I usually try to start with something witty right here, but today, I thought to myself, "Why should I? If the former Secretary of Education doesn't have to, neither do I!"

And if you're scared already, it might be best if you wait until next week's happier edition returns.

YOU STUPID IGNORANT ------- - Now I'm not going to say what I really want to about William Bennett as for one, I don't know the man and have never met him. (Well, there's that and the fact I don't want the FBI following me.) But while his recent comments on crime are quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard from someone who is supposed to be educated, let alone was once a government official in charge of freakin' EDUCATION, but I am not shocked. In fact, I know there are plenty of people who feel exactly the same way. My only point in giving this story attention is that if we don't give it attention, it will be forgotten and dismissed with the ever popular "taken out of context" excuse.

As a whole, "the black community" (no one ever talks about the white community - what's the matter, you don't have a spokesman or something?) has issues, but if you think blacks are the sole cause of their problems, let alone crime, you are too stupid to be left alone in society. Are there any gun factories in Harlem? No. Are there any alcohol breweries in Compton? No, just liquor stores selling it for cheap as possible to disenfranchised people. Crime is not about race, crime is about class.
I hate to sound likd Bill Cosby, but if you want to find a criminal, how about looking at who doesn't have much to start with and if you are smart, you'll look at why they don't have much. Then you might understand why crime occurs. How about looking at the stereotypes people like Bennett have that prevent many potential criminals from thinking they have any opportunity in the first place? Oh well, guess I'm too smart for this one-sided debate.

WHAT'S NEXT? SETH McFARLANE'S CHORES LIST I don't really know much about Joss Whedon seeing as how I never watched any of his beloved TV shows (including "Firefly," on which his latest work "Serenity" is based) but I'm not sure if I ever want to be this famous. Seriously, don't be surprised if this makes it to someone's cable channel next year - only with Bobby Brown, Danny Bonaduce, Kato Kaelin and the castoffs from "The Real World/Road Rules" challenges to follow suit.

A FUTURE OF BABY ASHTONS & DEMIS? Here's some news that can't be good for America. I don't have any further jokes for that. (My name is Tabari, after all.)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SKEET, SKEET, SKEET?!? Back to some ignorant news, this movie looks like it will continue the great Soul Plane tradition of showing rappers acting a fool on screen. Heaven help us all.

COMING OUT THE CLOSEST – And if that Ying Yang twins wasn't enough,
here's some R. Kelly news for you..

HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE WEEK Miri Ben-Ari, a.k.a. "the Hip-Hop Violinist." Ever heard an album so good you know it won't sell? That's this album. Showcasing the ability to use a classical music instrument to make classic hip-hop, this album is worth picking up if you need music that is mentally stimulating as it is dance-floor friendly.

A musician just called Kari and said his show at Fat Fish Blue had been canceled because, well, Fat Fish Blue closed.

So we called them, and it's true. No plans to reopen, they say.

We'll let you know if we find out the reason for the closing.

You don't have to know everything about MidPoint Music Festival to have tons of fun there. Go one night and see 20 bands or go three nights and see 100 bands. It's all in the planning. Our cover story this week (hits stands tomorrow) is all about MidPoint, with a handy schedule and venue map.

And the fun doesn't stop there - I'm also writing a MidPoint blog, to help you plan your route and to keep you updated on all the crazy happenings at the festival. I'll be blogging from the venues (hauling a laptop around town and all that).
Visit, comment, go to MidPoint!

I'm one of those people that if you tell me something annoys you, I'll usually stop. That is, however, unless you anonymously read my column and post negative comments without making any specific claims as to what you find fault with. (It wouldn't matter anyway, because I really don't care. You're obviously reading because you either [A] like my blogs or [B] are starved for attention that no one else will give you. I hope it's option A, I really do.)

So if you can't figure out what all this means, it's simple: It's a bonus edition of Thoughts for the Thoughtful!

LET'S (NOT) PLAY HOUSE - You know, for as much trouble as I have with the opposite sex as an adult, I can't even fathom what this poor kid is going to be going through as he moves on into adolescence and later adulthood. I know there aren't that many good men out there according to just about every female comedian I've seen in the last 15 years, but if you're getting this desperate, you probably should just consider celibacy for a little while.

KATE AND CANDY FACTORY - I would never make fun of anyone who suffers from anorexia. That being said, it's hard to not point the finger and say, "What in the world is wrong with you?!?" when news like this, which a lot of people have long suspected, becomes true. It seems that the nose candy is still popular among the stars (no matter how limited their talent or appeal). While I hope she goes and gets help in rehab (you can find some pictures of her allegedly using the substance in question), the fact someone in her position has gone this route makes me wonder if she has a copy of Scarface at home.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS. NOW GO OUTSIDE - I love TV as much as the next man, granted the next man hates reality TV and the 80,000 cop dramas on prime time TV as much as I do. But this is pretty much the epitome of getting famous for doing absolutely nothing. Sadly, I know someone who if they could stay awake long enough would not only smash this record, would obliterate it to shreds.

SADLY, THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE. As big of a Bengals fan as I am, I hate to see (nearly) anybody suffer the kind of day Daunte Culpepper suffered during his visit to Paul Brown Stadium this past Sunday. But if you want to see just how bad his day was, all you have to is click this link.

ROAD TO REDEMPTION - For as much heat as I've given him in recent weeks, even I will admit Terrell Owens deserves some kudos for his latest move off the field. Now, if I could just get him to not burn me like he did this past Sunday when the guy I'm playing in one the fantasy football leagues I'm a member of has him on the roster, maybe I'll forgive him. Maybe.

HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE WEEK - Taking a cue from my fellow CiN Weekly staffer Kari Wethington, I am going to start featuring a hip-hop artist of the week. (Why, you ask? Because I can!) This week's featured artist is New York underground hip-hop rapper/infamous industry legend/boxing fan R.A. the Rugged Man. As anyone who saw his crazy ---- set at Scribble Jam can tell you, R.A. lets it all hang out on stage and on the mic, no matter who is or isn't watching.

While his Web site is in need of an "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition" fix-up, his album is as good today as the day it dropped. Do like Missy Elliott , Timabaland and Magoo and 'cop that disc!

OK, is it just me, or have we been getting some great live music this month?

Sufjan Stevens' show at the Southgate House last Wednesday kicked off three weeks' worth of shows I'm really excited about. Then this Wednesday, we've got The National at Southgate, and the week after that, Brazilian Girls comes to the Mad Hatter. Brazilian Girls is one of my top, let's say, five bands right now (Sufjan is also up there), so I'm definitely looking forward to the show.

Oh, also there's this thing called MidPoint. You might have heard of it. This will actually be my first MidPoint, so I plan on letting those wiser than me (that would be Kari) guide me through the chaos.

Other than making a plea for you to donate to the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina if you already haven't, I haven't really come across too much this week that has peaked my interest pop-culture wise.

Or so I thought.

Without fail, this week has brought out another batch of crazy news from the world over. And since I have the nasty habit of paying too much attention to what's going on around me, I have to speak on it.

Welcome to this week's installment of Thoughts for the Thoughtful.

(PRIDE) MARCH OF THE PENGUINS? You know, sexual orientation is one of those topics that no matter what side of the debate you believe, I really don't care to discuss. However, when I see a story as ridiculous as this one, even I can't resist the urge to poke both fun at both sides. (And yes, this story is a year old, but the recent March of the Penguins movie has brought it back to the spotlight.) If you think we are supposed to take away cues or a lesson from penguins, ironically enough those in a San Francisco zoo, you are out of your blasted mind!

GAMER'S PARADISE. I have a friend of mine who complains her boyfriend plays too many video games when they could be spending time together, so this news should serve as a warning to non-gaming women and parents with kids who demand the latest technology everywhere. I've already got my deposit on my new system in, but ladies, trust me, I am more than willing to put down the controller to spend a quality evening with you. I'm just saying ...

DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING ... JUST KIDDING! Kathy Griffin's flower-giving nemesis likely just worked her way back into her act as this news shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Save for the name Britney gave her spawn of Federline, the reason behind the end of the Zellweger/Chesney affair (Zellweggy claims "fraud" but has failed to elaborate) is quite interesting. I guess he didn't have her at hello after all.

SCORE ONE FOR NANCY! As a proud University of Cincinnati alum with two degrees, I, in theory support Nancy Zimpher's desire to make the campus a better place of education. But since I still don't agree with the way she handled the Huggins situation, this news makes me laugh. We finally broke into someone's top 20 colleges ranking - too bad it's gonna take a whole lotta treadmills to get us off it!

ENOUGH'S ENOUGH! I love baseball. I played it as a kid, I still buy the video games and collect the cards/autographs. But you've got to be kidding me that this deal is a good one! If I had the money (which depending on Mega Millions ticket outcome, I might be getting closer to actually having) wouldn't pay that much for a TV network, let alone the rights just to broadcast one type of programming on it! You mean I get to watch more of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers??? Wow, where do I sign up to get off this bus?!!

AND SPEAKING OF BASEBALL ... Most of my friends know that when it comes to the past national pastime (because it is past now that football fever has taken over America), that I love the Cubs first and the Reds second. (Insert your own disparaging, anti-Cub marks here). But even I gotta feel kinda bad for those who place the Reds first in their hearts after seeing a story like this. I don't and won't even attempt to guess what the team is going to do to try and get right for next season, but I'm thinking fixing (or trading) this situation might need to be a priority.

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT - Sometimes, I just like to ramble (as if you haven't noticed). So, here's a bunch of stuff I just wanted to mention because I can. So, ending this week's entry, here I go:

• Office etiquette tip: If you have an issue that only concerns three or four people in your office, don't send out a company e-mail and then continue to have a company wide e-mail fight. Thank you!

• Bill Simmons, who I often cite as my inspiration for these posts, is just hilarious. If you haven't bookmarked his Web site yet, you are not a true sports fan (or at least can't see the humor in our favorite games).

• Music artists I feel I am the only person in Cincinnati who likes them: Slum Village, Esthero, Edan, Skillz, Apathy, Brother Ali and Portishead

• Best local hip-hop group you've never heard of - Tanya Morgan

• Rudi Johnson has a Web site - that's kinda nice. But can a brother get some props for his lovely cover story he did on you??? How about an old Audiofile at least? Oh well, be sure to check out Rudi's Cincinnati.Com online diary.

• If you know where I can find a nice Sean John belt for under $30, please let me know!

• I was recently talking to someone who had breath that smelled like old coffee beans and stale fish. There's just no nice way to tell someone they have that type of smell in their mouth, is there?

First Hardees came out with the "Thickburger," now there's this.

Finally, I can kill both my heart and liver in one delicious meal. Thank you, Checkers!

Just happy to pass along something:

Riverbend Music Center just announced that the Rascal Flatts concert featuring special guests Blake Shelton and Blaine Larsen scheduled for 8pm this evening has officially Sold Out!

What that means for the wider world, I leave to you to discuss.

If you think you've seen the worst of the catastrophe in New Orleans, you're wrong. As the toxic floodwaters recede in the city, a more complete picture of the horror of Hurricane Katrina will emerge. In the last week we've gotten just a grim glimpse of what Mother Nature -- and a slow federal response to a disaster -- can do to a community. Now we're going to learn what happens to a human body when it sits for days on end in a contaminated stew of industrial waste, raw sewage and who knows what else. What recovery teams find in the streets and attics around New Orleans will likely be more gruesome than anyone could ever imagine.

As this nightmare continues to unfold, I find myself thinking about the role of photojournalism. Reports have now been published about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's request that the media not take pictures of the dead.

This is from a Reuters report:

In an e-mail explaining the decision, a FEMA spokesperson wrote: "The recovery of victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect and we have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media."

I truly wish I could believe that treating the dead with dignity was the sole reason for FEMA's request. But for some odd reason I have a sneaking suspicion that the organization's leaders may have some ulterior PR-related motives.

The bottom line is that photographers and videographers are going to get these images regardless of what any governmental agency says about it.

But then what? What should news organizations do with the photos and footage?

To get some perspective, I e-mailed my old friend and mentor Kenny Irby of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. "The public needs to see the impact of our inadequate planning and response to this national disaster," wrote Irby, Poynter's visual journalism group leader. "It our responsibility to report and present this horrific story with compassion and sensitivity for the stakeholders."

Alicia Wagner Calzada, president of the National Press Photographers Association, seemed to agree. "Publications need to be sensitive," she said in a telephone interview from Baton Rouge, LA, where she is taking pictures for Rumbo, a Spanish-language newspaper based in San Antonio, TX. "But there are times when you need to hit people over the head with reality."

Calzada referenced the pictures of people falling out of the World Trade Center on 9/11 as an example. "They were horrifying pictures," she says, "but they drove home the reality of the situation."

But how much reality is too much reality? How much is not enough? Where should these images of Hurricane Katrina run? On the front page above the fold? Inside? In color? Should media outlets stay away showing the most grisly footage? What about protecting the family and friends of the dead? If news organizations decide to show graphic images, should disclaimers be used?

These are just a few of the tough questions that photo editors and news producers now face. There won't be any easy answers.

Personally, I thought I wanted to see the images. I wanted perspective. I wanted the cold, harsh truth regardless of how ugly it was. Then, last night, I sat at my computer in pleasant, dry Cincinnati and came across a flood photo on a "shock site" that's too sad and grotesque to describe.

I don't know what I think anymore.

-- D.E. White

What about you? What do you think those of us living outside the affected areas absolutely need to see? What do we not need to see? Why?

Related links:
NPPA Opposes Any Suggestion Of Photography Restrictions In Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath (NPPA.org)

Ethical Questions About Covering Katrina (Poynter.org)

Shocking, Grisly Pictures Vital to Story of Katrina (Denver Post)

TV's Hurricane Images can Distress Children (The Journal News)

To quote the great Rakim - "It's been a long time - I shouldn't have left you ..."

For all three of you who've been rabidly wondering where my weekly entry has been these last two weeks, the answer is simple: I, much like Dave Chappelle, decided to take a vacation. But much like Dave proved at the Funny Bone on the Levee last night, I'm back!!!

Thus, without any further delay, here's looking at you with another batch of Thoughts for the Thoughtful, the back from vacation edition:

A RAP GROUP THAT'S "TOO INTELLIGENT" FOR AIR TIME??? In case you haven't noticed, I am a huge fan of the North Carolina hip-hop collective known as the Justus League, led by ABB Records/Atlantic Records recording artists Little Brother. The group - which if you don't know about, you need to - is set to drop its major label debut album The Minstel Show next Tuesday, Sept. 13th. And given the album's subject matter as its title indicates, this news should sadly come as no surprise. If you want to find out more about a group that stands for everything hip-hop should be about, read this; if you are more interested in seeing just how dumb the music I love is getting, however, don't forget to read this story, which sadly shouldn't be as shocking as it should be, as well.

THE MISUSE OF THE CHRIST: The next time you meet someone who claims to be a Christian, ask them whether or not they agree with this story. If the answer is "yes," they are not what they claim to be. No matter what your belief on the issue is, doesn't the Bible teach to hate the sin, not the sinner? And doing this at a funeral is outright flat wrong - this is the type of activity that makes me ashamed to say I go to church if these are the type of people that get associated with my faith.

DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER: No this isn't about Kanye West's outburst and Mike Myers nearly swallowing his tongue after what he said during the hurricane relief telethon. (If you haven't seen it, you've gotta go to http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo and search for it yourself!) No, this is about walking punchline Tara Reid and her recent misfortune. While I feel bad she got robbed, is anyone else besides me trying to figure out how someone who's put out as many bad movies as she has recently had that much loot on hand in the first place?!?

MILE-HIGH MISTAKES: First Maurice Clarett, now this. It's a good thing Van Pelt didn't go to the University of Cincinnati - he'd probably be banned for life!

MOMENT OF CLARITY: No matter how bad your situation is, if you are reading this right now, chances are you are doing better than anyone in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricane Katrina. I have no jokes about this event, as not only would they likely be in poor taste, but the situation is no laughing matter. The events of Sept. 11th didn't seem to strike a cord with me as much as this event did (not that I am saying 9/11 was by no means anything less than a tragedy), but whether it's the fact I've watched too much media coverage of the event or the fact I can't get over how damage water - which we all use and need on a daily basis - can do, the effects of Hurricane Katrina will long live on past the damage it has done.

By now, you're probably sick of hearing people on TV and on the radio and even the Internet asking you to donate, but think about this: If you can afford to spend that $3-plus at Starbucks, buy that $4.99 combo meal or think about buying a new pair of $100 shoes, you can donate at least $5-$25 to the American Red Cross or any other worthwhile organization. If you are the type of person that needs something other than the good feeling you'll get from donating, head out to McFadden's Saloon next Friday and take part in the hurricane relief event CiN Weekly is co-sponsoring. (Shameless plug? Not in this case.) Not only will you get to hear some live music, be treated to drink specials and get to dine on a Cajun style buffet for your suggested $20 donation, but you will be doing something good for someone else in the process.

That's what truly being thoughtful is all about.