Corporate Greed At Consumer Expense!!

It is quite ironic that whenever gas prices increase, consumers experience immediate increases in goods and services. For instance, airline costs are one of the many services that has increased with higher fuel costs over the years. However, while the airlines are now reaping the benefits of the lower cost, they do not seem to consider the need to spread the lower costs to consumers who continue to pay high air fares. How could that be? his This is capitalism at its best!!

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/11/17/airlines_have_few_re.html

Prince Albert's Son, Alexandre, Gets Snubbed!!

Today, Prince Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene, welcomed twins and announced that the first born twin would be heir to the throne of Monaco. But, what's up with his first child, Alexandre? Isn't he the first born and should rightly be the heir to the throne??!! Or is primogeniture not considered if it does not suit a "royal's" reputation? Is it because Alexandre's mother is Black so he is bi-racial? What a disgrace to deny his own child such a right because of the color of his skin! Looks like an example that will result in a curse of "the sins of the father".

No Bureaucracy At Miami Dade County Public Schools per Carlos Curbelo

It was surprising and ironic to hear Carlos Curbelo mention in a departure speech at the Miami Dade County Public School's monthly meeting that he sees no bureaucracy at the district when it was only five minutes prior that an employee stepped up to the open mike and indicated that she completed a form and sent it to the Human Resources Department since April and still to this date (December 10) had not received any response from them. Curbelo may have been more concerned with the brown-nosing speech and departing gifts that he intended to give rather than paying attention to this employee's words. If he paid attention he certainly would have left that comment out of his speech. Furthermore, a board member needs to step into the shoes of the employees to notice such a problem. Nevertheless, Curbelo shows that he will certainly fit very well into political life in Washington D.C.!!

$425 Million for What??!!

Absolutely no athlete is worth $425 million, and the Miami Marlins contract to a baseball player is outrageous especially since them has no chance of winning the World Series any time soon. The exorbitant payment of athletes has gotten out of hand and sends the wrong message. It shows how greatly society is messed up when athletes who can barely read are making so much more money than many teachers who are living below the poverty line.

5/19/2015 - Follow up
Just as predicted on the initial post written 11/17/14 - Miami Marlins are performing so poorly that within the season,  its administration fired the baseball coach, Mike Redmond. But, they made a more absurd move of hiring their general manager, Dan Jennings, whose last coaching job was over 30 years ago with a brief stint at a high school!! Guess, their $425 million "shining star" has not made any great impact on the team intentions to be a contender for the World Series!  But, this ridiculous practice is prevalent with other sports teams since yesterday, Ryan Tannehill was re-signed by the Miami Dolphins organization for mega millions. If Tannehill had the potential of helping the Miami Dolphins to have any chances of going to the Super Bowl then probably his re-signing fortune could be justified. However, since that expectation will never happen with him on the team, there goes once again millions of dollars that could be better spent fighting poverty throughout United States and the world.

Should African Americans Be Silent

This morning, on the Tom Joyner Morning show, Dr. Cornel West was interviewed by Roland Martin. Over the years, Dr. West  has been an outspoken critic of President Obama. Mr. Joyner who whole heartily supports the President has made his dissatisfaction known on his radio program about not only Dr. West but Tavis Smiley so many of his listeners have jumped on the band wagon to support Joyner's views that both men have been a disappointment since the President is seen as an inspiration and a role model throughout the African American community. In view of the mentioned conflicts, it was surprising that Dr. West's interview was aired on Joyner's program. Joyner has often demonstrated a lack of control by rudely interrupting interviewee who he does not agree with. However, with Dr. West's interview he somehow managed to keep quiet. But, his silence was not for long since as soon as the interview was over, the gloves came off. Joyner even had the audacity to express that African Americans should not publicly voice their dissatisfaction about the President since FOX New has already been doing a good job at it. Joyner indicated that it is better for the Black community to keep any dissatisfaction on the President in the "family" versus airing concerns publicly.  In a country where free speech is a First Amendment right, African Americans or Blacks from other cultures, creed, etc. should not be cowered into silence if they do not agree with any of the President's policies. Any conflicting views do not indicate a loss of admiration for the President as a person, and neither does speaking out indicate a loss of support for the President.

Thomas Eric Duncan - Used as a Human Guinea Pig?

Some U.S. citizens have entered the country with the Ebola virus and have lived to walk out of hospitals healthy and happy in the arms of their friends and family. They even have regained the strength to participate in press conferences and daytime interview programs. Thomas Duncan was not so lucky! Was his treatment different from the others? Was he given the same drugs as the U.S. citizens? Was he used instead as a human guinea pig to test different medications to determine their outcomes? Certainly, all the necessary life saving drugs will be used on American citizens infected with the Ebola virus to save their lives. There is too much at stake and backlash if these lives were not saved. However, an African dying in the U.S. will attract little or no attention as was Mr. Duncan's case.  In fact, on the update of this writing it has been a week since Mr. Duncan's death and he is already forgotten! This medical situation is a reminder of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.




























































What's up with dat?

The Body of Surgery Obsessed Seniors Can Take So Much

Some older people with vain personalities continue to be obsessed with maintaining a youthful appearance through plastic surgery and other procedures that give a false impression that they will never age. But, at some point in life, those self-obsessed persons will have to give up taking harmful risk in the name of vanity. The body can take only so much --- no more.

Coral Gables Police Mishandled the Ray Allen Break In

Local news reports indicate that the home of Miami Heat's basketball player, Ray Allen, was broken into while his wife and children were asleep. Mrs. Allen awoke to hear the young intruders walking around and even entering her room. This, of course, was a frightening experience especially for a mother and her children since Mr. Allen appeared not to be at home. But, what is even also troubling was the nonchalant attitude of the Coral Gables police. Kelly Denham, Coral Gables Police spokesperson, who was interviewed, made this criminal act seem as if it was no big deal. She gave the impression that the intruders were simply kids playing around??!!. This indifferent attitude appeared to be displayed since the young thugs were attending a party at their wealthy friend's home in the neighborhood. Regardless, it is a crime to break into anyone's home in the wee hours of the morning and thereby scare the occupants. The Coral Gables police response indicates that they intended to give preferential treatment in this case. In fact, they did not even want to identify the teens until they came under pressure.  Certainly the police's reaction would be the different if the intruders were African Americans. However, it was good to hear today that the Allen family saw beyond the Coral Gables police's stupid reaction and went ahead and pressed charges against the thugs. So, Ernesto Romero, Jonathan Ramirez, Kevin Ramos, Alana Garcia, Christian Lobo, Angel Sanches, and Jorge Guerrero need to bear the consequences.  Coral Gables Police, this is a CRIME not a PRANK!! See more on the absurdity of the Coral Gables Police's handling of the situation below.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/17/4294868/ray-allen-attorney-police-characterization.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/19/4298425/fabiola-santiago-these-brats-need.html

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/19/4298425/fabiola-santiago-these-brats-need.html#storylink=cpy

Power, Riches, and Fame Cannot Eliminate Internal Demons

Achieving power, riches, and fame is an accomplishment that many can only dream of achieving. It is often believed that this is a life of perfection where any difficulties can easily be resolved with the wealth, power, or fame acquired. Yet, when a sudden death occurs of those who have achieved such lifestyles, the imperfections are always made obvious. The illusion of perfection is recognized to the disappointment of many who come to think of the rich as untouchable. There seems to be a trade off between this lifestyle and internal demons that tend to plague the existence of those "rich and famous" until death. So while we believe this is a wonderful way to live, no money in the world can eliminate such demons that seem to always overcome such a perfect life.

Pequeno Goes Free After Killing Two UM Students

During 2013, as Milady Pequeno's Porsche hit two University of Miami students, she continued driving on her merry way. Her conscience or did not tell her that she needed to stop immediately to ascertain the condition of these young people. Both graduate students from China died.  Now, the Miami-Dade District court ruled that Pequeno can go free with a slap on the wrist punishment of paying only a paltry fine. So, she can go home and live a wonderful life while the loved ones of the students continue to mourn their loss. This case  is a prime example of  the inequality that continues to exist in the flawed justice system that caters to the wealthy. The parents of both students could not even afford to return to the United States for the court proceedings or aid in anyway to see that justice was served for the deaths. Certainly, if the victims' family were U.S. residents and in a financial position to pursue this crime to its fullest, Pequeno would not have been so lucky today. But under the circumstances of this case, guess it's good to be rich in Miami Dade County!! 

Hamas Fires Rockets to Nowhere

Palestine's land concerns are certainly understandable. Israel's continued action of building structures on Palestinian land is despicable and unjust.  Further, depriving the Gaza residents of basic necessities is deplorable and a violation of human rights. Yet, as rockets continue to be fired into Israel's land, the Israelis have reported no casualties while Palestinian death toll from Israel's retaliatory attacks has been steadily increasing.  Obviously, firing rockets, however far they may go, is definitely not working as retaliatory actions are causing  greater harm to the Palestinians. We get it - militants are fighting for a cause. However, their own brothers and sisters are feeling the pain of their judgement in making a bad situation worse.

Border Children Arrive in the Land of Opportunity

One popular news of lately is that thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America and Mexico are arriving in the United States in droves. Many are said to be fleeing from gang violence and other types of violence. However, what about the other children? Adults generally have a soft spot in their hearts for young children and this sympathetic feeling is seen in the United States as so many are scrambling to house, feed, and care for these young ones without parents. That is exactly what the parents and guardians expect  to happen! It is not an easy decision to send away a small child without adult supervision. However, living in Central America, Mexico, and other developing countries in poverty with no hope will make any parent do whatever is possible with knowledge that in the long run, their children will have a better life. More so, with the recent laws passed in some states for children of illegal aliens to be entitled to have in-state tuition when enrolled at a state college or university, this opens the door to the opportunities available to any child who illegally arrives in the United States. So, in the future, more and more parents living in poverty in not only Central America and Mexico but others countries such as Haiti, Jamaica, Dominica Republic, etc., etc., etc., will send their young ones unaccompanied to the USA so they will have an opportunity for a better life. While parents will have to go through trials and tribulations to get to the US with the knowledge that they will be deported, this fate will not happen to their children. So, come on down kids, the door may not be open to your parents, but it is certainly open to you!

Bring Back Our Girls

All children deserve to live in a safe environment where they can attend school without fear of retaliation.


girls should not live in fear of getting abducted if they choose to go to school

Oklahoma's Botched Execution - Remember the Victim

There has been so much talk about the botched execution of Clayton Lockett. But, as a caller said on NPR, why is there even an issue? Lockett confessed to shooting a woman twice and burying her alive. Surely, Lockett showed no mercy for this lady while he was committing such a brutal crime. So, some may be asking, what is all the fuss about - he reaped what he sowed. Certainly, such death penalty concerns are warranted for those whose death sentences are questionable. However, for those such as Lockett, why should anyone care how he died. 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/01/4092598/former-us-rep-david-rivera-says.html#storylink=cpy

NAACP L.A. Chapter - What Were They Thinking

It is one thing to hear Donald Sterling's massa of plantation remarks that shows his total disgust for Black people, but what is even more amazing was that a Black organization, the L.A. Chapter of the NAACP, had made plans to present this racist with a Life Time Achievement award after his known history of discrimination against people of color. Is the L.A. chapter for real??!! This Black organization could not find anyone throughout the entire Los Angeles, who has worked tirelessly to help the community, but a racist?  Black ancestors who fought and died for freedom of their people must be turning in their graves at such a slap-in-the face from the L.A. chapter.  In fact, was the intention of the L.A. chapter actually to reap financial benefits from Sterling for presenting him with such an award? The chapter's withdrawal of the award does not dismiss the fact that such plans were not only a stupid decision but will be an embarrassment to the organization for many years to come. A once reputable civil rights organization has become the laughing stock of the nation. One step forward, two steps backward.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/racist-donald-sterling_b_5223223.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Clarence Thomas - Forgotten Where He Came From

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a Michigan law banning the use of racial criteria in college admissions. Of course, here we go again, Clarence Thomas, was one of the justices who voted to uphold the Michigan law. No surprise .............he already benefited from affirmative action, so he couldn't care less for the academic needs of future generation minorities. 

           Internalized racism is the personal conscious or subconscious 

            acceptance of the dominant society’s racist views, stereotypes

            and biases of one’s ethnic group. It gives rise to patterns of 

            thinking, feeling and behaving that result in discriminating, 

            minimizing, criticizing, finding fault, invalidating, and hating 

            oneself while simultaneously valuing the dominant culture. ~ Suzanne Lipsky

Previous post - June, 2013

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled on two important racial cases. One ruling was on the law suit between Fisher vs. University of Texas.  The other case involved the Voters Right Act, Section 4. It is certainly expected how particular members of the U.S. Supreme Court voted since those justices, for the most part, have always lived a life of privilege. They have no connection to or do not want to have any association with the "real" world where people live in poverty or 'hand to mouth'.  They do not know what is it like to be discriminated against or mistreated simply because of the color of one's skin, race, and religious beliefs, etc. Chief Justice John Robert made this fact obvious with his ignorant response that our country has changed for the better as it relates to the minority vote. Frankly, his statement demonstrates indifference to the obvious voter suppression tactics that occurred throughout the country during the last presidential election.  However, it is most alarming and quite embarrassing that Clarence Thomas would have the nerve to respond  for the University of Texas case that the continuing use of diversity programs in the classroom is unconstitutional!!?? What a hypocrite!! It is precisely because of those diversity programs that Thomas was accepted into a university and a law school that enabled him to progress to be where he is today. It is even more hypocritical, since he comes from a dirt poor Southern background, where racism, mistreatment, and lynching of Blacks were prevalent. In spite of the horrific treatment, suffered by more than likely even his forefathers,  he still voted against upholding the Voters Right  Act, Section 4. . Thomas has surely forgotten where he is coming from. However, in the years to come, Thomas will leave an unfavorable legacy of not only Anita Hill's sexual harassment charges but also his unconscionable decisions against the minority population.

Worldwide Uprisings Have Been A Failure

When the spate of uprisings against dominant dictators and their governments began, there was hope that citizens in my parents' native country would have also participated in an uprising against their corrupt government. Now, the feelings is that it is a good thing that no one in that country had the courage to engage in such protests because, for the most part, all the uprisings in this century have been failures. Yes, dictators and their governments have been overthrown,  but none of the protesters appeared to have considered what could eventually have occurred after the fall of the dictatorship. The protesters had absolutely no plan for the future rule and stability of their countries. In all the cases, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ukraine - not to mention the ongoing civil war in Syria, the basic living conditions and stability of the countries have gotten worse.  So much hope was expected on making these countries into democratic nations, yet the continued unrest, violence, and steadily climbing death rates have lead to nations of uncertainty. The overthrow of Prime MinisterYulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine has presented a totally different situation since it has opened a big can of worms with the Russian government's intervention. The current troubles in these countries could definitely not have been envisioned by the protesters. So, is overthrowing a government worth it? From all indications, certainly not.

Dream Act's Forgotten Students

At a recent Dream Act media  blitz at Miami  Dade College, scholarships were awarded to students who appeared to meet the criteria. The concerns of the students who desire passage of the proposed Dream Act or any other similar law are certainly understandable since all students should be entitled to achieve their dream of obtaining student grants or loans or other opportunities to pursue a higher education. Certainly it is not the fault of these students that they are undocumented, so they should not have to bear the burden of their parents by being deprived of a higher education.  Therefore, awarding scholarships provides those students with a well-deserved opportunity to achieve their educational dreams. However, this media conference showed a flaw that has been persistent throughout the promotion of the proposed act - only the Latinos are shown as deserving of any benefits. However, there are many other cultures who require assistance from any offerings under the proposed Dream Act. These students have an additional burden since they never seem to be visible in the public eye when the news cameras are present to photograph any events that bring awareness to the plight of these undocumented students.  This gives the wrong impression that the undocumented difficulties only apply to Latino students.  People who are advocates of the dream act need to do a better job of including other cultures who are just as deprived as Latino students in their struggle to obtain a higher education.

Josh Elliott - Greed At It's Best

"In the end, it had nothing to do with money," Josh Elliott claimed in his interview with People Magazine. Really??!! So, why was he re-negotiating with the ABC network for a new contract paying $10 million? Obviously, money must have been a primary factor. If not, he certainly would not have made a decision to negotiate instead with the NBC network after learning from ABC that he may be worth receiving an additional  $1 million on his  current $4 million contract - but he surely was not worth paying $10 million. Like a spoilt child, presuming he would stick it to ABC, he decided to quit and take a position  with NBC Sports. Ironically,  they, too, have seen his worth as no more than $4 million!!?? What is so troubling about this case is the greed of this man  who was already making so much  more money than an ordinary person who can only dream of earning such an enormous salary. One thing though is, even  if Josh Elliott may believe that he's "all that" and ABC cannot  do without him, he will quickly realize that he can very easily be replaced like anyone else. The  show will go on and even may be more successful without him.

Thoughts To Consider Before Flying

The recent disappearance of the Malaysia  Airline flight 370 and the speculations of experts who appear to have no clue on the fate of airplane, passengers, or crew should be cause for concern. This occurrence and even previous airplane mishaps should make one wonder about pilot fatigue as there appears to be continued tiredness of pilots in spite of previous association of airplane crashes to this problem. The pilots of a UPS cargo jet that crashed last August complained about the company's tiring work schedules at the start of the fatal flight. Another question to consider is could a pilot or co-pilot be under the influence of alcohol. In a culture where alcohol is prevalent, it is abused by children, college students, soccer moms, and of course pilots, among a host of other persons. There are so many bars at airports, and this is an enticement for those pilots who cannot control their alcohol intake. We can only pray in those cases where a pilot is able to cleverly hide their high alcohol consumption prior to taking control of a flight.  Finally, we must consider prior to flying, if pilots have passengers' best interest at heart. The pilots flying the Malaysian aircraft are now the center of an investigation since it appears there is some connection with the flight's disappearance. It was only last month that a co-pilot hijacked his own flight in an effort to gain asylum in Switzerland. Nobody knows if there are malicious intentions to steer flights off their original course. So, while TSA 's security efforts are important, passengers have additional issues to consider 

Gun Show Churches

Thought nothing else could be said about the church after discussing the lavish lifestyles of church leaders who dupe parishioners into handing over most or all of their money and worldly possessions.  Furthermore, the media has already uncovered the rapes and other abuses that are committed by priests and other leaders against parishioners. So, there could be no other devious happenings that could be associated with the church - but wait, there is something else - churches are having gun shows!!?? Kentucky Baptist churches and other churches are luring males into the church by organizing a gun give-away!!?? So, men have been attending church in anticipation of receiving a gun as a door prize. As of this posting, Lone Oak Baptist Church in Paducah intends  to give away another 25 handguns and shotguns to as many as 1,000 expected attendees. It is amazing how these so called "church" leaders continue to do evil in the name of religion.
Matthew 7:15 - Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.   

Ole Miss - One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward

Here we go again - another post on Ole Miss! This time, during Black History month , a noose was found tied around the neck of the statue of James Meredith, the first Black  person to enroll at the white-only University of Mississippi during the 1960s. This coward action simply indicates that regardless of changes to the school's enrollment policy since Meredith's attendance, the racist mentality of some persons have remained the same and their backward thinking has been passed down to younger generations. One step forward........two steps backward!

Brandy Berning's Traffic Stop By Broward Officer Got Her 10 Minutes of Fame

It is quite clear from previous posts that there has been dissatisfaction with actions of the Broward County Sheriff's office. So, it unusual that a recent publicized arrest action by the office was more applauded rather than criticized. The action involved a young lady, Brandy Berning. She was stopped by a Deputy O'Brian for a traffic violation because she apparently feels that, as the only occupant of her vehicle, she is entitled to drive in the HOV lane. She appears to have planned that if she was stopped for this traffic violation, she would record the conversation. It is not clear why she would want to record the conversation if she was committing a traffic violation unless she had ulterior motives. Nevertheless, it would not have mattered which officer stopped her, she would have acted in the same childish manner by taunting the officer and jeering that she was recording the conversation on her cell phone. Unfortunately, Officer O'Brian may have made the wrong decision by not simply giving her a ticket and sending her on her way instead of demanding the phone. Her immature behavior continued as she screamed that she would not give up the phone. Of course, this may have triggered the emotions from the officer since she showed no respect for authority. So, he attempted to get  the phone and since she resisted, he called for back-up, arrested her, and it is good to see that Ms. "Entitled" spent the night in jail. Now, such a traffic stop would never have gone this far with someone having maturity and respect for the law. However , the actions just gave Ms. "Entitled", oops, Ms. Berning reason to seek her 10 minutes of fame on WPLG's local news. Of course, the scuffling for the phone has caused her to claim injuries. So she now has intentions to make money since she has already retained an attorney. This is a perfect example of how bad behavior can be used to someone's financial advantage.

U.S. Speed Skaters' Blame Game - Is It The Suit or The Other Skaters Are Better Competitors?

The US speed skaters have not been performing as well as was expected. Blame has been laid on their suits since they have claimed the suit is holding them back. Since they will now be using their original suits, it will interesting to see in future competition if the new suit is actually the problem or other countries are simply producing better skaters.

AOL CEO, Tim Armstrong, - A Ticking Time Bomb

Thank God company executives are accountable to a board or if not, AOL CEO, Tim Armstrong, would be inclined to be a tyrant leader. He previously fired an employee during a conference call and had to apologize after severe criticism. Now, it is unthinkable that this "man", who is making $12 million plus perks, would stoop even lower by singling out two female employees, blaming them for having high cost child births, and threatening employees to delay the company's contributions to their retirement accounts as a result of the high risk births.  How despicable can he get especially when one of the babies only weighed less than a pound. Oh yes.......he is now insincerely apologizing and bringing awareness to him being a father. Give me  a break!!! His apology pattern does not hide that he is simply a nasty, ruthless person who is apologizing because he was being pressured to do so quite likely to avoid any law suits and to maintain good public opinion of the company.   He is simply too rich to be sympathetic to the needs of others. Once a snake always a snake!!!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/14/211910829/aol-ceo-apologizes-for-public-firing

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/national/aol-ceo-tim-armstrong-reverses-unpopular-retirement-plan-move

http://business.time.com/2014/02/10/aol-chief-backtracks-on-pension-plan-changes/

Substance Abuse Kills - Even Invincible Celebrities!

Too often the substance abuse of "celebrities" is glamorized by the media who make it appear that the "celebrity's" abuse is no big deal. "Celebrity" or not substance abuse can only lead to the same faith -- death!  Yesterday began the unnecessary media frenzy of yet another one of them who overdosed on heroin and a syringe was found sticking out of an arm. How glamorous is that???!!!