Things we've learned from the Obama birther crap

U.S. president Barack Obama, after weeks of watching the cream of the idiot crop in America claim that he was not an American citizen, released his long-form birth certificate today revealing that he was, in fact, born in Honolulu, Hawaii after it became a state.

But did that shut up the loudest of the birthers? Of course not. This episode which, for whatever reason, was most recently helmed by Donald Trump. While he first claimed he wanted proof that Obama was born in America, he's changed his tune today to say that he wanted Obama to release his birth certificate to silence the birthers.

"I am really honored, frankly, to have played such a big role in hopefully, hopefully, getting rid of this issue," Trump says to reporters in New Hampshire. "Now we have to look at it, we have to see is it really, is it proper, what's on it, but I hope it checks out beautifully. I am really proud, I am really honored ... I'm taking great credit."

Either way we've learned yet again that Donald Trump is an unabashed attention whore who will align himself to which ever stance fits his mood that particular day.

Then there are those who will never be happy with proof of citizenship. The Drudge Report seems to be the loudest of those fools -- even mere hours after the birth certificate's release has that website with links questioning the document's authenticity, whether it was doctored by the White House or not and the latest Donald Trump consipracy -- how was Obama accepted in to an Ivy League school?

Hell, George Bush got in to Yale so why is it beyond the realm of possibility that Barack Obama actually attended Harvard? And what's to gain from these frivolous conspiracy theories? If anything, spewing these silly theories further proves that the people spewing this nonsense are uneducated racists who will make the 2012 presidential election one of the most race-fueled and ugly episodes since the era of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Racism right where I was born

My family originated in the small Minnesota town of Lake Crystal and while it seems like an idyllic small town, the editor of the Lake Crystal Tribune fits in well with the stereotype that small towns are hotbeds of racism.

Maybe that's a bit of a blanket statement but after seeing the City Pages blotter item about the racist joke which editor Don Marben ran in an effort to "fill space" in a recent edition of the weekly rag, the stereotype seems to hold true.

Lake Crystal Tribune Editor Don Marben wrote a delightful anecdote about a golf course that replaced it's caddies with robots, only to find that their metal surfaces reflected sun in the golfers' eyes.

When golfers suggest painting the robots black, a course employee responds "We did. And four of 'em didn't show up for work, two filed for welfare, one robbed the pro shop, and the other thinks he's the president."

If that isn't racist, I don't know what is. I'm practically hoping that my aunt who likes to clip out dreck like this from that very paper to read verbatim at family holidays and gatherings clips it out and reads it to everyone during Thanksgiving dinner. It would make for a fun confrontation and plenty of bickering because there is more than one person in my extended family who would agree with that being a pretty damn funny joke. I, however, think it's in poor taste at best.



Finding something like that in what is supposedly a community newspaper proves to me that some communities would be better off without a newspaper because that kind of crap is best left for e-mail forwards from ignorant jack-offs. It's not news, it's not opinion, it's just tasteless garbage that shows that plenty of old guard "journalists" should leave the business because their views just don't fly anymore.

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Where's "White Entertainment Television"?

Jason DeRusha, Good Question guy for Minneapolis CBS affiliate WCCO, had some choice words for what I would refer to as internet trolls asking him why, when February is Black History Month, there is no White History Month. (via)

It’s not like during February, schools across the land stop teaching the history
that involved white people. Is there really anything wrong with taking a
part of our nation’s history that’s been largely ignored (that of black
Americans) and taking note of it? Why does it bother people so much?
If you don’t care for it, ignore it. It’s not a Good Question. Try harder.

Sometimes DeRusha ventures in to the "wacky" side of the Good Questions he gets and other times he takes the serious route. This, though, is one of a very few - if not the first times - I have seen him rather publicly decry the stupidity of some obviously racist and ignorant internet users who cower behind their keyboards submitting ridiculously lowbrow ideas and comments to a genuine journalist.

DeRusha isn't alone in dealing with comments of that nature. I have one friend in particular whom I'm fairly certain is serious when he asks why when there's a cable channel named BET (Black Entertainment Television) there isn't a cable channel geared exclusively towards "whites". It scares the crap out of me that I have a friend who (apparently) thinks at such a simple level. I've answered his question numerous times by telling him to use his remote control and flip through the channels. Basically EVERY DAMN CHANNEL could be billed as television for whites.

I kepe hoping that he uses this comment to inflame me and get a reaction (I'm good at reacting) but the rest of what he says isn't exactly the sharpest of comments either so I tend to take it at face value. I guess I'll have to take things to the next level. Maybe I'll suggest that he try our Spike TV because the dreck they air screams TV for dumb white guys.

Ah, hell, why can't people just zip it when they have the urge to utter something incredibly stupid? Of course without them, who would A.) work at Walmart and B.) I blog about?

For a more refined approach at blogging, check out the amazing photos from all across Minnesota at MinnPics!

Thugs in Minneapolis tape selves being jackasses

It's not the fact that the teens stupidly featured filming themselves being little pissant thugs pushing down unsuspecting walkers and bikers near the Minneapolis greenway are apparently Somali - any other race or nationality would be just as stupid for featuring their juvenile hijinks on video - it's the fact that they did it in the first place. Here's an idea: if you don't want to pigeonholed as a bunch of ingrateful little shits and troublemakers who, based on this video, seem destined for a life bouncing in and out of the jail system do something with your teenage years. Get a job. Volunteer in your community. Build some goodwill.

But the problem goes beyond just that. I'm guilty of it too but I prefer, in my daily business, to deal with people whose accents aren't so thick that I can't understand what they are saying. Chalk it up to my hurried lifestyle or the fact that, even though my grandpa himself was an immigrant from Denmark and probably faced at least some level of discrimination, I harbor at least some level of racism. There are bad apples in every racial or nationality group but the little pricks in this video made the ultimate mistake. They outed themselves for the world to see just how damn stupid they are. I hope that they are punished for what they did and I hope that this serves as a wake-up call for these kids and doesn't leave them further resenting the culture of Minnesota which they likely feel that they are outcasts in.

If you want something less controversial, check out MinnPics. A photographic tour through all corners of Minnesota that's open 24 hours/day.

White House Watermelon Email Proves Even Californians are Idiots

Have you heard the one about the White House not having an Easter Egg Hunt this year? Oh, well it's because the Obama family has planted the White House lawn to watermelons. Yep, a black man loves watermelons. Oh, some people are so fucking funny. What, are people that come up with this shit from my in-laws' family?I guess as long as people feel the need to make stupid jokes and have racist relatives this kind of crap will continue. Luckily I never had this sort of influence growing up. I had black friends as far back as elementary school and those two kids felt very much out of place in our ultra-white town. Sad jokes like Barack Obama planting the White House lawn to watermelons make me angry. I know that it's just some inbred hick's attempt at a joke but to dredge up painful stereotypes from many decades ago proves to me that this supposedly enlightened era we are in has a long way to go.

MinnPics is buried in over a half-foot of snow. Check out the photos now!

Is New York Post cartoon racist?

Is this New York Post cartoon racist? Does it depict the police officers shooting Barack Obama? After all, there are still far too many backwoods Americans who throw about derogatory slang terms about blacks.

However, it's free speech but does free speech also cover what some define as hate speech? The line, though, was crossed a few years back with a Muhammed editorial cartoon published in Europe and that led to riots. America is much calmer than that but does this editorial cartoon prove that racism is again going mainstream?

Like any art form, it is open to interpretation and I welcome and am curious about yours.

(h/t)

MinnPics is far less controversial than a racist New York Post cartoon so check out the great photos from around Minnesota!

Is "black ice" a racial thing?

After watching one segment of the FOX9 Morning News during breakfast, it would seem that they are attempting to portray Minnesota's cold weather battle against black ice to be racial in nature.

Was it just a coincidence that the reporter freezing her ass off outside the FOX9 studios near Interstate 494 was black? Is it some sort of conspiracy that the salt used to counteract the black ice is white?

It seems that this is another case of black versus white and the white man being led to believe that anything black should be feared. I, for one, will not stand for this injustice. Who's with me?

If racial equity is too much to handle today and you'd rather think of something warm, check out MinnPics and peruse the archives for warmer memories of days gone by.

Is God real?

The short answer is maybe, no, likely or yes. But if I left it at the short answer you'd already be done reading so I'll expound.

If you've ever had a near-death experience, you'll probably say yes because maybe you saw "the white light". Or maybe following that near-death experience you were just under a very bright light. Whatever the case, nobody will ever agree on whether or not God is real although fans of a certain Kevin Smith movie will argue that it is Alanis Morissette. Whatever.

The point here is that I have irrefutable proof that God is simply a myth made up to explain the unexplainable in the world.

Think about all the things in today's world that if God were real wouldn't be allowed to exist under his (or her) mighty hand. There would be no war, no televangelists begging for money and no sitcom spinoffs. Bigotry, racism and sexism wouldn't exist and neighter would Donald Trump, Rosie O'Donnell or Carrot Top.

Honeybees wouldn't be dying off at an alarming rate. M. Night Shymalan's movies would never make it to theatres. Hell, they'd never even make it to production.

Is that proof enough or do you need more? (Is meant to be comedic or not? You decide.)

Nope, MinnPics hasn't discovered any photos of God but some of the stunning photos showcased there may make you say "Oh my God!" aloud.

Surprise! America is still racist

In the poll, 26 percent of whites say they have been victims of discrimination. Twenty-seven percent say too much has been made of the problems facing black people. Twenty-four percent say the country isn't ready to elect a black president. Five percent of white voters acknowledge that they, personally, would not vote for a black candidate.

This is 2008, right? We, as a country, should have moved beyond this. It's been 40 years since Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and discrimination is still experienced by 25% of the white population and an almost equal number (the same people?) think that too much has been made of the plight of black people? Who are these 1/4 of the white population?

Is racism too heavy to contemplate, check out MinnPics where the most stunning photos from across Minnesota are showcased daily.