Our "Black" President

We are a nation that is built on diversity that is what makes us the greatest society on Earth today. It is wonderful that we are able to celebrate who we are as individuals. However, as Americans we should focus more on our commonalities rather than our differences.

You always hear people say, "I am proud to be Irish-American, African-American, Latin-American, etc." That is were the problem lies. We should focus more on what ties us together. Why is it important emphasize our place origin? How many of us that are currently living in America have even been to our “native” countries from which we are so proud to proclaim that we are from? Don’t you think that our forefathers left their homeland for a reason?

My great grand parents fled from Russia because of the persecution from Stalin and the communists. Many others have fled their country due to poverty, war, famine etc. So why are we so quick to point out where we came from? If our home country that we are proclaiming to be from was so great why don’t we go back? I will tell you why, because the U.S.A. for all of it faults is still the land of opportunity which gives us the freedom to pursue our dreams.

So instead of saying I’m an African-American, Russian-American, Martian-American, whatever…why can’t we all just say, “I’m an AMERICAN!” Even our so called black African-American President Obama has admitted to being a mutt. Yet somehow we have defined him as an African-American.

There are many flaws with this statement. Barack Obama senior, Obama's father, was a polygamist who had already abandoned one wife and child in Africa when he met Obama's mother in Hawaii. Obama senior returned to Africa, abandoning Obama and his mother, to live the life of a chronic alcoholic who ultimately killed himself while driving drunk on the streets of Nairobi. Barack’s mom was a white girl that was born and raised in Kansas. Obama was also raised for the majority of his life by his white Grandparents in Hawaii. So explain to me how this makes Barack African-American? Despite it’s somehow politically incorrect stigma this would classify Barack as a Mulatto? But do you hear anybody calling him a Mulatto-American?

To sum up, the point that I am ultimately trying to make is that we are all Americans and that is all that matters. Why do we have to box ourselves up with these divisive terms? This is a time in history where we should all band together and rally as one nation under the American flag. You know what I am proud to say that I am an American who just so happens to have some lineage from somewhere in Russia. But I am an American first and foremost.

State of Metal

So finally after 14 or so years G N' R finally comes out with their new album Chinese Democracy. I know it has been a couple of months since the albums release but I didn't really start getting into this blogging thing until recently. At any rate, I didn't even bother buying the new CD; I just listened to it in its entirety on their official My Space page. I'm glad I saved my money. I was pretty disappointed to say the least. Axl just needs to swallow his pride and put aside his arrogance and just kiss and make up with Slash and the other old band mates in order to put out a proper G N' R album.

Thank goodness for Metallica coming to the salvation of Rock and Metal yet again. They totally redeemed themselves with Death Magnetic. I was glad to see that it was a far departure from the bad old days of Load and ReLoad, and what the hell was with St. Anger? That album had some potential if they had just put a little bit of production value into it. I know they were trying to prove that they were at their roots a "Garage Band", but come on this a world class metal band they don't need to put out low-fi crap like St. Anger to prove they are still hard. Metallica finally went back to their roots of speed metal with Death Magnetic. This album is truly a nod to the old school. You can hear the shades of ...And Justice for all and Ride the Lightning in this CD. Death Magnetic seems like it should have been the album that came after ...And Justice for All and right before the Black Album. Oh well at least Metallica didn't wait 14 freagin' years to release this material.

Now we just need to wait and see what the other Metal masters, Iron Maiden will come out with next. I know that Steve Harris and Dickinson are always working on new material, so we can only hope that they come out with an effort that keeps the momentum of Matter of Life and Death going which in itself was simply classic Maiden at their best. Hey well that is all the rambling I have for now. Up the Irons and keep waiving the Metal Flag proudly and loudly.