Quick Weekend Notes

• First, our condolences to the family and friends of Rep. Tom Lantos, who was a holocaust survivor who escaped the Nazis twice as a teenager, and was the only survivor to serve in Congress - he was 80.

• There were two high school shooting in Memphis over the last week, the most recent one happened today, when a 17-year-old student shot a 19-year-old senior twice over an argument. The suspect shot the victim in gym class, the victim is in critical condition. The other shooting happened at a different school last Monday, Feb. 4 - when a student shot another student in the leg - no critical injuries were reported. Both students were detained and will more than likely be charged.
• Without getting into too much detail, Yahoo! Inc. respectfully rejected Microsoft's $44.6 billion bid to take over the company, deeming in inadequate. Word is that Yahoo! is in talks with AOL about a possible merger.

• Another lawsuit is coming out of former B2K member Raz-B's team. First, he was supposed to press charges on his prime producer/manager Chris Stokes for raping him and others - the suit was dropped a day later...nope, that's not shady at all. But this time, Raz-B's lawyers are out for blood against the team of boxing great Floyd Mayweather. According to Raz-B's lawyers, the security team of Mayweather beat Raz-B's brother, Ricky Romance, to a bloody pulp outside of a Grand Rapids, MI hotel - where Mayweather was holding his weekend extravaganza "The Mayweather Experience." Let's see if they fold if/when an athlete puts the pressure on them.

• To keep it on boxing, two big time welterweight prospects were in action this past weekend. Paul "The Punisher" Williams, who was coming off of a win against highly touted contender, Antonio Margarito, was in action against contender Carlos "Indio" Quintana, who is coming off of a loss to one of the tops in the division, Miguel Cotto. Paul Williams is a 6'1 welterweight - which means that at 6'1 - he fights at 147 pounds - he would easily be the favorite in any welterweight fight with exception only to one with either Floyd Mayweather or Miguel Cotto - but the hype was put to a stop as Quintana pulled off the upset, by winning an Unanimous Decision over the former WBO champ. The defense of Paul Williams (33-1, 24 KOs) wasn't there and both he and Quintana (25-1, 19 KOs) were sluggish, but the southpaw Quintana won the fight on straight lefts over the right arm of fellow southpaw Paul Williams. The scorecards read 115-113 (twice) and 116-113. Paul needs a rematch ASAP to prove that it was just an off night, and then he needs to move up in weight, it just looks very awkward to have a 6'1 athlete weigh 147 pounds in today's day. In the co-feature, undefeated prospect Andre Berto forced Michael Trabant to quit on his stool after six rounds of punishment, Berto moves to 21-0, 18 KOs, Trabant falls to 43-3-1, 19 KOs. Mega fights are in the future for Berto, I want to see him fight one more "average" boxer than move up to face Zab Judah.
• Lastly, big-ups to allhiphop.com, which is where I found this next clip, of some reporters at Fox in Houston tried to sucker Bun-B of the legendary UGK into demeaning hip-hop culture, but Bun-B proves he's too smart for it, and addresses the issue of him back on the road without partner, Pimp C - R.I.P.

Grammy Notes

I'm not going to write too much about the Grammy's...yet, probably won't ever (I'm not too big of a fan - the way they approach urban culture is unprofessional and some events last night proved just that), nonetheless, it seemed to be quite the night. But there are a bunch of other happenings, especially in sports and politics. First and foremost, big ups to the homie Kanye for shutting down the Grammy orchestra for trying to rush him off stage. I know that it wasn't my imagination - they definitely gave him less time than other winners who made their acceptance speeches. And it just so happened that the only two winners that got the orchestra played over their speeches were Black and quite amazing at what they do. More importantly, they both resisted and did their thing! (What up Herbie Hancock!) << style="font-weight: bold;">This clip isn't the entire acceptance speech, but it definitely wasn't a long one: Easily the best performance of the night: In other Grammy news, (by the way, I think it should be noticed that when I spell the word "grammy" with a lowercase "g" apparently, it's a misspelled word, but when I spell it with a capital "G" it's correct...smh) Amy Crackhouse, I mean Winehouse performed via satellite - she actually did a good job, despite her apparent unawareness of where the camera was filming from and the twitches and steady grabs at her crotch. She won 5 "Grammies" including record of the year and songwriter of the year - the category in which my lovely future wife who doesn't know I exist, Corinne Bailey Rae got robbed. Amy's Acceptance However, some of the best, if not unusual, news happened on the red carpet - and I'm not talking about horrid dresses worn by Cher or about how great Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Corinne Bailey Rae looked, I'm talking about Nas' political statement...I don't know how I feel about his shirt, but I understand what he is trying to say. Two things to peep in this clip: Kelis and how scared and nervous the reporter is, she's getting a raise: Also, just to cap off a great weekend for Sen. Barack Obama - the Presidential hopeful won a Grammy! for Best Spoken Word Album for "The Audacity of Hope..." It's now or never.... Until then... Maybe next year, wifey.

Senator Obama speech in Richmond last night pts. 1-4

After a line of victories, Barack Obama celebrated in Richmond, Virgina - a state who votes along with Maryland, and Washington D.C. During this celebration, Sen. Obama, delivered yet another enlightening and igniting speeches. Critics call his words, just words - could he be too positive for politics? Pt.1 Pt. 2 Pt.3 Pt.4 (My personal favorite) I will post Senator Hillary Clinton's speech in Richmond, VA soon, as well. But it should be noted, that she didn't even mention Obama's name - nor did she acknowledge him by name. It was more about John McCain, but enlightening nontheless. Until then.

A Race to the Finish

Supporters indicate a big day for Obama.

Senator Obama swept the race to be the Democratic nominee in Washington (state), Nebraska, Louisiana, and the U.S. Virgin Islands yesterday, tightening his already snug race with Senator Clinton. The count for delegates stands at 1,139 for Senator Clinton and 1,106 for Senator Obama. 2,025 delegates are needed to win the nomination. The skinny jean-like tight race has brought some attention to the more than likely fact that a winner will not be announced until the Democratic Convention in late August. It also allows both candidates to focus on "superdelegates" which are elected officials and party leaders who will vote at the convention. Even more important, there are 796 of them, with the race being this close, even a portion of 796 is imperative to the two candidates. Both campaigns of the candidates are already focusing on the superdelegates by having big names in the world of government make phone calls to them. On the list for the people making the calls for the candidates are Madeline Albright (former Secretary of State under President Clinton I), President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton [all in support of Hillary] as Tom Daschle, Gov. Janet Napolitano, and Senator John Kerry are among those making calls for Barack. Disheartening News for Obama Despite his recent surge in gaining support and votes across the country, the New York Times took a survey of these "superdelegates" about a week ago and the results were a bit lopsided, 204 pledged support for Sen. Clinton to only 99 for Sen. Obama. Although other surveys depicted Obama with more support than the New York Times indicated, I'm not quite sure if it is close to 204. "Superdelegates" include all Democratic governors and members of Congress, as well as officials and other prominent members of the party. Some said they were grappling with how to use their power if it comes into play, especially if their judgment does not match the will of a majority of voters - which might cause them to lose their own popularity and, in a way, disregarding the voice of the American people. Some Quotes from MSNBC about the issue of "Superdelegates"

• “My strong belief is that if we end up with the most states and the most pledged delegates from the most voters in the country, that it would be problematic for the political insiders to overturn the judgment of the voters." -Senator Obama
• “I think it is also important for superdelegates to think about who will be in the strongest position to defeat John McCain in November and who will be in the strongest position to ensure that we are broadening the base, bringing people who historically have not gotten involved in politics into the fold.” - Senator Obama

• “Superdelegates are, by design, supposed to exercise independent judgment, but, of course, if Senator Obama and his campaign continue to push this position, which is really contrary to what the definition of a superdelegate has historically been, I will look forward to receiving the support of Senator Kennedy and Senator Kerry.” - Senator Clinton

Many "superdelegates" said they would stay neutral as long as possible, hoping to be spared a decision. But, they said, they are prepared to step in and try to push the party to a decision as soon as the primaries are completed.

• “Once the primary season is over, I am hoping we will have a nominee. If those of us who are uncommitted can help bring that about, then I think we should try to do that.” Senator Cardin (D-MD)
• “I will not go through the summer, I can tell you that, without endorsing a candidate, I am not a big believer in smoke-filled rooms.” Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• “My personal opinion is it would be a mistake and disastrous either way for the superdelegates — insiders, establishment politicians — to come along and overturn the expressed view of those pledged delegates,” Senator John Kerry (D-MA)

It's obvious that as Sen. Obama is streaking and making a run at taking the lead and eventual victory over Sen. Clinton when it comes to delegates, he might not be as fortunate if/when it comes down to superdelegates. I understand what they're saying though, it's sort of like, if the people choose one candidate by a narrow margin, why should we have so-called "superdelegates" overturn our voices? With that said, after a line of victories yesterday for Senator Obama, he had a great speech in Richmond, VA - whose primary will be held on Tuesday along with Maryland, and Washington D.C. In the speech, he spoke about an issue I haven't heard too many candidates speak about -- education - maybe that's why it hit me as hard as it did. Nonetheless, it was a goodie, I will post it separately. Until Then.

Super Tuesday Quick Notes

Super Tuesday came and went...and voters are still left in the same ambiguous puzzle as they were before the supposedly revealing day. On the right, it seems like John McCain is slowly pulling away from his opponents (Romney and Huckabee) with his seemingly moderate approach. It's a pretty tactical strategy for McCain because if/when he wins the Republican nomination and then tries to convince some Democrats to vote for him, it won't seem like he's switching it up or "flip-flopping" as much if he keeps this moderate approach. He's probably the best candidate on the right for the country. On the left, it is still a mess...an organized one, though. And it is very exciting (we never thought CNN could be so exciting). Sen. Clinton won by a little margin in both delegates and states, but the race is still very tight and anyone who is counting Senator Obama out, might just be setting themselves up for a big shock, (see Giants vs. Patriots, LOL). On Tuesday, McCain won 605 delegates, his closest competitor, Mitt Romney, won a mere 201 and Huckabee won 195. Overall, McCain leads with 707 delegates, and Romney is in second with 294. It takes 1,191 to win the Republican nomination. In other words, this race is all but over. I read a report of how if Sen. Clinton were to win the Democratic nomination, it could lead to a big mess of a Democratic Convention in Denver during August. I respectfully disagree with that, although Colorado might be an Obama state, Clinton has more support of her peers than that of Obama. The real mess at a convention will be the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minnesota during the beginning parts of September, because of the simple fact that McCain gets steady criticized for not being "conservative enough" by his peers and far right wing voters. A good portion of his supporters and those that have voted for McCain might just be Moderate Democrats who don't want to or aren't ready to see either a Woman or an 1/2 Black man as the President - so they'd rather vote for the closest Republican to their ideals. Both the woman and the 1/2 black man fared exceptionally well on Super Tuesday - it was a very tight race, as expected. Clinton won 784 on Tuesday, Obama won 758. The race was so tight, delegates in Missouri split among the two candidates evenly. The total count for Cinton is 1,045 and Obama has 960 - 2,025 is required to win the Democratic nomination. In other words, this race is far from over. Lastly, I find it terribly important for voters to acknowledge that no one is perfect, not even you, so voting for the candidate that is "most like you" is a bit stupid. I'm sure you wouldn't want the responsibility of running the "most powerful country in the world" nor do you want everyone to be the same, have the same mindset, do the same things - that, my friends, is communism. It is important that we vote for the candidate who is best for this country, for the good of Country - not just because he/she is just like me. It's one thing to be down to earth and to relate to a candidate but another to consider his/her ideals and intended policies. Make the right choice - don't put people who call Ronald Reagan a hero in office, or else it will be a repeat of the 1980s.

Head to Head: Sen. Clinton vs. Sen. Obama

For many of us, Super Tuesday is tomorrow and it is the first step to creating a much needed change to a country down and in dire need of help. Many of us are vexed and torn about who to vote for when it comes to the Democratic Nominee. For voters, there is no better way than to judge our candidates than to see how they react under pressure in a debate or to hear what they say and how they react to tough questions. We all need to be dedicated in getting out and voting. Many of us do not like the position that we are in today with the so-called leader we have today, our chance to begin changing it is tomorrow - it lies in our hands. For Democrats, the vote is between two candidates being that the third candidate (who is probably the right choice dropped out, for once, we can say that a candidate was neither Black enough or Woman enough - big props to my big bro Rob). On the Republican side, many of us have our minds made up: we don't want/need another Ultra-Conservative President in office - especially when they mention Ronald Reagan as a Republican/Conservative Hero - that's more of a reason for me to steer away from those guys. Although I'm only in my early 20's, I've still seen the after effects of what Reagan has done to the working class and Black community. (see, the Crack Epidemic, war on welfare, affirmative action, & war on poverty - disguised as a war on drugs). We still see these after effects as someone who gets locked up for a particular amount of possession of crack/cocaine gets at least 15 years in the pen - I'm not arguing against that, but when you compare that to White Collar Crimes and DUIs that murder people daily - and see these crimes get ignored or getting off by paying fines - the worst case scenario is they get 11 years in most cases - unacceptable. Here is a series of video-clips of the Democratic Debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton last Thursday. Be informed, Be educated, Be aware. Introductions On the Effects Illegal Immigration on the Economy On the Chances of being each other's VP Paying Homage to the Good Guy Quick Notes

• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) has endorsed
• Sen. John McCainSen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama
• Maria Shriver (Arnold's wife) endorsed Sen. Barack Obama

Final Thoughts Be informed and do the right thing. Don't hesitate to use your resources to find out more information on candidates, do whatever is necessary.

Super Bowl XLII First, congrats the to New York Giants last night - no one thought they could do it, except themselves. They definitely played their asses off - never underestimate the strength of heart -real talk. A few things that no one would have imagined -especially this time last year: 1) The Giants would make it to the Super Bowl 2) The Giants would make it to the Super Bowl minus Tiki Barber AND Jeremy Shockey 3) Tom Coughlin still had a head coaching job in the NFL 4) Eli Manning - Super Bowl MVP!? It all seems a little too good to be true and I'm interested in seeing what the off-season brings for the G-Men besides huge raises for all of them. Let's just hope that they stay hungry and don't get ahead of themselves like their opponents last night. The Patriots blew that game because they know that they didn't play like they should have and not as hard as they should have. Retrospect is only 20/20. I can't lie though, I did want to see perfection - (it's such a pretty word with even better meaning) and my homie Randy Moss do it up big - but I'm definitely not mad at the G-Men they did it up and they definitely deserve it - if anyone. P.S. I still say fire Tom Coughlin, LOL, their Def. Coordinator will be a head coach very soon, trust that. Battle of the Titans (Microsoft vs. Google II) In case you haven't heard, Microsoft has bid $42 billion to take over Yahoo! Inc. in order to compete with Google as the world's leading search engine and advertising haven. But critics oppose Microsoft's bid, arguing that it'll lead to a Microsoft monopoly...complementing their unethical practices of getting consumers to add many of their products while they only want to add one. According to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Google owns about 75% of the market and the Microsoft takeover would only enhance competition because it won't be able to eliminate Google. Not yet, at least. Google argues that if/when Microsoft takes over - they will have too much control over the internet and that Microsoft will be able to hinder internet freedom as consumer automatically be directed to adding their e-mail and instant messenger softwares. Yahoo Inc. said that they will closely examine Microsoft's bid. The battle has gotten to serious that Google CEO called Yahoo CEO to try to persuade him not to accept the bid. An interesting twist to this is that last year, Google bought Double Click Inc. for $3.1 billion and Microsoft tried to protest it, deeming Goggle an internet monopoly - it was unsuccessful in the U.S. Best Super Bowl XLII Commercials #8 Who: Audi - "Godfather commercial" Why: The car is very sexy w/ a spook of a classic to compliment.

#7 Who: Bud Light - "Wine and Cheese" Why: Bud Light always brings the heat (no pun intended for those that saw the "Breathe Fire commercial - it was just OK in my opinion)

#6 Who: Tide - "Talking Stain" Why: Don't Wear Dirty Clothes

#5 Who: Diet Pepsi Max - "What is Love" Why: Hilarious

#4 Who: Planters - Unibrow Hottie

#3 Who: E*Trade - Baby Why: Possibly the Funniest of the Day

#2 Who: E*Trade - BabyII Why: Another funny

#1 Who: Doritos : Rat Trap Why: Another hit

Overall, it was probably a sub-par year in Superbowl Ads and commercials, but it was fun, to see all of the commercials, one by one. Go to http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads Also, DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW! GET FAMILIAR - I'LL BE POSTING A HEAD TO HEAD BETWEEN TWO CANDIDATES LATER TO HELP US ALL OUT...UNTIL THEN.