Black History Blog

Last year, I wrote a Black History blog post and this year will be no different. So here it goes.

1) Lack of Color on the Tube - There seems to be a lack of Black folk on the tv. Black folk have become obsolete. I mean even Stepin Fetchit had the opportunity to mumble a few words on screen even if it was some shuck and jive bull. More & more Black shows are getting cut - and it's disgraceful and yet African Americans entertain these dumb shows that are shown on major networks. There are a few shows on television that have been on for a long time. How they have survived, I'm not quite sure. Perhaps you have the answer cause I'm scratching my head and mumbling about it. It seems that is what Blacks are good for - not speaking up on issues that affect us.

2) Get Some Crunk In Yo System - I do not know if this is a law that was passed in all states, but in Missouri, they have passed a law that prohibits the bumpin of music down public and private streets. Apparently, the senior citizens cannot enjoy their retirement because some Black negro is bumpin that Nelly and TI in their cars. What is wrong with that? Would they feel the same way if I were bumpin Enya or music from Rent? I doubt there would be a law. This is yet another way to keep the Black man down because the law was directed at Black men predominantly, because we have to play our music. People should be spending more time on why there aren't enough textbooks in a classroom or why crime is up in their city? No, they are worried about a young bro listenin to Luda in his car. Where are our priorities?

3) Denominationalism - Black people are good for sticking with the religious dogmas and creeds. Religion has become a gang. Religion has become a process like picking good watermelons or grapes. Black people for some reason feel that in 06, someone really cares if they are Pentecostal or AME or Seventh Day Adventist. Aren't we all worshipping the same God? Is your God not the God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob? There are people today who will go to cities and ask where the COGIC church is. That is sad - because religion has taken over. We are more concerned about the denomination than the God who resides in the church.

4) Condi Rice Running For Pres - Hmmm, that could be interesting. Of course, she would continue the lies about WOMD and endorse the War. I mean she has already. She is continuing to have luncheons with Bush and coffee receptions with the manipulative cabinet that runs our country. I hope Condi runs against Ms. Clinton. I believe that she'd give Condi a run for her money - literally. Condi has been called a house negro. When I look at her I picture a shufflin maid with a bonnet that is asking massa is he hungry. That is an image, wouldn't you say?

5) Madea - A Modern Day Amos & Andy - This is ridiculous. There are critics out there who say that Tyler Perry is not doing anything special. They claim his comedy is nothing short of coonery and hijinks. There are some Black folks who feel this way too. They say that Perry is just following in the footsteps of Amos & Andy and the unlucky kids who played Buckwheat and Farina in the Little Rascals. That is a problem that Black people have. We do not like to see other Blacks successful. That boggles my mind. As long as we have struggled as a race, one should be glad that one is getting some recognition for their work. I mean grossin $50 mil on your first week at the box office is a lot of money that many of us do not have - but don't hate, congragulate.

That's all I have.

Life has many parts -

Life In Many Parts

My blog is officially one year old. It doesn't seem like it, partly because for awhile there I was writing almost everyday and now I write when I feel like it. I had frequent visitors to my blog and then all of a sudden - the viewership slowed down a bit. I believe it had something to do with my non-stop talk about friendships and my posts on religion. I spent the majority of October and November of 05 discussing how bad I was treated by the so-called friends of mine, and many of them read my blog. Am I mad that they probably don't read anymore? Nope. My posts on religion seemed to spark some discussion via AOL Instant Messenger from various people and there were a few comments that were left by readers of the posts. I began to think - is my blog too much for the public? Does my writing go overboard on occasion? I tried to analyze how my blog has evolved over the past year and I've come to one conclusion - I've gotten more insane with my posts. The rather corny, yet significant life in many parts sayings that follow each post and the many, many lists of slow jam recs, gospel lyrics and poems. I try to appeal to all - but I'm most likely only appealing to those who can tolerate sarcasm on various subjects, do not mind reading post after post on the same subject just with an added touch. I wonder how my book will do on the stands - hopefully, good. I would hate to see it used as a coaster at an elegant dinner party or found in the bottom of a box at a yard sale. Perhaps, I might tone it down just a little bit - nah. I've just begun....

Life has many parts -

Friendships Are Not Car Ignitions

I am quite shocked, baffled even. I received an email from someone who I haven't talked to in awhile. I was thrown for a loop because the person had sworn never to talk to me again, yet there it was - an email. I am debating as to whether I'll respond due to past issues that we have had and the way our friendship ended. Of course, this email could have been sent by accident - but somehow I am not convinced considering there were no CCs or other TO:'s. Is the person having second thoughts about how things turned out between us or is this just an inquiry to make sure that what they said in regards to where I'd be and who I have turned out to be was true. That thought began to work on me during the course of the night as I pondered as to the many individuals who have ended their friendships with me and then resurfaced somewhere down the road looking to restart the friendship as if friendship is a car ignition. And their reasons for resurfacing have been rather vague and bleak and not enough for me to acknowledge that our friendship had been reinstated because in my opinion, friendship never occurred between me and those individuals who consciously ended the friendships they had with me. Sure, we talked and hung out but once the agenda was revealed - the word friend was never used to describe them. That sounds kind of harsh - but true. I cannot believe I am down this road again of having to deal with individuals who try to creep back into your life and pretend like nothing happened.

Life has many parts, some resurface.

Last songs to play....
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away
Ray J - What I Need
D4L - Betcha Can't Do It Like Me
E40 - Tell Me When To Go
Jagged Edge - Good Luck Charm
Young Jeezy - My Hood

Brothas Need Luv 2

Love is a powerful word. I have never told a woman that I loved her. I have been in love before, however. That kind of passionate love. The one where you long to be with that particular person. The person seems to brighten your day and illuminate your night. The kind of love one dreams of...true paradise. Sweeter than strawberries and more romantic than a walk on the beach, this love was undeniably one that I'll never forget. The memories seem to reappear on days like today. Flashbacks of the good times we shared. I have always been a one woman man - committed to that specific human being, giving the time to the woman in my life. But somehow, I had a tough time telling her that I loved her. I do not know what it was. You could say that there was fear that it would not be said back. That word carries so much weight, I do not quite understand how people use it so loosely. They fall in and out of love like they do their bed or their clothes. I find it hard to do that considering the heavy emotions and feelings that go with being in love. I've only been in love once, but that taught me a lot about goofy, young romances. There are these love analyzers or love psychics that say that you only find a few true loves while on this Earth. I am not quite sure if I agree with their analysis of the stars and the mumbo jumbo of the horroscopes and astrology, but I have reason to believe that there is someone out there for everyone. I have sworn off Valentine's Day since 6th grade after the candy hearts and the fruit punch. Cupid just doesn't seem to strike me on this day. There are a few people I know who do not celebrate Vday simply because they've been hurt in past relationships. You could call me a Valenhater, but I'm not - enjoy your chocolate kisses and romantic exquisite dinner, but Cupid has somehow struck me on a day that is not the 14th of February. It is very difficult to get rid of love. You cannot turn it off...although there are those who would disagree. Some people do however, get under your skin. There was this woman who got under my skin awhile ago. We had a connection, or at least it felt like a connection. I felt as though our spirits connected. I thought that I could love her, but cupid didn't help a brotha out too much. I believe she just wasn't feelin me like I was feelin her which was unfortunate. That is what qualms me about love sometimes, is that unreturned love or the lack of love that the other shows. You can't always tell when butterflies are in someone's stomach, unless they let you know and some people are just hard to read. Cupid didn't help me out then either. I can say though that she was someone I would have liked to have had a relationship with. I won't say 'never say never,' but I believe that door is closed. Love can sometimes make you read into things too. A kind word or a smile can give you the wrong impression about the one you are interested in. Even a telephone number written down on a scrap of paper can be misleading. Even hearing someone say "I like you...let's go out" can be misleading. But when you do find that true love, like I found once, it is something you treasure even after it is over because who knows when you will experience it again.

Life has many parts - lve thm.

Last songs to play....
Rahsaan Patterson - April Kiss
Raheem Devaughn - You
Kem - Into You
Heather Headley - I Wish I Wasn't
Lina - Smooth
Alexander O"Neal - Never Knew Love Like This
Toni Braxton - Stupid
Ne-Yo - So Sick

A Courtroom Can Have Too Many Blacks

Criminal law is becoming more appealing by the day. I have always found it to be rather riveting, especially hearing the various cases on television, and now that I have a front-row seat - I can grab a bag of ACT II and enjoy the show. I watched sentencing on Friday and it was quite unreal to see how 80% of the ones being sentenced were African American. There was this guy who had molested his daughter and taught her the tricks and the trade on what it means to stimulate oneself. He received a long, long sentence and with good reason. That is an unforgiveable crime to molest anyone let alone your biological child and to videotape it too. I wonder if he was planning to sell it on EBAY. There were too many drug cases to name. The judge said at the beginning of the sentencing that "everyone was going {to the pen}, it was just a matter of how long." There was this Caucasian guy who was convicted of fraud. Apparently he had scammed Black folks into trying to get reparations for them. It was just sad to see how many Blacks there were being sentenced and how they were close to my age or the equivalent. There was this 17 yr old who was charged with murder 2. Apparently, he was driving between 90-100 mph down a main street here in the Lou and hit a 22 yr old killing him and then fled the scene. He was 14 at the time and he was up for review. He'll be up for review again @ 21. I sat in on a case regarding this woman who tortured this girl by making her drink Pine Sol and urine and slitting her ankles. She got life. This was just the first week. Next week, I'll be sitting in on this woman who put high blood pressure medicine in her son's IV at Children's Hospital. What is wrong with people? I am looking forward to learning more about criminal statutes and the criminal law lingo. But that courtroom had too many Blacks.

Life has many p,a,r,t,s -

Last songs to play....
Thievery Corporation - Language Symbolique
Tosca - Honey
Rick Braun - Night Walk
dzihan & Kamien - Slidub Superdub
Keiko Matsui - Bridge Over The Stars
Marion Meadows - Suede

The Ramblings of A 21 Year Old Pt.2

I finally started my internship at this courthouse in downtown St. Louis. So far - it is very interesting. Learning the law is fascinating, because you can always challenge it because many laws are archaic and unnecessary, but that's another story. Today, the prosecution and the defense selected jurors. There were about thirty of them to pick from and most of them had previously served on a jury before. The person being charged was a young African American male (probably somewhere around my age). The charge: possession of marijuana. Most of the potential jurors decided that the case was pointless to try because marijuana is okay to have and to smoke (as Chris Tucker would say - it's from da earf). Most of the potential jurors had previous biases towards marijuana. Unfortunately, they weren't selected because as with any case, neutral jurors are needed. Ones who can set aside their reasoning and logic and opinions and look at the evidence, listen to the witnesses, etc. During the selection process, there was a potential juror and we kept grinning big because there was this fine sista who was wearing the hell out of her grey suit. He mouthed damn the minute she entered the room. She also happened to be the prosecutor too. There is nothing like a woman that is pleasing to the eye, especially when she is serious about her profession. For lunch, I had a chicken monterey sandwich. I thought about eating at the cafe upstairs, but the menu was too bleak and plus the judge told me that once, a drop of sweat found its way onto a slab of roast beef that was on someone's sandwich. I shunned the 7th floor cafe after hearing that. The only thing I'll buy now is a packaged muffin or some Dole products or perhaps an ice cream bar, although, it is pretty cold here. It was 8 degrees last Saturday. I didn't know that judges have their own elevator that they use. I can understand though because after you have issued a life sentence to someone or charged them with a fine, some people don't take to kindly to the one pounding the gavel and reaching the final verdict. I do have to get gussied up as my uncle frequently says when I go. None of that business casual crap - strictly suits and ties and shoes. They selected the jury, so tomorrow the trial begins. I do feel for the young man though because he looked rather sad sitting in the chair at that table. You could see that he didn't really want to be there, but like the judge says, if you do the crime, you do the time. That's a quirky and very corny saying but it's very on point.

Life in many parts -

Last songs to play....
Anthony Hamilton - Can't Let Go
LL Cool J - Control Myself
Young Jeezy - My Hood
Stevie Wonder - Shelter In The Rain
Chris Brown - Yo
Keyshia Cole - Love
Kirk Franklin - Lookin For You