After six years and some months of running this blog, the drive, motivation, and eagerness to write entries have taken a back seat to other priorities.
It is with heartfelt regret that I have decided to bring the blog to an end. Comments will be disabled on January 31, 2008; archives will remain online through the end of June.
Many thanks go out to those who have supported the site over the years with their readership, comments, and linkage.
Although this blog is going away, yours truly will not be going away. I’ll continue to visit other blogs and join a discussion or two if the spirit moves me to do so. Those wishing to contact me can do at 
.
For now, good-bye and thanks for reading.
Due to work and other commitments, I’ve fallen of the blog wagon for a while. Expect new content soon.
I’m taking time off for a much-needed California vacation and a family reunion. Suffice it to say, I’m having a great time so far, and enjoying the cool coastal breezes of Marina del Rey.
Earlier today, I had the opportunity to hook up for breakfast and conversation with TCB founder Cobb. He has some of the best old school R&B mixtapes I’ve ever heard, and good memories of life back in the day. Although it was my first time meeting him in person, I instantly felt that I’ve met a good old friend that I haven’t seen in a while. Thanks to Cobb for his hospitality and for the ride around town!
With a week of vacation time left, I’m still have a lot to do. I’ll have more to say about my time off (and other stuff) soon. 
Best wishes to all for a prosperous and free 2007. I look forward to blogging onward in earnest.
My apologies for not posting recently, as other front-burner items (resulting in the burning of midnight oil) have been taking place. Also, the DSL line hasn’t been nice to me lately as far as uploads and updates are concerned. A switch back to cable-based internet (which I regret not transferring when I moved to the current residence a year ago) should also help.
I hope to be back in full swing by tomorrow afternoon.
Update: The switch back to cable modem is delayed, but we’ll continue to keep pressing on as best as we can.
I actually voted early last week. Nevada uses touchscreen voting machines with paper printout verification prior to casting the final ballot. Not a problem in my book.
For the U.S. Senate, I went with incumbent John Ensign. Whenever Jack Carter uttered the words “I’ll be Nevada’s voice to Washington”, it seemed to translate in my mind as “I’ll be a ho for Harry Reid”.
U.S. House: Shelley Berkley; as no serious Republican challenged her. Had I remained a Green Valley resident, I would’ve cast my vote for Jon Porter. As for Tessa Hafen’s campaign attacks accusing Porter of being a Bush “yes man”, she offered no guarantee that she wouldn’t be a Nancy Pelosi “yes woman” (God forbid she becomes Speaker of the House).
For Nevada governor, I held my nose and voted for Jim Fibbins — er, Gibbons (as of this day, we’re still unclear if he’s been had or just plain caught red-handed; do a Google search). Although the governor’s mansion might be the end of the line for his overall political career, I couldn’t see myself touchscreening the circle for Dina Taxes — er, Titus. Also Titus strikes me as being a mean person who’s extremely left-wing underneath all that feigned centrism. State representative votes went to Republican Barbara Cegavske and Democrat William Horne (who ran unopposed).
Other state offices: Brian Krolicki for Lt. Gov., Don Chairez for Attorney General, Steve Martin for Controller, Ross Miller for SecState, and Kate Marshall for Treasurer.
State Ballot Questions 1 through 11 (minus Question 3): Yes, yes, no, no, no, yes, yes, no, no, and no.
State Supreme Court: Michael Cherry, Michael Douglas, and Nancy Saiita.
We’ll see how the rest of the state voted later tonight…
Related: Top 11 Reasons to Vote (via James Hudnall)
I had planned to resume blogging upon returning home from a short Labor Day weekend vacation; unfortunately, I did not count on the air conditioning system at home going kaput.
Being that I live in the middle of the Mojave Desert, and given the very high temperatures (as well as high humidity), I had to take up temporary residence at a friend’s house until the AC gets repaired.
Luckily, I will not have to conjure up thousands of dollars, as the home warranty plan is paying for the repairs (minus a nominal fee on my part). Hopefully, I can come home to air-conditioned comfort this weekend. If not, I’ll work on getting access to a wireless connection somewhere.
Thanks for your continuous patience and patronage!
…Though I will admit that other items of priority (an an unexpected sinus/flu) have left me feeling like a zombie lately. Thanks to those who sent e-mails of concern.
I’ll ante up my two cents on the May Day (or is it “Mayday! Mayday!”) events hither and yon, as soon as possible.
Last night, SnoopyTheGoon of Simply Jews and I broke bread and devoured spareribs and chicken at Memphis Championship Barbecue. It was my first visit to the Rainbow Blvd. location, and the crew there didn’t disappoint. As always with a Memphis dinner, portions were abundant, and leftovers were taken home for another meal.
Photos from last night are still on my cell phone; I’ll download them for the EATAPETA gallery as soon as I can get the Bluetooth hub to play nice.
Earlier yesterday, I had a Chicken Caeser burrito from Taco Bell for lunch. Not too shabby either.
So, what animal did you eat for PETA yesterday
Update: SnoopyTheGoon has an in-depth report of Wednesday night’s repast. It was great meeting him in person and I hope to do so again.
Update 2 (3/23): After some Bluetooth wrangling and a software installation later, I was able to procure the photos from my cell phone. Laurence Simon has them posted on his site.
I’ll be on the road this weekend, so no posting ’til Tuesday. Good tidings to everyone and best wishes for the holiday season.
I was offline for a while due to the compounding stress of work, buying a home, and selling the old condo.
As of the day before Thanksgiving, I closed escrow on a 2-story townhome in northwest Las Vegas. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve engaged in the off-and-on rituals of upgrading the amenities and fighting with a local furniture store to get the house furnished with first-quality items. So far, I’m managing to settle in quite well in a more comfortable and friendlier neighborhood.
With a new home for myself comes the time to fix up the web home as well. I’ve commissioned E.Webscapes to give the weblog a complete makeover with some new features. The new design should be ready by early-to-mid-January.
Barring work schedule demands, blogging resumes in earnest.
As I write this, convicted murderer Stanley “Tookie” Williams is scheduled to die after Midnight tonight by lethal injection at San Quentin Prison in California, a sentence which was handed down by a jury 24 years ago.
Much has been said about Williams, including comments from those who wished him to be spared from the will of the people on behalf of the four victims who died at his hands, as well as those who strongly believe that justice for Albert Owens, Thsai-Shai Yang, Yen-I Yang, and Yee Chen Lin must be served.
Count me among the latter.
For all the fervor expressed by the usual celebrities, the race warlords, the radical left, and sadly, those who are morally opposed to the death penalty (whom, IMHO, are using the wrong vehicle to advocate their cause), California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Supreme Court, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals have agreed with the People that Williams must pay for his crimes as judged by a court of law. For all the protests, all the last-minute appeals, and all the false cries of the death penalty being racist, an unrepentant man will meet his well-deserved punishment.
Why should I care?
Well, I do have a few reasons:
* In the Spring of 1981, I was walking home from John Muir Junior High School in South Central Los Angeles. A crowd of older boys in mostly blue garb walked up behind me as I crossed Vermont Avenue and 67th Street. They engaged in light conversation, and then, for no reason at all, they began throwing punches and kicking me. As I took off running for my life, I can remember the malt liquor bottle zooming inches past my head in an attempt to deliver a life-threatening blow.
I was jumped by a group of boys who were being initiated into the Rolling 60s Crips gang.
* Later that year, I came home to the two-story house on West 70th Street between Normandie and Vermont where I lived as a kid. I was privileged to have a small bedroom to myself. That evening I felt a draft, but the French windows were closed. I noticed a small hole in the heavy glass, then I noticed a bullet lodged in the wall across from the window.
I was lucky that night. There was a shooting, possibly related to a fight from either the Rolling 60s or the Eight-Trays. Both are Crip gangs that bordered my old neighborhood.
* In the Spring of 1988, I mourned the death of a childhood friend who I grew up with (his foster parent used to babysit me while my parents worked during the day). He was gunned down by the Inglewood Crips in a drive-by shooting. Prior to his death, he had been approached by gang recruiters who wanted him to join up. Having just married and seeking to be a responsible father to his newborn child, he said no to them. They didn’t like his answer.
* Ten years ago, my cousin, an ordained minister, was visiting friends. He and his wife had just returned from their honeymoon. As he left, he was approached by a teen who shouted out to him, “What set you from?” My cousin replied that he wasn’t with a gang set. The next moment, he was on the ground, wounded from being shot in the left shoulder at close range.
After three years of physical therapy, he regained use of his left arm and hand.
The shooter, who happened to be a member of the Bloods, was never caught for the crime.
I know that “Tookie” didn’t personally order these crimes to be committed. However, as a co-founder of what became known as the Crips, he helped spawn a legion of psychopaths who committed heinous crimes for crime’s sake. These domestic terrorists, along with their rivals, have brought needless death and destruction upon the communities of Los Angeles and beyond.
Those who are involved with saving “Tookie” often cite his efforts at “redemption”, namely his anti-gang books for children, his “peace protocol” for gang intervention, and his alleged renunciation of his gangster past. However, as Schwarzenegger stated in his clemency decision, “without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption.”
“Tookie” has never shown remorse for the crimes he committed. By feigning innocence, refusing to cooperate with law enforcement to help stop the violence, and by falsely taking on the role of a martyr, he willfully refuses to accept responsibility for his actions.
Such behavior is not fitting for a peacemaker, but for a coward.
It’s amazing that cold-blooded murderers are fearless when they rob an innocent bystander of life; but when it’s their turn to die, they are quick to beg for mercy.
I have absolutely no sympathy for Stanley “Tookie” Williams as he prepares to die this evening. I feel no joy tonight as his death will do little to take away my painful memories of childhood and youth. Also, Williams’ well-deserved demise will neither bring back my childhood friend, nor erase my cousin’s physical pain which he must live with for the rest of his life.
However, it is my hope that the families of his victims (known and unknown) may find peace and closure when justice is served after Midnight.
I will shed no tears for “Tookie”, and quite frankly, you shouldn’t either.
Update: baldilocks confronts a Williams apologist, and Cobb reflects on “Tookie’s” South Central L.A. in the 1970s. David Anderson also recalls growing up in the ‘hood and surviving the Crips.
Update #2: Justice Served. And there was no rioting.
37 years and still ticking. Yay.
Ben Stein in the NYT:
The best salesman I have ever encountered is Barron Thomas, who sells real estate and airplanes in Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Ariz., and all over Texas. He and I are close friends, and most of our talk turns to techniques of selling. His basic ideas, which rank high in the firmament of good ideas, are generally two: bond with your buyer, and listen to your buyer.
In other words, align your interests with those of the buyer. Don’t try to shove something down his throat. Don’t try to hoodwink him. Just listen to what he needs and wants, see if you have the good or service he needs and wants and then arrange to make it easy to buy. Make sure that the buyer is a real buyer with a real need, a real timetable to buy and the real means to buy. Then satisfy that need.
It is also important to be a friend to your buyer. In fact, I observe that almost all success in life comes down to being a friend to someone: a friend to the voter, a friend to the judge, a friend to your spouse, a friend to the client, a friend to your parents. As Miller said so aptly, you have to not just be liked, but “well liked.”
Those are the qualities that I look for in salespeople. Meet the above goals with me, and you’ll have a satisfied customer for life.
(link via what if?)
I’ve just about had it with these far-left, wacked-in-the-head, more-blacker-than-thou nutjobs.
Harry Belafonte Calls Black Republicans ‘Tyrants’
Celebrity activist Harry Belafonte referred to prominent African-American officials in the Bush administration as “black tyrants” at a weekend march, and he also compared the administration to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
Belafonte, a featured speaker at Saturday’s march in Atlanta commemorating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, previously ignited a political controversy in 2002 when he likened then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to a “house slave.”
At Saturday’s civil rights march, Belafonte said the Bush administration has been “rather dismal” for the lives of black Americans. The march, which featured prominent civil rights groups and labor union representatives, was intended to drum up support for extending and strengthening the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Belafonte used a Hitler analogy when asked about what impact prominent blacks such as former Secretary of State Powell and current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had on the Bush administration’s relations with minorities.
“Hitler had a lot of Jews high up in the hierarchy of the Third Reich. Color does not necessarily denote quality, content or value,” Belafonte said in an exclusive interview with Cybercast News Service.
“[If] a black is a tyrant, he is first and foremost a tyrant, then he incidentally is black. Bush is a tyrant and if he gathers around him black tyrants, they all have to be treated as they are being treated,” he added. See Video
When asked specifically who was a “black tyrant” in the Bush administration, Belafonte responded to this reporter, “You.” When this reporter noted that he was a Caucasian and attempted to ask another question, Belafonte abruptly ended the interview by saying, “That’s it.”
Another prominent celebrity marcher at Saturday’s civil rights march also employed Nazi analogies to the GOP and conservatives.
Civil rights activist Dick Gregory mocked the existence of African-American conservatives in America.
“They (black conservatives) have a right to exist, but why would I want to walk around with a swastika on my shirt after the way Hitler done messed it (the swastika symbol) up?” Gregory said in an interview with Cybercast News Service. (The swastika was an ancient symbol generally regarded an emblem of strength and luck before the Nazi Party adopted it in 1920.)
“So why would I want to call myself a conservative after the way them white racists thugs have used that word to hide behind? They call themselves new Republicans,” Gregory said.
Belafonte, Gregory, and their ilk are beyond reason. They would rather have all blacks drinking from the same vat of hate-laced Kool-Aid than allow one iota of free, individual thought to exist in the black community.
Sometimes I can’t believe that I once used to look up to these people. Now, I just want to tell them to kiss my black ass.
Yes, it’s black.