State of the Union

Well, I watched Dubya's last State of the Union address for about 30 minutes (I didn't want to put myself through too much torture). It was very monotonous to see Bush give dry and porous promises, and also see the members of Congress stand up, applaud, sit down every time Bush said something partially intelligent. It was beyond my comprehensibility why anyone up there would clap for the man that destroyed this country.

When Bush first walked in, everybody was cheering him on as if he's just got the United States out of debt. This man hasn't done anything good since he took office. He's had the lowest approval ratings ever since the ratings were recorded. However, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, et cetera were all clapping this man on. That disgusts me.

Bush was acting as if the next President is going to follow in the footprints of him. After eight years of a conservative President, the polls have shown that America is ready for a more progressive commander-in-chief. With less than a year to go in his Presidency, Bush will probably be looked at as a lame duck.

The Election Day is coming closer and closer. I haven't written about Obama winning South Carolina, so I'll take the time to do it know. If things go the way they have gone, Obama will probably be elected as the President. He has the most delegates. When he wins, he wins big. When he loses, it's not my much. What I'm worried about is if a vote fraud is going to erupt. I was very disappointed when nobody did a thing after the 2000 election. I find it long overdue that the Democrats just started to garner more support a year ago. That should have happened long ago.

One thing that was a hot topic was that Obama didn't acknowledge Hillary, Hillary didn't acknowledge Obama, etc. I am here, scratching my head, wondering why people were even talking about this. Do you really think that whether Hillary and Obama acknowledge each other is going to affect how they will govern this nation? I could care less whether they acknowledge each other.

George W. Bush hasn't done anything right these past seven years and nothing changed since his State of the Union speech. Bush said that the U.S. will fight the enemy until it is defeated. The question is how many lives is Bush going to give up and how much money he is willing to waste fighting for a lost cause.

The Streak is Over

After Andre Owens heaved a long three-pointer that missed the basket entirely, Dorell Wright threw the ball up in the air in nearly the same spot that Dwyane Wade threw it up on June 20, 2006. Wright and Wade then embraced, just had they did on June 20, 2006. It sure looked like they won a championship. To Wright, it felt that way, too.

"To tell you the truth, it feels like we won a championship," Wright said. "Been a long time, know what I mean? It's a good feeling and I'm just happy it's over."

The Heat were able to escape with a 98-96 win over the Indiana Pacers to end the franchise's second-longest streak of futility. It would seem it hard to believe that a team with two future Hall-of-Famers in O'Neal and Riley and another one on the way in Wade could drop 15 consecutive contests. But it happened. And for now, the Heat can have a good sigh of relief.

After facing an 11-point deficit, the Heat stormed back in the third quarter to tie the game up going into the final stanza of play. Dwyane Wade hit a three-point shot with 4:34 left to play to give Miami a 94-85 lead, but the Pacers stormed back. And for a minute, it looked like the Heat would drop yet another game. But Wade made a fade-away jumper with 48 seconds left to give the Heat a 98-94 advantage, and the Pacers could not grab hold of the lead any longer.

This was a complete team effort. Wade appeared to be bothered by his left knee, but that didn't stop him from scoring 35 points on 20 field-goal attempts. Wade also collected eight rebounds and four assists. His backcourt mate, Jason Williams, struggled offensively. However, Williams still found ways to contribute. White Chocolate dished out eight assists, snatched a career-high six steals, and had just one turnover in 36 minutes.

Mark Blount continues to impress, as he scored 10 of his 19 points in the final quarter. Blount appears to be getting very comfortable with the pick-and-pop play. In addition, his activeness has been able to mesh well with Miami's style. Still, the view could be that Riley is trying to use Blount, who could start on some teams, as trade bait with his ludicrous contract. However, Blount has been proven to be a serviceable big man, even if he is a very expensive backup to Shaquille O'Neal.

Earl Barron, Blount's backup, scored 10 points. However, Blount and Barron grabbed just seven rebounds...combined. The Heat were lucky to have Dorell Wright and Udonis Haslem scrap for rebounds. Wright contributed 10 rebounds to go with 14 points. Haslem, meanwhile, collected nine rebounds with 12 points.

Despite the win, the Heat aren't any better today than they were two days ago. A concern for the team is Dwyane Wade, who was forced to play 40 minutes on a sore knee. Wade's relief options, Ricky Davis and Daequan Cook, struggled last night. Riley must know that he cannot wear his franchise player down in a season that is already lost.

More good news could be on the way for the Miami Heat, as Shaquille O'Neal said he would come back as soon as possible. On a lighter note, O'Neal also said he wasn't bothered by Dwight Howard being picked ahead of him. He even went as far to say that if his string of 14-consecutive All-Star appearances comes to an end next month, he won't be "extra sad".

Things have gone straight downhill since the Heat won the championship in June 2006. After being swept by the Chicago Bulls in their season of title defense, a career-ending injury for Alonzo Mourning, and Shaquille O'Neal having ongoing hip problems, the Heat were finally able to celebrate as if they have won the championship.

The Scoop

As we come to a close to the first month of the New Year, January has not been boring. Some of the stories have been uplifting, some have been morose. Since I haven't done a post about news and politics recently, I figured I'm going to do one now.

I would like to start out by sending my condolences to Heath Ledger's family. Ledger, 28, was at the height of his career. To die for something so pointless is very tragic. He has a two year-old daughter, and I can only imagine what she is going through.

Moving on, there has been a study done by the Center for Public Integrity and its affiliates. This study concluded that George W. Bush and seven of his cronies on his staff made 935 false statements about Iraq and their alleged weapons of mass destruction. This study is clear evidence that this man and his administration need to be impeached. In the words of the study's authors, Mark Reading-Smith and Charles Lewis, "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."

When someone leads a nation to war, lies about it 935 times, and now wants to continue to keep it dragging along, wouldn't you want that person to be impeached? This is appalling and bewildering. Instead of waiting until 2009 for a President to be inagurated, why not eradicate these lies now? The impeachment of Bush has been long overdue.

The self-proclaimed "greatest rapper alive", Lil Wayne, was just released from the Yuma County Jail for three felony drug charges. Him and his cronies were on a tour bus in Arizona and got pulled over at a checkpoint. Lil Wayne allowed the police to search his car with a canine. A plethora of drugs were found. Officials also found a .40-caliber pistol registered to "Weezy". Officials are looking into whether he violated any weapons laws in Arizona.

Lil Wayne thought he was so untouchable, but what really got me pissed off was what Dr. Phil is trying to do. Dr. Phil is with the campaign to stop sagging pants. With all of that money and publicity, the best Dr. Phil can do is to go after sagging pants? To go after people for having their pants baggy is so pathetic. Is he too scared to go after gang violence? Is he too scared to go after meth use? Is he too scared to go after racism? Is he too scared to go after his President?

These people think that he knows something because they have a "Dr." in front of their name or because they have their own show. Everybody knows what he's going to say. "You need to stop playing the victim for your own shortcomings. If it didn't work for you before, why would it work for you now?" I just did what Dr. Phil does and I'm not even a doctor.

Today is the South Carolina primaries for the Democrates. If there are any South Carolinians reading this, I encourage you to go vote. Apparently, many predict that Obama will come away with a victory, party because African-Americans make up about half of South Carolina's electorate. Edwards is in dire need of a win in the state he won four years ago.

If this becomes more and more like a two-person race, Edwards may have to drop out. Obama's campaign could probably be the benefactor of Edwards dropping out, as many of his votes will shift to Obama. Nonetheless, Obama could use a victory in South Carolina to put Hillary Clinton in the rear-view mirror after she won in New Hampshire and Michigan.

Stay tuned to see who will win in South Carolina. Have a good weekend, everybody.

Should Shaq Retire?

In light of the recent speculation regarded by several NBA columnists, saying Shaq might or should retire, I had to put my two cents into this. The argument that Shaq should retire is understandable, especially considering O'Neal is gobbling up $20 million of the salary cap. O'Neal has publicly stated he will honor the final two years of his contract.

Do I think Shaq should retire? Hell no. If you want the Heat to clear up cap space, then look at the players getting DNPs. Pat Riley is paying players who get zeros across the board on their stat sheet. And he's paying these players thousands or millions of dollars. Look at Smush Parker. Look at Earl Barron. Look at Ricky Davis, who had six points in 30 minutes last night. Look at Luke Jackson. Look at Joel Anthony. Quite frankly, Pat Riley is paying players who can't play.

Is Shaq part of the problem? Of course he is. All 15 of them need to step up their game. Dwyane Wade is not playing at the level he used to be; it's not just Shaq. Same thing with Ricky Davis, Jason Williams, Dorell Wright, Mark Blount, the list goes on. However, if you put better players around O'Neal, I wouldn't have an article titled this. At this stage of his career, you shouldn't expect the Diesel to carry a team. You need better players around him.

I can hear the cries already. "But how can you sign better players if O'Neal is taking up $20 million?" Well then, how are the Spurs paying Tim Duncan $19 million and still below the luxury tax? How are the Celtics paying Kevin Garnett $23 million, Paul Pierce $16.3 million, and Ray Allen $16 million and still have the pieces around those guys? Players will take pay-cuts if it means getting a shot at a ring. Staying in the realm of the Heat, just look at James Posey and Eddie Jones.

If anyone should retire, it is Pat Riley. Riley refused to surround O'Neal with quality veterans and gave him players who might not even be able to play on a college team. If Riles knew there would be financial repercussions on O'Neal's five-year, $100 million contract, he could have passed on the deal.

The bottom line is that Pat Riley can surround Wade and Shaq with quality players even when O'Neal is making $20 million. Riles needs to be smarter and thriftier when signing players. Sign a Raja Bell-caliber player for $4.5 million. Sign a Brian Skinner-caliber player for $1.1 million. Sign an Eddie House-caliber player for $1.5 million.

These teams know how to spend their money and the Heat don't. Quality players for cheap is not out of reach. For those of you saying, "Yeah, but won't Shaq's retirement make things easier? After all, he is only averaging 14 points and eight rebounds a night." realize that Shaq still commands double-teams. He still shoots over 50% from the field. As long as he gives his teammates open looks and delivers when his number is called, he is doing fine by me.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, like any third Monday in January, is Martin Luther King Day, a day in which people are given a day off in remembrance of Dr. King's life and legacy. Did I just say "a day given off in remembrance"? Only a naive person would say that. Some people have the day off, others don't. I, like anyone else, enjoys a day off. However, many people simply enjoy the day off, playing their PlayStations, and not giving a moment's hesitation for what Dr. King died for.

That type of apathy is why we are not living in Martin Luther King's dream, but still living in a nightmare. People can say that we have made a lot of progress, but there is still plenty of work to be made. Blacks are still being prosecuted wrongfully because of their race. Blacks still are riddled with racial slurs. Would this be anything remotely close to Dr. King's dream?

One of Dr. King's dreams was to take us to the Promised Land. I want everyone reading this post to ask themselves if we are in the Promised Land. And if not, why not? It has been 40 years since Dr. King was assassinated. I am not saying that we can get rid of stereotypes entirely, because that is impossible. What I am saying is that there is room for improvement. Just because people will always have their impulses, does that mean we can have corrupt impulses in our judicial systems?

I cannot speak for a Black man because I am not one. However, one of my good friends has had to deal with the unbearable hardships of being a Black man. He has told me several disturbing things. He's had women clutch their purses when he walks by them. He's had a white cab driver call him the n-word. That, coupled with Michael Richards racially-insensitive comments and Don Imus' racial epithets, is horrific. People like to think it's all right, looking at the success of people like Oprah and Michael Jordan. It's not okay. If people continue to let this slip through the cracks, history will only repeat itself.

Not only has the message of Dr. King been ignored, it has also been spurned. At first, the government refused to acknowledge Dr. King's birthday. It was not until May 2, 2000, that South Carolina made Dr. King's birthday an official state holiday. The problem goes much deeper with that. Where people saw nonviolence, others saw Marxism. A perfect example of this was Senator Jesse Helms, who led opposition to making Dr. King's birthday a national holiday. He criticized Dr. King's opposition to the Vietnam War and accused him of espousing "action-oriented Marxism."

Americans need to realize the truth. We are refusing to live the dream, and choosing to be stuck in a nightmare. Why did people refuse to bail out the victims of Jena, Louisiana's judicial systems. Why was the genocide in Rwanda unnoticed by the Western World? This is choosing not to intervene. Americans need to stand up and fight for what Dr. King stood for. Because we are what's left of him.

Happy birthday Dr. King. You have been a great influence on all of us.

Quote of the Day: "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of the social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Influential Video of the Day: Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech

The Unlucky Dozen

Miami's streak of futility hit a Pat Riley-high last night, as the Portland Trailblazers rallied back from a fourth quarter deficit to win the game, 98-91. Dwyane Wade put on quite a show, playing a day after his 26th birthday, with 37 points, five rebounds, and one block. However, the rest of the team could hardly do their job, notably Jason Williams. Williams could seemingly not make a layup last night, and retaliated to the referee when he dribbled the ball out of bounds.

The biggest problem Miami has is their defense. Theoretically, if a team cannot play defense, they should outscore their opponent (a la Phoenix or Golden State). Unfortunately, Miami simply lacks the offensive firepower to be able to outscore their opponents. James Posey was let go and no player of his caliber was signed. Alonzo Mourning was able to hide Miami's weak perimeter defense by blocking two or three shots and also altering two or three shots. Now, that protection is no longer available.

Dwyane Wade needs to stop gambling for steals. I've always never personally respected someone for being able to collect steals. When a player makes a mistake, go after the ball. However, many players, including Wade, would rather poke their arm around for the ball as opposed to moving their feet.

Another problem of the Heat is their three-point shooting, or lack thereof. On a team with Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, both of whom get the majority of their points from the paint, you need threats from the outside whom they can pass it to. I certainly wouldn't have matched the offer to Jason Kapono by the Raptors, but Posey and Eddie Jones were costly mistakes. To put this into context, Jones is making $1.8 million. That's less than what Smush Parker is making. James Posey is making $3.2 million. That's $3.6 million less than what Ricky Davis is making. Clearly, Miami had the ability to re-sign these players. Letting them go is inexcusable.

The third problem of the Heat is their depth. The Miami Heat are a full, yet unsatisfying, plate. The only people on this squad that deserve to play are Wade, Shaq, Udonis Haslem, and Daequan Cook. Everyone else shouldn't be playing. Fortunately, Miami has a lot of expiring contracts, most notably Williams' $8.9 million and Davis' $6.8 million. Hopefully, the Heat will use this money wisely and address their problems.

With this disastrous season, the onus must fall on the man in charge: Pat Riley. This man has made smart moves in his Heat days, such as acquiring Jason Williams, James Posey, and Antoine Walker for just Eddie Jones and Rasual Butler. However, Riles is going to have to make smart moves like that to keep his team afloat. The Heat went from champs to a low seed in the playoffs to the laughing stock of the NBA. Riley didn't build on success, he kept the team exactly as it was and it's gotten him to misery.

The question now is how will he build his team back up.

The Real Issue

The Presidential Election is heating up as we get closer to January 20, 2009, the day the Bush Administration ends. I'm disappointed in what the top-tier candidates are promising, or lack thereof. The candidates who have been telling the truth such as Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, and Ron Paul, are viewed as nonentities by the media. Obviously, voting for any of the three would be a vote in vain.

The candidates are taking jabs at each other, accusing others of indulging with drugs in the past, pointing the finger at who is going to raise taxes. What the candidates don't realize is that that's not the real issue. I have never heard a top-tier candidate promise, "If you vote for me, we will fix the government. We will stop criminals from walking the streets. We will bring our soldiers home. We will get rid of this debt. We will stop global warming. We will stop injustices in the judicial systems."

As far as I'm concerned, the Bush Administration is illegal. They wrongfully entered the White House and have committed numerous crimes since them. Bush started a War that makes no sense. Thousands and thousands of Americans have died under this Administration. The price of everything is getting higher. Our children are shooting up their schools. Teenage girls are getting pregnant. We are torturing people in Guantanamo Bay.

Wonder why these aren't the questions asked as debates? Instead, questions have been asked such as, "Have you ever seen a UFO?" or, "Hillary, which do you prefer, diamonds or pearls?" Nobody is talking about the real issue. I didn't come to post to complain about the candidates. If America wants a change, it needs to come from the bottom up.

I am not going to lose my country. I will die fighting for this country. I'm not all 50 Cent with the mentality of "get rich or die trying." If there will be a solution, it will probably be with casualties. You've got to come down hard with the iron fist on his criminals. I'm willing to be that casualty. For our children. For my generation. For my country.

Today, many are taught that the Founding Fathers had the idea of confidence when they were writing the Constitution. However, the Fathers knew in their bones that a despot could arrive in America and end their freedom. Because many of the Fathers or their parents had to flee a country, they wanted to create a nation in which people were allowed to speak their mind without protest or censure. Now, the manumission of America is on the verge of being lost. It's time to take America back.

And care about the real issue.

The Blueprint

With Miami 20 games below .500 and on a 10-game losing streak, I would like to show some Heat fans that there may some light at the end of this tunnel...if Pat Riley can commit solely to rebuilding this Heat team.

The first thing I'd do is tell Dwyane Wade to rest until he is 100% healthy. Wade's shoulder dislocation is actually much worse than initially reported, as Wade suffered nerve damage in addition to the dislocation. I've never been big on tanking, but when it gets to the point that your best player is playing hurt in a season already lost, resting Wade appears to have little, if any, downfall.


Prior to the February trading deadline, I would trade Smush Parker, Mark Blount, Dorell Wright, and cash compensation to the Warriors for Mickael Pietrus, Brandan Wright, and their first round pick. Smush Parker has been exiled from the team and trading him to anyone would be a success. Mark Blount has been playing well, but his contract is just too heavy. Trading him for a promising power forward in Brandan Wright is a good decision. Dorell Wright was the last player to receive action in Friday's rout to the Hornets, which speaks to where he stands with the team right now.

Miami is doing a pretty good job of losing games, so a high lottery pick is likely. With their first pick, I would like to see Miami choose Derrick Rose, a pass-first point guard who can score willingly. With the pick acquired from Golden State, I would like to see Miami choose Roy Hibbert. Hibbert is a center with great size and strength who can immediately fulfill the role of backup center. With the Heat's second-round pick, I'd like to see them pick up a swingman, preferrably Brandon Rush.

As I have said before, my main target in free agency would be Ron Artest, who will probably opt-out of his contract. People have told me that Artest will go to the Knicks. The Knicks mock the salary cap and luxury tax, so I see it difficult to fathom New York signing anyone worth above $6 million. It may very well be the Miami Heat alone in the Ron Artest sweepstakes.

I would also sign Chris Duhon as the backup point guard to Rose. Although Duhon will not score a lot, he is a good team defender and can consistently hit the three. Another player who I would sign is Marcus Slaughter. Slaughter impressed in training camp, but was cut due to Miami's fear of dipping further into the luxury tax. Slaughter would be signed for depth in the power forward role.

Miami would have a strong rotation of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Ron Artest, Udonis Haslem, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Duhon, Daequan Cook, Mickael Pietrus, Brandon Wright, and Roy Hibbert. In one single summer, Miami would have gone from a bunch of old has-beens to a youthful extravagance. This team would be a group of guys that hang their hats on defense, with the addition of offensive firepower.

One of the best things coming out of this overhaul could be the revival of Shaquille O'Neal. With three-point threats such as Rose, Artest, Duhon, Cook, and Pietrus, defenses will think twice before double-teaming Shaq. Therefore, O'Neal would have more space to work down low. While he will not the Shaq of old again, an increased production from the Big Fella is feasible.

Concern is growing in South Florida of the possibility of Dwyane Wade opting out of his contract in two seasons. Unless the Heat do a revamp of this magnitude, there is no reason for Wade to stay in Miami. Many players on this team are CBA-material and have no trade bait. If Miami continues to overlook the weaknesses in their porous team, it may take years for the Heat to return to contention.

The End of America, Part II

Last time I stopped off, I was on the fifth step on the road to fascism, which is to harass citizens' groups. In the fascist shift, one of the main goals is to suppress any dissenting voices. Here in America, several citizens' group have been harassed and infiltrated. The American Civil Liberties Union reports that thousands of anti-war, environmental, and others have been infiltrated by agents.

H.R. 1955 is also defining terrorism in a much broader sense, and is aiming to terminate ideologically-based violence and homegrown terrorism in the United States. This bill gives the government the right to say who is performing a terroristic operation. For example, the government could say that leading an anti-war rally is against what America is attempting to achieve, and therefore they are a terrorist organization.

The sixth step is to engage is arbitrary detention and release. Pro-democracy activists in China were arrested and released several times. There is frequently a "list" of dissidents and opposition leaders: and once you're on the list, you can't get off.

Does this "list" sound familiar to you? In 2004, America's Transportation Security Administration confirmed that it had a list of passengers who were targeted for security searches or worse if they tried to fly. Names on the list include Senator Edward Kennedy, a member of Venezuela's government, and thousands of ordinary American citizens.

Targeting key individuals is the seventh step in a fascist shift. Mussolini went after rectors of state universities who refused to correspond to the fascist line. Joseph Goebbels purged academics who were not pro-Nazi.

The Bush administration purged eight US Attorneys for what has been apparent political disloyalty. When Goebells eradicated the civil service in 1933, the attorneys were "coordinated" as well, a step that paved the way for more brutal laws to follow.

All dictators and would-be dictators target newspapers and journalists, and controlling the press is the eighth step. The Committee to Protect Journalists says arrests of US journalists is at an all-time high. Both CBS and the Associated Press in Iraq had staff members seized by US military and sent to violent prisons. The news organizations were unable to see the evidence against their staffers.

You won't have a shutdown of news in modern America. But you can have a steady stream of news polluting the news as well. A string of false information is already being delivered by the White House. For example, there was a false charge that Saddam Hussein had acquired yellowcake uranium from Niger. In a fascist society, it's not the lies that count by the muddying. When citizens can't tell real news from fake, they give up demands for accountability.

The ninth step towards a fascist society is to cast dissent as "treason". When Bill Keller, the publisher of the New York times, ran the Lichtblau/Risen stories, Bush called the leaking of classified information "disgraceful", while may right-wing commentators started by a "treason" drumbeat. Republicans in Congress even called for Keller to be charged with treason.

In the Soviet Union, dissidents were "enemies of the people". National Socialists called people who supported Weimar democracy "November traitors". When Congress foolishly passed with Military Commissions Act of 2006, the president has been endowed with the power to call anyone an "enemy combatant", ship you or me to a navy brig, and keep you or me in extreme isolation while awaiting trial. Most Americans are not willing to believe or accept this, even though it is true. But I never said anything would be easy. I'm saying it's the truth.

The tenth and final step towards a fascist society is to suspend the rule of law. While Americans are focusing on Britney Spears' meltdown, laws that take a dagger to the heart of democracy have been passed in Washington. The Patriot Act and H.R. 1955 have broadened the definition of terrorism and restricted our freedom. Another House Resolution which can also change America is House Resolution 888. I don't want to speak on it right now, but I would like to encourage you to research it. I'll end this post with a quote from the movie The Matrix, in an explanation that showcases why I don't want to tell you about H-Res. 888.

"I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it." - Morpheus

The End of America, Part I

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to pay more attention to the news, and I have looked at what our government is trying to do. We have seen the United States take steps to a more fascist America, and the parallels to past dictators are chilling. I am starting to see that the government may be putting pieces of a puzzle together to make a revolution that could change America forever.

I have heard of a new book by Naomi Wolf, titled The End of America: A Letter to a Young Patriot. In this book, Wolf articulates how the events taken place over the past six years parallel the same steps of the worst dictatorships of the early 20th century. Wolf argues that no matter which side the dictator-to-be is on, left or right, he or she will follow 10 easy steps towards a fascist America.

Mussolini drafted this "blueprint" of taking out a democracy. Hitler studied Mussolini, Stalin studied Hitler, and Hitler studied Stalin. The great dictators perfected the blueprint for one another. We have seen the steps taking place in America over six years ago.

According to Wolf, the first step to creating a fascist society is to create a terrifying internal and external threat. No, you're not about to hear a conspiracy theory about September 11. The threat, like Hitler's invocation of a communist threat to the nation's security, can be based on actual events. Less than six weeks after 9/11, the USA Patriot Act was passed, as many members in Congress had little time to debate it, much less read it. Americans believe that our society is threatened. This makes us more willing to accept restrictions on our freedoms.

There have been times when the United States accepted limits on their freedoms. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln declared martial law. However, the difference is that Americans know that the swing of the pendulum was going to occur back to freedom. However, with the Iraq War seemingly about continuance than victory. This is one of the recurring themes in George Orwell's prophetic novel, 1984.

The second step the would-be dictator does it to create a gulag, a prison system in which torture takes place. Initially, citizens tend to accept these secret prisons, as it could help the citizens to feel safe. However, civil society leaders, voices of opposition, journalists, etc. are also arrested as well. The Nazi's set up a People's Court that bypassed the judicial system. People were held indefinitely and tortured without a trial.
America has jails in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Guantanamo, the gulag is present right now. Prisoners are tortured and are held without a trial. We have seen this happen in the case of Jose Padilla, who was appointed as an illegal enemy combatant and therefore not entitled to trial in civilian courts.

The third step taken is to develop a thug caste. In a shift to fascism, paramilitary groups of young men are sent to scare citizens. In Italy, the Blackshirts roamed the countryside, beating up communists. Today in Iraq, some contract operatives have been accused of involvement in torturing prisoners, harassing journalists, and firing on Iraqi civilians.

An argument could be made that this is in Iraq. In America, there were groups of young Republican men in identical shirts who menaced poll workers counting the votes in Florida in 2000. In a shift to fascism, you need citizens to fear thug violence so you need thugs that are free from prosecution.

The fourth step is to create an internal surveillance society. In Mussolini's Italy, Nazi Germany, Russian communism -- secret police spy on ordinary people was present. The USA Patriot Act gave the government the right to look at e-mails, wiretap telephone lines, etc. In societies, the surveillance is cloaked as "national security" whereas the true function is to keep citizens docile and restrain their dissent.

I will spare you of the final six steps until some day in the short future. As you begin to connect the dots, assure yourselves that I am not attempting to scare you. I am writing about what I see happening in America right now. I would like to give a "heads-up" to Americans and assure them that we will come back to hope on the other side.

Influential Video of the Day: Talk by Naomi Wolf - The End of America

Quote of the Day: "This morning my administration released the budget numbers for fiscal 2006. These budget numbers are not just estimates; these are the actual results for the fiscal year that ended February the thirtieth" - George W. Bush, referring to the fiscal year that ended on September 30; Washington, D.C. Oct. 11, 2006

Clinton Wins New Hampshire

In a nail biting turn of events, Hillary Clinton was able to capture the New Hampshire Primaries yesterday, beating Barack Obama by three percent. Clinton tearing up was said to bring some votes in for her. I'm not going to waste my time on speculating on whether Clinton meant it or not, but I am going to speak on what she said.

"Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, and it was a great dream, and it was a great speech. But it took a president to realize that dream," Clinton said. How can the she take credit for that? It took a president to sign the papers. However, it did not take a president to realize the dream. We all realized it. I hate it when people use Dr. King's name for political and financial gain. That's why you see people saying "Come on down to the Martin Luther King sale!"

Obama may have won Iowa, but he faces an uphill battle to get the nomination. The current national polls show Clinton at 37% and Obama at 29%. It has been several months and Obama has not yet caught up to Hillary yet, despite that he won the Iowa Caucuses and that he is the most talked-about candidate. People ought to ask themselves, "Why can't Obama beat Hillary Clinton when he's the better choice?" Clinton has her own personal gain at stake here.

Ron Paul currently stands at 3%. Ron Paul is more talked-about and has raised more money than McCain, Romney, Giuliani, and any other person that is a Republican. In spite of all that, Paul stands at a mere 3%. As I said, people need to ask themselves why this is happening.

Can you not see this? The media is choreographing this themselves. The media has always been unfair and appears to appreciate more centrist views. Although a lot of Republicans believe that Hillary Clinton personifies the Democratic Party because her husband was in the White House for eight years, she is more conservative than Obama. Why do you think she supported the War? Why do you think she voted for the Iranian resolution that is essentially a fig leaf for George Bush to invade another country on a fraudulent basis?

Hillary Clinton is not interested in what Dr. King did, only money and votes. It's just like when Bill Clinton was playing the saxophone with some jazz players just so he could get some Black votes. I'd rather Hillary be like George Bush and say, "Forget Black people." And George Bush did say that, when he couldn't move fast enough for Louisiana when the levees broke. He has money to help people in Minnesota when the bridge collapsed, but he doesn't have money to help people in Louisiana.

I guess the media is as much to blame for my rage as Hillary Clinton is. Clinton has a comfortable lead in the race to be the next President of the United States. Everyone sees how this is going to turn out. Stop saying "Oh, that's messed up," and move on and eat your dinner. Stand up, stand united, and do something.

Through the Eyes of a Fan...

The Miami Heat are 8-26. Shaquille O'Neal has left to go to Los Angeles to receive treatment on his hip, but probably doesn't want to play back again, at least for this season. You can hardly blame him. Shaq came to Miami because he wanted to add more rings in his collection of championships. He's won one, but for the remaining years O'Neal is wearing a Heat uniform, the Heat are in a win-now mode, or at least they should be.

I will be the first to admit that Shaq has not played up to par this year. His willingness to grab rebounds has vanished, he commits fouls incessantly, and he is getting far fewer touches than he has ever seen in his career. However, there aren't many 35-year-olds putting up the same numbers he is putting. Besides, you have to put help around O'Neal if you want him to produce. Right now, the other coaches know the Heat don't have any threats from the outside. Therefore, they are able to just double-team Shaq and let the other guys beat them. It's worked for them well so far, and they will continue to do it until the Heat revamp their roster.

That is exactly what the Heat need to do to their roster: revamp it. It is obvious that Miami is going to the lottery. These summer months are crucial for the rebuilding of this franchise to their winning ways. Even if they make a trade before the deadline, it is too late for them to salvage their season.

If the season ended today, the Heat would have the best chance of securing the second pick in the Draft. If I was Pat Riley, I'd really look for a point guard in the Draft. Even if the Heat don't get some luck with the ping-pong balls, there are several options at the point this year. Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless, and OJ Mayo are all quality options in the Draft. All of those guys could start for the Heat. Obviously, my first choice would be Derrick Rose, who has heard comparisons to Jason Kidd and Baron Davis.



Although I said you can't revamp the roster in the middle of the season, but I would probably try to make a mid-season trade to possibly dump off a big contract (cough, Mark Blount, cough) and get another first-round pick. I'd most likely trade with a team "on the bubble" to make the playoffs, so Miami would get a pick around the early teens.

I said a pick in the teens because another player I'm eying for the Heat is Roy Hibbert. A strong 7'2" center out of Georgetown, Hibbert can prove to be a solid backup for Shaq. His rebounding and shot-blocking are already polished, but he also has an excellent touch on his jump-shot.

If the Heat do that, then they would have taken care of two problems (point guard and backup center) in one night: Draft day. Miami would still have a few glaring weaknesses, which is why they need to make a splash in the free agency, with $18 million coming off the books due to expiring contracts. Once free agents have seen that the Heat are gearing up for a strong season, Miami will appear more attractive to them.

Personally, my main target in free agency would be Ron Artest. He can not only shut down opposing shooting guards and small forwards, but also be another consistent scorer, and a three-point threat. Artest is shooting about 35% from beyond the arc this season, but it will only go up once Shaq and Wade will give him open shots. He can be a distraction to the team, but it's a risk I'd be willing to take. Artest can be a great option for Miami if Riles can keep him in line.

If the Heat make these moves, they'll have a starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Ron Artest, Udonis Haslem, and Shaquille O'Neal with Roy Hibbert and Daequan Cook coming off the bench. As I have said in the past, I would groom Cook to be a point guard, and have him and Rose share minutes at the point, as well as give Cook more minutes playing behind Wade. However, a few role players are missing from this team to return to their championship days.

I would sign Mickael Pietrus, who has said he would like to play for the Heat. Pietrus could backup Artest as well as share minutes with Cook at the shooting guard spot. I would also sign Stromile Swift. Like Artest, Swift can opt-out of his deal (as I imagine both will) and become a free agent. Swift can be Udonis Haslem's backup. Swift does give Miami shot-blocking and athleticism, things that Haslem does not.

Now, you do have a lot of players sharing minutes and playing different positions, but that's a good thing, in my opinion. If you can spread the love around during the regular season with several versatile players, then they'll have fresh legs during the playoffs.

In this situation, Miami would probably be predicted to be back in the upper echelon of the East, with teams such as Boston, Detroit, and Orlando. With that team, Miami can beat anyone of those teams. If the Heat make a revamp of this caliber, maybe the only team that can beat the Heat is the Heat. But remember, this is just through the eyes of a fan.

Mavs Limp by Heat

No Dwyane Wade. No Shaquille O'Neal. No Alonzo Mourning. No Jason Williams. No Dorell Wright. No Smush Parker. And yet, down to the final seconds of the game, the Miami Heat had a chance to win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks.

With just nine players dressed against a team that boasted the names of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Devin Harris, and Jason Terry, I would have been satisfied if the Heat managed to come away without a blowout loss. Surprisingly, Miami was able to build up a lead and almost win the game after a missed call by a referee.

Despite the loss, the Heat played hard for 48 minutes against the third-best team in the West. Udonis Haslem, the sole usual starter playing Friday night, said he was "proud" of his team. Haslem played well on both ends of the court, going six-for-10 from the field on his way to 16 points and nine boards. Dirk Nowitzki, meanwhile, shot an uneven eight-for-20 from the field against Haslem and the rest of the Miami defense.

It appears as though Mark Blount has been resurrected. After being played sparingly through about one-third of the season, Blount has started the past two games and has scored in double figures both times. Blount scored 17 points on seven-of-nine shooting, a season-high. Blount showed the ability to make the jumper, even with a hand in his face. Pat Riley probably wants to move Blount's contract, and showcasing him like this could result in a steal for Miami. Nonetheless, Blount can still be a nice backup to Shaquille O'Neal in the future, even if it comes at a price.



When Blount wasn't shooting jumpers over the top of Dallas' forwards, it was Chris Quinn who was driving to the rim and creating easy buckets for him. While playing 46 minutes with no other point guard dressed, Quinn did an exceptional job. Quinn scored 10 points and dished out seven assists. Quinn did turn the ball over once, but that was just his seventh mishap this entire season in 375 minutes of playing time. Quinn has an excellent work ethic and rarely makes mistakes. He can turn out to be more than just a third-string point guard in the future.

Another young player who has shown a great deal of promise is rookie Daequan Cook, who got his first start of the season with Wade out. In 36 minutes, Cook scored 15 points on eight-of-16 shooting and drained three triples. Cook's stroke looks very good and, more importantly, he plays with a lot of confidence. He reminds me of a young Ray Allen. I envision a bright future for this player.

It is a subject of question to wonder how Wade and Cook can be the future of the Heat if they both play the same position. Some have said Riles should sell high on Cook in exchange for a player who doesn't play the same position as Wade. However, I would beg to differ. I wouldn't mind seeing Riles experiment more by using Cook as a point guard. He has done this briefly before, and it has taken Cook out of his game a little bit, but I would like to continue to use it and see where it takes Cook. Cook, 6'5", can post up smaller point guards, and this can add another weapon in his offensive repertoire. Of course, it would add another responsibility on the shoulders of the 20-year-old, but I wouldn't ask Cook to be the "quarterback". All I would ask him to do as a point guard is to bring the ball up court, pass it to a player who can create for others (Wade, preferably), and do what he's done all season long: be a consistent shooter.

Still, the Heat lost for a reason, and Miami's performance wasn't all good. It wasn't just the superiority of the Mavs that won the game. For the Heat to meet their demise, two players made mental mistakes that cost the Heat the game: Ricky Davis and Luke Jackson.

After Davis made just one of three free-throws with just over a minute to go, Miami had an outside shot to win it, down 85-89. After two free-throws from Haslem made it 87-90 with 53 seconds to go, Nowitzki missed a turnaround jumper and Miami had a chance to tie the game with a three. I am not against going for the early two (emphasis on "early"), but Ricky Davis waited too long to make a drive for a layup. There were seven seconds on the shot clock before Davis hit the layup. Miami was down one with 14 seconds to go, and Dallas had possession.

The Heat got some good luck when Josh Howard turned the ball over during the in-bounds pass, so Miami had a chance to take the lead. Riley put the ball in the hands of Ricky Davis, probably the only dressed player who can drive to rim and create for others as well as himself. Davis drove in for a layup, missed it despite Howard taking a swipe at Davis' head. However, no foul was called. Despite the bad call, it was Davis who made another bad call. It is common sense to use the backboard when you go in for a layup, and especially when you are surrounded by two defenders.

After an intentional foul by Daequan Cook, the lead was stretched to three with six seconds to go. Miami still had a chance to send the game into overtime. Luke Jackson, a player who hardly knows Miami's system, was chosen to in-bound the ball. Passing has never been Jackson's strong suit, and LJ attempted an ill-advised cross-court pass, which was intercepted by Josh Howard. Jackson should not have made that dangerous pass. However, I guess it is as much Pat Riley's fault as much as it is Jackson's fault. After all, who was the one who put the ball in Jackson's hands?
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If the season ended today, Miami would have the 2nd pick in the Draft (Derrick Rose as predicted by nbadraft.net).

Updates...

Hello, everyone. First of all, I'd like to start off my post by having an update of what is happening in Kenya. Because the protests and riots garnered so much attention, a re-count of the questionable vote count is going under consideration. This action just goes to show you that when people speak, they'll listen. If a collective is able to raise their voices as one, then it will not be ignored. I would like to encourage everyone to speak their mind, even if their voice shakes. No one should ever apologize for their opinion.

Of course, the big news coming out of today was that Barack Obama won Iowa by a large margin, while Hillary Clinton came in third place. Many people were surprised by this, mainly due to the fact that Iowa is 94.9% white. I am not surprised at all. After having eight years of a very conservative president, America is ready for a progressive commander in chief. Barack Obama is a man who a lot of people believe in, including myself. He brings more change to the table, and he is also more progressive. The Clintons, on the other hand, sold out the Democratic Party to the Bankers on Wall Street.

Yesterday, I gave you all a quote of Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the greatest Presidents in America. Over 70 years ago, Americans were tired of the abyss they were in, and they wanted a new leader who would bring them out. The people elected FDR because he represented change and progress in America. Keep in mind that I am not comparing Obama to FDR. This is only the first inning in a long marathon leading up the election. Obama is not the next FDR, but the mindset of Americans going into the election is the same.

However, the news story that the media is trying to get everyone into is this whole Britney Spears episode. Spears was taken to the hospital recently after the police had to intervene after Spears refused to take her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline during a court-monitored visit. A day later, Spears lost the right to see her children.

I know that the media has blown this thing up, but quite frankly, I am starting to get worried about this woman. Here is a woman who rose to popularity and has seen it go straight down the tubes in a matter of years. Her life is screwed up right now, and her head is also screwed up right now. I feel that someone needs to take care of her before she takes her own life. With the way she's headed, I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen. She needs to have something stable in her life, because it's though to fathom if she is hopeful to get back on her feet. I want to be serious in '08, and this is not a joke. I'm really concerned about her. I haven't been the biggest fan of her, but she needs to get her life in order.

I am also going to follow up on the allegations of rape and sexual misconduct against Chris Stokes. Raz-B, the man who was allegedly raped, was seen in a video with him and Chris Stokes that just surfaced yesterday, saying "We love each other, man." To be honest, I hope Raz-B never sells another CD in his life. To accuse someone of rape and then turn your back and say "I love him," is just wrong.

Also, I wanted to touch on this before I leave. I heard that retired-rapper/pastor Mase is coming out with a new CD. If I've got anything to say to Mase, I would like to tell him that you've got to go either one way or the other. You can't shun hip-hop and then join the church to just come back. Going to the church, leaving, getting rich, and sinning, and then going back to church is not morally right. If anyone should know that, it's a pastor.

I am going to talk a little bit more about the Miami Heat soon. For those of you all that have been wondering where my Heat posts have been, don't worry. They are coming . In the meantime, I hope everyone has a good weekend. Stay tuned.

Influential Video of the Day: Barack Obama's Iowa Caucus Victory Speech

Quote of the Day: "There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." - Pablo Picasso

The New Year

Everybody, welcome to 2008. This is a year of a fresh beginning. Whatever past failures may have occurred in the past are wiped clean now, because there is a clean slate. It's time for everyone to be the best person they can be.

There was a big story that I heard about earlier today about Kenya that really shocked me. In case you haven't heard, there has been a disputed election between the president and his chief rival. Therefore, Kenyans started rioting and protesting, which lead to police using tear gas and batons to try to block the protest of thousands of Kenyans.

The reason why I'm scratching my head is that I wondering why Americans haven't done the same thing. In 2000, we all know there was a spurious election as Al Gore won the popular vote but won the Electoral College. However, here in the United States, nobody did a thing after that. In Kenya, the people are protesting. That is what you have to do. You have to let your voice be heard.

Like I said, it's 2008 and a fresh start to the new year. I would personally like to encourage all of the Iowans to go out and vote today. Let your voice be heard. 2008 is an election year. It's going to be a year of change. This is a year in which the election could decide whether the USA starts climbing out of this hole or keep on falling further. People have given their life in order to give Americans the right to vote. Make sure you go out and vote tonight, because we need every American's voice to be heard.

Oil has now gone over $100 a barrel. Now that everybody has done all of their Christmas shopping, make sure you all save your money. The prices of gasoline are now going back up again, and it might be time to think twice before you buy that $200 jacket.

I would like to wish everyone a happy new year. I haven't posted the past few days, but I'm back and ready for this year. Like I said, I am going to have a few surprises for you this year, so make sure you stay tuned for that. I plan on updating this blog more and more this year, so you never know when I'm going to have something new.

Without any further ado, I'd like to present you with my first set of surprises:

Influential Video of the Day: Gangsta Rap Made me Do It by Ice Cube.

Quote of the Day: "This is preeminently time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933).