The nation’s second oldest black fraternity and oldest collegiate African American fraternity* has decided to move the location of their 104th general convention from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, NV. This is an excellent move by the headquarters at Alpha Phi Alpha, Arizona should feel the commercial ramifications of their ridiculous scapegoating.

While illegal immigration is a huge problem in boarder states, the drug cartel violence should be the main target of new legislation. Given the economic downturn, the vast majority of illegal immigrants have actually been leaving highly competitive areas and moving back home. If you think about it, it makes a great amount of sense.

Illegal immigrants are highly mobile segments of the economic work force, worse they are not hooked into social services and services that will help them. In an economic downturn, they can easily be fired.
*Updated
[...]

AllFacebook.com has a long post detailing the rise of a huge group on facebook.com calling for the death of President Obama.  The group is titled with the following statement :

“DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN”

I think that people should be free to do whatever they want within the guidelines of facebook.com’s rules. However, I’m thankful that people are actually foolish enough to create these comments with their own names. Take one gentleman who says:

Pxxl X Pxxxxw well if Obama was his own man…why does he let Pelosi and Reid run Amok?..was willing to give Obama a chance right up until the vote for the bailouts...he let Congress and Senate waste a year with healthcare that doesnt adress one aspect there is no REGULATION of prices and why NOT? because DEMS are the same as REPUBS…

[emphasis added] From Facebook Group

I hate to tell him, but George W. Bush, Republicans and Democrats passed the Bailouts in 2008, even John McCain and Sarah Palin agreed. Heck even Dick Cheney said the bailouts were needed.

Is Puerto Rican statehood on the horizon?

Evan McMorris-Santoro @ TalkingPointsMemo.com has an article up about the process being set in motion fro Puerto Rican statehood. The move would have interesting political ramifications — the addition of two new Senate seats, and more electoral college votes. In addition, given the debate on immigration — one that largely focuses around discontent and cultural issues (actually illegal immigrants have been leaving Arizona and other states in droves because of the economy) — this would have a psychological affect on that debate as well.

Is it time to recycle [sic] those 50-star American flags? By a vote of 223-169 yesterday, the U.S. House passed a bill that will allow Puerto Rico to join the union as a full-fledged U.S. state.

If the bill passes the Senate — no easy prospect for any legislation this year — Puerto Ricans will vote on a statehood referendum. Should that pass, Puerto Rico could be on it’s way to becoming the nation’s 51st state.

In addition to Puerto Rico, this could have ramifications on the movement for D.C. Statehood.

BP has finally admitted to the real size of the oil leak, and the estimate that 4 million barrels of oil could potentially be leaked before a relief well can be drilled. The situation has become so bad that the U.S. Navy is now getting involved to ensure that damaged is minimized. The political ramifications are clear, the “drill here drill now,” and “drill baby drill” chants are likely to be seriously diminished in the wake of this environmental disaster.

The DANIEL J. WAKIN of the New York Times has an excellent article on the ascension of Robert Battle to the head artistic director of the storied Alvin Ailey dance troupe.  The piece nicely weaves a biography of both Robert Battle and the Alvin Ailey troupe as well, touching on both the success of the dance troupe and also the meaning of the troupe to African Americans.

The company “stands as a beacon and testament to our survival,” he said. “Also, it’s an American story. When we think of the American dream, Alvin Ailey lived that.” (Alvin Ailey, who founded the troupe in 1958, died in 1989.) Mr. Battle described the position as a calling, not just a job. “The implications are huge,” he said. Mr. Battle said that he would program at least one of his works each season and bring in outside choreographers. He said that it was too early to mention names, but that some might be Europeans little known to the Ailey troupe, and he suggested he would bring in works by other major choreographers with companies of their own. DANIEL J. WAKIN @NYTimes

Battle replaces Judith Jamison, who plans to retire in 2011.  The Alvin Ailey web site also has an official press release about the changing of the guard here http://www.alvinailey.org/page.php?p=arti&v=707

Hundreds of languages are in danger of declining, but oddly, in New York City these languages thrive. This is an amazing story, and I’m impressed that the New York Times is beginning to do a fabulous job of integrating video into there online presence — and the video is captivating stuff.

Louisiana is getting hit with another environmental disaster that could last for the next decade.  Worse, yet another industry vital to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico could be decimated by the environmental damage.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Thursday so officials could begin preparing for the oil’s impact. He said at least 10 wildlife management areas and refuges in his state and neighboring Mississippi are in the oil plume’s path.

The declaration also noted that billions of dollars have been invested in coastal restoration projects that may be at risk. He also asked the federal government if he could call up 6,000 National Guard troops to help.

Huffington Post

I think this latest spill is key to examining how feverently “drill baby drill freemarketers” want to assess both the environmental damage and more importantly who should pay for the full extent of the economic damage — to the environment and to the quality of life.

Time magazine has come out with their annual 100 “people who most affect our world.” The Time Magazine list is always interesting because it helps to reflect how the media views who influences their thinking; however, I do not view the list as any indication of the people who actually affect the majority of the world. For instance, the list tends to skew heavily towards people who captivate the imagination of a section of the media as opposed to those who actually affect real policy, politics, economics, or scientific discoveries that are known in their field but not the popular media at large.

Anyway, I take the list with a grain of salt… but I did try to pick out African-Americans on the Time 100 list.

1.) Barack Obama (naturally), written up by DAVID REMNICK.

2.) Serena Williams By BILLIE JEAN KING

3.) Oprah Winfrey By PHIL DONAHUE

4.) Prince By USHER

This list may not be exhaustive, but it is definitely interesting. I think the most interesting part of the Time Magazine list, is that the words are supposedly penned by peers.

Interestingly enough, Glenn Beck’s write-up was penned by Sarah Palin…