- Racism in the Ivy League? Say it ain’t so. But look, if a bunch of Harvard students are alleging racism, then quite frankly, I have no choice but to believe them. They’re wicked smaht and if they have looked at a situation with their brilliant minds and deduced that racist activity has occurred, then I am not going to argue with them. That means I am squarely on the side of a group of Ivy League students and graduates who claim they were made to feel like criminals and kicked out of a Boston club by owners because of their race. The incident occurred at Cure Lounge in Boston, where a group of black Harvard and Yale students put aside their mutual hatred of one another as attendees of rival schools and came together to celebrate homecoming weekend and the big Harvard-Yale football game. The party had barely begun when club staff began shutting things down, blaming it on technical difficulties. Harvard law student D. Omavi Harshaw claimed afterward that he heard club managers spotted "gang bangers" in the line and then worried the group of black students and graduates would attract the wrong crowd. "We were definitely kicked out on the basis of our skin," said Harshaw. "The management thought that the black women in the line would attract local gang bangers, is the phrase they used." Hmm, sounds awfully white and paranoid of them, no? Harshaw’s sentiments were echoed by Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley, who said, “I believe there was some racial overtones here.” Pressley is calling for a full investigation and has appealed to the mayor's office of consumer affairs and licensing. Cure spokesman (yes, the club has a spokesman) George Regan defended the clubs actions, saying that the private party had brought in plenty of non-Harvard students and many of those in attendance were - in addition to rich Ivy Leaguers - “known in police circles” - and very dangerous. “There was no mistaken identity. These kids are known in police circles. They are who they are. They're not good people," Regan said. He added that bouncers recognized known troublemakers and thugs in line and shut down the party to protect patrons. "This was not a racial thing at all, it was just doing a smart thing. It was trying to stop a problem before it started," said Regan. As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of the stories from the opposing sides, but for now, I’ll side with the brilliant Ivy Leaguers…………
- Maybe the new spectator bridges being built at the world’s most famous arena will look cool once they are in place, but for now the idea of dropping bridges high above the court/rink at Madison Square Garden just seems bizarre. The high-up walkways are part of an upcoming renovation of the 42-year-old facility. Work will take place over a period from 2011-13 and when the project is completed, spectator bridges will hang from the ceiling, allowing a bird's-eye view of the playing surface. The bridges are supposed to be in place and functional in October 2013. "They'll be like no other seat in professional sports or entertainment," MSG President Hank Ratner said. "I think probably the Green Monster [at the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park] is the only thing you could come to making the comparison. But these are going to take it up a notch -- because you're on bridges." All told, the renovation is expected to cost $775 million to $850 million and will change the entrance, seating, concourses and displays of the arena. Of all the changes, the bridges appear to be the most drastic change. Artist’s renderings of the new walkways show fans literally moving back and forth directly above the playing surface, which is an interesting concept but also raises series safety concerns, especially in light of a 2-year-old boy recently falling to his death from a luxury suite at the Staples Center after a Lakers game. Ratner dismissed those safety concerns and insisted that the walkways will be nothing like the setup that allowed the infant’s death after the Lakers game. "This product shouldn't really be different from that," he said. "Safety is of paramount and utmost concern in everything we do here." Of course, all the changes to the building itself would pale in comparison to Madison Square Garden’s most prominent resident, the NBA’s Knicks, being able to put a winning team on the court for the first time in years……….
- Umm, am I the only one completely terrified by what’s going on in the slums of Rio de Janeiro despite being thousands of miles away? Brazilian authorities sent in the military to help quell violence that continued Friday some of the most impoverished areas in all of South America. Criminal gangs torched at least two more buses and five cars before dawn, continuing a surge of violence in which at least 25 people have died and 192 have been detained or arrested since Sunday. The situation has a decidedly Mexican feel, as the uprising has been fueled by drug gangs angry about an increased police presence in the crime-ridden slums. Criminals have burned more than 96 vehicles thus far and three police officers have been injured. That led to the deployment of 800 soldiers to protect the perimeter of the areas occupied by police. The military will control all entry points into some slums, theoretically cutting off access for gangs. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced his support Thursday for local and state officials and law enforcement and said he had spoken with the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Sergio Cabral. “I told Sergio Cabral that whatever help he needs from the federal government so people will live in peace in this country, we will give him," Lula said. "Rio de Janeiro can rest assured that we will support the governor and the residents of the state." All of this could have been avoided if the government had simply allowed the cartels to continue doing whatever they wanted in Rio's slums, called favelas. For whatever reason, The Man doesn’t take well to drug cartels wreaking havoc in a country and thus this battle has been waged. With 17 slums across Rio, the task is a tall one for police and military in the area. The battle is so intense that Brazil's Marine Corps sent armored vehicles, weapons, ammunition and night-vision goggles for use by Rio de Janeiro security forces at the request of Gov. Cabral. With both the World Cup and Summer Olympics set to take place in Brazil in the next decade, cleaning up this mess seems like a solid idea………
- Sometimes Apple can be infuriating, even if they do make great operating systems and computers. This is one of those times because less than a week after buzz began building for the SJ Action Figure, the Steve Jobs look-alike doll, Jobs’ company has put the kibosh on the action figure made by Chinese toy manufacturer M.I.C Gadget. M.I.C. Gadget announced on its Web site Tuesday that it had discontinued the product after selling out its first batch of 300. “A few hours ago, we have just received an email from a law firm representing Apple Inc. Apple has informed us that this phenomenal SJ action figure, has not consented to the use of Apple's copyrights and trademarks, therefore they request us immediately to cease the marketing and sale of this figure. Here's what the email has told us: "Unauthorized use of a person's name and/or likeness constitutes a violation of California Civil Code Section 3344, which prohibits the use of any person's name, photograph or likeness in a product without that person's prior consent…" bla bla bla…So, all Apple fanboys, you are not going to get this phenomenal figure anymore. M.I.C gadget hereby apologizes to Steve Jobs, Apple.Inc, and their law firm for any inconvenience caused. For those of you who have successfully ordered this collection item, we will contact you.” Thanks for the very mature explanation, but even that tongue-in-cheek mea culpa doesn’t detract from the fact that Apple should have removed its head from its backside on this one. Who doesn’t want an action figure of the big cheese for their favorite computer company? This is one action figure that could have been a sensation this holiday season……….
- What is a crappy pop singer to do when her album is about to drop, she has minimal to no musical talent and is nothing more than a flash in a pan who has managed to write a catchy (yet bad) song and get the attention of musically clueless members of the public? Exactly what Nicki Minaj is doing to kick off her "Pink Friday" release week: try to create drama by attacking some of the bigger female hip-hop artists in the game, that’s how. Doing an interview with a New York radio station, Minaj spoke about a time when Foxy Brown told her Lil Kim was talking sh*t about her. She either pretended to be or was actually livid about the incident, but her words were disputed by her alleged confidant, Foxy Brown. "For the record... Nicki and I never had that conversation, ever," Foxy posted on her Twitter account. Wow…..that’s not even claiming that she is misquoting or misrepresenting what was said. That’s calling someone a liar straight-up. But Minaj wasn’t done pot-shotting Lil Kim and later in the interview, she said the controversial, pint-sized lady rapper will be remembered as a "sore loser." In response, Lil Kim has released a dis track titled "Black Friday." In a poor-quality rip from the song that leaked online Thursday, Lil Kim is heard rapping, "It'll be a murder scene, I'm turning 'Pink Friday' to Friday the 13th." Considering the none of these women have anywhere near the talent necessary to bump their gums this much, I think it’s best if we all simply keep moving……..
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