Dear Career Fairs

You see that line??? I'll be damned if I have to wait in line to talk to some blowhole from HR at a career fair...

Today, I went to a career fair; and not just any career fair... My school's career fair. If you know me, you know what school it is, but that doesn't particularly mean much aside from personal semantics. This career fair could have been at any school, any campus and any city. That said, this was my first career fair, and probably my last.

Career fairs, I never saw the point in you. For two hours, I get to stand and walk around, look at booths that companies looking to hire graduates and interns put up, in the hopes that one of these companies will spot my genius. Here's the problem with all of you career fairs, though: EVERYONE GOES TO THEM. It's beginning to feel like you career fairs aren't really there to help the students and the jobless as much as you are the companies that are hiring. Think about it. If a job or company is a fisherman, we students are the bait, and you (the career fair) are the water, then these jobs are making a killing. They're reeling in a bunch of prospects, 95% of whom won't ever be contacted or called back, while we students swim around in you, hoping to be noticed by the fisherman. It doesn't help that we're all told the same things when we go to you. Every year I see some 'Insider's Guide' given out by the school to instruct us on how to 'attack' you. They all say one, or a combination of these things:

1. Bring your resume.
2. Don't dress like you're going to a rave.
3. Smile.
4. Ask for business cards and promotional material.
5. Follow-up in a week.
6. Ask questions.
7. Give answers that don't make you sound halfway retarded.

That, by no means, is an exhaustive list, but for most career-minded people, those fall within the common sense realm of knowledge. Regardless, the fact that there is all of this general information being spewed, as well as a dire lack of actual employment (I say actual, because these companies can't hire every 20 people who send a resume) make you, in my eyes a waste of time. Job fairs, it's not that I'm not looking for a career when I graduate, it's just that I'd rather not be another fish in your sea.

The economic climate is one where jobs are at a premium, and are becoming more specialized and experience-based. No, I'm not certain I'll get a job right out of school, but it beats going to one of you again. If it takes all of the networking, resume-building, and handshakes in the world, you won't find me in you again, stocking up on free candy and frisbees, and kissing some schmuck from HR's rear end, while looking over my shoulder at the competition. You may sound promising, career fairs, but in the end, all you are is a huge opportunity to brown-nose. I think I'll pass...

Dear Unbearable Heat

via CNN:

Temperatures in metropolitan areas along the eastern seaboard were in the high 90s late Tuesday morning, and a hot air mass that settled into the region Sunday promises hotter and more humid weather. The National Weather Service issued a heat alert for areas along the so-called "megalopolis region" -- Boston, Massachusetts; New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Washington, as well as all of Delaware and New Jersey -- areas that had already awoken to unusually high morning temperatures Tuesday. The weather service also issued an additional "excessive heat warning" to be in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday for Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey, and parts of Delaware. National Weather Service officials are advising people to stay indoors as the prolonged heat and humidity creates a "dangerous situation."

As I write this, I'm sitting in an air conditioned room, looking outside at scorched grass and sweating landscapers across the street. I can only say this to you, heat: GO AWAY!! Although we hate the winter and it's bitter cold, we can't stand you! We can't stand the way you make every stench that stinkier, the way you make every step walked that much harder and every moment in the sun that much more exhausting. For those households not fortunate enough to have an air conditioner (ie: my apartment in Philly), you're torturous. Heat, you make people not want to move. You make kids cry and make commuters miserable. As a matter of fact, the only positive that you bring to the table is a boost to ice cream sales and public pool admissions. Other than that, you've brought nothing but sweat and fatigue to the East coast. I wish someone would just turn the sun down and turn the breeze up so that I could go outside without feeling like Satan himself is breathing directly over me. Maybe it's best that there is such heat because it makes us appreciate the winter that much more, but I can't help but think that the ridiculous state of our environment birthed you, heat. You weren't that unbearable when I was younger. In fact, I welcomed you. The sad part is, parts of the country that would have never experienced this weather are doing just that. Next thing you know, you'll be all the way up at the North Pole and we'll be in Waterworld. No one can tell me that global warming doesn't exist. Upon taking one step outside and feeling your haze, it's obvious there's more to you than we think. That said, my behind isn't trying to find out anytime soon. I will stay in this air-conditioned room as long as those CFC's and wasteful electrons keep me from you...

Dear US Armed Forces (re: Warlord Funding)

You mean to tell me, those tanks, full of soldiers, guns and Western ideals need protection?? From who?

via The Washington Post:

The U.S. military is funding a massive protection racket in Afghanistan, indirectly paying tens of millions of dollars to warlords, corrupt public officials and the Taliban to ensure safe passage of its supply convoys throughout the country, according to congressional investigators.

The security arrangements, part of a $2.16 billion transport contract, violate laws on the use of private contractors, as well as Defense Department regulations, and "dramatically undermine" larger U.S. objectives of curtailing corruption and strengthening effective governance in Afghanistan, a report released late Monday said.

The report describes a Defense Department that is well aware that some of the money paid to contractors winds up in the hands of warlords and insurgents. Military logisticians on the ground are focused on getting supplies where they are needed and have "virtually no understanding of how security is actually provided" for the local truck convoys that transport more than 70 percent of all goods and materials used by U.S. troops. Alarms raised by prime trucking contractors were met by the military "with indifference and inaction," the report said.

It's funny that we're still at war, even though we still have no clue where Osama bin Laden is, and are being outdone by single men armed with nothing but samurai swords. It's even funnier, though, when the same people we're supposed to be fighting against are secretly getting aid from us. US Military, it's been almost 10 years since we started this war on terrorism. Though we've found and killed Saddam Hussein (for what reason, we still don't know), this war has cost us thousands of lives, the respect of the world community and billions and billions of dollars. Those dollars could definitely have been spent elsewhere (ie: healthcare, education, bailing us out of the recession), but instead are getting pumped right back into Afghanistan (where the war started) for protection! Really, Armed Forces?? You're paying insurgents and warlords for protection of convoys, when you guys are supposed to be protecting us? If that's the case, I might have to pick up a samurai sword myself, because I certainly don't feel safe.

This reminds me of the first Iron Man, when Tony Stark found out Stark Industries was selling their weapons to terrorists as well as the government. You, as the military aren't much different. Though you're not handing over Jericho missiles and heavy firearms, you might as well be. As much as $1.6 billion of the $2 billion you just give away is heading straight for the insurgents' wallets. If that isn't double dealing then I don't know what it is. Numerous political pundits have called this war on terrorism, this generation's Vietnam War, and for good reason.

1) We have no clue what we're doing there. At this point, our troops are fighting just to be fighting, not for any ascertainable or remotely achievable goal.

2) If the war was that serious, we would've accomplished whatever goal we set out to. Let's be honest, Afghanistan & Iraq are biddies compared to our military infrastructure. We could blow those countries up by pushing a button. That's not to say we should (I don't support the war, anyway). That's to say we've been misappropriating our time on something not worthwhile.

3) It's slowly bleeding our economy dry. I don't know if you guys noticed, but unlike World War 2, this war isn't helping us out. In fact, its taking a whole lot away. What's worse is that when the troops do come back, that's a hell of a lot of young Americans who won't have jobs anymore. I guess we could always start charging other countries for protection like the Afghans are doing.

Face it, Armed Forces, this war is about as useful as a front door made out of paper. We'd have been better off trying to find gold on Mars or researching stem cells, or... ANYTHING but this war. And to turn around and pay insurgents to do what you should be doing is just disgraceful. Hell, I might have to hire some insurgents to protect me, if you guys take this letter the wrong way. I'm not too worried though. If the war and your search for Osama are any indication of your effectiveness, you shouldn't be finding me for a while...

Dear Jan Brewer (re: Arizona Immigration Reform)

Photoshop in an Arizona police badge and we have the same scene...

via The Washington Post:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law Friday the most restrictive immigration bill in the country, setting the stage for a showdown with the Obama administration and reigniting a divisive national debate less than seven months before congressional midterm elections.

Brewer, a Republican facing a stiff primary challenge, said she had no choice but to act because Washington's failure to address the issue had effectively left border protection to the states. "We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act," she said, as hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside her Phoenix office. "But decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created an unacceptable situation."

Even before it was signed, President Obama criticized the Arizona law, which requires police to question anyone who appears to be in the country illegally. Obama called the effort "misguided" and directed the Justice Department to monitor its implementation, warning that it could violate citizens' civil rights. Immediate legal challenges were expected from outside groups.

There is a huge difference between protecting the interests of the many and protecting the ignorance and small-mindedness of the few. That said, in a lot of states below the Mason-Dixon line and under the influence of Republicans, the ignorance of the few seems to reign supreme. Governor Brewer, I always thought Arizona was towards the forefront of a cordial relationship with immigrants, particularly those from Mexico. However, with this new bill focused on immigration, I can see that you and your state are about as bass ackwards as Glenn Beck attending an NAACP meeting. You see, by throwing this piece of shit legislation out, you're more or less saying to every non-white immigrant 'You are not welcome,' regardless of whether they are legal or not. This new bill doesn't enforce anything other than your own insecurities that in another 20 years, whites will no longer be the majority in your state (or much of the Southwest US, for that matter). What's the matter? Afraid that the popular vote might not swing your way again? Well, with laws like these being enacted, your hold might be a lot shorter than you think.

I mean, really.. Do we have to take it back to Nazi Germany, where any person remotely varying from the German ideal was asked 'Where are your papers?' Is that what misunderstanding and ignorance about other cultures have driven you to? Unlawful searches and unwarranted stops? By enacting this law, you're essentially giving the police the green light to racially profile people. Not that racial profiling wasn't an institution already, but I suppose having it on paper makes it all the better for you guys. Civil rights and general parity in the reach of the law don't matter when you've got a bunch of day-laborers immigrants to keep from adding to our GDP bogging down our infrastructure. You tell those wetbacks to stay on their side! And if they try to go out without identification, you arrest them and hold them for unlawful reasons! I wonder how long until they legalize racial profiling up here...

Dear Solar

Tell me Solar doesn't look like a schemin-ass nigga...

Now that we've had the chance to pay our respects to Guru, it's time to tackle the case of your involvement in Guru's pre-mortem dealings. Solar, it's been hard to find closure with Guru's death with all of the mystery and lack of communication surrounding it.

First of all, why was the entire world, with your exception, kept in secret about Guru's medical situation? I feel like you damn sure weren't overall the closest person to Guru, even at his time of death. If his son was so 'beloved,' why wasn't he the sole caretaker of Guru? Why was all of the press coming from YOU?!?! Second of all, in the letter to his fans, Guru must have mentioned your name about 10 times (actually 7). Solar, you're telling me that as a rapper and poet, and as a pioneer in hip-hop, the only person Guru cared to mention more than once was you??? I'm sorry, but that doesn't add up. What about all of the family, friends, DJ's, rappers, promoters and writers that Guru knew? What about addressing his work as a rapper? What about some sort of statement about hip-hop as an art form and the direction it's taking? Somehow I think that Guru would have had more to say about more things than just his relationship with you. Third of all, what was up with all of the hate on DJ Premier in the last letter? You mean to tell me that at the time of his death, rather than a peaceful statement, or a burying of the proverbial hatchet, Guru's last testament to Primo was a hate-filled diatribe about how he doesn't want Primo involved in his estate? Seriously, if I'm on my death bed, the last thing I'm thinking about is trivial beefs during my living years. I'm trying to make peace with the world around me and leave this life with some credits on my heaven ticket (as blasphemous as that sounds). Solar, that brings me to my conclusion.

Now, it's not a good thing to surround a dead man with this much controversy, but there is no way in heaven or hell that Guru wrote that letter (clearly subjective). It sounded nothing like what a man with his verbal prowess would have cooked up. Also, the amount of times your name was called was egregious. It sounds like you're his PR person and are trying to buy up as many rights to his namesake as possible, so you can cash out when the air clears. Either that, or you were just trying to get your name out there more. Most hip-hop fans wouldn't even mention you in the same breath as Guru or Primo, no matter how much Guru wanted you to replace him. There's no way a man, in his last breath, is going out with that much hate or that much attention to business. The diction used in the letter reminded me of a hateful being, or a general misanthrope. The way you Guru wrote that letter made him sound a lot like this guy:

#shoutout to Devin for the inspiration for this post...

Dear NBA

via the NY Times

An advertisement featuring the NBA’s two biggest superstars includes a gun reference, the same week two players were suspended for carrying firearms to the locker room. The Nike ad, which appears in several publications including Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, has LeBron James on one page and Kobe Bryant on the other. Along with the slogan, “Prepare For Combat,” is a quote from each player showing how tough he is.

Bryant’s blurb says: “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games. I don’t leave anything in the chamber.”

“The Nike print ad featuring Kobe Bryant was intended to illustrate his all out play and commitment on the basketball court,” Nike said in a statement. “It is a commonly used reference for shooting the basketball and no offense was intended.” NBA commissioner David Stern is sensitive to the issue of gun violence, and the NBA criticized the ad.

“We had no prior notice of this ad,” spokesman Tim Frank said. “We think it is inappropriate.”

Brandon Roy is a shooting guard. Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson is a gunner from three. The Magic had all of their guns drawn last night. Kobe Bryant doesn't leave anything in the chamber. NBA, what do all of those statements have in common besides being associated with basketball? Take your time...

Dingdingdingding!!! You got it!! They all have to do with guns or ammunition! NBA, and more importantly David Stern, you guys have some serious issues with rhetoric, evidenced by the overreaction from a damn Nike ad. Okay, we get it.. You don't want more Gilbert Arenas' running around making jokes on Twitter and during pre-game warmups. That's all well and good. But at what point does your discretion turn into a witch hunt? At what point are you shooting at a straw man? At what point are you going too far? It's one thing to have an (un)loaded gun in an NBA locker room and to have an ammunition-filled altercation. It's something completely different and nowhere near as destructive to have a Nike ad that references guns as a euphemism for a player's drive on the court. When you can't draw a delineation between the two, there is a problem.

NBA, it seems every year like you guys are trying to find ways to water down the personality of the game and the characters involved. Whether it's dress codes that are directed at black players, increased technical fouls for simply looking at a referee, or clamping down on players who make 'gun references', there won't be any personality in the game in the next decade! That's not to say David Stern has been a bad commissioner. At the same time, trying to regulate the language used in the NBA's advertising seems pointless, especially when it's the game's two (almost) pristine superstars. In fact it's even funnier that it's Kobe and LeBron, because if anyone was above the machinations of the security-crazed league, it would have been them. I suppose when you've got a league full of shooters, it's a thin line to draw between gun references and full team shootouts shootarounds...

Dear Christian Broadcasting Network

Okay, I'm fully aware that in Christianity, God has shown himself to speak to certain individuals, in an effort to get His word out there. Now that's all well and good if what you're spewing is not only uplifting to God, but a message of love, not hatred or borderline racism. CBN, if this is your idea of uplifting, then I would hate to see anything else on your network. Pat Robertson has long been a mainstay on your channel, most notably the 700 Club (700 what?), a Christian talk show. I want to know how he's been on the air since 1966 with all of the crap he spews on the regular. From saying that 1982 was going to be the year of judgment, to claiming to be able to deflect hurricanes, to his call to assassinate Hugo Chavez, to his constant comments about other religions, homosexuality and feminism, Robertson has IDIOT and BIGOT (both in capital letters) written on his forehead.

I mean, seriously. When has natural disaster been the impetus for a human (not God, a human) to pass judgment on the spiritual sanctity of an entire country?? Or better yet, when was it ever cool to claim that black slaves couldn't defeat the French army without the help of the devil? I've always hated televangelists because they purport so many falsities while having a ton of dirty laundry themselves. Pat Robertson takes the cake though, CBN. And what's worse is the fact that you are defending his comments. My mother always said that in the End of Days (yeah, we're getting liturgical) that there would be 'false' prophets and entities spewing out iniquity under the guise of Christianity. She couldn't be more correct when it comes to the comments of Robertson or how readily you purport his idiocy. In fact, when it comes to idiocy, Pat Robertson may have written the book. Maybe you guys have forgotten. Take a look at some of Pat's other 'great' ideas, and you might see what I'm getting at...


Since when does condemning other religions show God's love??


Ignorance will never be eradicated if religion continues to blind people...

Dear New Year's Resolutions

You and about 10 billion other heads...

It's that time of year again. The time of year when everybody says '20xx is gonna be my year!' or 'let's get it, 20xx' or 'leaving the negative in 20xx, and makes a bunch of you, New Year's Resolutions. Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to improve ourselves, but why do we always wait until a new year to make a list of you guys?? I suppose that the turning of a calendar offers some the hope of a new beginning. That said, why do our grandiose plans and goals have to have a calendar? New Year's Resolutions, you give us a contrived sense of ambition because we see everything in such up-and-down terms.

People, instead of letting their ambition have some sort of continuity, wait until the new year to come up with ways to improve themselves. The problem is, resolutions, that you last as long as the New Year's spirit does: maybe a few days. That's not to say that everyone has the same, weak mental fortitude, but NYR (that's what we're calling you for the rest of the post), how many weight loss, or money management versions have we seen? How many vows to stop drinking or smoking or cursing have passed through the tenet of NYR's?? Hell, an even better question: How many of you have actually been kept until the next new year?? I'd say more resolutions come and go in the first week of the new year than drinks on New Year's Eve. No offense, but this year, instead of making a promise to do something, I'm just going to do the same thing I've been doing, just better. That's a resolution I can keep, and will probably not forget a week later...

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 Loud Commercials

I've been tempted to do the same on many occasions...

via CNN:

In her crusade to eliminate the nuisance, Rep. Anna Eshoo wrote the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM, which mandates that TV commercials be no louder than the programs in which they appear.

Representatives unanimously passed the bill last month and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

The brief measure directs the Federal Communications Commission to develop regulations preventing ads from being "excessively noisy or strident" or "having modulation levels substantially higher than the accompanying program." The bill also addresses "average maximum loudness."

There are certain laws that just baffle most people, like it being illegal to have sex with socks on in Virginia. Then there are certain laws that make you wonder why they weren't there in the first place. This law's for you, commercials. I consider myself an avid television watcher, and even I can't get around the overwhelming knack for commercials to be twice as loud as the TV show I'm watching. Commercials, why is it even necessary to do that?? If someone is going to buy something, they're going to buy it. If they aren't going to buy it, they're not going to buy it. Do you really think bombarding people with your insane amount of decibels makes them want to buy your products any more?? If anything, I'd refrain from buying them. You guys are like that pushy-ass salesman who keeps putting his foot between the door even while I'm smashing his leg with the door. Nobody wants a Snuggie that badly that they would appreciate losing their hearing. Tonedeafness should only be left for church choirs, not during the evening news...

Dear Senate

The Republicans ironically are the most well-fed politicians.. I wonder why

via The Raw Story:

Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test in the pre-dawn hours early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all but assures its passage by Christmas.

"Let's make history," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, shortly before the bill's supporters demonstrated their command of the Senate floor in an extraordinary holiday season showdown.

The bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who now lack it, while banning insurance company practices such as denial of benefits on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

It's a sad day in the United States when the deciding bodies of our country can't even decide on an issue that's been plaguing us since the days of JFK. Senate, today amidst screams and whines and kicks from Republicans and flip-flopping legislators, you passed the ever-so-elusive health care bill. I can't say that the bill was passed through an overwhelming majority (it went through 60-40), I am happy that the bill passed.

That said, why did it take you guys so damn long to get this bill passed?? First of all, it always seemed like half of the Senate didn't even read the bill, much less understand what the bill was proposing. It's like the Patriot Act, but in reverse. What happened to the gung-ho, go-get-um attitude that made mining phone numbers and tapping cell phones okay in 2002?? What happened to the lackadaisical attitudes that allowed the Fed to cut interest rates and dig us into an even bigger recession?? It always seems like the government is ready to make moves when it LEAST helps the people. Now that we finally had a plan, half of you guys were dragging your feet more than O.J. going to his verdict hearing.

Second of all, why has it always taken 60 votes to get something through the Senate? According to the Constitution, there actually is no law that can end a filibuster (the conflict that was keeping the bill in limbo), which means that as long as less than 3/5 of the Senate votes for a bill, the bill cannot get passed. Why is that the norm?? In fact, why is this bill even in the hands of Congress in the first place?? For something affecting the people, shouldn't the vote be in the hands of the people?? I find it funny that so many Senators were against publicizing health care, when most of you guys have never not been able to afford health care!! That's like Paris Hilton telling an anorexic girl she should eat more. The hypocrisy in our government is rampant, and your failure to pass this bill in a timely manner is laughable.

Finally, if this is how you guys decide something as drastic as health care, what in God's name is going to happen when other issues (ooh, I don't know the financial situation or climate change) stand to be reformed?? Is it going to be the same standstill, and then overwhelming revision that comes?? I hope not. Our government, like our health care policies, are in need of drastic change. And if it takes 60 votes from a bunch of wishy-washy legislators to do that, then I truly have lost hope in our political system. Get it together, Senate. Lord knows it doesn't take a two-month long filibuster to recognize how inefficient you guys have been as of late...

Advertisement Fast Food > Actual Fast Food

Now, this is just screaming for the FDA's intervention. How does stuff like this end up on television without anyone saying ANYTHING?? For years pundits have questioned the uncanny ability of advertisement food to look way better than the actual food that we get served. Now there's no reason you shouldn't question the way your fast food looks. Especially if your burgers don't have as many seeds on them as old girl glued to her buns (pause)...

Dear Morehouse

Hope you guys aren't looking for a college education...

via The Maroon Tiger:

The policy outlines 11 expectations pertaining to what students should not wear while on campus. Instead of requiring certain articles of clothing, as a typical dress code would, the policy details those articles of clothing deemed unacceptable for students. Some of the expectations discussed in the policy include to prohibit wearing “sagging” pants, women’s clothing and headwear. The policy will be distributed to students electronically through TigerNet and the school website. The policy will also be outlined in the student handbook and discussed in Crown Forums for students.

Okay, so I'm a little late on this one (blame my lack of computer), but it still hits home all the more. Let's get this straight, oh prestigious black college: sagging pants is wrong. The sight of a young man's undergarments based on the lowness of his pants, jeans or what have you, is one of those things that elicits the wrong type of attention. Not only is your behind more prone to drafts (and other forces; my imprisoned brethren can tell you that), you get boxed into a category that few people want to be in, and the ones that are in, don't care: HOOD. To the average non-black person, sagging pants are more or less a flag that say 'CROSS THE STREET'. I can understand your concern at such things, Morehouse.

HOWEVER, Morehouse, where do you guys get off telling your students what they can and can't wear? To me, this is the age old voice of the past negro, telling the present negro that he can't be who he wants. The old guard is essentially trying to dictate the substance and understanding of the new guard. Morehouse, and more specifically President Michael Franklin, what is the last hip-hop record you've listened to? When is the last time you've talked to one of your students (who doesn't have his lips firmly planted on your backside)? Hell, when was the last time you even knew what was relevant in the lives of your students? Not that I'm denouncing your plea to make the black youth of America more workforce-ready, but at what cost does this come? It's like you're the Man, trying to whitewash the students into this 1950's-esque vision of collegiate life, where everyone is in bed by 11 and no boys are allowed in the girls dorms after dark. Get with the 20th century. College kids may not dress the way that you think they should, but does that discredit them as students? Does the learning not get into their heads as easily if they have sagging pants? I don't get it. Stop trying to get the 'black' and gay' out of your students. Legislating tastes and preference is the government's job (oops), not the education system's. Maybe if you weren't looking at college boys' butts (double oops) all the time, you'd know that...

Dear Rihanna

To anyone reading this, this is clearly a touchy subject. So take this letter with a grain of salt, rather than take my rhetoric as me being a proponent of domestic violence. Here goes.

Rihanna, you were never really that much of a pop icon to me. I saw you go from a Bajan dancehall-pop artist (somewhere in the realm of Sean Kingston), to a regular R&B-pop star, to a 'pop icon' (as Mediatakeout and MTV like to call you). I never really minded your career, but I always seemed to have a disdain for your music. Now, when the story and the pictures detailing your domestic run-in with Chris Brown, I was somewhat skeptical. Not only does Chris Brown seem like a soft dude, there were rumors on top of rumors that you were jealous, controlling, and had hit Chris on numerous occasions. No one but you and Chris were in that car when he allegedly (well, now, reportedly) beat you up. However, I'm willing to put money on the fact that Chris' meltdown was not completely of his own volition.

When you think about domestic violence, what do you think of? Exactly. A man beating a woman. However, who's to say that this tenet couldn't be reversed? So many times in society, we place the onus of being the bigger person on the man in the relationship, when the woman is just as responsible for the turmoil. So many times, as a society, we allow sensationalism to cast an improper shadow on people. So many times, we allow double standards to cloud our vision into thinking that the man is always the bad guy. Not to say that Chris Brown was not in the wrong, but where is any investigation on your part in the incident, Rihanna? Who's to say that you didn't provoke Chris at all? I'm sure that ANYONE would get pissed if you were hitting them up while they were driving. Women, and the matriarchal black society that we live in, are so quick to point the finger, that even before anything was proven, Chris was already guilty. In this day and age, if you get mentioned as a domestic abuser (guilty or not), you will never be able to scratch that off your record. Chris Brown may have laid not a finger on you, but will be guilty by association 99% of the time. What's worse is how you've gone about your 'road to recovery', Rihanna.

First of all, if you were so 'ashamed' of what happened, why were you back in the man's arms weeks later? Second off, why were you photographed with Drake only weeks after that? That's an awful lot of switching beds and paparazzi action for someone who's 'scared and shaken'. I'm not saying that you should have been shacked up for 5 months, but I didn't know getting back on the pony was so easy. Another thing, Rihanna. Why were you so quiet and pensive about everything until now? Your album Rated R is set to be released on November 23rd. I suppose your timing couldn't be more correct. Rihanna, so much of this incident seems skewed in your favor. You more or less traded bruises and Chris Brown's career for publicity. Something about that doesn't seem too 'ashamed' to me. Like I said in the beginning of this letter, I'm not a proponent of domestic violence. Violence has no place in a relationship and shouldn't be condoned. My mother told me never, ever to hit a woman. But if the woman is hitting me, when do I say enough is enough? Rihanna, adding to a destructive double standard shouldn't be the price you pay for platinum plaques, and you know it. It's just sad that a performer much more talented than you had to be a victim of that standard...

Dear Beanie Sigel

Mad videos.. But it had to be done...

Okay Beans, let me say first off that I respect you as a rapper. You're highly underrated in an era where vapidness is the fastest road to platinum plaques. I always knew that your albums didn't get nearly the amount of promotion that they needed, but as usual, the bullshit side of the industry was swept under the rug in your case. That said, when I hard your Jay-Z diss song, my first resolves was 'So?' Beans, you're about 4 years too late in your newfound chutzpah. You say that Jay wasn't dealing you right and wouldn't promote your album. Since when is it his prerogative to promote your album? As much as the man did head the label and your crew, at what point do you as a rapper say 'Hey! Maybe I should grind out MYSELF!' Look at it this way. No one gave Jay-Z his career. In 1994, Dame Dash and he were selling Roc-A-Fella records from the trunk of Dame's car, not waiting for another dude to put them on. In fact, any grossly rich person on this planet (with the exception of Bill Gates & Warren Buffet; c/o Devin) has to have some degree (some with a HELL of a lot more than others) of griminess to them. In today's age of deception and fineprint, YOU have to be responsible for your own fate. Instead of being tight after the fact, now that you know your career is on the rocks, you should have been promoting the hell out of your damn self. State Property had some serious talent in it. And yes, it is a shame that Jay promoted himself more than he promoted you. At the end of the day, you have to realize this: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. That's not just a saying; it's the truth. It's just sad you had to wait 10 years to figure that out...

Dear CDC

I know the type is a little small.. Here's the original (link)

via Bloomberg:

The fast-moving pandemic spread to 177 countries in four months, yet causes little more than a fever and a cough in the majority of cases. Flu activity is now widespread in 46 U.S., states in a second, fall wave, the CDC said on Oct. 23.

Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness are “increasing steeply and are now higher than what is seen at the peak of many regular flu seasons,” the agency in Atlanta said.

Using their so-called multiplier model, Reed and colleagues estimated that every reported case of pandemic H1N1 flu may represent 79 total cases, for a median estimate of 3 million symptomatic cases and 14,000 hospitalizations in the U.S.

I knew that this day was coming. In all honesty, I also knew I'd have a hearty laugh when it came. CDC, since you identified the H1N1 strain of influenza, you've had half of the free world rocking surgeon masks and bathing themselves in Purell. Not to say that cleanliness is a bad thing, but don't we have to look at the writing on the wall at some point? In 300 days, swine flu has killed 5,850 people. Compare that to the 50,182,850 deaths during that same period of time. That evens out to about 0.01%. Umm, something about that doesn't scream epidemic or pandemic, does it? I suppose your highly paid 'experts' forgot to inform the public about that, though.

This is the exact mode of thinking that led to the views of Arabs after September 11th. CDC, you've fed into the same sensationalism that causes unneeded panic. A somewhat alarming (obviously not the case for 9/11) event occurs and everyone just buys into whoever is providing the most info, no matter how skewed it is. Let's be honest guys. Most people are uninformed and easily-led. Why then, do you deem it necessary to incite fear and misinformation among them? Every time I think of how you guys are making waves for nothing, I picture the scene in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, where The Umbrella Corporation closes off Raccoon City to be nuked, with it's residents still there. Not to say that you guys are a military weapons company fronting as a medical corporation, but something about how you guys conveniently 'release' information and vaccines and health advice when nobody is looking is SHADY. Transparency is my number one caveat when dealing with 'the Man', and you guys have always looked like a brick wall since the emergence of AIDS. Swine flu might very well be passing over us, but I really hope you guys shore up your priorities. Lord knows swine flu will never compare in mortality to cardiovascular failure. Maybe you should treat it as such and stop trying to shock us into buying into your 'research'...

Neighborhood Newsletter (9/25)

Life just is not fair sometimes...

What surgery will look like in the future

20 Reasons Why You're Still Single

The World's Most Important Drugs

If Lottery Tickets Told the Truth

Alleged terror threat seen as 'most serious' since 9/11 attacks

HIV vaccine hailed as 'historic milestone' in fight against Aids

Both sides of the story on FML

Dear Rush Limbaugh

If that's not the quintessential "The Man" pose, then I don't know what is...

via The Raw Story:

In a remark extraordinary even by the standards of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, the right-wing radio heavyweight declared on his program Wednesday that the United States needed to return to racially segregated buses.

Referring to an incident in which a white student was beaten by black students on a bus, Limbaugh said: “I think the guy’s wrong. I think not only it was racism, it was justifiable racism. I mean, that’s the lesson we’re being taught here today. Kid shouldn’t have been on the bus anyway. We need segregated buses — it was invading space and stuff. This is Obama’s America.”

Racism hasn't died, and by the looks of it, might never die. So, Mr. Barack the Magic Negro, you're gonna talk about black people being racist? Man, you've probably been off of your "prescription" drugs a little too long, peddling crap like that. Let me ask you one thing though: if the white kids beat up the black kid, would THAT automatically be racially motivated? The thing I don't get about most racist people is their sheer, ridiculous inability to see things from any perspective than their own. You're no different Mr. Limbaugh. You and some of these 'pundits' have these "white trash moments" (as opposed to a nigga moment) where normal logic is overridden by wild, latent (or open) racist tendencies. What's worse is that it was a public white trash moment, a moment that not only embarrasses you, it embarrasses your race. Regardless of your idiocy, Rush, you screwed up this time. I'm just guessing, but there definitely have been times when you've been in an enclosed space with more than one black man and haven't been attacked. That should tell you something. Maybe you should be the segregated one...

Dear World Bank

via Times Online:

The World Bank is spending billions of pounds subsidising new coal-fired power stations in developing countries despite claiming that burning fossil fuels exposes the poor to catastrophic climate change. The bank, which has a goal of reducing poverty and is funded by Britain and other developed countries, calls on all nations in a report today to “act differently on climate change”.

It says that the world must reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, but it is funding several giant coal-burning plants that will each emit millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide a year for the next 40 to 50 years.

Really, guys? This is how we 'go green'? By investing more money into nonrenewable energy? See, this is the exact type of bass ackwards-type thinking that's gonna end up with us having a solar holocaust because the hole in the ozone layer is bigger than Tila Tequila's forehead. No seriously, reading this story made me upset considering I am (for once) trying to reduce my own carbon footprint. I know recycling isn't that big of a change, but every little bit helps. That little bit might not be enough though, considering you guys just added about 50 years worth of smog to our atmosphere with this new investment. The worst part about funding these 'carbon dioxide plants' is that most of them will be located in developing countries, where damn near all of our oxygen is coming from! That makes soooooooo much sense, guys. Let's put the cigarette in the lung that's NOT infected with lung cancer and emphysema. Oh, no better yet, let's shine ultraviolet light right down on the fair-skinned, skin cancer-susceptible patch of flesh that we just happened to miss with sunblock. Seriously, I hate when politicians pass crap laws and allow amendments that go right under our noses. You guys are no different. So what if you issued a report saying that we have to reduce dependence on fossil fuels? What's the point if you're doing the exact thing you say we SHOULDN'T do? I've had it up to here with world leaders destroying our planet under ridiculous pretenses. If you see a spaceship on it's way to the Moon, you know where to find me...

PS: Allowing this motion to pass not only shows sheer inconsideration for the poor of this world, it shows how short-sighted world politicians are today. I get more and more disillusioned with the state of our world by the day, and to tell you the truth..

Dear Cellular Providers

I'd rather walk around like this and get the service I need than spend one more day over-paying for bullshit...

As I sat in a seemingly endless line at the Sprint Store today, praying that I wouldn't have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to fix my phone's cracked screen, a thought dawned on me. A simple one at that: Why? Why do we shell over hundreds of dollars a month for a technology that is not only 10 years old, but also is getting cheaper to provide every day? Why do cell phone providers feel the need to lure us in with seemingly frugal deals only to up their prices months later? Why is it that every time I have a problem with my phone, I have to call a number, be placed on hold and then speak to a representative who knows just as much about English as I do about President Obama's sex life? Why? Why? WHY? Well, I did some research and I came up with some startling news: the United States pays more for cellular service than any country in the world. That's right. Check it and check my letter to cell phone providers:

via The Consumerist:

A new survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compared annual costs around the world for consumers who have cellphones, and the U.S. is in the top three for most expensive. How expensive? DSLReports notes that "on average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden."

Really, Sprint? Really, AT&T and Verizon? So while I'm forking over over $600 per year (I know for a fact it's more), my Scandinavian brethren are spending chump change on the same services? I've had enough of this. My phone's been broke twice this summer, both from quality-related issues. It seems like the more money we as consumers spend on your crummy service, the less you give us. I mean, seriously. Since when was data over an iPhone actually worth the extra $30 a month? Since when has repairing a phone cost more than the phone itself? There's no doubt in my mind that we need (arghh, I hate to admit that) cell phones in today's fast-paced world. However at what cost? You guys always seem to have a new deal that lures in customers but never seem to be able to satisfy the ones you already have. What's worse is that we as Americans continue to feed into this vicious cycle. With every year, as the technology gets more and more advanced (and cheaper), we spend more money to acquire it. While the cost for sending the data we so desperately need goes down, we spend more.

I'm no wireless expert, but for the amount I'm paying, shouldn't my reception bars NEVER go down if I'm in a relatively big city (say, Philadelphia or New York)? With the number of house phones decreasing year by year, I feel like the percentage of cellular phones being a person's only phone is increasing. By that token, shouldn't the price of service be decreasing? Shouldn't services like text-messaging and e-mail, which are becoming ubiquitous fixtures on everyone's device, be included? Yes, I'm mad about my phone. Yes, I'd rather not drop a lot of money to fix it, but for the money I'm spending, shouldn't these phones be a bit more durable? I feel like every time I put my phone anywhere that isn't by my ear, it's at risk for some BS happening to it. Seriously, do me a favor, cell providers. Either lower your prices or make your services better. And not better by putting up a fancy waiting list in your store. Give us a flat rate and exceptional reception. Give us phones that don't break every two months. Better yet, give us phones that don't cost more to fix than to buy. Most importantly, stop nickel and diming us after the fact. They say that there's no way in the world to make an honest million. You've made your millions. At least try to be honest with the customers you know you'll be giving upgrades to next year anyway...