Friday, March 20, 2009

Bsi 1,982.39 -37.51 -1.86%

President Obama's budget woes send the Index reeling.

WINNERS

Lisa Jackson (LJAX) 9.12 +1.25 +13.7%

The first African-American head of the Environmental Protection Agency leads the effort to bring more blacks to the cause of environmentalism.

LOSERS

Donte Stallworth (DS18) .03 -1.77 -98.33%

Word that Stallworth had a blood alcohol content as high as .16 when he struck and killed a man with his car sends the troubled reciever's value plummeting.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Bsi 2,018.9 -2.5 -.12%

Kanye West formally gets charged with assault following an altercation with paparazzi last September.  West faces up to two and a half years in prison should he be convicted.

Kanye caught a charge... he caught a charge?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Bsi 2,021.4 -9.6 -.47%

The Market reacts to the death of Anne Brown, Gershwin's original Bess from the classic Broadway musical "Porgy and Bess".

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Bsi 2,031.00 +12.39 +.61%

The Index gains behind the American celebration of a centuries old tradition of culture.

Is there any better day for Thin Lizzy... okay, every day's a good day for Thin Lizzy.

Here's hoping that there'll come a day when African-American cultural celebrations and universally celebrated with such vigor... and, well, vomit.  We figure all Juneteenth needs is a drink to associate it with.

Hmmm...

BUY

Death

Before Bad Brains, before the Gories, before Living Colour -- there was Death.

A recent New York Times article and the release of their 1975 demo is finally bringing their story and music to light.

SELL

Ish

Analysts here are against censorship of all kinds -- particularly self-censorship.  Just say/write "shit" people -- you're not fooling anyone.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Bsi 2,018.61 +11.29 +.56%

Followers of this Index know that analysts here have been tough on the NAACP.  Which is why it's a pleasant surprise to see them using their media clout to spotlight bank lending practices that steered black borrowers toward higher risk loans, even if they qualified for better ones.

The facts will bear out whether or not this is a case of institutional racism or just business opportunism -- still, it's good to see the problem coming to light.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Bsi 2,007.32 +8.27 +.41%

The Index sees gains Michael Steele's rather bold attempt to wrest control over his party and dismiss the idea that he's only a figurehead.

In an interview with GQ Steele asserted his belief that women have the right to choose abortion.  The stance, which deviates from the rabid, Limbaugh-listening base's ideology he's been counterposed against, may be calculated to show that he's no one's toadie -- regardless, it's effective.

WINNERS

Michelle Obama  (MRO) 31.94 +4.29 +13.43%

The First Lady seems to be the latest "It Girl".

LOSERS

Prince (PRN) 29.33 -6.92 -19.1%

Prince sees U2's five nights on Letterman, and raises by going on the the higher rated Tonight Show for a week.  

While we never miss out on an opportunity to check out His Royal Badness, analysts here feel that something's lost when The Artists stopped being as reclusive.  Of course, that may have more to do with the fact that his music hasn't been very good over the past fifteen years.

Let's just say this wasn't his finest hour.

While we'd never tell someone to stop doing what they do, it's clear Prince's influence from here on out will be greater than any new music he makes.  For better...

Van Hunt

And for, well... weirder.

Francis and the Lights

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Bsi 1,999.05 -3.41 -.17%

First D.L. and now D.A.G.  After the cancelation of "Chocolate News" it's safe to say it's the worst of times for black fake news show hosts.

Analysts here believe the problem lied not in the concepts, but rather the execution.  Maybe Hughley and Grier weren't quite ready to take up where Chappelle left off.  We just hope that this doesn't signal the moving of black themed shows back to television ghettos.

Maybe it would have succeeded at 4:40 in the morning.