BET

Black Entertainment Television was founded in 1980 by Bob Johnson. Since BET was sold to Viacom the appeal has dropped frequently. I thought the sell to Viacom would have brought more money and better television shows to BET. That is definitely not the case. BET has become one of the worst networks on television. Bob Johnson should be ashamed for selling his company to Viacom and watch them put the company in the grave. I’m not sure if they need better executives or just new owners. BET lacks good television shows. No one wants to watch movies all day long; especially movies that have R ratings and every other line is bleeped out. Rap City doesn’t come on anymore, 106 & Park is on its last leg and new shows like Hell Date just didn’t have the longevity. It was only good for the moment.

BET needs to bring back music videos. They do not have the show power like MTV to not show music videos. My generation grew up on BET and we would watch it sometimes before school and definitely after school. BET was always the first channel I turned on when I got home from school. Maybe I am lacking information about music videos. Maybe people don’t want to watch music videos anymore and all they want to do is watch reality TV and if that is the case that is an absolute shame. BET at least can hire some good show developers and come up with something that will keep the public attention. College Hill was a great idea, Baldwin Hills wasn’t pretty shabby either, the Keyshia Cole show was a good idea, but the ratings are high on that because of the characters the people on the show are appealing to the public—but everything they do it seems like MTV is first to do it. I don’t know if it is me or does BET cameras doesn’t look sharp or crisp. It is definitely not my TV. I don’t know what it is but they makes me not even want to watch their shows.

I’m sorry but a line-up full of judge shows, movies and sitcoms isn’t the BET line up I want to see. I want to see videos. Bring back Rap City, Video Soul, Cita’s World, Hits from the Street, Teen Summit and definitely bring back Videolink. BET what has gone wrong? I am extremely disappointed. And if your are going to show TV shows all day show Martin, Fresh Prince, Living Single—just about all of the shows the TV-One shows. I honestly probably wouldn’t feel as angry about BET if I haven’t grown up on BET and know BET’s potential.

Is it the economy that is hurting BET? I don’t know the Nielsen Ratings but I know my friends and I aren’t watching BET. Even my younger brother and sister by pass BET. The Channel just need to put up a blank screen and say under construction. BET needs revamping, new shows, new people and new ideas. I would love to see BET regain it prominence that it once had. Maybe it is just me and I am the only angry former BET viewer. Everyone loves the new line up of shows on the network. If so, I apologize. If not thank you, I know I am not crazy. Someone please help. I will do just about anything to help BET get back on track. It is sad to see such a great idea go dwindle away.

Yes We Did!!!

On January 3, 2008 a young senator from the state of Lincoln stated these words after a surprise win in the Iowa Caucus in the Democratic primary.

“They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided; too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose.

But on this January night – at this defining moment in history – you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do; what the state of New Hampshire can do in five days; what America can do in this New Year. In schools and churches; small towns and big cities; you came together as Democrats, Republicans and Independents to stand up and say that we are one nation; we are one people; and our time for change has come.

You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that’s consumed Washington; to end the political strategy that’s been all about division and make it about addition – to build a coalition for change that stretches through Red States and Blue States. Because that’s how we’ll win in November, and that’s how we’ll finally meet the challenges we face.

The time has come to tell the lobbyists who think their money and their influence speak louder than our voices that they don’t own this government, we do; and we’re here to take it back.

The time has come for a President who’ll be honest about the choices and the challenges we face; who’ll listen to you even when we disagree; who won’t just tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to know. And New Hampshire, if you give me the same chance that Iowa did tonight, I will be that President for America.”

This young senator was Barack Obama. Even though New Hampshire didn’t give him that chance, America did. On November 4, 2008 Barack Obama was set to become the 44^th president of the United State of America.

Barack Obama’s victory was a major event in the history of the United States. Not only because he is the first “known” nonwhite man to become president of the United States. His election was so special because it is the first time in the 233 year history of this country that people from all different types of background could be proud of the actions of their country. This event differed from others because the masses came to together and were excited about the outcome. There weren’t one or two groups that enjoyed the success of this man. Happiness and joy sprung from all pieces of the globe.

I made the journey to Washington, DC to be a part of history and attend the 56^th inauguration to witness with my own eyes the swearing in of our 44^th president. The city was electric the whole weekend, but nothing compared to that Tuesday, January 20^th. People started to pack the metro train system at 3am for an event that did not start for another seven hours. People with tickets stood in lines that were miles long with no major complaints. People waited for half a day to catch a glimpse of the man they voted for. It wasn’t just a few diehard fans that packed the National Mall. Close to 2 million people packed the mall and parade route that day, just so they could be part of history.

In a country where racism is still strong and very much alive, a biracial man whose father came from the African country of Kenya and mother came from the corn fields of Kansas, can now lead the country. His words, beliefs and honesty about what is going on in the world today brought millions of strangers from being strangers to being a proud American family.

His story proves that America is the place for dreams to come true no matter your situation. As long as you lead yourself and your family in the right direction positive things can happen.

He showed little kids that it is cool to go to school and get your education. That if you work hard and if you believe in yourself all of your dreams can come true. Being positive and carrying yourself in a mature manner does more for you at the end of the day than showing off all your flaws and being ignorant.

He made the racists of the world realize that their thoughts about the other race are wrong and rude. There are people of all races who have families that work to survive and have respect. He has made adults take responsibility for their own actions and not think its ok to blame it on the system. Responsibility is a word he used often on the campaign trail and I HOPE everyone listened as he said it. He is not in office to make your life better he is in office to assist you in making your life better and your neighbors. If you choose not to help yourself or your neighbor - how can he?

As people from all different walks of life stood on the National Mall together, I realized that this country was finally starting to grow up. That after over 300 hundred years of slavery and oppression, after being shot down with water hoses and being treated like second class citizens, we all stood there as equals. That after eight years of one of the worst (if not the worst) presidents in the history of this country, we as a people did not let the race of the best candidate hold us back.

Even though things in this country might not be perfect, things are starting to head in the right direction. I know there are still ignorant people in this country who hate the people because of their skin color. Not realizing that the only reason they have hatred for them is because of their own shortcomings and inabilities as people.

These few dimwits are not stopping the rest of us from realizing that being proud of your heritage does not mean that the next man is not as good as you because he is a few shades lighter or darker than you.

This is a country where a black man could not drink from the same water fountain, let alone sit at the same counter as there white counterparts, let alone cast an actual vote in some parts of this country only 50 years ago. Congrats President Obama!!! The election of President Barack Obama taught us that we are all one group of people, that we are all Americans. And, may God bless America!!!

We at CLASS would like to know what you think this historic event will mean to our country. Please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank You.

Super Bowl 43

This Sunday February 1st is the 43rd Super Bowl of the National Football League. This is probably one of the biggest events of the year. It is filled will fans, food, football and can't forget commercials. This event is the advertising firm dreams, but that is enough about commercials. Let's talk about the game. The Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Arizona Cardinals--who would have bet their money at the beginning of the season that this would be the Super Bowl matchup. This is why they play the game. I am not a big better, but I can believe that the odds are definitely against the Cardinals despite their "Super Human" offense that is capable of putting on 40 points a game. They are going against the number one defense in the league. Who cares? The key for Pittsburg to keep the edge and not let one of the biggest surprises in Sports happen they must put pressure on Kurt Warner and allow him ZERO time to get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald(Will put on a Jerry Rice like performance in Super Bowl 43) and Quarterback turned Receiver Anquan Boldin. Troy Polomalu is great, but the rest of the Steelers secondary aren't as great. They a good within a team scheme but that scheme isn't going to be good enough to stop the Cardinals offense.

My SuperBowl Predications are as stand:

Cardinals 31 Steelers 24.

Larry Fitzgerald: MVP

Who Are You Waiting For?

2009 may be a big year for Hip-Hop. There are a lot of releases that myself and the general public are waiting for. Depsite the big names dropping in '09 I don't think record sales will bounce back due to the tough economy people rather be able to pay for gas than have listening music for their cars. Here are some off the names that are supposedly dropping albums this year.

Jadakiss-Album is called Last Kiss and is slated for a March 10th release I am praying Rocafella/Def Jam doesn't push it back again. This is a much anticipated album; especially with 5 years since the last Kiss album and zero LOX albums in between that time. Atleast he had a few mixtapes to keep the fiends nodding. Alqueda Jada is a lyrical beast and my predictions is this may be his best effort yet.

Joe Budden- The self-proclaimed King of New Jersey. Is not a friend off release dates. I prefer not to ever pay attention to any Budden release date, but when it does drop I will be one of the first people with it. He lost a lot of fans on his first album titled Joe Budden--critics said it didn't live up to his mixtape ability. But not shortly after, he began to drop his classic Mood Muzik series which gained him critical acclaim through different media avenues and with his fans. Buddens latest release is titled Padded Room and due to hit the stores and digital market on February 24th.

Jay-Z- The God MC J-Hova is working on Blueprint 3. I heard very little about the album except that all of its production is from Kanye West. Jay-Z rarely fails when it comes to music. You usually can't compare to any of the releases that drop with him. You usually have to compare his stuff with his older stuff. Just be prepared.

Dr. Dre-Detox--that is all I am going to say. It is all hype. It will probably be another classic, but I don't think it will be out for another 5 years.

Lupe Fiasco. Mr. Kick Push is scheduled to release is final album--sad to say but he will go out with a bang. His last effort will be a triple disc. The album is titled LUPEND. It will be difficult to top his first two albums, he survived the sophomore jinx and now for his junior effort before he retires he is trying to complete a very close to perfect set of albums. LUPEND is scheduled to drop in the 4th quarter.

Others:
50 Cent
Lil Wayne(Rock Album) Really doesn't count
Wale
Fabolous
Eminem
LOX
Charles Hamilton

Feel free to write which albums you are waiting for.

Notorious Review

There was a lot of hoopla and anticipation behind the Notorious movie. Controversy between Lil Kim and the writers and producers of the movie. Many people question whether or not will it be good or bad, give the correct amount of respect to the late great Brooklyn rapper, do Spider-Man numbers at the box office and so on. Well the movie made $21.5 million at the box office opening weekend. That was a pretty good opening.

The movie was really good. It wasn't an instant classic, but it is a movie that you wouldn't mind adding to your DVD or Blu Ray collection. Jamal "Gravy" Woolard did an outstanding job of playing Biggie after seeing him in the movie I couldn't picture anyone else starring in the role. The people behind casting the movie really took their time to find the right people to portray everyone in the movie. The storyline was intriguing from the very beginning and keep my attention throughout. The only downfalls for the movie to me is the fact that they left out key people that was in Biggie's life. I know they were working on time constraints and didn't want to make a mini series and wanted to stick to making a movie, but at the same time I felt Charli Baltimore, Jay-Z, LOX and Mase should have been in the movie. Even without those people the movie--the movie still proves its point. It showed the life and times of Christopher Wallace one of the most celebrated hip-hop artist of all-time.

4 out 5 stars ****

Its More Than a Week w/o CLASS.

This is the time of the year where we all need to start planning for the most important week to any college student. Spring Break!

From deciding where to go, what to wear or not to wear, what side of the city to stay, what friends to take, and how much money to spend everything needs to be right to have a worry free spring break.

Here at C.L.A.S.S. we feel it is our duty to provide everybody with the veterans guide to making sure YOU are properly prepared for Spring Break.

1. Start Saving NOW!!!!!!

If you do not start saving your funds now, you will be spending that week at home patrolling the couch at your parent’s crib bored out of your mind, or you will be the broke friend that everyone is ducking when you get in line at the club. Put yourself on a strict budget where your only real expenditures are what you have to spend to maintain (rent, utilities, food, and liquor). Remember it’s only a little over a month, YOU CAN SURVIVE!!!!

Tips:

· Do not eat out every meal. If you must have your fast food fix eat it once a day. NOTE: if you can resist for a few weeks you can have that spring body that all the guys and gals like.

· If you are hosting a house party, make it a BYOB (bring your own bottle), there is no need to get the entire campus drunk while they save their pennies. You bring none, you get none.

Expenses

Depending on your budget, it can get tough to stay inside the “cool” parameters during spring break. The best way to find a decently priced hotel is by looking through all the different travel websites. They usually have a deal that can be found if you take the time to do a detailed search. Use your recourses i.e., friends that have gone before. It is very easy for a hotel to throw up a nice picture of another hotel. Since you are always on facebook anyway, use this time wisely. Once you arrive at your destination become familiar with the prices of food, drinks and social life, then set a daily allowance for yourself and do not go over it. This will seem really hard at times but manageable if you can find “self balance”.

Definition of “self-balance”: On a $50 a day budget.

· Drink-oholic: This is a person who likes to spend all of their money on drinks. This person likes to eat the cheapest food and does not want to shop just drink. A perfect budget for them would include $10 per day on food and $40 on drinks.

· Shop-oholic: This person has to take everybody back a souvenir and must purchase a pair of shoes once a week. Not too concerned about cheap or expensive food but likes to drink. An example budget would include $15 food, $20 shopping, which leaves you $15 for drinks.

TIPS: these were two very farfetched examples of college kids on Spring Break, however in many cases very realistic. A few things that can help oholic’s, find a local grocery store when you get in town (no not the village mart on the strip, a real store) and go shopping. Get chips for snacking, microwavable foods, big bottles of liquor so you can drink before you WALK down the strip. This way you can have a slight buzz before you get in the club and you can spend less on drinks. Make friends with a cab driver and get his card, this way you can use him all weekend on a discounted rate.

2. Workout

Almost all great spring break locations are located where the sun and sand are major parts of the environment. This means clothes off and bodies out. For the sake of your tags and the others on the beach, tone that fat. There is no need to walk up and down the beach looking sloppy and sick if you can help it. That would not be a good look. If you are only a few weeks away from turning sag into definition why not make it happen? Make sure that you are eating right, drinking enough water (leave the beer alone), and get in a little cardio to start. Make everyone who is going with you get on the same work out plan.

Guys’ being able to take off the beater and play in the water with some new female friends is a perfect way to spend your day, and hopefully it will lead to some fun nights. You do not have to join a gym or make any other type of long term commitment, just invest in the Perfect Pushup exercise equipment, which can be found in a certain humongous nationwide super discount store for under $30. If you follow the workout they give you, you will be able to work out the whole upper body. If not crunches, pushups, and running are always a good option.

Ladies please start doing your squats ASAP. Nothing and I mean nothing looks worse than a saggy booty in a bathing suit. The second thing you must do is lose that little spare tire that you got during the holiday season. Most of your time will be spent with your stomach in plain view to everyone. Make sure that it is a nice sight to see. There are plenty of 5 minute AB videos on youtube to choose from. Find one that you like and make it happen.

3. The Trip

One of the great misconceptions about spring break is that you have to spend your whole break on vacation. This is completely wrong. Waiting until Wednesday or even Thursday to go on your trip can be a smart move depending on where you’re going. You’re able to save money this way which is always a good thing (especially in the middle of a recession) and still experience all the fun.

Make sure your roommate is going for the same reasons you are. If you plan on starting to drink at 11am and party until 5am every night, make sure that your roommates have the same goal in mind. I don’t care how good of a friend you are with a person, if one person’s goal is to party with the best of them and the others goal is to relax and relieve stress a conflict will occur.

4. Favorite Spring Break Locations

South Beach Miami – Party alongside your favorite celebrities in the South Florida hot spot. The beach is packed from sun up to sundown with beautiful sights.

South Padre Island, TX – The fun never stops in South Padre. Where you hop from bar to bar all over the island.

Cancun, Mexico – Sit on the beach drinking mojitos and daiquiris enjoying the wonderful views in the most serene of the three getaways.

A New Beginning

Welcome to ClassMagOnline! This is the beginning of an up and coming online magazine for everyone. Class is an acronym for Culture, Lifestyle, Arts, Style and Sports. This isn't the only online magazine that covers these topics, but we will strive our best to give you a honest opinion and interesting facts to keep your mind having something to think about. With no further adieu--Welcome to ClassMagOnline. Enjoy!