Review of Maxwell & Dunnes

I had the chance to enjoy a wonderful meal recently at Maxwell & Dunnes in Plainview Long Island with 2 friends of mine. My friends had been to the restaurant previously and assured me of the quality of the restaurant. I was somewhat skeptical, not because of my friends tastes but because of my particular preferences when it comes to steakhouses. Few ever get my approval, even if others find them to be quite good.

Walking into the hotel where the restaurant is found you might be a bit thrown off. Upon entering you will see a bar directly in front of you and stairs leading to horserace betting on your left. For many the horse racing is the only reason to be here, and I am told that the sports book there is on par with most in Vegas or Atlantic City. But the reason my friends and I had gone there took us into the bar and immediately to our right.

Once you enter the restaurant proper, you get an immediate feeling of 1930’s New York City. The tall ceilings and wide space accentuate the area. There is amble elbow room at each table, which is a nice change from the often crowded conditions in many NYC restaurants. The whole dining area is done in a tan and dark brown, which combined with the soft low lighting give a comfortable feel to the restaurant. Even at 6:30, just prior to the Christmas holiday, with office parties and revelers in the bar, the restaurant is quite calm and subdued.

While the impending holiday may have been a factor, the crowd never filled the restaurant. In fact during my meal there was never more than 1/3 of capacity in the area, and my friends mentioned this is not overly unusual. The difference compared to say Smith & Wolensky or Peter Lugers is both dramatic and welcome.

There isn’t much to say about the dinnerware, seats, tablecloth or much else aside from the meal. It’s all somewhat plain and common. The money was not spent on these items, as can be seen at a glance. Again I found that to be good things as far too many establishments seek to gratify the eyes of diners and fail miserably in the real reason for being there, the food. I will note that one thing did annoy me a bit. That is the base of the tables themselves. They are somewhat awkward, being raised slightly and wider than the single column supporting the table. It’s also worth noting that nothing in the restaurant is cheap. Lifting the table cloth and looking at the tabletop you will not the marble top and decent wood work. It’s just the base I found mildly annoying.

Moving on to the wait staff, I am pleased to say they are personable and knowledgeable. All tended to be quite younger than what you might expect at many other establishments of similar nature. This is not a negative though, other than the designer glasses that one waiter wore. They were quite glaring and gaudy to me, but I have noticed they are quite popular among young men and women. But that’s a personal preference, and in no way impeded the ability of our waiter in attending to our needs.

The selection at Maxwell & Dunnes includes several types of steaks and seafood. We had a choice that night that included Swordfish, lobster tail, and several other seafood choices. For my friends and me, we focused on the steak selections.

As for the main meal, any reservations and imperfections were more than made up for. My friends and I are all fans of good steaks. We ordered the King Filet Mingon, and the “Cowboy Cut” Prime Rib Eye. My rib eye was medium-rare. We had a Praxis merlot with the meal.

The first thing you notice when your meal arrives at the table is the portion size. It is ample. In fact I would say a large and generous cut. Compared to the more widely known New York steakhouses you will note that you are receiving more for the money.

Now you might question that this is because you are being given a lower quality of meat. Thankfully that is not the case. This cut easily compares to that found in Ben Benson’s and the other Manhattan restaurants. Beyond the size of the cuts of meat is the question of taste. This is the ultimate determination of quality and where any meal is worth finishing, or the restaurant is worth returning too.

My rib eye was tender, cutting quite easily. The steak was cooked exactly to my standards, which is a nice change as often medium-rare steaks can be a bit overcooked. The seared steaks were lightly spiced, but enough to catch the flavor on the tongue immediately. But as I mentioned it was a light flavor, not taking away from the steak but enhancing it. This combination of flavors required no steak sauce, or other addition or cover to the taste. I can think of little better description or compliment than to say the steak itself needed nothing more.

In fairness I will note that while the portion size, was generous, the sides were not. To give you an idea, I can easily finish a 24 oz Prime Rib steak and have room to spare for a baked potatoe, dessert, and of course wine with the meal. The “Cowboy Cut” was enough to fill me up, and that is a good thing as the mashed potatoes, and broccoli rabe we had as side dishes were barely enough to color the plates, in my opinion. Obviously they were not intended to be the focus of the meal, but if you preferred the smaller Kansas rib eye or any of the fish based meals, you may well be disappointed in the sides.

Once the meal was over, another benefit of Maxwell & Dunnes was available. That is the fact that there is a cigar room on premises. Merely crossing the restaurant, and through the bar area again to the other side and you enter the cigar room. In there you will find several tables (without the tablecloths) and multiple television screens. Most of the televisions will be set on horse racing, for the sports book that was mentioned beforehand. But there are 2 massage chairs available, and a selection of cigars.

I am not knowledgeable about cigars, so I will not try to ascertain how good the selection is. I will note that there are several available. And smoking on premises, in the cigar room is allowed. For those that HATE going outside in the winter to smoke, and wish to sit back with a good scotch while smoking after a good meal this is a huge benefit. Virtually no other place in NYC or the state now allow this, so I’m sure many will find that option palatable.

The last item to note is the cost. The dining experience is completely comparable to some of the top steakhouses found in Manhattan. The price though is lower. While the sides seems to be universally about $7 each no matter where you go, at Maxwell & Dunnes you will be able to get a better portion steak for just under $50. Add to that the décor, room to dine with comfort, lack of crowds, quality and the cigar room and that price is beyond paltry.

I recommend this restaurant to anyone that might find themselves in the Plainview, Long Island area, or just looking for a change from the bustle of NYC.

Success in 2007 - Thank You

As the year is coming to an end I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the reasons why I have had a successful and prosperous year. I would love to say it was merely my efforts and quality of my writing that has grown all my blogs and M V Consulting, Inc. But to say that would be a lie.

In the past year I have spoken with, read blogs and articles by, and debated with multiple bloggers, programmers, graphic artists, lawyers, friends and associates. It is because of this multitude of people I have had the ideas, and comments I have shared with you all, and it has shaped in part or in whole the look of all my sites. I can only hope I will always be aware enough to pay attention to such good advice and insight, and thus provide the caliber of posts you have all come to expect.

In particular there are several that stand out and I want to thank directly. I invite you to review their sites and blogs as well.

Top blogs

http://www.Buzzologysurveys.blogspot.com – A long time supporter of my blogs and efforts. I’m always happy to work with this blogger.

http://caseylartigue.blogspot.com - One of the bloggers that joined me in the TV One sponsored live commentary on the Heartland Presidential Forum.

http://www.polichicksonline.com - Another of the bloggers that joined me in the TV One sponsored live commentary on the Heartland Presidential Forum.

http://www.africanamericanopinion.com – A site I cross-blog at that also occasionally provides me thoughts to post on. Filled with multiple views that cross the spectrum.

http://www.1800blogger.com – I am a contributing author to multiple blogs here and work closely with this company.

Sites

http://www.tvoneonline.com/presidentialforum.asp - TV One selected my blog and several other bloggers to comment live on the Heartland Presidential Forum. You can see the Forum at this site, and also get to view the 5 bloggers invited to be involved in this event.

http://www.theaddesignguys.com - Graphic Design Services – My graphic designer, who takes my jumbled ideas and turns them into the polished t-shirt, mug, Teddy bear, and site graphics you see.

http://www.authorsontheweb.com – They selected my blog to review the Robin Roberts book, From the Heart, and worked with me in providing my first give away contest.

http://www.prweb.com – The media outlet that I use to distribute my press releases. Affordable, and effective in reaching the world.

http://www.cafepress.com – The basis on which my online store functions. Making it possible for even new entrepreneurs to be in business for themselves.

Guest Writers and Friends

Each of these individuals has helped me consistently provide quality posts. Several have directly or indirectly created posts found at Black Entertainment USA or Vass

Michael H.

Audrey B.

Claudia M.

Jennifer V.

Special note

Mr. Malik Shabazz – the attorney for Ms. Megan Williams in West Virginia. I’ve spoken with him several times, and supported his efforts at the rally to draw national attention to the horrendous kidnapping, torture, and rape of Ms. Williams.

It is in part due to the efforts and help of the above mentioned sites and people that I have been able to have the success that 2007 has been. I look forward to continuing the relationships I have, and growing to include others in 2008.

To those I have mentioned, and most importantly you my readers, I say thank you. None of my efforts would matter with out you.

What's better a laptop or food? 12.27.2007.1

Sometimes there are good intentions, sometimes there are good intentions that serve no purpose other than to makes people feel good about themselves. I think it’s important to know the difference between the 2.

You might have noticed a television commercial recently for Laptopgiving.org. It features one of the entertainers from the television show Heroes. In that commercial the theme of the organization is mentioned, they want to give a laptop computer to every child. The goal is to ensure a proper education to every child in the developing nations of the world. I feel its time and intentions wasted on a stupid idea.

Now I am not saying that the people behind this are out to make money, or deceptive. I do not question the conviction of anyone who is involved or making donations. I just think it’s stupid.

According to the official website nearly 2 billion children in the developing world receive little or no education, or are poorly educated. It states that 1 in 3 does not complete 5th grade. They state that in some countries less than $20 per year per pupil is spent on education. I don’t dispute any of these claims.

Intel, Norton, Wikipedia, eBay, Peru, Libya, Uruguay, Nigeria and many other countries and companies are all involved in this organization. This is a huge accomplishment and is well worth noting. Again I do not dispute the intentions.

My problem is that of the estimated 850 million people in the world that are hungry, 146 million are children that are under the age of 5 and underweight. That roughly 5 million children under the age of 5 die from hunger every year. That there is enough food in the world to feed every person a meal every day, and probably much more if much of that food was focus solely on children.

I have a problem when I realize that children are being made to be soldiers in many parts of the world. I have a problem with the U.N. and the United States in their progress on the Child Soldiers Act (and related Acts). I have a problem with the U.S. on the speed and attention given to the genocide of the Darfur Accountibility Act (HR 180 I.H.).

I have a problem when I realize that virtually all the developing nations have rudimentary (at best) landline capabilities. That the cost of wireless connectivity services is still far beyond the means of perhaps 40% of the world, and the lack of terrestrial repeaters make wireless options infeasible at best for most of the world.

Would I sleep well knowing that children are being educated properly around the world? Of course. But I am not naïve enough to believe that the lack of income, or religious persecution, or lack of technology is surmountable simply by buying a laptop for a child. I am perceptive enough to realize that hunger is a far more important basic human need and without it innate brilliance or learned knowledge is useless. That the dangers of war and lack of safe drinking water supersede an electronic box.

Is an education important? Absolutely. But if there is something that you want to do to help children, education far lower on the totem pole than improving life expectancy and quality.

Perhaps buying a kid in a poverty stricken nation a box of electronics is going to help some sleep at night. But when I think about the kids living in shanty towns in Brazil, or selling their bodies in Southeast Asia, or being killed for being born to the wrong tribe/religion/place/parents, or other parts of the world I just can’t see the internet as the answer. Maybe it’s just me.

Trying to improve the lives of children is important, and I’m glad there are many trying to do so. I just think all that effort and money can be better used than providing a product with limited uses that does not address the essential basic needs of children.

What do you think? What if it was your child?

Allegations against Will Smith - 12.26.2007.1

So I’ve read the response of Will Smith on the allegation that he claimed “Hitler was a good guy”. It is complete idiocy. How someone can come to that conclusion is beyond comprehension to me.

Let’s take the actual quote made by Will Smith.

“Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good.’”

Now when you think about that, I find it hard to see that as an endorsement. You really have to reach to come to any conclusion that is positive about Hitler. Add to that fact that Mr. Smith is an actor, and a very good one.

I do not know how many times I’ve heard actors discuss the motivations of their characters. From Forest Whitaker discussing playing Idi Amin, to Denzel Washington discussing his crooked cop in Training Day, to Gary Oldman in the Fifth Element or The Professional. You can go on and on, but the consistent thought has always been that an actor needs to find what motivates their character. And for the bad guys it’s often that the character does not see their actions as bad or evil. Often that character views their actions as a positive, either for themselves or the world at large.

This applies to the Will Smith lead character Neville in I am Legend. For those that are not familiar with the original book, or the prior 3 movies, Neville is the bad guy. He is the monster in the night that kills people in their sleep. He is the Dracula, or Frankenstein’s monster. He is the thing under the bed. Net result, he is the bad guy that the people of the world fear, and speak of in legends and ghost stories late at night.

But Neville does not realize this, and the audience is not given that perspective until the end of the movie and book. It’s a perspective few films take on, and it changes the view of the world and our traditional views of it.

Thus in looking at the motivation of the character, and preparation of the role the actor must look at it in a manner where you would say “he set out to do what is good.” And there are far too many real life figures that did the same. Vlad the Impaler (who is a positive figure in his native land), Genghis Khan, the first emperor of China, Idi Amin, Alexander the Great, and yes Hitler all thought they were improving the world. That fact that they were repulsive, to at least parts of the world if not all the world, does not change their motivations. To say this is not to endorse their actions but to state a truth of their mind set, and a motivation for actors portraying them.

So when a writer states, immediately before Mr. Smith’s quote,

“Remarkably, Will believes everyone is basically good.”

That is out of context and an insult to Mr. Smith. It’s an attempt to sensationalize a common acting tool and a historical truth. It’s a twisting of words for the monetary gain, and an attempt at international fame for the gratification of the Daily Record writer. And it offends me.

There is no reason to slap the image and personal character of Will Smith. It’s an affront I have never seen made of any other actor. I have heard dozens of actors of note that have made similar statements when portraying questionable or reviled characters. None have ever been accused of promoting the base nature of the character they portray.

You have never heard say Kevin Kline advocating animal cruelty or violence (Fish Called Wanda), or Al Pacino advocating devil worship (The Devil’s Advocate). How about Al Pacino being a role model for cocaine use (Scarface), Sir Anthony Hopkins being Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), or Henry Fonda as an assassin for hire (Once Upon a Time in the West). Of course not. To claim such a thing is ridiculous. But if you look at each character you can see where they have a motivation that is positive (from the bad guys perspective) and that makes the character engaging and deeper.

Some might say this is a racial thing. I feel it’s more an American thing, and a rich thing. Will Smith is a successful American, and Black. Overseas there are many that would love to poke at Americans, and the wealthy. The additional fact that Mr. Smith is African American is just another bonus. It’s a trifecta for a mean-spirited and self-aggrandizing writer. And it has no place in fact or criticism of Mr. Smith and his acting ability.

If anyone believes that Will Smith advocates or excuses the actions of Hitler, they are far too small minded to understand actors portraying roles or the difference of a personal motivation and the actual effect of those actions. It would appear that the Daily Record employs such a writer. I feel bad for the readers of that publication as they are being given a disservice.

I can only hope that the American major media stand by Will Smith, and recognize the insulting and defamatory nature of this writing in the Daily Record. And I ask the Daily Record print an apology to Mr. Smith for the actions their writer and editor allowed to appear in their publication. It’s the least they can do.

Thank you and Merry Christmas - 12.24.2007.1

As the Holiday spirit descends on the billions across the planet I want to take a moment to recognize those not here. Whether it was entertainers and celebrities we lost like James Brown and Washington Redskin Sean Taylor. Or those brave souls in our Armed Forces that are in harm’s way every day, fighting and dying for us in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and all the far corners of the Earth. Even those that find themselves incarcerated or those without homes. All of them and so many more have someone who loves and misses them, if not dozens.

Too often the world seems to speed by and too many seem to be forgotten. So for whomever it is you miss and whatever reason, I want to express my condolences, pride, thanks and love. I, among multitudes, have not forgotten.

I especially want to thank, remember, and give my heartfelt best wishes to those who are serving in our Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Without your sacrifices and efforts I know that I could not sit comfortably and write to the blogs I do. Thank you for the freedom you ensure for me and America.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, and may the New Year bring everyone peace, prosperity and joy.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass

Holiday Contest Winner Photo - 12.20.2007.1

I received a photo and comment from the $1000 Holiday Contest winner Cheryl W. from New York State. I want to share her thoughts and photo with you.

"I used to believe in Santa Claus, but now I'm older. Thank you for giving me a reason to believe in people. This helps me so much, thank you."

I'm glad this has had an impact in a positive way in someones life. I hope all my future contests can do the same.

Sincerely,

Michael Vass
President - M V Consulting, Inc.

The uplifting theme of 2007

I wanted to try and find something that could sum up 2007 in a visual and vocal manner. Something that could express the world and its current status. So YouTube was one of my eventual stops. And there were many choices.

I threw out all the fights and stupid human tricks. Out went anything that had to do with Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and the other dregs of humanity. Out went the political gaffes and posturing.

In the end I found a simple man, who works like everyone else, with ordinary looks. A guy that you wouldn’t notice on the street, and a manner that is best described as shy. He, Paul Potts, is my reminder that with all the turmoil and strife and idiocy in the world the human spirit can attain far more than what we see on the major news media everyday.

I share this with you and wish you a happy holiday.

The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 2 - 12.18.2007.2

Continued from The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 1...

Perhaps one of the most important items I was able to understand throughout this whole drama occurred June of 2007. Again this was after further comments on the case Wesley Snipes is defending himself against went without coverage amongst the major news media.

“In piecing together the facts as they appear to be I gather that Mr. Rosile and Mr. Khan have not been charged, though they have 2000 clients that have allegedly made false claims with the IRS, exactly the same as Mr. Snipes though for less money. Yet only Mr. Snipes has been singled out as a ‘co-conspirator’.”

And

“The government apparently indicted Mr. Snipes while he was away working, without bothering to ask his publicist or manager if he was working. He was picked out of 2000 clients to be the poster child of government acting tough on taxes. When Mr. Snipes arranged to meet the cops to be taken on the charges made when he had no voice in the country (nor knowledge that he needed one) the media jumped on the story as if he were a fugitive, like he was a crackhead running from the police with 2 strikes over their head.”

Considering the long-term, dubious nature of the U.S. governments case and the overtly biased near yellow journalism tactics of the major news media, I find no surprise that there is news no one has heard.

As I stated at the beginning, an A-list actor has made a statement and there has been a media blackout. When Rosie O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen claim that the Government was in fact the reason for the 9/11 attacks, everyone covers it. But when Wesley Snipes states that

"It was easy for people to jump on the 'Wesley's the bad guy' bandwagon," he says. "That's where I think the systematic racism comes in. We're conditioned in this country to believe that if there's a problem, the black man is the culprit."

Media acts like his words are the plague. That last quote was from December 17th. Did you hear that from any news source besides EURweb or me? More importantly, did you hear any coverage from the major mainstream media? I didn’t, not then nor today.

So again I have to say that this does have racist elements. I have to say that I believe Wesley Snipes. And I believe there is a major issue that the major news media will take advantage of when it benefits the image they want to promote, and ignore when a mirror is held up.

Pay attention, and make some noise on this. Because if the fame of Wesley Snipes (or Al Sharpton recently) isn’t protecting him, what will happen if the Government turns on you?

The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on - 12.18.2007.1

If I told you that an A-list American actor made a public announcement about the government and its injustice, and no one covered it, would you believe me. Think about that.

When Ellen DeGeneres cried about a puppy, it was news for 2+ days. When Rosie O’Donnell got into a battle of name calling with Donald Trump, it was news for over a month. When Anna Nicole Smith died, 3 months. And Paris Hilton has been a week each incident. And that’s just off the top of my head.

How much news did Hanoi Jane Fonda get in her various anti-America rants? Or Sean Penn? Bill Maher? The major news media seems to salivate any time that a celebrity or entertainer makes an announcement or is in the news.

But there is a difference. Even in the worst cases of the news that was apparently targeting bad behavior there is a difference. At the worst of news on David Hasselhoff, Lindsey Lohan, Alec Baldwin, or Don Imus there was a sense of sympathy.

But when the A-lister is African American things change. Compare any of the coverage I’ve mentioned above with the coverage of James Brown’s death, OJ Simpson, Al Sharpton, Michael Vick, or Wesley Snipes as an example. Particularly Wesley Snipes at this moment.

Back in late 2006 there was an onslaught of news about charges made by the Government against Mr. Snipes. There were quick and deliberate statements made, while Mr. Snipes was out of the country working (which I think the Government knew considering the resources available to them).

I stated in October 2006

“I have some issues with this whole thing. First is the fact that the government accepted an amended claim of 0 income and made a refund of $7,000,000 without a red flag popping up is not Mr. Snipes fault. I would think someone would have noticed before now. And to suddenly issue a warrant without contacting an individual that has international travel as a normal course of business seems extreme. So far as has been reported no attempt to contact Mr. Snipes has been done.”

I then went on to say in that same post

“As a celebrity it would not be unusual for him to be on vacation, or on a trip, outside the country or in seclusion. It would not be strange for Mr. Snipes to be working on a film somewhere in the world, and not immediately aware of what is going on here in the United States.”

To my knowledge there was not a single major news media organization, nor the U.S. government, that stated the abovementioned thought. 2 days later I was proven correct.

“Well I’m not sure if Mr. Snipes is exactly innocent, but I do agree that he is being railroaded. The media has worked hard to portray him negatively, though there have been no facts to go on.”

Continued in Part 2...

My personal challenge for 2008

There is nothing like getting older. There are as many benefits as there are challenges. And in this one instance I will be taking on a new endeavor, one that many of my friends have already started to do. I’m going to start working out again.

Yes, I am finally going to admit that I’m not 20 any more. I am older, my bones creak on occasion, and my endurance is not what it once was. Such is the fact of being 39+.

Now mind you, I’m in good health. According to my last physical exam my cholesterol count is virtually at the bottom of the scale, my heart rate and blood pressure are still in ideal ranges, and I do not suffer from any affliction. Considering that I smoke, work under a lot of stress, don’t eat vegetables, and have not worked out since I was 23, I’m pretty pleased actually.

But, as I mentioned I’m not exactly I peak condition. So I am going to try to change that. I have decided to include the blogosphere in my effort as well. Perhaps others will take inspiration from my efforts.

As you can see I have included a photo of myself sans shirt. Now I may not be a bodybuilder, but I think I look pretty decent for my age. But the goal is to get rid of the love handles that have slowly grown, and try to get a six pack set of abs. Even a 4 pack would be good.

To that end I have joined a gym, and plan to get there to work out at least once a week if not more. At the end of every month I will take another photo. You will be able to see my progress and can comment on it as you wish.

Now here are my goals.

• 1. Tone up


• 2. 6-pack abs


• 3. increase endurance


• 4. increase strength


• 5. lose the weight in the middle

Not a huge list, and probably not that hard. To give you a relative idea of where I am starting at, I’m 5’10” and according to the gym scale I weigh 169 pounds. That is the most I’ve weighed since I left the military.

Well, now you know. Let’s see what happens.

Congradulations to the Winner of the $1000 Holiday contest - 12.16.2007.1

I want to thank the many readers that responded to the $1000 Holiday Contest. I must say that I am quite pleased by the response.

While I had hoped to see a greater response by institutions and corporations, these things take time. Nonetheless I will be adding $100 to the total winning prize, for a grand total of $1,100. This extra amount was from the profits derived from sales at the online store found at www.cafepress.com/nova68.

If you have not seen the various t-shirts, mugs, Teddy bears, sweatshirts, journals, jewlery boxes, posters, stamps, and other items at the store I invite you to take a look. With over 200 different items, and over 10 unique clothing lines for men and women, I think there is something there for everyone.

As I have mentioned before, you can look forward to another free cash give away contest in 2008, among other contests. I can only hope that the future contest is as helpful and well recieved as this contest has been.

But don't let the various contests offered by M V Consulting be your only reason for visiting my sites. I believe that long-time readers know that the various sites have unique insight on subjects ranging from politics, entertainment, social issues, and more. All of them presented from the viewpoint of this Black Puerto Rican from the Bronx.

Again I congratulate the winner of the contest, Chyrl W. of New York State, and thank everyone who participated in the contest.

Repost - Pros and Cons of Republican Presidential candidates

This is a repost that can be found at Vass

Not long ago I created a list of Pros and Cons of the leading Democratic Presidential candidates. To be fair and to see the differences I have complied a Pros and Con list for the leading major Republican candidates.

I do not presume that this list is all-encompassing. I recognize that while I have tried to be neutral, just as I was with the Democrats, I’m sure there are areas where my personal views entered. I do not claim my list is complete or how everyone feels. But I believe it is accurate.

Some issues may fall on both sides, because depending on personal views it is a positive or negative. Most are far more easily categorized. If you disagree, please make a comment and give your reasons why. You may be right, so why not share your thoughts?

You can see some of my source information at On The Issues and 2008 Election ProCon.

Now for the breakdowns (in alphabetical order):

Rudy Giuliani

Pros –


• 9/11
  
• For the Death Penalty
  
• Finish Iraq war
  
• No Nuke Iran
  
• Waterboarding (Torture ok)
  
• Mayor of largest U.S. City
  
• Lower taxes
  
  Cons –
  
  
• Mixed on Gun Control
  
• No International experience
  
• Flipped on gay marriage
  
• Mayor was highest level of public service experience
  
• Relies heavily on 9/11
  
• Flipped on Immigration policies
  
• Horrendous Civil Liberties (Amidou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, ect)
  
• Sold out 42nd Street to corporations
  

Continued in Part 2...

Real confidence in a product

I saw this live on Fox News and had to find the YouTube of it. This is the ultimate example of a guy who believes in his product. He is so confident that Mark Littell took a 90 mile an hour baseball to the family jewels on live TV. He didn't even blink because of his NuttyBuddy. That's a product that works. See for yourself.

Criminals Gone Wild, the DVD - 12.12.2007.3

There was something I heard this morning that took me aback. I was shocked by a display of vulgar, unrepentant, ignorant, money-grubbing via the glorification of the most base and illegal activities in the Black Community. I am being serious.

What got me so upset? Criminals Gone Wild. The name itself conveys images of stupid and petty actions performed for the monetary benefit of the videographer. But unlike the exploitation of drunken minors and misguided young women that is Girls Gone Wild; this DVD is a compilation of violent petty uneducated thugs in the pursuit of a dollar. There is no superficial and misguided level of cheer or fun. There is no veneer of happiness or joy.

Criminals Gone Wild is simply a Black guy videotaping felons, and soon-to-be felons, in the act of committing crimes so he can make money. It’s exploitative, a crime, and base on every level. I am looking forward to the owner/creator of this DVD being arrested and serving a long sentence.

I expect this guy to be arrested because he has captured the murder and attempted murder of African Americans. He has captured on film the robbery at gunpoint of African Americans. He recorded the planning and commission of carjackings and assaults of every nature. And he did not report a single event. Rather he scurried off to a corner and made a DVD. It makes me sick.

I’m not sure what is worse; the fact that this individual was able to make this DVD or that so many criminals thought this was their chance at 15 minutes of fame. Actually perhaps the fact that criminals feel like they are superstars is the greatest crime and source of disgust I have.

The Black culture has become a commodity, and criminals have become the oil that is most valued to trade upon. Call them thugs, pimps, ghettofabulous, rappers or uneducated, small-minded, petty, cowardly, slow-witted, buffoons who derive their delusion of self-importance from the misery and suffering they impose on their own people. They are parasites and I have no pity, remorse or forgiveness for them.

And as for the creator of this enterprise, he is best described as a parasite that feeds on parasites. A low creature feeding of the scum of the earth for no reason other than the selfish gain of money. His only excuse for his actions was in fact,

“What do you want me to do? Mop floors for $5 and hour? This is what I do.” – As shown on Fox News at 9:56am

To answer the question asked, yes I expect you to mop floors. Why not. When I started working, back when I was 13 and still in school, I swept floors. I also had a job cleaning the floors in my apartment building and bringing out the garbage cans on collection day. I made a grand total of maybe $40-50 a week for my labor at the start. Today I make far more an hour. That’s not a boast about me, but an example of what a Black man with self-respect, discipline, and a work ethic can attain.

I was once told by my father something that I think many in the Black community don’t hear often anymore, especially this refuse of pond-scum that created these DVD.

“You can hold you head high to anyone every day that you do a good day’s work and get a good day’s pay. It doesn’t matter what the job is, you can be proud of it and tell anyone that asks.”

I have lived by those words; I think many others need to as well.

There is but one positive in this whole thing I can mention, and that is because of the boundless idiocy of most of the criminals, and their desire to justify their delusions of grandeur. The police have a good deal of information to go on to arrest and incarcerate these putrid beings. I look forward to hearing of the multiple arrests and long sentences each of these blights on the Black community will one day receive. Starting with the leech responsible for this DVD.

[While there is video of this out on the net, in good taste and good conscience I could not include it, or link to the web addresses that promote this pestilence.]

Reviewing the Witcher and SimCities Societies - 12.12.2007.2

Now that it’s the prime selling season, and every nice mom and dad is running around looking for goodies to buy the kids, I wanted to add my 2 cents on 2 recent video games. They are both for the computer, and one I like, the other not so much. Let’s see if you can tell which is which.

The first game I want to mention is SimCity Societies. As the name implies this is based on the award-winning mid-1980’s game concept, SimCity. The concept for those that have never played this is simple. You start with a map of land, and on it you can build an assortment of buildings, streets, bridges, subways and so on. You start with limited money to start off your megopolis-to-be, and as you attract people and employ them your revenues increase. There are of course natural disasters, fires, floods and other events that can cause massive chaos. You can even create them if you are bored or love anarchy.

Those are the good points, and they are holdovers from the original game concept. But this new title takes the original game and waters it down. I presume that the game designers felt that the original game was too difficult, or required too much thought, for the youth of today and thus dumbed-down the game. It’s a shame.

Whereas previous versions made you have to plan each step of your grand design, little thought is needed here. You have multiple options for power generation that includes nuclear, hydrogen, and renewable sources. You can put them down ANYWHERE on the game map and you have power for all your buildings. No need to connect anything with power lines. The same goes for the subway system. Just put down a station and you have an instant metro system. And bus routes too. No planning needed. The trade off there is that you can’t modify the terrain (not a single control for that that I’ve seen). So you have to build around slopes and high grades.

And it gets worse. Societies has several ‘themes’ that you need to balance. This supposedly is to keep your Sims happy. It’s virtually impossible not to. Any value that might be low requires just another building and instantly you move that value up. It doesn’t matter if you drop it in the middle of a business district or residential. And if you keep the values relatively even, the money pours in so fast you will wonder what else to build.

While this might sound nice, it’s boring. The biggest question is where to put new buildings. In a matter of game days your surplus will be overflowing with tens of thousands of dollars. Zero challenge. Not even close to the thrill or intensity of the original game.

This might be a nice game for someone with a lot of time to kill, low expectations, and limited mental abilities, but I think even 5 year olds will bore with this in a day. It’s almost a decent tutorial for learning the original game, except that involves careful planning. At $50 it’s a waste of money, and reminds me of the failure that was SimTower.

On the other hand there is a game that is more interesting and involved. It’s called The Witcher. Now this is an engaging game. But definitely not for kids. It’s an adults RPG.

What you get in the Witcher is moral complexity or ambiguity if you prefer. The world is hardly idyllic, but firmly in the fantasy realm. Magic exists, not that you really use any. You do get potions instead, though your choices are severely limited in what you can make. Weapon options are similarly limited and generally useless beyond the main 2 weapons you start with.

The game is rendered quite well, looking very nice. Sadly you can’t really explore most of it. Don’t be confused, while there are side missions there is no comparison to NeverWinter or Morrowind. This is NOT open-ended.

But as I mentioned there is a level of complexity. No one is without some guilt or wrong-doing. You let one group get supplies, you enable an assassination. Need information, give a junkie his fix. Do someone a favor, you help a criminal. And it keeps going. Nothing is ever just a one way street. And your choices help one side or another more often than not.

And then there is the sex life. Your character is not above paying or saying whatever it takes to bed most every lass in the game. And you get cards to keep track of the notches you get. There are no sex scenes or nudity on the cards though (at least in the U.S. version).

Still don’t think this is a horrible place to have your character stroll through. He is far from a Paladin While not evil, he is up for hire for most any action. You can always say no, but where is the fun in that?

Expect a lot of foul language, adult situations, and immoral characters – minor and major. But the game is fun. It’s definitely a nice change for the morally high-handed hero most games in this genre take. And it’s interesting to see the outcomes of the choices you make.

So if you are not attached to taking the high road, can live with coarse language, and wonder what you can get away with as an infertile, infection-immune, ambivalent monster hunter with a grudge, this can be a fun game. Just don’t get to upset you can’t wander off the beaten path.

The movies of 2007 in retrospect - 12.12.2007.1

As 2007 is coming to a close I looked back on the films of the year, and the actors that made them what they were. It’s quite the mixed bag, with far too many massively overpaid for underperformance. Quite a few are, in my opinion, without the ability to justify the pay they receive, while others are a bit surprising in the modest pay they receive, relative to Hollywood payouts. Thankfully there are many that are worth the money that are a bit long in the tooth, making ‘older’ folks like myself feel a bit better I suppose.

In terms of the films that were hits, that lived up to the hype we all seemed to have. Included in that list The Bourne Ultimatum, Live Free or Die Hard, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Saw IV, Harry Potter, 300, Spiderman 3, I Am Legend [I include this because the storyline has been good enough to make this the 4th version of the film, and I have that much confidence in the ability and choices made by Will Smith] and to a lesser amount Hitman.

There were several films that failed, and most were no surprise to me. That would include Underdog, Fred Claus, The Mist, The Comebacks, Halloween, Code Name: The Cleaner, Alpha Dog, Hannibal Rising, The Hoax, Rush Hour 3, The Brothers Solomon, Lars And The Real Girl, 30 Days Of Night, The Invaders and a few others.

And then there are the special mentions like Aqua Teen Movie, Red Line, Georgia Rule, Ocean’s 13, Talk To Me, Bratz Movie, Rendition, Darfur Now, Lions For Lambs, Redacted, This Christmas, and American Ganster.

The leading films all boasted great casts with some of the best in the industry. It’s no surprise that Johnny Depp made a reputed $92 million this year. The same can be said of the $32 million for Matt Damon, the $23 million paid to the top 3 in Harry Potter and the unknown amounts for Bruce Willis and Will Smith (I would guess in the range of $20 million a piece). As for 300 or Spiderman, every dollar spent on the effects was worth it as that was the real stars. And Saw is just what you expect so it did its gore fest above par.

The worst films, which the list is hardly complete for, were all bloated poorly written refuse that amazed me someone greenlighted. Underdog proved that not every show or cartoon from the past needs to be remade or done live action. Stephen King continued his long streak of failing to convert his quality and success from books to film. Rush Hour, and Hannibal show that making sequels just for the money doesn’t always make money, and Cedric may be an entertainer, but he’s not an actor. Didn’t anyone get the clue from the horrendous Honeymooners movie? They just need to stop making him the lead in movies. The rest were just really bad ideas that turned into really bad movies.

The list of movies that qualify under that last sentence is too long to write. I’m sure we all could think of a couple of those movies, if we wanted the torture of thinking about that. The good news is that 2007 is over and they can only be reseen on DVD, if you get bored burning $20 bills. (The bad news is that 2008 will probably have at least as many gruesome failures – at $20 million a film Nicole Kidman is burning buildings full of them)

As for the last category of films, well they are special. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a special interest – mostly targeting college kids up late watching cartoons that are distracting and meaningless (which is why we like them). Georgia Rule deserved to fail because of 2 things Lindsey Lohan and Hanoi Jane. I cannot fathom any film that contains the America hating Hanoi Jane that deserves to make a single dime. I dislike her and revel in her failures, personal and professional. [And I don’t care if anyone likes her for any reason, I despise her.] Equally fathomless is the concept that a film based on anorexic dolls could work. Seriously, anorexic dolls with attitudes?

I equally reveled in the failure of equally America hating films Rendition, Lions For Lambs, and Redacted. The abject failure of these films to garner any interest is a testament to the good taste of everyone except the people who greenlighted them. I can only hope that the actors in these films were doing them for the paychecks and not their political views. I would also say that if the producers and writers of these films feel that strongly (especially Mark Cuban) give up your citizenship and move to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or any other nation that will take you. I will not mourn your loss or the money you have.

But there are also films that should have gotten real attention and distribution. Talk To Me and Darfur Now were thrown to the wayside, the corporate execs sleeping well at night because they got them into theaters. In fact both were solid films deserving of recognition for what they had to say and the performances. Luckily both have Don Cheadle in them, though he is only acting in one. I have to wonder, considering the wide release of Cedric’s movie, that execs fear promoting a film with a Black actor that makes any serious political and social statement. You can’t pay a major media company to acknowledge Darfur has been going on, least of all for 4 years, and America has yet to do ANYTHING about it. We can run around the world and help fix everyone’s problems, but forbid we even distribute a movie about a genocide we can do something about.

Lastly there is American Gangster and Ocean’s 13. Denzel Washington is a solid, brilliant actor. The film is quite good (even with 3 rappers in it). But I have a problem with the promotion of a negative style of life for African Americans. Far too many will see this as a vindication or motivation. The mindless find inspiration in odd places, thus the film upset me. And Ocean’s 13 just proved that sometimes you can make a sequel just for the money and it’s ok.

So there are my thoughts on the films of 2007. Get the DVD’s of those you like, target shoot the ones you hate and get as a gift. And gird yourself for 2008, because Carrotman (it’s an old obscure comic book character) the movie hasn’t been greenlighted, yet.

[Again I say, Iron Man will be the massive big winner of the year.]

The New Year's battle: Thin or Healthy

As the holidays progress, there are a few things you can count on. Most people will gain a bit of weight, Christmas office parties will embarrass someone after the holidays, you’re bound to get a gift that you won’t like/use, and It’s a Wonderful Life will be on television. Now of the above factors the one that will be most troubling to the general populace will inevitably be the weight gain. (Well depending on if there were pictures taken at the office party or not).

As with the never ending obsession of weight that is America today, one of the biggest New Year’s resolutions will be to lose the weight gained over the holiday season. Millions of men and women will start 2008 with the intent of dropping the pounds and looking healthier if not being so. Some will try the various fad diets that never work for more than a few days.

Some will take on various pills that promise to burn fat or restrict its absorption, avoiding the effort of eating properly and working out. The detriments of such pills are numerous, including the multiple side-effects they invariably create, the extreme cost, and often the limited results they provide.

Many will actually seek out professionals that will evaluate the BMI, nutritional diets, work-out needs of the individual. A balanced diet, with exercise has always been the most effective program, and the only one with real long-term lasting results. There are no ill effects and the only side products are the reduction in chances of cardiac disease, diabetes, looking better, and feeling wonderful.

But in that last plan, which is the most beneficial, I want to put in a point of caution and question. Don’t over do it. Far too many people want to, as an example, drop their BMI to extremely low levels. I personally don’t think that is a good thing. In addition, I don’t agree with the BMI, or the general image of health presented by the major media.

What I mean is that there is some level of common sense that needs to be applied in all this. There is no question that being thinner has been shown to be better, but looking like a model seems wholly unhealthy to me. For those that want to look like some 100 pound, 6 foot model I suggest a re-evaluation of images. Especially for Black and Hispanic/Latino women.

Too often the media says that Black, Hispanic/Latino women are fat, when that is far from true. We have often heard how stars of color are insured because of their measurements, and how they stand out in Hollywood. Take for example Mrs. Jennifer Lopez, or Beyonce. Neither is the typical waif lauded by Hollywood, and thank goodness.

If you were to go by BMI, or by media perceptions, you might think either of those women are fat. You might think that Oprah Winfrey eats nothing but bon-bons without ever working out. This of course is ludicrous. Each of these women work-out regularly, eat carefully balanced and prepared meals, and are examples of fitness. Yet none are a model.

The fact is that while too much weight is easily a bad thing, too little is equally unattractive, at least to this writer. Oprah looks ghastly at a size 8-10. Jennifer Lopez would look anorexic minus another 20 pounds (talking about pre-pregnancy weight). And so on.

My point is, as a man so take that as you will, that being thin is not nearly as important as being healthy. Trying to match up to the variable standards stated by the government (you do recall that the BMI index was reset recently and instantly made millions overweight overnight because of it) and the major media is anything but beneficial in some cases. Beyonce, J-Lo, Angela Bassett, Gabriel Union, Regina King, Gloria Estafan, Salma Hayek, Renee Zellweger, and Drew Barrymore are all sexy and beautiful women. They aren’t model thin either.

So as the New Year’s resolutions are made, and the plan to lose the holiday weight is started, remember that health trumps an airbrushed near-anorexic magazine cover non-figure any day. Expert government or Hollywood status quo be damned.

A few quick thoughts from Michael Vass - 12.10.2007.1

Well the year is quickly coming to an end, and the corporate paperwork is piling high. I hate to say it, but this is not one of my favorite times of year. That said there are many things going on, and I’m not slowing down.

As long-time readers may be familiar, I recently worked with TV One on their live webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum. I reviewed the Forum and spoke about it in depth, and I will be doing a bit more about that in the near term. Keep an eye out for an upcoming commentary along those lines shortly.

This is the final week of the $1000 Holiday Give-Away Contest. Don’t miss your chance to win $1000 free. The terms to enter are simple and easy to do. No purchase is required. What have you got to lose? Check out the details here.

I ran across an interesting site recently. It’s a newer blog, discussing similar thoughts on Black actors. I particularly liked the post on Don Cheadle, and Black Actresses Get No Industry Love – 30-39 Crew. It’s a different take on the entertainment industry and how we people of color are represented. Check it out.

Don’t forget that there is still time to pick up a gift for your loved ones, or yourself, at my online store. There is something for everyone there, and the original designs stand out with personality and good looks. If you have never visited the store before, this is your chance to see what I have done to date. If you have been there, go back and look again what might have been added.

Looking at the choices I have in my store beats running around from store to store with huge crowds and the cold snow and ice weather that is this winter. And if you have any suggestions, let me know. I always love to hear what you have to say.

Keep an eye out for the various end of year lists for 2007. It’s a popular favorite and I will be presenting them shortly.

If you are wondering about the up-coming election, and which candidates might be of interest, I suggest you see my Vass blog. I’ve been covering the ups and downs of all the major candidates since the beginning of the year. I won’t forget about them in 2008 either. Remember your vote is too valuable to be given away cheaply, and too permanent to take back once cast.

Well more soon.

Darfur vs. political poll numbers

When I think of Darfur I am reminded of a quote,

“Man's inhumanity to man is not only perpetrated by the vitriolic actions of those who are bad. It is also perpetrated by the vitiating inaction of those who are good.” – Dr. Martin Luther King.

Back in June I noted that there had not been a single candidate that had spoken about the atrocity in Darfur. Today that genocide in Darfur continues, Congress has not acted, and the Presidential candidates continue to turn a blind eye. Not only that, but the major news media continues to have a blackout of any information on this issue, going so far as to be silent on even the recent Don Cheadle film on this subject.

Yes, there was a film about Darfur that came out in November. Did you hear a single review? Did you read about it in your newspaper? Highly unlikely, just as it’s unlikely that you will hear a single candidate discuss this issue while they argue about who has more experience in international matters.

How can we believe ANY candidate has international experience when they cannot mention and seem to be unaware of a massive, 4 year long genocide? The candidates running for the Presidency can even figure out the national level of concern in that they have not done anything on HR 180 IH. That is the title of the resolution in Congress all year that has received scant attention.

“The point is that the United States government has reacted pitifully in regard to Darfur. So far 3 sessions of Congress have been discussing this and still nothing has been done. And here is the proof. On January 4th Representative Lee introduced HR 180 IH. If you wonder what that means it’s the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 (Introduced in House). So far any attempt at accountability has gone out the window.”

Now some may say I am being unfair. They will note that during a YouTube debate several candidates spoke about Darfur. And they may note that Senators Dodd and Obama also have a resolution. I will counter that empty soundbites and resolutions that sit and do nothing are just the equivalent of eye candy. It’s fluff to look busy and important without the substance of conviction.

“As for Senator Clinton, she got a bit of all the best answers and combined them, mostly. She agreed on the need for sanctions. She agreed on a no-fly zone. But she would not agree to place ANY troops on the ground.

Senators Dodd and Obama (as well as Biden and Clinton) co-sponsored Senate Resolution 559 (introduced on Sept. 7, 2006), which encouraged President Bush to work with NATO and the UN in establishing a no-fly zone.”

Congress has been so busy trying to find ways of taking down President Bush and his administration that they have failed to even notice the murder of hundreds of thousands of people. Presidential candidates are so busy puffing themselves up they can’t even commit to divesting their personal holdings in companies that are supporting the Sudan and the genocide in Darfur.

It is a n international embarrassment that the U.N. has more backbone than our nation on this issue. The fact that the U.N. has committed 26,000 troops to protecting lives in that region is paltry, but at least an attempt at something.

“And politicians can take the simple amount of time it takes to act on HR 180 IH, Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, forcing companies to admit if they are supporting the regime that is murdering women and children for no reason beyond the fact they exist. I dare even one politician to provide a reason that is logical that explains why this has not passed yet. To explain why this simple act has yet to be passed after 7 months seems inplausible to me. That only 151 Representaives have backed this is sad. How many lives will it take to move forward and act?”

We are America. We can do better. We can do more. And that action starts and ends with out political leaders. We elect them to do our bidding. They are there to enrich our nation, our world, and the lives of everyone we influence. And the influence of America is virtually inarguably massive.

"It is up to citizens in these early primary states to determine the agenda of the presidential candidates," New York Times journalist, Nick Kristof, said at an event at Drake University in Des Moines [...]. "Iowans, specifically, can use their voice during the caucuses to bring Darfur to the attention of the presidential candidates."

Think of this. If we can turn a blind eye to the suffering and death of millions of people, that we can help end, how long until we turn a blind eye to Robert A. Hawkins, and all the others that commit mass murders in our malls and schools. How long before we accept the suffering of those in our nation that suffer from hurricanes, earthquakes and floods? How long before we become so inhumane as to allow murders of anyone not exactly like us, that us being an individual determination?

And how long will it be before we realize that there is no difference between turning a blind eye to this genocide and committing the murders ourselves?

Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors Part 2 - 12.5.2007.2

Continued from Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors Part 1...

There is no way possible that the current system will improve when, even in the face of criticism by the highest courts, the average populace thinks that the system is fair or needs to be harsher. There is no chance of repair while the media focuses thoughts towards the impression that Blacks are responsible for the majority of violent crimes, are the majority receiving social entitlements, and generally in the worst class of society.

“Focusing on 2006 (estimated data from the FBI) there were 611,523 violent crime arrests and 17,034 people murdered. 70% of all arrests were for Whites, with 59% of those responsible for violent crimes being White. And White teens represented 67% of all teens younger than 18 arrested.”

Those are the facts, but the media has spent how much time following every aspect of the recent OJ case? How much time was dedicated to Bobby Cutts? And in each case how often did major news commentators all but declare these men guilty from the first day?

“In terms of media time there was about 1-5 ratio at best on the coverage of the Vaughn case versus the Davis case. So far today I have noticed about 5 minutes of news on the Vaughn murders, versus 1 ½ hours (at least) on Mr. Cutts. This was over a 2 hour 45 minute time period. Roughly every 3rd item on cable news is referring in some aspect the Davis case. In comparison there has been 1 item on the Vaughn case in that same time.”

The legal system is not fair. It never has been. It is racist and predjudiced. But there are many Americans that don’t realize this. A friend and colleague of mine once stated to me

“I had no idea of the things that happened to you were possible in America. It would never come into my mind. It would never happen to me, or anyone I know. I’m shocked.”

So once again we will hear about how bad things are. And the media will maybe provide a minute of coverage, unless they are too busy dedicating a day of coverage to OJ sneezing, or Ellen DeGeneres losing another pet and crying on television about it. You know covering the important issues.

Because the legal system is fairer now, more than any other time in history.

Justice may be blind, but the legal system sees colors - 12.5.2007.1

*This can also be found at Black & White Blog, where I am a co-author.*

I was recently talking to a friend and they mentioned how things are so much better for African Americans these days. They believed that the legal system is fairer now than ever before. I laughed.

There is no question that African Americans have long felt that the legal system in America is a failure when it comes to any person of color. We have long complained of higher conviction rates, less access to bails, and harsher penalties once convicted. That says nothing of the stigma attached to those paroled, falsely accused, or who win the judicial action.

There is the examples from the past of numerous lynchings, the eradication of Rosewood, and Jim Crow laws including segregation as recent as the mid- to late-70’s. But on more recent notes there are the examples of Rodney King, Sean Bell, OJ Simpson, Genarlow Wilson, and the Jena 6. To that recent list can be added Allen Snyder.

Who is Allen Snyder? A black man who was convicted in Louisiana for the murder of a man and the stabbing of his wife. Sounds similar to another case? Well this trial was initially in 1996 and the prosecutor removed all African Americans from the jury, and then made correlations to the OJ Simpson case. The all-White jury agreed on guilt and the death sentence.

“Williams made repeated public references to the Snyder case as his "O.J. Simpson case." In his final remarks before jurors, Williams said the case reminded him of Simpson's, although he didn't use Simpson's name.
"The perpetrator in that case got away with it," Williams said, after the trial judge overruled a defense objection.”

Now the Supreme Court is looking over the case. Of course this is after the fact that back in 1986 and 2005 the issue of racial bias in juries was addressed.

"The use of race- and gender-based stereotypes in the jury-selection process seems better organized and more systemized than ever before," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in a 2005 case. Breyer said that despite a 1986 decision, Batson v. Kentucky, barring prosecutors from striking someone because of race, studies suggest discrimination "remains a problem."

My point?

Simple. There is more than just an imbalance in the legal system. It’s an absolute fact that it’s prejudiced. But the media plays short shrift to this, and the general White populace believes that everything is fair. At least that’s how I have experienced it.

Continued in part 2...

10 video games not to buy for kids

Some interesting news is out about a list of 2007 videogames that is unlike most lists you may have seen before. Unlike the usual top seller lists, or the Best of 2007 that you are going to see from various retailers and websites, this list details what not to buy.

It’s not a worst of the year list either. This is a list that focuses on the most violent and child-inappropriate games in the industry. I have to say that the list is accurate, though to be fair, the games on the list are all rated for mature gamers. These aren’t games intended for the Game Cube or Wii. In fact I would imagine that the titles alone are enough to make most parents realize that a young child should not get or play this game.

Without guessing I’m sure you can imagine the #1 game on the list of 10. Obviously it is the drug and violence promoting Grand Theft Auto. It doesn’t matter which iteration of the game you want to think of, they all are equal on this subject. Even worse if you consider the abysmal portrayals of African Americans and Latinos/Hispanics.

The rest of the list includes 3 movies conversions, 2 video game dynasties, a rapper and a few other popular games. The full list follows:

• 1. Grand Theft Auto
  
• 2. Manhunt
  
• 3. Scarface
  
• 4. 50 Cent Bulletproof
  
• 5. 300 The Videogame
  
• 6. The Godfather
  
• 7. Killer-7
  
• 8. Resident Evil 4
  
• 9. God of War
  
• 10. Hitman Blood Money
  

The things I can’t imagine are why any parent of a young kid would buy them these games. I mean Manhunt? Hitman? What do you want your kid to group up to be? Are they also looping The Professional and Reservoir Dogs for the kids as a bedtime story?

I will say this though, this is the first list that includes the bewilderingly insipidly named rapper that I think he deserves and I’m happy to know about. If for no other reason, if this prevents the sale of another product targeted directly to African Americans (and yet oddly enough bought mostly by White Americans) that depicts us as mindless criminals’ intent on nefarious activities, then I am pleased to blog on it.

I will also note one other thing. I love the Hitman and Resident Evil series. I think they are some of the best done games each time they come out with a new version. I equally feel that there is no way I would let a little kid play or watch any of them either.

Some things are just obvious.

Final thoughts about the TV One Heartland Presidential Forum webcast - 12.03.2007.1

The full post can be found at Vass. Other political commentary by Michael Vass can be found there or at Presidential Race Blog

I happened to be traveling on Saturday, and was out in public watching the Heartland Presidential Forum. I heard a couple of different comments about what some people thought about it. One was

“Show me and honest politician and I’ll show you a dead politician.”

Several had that kind of reaction to the event. Many were just starting to follow the race for the Presidency. Of course everyone that was listening and watching part of the webcast with me was moderately interested. Several had no idea who Dennis Kucinich or Chris Dodd were. None were interested in watching the whole event. Everyone thought I was crazy to be working on a Saturday. But well over 5,000 people were at the Forum, many spending hours (one group spent 12 hours on a bus) to arrive.

So for those that were not able to see the Live TV One webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum, or have not read my live commentary on the event, I offer this summary of my thoughts. [By the way, I want to thank TV One for selecting me as one of the 5 bloggers that covered the event live. Each of us had a unique viewpoint and it’s worth reading what they all had to say as well.]

Basically one thing was very clear from the beginning. This was no debate, formal or informal. It was not like any of the usual political gatherings we have come to expect and often ignore on television. But what else might you expect from Iowa?

The event started with no real pomp. Instead there were far too many accolades for various officials and organizations that were involved with creating the event. Oh and gospel singers. Oh and a prayer from a female reverend. Like I said, not your regular political event.

After all the various people involved too their time to blather on about how great it was to be there and see the response of the people from 32 states gathered their, things got under way. Actually it’s a bit unfair to say they were blathering. Yet at the same time, I could have done without the fanfare. I honestly didn’t care who they were or their political affiliation. I wanted to hear the Presidential candidates speak and see how they responded to the questions of average American.

But as the event went forward, I noticed something. More than the fact that this was not a Presidential debate. It was a propaganda stump for the Democratic Party, and liberal viewpoints. That was most likely the reason that though Republican candidates had been invited, only one arrived to participate. Of course since only one arrived, they were denied the chance to speak to the people.

That was perhaps the first clue to what was to follow. It was announced that the lawyers for the event (they needed lawyers for this?) felt it would be an endorsement for the only Republican Presidential candidate to speak. So he was denied, and his name was never mentioned. Nothing like lawyers to make something political even more partisan than it already was. How they thought one candidate could be singled out like that is beyond me since there were 4 other candidates there.

Continued in Part 2...

Preparing for the TV One Heartland Presidential

This is an excerpt about the TV One Heartland Presidential Forum webcast that will occur latter today.

As the TV One webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum at 2:30 today approaches, I want to review some of the main issues that I think it will and will not cover. Overall I think that the candidates, of both parties, will seek to avoid a large number of issues most people really care about. Expect a good deal of deflection and moves to tangent issues rather than answering the actual questions posed. I doubt that it will be as obvious as the dramatic and highly covered yes, no, and maybe answer Senator Clinton offered on driver’s licenses for illegal aliens in New York State but I believe they will happen none the less.

First off there are the issues that the candidates will avoid speaking about. The issues are widespread and party specific. For the Democrats there is the fact that for 9 months of this year virtually every candidate vehemently stated that the surge in Iraq could not and would not work. They coupled the disbelief in the surge with they demands for immediate withdrawal of troops.

In the past couple of months, the most liberal pundits, reporters, and politicians have verified that the surge has in fact worked. Iraq is safer and more stable now than since Saddam Hussein was removed. Thus we have seen the debates and the public speeches of the candidates have moved from immediate withdrawal and failure, to a need to withdraw most troops (leaving an unspecified amount of troops for an unspecified amount of time) and failure, to not speaking about the subject at all as much as possible. Kind of funny how that went.

In addition Democratic candidates have moved into the subject of national healthcare as their primary talking point. Though all the plans are not fully explained, and the cost (upwards of 100 billion dollars at the least) has no explanation where it will receive funding from (extra taxes from the rich is the general answer. What is rich is a floating income number ranging from 200,000 at the top and 90,000 near the bottom).

For Republicans the key early issue was again Iraq and supporting the surge (and thus highlighting the Democrats willingness to retreat) and being against terrorism al la 9/11. After several months of each candidate mentioning how strong they are against terrorists they all have shied away from using the single greatest attack on American soil in past 60 years for their political gain (mostly).

The new line of discussion, now that the surge has been shown to be working and President Bush has mandated that surge troops will be slowly phased out of Iraq, has become illegal aliens. Each candidate has claimed they will resolve this issue, though there is no plan stated that will deal with the 12 million plus illegals that are in this nation right now, nor any that will be coming in the future. There are half thoughts of paths to citizenship, documentation, healthcare and deportation but no real plans. And lots of one-upmanship over who is tougher on the subject and who has the best past performance. Oh and there are arguments over who is more devoutly religious, and who can do more to prevent higher taxes. Again no real plans though.

So that is what they were all talking about, and what they want to discuss now. It’s a very short list. And yes I do realize they spoke about other things. But that was/is the focus.

Continued at Preparing for the TV One Heartland Presidential Forum Part 2 - 12.1.2007.1

Upcoming events in December and for 2008 - 11.30.2007.2

From Michael Vass,



As we enter the month of December I just want to take a moment to share some of the things that are going on with M V Consulting, Inc. and all of its sites. As you may notice there has been a lot of activity in recent weeks. And I’m not planning on slowing down anytime soon.

Currently there is the $1000 Holiday Give Away Contest, which will end on December 15th. I invite everyone to review the rules at the above link or the press release at PRWeb (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb569295.htm ). I’m looking forward to giving away the money and I hope a truly needy family or individual wins. Remember that the entry is free, and no purchase is required.

There is also the TV One webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum on December 1st @ 2:30pm. As one of the bloggers selected to cover this webcast I look forward to sharing my thoughts on all the candidates comments. This is an important webcast as regular people will be providing questions for the candidates, live not YouTube. This is also critical as voting in primaries will start early January.

There is little more important than selecting who will run for President of the United States, and there has not been a more critical election, in my opinion, since the 70’s when I was a child. Every vote counts, as recent elections have proven, and never are they as important as the 2008 election.

You can see my political commentary from 2007 and in the future at Vass or at Presidential Race Blog where I also write.

But in more immediate terms there is the holiday season. Some may have taken a look in the past at my online store and I want to let everyone know that there are many types of t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, posters, jewelry boxes, Teddy bears, sweatshirts, and more available. There are over 10 different clothing lines featured at the store including Anti-MoveOn.org, Sexy Woman, You’ll Do (as seen above, a favorite among many women it seems), Cowboy Ride, and I am the Myth.

Oh, there is also a deal for purchases over $75. And as I mentioned in my press release, I will be donating all profits from the sales at the online store to $1000 Holiday Give Away Contest. While purchase is not required to enter or win, if you do see something you feel would be a great gift for someone or yourself (there are over 200 items available) it will go to help others.

In addition, for those with businesses or who just want to be charitable, all donations made to the $1000 Holiday Give Away Contest will be given out to the winner(s). Every dollar counts and adds to what will be given away.



In the near term I will be doing my annual lists, summing up some thoughts of 2007. In addition I will be reporting the growth of M V Consulting, Inc. and all its sites. It has been a tremendous year.

Looking to 2008, expect to see another $1000 Give Away Contest or several of them. I will continue to follow the Presidential race, right up to the election night. I will get some free time and will be doing a few photo shoots for the various clothing lines. [Anyone interested in being a model for the photo shoot can send a headshot and contact information to info@vassconsult.com] Additional clothing lines will be released throughout the year as well.

I will also be seeking one or 2 corporate sponsors for the various sites. It is my hope that by gaining dedicated sponsors I will be able to decrease the advertising found on each site (though I have tried to do my best to keep it minimal. But it costs money to keep things going. You can donate to help by going to the PayPal donation button at the top left of the sidebar).

There also will be some changes in the look of the blog sites. You are welcome to provide me any suggestions on changes you would like to see. I value the opinions of all my readers and those that leave comments, so tell me your thoughts.

You can look forward to better (I hope, I do make them myself) video ads, an improved resources pages, reworked gift store pages, and new video clips of posts (possibly in a news commentator style). These are ambitious (and costly) changes, so give me time but I’m working on it.

Again I thank you all for your readership and commitment to my blogs and sites. Remember to enter the $1000 Holiday Give Away Contest (it’s free and who couldn’t use the money?), and check out the TV One webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum, and my commentary tomorrow.

Sincerely

Michael Vass
President – M V Consulting
info@vassconsult.com

What analysts are buying for Christmas

Mortgages are in trouble, and the financial sector is reeling because of it. Enormous discounts, online sales, massive toy recalls and a recent correction place serious questions on the outcome of the 4th quarter. The chance of a Democratic Presidential candidate winning the 2008 election stands high. And whispers of a potential for a recession loom in the background.

Investors are searching left and right for a place to move their money, and there are few comfortable places to go. But there are a few choices out there. In particular is the Energy sector. A quick glance at a chart of the S&P 1500, with 10 analyst recommendations or more, shows a surprising trend. Energy is considered a buy, with 54% of these stocks holding buy recommendations.

In fact the only stock to have every analyst covering it recommend it as a buying opportunity is an energy stock. That’s a huge indication of confidence out there, as opposed to the financial sector. Financials currently have only 36% of buy ratings and lead the S&P 1500 sectors with 9% recommending sells.

Now add to this the facts that Chinese stocks have entered a bear market, Oil prices has jumped to all time highs, and the credit markets are tightening, analysts see the future as lit by the sector with the power.

As we are in the beginning of winter, and demand for heating oil, electricity for Christmas trees, and natural gas to bake and cook meals for the holidays are all current expectations for the near-term seem quite logical. It seems unlikely that usage is going to drop suddenly, thus profits running into the 1st quarter of 2008 sound reasonable.

The recent pipeline explosion at the Enbridge Inc. facility in the Midwest also seems to be a factor to help stimulate the sector over all.

So what is the perfect stock gift for investors? I have no idea, but it seems that analysts are stuffing their stockings with the Energy sector. Whether that will get them a lump of coal or a sack of cash, I doubt if even Santa knows.

**This can also be seen at Energy Stocks Blog, where I am a contributing author.**

Previews of 2008 films - 11.30.2007.1

Recently I was in the movies watching the Hitman movie and of course before the film there were several trailers. One of the trailers was for the new Will Smith film I Am Legend. I think that will be a good remake, this is the 4th reiteration of the film. I’ve spoken about this film before.

But there were 2 other trailers that also caught my attention. Both have A-list stars in them, and in each one of those stars is also African American. Both are Sci-fi films, and as longtime readers know I love comic books, video games and scifi. (Yes I’m a bit of a geek) But the big differences in the 2 films are the date they will be coming out and the quality of the films. One will bomb almost assuredly, the other should do well as long as it’s not up against Iron Man.

I’ll start with the worst and go to the best.

Jumper is trash. Not only did I get that impression from the trailer, but it is confirmed when the trailer states the movie will be out in mid-February. The worst of films almost always start off the year and appear between the middle of January thru February. It’s a dead time, with only a slight break for romance movies targeting the Valentine’s Day holiday. But romance movies don’t bring in the money.

This film has several fatal flaws. They are so big even Mr. Samuel Jackson can’t save the film with his presence. The big problem? They went for CGI heavy effects and forgot about the plot, and you can’t blame this on the writers strike. As you can see in the clip, the main character is a X-men-esque type with the power to jump from anyplace in the world to any other. Ok. Anything he holds onto goes with him. OK. So when he jumps to some other place in the world how can a rope catch him half a world away and pull him back? The rope was after the fact, and once it went through shouldn’t Mr. Jackson be pulled to the kid? Sci-fi films that rip off good ideas for quick bucks on a gimmick tend to fail. So will this I bet. See for yourself.



On the other end of the spectrum we have a more action based film with sci fi elements. WANTED looks to do quite well. It has Mr. Morgan Freeman (as a headmaster assassin – a bit different if he really is a bad guy), and the lovely Mrs. Angelina Jolie. It a movie about top assassins, so good that the laws of physics fail. [Yes a Matrix rip off, but it looks like they paid for a plot too] Our everyday guy, turned super killer looks plain vanilla enough. The chance for massive gunfights with really hi-tech guns seems excellent. And Mrs. Jolie looks great in those outfits.



Neither film will win an Oscar, granted. But my money says that WANTED is a winner, and Jumper will only look like a strong film when compared to Redacted or Lions for Lambs (the theme of both I hate, and happy to see them burning up in red tape).

Well you know what I think, what do you think of them. Which does better? And I still say Iron Man is the early leader for best blockbuster, and overall best film, of the year 2008.

Pros and Cons of the leading Democratic Presidential Candidates - 11.29.2007.1

**Repost from my Vass site.**

I want to remind everyone that on Saturday @ 2:30, TV One will have a live webcast of the Heartland Presidential Forum, featuring several leading Democratic Presidential candidates, and Republican candidates as well. This forum will feature candidates answering questions from the audience (and I don’t expect that any candidate will be planting questions for this).

I will be covering this Forum on Saturday, and you can expect a few posts from me, for TV One and everyone.

Considering the nature of the forum, and the fact that most Americans have not been following the candidates over the past year as much pundits and political bloggers, I thought that a short Pros and Cons of the leading Democratic candidates would be helpful. I intend to have a similar list for Republicans shortly.

I am only focusing on the leading candidates because of the short time until the primaries. I want to note one candidate that will be at the forum that I will not be doing a Pros and Cons for. Dennis Kucinich was the only candidate of either party to-date that answered any questions on Reparations for African Americans. His answer was for reparations. Every other candidate has refused to even speak on the subject.

With that noteworthy positions stated here is my list of Pros and Cons. I hope it helps those at the forum that get to ask questions, and everyone that will be voting. Please let me know your thoughts as well. [I am trying to be neutral, but of course that is not always possible in all issues. You may disagree with some of the items I list under either category. Let me know your reasons why you disagree, or agree, in the comments.]

Senator Hillary Clinton:

Pros


• Wife of President Bill Clinton
  
• Long-time Healthcare advocate
  
• Determined
  
• A lawyer
  
• A current 2nd term Senator
  
• Well known internationally
  
• First female Presidential candidate with a chance
  
• Forgave the infidelity of President Clinton
  
• Various polls state ~1/2 country favors her
  
• Very liberal in most all policies
  
• Pro Abortion


Cons


• Pro-abortion
  
• Has never directly run or owned any business
  
• Entered elected office after career of President Clinton
  
• Initial attempt to pass Healthcare reforms failed horribly
  
• Consistently appears to hold no actual position on most policies
  
• Speaks like a lawyer
  
• A female candidate
  
• Various polls state roughly ½ the nation strongly dislikes her
  
• Staff has at least 2x planted questions in her public appearances
  
• Had committee member attack Republican candidates by surprise at CNN/YouTube debate
  
• Very liberal (supported MoveOn.org in Gen. Patreaus ad)
  
• Has received the most money from lobbyists and institutions of any candidate of any party
  
• Took $1 million from wanted fugitive
  
• Involved in multiple scandals
  
• Pro-Illegal Immigration
  
• Anti-death penalty
  
• Anti-school vouchers
  

Continued in Pros and Cons of the leading Democratic Presidential Candidates Part 2...