Welcome to the Nazi Kangaroo Court (Formerly Known as the United States Supreme Court)

On the day that I learn that the great visionary Coretta Scott King has passed on, I also learn that Samuel Alito- that great defender of abortion rights and civil rights- has been voted in to become Associate Justice of the United States. And you know what this means.

Can you say "rights being taken away"? A woman's right to choose, severely restricted, if not taken away outright. Affirmative Action, drastically reduced. There's another reason that flags are lowered to half staff this day. It's because we're witnessing the beginning of the death of our civil liberties. And I'm afraid that's what our el presidente wants to see happen. He says that it's all in the name of protecting the United States from terrorist attacks. But I think that Bush the Younger has a more evil agenda in the two years that he has left in his administration. He wants to turn this country into a Christianized version of Islamic countries. Where gays and lesbians are forced back into the closet; where African-Americans- such as this blog's author- and persons of other races (other than European/white/Caucasian/Aryan- have their civil rights severely restricted, if not outrtight stripped away. Where dissent means a trip to the gas chambers.

I know that I'm going to extremes here, but President Bush got what he wanted- a court that's more to his narrow-minded, nearly (if not completely) bigoted way of thinking. I guess I'm interested in seeing how things turn out over the next few years. The decisions will impact my own- on whether I remain a native-born American citizen, or a European one (thanks to the recent election in Canada, I'm no longer holding out much hope for our neighbors up north. This new prime minister elect, Stephen Harper, sounds like he's trying to get a bit too cozy with Little Adolf ). Which means that soon, Canada will become an extended part of the United States-George W. Bush era. Oh, Canada, look what you're about to get yourselves into.

Remembering Coretta Scott King 1927-2006

Last night, we lost an important figure in the Civil Rights movement.

Coretta Scott King walked alongside her husband, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the formative years of the movement. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s , she helped break down laws of segregation, and bigotry. She picked up work her husband's work upon his assassination 38 years ago this April. During the intervening years, she also fought for the rights of gays and lesbians.

Mrs. King suffered a stroke in August 2005. She died in Mexico, at the age of 78.

I'll have more on the life of this remarkable woman later in this blog, and in my other blog, "The Week in Brief: Week 5 in Brief", which will be published next Monday.

How My Chocolate Got Bitter

I hate to say this about a fellow brotha' man (I know, I normally don't stoop down to using Ebonics, despite the fact that I'm African-American, but I couldn't pass this opportunity up...anyway...), but New Orleans mayor C. Ray Nagin made a major boo-boo when he said that he wanted New Orleans to be a 'chocolate city'. As we well know, New Orleans was over 66% black before Katrina decided to work for the Ku Klux Klan, and run a lot of the black population out- if the bitch hasn't already killed it first. Since then, most of the returning residents are white, so apparently the Klan hurricane machine did its' job (tounge in cheek comments mine, kids...).



Clarence, Clarence, oh, Clarence. Why must you do this to us?

Yesterday, on Martin Luther King, Jr Day, Nagin made the comment that New Orleans will be a 'chocolate city' again. Of course, he said this in front of a majority black crowd, making one wonder if this was a Nation of Islam rally, as opposed to a political rally.

Nagin later apologized for the comment, but many see the comments as racist- at worse.

A lot of white folks voted for him in 2002- I know. I was in New Orleans during the mayoral campaign, where he competed against then-Polioce Superintendent Richard Pennington; and Louisiana state representative Paulette Irons; and pastor Leonard Lucas. He won, largely due to the white vote. But now, Nagin seems to be burning bridges- and not just in the white segment of the New Orleans population. Before Katrina struck, the black community complained that he was ignoring them (during the mayoral campaign, one radio ad even suggested that Mr. Nagin should change his name to 'Ray Reagan'- due to his support, however alledged, of President Bush).

Nagin should watch his words if he intends to lead New Orleans during this year's mayoral campaign. Four candidates- all white- think they can bridge the city together. It's up to Nagin to prove that he's a builder, not a destructor.

DAMN! Will the Macintosh People EVER Stop Thinking?

I went to the Apple Computer website- as promised- to take a look at the new products. And boy, am I excited over what Steve Jobs has brought forth.

The first Macs with the Intel processors were released today at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. On the desktop side, the ever venerable iMac; on the laptop side, the new Mac Book Pro (I've checked to see if it will succeed the PowerBook line. No word on that yet...). The iMac with the new Intel Core Duo processor should be in stores any day now; the Mac Book Pro- also with Intel Core Duo- arrives next month. Apple also updated the iLife and iWork software programs (iLife '06, and iWork '06).

This is indeed Apple's year to shine. I know, I sound like a gushing, screaming Beatles fan on the "Ed Sullivan Show" (most of y'all are too young to even remember him...), but whenever Apple brings out new products, I can't help but to get excited over the news. Sure, the initial excitement will wear off, but I doubt very seriously that my enthusiasm for Apple will die down anytime soon. Given the fact that I've been stuck using Windows for way too long. I'm in the market for a Mac, and I have my sights on the Mac BookPro. Of course, I'll read the reviews before shelling out the $1999 the lower end model costs (the higher end, just $500 more), but I have a very good feeling that the Mac BookPro and I will hit it off just fine.

I'll talk more later on matters Mac.

What Does Steve Jobs Have Up His Sleeve?

In the thirty years that Apple Computer has been in existence, there has been one constant: Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO. From the formation of Apple in 1976, to the creation of Macintosh in 1984, to the iMac in 1998; to the iPod in 2001, Jobs had a hand in every single creation. Hands-on. At times, tempermental, but nonetheless, Steven Paul Jobs (who turns 51 next month).

Another constant: the mystery of Steve Jobs. Everytime a new product from Apple comes out, Jobs keeps the release details under tight wraps (some may say, too damn tight..."Uh, Steve-O, can we get a little breathing room, please?").

Today is the first day of the Macworld Conference and Expo- San Francisco (at the Moscone Center). Tuesday, Jobs will give the Keynote address (9:00AM Pacific; 12 Noon Eastern), and with this comes major anticipation. What new products will Apple release? Will Apple release anything at all? (Likely, the former question will be answered, negating the latter).

Already, there is speculation- and it's just that!- that Apple will release updated versions of the PowerBook G4 and iBook G4 lines. Some are saying that the first Macs with Intel will be released (okay, so Intel's no longer using the "Intel Inside" slogan, instead using the new "Leap Ahead"). Others are saying that Apple may release a sub-notebook (again, with 'intel inside'...sorry, can't help that...).

Myself, I'm crossing my fingers, holding my breath- albeit with breaks to inhale and exhale. Just wondering what Apple comes up with. This is important to me, because right now, I'm in the market for a Mac (which means that I won't be typing this on the yucky Windows OS too much longer...).

I'll have the details Tuesday afternoon, here at this blog, alexthegrinch.blogspot.com

Copyright 2006, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

The Tragedy at Sago Mine- Thanks to the Media

Be sure to give the majority of the media a thank you note.
By turning off your TVs or radios. Fox News may be the exception, but please, by all means, boycott the other major players- the CBS's; the ABC's...etc.

The families of those lost in the Sago mine explosion in Tallmansville, West Virginia early Monday morning had every reason to believe that their loved ones were alive. After all, the rumors that there were 12 survivors spread like a Texas wildfire out of control. As we all know, the families jumped for joy, thanking the God in Heaven for such a miracle. Then, of course, came the truth several hours later. And it was seemingly as if that same Jehovah/Allah God decided to say a mighty "I was just fucking with you", just as She/He was ripping the families' hearts out. Yes, the families lashed out at the people who operated the mine-Mine Owner International Group, and its' CEO Ben Hatfield. But it's not the mine group's fault for what was faulty news.

The blame lies solely with the media.

Now, to their credit, the newspapers and TV/radio outlets on the West Coast put the truth on their front pages, and on their newscasts, respectively. But the other papers- published mainly on the east coast- got conflicting reports, saying that the 12 had survived in the papers, yet on TV and radio, they're goners. "Who's right? Who's wrong?", our east coast friends asked .

The sad truth is that the media that we turn to for news and information has, instead, turned into the equivalent of the 'National Enquirer' or 'Star' (or worse, 'Weekly World News'. You know, the freaks known for "Bat Boy is Pregnant", etc...). What the reporters should have done is just waited until the truth of the matter came out. Yes, the families still would have grieved, but at least they would have been spared the rude roller coaster that they've endured over the 48-plus hour period awaiting word of their now deceased- save for one- loved ones.