So I know that you have been waiting for me to talk about it. You probably wonder what's been taking me so long.
I've been biding my time, taking in everything that has been said (and has not been said) and forming an intellectual opinion rather than a visceral reaction. Also, I'm a full time grad student who works nearly full time running a community program-- you do the math.
So let's talk IMMIGRATION.
At one point I was itching to go on a rant about how on God's blessed Earth the House could have possibly passed such a clearly prejudiced and inhumane bill. A bill that would make undocumented immigrants aggravated felons and criminalize people like me, who work with immigrants-- many whose immigration status is unclear to me. But I didn't.
What I did do was take the time to read the bill and, by virtue of being a MPH candidate, engage in some intellectual discourse about the situation. During one of my many conversations about this, someone said something that set the cherries ringing in my head. The statement was so profound, I was speechless (and those of you who know me know THAT never happens.)
Quite simply she said this: "If you think about it, HR4437 is really not very different from the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850."
She's right.
Think about it carefully... go all the way back to your high school American History Class (I know, its painful for me too). If your school curriculum even covered slavery in any great detail, there was mention of this act as part of the Compromise of 1850.
Breifly stated, after the U.S. obtained the territory that is now California, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona from Mexico, California applied for Statehood. California wanted to be admitted as a Free State, throwing off the balance between so-called Free States and Slave States in America. To appease the Southern Slave States Senator Henry Clay proposed a compromise. Part of this compromise was that escaped or fugitive slaves whether they resided Slave or Free Sates were now considered aggravated felons who were to be captured by the Federal Government who had the right to use local enforcement agencies and deputized citizens with or without their consent to aid in the capture and return of slaves (and free born Blacks-- they made no distinction). The alleged fugitive slaves may or may not receive a trial in which they were not allowed to testify-- only the testimony of the alleged slave owner was admitted to evidence Moreover, anyone who helped a fugitive slave IN ANY WAY was considered to be a criminal to be prosecuted, fined and sent to prison.
The Sensenbrenner Bill HR4437 proposes in broad terminology that immigrants who are undocumented in the United States should be considered aggravated felons. Certain aspects of the language in the bill include using Federal money and agencies to have these people deported back to their country of origin. The Federal Government will be enabled to use local law enforcement, community agencies (with or without their consent) and deputized citizenry to assist in the apprehension and detainment of undocumented immigrants until they can be deported . The undocumented immigrants may or may not receive a trial in which they may or may not be able to testify on their own behalf. Finally, anyone who helps an undocumented immigrant IN ANY WAY is considered to be aiding and abetting a felon-- a criminal act punishable by inprisonment.
Hmmm... part of me wonders if Representative Sensenbrenner just lifted the Fugitive Slave Act from the shelves, dusted it off and replaced "fugitive slave" with "illegal immigrant."
I had the unique opportunity of speaking with a policy advocate who had actually had a meeting with Rep. Sensenbrenner. She told me that he made a statement to the effect of
"I have no problem with immigrants. Except for those Latinos."
Then he caught himself when he realized what he said and who he had said it to. But you know the saying "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
Well, I'm not going to inject any editorial comments on this one. I'm going to leave you to your own intellectual devices. If you think what I wrote above is poppycock and that I'm taking it too far, I suggest you check out these links and read for yourself. Be warned, the legislation is a little dense and you have to 'cut through the mustard' to get the gist of everything. But it is a worthwhile activity.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2951.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4i3094.html
http://www.nationalcenter.org/FugitiveSlaveAct.html (Sections 5-7)
I leave you with this to ponder.
Given the implications of HR 4437 and the fact that it has already passed in the House and has a pretty decent chance of passing in the Senate, do you think the American government is trying to test the limits of the American Consciousness? Seeing what extremes we will actually put up with? And are we paying attention? Because if they can pass a bill so similar in its root philosophy to the Fugitive Slave Act, what are they going to try and pass right under our noses next?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Some people are disgusting- Public Service Announcement
THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE REBEL INTELLECTUAL.
For your own health and safety... DO NOT BUY COSMETICS THAT ARE OUT IN THE OPEN AT YOUR LOCAL DRUG STORE. You might be getting more than you bargained for...
I was totally skeeved out by what I witnessed at the drug store last night. So much so that I called my soror in HOUSTON to rant about it (she is the only person who truly understands my randomness-- and my need to vent immediately lest I explode, but I digress).
I stopped by my neighborhood CVS last night to pick up a tube of mascara and a chocolate bunny for my goddaughter (ok... and some for me too... I'm on a MAJOR chocolate bender right now). As I entered the cosmetics aisle I saw a middle aged white woman testing out different lipsticks. Wouldn't have been so disgusted if it weren't for the fact that she was trying them out ON HER LIPS! And it wasn't just a couple of tubes. Much like a train wreck, I wanted to look away, but since I could not, I witnessed her do this with at least 8 different tubes from different manufacturers.
Yeah... disgusting right? Well even more so for me because I am in Public Health. So in my mind, not only am I noting how inherently WRONG her behavior is, but I'm also going through the number of infectious diseases that she could be catching from each tube of lipstick or WORSE what she could be passing along to another unsuspecting consumer.
Here is a BREIF list (see Prevention article for more)
Salmonella
E.coli
Staph infections
Conjunctivitis
Herpes (oral and genital)
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-5-53-146-4961-1,00.html
And if she's got kids and a husband? I'm so sorry for them. Cuz she will be kissing them goodnight.
And people wonder WHY I spend obscene amounts of money at M.A.C and Sephora for my cosmetics.
Because when I buy the shit, it is in a SEALED container in a SEALED box that comes to my hands from a certified cosmetologist from the drawer directly behind the display.
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by The REBEL INTELLECTUAL.
For your own health and safety... DO NOT BUY COSMETICS THAT ARE OUT IN THE OPEN AT YOUR LOCAL DRUG STORE. You might be getting more than you bargained for...
I was totally skeeved out by what I witnessed at the drug store last night. So much so that I called my soror in HOUSTON to rant about it (she is the only person who truly understands my randomness-- and my need to vent immediately lest I explode, but I digress).
I stopped by my neighborhood CVS last night to pick up a tube of mascara and a chocolate bunny for my goddaughter (ok... and some for me too... I'm on a MAJOR chocolate bender right now). As I entered the cosmetics aisle I saw a middle aged white woman testing out different lipsticks. Wouldn't have been so disgusted if it weren't for the fact that she was trying them out ON HER LIPS! And it wasn't just a couple of tubes. Much like a train wreck, I wanted to look away, but since I could not, I witnessed her do this with at least 8 different tubes from different manufacturers.
Yeah... disgusting right? Well even more so for me because I am in Public Health. So in my mind, not only am I noting how inherently WRONG her behavior is, but I'm also going through the number of infectious diseases that she could be catching from each tube of lipstick or WORSE what she could be passing along to another unsuspecting consumer.
Here is a BREIF list (see Prevention article for more)
Salmonella
E.coli
Staph infections
Conjunctivitis
Herpes (oral and genital)
http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-5-53-146-4961-1,00.html
And if she's got kids and a husband? I'm so sorry for them. Cuz she will be kissing them goodnight.
And people wonder WHY I spend obscene amounts of money at M.A.C and Sephora for my cosmetics.
Because when I buy the shit, it is in a SEALED container in a SEALED box that comes to my hands from a certified cosmetologist from the drawer directly behind the display.
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by The REBEL INTELLECTUAL.
Monday, April 03, 2006
My Personality DNA
I am a benevolent creator.... :)
My Personal DNA Maps (scroll over the colors to see what they mean)
Who am I?
My Personal Dna Report
This is fun... try it :)
My Personal DNA Maps (scroll over the colors to see what they mean)
Benevolent Creator
Who am I?
My Personal Dna Report
This is fun... try it :)
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
People you can only take in small doses
I am a people person. The evidence is obvious. I'm gregarious, a shameless flirt, I have friends from all walks of life and I work in a profession where I deal with many different kinds of people every day, and I love it.
However, there are certain people in the world you can only stand in EXTREMELY small doeses. For whatever reason (and it varies from person to person) being in the presence of these people for more than a modicum of time can cause everything from nausea vomiting and hives to a pronounced foul mood--or just make your good day a bad one.
What makes it worse is that these kind of people tend to gravitate towards each other and form groups-- so that they can inflict duress on innocent victims at levels that should be considered akin to criminal corruption.
Case in point-- a particular group of ladies that I have the dubious pleasure of being in graduate school with. These ladies have formed a tight knit circle and had the nerve to give their group one of the most obnoxious names possible (more on that later). While there are members of this group whom I find to be lovely individuals, once they join their herd, it is difficult to tell them apart from their perpetually annoying 'friends'. Therefore, for all intensive purposes, I will be dealing with all of them with the same amount of venom. Sorry ladies, but you are called on the carpet for being "Accessories to Extreme Annoyance."
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present for your condemnation-- The Super 7.
I'm mad that they have the nerve to call themselves "The Super 7." I am sure that it started off innocently and they thought it was cute ('There's seven of us and its pretty super that we are all friends...') but the name seems to have given them carte blanche to be-- well-- irritatingly self- righteous. They seem to think they are the only "normal" ones in our class and and confer a "lackof social skills" judgement upon other people. Apparently, they feel they have cornered the market on being 'the All American Girl' (cue: VOMIT). I recall sitting in class next to one of them during our final presentations and I happened to glance at her laptop. She had the nerve to start ripping another student's presentation to shreds (this person she was criticizing also happens to be someone in the class I am quite friendly with). Then she got up and do her presentation-- I must say, I had to stretch my mind to see the relevance of her selected topic to the class material we had spent the previous 10 weeks covering.
Another one who I am going to call "Her Royal Shallowness" ripped into another girl in the class on her blog (Curse you MySpace!-- Blogging for the WEAK) about not having social skills. Now mind you, "HRS" is quite possibly one of the most shallow, materialistic and generally unpleasant people you will ever meet. When I first encountered her, I thought I had met a kindred spirit when I saw her Coach bag and Kate Spade (faux?) shoes. But then I realized, unlike myself, she has an almost (self admitted) unhealthy obsession with expensive accessories. I like to purchase a nice Coach or Balenciaga (or both) every once in a while , but she's taking it to "Paris Hilton" levels... and I can only assume she has "Paris Hilton" cash to back it up-- or she shops on Canal Street. Otherwise she's got the most fucked up credit in the world.
The rest of them, I don't have an exceptional amount of experience with due to the fact that (thankfully) I've managed to avoid the madness. And like my above disclaimer, some of them are really nice people... ON THEIR OWN. However, the majority of the members of the "Super 7" have managed to say something that "rubs the wrong way" at least once in my presence. And by "rubs the wrong way"I mean that less tolerant people (especially less tolerant African American, Latino and Asian people) would find these comments offensive.
Oh.... did I forget to mention the fact that they are seven privileged WHITE women? Who are completing their Master of Public Health? A career field that leads you to professions where you work mainly with marginalized minority groups who have an inherent distrust of the establishment? I'm sure that they feel so very good about the fact that they are doing an MPH so that they can have a "fulfilling" career and "give back to the community"*snicker* (Damn, I can't say that with a straight face!) -- looking good while do-gooding, I suppose.
Aside: If I hear one more privileged, spoiled little asshole use the phrase "give back to the community" ONE MORE TIME....
I am by no means saying their motives are not pure or that they don't have the best of intentions-- they very well may genuinely give a crap about people besides themselves. What I am saying is that their constant stream of self righteous, judgemental bullshit needs to stop-- and soon.
They could benefit from a serious attitude adjustment. Their future careers depend on it. God forbid I end up working with one or more of them after we graduate, and they are still the same people that they are now. They don't want me to dress them down... they'll find out real quick how "abnormal"I can be and "lack social sklls"-- when I get GHETTO up in there.
However, there are certain people in the world you can only stand in EXTREMELY small doeses. For whatever reason (and it varies from person to person) being in the presence of these people for more than a modicum of time can cause everything from nausea vomiting and hives to a pronounced foul mood--or just make your good day a bad one.
What makes it worse is that these kind of people tend to gravitate towards each other and form groups-- so that they can inflict duress on innocent victims at levels that should be considered akin to criminal corruption.
Case in point-- a particular group of ladies that I have the dubious pleasure of being in graduate school with. These ladies have formed a tight knit circle and had the nerve to give their group one of the most obnoxious names possible (more on that later). While there are members of this group whom I find to be lovely individuals, once they join their herd, it is difficult to tell them apart from their perpetually annoying 'friends'. Therefore, for all intensive purposes, I will be dealing with all of them with the same amount of venom. Sorry ladies, but you are called on the carpet for being "Accessories to Extreme Annoyance."
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present for your condemnation-- The Super 7.
I'm mad that they have the nerve to call themselves "The Super 7." I am sure that it started off innocently and they thought it was cute ('There's seven of us and its pretty super that we are all friends...') but the name seems to have given them carte blanche to be-- well-- irritatingly self- righteous. They seem to think they are the only "normal" ones in our class and and confer a "lackof social skills" judgement upon other people. Apparently, they feel they have cornered the market on being 'the All American Girl' (cue: VOMIT). I recall sitting in class next to one of them during our final presentations and I happened to glance at her laptop. She had the nerve to start ripping another student's presentation to shreds (this person she was criticizing also happens to be someone in the class I am quite friendly with). Then she got up and do her presentation-- I must say, I had to stretch my mind to see the relevance of her selected topic to the class material we had spent the previous 10 weeks covering.
Another one who I am going to call "Her Royal Shallowness" ripped into another girl in the class on her blog (Curse you MySpace!-- Blogging for the WEAK) about not having social skills. Now mind you, "HRS" is quite possibly one of the most shallow, materialistic and generally unpleasant people you will ever meet. When I first encountered her, I thought I had met a kindred spirit when I saw her Coach bag and Kate Spade (faux?) shoes. But then I realized, unlike myself, she has an almost (self admitted) unhealthy obsession with expensive accessories. I like to purchase a nice Coach or Balenciaga (or both) every once in a while , but she's taking it to "Paris Hilton" levels... and I can only assume she has "Paris Hilton" cash to back it up-- or she shops on Canal Street. Otherwise she's got the most fucked up credit in the world.
The rest of them, I don't have an exceptional amount of experience with due to the fact that (thankfully) I've managed to avoid the madness. And like my above disclaimer, some of them are really nice people... ON THEIR OWN. However, the majority of the members of the "Super 7" have managed to say something that "rubs the wrong way" at least once in my presence. And by "rubs the wrong way"I mean that less tolerant people (especially less tolerant African American, Latino and Asian people) would find these comments offensive.
Oh.... did I forget to mention the fact that they are seven privileged WHITE women? Who are completing their Master of Public Health? A career field that leads you to professions where you work mainly with marginalized minority groups who have an inherent distrust of the establishment? I'm sure that they feel so very good about the fact that they are doing an MPH so that they can have a "fulfilling" career and "give back to the community"*snicker* (Damn, I can't say that with a straight face!) -- looking good while do-gooding, I suppose.
Aside: If I hear one more privileged, spoiled little asshole use the phrase "give back to the community" ONE MORE TIME....
I am by no means saying their motives are not pure or that they don't have the best of intentions-- they very well may genuinely give a crap about people besides themselves. What I am saying is that their constant stream of self righteous, judgemental bullshit needs to stop-- and soon.
They could benefit from a serious attitude adjustment. Their future careers depend on it. God forbid I end up working with one or more of them after we graduate, and they are still the same people that they are now. They don't want me to dress them down... they'll find out real quick how "abnormal"I can be and "lack social sklls"-- when I get GHETTO up in there.
Monday, March 06, 2006
My Apologies
Our President is a liar. He lied about the federal governments knowlege about the destructive potential of Hurricane Katrina( an offense more impeachable than getting sucked off by an intern in the Oval Office by the way) ... there is no mistaking that.
So now, I have to apologize to Michael Brown for being so hard on him about Hurricane Katrina. He took the heat for a 'f**ked up a la Republican on toast' response to the disaster on the Gulf Coast. That's right, he was the fall guy for the government. No wonder he sang like a bird on everyone else involved. He knew he was out anyway, so why not just tell on everyone? I would do the same shit.
So to Michael Brown... I am sorry for sending you up the way I did. It wasn't your fault. You were just doing what they told you to do as a faithful flunkie for our massively ineffective (corrupt) government.
To the f**king morons who voted Bush into office in the first place-- IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. Sleep with that on your conscience tonight.
So now, I have to apologize to Michael Brown for being so hard on him about Hurricane Katrina. He took the heat for a 'f**ked up a la Republican on toast' response to the disaster on the Gulf Coast. That's right, he was the fall guy for the government. No wonder he sang like a bird on everyone else involved. He knew he was out anyway, so why not just tell on everyone? I would do the same shit.
So to Michael Brown... I am sorry for sending you up the way I did. It wasn't your fault. You were just doing what they told you to do as a faithful flunkie for our massively ineffective (corrupt) government.
To the f**king morons who voted Bush into office in the first place-- IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. Sleep with that on your conscience tonight.
The Ghettofication of the Academy Awards/ African American Oscar Nominations: Double Edged Sword?
I know you have all heard it by now and were just WAITING for me to say something....
As you may or may not know, the Academy tradition is that all the songs nominated for Best Original Song are performed during the awards show, and after the last performance, the award it given.
For those of you who missed the show let me paint the picture for you.
Three-6 Mafia was the last group/artist to perform, and the graced the Oscars with their original song for the film "Hustle &Flow" which was titled "Its Hard Out There for a Pimp". For those of you who don't know who Three-6 Mafia is, they are a Southern rap group with hits such as "Stay Fly." They were introduced by Chris Bridges aka Ludacris (who by the way, looked very dapper that evening. I was very impressed with his overall look). Teraji P. Henson, who starred in "Hustle & Flow" sang the hook (" You know its hard out here for a pimp. Just tryna get that money for the rent.") while dressed in a rather unflattering white "Marylin Monroe Seven Year Itch" knockoff-- someone needed to tell her that she needed to wear a bra or some stickies or something... she was about to fall out of the thing. They had a 'pimped out' set, complete with pimps, hoes, theatrically coreographed and staged street fights and bitches getting the hell slapped out of them by their pimps. Of course, Three -6 Mafia came dressed for the occasion in throwback jerseys, baggy jeans, platinum chains and grills in their mouths.
They got permission to say 'bitch' and 'shit' in the performance of the song.
Interestingly enough, Terrence Howard, who was given the nomination for Best Actor for "Hustle..." was also supposed to perform, but the rumor is that the Black Hollywood Elite 'encouraged' him to sit this one out. And he shonuff did.
Immediately following the performance Academy Award Nominee Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens presented the award for best orignal song... and had the pleasure of handing the Oscar over to..... Three-6 Mafia.
I swear, I thought I was watching the Source Awards.
The best parts... Morgan Freeman's look of COMPLETE mortification, Queen Latifah's inability to contain herself, the Arsenio Hall "woof woof" arm motions from Three-6 Mafia's cheering section in the back, and Three-6 Mafia's acceptance speech which was sprinked with a few expletives.
That whole fiasco just set Black people back 15 years...
Then to add insult to injury, Terrence was nominated for portraying a pimp. Let's look at a few recent Academy nods to Black Actors....
Denzel Washington-- Best Actor-- Played a corrupt cop
Halle Berry-- Best Actress-- Got f**ked by Billy Bob Thornton, buck ass naked
I am noticing a disturbing trend here...
Not that the Academy is all bad or anything. They did give awards to African American actors for playing roles other than being a "unsavory" character but still...
Three-6 Mafia wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song: "Its Hard Out There for a Pimp"....I have lost all respect for the Academy, dammit.
As you may or may not know, the Academy tradition is that all the songs nominated for Best Original Song are performed during the awards show, and after the last performance, the award it given.
For those of you who missed the show let me paint the picture for you.
Three-6 Mafia was the last group/artist to perform, and the graced the Oscars with their original song for the film "Hustle &Flow" which was titled "Its Hard Out There for a Pimp". For those of you who don't know who Three-6 Mafia is, they are a Southern rap group with hits such as "Stay Fly." They were introduced by Chris Bridges aka Ludacris (who by the way, looked very dapper that evening. I was very impressed with his overall look). Teraji P. Henson, who starred in "Hustle & Flow" sang the hook (" You know its hard out here for a pimp. Just tryna get that money for the rent.") while dressed in a rather unflattering white "Marylin Monroe Seven Year Itch" knockoff-- someone needed to tell her that she needed to wear a bra or some stickies or something... she was about to fall out of the thing. They had a 'pimped out' set, complete with pimps, hoes, theatrically coreographed and staged street fights and bitches getting the hell slapped out of them by their pimps. Of course, Three -6 Mafia came dressed for the occasion in throwback jerseys, baggy jeans, platinum chains and grills in their mouths.
They got permission to say 'bitch' and 'shit' in the performance of the song.
Interestingly enough, Terrence Howard, who was given the nomination for Best Actor for "Hustle..." was also supposed to perform, but the rumor is that the Black Hollywood Elite 'encouraged' him to sit this one out. And he shonuff did.
Immediately following the performance Academy Award Nominee Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens presented the award for best orignal song... and had the pleasure of handing the Oscar over to..... Three-6 Mafia.
I swear, I thought I was watching the Source Awards.
The best parts... Morgan Freeman's look of COMPLETE mortification, Queen Latifah's inability to contain herself, the Arsenio Hall "woof woof" arm motions from Three-6 Mafia's cheering section in the back, and Three-6 Mafia's acceptance speech which was sprinked with a few expletives.
That whole fiasco just set Black people back 15 years...
Then to add insult to injury, Terrence was nominated for portraying a pimp. Let's look at a few recent Academy nods to Black Actors....
Denzel Washington-- Best Actor-- Played a corrupt cop
Halle Berry-- Best Actress-- Got f**ked by Billy Bob Thornton, buck ass naked
I am noticing a disturbing trend here...
Not that the Academy is all bad or anything. They did give awards to African American actors for playing roles other than being a "unsavory" character but still...
Three-6 Mafia wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song: "Its Hard Out There for a Pimp"....I have lost all respect for the Academy, dammit.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Confusion
So, its no secret to people who know me understand that I have personally come to despise Valentine's Day. Not only because it is a "holiday" motivated by commercial gain for the chocolate, floral and greeting card industries, but because the day itself holds a special disgusting meaning for me. You see, Valentine's Day would have been my 9 year anniversary with my ex-fiance. Moreover, his birthday just happens to fall on the next day.
Yeah.... those 48 hours SUCKED ASS.
Let's compound the fact that that day reminds me of a broken (in more ways than one) relationship... it also marked 6 months since I had been laid.... well... not exactly. It had been 6 months since I was laid-- WELL. Bad sex never counts.
A lot of people don't understand why I don't get as much ass as they think I should. To them, an attractive, intelligent woman who is especially fond of sports and kung fu movies shoud have the guys beating down my door. Correct? Well its not so. And its not so for many of my other attractive friends.
So I need some guys to weigh in on this.
Why are the girls you all claim to want, the same ones who are sitting at home alone (or together) on many Friday nights ?
One particularly not so intelligent male associate of mine (who I keep around because he's eye candy, but I repeatedly tell him to shut his yap and just look pretty) observed that I don't go to bars and clubs and that's where the guys are. "Very good, boy! You want a treat? Yes you do!" Of course I don't frequent bars and clubs. Doing that is called "Trolling for Ass."Guys who go to bars and clubs are "coochie-hunting." They're not looking for a girlfriend, they're looking for a quick lay. And after about 7 or so beers, it really doesn't matter how she looks or if she can form a coherent sentence. Hell, it especially doesn't matter if she has any skills in the sack. You're too drunk to care anyway. How are you supposed to get to know someone with music blaring in your ear so loud that the bartender can barely hear your order? But we are going to discuss the current political issues of the day, our careers and make a dinner date for Thursday. PUH-LEEZE.
Another guy friend of mine (who I love to death) said that I might appear to be too independent and empowered. I scare 'em off.
What do guys have against women who can take care of themselves? I drive a nice car, I have a nice home, I dress well, my hair is always done, my bills are paid... and this is a BAD thing? I don't get it.
Just because I'm able to take care of myself, doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to be spoiled every once in a while. I guess the issue is that he won't be able to use it as a bagaining chip later. I've had this happen. The whole "I-bought- you- dinner, you- have- to- sleep- with- me- now" thing, or any variation thereof. I understand why guys think this works. There are some sorry ass women out there who let men get away with it. So if she would go for it, why shouldn't I? If I don't, then I'm a stuck up princess or worse-- a bitch.
On the TODAY show the other day I saw a segment in which a psychology professor had conduced as study that basically came to the conclusion that the more intelligent a woman is, the less likely she is to be able to get married, and that's not for a lack of trying. Apparently men are scared of women who could potentially be smarter than them. I SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. Otherwise, that's just SAD guys...
My female friends and associates are completely dumbfounded. We just aren't sure what is going on. I think there is definite value in the male point of view to help figure this out. Consider it a public service, guys. You will be helping hundreds if not thousands of women figure out what is the reason for their current predicament, and what we can do to change it..
Or if I can appeal to your baser motives... a lot of us haven't been laid in a while. Consider this a veritable BUFFET....
Yeah.... those 48 hours SUCKED ASS.
Let's compound the fact that that day reminds me of a broken (in more ways than one) relationship... it also marked 6 months since I had been laid.... well... not exactly. It had been 6 months since I was laid-- WELL. Bad sex never counts.
A lot of people don't understand why I don't get as much ass as they think I should. To them, an attractive, intelligent woman who is especially fond of sports and kung fu movies shoud have the guys beating down my door. Correct? Well its not so. And its not so for many of my other attractive friends.
So I need some guys to weigh in on this.
Why are the girls you all claim to want, the same ones who are sitting at home alone (or together) on many Friday nights ?
One particularly not so intelligent male associate of mine (who I keep around because he's eye candy, but I repeatedly tell him to shut his yap and just look pretty) observed that I don't go to bars and clubs and that's where the guys are. "Very good, boy! You want a treat? Yes you do!" Of course I don't frequent bars and clubs. Doing that is called "Trolling for Ass."Guys who go to bars and clubs are "coochie-hunting." They're not looking for a girlfriend, they're looking for a quick lay. And after about 7 or so beers, it really doesn't matter how she looks or if she can form a coherent sentence. Hell, it especially doesn't matter if she has any skills in the sack. You're too drunk to care anyway. How are you supposed to get to know someone with music blaring in your ear so loud that the bartender can barely hear your order? But we are going to discuss the current political issues of the day, our careers and make a dinner date for Thursday. PUH-LEEZE.
Another guy friend of mine (who I love to death) said that I might appear to be too independent and empowered. I scare 'em off.
What do guys have against women who can take care of themselves? I drive a nice car, I have a nice home, I dress well, my hair is always done, my bills are paid... and this is a BAD thing? I don't get it.
Just because I'm able to take care of myself, doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to be spoiled every once in a while. I guess the issue is that he won't be able to use it as a bagaining chip later. I've had this happen. The whole "I-bought- you- dinner, you- have- to- sleep- with- me- now" thing, or any variation thereof. I understand why guys think this works. There are some sorry ass women out there who let men get away with it. So if she would go for it, why shouldn't I? If I don't, then I'm a stuck up princess or worse-- a bitch.
On the TODAY show the other day I saw a segment in which a psychology professor had conduced as study that basically came to the conclusion that the more intelligent a woman is, the less likely she is to be able to get married, and that's not for a lack of trying. Apparently men are scared of women who could potentially be smarter than them. I SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. Otherwise, that's just SAD guys...
My female friends and associates are completely dumbfounded. We just aren't sure what is going on. I think there is definite value in the male point of view to help figure this out. Consider it a public service, guys. You will be helping hundreds if not thousands of women figure out what is the reason for their current predicament, and what we can do to change it..
Or if I can appeal to your baser motives... a lot of us haven't been laid in a while. Consider this a veritable BUFFET....
Thursday, January 26, 2006
CPT
So... its my dad's birthday and I'm sitting in our favorite restaurant on someone elses wireless internet (yes, I know... piracy) WAITING FOR MY PARENTS TO ARRIVE.
CPT is a bitch... especially when you are hungry and sitting in your favorite restuarant-- NOT EATING.
Oh, I apologize to the non-coloreds reading this... CPT stands for Colored People's Time.
It is the phenonmenon in which people of non-caucasian descent are simply not able to be on time for scheduled appointments, parties, or even work. Its an inborn programming that dates back to African culture.
In Ghana where my parents are from, when someone invites you over, or you have an event to attend and the host/hostess says 7:00 you inherently know that they mean 9:00 and plan your departure accordingly. Otherwise, you will be sitting there while the DJ is setting up,the food is still on the stove and the host is still in the shower. Case in point-- my parents went to an African wedding in DC a couple of years ago. The invitations said 3:00 PM. The processional didn't start until 4:30 and the bride didn't walk down the asile until 5:15. Now mind you, it was a garden wedding, in July.... yes, that means people were sitting in the hot sun and the bride was 2 HOURS LATE TO HER OWN WEDDING.
Better yet... how about the 1st birthday party for my nephew, Tyrae... THAT STARTED AFTER THE BABY HAD GONE TO SLEEP-- AT MIDNIGHT.
However, this isn't just an African phenomenon... I've witnessed this in my Latino and API friends as well... we just can't be on time!
(I'm mad that I've had enough time to type all of this and my parents STILL aren't here. The host is giving me that "I'm about to cancel your reservation" look... )
Well... looky here... They just walked in. That means its dinner time! PEACE!
CPT is a bitch... especially when you are hungry and sitting in your favorite restuarant-- NOT EATING.
Oh, I apologize to the non-coloreds reading this... CPT stands for Colored People's Time.
It is the phenonmenon in which people of non-caucasian descent are simply not able to be on time for scheduled appointments, parties, or even work. Its an inborn programming that dates back to African culture.
In Ghana where my parents are from, when someone invites you over, or you have an event to attend and the host/hostess says 7:00 you inherently know that they mean 9:00 and plan your departure accordingly. Otherwise, you will be sitting there while the DJ is setting up,the food is still on the stove and the host is still in the shower. Case in point-- my parents went to an African wedding in DC a couple of years ago. The invitations said 3:00 PM. The processional didn't start until 4:30 and the bride didn't walk down the asile until 5:15. Now mind you, it was a garden wedding, in July.... yes, that means people were sitting in the hot sun and the bride was 2 HOURS LATE TO HER OWN WEDDING.
Better yet... how about the 1st birthday party for my nephew, Tyrae... THAT STARTED AFTER THE BABY HAD GONE TO SLEEP-- AT MIDNIGHT.
However, this isn't just an African phenomenon... I've witnessed this in my Latino and API friends as well... we just can't be on time!
(I'm mad that I've had enough time to type all of this and my parents STILL aren't here. The host is giving me that "I'm about to cancel your reservation" look... )
Well... looky here... They just walked in. That means its dinner time! PEACE!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
All I Want for Christmas...
An amusing conversation between me and my friend Ty, one of my many gay boyfriends...man he would be the perfect gift... if he was straight...
Ty: "What do you want for Christmas?"
Me: "A man who is intelligent, sensitive, caring, affectionate, educated and on the path to success and establishing himself. He will be a good father, a great husband and an amazing lover. He will have the spritual grounding and inherent manhood to protect and lead a family. Let me find that gift wrapped under my tree."
Ty: " Girl, you need to build a man like that. You should have told me this in 1998 so that I could have started construction on him. Now you gotta wait till 2012."
Me: *sigh* "Dammit. (pause) Well in that case, someting shiny from Tiffany's..."
Ty: "What do you want for Christmas?"
Me: "A man who is intelligent, sensitive, caring, affectionate, educated and on the path to success and establishing himself. He will be a good father, a great husband and an amazing lover. He will have the spritual grounding and inherent manhood to protect and lead a family. Let me find that gift wrapped under my tree."
Ty: " Girl, you need to build a man like that. You should have told me this in 1998 so that I could have started construction on him. Now you gotta wait till 2012."
Me: *sigh* "Dammit. (pause) Well in that case, someting shiny from Tiffany's..."
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Current State of Hip Hop-- Why I Am DISTURBED: Part 2
So hopefully you've had a chance to ruminate and perhaps even look up some of the songs that I chose as examples of the STEEP decline of hip hop music in America. Well, I should say mainstream hip hop because there are plenty of underground and not-so-underground hip hop artists that are still artists and express incisive and relevant social commentary with tongues as sharp as double edged swords. More on them later... first, I need to lacerate my chosen vitims and crow over their bloodied and mutilated "bodies" if you will.
Let's proceed in order shall we?
Laffy Taffy- MY DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, THEY WILL GIVE ANYONE A RECORD DEAL. You don't even have to be able to produce a complete, let alone coherent thought to be able to make a song and get it into heavy rotation. The whole 3+ minutes of this "destined to be a classic" song is a string of half- assed, half constructed, gramatically and linguistically disconnected... just... SHIT that talks about a woman's "assets". Even the DJ on the radio was like 'Damn, y'all like any song, don't you?' I can't even think about it anymore-- Every second longer I think about it, I feel my brain cells beginning to rebel.
"Here We Go" by Trina- Many of you may not know this but before she joined Slip 'N Slide Records as the "Queen of Miami" (HUGE double entendre there, since Miami is populated by a lot of queens... Drag Queens, that is) Trina was a relatively normal, non descript real estate agent. Then she met Trick Daddy... and it was all down hill from there. The classic first single you will remember her on is "Shut Up" whose lyrics are echoed in her newest piece of bovine filth-- "Here We Go". They were eloquent then, and they resonate with the soul even now **snicker, giggle, guffaw*...DAMMIT, I knew I couldn't say that with a straight face. I don't know why I even try...
The fact of the matter is that, as we will see with many of the songs heretofore, it is the BEAT that sells the songs... And she had the BALLS OUT NERVE to use Force MD's "Tender Love" to talk about her man cheating on her. This was my cousin's wedding song for crying out loud! I think she was going for irony... she missed the mark. BIGTIME. It just sounds stupid. (I remember when I first heard the song on the radio. I was so excited to hear the 80's R&B classic and damn near crashed into the car in front of me when I heard her voice and what she was saying. I couldn't believe it. I called the radio station and was like "What the f**k?") I dare you to listen to the vocals of this song without the production and not vomit...or at the very least feel mildly constipated. I think the saddest part is that an entire generation who never heard the original song is going to completely miss the beauty of it, ecause she mauled it into something ugly and mean.
" Oh I Think They Like Me" by Dem Franchise Boys- Admittedly, this song is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. When I go out dancing and it comes on, I find the nearest boy and work him out. Because of the beat. Its hot. The lyrics.... are not. Correction: most are not. Da Brat and Bow-Wow who guest appear on this record actually do a good job. However, Da Brat is a lyricist. She knows what the hell she is doing on an album (see: Funkdafied). Bow-Wow could stand to sharpen his skills a little, and become more well read, but he has potential. He's young, fearless and has the potential to be dangerous if you put some education into his hands. Something like Kanye West/Andre 3000 with some 'booty bounce' thrown in so that it will get played in the club. BUT the rest of 'em... go back to wherever you came from with that nonsense and stay there. And don't EVEN get me started on Jermaine Dupree. I'm still trying to figure out how he managed to land Janet Jackson... maybe he really is a 'cunning linguist'...
"Run (Cum) Girl"- When did radio get so bold? I heard the unedited version when I was out one night and damn near fell out. I mean... just... wow. BOLD. The song is basically dirty talk. Don't get me wrong, dirty talk turns me on. But not when my 8 year old neice is spewing it out of her mouth. And since it is in HEAVY rotation on the radio, I see 5 year olds that are reciting the lyrics... and don't even know their ABC's yet. That's not cute. Its SAD.
Also, if you are going to make a song like that, fool me into thinking I might actually want to screw you. Be seductive.... not sexual. Guys who are blatantly sexual in their every day discussion, or when they are rapping generally are the ones who will think they've rocked my world until they look over and see that I was reading a book the whole time.
"I'm Sprung" by T-Pain- All I have to say is "ewww." He tried to be like Roger Troutman and Keith Sweat at the same time and managed to just f**k the whole thing up. Regardless of whether or not you like Roger Troutman or Keith Sweat (or even know who they are) you must realize that they are untouchable and that trying to imitate them, with a whack song no less, will make you look like a fool.
"I Should Have Cheated" by Keisha Cole- Ok... promotion of the spread of STDs? Thank you soooo much. No, you shouldn't have cheated. You should have confronted his insecurity about your relationship like and adult and talked about it. I run a teen mentoring program where the girls love this song and have started spewing this kind of farcical thinking about relationships as if it was gospel truth. This is why everyone claims the youth of America are in danger-- they listen to this type of crap all the time. It only takes 7 exposures for something to work its way into your character unconsciously. This song is in heavy rotation on 4 major radio stations. And they wonder why teen STD and HIV rates are through the f**king roof. This chick comes onto the scene with this song... what the hell happened to her in her life? Also, when was the last time she went to see the gyno? She should work on that.
Well, I anxiously await your comments and feedback. I'm dying to know what you all think. There will be a part three that is currently in the works.... until I get there, I encourage you take a journey through underground hip hop and neo-soul. There you will find people who are actually talking about things that matter in this world.
To help you out here are some artists worth checking out:
Angie Stone
Amel Larrieux
Guru
John Legend
Choclair
Aceyalone
Jazzyfatnasties
Floetry
Leela James
Jaguar Wright
Jill Scott
Little Brother
Outkast
Dilated Peoples
Mos Def
Talib Kweli
The Roots
Black Eyed Peas
Nas
... the list goes on and on and on....
Let's proceed in order shall we?
Laffy Taffy- MY DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN, THEY WILL GIVE ANYONE A RECORD DEAL. You don't even have to be able to produce a complete, let alone coherent thought to be able to make a song and get it into heavy rotation. The whole 3+ minutes of this "destined to be a classic" song is a string of half- assed, half constructed, gramatically and linguistically disconnected... just... SHIT that talks about a woman's "assets". Even the DJ on the radio was like 'Damn, y'all like any song, don't you?' I can't even think about it anymore-- Every second longer I think about it, I feel my brain cells beginning to rebel.
"Here We Go" by Trina- Many of you may not know this but before she joined Slip 'N Slide Records as the "Queen of Miami" (HUGE double entendre there, since Miami is populated by a lot of queens... Drag Queens, that is) Trina was a relatively normal, non descript real estate agent. Then she met Trick Daddy... and it was all down hill from there. The classic first single you will remember her on is "Shut Up" whose lyrics are echoed in her newest piece of bovine filth-- "Here We Go". They were eloquent then, and they resonate with the soul even now **snicker, giggle, guffaw*...DAMMIT, I knew I couldn't say that with a straight face. I don't know why I even try...
The fact of the matter is that, as we will see with many of the songs heretofore, it is the BEAT that sells the songs... And she had the BALLS OUT NERVE to use Force MD's "Tender Love" to talk about her man cheating on her. This was my cousin's wedding song for crying out loud! I think she was going for irony... she missed the mark. BIGTIME. It just sounds stupid. (I remember when I first heard the song on the radio. I was so excited to hear the 80's R&B classic and damn near crashed into the car in front of me when I heard her voice and what she was saying. I couldn't believe it. I called the radio station and was like "What the f**k?") I dare you to listen to the vocals of this song without the production and not vomit...or at the very least feel mildly constipated. I think the saddest part is that an entire generation who never heard the original song is going to completely miss the beauty of it, ecause she mauled it into something ugly and mean.
" Oh I Think They Like Me" by Dem Franchise Boys- Admittedly, this song is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. When I go out dancing and it comes on, I find the nearest boy and work him out. Because of the beat. Its hot. The lyrics.... are not. Correction: most are not. Da Brat and Bow-Wow who guest appear on this record actually do a good job. However, Da Brat is a lyricist. She knows what the hell she is doing on an album (see: Funkdafied). Bow-Wow could stand to sharpen his skills a little, and become more well read, but he has potential. He's young, fearless and has the potential to be dangerous if you put some education into his hands. Something like Kanye West/Andre 3000 with some 'booty bounce' thrown in so that it will get played in the club. BUT the rest of 'em... go back to wherever you came from with that nonsense and stay there. And don't EVEN get me started on Jermaine Dupree. I'm still trying to figure out how he managed to land Janet Jackson... maybe he really is a 'cunning linguist'...
"Run (Cum) Girl"- When did radio get so bold? I heard the unedited version when I was out one night and damn near fell out. I mean... just... wow. BOLD. The song is basically dirty talk. Don't get me wrong, dirty talk turns me on. But not when my 8 year old neice is spewing it out of her mouth. And since it is in HEAVY rotation on the radio, I see 5 year olds that are reciting the lyrics... and don't even know their ABC's yet. That's not cute. Its SAD.
Also, if you are going to make a song like that, fool me into thinking I might actually want to screw you. Be seductive.... not sexual. Guys who are blatantly sexual in their every day discussion, or when they are rapping generally are the ones who will think they've rocked my world until they look over and see that I was reading a book the whole time.
"I'm Sprung" by T-Pain- All I have to say is "ewww." He tried to be like Roger Troutman and Keith Sweat at the same time and managed to just f**k the whole thing up. Regardless of whether or not you like Roger Troutman or Keith Sweat (or even know who they are) you must realize that they are untouchable and that trying to imitate them, with a whack song no less, will make you look like a fool.
"I Should Have Cheated" by Keisha Cole- Ok... promotion of the spread of STDs? Thank you soooo much. No, you shouldn't have cheated. You should have confronted his insecurity about your relationship like and adult and talked about it. I run a teen mentoring program where the girls love this song and have started spewing this kind of farcical thinking about relationships as if it was gospel truth. This is why everyone claims the youth of America are in danger-- they listen to this type of crap all the time. It only takes 7 exposures for something to work its way into your character unconsciously. This song is in heavy rotation on 4 major radio stations. And they wonder why teen STD and HIV rates are through the f**king roof. This chick comes onto the scene with this song... what the hell happened to her in her life? Also, when was the last time she went to see the gyno? She should work on that.
Well, I anxiously await your comments and feedback. I'm dying to know what you all think. There will be a part three that is currently in the works.... until I get there, I encourage you take a journey through underground hip hop and neo-soul. There you will find people who are actually talking about things that matter in this world.
To help you out here are some artists worth checking out:
Angie Stone
Amel Larrieux
Guru
John Legend
Choclair
Aceyalone
Jazzyfatnasties
Floetry
Leela James
Jaguar Wright
Jill Scott
Little Brother
Outkast
Dilated Peoples
Mos Def
Talib Kweli
The Roots
Black Eyed Peas
Nas
... the list goes on and on and on....
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Current State of Hip Hop-- Why I am DISTURBED: Part 1-- The Prelude
Ok... the current state of hip hop is... vomit inducing at best. To prove my point, a sampling of the songs that get the most airplay (since I hear them 12 times a day)
"Laffy Taffy"
Lyric of note: "I wanna duh nah nah, cuz you so thick... girl shake that laffy taffy..."
"Here We Go Again" by Trina
Done over the instrumental to "Tender Love", the classic 80's love song
Lyric of note: "Sounds like blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, I'm like 'Ok, uh huh, wassup, SHUT UP!"
"Oh I Think They Like Me" by Jermaine Dupree
Lyric of note: "Oh I think they like me cuz they heard me on the other one, so its only right that I hit you with another one."
"Run(Cum) Girl"
Just a nasty song... and the guy who raps has the nerve to NOT BE CUTE!
"Run (cum) girl, I'm tryna get your body (p***y) wet. Work that, let me see you drip sweat."
"I'm Sprung"
A whining song that tries to be like Keith Sweat and FAILS miserably
Lyric of note: "Now I'm feelin kinda lonely, on top of that I'm pretty horny." (At least he's honest)
"I Should Have Cheated"
A very poorly written song that promotes the spread of STD's
Lyric of note: "I might as well have cheated on you, as much as you accuse me of cheating."
Since its late and I have to be in class tomorrow morning, I'm going to let you ruminate upon the above sampling of songs, look up lyrics, correct and fill in the blanks if you like or leave comments.
Then I will return with a vengeance to deliver an incisive, perhaps mean, and definitely venom filled commentary later....
For now, I bid you adieu.
"Laffy Taffy"
Lyric of note: "I wanna duh nah nah, cuz you so thick... girl shake that laffy taffy..."
"Here We Go Again" by Trina
Done over the instrumental to "Tender Love", the classic 80's love song
Lyric of note: "Sounds like blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, I'm like 'Ok, uh huh, wassup, SHUT UP!"
"Oh I Think They Like Me" by Jermaine Dupree
Lyric of note: "Oh I think they like me cuz they heard me on the other one, so its only right that I hit you with another one."
"Run(Cum) Girl"
Just a nasty song... and the guy who raps has the nerve to NOT BE CUTE!
"Run (cum) girl, I'm tryna get your body (p***y) wet. Work that, let me see you drip sweat."
"I'm Sprung"
A whining song that tries to be like Keith Sweat and FAILS miserably
Lyric of note: "Now I'm feelin kinda lonely, on top of that I'm pretty horny." (At least he's honest)
"I Should Have Cheated"
A very poorly written song that promotes the spread of STD's
Lyric of note: "I might as well have cheated on you, as much as you accuse me of cheating."
Since its late and I have to be in class tomorrow morning, I'm going to let you ruminate upon the above sampling of songs, look up lyrics, correct and fill in the blanks if you like or leave comments.
Then I will return with a vengeance to deliver an incisive, perhaps mean, and definitely venom filled commentary later....
For now, I bid you adieu.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
It Ain't My Fault
For all of you who know the song by Mystikal (It Ain't My Fault), it should be playing in your head right now. Former FEMA director Micheal Brown's testimony to the Congressional Committee invesitgating the government failure in response to Hurricane Katrina said that all members involved in the response should share the blame... except himself of course. His arguments ranged from his requisitions for improved response equipment being sent to the chopping block by Homeland Security down to Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin's inability to sit down at a table together and talk despite their "differences" to blaming the President himself for ignoring his "concerns that this was going to be a big one."
In that case, for all intensive purposes, I suppose he was vacationing in Tahiti when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. It seems to me, from his standpoint, that he wasn't even there.
Well, he does admit one personal failing. "My biggest mistake was not realizing by Saturday night that Louisiana was dysfunctional." Ummmm... ok... so what? True, Louisiana may have been dysfunctional. Perhaps their commmunication and evacuation plans were not up to snuff. That their disaster security protocols were a little ill prepared. Then isn't it the governement's role to shore up those areas so that people don't die? Not according to Brown. "Those aren't FEMA roles." I guess that's the kind of response you would expect from someone who LIED on his resume and used CRONYISM to get his job. Why should he know what FEMA is supposed to do if he's never done the job before.
And by the way, let's not talk about saying he did his job last year during hurrican season. Let us not forget 3 things:
1. It was an election year.
2. Florida belongs to the President's baby brother Jeb, and
3. Many people whose homes were damaged by hurricanes are to this day being low-balled by FEMA for funds to repair their homes.
But I digress...
Pardon me, but I thought FEMA stood for Federal Emergency MANAGEMENT Agency. All of those responsbilities that he said should not have deferred to FEMA are part of EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. If they failed at the local level, government should be able to step in with a plan, developed AHEAD OF TIME to prevent complete and total chaos. Otherwise, what the heck do they do over there all the time? Play Tiddly- Winks? Or maybe its the $1,300 lunches on our tax money... *shrug* who knows?
Governement did screw up on all levels... this is true. But placing blame instead of placing resources, arguments over "juris-my-DICtion" bulls**t, and at the end of the day saying "but it was a HURRICANE!" is not going to save lives or prevent the same thing from happening again.
A responsible ADULT and LEADER would have said "Yes, its true, there were screw ups all over and we had our fair share. For that, I sincerely apologize and we are working to make it right." The American people deserve at least that.
Micheal Brown... you should be ashamed yourself.
In that case, for all intensive purposes, I suppose he was vacationing in Tahiti when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. It seems to me, from his standpoint, that he wasn't even there.
Well, he does admit one personal failing. "My biggest mistake was not realizing by Saturday night that Louisiana was dysfunctional." Ummmm... ok... so what? True, Louisiana may have been dysfunctional. Perhaps their commmunication and evacuation plans were not up to snuff. That their disaster security protocols were a little ill prepared. Then isn't it the governement's role to shore up those areas so that people don't die? Not according to Brown. "Those aren't FEMA roles." I guess that's the kind of response you would expect from someone who LIED on his resume and used CRONYISM to get his job. Why should he know what FEMA is supposed to do if he's never done the job before.
And by the way, let's not talk about saying he did his job last year during hurrican season. Let us not forget 3 things:
1. It was an election year.
2. Florida belongs to the President's baby brother Jeb, and
3. Many people whose homes were damaged by hurricanes are to this day being low-balled by FEMA for funds to repair their homes.
But I digress...
Pardon me, but I thought FEMA stood for Federal Emergency MANAGEMENT Agency. All of those responsbilities that he said should not have deferred to FEMA are part of EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. If they failed at the local level, government should be able to step in with a plan, developed AHEAD OF TIME to prevent complete and total chaos. Otherwise, what the heck do they do over there all the time? Play Tiddly- Winks? Or maybe its the $1,300 lunches on our tax money... *shrug* who knows?
Governement did screw up on all levels... this is true. But placing blame instead of placing resources, arguments over "juris-my-DICtion" bulls**t, and at the end of the day saying "but it was a HURRICANE!" is not going to save lives or prevent the same thing from happening again.
A responsible ADULT and LEADER would have said "Yes, its true, there were screw ups all over and we had our fair share. For that, I sincerely apologize and we are working to make it right." The American people deserve at least that.
Micheal Brown... you should be ashamed yourself.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The Other America... I know I said I'd leave it alone...
...But its MY blog, dammit, and I can reopen a dialogue if I feel like it. And I do.
Awesome Newsweek Article here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287641/
For as long as this link is active, you can read this article that echoes what I've been saying in recent weeks. Namely that Hurrican Katrina, while catastrophic and heart breaking, was a necessary evil. She put a mangifying glass over issues that have been present in America that no one has wanted to talk about for quite some time. Well, they're talking about it now.
And since the "president's" approval ratings are so low, this would present an excellent opportunity for him to create more for his legacy than this useless war.(Oops, did I say "useless war" out loud? My bad. Damn this truth/venom spewing tounge of mine!) It would also save him from bearing the windfall of his mother's statement, made during her visit to the Houston Astrodome.
"So many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. So this (living in the Astrodome with 10,000 of their closest friends) is working very well for them."
I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and attribute this statement to her impending senility-- unless she's just really that ignorant.
Just some friendly and free political advice for our "leader."
Photo credit: Newsweek
Awesome Newsweek Article here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287641/
For as long as this link is active, you can read this article that echoes what I've been saying in recent weeks. Namely that Hurrican Katrina, while catastrophic and heart breaking, was a necessary evil. She put a mangifying glass over issues that have been present in America that no one has wanted to talk about for quite some time. Well, they're talking about it now.And since the "president's" approval ratings are so low, this would present an excellent opportunity for him to create more for his legacy than this useless war.(Oops, did I say "useless war" out loud? My bad. Damn this truth/venom spewing tounge of mine!) It would also save him from bearing the windfall of his mother's statement, made during her visit to the Houston Astrodome.
"So many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. So this (living in the Astrodome with 10,000 of their closest friends) is working very well for them."
I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and attribute this statement to her impending senility-- unless she's just really that ignorant.
Just some friendly and free political advice for our "leader."
Photo credit: Newsweek
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Response and Closing
Point well taken "Me Again." Everything is NOT about racism. You are absolutely correct in that respect
Sometimes it just sucks to be poor. In some cases, being poor is worse than being of another heritage. In this world, it is DANGEROUS to be poor. Lack of access to adequate healthcare, preventative medicine, education, safe housing... the list goes on. So if you want to let the race issue go, that's fine with me. But there is no denying the fact that most of the people in the affected areas are not as affluent as other people in this country. The South in general is disproportionately poor compared with the rest of the country. Not just the people... the state governments have far smaller budgets than some northern and midwest states of comparable population size. In fact, its widely known that Mississippi has the unfortunate honor of being per capita, the poorest state in the Union.
There are so many factors that play into this that its hard to isolate and issue and point a finger of blame at someone or a particular group. However, its a little difficult to ignore the fact that these people overall contribute less to the national budget than other states. In fact, I remember last summer when Florida was pummeled by 4 hurricanes that people in the North were up in arms that FEMA disproportionately benefits the South, which overall contributes less to the fund.
All I can say is that it takes a catastrophe like this to place a magnifying glass on the issues and problems that we all know exist, but have been swept under the rug and forgotten. For instance, people in Philadelphia, my home town are OUTRAGED that Mayor John Street is offering temporary to permanent housing, health and economic relief for 1000 displaced families from New Orleans. The reason? They claim that he has ignored the issue of homeless people in Philly for his entire administration, but is willing to extend services to people who aren't Philadelphians.
That is a prime example of what I'm talking about. No one really seemed to want to put a spotlight on that until Philly decided to accept survivors from New Orleans. No one wants to talk about how majority of the people who were victims of the governments slow relief response were in fact poor blacks, asians, latinos and whites. No on wants to talk about how New Orleans was set up for disaster by blocking legislation and not issuing evacuation orders early enough to get the people out who could not do so for themselves.
But I'm going to stop talking about the negative. While the government failed, the American people succeeded. The moving response has been amazing and it gives me hope by reminding me that above all the issues, people really are good at heart. And that's what matters the most.
I'm now closing the dialogue in terms of responding to comments on the recent posts. If you want to continue posting comments, I will continue to read them.
Sometimes it just sucks to be poor. In some cases, being poor is worse than being of another heritage. In this world, it is DANGEROUS to be poor. Lack of access to adequate healthcare, preventative medicine, education, safe housing... the list goes on. So if you want to let the race issue go, that's fine with me. But there is no denying the fact that most of the people in the affected areas are not as affluent as other people in this country. The South in general is disproportionately poor compared with the rest of the country. Not just the people... the state governments have far smaller budgets than some northern and midwest states of comparable population size. In fact, its widely known that Mississippi has the unfortunate honor of being per capita, the poorest state in the Union.
There are so many factors that play into this that its hard to isolate and issue and point a finger of blame at someone or a particular group. However, its a little difficult to ignore the fact that these people overall contribute less to the national budget than other states. In fact, I remember last summer when Florida was pummeled by 4 hurricanes that people in the North were up in arms that FEMA disproportionately benefits the South, which overall contributes less to the fund.
All I can say is that it takes a catastrophe like this to place a magnifying glass on the issues and problems that we all know exist, but have been swept under the rug and forgotten. For instance, people in Philadelphia, my home town are OUTRAGED that Mayor John Street is offering temporary to permanent housing, health and economic relief for 1000 displaced families from New Orleans. The reason? They claim that he has ignored the issue of homeless people in Philly for his entire administration, but is willing to extend services to people who aren't Philadelphians.
That is a prime example of what I'm talking about. No one really seemed to want to put a spotlight on that until Philly decided to accept survivors from New Orleans. No one wants to talk about how majority of the people who were victims of the governments slow relief response were in fact poor blacks, asians, latinos and whites. No on wants to talk about how New Orleans was set up for disaster by blocking legislation and not issuing evacuation orders early enough to get the people out who could not do so for themselves.
But I'm going to stop talking about the negative. While the government failed, the American people succeeded. The moving response has been amazing and it gives me hope by reminding me that above all the issues, people really are good at heart. And that's what matters the most.
I'm now closing the dialogue in terms of responding to comments on the recent posts. If you want to continue posting comments, I will continue to read them.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Battle of Wits... Unfair advantage to ME.
Thank you to the two people who left such articulate comments on my most recent post. I have one word of admonition however: before you challenge me on a topic upon which I hold a degree in, read up on the subject. I do not engage in battles of wit with those who come ill prepared. Its too easy to tromp over you like a mealyworm in my front yard. However, I'm at work, between meetings and slightly bored.... so....
To commenter number one: prejudice and racism are 2 different things. Prejudice is an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts. Racism is discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race. While it is true that many black people may be prejudiced against whites, they are incapable if being racists. How you ask? In order to excercise racism, you must be a member of a group of people that has control of a majority of a region's resources and are therefore able to withold access to those resources from other groups. Since, to my knowledge, black people do not absolutely control access to ANY socioeconomic resources in America ( you could argue sports and entertainement, but COME ON... like those two areas actually MATTER), they CANNOT by definition, be racist. I'm sorry you are having trouble accepting your sordid heritage but every group has ancestors that have done things to be ashamed of. White people have just managed to continue to profit off of it for hundreds of years AFTER the fact. NOW THAT'S SKILL.
To commenter number two: I think its time to face the ugly truth. If it weren't about racism, then the following facts would not be true. The levee broke on Tuesday (Monday night if you want to get technical) sure. The section of the levee that broke is in the 9th Ward which is (GASP) the PROJECTS. If you look back over the legislative history of the past 3 years in New Orleans, the Bush administration you so proudly defend VETOED legislation that would have:
1. made the funds available for the Army Corps of Engineers to employ more people who would have had the task of examining the structural integrity of the levees which were falling into disrepair and
2. provided the funding for them to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT... like augmenting the system so that they could stand up to storms stronger than a category 3... but let's not get to technical with design flaws... I digress...
"But, since New Orleans is a Demoratic stronghold in the Republican South, why bother saving those poor Black (and White!) wannabe Yankee Blue Staters anyway? They didn't vote for me."
Alright.... I'm bored with lacerating the two of you. Have a nice day ;)
To commenter number one: prejudice and racism are 2 different things. Prejudice is an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts. Racism is discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race. While it is true that many black people may be prejudiced against whites, they are incapable if being racists. How you ask? In order to excercise racism, you must be a member of a group of people that has control of a majority of a region's resources and are therefore able to withold access to those resources from other groups. Since, to my knowledge, black people do not absolutely control access to ANY socioeconomic resources in America ( you could argue sports and entertainement, but COME ON... like those two areas actually MATTER), they CANNOT by definition, be racist. I'm sorry you are having trouble accepting your sordid heritage but every group has ancestors that have done things to be ashamed of. White people have just managed to continue to profit off of it for hundreds of years AFTER the fact. NOW THAT'S SKILL.
To commenter number two: I think its time to face the ugly truth. If it weren't about racism, then the following facts would not be true. The levee broke on Tuesday (Monday night if you want to get technical) sure. The section of the levee that broke is in the 9th Ward which is (GASP) the PROJECTS. If you look back over the legislative history of the past 3 years in New Orleans, the Bush administration you so proudly defend VETOED legislation that would have:
1. made the funds available for the Army Corps of Engineers to employ more people who would have had the task of examining the structural integrity of the levees which were falling into disrepair and
2. provided the funding for them to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT... like augmenting the system so that they could stand up to storms stronger than a category 3... but let's not get to technical with design flaws... I digress...
"But, since New Orleans is a Demoratic stronghold in the Republican South, why bother saving those poor Black (and White!) wannabe Yankee Blue Staters anyway? They didn't vote for me."
Alright.... I'm bored with lacerating the two of you. Have a nice day ;)
Friday, September 02, 2005
Addendum to Aftermath--2
I was aggravated to hear a black reporter say the following...
"America is a fast food nation and we want what we want when we want it. The people in 3rd world countries often fare better in natural disasters, because they are more accustomed to having to wait for aid than Americans."
Give me a break. Give me a freakin' break!
Newsflash: THIS IS AMERICA!
The whole reason why we're not used to things like waiting for aid and rescue is because we shouldn't have to. This is the reason we pay taxes, we encourage people to join the National Guard, that we have organizations like FEMA. We trust that if we are law abiding, tax paying citizens, that in our time of need, our government will come to our aid.
That is the very reason why people in third world nations break their necks trying to buffet unjust immigration policies to settle here. It is the hope of a better life, of a government that will take care of its own before looking outside or to its own interests.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you're poor and black that is. And yes... I am going to harp on the race issue because every other international news agency is not shying away from it. Only American news agencies are scared to inject the race issue and raise the difficult questions. But you can't ignore it. You cannot. Can you imagine if this disaster struck Martha's Vineyard? The Hamptons? Would the fine residents of those cities be waiting for 5 days to be rescued from rising flood waters? I don't think so.
What do you all think?
"America is a fast food nation and we want what we want when we want it. The people in 3rd world countries often fare better in natural disasters, because they are more accustomed to having to wait for aid than Americans."
Give me a break. Give me a freakin' break!
Newsflash: THIS IS AMERICA!
The whole reason why we're not used to things like waiting for aid and rescue is because we shouldn't have to. This is the reason we pay taxes, we encourage people to join the National Guard, that we have organizations like FEMA. We trust that if we are law abiding, tax paying citizens, that in our time of need, our government will come to our aid.
That is the very reason why people in third world nations break their necks trying to buffet unjust immigration policies to settle here. It is the hope of a better life, of a government that will take care of its own before looking outside or to its own interests.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you're poor and black that is. And yes... I am going to harp on the race issue because every other international news agency is not shying away from it. Only American news agencies are scared to inject the race issue and raise the difficult questions. But you can't ignore it. You cannot. Can you imagine if this disaster struck Martha's Vineyard? The Hamptons? Would the fine residents of those cities be waiting for 5 days to be rescued from rising flood waters? I don't think so.
What do you all think?
The Aftermath...2
I'm moving beyond hearbreak to sheer and unadulterated rage right now. I'm not the only one who is angry, but since I have a forum for expression, I'm going to use it, dammit. I'm sitting here (supposedly working from home) watching our illustrious "President" touring the disaster stricken area.
I'm SO PISSED, SO FRUSTRATED THAT I'M MOVED TO TEARS... you will have to forgive me if I blather on.
It SICKENS me that this country has the money to spend $50 million per day in Iraq on a war that is not supported by at least half of the population is JUST NOW sending relief convoys of National Guardsmen, food, water and supplies to striken New Orleans. That the lawmakers of the United States wonder if they will be able to pay for the repairs and relief neded by the region. That they are letting people die in the floodwaters to ease the burden of the rescue effort. It has been fully 4 days since Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast and people who have been trapped on the roofs or in the attics of their homes are just now beginning to see signs of rescue. Are you kidding me? This is America? This is the country that takes 1/3 of my income in taxes? This is what I'm paying for? UNACCETABLE. Every single person in this country should be completely OUTRAGED.
But as much as it sickens me... it does not surprise me. Let us look at the facts, shall we?
New Orleans is a southern city where 2/3 of the population is poor and Black. The mayor of New Orleans is a Black man. Majority of the people who were left in the city were the elderly, indigent, poor and infirmed. They had NO WAY of being able to evacuate, or were unwilling to leave behind relatives for whom the journey would have meant sickness or death. When you look at the images on the nightly news, you can hardly believe that its America you are looking at.
The leader of this country just arrived today in Biloxi, Mississippi to survey the devastation. TODAY.... 4 days later. The people of that region are in a desperate situation and he just arrived today. Some say he has alread seen the devastation, but and aerial survey from the comfort and safety of Air Force One doesn't seem to count to me. He should have been there days earlier. Even more so, there should have been a federally mandated evacuation ordered when there was even the slightest chance that a Category 5 hurricane was heading toward a city that is boardered by water on 3 sides and sits below sea level. Even if the storm had missed entirely, the cost of evacuation will be exceeded by leaps and bounds by the human cost we are going to incurr.
New Orleans is now a public health nightmare. Look at it from whatever angle you wish. Those floodwaters are a petri dish of waterborne illnesses like cholera and dysentery, amplified by the presence of the decaying dead. There is not adequate water, food or emergency healthcare. The average temperature in New Orleans for the last week has been 90 degrees with 75% humidity, which will lead to heat exhaustion. Perhaps the saddest situation is that the youngest victims, newborn and premature babies trapped in waterlogged hospitals could die, before they even have a chance to live
Meanwhile "President" Bush is down there listening to these disaster stricken families cling to him and tell their stories, surrounded by the press like this is damn a photo op. When I saw that today on the news, it took all I had in me not to vomit.
Part of my outrage is personal in nature. I have friends who are desperately seeking their family members and fearing the worst. They are wondering aloud to me why something isn't being done faster. Why are they relying on Houston's Astrodome and Relient Center (which by the way can only hold about 40,000 people between the two of them) for shelters? Why wasn't there a more effective plan in place for this inevitability? WHY DID THEY SEEM TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO AIRLIFT DOLPHINS FROM THE AQUARIUM TO OUT TO FLORIDA, YET PEOPLE ARE STILL STRANDED IN THE CITY? WHERE ARE THIS COUNTRY'S PRIORITIES?
As the people of New Orleans, and indeed the rest of the nation wonder what is coming next for the Crescent City. Will they ever be able to rebuild? Will the Big Easy ever be easy again? Or will this jewel of the south, and its people, be wiped from the face of the country forever?
I'm SO PISSED, SO FRUSTRATED THAT I'M MOVED TO TEARS... you will have to forgive me if I blather on.
It SICKENS me that this country has the money to spend $50 million per day in Iraq on a war that is not supported by at least half of the population is JUST NOW sending relief convoys of National Guardsmen, food, water and supplies to striken New Orleans. That the lawmakers of the United States wonder if they will be able to pay for the repairs and relief neded by the region. That they are letting people die in the floodwaters to ease the burden of the rescue effort. It has been fully 4 days since Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf Coast and people who have been trapped on the roofs or in the attics of their homes are just now beginning to see signs of rescue. Are you kidding me? This is America? This is the country that takes 1/3 of my income in taxes? This is what I'm paying for? UNACCETABLE. Every single person in this country should be completely OUTRAGED.
But as much as it sickens me... it does not surprise me. Let us look at the facts, shall we?
New Orleans is a southern city where 2/3 of the population is poor and Black. The mayor of New Orleans is a Black man. Majority of the people who were left in the city were the elderly, indigent, poor and infirmed. They had NO WAY of being able to evacuate, or were unwilling to leave behind relatives for whom the journey would have meant sickness or death. When you look at the images on the nightly news, you can hardly believe that its America you are looking at.
The leader of this country just arrived today in Biloxi, Mississippi to survey the devastation. TODAY.... 4 days later. The people of that region are in a desperate situation and he just arrived today. Some say he has alread seen the devastation, but and aerial survey from the comfort and safety of Air Force One doesn't seem to count to me. He should have been there days earlier. Even more so, there should have been a federally mandated evacuation ordered when there was even the slightest chance that a Category 5 hurricane was heading toward a city that is boardered by water on 3 sides and sits below sea level. Even if the storm had missed entirely, the cost of evacuation will be exceeded by leaps and bounds by the human cost we are going to incurr.
New Orleans is now a public health nightmare. Look at it from whatever angle you wish. Those floodwaters are a petri dish of waterborne illnesses like cholera and dysentery, amplified by the presence of the decaying dead. There is not adequate water, food or emergency healthcare. The average temperature in New Orleans for the last week has been 90 degrees with 75% humidity, which will lead to heat exhaustion. Perhaps the saddest situation is that the youngest victims, newborn and premature babies trapped in waterlogged hospitals could die, before they even have a chance to live
Meanwhile "President" Bush is down there listening to these disaster stricken families cling to him and tell their stories, surrounded by the press like this is damn a photo op. When I saw that today on the news, it took all I had in me not to vomit.
Part of my outrage is personal in nature. I have friends who are desperately seeking their family members and fearing the worst. They are wondering aloud to me why something isn't being done faster. Why are they relying on Houston's Astrodome and Relient Center (which by the way can only hold about 40,000 people between the two of them) for shelters? Why wasn't there a more effective plan in place for this inevitability? WHY DID THEY SEEM TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO AIRLIFT DOLPHINS FROM THE AQUARIUM TO OUT TO FLORIDA, YET PEOPLE ARE STILL STRANDED IN THE CITY? WHERE ARE THIS COUNTRY'S PRIORITIES?
As the people of New Orleans, and indeed the rest of the nation wonder what is coming next for the Crescent City. Will they ever be able to rebuild? Will the Big Easy ever be easy again? Or will this jewel of the south, and its people, be wiped from the face of the country forever?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
The Aftermath
My heart goes out to everyone on the Gulf Coast who is suffering through the misery left by Hurricane Katrina. This shows what kind of fury God's earth can unleash. I heard one forcaster say during the hours before the hurricane made landfall that if New Orleans took a direct hit, the city would never be the same. I thought it was a hyperbolic statement at the time; the news has a tendency to overblow things for the sake of ratings. However, watching the devastation... its true. The city of New Orleans as we knew it will never exist again. I visited New Orleans once before and hung out in the French Quarter and the Garden District. I had a fabulous time with my friends and soaked up the beauty and history the city had to offer. I breaks my heart knowing that when we are able to travel to the Big Easy again, its quite possible that many of the places where I have fond memories will no longer exist. What hurts my heart even more is that the people who live down there... their lives have been destroyed. Their homes, possessions and memories have been washed away. Who's to say how many will actually return? Will the city of New Orleans return to its former glory? Will they even think to rebuild in the same risky location? Think about it... who thought it was a good idea to build a city below sea level in a bowl shaped depression between massive Lake Ponchartrain , the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico? Didn't someone think that one day, something like this was going to happen? They know now that its very possible that it could happen again. In my true nerdy fashion, I looked into some almanac weather forecasts. Apparently, this episode, not to mention Florida's devastating hurricane season last year, is just the beginning of an active hurricane trend that could last anywhere from the next 8 to 35 years! I truly think that the risks should be weighed when considering rebuilding New Orleans. If there is anyway to move the city to a safer location in the area (say, above sea level) that option should be explored. Relying on a system of levees to protect them obviously did not work. Its time for an engineering miracle to emerge from the nightmare.
I'm praying for the people down there... in particular:
Bunchie- my friend Nechi's grandmother
Teach for America- New Orleans Corps Members
Daniel Konecky and Family
I'm planning to help in any way I can. Our local news station KYW-3 on CBS is sponsoring a telethon in conjuction with The Red Cross. It called Operation Brotherly Love (yay Philly!)
The link to that website is in the title of this post and below. Its a small way to help, but if everyone does a little, the results will be great.
http://www.kyw.com/
I'm praying for the people down there... in particular:
Bunchie- my friend Nechi's grandmother
Teach for America- New Orleans Corps Members
Daniel Konecky and Family
I'm planning to help in any way I can. Our local news station KYW-3 on CBS is sponsoring a telethon in conjuction with The Red Cross. It called Operation Brotherly Love (yay Philly!)
The link to that website is in the title of this post and below. Its a small way to help, but if everyone does a little, the results will be great.
http://www.kyw.com/
Thursday, August 18, 2005
2 Fer!
Yay for me!!!
I am on my way to bigger and better things! YAY!!
Yesterday I was offered a position at the Southwest Community Center in Philadelphia as the Program Director for the Teen Mentoring Program. Part time hours and full time pay... no benefits, but I'm young and healthy...
And... I just got into graduate school at Drexel University's School of Public Health. I'll be studying epidemiology and biostatistics in hopes of working with the AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
All this good news to share.... LOVE ME!! Just an update... wish me luck!
I am on my way to bigger and better things! YAY!!
Yesterday I was offered a position at the Southwest Community Center in Philadelphia as the Program Director for the Teen Mentoring Program. Part time hours and full time pay... no benefits, but I'm young and healthy...
And... I just got into graduate school at Drexel University's School of Public Health. I'll be studying epidemiology and biostatistics in hopes of working with the AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
All this good news to share.... LOVE ME!! Just an update... wish me luck!
Monday, July 18, 2005
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