"Charged with being a black homeowner in Mass." episode not presidential business

Though President Obama is our first black president, that does not mean he should feel obligated to comment on every little racial flare-up of potential ignorance or race-card dealing. Despite his election, racism will never die in this country, sadly. People will always judge and label other people.

And even though Mr. Gates sounded like a grade-A asshole as far as his comments, anybody would get angry in that situation. The police officer should be better than that and the professional in the matter. It's not worth the energy of putting on the cuffs or filling out the paperwork.

The black community and the police don't exactly have a rosy history. If people don't recognize that, they'll never come close to understanding the tension simmering below the surface. It's not like some of the uglier days in American history, when half the force in Mississippi was in the Klan, but people still have a long way to go.

As far as what President Obama could be doing:

How about dealing with some money management, so the generations ahead don't break their collective back picking up the future tab? Or how about some real energy solutions and simultaneous new job creation? Maybe deal with immigration which would knock out a lot of the uninsured masses that are part of the health care hoopla?

Though I'm throwing all this out there, I'm avoiding the true monumental matter at hand for our president: Ensuring that Paula Abdul is gainfully employed and reconciled with American Idol.

Telecommuting is all about the Benjamins

After enjoying an Internet outage, along with no phone service, in my newsroom of employment today, I couldn't help but think of one word: "telecommute." When your building is an urban dinosaur, and your IT infrastructure hearkens back to the days of rustproof Commodore 64s, it is time to rethink your business model.

To stay ahead of the curve, it's got to be all about having mobile staff members with mobile communicating capabilities -- possibly with a smaller, sleeker nerve center with a few key personnel. Between instant messaging on computers, to iPhones and BlackBerries, a newsroom should be a room constantly on the move.

Sure, some laptops for employees, along with fancified phones of choice would rack up some bills, but it would even out in the end with happier employers and lower overhead for workspace.

Working in a city with creaky, crumbling infrastructure, and still keeping up with the pulse of current, fresh reporting does not jive together. I am no Wolf Blitzer, but you don't need a Situation Room to realize this is not breaking news.

CIA kept Congress in the dark; Nancy Pelosi dies a little inside

(AP Photo)

Why is a CIA program to assassinate terrorists news of any kind? OK, keeping it from Congress might have been kinda slimy, but government is a slimy business.

The less those special people on the Hill know, i.e. our government, the higher the odds are of accomplishing something.

And I realize they're cute and cuddly, but behind those fuzzy terrorist beards of benevolence, lies some people with serious issues. The sage advice of Rodney King comes to mind: "Can't we all just get along??"

But really, don't folks know that the Central Intelligence Agency has been whacking people all over the world since our country began meddling in other's affairs, which goes back quite far.

During the Cold War, continents were played like a checkerboard between the USSR and USA. Leaders were propped up or pushed out depending on who's agenda the nudging was being done on behalf of.

Those that follow the mantra of "Let's blow shit up" probably wouldn't attend a peace, love and happiness Oslo Summit-type gathering regardless of how many virgins were promised, so do we really think we could play nicey nice? Or is it just the fact that the House and Senate didn't get to debate their wrinkled, old asses off until the sun came up?

I'm no diplomat, nor am I a proctologist, but neither scenario sounds very attractive.

Senator slips, asks Sotomayor for extra linens before she goes

As the marathon nomination hearing of Sonia Sotomayor continues, more and more people are coming down with C-SPAN fever. With the latest addition of Al Franken, the cast of Cocoon, aka the Senate is a regular Animal House.

However, one can't help but wonder, don't you question-filled crackers (yes, i went there, and i'm not even a wise latina) have more important matters to attend to?

I realize things have been just peachy keen for the past eight years and running, but maybe there's some legislation laying around that could be worked on. It's wonderful to fill the atmosphere with all that hot air coming out of your mouth, but then you're just playing into Al Gore's hands -- gasp, the horror!

For every second they go over their allowed time, the guilty senator should take a pay cut, or lose one of their Asian mistresses. These douchebags know how they're going to vote, but have to play party politics and put on what they think is a show since it's the only time they're exciting enough to be in The Situation Room.

Unless a Supreme Court nominee has a history like OJ Simpson, odds are pretty good that whomever the president is, they will get their judicial choice.

So, my dear Senators, shut the fuck up and check yes or no. It doesn't take a wise Latina to figure that one out.

Ghana ga-ga for Obama; Elephants still on the fence

As President Obama wraps up his whirlwind world tour with the traditional final stop on any American president's foreign relations glad-handing photo-op junket -- the continent of Africa -- let's see how long it takes for the collective media world to go back to ignoring that far-away place with all the dark folks.

If you drew a map of the world according to Western media coverage, the Middle East would be gargantuan and Africa would be the size of Rhode Island. Not that that sets the political agenda, but in our ADD/Idiot Empire, it's good to wake people up every so often to the real world -- and not the brain dead MTV reality show.

I just hope the first African-American president takes advantage of the opportunity he has to really reach out in a real, concrete way to the first continent of his hyphenated ethnicity.

Colonialism ended quite a while ago, but the relationship between the so-called international community and Africa still appears to be a resource-based, materialistic venture, no matter which country is being discussed on the massive, diverse continent.

The best approach for any impoverished nation lies right below the public servants we elect. It's the dirt, stupid.

Our best partnership potential with actual long-term significance would be aimed at sustainable agriculture. Farmer exchange programs, soil scientists, hydrologists and land conservationists all could play a pivotal role in helping each African nation find their best crop options.

If it was framed as saving donor money spent shipping food aid to countries ship overseas, maybe then the roots would be planted for that thing that was so popular some months ago: change. Sadly, dollar bills do seem to be the international language.

Call me crazy, but it's something about food and jobs that can really help the stability of a country.

Media refuses to let MJ rest in peace

The passing of the gloved one has brought the idiocy of cable news networks to the fore.

OK, so he was a major entertainer -- at least when he was black -- and, yes, I rented "The Making of Thriller" multiple times as a teenager, but enough already. Do we really need overhead shots of a funeral procession?

And then to hear of a gold casket worth over $20,000 is just nauseating. Did anyone shop around? I mean, he's not doing the moonwalk in there, people.

One suggestion I would have would be to turn Neverland into either a homeless shelter or an orphanage. With the accusations of child molestation, I think turning it into an orphanage would be quite fitting. Plus, he can't touch the kids when he's six feet under.

Before Webster and Bubbles come to whoop my ass, I better do what I want the media world to do: Let MJ rest in peace.

Little people play the height card

As a vertically challenged person, I couldn't help but notice the news related to that verbal dagger amongst my kind, the word "midget."

To be honest, I was still digesting the fact that there's a Little People of America group before getting to their call for FCC action concerning the wee little word.

To say it's akin to a racial slur is a bit short-sighted, pun intended.

Come on, jockeys of the nation, is it really that bad? I mean, Herve Villechaize got to live on Fantasy Island. Plus, we all get to carpool around in our clown car to save gas.

As an added bonus, due to being short and hairy, I also enjoy a lifetime pass to the Ewok Village.

So with all those perks, I just don't see how this is even a problem.

Palin resigns; Moose and elk flood streets in celebration

She's resigning, you betcha.

However, the GOP can look forward to Sarah Palin, as well as the delightful Newt Gingrich, for their 2012 presidential choices. I can already see a nasty column headline in the making, "Newt and the Nitwit."

After visiting the state of Alaska, I think the folks there could get along pretty well without the guidance of a governor, even though the power of a soccer mom should never be underestimated. Particularly one that is such a diehard naturalist that she embraces Mother Earth and her natural wonders by shooting game from a helicopter. Much like the ancient peoples of her great state once did.

Either way, the lady is not going anywhere. If people are capable of voting for George W. Bush twice, she has just as good a chance as anybody.

In the meantime, the Republican Party can fill the bitch and moan role that the Democrats always fill so well.

Plus, they have Dick Cheney's upcoming book to look forward to, which will be written in baby's blood. And not to be forgotten by fans of literature is W's much-anticipated novella, "Cat Goes Meow, Dog Goes Woof."