Dear Huck Finn

Erasing the word 'nigger' from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn erase the dynamic that makes the book so memorable...

via Publisher's Weekly:

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic by most any measure—T.S. Eliot called it a masterpiece, and Ernest Hemingway pronounced it the source of "all modern American literature." Yet, for decades, it has been disappearing from grade school curricula across the country, relegated to optional reading lists, or banned outright, appearing again and again on lists of the nation's most challenged books, and all for its repeated use of a single, singularly offensive word: "nigger."

Twain himself defined a "classic" as "a book which people praise and don't read." Rather than see Twain's most important work succumb to that fate, Twain scholar Alan Gribben and NewSouth Books plan to release a version of Huckleberry Finn, in a single volume with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, that does away with the "n" word (as well as the "in" word, "Injun") by replacing it with the word "slave".

The term 'to whitewash', as defined by Dictionary.com, means:

•  to whiten with whitewash.
  OR
• to cover up or gloss over the faults or errors of; absolve from blame.

That second meaning is sacrosanct (look that up while you're at it) with trying to censor, make invisible or control the viewing of something. Whitewashing something literally means that whatever you had before is covered by plain white... Whatever was under it, no matter how ugly (or beautiful; depends on the beholder) is gone. Whitewashing is why the media butchers facts, why politicians are all liars and why by 2020 the Iraq War might not be in history books anymore. Whitewashing is what is happening to you, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, when the publishers of one of your new editions take the word 'nigger' out of your pages in lieu of 'slave'.

The word 'nigger' is synonymous with Southern culture from the early 1800s onward. It was as American as apple pie and baseball even past the Civil Rights Movement era. Though the negative stigma attached to its use has lessened the ease of its use, no doubt there are some people who still say 'nigger' as a term of hate towards Black people. That said, 'nigger', while hateful, is a part of Southern history, which is encapsulated in you, Huck Finn. Why are they trying to take some of your thunder away?

I'll tell you why: It's because people are uncomfortable with the ugly, hateful, detestable history of our country, and would rather whitewash over it with rosy rhetoric than paint the picture as it really was. It's because most people can't stomach the way 'nigger' was casually used in the South as not just a hateful word, but a general term for Black people. It's because people would rather gloss over the way things really were, to portray things the way they want them to be.

Somewhere in Anytown, Middle America, there is a 6th grade literature class going through a tour of classic American books, of which you are a part, Huck Finn. They're going to open your pages and take in the story, but instead of getting the truth - the real, gritty truth - they'll get the sugarcoated abridged version. They'll get the version in which Huck and Nigger Jim are equals in society's eyes, not the one where Huck first sees Jim as a 'nigger' before all else. Do people really want that? Do they want you to lose your effect. One of the reasons you were such a profound book is because of the candid portrayal of the racial attitudes that pervaded the U.S. at that time. Why would they want to rob you of that privilege? Why would they want to dilute you for the sake of safety? By taking 'nigger' out of your pages, the only bad vibe going away is the awkward moment when a white student has to say it around mixed racial company (I would've been able to live without that in my classroom). Censoring you, in essence is erasing the racist ideology that this country was built on, giving an imperfect and incomplete perspective on it. You, as a classic piece of literature, deserve more than that...

Dear Warren Buffett

I BANGS with this white man...

via ABC News:

In an exclusive interview on "This Week," Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, told Christiane Amanpour that the rich should be paying more taxes and that the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy should be left to expire at the end of December.

"If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further," Buffett said. "But I think that people at the high end -- people like myself -- should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it."

The full Buffett interview will air on a special Thanksgiving edition of "This Week" focused on The Giving Pledge, a major philanthropic effort spearheaded by Buffet, and Bill and Melinda Gates. The billionaire brushed aside Republican arguments that letting tax cuts expire for the wealthy would hurt economic growth.

"They say you have to keep those tax cuts, even on the very wealthy, because that is what energizes business and capitalism," anchor Amanpour said.

"The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on," Buffett explained.

It's ironic that sometimes the most well-off people in the world can be the most well-intentioned and well-read. When we think of wealth, we have a tendency to couple it with ignorance and selfishness, regardless of whether the person displays those traits outwardly. Wealth usually is coupled with those things as a subconscious way to keep that wealth, rather than say, donate it to those less fortunate. Such is the story of your case, Mr. Buffett. For the past decade the 'World's Richest Person' contest has been a two person race between you and Bill Gates, with your wallet weighing in a little heavier over the past few years. That said, you aren't like most billionaires, whose concerns only detail how they're getting their next buck, and who they have to run over to get it.

In a harrowing show of grace, you, Bill Gates and a number of other of the nation's wealthiest have pledged to give away a tremendous amount of your money to charity, which is commendable. Yet, that isn't even your most gracious act. With your platform and fame, you've spoken out against our 'bi-partisan' government and the GOP's plan to preserve the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, a group you're a part of. Not only does your stand make all the sense in the world, it's probably the most honest assertion that a rich man has made in the past decade.

Warren, you're the richest man in the world. By default, you have to know a thing or two about money, how it's made, how its spent and where it's going. We'd have to be pretty stupid not to heed whatever warning you give about the nation's finances. That you essentially endorsed Obama's agenda to end those tax cuts is indicative of your financial prowess. To the contrary, only a truly dumb financial mind could endorse the tax cuts and be certain that they are the best route for the country. The tax cuts enabled the rich to get richer while the rest of the country languished in unemployment and lack of cash. Even better is the fact that you said the rich have 'had it better than ever'. Forget hearing it from the horse's mouth! You are the horse!

Warren, I think the best part about you speaking out is that you are in such a high and powerful position. For every bullsh*tting Republican and Tea Partier spitting out that malarkey (a favorite word of mine) about tax cuts for the rich helping the economy, you can be there to tell them different, AS a rich person. I wish more of the nation's wealthy were as honest about political economy as you were. Not only would the country not be in an almost insurmountable debt, we probably wouldn't even have to deal with a Tea Party or Sarah Palin or any of this balderdash we call 'bipartisanship' today. Oh, to dream...

P.S.: Yes, I know that if things happened your way, that you'd still have a substantial amount of money in your pocket. I think if the government stopped accepting money, you'd still have money. The point is that you're not so blinded by cash that you can't take an objective stance on the nation's financial health. That has to be worth more than a bullsh*t pledge by the GOP...

Dear Diets

via CNN:

Before I can tell you why I am making such a grandiose claim, I need to ask you to participate in a small experiment. Make a list of 10 people you have known or known of for a long time. They can be family members, friends, or public figures -- say, Hillary Clinton and Oprah. Now note next to each if their weight has changed significantly during the time you have known them, as far as you can tell.

For instance, Hillary Clinton was always on the slender side, and although Oprah changed her weight quite drastically over the years, she is about the same shape now as she was a decade or two ago. Indeed, you will probably find that about eight out of 10 people on your list seem to weigh about the same as they did years ago. As one observer put it, some are greyhounds and some are bulldogs.

How can I tell? Because studies show that, despite all the public health campaigns, diet books, diet doctors and diet pills; despite millions of Americans spending inordinate amounts of psychological energy fussing about their body mass; whatever weight they take off, they put on again. Not all people, but about eight out of 10, according to a report in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Since the dawn of time, a sign of wealth was being fat. Back in medieval days being a hefty citizen meant you had the means to sustain yourself well over the standard of the day. It meant you could afford to eat above your means. Now, that's neither here nor there, but it goes to show how society has changed over the years. Now, along with being unhealthy and linked to numerous ailments, being fat isn't as popular. Americans feed (figuratively) on diet plans, diet pills, diet foods and are always looking for some form of you, diets. Your craze gave our portly peers the hope that, if they ate enough Lean Cuisine, they would somehow fit into their prom dress or only have to buy one seat on the airplane. Your promises of thinner waistlines have thinned wallets, and between Hydroxycut and the Atkins diet, I don't know which is worse. And to boot, apparently you don't work, and have people back where they started.

I know the above information is only one statistic, but it's something to think about. Maybe the key to health isn't what we eat, but how we eat, how much, and how often. Americans don't know the word moderation when it comes to food. Americans eat food like this and this, and then wonder why their eyes and feet haven't seen each other in years, and why quadruple bypass or death are their options. Dieting, you provided somewhat of a 'quick-fix' solution for the burgeoning obesity epidemic by allowing Americans to think they could get rid of weight as easily as they got it. Of course, we know now that you stop working the minute we stop eating a certain way, but it was nice for some people to think they had that much control over their weight. I suppose now it's time for you join up with exercise so that people can actually lose weight, and start teaching their children healthy living. Maybe I'm just a bit overbearing, considering that I'm on the skinny side. But that's better than fooling myself into thinking that eating brussel sprouts for breakfast and lunch will help decrease belly fat...

Dear Non-Voters

Exercise your rights, people...

This is America... The land of the free and the home of the brave. I'll repeat that. The land of the FREE. No, that doesn't mean that we can engage in every and all types of hedonistic behavior or do as we please simply because it suits us. It means that as Americans, we have certain freedoms, or unalienable (look it up) rights that we are privy to, given our legal status (career criminals, you can stop reading here). One such right is that of voting. The American political system is built on a tenet of democracy. Loosely defined, a democracy is a form of government that derives its powers from the people, either directly or indirectly. Ours is an indirect democracy, in which we elect officials to positions in which they can adequately represent our views and desires on a wide scale. As a nation, every year we get a new chance to put people in office on Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Now, to the point at hand. Every year, around late September, political parties and campaigners bombard us with commercials, fliers and other garb for the purposes of us, the voters, placing their names or their causes on our ballots. And every year, we hear pundits tell us to vote. In 2008, the world watched as our nation elected Barack Obama, with a record turnout of voters and political activism. Now, all I ask is, where did all of that fervor go? Around the water coolers you hear people being a little shaky as to whether they will exercise their right to vote. People give reasons such as, but not limited to:

- 'I don't know about the issues.'
- 'I'm not registered.'
- 'I don't know the candidates.'
- 'I don't have time.'
- 'Does it really matter this year?'
- 'My vote doesn't make a difference.'
- 'I don't know where to vote.'
- 'It's Election Day?'

Come on, people. Not to be a political party pooper, but we've got to vote. It shouldn't be an afterthought. This sh*t matters!!! What goes on during these elections affects you, directly and indirectly. Your student loans, your legal status, your taxes, your benefits, that parking ticket you don't want to pay, your mom and dad's retirement status, EVERYTHING can be changed by voting. The thing that makes me upset about our country is how tenacious we are about politics in times of turmoil, yet how lackadaisical we are when it seems as if the dust has settled.

NEWSFLASH: We're still in a recession! Our country has no money and no jobs! Our environment is crumbling around us!

You can't complain about our country's issues if you don't vote... Point blank. Midterm elections are just important as presidential elections, in that you're picking the people who surround the President. You're voting for candidates in Congress that would support issues important to you and probably be able to further those initiatives. Why would you put a beautiful candle on a cake made of manure? Why would you want to start a job and not finish it? No, I'm not a certified political pundit, but I know for damn sure that there is worth in a vote. And by not voting, you might as well not have the right. So, please, do yourself and the country a favor and exercise your right. In this information age, it's pretty easy to figure out what a candidate's all about. Rather than visit MTO, take some time out to know the issues, find a polling place and just vote! Seriously. People died for universal suffrage in this nation. Don't die thinking your vote could have changed something. Just pull the lever and be on your way...

Waiting for Superman

While I can never say that I'm uneducated, there were points in my life that I can look back on and say that the educational experience wasn't all it can be. And I'm sure a good amount of my peers can say the same thing, some to an extreme degree. That said, all we can hope for is that the system will improve for future generations. Also, we can aspire to create an environment where learning and not test scores are the goals. In 'Waiting for Superman', the educational system is put under the limelight as filmmaker Davis Guggenheim shows the moments leading up to a school lottery. In the struggle to attend the best schools in their cities, families are entered into a lottery for spots at a prestigious academy. That story is juxtaposed with an examination of how the United States' education system is failing and falling behind the rest of the world. Just speaking to kids younger than my generation, it's obvious that their educational prospects and overall academic intelligence is waning. Kids are being taught to be cogs in 'the system' rather than leaders and it's showing in all facets of American society. Why a movie has to be made to reveal these iniquities is beyond me, but I suppose whatever medium works, works. Check out the trailer, and GO SEE THE MOVIE! For every ticket, $15 will be donated to a school of your choosing. Seriously, people...

Dear Waka Flocka

Happenings like this have me worried about the future of Black America. As for the N*igga Moment Hall of Fame, this exchange qualifies as an automatic entry. Along with your less than masterful handle of the English language, to the dumbfounded look plastered on your face when you couldn't answer the simplest of questions, to Rocsi and Terrence's fumbling of your faux pas and idiotic statements, Flocka, you really don't have much to laugh about. No, I didn't think you'd have much to say anyway, but you couldn't even piece together a coherent sentence!

SIDENOTE: Why do Terrence and Rocsi allow this fool to get off the hook so easily? BET is really just condoning ignorance by letting that slide.

Seriously. While I don't think everyone is suitable to be an expert on the US political system, it stands to say you should have some idea as to how to respond to that question. It's bad enough that your music is like Teletubbies for rap, Waka. That you perpetuated an age old stereotype that black people are is secondary to the effect this has on young people. We're already living in a day and age where involvement in the political cycle is not a priority. You're setting such a good example for the 15 and 16 year-olds out there who'll be voting in the next few years. That's what the future of the nation needs: lack of speaking skills and political apathy. I guess a career of shaking your dreads does much more than get you stage time. Brain damage is looking like a serious side effect of listening to you, Mr. Flocka...

Dear Independence Day

Call me unpatriotic for this one. I don't care.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecues, fireworks and American flags!!! YEEEE-HAWWWW!!! It's the most patriotic time of the year. July 4th is your day. Independence Day. You're the superhero of holidays. Christmas makes most of the money, New Year's makes people feel the worst, and Columbus Day essentially has no purpose. But you... You, Independence Day are the fat, fun, always semi-inebriated member of the holiday family that everyone always looks forward to. You always seem to come on a sunny day. It's a wonder we don't celebrate you every month! I suppose therein lies the problem, I-Day.

America was built on the tenet of freedom, liberty and the right to a fair life based on hard work. Yet, all around me, I see the opposite. I see Latin Americans in Arizona being told how to live their lives and being accosted because they 'look' like illegal immigrants. I see fighting left and right over every issue known to man, whether it's medical marijuana, health care, gay marriage or the economy's direction. I see politicians lying, stealing and taking advantage of their positions. I see our country war-mongering overseas and destroying our natural world with oil spills and lack of environmental awareness. There's still rampant poverty everywhere in the nation, but we still have time to celebrate you, Independence Day. As long as we can funnel food, booze and fireworks into our systems, it's fine. No, I'm not saying we shouldn't celebrate you and feel good about the indenpendence of our country. We just shouldn't ignore the ills of our country under the guise of celebrating our independence.

Ironically, I'm writing this letter while in Canada. Even more ironic is the fact that I feel more unpatriotic writing this letter than I do being here. Is that a bad thing or not? After all, the point of you being a holiday is the freedom to write such a letter. Yet, I'm sure there's some Tea Party, gun-wielding, Confederate flag-donning hokie doing the same somewhere else, bashing the same things I am but on the opposite side of the spectrum. I suppose patriotism goes both ways as long as we wave the same flag, Independence Day. The founding fathers (including the ones who were doing all the work, ie: slaves) wanted it that way. Then again, a lot of the things they wanted didn't turn out too peachy. On that note, I'm going to go celebrate my 4th of July the Canadian way, whatever that is... *kicks back with maple syrup*

Dear Arizona (re: 'Anchor Babies')

via CNN:

A proposed Arizona law would deny birth certificates to children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents. The bill comes on the heels of Arizona passing the nation's toughest immigration law. John Kavanagh, a Republican state representative from Arizona who supports the proposed law aimed at so-called "anchor babies," said that the concept does not conflict with the U.S. Constitution.

"If you go back to the original intent of the drafters ... it was never intended to bestow citizenship upon (illegal) aliens," said Kavanagh, who also supported Senate Bill 1070 -- the law that gave Arizona authorities expanded immigration enforcement powers. Under federal law, children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship, regardless of their parents' residency status. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic state representative, strongly opposes the bill.

"Unlike (Senate Bill) 1070, it is clear this bill runs immediately afoul of the U.S. Constitution," she said. "While I understand that folks in Arizona and across the country support S.B. 1070, they do so because we have seen no action from the federal government," said Sinema. "Unfortunately, the so-called 'anchor baby' bill does nothing to solve the real problems we are facing in Arizona."

I guess if the Deep South was the front line of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's, then Arizona is set to become the front line of the illegal immigration debate of the 2010's (how do you say that, by the way? twenty-tens or tens?). You, as a state, never struck me as a bastion of conservative ideals until I figured out that John McCain was from there. Yet, lately, you've been about as far to the right as can be, at least when dealing with immigration. I've got a few bones to pick with you about this whole new issue, though. Here goes:

1) The whole issue of illegal immigration is completely subjective. The people who were essentially illegal immigrants in the 1800's when the state of Arizona (and it's surrounding areas) are now going after the 'illegal immigrants' of today. That doesn't sit well with me, Arizona. Your majority (soon to be minority, thanks to immigration) is like the Monopoly player everyone hates: they change the rules when it suits them to win. Why is it cool for the United States to shanghai another sovereign nation's land almost 200 years ago by just waltzing in, but when people come here looking for a better life, and actually help the economy, it's a problem? As a matter of fact, bump immigration out West. What happened to the first settlers in the US? The Pilgrims didn't have green cards or naturalization forms when they landed on Plymouth Rock and started scalping Injuns. The truth is, America was built upon the idea of expanding and sticking it's nose into locations and regions that it had no business in, all for the sake of a better standard of living. Why are you denying people that, now that America is in a position to provide that standard?

2) Since when does a state's legislation hold stronger than federal legislation that's been the standard since our nation's birth? The Civil War made it so that states ultimately have to kowtow to the federal government in matters of legislation. Why then, Arizona, do you think it's cool to just try and get around that? The Constitution states that anyone born on United States soil is automatically a United States citizen. Point. Blank. Period. And that's regardless of any affiliation that their parents have, or where their parents' legal jurisdiction lies. It's just the law, and there should be no way that you can get around that. Children, regardless of who their parents are shouldn't be turned away. Don't sit there and call them 'anchor children,' as if they crawled out of their mothers' wombs thinking: 'Hell yeah!! Now I can help my illegal immigrant parent stay in America, take up its resources and destroy its infrastructure!!' C'mon son... You're making the most innocent party, the children, into another villain, and it is SICK to say the least...

3) Last month it was a new racial profiling law that allowed police to question, arrest and detain anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrants (inherently racist). This month it's denying citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants, even if they're born on US soil. Is it just me, or are you just trying to set up a Japanese internment camp-style system in Arizona? Because that's what it seems like. The next thing you know, anyone who looks like and illegal immigrant will have to have a number and a curfew. Before long, they'll be carted off to their own district, somewhere between Hell and a Tea Party Convention, where they'll be under military surveillance. And for what? Walking across an imaginary line protected for no reason. Of all rules to enforce, that seems to be one of the more arbitrary and less well-founded of all...

Look Arizona, I'm not saying illegal immigration is completely right. Sovereign nations have a right to protect their borders and the resources of their nation from being wasted. But when you have as many as 20 million illegal immigrants living in the US, some thriving, and many helping the economy with their labor (minus taxation), there's no reason to fight that. Rather than treat them as subhumans, you should find a way to legally integrate them. I mean, what is so hard about granting amnesty? Or better yet, what's really that special about a Green Card that it's so hard to allow immigrants to have one? My guess is that the 'red-blooded Americans' don't want to see an immigrant get a job over them. Yet, all other things being equal, if the immigrant is better, then that's just tough. Arizona, you need to stop letting your citizens and the state dictate what makes someone legal or not, because for as much trouble as you say illegal immigration is, it helps the nation just as much...

Dear Homeland Security

See, had you guys not done a good job, this picture wouldn't be as hot...

via The New York Times:

An investigation into a failed car bombing in Times Square widened rapidly on two continents on Tuesday as Pakistani authorities arrested several people, just hours after a jet bound for Dubai was called back from the runway at Kennedy Airport and boarded by federal officers, who seized a Connecticut man accused of carrying out the attempted attack.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, was arrested just before midnight Monday aboard an Emirates flight. He was expected to face charges of terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in what Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. called a “terrorist plot aimed at murdering Americans.”

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Mr. Holder said Mr. Shahzad had been talking to investigators and had provided “useful information.” Officials had previously said that Mr. Shahzad had implicated himself in statements after he was pulled off the plane. At the same time, President Obama said federal investigators were looking into whether Mr. Shahzad had any ties to terrorist organizations.

Mr. Shahzad, 30, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, had apparently driven to the airport in a white Isuzu Trooper that was found in a parking lot with a loaded handgun inside, an official said. He told the authorities that he had acted alone, but hours after he was arrested, security officials in Pakistan said they had arrested seven or eight people in connection with the bombing attempt.

About 5 months ago, this wouldn't be the letter I would have been writing. In fact, the letter I wrote in December, ripping Airport Security a new *sshole is a far cry from how I feel today. Homeland Security, you guys have seriously upped your game since the last time there was a legitimate terror plot. This past weekend in New York City, Times Square was shut down by the presence of an unmanned and unmarked green SUV. When you and the NYC Police arrived, you found gasoline, propane, fireworks, fertilizer and an alarm clock in the car. Now, this isn't that serious. I mean, Times Square is probably the busiest place in NYC at any given moment. If you didn't find anything suspicious about a car parked there packed with explosives, then I'd probably move to Canada.

What transpired in the past 4 days though, is nothing short of a new plot for Jack Bauer to explore. I mean, seriously, Homeland Security... Did you guys go into a hyperbolic time chamber (all my DBZ fans stand up!!) and work on your investigative skills or something? It literally took you guys four days to identify the car, it's previous owner, the buyer, and then nab the man as he was boarding a plane to flee the country!! If that's not a drastic improvement from last year's TSA fumble in Chicago, I don't know what is. You guys went from letting a Nigerian terrorist onto a plane with a bomb strapped to him, to nabbing Faisal Shahzad in less than a week! Between the camera shots of the guy, tracking the car's sale through Craigslist, and scouring through plane tickets, this operation had the makings of a CSI episode. Maybe it was the technology, or how badly planned out his terror plot was, but the way you guys handled this situation was impeccable. I'm almost still waiting for there to be some screw up in this undertaking, but since Shahzad's been arrested, I guess you guys can chalk this one up. Let's just hope this wasn't just an NYC thing. I know we've got the blueprint on how to deal with a terrorist attack, but hopefully the rest of the country caught up. Kudos, National Security...

Dear Keri Hilson

Obama would be proud...

WOW, that is ugly, to say the least. Keri, I've always thought you were talented and all, penning all those hits and even beginning your own singing career. This sure isn't the way to keep the ball rolling. At a primetime game between your HOMETOWN Atlanta Hawks and the Lakers, you botch the National Anthem?? What's funnier is how you tried to cover it with the mean little church choir extension. It was a valiant attempt to save a ridiculous faux pas. I mean, I understand not being completely patriotic and remembering the Anthem. Few people do, and even fewer give a you-know-what about patriotic stuff. At least practice or memorize the piece before you perform!! If you were really feeling shaky, you could've put up a teleprompter, or had somebody holding up a sign somewhere like a grade school recital. The crowd didn't react like a bunch of parents too proud to notice their kids messing up. At least you looked good doing it...

The 2010 State of the Union

It's that time of year again: the point when half of the US is reconsidering their votes and the other half is trying to convince everyone else that the current President is either amazing or the Devil. That's right, kids... The State of the Union Address. Our boy Barack Obama is going to speak to Congress tonight at 8PM about everything from the looming health care bill, freezing spending by the government and how in the world we're going to get out of this recession. To those watching, I'd say to watch with an open mind instead of bringing your misconceptions to the TV. People are too quick to find something wrong with what's being said instead of actually learning about what the speaker is pushing. Whatever your stance on Barry (#shoutout to AverageBro for putting me on to the nickname), make sure you fulfill your civic duty. There's no excuse for Apple's tablet (which most of you won't buy) to be breaking news when our country is at an impasse on a number of issues. The SOTU speech is being televised on all of the major networks as well as being broadcast on Youtube. Check out what Barry's up to these days...

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE STATE OF THE UNION TONIGHT!!!!

Dear Airport Security

Yeah, this is another post from the holiday week, but this needs to be said. While traveling to Atlanta last week, I thought my hindrances would be minor since I was flying domestically. That wasn't the case. When coming through the metal detectors and overall TSA hype, both my mother and I had to toss bottles of lotion and cologne that were deemed 'too big' to carry on. Then when returning, we had a very feisty TSA agent try to disrespect my father, among other people traveling, with a snippy attitude and an unwarranted pat-down. But that's neither here nor there. What really irked me was the story above.

Airport security has always been a hassle. There is no debate that that hassle contributes to our security and safety in the air. However, at what cost does this come?? Are these methods of security really that effective? I've seen a young child frisked for having a bottle of 'suspicious fluids', a teenager yelled at for forgetting to take their shoes off in a timely fashion, and my father frisked for forgetting to remove his wallet (in fear that someone would steal it). Those are all minuscule happenings on the radar of airport security that get blown way out of proportion. Yet and still, some attempted Nigerian terrorist can enter a plane (and pass security) with a bomb strapped to him?? TSA, what's the deal? Such oversight is indicative of the failures of this system. If someone can thwart you guys that easily, I shudder to think what could have happened had the suspect been more efficient in his undertaking. I understand the heightened level of anxiety during high-travel times. I understand that everyone is privy to the whims of the TSA. Hell, I even understand that sometimes suspicion overrides common sense. But where do we draw the line between gross invasion and 'security'?

Something must be done to rectify the system of checks and balances that airport security goes through. There has to be an wide, yet thin line between the terrorists and the unseemly civilians that use the air for good purposes every day. The fact that Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was on America's radar, but was still allowed to fly as everyone else shows how faulty the system is. Whether it was gross oversight or simply naivete that allowed this incident, there is no doubt in my mind that we are still not safe, nor will we be for the foreseeable future. It's not a question of jostling or harassment, but of incompetence and ignorance. I'm glad that no incident took place, but can't help but give you guys the side-eye every time I fly now. For all our sakes, I hope whoever frisked my father and whoever let Mutallab on that plane are now in the same class, re-learning their modus operandi. Lord knows it might not be such a Merry Christmas next year if the same thing is allowed to happen again...

Dear Parents

This is a letter that should have been written years ago, probably after Columbine, or some other happening involving children. If you were anywhere near Twitter or a TV yesterday, you heard the mind-blowing story of Falcon Henne. The little boy supposedly was trapped, airborne in an experimental balloon-esque craft after having released it himself. After a four hour chase, that saw the media get airborne coverage faster than the authorities, the balloon was brought down with Falcon not in the balloon, but in the attic. Now, does something about that entire situation seem a bit, I don't know, dumb?

Now parents, at how many points could an embarrassing event have been prevented yesterday? If you said anything more than three, then you don't even have to read this letter. Man, they could have been watching the kid, they could have had their experimental craft protected in some way, or maybe just looked EVERYWHERE for the child. As a parent, there should be certain things that are a given when it comes to your child. Perhaps your kid is, let's say REALLY imaginative and inquisitive. Why in the world would you allow him to wander around a Colorado ranch by himself, with an experimental balloon ready to launch? Come on, you've got to have a little more sense than that.

But if you don't and just so happen to bring the child on a show without TALKING to him and REPRIMANDING him, what do you expect for this really imaginative and inquisitive child to do? It's parents like these that raise destructive children and wonder why the world is crumbling before us. I don't mean to say that Falcon is a troublemaker, because as much as a cop-out as it is, he is a kid. One thing about kids, is that if you don't steer them in the right direction, black or white, big or little, smart or dumb (sad, but true), they will get into trouble. Any person who's been a child knows that. As parents, your job is to prevent that deviation and help them understand why it's wrong. Falcon's parents, whatever hippie cult they were raised in, obviously aren't to adept at that. It's a damn shame America had to find out because of their 'experimental' balloon...