i definitely don't want to get lumped into the group of folks that believe that barack obama's chances to win this election are severely limited solely based on the color of his skin...i know that there are extremely staunch republicans that wouldn't vote democratic if white jesus was running with creamy delectable parfait as his running mate...cause who could really vote against parfait...it is entirely possible that mccain and palin could have the remedy americans need (it is also possible sarah palin could end up in club nikki's giving a lap dance to a permless al sharpton while eating a veggie burger) but for those who believe that racism doesnt still play peek-aboo across this great nation of ours, i offer up the following words by tim wise...these points don't all scream racism...but several of them whisper it hotly like that lady that sat beside me at wicked this past weekend with the breath that smelled like feet, funyons and shut the f@ck up...i challenge you to read, reflect, breathe then respond...not necessarily to me or this posting...even to yourself...is there not a double standard at play here...

This is Your Nation on White Privilege
by Tim Wise
For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "mailto:f*@#kin redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their mailto:f*@#in ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

I'm Just Sayin' by mikecraig...

…it’s football season…shut up…

dear wifey, live in girlfriend, live out girlfriend, chick i’m kinda seeing, chick i plan to meet between now and February,

i’m drafting this letter as a friendly reminder that in about a week’s time, football season will again be upon us. i thought this might be the proper time to reacquaint you with the rules of football season; some “do’s and don’ts” (but mostly don’ts) if you will. first of all, i want you to know how much i really care about you and how i love your new haircut, your new chest hair removal system and that dress you’re going to ask me about. there, that should answer every question you plan to ask me during the several games i plan on watching over the next 5 months. you see, football time is sacred…borderline religious and any attempt to interrupt the watching of it is akin to blasphemy. with that said, as long as the game is on, i don’t care if you have a headache, how cute number 89 is, what that bitch at work had the nerve to say/do, that you’re pregnant, that it’s not mine or that i don’t pay attention to you. you had all summer to tell me how i was screwing up our relationship. i didn’t listen to you then so what makes you think i’ll hear you now?

i should probably clear up a few more misconceptions. yes i can watch 5 games at one time. i will remember how my td’s l.t. had and not remember our wedding anniversary. one of those is going to make me money. the other, i’m still paying for. if you are able to wrestle me away from the television (which i wouldn’t even try) to attend some poorly planned wedding or baby shower don’t ask me if i’m having a good time because i am not. i will most likely be in some corner pressing buttons on my iphone. don’t worry. i’m not sending text messages to some floozy. i’m making sure the cowboys are covering the spread. if i get a whiff of a tv i will be drawn to it like rich black men to white chicks. but i will be easy to locate when it’s time to go home and get busy…cuz yeah…you owe me big for this one.

please don’t take this the wrong way. it’s not that i don’t love you. i just love football more…a lot more actually. but only because it’s been around longer and it never gets mad when i poot between the sheets. i understand if you decide to leave me. just know that i probably won’t notice until late January; that dead week between the conference championship games and the superbowl. and i probably won’t make a play to get you back until halftime of the pro bowl. it’s not nearly as exciting as the nba all star game which takes place the next weekend. oooh. so yeah, i probably won’t be coming after you until around march madness…dang…so maybe april; assuming i still remember your name…and i haven’t met another chick that actually likes football. those are my favorites.

why are you crying? no. i really do care for you. to prove it, i wrote you this poem.
roses are red
violets are blue
that boy darren mcfadden
is gonna be one bad dude…
so yeah, i look forward to staring at you blankly for the next few days. but after that……
sincerely yours,


the avid football fan

mike craig…