The Count Down

There are 417 days until Bush finally leaves the White House. Until that day or the day the man shuts me down, lets look back on all the good the Bush administration has done for the people.


The poverty rate in the United States has risen each year of Pres. Bush administration. In 2006, 12.7 percent of Americans were living in poverty. Between 2001 and 2004, poverty among black Americans rose from 22.7 to 24.7 percent. Child poverty rose from 16.3 percent in 2001 to 17.8 percent in 2004. Between 1999 and 2004, the median household income dropped 5.9 percent.

I Stand with Magic

Magic Johnson, former basketball play who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDs in the 90's, has an organization that fights to end HIV/AIDS in the black community. For World AIDS Day, the organization will host various free testing sights in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Here are the testing sites for today and tomorrow.

New York
Mount Vernon Baptist Church 7th Annual World AIDS Day:Women & HIV Luncheon
Mount Vernon Task Force1 Roosevelt Square, Room 301, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
November 30, 2007 from 8:00am - 7:00 pm
Call (914) 438-5640

World AIDS Day 2007HIV Testing in New York
GMAD Mobile Unit Christopher between Hudson/West Side Hwy New York, NY 10014
November 30 2007 from 10:00 pm - 2:00 am

World AIDS Day 2007HIV Testing in New York
GMAD Mobile Unit 35th Street (Between 6th & 7th) New York, NY 10001
November 30, 2007 from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in New York
Iris House 2348 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (137th) New York, NY 10030
November 30, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in New York
Palladia 360 west 125th Street (St. Nicholas) New York, NY 10027
November 30, 2007 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in New York
Harlem Hospital Renaissance Clinic(mobile unit near Apollo)New York, NY 10027
December 1, 2007 from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in New York
Harlem United El Faro ADHC New York, NY 10035
December 1, 2007

Chicago
World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
AFC World Center 7859 South Ashland Chicago, IL 60620
November 30, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day – Celebration of Life
AFC World Outreach Center 7859 S Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60620
November 30, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Call (800) 243-1132

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
Walgreens 87th & Stony Island Chicago, IL 60617
December 1, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
Walgreens 11 E 75th St (75th & State) Chicago, IL 60619
December 1, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
Walgreens 7058 S. Jeffrey (71st & Jeffrey) Chicago, IL 60649
December 1, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
Walgreens 3045 West 26th Street Chicago, IL 60623
December 1, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Chicago
Walgreens 5518 West Chicago(Central & Chicago) Chicago, IL 60651
December 1, 2007 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Los Angeles
World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Los Angeles
Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (On the Wells Fargo side - Stocker cross street)3650 West Martin Luther King Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90008
November 30, 2007 from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Cookie Johnson in Los Angeles Special Guests Mary Maryand The Soul Seekers
West Angeles Church of God in Christ North Campus, 3045 Crenshaw Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90016
December 1, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Call (800) 478-9732

World AIDS Day 2007 HIV Testing in Los Angeles
West Angeles Cathedral: (Parking Lot on Crenshaw & 30th Street)3020 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016
December 1, 2007 from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

World AIDS Day 2007HIV Testing in Los Angeles
Hollywood Park Market Place (Between Starbucks & Walgreens)3351 W Century Blvd Inglewood CA 90303
December 1, 2007 from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

World AIDS Day

Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, all around the country there are various events that provide free testing for HIV/AIDS. I know it's difficult getting up to go take the test. The fear, the moment after you have the blood drawn, that what if you have HIV/AIDs but knowing your status if better than living without a clue. If you are positive you can work be proactive about fighting the disease. Now people are living so much longer with the disease. If you are negative, then you can get information on how to prevent yourself from being infected.

While abstinence is the key to always being safe, knowing your status and the status of your partner, being in a strictly monogamous relationship, and using condoms can protect you. I know that condoms suck quite often but there are condoms that can enhance the feeling, hit the right spot and protect you with 99.9 percent accuracy from HIV and other STD's along with pregnancy.

I know my status, what about you?

The Count Down

There are 418 days until Bush flees the White House like a thief in the night. Until that day lets look back at some of his many Bushisms.





"If it were to rain a lot, there is concern from the Army Corp of Engineers that the levees might break. And so, therefore, we're cautious about encouraging people to return at this moment of history."
-George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2005

Rodney King shot

Ninty's police brutality victim, Rodney King, is in the public eye again after being shot near his California home.

King, who was intoxicated at the time of the shooting, called police to his Rialto home Wednesday night after being shot.

King claims he was shot while riding a bicycle in San Bernardino. King rode his bike back home and called the police.

"(King) and the whole house were very intoxicated and very uncooperative," Rialto Police Sgt. Don Lewis said.

King was treated in the hospital for minor injuries.

In March 1991, King was seen on videotape being beaten by several police officers. Four officers were acquitted of the charges which lead to riots in the streets of California.

Two of the officers, Laurence Powell and Stacey Koon, were later convicted of federal charges and sentenced to 30-month prison terms.

King was awarded $3.8 million in damages in a civil case.

World AIDS Day

The mayor of Newark, NJ along with the North Jersey Community Resource Initiative and New Jersey Stop AIDS coalition will host "World AIDS Day Extravaganza: Newark ... Taking the Lead to stop AIDS!"

In recognition of World AIDS Day, participating organizations will provide free testing and educational information designated to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The city of Newark has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in New Jersey. In addition blacks have the highest number of recorded cases with one in every 31 blacks in Newark infected with HIV/AIDS.Participating organizations include: Newark Beth Israel Hospital Wellness Program, Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, Newark Alliance for Community Empowerment Corp., Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan NJ, Essex County Kids Connection/ Trinitas Hospital and New Jersey Medical School Department of Young and Adolescent Medicine.

Testing will take place at Newark Symphony Hall (Terrace Ballroom),1020 Broad St., tomorrow from 4 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m.

The Count Down

There are 419 days until the end of the Bush administration. Until that day lets look back at his many idiotic statements.




"I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America. It's pretty darn strong. I mean, the people see a better future."


-George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2004

This is How We Do It

90's R&B singer Montell Jordan, along with Miki Howard, Mili'sa Morgan, The Force MD's, Choice, and Full Blast will be hitting the stage of the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City this Saturday at 7:45 p.m.

Tickets cost $65 & $50.

Loews Box Office: 201-963-0408

News From a Different Source

Living in New York it is very hard to find a place to live. Most often it is because where you might want to live you can't afford to live. But sometimes people are left out in the cold because they don't fit with the decor of the building. A Brooklyn woman found that out the hard way. New York Daily News writer Jotham Sederstrom has the story:

A disabled black woman has filed a housing discrimination lawsuit against a prominent developer, charging she was unfairly disqualified from renting at a luxury apartment building in downtown Brooklyn.

Yvette Woodard, 44, filed a lawsuit on Oct. 10 that claims her housing application for a unit at the Courthouse was rejected by Two Trees Management after an overly intensive check into her finances, medical history and personal life that revealed a late telephone payment and an outstanding cable bill of $1.61.

"I couldn't even walk by that building, it just made me so angry, hurt and embarrassed because everyone knew I was moving," said Woodard of her rejection in March 2005. "I couldn't unpack my stuff for about a year because I really thought I had a chance to move into that building."
The 321-unit building received tax breaks for setting aside 64 units of affordable housing for low-income families under the state's 8-0/20 Program.

The principals of the building's developer, David and Jed Walentas, are known for turning DUMBO into one of the priciest and most luxurious neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Woodard said administrators required credit checks for her and a 21-year-old son, the son's college transcripts, her divorce papers from 1991, a complete medical history, three months of utility bills and a home visit by an employee.

By comparison, applicants for market-rate housing at the Court St. building were required to provide a credit check, a two-page application form and a referral letter from the current landlord, said Woodard's lawyer, Brent Meltzer.

When Woodard learned of her rejection, she was told by an unidentified employee that the decision was based on a late telephone bill, an outstanding cable bill of $1.61 and a rent error that was eventually cleared up, Meltzer said.

"The issue isn't one particular eligibility requirement, but that the landlord applied burdensome criteria to the affordable and not the market-rate applicants," said Meltzer, who said the discrepancy violates state, local and federal fair housing laws and Woodard's civil rights.

A spokeswoman for Two Trees Management said Woodard's claims are without basis and that a "respected nonprofit organization" was tapped to administer applications for the affordable housing program.

"We do not discriminate on the basis of race or disability and the diversity of our tenants in downtown Brooklyn's first affordable units speak for itself," said the spokeswoman, who declined to name the nonprofit.

Missing Woman

Latasha Norman, a 20-year-old Jackson State University student, went missing earlier this month after a class at the Mississippi campus.

She was last seen on Nov. 13 at approximately 2:30 p.m. Her car was later found on campus.

Recently Latasha was the victim of various attacks including tire slashing and removal of her license plate. Her ex-boyfriend was also arrested last month for an assault on her.

Latasha grew up in the impoverished Mississippi Delta and worked her way through school, while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average.

She is a junior majoring in accounting at Jackson State University. She works at the campus newspaper as a part of work study.

The F.B.I. is looking into the disappearance of Latasha.

Norman is of medium-brown complexion, stands approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs between 115 and 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

To report information regarding Latasha’s whereabouts, call one of the following numbers:

JSU Public Safety, 601-979-1659

JSU Public Safety, 601-979-2580

JPD Missing Persons Bureau, 601-960-1210

Jackson Police Dept. 601-960-1234

The Count Down

There are 420 days until Bush is ousted from the White House. Until that day or the day they shut me down, lets examine how for Pres. Bush common sense isn't always so common.





"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."
-George W. Bush, Tucson Arizona, Nov. 28, 2005

News Break

Obama the next Martin?

Government does care about black people

Miss Jones in Philly Mornings

Targeting black youths

The Count Down

There are 421 days until the end of the Bush administration. Until the final day comes or the man shuts me down, lets look back on the sage wisdom of a borderline retarded man.


"Iran would be dangerous if they have a nuclear weapon."
-George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 18, 2003

Open to the Public

A court ruling last week made the legal proceeding against six black teens accused for beating a white student open to the public.

According to Judge Thomas Yeager despite the fact that Mychal Bell's case will be tried in the juvenile court, due to violent nature of the case the public is allowed in the court.

"We need to have public trials so the public has confidence in what we do," Yeager said.

Bell will be going to trial on Dec. 6 for aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy in the attack.

The suit to open the court to the public, including media, was brought by the Associated Press and 24 other media outlets.

"This is a victory for the media and for the public and for a citizen's right to know what is going on," said Mary Ellen Roy, an attorney for the media.

In addition to The Associated Press, news organizations that sought to open Bell's case were The New York Times; USA Today; the Chicago Tribune; the Los Angeles Times; the Houston Chronicle; the San Antonio Express-News; The Beaumont Enterprise; The Dallas Morning News; CNN; ABC News; WDSU-TV and WWL-TV in New Orleans; WAPT-TV in Jackson, Miss.; WFAA-TV in Dallas; KHOU-TV in Houston; KVUE-TV in Austin, Texas; KENS-TV in San Antonio; The (Houma) Courier; The (Thibodaux) Daily Comet; The (Alexandria) Town Talk; The (Monroe) News-Star; The (Shreveport) Times; The (Lafayette) Daily Advertiser and The (Opelousas) Daily World.

The Count Down

There are 422 days until the end of the Bush administration. Until that day lets look back at some of the outlandish things he has said.

"I'm the commander --see, I don't need to explain --I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president."
-George W. Bush, as quoted by Bob Woodward in The Washington Post, Nov. 20, 2002

He Said What?!?!?!

So I was talking to my friend that is pregnant the other night and she was talking about her baby's father.

Now I must say this guy is a dead beat. even though he is in college,he has no ambition and is still receiving an allowance from his parents. Its not the fact that he is receiving an allowance at 21, because I was too while I was in school. Its the fact that he is receiving on $20 a week and his mother pays for everything, from his weekly bus pass to his sneakers. He has no money or credit of his own.Even though she is pregnant he does not work and expects his mother to pay for his child.

So since she found out she was pregnant they have been having issues from him being in denial that she is pregnant, to his mother claiming the baby isn't his, to her being arrested for assaulting him.

Everybody tells her to leave him alone, but even though she knows that he is a loser, she wants him to get his act together so they can be a family.Lately he has been saying some real assholish things to her that makes her hate him more and more each day.

So she told me that he said to her, "If the baby ends up being a hermaphrodite or gay or something its all your faulty."

When I asked her why he would say that, she said he said to her, "Because your bisexual, so it will be your faulty."

Now I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. For all of you who don't know what a hermaphrodite or an intersex person is, it is a person that has both female and male genitalia. It is a mutation that happens in the womb. All of us were girls at one point. But as a baby develops in the womb it either develops fully as a girl or as a boy. But some babies do not fully develop either way. The development has nothing to do with whether the mother or father was bisexual at any time in their lives. I don't know whether a parents sexual orientation has anything to do with a child's sexual orientation later on in life. But really, I don't think it does because there are parents that are staunchly heterosexual that have gay children and there are parents that are gay that have heterosexual children. Anyway if the child is gay or intersex what does it matter. Does it make the baby not his son anymore. It was his DNA that had the final decision on the child's sex, so if its intersex it could actually be a mutation in his sperm. Don't quote me on that, I'm not a scientist in any way.

So I said, "he said what?!?!?!"


If you borne witness to occurrences of stupidity like this, send it in. Your stupid act can be a part of the weekly "S/he said what?!?!?!" post.

Remembering the Sean Bell

A candle light vigil was held last night in remembrance of the 25-year-old groomsman shot down by New York City Police Officers last years the day before his wedding.

Sean Bell was shot at 50 times by five police officers after leaving a strip club in Queens on Nov. 25, 2006.

Bell's bride-to-be spoke out at the vigil about the circumstances leading to the death of the man she loved and the father of her children.

"I want justice, but no matter what happens, it won't bring Sean back,'' said Nicole Paultre-Bell.

Paultre-Bell along with family members, friends, well-wishers, and Rev. Al Sharpton stood for six-and-a-half hours, followed by a church sermon lead by Sharpton.

While the family are memorializing Bell, they are also awaiting information on the trials of the three officers charged with his murder.

Officers Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter; Officer Marc Cooper pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment. A trial is scheduled this winter.

"I just keep asking myself, 'Why does this have to be my children? Why me? Why do we have to be the ones to go through this?'" Paultre Bell told the Daily News in an interview published Saturday. She and Bell, whose name she legally adopted after his death, had two daughters, now 4 and 1.

News Break

Racism or Criminal Justice

African-American Newpaper Publisher Dies

Racism in the Foster Care system

The R. in R&B Jealous?

The Count Down

There are 423 days until the end of the Bush White House. Until that day lets hear what our comedic community has to same about our Commander-in-Chief.


"Did you see the speech? President Bush spoke from Jackson Square in New Orleans. It wasn't his first choice for a backdrop, but the water wasn't quite deep enough for the aircraft carrier."
-Bill Maher, Sept. 2005

The Count Down

There are 424 days until the Bush administration comes to an end. Until that day lets review some of the idiotic things he has said.



"These people don't have tanks. They don't have ships. they hide in caves. They send suiciders out."
-George W. Bush, speaking about terrorists, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Nov. 1, 2002.

The Count Down

There are currently 425 days until Bush is ousted from the White House. Until that day lets reflect on how our media views our leader.

"There was a scare in Washington when a man climbed over the White House wall and was arrested. This marks the first time a person has gotten into the White House unlawfully since President Bush."
-David Letterman, Feb. 2004

****HAPPY THANKSGIVING****

The Count Down

There are 426 days until Bush makes his final decent from the White House. Until that day lets reflect on his many blunders.

"This very week in 1989, there were protests in East Berlin and in Leipzig. By the end of that year, every communist dictatorship in Central America* had collapsed."

-George W. Bush, at the 20th Anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy, Washington, D.C., Nov. 6, 2003.

*He meant Central Europe.

The Count Down

There are 427 days until the end of the Bush administration but more importantly there are 350 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Mike Gravel

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: US Senator from Alaska, VP candidate 1972

Quote: "Americans are getting fatter and dumber... If things are going bad, just remember who put these people in power."

With Thanksgiving around the corner i figured I would take some time off to handle some personal matters. So I wont be blogging news stories until Sunday.

Though I don't celebrate the raping of a land, the extermination of a people, or a sham of a country that tells such illustrious lies, you cannot differentiate truth from half-truths from flat lies, but I do celebrate family time and celebrating your blessings. So I hope everyone has a blessed holiday, whether you only get Thanksgiving day off like me or you have the week or your even working or volunteering on Thanksgiving. Give thanks for all the blessings in your life because there are so many without the basic necessities. Give thanks for the life you are living and pray for God to bless you with many more days.


Blessed and highly favored,

Ms. Fung

Chicken Fight

A food fight turned deadly in Jersey City yesterday following a dispute over a piece of fried chicken.

Antwon Parker, 22, arrived at the home of Christopher Felder,allegedly drunk, with a box of fried chicken. When an unidentified male took a piece of Parker's chicken, Parker became belligerent.

Parker and the male argued over the chicken. Felder told the men to take the argument outside. At that time Parker began to scream at Felder, saying, "Get out my face. I don't like you anyway." Felder replied, "The only reason you're talking like that is you have a gun."

According to a witness at the home, Parker then took out his gun and began to fire at Felder. Parker then ran away.

An ambulance was called and Felder was taken to Jersey City Medical Center at approximately 1:30 a.m.Felder was pronounced dead at 5:36 a.m.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Parker. Parker is a known drug dealer and has been jailed previously for dealing within 1,000 feet of a school and drug possession in an unrelated incident.

The Count Down

There are 428 days until the end of the Bush administration but more importantly there are 351 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Fred Thompson

Political Party: Republican

Experience: Former Senator from Tennessee, actor

Quote: "Gosh, no one has told me that there's any major reserves in the Everglades, but maybe that's one of the things I need to learn while I'm down here" --after being asked his position on oil drilling in the Florida Everglades."

News Break

Hate Crimes up from 2006 says FBI

Confessions in CMU noose hanging

Race Rally in Washington

Give Al a Chance

You Know What Really Grinds my Gears???

When someone can't do something that you can do so they hate or try and minimize your talent. Don't hate on me because I'm good at something. We all have our talents. Like if someone tells me "Ms. Fung, your really good at math." Don't chime in and say, "That's only because your father is a mathematician." Sure I got help from him but my ability to comprehend mathematics is because I have a level of intelligence that accommodates math that you do not have. Now if you critique my mathematical methods and say, "Ms. Fung probably learned that from her dad." That is something different.

I like to critique singers and politicians but I can congratulate them on their hustle. You don't have to like someone but if you just spit venom at them for no reason and try to take away from their abilities you have officially become a hater. No one likes a hater. Haters don't like themselves.

Get a life if you are hating. You look like a bitter loser.

Tell us what really grinds your gears. If we feel the same way, your pet peeve or minor irritation can appear on our blog.

The Count Down

There are 429 days until the end of the Bush administration but more importantly there are 352 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Tom Tancredo

Political party: Republican

Experience: US representative from Colorado, leading advocate for strict immigration policy

Quote: "People have to understand what we're talking about here. The president of the United States is an internationalist. He is going to do what he can to create a place where the idea of America is just that – it's an idea. It's not an actual place defined by borders. I mean this is where this guy is really going."

The Count Down

There are 430 days until the eight year nightmare better known as the Bush administration is over, but more importantly there are 353 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Bill Richardson

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: Governor of New Mexico, former Secretary of energy, former U.N. ambassador

Quote: "Well, I — I'm not a scientist. It's — you know, I don't see this as an issue of science or definition. I see gays and lesbians as people as a matter of human decency. I see it as a matter of love and companionship and people loving each other. You know I don't like to categorize people. I don't like to, like, answer definitions like that that, you know, perhaps are grounded in science or something else that I don't understand." -when asked if homosexuality was genetic or a choice at a GLBT debate

The Count Down

There are 431 days until Bush returns to Texas but more importantly there are 354 days until the 2008 presidential election. So let's take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Alan Keyes

Political Party: Republican

Experience: former Reagan administration diplomat, ran for president in 1996 and 2000, US senator, lost to Obama

Quote: "I will be trying my best — as I forever have, in the course of the years that I have been involved at this level in politics — simply to state, without regard for anything else, that which raises the standard of our allegiance to our Creator, God, and challenges people, in every area where we must make decisions, to understand and apply that, and also challenges our people of faith and challenges our citizens."

Children's Fight leads to Man being shot

A fight between two young girls lead to the death of a 21-year-old man from Shreveport, La.

Magnolia Stringer's eight-year-old daughter, Joann Bell, was having issues with an unidentified 13-year-old at school last week Thursday. The issue was taken back to their neighborhood where the two girls began to fight.

Bell's uncle, Lewis Stringer, saw the fight and attempted to break it up. However, the uncle of the 13-year-old girl, who was not identified, was angered by Stringer separating the girl.

The man left and returned with a group of people brandishing a gun.

Witnesses claim the 13-year-old banged on Stringers door until he came outside, at which time he was shot in the leg.

No arrests have been made. This is the fourth shooting in Shreveport in three days.

The Count Down

There are currently 432 days until Bush is ousted from the White House but more importantly there are 355 days until the 2008 presidential election. So let's take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Christopher Dobb

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: US Senator from Connecticut

Quote: "Eight more days and I can start telling the truth again."

What's going on in the world???

When it's hard to tell someone how your thinking it is often best said with a card. But what about the recently incarcerated? There's no card for that.

At least until now.

Los Angeles attorney and advisor to the LA sheriff department Terrye Cheathem, has created a line of cards specifically targeted to those that are recently incarcerated.

With cards reading "Sorry to Hear About Your Arrest," "Honestly, I never knew anyone who was arrested before" or simply "Not You," there is something for everyone.If you want to let a boyfriend or baby-father their on your mind, you can choose, "I know that I have not visited you. But I still care about you ... When are you getting out, anyway?"

According to the LA Times, card sales are slow. Cheathem acknowledges that many might try to disassociate themselves from criminals.

The Wrong Person

One of the worst fears of a parent is losing their child, but for a Florida family their child was swapped with another in the schoolyard.

A 77-year-old Jacksonville grandfather went to pick up his grandson from school and brought the wrong child home. The grandfather rode his bike over to the school and picked up four-year-old Zacari Brady instead of his grandson.

While this story could been seen as comical, Zacari's mother, Latoia Gillis doesn't think it's so funny.

"They don't have the same name. They don't even look alike," said Gillis.

Zacari said the mix up was discovered when the grandfather got home and his wife informed him he had the wrong child.

Zacari was returned to the school.

The Count Down

There are 433 days until the end of the Bush regime but more importantly there are 356 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets meet the candidates.

Name: Dennis Kucinich

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: Former Mayor of Cleveland, US Representative 10th district, ET fan

Quote: "And the rest of the account -- I didn't -- I -- it was unidentified flying object, okay. It's like -- it's unidentified. I saw something." --when asked about seeing a UFO.

Whats going on in the World???

A Scranton woman is learning the hard way potty mouths are not accepted.

Dawn Herb could face up to 90 days in jail and a $300 fine for using profanity in her bathroom. Herb began to curse at her overflowing toilet within an earshot distance of her neighbor. She was cited with disorderly conduct.

"It doesn't make any sense. I was in my house. It's not like I was outside or drunk," Herb told The Times-Tribune of Scranton. "The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen and I was yelling (for my daughter) to get the mop."

While Herb doesn't recall what she said exactly, her neighbor, an off-duty police officer, asked her to keep it down. When she did not stop cursing he called the police.

News Break

"American Gangsters" sends the wrong message

Black Pessimism at a 20 year high

Black White disparity increases

Remember Augustus Hawkins

The Count Down

There are 434 days until Bush leaves the White House but more importantly there are 357 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Mike Huckabee

Political Party: Republican

Experience: Former governor of Arkansas, Southern Baptist Minister

Quote: "If a person dresses provocatively, they're calling attention -- maybe not the most desirable kind -- to private parts of their body." --after being asked whether he's against miniskirts

West Doctor had previous run-ins with the law

The doctor that performed a tummy tuck on Kanye West's mother before she died has been in trouble with the law and the medical field. Reports say Dr. Jan Adams has had several DUI's and malpractice suits.

West mother, Donda West, had the surgery performed last week and went into LA area hospital Saturday where she died of cardiac arrest.

Adams, a TV personality and celebrity surgeon, claims no wrong doing in his procedure. Adams allowed West to go home immediately after the lengthy surgery, which other plastic surgeons claim is a very risky decision. Especially since West was 58-years-old and at more risk for heart related complications.

The Medical Board of California had filed a complaint against Adams in April asking for his license to be revoked or suspended because he abused alcohol to a point where he could be dangerous to his patients.

Adams faced more than a half-dozen suits in Southern California, including five malpractice suits in Orange County civil court in the last two years. It was not clear if the suits have been resolved.He has appeared on the Oprah show, CNN and MSNBC and hosts the Discover Health Channel show "Plastic Surgery: Before and After."

NYPD Cop Shooting in Brooklyn

The New York City Police Department are again involved in the shooting death of an unarmed man.

Last night five police officers shot 18-year-old Khiel Coppin of Bedford-Suyvesant Brooklyn to death. Officers shot 20 bullets with eight striking Coppin.

Police Commissoner Raymond Kelley claims the officers were provoked by Coppin when he pointed an object at them that looked like a gun. After police ceased fire, they found the object he was holding was a black hairbrush.

The police were responding to a call from Coppins mother, Denise Owens, of a domestic dispute. Owens had called for psychiatric assistant for her son earlier in the day. When a social worker arrived Coppin had already left.

In a news conference Kelly played the 911 call where Coppin, who has a history of mental illness, is heard screaming he had a gun. Kelly also showed letters written by Coppin that showed he was obsessed with death.

Coppin's neighbor, 17-year-old Andre Sanchez said he saw police speaking with Coppin through the open door. A police officer claims Coppin lunged at him and shouted "shoot me."Authorities claim Coppin eventually climbed out a first floor window and confronted more officers. Coppin was shot down and then handcuffed. He was taken to Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center where he was pronounced dead.

Two bystanders who saw the shooting said Coppin was unarmed and dropped the hairbrush after the shooting began. They also said they heard an officer calling for the shooting to stop.

Police said another witness claims Coppin was holding the brush underneath his shirt and pointing it outward.

Sanchez said when he went outside before the shooting began, he saw many officer with their weapons already drawn. Coppin looked out the window then stood on the sill. When officers told Coppin to get down. Coppin then jumped to the ground and began walking out the fence. Officers told Coppin to put his hands up. When Coppin did he dropped the brush and the officers began to shoot.

The officers who fired their guns have not been spoken to by police officials, as is routine in such matters. Under a new policy instituted in September, the five officers were given Breathalyzer sobriety tests immediately after the shooting, and police officials said all five passed that test.

What's going on in the world???

A man from Southern India put a new spin on marriage. While Americans are debating whether a homosexual couple should marry.

P. Selvakumar married a dog yesterday. Selvakumar, 33, took the plunge Sunday.

The marriage, surprisingly, was not a marriage of love, but atonement for stoning two other dogs to death, an act he believes cursed him.

The dog, a former stray named Selvi, was chosen by his family. The dog was bathed and dressed in tradition Hindu garb for the ceremony.

Selvakumar stoned the two dogs 15 years ago. An astrologer told Selvakumar the only way he can remedy the situation was to marry a dog.

Information was not provided on whether the couple consummated the marriage.

I am a Brooklyn Girl

I am a Brooklyn girl, what about you? If you are a Brooklyn teen or young Woman with undeniable beauty you can participate in the Miss Brooklyn and Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen Scholarship Beauty Pageant.

Women between the ages of 17 and 24 can compete for the Miss Brooklyn competition. To be eligible, a contestant must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Brooklyn and work or attend college in Brooklyn. The pageant winner will receive $1000.

Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 can participate in the Miss Brooklyn Outstanding Teen pageant. To be eligible you must live in the five boroughs and be a citizen.

To apply, visit www.brooklynqueens.org. Deadline is Thursday, Nov. 15. To volunteer or become a sponsor, send an e-mail to MissBrooklynMAO@aol.com.

The pageant will be held on Feb. 23, 2008.

Now I wont be participating in this pageant but you might see me in the crowd supporting a Brooklyn girl.

Just Because ....

So I was surfing the web yesterday while at work and I came across this story. It put a smile on my face. I had a feeling about this but its confirmed Real Smart Women have curves.

Sick of guys who never make eye contact because they're so focused on your, um, more obvious assets? Tired of people assuming you're a bimbo just because you have a killer figure?

Never fear ladies! New research published in London's Sunday Times reveals that curvy women are smarter than those with straight or round bodies. Not only that, women with hourglass figures are more likely to have intelligent children.

Scientists think this might be part of the reason men are more attracted to women whose waists are smaller than their hips (even when compared to women who are slimmer overall).

So ladies, next time you get sick of looking at stick figure models, just remember: not only do real men find you more attractive, but, chances are, you're smarter than anyone you'll see on the catwalk.

The Count Down

There are 435 days until Bush leaves the White House but more importantly there are 358 days until the 2008 presidential election. So let's take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Barack Obama

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: Junior U.S. Senator from Illinois

Quote: "In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died -- an entire town destroyed." - on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people.

Donda West, 58, died

Donda West, mother of famed rapper Kanye West, died late Saturday night in Los Angeles. She was 58.

The cause of death has yet to be released.

Donda West served as Chairperson of Chicago State University English department. She then became the manager of her son's career.

Donda West and Kanye West have been noted for having a very close relationship. He has even written songs dedicated to his mother.

Donda West recently released a book about raising Kanye.

Donda West worked in higher education for 31 years, before leaving academia in 2004 to help manage her son's career, according to a biography on the Kanye West Foundation's Web site.

She began working at Chicago State University in 1980 and eventually chaired the school's English department, according to the site. She started her teaching career in the early 1970s as an instructor at Brown College in Atlanta.

Kanye West's writing partner Rhymefest lamented Donda West's death Sunday in an appearance on Chicago radio station WCGI.

Seperate but Equal??

Black employees at a log weighing stop in Georgia are questioning whether they have been sent back to the 1950s.

Lisa Woods, an employee at Georgia-Pacific bear Brunswick, reported discrimination in restrooms at the weighing center. She alleges the restroom had a sign saying "OUT OF ORDER" for several months.

She believes a follow employee, Anthony Lee, believes the races don't mix.

While black employees and truck drivers would be forced to use the bathroom in the woods, white employees used the restroom that is allegedly "OUT OF ORDER."

When a reporter at First Coast News went to investigate, she found the toilet was in working order.

Following the news investigation, Lisa Woods, the woman who originally reported the discrimination, was fired.

She is currently suing Georgia-Pacific for racial and sexual discrimination.

Woods claims Lee drew a pregnant monkey while at work. Woods was pregnant at the time. She had a miscarriage some time later.

The Count Down

There are currently 436 days until the end of the Bush administration but more importantly there are 359 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Ron Paul

Political Party: Republican

Experience: US Representative from Texas

Quote: "I am also the prime sponsor of HR 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life. This is a practical, direct approach to ending federal court tyranny which threatens our constitutional republic and has caused the deaths of 45 million of the unborn."

News from a different source

The Reverend Al Sharpton is everywhere from Queens where Sean Bell, a young man about to get married was killed by a barrage of bullets by the NYPD, to Jena, La. where Mychal Bell, a young man accused of aggravated assault on a fellow student. The question that has been on my mind and the mind of many people is who made Al Sharpton the speaker for all black people. Who told him I forgive Kramer? When did he confer with me about the demand list for Imus? It appears that where ever a television camera is he is sure to follow. Here's what Miami Herald writer Leonard Pitt has to say about the situation.

Beg pardon, but who died and made Al Sharpton president of the Negroes?

Not that Sharpton has ever declared himself as such. But the fact that some regard him as black America's chief executive was driven home for the umpteenth time a few days ago after TV reality show bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman got in trouble for using a certain toxic racial epithet — six letters, starts with "n," rhymes with digger — on the phone with his son.

As you may have heard, Chapman was expressing disapproval of the son's black girlfriend. "It's not because she's black," he said. "It's because we use the word 'n——-' sometimes here. I'm not going to take a chance ever in life of losing everything I've worked for for 30 years because some f——— n——- heard us say 'n——-' and turned us in to the Enquirer magazine."

Naturally, the son sold a tape of the conversation to the National Enquirer. Which leaves me in the awkward position of simultaneously loathing what Chapman said and pitying him for having raised a rat fink son who would sell out his own father for a few pieces of silver. Anyway, with his life and career circling the drain, an apologetic Chapman fell back on what is becoming standard operating procedure for celebrities who defame black folk. He contacted Sharpton.

In so doing, he follows the trail blazed by Don Imus, Washington shock jock Doug "Greaseman" Tracht, and Michael Richards, who sought out Sharpton (or, alternately, Jesse Jackson) after saying what they wished they had not. They were all in turn following the news media, which, whenever a quote on some racial matter is required, turn to the right reverends by reflex. You'd think they knew no other Negroes.

I don't begrudge Jackson or Sharpton their fame. Jena, La., might have gone unnoticed had they not used that fame to direct public attention there. Still, I question whether we ought not by now have grown beyond the notion that one or two men can speak for, or offer absolution in the name of, 36 million people.

Certainly, black America has a long and distinguished history of charismatic leadership, from Frederick Douglass to Booker T. Washington to W.E.B. DuBois to Marcus Garvey to Malcolm X to Martin Luther King Jr. It was King to whom the "president of the Negroes" honorific was jokingly applied during the civil rights era in recognition of the moral authority that allowed him to rally masses. Since King's murder in 1968, a number of men have jockeyed to position themselves as his heir. They have not been conspicuous by their success.

Louis Farrakhan couldn't do it, handicapped as he is by the fact that he is Louis Farrakhan. Sharpton couldn't do it; one hardly thinks of moral authority when one thinks of the man at the center of the Tawana Brawley debacle. Jesse Jackson seemed to presage a new era of charismatic leadership when he ran for president, but he is dogged by a perception some of us have that he serves no cause higher than himself.

But beyond the strengths and weaknesses of the men who seek to be charismatic leaders, there is a sense that the job itself has grown obsolete. Who, after all, are the nation's white leaders? To what one man or woman do you apologize when you insult white folks? Doesn't the very idea that there could be one person deny the complexity and diversity of the population?

Similarly, black America is served by dozens of magazines, Web sites, television networks and media figures that did not exist when King was killed. So it's about time news media — and those who will insult us in the future — get past this notion that one or two people are anointed to speak for 36 million. That is a simplistic, antiquated and faintly condescending idea.

I speak for myself. Don't you?

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

When a parent decides to teach a lesson at the wrong time. I know you don't want your children to become spoiled brats but when your out on the street if your child starts balling out of control give them what they want or shut them up somehow. If your kid wants you to carry them but you want them to walk, don't annoy me or hold me up by having a child sprawled out on the floor of the mall. Get some control.

It especially makes me mad when a parent wants to have their child walk up and down stairs when theirs lots of people. I know you want the kid to walk but if its rush hour maybe you need to pick the kid up. You're holding up traffic.

I know I'm not a parent yet and some parents might have a problem with what I have said but I don't think they realize how that tantrum is messing up my day. I don't have any kids and am selective of what kids I keep around me. I don't need to hear your child crying for candy when I'm at Macy's trying to buy some pots.

Maybe my feelings might change when or if I have children but as of today I'm saying control your kids don't let them control you.

That's what really grinds my gears.

Tell us what really grinds your gears. If we feel the same way, your pet peeve or minor irritation can appear on our blog.

The Count Down

There are currently 437 days until the end of the Bush White House but more importantly there are 360 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time out to meet the candidates.

Name: Newt Gingrich

Political Party: Republican

Experience: Former Speaker of the House, Political has-been

Similarities to Bush: Too many to mention

Quote: "I think you can write a psychological profile of me that says I found a way to immerse my insecurities in a cause large enough to justify whatever I wanted it to."

March on Washington

Join Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, Steve Harvey and many others march on the Justice Department of the U.S.

With hate crimes and noose hangings on the rise in this country we must have the federal government protect us from local hate and biogtry. From Mychal Bell in Jena, La. to Sean Bell in New York, it is time for the federal government to intervene.

To get information about buses from your city call the national action network at 212-690-3070 or visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

When: Friday, November 16, 2007
Where: United States Department of Justice 950 Pennslyvania Ave N.W.
Time: noon to 2 p.m.

The Count Down

There are currently 438 days until the end of the Bush White House but more importantly there are 361 days until the 2008 presidential election. So lets take some time to meet the candidates.

Name: Mitt Romney

Political Party: Republican

Experience: Former Governor of Massachusetts, Mormon

Similarities to Bush: Politician daddy got him the job

Quote: Speaking to Southern GOP conservatives about gay marriage in Massachusetts, Romney said, "Some are actually having children born to them."

Only in New York

So I was at the train station last week at about 11 a.m. The train station was pretty empty. I was sitting by myself listening to my music. This fat Latino man came and sat next to me. I yawned and he said to me, "tired?"

I looked at him and nodded my head. He then said to me, "I just want to let you know, you look bad." (He meant "bad" like really good for all of you that didn't catch his drift.)

I smiled and said "thank you."

He then asked me for my phone number and I said, "No I have a boyfriend."

He said, "Oh cause you look bad, I'm not afraid to say that. You know what they say, 'once you go black you never go back.' 'The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice."

Now this guy was only a shade or two lighter than me and last time I checked Latinos are black, they just speak Spanish. But anyway, I just said, "Okay."

Then he turned to me and said, "You want to know what my fetish is?"

I didn't say anything. But he continued.

"I like to take the panties you have been wearing all day and smell them. That's what makes me hot."

He then went on to say, "If you were my girl I'd get you some nice panties like from Victoria Secrets, not that cotton stuff. I hate cotton."

I said "OK" and began to walk away. The train pulled into the station and he lingered behind me. But he left me alone.

Now some might say why did you even say anything to him to begin with? I have no answer. But how I was supposed to know he would say anything like that. I figure something like that could ONLY HAPPEN IN NEW YORK!

The Count Down

There are 439 days until the end of the Bush administration but more importantly there are 362 days left until the 2008 presidential election. With that in mind lets take a glance at the candidates.

Name: Hillary Clinton

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: Senator, Former First Lady, WonderWoman Wannabe

Quote: "The question is, we face a lot of dangers in the world and in the gentleman's words, we face a lot of evil men. And what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men?" - laughing off a question from a voter who asked Clinton what qualified her to deal with leaders from countries such as Iran and North Korea.

Only in New York

So I was on the train yesterday morning at around 9:30 heading to work. The train was crowded but I was able to look around. I looked over to my right there was a two seater. There was a man and a woman sitting in it. I noticed the woman had a syringe in her hand and a vile of a cloudy white substance. She was filling up her syringe. Now I have no idea what she was filling in this syringe. I am hoping it was insulin. She didn't shoot it up but she was preparing it on a crowded train in New York City, acting like she was home. Now I know in a city as busy as this it is important to multitask but damn.

I have decided that things like this can ONLY HAPPEN IN NEW YORK.

Cop Killer Caught

A Philadelphia man accused of killing a police officer was caught Tuesday in a shelter in Miami. John Lewis, 21, was arrested leaving the chapel of a homeless shelter.

Lewis is accused of shooting veteran cop Chuck Cassidy, 54, last week after robbing a Dunkin Donuts at gunpoint.

Philly police received information Lewis fled to Florida, with cooperative work between the states, Florida police were able to track Lewis down and apprehend him.

"Now that the killer is in custody, the wheels of justice will begin to turn, and we will use all of our resources to bring this defendant to justice," District Attorney Lynne Abraham said in a statement.

Philadelphia, also known as Kiladelphia, leads the nation in murders.

Wasted Money

I found this information on Bet.com about scholarship money that is going to waste because no one is apply for the scholarships. There are thousands of dollars allocated to blacks seeking advanced education that cannot afford it. My momma taught me that if someone is giving you money, as long as you read the fine print, take the money and run. So here are links to some scholarships for blacks.

Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/college/ss_reqs.mspx

Presidential Freedom Scholarship http://www.learnandserve.gov/about/programs/pfs.asp

National Association for Black Journalists http://www.nabj.org/programs/scholarships/index.html

Thurgood Marshall College Fund http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/home/scholarships.html

The American Political Science Association http://www.apsanet.org/content_11666.cfm

Be an Actuary: Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarship.cfm

Black Alliance for Educational Options http://www.baeo.org/programs?program_id=2

Get more scholarship information.

Too Much Flair in the Hair

A five-year-old Dallas boy was told his haircut was too much for the school.

Keyshawn Greene had a design cut into his hair when his schools principal told him the design was too much of a distraction to the other students and he could not wear designs in his hair anymore.

However, Keyshawn's family feels he should be able to wear his hair anyway he wants.

"Some of those little boys wear their hair spiked and sticking up like those punk rockers," Keyshawn's grandmother, Camelia Wafer, said of the predominantly Hispanic school her grandson attends.

Keyshawn has been wearing the designs since the beginning of the school year, this is the first time he has received any complaints.

The Count Down

There are currently 440 days left in the Bush White House but more importantly there are 363 days until the 2008 Presidential election. So we're taking out some time to take a look at the candidates. Today you're going to get a two-fer, cause I just couldn't decide which quote to use.

Name: Joseph Biden

Political Party: Democrat

Experience: Lawyer, Senator, Chairman of Committee of Foreign Relations

Quote: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook man." -- on Barack Obama

"I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There is no shame in being tested for AIDS. It's an important thing."

News from a Different Source

A man that has made a career out of chasing down criminals that have jumped bail is trying to jump out the fire after losing his television show for making racist comments in a telephone conversation. Here's what he had to say in a recent interview with E! Online.

The Dog is out to prove that his bark is worse than his bite.

In his first TV appearance since his hit A&E show was shelved following the leak of an eight-month-old phone conversation with his son in which he liberally uses the N-word, Duane "Dog" Chapman tells Fox News that he has always felt a certain kinship with black people and, as for using the N-word, "never did it out of hate."

"There's a special connection that I thought I had between me and black America," the emotional Dog the Bounty Hunter star told Fox's Hannity & Colmes. "And I used to say, 'I'm black, too.'

"In other words, my whole life I've been called a half-breed, a convict, king of the trailer trash, this and that…so when I stood there and said, 'I kind of know what you feel like, because I've been there, too,' that I felt that I could embrace and like, as brothers…say the word."

"I now learned I'm not black at all, and I never did it out of hate," Chapman continued. "This sounds so stupid. I always did it out of love. Other white guys would be like, 'Boy, who does Dog think he is? Dog can say that.' And black guys would be with me and walk with me and respect me.
"So, I went too far with that."
Chapman, a Honolulu-based bail bondsman by trade, spent 18 months in prison on a murder charge in the 1970s before putting his intimate knowledge of the criminal mind and the lengths people will go to avoid the rap to good use. Impressed by the footage his crew shot while it was searching for convicted rapist Andrew Luster in 2003, A&E gave him his own show.

The cable network pulled Dog the Bounty Hunter from its schedule indefinitely, however, on Friday, two days after the National Enquirer's Website posted a recording of Chapman spewing the N-word and other expletives during an eight-month-old conversation with his son Tucker, whose girlfriend, Monique Shinnery, is black.

But, according to Chapman, while he has learned his lesson about casually using one of the most offensive words in the English language, there's apparently way more bad blood between him and his son than meets the ear.

On the tape, which Tucker sold to the tabloid for a rumored $15,000, Chapman says that he's uncomfortable having a black girl around "because we use the word n---er sometimes here. I'm not going to take any chance ever in life of losing everything I've worked for 30 years because some drunken n---er heard us say n---er and turned us into the Enquirer magazine."

"So, I will help you get another job, but you cannot work here unless you break up with her and she is out of your life," Chapman tells his son. "I can't handle that s--t."

When asked why his son, who has spent time in prison for armed robbery, would set him up like that, Chapman was mostly at a loss, but had at least one possible explanation.

"I don't know why he would do it, unless there's some kind of habit or something he needs the money for," Chapman said, answering in the affirmative when Sean Hannity suggested that the "habit" possibly plaguing Tucker could be drug-related.

But while Chapman spoke solemnly about his son, he was driven to tears when talking about the reason his reality-TV world is hanging in the balance.

"Of course I know the story and I know America's story," the choked-up star said. "But I never realized that [using the N-word] is like stabbing a black person in the heart. I would never do that to any kind of person. I have always taken pride to be the white guy that can talk to the black people, that can refer to them truly as a brother from a different mother.

"But this is America and this is entertainment and that doesn't fly here."

And, in light of the overwhelming response to his version of brotherhood: "I will try never, ever, ever to use that word again."

"There is no excuse," he said. "I'm guilty, and I will take my punishment. But the end of what I said is I will do everything there is in my power to make sure people have forgiven me."

Noose in Water Plant

Employees at a Dallas waste water treatment plant are shook up after finding a noose and racist graffiti in the plant.

A worker at the plant found a noose hanging from the rear view mirror of another employee last month.

An investigation into the incident resulted in four employees, including a manager, being disciplined and suspended. The employee accused of hanging the noose submitted a letter of resignation today.

However, racist graffiti written on common storeroom wall Tuesday has left many workers concerned.

The graffiti allegedly said goodbye to employee to resign and signed "KKK."

Workers believe they are being ignored.

The city of Dallas said the city's human resources department has been working on diversity-training.

The graffiti incident is being investigated.

Jena Six Defendent Pleads not guilty

The final Jena Six teen to be arraigned has plead not guilty in the assault against a white teen.

Bryant Purvis, 18, is set to go to trial in March. He faces charges of aggravated battery and conspiracy. If convicted he could spend up to 22 years in prison.

Purvis' lawyer, Darrell Hickman, contends he was at least 30 feet away from the brawl when it took place and the charges against Purvis should be dismissed.

"There has just been too much that has gone on here in Jena," he said. "It would be impossible for everyone to put aside those feelings."

The Count Down

There are 441 days left until the end of the Bush Administration but more important there are 364 days until the next presidential election. With that in mind lets take some time out to profile the candidates. This is a NYC special.

Name: Rudy Giuliani

Political Party: Republican

Experience: America's Mayor, former mayor of New York City

Quote: "Murder and graffiti are two vastly different crimes, but they are part of the same continuum, and a climate that tolerates one is more likely to tolerate the other."

News Break

White Supremacist book pulled from Oprah's book club

Cynthia McKinny protesting with Rappers

J. Jackson News Conference creates strange bed fellows

Remaining Jena teen face charges

Report Card Time

Like back in grade school on report card day, many educators in the City of New York are walking with their heads down for their failing grades. In a report released by the New York Department of Education, nearly 100 city schools received Fs and 50 schools received Ds.

The school grading report is based on, among other things, standardized test scores. Many critics complain the grading puts too much emphasis on the standardized test scores.

Some schools, with already high grading, also felt cheated because a portion of the grade also includes improved scores.

City School Chancellor Joel Klein said the city is trying to create a "rising tide" and all schools need to be moving forward.

Examples of moving forward is nine schools that were failing last year by the state received As and Bs. Congratulations to them.

For a listing of the schools grades by borough click here.

Th Officers and Gentlemen

The Brooklyn men allege they were harassed and falsely arrested by New York City police officers.

Ronald McPhatter, 24, said officers from the 78th Precint in Park Slope harassed and arrested him and his two friends in September.

On Sept. 28, police were called on a false report of an officer being stabbed. Police swarmed Third Ave where McPhatter and his friend, Tahaqa DeJesus, 22, were hanging out.

"They knew him, so they were playing around with him," said McPhatter. "Like, 'Mr. DeJesus, so, how's your mother doing?'"

The men began to walk away, however the officers followed them and demanded to see ID. When the men questioned the officers, they called for backup.

McPhatter and DeJesus went into their apartment building to retrieve their identification. McPhatter was pushed in the building. DeJesus and another friend emerged from the building and were tackled and kicked. DeJesus was thrown into a van window.

A man visiting family, Robert Luftig, 41, was arrested and maced after police saw him videotaping the incident on a cell phone.

They were pretty rough; it was clearly harassment," Luftig, 41, said. At the precinct, police "tried to deter them from going to the hospital," he said, despite obvious open wounds. Luftig is contesting his charges.

McPhatter and Luftig were charged with obstructing government administration, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. DeJesus and the other friend were charged with the same offenses and assault and attempted assault.

The Count Down

There are currently 442 days left in the Bush White House, but more importantly there are 365 days until the 2008 presidential election. With that in mind I thought we should take some time out to take a look at the candidates. This election is very important, it will let us know how the next four years of our lives will be. The past eight years certainly has shown us how important it is to exercise our civic duty for the greater good.

Name: John McCain

Political Party: Republican

Experience: War hero, Senator from Arizona

Quote: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father."

On another note about the elections next year and the election tomorrow, I feel it is important to reiterate the importance of every person that is eligible to vote to get out there and be heard. You can't complain if you aren't doing anything to evoke change in your society, this is one way that we have to evoke change, by electing people who will do what they people want and need.

Women and "minorities" are the least likely to vote and yet they are often the most affected by the elected officials. Our health care rights, child care, reproductive rights, and general rights to live are being placed in the hands of who ever is being elected. Let your voice be heard.

So go out there and vote tomorrow, the presidential primaries next year (check your state legislature for the date), and the 2008 Presidential election on Nov. 4. Its free to register and its free to vote. It doesn't take too long and you can at least say you participated in government. That's why we have a democracy isn't it.


"If there is hope [Wrote Winston} it lies in the Proles.

If there was hope, it must lie in the Proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be generated. The Party could not be overthrown from within. Its enemies, if it had any enemies, had no way of coming together or even identifying one another. Even if the legendary Brotherhood existed, as just possibly it might, it was inconceivable that its members could ever assemble in numbers larger than twos and threes. Rebellion meant a look in the eyes, an inflection of the voice; at the most an occasional whispered word. But the Proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength, would have no need to conspire. They needed only to rise up and shake themselves like a horse shaking off flies. If they chose they could blow the Party to pieces tomorrow morning. Surely it must occur to them to do it. and yet - !...

Until they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."
-George Orwell, 1984

News Break

Not many CEO's black

Oprah's African School update

American Gangster

Mike celebrates 25 years of Thrilling America in Ebony