GAS PRICE INCREASES HITS THE UNITED STATES

By Danny Pollard February USA- Nothing reminds us of how dependent we are on oil from Northern African and the Middle East more than sharp increases in the price of gasoline at our local service station. Events that are occurring halfway around the world have a direct connection to our pocket books in the United States and it hurts.

Unrest in Libya as the population there has taken a cue from citizens in Egypt and are moving to oust their leader of 40 years, Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi. Although we are far removed from the actual unrest we see it when driving by the signs at the gas pump as some will increase from the time we drive by on the way out from home and come by on the way back. 

An article titled "Gas prices keep rising in Dallas-Fort Worth, with no relief in sight" by Elena Harding, Jessica L. Huseman and Amber Bel February 23, 2011 and published on the Dallas News .com website detail the rising gas price issue in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. That article was a few days ago and prices are even higher now. 

Effect Of Fuel Prices On Economic Recovery

As gas prices increase, the amount of money available to spend on other things will decrease and that means the economic recovery will slow down. If gas prices hit $5 dollars a gallon it will be like throwing cold water on other spending. Not only will the price of filling personal gas tanks go up, but the price of fueling delivery trucks will increase also. Increased cost to deliver everything from food to tires will be passed on to consumers. We must hope that stability returns to those troubled areas that we depend on to keep our country moving.

Time To Break Our Foreign Oil Addiction

Will this become just another drill in complaining about the price of gas or will this be the opportunity to begin to turn the page on our oil addiction. Technology has zoomed forward in many areas such as computers and cell phones, but automobiles are using the same engine and fuel technology as 100 years ago.

Should Black Folks Watch The Academy Awards

It is Oscar time again. This time there are no major nominations for black actors, actresses or movie makers. Mo'Nique won for her role in the movie Precious at the 2010 Academy Awards' show. That was then and this is now.

The Best And Worst Black Movies Of 2010" by ReBecca Theodore-Vachon December 20, 2010 and published in The Urban Daily indicate the pickings were thin. So the question might be when will a black performer get a meaty enough role to warrant walking onto the stage to receive a golden statue.

What happened to films like Malcolm X? Precious was a good film and it was financed with funds from a couple new to the movies business. Many of the films that black actors are featured in tend to be safe money makers with comedies and Tyler Perry films ruling the day.

Pollard Post - Sunday February 20, 2011 Edition

This week we have a look at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game and how it is being perceived before it was even played. How are the protests in Wisconsin connected to the rest of the country. Should black women have been so angry about the Pepsi Max commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLV. Should black women step outside of their race to get married.

NBA All-Star Game, Clown Show, Black Thanksgiving Or Both

The NBA All-Star Game slam dunk competition had a player jumping over a car and a reporter called the game Black Thanksgiving. Enough is enough.

D T Pollard Read More At Suite101

Why Wisconsin Government Worker Protest Matter For Everyone Else

The government workers' protests in Wisconsin are important for the nation as any leverage labor has could be washed away in the name of budget deficits.

Read More D T Pollard On Suite101

Pepsi Max, Angry Black Woman Ad, Black Women Upset, What About Tyler Perry?

In a Pepsi Max Super Bowl XLV commercial, a black woman hit a white woman in the head by accident after her husband looked at her have black women furious. What about others we embrace who promote the angry black woman image.

D T Pollard On Suite 101 For Full Article

Interracial Marriage, Should Black Women Marry Outside Race

Hispanics, whites, Asian women and black men often marry other races. Black women lag in this area. Should more black women marry outside their race.

D T Pollard Read More On Suite101

Blacks Distracted By Angry Black Woman Pepsi Max Ad While Black Unemployment Rate Almost Twice That Of Whites

The uproar over a Pepsi Max Super Bowl XLV commercial has caused a firestorm because it was thought to have promoted a stereotype about the angry black woman. For the record it could have been interpreted as hitting on other hot buttons in the black community, such as black men finding blond white women so irrestible that they would disrespect their wives to look at one. How about black people not being able to resist food that is bad for us. We are outraged about that when the January 2011 unemployment rate among African Americans was 15.7% compared to 8% for the same category of Whites according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is a true outrage. The jobless rates for Whites went from 8.5% to 8% while blacks went from 15.8% to 15.7% comparing December 2010 to January 2011.

Selective Outrage

A firestorm erupted after the commercial aired. Black bloggers, websites and even politicians weighed in on the issue with their outrage. An article titled “'Angry black woman' Super Bowl ad promotes stereotypes” by Ronda Racha Penrice February 7, 2011 and published on the Grio website go into the roots of the anger. We can may reasons to be outraged over or image being trampled by our own people given the movies and television shows that have been produced with angry black women and brutal black men made by black producers. Music videos promote other negative images of low morals among black men and women worshiping at the alter of sex, money and excess.

There are many things to be angry about when it comes to how our image is being promoted, yet we support the TV shows, movies and music just as much as we buy Pepsi Max soda. Was the real outrage that it was shown to 111 million people. Was the commercial wrong, yes it was, but let's use the outrage to clean all of the bad image promotion up. We should not get caught not get caught in the old we can say something among ourselves and cheer, but someone else can't show the same thing. We already have that problem with the use of a certain word.

Cheers will erupt in a movie theater when a black woman burns down her husband's car, throws hot grits on him or let's his luxury SUV go over a bridge. Areas are packed as a black entertainer describes how he has his way with women and throws them aside. Where is the outrage?

Do We Need A Black Unemployment Stereotype Ad

Do we need a commercial showing a consumer products company hiring white workers at a 2 to 1 rate over equally qualified black applicants with black women getting angry in the interviews and black men leering at the white blond receptionists. That would be something to become outraged about because we know that is not why the black unemployment rate is almost twice that of whites. Why aren't we expressing our outrage?