Pick A Bale Of Cotton

Sometimes these blog posts just writes themselves.  An Arkansas senator named Tom Cotton said that slavery was a "necessary evil".  Well, unlike our American History books, to put things into context, he said that, "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil on which the union was built."

This conversation came up during an interview about how slavery should be taught in schools.  Cotton wants to cut funding for schools who use curriculum from the "1619 Project".

You don't have to be a history major to know that a lot of foul stuff was happening to black people in the 1600's.  That project was created to help students understand how this country was built on the backs of slaves.  It's a painful story to tell, but it does help to enlighten those who know very little about how this country came to be what it is today.  In no way, shape, or form is murdering, beating, and raping a group of people a "necessary evil".  It's evil, but it's very unnecessary.  I don't care in what context you attempt to use it.  However, he later said on Twitter that he wasn't endorsing the Founding Fathers stance on slavery.  Blah, blah, blah.  Cotton also made quotes that insinuated that despite America being a flawed country, it is a great country and he doesn't want it portrayed as being formed by a bunch of greedy, racists crooks.

And this is a huge problem that I have with American History school books.  They are incomplete.  They don't tell the real story of how this country came to be.  The treatment received by minorities would bring about a ton of shame onto a lot of prominent people.  Especially if names were mentioned.

Case in point, Senator Cotton is a descendant of slave owners.  There are documents floating around online now that show a will from his great-great-great-great (I'm unsure of how many "greats") grandfather leaving slaves to an heir.  So, I'm guessing that having to explain that part of history is not something he's wanting to get into.  In fact, I'm sure that a lot of surnames of prominent people would come up if we did a deep dive into the origin of slave owners.  There are a lot of rich people in this country who had wealth passed down to them from those who made it off of the backs of treacherous acts.

It's ironic that a man with the last name of "Cotton" has a problem with how slavery is taught in schools.  History should be no longer "white-washed" to tell "his story".  It should be told in its entirety so that people can begin to understand how "The Greatest Country in the World" has a lumpy carpet from the things being swept under the rug.

How To Listen To The Talk 2 Q Radio Show

Click here.  It's just that simple. :)

The Talk 2 Q Radio Show is a show for adults to get together and rant about whatever the trending topic may be. Relationships, race relations, politics, sports, and more! If you have something to get off your chest, then join the chat room and / or call in and let your opinions be known!

Unlike most shows where you simply listen to the host, I allow you a chance to do the talking. You have the opportunity to express an opinion or rant on a subject. I want to hear what you have to say which is why I named the show "Talk 2 Q" and not "Listen 2 Q."

The Call-in Number: (516) 595-8306. There is also the aforementioned chat room where you can interact with other listeners and ask questions to the host and / or guests.


Okay, enough of that. Let's talk about what I'm really about. Where do I start? I'm old school. That's an understatement to any of you who have followed me for a while, but it's a true statement. Being blessed with a two-parent household as a child, I was raised with many traditional values from the Hospitality State of Mississippi.

Examples: taking my hat/cap off before entering someone's home, holding a door for a lady to enter first, a firm handshake, making eye contact when speaking with people, and being accountable for my actions to name a few.

As crazy as it sounds, those things are becoming a lost art. Too many boys out there lack the man training that is necessary to continue the dwindling cycle of main components of manhood. Pride, responsibility, and accountability have been replaced with entitlement, dependency, and deflection. 

These are the things that fuel the passion for my radio show. I want to bring morals and values back to mainstream America one show at a time. Because although there are plenty of outlets for people to express themselves freely, there isn't one quite like T2Q.

Direct. Real. Uncensored. 

Why? Because "some things need to be said."

No Sports? Now What?

Never in my adult life has there ever been a period of time that I couldn't turn on TV and find some sports to watch.  I will pretty much watch any sport just because I love the spirit of athletic competition.  But here comes this funky COVID-19 ruining things for me and millions of others around the world.  It's way too early for an April Fool's Day joke.

The coronavirus has turned into a pandemic and sporting events are being either suspended indefinitely or canceled.  And I totally understand the seriousness of it all.  This virus is spreading like the flu and is causing mass hysteria around the world.  It sucks that it took something of this magnitude to get people to do the things they should have been doing since being old enough to attend kindergarten: wash their hands regularly and cover their mouth when they sneeze/cough.  

Without sports I'll find more time to blog, clear my DVR and read some more.  And of course, I'll tune into the reality show known as "world news" to see how our elected "leaders" are handling this crisis.  I truly hate politics when it comes to emergencies.  The people are usually secondary to political agendas.  Politicians aren't beneath using a crisis to further their agenda.  Here are some examples:

• Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, apparently tried to pass a coronavirus relief bill that came with an abortion-funding loophole chaser.  This is not the time to take advantage of the situation to get a bill passed.  Shame, Nancy!  
• President Trump banned travel to the U.S. except for in the UK and Ireland.  Not because they're coronavirus-free, but I'm guessing because he has golf resorts in those two countries.  The UK and Ireland have more cases of coronavirus then some of the other countries in the travel ban.  Greed.
• There's talk about offering corporate welfare to the airlines because people aren't traveling right now.  These companies fleece the general public around each holiday by jacking up already-high prices and now they need a handout?  Ridiculous.
• Bottled water and other essentials are slowly creeping up in price during a time of need.  Anything for an extra buck, right?

Corporations are still taking advantage of U.S. citizens despite the seriousness of the crisis.  Yet we still vote the same people into office each term who allow these companies to do so.  They should drug test all voters.  

As for the coronavirus that has taken over our lives as we know it, all we can do is wait and see what happens with all of this.  Are we closer to the movie "28 Days Later"?  Lord, I hope not.  

Why Are There So Many Churches Yet So Much Evil?

I left church yesterday and I drove around my city to find a good breakfast spot.  I live in a city of 24,000 people.  My North Jackson, MS suburb is about 18 square miles.  However, as I drove from the east side of the city to the west side, I must have passed 6 or 7 churches.  I saw all of the vehicles parked outside of each church.

I started thinking about all of the churches in Jackson (population 170,000).  You can drive a 5 mile stretch in that city and easily see 10+ churches.  I'm not sure how it is in other parts of the country, but in the South, there are more churches than gas stations on every other corner.  I'm not saying that this is a bad thing.  If you refer back to my first sentence, I attend church, too.  However, what I'm wondering is how are there so many evil people in the world if so many people attend church?

That leads me to believe one of two things: either most of the people who attend churches are hypocrites or churches are not effective teaching its parishioners how to become better people.  Or maybe it's both, I don't know.  Either way, there's a problem somewhere.

No one is perfect.  We all sin, but the level of nastiness in some people these days is astonishing.  I've met some very nasty and petty people in my life who are at church every time it opens.  They sing praises on Sundays and mistreat people the rest of the week.  Adulterers, liars, racists, greedy CEO's, gossipers, abusers, etc.  The list goes on.  Yet, they clean up on Sundays and sit in church and shout "amen" to a way of life that they don't even attempt to follow.

And despite the fact that so many of them know their holy scriptures like the back of their hand, for some reason, it doesn't apply to them.  You can't tell them that they're doing anything wrong without backlash

.  After all, only God can judge you, right?  Good luck with that when you meet Him.

America Has Hit Rock Bottom

It was bound to happen.  That big "thud" that you heard after the last election was this country hitting rock bottom.  This country is in a very, very bad place and it's not going to get better any time soon.

Racism is as prevalent as it's ever been over the past 50 years.  Politicians are more corrupt than every before.  Jobs are non-existent despite the fact that our infrastructure is crumbling like an Oreo in Shaquille O'Neal's back pocket.  Violent crime rates are higher than giraffe nostrils while cops are shooting first and not asking questions later.

All of this comes from an accumulation of things over the past 30 or 40 years.  Because of that, it can't be fixed overnight.  But make no mistake about it.  It can be fixed.

Well, not racism.  That's never going away in the U.S.  This country was built on racism, so it has no choice but to continue to spawn racism.  You can't plant an apple tree and expect oranges, no matter how hard you wish for them.

But, everything else can be fixed.  We can vote crooked politicians out of office if we actually took time to think.  We get swayed by name recognition and political party loyalty when we step into a voting booth.  And while I'm on the topic, let me step on my soapbox for a minute...

(steps on soapboax)

Black people need to stop voting for Democrats as a default.  The only reason that I say that is because Democrats are so confident that we're going to vote for them, that they don't even try to do anything substantial for us.

When I was a child, I remember countless Democratic candidates coming to my neighborhood to speak to the voters.  They asked questions and acted like they truly wanted to earn our votes.  As an adult, do you know how many Democrats have visited my current neighborhood?

Zero.

I've been visited by plenty of Jehovah's Witnesses, but the next Democratic candidate to step into my driveway will be the first.  And I've lived here for 20 years.

As for Republicans...  They refuse to even make the effort to meet with black people because they know that we're not going to vote for them any way.  Black people got upset that Donald Trump didn't meet with certain black "leaders".  Why should he?  For PR?  Would you waste your time visiting someone that you knew was biased against you?

No, you probably wouldn't.  Until black people make Democrats earn their votes once again, then we'll keep getting what we're getting.  You can't do the same thing over and over and expect different results.  That's just dumb.

(steps off soapbox)

Dag, what was I talking about again?  Oh, yeah.  'Murrica...

Until we do away with political parties, our country will continue to spiral out of control.  How can you have a United States if everyone is divided?  How can you say "united, we stand, but divided, we fall" when it's always "us vs. them"?  If we simply took the time to think, we could turn this country around.  The people have the power.  We're just too lazy or dumb to use it.

Freakin' sheep.

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.

Does Jackson, #Mississippi Deserve Entertainment?

Another opportunity missed in the capital city of the Magnolia State. The state of Mississippi is known for its parks, waterways, and museums. All of that is an awesome opportunity to educate yourself on nature, history, and more. However, what's a state without a little fun now and then? And what's a capital city without family fun events to treat the kids?

For those not familiar with the capital city of Jackson, there really isn't a lot to do when it comes to tourist entertainment. We locals can usually find things to do to occupy our time now and then.  Whether it's eating out or visiting live music venues. But, visitors don't have it as easy. There just isn't enough on the menu to make someone say, "hey, let's spend a weekend in Jackson!"

The citizens have blamed the politicians for this dilemma and normally, I would agree with them. But, not this time. This time the citizens appear to have no one to blame but themselves.

An event called "Slide the City" started advertising on social media towards the beginning of Spring. They were taking advanced sales for admission to the biggest water slide the city has ever seen. It's a huge, mobile water slide that tours cities across the nation and allows people to slide as far as three blocks. What kid wouldn't enjoy a water slide that goes that far? You would think that people would be all over it and that the advanced orders would sell out quickly. Wrong.

Welcome to Jackson, Mississippi.

A place where people complain that there needs to be more to do, but won't support what's already here or wants to come here. SMH. We've seen miniature golf courses, go-kart tracks, bowling alleys, arcades, movie theaters, and more all go the way of the dinosaur over the past couple of decades. Once the newness wore off, people stopped going. Once they stopped going, the places basically ran themselves into the ground.

When I was growing up, we had four or five movie theaters in the city. However, we haven't had one in roughly 20 years and I'm thankful that someone is finally building one that opens next year. I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson was the only capital city in the nation without a movie theater.

I know that the citizens aren't 100% the blame for the lack of things to do. I just get frustrated when there's an opportunity to support something and we choose not to do it. We had a Strikeforce mixed-martial arts event back in 2010 at the Jackson Convention Center. Showtime was there to film the event and there was a huge production behind it. I got my tickets and had a great time watching the fights. But, the enthusiasm and support just wasn't there.  I don't think that Showtime has been back to Jackson since and I'm guessing that they won't ever again.

It's time to stop blaming politicians for everything. Yes, they can do more to help the city's entertainment venues grow, but we need to do our part as well to entice entertainment opportunities to come. Businesses see other businesses pulling out of the city and it deters future businesses from coming.

Besides, to deny a water slide in August in Mississippi is just craziness to me. It's 95+ degrees and you don't want to slide in water for a weekend?  Now the kids who had their parents pre-order their tickets are disappointed.  They have nothing different to discuss when school returns.

I guess it's just another day in the capital city.

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.

Men Deserve Birth Rights

It can protect your bank account, too.

I'm not a father, but I feel the pain of so many of them who try and do the right thing.  Men have very few rights when it comes to a child's birth.  Some would go as far as to say that they don't have any rights whatsoever. It's sad in a few cases and unfair in a lot of them.

Here are the options that a woman has after she finds out that she's pregnant:

1. She can have the baby.
2. She can abort the baby.
3. She can put the baby up for adoption.
4. She can just leave the baby at a fire station or church.
5. She can tell a man the child is his (even if it isn't) and collect support (if not challenged in court by a certain period of time).

Here are the options that a man has when he finds he got someone pregnant:

1. They can attempt to adopt the baby if she puts it up for adoption.
2. They can opt not to pay child support and risk jail time.

Of course, I'm not an expert so I may have missed something, but that's basically it.  Everything pretty much depends on what the mother decides.  He may want to marry her and be there for the child, but if she wants to abort then he can't stop her.  He may not want to have anything to do with the child at all, but if she wants him to pay child support then he will or go to jail.

Men are at the mercy of women in all matters involving a child's birth.  Even men who aren't even the fathers.  #5 on my list for women alluded to that.  Case in point: let's say that a man and woman are married and she gets pregnant in an affair.  DNA proves that he's not the father, but he could still be forced to pay child support because they're married.  

If a woman tells a man he's the father of a child and he finds out three years later that he isn't, then he's still on the hook for 15 more years if she chooses to stick it to him.  Although he may not have thought he had a reason to petition the courts he still has to "beat the clock" to possibly get out of support.  If not, he could wind up paying for another man's child if she refuses to remove him from the birth certificate.

Do you think that it would work if men had the option to waive their rights to a child without the threat of forced child support?  Would that make women think twice about unprotected sex?

I know that it sounds unfair to the women, but we've already gone over what's unfair to the men and the list is lengthy.  Besides, women are normally the ones carry the child and who wind up being responsible for the child.  So, shouldn't they be the ones who should think twice about birth control since they go through so much?  I know that sounds like the words of a chauvinist, but I think if you looked at that with an unbiased eye that you would at least consider where I'm coming from on it.

Or what about the default for custody disputes being joint custody?  Isn't that what is best for the child anyway?  Why does it always seem that it has to be one parent or the other in these cases?  Why can't it always default to 50/50 custody?

What do you think?  Shouldn't men have some sort of say so in regards to the birth of a child?

Kseniya Ryzhova / Tatyana Firova = Tommie Smith / John Carlos?

I saw something this weekend and had no idea that I may have been watching history. Russian track stars, Kseniya RyzHova and Tatyana Firov, violated the anti-gay laws of Russia by protesting at the IAAF track championships in Moscow. The Russians won the gold medal in the 4 x 400 meter sprints for the first time in roughly 10 years. They celebrated/protested with a kiss on the medal podium. Was this similar to Tommie Smith and John Carlos holding up the Black Power Fist on the podium in the '68 Olympics in Mexico?  Was this the opportunity for a breakthrough in the LGBT community that they have been looking for as of late?

Russian laws state that no one is allowed to discuss or display homosexuality in front of children.  However, what Ryzhova and Firova did put them on display not only in front of the children in the Moscow stadium, but also around the world.  It was the boldest in-your-face slap to Russian leaders that one could show on broadcast television.

It reminded me of a part of history I wasn't old enough to see which occurred during the '68 Olympics in Mexico City.  200 meter sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith represented the United States during a time there was conflict in South Africa and racial segregation in America.  To show solidarity with both movements, Carlos and Smith raised their fists (with black gloves on) to indicate Black Power.  They did it on the medal stand as the National Anthem was played despite the fact that it would piss off plenty of people here in the states.  In fact, the two lived as outcasts to many people instead of Olympic heroes for a long time because of the gesture.

Will the iconic display of affection during Sunday's event will have the same effect in Russia that the Black Power pose had in the United States?  The Olympics is no stranger to protests of all sorts, so it makes you wonder what some athletes may have in store for the upcoming Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Although I don't think that the struggle of Gay Rights equally compares to that of Civil Rights, I do think that they sometimes take the same paths.  Just like the Civil Rights Movement, the Olympics could wind up being the portal to project the LGBT movement to the world.

The Olympics had quite an impact on me as a young boy and it still resonates with me to this very day.  I have a poster of the Black Power pose on the wall of my man cave along with Muhammad Ali, who won gold in the 1960 Olympics, and Jessie Owens, who made a statement against Hitler with four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics.

Could we one day see a poster on the walls of Russian teens of the Russian sprinters kissing?  Then again, a poster of two Russian ladies kissing wouldn't be bad for American men to put in their rooms either.  LOL!  What?  I'm just sayin'!

Do you think this move will ultimate pay off for the Russian ladies or will they come to regret it?

"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!"

Enough, Republicans! You Lost!

There, there, Mittens, it will be okay.

I can't believe the amount of stupidity that has flooded my Google Reader over the past week or so. President Obama gets re-elected and just when I thought people couldn't lose their minds even more, I was proven wrong.

Enough, Republicans! You lost!

Can't you take a butt-whipping like an adult?  I haven't seen this many people griping since Dave Chappelle walked away from his genius of a show and millions of dollars.

For those who read my blog regularly, you know that I despise both political parties.  I think that they both find different ways to get my money and pocket it.  Having said that, I still go out and vote for the lesser of two evils, for lack of a better phrase.  Sure, I could vote for a third party, but we all know that they never come close to winning.  Maybe if they got included in debates... oh, wait!  They aren't invited because they can't afford it.

Thanks to media campaign headquarters news stations like MSNBC and FOX News, people have completely lost their marbles.  These stations get people so riled up that they feel that a person's vote is a personal attack against them some how.  Example: this nut who ran over her husband with an SUV because he didn't vote (for Mittens).  You read that correctly.  Not a woman who got cheated on and got upset, but someone who was so distraught over Obama winning, that she took it out on her husband for abstaining from the polls.

Or, this guy killed himself over Obama's re-election.  He tooks some pills and left a note that said, "Do not revive!  F---, Obama!"  Now that's the true definition of a sore loser.  Why did he feel that it wasn't even worth living rather than dealing with Obama for four more years?

Although these stories should have been surprising... they weren't. Because people do extreme things to make a point these days. And they get no more extreme than ending your own life. Now, I've been mad in my life before, but ending my own life over someone getting a job has never crossed my mind.  Here's another example of a sore loser on Squatlo's page.

Now, I will admit that this goes both ways. I know some people who were so proud of Obama getting re-elected that you would have thought he was a relative. Sore winners, if that's a word. The people who wore their "Re-Elect Obama" t-shirt to work, the day after the election, knowing that it was going to start an argument.

Newsflash: Obama doesn't know you. 

But, I digress. Face it, Republicans: you put up a decent fight and lost. Admit it. Louisiana Republican and 2016 candidate, Bobby Jindal, admitted it and so can you.  Go back to the drawing board and maybe work on actually having a plan in 2016.  With Jindal and Chris Christie, at least your candidates will be a lot more interesting.

Don't you think too many everyday people are taking this re-election too personally?

Things That Affect Your Daily Life



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It's almost Election Day and you can tell it's close by all of the ads showing on TV each day.  I always wonder just how much better the economy would be if people would put the money spent from campaigning into actually creating jobs.

(Sigh)

Oh, well.  I know it's just a pipe dream, but maybe one day politics will make sense.  Who am I fooling?  It never will.  We'll continue to put people in office who only have interest in keeping their jobs.  Every now and then you'll find someone genuine who truly wants to help, but they usually don't last long.  The other politicians will find ways to get rid of that person or vote against everything proposed.

The best way for us to fight selfish agendas locally and in Washington is to vote for people who have our interests at heart.  And no, I don't mean someone who may or may not ban guns, or who may or may not have a war on drugs/terrorism.  Those aren't interests, those are political platforms.  There is a difference and the state of our country depends on you knowing the difference.


Your interests are things that affect your daily life: 

Can you buy groceries? 

Are your bills being paid on time? 

Do you have enough for retirement? 

Are your kids getting a decent education? 

Is your environment absent of pollution? 

Are your neighborhoods safe?

Yet, we argue over a war on the other side of the world, whether rape victims can get an abortion, apples in vending machines and if marijuana should be legal.  The list goes on.

Do you see how stupid that is?  Every day, our focus is on things that do not affect the average person's daily life.  I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone who gets daily abortions, but I know people who need to eat three times per day.  I don't care if you want to believe in a religion different than mine or none at all, but I care about my god kids being able to afford college.  I don't care if my taxes are raised as long as I have a salary fair enough for me to afford it.

Do you see where I'm going?  Each day, we're beaten over the head by "news" that tells us what we should be upset over.  They tell us that only a Democrat or a Republican can solve our problems.  Two rich parties that spend more money campaigning to get themselves re-elected than you'll ever make in 200 lifetimes.

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I'm not telling you to abstain from voting.  That's probably the absolute dumbest choice of them all.  If you don't vote, then you don't count.  What I am saying is to vote responsibly.  Don't let family tradition lead you down another generation of stupidity.  Do your homework and vote to promote your daily life and not these fabricated political issues.

Don't be the fool who brags, "I helped get marijuana legalized" and you can't even afford to buy it because you're unemployed.

Don't be the idiot who pumps his chest over voting for/against gay marriage and your kid has a metal detector at his/her school because of recent classroom shootings.

Don't be the nut who jumps for joy that 25,000 more soldiers are sent overseas while 35,000 jobs go with them.

It's time to put on your big boy/girl pants and think for yourself for a change.  Stop letting CNN, MSNBC and FOX News put thoughts in your head.  Learn how to separate the real from the manufactured.  These people rely on you being emotional about what they're saying instead of logical.  That's why they have these outrageous stories and headlines to push your buttons.  Emotional people make stupid decisions.

So, the next time you turn on one of those "news" channels, be sure to take the time to ask yourself after each segment of the show, "is who a person is praying to, sleeping with, etc. affecting my ability to put food on the table and keep the lights on?"

What percentage of politicians do you think really care about the United States?

Using Your Voice

It's about time. Time for what, you ask? It's about time that some mainstream black athletes finally showed some concern for something other than themselves. Now, I'm sure you're saying to yourself, "but, athletes give money to charities all of the time on top of visiting kids hospitals, etc."

Yeah, but all of that is the safe thing to do. How many of today's black athletes actually stand up for a cause that's political? How many of today's athletes stand up for a cause that's racial? For something that involves the possibility of losing a sponsor therefore losing one of many paychecks?

I'm sure by now, unless you've been living under a rock a la a Geico commercial, you've heard of the Trayvon Martin shooting tragedy. If you haven't, then Google it. Long story, short, the Miami Heat basketball team did a photo shoot of all of the players wearing hoodies just like Trayvon was when he was killed. To many, this photo means absolutely nothing, but to a black man like myself, it's a breath of fresh air.

Reportedly organized by LeBron James, this photo represents so much to black culture. In a world where no one wants to have an opinion on anything political because they want to avoid scrutiny, these guys, black and white, took a stand. And it's not LeBron's first political statement. He once said that if he could dunk on anyone in the world, that he would dunk on and shatter the backboard on George W. Bush. That's a strong statement from someone who I'm sure has to see Republican season ticket holders sitting courtside at his games.

Muhammad Ali, the most polarizing figure in the history of sports (despite what Skip Clueless Bayless thinks), was the first person to turn an athlete into a celebrity. However, he was willing to throw all of that fame away to take a stand in what he believed. His beliefs actually landed him in jail for a period of time in the prime of his career.

That doesn't happen now. It hasn't happened on a regular basis in 30 years. Michael Jordan once famously said that he wouldn't endorse a Democratic candidate in a local election because "Republicans buy shoes, too." He would rather be selling shoes than using his celebrity status to bring awareness to something political. That's mainly the reason that I'm not a fan of the off-the-court Michael Jordan. He's very selfish and would rather add millions to his millions rather than make a difference in the world.

If you have the spotlight and you're not using your voice, then you may as well lose it all together. LeBron James and the Miami Heat have decided not to fall prey to pressure. The photo may not be as powerful as the one from the '68 Olympics with Tommie Smith and John Carlos, but it does make a statement that justice has not been served in the case of Trayvon Martin. I'm not saying who's innocent or guilty, I'm just saying start the process already!

This blog is about common sense. Sure, I do blog postings on things that are funny, provocative or random, but ultimately, the message I want to convey is that "there's always another way of doing things." People who have the means to make a difference in the country prefer not to do so because they don't want to stop their cash flow. No one wants to rock the boat.

Well, I'm glad LeBron James and the Miami Heat decided to do so. It's amazing how something so simple, so subtle, can be so important.

From the Courthouse to the White House

@DivorceCourt, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Mathis, People's Court and Judge Judy are all staples in my late night / weekend TV viewing. I have a background in law from college and I've always been fascinated with court TV. Although some of the court TV shows are staged with fake cases, some of the older ones are real cases with a little bit of a "reality show" production to add drama.

The main draw for me towards these shows (aside from Judge Lynn Toler being hot) is how each judge is unbiased and fair. That's something that I'd argue we don't get from the U.S. Supreme Court being that their political affiliation is their most important credential to most people. But, the court TV judges don't use politics to influence their rulings. They use the law. Everything is cut and dry and problems get resolved. The end-result may not be pleasing to the litigants, but it's fair and based on the law.

Why can't we move this mentality from the courthouse to the White House? Why is it that we can't make decisions based on what's fair instead of what's beneficial to an agenda? We continue to elect a Congress who invents new ways each day to not work together. Their only focus from the time they get elected is to get re-elected. It's not to help the people who actually put them in office (unless your donations to their campaign are large).

I say we elect some TV judges to the White House! Just the basic concept of fairness would be enough to turn this country around in one term. It's too late for 2012, but come 2016, I want to see these judges get together and run for office. With as many viewers as Judge Judy has, I know she could pull down some votes.

Okay, seriously, for those who read my blog, you know that I believe in fairness. I try to avoid any bias, hypocrisy or double standard that may arise from a topic. I don't think it's that hard for people to live in this country and be successful and happy as long as everyone is doing their part. The problem is: that rarely seems to be the case. So, when someone steps out of line and infringes upon the rights of others, don't you think that the resolution should be swift and unbiased?

Think of how many problems Judge Marilyn Milian could resolve in just an hour. Maybe even in 45 minutes if you take out the commercials! LOL!

If Congressional rulings were based on the Constitution and fairness instead of personal opinions, do you think the U.S. would be better off?

Black History is American History

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've heard all of the jokes about blacks being given the shortest and coldest month. Hardy, har, har. Well, as a black man, I think that the fact we still have to designate a month to celebrate black history only shows that this country is still going the wrong direction when it comes to race relations.

Why do we need to set aside a certain time of the year to remember the contributions of black people to this country? I turn on my television and I start to see all of these Black History Moment commercials describing something a black person did that benefited people of all races. From the lawn mower to the air conditioning unit, black inventors have contributed greatly during the history of this country. But, I have to wait once a year to hear about it? Pathetic. This country is considered as The Great American Melting Pot, but what are we cooking?

I acknowledge Black History Month, but I don't celebrate Black History Month. Why? Because Black History is American History. They are one in the same. I should be able to open an American history book and see all of these contributions. And before every black reader thinks to themselves, "Amen to that," remember that it goes both ways. Why do we not hear about the white people who contributed to the promotion and equality of black people? We, as black people, have come a long way over the last 100 years, but don't act like we did it alone. We had help.

Charles Follis is credited to be the 1st black pro football player.

So, this is what I suggest that we do going forward: let's get past being "the first" black to do something. To celebrate someone was the "first black" to do something indicates that we're still not where we need to be. It means that we lack representation in something. When Obama won the presidency in 2008, most people said, "thank, God."

I said, "About time."

Black people need to push for our history to be a part of American history and do away with a designated month and video clips of MLK that we've all seen 1,000 times. When are we going to ask for what we deserve instead of just taking what we're given?




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#Verizon Rage

This is a long post, but I'm telling a story with a lesson, so bear with me. When I was in the Verizon store today, I received some news of a policy of theirs that aggravated me so greatly, that I couldn't wait to get home to blog about it. I was tweeting about my displeasure while in the store and how the only reason I'm still with Verizon is because they're less evil than AT&T. A person shouldn't have to choose any company based on who sucks less, but that's what we have in 2012.

But, by the time I got home, I grabbed my laptop and started this rant. Verizon will only allow one phone to be upgraded on a family plan. Dumbest thing I've ever heard in a long time. Two phones on the plan, but I can only upgrade one of them today. I'll have to wait until August before the other phone is eligible to upgrade (and they can get another 2-yr contract out of me eight months from now). Don't hold your breath, Verizon.

I do want to mention that there was a nice, young lady who assisted me (I said I wouldn't mention her name in the post despite the fact that she was the only pleasant thing about my trip into the store). She answered all of my questions and explained things to me thoroughly before we made the decision to buy the phone anyway. I can't have The Mrs. without a phone she can't rely on, so it was necessary to go ahead and get the phone for her.

So, I'll just hope that my phone can last me until August because if not, I'll have to pay full price for a new phone since I can't upgrade. But, despite my aggravation, there was another guy in the store who was just a tad bit more pissed than I was. Well, let me stop lying, he was way more pissed than me. Here's what happened...

A young, male employee storms back to the counter followed by what looked to be a pre-teen boy. They're having a heated discussion about equipment insurance. The boy is being really rude to the Verizon rep and the rep loses it and says, "Look, I'm grown! You're not going to talk to me like that!"

The boy rushes out of the store and returns seconds later with his father who appears hot under the collar. He slams his hand on the counter which causes everyone to stop talking and turn around. "I want your general manager's name NOW!"

The Verizon employee bites his lip and looks like he's about three seconds from performing an over-hand gorilla slap on the guy when a co-worker escorts him to the back room. The man beats on the table and screams out again, "I want your general manager's name now! I've spent $35,000 for my business in this place and you all are constantly rude to me! This is the 3rd incident I've had happen in this location."

A store rep comes out and tries to calm the man down, but he's not having it. She starts, "Sir, I can get your number and have our general manager call you?"

"I don't want him to call me! I want his name and number now or I'll get you fired, too!"

"Sir," she says calmly, "let me get your name and number..."

He then turns to his son, "Were you rude to that man?"

"No, sir," replied the son which was a blatant lie.

The man pounds the desk one more time and then screams his demands. Everyone in the store is staring at this point and I'm borderline ready to pull out my phone and start filming in case he goes "O.J." on an employee. But, after three-to-five minutes of ranting, he finally gets a name, pounds the counter one last time with the palm of his hand and storms out mumbling about "idiots." His storming out did include him slamming up against the door as if he wanted to take it off the hinges.

Everyone in the store is standing in disbelief in complete silence. The young lady who was helping me did confirm that the man does spend a lot of money in the store. She personally knew of $3,000 worth of equipment he bought once, so he was a valued customer. "Valued customer?" Hmmph. Isn't that an oxymoron? Kind of like "jumbo shrimp?"

But, despite the fact that the man handled everything all wrong, I don't really fault him. I fault the employee who got into it with his son. When you work with the public, you have to know how to control yourself and not let people push your buttons. Yet this dude got riled up by a 12-year old? Seriously, dude? Chris Brown thinks that you have a short temper. You can't let a child cost you your job. Even 15 minutes after the man and his son had left, this guy is still coming out of the back room and cursing under his breath. These young bucks today are way too emotional. Man up.

As for the angry customer, although he was wrong in acting a donkey in public, I get his frustration. Although he pays a ton more money for his business to have cell phones than I do for me and The Mrs., we're still two paying customers not getting the basic service. For him, it was not getting the customer service that he needed and for me, it was being told that I'm not important enough for any perks until my contract runs out.

This economy has kicked this country in the backside, but Congress has bestowed power upon these corporations that allow them to treat their customers any way they want. Where are you going to go? You're going to pay a termination fee to go some where else and be obligated for two more years? Hardly. And they know you're not able to go any where. Termination fees has replaced customer service. So, they're not obligated to even give you basic service yet alone, go the extra mile for you.

Companies used to bend over backwards for customers because we weren't obligated to stay. Current laws handcuff us to companies which allows them to mistreat you until a couple of months before your contract runs out. After that happens, then all of a sudden, "Mr. Q, sir, we will give you this cell phone today for free with a new two year agreement."

But, after I sign that agreement, then it's "screw you" for the next two years. I think the man who lost his cool today was tired of being screwed. What makes the afternoon so crazy is that I was more than likely going to get that Motorola Razr Maxx today. That was $300+ going to Verizon that they may now never get because of their policy. Now, I can't wait to cut ties with this company and let some other company put the screws to me. At least maybe they'll kiss me first before bending me over.




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Occupy White House

I've been following the #OccupyWallStreet protests on TV. I get a kick out of it! I think that it's great that people are banding together to go up against a common foe to improve this country. However, once again, I think the citizens are barking up the wrong tree.

Disclaimer: I have no problems with OWS or the people involved.

After reading that, you know I'm getting ready to piss some people off, huh? Well, I'll try not to do so because it's not my intention. Here's my question:


Why are we going after Wall Street instead of the people who enable them?

It's like The "War on Drugs." We're chasing the drug users and low-level dealers instead of the "big fish." What does that resolve? Nothing! That's why the "War on Drugs" title carries about as much weight as the "King of R&B" title Bobby Brown once claimed.

The politicians are the reason Wall Street has the power that it has. These people didn't come to power on their own. They bought their way into the White House and had their minions change the laws to bolster their greed. Didn't everyone see the video clip of the Wall Street employees sitting on their balconies, drinking champagne and taking cell phone photos of the protesters? They know the protesters can't touch them. They can march until Armageddon and nothing will ever change.

Yet, come Election Tuesday, when the people of the U.S. have the opportunity to actually remove the people who have been enabling Wall Street with the laws they need for tax loopholes and ridiculous bonuses, we do nothing. NOTHING!

I think you may still be dreaming.

It's time to Vacate Wall Street and Occupy White House. You don't have to spend your time marching up and down the street and dealing with the police when you can go right around the corner a few times a year and cast a ballot. Let those losers in the Democratic and Republicans parties know that their days in office are numbered.

- Replace them with Independents who would rather run on an honest campaign than the career polticians who are loyal only to Corporate America.

- Support those who campaign from money out of their pockets rather than those who have collected $100 million in campaign money and then turn right around and tell you that "we need to cut spending."

- Vote for someone who truly understands how to budget by feeding a family of four on a $70,000 household income rather than someone who has a car worth twice that.

- Elect someone who understands the struggle of people who work two jobs to get by rather than someone whose only boss in life was named "Dad."

We have the power to change what goes on in this country, yet we choose not to use it. We'll spend $10 on multiple votes for our favorite "American Idol," but won't go to the polls to vote for free on who will decide what to do with our salaries.



I applaud the 99%.

Do I think you'll actually get something changed? As much as I'd love to see it, no, I don't think you'll change anything. CEO's weren't always filthy rich. Corporations didn't always lay off Americans only to employ those overseas on the cheap. Banks didn't always come up with some made up transaction fee to milk even more money from your checking accounts.

The bottom line is this: there are only two things in this country that have been consistent throughout the increase of corporate greed we've seen over the past 30+ years: Democrats and Republicans.

Don't You Crave Fresh Meat?

"Isn't being a politician great, fellas?"

It's time to limit terms in Congress across the nation. Congress has single-handedly destroyed our country over the past decade. People always blame the president when the country fails, but the one consistent thing about this country's demise has been Congress.

Out Bush, in Obama. Have things changed?

No.

After Obama, will they change?

No.


Because Congress will still have the same dirty crooks in office because of idiot voters. Voters who make their decisions solely based on seeing a "D" or "R" beside a candidate's name. They don't know anything about the candidates or their track record, they just vote for them. I understand wanting to vote for someone who shares ideas of your own, but does that "D" or "R" guarantee that they do? I mean, how would you know if you didn't bother to find out?

We also have to blame those who choose not to vote. They play a big role in this, too. By not voting, they're basically saying that they're cool with the state of the country. Ironically, they also tend to be the biggest complainers.

So, we all know that this country is going through some things. Some really bad things. Our jobs are being sent overseas, the country is in debt and we're fighting two or three wars overseas that have gone on longer than World Wars I and II combined. Longer than the two World Wars, people!

It will only get better once we get rid of these career politicians. These people in Congress who have crawled into the White House and embedded their claws deep within the walls for a long stay. Strom Thurmond was a Senator from 1954 - 2003. He was 100 years old when he died in January '03. With all due respect to the elderly, do you really think a person who is 100 years old is fit to help run a country? 

Maybe he got re-elected because he ran on the Democratic ticket in 1954? Nah, it can't be that because he became a Republican in 1964. I'm guessing that he just continued to get re-elected because his name looked familiar on the ballot. Robert Byrd was also a virtual lifelong politician for West Virginia. Byrd became the longest-serving member in congressional history with 56 years of service.

"You'll love this job, John!  The benefits rock!"

So, here we are rolling up on another presidential election in 2012. We've spotlighted this upcoming election, but yet ignored the last Congressional election which is actually more important.  Congress has done an excellent job of distancing themselves from Obama. I'm not just talking about Republicans either. Democrats have shied away from supporting Obama as well.

Why? Because they have the mindset of: the best way to keep my job is to say that someone else sucks at doing his job. People with common sense know that the POTUS is basically a figurehead. Congress is the real driving force when it comes to getting things done in this country. But, if every day people knew that, they would direct their anger towards Congress and not the President, right?

And since Obama has a limit of how long he can be president anyway, then why not sacrifice him to get another term for yourself? The pay is great, lobbyists woo you constantly, free travel, TV face time and benefits galore.  Members of Congress become eligible for a pension once they reach the age of 50 (with 20 years of service) or are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62.

They also control their own pay raises. You read that correctly!  They have an automatic "cost of living" raise kicks in every year. In 1989, Congress passed an amendment allowing for the automatic raises, unless they specifically voted to reject it. Which Congress did, until 2000, the year the greed became an epidemic.  Why else would someone spend millions to campaign for a job that pays less than $200k a year?

When was the last time you voted on your own raise?

I read some where that as of the end June, Apple, Inc. had more cash and marketable securities than the United States of America. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but the thought of an electronics company being in better financial shape than an entire country is ridiculous!

Then again, with the tax rate on American corporations being so low, maybe it's not so surprising after all...

I want to send my readers over to visit Mooner and Squatlo.  If you want to read some good, quality, political blogging, then check them out and tell them that Q sent you. Be sure to ask Mooner how he feels about Rick Perry! Oh, and also, while you're there, ask Squatlo what his name means for me.

Move Over Oscar-Mayer! There's a New Weiner!

So, NY-Dem, Anthony Weiner, finally admitted to what everyone pretty much knew last week: he sent junk photos to some lady.

Aside from it not being in your best interest to be involved in a penis scandal with the last name "Weiner," it's also a bad idea to lie about something that would inevitably be proven. Not only did Weiner admit to sending a tweet of his underwear-bulging junk to some woman, he also mentioned that there were other women, ages unknown, he did the same before and during his marriage.

Now, personally, I don't care that he cheated. That's between Weiner and Mrs. Weiner and no concern of mine. The issue of him lying does bring his integrity in question. It now makes you wonder if he will (if he hasn't already) lie over something a lot more corrupt and detrimental to his constituents. The funny part about all of this is Weiner's refusal to leave social networking alone. He claims that he will keep his Facebook and Twitter accounts open and play it straight going forward. He also said that he's not quitting his job.

You know what? I don't blame him. Should he quit? Probably, but this isn't anything new in politics. Guys in politics have cheated since ever and it's just the perk of being a member of the "Good Ol' Boys' Network." If you get caught up in a scandal then there's a fake investigation. Not to see if you've violated ethics, but to see if your presence hurts the political party's PR or not. If the investigation drags on long enough, over time, something else will happen that will cause people to forget about you and what you did. Then people who only vote all Republican or all Democrat will vote you back in office because loyalty is more important than having values.

So, the man who has caused Oscar-Mayer's stock to drop (I stole that from a tweet), will now go back to his normal day-to-day life. He's thankful to be in a career that thrives on not doing your best, but showing that your opponent does worse. He's thankful that Oprah is no longer on the air to interview his wife (who I'm sure has book publishing company execs camping in her driveway). Most importantly, he's thankful that the tweets and posts filling the social networks are saying that he's "bigger" than Brett Favre.

Hey, while you're here, check out my guest posts that I've done over at Sonia's site (LogAllot.com) and Brandon's site(LostInIdaho.me)

How Do You Protect Your Brand? (guest post) ~ LogAllot

Mommy, Look at the Penguins! (guest post) ~ My Own Private Idaho