With the passing this week of Michigan son Gerald Ford there was some concern that the transition of James Brown might be overshadowed by coverage of the former president. The media lovefest and selective amnesia that we all endured after the demise of Ronald Reagan has returned for Ford, but in death as in life, Soul Brother Number One will not be denied. No disrespect to Mr. Ford, but he was president for two years. James Brown will be The Godfather forever.

Yes, Brown endorsed Richard Nixon for re-election in 1972, so apparently he and Ford shared an admiration for Tricky Dick. Somehow we forgive our Godfather of this transgression as we forgive him of his mistreatment of women and his struggles with chemical demons and the US criminal justice system.

In many ways James Brown is the very embodiment of the 20th Century African-American man. Through the trials and tribulations he made us proud to be Black. His music, his dance, his style, his politics, his business sense changed the world forever.

James Brown is as much a founder of hip hop as DJ Kool Herc or any other member of the pantheon. Without James Brown there is no hip hop, no soul music, no funk, no house music, no drum and bass. There is no Michael Jackson, no Prince, no Sly Stone or George Clinton. No Red Hot Chili Peppers and no Jay-Z. Hell, without James Brown there is no Al Sharpton.

So Get on up! Give it up for The Godfather of Soul, the Founder of Funk, The Originator of Hip Hop, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Mr. Dynamite, The Man with the Crown, Soul Brother No. 1, The Original Brother Rapp, the Amazing Mr. Please Please Please Himself, JAAAAAAAMES BROWWWWWWWWNNNNN!

Say it Loud! We LOVE JAMES BROWN!!!!

Rumor has it that the US Navy is considering a buildup of forces in the Persian Gulf in anticipation of a strike against Iran.

The AP reports it like this: “Speaking on condition of anonymity because the idea has not been approved, [a Defense Department] official said one proposal is to send a second aircraft carrier to the region amid increasing tensions with Iran, blamed for encouraging sectarian violence in neighboring Iraq as well as allegedly pursuing a nuclear weapons program.”

Yeah, right. Don’t be fooled. Iran’s nuclear program is not a threat to the United States. Iran says their uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes. Even if they are lying, US intelligence agencies admit that Iran won’t be capable of making a bomb for another 5-10 years.

“Encouraging sectarian violence in Iraq”? According to Bush’s own Iraq study group the majority of the violence in Iraq is being caused by Iraqis, not by foreign fighters.

So what is the real deal? Check out this headline that is running in the foreign press, and a couple of US financial outlets, but is so far being ignored by America’s mainstream media:

Iran to replace dollar with euro: “The Iranian central bank is to convert the state’s foreign dollar assets into euros and use the euro for foreign transactions.” (more…)

Another NBA team fight has brought about enough news to take ESPN’s focus away from Barry Bonds and T.O. Saturday night the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets scuffled in a good old fashioned throw down. The fight was said to be started by the unsportsmanlike conduct of the Nuggets who continued to run away with a 20 point lead late in the 4th quarter and embarassed the hometown Knicks. In the middle of the fight was Detroit’s favorite son Isiah Thomas who coaches the Knicks, and told or warned (however you’d like to judge it) Nuggets players not to go back into the post.

Isiah Thomas has a storied history for being slandered at any time possible by the sports media as a whole for his unfavorable role in the 89 and 90 Piston Championships. The Pistons played a very physical style of basketball and were painted as thugs lead by southside Chicago’s own Isiah Thomas. In the era of Magic, Bird, Jordan, and Barkley the shortest guy that they all resented inside pulled out some of the BIGGEST GAMES in NBA history.

The NBA and players have taken firm stances against Isiah and here are some I’ll always remember. (more…)

Russell Simmons, hip hop mogul extraordinaire and money grubber, went on a fact finding mission paid for by the Diamond Industry and has come to the conclusion that he has a problem with the “current misinformation around diamonds.”

Simmons, who also sells diamonds through his Baby Phat line, went to Southern Africa to draw his own conclusions about this Blood Diamond-hoopla.

And according to him, it is all good in the hood…continue with the bling. And the Diamond Industry is just happy they could get a Black person to say what they have been saying all along.

NY Times “A Hip-hop Mogul Is The Diamond Industry’s New Best Friend”

Detroit Public School Superintendent William Coleman sent an email missive listing his “accomplishments” at DPS. This email came after news that Coleman would probably NOT keep his job as superintendent. The DPS school board has been conducting a search for a new CEO and Coleman’s name was not on the short list.

So Coleman, in some desperate mental-place, sent an email with no less than 65 bullet points on why he has done a good job. SIXTY FIVE!?!?! Couldn’t that time have been spent on the kids?

He also made dubious assertions such as: “Settled the 2005-2006 teacher’s contract while obtaining $22 million in concessions and a $15 million loan from DFT.” (Was this before or after the Governor, Mayor and other community folk stepped in?)
Anyway, it seems like begging works cause the school board is reconsidering what was considered by many…a very good decision.

Coleman and his 65+ justifications.

So its not just a Black thing, the police are killing everybody.

A white community college student who alledgely beat up another white college kid and stole two Playstaion 3 consoles was shot by a white police officer in his apartment.

He was unarmed but the officer thought he heard shots, which other officers present didn’t hear.
The officers used a RAM to get the Playstation 3 consoles back.

Wait, they used a ram, like they were going to a raid to get a game back?

Police believed they would be at risk when serving the search warrant, and used a police battering ram to break down the door. Long opened fire, hitting the unarmed Cape Fear Community College student in the head and near his right shoulder, an autopsy found.

Now the police are scared of everybody. 16-year old boys, men at bachelor parties, college kids, 82-year-old grandma’s.

Nobody is safe, white, Black, young, old…. I’m confused.

In order to stay alive these days, I guess you have to be a cop.
Yahoo!News

Tiger Woods just renewed another contract with Nike for an un disclosed amount of money. In 1997 his deal was for 40 million dollars and in 2001 he signed a 100 million dollar deal and now who knows. But now he’s making more money as an athlete than any other athlete ever. Tiger Woods is GOLF in my opinion and though he’s not Black he’d be picking cotton along side me 200 years ago. Good to see a desendent of a slave making money for being marketable.

Show me what cha’ Got.

Detroit has been working this “renaissance”-thing since the 1970’s. According to the Detroit News, Detroit Renaissance has named Bill Ford, Jr. of Ford Motor Company the region’s most recently appointed economic savior.

Oh boy, are we in trouble now. Detroit needs reinvention not renaissance. 

During the 1970’s, the Ford’s also spearheaded the ill-fated Renaissance Center project which was supposed to be a ‘city within a city’ and a  response to white flight. The building languished in the 80’s and was taken on by General Motors in the 90’s…so much for a track record or urban renewal.

If I had hope for Detroit (which I do)…it does not rest in naming Bill Ford, Jr head of Detroit Renaissance. He can’t even get the Lions on track.

Why does Detroit keep asking the same people–many of whom are currently case studies in what NOT to do in business–how to revitalize the region?

I will bet anything that regional revitalizing won’t come from Bill Ford or Ford Motor company. They had a day…and it is past.

When I look at the city (AND feel hopeful) I notice the young entrepreneurs who fight everyday against Detroit’s deadly coporate mentality–the restraunteurs, retail outlets and other small enterprises fighting archaic city beaurcracy and an oppressive tax structure. Not the Bill Ford’s of the world or those weilding this nostaligic-Renaissance crap.

Bill Ford, Jr.  should focus on his cars and the family football team.

 “Road to Renaissance”  Oh, please.

As if there weren’t enough reports of police brutality, and excessive force in America over the last few months, the tragic murder of 16 year-old honor student Brandon Martell Moore has slipped under the national radar.

The unarmed Moore was killed the day after Thanksgiving by a Detroit police officer who shot him in the back as he ran. The cop also shot Moore’s 14 year-old friend Jonathan Stanley in the hand. (more…)

Michael Richards used ‘N-word’ during comedy act — APOLOGIZED

Sean Bell murdered in NYC on his wedding day, Mayor Bloomberg — APOLOGIZED

Prime Minister Tony Blair says Britian played a role in slave trade, then — APOLOGIZED (sort of)

O.J. Simpson tries to market fake book on murders, it gets canned then he — APOLOGIZED

All have fallen on my deaf ears. Apologies are overrated and usually are only reactionary, when someone calls it to your attention.

Apologies never change things or make them better. What changes is the person affected.

What is your favorite ‘06 apology?

Yahoo! News/AP apology story

Depsite bright blue water, sunny skies and grainy beaches, Fiji is having problems — major problems.

After weeks of threats, the Fiji military has seized control of the country and put key leaders under house arrest.

The commander over the operation said its justified.

Bainimarama justified seizing power to prevent legislation that favored indigenous Fijians, contending the measures “would undermine the constitution and deny many citizens their rights.”

AOL News.

Did you know that any cellphone microphone can be turned into a bug? Did you know that it can be used to listen to conversations nearby even if the phone is turned off?

The technique is called a “roving bug,” and in the first admitted case of its use by the FBI, the roving bug was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice to tap members of a New York organized crime family who had successfully thwarted conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing or physical wiretapping.

CNet News reports:

The U.S. Commerce Department’s security office warns that “a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone.” An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can “remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner’s knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call.” (more…)