Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind to feature Nas and Fiddy maybe..

I’ve been seeing this rumor all over the net. Apparently the remix to Jay-Z’s hit song with Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind will feature Nas his one time enemy and 50 Cent.

If you haven’t heard the song yet check it out. 

A remix featuring a collaboration between the three men would obviously mean the reported feud between Jay-Z and Nas is over and that the two popular artistes have been able to put their issues behind them and move on.

I guess they’ve realized too many people, too many black men, have died and continue to die over stupid s%*& we don’t need to add two more to the list.

Tiger’s biggest problem isn’t a sex addiction it’s..

I wouldn’t go as far as some of my friends have in suggesting that sexual addiction is not a disorder. I’m sure they are people out there who are legitimately suffering from this affliction.

However, I don’t believe Tiger Woods is one of those people.

Tiger Woods is simply a married man who couldn’t keep it in his pants and they are millions of those out there.  A lot of these men wind-up in divorce court but I don’t think the majority of them would claim to be sex addicts. They are a lot of reasons why Tiger Woods cheated on his wife but the fact that Tiger’s people have started to push the sex addict angle and his caddy Steve Williams  is the first one to publicly start slinging this bs by asserting that Woods ‘has a problem’ is not only ridiculous it’s insulting.

Of course Tiger Woods has a problem it’s called ass-*#%*#*-ness!

And another thing when will people stop trying to find excuses for bad and destructive behavior in smart and accomplished people? Sometimes intelligent and talented people do stupid things because they want too and there doesn’t have to be an underlying cause it’s not a psychiatric disorder it’s called making a mistake. And we’re all capable of doing that regardless of how successful or wealthy we are.  

Another good for her moment..

The city of Houston, Texas will now be led by an openly gay woman Annise Parker.

Parker, who has served as the city’s controller for the past six years, defeated Gene Locke a former city attorney in Saturday’s run off election for mayor.

I’m so tempted to say it..oh what the hell..You go girl! lol

 

Tiger Woods’ wife to file for divorce after Christmas

 

Elin Woods, Tiger Woods’ wife has had enough!

The Daily Mail is reporting that Elin Woods will file for divorce from the former golfing superstar after Christmas and she’ll return to her home country Sweden at the start of the new year. 

A part of me hates to ask this question since I do understand why she would want to work things out with him but if the story is true what took her so long? Did she want to see how many women were going to come forward? I know I would and then I would want him to beg and beg and beg and then beg some more for my forgiveness and then I would still leave him.  

I think like most women I would rather be alone and happy with millions than married with millions and humiliated.

Fourth woman claims to be Tiger’s mistress will there be a fifth?

So I guess that blank circle on the previous post can now be filled in with this face. 

A fourth woman has alleged she too is a mistress of  Tiger Woods. Jamie Jungers a Las Vegas waitress and a model for TrashyGirls.com has said she had an 18-month affair with the international sports star.

Tiger Woods is crazy!!! And he will never, ever live this down. If I was his wife I would be horribly depressed and hurt and my marriage with him would be over. One extra marital affair is bad enough but  four maybe even five mistresses?!

I wouldn’t be able to handle this could you?

 

Is there a fourth mistress in Tiger’s life?

So we’ve heard about Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs and Kalika Moquin..will there be a fourth transgression?

Tiger Woods regrets and apologizes for his ‘transgressions’….

Tiger Woods apologized ‘with all his heart’ to his family and fans today.

In a statement on his website, Woods acknowledges the drama that has gone down and continues to unfold in his life stating, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect.”

Ummm Tiger..how many transgressions are we talking about here? And couldn’t he/they find a better word than transgression?  

Marilyn Monroe smoking a joint on home video

“Well behaved women rarely make history.” ~Marilyn Monroe

You got that right!

Lou Dobbs is my inspiration

Yes, I know I haven’t written in a minute. But as I often tell my friends and my three or four fans (and yes that includes my mother..lol) I refuse to write just for the sake of writing. No matter how hard I seem to try I just can’t do that. If I’m not feeling an issue or a story or anything for that matter I just can’t seem to blog. To me writing when you don’t have anything to say is almost as bad as talking just to hear your voice and I refuse to do that too.

But over the past few days my inspiration bucket has overfloweth and Lou ‘maybe I’m a birther, maybe I’m not’ Dobbs is the one responsible for getting me to start banging away on the old VAIO again.  Dobbs’ statement, “I am one of your greatest friends,” on Telemundo didn’t just inspire me to start writing it also got me to burst into a fit of laughter and I haven’t done that in a while either.

Maybe Lou Dobbs believes we’ve forgotten or more importantly that we can’t do a YOU TUBE search for his Broken Borders segments on CNN, his insensitive and almost if-not-quite there racist rants or perspectives depending on how you look at it on immigration or his attempts at legitimizing some far, far right opinions and ideas.

But I haven’t forgotten and I’m sure millions more, his fans included, are already gasping with disbelief at his about-face statements on Telemundo but I would be lying if I didn’t at least acknowledge that I expected Dobbs to tone down some of his rhetoric if he was seriously considering running for office. But these statements aren’t simply toned down they are completely opposite to what he’s said before- he’s flip flopped. And flip-flopped really big. It’s probably the biggest one I have ever seen from a possible political candidate and it was completely unexpected.

Over the years that I’ve watched and listened to Dobbs I could never accuse him of being spineless and I honestly respected him for having the audacity and courage to speak his mind to favorable or unfavorable audiences. But this attempt to curry favor with Latinos could only be described as spineless since he’s now attempting to switch sides and appeal to an ethnic group he came pretty close to demonizing for years. That type of double talk might be acceptable on cable news shows but it’s not kosher in real life. In real life those types of people are called hypocrites and everyday folks like me don’t like to vote for hypocrites we like to find out our politicians are hypocrites AFTER we’ve voted for them not before! LOL 

Ironically Lou Dobbs railed against hypocritical politicians and leaders for years now he is seemingly following in their foot steps. Mr.Dobbs has some serious explaining to do if he wants to get even close to a long shot presidential or senatorial candidacy but in the meantime I’m thankful to Mr.Dobbs for being my latest muse.

Do people really have to be told everything?

Ok.

I know that we have to simplify everything these days but do people really have to be told that burglars look for open windows?

Honestly, this headline is ridiculous. The story is horrible but the editor should have thought twice before writing this headline. 

And if you haven’t figured out by the time you reach age 10 that thieves come in through open windows and doors and you’re not suffering from significantly impaired cognitive functioning, you should not be allowed to call yourself an adult.

Really now.

 

 

Conning the con artist..lol

So the police got Richard Heene to come in and were able to (wink, wink) get a confession from him by telling him they wanted to return his aircraft and tie up some loose ends with a few questions..lol

And dude fell for it!

 

Heene family was in on balloon hoax all along

So now we know most of the truth behind The Great Balloon Hoax of 2009.

It seems the entire Heene household was in on the balloon hoax from the beginning. And apparently it may have taken just fourteen days to fool the entire world. 

Now, why would parents get their kids to lie and participate in such a scheme? Because they wanted to draw attention to a cause, an issue, a loved one who was dying or suffering..nope, nope, hell no! They did it because.. because..they wanted their own reality show!

Well, of course they did! 

Ah mean, who doesn’t want to broadcast intimate family details and their dirty laundry to the world 24hrs a day, corrupt their kids with worthless values and achieve fame and success with little or no talent and absolutely no hard work. Oh yeah, I forgot hard work and talent that sh#$ is for suckers!  

Anyway, according to Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden the entire family was in on the hoax and Falcon, the youngest son who was thought to be in the balloon, “For all we knew may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park.” 

You know, if  the world hadn’t bought the Heene’s family bs hook, line and sinker for almost six hours I could almost laugh at the absurdity of this story. But the fact that Richard Heene is still out there trying to pedde his crap, beseeching to the world that “This thing has become so convoluted,” while sobbing his alligator tears instead makes me angrier and angrier by the minute.

I swear if  he or his family gets a tell all book deal, clothing line or anything at all from this sorry escapade you better believe I’m going to start my own Brooklyn Bridge For Sale website. Don’t laugh, I’m serious I have certificates of sale printed and ready for mailing.

Former friends claim balloon boy’s father, Richard Heene, will do anything for fame

More and more details are emerging about balloon boy’s father, Richard Heene.

By now you’ve probably heard about the little Colorado boy, Falcon Heene who garnered worldwide attention because he was thought to be soaring above the earth in a homemade helium balloon for hours but was actually hiding in his parents’ garage.

Well, anyway according to one of  Richard Heene’s past employees, Perry Caravello, Richard Heene will do anything to become famous and this balloon saga was just his latest attempt at grabbing his 15 minutes of fame.

Now, I don’t know if Caravello statements are credible since Heene, according to him, owes him money and we all know how money can cloud events and darken the debtor’s personal character. But as this story develops I’m becoming convinced that this may have been one of the biggest hoaxes in recent history and unfortunately the little boy’s nervous reaction (he’s vomited on camera twice) and statement ‘we did this for the show‘  have only heightened speculation that this was just one big put on by the Heene family.

So far officials have stated it wasn’t hoax but if it is determined that the Heene’s hustled us I hope they are fined and ordered to reimburse all the costs of the rescue operation.

***UPDATE*** Misdemeanor charges will be filed against Richard and Mayumi Heene.

 

JP lets blacks use his bathroom but he refuses to marry them to white people

Keith Bardwell a Louisiana Justice of  Peace refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple but he does allow black people to use his bathroom! 

Beth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay 32,  were denied a license by Bardwell because Bardwell believes the children of such unions suffer and that it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

And if you aren’t already gasping with disbelief and shaking your head in disgust then this bit of information should do it..Bardwell has the audacity, to declare that his actions are justified and that’s he’s not racist at all since he has piles and piles of black friends AND..he even lets them use his bathroom! So that proves it right there! He’s not a raging racist at all because HE LETS BLACK PEOPLE USE HIS BATHROOM if he didn’t then and only then would we know that he’s a racist and a lunatic.

OMG!! WTF!!

You wanna know the real reason Bardwell refuses to marry interracial couples? It’s because he knows that sooner or later one of these interracial marriages, maybe even mine, is bound to spawn the devil’s offspring if we haven’t already with President Barack Obama!

You would never believe  that 2010 is just a few weeks away.

God grant me the serenity…

 

And the award for jackass of the year goes too..Kanye West

 

 

Being candid doesn’t just apply to talk show hosts and average citizens.

The beloved characteristic can also apply to Presidents as well. And yes, I’ll agree it is a bit surprising when politicians are frank with us but I have to admit that some of them are actually capable of telling the truth-at times.

President Obama’s comment about West’s behavior was off the record but when you act like a jackass (include Serena Williams here too) you should be called out swiftly and without regard to race, sex, age, national origin, religion or culture and if a president wants to express his/her outrage with a person’s behavior he/she should be able too as well. 

Thankfully President Obama had the guts to say what we’ve all been collectively expressing for the past few days and although it’s not the politest term in the world describing Kanye West as a  ’jackass’,  is the one word he can get away with calling him out loud!

I could think of quite a few other words to describe the big mouth, artist can’t you?

Senator Edward Kennedy is dead, ‘the Lion’ will roar no more.

Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts is dead.

There is so much that has been said, can be said and will be said about Senator Kennedy over the next few days that I wouldn’t even attempt to discuss his legacy in this small, almost insignificant blog post. But I do hope that those who will be asked to speak about his legacy and his political efforts on behalf of all Americans will remember regardless of what side of the aisle they come from that “Great men stand like solitary towers in the city of God,” and though the ‘Lion of the Senate’  roars no more, his voice will echo throughout the halls and chambers of the American Senate forever.

 

Husband spends 16 months looking for wedding ring in harbor

Amazing!

Most husbands wouldn’t spend five minutes looking for the tv remote but this one searched the deepest ocean to find his wedding ring.

Well, it wasn’t the deepest ocean but Wellington Harbour in New Zealand might seem like the deepest ocean on the planet when you’re looking for an object the diameter of a penny. And the fact that a man would spend so much time searching for something without asking his wife “Where is it?” well that’s a miracle in itself! My god his wife is a lucky woman!

Anyway, after finding his wedding ring at the bottom of the harbour Ecologist Aleki Taumoepeau has more than earned lifetime control of the tv remote along with some other lifelong marriage benefits..lol

 

The health care debate has been hijacked by powerful men and women

 

 

“A little  group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great Government of the United States helpless and contemptible. ” –Woodrow Wilson, 1917

This quote accurately describes what is taking place in the United States as average Americans respond to lies and ambushes set up by those that are only interested in protecting their own pockets, their jobs (politicians of both parties) and the bottom lines of their share holders.

And these masked and willful men and women preventing health care reform are definitely not robbing from the rich to give more to the poor or the middle class!

So think about the next time you think about who’s really behind stopping the uninsured from becoming insured?

 

 

 

Cougar women and Hyena men..

 

Cougar- term used to describe a woman that sexually pursues men at least eight years her junior.  O.K. So what’s the male equivalent? Hyena? Since these men are typically desperate, move really fast and are most likely covered in ugly liver spots.  Nope. There is no male term. 

You see a  man that dates a younger woman is just a man but a woman is a Cougar. Nah…that’s not right. If we’re going to label women that date younger men, Cougars, I think we should start calling older men that date much younger women Hyenas it’s only fair. LOL.

Hyena-term used to describe a man that sexually pursues a woman at least eight years his junior.

 

 

Republicans will keep on shouting at these town halls..

I don’t understand why some liberals and Democrats are upset about Republican groups organizing and shouting at national health care reform town hall meetings?

I say, let them SHOUT!

There is nothing wrong with these men and women shouting or voicing their passion in an aggressive manner. Shouting at an individual may be considered rude and uncouth, yes, but a rational argument can still be had during and after these meetings. And in most cases the individuals shouting slogans will not change the mind or opinion of those present at the meeting with their behaviour.  

What changes an individual mind or heart is information. Simple and clear information. And to be honest, a town hall meeting, isn’t the venue to provide information about a specific plan or subject as complex and detailed as health care. It’s a place to interact with your representative in a positive or negative manner. And that interaction can be productive or worthless but in the end if DEMS want to convince voters and the public at large to support their health care bill-direct mail and the internet is the way to go or even door to door meetings.

Republicans and those oppose to health care reform will show up to these town halls ready for a fight and to say NO and nothing we do or say will stop them from shouting or being disruptive. But  liberal groups have now started to organize their own shouting groups too counteract this opposition. So what will we achieve in the end? A shouting match between two very passionate groups.

While I do agree that shouting at these meetings is not very progressive or polite IT IS very democratic.

 

Bill Clinton worked his magic on North Korean leader Kim Jong Il..

Bill Clinton showed the world today that he’s still got it!

Former President Bill Clinton may have lost a bit of his mojo over the years but today he proved that he’s still got some of that orginal Clinton magic left in the tank.

Today, Clinton was able to obtain a special pardon, freeing two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, imprisoned in the totalitarian state of North Korea for the past five months.

It’s  good to know and TO SEE that the former president is not only out there working for Democrats but also on behalf of the American people.

Well done Mr. President!

And I’m quite sure the White House welcomes this ‘aren’t we awesome’ distraction from their health care reform agenda. 

Former President Bill Clinton put to good use by Obama officials

Former President Bill Clinton is in North Korea today working to secure the release of two American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

Speaking on MSNBC earlier today, Senior  Obama advisor and political truth teller David Axelrod said that Clintons’ trip was a  ’private humanitarian mission’. And while the White House is publicly tip-toeing around the trip releasing few significant details you know that Clinton has the full blessing of the White House.

What an awesome and high profile way to use the former president?  

While Clinton may not always say and do the right things at home, abroad Bill Clinton exemplifies all that is great about America. And while his reputation may have dimmed just a bit due to some negative campaigning on behalf of his wife during the 2008 Democratic primary, the ex-president is still a widely respected and adored global leader. And you better believe when you’re negotiating with a ‘personality’ reportedly as big as Kim Jong-il’s those two characteristics will go a long way in ultimately securing the release/pardon for these two women and who knows what else could emerge from this trip?

***UPDATE***..MSNBC is reporting that North Korean media is reporting that the two women have been granted a special pardon.

 

 

No political suicide for President Obama

 

It would appear that President Obama wants to stay in the White House for eight years. He sent his main man, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs out today to let us know that he WOULDN’T BE raising taxes on middle class folks after all.

He probably didn’t get any sleep this weekend with all the problems Geithner and Summers caused him. No wonder the president looked so tired today his head must be throbbing. 

 

Tax the middle class and Obama will be a one-term president

 

My Monday morning just started and already I’m wishing I had just stayed in bed because these Monday morning blues are stressing me to hell out! 

From the moment I turned on my television set, headlines and anchors across the cable news networks have been  asking the question, “Will Obama raise taxes on the middle class?”.

OMG!! that can’t be right? I need more coffee! Taxing the middle class, with the economy as horrible as it is, would be Obama’s Waterloo. It was the first George Bush’s and Obama is smarter than him right? So he wouldn’t make that mistake…right?

I don’t know what Larry Summers and Tim Geithner were thinking when they appeared on the Sunday morning chat shows talking about the ways and means that could be used to pay for health care and to reduce our deficit.

Do Democrats want Obama to be a one-term president? Or more importantly does President Obama want to be president again? Or is he satisfied with the fact that he was able to beat all the odds and become America’s first black president? I don’t know anymore because if you analyze Obama’s actions and words lately you might think he wants the GOP to kick him out the White House in 2012!  He just keeps giving them more and more ammunition. God, even  John McCain thinks it’s safe to come out of hiding.

One way or another Democrats and liberals find a way to f#$% things up!

 

After just four days popular gov’t program runs out of money

Honestly, can the Democrats get at least one thing right this session? 

Why didn’t Democrats expect the public would take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers  program and fund it accordingly?  It was so simple. So, very, very simple. 

Congress came up with the money for the banks and they didn’t seem to run out of money to fund them (banks got  $700 billion, Cash for Clunkers was a measly $1 billion) yet one of the programs that could really help the average man or woman and the ailing auto industry, runs out of money after just four days!!!

And they wonder why people hate Congress and politicians?

 

Michael Jackson’s doctor gave him the drug that killed him!

Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s doctor gave him the drug Propofol or Diprivan that killed him!

CNN is confirming this right now. WOW!!! 

I wonder what the toxicology report is going to detail? Will it say that Diprivan was the cause of death?

If it does, this doctor well he wouldn’t be smiling like that anymore. However, it’s stared to appear more and more each day that someone is going to jail or will have to pay in some way for Michael Jackson’s death. 

Chris Brown ’sad and ashamed’ in new apology video

Chris Brown has finally publicly apologized for beating up Rihanna.

In a new apology video Brown is seeking and asking for the public’s forgiveness and states that he has wanted to apologize for months but was advised not too by his attorney.

In a two minute statement Brown says, “I’m not going to sit here and make any excuses..and what I did was inexcusable. I’m very sad and very ashamed of what I’ve done.”

In the end Brown tires to reassure us that he would never beat up another woman and that he wants to work to regain the title of role model. After the Rihanna incident, the title role model may remain elusive but I do hope for his sake and the sake of his future relationships, that he can earn the title of a recovered batterer.

Who cares what Levi Johnston has to say about Sarah Palin?

 

 Levi Johnston became known for one thing- fathering Sarah Palin’s grandchild with her daughter Bristol Palin.

However, over the past few days, if you didn’t know better you might’ve thought Johnston was a seasoned political commentator. He’s been appearing on morning shows and most recently on CNN voicing his opinion on Sarah Palin’s resignation.

Of course Johnston has a right to his opinion and in certain cases, the media speaking to knowledgeable family members can give the public valuable insight into a candidate or an individual, but not in this case. This guy doesn’t have any credibility or political knowledge so the media shouldn’t be legitimizing his opinions by broadcasting them around the world. I’m willing to bet they are only a handful of people in this country who would trust Levi Johnston’s opinion on the right brand of jeans let alone his opinions on who to vote for.

Yet they keep seeking his opinion. I’m sure they don’t actually believe that Johnston’s opinion on Palin could actually contribute to a more informed electorate so the continuing focus on Levi Johnston’s opinion by the mainstream media is just baffling. 

Chris Matthews show, Hardball, got a makeover..

Chris Matthews’ show Hardball with Chris Matthews got a makeover.

The political commentator debuted his show’s new intro and their new HD studio a few minutes ago.

The studio is HUGE!  They did a wide shot and panned around the entire studio at the beginning of the show and just by the looks of it you could fit my first studio apartment into that place!

The intro to the show is now a lot more serious however I think I prefer the old one but you never know this one will probably grow on me too.

I’m sure there’s going to be just as much drama in this studio as there was in the last one because wherever Chris Matthews goes drama is sure to follow.

See. it’s only been 20mins into Matthews’ ‘new’ show and he’s already called former Vice President Dick Cheney, “that man” in regards to the reported involvement of the VP in a CIA secret assassination program. 

Let the drama begin!

An angel in a white coat will be our next Surgeon General..

 

I don’t think many people could read what Dr.Regina Benjamin has accomplished in the rural town of Bayou La Batre, Alabama and not tear up. 

Dr.Benjamin gave up lucrative career opportunities only to watch the practice she helped to build with her own hands be destroyed twice by hurricanes-Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

She has used her own money, gone without pay, accepts what ever her patients can afford, makes house calls all in in an effort to deliver quality, preventative medical care to the residents of this small rural town.

Nothing stops Dr. Benjamin. Not rain. Not fire. Not money.  With a dedicated staff  firmly by her side, including 78 year old nurse Nell Stoddard, Benjamin continues to receive numerous accolades and awards for her valiant attempts and successes at providing affordable health care at her family practice clinic, helping others establish rural clinics across the nation when interviewed Benjamin has said that her goal in establishing the clinic was, ” To find a way to provide the best possible medical care to patients who often can’t afford health insurance and the only way to do that was to learn how to run a business efficiently.”

Should Benjamin become the next US Surgeon General and she still maintains the goal  of  finding ‘a way to provide the best possible medical care to patients who can’t afford health insurance’ you better believe she will have just as big an impact on the nations’ health care system as she’s had on La Batre, Alabama.

Michael Jackson interview on MSNBC..

Did any of you happen to watch the Martin Bashir interview with Michael Jackson this weekend on MSNBC?

I didn’t see the interview when it first aired some years ago and I still didn’t get to watch the entire interview but the parts I watched were excruciating because Michael Jackson clearly needed therapy and over the years it seems he was allowed to get worst and worst.

Of all the signs Jackson displayed, that seem to indicate he needed some type of therapy, the one that leaped out at me was the answer he gave to Bashir about his plastic surgery. Jackson seemed to believe that he could actually convince Bashir and the world that he only had two operations and that he was born with pale skin and a dimpled chin!  He even tried to convince Bashir that the changes occurred because of puberty and him ‘changing’.  Whoa!

It was also hard to watch Jackson become visibly upset when it looks like his fans had turned against him after the Berlin baby dangling incident.  And how abruptly his body language changes when Bashir starts to talk about the treatment he received from his father while growing up and why it’s understandable he would want to change his appearance because of all the teasing he received.  And most adults that were tormented as children can definitely sympathize with Jackson here but it’s evident that even after all this time, some thirty to forty years later, Jackson had yet to come to terms with the treatment he received at the hands of his father Joe Jackson. 

I don’t know if  Jackson had ever been to or sought therapy or  mental health treatment because the topic of therapy is still a big taboo in the black community however his behavior went beyond eccentric and his family and friends should have convinced him to seek help.

Many of those around him will now have to come to terms with the fact that Michael Jackson may have been crying out for help all this time and none them were able to or allowed themselves to hear his calls. 

D-Day for Sonia Sotomayor

  

Today Sonia Sotomayor begins the confirmation hearings that will undoubtedly lead to her becoming the first  Hispanic Supreme Court justice in United States history.

I disagree with those who assert that Sotomayor’s journey has been remarkable. 

Like most who succeed Sotomayor went to the best schools, worked extremely hard, put in her time on the job and became known to all the right people. The only thing that differentiates Sotomayor from other nominees is her race. And what is truly remarkable, to me, is that it has taken us this long as a society to recognize the contributions and abilities of those, like Sotomayor, that weren’t born white and male and that firsts like Sotomayor’s and Obama’s are still occurring.

However, in a few hours we’ll watch numerous Senators applaud and celebrate Sotomayor’s nomination. They will tell us how impressed they are with her life story and recite what a uniquely American story hers is and that will fill most of our hearts with pride and joy.

However, as we watch the hearings I will also be hoping that the next time a Hispanic man or woman is being considered for the Supreme Court, his or her life story wouldn’t garner as much attention and that hopefully in the future when my generation are controlling the reigns of power we can honestly say to the public that the only aspect of any nominee’s life that will be considered will be their opinions and rulings on the bench and we hopefully would’ve climbed another rung on the ladder of equality.

Go ahead swear. It’ll make the pain go away!

 

Swearing doesn’t actually make everything better or make the pain go away but we now have proof that swearing helps us to be better able to tolerate a painful situation.

Unlike most people, I didn’t start swearing until I was 19. I was a sheltered child..lol. Anyway I had to ‘learn to swear’ and I still haven’t developed the knack that some people have for combining swear words George Carlin comes to mind here. So I tend to rely on the most used ones and I must confess that to this day they are just some some swear words I could never, ever use. But who could deny the fact that sometimes the only appropriate word for a specific situation is $UCK!

And during my various travels I found that Americans are a lot better at swearing than Europeans. We’re born naturals the words kinda roll off our tongues. And the British have a way of swearing that makes you feel dirty all over and not in a good way..LOL.

One more thing, I have to applaud the women and men who took part in this study because what they were asked to endure in order to determine the affect of swearing on an individual’s tolerance to pain sounds like an act Dick Cheney would have sanctioned! 

Anyway, all we have to do now is get them to do a study proving that swearing at our PCs causes them to work faster so we’ll be able to swear at work-in front of our bosses!

 

A tribute fit for a King…

 

Today Michael Jackson’s family, friends and admirers paid tribute to the King Of Pop-Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in California.

From the emphatic speech by civil rights crusader, Al Sharpton to the emotional, tear jerking, outburst of his daughter Paris Katherine who confidently stated, “Daddy was the best father you could ever imagine!”

Regardless of what you thought, think about Michael Jackson, if you watched the tribute today you would have to be an alien if you didn’t see that this man was loved and appreciated by many, many people and that his contributions to the United States and the world will never be matched again.

Michael Jackson was harassed, ridiculed and persecuted for a large portion of his life and some of it, if we are honest was deserved, but today for 90 minutes today the world paused to celebrate the life and talent of man who by chance and sheer determination happened to be better at singing, dancing and entertaining than 99 percent of those who live or have ever lived on this planet but the world did stop, if only for a few minutes to reflect on the life of one man- a man who changed the world.

From a very pregnant Jennifer Hudson to a 12 -year old British boy Shaheen Jafargholi song after song, speech after speech was a declaration of the love, respect and admiration Michael Jackson garnered around the globe.

But to me, the most fitting image to Michael Jackson’s legacy came almost at the very of end of the service when people of every race, bi racial kids, black men, white women and the Jackson family all shared the same stage, linked arm in arm and sang one Michael Jackson’s most popular and powerful songs, Heal The World in tribute to a man who tried in his own way to heal the world.

“There was nothing strange about Michael Jackson,” Al Sharpton declares

That’s was Al Sharpton’s message to the world and to the critics of Michael Jackson. At Michael Jackson’s public memorial held at the Staples Center in California today. Sharpton received a standing ovation for his fiery defense of Jackson’s legacy.

To the world Sharpton emphatically stated in a veiled reference to the pop stars’ very public trials, “It’s not about mess..it’s about message.”

I for one don’t agree with Sharpton’s assertion but I’ll leave that argument for another day.

And he got a standing ovation when he said pointedly to MJ’s kids, “There was nothing strange about your dad..it was strange what your daddy had to deal with!”

Again..an argument for another day.

Boredom causes woman to call grandmother and threaten to kill her

 

I’m not making this up.

A 21-year old woman in Cambridge, Minnesota  allegedly called her grandmother 45 times in one day and threatened to kill her. This is in addition to telling the 69 year old woman that “she was being watched” and that ”she’s going to die”.

And why would a grandchild do this to a grandparent?  You might think she did this because her grandmother was a  Nazi or pedophile or something equally horrid right? WRONG! She did it because she was BORED!

Can you believe this?

With all the activities out there to become involved in, books to read, movies to watch, thrift stores to search through, my girl couldn’t find anything else better to do than to call her grandmother up WITH A FRIEND and scare her to death! SHE DID THIS WITH A FRIEND!!!

Seriously, the next time your nana starts to scold you for not calling her more often, tell her this story I think she’ll go to bed a lot happier with you that night. She may even send you a couple bucks in the mail! LOL

Yet another high-speed chase on MSNBC…

Watched another high-speed chase on MSNBC.

They just love these chases on MSNBC. And I guess we like them too because they wouldn’t cover them if we didn’t watch them right?

Anyway, today’s chase involved the driver of a white Dodge caravan and it occurred in Houston, Texas.

The driver successfully evaded cops for almost an hour and it only came to end when the driver abandoned the mini-van and tried to escape the police by jumping off the roof of a parking garage.

And of course MSNBC had to bring us minute to minute coverage this time it took a team of anchors to tell us what we were seeing on television. Tamron Hall, Contessa Brewer and David Shuster were there to give us their opinions on everything from the stupidity of the driver to the fact that we might see a man jumping to his death on live television. We didn’t see that of course but cable now has a new high-speed chase team.

Oh the drama!

Three anchors, high-speed chases and daytime television-just another day on MSNBC!

Is Congressman Peter King right? Do we glorify the wrong people?

Does American society glorify the wrong people?

For the past few days its been Michael Jackson but for the past thirty years, idiots, celebrities, sports stars, reality stars, porn stars have received, in many cases, baseless adulation, catapulting these mere mortals into the relms of gods and goddesses. 

 So do you think Rep. Peter King has a point when he says we have to start admiring those who protect, serve and educate society instead of those who merely entertain us?

I can only hope, our fair-minded representative Peter King, would include Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly  in the entertainer ranks as well and that he would admonish those within his own party who seek to elevate the opinions of these two..well..you find the word? LOL

 

Michael Jackson’s last video!!

Michael Jackson’s last rehearsal video has now been released!

And he’s dancing to one of his most controversial yet eerily prophetic songs They Don’t Care About Us. One of the most fitting lines of the song states MJ says, ” I look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy..set me free. “

How fitting that this would be the last song we hear from him.

 

Of course Debbie Rowe now wants her kids. Who didn’t see that one coming?

Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson’s ex wife and the biological mother of  Jacksons’ two eldest children has now declared that she wants custody of all three of his Jackson’s children.

Yup! Tell me you didn’t see this one coming? Rowe has now decided to step up bcause she ‘has too’ even though she once said and seemed quite comfortable with the idea, that she probably would never have seen her kids again had Michael Jackson lived.

Amazing!!

Can you believe her?

Can you believe these people?

His father?

Debbie Rowe?  

His doctors?

Everybody wanted a piece of Michael Jackson and from all appearances, granted I don’t know who he really was or what his family life was like,  and I would never claim too but it seems that every individual in his life wanted something from him and that nobody really genuinely cared about him or his needs.

Because, frankly his entire life has been a tragedy and that includes the talent, the fame and the money.

I can honestly say that if I had a choice between Michael Jacksons’ life and my life I would choose my life. Because at the very least I know that the people around me really do care about and love me for me.

With the ways things have played out thus far with Michael Jackson it seems he was never entirely sure what peoples’ motives were and that includes his own family.

And that ultimately leads to a very sad, sad life.

 

Boring Barack Obama..

OMG!!!!!

I’m one of the biggest nerds in the world.

I love politics and I could listen to policy discussions on most topics but listening to President Obama’s health care town hall on CNN bored me to tears today. Even MSNBC refused to air it and they cover ever little thing he does. LOL

Yes, I know we have to fix health care.

Yes, we have to get people covered.

And the personal stories we often hear at these town halls should provide us with even more incentives to fix our health care system.

But couldn’t Obama put some interesting graphics up there? Seriously. Where are the power point presentations on how reducing health care costs could actually help Rush Limbaugh or help most of the members of the Senate live even longer? I don’t know but these health care town halls need something.

But I guess there are some things even President Barack Obama can’t do.

Oh wait the part about the retained surgical sponge in the gut that was interesting.

But you know what I really like the fact that he can bore me to tears because that means we finally have a president that reads!

 

 

Jackson’s will made available to the public..

 

The public got its first view of Michael Jackson’s will today.

Of course TMZ has copies of the King of Pops’ will up on their site. TMZ is just beating the traditional media up and down. 

Oh and one more thing about the will that I’m frankly quite happy to learn, Joe Jackson isn’t mentioned but there is a Michael Jackson Family Trust and who knows who will ultimately have ‘true’ control of that?

  

 

Jackson’s father, acting more like a manager than a grieving dad

 

Today CNN’s Don Lemon gave Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father, another chance to redeem himself and act like grieving father instead of a promotion manager.

Did he take that chance? NO.  He got on television once again and acted like a moron. So I have to say it again.. JOE JACKSON IS A MORON and it appears he wants to cash in on his son’s death and the resulting publicity.

Anyway, a few hours ago Lemon interviewed Jackson and once again he greeted Lemon laughing and smiling and as Lemon questions him about his grief he has the audacity to declare that he’s crying on the inside and right in the middle of all this is a serious looking Al Sharpton. 

Is Jackson high?

 Look, I’m black and I understand we mourn in different ways of that there is no doubt. Funerals in black communities across the globe are celebrated in ways that I’m quite sure many cultures would find a bit strange. However they are some omnipresent themes at most of the Christian black funerals I’ve attended. Alcohol is served. There’s lots of food and drinks and at some funerals mourners may even start dancing and singing at the grave side as a way of celebrating the life of the deceased.

That’s different. But that’s how many of us mourn in the black community.

However,  Joe Jackson’s isn’t mourning in that way or a different way, he simply isn’t mourning. The man doesn’t even appear sad!  I’ve seen more emotion from people who have lost a beloved family pet!

This man appears to be more concerned about all the press he’s getting, all the positive press his son is getting and the fact that he could use the press to his advantage and the advantage of his friends! There’s only one thing Joe Jackson should be concerned about right now and that is the fact that he just lost his son who happened to be a superstar and I haven’t seen one moment when he appears to be genuinely upset about his lost. Instead of acting like a grieving parent, he’s acting like a manager that has lost his biggest client.

BET tribute show to Michael Jackson left much to be desired…

Am I the only person in the world, who thinks that last night’s BET Awards tribute show to Michael Jackson could’ve been much better?

Midway through the awards show, it was clear to me and to quite a few other people that the performances were at very best sub par. And as for the host Jamie Foxx, well let’s just say before his next hosting gig my advice to him, is to at the very least give Chris Rock a call and get some pointers. 

Anyway, I Googled the award show and of course they were the typical recaps of what happened but I haven’t seen one news post that actually notes how terrible the performances were. From the beginning with New Edition’s massacring of  The Jackson 5’s songs to the absolutely horrible performance by Keri Hilson’s et al.  It seemed that while most of the artistes were capable of costuming themselves like Michael Jackson NOT ONE of them could come close to matching the King of Pop’s legendary stage performances. And the only performance that came significantly close to anything MJ would’ve done was Beyonce Knowles’ medley. 

I know the tribute show was last minute and that most of the artistes would never have been able to or even claim to be half the entertainer Michael Jackson was so I’m willing to give them a pass there. However, I do believe that if many of these performers sincerely wanted to pay tribute, to a man that many of them consider to be their inspiration and the Greatest Entertainer who ever lived, they should have stepped up their routines and put a bit more effort into their performances.  And based on what I saw last night that didn’t happen.  If by some chance that was the best crop of musical talent in the black community, Michael Jackson himself would have to shake his head in disappointment. 

 

She gave Michael Jackson her womb and then he kicked her out…

 

The biological mother of two of Michael Jackson’s children, Debbie Rowe, admits Michael Jackson isn’t the father of his two eldest children Prince Michael and Paris Katherine.

And the two never had sex.

The most interesting part of this article was her insistence that Michael Jackson didn’t want anything to do with her when he found out she couldn’t have anymore children.

Hmmm…

***UPDATE*** ROWE will receive visitation rights under a custody agreement granted to her and Michael Jackson’s  mother Katherine Jackson.

Michael Jackson’s father on CNN creating a spectacle…

OMG!!!

A few moments ago while watching CNN’s coverage of the BET Awards, Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father got some lady to read a statement for him as he’s standing on the red carpet speaking with CNN’s Don Lemon!

The entire scene was awkward with this woman standing between the two men reading from a piece of paper.

Then he introduced another spokesperson, his lawyer to answer a simple question that he could have responded too with a ‘no comment’ or ‘I would prefer to talk about that later’. And if that wasn’t bad enough he introduced and seemed to be pluggin a guy’s recording studio which apparently he used to work for/with!

MY GOD!!!!

I hate saying this but Joe Jackson appeared and acted like a frigging moron and if you didn’t know it, you wouldn’t have believed this man had just lost a son! I’m not saying he should’ve broken down in tears or cried a river but the least he could’ve done is show a bit of genuine emotion.

All I can say is what bizarre behaviour from a man that just lost his son.

As the world mourns Michael Jackson, remember….

 

 

I think he would’ve wanted his efforts to make the world a better place  to be his REAL legacy….

Michael Jackson is at peace now..

Michael Jackson battled demons, real and perceived, his entire life.

I hope he’s finally able to have some peace.

More Marc Sanford emails…

After reading the emails between Marc Sanford and his Argentinian mistress Maria I’m left wondering one question will he leave his wife for her?

What do you think?

Mousavi’s wife may have been arrested..

The wife of outspoken Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi may be under detention in Iran.

According to some unconfirmed reports circulating the web, Zahra Rahnavard who has been likened to Michelle Obama by many Iranians, may have been detained by the Iranian government after she called for the immediate release of those who had been arrested since the beginning of the protests.

If she has been detained we can only assume that Mousavi may be next on their list.

Lots at stake in messy gay celebrity divorce

Martina Navratilova is going through another messy divorce.

This time the ex-tennis superstar is being sued by her second wife Toni Layton who is claiming that Navratilova wasn’t very nice during their seven year marriage and that she’s suffered ‘emotional, mental and physical trauma’.

Normally, I wouldn’t care one bit about a messy celebrity divorce but this one peeked my interest for two reasons. Apparently Navratilova is using current Florida law which doesn’t recognize same sex marriage to argue that Layton doesn’t deserve a dime and an animal sanctuary built by the two has been put up for sale.

As an outspoken advocate for gay rights and supporter of same sex marriage, which Navratilova claims to be as well, I would argue, that if she uses a law that she believes is unfair and unjust, simply to shield her money and assets, not only is she a hypocrite but she’s doing serious damage to the same-sex marriage movement which she claims to support. I’m not saying that Layton is entitled to half or some large monetary settlement not at all. What I’m saying is a lot simpler than that. If Navratilova doesn’t recognize the legality of her own marriage she cannot expect or demand nationwide recognition of same sex marriage.

And in regards to the animal sanctuary I know the sale of the sanctuary doesn’t necessarily mean the animals will be homeless and often in situations like these, conditions are attached to the sale in order to protect the animals.  And I refuse to believe that the great Martina Navratilova could throw defenseless animals out on the streets but then again according to Layton, Martina did throw her out with only the clothes on her back!

Mark Sanford is a poet..

 

I just finished reading a few excerpts from emails between Mark Sanford and his mistress and I have to confess I’m actually starting to feel a bit sorry for the guy (I’m sure that’s going to disappear soon..lol)!

And I usually don’t have any sympathy for men who cheat on their wives particularly sanctimonious men but in this case it does sound like he’s in love with Maria.

I know that doesn’t excuse what he did and if I was his wife, he would’ve received divorce papers long ago but these recent revelations by Republican politicians of extra marital affairs should force the GOP to accept the reality that they cannot govern or dictate what men and women do in their bedrooms.  And that their so called ‘family values’ party is and has always been just a figment of their imaginations.

 

Gov. Mark Sanford was having an affair!!!

Now this is all makes sense..

He developed a relationship with a friend..is this friend male or female?

And now he’s crying even more..MY GOD!!! Now he admits he was unfaithful with a friend. He developed a relationship with a dear, dear friend from Argentina!!

My God these Republicans and their family values..you see, they don’t practice what they preach!!!

And that’s the height of hypocrisy!!!

Why can’t these men live up to their own standards?

Mark Sanford was in Argentina all along..

So Gov Mark Sanford was really in Buenos Aires, Argentina instead of  hiking the Appalachian Trail!

Again, his wife didn’t know, his kids didn’t know and his staff had no clue where he was why couldn’t he tell them that he was taking an ‘exotic’ trip?

Well, Buenos Aires is known as the gay capital of South America!

I’m watching his press conference about this incident and dude is crying..seriously crying..can you believe this…he’s talking about him letting down his loved ones..now he’s talking about God!!! WTF!!! This entire situation is weird it just makes you more curious about what he really did in Argentina!

 

 

The real reason behind Gov.Mark Sanford’s disapperance..

This was just too easy people!

Woods, naked hiking and his wife can’t know his whereabouts. Dudes..South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford  made this joke waaaaaaaay too easy!!! LOL

Why are train operators sending txt messages while @ work?

Can anyone explain to me why train operators are sending text messages while operating trains?

A reasonable explanation!! PLEASE!!!! ANYONE!!!!

Come on! Isn’t this a no-brainer?

Do we really need to make this a law in order to prevent accidents like this from happening?

TRAIN OPERATORS OR ANY OPERATOR OF A MASS TRANSIT VEHICLE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES WHILE OPERATING THEIR VEHICLES UNLESS IT IS TO ALERT FIRST RESPONDERS TO AN ACCIDENT OR POTENTIAL INCIDENT!!!!!!

Does the average intelligent human being really need to be told that while operating a 240 tonne vehicle, he/she should keep the distractions to a minimum?

And that those distractions should not include TEXT messages from a co worker/significant other/friend etc!!!!!!

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!

HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO DIE BEFORE WE PUT AN END TO THIS STUPIDITY?

Chris Brown pleads guilty gets 5yrs probation and community service..

 

The last nail has been hammered into the Brown-Rihanna relationship.

Rihanna can finally move on with her life and Chris Brown well he’s going to have wait a few years before he can say that.

In what has become one of the highest profile domestic abuse assault cases of all time Chris Brown was sentenced today ater pleading guilty to felony assault charges. He received 5 years probation and 180 days of community labor which will be performed in his home state of Virginia and he has to stay 50 yards clear of  Rihanna at all times and must enroll in a domestic violence counseling program.

So I guess that means we wouldn’t be seeing photos like the one above ever again?

I sincerely hope Brown gets help and that he never abuses another woman again and that Rihanna understands that once your partner hits you once he/she will most likely do it again. 

 

If Iranians pursue democracy, expect hundreds more Neda Soltans

For the past week, I,  like so many of you, have been riveted to my seat as I’ve watched the infancy of yet another Iranian revolution play out right before my very eyes.

Americans have devoured and disected every image, parsed ever morsel of  information and formulated their own opinions on what is taking place in that Middle East country. And as Iranians have turned to Twitter and Facebook we’ve publicly followed and encouraged them while simultaneously praising their bravery in disobeying their governments’ bans.

Iranians have inspired us and made us extremely hopeful that for the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the majority in the country were finally prepared to take the first steps towards establishing a true democratic state.

However, as the week wore on and protesters’ calls fell on deaf ears many of us suspected that their demands would be rebuffed, at Friday prayers Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confirmed a crackdown was immenient.

This past Saturday millions of us watched as grainy videos uploaded to Youtube made their way into our living rooms via national news channels showing demonstrators being beaten and attacked in the streets as they defied their Supreme leader and rallied in support of Mousavi.

But after all of this I am still unsure of  how far these supporters are willing to go in support of  Mousavi and if  the movement I’m watching on tv and the internet has really morphed into a pro democracy crusade similar to the one that occurred in Lebanon? 

I sense this is no longer about an election.

I believe this is no longer about deposing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and appointing Mir Hussein Moussavi.

And I know that the majority of protesters do not want the Islamic Republic to fall.

But what do they really want and are they willing to continue to spill their blood and sacrifice their lives in pursuit of a democratic state if that is truly their demand?

So far the death toll, as reported by the Associated Press, stands at 19. 

However like most movements that oppose oppressive regimes expect that total to increase. And undoubtedly a critical point will be reached when leaders and protesters, enforcers and supporters start to play a dangerous game of chicken.

In Iran this game has been occurring at various levels for the past 30 years. The battle between democracy and despotism, modernity and tradition may finally have come to a head this past week but in the past these drives have been crushed and the reformers have always backed down.

But this time the elites and intellectuals, leading the movenment appear to have significant support among the mases and that could lead to significant societal change.

And if we are currently witnessing a regime change in Iran unfortunately and inevitably that means there will be hundreds more Neda Soltans. I don’t know if the protesters or the ruling elites and clerics are really prepared to accept that reality.

Big banks want us out of their business..

 

Am I the only one that believes that the banks are only repaying us because they want us (the government) out of their business?

Because I really don’t believe they would be repaying these TARP funds if we hadn’t got on their cases and called them out as quickly as we did or if the media hadn’t been keeping a watchful eye on their behaviour and what they were doing with our money. 

But it’s all good. 

Hopefully, we’ve all learned something from this government bailout debacle.

This time we were able to stop the collapse of our economy, save the banks’  and CEO hides and STILL get our money back.  The next time and believe me there will be we may not be as lucky.

 

Sarah Palin is right. Letterman, ‘man up’ and apologize properly.

Sarah Palin has every right to demand an apology from David Letterman.

His joke was crude and offensive and his apology or lack thereof was insufficient.

I just finished watching Ed Schultz and Danny Deutsch on MSNBC imply that Sarah Palin must be a bad mother because her teenage daughter got pregnant out of wedlock! 

They also implied that Palin is a hypocrite because she’s using or has used her kids to get a political advantage and that she’s irresponsible for ‘parading’ her daughter around in the media and that she should expect attacks like the one Letterman dished out.

WHAT THE HELL!!

Are they serious?

It almost sounded like they were blaming Sarah Palin for Letterman’s tasteless joke!

Now I’m no fan of the Republican party or  Sarah Palin (she has potential but she needs brush up on some critical areas)  but I do know right from wrong and this isn’t a liberal v conservative issue it’s a simple right vs wrong.

Sarah Palin is not the first and she certainly wouldn’t be thelast politician to use their family for political advantage. All politicians have at some point in their political career used their relatives to appear more appealing to women, to men, more normal and ‘just like us’.

What do you think all those photo ops with Obama and his wife, Obama his wife and the kids, Obama, his wife, the kids and the dog are all about?

Hello??

Sarah Palin is not a horrible mother for ’using’ her family to get votes. She’s not a horrible mother for not knowing that her teenage daughter was sexually active either. Sarah Palin is not in the wrong here, at least, not this time. David Letterman is and anyone who suggests that his joke was acceptable because she brought her family into the political limelight is missing the point.

Just call it what it is. An offensive joke about a 14 year old girl who happens to be the daughter of a politician. If the joke was about any other 14yr old girl would we be laughing? No. So why should we laugh if it’s about Sarah Palin’s daughter? We shouldn’t and it’s unacceptable regardless of who the target was.

Unfortunately this type of offensive language and negative media coverage directed towards female politicians  and their families prevent many women from seeking political office (it’s not going to stop me..you betcha..lol) and as a female politician your skin might be as tough as an elephant’s but your family members may not and ultimately many women choose to do what’s in the best interest of their families.

It’s a pity we’re still forced to make that choice family or career because many in the media aren’t big enough to leave our families out of it.

Has change finally come to the middle east?

 

 We’ll soon find out how willing the Iranian people are to take those first crucial steps towards normalizing their  relationship with the West and the United States.

The last time I got this excited, for the middle east, was way back in 2005 during Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution.

And now that same excitement coupled with anticipation is killing me.

Last year, young people in the US finally stepped up and put their votes where their mouths and hearts have been for a very long time.  Young people all across the United States worked their butts off, convinced their friends, families and in some cases coworkers to vote for and support a candidate that many pundits had declared as having a snow ball chance in hell of winning the American presidency.

But most importantly millions of  those young people showed up at the polls on voting day showing that with unparalleled determination, hard-work and just a bit of luck change is indeed possible even at the highest levels of power.

And for the past few weeks we’ve been watching a replay of that same process in Iran.

Iran’s young people have catapulted their version of Barack and Michelle Obama unto the world stage by openly displaying their support for underdog presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Dr. Zahara Rahnavard.

Obama won the election because he was able to harness and direct the energies and passion of millions of young people. Mousavi is hoping that their efforts coupled with the current  economic conditions in Iran and the desire for positive changes amongst the Iranian people will be enough to topple the country’s current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Can Mousavi accomplish the same thing? Maybe. It’s certainly looking like he has a real shot at winning but it is a long shot. Nevertheless I’m willing to argue that his chances are much better than Obama’s were that’s for sure..lol

And what happens if he does?  Would a Mousavi win have any influence on Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hoseyni Khamenei  the ’real’ leader of  Iran? Maybe.  According to some reports it appears Ayatollah Khamenei is willing to work with Mousavi although the two men were once fierce rivals for the affections and adulations from the previous and first Supreme Leader Ayotallah Khomeini.

However it appears Khamenei is willing to put the past behind him and Mousavi appears to be a realist and if elected he intends to pursue a pragmatic approach on the international stage and he’s even said it!

So should Mousavi win we could finally see direct talks, (remember what Obama said during the election?) or we could see multi-lateral talks but chances for constructive and significant diplomacy undoubtedly increase with a Mousavi presidency.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you should start planning a trip to Iran or that President Obama will be visiting Iran anytime soon but should Mousavi win we can definitely expect a thaw in US-Iranian relations.

How significant a thaw? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see… 

Americans are uniting to stop a nuclear armed Iran

Have you seen this public service announcement (PSA) asking Americans to support economic sanctions against Iran?

The 35 second PSA was created by the non-partisan, coalition United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has been running on CNN for the past few days.

According to UANI’s website their primary objective is  ’ to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.’

UANI hopes to initiate grassroots opposition against a nuclear armed Iran and the danger that poses to the region and the world by inviting average citizens to create UANI chapters in their communities and to send messages to their leaders and elected officials, the press and Iranian companies.

It seems that every group in the world is looking to duplicate Obama’s success in rallying and coalescing grassroots support for their particular agenda, policy or candidate. Unfortunately Obama’s success wouldn’t be easily duplicated.

 

Abortion clinic in Kansas to be closed forever!

This is a tough one for me and I really, really don’t know how I feel about this one.

After Dr. George Tiller was allegedly murdered by 51-year-old suspected anti-choice terrorist,  Scott Roeder on May 31st his family has decided to close his Kansas, Women’s Health Care Services Inc, clinic forever.

According to one of Tiller’s lawyers, the family is ’proud of the service and courage’ shown by Dr. Tiller and they will continue to honor his death by contributing to private charities.

While I understand and respect the family’s decision to close the clinic I can’t help but wonder if  Dr. Tiller’s memory, honor and courage wouldn’t have been better served by keeping the clinic open?

Dr. Tiller is the fourth doctor and eighth abortion clinic worker to be killed in the United States or Canada since 1977. Abortions became legal in the United States in 1973.

But as Dr.Warren Hern, a provider of abortion said, “What doctor, what reasonable doctor would work there? Where does it stop?”

The new search engine bing!

 

Have you tried Microsoft’s new search engine bing?

I tried it not bad. Not bad at all.

My favorite part of the new search engine is its look and the image search section. I loved it!  The images are sharp and they appear on your screen uncluttered unlike Google’s and I have to admit that’s one area they’ve got Google beat hands down at least for the moment.

I’m not sure they are the ultimate Google-Killer, many have tried but none have suceeded but they will give Google a run for their money.

And I like their ad!

 

Obama hopes to push the reset button on US-Arab relations

In just a few hours President Obama will deliver arguably one of the most important speeches of his presidency in Cairo, Egypt.

But I believe that in order for Obama to get the Arab world actively engaged in the issues that are important to us and our allies he must do three things.

One reiterate that the US is NOT at war with Islam. Reinforce our support for Palestinian statehood. And three show respect for the view held by many people across the Arab world (and arguably the entire world) that the American way is not the ONLY way.

These are the three main points Obama has to hammer home in order for his words to resonate with the average muslim man and woman in the Middle East. 

Every rational American can accept that the US is not at war with Islam however a majority of muslims believe that we are actively seeking to destroy Islam. This perception has arisen primarily due to conflicting political interests and it will disolve into thin air after his speech.  But what Obama and diplomats can do is to highlight our common interests-the establishment of a free and secure Palestinian state and the  mutually desired withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.

If we can actively work to align these two key interests and maybe even achieve one of them in coming years we can then begin to work on our differences. However, in order to achieve a desirable outcome on those two issues I believe that we must be willing to accept and adjust our way of thinking.  

Now I’m not suggesting that the adjustments have to made solely on our end, not at all. Arab states and muslim men and women everywhere must be willing to do more than simply pay lip service to the idea of rejecting radical elements within their communities. Instead they must wholeheartedly renounce and squash those elements within their midst before members of their citizenry have become radicalized and a threat to America and its allies. We can’t do that for them they must do that on their own.

As a hyperpower the United States could tell any state or nation  ’to shove off’ but we tried that route  look how far it got us?  Our influence and dominance on the world stage can be increased tenfold if we admit to a few mistakes.

And this is one of those occasions.

To admit a mistake as a nation doesn’t make us apologists as some have suggested instead when a world leader is willing to admit his or her mistake what it says to the rest of the world is that the country is big enough to admit its shortcomings, accept that it doesn’t have all the answers and is wise enough to seek counsel and assistance from others in an effort to never repeat that mistake in essence it is a state deserving of the mantle of leadership.

However the idea of our President acknowledging past mistakes bothers millions of Americans.

And I can understand that.

Forgive me for using my own character as an example but like most people I hate admitting mistakes but what I hate even more is act of admitting to others that I was WRONG that gets under my skin. And I don’t know a single individual as strong willed and stubborn as I am that likes to admit that she/he could’ve been wrong on anything…LOL!.

But there are times in our lives when a simple acknowledgment of a past mistake is enough to garner us respect and admiration from our loved ones and even our enemies and I believe this principle can be applied to a state as well. 

How we go about rectifying those mistakes will say more about us as a country than any wrong we have committed in the last past years. Let’s hope that those men and women in the Arab world are also ready for a fresh start because I know that we are. 

 

 

Will Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak run against Specter?

 

Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak was on Hardball with Chris Matthews a few minutes ago discussing his potential Senate run against the newest Democrat in the US Senate Arlen Specter.

He still hasn’t decided according to him he’s still consulting with his family. I don’t buy his reason at all but it does sound nice and keeps the press back a bit. But what I think he’s really doing is weighing the costs to his political future if he runs against Specter because he knows he wouldn’t be running against Specter alone he’ll be running against Obama, Biden and the current Democratic leadership.

And that’s a tough call for a politician.

But I hope he does run.

We’re Democrats damn it! We don’t want people telling us who to vote for even if that order comes from a well liked President. Leave the anointing of leaders to the Republicans..lol.

Sestak might be a long shot and he might suffer severe blowback for running against Specter BUT this is America if you believe in something you go for it and fight for it every inch of the way and I think if Sestak really believes that he’s the better candidate he shouldn’t let anything deter him from running. 

Who knows he just might win and all he has to do is look at the current occupants at the White House to know that anything is possible in this great country!

10 surprising facts about US Supreme Court Justices

 

So it’s Friday and we don’t really want to read anything heavy right?

Well here are some very cool and not so cool (I’ll let you decide which ones aren’t) facts about the guys and gals that have sat in those seats.

1. Robert H Jackson was US Attorney General and a Supreme Court Justice and he didn’t graduate from law school.

2. Justice Byron ‘Whizzer’ White was once the leading rusher in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Steelers and the Lions.

3. Justice Thurgood Marshall was a big fan of soap operas  (so was my dad..lol) and he loved to play poker. I wonder if he was any good?

4. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female jurist on the Supreme Court we all knew that but did you know that she learned to drive by age seven, had a bob cat as a pet and learned to shoot a gun before she was eight? She’s also a fan of the Olive Garden.

5. Before Frank T Murphy became an Associate Justice his professional career included: First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District (1920-23), Recorder’s Court Judge, Detroit (1923-30), Mayor of Detroit (1930–33), Governor-General of the Philippines (1933-35), U.S. High Commissioner of the Philippines (1935–36), Governor of Michigan (1937-39) and United States Attorney General (1939–40). My goodness what did this guy do in his spare time?

6. Justice Hugo Lafayette Black was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

7. Associate Justice Charles Evans Whittaker got admitted to law school without a high school diploma. He dropped out in the ninth grade to go hunting, trapping and farming! Hmm how does one go farming? lol

8. The second US Supreme Court Justice John Rutledge was the only Justice in American history to be forced out of office against his will.

9. Celebrated Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis belonged to a polo club but never played polo but he loved canoeing. And apparently he preferred to reorder his suits rather than go shopping for a new one. I think he’ll get the support of most men on that one. 

10. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg took her love for opera to the next level when she appeared as an extra in two Washington Opera productions once in full costume and once as herself.

Have a good weekend!

Rihanna is a good girl again…

Rihanna WILL testify against Chris Brown next month.

On June 22nd the Barbadian entertainer will face Chris Brown and his lawyers in a California court. 

The preliminary hearing is to determine if there is enough evidence for the felony assault case to go to trial. 

I’m glad that Rihanna has finally come to her senses and decided to testify against Brown because for a minute there it looked like she was planning to stay with that joker/woman beater Chris Brown!

Six things you should know about the US constitution

Without the Constitution America and it could be argued the world would be a significantly different place.

 So here are six facts you should know about one of the world’s most important ‘living’ documents.

1. Over one hundred nations have used the American Constitution as a model to create their own constitution.

2. You will never find the word ‘democracy’ in the Constitution. Interesting…

3. Treason is the only crime defined in the Constitution.

4. The 10 amendments known today as The Bill of Rights (whenever I read the Bill of Rights I get goose bumps..lol) were added three years after the ratification of the Constitution.  

5. Bucking convention Vermont ratified the Constitution on January 10, 1791, even though it hadn’t officially become a state.You gotta love Vermont.

6. During World War II the constitution was moved to Fort Knox.

Unseat Senator Roland Burris

We all understand why Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) hasn’t resigned but why haven’t the Democrats found a way to unseat him? 

Hopefully, with the release of the FBI wiretap tapes  Democrats, maybe even President Obama, can now persuade Burris to resign since we now have proof that he was involved if only on the margins in the effort by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to sell Obama’s US Senate seat. 

Burris is an embarrassment not only to himself and the Democratic Party but he has become a recognizable stain on the United States Senate. The longer Burris remains seated the longer, we the public, have to endure the media’s coverage of this egomaniac and  his pathetic attempts to cover up his role in this deplorable scandal.

You gotta hand it to Blago he knew what he was doing when he appointed Roland Burris but in the end all parties got something from this Burris/Blago debacle. 

Blago got a really good laugh not the last, mind you, but he got a hearty chuckle.

Burris gets to engrave the title Senator on his tombstone and Hardball Award recipient. 

And the American people got yet another shocking glimpse at high-level public corruption. 

 But enough is enough.  Democrats. Republicans. Independents.  GET ROLAND BURRIS OUT OF THE SENATE!!!

Mike Tyson’s world falls apart at the loss of his daughter..

Mike Tyson’s four year old daughter Exodus died yesterday in Phoenix, Ariz. The little girl was found dangling from a treadmill’s cord at his Arizona home. She had been on life support for a few days.

In recent weeks Mike Tyson has been travelling around the country promoting his new documentary that chronicles his struggles with addiction and alcoholism and his road to redemption.

Tyson has been at the precipice of self destruction more times than we can count. We can only hope that this horrible, horrible tragedy doesn’t push him over the edge entirely.

 

5 interesting facts about the US Supreme Court

In celebration of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, all this week, I’m going to write a post about the Supreme Court and the US constitution. Hopefully at the end of this week we’ll all be a little bit more knowledgeable about the highest court in the land and the American constitution. 

1.The president of the United States has the right to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court!  Yup!   And the last president to argue a case before the court was Richard Nixon..he lost! 

2. The US justices used to wear white wigs, similar to the ones worn by British justices, but during the first session of the court in 1790 William Cushing was the only justice to show up wearing the wig (I guess he thought it was cool..)  But his fashion faux pas didn’t go unnoticed.  And Thomas Jefferson eventually convinced Cushing to get rid of it declaring that the wigs made the judges ” look like rats peeping through bunches of oakum.”  

3. The US Supreme Court has no specific size and the number of Justices on the Supreme Court has increased as the US has grown geographically and as  judicial circuits have increased.  

4. If  the 10 000 bill was still in circulation it would be called a Chasey (at least that’s what I would call it..lol) because Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase appeared on it.

5. The 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft also served as the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. He was nominated by President Warren Harding after the death of Chief Justice Edward Douglass White.  Wouldn’t you just love to have those two jobs on your resume?

So it’s Sotomayor!!

By now you would undoubtedly have heard or read that President Obama nominated  U.S. Court of Appeals Judge  Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor is the first Hispanic to be nominated for the highest court in America.

I can’t wait for the confirmation hearings..’cause you know the Republicans are just itching for a fight? We’re already hearing claims that while Judge Sotomayor’s personal story is inspiring,  she’s really not that smart and of course the Republican cliché is being tossed around repeatedly..she’s an activist judge amazing! 

I wonder what other types of mud will be slung at Judge Sotomayor? 

Republicans have to be extremely careful in resorting to their traditional tactics  as the confirmation hearings progress.

Republicans have already alienated a significant portion of the Hispanic community with their immigration policies which are widely seen in the Hispanic communityas anti-Hispanic and if their questioning of Sotomayor is viewed as unfair or discriminatory Republicans run the risk of losing the Hispanic vote completely.

Well that didn’t take long Rush Limbaugh is now calling Sotomayor a racist!!!

Here we go…

The deepest wounds and scars of war..

” The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

 

You gotta love Dick Cheney!!

Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s rebuttal speech on national security at the American Enterprise Institute in one word-stupefying!!!

This man is defiant!

He refuses to accept the world has changed and that his world view is no longer acceptable or rational.

And he refuses to lay down his arms and he still has the energy to fight the old battles against the New York Times, the peace loving liberals and those sissy Europeans man..he just wouldn’t let go will he?

Unfortunately, I must say that Dick Cheney is the real leader of the GOP!  

Is this what Michael Steele meant when he said the GOP had ‘turned the corner’ and that they were done‘ looking in the rearview mirror’?

I don’t think they can do that with Dick Cheney clinging to their bumper..

Michelle Obama isn’t pretty and she’s really a man..

First Iman says Michelle Obama is  ‘no great beauty’ and now a comedian has declared, that our first lady is really a man.

This is going to be a tough week for Mrs.Obama.

Honestly, I don’t care what the comedian Jay Mohr has to say. It’s his job to be offensive.  He knows that the more offensive he is the more airplay he gets and by extension the bigger his salary becomes.

But the no great beauty comment by Iman, well, that kinda hit home.

And before you say, “She’s just voicing her opinion,” her observation of Michelle Obama goes a lot deeper than just a casual comment by a public figure about a major public official as one blogger asked does Michelle Obama make dark skin stylish?

Obviously Iman doesn’t think so and to a wide section of the public we dark skinned black woman still have a long way to go before we’re considered as beautiful as our lighter skinned sisters  black or white and that’s with or without the First Lady’s help. 

Iman does go on to say that Ms. Obama is, “So bright and interesting looking and in the end that will always take you farther.” However, I don’t understand what Iman means by interesting looking?

Interesting looking?

An axolotl is interesting looking but they aren’t too many people out there want to look like that. And I’m pretty sure Michelle Obama like most women, myself included, like to be complimented on our beauty as well as our intellect.

But I’m sure Iman’s comments wouldn’t be the first time Michelle Obama has heard or been told ’she’s no great beauty’ or ‘that she’s not pretty’ by a sista.

I can relate to that.

Like most dark skinned black women I too, grew up being told over and over again by my peers and in some cases by adults that I was ugly and when I wasn’t told that it was often decided that I would be really pretty if I weren’t so black. 

Great! I would be really pretty if I didn’t look like me! LOL

Anyway, for some girls that would’ve been enough to inflict lasting emotional damage but what hurt the most weren’t the jokes about my dark skin, I got used to those, it was the barage of comments I would always undoubtedly face from a schoolmate if my mom picked me up or visited me at school.

The next day I would be asked one or all of these questions, ”Are you sure that’s your mom?” or  “Are you adopted?” and the best of them all, ”Your mom is so pretty..how come you look like that?”

And for the rest of the day I would be left thinking that the words pretty and beautiful were reserved for those with lighter skin (my mom is birracial and my sister has lighter skin) than mine and that I would never be called beautiful by anyone outside my immediate family.

Inevitably those thoughts would pass until the next time my mom visited the school and then the process of self doubt and self-pity would start all over again.

Those comments have help to shape my world view but they also prepared me to face the cruelty and pain in the world with grace and dignity. And although I no longer face ridicule, I have never allowed myself to forget what it feels like to be on the opposite end of hateful comments and I credit those bullies and ignoramuses for heightening my ability to empathize not just with those of my race or in my community but with my fellow human being regardless of gender, race or complexion.

But they were days that I was afraid to go to school because I knew that most of my day would be spent in emotional turmoil. A teenager has more than enough to deal with and managing emotional conflict with her peers shouldn’t be one of them.  

Luckily my parents didn’t allow those comments to destroy my self esteem or my self worth and I thank them every day for molding me into the woman that I am. But many black women aren’t as lucky as I was and millions of them continue to be at war with their dark skin and seek to change their complexion  by any means necessary.

A simple Google search, dark skinned black women, provides valuable insight into this psychological dilemma that continues to plague the black community and the world in general when it comes to seeing beauty in the black race.

Even the term classic beauty when Googled produces not one black woman in fact none of the top 20 women in that search have dark skin!

While our concept of beauty continues to evolve be it very, very slowly sadly we have not reached the point where a tall, dark skinned black woman can be considered a classic or great beauty by the majority on this planet.

I wonder when, if ever, we’ll reach that point?

Is the GOP looking for President Reagan to save them?

 

According to Michael Steele, GOP Chairman, Republicans are done ‘looking in the rearview mirror’.

But in his speech yesterday all he did was look back.

From his comments about Reagan to the fact that he failed to offer no new policy positions on any current issue all Steele did was remind millions of Americans why they aren’t Republican anymore.

Steele tried his very best to convince us that there is a new GOP we just haven’t seen it yet, ” Our comeback is well underway out in the states, I can assure you of that..the folks inside the beltway don’t know it yet but those of you who toil in the vineyards, spending time in communities, in diners, barber shops, and coffee shops where real every day people can be found…you know it is real.”

Steele obviously sees things that we don’t.

It has become quite obvious that the only reason Michael Steele got the RNC Chair is because he’s a black guy. And unfortunately, many GOP leaders wrongly believe the only way to effectively criticize President Obama is to have another black guy do it. That’s the only conclusion I can come too because Michael Steele has nothing else going for him.

He can barely rally the GOP base. He doesn’t have the support of the GOP leadership (what leadership there is) and he’s an ineffective leader and communicator and his money raising skills are mediocre at best.

So why is he still there?

Could this be the reason why millions are abandoning the GOP?

The GOP seems to be perpetually stuck in the past on everything and instead of moving forward Republican leaders are constantly looking over their shoulders as if they are hoping President Regan will ride in on his white horse and save them from themselves and those bad Democrats!

The GOP must STOP LIVING in the past and STOP DIRECTING their message to those who want to return TO THE PAST because if they aren’t careful they will become a PARTY OF THE PAST!

But who am I to offer any advice? I’m just a no good liberal right? LOL

Why aren’t we closing Guantanamo Bay again?

From what I gather we’re not closing Guantanamo Bay because some members of the House and Senate don’t think we can safely house the prisoners here in the US and Obama hasn’t provided the Congress with a detailed plan on what he wants to do with the prisoners.

Ok..so if Obama does provide the plan, which is only fair, he’ll get Democratic support to shut down Gitmo right? 

Wrong!!!

Even if President Obama provides Congress with a plan there’s no guarantee that Guantanamo Bay will be closed because our leaders don’t want the responsiblity of housing convicted terrorists in their backyards.

And it isn’t just the Republicans who are saying no Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined them as well. He states emphatically, ” We don’t want them them around,” and if Reid can’t be convinced to shut dowm Gitmo how can he be expected to rally other Senators behind Obama’s plans? 

Greaaaaaaaaaaaat..Obama just celebrated his first 100 days a few weeks ago and already Democrats are stabbing him in the back.

Let’s see how long we keep that Democratic majority if Obama is handed significant defeats like this over and over again? You can bet it wouldn’t be too long..

Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison is an idiot!

Pittsburgh Steelers and MVP James Harrison will not be going to the White House on Thursday to meet President Obama because he believes that Obama wouldn’t have invited them if they hadn’t one the Super Bowl!!!!

This isn’t the first time he’s told the President to shove his invitation and honestly I would suggest that meeting the last President wasn’t that high on the list of many people either but come on dude,  if there was a year of the black man last year was it and you happen to be in the top three and you’re going to miss out on it because, ” This is how I feel, if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don’t win the Super Bowl. As far as I’m concerned, he would’ve invited Arizona if they had won.”

Dude are you fuh real? 

You are giving up the opportunity to meet the most powerful man in the world, who just happens to be the first black president of the United States because you wouldn’t have been there if you hadn’t one a major American sporting event?

Harrison has definitely suffered too many blows to his head!

 

Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking

 

Yesterday I went on one of  my Google adventures  and guess what/who I came across?

The Westboro Baptist Church!!  You know those people that pickets the funeral of veterans and high schools claiming that we’re being punished for tolerance?

Honestly, I don’t know how I ended up on their page but you know how one click, leads to another click and then another suddenly you’re on the website of a bunch of crazy, homophobic people who live in Kansas.

Some of the things these people say OMG!!

Well, anyway like all my Google adventures this one had a happy ending I found this great site Phelps-a-thon.com that uses the protests of  Fred Phelps  (he’s the founder of the Church) and his band of crazies to raise funds for the local gay/straight alliance or LGBT community centers where Phelps and his haters (and they really are haters) are holding their protest

Isn’t that awesome? Not an original concept I know using hate to spread love but it’s still wicked!! And the best part is after the protest they send Phelps a thank you card telling him how much money he helped them raise! DOUBLE WICKED!!!!

At phelps-a-thon.com you can see where the haters are going to be next and send the counter protesters a few dollars of encouragement. Phelps and his haters will be protesting on May 22nd at Key West High School, Key West Florida from 3:45 PM to 4:15 PM and if you can and only if you can donate a little something to the local Gay Straight Alliance of Key West, Florida.

We want that frown on Phelps’ face to reach the floor after he reads that thank you card..LOL

Rihanna, Lady GaGa new song ’silly boy’ is a fake..

You may have heard that Rihanna and Lady Gaga had teamed up to do a new track about Chris Brown.

Well it turns out the song, titled, “Silly Boy” which first surfaced on Kanye West’s blog is a fake and Rihanna’s rep confirmed it when speaking to Us magazine said  ” This isn’t them..total fake track.” 

I think the public wants Rihanna to speak out so badly against Chris Brown that they keep clutching at straws hoping that she has I’m not going to lie I hope she does soon as well. 

Pelosi isn’t the only one telling tall tales, they’re all lying

After admitting that she knew the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was torturing detainees from as early as 2003 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has effectively said that for three years (Democrats retook Congress in 2006) she stood quietly and allowed others to break our laws and international treaties.

Pelosi has even asserted that she and other members of congress were lied too by the CIA about the types of techniques being used on detainees.

I didn’t believe Bush and Cheney then, I don’t believe Speaker Pelosi and the CIA now. 

They were all telling lies.

And I think one of the reasons those briefings are as vague as they are, in part,  is to protect the politicians.

These agencies expect politicians to protect their interests first and a combination of  fuzzy memories and ambiguous documents give them the cover to do that. 

We’ve seen it play out before a member of congress is being pressured for information on a controversial topic or issue she/he fingers or blames some governmental agency, opposition members pressure the agency, in this case it’s CIA, in order to clear their name the CIA waves their records  (the intelligence briefings) around asserting, “Of course the member knew what we were doing. Look it says so right here!”

In effect it forces the issue to a stalemate and who are we to believe in a situation like that?

A member of congress trying to cover her assets or a political agency seeking support for its past illegal actions? Hmm..it’s a tough one isn’t it?

I do think the Speaker of the House has given the Republicans the opening they were looking for. Her rambling press conference yesterday, the constant changing of her stories and her tacit support for their actions by her inaction, will allow Republicans to exploit the situation and damage her reputation.

Pelosi should’ve known and expected that the use of these enhanced interrogation techniques was going to comeback to haunt her and if she truly believed that what the Bush administration was doing was wrong and illegal she should have been more vigorous in her disapproval and more importantly have a record of her actions. And if she really wanted to make a stand against them she should’ve resigned and then speak out.

She wasn’t powerless and to suggest that she was Pelosi does herself and the United States Congress the biggest disservice.

Eliot Spitzer wants us to forgive, forget and move on..

 

 Eliot Spitzer wants back in. He wants back in baaaaaad.

The ex governor of New York is slowly creeping back into public life. He denies it up and down but all you have to do is watch his interview on The Rachel Maddow’s show earlier this week and you can see the eagerness all over his face.

He’s done several interviews in the past few weeks from cable news to news blogs he’s clearly testing the waters of public opinion to see if we’ve forgiven him for his indiscretion and private failings and if we’re willing to listen to him again.

Spitzer knows we’re angry as hell, at corporations, banks and Wall Street and as one of only a handful of men to have taken them on successfully  his opinion and insight on financial regulation and averting future financial diasasters is invaluable.

The financial crisis has created an opening for Spitzer and at first glance it appears that there will be no more wondering in the political wilderness for the disgraced attorney but before Spitzer leaps head first back into the public’s arms he should make sure that we are indeed willing to give him a second chance.

In a recent poll New Yorkers said they prefer Eliot Spitzer to current Governor David Pattersen but that doesn’t mean they want him back as Governor!  What this really says is that Patterson is doing a really, really bad job!

At best Spitzer’s record as governor receives a question mark because who knows what could’ve been? A 14 month term is not enough time to render judgment.

However, should Eliot Spitzer decide to seek public office again he has to accept that his wife and his daughters will be reliving his disgrace and humiliation alongside him. 

He has to accept that no question will be out of bounds and that  “No comment,” or “I’m not answering that,” will not be tolerated. Reporters and journalists will demand access to him at all times and full disclosure on every issue for obvious reasons. And on the campaign trail the mudslinging would be at unprecedented levels and the public probably will have no sympathy. 

The road back to the top will be extremely, extremely difficult but it can be done indeed it has been done. And if the public has forgiven him and more importantly wants him back Spitzer is well on his way back to the top of New York politics.

I don’t know if I can ever separate his private shortcomings from his well-intentioned, results driven crusades on behalf of the public interest and the fact that he is so talented and does brings so much to the public square does cause me to stop and think twice.

But Spitzer prosecuted men who were Johns and he even sought and signed stiff laws against the sex trade while spending over $80 000 on prostitutes. 

In my book that makes him a hypocrite. Listen to him yes, vote for him probably not.

Four year old girl raped and abducted in Jamaica!!!

 

 

A four year old girl was raped and abducted by a 53 year old man in St.Ann’s Jamaica on Friday. The Gleaner newspaper reported that the little girl was found wondering the streets naked after she was abducted from the home of a family friend.

A man is currently in police custody as the little girl recovers in the hospital from bruises and cuts she received in the assault.

You know, sometimes when I read stories like these it makes me glad that I don’t have kids because I honestly don’t know what I would do if that little girl was my daughter.

Swine flu goes waaaay back it was even around in the 80s..

You thought swine flu was a recent thing didn’t you?

Well, I did. Until last night. 

While watching a particularly sad episode of Cheers (it’s an 80s sitcom) one of the characters mentions the words swine flu (she mentions it at 2:38) to disparage the main character.

Imagine my shock and surprise when I found out that swine flu was flying around the world even back than?  I was left wondering however why they weren’t calling the virus by it’s ‘ proper name’  H1N1 (honestly, don’t those letters remind you of a formula for a mineral or something?) ?

The Centers for Disease Control and the US Department of Agriculture are unaware of this episode existence they must be?  Because if they had they certainly would have asked for that part to be dubbed over with the correct term for the virus…I can just see H1N1 rolling off Diane’s tongue just as easily as swine flu can’t you? LOL 

Heavy metal and politics unite for one night in Tempe, AZ

Alice Cooper and President Obama will both be attending Arizona State University’s commencement ceremony to be held tomorrow at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Cooper will perform and Obama is delivering the commencement address.

ASU and Arizona officials are expecting 71, 000 people to attend ASU’s five hour long graduation ceremony some in the Arizona press have even begun to call the event ’a spectacle’ . Hmm if John Mccain was president and he was giving the commencement address would the event still be called a spectacle? 

Alice Cooper and the President of the United States on the same stage..I wonder if Obama will be able to resist the temptation to hold Cooper’s snake? I just couldn’t resist sorry..lol

So Rihanna has nude photos too, honestly, who doesn’t?

I’ve reached the point where I’m honestly expecting to wake up one morning to a banner headline on Google or a blog somewhere that shouts LOOK NOW!! RECENTLY RELEASED NUDE PHOTOS OF THE GOLDEN GIRLS!

I think having nude photos has actually become a prerequisite since it appears all stars even the D-list, unattractive ones have nude photos of themselves!

Rihanna is now the most recent member of that club.

Chris Brown says he didn’t leak the naughty photos of Rihanna well then if he didn’t, who did?  The drama surrounding Rihanna continues…

Miss California organizers want Carrie Prejean gone..

*****CARRIE PREJEAN GETS TO KEEPS HER CROWN!*****

This is ridiculous..

A few minutes ago the organizers of the Miss California contest in more than a few words said that Miss California is outta there!!!

And you know why they’re not happy with Ms. Prejean? 

 BECAUSE MISS CALIFORNIA HAD THE GUTS TO VOICE  her opinions.  Not because of some semi ‘nude’ photos that violated her contract and yet they have the audacity to claim they empower young women!

What bs and remember, I’m a liberal and an ardent supporter of gay marriage yet I disagree wholeheartedly with what’s being done to this woman. She has the right to her opinion even if she’s wearing the Miss California crown.

Just one more person has to weigh in on Carrie’s fate and make it official-Donald Trump.

Trekkies, live long and prosper…

STAR TREK RULES!!!

Rihanna’s got a new man

Rihanna may finally have dissed the punk Chris Brown.

THANK GOD!!!!

According to media reports  Rihanna is seeing her ex boyfriend another Bajan national Neagus Sealy whose arms she’s apparently run too after all the BS she’s suffered at the hands of Chris Brown. I’m sure his support, compassion and Barbadian sunshine are doing wonders for the lass.

However, Rihanna really should take things very, very slowly and if I were her there would be three things on my to do list right now. 1) I would start seeing a therapist, 2) concentrate on rebuilding and rebranding my public image and 3) find a domestic violence shelter/charity to volunteer with and you know having a good man by your side through all this doesn’t hurt either. I  hope she’s finally find a good one.

Leave Miss California’s breasts out of it!

 

 

Every single word Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California, has uttered about gay marriage I disagree with.

I think Prejean is on the wrong side of the issue and that her idea of  ‘protecting marriage’ from gay men and women is laughable BUT Prejean does have a right to her opinion as wrong and discriminatory as it maybe just as we the masses have a right to reject that opinion the first chance we get and in the near future America WILL reject her prejudice overwhelmingly.

However, the fact that Prejean is being attacked and dissed for her breast implants by commentators and news anchors is unacceptable. 

Last night Keith Olbermann and Michael Musto blasted Ms.Prejean but they seemingly forgot that Prejean is only using the platform she has been given to advance her belief in the validity and morality on an issue and her career.  Olbermann does it every night and politicians and celebrities do it everyday Prejean is only following their lead.

Who cares about her breast implants and who paid for them? What does that have to do with her opinion on gay marriage? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And if pageant officials released the breast implant information to embarass and force Prejean off the national stage I’m not convinced it’s going to work she’s handled the questions  about her implants extremely well so far and support for her should the personal attacks continue will only grow.

Prejean’s views on marriage represent a significant portion of the American electorate and although I’m pretty certain we wouldn’t convince many on the religious right to support our views on specific cultural issues, like gay marriage, to demonize the opposition or resort to name calling or taunts simply because we don’t like their stance on the issue only deepens the divide (and is hypocritical) and does nothing to get us closer to full equality for gays.

So criticize Prejean’s views all you want but leave her breasts out of it.

Biden puts foot in his mouth & Obama officials are left to clean up

Say it ain’t so Joe? You didn’t put your foot in your mouth again, did you?

You can bet Saturday Night Live will make fun of this one too

American Vice President Joe Biden is known for speaking his mind but sometimes he honestly shouldn’t and this morning on NBC’s Today show he should’ve thought just a little bit more before speaking about what precautions he would advise family members to take in order to avoid contracting swine flu.

I’m sure Obama wasn’t too happy when he heard what Biden had to say wonder if had that same look on his face?

Honestly if Biden hadn’t played such a pivotal rule in engineering the Specter coup the day before and Obama and most in the media didn’t know that his heart is in the right place even if his words aren’t Biden would be in for an extremely difficult time as VP.

It seems Biden likes making a splash a day after a big Obama event. The day after Obama’s inauguration Biden made the John Roberts commentsand the day after Obama’s 100 days in office he makes a controversial swine flu comment that has to be clarified by senior administration officials….hmm I wonder what comment he’ll make after Obama’s first year in office?  I hope it’s a good one.

Prominent Republican Senator switches to the Democratic party!

So it appears another Republican has seen the writing on the wall and decided to jump ship.

Senator Arlen Specter from Pennsylvania has decided to switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.  Senator Specter wasn’t the most conservative Republican in the senate and he voted with the Democrats on numerous occasions most recently he was one of three Republican senators to vote for the stimulus bill and he may have suffered for it and he knew that he most likely would have lost his upcoming senate race in Pennsylvania as well.

But that doesn’t change the fact that a man who has been a Republican for over 40 years was unwilling to stick around to help rebuild the party that you can arguably say helped to make him the politician he is today. That’s tough regardless of how you look at it.

What this means for the Democrats? It takes them to an almost 60 seat majority in the US Senate. It currently stands at 58, Specter’s seat ups the number to 59 and when Al Franken is declared the winner of the Minnesota senate race Democrats would have reached that filibuster proof majority.

Honestly with such major losses to the GOP over the past few years what will this party look like in two years?

How can Republicans expect to be a competent , competitive national party if they can’t hold on to moderate Republicans like Specter?

I really hope his departure will quicken the GOP’s metamorphosis into a 21st century American political party.

Look, Republicans can compete with the Democrats on many issues in almost every state in the US but until they realize that cutting taxes, support of guns and opposition to gays are NOT ENOUGH to win votes anymore they will continue to wander in the political wilderness.

Five things you should know about swine flu

 FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SWINE FLU

1. Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that cause regular outbreaks in pigs.

2. Swine flu is contagious. It is spread from human to human but you CANNOT get it by eating pork or pork products.

3. The symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular flu symptoms and include fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea.

4. Cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Mexico, Canada and the United States. With suspected cases in Spain, New Zealand, France, Brazil and Israel.

5. There is no vaccine for swine flu but Mexican and World Health Organization officials have reported the effectiveness of regular flu medications Tamiflu and Relenza against the virus.

AND REMEMBER DON’T PANIC!!!

Could swine flu be the next global pandemic?

As Mexco appears to be on voluntary lockdown  and some other nations shut Mexican and American meat products out in response to the swine flu outbreak. I can’t help but wonder if this is the big one? The long overdue pandemic  (a pandemic is a global epidemic that spreads to different continents) scientists and TV shows have been warning us about for years now

We had to deal with SARS and avian flu a few years ago and the world escaped from those relatively unscathed when compared to the deaths and economic losses suffered during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.   That pandemic killed an estimated 5o million people!

Hopefully, we’re able to dodge the bullet one more time with the understanding we might not be as lucky the next time.

Tyson calls Chris Brown ‘little baby’ the pot calling the kettle black..

 

In one of the truest cases of the pot calling the kettle black ever Mike Tyson, former heavyweight champion of the world, ex convict and woman beater in a recent interview stated that he understands the situation Chris Brown now finds himself in..you don’t say Mike? The whole world  knows how you earned that title woman beater .

Tyson in discussing the Chris Brown/Rihanna debacle declared that Chris Brown is,  ”Just a baby. He’s just a little baby that don’t know how to handle his emotions when it comes to a woman.”

A ‘little baby’ that doesn’t know how to handle his emotions? Sounds sooooooooo familiar to me you know?

 

In promoting his new documentary Tyson states that he’s a changed man. But surprise, surprise he hasn’t changed that much because he still can’t say that beating a woman is wrong instead he seems to sympathize with Brown. Yet we’re to believe that  he’s ‘not weak’ anymore and that his recent sobriety is proof of his new found strength. 

Mike might believe that the old ‘Iron Mike’ is dead and gone away but I don’t.

Tyson may have beat his addiction to cocaine and sex good for him, but if he’s unwilling to state publicly that domestic violence is wrong and that beating a woman is always wrong and is never ever justifed then in my eyes he will forever remain a weak and pitiful man.

Obama golfs as swine flu spreads across America..

Today at the White House Press briefing on swine flu we learned from White House Press Secretary David Gibbs, that President Obama decided to go golfing today as the CDC confirmed 20 cases of swine flu, in five states here in the US and declared a public health emergency.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Bush had gone golfing during this health emergency what the reaction from the media and the public would’ve been?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Obama shouldn’t have gone golfing I honestly don’t think it warrants him giving a press conference or national address YET to do so would probably cause a panic.

But I’m pretty sure if Bush had done the same thing we would’ve been up in arms right now and the media would’ve been in a tizzy.

Costs of prosecuting those who ordered torture will be high BUT..

Today Glen Greenwald of Salon wrote a passionate post in support of leading a criminal investigation against those at the highest level of the American government who knew about the torture being conducted, in our name, across the world.

He stated quite eloquently that, ” The need for criminal investigations is motivated by one simple, consummately apolitical fact:  serious and brutal crimes were committed at the highest levels of the government, ones that left a trail of many victims.  A country that purports to live under the rule of law has no choice but to treat its most powerful members who commit serious crimes exactly the same as ordinary citizens who do so.”

Unlike many of my liberal friends I haven’t been as steadfast on the issue as I have been on many other political issues. I’ve waivered. Going back on forth on what constitutes torture and if prosecuting high level officials is actually possible. 

Of course I don’t condone torture but like many people my idea of  torture revolves around devices, use of electricity and nails etc etc. For the average citizen, myself included,  differentiating between roughing up a bad guy and outright torture is extremely, extremely difficult.   

 And even if we can accept that waterboarding is torture how do you prosecute those at the top who I’m sure have protected themselves against prosecution?  Don’t you think Cheney and Rice knew the laws?

Come on now.

And you don’t even have to look too far to see who pays the price for breaking laws and treaties.

Remember Abu Grahib who took the fall there? The foot soldiers. The women and men at the bottom of the ladder were the ones ridiculed and prosecuted when in most cases I believe they were only following orders.

I can honestly tell you that I was not entirely supportive of the idea of prosecuting those soldiers and I believed if anyone should have been prosecuted it shouldn’t have been their commanders but I wasn’t naive enough to believe that was going to happen.

And until yesterday I was in total support of Obama’s policy not to seek criminal charges against those in the Bush administration because selfishly it’s not in the best interests of the Democrats to do so and more importantly the cost the Obama administration would pay, I believed, would be waaaaaaay too high.

How could prosecuting ex Bush officials help us turn around the economy or fix what is going wrong in Afghanistan or bring our troops home from Iraq?

But the more I thought about it the stronger my conclusion became that to not investigate those at the top of the torture pyramid would be tantamount to saying that the law does not apply to them or to those who govern. And it’s my belief that if they are two groups of people within a society who shouldn’t break the law its those who lead and create the laws and those who enforce those laws. 

We depend on these men are women to be our leaders and if they don’t follow the law at the times when it is most difficult to do so what does that say to the everyday man or woman who is forced to abide the law even if those laws are against their best interests or the interests of a loved one?  

An average citixen is not allowed to break the law and claim moral grounds neither should a leader regardless of  their good intentions.

Justifiable illegal acts DO NOT AND CANNOT make those acts legal.

After 911 we were scared. We were suddenly confronted by an enemy that was a lot stronger and more dangerous than we initially thought and many of us including our leaders responded in ways that we now question and many may even have concluded, incorrectly, that some of our laws needed to be broken/bent in order to keep us sage.

However in an effort to protect our nation from the bad guys we shouldn”t have abandoned our morality or disregarded the laws that have made us the nation that we are today.

So we must prosecute those who ordered or sought to legalize torture.

In the beginning these proceeding will be extremely uncomfortable but ultimately we’ll reclaim the moral authority and increase the goodwill we once had in the world and arguably that will reap far more rewards than any information gleaned from a tortured prisoner. 

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd to get his own weekend show

Reports are all over the internets that MSNBC’s Chuck Todd is poised to get his own show.

Yeah!!!!!!

Chuck Todd is awesome  apparently not only do his coworkers like him but politicians actually seem to like and respect him too and that’s pretty cool and rare for a journalist-to be close but not too close.

Todd isn’t my favorite anchor/reporter of all time honestly I haven’t figured that one out yet..lol but he’s definitely up there with Rick ’I rule the internets’ Sanchez- they are smart, exceptional, political, news characters/reporters/anchors and they make politics and the news interesting for the masses and I love that and I can’t wait to watch Todd’s new show.

Do gay people deserve money for their pain and suffering?

 

I’m a vocal supporter of gay marriage.

And in the very near future gay marriage will not be an issue that divides instead it will be viewed as a basic legal right for all men and women regardless of their sexual orientation-this is inevitable. Frankly because of the social changes that have occurred over the past 30 years and due to zealous efforts undertaken by lesbian and gay organizations and activists. 

Anyway, an article I recently read is suggesting, in the future, the American government (us. the people) should consider paying reparations to gay and lesbian people due to economic loss and the pain and suffering many have had to endure before the were granted full rights as citizens.

While I fully understand the premise Jacob Appel is asserting reparations do and can serve two distinct purposes-’monetary restitution and expression of moral opprobrium‘ however I don’t believe that this is an issue the gay community should discuss or embrace with any fervency.

Currently gay people have not been allowed to exercise their full rights as American citizens and that is where the focus and energy should remain. The agenda should not be changed or amended to reflect possible future issues.

It’s all about priorities.

1.The granting of full citizenship rights and the ability to exercise those rights

2. An end to and consequences for those who discriminate against gay people

3. More social programs to assist and serve the members of the gay community

In the future the American government might consider paying monetary compensation and/or issuing an apology to gay Americans for their mistreatment but that’s an the issue for the future. 

But I wouldn’t hold my breathe, if i were them, hell we black people are still waiting for our 40 acres and a mule!

Go Spartans!!!

 

 

We’re  behind you 100 percent!!!

Well, almost all us..lol

Chris Brown should get his ass kicked!!!

I just heard this new song on the radio it’s about well you read the title of the blog..lol, Chris Brown should get his ass kicked!

The song is by Chicago group Smoke Jumpers and all I can say is well done people and don’t worry about Chris Brown, WE (the people) GOT YOU!!  It’s about time we heard a song like this and you can dance to it too..wicked!!!

Chorus goes something like this:

Boy hits girl,

Boy should be taken down

No matter who’s around

The more I search the more I found..can’t really figure out the rest of the words, lol, regardless this song is tight you’ll be singing the chorus in minutes probably a lot better than me as well..lol!

You know it’s going on my iphone right? And will someone please do a cool video mashup for this song? PLEASE!!!

Listen to the song here:

Obama takes on the world and he didn’t embarass us all..

 Obama just wrapped up a post G20  international press conference in London and lo and behold he didn’t embarass himself or us! Can you believe that?

A president that knows right from left and who doesn’t think he’s the world masseuse! 

My goodness how times have changed! LOL 

And Obama did all that, he even looked tired during the press conference. It was as if he was up all night trying to solve our problems and negotiate with his international counterparts. Imagine that! And as if that wasn’t good enough Obama even took questions from the international press corps. Gulp!  People that he might never, ever see again he gave them the opportunity to ask him questions. Why did he do that? Didn’t he know that those journalists people don’t count..my guess is because he knows that he can answer their questions and he wants the world to be involved in fixing the world’s problems..that’s just my guess..the arrogance of that man thinking that the global economy is really GLOBAL.

I really don’t know if Obama should maintain such high standards we might start to expect our leaders to behave like that all the time..lol

And just in case you wanted to know British, Australian, Chinese and Indian journalists were the chosen ones.

Obama’s press conference..

 I just love these it’s the American version of  the weekly Question Time in the British parliament.

Man attacks woman-uproar; woman attacks man-we laugh?

Today on MSNBC I watched Contessa Brewer and her co anchor Melissa Francis smirk and commiserate with the wife of a man after she handcuffed and attacked her husband for not listening to her after he told her he wanted a divorce. 

If you listen carefully to the call the man sounds absolutely terrified as he pleads for help from authorities. Not only did she handcuff them together, to the bed, she had changed the locks on their bedroom door and as he sought  help she repeatedly bit him.

You hear the man plead with the operator as he details that she has a record of violence.

How is there anything funny about this?  

We know that if the roles had been reversed and a man had handcuffed his wife and then attacked her we wouldn’t be laughing at least most of us wouldn’t.

But what if it were a woman and a woman? or a man and a man?  Would we condone this? Is this level of violence and control acceptable in any type of relationship? No. And what about the brutality would we have even seen it on the national news if it were a same sex couple? No. Yet, we should know by now that regardless of the gender of the perpetrator this type of behavior is unacceptable.

One in four lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are battered by a partner that’s the same level of intimate partner violence we see in heterosexual couples!

That’s why domestic abuse is no laughing or smirking matter regardless of the gender of the perpetrator. 

Granted the cases of  women being the perpetrators of violence against male partners  account for less than five percent or fewer of the domestic violence cases in the US. However, when we view a woman attacking a man as funny we are intentionally reinforcing a myth that men cannot be victims of domestic violence and also unintentionally suggesting that there is only one type of intimate partner violence man-woman and this myth continues to do harm to women and men in same sex relationships.

That’s why we have to stop looking at the gender of the perpetrator and view domestic violence as DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!

Obama laughing in the face of adversity?

Obama is a funny guy. That’s one of the reasons so many of us like him.

On the campaign trail we saw brief glimpses of his humorous side but he never really loosend up always wary of the  fact that one overblown joke could cause him the presidency Obama kept his self-deprecating, dry sense of humor in check.

But over the past few months as Obama has become increasingly comfortable with the presidency and his role as president and unfortunately as the situation has become more and more dire he’s started to lighten up and it’s not uncommon for him to crack a joke during a national press conference or address and admitedly most of the time his jokes or observations are witty and funny.

But on Thursday during his appearance of  “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno a characteristically self-deprecating joke about his bowling skills left a lot of families and people hurt. Then during an interview with “60 Minutes”, which aired yesterday, Obama joked about some aspects of the American economy likening his humor to ‘gallows humor’.

After he said, ” The only thing less popular than putting money into banks is putting money into the auto industry,” noting that, ” There’s got to be a little gallows humor to get you through the day.” Obama’s first statement was dead on but it’s no laughing matter. Detroit one of the US’s largest cities and the capital of the world’s auto industry is on the brink of collapse and Obama is joking about it?

Call me bias if you want (I lived in Detroit for over two years and I have a special fondness for Ferndale and Royal Oak MI) but I don’t get the joke.

Obama is the person charged with fixing all our problems and if he doesn’t make substantial headway in achieving many of them he’s going to be a one term president. And with everything he’s dealing with he’s probably suffering from  a ‘contact high’ brought on from being so close to all these disasters but frankly with the most powerful country currently on its knees and our collective suffering becoming a bit too overwhelming for even the strongest and the brightest among us I’m in no mood to laugh.

I admit I’ve never been one to laugh in the face of adversity, (I’d probably jump kick it..lol) so forgive me if I can’t laugh it off. And maybe if I lighten up I’d be able to see the humor in all of this like President Obama.

Rihanna and Brown sex tape?

Tabloid magazines across Britain and America are reporting that Rihanna may have made a sex tape with Chris Brown apparently the tape might contain role playing and BDSM footage of Rihanna and Brown.

Honestly could this year get any worse for Rihanna?

Taxing AIG bonuses is illegal and idiotic

When you or I make a mistake what do we do?

First we take responsiblity and then we try correct it. If we are successful we never repeat that mistake. Sometimes we fail and we end up repeating that mistake regardless of how hard we’ve tried. But most of us usually try really, really hard not to do that.

Politicians, however, are a different species of human.  They never take responsibility for anything bad and they are always blaming others for their shortcomings.

First, Senator Dodd points the finger at the treasury. Treasury officials point the finger at Obama officials and then congressmen and congresswomen (who obviously don’t read the bills they pass) point the fingers at greedy AIG execs!

Everybody agrees that a mistake has been made yet nobody is willing to take responsiblity for it and for the first time President Obama’s words are ringing hollow with me. I don’t believe a word he says when it comes to AIG.

And I’m pretty sure that if we weren’t mad as hell none of these politicians would be speaking out against these bonuses. Why would they? AIG has given them millions of dollars over the years. Tell me, are you really going to bite the hand that feeds you? I doubt it.

However, we want our money back and we intend to get it with our without them and if  the men and women in Congress want to get reelected they will find a way to quell our anger.

Of course, we’re entitled to  ‘a refund’ but we shouldn’t get it by taxing the corporate executives to death or by unconstitutional methods and the bill passed today just screams unfair taxation. And didn’t Americans fight a war against that?

So it was Senator Dodd who gave our money away..

Will Senator Chris Dodd resign?

Probably not.

Will the treasury officials who supposedly ‘forced’ his hand be exposed?

Probably not.

Will the American tax payer and the Chinese consumer/saver have to bail out more companies that don’t deserve it a few weeks from now?

YOU BETCHA!!!

If Tim Geithner goes Ben Bernanke should resign as well..

Today Edward Liddy, Chairman and CEO of  AIG, told a Congressional House Panel that the US Federal Reserve has been aware of the retention bonuses for months.

Now, before Tim Geithner became Treasury Secretary he was chairman of the New York Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke, the current Federal Reserve chairman were both instrumental in crafting AIG’s bailout.

If Liddy is to be believed both men were well aware that these bonuses were to be distributed on Friday March 13th months in advance. 

However, it seems politicians are increasingly pointing the finger at Geithner. 

I know it’s hard to be fair right now but Geithner isn’t the only one to be blamed for the situation we now find ourselves in. Bernanke was there too and so was previous Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson .What was his contribution to these million dollar bonuses? What did all these men know? And why didn’t they do something about this bs then?

And now we find out that there was a provision to cap these bonuses but it was removed from the final stimulus bill!

ARE THESE PEOPLE MAD?

I want answers!

Drag all of them up to Capitol Hill. Not just Liddy and Geithner! Supboena Paulson too!

It’s easy to dislike Tim Geithner. From his tax avoidance problems during his confirmation hearings, to his very first press conference where he was described by one writer as ‘looking like a terrified spaniel’ . Geithner doesn’t seem to be doing anything right. And the more he tries, the worse it gets. He hasn’t inspired confidence in the markets or the American people. And during bad economic times confidence is what most people seek and eagerly look for from their leaders. And he’s failed miserably.

However, if Geithner is forced to submit his resgination Bernanke should submit his as well since they are both equally responsible for this debacle. And one man shouldn’t be left holding the bag for the international mess known as AIG.

Personal attack leads to crude Meghan McCain comment

Meghan McCain has an opinion on everything.

And while I don’t agree with everything she says the other night on Rachel Maddow’s show Meghan McCain made a critical yet valid observation of  the two major American political parties. She stated, ” I think there’s an extreme on both parties and I hate extreme…I have friends that are the most radically conservative and radically liberal people possibly ever and we all get along. We can find a middle ground.”

Some members of the far-right didn’t like her comments. And one far right conservative commentator Laura Ingraham took issue with McCain and instead of attacking her statements alone, Ingraham decided to attack Mccain’s weight as well. 

How immature!

What does Meghan McCain’s weight have to do with her political observations or her opinions of the GOP?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

But today on The View Meghan McCain responded by suggesting that Ingrahams’ comments sends the wrong message to young women. It does. But McCain’s response sends an equally wrong message (see above video). By lashing out at Ingraham’s vitriolic comment in the crudest, most vulgar manner (she suggested that Ingraham should  kiss her ‘ fat ass’) McCain barely, just barely retains the high ground in this fight and does nothing to raise the level of discourse either.

Did McCain think about the message SHE was sending to young women by responding in that manner? Is she telling young women that when attacked in a disgusting, idiotic manner you should respond with an equally distasteful, ugly remark?

McCain began her interview in an articulate, sensible manner and for the first few minutes of the interview she made me nod my head, in the ’you go girl’ fashion but as soon as the ‘kiss my fat ass’ remark left her lips I started to see this as a fight between two women rather than an honest discussion on the future of the GOP and the state of  politics in America. I had to force myself to remember that this was not about the two of them.

Honestly, we can never stop people from ’getting personal’  but what we can do is teach high profile, politically active women how to effectively respond to public personal attacks.

Meghan McCain didn’t start this fight but she blew her opportunity to throw a winning knock-out punch and to convey an important message to young women.  

Chris Brown pix in court today!!!

Chris Brown appeared in a LA court today to answer two felony charges stemming from his assault of Rihanna.

He was granted a continuance postponing his arraignment until April 6th.  He didn’t enter a plea either.

” We will not fail,” Sen Ted Kennedy delcares

Today at Obama’s Health Care Summit at the White House Senator Ted Kennedy who doesn’t appear to be ailing, declared that this time ’we will not fail’ at achieving health care reform/universal health care for all Americans.

It seems Sir Ted is ready for a fight. Brain tumor be damned!

You go Sir Ted!

We got cha your back!

On another note, I love these White House/Obama summits. In January there was the Fiscal Responsibility Summit today it’s the Health Care Reform summit. It’s so healthy and democratic to see the President and our political leaders, Republican and Democrats, working together on a issue if only for one day.

I know it’s just one big photo op nevertheless it’s extremely refreshing and it makes for riveting day time television.

Chris Brown charged with two felonies..

Brown will be arraigned today at 3.30pm

Brown to Rihanna ” I’m going to beat the s***out of you..”

According to police notes Brown told Rihanna he was going ‘ to beat the s*** out of her’ when the two got home after Rihanna found and read a text message from another woman on Brown’s phone.

Rihanna is no longer cooperating with authorities and Brown is expected in court in a few hours but he probably wouldn’t go to jail.

GOP chairman, Michael Steele, got punked!

  

 First Michael Steele, GOP Chairman, thought he was a bad a#@ by calling Rush Limbaugh ’ugly’ and an entertainer.

Then Limbaugh called him out  and instead of holding firm as a good leader should or is expected to do particularly when he’s right he ran to Limbaugh with his tail between his legs and apologized and apologized. He apologized to the entertainer for calling him an entertainer! And then he boosted Limbaugh’s ego even further by calling him a leader! And Steele did all this publicly.

Talk about punked!!! 

You know this entire Rush/Steele debacle played out similar to one of my classic high school memories. I’m sure we’ve all seen or experienced this scenario at some point in our lives.  

One kid calls another kid a name when he’s with his friends, the other kid finds out and confronts him on it telling him  ” Say that to my face? “.  The other kid responds by saying , ” You know I didn’t mean that? I was just playing around, you know I got you..” and the other kid says, ” That’s what I thought.”

This would all be pretty funny if this wasn’t a major political party in the most powerful country on earth.

And it only gets worst for Steele prominent GOP members aren’t offering him any support either. So how can Steele be an effective leader if he can’t garner the support of his own members?

It seems the GOP wants him to lead from behind and are willing to put him out front to get votes and raise money but are unwilling to support him when it matters most. And Steele seems to be quite comfortable with this role because  it’s quite clear that many within the GOP ranks don’t respect his leadership and he has not real interest in shaking up the GOP because if he did he wouldn’t have apologized to Limbaugh. 

Is this what the GOP has been reduced too?  A collection of factions with a talk show host as their de facto leader?

My oh my how the mighty have fallen!

Rihanna and Brown married?

An American tabloid is claiming that Rihanna and Brown got married at Puffy’s (I just can’t call him Diddy..sorry) Miami mansion.

If this story is indeed true and giving all the drama that’s transpired between these two in the past few weeks, it’s entirely possible, this story has just gone from bad, to worst, to  ABSOLUTELY horrible!

Senator Ted Kennedy to be knighted

According to Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of  the United Kingdom, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) will be awarded an honorary knighthood.

He made this statement a few minutes ago during his address to a joint session of congress.

So from now on we’ll all have to call him Sir Ted. I don’t know about you but I didn’t need this title to call him Sir.

My passion for hand-written letters

When was the last time you sent or received a hand-written letter?  And cards don’t count.  

A LETTER , written by hand on paper preferably go on think about it? Hmmm..I bet you can’t remember the last time you got one? I can’t remember when I last got one either so don’t feel too bad.

Well, Obama’s letter to the Russian president  got me thinking about this simple, immensely pleasurable art form and the fact that it’s slowly vanishing from our lives-my life.

Don’t get me wrong I love email and twitter but there are only a few things more pleasurable than going to my mailbox and finding a letter from a relative or friend tucked between a mountain of bills and if you really think about it a warm letter is one of life’s simplest pleasures. 

I can still remember rushing home from school to get the latest juicy details on Canadian high school life from my Canadian pen pal and when my best friend moved to Boston we stayed in touch via letters and to this day she still tells me about those letters and how much they meant to her. And on my first day of college I received a letter from my mother telling me how proud she was of me. I honestly don’t think an email from her would have made me cry as hard as I did that day.

So I’ve resolved to start writing more letters and no I’m not giving up email I’m just picking back up the pen and you should too and maybe we’ll all start looking forward to going to the mailbox a little bit more and God knows we need a little more joy in our lives these days.

No, Kanye I can’t give Chris Brown a break..

Kanye West has lost his damn mind!

He must have in trying to suggest we should cut Chris Brown some slack after he beat up Rihanna but he’s not the first black star to suggest that we ease up on Brown.

First it was Terrence Howard and his insane comment that beating up women is “ just life” and “that everybody’s got to get out of their way.” Now it’s Kanye West and his ‘ give Chris a break‘ .

What the hell is wrong with them?

How can these black men ask the public to forgive or even sympathize with this idiot? 

Seriously, would Kanye have suggested we give Brown a break had that been his mother, sister or daughter’s face plastered across TMZ? All the men I know, black or white would be out looking for Chris Brown if that had been one of their relatives. And instead of talking bs they would be looking to give Brown a taste of his own medicine and Brown would be in hiding right now instead of riding around on a jet ski in Miami!

How can they look at her bruised and battered face and say that Chris Brown is a cool guy? I know a lot of cool, hot headed guys and not one of them would raise their hand to hit a woman and any guy who does is a PUNK!!!

Everyone knows that this was a punk move yet neither of these black stars is calling it that instead these two are rushing to his defence and they want us, the public, to see it as youthful indiscretion or a private matter.

Look Chris Brown didn’t just beat up one of his friends or a photographer outside a bar after a night of drinking or he didn’t get caught smoking weed or doing coke at a party. HE BEAT UP A WOMAN! HIS GIRLFRIEND! HE BEAT HER UP!!! HE TOOK HIS FISTS AND POUNDED HER FACE IN! I don’t care what she said or what she did no woman deserves this and if you’re man enough to put your hands on a woman, you’re man enough to take the verbal blows and insults that society dishes out. 

With murder by a former or current partner being the  leading cause of death for black women ages 15-34 and black women experiencing domestic abuse at a rate 35 percent higher than that of white women they might be able to ignore these facts but I can’t and unfortunately for West and Howard many of us can’t or wouldn’t either.

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…

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?

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.

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.

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.

Five valentine’s day ideas..

Valentine’s Day  is almost here.  Have you thought about it yet? I know we have a lot on our minds these days but here’s a nice, brief way to escape and to show and tell that special person in your life you’re still my honey bunny.

Here’s a really cool neckalce and the crucial part- it’s affordable. Anyway, that necklace is definitely for the ladies but my other ideas are not gender specific…

1. A love letter written on really cool stationary

2. A picnic, with all your honey’s favorite foods (outside would be ideal but inside works too).

3. A custom designed outfit, utilizing local fashion students and your community seamstress or tailor. 

4.  A sexy love treasure hunt with ‘you-must-do this-now prizes’ all around the house/apartment…

5. Snuggle together on the couch, bed or wherever with no t.v, no distractions just you and your special one…

And just in case you’re wondering who designed that necklace it was Lauren Haupt. Honestly, I don’t think it’s the coolest piece in her collection my personal favorite is the ascending wing but since it’s Valentine’s Day..you get the idea..hearts, hearts and more hearts..lol.

What are YOUR plans for Valentine’s Day? Do you have any?

Michael Steele, new RNC chairman…

 

Michael Steele just won one of the toughest jobs in America right now-Chairman of the RNC.

He is going to be in charge of rebuilding the GOP. He gave an Obama-esque speech. I guess every politician is trying to channel Obama but some just shouldn’t try..

Anyway, congratulations to him and to the GOP.  They’ve definitely got some work to do.

 

And the new Chairman of the Republican National Committee is..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Steele, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland or  Katon Dawson  Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Since they are the two remaining candidates in the race for Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Sorry, to tease you like that..lol.

Anyway, I think Michael Steele has this thing..but we’ll have to wait and see. They’ve adjourned for 15 minutes so we’ll probably know in the next hour.

Can you imagine the two leading faces of the major political parties in America could  be black?

Sweet! 

Times are definitely changing.

 

 

Roland Burris to run in 2010..

According to Lynn Sweet Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the Chicago Sun Times Roland Burris junior Senator from Illinois and Rod Blagojevich appointee has begun to raise funds to run again in 2010.

She made the statement on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Interesting. I guess he didn’t make a deal with Harry Reid after all?

I’m quite sure Burris will have  some challengers.

Obama signs Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

A few minutes ago President Barack Obama signed the Lilly LedBetter Act.

This bill extends the statue of limitations for workers and makes it easier for employees who have been discriminated against based on race, gender, national origin or religion to sue their past employer (notice they don’t mention sexual orientation). Currently, the Federal Government prevents discrimination in their government offices and hiring practices but  the House of Represenatives  is working  on a national law.

Lilly Ledbetter stood up and fought for all of us and for that she deserves our respect and admiration and don’t you just love that name, Ledbetter, the name says it all.