What is the meaning or definition of the word racism? The dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Typically, in our society we view racism as showing favor or preference to one race over another. In practice however, depending on the practitioner, it can be vastly different. I will spend the next few paragraphs describing some of these differences.
I am what you would consider your average white male. I am a Christian, and a political Conservative. In the warped, twisted, and deluded minds of some this automatically makes me and others like me racists. My political and religious beliefs do not match up with those of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. For this reason, I do not support and will not be voting for them come November. It has to do with ideology , not race or gender.
Yet, the mere fact that I oppose Obama based on the views he holds and expresses, and not based on the color of his skin, automatically makes me a racist in the eyes of his supporters. The truth, which is foreign concept to these people, is that there several people of color that I would eagerly support if they ran for president; J.C. Watts, Clarence Thomas, Dr. Walter E. Williams just to name a few. What I find interesting and very revealing is that no one who supports Hillary Clinton automatically labels me and others like me who oppose her as sexists. As with Obama, my opposition to Sinister Clinton is based on her views, her agenda, and her track record, not on her gender. I would love to have a woman president some day, just not THAT woman.
Now enter the black so-called leaders who are calling for rioting in the streets if the Democrat Super-Delegates make Hillary the nominee instead of Obama. Apparently they think that his blackness automatically entitles him to be president and for anyone to oppose him or to deny him what they believe is rightfully his is a grave injustice that can only be rectified through violent protests. You know who I’m talking about, the usual suspects. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and their ilk.
Back in the first paragraph, did we not define racism as preferring one race over another? If that is right and if Mirriam Webster defined the term correctly, then it looks to me like the REAL racists are the Obama supporters who will incite violence if their boy doesn’t get the nomination. They are a disgrace to their cause and to the people they claim to represent. They are a disgrace to the Democrat party and to America.
Well it's about time!! The U.S. government is hurrying to complete construction of the security fence along our Southern border before our new president takes office after the November election. This probably a good stategery since neither Clinton, Obama, or least of all McCain, will do anything about the ever increasing problem of illegal immigration.
Don't forget, the so-called "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill" which effectively gave amnesty and a free pass to all illegal immigrants, was co-authored by none other than Republican candidate John McCain. His plan called for treating illegals as "guest workers", and not the law breakers they are. Thankfully, the American people were smart enough to see through the lies and the political spin and expressd their disgust and outrage, and this turkey of a bill went down in flames. Better the bill crash and burn than our country.
It is sadly inevitable that we will be stuck with one these criminal immigrant friendly morons as our next president. That is why we need to get this border fence done ASAP. Heaven knows none of those three will so much as lift a finger to secure our borders or protect our national sovereignty and security.
I have always been one of the harshest critics of Child Protective Service, or CPS. Time after time they act as though they think things like spanking are much more heinous crimes than sexual assault. They have removed children from their parents based on nothing more than a phone call from a meddling busybody reporting that the parents spank their kids. In moments, an armed SWAT team arrives on the scene and forcibly steals the child from his or her parents. While at the same time, a child can make an outcry of sexual abuse, a CPS approved counselor confirms that the claim is legitimate, and a doctor confirms there are physical signs of abuse, but CPS refuses to act citing a lack of evidence.
That being established, they (CPS) got it right when they removed 463 children from the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a polygamist compound in El DoradoTexas. Even though it now appears that the call that prompted the raid was a hoax, the conditions fond by the investigators not only warranted, but justified the kids’ removal. Anytime you find girls as young as 12 or 13 being forced to marry grown men and forced to father their children, something has to be done! And it was.
I still will evaluate CPS on a case-by-case basis. When they get it right, I will give them the credit they deserve. When they mess up, I will take them to task as always. As a father, I am all for going to great lengths to ensure the safety of children. I am not however, at all in favor of trampling on parents’ rights while doing so. I am not in favor of abandoning common sense. Sadly, in most cases, common sense and CPS don’t go together. Maybe we need an organization called Parents Rights Protection Services. Just a thought.
I know it’s hard to pass up what seems like a good sale or bargain, especially on big ticket items like cars. In light of the recent storms, many car dealerships either are now, or soon will be offering hail damaged vehicles at deep discounts to any and all suckers, I mean consumers, who want to buy them. I made this mistake once, and would like share with you some facts to consider so you don’t go into the decision blindly.
First, let’s take a pre-owned car that would sell for $12000 without hail damage. With the hail damage though, a dealer is selling the same car for just south of $7000. Good deal, right? Not necessarily. It’s a winner for the car dealer. He has already collected payment from his insurance company for the car, so anything over and above that is pure profit. Theoretically, with insurance figured into the mix, a dealer can make more profit on hail car than he could pristine, unblemished new car. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that, just wanted you to know how it works.
The problem comes when you drive your half-price hail car home and say two months later get into what under normal circumstances would be a very minor fender bender. So now you car has a bent fender, a broken headlight, and a slightly bent hood. Thus damage, plus re-packing the air bags comes to about $3500 in damage at today’s prices. No problem, right? After all, it’s a car with a market value of $12000. Not so fast. The insurance company actually assigned a value to the car of somewhere between $4000-4500. That means that the $3500 repair estimate puts the car over the threshold and the insurance company totals it. An otherwise perfectly good car totaled for a bent fender, hood, and broken taillight. What a waste. Not to mention the hassle of having to once again look for yet another car.
For those who think I’m exaggerating or just making this up, think again. This happened to me. What I described in the paragraph above is exactly what happened to me almost 4 years ago except I used arbitrary values for this piece.
I fell into this trap and I want to try my best to help you avoid it. I’m not necessarily saying do not under any circumstances buy a hail damaged car or truck, even though I certainly never will. I am saying just go into the decision making process armed with all the information and with your eyes wide open. Had I known then, what I had to learn the hard way, I would have never bought that car. Hopefully I can keep you from making the same mistake.
Amy Winehouse could be left permanently scarred if she doesn't quit drugs.
The troubled singer - who has been pictured in recent weeks with scabs all over her face initially thought to be caused by the skin infection impetigo - has been warned by doctors if she doesn't get clean there will be irreversible damage caused to her skin.
As she was allegedly taking cocaine at a party at her Camden home, in London, Amy was reportedly overheard saying: "I've been told I'll lose my looks over this - but I can't give it up! I'm told my scars might never heal. My dermatologist says it's a result of the drugs and it could spread to other parts of my body if I don't quit."
The 'Back to Black' star is terrified her husband Blake Fielder-Civil - who is currently on remand at London's Pentonville Prison awaiting trial on charges of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice - will no longer find her attractive if she is left covered in scars.
She said: "What will I do if I lose my looks? Blake will never love me like that."
As well as allegedly taking cocaine, Amy - who entered rehab in January to seek help for drug addiction - was seen drinking heavily throughout the evening.
Amy Winehouse has a voice that can only be described as sultry. Her voice is reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hall and Ella Fitzgerald. Back to Black is Amy's sophomore album following her successful first album, Frank. Amy Winehouse has got one of the best R&B voices around.
The lyrics on this album are based on Amy Winehouse's life experiences. The album starts off with the catchy song, Rehab. I guess this is Amy's response to her former record labels attempt to get her to enter rehab. Anyway, the lyrics and rhythm of this song is infectious. You'll be singing this tune in your head for hours.
There are two versions of this album available, one with explicit lyrics and the second version is cleaned up for those of you that are uncomfortable with explicit language.
If you want to catch a rising star, then you should hurry up and buy this album. Amy Winehouse is destined to be one of the great contemporary R&B singers. So long as she doesn't burn herself out. I highly recommend this album for anyone that enjoys great female R&B music!
Personnel: Amy Winehouse (background vocals); Binky Griptite, Thomas Brenneck (guitar); Helen Tunstall (harp); Perry Montague-Mason, Chris Tombling, Tom Pigott-Smith, Warren Zielinski, Boguslaw Kostecki, Liz Edwards, Mark Berrow, Peter Hanson, Everton Nelson, Jonathan Rees (violin); Jon Thorne, Katie Wilkinson, Rachel Bolt, Bruce White (viola); John Heley, Joely Koos, Anthony Pleeth (cello); ANDY MACKINTOSH, Chris Davies (alto saxophone); Jamie Talbot, Mike Smith, Neal Sugarman (tenor saxophone); Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Vincent Henry, Dave Bishop (baritone saxophone); Steve Sidwell, Dave Guy (trumpet); Bruce Purse (bass trumpet); Richard Edwards (tenor trombone); John Adams (Fender Rhodes piano); Salaam Remi, Nick Movshon (bass guitar); Troy Auxilly-Wilson, Homer Steinweiss (drums); Vaughan Merrick, Mark Ronson, Victor Axelrod (hand claps); Frank Ricotti (percussion). It doesn't take much listening to Amy Winehouse's 1960s pop period piece to realize that this is a tribute with an edge--nice girls back then didn't sing about boozing and rehab. Since her 2003 debut album, FRANK, Winehouse has been a frequent presence on the gossip pages of the U.K. tabloids, and her songwriting here candidly reflects her experiences with drinking, sex, and drugs. BACK TO BLACK's production is an artful blend of sophisticated '60s R&B and 21st-century stylistic poaching, with "Tears Dry on Their Own" incorporating elements of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and Winehouse sounding like Billie Holiday fronting a reggae band on the old-fashioned cheating song "Just Friends." Densely packed with musical history and often conjuring a dark, Portishead-esque atmosphere, BACK TO BLACK is a sumptuous-sounding collection freighted with blunt confessionals of a lush life.
This is a picture contained in an ad for Absolut Vodka that was designed by a Mexican advertising firm and released on Monday, April 7, 2008.
This ad is an outrage! It's no wonder we Americans can't seem to get a handle on the scourge of illegal immigration. This ad does nothing but foment the already deeply held misconception that America is still and should be a part of Mexico and that as such, the illegals have every right to be here.
Of course it should come as no surprise that an ad for vodka would spout such inane rhetoric. The person who designed this ad and decided to put it out clearly must have sampled a little too much of the product he or she is advertising. It takes virtually no intelligence to drink the stuff, and even less to dream up an ad campaign like this.
Yes, the vodka company has apologized and pulled the ad, but many are still calling for a U.S. boycott of the product, and rightfully so. Of course, I think it's always the best choice to not drink anyway, ad or no ad. But, if you feel you must drink, then at least have enough spine to send these guys a message by never spending another dime on their product again!
Jim Chitty Writer/Columnist/Blogger
(Disclaimer: The posting of this picture in no way reflects an endorsement of the advertised product or any similar product. In fact, "My 2 Cents Worth" strongly believes that the consumption of alcoholic beverages of any kind is not a wise decision and one that we do not recommend.)
