Harrison Square Park -yea

Council person Tom Smith and a picture of his condo on Harrison Street.

Hey is that close to the new development?

Yep.

sam, dave and the deputy mayor- cowboys

Let's go getta fellas. The meeting in the back, in the dark, in the corner, near the urinals.



ht/ to bag news notes.

The tag team of former Prosecutor Robert Gever and Judge Fran Gull

10 years later, justice delayed. Joseph Corcoran was a sick mentally ill person when he exacted death on family members and friends. But, this time, prosecutors had an second chance at Corcoran who years early won an acquittal for his parent's death. Corcoran would serve as an example for Allen County prosecutors legacy for tough on crime prosecution. No one is excusing Corcoran's behavior, but his mind speaks to his culpability. Excessive sentences for many convicts made nice headlines for folks political careers.

Joseph Corcoran timeline

April 14, 1992 – Corcoran’s parents found shot to death in Steuben County.

Nov. 16, 1992 – Corcoran is acquitted in those deaths.

July 26, 1997 – Corcoran shoots and kills his brother, his sister’s fiance, and two others at a Bayer Avenue home in Fort Wayne.

May 22, 1999 – Corcoran is convicted of four counts of murder.

May 25, 1999 – Jury recommends Corcoran be put to death.

Aug. 26, 1999 – Allen Superior Judge Fran Gull sentences Corcoran to death.

Dec. 6, 2000 – Indiana Supreme Court affirms Corcoran’s conviction but vacates the death penalty, sending it back for a more specific sentencing order.

Dec. 21, 2000 – Judge Gull issues a revised sentencing order, again sentencing Corcoran to death.

Sept. 5, 2002 – The Indiana Supreme Court affirms Corcoran’s conviction 5-0 and his death sentence 4-1.

Dec. 19, 2003 – Judge Gull notifies the Indiana Supreme Court that she has found Corcoran competent and that he does not wish to file a petition for post-conviction relief.

Jan. 7, 2004 – Corcoran’s public defender files appeal, claiming Corcoran was incompetent to waive his appeal rights.

May 12, 2005 – Indiana Supreme Court finds Corcoran competent to waive his appeal rights.

Nov. 8, 2005 – Petition filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, asking for a stay of Corcoran’s execution date and the court to reconsider the sentence.

April 9, 2007 – U.S. District Judge Allen Sharp issues his opinion, overturning the death sentence and ordering Corcoran be sentenced within 120 days to a term other than death.

Corcoran was lucky, Alan Freedman of the Midwest Center for Justice, which represents death row prisoners, kept up the battle for an convict that others simply wanted to just throw away.

The blogosphere has started a blog in the Afroshere for such injustices by prosecutors hell bent on just making headlines. Many convicts tricked into, lied into or unable to wage a defense. .. lives throw away.

Harrison Square Park Fan coming soon to downtown

Don't expect for any public comments when the Harrison Square Park goes before City Council. I don't think they care what the public has to say, their only interested in the call, Let's play ball.

Thinking bloggers Award

Well that's what I get so early in the morning, checking on what's the news on other folks' blogs that makes me think. Electronic Villagetagged me for one of five blogs that makes him think. I thank him and back at ya. Electronic Village selected quite a few that I would second as being some creative and informative bloggers. I would select four of the five that he mentioned, but mines must be different.

Here is my five:

Temple 3.

I don't know who he is or what he does, but the writing is the bomb. I agree that The "D" spot is tight. But, if you have not been on Temple 3's site, you need to get there in a hurry. Temple 3 spares no words in getting his point across. Most excellent and the site layout is something to see.

G-itch. At least that's what I call her. G writes about Katrina. G does not hold back. I found her writing heartfelt and honest. If blogging is a personal journal, G tells somethings that folks just might not want to read or listen too. Go read G.

Professor Z. Professor Z was one of the first blogs I read beyond my local bloggers. Professor Z is an outstanding writer. In my opinion, she questions how people think and how they come to their conclusion. This means she takes time to listen or read the message from the sender. Thanks Professor Z

Reverent and Free. This is one of the local bloggers that I read. It is a witty and local political bloggers that takes folks to task. R & F speaks his own voice that is not controlled by others.

FreeSlave. I just found freeslave again. Freeslave had went from blogspot to wordpress and because of the Afrosphere I was able to found his blog again. Freeslave writes with passion. I will never forget the post with a woman with ashes all over her, titled..blogging while wack...to my enemies with love.

I hope that I introduced some familiar bloggers along with some new bloggers. And to those I selected remember we are building community if we agree, so pass it on post up your five thinking bloggers. For those not included in this list you can found them on my sidebar. Peace.

Separate but equal

I stop by this little shop before heading off to a meeting. It's an old tobacco shop that's been in the community for a long time. Matter of fact, the young man, who rings up my purchase of chewing gum, and several newspapers, tells me, that he is a member of the fifth generation of the owners of the shop. That's called tradition.

I mistook him for being part of the fourth generation kinship, just reminds me that time goes on. But, the lanky young man was not the only new addition that caught my eye. Because, it's such a tiny shop, updates to the old store mixing with the modern era is sometime amusing to see.


The modern? It was a small television. No high definition or none of that stuff, but visual news amongst the newspapers, magazines and cigars gets your attention. The tiny set probably would have gone unnoticed, but for what was coming from the television set. I take a moment to stop and listen before gathering my items.

Georgia. I live in Indiana. But our local news was doing a story on Georgia which delayed me for a few minutes from picking up a couple of local print news editions.

It seems that in Georgia, there exist a school that had separate proms, one for raced whites and one for blacks. And the first time this year all the students would come together under one prom. This was a voluntary act, the old and the new.

By now, I am talking to the television, that's why its not good to watch television. You find yourself talking to the idiot box. I was just so shocked to hear that this was still going on in 2007.

But anyways, the school will have two queens, one black one white, announces the newscaster. I'm waiting for her to burst out laughing, but it becomes apparent that she was totally serious.

I'm okay.

I pay the fifth generation for my merchandise, and think to myself so little has changed. But in this little town, young folks are working on change

Greg Bluestein of Canadian Press writes Georgia school ends tradition of segregation: single prom for blacks, whites

ASHBURN, Ga. (AP) - Breaking from tradition, high school students in this small town are getting together for this year's prom.

Prom night at Turner County High has long been an evening of de facto segregation: white students organized their own unofficial prom, while black students did the same.

This year's group of seniors didn't want that legacy. When the four senior class officers - two whites and two blacks - met with principal Chad Stone at the start of the school year, they had more on their minds than changes to the school's dress code.

They wanted an all-school prom. They wanted everyone invited.

On April 21, they'll have their wish. The town's auditorium will be transformed into a tropical scene, and for the first time, every junior and senior, regardless of race, will be invited.

The prom's theme: Breakaway.

"Everybody says that's just how it's always been. It's just the way of this very small town," said James Hall, a 17-year-old black student who is the senior class president.

"But it's time for a change."

the rest of the story here.

Coach C.Vivian Stringer, it ain't about you

New Jersey Rutger Women Basketball Coach C. Vivian Stringer got it wrong. It is about the Rutgers women's basketball team members.

It is more than the Rutgers women's basketball team. It is all women's athletes. It is all women," said Stringer, the third-winningest women's basketball coach of all time who has taken three teams to the Final Four.

Don Imus and gang, specifically pointed out Rutgers' women basketball players. Coach, no softpeddaling for Imus, please.

And may I throw in this point, Coach Stringer is getting paid as the third most winning women's basket coach. But the team members are not getting paid. The team members success brings in revenue for the university and serves as a recruitment tool for the university. But more importantly, the coach nor the university reputation was attacked.


The sistas are not getting paid for their skills or talents, you and the university are getting paid. The sistas reputation were and still is being attacked. So let's not play this game of let's quiet the masses with fake press conferences.




Coach and University lets get some legal representation for those young women to protect their interest. I bet if a student was raped on campus, the university would not be so willing to make this student sit in the room with the rapist after the attack. But everyone thinks its okay for these women to meet with Imus.

Rutgers' athletic director, Robert E. Mulcahy III, thought a meeting with Imus would offer the team's players a chance to listen to him and hear what he has to say. Several players said they wanted to ask the host why he would make such thoughtless statements.

Or seems to be the ideal solution for the women. Wrong, but these were not his daughters.

"It kind of scars us. We grew up in a world where racism exists, and there's nothing we can do to change that," said Matee Ajavon, a junior guard. "I think that this has scarred me for life."

, according to a Forbes article.

The essence of these women characters were assassinated without provocation. These women had no defense against such attacks. Attacks sanctioned by the media and its advertisers. These sistas need to speak out about the harm and damage from these remarks and everyone else needs to listen.

That's going to be hard, because who listens when a sister speaks?

"We just hope to come to some type of understanding of what the remarks really entailed," said team captain Essence Carson. "We [would] just like to express our great hurt … the sadness that [this] has brought to us."

It is reported that some advertisement dollars are being pulled from Don Imus show. There should be more. There is a cost to the harm done by Imus and the sistas should be paid. This will stop protected speech shock jocks and others with a microphone from spouting off libelous comments when on the airwaves libelous comments that others would not dare to speak in mixed company.

Where's the lawsuit?

H/T to African American (Black) Opinion


Update: April 11 Note here C. Vivian Stringer is one of four African-American female coaches.

Update: April 11 MSNBC cut Don Imus Simulcast. Bruce Gordon former NAACP spoke out about the Imus racialist rant.

Abigail Adams told John, Remember the ladies

Abigail Adam was warning one of the founding father of America, John Adams not to place foreign men rights before mothers of the founding fathers' children. Fearing that their daughter should be protected first and that protection should come from and be guarantee by the future sons of patriots.

Adrianna Huffington from Huffington Post reminds us just who the ladies are that Abigail Adams was talking about:

We're kicking off this collaboration with a new campaign celebrating the special relationship between Mothers and Daughters -- and not just biological mothers and daughters, but the special bond between women of different ages, including mentors, and aunts, and grandmothers, and godmothers, and older friends.

This is the take our daughters to work, now rising to a level of a political campaign.

The motivation behind this campaign is our belief that there is no better gift we can give our daughters to help inoculate them from all the negative and soul-sapping messages our culture is bombarding them with than giving them something to care about besides themselves.

Imbuing our daughters with a sense of social responsibility is important not just for the obvious reason that caring for others is a good thing, but because making a difference in the world -- however tiny -- is the antidote to the pervasive narcissism of our consumption-crazed culture. Children brought up to feel that their lives have a larger purpose are more likely to keep their own troubles in perspective and less likely to fall into drugs or other self-destructive behaviors.

America is plagued with disconnections -- blacks from whites, rich from poor, and, perhaps most troubling, parents from children. One of the greatest ways to bridge these divides is by teaching children from an early age the importance of making service an integral part of their lives. It helps them to move from the fear of not being popular to the satisfaction of being useful.

The take our daughter to work political "fearless" campaign will go beyond the day at work. It will extend all the way until Mothers Day. And you were worried about Don Imus.

Bernard McGuirk

Enough of Don Imus, where is Bernard McGuirk in this nappy-headed mess? This not a joking matter, a pattern of intent has been long established.

Brothers are gonna have to learn how to turn off the television. In the blogosphere, brothas can get all bend out of shape on bloggers dissing Senator Hillary. They can recognize misogyny in the whitosphere, but not in our own community? If our brothas don't mind calling each other dog, no surprise there is not more outrage when sistas are called nappy-headed hoes. Turn the radio off too, let's have a moment of silence for our Rutgers women.

Andre' Bobb's Future- Will be

Luretha Bobb reads a letter about her son, Andre' Bobb and becomes overwhelmed. Ms. Bobb had some real concerns for her 16 years old son, Andre' Bobb's and his well being. The letter was brief, three paragraphs, concise and to the point. Nevertheless, the words on the paper brought tears to Ms. Bobb's eyes. After all the letter was about her son.

The letter's message contained an affirmation about the very path Andre had chosen for himself. Of course Ms. Bobb had made certain that Andre was exposed to a strong belief system. Faith would be essential for him, as well as sustain him throughout his life, this his mother knew. Especially,since Andre was so young but still he was clothed in a certain mystic of maturity. His academic achievement attested to that fact.

Earlier, Andre made her a proud parent, not just as a mother, but as a student. Andre maintained excellent grades in school. Matter of fact, Ms Bobb had attended Andre's school, Cornerstone Christian College Preparatory Day and High School, annual honors ball. Every year Cornerstone honored the students who maintained honor grades. And, if that wasn't enough Andre was selected as valedictorian of his graduating class. What more could a parent ask for?

It seems Andre' still had plans.

Andre's plans would take him from the safe nurturing environment of his hometown, Fort Wayne and place him into the big City of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is just not the same as a City like Fort Wayne where everyone knows your name. And Ms. Bobb understood the temptations that awaited a young impressionable teen in the big city. But, Andre had made the decision that could impact the rest of his life.

Was it the right decision? Fears, she had probably not addressed herself, were alleviated as Ms. Bobb read the letter.

You see, Andre had chosen DePaul University to continue his studies. A private university with over 23,000 students. Andre immersed himself in positive organizations within the college community. He is a member of the DePaul University Gospel Choir. He joined the Black Student Union. Choices that some would say, was Andre's defining his commitment to carrying on his mother's legacy. In addition to all that, Andre' was selected as student of the month from among his peers of 23,000 students.

Which helps somewhat to explains Ms. Bobb's tears. The letter was from the DePaul University, Dean of Commerce, Ray Whittington. The tears flowed, as she read from the letter:

Congratulation on achieving academic excellence! In recognition of your scholastic achievement in the College of Commerce at DePaul University, you will be honored and acknowledged at our Freshman/Sophomore Honors Convocation.

The top 5% of the freshman class and the top 10% of the sophomore class are invited to receive this recognition of scholastic achievement.

You see the letter placed Ms. Bobb on notice that perhaps her son's honor ball days were behind her, but Andre was still achieving. Ms. Bobb beams in telling about Andre achieving a 4.0 in an accelerated program during his first quarter. Just 16 years old,a young future Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. just might be in the making. Sounds like Ms. Bobb will have quite a few new ceremonies honoring her son's academic achievement.

She is so proud.

Enough to make any mother shed tears.

Fort Wayne Photographers Club

The Allen County Main Public Library is hosting the Fort Wayne Photographers Club 2007 Annual Exhibition. The reception for the exhibition was held April 9, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. The photographs of members of the club will be on display until April 29, 2007.


Fort Wayne Photographers Club Keven Oswalt takes a moment to explain one of his photographs. To learn more about the Club click here.

Isn't she lovely?

Fort Wayne Photographers Club member B.J. Kelsaw photo shot calls for a closer look by this young man.

For the young and not so young

Something for everyone.

So Many Lovely Photos to see

Artist is never the subject or could be

You never know when your picture is going to get snapped !!

This ain't about Nappy Hair

Don Imus gets a hand slap. Imus show will be suspended for two weeks. That's enough time for Sharpton and Jackson to cut some deals. In the meantime, the young women of Rutgers, whose got their backs?

Imus made his remark the day after the Rutgers team, which includes eight black women, lost the NCAA women's championship game to Tennessee. He was speaking with producer Bernard McGuirk and said "that's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos ..."

"Some hardcore hos," McGuirk said.

"That's some nappy-headed hos there, I'm going to tell you that," Imus
said.

It appears Bernard MGuirk was the instigator in the hoes episode. Imus not to be outdone, attached the nappiness to the players. So if the sistas are not hoes or nappy-headed, where is the lawsuit?

Now I understand the National Organization for Women has gotten into the mix. Now you don't upset raced white women. Cause if momma not happy....

Imus could be in real danger if the outcry causes advertisers to shy away from him, said Tom Taylor, editor of the trade publication Inside Radio. The National Organization for Women is also seeking Imus' ouster.

NOW is a political organization. They got a form letter for you to send to the spokesperson, a woman, Karen Mateo, Communications VP of CBS Radio which owns WFAN, and to MSNBC television which airs and promotes the show:

I thought I had heard everything from the "shock jocks," but the statements made about the Rutgers players by Don Imus and Bernard McGuirk after the NCAA championship game hit a new low.

My disgust at the statements of Imus and McGuirk are exceeded only by my outrage that nothing has been done beyond a weak "apology" and a promise to watch the show more closely.

The Rutgers team worked hard and played hard, rising to compete in the national women's collegiate basketball championship.

These players deserve better from us, and from you, than hateful and insulting remarks.

Racism and sexism have no place on the air.

I ask you to take immediate action to remove both Don Imus and Bernard McGuirk from any role that permits them to continue spewing hatred and bigotry over the airwaves.

Are they fighting for the sistas? Or are you trying to get some free time for the sister, Hillary? You do know that NOW is a political action committee that endorsed Hillary? Pay attention !!! Ronald L. Martin was paying attention.

In bold print, I highlighted the important stuff. Now read in what order they have racial stuff. I mean (r)ace does come before (s)ex. But that's not how it reads on the website. Check it out, I'm not making this stuff up as I go along. We've been down this road before.

Anita Hill was tricked up when she was sexually harassed on TV. It was really about abortion rights for raced white women, and they did not trust Clarence Thomas for being on their side. But that sexual harassment stuff worked better in getting a whole lot of raced white women elected into Congress in 1992. But, it ain't going to work this time for Hilliary.

So don't let NOW bring in the noise about Hilliary unless the group is bringing in some compensationn for these young women at Rutgers. I don't think any of those women are running for any political office. We saw how Anita Hill was lied on and left out to dry.

Don Imus- I help nappy headed children

Don Imus was to appear on the Al Sharpton radio program.

By DEEPTI HAJELA, of the Associated Press writes:

He pointed to his involvement with the Imus Ranch, a working cattle ranch for children with cancer and blood disorders in New Mexico. Ten percent of the children who come to the ranch are black, he said.

"I'm not a white man who doesn't know any African-Americans," he said.

Imus said he hoped to meet the Rutgers players and their parents and coaches, and that he was grateful for the appearance on Sharpton's nationally syndicated show.

And what a spokesperson have to say about all of this:

Karen Mateo, a spokeswoman for CBS Radio _ Imus' employer and the owner of his New York radio home, WFAN-AM _ said the company was "disappointed" in Imus' actions and characterized his comments as "completely inappropriate."

I wonder when was the last time, Imus called her a ho?



Some a whole lot like a Bil-liary statement to me. I refused to say it was a huge expense mistake. I've not been able to get onto Imus show blog its down for maintenance. You think !!!

Here we go again, get to writing. all the information you need is from Zuky.

Afrospear-Ready for a brand new beat

I did it. The it is on my sidebar. I became a member of the afrospear. Names. Call it what you may, blackosphere/afrosphere/African-Americanosphere... But, I got my afrospear.

The symbol represents a concern many share in the blogosphere. Different concerns, but a common theme, a divide in the community.

I was concerned about the lack of African-American male bloggers in responses to Shaquanda Cotton. Of course, there were a few, but many where not presence on the site created for Free Shaquanda Cotton. No problem, just an insight.

So now I get to participate in the Afrospear challenge as it brings its movement. I read much of the material that has been posted on some of the sites. So, I am going to say, I think that many of the great minds will have an impact..the legal, the scholars. I believe they can explain legislations that are having a negative impact on our families in the prison system. I believe that Afrospear can help draft legislation to make changes. A grassroot net that must reach beyond the keyboard.

I find the creation of blogs troublesome. Simply because many who need the service offered by Afrospear are not on the internet. So I believe some other type of outreach program will need to be implemented. I suggest that we form a main blog, as a directory for those who do need the service of the afrospear. I suggest that those who do not have access to the internet be informed about the movement through webcast throughout the various cities that are represented in the afrospear.

I also agree with one of the bloggers, on the lack of brick and mortar participation from the afrospear in advocating for those most in need. I suggest that each blogger join an organization and implement the afrospear within such organizations. And the webcast could be one way of pulling in folks to learn how to blog. I suggest that a post goes up by one member, specifically about Afrospear agenda, once a week, a different blogger each week, and we all go over and comment.

This will change as the membership grows. I don't care who is the author, the article can be emailed to the host blogger, but a shared community. A model in which the Afrosphere can copy is African-American Political Pundit which does an excellent job for bloggers. And has already started a listing on African-American(Black) Opinion on the Afrospear members.

Perhaps these things are already being done, but I offer my two cents.

The post below is just something I wanted to share, and tell me what you think.To read the complete post go to Professor Zero.

None of these movements function effectively when the focus is on catering to the diverse needs of those enlisted in the ranks; the diversity can be acknowledged and supported, but a shared purpose must, for maximum effectiveness, remain the point of concentration. The common assumption that political action should be based on a fully shared–even identical–set of values and perspectives among those committed to a cause isn’t a good operational guide for effective organizing.

Within a given movement, differences are bound to exist among the rank and file in regard to class, race, gender, age, geographical location, religious belief and so on. But when those differences become the prime focus of attention, the energy that should be saved for working against a common oppressor gets diverted and sapped. To form powerful, effective political organizations, individuals cannot be allowed to let the differences that separate them usurp the agenda.

One central reason movements for social reform in this country have rapidly run aground is our commitment to the ideological belief (not the practice) of the supreme importance of the individual

Raced White Researcher studies Conservative Few Black Bloggers

I read about Antionette Pole's study from Dr. Lester K. Spence's spot. After reading the study I went back and left this comment on Spence site.:

I found the article and comments informative.
Thanks for the link to the “scholarly” paper. The paper did answer a question I had about African-American bloggers. Who is blogging? Although the sample was very small, it was interesting to learn the ages of 20-49, gender males, education master to law in the sampling.

I strongly disagree with the finding on discrimination, from my own experience. Plus, have had several bloggers express a degree of discrimination toward them
based simply on the assumption they are African-Americans or writing about topics about African-Americans.

I found it interesting that two of the bloggers cobb and prometheus 6 participated in the survey. Which suggest to me that the blackosphere is really small or they have a wide reaching audience.

Earlier, Spencer Overton had asked the question about emailing vs blogging among African-Americans on BlackProf. I comment there:

Interesting I write about Women and blogging and Spencer Overton over on BlackProf writes about the email usage among African-Americans. An email posted on the BlackProf spread like wildfire through the email community. Overton ask the question,

While there are a number of successful African American blogs, why does email continue to be such a big driver of political discourse in the African American community?

Well, let's see email is pretty much free. Yahoo and other makes it pretty simple to set up an email.


Once someone sends you something to read, with a click of the mouse you can send it to another person, effortless.

If they get an email that is from a friend or family marked urgent, it is sent to everyone they know. And if you check the chain mail list and find a friend or family member name missing you send it to the next person.


It's easy to get away with sending stuff on email on the job.

Email spam is easy to do when you are bored.

Email does not require you to know how to write.


Now blogging.

Blogging can be time consuming.

Blogging requires you to write.

Blogging requires you to post

Blogging may cost you money.

Blogging may require you to have your own computer.

I would suggest that many bloggers are young technically savvy folks.

Of course blogging does not require either, but that's my take.

I also believe many African-Americans bloggers are college students.

I suggest that the young students use myspace.


Email generation tend to be older African-Americans are unwillingly to give up time to learn about utilizing the internet beyond being a consumers. Many of the younger generation are using IM or texts on their cellphone. Blogging reaches a broader network than the more personal email.

Another person E.C. Hopkin posted:

A few more possible reasons why some Black folks aren't sharing their ideas with the whole world via popular Black-focused blogs?

THE TOO SMART TYPE
Some people believe they are too advanced to involve themselves in the good blog conversations my fellow commentators and I often have in these threads. Engaging us would be a waste of their time or would require them to spend to much time educating us.

THE LEISURE-LESS TYPE
Then there are some who would like to, but simply have too little time to mix it up with us in these blog threads. Those who do have too little time to contribute to our conversations make me even more grateful for the fact that I do have a few leisure hours each week I can afford to spend on these blog conversations. I'd hate to be so burdened by my labors and familial obligations that I would not be able to devote a few hours per week to engaging smart Black folks in these digital conversations.

THE TIMID TYPE
There are some whose skins are not quite thick enough to engage others in argumentative exchanges. And things can get aggressive on the best blogs, where some of the best commentators share their controversial ideas. Some are so afraid of an antagonistic rhetorical environment or an embarrassing confirmation that they got something completely wrong that they simply avoid these potentially traumatizing events by staying quiet.

THE CAUTIOUS ACADEMIC TYPE
There is also the type whose livelihood or self-esteem depends upon others believing he or she is exceptionally erudite, authoritatively scholarly, or incapable of making silly mistakes. These types are often careful not to share their unstudied ideas. Perhaps, they think they have too much to lose. Indeed, every time I see a lengthy (more than 100 words), unedited, unstudied, and controversial comment by a professional scholar in a blog thread, I view it as an act of courage and confidence.

THE DISCOURAGED BY BIG CROWDS TYPE
I suspect there are some who won't comment in a thread after a few dozen folks have packed it full of dozens of comments. Perhaps some believe that because so many conversations and debates have already begun or finished in the thread, too few folks are likely to pay attention to their comments. The threads that get filled up with dozens of comments quickest (the controversial political and cultural posts usually get a lot of attention here) might discourage these types.

EMAILS AS SHIELDS
Emails shield the fearful from widespread professional or social embarrassment, traumatizing blows to their self-esteem, disillusionment concerning their erudition, or simply having to deal with smart strangers' opposing viewpoints. Sharing one's speech via a blog, in ways that actually cause one to risk having a smart person disagree or expose an error, probably causes some to tremble in fear.

Closing comment from Overton:

When we started blackprof.com in September 2005 we appreciated the various attributes of blogs, and we suspected that blogs would eventually play a critical role in African American debate. How far are we from that tipping point? I don’t know. I continue to believe that it will happen. But for now, I think that email plays a constructive role in African American political discourse, and I’m thankful for that.

Other places to read about the study:

African American Political Pundits,Jack and Jill Politics and Francis L. Holland

Rutgers Women Basketball team-Natural curly or nappy headed?

I guess calling sista nappy headed hos is worse than calling them B**ch and hos.Or does it matter who does the name calling, for determining if there a villain to attack ? Don Imus will appear on Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show. Sharpton wants Imus fired, but its okay for Imus to first appear on Sharpton's show. Rating, sistas and brothas, don't even turn on the radio.

So where is the real outrage? Rev. Jesse Jackson is going to lead a protest against NBC. And if Imus is lucky, Rev, Jackson will apologize for him. Or reduce it to a Fox News Compromise. Jack and Jill Politics calls it flip-flopping.

Outrageous. Who filed a lawsuit for the New Jersey Rutger Women's basketball team members for defamation of character and emotional distress? Let's settle this mess !!

Francis L. Holland has a long post on loving and freeing your African hair..