GauthamCity

We Done Come a Long Way Like Them Slim-Ass Cigarettes

Today after reading this article about Big Boi's upcoming show in Detroit, I finally started following the man on Twitter and was pretty geeked when he responded to one of my tweets. I've also following this account labeled Andre 3000 but I'm not yet 100% convinced it's him.

Speaking of Twitter and Outkast, my boy jbouie threw out a reference this afternoon to "Elevators", one of my favorite 'Kast tracks. Re-reading the lyrics, I don't think there is any better way to sum up the life of a lowly journo blogger:

Got stopped at the mall the other day
Heard a call from the other way
that I just came from, some nigga was sayin somethin
talkin bout "Hey man, you remember me from school?" smoke some
Naw not really but he kept smilin like a clown
facial expression lookin silly
And he kept askin me, what kind of car you drive, I know you paid
I know y'all got buku of hoes from all them songs that y'all done made

And I replied that I had been goin through tha same thing that he had
True I got more fans than the average man but not enough loot to last me
to the end of the week, I live by the beat like you live check to check
If you don't move yo' foot then I don't eat, so we like neck to neck
Yes we done come a long way like them Slim ass cigarettes
from Virginia, this ain't gon stop so we just gonna continue

A friend of mine recently said he was impressed with how I've managed to become a part of the media since leaving college. It was nice of him, but some days I still feel like I'm on the outside looking in. Sure, I'm very proud of the work I've done in my job but it's not exactly the type of thing that draws in large audiences. My own mother doesn't even read most of my articles.

It's depressing sometimes to think I would have been better off spending the past two years just spouting my opinions online rather than spending hours digging around and trying to master original reporting. But as Andre points out above, success is relative. A lot of young journalists would kill to be in my position and I know that if it doesn't work out here I can always go back to blogging.

When I stopped, I did so because I thought the demands of writing for a daily audience was affecting the quality of my posts. A quick glance around most of the solo blogs on the Internet seems to confirm that theory. But there has to be a medium between fine-tuning and procrastination. I'll let you know when I find that balance.

Redskins are People Too

This week redskins across the country were dealt a blow when the Supreme Court elected not to hear Harjo vs. Pro Football, Inc, a case challenging the unfortunate nickname of the District's professional football team. The redskin plaintiffs are appealing the judge's ruling, which was basically that being called a redskin isn't so bad and the plaintiff waited too long to file suit anyhow:

In 2003, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with the team, ruling that the activists had not produced enough evidence to show the name was so insulting that it could not be protected by a trademark. She also said the trademark-cancellation claim was barred by the doctrine of laches, which serves as a defense against claims that should have been made long ago.

She revisited the issue after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia returned it to her, saying the youngest of the plaintiffs might have standing to pursue the case. But Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the challenger, Mateo Romero, waited eight years after he reached the age of majority to file the complaint. She said the delay unfairly penalized the Redskins, who invested millions of dollars marketing the team during that eight-year span.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed that eight years was too long to bring the claim.

The Supreme Court was being asked only to review whether the claim was brought too late, not whether the nickname was offensive. [WaPo]

Obviously this is a setback for redskin activists, but the good news is that another suit with younger redskin plaintiffs is on the way:

Judge Kollar-Kotelly insinuated that if the name was truly that offensive, the suit should have been filed earlier. In short, she implied that someone needed to file a suit as soon as they were legally capable; someone who just turned 18 years old. So, in August 2006, a group of Native Americans ranging in age from 18 to 24 filed an identical lawsuit, Blackhorse v. Pro Football, Inc, to challenge the offensive team name and logo issues without running into any time-limitation challenges. [Newsweek]

Of course the attorneys for the team don't sound particularly worried. Why should they be? Dan Snyder definitely has more money than a bunch of redskins. Apparently the team hasn't even considered changing its name. They're sticking to their guns that the moniker is actually a celebration, meant to honor redskins everywhere. That's why I'm trying to acclimate myself to using the word publicly. I also want to honor the redskins.

I can also understand why Dan Snyder doesn't want to change the name. After all, he owns a very popular brand. It's one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, despite the fact the on-field product is by his own admission embarrassingly bad. He's got a fan base that's willing to put up with his laughable handling of the team with nothing resembling the kind of outrage that even our beleaguered crew in Motown was able to muster in the face of the Horror that was Matt Millen. And make no mistake with Millen safely confined to a television booth Snyder is now the NFL's leading failure. So I can understand why he doesn't want to mess with a good thing or piss off his customers.

But the thing is, redskins have it pretty bad already. Nearly a quarter of all redskins live in poverty and some reservations boast 80 percent unemployment. That makes Detroit look like Manhattan. The  government has routinely shortchanged or outright scammed them out of much of what they are entitled to and the agencies that deal with redskins are generally the most poorly-managed and corrupt in the federal government.

Furthermore, is it that hard to believe that some redskins are offended by people dressing up in elaborate mockeries of their traditional costume while they whoop, scream and pour beer on themselves every Sunday? I know, Notre Dame's mascot is pretty much the same thing. But I've never heard of any organized resistance to it from Irish-Americans. In this case, it seems fairly clear that at least some portion of the redskin community finds the team's name offensive.

Of course most people are not that concerned about this case and I can see why. After all, the team's logo is bad, but nowhere near as bad as the cartoonish image of an "Indian" that Cleveland parades on the front of its baseball caps. It's not like they're called the "DC Darkies" or the "Potomac Pakis". Plus, there aren't that many redskins around here and most of them aren't spending their days organizing protests against something they probably face in a multitude of forms everyday anyhow.

The decision between upsetting the majority to placate a few vocal activists seems like an easy one to make, especially since there are millions of dollars involved. There's really no reason for Snyder to even consider changing the name or the logo, except that it's the right thing to do. Why do I say that? Because just typing the word here when referring to a group of people feels pretty slimy. I'm sure it would be ten times worse if I actually said to one of my several friends who are part redskin.

Of course, you don't need to take my word for it. Here's a little experiment you can try on your own: the next time you see someone on the street who you think looks like a redskin, approach them and try out our newly socially-sanctioned term. Then get back to me on their response. Something tells me the results will speak for themselves.

Stimulus or Spending Bill?

I was just reading an online debate about why Americans suddenly care so much about the deficit. The participants, who were all liberal, seem convinced that Americans only care about the deficit because Republicans have convinced them that it's a bad thing. That's probably true to a certain extent, but I think pursuing that line of though it fairly dangerous for the Democrats because it seemingly confirms what many people already believe: liberals think Americans are stupid. At least too stupid to decide what's politically relevant for themselves.

My own view of the voting public is a little more charitable: most Americans have recently seen first-hand the dangers of living beyond their means. Perhaps that makes them rightly afraid of the consequences of our government accumulating an insurmountable debt. Especially since there's no one left to bail us out, save possibly the Chinese. And they don't seem that up for it.

Maybe the American people are starting to wise up to how little they've received for the trillions that have gone out the door since the credit crisis. The deficit complaints seems like another way of saying "What the hell did you do with all that money?"

I just spoke to a researcher last week who said most agencies are reporting that less than a quarter of stimulus funds will be spent before the end of next year. That's almost two years after the bill's passage. At that point it becomes a fair question to ask whether the bill was really a stimulus, aimed at getting dollars out the door and on the ground creating jobs as soon as possible, or just another spending bill.

The problem I'm seeing is that agencies are just not able to keep up with the pace of spending the Obama Administration is dialing up. The acquisition work force is already stretched beyond its limits; agencies spent much of the Bush years cutting back and outsourcing to contractors. Then you add the stimulus, which is unprecedented in terms of the its reach, scale and the number of programs it creates or significantly expands and comes with stringent reporting and transparency requirements that are beyond anything agencies deal with.

On top of that, feds are also dealing with the first real budgeting process since 2006 and many of them view these next couple budgets as their only chance to restore their organizations to their natural funding levels. Throw in the White House's push for less dependency on contractors and you've got agencies scrambling to meet a number of initiatives at once with not enough people, resources or direction from above, especially once you get past the political appointees to the career folks.

The Obama Administration recently called for a five percent increase in the acquisition work force, which is a great start. But the good government community has been drawing attention to the major flaws in the procurement process for many years now, so perhaps it's not that out of line for the public to be questioning whether shoving more than a trillion in new spending through a flawed system was really the most efficient and cost-effective way to stimulate the economy.

Since most of the jobs that the Recovery Act is credited with saving have come through plugging holes in state and local budgets to avoid laying off teachers, cops, and other civic workers, it seems like the best way to keep people working is for the federal government to help states address some of their massive budget shortfalls. Most federal agencies are simply not equipped to take another round of stimulus spending.

Best. Dilbert. Ever.

My Rundown on Michigan Politics

Just posted my latest piece for the Atlantic Politics Channel, which takes a close look at the 19th District State Senate special election going on today:

Given the unique dynamics of the 19th District race, it's clear that much more is at play than a simple referendum on national party politics. At the state level the biggest impact on next year's election seems to be the public's disgust with Lansing in general and lame duck Governor Granholm in particular.

"I think the situation for 2010 could be very favorable for Republicans," Demas said, referencing Granholm's approval ratings, which have hovered in the 30s in recent months. She also called Lt. Governor John Cherry's approval rating  "abysmal"; Cherry is currently the slim favorite to take the Democratic nomination for governor next year. "The political situation in any state as depressed as Michigan is unstable. People in general are disgusted with Lansing."

"Granholm has done an atrocious job," Steusloff said. "Two out of three voters disapprove of her job as governor. It will be incredibly hard for Cherry to wash his hands of this. All the factors are there for a good year for the GOP."

Even Griffin was reluctant to express support for Granholm.

Check out the rest here.

Obligatory NBA Predictions Post

BCag with Kwame and Amir

I'm a little late with this since I watched the Pistons manhandle the Grizzlies last night, but I'm feeling pretty good about the moves Joe D made this off-season. I'm especially happy to hear the Rip Hamilton trade rumors. If we manage to ship his whiny ass out for another young big man we could get right back to our rightful place among the East's top teams.

I'm setting the over/under at 48 wins. It's ambitious, but I expect a lot out of this team and they will feature five players capable of putting up 25 on any given night. Stuckey will improve, Tay should be Tay again and Villanueva is as gifted as any offensive player in the league. Throw in adequate production from Gordon and Hamilton at the guard spot and we should be set for a major improvement on the offensive end of the court.

Obviously the lack of size and interior defense is a concern. McDyess and Sheed are both gone and none of the new players are really adequate replacements. I love Big Ben, but if he can play more than 20 minutes a night and be productive I would be shocked. Kwame is good defensively but he's not destined to be a starter on a contending team. Maxiell and the rookies could provides some energy and rebounding off the bench, but the team is sorely lacking in the shot-blocking department.

That's why I believe we have to move Hamilton. He's the only trading chip valuable enough to bring back a legit young big man to serve as a building block and the signing of Gordon makes him the most expendable of the starting lineup. Everyone knows I've never been a fan of Rip and I've advocated trading him since he first landed in Motown. That being said, I've grown to respect his productivity and consistency and I realize he has contributed heavily to our recent string of success. That's also why I think it's crucial to move him now, while his value is still at the All-Star level.

If Rip remains on the team and we don't pick up another body to man the middle, I probably have to revise downwards by two or three wins. Either way, my expectation is a playoff birth and a competitive first-round series. If we really put in work every night, particularly on the glass, the fourth or fifth seeds in the East are not out of grasp. Either would prevent an early match-up with one of the big three, giving our young team a chance at gaining some valuable playoff experience.

The rest of the picks:

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers over Celtics

The Magic are the other choice here but I'm not sure Vince Carter will provide the same leadership and clutch shooting that Hedo Turkoglu did. Still, I wouldn't be shocked to seem Orlando here instead of Boston, given the Celtics' age and injury woes.

Western Conference Finals: Nuggets over Lakers

I went over this one a few times in my mind before deciding to go with my gut and put it out there. Worst case scenario I'm wrong, hardly a unique situation. I suppose I could have picked the Lakers like everyone else in the world, but I think the Nuggets are on the rise and I don't see how the Lakers have really improved. Adding Ron Artest to a championship squad feels a lot like the Rodman move earlier this decade. We'll see how it works out, but I like Denver's length and athleticism on defense and it looks like Carmelo may finally be getting it under Chauncey's tutelage.

NBA Finals: Cavaliers over Nuggets

The Cavs now sport the two most imposing, physically intimidating players in the league in LBJ and Shaq, plus the largest spot-up shooter around in Big Z. The rest of the team is deep and talented and knows their roles are to compliment the Chosen One. Unless Mike Brown finds a way to screw it up, LeBron is too good not to lead his team to a championship this year.

Kumar Barve Thinks I'm Cheap

At least that was the main takeaway from this article published yesterday in Roll Call. My two cents:

If I sound a little frustrated, it's because I'm tired of reading the same old article about how "Indian" used to equal "doctor" or "engineer," but now it encompasses all these other fun and exciting possibilities, like i-banking and politics! Then again, let's be serious: a couple doctors running for Congress is hardly the desi community finding its voice. More likely a few would-be politicans realized post-Obama that race and a funny name are no longer insurmountable barriers to running for office. Now that's a topic I would be interested in reading about. But we have no quotes on that. [link]

You can read the rest at the Atlantic.

Jay Smooth on Roman Polanski

This made my day:
hat tip: PostBougie

Air Georgia

via TwitPic user dleaguedaily

Child Rape Apologists Love Roman Polanski

There's been a bit of an uproar in the blogosphere today due to the arrest of director Roman Polanski after he spent more than 30 years evading punishment for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski's defenders are mostly sticking to a few main talking points in their delusional attempts to explain away his disgusting actions: his mother was killed in the Holocaust, his wife Sharon Tate was murdered by followers of Charles Manson while pregnant, his victim has said she doesn't want the case pursued further and he has been forced to spend the past 32 years on the run.

Here's the money shot from Patrick Goldstein at the LA Times:

We live in an age that is so thoroughly post-modern that you can find an obvious literary antecedent for nearly every seamy media storyline. The same goes for the Polanski case, which is full of echoes of "Les Miserables," the classic Victor Hugo novel about Jean Valjean, an ex-con trying to turn his life around who is being obsessively tracked and hunted down by the Parisian police inspector Javert.

Hugo's story is a tragedy, as is the life story of Polanski, who was a fugitive as a boy and is now a fugitive as an old man. Whether the L.A. County district attorney office has its way or not, it is not a story that can have a happy ending. I think Polanski has already paid a horrible, soul-wrenching price for the infamy surrounding his actions. The real tragedy is that he will always, till his death, be snubbed and stalked and confronted by people who think the price he has already paid isn't enough. [link]

Keep in mind that Polanski has admitted to drugging and anally raping a 13-year-old girl. Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family. But yeah Patrick, I can totally see the moral equivalency you're going for there.

Kate Harding has perhaps the best take on those defending Polanski, but really quickly I will say that no matter how horrible a person's past has been, our system of justice is based on the idea that they are still legally accountable for their actions. Many of the folks in prison for child molestation were probably molested themselves; that doesn't mean they shouldn't pay the price for ruining another child's life and possibly beginning the cycle anew. As to the victim's stance, I think that's probably due as much to the unfair scrutiny we place on victims of rape and other sexual crimes as anything else. She more than likely just wants to avoid further media attention on what has obviously been the most traumatic event of her life.

Michigan v. Indiana

9:15 1Q: Things are not looking pretty after that first drive by Indiana. Every time Obi Ezeh makes a tackle the runner seems to gain an additional two or three yards after contact. But as much as I want him to succeed, walk-on free safety Jordan Kovacs is the one who got burned on the long triple option play for a touchdown. Kovacs got sucked in by the QB and left the pitch man free to make a run down the sidelines.

• Wow, Carlos Brown just took a swing pass from Tate Forcier 61 yards to the house. They're reviewing the play right now to see if he scored, but regardless it's great to see Brown finally fulfilling the potential Lloyd Carr saw in him. He's had trouble staying healthy over his career, but he looks a lot better this year and I'm expecting big things from both him and Brandon Minor. Great blocking on the run by Junior Hemingway.

• The lack of size on defense is a definite concern. Both Brandon Graham and Ryan Van Bergen are undersized to play in the 3-4; I've seen some draft analysts say Graham may have to transition to OLB in the NFL. That's why I hope Renaldo Sagesse and Will Campbell will see more playing time in a traditional 4-3 look. Freshman Craig Roh has shown potential to provide a pass rush, but we need to stop the run first and foremost.

• I can't wait to get to a game in the new Michigan Stadium to hear how loud the crowd is now. That was always one of the only disappointing aspects of going to a game; anywhere outside the student section would be full of folks sitting on their hands.

• That deep pas to Greg Matthews was definitely pass interference. The defender clearly hooked him and prevented his right arm from extending to catch the ball.

• Carlos Brown with another long touchdown run, this time 41 yards on the zone-read play. Great downfield blocking from our wide receivers. I'm starting to see the possibilities of this spread offense once we start getting top-5 recruiting classes again full of players like Mario Manningham and Devin Gardner.

• Speaking of Manningham, I've been happy to see him emerge just as I've repeatedly said he would. He's number one receiver material and can help the Giants win a Super Bowl if he can stay healthy. One of the most deceptive route runners I've ever seen.

• Kicker just saved Michigan from giving up a touchdown on the kick return. Coverage teams need work.

• Pam Ward just called Michigan's defeat of Notre Dame an upset. I'm not so sure it was in retrospect That brings us to the topic of the announcing team of Ward and Ray Bentley, which is terrible. Oh Keith Jackson, what I wouldn't give now for just one more "Whoa Nelly!".

• Boubacar Cissoko just got beat like a drum again on a deep pass. I had high hopes for the kid but I'm not sure he's ready to be out there right now. Either that or something is wrong, because he looks worse than he did last year. Indiana punches the ball into the end zone and the game is tied. At this point we have to be seriously concerned about the cornerback situation. Troy Woolfolk may need to move back outside, though he just walked off the field a little shaken up.

• There's our first Bo Schembechler-Anthony Carter reference of the evening, and we're almost done with the first quarter. Clearly not a local announcing team. 

Skins Coming to Motown

I've been eagerly anticipating Sunday's Lions v. Redskins game, mostly because it will be one of my only chances to check out the Leos in HD from my woefully inadequate couch. (If you're wondering why I would commit such a rookie mistake, it's because the door to my apartment is only 26 inches wide. You try squeezing a La-Z-Boy through there)

I've been able to catch only chunks of the Lions first two games, which is why I've withheld my opinions until now. Suffice to say almost everything I said during my preseason game blog still stands. I'm particularly proud of the conclusion, which is looking spot-on:

Tough loss for the Leos, but it's only the preseason. Early on it looks
like our running game will be improved, but the receivers aside from
Megatron still look questionable. The linebackers look solid, but both
the defensive line and secondary are full of marginal NFL players.
Defensive back is a particular area of concern; Louis Delmas is the
only legit starter we have. If we go into the season with the team we
have now, I'd be shocked if they manage to win four games. I suppose that's one more year of playing Madden instead of watching the playoffs. [link]

Of course it didn't take a genius to know the Lions would suck or their secondary would be terrible; around Michigan these things are as expected as the first snow in October. The struggles on offense are understandable, given the rookie QB and lack of proven receiving options. But the defense looks almost as bad as last year. The team's lack of talent at cornerback has been thoroughly exposed in the first two games and I have no idea why the rest of our opponents wouldn't simply line up in shotgun and throw the ball all over the field.

The linebacking corps has been a definite improvement over last year, especially Julian Peterson. Larry Foote has been a huge upgrade in the middle as well. But the news that Ernie Sims will miss 2-4 weeks and be replaced by rookie DeAndre Levy is a definite blow to our hopes of winning that elusive first game.

Defensive tackle has been a weakness, but rookie Sammie Lee Hill has shown some promise. If he develops he could be finally help us get rid of that bitter Shaun Rogers aftertaste. More disappointing is the complete lack of a pass rush from Dwayne White or Cliff Avril. Jason Hunter is the only starting defensive end that's shown a pulse while I've been watching, but Killer Kowalski apparently likes what he's seen from Landon Cohen and Andre Fluellen. If either pans out, he will be the first late-round Matt Millen draft pick to do so.

I've seen people predicting that Detroit will pull the upset this Sunday and having watched the Skins at length (the downside of working in our nation's capitol), I can verify that they are not good. But are they as bad as the Lions? Not as far as I can tell. Albert Haynesworth alone should ensure our running game doesn't get off the ground and Jason Campbell is good for at least two deep passes to Santana Moss and Chris Cooley.

Still, I'm hoping Matt Stafford can hit Calvin 'Megatron' Johnson deep a couple times and maybe Delmas or someone else can make a play on defense. With the Bears, Packers and Steelers looming on the schedule, this is probably our best chance to get a win before the Rams come to town on November 1st. If we're still winless after that game, it could be another long, painful year in the D.