Miley Cyrus Wants to be Justin Bieber & Ratchet Links

Everyone knows celebs like to do crazy things with their hair. Miley Cyrus is either testing the theory that blondes have more fun or she wants to be mistaken for Justin Bieber. Can't say I'm feeling it but I try not to speak ill of younger people who put my bank account to shame. 

Check out these links from around the innanet... 

Youtube-Sooo men still lie on their peens? There is a song about it so they must still do it. 

HipHopWired-Well this is one way to make ends meet. This firefighter is alleged to be the leader of a sex ring. 

LifeSiteNews-She was 20 weeks pregnant with twins and she had an abortion. Am I the only one who hadn't thought about people aborting twins? 

ComplexMag-The Dark Knight Rises is makin that pay-pah!

Vimeo-This non-black female emcee is trying...and failing. 

HuffingtonPost-Romney lets a convicted cocaine trafficker help him raise money. 

GlobalGrind-Drake broke a Jay-Z Billboard record and somehow Hov is still winning. Go figure. 

BlackSportsOnline-Chad Johnson was arrested for domestic violence in 2000. That can't be good. 

S2S-Lauryn Hill's mugshot surfaced. She's facing 3 years in the pen. 

MoveOn-10 Things Romney's camp doesn't want us to know about Paul Ryan. Not like they were gettin my vote anyway. 

Crunktastical-Evelyn & Chad's reality show won't see the light of day. Womp womp. 

StateCollege-Penn State has been informed their accreditation is in jeopardy. They might as well become a trade school for high school dropouts. 

In case you forgot...

While most of you were bragging about getting your summer bodies in shape, the Spice Girls made a comeback at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 summer Olympics. I don't know about y'all but I'm going thru Olympics withdrawal. The Spice Guls were the sh*t growing up. They had me wearing Spice Girl t-shirts and singing along to allll of their songs. Even with all of that, I still see them as Scary Spice, Posh Spice and them other 3. 

Report: DC Shooting Suspect Could be Threat To Obama

Source.

ABC News has learned authorities are increasingly concerned that a man sought in connection with a bizarre shooting incident on the Washington Mall last week may pose a threat to President Obama.

The Secret Service now suspects that a bullet fired in this incident may have hit the White House after a bullet round was found in a White House window, though the round had not yet been conclusively linked to the incident.  The round was stopped by ballistic glass behind the historic exterior glass, while an additional round has been found on the exterior of the White House.

Police believe the suspect, 21-year-old Oscar Ramiro Ortega of Idaho, is mentally ill. Ortega has an extensive record, ranging from domestic violence to drug charges. Sources say a police investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Ortega has a fixation on the White House.

At 9:30 p.m. Friday, police received reports of shots fired in the bustling area of 16th street and Constitution Ave.

Authorities would later find a car in the area. The suspect had fled, but what police discovered inside the vehicle left them deeply concerned: an assault style rifle and empty shell casings.

Police linked the car to Ortega and have been hunting him ever since.

It’s unclear whether Ortega is capable of launching a sophisticated attack, but police are still fearful of what he might do next.

Authorities suspect Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall.  Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.

President Obama, who is currently on a visit to Australia, was not present at the White House at the time of the incident, and in fact has been out of town for the past week. Secret Service officials are not taking any chances with the security of the President and the White House, though, and want Ortega off the street.

**UPDATE: Recent reports state the suspect will be charged with attempted assassination of the President or a member of his staff.
---


I'm not sure why or HOW people are taking this lightly. This guy obviously had a deep seated hatred for our President. He posed a viable threat as he was able to shoot bullets at the White House and doesn't appear to be remorseful.  This is NOT one of the things that should just be passed over. 


There are irrational and violent people who lose sleep at night thinking about the fact that a black man is America's leader. Ok so maybe my southern upbringing left me jaded and maybe I suspect things to be racial more often than I should but this is not about me.  The guy could dislike President Obama for other reasons, I just can't think of any right now. Perhaps my passion is fueled by my support for our President and there will be plenty of time for judging me at a later time. 


I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid for him and his family. People are willing to do some crazy stuff for media attention and to further a sick agenda. Even if those sick people don't pull the trigger, I'd bet money they would train someone who is willing to do so. Just like this person exists, you BETTER believe there are others like him.  

Report: Is Congress Trading stock on inside information??!

60 Minutes recently did a documentary on how members of Congress can legally trade stock based on non-public information from Capitol Hill. To some its old news, but to others its a wake up call about how absolutely CORRUPT our government has become. As the report discusses, Congressman get a "pass" on insider trading and that is the reason they seem to be particularly good at trading stock.

Congressman have unparalleled access to the non-public information that affects the market and they legally capitalize upon that information.

I'd like to call for a system of checks & balances to be put into place to eliminate unethical practices like this but I know better. I know better than to ask for such a thing because I'm not sure I would write a law that makes it possible for me and my closest to go to jail for doing something 400 other people have been getting away with. Does this make me a bad person? Does it make the corruption ok? I think not. Does it mean American greed is alive and well? Does it mean I want my piece of the proverbial pie? You can bet your bottom dollar that the answer to both questions is YES.

I digress...

Jon Stewart Mocks President Obama's 'Storm Out' of Debt Ceiling Meeting

Source. 
As tense budget talks continue down to the wire, things are getting heated — specifically at a Wednesday press conference. On Thursday night Jon Stewart was ready to call out Obama’s negotiation tactics as well as the media for saying he lost his cool.

Several outlets reported that Obama had “stormed out” of the room at the end of Wednesday’s meeting after telling Eric Cantor not to “call his bluff.” It sounds dramatic, but the fact that Obama had time to say “See you guys tomorrow” makes Stewart think he wasn’t being as tough as it sounds:

“That’s not storming out. That’s ending a meeting by scheduling the next meeting. And I’ve gotta say, if that’s Obama mad, that’s weak. He's so in control."

YESSSS!!! I love that our President still manages to remain calm even when the people he is dealing with are acting like immature children. 


I have to admit I luhhs me some Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. There was a study done a few years ago that concluded most people age 18-30 preferred to get their news from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. Then again, I could have just made that up. I have watched the Colbert Report a few times but it doesn't hold a candle to Jon Stewart. I am not ashamed to admit I don't watch the news everyday. Does that make me a typical negreauxx? Probably. I prefer to read several "news" sites instead. I don't like watching the news because I think its too mundane and some of the stories are skewed. If I watch the news, I never watch the entire program. I don't feel like I need someone to read me something from a teleprompter when I can get the news on my own.  I prefer to read the stories and form my own opinions. *shrug* 


You can check out the rest of the story here. 

Whoopi Goldberg Puts Fox Biz News Reporter Eric Bolling in His Place

Source: The Huffington Post

Whoopi Goldberg put Fox Business host Eric Bolling in his place for his comments about President Obama.

Bolling got into hot water for criticizing a visit by an African leader to the White House by saying, "what's with all the hoods in the hizzouse?" He apologized for his comments on Monday night saying "On Friday, we did a story about the president meeting with the president of Gabon," Bolling said. "We got a little fast and loose with the language, and we know it's been interpreted as being disrespectful, and for that, I'm sorry. We did go a bit too far." That didn't stop Goldberg from laying into him on Tuesday's "The View."

Full Disclosure: I love Whoopi but I'm not a fan of the view. I am also slightly offended by Bolling's comment simply because I KNOW if there was another Bush, Kennedy or Clinton in the White House he would not have said it. I am only slightly offended because although the comment was culturally insensitive and STUPID, I don't take anyone at Fox seriously. They don't take reporting accurately seriously so I don't waste my time with watching. To me, Fox is like the weird kid in class who says offensive things but nobody likes him anyway so his comments are always dismissed as failed attempts to seem interesting or attract friends. Womp. Whoopi's right, not ALL of us speak like that. As a matter of fact, its offensive to assume we do since there are probably 5 black people (one is Snoop Dogg, another is E-40) who STILL switch words like house for hizzy or hizzouse. Besides, that was sooooo 5 years ago! If you're going to insult the way we speak, at least be UP on the times and latest slang.  Bolling's comments were out of line, but I think he made an ass of himself by using outdated slang.  Shows how in touch he is with his African American viewers. I bet he thinks all of us dress like this and act like this>>>
GIFSoup


Le sigh.  I hope this Samuel Jackson side eye disturbs his spirit. 

Sharing is Caring: Aides say to Gingrinch, I QUIT!!

As you all know, Newt Gingrich's top aides QUIT on him yesterday. Yep you read that right. They quit. Well, most of them. On Friday he posted the following message to Facebook, 

As someone who has been in the public life for nearly forty years, I know full well the rigors of campaigning for public office. I will endure them. I will carry the message of American renewal to every part of this great land, whatever it takes.

Check out Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow's pieces on it. Both are pretty good. 





Rachel went through all of Newt's scams. Interesting. 



According to certain staff members, the walkout was caused by "...a concern about commitment." Despite his staff walking away from him-en masse- Gingrich says he will continue his bid to evict Obama in 2012. Unfortunately, Gingrinch remains determined to do so without actually campaigning. Good luck with that. 


I wonder when Gingrinch will realize his own party has turned against him? 

President Obama Speaks About Growing up Fatherless

Father's Day is around the corner and, just in time for the celebration of all dads who have stepped up to handle their responsibilities, the POTUS sat down to pen an open letter for the next issue of People Magazine.  In honor of the holiday, President Obama wrote an essay on what Father's Day means to him. 

I grew up without a father around. I have certain memories of him taking me to my first jazz concert and giving me my first basketball as a Christmas present. But he left when I was two years old.

And even though my sister and I were lucky enough to be raised by a wonderful mother and caring grandparents, I always felt his absence and wondered what it would have been like if he had been a greater presence in my life. I still do. It is perhaps for this reason that fatherhood is so important to me, and why I've tried so hard to be there for my own children.

That's not to say I've always been a perfect dad. I haven't. When Malia and Sasha were younger, work kept me away from home more than it should have. At times, the burden of raising our two daughters has fallen too heavily on Michelle. During the campaign, not a day went by that I didn't wish I could spend more time with the family I love more than anything else in the world.

But through my own experiences, and my continued efforts to be a better father, I have learned something over the years about what children need most from their parents.

I can appreciate how he brings forth the issue of growing up fatherless and turns it into something positive. I can only wish to be a fly on the wall in the White House but I think President Obama is an awesome father figure.  It is clear he makes time to be there for his girls. With so many Americans and people worldwide living without their father's it is admirable that the leader of the free world finds time for his daughters. I LOVE that he accepts his shortcomings and does not use his lack of a father figure as an excuse NOT to become a great father.  Having never met my biological paternal grandfather, I know how difficult it can be for a man to grow up without his biological father. What I also know is it does not have to have a negative impact on the offspring of the father-less child. Understand that your children are not asking you to be the perfect parent, they appreciate you just for being there. My father made a vow to me to be a much better father to me than his father was to him and I am so grateful to him for his efforts to honor his word. 2 snaps for the Prez and 3 snaps for my Papa! 

Rep. Anthony Weiner, YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE!

A teary Rep. Anthony Weiner apologized on Monday for having "inappropriate" telephone and email conversations with six women over three years, though he said he did not break any laws and would not step down.

Last week, a photograph appeared in Weiner's Twitter feed showing a bulging crotch in grey underwear. Weiner said the photograph was "a prank, a hoax" but did not deny that the picture was of him. Breitbart alleges that Weiner used a personal Yahoo email account to send that same photo to another woman. 

Weiner, who appeared in a ballroom at a New York City hotel, said he sent the initial photograph as "part of a joke," and that he deleted it in a panic after he realized it had been sent to the public. He said his decision to lie to the public was a mistake.

"I was trying to protect my wife, I was trying to protect myself from shame, and I really regret it," he said. He said she knew about some of the online relationships before they were married.

"I'm not resigning, and I'm going to try very hard to go back to work a better man and a better husband too," he said.

Read more>>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20069435-503544.html#ixzz1OXJrFOEt

This guy is only hurting our political environment and living up to the stereotype that all Politicians lie, cheat and try to live above the law.  Makes me sick. I don't believe him and I think he will need an ARMY before I believe him.

Déjà vu Politics: Mitt Romney announces his bid to become POTUS in 2012

As the GOP scrambles to find someone to lose compete against President Obama in 2012, Mitt Romney has emerged as a candidate (yes, again!). According to CNN, the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate formally announced his second bid for the White House, declaring his candidacy at an event in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary in the presidential caucus and primary calendar.







Captain Obvious whispered into my ear that Romney's first order of business is to distance himself from our current President and he has already began drawing his line in the sand.  Says the man who tried to be everything to everyone in his first unsuccessful bid for the white house, "Barack Obama has failed America." Are you shocked? Yea me neither.


What else? Well its probably no surprise that only a few short hours after his announcement to run he has earned the title of "GOP frontrunner." Could you imagine how AWESOME it would be if only a few hours into your first day at work you became the "frontrunner" for the supervisor position?  

"From my first day in office my number one job will be to see that America once again is number one in job creation," Romney said when he announced his candidacy.

Romney is at or near the top of the most recent national polls of the Republican nomination horserace. He also appears to be the leading Republican presidential candidate when it comes to the battle for campaign cash. Romney aides say the campaign brought in more than $10 million from donors across the country during an all day phone bank held last month in Las Vegas.

Romney also spent much of April touring the country meeting with donors and fundraisers. He hopes to bring in an impressive haul for the crucial second quarter to show his strength as a candidate.

"Republicans are looking for someone who can take on President Obama, and right now, Romney is seen as the only Republican who can do that..." -Andrew Smith, Director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

 Romney raised $65.1 million in contributions for his 2008 bid for the GOP nomination. In addition he loaned his campaign $42.3 million from his personal funds.


Has anyone told him nobody competes for second place? I'm sorry, I should appear politically unbiased. Guess I failed huh? Oopsies and daisies.  In case no one has told him yet, Romney is going to need more than Romneycare, $100 million and experience in the private sector to beat President Obama. Did I hear someone ask for a miracle?  

4 Black Lawmakers Fighting Ethics Charges. Racial Profiling or Accurate Accusations??

 Photo: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2009/04/85485553.jpg

In case you haven't heard, for the first time in 2 decades, the House Ethics Committee is investigating several black lawmakers for ethics violations. The 2 more popular battles involve Democrats Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters who are both are fighting for their reputations and perhaps their political careers.

There’s a “dual standard, one for most members and one for African-Americans,” said one member of the Congressional Black Caucus, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The member said it’s too easy for an outside group to damage someone’s reputation by filing a claim with OCE.

“This is stacked against you once an accusation is made,” the lawmaker added. “You’re guilty until proven otherwise.”

Black representatives are being singled our for scrutiny because the Office of Congressional Ethics is targeting them unfairly. At one point earlier this year, all eight lawmakers under formal investigation by the House ethics committee, including Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters, were black Democrats. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has come under Justice Department investigation over his role in the Rod Blagojevich scandal and black lawmaker, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) has been caught up in an ongoing Justice Department criminal probe involving some of Queens’s most powerful politicians.

Other black Democrats who have found themselves in ethics or legal trouble in recent years include: former Rep. Frank Ballance (N.C.), who went to federal prison in 2005 after being convicted on federal fraud and money laundering charges; former Rep. Earl Hilliard (Ala.), who was found by the ethics committee in 2002 to have improper used campaign funds; and Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.), who was investigated but cleared in 2000 over the gift of a car to her daughter and other allegations.

“House Democrats are paying a price for OCE’s focus on black lawmakers,” added a Democratic insider close to House leaders. “But that doesn’t change the fact that voters are going to see two African-Americans on trial in the House while they see no action against white members with ethical problems.”

As pointed out by Politico: 
The racism charge, though, was rejected by Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an ethics watchdog group, even as she acknowledged the current situation is bound to anger black lawmakers

“There are ethics problems within the CBC,” she said. “They have to acknowledge that.”

Sloan noted that several white lawmakers, including Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.), are currently under investigation by federal and congressional investigators. Ensign is being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee and the Justice Department over the fallout from an extramarital affair he had with the wife of a top aide, while Visclosky and his former chief of staff are being probed over their ties to a now-defunct lobbying firm raided by the feds last year.

Two other white lawmakers, Reps. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) and Mark Souder (R-Ind.), resigned this year under ethical clouds. Massa left Congress after Politico reported he was under investigation by the ethics committee for sexually harassing male staffers, while Souder quickly departed after admitting a long-running extramarital affair with a part-time aide.”

It seems to me that the very existence of these ethics charges is symbolic of a system that is fighting against corruption and ethical violations. It also seems to me that since so many of the people fighting the charges are people of color is more shady than a palm tree in Florida. I'm not prepare to pull the race card just yet. I'm looking at you Jesse Jackson. Maybe the CBC needs to let the cat out of the bag and come clean about its issues. What do you all think??

Breaking News: Judiciary panel OKs Elena Kagan for Supreme Court!!!!

In a 13-6 vote, a polarized Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday approved Elena Kagan to be the fourth female justice.


Just one Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. joined Democrats to approve Kagan's nomination and send it to the full Senate, where she's expected to win confirmation within weeks.

If Kagan is confirmed by the Senate, which many think she will be, she will succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.
 
At the White House, Obama hailed the vote as a "bipartisan affirmation of her strong performance" in confirmation hearings, and said Kagan would be "a fair and impartial" justice who understands the impact of Supreme Court decisions on everday people's lives. He called on the Senate to confirm her before Congress takes a monthlong summer break starting August 7.

The Senate just passed Wall Street reform!!!

The Senate passed what is already being called the broadest reform of the nation's financial system since the Great Depression.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler had this to say,

“The Wall Street reform bill passed today is historic and comprehensive. Over-the-counter derivatives dealers will – for the first time – be subject to robust oversight for their derivatives activities. Standardized derivatives will be required to trade on open platforms and be submitted for clearing to central counterparties. This will greatly improve transparency and lower risk in the marketplace. I look forward to the President signing this crucial legislation. The CFTC stands ready to implement the Dodd-Frank Act to best protect the American public.”

A few minutes ago, I received this message from my friend in the head Mitch Stewart:

The Senate just passed Wall Street reform. The bill will become law the moment President Obama signs it. This reform represents the boldest financial regulations since the aftermath of the Great Depression -- and the strongest consumer protections in history. Every door you knocked in Iowa, every phone call you made in Ohio, every dollar you dug deep to give -- it's all for this. The Recovery Act, health reform, and now Wall Street reform, on top of everything else. In a year and a half, this administration has made bigger, bolder progress than any president's in decades. We have a president who fights for all of us, every day. We have you, the best organizers this country has ever seen, who flooded Congress with calls and letters, had millions of conversations with friends and neighbors, went toe-to-toe with the country's most powerful special interests -- and won. And we have members of Congress who bravely stood with the President, even as right-wing groups have pledged $200 million to defeat them in November's elections.

First, take a moment to celebrate. This is an achievement that will make American lives better and protect our economy for generations to come, and it absolutely wouldn't have happened without you. Then, take a moment to thank the members of Congress who stood with us and supported these landmark reforms. In the coming days, they'll be taking a lot of heat for defying Wall Street -- and they need to know they have our gratitude. Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of thanks to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and all of the allies in Congress who stood up for reform. Will you add your name?  We'll deliver these signatures to leaders in Congress who supported reform, after the President signs this into law.
Thanks for all you did to get us here. I'm so grateful to be making history with you, and I know the President is as well.
-Mitch

What do you think of Wall Street reform? Is it really a change or is it another political ploy?

The law will give the government new powers to break up companies that threaten the economy and create a new agency to guard consumers in their financial transactions, among many other changes.

Your thoughts??

Sen. Robert Byrd, Longest Serving Member of Congress dies

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest-serving member of Congress in American history, died Monday at the age of 92. Byrd was the president pro tempore of the Senate and third in line to the presidency.




In all, Byrd's congressional career spanned 12 presidencies, numerous wars, countless political movements, and nearly the full arc of the civil rights movement. Once a staunch segregationist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan, Byrd endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008 and praised his fellow Democrat as a "good Christian."


In addition to serving the most years in Congress -- 57 -- Byrd also cast the most votes of any U.S. senator -- more than 18,500. He also held the records for being elected to the most full terms in Senate history, with nine; of being the longest-serving member on any Senate committee; and of holding the most Senate leadership positions, including Senate majority leader (twice) and Senate minority leader.
Here are some quotes from Senator Byrd:

“..at the White House, the subject of terrorism now means the subject of our invasion of Iraq. The President waves the bloody shirt of 9-11 and then subtly shifts the conversation to Iraq. The only problem is that the President’s attempts to tie Saddam Hussein to the 9-11 attacks have no basis in fact. By speaking of al Qaeda in one breath, and Iraq in the next, he has devised a construct for confusing the American people about the real threat to our country. And his strategy has worked: according to a recent Washington Post poll, seven in ten Americans believe that Saddam Hussein is behind the September 11 attacks.” September 10th, 2003

“Our emperor says that we are not occupiers, yet we show no inclination to relinquish the country of Iraq to its people. Those who have dared to expose the nakedness of the Administration’s policies in Iraq have been subjected to scorn. Those who have noticed the elephant in the room — that is, the fact that this war was based on falsehoods – have had our patriotism questioned. Those who have spoken aloud the thought shared by hundreds of thousands of military families across this country, that our troops should return quickly and safely from the dangers half a world away, have been accused of cowardice. We have then seen the untruths, the dissembling, the fabrication, the misleading inferences surrounding this rush to war in Iraq wrapped quickly in the flag.” October 17, 03

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. May he rest in peace.

Source: PoliticsDaily.com

Political News: President relieves General McChrystal of his Afghan command

President Obama has named Gen. David Petraeus to replace McChrystal as the leader of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan

In a Rose Garden address, Obama said he was sacking McChrystal "with considerable regret but also with the certainty it is the right thing to do."

While professing admiration for McChrystal, Obama said that the general's trash-talking of the chain of command "does not meet the standard that should be met by a commanding general."

McChrystal's resignation had been expected after his blatant show of disloyalty in mocking the civilian leadership in a Rolling Stone magazine article.

Sidenote: Darn you Donald Trump! Everytime I hear someone is fired, I picture THIS!

Random: *This* is HUSL Today's 400th post! 

Political Flashback: The scream heard around Iowa

When I saw this news conference I didn't see anything wrong with Dean's scream. Before the Iowa caucus, Dean enjoyed at least a 30% lead on John Kerry & John Edwards. The loss in Iowa dealt a blow to Dean's campaign but it was the constant replay of Dean's "I have a scream" speech that is believed to have had a devastating impact on the campaign. Footage of the scream was played an unprecedented 633 times over the course of 4 days. The scream was characterized as primal & unpresidential, a description that all but halted Dean's pursuit of the DNC's nod for POTUS.  After losing in the Wisconsin primaries, Dean ended his campaign. Despite this, his Vermont supporters stood by him on Super Tuesday and voted him to victory in their primary.

On a lighter note, check out Dave Chappelle's version of Dean's speech.

Chappelle's Show
Black Howard Dean
www.comedycentral.com
Buy Chappelle's Show DVDs Black Comedy True Hollywood Story

Gotta love Chappelle.

Sidenote: I guess Pennsylvania voters didn't think saving Senator Spector's historic 30 year Senate career was reason enough to keep him in office. Although his run has ended, his service was appreciated and his Senate legacy is one for the record books.

HUSL Today Salutes

Mike Espy

Alphonso Michael (Mike) Espy was born November 30, 1953 in Yazoo City, Mississippi.He is the grandson of Thomas J. Huddleston, Sr., the founder of the Afro-American Sons and Daughters, a fraternal society that operated the Afro-American Hospital. The hospital was a leading provider of health care for blacks in the state from the 1920s until the 1970s.

He received his Bachelor's degree in 1975 from Howard University in Washington, D.C., majoring in law. Espy earned his Juris Doctor from the Santa Clara University School of Law in California in 1978. He was an attorney with Central Mississippi Legal Services between 1978 and 1980 and was later the assistant secretary of state to Mississippi Legal Services.

Espy was the assistant secretary of the state's Public Lands Division from 1980 to 1984 and the assistant state attorney general from 1984 to 1985.

Espy was elected as a Democrat to the 100th Congress and was reelected to three succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1987, until his resignation January 22, 1993. President Clinton appointed Espy as our nation's first African American Secretary of Agriculture, a position he maintained from 1993–1994. 

Check out footage of Mr. Espy at an environmental justice rountable on nuclear power at Howard University School of Law:

He currently works as a private sector attorney, counselor, and agricultural advisor, having his own law and consulting firms: Mike Espy, PLLC, and AE Agritrade, Inc. Mr. Espy also keeps busy as a speaker and lecturer, and is frequently asked to comment on current political, economic, legal and social topics. He has appeared on Nightline, the ABC Nightly News, the Today Show, and various other television news programs. He has also been featured in a host of national magazines and periodicals. 

HUSL Today Salutes Mike Espy!!! 

HUSL Today Salutes

Shirley Franklin

Image source: http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/files/2009/12/who.jpg

Shirley Clarke Franklin was born on May 10, 1945. Franklin received her B.A. in sociology from Howard University and her M.A., also in sociology, from the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin served as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Maynard Jackson. Subsequently, she was named Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager under Mayor Andrew Young.

"My dream as a child was to be a dancer. I wasn't the class president or the student government president or anything like that. The first time I ever ran for a major office was to be mayor."

The 58th mayor of Atlanta, she was the first female to hold the post and became the first black woman to be elected mayor of any major Southern city. Franklin was Atlanta's fourth black mayor. In 2005, TIME Magazine named Franklin of the five best big-city American mayors. In October of that same year, she was included in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Leaders of 2005" issue.

In July of 2009, Mayor Franklin (along with Frances Townsend and Judge William H. Webster) was appointed to an ad hoc Department of Homeland Security special task force for 60-day review of the Homeland Security Advisory System. Frances served as mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2010. She is succeeded by Kasim Reed.

Mayor Franklin was the recipient of Profile in Courage Award in 2005, issued by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The foundation praised her management of the city of Atlanta during the critical period of enormous deficit and loss of public confidence in government following the corrupt administration of Mayor Bill Campbell. She is an Honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

HUSL Today Salutes Shirley Franklin!!!

HUSL Today Salutes

Constance Baker Motley

 Image source: http://jameslogancourier.org/media/quotes/20080914-200px-Baker_motley_1998.jpg

Constance Baker Motley was born on September 14, 1921in New Haven, Connecticut. She initially attended Fisk University, a historically black college in Tennessee, before deciding to move to an integrated university. Motley graduated from New York University in 1943, then received her law degree from Columbia Law School in 1946. Her legal career began as a law clerk in the fledgling NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), where she worked with Thurgood Marshall, Jack Greenberg, and others. The LDF's first female attorney, she became Associate Counsel to the LDF, making her the NAACP's lead trial attorney.

In 1950 she wrote the original complaint in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. The first African-American woman ever to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, in Meredith v. Fair she successfully won James Meredith's effort to be the first black student to attend the University of Mississippi. Motley was successful in nine of the ten cases she argued before the Supreme Court. The tenth decision, regarding jury composition, was eventually overturned in her favor. She played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, helping to desegregate Southern schools, buses, and lunch counters.

Image source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3NHGO6tuELU/SrF_39ZcHz/AAAAAAAACo8/Vbx-PjOpwC /s320/motley_constance_baker.jpg

Read the rest to find out more.

Tell us how you REALLY feel: Arizona Immigration Law

Hi all, I hope you're having a beautiful weekend thus far. Further, I hope the fact that you're sitting here reading this is not indicative of the fact that there seems to be nothing to do in your city. Nevertheless, here's the scoop. On Friday, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the state's immigration bill into law.The law orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there's reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally. It also targets those who hire illegal immigrant laborers or knowingly transport them.

Critics, including immigrant advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, say they are concerned the law will foster racial profiling, arguing that most police officers don't have enough training to look past race while investigating a person's legal status.


The last immigration reform efforts in Congress were in 2005 when Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, Brown's predecessor, introduced a bipartisan bill that aimed to implement guest-worker programs and ways for more illegal immigrants to become citizens.


Click here to read the full text of the immigration bill.

Read the rest to discover my opinion and voice yours.

Dear Virginia, thank you for Confederate History Month

 I need to find a new way to celebrate the history of our nation. At least thats the story according to Virginia.


Disclaimer: If you are turned off by a discussion about politics, I advise you to stop reading now. You've been warned.


Word to X.

Image source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3549/3486263766_313a190898_o.gif
As I'm sure all of you have heard by now, Virginia Governor Bob "I forgot to mention slavery" McDonnell has reinstated "Confederate History Month" by issuing a proclamation celebrating CHM. The proclamation comes at the request of a group called Sons of Confederate Veterans.  The proclamation, which has been issued in the past but not since 2001, largely remarked on the historical significance of the civil war, and the southern states as a Confederacy in the Civil War period. The original proclamation made no mention of slavery.


“This decision by the Governor disrespects history and the people of Virginia and is a tragic break from his Republican predecessors who acknowledged the painful legacy of slavery,” said Benjamin Jealous, Chairman and CEO of the NAACP in a statement on Wednesday. 


Jealous added that by issuing a proclamation celebrating the Confederacy, McDonnell was honoring “the legacy of a movement that promoted slavery.”


After facing intense public criticism, McDonnell recently issued an empty apology. It reads (in part): 


“The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission...” “The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War. Slavery was an evil, vicious and inhumane practice which degraded human beings to property, and it has left a stain on the soul of this state and nation.”


I didn't know we get to pick and choose which parts of our history we embrace. How awesome is that? ! Feel the sarcasm? Good.


He's only been on the job a few months and Virginia has already become one of the top searches on Google and Yahoo. YES that means America has finally gotten over the shock of a certain male celebrity coming out and we are now concerned with the actions of our politicians. My Poli Sci background is smiling *side eye*

On Thursday a revised proclamation was issued:

“It is important for all Virginians to understand that the institution of slavery led to this war,” reads the proclamation “…and was an evil and inhumane practice that deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights and all Virginians are thankful for its permanent eradication from our borders, and the study of this time period should reflect upon and learn from this painful part of our history.”

I guess I should wish all of you a Happy Confederate History Month. Or is it Merry Confederate History Month? Forgive me if I have the phrase wrong *sarcasm*. What's next? William Bedford Forest Appreciation Month?!


We should all stand up and cheer for this joyous occasion. Our nation just took 2 symbolic steps back.


Feel my sarcasm, hear me roar. 

You fought. 
You lost. 
Let. it. go.
No Confederate clause is worth being proud of.  Period.


Bottom line: A southern loyalist and a Patriot CANNOT be the same person! We can honor the soldiers without honoring the cause for which they fought-to dissolve our nation.  The cause for which they fought is quite possibly one of the most unpatriotic things in the history of unpatriotic things. 

Share your feelings in the comment section. You may choose to remain anonymous! 

Note: Any job offers or revenue lost due to this posting is money I wasn't destined to make anyway.