My Ninja

Food for thought. Make you smile. Make you think.

H/T: American Black Chick in Europe

James C. Collier

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Random Artistry: Doorwerth Castle Netherlands

Click on image to see detail.
Doorwerth Castle, built in 1280, is a medieval castle on the Rhine river, near the city of Arnhem, Netherlands.
Pointillism is a technique of impressionist painting, developed in 1886 by Frenchman Georges Seurat, in which small, distinct dots of color are applied (in this case drawn) in patterns to form an image, akin to images on US paper currency.

FYI, this drawing is comprised of approximately 60,000 colored dots, plus or minus a few.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Random Artistry: Doorwerth Castle Netherlands, Pointillism, Stipples, Fine Art, Castles, Acting White

America – Home of the Shameless

Just the other day I saw a youtube of women fighting in a fast food parking lot. On top of it all, the main antagonist was obviously pregnant. My embarrassment won't let me link to it, but the imagery stayed with me. These combatants, with their clothes and hair weaves in disarray, showed no reluctance to put themselves or their animosities on public display. No one had any shame, and hence, the title of this post.

Some may see this proclamation as a no brainer, but what is not obvious is how it clearly spells out our reduction. You heard me right – the absence of shame will be our great un-doing. Yes, releasing ourselves from shame was suppose to free us, but it did just the opposite. Our ability to feel shame, a critical skill for advancing, is missing-in-action. What we need in this country is some good old fashion shame building. You heard it here folks.

What? First of all, the rich have no shame, they flaunt their wealth as if it springs from DNA that they composed with their own MacBook Pro, while listening to iTunes. But on the other side, the poor also have no shame, as they stand idle on the street corner smoking a cigarette, while talking on a cell phone, and with a sign that says ‘homeless please help'. As I move pass them, I always wonder where they got the ‘free’ cell (I have to pay for mine).

The educated have no shame. They drop the names of fancy schools, degrees, and store-bought SAT scores to-boot. And let’s not forget that school cheating, by students and teachers, is significant and rising. The un-educated too have no shame, boldly showing off a profound ignorance in every direction and manner, that has them graduate or drop out (take your pick) of high school with somewhere near an eight grade attainment.

Moving on, the beautiful have no shame as they prance around saying, ‘look at me, look at me, and don’t hate me because I’m so beautiful'. They buy fake this and that, and leave the price tag showing as well. Unsurprisingly, the ugly have no shame either, as they work to draw greater attention to the superficial gifts they think they did not receive, by way of billboard-sized tattoos, hollow-point piercings and other self-mutilation showing how twisted-proud they are of their ugliness.

But it’s not just outliers with shame disabilities. The masses have no shame, as they lie, cheat, and fabricate at every turn. Whatever is said or done is twisted to its opposite meaning, up is down, good is bad, right is wrong, from the tabloids to the White House. When caught in lies – you guessed it – we try to lie our way out. “I swear I did not have sex with that woman!”

Granted, shamelessness was not invented here and is on the upswing worldwide, but America is leading the charge nonetheless. Unless we somehow rediscover the shame in our behavior. Unless we re-learn the embarrassment that has always corrected our aim, humanity will continue to miss the mark, and we are done.

Have a good weekend.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: America – Home of the Shameless, Embarrassment, Oakland, White House, Fighting, Acting White

New Black Panther Intimidation in Philadelphia

More in the spirit of listening to the horse speak, the leader of the New Black Panther Party, Malik Shabazz, seems to accept the charge of voter intimidation by his followers in 2004, while giving Obama and AG Holder credit for acting as Black 'protectors'. See if you see it the same way.



James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: New Black Panther Intimidation in Philadephia, Malik Shabazz, Eric Holder, Obama, voting, Acting White

Mark Williams Tea Party Express Implosion

In the spirit of accurate information, I went hunting. Ben Jealous, president of the NAACP accused the Tea Party movement of harboring racists elements. Got it. In response, Mark Williams, leader of the influential Tea Party Express, writes a letter to Abraham Lincoln, in the voice of Black folks, to do what? - prove Jealous right? That makes sense. In turn, the National Tea Party Federation boots Tea Party Express and Williams. Amazing!

Read it for yourself...

Dear Mr. Lincoln

We Colored People have taken a vote and decided that we don't cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop!

In fact we held a big meeting and took a vote in Kansas City this week. We voted to condemn a political revival of that old abolitionist spirit called the 'tea party movement'.

The tea party position to "end the bailouts" for example is just silly. Bailouts are just big money welfare and isn't that what we want all Coloreds to strive for? What kind of racist would want to end big money welfare? What they need to do is start handing the bail outs directly to us coloreds! Of course, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the only responsible party that should be granted the right to disperse the funds.

And the ridiculous idea of "reduce[ing] the size and intrusiveness of government." What kind of massa would ever not want to control my life? As Coloreds we must have somebody care for us otherwise we would be on our own, have to think for ourselves and make decisions!

The racist tea parties also demand that the government "stop the out of control spending." Again, they directly target Colored People. That means we Colored People would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right.

Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government "stop raising our taxes." That is outrageous! How will we Colored People ever get a wide screen TV in every room if non-coloreds get to keep what they earn? Totally racist! The tea party expects coloreds to be productive members of society?

Mr. Lincoln, you were the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. Three squares, room and board, all our decisions made by the massa in the house. Please repeal the 13th and 14th Amendments and let us get back to where we belong.

Sincerely

Precious Ben Jealous, Tom's Nephew National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Head Colored Person

James C. Collier

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Familial DNA Search and the Grim Sleeper

The Los Angeles Police finally caught the two-decade long serial killer known as the “Grim Sleeper” - then the argument started, or maybe not. The alleged killer, Lonnie David Franklin, Jr., was captured when the DNA he left at the scene of many of his eleven victims was matched to a relative whose DNA was on file in a police database. Prior to familial searches, the police looked for exact matches, and Franklin's DNA was not cataloged. With this technique, if you live in Colorado or California, expect authorities to come knocking in the event one of your relatives is suspected of some serious ‘crime-ing’. (Story here)

"This case is the poster child we have been waiting for," declared Harvard geneticist Frederick Bieber, a medical school professor. "We have been waiting for a case like this to hit a home run." So why is this case the poster child? Because it is racism-proof. Franklin, a black man, committed a high-profile crime that does not ring the race bell - black-on-black serial murder. No reverends or NAACP breathing down. Even the ACLU has signed up support.

Of course, some people will still want to jump to (or away) from grand extensions of this approach, namely that genetics and criminal behavior are related, akin to genotype-to-phenotype influence. I say this needs to be studied out in the open, minus all the rhetoric. I recall multiple ‘crime families’ of my youth, low and high-profile, where straying outside of the law seemed to be in the blood. Each family had noted law abiding members who endured suspicion by blood association, and they knew who to blame.

As the costs of DNA analysis comes down and the technologies for on-the-spot capture and identification are realized, expect this to become more a part of crime investigation. If we want DNA to free the innocent, we must also let it aid in capturing the guilty, even if they are our family members.

H/T Mangans

James C. Collier

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George Steinbrenner: 1930 - 2010

Fired Billy Martin six times, rehired him five times. Now that was comedy!

James C. Collier

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Polanski Slips Extradition

So what the heck happened I wonder? Child-rapist Polanski gets ensnared by the Swiss, only to get away. This sounds like a case where the outcome has little or no resemblance to what kicked it off. Yes, the Swiss were ready to hand Polanski over, but on condition that the US show that he was not double-crossed by the judge in the rape case, as Polanski claimed. Unfortunately, it looks like he was indeed double-crossed – at least in the Swiss view.

I tend to believe the Swissies on this one, since they are in the position of looking sleazier by every neutral-minute that this extradition thing hangs on. It looks like Polanski’s original US prosecuting district attorney and judge cut him a sweet deal on the rape charge - 90 days of evaluation in prison - without understanding that the evaluator could cut Polanski loose early, at his/her discretion. Once Polanski was free in less than 90, the judge recalled and reformed the deal – and Polanski skipped.

The real question is why Polanski got such a deal on the rape, in the first place? The Swiss probably feel no compulsion to aid the US in fixing their prosecutorial screw-up in going after Polanski. This is separate from feeling the need to seriously act on the extradition request. Again, I think Polanski showed up on the Justice Dept. radar because he has assets in USB, a Swiss bank on the recent hot seat for helping rich US citizens hide large sums of money from the government. (See earlier post here).

Anyway, AG Holder and crew didn’t do their homework and tried to bluff the Swissies, who it seems told them to kiss-off. The bluff focused on the US not sending a key piece of confidential testimony from the prosecuting DA in the case – information that I would suspect backed up the double-cross claim.

Sure, I wish Polanski was going to jail for drugging and raping a 13 year old, but he plead it out based on a deal offered, and the judge should have lived up to it – which he did not. So Polanski goes free. He still knows he’s scum and that his freedom is subject to the winds off Lake Geneva, or wherever. If he was unaware, Polanski now knows, as does history, of the elusive price tag hiding under the base of Swiss neutrality.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Polanski Slips Extradition, Switzerland, Rape, Murder, Celebrity, Acting White

Oakland Versus Anarchy

Tomorrow’s (today’s) story. A Los Angeles County jury convicted former BART officer Johannes Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter, in the killing of Oscar Grant. This surprise verdict is the least severe of the guilty options available. Over the coming days we will find out what the jury was thinking, if they choose to reveal themselves. Until then we can only wonder. Do not be surprised if the Feds (Justice Dept.) step in and charge Mehserle.

Last night’s story was one of anarchists against the Oakland PD, with a side order of thuggery. There was an expected protest gathering in Downtown Oakland, over the verdict. All was peaceful until darkness, when the uninvited anarchists reared their heads. They are easily identified as young white adults in hoodies and masks, with a determination to provoke the cops. Mix them in with a smaller group of black thugs, with an eye for footwear, and the result is a trashed Footlocker store. BTW, the majority of the arrests were ‘anarchies’.

At first, I thought the OPD were making things worse, but through the night I changed my mind. If the white thugs were hell bent on a fight, then the OPD tactic of pressing everybody into a one-block thoroughfare definitely focused, and limited, the damage. I do not think there was a totally peaceful way to relieve the crowd. It was clear that too many of these knuckleheads came to dust it up. This OPD coolheadedness was in stark contrast to earlier bumbling, at the time of the killing a year and a half ago.

What I learned? Less-lethal tasers should NOT be made to resemble deadly firearms, and should, at minimum, be all-orange or yellow. Living or dying should not be subject to split-second confusion! On Mehserle, the judge in the case will get the last chance to raise the bar on the value of life on BART platforms. The final verdict rest somewhere between 5 and 14 years in prison, meted out on August 6. Stay tuned.

James C. Collier

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Technorati Tags: Oakland Versus Anarchy, Mehserle, Protest, Murder, Riots, Acting White

Oakland Mehserle Trial/Oscar Grant

As the jury weighs the evidence against former BART policeman Johannes Mehserle, in the killing of Oscar Grant, Oakland is on high alert. Many store owners in downtown have boarded up their windows, as they anticipate violent public reaction to the impending LA County Court verdict.

Mehserle could be found guilty of 2nd degree murder, voluntary/involuntary manslaughter, or acquitted. The differences between these charges mean nothing and everything to angry people in both Oakland and LA. Many want a murder conviction, regardless of the law. Others feel the same way, for acquittal.

Let's look at the charges. Second degree murder takes away the premeditation of first degree murder (a charge disallowed by the judge), while acknowledging intent to kill, minus reasonable “heat of passion”. Voluntary manslaughter requires intent to kill with malice aforethought, but with some mitigating circumstance that reduce culpability (responsibility). Involuntary manslaughter requires no intent to kill, but rather reckless or negligent behavior that leads to death.

I suspect that jury deliberation will be between 2nd degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. Their decision will pivot on whether Mehserle’s action was influenced to the point of “heat of passion”, resulting in weapon confusion. I further suspect that he was confused, but not impassioned. Grant’s actions, while lying on his stomach, would not seem to rise to life threatening, or even taser inducing, as reflected in the behavior of the other officers subduing Grant. Involuntary is off the table, as officers are trained to only fire their weapons in life threatening circumstances.

This leaves 2nd degree murder as the best charge, except for one thing. Juries are loath to charge police officers as such, due to the inherent dangerous nature of police work. Call it the benefit-of-the-doubt effect. So, I expect a voluntary manslaughter conviction. I also expect marching and protest, but little violence in Oakland, where community organizers have worked to portray lawlessness as counter-productive to the community. The initial riots were due as much to OPD incompetence – dispersing (halting) organized assembly and protest – as they were due to violent reaction to the killing.

LA is a different story – cross your fingers people.

James C. Collier

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Ghana Suffers Futbol’s Folly

At the risk of having the whole sporting world mad at me, I will make some newbie-World-Cup-fan observations about football/soccer. My preface – I am only an end-of-season grid-iron football fan, as antics of US players are just too annoying for me, so perhaps age has thinned my skin. My focus here is on the rules, drama, and cheating, and how futbol reflects the world stage. I claim no providence, and I‘m sure some life-long futbol fans will set me straight, no problem.

My wide-angle lens observes that the Africans and upper Europeans play a similar rule-based game, while lower Euros and Latinos, play trick-the-ref, and see futbol as a way to break into soap drama (All My Children). Between faking mortal wounds and claims of innocence drenched in bloodstained-guilt, I think I’m watching Kobe and Paul Pierce. And don’t get me started on certain religious members making the sign of the cross after, and/or, before they have tripped their opponent onto his face. I suppose this is done with the foot of God – God’s hand is a different topic.

Early on, I dismissed the correlation between a country’s adherence to the rule of law and their on-field behavior, as it did not explain the good behavior of the Africans. However, upon inspection, all the African teams, save Algeria, have outrageously expensive Euro-coaches who, I would expect, threaten to yank players immediately if they fall into smarmy field antics, which would embarrass the paler folks back home. So the rule of law does apply.

Moving on, how can one referee be expected to keep track of all these guys running around on such a big-ass playing field? The players wait for the lone ref’s distraction to safely get in the first opposing pop, hoping that he sees the retaliation and whips out the red card. I pulled this crap on my sister everyday of my early childhood, until mom and dad teamed up and busted my scrawny ass.

The killer for me is the out-and-out cheating. The handballs, by way of flailing arms, to trade a sure-thing goal for a penalty kick. WTH! Ghana got severely robbed by Uruguay. That was not the hand of God that stopped that ball, but rather the cheating hand of Luis Suarez. Granted, the rules worked as designed, but Uruguay shamelessly exploited a gaping loop-hole to send Ghana packing. Somewhere above God is saying, “leave me and my hands out of it”! In futbol, cheaters can and do prosper.

OK all you futbol fans, let me have it (English preferred or Pontiff (pseudo-sanitized) Latin).

James C. Collier

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