Sign Of the Times

The New York Sun, in an attempt to attract more readers, will cut its price from 50 cents to 25 cents.

The Sun, which has sold for 50 cents since launching April 16, will slash the price as it unveils a slight redesign and increases the minimum page count to 14 from 12.

And The Winner is ...

Governor Predictions

With nearly the entire media spotlight focused on the race for the control of Congress, little attention is being paid to the governors races this year. This year there are 36 of them, and many of them are nail-biters.

Arguably, the three most-important elections on November 5 will be the gubernatorial races in California, Florida, New York, and Texas. The GOP will win three of four and maybe all four! And since governors can actually do things — cut taxes, launch welfare, fix the schools, muzzle the trial lawyers, balance the budget — these are powerful public figures that have a profound impact on policy.

(Via National Review Online)

The three top candidates in the race for Governor on New York are here.

Pot is on the Ballot in Nevada

Famously freewheeling Nevada, home to legal brothels, grocery store slot machines and some of the fanciest casinos on earth, may break another vice barrier this November when voters decide whether to make it the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana.

A trail-blazing initiative appearing on the state ballot asks the public to decriminalize possession of less than 3 ounces of cannabis for people over 21 and to require state legislators to devise a regulatory system for its production and sale. [More]

Popular Republican Governor Kenny Guinn refuses to take a stand on the pot-legalization amendment to the state constitution, saying he’ll go with whatever the people vote for (smart move). And he won’t really have to worry about it for a while, since the constitutional amendment will go into effect only if Nevadans vote yes on Nov. 5 and again in 2004. So Guinn may be smart to stay out of the debate, because the rhetoric from both sides is flying out of control.

Jam Master Jay may have been targeted

The NYPD Hip Hop squad is looking into the shooting of Jam master Jay and watching for a rapper’s war. "50 cent" canceled a New York performance the other night for security reasons, citing “credible threats.”

The man Who May determine Whether The U.S. Attacks Iraq
Hans Blix has one of the world's toughest jobs. The 74-year-old Swede is executive chairman of the awkwardly named U.N. Monitoring, Verification & Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC)--the outfit in charge of finding and destroying weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Extemporaneous Rambling

One of the biggest quandary in my mind is peoples' lax attitude about the environment, and it never ceases to amaze how Mother Earth is not only taken for granted and ignored but exploited.

Today's cultures are the most educated, most vocal, most capable of grass roots movements in the history of humanity but, despite that, our sheer numbers combine with apathy and greed to correlate the demise of our planet.

And knowing there's really nothing we can do about it... is exactly why we do nothing about it I suppose, but that only contributes to the problem.

During my short time on the planet -- a mere blink of God's eyes -- a brief and insignificant stay at this motel, I've witnessed the human population nearly double!

Also during that time, wildlife populations have been almost cut in HALF! Human waste and pollution have become Earth's new circumferential strata.... Pristine natural areas have been slashed and burned and drilled and leveled.... all to support our habits.

We look at pictures of the earth as seen from space and we're in awe of its beauty.

Yet, back down to reality, things aren't so pretty. Radioactive emissions, oil spills, toxic chemical leaks; strip-mined landscapes; vanishing plants, birds, and animals; increasing competition for dwindling resources; famine, disease, and poverty--the unhappy list goes on and on.

One way or another, We'll have to tackle these problems head on and begin to resolve them, or Mother Nature will do it for us.

Friends of the earth is doing their share.

Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.

The Nature Conservancy is doing its part.

And so should everyone who call this planet home.

What we've made of Uncle Tom

"In the 150 years since it burst onto the American scene, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' has been credited with starting everything from the Civil War to the culture wars"

CSM has this article that is well worth the read.

In the 1960s, when Muhammad Ali's black opponents in the ring insisted on calling him Cassius Clay and refused to address him by his new Muslim name, Ali fought back with words as well as punches. As he pummeled them, he would shout: "Uncle Tom, what's my name?"

Today, the term "Uncle Tom" is still considered a strong insult among African-Americans. Earlier this year, two black authors published "The American Directory of Certified Uncle Toms: Being a Review of the History, Antics, and Attitudes of Handkerchief Heads, Aunt Jemimas, Head Negroes in Charge, and House Negroes Against the Freedom Aims of the Black Race." In the book, Richard Laurence and James Lowe charge a number of prominent African-Americans, including Oprah Winfrey and Secretary of State Colin Powell, with being "Uncle Toms," or traitors to their race.

It wasn't always so. Uncle Tom, the leading character in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was once one of the best known and most sympathetic characters in American literature. And the novel, which is getting renewed attention as it marks its 150th year in print, is still widely read in US high schools and is among the most successful and influential books in American history.

In her 1852 novel, meant to publicize the evils of slavery, Stowe paints an Uncle Tom who is "spiritually and morally superior" to the three white men who successively own him, says Charles Johnson, an African-American scholar who has written an introduction to an anniversary edition of the book (Oxford University Press).

Take a peek inside the book here

Jam Master Jay - R.I.P.

Run-DMC is commonly considered to be the bridge between old school rappers like Grandmaster Flash and the modern rap era.

Joseph Simmons (Run), Darryl McDaniels (DMC) and the late Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) emerged from Hollis, Queens, N.Y., and sparked a movement in popular music with an impact similar to the British Invasion in the early '60s. With their gold chains and Adidas, they were the first rappers to earn a gold album (Run-DMC in 1984), the first to earn a platinum album (King of Rock in 1985), the first to go multi-platinum (Raising Hell in 1986), the first to have their videos played on MTV, the first to appear on "American Bandstand," and the first to grace the cover of Rolling Stone.

Charles large, In Charge for new show

"It takes a lot more talent to be in basketball than on television," the nine-time NBA All-Star sighs. "They'll let any old riffraff be on television. People with no talent, like the Osbournes, Anna Nicole."

So what's going to make his talk show different?

"The problem with talk shows is they all have a slant. They represent some group, whether it's Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal. I don't represent any group. I represent everybody. We're all the same."

The weekly talk show began on Thursday evening on TNTand featured comic Bernie Mac as a guest and -- appropriately -- a title that's a real mouthful: "Listen Up! Charles Barkley with Ernie Johnson."

Happy Halloween

Donnie Darko? is that you?

Yes it is! who the heck are you?

Dude, my name is Ray Garraud ... I saw your movie the other day, it scared the daylights out of me.

Ray Garraud? I've never heard of you ...

Well, I'm a blogger, I write about current events and other drivel that comes to mind on this here website daily.

who cares? Look I'm having a conversation with my friend frank here and ...

You mean your imaginary friend, Frank.

Look, Halloween is upon us and I have some work to do, people to meet and conversations to carry on with people of more importance, so, uh ...

Wait! I wanted to tell you that the friggin oversized wizened bunny rabbit is a haunting character. And, the whole schizophrenia, time travel, teenage angst, dysfunctional suburban family life, societal farce, and hallucinations stuff deserves serious props. I thought the movie was Impeccably crafted, narratively challenging, savagely satiric and deeply disturbing - just right for halloween.

Well, ok, thanks bud. I'll be going now, I have to go save the world, stay out of trouble Jay.

That's Ray, not Jay ...

Whatever, happy halloween to you.

Happy halloween, Donnie. Say hello to Frank.

Knicks blow First Game

They were in control of the defending Central Division champion Detroit for three quarters, but they got crunched at crunch time.

So, the Knicks' 2002-03 season opener last night looked similar to all the close games they lost last season when they blew 16 double-digit leads on their way to a pathetic 30-52 record.

With Antonio McDyess on the injured list there's no go-to guy in the low post to get them easy baskets.

Coach Don Chaney said:

"We fought hard enough to win the game, but we had letdowns. Toward the end, we couldn't hit shots. It's frustrating, but they have to understand we have to play the correct way for four quarters."

Yeah coach and it's your job to make sure that they understand that concept and execute it properly. Talk is cheap baby! let's win some games.

NYC Halloween Haunts and Events

PB&J

The U.S. military is hell-bent on coming up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that lasts for up to three years, according to an AP report in Newsday.

"peanut butter has so far proven too unstable to last three years in battlefield conditions."

the order "tops a U.S. Army most-wanted list," with a prerequisite that the final peanut butter blend still "sticks to the roof of your mouth." A yummy idea, I suppose.

Jam Master Jay, Run-DMC DJ, Killed In Shooting

NEW YORK — Legendary hip-hop DJ Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was shot and killed in Queens, according to group representative Dave Goodsen.

Police have confirmed that two men were shot inside a studio on Merrick Boulevard at 7:30 p.m. local time and say the victims have not been identified.

According to police, one man was dead on arrival after being rushed to a local hospital. Representatives for Run-DMC claim the victim was Jam Master Jay, a.k.a. Jason Mizell.

(Via MTV News)

In the Halloween spirit

Hey Ray, wanna chat?

Hey Dor, sure thing, howaya?

what are you doing for Halloweeen Ray?

I'll be at the halloween parade, in the village on Thursday, and for the next 24 hours, I'll only be blogging about Halloween related stuff ... I'm off from work on Thursday so I'll have plenty of time to waste. What are you doing?

Wow, that sounds exciting, well my friends and I are going to a masquerade party in Queens.

Really! fabulous! What costume are you wearing?

Oh, maybe I'll dress up as Christina Aguilera or something ...

Oh hey! you want to get down and dirty huh?

yeah well, you know.

Actually, I wouldn't know, I've never met you ... But anyway ... I'm dressing up as Count Blacula. I'm trying to get my wife to dress up as Mrs. Blacula but she's not Biting.

LOL, Ray, ... But, scary monsters Are so passé this halloween, don't you think?

You are right Dor, ... I also think that some characters would be in bad taste for Halloween costumes ... Say NO to suicide bombers with dynamite strapped to their waists, and NO to Beltway snipers carrying rifles and cell phones.

Yeah ... Say NO also to Catholic priest's costumes, replete with clerical collar and a lascivious grin ... that just wouldn't be right.

But, we must agree to say YES to character costumes like the Sopranos, the Dell Computer Guy and the Geico lizard right?

For sure, and also YES to costumes of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice.

Oh man! that would be scary ...

Why Ray?

They frighten me because they're four characters in search of a war.

LOL, You so crazy

I have to go Dor, thanks for the chat, you take care, be safe out there this halloween and say hello to your sister for me.

Ok ray, my sister says hello as well, she's sitting right behind me. Take care and be safe.

Ciao!

Jeb in the Hot Seat

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush turns away as U.S. Congresswoman Carrie Meek pleads for him to tell his brother, President Bush, to release the Haitian refugees who came ashore Tuesday off Key Biscayne. The encounter came during the incumbent governor's campaign stop Wednesday.

"I came to ask you to call your brother and ask him to release those Haitians,'" said Meek. "Please, you can do it."

The Republican Bush, seeking to fend off Democratic challenger Bill McBride in next Tuesday's election, promised fair treatment but not necessarily the release of the migrants.

Via the The Sun Sentinel

The Haitian Plight

In light of the recent events concerning the Haitian refugees, I wonder why we are not hearing more media critics bring up the contrast between how Haitian Detainees are treated as compared to their Cuban counterparts.

In South Florida, Haitians' treatment differ from that of Cubans, who under the U.S. Cuban Adjustment Act are almost automatically entitled to legal residency a year after reaching U.S. soil. Most Cubans detained by INS are thus quickly released and few face deportation.

In December 2001, President Bush authorized a surreptitious Immigration & Naturalization Services (INS) policy that bars Haitian refugees from seeking political asylum in this country. The 10-month-old Bush policy, which immigration officials say was meant to deter illegal immigration from Haiti obviously is not working. The events of Teusday should make it clear that Indefinitely detaining Haitians who come to America seeking asylum doesn't discourage other Haitians from coming here.

"U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, D-Miami, whose district includes Little Haiti, said: It is plainly and simply a racist policy that singles out black Haitians.''

Last year, several congressmen and women also voiced their disapproval concerning this issue in a letter sent to Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The Haitians' very public arrival and roundup yesterday, likely will present a tough new test of a controversial Bush administration policy of prolonged detention for Haitian asylum-seekers in Florida -- a policy that seems to be applied only to Haitians and no other group.

Elusive Freedom For Haitians

Via Newsday

More than 200 Haitian migrants seeking a better life in the United States jumped off a boat that ran aground a few feet from the Key Biscayne shoreline and swarmed onto a busy bridge, some trying to persuade passing motorists to help them elude authorities.

"Some were barefoot, skinny, very skinny, without shirts," said Damaris Placido, who was on the causeway when people started running in front of her car. "Some had kids in their arms."

Police and Border Patrol agents blocked the bridge for several hours in an attempt to round up the Haitians. They were taken by bus to an immigration detention center in Miami to await deportation hearings.

Cubans in a similar situation are repatriated if they are apprehended at sea, but allowed to stay if they reach the shore.

"The Haitians are fleeing from persecution," said Rep. Carrie Meek (D-Fla.). "With the Cubans it's a wet-foot, dry-foot policy. ... The Haitians are turned around and sent back to Haiti. It's not fair."

Look at the picture above, see the innocence in the children's eyes, most importantly, see your ancestors. They migrated in quest of that same better life that today's refugees yearn for. Eventually, they will learn to adapt to our environment and system, just like your ancestors. This country is not for any particular group; it's for everyone.

Trick or Treating are only part of the story when it comes to Halloween, so says my friend and co-worker Mike (pictured on the left)

It's also important to be hip, imaginative, urbane, and witty.

Homemade costumes and decorations is one way to accomplish this objective.

Mike is seen here sitting next to his creation, while they both enjoy a cold can of Budweiser.

Getting Chipped

Applied Digital Solutions has announced that its new VeriChip is available to the public. The VeriChip—a microchip that would be implanted under the skin—can be programmed to carry identification data, your medical history, financial information, even allow you to be tracked by global positioning satellites, should the need or desire arise.

Bad Dog!

According to the Associated Press, our canine pals could possibly be the next terrorist threat.

To Tell The Truth

Does any one really know what’s true?
Is truth absolute?
Can’t things be sort of true?
True in a deeper sense?
True enough for military action?

True for me, not for you?
True to your word?
True to life?
True to your loved one?

All too true?

Or is all truth just speculation?

Then there’s another aspect of truth called "truth management" – as practiced by those in positions of power – they let the truth out like a fisherman plays his line, delicately, artfully and with finesse.

One example of truth management is the way Clinton answered some questions posed to him a few years ago during the M. Lewinsky debacle.

"It depends on what your definition of 'is' is", he said, "I’m trying to be honest with you and it hurts me"

Wow, cleverly molding and sculpting a variety of words when a simple "hey, I fucked up" would have sufficed.

The truth does hurt sometimes, I suppose.

People love language, words and the many ways in which they can be manipulated. Words (whether true or untrue) have the power to affect our emotions, sweep us off our laurels and take us anywhere we want to go, vicariously. Words can give meaning to the mundane and make our boredom flee away.

Truth, is therefore a matter or perception, in my humble opinion. The spectrum of truth is broad and we all resonate to truth at different levels, or shall we say "different versions".

Many have become very successful, not by telling the truth but rather by telling what they "believed" to be the truth and doing it with passion and conviction. If the individual’s commitment and talent level is high, people may respond positively.

People are generally fascinated and enthralled by truth and its versions. The biggest lesson we can learn from this is that everything has its limitations, but the world will always beat a path to the door of those who can convey their version of truth with class, finesse, passion and conviction.

Here are what some others are saying about truth:

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." - Oscar Wilde

"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it." - Malcolm X

"Truth springs from argument amongst friends." - David hume

"Nothing in here is true." - Tony Pierce

Chief Moose.com

Apparently a bunch of Chief Moose fans have started a weblog in honor of Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose.

The site is very popular according its creators, boasting over 1.5 million hits, 2700+ comments, and over 300 items sold in the Moose shop in less than 2 weeks.

They even received some recognition on a CNN article last week. Quite impressive.

NBA + NY Knicks

The NBA season opens this week and I'm amped and ready for some great basketball. The NY knicks season will begin on Wednesday when they play against Detroit. Citiblog will be keeping a close eye on the Knicks - an organization that is close to losing the faith of its fan base if they don't get their act together.

Although manager Scott Layden acquired power forward Antonio McDyess and got rid of fragile Marcus Camby and aging Mark Jackson, things turned sour when McDyess suffered a season-ending fractured left kneecap in the third preseason game. Combine that with the Latrell Sprewell incidents and we have a situation where the organization has to become proficient in crisis management and in getting the team to win games.

Newsday reports that:

McDyess averaged 20.8 points and 12.1 rebounds the season before he was injured in Denver and had missed only 28 games in his first six seasons. He was the low-post scorer the Knicks needed to score easy baskets and create open space on the perimeter for Sprewell and Allan Houston. Now they look like a dead ringer for last season's 30-52 team.

The Knicks are right now at a critical juncture. They are desperate for a well thought out plan and the decision taken can certainly affect the organization for years to come. Let's hope that Layden and coach Don Chaney and company can step up to the challenge.