In the majesty of the Olympics, I cannot deny the greatness of Michael Phelps and his attaining a gold medal and breaking a world record every time he comes in the mere vicinity of the Water Cube in Beijing. But greatness on the ground was attained by one Usain "Lightning" Bolt of the Jamaican track and field team. At 6'5", 189 and the mere age of 22, Usain has won the gold medals in the 100 meter and 200 meter races. This is a feat that has not been accomplished since 1984 at Los Angeles summer games, by USA track staple, Carl Lewis. In addition he broke the world records in both events on the way to these gold medals. In winning the 100 meters, he ran a 9.69, but he was so caught up in excitement of the win to acknowledge the crowd, he slowed down in the last fifteen meters. Understand he was shifting down in speed, as he crossed the finish line and destroyed the world record. We can only imagine what a more mature Usain will do in 2012 at the London Summer Olympics.
Chucklepuss is still the President of the United States. This former drunken, frat boy, who has coasted through this life, only because of his father and grandfather's influence (see decepetion, lies & illegal doings), is still the leader of the free world. The former failed oil man, who has ballooned the national deficit into the trillions, repeatedly hacked at the English language like a blind Benihana chef, let an American city drown for five days and sent over four thousand soldiers to their death, is still running things. In his seven years at the helm, President Chucklepuss has alienated the majority of the world and most recently the new and improved Russia. There are those neo-cons, conservatives and Uncle Tom Black Republicans, who will say this is a cheap shot. Well, let me state that it is. But answer me this, is a cheap-shot to a murderer, really a cheap shot? Take the next three minutes to watch the above video and remind yourself of the man, who lead the United States into the 21st century and quite possibly it's ruin. Talk amongst yourselves.
Later this month 80's pop icons Madonna and Michael Jackson hit 50 years old. Yes, the former child pop sensation, who made the smooth transition from bubblegum soul to adult success to grade A freak is hitting the big 5-0. Michael or Wacko Jacko (as he is called across the pond) found solo success with the albums "Off the Wall" and "Thriller", which is the best selling record of all time. He will be joined in the celebration at Chuck E. Cheese by The Material Girl.
Yes, Madonna has made the transition from a techno caterwauling, everybody fu**ing, self-promoting harlot into a crotchety, Kabbalah-following, british speaking, children's author and mother. With an idiot president waging war on two countries and possibly another on the way I realized one thing. I don't think it's actually possible to care any less about two people, who should slowly loosen their grip on fame's lifeboat and slowly fall into the abyss, like Jack from Titanic.
As I've mentioned before in The Bastille, "Many metaphors for life can be found in the critically acclaimed HBO drama, "The Wire". The following situation is no different.
As of Friday, August 8th, in accordance with the global peace being spread all over Beijing, China at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Russia stampeded into the little country of Georgia (a former member of the Soviet Union). Georgia is a small democracy of 4.4 million people, that is a member of the U.N. and the infamous Coalition Of The Willing (COTW), that's helping the US in it's daily destruction of Iraq, for reasons still unknown. Since, there has been a cease fire by Russia and less than 24 hours later, a subsequent UN-cease fire, so Russia is backing to kicking ass. I liken Georgia to Bodie, the loyal middle middle management drug dealer in the Barksdale drug crew. President George "Chucklepuss" Bush and the U.S. represent the long respected Barksdale crew, who is steadily losing it's reputation in the streets to new crews, like the deadly Marlo Stansfield's crew, who is the new bigger and better, Russia.
Now as a member of the COTW, Georgia was protecting the Iraq border from those rabble-rousers in Iran, like Bodie holding down a Baltimore corner for the Barksdale crew. Georgia only left their post, to return to Georgia and protect their homeland. So if Iran wanted (the country to, whom Chucklepuss keeps saber-rattling) they could roll on Iraq with reckless abandon. Georgia moved into the world of democracy and aligned themselves with the United States and President Chucklepuss, who seduced the Georgians with the promise of a strong ally and protection from neighboring countries that may decide to go apesh** on them for no apparent reason at any time(see Russia 2008). In any other case, I would now expect the U.S. to be running into Russia guns-a-blazing, but supposedly we can't do that now, because Georgia is not a part of NATO. I don't know, haven't we been in a war with Iraq since 2003? And we didn't have any regards for the U.N. then. As a matter of fact, the Bush Crime fami-- I mean administration had no regards for the US Constitution or the UN, when we went into Iraq to find 9/11 perpetrator, Saddam Hussein (see Osama Bin Laden still at large). Suddenly we are supposed to believe that Chucklepuss has regards for rules. I think not. Now Georgia has staunchly played by the rules is now looking for their protection, particularly from Chucklepuss, who can now only give Russia a stern talking about large countries bullying little ones (where have I heard that one before? I think you know). Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to go into Russia, but right is right, if we are the so-called poster children for democracy and prepared to stop tyranny across the planet(then again if that were so, we'd be in the Sudan stopping that genocide). Georgia now feels helpless-- helpless as Bodie did, when Stringer Bell couldn't give him any more muscle to hold down their corners and sell weak ass product, despite the increasing heat from Marlo Stanfield's crew. Stansfield's crew were the new kids on the block, who took advantage of this chinc in the Barksdale armor, by having no regards for the history, rules or codes of the street. Watch the clip up top and recall Bodie's last stand for Avon Barksdale, for it may be a harbinger of Georgia's near future.
Just a day after we lost the talent that was Bernie Mac, we lost musician, soul pioneer, actor and legend, Isaac Hayes. As I said, with Bernie Mac, at this point you know the cause of death and the resume of Hayes. I just ask you to view this 1973 live version of Hayes singing Burt Bacharach's, "The Look of Love". He was much more than the theme from "Shaft", though I can't deny it still stands tall today on radio playlists. So, chain vest and all, please enjoy the voice and musicianship of the man they called Black Moses AKA Chef, performing LIVE in concert (there is no pre-recorded backing tape).
A true talent died this past weekend and his name was Bernie Macullough AKA The MACMAN. You knew him by his stage name Bernie Mac. This man truly paid his dues for many years on the roads and in the comedy clubs. In recent years his talent was recognized has been able to enjoy the fame and lifestyle that a talent like his truly deserved. I will not go through the usual cause of death and resume rundown. I will just ask you to watch the set on Def Comedy Jam that put him into the conscious of Black America and the rest as they say, is history.
Journey with me/Into the mind of a maniac/Doomed to be a killer/Since I came out the nutsac/I'm in a murderous mindsate With a heart full of terror/ I see the devil in the mirror/BUCK BUCK, Lights out Cause when I get my sawed off/ Niggaz get hauled off Dr. Dre's lyrics from "Natural Born Killaz"
President Bush could have commuted the death sentence of Ronald A. Gray, a former Army cook convicted of multiple rapes and murders. But Bush decided Monday that Gray's crimes were so repugnant that execution was the only just punishment. Bush's decision marked the first time in 51 years that a president has affirmed a death sentence for a member of the U.S. military. It was the first time in 46 years that such a decision has even been weighed in the Oval Office.
Gray, 42, was convicted in connection with a spree of four murders and eight rapes in the Fayetteville, N.C., area between April 1986 and January 1987 while he was stationed at Fort Bragg. He has been on death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., since April 1988."While approving a sentence of death for a member of our armed services is a serious and difficult decision for a commander in chief, the president believes the facts of this case leave no doubt that the sentence is just and warranted," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "The president's thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these heinous crimes and their families and all others affected," she said.
President Kennedy was the last president to stare down this life-or-death decision. On Feb. 12, 1962, Kennedy commuted the death sentence of Jimmie Henderson, a Navy seaman, to confinement for life. President Eisenhower was the last president to approve a military execution. In 1957, he approved the execution of John Bennett, an Army private convicted of raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl. He was hanged in 1961.Under current military rules, such executions would be carried out by lethal injection. Gray was held responsible for the crimes he committed in both the civilian and military justice systems.
In civilian courts in North Carolina, Gray pleaded guilty to two murders and five rapes and was sentenced to three consecutive and five concurrent life terms. He then was tried by general court-martial at the Army's Fort Bragg. There he was convicted in April 1988 and unanimously sentenced to death.
The court-martial panel convicted Gray of:
*Raping and killing Army Pvt. Laura Lee Vickery-Clay of Fayetteville on Dec. 15, 1986. She was shot four times with a .22-caliber pistol that Gray confessed to stealing. She suffered blunt force trauma over much of her body.
*Raping and killing Kimberly Ann Ruggles, a civilian cab driver in Fayetteville. She was bound, gagged and stabbed repeatedly, and had bruises and lacerations on her face. Her body was found on the base.
*Raping, robbing and attempting to kill an army private in her barracks at Fort Bragg on Jan. 3, 1987. She testified against Gray during the court-martial and identified him as her assailant. Gray raped her and stabbed her several times in the neck and side. The victim suffered a laceration of the trachea and a collapsed or punctured lung.
As a true opponent of the death penalty, let me be the first to say, "This negro deserved to die." What he did was heinous and I could care less about him. But having said that, I can't help but look at that person, who handed down this execution order.... George "Chucklepuss" Bush AKA The Texas Executioner. I am floored by the so-called Man of God, who hands out death like a dirty old man, handing candy out at a playground. Chucklepuss is known for holding the national record for handing down the most executions, while Governor of Texas, with a total of 113... yes you read that correctly, 1-1-3. Just hours before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Chucklepuss assured the authorities of the Gulf Coast region that the United States government, would be there for them. There were a total of 1,836 deaths due to the flooding of the city because of the levee breach, which, if it had been maintained properly, by the U.S. Government, may have never happened. Today as of August 2008, the Iraq war has produced, since Chuckles', infamous MISSION ACCOMPLISHED declaration, 3986 deaths and since the actaul "war" began on March 19th, 2003 it has a total of 4,125 and no telling how many we could count with Iraqi civillians. But for now let's just be selfish pricks and count American deaths. So as of today, July 31st, 2008, between the never-ending Iraqi War, Hurricane Katrina and Chucklepuss' time in Texas, Chucklepuss has placed the blood of 6,074 people on his hands. No priest would hear that confession. And now no one-- especially that sell out, Nancy "Scared to Impeach" Pelosi, won't even lift a finger to attempt and prosecute him for war crimes. Up top I have a video from Vincent Bugliosi, the man, who prosecuted, Charles Manson has written a book, titled, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush of Murder". Vincent's words are quite interesting. Give it a watch. Now I ask, you, who is the real killer?
In the majesty of the Olympics, I cannot deny the greatness of Michael Phelps and his attaining a gold medal and breaking a world record every time he comes in the mere vicinity of the Water Cube in Beijing. But greatness on the ground was attained by one Usain "Lightning" Bolt of the Jamaican track and field team. At 6'5", 189 and the mere age of 22, Usain has won the gold medals in the 100 meter and 200 meter races. This is a feat that has not been accomplished since 1984 at Los Angeles summer games, by USA track staple, Carl Lewis. In addition he broke the world records in both events on the way to these gold medals. In winning the 100 meters, he ran a 9.69, but he was so caught up in excitement of the win to acknowledge the crowd, he slowed down in the last fifteen meters. Understand he was shifting down in speed, as he crossed the finish line and destroyed the world record. We can only imagine what a more mature Usain will do in 2012 at the London Summer Olympics.
