Blackwater Preparing to Deploy Into Areas Affected by Hurricane Gustav

Citizens for Legitimate Government

Bring it On

Email disseminated 29 August 2008 from Blackwater Worldwide



Blackwater Worldwide

Security for Hurricane Gustav

Blackwater is compiling a list of qualified security personnel for possible deployment into areas affected by Hurricane Gustav.
Applicants must meet all items listed under the respective Officer posting and be US citizens. Contract length is TBD.

Law Enforcement Officers (all criteria must apply)

1. Current sworn [may be full time, part time or reserve]
2. With arrest powers
3. Armed status (must indicate Armed and/or Semi Auto. Revolver only not accepted) expiration must be greater than 60 days out
4. Departmental credentials (not just a badge)

Armed Security Officers (all criteria must apply)

Only from the following states: OR, WA, CA, NV, NM, AZ, TX, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, IL, OK

1. Current/active/licensed/registered armed security officer
2. All training verification [unarmed and armed certificates of completion]
3. Current state issued face card indicting armed status [expiration must be greater than 60 days out]


Applicants will be required to provide an electronic copy of the above required credentials/documents, recent photo within the last six months with response to this AD prior to consideration for deployment.

Personnel who meet the above qualifications and are interested, please send resumes and files to: 25505@blackwaterusa2.hrmdirect.com.

'When crisis or disaster strikes the Blackwater Foundation reaches out to help those in need.'

"Crazy" John Mc Cain chooses Gov. Palin of Alaska as his second...What will the hardcore misogynist Radial Right think about this?

Inteligentaindigena Indigenismo Novajoservo: "Crazy" John Mc Cain chooses Gov. Palin of Alaska as his second...What will the hardcore mysoginist Radial Right think about this?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife An Angryindian Editorial -

So, John "I can say Gook if I want to" McCain has finally announced his running mate, "Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a self-defined "hockey mom" who like Democratic Party pick Barack Obama has only recently entered political service is the "surprise" GOP Vice-Presidential candidate.

I for one cannot understand why anyone would be surprised since she logically helps balance McCain out with the Christian Right. She accepts Creationism, opposes abortion rights, laughs at his off-colour jokes and evidently does not personally see a problem with McCain's anti-female screeds that offend most everybody else. In effect, she is the perfect comic foil to McCain's Colonel Klink who will, as he has for the past several months, continue to stumble, misidentify or gaffe his way through his presidency should he be elected, or appointed by the corporate class like George W. Bush.

Being female she could sucker some of the disaffected among Hillary Clinton’s firm supporters but in the end it’s a White woman representing the elite classes versus the “Black Muslim” from the anti-White church with the White mama and funny name.

I could go on, but others have done the work already:
Who’s That Lady?
Poll: Voters uncertain on Palin
Palin currently being investigated for abuse of office
McCain VP pick laughed as radio host called Alaskan Senator a 'b*tch' and a 'cancer'

Exclusive: Chief Fired by Palin Speaks Out
Palin's Wikipedia Entry Gets Overhaul

Thanks To Palin, It's All About Abortion Now

Fox Pundit: Alaska ‘Right Next Door to Russia’
“Fox & Friends” co-host and international relations genius Steve Doocy filled some time before John McCain’s official VP unveiling extravaganza on Friday by suggesting that McCain’s chosen She-publican, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is actually a formidable player on the world stage because of Alaska’s proximity to Russia.

FISA court rejects ACLU request for transparency

The Raw Story | FISA court rejects ACLU request for transparency

A court created by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act denied an ACLU motion Thursday that would have increased public scrutiny of how the Bush administration's new spying law is reviewed, according to a statement released Friday.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the motion 10 hours after President Bush signed the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) into law July 10, requesting that any further proceedings that might question the law's constitutionality be revealed to the public, according to an ACLU press release.

DNC Protests: Police slam CodePink protester to the ground

YouTube - DNC Protests: Police slam CodePink protester to the ground

Police slam CodePink protester to the ground, call her a "bitch" before arresting her.

brutality, police brutality, protest, political, news, violence, america, usa, police state, war, democracy

"Because Obama Is Black" - Denver plot revealed, but only gun and drug charges for three

"Because Obama Is Black" - August 26, 2008

AUGUST 26--The U.S. Attorney's office in Colorado filed felony weapon and drug charges today against Tharin Gartrell, Nathan Johnson, and Shawn Adolf, three idiots allegedly involved in a plot to kill Senator Barack Obama.

According to an affidavit filed in federal court in Denver, an excerpt of which you'll find below, an unnamed female told a Secret Service agent that she went to a hotel room on Saturday with the three men and another woman to "'chill and do drugs'" and that the men discussed how they "'could not believe how close he (Obama) was to becoming president,' and that no 'nigger' should ever live in the White House.

" The woman also told the agent that Adolf, 33, believed that the prospective Democratic presidential nominee had a suite on the third floor of the same Hyatt hotel in which they had rented their room. Johnson, 32, who began to cry during his questioning by the Secret Service admitted that Adolf had previously threatened to kill the Illinois senator and that the group's desire to assassinate him was not political, but "because Obama is black."

While none of the men have been charged with making threats against Obama, the trio came to the attention of the authorities after Aurora police stopped Gartrell, 28, for suspected drunk driving. A search of the vehicle turned up rifles (one with a scope), ammunition, a bulletproof vest, walkie-talkies, and drugs. Gartrell, Johnson, and Adolf are pictured above in mug shots from left to right. (6 pages)

So-called "Hispanic" Heritage Month

Los Indios: So-called "Hispanic" Heritage Month

Despite my own contentions with the term "Hispanic" because of its obvious conveyance of Spain's cultural dominance over our identity, the following article is good. It shows the denial and reluctance to accept who we are as so-called "Latin Americans" which stems from the conditioning and miseducation we received over the past 516 years of oppression. This labels of identity, fostered by someone other than our own selves, that we ultimately aligned ourselves with and pledge allegiance to, as if the people who created these terms had the majorities best cultural interest in mind.

Afro-Latino’s View on National Hispanic Heritage Month
Written by Christopher Rodriguez - Blacktino.net

"National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated throughout the nation between the dates of September 15 and October 15, to observe the historical contributions Hispanics/Latinos have made in the United States especially in the arts, literature, music, politics and education.

Since I was born in the United States, this was a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity of people, which has become a hallmark of our nation’s history.

Video Exclusive: Alex Jones confrontation with Michelle Malkin at DNC

Peoples Press Collective » Video Exclusive: Michelle Malkin Attacked at DNC; “Kill Michelle Malkin”

Michelle Malkin was attacked by protesters and conspiracy nut Alex Jones during the “Shake Your Money Maker” event while Recreate68 attempted to levitate the Denver Mint. Another protester began shouting “Kill Michelle Malkin.”

Lame MSM description of the event, another reason for new media and not relying on the MSM for accurate coverage.

Gateway Pundit was there as well and has photos and another video.

[11:15 - bumping to top]

Arrests Made in Alleged Obama Assassination Plot

Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Arrests Made in Alleged Obama Assassination Plot

A possible plot to kill Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during his acceptance speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention was foiled in Denver on Monday night when at least three suspects were arrested, authorities reported.


The New York Times:

The United States attorney’s office in Denver has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to discuss its investigation. A spokeswoman for the Denver Police Department said that an “aggressive” inquiry had been under way since the first arrest in the case. That occurred during a traffic stop in Aurora, Colo., on Sunday morning, when the police seized firearms and methamphetamine, the authorities said.

It was not clear how well along the possible plot was, or whether the people under arrest had found a way to overcome the heavy security surrounding the Democratic convention. Mr. Obama is scheduled to deliver his speech at Invesco Field, near the convention center.

The United States attorney for Colorado, Troy Eid, seemed to play down the degree of threat that Mr. Obama faced.

“Because this matter is currently under investigation, there is little we can say right now,” Mr. Eid said in a statement. “We can say this: We’re absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado.”

Victims: Angels Resort

This short video is intended to help us remember these victims of violence. Both the Families and the Victims are crying out "DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME". I know I won't -- KWH

“All You Fucking Niggers Tapdance.”

The Try-Works » Blog Archive » “All You Fucking Niggers Tapdance.”

Just in time to welcome thousands of protestors to Denver, Westword digs up a Denver PD training video from 1979. Including the quote that I chose for the title of this post. And many, many more.

Ancient history, you say? Well, sort of. Until you recall that, as Westword points out, many of the officers in the video are now in the upper ranks of Denver’s Finest. Meaning, the pig assholes who found this shit perfectly fucking acceptable are now in charge.

Make no mistake about it, this is Denver Police culture.

Enjoy.

Obama and McCain differ on Native Hawaiians

Indianz.Com > News > Obama and McCain differ on Native Hawaiians

Native Hawaiians will be treated very differently by the person who wins this year's presidential election.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois), who was born in Hawaii, said he will push for passage of a bill to extend the policy of self-determination to Native Hawaiians. If that doesn't happen this year, he said he will definitely sign the bill into law if he is elected president.

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), on the other hand, does not support recognition for Native Hawaiians. He said doing so would create "race-based" government, an argument other conservative Republicans have made against the bill.

Delegates at the Democratic National Convention will vote on adding Native Hawaiian recognition to their platform. In 2000, the Republican Party included Native Hawaiians in the same section of their platform as American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Special Correspondent Thea Lim: New study: biracial asian-americans are more likely to be sad

New study: biracial asian-americans are more likely to be sad at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture

Do you remember last last week’s Freakonomics study that claimed biracial black/white kids were liable to be twice as messed up as kids who were monoracially black or white?Apart from the racist generalisations of that study, some of our readers (including myself) were peeved at the insinuation that the only kind of biraciality that exists is the black/white kind. But good news everybody: there’s now a study for Asian/white biracials too!

Biracial Asian-Americans are twice as likely as monoracial Asian-Americans to be diagnosed with a psychological disorder, U.S. researchers said.

At first glance, this study seems to be treading the same problematic lines as the Freakonomics study. Like, call us crazy (haha!), but us biracial Asian Americans don’t like being told by a researchers that we’re twice as likely to be bananas as our monoracial Asian friends and relatives.

Surveillance made easy

Surveillance made easy - tech - 23 August 2008 - New Scientist Tech

"THIS data allows investigators to identify suspects, examine their contacts, establish relationships between conspirators and place them in a specific location at a certain time."

So said the UK Home Office last week as it announced plans to give law-enforcement agencies, local councils and other public bodies access to the details of people's text messages, emails and internet activity. The move followed its announcement in May that it was considering creating a massive central database to store all this data, as a tool to help the security services tackle crime and terrorism.

Limbaugh: Obama won primaries because no one ‘had the guts to stand up and say no to a black guy.’»

Think Progress » Limbaugh: Obama won primaries because no one ‘had the guts to stand up and say no to a black guy.’

Yesterday on his radio show, right-wing talker Rush Limbaugh said it’s “striking how unqualified Obama is and how this whole thing came about within the Democrat Party. I think it really goes back to the fact that nobody had the guts to stand up and say no to a black guy.” Limbaugh continued:

limbaughweb.jpgI think this is a classic illustration here where affirmative action has reared its ugly head against them. It’s the reverse of it. They’ve, they’ve ended up nominating and placing at the top of their ticket somebody who’s not qualified, who has not earned it. […]

It’s perfect affirmative action. And because of all this guilt and the historic nature of things, nobody had the guts to say, well, wait a minute, do we really want to do this?

Media Matters has the audio.

Texas Death Row Prisoner Faces Execution Tonight for Murder He Didn’t Commit

Democracy Now! | Texas Death Row Prisoner Faces Execution Tonight for Murder He Didn't Commit

A thirty-five-year-old man on death row in Texas faces execution tonight for a murder he didn’t commit. Jeff Wood is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6:00 p.m., unless Governor Rick Perry grants him clemency. Wood was an accomplice in a 1996 convenience store robbery. He was sitting in a truck outside when the clerk was shot and killed. The man who pulled the trigger was executed six years ago, but Wood was given a death sentence for the same crime under the Texas law of parties. We go to the prison where Jeff Wood is awaiting death to speak with his wife, mother and father outside. We also speak with Liliana Segura of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty.

No one disputes the fact that Jeff Wood did not kill anyone. But he
was convicted and sentenced to death under Texas’s law of parties
for the 1996 murder of convenience store clerk Kriss Keeran. Wood was
sitting in a truck outside the store when the murder occurred. The man
who confessed to the murder, Daniel Reneau, was executed six years ago.

But
the Texas law of parties allows accomplices to be subject to the death
penalty if a murder occurs during a crime, even if he or she did not
commit it. So one year after Renaeu was given a death sentence for
killing Keeran, Jeff Wood, was given a death sentence for the same
crime. Essentially, for failing to anticipate that a murder would occur
during the robbery.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied
Wood clemency on Tuesday, the day he turned 35 on deathrow in
Livingston, Texas. His lawyers have filed a clemency letter with
governor Rick Perry requesting a 30-day reprieve. The letter notes that
Wood may be incompetent to be executed and requires mental health
services. An initial jury had found Wood to be mentally incompetent to
stand trial.

How RFID Tags Could Be Used to Track Unsuspecting People

How RFID Tags Could Be Used to Track Unsuspecting People: Scientific American

Average consumers may not realize how many RFID tags they carry around.
The devices are embedded in personal items and even some clothing.

If you live in a state bordering Canada or Mexico, you may soon be given an opportunity to carry a very high tech item: a remotely readable driver’s license. Designed to identify U.S. citizens as they approach the nation’s borders, the cards are being promoted by the Department of Homeland Security as a way to save time and simplify border crossings. But if you care about your safety and privacy as much as convenience, you might want to think twice before signing up.

The new licenses come equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags that can be read right through a wallet, pocket or purse from as far away as 30 feet. Each tag incorporates a tiny microchip encoded with a unique identification number. As the bearer approaches a border station, radio energy broadcast by a reader device is picked up by an antenna connected to the chip, causing it to emit the ID number. By the time the license holder reaches the border agent, the number has already been fed into a Homeland Security database, and the traveler’s photograph and other details are displayed on the agent’s screen.

* Radio-frequency identi­fication (RFID) tags are embedded in a growing number of personal items and identity documents.
* Because the tags were designed to be powerful tracking devices and they typically incorporate little security, people wearing or carrying them are vulnerable to surreptitious surveillance and profiling.
* Worldwide, legislators have done little to address those risks to citizens.

Although such “enhanced” driver’s licenses remain voluntary in the states that offer them, privacy and security experts are concerned that those who sign up for the cards are unaware of the risk: anyone with a readily available reader device—unscrupulous marketers, government agents, stalkers, thieves and just plain snoops—can also access the data on the licenses to remotely track people without their knowledge or consent. What is more, once the tag’s ID number is associated with an individual’s identity—for example, when the person carrying the license makes a credit-card transaction—the radio tag becomes a proxy for that individual. And the driver’s licenses are just the latest addition to a growing array of “tagged” items that consumers might be wearing or carrying around, such as transit and toll passes, office key cards, school IDs, “contactless” credit cards, clothing, phones and even groceries.

Web browser to get 'privacy mode'

BBC NEWS | Technology | Web browser to get 'privacy mode'

Microsoft is planning a "privacy mode" for the next release of its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser.

By clicking a button, users of IE8 will be able to limit how much information is recorded about where they go online and what they do.

Microsoft watchers have spotted two patent applications covering ways to manage the amount of information a browser logs.

When introduced the privacy mode will match features found on other browsers.

Medical test

Australian blogger Long Zheng has found two patent applications made by Microsoft on 30 July for ideas it calls "Cleartracks" and "Inprivate".

The applications deal with methods of erasing data that browsing programs log, turning off features that record sites visited or notifying users of what sites are doing to log a visit.

Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, R.I.P.

Rest in peace, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-J0nes. You'll never be forgotten.

Neue Filmdoku: “The 911 Chronicles - Truth Rising”

The 911 Chronicles - Truth Rising (mit Deutschem Untertitel von infokrieg.tv) | Radio Utopie

Die neue Dokumentation von Alex Jones zeigt, mit deutschen Untertiteln von infokrieg.tv, wie sich sieben Jahre nach den Anschlägen vom 11. September der Widerstand mehrt.

Gezeigt werden wenig beachtete Hintergründe, Berichte von Ersthelfern, Feuerwehrleuten und Angehörigen die eine andere als die offizielle Geschichte zu erzählen haben.

Hier wird einigen “Persönlichkeiten” mal richtig auf den Zahn gefühlt. Einschlägig bekannten Personen des öffentlichen Rechts werden vor laufender Kamera extrem unangenehme Fragen gestellt. z.B. Rudolph Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Zbigniew Brzezinski und einigen mehr! Und vor allem handelt die Dokumentation von aktivem Widerstand, den jeder leisten kann. (TATEN und nicht nur Worte)

International Action Day "Freedom not fear - Stop the surveillance mania!" on 11 October 2008

Stoppt die Vorratsdatenspeicherung! - International Action Day "Freedom not fear - Stop the surveillance mania!" on 11 October 2008

A broad movement of campaigners and organizations is calling on everybody to join action against excessive surveillance by governments and businesses. On 11 October 2008, concerned people in many countries will take to the streets, the motto being "Freedom not fear 2008". Peaceful and creative action, from protest marches to parties, will take place in many capital cities.

Surveillance mania is spreading. Governments and businesses
register, monitor and control our behaviour ever more thoroughly. No
matter what we do, who we phone and talk to, where we go, whom we are
friends with, what our interests are, which groups we participate in -
"big brother" government and "little brothers" in business know it more
and more thoroughly. The resulting lack of privacy and confidentiality is putting at
risk the freedom of confession, the freedom of speech as well as the
work of doctors, helplines, lawyers and journalists.

The manifold agenda of security sector reform encompasses the
convergence of police, intelligence agencies and the military,
threatening to melt down the division and balance of powers. Using methods of mass surveillance, the borderless cooperation
of the military, intelligence services and police authorities is
leading towards the construction of "Fortresses"
in Europe and on other continents, directed against refugees and
different-looking people but also affecting, for example, political
activists, the poor and under-priviledged, and sports fans.

People who constantly feel watched and under surveillance
cannot freely and courageously stand up for their rights and for a just
society. Mass surveillance is thereby threatening the fabric of a
democratic and open society. Mass surveillance is also endangering the work and commitment of civil society organizations.

Dix soldats français ont été tués en Afghanistan

Dix soldats français ont été tués en Afghanistan - Asie-Pacifique - Le Monde.fr

Dix parachutistes français de la force de l'OTAN en Afghanistan ont été tués dans une embuscade tendue par des talibans. Vingt et un militaires français ont également été blessés mais leur "état sanitaire est maintenant stabilisé", a indiqué le ministre de la défense, Hervé Morin. Les combats se sont déroulés lundi à une soixantaine de kilomètres à l'est de Kaboul et se sont poursuivis dans la nuit.

Nato cools relations with Russia after emergency summit on Georgian crisis

Nato cools relations with Russia after emergency summit on Georgian crisis - Telegraph

At an emergency summit in Brussels the 26 Nato states said that they were "seriously considering" the implications of Moscow's actions over their failure to withdraw their troops from Georgia in accordance with a ceasefire agreement.

Separately, they agreed to set up a new forum known as a Nato-Georgia Commission to deepen ties with Tbilisi.

The Alliance condemned Russian military action in Georgia as "disproportionate and inconsistent with its peacekeeping role" in the joint statement, stressing that "there is no military solution to the unresolved conflicts."

Although Russia has repeatedly announced it is pulling out the troops which poured into the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkazia to support rebel militias, little evidence of the withdrawal has emerged on the ground.

McKinney Isn’t Whitebread Enough To Be A Green

The Try-Works » Blog Archive » McKinney Isn’t Whitebread Enough To Be A Green

The mighty James Benjamin found a couple of tidbits about the Colorado Greens which he was kind enough to leave in the comments. The first being a piece from the co-chair of the Green Party of Colorado, which Dr. Benjamin titled, “McKinney isn’t whitebread enough to be a Green.”

I am the co-chair of the Green Party of Colorado, but I am not supporting Cynthia McKinney for President.

Colorado Green Party candidates this year are exceptional and I support them whole heartily: Bob Kinsey for U.S. Senate; Art Goodtimes for San Miguel County Commissioner; Scott Zulauf for Jefferson County Commissioner; Jerry Lacy for Custer County Commissioner; Joe Calhoun for Congress-CD 2; and Tony D’Lallo for State House District 34.

There have been internal Green Party controversies involving the Green Party of Colorado and the McKinney presidential campaign that have raised very serious concerns for me — structurally the McKinney campaign is disorganized, uncommunicative, and there have been incidents of a dismissive attitude towards state and local Green Party groups. These failings in operation are seriously at odds with the Ten Key Values that make the Green Party distinctively different from the major political parties.

The Color Cycle In Interracial Dating (Amongst Women)

Gender and Race - I've noticed that Depending on the Race and Gender usually determines who you date interracially.

With White Women it's Black Men
White Men it's Asian Women
Asian Men it's White Women
Black Men - it's ANYTHING
Indian Women - it's White Men
Latin Women in American - Black Men

The common denominator falls to white because non white races value white! above the other non white races.

More mixed people are White and something else, than Non-White and Non-White!

But then again this is AMERICA! a Majority White Country! Soo... Which one is it?

Fair and Lovely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jthAkr...

Black Women More Likely to Die in Childbirth than Whites or Latinas

Think Girl » Black Women More Likely to Die in Childbirth than Whites or Latinas

A probing 90-question review promises to unravel the stubborn knot of questions about why as many as 139 women died from pregnancy-related complications in New York state between 2003 and 2005 and why New York City continues to be a leader in maternal mortality.

For more than two years, a voluntary maternal mortality review conducted in the state has been struggling with its own life-and-death problem: the disappearance of New York City hospital participation.

In bad taste: John McCain's ten worst jokes

US Elections - Times Online - WBLG: In bad taste: John McCain's ten worst jokes

To his supporters, a ribald wit with a healthy disrespect for political correctness; to his critics, a reckless foul-mouth - John McCain has often attracted attention for cracking jokes that might politely be described as “offbeat”.

Today, liberal tempers flared once again after the Republican nominee quipped that Guantanamo was “one of the nicest places in the world to live in” during a Q&A at the Aspen Institute (see the video below). So on the occasion of this latest demonstration of his legendary humour, we’ve compiled a list of McCain's ten worst “jokes”.

1. The rape joke. During his 1986
Senate campaign, he told the following joke in front of a number of
journalists: “Did you hear the one about the woman who is
attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly
and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to
speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly
ask, 'Where is that marvelous ape?'"

2. The “Bomb Iran” song. Earlier
in his presidential campaign, McCain was asked by a participant at a
town hall meeting when the US “should send an air mail message to
Tehran”. He replied: “Do you know that old Beach Boys song,
Bomb Iran?” before proceeding to sing “Bomb bomb
bomb” to the tune of the hit Barbara-Ann

3. The one about killing Iranians. In July,
McCain was asked by reporters on the campaign trail about data showing
a ten-fold increase in US exports to Iran during Bush’s
presidency, with a particular rise in tobacco exports. “Maybe
that’s a way of killing them,” he replied, chuckling awhile
before adding: “I meant that as a joke.” Iran,
understandably, was not so amused.

4. The Chelsea Clinton joke. At a Senate
Republican fundraiser in 1998, when Chelsea was just 18, he took aim at
both her appearance and that of the then attorney-general . "Why is
Chelsea Clinton so ugly?" he asked guests. "Because her father is Janet
Reno."

5. The one about waterboarding. Despite
previously condemning primary rival Rudy Giuliani for comparing the
race to torture, McCain made a similar reference at a press conference
with Florida governor Charlie Crist in January this year. When Crist
was asked by reporters whether McCain had pressured him for his
endorsement, McCain, a torture victim himself, interjected: "It was
just waterboarding."

6. The other ones about waterboarding. About
a month later, McCain made a very similar joke reported in the New York
Times. With his presidential hopes apparently fading, a number of his
staff had deserted the campaign, only to return when McCain resurrected
his bid with a New Hampshire victory. There was, he jibed "a
short period of waterboarding to find out what they did in their
absence."

7. The Fidel joke. In February amid reports
of Castro’s failing health, McCain told a town hall in Indiana,
"I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon."

8. The Alzheimers jibe. Shortly after
President Reagan had been diagnosed with the degenerative illness,
McCain made the following joke at a Republican fundraiser. “ Do
you know the best thing about having Alzheimer's?” he
asked. “You get to hide your own Easter eggs.”

9. The IED joke. When appearing on the
admittedly satirical (and liberal-leaning) programme The Daily Show
earlier this year, McCain joked that he'd brought host John Stewart an
improvised explosive device as a gift from Iraq. The jibe drew
criticism from relatives of US soldiers, over 1,700 of whom have been
killed by IEDs.

10. The one about the French. In
an interview with Fox News, McCain aimed at America’s allies in
Afghanistan. "You know," he began, "the French remind me a little bit
of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her
looks but doesn't have the face for it."

But despite his penchant for a little not-so-gentle ribbing, McCain
doesn't cope very well on the receiving end. During his 1992 Senate
campaign, a little inter-spousal teasing got out of control when, in
front of aides and three reporters, his wife Cindy playfully twirled
his hair and noted that he was thinning a little on top. His reply? "At
least I don't plaster make-up on like a trollop, you c**t."

Bernie Mac: Oct 5 1957- Aug 9 2008 gone but never forgotten

Bernie Mac is dead. Bernie died from complications of pneumonia. He will be missed by his many fans. His many prized performances include Bernie Mack in the Kings of comedy, FRIDAY, BOOTY CALL,Players Club, Charlies Angles, Def Comedy Jam and The Bernie show. We love you Bernie RIP

Guess who- part 5 of 13

The Late Bernie Mac at his best.

Tribute to Bernie Mac

RIP Bernie Mac. You'll be greatly missed by all!

Bernie Mac DEAD at 50 (NewsTV) RIP

CHICAGO (AP) — Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.

"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."

Mac worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side. He began doing standup as a child, and his film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans comedy "Mo' Money" in 1992. In 1996, he appeared in the Spike Lee drama "Get on the Bus."

He was one of "The Original Kings of Comedy" in the 2000 documentary of that title that brought a new generation of black standup comedy stars to a wider audience.

"The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac ... he gave them their money's worth," Steve Harvey, one of his costars in "Original Kings," told CNN on Saturday.

Mac went on to star in the hugely popular "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

His turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who" topped the box office. It was a comedy remake of the classic Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn drama "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — with Mac as the black dad who's shocked that his daughter is marrying a white man.

Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

In the late 1990s, he had a recurring role in "Moesha," the UPN network comedy starring pop star Brandy.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac.

"But television handcuffs you, man," he said in a 2001 Associated Press interview. "Now everyone telling me what I CAN'T do, what I CAN say, what I SHOULD do, and asking, `Are blacks gonna be mad at you? Are whites gonna accept you?'"

He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.

"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.

"I came from a place where there wasn't a lot of joy," Mac told the AP in 2001. "I decided to try to make other people laugh when there wasn't a lot of things to laugh about."

Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.

"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."

BREAKING NEWS= Bernie Mac Dies at 50

RIP brother bernie. You'll be truly missed.

Madame Gautreau Drinking A Toast

New York Times Attempts to Define and Dictate Black Politics

blackagendareport.com - New York Times Attempts to Define and Dictate Black Politics

The Sunday magazine of the nation's most influential newspaper predicts that Black politics as we know it is headed for extinction, that Barack Obama's "brand of ‘race-neutrality' shows Black politics is obsolete, and should be abandoned." Of course, that's wishful thinking from a hostile quarter, based on assumptions that all Black politics is electoral, Blacks are becoming more conservative, and a generational crisis deeply divides Black America - none of which is true. However, Blacks have been set up for a fall. "To the extent that African Americans expect more from Barack Obama than they got from Bill Clinton, they will be devastatingly disappointed."

African women risking health by bleaching skin

La Reyna's Journal: African women risking health by bleaching skin

In a sad story that shows that black women all over the world are dealing with self esteem and beauty issues women in Uganda are putting their health at risk by bleaching their skin in an attempt to be more "beautiful". This has become such a problem that the government has now banned some bleaching creams and lotions. This story features a very sad a telling quote.

Consumers of bleaching cosmetics claim that they want to enhance their beauty. One woman who declined to be named, explains, “One has to look good, by having fair, lighter skin.” Read the entire story by clicking the link below:

http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html

UN Chief Calls for the End of Bias Against Gays

The Bilerico Project | UN Chief Calls for the End of Bias Against Gays

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, along with other international leaders, 189161-Ki-moon.jpgis calling for an end to homophobic bias and its effects on the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS around the world. In an address to the International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, Ki-moon said:

I call on politicians around the world to speak out against discrimination and protect the rights of people living with and affected by HIV, for schools to teach respect, for religious leaders to preach tolerance, and for the media to condemn prejudice in all its forms.

He went on to say discrimination that against men who have sex with men must end, and countries must gear up prevention programs against AIDS in this high-risk group. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization, said health officials in all nations- including the United States- need to acknowledge setbacks in a group that pioneered the earliest response to the disease.

African women risking health by bleaching skin

In a sad story that shows that black women all over the world are dealing with self esteem and beauty issues women in Uganda are putting their health at risk by bleaching their skin in an attempt to be more "beautiful". This has become such a problem that the government has now banned some bleaching creams and lotions. This story features a very sad a telling quote.

Consumers of bleaching cosmetics claim that they want to enhance their beauty. One woman who declined to be named, explains, “One has to look good, by having fair, lighter skin.” Read the entire story by clicking the link below:

http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html

Iraq wants the U.S. out...

Iraqi Public Opinion on the Presence of US Troops - World Public Opinion

July 30, 2008

Testimony of Dr. Steven Kull
Director, Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA),
University of Maryland
Director, WorldPublicOpinion.org

July 23, 2008 - 2:00 PM

Before House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bill Delahunt: And next we have Dr. Steven Kull, the director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes testified during the kickoff in the wrap-up hearing for our hearings -- our inquiry, rather, into how the United States is viewed by the rest of the world.

I don't have the time to list his various expert qualifications as a pollster, because he has just one that counts to most the me: There's nobody that we trust more to interpret polling and focus groups results for us, and today he will address and educate us on Iraqi opinion about the issues surrounding the U.S.-Iraq agreement: timetables, withdrawals, sovereignty and the presence of U.S. forces.

Thank you again, Steve, for joining us.... Dr. Kull, would you please proceed?

David Yeagley Is Back With More Twisted Elitism...is he the real face of First Nations Conservatism?

David Yeagley's BadEagle.com

White Woman Down
by David Yeagley

White women are destroying America. “White trash” women are polluting America with interracial sex of every grade, producing children with impossible identities and crippled self-esteem, and these women are doing it all in the name of charity, equality, or survival.

On FrontPageMagazine.com, I published an article on May 18, 2001 entitled “What’s Up with White Women?” It proved to be my most quoted article, beginning with authors like Pat Buchanan, Robert Spencer, and a host of bloggers. That article called attention to the fact that many American white women have lost respect and confidence in the country. I quoted the Cheyenne proverb, “A nation is never conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.”

Luiz Ramirez, criminal trespasser, unmarried baby-maker,
accidently killed by white teen-agers in Shenandoah, PA.
- Dr. David Yeagley:

But I didn’t take it far enough. The proclivity of white women for interracial marriage in this country is worse than most people realize. Never mind the forced images of white women with black men in the media. What’s happening in the street?

Lower income white women are making a mockery of America.

Take the recent case in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, a small coal mining town. Headlines were all about a hate crime where white teenagers accidentally killed a Mexican immigrant. “PA Teens Charged with Fatal Beating of Immigrant,” as ABC put it, July 25, 2008. The “immigrant” was, of course, an illegal Mexican, among many who have invaded the small town. The 25-year-old Mexican was with a teen-aged (white?) girl from the town, and the teen-aged boys who attacked him were white.

Saskatoon police charge man after woman's remains found

Saskatoon police charge man after woman's remains found

Police in Saskatoon have charged a man after finding the remains of a woman who has been missing for four years.Daleen Bosse was attending university in Saskatoon when she disappeared in 2004. Daleen Bosse was attending university in Saskatoon when she disappeared in 2004. (CBC)

The remains belong to Daleen Kay Bosse, a member of the Lloydminster-area Onion Lake First Nation, who was 25 when she went missing in 2004, the Saskatoon Police Service said.

At the time of her disappearance, Bosse had been living in Saskatoon with her husband and three-year-old daughter, and attending university. She was last seen leaving a Saskatoon nightclub on May 18, 2004.

Douglas R. Hales, 30, of White Fox, Sask., has been charged with first-degree murder. He's also charged with interfering with a dead body.

Hales was arrested on Saturday and appeared briefly in Saskatoon provincial court before being remanded into custody. People in the packed courtroom cried out when the Crown prosecutor said it's alleged that Bosse's body had been set on fire.

More than 'Shaft': Hayes was goldmine of influence

More than 'Shaft': Hayes was goldmine of influence - NewsCloud.com

Isaac Hayes' theme song for the 1971 movie "Shaft" not only became one of pop music's iconic songs, but also the defining work of Hayes' career. Yet the "Theme from Shaft" was just a snippet of the groundbreaking music for which Hayes - who died Sunday at age 65 - was responsible.

Two Latinos guilty in hate crime assault

Two guilty in hate crime assault - SGVTribune.com

POMONA - Two reputed gang members are facing multiple life sentences for the attempted murders of two black victims based on their race, officials said Friday.

Bobby Perez, 22, of Hacienda Heights, and Jonathan Carrion, 21, of Baldwin Park, were convicted by a Pomona Superior Court jury on Friday of two counts each of attempted premeditated murder with special gang and hate crime allegations, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.

The verdicts stem from a June 16, 2007, incident in which Perez and Carrion - members of the El Monte Flores gang - joined six to seven other fellow gang members and assaulted four mentally handicapped clients of the Bridges facility on Elliott Avenue in El Monte, Batres said.

The clients were coming back from a nearby Pizza Hut when they were attacked. Two of the unidentified victims, who were black, were stabbed in the back. A third Hispanic victim was kicked and a fourth Caucasian victim was also beat, Batres said.

Witnesses told police the group of men were yelling out the El Monte Flores gang name and racial slurs during the attack.

The victims identified Perez and Carrion as the suspects who stabbed the two black victims, Batres said.

All of the victims eventually recovered from their injuries, he said.

In addition to the attempted murder verdicts, Carrion and Perez were also convicted on one count each of assault with a deadly weapon with special gang and hate crime allegations, and one count each of
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felony battery also with special gang and hate crime allegations, Batres said.

They face multiple life terms when they are sentenced on Aug. 21.

Broken Justice in Indian Country

Op-Ed Contributor - Broken Justice in Indian Country - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

ONE in three American Indian women will be raped in their lifetimes, statistics gathered by the United States Department of Justice show. But the odds of the crimes against them ever being prosecuted are low, largely because of the complex jurisdictional rules that operate on Indian lands. Approximately 275 Indian tribes have their own court systems, but federal law forbids them to prosecute non-Indians. Cases involving non-Indian offenders must be referred to federal or state prosecutors, who often lack the time and resources to pursue them.

The situation is unfair to Indian victims of all crimes — burglary, arson, assault, etc. But the problem is greatest in the realm of sexual violence because rapes and other sexual assaults on American Indian women are overwhelmingly interracial. More than 80 percent of Indian victims identify their attacker as non-Indian. (Sexual violence against white and African-American women, in contrast, is primarily intraracial.) And American Indian women who live on tribal lands are more than twice as likely to be raped or sexually assaulted as other women in the United States, Justice Department statistics show.

May I Be Offended on Your Behalf?

May I Be Offended on Your Behalf? at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture

All of us who suffer inequalities related to race hope that one day the mainstream will “get it.” We want them to get institutional bias. We want them to get the nuances between funny and offensive. We want them to get their own privilege. We want them to get our cultural differences, while also getting that we are individuals apart from cultural markers.We want them to understand these things, but there is a fine line between developing an awareness of bias and arrogantly believing that you are so enlightened that you “get” all there is to know about being a person of color. If I am honest, I want white people to “get it,” but I don’t want them thinking they “get it” better than me–a black woman who actually lives with race bias.

what would ella baker do

this person's haul: what would ella baker do

After reading I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition & The Mississippi Freedom Struggle and getting to know Ella Baker substantially for the first time, I decided to read the most recent and promising biography on her, Ella Baker & the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the process of her life, how she got involved, and the ways in which she worked. 100 pages in, it's a great biography so far.

Issac Hayes, RIP

Rest in Peace, Issac Hayes

___________________________________________________________________

ISSAC HAYES DIES AT 65

Isaac Hayes, the pioneering singer, songwriter and musician whose relentless "Theme From Shaft" won Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said. He was 65.

A family member found him unresponsive near a treadmill and he was pronounced dead an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, according to the sheriff's office. The cause of death was not immediately known.

In the early 1970s, Hayes laid the groundwork for disco, for what became known as urban-contemporary music and for romantic crooners like Barry White. And he was rapping before there was rap.

His career hit another high in 1997 when he became the voice of Chef, the sensible school cook and devoted ladies man on the animated TV show "South Park."

Steve Shular, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said authorities received a 911 call after Hayes' wife and young son and his wife's cousin returned home from the grocery store and found him collapsed in a downstairs bedroom. A sheriff's deputy administered CPR until paramedics arrived.

"The treadmill was running but he was unresponsive lying on the floor," Shular said.
The album "Hot Buttered Soul" made Hayes a star in 1969. His shaven head, gold chains and sunglasses gave him a compelling visual image.

"Hot Buttered Soul" was groundbreaking in several ways: He sang in a "cool" style unlike the usual histrionics of big-time soul singers. He prefaced the song with "raps," and the numbers ran longer than three minutes with lush arrangements.

"Jocks would play it at night," Hayes recalled in a 1999 Associated Press interview. "They could go to the bathroom, they could get a sandwich, or whatever."

Next came "Theme From Shaft," a No. 1 hit in 1971 from the film "Shaft" starring Richard Roundtree.

"That was like the shot heard round the world," Hayes said in the 1999 interview.
At the Oscar ceremony in 1972, Hayes performed the song wearing an eye-popping amount of gold and received a standing ovation. TV Guide later chose it as No. 18 in its list of television's 25 most memorable moments. He won an Academy Award for the song and was nominated for another one for the score. The song and score also won him two Grammys.

"The rappers have gone in and created a lot of hit music based upon my influence," he said. "And they'll tell you if you ask."

Hayes was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

"I knew nothing about the business, or trends and things like that," he said. "I think it was a matter of timing. I didn't know what was unfolding."

A self-taught musician, he was hired in 1964 by Stax Records of Memphis as a backup pianist, working as a session musician for Otis Redding and others. He also played saxophone.

He began writing songs, establishing a songwriting partnership with David Porter, and in the 1960s they wrote such hits for Sam and Dave as "Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man."
All this led to his recording contract.

In 1972, he won another Grammy for his album "Black Moses" and earned a nickname he reluctantly embraced. Hayes composed film scores for "Tough Guys" and "Truck Turner" besides "Shaft." He also did the song "Two Cool Guys" on the "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America" movie soundtrack in 1996.

Additionally, he was the voice of Nickelodeon's "Nick at Nite" and had radio shows in New York City (1996 to 2002) and then in Memphis.

He was in several movies, including "It Could Happen to You" with Nicolas Cage, "Ninth Street" with Martin Sheen, "Reindeer Games" starring Ben Affleck and the blaxploitation parody "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka."

In the 1999 interview, Hayes described the South Park cook as "a person that speaks his mind; he's sensitive enough to care for children; he's wise enough to not be put into the 'whack' category like everybody else in town — and he l-o-o-o-o-ves the ladies."

But Hayes angrily quit the show in 2006 after an episode mocked his Scientology religion. "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," he said.

Co-creator creators Matt Stone responded that Hayes "has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians." A subsequent episode of the show seemingly killed off the Chef character.

Hayes was born in 1942 in a tin shack in Covington, Tenn., about 40 miles north of Memphis. He was raised by his maternal grandparents after his mother died and his father took off when he was 1 1/2. The family moved to Memphis when he was 6.

Hayes wanted to be a doctor, but got redirected when he won a talent contest in ninth grade by singing Nat King Cole's "Looking Back."

He held down various low-paying jobs, including shining shoes on the legendary Beale Street in Memphis. He also played gigs in rural Southern juke joints where at times he had to hit the floor because someone began shooting.

600 gather for funeral of First Nations bus slaying victim

600 gather for funeral of bus slaying victim

Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon to bid farewell to Tim McLean, 22, who was brutally killed aboard a Greyhound bus just over a week ago near Portage la Prairie, Man.

About 600 mourners packed a church in Winnipeg for the funeral service.

His uncle, Alex McLean, told them that his nephew was "friendly, kind, sweet and caring."

The young man, a travelling carnival worker, loved making new friends on his many journeys, his uncle said.

But "he never left behind the ones he made in high school," McLean said. "His love of his friends was easy to see."

McLean also remembered his nephew's tremendous sense of humour, recalling that the last time he saw him, he was shirtless and flexing his muscles.

"That was your trademark," McLean said.

Before the service began, John Jorgensen, 19, who lived in the same Winnipeg neighbourhood as Tim McLean, remembered him as an "uplifting, positive guy."

"If you were in a bad mood, he would make you in a great mood," Jorgensen said.

McLean grew up in Winnipeg and Elie, Man., with what his obituary describes as "more family than he could shake a stick at."

Bernie Mac, RIP (1957-2008)

Bernie Mac, you'll be truly missed!

My favorite comedian Bernie Mac has died. He was only 50 years old. His jokes about family life has made him famous. He'll be missed by everyone all over the globe.
________________________________________

Comedian and actor Bernie Mac dies at 50


Comedian and actor Bernie Mac, who starred in one of U.S. TV's few black sitcoms and appeared in the "Ocean's 11" movies, died in Chicago on Saturday after a bout with pneumonia. He was 50.

Publicist Danica Smith confirmed the death in a statement but gave no further details. "We ask that his family's privacy continues to be respected," she said.

Reactions poured in from Hollywood, which was taken by surprise because two days ago, Smith said he was "responding well to treatment" and remained in "stable condition."

"The world just got a little less funny. He will be dearly missed," said George Clooney, who starred with Mac in the "Ocean's" trilogy of hit box office films.

Mac was hospitalized in Chicago on August 1, and Smith said then his illness was unrelated to a chronic tissue inflammation called sarcoidosis, which had been in remission since 2005.

The Chicago-born comedian, whose given name was Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, was best known for his TV comedy "The Bernie Mac Show," which ran for five seasons until 2006.
Along with the "Ocean's" capers, he appeared in movies such as comedy "Guess Who" and "Mr. 3000." He recently worked on a new TV show "Starting Under" and an upcoming film "Soul Men."

With his beefy frame and bulging eyes, Mac cut an imposing figure. His scathing comedic observations were inspired by his impoverished childhood in Chicago and honed by years on the stand-up circuit.

"I reflect on my childhood, my young adulthood, the disappointments of life -- the problems I brought on myself, the self-pity I went through before I became a man," he told Playboy magazine in 2003.

ONE OF THE "KINGS OF COMEDY"

Mac achieved national prominence after joining the Kings of Comedy stand-up tour in 1997 with Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer. Tapping into an under-served market of middle-class blacks, the dapper quartet sold out arenas across the country during their annual treks.

In 2000, director Spike Lee shot a hugely profitable documentary about the tour.
The following year, "The Bernie Mac Show" debuted on Fox, drawing from Mac's personal life.

He played a married stand-up comic reluctantly thrust into parenthood when he takes custody of his sister's three children after she enters rehab.

Mac's character often turned to the camera, addressing "America" with such observations as "I hate my loved ones. They make me sick" or "I love my wife, but I hate her (golf) game."

While many contemporary TV dads get cheap laughs by playing clueless, Mac portrayed a level-headed family man unafraid to exert authority. He earned two Emmy nominations for his role.

"Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I'm gonna miss the Mac Man," said comic actor Chris Rock in a story at E! Online.

Mac was born in Chicago on October 3, 1957, and raised in a tenement. His mother died when he was 15, and his father -- whom he met only a dozen times -- three years later. He credited his grandmother for keeping him grounded.

Married for more than 30 years, Mac largely eschewed Hollywood, choosing to live in Chicago.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a granddaughter.
____________________________________________
Rest in peace, Bernie Mac!

Links and Tributes:

Original King Dies- CNN

Bernie Mac bio at Wikipedia

The Bernie Mac Show at IMDB

Bernie Mac Images at Yahoo!

Bernie Mac Tribute at AOL

Movies Bernie Mac Starred In:

Actor Credits

Old Dogs (2009)
Johnny Lunchbox
Soul Men (2008)
Floyd
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Frank Catton
Pride (2007)
Elston
Transformers (2007)
Bobby Bolivia
Guess Who (2005)
Percy Jones
Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever (2005)
Lil' Pimp (2005)
Voice of Fruit Juice
Mr. 3000 (2004)
Stan Ross
Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Frank Catton
The Robin Harris Story: We Don't Die, We Multiply (2004)
Bad Santa (2003)
Gin Slagel
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Jimmy Bosley
Head of State (2003)
Mitch Gilliam
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Frank Catton
What's The Worst That Could Happen? (2001)
Uncle Jack Caffrey
The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
Himself
Life (1999)
Jangle Leg
The Players Club (1998)
Dollar Bill
B.A.P.S. (1997)
Mr Johnson
Booty Call (1997)
Judge Peabody
How to Be A Player (1997)
Buster
Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
Get on the Bus (1996)
Jay
Friday (1995)
Pastor Clever
The Walking Dead (1995)
Ray
Above the Rim (1994)
Flip
House Party 3 (1994)
Uncle Vester
Def Comedy Jam 2 (1993)
Who's the Man? (1993)
G-George
Mo' Money (1992)
Club Doorman
_____________________________________________________________

A Full Bernie Mac Bio:

Stand-up comic and actor Bernie Mac exploded onto the screen with “The Original Kings of Comedy” (2001) after years of working comedy stages in his native Chicago. His edgy and largely autobiographical material about his background and African-American culture fell in step with a new wave of high-profile black comedians like fellow “Kings,” D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey. And like his “Comedy Kings” co-stars, his hilariously frank material led to Mac’s own successful sitcom, “The Bernie Mac Show” (Fox, 2001-06). An increasing presence on the big screen as well, Mac’s sometimes gruff but always memorable character roles began to give way to more challenging dramatic work. With the feature film, “Pride” (2007), it was clear Mac as artist had the depth and humanity to bring to the table, and was intent on raising the bar of what audiences and critics had come to expect from run-of-the-mill stand-ups-turned-actors. At the same time, Mac was promoting “Pride,” he shocked the comedy world by announcing his retirement from stand-up, devoting himself to screen acting and producing after years of success on the comedy club circuit.

Bernie Mac was born Bernard McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago’s south side neighborhood. He grew up with an extended family — an environment that would provide endless material for his future career as a stand-up comic. Early on, his funny voices and vivid imagination earned him the reputation as the family clown, so under the guidance of a supportive school teacher, Mac started channeling his energy by acting in school plays in fourth grade. Before long, he was soon staging his own productions for neighborhood kids. His first lesson in the controversial nature of comedy came after he performed a dead-on impression of his grandmother for a church audience, receiving a great reception from the audience but punishment at home. When he was not entertaining the south side, the powerful young kid – he would grow to six feet three inches – was hanging out at the recreation center, boxing and playing sports; thriving under an especially encouraging group of coaches and leaders he credited for his drive to succeed. His most inspirational force, his mother, died of cancer when Mac was he was only 16 years old.
Mac took some vocational career training after high school, working as a delivery driver and furniture mover, before returning to the South Central Community center as its athletic director. After hours, he honed his comedy act on the platforms of the El train and at local parks, launching his own weekly variety show at Chicago’s Regal Theater. In 1977, he began hitting the stages on the local comedy circuit, unknowingly beginning a 30-year career as a stand-up comic. For over a decade, Mac developed his edgy style of commentary and endured the grueling lifestyle of the wannabe comic – being away from home and his new wife for nights at a time, performing for little or no money to gain exposure, and dodging the arrows of fickle late night audiences.

Finally, in 1990, Mac started seeing rewards for all of his hard work when he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search. The honor led to unimaginable opportunities, like opening for headliners Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He made his feature debut as a club doorman in "Mo' Money" (1992), and guested on the HBO specials, "Rosie Perez Presents Society's Ride" (1993) and "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam" (HBO 1992-97; 2006- ). In 1994, he snared a bit as the ribald Uncle Vester in “House Party 3” and also put together his own "Who Ya Wit Tour," which included a 10-piece band and the five “Mac-A-Roni Dancers.” The following year, HBO thought Mac’s in-your-face persona lent itself to late night programming, but after a month of the network taming down his material, “Midnight Mac” (1995) was cancelled. He knew he wanted to return to TV with a series of his own someday, but he turned his attention back to film work, bulking up his acting resume with appearances as a preacher in "Friday" (1995) and one of the funnier members of the ensemble cast of Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus" (1996). A recurring role in the popular UPN series "Moesha" (UPN, 1996-2001) earned him even more mainstream recognition.

The year 2000 had audiences finally asking, “Who IS this guy?” The hulking frame and bulging-eyed funnyman who had been popping up everywhere, knocked it out of the park, comedically speaking, as part of the “Kings of Comedy” tour. Starring alongside fellow African-American stand-ups Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley, the tour was captured by director Spike Lee and released as the documentary "The Original Kings Of Comedy" (2000). For the first time, millions of viewers got to see what Bernie Mac was all about – hilarious tales of self-deprecation, family life, tough love, and the etymology of his favorite curse word. The documentary was a smash, earning over $38 million at the box office, and Mac seemed closer than ever to his dream of landing his own show. He had been developing a sitcom idea based on the real life experience of raising his sister’s three children while she was in rehab. His re-telling of the tale in “Kings of Comedy” was enough to convince producers at Fox, who signed on for "The Bernie Mac Show" in 2001.

In his self-titled sitcom, Mac played the husband of a professional, childless couple who suddenly become guardians of his sister's three children. Risky and outrageously funny for Mac’s often politically incorrect ideas of child rearing, the show also incorporated a creative twist – Mac regularly breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly. These pieces were a way to incorporate his material into the show, and his character’s career as a stand-up comic was also a way to incorporate real life comedians and actors into the show as guests. The show earned a Peabody Award, an Emmy for writing, and honored Mac’s acting with several Golden Globe nominations and four NAACP Image Awards. The departure of key creative personnel and Mac's burgeoning film career caused “The Bernie Mac Show” to recede into the background – to say nothing of moving the series into no less than 12 different timeslots, vexing even the most loyal viewers – and production was slowed when Mac came down with a bout of double pneumonia. The show was finally cancelled in 2006.

During the lifespan of "The Bernie Mac Show," Mac made regular appearances on the big screen, stating in interviews that he held classic films and classic values seriously; that he did not want to take part in films with gratuitous sex and violence, preferring more quality, offbeat, films. In 2001, he co-starred as one of the 11 casino robbers in "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), bringing comic relief to Steven Soderbergh's crime caper piece and the subsequent sequels, “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004) and “Ocean’s 13” (2007). He supported fellow comedian Chris Rock in the misguided flop, "Head of State," (2003) and stepped into the role of TV’s Bosley in "Charlie's Angels 2" (2003), before taking on the weirdly hilarious role of a chain-smoking, vitamin C-craving, department store detective in the cynical Christmas comedy "Bad Santa" (2003). After supporting a number of A-listers, Mac took on his first starring role with the well-received "Mr. 3000" (2004), playing an aging major leaguer whose hit record is revoked after retirement, inspiring him to return to the game to reclaim his title. He teamed with Ashton Kutcher in "Guess Who?" (2005), a broad-comedy reversal of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" but threw critics for a loop with his impressive turn in the drama “Pride.” In the “Rocky”-like (1976) take on swim meets, Mac revisited his past by playing a municipal worker at a recreation center that housed an inspirational sports program.

While promoting “Pride” in March of 2007, Mac appeared on “Late Night With David Letterman” (CBS, 1993- ) and announced that he would retire from doing stand-up comedy after he completed filming “The Whole Truth, Nothing But the Truth, So Help Me Mac” in the fall of that year. His announcement was met by saddened fans who had hoped to still catch him on a stage or cable special in the future. But Mac insisted he needed a “real life,” choosing instead, to focus on films and producing TV programs.

Part of the pull toward retirement was due to wanting to spend time with his family. Married to wife Rhonda McCullough since 1970, the couple had one daughter, Je’Niece, who was earning a Masters degree in mental health counseling. On his own health front, Mac suffered from a tissue inflammation disease called sarcoidosis, which thankfully did not affect his daily life. In addition to his work onscreen, Mac was also a successful author, with his tomes I Ain't Scared of You: Bernie Mac on How Life Is (2001) and the memoir Maybe You Never Cry Again (2003) to his credit.

Also Credited As:
Bernard Jeffery McCullough
Born:
October 5, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois
Job Titles:
Actor, Comedian, UPS agent, Bread delivery sales rep, Furniture mover

Family
Daughter: Je'Niece McCullough. born c. 1978; has a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling
Significant Others
Wife: Rhonda McCullough. married c. 1977

Education: Chicago Vocational High School, Chicago, Illinois, 1976

Milestones

1990 Won the Miller Lite Comedy Search
1992 Feature film debut, bit part in "Mo' Money"
1994 Produced and starred in the comedy act, "Who Ya Wit Tour"
1995 Appeared in a supporting role in the feature "Friday"
1995 Had one-month comedy series on HBO, "Midnight Mac"
1996 Played recurring role on the UPN comedy series "Moesha"
1996 Was in ensemble cast of Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus"
1997 Had supporting roles in "B.A.P.S" and "How to Be a Player"
2000 Was featured in Spike Lee's documentary film "The Original Kings of Comedy"
2001 Headlined own TV sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show"; earned Emmy (2002, 2003), Golden Globe (2003, 2004) and SAG (2003) nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy
2001 Acted in Steven Soderbergh's"Ocean's Eleven" a remake of the 1960 heist film
2001 Co-starred as a fence in the Martin Lawrence-Danny DeVito comedy "What's the Worst That Could Happen?"
2003 Co-starred as Chris Rock's big brother and presidential running mate in " Head of State"
2003 Played Bosley in the comedy sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle"
2004 Reunited with the original cast for "Ocean's Twelve" directed by Steven Soderbergh
2004 Starred as an aging baseball star who retuns to baseball to reach his goal of 3,000 hits in "Mr. 3000"
2005 Co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in the comedy "Guess Who," loosely based on the 1967 film "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
2007 Announced retirement from standup comedy; will continue producing, and acting in films
2007 Cast in director Michael Bay's live action film "Transformers"
2007 Re-teamed with the original cast for "Ocean's 13"
Became opening act for Redd Foxx, Dionne Warwick and Natalie Cole, among others
Began appearing in nightclubs in the Chicago area
Participated in "The Kings of Comedy" tour

David Yeagley Is At It Again

David Yeagley is at it again with his racist/sexist rant.
I'm so sick and tired of Mr. David Yeagley, fake Indian, ranting about Blacks and women. Here's a sicko article on White women and Interracial relationships:

"White Woman DownA Case of Depression

'White Woman Downby David Yeagley
White women are destroying America. “White trash” women are polluting America with interracial sex of every grade, producing children with impossible identities and crippled self-esteem, and these women are doing it all in the name of charity, equality, or survival. On FrontPageMagazine.com, I published an article on May 18, 2001 entitled “What’s Up with White Women?” It proved to be my most quoted article, beginning with authors like Pat Buchanan, Robert Spencer, and a host of bloggers. That article called attention to the fact that many American white women have lost respect and confidence in the country. I quoted the Cheyenne proverb, “A nation is never conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.”But I didn’t take it far enough. The proclivity of white women for interracial marriage in this country is worse than most people realize. Never mind the forced images of white women with black men in the media. What’s happening in the street?Lower income white women are making a mockery of America.Take the recent case in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, a small coal mining town. Headlines were all about a hate crime where white teenagers accidentally killed a Mexican immigrant. “PA Teens Charged with Fatal Beating of Immigrant,” as ABC put it, July 25, 2008. The “immigrant” was, of course, an illegal Mexican, among many who have invaded the small town. The 25-year-old Mexican was with a teen-aged (white?) girl from the town, and the teen-aged boys who attacked him were white. Luiz Ramirez, criminal trespasser, unmarried baby-maker,accidently killed by white teen-agers in Shenandoah, PA.The six-year illegal also had what the report calls a “fiancée,” a white woman, Crystal Dillman, a native of Shenandoah. The “couple” has already had two children, and Dillman brought in a third from another relationship. This is total degradation. No marriage, just children—interracial children, with improvident social circumstances. White women like Dillman have no respect, no values, and no future. Just relation after relation. Child after child. Oh, sure, the media presents the “couple” as a fine, upstanding American family. “Father of two,” it calls the criminal Mexican trespasser. But words like “father” and “mother” do not apply to this kind of situation. That is a misapplication of words. That is a usurpation of meaning—something media has become expert at, in promoting liberal, anti-American social values. “Fiancée?” Is that supposed to legitimize the adulterous relationship and the bastard children of the depressed white girl and the foreign, criminal trespasser? Of course, the town officials are happy to make as big a national story as possible, as is the government. The FBI is now involved. (Why weren’t they involved in ridding the town of the illegal Mexicans in the first place? That’s what they’re supposed to do. It is an international crime to enter another country illegally, is it not?) The Mexican/Latino advocacy groups are of course eating it up. It is a grand opportunity for them. The media, the Mexicans, and the liberals, will all have a grand frenzied fest out of it. But the real story is about how “white trash” women can destroy a community with their aimless pregnancies. Worse, these pregnancies are all about “saving the world.”This is the “white woman savior” syndrome BadEagle.com has noted before (April 27, 2003). (In fact, I hinted at it in early 2002, on another FrontPageMagazine.com article, “What’s Up With Dark Men?”) It’s about lower class (and sometimes higher class) women using sex as a savior for dark men. Or, it could be the Freudian explanation that people naturally feel sex is “dirty,” so white skin makes it seem less dirty. Who knows?In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I’ve seen this dynamic work in unexpected ways. There were over 50 social service agencies in downtown Sioux Falls just a year ago. Street level social workers, white women, get churches behind them, financially, and they bring over boat loads of Africans, Middle Easterners, and sometimes Asians (—though the latter is usually a little above that). Mostly males! What happens? The dark men find the “white trash” women, and start making babies right a way. Share the wealth. That is, share the welfare. These kind of white women are the ruination of American society. They are destroying it from the bottom up. What’s the solution? Mass sterilization? Why are these “white trash” women allowed to fall into this condition? Are they hopelessly craven for the dark man? Are they completely morally abandoned? The white race in imperiled, for sure. And that means everyone else. That means the whole country.'"

How disgusting and low can this idiot go! He shouldn't be get away with such nonsense.