10859: Jerry Della Femina Is Mad, Man.

The New York Post printed a rant from Jerry Della Femina, where the iconic adman whined about having to sell his Hamptons estate and pay higher taxes because of President Barack Obama. Looks like yet another political conservative has emerged to dispute Carl Warner’s contentions. However, Della Femina has displayed his Republican leanings before this latest complaint. In 2007, he defended Don Imus with a culturally clueless perspective. In 2008, Della Femina apologized for a racist column (not written by Della Femina) on Obama that appeared in a newspaper he published. Grumbling about unloading a $25 million home completes the trilogy of stupidity.

Ad guru reveals why he sold Hamptons estate

I’m paying unfair price for working hard

By Jerry Della Femina

Jerry Della Femina was a poor kid from Brooklyn who went on to create one of the world’s most famous advertising agencies, Della Femina Travisano & Partners. He recently sold his 8,000-square-foot oceanfront Hamptons estate for $25 million, just in time to avoid next year’s rise in capital-gains taxes. He estimates he would have had to pay an additional 8.6 percent — for a total capital-gains tax bill of $3.7 million — if he had sold it after Jan. 1.

I’m happy to pay my fair share — which is whatever the tax is right now.

The thing about capital gains is, I made the investment. I put in the original money. The house cost $3 million and then I put in an additional $6 million because the house was in terrible shape. We added rooms, sections, areas, and basically it was my investment.

When I bought that house I think Obama was in high school, and I certainly have paid taxes ever since.

I don’t come from a lot of money. In fact, I don’t come from any money.

So I literally started with zero. I worked very hard. And I’ve been very good to the people who worked for me. At one point I had over 800 employees, and I always paid all health care for my people — including a man who was my assistant who got HIV. I wound up paying his medical bills, which went into the hundreds of thousands. I’m not making myself out to be a saint. I did the right thing.

Now I’m being told the right thing is to do more. And because I can afford it, I have to pay more.

At this stage of my life, I want to have money to leave to my five kids and seven grandkids. Why would I want to give that additional 8 percent from capital gains to Obama instead?

God knows how that money would be spent.

I made the investment while Obama might have been in high school or smoking dope in college or whatever he was doing. He didn’t make the investment; I did. He didn’t take the risk; I did. He didn’t improve the house; I did. And then in the end, he’s saying I must pay him more.

I always was happy to pay my fair share of taxes. I’m careful to pay every single penny on my taxes. I don’t have any money offshore. But the fact is that at this stage the general feeling in the country is, “You have it, give it to us.”

And I worked too hard to get it. I spent too much time, working too hard, to get it. Where was President Obama when I was working until 1, 2 in the morning and basically not spending as much time with my kids as I would have liked to? Where was he when I worked on Saturdays and Sundays?

Well, he’s here now. And what he’s saying is: “OK, you made the money, now you have to pay your fair share.”

I think my fair share can be what it’s been all along.

I work hard and I pay my taxes. No matter what the administration.

This is an administration that is spending more money than any administration in history. To spend more money, they need more money.

That’s where I object.

It’s a case of a president who really wants to redistribute wealth.

10069: Mushy Thinking From Mushnick.

Wanted to provide extra commentary on New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick and his remarks on Jay-Z and the Brooklyn Nets. In his Friday column, Mushnick wrote:

Nets on Jay-Z track

As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new “urban” home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment?

Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!

When James King of the Village Voice criticized Mushnick’s rant, the veteran columnist responded as follows:

James — did you actually read what I wrote and what I’ve been writing for 30 years? I don’t call black men niggas; my kids never heard the word until folks such as Jay-Z came along. I’d suggest you talk to him about it. What I wrote today was on Jay Z’s artistry, and only the wishful and foolish would so badly misinterpret and mischaracterize it as you plan to do. Thanks — mushnick.

Guess MultiCultClassics should be categorized with the wishful and foolish, because it’s pretty clear that Mushnick is culturally clueless—and minimally a latent racist. Taking the Michael Richards-Don Imus-Laura Schlessinger route of dodging matters is getting a tad tired. One would think a professional journalist—even a journalist specializing in sports—would at least get his facts straight when fabricating excuses.

Jay-Z didn’t come up with the slur. People like Mushnick did.

9548: Bachmann A Cryin’ Ass Bleep.

The New York Daily News reported Michele Bachmann is still whining over the “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” event. The politician is upset that the official NBC apology came from a vice president versus the network’s president. Um, come back when you’re even a legitimate vice-presidential candidate. Bachmann also compared her situation to the Don Imus fiasco. Right. Shouldn’t the conservative nutcase be defending the band’s freedom of speech? If Bachmann can’t handle late-night talk show heat, she needs to get out of the kitchen. The woman is clearly more suited for Dancing With The Stars.

Michele Bachmann, 2012 GOPer, disappointed in NBC’s apology after Jimmy Fallon song mishap

But the Minnesota Congressman wasn’t pleased the apology—which she asked for—didn’t come from the president of NBC

By Aliyah Shahid, New York Daily News

Sometimes saying sorry doesn’t cut it.

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann expressed disappointment in how NBC delivered its apology after the network played a profane song during her recent appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Doug Vaughn, NBC’s senior vice president for special programs, wrote Bachmann a personal letter on Wednesday. He called the show’s choice to play a snippet of Fishbone’s “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” as she walked on the show both “unfortunate” and “unacceptable.”

But the Minnesota Congressman wasn’t pleased the apology—which she asked for—didn’t come from the top.

“Of course I accept the apology but my guess is that it would have been the president of the NBC that would have been apologizing not a senior vice president,” had a liberal, like Michelle Obama been the guest, she told KLIF radio in Dallas on Friday.

In the letter, Vaughn offered his apologies and said the band had been “severely reprimanded.”

Fallon also apologized via his Twitter account.

When asked if the bandleader should be fired, Bachmann said she didn’t want to see another American lose their job, but called the band “disingenuous.”

“The comment from the band is that it was a spontaneous act,” the Tea Party darling said.

“Clearly it wasn’t. It was premeditated. [The bandleader] had tweeted twice before the show what his intentions were. And his Twitter account is 1.7 million people. So, it’s just, again, it comes down to the fact that if a Don Imus or someone does something that’s questionable, they are thrown off the air. But when something is done to a conservative, it’s just passed off and forgotten.”

Bachmann continued, “I’m a serious candidate for the presidency of the United States, but I’m a conservative Republican woman. That’s the double standard.”

8650: Don Imus’ Favorite Burger Joint…?

From The New York Daily News…

‘Fat Ho Burgers’ causes uproar from Christian neighbors; owner says people are missing the humor

By Nina Mandell, Daily News Staff Writer

Fat Ho Burgers is stacking up the controversy.

The slangily-named burger joint made a splash when it opened in the conservative town of Waco, Tex., down the street from Gospel Café – a volunteer-run religious cafe and bookstore.

The menu’s items include Supa Fly Ho with Cheese, Fat Chicken Ho or the Sloppy Ho Brisket. And for the younger Fat Ho customers, there’s Tiny Ho Meals.

But not everyone is getting the joke.

“Would’ve been nice to think a little more sensitively,” Pastor Marsha Martie told local television station myFoxDFW.

There’s also a Facebook group asking Evans to change the restaurant’s name.

But Fat Ho Burgers’ owner Lakita Evans, who opened the joint, said critics are misinterpreting the name.

“It’s not calling people a ho. It’s just like they say, ‘Oooh, that ho is big,’ or, ‘That ho is tight!’” she said. “Look what’s going on in Japan,” she added. “It’s like clear this world is not gonna get any better. Why cry and be depressed? The economy is bad. Somebody gotta keep a sense of humor around here.”

She said the name came to her while she was watching a movie.

“I was watching ‘Phat Girlz’ … and they had like a fat a—burger and skinny a—fries,” she told KWTX.com.

Luckily for Evans, the publicity surrounding her controversial burger joint has reportedly been great for business. On Wednesday, the cash-only business ran out of cash – and the its supply of beef, KWTX.com reported.

8530: BHM 2011—Pepsi Max.

This Pepsi Max commercial probably wasn’t intended to be a BHM spot, but Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee turned it into one.


Of course, America’s favorite drug addict-radio personality weighed in.


As did Bill O’Reilly—who took the stereotypical route of finding a Black woman to insist the commercial was not demeaning at all. Why Falafel Boy feels qualified to comment on anything regarding any woman of any color only demonstrates the asshole’s arrogance.


Quick, somebody get a quote from Don Imus to complete The Three Stooges of Cultural Cluelessness.

8258: New York Blackout.

New York, New York in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• During an interview with Don Imus, New York Governor David Paterson remarked he had no idea former Governor Eliot Spitzer was into hookers. “None at all. None, “ answered Paterson when asked if he had any clues regarding Spitzer’s hobby. Paterson was likely too distracted handling his own extramarital affairs to notice.

• A new report shows Black New Yorkers are harder hit by long-term unemployment than other racial and ethnic groups. However, the unemployment rate for Blacks working on Madison Avenue isn’t too bad—but only because there are so few Blacks employed on Madison Avenue to begin with.

7073: Back Again By Unpopular Demand.

Celebrity comebacks in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Don Imus is seriously returning to TV, thanks to a multiyear contract with FOX Business Network. Imus probably figured if Michael Vick could return to the NFL, there was nothing to hold him back from reigniting his broadcast career. Wonder how Imus would refer to FOX Business News analyst Julie Roehm.

• O.J. Simpson is staying in jail, thanks to a decision by the Nevada Supreme Court that nixed a request to release him pending an appeal of his felony conviction. Don Imus will likely steer clear of commenting on this story.

6974: Budweiser True Storyboard.

Inspired by Beer Summit featuring Obama, Biden, Gates and Crowley.

5627: Well, There You Go, Don Imus.

From The Chicago Tribune…

Don Imus’ offensive defense

By Clarence Page

For a guy who makes his living as a professional talker, the topic of race seems to leave Don Imus oddly tongue-tied.

In case you haven’t kept up, the pioneer “shock jock” has been broadcasting a new morning show on WABC-AM since last fall, months after he was fired from MSNBC and CBS Radio for proclaiming that the Rutgers University women’s basketball team looked like “nappy-headed hos.”

He returned to work with profuse on-air apologies and a pledge to foster an open dialogue on race relations on his new show. On Monday he fostered the sort of dialogue he had not counted on.

Or maybe he did. Listening to the on-air chatter that has stirred up another racial eruption, I had to wonder whether it was just another bonehead mistake or a brilliant publicity stunt.

On Monday’s show, sportscaster Warner Wolf was talking about how the Dallas Cowboys football player formerly known as Adam “Pacman” Jones no longer wants to be called “Pacman.” Jones is turning over a new leaf after having been suspended for a season and arrested six times.

Then Imus inexplicably injected race into the conversation:

“What color is he?” asked Imus.

“He’s African-American,” said Wolf, sounding a bit bemused.

“Well, there you go,” said Imus. “Now we know.”

Huh? That’s it? You might ask, “Now we know what?” Imus did not say. The omission left the rest of us to wonder whether Imus was expressing some sort of soft bigotry of criminal expectations in regard to black athletes.

It didn’t take all day for Rev. Al Sharpton to call the remarks “very disturbing” and say, “We are looking into this.” Sharpton led the campaign to have Imus fired last year from his national CBS Radio show and its simulcast on MSNBC.

Jones said he was upset by the remarks and would “pray” for the radio star.

But Imus insisted that those of us who heard something racist in his remarks heard him wrong. He said he actually was defending Jones, whom Imus thought was being picked on because of his race.

On his radio show the next day, Imus said he was trying to “make a sarcastic point” about the unfair treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system but had been misunderstood.

“What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason,” Imus said Tuesday. “I mean, there’s no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once.”

Calling the criticism “ridiculous,” Imus pointed out how his program’s cast is now more diverse than ever. It includes a black producer and two black co-hosts—one male and one female. Still, after his troubles last year, you might think he’d be extra careful about clarifying his sentiments the first time, especially on topics having anything to do with race, instead of letting his insinuations (“well, there you go; now we know”) hang heavily in the air.

Instead, he finds himself trying to explain why what he meant to say was different from what we may have heard him say.

If he was looking for attention—and what entertainer isn’t?—he could hardly have dreamed up a more slippery way to do it. Even the remarks that he said he intended to say exposed some of our society’s deepest racial wounds.

For example, just as it is offensive to imply that blacks are more criminal than whites, it is also offensive to imply that blacks are arrested “for no reason,” if you don’t back up the assertion. If “there’s no reason to arrest this kid six times,” that, too, begs for an explanation. Otherwise, Imus seemed to be committing the same offense of which Sharpton is often accused: exploiting serious issues like race, crime and overpampered athletes and shedding more heat than light.

Ironically, if Imus wants to put his edgy humor to the cause of fostering a helpful dialogue on race, he needs to get serious. He could take some valuable tips from George Carlin, a master of the art of humor who died Sunday at age 71. The envelope-pushing Carlin will be sorely missed by those of us who appreciate humor that also makes you think. Whether you agreed with him or not, you knew where Carlin stood. Imus, by contrast, has a self-defeating habit of shooting from the lip—and firing blanks.

5623: Diverting Attention And Flights.

Rough landings in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Don Imus claims he was misunderstood, insisting his latest remarks were intended to “make a sarcastic point.” Imus said, “What people should be outraged about is that they arrest Blacks for no reason. I mean, there’s no reason to arrest [Adam Jones] six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once.” Um, Don, you’ve made racist remarks more than once.

• United Airlines announced plans to put 950 pilots on furlough. The airline said it had to take a “difficult, but necessary step to reduce the number of people we have to run our business.” The decision will no doubt reduce the number of customers they have to use their business.

5618: He’s Baaaack. Don Imus Mouths Off Again.

Shock jock Don Imus sparked new controversy with another asinine remark, this time aimed at a male Black athlete.

While discussing NFL player Adam “Pacman” Jones, Imus and partner Warner Wolf presented the following exchange:

Wolf: “Defensive back Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys. Here’s a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting in a Vegas night club.”

Imus: “Well, stuff happens. You’re in a night club, for God’s sake. What do you think’s gonna happen in a night club? People are drinking and doing drugs, there are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead.”

Wolf: “He’s also been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.”

Imus: “What color is he?”

Wolf: “He’s African-American.”

Imus: “Well, there you go. Now we know.”

For anyone who questioned whether or not Imus is a racist, well, there you go. Now we know.

5097: Memo To Don Imus.

Now here’s a crappy-headed ho.

5062: Sex, Lies and Text Messages.

Liars and other suspicious characters in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Isuzu is getting out of the U.S. car market. Although the company will continue to focus on its truck line in the states, it could not compete in the car category. Additionally, Joe Isuzu could no longer compete in the liars category, as Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appears to be assuming a dominant lead.

• Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made a televised apology, although he technically did not specify what he was apologizing about. The mayor is embroiled in a scandal involving an alleged affair with a staffer and racy text messages. The messages contradict denials of extramarital wrongdoings delivered during a police whistle-blower trial in 2007. Investigators are probably now asking the mayor, “Who’s in your Fave 5?”

• Sears ex-CEO Aylwin Lewis will still get paid through March 2010. In addition to his $1 million annual salary, Lewis will collect health benefits, $1.8 million in restricted shares and more. Looks like Lewis won’t have to shop at Sears or Kmart anytime soon.

• Cable channel RFD-TV is closing in on returning shock jock Don Imus to television. RFD-TV hooked up with Comcast to begin offering televised simulcasts of Imus’ radio show to major cities. Guess it’s one more reason Bob Garfield hates Comcast.

5031: Sorry Statements.

Adding insult to injuries in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Sprint continues to sprint ahead with corporate restructuring, replacing three key executives—including the Chief Marketing Officer. “Permanent leaders will be named in conjunction with a review of overall strategy and an effort to streamline operations,” said chief executive Daniel Hesse. “I have no predetermined timeframe in filling these positions but plan to act as quickly as possible.” In some areas, the company is apparently not interested in moving at the speed of light.

• Golf Channel Anchor Kelly Tilghman returned to work after her suspension and opened with another formal apology. “I’m Kelly Tilghman. It’s an honor to be with you again,” said the woman. “In a recent live broadcast, I used an inappropriate word that was offensive to many. Over the last two weeks, I’ve taken this time to reflect and truly understand the impact of what I said. While I did not intend to offend anyone, I understand why those words were hurtful. I am terribly sorry for any hurt that I’ve caused. I would like to express my deepest apologies.” Tell it to the fired editor from Golfweek magazine.

• Don Imus is upsetting advertisers with his inappropriate remarks again. This time, the shock jock actually insulted paying sponsor FlatSigned Press, calling their products “cheesy.” The company now charges Imus with hurting their sales, and a $4 million lawsuit has been filed. Additionally, Green Bay cheeseheads are demanding an apology.

Essay 4876

Didn’t want to finish the week without one more jab at General Motors.

While scanning past posts for the upcoming MultiCultClassics Year In Review, we stumbled upon Essay 2017.

Last April, shortly after the Don Imus fiasco, Adweek published a story stating certain corporations would definitely consider advertising with the shock jock if he returned to the airwaves.

The story’s spotlighted corporation? Why, GM, of course.

According to Adweek, “After GM initially pulled its ads last Wednesday, the automaker noted that because Imus had apologized and promised to make changes in his program, it was ‘monitoring’ the situation. Asked for clarification, company spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said, ‘I think that would indicate that we were open to revisiting at some point down the road’ returning to the broadcast. Carney said that if Imus does land somewhere else in radio land, and ‘if an opportunity is presented to us [to advertise], we would assess it just like we do all the other opportunities that come our way.’”

Carney, incidentally, is the GM spokeswoman extensively quoted in the recent alleged misreporting by sources including Black Enterprise.

In April, MultiCultClassics wrote a line that’s proven to be downright prophetic: “It’s clear that General Motors loves minorities—but only when doing so meets profit objectives.”

Which leads to the latest parody ad…

Essay 4852

Among Advertising Age’s 10 Who Made Their Mark…


NAJOH TITA-REID
Little did Najoh Tita-Reid’s childhood playmate know she was starting a movement, and a marketing campaign, when she called Ms. Reid’s black doll ugly. Now, as associate multicultural-marketing director at Procter & Gamble, she’s launched “My Black Is Beautiful,” a push to put the power of several beauty brands behind an effort to help black women of all tones and backgrounds be comfortable with their looks.


DON IMUS
Imus’ controversial comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team got him fired from CBS Radio and MSNBC, drew an advertiser backlash and sparked a national debate on racism and cultural sensitivity. After a seven-month hiatus and a reported $40 million settlement with CBS, he returned to the airwaves on New York’s WABC with fewer blue-chip advertisers but a more humble approach to talk radio.

Essay 4842

From The New York Times…

----------------------------

Catching a Break and Throwing Down With Imus

By ROBIN FINN

A MIDCAREER comedian in the touchy process of resigning himself to not making the comedy A-list in this lifetime, Tony Powell was minding his own business, teaching high school in Coney Island and picking up the odd stand-up comedy gig, when he received the glad tidings. Seductive tidings, that is.

Don Imus, the resurgent and — if his promise to ban racist and misogynistic rhetoric from his personal airspace is sincere — reformed talk-radio host, wanted Mr. Powell, 45, to submit an audition tape for a possible role on Mr. Imus’s new morning show on WABC-AM and RFD-TV. A tape of a routine Mr. Powell performed at the Muddy Cup, a Staten Island hangout not far from the town house he shares with his wife and son, would have to do. It did. Mr. Imus was smitten.

Maybe it was the joke about the White House incumbent — “I just feel like the president of the United States should be smarter than me, and I don’t think that’s true” — that did the trick. Or maybe it was the fact that Mr. Powell is a black comic with regional street cred (from open mike nights on Long Island to the voice of “Mr. Chill” for Miller Genuine Draft beer). Better yet, he is a guy with a serious gift of gab (credit the debate team) and a degree in rhetoric and communication from the University of Virginia (he intended to be a speechwriter), with a résumé that features appearances on “The Chris Rock Show,” NBC’s “Showtime at the Apollo” and a stint as the studio warm-up act for Bill Cosby. His back story includes four years of teaching at-risk teens in the New York City school system and a father who was a special education teacher and now scouts for the Washington Wizards of the N.B.A.

Translation: Beyond possessing a sense of humor, he must love sports and kids, just like Mr. Imus! How would he like to take on the role of sportscaster on the ballyhooed return-of-Imus broadcast, starting Dec. 3? Initially he was wary. Not because he was worried that Imus detractors like the Rev. Al Sharpton would accuse him of collaborating with the enemy; he had to feel certain he couldn’t accuse himself of the same thing.

“I am not window-dressing, I am not a puppet on a string, I don’t dance for anybody, and I am not Don Imus’s lawn jockey,” says Mr. Powell, a New England prep-school survivor (he won a scholarship to Choate Rosemary Hall, the first place anyone directed the n-word his way with venom) who describes himself “as a sort of Zelig.” His politics are, he says, “left of center, but I’m not so far to the left where the next step forward makes me a Nazi and I’ve gone full circle.”

[Click on the essay title above to read the full story.]

Essay 4806

The letter below appeared in the December 3 issue of Adweek, and demonstrates the rights of all U.S. citizens to write moronic missives containing every stereotypical, unoriginal thought imaginable…

------------------------

Radio Host: Imus No Disgrace

Here’s what I don’t get.

[Your Nov. 3 story on Don Imus, “Imus Returns, but New Show May Be Tough Sell,”] refers to Imus as “disgraced.” Oh, so? For what, exactly? For saying exactly the same thing that hip-hop music stations run 24/7? Is Clear Channel a disgraced company because they run hip-hop formats?

You refer to the Rev. Al Sharpton, but nary a descriptive word such as “disgraced” [is used]. Remember the Tawana Brawley scandal? That was a REAL disgrace.

Understand that I’m no Imus junkie, and I thought his comment about the girls basketball team was out of line. But in today’s world, where Clinton has sex with Monica, Obama admits to cocaine use, Hillary still can’t explain the Rose Law Firm billing records, Jesse Jackson had an out-of-wedlock child, it’s Imus that’s disgraced?

Cut me some slack.

Lynn Woolley
Radio talk show host
The Lynn Woolley Show
Temple, Texas

Essay 4786

Back again by unpopular demand in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Sen. Larry Craig is back in the news, with a newspaper reporting eight men claim to have either had sex with Craig or were recipients of his sexual advances. “It is unfortunate that the Idaho Statesman has chosen to continue to lower itself to the standards of what can best be described as tabloid journalism,” said Craig in an email statement. “Despite the fact the Idaho Statesman has decided to pursue its own agenda and print these falsehoods without any facts to back them up, I won’t let this paper’s attempt to malign my name stop me from continuing my work to serve the people of Idaho.” The people of Idaho probably wish they could take a bathroom break from Craig’s continuing drama.

• Don Imus is back on the air, with two Black comedians on staff. Imus openly discussed the controversy that led to his firing by saying, “I didn’t see any point in going on some sort of ‘Larry King’ tour to offer a bunch of lame excuses for making an essentially reprehensible remark about innocent people who did not deserve to be made fun of. … I will never say anything in my lifetime that will make any of these young women at Rutgers regret or feel foolish that they accepted my apology and forgave me. And no one else will say anything else on my program that will make anyone think that I didn’t deserve a second chance.” Dog the Bounty Hunter and Michael Richards are probably hoping to appear on the new show soon.

Essay 4780

Weekend rollout in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Evel Knievel made his final jump—to The Great Beyond. The iconic motorcycle daredevil passed away on Friday at age 69. Knievel recently settled a trademark infringement lawsuit with rapper Kanye West (see Essay 4765). “They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives,” said Knievel. “People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner.”

• Shock jock Don Imus returns to the airwaves on Monday, and the New York Post reported he’ll have a Black cohort on the show. The new teammate’s identity remains a secret. But if it works out, look for Dog the Bounty Hunter to relaunch his program in South Central.

• Just in time for the holidays, you’ll have an opportunity to purchase items from the estate of late singer Luther Vandross. Over 1,000 things will be available for auction next week, collectively valued at $800,000. Wonder if Don Imus will be bidding.

• Rapper Akon is facing charges for throwing a kid into the crowd during a June 3 concert, allegedly causing a concussion to another fan. Looks like Akon must now throw a concussion-causing pile of money at the injured spectator.

• In Bangkok, Thailand, political campaign workers recently secured support by distributing Viagra to older voters. However, the men were advised to seek medical attention for elections lasting longer than 6 hours.

• The Coalition of Immokalee Workers protested at Burger King’s Miami headquarters, arguing over the unfair wages and conditions in fields where tomatoes are picked for the fast feeder. “Thanks to this big giant, all of us are here today to demand change,” said the coalition co-founder. “This is a big giant, but the bigger they are the harder they fall.” No word if any tomatoes were thrown.