Word is bond...

Lately, I haven't felt much love for Hillary Clinton. I even said a few posts back that I'm not sure I would vote for her again if she has aspirations to continue on in her role as a senator for the state of NY . But I must admit since the race between her and Obama is over and she has stepped out of the limelight, I have begun to soften a bit. I'm not saying she's my girl or anything, I'm just saying that without the intensity of the competition I can see how hard this whole thing must have been for her. She dreamed big and lost. I am particularly empathetic to the feelings that she must have had to deal with, the loss of a dream that about a year ago seemed so assured that she could taste it. Do I think that she also felt a little entitled, Yes! But I also think that entitlement is a trait that goes hand in hand with ambition. After all if you don't strongly believe something is yours for the taking, how hard are you going to work to get it. She always seemed to be a woman of her word, a woman who would stand up for what she believed in even if her view was unpopular. I read an article/saw a news story this week that reminded me of those qualities. The link to the article is below.

Aunt Hillary’ Speaks at Bronx Graduation

She spoke at the high school graduation of a young girl she has known since the age of 2. The young lady was graduating from Pelham Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, NY.
She promised after speaking at the young lady's middle school graduation that she would be there for her when she graduated high school and she kept her word and after all your word is your bond. Good work, Hillary.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

This may just be for the ladies...

The other night BET televised it's 8th annual BET Awards show. I generally don't watch the network because the programming is a disappointment and it contributes no true value to the community, in my opinion. Not like in the old days when Bev Francis was on on Sunday mornings talking about the issues or Teen Summit was there to help educate our young people. The point is on occasions like awards shows I might tune in. I actually missed the first hour and a half of the show, but via my sister (who I talk w/multiple times a day) I heard there were some entertaining performances before I began viewing. Alicia Keys performed her song Teenage Love Affair, which ya'll know I love. She also paid homage to some of the best girl groups of the 80's and 90's, she performed with SWV, En Vouge (who looked and sounded amazing) and TLC. It takes a class act like her to give props to those who made it possible for her to blaze the trail she has. OMG!! I can't believe I'm professing my love for her yet again, but anywho.



While that was good what really made my night was the return of Maxwell. Baby, where you been? What you been doin', besides looking fine. He performed as part of a tribute to the Lifetime Achievement award recipient, Al Green (who also set the stage on fire.) I had a moment when he started singing where I'm sure I was squealing or screaming (whichever one is not completely embarrassing) in my basement. He has not lost a step, he was suave, in great voice and entertaining. I checked his MySpace page for album release details, because I'm open now and I need a fix. Alas, it simply says that an album trilogy will be released starting in 08. I will have to return to my ipod and the 35 Maxwell tracks that travel with me daily. If you have more Maxwell music then that, we need to talk so I can find out what I'm missing.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

Post script: Fair and balanced...

Obviously, I was really pissed off when I posted the blog about Fox News. Heres the thing, my anger does not simply come from that particular incident, it stems from the blatant racism that they try to pass off as respectable political punditry. I read today that Cindy McCain had a prescription drug problem a few years ago and at the time she was using, she was stealing the drugs from a charity she founded. I don't see them bringing that up on Fox News. All that they continue to show in regards to her is her Michelle bashing, as she goes around professing her love and pride in her country. Imagine if Michelle was a recovering drug addict. What kind of coverage would be focused on that? We can only imagine. There is another aspect to this that I can't overlook, another aspect that empowers someone like Cal Thomas to feel as if he can sit up there and talk about black women with some sort of authority. That other aspect is the kinds of images that we allow to infiltrate the media. Shows like "Flavor of Love"and the "Bad Girls Club" do us no favors in their portrayals of angry, desperate, morally deficient women willing to sacrifice self respect and dignity for 15 minutes of fame. When are we going to become concerned enough about ourselves that we learn the power of saying "No". When will we strive to be judged on the merits of our intellect whether it is book learned or hard knock life earned. Obviously, I am aware that those images are representative of a small fraction of the community, but they are powerful nonetheless.

A liitle bit about who we are...

I know that we are a diverse people with many gifts and a vast intellectual capacity, but I love, love, love our cultural legacy of music, dance and the like. Many people shun the idea of singing and dancing our way through adversity as well as good times, the "minstrel" if you will. I disagree I think it takes a certain genius to be able to find the melody and rhythm in almost any situation, no matter how joyous or bleak. I also love how that aspect of our culture bridges many of our differences: age, class, American, Caribbean, southern, west coast they all meet in the middle and sway to the same beat. The other morning I passed a car full of young girls groovin' to "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze, they couldn't have been older then 14, 15, 16 yrs. old and it made me smile and I thought "I bet almost all black people know that song". What else do almost all black people (a.a.b.p) know:

• a.a.b.p. know at least one song from "The Wiz" (Broadway production or movie). Trivia: Who played Dorothy in the Broadway version?
• a.a.b.p. sing the Stevie Wonder version of the birthday song as well as the traditional version.
• a.a.b.p. can recall in its entirety at least one episode of Good Times, The Cosby Show or A Different World.
• a.a.b.p. have at least one older relative that half hums and half sings "Amazing Grace or "How Great Thou Art".
• a.a.b.p. via 6 degrees of separation knows someone who attended or attends Howard University.
  
• a.a.b.p. have danced on a "Soul Train" line whether or not they ever actually seen the show.
• a.a.b.p. have love for Micheal Jackson from Motown to Thriller. After Thriller a.a.b.p. are sad for him. One more thing about Micheal, a.a.b.p. remember his performance on the Motown 25th anniversary special. (That's for you C.B.)

Just a few harmless things and I know that maybe they don't hold true for all, just a.a.b.p.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

Chicks rule...

A colleague of mine at work found out that I started blogging. "HE" was intrigued and we talked about new media, embracing technology, blah, blah, blah. A day or so later he brings up to another colleague that I have a blog and then says that he has decided to start one as well, because if I (me) could do it then it can't be that hard. Now there is some truth to that statement, it was not that difficult to start this thing up, but that is not the point and it made me think a little.
There are many things women do that look easy when you are simply an observer (childbirth excluded because it is not and does not look easy!). The art to being a woman is doing all that we do and making it look effortless-something men are not so nuanced at. Ask any woman who works full time in the home or outside. Ask any woman who cares for others before she cares for herself. Ask any woman who is often more educated and is forced to work harder and get paid less then the men who do the same job she does. Ask any woman you know wife, mother or sister and see what they have to say. To you sir I say "Anything you can do, I can do better...Bring it!!!

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

I smell a stint in rehab....

Will Smith's kids Willow and Jaden wear sunglasses at Night, Talk in Third person was the title of the piece on the Huffington Post that caught my attention. The text of the article is below:

Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith have budding celebrities on their hands with kids Willow and Jaden. Their homeschooling no doubt helps keep their schedules adaptable for movie roles. Jaden, who turns 10 next month, first appeared onscreen with dad in the critically acclaimed "The Pursuit of Happyness." His little sister Willow, 7, has a supporting role in "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," and was also in her dad's "I Am Legend." The former opens July 2 and had its New York premiere Thursday night.

Both kids came - in sunglasses- with mom Jada. The movie opens up against Will Smith's big-budget "Hancock," but Willow isn't worried about the competition. She told Extra, "I think I'll be the biggest flashing star." When asked if her movie will top her father's, Willow declared, "Yes...I'm going to post up on daddy's movie. Willow is the star.

Are these kids cute? Without question. With those two for parents it goes without saying that they have oodles of the talent gene, but could things be teetering on that fine line of grounded and completely out of touch. I've read that the homeschooling system that their education is based on is closely tied to Scientology and we all know how L. Ron Hubbard felt about black people. I don't know maybe this is just movie stuff and I am completely off the mark, but Tom Cruise is considered to be a close friend of the family and we all know that dude is crazy.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

For the wives...

My hubby is the "shiznit"-good looking, smart as a whip, funny, hard working, a great dad and takes care of business (if you know what I mean- wink, wink!). So here's the thing why is this incredibly capable man rendered helpless every time I send him to the supermarket without me. I almost always send him with a list if there are more then three items that are in need, but he still calls me. One night recently, with list in hand off he went.

• On the list chicken legs and chicken thighs.
• Phone call: "They don't have the legs." Response: "Okay, don't get them."
  
• On the list 1lb. of deli turkey.
• Phone call: " The deli line is long." Response: "Okay, wait on the line and get the turkey."

My son kept looking at the caller ID every time the phone rang and would say "It's daddy again". Four calls later he triumphantly returned with as many items as he could get and I think slightly relieved to be done with the task. I guess I need to be appreciative of the fact that he wants to get it right, to please me. The last time I sent him to the store and he didn't call, he came home with a generic box of grits. What's a girl to do? Luv ya boo!

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

Fair and balanced...

Throughout this election cycle I have tried to really to have a broader base of understanding, so for me that has meant exposing my self to a variety of view points. So while I have been glued to all forms of local news, internet sources, CNN and MSNBC, I have also taken to watching Fox News on occasion. "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer" was my thinking. When I do watch, the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention because I am so often amazed at what passes for "fair and balanced journalism on that channel.
Well I came across this clip and I had to take a look. I urge you to see for yourself.
To Fox News I say, they are full of "fair and balanced BULLSHIT"

cabello dominicana ...

During my hiatus I spent a weekend in the ATL and I learned a few things. First, let me say I had a wonderful time, hubby and I stayed with friends who moved down there 2 years ago and we miss them terribly, so it was good to spend time with them. They have a lovely home, a great family and wonderful friends.

On to the lessons...
Here in NY Dominican hair salons have become the go to locations for black hair care. There is literally one on every block from the tip of Washington Heights all the way out to the suburbs of Long Island and NJ. The basic hair care services that most of them offer are so highly sought after because they are inexpensive and the wait time is minimal. On most occasions when I get my hair washed and set I can expect to pay within the range of 12-20 dollars and be in an out of the salon inside and hour and a half. Well I learned via my trip that Dominican salons are not the same everywhere. My hostess, myself and one other person set out bright and early on the Saturday morning of my stay to get our hair done. We arrived at the salon about 8:30am (they opened at 8am.) My hostess signed us up on the customer list the night before, so we didn't have to wait very long to get started (the sign up thing made a few sisters unhappy, since they arrived at 8am and we were serviced before them, but anyway). Well, let me tell you 4 hours later and $25.00 lighter, we made our way out of the salon. You heard me, 4 hours later, I too was flabbergasted. I could not believe that we had been there so long, but what was even more hard to believe was that the other patrons did not seem to mind the wait. It seemed that as far as they were concerned that was par for the course. Well, it is not and $25.00, I didn't even get a deep conditioner. There is not enough competition in the ATL, there is no urgency to get the customer in and out. Dammit, they need more Dominicans in Atlanta: good, cheap black hair care demands it.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

Shirtless...

So I saw SATC on opening night and on my way to Penn station on the #1 train there a 3 men in my subway car, one of which was not wearing a shirt. Nasty!!! and no there was no heat wave, as a matter of fact is was about 11:30pm. The 3 of them were engaged in this loud conversation that they clearly wanted others to hear and they were talking about the movie characters. Shirtless says "5 years ago I was Samantha, but now I am Miranda" ( I know this because I wrote it down in my notebook). So I am wondering a few things:

• Why did this revelation or any other tidbit of information need to be shared sans a shirt.
• I don't know how I feel about a man identifying himself as one of the characters from Sex and the City. I don't think I likey.
• I don't know how I feel about women characterizing themselves as one of the ladies from Sex and the City for that matter.

Only in New York do you see stuff like that.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.

Gone, but hopefully not forgotten...

Hey, I know your are wondering where I've been for the last 2 weeks (which totally felt much longer). Work and home was on overdrive and I also took a little weekend jaunt in between. All those things combined left no time for the blogsphere. But have no fear I had my trusty notebook w/me at all times and my observations have been recorded and I am happy to share them w/you. Hmmm, where should I start...

• I participated in what is thought to be the biggest online American Idol pool in the country (2nd yr.) but I didn't have David Cook in my top four, so I didn't win a damn dime.
• Flavor Flav has finally found love, he asked his last "baby's Mama" to marry him. There is truly someone out there for everybody or a fool born every minute, pick your poison. YUCK!!
• The season finale of "LOST" was amazing. No, I didn't expect Locke to be in the coffin, but no worries nothing on the island is as it seems, so I'm sure he is not really dead.
• Gas prices make my stomach hurt. The day that I finally paid over $4 a gallon a tear came to my eye. There is no going back people, these prices are here to stay.
• I saw a grown up movie. I went to an opening night screening of Sex and the City (thanks A.P). I was stunned at the numbers of women (all shapes, sizes and colors) that turned out to see the movie. I hope they all turnout like that in November.
• Speaking of November- Obama, Obama, Obama!!! Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination for the presidency. While I have been swept up by the possibility of his accession and believe in him, I did not have that same faith in this country. I thought something would happen, something would come up and snatch the hope away, but thank God I was wrong. I love his confidence, his compassion and his intellect. I also loved when he changed up his fashion game the week of 5/28 and put aside the requisite dark suit and wore a "tannish" suit, OMG! he looked so sharp, sooooo...Presidential. The link is a nice photo album of his life, thanks for sending it to me C.J. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=16456639,16438329&pg=26

• As a NYorker I had the opportunity to vote for Hillary Clinton in the last 2 Senate elections she ran in, and I did on both occasions. After this whole primary thing, I've seen and heard somethings from her that don't sit so well with me. I'm not so sure that I would vote for her again. I read an interesting editorial in Newsweek about the fallout along gender and race lines that this election has stirred up, its written by Marjorie Valbrun- http://www.newsweek.com/id/138514

I definitely have some other opinions to share soon...Be Well