This Week’s Pendulum

1 U.S. POLITICS WILL CONGRESS FORCE OBAMA OUT OF LIBYA?

On Friday, May 20, 2011, the US reached the 60-day deadline according to the War Powers Act that requires military forces to cease action without approval from Congress. Congress introduced the Act during the Vietnam War. The President has the option to begin a 30-day withdrawal period.

2 WORLD DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN SCANDAL HIGHLIGHTS ASSORTED SOCIAL ISSUES

Last week, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as the head of the International Monetary Fund in the aftermath of the charges he’s facing for allegedly forcing himself on a hotel maid. The media focused on how sexual assault allegations against the French politician will affect his career and (along with the Arnold Schwarzenegger scandal) returned the spotlight to the predatory and sexually imperious behavior of powerful men, but the affair also brings to light the dangers hotel maids face working in isolation, as well as issues related to class and race. Strauss-Kahn’s alleged victim, a West African immigrant, reportedly is feeling overwhelmed and threatened by the global attention being paid to the case.

3 WEATHER TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE THROUGH THE STORMS

The 2011 tornado season has been particularly aggressive, killing more than 450 people and destroying millions of dollars worth of property. A series of devastating storms roared through the Midwest over the weekend, including a horrific tornado that killed at least 89 people in Joplin, Missouri. Our prayers go up for those affected by these and earlier storms. Check out these safety tips from ABC News for advice on preparing for the unpredictable weather activity of this crazy storm season.

4 MUSIC DANCING TO MARY MARY’S ‘WALKING’

Mary Mary continues to evolve. They know what their loyal fans want and they know how to grab a new batch of fans with every album release. The album debuted at number ten on the Billboard top 200 charts, with 42,000 copies sold in the first week. Watch Walking below!

5 EDUCATION TESTING PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EDUCATION STRATEGY

Chris Barbic is the superintendent of a new special “Achievement School District” in Tennessee. The district includes five of the state’s worst-performing schools. Barbic, who has a reputation for his successful charter school career, seems more than qualified to lead the test run of the President’s reforms. Unlike previous school reforms, the state will control a small group of underperforming schools, rather than addressing the issue state-wide.

6 MONEY GROUPON LAUNCHES NEW ‘NOW DEALS.’ REVOLUTIONARY?

Groupon Now is designed to allow business’ to fill seats on slow days. The deals are only valid during certain hours and usually expire within 24 hours. This model allows business’ to manage their perishable inventory. This model is sure to change the way people view business in general; it gives local businesses a way to maintain a buzz rather than survive on ebbs and flows of business.

7 TECHNOLOGY NETFLIX COMMANDS INTERNET TRAFFIC

Netflix now accounts for nearly 30% of all broadband traffic during peak hours. BitTorrent is second at 21.6%. “Internet service providers, have argued that TV shows and movies streamed from Netflix add as an unsustainable burden to their network.” Providers are looking into placing caps on broadband and extra charges. Based on the growing internet usage, your monthly bill may soon be based on usage rather than speed or bandwidth alone.

8 TV CHARLIE’S ANGELS MAKES A COMEBACK ON ABC

The new Angel’s will star Minka Kelly, Annie Llonzeh and Rachel Taylor. The original series, which began in 1976, starred Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. The executive producer, Drew Barrymore, is also a former Angel. Unfortunately, after watching the preview, I predict these angels won’t have their wings for long.

Watch preview below!

9 MOVIES MICHAEL JAI WHITE’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Never Back Down, released in 2008 and made $41 million worldwide. This summer, Sony Pictures will release Never Back Down 2, which White says will have a “darker installment…with more of a Dark Knight feel.” The film centers around the world of four fighters from different backgrounds training together under an ex-MMA star.

10 CELEB A FAIRYTALE ENDING FOR OPRAH

Oprah Winfrey, who has inspired millions, donated millions to charity, and created an empire founded in humility and service, was honored last week at a star-studded surprise thank you event at the United Center, in Chicago. Everyone from Tom Hanks to Michael Jordan showed up and shocked Ms. Winfrey with gratitude for her commitment to quality entertainment, inspiration and philanthropic deeds. Watch the event TONIGHT!

Saving the Game

Saving the Game

In my view, nothing could be further from the truth. But there are those out there who maintain this train of thought.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s definitely a disconnect between the African American community and the national pastime. Gone are the days when Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and Reggie Jackson stood as the most popular ballplayers of their eras. These days, in a sports culture tainted by the specter of steroid scandals, you’d be hard pressed to name a top African American baseball player whom everyone knows.

It would be easy to blame the loss of infatuation with baseball on the fact baseball facilities are slowly disappearing from America’s urban metropolises. It would also be easy to blame basketball and football’s dominating popularity and appeal to the young black male/female. But I’m not totally buying it.

The reasons are plentiful and can vary in validity and practicality. I think you have to look deeper than economic excuses to find the root of the issue.

The Dominican Model
Yes, basketball and football seem to be the better choice of the three when baseball is entered into the equation, but it hasn’t always been that way. It also doesn’t have to be that way now. You can still get paid very well in baseball, as there are no salary caps. The Yankees pay Alex Rodriguez almost as much as the Kansas City Royals pay their entire roster.

Blaming the disconnect on our urban communities’ inability to draw in African American kids is not entirely accurate as well. Sure, there aren’t as many ball fields in urban areas as there used to be, but that kind of thinking undermines the creativity and resolve of our country’s children. The counterpoint to that argument lies in the Dominican Republic city of Santo Domingo.

The Dominican Republic is one of the biggest suppliers of prospects in Major League Baseball. The country is poor, but full-blooded Dominicans account for about 10 percent of all the players in the MLB. Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, and Ubaldo Jimenez all hail from the DR. It would be odd to pass through the streets and fields of the country’s capital and not find a group of kids playing baseball, with nothing more than a stick and a whatever round object they can gather for a ball. It’s more than evident that a great number of urban kids have it hard here in the U.S., but it’s much harder there in the DR.

There are glaring similarities in each case. The stigma is either you play ball or sell drugs to make it out the ‘hood. Although it’s a different kind of ball, the same reasoning rings true for thousands of young Dominicans looking to get out of poverty. The one thing that differs about the two situations is the extent of Major League Baseball’s involvement in the lower levels.

Nearly every Major League team has an “academy” in the Dominican to help groom young players into big-league prospects. What would it do for our urban children if such an initiative were emphasized here in the United States? If only the Washington Nationals would launch an initiative to help revitalize and refurbish all of D.C.’s dilapidated and forgotten urban ball fields, instead of just investing in the new condos and high rises around Nationals Park for people of a higher tax bracket. I think if there were a serious, deliberate effort to attract young African American children to baseball it would go a long way toward helping close the chasm of disinterest in the sport that has developed.

Reversing a Losing Trend
If current MLB commissioner Bud Selig really wants to bring back the romance to the relationship between blacks and baseball, he would spearhead a movement to reacquaint African American youth with his game. This isn’t to say that the MLB doesn’t do anything to address these issues, but in order to ensure that baseball does not die from neglect in the hearts of urban kids in America, it will take help from the MLB, as well as schools and parents that are willing to expose their young people to a wider variety of sports.

The church can also do its part in helping to bring baseball back. Perhaps Sunday-school classes or youth groups could plan outings to the local minor league ballgames, which are typically very affordable. Perhaps youth ministries could make sure baseball is one of the offerings for their kids during weekly recreational times or summer picnics. There are things all of us who love the sport can do to help reintroduce baseball to urban kids who are starry-eyed with pipe dreams of NBA and NFL success. If we can get them to see the beauty of the game, we can start restoring the relationship and fervor that has been lost between the bases.

If you have any additional ideas about how to get baseball back in our children’s lives, leave them in the comments section below. We can do it together.