Love Jones 4 "Love Jones"

In the 90's when my wife and I were in our late twenties or early thirties...We went out with two other couples on a date night. We went to see "Love Jones" It was a cool little movie that had Larenz Tate, Isiah Washington (who you ladies all remember from the first few seasons of Grey's
Anatomy.)

I loved the movie...At first I thought we were seeing a "chick flick" and us poor men folk were just going along to get along...I'm certain the other two guys thought so too...but in the end..We all loved the movie equally. This was during the era when Spike Lee , not Tyler Perry was putting Blacks on the big screen and making us look good too. This was a little before John Singleton's Boyz in Da Hood" and F.Gary Gray and the others. Like I said, It was the early 90's.

As I recall, we liked the movie so much that when we left the theatre..We all walked to the record store and bought the soundtrack to the movie on CD...It had a great Neo Soul soundtrack that fit the times and our mood. It's still to this day, one of my favorite movies.

Set in Chicago, Darius Lovehall (played by Larenz Tate) is a young black poet who starts dating Nina Moseley (played by Nia Long), a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friends, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

Remember that? Well, I hear that Tyler Perry is one of the directors who is thinking of remaking this gem of a film. Why has Hollywood always got to remake something? There is a total of 50 remakes either already released or in rotation to be released...What? Have they run out of original ideas or are they just scared to risk failure by trying something different that we haven't seen?

Before some of my male readers get all postal at the thought of Tyler Perry being the director...remember, I said that this is all just a rumor for now. I personally think he could do a good job with the material, as long as someone else wrote it....This is not an attack on Tyler. I respect the man's hustle and for all of my fellow bloggers and readers who criticize the man for breathing sometimes ,I would like to lay something on you-

What other Black man or woman for that matter has their own studio...Has complete creative freedom to write, direct,produce and compose music for their own projects as well as hire Black and minority personel ? Come on...Tell me who? Not Spike Lee, Not John Singleton, Not any other Black filmmaker. They all have to go hat and hand and beg the big studios for money. To his credit, Tyler and Oprah have bankrolled a couple of projects by other directors, such as Philly's own Lee Daniels, Director of Oscar winner, "Precious"

But, I digress...If the original screenwriter of "Love Jones" writes it...Why not let Tyler Perry direct it? This type of movie would be right up his alley. Then again, this is just my opinion.. I don't even know if the rumor is true that he's going to be the one.

However,Love Jones is near and dear to the hearts of a generation of African Americans, like myself and a few who were a little younger who were starved for relatable movies when it came out. If it is done again...I'll use the words of a friend of mine- "It better be done right."

Another Keith

I've been watching a show on Investigation Discovery channel called "The Injustice Files" It's about another guy named Keith, Keith Beauchamp who teams up with an FBI agent who is in charge of the "Civil Rights Unit" who digs up old cold cases from the sixties and attempts to solve them. Before I go into the show any further, let me give you a background on Keith Beauchamp-

Keith Beauchamp found his calling as a filmmaker through his documentary about the story of 14-year-old Emmett Till, who in August 1955 was abducted and tortured to death because he whistled at a white woman.

Suspects were arrested for the murder, but they were all acquitted by all white juries. This story of a young boy, who was beaten, shot, and thrown in a river, ignited the early civil rights movement.

Decades later, the case was re-opened by the FBI because Beauchamp uncovered new information, bolstered by his ability as a filmmaker to reach deep into the communities where these crimes occurred and connect with potential witnesses who otherwise might not come forward.

Since his experience making The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till,Keith Beauchamp has become passionate about seeking justice for these families and assisting the FBI by developing new leads for some of their unsolved cases from this troubled chapter in American history.

For The Injustice Files, Keith Beauchamp combs through records; interviews family members, witnesses and investigators; and pieces together the known facts of each case. Beauchamp attempts to interview potential suspects and individuals who may know who was responsible for these murders, sometimes confronting them in their driveways after attempts to contact them for interviews prove unsuccessful.

These two ,Keith Beauchamp and the FBI agent kind of remind me of Agent Mulder and Agent Scully on the X-Files.. Two zealots pursuing hopeless cases that nobody cares about ,always mindful that they may be shutdown eventually. I hope this is not the case here...They both appear to be sincere and attempting to do good work.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that the show frustrates me at times... As much as I like it....Practically every week, They reopen one of these cases and they find that the killer or killers have died already and the people left behind who had something minimal to do with the murders are old in nursing homes, can't remember their names , let alone what they did 45 years ago...It's a real hurt piece....In a sense...Justice isn't being served.

These folks murdered someone 40 to 50 years ago....It was at a time when all white juries refused to convict (sometimes to even indict) the perpretrators. They got to live in freedom all these years and even die without ever paying for what they did.. Those that do go to jail now are so old that in a lot of cases..They are dead within a year anyway... They really should have been punished back when they committed these heinious crimes.

It's cool though...Justice delayed is still justice....If you get a chance and your cable provider has Discovery's Investigation (ID) channel check out my man, Keith's show -"The Injustice Files" on
Fridays at 9:00 PM.

Weekend Humor

An Ivy league graduate is applying for a part time job to help with his grad school course fees. He applies to work in a supermarket and gets the job. The first day of work, the manager tells him to sweep the floor.

The Ivy league graduate is furious and shouts "Hey man, don't you know that I have a Bachelors degree from Penn, Two Masters degrees from Columbia , a J.D. from Harvard and am working on my doctorate thesis in Public Administration at Princeton and you have the temerity to ask ME to sweep the floor?".

The manager replied “Oh sorry jack, I didn't know that, here pass me the broom and I’ll show you how to sweep the floor."

Screaming Into The Hurricane.

A lot of my blogging buddies don't blog as much as they used to anymore. A lot of them have eschewed this medium for the short sentence world of Facebook and the even shorter sentence world of Twitter. I'm on both too...I admit, both mediums are a lot easier to write on consistantly.
I have had some great conversations and exchanges on both mediums. I am also certain that I reached a larger audience too. (Though on Blogger ,you can never be sure just how many people are reading your work and just not commenting.)

I used to average about twenty to twenty five comments a day at the height of this blog's popularity. Most days I'm happy if I get one or two comments...I'm a comment whore, what can I say? At the same time I have to remember why I got in the blogging game in the first place. I had something I wanted to say. I was angry about a lot of things and I wanted to put it out there for the public to see. I always said that I was blogging for me and that I would blog whether anybody commented or not...That being true...I 've been on my soap box all week about this thing in Wisconsin. This is important....It ought to be important to any American who is reading this who works somewhere.

Look, at this time in this nation...we are still in the midst of a serious economic crisis. That being said, It's true that we gotta make some serious changes in the way we do business, in the way we spend money...in the way we live period. and that there is a need to make changes in government budgets at all levels, from the state capitals to Capitol Hill. Some of the choices involved are tough ones, including those proposed by President Barack Obama in his version of the 2012 budget.

But! There is always a but! How far is too far? For those who may feel left out of the revolutionary spirit that we are seeing in the Middle East (Egypt,Libya, Yemen ,Bahrain), a spirit of revolution has also been brewing here in the United States because of the economic crisis we find ourselves in that has gripped us since 2008.

Now that Republicans have taken over many important political seats in the aftermath of last fall's elections, that spirit is rising to even higher levels. Republicans in power have a new task: fulfilling the promises made to politically active conservatives and naive folks who put them in office, while guiding an anxious populace through turbulent times.

The Radical Far Right (and down right crazy)Tea Party wave that put many Republicans into office is looking for deep spending cuts that reflect the movement's philosophical approach to small government, Conservative populist leaders such as New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker have taken on unions and the negotiated agreements that now threaten to bankrupt their states.(So They say) Republicans on Capitol Hill (led by Speaker of the House John Boehner) are proposing cuts that could jeopardize at-risk Americans in education and other areas of need.

Now I want to ask a question...a serious question for you to think about..Are all of the targeted Republican cuts and actions really necessary? There is a clear need to make unpopular cuts that will ruffle feathers at all levels of society. All politicians realize this. President Obama was no exception, with his proposed cuts to Pell grants that have helped low-income students attend college. These Republicans,especially the Tea Party inspired ones are going to such lengths that many Americans are beginning to question the direction of the government. (Sound Familiar?)Ironically, many of those opposing the thrust of Republican leadership are doing so in a tone that resembles the angst of Tea Partiers just a few years ago -- and, further still, an anger similar to that of the grassroots movement on the other side of the Atlantic.Uh Huh?

Those who don't believe that the clash in Madison, Wis., this week to protest Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate the collective-bargaining rights of Wisconsin teachers was inspired by both the Tea Party movement and the Egyptian revolution undervalue the power of new media in the 21st century, as well as the frustration of people globally with the status quo in politics. This is a lesson that Republicans must heed quickly before they become victims of the very wave that helped them win power: People will no longer take the patient path and wait for results. I've run out of patience a while ago.

I think that a lot of Americans of all races and classes are anxious for changes that improve their collective lot. Like people overseas who protested for change, Americans are no longer interested in watching political machination or philosophies dictate policy, particularly at a time when cronyism and flunkyism has played such a key role in creating the conditions that people from Egypt to Eau Claire are facing now. I'm one of those Americans...I consider myself an Activist/Blogger.

Tea Party/Republican attempts to rein in spending would not face such opposition if the proposed budget cuts did not so closely reflect the GOP's recent history of ignoring the practical realities facing urban(ie- Black and Hispanic and poor white) residents. Scaling back the economic pressures that they say unions impose on state budgets could be negotiated and justified as a necessary evil in these economic times, if the actions of New Jersey's Governor Christie (who continues to look to freeze teachers' salaries in New Jersey) and Wisconsin's Scott Walker at the bureaucratic level of education were not accompanied by proposals within the Republican Continuing Resolution to eliminate programs that directly affect students, particularly funding for higher education. This is definitely not the time to do that...Our kids need to be able to compete at a global level in order to get the few jobs that are still available....and right now...we aint cuttin it.

When you combine all of these actions, you find yourself with a political reality that many moderates and liberals feared would happen after the Republican wave of victories in November 2010. Their worst nightmares are coming true: Republicans in power are looking to use the current economic crisis to slash budgets like crazy, ignore the existing economic disparities facing disadvantaged Americans, and promote policies that contravene sustainability and recovery for struggling, everyday Americans.

I've gotten very long winded this week...No fluff pieces...This was too serious to let slide..I felt as though I had to speak out....Sometimes I feel like I'm just screaming into the hurricane...Maybe not...Maybe somebody out there is reading this and it means something...Who knows?

I'll close by saying this...What goes around comes around...The same so called extremism of the Obama Administration that frightened so many stupid people who's only frame of reference is Fake, I mean Fox News and Talk radio can be the same extremism that fires up the Working Class, Minorities, Women, Gays ,et al and have the Republicans getting the kind of political shallacking they gave the Democrats last year...If and when that happens...remember where you heard it first....Then I'll know I wasn't just screaming into the Hurricane.

This is why I Blog!

What Is Fair about this?

I can't believe the utter nerve of this guy, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to come out of his mouth and say this...but in the spirit of fairness, I'm going to present his side of the union busting debate going on Wisconsin this week...


Late Monday afternoon the Wisconsin Republican said he won't negotiate over his plan to strip most collective bargaining rights from nearly every public employee in the state as he works to plug a $3.6 billion hole in the state budget.

Governor Walker said at a news conference in his conference room in the Capitol, where thousands have been demonstrating against his plan for about a week, that he won't accept any compromises. Typical, so Typical of these Tea Party types...The sheer arrogance just gauls me.

Democrats and the unions say they would accept an increase in the cost of benefits, but not removal of collective bargaining rights altogether. Walker rejected that idea.

Senate Democrats skipped town last Thursday and said that they won't return unless Governor Walker is willing to make concessions on his bill.So right now...We have a sort of Mexican Stand off.

"For those 14 Senate Democrats, you've had your time," Scott Walker said. "Now it's time to come home." Come home for what? So he can have his quorum?? I think not!

Governor Walker warned that at least 1,500 layoffs could result if Democrats don't return and the bill is not passed soon.That could happen if they do return..So what's the rush?

The newly elected Republican blamed most of the state's budget woes on what else? previous budgets passed by his Democratic predecessor and majority.

The governor's afternoon press conference echoed comments aired Monday morning that he made to MSNBC's Chuck Todd.

Governor Walker in the interview called his bill "incredibly fair" and said it would help the state avoid sweeping job cuts.

On day seven of the continuing protests against the bill at the Wisconsin Capitol, Walker insisted it was not political and was designed to make savings to help balance the budget.

"We're broke. Like nearly every other state across the country, we have a major deficit," he told Todd on The Daily Rundown program.

The Governor said removing some collective bargaining rights would save money and help stop people being laid off. How would this save money? If he bothered to explain this ,it might make a
difference....but you can't explain away, what most working people already know is a lie in the first place.

"We've got to balance the budget and we can't do it with a short-term fix," he said, saying an alternative plan put forward by the union would just push the problem into the future.

"I don't want to see thousands upon thousands of people laid off at the state and local level. What we are proposing is a much better alternative," Walker added.

He said suggestions his plan was political — because some unions such as firefighters and police are exempt — were "bogus" as most police and firefighter unions did not support him. (Wonder why?)

'.It applies to me'' he wailed."Overall what we're talking about is something that's incredibly fair — it applies to me and my family, to my cabinet, the legislature as well as all the other workers at the state and local government level," Walker added.

Protests against his plan started Last Tuesday and have gained steam each day.

An estimated 68,000 people turned out Saturday with all but a few thousand not opposed to the bill, but the day marked the first time that a significant contingent of Walker supporters showed up to counter-protest. There were no clashes though...at least not yet.

Hundreds of pro-union protesters gathered inside the Capitol on Sunday, as snow turned into freezing rain that made walking outside the building a challenge. Thousands more braved cold winds and temperatures in the 20s to march again on Monday, waving signs that said "Stop the attack on Wisconsin families" and "solidarity."

The 14 Senate Democrats who skipped town Thursday to indefinitely delay a vote on Walker's bill remained missing in action for a fifth day.

"You have shut down the people's government, and that is not acceptable," Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said during a brief meeting Monday setting the agenda for Tuesday's Senate session.

Two of the missing Democrats participated by phone from an undisclosed location.

"You're not in negotiations. There is no negotiation," Fitzgerald said, cutting off one of the Democrats on the phone. "You need to get back to the floor of the Senate and offer any ideas you may have on final passage. That's where we're at. There is no negotiation." See how Republicans do when they have the majority? I hope President Obama is watching this and taking notes...Though it's a little too late now..He was being a little too gentlemenly with the Re thugs...
These people don't play by such gentile rules when they have the majority...When will the Dems and the left finally see that and fight back Rep thug style? I wonder!

Both the Senate and Assembly planned to be in session on Tuesday to take up the bill, but at least one of the missing Democrats needed to show up for a vote to be taken in the Senate. Assembly Democrats planned to offer dozens of amendments that could push a vote into today or later.

Although last Tuesday's list of items, including the resolution honoring the Green Bay Packers, is largely bipartisan, Fitzgerald hinted that he might try to push some more controversial ones later, even if the Democrats aren't back. Among the possibilities is a vote on the question of whether voters should be required to show identification at the polls. How much sillier are they going to get?


Anybody....Anybody!!! Does Anybody have any doubts about who these people represent? They don't represent the working class or the middle class...They represent only the wealthy and the
special corporate lobbies that paid for many of these people's campaigns...Look what they are trying to do..Keep their workers from having any kind of say about their contracts or wages....
Union busting, plain and simple.

Personally..I feel Governor Scott Walker is a big fat liar..

His refusal to compromise or to even talk to the demonstrators is proof of that. The workers are willing to agree to lower salaries and increased insurance payments, but nooooooooo, Walker balked saying that getting rid of collective bargaining was not open to discussion. He and his fellow tea party thugs that were elected last November are trying to systematically bust unions across the country to stifle Democratic election efforts. It's not going to work. The people out protesting are not the uninformed, blindly following nitwits that watch fake news, I mean Fox News(same thing) They're not going to fall for the lies in Wisconsin or anywhere else in the country. The Koch brothers( who bank rolled his campaign) had better try a new tactic. The governor that they paid to elect isn't quite working out is he?

Finally ,He says that his proposal is "incredibly fair" (His words..) Okay..then you tell me- How is a unilateral move by one side of an issue to remove all rights of the other side "Incredibly Fair"?Who does he think he's talking to? What is fair about this? I sincerely hope the workers of Wisconsin resist to the hilt and not let him get away with this!

Let's Take It To The Streets

I asked the question yesterday of where are the young people? Why aren't they in the streets or organizing through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter the way the young people of Egypt ,Libya and other nations in the Arab World are suddenly doing?

I can't know the answer to that...but as I write this...Thousands of public employees and union activists have staged a street style protest in Madison, Wisconsin....I mention Egypt, because those demonstrations reminded me of my early childhood in the 60's when Blacks, Women, Gay people, Latinos, Young people seemed to be out in the streets protesting something everyday...

Large and tense demonstrations like those in the sixties and early seventies have become increasingly rare in America, "The Wisconsin protests could provide an Egypt-like moment, says Norman Ornstein, a fellow at the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

"If there's a big tea party demonstration in Madison, we may see a direct clash, just as we had in the streets of Cairo," says Ornstein.

One protester's sign at the capitol said, "Impeach Scott Mubarak" –( I thought that was pretty darn clever) a direct reference to protests that led Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign last week.

As it gains momentum, the union protest movement is likely to draw in young social-justice activists,Barack Obama supporters, and even religious groups who fight for the dispossessed just like the sixties.

Already ,I've seen something in Wisconsin that I've never seen before...The outnumbered Wisconsin Democrats have resorted to extreme measures to hold up the vote inn the state house. Fourteen Democratic state senators decamped from Madison Thursday, making the statehouse one lawmaker short of a quorum. On Friday, Walker asked two state troopers to collect missing Democratic leader Mark Miller from his home in order to force a vote.

Rising tensions in Madison and could presage the kind of labor unrest that hasn’t been seen in the US since the Great Depression. If you're going to take away bargaining rights, you're not leaving the workers with much if anything. You're leaving them with what they had in the '20s and '30s, you're leaving them with no choice but to take it to the streets.

I for one am all for it....It's time to send the G.O.P. and their bastard children, the Tea Party...a message...

The Battle For Wisconsin

If any of you still has any doubts about just which class the Republican Party and it's extreme off shoot ,The Tea Party is serving...Take a look at what's going on in Wisconsin right now. If that and the fact that the very first thing the new Republican dominated House attempted to do once swore in was make sure the very rich continued to get Bush Administration tax cuts doesn't show you...well then you're like the two guys in the new Geico commercial...You're living under a rock!

Plans by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his mostly republican legislature to gut collective bargaining – the tool by which public unions secure pay and benefits – for most public employees could spill into other Midwest states as a wave of small-government conservatives elected last year take on some of the Democrats’ most cherished ideals.

No region of the country was more comprehensively recast by the 2010 elections than the seven states of the upper Midwest that arc from Minnesota to Ohio. Where before Democrats had held the upper hand, Republicans now have a virtual stranglehold on politics, controlling both houses of the legislature and the governors’ chairs in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

The full import of that switch has become apparent on the streets of Madison, Wis., this week. At least 25,000 union Wisconsin protesters amassed Friday morning in and around the Capitol to protest the governor’s plans. Earlier in the week, there had been as many as 40,000. Schools have been canceled, and one rally lasted a marathon 17 hours.

With the state's tea party activists set to counter protest soon, this drama has set the scene for the streets of Madison, Wisconsin to become a surrogate for the clash of broader forces that currently define America's divisive brand of politics.

Egypt, Take note...This is how messy democracy can get. Still want it? House Speaker,
Cryin John Boehner has naturally backed the union busting Governor Scott Walker,even as President Barack Obama denounced the Wisconsin bill as an "assault on unions." The AFL-CIO, the country's largest union, vowed a national protest to support Wisconsin public employees.

One political scientist has gone so far as to compare the Wisconsin protests with what transpired in Cairo earlier this month. Yet for the Midwest, the protests hint at a conflict that could extend well beyond this weekend and beyond Wisconsin. With state legislatures redrawing congressional and legislative district maps this year, Midwest Republicans have an opportunity to change the political landscape for years to come. If they are allowed to? Where are the young people in America? Why aren't they on Facebook and Twitter organizing and spilling into the streets Cairo style?
Oh that's right...they're more concerned that Justin Beiber didn't win a Grammy!

"The elections this past November brought to the fore a lot of small-bore conservatives … under a very bad economic environment,” says Robert Bruno, a labor movement expert at the University of Illinois in Champaign. That “presented a perfect opportunity to attack institutions [like unions] that will push for more Great Society programs – that government should be taking care of the poor, regulating the economy, and helping people who are unemployed."

The Republicans tell you that the government as we know it is too big and that it is ruling your life...They say that they are the true friend of the working class and that with smaller government , you will have more freedom to pursue your happiness.
They've been singing this same song since the year I was born....It's old hat now...But a large amount of Americans still buy it.

The Workers of Wisconsin aren't buying it...They don't have a doubt in their mind who is looking out for their class interests...The question is..Does the rest of America?

Saturday Seven (7 hot new gadgets)

Hey techies and gadget heads out there...I'm hearing that these are the latest trends in all out gadgetry...check it outtttttttttt!


1. Tablet Frenzy.
Thanks to the success of the iPad, tablets will be the highest-selling consumer electronic devices of the year it's been said, with 40 to 80 new models being introduced this year .Apple has had a lot of success with the original iPad, and let's face it ,folks want electronics. The new Apple iPad 2 is expected to be released between the end of February and early April, and should have two cameras, an SD card slot, HDMI, and will be smaller. Samsung's Galaxy tablet is the only early competition for the iPad, but others such as Motorola, Asus, Blackberry, HP, HTC, Dell and LG are coming and many will offer new features such as high resolution displays, USB ports and carrier subsidies. Even the bargain TV manufacturer Vizeo is getting into the tablet game.

2.Windows 7 Phone.
These phones came out last year, but more models are coming out, especially if sales of current versions are good. Success will depend on size and quality of apps in their new app market and new hardware across carriers in the U.S.

3. Android Phones.
This will be the biggest mover and shaker for 2011, with the new dual-core powered phones and Android 3.0 Gingerbread for tablets. Such phones are making portable gaming systems such as the Sony PSP obsolete.


4. Cloud Gaming.
While smartphones make gaming cheap -- a few dollars instead of $30 for a game -- the new trend of cloud gaming is picking up fast among gamers, You don't have to buy expensive hardware or software because the games are hosted on servers and will give you instant access to tons of titles. Services such as OnLive and Gaikai will steal some spotlight from the new Kinect and PS Move in 2011. It's like having Netflix for video games. My Daughter and Son and Law will love hearing this!


5. iPhone.
Once again, Apple's iPhone is grabbing big headlines. The white iPhone 4 is scheduled to be released in the spring, and Verizon(My provider..who I'm giving a shameless free plug to) is expected to add the iPhone to its network with CDMA technology to improve call quality and give iPhone owners a better option than AT&T. To add to that, the iPhone 5 is expected to be released in June.


6. Internet TV/Streaming Media.
Either via TV or set top box the Internet is coming back to the living room, according to experts. TVs will have fully-integrated apps, features, and Web. "Pretty much TVs are going to have all of the capabilities of a smartphone, but on your wall," he said. Expect new set-top boxes with Google TV, and other boxes with Android to hit the market in 2011. George Jetson ,Mr. Spacely and Cogsley Cogswell never figured on this!

7. Personal Home ATM! - This will dispense money to you from your home to enable you to pay for all of these things! A must have! Okay...I'm kidding about number seven, but it would be really cool wouldn't it?

Weekend Humor

The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Sherlock Holmes said:” Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see?"

Dr. Watson said, "I see millions and millions of stars."

Sherlock Holmes then said- "And what does that tell you Watson?"

Dr. Watson responded- "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant by comparison. Meteorogically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you Holmes?"

Sherlock Holmes paused exasperatingly and said to Dr. Watson "It tells me that somebody stole our damn tent."

In Loving Memory of My Aunt, Jeanne E. Faust-( 1927-2000) We told each other corny jokes like that all the time! Have a great weekend everybody!

Mike Vick says No To O.

Apparently There is someone who can say no to Oprah!...My man, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback, Mike Vick canceled his planned appearance for Wednesday on the Oprah Winfrey show,it was reported. I don't watch Oprah..Not ever! Nothing personal,I'm just not home when she's on in the evening and at night when she's on again...I'm watching "Family Guy" or Discovery ID channel or "The First 48" or anything but Oprah.

The interview had been scheduled to air on Feb. 24. No reason was given for the cancellation. I can think of one..Maybe Mike didn't feel like crying.

Mike Vick, now 30, was supposed to discuss his history in dog fighting as well as his upbringing and NFL career.Mike Vick has appeared on local radio and television in recent weeks to discuss his future.He may be tired of talking about dogs and dog fighting...who really knows? That would be my guess though! Seems like he can't get by it, no matter who he is interviewed by now of days.

The veteran signal caller has made it clear that he wants to return to the Philadelphia Eagles next season. The Eagles used their one-year exclusive franchise tag designation for him this past Tuesday.

Oprah Winfrey had to pull out of a bet with fellow talk show host Piers Morgan to land her interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, showbiz news agency WENN reported Tuesday.(I didn't know that Talk show hosts bet..isn't that illegal?)

But in order to land the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, Mike Vick's agent told both the TV personalities the quarterback did not want to be associated with gambling and that they would have to withdraw their friendly bet that Winfrey would land the interview first. Hahahahahahahahahaha...Now that's rich!

On Tuesday, Morgan said the bet no longer stood.

"I feel absolutely gutted ... although I haven't technically lost," the Brit said.

"Here's what happened: I bet Oprah $200.00 for this interview, and then a mysterious thing happened at the end of last week, where Michael Vick's agent rang us both up and said, ''He can't be party to gambling so he'll only do an interview with either of you if you withdraw the bet."

Piers Morgan said Oprah Winfrey, "quick as lightning," went on Twitter and posted: "Dear Piers, I'm withdrawing the bet, I don't know why I let you talk me into it, I still love you, Oprah."

"The moment I saw that, I knew what that meant was, if she did that on Twitter, she was in the clear and she had him in the bag," Morgan said.

"You shouldn't pick a fight with Oprah Winfrey, right?"

Right...but apparently Oprah didn't have Mike in the bag...Maybe he won't do either show...It can't hurt him not to at this point!

Heart Health Month

There is always something going on. Yesterday, in addition to being Valentines Day was also National Condom Day. Did anybody know that? Did anybody care? Well, it was. In addition to this being Black History month...It is also Heart health month. See, I tell you...February is a big month. A big month to have so few days...

Seriously though..(This is the part where I get deep)Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 had a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.

Pretty scary stuff huh? The chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of having yet another heart attack or a stroke in the future. If you want or need more information on heart disease and stroke, visit CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.Read something other than the sports page or the comics for a change. (I myself read the obituraries.)

You know (or at least I hope you know) that High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and secondhand smoke are also risk factors associated with heart disease. I think you should also know the signs and symptoms too-

Check it out..Some heart attacks are sudden and intense; however, most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

•Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.

•Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

•Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat,(Not to be confused with dancing and sweating to a James Brown song of the same name.) nausea, or lightheadedness.

The American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Red Cross, and the National Council on Aging have launched a new "Act in Time" campaign to increase people's awareness of heart attack and the importance of calling 9-1-1 immediately at the onset of heart attack symptoms.

Of course I'm going to tell you in all seriousness that a healthy lifestyle is the only defense you have against heart problems...I'm writing this as much for myself as I am all of you who may be reading this.

A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people (myself included here) make it harder than it needs to be. It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern of the choices you make that counts.(Just like anything else in life) As you make daily food choices, read nutrition labels and base your eating pattern on these recommendations-

•Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.

•Select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products.

•Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.

•Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.

•Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

•Select and purchase foods lower in salt/sodium. (My beautiful wife does a great job in keeping me away from sodium....Haven't enjoyed a decent potato chip in months!)

•If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you're a woman and two drinks per day if you're a man. (Yayyyyyy,I'm so glad I'm a man!)

•Keep an eye on your portion sizes. (Very hard for me to do...but I'm working on it.)


Final thing...then you're free to go..Physical activity in your daily life is an important step to preventing heart disease. You can take a few simple steps at home, at work, and at play to increase the amount of physical activity in your life. After you finish reading this blog..Get on your bike and go riding..Go jogging...Do something physical!..

Remember...It's heart health month people...Stay healthy!

A Public service announcement from the Maverick of Life!

My Valentines Day Post

It's Valentines Day.....I'm sure you all know all about it...Some of you even dread it...but just in case you didn't know the history of it...Trivia buff that I am..here it is. (You all of course know..that I just needed a reason to post something...anything today right?)

Saint Valentine...Not to be confused with Saint Nick...Okay, seriously now Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.(Married folk and unmarried folk who are still doing it anyway!)

The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. I'm sure that now with Androids and Blackberrys and texting and social networking...Some other silly custom will take route soon. By soon ,I mean within the next few years...If it hasn't already. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent last year...


Kind of cold isn't it? That's commerce for you...The part of me that is not cynical and that is still a hopeless romantic who desperately is looking for the purity in anything says that you and your significant other should go to a movie, go to a special dinner, find a hotel room today to celebrate each other and being together...I am serious...In a world where there isn't a whole lot to celebrate...Love still is real...Love still is...well....what it is!

Peace and Love to you all!

Saturday Seven ( 7 things you might not know about kissing)

In celebration of the upcoming valentines day...Here are seven things you might not have known about kissing. I'm not even going to use the number seven that I usually use.


1.There are tons of nerve endings ... … in your lips (100 times more than in your fingertips!) that stimulate desire. That's why smooching before, during, and after sex can be extremely arousing and satisfying.

2. Forty percent of guys say that ... a really long, steamy kiss will get them immediately ready to head to the bedroom.

3.Guys initiate open-mouth kissing to transfer libido-boosting testosterone to their woman. So ladies, when your man is getting a little more aggressive, it's not just about his desire — he wants you to be a bit more amorous too. Didn't know I could get
scientific on you did ya?

4.Instantly turn up the heat of the moment by closing the "A-frame": A smooching stance in which you and your significant other are in the middle of a smooch but your hips are a mile apart. By pressing your hips together, the degree of desire quickly rises.

5.Ladies if you kiss a guy's ear? Kiss and suck on his earlobe for a moment and then trace the outline of his ear with the tip of your tongue. (Bonus points if you whisper something nasty to him.)


6.Guys don't really care if you're a bad kisser or not!

7. I made most of this stuff up...I don't know.....


HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Weekend Humor

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.

Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. ''Careful,'' he said, ''CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL!Oh Lawd Jesus You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! "

"Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!''

The wife stared at him. ''What in Sam Hill is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?''

The husband calmly replied, ''I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."

Dollar For Dollar

Okay, it's time to get serious...I've written enough fluff pieces for one week anyway. One of the lies that the Republican Party and their Tea Party co-horts have told continually is that President Obama has been spending money like it's going out of style and that if he was not stopped...Our children (It's always our children) and grandchildren would be stuck with a big bill after we are gone. Like we aren't paying bills our parents and grand-parents made today! Come on.

After reading articles in Newsweek, The Daily Beast and other publications..I wonder if the facts bare the Republicans and The Tea Party out? We are talking about facts here aren't we? I don't think these people ever came across a fact that they didn't try to hide or distort!


According to what I've been reading..President Obama has slashed a dollar of spending for every dollar he’s spent on government programs, making myths of his “spending illness” seem pretty ridiculous...but then again...I always thought most of what they were saying seemed pretty ridiculous to begin with.

So far, the Obama administration has pushed for six major, immediate spending increases that aren’t offset elsewhere in the budget: the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act ( “the stimulus package” for those of you who still don't look at or read the news.), which had a 2009-10 price tag of $340 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office; the GM/Chrysler bailout and other portions of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which have largely been paid back ($25 billion); unemployment-insurance extensions ($67 billion); COBRA extensions ($9 billion); Cash for Clunkers ($3 billion); and loans to automakers for energy-efficiency improvements ($8 billion).

That’s $452 billion. Factor in $296 billion in stimulus funds that have yet to be spent and $136 billion in refundable tax credits that passed in December as part of Congress’ bipartisan tax compromise, and you wind up with $884 billion on the spending side of the equation.

That’s a hefty sum of money.( A lotta "cake" as the hipsters would say) But here’s where this all gets interesting, check it out:President Obama’s tax cuts have been even bigger. The first of them, $238 billion in cuts for taxpayers and businesses, came as part of the stimulus package. The second portion, $721 billion worth, arrived in December, again as part of Congress’ bipartisan tax compromise. Subtract $54 billion in forthcoming stimulus-related tax hikes, and you’ve got a grand total of $905 billion in tax cuts. In other words,President Obama has slashed one tax dollar for every dollar he’s spent on government programs. HA! As P-Diddy would say-Take dat, Take Dat, Take Dat."

I want to say this is really cool news, but well, we live in America. A fantasy world where regardless of reality, Republicans and their bastard children, the Tea Party have a strong incentive to keep characterizing the president’s spending as an ‘'out-of-control,’' ‘'unprecedented’',(Can you say George W. Bush?) ''irresponsible spree spending’' that "threatens our children’s future. ''(Always with the children).

They clearly are more interested in scaring a certain segment of America and getting this Black man out of the white house than they are in telling the truth...but then again, that's been the pattern all along hasn't it?

Random Thoughts

1. If you don't learn how to get to the next chapter in life, you're going to just be stuck on the same page.

2. Two incomplete people will never make a complete relationship.

3. God shows up when you least expect it.

4.Why are we so judgemental and hard on each other? Life is tough enough!

5.Do you ever notice that some people still have a problem reffering to Barack Obama as "President Obama"...He's always "Obama"..Like if they don't say President..maybe it'll be true that he isn't...and that they are just having a bad dream. Get over it folks please..You know who you are!

6.Can't carry someone forever and expect them to know how to walk when you finally put them down!

7.I've heard that the ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something ,but to be something.. Thought I'd get a little deep on ya with that one!

8.Never take advice from someone who knows less than you.

9.Seems like we go from one extreme to another...First the jeans sag so much that if you have to run, you'll trip and fall...Now the jeans are so tight, if you have to run, you'll suffocate!

10.Is it me, or is today's music more and more disposable?

I'm just sayin....

A Crack In The Floor

I don't know what made me think of this...Probably because I was driving through a blighted area of West Philly that I used to play in as a child. The sad fact of the matter is that this very neighborhood I'm talking about was beginning to show signs of "benign neglect" in 1971 or 1972 and here we are in 2011 and this same neighborhood has shown no sign of improvement at all...In fact it's gotten worse.

Like a lot of people..I lived two lives...The one in the house with my Grandparents and my parents and then that other life out in the streets. I was hanging out with this guy named Ricky Carnes (not his real name) when I was about 11 or 12. He used to like to break into abandoned houses and see what if anything was left behind...

He broke into quite a few on this block..and usually someone would go in with him. No one I knew ever found anything of value if anything at all...The people had moved out...The homes were usually completely empty! Usually when I went with him..We found that the electricity was still on...the water might have been still working....but outside of that..nothing. I found no fun in this after going with him about two or three times and had decided that I wasn't going to do this anymore.

Mind you...The fact that we were actually breaking the law didn't occur to either of us..(Well at least not to me!!) On this particular day...We broke into two homes...He was in one and I was in the one next to it...We were just running up and down the stairs ,turning the lights on and off and turning on the water..Stupid stuff that kids would do...When I slipped and fell...not down but into the floor!!! These were three story houses mind you..and here I was with my stupid behind..suspended between the third floor and whatever!!

See, there is a reason why these houses were locked up..Why some of them said condemned! Reasons that went past two stupid little boys on this day. I yelled out for help...but of course there was nobody to help me...Ricky was in the house next door and he couldn't hear me....I wiggled and wiggled and couldn't budge... plus the wood was scratching my sides and beginning to hurt!

I feared that if I slipped through the floor...I'd fall a distance and be seriously injured...maybe break a bone or two!! Nobody would hear me...nobody would know!! I'd lay there all alone for lord knows how long....I was beyond scared....
and ohhh the whipping I'd get when Nana or God forbid...My mother , found out!!!

They say that God aids babies and fools...I've been both! I stayed there stuck for I don't know how long...but I think I fell asleep, stuck in that hole....I woke up awhile later and I wiggled a little more and managed to free myself...I thanked God and every dead relative in my family that was maybe somewhere in the great beyond praying for my safety..

I'll tell you what else I did...I got the hell out of that house as fast as I could...My boy, Ricky Carnes didn't fare as well....The Police caught him coming out of the other house and just as I emerged on to the avenue..I saw him sitting in the back of the police car at the stop light looking more humble than I'd ever seen him before . The police car pulled off... Why is it that the biggest hell raisers always look so humble and contrite when they get arrested? Why aren't they continuing to raise hell?

I'd been lucky twice that day...One , I hadn't fallen through that hole and two, I hadn't gotten arrested. I still worried if Ricky would tell that I was with him, but after two days...It was apparent that he hadn't told. I was home free..Literally and figurtively!

I never ,ever went into another condemned or otherwise empty house again.
(This of course is not including the empty one I bought some years later.) As for Ricky??...Well, he graduated to bigger things and did a couple of turns as a "guest of the state." (Incarcerated in the State Correctional Facility) I guess some people never learn.

That neighborhood in particular was starting to empty then...Today...there isn't a single occupied house on the block...In fact, most of the homes on this block are gone...The two or three that are standing are empty...39 years and no improvemant to this urban area...Somebody failed us somewhere....Call it benign neglect or whatever..but it's a big fat fail if you ask me. The only thing good that came out of it was that I did at least learn a good life lesson.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!

Congratulations to The Green Bay Packers...2011 Super Bowl Champs! Job Well done! See ,I'm a good sport... I watched what I thought was a good game yesterday...I wasn't rooting for either team....I applauding equally when each team scored, which was kind of weird...being the competitive kind of guy I am.


What can I say? That's how it is...Another year, another time, another attitude altogether...but I will not go into that...I covered that yesterday...It was a good game, very competitive and hard fought. In the end, the best team won! So...

once again..Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers!

Super Bowl Blues

I am sitting here on super bowl Sunday as a poor loser. Yeah, I got sour grapes. My Eagles will be home watching the game , just like I will. When the season began..Nobody expected the Eagles to make the playoffs ,let alone win the division...but then again...nobody expected Mike Vick to become the starting quarterback and elevate his play and the fortunes of the Philadelphia Eagles to such high heights. It was a dizzying ride..but it's all over.

To keep talking about the Eagles would be disrespectful to the Pittsburgh Steelers ( Who hail from the other side of my home state) or the Green Bay Packers who will be representing the NFC, of which my team is a part of. So you see ...I have split loyalties. I want to be loyal to the NFC...Yet at the same time...I was born in the great state of Pennsylvania and it would be nice to see the Lombardi trophy in this state at least.

Then again...Damn...The Steelers have six chips already...do they really need another chip?? My Eagles aint got one!!!! Ouuu, that was grammatically horrible....but it reflects the way I really feel at the moment. I have decided what I'm going to eat...Check out my other blog..."Good Foodie" if you get a chance.

I'm going to sign off now...I won't be rooting for either team today....I just hope I see a good game
and enjoy some brats....

Weekend Humor

Only in America!

Only in America...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance...

Only in America...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink...

Only in America...do people order 2 double cheese burgers, a large fry, and a diet coke...

Only in America...do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters...

Only in America...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless things and junk in boxes in the garage...(I'm guilty of this one myself!)

Only in America...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place...

Only in America...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight...

Only in America...do we use the word "politics" to describe the process so well: "Poli" in latin meaning "many" and "tics" meaning "blood-sucking creatures"..Hmmmmmm!

Oh Well, Hope this made you chuckle.....Have a great weekend everybody!

What I've Learned

1. You can't count on anything to stay the same.

2.Confession is good for the soul sometimes...There are other times when you should keep your mouth shut!

3.Science Promises, Reality Doesn't.

4.As long as I'm right most of the time...I don't mind the rare time I'm a complete idiot!

5.Good Manners makes you a better man in the long run.

6.Arrogance is a lack of self awareness.

7. Confidence is the point of self awareness

8.Children just totally destroy any notion of pompousness in adults.

9.My Father told me one thing and one thing only about going in a bar..."Only drink what you can afford." Good advice indeed now that I think of it.

10.Everyday you should do one thing nice for yourself, give yourself a little gift.

Phylicia!

I haven't watched Nancy Grace's show in about two years. I'm aware that it still comes on though. I think I may have been channel surfing one night out of pure boredom and I came upon it. I watched her for a few minutes...(That's about all I can take of her usually) and she was championing the search for yet another missing girl...A missing white girl. Seems like every week a white girl goes missing somewhere in the United States ....Not just on Nancy Grace, but on Discovery ID channel too. That's the new crime station on cable that I must admit is one of my guiltier pleasures.

I actually was beginning to think that Black girls seldom if ever vanish...That nobody snatches them and that they don't run away. Of course , this is not true..It's like everything else in this country sometimes.. It just doesn't get reported...Nobody ever hears about it except the people involved.

It's come to my attention through Facebook and Twitter, where I seem to be getting most of my news now of days that a young Black woman has indeed vanished into thin air...She has everything in common with the white females who have vanished...Young, pretty...smart..et al.
I haven't watched Nancy Grace in awhile...so I hope that this story is running on her show.


Phylicia Barnes from the small North Carolina city of Monroe, about 25 miles southeast of Charlotte, vanished into thin air on or about Dec. 28 while visiting her older half-siblings for the holidays. Since then, all calls to her cell phone have gone straight to voicemail, she's been a no-show on her social media profiles and she hasn't used her ATM card.

Baltimore police call it one of the strangest and most vexing missing persons cases they've ever investigated, and despite getting help from the FBI, they have few leads.

Phylicia Barnes' 17th birthday was Jan. 12. Her mother, Janice Sallis, remains confident she'll be found. "I'm going to wait until she comes home to give her a party," Sallis said by phone Wednesday from Atlanta, where she's relocated since her daughter's disappearance. "I spent her day being happy. I was happy when she was born, and every 12th of January, I'm going to be happy because that was a happy day for me."

Police alerted local media soon after Phylicia Barnes' disappearance, sounding the alarm that her disappearance was unusual because she had no history of disputes with her family or trouble with the law. Investigators believe she may have been kidnapped and possibly taken out of state, and with no suspects or physical evidence, they fear the worst, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. More than 100 police officers combed a northwest Baltimore park a week after her disappearance, but found no signs of a body or clues to her whereabouts.

Phylicia's smiling face, in a photo taken from her Facebook page, greets motorists on billboards as they drive into the city. Police have gotten about 70 tips, but none has panned out, Guglielmi said.

Investigators are re-interviewing about a dozen friends and associates of Phylicia's 27-year-old half-sister, Deena Barnes, who saw the young woman in the days before she disappeared, and are hammering away at any discrepancies in their statements, Guglielmi said. Police have executed search warrants but haven't recovered any evidence.

Sallis has expressed concern about the number of strangers Deena Barnes allowed into her apartment while Phylicia was staying there, but Guglielmi said there's no indication those individuals were up to anything out of the way, describing the atmosphere at the apartment as similar to a college dorm.

Phylicia Barnes is an honor student at Union Academy, a public charter school in Monroe,North Carolina and she was on track to graduate early and had already been accepted to several colleges.

Two years ago, she reconnected with her half-siblings on Facebook, and she traveled to Baltimore several times to visit them, her mother said.

"I'm very family-oriented. I didn't want her scale to be unbalanced, to know my side of the family and not know her father's side of the family," Sallis said.

But since Phylicia's disappearance, she regrets allowing her daughter to stay with Deena, who admitted allowing Phylicia to drink alcohol and was generally more permissive with the teenager than Sallis would have liked, Sallis said.

Deena Barnes could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Phylicia's father, Russell Barnes -- who is long divorced from Sallis and did not raise Phylicia -- did not respond specifically to Sallis' complaints but said Wednesday that criticism of Deena was unfair.

Russell Barnes has been in Baltimore since the day after Phylicia's disappearance and said Wednesday he intends to remain in the city until she is found. He is organizing volunteer searches.

"We don't believe she's gone or anything like that," he said. "We think somebody just has her."

Deena's ex-boyfriend was the last person to see Phylicia, according to police and the girl's parents. Most of Phylicia's clothing and shoes were left inside her sister's apartment, and she didn't have much money, Russell Barnes said -- an indication that even if she left of her own volition, she didn't plan to be gone long.

"She didn't know anything about Baltimore city," Russell Barnes said. "She would never leave her sister, really. She loves her sister."

This is all very, very disturbing...It kind of reminds me of the Natalie Holloway case of a few years ago. The cheerleader from Alabama who vanished in Aruba and still hasn't been found...I am joining along with all of my friends and fellow bloggers and social networkers in calling for any help, any tips anybody out there has ,that will help find this girl. I am praying that she is found alive... I hope that John Walsh and Nancy Grace lend a helping hand also.

Well I Could've Told You That!

You know...I say a lot of things...I write a lot of stuff on this blog that has some people shaking their heads....but when somebody important says the very thing I wrote months before...I feel vindicated...

Just last week, The Democratic Congressman from Virginia, Jim Moran told the Arab network Alhurra that Democratic losses in November's midterm elections can be traced to voters who "don't want to be governed by an African American, particularly one who is inclusive, who is liberal, who wants to spend money on everyone and who wants to reach out to include everyone in our society."

Congressman Moran further said much of the criticism of President Obama comes from a "selfish and close-minded perspective." Really? This theory certainly isn’t a new one. But an elected representative's willingness to brave the political repercussions of saying it out loud (watch for "race card" and "reverse racism" claims from pundits on political talk shows this weekend -- we can already sense the glee of the Fox News audience as they seize on this) is nothing short of shocking.

Thank you, Rep.Jim Moran, for saying something that seems obvious to many of us, but that our pragmatic president is far too disciplined to ever say for himself. That's why I've been saying for him as has been many other like minded individuals.

I certainly applaud his courage..but at the same time, I realize that a sizable portion of this country lives in denial and enjoys believing in fantasy...Nothing he or I or anyone African -American can say will wake up this sizable portion anytime soon...They'll pooh pooh this and they'll call his remarks "Irresponsible" and "extremist" and go on living in their fantasy world.
Post Racial America anyone?? I almost got caught up in that fantasy myself.