SidewalksEnd This is food for thought, u do the dishes! - Jun 08, 2009 add/view comments (1)

It has to suck to be BlackPlanet. Yes, even after Friendster, Myspace, Facebook, and such, it still exists. For one, it doesn’t even get the credit it deserves from mainstream culture of predating the aforementioned by at least three years in the social networking game (even its Wikipedia page gets no love). Secondly, it has the sterling reputation of having been turned out by ghetto people.

And I do mean ghetto people of all races, so now that we have that out the way…

At first, it was as innocent as any other social networking site’s humble beginnings. A few people in the know did their thing on there, met new people, introduced their local crew or school friends or their peeps from other online communities to play along. Kept nice and quaint, folks got to exchange ideas and it was never a bad day.

Then the ghetto people got their hands on it and it evolved. Into some other sh*t. Females of all ages began letting it all hang out. Thirsty macks who never used a computer before suddenly started aggressively hollerin’. A billion and one accounts sprung up for the sole purpose of showing off all of “BP’s_Dymes.” This evolved into the what this author knows as “the BlackPlanet effect.”

The BlackPlanet effect is a muthaf*cka. You see it on all kinds of sites now, social networking and otherwise, but this generally began on BlackPlanet. Bad web design habits (e.g. way too much computer-crashing crap on one page). Obnoxious songs posted up. Gassed up ghetto girls who think they’re professional models. And worst of all, BlackPlanet is basically known as the place to specifically look for someone ready to f*ck, so you always see women posting up bitter sh*t like the following:

“HI, BEFORE I GET STARTED, KNOW UP FRONT I DON’T DO MARRIED MEN, I AIN’T INTERESTED IN NO THREESOME BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD ONE WHEN I WAS 15, I DON’T WANT A MAN WITH KIDS (THOUGH I HAVE TWO OF MY OWN BY TWO BABY DADDIES), AND I AIN’T MESSIN WITH NO BROKE N*GGAZ BECAUSE I AM SOME-BODY AT MY TELEMARKETING JOB, SO KEEP IT PUSHIN’! LESBIANS NEED TO FALL BACK TOO, BECAUSE I AM STRICKLY D*CKLY! PRAISE GOD FOR I AM A SAVED CHRISTIAN WOMAN! NOW CHECK OUT THESE GLITTERY TIDDY PICS WITH ME AND MY GuRLZ AT THE STRIP CLUB!”

That is if you were added, since the pages of these people on any of these sites are frequently set to private as if these people are really anything special. Trust, quite a lot of them are fools’ gold..same people who still think an Internet site filled with real people out to set off real events is a video game.

Anyway, why would these burned out on life *ss people have any appeal for adding and talking to anyway? Why be on BlackPlanet at all if it’s that bad? For attention? For the appeal of dissing someone who tries to holla because it doesn’t have the repercussions of in-person rejection?

Does anyone else understand this?

What a difference a day makes. I felt so much better today. Anywhooo, I just caught a little of Soledad O'Brien's Black Folks in A-merry-ca Part 2, and she had some of the usual "black community experts" who brought along some influential people in their lives. Ironically, for Tom Joyner, it was Dr. Henry Louis Gates, a man who has been in the news more than Michael Jackson lately. (Hell, even his O ness talked about the Cambridge beat down at his press conference. Although I don't think white folks will like what he said much. Read the comments after the article I linked.) Sorry people, but the good Doctor disappointed me again. When Soledad asked him about his neighbor who thought she saw a spook sitting by the door and called 911, he damn near apologized for his neighbor. Hell, he even offered to send her flowers.... Dr. Gates, you are a smart man with many letters and honors, but I.... rrriiinnnggg... wait, my phone is ringing....sorry for that folks, it was the Drop Squad, and they wanted to know if I knew Dr. Gate's Cambridge address. Let me stop. (Lord I hope my friends over at The Root don't get mad at me, but they should know me by now. There goes another blogroll. ) But seriously, I got a very deep e-mail from a writer and blogger who I am starting to respect more and more called Eco.Soul. Intellectual. Fam. wrote an interesting piece about the Harvard culture and a young sister who was thrown to the wolves by some of our cousins who inhabit it. "Several months ago, a burgeoning female scholar by the name of Chanequa Campbell, who hails from Brooklyn, NY, was kicked out of her campus dormitory and not allowed to graduate for her association to a murder suspect. More specifically, she was the friend of the suspect’s girlfriend. The confusing part of this case is that while Campbell was banned and not allowed to graduate, the suspect’s girlfriend, Brittany Smith did graduate and stayed on campus. Campbell, who says she is from a poor family and was not part of the black elite student circle, has pointed out that it is because of her socio-economic status that she was treated in such a way, and without the support of black Harvard students or faculty. The silence of black Harvard in the case of Campbell drastically contrasting the racket made in support of Gates illuminates the serious class issues that have caused serious boiling points in the African-American community. Gates is an established historian known most recently for his documentary, “African American Lives,” a series connects noted African-Americans back to their complex lineages such as Oprah Winfrey, Tina Turner, and Morgan Freeman. He is at the zenith of his career. He has achieved what many scholars dream. On the other hand, Chanequa Campbell was at the beginning of her academic journey. She too has been praised for her academic success, but since her dismissal her whole life trajectory is questionable. At a time when Campbell needed the utmost guidance and support from black Harvard faculty and staff, she was quietly disregarded, suggesting that her less-than-desirable background would possibly mar the reputation of blacks on campus. Though many do not like to acknowledge the classism in African-American communities, it is prevalent throughout the group. It is a hideous historical social construct that is determined by more than wealth, but also skin color, hair texture, education level, and sadly how distant is one’s slave lineage. Ironically, Gates, who in his African-American heritage series repeatedly points out the “white ” blood in him to the point that he smiles in delight when a DNA scientist tells him that he has more white blood than black, is nothing but black when the police come. Yet he is “too” black to be rallied and insulated by the black and white Harvard community. Yet Campbell, with her Brooklyn roots, who is a darker, young woman with blatant West African features, is too black, even for black Harvard. Like in the days of DuBois, who was proud of his European ancestry (Dutch and French) and his Massachusetts roots from a community of free people of color who were educated and reasonably prosperous, his pedigree, which also included his physical characteristics, were perfect for the black elite of that time. DuBois’ elitist ideology was so heavy a belief that he campaigned for blacks to support his vision of the “Talented Tenth” or a group of black intelligentsia that would further the black race and lead the rest of the group. This idea was heavily contested by other thinkers and black activists of the time, but the idea and practice of an insulated, crème de la crème, black circle still remains. It is not surprising that Gates’ (or should I say gatekeeper) name has been saved, and in some eyes, has been elevated, while someone like Campbell, who could’ve been the next Gates or Oprah, or perhaps furthered his work, is now forgotten

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. © JUNETEENTH.com

Okay so I emailed Kobe Bryant (play along will ya) to get his post-mortem on the Kobe-LeBron puppet ads, since nobody seems to have asked him.

Q: How do your girls (ages 6 and 3) like the puppets?
Bryant: They think they r hilarious!
Q: You think your puppet looks like you?
Bryant: No, more like The Count from Sesame Street.
Q: Do you get to keep the puppet when the season is over?
Bryant: No.

Now that I think about it, The Count and the real Kobe Bryant are a lot alike. Like The Count, Bryant is generally only seen at night. And both can be very cold-blooded, especially in the fourth quarter. Plus, both are very interested in counting.

One ring! Two rings! Three rings! Four rings?

Retro Mini Handheld NES System Sure, there are plenty of ways to play NES games on the go, but most of them don't take actual cartridges. The Retro Mini Handheld NES System ($50) is like the Game Boy that never was, with a 2.4-inch LCD screen, a top-loading slot for NES titles, AV output, built-in speakers, a headphone jack, and the ability to run up to eight hours on 4 AA's.