I'm back

Hi folks. I'm back. My hiatus was longer than expected but I had to enjoy life a little.

A few updates.

-I found a new job as a pre-school teacher. I was trying to get back to corporate America but for some reason the childcare industry keeps calling me.


- Went to N.C. for a week and half to clear my mind. I spent the week riding scooters (foot powered) down a big ass hill, running up my father's water bill by turning on the sprinklers for hours at a time, drawing on the road with chalk, using the lawn mower as a go cart and doing other stupid things bored country kids do.


- Went to Vegas


-And for the most part I was job hunting.





So how has Summer 09 treated you?

First Lady Obama's kickz

I'm supposed to be working on something but of course i'm procrastinating. I was surfing the web and I stumbled on a few articles where people were complaining about First Lady Michelle Obama's sneakers. Apparently she wore a pair of $540 kickz while volunteering on Saturday.

It appears people take issue with her sneakers b\c they are so pricey and it can be deemed offensive. And they also complain that if Sarah Palin had done the same thing the media would have been all over it. This is silly. She's volunteering why does it matter how much her kickz cost? She was dressed appropriately and she felt like wearing her new shoes to spruce up her outfit. I could see it being a big deal if she wore a pair of stiletto Jimmy Choos and was prancing around in a strapless dress b\c then she wouldn't be able to walk around, lift, pack bags etc... But she was dressed for the occasion

Secondly there is a difference between First Lady Obama wearing these Lanvin sneakers and Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama earned her own money. It appears some people have forgotten that prior to making it to the white house the Obama's had money. Both are Ivy-League educated, both were attorneys, President Obama was a professor and Senator not to mention they've earned the bulk of their money from Obama's two books. Sarah Palin's clothes on the other hand were purchased by the RNC. The donations the RNC receives are to fund elections and other such GOP events, not wardrobes.

There's got to be something else going on in DC to report on besides the First Lady's kickz.

http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2009/04/30/michelle-obama-wears-lanvin-sneakers/?icid=mainmaindl7link6http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stylelist.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2F30%2Fmichelle-obama-wears-lanvin-sneakers%2F

Brief Hiatus

My desk at home looks a lot like the one in the pic. ---------->


I've been so off on my blogging game lately. I do apologize. It's the end of the semester, I'm graduating, an assistant teacher, and on the job hunt. I'll be back after graduation... hopefully before my 1st vacation of the Summer.



To my new readers and old readers thank you for your support! I'll be back soon... but, if something major happens I will certainly try my best to do an entry.

*While I'm gone check out the blogs I follow. They are sure to keep you entertained and informed

Mandingoism

Today I'd like to coin a new term "Mandingoism". I created this term fairly recently after re-reading some material for middle eastern studies. This term is an extension of Edward Said's term Orientalism. Orientalism defined at its simplest is described as, "Western knowledge about the East is not generated from facts, but through imagined constructs that see all "Eastern" societies as fundamentally similar, all sharing crucial characteristics unlike those of "Western" societies, thus, this ‘a priori’ knowledge established the East as antithetical to the West. Such Eastern knowledge is constructed with literary texts and historical records that often are of limited understanding of the facts of life in the Middle East.[5]". Essentially most knowledge generated about the Middle East is based on preconceived notions and preoccupied with exaggerating the East's "otherness" and differences from the west.

Mandingoism is Orientalisms first cousin. Mandingoism shall be defined as American fascination with Africa and its differences from the Anglo-American world. It shall further be stated that most of the Anglo-American world's interaction,and ideas of Africa and Africans (particularly the men) are based on antiquated studies (eugenics,the likes of Dr. Blumenbach, and various anthropologists studies) and stereotypes that originated as early as the 17th century. Some of them are that Africans are immoral, overly sexual, uncivilized, poor, cannibals, and of course have a big...stick

Hi, I'm Satya and i'm an Mandingoist (one who unknowingly follows or studies Mandingoism). I don't mean it in the sense that I think all Africans live in huts, are going to eat me, or are going to hall me off to their village and have me circumcised. But in the sense that I am extremely fascinated with the "otherness" and do see African men as exotic. I guess you could say I find myself wondering if some of the sexual stereotypes are true. Why do I wonder, hell if I know... wait it could have something to do with all the B-S I was continuously told in secondary school and things I have seen in various movies.

I'm currently seeing an African guy and hot dam I'm so attracted to him. I find his accent quite appealing, i'm very attracted to his height, and I know it sounds crazy but something about him seems exotic and mysterious to me. Is he really exotic and mysterious or am I just creating this in my mind b\c of the crap I've learned and heard? The latter is probablly true. This whole thought process is uncool to me. I spend a great deal of time in academia trying to debunk Orientalism and here I am being a Mandingoist. What's up with that? I'm trying my best not to let my Mandingosit thoughts affect our interactions. They usually don't, but every now and then when we're out a Mandingoist thought or behavior enters my mind.

Have you ever thought of someone as exotic and been fascinated by their "otherness"? Have you ever received attention b\c you were deemed different\exotic\other? How'd it make you feel?

CP Time

I have a few observations about folks and time and coordinating events. Like to hear it? Hear it goes

Who the hell invented CP time? I want to meet the person or group that invented said concept and tell them it's bull sh*t! The other night I was off to meet a friend for dinner and she was late. 30 mins late to be exact. I was to the train station when I heard her call out my name. Two problems 1) don't be hollerin ot my name in the middle of the street and 2) this buzzard was extra late. When I asked her why she was so tardy she replied "gurl, you know i'm on CP time. I am so sick to death of hearing this lame ass excuse from colored folks! I don't believe in CP time. If we say we're going to meet at 7 then plan to be there by 645 so in case the train or bus is off schedule you'll only be there 5 or 10 mins late. Stop this CP time foolishness ASAP.

Folks if you're having a child's birthday party have it at an appropriate time. If I get another invite to a 6 year old's birthday party that starts at 6pm i'm going to scream. Back in my day kids' birthday parties started between 12-3. Anything after 3:30 is for the adults. Also alcohol.... not appropriate at a kids party. You can't be downing Heineken's and Hennessy when you gotta drive your child\niece\nephew home. Not cool people.

Finally if you're planning an event for someone please plan the event in a timely manner. Don't send me an invite to a party\baby shower\bridal shower 3 days in advance. These invites should arrive at least two weeks in advance.

I guess this is just a rant. I'm in the process of planning a baby shower for a close friend and i'm very organized at party planning. However, a close friend of the mom-to-be and me is also having a baby shower but her shower planners are unorganized. The two expecting mothers want to be at each others' shower but the lack of organization on the part of the other shower is pissing me off. The shower i'm helping to plan is scheduled 5-6 weeks ahead of the due date (pending the availability of the venue). The other mom's shower is guessed to be around 2 weeks ahead of the due date. wtf? Why so close to the due date? Normally I wouldn't care but their lack of planning is interfering with my two shower dates. Obviously their showers can't be on the same date. And I don't see myself being nice about this once I make a deposit on the location. If you're not decisive or lack organizational skills get someone to help you when planning an event. Anywho this is my rant.

Anyone else ever been invited to poorly coordinated events? Does CP time bother you?
I guess i'm old school. If you're going to do something don't do it half-ass

The Princess and the frog

Many apologies for not posting. I've been sick the past week. But i'm back.

So I heard for a while that Disney is finally making a princess movie with a black princess. Yay!!! I'm an adult and i'm excited for it. It's so long overdue. Back in my day the princesses were Arielle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. Since no one was black I just automoatically aligned myself with Princess Jasmine. She had a brown complexion. Her hair looked thick and she wasn't a pushover princess. She was cool. But I still wanted a black princess to look up to.

Apparently there's some controversy about the movie because the prince is not black. He's not white either he's one of those you can't tell kinda folks. People are upset because every other princess had a boo that was the same ethnicity. I'm not really bothered by it. I think it's cool for biracial kids and black kids to finally have their Disney character. Theblack kids can see a a princess they can identify with and biracial kids can see a couple that looks like mommy and daddy. Kudos for everyone.

The article ends by saying little black boys will have to wait another 20 for "their"character but I don't know if I agree with that. I know little black boys so need a character thats their own, but I don't think the "princess" movies really effect boys or linger in their subconscious. I remember in elementary school the girls gathered around saying they wanted to be like Arielle or Aurora or Jasmine. I never heard the boys saying I want to be like Prince Eric or John Smith. These movies are geared more towards girls and greatly affect them. How many grown women have you heard say i'm looking formy Prince Charming or knight in shining armor. I've yet to hear a grown man say I want my Mulan or Cinderella. Fairytales cater to girls.

I'm excited for Princess Tiana. So folks is the "contraversy" overblown? Are you going to boycott b\c the prince isn't black? Guys did you ever identify with any of the princes?

Here's the story: http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/03/19/disneys-first-black-princess-has-a-white-prince?icid=mainmaindl8link3http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackvoices.com%2Fblogs%2F2009%2F03%2F19%2Fdisneys-first-black-princess-has-a-white-prince

Religious Roots

I've found myself in several discussions about religion lately and they've been pretty interesting. I have friends that practice different religions (Christians, Muslims, Hindus) agnostic and the ones that are spiritual.When people ask me what religion I am I say i'm spiritual with a Christian Hindu leaning. lol I can't deny those Christian roots.

I was born into a Baptist family. My father is the pastor of a Baptist church and i've spent most of my life attending various Baptist, AME Zion, AME and the occasional Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.) and Pentecostal church. I know scriptures pretty well and am very aware of church protocol. I say i'm spiritual but my Christian\Baptist upbringing is still a part of my life. I go to church a few times a year. I still fast for Lent. I hardly talk during service for fear of the TSA I mean ushers coming over and pulling my ear lol. And I still know most of those good ol hyms.

Anyhow with all of this i've never been baptized. My friend and I were talking and somehow it came up and he just stopped and looked at me.

Friend: Have you been baptized?

Me: no

F: *blank stare* what? How is that possible. You know the only way to the father is through the son. Girl, God doesn't even know you

M: Dude I know the scripture. I just haven't.

He said this to me in a joking way but I could tell he was definitely serious and believed what he was saying. This was interesting because he is one of the friends that defines himself as Agnostic. He grew up Catholic taught Sunday school and the whole nine. But since he was about 17 he's claimed he's agnostic and doesn't know or deny there's a God and doesn't agree or believe with all Catholic Dogma and often jokes saying bury him in shorts and a t-shirt b\c he doesn't want to be overdressed when he arrives in eternity. Yet he was lecturing me about the importance of being saved to ensure my eternal resting place. I wonder how many other people are like him? How many are like me? We identify ourselves one way in terms of religion but our thinking and actions on certain things are dictated by the religions we have stepped away from.

I find it interesting when people like Bill Maher (who grew up Catholic) say they are agnostic and chide those that are religious. Religion is quite powerful. We may think some people's religious practices are silly or impractical in modern times but for some reason or another it is hard to break away from. Think about it. If you grew up in a religious household\family how much of your time has been devoted to instilling the principles and practices of said religion in you. When I was young every Saturday my parents and I would go to my grandparents house and have family Bible study. My grandparents mostly listened to gospel music. I was in the choir (so rehersal was 2nd and 4th sat.) and on the praise dance team, not to mention there was Sunday school. Thats several hours of my week that was devoted to learning about and practicing Christianity for like the first 13 years of my life. There's no way I can throw all that knowledge\info away. It is definitely part of my life. Religion can dictate every part of your life if you've been taught that way. It dictates dating, sex, some of your money, time (for prayer worship, and charity work), your relationship with the "unbeliever" marriage etc...

How many of you are religious? If you've moved away from the religion you grew up as, have you completely shed your religious past? Would you date someone that's not as religious as you?

Ignoramos

Last night I was talking with a male friend and somehow or another intellectuals were mentioned. The convo went like this

Him: I'm highly intellectual. Wouldn't you agree?

Me: ummm if that's what you believe

H: You don't think i'm intellectual

M: I don't think you're stupid and you definitely know some things

H: What do you rate my intellect on a scale of 1-10

M: I don't like this question. are you prepared for the answer

H: Go ahead tell me

M: a 5 or 5.5

H: You've gotta be kidding

M: *Silent*

If you have to ask if someone regards you as an intellectual chances are you are not. Why in sam-hell would he ask me that? I wasn't out to break him down or anything like that but it needed to be done. I usually let fools ramble on and on and let them keep making a fool of themselves. But, last night he was getting way too condescending. He thought because I was quiet "see you can't refute my argument. clearly your lack of comments shows i'm right. just admit i'm more intelligent than you". And that is the comment that made me have to check him. How dare he challenge me. (Satya has slightly masculine ego...perhaps i got it from my father hmmm). I don't think i'm a genius or anything like that. I think i'm as intelligent as most college grads. I don't feel the need to flaunt what I know about a subject in front of someone who doesn't nor do I say things to get attention and have people tell me "you're so smart'. Its not necessary. Stop trying so hard

But if you're feeling bold and decide to challenge me directly bring it. So basically I had to shut him down and by the end of the convo he was telling me that he didn't appreciate me putting him down and belittling him. Don't start no stuff, won't be no stuff. So now I shall present a list of the some ways to know whether or not you're an intelligent

-If you ONLY read Hip-Hop magazines, hood books, and comic strips. you're not an intellectual. Broaden you're horizons (note the emphasis on ONLY)

-If you can only converse about one topic with ease and knowledge, you're not intelligent. You should be well versed in many areas. It should be anything from English lit. classics to chopped and screwed to the latest movies to events in history to the latest technology.

- If you cannot answer questions about an argument you are making, you're not an intelligent. Don't make an argument if you can't defend\answer questions about it.

-If you ask someone are you intelligent, you're not

- If you try to change the meanings of words to express what you're saying, you're not very bright

-A final note, Just b\c you graduated form college doesn't mean you're intelligent. I know some college grads that make scratch my head sometimes

I know there's more but i'll stop here. Go on add to the list. What are some ways to know whether or not you're intelligent

Dastard

Michael Steele is a punk plain and simple. Ok let me behave like an adult. He is not a good leader. He needs to accept his new position and assert himself.

On Saturday Michael Steele appeared on D.L. Hughley's show "DL Breaks the news". During the interview Hughley called Rush Limbaugh the "de-facto leader of the Republican party". Steele seemed agitated by this comment and responded by saying ""No he's not. I'm the de-facto leader of the Republican party... Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer... his show incendiary and, yes it's ugly" I saw the show when it aired and thought to myself maybe Steele does have what it takes to revamp the party, he's got balls for calling Limbaugh what he is, an ENTERTAINER. And claiming his authority over the party. I actually applauded him. I think too many Republicans have been afraid to call Rush on his B-S b\c they fear the backlash from him and listeners. Rush's listeners are the problem child of the party. They want to sustain "the core Republican principles" and have no desire to recruit "others" into the party. The fact is Republicans have to redefine their core principles and start recruiting "others". I would suggest they direct effort toward the Latino demographic. They're the leading minority (in terms of population)and most are pretty religious. True they're Catholic, but they both love Jesus. If they could tap into just 25% of that population it would make a huge difference for the party. But I digress.

Surprise, surprise today when I was watching the news and saw Steele apologized to Limbaugh. He said, "My intent was not to go after Rush - I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh...I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership". What a punk &%^#$... I mean what a coward. Steele is an elected official and he needs to learn quickly how to assert his authority. The chairman of any political party is indeed the de-facto leader of said party. The RNC "provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States of America". Steele was elected the chairman of the RNC and is therefore the de-facto leader. I can't believe Steele apologized. He must grow a set quickly because he is going to have to step on a lot of "grass roots Republican's" toes to change the direction of the Republican party and make it a viable party again.

So we know how much Limbaugh loves attention. Here's a little of what he had to say about Michael Steele, ""Michael Steele, you are head of the Republican National Committee. You are not head of the Republican party. Tens of millions of conservatives and Republicans have nothing to do with the Republican National Committee...and when you call them asking for money, they hang up on you."

Are you all surprised by Steele's apology? Any Republicans out there believe that the Republicans and the RNC are two separate entities?

Body art and Piercings

According to various articles and news reports i've seen, tattooing and piercing has been on the rise in the past 20 years. It's often cited that tattoos and piercings used to only be associated with biker clubs, thugs, and military personnel. I guess that is somewhat true. When I was younger I had a friend that lived near a local motor cycle club and the members were extra tatted and pierced up. And there were a few OGs in my hood that had a few tatts.

In the past 8-9 years i've noticed everybody and their mama, literally has tattoos and or piercings. This older lady at my home church showed me her new tattoo in the bathroom (why I have no idea). I've seen older folks getting new tattoos and piercings in shops pretty regularly. What's up with that? I can understand the current generation (35 and younger) getting inked up but what with the older folks? Is it an attempt to recapture their youth? Or have they always wanted one and never had the balls to do it. I've seen older folks with some questionable tattoos. When I got my first one this older woman (probably early 50s) was getting a tatt of cherries with a mouth behind it...WTH? why are you getting that @ 50ish? Another time I saw a 40 something woman getting her name on her arm... WTF? At 40is you still don't know how your name looks? If you're older at least get something tasteful.

I have two tattoos (the picture @the top is my first one) and 2 piercings besides my ears. I think my tattoos are tasteful and they actually mean something to me. But, my tatts are pretty hidden. People at my job have no idea. I like that. at work i'm a cool very corporate looking lady and in the evening and on weekends I'm a 20 something with ink.

So what do you all think about tattoos and piercings? Are they a turn-on or turn-0ff? Is there a such thing as too many tatts or piercings? What do you have pierced or inked on you?

How the...

I realize I'm about two week late but had to post on this.

Have the members of PETA lost their minds? How in the world could "rational" human beings think it is OK to dress up as the KKK outside of Madison Square Garden to protest the American Kennel Club (AKC)? PETA alleges, "Like the Klan, dog breeders who subscribe to the AKC standards are all about the sanctity of “pure bloodlines.” There is absolutely no comparison. NONE! Animals are not equal to humans. I don't think animals should be abused for sport but they are not people. Animals do not have rights! Meat is not murder!

How could they possibly compare the way the KKK treated Blacks to the way the AKC treats dogs? Let's give a brief recap of the KKK shall we. Let's see a group of white guys decide that they are part of the Aryan race and only want to live amongst their kind. They dress up in white sheets and in the middle of the night decide to attack Negroes. What exactly do you mean by attack? Glad you asked. Well they would bomb your house and or car. While your wife and children were there. But wait that was too nice for the Negroes. They would take a black man castrate him, lynch him, and then burn him, as his family watched in horror. "Let the family live" onlookers shouted, so the Negroes would never forget and tell other blacks so they would learn their place. They would also rape a black man's wife and hold him down and force him to watch. The killing of Negroes was even a family outing. There are several reports of "fine" white families packing a picnic basket and going to see a Negro get lynched. These crimes that the Klan committed openly were rarely even addressed by local police departments or elected officials.

In 2009 so far we have witnessed the police kill an unarmed man in CA. In NY police officers sodomized a young man in a subway station, and the NY Post put out a racist cartoon. Let's give a brief recap of police injustice in the past 10-15 year. Let's see there was Abner Louima. A young man that was sodomized and brutally attacked in a police prescient bathroom. There was Amidou Diallo. The young unarmed man that was shot at 41 times because police believed his wallet was a gun. And let's just end with Sean Bell. The young man who was gunned down by police hours before his wedding b\c they believed someone in his crew had a gun. With all of these things happening PETA is worrying about "animal rights"? They can keep that. I'll think about the injustice of a "pure blood dog" when spending in "urban" schools is equal to spending in suburban schools, when racial profiling is no longer the accepted social norm by police forces, and when minorities and whites are charged for the same crimes equally.

*Side note- I think I may go out and have some Kobe beef and veal this week

Confused?

"Oreo, Sellout, or lost. That's what they call me. But why?

They say I don't act black enough, but what is acting black?

Do I have to speak improperly or act ghetto to be black?

Do I have to watch B.E.T all day and keep my sneaker game tight to act black?

Should I be politically and socially unaware?"

-Satya

That's a little excerpt from a poem I wrote in high school. Throughout H.S. I was called all the names mentioned above in addition to boughie. I was on the school's moot court and mock trial team. Junior year I was a grade senator and senior year I was the Vice President of student government. I was always pretty articulate and grew out of my "hood phase" fast. All these things I guess led to me being called an Oreo. (My HS was 60% Latina ,28% black, 6% Asian ,3% White and 3% other)

Why do some black people associate possessing the social graces, speaking proper English, and good grades with acting white? Why can't it just be dag she's on point or he's the sh*t. According to Dr. John Agbu some black kids have dumbed themselves down because they fear their peers will say they are "acting white". It appears this is a phenomenon is the black community. I was friends with Asian kids in HS and you can believe me when I tell when they did well in school no one said they were acting white. Has this happened because we as a people have lowered our expectations?

A few times in some of my classes some of my peers tried to question my "blackness". They'd ask me what rapper I thought was the best, who the current tracks that were out, who was on the cover of the latest Source or XXL, what videos were on 106& Park etc... And I would think to myself what kind of fuckery is this? No one ever told me you had to pass a test to be black.

As a result of not really being understood or accepted by my black counterparts in HS I began to dislike young black people. When my peers began calling me an Oreo or mocking my amazing performance of soliloquies in English class I would respond with an off the wall comment about how I didn't like their kind anyhow. Funny thing is I would be insulting them and they didn't even realize it. I'd call some Jigaboos, porch monkeys, i'd talk about them being inferior b\c of their small brain size etc... (I learned about eugenics early on b\c my older cousins went to HBCUs and studied race). Was this nice? Not at all. It took a while but I've grown out of this phase. I had to make it to college to meet other black people like me.

With that said, we as a people need to raise our expectations of each other. Excelling in school is not acting white. It is called being a good student. Speaking proper English does not mean you are white, it means you are literate. So I know most of you that read here have heard of the "acting white" phenomenon. What do you make of it? Has your blackness ever been questioned?

Female Sexuality

Last week over at Threewaystotakeit.com Seattle Washington and Slim Jackson wrote a post about Homosexuality and the Black community http://www.threewaystotakeit.com/homosexuality-black-community/ ( It was a very good post check it out). This post reminded me about a presentation I did sophomore year of college on Black sexuality. Today we'll take a look at Black Female Sexuality.

Throughout the course of American history several myths have been created about blacks. One of the most damaging myths in my mind is about Black female sexuality. For centuries the black woman has been labeled as overly sexual and loose. In Deborah White's book Ar'n't I a Woman: Female slaves in the plantation south, she pointed out that the idea that black women were "exceptionally sensual" started when the English went to Africa to buy slaves. They saw the women semi nude (due to the warm climate) and automatically assumed the women were loose. Additionally, Europeans didn't understand "African cultural traditions, so that polygamy was attributed to the Africans uncontrolled lust, tribal dances were reduced to the level of orgy..." (White p.37).

These ideas came with the English to the "new world" and went even further once slavery came to fruition in the U.S. Black women's sexuality became a regular conversation piece in the Antebellum south. There are accounts of slave masters saying they could hardly go go anywhere without a Negro woman looking at them with lust in their eyes. They also allege that force was never needed to to sample the black woman's goods as she was a Jezebel and always ready for sex; In fact, some believed the black woman manipulated them and got them into bed. (This is also in White's book)

So that's a brief history lesson on how the myths started and became a part of American culture.

Why is this relevant? I'm glad you asked. These American ideas about black sexuality have shaped and and still do heavily influence black sexuality today. Because blacks were seen as heathens, whorish, loose moral characters Blacks tried their best to disprove white America's allegations. Black people adopted extremely conservative attitudes about sexuality. This conservative\puritan mode way of life and thinking was in large part promoted by church to show whites that blacks were the opposite. Keep your skirts down and your pants up became the motto.

White mentions in her book that as a result of the stereotypes placed on black women two images emerged, Jezebel and Mammy. Church I'd like to talk to you all about Jezebel (lol j\k). the image of the black woman as Jezebel real. She is the overly sexual black woman in movies videos and sitcoms. On the TV show Girlfriends Lynn and Tony were the Jezebels. Both paraded men in and out of their life and had many lovers. In the movie Two Can Play that Game with Vivica Fox, Gabrielle Union plays a character Connie that is the Jezebel. Everything about her in the movie oozed sex and she was known for sleeping her way to the top. In Luv and Basketball Gabrielle Union's character was the girl that"sent her coochie by mail'. Bad Boys II Union's character was the sexy bait to catch the bad guys... wait side note, why is Union the Jezebel in so many of her roles? Robin Givens as Sunshine in Harlem Nights (she was the girl who had good p*ssy), Willona on Good Times, Clark in Mo Better Blues and the list goes.

After reading several books and articles on black female sexuality I started wondering whys black women's sexuality so complex?If you're sexually free the older generation and church calls you Jezebel. If you're a good wholesome girl that has decided to save yourself for marriage you're a prude and undesirable. What gives? Are we still trying to fight off the myths? Why is "sex" still a taboo topic in black households? Especially for couples or parents that have daughters

What's your take on black women and sexuality.

Black Sitcoms

What the heck happened to black sitcoms?

There was Julia staring Diahnn Carroll in the 60s. The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son, Different Strokes in the 70s. Amen, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Family Matters, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, 227 in the 80s. Roc, In Living Color, Arsenio Hall, Martin, Sister Sister, Moesha, Girlfriends, Living Single in the 90s. Where have all the good shows like this gone? I can't name any decent black shows that came out in the 2000s that are on the level of the previously mentioned shows... wait My Wife and Kids is the exception. Ok wait there were a few more decent shows One on One and All of Us, but I don't think these two shows were the caliber of the others either.

During the 90s there was a a black sitcom on nearly every network...positive black shows. What happened? To be honest I have no idea. I'm actually quite disappointed that there isn't a wide variety of black shows to watch. I found it pretty inspiring to see examples of black love, success, intelligence, and sense on community on television. It saddens me to hear young kids in the hallways of the school I work in dumb excited (dang that's mad old) to talk about the previous nights episode of I luv New York, Hell Date,Real Housewives of Atlanta, Bad Girls club etc... but, the same students looked at me like I was crazy when I told them to watch Queen on TV One... I digress. I'm not saying all black shows need to be serious and intellectually stimulating but can we have some positive shows again?

I miss 90s tv sitcoms dearly. The cool theme songs (Fresh Prince and Living Single in particular), actual story lines, seeing the characters interact with each other, bringing light to social issues(A Differenet World and Roc) Dam they just don't make good tv like they used to. What are your favorite shows form back in the day (black, white, Latino, whatever)? Why aren't there good black sitcoms anymore?

HBCUs

Since it's Black History month most of my post this month will probably focus on African Americans or African American issues.

I was watching School Daze this past weekend and I guess you could say it was the inspiration for today's post, HBCUs. In the movie an argument is made that HBCUs have become obsolete because Black people were integrated into society and had come a long way. I'm going to focus on this topic.

HBCU is an acronym that stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "HBCUs were founded in the late 1800's to address the educational needs of Freed Slaves and Native Americans." (http://www.hbcuconnect.com/). "There are 103 historically black colleges (HBCU) in the United States today, including public and private, two-year and four-year institutions, medical schools and community colleges" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historically_black_colleges_and_universities).

School Daze came out in 1988 and they were debating whether or not HBCUs were obsolete. In 88 they definitely were not. In 2009 are they obsolete? I understand both sides of the argument but I would say they definitely are not. HBCUs are sacred academic environments for blacks. You can be an Africana studies major without people asking "why would you major in that", there are books in those school's libraries that are no longer in print, the school itself is a museum, you can wear dreads and natural hair without being deemed ethnocentric or having people ask to touch your hair, you're not the one black guy in your dorm, you know there's a barbershop or hair stylist near campus that can do your hair, and even though you won't like everyone it's nice to know the people around you understand your struggle (financial, probs at home,driving while black, being the subject of subtle sexual innuendos at work as you are the erotic exotic "other" that your co-workers dream about but probably wouldn't go there with).

HBCUs offer more than the pros that I've listed above. "Today's HBCUs are the top producers of professional African American talent " (http://www.hbcuconnect.com/) I don't know how true this claim is but they certainly do produce a great deal of black professionals.

Yes we are integrated into society and have certainly come a mighty long way, but we still have a way to go. There's still ample injustice happening to blacks throughout the country. Just watch your local news or talk to the chocolate men in your life. A few years ago the New York Times published an article that said a white man with a criminal record has a better chance of being hired than a black man with a clean slate. We're integrated but our men still can't get into some of the "all boys clubs". Our kids can be charged with white kids for the same offense but ours are charged as adults. The lackadaisical way the government handled/ is still handling Hurricane Katrina victims all show there's till work to be done. HBCUs produce some of the people that will try and fix the injustices that are being done to us, as well as those who are great orators and will motivate us to try and stop blaming "the man".

All in all HBCUs are havens for the black youth in America and you can learn the truth about the stock from which you come (unlike the B-S they teach in K-12 grade). Do you all agree, are HBCUs still needed?

The Sex and the City Effect

I have to admit I used to be a big fan of the show. It was pretty good. It shows you a glamorous side of New York City that the average person would not have known existed. Although I liked the show I never wanted to emulate the characters. I am thoroughly entertained walking the streets of NYC seeing young women in my age bracket and beyond trying their best to mimic these characters. They try to mimic everything from wearing high end fashion, to eating Tasti-*- Lite, to drinking Cosmos, screwing every man they can, being a docent, to trying to find every bar or club ever mentioned on the show, they even nick name men in their life after the characters beaus. "OMG, he's so Mr. Big" or "I'm looking for a guy like Aidan". The aforementioned beavhior shall be called the Sex and the City Effect.

The main character I see emulated is Carrie. She was the glue that held the four women together. She's a fashionista, writer, had no problems meeting men (wealthy men), and abreast of all the hip happening things in the city. I'm guessing this is why most women like Carrie. I find Carrie the most annoying out of the four characters. She is so exaggerated and most don't even realize it. She was a writer for some skuzzy gossip magazine which meant she probably made about $50K per year. In middle America or anywhere but a metropolis you can live comfortably with that income. In NYC you can not live on the Upper East Side, dine out everyday, impulsively purchase couture and high end fashion (Manolo Blahniks, Jimmy Choos, Roberto Cavalli, Hermez, Prada, Yves St. Laurent etc...), and participate in NYC nightlife on $50K per year. Yes her apt was rent controlled however, everything else would have had her eating Ramen noodles and shopping off the sale rack at M*cys. In Manhattan dry cleaning a dress cost $8 and up, mani\pedis cost $30+, and the initial cab fare is $2.50, not to mention the places she and the girls dined were moderately priced so in NYC that means about $50 for dinner (appetizer main course and soda). There's no way Carrie could afford the life she lived

Carrie was financially irresponsible, immature, and selfish. There's an episode when her bf moved out and gave her the option to buy her apt or he would keep it and sell it. She had no assets whatsoever. No savings account, checking, retirement funds, stocks, mattress fund.. nothing. She purchased $500 shoes b\c she had to have them. She's immature because she got upset with Charlotte for not offering her the $ for the down payment on her apartment. Her selfishness in relationships and friendships all make her annoying.

The show has warped all these 20 and 30 something women's minds. All these women in the city are suddenly Cosmo drinking, couture wearing, nutty 4inch heel wearing robots. I love my city! But the show only shows how corporate people live in NYC. The average person in NYC can't impulsively buy a $700 bag, dine out everyday, nor cab everywhere. It just doesn't happen like that.

So my question is why has this show become a guide to life for so many 20 and 30 somethings? Why is it that so many women want to model themselves after Carrie in particular? Am I over analyzing the impact of the show?

Minstrel Man

I just discovered this poem and I though I should share it.

Minstrel Man
By: Langston Hughes

Because my mouth Is wide with laughter

And my throat

Is deep with song,

You do not think I suffer

after I have held my pain So long?

Because my mouth Is wide with laughter,

You do not hear My inner cry?

Because my feet Are gay with dancing,

You do not know I die?

400 years in the making

Today January 20,2009 was an AMAZING day! Amazing is an understatement. I can't even think of a word to describe the feeling of the day. The people and the mood was awesome!

With that being said what if everyday in America was like inauguration day? People helped each other. Strangers gave each other water and helped each other hop over barricades. People were friendly. You could just start talking to people and they would respond and were interested in your conversation. There was a sense of community. There was a lady standing near me with a baby and the baby didn't have any gloves or anything to cover his face and people gave the lady a scarf to cover the kid's face and little mittens with the warm packets in them. People were calm and even tempered. It was crowded and people were bumping into each other, in each other's personal space and no one bugged out. It was peaceful. It made me think about the way my grandmother described the way the black community was during Jim Crow in the south.

I've always been proud to be an American, but yesterday I experienced patriotism. I was proud and fell in love with my country. I beamed watching old glory wave and when I heard the Star Spangled Banner. Many people experienced a similar feeling. So my question is, Was yesterday the beginning of a new attitude in America? Can we the American people strive to make everyday like inauguration day?

NOTORIOUS

I went to go see Notorious on Friday and it was a decent flick.

I saw it in Brooklyn of course. Initially I was going to see it where I currently reside but I'm from BK and no other place could or would appreciate such a movie. It was crazy chaos! I heard tickets were selling like hotcakes so me and my homegirl went to the theater at 8 and bought tickets for the midnight show. We came back at 11 and the concession stand lines were crazy long and to top it off there was an ill line to wait to get into the theater.

Ok we're in. The movie was decent. If you know about Biggie then you pretty much knew exactly what was going to happen. The only thing I can really say the movie clarified for me was the beginning of the Biggie Pac beef. The acting was ok. Nobody was amazing or anything like that. However, the chick who played Lil Kim was good. True she was darker, but she really studied Lil Kim. She had her manerisms and flow down pact. The chick who played Faith was wack but she kinda looked like Faith minus about 50lbs. Derek Luger did his thing as Puffy. To me he doesn't look like him too much but he had Puffy down. Remember back when Puff's dumb ass used to shuck\jive\clown and dance in all his artist videos and do his crappy moves? Lugar had it down LMAO!

Overall the movie probably deserves a B\B-due to the some of the corny acting. I'm from Brooklyn so I was going to see it no matter what rating anyone gave it. Shout out to Broooooooooooooooooooooklyn!!

Here's some B.I.G for ya

I got a story to tell- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfpvpKfR2Ck

Juicy- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsT8FaZnzdE

Players Anthem- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueyt2NQeVxM

Teefs

This will be a short post. I never realized I have Oral Hygiene OCD. People please take care of your mouth! It is one of the first things people see when they meet you. A new co-worker completely grossed me out yesterday. She introduced herself and then smiled and I stared at her teeth in shock. This woman had a thick coat of plaque on her teeth and a few extra teeth. I couldn't stop looking at it (this pic is a pretty accurate depiction of the woman's teeth). I wanted to take my finger and start scraping the plaque off. EWWWWW! To make matters worse she bought orange soda from the vending machine drank it and her teeth were stained by the coloring in the soda. EWWW! If your teeth are so plaque ridden that coloring from food sticks to your teeth you shouldn't be out in public! Plaque is something you can control.

I realize people are human and everyone has imperfections, but correct whatever oral errors you have. Work an extra job and get your mouth fixed one tooth at a time. People please brush and floss 2x a day. EVERYDAY! See a dentist twice a year. If you don't have insurance brush 3x a day and minimize your sugar intake. That's all

Broke Friends

Friday night me and a few friends decided to go to happy hour and just see where the night takes us. One of the friends lets call her "Helen" asks can her homeboy "John" come. I give that "no heifer" smile and say it doesn't matter. I've hung out with John before; he's pretty fun but he ain't got no job (I realize the poor grammar but it must be said this way).

I said doesn't matter because I figured its a new year maybe his financial status has changed and everyone deserves a second wait third chance. Me and my posse are not high rollers but when we go out we like to have fun. We go to happy hour dinner and then bar\club hop and take cabs to do so. When in the club or bar everyone will buy a round of drinks except take a guess... John. This ninja ain't pay for a got dam thang! At happy hour everyone was buying rounds (mind you he never refused a drink and was ordering top shelf liquor) and he "disappeared when it was his turn. Ok I let it slide. Went to a lounge homie continues making drink requests but never so much as tips the bartender... Satya let it slide. Finally at dinner the check came and I was including the tip and dividing it by 5 and then Helen said we'll divide it by 4. PAUSE wtf. This negro ate an appetizer, entree, side dishes (a la carte), and friggin dessert and i'm supposed to contribute to paying for it NEGATIVE.

I grab Helen and we go to bathroom to discuss the issue. This heifer has the nerve to tell me "Btw i'm a little low on cash so can you pay half of my share of the tab". I laughed and went back to the table. Normally I only have about $20 in my wallet but Friday I had cash. I put my $65 in the checkbook and everyone else paid in cash as well. (Helen is still in the bathroom while this is occurring). All of us get our things and tell John he and Helen can meet us outside. Helen came out and was ready to go but the server informs her that the check is $130 short.

Is it wrong that I stood outside and ignored her phone calls. How the hell do you suggest going out knowing you're broke? Not only that, she selected the restaurant and decided to invite her notoriously broke friend. As adults I don't find such behavior acceptable. Especially because this scene was a repeat. I think Friday taught her conflict resolution and commandment 11, "Thou shall not go out when ye are broke. Nor shall ye invite bum ass friends when your pockets are like rabbit ears".Perhaps I was wrong. Let me know

Lebanon

Interesting read in the wee hours of the morning. Lebanon felt froggy and they leapt.
I think it's time the U.S. to put more pressure on Israel for a cease-fire. Yes, Israel does absolutely have the right to defend itself from attacks. However, if it were the reverse and 688 of them had been killed in battle I think the international community would have responded by now. I think if a certain country threatened to withdraw financial and military aid from a certain unofficial self governing territory a cease-fire agreement would be make with all deliberate speed. But anyway it seems this is one topics that American can't discuss freely otherwise they'll be labelled a naughty name. This post isn't the most concise but when writing about such a topic you must be.

More on the story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

House of Saddam

Happy New Year all!!

I spent all day Sunday at home as I am sick. While at home I watched the four part HBO BBC series "House of Saddam". It was pretty good overall but had several inaccuracies and definitely has a western slant.

The movie kind of had a soap opera t.v. drama kind of undertone to it. The movie begins with with the birthday celebration of his daughter Hala and then goes on to show him become president of Iraq. We see some drama some killings yada ya. Then the next part shows Saddam ready to wage war with Iran after the Iranian Revolution. They show the cartoons and various types of propaganda Saddam used to promote the Iraq Iran war. But, one huge factor left out was that the U.S. supported Iraq during the war. The U.S. sold Iraq military equipment. Looking at the Iraq Iran war there is no way Iraq could have fought as long as it did against Iran. At the time of the war Iran had the 5th largest standing army in the world and Iraq... well lets just say they didn't even make the top 15. Gee I wonder why American military aid wasn't shown in the movie.

I think the movie didn't show Iraq at its high time in the 70s and 80s. Iraq was a country on the come up at that time. It was actually quite modern. Not at all saying that I agreed with Saddam and his approach to governing but Iraq had good infrastructure and was revamping the school system to battle the high illiteracy rates. Yes Saddam was erratic and a dictator but, he did some good things for the country. In part 3 of the movie it shows President George H.W. Bush giving his speech about Iraq withdrawing from Kuwait and then shows Desert Storm. We see the bombs drop and the fire but the audience never sees the real damage. When Desert Storm occurred I'm sure General LeMay was proud we bombed Iraq into the stone age. The images we currently see of Iraq is not the place it once was. Desert Storm shook the country down.

The soap opera part come with the drama with the daughters husbands. Basically they are top advisors in Saddam's regime and betray him and he eventually has him killed and the daughters are upset about it. Actually Hala's husband surrendered to the coalition forces in 2003. What was this drama for? This is not supposed to be the Sopranos

The mini-series was okay overall. But, I don't think the average person would understand the series. To really understand Desert Storm you need to know a little about the history of the Middle East. Like when Saddam says "to the party" my homeboy was like what party? The Ba'thist party. I could critique the movie on several other points but ahh why go there. I just had to point out the Western slant. One could easily argue this series is a propaganda piece. Any who... I'm back will be here sharing my thoughts