2.26.2008
Where Is The Bottom
I was profiled tonight. Yes, I mean racially. DWB dammit. There are times when I need to clear my head, and on such occasions, I head to the ocean. There is a specific stretch of the ocean in a beach city, three cities south of the one in which I dwell. It is late, and I did not consider the time restrictions along the beaches. They were all closed. My favorite spot, an elevated road parallel to the ocean, has no parking between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., so obviously I could not pull over and step out my car to allow that fresh ocean breeze to smack me upside my head. I kept driving. I had another destination in mind, another beach spot. Once I arrived, I parked my car, released my frustrations in the form of tears, listened to Joss Stone, wrote myself a letter of affirmation and sat quietly to enjoy some peace.
When I was ready to depart, I had to back out of my space and perform a semi-u-turn in order to face the direction in which I need to go. Lo and behold, I run right into the "beach city" po-po, and this joker pulls me over. Mind you, this particular beach city is not as "liberal" as my own. In typical DWB fashion, I turn on my interior lights, ready my drivers license and proof of insurance, roll down both my front windows and stick my identification out for the officer to see. He gets out of the car, asks me if I know why he pulled me over, and of course I say no, when I really wanted answer "yes, because I'm a pickaninny rolling through your picture perfect town late at night." He proceeds to explain the purpose of the double yellow line which I had no choice but to cross while backing out of my space. He also notices that I had the red face and nose and asked if I was "stable", which almost elicited raucous laughter from me, but because I was in no mood to go the station, I assured him that I was cool, and just came out to get some fresh air to mourn the loss of a loved one. This was a half truth, by the way, yes, there was a death in my family Sunday, but the relative was very distant.
I relay this story to ask, "where is the bottom?" This is the question that was asked by the character Beneatha Younger, in A Raisin In The Sun. While Lorraine Hansberry's play was debuted on Broadway almost fifty years ago, its relevance to the black experience has not changed. I would also venture to say that this timeless story is also, now relevant to a few other minority groups in this world.
I watched tonight's broadcast on ABC. I really enjoyed it. I have read the play and seen the original black and white movie. I have not been fortunate enough yet, to see it on stage.
Back to my rant.
"Where is the bottom", when in 2008, I, as a woman, a woman of color, can get pulled over by the law because I am OF color. Where is the bottom, when Ms. Whoopi Goldberg, with ALL of her accomplishments, contributions and milestones, gets snubbed by the producers of the 80Th Oscar telecast (please see previous post from YBF.com)? Where is the bottom, when Mrs. Ruby Dee, who has blessed us with her grace and dignity in arts and film for over sixty years, has to wait until she is 83 years old to be acknowledged by the Academy of Arts and Sciences? I cry foul. Where is the bottom, when a specific tack head journalist/talk show host can get on national t.v., and speak about lynching in reference to our feature First Lady, Michelle Obama? Where is the bottom, when Phylicia Rashad never received any recognition from her "peers" for being the baddest t.v. mom there ever was. She rocked her roll as Lena Younger last night, a character that reminds us of the humility our fore parents had to possess in order to hold themselves and their families together.
And one more thing..........did anyone see BaBa WaWa (Barb Walters) ask Vanessa Williams if she had ever experienced racism as a child growing up in an all white neighborhood? WTF Babs? It was the late sixties! Vee's answer was yes, and Babs acted surprised. I say, Squirrel please! Hell, she experienced racism when she was crowned Miss America in 1983.
Of course I feel that Sen. Obama is experiencing it, albeit subtle; at least for now.
I could go on and on, but I'm sleepy and certain that I've said enough, if not too much. I just wanna know, where is the bottom? Do you realize that this may never end? Are you mentally tough enough to handle that? No wonder we have hypertension!
This is some fraganackle bull!
2.25.2008
Whoopi Gets Snubbed By The Academy?
Now I know some folks in the black community have “issues” with Whoopi Goldberg for whatever reason. But oh well. This needs to be said. Last night’s … more
Get Yo' Man Chicken
By the way, I just read some out-of-touch broad's review of the show, and she had the nerve to liken it to Good Times meets Paula Deen. Wrong. I suppose there are some people out there that believe we all live or have lived the life of James and Florida Evans. Whatever. I say, cook on Pat and Gina! I am very happy to see you.
2.20.2008
Hump Day House Music
Folks have been talking real greasy about the Obama's lately. Their responses to all this b.s. have magnified the obvious love and respect they have for one another. They show a united front, and for that I appreciate them greatly.
On that claim of plagiarism, Governor Deval Patrick held it down AND shut it down, didn't he?????? Folks been lifting elements from our culture for centuries, but all of a sudden, this is an issue. Go figure.
By the way, great job Wisconsin! To Hawaii, I say "Mahalo nui loa!"
You both deserve a soul clap!
Enjoy the sounds.......
2.19.2008
Grow Out Blow Out
I've been in the process of the "grow out" since last summer, and it is a daunting task. I have three different textures at once, which is not uncommon for a woman of color. The front is thin and soft, the middle and sides are soft and 360 degree curly, and the nape.....let's just say it's tight-fisted! LOL!
Today, my stylist, Brown (that's what I call her) trimmed my hair. The last bit of relaxer that was hanging on at the ends, is gone! I AM COMPETELY NATURAL. There is a weight lifted when you accept yourself just as the Good Lord made ya. It IS what it IS. My hair is healthy, and it feels good. Mind you, I must keep it conditioned and moisturized, but there are no chemicals, and my 'fro is in full effect. I cornrow it at night before bed to give it crinkles and texture by day. It's a tedious process, yet necessary, as I am not interested in rocking a perfectly neat, move no mountain type afro. Mine has to be funky and off-kilter, more on the Christie Love tip, besides, my Cali cousins complement me on it. I must add that my Cali cousins usually give me H-E-Double Hocky Sticks about EVERYTHING (I'm like the sister they never had), so their approval speaks volumes.
I also have an adorable wig that I wear sometimes. For some reason, it is a white boy magnet! LOL!
I will probably have my hair braided again soon. I love individual braids, because they offer a great deal of convenience and freedom. My hair is growing nicely, and the braids, properly maintained, give it a chance to grow without interruption.
There was a woman in the salon today, having her hair done by the owner. She had my dream hair style, and it gave me inspiration to continue with my journey of the "grow out!" I will update you in another six weeks after my next trim. Until then, I will continue to handle my hair with care and love, take my vitamins, and envision myself with that perfect style.
Do you love your 'do?
-The Maven
2.16.2008
Barack 101
I can't very well encourage you to vote for him, without you having a full understanding of the man, now can I?
Well, I have included a few links to get you started.
The Official Barack Obama Website
Dreams For My Father
The Audacity of Hope
Barack Obama Wiki
Barack Obama as U.S. Senator of Illinois
Barack Obama's My Space page
Barck Obama's You Tube Channel
This campaign is a movement of massive proportions. Get behind the wheel, but read the map. There's nothing worse than a driver who does not know where they're going. You'll only mess up the flow of traffic.
-The Maven
2.14.2008
Sweet Serenade
Hearts and Roses
Who do you love? Be it child, parent, lover, or friend, when is the last time you told them so? Get busy! There is no better time than the present.
In a former post entitled "Cabin Fever", I spoke about a man who was in the hospital and very sick. Sadly, my friend informed me of his passing last week, he had leukemia. Once again, I say, there is no better time than the present.
By the way, I love you.
2.13.2008
Hump Day House Music
Enjoy the groove.
2.12.2008
Jesse Jackson, Jr Speaks of Superdelegates
This article represents, for me, the absolute importance of being informed.
Please share.
Commentary
The delicate superdelegate predicament
Democratic nominee should be chosen by voters, not party elite
By Jesse Jackson Jr
February 12, 2008
The Democratic Party is on fire. We have two talented, precedent-
shattering, history-making candidates. We have a fired-up, mobilized,
energized base, breaking voting turnout records. We have a grass-
roots donor base that is using the Internet to set new fundraising
records every time we turn around. And the Republican Party seems to
have settled on an aging nominee who has serious problems with his
conservative base, tells voters that their jobs are gone and promises
a 100-year war and occupation of Iraq.
So I would suggest that this is a time that Democratic superdelegates
should tread lightly. Let's not get in the way of our rising tide.
Let's allow grass-roots voters to choose the 2008 presidential
nominee for the Democratic Party, not party elites.
This is a subject I know a bit about. I am one of 796 superdelegates,
by virtue of being a member of Congress. I'm a national co-chair for
the Obama for President campaign and I was once a Democratic National
Committee member.
I came of age during the great political campaigns of my father, Rev.
Jesse Jackson, grass-roots campaigns during the 1980s that took on
the Democratic Party's establishment, the superdelegates and the
question of political elites ruling the convention.
My father's 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns brought the civil
rights movement of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fully into electoral
politics, registered millions of new Democratic voters and changed
the face and structure of the party -- including the rules.
We fought during the '80s to make the Democratic Party a party of
inclusion, and we largely succeeded, as our two remaining Democratic
presidential nominees this year illustrate. Back then, we registered
millions of young African-American voters, an investment that has
paid huge dividends to the party at every level for the last 20
years.
We fought to lower barriers to grass-roots participation and won
rules changes that made our primary process fairer, smoother and more
accessible to everyone.
These rules changes were bitterly resisted at the time, yet
Democratic presidential nomination races since 1988 have been less
acrimonious and fairer and have helped us win at least two, really
three and maybe even four presidential victories in the years since
(depending on how many stolen elections you believe took place).
What were those changes? We fought to eliminate "winner-take-all" and
"bonus" primaries, which were very biased against grass-roots
candidates, especially minorities -- and we won.
We fought to lower the threshold percentage for winning delegates
from 20 percent to 15 percent -- and we won.
We actually succeeded in eliminating hundreds of superdelegates at
the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, by taking away
the status of unelected committee members. (Unfortunately, those
slots were quickly reinstated as superdelegates the next year, once
the election was over.)
The Democratic Party now is fairer and more accessible than it was a
generation ago, which is a big reason why Barack Obama has such a
good chance to become the party's presidential nominee. Still, one-
fifth of the convention delegates in Denver this summer will be
superdelegates -- more than enough to make the final choice in this
year's close primary contest.
Don't do it. Let the process play out. Let's see if the voters point
us in a clear direction, and rather than intervening to change that
direction, we superdelegates can ratify their decision.
Let's trust the voters to make wise decisions. Let's trust the
candidates to stay on the high road, so that a long primary process
continues to build the party up. Let's keep a wary eye on proposed
solutions that favor the power of elites over that of voters.
And when this is all over, let's revisit this whole superdelegate
issue. Because maybe the number of superdelegates who will be seated
at the Denver convention are just too many. If it better serves
justice, I'd be willing to give up my automatic superdelegate slot
(as long as my colleagues join me).
Most of all, let's not break the hearts of the millions of young
people who have been inspired to participate in the election process
this season. If we keep them involved, we'll all reach higher ground.
----------
Jesse Jackson Jr. represents the 2nd Congressional District of
Illinois. He is a national co-chairman of the Obama for President
campaign.
2.11.2008
Who Moved My Chuck E. Cheese's
I arrived at their home Saturday morning just in time for J and D (their parents, my cousins) to get to a wedding, I was a bit behind schedule, but blame it on the unrelenting Los Angeles traffic. After Mom and Dad drove away, my first order of business was to walk down the street and meet the grandmother of one of Junebug's playmates. Lo and behold, she was picking up toys and sending the chirren' packin'. They were ready to go the next spot on the block to play video games. Junebug couldn't go though. Mommy instructed me otherwise. Outdoor play only. I walked my charges back down to the house and had a brief pow wow at which time, I decided that we should put our plans in motion and go to Chuck E. Cheese's. Snoopy grabbed the booster seats, she and I also grabbed our purses (she is such the little lady), and we piled in my ride for the short trip the The Cheese.
Chuck E. Cheese's is a fascinating place. I like it. It's like Vegas for kids, minus the disgusting smell of cigarettes. Children are so HAPPY when they pass through those doors. The energy they expend is mind boggling and the smiles are endless. All you have to do is keep their little cups full of those gold coins, give them some sugar and watchem' go! Junebug was killin' one game in particular; tickets just kept flowing from the machine. He was in heaven; accomplished in his own little way. Snoopy was getting her ticket count up too, but she made me proud when she slid some of her coins to her lil' brother so that he could continue to play. Once they were done (translation: once I stopped buying coins with their Mama's money), they tallied up and celebrated as if they'd just hit the slots in the lobby of The MGM Grand. We headed to the goodie counter, they used a few of their winnings and opted to save the rest for another time. These kids have good judgement and it made me proud.
The munchkins weren't hungry when we arrived to The Cheese so when we left our next stop was Chick-Fil-A. I love this joint. Their chicken is delicious, and they have the best nuggets you've ever tasted. They also give educational gifts in their kids meals. Can't beat that.
After The Chick, we stopped for some crossword puzzles and went home to shut it down for a minute. We watched Raven, and Junebug played games on the computer (with my adult supervision, of course.) Everthing seemed copasetic, when all of a sudden, sibling rivalry reared its ugly head. It all happned so fast, and before I knew it, Snoopy was in tears, and I was sending Junebug to his room for time out. After some explanation of the disagreement (you know, "he pushed me" "she pushed me first" and so on), I had to make an executive decision. We were going for a walk. They succeeded in hurting one anothers feelings and all three of us needed some fresh air.
Junebug was against this walk from the beginning. He's at the stage where he just wants to play with his friends, which would have been cool with me, but none of them were available. He was out-voted, 2 older chicks to 1. I gave them the option of riding their bikes, and off we went to roam the neighborhood, and visit friends, or so I thought. This is where it gets funny. I allowed my 7 and 5 year old cousins to TRICK me. They took me on a fantastic voyage, and I was on FOOT. We traveled the neighborhood, around one block and the next, turning corners, and crossing streets; I looked up and we were headed toward the bike path with their cherubic faces lit up with talk of going to the park. The park?????? I thought we were just going around the way to lil' James' house? The park was not part of the plan, but they are my munchkins so how could I say no? As we hit the bike path, I realized that I was really in for a LONG walk, especially once Snoopy figured out that we were headed in the wrong direction. The park was about a mile the other way. Solidly.
Needless to say, I was a bit concerned because Snoopy is asthmatic and since I had no idea we were going to Timbuktu, I didn't bring her enhaler, nor did we have any water for dehydration. It was pretty warm here on Saturday so I had serious cause for concern. Couple this with the fact that I have no children of my own yet, and you can imagine my thought process. However, I took a deep breath, sang an old negro spiritual and maintained my cool. We made it to the park without incident and they had a good time. Shortly after, J and D called to say they were twenty minutes away, and J offered to swing by the park and take over for me, but the kids wanted to see if we could beat the parents home, so I declined. Snoopy, Junebug, and I headed back to the ranch, and the evening ended with a report of the days activities and mishaps for Mommy, a few more tears, a spaghetti dinner, more crosswords, and Uncle J's basketball game on the tube (there are a lot of J's amongst my Cali fam.)
All in all, I had a great day, and I found new cheese. I learned a lot from my day with the munchkins. Their innocence and free spirits were refreshing, and reminded me to lighten up and live in the moment, even if I have to walk a country mile to do so.
-The Maven
2.06.2008
Hump Day Music: Obama Edition 2
Our champion, Barack, is in a tight race. Please continue to support his campaign. Encourage your peeps whose caucuses or primaries have yet to take place. This will be a well fought victory for him come August, if we are steadfast. For those folks you know who "don't vote", like relatives and co-workers, snatch them up in the collar, and lay down the law! Oh, and holla at your Latino friends, break it down for them. Right now, they are heavily rollin' with Clinton.
If I could meet him today, my message of encouragement would sound like this:
Lyrics here. Thanks, Yahoo Music!
2.05.2008
Barack, Michelle, and Us
As for me, I cast my vote around 9:15 this morning. It was very quiet. My polling place is the local elementary school, and I imagine that many parents voted when they dropped there babies off for class, or will flood the joint after work this evening.
My Midwest and East Coast folks have checked in and have handled their buisiness. I want to say whats up to all my peeps in London Towne, South Side Chicago. I know how exciting the polling place is there. It makes a difference when you vote amongst familiar faces. Hold it down, as always.
Like myself, The Lady (Mom) is in Chicago glued to the tube. I spoke to my cousin in Cashville, and she is also posted up for the night, ready for history to unfold.
On a sour note, I just received a call from my girl ARJ in Mary Land, and she said that folks are calling in to the Michael Baisden Show with complaints and grief about their polling experiences. Some are being told that they are not registered at all or registered in a different party, or as an independent. Verify your registration status! Even if your voting attempt/opportunity is somehow thwarted today, straighten out your registration status before November.
I'll check in with you later.
2.03.2008
One Down One To Go
Now that the Pats are out of the way, it's Hillary's turn. Like I said, one down, one to go.
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!
2.01.2008
KP, Foreclose Your Mouth
Why are politicians always embarrassing their wives? Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick got caught up and now he drags his wife on t.v. to apologize in front of all of Detroit. Squirrel, please.
You should have considered the consequences of this beforehand. Look how they did President Clinton when he was running around the White House putting a hot one Monica Lew's mouth. Hillary's reward for enduring that mess might be the next presidency. Perhaps you should turn your job over to Carlita.
You also have the nerve to tout the success and progress that your city has made under your leadership. WRONG. The whole city of Detroit seems to be in foreclosure, and here you are talking about hotels being built and such. Who wants to come there for a visit? You need to stop. Your arms are too short to box on this one. Good Luck homey.
Democratic Debate Recap
I was excited for this historic moment.
It turned out to be a lovefest.
Ebony and Ivory, come together in perfect harmony, side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't weeeee?
Capitol Hill came to Hollywood and got all "picture pefect" on me.
I heard Kanye's "Flashing Lights" repeating in my head.
WTF?
Wolf Blitzer promised that the debate would cover "substantive issues", which I suppose, it did. However, the outcome seemed so rosy. So Tinseltown. Plus, there were tons of celebs there, it was like an awards show.
The candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, opened the debate by heaping loads of praise, deservedly so, on John Edwards. Ok, we get it, he will be missed. Not!
Don't get me wrong, I like Edwards, but he was in the way of destiny, and it was time for him to bow out.
Next, they jumped right into differences on policy.
On healthcare, they both agree that all Americans should be covered, although their methods for getting us to that utopia differ. Barack wants to lower the overall cost of healthcare so that it is affordable to those who wish to have it. Hillary wants healthcare to be "universal",but she will "require" us to all buy some. At what cost, I am uncertain, but be sure that a tax increase is on the horizon either way.
Their solutions to the mortgage mess include a foreclosure moratoriam and five month rate freeze for Hillary, and a Barack will institute a forclosure prevention fund of about 150 billion and a correction of governmental oversight. I think that they should let folks come and live in the white house with them until this mess is fixed. I bet they will fix it in a hurry, then.
Immigration was an interesting issue, considering the debate was taking place right here in Mexi...oops, I mean LA. Lets face it, this is a touchy subject in California, and while I side with Barack on this one, I am not sure if either candidate will get it right at days end. Let me explain. A woman asked the question, "How does immigration affect the African American community?", answering first, Barack was firm in his belief that inner city unemployment rates are not related to immigration. Basically what he said is that Latinos are not taking your jobs, there were never any for you from the get go. Senator Obama wants to crackdown on the exploitation of undocumented workers by those who employ them cheaply. Senator Clinton trumpets "comprehensive immigration reform" and a tightening of the borders. She insists that we should do more to help Mexico. Excuse me, but the worlds richest man lives in Mexico. Obviously, they are generating money. I'd like to know what she means by "help". She wants to institute criteria by which undocumented persons take a path to legalization. She wants them to EARN their way into the country. Go figure. My people were forced here, now Brown people have to travel an obstacle course to get in.
The debate became most entertaining when the subject of war was introduced. Hillary says withdrawal of our troops will take time and must be done carefully and strategically. While she will begin bringing folks home within sixty days of her tenure, she admits that it could take up to a year to get the ball rolling. She thinks its time to call the Iraqui government to the carpet so that they can take responsibility for themselves. Barack believes that our long term security is in jeopardy the longer we stay in Iraq because the economic consequences will be staggering. He claims that he will bring the troops home within six months of the beginning of his presidency, and that a clear date must be set in order for the withdrawal to be taken seriously. He emphasized that he NEVER supported the war, and wants to end it now, along with the mindset that got us there in the first place.
Hillary was called out by Wolf Blitzer about her decision to vote with Young Bush on going to war, wondering aloud if she were naive in her decision making. It was a sharp and pointed question that through her off kilter a bit, but she insisted that she made a "reasoned judgement" and GWB was not "reasoned" in his execution. Basically she trusted that he would "Do The Right Thing", but in the end she was "Bamboozled". Personally, I can't understand how a woman with first hand knowledge of the first Bush administration could put her trust in anything that the bew Bush would say or do. I don't believer her. She needs more people.
From there it just became more lovey dovey, with one candidate extolling the virtues of the other. They were asked if they would run on the ticket together and they both gave a politically correct answer. Honestly, I don't see that happening. If I remember correctly, Barack stated on Oprah's show that he is not in this to become the Vice President. Only time will tell. Tuesday here we come.