Sunday, December 26, 2010
Lady Tee
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Oh Thank Heaven For 7-Eleven
The Friday before Thanksgiving I was called into the office of the head of HR for the company I work for. I was told in an effort to cut costs the company had created a plan to furlough certain employees 3 days a week beginning with the coming Monday. My immediate reaction was, WHAT THE HELL??? And if you know me, you know I immediately copped an attitude. I told the HR person if the company expected me to cut back to 2 days a week she could consider this my notice and I would find employment elsewhere (under my breath she was told to kiss my ass). I mean who can afford to lose 3 days of pay a week? “No silly”, she replied laughing this is just for next week and you can use your vacation or personal time if you like…if I like? Of course I like you dumb bitch didn’t I just tell your ass I can’t afford to cut back to 2 days a week? And I don’t know what she found so damn funny, the thought of me losing my home out on the streets and begging for change from strangers at the local 7-Eleven? Or maybe she was amused at the arrogance of this Black man daring her with ultimatums and threatening to walk. At any rate as I was the first person she spoke with I suggested she change the way she broached the conversation or at least start off by saying it would only be for one week.
As it turns out it didn’t matter as she was full of shit anyway. This week when I returned to work I found they had furloughed more employees with plans to do so going forward. What I couldn’t understand is why they would force people to take time off and then tell them they could use their personal or vacation time. By doing this the company would not be saving any money as the cash required for payroll would not change. Now I’ve been an accountant for almost 30 years and I’m ashamed to admit that it took me awhile to figure out their game plan. You see in the state of California when you fire a person you are legally obliged to pay them for any vacation or personal time they may have accrued….I’ll let that sink in for a moment. By accruing this time it sits on the company’s books as a liability due the employee. The real plan these heartless bastards have concocted is to force people to use all of their vacation and personal time so that when they fire them, without notice, they won’t have to pay them for the time they have accrued...so this means that you fire me with no warning and no severance and all I’m left with is whatever I may have earned for that week…look out 7-Eleven I may be headed your way.
So I find myself 54 years old, pissed off, with minimal savings and faced with the prospect of finding a new job. Now don’t get me wrong being college educated and with 30 years of work experience helps but I earn a fairly decent salary to which I’ve grown accustomed and call me stupid but I’ve also adapted to living in a house and not my car. The fact is there are plenty of fresh faced college graduates who are willing to do my job for far less money and the scarcity of jobs in the current market leaves me wondering how quickly I’ll be able to find employment and at what rate. Of course there’s the additional pressure of trying to secure a job before these assholes deplete my vacation and personal time which, at this point is my only chance of any type of severance. So wish me luck as I begin this week to contact recruiters and refashion my resume. Maybe I should get caught up on the current youth lingo and fashions or at least find out who the hell Nicki Minaj is and why she’s pissed off Lil’ Kim. And by the way, the next time you see someone begging for cash at 7-Eleven pay close attention it may be someone you know.
As it turns out it didn’t matter as she was full of shit anyway. This week when I returned to work I found they had furloughed more employees with plans to do so going forward. What I couldn’t understand is why they would force people to take time off and then tell them they could use their personal or vacation time. By doing this the company would not be saving any money as the cash required for payroll would not change. Now I’ve been an accountant for almost 30 years and I’m ashamed to admit that it took me awhile to figure out their game plan. You see in the state of California when you fire a person you are legally obliged to pay them for any vacation or personal time they may have accrued….I’ll let that sink in for a moment. By accruing this time it sits on the company’s books as a liability due the employee. The real plan these heartless bastards have concocted is to force people to use all of their vacation and personal time so that when they fire them, without notice, they won’t have to pay them for the time they have accrued...so this means that you fire me with no warning and no severance and all I’m left with is whatever I may have earned for that week…look out 7-Eleven I may be headed your way.
So I find myself 54 years old, pissed off, with minimal savings and faced with the prospect of finding a new job. Now don’t get me wrong being college educated and with 30 years of work experience helps but I earn a fairly decent salary to which I’ve grown accustomed and call me stupid but I’ve also adapted to living in a house and not my car. The fact is there are plenty of fresh faced college graduates who are willing to do my job for far less money and the scarcity of jobs in the current market leaves me wondering how quickly I’ll be able to find employment and at what rate. Of course there’s the additional pressure of trying to secure a job before these assholes deplete my vacation and personal time which, at this point is my only chance of any type of severance. So wish me luck as I begin this week to contact recruiters and refashion my resume. Maybe I should get caught up on the current youth lingo and fashions or at least find out who the hell Nicki Minaj is and why she’s pissed off Lil’ Kim. And by the way, the next time you see someone begging for cash at 7-Eleven pay close attention it may be someone you know.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
George Bush Doesn't Care About Kanye West
Former President George W. Bush (#2 for those counting) says Kanye West’s claim that he didn’t care about Black people following Hurricane Katrina was one of the most disgusting moments of his presidency. Really George?? More disgusting than the thousands of people of New Orleans and surrounding areas that were affected directly by this disaster or the disturbing videos of the carnage and chaos that followed in its destructive wake? More disgusting than the devastation caused, those who lost their lives, loved ones, homes and those who were permanently displaced due to the slow and ineffective response by your administration?
What about the lives lost from 9/11 the most horrible terror attack in our nation’s history which, happened on your watch and which your staffers warned you about prior to it happening? What was that George a success? How disgusting was it when you cut taxes for the rich and when addressing a dinner of your wealthiest donors you joked, "This is an impressive crowd...the haves...and the have mores. Some people call you the elite...I call you my base." How about the lies from your administration regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Lies which led to the deployment of thousands of American soldiers who lost their lives in your “made up” war? What about the lack of postwar medical and mental health care for soldiers after their deployment? Didn’t you find that disgusting? What about destroying our nation’s reputation on the world stage, endorsing the use of kidnapping, torture and murder as the new standard of American foreign policy. How about ushering in the Bush Depression which led to the current state and collapse of our national economy? Not disgusting enough?
Five years later and you’re still fixated on comments made by an entertainer Mr. Bush? Your comments further expose you as petty, thin skinned and self-centered. To be clear Kanye West did not call you a racist, he said you didn’t care about Black people and there is no evidence to contradict his assertion. What I find disgusting is your utter lack of ability to even grasp an ounce of reality. I find it disgusting that in your fantasy world you’re just a poor misunderstood little rich white boy. In your version of the eight years spent in the white house you didn’t steal the presidency in 2000 with the help of the Supreme Court. In your deluded sense of reality there WERE weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and homeboy who threw the shoe at you was simply a well meaning though overzealous Foot Locker employee trying to make a sale.
What about the lives lost from 9/11 the most horrible terror attack in our nation’s history which, happened on your watch and which your staffers warned you about prior to it happening? What was that George a success? How disgusting was it when you cut taxes for the rich and when addressing a dinner of your wealthiest donors you joked, "This is an impressive crowd...the haves...and the have mores. Some people call you the elite...I call you my base." How about the lies from your administration regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Lies which led to the deployment of thousands of American soldiers who lost their lives in your “made up” war? What about the lack of postwar medical and mental health care for soldiers after their deployment? Didn’t you find that disgusting? What about destroying our nation’s reputation on the world stage, endorsing the use of kidnapping, torture and murder as the new standard of American foreign policy. How about ushering in the Bush Depression which led to the current state and collapse of our national economy? Not disgusting enough?
Five years later and you’re still fixated on comments made by an entertainer Mr. Bush? Your comments further expose you as petty, thin skinned and self-centered. To be clear Kanye West did not call you a racist, he said you didn’t care about Black people and there is no evidence to contradict his assertion. What I find disgusting is your utter lack of ability to even grasp an ounce of reality. I find it disgusting that in your fantasy world you’re just a poor misunderstood little rich white boy. In your version of the eight years spent in the white house you didn’t steal the presidency in 2000 with the help of the Supreme Court. In your deluded sense of reality there WERE weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and homeboy who threw the shoe at you was simply a well meaning though overzealous Foot Locker employee trying to make a sale.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Dialing While Drunk
Someone needs to school Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Coon, sorry Court Justice Clarence Thomas, on the art of issuing an olive branch and when to expect an apology. The Justice’s wife, who has just emerged as a Tea Party leader, recently left a message for Anita Hill, who in 1991 accused her husband of sexual harassment. In the voice mail left by Ginni she requested an apology and a full explanation of “why you did what you did with my husband” and went on to say “So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. O.K., have a good day.” The voice mail message was left at 7:30 AM on a Saturday morning…sounds like someone did some drunk dialing to me. There are so many things wrong with this that I hardly know where to begin.
Let’s start with the obvious sense of superiority and white privilege issues Ginni Thomas possesses because that’s the only thing that would allow this woman to demand an apology from that ‘lil black gal that dared to make accusations against her husband. And Ms. Hill was the obvious and clear victim of sexual harassment on the part of her truly trifling, sorry ass excuse for a Black man husband. Apology? Really? She had to be drunk; why else would she have the balls to make such a ridiculous demand and then follow it up with “so pray about it and have a good day”. What?? Have a good day? Either that or she was smoking some shit even Snoop Dogg wouldn’t touch. Almost 20 years later and she comes at Ms. Hill with this BS? Has this been on her mind for all this time? And how about “why you did what you did with my husband”, what the hell is that? Ms. Hill never said she actually did anything with Justice Thomas, she accused him of making inappropriate remarks, so has Ginni been suspicious of her husband and his affairs for the past two decades? I seem to recall there was another woman, also African-American, who made accusations of sexual harassment at the same time as Ms. Hill so maybe the Justice has a thing for the Black gals and Ginni is fed up. She must have woke up that morning rolled over, slapped the shit out of her husband, dialed Anita Hill and said to herself, “I’m gonna get to the bottom of this shit right now” but when the machine came on she chickened out and left that stupid ass message.
When contacted by the New York Times Ginni Thomas stated, “I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get past what happened so long ago”…ok. First of all, crazy psycho ass, you don’t demand an apology from someone and then say you’re extending an olive branch. An olive branch represents goodwill or peace and there was nothing peaceful about this phone call. No what you were doing is called being passive aggressive. As far as getting past what happened so long ago, it seems your ass is the one who needs to pray and get past it. Ms. Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University, is doing just fine and you are lucky she didn’t get all ghetto on your ass and give you a good ole fashioned cussing out followed by a demand to meet her on the playground after school for a well deserved ass whooping.
Olive branch my ass, no this is clearly an attempt to deflect attention away from Ginni Thomas’ racist Tea Party activities some of which may end up one day before the Supreme Court and given her husband’s place on the Supreme Court along with her recently calling President Obama a tyrant probably a wise, albeit devious move.
Let’s start with the obvious sense of superiority and white privilege issues Ginni Thomas possesses because that’s the only thing that would allow this woman to demand an apology from that ‘lil black gal that dared to make accusations against her husband. And Ms. Hill was the obvious and clear victim of sexual harassment on the part of her truly trifling, sorry ass excuse for a Black man husband. Apology? Really? She had to be drunk; why else would she have the balls to make such a ridiculous demand and then follow it up with “so pray about it and have a good day”. What?? Have a good day? Either that or she was smoking some shit even Snoop Dogg wouldn’t touch. Almost 20 years later and she comes at Ms. Hill with this BS? Has this been on her mind for all this time? And how about “why you did what you did with my husband”, what the hell is that? Ms. Hill never said she actually did anything with Justice Thomas, she accused him of making inappropriate remarks, so has Ginni been suspicious of her husband and his affairs for the past two decades? I seem to recall there was another woman, also African-American, who made accusations of sexual harassment at the same time as Ms. Hill so maybe the Justice has a thing for the Black gals and Ginni is fed up. She must have woke up that morning rolled over, slapped the shit out of her husband, dialed Anita Hill and said to herself, “I’m gonna get to the bottom of this shit right now” but when the machine came on she chickened out and left that stupid ass message.
When contacted by the New York Times Ginni Thomas stated, “I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get past what happened so long ago”…ok. First of all, crazy psycho ass, you don’t demand an apology from someone and then say you’re extending an olive branch. An olive branch represents goodwill or peace and there was nothing peaceful about this phone call. No what you were doing is called being passive aggressive. As far as getting past what happened so long ago, it seems your ass is the one who needs to pray and get past it. Ms. Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University, is doing just fine and you are lucky she didn’t get all ghetto on your ass and give you a good ole fashioned cussing out followed by a demand to meet her on the playground after school for a well deserved ass whooping.
Olive branch my ass, no this is clearly an attempt to deflect attention away from Ginni Thomas’ racist Tea Party activities some of which may end up one day before the Supreme Court and given her husband’s place on the Supreme Court along with her recently calling President Obama a tyrant probably a wise, albeit devious move.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
An Uncomfortable Truth
The problems with acceptance of homosexuality in the African-American community are rooted in the Black church but most definitely are fueled by the media’s portrayal of gay men on TV and film. The recent spate of gay teen suicides promoted by bullying is a direct result of these portrayals. As a great number of these teens have been African-American this problem must be addressed by our community. Gay men are portrayed as weak, effeminate, sex crazed, man hungry predators who will steal your man from you. Just ask Oprah Winfrey who as recently as last week continues to sensationalize and promote hysteria through inaccuracies of the “Down Low” syndrome where secretive self-loathing African-American gay men are said to prey and spread disease to unsuspecting heterosexual African-American women. These shows do nothing to forward the conversation or accurately report the facts or even speak to the pressure of trying to fit into the norm of a heterosexual relationship brought on by religious condemnation and societal hatred. They ignore the fact that our culture of masculinity practically demands these men deny who they truly are for fear of rejection and isolation which leads to the down low in the first place. Shows like Oprah Winfrey’s only add to the demonization of gay men in our culture. A demonization passed on to our youth who bully and torment those they are taught to perceive as weak and different.
Spoiler alert. A diverse gay culture exists just like that of any ethnic culture. It’s not all Will & Grace and Rupaul’s Drag Race. There are masculine gay men, feminine queens, androgynous men & women, butch women, lipstick lesbians, cross dressers and those transitioning from men to women or vice versa. There are high, middle and low income gay people. Some are educators, white collar and blue collar workers and you more than likely work with a gay person everyday and may not know it. But isn’t that how it should be? Not all gay people are artistic fashion mavens and get this, just like there are some Black people who are ashamed or even horrified that the ‘Flava Flav’s of the world and his girl Miss “New York” exist there are those in the gay community who are just as appalled by the flamboyant overtly feminine men found on shows like the Real Housewives of Atlanta or the degrading minstrel gay images found in Tyler Perry films. These people do not represent the entire gay culture anymore than ‘Lil Wayne and his sagging pants represent all African-Americans.
The media is responsible for throwing all gays into the same basket. But guess what, just because a man prefers a man to a woman doesn’t mean he'd necessarily want to put on a dress and just because he likes to wear a dress doesn't mean he prefers the company of butch women and not all lesbians want to assume the role of a man...diversity. Not all gay teens can relate to effeminate bitchy queens and a more balanced and positive portrayal of gays in the media should be demanded. It’s easier to laugh at an African-American gay man wearing heels and carrying a purse yet these images send a message to our youth and bullies that being gay is wrong and something to laugh at. No matter what anyone may tell you words hurt and the images conjured up with hateful speech are meant to brutalize. Anyone who has ever been called a sissy or a faggot can attest to that.
Believe it or not there are gay men and women who lead normal lives, get up and go to work each day and maintain healthy enduring relationships and these are the images to which our youth, straight and gay need to be exposed, if for no other reason than to combat the sense of helplessness and feeling lost and alone. I’ve been there and I know that feeling of insecurity and desperation and believe me, without the proper support group or positive role models, it often times leads one to prefer suicide as an option to living.
Spoiler alert. A diverse gay culture exists just like that of any ethnic culture. It’s not all Will & Grace and Rupaul’s Drag Race. There are masculine gay men, feminine queens, androgynous men & women, butch women, lipstick lesbians, cross dressers and those transitioning from men to women or vice versa. There are high, middle and low income gay people. Some are educators, white collar and blue collar workers and you more than likely work with a gay person everyday and may not know it. But isn’t that how it should be? Not all gay people are artistic fashion mavens and get this, just like there are some Black people who are ashamed or even horrified that the ‘Flava Flav’s of the world and his girl Miss “New York” exist there are those in the gay community who are just as appalled by the flamboyant overtly feminine men found on shows like the Real Housewives of Atlanta or the degrading minstrel gay images found in Tyler Perry films. These people do not represent the entire gay culture anymore than ‘Lil Wayne and his sagging pants represent all African-Americans.
The media is responsible for throwing all gays into the same basket. But guess what, just because a man prefers a man to a woman doesn’t mean he'd necessarily want to put on a dress and just because he likes to wear a dress doesn't mean he prefers the company of butch women and not all lesbians want to assume the role of a man...diversity. Not all gay teens can relate to effeminate bitchy queens and a more balanced and positive portrayal of gays in the media should be demanded. It’s easier to laugh at an African-American gay man wearing heels and carrying a purse yet these images send a message to our youth and bullies that being gay is wrong and something to laugh at. No matter what anyone may tell you words hurt and the images conjured up with hateful speech are meant to brutalize. Anyone who has ever been called a sissy or a faggot can attest to that.
Believe it or not there are gay men and women who lead normal lives, get up and go to work each day and maintain healthy enduring relationships and these are the images to which our youth, straight and gay need to be exposed, if for no other reason than to combat the sense of helplessness and feeling lost and alone. I’ve been there and I know that feeling of insecurity and desperation and believe me, without the proper support group or positive role models, it often times leads one to prefer suicide as an option to living.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Really Delusional Housewives of Atlanta
Ok so the really bitchy, low class, ghetto acting, embarrassing and from what I can tell only two of which are actually married, Real Housewives of Atlanta are back and just as tacky as ever. And I gotta say over the break someone should have purchased a Rosetta Stone English CD for NeNe as a matter of fact for the entire cast, “get ya finga out ma face”… Really? At any rate things haven’t changed much for the girls from the ATL. Sheree is still in a fantasy world regarding her ability to do anything of substance and says that now acting is her passion (what happened to She by Sheree?) NeNe is still a big bully or as Kim likes to call her a big moose, and speaking of Kim not only is she still trailer park trashy she apparently is now “gay for pay” and Kandi still looks like she doesn’t belong on the show. However I’m convinced she is the only one capable of taking on NeNe and I look forward to her one day whooping the big broad’s ass and I gotta ask, are we sure NeNe isn’t a drag queen? I mean have you seen the size of those feet and I could swear I caught her act at the Catch One circa 1996. There are two new members of the cast but we have only met one so far. She’s a pregnant attorney married to an ex convict and says things like “I want my kids to have traditional names”. Yeah traditional like her name, Phaedra and her husband’s Apollo. She’s convinced he loves her because he signed a prenup… I’m not so sure I’d want this woman in charge of my legal affairs.
So let’s recap episode 1 season 3. Apparently NeNe’s husband has out lasted his usefulness to her. In her mind because of her “celebrity” status she can make money on her own and no longer needs her sugar daddy...or the stripper pole. In typical NeNe fashion she picks a public fight with Dwight and makes a huge scene and thus the famous quote to Dwight, “get ya finga out ma face”...classy. The whole time Kim and Sheree are following behind her instigating...made me want to see someone slap the shit out of both of them. And speaking of Dwight where in the world would this Stunt Queen get $30,000 to give Sheree and another $10,000 for NeNe’s husband? Is he printing his own money with his face on it? Maybe he has one of those money trees I dreamed of as a child. You gotta love when he tore up NeNe’s check and told her he wanted cash, he truly is the definition of a Drama Queen. Something’s obviously up with him and NeNe’s man because Mr. Greg is not as innocent as he wants to appear, he’s hiding something. Kim had a sex talk with her 13 year old daughter and said she hopes her daughter shares her morals and values…Really? Evidently sleeping with married men for money is the height of moral in Kim’s world…and valuable. At any rate someone should teach her daughter how to chew with her mouth closed…disgusting.
As usual Sheree is busy being all kinds of stupid. As previously noted it appears that she has given up on her “passion” of a clothing line and has now focused her attention on her “passion” for acting…and her first Oscar. Yes…Oscar. The woman’s levels of delusion and self importance are unbelievable. How about getting a job to support yourself and your children and by the way how did that eight figure settlement from your ex husband turn out? Someone please let Kandi know that her Fantasia redo hair don’t is not working…just makes her look like she’s trying way too hard. So since the death of her fiancée, she’s decided to try being celibate for a year or celivat as her new boyfriend says. He just wants to ensure that celibacy doesn’t include oral sex to which she quickly agrees. Did we need to know that? And what happened to that new CD of hers? Did it come and go already? So far the role of the new housewife we’ve met, Phaedra, appears to be to trash NeNe and be BFF to Dwight. She grew up with NeNe and it’s apparent that they have some ugly history together, so we may be let in on some dirty little secrets about NeNe but she better watch her back with Dwight and make sure she doesn’t share any of her own secrets with him…lest they become real public. She also has no trouble telling the camera what she’s wearing and how much it cost…again classy.
Congratulations to Dwight as it seems his drama queen antics and permanent residence at the corner of Catty Street and Shady Avenue have landed him a role as an unofficial Atlanta Housewife. Looks like a lot of this season’s drama will revolve around him. Maybe he’ll earn enough money from the show to loan to Sheree to aid in her quest for Oscar gold after which I hear she has plans to find a cure for cancer…just delusional!
So let’s recap episode 1 season 3. Apparently NeNe’s husband has out lasted his usefulness to her. In her mind because of her “celebrity” status she can make money on her own and no longer needs her sugar daddy...or the stripper pole. In typical NeNe fashion she picks a public fight with Dwight and makes a huge scene and thus the famous quote to Dwight, “get ya finga out ma face”...classy. The whole time Kim and Sheree are following behind her instigating...made me want to see someone slap the shit out of both of them. And speaking of Dwight where in the world would this Stunt Queen get $30,000 to give Sheree and another $10,000 for NeNe’s husband? Is he printing his own money with his face on it? Maybe he has one of those money trees I dreamed of as a child. You gotta love when he tore up NeNe’s check and told her he wanted cash, he truly is the definition of a Drama Queen. Something’s obviously up with him and NeNe’s man because Mr. Greg is not as innocent as he wants to appear, he’s hiding something. Kim had a sex talk with her 13 year old daughter and said she hopes her daughter shares her morals and values…Really? Evidently sleeping with married men for money is the height of moral in Kim’s world…and valuable. At any rate someone should teach her daughter how to chew with her mouth closed…disgusting.
As usual Sheree is busy being all kinds of stupid. As previously noted it appears that she has given up on her “passion” of a clothing line and has now focused her attention on her “passion” for acting…and her first Oscar. Yes…Oscar. The woman’s levels of delusion and self importance are unbelievable. How about getting a job to support yourself and your children and by the way how did that eight figure settlement from your ex husband turn out? Someone please let Kandi know that her Fantasia redo hair don’t is not working…just makes her look like she’s trying way too hard. So since the death of her fiancée, she’s decided to try being celibate for a year or celivat as her new boyfriend says. He just wants to ensure that celibacy doesn’t include oral sex to which she quickly agrees. Did we need to know that? And what happened to that new CD of hers? Did it come and go already? So far the role of the new housewife we’ve met, Phaedra, appears to be to trash NeNe and be BFF to Dwight. She grew up with NeNe and it’s apparent that they have some ugly history together, so we may be let in on some dirty little secrets about NeNe but she better watch her back with Dwight and make sure she doesn’t share any of her own secrets with him…lest they become real public. She also has no trouble telling the camera what she’s wearing and how much it cost…again classy.
Congratulations to Dwight as it seems his drama queen antics and permanent residence at the corner of Catty Street and Shady Avenue have landed him a role as an unofficial Atlanta Housewife. Looks like a lot of this season’s drama will revolve around him. Maybe he’ll earn enough money from the show to loan to Sheree to aid in her quest for Oscar gold after which I hear she has plans to find a cure for cancer…just delusional!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Imagination
Imagine growing up in a world where your natural sexual attraction to others is called "sin"! Imagine the toll it takes on self-image and self-esteem. Imagine the little boy or little girl who cried themselves to sleep each night hurting from the taunting and bullying from the other kids because they were different. Imagine awakening everyday and knowing the bigotry you faced yesterday has not gone away and you still have to cope with the same hardships you dealt with before. Imagine having to hide who you are from your coworkers and friends for fear of reprisal. Imagine your family and those dearest to you turning their backs on you and imagine the resulting feelings of isolation, loneliness, hurt and depression... imagine feeling unloved. Imagine wanting to be “normal” and trying to fit in. Imagine finally accepting yourself for who you are and then having to refer to the person you love as your partner or life mate or even roommate. Imagine being a full grown adult capable of making decisions for yourself and then having those decisions made for you by a "moral majority"...Now imagine yourself asking, who would “CHOOSE” such a life?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Mammie Dearest (The Pledge)
Ok, I’ve got a great idea for a movie. An African-American woman is trapped in a loveless marriage to a white collar Black man who beats her, has no Christian values and cheats on her with a woman lacking the same moral values. There is another man, a blue collar worker who believes Jesus Christ is his Lord and savior and is only looking for a good woman to settle down with but she can’t she him through her tear stained eyes. That is until a gun-toting, foul mouthed mammie looking cross-dressing Black man spewing Christian rhetoric dances in to point out the obvious prompting her to fall head over heels in love. Throw in some incest, sexual abuse and a bit of homophobia and we have a great movie, right? Oh wait…Tyler Perry has already done this…like about a hundred times.
There is a scene in Mr. Perry’s current film, “Why Did I Get Married Too”, where Janet Jackson’s character is going through a divorce from her husband and decides to attack his “manhood” by delivering a drag queen stripper cake to him to embarrass him in front of his co-workers. She then taunts him telling him “you want to act like a bitch, ok here’s your bitch”.
This scene is important because it points out Tyler Perry’s exploitation of his audience. He knows he can play to the homophobia of his mostly Black church audience by ridiculing gay men as outrageously feminine freaks that any “moral minded respectable heterosexual” would find an amusing and embarrassing spectacle. The same can be said of his constant use of incest and sexual abuse in his movies as any “Good Christian” can relate to the immorality and sinful behavior of these characters.
Ok so Mr. Perry knows his audience and is probably giving them what they want or at least his idea of faith-based messages (even though the message is somewhat hypocritical coming from a man who dresses in women’s clothing). But what about some positive portrayals of Black men. Even though his audience is all too willing to see them, his portrayal of Black men as incestuous, abusive, Black woman batterers or overtly feminine queens is not only insulting but rather depressing and I for one am sick of it. This man has the power to present images rarely seen onscreen whether it be TV or the movies and both are mediums he controls with his entertainment empire. On TV it’s the same thing. His African-American male characters are shucking and jiving, loud talking, overweight, ignorant ridiculously dressed buffoons. How about some encouraging stories of African-American couples and their families? Not necessarily the Huxtables but we’re not all the Evans clan from the Good Times either. Success does not necessarily breed evil as Mr. Perry’s films suggest. What about some stories featuring positive portrayals of masculine African-American gay men in sustaining relationships which don’t reinforce the homophobia of the black church?
By pandering to the lowest denominator of our culture and offering such a narrow point of view, Tyler Perry presents a disservice to the African-American community as a whole and we deserve so much more. My pledge is to no longer support his films in their current state but realistically, I don’t expect them to change.
There is a scene in Mr. Perry’s current film, “Why Did I Get Married Too”, where Janet Jackson’s character is going through a divorce from her husband and decides to attack his “manhood” by delivering a drag queen stripper cake to him to embarrass him in front of his co-workers. She then taunts him telling him “you want to act like a bitch, ok here’s your bitch”.
This scene is important because it points out Tyler Perry’s exploitation of his audience. He knows he can play to the homophobia of his mostly Black church audience by ridiculing gay men as outrageously feminine freaks that any “moral minded respectable heterosexual” would find an amusing and embarrassing spectacle. The same can be said of his constant use of incest and sexual abuse in his movies as any “Good Christian” can relate to the immorality and sinful behavior of these characters.
Ok so Mr. Perry knows his audience and is probably giving them what they want or at least his idea of faith-based messages (even though the message is somewhat hypocritical coming from a man who dresses in women’s clothing). But what about some positive portrayals of Black men. Even though his audience is all too willing to see them, his portrayal of Black men as incestuous, abusive, Black woman batterers or overtly feminine queens is not only insulting but rather depressing and I for one am sick of it. This man has the power to present images rarely seen onscreen whether it be TV or the movies and both are mediums he controls with his entertainment empire. On TV it’s the same thing. His African-American male characters are shucking and jiving, loud talking, overweight, ignorant ridiculously dressed buffoons. How about some encouraging stories of African-American couples and their families? Not necessarily the Huxtables but we’re not all the Evans clan from the Good Times either. Success does not necessarily breed evil as Mr. Perry’s films suggest. What about some stories featuring positive portrayals of masculine African-American gay men in sustaining relationships which don’t reinforce the homophobia of the black church?
By pandering to the lowest denominator of our culture and offering such a narrow point of view, Tyler Perry presents a disservice to the African-American community as a whole and we deserve so much more. My pledge is to no longer support his films in their current state but realistically, I don’t expect them to change.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
National Treasure
If I walked into Yosemite National Park and dropped a match or if I went to Yellowstone plugged up old faithful then drove to Mount Rushmore and drew a Hitler mustache on George Washington’s face I’d be arrested right? What if I went to Graceland and blew it up? There would be lynch mobs out to get me right? So I ask you, why has an arrest warrant not been issued for Whitney Houston? By spending years in a drug induced haze smoking God knows how much crack or whatever the drug of her choice may be the woman has destroyed the golden voice considered a National Treasure by many. If you haven’t heard or seen the You Tube videos of her shows in Europe or Australia save yourself the heartache. Not only can she no longer hit the notes she doesn’t even sound like the same person.
Now you may say it’s her voice and she has the right to do with it as she pleases but I say she gave up any such rights long ago when she accepted the role of America’s sweetheart. For years Whitney cultivated this wholesome all American girl next door image. Whether true or not this was the image she sold to America and we all bought into it. An image all but destroyed from the moment she met one Bobby Brown. Speaking of Mr. Brown I’m not saying he’s completely at fault as Whitney has a mind of her own but he at least should be charged as an accessory. We should have realized something was wrong when she attempted to rewrite history with her claim of Bobby being the original king of R&B (she should have been incarcerated for that statement alone) or when Diane Sawyer showed up at her house and she made the infamous crack is whack statement. And don’t get me started on her role on that mess of a reality TV show Being Bobby Brown. For whatever reason Whitney cold-heartedly calculated to destroy her image and become the Bonnie to Bobby’s Clyde which was fine and good for gossip and tabloid fodder but then she messed with the voice and folks America, no the world is not having it.
Now she’s decided to clean herself up and she’s out there touring the world with this “new” voice which sounds suspiciously like Louis Armstrong to me. The problem is that although you can change or even clean up your image once you’ve ruined the tool which made you famous there’s nothing left for us to treasure. This newly liberated and recovering Diva, free of Bobby Brown and according to her free of drugs has arrived and people have been treated to a train wreck tour of delays, disappearances and to that voice…no thanks, I prefer my Divas demanding, selfish and outrageous but always possessing the qualities that made them Divas in the first place which in this case would be her voice. And I don’t want excuses, respiratory infections or lengthy wardrobe changes I just want the voice. If I can’t have it live in concert or with newly recorded material I’ll just listen to her classics. But consider this fair warning, if she’s not going to be charged and arrested, the next time you hear what you think is Satchmo wheezing his way through a version of I Will Always Love You, listen closely it’s probably Whitney.
Now you may say it’s her voice and she has the right to do with it as she pleases but I say she gave up any such rights long ago when she accepted the role of America’s sweetheart. For years Whitney cultivated this wholesome all American girl next door image. Whether true or not this was the image she sold to America and we all bought into it. An image all but destroyed from the moment she met one Bobby Brown. Speaking of Mr. Brown I’m not saying he’s completely at fault as Whitney has a mind of her own but he at least should be charged as an accessory. We should have realized something was wrong when she attempted to rewrite history with her claim of Bobby being the original king of R&B (she should have been incarcerated for that statement alone) or when Diane Sawyer showed up at her house and she made the infamous crack is whack statement. And don’t get me started on her role on that mess of a reality TV show Being Bobby Brown. For whatever reason Whitney cold-heartedly calculated to destroy her image and become the Bonnie to Bobby’s Clyde which was fine and good for gossip and tabloid fodder but then she messed with the voice and folks America, no the world is not having it.
Now she’s decided to clean herself up and she’s out there touring the world with this “new” voice which sounds suspiciously like Louis Armstrong to me. The problem is that although you can change or even clean up your image once you’ve ruined the tool which made you famous there’s nothing left for us to treasure. This newly liberated and recovering Diva, free of Bobby Brown and according to her free of drugs has arrived and people have been treated to a train wreck tour of delays, disappearances and to that voice…no thanks, I prefer my Divas demanding, selfish and outrageous but always possessing the qualities that made them Divas in the first place which in this case would be her voice. And I don’t want excuses, respiratory infections or lengthy wardrobe changes I just want the voice. If I can’t have it live in concert or with newly recorded material I’ll just listen to her classics. But consider this fair warning, if she’s not going to be charged and arrested, the next time you hear what you think is Satchmo wheezing his way through a version of I Will Always Love You, listen closely it’s probably Whitney.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
White Washing
When I first heard about the new Arizona immigration law I was appalled. The very idea that an American citizen could be pulled over by a policeman for no reason and forced to provide proof of citizenship is so 1930’s Nazi Germany and even apartheid era South Africa. The weekend the bigoted Governor of Arizona signed this law into effect we had company over and in discussion I was practically alone in my assessment that this law was put in place to target people of color. In support of their argument for this law people trotted out the same old “we gotta do something about all the illegal immigrants” to which I agreed. We need legislation to combat the affects of illegal immigrant on our economy. However, to target someone based on what they look like is out and out racial profiling. And to make it into a law is nothing less than Institutionalized Racial Profiling. How dare they assume that based on someone’s ethnicity they may be in this country illegally and that assumption alone is enough to harass them. You can be sure there will be no stopping of Irish, Italian, German or even Canadian immigrants by Arizona law enforcement. By turning us against each other, white America has succeeded in convincing minorities that we should view one as better than the other. If they start by going after the Latinos, what’s to stop them from targeting us next? Well guess what? That same bigoted racist governor of Arizona just signed another law.
The new law makes it illegal to teach ethnic study courses in Arizona public schools. The reason? State schools chief Tom Horne says these programs teach minorities that they are oppressed by white people…yeah, he actually said that. I don’t know about you but growing up I never needed a special course to teach me of this oppression, I saw it every day and quite frankly I don’t think things have changed all that much so the students of today see it as well. Horne, a Republican running for attorney general, also said that ethnic study programs promote "ethnic chauvinism" and racial resentment toward whites. Where did this man come from?
According to the Tucson Unified School District, which is the main target of Mr. Horne’s attack, they offer specialized courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native-American studies that focus on history and literature and include information about the influence of these particular ethnic groups on American history. But with this new law they will no longer be able to include African-American slavery, the Jim Crow laws of the south, the occupation and eventual conquering of various Native-American tribes, the original Latin-American settlers or the contributions of any of these ethnic groups to the building of this nation. How is this a true teaching of American history? It seems as though the state of Arizona wants to literally “white wash” American history.
This is only the beginning folks and there is definitely a movement taking place. As white Americans face the realization of becoming the minority in this country, they are fighting to maintain political dominance. Just like Nazi Germany this movement targets a popular criticism and builds from there. For the Nazi’s it was the persecution of homosexuals which led to the same for Jews. For the Tea Party and those akin to their ideology it begins with illegal immigration and ethnic studies. Who and what will they target next?
The new law makes it illegal to teach ethnic study courses in Arizona public schools. The reason? State schools chief Tom Horne says these programs teach minorities that they are oppressed by white people…yeah, he actually said that. I don’t know about you but growing up I never needed a special course to teach me of this oppression, I saw it every day and quite frankly I don’t think things have changed all that much so the students of today see it as well. Horne, a Republican running for attorney general, also said that ethnic study programs promote "ethnic chauvinism" and racial resentment toward whites. Where did this man come from?
According to the Tucson Unified School District, which is the main target of Mr. Horne’s attack, they offer specialized courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native-American studies that focus on history and literature and include information about the influence of these particular ethnic groups on American history. But with this new law they will no longer be able to include African-American slavery, the Jim Crow laws of the south, the occupation and eventual conquering of various Native-American tribes, the original Latin-American settlers or the contributions of any of these ethnic groups to the building of this nation. How is this a true teaching of American history? It seems as though the state of Arizona wants to literally “white wash” American history.
This is only the beginning folks and there is definitely a movement taking place. As white Americans face the realization of becoming the minority in this country, they are fighting to maintain political dominance. Just like Nazi Germany this movement targets a popular criticism and builds from there. For the Nazi’s it was the persecution of homosexuals which led to the same for Jews. For the Tea Party and those akin to their ideology it begins with illegal immigration and ethnic studies. Who and what will they target next?
Monday, May 10, 2010
A Conversation
My boss just copied me on an email he sent out. The email reads “Obituary, Born 1776, died 2008” and shows a picture of the United States embossed with RIP and President Obama dressed as the Grim Reaper. The email goes on to blame President Obama for all of America’s current woes and includes the following “facts”:
Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million
McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Obama: 13.2 McCain: 2.1
It also states the following:
"In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country. Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
I should state that my boss is a White man and although I have always been aware of his conservative politics we’ve enjoyed an amicable relationship. Still, I’m confused as to why he would include me in this email and I’m pissed off because now I have to have a “conversation” with him. Perhaps it was a mistake and I shouldn’t have been included at all and when I speak with him he may be totally surprised that I received the email. But what if he sent it on purpose? As I stated before I’ve always been aware of his point of view as he has been quite vocal of his displeasure with President Obama, illegal immigrants and any Liberal minded views. In fact we did have a conversation during the election of 2008 where he made it very clear how he felt about Democrats in general and I was sure I made my views clear as well. But afterwards I chose to ignore him and now I’ve begun to question myself…have I gone soft?
By not wanting to rock the boat have I in some way given this man the idea that I agree with him or he can say or do anything he wants around me? What if somehow in all my years of working in Corporate America I have become complacent let down my guard and allowed others to view me as insignificant or not see me at all? I’m not saying I should go all Huey Newton on the man but if in my efforts to maintain a cordial working environment I have in anyway contributed to this perhaps I need to be more vocal. Like I said earlier, my boss and I enjoy a great relationship in fact this is my second time working for him. But what if he’s some closet racist who sends out those bigoted cartoons and depictions of President Obama as Hitler and the devil? What if this man is not only conservative but also secretly a White Supremacist? How well do I really know him, I mean these emails may have been going on for some time before I was included, right? The end of the email instructs you to “pass this along to help everyone realize how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.” Who exactly is everyone and what is at stake? Sounds like Tea Party speech to me. Have I somehow become privy to what goes on inside this movement?
Whatever, the fact is like I said earlier, I need to have a “conversation” with the man.
Number of States won by: Obama: 19 McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by: Obama: 580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million
McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Obama: 13.2 McCain: 2.1
It also states the following:
"In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country. Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
I should state that my boss is a White man and although I have always been aware of his conservative politics we’ve enjoyed an amicable relationship. Still, I’m confused as to why he would include me in this email and I’m pissed off because now I have to have a “conversation” with him. Perhaps it was a mistake and I shouldn’t have been included at all and when I speak with him he may be totally surprised that I received the email. But what if he sent it on purpose? As I stated before I’ve always been aware of his point of view as he has been quite vocal of his displeasure with President Obama, illegal immigrants and any Liberal minded views. In fact we did have a conversation during the election of 2008 where he made it very clear how he felt about Democrats in general and I was sure I made my views clear as well. But afterwards I chose to ignore him and now I’ve begun to question myself…have I gone soft?
By not wanting to rock the boat have I in some way given this man the idea that I agree with him or he can say or do anything he wants around me? What if somehow in all my years of working in Corporate America I have become complacent let down my guard and allowed others to view me as insignificant or not see me at all? I’m not saying I should go all Huey Newton on the man but if in my efforts to maintain a cordial working environment I have in anyway contributed to this perhaps I need to be more vocal. Like I said earlier, my boss and I enjoy a great relationship in fact this is my second time working for him. But what if he’s some closet racist who sends out those bigoted cartoons and depictions of President Obama as Hitler and the devil? What if this man is not only conservative but also secretly a White Supremacist? How well do I really know him, I mean these emails may have been going on for some time before I was included, right? The end of the email instructs you to “pass this along to help everyone realize how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.” Who exactly is everyone and what is at stake? Sounds like Tea Party speech to me. Have I somehow become privy to what goes on inside this movement?
Whatever, the fact is like I said earlier, I need to have a “conversation” with the man.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Pointless
Last weekend at the same time as the historic passing of President Obama’s Healthcare legislation something ugly was happening on the streets of our nation’s capitol as once again the Tea Party was on display brandishing their true colors proving the movement is full of racist homophobes. Crowds of angry Tea Baggers gathered outside the capital building in protest as the voting took place and taunted congressional representatives with verbal racial and homophobic slurs. House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and Georgia Congressman John Lewis were called niggers. Protestors spit on Illinois Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who is openly gay, was called a faggot as the crowd of protesters erupted in laughter.
So what was the response from the Republican lawmakers who invited and incited these rabid protestors? They say they are isolated incidents…Hunh?? Isolated incidents, no condemnation for their actions, no apologies for their racist bigoted behavior and no denouncement of their vile acts. Instead out of fear of alienating these lunatics, which they plan on using in this years upcoming congressional races, they chose to defend them. California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes said, “Yeah, well I think that when you use totalitarian tactics, people, you know, begin to act crazy”. I assume he uses Totalitarian to mean majority rules and as a slight against the Democrats who lead both houses. Funny how this rule doesn’t apply when the majority decides to deny basic human rights to a group of minorities by passing Proposition 8 in his home state. Republican Congressman Steve King from Iowa stated, “I just don’t think it’s anything” and “There are a lot of places in this country that I couldn’t walk through. I wouldn’t live to get to the other end of it.” So because he’s apparently afraid to walk through Watts, United States Congressmen should buck up and take it on the chin when protestors spit on them and use racial and homophobic epithets.
The truth is these Tea Party demonstrators who claim they are energized in protest of government spending did not become energized until a Black man came to the White House. Where were they when the Bush administration was spending billions of dollars on a made up war? In fact the bill will reduce the Federal deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years. The irony is that a great majority of these protestors will in fact benefit from Healthcare legislation and will not be affected by the increase in taxes. I doubt that very many of them earn over $200,000 a year. A lot of these protestors who have been denied insurance based on pre-existing conditions will now become eligible to receive healthcare. And from the looks of the crowd of mostly seniors, they will now benefit additionally from the legislation. So what was the point of this protest and what of all things Obama will they choose to target next?
So what was the response from the Republican lawmakers who invited and incited these rabid protestors? They say they are isolated incidents…Hunh?? Isolated incidents, no condemnation for their actions, no apologies for their racist bigoted behavior and no denouncement of their vile acts. Instead out of fear of alienating these lunatics, which they plan on using in this years upcoming congressional races, they chose to defend them. California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes said, “Yeah, well I think that when you use totalitarian tactics, people, you know, begin to act crazy”. I assume he uses Totalitarian to mean majority rules and as a slight against the Democrats who lead both houses. Funny how this rule doesn’t apply when the majority decides to deny basic human rights to a group of minorities by passing Proposition 8 in his home state. Republican Congressman Steve King from Iowa stated, “I just don’t think it’s anything” and “There are a lot of places in this country that I couldn’t walk through. I wouldn’t live to get to the other end of it.” So because he’s apparently afraid to walk through Watts, United States Congressmen should buck up and take it on the chin when protestors spit on them and use racial and homophobic epithets.
The truth is these Tea Party demonstrators who claim they are energized in protest of government spending did not become energized until a Black man came to the White House. Where were they when the Bush administration was spending billions of dollars on a made up war? In fact the bill will reduce the Federal deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years. The irony is that a great majority of these protestors will in fact benefit from Healthcare legislation and will not be affected by the increase in taxes. I doubt that very many of them earn over $200,000 a year. A lot of these protestors who have been denied insurance based on pre-existing conditions will now become eligible to receive healthcare. And from the looks of the crowd of mostly seniors, they will now benefit additionally from the legislation. So what was the point of this protest and what of all things Obama will they choose to target next?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tough Shit
I don’t know if you’ve ever had to apply for unemployment benefits but back in the day it was a pretty humiliating experience. Forced to stand in long lines and face invasive questioning from unemployment workers who acted as though you were a burden to their workload and day when in fact you were the very reason they had jobs. Forms had to be filled out and you had to keep a record of your job searches to submit weekly in order to maintain benefits you in fact had already earned. Anyway, nowadays it's a much more pleasant event and is mostly handled on line. But imagine this. Imagine you’ve suffered a job loss and you’ve applied on line. Imagine knowing that the small amount of money you receive from unemployment in no way will make ends meet. Imagine struggling to survive and the stress associated with calls from bill collectors unsympathetic to your plight. Imagine, as your bills pile up, this entire scenario taking place while you seek employment in a recessed economy. Then imagine what little you’ve come to expect from your unemployment benefits suddenly cut-off because one lone Republican Senator has decided he objects to a bill to pass a 30-day extension of jobless benefits and other expired measures, including health insurance assistance and funding for road and infrastructure projects across the country.
Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning is using that famous filibuster we’ve heard so much about in recent news or at least a variation of it and has been single-handedly blocking legislation since last Thursday thereby affecting over half a million people depending on the extension of benefits passing in order to survive. His objection includes demands that the Senate come up with a way to pay for the 30-day extension package by reducing spending elsewhere. Ok but in the meantime how do people pay their rent? What do people do about health insurance? And what about those currently working in jobs in infrastructure projects already begun across the country which have had to suspend workforces? This sadly, is just the latest attempt by the Republican Party to block all things Obama. The Republican party which claims to be that of the working people but I wonder how many Tea Baggers and other conservatives who claim to “want their country back” are affected by Senator Bunning’s irrational decision and how they feel about what it’s doing to our nations economy. Well Senator Bunning has certainly made his feelings clear. When pressed to acquiesce his refusal because of the affect it would cause to thousands of unemployed Americans and those who depend on Medicare he muttered “tough shit” under his breath.
Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning is using that famous filibuster we’ve heard so much about in recent news or at least a variation of it and has been single-handedly blocking legislation since last Thursday thereby affecting over half a million people depending on the extension of benefits passing in order to survive. His objection includes demands that the Senate come up with a way to pay for the 30-day extension package by reducing spending elsewhere. Ok but in the meantime how do people pay their rent? What do people do about health insurance? And what about those currently working in jobs in infrastructure projects already begun across the country which have had to suspend workforces? This sadly, is just the latest attempt by the Republican Party to block all things Obama. The Republican party which claims to be that of the working people but I wonder how many Tea Baggers and other conservatives who claim to “want their country back” are affected by Senator Bunning’s irrational decision and how they feel about what it’s doing to our nations economy. Well Senator Bunning has certainly made his feelings clear. When pressed to acquiesce his refusal because of the affect it would cause to thousands of unemployed Americans and those who depend on Medicare he muttered “tough shit” under his breath.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Pissing Me Off
I don’t know, maybe I’ve officially become a “grumpy old man”, but lately small things that I wouldn’t have even given a passing thought before bug me more and more, especially at work. I share my office with a woman I call the Amazon. She’s six feet one at least 200 pounds and bleached blonde. More on her later. My desk in my office sits facing the hallway. I’m not sure why but every time someone passes by they have to look in…why? What the hell are you looking at? There’s an old fat white lady who waddles by my office every morning to get to her office and she finds it impossible to walk by without saying something as she goes by. This morning she said “ooh breakfast” because I was eating…shut the hell up old woman. She also sits in a big bullpen along with about 5 other people and whenever I walk into the room to talk to someone she says “hey good looking”…leave me alone you old bat!
How about this I’m working on something at my computer and some idiot walks in and stands there until I look up. Then they hand me something that they could have left in my in basket, which by the way I went out of my way to label “IN” in bold letters. It’s an in basket people USE IT! Or I’m on the phone, never mind that I’m probably talking to my mother (who by the way says “tell them you’re talking to your mother”) and someone says “Would it be okay if I asked you a question?” Sure, would it be okay if I put my foot up your ass?…leave me alone I’m on the phone asshole. Even as I type this now some idiot is standing in front of me waiting for me to finish so he can ask some stupid ass question. Seriously buddy, keep it moving. And by the way I am so sick of doing other people’s jobs because they’re inept, lazy or it would just take too much time to explain it to the idiot but if it means I don’t have to talk to them then I guess I’m the man. But I really want to twinkle my nose like Samantha from Bewitched and banish them to some cold dark airless hole.
I don’t understand, I used to be the life of the office party and even looked forward to them now I just make excuses to not attend. My office mate, the Amazon is always trying to get me to go out to lunch with her for what she calls her Tequila Tuesdays. I don’t want to get drunk with you crazy woman my tongue might get loose and I may end up telling you exactly what I think of your lazy, self-important, not showing up on time, constantly complaining, wanna be Farrah Fawcett ass. And by the way the baby doll dresses have got to go…YOU’RE TOO BIG WOMAN! And the pumps only make you look taller and bigger. Lord knows I don’t want to be in the vicinity for the 8.0 tremor sure to occur when the pressure of her 200 plus pounds causes one of those pump heels to collapse.
If I receive one more email requesting me to attend another meeting where the only thing we accomplish is setting a date for the next meeting I swear I’m gonna go postal on this place. And speaking of emails, how do I get theses idiots to STOP SENDING ME CHAIN LETTERS!! I don’t have time to read them and why do they have so much time on their hands anyway? Get some damn work done. Why aren’t you working on that project we discussed in our last useless meeting dumb ass? And I gotta ask what’s the deal with these people insisting I eat their homemade cookies and cakes. I don’t know you and I don’t know what your house or kitchen look like…but I do know you smell like old grey cheese, which leads me to think you might have animals crawling around your kitchen counter. Cookies? Uh…no thanks.
Lastly, I refuse to attend one more office baby shower, birthday or anniversary party. I DON’T KNOW YOU LIKE THAT and I’m not contributing to the damn fund to buy your ass a gift. You want to know what the fund got me for my last birthday? Homemade cookies from the old fat broad, which I tossed in the trash, on my way to lunch (by myself). And I’m sick of buying your bad ass kids stale ass fundraiser candy. What the hell? I got 5 grandkids of my own. I oughtta start making up fundraisers myself to save for their damn college educations. Maybe I am a grumpy old man but one thing I know for sure I would love to have Samantha stop by so she can twinkle her nose and put me on a nice tropical beach somewhere with an ice cold cocktail where I don’t have to deal with these crazies. Damn here comes the old fat broad.
How about this I’m working on something at my computer and some idiot walks in and stands there until I look up. Then they hand me something that they could have left in my in basket, which by the way I went out of my way to label “IN” in bold letters. It’s an in basket people USE IT! Or I’m on the phone, never mind that I’m probably talking to my mother (who by the way says “tell them you’re talking to your mother”) and someone says “Would it be okay if I asked you a question?” Sure, would it be okay if I put my foot up your ass?…leave me alone I’m on the phone asshole. Even as I type this now some idiot is standing in front of me waiting for me to finish so he can ask some stupid ass question. Seriously buddy, keep it moving. And by the way I am so sick of doing other people’s jobs because they’re inept, lazy or it would just take too much time to explain it to the idiot but if it means I don’t have to talk to them then I guess I’m the man. But I really want to twinkle my nose like Samantha from Bewitched and banish them to some cold dark airless hole.
I don’t understand, I used to be the life of the office party and even looked forward to them now I just make excuses to not attend. My office mate, the Amazon is always trying to get me to go out to lunch with her for what she calls her Tequila Tuesdays. I don’t want to get drunk with you crazy woman my tongue might get loose and I may end up telling you exactly what I think of your lazy, self-important, not showing up on time, constantly complaining, wanna be Farrah Fawcett ass. And by the way the baby doll dresses have got to go…YOU’RE TOO BIG WOMAN! And the pumps only make you look taller and bigger. Lord knows I don’t want to be in the vicinity for the 8.0 tremor sure to occur when the pressure of her 200 plus pounds causes one of those pump heels to collapse.
If I receive one more email requesting me to attend another meeting where the only thing we accomplish is setting a date for the next meeting I swear I’m gonna go postal on this place. And speaking of emails, how do I get theses idiots to STOP SENDING ME CHAIN LETTERS!! I don’t have time to read them and why do they have so much time on their hands anyway? Get some damn work done. Why aren’t you working on that project we discussed in our last useless meeting dumb ass? And I gotta ask what’s the deal with these people insisting I eat their homemade cookies and cakes. I don’t know you and I don’t know what your house or kitchen look like…but I do know you smell like old grey cheese, which leads me to think you might have animals crawling around your kitchen counter. Cookies? Uh…no thanks.
Lastly, I refuse to attend one more office baby shower, birthday or anniversary party. I DON’T KNOW YOU LIKE THAT and I’m not contributing to the damn fund to buy your ass a gift. You want to know what the fund got me for my last birthday? Homemade cookies from the old fat broad, which I tossed in the trash, on my way to lunch (by myself). And I’m sick of buying your bad ass kids stale ass fundraiser candy. What the hell? I got 5 grandkids of my own. I oughtta start making up fundraisers myself to save for their damn college educations. Maybe I am a grumpy old man but one thing I know for sure I would love to have Samantha stop by so she can twinkle her nose and put me on a nice tropical beach somewhere with an ice cold cocktail where I don’t have to deal with these crazies. Damn here comes the old fat broad.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Forget Me Not
So commentator Chris Matthews forgot President Obama was Black…for an hour. I believe Mr. Matthews is in the minority as you can believe that the rest of White America has definitely not forgotten our president is Black. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reportedly remarked “The country is ready for a Black president. Especially one that is light-skinned and doesn’t have a Negro dialect unless he wants to have one.” Racist? Perhaps but far more insulting was the comment reportedly made by former President Bill Clinton who made it clear how he sees President Obama when speaking of him to Ted Kennedy before the 2008 election, he stated “A few years ago this guy would have been getting us coffee.” Really Bill a Harvard grad top of his class would have been getting you coffee? Far more racist, in my opinion. From the date of his statement, 20 years ago would have been 1988 and I’m fairly certain that at that time future President Obama would have told future President Clinton he could kiss his black ass and get his own coffee.
The simple fact is folks no one has “forgotten” the skin color of our 44th President least of all President Obama himself. Republicans pundits and Right-Wing Whackos remind him of the fact daily. Those who claim he was not American born or that he is a Socialist bent on destroying America. Those who claim they want to “take America back” and put it in the hands of “real Americans” remind him of the fact. The Republicans whose answer to all things Obama is a profound NO remind him. Disrespectful Senators and Justices who interrupt or mouth indignation during his speeches remind him that not only is he Black but that he doesn’t deserve the respect traditionally reserved for any man in his position. They remind him daily.
And what about us, Black America? Have we forgotten? Have we forgotten the sense of pride and accomplishment we felt on November 4, 2008? Have we forgotten what followed? The humiliating and racist characterizations and cartoons, the all out attacks from Conservative commentators and the vicious and virile assaults on his character and his allegiance to America. The websites, the email attacks, all designed to malign him simply based on his color. No for African-Americans forgetting President Obama’s color is not an option and certainly not one I would choose if given the chance.
Finally, Chris Matthews also suggested that President Obama was “post racial”. Just what the hell is post racial anyway? By definition it would suggest that racism has become a thing of the past and is no longer prevalent in American society. Really? Tell that to the promoters of the white only basketball league. Tell that to 18 year-old Jordan Miles of Pittsburgh, PA who just last week while walking from his mother’s to his grandmother’s house was ruthlessly beaten by the police who mistook a soda bottle for a gun. For that matter tell that to Professor Henry Louis Gates a personal friend of President Obama who was arrested for breaking into his own home just last year. If in fact we are in “post racial” America as Mr. Matthews suggest, then why would he have to remember or forget that our President Mr. Barack Obama is indeed a Black man? Why would it matter?
The simple fact is folks no one has “forgotten” the skin color of our 44th President least of all President Obama himself. Republicans pundits and Right-Wing Whackos remind him of the fact daily. Those who claim he was not American born or that he is a Socialist bent on destroying America. Those who claim they want to “take America back” and put it in the hands of “real Americans” remind him of the fact. The Republicans whose answer to all things Obama is a profound NO remind him. Disrespectful Senators and Justices who interrupt or mouth indignation during his speeches remind him that not only is he Black but that he doesn’t deserve the respect traditionally reserved for any man in his position. They remind him daily.
And what about us, Black America? Have we forgotten? Have we forgotten the sense of pride and accomplishment we felt on November 4, 2008? Have we forgotten what followed? The humiliating and racist characterizations and cartoons, the all out attacks from Conservative commentators and the vicious and virile assaults on his character and his allegiance to America. The websites, the email attacks, all designed to malign him simply based on his color. No for African-Americans forgetting President Obama’s color is not an option and certainly not one I would choose if given the chance.
Finally, Chris Matthews also suggested that President Obama was “post racial”. Just what the hell is post racial anyway? By definition it would suggest that racism has become a thing of the past and is no longer prevalent in American society. Really? Tell that to the promoters of the white only basketball league. Tell that to 18 year-old Jordan Miles of Pittsburgh, PA who just last week while walking from his mother’s to his grandmother’s house was ruthlessly beaten by the police who mistook a soda bottle for a gun. For that matter tell that to Professor Henry Louis Gates a personal friend of President Obama who was arrested for breaking into his own home just last year. If in fact we are in “post racial” America as Mr. Matthews suggest, then why would he have to remember or forget that our President Mr. Barack Obama is indeed a Black man? Why would it matter?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Goodbyes
I’ve always thought there’s nothing worse than saying that last goodbye and I’ve always regretted it and in fact I’ve often gone out of my way to avoid it. You know the goodbye where you know you’re never going to see that person again or the one where you may think it’s best to end things so you say goodbye. There’s just something about the finality of the moment that has always made me uncomfortable and it’s not something I thought I’d ever miss. Well, my best friend died unexpectedly three years ago next month and I never got a chance to say goodbye and it still hurts. I was never able to tell him how much I valued his friendship and the confidence we shared with each other. I would have thanked him for all those times when I needed someone to talk to and he was there. I would have let him know I appreciated the silent moments we shared and the way each of us instinctively knew when the other was in need. I never got the chance to ask him why he felt so hurt and unloved at the end and why he felt he couldn’t talk to me about whatever was troubling him. I would have done my best to reassure him everything would be all right and done anything I could to restore his confidence. I would have reminded him that our friendship had lasted almost 30 years and there was nothing he couldn’t tell me. I would have let him know that the two of us never judged each other and always counted on the other for an honest opinion. Had I known he was leaving I would have done my best to prepare and to be there to hold his hand at the end so that he wouldn’t be alone. I would have let him know how much I would miss him and that not a day passes without a memory of him. Memories of the times we laughed and the times we cried. Memories of the silly things we did and the fun we had doing them. I would have told him of the void his absence has left in my heart…there’s nothing worse than saying goodbye and yet there’s nothing worse than not saying it.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
365 Days
So now a full year to the day President Obama was inaugurated the Democrats have lost control of the Senate and already there’s talk of dropping the Healthcare bill. The fact is the Healthcare bill should have been a done deal by now and I know this may sound strange coming from me but the problem is with President Obama. How is it that for a full year the Democrats had control of both houses yet they were unable to pass the Healthcare bill? The problem began with President Obama trying to play nice with the Republicans and although it was commendable of him the fact is that they had no plans of supporting anything he introduced from the get go. This should have been obvious with his efforts to pass the stimulus package. The Republican plan form the outset was to feed the idea to the American public that Obama was responsible for the country’s mess, a mess that was in fact created by the Bush administration, and it worked. Just think about it, President Obama is now being blamed for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the worst economy since the depression, record unemployment and the bank bailouts all of which occurred under Bush’s watch.
Hopefully this will be a wake up call to both the Democrats and to President Obama. The Democratic representatives need to end the disarray and stop getting in their own way and President Obama must realize that the time for him to begin playing hardball is long overdue. He can start by continually reminding the American public that the Republicans under the Bush administration created this fiasco instead of playing nice. He needs to point out to the nation that he and the Democrats are trying to correct the situation and the Republicans are continuing to play politics and refuse to do anything to help. He cannot continue to allow the Republicans to define his agenda and continue to misinform the American public. Lastly President Obama must concentrate on visibly rebuilding the economy by the time of mid-term elections lest the Democrats lose more seats.
In the past I have been one of President Obama’s most vocal cheerleaders but it’s time for him to step up and show some leadership. He may be a personable and likable guy but that’s not going to do it. The fact that the Republicans were able to put one of their own in a position the Kennedy Dynasty has held since 1972 should be a tremendous wake up call to all. The Republicans are feeding on the fact that Americans are nervous about the economy and need jobs so how about actually creating some. Healthcare is equally important but the Republicans along with their talking heads have convinced a lot of Americans that President Obama is trying to push through socialized medicine, socialized being the key word here used to destroy the plan and terrify and intimidate the ignorant. Their plan is to continue to push through and reinforce these ridiculous notions about President Obama and to shoot down and now possibly filibuster any plans presented. The best way to get the American public confidence back is to show some results. The healthcare bill is not a loss and can pass if the Democrats act quickly. Step up and tell the House to pass it now as is. Period!
It’s only been 365 days but this President is judged as if he’s been in office for eight years. This President is judged on a magnitude the likes of which have been never seen before. This President is being judged as the first African-American President and there are those who would have preferred to find him guilty on day one.
Hopefully this will be a wake up call to both the Democrats and to President Obama. The Democratic representatives need to end the disarray and stop getting in their own way and President Obama must realize that the time for him to begin playing hardball is long overdue. He can start by continually reminding the American public that the Republicans under the Bush administration created this fiasco instead of playing nice. He needs to point out to the nation that he and the Democrats are trying to correct the situation and the Republicans are continuing to play politics and refuse to do anything to help. He cannot continue to allow the Republicans to define his agenda and continue to misinform the American public. Lastly President Obama must concentrate on visibly rebuilding the economy by the time of mid-term elections lest the Democrats lose more seats.
In the past I have been one of President Obama’s most vocal cheerleaders but it’s time for him to step up and show some leadership. He may be a personable and likable guy but that’s not going to do it. The fact that the Republicans were able to put one of their own in a position the Kennedy Dynasty has held since 1972 should be a tremendous wake up call to all. The Republicans are feeding on the fact that Americans are nervous about the economy and need jobs so how about actually creating some. Healthcare is equally important but the Republicans along with their talking heads have convinced a lot of Americans that President Obama is trying to push through socialized medicine, socialized being the key word here used to destroy the plan and terrify and intimidate the ignorant. Their plan is to continue to push through and reinforce these ridiculous notions about President Obama and to shoot down and now possibly filibuster any plans presented. The best way to get the American public confidence back is to show some results. The healthcare bill is not a loss and can pass if the Democrats act quickly. Step up and tell the House to pass it now as is. Period!
It’s only been 365 days but this President is judged as if he’s been in office for eight years. This President is judged on a magnitude the likes of which have been never seen before. This President is being judged as the first African-American President and there are those who would have preferred to find him guilty on day one.
Looters?
I’ve remained silent for the last week and chose not to comment on some of the ridiculous comments made concerning the Haiti earthquake such as Pat Robertson’s punishment for devil worshipping statement and Rush Limbaugh who stated “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax,” I think the absurdity of such statements speak for themselves. More disturbing to me are the images coming from Haiti through the media. The depictions of Haitians as savage barbaric criminals and uncontrolled looters are demeaning and insulting. It reminds me of how the media portrayed African-Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when whites were called survivors and African-Americans were referred to as refugees. Yet this somehow seems much worse.
While there are no doubt many criminals attempting to profit from the disaster my bet is that the majority of these “looters” are Haitians attempting to feed and clothe their families during what are no doubt chaotic circumstances. Images of “uncontrolled” Haitians running wildly through the streets with soiled clothing covered in soot while dead bodies are piled all around only reinforce the ideas of the Pat Robertson’s of the world who think Black people are uncivilized animals who cannot police or govern themselves.
According to the Sunday edition of the New York Times, as of that date tons of supplies had arrived for distribution from around the world yet they chose to run photographs of looters and riot victims rather than those of the supplies being rationed or emergency medical centers that have been set up. They preferred to editorialize the pandemonium of the moment with photographs of “savagery” versus the humanitarian efforts to restore order. This was the preference of editors in newspapers and online reporting throughout the country. I think this speaks volumes more than Robertson’s or Limbaugh’s statements ever could.
While there are no doubt many criminals attempting to profit from the disaster my bet is that the majority of these “looters” are Haitians attempting to feed and clothe their families during what are no doubt chaotic circumstances. Images of “uncontrolled” Haitians running wildly through the streets with soiled clothing covered in soot while dead bodies are piled all around only reinforce the ideas of the Pat Robertson’s of the world who think Black people are uncivilized animals who cannot police or govern themselves.
According to the Sunday edition of the New York Times, as of that date tons of supplies had arrived for distribution from around the world yet they chose to run photographs of looters and riot victims rather than those of the supplies being rationed or emergency medical centers that have been set up. They preferred to editorialize the pandemonium of the moment with photographs of “savagery” versus the humanitarian efforts to restore order. This was the preference of editors in newspapers and online reporting throughout the country. I think this speaks volumes more than Robertson’s or Limbaugh’s statements ever could.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tigga What?
Tiger Woods just made the cover of Vanity Fair and I have to ask is this what a Cablinasian looks like? If so I’ve never been prouder to be a Black man. As a person who regularly works out to stay in shape, I don’t know if I’m more offended by that beat up body (what’s up with those nipples and that obviously sucked in gut) or the stereotypical image presented. He looks like some incarcerated thug from the prison yard. Shirtless and apparently in the midst of pumping iron (again with that body there’s not a whole lot of pumping going on) a menacing glare and a knit ski cap he could be on the cover of Black Criminals Monthly. Famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz took the photos prior to the recent Tiger Woods sex scandal but the intentions of Vanity Fair are clear. To exploit Tiger Woods and terrify and alienate white America. It reminds me of The O.J. cover of Time magazine immediately following his arrest. Uh, that would be his arrest for the double homicide and not the arrest for that stupid burglary thing which eventually landed him in jail…idiot. But unlike O.J., Tiger is not accused of a crime other than that of infidelity so what’s up with the mug shot?
After years of trying to convince the world that he was Cablinasian it seems that in the eyes of Vanity Fair, Tiger is just another Black man anyway, at least the Vanity Fair vision of a Black man. Is this the only photo they could come up with for the cover or just the most exploitive? And even though Annie Leibovitz recently shot the beautiful Christmas photos of the first family she doesn’t get a pass either. Is this how she views Black men, as common criminals? With his menacing glare, these purposely-darkened mug shot photos paint a clear picture of the violent sex addicted black bogeyman that conservative white America has warned their daughters to stay away from for years. And Tiger doesn’t help his case any with quotes from him in the article referencing the penis size of Black men and bragging about his sexual prowess.
The truth is that Tiger willingly posed for these photos long before the scandal broke. So I have to ask what were his intentions? What did he hope to gain from the exposure of these photos? Was he attempting to bust the good boy squeaky clean all American image his father had so carefully carved out for him? That certainly would explain the sex scandal. Maybe Tiger finally realized that he is in fact a Black man and if so perhaps this is Tiger’s image of what he thinks the Black man is, a thugged out pumped up womanizing criminal. What’s next a rap album from Tiger using the alias Tigga along with a video showing him grabbing his crotch and calling women beyotch? Uh-huh uh-huh. I’m not sure if I should be defending him or admonishing him. Whatever. One thing I know for sure, that body is just offensive.
After years of trying to convince the world that he was Cablinasian it seems that in the eyes of Vanity Fair, Tiger is just another Black man anyway, at least the Vanity Fair vision of a Black man. Is this the only photo they could come up with for the cover or just the most exploitive? And even though Annie Leibovitz recently shot the beautiful Christmas photos of the first family she doesn’t get a pass either. Is this how she views Black men, as common criminals? With his menacing glare, these purposely-darkened mug shot photos paint a clear picture of the violent sex addicted black bogeyman that conservative white America has warned their daughters to stay away from for years. And Tiger doesn’t help his case any with quotes from him in the article referencing the penis size of Black men and bragging about his sexual prowess.
The truth is that Tiger willingly posed for these photos long before the scandal broke. So I have to ask what were his intentions? What did he hope to gain from the exposure of these photos? Was he attempting to bust the good boy squeaky clean all American image his father had so carefully carved out for him? That certainly would explain the sex scandal. Maybe Tiger finally realized that he is in fact a Black man and if so perhaps this is Tiger’s image of what he thinks the Black man is, a thugged out pumped up womanizing criminal. What’s next a rap album from Tiger using the alias Tigga along with a video showing him grabbing his crotch and calling women beyotch? Uh-huh uh-huh. I’m not sure if I should be defending him or admonishing him. Whatever. One thing I know for sure, that body is just offensive.
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Friendly Skies
Thanks a lot Mr. Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Thank you and your underwear bomb hiding, terrorist plotting Nigerian ass. It wasn’t bad enough that African-American men are profiled daily in America on land simply by virtue of being born Black. No now, thanks to you, we are set to be profiled in the Friendly Skies as well. I say this because Umar looks just like the kid who works bagging groceries at my neighborhood Ralph’s. A fact no doubt picked up by Law Enforcement agencies all over America both on the ground and in the air. And yes he is officially Nigerian but isn’t that just a variation on the word nigger? More important than what he looks like though is his skin color, as in the eyes of these officers we all look alike anyway. Already the Right Wing Whackos who phone in to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Becks shows are calling for the immediate detaining and full body search at the gate for any “Muslim” boarding a flight. Of course “Muslim” implies anyone who looks like Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Again, thanks Umar.
In case you haven’t heard Umar decided he was going to blow up a plane headed for Detroit on Christmas Day. Detroit? I don’t know if you’ve been to Detroit lately, it’s a pretty destitute city with all the unemployment, poverty and resulting crime but blowing it up? And what exactly is his problem with America anyway? The man comes from money. His father is a leading banker in Nigeria, which in itself is no small task in a country over run by corrupt government officials. In fact Nigeria has been called the most corrupt country in the world. A country rich in oil resources yet the majority of it’s people live in poverty. So I ask why Detroit? What’s so good about your own damn country? How about blowing up that dictatorial government you got in charge over there buddy?
Of course the Republicans have wasted no time in using the attempted attack as a means of stoking the fears of conservative America and attacking the Obama administration. Encouraged additionally by idiotic statements from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, who announced immediately following the aborted bombing that “the system worked.” Really Janet? A man pays for his one-way ticket in cash at the airport with no luggage to check, his father had warned U.S. authorities about his son’s “extreme religious views”, this man passes through security with a bomb in his underwear and the system worked? How about waiting until you have all the facts next time before releasing ridiculous statements Jan. A more appropriate statement came from President Obama who conceded to flaws in the system stating there were “systemic failures”, something to which Bush would never have admitted.
Of course by that point it was too late. Dick Cheney had already launched his attack stating Obama is “trying to pretend we are not at war” and “he seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war.” Oh Dick what a short memory you have. Remember the shoe-bomber Richard Reid who tried to blow up a plane by detonating his shoes? Well, the Bush administration sent his case to a civilian court…but I guess that’s different. And this is the same Dick Cheney who authorized the release of suspected terrorists from prison at Guantanamo Bay to his Saudi friends from whom they quickly escaped. The same terrorists who now train and recruit in Yemen where one Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab trained recently…hmm.
Bottom line is this, I don’t know about you but I don’t feel any more or less safe than I did on Christmas Eve before the attempted bombing. The fact that this man was able to slip through checkpoints put in place to avoid such an attack worries me. But I’ve been worried ever since 9/11. You know 9/11 the terrorist attack on American soil that happened on Bush’s watch. Adding additional screening procedures may help but the idea of X-Ray machines or full body searches sounds intrusive and unappealing. Anyway one thing I know for sure is I’ll make sure I have on my good underwear for my next flight out of town, you know me being a “Muslim” and all.
In case you haven’t heard Umar decided he was going to blow up a plane headed for Detroit on Christmas Day. Detroit? I don’t know if you’ve been to Detroit lately, it’s a pretty destitute city with all the unemployment, poverty and resulting crime but blowing it up? And what exactly is his problem with America anyway? The man comes from money. His father is a leading banker in Nigeria, which in itself is no small task in a country over run by corrupt government officials. In fact Nigeria has been called the most corrupt country in the world. A country rich in oil resources yet the majority of it’s people live in poverty. So I ask why Detroit? What’s so good about your own damn country? How about blowing up that dictatorial government you got in charge over there buddy?
Of course the Republicans have wasted no time in using the attempted attack as a means of stoking the fears of conservative America and attacking the Obama administration. Encouraged additionally by idiotic statements from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, who announced immediately following the aborted bombing that “the system worked.” Really Janet? A man pays for his one-way ticket in cash at the airport with no luggage to check, his father had warned U.S. authorities about his son’s “extreme religious views”, this man passes through security with a bomb in his underwear and the system worked? How about waiting until you have all the facts next time before releasing ridiculous statements Jan. A more appropriate statement came from President Obama who conceded to flaws in the system stating there were “systemic failures”, something to which Bush would never have admitted.
Of course by that point it was too late. Dick Cheney had already launched his attack stating Obama is “trying to pretend we are not at war” and “he seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war.” Oh Dick what a short memory you have. Remember the shoe-bomber Richard Reid who tried to blow up a plane by detonating his shoes? Well, the Bush administration sent his case to a civilian court…but I guess that’s different. And this is the same Dick Cheney who authorized the release of suspected terrorists from prison at Guantanamo Bay to his Saudi friends from whom they quickly escaped. The same terrorists who now train and recruit in Yemen where one Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab trained recently…hmm.
Bottom line is this, I don’t know about you but I don’t feel any more or less safe than I did on Christmas Eve before the attempted bombing. The fact that this man was able to slip through checkpoints put in place to avoid such an attack worries me. But I’ve been worried ever since 9/11. You know 9/11 the terrorist attack on American soil that happened on Bush’s watch. Adding additional screening procedures may help but the idea of X-Ray machines or full body searches sounds intrusive and unappealing. Anyway one thing I know for sure is I’ll make sure I have on my good underwear for my next flight out of town, you know me being a “Muslim” and all.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
From Merriam-Webster
Oxymoron
ox•y•mo•ron
Pronunciation: \ˌäk-sē-ˈmȯr-ˌän\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural ox•y•mo•rons also ox•y•mo•ra \-ˈmȯr-ə\
Etymology: Late Greek oxymōron, from neuter of oxymōros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mōros foolish
Date: 1657
: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words: something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly” or “Rush Limbaugh had a heart attack”
ox•y•mo•ron
Pronunciation: \ˌäk-sē-ˈmȯr-ˌän\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural ox•y•mo•rons also ox•y•mo•ra \-ˈmȯr-ə\
Etymology: Late Greek oxymōron, from neuter of oxymōros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mōros foolish
Date: 1657
: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words: something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly” or “Rush Limbaugh had a heart attack”
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