The Great Blog of Kéto's Top 25 Posts of 2008!

For old times sake this blogger presents my Top 25 Favorite blog posts of 2008 from The Great Blog of Kéto. I have also included a preview of each article with the title. Enjoy yourselves!

• Black in America: CNN (Where Do We Go From Here?)

Soledad O'Brien contrasted the disparities as well as the striking similarities between the have's and have nots of Black America. As a bi-racial American, she was the perfect face & moderator for this expose, fitting though since CNN (which I've had the pleasure of touring) is based in one of America's most prosperous Black metropolitan areas, Atlanta.

• Are We Ready for a Black President (Or Just Another Rich White One?)

While it's true that maybe the color of the President should not matter, unfortunately it does due to to a variety of historic, social, economic and political factors. After all if it didn't matter then I'm sure we would have had a Black, Native American, Latino, or Asian President w/in the last 400 years, seeing as how those were the people that built the America we enjoy today.

• Abortion & The One-Issue Party

The Republican party keeps successfully using the abortion issue (as well as gay rights, guns, affirmative action aka "Stop those Blacks from taking our jobs.") election after election, and the American public is complicit in letting them get away with it.

• Are You Prepared for Hurricane Weather?

...this weekend marks the 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina of August 29, 2005 whose effects were exacerbated by an incompetent, do-nothing government which had billions of dollars in aid overseas the day after after the Indonesia tsunami of December 26, 2004, but took 3 days to even react to Hurricane Katrina just a few thousand miles away and after President Bush's August 28, 2005 Katrina briefing on the possibility of a category 3 hurricane breaching the levies in New Orleans.

• (Still) Crazy in Love! Shirre & Kéto Celebrate 1 Year!

One year ago today, I began officially dating Shirre A. (Miller) on Saturday, September 15, 2007. So today is another good day in a long sequence of good days.

• Tim Wise On White Privilege

Recently, Tim Wise, the author of "White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son" expounded on what it really means to have "white privilege" in the United States of America even in the 2000's, when many people would like to believe that we have transitioned from a racist (read racially conscious or race-charged) society of the 1960's and 1970's to a "post-racial" society which embraces all regardless of race, religion, or cultural background.

• Colin Powell Recounts Fallen Muslim Soldier

Gen. Colin Powell, during his televised endorsement of Barack Obama recounted a picture he saw of a mother kneeling at the U.S. military graveside of her son, a casualty of the war in Iraq. What Powell said about the picture speaks volumes about where we are as a nation when our prejudice allows us to generalize the "terrorist" label without batting an eye to people who may not deserve that label simply because they belong to a particular culture or religion outside that of mainstream America. In this light, Muslims have become the new Blacks--the "others" of the 21st century.

• What's Up in 2008

Its been eight long years since the boys said wassup to each other. Even with the effects of a down economy and imminent change in the White House, the boys are still able to come together and stay true to what really matters.

• Apologetics with No Apology from a Progressive, Part 1

This weekend I received an email from a close friend of the family whom I have known since age 5. As always I was glad to hear from him, and this time he sent a poem "T'was The Night Before Election" which rhymed that Obama was a socialist and McCain was the only reasonable choice. Naturally, my blogger sensibilities go the better of me, so I sent a quick note back to him and several folks that he had copied on the same email.

• Apologetics with No Apology from a Progressive, Part 2

It's nice that McCain was a POW and all, but I have news for you, being a POW is not a magic benchmark that somehow makes you more qualified for President. I know a number of other former WITH COMMAND EXPERIENCE such as General Wesley Clark, General Colin Powell, etc who actually have overseen thousands to hundreds of thousands of troops AND multi-million and multi-billion dollar defense budgets. Does that automatically qualify them for the Presidency too?

• Undecided Voters...the New Class Dunce of American Politics

For those of you who are actually undecided at this point... Do you mean to tell me that after nearly 2 years of non-stop political campaigning, over 20 Presidential Debates, and after each candidate has long ago put their major policy positions on their website AND distributed them through the various media, that you still can't make up your mind?

• The 2008 Election: Yes We Did! (By a Landslide)

Obama won majorities among African Americans (96%), Jews (77%), gays and lesbians (71%), first-time voters (68%), Latinos (67%), Asians (63%), voters under 30 (66%), union members (59%) and women (55%), along with independent voters, all numbers which are the largest since Lyndon Johnson, thus consolidating the various bases of the Democratic party into a potent electoral coalition. Further, Obama won key battleground states by taking 10% of Republicans, 20% of conservatives, and 33% of evangelical Christians.

• A Day in the Life of an Obama Campaign Volunteer, 11-4-08

Once I arrived at my destination courtesy of Google Maps directions, I was amazed to see how open voters were. I certainly expected to have a few doors closed in my face, but almost everyone who was at home, Black, White, or Latino acted like they were glad to see me, and let me know that they or their relatives had already voted for Obama earlier in the day or had early voted in the previous two weeks.

• The Longest Word in the English Language

The longest word in the English language is a word for the formula C₁₂₈₉H₂₀₅₁N₃₄₃O₃₇₅S₈ and has 1,913 letters.

• Iraq Dares to Build a Subway (Not the Sandwich)

The Iraqi's in a gesture of hope and "Hey we've got to spend some of that $70 billion budget surplus" have decided to defy death and good common sense by building a subway system in Baghdad. Well, I admire their capitalistic flair, but dang what could possibly go wrong with this picture?

• Why This Blogger Will Not Be Shopping on Black Friday

I do not plan on shopping this Friday after Thanksgiving. I feel that the holidays have become so over-commercialized that the joy has been taken out of the true meaning of America's religious and traditional holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc even though according to almanacs and historical records Jesus was not born on December 25.

• Florida Teen Commits Suicide Live on Internet

Just when you thought you'd heard and seen everything, a Florida teen committed suicide via live streaming video via Justin TV , a forum where users can broadcast live video of their activities and interests.

• The Great Blog of Kéto Celebrates & Thanks 1,000+ Readers!

This week, The Great Blog of Kéto (TGBoK) celebrated a pretty cool milestone! On Wednesday, we reached and then passed 1,000 readers from around the globe.

• Obama Fundraising Totals $745 Million

Final tallies to Federal Election Commision show that Obama raised a record $745 million during the 2008 electoral cycle including over $104 million in the four-week period from October 16-November 24.

• My Homeowners' Association Sucks

he honeymoon officially is over! The grand high potentates of my Homeowners' Association (HOA) known as the Board of Directors have taken it upon themselves to chastise me for having Obama-Biden yard signs in the area next to my porch.

• How to Do Business in Haiti by Kéto Nord Hodges

[During my MBA studies] I had the good fortune to lead a team of fellow MBA's and I've presented a summary of our research in the presentation "How to Do Businesss in Haïti" below.

• O.J. Simpson Is Guilty, But Is He THAT Guilty?

Is O.J. Simpson 9-33 years worth of guilty? I don't think so. Frankly, the story of OJ's trial is more indicative of race relations in this country than it is of OJ's boneheaded, bad decision making.

• Picture of the Day, 12/14/08

Though some pictures are worth a thousand words, the one of an Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at George W. Bush below is worth about a million.

• If You Don't Know Me By Now...

...life is too short to walk around being hurt all the time. Life is also to short to walk on pins and needles wondering if the next thing you say is going to offend someone.

• My Homeowner's Association Sucks, Part 2

I am writing because I feel the Notice of Violation is in error as it pertains to certain facts of the supposed violation. I am also under the impression that my townhome has been singled out possibly due to my political affiliation which would indeed be an unfortunate fact were that the case.

Picture of the Day, 12-25-08 (Christmas)

O.J. Simpson & the turkey (or maybe that's ham?) would like to wish you and your family a happy, warm, and flavorful holiday season 2008. Enjoy yourselves!

O.J. Simpson Is Guilty, But Is He THAT Guilty?

O.J. Simpson, left, hugs his sister Carmelita Durio, with his friend Thomas Scotto, right, after he was found guilty on all counts following his trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas Friday.

Is O.J. Simpson 9-33 years worth of guilty? I don't think so. Frankly, the story of OJ's trial is more indicative of race relations in this country than it is of OJ's boneheaded, bad decision making.

There are several memorable events for which I remember exactly where I was during their occurrence, i.e., 9-11, the day I proposed officially to my wife, (February 2, 2008, her 27th birthday), our wedding day which is also my birthday (April 26, 2008), etc. In 1994, I was sitting in a hotel room in Stamford, CT when I saw breaking news on the OJ Simpson San Diego Freeway chase (June 17, 1994). In 1995, I was at a piano lesson in the living room of my teacher, Mrs. Mary Hauck's house and remember her disappointment when the OJ criminal acquittal was announced (October 3, 1995).

There was one thing that stood out to me throughout the OJ criminal trial, and that was how much White Americans hated OJ, whom they didn't know any more than Adam. I think for the first time, we had a major case that held the international media's attention involving a Black man and a White woman. Had OJ simply been accused of killing a Black woman, as was former Carolina Panther Rae Carruth, I assure you that some would have assumed he was guilty, but White America would not have cared. The majority of White Americans interviewed on TV, on the radio, at the corner store, at the local church, etc. just knew that OJ was guilty, and furthermore hated him because it was one of their own, a White woman that he allegedly killed. And that is the sad state of race relations in this country which forced President-elect Barack Obama to confront the topic of race in America head-on during his primary campaign for President.

Furthermore, the outrage expressed over OJ Simpson's alleged actions was greater than the feelings expressed over the trial of Modesto, California native Scott Peterson, who was convicted in another sensational, widely reported cased of allegedly decapitating and drowning his pregnant wife, Laci and her unborn baby. Very rarely did I turn on the TV or radio during his trial and read the same things said about Peterson that were stated about Simpson. For once a Black man, due to his money and connections had got over on the American justice system, just as rich, well-connected Whites had done for many years, and America just coudn't stand this. So now, they stand in judgement of the one who they built up and idolized when he was running the football and scoring touchdowns, but then degraded when he became the subject of a the most talked-about murder trial of our times.

So does OJ deserve some time behind bars or to make restitution to the injured parties for his actions? Absolutely! But in this case OJ does not deserve to spend up to 30+ years in prison for burglary and kidnapping charges when we have white collar criminals such as deceased Enron exec Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling such as who defrauded countless tens of thousands of innocent workers out of their pensions and life savings in get-rich-quick schemes which only benefitted themselves and their well-heeled associates. Yet, you can be assured that because of their status in life, again the public outcry for their punishment was almost nonexistent, and because the U.S. criminal justice system is skewed towards the haves who can afford the best legal representation, people in the position of Jeffrey Skilling who was sentenced to 20-24 years, generally only spend a few years in prison--if that--and then take up some other position on someones charity foundation, consult for big business, become a motivational speaker, or publish a book about their life.

Where Were You on 9-11? Reflections of a Former College Student

Do you remember where you were on 9-11? I do. So 7 years later, I'm finally writing down my recollections of the day. There have been a few memorable events in my life as a 28-year-old man, some for good, some for bad. I will always remember the exact day and time that I became a born again Christian (November 6, 1986), the OJ Simpson San Diego Freeway chase (June 17, 1994), the OJ criminal acquittal (I was at piano lessons on October 3, 1995), the day I proposed officially to my wife, (February 2, 2008, her 27th birthday), our wedding day which coincidentally falls on my birthday (April 26, 2008--though we planned it that way). Other more mature Americans may remember where they were or what they were doing when the US entered World War II upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, (August 6, 1945), JFK's assassination (November 22, 1963), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech (August 28, 1963), Dr. King's assassination (April 4, 1968), Malcolm X' assassination (February 21, 1965), the fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989), etc.

The day started out as uneventful as ever. I was a 21-year-old Senior at University of South Florida in Tampa, in my second semester of the Management Information Systems (M.I.S.) major in the College of Business Administration (COBA). I had a 9:30am morning class at COBA, Database Administration, and walking to class the campus was peaceful that Tuesday morning. When we got to class about 9:30am our professor told us "Hey, I heard this morning that an airplane flew into the World Trade Center in NYC." Well we didn't think it was that big a deal because, I remembered reading that on July 18, 1945 a B-52 bomber crashed into the Empire State building due to heavy fog. Though I discovered later that a B-52 (10 tons) is significantly smaller than the 767's (100-150 tons) that flew into the WTC. So I figured, hey it must be another similar incident, just another small aircraft flying too low to the NYC skyline. Eventually we were let out of class early and informed that USF administration was closing the campus early as a precaution. I still didn't think too much of the situation, I mean how bad could it be? So I wandered over to the Communications and Information Sciences (CIS) building next door, and in the foyer, one of the teachers had pulled out a classroom TV into the foyer and several students were standing around watching live TV news coverage of the burning World Trade Center Towers. I immediately felt horrified as I saw little specks falling from the top of the towers and realized that those specks were people who were jumping or falling from the burning buildings. After a little while of watching TV replays of Flight 11 and Flight 175 crashing into the North and South Towers of WTC, respectively, I left campus on the Hartline city bus which I rode to and from college. I went to my transfer point, University Square Mall, and walked into one of the shoe stores to look for some white tennis shoes. Soon University Mall announced it was closing all stores for the day, so I hurriedly picked out some all-white Nike's that were on sale for about $20.

Later during the day, as I watched TV and did some chores at home and I learned along with the rest of the nation about the demise of Flight 93 which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, and the Flight 77 that crashed in the Pentagon, and of course we knew at that point that the United States was on terror alert, that President George W. Bush was reading to an elementary school class when he heard of the WTC attacks, and that VP Dick Cheney was somewhere in a bunker. So began the buildup to the now infamous "War on Terror" and the [flawed] justification for the invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003 that Sadaam Hussein was responsible for 9-11 attacks on the US.