Oh while I was away taking care of business...

I was taking care of some graduate school business, but did have my ear to the blogosphere and the news...

Kudos to Charles Barkley for speaking his mind about Bernice...Bernice King, whom is the current sitting president of the SCLC, for her lack of regard for LGBTs of color yet want to take claim to "carrying the torch" of her father.  Speak the truth and shame the demons amongst us...

Auburn University QB soon to be NFL draftee, Cam Newton giving away his education for something as unstable and unpredictable as a career in professional football.  Now very wise at all if you ask me, and Dr. Boyce Watkins agrees with me on that.  As a matter of fact, Watkins went even further and said that his giving away a paid for education is just further the "plantation mentality" for black Americans.  WOW, WOW, WOW!  I don't wholeheartedly agree, but he has a some strong points about them taking advantage of these talented individuals.

Then there was the Over-the-Mountain Democrats forum of last Tuesday (January 18th) about "How Will the Democrats Rise Again?" at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  My buddy, Mooncat at Left in Alabama, covered it quite well links here, here, and here.  The truth is the Alabama Democratic Party is screwed because white Democrats are too busy trying to "chase after rainbows", i.e. "the elusive rural white vote" while running away from being associated with President Obama (whom isn't popular with a faction of white Alabamians) then the "Joe Reed Problem".  The man that is the human equivalent to "a runaway train from hell" while playing up the Bojangles angle.  I've covered that thing for awhile now and have nothing else to say about it...

Finally, the incident in Carroll County, Georgia of the Metro Atlanta area.  According to the Times-Georgian of Carroll County, 43-year-old Chris Staples was residing at his mother's residence on disability since he had injured himself on the job many years ago, and has been openly homosexual for nearly 20 years.  WSB-TV reports that on Sunday, there were two incidents that occurred at the residence, first a rock thrown through a bedroom window with a message from the assailant conveying their knowledge of Staples' sexuality and he was going to hell then a fire set to the residence.  One has to wonder who in the hell in 2011 still spins their time worrying about what some low-key individual especially a homosexual does with their life?  Nuttiness

I should be back to somewhat regular posting later on this week after getting caught up with other things I'm handling involving my Masters' program...

CORRECTION: According to last Friday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bernice King turned down the role of president of the SCLC, but that doesn't excuse her track record on LGBT rights...

Why I am not surprised or shocked by the events of yesterday in Tucson...

It's very tragic and disheartening about the events that led up to the 6 causalities including U.S. District Court of Arizona judge John Rolls, 11 injured including Arizona's 8th congressional district representative, Gabrielle Gifford in the Tucson area.

I can tell you why because we live in a society where everyone wants to pigeon-hole others in categories thus making us a society of the proverbial, "label whores".  It seen it daily on blogs, forums across the internet on subtle things from politics to entertainment.  Case and point, on one of my frequent posting sites, Left in Alabama, there are a number of individuals whom I consider just plain divisive and destructive to anything because they can't generate a coherent or logical discussion about anything.  I've pointed this out numerous times in the past including the members like RedEye, Gradyw/Martin Weinrib, Dale Jackson among others that constantly bring nothing to the table other than acrimony.  Anytime I've gotten into a discussion with them they try to run the gambit of tricks and even attempt to go for the jugular, but in the end wind up looking like an idiot because I've proven time and time what they are foolish.  I don't blame the administration there for the issues, but some of the individual are just ridiculous.

Other sites like Jack & Jill Politics, there are posters whom will do nothing but denigrate or flat out insult posters whom might not agree with their views like CPL/Christian Progressive Liberal (the irony of that name and her actions).  I remember very vividly when I decided to engage in the discussion of the candidacy of Artur Davis in the Alabama's gubernatorial race, CPL wanted to be very nasty and even attempt to insult me because I corrected their misinformation and half-truths.  It's just become a regular old circus these days on some of these sites.

Also on Rod 2.0 and Pam's House Blend, these two LGBT oriented (and black issues-leaning) blogs have shown that there are some posters (in Rod 2.0.'s case even Rod McCullom himself) who will attack those whom doesn't agree with practically everything that said on that site.

These examples are just a sample of what I see as a breakdown of civility in our society and that's just on the internet, but its hiding under the surface (and behind a computer screen).  What's more disturbing is what is hiding below the surface in everyday life with individuals we encounter in our daily lives.  Ironically, these sites suppose to be places of openness of those whom feel "left out" in many ways.

The overzealous nature of partisanship on both sides of the aisle and then the ideological battle of placing everybody in "categories" of being either "liberal" or "conservative".  Some people are just "moderate" on most political issues or "socially progressive" but hold reservations on other things thus not having them fit in any particular political mode and that's their prerogative as American citizens.  However, there are those on both sides of the ideological extremes that wants to war with those because of those differences.  Until we learn that there will always be those in the middle and stop trying to wage this "us versus them" type of mindset, don't be surprise if other more heinous things occur.   It's one of the constant reasons why I stay annoyed by some because they want others to "fall in line" of group-thinking or be royal asses just for the hell of it with no coherent or logical backing to their stances.  

Seriously, people need to get a grip and realize the consequences of their thoughts and divisive rhetoric.  

(h/t to Tucson's local newspaper, Arizona Daily Star for the links to the story)

Uh oh, HOT DOG!

Texas' government might go BOOM!  Why do you ask?  Well, the state has a $25 billion hole in its plot of its $1.2 trillion budget called a "deficit".  It's big enough to drive a mad truck, train, and plain through it.  However, pro-business pundits bills Texas a shining example of a "lean, mean, business-friendly" state, but what can they do if their majority healthcare and educational budget state going to do if they can't fill it?

In the Dallas Morning News back in October, newly re-elected Texas governor Rick Perry said on the campaign trail that he would be for doing away with Medicaid and Medicare-funded sCHIP (state Childrens' Insurance Program) altogether.  Now he is really trying to piss off the Babyboomers whom are the core of his voting base because if they can't get their health care then his ass will be burnt like toast.

Well, that's the $64,000 question that the GOP super-majority-led Texas State Legislature will have to figure out in the next few months...

Twisted irony of this being a topic: "The Princess Boy"

Just last week I was having a conversation with an older black, closeted homosexual guy about this very topic.  He said one of the main reasons why he would never live in Atlanta was because of the overt over acceptance of  homosexual behaviors and in his words "dudes who dress in female clothing".  I responded saying, "I don't worry about what others do because that is their lives and I will live mine as I see fit.".  Now this guy is from Chicago originally, where he rear and lived until a couple years ago before relocating with his daughter to Birmingham for a job.  It's interesting that he mentioned that he thinks that "guys should exhibit any type of non-conforming behavior" yet he is a homosexual (another non-conforming behavior) and deeply closeted (also a "Praise Team" director at his church in other words he is a "church queen").

I digress, the story about Dyson Kilodavis of Seattle and his non-conforming behavior of dressing in female attire.  The 5-year-old black boy likes to dress in dresses and even calls himself "princess boy".  He and his mother Cheryl Kilodavis were on the NBC Today show on Monday morning discussing this and a book his mother wrote about similar behavior in children.  Cheryl Kilodavis penned her book My Princess Boy in an effort to have these larger conversations about acceptance.  The black and mostly black LGBT blogospheres have been talking about this all week.  Now I heard about and saw the interview with the Kilodavis' on local NBC station, WVTM, on Monday, but was too tired to say much about it.  However, after seeing how the black blogosphere's responses have fallen in other of the 3 catogories: ambivalent, supportive, or against it.  (See Bossip, Lipstick Alley, Living Out Loud with Darian, Rod 2.0, Pam's House Blend, Miss Jia) The majority has been against it (no surprise).  As Dr. Sheri L. Parks of the University of Maryland, College Park said,  

"Religiosity permeates African-American daily life more than any other population," Parks said. "When you look at evangelical Protestants they are the most concerned about gender role development and sexual orientation.  African-Americans are very emotionally involved in black masculinity. Masculinity is very highly valued, that's why some people come down hard on this little boy whose not taking his rightful place."

It's a damn shame because identity is one thing as an adolescent that is very hard to figure out and discover as it is, but the additional pressures that blacks places on one another for "conforming behaviors" just makes it even harder for young black males and some females when it comes to these things.  Hence, why I give folk the side-eye half the time because as a "group" (when need to used for subjective discussion), we talk out of both sides of our necks.  We want acceptance as people as whole in Western society, but refuse to accept individual members for their differences especially in they involve not falling in line with socially acceptable behaviors of being hyper-masculinity in males.

(h/t to the Grio for the links)

UPDATE on Charlotte-Mecklenburg fiasco involving the very vocal county commission

On Tuesday, the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners did pass the resolution supporting diversity, inclusion, and tolerance of all members of their community regardless of sexuality.  They along with the public did  criticize District 6 Commissioner Bill James for his comments criticizing North Carolina US Senator Richard Burr for voting for the passage of DADT and equating homosexuality with sexual predatory behavior.  They went IN on his ass.  After getting chewed out, James along with the rest of the Board of Commissioners voted to pass the resolution.

According to the Charlotte Observer, James has ran his mouth like WHOA on blacks, "urban blacks live in a moral sewer" to illegal immigrants to drug dealers.   This guy is a piece of work, but a typical Southern white Republican...

(h/t to the Charlotte Observer and Pam's House Blend)

Terri Sewell is now a seated representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district

It's an interesting yet remarkable accomplishment for Alabama with the seating of the 112th Congress of the United States, the first black female is congressional representative has been sworn in.  It's one bright spot for Alabama is Terri Sewell since all the other Democratic House representatives either lost their seats (Bobby Bright) or changed parties yet still lost (Parker Griffith aka "Mr. Two-Last Names").  Sewell supports economic development and major improvements of transportation infrastructure of the Alabama's 7th congressional district (which includes the cities of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Selma) along with the passage of DADT, hate crimes legislation including LGBTs, the passage of ENDA, and even same-sex unionship (i.e. "same-sex marriages" for you jargon-heads who love that goofy term).  Sewell pride herself as a pro-women's rights advocate (for equal pay and reproductive choice for women) also supporter of healthcare reform, and financial reform.

It's going to SO INTERESTING watching Republicans trying to play damage control when the media scrutinized them like they did with the Democratically-controlled 111th Congress.  Especially after them already waffling on their stance of being so transparent.  However, let's take a moment to enjoy Terri Sewell.

CHEERS!

(h/t to Left in Alabama and WAKA-TV for the links)

Uh-oh, Chick-fil-A! The gay bloggers are about come after you!!!!!

Well, it didn't take long for me to hear about this, and the gay blogs to follow up with a pressure-cooker campaign to get them to drop their co-sponsorship with Pennsylvania Family Institute of "The Art of Marriage" on February 11th & 12th in the Harrisburg area and Reading in Pennsylvania.  Although the event isn't about being "anti-same-sex marriage", it speaks on biblical marriage and the support for it.  However, the Pennsylvania Family Institute, is the largest organization against LGBT rights in Pennsylvania.  So it's guilty by association because Chick-fil-A hasn't made it known they are overtly anti-LGBT rights.  Interestingly, they did sponsor Colorado-based Focus on Family and some golf tourney in Ohio led by Ohioan based group, which supports the usage of reparative therapy to change sexuality, which many experts equates to mental torture.  Official at Atlanta area-based Chick-fil-A hasn't made any official comments or stances on anything public involving LGBT rights.  (Maybe it has to do with them being based in the metropolitan area of one of the largest LGBT cities in the nation, so it could be chalked up to guilty by association.  On the other hand, they do close on Sundays for their employees can be with their families...  ***KANYE SHRUG***)

Well, like the Target fiasco, I'm going to remain ambivalent because I shop and eat at places that are cheap and offers quality products and services.  I'm on a fixed income while working on my Masters' degree, and don't eat out often anyways so this fiasco doesn't affect me.  However, it is interesting what's going to go down in the next few days.

UPDATE: Advocate, Towerload, Queerty, Change.org have swooped down on it.

Oh look at what DeKalb County is doing now...

The employment carnage that is known Dekalb County, Georgia has yet to truly see an ending.  Since late 2009, the various governmental agencies from the county government to county school district has been shedding jobs left and right like it's going out of style.  According to this past Wednesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, they are planning on outsourcing custodial jobs. Although these are the lowest ones on the totem pole of functionality of a school district we knew who holds most of these positions... (***HINT*** It's folk ***HINT***)

Outsourcing is one of several suggestions that came up earlier this year as part of budget cuts. Facing an estimated $50 million shortfall in next year’s budget, the proposal is back on the table.

I'm more perplexed how a rapidly growing county in Metro Atlanta has been able to function over the past 15 years since they've seen the county population jump by 100,000 new residents.  The county itself has been in the spotlight of mismanagement from the cost-of-living pay raises that occurred for outgoing county commissioners staffers last fall in the midst of massive deficit while refusing to give county police officers raises  to the former county superintendent being indicted for racketeering to 430 school district employees being laid off to  the recommendation to close 14 declining enrollment schools to now this.  Chaos at its very worse in DeKalb.  Unfortunately, it's the one jurisdiction aside from Atlanta proper that I would prefer to reside in Metro Atlanta... ***SIGH***

Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Charlotte Mecklenburg, we have a problem, and it's a bigoted white Republican guy who doesn't give a flying fuck!

Well, I've been sleeping on the happenings in North Carolina, particularly Charlotte for a minute because of the beacon of foolishness going on here in the Deep South.  However, I dedicate the existence of the blog to mostly Southern happenings.  In Charlotte's home county, Mecklenburg County, the board of county commissioners has been home to one of the most asinine individuals of the North Carolina GOP, a man by the name of Bill James.  James is the commission of District 6 of Mecklenburg County which includes the extremely southeastern portion of the county including the suburban municipalities of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville.  He has been serving 7 consecutive terms on the Mecklenburg County Commission.

Last December, James said something quite offensive to Meck. County District 2 commissioner, Vilma Leake, when the Board of County Commissioners were voting upon a same-sex domestic partnership benefits (which passed 6-3).  James asked Leake, "Your her son was a homo, really?" during the vote, and Leake replied, "Don't make me hurt you. Don't do that to me. Don't talk to me about my son."  This guy has a history of being obsessed with homosexual sexual acts and have used the Mecklenburg County email to send out messages about it for awhile now.  DINGBAT WITH REPRESSED HOMOSEXUAL TENDENCIES!!!!  He refused to apologize and went on sending out a message calling Leake, "a religious hypocrite", because she is married to a bishop in A.M.E. Zion Church, which suppose to be against homosexuality.


Today, the Charlotte Observer reports James deriding fellow North Carolinian GOPer, U.S. Senator Richard Burr for voting for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".  He went on to saying Burr's vote is "an endorsement of homosexuality".  His statement quote:

"I think there are a lot of things that people of all political stripes tolerate from their politicians," James said. "But endorsing immorality and allowing military recruits to be preyed on by homosexuals is not one that I will tolerate.

He's also pissed that the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners is looking to recognize and endorse the repeal at their next regular commission meeting and responded by sending out nasty emails repeating his statements about LGBTs being "sexual predators".  He's now catching heat from a number of LGBTs and allies in North Carolina, according to the Q-Notes newspaper.  Also the Charlotte Observer is reporting that some emails from constituents are requesting James be censured by the Board of County Commissioners.


Well, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, my nickname for Charlotte, YOU GUYS HAVE A PROBLEM ON YOUR COUNTY COMMISSION!  This guy is just nutty as a fruitcake and probably is very much a repressed homosexual because he obsesses over it.  

Teena Marie 1956-2010

I swear it seems like every Christmas Day, a major entertainer passes.  I remember like it was yesterday back in 2006 when James Brown passed on Christmas Day because I was listening to WPGC 95.5 in Washington D.C. via AOL Radio and they announced he passed on air while playing Christmas music.  Now, while listening to WPGC's sister station, WVEE "V-103", in Atlanta they announced during their Quiet Storm on Sunday night that Teena Marie had died in her sleep sometime between Christmas Day and the 26th.  It seems like we have reached a time when a number of the "old school" musicians are passing away at a rapid pace.  ***SIGH***

Her music was legendary with "Fire & Desire" with the late Rick James to "Lovergirl", "Ooo La La La" to my all time favorite "Square Biz".

Rest in peace, Ms. Marie.  I will miss you and your soul-funk music, the Queen of Ivory Soul.  You were also one of the few non-black soul artists that gain my respect and admiration for your tenacity music making.

Bama Fact Check looked into the new payroll deduction ban in Alabama

Apart of the ethics reform passed during the special session of the Alabama State Legislature 2 weeks ago was a new law that banned any automatic payroll deductions from public employees to political organizations.  Well, the article "Facts and Myths about the AEA payroll ban" was published 10 days about by the Anniston Star on Bama Fact Check.  It went into detail about the recently passed ban on automatic payroll deductions of public employees directly to political organizations.  Many sees it as a "poison pill" to the Alabama Education Association.  The bill was also known as SB2.

CLAIM: The bill is unconstitutional.
Reality:Maybe, maybe not.

Critics of the ban argued that limiting teachers' ability to donate their own money is unconstitutional.

Ultimately, only the courts can decide whether that claim is right. But recent precedent would seem to suggest that a court challenge to SB2 would face an uphill fight.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a similar case in Idaho in 2009. There, as in Alabama, a teacher’s union collected fees from teachers through payroll deductions, and the state Legislature moved to ban the practice.

Writing for the majority of the court, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that freedom of speech “does not confer an affirmative right to use government payroll mechanisms for the purpose of obtaining funds for expression.” The court ruled that in the absence of a free speech violation, the state had only to show a “rational basis” for banning the payroll deductions. In the Idaho case, the state cited an appearance of “entanglement” with political organizations as its reason for the ban.

This precedent is still up for debate, so we'll have to see about this.

CLAIM: Blue Cross Blue Shield — also funded through payroll deductions — has a political arm.
Reality:Yes, but the firewall between the contributions and the PAC is thicker.

Critics of SB2 have pointed out that teachers already have funds deducted from their paychecks for PEEHIP, the state’s health insurance plan. PEEHIP is administered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, and critics of SB2 say the group has its own lobbying arm, just like the AEA.

Federal Election Commission records show that there is, indeed, a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama PAC, headquartered in Montgomery. Funded by contributions from administrators in BC/BS, the PAC has, in the past two years, given more than $80,000 to other PACs and congressional candidates. The PAC has made contributions to members of both parties -— including $10,000 to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright of Montgomery and $10,000 to Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Anniston. But the overall flavor of the contributions is conservative, with donations to a group titled Every Republican is Crucial and a group called Defend America PAC, which has given to a number of GOP candidates.

BC/BS vice president Koko Mackin claims there are “no similarities” between the Blue Cross PAC and the one run by AEA.

“Blue Cross’ PAC is totally funded by voluntary Blue Cross employee payroll contributions, and it supports only candidates for federal office,” Mackin said via e-mail.

It’s true that, even though the PAC bears the company’s name — and calls to the PAC are forwarded to one of the company’s vice presidents — every single contribution on record has come from a company employee, and not the company itself.

Mackin also said that employees’ contributions to PEEHIP go directly to the state, which pays BC/BS to administer the insurance plan as a “third-party administrator.”

Now this one is very interesting considering BCBS of Alabama has something similar going on.  Apparently after being in power for nearly 5 decades, AEA would learn a thing or two from these other organizations how to run yourself as two seperate organizations.  Instead, this argument has been debunk and AEA proponents don't have a proverbial leg to stand upon in court with this one.

CLAIM: Gov. Bob Riley ran a PAC from the governor’s mansion.
Reality:Not necessarily.

Proponents of the payroll deduction ban hung their argument on the notion that it's wrong to use public resources to obtain contributions for a political group. AEA members argued that the cost of enrolling teachers in the payroll deduction was virtually nil, but proponents of the bill said any use of public resources for this purpose was too much. Opponents of SB2 countered by alleging that Gov. Bob Riley runs his own PAC —- and runs it from the governor’s mansion, effectively using public property to solicit political donations.

According to records from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, one Robert Renfroe Riley is listed as the chairman of the aptly-named GOV PAC, which lists its mission as “to elect qualified candidates dedicated to moving Alabama forward.” Riley lists his address as 1142 South Perry St. in Montgomery —- the governor’s mansion.

But that’s the chair’s residence, not the headquarters of the PAC. The official address of GOV PAC is a post office box in Birmingham. Obviously, you can’t hold a meeting in a post office box, so Bama Fact Check contacted Riley’s office to find out where the PAC’s business is conducted.

“My understanding is that the checks come to the post office box, and the treasurer takes them home and does the work there,” said Jeff Emerson, Riley’s spokesman.

The PAC’s paperwork lists someone named Kay Nimm as the treasurer. Nimm’s address is listed as a post office box in Chelsea. Efforts to reach Nimm, at the number listed in the PAC’s papers, were unsuccessful.

Now I find this one to be tale-telling about the outgoing governor and the his administration's actions.  However, his people knew to do their stuff within legal and mostly ethical bounds like BCBS.  
The morale of this story is know your lane and stick to it.  AEA should have learned to fall back years ago on anything that wasn't associated with education.  Instead they decided to meddle with the entire political process on both sides of the partisan spectrum, while clearly history says whom they were playing sides for the majority of the time.   The mid-game side changing didn't help, rather further indict their unethical meddling.  Now one isn't giving credence to borderline actions of BCBS (federal healthcare), GOVPAC (being Riley's sycophants), but they knew their lanes and stayed in them.  AEA did themselves in by playing "Jack/Jill of All Trades" in politics and failing to realize a Jack/Jill of all trades is an expert at nothing at all. 

All this led to (in the words of actress Tasha Smith from the movie Why Did I Get Married? go to 3:18 in the video) "the BOOM" formally known as SB2.

 

On a holiday note...

I'll be laying low since it is the holidays.  However, I might post some.  Anyways, it's been fun doing this for nearly 2 years now on all things from politics, music, entertainment, and urban issues.

Happy Holidays!

Well, well, well, somebody made it big in urban music out of Pittsburgh

Well, if you know my blog track history then you would know I am an avid urban music fan.  Well, fellow blogger, Urban Radio Nation, did a story talking about how up-an-coming rapper, Wiz Khalifa, making it big in urban radio without a local station being in Pittsburgh.  The blog covers the history and closure of long time "heritage" urban station, WAMO, after nearly 5 decades of being on air in Pittsburgh.  Now it's a Catholic radio station airing religious services and programs.  The closest station to the urban format is Clear Channel-owned top 40, WKST, which plays it because of its charting status on the Billboard Top 100.  However, that station is just paying lip-service to the hip-hop song because its hits status, not because it is local per say.

However, Wiz Khalif has made it so big that he is getting spins with his hit, "Black and Yellow", which is based on the colors of the cities sports teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, major-league baseball team.  The single is now on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song chart.  It celebrates the "Steel City" and its pride for hometown sport teams.  I personally love the song and play it while in the gym working out because the up-tempo beat.

It's just a damn shame that a city as large as Pittsburgh and with a 27% black in the city (about 10% metropolitan area), it doesn't even have an urban radio station serving its community.  Another time and depressing day for listeners of urban radio that want to see stations represent their hometown artists, whom are good and give their city some spotlight, has to use alternative ways of obtaining success.

Interesting things that have occurred with Virginia

Since the passage of DADT repeal through both houses of Congress, there was a little stir amongst one of the Virginia many GOP delegates.  This one with the name, Bob Marshall, from Prince William County, which is apart of the Metro Washington area of Northern Virginia, is drafting a bill for the regular session of Virginia General Assembly to enforce a state ban on any LGBT members of the Virginia National Guard.  However, this one snag to his plan, the Virginia National Guard is 95% federally funded, so how exactly does Mr. Marshall plan on funding something like if the violate federal law?

I mean this is a recession, and many states are still cash-strapped or deep in the red, but whom how legislating social policy is more important than common sense?

YEAH, OK....***EYE ROLL***

Meanwhile, I'm awaiting for Virginia AG Cuccinelli to come out the gate with some bull that will say it's legit and then the federal court will overturn the stupid law then they all whine the feds are trying to take over everything again, and scene.  It's like a melodramatic act in a play seen all too many times.

(links courtesy of the Washington Post)

The Special Session in Alabama Legislature is over

Here are the things that came out of this special session:

All the proposed legislative ethics bills were passed, but none in their original forms.  The climax of the special session was the AEA-administered coup by the House Democrats against SB-2 which was the bill restrict direct deductions from workers' payroll to support political activities.  It led to a 14-hour filibuster in the Alabama House where the Democrats were blocking cloture, but on the bill in its original form.  However, in the end it passed with a narrow 52-49 majority around 3AM Thursday morning.  Some Democrats are upset like some of my buddies over at Left in Alabama with parallel arguments about the GOP and their funding of local chambers of commerce.  I'm not denying the argument is not legitimate.  On the other hand, I personally think it is a good thing because AEA has to be stripped of power because they are a political liability to Alabama progressive politics.  After the AEA insured the election of 2 of the most dubious gubernatorial candidates in modern Alabama history, I deserved to be pushed into inert category.  It also gives some teachers a choice if they want a portions of their earnings to go to a political organization or not...

Gardendale Republican state senator, Scott Beason, has proven to his constituents what his critics have been saying forever.  He is an optimist and lacks any ethics himself.  He wants to be wine and dined like some cheap whore for favors from lobbyists, but the House Democrats weren't having that.  However, I knew this when that jackal, Beason, attempted to pass a bill that would have prohibit any articles of literature from public libraries, schools, and universities containing references to homosexuality.

In all the special session was pretty fruitful productive.

Don't Ask Don't Tell is done

The US Senate voted with 65-31 vote to end the Clinton administration era policy against LGBTs serving openly in the military.  I'm surprised by the gain of a couple of GOP votes like Mark Kirk of Illinois, Susan Collins of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, etc.  However, it is done, so the LGBT bloggers should stop whining about how President Obama hasn't fulfilled his promise of repealing it.  It's obvious since the Republicans will be taking over the House and a few more Republican senators in the US Senate next month that anything else socially progressive for LGBTs won't be going down anytime soon.  Now let's rejoice and enjoy the holiday season...

IN RELATED NEWS: In one his last votes as a congressman, when the House voted again on the repeal DADT, Artur Davis voted against it.  It is what it is.  I've always been like "kanye shrug" at Davis when he steps outside of the progressive mode because he is a moderate.  However, the sycophant of Shelia Smoot whining on Martin Weinrib aka "gradyw" of  Left in Alabama and "MartinW" of Progressive Electorate about it.

Another party switcher in Texas

I'm continuing my series of post-election Democrat-to-Republican party switchers across the South.  Today's state of choice is Texas!  Yeah Texas, you guys are apart of the South, LOL!  Anyways, on to more serious business.  On Wednesday, a Hispanic American Democrat, Aaron Peña, of Texas's 40th house district, decided to jump ship and join the GOP super-majority in the Texas State House.  The kicker is this dude is representative from Hidalago County, i.e. "Rio Grande Valley" of South Texas also known as the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area, which has a solid non-white majority and very Democratically oriented politically.  Peña should know his political career is dead-on-arrival after this term and the treachery of switching parties after an election where he was elected as a member of one party then switch.  Oh yeah, Alan Ritter, a white Democrat turned Republican, of Texas' 21st house district switched as well on the same day, but his district is considered a "toss-up" politically speaking since it's not as diverse and of the average Southern demographics (if you know what I mean) in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Southeast Texas.  


I have to say the optimism in politics is at an all-time high at the moment...


(h/t to Burnt Orange and Mean Rachel) 

The Inmate Strike in Georgia Prisons

Something that has been largely ignored by the mainstream media outlets including the majority of the ones in Georgia itself.  This is the inmates in prisons across the state of Georgia have been striking over the lack of humane conditions in the state and county prisons.  According to the Black Agenda Report, the prisons are only leaving their cells for hot showers and food, but refusing to participant in their involuntary and uncompensated work assignments.  Their demands includes demanding wages for their labor, educational opportunities, adequate health care and nutrition, and better conditions.  They have the support of the Georgia chapter of the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, the National Association for Radical Prison Reform, the Green Party of Georgia,  the Ordinary Peoples Society, and the Concerned Coalition to Protect Prisoner Rights, which is a coalition comprised of civil rights attorneys, ministers, community organizations and other prisoner advocates. 


This is understandable considering according to the 2005 report conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, blacks makes up 39.8% of the prison population.  That's more than 1 in 3 blacks are or have been incarcerated  Something that obviously affects most black Americans since most of us either know or are related to somebody that has or is prison.  Hopefully, this will end peacefully and the inmates will get their grievances fulfilled and have humane standards in the Georgia Department of Corrections systems. 

Who in the hell still steals copper?

Copper is practically worthless these days after the market drop in late 2007 (because let's be honest take into account the price of gas to travel to where it is and a place to sale it then it is worthless).  Meanwhile, the late thieves in Alabama (where it seems 90% of everything is way behind the curve) are still attempting to steal copper to make a quick buck.  This morning in downtown Birmingham, where the city's Christmas tree was standing in Linn Park was burned down by a couple of these late copper stealing morons.

According to the Birmingham News, the thieves attempted to melt the plastic from the copper to extract the metal to sale by dousing the tree in gasoline and set a small fire.  The idiots also set the tree on fire and burned the majority of the tree lower portion resulting in being taken to the city recycling center to be made into mulch.

It's a damn shame after Birmingham has already suffered through another election of another member of the status quo group, continued plunging of city population, the ongoing battle to handle a deficit, and now this.  Birmingham really needs a break...SIGH!

UPDATE: The local urban adult contemporary radio station WBHK, "98.7 Kiss FM" has decided to step in and help replace the city's tree.  They had the tree delivered to Linn Park around 3PM this afternoon, and other surrounding cities are offering up extra ornaments that have storage to the city of Birmingham to decorate the new tree.  There is a tree lighting ceremony planned for 9AM Thursday morning.

However, on a personal note, it still doesn't change my feelings about the boring ass Kiss FM.  Birmingham should have a station more like V-103 in Atlanta as its leader and community-oriented urban station.

Tom Cuccinelli is at it again, but this time causing problems involving the enforcement of healh care reform in Virginia

Virginia's controversial, foolish attorney general, Tom Cuccinelli, has gotten his wish of repealing the enforcement of some of the Federal Affordable Care Act.  The portion in particular is the mandate of requiring citizens to buy some form of health insurance.  The U.S. District Court Judge, Henry E. Hudson, known for his conservative stances and dabbling in anti-healthcare reform lobbying as well, ruled today that portion of the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional.

"Neither the Supreme Court nor any federal circuit court of appeals has extended Commerce Clause powers to compel an individual to involuntarily enter the stream of commerce by purchasing a commodity in the private market," he wrote. "In doing so, enactment of the [individual mandate] exceeds the Commerce Clause powers vested in Congress under Article I [of the Constitution.]"

The kicker is why this justice ruled in Cuccinelli's favor was because the Republican-dominated Virginia General Assembly passed a state law prohibiting any type of mandate against requiring a health insurance for citizens.  (Of course, the same logic could be drawn from the mandating of certain states requiring drivers to have automobile insurance, but that another conversation).  Cuccinelli feels embolden now since he got his way and even Virginia Republican Congressman Eric Cantor want to even have the case sent directly to the SCOTUS (U.S. Supreme Court).  Oh yeah, the mandate isn't exactly unenforceable because it will be still be allowed while its going through the appeals process.

However, this whole situation is first shot of the GOP and anti-healthcare reform sycophants to strip this delicately constructed law allowing many whom couldn't receive health care including many of my fellow Gen-Y peers as well as those whom are over the poverty line but can't afford it either (also known as the "in-between").   Oh yeah, let me not forget about the other 20 states including Alabama and Georgia, stirring the pot on this law.  This whole fiasco is another reason why anyone with common sense should be against this craziness rather than promoting it...