Check It.

2008-06-07T07:32:00.004-04:00

MARCH HOT PIECE OF THE MONTH. I wanted to post the most gratuitious pic of him as possible because it's in such contrast to his personality. He seems like a dork that happens to be good looking. Or at least he pretends that he doesn't know he's hot. I was planning to post him at March's hot piece because that's when the latest season of Dancing With the Starts premiered, and this tall drink of water made it to #2. He definitely kept me watching every week. If my husband had a blog, he'd certainly post pics of his favorite professional ballroom dancers, Edyta (Jason's partner) and Cheryl. Anyway! Jason is a teddy bear with the cutest soft brown eyes. Perhaps if he applied some of that tenacity to football, the Dolphins might win a game or two. Speaking of the Dolphins, has anyone heard how their hater-coach is refusing to let Jason practice because he could train with the team early on because if DWTS? He says Jason is all about achieving Hollywood success now, and his priorities are all out of wack. He's probably salty because he didn't make it on DWTS. Jason Taylor wants to be the next Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This will happen naturally, why stand in the way?

2008-06-07T07:22:00.002-04:00

HI AGAIN!!! Ok, so I've totally fallen off. Now that my infant is a toddler wanna-be, my days are spent chasing her from room to room or outside of the home all together. That's right, I'm blaming Laila. She's always plotting on the next set of shananigans to get into. It's a busy life, it tell you! Enough of these excuses though... my readers have missed me. Both of of them have said so. I will not let you down, there's much to discuss! Although it is June, we still have March, April and May hot pieces to post. Not to mention Obama finally clinching the Democratic Presidential Nomination (yay!). Also there are a few books I'd like to discuss. Yes, I read (occasionally)! I saw a few good movies too. Stay tuned....

2008-04-22T20:26:00.003-04:00

SAY WHAAAA?? Ok sorry folks, it's been a while. My husband changed jobs so we had to turn in the "work from home laptop" that job gave us, so I have no computer during the day. I need one of my own, I know, but until then, my time on the computer is limited! ANYWAY, I just wanted to blog about incorrect song lyrics today. Leave it to my husband to totally invent song lyrics and insist they are correct. Case in point, everyone knows Is This Love by Bob Marley right? The end of the first verse goes "We'll share the same room, and Jah will provide the bread... is this love, is this love is this love is this love that I'm feeling". In Russ's world, it's "We'll share the same room, and jump rope by the bay... this this love, etc. Equally as puzzling, a friend of mine couldn't decipher Michael Jackson's famous line in Gotta Be Starting Something "Mama say Mama sah Mamacusa". She recently revealed she thought he was saying "I was saved by the sound of Michael's songs". My cousin thought he was saying "Imma say it one more time, I'm not gon' stop" while my other friend always thought (until last week actually) that it was "Mama said Imma sell a Moccasin". That one doesn't even make any sense.

2008-03-01T09:44:00.004-05:00

FEBRUARY HOT PIECE OF THE MONTH Hold on to your Fish n' Chips - this month's hotness is Prince Harry of Britain. I've surprised myself this choice, I've never been one to care much about the British royal family, but I can't deny that Harry's bad-assness is slightly intriguing. He's also riding a new wave of popularity now that The Drudge Report has exposed that Prince Harry has secretly been fighting in Afghanistan for the past few months. Some privileged youth scant to Ibiza to blow their fortune and exploit their "fame", others deploy to the desert to fight on the front lines for their country. That's sort of impressive, right?

2008-02-25T10:42:00.002-05:00

YOUR MONDAY MORNING GIGGLE.

2008-02-20T17:43:00.004-05:00

NO SLEEP 'TIL OHIO! Senator Obama is CLEANING UP! He's now swept the Potomac (or Chesapeake, whatever they're calling it) primaries, and he just waxed Senator Clinton in Wisconsin and Hawaii. Hawaii was expected as it's Sen Obama's home state, but Wisconsin is something to boast as it has a 90% Caucasian population and mostly working class (under 50K annually) population. These groups were formerly squarely in Hillary's corner. Senator Obama captured 63% of the white male vote, and 50% of the working class vote. Here's the best: he also racked up 48% of the female vote. That's Senator Clinton's bread and butter there. I listen to the pundits speak of him being the clear front-runner, and how it will take miracles for Sen Clinton to catch up, but I can't allow myself to believe his nomination to inevitable. I'm not even superstitious, I'm just taking it one day at a time. One thing that we've learned in this primary race is that anything can (and did) happen. I also want to take this time to shout out my Dad who says he was inspired by my work on Senator Obama's campaign and signed up to be a district Captain for the campaign up in Cleveland, OH. He lives in the #4 region on the map above, in Cuyahoga County (NE Ohio/Cleveland). His job shouldn't be too hard, seeing as though that's where all the Black people live. There and Cincinnati. Still, I'm so proud of him! Ohio should be interesting. A week ago Sen Clinton showed a 21% lead over Sen Obama in the polls, but OH has a similar demographic as Wisconsin; many working class white. Since Sen Obama has been chipping away at Sen Clinton's voter base, perhaps he can make inroads in Ohio as well. Add to that, Ohio has a lot more people of color than WI. I do feel he may have a better chance in Texas where the major cities are filled with Blacks - Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. Even if he doesn't win theses states, chances are, he'll win the the previously named districts which have the most delegates. I'm bracing myself for the negative ads the Clinton machine will produce in the next weeks. The Clinton campaign doesn't have the budget to air them nationwide, so at least we won't be burdened with them here in MD, but trusty MSNBC always airs the attack ads during their broadcasts. It'll be interesting to see just how nasty it gets. Sen Clinton has no choice but to go negative, she's going to have to do something, anything to slow Sen Obama's momentum. They just better leave Michelle alone. She's not the one!!!

2008-02-19T10:45:00.004-05:00

TWO OF MY FAVORITE GUYS: TIM GUNN, A GUEST ON CONAN LAST NIGHT: Tim Gunn breaks down his guidelines for flattering attire for your body type, and his take on President Bush and Hillary Clinton's fashion sense.

2008-02-17T14:24:00.005-05:00

BARACKIN' THE VOTE IN MARYLAND. So I joined Barack Obama's campaign. Before the Chesapeake primaries last Tuesday, my local Obama '08 organization met up to distribute campaign information, knock on doors etc. Can I just say, his campaign is extremely organized. I signed up as a volunteer at 10pm one evening and at 10am the next morning, I received a call from a local organizer. His website is thorough too - a member of his campaign can pick a state, and resident listings are available to call to spread the message of change. I'm calling my home state of Ohio, which is holding its primaries on March 4th. Polls are showing Hillary leading by 21% in Ohio, and it's one of the largest states of the union (I think they've got 15o delegates or so). I'm extremely impressed by the succinct efficiency of his campaign, it's money management and it's over all strategies. It's also important to note that he's done all of this my taking small donations by regular people like us (I mean, for the most part. We all know he as Oprah and Spielberg backing him - which doesn't hurt!) and he refuses to take money from lobbyists and special interest groups. That way he doesn't owe them anything. Who wants another puppet president? Not me!! This is a grassroots movement like never before. I look at this campaign as a microcosm of what his presidential administration would be like. Stellar! He obviously surrounds himself with the right people, which is a skill in and of itself. Hillary (whom I respect) is actually losing senior campaign advisors and running out of money. I do like her, but that's not the kind of organization I'd like to see in the white house. Anyway, I attended Senator Obama's rally in College Park, MD last week. That day, I drove my husband to work (45 minutes in the opposite direction) then schleped my 6 month old with me to the University of Maryland's Comcast Center (where the rally was held) but not before sitting in traffic for an hour, then looking for a parking space for another 40 minutes - all in 15 degree weather. But hey, I was a woman on a mission. The arena was packed, and you could feel the energy in the air. I was moved, Laila was stoked, and everyone was super excited. People were even crying. And I completely understand that, it's really is quite a phenomenon. I never thought in my lifetime we could actually have an African-American presidential nominee. With Laila bouncing on my lap, taking in all of the excitement of the rally, I thought to myself wow - my daughter's first president of memory could someone the same color as her. Amazing. My husband who is a fan of the TV series, The Wire, would have been glad to see Big G (who plays Slim Charles on the show, and DC heads will know he's also the lead vocalist of the super-popular go-go group, the Backyard Band) endorsing Senator Obama. He was one of many who took the stage to vocalize their support. Once the Senator came out the place erupted. People of all walks of life were in attendance; college students, olders folks, kids, blacks, whites, Hispanics sporting signs "Si Se Puente" which means 'Yes we Can!' the current campaign slogan. There were even republicans, or as they are also known "Obamacans". It's clear that people are truly embracing this message of change, and loving the idea of unification. Senator Obama is the candidate that brings people together - something so badly needed after such a polarizing administration! He tailored his message to address the majority of this crowd which were University of MD students. One point of interest: as tuition rates are at an all time high, he promises that when he's president, he will extend $4,000 towards tuition for every college student, every year. But the students must give back by volunteering, community organizing, joining the peace corp - whatever they can do to give back to their country as their country has given to them, and by doing so, together we can move forward. Ok, don't get me to quoting. It was something like that but of course much more oratorically stunning. Above is a picture from my seat. He's filling arenas this size daily. The momentum is undeniable. He swept DC, MD and VA (and got 55% of this white male vote in VA no less. Holy cow!!) This is major! Get on board people, join the movement! www.barackobama.com

2008-02-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

THIS IS HOW OUR RESUMES USED TO LOOK. (click on it to read it) We can never forget where we came from. Slavery and Jim Crow is treated as a dirty little secret in American history. As I watch the presidential primaries, in their respective speeches candidates continuously mention the "strong principles our country was founded upon", which is why the United States has become the world superpower that it is. And then I think of the above. NEVER ever, ever forget your history. No, we can't live in the past, it is important to learn from our history and move forward. But please remember this is the reason why there hasn't been and still isn't a level playing field. Slavery wasn't that long ago, really. Get out there and VOTE.

2008-02-05T15:36:00.001-05:00

2008-02-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

SOCRATES, CONFUCIUS, DIDDY... A CONTRIBUTING THOUGHT FROM MY COUSIN, MIA-LEN: Did you happen to catch Making the Band 4 last night? You may not be aware, but I am in love with Diddy. And here's why: first of all, I had a lot of good years during Bad Boys' golden age. Something about his artists and producers during that time - -I really vibed with it. I believe he and I have a similar point of view -- musically speaking. That's number one. Plus, say whatever you want about his skills as an artist -- not exactly his forte -- but one thing is certain -- that man works very hard. He's a hustler, and I can appreciate that about him. And he usually has something very motivational to say during his little interview rants. Like last season, he would always say "when you're sleeping, just remember there's always someone else up working, plotting to take your spot." Damn, that's so true. So anyway, last night the sage wisdom of Diddy actually led me to quite the epiphany. Diddy declared: "You know, BITCHASSEDNESS has been a real problem in our community. We can't have no bitchassedness here. There will be no bitchassedness at Bad Boy." What a statement. I mean really, can't we attribute so many of our peoples' issue to this phenomenon? Seriously, why do we continue to vote the same people into office for consecutive terms of rising crime (though contained in the areas inside the beltway) and failing schools? Why are there so many beautiful, brilliant, yet single Black women? If Obama loses, what will be the likely cause? Did you answer bitchassedness to all of the above? I did. Therein lies my life's mission. To shut down bitchassedness everywhere I go. This has been your motivational thought for the day. Carry on!

2008-02-01T19:47:00.001-05:00

SARAH SILVERMAN LEAVES JIMMY KIMMEL ON NATIONAL TV.

2008-01-29T22:22:00.001-05:00

2008-01-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

HOT PIECE OF THE MONTH. The votes are in! January's hot piece of the month, is no other than T. Russell Green III. Who is this mystery man you ask? Well this hottie is a Senior I.T. consultant/Real-Estate Visionary/Options Trader/Property Manager - amongst many other things. This Aquarian enjoys reading, traveling, movies, video games and poker. The Washington DC native is this month's hot piece because, well - he's hot, and also because his unyielding entrepreneurial spirit and his genuine charm and likebility are an awesome combination. And ok, he's also my husband. But the votes clearly speak for themselves. And by votes, I mean myself because I'm the only voter. Nevertheless, congrats to Russ on this achievement milestone. Happy New Year indeed!

2008-01-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

OBAMA for 2008. Check It officially endorses Illinois Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. Never before has the Presidential race been so exciting! Well, aside from the obvious - an African-American AND a woman are running for President, but also this is the first time in almost 50 years that neither an incumbent President or Vice President is in contention. What do I like about Obama? My biggest concerns are domestic issues - particularly education and healthcare. Obama's record as a state Senator shows that he was the biggest supporter and an actual trailblazer for early childhood education. He helped create the Early Childhood Council in the state of Illinios. He also plans to double the budget for afterschool programs (which is key because too many of our youth get into trouble afterschool!) His civil rights and urban community organization experience is evident in the causes he supports. I think we can rest assured that he's going to champion causes that directly effect African-Americans. But it doesn't end there. His healthcare plan outlines coverage for every American regardless of income. If you already have healthcare, this will mean less expensive premiums. If not, not only will you be covered, but you won't be turned away due to a pre-existing condition or a chronic illness. I know that the other canidates promise similar legistlation, but I especially like that Obama focuses on preventitive programs which are key since we're faced with completely avoidable epidemics such as obesity and various STD's. For more about Sen. Obama's plans, voting record and bio, click here. So far he's won the Iowa caucas and he just totally blew the competition away in the South Carolina primaries. Here's wishing him the best in these last campaign days before Super Tuesday!!

2008-01-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

CLUBBING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE CHILDBIRTH. Laila is a babbling six month old who is now sitting up on her own, eating pureed veggies and even throwing mini-tantrums. She's the absolute love of my life, and while I'd rather spend most nights hanging out with her - this past weekend I hung up my mommy sweats and danced the night away in my brown leather wedges in a Baltimore club. My friend turned 28 this weekend, and another came down from NYC to celebrate, so a gang of us made the most of the occasion by 'warming up' in a bar first, then dancing the night away in a downtown club. The Chikee of old came back in full force. My entourage occupied the dance floor the entire time - I don't think any of us sat down once. A nice kick-start to my desperately needed (and yet implemented) work-out program. Come to think of it, this might be my first club experience as a married woman. A few things occurred to me since I was last on the club scene. 1- Nothing much as changed. At all. Of course there's the inevitable door politics that ensues if the price or dress code isn't favorable. First there's the appeal to the doorman for a break, quickly followed by the whipping out of trendy luxury communication device, formally knows as a phone (essential for intense and rapid texting to an inside contact, of course). Women are still coming across as desperate (i.e. dressed in their skivies, while it was quite literally 20 degrees outside) and the obligatory storming of the dance floor by a group of trannies. Ladies were granted free admission at this club... I wonder if they had to pay? 2 - The pressure was off. We girls enjoy dancing alone or with each other, usually in a circle. But eventually, Random Dude will appear behind one of us for a dance. Random Dude almost never politely walks away after a song or two. He wants to dance through the entire Reggae set and beyond. The longer he stays, the more we ponder his approach to get the digits. Will it be a drink offering? The 3rd degree? And why am I too nice to walk away? I was rather content just dancing with my girlfriends. All of those feelings were moot for me last night. Mainly because my husband was there to serve as a spirited dance partner all night. Random Dudes did approach my friends though, and I could just see the wariness build as these guys stuck around for consecutive sets. 3- I actually had a great time. I must say this surprised me the most. I didn't know how starved I was for a completely adult evening out with my friends. I must have danced liked this would be the last time. Actually I kind of felt it might be. Who knows when I'll make it the club again. My friends are so spread out geographically, or tied to their offspring as I am. In a way, I don't want to engage in nights like this too regularly. I feel it might spoil the fun of it being a treasured, well-deserved night to cut loose amongst friends. Well, that - and I just don't find going to the club to be all that interesting. This was my attitude even when I was single. To me, the funnest part was getting all dolled up with my friends, and deciding which cocktail to consume (if I drank anything at all). I mean, let's be honest - we all know the music rotations by heart. It's only a matter of time before we hear the Jamaican "Chi-Chi Man" song which is met with same exuberance each & every time we hear it (Although it's no longer a hidden fact that this song is horrendously offensive as it rallies for the violent & indiscriminate persecution of gay males, yet it gets us running to the dance floor every single time. Even gay males). When all's said and done though, I much prefer a comfortable evening sipping hot chocolate in a bookstore with Laila in tow, or staying home and entertaining our friends. Still, there's nothing wrong with marathon booty shaking when the spirit hits. Live it up!

2008-01-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

THE ATTACK ON BLACK HISTORY MONTH. Yes, I know it isn't until February, but this is on my mind today! Some people believe that in order to end racism, we have to stop underscoring our differences. I recently read a quote from Morgan Freeman who publicaly denounces Black History month during an interview on 60 Minutes. "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." He said the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he noted that there is no "white history month." In accordance with Morgan's quote, indeed there's been an onslaught of critics (most of them non-Black) who believe that observing Black History month is no longer necessary. That it's outlived it's need. I do believe that we've made major strides in the right direction in terms of racial awareness in this country - certainly since Black History Week's inception. But I just don't see the point in taking away something that is very positive, prideful and interesting! If there are some who don't want to acknowledge it then don't. You do have a choice. Just like the people who work on Martin Luther King Day even though it's a government holiday. There's no mandate that all citizens must wear dashikis and sing Negro Spirituals twice a day. Do the slave documentaries that get regular spin on PBS annoy people that much? Maybe it's the McDonald's commercials with the choirs humming behind the narration. I don't know. I asked my husband if he thought the United States should still observe Black History Month and his answer was quite simple, "Yes, because everyone else has a month" i.e. Hispanic Heritage Month (June) and Asian Heritage Month (September). Although those were probably incepted because of the existence of BHM. Should we discard all of these special observances? For who, and for what? What annoys me the most in all of this is that American schools are still so poorly educated about Black History. Morgan is correct, it is American History - but it's a part of American History that is often swept under the rug in many school districts (mainly non-black ones, which means most). It's astonishing how kids (even Black kids) don't know much about slavery, reconstruction or Jim Crow. That is so, so very dangerous! There kids are growing up and joining the working world. Actually, they have grown up and joined the working world - they are managers, lawyers and yes, teachers now! When I was producing as the Discovery Channel (yes, the Discovery Channel) there were writers who didn't know much about the Black experience in this country. In fact I was in a conversation with mulitple co-workers about ancestry and they wondered why I couldn't tell them where exactly my ancestors came from. This is Slavery 101 people. The Irish guy in my department (like, actually born and raised in Dublin) had to break it down to them for me. I tried to elaborate myself, but they just couldn't grasp. "Surely you know what country your people came from, I'm German". I can't take on the task of teaching African American Diapsora for 6 clueless white Americans. This is why we need Black History Month. And not just for non-blacks, but for everyone. I went to Howard with Black kids who knew nothing of Sojourner Truth and Nat Turner being educated in their various school districs across the country. My own husband who grew up in the nation's capital says slavery was summed up in 1 paragraph in his 9th grade history book. That's all he got. This is not a game people!

Tim Gunn is NEVER wrong.

2008-01-09T21:42:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I'm certainly watching my share of TV. The best show of all is Project Runway. Tim Gunn is the man, and I agree with everything he says. Thought this little clip was worth posting because I honestly find his advice to be helpful, and I'm such a huge fan. Cheers!

2007-10-11T18:49:00.000-04:00

I LOVE BEAUTY PAGEANTS. This girl rocks my world! I love to see real talent, and this girl is a winner in my book. I'd hate to be the contestant to perform right after that! Although, clearly this girl hadn't picked up the trumpet since the 8th grade. For a while there, I thought she was playing the highest octave. But then I listened a little closer. Honestly I don't understand why Miss Whatever's need to have a performable talent. I'm sure this girl is good at something else, like how to arrange furniture. I dedicate this post to my friend Tam - who's talent act might look startlingly similar to this if she ever decided to participate in a pageant.

2007-10-09T22:36:00.000-04:00

FESTIVUS FOR THE RESTUVUS. I consider myself a rather festive person. I acknowledge and celebrate just about all of the major holidays. My personal favorite is Thanksgiving because it involves family and a really good meal, but I digress. In a world that is becoming more and more politically correct, just about every holiday is under attack! I consider Halloween the start of the holiday season, because let's face it - here in America we love Halloween. I think it's cool to take a day of the year to ham it up, and wear whatever you want. As an adult who celebrates Halloween, the inspiration and creativity behind the costumes are what interest me most. However, there are some people who choose not to celebrate Halloween because of it's orgin. It's believed that it was a day to celebrate spirits (bad ones I presume). It used to be called 'All Hallows Eve'. I won't pretend to be well researched on the topic 1- because i'm feeling a bit lazy at the mo, and 2- I don't really care. To me, a holiday is what you make it. Am I ok with devil worshiping? No. I grew up in a devoutly Christian household, but my parents simply introduced Halloween as a time to be creative and dress up in whatever silly costume I could think of. And for doing so, you get loads of candy. Jackpot! Who doesn't want to go to school dressed as a fairy princess? This was my time to shine! To me, it's a day where a kid gets to be a kid and nothing more (As an adult, it's an excuse for more drunken debauchery and for girls to dress as whores. Who doesn't love that?!) On to Thanksgiving. There's the question of whether or not we should celebrate the arrival of the Mayflower since genocide of Native Americans ensued promptly after the meal. This one strikes a nerve as a descendant of disenfranchised people (wait, currently disenfranchised people, my dear AA's) but I do love a good meal, and no one at in my family is thinking about the camaraderie between the Pilgrims and Native Americans when we're hand in hand in prayer surrounding a shiny turkey and a bowl of collard greens. Trust this!! Thanksgiving is about thanking God and each other for being a blessing in your life, and the ability to share it with each other. Moving on the Christmas. Remember that ludicrous attack on Christmas a couple of years ago? "Merry Christmas" was no longer appropriate for retailers. It had to be "Happy Holidays. They even wanted to do away with the Christmas tree by calling it a "Holiday tree". This was just utterly ridic! The tree is just a pagan symbol that somehow became attached to Christmas throughout the years, it has no sacred meaning. So why would it ruffle the feathers of non-Christians? If you don't celebrate Christmas, then you were ignoring Christmas in it's entirety. I seriously doubt that Johnnny Atheist wanted desperately to light candles and sing at Rockefeller Plaza - but didn't do so because that enormous plant in the middle of the Square was being referred to as a Christmas tree. And this movement wasn't brought on by the Jewish because as far as I've seen, they've been quite content with Chanukah for the past forever. So to me, it was all unnecessary media hype that these corporations bought in to. I'm telling you, the media is dangerous (but keep reading my blog). Anyway, I'd guess that less than 10% of my fellow AA's celebrate Kwanzaa. More are leary of it because of the rumor that it was intended as an alternative celebration for Christmas (Not true, by the way). I believe a great majority is indifferent to it, and the rest don't even know what it is. I began celebrating Kwanzaa in high school through a youth organization I was involved with. I don't need to take part in a libation ceremony every year, but I do appreciate the principles that it promotes; unity (Umoja), faith (Imani), and self determination (Kujichagulia) to name a few. I don't know that anyone has a problem with New Years'. Oh, except for maybe the Chinese, who believe it's some time in February. I could go on - Valentine's Day is a scam created for the sole benefit for the card-making companies, Black History Month is now irrelevant and obsolete (you'll hear more from me about this one) and of course the protest of some major companies giving their employees Good Friday off. Who is the hater in your office that is complaining about a day off? You didn't hear me complaining about Columbus day (another celebration of impending genocide) when I was a government employee. I celebrated it as a day to sleep in! Wow this post is long!

2007-10-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

NO DEAL!!!: this show drives me up a wall. Why do people on Deal or No Deal get overly excited and make extremely poor decisions? Have these people forgotten that they've come to the show with nothing? If 1 million is still left on the board, the only other amounts are $1, $50, $500 and $1000 and the bank is offering you $609,000. TAKE THE $609K! But that almost never happens. I thought maybe these people were just caught up in the moment and make stupid decisions, but now I've decided that their all just idiots. Or the producers peruse Gamblers Anonymous for contestants. The families that are there for "support" are often just as ridiculous. You know the greedy wife that keeps gesturing for 'no deal' for the husband who can't think for himself, while the people in the crowd are visibly shaking their heads. I was never a huge fan of the show, but after a man passed on 400K and left with $10... I vowed never to watch it again! That is all.

2007-09-25T18:37:00.000-04:00

SOMEONE TELL KANYE TO SHUT IT. SORRY THIS CLIP WAS TAMPERED WITH AND REPLACED WITH SOME RAY J & KIM KARDASHIAN GROSSNESS. APOLOGIES TO ANYONE WHO SAW THE CLIP, NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED THERE. OH WELL!! Who else is tired of this brat? For someone who admitted to being a homophobe, he sure acts like the Queen of all Queens by throwing these public tantrums. Aside from the outbursts though, his swagger is ridiculous! I mean, he makes a good beat and all, but comparing his plight to the plight of Jesus? Remember that magazine cover? I bet Jesus' beats are better than his. Here is a clip of an inebriated (not that that matters) Kanye proclaiming to be the "#1 human being in music".

2007-09-25T17:49:00.001-04:00

JUSTICE? It's a lot to ask when your Black in America isn't it? However, we're still far from it when cases like the Jena 6 and Martin Lee Anderson are floating out there. Martin who? That's the name of the kid who was killed in a Panama City, FL boot camp in January '06, but boot camp staff reported that he died of natural causes. Martin was in bootcamp for stealing his Grandma's car and joyriding in it. He was sentenced to probation but violated it, so he was sent to boot camp, which is used to "scare straight" kids that show signs of going down the wrong path. All this to say, Anderson wasn't a violent kid. Nonetheless, after the first 2 hours of his first day at boot camp, Anderson was forced to continue exercising after he collapsed during the exercise routine. Drill instructors applied numerous uses of force including pinning him by the arms, slamming him to the ground, applying pressure point applications, and forcing him to inhale ammonia tablets. After this 20 minute struggle, Anderson died. Of course the Anderson family demanded an investigation, so the useless Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced that his autopsy ruled out "trauma or injury". Instead they claimed Anderson died on natural causes related to sickle cell. Knowing that this was pure BS (because an otherwise healthy kid can't die of simply having the sickle cell trait) his parents ordered another autopsy from a reknowned forensic pathologist with the backing of the NAACP. They found: 1) Martin Anderson had sickle cell trait. 2) The repeated blows to Martin Anderson’s limbs and the gripping of his limbs left several bruises but did not contribute to his death. In other words, he was not beaten to death. 3) Martin Anderson’s death was caused by suffocation due to actions of the guards at the boot camp. The suffocation was caused by manual occlusion of the mouth, in concert with forced inhalation of ammonia fumes that caused spasm of the vocal cords resulting in internal blockage of the upper airway. Vernard I. Adams, M.D. Chief Medical Examiner^[9]Basically, the camp employees killed him. 7 camp officials assaulted this boy while the nurse stood by watching. It's all on tape. The second autopsy was conducted in February. Martin, who was 15, died in January yet no arrests were made until November. All of them are out on bail. The case is going to trial, but will by all accounts, feature a majority white jury - as is the racial demographic of that region. On top of that, the family has faced an uphill battle to draw attention to this case, and get adequate representation as the governor (at the time) Jeb Bush has remained indifferent. If a white teenage girl was beaten by 7 boot camp employees and died right after it, she would be a household name. I'm so tired of this. Why is it that these stories don't make headlines. Is this not worth discussing, or non-relatable because he's Black?

2007-09-25T17:12:00.001-04:00

NOW, 1 MISSING WOMAN - As we all know, missing persons of color don't get equal media coverage. Here are the facts: Stepha has been missing since Memorial Day weekend. She was last seen leaving Pepper's Cafe night club in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on 5/29. She's a 22 yr old college graduate with honors from New York who was visiting her aunt in Miami. She is 5'2, 110 lbs and has reddish bronze hair. If you have any information at all, please call 1.800.crimetv. UPDATE: Sad news. Nailah's body was found on October 3rd behind abandoned buildings a few miles from her car. There have been no arrests and no current suspects. Let's all keep Nailah's family and friends in our prayers. For more on this story, click here.

2007-09-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

Native New Yorker and known prick, Bill O'Reilly recently met with Al Sharpton at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem. This was O'Reilly's first time in Harlem. O’Reilly reported that he “had a great time, and all the people up there are tremendously respectful,” adding: “I couldn’t get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia’s restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it’s run by blacks, primarily black patronship.”

Later, during a discussion with National Public Radio senior correspondent and Fox News contributor Juan Williams about the effect of rap on culture, O’Reilly asserted: “There wasn’t one person in Sylvia’s who was screaming, ‘M-Fer, I want more iced tea.’ You know, I mean, everybody was — it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb in the sense of people were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn’t any kind of craziness at all.”

I just don't know what to say about this... Um, nice that O'Reilly took some time out of his busy schedule to observe a culture which he pretends to know so much about already. Maybe Sharpton took him over to the local Duane Reid so he could see that Black people are capable of standing in line too. Single file even!

2007-09-22T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yes it's been a minute since I posted here (actually about a year and a half). Now that I actually have the time to devote to it, I do plan to post regularly. Honest! Since the last post, which I believe was March '06, I've gotten engaged, pregnant, married and unemployed. In that order. My daugther Laila was born this past July ('07) and I'm head over heels for her, and I wanted nothing to keep me from her so I left my gig at Discovery Channel to be a full time mom and a freelance writer/producer. Some of my posts will be short because I steal away to post while she's asleep and she doesn't sleep long by herself. She's like, a level 9 clinger so often times I'm typing with one hand. Advance apologies for the typos! There are so many things to discuss, like: the presidential candidates, wack ass Congress and the unbelievably inept White House, dog fighting in America, and even Britney Spears (yes, hit my baby one more time!) I don't get to the movies much anymore - they don't really smile on bringing infants into movie theaters, nor do they make for the best movie going experience. Believe me, I tried. So you guys are going to have to tell me about the new releases. I'll give you my thoughts on what's hot at Hollywood video. Ok, that' enough for now. Over & out!

2007-09-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

CONCERT REVIEW: This is a pic of a Damian Marley concert in September 2006 when he opened for Ben Harper at the Merriweather Pavillion in Maryland. I'm not sure why he's the opening act for Ben Harper and the boring ass Innocent Criminals (although Ben Harper is fyne, how did Laura Dern snag him? One of life's mysteries!). Anyway, tons left after Damian's show. Let me just say, he's absolutely terrific in concert. His show is very spirited yet organized. I love the Rasta who waves the giant Rastafarian flag while running across stage for the entire set. What exactly is this man's title? Staff cheerleader? I always think he's going to hit Damian in the back of the head with that enormous flag pole, but he's acutely aware of where everyone is at all times. Those impressive depth perception skills! He's not that young either, but spry nonetheless. So back to the show - I love Damian; he's an intelligent writer and a strong emcee. You can also tell he's a perfectionist by the way he completely owns the stage. Every last detail of his show is polished; the background singers are flawlessly choreographed, and they sing with such intense passion, you wouldn't believe they do it 6 nights a week. I saw him perform during Howard's homecoming and I was so close I could see that with one glance, or a quick finger gesture, his musicians and support staff knew exactly what to do. You get the feeling the singers are like "Oh Jah, if I don't hit this mark, or if my vocals don't gloriously soar over this melody, Damian is going to take me out back and beat me with reeds... again!" I guess this all this comes with being a professional, but I've seem some lousy shows in my day, and I can honestly say the Marleys give 110% every time, trust! I read somewhere that Damian & company smoke a substantial amount of weed before and after every show. You might smoke too much when 8 lbs has no apparent effect. Towards the end of the show, his brothers Stephen and Julian come out to help sing some Bob Marley classics. I love DM's album, but to me, this was the apex of the show. I know they tend to roll together, but I was still totally surprised. The accompanying clip is taking forever to upload, so hopefully it won't error, so y'all can get a taste. Lata!

2006-03-20T16:49:00.000-05:00

FILM REVIEW: V for Vendetta By: Gizzle V for Vendetta is a jarring film starring Hugo Weaving (most famous for his role as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy) and Natalie Portman (Garden State, Star Wars, and Oscar nominee for Closer, ). Set in modern U.K., the audience is engrossed in a society lead by a tyrannical government acting autonomously in the protection of its interests to the detriment of its citizens. The film begins as a group known as the “fingers”, the government elite, responds to a terrorist attack on a government building. The bombing, casually dismissed as a “planned demolition” by the finger-controlled media compels the audience to identify with the citizens of a community dependant upon their conservative right-aligned government to protect them from ruin and civil unrest unlike the war-stricken and perilous former United States. The film continues in its revolutionary tirade as the “hero” of the film, a masked vigilante named V, quickly executes a hostile takeover of the government’s propaganda machine, the BTN (British Television Network “ironically” similar to CNN), claiming responsibility for the attack and inviting the fear-stricken citizens to stand with him one year from the date of the attack as the present-day parliament is destroyed in a similar explosive fashion. Almost a politically awakening film as the documentary Fahrenheit 911 by Michael Moore, this remake of a graphic novel series is gripping in its message throughout that “People should not be afraid of their government, a government should be afraid of its people.” The fingers yearn in vain to thwart the promised destruction of its fear inducing system of control over its nation. It’s interesting to enjoy the film simply because in essence the lines between good/bad and right/wrong become skewed. Unless of course, murder and devastation sit well with you as higher moral obligations. One on hand you have a government whose modus operandi is unflinching devotion by its citizens in all aspects of life, i.e. sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and political agenda. On the other you have a violent and murderous everyman character whose emotionally numb tactics seemed justified. One asks oneself just when enough is enough as the film builds to a crescendo on the eve of the terrorist plot. The tone of the film is effectively appropriate in terms of timing. I’m certain the movie would not be as drawing if it weren’t delivered to a society where homosexual love is constitutionally unsound, the term liberal is used as a derogatory remark and civil unrest wages over centuries old theological principle about abortion, or cloning, or simply who typifies the enemy. In all the film serves as a methodically dramatic and special effects enriched sounding board for a nation split on axis of moral opinion. Natalie Portman carries the weight of the film on her shoulders but the overtly theatric Weaving is appropriate in portraying a psychologically destroyed recluse bent on a vendetta any politically conscious and yet jaded citizen of an economic powerhouse could absorb.

2006-03-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Pimps everywhere Rejoice! By: D. Pitt http://the-pitt.blogspot.com Three 6 Mafia wins the Oscar for Best Song. Times are changing. In a shocker, the rap group pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Oscar history with the song “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” from the movie Hustle & Flow. Having actually seen the movie, I think they deserved the Oscar. Many were outraged including the usual suspects on the right….and some on the left such as Al Sharpton who is increasingly moving some of his rhetoric to the center (2008 run anyone??). I think that many of the outraged people did not see the film. If they did, they would know that the song fit this movie just as much as “Eye of the Tiger” fit Rocky. By the way, I have never understood why Music (particularly Hip-Hop) is so dangerous to our youth, but these violent, sex-filled, curse word laden movies and tv shows are not. Sopranos, Desperate House Wives, Godfather, ect, ect.....Why are these movies/TV shows praised, while a hip-hop song about the same thing is vilified? For that matter, why was this song villified, but the movie that it was about was not? Personnally, I enjoyed the movie and the song as I enjoy Sopranos, Scarface, Godfather, and yes even Desperate House Wives (you know you watch it too fellas...). I really don't think this hatred of hip-hop is a racial thing but more of a generational/cultural thing. People hate what they don't understand. But let look at it this way, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have played more thugs, murderers, womanizers than anyone, but noone would ever say they were what they portray. Why do you think rappers make such good ACTORS (Queen Latifah, Will Smith, Mos Def, LL Cool J, Eve, Ludacris, Ice Cube, Ice T, Snoop Dogg...ok maybe not Snoop, but you get the point). Maybe because it takes a bit of acting to pull their job off, just as it does for our honorable members of SAG. So let's just get a grip and remember its all business.......SHOWBUSINESS. posted by JDDCP at 12:15 PM

2006-03-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

RANT: Offensive Co-Workers - By: Kee So, I'm at work today and my manager (who I share an office with) is engaged in conversation with one of our producers. My manager is pregnant and the producer has a small child already (manager is white, producer is Jewish), so they were discussing child care costs, and public vs. private schooling etc. After marveling over how expensive day care is (apparently $1000 a month on average) the producer offered a bit of solice by joking "well, at least school is free". My manager immediately commented that she and her husband plan to send their child to private school (between $12,000 - $18,000 a year). She lives in Baltimore City (1 block from the county line) so it's understood that Baltimore City Public schools aren't the best. But she said "Oh, no there's no way my child will go to public school, she'll probably be selling drugs by the time she's 6". Then went on to say "the school system is terrible... she'd be the only white child in there. I want her to attend a school with more affluent parents and families, with more cultural diversity...." Mind you, I'm sitting right there, typing an e-mail. After all this is said - I froze and looked stared at my computer screen, just kind of shocked at how blazay this just flowed out of her mouth. Now,let's be honest, what parent doesn't want the best for their child? And if I were in her situation, although I'm black, I'd probably aim for private school too. But 2 things bother me about what transpired this morning: Firstly she immediately made the association that - since the schools are full of non-white kids, they must all be selling drugs. Proven by her statement of her child potentially being the only white one. So basically not so much a class issue, she made a racial association. And although she didn't say blacks, we can safely assume that's what she meant. This is Baltimore we're talking about. The second thing that bothers me is that she thought it perfectly fine to say this in work environment while I'm sitting right there. It is fine for her to feel that way, I can't change her mind. But how offensive is it to let it fly when a person of color is 7 feet away from you? And you're a manager? The least she could have done was save this conversation for her lunch break. So a few hours later, I'm on my way downstairs because I was asked to participate on-camera in a shoot. And I run into the Jewish producer in the hallway, who stopped me because she felt so badly about my manager's comments. She said her heart cringed, and she saw that I did too. She found it terribly offensive and offered multiple apologies. Although she didn't really do anything wrong, she regrets not saying something to my manager right then about her comment. I'm glad she stopped to talk to me, because at least I know I'm not being overly sensitive about race. I wonder if I am sometimes... That's all, just had to vent.

2006-03-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

RANT: Ettiquette - By: Gizzle Ever hold the door for someone fairly far away from you? Have you noticed that they'll immeadiately change their pace, lose all composure and do the 50 yard dash to the door? What is that about? I mean from what I understand holding the door for someone is a courtesy to them. So, if someone is holding the door for 7-10 seconds while you continue to stroll into work are you obligated to hustle? Frankly, I really don't care whether or not one holds the door for me as long as they don't let it hit me in the face - I'm good. I'm certainly not going to spill my hot chocolate all over my hands and drop my bagel while I sprint to save you the excruciating pain of holding the door for another 3 seconds. Where is everybody in a rush to get to...work? Please... 7:09 AM

2006-03-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

Rita Marley (not unlike Dorothy Mantooth) could be considered a saint. - By: Kee If you know anything about Bob Marley's life, you know that he was a man of his message; a messenger of Rastafari, an advocate for Pan-Africanism and the voice of the poor and oppressed. A real "Third World Hero", as he was regarded. It's also commonely known that he produced a startling number of children during his 36 year tenure on this earth. It's been reported that Bob could have fathered up to 22 children, but most have settled on the more probable 11 offspring that are recognized by the family and by the courts. 5 of these children are with his wife, Rita. I'm just finishing up Rita's memoir, No Woman No Cry - My Life With Bob Marely. In it, she chronicles their separate lives before they met, their courting, their marriage, their children, the business, his genius, his affairs, his excuses, his death... all of it. But what's also interesting, is the introspective nature of the narrative. You get a real idea of how she's feeling in each circumstance - like her pride and insecurities for example. But I'll get to the point, because after all, this isn't a book review. In short, Bob liked women. A lot. Probably too much. In the beginning he was discreet about his affairs, but the more tolerant Rita was, the more his open he became. There were several times when he'd stop by the house with a girlfriend in the car. Inevitablely, after all of their kids were born, the couple spent most of their time living apart, although they never legally separated. Normally he would spend his time in his studio/home where industry chicks, models and random women lurked just to get a chance to "meet" Bob. Meanwhile, 12 miles away in Bull Bay, Rita lived with their kids. To be fair, Bob urged Rita to move into the studio/home with him, but she knew what was going on there, and felt it best for her kids (and her diginity) to stay away. Life proved to be quite the test for Rita. In one interview, Bob was asked if was married to Rita - as they shared the same last name - and he said "No, she's my sister!" Obviously Bob has some explaining to do when he got home. He reasoned that married fathers aren't so exciting according to the industry, and that his record company has urged him to maintain a certain mistique. It's all about image and record sales, he assured her. He reinterated that nothing could ever come between them.... Ironically, even though Bob basically did whatever he pleased socially, he remained extremely possessive of Rita. He was known to pay keen attention to where she was at all times, who she was with,and what she was doing. One time he even tracked a man down (behind her back) and confronted him about his relationship with Rita. Two other times he accosted and almost attacked men who he thought too close to her. So you see, Bob would habitually flip whenever he suspected another man to be around around his wife. Guilt & paranoia are a bitch. So I pose these questions: Why is it socially more acceptable (or more expected) for men to cheat? Furthermore, why are cheating men, so territorial? Why are women SO tolerant? When is enough, enough? And guys, in your mind what consitutes crossing the line: kissing, flirting, sex, emotional connections? Why do good girls/guys finish last? Why can men dish it out, but can't take it?

2006-03-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

NEW BOOK - Unburnable - By: Marie-Elena John If your into intriguing well-written mysteries, and are enchanted by the rich history of Afri-Carib culture, look no further than this brand new novel. It hits stores next month (April 2006) and will DEFINITELY grasp the interest of all lovers of literary fiction. Here's an ALA Review: This compelling first novel traces the fortunes of three generations of women from the small Caribbean Island of Dominica. Matilda, descended from African slaves, was a famous healer and possible murderer. The story of her hanging was handed down in songs. Her daughter, Iris, was famous as the jilted lover of a rich man and the victim of a horrific rape. Her subsequent insanity and death also became legendary. Iris' daughter, Lillian, was raised by her devoutly Catholic stepmother. Until the age of 15 she remains unaware that the infamous women of song are her legacy. Now living in Washington, D.C., the fragile, adult Lillian returns to Dominica to try to unravel the history of her family. The richly told narrative alternates between time periods, building suspense and compassion for all of the characters. The possibly insane Lillian is the least well rounded of the women, which makes the final chapters a little disappointing. The diversity of the African diaspora is often overlooked in modern African American literature, and this page-turner fills in some gaps. Marta Segal Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

2006-03-09T17:50:00.000-05:00

NEW FILM - Dave Chappelle's Block Party Has anyone seen this? If you haven't, you should definitely check it out. If nothing else, you'll know that you missed out on one of the best concerts of all time. Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Common, Dead Prez, The Roots, Cody Chestnutt, Jill Scott, Talib Kweli, John Legend and The Fugees. (!!!) Is that not one of the sickest line ups up all time?

2006-03-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! If you know me, you know that I'm way too opinionated to not have one of these. So here it is. I can't promise that I'll update this on a daily basis, but I will do my best to check in, and hopefully chime into heated discussions that i hope will occupy these pages. That's about it for now, I assure you I'll be back with a random thought shortly. Stay tuned! kee