OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS AT WAR IN BRAZIL

If we swing the media spotlight away from the Middle East for a moment, the world might see that Brazil is experiencing an internal war of its own. The recent battle began when more than 1,000 policemen advanced on Alemao, the slum stronghold of a drug-dealing gang.

Rio de Janeiro officials are trying to make the city safer before it hosts the Pan-American games on July 13 and the city is also one of the host venues for the global series of Live Earth rock concerts on July 7.

As in most conflicts between warring homeland factions, the combatants are not the only casualties. Citizens suffer greatly as they all too easily get caught in the crossfire.

NEW BLACK WEBSITE NO CREAM NO SUGAR IS HOT BABY!

GET YOUR FRESH CUP HERE!

MUSIC INDUSTRY ATTACKS PAPER'S FREE CD BY HIS ROYAL BADNESS PRINCE

The eagerly awaited new album by Prince is being launched as a free CD with a national Sunday newspaper in a move drawing widespread criticism.

The Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday that the 10-track Planet Earth CD will be available with an "imminent" edition, making it the first place in the world to get the album.

Planet Earth will go on sale on July 24.

One music store executive described the plan as "madness" while others said it was a huge insult to an industry battling fierce competition from supermarkets and online stores.

"The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday."

Prince, whose Purple Rain sold more than 11m copies, also plans to give away a free copy of his latest album with tickets for his forthcoming concerts in London.

The Business Guardian

BLACK MEN ARE JOINING THE KKK IN RECORD NUMBERS

Wake Up Family!!!

In Philly last year, 414 people were murdered. An analysis of Police Department data shows that:

Black men age 15 to 29 are being killed in Philadelphia at a rate more than 30 times the average for all Americans. Last year, 166 African Americans in that age group were murdered in the city - 40 percent of all victims. That works out to 241 per 100,000 people.

The murder rate for the other 95 percent of Philadelphians was 17 per 100,000. The national rate is about 8 per 100,000.

What's sad family about this story is that it was published in 1997!

Now, on to the show.

TRING TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, BLACK MAYOR IN PHILLY STILL CAN'T WIN

Street Waits Like Everyone Else

Before Leaving IPhone Line

(AP) Mayor John F. Street abruptly ended his wait in line for an iPhone Friday after a passer-by asked him about the city's murder rate.

The brother -- whom some describe as "prickly" -- showed up outside an AT&T store at 3:30 a.m. like all the other tech nuts who are intent on claiming "first!"

No problem, right?

Well, suddenly it became a problem after a 22-year-old sporting a mohawk asked Street, "How can you sit here with 200 murders in the city already?"

Hizzoner told the man: "I'm doing my job!"

Listed in Time Magazine as one of the three worst big-city mayors in the United States in 2005, the 63 year-old politico had planned to stay in line for most of the day, waiting for Apple Inc.'s iPhone to go on sale at 6 p.m.

When he left at 11:30 a.m. with someone holding his spot, Mayor Street stated his intention to return later today.

Street said he wants the new device because he loves trying out the latest technology. Apple's new handheld would allow him to work some of the day outside the office, he said.

A good PR person would have advised this O.G. that, after all the recent scandals, his response was both stupid and unnecessary.

That's especially true in light of statistics showing Philly's murder rate climbing from last year with over 200 killed so far - the deadliest in nearly a decade.

"We don't have to be sitting in City Hall to be conducting city business," Street said.

Okay, Black man -- have it your way!

MICHAEL ASKS MICHAEL: "WHAT...?!"

If young Michael could ask old Michael just one question, what do you think he would ask?

Submit your Michael asks Michael question and we'll publish it!

IF RICHARDSON KEEPS 37TH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT BLACK, IS BROTHER GIBSON NEXT UP FOR HER 55TH ASSEMBLY SEAT?

Black Politics In California Is On And Crackin'

Assemblywoman Laura Richardson won a two-month sprint to succeed the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald on Tuesday, besting a better financed and more experienced opponent with the help of labor and Black leadership.

Richardson won 37.8 of the vote, to 31.3 percent for Latina state Sen. Jenny Oropeza. Millender-McDonald's daughter, Valerie McDonald, finished a distant third with 9.4 percent.

"I just thank God," Richardson said Tuesday night, from a party at the Home Depot Center's Stadium Club in Carson. "It's not just about money and it's not just about the number of years you've served. It's about what's in your heart."

Millender-McDonald, who represented her district for 11 years, died April 21 of colon cancer.

The top vote-getters from each party will face each other in a runoff on Aug. 21. Because Democrats hold such a strong advantage, Richardson is a shoo-in for the runoff election.

The race drew attention initially as a test of African-American political clout, as leaders worked to hold on to a congressional seat that has traditionally been held by someone Black, even as its Latino population has grown rapidly in the last decade.

The state Black Legislative Caucus rallied behind Richardson, who served on the Long Beach City Council for six years before being elected to the 55th Assembly District last fall.

But the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus was divided between those who supported the assemblywoman and those who backed the late congresswoman's daughter.

That divide may resurface very soon, as folks begin jockeying to run for Richardson's 55th Assembly seat.

While their are rumblings that city officials in Compton and Long Beach want the gig, we got five on Carson Councilman Mike Gipson.

He has had to deal with quite a bit over the last few years as Carson Mayor Jim Dear has continuously bumped heads with the up and coming brother.

A White city councilman who replaced former Black Mayor Darryl Sweeney (currently imprisoned for criminal misdeeds while in office), Dear has been mentioned as a candidate.

Hizzoner may want to rethink that decision, however, given that a vocal group of angry residents, many of whom are Black, are currently organizing to recall him.

Former Los Angeles School Board Member Warren Furutani, who lost to Richardson in the Democratic primary last year, is also reportedly mulling another run.

A special primary election to fill the seat will likely be held toward the end of October or early in November.

Like the 37th Congressional seat, Democrats run it so any Republican in the district doesn't stand a chance!

SOURCE

WILL SCIENCE RENDER BLACK MEN EVEN LESS NECESSARY?

The Possibility Seems Very Real

A team of scientists recently announced they had made artificial sperm from human bone marrow, and media reports abounded with the dire news that my goodfellas (and by extension, me) had been rendered unnecessary.

If a woman chose to do so, speculated tabloid journalists, she could make sperm from her own bone marrow, fertilize another woman’s egg — and voila!

“Men could be completely sidelined,” according to Britain’s Daily Mail.

“Women to Self Create,” blared the headline in Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

“Men beware!” began a story on one U.S. news Web site.

There are at least half a dozen reasons why such speculation is silly, some scientific and some practical. For example, as long as sex feels good and remains no more expensive than dinner and a bottle of wine, most people will use natural-grown sperm.

Still, I just want to know why you women are in such a rush to get rid of us. Are you trying to give us a complex or something?

Hmmm. In the near term, men may not be much different than the present. “The concept here that resonates with people is the idea of men not being necessary in some way,” Stock suggests. “But men are not really necessary at this point either.”

BOW DOWN CLEOPATRA AND SISTERGIRL NERERTITI: MEET QUEEN HATSHEPSUT

Egypt Identifies Mummy of Pharaoh Queen

Africa Gets Continental Airspace Authority

Crippling Four-Week Strike in South Africa Ends

Urban Population in Africa, Asia to Double by 2030

United States of Africa? Summit to Debate the Dream

'Ocean's Thirteen' Cast Donates $5.5M to Aid Efforts in Darfur

WHAT'S THE POINT OF BLACK MUSIC MONTH ANYWAY?

Time to Represent?

By Jayar Jackson

President Bush invited many prominent names to the White House June 22 to celebrate Black Music Month, an annual observance and appreciation of African American singers, composers and musicians.

He invoked the usual laughter and applause from the attendees which included Department of Housing and Urban development secretary Alphonso Jackson, former BET owner Bob Johnson, and Warner Music Group executive vice president Kevin Liles.

Some of the performers were R&B singer KEM Owens, violinists Tourie and Damien Escobar, who rose above their tough surroundings to form a group called Nuttin’ But Strings, and 15-year-old Karina Pasian, who uses music to address many serious issues such as hunger, disease, and the genocide in Darfur.

Greg Collins, one of the key players in helping launch and name June as Black Music Month, was also on hand.

He told allhiphop.com, "The influence that Black Music has had on the culture of this country and the world needs to be continually recognized and given its proper place in history. In consideration of all of the negative publicity that surrounds different aspects of our music, this was truly a day to be proud!"

Why is Collins doing the Harlem Shake all around the issue that everyone knows he’s talking about, rap music.

In my mind, ideas such as Black Music Month and Black History Month were created to bring awareness and attention to the aspects of African American culture that the rest of America so easily forgets about.

When a non-Black American is asked what they think of when Black music is brought up, they probably think of rap and all of the negative attention it draws.

Why did Collins only slightly referenced this issue?

Although it was extremely important to highlight the struggles that KEM endured to make it, and the substance that Karina Pasian puts in her music, it is just as vital to address the reasonable questions, concerns, and countless misconceptions many Americans outside and inside of the Black community have regarding the most recognized form of our expression, hip hop.

No matter how many negative artists of the rap genre there are, it is our duty to take the opportunity of national recognition to emphasize real aspects of hip hop, the passionate and worthwhile lyrics that go into so many songs.

It is also our responsibility to address the widely known and commonly reported negative aspects as well. If anyone understands why there is so much apparent violence and misogynistic lines in the most popular genre of our music, it is us.

The majority of the population doesn’t have the interest to go beyond the commercialization of 50 Cents, Snoop, Dre, and Jay-Z to realize that even the negative parts are there for a reason and need to be addressed, not simply written off as “more pissed off Black men that can’t think of anything else but smoking, rims, and bitches.”

We have to stop going to the White House acting like hip hop is a small movement that will soon fizzle out. If we ignore it during the month we set aside to have the world celebrate it, there’s no reason for anyone else to pay attention to its importance and power, either.

Hip hop has reached every part of the world and influenced people that don’t know there are Black folks from all walks of life and backgrounds with something to contribute to every intelligent discussion.

We need to always point out to the people so far from the issues that affect us and our music where it’s all coming from and why. Understanding begins with sparking conversations and exposing people to the topic that simply don’t get it.

Maybe we should begin with the rest of America.

ATTENTION WALMART SHOPPERS: WE'VE GOT PLASMA TV'S FOR 5 BUCKS... PLUS TAX!

Always Low Prices?

We here at Three Bros love Walmart. We're like zombies!

Yes, we know saying this is not politically correct in some circles. But the bottom line is the bottom line -- why pay more???

Leave it to somebody in Monroe, Louisiana to take it to the extreme.

A brother from West Monroe decided he was going to drop the price of a plasma television from $984 to $4.88.

When the store officers stopped Simms on his way out the door, this dude had the nerve to then produce a receipt for the television.

Police arrested Chandon L. Simms, 23, at the retail store on a charge of felony theft. No word on the brilliant cashier who actually completed the transaction.

Then again, are they told to complete the purchase, then let security handle it?

Any Walmart employees out there? Do tell!

IMMIGRATION ISSUE SETTLED OVER CHICKEN & WAFFLES

I have been scratching my head on the "immigration issue" for several months. If millions of present aliens are legalized, will they, as some propose, really take jobs away from black people and other Americans? I don't think so. My rationale? I call it my Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles theory. Here it is:

A few months ago there was a state-wide strike in Los Angeles by Latino workers. I honestly didn't think it would affect me. However, I had a meeting that very same morning scheduled to be held at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffle restaurant on Pico Avenue. Roscoe's is one of the few lasting and legendary African-American restaurants in LA. Roscoe's would certainly be open, but it wasn't. Why? All of the cooks were Latino! So here's my conclusion: Black folks (or anybody else for that matter) just do not want the jobs a lot of illegal aliens hold now, or later.

Heck, if we did, we'd at least cook chicken and waffles in our own restaurant--but we don't--because why? WE DON'T WANT TO!

So I say, make the workers legal. Let them add to our taxable base. However, on the flip side, I'll be pissed off if the cost of my waffle goes up!

NOT GUILTY VERDICT FOR BLACK DEPUTY WHO FIRED AT LATINO SOLDIER BACK FROM IRAQ

Jury Finds In Favor of Ivory Webb Jr. On All Counts

After only two and half hours of deliberations, the jury Thursday afternoon returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts against Ivory J. Webb Jr., the former California sheriff's deputy who was accused of attempted voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm.

The charges stemmed from the Jan. 29, 2006, shooting of Elio Carrion.

Carrion, an Iraq war veteran home on leave, was the passenger in a Corvette that led Webb on a high-speed chase. The chase ended when the driver crashed on Francis Street in Chino, prompting Webb to hold the car's two occupants at gunpoint. A nearby resident caught the subsequent shooting on tape.

The tape appears to show Webb shoot Carrion as Carrion complied with the deputy's orders to get up off the ground.

Prosecutors claimed Webb was angry and out of control when he shot Carrion. Defense lawyers claimed the deputy shot because he believed Carrion reached for a weapon and lunged at him.

The San Bernardino County deputy, who lost his job as a result of the incident, showed no emotion throughout the monthlong trial. He sat stonefaced for the bulk of closing arguments Tuesday and Wednesday.

Upon hearing the verdict, however, the son of former Compton Police Chief Ivory Webb Sr. was clearly overjoyed.

Webb, however, is still not completely out of the woods. Federal charges as well as civil remedies may still be pursued, according to attorneys representing Elio Carrion.

DAILY BULLETIN

HILLARY SOARS BEFORE BLACK AUDIENCE AT HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AT HOWARD

Tavis Smiley has done it again!

But the real story is how Barack Obama, the presumed favorite going in, got his wings clipped by a politician that has a platinum "ghetto pass" because their last name is Clinton.

No, we're not talking about former president Bill Clinton.

Surprisingly, it's Hillary "Holla At Ya Girl" Rodham-Clinton that gets major kudos for her commanding presence before an audience of who's who in Black America at Howard University.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE PBS DEBATE:

WINNERS

* Hillary Clinton - In tuned, commanding presence. Stylist hooked her up!

* Barack Obama - Well spoken (as always), Competent (as always), No home run (Again!)

* Kucinich - "If Darfur had oil, this administration would be occupying it right now!"

LOSERS

* Biden - Aids test with Obama? Barack quickly clarifies - "I was with Michelle!"

* Richardson - What do you mean he was there - Where???

* Edwards - Why was he there? We want more Elizabeth versus Coulter trash talk.

MISCELLANEOUS

* Gravel - Comic relieve, once again he didn't disappoint.

* Dodd - So, are you throwing your 3% to Hillary or Barack?

Congressional members John Lewis, Diane Watson, Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson and Barbara Lee were on hand to co-sign on their presidential candidate of choice. Professors Eric Dyson and Cornel West were also present, with activists Harry Belafonte and Rev Al Sharpton clearly making their presence known.

Even artists such as the legendary Ruby Dee and celebrated author-turned-crazy-angry-Black- woman Terry McMillian were seated inside the historically black, Washington DC campus auditorium.

Dubbed the All-American Presidential Forums, the debate featured Michelle Michael on NPR Radio, Dwayne Wickham of USA Today, Ruben Navarette of the San Diego Union Tribune, and of course the ubiquitous radio and television talk show host responsible for making the live PBS debate possible.

"Never before, since the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, has a panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color and a black moderator queried a group of presidential candidates in prime time," Tavis said, beaming with pride.

We're right there with you Black man. You did your thing and we salute you, Denise Pines and the team.

Bravo!

SUPREME COURT PUTS BLACK FOLKS ON A TIMEOUT, STRIKES DOWN USING RACE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Justice Breyer's Dissent Says It All, "Never Have So Few Done So Much So Quickly."

The Supreme Court dealt a severe blow to school integration efforts today, ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not allow students to be assigned particular schools based on race, even when the goal is as lofty as campus diversity.

Correction, not campus diversity - but rather equal access to the more desirable public education "certain" communities afford their young people.

Never mind that a huge percentage of schools in urban areas have lower paid, non-credentialed teachers with higher rates of absenteeism.

Let's ignore the deplorable physical conditions and overcrowding at these campuses.

All that's important here is that White parents, ticked off because their children were turned away from their preferred schools simply because they were White, ultimately got their way.

The court's most conservative members, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, actually wanted to go further and ban all school district efforts at racial balancing. In Roberts' parrallel universe, these efforts violate the principle of a "color-blind'' Constitution.

The reality is, the constitution -- hell, the entire country -- is anything but colorblind.

According to a report by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, Whites made up 58 percent of the nation's public school enrollment in 2003, but the average White student attended a school that was nearly 80 percent white.

African Americans accounted for 17 percent of all students, but the average Black student attended a school that was 53 percent Black. Latinos made up 19 percent of enrollment but attended schools that were typically 55 percent Latino.

Nevertheless, the Bush administration sided with the plaintiffs.

Allowing "the use of a racial classification to achieve a desired racial balance ... would remove the critical requirement that individuals be considered as individuals,'' Solicitor General Paul Clement, argued in court papers.

The Seattle system at the center of the case -- suspended since 2002, when it came under legal attack -- gave officials in the 46,000-student high school district a list of factors to consider when a school had more applicants than space.

The first factor was whether a student had a brother or sister at the school, and the second was whether the student's race would move the school closer to the district population of 40 percent white and 60 percent minority.

In Jefferson County, Kentucky, which includes Louisville, the 97,000-student district was under a court desegregation order until 2000.

To avoid resegregation, officials said, they established guidelines of between 15 and 50 percent African American enrollment at each school. Overall Black enrollment in the district is 36 percent.

The 5-4 decision came over five decades after the court unanimously outlawed racial segregation in public schools and declared that segregated schools are inherently unequal.

Dissenting justices said the ruling endangered the principles of racial equality established in the landmark 1954 ruling, Brown vs. Board of Education.

"The last half-century has witnessed great strides toward racial equality, but we have not yet realized the promise of Brown,'' said Justice Stephen Breyer. "To invalidate the plans under review is to threaten the promise of Brown.

Today's decision to strike down race-conscious enrollment systems in Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky will impact similar to programs in hundreds of school districts nationwide.

"This is a decision that the court and the nation will come to regret."

Honestly, this unfortunate ruling is the best thing that could happen to us.

Black people are being told -- straight out -- that America is done. The country is over trying to right the wrongs of slavery, Jim Crow, environmental racism, housing discrimination, and a litany of other "color-blind" activities that folks in both the public and private sector - and their ancestors - have benefitted from.

Brothers and sisters, you better wake-up and handle your business. It's a new day family!

San Francisco Gate

FOR YOU KARAOKE FANS: NE-YO'S BECAUSE OF YOU

IS IT US, OR IS THIS SONG REALLY CATCHY?

THE JESSE DAVIS CASE: SHAWN KEMP, BOBBY CUTTS, AND NIKKI GIAVASIS' LOVE OF BLACK MEN

You remember former NBA Cleveland Cavalier Shawn Kemp, don't you?

It was almost 10 years ago that Sports Illustrated wrote a cover story about professional athletes having out-of-wedlock children.

BREAKING NEWS: BOBBY CUTTS JR. TAKES THE STAND!!!

At the time, Kemp had fathered seven children by six women. That was in 1998. And that was before Nikki Giavasis.

The same Nikki Giavasis who got knocked up by Bobby Cutts Jr.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know all about the Jessie Marie Davis case and Cutts being accused of murdering the 9-month pregant Ohio woman.

The white mother of Cutts' two year-old son Blake was also believed to be carrying the Black police officer's daughter, who was to be named Chloe.

Before all the drama with Cutts, however, Shawn Kemp was known for (pick your favorite) drug problems, being overweight, fathering children, and being a pretty darn good basketball player back in the day.

Now his name has resurfaced in the media because of Nikki's thing for triffling brothers.

Just as we're hearing that Kelly Schaub Cutts (also white) is filing for divorce from Cutts, 30, we can't help but explore the connection that Cutts had with Kemp.

Reports are that after Bobby Cutts and Nikki Giavasis broke up, Cutts went to her apartment, but when she did not answer, Cutts then broke down the door.

Who was inside with Giavasis? Shawn Kemp.

Back in 2001, Nikki Giavasis admitted that Kemp was the father to her second child. Giavasis was interviewed by WEWS and stated, “"I could have cared less about his (Kemp) money, I loved him and he said he loved me," the White bikini model and actress was quoted as saying.

"Getting pregnant, I wouldn't say I regret it because I love my son and he deserves a good life." At that time, in 2001, Nikki was getting $2,500 a month from Kemp for child support, but wanted more...

This story and everyone involved in it just gets more and more intriguing. Stay with Three Brothers And A Sister as we provide you with all the updates!

DADDY DIARIES # 477 - ILLEGITMATE CHILDREN OF BLACK NBA STARS ASK, "WHERE'S DADDY?'

This Story Came Out Ten Years Ago. Has Anything Changed?

Nearly one-third of all children in this country are born to unwed mothers.

But this week, Sports Illustrated reports that among professional athletes out-of-wedlock births are epidemic.

And of athletes in the major sports leagues, those in the NBA appear to have the greatest number of cases. According to SI, one of the NBA's top agents says he spends more time dealing with paternity claims than he does negotiating contracts.

The agent tells the magazine that there might be more kids out of wedlock than there are players in the NBA. According to Sports Illustrated, Larry Johnson of the Knicks is supporting five children by four women, including two he has with his wife, and Shawn Kemp of the Cavaliers, who is not married, has fathered seven children.

Other NBA players who have been the subject of paternity-related lawsuits include Patrick Ewing, Juwan Howard, Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Hakeem Olajuwon and Gary Payton, as well as Larry Bird, who is now the coach of the Pacers, and current NBC game analyst Isiah Thomas.

Click here for more about this story and the interview with then SI Senior Editor Sandy Bailey.

TAMEKA FOSTER ON USHER: THAT JUST MY BABY DADDY!

CHEERS!

Usher is expecting bigger things than a new album. The brother announced Wednesday that he and fiancée Tameka Foster are expecting their first child together.

At least he's hooking up with a sister. And putting a ring on her finger!

Are you listening Lebron James, T.I., and Carmelo Anthony???

"We are extremely excited at this point in our lives, planning our wedding and the joy that comes with expecting our first child together," the couple said in a statement released to The Associated Press.

"We hope people will be happy for us and respect our privacy during this happy period in our lives."

The baby is due in the fall, according to a representative for Usher. This would be the first child for the superstar crooner-actor, the fourth for the recently divorced Foster.

This is shaping up to be a busy year for Usher. Besides his marriage and a baby, he is expected to release the follow-up to his 8-million selling, Grammy-winning album "Confessions," released in 2005.

He also has a fragrance due out in September.

BLACKS AND WHITES ALL AGREE - WITH DEATH OF IMMIGRATION BILL, BUSH IS IN TROUBLE!

Bush Is Getting Pimp-Slapped In Every Direction

President George Bush's comprehensive immigration reform plan, dodging attacks from the left and right for weeks, survived “poison pill” amendments, and was once pulled from the Senate schedule failed its most important test today.

Black Caucus Accused of Selling Out on Immigration

Taking no questions at a hastily arranged press conference, watching Bush concede that he has lost yet another battle makes one thing perfectly clear: this thing is dead family!

The bipartisan coalition that had shepherded the measure through so many obstacles failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end debate. The final vote was 46-53.

Black Congressman John Conyers Slams Bush

Until today, it was unclear whether the bill would survive the cloture vote. But in the end, opponents of the measure from both sides of the political spectrum gained enough support to derail the legislation.

White liberals felt it did not go far enough in protecting illegal immigrants, while White conservatives rejected the bill because they felt it would grant amnesty to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.

More Republicans Not Feeling Bush's Iraq Surge

Repeated requests for comments from African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Native-Americans proved futile.

Hat Tip: The Hill

BABIES AND BLOGGING AND... OH BROTHER!

Toni Morrison says that she wrote her novel "The Bluest Eye" with a baby in one hand and a pen in the other.

I'm a writer too. But I am also a single Black man with no children and the only feedings to be concerned with are my own caloric gorge-fests--so I didn't quite appreciate Ms Morrison's statement--until now.

For the past few days I've been watching my goddaughter Milan, a 5-month old cherub, ALL BY MYSELF, while her parents put some much needed time into their career endeavors.

To laundry list all of the baby maintenance considerations I've undergone would be about exciting as well, showing baby pictures, of the same baby, as they miraculously grow from one cute little position to the next--in a day. Plus, most of you, who have children, know this stuff all too well.

However, what I am still trying to wrestle with is how to simply type this blog and all the other writing tasks on my plate with a baby slung over my shoulder.

I'll guess I'll get the hang of it--especially if I plan on being somewhat productive over these next few days. And in getting it, not only will it undoubtedly further my appreciation of writers like Toni Morrison but also deepen my respect for full time parents in general.

Uh oh, Milan just, well... you can imagine.

Now while I'm sitting here gagging, she's giggling.

Babies!

A BLACK MAN WRESTLES WITH CHRIS BENOIT'S DEATH AS THE FBI RAIDS HIS DOCTOR'S OFFICE

Chris Benoit Just Might be the 3-Count for Wrestling

by Jayar Jackson

I’m willing to admit it, I was caught up in the male soap opera that is professional wrestling a few years ago in 2000.

LATEST: BENOIT'S DOCTOR ARRESTED!

Everyone made fun of it, but when Monday Night Raw came on and you got to hear The Rock so eloquently talk smack and back up the well-written script on the wrestling mat, we snuck to the safe house of other pathetic fans and cheered it on.

Doctor Gave Testosterone To Benoit, His Office Raided Last Week by FBI

“No dog, I didn’t see Stone Cold Steve Austin get up from 15 metal chair blows to the forehead and win the match with one flying elbow. I was gone writing my midterm paper.”

While I lost interest in it after a couple of years, the story being played out in real life should be endangering the entire existence of the sport.

In the latest real life soap opera involving the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), formerly the WWF (Federation), another immensely popular figure has traumatically died in an apparent double murder-suicide.

Wrestling champion Chris Benoit, 40, was found dead along with his wife, Nancy and 7 year-old son, Daniel inside their lavish Fayetteville, Georiga home.

The deaths were caused by asphyxiation due to strangulation and suffocation before Benoit took his own life by hanging himself with a cord from a home weight machine.

As more facts keep coming out, the horror and disbelief that has stricken millions of wrestling fans will undoubetedly wane.

WAS THIS THE REASON BENOIT SNAPPED?

Often criticized for being obviously fake, the king of wrestling entertainment, WWE, has most recently been fighting charges of rampant steroid use among their most popular figures.

Drug related deaths have taken the lives of several popular wrestlers over the past several years.

In 2003, “Mr. Perfect," Curt Hennig was found dead in a Florida hotel room, just before a scheduled wrestling match. The Tampa Coroner and Medical Examiner's offices declared acute cocaine intoxication the official cause of his death.

His father said steroids and painkillers contributed to his death.

Wrestler Eddie Guerrero was found unconscious in 2005 inside a Minnesota hotel room by his nephew, Chavo.

An autopsy revealed that Guerrero died as a result of acute heart failure, caused by undiagnosed arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was also linked to steroid use.

So surprisingly, when Sheriff Lt. Tommy Pope discovered “a lot of prescription medication” in the Benoit home, it doesn’t take a toxicology expert to figure out that 2+2 equals illegal steroid use contributed to yet another wrestling tragedy.

Although some medical professionals say proof of a link to extreme rage brought on by steroids, also known as “roid-rage,” is unlikely to surface from toxicology reports, the accounts of numerous ex-wrestlers suggest that there are no other alternatives.

Former professional wrestler Del Wilkes said athletes use steroids to gain strength and size, with the drugs sometimes causing "moments of uncontrollable rage."

Wilkes also said the drugs can also cause "tremendous" depression "when guys are coming off of them after long usage.

As WWE Chairman Vince McMahon continues to strongly denounce all accusations that the killings were connected to steroid use, more damning evidence of the opposite leaks out.

They claim that roid-rage couldn’t have been involved because Benoit tested negative in April. They also point out the two Bibles that were found next to the wrist and ankle bound Nancy Benoit and the murdered son. This apparently shows premeditation, not rage.

Am I the only person that heard the account from people that were very close to the use of steroids when they said it causes uncontrollable rage and then tremendous depression?

It took Benoit all weekend to take the lives of his entire family before realizing what he had done and depressingly taking his own life on the last day.

Are we so wrapped up in the excitement of a red-faced, pissed off, bump covered, over-grown ass man, relentlessly acting like he’s pulling on the arm of a counterpart that we’re going to believe this?

Imagine for a second that the reborn, immensely popular crossover career of singer Justin Timberlake has come about due to an injection or pill that he could take to make his voice smoother, and make his dance moves be likened to that of Michael Jackson.

Would we sit by, applaud and call him a hero if these pills turned him green and made him rip his shirt off as he beat the life out of his girlfriend and any innocent child in the vicinity? Hell no!

So for every time someone calls Chris Benoit a hero and believes the asinine comments from the mouth of Vince McMahon, I’m going to call him an enraged victim and murderer of two.

Maybe I’m a grumpy old man caught in a 27 year old body, but where can I find footage of “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns?

Those were the days! That's when beating the hell out of each other only made you live uncomfortably in old age, not keeping you from ever seeing it.

BARACK BLOWS UP, WHILE EDWARDS WASTES TIME ON SKINNY WHITE BLOND ANN COULTER!

Obama Draws More Donors to His Campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has improved on his stunning support in the race for campaign cash, raising his total number of donors to nearly 250,000 people in the first six months of the year.

The freshman Illinois senator impressed rivals in the first quarter when he reported 104,000 donors, but he surpassed the mark in the second quarter with 138,000 more opening their wallets, the campaign told The Associated Press.

John Edwards Wife Wants To Give Coulter A Well-Deserved Beatdown

The campaign won't say yet how much the donors have given, but the large number suggests their fundraising will be competitive with the $25.7 million he raised in the first quarter. A campaign official speaking on the condition of anonymity tried to tamp down expectations by disclosing that the average donation in the second quarter is likely to be less than the roughly $247 in the first quarter.

The campaign was announcing a goal Thursday of attracting 250,000 donors by midnight on Saturday, the next money reporting deadline. It was 7,214 short as of Wednesday.

MICHELLE OBAMA: THIS BLACK MAN IS "READY TO LEAD!"

The campaign said it collected 335,953 contributions - meaning that many individuals made repeat donations - and its goal will be to reach 350,000 by the deadline.

Barack's Theme Song "Wake Up Everybody"

PARIS HILTON & LARRY KING: LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY

Aren't We Tired of Her Yet?!

Los Angeles - Paris Hilton, in her first interview since being released from jail, told CNN's "Larry King Live" she has a new outlook on life and sees her time in jail as a "blessing in disguise."

Hilton served a 23-day sentence for violating her probation on an alcohol-related reckless driving conviction.

"I think in life, everyone makes mistakes, and you have to learn and grow from them," Hilton said. "I've been a little immature in the past and made some wrong choices, but I've learned from them, and that makes me the person that I am today ... I have a new outlook on life."

Hilton, 26, described jail life to King, saying her meals consisted of "mystery meat" and "jail slop" but countered reports of drastic weight loss, saying she had only lost a couple of pounds. Her fellow inmates were "really nice," she said, and the hardest thing for her was speaking to her family through glass -- particularly on Father's Day when she could not give her father a hug.

Asked whether she took any portion of her sentence lightly, Hilton said, "I was locked in a cell for 3 1/2 weeks. It was a horrible experience. I did my time."

Meanwhile, US Weekly flips Paris the bird.

And of course, leave it to our dear Sistah to keep it real.

Courtesy of AlaskaReportNews.

WHY I LOVE BEING BLACK: JENNIFER HUDSON AND JENNIFER HOLIDAY AT THE 2007 BET AWARDS

ANY QUESTIONS?

TAKIN' U BACK: 2004 BET AWARDS

THIS IS THE REASON BET BROUGHT MONIQUE BACK FOR 2007

2007 BET AWARDS RED CARPET HIGHLIGHTS

Courtesy of BlackTreeMedia

DEATH OF A LABEL QUEEN

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apparel designer Liz Claiborne, who started the namesake U.S. company Liz Claiborne Inc., has died, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday.

Claiborne, 78, was ailing from cancer and died at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday, her assistant said.

Claiborne founded the company in 1976 with her husband Art Ortenberg, a textile industry veteran, and two others, and retired in 1989.

THE MEN BROUGHT IT AT 2007 BET AWARDS - OKAY, MAYBE A FEW DIDN'T!

MARIO, WHAT'S UP WITH THE T-SHIRT?


REGGIE BUSH CAME SUITED UP. WELL DONE BLACK MAN!

ROBIN, ROBIN ROBIN... NO!

THERE'S THAT T-SHIRT AGAIN MARIO. YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM HENRY SIMMONS AND BIG BOI'S VIBE.

COMMON IS THE MAN, BUT JOHN SINGLETON LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY'S GRANDDADDY

MUSIQ IS SUCH A BAD BROTHER MUSICALLY, WE HAVE TO GIVE HIM HIS PROPS

YOUNG BLACK PILOT COMPLETES HISTORIC TRIP AROUND THE WORLD AND MAKES US PROUD!

Audacious Brother Is Youngest, First Black To Go Solo Globally

(AP) A 23-year-old aerospace student who built his plane from more than $300,000 in donated parts took off hoping to become the youngest person and first black pilot to fly around the globe alone.

Barrington Irving planned to arrive back at Opa-locka Executive Airport on April 30 in his single-engine Lancair Columbia 400. He was set to fly last year, but a lack of funding delayed his $1 million project.

Today, Irving glided into Miami after a three-month journey he hopes will be an inspiration to inner-city kids.

A crowd of about 2000 people erupted in cheers as Barrington Irving landed at Miami's Opa Locka airport after flying a few low passes over the tarmac.

“I'm home,” a jubilant Mr Irving said.

“The flight was a long flight that challenged me mentally and physically,” he said. Mr Irving had initially hoped to complete his voyage in about one month, but took three times as long as he braved sandstorms, snowstorms and a tropical storm.

He flew a single-engine Columbia 400, which he built with more than $US300,000 ($355,260) in donated components. The Jamaican-born aerospace student hopes the trip will be an inspiration to children in poor, urban neighbourhoods.

“I want to show them they can do more with their lives than resort to violence,” said Irving.

Irving was born in Jamaica and grew up in Miami. He said he saw little chance for success until he met a Jamaican-American pilot at his parents' Christian bookstore. The pilot, Gary Robinson, took Irving to see a Boeing 777.

The 15-year-old was mesmerized. He turned down college football scholarships to become a pilot. Irving is now studying at Florida Memorial University; he has private and commercial pilot licenses.

He also founded Experience Aviation, a Miami-based organization that encourages minority youths to pursue aviation careers.

"Even with the challenges, everything is starting to fall in place, " Irving said prior to launching his historical journey. "It's just my time."

We agree. Do yo' thang Black Man - Welcome Home!