I saw the writing on the wall when I read that Chicago’s plea for the Olympics 2016 bid was a little flat. Although Chicago had front-runner status, the political landscape did not favor Chicago or the U.S. for that matter.
The best thing about knowing is, well, knowing. We can finally exhale. Chicagoans have been living on the edge of anticipation for a couple of years and now we can finally relax. I know a lot of people are disappointed, but there are some who never wanted the Olympics, particularly the disenfranchised Chicagoans on the south side whose existence would have been disrupted or dismantled completely as Daley bulldozed his way into Washington Park.
As a Chicagoan who grew up in Woodlawn and in walking distance from Washington Park, I just couldn’t imagine something as grand as the Summer Olympics being housed in the congested Washington Park area. Washington Park is one of the largest parks in Chicago, but it is flanked on all sides by apartment buildings and the University of Chicago. Where would everyone park? The University of Chicago sporting and parking facilities would have helped, but it can only offer so much.
Well, whatever. We lost (ouch!)… in the first round (ouch! ouch!). What a hit to the Chicago-Obama ego. Even the magnetic, charismatic, and hugely popular Obama couldn’t pull it off for us. If Obama and Oprah couldn’t reel it in for us, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Meanwhile….
I walked over to the Daley Plaza and took a few pictures of the city hoopla. Large flat-screen viewing monitors and a media broadcasting stage with lights and cameras and dozens of reporters were set up as Chicago covered the Olympics 2016 decision today. At about 10:45am, disappointed city dwellers were already walking away from the Plaza with orange Olympics 2016 t-shirts on and signs and banners swinging from their hands.
Just as one of them was informing me that Chicago lost the 2016 bid in the first round my cell phone was buzzing from various text messages stating the same thing. Since I still didn’t know which country did win the Olympics bid, I continued to walk over to Daley Plaza.
Hundreds of people were crowded inside Daley Plaza, meandering about with a lost “what do we do now?” expression. Reporters with media tags on and steno notebooks in hand were randomly interviewing onlookers on how they felt now that Chicago was out of the running.
I liked all of the energy. But, unfortunately, it was short-lived. And after seeing how Rio de Janeiro with over 50,000 people gathered on the beach celebrated in typical Brazilian style, I think they deserve to finally get the Olympics. 2016 is going to be a fun year.
See you in Brazil!
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Obama will have his Health Care!
Obama gave an excellent speech on the health care reform initiative. It contained specific details about how the health care reform bill would impact American people, health care insurers, and businesses - both small and large. It was explained in a direct, matter-of-fact way.
For the most part, the president's health care reform initiative is relatively moderate. Obama said that for those whose health insurance comes through Medicaid, Medicare, or their employer - NOTHING WILL CHANGE. That means that all of the private health care insurers (Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc) who are collecting our money through our HMO or PPO plans will continue to rake in the dough because most Americans are healthy and do not demand much from their insurers. Yet we will now have the opportunity to get preventative procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, etc. for free (hopefully meaning no co-pay). The president said Americans shouldn't have to pay for preventative procedures because it ultimately costs less to fix a health problem earlier rather than later.
For those without health insurance, he introduced the public option, the best part of the deal, but not something conservatives and Republicans should be so uptight about. The president explained that the public option is like creating public universities. Public universities have provided a less expensive alternative to education but does not take away from private universities in any way. Instead, it means that individuals and families with fewer means can still access health care just as students without much money can attend public college.
The president also acknowledged that what the public option really does is keep health care companies in check! If we live in a competitive market-based society and people have the choice of using the cheaper, tax-payer subsidized public healthcare plan versus the expensive, bloated private health care plan - most likely the people will choose the government. So, indirectly President Obama is commanding private health care insurers to lower their prices if they want to remain competitive. Their private coverage needs to be as good as the government's subsidized coverage. It is a very blatant form of health care industry regulation that is sorely needed in this country.
Most people in America are insured through their company and most companies have long established relationships with private health care insurers. Therefore the profit margins of private insurers won't take too big of a hit. However, it does mean that when the public option takes affect, private health insurers will have a harder time exploiting Americans now that we will have a viable health care alternative that actually works for us.
Some other extras that the President mentioned.
Obama called out the Republicans by stating that his health care reform will cost less than either the Iraq War or the tax breaks given to the wealthy. In fact, he said those two Republican bills were the reasons why he walked into the White House with a one trillion dollar deficit on his desk. His statements were direct punches to all Republican arguments that health care reform will cost too much and run our economy into the ground. However, Republicans believe that anything that might help the people such as minimum wage, maternity leave, health care reform, or environmental protections will kill the economy. Yet it never occurs to Republicans that how health care companies currently treat Americans are killing us.
Most likely, Obama's health care reform bill will pass exactly as he presented it tonight after a few kinks have been ironed out.
This is Barack Obama and we all know that President Obama's timing is impeccable. He will win this battle and go down in history with the Roosevelts and Kennedy's who have kept this country progressive and out of the capitalistic dark ages.
For the most part, the president's health care reform initiative is relatively moderate. Obama said that for those whose health insurance comes through Medicaid, Medicare, or their employer - NOTHING WILL CHANGE. That means that all of the private health care insurers (Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc) who are collecting our money through our HMO or PPO plans will continue to rake in the dough because most Americans are healthy and do not demand much from their insurers. Yet we will now have the opportunity to get preventative procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, etc. for free (hopefully meaning no co-pay). The president said Americans shouldn't have to pay for preventative procedures because it ultimately costs less to fix a health problem earlier rather than later.
For those without health insurance, he introduced the public option, the best part of the deal, but not something conservatives and Republicans should be so uptight about. The president explained that the public option is like creating public universities. Public universities have provided a less expensive alternative to education but does not take away from private universities in any way. Instead, it means that individuals and families with fewer means can still access health care just as students without much money can attend public college.
The president also acknowledged that what the public option really does is keep health care companies in check! If we live in a competitive market-based society and people have the choice of using the cheaper, tax-payer subsidized public healthcare plan versus the expensive, bloated private health care plan - most likely the people will choose the government. So, indirectly President Obama is commanding private health care insurers to lower their prices if they want to remain competitive. Their private coverage needs to be as good as the government's subsidized coverage. It is a very blatant form of health care industry regulation that is sorely needed in this country.
Most people in America are insured through their company and most companies have long established relationships with private health care insurers. Therefore the profit margins of private insurers won't take too big of a hit. However, it does mean that when the public option takes affect, private health insurers will have a harder time exploiting Americans now that we will have a viable health care alternative that actually works for us.
Some other extras that the President mentioned.
- - No caps on health care coverage to treat illnesses and health problems.
- - No coverage drops due to pre-existing health conditions
- - No watered down coverage for the same reason.
- - This plan does not cover illegal aliens.
- - Paying for health care will not bankrupt you.
- - Everyone will be required to hold some minimal form of health insurance similar to how drivers are required to have auto liability insurance. (How the president will enforce this, I don't know. Obama didn't either.)
- - Some of these provisions won't be enacted for four years.
Obama called out the Republicans by stating that his health care reform will cost less than either the Iraq War or the tax breaks given to the wealthy. In fact, he said those two Republican bills were the reasons why he walked into the White House with a one trillion dollar deficit on his desk. His statements were direct punches to all Republican arguments that health care reform will cost too much and run our economy into the ground. However, Republicans believe that anything that might help the people such as minimum wage, maternity leave, health care reform, or environmental protections will kill the economy. Yet it never occurs to Republicans that how health care companies currently treat Americans are killing us.
Most likely, Obama's health care reform bill will pass exactly as he presented it tonight after a few kinks have been ironed out.
This is Barack Obama and we all know that President Obama's timing is impeccable. He will win this battle and go down in history with the Roosevelts and Kennedy's who have kept this country progressive and out of the capitalistic dark ages.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Recent Black Lynchings in the Media
It is March 5th 2009 and I am watching Headline News report on Chris Brown's alleged assault against Rihanna. The reporter went into detail about the possible injuries that Rihanna sustained from Chris Brown's assault and said that he could possibly face five years in a state prison. As I watched them crucify this young man on TV, it occurred to me that the coverage of Chris Brown is completely different from the coverage of a prominent white actor who was in a similar situation several months ago.
I typed a search for "actor assaults wife" on Google and guess what popped up? A story I hadn't even heard of in which an actor named Sean Bean assaulted his new fourth wife. You may not know the name, Sean Bean, but any recent movie buff will know him as the actor who played Boromir in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. He was also the bad guy in the blockbuster hit movie, "National Treasure". Sean Bean spent six hours in jail and was later seen with his wife smiling and kissing - as if it never happened. And for most of the world, it never did. Because the media didn't tell us about it.
Check out the short blurbgiven to his story.... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2461106/Sean-Bean-spent-night-in-jail-over-alleged-assault-on-new-wife.html
As we all know, OJ Simpson is another story entirely....
Both men were acquitted but only one, the white actor, was left alone afterwards. Robert Blake has been allowed to fall into anonymity, while OJ Simpson is now sentenced to fifteen years in prison for just trying to get his memorabilia back from an unscrupulous dealer.
The point is that in the United States, Black men will never get a fair deal and it is best that all Black men realize this and fast! Every major Black sports athlete who has been extremely successful in life has also been lambasted by the media for some alleged misconduct.
Michael Vick - With extremely lucrative deals with the Atlanta Falcons, Nike, and Reebok is jailed because his relatives had dogs fighting in his house.
Barry Bonds -a Black man on the verge of beating both Babe Ruth's and Hank Aaron's record is slammed by the media for alleged steroid use. Although the white man who started the steroid use story is a man whose name I can't remember, Barry Bonds who hadn't used steroids in over a decade is the name smeared all over the news for weeks. And because of all the crap slammed onto Barry Bonds, I can't remember if he broke the record. Check out this white guy's honest perspective on the story....http://tabacco.blog-city.com/dave_zirin_a_white_man_on_barry_bonds_baseball__racism__it_a_1.htm
I typed a search for "actor assaults wife" on Google and guess what popped up? A story I hadn't even heard of in which an actor named Sean Bean assaulted his new fourth wife. You may not know the name, Sean Bean, but any recent movie buff will know him as the actor who played Boromir in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. He was also the bad guy in the blockbuster hit movie, "National Treasure". Sean Bean spent six hours in jail and was later seen with his wife smiling and kissing - as if it never happened. And for most of the world, it never did. Because the media didn't tell us about it.
Check out the short blurbgiven to his story.... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2461106/Sean-Bean-spent-night-in-jail-over-alleged-assault-on-new-wife.html
The Chris Brown assault trial has been in the news constantly and is being used as a way to create awareness on domestic violence and abuse against women with Rihanna, a black woman, being the spokesmodel. I am not excusing Chris Brown for his actions, but the stark difference in media coverage between Chris Brown and Sean Bean calls into question whether the media is lynching Chris Brown for his assault against Rihanna while giving Sean Bean, a white actor, a pass despite being accused of committing the same crime against his wife.
One very famous example of media lynching is with the OJ Simpson murder trials and the comparatively low-key Robert Blake murder trial.
The older white actor, Robert Blake, was accused of murdering his wife in 2001 by gunshot. Now almost 10 years later, not a peep is said about him. Robert Blake's murder trial didn't garner nearly the same media coverage as O J Simpson, an older, retired Black athlete who mistakenly married a white woman. In fact, after 8 years since his acquittal, I could not even remember the actor's name. I remembered that there was an actor who allegedly killed his wife, but I couldn't remember his name nor what he looked like. In the case of Robert Blake, when the jury acquitted Blake of his crimes, the verdict was accepted and the case was closed.As we all know, OJ Simpson is another story entirely....
Both men were acquitted but only one, the white actor, was left alone afterwards. Robert Blake has been allowed to fall into anonymity, while OJ Simpson is now sentenced to fifteen years in prison for just trying to get his memorabilia back from an unscrupulous dealer.
The point is that in the United States, Black men will never get a fair deal and it is best that all Black men realize this and fast! Every major Black sports athlete who has been extremely successful in life has also been lambasted by the media for some alleged misconduct.
Michael Vick - With extremely lucrative deals with the Atlanta Falcons, Nike, and Reebok is jailed because his relatives had dogs fighting in his house.
Barry Bonds -a Black man on the verge of beating both Babe Ruth's and Hank Aaron's record is slammed by the media for alleged steroid use. Although the white man who started the steroid use story is a man whose name I can't remember, Barry Bonds who hadn't used steroids in over a decade is the name smeared all over the news for weeks. And because of all the crap slammed onto Barry Bonds, I can't remember if he broke the record. Check out this white guy's honest perspective on the story....http://tabacco.blog-city.com/dave_zirin_a_white_man_on_barry_bonds_baseball__racism__it_a_1.htm
"Not enough evidence to charge Phelps, Sheriff says" reads the headline on CNN.com
despite an actual photograph of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana from a bong at a party. Unlike the black Michael Vick who lost all of his endorsements, Michael Phelps kept his endorsement deals with Speedo, Kelloggs, and Powerbar despite having a picture published of him smoking an illegal substance. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/16/michael.phelps/index.html#cnnSTCText
Click http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/150832/14-times-Olympic-gold-medal-winner-Michael-Phelps-caught-with-bong-cannabis-pipe.html to see the marijuana photo.
In mid-August 2001, the story came out that Jesse Jackson had a 2 year old child from an affair with a worker at Rainbow PUSH Coalition who was 20 years younger than him. Two weeks later, Jesse Jackson Sr. pledged to make reparations to African-descendants of slavery a priority after attending a U.N. Conference on racism in South Africa. He demanded reparations payment from the United Kingdom for their role in African slavery. Great timing, huh?
The only reason Obama is still president of the United States is because he hasn't done anything illegal and has no misconduct to report. But, trust me, the white population is waiting for an Obama mistake before they pounce.
So since Obama has done nothing illegal or of ill-repute, the media will smear him by being the president who was unlucky enough to follow George Bush, Jr. and forced to deal with Bush's mess left behind.
As I write this, I am amazed at how so many media pundits are trying to put the U.S. domestic economic crisis on Obama. Every day, I hear a story about how the Republicans do not like Obama's stimulus package or Obama's spending bill or Obama's bill to slow foreclosures. They are slowly trying to link the economic crisis with Obama by publicizing every random critique a Republican has spoken against Obama's policies.
But, cynically, I ask myself...even if Obama did fix the problem, would the white media inform the world of such a feat and properly credit Obama for his intelligence and success? Or would they create a scandal around Obama (or assassinate him - you know it's possible) just to blindside us from the reality that he pulled off the greatest political slamdunk of all time by being the Black man who turned around one of the worst economies we have seen in over half a century?
We shall see. I hope the cynic in me isn't right. People, stay awake and aware.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Obama and the Media
The media has turned on its machine of inadequate journalism. I hate that Reverend Wright gave his interview today because it just gives journalists another opportunity to tear Obama down with his comments, another opportunity to remind white voters that Obama is black (and angry and will kill them if he got the chance) - which is not true at all. I am disappointed in TV news and cannot trust them for information. I have stopped watching CNN completely because their treatment of the election. In the beginning they were my main source, but now I have turned to MSNBC. I know all of the cable news channels are vying for ratings, but MSNBC seems to have a milder approach to it. As opposed to CNN, which gathers commentators together just for the sake of creating angst. They truly responded to Hillary's call that the media was too easy on Obama so now they are revving up their "tear down" engines and running over Obama. But he is tough just as Clinton is tough, so we will see how he handles this.
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