Last month's Academy Awards caught quite a bit of flack for the lack of black actors nominated. And by "lack of", I mean none, as a controversial New York Times article opined. While prior years have found actors and actresses like Forest Whitaker, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, and Halle Berry among the list of nominees, this years Oscars were about as diverse as a Tea Party rally. Many people noted the snub of Tyler Perry's 'For Colored Girls' as proof that Hollywood still hasn't turned the corner in "postracial" America, and that the Academy Awards are still a segregated affair in which movies portraying the African American experience are seldom allowed inclusion.

If there's a black actor who's quietly making power moves in mainstream Hollywood releases, it would be the underrated Anthony Mackie. The New Orleans native's filmography includes a staggering 32 titles in the past 10 years. He's probably best known to black filmgoers for his role as Papa Doc in Eminem's biopic '8 Mile,' or maybe for his miscast take on Tupac Shakur in 'Notorious.' But Mackie really hit the Hollywood jackpot for his gripping portrayal of a solidier in 2008's 'The Hurt Locker,' a film which walked away with an Oscar for Best Motion Picture. He recently landed one of the coveted spots on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue, and now finds himself alongside Matt Damon in the romantic thriller 'The Adjustment Bureau,' opening this weekend. If there's a young brother qualified to speak on the state of the film industry, it would be Mackie.

Like many of you, I've watched the slow motion train wreck of actor Charlie Sheen with a mix of amusement and curiosity. It seems to be something new every day. Quickie marriages and quicker divorces. Drug problems. Trashed hotel rooms. Hookers. Rehab. Porn stars. Bitter custody battles. Anti-Semitic comments. If you didn't know any better you'd assume you were watching some third rate reality show, but sadly for all those involved, Sheen's very public downfall isn't scripted.


Although he basically lost his job because of his various problems, that hasn't stopped Sheen's latest media blitz to salvage what's presumably left of his reputation and career. The man seems to be everywhere lately, from CNN, to TMZ. He's taken to Twitter rants, and '20/20.' I coulda sworn I saw him in CVS last night running his mouth, but I might be wrong.

If Sheen's ordeal has definitively proven anything, it's that as long as you can make other people money, you'll always be needed. As the star of one of TV's top rated shows, 'Two and a Half Men,' Sheen pulled in a cool $1.8 million per episode. If the producers of the show were willing to put up with his behavior and still pay him that much money, it's fair to say they're getting a fair return on their investment. So, even after making some insulting comments about the show's Jewish producer, Sheen didn't get canned. CBS and Warner Bros. merely canceled the remainder of the current season. In short, if Sheen gets his act together, there's a good chance everyone will just kiss and make up, and the show will go on next fall. They want to keep making money off him if they can. Need I remind you that Hollywood is always, I repeat, always, about the bottom line.

Like many of you, I just finished watching all three days of the NBA's annual All Star Weekend. I was thrilled by the soaring dunks, awed at the smooth three pointers, and maybe a little bit disturbed at the total and complete lack of defensive effort. Seriously, I think my mother could have scored double figures during that Rookies vs. Sophomores Game. Still, there's little denying that when it comes to putting on a show, the NBA has it figured out better than any other sport. Sure, the Super Bowl is indisputably a staple of American pop culture, but in terms of sheer entertainment value, it's hard to compete with the NBA's annual three day extravaganza. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a die hard NBA fan, but I doubt it.

Not everyone feels this way, of course. Some even say the NBA is on a decline as a business and a cultural force, despite the popularity of events like All Star Weekend. Since the retirement of a trio of league-saving superstars named Jordan, Bird, and Johnson, many fans have voiced their disillusionment with the direction of the sport. Many blame the me-first personalities of the players for driving fans away. Others think the shift from team-centric fundamental 'Hoosiers'-style basketball to the isolationist "dunk/3 pointer"-based game has made fans less interested, thus hurting the NBA's bottom line.

And then there are those like The Daily Beast columnist Buzz Bissinger, who think the league's losses (financial and otherwise) are skin deep -- as in caused by the skin color of the African American players. His recent piece published on Business Insider called "Here's The Real Reason The NBA Is Losing Fans" is a case study in what happens when an armchair, out of touch "fan" tries to make race the culprit for why white fans allegedly aren't feelin' The Association anymore:

While doing hard time is anything but a walk in the proverbial park, anyone who's watched HBO's 'Oz' knows a resourceful inmate can still enjoy many of the perks of pre-incarcerated life while behind bars. From recreational drugs, to chipped cell phones, to fried chicken, there are plenty of ways to partake in life's finer things as you count away the days.

But who knew inmates were receiving tax refund checks, and large ones at that, while still in the pen? Here's the story:

Prisoners in Florida, Georgia and California lead the nation's inmate population in scamming payments from an unlikely benefactor: the IRS. Prisoners in the three states received nearly $19 million in IRS refunds during 2009 after filing false or fraudulent tax returns, according to an IRS report to Congress that was included in a federal audit released in January.

The haul was part of $39.1 million in undeserved federal tax refunds the IRS issued to jail and prison inmates nationwide for phantom jobs on phony returns, the data shows. That's nearly triple the $13.4 million annual in tax refunds the IRS reported it issued to prison scammers just five years earlier.

Well, gentlemen, it's officially that time of year again. Nope, not time for the Super Bowl (Go Steelers!), it's time for the female equivalent of the Super Bowl. That's right, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. And I've got your cheap Valentine's day ideas to get you through.

Assuming you're not one of those cheap and trifling brothers who routinely breaks up with a woman just before major holidays to avoid the inevitable financial outlay, you're gonna have to spend some money and you might be searching for some ideas. In this economy, every dollar counts, and since we can't all lavish our women with a pair of Louboutins, here's a few recession-friendly ideas to help you out. Cheap Valentine's Day presents can still be thoughtful and romantic.

1. Break Out The Pen - Fellas, when's the last time you actually wrote something for your lady? I don't mean signing a birthday card, I'm talking about actually putting together a series of genuine, heartfelt thoughts on paper? Tell her why you love her, how much she means to you, and why your life is so much better with her in it. Make a playlist to go along with it (this is 2011, does anyone listen to mixtapes anymore?) of your favorite songs. This costs practically nothing but time and creativity. It's a cheap Valentine's Day gift that she will love, because it shows you know her soul.

UPDATE: Akron mom released early from jail in school residency case

By now, I'm sure you've read a million and one blog posts about the Ohio mom who was jailed for having her children illegally registered in a school district in which they didn't live. The saga of Kelley Williams-Bolar made the rounds of the black blogosphere this week, before bubbling to the surface and reaching the mainstream media. It's a cause celebre that's risen to a level of interest not seen online since the case of The Jena Six.

Just in case you've been living under a rock all week, here are the basics of the story:

An Ohio woman who was jailed for tampering with records to get her children into a better school district has been released from jail a day early, according to a local newspaper. Kelley Williams-Bolar left the Summit County Jail on Wednesday, having served nine days of her 10-day sentence, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Williams-Bolar, a single mother living in subsidized housing in Akron, used her father's address to register her two daughters in the high-achieving suburban Copley-Fairlawn school district. Copley-Fairlawn said the improper registration cost it $30,000 in lost tuition and $6,000 in investigative costs.

With with Dow pushing 12,000 and unemployment down to 9.4 percent, it's fair to say the economy is finally pointing in the right direction. Still, with black unemployment on the verge of a 25-year high, I don't think anyone's breakin' out the bubbly just yet. The reality is that the current economic depression is hitting us worse than anyone else, and the recovery is passing us by.

As the new Republican-majority House settles in, the political crosshairs are now fixed on cutting non-military spending in the name of deficit reduction. Programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are likely to experience some level of belt-tightening cuts, and public sector jobs are likely to be eliminated. An unintended consequence of this drive to chip away at governmental austerity is that black people will likely suffer more than anyone else (as usual):

Whenever governments cut spending, the pain is uneven. But African Americans are especially vulnerable, as a disproportionately high number rely on government dollars for crucial services, a new study has found. As black people are more dependent than white people on public safety nets, and are more likely to be on public payrolls, governmental austerity could wound the black community especially severely.

In the wake of the worst economic downturn since the Depression, local, state and federal governments have contended with often massive budget deficits. As officials cut spending to compensate for diminished revenue, society's most vulnerable members are losing essential services. In a political climate where austerity is considered a virtue, and where "belt-tightening" is seen as necessary for re-energizing the economy, many black Americans could see their lives upended.

All politicians make promises. When you think about it, that's basically their job: promise things on the campaign trail and attempt to implement those things once in office. Of course, following through on promises is often much more difficult than making the promise in the first place, especially in national politics. After all, if you are in Congress, you've got just one vote of the 435 available, and one out of 100 in the Senate. In lots of cases, the president can simply veto anything you do, push come to shove. It's just the nature of the beast.

That said, the neck-breaking speed with which the GOP is blatantly rolling back much of what it promised its Tea Party and Republican constituents last fall in terms of cutting federal spending is downright comical:

Republicans are already backpedaling on a number of provisions of their "Pledge to America," including promises to cut spending and reform Congressional rules. The GOP had railed against Democrats' strong-arm legislative tactics, pledging to send all bills through a full committee process and to "let any lawmaker-Democrat or Republican-offer amendments." Yet with its very first act-health care reform repeal-it will break both pledges, Politico reports.

It's been a great year for producer and sometimes rapper Swizz Beatz. He (somehow) managed to bag Alicia Keys. He keeps on makin' hits. He just welcomed a healthy new child into the world. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear everything was peachy keen.

Of course, as with everything in the world of entertainment, there's more to his story than meets the eye. Turns out Swizzy's got some serious IRS problems:

A giant tax bill makes a pretty poor baby shower gift, but that's what the IRS and New York gave singer Alicia Keys' husband, record-producer Swizz Beatz, who owes more than $2.6 million in delinquent taxes, records show.

Beatz, 32, and Keys welcomed a baby son in mid-October. Days later, the state of New York slapped yet another tax lien on Beatz, real name Kasseem Dean. Not to be outdone, the IRS sent its regards this week.

The IRS filed a $283,562 lien against Swizz Beatz on Monday with the New York City Register.

The state of New York filed a $134,738 tax warrant against him and his ex-wife, R&B singer Mashonda on Oct. 23. The warrant is filed with the New York County Clerk.

The IRS filed a $652,727 lien against Swizz Beatz, real name Kasseem Dean, on June 3 with the Rockland County (N.Y.) Clerk. According to the lien, which you can see here, he owes income taxes from 2008.

The state of New York filed a $162,300 tax warrant against Dean and his ex-wife on Feb. 4, 2009, with the New York County Clerk.

The IRS filed a $556,986 lien against Dean and his ex-wife on Aug. 18, 2008, in Rockland County. They owe 2007 income taxes, according to this public record.

The IRS filed an $842,645 lien against Dean and his ex-wife on March 4, 2008, with the Somerset County (N.J.) Clerk. According to this lien, they owe income taxes from 2006.

As snow falls once again in New York City, I can't help but be reminded of last week's debacle of a clean-up effort and what it implies about the changing relationship between labor groups and society.

At first, New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg was harshly attacked for the city's slow efforts at removing the snow. But then blame shifted to the Big Apple's sanitation workers, who allegedly dragged their feet on purpose in an effort to protest the city's recent layoffs and benefit-reducing budget cuts. The effects of the slow-down were drastic and widespread. Emergency vehicles were unable to respond to 911 calls, and in an extreme example a newborn baby died as the child's pregnant mother awaited help.

Some union bosses were actually caught drinking beer while they should have been plowing streets: