Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
A Class Divided Part 1 of 10
This was a class experiment Conducted years ago on the natural but wrong assumptions of other races in America. Great experiment.
What do you all think about the negative annotations that come along with being “Black/Afro,” is it real or just humbug?
Taken from Bossip.com
Black Americans were stereotyped in the early 20th century as joyous, naive, superstitious, and ignorant. By the end of the 20th century, the stereotypes said that they were poor, lazy, ignorant, criminals, and violent, and occasionally ardent adherents of Christianity.
Mulatto Is a mixed-blood male or female. In film, often portrayed as a tragic figure who either intentionally or unintentionally passes for White until they discover they have Negro blood or are discovered by another character to be Black.
Mass media have played and will continue to play a crucial role in the way white Americans perceive African-Americans. As a result of the overwhelming media focus on crime, drug use, gang violence, and other forms of anti-social behavior among African-Americans, the media have fostered a distorted and pernicious public perception of African-Americans.
The history of African-Americans is a centuries old struggle against oppression and discrimination. The media have played a key role in perpetuating the effects of this historical oppression and in contributing to African-Americans’ continuing status as second-class citizens. As a result, white America has suffered from a deep uncertainty as to who African-Americans really are. Despite this racial divide, something indisputably American about African-Americans has raised doubts about the white man’s value system. Indeed, it has also aroused the troubling suspicion that whatever else the true American is, he is also somehow black.
Black Americans were stereotyped in the early 20th century as joyous, naive, superstitious, and ignorant. By the end of the 20th century, the stereotypes said that they were poor, lazy, ignorant, criminals, and violent, and occasionally ardent adherents of Christianity.
Mulatto Is a mixed-blood male or female. In film, often portrayed as a tragic figure who either intentionally or unintentionally passes for White until they discover they have Negro blood or are discovered by another character to be Black.
Mass media have played and will continue to play a crucial role in the way white Americans perceive African-Americans. As a result of the overwhelming media focus on crime, drug use, gang violence, and other forms of anti-social behavior among African-Americans, the media have fostered a distorted and pernicious public perception of African-Americans.
The history of African-Americans is a centuries old struggle against oppression and discrimination. The media have played a key role in perpetuating the effects of this historical oppression and in contributing to African-Americans’ continuing status as second-class citizens. As a result, white America has suffered from a deep uncertainty as to who African-Americans really are. Despite this racial divide, something indisputably American about African-Americans has raised doubts about the white man’s value system. Indeed, it has also aroused the troubling suspicion that whatever else the true American is, he is also somehow black.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Why do Africans dislike African Americans & vice versa???
A: It's due to the misunderstanding of each others cultures. Both African-Americans and black-Africans (because not all Africans are black) have different cultures that sometimes don't agree with each other socially.
AFRICANS VIEW POINT: One of the biggest reasons from the African standpoint of why there is dislike though is that when Africans started coming to America during the 60' or 70's, alot from the African American community were never really welcoming to them; which has been a big complaint by many Africans (there have been cases where some have been taunted, teased, beat up by African Americans). That mind frame not only spread to Africans overseas but ones in Africa (so over the years as more Africans were coming and experiencing this and spreading that view to their community Africans have just learned to permanently distance themsleves from African Americans). Another reason is some Africans have a stereotypical view that African Americans are lazy, into crime, uneducated, uncultured and just surrounded by drama which is untrue for the most part, sad, and stereotypical.
AFRICAN AMERICAN VIEW POINT: One of the biggest reasons from the African American standpoint of why there is dislike for Africans, is some have said that Africans think they are better then African Americans, that Africans act like Uncle Toms, and are mad at them for selling them to slavery. Another reason though is that some African Americans have a stereotypical view that Africans live in the jungle, poor, suffering from starvation and A.I.D.S. which is untrue and stereotypical, and sad. Sometimes these stereotypes have been influenced by the media too from both sides, not only from personal experiences. So for the most part most from each community keep away from each other respectfully, it's sad but thats just the way it is.
AFRICANS VIEW POINT: One of the biggest reasons from the African standpoint of why there is dislike though is that when Africans started coming to America during the 60' or 70's, alot from the African American community were never really welcoming to them; which has been a big complaint by many Africans (there have been cases where some have been taunted, teased, beat up by African Americans). That mind frame not only spread to Africans overseas but ones in Africa (so over the years as more Africans were coming and experiencing this and spreading that view to their community Africans have just learned to permanently distance themsleves from African Americans). Another reason is some Africans have a stereotypical view that African Americans are lazy, into crime, uneducated, uncultured and just surrounded by drama which is untrue for the most part, sad, and stereotypical.
AFRICAN AMERICAN VIEW POINT: One of the biggest reasons from the African American standpoint of why there is dislike for Africans, is some have said that Africans think they are better then African Americans, that Africans act like Uncle Toms, and are mad at them for selling them to slavery. Another reason though is that some African Americans have a stereotypical view that Africans live in the jungle, poor, suffering from starvation and A.I.D.S. which is untrue and stereotypical, and sad. Sometimes these stereotypes have been influenced by the media too from both sides, not only from personal experiences. So for the most part most from each community keep away from each other respectfully, it's sad but thats just the way it is.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sarah Palin Slams Michelle Obama in Racially Charged Passage From New Book
Geoffrey Dunn Award-winning journalist
In passages leaked from her forthcoming book America by Heart, Sarah Palin -- the erstwhile quitter governor of Alaska, who now, by all indications, fancies herself as President of the United States -- has taken another cheap shot at First Lady Michelle Obama.
In a passage on perceptions of racial inequality in the United States, Palin slams President Barack Obama, who, she asserts, "seems to believe" that "America -- at least America as it currently exists -- is a fundamentally unjust and unequal country."
And then she goes after Michelle Obama:
Certainly his wife expressed this view when she said during the 2008 campaign that she had never felt proud of her country until her husband started winning elections. In retrospect, I guess this shouldn't surprise us, since both of them spent almost two decades in the pews of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church listening to his rants against America and white people.
The passage -- coming on page 26 in a chapter entitled "We, the People" -- echoes remarks made by Palin on the eve of the midterm elections, at a rally in San Jose, California, at which point she mocked remarks made by Michelle Obama during the 2008 campaign: "You know, when I hear people say, or had said during the campaign that they've never been proud of America," Palin spat out. "Haven't they met anybody in uniform yet? I get tears in my eyes when I see that young man, that young woman, walking through the airport in uniform...you too... so proud to be American."
In fact, Michelle Obama's remarks were made (in Madison, Wisconsin, during the 2008 campaign) in a context of Americans being "unified around some basic common issues":
What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something--for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction, and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud.
Afterwards, the First Lady further clarified her remarks by noting that she was referencing the "record number" of young voters participating in the political process in the 2008 campaign:
For the first time in my lifetime, I am seeing people rolling up their sleeves in way that I haven't seen and really trying to figure this out, and that's the source of pride I was talking about.
The passages from Palin's latest book first appeared at Palingates, where several other pages from American by Heart have also been posted. Palin followed up her comments about Michelle Obama by throwing an elbow at U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, also focusing on racial overtones:
It also makes sense, then, that the man President Obama made his attorney general, Eric Holder, would call us a "nation of cowards" for failing to come to grips with what he described as the persistence of racism.
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be published by St. Martin's Press in April of 2011. Thanks to Patrick at Palingates for the screen shot.
In passages leaked from her forthcoming book America by Heart, Sarah Palin -- the erstwhile quitter governor of Alaska, who now, by all indications, fancies herself as President of the United States -- has taken another cheap shot at First Lady Michelle Obama.
In a passage on perceptions of racial inequality in the United States, Palin slams President Barack Obama, who, she asserts, "seems to believe" that "America -- at least America as it currently exists -- is a fundamentally unjust and unequal country."
And then she goes after Michelle Obama:
Certainly his wife expressed this view when she said during the 2008 campaign that she had never felt proud of her country until her husband started winning elections. In retrospect, I guess this shouldn't surprise us, since both of them spent almost two decades in the pews of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church listening to his rants against America and white people.
The passage -- coming on page 26 in a chapter entitled "We, the People" -- echoes remarks made by Palin on the eve of the midterm elections, at a rally in San Jose, California, at which point she mocked remarks made by Michelle Obama during the 2008 campaign: "You know, when I hear people say, or had said during the campaign that they've never been proud of America," Palin spat out. "Haven't they met anybody in uniform yet? I get tears in my eyes when I see that young man, that young woman, walking through the airport in uniform...you too... so proud to be American."
In fact, Michelle Obama's remarks were made (in Madison, Wisconsin, during the 2008 campaign) in a context of Americans being "unified around some basic common issues":
What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something--for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction, and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud.
Afterwards, the First Lady further clarified her remarks by noting that she was referencing the "record number" of young voters participating in the political process in the 2008 campaign:
For the first time in my lifetime, I am seeing people rolling up their sleeves in way that I haven't seen and really trying to figure this out, and that's the source of pride I was talking about.
The passages from Palin's latest book first appeared at Palingates, where several other pages from American by Heart have also been posted. Palin followed up her comments about Michelle Obama by throwing an elbow at U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, also focusing on racial overtones:
It also makes sense, then, that the man President Obama made his attorney general, Eric Holder, would call us a "nation of cowards" for failing to come to grips with what he described as the persistence of racism.
Award-winning writer and filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn's book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power will be published by St. Martin's Press in April of 2011. Thanks to Patrick at Palingates for the screen shot.
Friday, November 5, 2010
President Obama's accomplishments so far.
Require health insurance plans to disclose how much of the premium actually goes to patient care.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
Added 4.6 billion USD to the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals
http://www4.va.gov/budget/products.asp
Significantly increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act
http://www.justice.gov/jmd/2010summary/html/ovw-bud-summary.htm
Lifted restrictions granting Cuban Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103030021
Eliminated subsidies to private lender middlemen of student loans and protect student borrowers.
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/college-planning/the-health-care-bill-and-your-student-loans/?print=1
Increased funding for national parks and forests by 10%
http://www.npca.org/media_center/press_releases/2009/park_funding_102909.html
Significantly expanded Pell grants, which help low-income students pay for college
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
Expanded hate crime law in the US to include sexual orientation through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
http://www.hrc.org/13699.htm
Provided stimulus funding to boost private sector spaceflight programs.
http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/?p=458
Appointed nation's first Chief Technology Officer.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp
Signed financial reform law establishing a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to look out for the interests of everyday Americans.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law requiring lenders to verify applicants' credit history, income, and employment status.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law prohibiting banks from engaging in proprietary trading (trading the bank's own money to turn a profit, often in conflict with their customers' interests)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law allowing shareholders of publicly traded companies to vote on executive pay.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Cut prescription drug cost for medicare recipients by 50%.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4872&tab=summary
Provided $12.2 Billion in new funding for Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/factsheet/idea.html
Extended Benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-extension-benefits-same-sex-domestic-partners-federal-emplo
Appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in US history.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/26/obama-has-appointed-most-us-gay-officials/
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009: a $789 billion economic stimulus plan.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ5/pdf/PLAW-111publ5.pdf
Created more private sector jobs in 2010 than during entire Bush years.
http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/10/08/its-official-more-private-sector-jobs-created-in-2010-than-during-entire-bush-years/
Voluntary disclosure of White House visitors for the first time in US history.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/visitor-records
Appointed first Latina to the US Supreme Court.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104648062
Promoted social responsibility through creation of serve.gov, a national database of volunteer opportunities.
http://www.serve.gov/
Reversed 'global gag rule', allowing US aid to go to organizations regardless of whether they provide abortions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/23/barack-obama-foreign-abortion-aid
Signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, giving the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco for the first time.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1256enr.txt.pdf
Signed New START Treaty - nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/europe/09prexy.html?_r=1
Increased average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg to 35.5mpg, starting in 2016.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040101412.html
Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Ledbetter_Fair_Pay_Act_of_2009
Provided travel expenses to families of fallen soldiers to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/pentagon-will-help-families/
Reversed the policy of barring media coverage during the return of fallen soldiers to Dover Air Force Base.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7986203.stm
Launched recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, providing transparency and allowing the public to report fraud, waste, or abuse.
http://recovery.gov
Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America's Veterans.
http://www4.va.gov/budget/products.asp
Signed the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which provides health care to 11 million kids -- 4 million of whom were previously uninsured.
http://themiddleclass.org/bill/children039s-health-insurance-program-reauthorization-act-2009
Repealed Bush era restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/09/obama-administration-stem-cell-funding
Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis.
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4506337/apps/s/content.asp?ct=6866203
Developed stimulus package, which includes approx. $18 billion for nondefense scientific research and development.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/science/18sfstimulus.html
Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_Systems_Acquisition_Reform_Act_of_2009
Issued executive order to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html
Ended Bush administration's CIA program of 'enhanced interrogation methods' by requiring that the Army field manual be used as the guide for terrorism interrogations.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html
Increased minority access to capital.
http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/news_release_09-58.pdf
Health Care Reform Bill, preventing insurance companies from denying insurance because of a pre-existing condition.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
There are plenty more. Our President is working tirelessly to help out our country. What are you doing to help out your country?
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
Added 4.6 billion USD to the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals
http://www4.va.gov/budget/products.asp
Significantly increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act
http://www.justice.gov/jmd/2010summary/html/ovw-bud-summary.htm
Lifted restrictions granting Cuban Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103030021
Eliminated subsidies to private lender middlemen of student loans and protect student borrowers.
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/college-planning/the-health-care-bill-and-your-student-loans/?print=1
Increased funding for national parks and forests by 10%
http://www.npca.org/media_center/press_releases/2009/park_funding_102909.html
Significantly expanded Pell grants, which help low-income students pay for college
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
Expanded hate crime law in the US to include sexual orientation through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
http://www.hrc.org/13699.htm
Provided stimulus funding to boost private sector spaceflight programs.
http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/?p=458
Appointed nation's first Chief Technology Officer.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp
Signed financial reform law establishing a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to look out for the interests of everyday Americans.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law requiring lenders to verify applicants' credit history, income, and employment status.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law prohibiting banks from engaging in proprietary trading (trading the bank's own money to turn a profit, often in conflict with their customers' interests)
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Signed financial reform law allowing shareholders of publicly traded companies to vote on executive pay.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008835-503544.html
Cut prescription drug cost for medicare recipients by 50%.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4872&tab=summary
Provided $12.2 Billion in new funding for Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/factsheet/idea.html
Extended Benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-extension-benefits-same-sex-domestic-partners-federal-emplo
Appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in US history.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/26/obama-has-appointed-most-us-gay-officials/
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009: a $789 billion economic stimulus plan.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ5/pdf/PLAW-111publ5.pdf
Created more private sector jobs in 2010 than during entire Bush years.
http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/10/08/its-official-more-private-sector-jobs-created-in-2010-than-during-entire-bush-years/
Voluntary disclosure of White House visitors for the first time in US history.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/visitor-records
Appointed first Latina to the US Supreme Court.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104648062
Promoted social responsibility through creation of serve.gov, a national database of volunteer opportunities.
http://www.serve.gov/
Reversed 'global gag rule', allowing US aid to go to organizations regardless of whether they provide abortions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/23/barack-obama-foreign-abortion-aid
Signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, giving the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco for the first time.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1256enr.txt.pdf
Signed New START Treaty - nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/europe/09prexy.html?_r=1
Increased average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg to 35.5mpg, starting in 2016.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040101412.html
Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Ledbetter_Fair_Pay_Act_of_2009
Provided travel expenses to families of fallen soldiers to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/pentagon-will-help-families/
Reversed the policy of barring media coverage during the return of fallen soldiers to Dover Air Force Base.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7986203.stm
Launched recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, providing transparency and allowing the public to report fraud, waste, or abuse.
http://recovery.gov
Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America's Veterans.
http://www4.va.gov/budget/products.asp
Signed the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which provides health care to 11 million kids -- 4 million of whom were previously uninsured.
http://themiddleclass.org/bill/children039s-health-insurance-program-reauthorization-act-2009
Repealed Bush era restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/09/obama-administration-stem-cell-funding
Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis.
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4506337/apps/s/content.asp?ct=6866203
Developed stimulus package, which includes approx. $18 billion for nondefense scientific research and development.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/science/18sfstimulus.html
Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_Systems_Acquisition_Reform_Act_of_2009
Issued executive order to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html
Ended Bush administration's CIA program of 'enhanced interrogation methods' by requiring that the Army field manual be used as the guide for terrorism interrogations.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html
Increased minority access to capital.
http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/news_release_09-58.pdf
Health Care Reform Bill, preventing insurance companies from denying insurance because of a pre-existing condition.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/obama-signs-bill-on-student-loans-health-care/
There are plenty more. Our President is working tirelessly to help out our country. What are you doing to help out your country?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Microsoft Kinect gets official, Video Chat announced. By Tim Stevens posted Jun 13th 2010 11:29PM
You knew it was coming, right? Hot on the heels of getting leaked a wee bit early Microsoft has made official the rebadging of a device desperately seeking a new name: "Project Natal" is no more, replaced by Microsoft Kinect. At a circus- and celebrity-filled affair, MS wrapped everyone in high-tech panchos (pictured after the break courtesy of Joystiq) and then took the wraps off of the new title. Quite a few game demos were shown, ranging from Star Wars to tiger petting, the Kinect interface to the Dashboard was shown (said by some to be Minority Report-like), and a video chat app called, wait for it, Video Chat. Through here you can naturally talk to friends (up to four total people at once was "shown"), and also share photos.
Sadly, no hands-on time was given nor did MS reveal the two crucial bits of information we're waiting for: price and date. Naturally a holiday release is expected, to give the Xbox 360 a nice sales boost, but we're hearing price rumors as high as $150. These choice bits of intel will surely be unveiled at Microsoft's event tomorrow -- if someone doesn't beat 'em to it. The hardware is still looking exactly like the early picture above, shattering hopes of a slimmer design to match new Slim Xbox 360.
Update: We've got official photos now, though solid textual info is still scarce. Stand by!
Update 2: So we're out of the wild, cult-like experience that was Microsoft's Kinect unveiling. Microsoft still has a lot of details to reveal, but there are a few things we gleaned from watching the demos:
•Almost everything was one person at a time, particularly in the Kinect Sports games. Even a game like beach volleyball or soccer was boiled down to individual "moments" of interaction that get strung together into some sort of competition. Even the running in place games were one at a time, though the river rafting and mining cart games (both with a similar mechanic of jumping and ducking through an obstacle course while picking up tokens) could be played with two people at a time. You can at least play games like volleyball simultaneously with someone else over Xbox Live.
•An interesting mechanic we saw was a second player "jumping in" to a game. In the mining cart scenario, when the second player jumped in it immediately went split screen, while in soccer different players took turns by just jumping into position. Sure, some of this stuff was edited for our benefit, but it seems Microsoft is working to make the introduction of a second player or the switching between players something less button-heavy.
•The Star Wars game was pretty badass-looking -- you play a Jedi, rushing down stormtroopers and deflecting laser bolts left and right, wielding a few Force powers, and confronting a certain deep-voiced Sith Lord for a one-on-one duel. Based on the gestures and action we saw, though, it was a pretty heavily scripted experience. Still, there's no scripting a two-handed light saber grip, and that particular action looked like everything we've ever wanted in a Star Wars game.
•The yoga game is actually a pretty smart use of the infrared and joint detection software we espied previously. Positions were "checked" by points on the joint -- making it certainly harder to fake the moves on Wii Fit -- and it seemed to have a tai chi element to it. Your avatar glowed a more intense red based on your three-dimensional approximation -- bright red for hands stretched forward, for example.
•Next up: Kinectimals, a baby tiger pet simulator. You can scratch its ears, snuggle, and teach the little guy to jump and play dead. Adorable? Dangerously so. No one can tell us the developer, but based on the lighting effects, art style, and similarities to the previously-shown Milo, we'd wager a guess that it was Lionhead Studios.
•The Kinect menu interface is about as simple as could be. You wave your hand to control a glowing cursor of sorts, and you push forward to "click" on the element you want. Of course, there's also a very simplified version of the Dashboard to go along with this control mechanism, so it's unclear if you'll be able to do everything via subtle hand waves, but the Twitter, Facebook, Zune and Netflix icons were clearly present.
•The MTV Games-developed Dance Central has some on staff divided -- only Ross will actually admit to being interested in playing it. A series of dance moves are presented, including elbow jabs, swinging leg, guitar, "rocking out" (with your hand in the air). The art style is akin to Rock Band / Guitar Hero, and to be fair, this is probably one of those games that can't be done as well on any other console.
New Xbox 360 gets official at $299, shipping today, looks angular and ominous. By Nilay Patel posted Jun 14th 2010 4:12PM
Xbox 360 250GB
Xbox 360 is fully loaded with new features and still comes with everything you know and love. Here's a feature list to make sure you don't miss any of the newest Xbox 360 250GB parts.
Form Factor: Sleek, lean and gloss black finish with chrome accents. Place vertically or horizontally in any living room entertainment center.
Touch Sensitive Buttons: Turn the Xbox 360 video game system on/off and eject a disc with the swipe of a finger.
Whisper Quiet: Whether you're playing a DVD disc or from the hard drive, or navigating the dashboard, with the all-new and much quieter Xbox 360, the only noise you'll hear is your own laughing, cheering and playing.
Wi-Fi: Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for fast, easy connection to your friends and entertainment on Xbox LIVE.
Hard Drive: 250GB internal, swappable hard drive for even more storage. To access, remove the bottom panel by pushing the small tab toward the front of the console.
Kinect-Ready: Custom Kinect port on the back of the console that directly hooks up to the Kinect sensor for controller-free fun.
USB Slots: Five USB ports; three in the back of the console and two in the front for easy plug and play.
AV Connections:
AV Cable included for standard definition TV connnection.
HDMI port for high definition TV connection.
Optical Audio out port integrated on back of console for AV system connection.
Power Supply: Smaller and more efficient. Xbox 360 250GB and Xbox 360 Original power supplies are not interchangeable.
Wireless Controller: The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller matches the console in all black with color-matched thumsticks and directional pad with a touch of gloss and chrome to complete the look.
Backwards Compatible. Your favorite accessories and games will work with Xbox 360 250GB. (Xbox 360 External Hard Drives and Memory Units are not compatible.)
Accessories. Customize your Xbox 360 250GB with matching black accessories, including favorites such as Controllers, Wireless Headset, Chatpad, Quick Charge and Play & Charge Kits and more. Get a look at a few of these today.
Key Internal Components Changes:
Fan: Moved from two small fans to one larger fan for improved acoustics.
Chipset: 45 nanometer and integrated CPU and GPU.
Wi-Fi: Integrated wireless capability.
Thanks for the scoop Engadget
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Obama vs. McCain - Dance Off! Special guest appearance by Sarah Palin!
No matter how many times I watch this video, it makes me laugh every last time. Enjoy.
President Obama and Jay Leno at White House Correspondents Dinner
This is President Obama at the Correspondents Dinner 2010. He is a natural comedian. Click on name for video. Enjoy.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Racism defined
Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain segregated and apart from one another.
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.
During the past 500-1000 years, racism on the part of Western powers toward non-Westerners has had a far more significant impact on history than any other form of racism (such as racism among Western groups or among Easterners, such as Asians, Africans, and others). The most notorious example of racism by the West has been slavery, particularly the enslavement of Africans in the New World (slavery itself dates back thousands of years). This enslavement was accomplished because of the racist belief that Black Africans were less fully human than white Europeans and their descendants.
This belief was not "automatic": that is, Africans were not originally considered inferior. When Portuguese sailors first explored Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries, they came upon empires and cities as advanced as their own, and they considered Africans to be serious rivals. Over time, though, as African civilizations failed to match the technological advances of Europe, and the major European powers began to plunder the continent and forcibly remove its inhabitants to work as slave laborers in new colonies across the Atlantic, Africans came to be seen as a deficient "species," as "savages." To an important extent, this view was necessary to justify the slave trade at a time when Western culture had begun to promote individual rights and human equality. The willingness of some Africans to sell other Africans to European slave traders also led to claims of savagery, based on the false belief that the "dark people" were all kinsmen, all part of one society - as opposed to many different, sometimes warring nations.
One important feature of racism, especially toward Blacks and immigrant groups, is clear in attitudes regarding slaves and slavery. Jews are usually seen by anti-Semites as subhuman but also superhuman: devilishly cunning, skilled, and powerful. Blacks and others are seen by racists as merely subhuman, more like beasts than men. If the focus of anti-Semitism is evil, the focus of racism is inferiority -- directed toward those who have sometimes been considered to lack even the ability to be evil (though in the 20th century, especially, victims of racism are often considered morally degraded).
In the second half of the 19th century, Darwinism, the decline of Christian belief, and growing immigration were all perceived by many white Westerners as a threat to their cultural control. European and, to a lesser degree, American scientists and philosophers devised a false racial "science" to "prove" the supremacy of non-Jewish whites. While the Nazi annihilation of Jews discredited most of these supposedly scientific efforts to elevate one race over another, small numbers of scientists and social scientists have continued throughout the 20th century to argue the inborn shortcomings of certain races, especially Blacks. At the same time, some public figures in the American Black community have championed the supremacy of their own race and the inferiority of whites - using nearly the identical language of white racists.
All of these arguments are based on a false understanding of race; in fact, contemporary scientists are not agreed on whether race is a valid way to classify people. What may seem to be significant "racial" differences to some people - skin color, hair, facial shape - are not of much scientific significance. In fact, genetic differences within a so-called race may be greater than those between races. One philosopher writes: "There are few genetic characteristics to be found in the population of England that are not found in similar proportions in Zaire or in China….those differences that most deeply affect us in our dealings with each other are not to any significant degree biologically determined."
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another or the belief that another person is less than human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.
During the past 500-1000 years, racism on the part of Western powers toward non-Westerners has had a far more significant impact on history than any other form of racism (such as racism among Western groups or among Easterners, such as Asians, Africans, and others). The most notorious example of racism by the West has been slavery, particularly the enslavement of Africans in the New World (slavery itself dates back thousands of years). This enslavement was accomplished because of the racist belief that Black Africans were less fully human than white Europeans and their descendants.
This belief was not "automatic": that is, Africans were not originally considered inferior. When Portuguese sailors first explored Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries, they came upon empires and cities as advanced as their own, and they considered Africans to be serious rivals. Over time, though, as African civilizations failed to match the technological advances of Europe, and the major European powers began to plunder the continent and forcibly remove its inhabitants to work as slave laborers in new colonies across the Atlantic, Africans came to be seen as a deficient "species," as "savages." To an important extent, this view was necessary to justify the slave trade at a time when Western culture had begun to promote individual rights and human equality. The willingness of some Africans to sell other Africans to European slave traders also led to claims of savagery, based on the false belief that the "dark people" were all kinsmen, all part of one society - as opposed to many different, sometimes warring nations.
One important feature of racism, especially toward Blacks and immigrant groups, is clear in attitudes regarding slaves and slavery. Jews are usually seen by anti-Semites as subhuman but also superhuman: devilishly cunning, skilled, and powerful. Blacks and others are seen by racists as merely subhuman, more like beasts than men. If the focus of anti-Semitism is evil, the focus of racism is inferiority -- directed toward those who have sometimes been considered to lack even the ability to be evil (though in the 20th century, especially, victims of racism are often considered morally degraded).
In the second half of the 19th century, Darwinism, the decline of Christian belief, and growing immigration were all perceived by many white Westerners as a threat to their cultural control. European and, to a lesser degree, American scientists and philosophers devised a false racial "science" to "prove" the supremacy of non-Jewish whites. While the Nazi annihilation of Jews discredited most of these supposedly scientific efforts to elevate one race over another, small numbers of scientists and social scientists have continued throughout the 20th century to argue the inborn shortcomings of certain races, especially Blacks. At the same time, some public figures in the American Black community have championed the supremacy of their own race and the inferiority of whites - using nearly the identical language of white racists.
All of these arguments are based on a false understanding of race; in fact, contemporary scientists are not agreed on whether race is a valid way to classify people. What may seem to be significant "racial" differences to some people - skin color, hair, facial shape - are not of much scientific significance. In fact, genetic differences within a so-called race may be greater than those between races. One philosopher writes: "There are few genetic characteristics to be found in the population of England that are not found in similar proportions in Zaire or in China….those differences that most deeply affect us in our dealings with each other are not to any significant degree biologically determined."
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Iraq War Veterans coming back home!
This is how some of our troops are coming back from Iraq. Some people have said that there is no such thing as a veteran living on the street. America knows better than to think that. You might not agree with the war, but if you are a true American you should always support the troops. Thank them when you see them. It goes a long ways.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Finish Strong
Let's go Who Dat Nation. We have to Finish Strong. Who Dat!!!!! Thank you New Orleans Saints for the wonderful season and the memories.
God of War III
Mark it on your calendar friends. Sony has posted March 16, 2010 on their calendar for the release date of God of War III. Kratos will return to take on Zeus and the gods of Greek mythology. I might have to call in sick that day. 
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
America loves Haiti except for Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh
All around America people are coming together to help with the Haiti crisis.
Americans can be so beautiful when we want to be. Now for the ugly side of America.
Rush Limbaugh is the most ignorant handicapped drug using servant of the devil. A
special place awaits you upon your passing away from this life. We will second line
for you when you leave. You are ignorance personified.
Next up: Pat Robertson- Where in your bible does it say to judge your fellow man
the way you do? That must be in the remixed edition of the bible. Christians
judging Muslims, Jews, gays, and minorities. That is how wars get started. Keep your
judgment to yourself. Pat you will be judged one day. It won't be pretty. May
God/Yahweh/Allah have mercy on your wretched soul.
Americans can be so beautiful when we want to be. Now for the ugly side of America.
Rush Limbaugh is the most ignorant handicapped drug using servant of the devil. A
special place awaits you upon your passing away from this life. We will second line
for you when you leave. You are ignorance personified.
Next up: Pat Robertson- Where in your bible does it say to judge your fellow man
the way you do? That must be in the remixed edition of the bible. Christians
judging Muslims, Jews, gays, and minorities. That is how wars get started. Keep your
judgment to yourself. Pat you will be judged one day. It won't be pretty. May
God/Yahweh/Allah have mercy on your wretched soul.
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