on the dig

The U.S. Senate has given a thumbs-up to a new bill that gives the powers-that-be power to restrict cigarette use and advertising.  This is not a new idea, but this time it looks like it might work.  If the bill is approved today cigarette smoking will hopefully come to a gradual end. Wishing thinking I…

88 year-old James von Bronn walked into the Holocaust Memorial Museum yesterday with a .22 caliber rifle and opened fire on security guards, visitors and children.  I, for one, am heartbroken and livid.  Von Bronn hated Jews, he hated Blacks; he made racist comments on every anti-human site in cybersphere. Why wasn’t this lunatic monitored?…

So I just returned from the 10th Annual Hollywood Black Film Festival in Beverly Hills, California.  The HBFF is Tanya Kersey’s grand attempt to bring African-American filmmakers together, educate them and expose them to the industry. It’s also her way of providing emerging filmmakers with the support and focus some may be lacking.  I was…

The killings of albinos in Tanzania have made international news for the last year.  People have been seeking out Albinos, killing them and then selling their body parts to traditional healers aka “witch doctors”.  Allegedly the body parts of albinos are used in a potion that promises prosperity and good fortune.  The potion is said…

David Carradine was an amazing actor.  From the TV series Kung Fu to Kill Bill, the talented actor sustained a career and a canon of integrity.  Yesterday 72 year-old actor was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room.  His face and genitals were tied with curtain cords.  The original announcement was that Carradine died from…

Connecticut has jumped on the so-sorry-slaves bandwagon. The state joins Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, New Jersey, Florida and Maryland in the need to apologize for economic and human exploitation.  Connecticut Senator Toni Harp feels the apology is a step forward in elevating American consciousness, but she advises:  there will be no reparations.  Interpretation:  don’t get…

I saw Borat. I liked Borat. In fact, Borat made me laugh, sometimes. Especially the scene where he asks his dinner host to show him how to use toilet paper.  Hilarious!  But Sacha Baron Cohen’s new creation, Bruno, is looking for trouble. Oh I’m not talking about him flying into the MTV Movie Awards and…

Yesterday a Facebook friend updated his page with the words Ivan Van Sertima. I thought he was just dropping knowledge; I didn’t know he was paying homage.  Afrocentric anthropologist and historian Ivan Van Sertima died on May 25.  He had suffered with Alzheimer’s disease. I discovered Van Sertima during a lecture at the University of…

I’m sure you’ve heard the latest.  Spike Lee compared Tyler Perry’s work to Amos n Andy.  During an interview at the 14th Annual Black Enterprise Conference Spike Lee had a few things to say about the black consumer and the black image.  In so many words Spike told Ed Gordon: Black folks love to see…

Yes, the state of economy is frightening.  Yes, recent college grads are pulling out hairs trying to figure out how to pay back student loans and launch careers.  And yes, this year 35, 000 grads applied for Teach for America—that national corps of America’s most promising leaders who go into the ‘Hood and provide educational…