I Swear to Bob, Tyra

Will Tyra ever learn? From her social experiments to this, having her models on Top Model take on new racial identities... she's just mucking things up. I know she thinks she's making a difference but, I wish one of her producers would be real with her and let her know that she's just being offensive. In light of all the disturbing highly-publicized blackface incidents of late, you'd have thought she'd nixed this idea for a photo shoot.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/tv.accesshollywood.com/americas-next-top-model-creates-stir-after-biracial-photo-shoot-20091029

WTF Illinois, No Wonder We Lost the Olympics

Well, it happened again. Another senseless police shooting in the state of Illinois. Another one that hit home for me as it occurred in Champaign, the city I lived in for four years while I attended college.

This time, the crime that provoked the shooting death was even more ludicrous. A 15-year-old boy was allegedly found breaking into a house with his friend. Cops responded and when this child was found to be resisting arrest, he was shot. And he died.

I know this kind of stuff happens everyday. But I'm not so jaded that when this takes place in a community I care about, I don't stop to at least reflect on the injustice. Coming just about a month and a half after the Barmore shooting in Rockford, I'm more than a little disgusted with police behavior in my home state.

Upon investigation, authorities found that the house the boy was supposedly breaking in to was where he lived, as a sort of adoptive son/godson to the resident. Debra Thomas, whose house the teen - Kiwane Carrington - was trying to get into, said Carrington was welcome in her house anytime.

Now, I don't want to have to bring race into the picture. However, I must note that when I searched for the story on the News-Gazette site to link up an article, a fair amount of the results I found were either titled "Race played an issue in teen shooting" or "Race was not an issue in teen shooting." Interesting. Like Rockford, I found Champaign - the parts outside of campus - to be pretty obviously segregated. I'm not saying these cops were prejudiced but, in a way, this story made me think of the Gates fiasco of this summer but, with a horrible twist.

All I can say is, the punishment did not fit the crime. You don't shoot kids. Especially not for breaking into a house. Call for back-up, something.

You can judge for yourselves. Here's an article about the incident: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/courts_crime_fire/2009/10/13/home_renter_15-year-old_who_was_shot_lived_there. You can find more accounts on the Champaign News-Gazette site.

Down? Jay Sean's Star Is Rising Way Up

Today, I bring a totally non-critical announcement.

Indo-Brit R&B artist Jay Sean soared to the top of the charts this week with his single, "Down."

Not only did he cross over from across the pond but, he's also the first South Asian musician to reach the coveted No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100.

The serious ear worm tune knocked the Black Eyed Peas out of position. Probably doesn't hurt to share a label with Lil' Wayne so he can lend his rap style to your song. Still, I think Jay Sean could have gotten to top even without the extra support. Props to my fellow Desi.