tongue out more than a dehydrated anteater.  But, I really need her to go away and I'll tell you why I feel this way.  In fact, I'll tell you why a lot of people feel this way:

Her act is forced.

It's one thing to transition from one personality into another naturally (a la Justin Timberlake), but it's clear that Miley is forcing her way into her new persona.  The tattoos, the new affinity to rapping, the provocative dancing, and even the hairstyle appear to be part of a "PR package."  Miley's new image is about as natural as Pamela Anderson's breasts.

But, you do you "Boo-Boo."  Whatever works and pays the power bill is all anyone cares about these days anyway.  However, just as you have the right to do whatever you want on television (within the law), I have the right to pray that the TV station broadcasting you suffers a power failure.

If there is someone in Hollywood you could ban from TV, then who would it be?

Twerking Is The New Harlem Shake

@Ida_homie referred to Robin Thicke as "Beetlejuice."

Here we go again...

It's time to give a history lesson.  Some people may argue that I sometimes live in the past.  Hmmph.  If people like me didn't bring up history, then young people would think that the world just started when they were born.

The Harlem Shake was revived and re-branded as something new and now another dance from back in the day has been resurrected into mainstream.

Two nights ago, Miley Cyrus performed on the MTV VMA's (Video Music Awards).  Why they give away awards for music videos is beyond me because I didn't know MTV showed videos any more.  I'm waiting on the name change to RTV (Reality TV).

Anyway, people on Twitter tore into Miley because of her attempt at twerking.  Twerking is a dance in which you generally use a lot of gyration / hip movement.  Some were upset at the criticism of her because they assumed people were attacking her for attempting what is stereotyped as a "black woman's dance."  That's not the case, in my opinion.  People were criticizing her because she sucks at twerking.  She tries so hard.  Good thing she's already rich.  I wish her transition from child star to adult well.

However, that's not the point I'm trying to make.  The thing I'm wondering is: how is twerking still around in 2013 and why is it done in public?

Most people may not be aware, but twerking has been around 20+ years.  In fact, the first time I heard the term was from a song back in my college days.  I can't remember the New Orleans rap artist's name, but he talked about twerking on the dance floor.  It is a dance once reserved for the privacy of the bedroom, nightclub, and strip club.  Now it's slipped into prime time TV because parents barely teach kids about what's inappropriate in public.

Twerking reached it's peak in the late-90's as a hardcore stripper dance used to excite men who tend to like it rough.  It wasn't made for 17-year old teen agers to do in YouTube videos and it definitely wasn't made for a former child star turned actress singer rapper dancer to do it on an awards show that attracts kids.

Don't get me wrong!  I love seeing ladies twerk, but I prefer that she's of age, first and foremost, that it's in the correct setting, and that she's actually skilled in doing it.  So, please keep twerking out of places your child can see it and save it for your loved one in the bedroom.  Keep it off the Vine videos, keep it off of award shows, and please keep it out of the grocery stores!


I'll ask, but I think that I know the answer: we can't keep inappropriate things from being mainstream in the public eye any more, can we?"

"Carlos Danger," You're Still A Weiner

Anthony, will the ladies always be a weakness for you?  

NYC mayoral candidate, Anthony Weiner, is back in the news for the wrong reasons (again).  If you remember back to 2011, Weiner sent a photo of his "last name" to a woman on Twitter.  The media grabbed ahold to it (the photo, not his weiner) and it ultimately forced him to resign from his Congressional position.

You would think losing a Congressional spot and causing marital strife would be enough for Anthony to straighten up and fly right.  Well, no, that's not the case.  A.W. went incognito and decided to go online under the alias of "Carlos Danger."  I'll give you a few seconds to wipe the tears from your eyes and stop laughing...

He exchanged messages with a woman asking if she'd seen the photos that he released in 2011 and if she was impressed by them.  Of course, the media got their hands on the transcript from the conversations and Anthony is now under pressure to drop out of the mayoral race.  A race in which the polls showed him with a comfortable lead until this information was "leaked."

Most Weiner supporters Democrats people would say, "his personal life has nothing to with his potential career as mayor."

Actually, I think that it would have an impact on it.  This is a man, who hurts his marriage and throws away a political seat over potential sex, has a chance to start over fresh, but does the same thing?  I would question that person's ability to make decisions.  Who's to say that Anthony Weiner wouldn't fall into corruption as mayor if he wins?  Anyone could send a sexy woman his way to compromise what few morals he may have left.

It's a shame, too.  Weiner could have won and probably could have been a good mayor had he kept his head in his pants on straight.

What do you think?  Does Carlos Danger / Anthony Weiner deserve a 3rd chance?

"Not even I can help this guy!"

Look Closely At That Pay Check

Today is pay day for a majority of people across this country.  Well, be sure to look closely at that pay check.  You may notice a slight change in your take-home pay...

Despite not going "over the fiscal cliff," Americans are still going to notice some changes.  The Payroll Tax Cut, which cut 2% in taxes, ended 12/31/12.  That means that the Social Security Payroll Tax will be reinstated (go from 4% to roughly 6.2%).  What does it mean for you?  It means that an annual income of $50,000 will notice an additional $1,000 of taxes coming out of their pay checks in 2013.

Now, in all fairness, this is not a tax hike.  This is simply reinstating what we used to pay prior to the Payroll Tax Cut a few years ago in 2009.  So, FOX News, please don't fire up the "Obama is raising your taxes" cue cards just yet.  Enraging the masses to rebel against something that was already being paid a few years ago is nothing at all like a new tax increase.

On the flip side, some people may not care.  To most, 2% doesn't sound significant, but when you consider the stressful financial situations that some families have been experiencing as of late, to loosely quote V.P. Joe Biden, "it's a big 'effing' deal."  Using the example of a $50k household income, $1,000 per year in tax deductions is $38 every two weeks.  $38 every two weeks is $76 per month.  What does $76 pay in your household?  Your cell phone bill?  Gas for your commute to work?  Cable or internet costs, maybe?  Make no mistake about it, for some families, 2% is a huge deal.

We the People should always pay attention to what's going on in Washington.  I can visualize at least five people that I know who will be confused when they get their pay checks.  They don't pay attention to politics.  They think news is depressing, so they spend their time watching "entertaining" programming instead. 

I get that for someone who is maybe in their early 20's, but at what point do you grow up and pay attention to things that truly affect your life?  When do you turn off "The Bachelor" and turn on MSNBC or FOX News?

How in-tuned with politics are you?  Are news shows informative or depressing?  Is 2% significant?

Going Back to Cali

(written on 10/10)

I'm in pain as I type this. My upper shoulder area was sore prior to going to bed last night and now it feels as if Jason Statham just kicked me in the neck. I guess I need a firmer pillow and not one you can fold and put in your pocket. Anyhoo, I'll get over it.

Last week, The Mrs. and I spent Sunday-to-Sunday in Carlsbad (San Diego), CA for her birthday. Not only did we have a great and relaxing time, I also slept much better than I did last night (the pillows were firm at the SeaPointe Resort)!

The one thing that I did gain even more perspective on, while vacationing there, was the value of hard work. I met and unofficially interviewed almost every housekeeping and maintenance employee at our resort. To hear them talk about the jobs situation in America was fascinating to me.

One person in particular that I met was a housekeeper named Caridad was from Mexico. She has been in the states for most of her adult life (I'm guessing she was mid-20's). I asked her, "if I were to move to Carlsbad, would I have a problem finding a job?"

She replied, "office job?"

"No, just a good job." 

"There are plenty of good jobs here, but a lot of people only want desk jobs."

Intrigued, I followed, "why is that?"

"I don't know. Americans don't like to sweat."

Of course, she followed that statement with a nervous laugh to try not to offend me. I wasn't offended at all. I knew exactly what she meant. American-born people tend to want things easy when it comes to the job. I remembered my days of working in a cell phone company's call center and seeing people complain about being "tied to the phones."

But, every other day at the resort, I watched a 50-something Hispanic woman rake even rows in the sand of a beach volleyball area. It took her 20-30 minutes to erase all of the footprints, but she did it and made sure that the rows were even.

I recall wanting some more towels for our bedroom and watching Caridad run to retrieve them. When she returned, I asked her why did she run and she simply replied, "to get them to you faster."

Really? Who does that?  Was it because I was nice to her and I spoke to her daily or just because she understands the real meaning of customer service?

Don't get me wrong. We all complain about our jobs at some point. Mainly over the people we deal with more so than the job, but we complain nonetheless.  I'm sure that even LeBron James wishes he could stay in bed late some days instead of going to the gym. Even a male photographer for Playboy Magazine probably gets tired of packing luggage to go all over the world for nude photo shoots.  Well, maybe I'm reaching there.

From the Filipino woman at the airport named Tess, who was very helpful, to the Pacific Islander Seapointe Resort front desk attendant named Olga, who had the most pleasant of attitudes, I learned something: I learned that we have people, born and raised, in this country capable of being hard workers. The difference between the U.S. and the places where these particular employees originated is the culture.

We don't teach the value of hard work like we once did. So many people have rapped/sang, ran/jumped and sex-taped their way to financial freedom that a lot of us just wait on our "big break" instead of creating it. Do you know how many kids that I know who want to be a singer/rapper, basketball/football player, reality star, etc.? A lot more than when I was in school, that's for sure.

The point that I'm trying to make is that people aren't born lazy. We're turned into lazy bums by enablers. We have companies (insert fast food restaurant here) who hire "warm bodies." Some companies could care less if you're nice to the customers.  They just need you to flip the burgers and take the money.

We have parents who do everything for their children. "Helicopter parents" who hover over their child and won't let him/her do anything on their own.  And then other people have to deal with their children once they become "adults."

We have the media who portray sluts, slackers and drunks as idols.  No need to have talent!  Just do something really stupid that people will talk about on Twitter.

Where did we go wrong? (Sigh)

I enjoyed our vacation in Carlsbad.  I hope that some day we'll be going back to Cali for another stay.  I not only enjoyed the weather and sights there, but I also learned that there are people in this country who still take pride in their work.

It's just that must of them weren't born here...

Are we too far gone as a culture to restore a hard-working attitude back into the U.S.?

Chink In The Armor? Really, ESPN?

Some people just haven't a clue. You see, this is what happens when you raise people without teaching them to seek out and appreciate diversity. What's the end-result for not doing so? An idiot. People can't be that racist stupid, can they?

- An ESPN employee was fired for using the phrase "Chink In The Armor" as a headline on ESPN.com after an Asian-American hoops sensation and the Knicks suffered a loss. The headline was only up for roughly 30 minutes before someone decided it would be a good idea to change it.

- A few days prior to that, ESPN News anchor, Max Bretos used the term "Chink" in reference to Jeremy Lin, who is Taiwanese.

- Even MSG, which owns the Knicks, had a graphic on their TV station that showed Jeremy Lin popping out of a fortune cookie. A freakin' fortune cookie!

- Columnist, Jason Whitlock, also tweeted a racist remark about Lin, but later gave a weak apology and blamed his sense of humor for the racial blast. Well, he's racist against his own race some times, so maybe I shouldn't even include him in this discussion.

Look. I understand that everything that's offensive wasn't intended to be racist. The person who thought "Chink in the Armor" was a catchy title probably has no idea that it was offensive because:

A) a lot of younger people don't embrace and study history
B) he probably wasn't taught that it was offensive

I know a guy who is the absolutely nicest guy in the world and he once referred to an Asian woman as "Oriental." After I corrected him, he felt pretty badly. The thing is: he was a 30 year old man who just didn't know. I've even seen people in their 20's use the term "colored" in referencing black people. Probably because they don't know any blacks or cared to learn about any.

I grew up in what was basically an all "black and white" town. I would have loved the opportunity to have friends of other races while growing up. Eventually, my town became more diverse in my early 20's. That gave me an opportunity to ask/learn more. Prior to that, I still took time to try and learn about different cultures as a youth from reading Encyclopedias, watching documentaries, the internet, etc.

The point I'm trying to make is this: racist remarks don't have to be intentional. You can be ignorant of something, make a statement, get badly beaten and wake up in a roadside ditch. Don't wake up in a roadside ditch (some of you will get that reference and laugh uncontrollably). If you're dealing with someone of another background, then maybe it would behoove you to try and learn a little something before opening your mouth.

I like Jeremy Lin. ESPN talks about him too much, but they don't understand restraint, so that's a given for them. Despite that, I think he is good for the NBA and he could be good for diversity (if people took the time to actually learn more about him). He defies all of the NBA stereotypes: he's not black, he's an Ivy-league grad and he hasn't dated a Kardashian (although I heard Kim arranged to meet Jeremy).

Don't do it, Jeremy!!!!!

Bottom line: If you are going to have a job dealing with the public, then it's your responsibility to learn about the public. Not knowing that a phrase offends a race, gender or sexual preference is rarely a good excuse. If you can't take it upon yourself to learn about the people in this country, then do everyone a favor: never leave your home or have children.




How can we improve diversity in America?

BREAKING NEWS!!!

"Did you get my text, Q?"

It's Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 7:03 AM. My cell phone buzzes with a text message. I reach over from my bed to the night stand and pick it up. It's a message from a friend of mine from high school. It simply reads: "R.I.P. Joe Pa."

Huh? I sit up and try to focus my eyes. I read the message again... "R.I.P. Joe Pa."

20 minutes later, I get another text from someone else with a similar message. Now, I'm really pissed. Not because I have some sort of connection to the late, great Penn State Coach, Joe Paterno, who passed away from cancer. But, because someone has disturbed me out of my sleep trying to be Katie Couric. Cell phones and social networks have turned everyone into news anchors. In a world where news travels the speed of a click, I'm stuck with a bunch of people trying to be the first to deliver breaking news.

On the night prior to this, CBS Sports released a report from a Pennsylvania blogger that Joe Paterno had died. No one bothered to verify the report, but CBS, wanting to be first, posted the false report and later had to retract it and post an apology. However, before the apology was posted, the false report generated tons of tweets and Facebook status updates. I even got into a brief argument with a former co-worker of mine about it. She posted Joe Pa had died and I told her the allegations were premature. Then she had the nerve to get snarky with me.

Of course, she never responded to my last update. She was so anxious to be the first person to announce breaking news that she was willing to look like an idiot doing so. And to announce the death of a person who was still alive on top of that! When singer, Etta James, died this past Friday, a 20-something FB "friend" of mine posted "R.I.P. Etta James. You will be missed." Someone replied to her and asked what her favorite Etta James song was and the lady never replied. The post was subsequently deleted by the young lady and my guess is: she probably had never knowingly heard an Etta James song in her life. She just wanted to be the Walter Cronkite of Facebook and post that Etta had died. I'm guessing she was even too lazy to Google Etta's hit songs and fake a reply to the post. I saw the same thing happen when Elizabeth Taylor died. People who only knew the overweight Liz were baffled at some of the photos they saw of the young, absolutely stunning, Liz. They never really knew who she was, but felt the need to post "she will be missed."

Social media and cell phones have turned our society into a bunch of low-budget reporters. Everything gets filmed. Everything gets passed on to millions of people online. Can you imagine the number of YouTube hits the Rodney King beatings would have received had it happened in 2012? Can you even fathom the overload on Twitter had it been around when John Lennon was shot? Or what about the Facebook updates you would have seen from Baby Jessica falling in the well. (BTW, if you don't know any of those stories, then I suggest that you Google them and get caught up on some American Pop Culture history).

Baby Jessica rescue in 1987

I'm a huge fan of technology, but I hate when it falls into the wrong hands. Social media and cell phones allow for people who crave attention to have an opportunity to entertain their fans followers. Actual knowledge of the topic need not apply... as long as you're first.




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