Check out this 10 minute video - Conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan to Anderson Cooper: Detainee Bill “Legalizes Tyranny”

Whatever else this is, it is not a constitutional democracy. It is a thinly-veiled military dictatorship, subject to only one control: the will of the Great Decider. And the war that justifies this astonishing attack on American liberty is permanent without end.

Following Sullivan’s comments: A Syrian-Canadian is arrested in Canada, turned over to Syria by the US and tortured. The same thing could happen to you or me.

The Bush Administration is a fascist regime that must be stopped. Period.

I’ll see you all in Guantanamo.

Jennifer Gratz has turned her mediocrity as a student into a career.

Gratz, executive director of Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), backs the anti-affirmative action ballot initiative up for vote this November. This bitter blond was so pissed she was wait listed at U of M–some less deserving student was undoubtedly admitted in her rightful place–that she began a crusade against affirmative action and the practice of ‘discrimination’ based on skin color.

This is the transcript from the newest MCRI ad urging voters to say ‘yes’ to Prop 2. Heartfelt words from Jennifer Gratz’s father:

My wife and I worked hard to give our kids a chance, an equal chance to achieve their dreams. My wife started as a secretary. I’m a retired police officer. Our daughter, Jen, is a good kid. She got good grades and was a leader in school. Her dream was to attend U of M. Boy, were we proud. Jen applied to the University of Michigan, but was denied admission because she had the wrong skin color. Her dream was shattered. That wasn’t fair.
Quotas and reverse discrimination treat honest hardworking people unfairly. Proposal 2 gives everyone a fair chance to compete for good paying jobs and college admission. Proposal 2 ends government discrimination and reflects the color blind language of the civil rights act. Proposal 2 bans quotas, restores fairness and gives my daughter a chance to compete based on merit, not skin color or gender.
Fairness. Equality. Yes on Proposal 2.

 Remember, vote ‘HELL NO’ to Prop 2. in November.

Michigan’s richest gubernatorial candidate told the Associated Press in a recent phone interview that he would like to see Intelligent Design (ID) taught in public schools. Those worrying about ID, it’s the notion that life was created with the help of an unseen power, and not the Darwinian theory of evolution. After DeVos’ remarks made the mainstream media, all hell broke lose in the conservative punditry camp. Led by Nolan Finley the conservative talk shop said it was a BIG mistake for Dick to step out of the economic issue to social issues.

“DeVos allowed the campaign to shift toward social issues, where he’s most assailable. Good luck to the Republicans in regaining control of the discourse,” Finley wrote in his column.

Interesting that DeVos has spent millions in promoting religious causes the conservatives call social issues, yet Dick cannot defend those very causes. Michiganders are not only interested in the economy but also concerned about abortion, and the increased dominance of the religious right over our lives. How did this escape the Democratic camp after Dick gave a brief prescription of his religious theory?

The real Dick is beginning to stand up on the religious right platform. Can the real Dems be real in this election and confront Dick not only on the economy but on social issues?

Truthout.org reports that Newsweek is selling hard news in its International issue and entertainment in the US:

Editor’s Note: Newsweek has scrubbed the cover of its United States edition for October 2, 2006. The cover of its international editions, aimed at Europe and other world regions, has maintained the original title of the story, “Losing Afghanistan.” The new cover for the United States edition features photographer Annie Leibovitz and is titled “My Life in Pictures.” We offer the European edition cover and story here.

From Michelle Pilecki on Huffington Post:

So the powers-that-be at Newsweek figure that they can attract readers in Europe, Asia and Latin America with a dramatic cover depicting an Islamist armed with an evil-looking rocket-propelled grenade launcher that seems to be aimed right at the reader, who — it is to be assumed — would be thus “grabbed” by the prospect of a hard-hitting news story.

American readers, on the other hand, are assumed to prefer the soft pap of Newsweek Entertainment. “The audience is stupid” is the prevailing sentiment among the people at the top of the MSM, as Harry Shearer pointed out last week: “Whether or not they actually started out stupid, your programming [or editorial] decisions may help make them stupid.” It’s a self-fulfilling belief.

The Democratic Party allowed some so-called “maverick” Republicans to co-opt the torture issue, and we wind up with Bush getting exactly what he wants: the ability to torture and amnesty for his own human rights offenses.

The two-party system is crippling the United States. Between the criminal leaders of the GOP and the wussy punks in the Democratic Party, we are stuck with no decent choices. This is why so many Americans don’t vote.

It is a sad testimony for the Democrats that Bill Clinton is still the only Dem with some cahones! And he stands up only to defend his own record, not to defend the Constitution or the American people.
Read the rest of this post on Blues Talkin’.

Unsafe schools, stygma and a Black history void have lead more African American parents to homeschool their children, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. From 1999 to 2004, homeschooling has increased by a third and researchers say the number of African Americans who homeschool may be growing at a faster rate.

“Black public school students are three times as likely as white students to be categorized as needing special education services, a 2002 study by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University found. “

San Francisco Chronicle

Bill Cosby is asking every American to donate $8 to support a U.S. National Slavery museum. In a nation of some 300 million people even a small response would help the organizers reach their $100 million goal, Cosby told CNN.

Why $8?

“The figure 8, in shape, is both of the shackles, which is the symbol of slavery,” says former Governor and current Richmond mayor Douglas Wilder who has been working on a museum project for more than ten years.”If you turn it on its side, it’s the symbol of infinte freedom.”

NYTimes’ bloggers go ape crap over Black Enterprise’s current cover story “75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street.” The Black Enterprise article tackles a familiar topic to most on this site–examinig the strides/setbacks African Americans have made in the corporate world. As most know, the question of economic empowerment still looms large for most Black folk. Yet, equal opportunity comments (yes, even Black people) go a little something like this:

• It is not enough to decry the shortage of Blacks in top level jobs. That may be the case, but are qualified applicants really being passed over? I have seen no reports indicating this. As a black woman and a recruiter I can tell you that I review a depressingly small candidate pool of minorities for most positions advertised by my firm. It has led me to believe that they just aren’t there in large numbers and the makeup of most firms’ management teams seems to lend credence to this. Educated and accomplished blacks where are you? You need to start showing up - we’re stuck at bemoaning your absence - account for yourselves.
• I am sick and tired of the incessant complaining by all minorities about the lack of representation in government, corporate america, etc., etc. It’s important to recognise that the opportunities have been created and it’s then left largely to the population of minorities to seek to take advantage of those opportunities. Stop your bloody complaining and work to earn that place.
• Well, if I was an African American I would be worried. While the African-Americans sit around bickering and complaining about lack of recognition, the Asians and Latinos in business are going to continue climbing business ladders without screaming “Look at me I’m climbing!”.
• When is the article on the lack of diversity, subtitled “The Discrimination against Asians in the NBA and the NFL,” coming out? I am also still waiting for the article on “The Highly Qualified Asian Students Who Do Not Get into Elite Schools so that Utterly Unprepared and Unqualified Affirmative Action Students Can Steal Their Rightful Places, which Is Futile since They Never Graduate Anyway.”

I listened to all the noise made at the UN this week over global dominance and Western hegemony……and very little or no noise has been made by African nations against the racist Sudanese government that is killing innocent Black Africans through its Janjaweed Arab militia. The Arab League has been conspicuously silent over the genocide in Darfur, and we accept the false premise of the Sudanese government that UN intervention in Darfur is reminiscent of colonialism.

How long shall we wait as another Rwanda unfolds everyday in front of our eyes? Where is the political will of African nations to stop the Sudanese govt’s racist practices?

The African Union no doubt like the former Organization of African Unity, is a toothless dog, a coffee shop for most of its members who are among the world’s most renowned dictators. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka added his voice to the pool of critics against the racist genocide while keynoting the 50th anniversary of the Congress of Black Writers and Artists currently underway in France.

Today’s world leaders look more like professional wrestlers every day.

The presidents of Venezuela and Iran pulled a verbal tag-team on Gorgeous George W. in the United Nations General Assembly this week.

“The devil came here yesterday,” said Venezuela’s “Stone Cold” Hugo Chavez. “He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world.”

Chavez was referring to Bush’s Ric Flair rant in which the US leader attacked Venezuela’s tag-team partner, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, by addressing the Iranian people directly:

“…Your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation’s resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons.” (more…)

Last week Detroit Public School Board voted to suspend a fellow board member Marie Thornton for 60 days. The heinous crime according to the school Czar from the Kremlin Jimmy Womack, is Thornton’s outspokeness at board meetings.

How absurd……The consequence for Thornton is that she cannot vote at board committee meetings throughout the suspension days. How interesting that an empowered elected board is now resorting to the same rule that ruled the school for five years: Denial of the right to vote. Smell the coffee!

Despite 2002 photos of Black preachers gathered expectantly around President George W. Bush, faith-based initiatives haven’t meant bunches of dollars for Black churches. According to a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Black churches account for less than three percent of the $2 billion spent on the program. Also, the Black churches that actually have benefitted are politically ‘left’ writes the Washington Post. Since the left-leaning churches believe they need to actually help somebody.

In the meantime? Prosperity ministers’ are getting their private planes waxed.

War, Pres. Bush, terrorism, Detroit city deficits, U.S. deficits, Ford layoffs, crappy economy…hell, Monday. Did you know more people have heart attacks on Monday morning than any other time? Yet, I have decided to be ‘Solid’ and book a ticket to New York. 

Sporting gold stretch disco pants, lacquering on some lip gloss, smokin’ Kool cigarettes (cancer, wha?) Give an ole’ Motown salute to the first couple of pop soul.

‘Ain’t No Mountain’ keepin me from the NY show…

Starving, I decided to eat Burger King for lunch today.

“A No. 3 cut in half, no cheese,” I said grinning. I couldn’t wait to dig in.
Of course when I pulled around to the pick up window I taste tested my fries. And of course they were nasty, cold and crunchy.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” I said to the BK employee. “Is there a new batch of fries coming up?” She didn’t answer me. She snatched my old fries out of my hands and tossed another small box of fries through the window. Dripping with grease, a few fries fell on my hand and burnt me.

I AM BOYCOTTING BK! Not only because the service was rude today but the flame-broiled burger I scarfed down may cause CANCER.

Jesus Camp. Documentary or horror film? Both.

Jesus Camp documents the world of children forced into God-fear, hate, and militarism via …. summer camp? Watch the trailer here.