#PowerOutageRants

This is what happens when I get bored during a power outage...


(Scroll from the bottom and work your way up)

What do you do (or tweet) when you're bored?

Why Can't I See Michigan?

I'm so sick of websites like Ticketmaster, StubHub and the likes. They keep robbing innocent, hard-working people of their money as they legally scalp tickets at astronomical prices. I've been looking forward to seeing my Michigan Wolverines play the National Champion, Alabama Crimson Tide, since the game was announced in 2010. The game is being played in Cowboys Stadium which is the perfect place for me to finally see the Wolverines play for the first time. I had free tickets to see them play in a bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida a year ago, but I got the offer at the last minute and couldn't secure a flight to Florida for the game. It probably worked out well since Mississippi State beat them 52-14.

I finally go online to look into purchasing tickets and I'm met with ridiculous prices. $299 for Standing Room Only tickets? I can't even sit for $299?

Then I noticed that if I wanted to sit, that I would have to pay $375+ to sit so high from the field that I could change a light bulb in the stadium. Now I know Jerry Jones and the city of Arlington paid a billion dollars for the stadium, but I think it's ridiculous how they allow these ticket sites to jack the prices up even more. I once wanted to see Wanda Sykes perform in Biloxi, MS.  Although the face value of the tickets were around $65, they were being sold online for four times the amount! Not to mention that the hotel I wanted to book had almost tripled their normal rates as well.

At what point are we going to say "enough?" Our government does everything except protect the people. Why is it that I can be arrested for selling a ticket over face value, but it's okay for Ticketmaster to do it legally? Why do hotels reserve the right to raise their prices and price gouge those coming into town to see an event? The Sleep Inn I used to frequent during my Mardi Gras-going days was $60/night every year. In comes the Super Bowl and the price that weekend was $999. I kid you not. I didn't mistype that.

Sure, I have the option to stay at home and watch the Michigan/Alabama game (which is what I will do), but what happened to going places and getting memories? Gone are the days when a person can take their family to certain sporting events without taking out a loan first. If you want to see a pro football, basketball or hockey game, then you'll have to contend with outrageous parking fees, high admission fees and ridiculous concession prices. Baseball is still probably the most affordable of the major sports. Some music concerts are still affordable, too, depending on the act.



Do you think it's criminal for online venues to significantly raise ticket prices on events?

"They want to charge how much to see me!!!!????"

Lessons From France

I hate giving disclaimers, but given that some people rarely read these days, I must. We've become so accustomed to 140 characters or less and status updates, that paragraphs are just a haze. Because of that, we sometimes form opinions of something within seconds of reading the intro. That's why I'm giving this disclaimer: I am a black man and I love black women. Simple enough?

Now you're really curious on what I have to say, aren't you? :)

Who would guess that the U.S. could learn a few lessons from France? A country that is the butt of so many U.S. jokes is far more progressive than the U.S. could ever imagine. France seems to have a better grasp on race relations. They even ignore race when it comes to their census only seeing people as "French" instead of white, black, etc.  Does this mean that there is no bigotry in France?  Absolutely not.  But at least there is something that resembles unity with everyone being considered "French."  We still choose to remain White, African-American, Asian-American, Latino, etc.  Ironically, the only places we're really considered "Americans" are outside of the U.S. How sad is that?

Because of France's views on race, they're having a huge problem with the 1st "Miss Black France" pageant that's upcoming. Now, the promoters are arguing that the pageant is a good thing. They say it's going to shine the light on black women who lack media attention. Does having a contest force the media to cover it? If so, then I'm going to start a Common Sense Pageant (if I can find enough people to qualify).

If enough black women don't think they're being represented in the "Miss France" pageant, is joining a "Miss Black France" fixing anything? I have concerns with this. Representation can some times cause separation. If someone started a "Miss White France" pageant, then Al Sharpton would be on the next Concorde flight over to Paris.  Stop it.  Stop separating yourselves and sending subliminal messages that "you're not good enough" because you are good enough.  Anyone of any race can win any beauty pageant as long as the voting is unbiased.  If you feel as if you're not winning because of the voting, then fight to change judges, not pageants.

It’s definitely a “white man’s world,” but having a separate pageant won’t fix anything if you ask me. That’s like starting a new basketball league because the NBA won’t draft you. It’s your prerogative, but it’s still not the NBA. It’s well within the rights of of the black ladies to participate in their own competition, but I think it would be more productive to protest the Miss France competition.

I’d rather fight to desegregate than separate if I’m going to fight at all. 


Does it matter if pageants are separated by race?