Black Television News Channel

(ONNculture) -- Former Republican representative, J.C. Watts has struck a multi-year agreement to release the BTNC (Black Television News Channel).

The network will target black audiences in predominately major media markets including: Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Baltimore.

The network says it seeks to provide "original news programming with a distinctly African-American perspective", through a programming deal with, cable television giant, Comcast.

NPR: Life of an Urban Monk

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa, a 35 year-old member of the Interfaith League, a Hare Krishna group, living, in lower Manhattan allows and indepth journey into his life as an 'urban monk'.

Calls for Assasination?

(ONNpolitics) -- First it was Ted Nugent, followed by News Magazines, Senator Clinton, Rev. Mike Huckabee, and the latest of the calls for the assasination of Senator Barack Obama is Fox analyst, Liz Trotta. Trotta appeared on the Fox News Channel, Sunday May 25, 2008, and displayed her lack of couth by stooping to the level of others who have called for Senator Obama's head. Trotta's comments have come in a floury of recent statements by many who would have the Democratic front-runners head for becoming the first African-American Democratic nominee for president.

Assassination talk isn't new to Senator Obama, as he receives any where from 70-130 hate-filled assassination threats per-day. His offices in West Virginia were bombed and marked with hate filled messages to only go unnoticed by the media.

The story finally came to a head when Senator Obama requested extra security from the US Secret Service and was granted the protection due to threat to the Senator's life.

Never before has a political candidate needed Secret Service protection this early in the campaign season. Traditionally, all candidates are offered protection once they secure their party's nomination.

My question to America: "If it isn't racism, what is it"?

Obama Administration's Cabinet

Ever wonder what Senator Barack Obama's cabinet would look like? Here's a glimpse in prospective order (partial list):

Commander-in-Chief

1. President Barack Obama (D)

Vice-President

1. John Edwards (D)


2. General Wesley Clark (D)

Secretary of State

1. Sen. Joe Biden (D)


2. Sen. Bill Richardson (D)

National Security Advisor

1. Dick Lugar (R)

Environmental Protection Agency

1. Al Gore (D)

White House Chief of Staff

1. David Plouffe (D)

Department of Justice

1. Chuck Hagel (R)

Department of Energy

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

Bud's $46-Billion Buyout

(ONNbusiness) -- According to a Fortune article, Belgian brewer InBev has considered making St.Louis based beer giant, Anheuser-Busch, it's latest acquisition.

With shares reaching an all-time high on news of an InBev-Anheuser merger, up 6.7 percent during mid-day trading - reaching $58 per-share, the deal will make the potential company the largest brewer in the world.

In a deal, reportedly, worth $46-billion, the maker of Becks, Bass, and Stella Artois would be offering the attractive, $56 per-share, price in light of rising cost of production on the American markets related to the devalued dollar and rising fuel cost.

List of Anheuser-Busch distributed InBev products:

• Beck's
• Bass
• Boddingtons
• Hoegaarden
• Leffe
• Stella Artois

Destination RED PLANET

(ONNtech) -- On Sunday May 25, 2008, NASA scientist anticipate the first glimpses of Mars from the Phoenix Lander. The Mars Phoenix Lander is a next generation space probe that will break the Martian atmosphere, traveling at thirteen-thousand miles-per-hour, before braking and crashing into the "Red Planet's" surface.

Scientist are optimistically hoping to discover some signs of present or prehistoric life from this excursion. But, finding life on Mars isn't NASA's first priority according to scientist Peter Smith.

Smith says, though, he remains optimistic about the mission, he is worried about the rough landing, which could damage the Lander and end the entire mission.

If successful, The Phoenix Lander will be a third-generation Martian probe to effectively transmit information back to earth, preceded by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed in 2003. View previous NASA Mars Missions >>

Hockey's Rising Star: Believe the hype!

(ONNsports) -- I've always wondered if I would ever become a die-hard hockey fan… Its because of, Pittsburgh Penguin's center, Sidney Crosby's highlight reel performances that I've started to flirt with becoming a fanatic of the sport.

Growing up, I used to play roller hockey on the streets of Memphis with neighborhood cliques. It was around this time in the 1990's that roller blades were the fad of the day and every teenage boy wanted to play hockey. But, it wasn't until I was about 14, that I ran into one of Memphis' minor league players who took interest in my game.

As a kid, I was always athletic enough to pick-up any sport quite rapidly, and hockey was no exception. I remember being amazed by the skills of this guy, whose names escapes me now. But, each day we would practice on the tennis court of the apartment community that we lived in. He taught me many of the basics of the sport, but the most memorable was the slap shot.

Overtime, just as the fad, my interest in the sport faded in to my childhood. Eventually, I moved away from the neighborhood and there went all of my enthusiasm also.

Now days, I look forward to watching Sidney Crosby, who is said, will bring fans to the sport of hockey, as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson did with the NBA in the 1980's. Some may disagree.

But, there's no doubt in my mind, that if the 20-year-old phenom continues his rise to the top, the NHL will tap into a broader fan base, who will be glued to the television screen waiting on the next Crosby 'hat-trick'.

Up, Up, and Away...

(ONNbusiness) -- On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, the price for crude oil soared above $134 per barrel, continuing a string of record setting price increases in the month of May.


The rise in crude oil prices to above $134, on yesterday's market, translates to about $3.97/ gal around the mid-west.

Many economist are attributing the price spike to the weakening of the US dollar in foreign markets and the influx of investors who are seeking investment shelters from the down turning economy by investing in oil.

Americans are feeling the pinch of high energy prices across the board. The transportation industry is being hit the hardest with the significant increase in fuel cost since last year, which has streamlined profits and crippled budgets.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, while campaigning in Kentucky, sounded the alarm and proclaimed that if we don't address the current energy crisis, our economy won't resemble the America of old.

Its hard to imagine that the mighty USA could be brought to its knees by surging energy cost, but it a reality that will come to fruition if we don't act now.

McCain in a 'Catch 21'

(ONNpolitics) -- Arizona Senator and Republican presidential nominee, John McCain is running into serious infrastructure problems with his campaign early in the game. He's having issues raising money and recruiting aides without corporate lobbyist ties

Why is this a big issue, some might ask? Well, it's because McCain would be putting his foot in his mouth if he allows himself to be tied to corporate lobbyist.

Earlier this year, McCain denied allegations of being tied to Washington lobbyist in a scandal that roughed up his image among prospective voters. But, the American people took his word for it and put the issue on ice.

Sen. McCain followed the scandal with a speech in which he said: "we need to close the door firmly on corporate lobbyists." Now reports are surfacing that McCain has lobbyist staffers and fund raisers working for his campaign.

Its an issue that he couldn't avoid, as fundraising has proven to be problematic among the traditional Republican base, who have continued to question his liberal agenda on issues such as climate and immigration.

McCain has been restricted in fundraising because he's trying to wear too many faces. On one hand he wants to appeal to the Independent with his maverick image. And, on the other hand he wants to remain a conservative, which is hard as most conservative voters require an "almost" all-or-nothing allegiance. This means that McCain has had to rely on the same fundraising apparatus (i.e., corporate funding) that he restricted through campaign finance reform laws and denounced through many speeches.

So, if McCain can't raise funds from corporate lobbyist or the traditional Republican base, then how is he going to fund his campaign in the Fall, which is already running on a shoestring?

The obvious answer is through public finance, an omen for any modern presidential candidate, especially when his likely opponent, Sen. Barrack Obama, has raised a quarter of a billion dollars ($250 million). Though it presents its problems public financing will have to be McCain's bread and butter as he will have access to the $84 million available in grants, which can be supplemented through the monies available through the RNC (Republican National Committee).

But, there remains yet another obstacle to overcome with public funding as McCain has past issues with the FEC (Federal Elections Commission), the commission that he plans to receive grants from. McCain has had an embattled relationship with the FEC over ethics issues while he campaigned in the past on a corruption and an ethics reform agenda. This battle came to a head when he commented in 2004 that the FEC was "disgraceful" and "despicable" in its practices.

There is, however, good news for McCain as he no longer faces a non-functional FEC, which was without important nominations due to a Senate deadlock on appointments. This is good because the FEC has to vote to release funds to McCain's presidential campaign in the Fall.

However, McCain faces a showdown with the Chairman of the FEC, David Mason, who wants to launch an investigation due to non-compliance with public finance rules over a loan McCain took out from a private bank to fund his campaign.

So, what do all the mounting obstacles mean for McCain's presidential bid? They point to the fact that McCain has some serious reckoning to do with important players in the political arena in order to finance his campaign which is essential to winning the election.

He needs to choose which side he's going to represent, either he's a conservative or not. Traditional Republicans are growing tired of McCain's maverick image that he plays up for the Independent vote.

Also, if he plans to stand a chance against Obama in the fall debates he has to formulate a convincing argument as to why he has such a close relationship with Washington lobbyist, while he claims to be so distant from them.