Jena 6 Want Judge Mauffray Removed From Their Case

Drumbeats from ColorOfChange tell us that we may have some news flowing from the Jena, LA in the coming days. Citing powerful evidence of Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.'s bias against them, five of the African American youth known as the Jena 6 went back in court seeking to remove Mauffray from their cases. You may recall that the sixth member of Jena 6, Mychal Bell, took an 18-month sentence as part of a plea-agreement.

Legal documents filed in the proceedings reveal Judge Mauffray's personal vendetta against the Jena 6. Among other incidents, Mauffray characterized the young men as violent trouble-makers and confessed his intent to incarcerate one of the youth—regardless of the strength of the evidence. Given Mauffray's documented inability to preside over a fair trial for these youth, their legal teams have requested that a new judge be appointed to handle all Jena 6 related proceedings.

"Judge Mauffray is the man at the center of Jena's broken justice system and now he is forced to justify his bias in a court of law with the entire nation watching," said James Rucker, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org, the 400,000 member group that has advocated on behalf of the Jena 6. "These proceedings are an opportunity to redeem Louisiana's justice system in the eyes of the nation and provide the Jena 6 with their constitutional right to a fair trial."

On May 30, Judge Thomas Yeager ruled to take evidence offered by the Jena 6 legal teams under advisement, putting off a final decision on the motion to recuse Judge Mauffray until July 18, 2008. In the interim, lawyers for the young men have until July 4 to provide additional information to support their case. After that, DA Reed Walters, representing Mauffray on behalf of the state of Louisiana, has two weeks to respond to the new information before Judge Yeager offers his final ruling.

If Mauffray is recused by Judge Yaeger it means a chance at a fair trial and an indictment for biased judges (and District Attorneys) everywhere.

Villagers, we haven't talked about Jena 6 on this blog for awhile. What are your current thoughts on the Jena 6 today?

Old School Friday: Philly Sounds

The theme established for this week's Old School Friday meme is 'Philly Sounds'. This opened up a wide range of artists including Billy Paul, Blue Magic, Delfonics, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Stylistics and The Intruders.

Brothers and sisters, you may want to put the children out of the room. This is sho' nuff Grown Folks Music!


Sideshow (Blue Magic)


Me & Mrs. Jones (Billy Paul)



Do any of you have memories of these songs when they were originally on the air back in the day? What say u?

Diverse Blogger Pool Selected for 2008 Democratic National Convention

It turns out that a record number of blogs will receive credentials for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. And it appears that the DNC leadership took time to consider the issue of diversity in this round of selections.

I am very proud of the African American bloggers who raised the red flag when the State Bloggers Corp was announced earlier this month. I am very proud of the private discussions and the very public discussions that allowed the DNC to correct a potential controversy from extending further into the summer. The end result is that our powerful politically-based Black bloggers in the afrosphere will be connecting the rest of us to the sights and sounds of a truly historic event in Denver later this year.

Villagers -- WE WON! Never before have blogs been included in such strong numbers and provided with resources that will enable them to be the eyes and ears of so many at the Convention.

The following blogs have been credentialed:

1. 2008 Democratic Convention Watch - http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/
2. 43rdStateBlues.com - http://43rdstateblues.com/
3. AFL-CIO NOW Blog - http://blog.aflcio.org/
4. African American Political Pundit (BBR #87) - http://aapoliticalpundit.blogspot.com/
5. AMERICAblog.com - http://americablog.com/
6. Asian American Action Fund Blog - http://aaa-fund.com/
7. Badlands Blue - http://badlandsblue.com/
8. Bagnews Notes - http://bagnewsnotes.com/
9. Beliefnet - http://beliefnet.com/
10. Bitch Ph.D. - http://bitchphd.blogspot.com/
11. Blogger News Network - http://bloggernews.net/
12. Blogging For Michigan - http://bloggingformichigan.com/
13. BlogHer - http://blogher.com/
14. Blue Hampshire - http://bluehampshire.com/
15. Blue Indiana - http://blueindiana.net/
16. Blue Jersey - http://bluejersey.com/
17. Blue Mass. Group - http://bluemassgroup.com/
18. BlueGrassRoots - http://bluegrassroots.org/
19. BlueNC.com -http://bluenc.com/
20. BlueOregon -http://blueoregon.com/
21. Buckeye State Blog - http://buckeyestateblog.com/
22. Burnt Orange Report -http://burntorangereport.com/
23. Calitics - http://calitics.com/
24. Campus Progress - http://campusprogress.org/
25. Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis -http://divasblueoasis.blogspot.com/
26. Change to Win -http://changetowin.org/
27. Colorado Confidential -http://coloradoconfidential.com/
28. Cotton Mouth Blog -http://cottonmouthblog.blogspot.com/
29. CracktheBell.com -http://crackthebell.com/
30. Crooks and Liars -http://crooksandliars.com/
31. culturekitchen -http://culturekitchen.com/
32. Daily Kingfish -http://dailykingfish.com/
33. Daily Kos -http://dailykos.com/
34. Dallas South Blog (BBR #84) -http://dallassouthblog.com/
35. DCist.com -http://dcist.com/
36. Democracy Arsenal -http://democracyarsenal.org/
37. Democracy for New Mexico -http://democracyfornewmexico.com/
38. Democratic Party of the U.S. Virgin Islands -http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democratvi
39. Democratic Underground -http://democraticunderground.com/
40. Democrats Abroad Argentina -http://yanquimike.com.ar/
41. DemoOkie -http://demookie.com/
42. Digby's Hullabaloo -http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/
43. Disaboom.com -http://disaboom.com/
44. Doc's Political Parlor -http://politicalparlor.net/
45. DoubleSpeak -http://doublespeakshow.com/
46. Eschaton -http://atrios.blogspot.com/
47. EverydayCitizen.com -http://everydaycitizen.com/
48. Fired Up! -http://firedupmissouri.com/
49. Firedoglake -http://firedoglake.com/
50. Florida Progressive Coalition -http://flaprogressives.org/
51. Future Majority -http://futuremajority.com/
52. Georgia Politics Unfiltered http://georgiaunfiltered.blogspot.com/
53. Green Mountain Daily -http://greenmountaindaily.com/
54. Grist Magazine -http://grist.org/
55. Group News Blog -http://groupnewsblog.net/
56. HispanicTips.com -http://hispanictips.com/
57. HorsesAss.org -http://horsesass.org/
58. HummingbirdMinds Blog -http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/
59. iLind.net -http://ilind.net/
60. Indianz.com -http://indianz.com/
61. Jack and Jill Politics (BBR #9) -http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/
62. Jusiper -http://jusiper.blogspot.com/
63. Keystone Politics -http://keystonepolitics.com/
64. KnoxViews -http://knoxviews.com/
65. Las Vegas Gleaner -http://lasvegasgleaner.com/
66. Left In Alabama -http://leftinalabama.com/
67. Left in the West -http://leftinthewest.com/
68. Michigan Liberal -http://michiganliberal.com/
69. Minnesota Monitor -http://minnesotamonitor.com/
70. MOMocrats -http://momocrats.typepad.com/
71. My Left Nutmeg -http://myleftnutmeg.com/
72. MyDD -http://mydd.com/
73. New Nebraska Network -http://newnebraska.net/
74. NewsOne.com - http://newsone.com/
75. No Rest for the Awake -http://minagahet.blogspot.com/
76. NorthDecoder.com -http://northdecoder.com/
77. Obsidian Wings -http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/
78. Ohio Daily Blog -http://ohiodailyblog.com/
79. OliverWillis.com (BBR #5) - http://oliverwillis.com/
80. Open Left -http://openleft.com/
81. Pam's House Blend (BBR #2) -http://pamshouseblend.com/
82. Political Base -http://politicalbase.com/
83. Political Wire -http://politicalwire.com/
84. PoliticalLunch.com -http://politicallunch.com/
85. PolitickerNJ.com -http://politickernj.com/
86. PoliticsOnline -http://politicsonline.com/
87. Pop and Politics -http://popandpolitics.com/
88. Prairie State Blue -http://prairiestateblue.com/
89. RaceWire (BBR #75) - http://racewire.org/
90. Raising Kaine -http://raisingkaine.com/
91. Raw Story -http://rawstory.com/
92. Rhode Island's Future -http://rifuture.org/
93. Room 8 -http://r8ny.com/
94. Rum, Romanism and Rebellion -http://rumromanismrebellion.net/
95. RuralVotes -http://ruralvotes.com/thefield
96. Scholars & Rogues -http://scholarsandrogues.com/
97. Seeing the Forest -http://seeingtheforest.com/
98. Sepia Mutiny -http://sepiamutiny.com/
99. SquareState.net -http://squarestate.net/
100. Talking Points Memo -http://talkingpointsmemo.com/
101. TalkLeft -http://talkleft.com/
102. Taylor Marsh -http://taylormarsh.com/
103. The Albany Project -http://thealbanyproject.com/
104. The Center for Emerging Media -http://centerforemergingmedia.com/
105. The Iowa Independent -http://iowaindependent.com/
106. The Natchez Blog -http://natchezms.blogspot.com/
107. The Seminal - http://theseminal.com/
108. The UpTake -http://theuptake.org/
109. The Utah Amicus -http://utahamicus.com/
110. The Washington Independent -http://washingtonindependent.com/
111. Think Youth -http://thinkyouth.org/
112. Thought Theater -http://thoughttheater.com/
113. TommyWonk -http://tommywonk.blogspot.com/
114. Tondee's Tavern -http://tondeestavern.com/
115. Towleroad -http://towleroad.com/
116. Turn Maine Blue -http://turnmaineblue.com/
117. Under The Dome.com -http://underthedome.com/
118. Uppity Wisconsin -http://uppitywis.org/
119. USAmerica Vota '08 -http://usamericavota08.blogspot.com/
120. VivirLatino.com -http://vivirlatino.com/
121. West Virginia Blue -http://wvablue.com/
122. What About Our Daughters? (BBR #16) -http://whataboutourdaughters.com/
123. Working Life -http://workinglife.org/
124. Zennie's Zeitgeist (BBR #257) - http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/

I'll be interested to see how others respond to this list of DemConvention Bloggers. Personally, I feel good! What say u?

New AfroSpear Member: Universal Blackness

The AfroSpear added a new voice over the past week. Universal Blackness (BBR #659) is owned/operated by Mr. Shadow. His blog focuses on issues relevant to the Black community and other cultural communities in the United States and throughout the world.

Mr. Shadow is a FAMU graduate currently teaching 8th grade english at a middle school in the Los Angeles area. He also fancies himself as an actor and entertainer who loves to talk and debate the various issues of the day.

Mr. Shadow wrote, "I think the purpose of The AfroSpear is to highlight and promote the various opinions, writings, activities and other positive acts of Bloggers of color. I will contribute to this process by using my blog to talk of matters that are important to Bloggers of color. Not just politics but also entertainment, the arts, culture, education and history."

I encourage all villagers to check out his blog today! With any luck, we may even talk Mr. Shadow into adding the Electronic Village to one of his dozen blogrolls!

Wordless Wednesday: Obama's Car

Am I Not Human? * Hunger in Haiti

Our blog joins with others to share information about human rights violations in Darfur, Tibet and around the world.

Often we think that our day-to-day trials and tribulations are worthy of headlines. We want others to stop and listen to our complaints about this or that. Our problems are like a gnat on an elephant's ass when you really get down to it. There are men, woman and children all over the earth that are dealing with horrendous human rights issues. On the 27th of each month we hope to blog for those that cannot do so for themselves.

My focus today is on the island nation in our hemisphere ... Haiti.

Rising food and fuel costs have left the most vulnerable populations hungry. The recent rioting in Haiti speaks to the devastating impact of the global food crisis on the poor and hungry. Already facing food shortages and eating mud cakes, the people of Haiti have been particularly susceptible to the skyrocketing prices. While rising prices mean less food for the hungry, a new face of hunger is emerging. Even where food is available, more and more people simply cannot afford it.

Hermite Joseph, a mother working in the markets of Port au Prince, told journalist Nick Whalen that her two kids "are like toothpicks. They're not getting enough nourishment. Before, if you had a dollar twenty-five cents, you could buy vegetables, some rice, 10 cents ofcharcoal and a little cooking oil. Right now, a little can of rice alone costs 65 cents, and is not good rice at all. Oil is 25 cents. Charcoal is 25 cents. With a dollar twenty-five, you can't even make a plate of rice for one child." [SOURCE]

One of the main causes of the food shortages in Haiti is agricultural policy in the United States. The U.S. and other international financial bodies destroy Haitian rice farmers to create a major market for the heavily subsidized rice from U.S. farmers. This is not the only cause of hunger in Haiti and other poor countries, but it is a major reason that Haiti, a country that was self-sufficient in rice-production 30-years ago, now has hungry families all across the island.

Haiti has become one of the very top importers of rice from the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture 2008 numbers show Haiti is the third largest importer of US rice - at over 240,000 metric tons of rice. (One metric ton is 2200 pounds). Rice is a heavily subsidized business in America. Our government provided $11 billion in rice subsidies to American businesses from 1995 to 2006 . One producer alone, Riceland Foods located in Stuttgart, Arkansas, received over $500 million dollars in rice subsidies between 1995 and 2006. [SOURCE]

The people of Haiti ask us, "Am I Not Human?"

Drumbeats from CLNMike told us about the efforts of Wyclef Jean to raise $48 million in the next six months to combat the hunger crisis in Haiti.

Villagers, I hope you will take a moment to sit and reflect on our blessings in this country. Then decide how you can make a difference to help the human condition in Darfur, Tibet or Haiti. Here are some options provided by Cry Haiti blog for Villagers that want to take action right now:

1. Anyone who wants to assert compassion can contribute to feeding programmes in Haiti.
2. Anyone who stands for justice can join the fair trade movement.
3. Anyone who wants action, not words from our politicians can call for the agricultural policies of developed countries to be reformed, to help combat world hunger.
4. Anyone who believes in dignity can support long-term, sustainable agricultural development in Haiti.

On a more global level, we encourage you to read or download the Am I Not Human? eBook for May 2008. Kudos to PurpleZoe for pulling this document together!

You can learn more about our ongoing blogging campaign from our virtual headquarters.

Is there anything that you can do where you are with what you have? What say u?

Summer Blu-ray Blowout: Save up to 50%

I want Villagers to know about great bargains on Amazon’s wide selection of discounted Blu-ray titles, including “300”, “The Terminator”, “Bladerunner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition),” and “Weeds – the Complete Second Season.” Summer has officially begun and all villagers can use our special promotion on over 100 Blu-ray titles at up to 50% off. This promotion ends June 9 so don't procrastinate.

In addition, Amazon will be celebrating graduation season and Father’s Day with “High Definition Week” in the Gold Box from June 2-6. Check back daily for exciting deals featuring HighDef consumer electronics, video games, and Blu-ray Movies and TV at unbelievable prices.

Pressure Builds on Democrats to Diversify Convention Blogger Corps

The firestorm continues to build on the lack of diversity in the blogger pool being given credentials to report on the upcoming Democratic Party Convention in Denver, CO. Today, we see that the Washington Post is weighing in with coverage on the controversy.

What are thoughts on the situation? How do you see it being resolved?

Liz Trotta Apology

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Trotta: "I am so sorry about what happened yesterday. In a lame attempt at humor I really just fell all over myself in making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other candidate for that matter. I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I’ve offended. It’s a very colorful political season and many of us are making mistakes and saying things we wish we hadn’t said".

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Villagers, her apology is not enough. Her comments and behaviour went beyond the line. Fox News needs to step up and fire her. Period. Until these types of mean-spirited comments are followed up with consequences ... they will continue to happen.

And if these comments about Obama being assassinated continue to be given public viewing on our television sets ... how long before some lunatic tries to bring the act to fruition?

MSNBC reporter was suspended for two-weeks for similiar slip earlier in the campaign season. Golf Channel reporter was suspended for joking about 'lynching' Tiger Woods. How can Liz Trotta get away with this weak-a$$ apology?

I think she should be fired. What say u?

LinkedIn or Not?

UPDATE: I reached my 1,500th connection earlier this weekend. I have 3rd degree of separation with over 6,870,900 professionals around the world via the LinkedIn Network!

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I must have been invited to join LinkedIn Network a gazillion times over the past few years. I never joined it ... just as I don't have an account on MySpace or YouTube. However, a few weeks ago I saw that a brother that I truly respect was on the LinkedIn Network ... so I finally took a moment to join it. Click here to see my LinkedIn Network profile.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the professionalism and grown-folks nature of the service. It is not a gossip place. It appears to be a place for serious networking. I've used it to re-connect with some of my buddies from my undergraduate days at UC Riverside. I also used it to get an answer to a question about migrating from my Outlook calendar to the Google calendar. I received six legit answers to that question within about three hours.

I'm still trying to learn how to best use the system. I would be very interested in any ideas or thoughts that you might have on the LinkedIn Network. A colleague pointed out that there was an excellent story on the founder of the network in CNNMoney.com recently.

I will probably try to use the network to promote projects or programs that I'm involved in. Currently, I'm using the complimentary ('free') parts of the network. There are regular reminders that I can upgrade my account on LinkedIn Network. Since there are few advertisements or pop-ups or banner ads ... I imagine that upgrades from subscribers to the network is a big part of the business model. I haven't seen a reason to upgrade yet. If you can share your thoughts on upgrading ... that would be appreciated.

Addendum: My LinkedIn Profile is http://www.linkedin.com/in/waynehicks

Here is update on my network connections over the course of time:

• 5/26/2008 - 1,500 connections (created groups for BDPA, CBI & The AfroSpear)
• 3/23/2008 - 1,400 connections (added many AfroSpear bloggers in past month)
• 2/14/2008 - 1,300 connections (connecting with BDPA program meeting speakers)
• 12/17/2007 - 1,200 connections (actively looking for BDPA, BETF and CBI contacts)
• 6/24/2007 - 900 connections (still rolling in from my personal Outlook contact list)
• 6/19/2007 - 800 connections (invited many in my personal Outlook contact list)
• 3/12/2007 - 600 connections (worked http://www.mybloglog.com/ hard in past week)
• 3/4/2007 - 500 connections (joined LinkedInAfricanAmericans YG)
• 2/20/2007 -400 connections (joined My LinkedIn Power Forum, MLPF)
• 2/14/2007 - 300 connections (many of them from around the globe)
• 2/13/2007 - 200 connections (most are my personal contacts in IT industry)
• 1/28/2007 - 1 connection (joined connection today)

Are you LinkedIn yet? If so, would you care to share any tips or famous folks in your network?

Call on Fox News to Fire Liz Trotta

Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Roswell Beacon, Francine Torge and Doris Lessing opened the doors with their subtle and not-so-subtle references to the assassination of Barack Obama. Now we see people joking about it ON AIR.

Did you see Liz Trotta, former New York Bureau Chief of the right-wing newspaper The Washington Times, express her desire to see Barack Obama be assassinated?




It is clear that this level of discourse is absolutely unacceptable. Call Fox News at 1-888-369-4762 and let them know that openly desiring the assassination of a Presidential candidate is absolutely unacceptable, and Liz Trotta should be fired for her remarks.

Lack of Diversity in DemConvention State Blogger Corps Angers Afrosphere

UPDATE: Pam Spaulding the owner of Pam's House Blend (BBR #2) provides a comprehensive update on this issue based on her telecon with DNC operative Aaron Myers.

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The Democratic Party has a unique opportunity in November to reclaim the White House as well as working majorities in both the US Senate and House of Representatives in the 2008 election cycle. Every imaginable wind is blowing in their direction --> economy, Iraq war, unemployment rate, John Hagee, gas prices, food prices, George W. Bush and so on.

However, instead of rising proudly and confidently towards this new political nirvana ... we see the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot. Displaying a remarkable sense of insensitivity and arrogance, the Democratic Party recently announced state blog credentials to cover the national convention in Denver will be given to 55 white-only state blogs.

This newly-annointed group is known as the DemConvention State Blogger Corps. The sister running the Democratic National Convention Committee says, "...I'm excited about the roles these bloggers will have in engaging an even broader, more diverse base of people from around the country in conversations not only about the Convention, but about the future of our nation."

Barack Obama can't become the nominee quick enough for me. I'm confident that he wouldn't accept a process that results in 50-of-50 state bloggers being white-only and male-only.



Not a single blogger from the afrosphere made the cut. African American Political Pundit, Faye Anderson, Yobachi Boswell, Francis Holland, Pam Spaulding, Shawn Williams and others have been working behind the scenes with the Howard Dean's crew to make them aware of this major oversight and provide them with some options and opportunities to quickly fix the problem.



The issue is beginning to bubble up on the national radar with recent articles in the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

If the Democratic Party can't fix this racial divide with bloggers ... what hope do we have to fix the racial divide being fanned by Hillary & Bill Clinton?

Villagers, are we making a mountain out of a molehill ... or do you agree that it is shocking in the 21st century that we still have evidence of Jim Crow justice in our national politics?

Manic Monday: Star

Morgen selected Star as the theme for this week's Manic Monday meme. He dedicated the theme to Sarge Charlie and all the men & women around the world who have bravely served their country. I have shared information about our brave military heroes here and here in the past.

Often we act like Memorial Day is all about barbecues and extended weekend parties and celebration. Some of us think that this day is significant because it is when swimming pools open. We forget to consider the sacrifices of the soldiers in whose honor it is celebrated.

As such, I encourage all Villagers to share with your family, friends or blog readers a reminder about the 'National Moment of Remembrance' as a teaching moment for future generations to learn about the real meaning of the holiday. We want you to keep silent for a minute, exactly at 3.00 pm (local time) on Memorial Day when 'Taps' is played. Use that moment of remembrance to reflect on the glory of those who have shed blood for us.

Sunday Inspirations: God Can Use You

Sojourner's Place created a weekly meme to help us share our spirituality with one anothers. Often, I feel that I am not worthy of God's love. I have been a very imperfect vessel during my years on earth. However, I have learned through The Word that all of us are worthy. God demonstrates that he can use each and every one of us in his Kingdom. Villagers, The Next Time You Feel Like God Can't Use You, Just Remember:

Noah was a drunk; (Genesis 9:20-22).
Abraham was too old; (Genesis 17th chapter).
Isaac was a daydreamer; (Book of Genesis).
Jacob was a liar; (25th chapter of Genesis).
Leah was ugly, (Genesis 29:17).
Joseph was abused; (Genesis 37:24-36).

Moses stuttered; (Exodus 4:10).
Gideon was afraid; (Judges 8).
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer; (Judges 14th chapter).
Rahab was a prostitute; (Joshua 2:1).
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young; (Jere.1:6-7 and Ist Timothy).
David had an affair and was a murderer; (2nd Samuel 11:3-27).
Elijah was suicidal; (1 King 19th chapter).

Isaiah preached naked; (Isaiah 37th chapter).
Jonah ran from God; (The book of Jonah)
Naomi was a widow; (Ruth 1:3).
Job went bankrupt; (The Book of Job).
Peter denied Christ; (Matt.26:69-70).
The Disciples fell asleep while praying; (Matt.14:37).

Martha worried about everything; (Luke 10:40).
Magdalena was well you know, (Mark 16:9).
The Samaritan woman was divorced more than once; (John:4:8).
Bacchius was too small; (Luke 19:3).
Paul was too religious; (Acts 8:1).
Timothy had an ulcer;...AND...(timothy 5:23).
Lazarus was dead! (John 11 chapter).

BlackPerspective.net Best Black Blog Finalists

I see that our blog is one of 20 finalists for the BlackPerspective.net Best Black Blogs award. Here is the full list of finalists (in alpha order):

• Angry Black Bitch
• Black and Missing
• Black Looks

• Booker Rising
• Chimeric Day Dreams
• Electronic Village
• Ill Doctrine
• Jack and Jill Politics
• Kenyan Pundit
• Mrs. Grapevine
• Nah Right
• Oliver Willis
• Pam’s House Blend
• Prometheus 6
• Raw Dawg Buffalo
• The Angry Black Woman
• The Field Negro
• Too Sense
• Undercover Black Man
• What About Our Daughters

It is an honor to be on a list with these other powerful brothers and sisters. I encourage villagers to check out these other blogs. I understand that the winner will be announced by BlackPerspective.net before the end of the month.

Any thoughts you care to share on these 20 blogs or on the contest in general?

Keith Olbermann: 'We Cannot Forgive You Senator Clinton'

Villagers, Keith Olbermann lets it all hang out in his 'Special Comment'.

What say u?

Hillary Clinton Stays In Race Because Obama Might Be Assassinated Like Robert Kennedy

Hillary Clinton is a brilliant, calculating, power-hungry woman. She doesn't do anything by accident. Therefore, I don't think it was an accident that she told folks in South Dakota that she refuses to concede defeat for the Democratic Party nomination because Barack Obama might be assassinated.

Her exact words were,

"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."

Villagers, I am concerned about the careless way that Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Roswell Beacon, Francine Torge and Doris Lessing talk about assassination of the first legitimate African American candidate for President of the United States. It is rough enough to try to heal race relations rift in our nation without having white leaders such as Hillary Clinton making these types of comments.

The Obama campaign remains cool, calm and collected in their response to Clinton's comments: "Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign."

This is a serious and sensitive issue. It is also another reason that Hillary Clinton should simply GO AWAY! This ish truly makes a brotha mad! Somebody help me understand what motivates Hillary Clinton?

Old School Friday: Jimi Hendrix

The theme for this week's Old School Friday meme is 'Best Guitar Solo'. I was given a guitar when I was about 8-years old as a birthday gift. I never had the talent to play it ... and the world is a better place for having never heard me play the guitar beyond those few months after my birthday.

On the other hand, the world is blessed to have heard the legendary guitar skills of Jimi Hendrix. I imagine that many of the entries this week will focus on Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was a genius with his guitar and his wit and wisdom can never be denied. For now, villagers, I invite you to enjoy his performance of 'Red House' at Woodstock back in the day!

DemConvention State Blogger Corps

Villagers, I wanted you to have immediate access to the 2008 Democratic National Convention 'State Blogger Corps'. You will be amazed to learn that the Democratic Party was unable to find any diversity in their selection of the 'State Blogger Corps'.

53 of 55 blogs run by white males. Can you create such a Jim Crow situation by accident? Or does it only occur by design?

Of course, the Democratic Party leadership tells us that bloggers of color will be happier when we see the soon-to-be-credentialed 'General Blogger Pool', to include local, state and national political bloggers, as well as niche and video bloggers from across the country. In fact, the 350 applicants ... many of whom are from the afrosphere ... not selected for the 'State Blogger Corps' are now eligible for selection as part of the 'General Blogger Pool'.

Anyhow, here is list of the DemConvention State Blogger Corps:

1. ALASKA - Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis - http://divasblueoasis.blogspot.com/
2. ALABAMA- Doc's Political Parlor - http://www.politicalparlor.net/
3. ARKANSAS- Under The Dome.com - http://www.underthedome.com/
4. ARIZONA - Ted Prezelski - Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/
5. CALIFORNIA - Calitics- http://calitics.com/
6. COLORADO -SquareState.net - http://squarestate.net/
7. CONNECTICUT -My Left Nutmeg - http://myleftnutmeg.com/
8. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA- DCist.com - http://dcist.com/
9. DELAWARE – TommyWonk - http://tommywonk.blogspot.com/
10. DEMOCRATS Abroad - Democrats Abroad Argentina - http://www.yanquimike.com.ar/
11. FLORIDA - Florida Progressive Coalition - http://flaprogressives.org/
12. GEORGIA- Tondee's Tavern - http://www.tondeestavern.com/
13. GUAM - No Rest for the Awake - Minagahet Chamorro - http://minagahet.blogspot.com/
14. HAWAII - iLind.net: Ian Lind Online - http://www.ilind.net/
15. IOWA - The Iowa Independent - http://iowaindependent.com/
16. IDAHO - 43rdStateBlues.com - http://www.43rdstateblues.com/
17. ILLINOIS- Prairie State Blue - http://www.prairiestateblue.com/
18. INDIANA- Blue Indiana - http://www.blueindiana.net/
19. KANSAS - EverydayCitizen.com - http://everydaycitizen.com/
20. KENTUCKY – BlueGrassRoots - http://www.bluegrassroots.org/
21. LOUISIANA - Daily Kingfish - http://www.dailykingfish.com/
22. MASSACHUSETTS - Blue Mass. Group - http://www.bluemassgroup.com/
23. MARYLAND - The Center for Emerging Media - http://www.centerforemergingmedia.com/
24. MAINE - Turn Maine Blue - http://www.turnmaineblue.com/
25. MICHIGAN - Blogging For Michigan - http://bloggingformichigan.com/
26. MINNESOTA - Minnesota Monitor - http://minnesotamonitor.com/
27. MISSISSIPPI - The Natchez Blog - http://natchezms.blogspot.com/
28. MISSOURI - Fired Up! LLC - http://www.firedupmissouri.com/
29. MONTANA - Left in the West - http://www.leftinthewest.com/
30. NORTH CAROLINA - BlueNC.com - http://bluenc.com/
31. NORTH DAKOTA - NorthDecoder.com - http://www.northdecoder.com/
32. NEBRASKA - New Nebraska Network - http://www.newnebraska.net/
33. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Blue Hampshire - http://www.bluehampshire.com/
34. NEW JERSEY - PolitickerNJ.com - http://www.politickernj.com/
35. NEW MEXICO - Democracy for New Mexico - http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/
36. NEVADA - Las Vegas Gleaner - http://www.lasvegasgleaner.com/
37. NEW YORK - Room 8 - http://www.r8ny.com/
38. OHIO - Ohio Daily Blog - http://www.ohiodailyblog.com/
39. OKLAHOMA - DemoOkie - http://www.demookie.com/
40. OREGON - BlueOregon (blog) - http://www.blueoregon.com/
41. PENNSYLVANIA - Keystone Politics - http://www.keystonepolitics.com/
42. PUERTO RICO - Jusiper - http://jusiper.blogspot.com/
43. RHODE ISLAND - Rhode Island's Future - http://www.rifuture.org/
44. SOUTH CAROLINA - CracktheBell.com - http://www.crackthebell.com/
45. SOUTH DAKOTA - Badlands Blue - http://www.badlandsblue.com/
46. TENNESSEE - KnoxViews/TennViews - http://www.knoxviews.com/
47. TEXAS - Burnt Orange Report - http://www.burntorangereport.com/
48. UTAH - The Utah Amicus - http://utahamicus.com/
49. VIRGINIA - Raising Kaine - http://www.raisingkaine.com/
50. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Democratic Party of the US Virgin Islands - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democratvi
51. VERMONT - Green Mountain Daily - http://greenmountaindaily.com/
52. WASHINGTON - HorsesAss.org - http://www.horsesass.org/
53. WISCONSIN - Uppity Wisconsin - http://www.uppitywis.org/
54. WEST VIRGINIA - West Virginia Blue - http://www.wvablue.com/
55. WYOMING - Hummingbirdminds blog - http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/

Reach out to the blog in your state to see what their plans are to provide information and coverage for African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans or women.

Scary Images of Barack Obama Being Hunted and Michelle Obama Being Tortured

Villagers, do you ever wonder how great our nation would be if Lincoln, JFK, MLK and RFK were able to live out their natural lives?

• Abraham Lincoln was a remarkable president - However, his desire to hold our nation together, even at the cost of a civil war, led to such a level of hatred that he was assassinated.


• John F. Kennedy was a remarkable president - However, his powerful vision for the future of our nation led to such a level of hatred that he was assassinated.


• Martin Luther King, Jr was a remarkable national leader - However, his efforts to create a nation where economic empowerment included all citizens of our country let to such a level of hatred that he was assassinated.


• Robert Kennedy was a remarkable national leader - However, his willingness to take on the special interests and his presidential campaign based on premise that our nation must come together across racial and class lines led to such a level of hatred that he was assassinated.

Why do I recap these events? Because I am concerned that a climate could lead to such a level of hatred that history repeats itself. Our nation cannot afford to cut short the lives of our most powerful visionaries. Therefore when I see newspaper covers with photos of Barack Obama being hunted down by predators ... and learn that the newspaper article talks about American citizens who openly talk about assassination ... it is a concern.

I wonder if Hillary Clinton, John McCain or others recognize the level of hatred that exists in our nation when it comes to issues of race?

I join with other blogs like PlezWorld and Black Political Thought in condeming the Roswell Beacon for putting a picture of evil in the minds of their readers. As Napoleon Hill once said, 'What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve'.

For that matter ... I wonder if average citizens like you and me ... recognize the slippery slope that we are sliding into when we see major white liberal bloggers feeling emboldended enough to post images of Michelle Obama ... potentially the next First Lady of the United States of America ... being strung up to a tree, branded like cattle and tortured by KKK members. A slippery slope that begins when mainstream media commentators talk to their radio audiences about sending out lynching parties to string up Michelle Obama.

I join with other blogs like What About Our Daughters in condemning Daily Kos and others that allow such vulgarity.

It hurts me to see the wild-eyed fear that some like Geraldine Ferraro and Pat Buchanan have about the possibility of a Black president. My prayers today are for the effective vigilance of the Secret Service. It just seems that there are too many people trying to create an environment of fear on the one hand ... and an acceptance of unacceptable public images on the other hand ... that could lead to a dark day in our nation's history if we are not careful.

Villagers, am I being too sensitive? What say u?

Hillary Clinton is the New Ron Paul

It was almost humorous to see how excited Team Clinton is about winning West Virginia and Kentucky by over 35% points in the past few weeks. They are playing it up as a big part of their 'electability' argument to the superdelegates. You would think that Hillary Clinton was walking on water to hear them twist the story.

On the other hand, Obama continues to run a cool, calm and collected campaign. They don't get too high when things are going good. They don't get depressed and lash out when things are going bad. They simply take care of business. Obama has run a remarkable campaign. He went against the biggest, baddest brand in the Democratic party and he put a whippin' to them. Team Clinton started off this contest last year with millions in the bank and the air of being the inevitable winner. Barack Obama started off last year as a 'rock star' with no ability to overcome Team Clinton.

Fast forward to today --> Team Clinton is $20 million in debt and Obama campaign is sitting flush with over $30 million in the bank and over $30 million per month still flowing into his coffers. Which of these two leaders do you want to manage our national economy?

I imagine that every time a Clinton surrogate starts hoopin' and hollerin' about these mammoth wins in West Virginia and Kentucky that the Obama campaign smiles with the memory of 14 contests where they won by remarkably large margins as well. I figure that the superdelegates can do the math. Villagers, take a moment to remember the size of Obama's win in these contests:

1. Virgin Islands - Obama won by 82%
2. Idaho - Obama won by 63%
3. Hawaii - Obama won by 52%
4. District of Columbia - Obama won by 51%
5. Alaska - Obama won by 50%
6. Kansas - Obama won by 48%
7. Washington - Obama won by 37%
8. Nebraska - Obama won by 36%
9. Colorado - Obama won by 35%
10. Georgia - Obama won by 35%
11. Minnesota - Obama won by 34%
12. Illinois - Obama won by 32%
13. Virginia - Obama won by 29%
14. Maryland - Obama won by 25%

Last month, I began to think of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic equivalent of Mike Huckabee. She could run around and make speeches around the country, however, it was clear that she didn't have a snowball's chance in Hades of winning the nomination. This month, I'm starting to think Hillary is the Democratic Party equivalent of Ron Paul!

New AfroSpear Member: Blackgirl on Mars

Villagers, please take a moment to welcome Lesley-Ann Brown to The AfroSpear. Lesley-Ann created her blog, Blackgirl on Mars: Notes on a Life in Copenhagen, (BBR #550) back in February 2005. Lesley-Ann as seen the world in her young life. She lived in Trinidad, Brooklyn, New York City, Maui and now Copenhagen. She is a writer with work appearing in the Source, Vibe Magazine and a few anthologies, including "Expat:Women's True Tales of Life Abroad" & "In Defense of Mumia". Lesley-Ann brings some serious chops to The AfroSpear and I am glad that more villagers will be exposed to her talents.

I encourage villagers to check her blog out. In fact, you can see the full AfroSpear blogroll over in the left-hand sidebar. Let me know if you see any of your favorites over there.

John McCain Flip-Flops Over and Over Again

John McCain ran for president back in 2000. He was known by everyone as the 'Straight Talk Express'. Much has changed in the past eight years and it appears that the 'Straight Talk Express' if falling off the tracks. See the video below for a taste of the real McBush!



Can our nation afford to have this man in the White House for the next four years? What say u?

Obama Speaks to 75,000 in Oregon

Yes We Can!

Children Under Fire in Darfur

Drumbeats from Purple Zoe brought us the following video, in which a family located in a camp called Um Tandelti in the Sudan is interviewed by the folks at WineToWater.org. During the interview we learn of a new custom where pieces of the Quran are wrapped in goat skin to ward of bullets from the innocent. This new custom created by the Darfuris in order to keep their sanity find a hopeful solution to their war-torn environment.







The question we must ask here in the blogosphere is simple, 'Are They Not Human?'. This is a question that will be raised by any and all interested bloggers. Visit the virtual headquarters for this online campaign for more details.

Here are some blogger responses to this campaign that may educate, motivate and activate you to help end these human rights:

• Stop The Genocide Olympics


• Am I Not Human? (Backyard Beacon)


• Am I Not Human? (Hell On Earth)


• Crisis In Darfur (Vanessa Unleashed)


• Am I Not Human? (Blogher)


• Am I Not Human? (Opinionated Black Woman)


• Am I Not Human? (Wonderland or Not)


• Am I Not Human? (Modern Musings)


• Am I Not Human? (Electronic Village)


• Am I Not Human? (UltravioletUnderground)


• Join Blog Campaign, Am I Not Human? (Black News Junkie)

Will you be participating this month?

John McCain is a Hypocrite

My mom is a spriritual even-tempered woman. She raised four children and taught middle-school students in Los Angeles for over 30 years. One day, as a young teenager sitting in the backseat of the family car, I called my good-natured mom a 'hypocrite'. She reached back and slapped me across the face faster than anything I had seen in my young life.

She taught me that day that the word, 'hypocrite' is powerful. Quite frankly, I rarely, if ever, used the word again in my life ... until today.

Today, I'm realizing that John McCain is a 'hypocrite' of the first order. He has been cutting loose about how naive and dangerous it is for Barack Obama to engage in talks with Hamas. Of course, Obama specifically noted that he would not talk with terrorist organizations, such as Hamas. However, the so-called 'Straight Talk Express' is coming off the honesty track. What is even sadder, is that the so-called maverick of the republican party may also be a 'hypocrite'. He complains alot about Hamas in 2008 ... however a few years ago, he had a much more open-mind about Hamas ... check out the video:





I think that 'hypocrite' is the correct word to use in this situation. What say u?

Huckabee Jokes About Obama Assassination

Many of you will recall that I had kind things to say about former republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. In fact, I was approached by Black republicans to endorse Huckabee at one time (...I had to let 'em know that I'm not a republican...). Anyhow, all of my goodwill towards Mike Huckabee is gone today. He can head back to Arkansas as a television game show host for all that I care. Villagers, he phuqued up big time at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention when he joked about an assassination attempt on Barack Obama.

“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he's getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”

No republican should be joking about assassination of a charismatic leader. Don't they know the impact of guns when it comes to our best and brightest political leaders?

JFK ... MLK ... RFK ... Malcolm X.
Huckabee needs to apologize for his sorry efforts at humor! What say u?

---

UPDATE: Huckabee issued an apology: "During my speech at the NRA, a loud noise backstage that sounded like a chair falling distracted the crowd and interrupted my speech. I made an offhand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive. That was never my intention."

The Obama campaign had no comment. Villagers, do you have any comments?

This Week in Presidential Politics

Villagers, have you been watching the ebb and flow of presidential politics this week. Team Clinton had a wonderful night on Tuesday in West Virginia with a 40% whomping. The white working class folks that Pat Buchanan and Hillary Clinton have fallen in love with over the past couple of months came out in droves to support her on Tuesday night. Hillary showed up on a couple of morning shows the next day ... and that was about the last anyone heard of Team Clinton.

The next evening we saw the political universe begin to shift in favor of Barack Obama. Widely-televised endorsement from John Edwards, in which he proclaimed that 'President Barack Obama' would convert the 'two Americas', poor and wealthy ... into one America again. Edwards was rockin' and rollin' on that night. I imagine he was wistful about what could have been if Kerry had won in 2004 or if he had done better in Iowa in 2008.

The major steelworkers' union ... who previously endorsed Edwards ... declared their support for Obama. A major woman's group that advocates on behalf of the pro-Choice movement hurled their endorsement of Obama directly in the face of Hillary Clinton. The steady stream of super-delegates continue to flow towards Obama. He has 1,900 delegates (magic number: 2025) at the time of this writing. Very few superdelegates are coming out for Hillary Clinton.

Yesterday, President George W. Bush stepped all over John McCain's big 'vision' speech when he called out Obama as an 'appeaser' similiar in scope to those that appeased Adolph Hitler. Villagers, one of the rules in your public life should be that you never compare any human being to either Adolph Hitler. There is simply no upside to make that comparison. Bush showed that he will stoop as low as necessary to help his little buddy, McCain.

Obama was joined by every elected Democrat official in denouncing Bush for dissin' Obama while giving a speech on foriegn soil. That ain't cricket. Of course, republicans feel it is OK to bash Obama's family here in America ... like the Tennessee republicans are doing with Michelle Obama ... but, no internal political campaign battles should take place overseas. McCain didn't see it that way ... McCain co-signed Bush. That is what little buddies do!

Obama then slapped down Bush-McCain for their words and activity over the past couple of days. His slap-down was fun to watch. It appears that Obama is ready to debate foriegn policy with McCain right away. Bush-McCain are so wrong on so many levels.

One outcome for the week is that Hillary Clinton became more Huckabee-like ... in other words, she became irrelevant in this presidential campaign. She needs to quickly decide what she plans to do for her future ... cuz I see no way that she gets on an Obama ticket as vice president. I also don't see Obama supporting her over the African American governor of New York when that job comes up for election again. So, I think that Hillary needs to get her Senate office cleaned out ... that is likely to be her glass ceiling job for the remainder of her professional life.

Villagers ... that is my observation about this week in presidential politics. What say u?