Weekend Humor

 NINE MONTHS LATER!


Jack decided to go skiing with his buddy, Bob. So they loaded up Jack's minivan and headed north.

After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered the door if they could spend the night.

 ''I realize it's terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I'm recently widowed,'' she explained.

''I'm afraid the neighbors will talk if I let you stay in my house."she said. 

'' Don't worry. We'll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we'll be gone at first light..'' said Jack.

The lady agreed, and the two men found their way to the barn and settled in for the night.

 Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they got on their way. They enjoyed a great weekend of skiing. But about nine months later,

Jack got an unexpected letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined that it was from the attorney of that attractive widow he had met on the ski weekend.

He dropped in on his friend Bob and asked,"Do you remember that attractive widow we met that night we stayed at the farm...about nine months ago?" he asked.

 


''Yes, I do.'' Said Bob.

 ''Did you, er, happen to get up in the middle of the night, go up to the house and pay her a visit?'' he asked.

''Well, um, yes!,'' Bob said, a little embarrassed about being found out,

''I have to admit that I did' ' he said sheepishly.

"And did you happen to give her my name instead of telling her your name?'' asked Jack.

 Bob's face turned beet red and he said, ''Yeah, look, I'm sorry, buddy. I'm afraid! I did  Why do you ask?" he said.

 ''She just died and left me everything.'' said Jack.


Have a Groovy Weekend Everybody!

Trending Thought

As I write this , The United States could be on the verge of shooting missles into Syria as a result of Syria allegedly using chemical weapons on it's own people during their civil war there....So the intelligent solution is of course..to fire missles into the country that has already been wracked by explosions and bloodshed and violence..

Not too many people seem to be overly concerned about this...But people on Facebook ,on Twitter and on blogs are losing their damn mind about Hannah Montana...Oh excuse me, Miley Cyrus twerking on the MTV VMA awards the other night.

I didn't see it ....Well, I have since seen it on Youtube and on half a dozen sights..For something we are sooo outraged about...We sure are showing it over and over again!...I guess it's like they say...There is no such thing as bad publicity...

AMERICA IS OUT RAGED!!!  (Again??) Not that we might shoot missles into Syria and get involved in yet another mid east scuffle...Nooooooo...They are outraged that Miley Cyrus had on a skin tight bikini and twerked at the MTV awards....Let's see...are they showing it again?

Yet Another George Zimmerman Story

You know ...if it was up to me...I'd never write about George Zimmerman again.  I don't even want to speak this clown's name...but like O.J. Simpson...He just can't stay out of the news...

Check this out.. George Zimmerman will ask the state of Florida to reimburse him for as much as $300,000 in expenses he racked up successfully defending himself in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Can You freakin believe this?

George Zimmerman and his legal team believe they are entitled to the refund because Mr.Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder July 13 for having shot and killed Trayvon Martin, age 17.

The shooting in February 2012 sparked a national discussion over racial profiling and Stand Your Ground laws after  George Zimmerman, a self appointed neighborhood watch volunteer, said he acted in self-defense.

The motion, to be filed by George Zimmerman's lead attorney, Mark O'Mara, would seek refunds for the hundreds of thousands of dollars the defense spent on fees for expert witnesses and court reporters for depositions, travel and other similar expenses.

Attorney fees for the defense team, including Attorney, MarkO'Mara, wouldn't be part of the motion.

The state Judicial Administrative Commission, which would be responsible for paying out the money if the request is even approved, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Monday night....They are probably still laughing after having read the request.

George Zimmerman's request was first reported by The Orlando Sentinel, which quoted  Mark O'Mara as saying he would soon file the motion with state Circuit Judge Debra Nelson.

The Sentinel reported that George Zimmerman's request would be based on an  old Florida law that says a defendant who's acquitted isn't liable for costs associated with his or her case. It must be approved by a judge or a clerk.

Mark O'Mara told the newspaper he expects the Judicial Administrative Commission to throw up roadblocks.

"That's where the fight is," said Mark O'Mara, who told the paper he's been paid nothing by George Zimmerman but has kept billing records.

In the words of Tony Soprano..."Oh Poor Poor You." 

In My opinion...The State of Florida shouldn't pay George Zimmerman or his attorneys not one red cent...If for no other reason then the fact that he has given the state it's worst publicity in years!

If anything...He OWES Florida money for lost tourist revenue!
 

Chicken Lickin

I wrote a few weeks ago and I will rephrase this...I think the Democratic Party may wind up dominating American Politics for the next few years. You know why? Not because they are saying and doing anything extra-special...They really aren't..

They will dominate because the Republican Party is just so far off the rails and so far out of touch with the main stream that I just can't see too many people taking them seriously as a party that can govern effectively in the next few years...

For the 41st time...Republican Congressmen and Senators are trying to repeal Obamacare...For the third time they are threatening to bankrupt and shut down the federal government in a baseless argument over the debt ceiling...and in the ridiculous, I can't make this up comment section...A Republican official said that the reason Black people are in poverty and dire economic straits is because they eat too much fried chicken!

Let's put a quarter in the meter and park right there....

Colorado Republican state Sen. Vicki Marble, during a task force discussion about poverty, referenced chicken as one of the reasons for health problems -- including sickle-cell anemia, apparently -- in the black community, the Denver Post reports. Marble also made a comment about how Mexicans ate healthier in their native country before immigrating to the United States, despite a recent report that Mexico is the world's most overweight industrialized nation. Guess she missed that!

Her Democratic colleagues said that she reinforced inaccurate stereotypes about black Americans, to which Senator Marble later issued a statement expressing sorrow about how her comments "were taken." 

"When you look at life expectancy, there are problems in the black race," Marble said. "Sickle-cell anemia is something that comes up. Diabetes is something that's prevalent in the genetic makeup, and you just can't help it.*

"Although I've got to say, I've never had better barbecue and better chicken and ate better in my life than when you go down South and you, I mean, I love it. Everybody loves it."  *

(But if you negroes want to improve your lot in life...you've got to lay off the fried chicken! Is what she actually means!)

*Actual quotes....I'm shaking my head..


Senator Marble also said Mexicans eat healthfully until they immigrate to America.
Marble serves on the legislature's Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force, which Wednesday was looking at statistics highlighting racial disparities and the poverty rate
.
Two Democrats on the committee, Sen. John Kefalas of Fort Collins and Rep. Rhonda Fields of Aurora, later said Marble's comments not only reinforced stereotypes, but that they also are inaccurate. They said those in the committee room appeared shocked by the remarks ...

In a statement issued Wednesday night, Senator Marble said her comments "were not meant to be disparaging to any community. I am saddened they were taken in that regard."

I'm sad that people actually vote for people like her and others like the guy who said that a woman can't get pregnant from rape because the body shuts down semen from a rapist.  (Hmmm, bet you he was daydreaming in health class in high school!)

I mean...I can't make up this stuff...These are elected officials..People who's intelligence I'd normally give the benefit of the doubt to....

I'd also give that benefit of doubt to the people who voted for them too...Shame!

See what I mean...You can't take these people too serious.

So while you all stew over what I wrote...I'm going out and get me a rib platter.

Two Marches, Same Struggles

In 1963...When they had the original March on Washington....I was about 5 years old...I hadn't started Kintergarden yet.....I have absolutely no memory of that March....I wouldn't...I was too young.  I only discovered this year at my family reunion that my aunt and my mother's only surviving sister was actually at the March on Washington in 1963.

She and her husband were alledgedly told by my Grandfather that they should go because "this was going to be history!." How correct he was... It was...It is historical and it's a blessing that my Aunt is still around to tell those of my generation and their children about those days, those milestones in not just African-American History, but American History.

This is American History...Not just Black History...This was our nation at the crossroads....

Unfortunately....50 years...50 years have passed and this nation is still at the crossroads of race... A few years ago...They tried to argue that now that we have elected a Black President that we had entered the "Post -Racial " era...Where race was less and less a factor...

I so wanted to believe that!  But it just aint so...Everything in America is still decided by race...You know, My grandmother used to say that there is no such thing as a co-incidence. How right she was.It's not a co-incidence that there is a concentrated effort to bankrupt and close schools in a lot of our major cities that are inhabited by African-Americans and Latino children...While more prisons are being built...It's not a co-incidence that we are turning out African-American and Latino children that aren't equipped to compete for the new jobs that are available...and there for will be destined to live in poverty, turn to crime and fill up these new prisons and become cheap labor...That is not a co-incidence...

This is the new face of Jim Crow...Jim Crow Jr.

Racism is alive and well in 2013 as it was in 1963...It just doesn't wear a hood...Today it wears jackboots...or possibly, a Brooks Brother's suit......

II-

I wasn't at this March either....Though a lot of my friends did go down for the march....Then they were fighting for De-segregation, Jobs, Education and protection from racist violence... Now, we are fighting for Jobs, Education and an end to racist violence....What really has changed?  You know how they say that the more things change, the more they stay the same? Sadly , that is the case here...  Ironically while this march was going on ,I heard a story about a black family of 20 people who were asked to leave a restaurant because a white customer "felt threatened" by them.   This didn't happen in 1963...It happened a few days ago in 2013... Still think this is Post racial America?

As much progress as we've made, there is still so much to do...There are still forces who want to force us to go back to the America of June,Wally and Beaver Cleaver....in the 50's...Some people say ..Well maybe you should just wait for people like Mitch McConnell to die and he'll be replaced by forward thinking and younger pundits....

Sorry...I don't have time to wait for these old last ditch racists and tea party folks to die...I need them to go away right now! We can't..and by we ,I mean all Americans...Can't afford to go back anywhere...The world is watching the USA and the world is moving forward...We have got to move forward too...and we can't waste another 50 years wrestling with this race problem.....

While this weekend's March was supposed to be a triumphant celebration of our civil rights past...All I can really see is a reminder of what we need to do and where we need to be heading in our future..as well as how far we haven't come. Sorry, that's just how I see it!

50 Years Ago~!

50 years ago...Maybe America was having it's first honest discussion about race....50 years later...we are still divided BY RACE! Maybe in another 50 years we'll get it right....and we will all see each other as human beings and won't have to discuss RACE anymore! Yeah, maybe!

Weekend Humor

15 Things You Don't Say To A Pregnant Woman!

15. "You know, looking at her, you'd never guess that she just had a baby." 

14. "I sure hope your thighs aren't gonna stay that flabby forever." 

13. "I finished the Oreos." 

12. "Darned if you aren't about five pounds away from a surprise visit from that Richard Simmons fella." 

11. "Fred at the office passed a stone the size of a pea. Boy, that's gotta hurt." 

10. "Not to imply anything, but I don't think the kid weighs 40 pounds." 

9. "I'm jealous. Why can't men experience the joy of childbirth?" 

8. "Are your ankles supposed to look like that?" 

7. "Get your own ice cream." 

6. "Geez, you're awfully puffy-looking today." 

5. "Got milk?" 

4. "Maybe we should name the baby after my secretary, Tawny." 

3. "Man! That rose tattoo on your hip is the size of Madagascar!" 

2. "Retaining water? Yeah, like the Hoover Dam retains water." 

1. "You don't have the guts to pull that trigger."



Everybody have a Groovy Weekend!

3 Boys In Oklahoma

You know...Having been a teenaged male myself...It has always amazed me how when a group of guys are together and they are bored....It never fails...the group always takes the advice of the stupidest member...which is how they get in trouble.

I don't know who came up with the idea of  "I'm bored...let's kill somebody..." but I don't know if the other two who went along with the idea are any better either..

These three boys, unknown to the world last week have now created an international incident...


With a motive that's both as chilling as it is simple minded — to break up the boredom of an Oklahoma summer — three teenaged boys randomly targeted an Australian collegiate baseball player who was attending school in the U.S. and killed him for fun, or so the prosecutors said yesterday as they charged two of the boys with murder.

Prosecutor Jason Hicks called the boys ''thugs'' as he described how Christopher Lane, 22, of Melbourne, was shot once in the back and died along a tree-lined road on Duncan's well-to-do north side. He said the three teens, from the grittier part of town, chose Lane at random and that one of the boys ''thinks it's all a joke.''

Prosecutor Hicks charged Chancey Allen Luna, 16, and James Francis Edwards Jr., 15, of Duncan, with first-degree murder. Under Oklahoma law they will be tried as adults. Michael Dewayne Jones, 17, of Duncan, was charged with using a vehicle in the discharge of a weapon and with accessory to first-degree murder after the fact. He is considered a youthful offender but will be tried in adult court.

Michael Jones wept in the courtroom after he tried to speak about the incident but was cut off by the judge who said it wasn't the time to sort out the facts of the case. Micheal Jones faces anywhere from two years to life in prison if convicted on the counts he faces.

The two younger teens face life in prison without parole if convicted on the murder charge.
''I'm appalled,'' Hicks said after the hearing. ''This is not supposed to happen in this community.''

I am always amazed when people say things like  'This is not supposed to happen in this community.''
Where do they expect this type of thing to happen?  I already know the answer to that.


In court, Prosecutor Hicks said Chancey Allen Luna was sitting in the back seat of a car when he pulled the trigger on a .22 caliber revolver and shot Lane once in the back. Hicks said Jones was driving the vehicle and Edwards was in the passenger seat.

A recording of an emergency 911 call obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press offers a chilling account of the next moments as a woman identifying herself as Joyce Smith tells the operator she saw Lane fall over into a ditch as she drove by.

''He's got blood on his back,'' the woman says.

Later relaying word from another witness on the scene to the 911 operator, the woman says: ''He's turning blue. He's making a noise.''
  James Francis Edwards Jr has had prior run-ins with the law and came to court Friday - apparently after the shooting - to sign documents related to his juvenile probation.

''I believe this man is a threat to the community and should not be let out,'' Hicks said as he requested he be held without bail. ''He thinks it's all a joke.''

The two younger boys were held without bail, while bail for Michael Jones was set at $1 million.

Before the hearing, young Edwards' father, James Edwards Sr., said he knew where his son was 95 percent of the time. He said his son was involved in wrestling and football, and was trying to forge the same sort of athletic career as the murdered Lane. He was heading into his sophomore year in high school.
Edwards Sr. said Luna was also like a son to him.

This is just tragic all the way around.


Chancey Allen Luna's mother, Jennifer Luna, said her son likes to play basketball at a local court and play on his iPhone and Xbox.
''I know my son. He is a good kid,'' she said. But don't all mothers say that about their sons?

Christopher Lane played baseball at East Central University in Ada, 85 miles east of Duncan, and had been visiting his girlfriend and her parents in Duncan after he and his girlfriend returned to the U.S. from Australia about a week ago.
Duncan police Chief Dan Ford has said the boys wanted to overcome a boring end to their summer vacation — classes in Duncan resumed Tuesday — and that Jones told officers they were bored and killed Lane for ''the fun of it.''

Family and friends on two continents were mourning Christopher Lane, who gave up pursuit of an Australian football career to pursue his passion for baseball, an American pastime. His girlfriend, Sarah Harper, tearfully laid a cross at a streetside memorial in Duncan, while half a world away, an impromptu memorial grew at the home plate he protected as a catcher on his youth team.

''We just thought we'd leave it,'' Harper said as she visited the memorial in Duncan. ''This is his final spot.''
His old baseball team, Essendon, scheduled a memorial game for Sunday to raise funds for Lane's parents as they worked to have their boy's remains sent home.

Tony Cornish, president of the Essendon Baseball Club, said Lane played with the club for 12 years.
''He started out as a T-baller, right from the age of 7, '' said Cornish.

Cornish said Lane was part of the club until he left to attend college in the U.S.
''Chris Lane was a good kid, just a great all-around guy,'' Cornish said. ''We're still all in shock here.''
Meanwhile, St. Bernard's College in Essendon, where Lane was a student, is planning a memorial Mass for Lane in November.

Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper reported that roses and a baseball were placed Monday on the home plate where Lane played as a youth with the message: ''A wonderful young man taken too soon. Why?''
Tim Fischer, former Australia deputy prime minister, criticized the National Rifle Association and asked Australians to avoid the U.S. as a way to put pressure on its Congress to act on gun control.

''Tourists thinking of going to the USA should think twice,'' Fischer told the Herald Sun. ''I am deeply angry about this because of the callous attitude of the three teenagers, (but) it's a sign of the proliferation of guns on the ground in the USA. There is a gun for almost every American.''

 You know...I can't say that I blame him...Extreme as the position is that he is taking... He is partially right...America is a very dangerous nation...There are too many people walking around with guns..Legally and illegally.

I know that the Fox News crowd will be screaming for Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson's head...Saying "Look...A White boy has been killed by two Black kids and a Latino kid...How come they aren't screaming about this like they did Trayvon?"

I'll explain why...First off let me say that if these three boys are guilty, I hope they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law!...But let's look at this...All three of these boys are in custody RIGHT NOW!....They aren't walking around free and with their gun!!! ,The way George Zimmerman did for nearly a month!  And come trial time...Nobody is going to go into Chris Lane's past and try to villify him the way they did Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was a murder VICTIM , just like Chris Lane...and yet when watching George Zimmerman's trial...I felt like it was Trayvon Martin that was on trial...I feel like George Zimmerman is free today because the jury believed that  Trayvon Martin did something wrong and thus deserved to be murdered.

The Fox News crowd and the crowd of folks who never give a black male the benefit of the doubt won't even take that into consideration.

I hate to bring race into this...but in America....practically everything IS about race, even when it shouldn't be...

If George Zimmerman had been arrested on the spot ,as he should have...and charged with something..anything!!! I wouldn't even be writing about Trayvon Martin.... I wouldn't be comparing it with this horrific crime in Oklahoma...But justice isn't meted out the same way in America...It never has....

I hope that Chris Lane's family and friends get some justice...I really do...I hope they get the justice that Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton didn't get.

Not For The Claustrophobic

Yesterday, I got up at the crack of dawn....Something I haven't had to do since I was in the military...Something very liberating about getting up that early in the morning, Watching the sun come up!...

I quickly showered and shaved and brushed my teeth , though not in that order and got dressed and without breakfast headed downtown to the Pennsylvania Hospital.

I walked down into a cold, clinical basement...signed a few papers and then was led to a locker where I deposited all of the contents of my pockets and took off my belt.
I felt like I was in prison or on my way there....

I was let to a tube like machine and placed on a gurney...I was belted down and given some weird reflector glasses and then told to relax...

Yeah right... I felt like the air was being sucked out of me....I felt trapped....and I nearly freaked out...This is clearly not for the claustrophobic and guess what?/ I have to do it all over on Monday!!!

At least I know what I'm getting into this time.

Since I like to use this blog to teach...It occurred to me that some of you (like me) might not know what an MRI entails....

Just what is this procedure anyway? Glad you asked...

An MRI or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases MRI gives different information about structures in the body than can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan.

MRI also may show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.

For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet. Pictures from an MRI scan are digital images that can be saved and stored on a computer for more study. The images also can be reviewed remotely, such as in a clinic or an operating room. In some cases, contrast material may be used during the MRI scan to show certain structures more clearly.

 

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done for many reasons. It is used to find problems such as tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases, or infection. MRI also may be done to provide more information about a problem seen on an X-ray, ultrasound scan, or CT scan.

 

In my case...They are looking at my injured shoulder...(I've already had an x-ray and they have determined that nothing is broken. ) An MRI can check for problems of the bones and joints, such as arthritis, problems with the temporomandibular joint(wow, that's a mouth full), bone marrow problems, bone tumors, cartilage problems, torn ligaments or tendons,(which is what they are looking for in my shoulder..) or infection. An MRI may also be used to tell if a bone is broken when X-ray results are not clear. MRI is done more commonly than other tests to check for some bone and joint problems.

 

So with that said...I'm home...and resting....and using my ipad mini....Pretty cool huh?
Pretty nice to be home chillin too!

My Injury

Depending on how I feel...You may not see any posts from me on this blog for a few days...(Escapades and Good Foodie have been written and scheduled well in advance) I like to keep this blog current so I'm usually on my computer or my ipad mini writing these posts as up to date as possible.

With that said..Let me explain...About a month ago, I injured my  left shoulder...I believe I tore my rotator cuff...that's the part of your shoulder that enables you to throw a punch, lift something, hug someone...Right now I am in excrutiating pain...

My rehab begins tomorrow...That means I'll be in the hospital for a couple of days...It's not life threatening..but I'll probably be resting my arm as much as possible..

Rotator cuff injuries are typically associated with motions that require repeated overhead motions or forceful pulling motions. This is an injury that is very common in athletes, especially baseball pitchers, football players, weightlifters, rugby players, volleyball players, swimmers, boxers, tennis players, bowlers and cheerleaders.

I'm none of those things anymore...but I like to think that I am occassionally and foolishly....Which is how I injured myself in the first place...

 Hopefully I can have a speedy recovery....I've seen Baseball players recover from this injury rather quickly...

I don't have Baseball player money....but I have relatively good health insurance and access to a fairly decent hospital.....We'll see....I'll keep you posted...

Stay tuned!

The Butler

Wifey and I saw Lee Daniel's new film ''The Butler " last night... It's not very often that I see a movie that nearly moves me to tears...but I have to admit..This was one of those times...Great movie! I felt like I was following a time capsule of my life....His service for the Presidents begins the year before I was born and ends when I'm about 25....

It was an incredible journey and an incredible movie...Not at all what I expected...but better..I'd advise folks to go out and see it....If for no other reason than the director, Lee Daniels is a West Philly guy who grew up just two blocks from me...We are both the same age and yet..I never knew him or remember him from the neighborhood...Which is amazing..I knew everybody and everybody knew me back then or at least I thought so. Go see his movie!

Weekend Humor

Have a Groovy Weekend Everybody!

Random Thoughts

1. Is it me or are a lot of people feeling free to parade their overt racism for all to see?

2. Is it me or are a lot of people feeling free to parade their stupidity for all to see also?

3.Due to the nearly annual million-dollar school budget deficit, the Philadelphia Board of Education voted to close 27 schools and lay off counselors and assistant principals of the city's public school system, an outcome that is sure to raise the crime rate(because you know that some people aren't going to go to the new school in the rival neighborhood!) and fill up the new prison they just paid for. Can't help thinking that this was the grand design.

4.What happened to the year?  I can't believe that summer is nearly over!

5.Black women in general always complain about how they are portrayed in the media, and rightfully so. I mean nobody one wants to see negative stereotypes of themselves. And yet these same black women condone and even encourage such behavior in wildly popular "reality television" programs like Love and Hip Hop and Basketball wives and the like!  Leaves me shaking my head!

6.Eric Snowden has got to be feeling some kind of home sick right about now!

7.D'Angelo...When are you going to release that third album we've been waiting for? Talk to him Questlove!

8.I'm Happy to be amongst the original Blog crew that began blogging  in the late part of the last decade and are still at it...Shout outs to 12Kyle, Don, Mizrepresent, L.Chantay, Curvy Girl , Blu Jewel, Bored and Talkative, Free Spirit Butterfly , The Field Negro, Ladylee,Moanerplicity, Shelly Shell, Southern Gal and Eb the Celeb.

9.Perhaps I'll write that novel or screenplay after all one day!

10.Thanks for reading ,I do this to amuse myself...but am so touched that I often touch others by what I write!

Fruitvale Station (Coulda Been 60th & Market Street)

This weekend...I finally got around to seeing "Fruitvale Station", the much anticipated movie about the Oscar Grant killing in Oakland, California on New Years Day, 2009....In the wake of the Trayvon Martin killing and the subsequant acquitall of George Zimmerman...you would think that I would shy away rom seeing a murder about yet another young black male who was senselessly gunned down....Yeah, you would think!

Oscar Grant was 22 years old when he was killed on New Years Eve....by a trigger happy and inexperienced rookie transit cop who says he mistook a gun for a taser... I watched this movie, which I'm glad portrayed the victim as a human being and not the monsters they always portray us as on the 6:00 news when we get shot or worse, killed...

See ,Oscar Grant could have been me when I was 22...I was somewhat like him...a little under employed...Didn't too much know what I was going to do with my life at that time...My parents were pretty much sick of me around that time too...And but for the grace of God...I could have very well of taken a walk on the dark side back then...

Trayvon was me at 17...Tall,lanky, still unsure of my place in the world...Still not quite ready for prime time...and by God's grace...I lived to see my hair turn gray or rather start to turn gray...Neither Oscar, nor Trayvon got to see their hair begin to turn gray...

But I digress...This is the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother, whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better boyfriend to his girlfriend, who he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to Tatiana, their beautiful 4 year old daughter.

He starts out well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come easy. He crosses paths with friends, family, and strangers, each exchange showing us that there is much more to Oscar than meets the eye. But it would be his final encounter of the day, with police officers at the Fruitvale BART station that would shake the Bay Area to its very core, and cause the entire nation to be witnesses to the story of Oscar Grant.

That's the Bay Area Rapid Transit station where he met his death....That could have easily have been the 60th street El Station right here in West Philadelphia...or Kiladelphia as they call our city nowadays...

I did a lot of hanging out back then, late 1970's, Early 1980s....It was just as dangerous to be a black male then too...We had stop and frisk before the term was coined...I was stopped at least once a week and frisked because I looked like I was someplace I didn't belong... I wasn't driving then and didn't own a car...
Me and my friends rode the Bus and the subway everywhere....Even picked girls up and went on dates on the Bus and Subway....Because the girls weren't driving either....That of course would be unheard of today, but nobody had a lot of money then..We all were young and struggling and there was a kind of understanding and unity amongst us that young black people don't have today.

We were under no illusion that this was a post racial Amerika....We knew all about the man!!  We also didn't have rappers and singers filling our heads with unrealistic notions of material wealth either...I believe we  and by we...I mean the young people of my era had a closer grip on reality.....I guess all generations say that...but I just don't honestly see a lot of critical thinking going on amongst todays youth...I hope I'm wrong.

I'm just saying...The police hassled us...and we kind of expected it and our parents did a good job of telling us how to govern ourselves...I remember my mother sternly telling me..."If a policeman stops you, don't you say a durn thing.(She never said damn, I think she made up the word durn to keep from cussing!) You keep your mouth closed and speak only if he asks you a question...don't give him no lip." She wasn't being mean, she was trying to keep me alive...So that I could live to see my hair turn gray! She did a good job and where-ever she is...I thank her every day of my life.

This was one of the things my mother said to me then that I listened to and obeyed...Cops stopped me and I offered no resistance....They searched me and I didn't say a word unless they asked me  something and then I was on my way most of the time... A couple of times they took me "for a ride" to some far away neighborhood and dropped me off and then I had to make it back home the best way I could...(This was for repeatedly violating the curfew) but that only happened twice...One of my cousins , who is eight years my senior told me that that happened to him also... And he hadn't violated the curfew!!So it wasn't a new thing...This was just life for a black male in Philly or pick a city USA!  It seems so foreign to some people though!

I don't know of any white person my age or younger whose parents had to have that talk with them... You know why? Because the Trayvons and the Oscars don't look like them...They tend to look more like me...They aren't going to be stopped and asked what they are doing anywhere...But I still might!

They aren't going to be profiled....But I might!!! And you can best believe if they are accidentally shot in the back by a cop.....That cop is going to do more than 11 months in prison....That's all Oscar's killer got...11 months...

Go see this movie....It's beautifully acted by Michael B. Jordan...'Wallace " for those of you who used to watch "The Wire" on HBO.. new comer, Melonie Diaz and Oscar winner, Octavia Spencer from" The Help"

Keith's Favorite Quotations

"There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace."

-Richard Pryor

 

Don't we all!

Weekend Humor

Three couples wanted to be admitted into a new church. One was an
elderly couple, one was a middle-aged couple, and one was a young
couple.

The priest said, "Well, the only way you can get into my church is to
abstain from having sex for two weeks."

"No problem," said all three couples.


Two weeks later, the three couples returned to the church.

"It was a piece of cake," said the elderly couple. "We didn't have sex
for two weeks straight."

 
The middle-aged couple said, "Well ,It was kind of difficult, but we made
it. We didn't have sex for two weeks straight."
 
Finally, the young couple said, "Well, we made it through the first
five days or so, but then, as my wife was bending over to pick up a
can of paint, I just had to give it to her right then and there."
 
The priest was stunned. "You do realize that you aren't welcome in
this church, don't you?"

 
The couple shrugged it off. " Uh Yeahhh, but that's ok. We aren't welcome in Home
Depot anymore, either."


Have a groovy weekend everybody!!!!

Spike Lee Goes Left

I've been a fan of Spike Lee since his first film-"She's Gotta Have it"... Unlike a lot of people...I continue to follow his films....Sink or swim...It's a shame he can't get a budget from a major studio....I support him 100 percent in what he's doing and I'm so glad he stood up to this condescending hater!

Who is this Yoho?

Guess this is my week to pick on Republicans...If you don't know who this man is in this photo it's really no great loss...What it is is amazing that someone actually voted for him...Amazing still that he actually won an election... Then again...he is from the great state of Florida....Which says a lot.

This is Represenative Ted Yoho, Republican of Florida...A real yoyo....

There was a fair amount of coverage the day before yesterday of Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) arguing that the Affordable Care Act is somehow "racist" because it includes a tax on tanning salons. Yes...He actually said this on the floor of Congress two days ago.

By Represenative Yoho's reasoning, since white people tend to be the only ones paying the tanning tax, it's fundamentally discriminatory. Really Ted? There are serious issues to discuss and you hang up the congressional floor with this nonsense??  Really man?

Represenative Yoho told his constituents, "I thought I might need to get to a sun tanning booth so I can come out and say I've been disenfranchised because I got taxed because of the color of my skin."

 And while this seemed excessive, even by House Republican standards, there was something else Yoho told his constituents that also struck me as noteworthy.

Check this out-Speaking at a town hall meeting earlier this month, Florida Republican congressman Ted Yoho promised that he would support possible birther legislation floated by Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX), (another idiot) ,telling the audience that after learning about a potential birther bill from Stockman while attending a Tea Party meeting, he called the congressman and agreed to back it.

"The issue of President Obama's birth certificate was a distraction from topics like the national debt, but I'm hopeful that a birther investigation could bring down the whole government  if it is true, it's illegal, he shouldn't be there and we can get rid of everything he's done,  I agree with that." he said.

So, let me understand this now.... It's the summer of 2013, 2013 mind you and we still have elected congressional Republicans talking publicly about the birther conspiracy theory? We're still not past this in some far-right circles? We have an elected figure holding up the congressional floor with talk about a tanning salon tax??

My God...These folks are so out of touch with the average citizen that it is criminal...

  I said on Saturday that it's becoming very difficult to see congressional Republicans as a serious governing party. The evidence to bolster what I said is what I wrote right above...This lingering nonsense.

Next Time A Republican Talks About Socialism.......

Wellllll ,here is a little something that some people in Congress might not want me talking about!  I swear...Those Damn Republicans are going to find out who I am and get me one of these days for writing this crap about them and talking about their mamas the way I do...but until then...I'll just keep doing my thing..

So...Whether they like it or not, or care to admit it.. nearly everyone in the United States reaps the benefits of government.Black,White,Latino,Asian, Rich,Poor,gay,Straight...Democrat,Independent and yes..Republican!!


When asked about participating in specific government social programs, 97 percent of Republicans and 98 percent of Democrats say they have taken part in a government program of some kind, according to a 2008 survey run by the Cornell Survey Research Institute. Not just one or two either; the survey found that people had used around five social policies on average.

Yeah,I know.....I got angry when I heard about it too! Especially the way you republicans always talk so much about socialism and how certain people rely on government handouts and what not!


The thing is, more than half the country denies having used a government program at all.Well, some people like to believe in fairy tales...What can I say?

Those findings are of particular interest now, after a Mitt Romney fundraising video leaked, You remember...The one in which he called the 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay income taxes “dependent on government.” Well,This survey’s findings show that those Americans who pay income taxes are also benefitting from government assistance in some form, even if they are not fully aware of it.

The confusion may come from what some call “submerged” government policies, those distributed via the tax code or through private organizations. It’s these types of benefits that explain comments like those of one man who in 2009 told his local congressman to “keep your government hands off my Medicare” at a town hall meeting, the New York Times  reports. Around a quarter of Medicare benefits were distributed through private insurance companies in 2010.

All that said, the demographics of Americans relying on government benefits are changing. A separate study found that the portion of benefits going to the poorest fifth of Americans has decreased by almost 20 percent between 1979 and 2007, according to the New York Times.

So the next time a Republican or talking head bitches about welfare or Socialism or Government hand outs...Tell him (or her) to shut the hell up and read this blog post!  They probably won't...but you can tell them anyway!

My Shoes

My wife brought this video to my attention last week...It just goes to show that perceptions aren't always what they at first appear to be! It also says that the grass might not be greener on the other side!

Number 40

Yesterday Republicans voted to repeal Obamacare for the 40th time!!! --Is it me or did you think that they and the entire nation had moved on from that by now?

Really? 40 times???

 The Republicans are reinforcing the impression that they're just not a serious governing party.

Most Americans are laughing at them, but the GOP apparently isn't in on the joke.
 

Weekend Humor

A husband and wife were having dinner at a very fine restaurant when
an absolutely stunning young woman comes over to their table, gives
the husband a big kiss, tells him she'll see him later, and walks
away. 

His wife glares at him and says, "Who was that??!!"
"Oh" replies the husband, "That was my mistress." 

 "That's it," says the wife, "I want a divorce."

 
"Ok," replies her husband, "But just remember, if you get a divorce there
will be no more shopping trips to Paris, no wintering in the
Caribbean, no Lexus in the garage, and no more country club. But, the
decision is yours."

 
Just then the wife notices a mutual friend entering the restaurant
with a gorgeous woman. 

"Who is that woman with Jim?" she asks.


"That's his mistress," replies her husband.

"Ours is much better looking." says the wife.

Have a groovy weekend everybody!

What I've Learned

1. Whenever and Whatever can possibly go wrong, More than likely will at sometime!

2.When You have a reason to celebrate...By All means Do So!

3.Regardless of who chooses to be in or out of your life, remember...Life will still go on.

4. Tomorrow is another day!

5.You never know what another day brings.

6.If you're searching where everybody else is searching....You're obviously searching in the wrong spot!

7.Everyday you should find something to have a big belly laugh about...Keeps you sane!

8.The Good Guy doesn't always win...but neither does the Bad guy...The right guy wins!

9.Always have an escape plan!

10.Nothing is that urgent! Live to fight another day!

Peace!