Rihanna and Chris Brown back together!!!

 It’s 2am, I think, and like most other nights I can’t sleep.

So what do I decide to do? I decide to Google stories..hmm. What to read? What to read?

Obama and his budget plans..nah too heavy.

Watch past American Idol reject videos on You Tube..nah too funny.

Read about Rihanna and Chris Brown getting back together.Yup! Just right!

What role models these two are? 

His sadistic behaviour, her naive acceptance of it and her resulting forgiveness of him leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and a sour taste in my mouth BUT  I’m not surprised . Many victims forgive their partners and tolerate intimate partner abuse for years and should they find the strength of will to leave they are at a high risk of being killed by their former partners and Rihanna with all her wealth and beauty is no different.

But their case is different for obvious reason the entire world is watching. And her ’forgiveness’ of him will have serious and lasting consequences for domestic violence agencies and law enforcement across the US. Domestic violence advocates better brace themselves for the onslaught of victims who will unfortunateley and undoubtedly say, “If Rihanna can go back to Chris Brown after all that shit why can’t I go back to him/her?” and victims who are already unwilling to prosecute will now site their reconciliation as proof of why charges aren’t necessary ‘because we’re working things out’,  because of these two people the entire DV world has just got a whole lot harder as if it needed to be.

Roland Burris tells senator I’m not going anywhere baby!

 Senator Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois and the No.2 democrat in the US Senate asked Roland Burris, the junior senator from Illinois  to consider resigning based on all the information that’s emerged in the last few weekes. And guess what Burris did? He politely declined!!!! And then he went further and said he may even consider running in 2012!

Burris has finally got his  ‘precious’ and now these idiots want him to give it up how dare they! 

You know that serves them right!!  A corrupt, comical idiot appointed him, idiots seated him and now the idiots can’t get rid of him!!!

How funny!!!!!

Senator Ted Kennedy’s health worsens

According to reports today Senator Ted Kennedy’s brain cancer has worsened and he may have only a few months left with us.

However, there’s a twist to this story, the long time Massachusets Senator Kennedy may be grooming his wife  Vicki Kennedy to succeed him. Vicki Kennedy wouldn’t be the first wife to succeed her husband, according to Wikipedia seven of  the 37 women senators in US history (that figure is absolutely appalling) were appointed to succeed their husbands.

 

George Pataki may run for Senate in 2010

 

George Pataki, former Governor of  New York may run for the Senate in 2010.

If Pataki does run this would probably be the first shrewd and sensible political decision the GOP has made in about four months.

So we could be looking at Rudy Giuliani as governor and Pataki as senator interesting…

Is Rihanna going to let Chris Brown off the hook?

So Rihanna doesn’t know if she wants to pursue charges against Chris Brown for beating her up and is suffering from depression and conflicting emotions after watching the implosion of his career over the last few days.

Hopefully her wavering demonstrates, for the world to see, how tough it is for a woman in domestic abuse situations. And that we really view those women who do testify against those that have battered them as brave and heroic. Because in most cases they aren’t doing it for themselves  they’re doing it for their families, their sons and daughters. 

I hope the world sees what strength and will it takes for a partner to pursue charges against a ‘loved one’ even if that loved one has physically hurt or brutally assaulted (emotonally, physically and sexually) them for years.

Because if Rihanna a single women with almost everything in the world who has access to all of life’s greatest pleasures and luxuries is having her doubts imagine how difficult it is for women who with less- a lot less to pursue charges or obtain an order of protection?  The Rihanna case also shows why the US’s conviction rates for domestic violence is only 37%!! 

And according to some Caribbean scholars if her battering had happened in the Caribbean (Rihanna is Barbadian) her domestic violence case, if brought to the police would probably, simply disappear!

I don’t know if many consider Rihanna a role model or more importantly if she considers herself to be one but I do hope that if she chooses NOT TO  pursue charges against him other women DO NOT follow her example. 

She may be able to overlook his shortcomings but I doubt the general public will be as forgiving.

Economic and racial inequality exposed in French Caribbean protests

 IF you grow up black in the Caribbean you grow up as a member of the majority and you enjoy all its accompanying rights and priviledges.

In history class kids are taught that their country, the region and by extension most of the North American continents was built on the backs of African slaves and that they are a descendants of these slaves.  All black children in the Caribbean grow up knowing that their dreams are not limited by race and that if they truly work hard they can accomplish anything. Be it a doctor, lawyer, fire fighter or even prime minister black children in the Caribbean KNOW that he/she will NEVER be asked, ” Can a black person really become prime minister? ”

In many cases White and East Indian West Indians have retreated from the political arena. Many choose not (Trinidad and Guyana are the exceptions) to participate in the political life these island states.  Since the granting of Independence (which for many of these nations occurred in the 1960s) political power was swapped for economic power.

It has long been obvious to Caribbean populations that the members of the business elite, mainly the descendants of former colonial masters, East Indian and Chinese indentured labourers, that these handful of families and (in many cases it really is just a few families) exert disproportionate economic influence based on their relative small numbers. In many cases these descendants make up less than 1% of the population yet control 80% of the economic resources with two exceptions once again Trinidad and Guyana.

Granted political power has allowed many in the Caribbean to enjoy a relative high standard of living but Caribbean leaders have often expolited and in many cases fail to seriously address lingering racial tensions that have exploded periodically in the last 50 years-the business class are not solely to blame. 

However,  with the deepening of the global economic crisis and its consequences become clearer and clearer every day for the average citizen those who have controlled the reigns of power for so long have now become targets of popular anger and protest not just in America but across the globe.  Americans aren’t the only ones who are mad as hell!

Sadly, the social structure in the Caribbean a product of its colonial legacy has remained almost unchanged and its accompanying inequalities have led to brief but destructive periods of unrest and resistance.

Martinique and Guaduloupe may now be  experiencing one of those periods, other Caribbean islands are also at risk.

Violent rebellions and revolts once the most powerful weapon in the masses arsenal have long been abandoned for more peaceful protests. But with economic discontent spreading and global resentment rising 2009 may become known as the ‘Year of Violent Discontent’.

Geithner and Summers to save auto industry..

To do list for Larry Summers and Tim Geithner

1. Save the American economy

2. Save the American homeowner

3. Create 4 million jobs

4. Return tax payers’ money with interest

5. Save the American auto-industy

What will Obama add to their to do list next?  And you thought your to-do list was rough..lol

Some good economic news..finally..

Good news everyone, someone is hiring!!

The jobs aren’t in the US but with all the horrible economic news out there it’s good to hear that a major global employer plans to create a load of jobs anywhere in the world. I don’t know if that’s good news for global health or individual waistlines but  hey it’s a start…

Brother Burris you gotta go…

So we found out over the weekend that Roland Burris may have lied in order to become a senator?

Really? You don’t say? If you’re surprised by Burris’ actions you clearly don’t understand greed and narcissism

As I’ve said in previous posts, Burris’ appointment was tainted from the start and we all knew that Blagojevich was pulling a fast one over the Democrats by appointing Burris.  Yet Burris’ appointment was pushed on through because senate Democrats did not want to be seen as shutting a black guy out of their all white club.

Give me a break!

I can’t begin to tell you how patronizing that act was and how disgusted I was with the Democrats for falling for that bs pulled by Burris and his cronies.  But whatever, now we find out the man is big liar and that he wasn’t entirely forthcoming on his connections to Blagojevich.

Now, I didn’t bat an eye lid at this story but what I will say is that I’m eagerly awaiting Harry Reid’s next move.

If I were in his shoes I would call Burris in for a nice chat, sit him down in my biggest comfy chair and tell him simply, ” Bro Burris you had a good run and it was great while it lasted but.. you gotta go.” Burris is no longer the highest profile senate seat warmer he’s a political liability and if senate Democrats don’t find someway of making Burris disappear into political obscurity quickly come election time they will be counting Illinois in the Republican column.

Republican senator withdraws his nomination for commerce sec

Senator Judd Gregg has decided he just can’t work with President Obama.

He just can’t do it. The ideological differences, analysts are saying, might have been too great for Gregg and the stimulus bill played a big part in him withdrawing his name.

But I don’t know if I buy that, this could have all been an elaborate ploy by the Republicans to make Obama look bad and let’s face it this looks really, really bad. Judd tells him we’re going to play ball and then punches him in the face so he can’t see the ball coming at him!  Oh, you Republicans!

Anyway, this is now the second nominee to withdraw his name for Commerce Secretary and the fourth individual to withdraw from a nomination and Obama has only been in office for three weeks!

I wouldn’t like to be the next nominee for Commerce Secretary I would know that I was the president’s third choice and everyone else would know that too!

Also does this mean that Obama wouldn’t be able to work with the Republicans over the next four years?

Rihanna may have been beaten up before…

According to the Daily News Rihanna may have been abused by Chris Brown in the past.

If this report is indeed true it’s not surprising what it does show and I hope the message comes across loud and clear that women of every social background and every class and even those women who appear to have it all can be victims of domestic abuse.

And the majority of the women who stay in abusive relationships believe and cling to the hope that the relationship will get better but the sad fact is in most cases it never does it almost always gets worse.

But what I find really repulsive is the fact that some are suggesting that Rihanna is to be blamed for this attack. Some have even suggested her candor and nationality (she’s Barbadian)  are to blamed, because you know those West Indian women don’t know when to STFU..that suggestion is appalling!!

But not unexpected. I’ll say it again if you feel really really strongly about all that you’re reading and hearing about this case and the issue of domestic abuse in general don’t sit on your bum get involved, find a domestic abuse prevention organization in your community and volunteer your time now!

Welfare recipients should be forced to receive birth control..

I’ve been having this discussion for years now with some close friends who believe that persons of  child bearing age, who receive public assistance (food stamps, welfare, HUD, social security etc)  should be forced not to have kids.

And after learning in recent days that Nadya Suleman, the octuplets’ mother, has been receiving public assistance for years now the anger seems to be boiling over. I understand the anger many people have towards those who abuse our welfare system however the minute government starts to control the reproductive rights of its citizens it can no longer claim to be a democracy. And what about women’s rights? How can you ask a woman to chose between eating today and baby tomorrow? 

What do you think?

Do you think people on welfare should be forced to take birth control?

And what about menlike Desmond Hatchett that have kids they cannot possibly afford to take care of?

 Should these men and women receive government mandated and administered birth control? 

Rihanna’s alleged assault puts domestic violence in spotlight..

We don’t know all the facts but what we do know is that Chris Brown was arrested for allegedly assaulting Rihanna.

If Rihanna was indeed a victim of domestic violence she is only one of the estimated 1.3 million women and 835 000 men who are  physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States.

I have been and continue to be involved with agencies that seek to protect women and men from domestic violence-I urge you to get involved to help prevent domestic violence you could save a life or lives!

Here are some brief stats provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, the American Bar Association, the American Institute on Domestic Violence and Feminist.org.

Domestic violence is a global problem:  At least one woman in every three (think about three women you know and then read this again) has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Most often the abuser is a member of her own family.

Approximately four million American women experience a serious assault by an intimate partner during a 12-month period.

Black females experienced intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of white females, and about 22 times the rate of women of other races. Black males experienced intimate partner violence at a rate about 62% higher than that of white males and about 22 times the rate of men of other races.

African-American women experience significantly more domestic violence than White women in the age group of 20-24.

The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking, and homicide by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion each year.

Lost productivity and earnings due to intimate partner violence accounts for almost  $1.8 billion each year.

Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know rather than by a stranger.

1, 232 women and 440  men approximately, ARE KILLED, KILLED each year by an intimate partner.

Obama’s first prime time press conference..

 

He tried to sell us on the stimulus reminding us that it’s going to create loads of jobs!

He tried to tell us the Republicans aren’t that bad. Really?

 And he tried to tell us how dire the consequences are if we don’t work together.

As usual vintage Obama.

But was he able to sell Americans on the stimulus? I really don’t know.

Did he convince you?

Michelle Obama running for office on her own?

After watching her for two years and now watching her embark on her listening tours of the national agencies as first lady I’m wondering does Michelle Obama have her own political aspirations?

She may have disliked politics before but national politics can be a powerful afrodisiac.

Couldn’t you just see her as Senator of Illinois or even President of the United States?  remember that glass ceiling now has 18 million cracks in it and who knows by the time Michelle Obama runs it could be shattered completely.

I’m just saying….

Obama is finally selling the stimulus, will it work?

 

 

Barack Obama is doing his ’presidential thing’ today.

He’s out there selling himself, his party and his recovery and reinvestment plan.  Remember it’s no longer the economic stimulus package. They’ve dropped that loser name for a more uplifting one-recovery and reinvestment sounds so much better and it kinda makes you feel good about the whole economy thing doesn’t it? ‘ Cause who doesn’t feel good a rescuing things?  Go ahead roll your eyes and laugh out loud..

Anyway, Obama is obviously the top salesman of our time and with public support for the bill at 37%Obama has  cleared his throat, fine tuned his sales pitch and embarked on a national tour via Elkhart, Indiana and a prime time news conference.

Will this work?  Can our celebrity president persuade a skeptical and depressed public to endorse and support a plan that offers little or no guarantees?  

If the numbers edge up slightly I will be surprised.  Because, right now, it doesn’t appear as if anything can get the economy and markets moving again. And the events of the past six months have forced many of us to become even more pessimistic and fearful and this will probably continue until the average person can see tangible improvements in his/her daily life. People need to have more money in their pockets and they also need to see others spending money, at the mall, at the dealerships, at their local high end grocery store etc, etc in order to boost their confidence.

However, that leads us to this inevitable conundrum how do we improve the economy if attitudes about the economy remain uncertain and despondent?  The market is a creature of the people and vice versa so if people are depressed and scared they don’t spend and we need to spend in order for businesses to invest in jobs, products and services.

President Obama is trying to convince us that government spending is our only option, i’m already convinced, but for a country built on choices and alternatives that is going to be a very bitter pill to swallow.

Did you know there’s an Islamic fashion festival?

I found this out in one of my Google adventures. Google adventure-my term for a pointless or random web search that can you lead you anywhere.

Anyway, this four day Islamic Fashion Festival was held in Kuala Lumpur last year. From November 24th-27th 44 designers showcased their designs for muslim women.

I didn’t have a clue that such an event existed. The clothes..umm..er..let’s just say they aren’t my style  but what I found really interesting were the models and the blogs about Islamic fashion.

The runway models were all different heights, sizes and ages. Now, I don’t think we would ever see such variety on a western runway but if you think about it the idea of having women of all diferent sizes modeling clothes is well kinda liberating.

 

Mika Brzezinski on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave..

Mika Brzezinski  anchored 1600 Pennsylvania Ave today.

She’s awesome. She doesn’t talk enough on Morning Joe  and sometimes you might think she’s just there as eye candy and to read the news. Now, I don’t always agree with her statements and I don’t like the fact that she seems to be afraid of her dad . But if you listen to her questions and statements you realize she’s a lot smarter than Joe ‘I was a Congressman’ Scarborough and I love the visits by her father to the show he knows how to keep Joe in linee. So, how could you be afraid of a man like that? Anyway, she really should speak up more but it’s not her show so I guess that’s to be expected.

Maybe they should change the name to Morning Mika?

Feeling sorry for Blago..

Hear me out.

Rod Blagojevich is probably a criminal. He’s narcissistic and a  bit crazy BUT I’m starting to think that the media is  really, to use a British expression, ‘taking the mickey’ out of him.

And I know that this is probably what he wants but I can’t help it.

I know he’s the one that put himself out there nobody forced him to do these media  tours. But there’s a part of me that is starting to cringe at ‘the abuse’ he’s taking.

You know he’s started to remind me of that stray street puppy, maybe it’s the hair, that  keeps going up to people looking for love and instead of getting a few scraps of meat or a comforting pat on the head he just gets yelled at or kicked. And instead of running away from humans, the damn dog just keeps going back for more abuse day, after day, after day.  He just wants you to like him. 

That’s Blago in a sentence. He just wants America to like him.  And America just wants him to go away and he wouldn’t. So it just keeps kicking him down hoping that eventually he’ll get the point.  And the fact that he hasn’t and that he keeps showing up at the doorsteps of the media begging for a few scraps from their table is just plain pitiful.

Computers will take over the earth..eventually

 

And Google and Nasa are planning to help them nah, just playing..lol

But really I’m not that far off.  Google and Nasa are supporting a a new school in Silicon Valley whose mission is to help prepare scientists for the time when machines become smarter than people and at the same time address some of humanity’s biggest problems. 

Hmm..sound familiar and scary?

Well, the new unaccredited school will be called “Singularity University” (kinda sounds like something from Star Trek)  will be run by  Ray Kurzweil, the crazy-scientist inventor-guy-type.  He’s the kinda guy that would tell us the machines are out to get us..lol

I don’t know Google and Nasa are two of my favorite companies/agencies but this seems to be really, really out there but science does march on and as they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and I’m pretty sure some of their ‘research products’ will find their way into the marketplace then we can all prepare for war with the machines.

Daschle withdraws nomination…

If he did indeed withdraw his nomination willingly, he did the honorable thing.  Good. And though this is a clear failure for the Obama administration and for Senator Daschle, remember it’s better ‘to fail with honor than succeed by fraud.’

Former Detroit mayor, Kilpatrick, planning to sue somebody..

Former disgraced Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was released from prison last night. So what right?

Well, standing at Kilpatrick’s side and speaking on his behalf was the famous, high profile and super wealthy attorney Willie Gary.

Gary’s firm according to its website specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, commercial litigation, class actions, medical malpractice and international matters and Gary has won verdicts against Disney, Anheuser- Busch and Motorola.

Kilpatrick says ‘he’s not mad’ but I have my doubts. Gary didn’t fly Wings of Justice II (yes, there is a Wings Of Justice I it’s used by his firm) his personal, custom-designed, 32-passenger Boeing 737 to Detroit just to welcome Kilpatrick home!

But who is Kilpatrick thinking of sueing? When questioned by the Detroit Free Press, Gary said, “We are concerned that there may have been some violations of his rights,” that’s interesting.

Oh, Kwame. Kwame. Kwame. Why don’t you just go away? Haven’t you done enough damage to the city?

You cost the city of Detroit more than $9 million because of your tryst with Christine Beatty and now you have the gall to suggest or even to think about sueing the city because you got caught lying under oath?

Come now! What are these two thinking?

But I can’t deny, the idea of Gary and Kilpatrick teaming up would make for such a fascinating and interesting trial that I’m almost hoping that they do decide to sue somebody..ALMOST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Another Obama nominee with tax problems?

But this one has actually withdrawn her nomination.

Nancy Killefer was nominated by Obama back on January 7,  for the post of Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). According to the White House Killefer has withdrawn but no other details have been reported.

MSNBC is reporting it’s due to tax issues.  First there was Geithner, then Daschle now Killefer.

Killefer knew that she wouldn’t have been confirmed since she would’ve been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.  This is quite unfortunate since she would have been only the sixth woman in Obama’s cabinet.

But I have to ask again. What is it with these people and taxes?

Nobody likes to pay high taxes but as Holmes said, ” Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.”

However, like Norah O’Donald of MSNBC I am left wondering ” Why isn’t the Obama administration fighting for her the same way they fought for the others? “

On the surface it just doesn’t seem fair and if she was forced to withdraw her nomination for a  $1 000 tax problem than I think Daschle should do the same.

Retail survival of the fittest..

Macy’s just announced they will be eliminating 7,000 jobs and centralizing part of their operations. With so many retailers on the brink of collapse and so many bankruptcy filings I wonder which ones will be left at the end of 2009?

We’re definitely seeing a retail replay of survival of the fittest.

Retailers are being forced to adapt to these harsh market conditions but im the end all the job cuts and restructuring will be meaningless if they do  not offer merchandise that attracts consumers. Macy’s has been struggling to maintain their significant market presence while attracting a more trendy and youthful customer but the merchandise and in-store brands consistently seem to be of the lowest quality but the highest price.

Macy’s use to set trends now they just seem to follow them

I sincerely hope they are able to reinvigorate and reinvent themselves quickly before they become obsolete and more people lose their jobs.

Cheating made easy..

Listen people cheating in today’s society is still very, very wrong!

But at this website cheaters are welcome  infact cheating is encouraged and CEO Noel Biderman tries to convince you that cheating when married or involved is good for your relationship.

I’m not kidding, dude is serious too.  He claims to have 3.5 million users! 3.5 million people, hopefully adults, are unhappy (at least I think most of them have to be) in their relationships and they don’t have the guts to leave.  The ratio of men to women according to some reports 9-1. 

Why bother getting married or become involved  if you’re not going to at least try to stay faithful?  Of course, it doesn’t always work out but at least most of us try.

I just don’t get it.

Obama’s cabinet nominee + taxes = Big Problems

First it was Tim Geithner, US Treasury Secretary. Now it’s Tom Daschle Health and Human Services nominee.Thank goodness they aren’t that many posts left.

Are Obama nominees trying to take Walter Anderson’s  title away from him?  I know, I know, I’m exaggerating just a bit here but come on people what the hell is going on?

I know we all make mistakes and many of us will probably make some type of tax error in our lives so I can understand and expect a few errors here and there. I’m sure the toughest Obama critic could overlook a sizeable, if it were indeed honest, mistake. But tax errors of this magnitude and this protracted scream FRAUD.

I mean how do you not pay $128,000 in taxes over three years? I’m sorry but this misake is neither innocent or honest. And it cannot be explained away by differences in tax codes etc, etc.  Instead, it appears, that this was an attempt to game the system. The same system that we, the public, have been asked to repair with our tax dollars. The same systerm that is now broke and teetering on the edge of collapse because guys like Geithner and his pals on Wall Street manipulated and abused it to their advantage.

I have little patience or tolerance for these individuals. And their nomination to these high profile posts is really a slap in the face to individuals who follow the rules, pay their taxes and expect those that lead to do the same.

Unlike Stuart Whatley over at Huffington Post  I do believe that Obama should not be nominating individuals that have violated the law or the rules and guidelines he has established for himself and his closest advisers.  It is not as Whatley argues ‘hypocrisy as the means to a practical end’ it’s just plain hypocrisy regardless of the outcome or the party in power its stench doesn’t change. 

Daschle will probably be confirmed but if I were on Obama’s vetting committee I’d make damn sure that the next   nominee to go up to Capitol Hill is as transparent as glass and that he/she is able to recite the tax code by heart since the next nominee with tax problems may not be as lucky.