Friday, October 17, 2008

Bsi 1,393.3 +53.8 +3.86%

Fivethirtyeight.com has Barack Obama's odds at winning the Presidency at 94.7%.  Still, no one here is celebrating... not yet, at least.

Yeah... let's just hold off on calling this one yet.

WINNERS

David Alan Grier (DAG) 6.24 +1.09 +17.47%

Analysts here have always thought DAG was a talent.  And while neither "Chappelle" or "The Daily Show" -- the two programs Chocolate News will no doubt be compared to -- the news magazine format offers plenty of promise.

D.L. Hughley (DLH) 7.48 +.93 +17.47%

There's debate as to whether or not Hughley has ever found the right vehicle to showcase his talent.  Now he'll get a chance on CNN as he's been tapped to host a "Daily Show" like comedy program.

So, what?... Was there a run on black hosts for comedy news shows that we didn't know about?

LOSERS

Cable News Network  (CNN) 4.51 -.87 -16.17%

Why are they producing a comedy news program?  They should just do what they do and leave the comedy to Fox.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Bsi 1,339.5 +37.84 +2.82%

The Phillies may have been the last team in the National League to integrate (ten years after Jackie Robinson -- which is no small reason why the club was the first professional team to break the 10,000 loss threshold), but now the they're back in the World Series.  And they're being led by two African-American MVPs in Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.  

This in a day and age when black players make up just 8.2% of the league (the lowest level in over two decades).  Let's hope for those two, and for the sake of a city that would murder for a championship, that the title makes its way back to the City of Brotherly love for the first time in 28 years.

C'mon... don't make us beg. Losing Iverson was tough enough.

THIS DAY IN THE BLACK MARKET

October 16, 1968

Bsi 62.39 +27.81 +44.57%

The single greatest Olympic moment... and it doesn't even happen on a field of play.

A necessary shot in the arm after the Summer of '68.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bsi 1,301.66 7.56 +.58%

Little movement today... unless you're talking about the changes for Iron Man 2, where Don Cheadle will take over for Terrence Howard.

Reports are that the studio and Howard were unable to reach an agreement regarding compensation.  Howard was looking for a significant raise to reprise his role as Jim Rhodes in the upcoming sequel -- probably to buy more baby wipes.

Just bask in the Terrence for a while... yeah... that's it.  Goes down smooth, don't it?

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bsi 1,294.1 -14.56 -1.11%

The market responds nervously in anticipation of news due Wednesday.

It'll be an upset if Korto pulls Project Runway out.  Good luck, though.

BUY

Three modern classics of "Black" cinema.

Analysts here are confident that had any or all of these films been directed by African-American directors they would have had the potential to usher in a new wave of black filmmakers.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

George Washington

Half Nelson

The directors, though, are white, but that shouldn't exclude these works from any conversation on black film as these three pictures feature fearless, atypical roles for African-American actors.*

SELL

The Race Card

Critics have cried foul on Democratic Representative John Lewis for linking recent McCain-Palin strategy to the rhetoric of segregationist George Wallace, going so far as to say that Lewis played "the race card".  Here, though, we see the comment for what it is: a political exaggeration made during an election year.  We also see claims that someone is "playing the race card" for what it is, as well:...

Got a lot of issues with Jesse, but this is just wrong.

...an attempt to undercut the real issues of racial inequality and white privilege.

A race flag, however... we may have something there.

*Yes, we're quite aware that making this statement puts us dangerously close to a "Toni Morrison moment" -- still, we stand by it.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Bsi 1,308.66 -9.65 -.73%

A a general sense of fatigue sets in, sending the Index lower.

Yeah, brother, we're with you.  Won't this election just get here already?