Comments for The Plenary Review

Comment on National Book Club Conference: August 1-3, 2008 by Miz

Miz — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:57:10 +0000

I hope you all will be there to support me…i am so looking forward to this conference! Just found your site, and i’m loving it!

Comment on Anger Management Express: The Real McCain? by George Anderson

George Anderson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:32:34 +0000

This is great. People who have problems manageing anger are unlikely to change without competent intervention. This means Executive Coaching/Anger Management by a well trained provider rather than counseling or psychotherapy which is useless.

George Anderson

Comment on Vogue Magazine/Lebron Controversy by Cryptblade

Cryptblade — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:05:40 +0000

I looked at the cover. I picked it up in Walmart while waiting in line after hearing about the controversy. From where I stand, no matter the angle - whether looking at it from the left, the right, top or bottom, upside down, inside out, enlarged or shrunken - I do not see the big deal.

Maybe because I could care less about LeBron or Giselle. I find neither of them to be interesting. Giselle is a model - whoopee. Brady had a prettier lady with Bridget Moynahan - IMO. LeBron is a beast on the court - cool. Don’t care much about basketball - even IF the Celtics can make it good this season.

That aside, I saw the cover and thought it looked nice. I liked the colors actually - her dress on the grey background was nice. James looked intense dribbling the ball. Cool.

So the cover says “Shape Issue: Secrets of the Best Bodies - Giselle & LeBron + the world’s top models and star athletes” … seems to make sense to me.

What’s the fuss about? Seriously - what’s the fuss about? What in that 1 picture is so offensive that it warrants calls of “racism”?

As an outside observer, I wonder - has the civil rights movement lost so much steam and relevance that it is relegated to being offended by a benign magazine cover? In my opinion, absolutely. The struggle is not so much against white racism as it is unfulfilled potential post great civil rights victories.

…and the juxtaposition of the Vogue cover to King Kong makes no sense. I am by far the last person who will ever support King Kong. I hate the idea that a “wild beast” is somehow tamed by a blond white woman. Ugh. Many a true man is not impressed by “white beauty”. After all - for most of the world except the western nations, WHITE is the color of death. But I digress into my own racism…

Comment on Vogue Magazine/Lebron Controversy by Baybe Minnie

Baybe Minnie — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:32:43 +0000

Everyone is looking to deep into the cover. The reason why LeBron James is not in a suit and is in basketball gear is because of the fact that he IS a basketball player. I feel as though, no matter what picture they put on the cover of the magazine, with him and Giselle, there would have been a problem because of what he was wearing. People do not seem to understand that the focus of the magaine was on him and not her and that because she is a model she was suppose to look nice and because he is a basketball player, that he was suppose to be in those clothes. There have been other pictures, like LeBron, where the athletes had to pose with a model while the were in “their uniform” . There was one picture where the man was a wrestler and he had the model over his shoulders as if he was going to slam her on the ground. So no matter how you put it, there would have been a problem…it was NOT intended to be racist.

Comment on Vogue Magazine/Lebron Controversy by Jane

Jane — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:54:48 +0000

The context: first cover of a black man on their magazine- Ever. First time out, positive emotions on display or negative ones? Hmmmm. Negative? We all love LeBron, but lets not let that stop us from shaming Annie Lebovitz and Vogue. They should know better. There are more than enough negative portrayals of black men in the media. Enough! Have some sense! There is a name for it: it is called “Race Baiting for Fun and Profit.” Time to call it what it is. To conclude that the cover is harmless is not possible unless one views it out of context.

Comment on Sites of The Day by Yasmin

Yasmin — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:00:12 +0000

Thanks for the 411!

Comment on Stuff White People Like… by Stuff Educated Black People Like… « The Plenary Review

Stuff Educated Black People Like… « The Plenary Review — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:53:38 +0000

[...] Stuff White People Like [...]

Comment on Look What God Can Do… by cryptblade

cryptblade — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:32:48 +0000

Hillary Clinton should not be the Democratic Party Presidential nominee for many reasons including her blatant lying about Bosnia.

While I think Obama is the Democrats’ best candidate and best chance for a strong Presidential candidate, I seriously question how indoctrinated Obama is to Rev. Wright’s anti-American, anti-white, so-called Black Liberation Theology.

Obama is on a platform of “change” but the question - even more important now in light of this development - is what kind of change? I doubt Obama will stand up and shout “Black Power”, but anti-American most certainly seem to be the flavor “du jour”.

Does his 20 yrs of anti-American indoctrination make him a leader of the American people who hates America? I am perturbed by that scenario - which, coincidentally, would lend credit to some murmurings of him being the Anti-Christ (stupid, yes, but at face value, s entertaining).

Or does Obama do pretty much the same thing as always - due to apathy from his anti-American indoctrination?

As a first-generation immigrant, I can truly say that this is the greatest country in the world. I don’t agree with everything, but I also don’t expect America to be perfect. Economic improvement is possible. But before we can improve, we all need to know how America works and how America allows people of all races to economically improve. I for one, don’t know if Obama appreciates that, given his own wealth yet subject to his pastor’s anti-American preaching. It leaves me very perturbed.

Comment on Enough with the politics… by cryptblade

cryptblade — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:55:29 +0000

In the immortal words of Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in “Tombstone”, “I’ll be your huckleberry.”

Talking about politics, law (or law enforcement), among others makes for good conversation - though incendiary at times.

One could argue that for the African American community, it all fits and all the pieces matter. One example of fiction that marries all of these together is The Wire, HBO’s cult series that recently finished it’s 5 season run. The Wire explores politics, economics, law enforcement, and other societal issues vis a vis the story of cops and gangstas. While left-leaning (eh-hm, Democrat), the show excuses no one: not cops, not Democrats, not the system and all the players in the system.

If a fictional show can explore such topics, I certainly think the blog of a publishing company has room to marry such topics together. I look forward to reading more.

Comment on Our Young Sisters… by cryptblade

cryptblade — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:32:29 +0000

In Norfolk VA, the local city magazine publication did a quick reaction article on that study. According to the teenagers interviewed, many are not surprised. And according to those who are trying to help these youth, the number may actually be higher because these girls may be embarrassed to disclose the truth even in closed, blind, private settings. More, much more needs to be done to steer these girls to abstinence or at the very least, better protection.