Skylar Diggins’ Looks, Not Her Game, Will Attract Fans

Tonight, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships come to a conclusion. Notre Dame will play Texas A&M in the finals.

Many of you wouldn’t have cared one bit last year – and last year’s game featured one of the icons of all sports in the Connecticut women’s team. This year, however, is a little bit different.

You can thank Skylar Diggins for that.

It’s not because Diggins, a 5-9 sophomore point guard for Notre Dame, is the greatest player you will ever see. She’s not going to dunk on anyone. She’s not going to be that Hot Sauce-type from the old And-1 mixtapes. She’s not even going to be the next Maya Moore of UConn (arguably one of the best of all time).

This year’s game will have a huge television fan base, however, because of who Diggins is. She’s a model playing basketball. The girl is absolutely beautiful. She makes single men salivate and married men look at their wedding rings asking, “What the hell was I thinking?” She even made Rapper Lil’ Wayne post a Twitter comment calling her his wife.

She’s that bad, y’all. I’m sure there are guys who would fight Lil Wayne for her right now.

Her looks shouldn’t be a reason why people will tune in to tonight’s championship game. But for once, I think the NCAA should use this as a positive. What new fans will see out of Diggins is that she’s not only a pretty face but also a pretty good basketball player. She can stomp with the big dogs, for real.

And when she’s finished, she’ll flash that smile that tends to melt the hardest cats. Check her out tonight.

Marcus Diggins (because yeah, I’d take her last name)

[APRIL FOOL’s… Not Really! My Un-April Fool Joke]

The 1^st POTUS of Latin descent

could be a Bush in 2028?

 

Econ for the African (aka Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla) has been gone for a while but I’m back with your Money, Politics, & whatever else crosses my mind.

Obama announced that he was running for POTUS for 2012 today.  Today I was listening to an NPR interview where Michelle Martin held an interview with the Univision News anchor Jorge Ramos to discuss how the “Population Growth poses challenges for Hispanics”, and in a time of reality TV (That I don’t watch) something was said that made me start Google searching.  The statement was as follows (Full Article Linked Below):

MARTIN: And we only have a minute left and I think people would appreciate if I point out, there are actually no African-American senators sitting right now, which is an interesting fact given that African-Americans are still a large part of the population. So, do you put your money on – you’ve got 50 seconds or so, do you put your money on any particular candidate as the one to watch who could be that first one?

Mr. RAMOS: I’m seeing George P. Bush, I’m seeing Julian Castro in San Antonio, I’m seeing Marco Rubio. There are many

MARTIN: George P. Bush being the son of former governor Jeb Bush.

What?  Did I hear this correctly, Another Bush and one that is Half Hispanic, to boot?  George Prescott Gallo Bush [In my Opie from Andy Griffith voice] Say it ain’t so Paw?  Also, with all due respect Mr. Tim Kaine (chairman of the DNC) its time for you to [in my little Wayne Voice] “Step Yo Game Up Mane!” The concern is this George P. Bush is only 33 years old, an attorney, US Navy Iraq War Veteran, Intelligence officer, & more conservative that all the predecessor Bush’s combined.

You have to be 35 to run for President and hypothetically if he runs when he is 47 as Obama did 14 short years from now in 2026 (for the 2028 Campaign Cycle) we could have another Bush in the White House (Prescott Bush’s (His Great Grandfather) dream continues to expand).  Also, given the majority of Latinos are less than 25 years of age, it’s going to be an important bloc  In 14 years they will be an educated group 32-39 years of age paying taxes, purchasing mortgages, Health Insurance, and fighting for their older family members not to have run ins with I.N.S.  Wait, Wait… does this mean that the GOP will have to change their stance on immigration?  Not with This Bush, he is for stricter enforcement criticizing the use of pepper filled rubber bullets by border agents.  What will be the new picture of the GOP, or  Imagine by then Texas could become move from a Red state to a Bluish Purple till Bush arrives and swing back to a Red state because of him. Half of all newborns in California now are Latinos, California could become Red. Half of all students in elementary school in Texas are Latinos. So it’s truly a demographic revolution that it’s going to – and it’s already having enormous impact economically and politically.  What will Fox news report when the darling of the GOP is the son of a naturalized immigrant Mexican Mother and the grandson & nephew of former Presidents & Son of a Governor?

Where does this leave African-Americans?  Quite frankly I don’t know… If we continue to operate under the old model tying our outcomes to the tax and spend Dems regardless of how that effects our incomes & businesses. Continuing to use the Black v. Brown or the premise of “Us Against Them” or as the old saying goes “They may come for me at night, but they will come for you in the morning.”  Well what about the NAACP, well the NAACP needs to change.  The NAACP has been slow to bond with our Brown Brothers & Sisters with the “Ethnic Subdivisions still only showing Black Indians, Gullah, & Igbo”  They have Not embraced Black Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Dominicans etc.  Some of which are darker that some of our darkest brothers & sisters.  They also have not embraced the fastest growing class of Educated Technical Workers that are also Brown Indians (No Not Tonto or Sitting Bull, but Gandhi, Patel, Sharma, etc)  Have they tried to team with La Raza, if so it’s not publicized?  They have had an insane issue fighting against and at the same time supporting the current POTUS.  Because in the past “Da Man” didn’t look like them.  It is becoming irksome that they have no strategy and little relevance other that the historical virtue.  Come on NAACP, that 64 member Board is completely inefficient, what corporation in the world has a 64 member board.  Have you ever tried to get 6 of your friends to agree on what to eat?  I have and it’s a chore, try getting 64 to agree.   Wait, we still have the SCLC right.  Well, answer me this, What do they do, or better yet off the top of your head name the last initiative they championed?  There was an issue last year where an atheist group purchased ad space on the side of three city busses in Ft Worth, TX to run for 90 days.  None of these orgs counterpunched by purchasing ads of their own (the ads were only $1,500 each).  Now with all of the black churches they couldn’t rally 45 churches to contribute $100 to raise $4,500  Also, the SCLC’s model may not work either to embrace our brown brothers & Sisters as most Hispanics are Catholic.  To their credit they are an NGO but their org model is questionable 17 affiliates & 57 chapters Inefficient.  Just like many 501c3 they are improperly run (Yes, I do realize NGO’s & 501’s are different.).  I didn’t see the Urban League address this in their plan released last week.  Older members in BGLO’s are still having issues on letting whites into their orgs, cudos to the Alpha’s for stepping in to prevent one of their Hispanic brothers who is battling INS Deportation (See Link Below).  Better yet why do they have to come to us, we are the smaller minority.  Hispanics range anywhere from 16 to 20% of the population, we still hover at a messily 12-14%, but we want preferential treatment.  Come on Man!

Once the 1960’s GOP Sothern strategy is converted to a millennial agenda to recruit Hispanics all they will need is a face with name recognition and who arrives on the scene?  George P. Bush is a game changer and the GOP only needs to keep issues splintered for another 4-8 years for him to begin to get his chops in the Senate and we will be looking at a political change of epic proportions.  Maybe by that time Michelle Bachmann will secretly adopted an Punjabi – Aboriginal – Eskimo that was born on a military base so that they are American Citizens (with a US Birth Certificate) that he can choose as a running mate.

[Link to NPR Transcript]

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/01/135042269/population-growth-poses-challenges-for-hispanics

George P. Bush (Wiki)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Bush

College Fraternity fights Deportation
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133623694

Econ for the African
aka Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla

What’s the big deal?

Recently the Texas legislature voted that in order to vote in the state of Texas you need to be able to prove that you are who you say you are and provide identification. Can someone please help me understand why this is such a big deal? Democrats are arguing that requiring people to show picture ID is equal to voter suppression. This is ridiculous!!! Help me understand why it’s an encumbrance to show ID in order to vote when you have to show ID to buy beer, watch some movies, etc and so on. I’m sitting here watching this idiot on the news harping on the fact that one of the acceptable forms of ID is a passport. She said, “How many people who work at McDonald’s go to Europe every year and have a passport?” She further argued that having to show a birth certificate to get a state issued ID will cause some people to simply not vote.
Let me make myself perfectly clear, I totally agree that everyone who is seeks to exercise their right to vote ought to be required to establish their identity by producing identification when they show up to the polls. What’s the alternative? Having my brothers and sisters come to Dallas to vote for me from Louisiana when I run for mayor? Having a son vote for his parents after they are deceased? Having felons votes even though they lost that right when they were convicted of their crime(s)? Having folks who aren’t citizens enjoying yet another right of those of us who are citizens (along with all the others they already enjoy)? Arguing voter disenfranchisement, which is just code word for later calling it racial discrimination, is crap!!! Arguing that it’s a hardship to have identification is crap!!! Arguing that you shouldn’t have to have ID to practice such an important right we have as Americans is ludicrous!!! It’s a right I practice whether the vote is for president, mayor or dog catcher, that’s how important it is to me. It’s just as important that mine counts for something. Having others enjoy that right who might not be worthy of that right makes mine worthless. So…if you want to vote, have a voice in your community, shape the future of your city, county (parish), state, and country then you need to get a driver’s license, state issued id card or a passport. If you can’t prove who you are, then you don’t need to vote, plain and simple… stay home and complain about what’s going on in the community.

It’s Just My Opinion, but I’m Not Wrong!!!

Planned Parenthood Defunded…good or bad?

Hmmm...makes you wonder a bit.

Recently I was involved in a discussion with some folks with regards to the republicans choosing to defund Planned Parenthood. They want to take all federal funds away from them under one proposal and in another; they’d lose a substantial amount of their federal funds. One young lady was floored by the decision, saying that they provide very important services to the community. Planned Parenthood brings to the community such services as free or low cost annual exams for women, information on feminine health as well as counseling on taking care of themselves. Planned Parenthood also provides contraceptives to the community so that they can do what their name implies ‘Plan’ when they become parents. However, the issue that caused them to lose funding is their refusal to agree not to use federal funds for performing abortions. You see, for many years Planned Parenthood has provided very important service to the community that aren’t controversial at all, but they still insist on providing such controversial services as abortion for birth control.

Let me make my position very clear, I am not a supporter of abortion when it is used as a birth control option. I’m one of those folks who believe that abortion should be restricted to cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother is in jeopardy. On another note, I still believe it is the final decision of the woman and you won’t find me picketing any abortion clinics or trying to convince anyone, who hasn’t asked for my opinion, not to have an abortion. I also have issue with the decision being SOLELY up to the woman and the father having no say in whether the abortion is performed or not [another blog for another day]. That being said, I have no issue with the federal government cutting their funding. While I believe it’s not my business or my decision whether someone wants to have an abortion, I believe it is my business if my tax money is providing the abortions. All this aside, check the stats, what’s the number one killer of black folks? If you want an abortion, it is legal, it is your right, it is your decision, but it is also at your expense…as it should be.

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong!!

-Orville P Cottlethorpe IV

Apologize for What?!?!?!

    A couple of nights ago the Dallas County Commissioner’s court had a train of citizens, mostly from the Tea Party and mostly white, lined up at the microphone to speak out against John Wiley Price. As he had in weeks prior, he listened, made a few faces and allowed them to speak. They are citizens and allowed to speak to their elected officials about their concerns, so they were within their rights. What I respect about this man is the fact that he didn’t stay in an office in the back while he was maligned, accused of malfeasance and corruption for wielding the power he has on the court to force the resignation of a county employee. Yes, he exhibited various facial expressions and body language as an exhibition of his displeasure and disagreement, but he sat there and listened. Then one of the speakers decided to antagonize Mr. Price by calling him a name, repeatedly. Certainly they’re claiming that he misunderstood what they were saying and they didn’t mean it the way he took it. They’re saying that they were using a word that meant some sort of educated Muslim who’s in power, or whatever [Mullah], rather than moolie, the word Price perceived them to say, which is a derogatory racist term. After he used the term several times Price erupted and told him to go to hell. He then lost his cool and said, “Why are all the speakers white?” And then, “All of you are white. Go to hell.” What bothers me is the fact that media outlets like the Dallas Morning News, Fox4News and others are saying that Price should apologize. That he, as an elected official should have kept his cool; that he shouldn’t even have called one of the chief antagonists “…fat boy”. Heather Hayes, during an interview with him, really aggravated me when she asked him, “Don’t you think you should apologize for telling all white people to go to hell?” What?!?!?! When did he say all white people go to hell? He was speaking specifically to white people in the room who were antagonizing him.

    Sadly, no one is making light of the chicanery carried out by the guy who continually baited Price. While some could have, and would have, kept their cool; I’m glad he didn’t… I’m glad he went off on them…I’m glad he let them know that there are some buttons you just don’t push. Too often punks like this guy and his group of imbecilic morons take someone to task and then act like they didn’t do anything at all. The only thing better for me to see for people like this, is to see them get the occasional broken nose or fractured jaw. The look on their face is classic when they get what they ultimately deserve, a good beat down. Don’t get me wrong, those who know me know that I’m in no way a proponent of John Wiley Price, but I loathe those who antagonize to no end then act like they don’t know why someone goes off on them. Stand firm on your unapologetic ego and don’t offer them anything as an apology. Then again, your apology can say, “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my actions during the Dallas County Commissioner’s court this past week. What transpired was not acceptable and should not have taken place. I can assure you that if placed in this same situation again, I will most definitely handle myself in a proper fashion and knock one of them out…hopefully they might wake up with some sense.”

It’s Just My Opinion but I’m Not Wrong!

Is Tiger Mom All that Bad?

      I have been reading a bit about a mom who’s referenced as a ‘Tiger Mom.’ This is because she aggressively takes part in the life of her children. She has very high standards for her kids and keeps them busy in various activities. Unfortunately, we live in a society where the mothers of the ‘Princess boy’ and those others who are permissive in raising their kids. I would much rather see a bunch of parents like the ‘Tiger Mom’ than those who not only allow their kids to do whatever they want to, but also encourage unhealthy choices and lifestyles. You see, while some may criticize this mother’s relationship with her kids, she has their best interest at heart. She is instilling in them a great work ethic as well as encouraging activities that cultivate culture and make well rounded kids. I’ve said before that we are too lenient on our kids in this country and we wonder why the ‘tech jobs’ that pay well and require a higher level of education and dedication are always held by people other than Americans. I can tell you why, we keep using the phrases, ‘…they need to be kids’ or ‘…they need this time to rest’. Unfortunately this is one of those situations where the kids suffer in the end.

     You see, we need to get back to the way it used to be when parents were parents and kids knew who was the boss of the house. Today we have parents who desire to be friends with their kids and allow them to make entirely too many decisions that should be made by their parents. I’ll reiterate in this posting as I did in the past, parents need to be parents and assure that kids are kids…with a structured childhood. Boundaries show them that they can’t simply do whatever they want to, when they want to, how they want to. They show them that they need to make decisions, prioritize and take the feelings of others in to account. They’ll know that they have someone who loves them enough to make some decisions for them…in their best interest. Tiger mom I applaud you…keep doing what you’re doing and I look forward to the major impact that your kids will have on this society. We need more mothers like you in this country… 

Orville P Cottlethorpe IV

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong

Kobe or MJ? Here We Go Again …

I went to bed last night with the NBA on my mind. A lot of stuff happened in the league.

Carmelo Anthony scored 50 points and then became the center of attention involving a trade with both the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Dallas Mavericks and dropped its NBA-record 25^th straight game. Somewhere in Miami, LeBron James is cracking up.

Last night also saw Kobe Bryant play in his 1,073^rd game as a professional – one more as a pro than Michael Jordan. That’s quite an accomplishment for the NBA all-star and reigning NBA Finals MVP. So many people want to hate on Kobe. I’m not one of them. In fact, I think he’s the best player in the game today. LeBron’s the best ATHLETE. Kobe’s the best PLAYER.

There have been people wanting to compare Kobe with MJ for years. The talks really caught fire last night after ESPN showed a tale of the tape between the two basketball superstars. Although MJ has one less game under his belt, he’s scored 5,180 more points and has won five NBA MVP awards, four more than Kobe. In addition, MJ has won six championships (although Kobe still has the juice to play four or five more years) and six NBA Finals MVP honors, four more than Kobe.

I think the fact that MJ has over 5,000 points more than Kobe speaks a lot in this “Kobe or MJ” debate that tends to be ongoing. Both are great players who will share hall-of-fame stories one day, but when you see MJ’s stats, it just makes you shake your head. I mean, that’s phenomenal. Keep in mind that Kobe started playing pro right out of high school. MJ won an NCAA national title while playing a couple of years at North Carolina.

I am a huge Kobe fan, but I don’t think you can compare the two as players. Thoughts?

Cornwallis Nathaniel James

Don’t Be Fake … Don’t Be Stupid!

I meant to blog this a while back, but I got sidetracked. Sometimes, all you need is a good video to sell your point.

This may be the best 58 seconds EVER! *Sidenote: The following video contains adult language and mild violence.*

Three words, kiddos … don’t be fake. Three more words … don’t be stupid.

Denzel B. Pennypacker

Spoiled Athletes & Fitness Icons

I had two things on my mind today: Spoiled athletes and Jack Lalanne.

I know, I know … that’s a pretty odd combination to have at once, but it is what it is.

I’ve had spoiled athletes on the brain ever since I saw this last week:

Whoever made this is an absolute GENIUS! So often, we see these young athletes who have a me-me-me attitude. So often, we hear about athletes getting upset because they don’t have the statistics they were looking for — even though they get the win in the end. So often do we see parents and outside references hyping up these kids way before they’re ready to handle it.

This video is ridiculously on point, and I would hope every coach in America would want his players – no matter the sport – to watch. There’s no “I” in team, but there is an “I” in win.

Switching gears, the world lost a pioneer when Jack Lalanne – aka Mr. Juicer – died on Sunday. Lalanne was 97 years old and probably in better shape than half of the world. He made it his personal mission to change how the world looked one person at a time through proper eating, exercise and better overall health choices. He also was the master of the fingertip push-up. Insane!

For all you “The Biggest Loser” fans, he was Bob and Jillian way before anyone else was.

This was a man who once did more than 1,000 push-ups in a 23-minute span – at 43 years old! This was a man who, while handcuffed and towing a small boat, swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco – at 60 years old! I know cats who won’t jog to the grocery store a block down.

Lalanne did things that people thought were impossible. He also made it known that everything he did can be achieved with proper diet and exercise. He was a fitness messiah of sorts, and the world will miss him.

Mickey Free Jr.

Who Taught You ‘Octagon’???

A shocking new news story appeared this week: 2^nd graders perform oral sex IN THE CLASSROOM…with the teacher present!

2^nd Graders perform oral sex in the classroom

I’m not surprised.

And you shouldn’t be surprised either.

This is America today. We are currently living in a time where the concepts of ‘parenting’ and ‘family’ mean absolutely nothing to most Americans. Everyone is outraged, wondering: “What happened to the supervision; where was the teacher?” “How could this happen?” “Where did they learn that?”ect.

The answer is all too simple: YOU!

If you are not on top of your children, there whereabouts, and what they are into, then you shouldn’t be surprised to hear/see that they are doing everything your doing. There is no more innocence in this day and age with the type of technological access that children have. Google can be a gateway to heaven or hell. You have to be aware of your surroundings, and be responsible for your children and their actions…because the world is watching, and everything has a paper trail!

Chris Rock – Octagon

-The Prince of Zamunda