Man in the Hat media

Mark it down. June 29, 2009 marked the end of affirmative action in America. On that day, as reported by the Washington Post , The United States Supreme Court ruled on the lower court decision of racial preference in the New Haven, Connecticut Fire Department case, a case that was heard by Sonia Sotomayor, who Pres. Obama nominated to the Supreme Court and is awaiting confirmation hearings in the Senate. The case involved believed racial preference in promotion at the fire department. Sotomayor and the other lower courts found against the white fire fighters, saying their practices were unconstituional. The Supreme Court reversed those decisions 5-4, with Justices Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and Chief Justice Roberts in the majority. The main arguement that found against the lower rulings was that "fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions." I have to ...

Well, I'm diverting slightly from hard news to look at the recent death of Michael Jackson. It was a rough week for Hollywood. Not only did Transformers bomb out at the box office, but Ed McMahon, Farrah Faucet, and Michael Jackson all died in the same week. For the past few days, there have been vigils across the nation and the world. I don't think there is an entertainer-past, present, future-who will be so well loved for his talent than Michael Jackson...except for maybe Elvis Presley. Which brings me to the point. Both Presley and Jackson shared similar lives. Both were loved by fans all over, both created some of the best music of their generation, both revolutionized the music industry and sound of it, and both were superb entertainers. Elvis, the King of Rock n Roll, revolutionized the music world by being a white boy that played "black music," and mixing that with rock, country, folk, gospel, R&B, and stamping his signature on "rockabilly." Jack...

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has made his biggest, and last, snaffu of his political career. The State (Columbia) newspaper, WIS-TV (Columbia), and just about every national media outlet (CNN, MSNBC, FOX News) are all reporting, and clarifying, that Sanford has admitted to having an affair on his wife. The State released emails that thye have had since December , but needed 100% verification to issue them to the public. Turns out, Sanford has an exotic taste in women. The scene is set that Sanford said he was going to the Appalachian Mountains to clear his head. A valid reason, Governor is a tough job. The strange part is, it was over Father's Day, and he was seen at the Atlanta Airport. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you need a plane ride to get from Atlanta to the start of the Appalachian Trail. Turns out, he was heading to Argentina to see his mistress...over Father's Day! It gets better. It is reported that his wife, Jenny, issued a statement in ...

Picture this: You're out in the brisk, cool autumn morning. You see the sun rise, cutting through the morning mist. Sitting there, you see a beautiful 8-point buck cross your path, so what do you do? If you said pull out your fully automatic assault rifle with a super scope and a bullet that explodes on impact, this post is for you. That scenario above, is one of the reasons I feel we need gun control laws in this country. Now I'm no tree hugger. I believe people should have the right to choose to go out and hunt animals for food. It can be a major bonding experience for father and son (or daughter), but to use a semi-automatic rifle to hunt a deer? Are you afraid it is going to shoot back? Whatever happened to using the standard 12-gauge and actually showing some marksmanship? But it isn't just hunting, but the violent crime today. Take this into instance. In the Anderson-Independent Mail, there was a story about a shooting in Anderson County that killed a man. What was r...

What makes greatness? Well, in basketball, it means winning titles, and the retired Michael Jordan won 6 in his wake of being the undisputed greatest player to ever play in the NBA....ever. And can you blame the honor? 6 Titles, 5 MVP awards, 14 All-Star honors, 10 scoring titles, 9 All-Defense Awards, and a Gold Medal in the Olympics with the original Dream Team. Needless to say, no player has that grouping of honors. But "His Airness" may have to move over in the slow lane, because there is a big purple and gold locomotive baring down on his legacy. The Lakers Kobe Bryant is chiseling out his own legacy of greatness. Bryant just won his 4th title as his LA squad beat the Orlando Magic three games to one. He also has multiple All-Star honors (11), an MVP award, 9 All-Defense selections, two scoring titles, and a Gold Medal with the "Redeem Team" in the past Olympics. Now, Bryant still needs a few more rings, at least 2 more, to even be put in the same breathe as M...