Korean Beauty Supply and Black People

I live in Oakland's Koreatown and there is a lavender & purple-painted beauty supply store down the street, so when I saw this David So comedy skit I just about busted a gut.



James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Korean Beauty Supply and Black People, David So, Asians, Racism, Acting Black, Acting White

Obama 2012: Smoke and Butts

I will certainly rub many of my friends the wrong way on this, but with President Obama’s announcement, today, to run for re-election in 2012, I am not looking forward to him blowing political smoke in the vicinity of my hind-quarters for two years (again). His message? How he needs my help to ‘continue’ changing America. Heck, I am still waiting for him to start a real fight for the change he promised on the run up to his 2008 victory. Let us not kid ourselves - the only thing worse than Obama winning was McCain, but only by a political whisker.

Rather than fight to put this country on a new course, Obama has shown himself to be less of a savvy leader and more of a junior politician, in a town already up to its neck in tricksters. Today, he starts trying to wake all of those folks who left their seats in the stands in 2007-08 to literally pushed him over the election goal line. Once in office, he told the faithful to retake their seats, while he has proceeded to get pummeled playing politics the old-fashioned way – making deals with the devil until the two are indistinguishable.

I do not doubt that Obama will win in 2012, going in with close to a billion dollars raised to get and stay in office. However, we are playing the same old game of voting for someone who stinks a little less than their opponent. Wars will continue, people will die, jobs will go missing, corruption will skate freely, crime will not abate, schools will fail, and the trains will continue their lateness. However, and more importantly, the needed show-down around values and ethics erosion, whose absence encourages the often-selfish ‘haves’ of this country to prey upon the often-complacent ‘have-nots’, will have to wait for a true change-agent leader - whose name is definitely not Obama.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Obama 2012: Smoke and Butts, Announcement, Politics, President, Acting Black, Acting White

Elizabeth Taylor: 1932 - 2011

NYTimes (here).

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Elizabeth Taylor: 1932 - 2011, Movie Star, AIDS, Michael Jackson, Acting Black, Acting White

Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins: 1913 - 2011

See NYTimes article (here).

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins: 1913 - 2011, Delta Blues, Pianist, Muddy Waters, Acting Black, Acting White

UCLA Anti-Asian Rant Sparks Asian Creativity

Some of the responses to the Alexandra Wallace UCLA rant are gosh-dern entertaining. Here is one of many. Warning: This little catchy gem may stick to your brain. H/T to Desertflower.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: UCLA Anti-Asian Rant Sparks Asian Creativity, Ching Chong Song, Jimmy Wong, Alexandra Wallace, Acting Asian, Acting White

White UCLA Co-ed Goes On Anti-Asian Rant

Can someone tell what the hell this young woman (Alexandra Wallace) was thinking? I thought UCLA was a difficult school to attend, but this clearly is not the case for some. Word is that she has voluntarily withdrawn from the school (not dismissed), for her own protection. You got that right! Asians are 37% percent of enrollment!

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: White UCLA Co-ed Goes On Anti-Asian Rant, Ching-Chong, Death Threats, Alexandra Wallace, Acting Black, Acting White

Class Warfare: Jalen Rose-Grant Hill Controversy

With all the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear calamity going on in Japan, I nearly missed the face-off between the black social classes, as represented by professional basketball superstars, Jalen Rose, representing Michigan and the underprivileged, and Grant Hill, playing for team Duke and the bourgeois. Who would have thought there could still be such odds within the black community, but here it is.

It seems that Mr. Rose produced an ESPN documentary that included waxing on how he and other Michigan “Fab Five” players thought black players on rival Duke, including Mr. Hill, were ‘Uncle Toms’ and ‘bitches’. Mr. Rose is clear in saying he resented the middle-class, intact family origins of Hill and others, sought out by elite Duke, and Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski). I’m sure Jalen Rose was not the only black nineteen year old from the ghetto to ever harbor animosity toward those of greater privilege, and Mr. Hill should understand that the best defense to the accusation of 'elitism' is no defense. The NYTimes is not the medium to show that you missed the salient point, however poorly emphasized.

Jalen, for his part, still clearly has some growing up to do. His cinematic efforts leave murky his personal developments about blacks like Mr. Hill, rather than making it clear that what he thought at nineteen was then, and now he is a grown man who knows better. Weak attempts at apology and explanation, after the fact, cannot erase the sting that Mr. Hill felt through Rose’s on-screen denigrations.

More importantly, these highly-paid athletes serve up the rarely discussed issue of class, within race, in black America. These discussions are more typically punctuated with name-calling, minus any supporting discussion. I hope that some good will come of it, as both men seem to have positive contributions that extend beyond the basketball court.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Class Warfare: Jalen Rose-Grant Hill Controversy, Duke, Uncle Tom, Bitches, Acting Black, Acting White

The Case of Multi-lingualism in America

A friend with an upcoming vacation to Barcelona, Spain, asked me why I have taken up teaching myself French. I have never been to France, and have no near-term plans to visit. The closest I get every year to the land of Napoleon is watching 21 days of the Tour de France. Nevertheless, learning French is on my ‘bucket list’, as I think it sounds nice, and I envision the inviting French countryside, similar to time I spent in Italy.

Offering me another chance at PC-ness, my friend revised herself and asked why I was not learning a language of greater utility to a Californian, like Spanish. I thought hmmm? Good (and tricky) question. On one hand, it makes sense to learn Spanish, as so many Mexican immigrants do not speak English. Conversely, it begs the question if this country’s accommodation, through increasing bilingualism, really helps bridge cultures and people? Perhaps, perhaps not.

If I were to live in France, or Italy, I would not want them learning English on my account, or confusing themselves into thinking that their lives would gain some diversity ‘bump’ by doing so, either. When in Italy, I stammered, stumbled, and goofed my way through Italian, quite to the appreciation and entertainment of the people (I’m sure). But hey, it’s not my country! Remaking them to my liking is not cool.

Concluding, I may learn French if my brain and mouth can work together, but I will not have as a priority to learn the language of immigrants, including Swahili, in order to make it easier for the newly arrived or me. This country needs its citizens to rally around one language, English, one culture, American, and its development and furtherance as a purpose. We simply cannot afford the cultural division and economic high-cost of multiple language systems and divisive off-shoots.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: The Case of Multilingualism in America, Nationalism, Bigotry, Stereotypes, Acting Black, Acting White

Racial Battle Fatigue?

No one in their right mind would argue that our society is free of racism. But is every act influenced by race deserving of the accusation, and all that it brings? Contrary to what I read and hear, my answer would be no. Like it or not, ethnicity, as indicated by race, describes difference that can be meaningful, as well as meaningless, or both, in the case of personal preference like dating, worshipping, or joining a private club.

A few months ago I was waiting to join a friend for dinner, in the lobby of a nice San Francisco hotel, when an older white gentlemen and his wife approached me as though I was the doorman. I politely directed them, with their questions, to the actual doorman, a young white man uniformed as such. I was annoyed for that instant, but felt immediately better when I move away from the door to a seat near the restaurant. My friend arrived thereafter and we had a nice evening meal.

Now, in my younger years, this event would have clouded the evening as an indication of the pervasive nature of racism in this country. In allowing the negative wake of the man’s ignorance to remain, I would have pushed my blood pressure up, and set off a host of stress responses that would ultimately shorten my life. The daily influence of these types of incidents is evidenced in a recent article (here) entitled, “Constant Race-Based Discrimination Can Lead to 'Racial Battle Fatigue' for African-Americans”.

What I think the study misses is the power and control of perception that resides with the recipient of these alleged discriminations. In most cases, the intent of the discriminator is immaterial to the greater damage that the recipient allows the slight to inflict. I prefer the water on the ducks' back approach, except for the circumstances where my rights are reduced. Freedom from ignorant people who annoy us is not guaranteed by the constitution.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Racial Battle Fatigue?, Racism, Slights, Stereotypes, Acting Black, Acting White

Clarence Thomas’ Silence Revealed

Clarence Thomas owns the modern-day record for a Supreme Court Justice not saying a peep, while doing their job. Five years! Nothing to say in five years? What is up with that?

To my thinking, Thomas achieved his spot on the bench fair and square - he was appointed. All that was required was that senior Bush, ‘like’ him, and he did. He needed confirmation, and he was. So that’s that – end of story. Nonetheless, Thomas has helped keep controversy of his nomination alive, mostly through his and his wife’s ineptness, and not being willing to let go of the past. We now hear that he failed to disclose his wife’s non-investment income for the past six years! Clarence please!

Now, the question on the federal forms that all justices must annually complete is not so tough. It comes in the form of a check box next to “Spouse’s Non-Investment Income”. Thomas repeatedly marked “None” when, in fact, his wife took in over $700,000 from her conservative think-tank, the Heritage Foundation. He says he did not understand the question. Please (again). Call me a smart-butt, but it seems that in hiding behind such an implausible excuse, he is re-making the case for himself as the 'affirmative action justice', or a really bad liar. For God’s sake man, it’s a check box!!!

As for his silence on the bench, it strikes me that an ambitious man who relishes a position of which he has arguable business, has two problems. On one hand, he runs the risk that his character may someday let him down (as it has in the past), illuminated in the case of lying on disclosure forms, perhaps to avoid more serious conflict-of-interest allegations. On the other hand, he also runs the risk of revealing that his brain lacks the horsepower for the job (Peter principle). In each scenario, even poor counsel would advise him to, “keep your mouth shut and hope they don’t notice”. Viola! Silence, with no end in sight.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Clarence Thomas’ Silence Revealed, Ginnie Thomas, Disclosure, Heritage Foundation, Acting Black, Acting White

Reverend Peter J. Gomes: 1942 - 2011

For many, Gomes was an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. Black, Republican, Gay, Preacher, Theologian, Pilgrim-phile, and son of Harvard. What a package this man was. But what always seemed clear was his wit, along with his devotion to his Harvard 'flock'. Coming out had to be as tough as living in the closet.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Reverend Peter J. Gomes: 1942 - 2011, Harvard, Divinity, Diversity, Acting Black, Acting White

Little Black Girl White Girl Heaven

We see terrible HD visuals everyday to the point of numbness. But then again on very rare occasions we get lucky and spot something so beautiful and real that we freeze ‘alive’ in our tracks. This happened to me this past Sunday, after my workout. I was not delirious, even though 50 minutes of standing intervals on a spin bike, breathing only through the nostrils, is known to make one tipsy. I was actually sitting in the open jacuzzi when two five year old girls cautiously edged into the water.

All the adults present, both men and women, saw it at the same time. One girl was very dark-skinned, with the clearest brown doe-eyes, and the thickest long dreadlocks – not the kind you buy over the counter. The other girl was flawlessly-pale white, with long blond hair, bleached in streaks only by the sun, and with the bluest of blue eyes. The two were glued to each other in the way only little girls know how to do – they moved as one. My first thought, who's got a camera? Then I remembered, CAMERAS NOT ALLOWED! Damn!

These little ladies were apprehensive to the stir they created in the adults, who just earlier were happy to simmer aging muscles quietly in the 100 degree bubbling pool. Each grown-up took their turn dropping verbal wonderment onto the two. When it was my turn, all I could say was that they made a perfect post card, as I framed them with my hands. At this gesture, the two smiled in unison toward me such that I relived that rare and speechless first moment when my own daughter was born. Just totally amazing.

Don’t tell me we can’t do way more than get along, if we try. No better motivation than those two darlings, and all the rest.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Little Black Girl White Girl Heaven, Sisters, Harmony, Diversity, Acting Black, Acting White

Who Is Going To Shoot Obama?

"At Rep. Paul Broun’s town hall meeting on Tuesday, the Athens congressman asked who had driven the farthest to be there and let the winner ask the first question.
We couldn’t hear the question in the back of the packed Oglethorpe County Commission chamber, but whatever it was, it got a big laugh. According to an outraged commenter on the article, the question was, when is someone going to shoot Obama?"

"Broun's press secretary, Jessica Morris, confirmed that the question was indeed, who is going to shoot Obama? "Obviously, the question was inappropriate, so Congressman Broun moved on," she said."

Broun's response, "The thing is, I know there’s a lot of frustration with this president. We’re going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we’ll elect somebody that’s going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

"Threatening the President of the United States is a class D felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871. It consists of knowingly and willfully mailing or otherwise making "any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States".

My reaction. With this type of public urging and tacit support by our so-called leaders, it is only a matter of time before some nut-job tries to kill the president, and our weakening grasp on democracy. It is reasonable to disagree with the president, but it is patently un-democratic, un-patriotic, and un-American (not to mention illegal) to entertain ANY notion of his assassination. When such displays become acceptable, as they seem to be, that crazy guy wearing that 'the end is near placard' is not seeming so crazy after all.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Who Is Going To Shoot Obama?, Paul Broun, Tea Party, Right Wing, Assassination, Acting White

Judge Rules White Girl Will Be Tried As Black Adult

Some of you may remember when a young white female shot a bullet into my apartment (here) only to ultimately get a pass on the felony charge of recklessly discharging a firearm. I believed her 'walk' on the charge would have never happened had she been black or Latino. This youtube bit by the Onion News Network may qualify as satire, but I found it very life-like pertaining to considerations to give justice a kick in the pants.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Judge Rules White Girl Will Be Tried As Black Adult, Onion News Network, Laws, Satire, Acting Black, Acting White

Black People, Backgammon and Cheating

I just picked-up the new iPhone from Apple. One of the apps I bought was backgammon for an amazing $.99. I played a lot of this in college many years ago, but what struck me was not how great the gadget is (indeed it is), but rather that this particular game (not made by Apple BTW) cheats like a SOB. I am a software developer and a life-long student of probability. Eight times out of ten the roll of the dice that the computer-as-opponent needs to advance, it gets. Double sixes in a row, right when I’m about to finally win a game - WTF! I am getting my ass kicked. Herein lies a lesson for black folks. Cheating is an integral part of human nature, expressed in games or anything else, and confronting it smartly is critical to competitiveness.

Present-day blacks behave as though they do not understand cheating. The group responds to it very poorly, and practices it even more poorly - with disastrous results. Black slave ancestors would be appalled how their kin have errantly placed so much of their faith in the legal system, and lost their guile and cunning for outsmarting others. Sometimes it seems that everyone, except blacks, understand that laws and cheating walk hand-in-hand. Alternately, when today’s blacks break the rules, they too often take pleasure in doing it in plain, kiss-my-butt, sight of the authorities, making conviction, and punishment inevitable. Again, ancestors would shake their heads in wonderment.

When my backgammon strategy adjusted to take into account the cheating nature of my micro-processing opponent, I immediately began winning. The program continues to roll suspicious combinations, but rather than getting upset and calling Rev. Inc., I think about additional adjustments to my approach in order to confound the little bastard’s cheating heart. Right now, I still lose more than I win, but I have only had the game for a week and I already see how this is going to end.

Let’s be clear, I do not practice or advocate cheating, and the game maker may have simply wanted a challenging interaction, but laden herein is the lesson that cheating is a fact of life. Furthermore, we must each factor cheating adversaries into our game plan for achievement, or prepare for the short-end. Finally, no legal system, including one as good as ours, can match the cheating nature of humans, so expecting the law to deliver predictable, consistent, and fair results is simply not realistic. I think it is time for a different approach.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Black People, Backgammon and Cheating, Civil Rights, Laws, Human Nature, Acting Black, Acting White

State Farm Black Couple 'Perfection'

Over at Booker Rising (here) a commenter tossed forth another ad presenting a cut on black relationship dynamics. I thought it was good, although others disliked it, similar to the Pepsi spot (here). Note that in the SF spot the first black woman is both pretty and an alpha - showing they are not mutually exclusive.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: State Farm Black Couple 'Perfection', Black Women, Alpha, Stereotypes, Acting Black, Acting White

Love American Style

Where to start? This SuperBowl ad was trying to 'keep it real' about sex and race. It plays up stereotypes for their shortcut accuracy, however biting. While it features a black woman and man, along with white woman, the director was probably a white man, so it really has everything. Here are my top ten thoughts:

1. The wife is big, but not too big. Ding! Correct. Black women lead the nation in big bones.

2. The wife is wearing an obviously purchased and unnatural hairpiece. Ding! Correct. Again, black women lead in this category.

3. The wife is the alpha in the relationship - Ding. Correct. Black woman are alphas, period.

4. The husband is timid. Ding! Correct. Timidity is too often and sadly the mark of a successfully married black man. Scratch that, ANY man! (Clarification - successful marriage to any alpha requires, how do we say, accommodation skills)

5. The white woman is looking after her looks and health. Ding! Correct. White women lead in active life styles.

6. The husband acknowledges another woman, who is prettier, in his wife's presence. Gong! Never happen. Dude would not have not made it this far.

7. The white woman flirts, ignoring the obvious danger. Ding! Correct again. I have witnessed this over and over. Just what was she thinking?

8. The black woman reacts violently. Ding. The stats back this up.

9. The ending. Gong! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Here is where the assumed white male director intervened. Instead of the cowardly hit and run ending, timid black man would have rendered aid and feisty black woman would not have said 'sorry' to the flirting runner, but would have also demanded silly husband make sure silly white woman was okay.

10. Of course, I could be all wrong. Remember, it is Friday.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Love American Style, Pepsi Ad, SuperBowl Ads, Stereotypes, Acting Black, Acting White

Random Jockness: UConn's Trick Shot Quarterback

Perhaps I'm just weird, but I could not turn this video off! It reminded me of the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson faux trick shot competition commercials. UConn 'real deal' Johnny McEntee's hand-eye coordination must put him in the top 99.99 percentile, and therefore, it is worth witnessing (IMHO). Enjoy - or skip it (if 1-in-a-million bio-mechanics holds no allure).



James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Random Jockness: UConn's Trick Shot Quarterback, Johnny McEntee, Hand-Eye Coordination, Motor Dexterity, Acting Black, Acting White

Four Houston Police "Rodney King" Young Black Suspect

Just in case you have not seen it, the Houston Police went all "Rodney" on a young black suspect nine months ago. The media and the public did not know what happened until a few days ago when a judge ordered the released of the tape of the 'stomping' incident.

Although the fifteen year-old (at the time) definitely was attempting to elude the officers, he also clearly surrendered, laying on his stomach with his hands behind his head, before anyone touched him. In Houston, as in the King case, this positioning is clearly aggressive and taunting, such that a boatload of officers were compelled to punch and kick the living hell out of the handcuffed lad. Kind of reminds me of hyenas. And the kid, who needed to learn a lessen, instead gets one even more ruinous - just where is Mr. King anyway?

See for yourself before another judge pulls back the video.



James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Four Houston Police "Rodney King" Young Black Suspect, Cop Beatdown, Brutality, Violence, Acting Black, Acting White

Black Kids With White Names? Steve vs. Jaleel

In a recent weekend conversation with my fifteen-year old son, we got onto the subject of how people are easily led to believe that which is not true. It is human nature, the lazy part at least, that has us grab the handiest explanation for things, even when a little applied brainpower tells us something different. He presented an interesting example of his understanding.

The black kids at his predominantly white, Jesuit (Catholic) high school accuse him of having a ‘white’ name, to go with his sounding white (english diction-wise). I recalled the names of his black friends as containing more than a smattering of Jaamals, DeShawns, and the like. He added that he was glad his mother and I didn’t give him a similar ‘black’ name. Man, my head hurts. I thought this ‘acting white’ thing might play itself out. Wrong.

It is bad enough that too many black parents saddle their kids with names that will forever attach them to ghetto images, regardless of where they actually start or what they achieve. Now, not having one of these ‘ghetto fabulous’ names can identify a person as less ethnically authentic (to some), at least in name, right out of the gate. More accurately, the kids are saying that new parents not only act black, but also act white, in how they choose to name their children.

For the record, my son is named for his maternal grandfather’s favorite city in his home state of Texas. Not surprising, this connection to his departed grandpa brought a smile to the boy’s face, that only emphasized the point of how easily his black classmates had led themselves astray, in what his name says and does not say.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Black Kids With White Names? Steve vs. Jaleel, Ghetto Baby Names, Ethnicity, Creative Naming, Acting Black, Acting White