House formally apologizes for slavery and Jim Crow

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Tuesday issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws.

"Today represents a milestone in our nation's efforts to remedy the ills of our past," said Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The resolution, passed by voice vote, was the work of Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen, the only white lawmaker to represent a majority black district. Cohen faces a formidable black challenger in a primary face-off next week.

Congress has issued apologies before - to Japanese-Americans for their internment during World War II and to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom in 1893. In 2005, the Senate apologized for failing to pass anti-lynching laws.

Five states have issued apologies for slavery, but past proposals in Congress have stalled, partly over concerns that an apology would lead to demands for reparations - payment for damages.
The Cohen resolution does not mention reparations. It does commit the House to rectifying "the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African-Americans under slavery and Jim Crow."

It says that Africans forced into slavery "were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage" and that black Americans today continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws that fostered discrimination and segregation.

The House "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow."
"Slavery and Jim Crow are stains upon what is the greatest nation on the face of the earth," Cohen said. Part of forming a more perfect union, he said, "is such a resolution as we have before us today where we face up to our mistakes and apologize as anyone should apologize for things that were done in the past that were wrong."

Cohen became the first white to represent the 60 percent black district in Memphis in more than three decades when he captured a 2006 primary where a dozen black candidates split the vote. He has sought to reach out to his black constituents, and early in his term showed interest in joining the Congressional Black Caucus until learning that was against caucus rules.
Another of his first acts as a freshman congressman in early 2007 was to introduce the slavery apology resolution. His office said that the House resolution was brought to the floor only after learning that the Senate would be unable to join in a joint resolution.

More than a dozen of the 42 Congressional Black Caucus members in the House were original co-sponsors of the measure. The caucus has not endorsed either Cohen or his chief rival, attorney Nikki Tinker, in the Memphis primary, although Cohen is backed by several senior members, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. Tinker is the former campaign manager of Harold Ford, Jr., who held Cohen's seat until he stepped down in an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 2006.
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The bill is H. Res. 194
On the Net:
Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/

Life of the "Jetson's" becoming reality...

The mothership which will launch the first space tourists into the atmosphere was unveiled by Sir Richard Branson in California today.

WhiteKnightTwo (WK2), the carrier aircraft which will be used to launch SpaceShipTwo into orbit, 'will allow thousands of people to realise their dreams' and 'act as a catalyst to transform human access to space', Sir Richard said.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in the spaceship's hangar at the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, the British billionaire, who will be among the first space tourists with his family, said the venture would help the world 'wake up' to the fragility of the planet and the importance of protecting Earth. Space is 'the final frontier that is so essential to the future of civilisation on this planet', Sir Richard said.

'The first generation of space tourists, many of whom are with us today, will be paving the way as they marvel at the beauty of our planet and experience the freedom of weightlessness and the blackness of space,' he said.

'The rollout of WhiteKnightTwo takes the Virgin Galactic vision to the next level and continues to provide tangible evidence that this most ambitious of projects is not only for real but is making tremendous progress towards our goal of safe commercial operation.'

Sir Richard said that the first tourists could be launched into space in around 18 months' time, but there is no official launch date yet - SpaceShipTwo needs to be completed before a series of test flights and safety tests are carried out.

More than 250 customers have paid 200,000 dollars (£100,000), or put down a deposit, for the chance to be one of Virgin Galactic's first space tourists.

The 140ft WK2, which was renamed Eve in honour of Sir Richard's mother who performed the opening ceremony attended by astronaut Buzz Aldrin, is the largest all-carbon composite aircraft and is capable of reaching 50,000ft.

'If our new system could carry only people into space, that would be enough for me, because of the transforming effect it will have on the thousands who will travel with us,' Sir Richard said.
'It is quite clear from every astronaut that I've ever spoken to that seeing the planet from out there, surrounded by the incredibly thin protective layer of atmosphere, helps one to wake up to the fragility of the small portion of the planet's mass that we inhabit, and to the importance of protecting the Earth.'

But he said the spaceships would also be able to launch small payloads and satellites into orbit at a relatively low cost.

'This system offers tremendous potential to researchers who will be able to fly experiments much more often than before, helping to answer key questions about Earth's climate and the mysteries of the universe,' he said.

XM - Sirius Merge...Finally

In a somewhat unsurprising move, the FCC has approved the merger of Sirius and XM after protracted -- and incredibly boring -- multi-year negotiations. The Federal Communication Commission decided tonight to allow a deal that will bring the two satellite radio providers together, creating a combined subscriber base of roughly 18 million users. The deal isn't without catches, however, with the Commission stating that the companies must cap prices for three years following the merger, allow subscriber choice on content, and lower fees for channel packages. FCC head Kevin Martin seemed pleased with the final outcome, stating, "Consumers will get to enjoy the best of the programming on both services." You know who wasn't so excited? Clear Channel.

Anyone thinking of buying now that the platforms are consolidated...

Mr. President is everday "People"...

For years People rarely put black folks on its cover unless it was a tragedy, a la Whitney Houston’s troubles or Natalie Cole’s confession involving drugs, but the weekly magazine continues to make strides in that department. The Obamas grace the cover of the latest issue and Barack and wife Michelle talk about raising two girls under the public eye.
We don’t find out anything about the daughters’, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, entertainment preferences as far as singers they listen to and preferred television shows but we are told that the family checked out Wall-Eearlier this month. Barack said, “I find actually that children’s movies are the best movies these days.” And he gives Malia a weekly allowance of $1 a week.But wait, there’s more. Read on:PEOPLE: Someone told me today that you don’t do birthday presents.
Michelle: No, because we spend hundreds of dollars on a birthday party and movie tickets and pizza and popcorn …
Barack: That sleepover is enough. We want to teach some limits to them. And their friends bring over presents.
Michelle: They get so much stuff that it just becomes numbing. Malia believes there is still a Santa Claus even though she’s a little wary because some of her friends are non-believers. But Malia says, “Ma, I know there is a Santa because there’s no way you’d buy me all that stuff.” (Laughing)
People points out the first interview was done at the family’s three-story home in Chicago in June, then again on July 4 at a park in Butte, Mont., where the family campaigned and celebrated Malia’s birthday. The daughters weren’t interviewed this time. It was after Access Hollywood’s interview with his daughters (also conducted during Fourth of July weekend) aired that Barack put them on media lock down.

Who's Really Watching "Black In America"?

Who is watching “Black in America” on CNN? I ask the question because it was raging inside of me as I listened to pundits and experts, educators and pastors, business professionals and actors—all attempting to make sense and give shape to what it means to be black in America. I asked the very same question after Tavis Smiley produced the “The Covenant with Black America” a few years ago. That book sold millions of copies, and was the topic of quite a few talk shows. And this CNN “special” will probably be one the highest rated shows on the network ever. But I again I ask who is watching? Is Shaniqua living in a tenement in Brooklyn with five babies by five different “men” watching? Is James, who stands on a corner in Baltimore selling crack cocaine to his community watching? T-Bone, a Blood from South Central and his boys and rival Crips from cross-town, are they watching? Janice, who dropped out of Somerville High School in Massachusetts, will she be tuning in? I doubt it. And here in lies the problem with shows like “Black in America,” and books like “The Covenant with Black America” they don’t reach the people who need to hear and read it most. The people who need to change, probably won’t be tuning in—which is why years after the Million Man March and years after The Covenant with Black America and years after Black in America, nothing will change. These outlets just become masturbation. A bunch of talking and pontificating and not a whole lot of what next. If you noticed, I hadn’t added Bill Cosby’s “Come on People,” in the mix with the above. Bill Cosby with all of his fame and fortune doesn’t just pay lip service to his desire to change lives. I have seen him show up to schools in Newark, NJ, with no media or handlers and talk to the kids. I have seen him perform at a club for free to help a black man open a club. I have heard stories of Mr. Cosby giving his time when no one is looking because it’s important to him. So when he writes and says the things he’s saying, he’s also someone in the trenches providing solutions. Whether you agree with him or not, you have to applaud that. A lot of these “pundits” or “experts” who have been featured on “Black in America” make their living off of black poverty and downtroddeness. It gives them a platform to be able to travel the country and demand high speaking fees and folks who don’t need to hear the message because they are taking care of their kids and doing the right things pay to hear a message of gloom and doom. Black drop out rate is X, Black out-of-wedlock pregnancy rate is Y. Blacks die at a rate z times higher than whites. And on and on.

No. 1: Those statistics become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we continue to focus on it, that’s exactly where your attentions will lead. Focusing on the negative has never been a formula for success.

No. 2: If CNN has the highest rating in its history and if Tavis Smiley was able to sell millions of books it says that the vast majority of black folks are NOT in the poor condition that they’re discussing. It says we must care about community more than the statistics are letting on.

No. 3: In the wake of the first black man running for president, a man who is not an anomaly and who has redefined what it means to be black isn’t our time better spent talking about what it means to be an American? I mean the gas prices are striking us all—black and non-black. The housing crisis is hitting us all—black and non-black. The bank crisis is affecting us all. As do the wars and rumors of war. Who’s watching “Black in America” and what are they going to do to make sure we have a better America for all of us?

- Karen Hunter is a columnist for AOL Black Voices, and the CEO of Karen Hunter Publishing.

Spelman College Alum "Barack's the Vote"!!!

Lorielle Broussard is a Spelman College Alum and designer of one of the hottest political apparel brands in the country. Its almost impossible not to have seen someone wearing one of the 20+ thousand shirts that her and her brother's (Brandon) company, Barackawear, Inc. has sold.

As CFO, Lorielle has helped guide the company from $700 dollars in start up money to over $400,000 in sales in less than a year.

Lorielle says, "It's pretty amazing to be 27 and running a company. Just a little over a year ago, I was an assistant and now I have one." Last year prior to launching Barackawear, Lori was touring the country as a stylist to pop star Ciara and prior to that was assistant to model and celebrity deejay, Sky Neller.

Lorielle's Dream: Too see Barack Obama elected president. We give back 25% of our net profit to his campaign as well as host fundraisers in his support. We would be devestated if he did not get elected.

And what about the dream for Barackawear: "Our goal is to sell over 100,000 shirits by election day and I think we'll reach it. I think if we reach a million in sales, we can attract investors to our next projects more easily."

So Whats Next: "We plan to launch our new 'Yo Town' t-shirit line as well as a line of Jeans. We are really excited about both and I think because of our experience with Barackawear, we know how to make and run a successful business. But for now we are focused on getting Barack Obama elected as thenext President of "These" United States.

For more information of to obtain your own shirt/hoodie/lapel pin please visit: www.BarackTheVote.com

DNC Prepare's to party in Denver

Denver is about to become Tinseltown - for a week.A-list Hollywood hotshots and music industry titans are set to descend on the Rocky Mountain city for next month's Democratic National Convention, where political rock star Barack Obama will officially claim the party's crown."We are expecting lots of people to be here, big names, small names and everyday American names," convention spokesman Damon Jones said.Event organizers have yet to release an official list of confirmed performers and talent, but the likely roster reads like a who's who of rap, rock and silver screen.Convention sources confirmed superstars Kanye West, N.E.R.D., Wyclef Jean and Usher are in serious talks to perform during the Aug. 25-28 party shindig.The Creative Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group that hosted parties for the Dems in 2004, has announced that the Black Eyed Peas are scheduled to perform at the DNC gala at the Fillmore Auditorium on Aug. 27. "The Black Eyed Peas represent a growing genre of music that emphasizes increased social awareness," said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition.Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is flying out to Denver for the Yoga Health Foundation's festival, which kicks off the night before the convention. He plans to stick around for the Democratic powwow."I'm going to the DNC to add my voice to the growing collective consciousness I believe is rising in this country," Simmons said. "I want to add my voice to this phenomenon that I believe is this country and the world's only salvation: the promotion of love over fear."Hard-core Democratic supporter Ben Affleck, who made a big showing for John Kerry during the 2004 convention in Boston, will swoop into the Mile High city. No word yet on whether he plans on cajoling his wife, actress Jennifer Garner, or other celebrity pals like Matt Damon into joining him in the Rockies.Actress Scarlett Johansson, a gushing Obama backer, is also expected to be hob-nobbing with the political elite. Her spokesman, though, said her schedule for August is "up in the air."The "Lost in Translation" star recently told The Associated Press, "My heart belongs to Barack, and that is who I am currently, finally, engaged to. Yes."Movie directors Quentin Tarantino, Barry Levinson and Spike Lee will be on hand to witness an African-American formally becoming the first major-party presidential nominee.Other boldface guests expected to fete Obama include Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Susan Sarandon, Kerry Washington, Forrest Whitaker, Josh Lucas, Rashida Jones, Tim Daly, Matthew Modine, Dana Delany, Rachel Leigh Cook and actor and aspiring director Ed Norton, who is working on a documentary about the candidate.

BY JO PIAZZA DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Say "Hello" to the future

Inspired by the famous Serbian Electrical Engineer Nikola Tesla, Mercedes Benz has dumped millions into its subsidiary compnay Tesla Motors banking that it will revolutionize the motor industry. I BELIEVE THEY WILL! The above pic are screen shots of their highly anticipated Tesla RoadsterRead these crazy Technical Specifications that is going to Change the way people think about Driving:

* 100% Electric (Not a Hybrid)

* 256 MPG EQUIVALENT!* 220 Miles Per Charge costing you only 2 cents per Mile! are you Serious

* 0-100 km/hr in 3.9 seconds

* 14,000 rpm redline* 200 km/hr top speed

* 365 km range

* 160,000 km battery lifecycle

* Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS and regenerative motor braking* Kerb weight 1,220 kg* Versatile travel charging options with onboard Mobile ConnectoCheck out the site at www.teslamotors.com for the detailed run down

Clearly these Cars are pre-ordered, and celebrity and car aficianados have already invested tens of thousands of dollars in down payment to receive the first batch of Teslas set to be released next year.

Below is the run down of the Reservation Infomation - Please log on to www.teslamotors.com.

* Reservations for the Tesla Roadster are open to all U.S. residents

* 2009MY Roadster base price: $109,000 (see 2009 spec sheet for more details)

* Availability approximately 12 months

* $5000 refundable reservation fee starts the process and locks in price

** Additional $55,000 to lock in a production slot and delivery timeframe.

* Exterior/interior choices, options and balance due 3 months prior to production of your Roadster* Submit your questions here, or call 650-413-6300.

"N" - you decide for yourself...

CNN) -- When Nas said he didn't name his album "Nigger" because there might be problems getting it into stores, it was no surprise. But when he said pressure from black leaders played a role, it seemed out of character.
The Queens-reared rapper has never been one to kowtow. Just last month, he referred to the Rev. Jesse Jackson as "the biggest player hater" and declared Jackson's time as a voice for black America over.
But in a recent CNN interview, Nasir Jones explained he didn't change the album's name to please the Rev. Al Sharpton and other black leaders. Rather, they were stealing his thunder.
"I don't think I liked the attention I was getting from some of the elders in my community," he said. "I saw it kind of leaning toward being about them ... only about them. I kind of wanted to just shake that off of me." Hear Nas discuss the controversy »

His remedy? To drop the title altogether -- literally. The album, out Wednesday, has no name. But don't think Nas is cowering from controversy -- the cover features the rapper shirtless with his iconic, gothic "N" digitally whipped into his back.

With a host of racial issues -- the Jena Six, Don Imus, nooses -- fresh on America's mind, naming an album "Nigger" seems ill-advised. Nas, however, said his goal wasn't to upset; it was to upend a society that focuses more on pejoratives than the racial plights that spawn them.
"There's still so much wrong in the whole world with people -- poor people, people of color -- I just felt like a nice watch couldn't take that away, make me forget about that. A nice day on a yacht with rich friends couldn't make me forget about reality, what's going on," he said. "That's why I named the album that -- not just that the word is horrible, but the history behind the word, and how it relates to me, how it's affected me, offended me."

Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy delves into the frustrating duality of the slur in his 2003 bestseller, "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word." Since colonist John Rolfe first coined "negar," referring in 1619 to a shipment of Africans to Virginia, the epithet has lived a largely opprobrious life, with one exception, Kennedy writes.
"Currently, some people insist upon distinguishing nigger -- which they see as exclusively an insult -- from nigga, which they view as a term capable of signaling friendly salutation," Kennedy writes.

Kennedy, who is black, concludes his book expressing satisfaction that the word's use causes anxiety. Politicians should avoid uttering it at all costs, he writes, and uses by nonblacks is most often a no-no.

But never underestimate the word's complexities, says Kennedy: "For bad and for good, nigger is thus destined to remain with us for many years to come -- a reminder of the ironies and the dilemmas, the tragedies and glories, of the American experience."
Kennedy declined to comment for this story, and Sharpton's press office did not respond to an e-mail and voice message requesting an interview.

Because Nas rescinded the title doesn't mean the multiplatinum rapper isn't prepared to engage in debate on the word's merit in today's lexicon.
"It's all about the intent and what you mean and how it's coming off and the reason why you're saying it. You know, if it's ill intent, if you're angry, being ignorant, being meanspirited, saying that word -- it means the worst," he explained. "If you're just a couple of black guys on the street corner, doesn't mean it's a great thing, but it's not that they're trying to harm each other when they say it."
As for a wholesale ban on the word -- something Jackson and Sharpton have suggested -- Nas scoffed.
"For some people, you should never be able to use it," he said. "For others, it's way too late. It's too late to try to stop using it. It's something that's just part of the language now."
That "elders" had anything to do with changing the album's name might be a sign the 34-year-old is continuing the personal growth so easily charted since he released his 1994 debut, "Illmatic," an album that would help earn him the No. 5 spot on MTV's list of the top MCs of all time.
Back then, Nas was a 20-year-old, street-hustling rhymesmith from the rough-and-tumble Queensbridge projects, on the brink of earning the admiration of some of hip-hop's biggest names.
He's been called "the king" (Producer Dallas Austin), "a genius" (Island Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid) and "the greatest rapper of all time" (rapper Kanye West).
After "Illmatic," fans watched Nas -- and his ego -- grow through the years as he proclaimed himself "Nastradamus," "God's Son" and the "Street's Disciple."

His legions watched him become jaded with age when, in 2006, he declared, "Hip Hop is Dead," and lashed out at the rappers and DJs he felt had rendered the genre hackneyed.
Though Nas dabbled in advocacy before Wednesday, his lyrics dwelled more on his rhyming skills, hot sneakers, women and blunts. Violence was regularly invoked, especially in regard to any would-be dissers.

On the untitled album, there's still an air of militancy, with the threats of violence directed toward those who aim to oppress African-Americans.
He boasts likenesses to Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton and threatens to throw Molotov cocktails in the name of civil rights murder victim Emmett Till.
On "Testify," Nas warns that he's loading a magazine to "send these redneck bigots some death in a bag/choke him out with his Confederate flag/I know these devils are mad."
"I really like 'Testify' because it's like a man who's just frustrated and doesn't know how to fight. It's when you feel like there's no one to call. Who do you call when you're of the ethnic group that the police have been wiping out for years and the government doesn't do anything?" Nas asked.
Nas explains his growth on "Project Roach," crediting a Guyanese anthropologist and literary critic with helping him mature: "I used to worship a certain Queens police murderer/Till I read the words of Ivan Van Sertima/He inserted something in me than made me feel worthier/Now I spit revolution, I'm his hood interpreter."

Other messages on the album seem designed to inspire the black community, or to decry a separate-but-equal culture that purports to incubate fairness but rarely produces results.
On "America," he opines, "Too many rappers, athletes and actors/But not enough niggas in NASA/Who gives you the latest dances, trends and fashion?/But when it comes to residuals they look past us."

Nas acknowledged he's a different person today than when he dropped "Illmatic," and his music has grown along with him. Fans should recognize and enjoy the evolution rather than make comparisons, he said.

He tentatively agreed that his untitled album addresses the plight of black America with a more positive voice, but he almost bristled when asked if he was a "conscious rapper," guys like Common, Mos Def and Talib Kweli who largely refrain from talk of violence and misogyny.
Nas, he said, will remain an individual, an artist, a lyricist, whose style and message can't be placed in a tidy case like one of his albums.

"I just look at myself as a man who's trying to figure shit out in the world, and God is amazing because He's never going to let us figure it all out," Nas said. "So I don't really have a category. I'm just a man that's in search, that's always in search, that's always going to question things, you know?"

Michelle Obama to Become Honorary AKA

Michelle Obama has accepted an honorary membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha, the oldest African-American sorority in the country, the group's president, Barbara A. McKinzie, has announced.
The sorority is celebrating its centennial with a week of celebrations in the District. It was founded at Howard University in 1908, and counts Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and former Washington mayor Sharon Pratt among its members. Eleanor Roosevelt was also an honorary member of the organization, whose membership now stands at more than 200,000.
Obama, with her work as an attorney, healthcare executive, and activist, fits right into the professional network of the sorority.
The induction of the wife of Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, will not take place during this week's convention, McKinzie said. Details have not yet been set.
Among those being inducted tomorrow are Rutgers University basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer and Wangari Muta Maathai, the Kenyan environmental and political activist who is the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Though the organization said she will not be at the ceremony.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dc/2008/07/to_melodyakaaolcom_from_melody.html

Rihanna and Gucci Unite For UNICEF

Gucci and Rihanna love children. In collaboration with the United Nation's Children's Fund, UNICEF, Gucci has enlisted music sensation Rihanna to spearhead the label's first ad campaign with the nonprofit organization."I felt a musician and a beautiful woman was the perfect icon for this campaign" said Gucci's creative director, Frida Giannini.Dubbed, "Tattoo Heart," the ads will feature Rihanna donning Gucci's special-edition products all incorporating a tattoo-style heart designed for UNICEF. "We've come a long way from Miss Bisou to Gucci," said the 20-year-old singer. "It's an honor to represent Gucci."Keep your eyes peeled for the first round of ads set to debut in December magazines. Twenty-five percent of sales will be donated to the UNICEF organization.

Note: Rihanna also talked about adding clothing design to her repertoire stating,"I love fashion, so it's only natural for me to want to create my own line." We'll keep you posted on that one.

Jesse Who, said What, and Why!?!?

HOW much player-hate can fester in one man's heart?
Apparently, quite a lot if you're the Windy City's World-Class Windbag.
Jesse Jackson has spent his entire life in love with the microphone. He knows them intimately.
He's such an aficionado of the mike that Detroit's beloved late mayor, Coleman Young, dismissed one of Jackson's failed vanity bids for the presidency by noting that "all he's ever run is his mouth."
Jackson's claim to have been caught unbeknownst by a "hot mike" slurring and threatening Barack Obama is complete hogwash.
Somewhere, deep down, he wanted the world - and Obama - to know how much he wants to "cut his nuts out."
Veterinarians and doctors talk about cutting nuts "off." Only a thug or a gangster cuts a man's nuts "out."
And Jackson knows better than most the vicious symbolism of castration and its blood-soaked link to lynchings in the Old South.
Nor is this the first time Jackson bared his anger. Last year, when Obama wasn't sufficiently politicizing the beating prosecution of six black teens in Louisiana known as the "Jena Six," Jackson said Obama was "acting white."
What accounts for Jackson's latest animosity toward the Democratic nominee? He said it's because Obama was "talking down to black folks."
In a Father's Day speech, Obama told black churchgoers that a father's responsibility "doesn't just end at conception."
"What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child - any fool can have a child," Obama said. "It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."
Maybe this struck a little too close to home for the Rev. Jackson, who just a few years ago finally owned up to fathering a child outside of his marriage even as he was busy counseling President Bill Clinton on his dalliances with a White House intern.
Perhaps the real reason for Jackson's hatred is that Obama has shown that unifying and uplifting campaigns succeed in American politics where the divisive failed campaigns waged by Jackson become history's footnotes.
And this is where Obama comes out ahead once all the dust settles.
By publicly accepting Jackson's apology, Obama floated above the whole sordid mess.
For everyone watching - especially those blue-collar white voters who were so elusive for him in the primary - this is a powerful reminder that Obama is not cut from the same cloth as the militant race-baiter Jesse Jackson and his ilk.

Charles Hurt is The Post's Washington Bureau chief. churt@nypost.com

Forget the new iPhone... Look out for the Mac Tablet...

This laptop doesn't need a keyboard and very practical for business professionals, artists, and techonology leaders.It features a 13.3 inch widescreen LCD that will enable one to inscribe on the screen with true pen and Handwriting recognition. This laptop will hit the market with all essential features such as internal CD/DVD combo drive, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi capabilities and Global Positioning System.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/01/11/unofficial_mac_tablet_draws_record_crowd_at_macworld_high_res_photos.html

This will be the envy of Christmas shopper everywhere!!!

No He Can't !?!?

Sen. Barack Obama is making it clear that an African-American U.S. senatorial candidate from Georgia has crossed the line by linking the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee to his campaign. In recent days, Vernon Jones, the DeKalb County CEO, released a campaign flier showing him and Obama smiling together; the caption reads: “Yes We Can.” But the Illinois senator is screaming, “No He Can’t!” Obama, speaking to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday, said, “I do not endorse him; I have not endorsed him. He put my picture on his literature, without asking me. Now I will tell you in the southside of Chicago, and I’m assuming here in Georgia, those kinds of things aren’t uncommon. It’s a little less common to do when you’re a U.S. Senate candidate when presumably the scrutiny is a little higher.” Jones, who says he wasn’t trying to trick anybody, mailed thousands of the leaflets, the Journal-Constitution reports. The photo appears to be of himself standing next to Obama in front of a campaign crowd, the newspaper says, while the photo was really a digital compilation of two or more images. “I think he may have come to an event of ours a while back,” Obama said. “The reason I think I may have met him is I know somebody told me as I was shaking his hand that he had taken pride in voting for George Bush twice.” Still, Jones’ spokeswoman says that her candidate is a strong supporter of Obama. “Vernon Jones is a conservative Democrat who holds views consistent with mainstream Georgians, and like Vernon Jones, Sen. Barack Obama kicked off his Georgia campaign in Cobb County,” Jones said Tuesday. He has called the flier a campaign “keepsake piece,” noting that he has been asked to autograph it at campaign stops everywhere. Jones is battling fellow Democrats Dale Cardwell, a former WSB television reporter; Atlanta businessman Rand Knight; former state legislator Jim Martin; and retired businessman Josh Lanier of Statesboro in July 15 primary. They are vying to challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Libertarian Allen Buckley in the November general election. Jones says that “for Sen. Obama to win Georgia, he will need conservative Democrats like myself.” Do you agree with Jones?

TV One to cover Democratic convention -- but not Republican

TCA PRESS TOUR -- Given Barack Obama's historic run for the Oval Office, African American-themed cable network TV One plans to break from its usual entertainment programming to provide extensive coverage of the Democratic National Convention in August.
"This is a huge deal for TV One as it is for the African American community," said Johnathan Rodgers, president and CEO of TV One, a channel in about 40 million homes. "African Americans have fallen in love with Barack Obama’s family, his candidacy … we will be covering the democratic convention all the time."
But John McCain shouldn’t expect the same treatment. The network doesn’t plan any coverage of the Republican convention.
"We are not a news organization," said Rodgers, speaking at the opening session of the semi-annual Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills. "We are a television network designed to celebrate African American achievement."
“My audience is 93% black,” Rogers added. “I serve my audience.”
TV One does have a Republican pundit as part of its convention coverage, comedian Sheryl Underwood. But she’s also voting for Obama.
When critics pressed a panel of TV One’s convention pundits about whether African American republicans will feel slighted, Underwood said, “I speak for all eight of us -- we are not slighted.”
As a cable network, TV One is likely exempt from any equal time access rules. Federal Communications Commission rules state that broadcast networks are required to give equal time to presidential candidates. In 2007, when “Law & Order” actor Fred Thompson entered the race for the Republican nomination, NBC pulled episodes that featured him, but cable network TNT did not pull “L&O” repeats.

-----> After reading I was left with the thought of what if networks with predominantly White demographics (CNN, Fox, etc) didnt cover Obama??? Just a thought..

Wanna Get Rich... Turn off the big city lights...

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - If you want to get rich leave New York City, Washington DC or Los Angeles and head to Plano, Texas, Aurora, Colorado or Omaha, Nebraska where wages are high and life is good, a new survey showed.A poll that ranked 69 U.S. cities with populations of more than 250,000 people showed the best places to build personal wealth and raise a family were in cities where some of the nation’s largest companies are headquartered.The No. 1 city, Plano, is the ninth largest metropolis in Texas and home to corporate headquarters including soft drink company Dr Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo’s snack foods company Frito-Lay and movie theater company Cinemark.“The city has a reputation as one of the best places in the country for employers to do business and for families to live and work. Plano has a nationally acclaimed public education system and well-educated, diverse residents,” Salary.com, a pay and performance web site that conducted the survey, said.Aurora, the third most populous city in Colorado, came in second, according to the survey which said its economy is booming and it is a business leader in key growth industries such as biotechnology, aerospace and high technology.Nebraska’s largest city Omaha, home to famed U.S. investor Warren Buffett, nabbed third place. Buffett, who is the richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine, is often called the “Sage of Omaha” for his successful investments.“With diversification in several industries including banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction, and transpiration, Omaha’s economy has grown dramatically since the 1990’s,” Salary.com explained.New York City came in last, behind Washington DC and Los Angeles.“These cities do have some of the highest average wages in the country, but when it comes time to stretching your dollar and accumulating a nest egg for the future, it is difficult to do in these cities,” Salary.com said.The survey measured the relative value of earnings, cost of living and unemployment rates, along with diversity of industry, education level of the cities’ population, proximity to post secondary institutions, percent of population below poverty level and median travel time to work.

The Seven Deadly Sins Of Social Media

Social media like Facebook, Flickr, and Delicious has been around for a couple of years now and companies are starting to dip a tentative toe into the water. While such courage should be applauded, serious missteps have occurred that embarrass the offending company.
And it is not the courageous steps that have been embarrassing, but the sheer level of assholery with which companies have partaken their social media experiments. Because social media is all about sharing, collaboration, and communication, it is little surprise that folks expressed outrage at the heavy-handed or downright immoral dealings of the companies outlined below.
In this post, I will list five of the deadly sins as outlined by Joseph Jaffe’s speech at the ANA’s Integrated Media Conference and then offer two additional sins of my own.
From Joseph Jaffe:
Faking (Sprint): The phone company released ads in which the CEO offered an email address, giving the opportunity for communication. Instead, a corporate shill auto-responder emails back.
Manipulating (Sony): The maker of the PSP created a fake blog and attempted to manipulate the conversation. They ended up garnering a deserved “golden poop” award.

Controlling (T-Mobile): The phone company sent cease and desist letters to a popular blog for using a color they claim to have trademarked. The blogosphere revolted and T-mobile missed a chance to meaningfully engage with its customers.

Dominating (Target): A blogger was ignored by the retail giant because they felt she didn’t have the clout of traditional media outlets. After the blogger gained more and more attention, Target claimed that their continued silence was based on a lack of adequate staff.

Avoiding (Starbucks): The coffee giant already felt a squeeze from its consumer base, but avoided a fan’s desire to visit every store was passed on. The only response to the fan was one of suspicion.
In these cases, the sin is not that the company was just stupid (though there’s no shortage of that). The sin is that they failed to engage at a pivotal moment with an active community that supported them with their checkbooks. They refused to join the conversation and felt the ramifications.

Here are my two nominations to round out the deadly sins of social media:
Greediness (AP): The Associated Press recently pushed for restrictions on the amount of their content bloggers could cite. In the era of Google juice, link love, and a wealth of online information, the AP chose the path of restriction, as though this greediness would result in keeping all of the information under their roof. It took only 24 hours for the back-peddling to begin and it now appears that they will wisely drop the call for restrictions. They had the opportunity to engage their readership, even empower the bloggers and other outlets who were distributing their content free of charge, but they trotted out the lawyers instead.

Cowardice (Dunkin’ Donuts and Heinz): Dunkin’ Donuts pulled a series of ads after political partisans attacked spokeswoman Rachael Ray’s scarf for looking like a terrorist’s (yes, you read that correctly - a terrorist scarf). Likewise, Heinz pulled an ad deemed by the small-minded to be “unsuitable for children” because the on-running joke throughout the ad ends with two men kissing (cripes, the explanation sounds racier than the actual spot). Instead of giving their customers some credit or engaging in a conversation about the merits of their arguments (or the absurdity of their opponent’s), both companies caved. A conversation was passed up in favor of tucking tail and running.
These examples did not emerge from the company’s social media outreach per se, but they do speak to elements in a new social media economy. When companies are scared to engage their customers, it is a bad sign. All of these examples - Jaffe’s and mine - are based around fear.