Prayers For A Prince

It's time to Break It Down!

 

The saga of LeBron “The King” James has largely been epic; even storybook in nature. He was one of the last greats to make the transition from high school to the NBA. Not only did he make it in the NBA, but he forged a career that has him deemed by many to be the greatest to ever do it. As he is poised to begin his 21^st year in The League, his teams, three different franchises, have won four NBA Titles, he has won 4 League MVPs, and this past season, he eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer.

 

There is little left for LeBron to accomplish, in terms of burnishing his career. However, he has spoken fondly in recent years about the prospect of playing long enough to share the court with his son Bronny (LeBron Raymone James, Jr.), for at least a year. After a tough playoff loss this past season, Lebron momentarily expressed uncertainty about his playing future. After losing to the eventual NBA Champion Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals, The King voiced the possibility of retiring. Most insiders doubted he would really retire, as that would conceivably deny him the opportunity to play with Bronny.

 

On Monday, Bronny, a rising freshman, anticipated to be a one and done prospect, suffered cardiac arrest during basketball practice at the University of Southern California where he is matriculating. USC medical staff treated him and transported him to the hospital. By yesterday, he was in stable condition, and out of ICU.

 

The James family issued a prepared statement:

 

“We ask for respect and privacy for the James family, and we will update media when there is more information.

 

“LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”

 

Bronny is 18, and an incoming freshman for USC’s basketball team.  He is a 2023 graduate of Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, where at 6-foot-3, he was rated a 4-star recruit, and excelled in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game this past March. As a senior, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 steals. He chose Southern Cal over Ohio State University, and the University of Oregon.

 

In 2022, James told the Athletic, “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

 

Just two weeks ago at the ESPY Awards, LeBron stood on stage with his family, wife Savannah, sons Bronny and Bryce, and daughter Zhuri, who he described as the “greatest blessing in my life.” Of his sons, he said, ”I’m so proud of these two men standing right behind me tonight. See, they’re on their own basketball journey. And no matter how far they choose to go, they’re not cheating this game. And that inspires me.”

 

Bronny’s experience harkens back to January 2, when Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football Game between his Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, when he collapsed after an open field tackle against a Bengals wide receiver. It’s another reminder that the games we enjoy so much carry risks that we seldom consider.

 

Hamlin was cleared to return to action this past April. It’s too early to tell whether Bronny’s fate will be as promising. There are batteries of tests that must be taken and evaluated to determine the root cause of his medical event. Meanwhile, LeBron’s dream of playing alongside Bronny is on hold, at least temporarily, as his health, safety, and full recovery take center stage. 

 

On the question of the GOAT, people who know me are fully apprised that I’m Team Jordan. But for the purposes of this post, it is my sincere hope that as Bronny recuperates, we can put our allegiances to the side, and all be, Team James. “Prayers For A Prince!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

 

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/sport/bronny-james-cardiac-arrest/index.html

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2023/07/prayers-for-prince.html

Tupac: The Saga Continues

It's time to Break It Down!

 

Urban legends, mythology, and conspiracy theories to the contrary, Lesane Parish Crooks, aka Tupac Shakur, aka 2Pac, aka Makaveli, was murdered in Las Vegas, Nevada (NV) in September, 1996. Shakur was shot while riding in a vehicle with Death Row Records CEO, Suge Knight, after having attended the Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson boxing match on September 7, at the MGM Grand Hotel. Six days later, he died from internal bleeding, while in the intensive-care unit at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.

 

To some observers of the Hip Hop Community, the saga of Tupac is akin to that of JFK or Elvis, or Michael Jackson. Translation: Despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, there are people who argue they are not alive. Suffice it to say, this content creator does not make that argument. Not for JFK, not for Elvis, not for Michael Jackson…and not for Tupac.

 

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), in an appearance yesterday on CNN, indicated that it executed a search warrant Monday in Henderson, NV, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur.

 

The LVMPD statement reads:

 

“LVMPD can confirm a search warrant was served in Henderson, Nevada on July 17, 2023, as part of the ongoing Tupac Shakur homicide investigation. We will have no further comment at this time.” 

 

Shakur was shot multiple times. The LVMPD has not disclosed the location of the search. Back in 1996, it was widely reported that authorities believed Shakur was the intended target of the shooting. Nevertheless, the case has remained unsolved for 27years…”Tupac: The Saga Continues!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

 

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/18/entertainment/tupac-shakur-murder-investigation/index.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2023/07/tupac-saga-continues.html

Back To The Future: Better Late Than Never

It's time to Break It Down!

 

This week I was reminded that my topics of choice have trended heavily toward politics in recent weeks. While I do understand that’s not for everyone, one of my friends and mentors advised me decades ago, that virtually every experience in life, after leaving the birth canal, until we are entombed, and everything in between, is touched by politics. When we are born, we get a Birth Certificate, when we die, we are assigned a Death Certificate. When we drive a vehicle, we’re required to secure a Driver’s License. When we purchase a home, we get a Mortgage, and eventually a Deed. Renovate that home, and a Permit is required. In an America, increasingly leaning towards the standards of the Wild, Wild, West, almost everything, with notable exception of acquiring a gun, in some places, requires a record, a seal, a permit, a certificate, or a license of some sort. And no, before you ask, this post is not about expanding/reforming gun laws, though for the record, I think that’s a good idea.

 

I thought I’d pen something light. With all the hubbub of the emergence of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Market, which for app practical purposes, is dominated b Tesla, I saw something recently that reminded me that when I was a kid, the really forward-thinkers presaged that we would one day travel via the benefit of flying cars. Even recently, the prospect of that decades old dream has seemed, at the very least, far-fetched. 

 

But then…

 

Then, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it has certified for testing a vehicle that California startup, Alef, describes as a flying car – the first fully electric vehicle that can both fly and travel on roads – to receive US government approval.

 

Alef Automotive, which dubbed the vehicle/aircraft the “Model A,” said it is the first flying vehicle that is both drivable on public roads, and able to park like a normal car. The “Model A” also has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The current design allows for one or two occupants, with a road range of 200 miles, and a flying range of 110 miles. Now before you plan to just run out and get one, with the first delivery projected to be by the end of 2025, do recognize, this scientific and engineering marvel is expected to be priced at around $300,000 per vehicle.

 

The company’s current FAA certification provides for a special airworthiness certificate for limited purposes, which permits exhibition, research, and development. The vehicle is categorized as an all-electric VTOL, which stands for Vehicle Takeoff and Landing Aircraft. Numerous companies are working on similar concepts. The FAA indicated Alef is “not the first aircraft “of its kind” to get a special airworthiness certificate. However, Alef noted that its vehicle is different because of its ability to function both on roads, and in the air, to appear like a normal car, and to park in a normal parking space.

 

The vehicle will be certified as a “low speed vehicle,” which means it won’t be able to go faster than 25 miles per hour on a paved road. According to Alef, it is assumed that, if a driver needs a faster route, the driver will use the vehicle’s flight capabilities. Of course, it should be added, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approval will also be required to operate on roads.

 

The “Model A” has been under development since 2015. Four friends, Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov, and Dukhovny, inspired by the “Back To The Future” movies (which foresaw flying cars being available by hat year), decided to form a company to develop them.

 

The company said an initial automated test flight of a skeleton version of the vehicle was conducted successfully in 2018, with a full-size prototype flown the following year. But they needed FAA special airworthiness certification to continue research and development.

 

Alef has taken refundable pre-orders for more than 400 vehicles, at a cost of $150 to be in the general queue, or $1,500 for the priority queue. They are running about a decade behind, but, if you fancy yourself as the next Dr. Emmett Brown, or Marty McFly, dial up Alef, and get yourself in one of those queues. “Back To The Future: Better Late Than Never!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

 

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/03/tech/flying-car-faa/index.html

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2023/07/back-to-future-better-late-than-never.html

Adios Affirmative Action: That's How The Long Game Is Played

It's time to Break It Down!

 

In as much as this is a holiday week, I would normally repost a previous edition of “Break It Down.” However, since time and attention to issues shifts swiftly, and since the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) rendered another momentous decision Thursday, June 29, 2023, striking down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies, I am opting to take a swing at weighing in on the matter today. Who knows what the compelling news of the day will be this time next week?

 

How did we get here?

 

Forty-five years and one day earlier, (June 28, 1978), SCOTUS ruled on the Bakke Case, finding that affirmative action was constitutional, while invalidating the use of racial quotas as part of the process. Allan Bakke, a 30-year-old engineer, and former marine had been twice rejected for entry in medical school at the University of California, Davis, (UC-Davis), at least in part, due to his age. After his second rejection, he filed suit against UC-Davis, challenging the constitutionality of the school’s affirmative action program.

 

The California Supreme Court struck down the program as violating the rights of Whites, and ordered Bakke admitted. Inevitably, UC-Davis appealed, and the case was heard by SCOTUS, where the California Court’s ruling was overturned with conditions; namely that racial quotas could no longer be used. Just as with Roe vs. Wade, which preceded Bakke by 5 years, opponents of the Bakke ruling had been fighting since the day of the case became law, to get it overturned.

 

Since that time, the SCOTUS twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programs, including as recently as 2016. Of course, that was prior to the arrival of the three Trump appointees, all of whom voted to end the program.  At arguments in late October,  all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice. 

 

The petitioner in this case, Students for Fair Admission (SFFA), a nonprofit organization describes its stated purpose as, “to defend human and civil rights secured by law, including the right of individuals to equal protection under the law.” They were also the petitioner in the 2016 case. That case, which failed to prevail, included White and Asian students. In the current case, with only Asian students, SFFA filed separate lawsuits against Harvard and UNC, arguing that their race-based admissions programs violate, respectively, Title Nine of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. On Thursday, SCOTUS held: Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

 

This ruling is an example of relentless persistence. I’m reminded of the Jim Valvano ESPN Speech, when imploring folks to fight the good fight for cancer research, he proclaimed, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Broadly speaking, opponents of affirmative action, like those of abortion last year, never did. Their conviction, similarly, resulted in another hard-fought, long sought after victory. This is where I note how the advocates of both abortion and affirmative action let their self-satisfaction, and their high-minded principals get in the way of maintaining their ultimate objective. First, Democrats and liberals stayed home in midterm elections during Obama’s tenure. This voting malpractice enabled the GOP to retake the House of Representatives, and then the Senate. Result: McConnell denies Obama a 3^rd SCOTUS pick.

 

Then, in 2016, the uber so-called woke crowd, determined that Hillary Clinton was merely Trump in a dress, or a pantsuit, and was fundamentally, no better candidate. Result: Donald Trump is elected POTUS, and then appoints 3 rightwing Justices to the SCOTUS. Voila, good-bye abortion rights last year, and affirmative action last week. Next? “Adios Affirmative Action: That’s How The Long Game Is Played!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

 

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65886212#

 

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2023/07/adios-affirmative-action-thats-how-long.html