Yesterday Mr. James Cromitie (ring leader), Mr. Laguerre Payen, Mr. David Williams, and Mr. Onta Williams, or should I say Mr. Insecure, Mr. Tasteless, Mr. Confused, and Mr. Childish (certainly not in any specific order), attempted to blow up 2 Jewish centers in the Upper Bronx in Riverdale. In fact, I attend school is Riverdale which is probably the nicest area NYC has to offer and these two places are a stones throw away from my campus. I find it mind-boggling that these 4 mindless people had no clue that they were being followed for over a year by government intelligence!
They purchased AK-47s, M-16s, missiles, and dud bombs from, unbeknownst to them, the FBI. I just don't get it. I don't want to offend anyone, but it seems that this whole Muslim thing is taking over the prison system. On multiple occasions, terror threats have been mapped out by these characters that were once in the US prison system. Your telling me that (and I do not, what so ever, on any level, promote what M. Vick did) Michael Vick spends over a year in prison for his dog ring, then these characters, who have been in and out of the prison system for over 20 years are allowed parole, given short sentences, and in turn, allowed to plan out these acts of violence in one of the most prominent Jewish areas in the Metropolitan area. They will have their media time, but in reality, they will be forgotten about because they now are going away forever. Vick will forever be in the spot light for his actions. I almost feel like public shame should be promoted in an era like this. These guys will be tucked away in maximum security prisons, forgotten about, but Vick within the next 3 or 4 months will have to face the media and the criticisms that will entail.
I'm not positive, but I guess the US prison system must allow any religion to be practiced while behind bars. But, what about curtailing their involvement and looking over them because in reality, this is not the last time something like this will happen. And next time... it could be worse. I hate to see uneducated people trying to get exposure, like Vick will have for the rest of his life. This is not a viable alternative, and certainly not rational, but they would have been better off running a prostitute ring, cock fighting, or dog fighting. I take that back actually, as dumb as these guys are, they would have been better off wearing a t-shirt walking up and down Riverdale Ave that said "I hate Jews". They would defiantly get more attention for years to come.
On a softer note, last night I watched the Nuggets/Lakers game. Great game, back and forth with Kobe and Melo going toe to toe, guarding each other and proving that no one can stop any of those guys. Now to my point, in the last 30 seconds there was a jump ball between Billups and Pao I believe, but either way Nuggets were up 2. JR Smith jumped through the circle before the ball had been tipped, which really did not do much, but still, it was a violation. I simply don't understand how Refs are allowed to miss these blatant calls.
I have always been extremely critical of referees (anyone who even barely knows me, knows this). These guys get paid big bucks, enough money to support their families even in the off-season. Yet, mistakes continue to be made even at the NBA level. I hate to say this, but technology will soon allow games to be called with no referees on the floor. I like the human aspect of decision making, but mistakes, especially in the playoffs, NCAA tournament, sectionals, and league championship, costs teams valuable opportunities to be successful. This is all I'll say on this because I know in the next month something else will come up in the realm of referees that will, again, blow my mind.
This is a sensitive subject and I know some will completely disagree with me, but it's something that just came to mind. I will apologize before hand. In this ever evolving world of marketing, branding, and advertising there is one aspect of life that this has yet to affect. This is so outlandish, I really can't believe I'm writing it, but who cares...
In today's age, everything is a brand. But what about homeless people? This truly does seem viable. I mean if these people can go to clinics to receive clean needles for their addiction, late night meals from soup kitchens, and sometimes a roof under their head... then why cant we, in the most simplest terms try to teach them about brand building.
Think about it (I know you don't want to but...), If you were walking down the street and saw a homeless person with a smile on their face, a neat sign that read "I'm homeless, I need your help", and some decency to their presentation then I know you would be more enticed to toss them a dollar or a quarter. Now (as i saw yesterday), you see a man curled over in a wheel chair, in the middle of the sidewalk, in Union Square, with socks over his missing feet and an enormous gash on his leg... would you leave him a dollar? I didn't. Is it the fright of what you just witnessed, too much emotion built inside of you, or maybe just fear of what he represents.
Everyday I walk by people with jugs yelling out "Quarter, nickel, dime, penny. Help the homeless!" These people are doing a job, getting paid to help the homeless. But what if they stopped that and put the homeless in that position. Tell them to be open about their state.. give them a base pay, or 3 meals a day, or a roof 2 or 3 days a week, and help educate them on something that can directly affect their lives.
I know this is crazy, but it can happen. The initiative would be hard, but at least take the ones who want to participate and let them earn some quality skills. Who know if this would work, but in reality, in these days, anything can happen.
Until next time...
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