Friday, October 31, 2008

The Incredible Hulk v. Thing

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Charles Hamilton - Staff Development




Click Here To Download

Royce, Joe & Joell On One Track? *blink*

I think I soiled myself . . . in a good way!

My Name Is 8thlight & I'm A Motivational Speaker

And The Winner Is . . . Me? *Kool Aid Man Grin*


I would like to thank Shae of HeyShae.com. She thought enough of my little blog to award it the Brilliante WeBlog Award. It shocked the hell out of me! I haven't won anything before. lol I'm always appreciative of anyone & everyone that takes a moment or two out of their day to stop by.

As a recipiant of the award comes some responsibilities:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. The winner must link to the person from whom they received their award.
3. The winner must nominate at least 7 other blogs for the award.
4. The winner must place links to those blogs on their own blog.
5. The winner must leave a message on the blogs of the people they’ve nominated.

Of course I couldn't stop at 7 when 8 is so close. lol

Black And Married With Kids

SerenityLife

Mamalicious!

Leather

Entropy Inc.

Keeping Up With The Huxtables

We Are Respectable Negroes

I Left My iPod In El Segundo

I just want to say thanks again to Shae for the award.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

1,000s Of Words Regarding The Obama Rally

1. I suck at taking pictures.
2. My camera sucks, too.
3. I got there 30 minutes early & the choice of seats were either peanut heaven or behind him.









The jersey said Obama with the number 08. I wish I could have gotten a shot while he still had it open . . . but I was having camera issues.



The place went crazy when Dan Rooney hit the stage. At first the build up to his intro was as if it was Obama. The crowd kind of groaned when it wasn't him. But when it turned out to be Dan Rooney the place erupted. After the eruption there was a 2 or 3 minute chant of "Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!!" :)




Steelers, Geek Girls & Iron Man 2 (Rambling Man)

Ben Roethlisberger is definitely worth the money, but will the Steelers get their money's worth? According to ESPN, Ben is the 3rd most sacked QB in the league. I know that I have mentioned this in past blogs, but do you really think he will make it to the end of the year at this rate? On a side note, if I have any Canadian or Mexican readers out there, the Steelers are North America's Team. Tell a friend! . . . I have a serious weakness for women who are tech heads. I can watch their podcasts & read their blogs all day. I would just like to say thanks to Natali, Liz, Morgan, Zadi and Lynne & Angela of Black Web 2.0 (yes, they have men writing, but this ain't about them! lol). But, I think I realized that I have a serious problem when Molly Wood made the list. I'm a sucker for funny also and it's definitely her sense of humor in combination with the tech news that does it for me. *sigh* I really need a Geek Squad girl in my life . . . According to The Hollywood Reporter Don Cheadle's the new War Machine. Tha Hell?!!?! Don't get me wrong, I love Don as an actor, but this is insane. Terrence Howard was bad choice for the first Iron Man, but this seems like a further step backwards. How do you go from the voice of Uncle Phil to Terrence Howard and now Don Cheadle? War Machine/Rhodey was a tough cat. Could you not have gotten an actor that would fit the bill a little better?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Talib Kweli, Janelle Monae & The Cool Kids Featured In New Mag

In honor of the CMJ '08 Music Marathon & Film Festival that took place last week (yes, I know I'm late) Zune.net is putting out it's first issue of their magazine, Zune Zine. The inaugural issue features artists such as Talib Kweli, Janelle Monae, Chester French, Yo Majesty & The Cool Kids to name a few.

Click Here To Download Issue #1 of Zune Zine

Also, here's a mixtape dedicated to the festival as well. It has a few artists from The New Breed.



Click Here For Download

Friday, October 24, 2008

It's Officially A Hoax!

The story never really passed the smell test, but the Trib was more than ready to run with it. If Obama becomes P.O.T.U.S. is this really the end of the world for racists? They seem to be becoming more brazen, high tech, open and flat out desperate like in the case listed below.

Moments like these bring everything that's bubbling below the surface to light for those who refuse to see. They may like to keep their head in the sand and shout down those who acknowledge the state of the country & my hometown specifically. I think the most disappointing part is when those that are denial look like me. But this political season has even opened Mr. Norm's closed eyes.

Mr. Murtha wasn't trying to be provocative. He was answering the question as honestly as he could. It did echo Gov. Ed Rendell's remark to the editorial board during the primary campaign -- that in Pennsylvania, "some whites are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate." But Mr. Murtha's quip did not carry a partisan taint.

I was originally annoyed with Mr. Rendell because his glib dismissal of Mr. Obama's chances of beating Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Pennsylvania seemed to sell the state's white ethnic voters short at a time when other majority white states were embracing him.

Then came the April primary in which Mrs. Clinton trounced Mr. Obama by a wider margin than even Mr. Rendell predicted.


Campaign Volunteer Made Up Attack Story

A Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Ashley Todd confessed to making up the story & is facing charges

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Police sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter "B" in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.

Ashley Todd, 20, of Texas, initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.

Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.

Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.

Investigators did say that they received photos from the ATM machine and "the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction."

This afternoon, a Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the story.

The commander added that Todd will face charges; but police have not commented on what those charges will be.

According to police, investigators working on the interview process detected several inconsistencies in Todd's story that differed from statements made in the original police report.

Pittsburgh Police Public Information Officer Diane Richard released a statement earlier today, saying: "Because of the inconsistencies in her statements, Ms. Todd was asked to submit to a polygraph examination which she agreed to do."

No photos of Todd are being released by Pittsburgh Police at this time.

The investigation is continuing as officials determine what charges will be filed.

Black Milk - Elec



Click For Download

Armed Robbery With Political Commentary?

Who states political preference during a robbery? I call bullsh!t on this one, along with TMZ.com. Also, why was the "B" on her face carved backwards?

The story below was on the website of the right-wing paper of Pittsburgh.



McCain Supporter Robbed, Assaulted

By Jill King Greenwood
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, October 23, 2008

A knife-wielding man robbed a McCain-Palin campaign volunteer and etched a “B” into her face after he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the woman’s car, Pittsburgh police said.

Ashley Todd, 20, of College Station, Texas, was using an ATM at Liberty Avenue and Pearl Street in Bloomfield just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when a man approached her, put a knife to her throat and demanded $60, police said.

Todd handed the man $60 she had in her pocket and stepped away from him, investigators said. The man then noticed the bumper sticker on the woman's car, which was parked in front of the ATM. The man became very angry, made comments to Todd about John McCain and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground, police said.

"He continued to kick and punch her repeatedly and said he would teach her a lesson for supporting John McCain," said police Chief Nate Harper.

The man then carved the "B" into Todd's right cheek. Todd, who isn't familiar with the area, drove to a friend's house nearby and told her friend she wasn't sure of the exact location where the robbery took place but remembered a green sign above the ATM. The friend called police and the officer met them on Cypress Street in Bloomfield, police said.

Todd's friend offered to drive her back in the direction she came from to look at ATMs until she found the right one, police said. A police officer followed until Todd pointed out a Citizens Bank ATM at Liberty and Pearl, police said.

She declined medical treatment at the scene and said she would go to a hospital today.

Todd declined to comment.

"She is a volunteer for the McCain-Palin campaign," said campaign spokesman Peter Feldman. "Sen. McCain has reached out to her via telephone and has spoken to her and her family,” as has McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Feldman said. “Out of respect for her privacy we're not going to comment further."

Democrat Barack Obama's campaign released a statement saying: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice."

Police described the suspect as black, about 6-foot-4, and said he was wearing dark-colored jeans and a black undershirt.

The ATM has a security camera and investigators are trying to watch the video, police said.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

"Systematic" Racism At Journeys

Apparently some people are becoming bolder with the prospect of a black president looming over the horizon. It's real on the campaign trail, but it's getting real at Journeys, too.



Missouri Man Shocked at Being Labeled N-Word on Store Receipt

A black couple from Missouri seek amends from clothing store Journeys after their son was given a receipt that said "dumb N-word" in capital letters.

By SARAH NETTER
Oct. 22, 2008

Linda Slater said she's both saddened and angry that it happened and "to know that racism is still alive."

On Friday, her son Keith Slater, 22, bought a pair of loafer-style shoes from the Journeys at the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kan., about a 30-minute drive from their home in Kansas City, Mo.

When he found a less expensive pair of similar shoes at a different store a short while later, however, he returned the first pair to Journeys the next day.

The clerk, whom Linda Slater described as a 20-something white woman, asked why he was returning the shoes and Keith Slater told her about the less expensive shoes he had bought.

It wasn't until the family got home that he glanced at his receipt and saw the insult printed next to the line marked "Cust" for customer.

"Then I was like, 'Nah, no way. It can't say that," Keith Slater, a junior at Missouri State University in Springfield, told ABCNews.com today. "I was shocked, 'cause I didn't do anything for that to happen."

Keith Slater, who is studying business and finance, said he had never been directly called the racial epithet before and his mother said she hadn't either.

When they returned to Journeys the next day, the same clerk showed the Slaters that she simply had entered a code into the computer and that's what came up.

The clerk's intentions are unclear but Linda Slater said the woman indicated she knew that was in the system and told the family that the employee who put it there had been terminated.

Keith Slater said he's partially gotten the resolution that he wants in that the word has gotten out and people know "this can still happen." But he also wants to know why the phrase was allowed in the system in the first place.

A statement issued by Nashville, Tenn.-based Genesco, which owns the clothing store aimed at young shoppers, said the company was continuing to investigate the incident.

The statement also said that the employee who added the language to the system had been terminated but the company would not say whether the termination occurred before or after the Slater incident.

"Needless to say, such an act was not authorized by Journeys and will not be tolerated," the statement read. "At Journeys, we pride ourselves on valuing and respecting every customer. We are shocked and sickened that a former associate could be responsible for an act so out of keeping with our culture and our values."


Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Top 10 Moments In Super Villainy

If you have followed this blog at all or know me to any degree, you know that I believe The Venture Bros. is the best thing to ever hit the Cartoon Network & Adult Swim. It very well maybe the best thing including sliced bread! Yeah, I said it! Previously Adult Swim did a top 10 list of Brock Samson's best beatdowns, but now they have blessed us with the top 10 moments of everyone's favorite super villian:

5. That Cool Spin Thing



4. Dr. Dugong



3. Charades



2. I Hate My Henchmen



1. Cold Diarrhea



Click Here For Moments 5 - 10.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ra's Announcement





Click For Download

I'm Not American, Are You?



Sunday, October 19, 2008

Q-Tip - Move

McCain/Palin Klan Rally

D. Julien Is Incredible



Mr. Incredible on Myspace.

Colin The Republican Endorses Obama

I'm not a Powell fan in the least. I lost all respect I had for him while he was in the White House. He fought for his country in the military, but not while in the Bush Administration. I don't know how sincere he is, but it's an endorsement nonetheless.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

PA = Pittsburgh & Philly w/ Alabama Between . . .

That's a very old description of the state of Pennsylvania, but not quite accurate. Pittsburgh's sensibilities are much closer to the middle of the state than to Philly. It was nice to see U.S. Rep Jack Murtha say as much . . . but I hate when people speak the truth & back away from it when they can't take the heat. :(

The moonwalk is below the original article.

Murtha says Obama will win Pennsylvania despite racism

Thursday, October 16, 2008
By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Despite "racist" sentiments in Western Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is building momentum and should win in Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. John Murtha said yesterday.

Mr. Murtha, a 17-term Democrat from Johnstown, told a group of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial writers that Pennsylvania voters seem to be warming to the idea of voting for a black man for president.

"There's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area," said Mr. Murtha, whose district stretches from Johnstown to Washington County. "The older population is more hesitant."

Mr. Obama finished second to U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in the April primary, but in the past few months his campaign has been making gains, especially among the senior citizens and veterans groups he has spoken with, Mr. Murtha said.

"I think Obama is going to win, but I don't think it's going to be a runaway," he said. "I think he wins Pennsylvania."

It hasn't been easy for Mr. Obama to build a base across the state, Mr. Murtha said, despite the Illinois senator being "one of the most brilliant organizers I've ever seen." Part of the reason is that Mr. Obama is a minority candidate, he said, but recently voters seem to be putting that issue aside.

In a statement issued later yesterday, Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey told The Associated Press: "It's naive to think that race or gender doesn't play a role in a voter's perception of a candidate. Mr. Murtha makes the point that while race may be an issue for some, it's evident that voters today are concerned about the issues that truly matter -- issues like the economy, health care and energy independence."

It was the second time this year a prominent Pennsylvania Democrat questioned whether the state's white voters would cast ballots for Mr. Obama. In February, Gov. Ed Rendell told the Post-Gazette editorial board that the state has pockets of conservative white voters and "I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."

Mr. Murtha added that Republican Sen. John McCain's efforts have been stymied by the country's economic crisis under the current Republican administration.

Across the country, Mr. Murtha said, he isn't seeing the type of enthusiasm for the presidential election that he has seen in the past. He said part of that might be attributed to the national economic crisis.

"I think [voters are] discouraged by what's going on," he said. "I don't want to say despondent -- just serious.

"People are madder than hell [about the economy]. I've gotten more mail about that than anything."

It will be important for Congress to keep a close watch on how banks and other institutions use money from the economic recovery plan, he said.

In addition to the economy, Mr. Murtha said, the biggest issues facing the new president will be managing the withdrawal from Iraq, rebuilding the military, developing a health care plan and deciding how to proceed in Afghanistan. Afghanistan may be the trickiest issue because there are so many tribes of militants that it could require a full military effort, which Mr. Murtha said many Americans probably would not support.


Sadly, click here for The Moonwalk.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I'd Twitter That!/(I.W.D.H.B.W.)

I love text messages. I love to send them and to receive them. I hate forwards, but I love getting messages from friends & acqaintences. Probably because of the nature of my current job that has me chained to a desk with limited internet access & no real way to bullsh!t to speed the day along. Hell, it's the only real reason I was on twitter.

I always saw Twitter as a chat room hoping to start up a convo with someone. I also use it as a news reader to a degree. There are certain people/twitters I just follow online for links to news stories or blog posts. One person I won't be following is discussed by Ms. Burr for Black Web 2.0. The article is a great peek into what helps a site really take off. Apparently it's mainstream celebs. Check the comments, of the blog. I named a few celebs that I would love to follow.

On a completely different note . . . Can we please get Olivia Munn off of Attack Of The Show & get her on it? Zadi has tons of twitter tips:



Here are a couple of sites & things that I found to feed into my love of texting:

ChaCha.com is basically like ask Jeeves, but on your phone. You can text ChaCha any question and get a text reply answer.

Chikka allows you to send texts messages from your pc.

You can also send text from your pc if you know what carrier your friend is with simply through your e-mail:

T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com
Cingular: phonenumber@cingularme.com
Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com

Monday, October 13, 2008

The New Breed

That's what I have dubbed these artists included in this playlist. They are all a breath of fresh air in Hip-Hop. They have been my latest musical obsessions to one degree or another.

Take a listen and if you like them just click on The New Breed tag to find more work by them.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Blendstar




Click Here For Download

Special Edition Gears Of War 2 Zune

In a bid to generate even more buzz for one of the coolest looking video game franchises to come out in some time, Microsoft is giving Gears Of War the Halo treatment with it's own special edition Zune leading up to the game's November 7th release date.



What's inside the box?

* A laser-etched Crimson Omen on the back
* Collectible Gears of War packaging
* 244 pieces of Gears of War media including the original game soundtrack, behind-the-scenes videos, game trailers and concept art galleries

Details courtesy of Zune.net

Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player, Gears of War 2 Special Edition

D. Julien - Understand Me

This young man hit me up asking for a little exposure. Well, I geeked that someone even noticed my blog . . . but then it hit me. What if I don't like his music? Am I actually going to have to turn him down? Well, luckily he's nice so without further delay . . . straight out of Broolyn . . . D. Julien!



Click Here For Track

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Torae - Switch & Bad Boy Tribute



Switch can be found on his release, Daily Conversation.



Click Here For Special Delivery

Click Here For 24 Hrs To Live

Click Here For Whoa

C.Y.H.A.N.G.E. You Can Believe In?

I saw this on Countdown With Keith Olbermann and I had to post it up. I'm not sure what's worse:

1. His racism
2. That he's teaching racism to children
3. That he's a teacher who can't even spell CHANGE

Teacher ‘Told Students What ‘CHANGE’ Stood For’

BY KATE MCCARDELL / FLORIDAN STAFF WRITER
Published: October 2, 2008

The Jackson County School Board has taken action against a teacher who apparently made racial commentary on presidential candidate Barack Obama.

According to parents and students in Greg Howard’s seventh-grade social studies class, Howard on Friday, Sept. 26 asked the class a question regarding Obama’s call for change, and proceeded to write out what the letters C-H-A-N-G-E stood for.

“She told me that he wrote on the board ‘Can You Help A (expletive) Get Elected, and then laughed about it,” said Shelia Christian, a mother of one of Howard’s students.

Jackson County Superintendent Danny Sims said that description of this incident was “pretty accurate.”

Sims said Howard apparently repeated the action in more than one class, having made the comment in “a couple of periods.”

According to a news release from the school board, Howard was suspended with pay on Monday, Sept. 29.

On Wednesday Howard was given a written reprimand regarding his actions, and those actions will be reported to the Florida Department of Education Office of Professional Practices, according to the school board.

As of Thursday, he was suspended without pay for 10 days, was relieved of his football coaching duties, and will be transferred to the Jackson County Adult Education program, according to JCSB.

Howard is also required to submit a letter of apology to the students involved, and is required to attend diversity and sensitivity training, the school board reported.

Sims said Howard’s racial commentary was not directed at any students, but were directed at a political party.

“We’ve handled this swiftly and we’ve handled it with a concern that we’re not going to tolerate it and this is a pretty stiff (action). The situation is behind us and we’re ready to move forward,” said Sims.

“My daughter came home very upset after that happened. When you’re in school teaching our kids, you’re supposed to be teaching them what’s right by the law, not what’s right in your opinion. This is not the stone ages. We don’t come through the back door anymore. I raise my kids to be respectful and they should be led by example,” said Christian.

They Finally Got O.J.

Las Vegas jury reaches verdict in Simpson case

By KEN RITTER
Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Jurors in the O.J. Simpson trial reached a verdict Friday after working into the night, deliberating the fate of the former football star and a co-defendant accused of robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a casino hotel room.

"We have a verdict," said Michael Sommermeyer, spokesman for the Clark County District Court. He said it would be read after all the defendants, lawyers and prosecutors arrived at the court.

The jury reached a decision after deliberating for more than 13 hours.

Simpson, 61, and a golfing buddy, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, each face five years to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping, or mandatory prison time if convicted of armed robbery. They've pleaded not guilty to 12 charges, including conspiracy, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon.

Deliberations began 13 years to the day after Simpson was acquitted of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles.

The jury sent one note to the judge around 3 p.m. with what the court spokesman called a "procedural question."

Judge Jackie Glass responded with instructions to look at documents they had already been given, Sommermeyer said.

The jury of nine women and three men heard 12 days of testimony, capped by prosecutors' arguments Thursday that the Las Vegas case had its roots in the 1994 slayings.

Prosecutors alleged Simpson planned - and Stewart helped carry out - a plot to retrieve personal items that Simpson lost after squirreling them away to avoid turning them over to Goldman's family to satisfy part of a $33.5 million civil wrongful death judgment levied in 1997 by a California court.

Four men who accompanied Simpson, Stewart and a middle man to the Palace Station casino hotel for the Sept. 13, 2007, confrontation later pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution. Thomas Riccio, the man who arranged and secretly recorded the meeting, testified under immunity from prosecution.

Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, told the jury the prosecution didn't prove Simpson was guilty in the criminal case that he said "has taken on a life of its own because of Mr. Simpson's involvement."

"Every cooperator, every person who had a gun, every person who had an ulterior motive, every person who signed a book deal, every person who got paid money - the police, the district attorney's office, is only interested in one thing: Mr. Simpson," Galanter said.

Stewart's lawyer, Brent Bryson, presented his client as the trial's forgotten man.

Since Sept. 15, the jury heard 22 often colorful witnesses - including seven of the nine people who were in the cramped hotel room. They listened to numerous replays of secret recordings made before, during and after the alleged robbery.

Neither Simpson nor Stewart testified, and jurors were instructed not to consider that when judging the case.

Glass kept a tight rein on the proceedings and rejected several mistrial motions. She read 41 legal instructions to the jurors and six alternates before the panel heard closing arguments.

---

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.