The Great Unknown

In several decades when people look back at the beginning of the 2000s, they'll remember stuff like Sept. 11, the growth of Facebook and MySpace, the decline of our personal freedoms (read: Patriot Act), Barack Obama, celebrimania, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

But what about Dave Chappelle?

I started thinking about this last week while I was watching this. I want to equate his sudden disappearance to the death of a young star, but it's not as tragic as it is confusing. I mean, he was set up to be a force for years and would have had a sizable effect on today.

I guess his absence is having an effect, but it would have been interesting to see Chappelle's Show entering its seventh or eighth season.

Bottoms up!

College presidents think it would be a good idea to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18.

The argument?

Part of the reason underage drinking is so "cool" is because it's illegal and lowering the age would take away the mystique and prevent underage drinkers from going all-in (since they typically have limited access to alcohol).

My response?

(Standing ovation)

Is toting a gun in Iraq safer than drinking? Is smoking any better for you?

You have to be 18 to poison your lungs and you have to be 18 to die for your country, but you have to be 21 to have a good time with your friends?

I'm 24 years old and have NEVER drank. I've never felt the need to, but is it really feasible or possible to prevent underage drinking?

During my junior year and senior year of college I subbed at a local high school. At summer parties I would see some of the same students. What can really be done about underage drinking? It's almost like trying to prevent cell phones in schools.

Good luck with that.

What's your number?

Sorry about the movie posts. One track mind right now.

Anyhow, I was looking through the Rotten Tomatoes movie database and began wondering how many movies I'd seen. I'm trying to count. I'll get back on this when I've narrowed it down.

What's your number... if you had to ballpark it?

One size fits all...

I saw the trailer for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and asked my fiancee, who has read the book, to explain its premise.

This should be called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Sweatshop, because unless these ladies have one, there's no way Ugly Betty and Rory Gilmore are sharing the same pants. I'm just saying.

If young girls are believing that, it's no wonder Hannah Montana (a.k.a Ashlee Simpson 2.0) is making millions.

P.S. While I was looking for America Ferrera photos under Google images, I found this photo of Salma Hayek. It was taken during a press conference about Ugly Betty. I wonder how much they talked about the show...

Mama Maury???

I don't want to take too much time on Mamma Mia. Besides Abba being on the soundtrack, I really don't see what's appealing about it other than that hot, dumb girl from Mean Girls.

(Sidebar: If this were a movie about a minority woman looking for three "baby daddies," think it would be as appealing?)

That sidebar leads me to this point. Maury Povich should be furious. Someone makes a movie based on his TV show and he can't receive any royalties for that? The least they could have done was let Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan do a presser for the show:

Maury: Pierce, you are not the father.
Pierce: (dancing around the stage doing the Soulja Boy): I told you, Maury. She ain't nothin' but a slut.

Unbreakable

Remember when you were a kid and your older siblings would take your toys and hold them over your head? Well, that's what Michael Phelps is doing with the Olympic record book. Phelps is on pace to break the record for gold medals won in a single Olympic games (7) and the all-time number (9). In the process, he and virtually every other swimmer is setting world records in pretty much every event, which leads to my biggest question/concern.

Yeah, I'm happy for Phelps. I'm even happier an American is having this sort of international success, but what happens after the Olympics? You know, these Olympics in which every swimming record is being broken...

Records are meant to be broken, but isn't there an imaginary, perhaps definite, threshold for any record? What happens when a record becomes unbreakable? It's great, I suppose, for the person who sets the record, but what about everyone else?

It's like being that 4 year-old watching his big brother dance around the room with his Tickle Me Elmo over his head. And for fans, isn't the possibility of broken records part of the Olympics' appeal? So, as records near that unbreakable pantheon, does that mean future Olympic games will be more boring?

Where's that damn passport?

If you don't follow NBA basketball, some observers think a new trend is developing.

This summer about a dozen NBA players have opted to play in European leagues instead of the NBA, the gold standard of professional leagues. None of these players is a marquee player in the NBA. Hell, I doubt the casual fan has even heard of any of them, so I won't even mention them.

With the U.S. basketball team (made up of NBA stars) being abroad for the Olympics, they've been asked whether they could ever see themselves spurning the NBA if the grass was greener across the pond.

Kobe Bryant might... for $40M or $50M per season.

For the upcoming 2008-2009 year, Kobe will make $21.3M. So that's about 2.5 times what Kobe makes and the (hypothetical) move is sure to upset Lakers diehards, but what would you do if someone offered you more money to do your same job in a less competitive setting?

I know, you won't catch Kobe on street corners with "Will dunk for food" signs, but isn't it his (or any pro athlete's) obligation to cash in on his talents while they are still useable and, more importantly, BANKABLE?

Don't be mad at Kobe for answering what reporters asked him.

After all, LeBron started this whole mess about a week ago...

I don't forsee it happening, but who thought a 7'6" Asian guy would be one of the most popular players in America?

Barack O'Kennedy...

Barack Obama has drawn several John F. Kennedy comparisons. Here are a couple:

1. Flattering.
2. Not so much.

(I'm about to break the world record for rampant speculation and asinine statements, all to delight conspiracy theorists.)

The Obama Experiment began when Kennedy's boredom (later termed Tom Brady Syndrome) reached its zenith. Why was Kennedy bored? Rockstar status in the world. Hot wife. Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" to him. Beating out an established politician (this time Vice President Richard Nixon) for president as a younger, less experienced senator. (Sound familiar?)

Barack Obama was "born" Aug. 4, 1961. JFK "died" Nov. 22, 1963. This was when the Civil Rights Movement began to take off. Living with Tom Brady Syndrome prompted JFK to become a risk-taker, and just before his "assassination" he decided to undertake the ultimate challenge, winning president as a black man. Therefore, it is no coincidence that JFK's presidency aligns with the Civil Rights Movement.

In addition to leveling the field for an entire race, the long term effects would allow for minorities (women, blacks, Hispanics, etc...) to more successfully infiltrate the politcal arena, thus allowing things to come full circle when O'Kennedy selects Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential candidate.

I can't spill all of my secrets, but I'll just say this: JFK graduated from Harvard. Obama went to Harvard Law School. Think that might be some unfinished business on JFK's part? Also, assuming O'Kennedy wins the election and is elected to a second term, the second term would end months before JFK's 100th birthday (May 29, 2017), which just happens to fall on Memorial Day when he'll be celebrating the biggest "Gotcha!" in world history.

Don't be surprised in November if/when O'Kennedy wins and, being caught up in the moment, he jerks off his mask (a la pro wrestling) and shouts "YES! I DID IT!"

You read it here first.

Jealous?

Politicians need to leave the name-calling to veterans, like the legendary Bernie Mac.

John McCain pretty much called Barack Obama a one-hit wonder, which is supposed to be a dig at the Illinois senator. I get it. The flashy speeches, catchphrases, and the media love affair. As a youngster, I'd be interested to see how JFK's and Ronald Reagan's opponents handled underwhelming coverage.

***********************BREAKING NEWS!***********************

Jan Brady says that Marsha gets all the attention, and the moon has finally had it with the sun, citing the sun's enormous ego...

Open the floodgates

I'm down in Brownsville, Texas, which is about five minutes from the U.S./Mexico border, and it's kind of interesting to be at the nexus of such a big issue.

If you look at census distributions of the Hispanic population since the 1960s, you'll find that its rate of expansion is more rapid than any other. So...

Uncle Sam, I'm calling B.S

The U.S. is supposed to have this pre-eminent security. How the hell could such a large number of people infiltrate the country at generally predictable locations? This has to be one of the most hypocritical issues I've come across. Does anyone remember the British/American imperialism during the 1700s and 1800s? Was all of that land legally attained? Not to say that once one learns better, one shouldn't do better, but come on.

The border issue is an issue because the U.S. never thought it would become an issue. Our suits in Washington D.C. covered their eyes while people crossed the border. They did so because they believed these individuals' educational limitations and unfamiliarity with English would force them to take below-average jobs that, to be honest, most Americans (even those with similar education levels) believe they are too good to take.

But there's no way the government would devalue a segment of the population...

For better or for worse...

One of my favorite things to do is drop off my fiancee at work. Every morning I listen to the Rio Grande Valley's 106.3 morning talk show. They have this segment called "The Girly Spot," in which a caller calls in usually with a romantic dilemma. Check out this one:

A man, a construction worker presumably, takes a nasty fall off a housetop. He becomes a paraplegic. In other words, he's paralyzed from the waist down. Get where I'm going? His wife calls in because she's dissatisfied with their sex life, as he has NO interest in having sex largely because he's physically unable to perform. She say she's made all the necessary adjustments being married to a paraplegic and that she loves her husband, but, to paraphrase, a woman's got needs. I mean, break a sister off... She says her husband has given her permission to quench her thirst elsewhere.

Obviously, she's thinking about it because she called in to the radio station.

"For better or for worse..."

What do you think?

The ball is in your court...

Pun intended, black America.

I can't believe more hasn't been made of Jesse Jackson's comments about Barack Obama.

I can understand why a non-black journalist wouldn't touch this subject. After all, Rev. Jackson has made his living devouring people (especially non-blacks) who make disparaging comments about his race.

This time, however, it was him. Jackson referred to his constituents as niggers, saying that Obama talks down to them. So, this nut-cutting, n-word using, ninny and nuisance is done, I'd say.

This is like Suze Orman going bankrupt. It's like catching Michael Jordan chowing down on a Whopper and dripping ketchup on his Reebok sweatsuit. It's like Animal from "Muppet Babies" protesting against PETA. What Jackson has done is advocate two things he's historically opposed: racism and violence.

If you want to cut something, Jesse, the crap would be nice. And maybe a few public appearances. If I want to see an angry black man I'll watch Real World: Seattle.

Much love, Irene.

The Third Sense

Congratulations to me and several of my fellow college journalists nationwide. We've been selected to help UWIRE, CBSNews.com, and the Washington Post.com cover the road to Election '08.

This opportunity provides us with the ability to build our respective portfolios, network, and gain some sort of notoriety. Thus, it is important to have a personal blog.

I've blogged before, but in that regard my blogs are like webs are to spiders. I repeatedly build them up and tear them down. I've blogged about everything, and there is no evidence of it, but hopefully once you read this blog you'll know I was here, I was opinionated, and I didn't apologize for any of it.

The name is real simple: Common sense + my two cents = The Third Sense.

Obviously I'm lacking two senses (maybe three, if I were trying to be Spiderman), but hopefully the ones I have will be heightened.