Image via: http://www.imjan.com
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Point-Off's
I thought I was overly-sensitive and had a touch of the Thin Skin Syndrome until reading Arianna Huffington's Huff-On regarding President Obama's anti-Romney "attack ad" Read Here. I gather she was not amused at Obama's joke concerning The Huffington Post at Saturday evening's White House Correspondent's Dinner. *
And, of course, the always ruffled Keith Olbermann's fragile ego was again in Full Blast-Out mode when he just had to rail over headliner Jimmy Kimmel's comments about him - also at the infamous Washington Prom Night celebration. Click Here. Don't either of these people "get it" that the speeches are usually quasi-roasts? No, guess not. But I say Look Out Obama because from now until November the HuffPo may start linking more pro-Romney articles. I guess we'll need to migrate elsewhere. Maybe Fox News? Uh, never mind.
And, in reference to Fox News, as many of you have wondered, WTF was up with Greta Van Susteren taking Lindsay Low-Hand as her guest to the fete? Between the Kar-Kash-Ins (guests of Fox News in general for eff's sake) and Low-Hand, I say the annual event hit a truly low-low this year. What a strange brew those correspondent's chose as their "dates." Now it's becoming clear why American News Outlets have lost their investigative prowess and respect. They have too much glitter and dirt in their eyes.
Oh, and why am I writing about this news a day late and where was I yesterday?
Only Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's people know, as they seem to be among the few on TV who actually know how to investigate, as well as care to dig a little deeper into the hypocrisies and atrocities of our government and politicians these days.
* Click HERE for the video of Obama's performance at the dinner. (See? I can link just as well as the HuffPo!)
Image via: http://www.raintodayblog.com
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Colour Bind
"Is that still happening?" she asked - with sincere innocence - and, I must add, obliviousness. Yes, she does live on Planet Earth.
Of course resentments remain. On both sides of the colour spectrum. Why do you think the Tea Party partially exists in the first place beyond wanting to send women back into the kitchen? The backward-moving group is filled with racists now that we finally have a man of colour as the President of the U.S. Some of those people just can't stand it!
Why do you think radical groups such as the remnants of the Black Panthers initially placed a bounty on George Zimmerman's head? (Thank Gawd cooler heads prevailed on that threat.) Because they are sick of the judicial disparity between Blacks in jail longer than their White counterparts who have committed the same crimes? And, of course, their own ultra-radical hatred toward Whites. And other reasons I don't care to list at this time. But the bottom line is the same: They just can't stand it!
Extremism is dangerous. But, I don't intend to lecture or educate on that subject in this post. A writer should write about what they know if not simply tossing out an opinion, as I often do. What I do know about race relations and the continuing sensitivity by Black Men in particular is based on personal experience and an understanding that a portion of our nation continues to harass interracial couples.
I know that several of my male African-American friends who dress as Preppy as a J. Crew ad notice how men and women hide their purses or cover their wallet pockets when entering an elevator with them.
I read the most scathing insults by racists on Message Boards toward anyone they believe is of colour or has admitted to be so.
I know that a member of my family who was the first to bring an African-American woman into an all-white church group back in the 60's wouldn't speak to me for several months when, years later, I shared my apartment with a Black woman.
I know that the racial divide which occurred over the OJ Simpson trial continues to bring intense emotions to the surface of some of my African-American friends when I have merely suggested that OJ did kill his former wife and only rushed to the Black Community when he realized that many of his White Friends were backing-away from supporting his innocence.
In fact, I worked with the OJ trial Forewoman and two of the jurists on an audiobook. I directed all three in their readings of a book they had published via the company for which I was working. I was aghast over the NOT GUILTY verdict based only on his suspicious behaviour and history of violence with Nicole, not because he was/is of colour.
When I first saw the jurists gather in our office to plan the book and the audio taping, I left the office to get a breath of fresh air. I was livid over the verdict. However, as a pro, I was nice to them, and wanted to understand how they came to their "Innocent" verdict. I grew to like them as people, but I also knew the back stories of OJ's life with Nicole Brown Simpson via her personal friends (with whom I also worked on both their books and audios).
During a break in one of the recording sessions, I spent some time with the Madame Forewoman and, since the trial was over and done, asked if she knew a few key elements of the case that pointed directly to OJ as the killer. She became nervous, almost faded in colour, and told me she didn't want to hear about what the jury had not been told. She reacted as if I had hit her in the gut. I don't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was seemed to make her feel a tad sick. But that is only my opinion of her reaction. Whatever it was, I saw how sensitive she was and dropped the subject.
Having spent intimate time with people on both sides of the OJ issue, I believed I was able to discuss the case with some knowledge. One morning a few years ago, while having breakfast with a long-time friend who happened to be Black, I casually mentioned how OJ's trial was a circus and how it made no sense at all that he was found not guilty. My friend glared at me and threw his napkin almost in my face with a fiery, "There you go...all of you...you don't know what you're talking about!"
We agreed to never discuss the case with each other again. It was clear that this intelligent, caring man saw the finger-pointing at OJ as "race-related" and nothing else.
And that's when I truly knew how deep the scars still hurt within some African-Americans. I also realized how scary it still is for Blacks to live in the Deep South when another friend of colour told me how white men treat her whenever she has to visit family in that part of the U.S. To them, any woman of colour is a "slut" (and worse) no matter what she is wearing.
Suffice to say, we still have a very, very long way to go despite polls and stats that supposedly reflect a growing tolerance between races. Yes, things have changed - a little. But not really a lot when one looks deeper.
The Litmus Test on how far we as a nation have truly gone in racial tolerance will be how Whites And Blacks react when George Zimmerman's trial finally begins (if ever, by the way things are going at the moment) and what the verdict will be.
To be continued......
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Fear And Stoking In Los Angeles
At the time of the crisis, my car was in the shop. I worked miles and miles away in the other country known as West Los Angeles (NOT West Hollywood - different from each other in every way) and none of my co-workers lived near my abode to share a ride, so, for the first time in my life I rode a public bus - for a week - from my Miracle Mile/Bev Hills-Adjacent neighborhood all the way out to West LA. I took a cab a few times but the expense in LA for such is absurd.
At first I was in a small form of culture shock. From the age of 16 I'd always had my own cars. My freedom. But, the riders weren't as threatening or hostile as many in LA would imagine. Everyone on my route were professionals and students. Dressed well, polite, or simply bored. After a day or two, a few regulars and I even smiled at each other.
However, I was among a small group of Whites who rode The Big Blue Bus (that went from Santa Monica to downtown LA and vice versa). It was not a problem for me to be a minority for a change as I've often been the only Caucasian in a group of ethnically diverse peoples and had never been hassled or concerned for my safety. I'm one who prefers to think well of everyone until proven otherwise, and, to be truthful, I find some white men and women to be far more menacing that the stereotypical image of African-Americans and Hispanics tossed-about in the media and our culture in general.
But, the riots were race-related. An ire that still exists to this day was simmering over this particular trial. The city and the world were watching.
Following the NOT GUILTY verdicts, news of the beginning of the riots began to trickle in to our office. News reports screamed of fires breaking-out in South Central LA. Several employees who lived in that area or nearby asked if they could leave early to gather their children from school. Our completely out-of-touch Brentwood-Based Bosses didn't want to give-in to the concerns of their vulnerable employees, causing chaos with worried parents.
When it finally seeped through the thick heads of the entitled bosses that something BIG was happening, one-by-one certain employees were given the "okay" to leave, while the rest of us (not considered to be in any danger) were forced to remain.
Hours later, everyone was told to go home ASAP. Warned by co-workers not to take a bus with the final destination landing at the heart of the riots, I made calls to several cab companies to ensure my ride home to a neighborhood that is considered upscale/safe (now an official historical "untouchable" part of LA's tendency to ruin history via dismantling classic architecture).
Not one cab company would take my request despite my address. The neighborhood was, in their words, "too close" to a demarcation line between "Safe" and "Unsafe."
In the end, I chose to ride the bus rather than strong-arm co-workers who lived in the opposite direction or in our office's neighborhood. At this point, it became "everyone for themselves or their families" so I didn't expect further assistance/guidance/concern.
The second I stepped on to the bus, the driver (a kind African-American woman) told me to sit behind her in the front seat. Gulp. I knew what she was doing. Making sure no one tried to strangle or hurt me until I got off the bus...which she knew would be a while. I looked around and discovered that I was the only White Woman there.
Tension filled the bus at each new stop where a very different group of passengers stormed up the steps. This time they weren't professionals or students. They were people ready to riot. Everyone glared at each other and hate filled the air. Of course I was growing uncomfortable. Serious stuff was going down. It was worse as we moved south-east and began to see the smoke rising in the sky from what was only the beginning of the fires.
One stop prior to my exit, a grungy man sat down in the seat across the aisle from me, pulled out a knife, held it lovingly in his hand, and muttered to no one in particular, "I'm ready!" So was I. To leave. And quick I did when my time was up on the bus. I nodded to the driver and wished her luck on my dash down the steps. As I hurried away I heard her tell the man, "Put that thing away or I'll pull mine on you!"
Hours later, on top of the Hollywood Hills with a friend and hundreds of others gathering around an outlook area off of Mulholland Drive, we watched as the city burst into flames. We could see that Hollywood was also a target, and then, seeing new flames erupt off in the distance, and hearing that fires were moving toward Beverly Hills, I lifted my binoculars and realized that part of my "nice" neighborhood was on fire!
I called my landlady (I was living in her Guest House) to check on her and the neighborhood's condition. No answer. I later learned she had gone to her son's home in the Valley. The next day I also learned that all of the homes in my area were safe, but the little pharmacy, pet shop, hair salon and coffee shop at the corner a few blocks from my home where I would often walk for exercise and to enjoy the flowers on my neighbors' lawn, had been burned to ashes. Down the nearby mainline street, one of my (and LA's) most authentic and popular Indian restaurants was half-charred and ruined.
There is no clever end to this tale. No moral to my story. Just a small slice of life when seeming injustice and race come together in a classic clash. When it does, at the very least, expect implosions, if not the horrific chaos of tangible and emotional explosions.
Image via: http://lgbtpov.frontiersla.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Who Deserves A Flog Today?
Click HERE to read Obama's interview with Rolling Stone.
Image via: http://www.pri.org
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Er, Uh, Um......
Good day/evening to all!
In honesty, I need another day to sort out practical situations and issues on my simple white porcelain plate that is beginning to look like an Eiffel Tower of medical bills, job concerns, and so on.
I'd much rather play music for you and find visuals of art that very well could warm your heart. My mind is also in another Mind-Freeze Mode from working on technical coding lessons for HTML and CSS. Little numbers and dashes and coding slashes are more than dancing in my head; they're haunting my dreams.
So, I'll post a variety of music videos from different genre's - at least one of which might suit your fancy.
And I'll find more street art (or something similar) to please your glance-y's.
Image via: Somewhere On the Web
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday Mumbles
John Edwards' trial finally began today - Read This; Jennifer Hudson testified in court today in the midst of tears - Read Here.
Robin Gibbs has risen from the grave, in a way; false reports of a Jennifer Aniston-Justin Theroux wedding caught Harvey Levin at TMZ with his large sippy cup spilled as Aniston's rep debunked that rumour...which was supposed to be TMZ's Big Reveal.
So many subject directions, so little desire to expend energy on any of the above until further details emerge. But, I wanted to stop in and say hello before another earthquake hits Southern California in the OC (yes, that happened today, too).
Until tomorrow, have a wonderful day.....
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Image Fakers
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The visual impression is in contrast to the image of a wild-eyed brute who shot a teen carrying Skittles and ice tea with which to terrorize a neighborhood. Suddenly, here was a kind-looking fellow, almost fragile in that big suit, all dressed-up for church or something. It has been suggested that his suit had to be large to handle the bullet-proof vest he was supposedly wearing beneath his drapes. If so, then why do many politicians who must wear the same, look just fine in their suits? You know, as in the suit fits?
The primary point I want to make is not that Zimmerman can now roam free (in hiding, of course), but how attorney's have been playing the image card for years with their clients when in court. By now don't we all realize that the clothing, hairstyle and what-not is usually part of an act to provide both judge and jury the most angelic impression possible of the (often guilty) defendant?
What a joke! Do you recall how Casey Anthony, infamous probable daughter-killer, wore the sweetest little outfits in court? I'm surprised her lawyer didn't send her in front of the jury in quasi-Amish couture. No way were we to see the party girl side who loved to prance and dance 'til dawn while her daughter's body was buried nearby. She was acquitted. Perhaps not through her New Image, but presenting herself in conservative attire was enough to raise Nancy Grace's ire. (But then, what doesn't?)
A few of you may remember the Menendez Brothers trial in Los Angeles in the 90's. Oh, how Preppy-fied those boys were dressed! Soft sweaters, neat button-down shirt collars. I mean, how could such nice-looking All American Boys have killed their parents in "cold blood" for revenge and greed? Thankfully, the jury didn't buy it, but wow, it was quite a show!
And then there is the case of Barbara Stager, convicted of shooting her second husband, Russell Stager, in the late 80's. According to numerous TV movies and crime show investigations, this was one materialistic woman who could probably outshine Paris Hilton if only she had had an inheritance. Average in appearance, her knack for knowing how to use makeup and exceptional skills in bed lured men into some kind of mind-numbing bind.
The church-going lady couldn't live without designer clothes, jewels and men. And, unfortunately for two of them, they couldn't live once she tired of their company and feared potential discovery of her many deceits should they (once more) discover piles of her behind-their-backs spending receipts. (There are suspicions she may have shot and killed her first husband.)
In court, the lady who loved those nice clothes and blingy-thingy's dressed in "off-the-rack" dowdy, girlish blouses and dresses, almost sans makeup. Therefore, if you were sitting in the jury you may have wondered how the plain-looking cookie-baking mama could create so much drama. Fortunately, despite the Purist Image, the facts in the case were too strong to acquit because her glove DID fit. (As it were/was/always will be.)
Although not everyone who changes their image in court for sympathy or to play down The Devil Within goes free, it still amazes me how the game is repeated and how some people actually believe it. Of course we would want anyone who would represent us in a legal situation to do everything they can on our behalf, but it's a laugh and a half to watch the machinations unfold.
Or, as with the Zimmerman Big Suit situation, it is one more example of why many of us find too many aspects of the judicial system a true abomination.
Image via: AP Photo
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
It's Another Holy-Highty Day
Today many in the U.S. celebrate a very special day in our culture.....
Not just for old hippies anymore: Yes, I'm Gonna Go There Again
Fact-toids on today's high-way: Why, When and Where?
Just when you thought Obama got his groove back: Anti-Pot-Stickler
No tokes for these folks - at least on campus: Whooo-Weed!
As I've been saying.... Why Buff-It Instead Of Puff-It
Need a refresher? Marijuana Health Benefits
Which one would you prefer? (Below)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Death Consumes Us
And, sad to write, another RIP may be on its way any moment as Bee Gee Robin Gibbs remains in a coma. I think. I'll have to dash over to TMZ to find out if that situation is still on hold. Hang on, I'll be right back.... Okay. He's still stayin' alive for now.
Sorry to say, Boomers, but this is just the beginning of what we'll have to endure for the remainder of our own lives: the increasing domino-roll-out of untimely (in some cases) deaths of one icon after another from part of our generation (as well as our parents) who have influenced our lives in ways we may not realize until the shock and sorrow begins to wear off and we realize our own mortality.
For heaven's sake, even Jonathan Frid, the fabulous Vampire (Barnabas) from TV's late 60's through early 70's' Dark Shadows, also left the earth earlier today (or late yesterday depending on where you are). Is there no mercy anymore? How about spreading it out a bit so that florist's all over the world can have a little breathing space?
In seriousness, though, the death of certain icons can become odd milestones in our own lives. A turning of the page on age. The classic "End Of An Era". I remember the death of Lucille Ball with amazing clarity. "Lucy" represented a bonding in my family. My father and I would look at each other with winks and grins as Lucy Ricardo made one silly move after another to gain attention - just like my mother.
So, when in 1989 I turned on the news before getting into the shower to go to work and heard that she had died, I was startled at my emotional reaction. Sobbing in the shower, my childhood flashed before me and I suddenly knew my "youth" was no more. Despite knowing that she had been in ill health and was not young, she was supposed to live on forever charming the chinks out of our systems for a half hour at a time. And she still does in reruns. We'll always have Lucy.
We'll always have Dick Clark's American Bandstand and New Year's Rockin' Eve to remember him by. Levon Helm's music with The Band will live on. And so it goes with anyone who has left a print in one form or another on the world.
But the reality is that regardless of holograms now raising the dead, the PERSON is no longer with us. Just the memories. And the now popular memes.
RIP once more to all who have passed over the last non-calendar year in particular, because if I go beyond that time period I may want to curl up and just - uh-oh.
Image via: http://derek-santos.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Beware of the Compare
Well, I have and I am certain that I'm not alone when I admit that after reading a scrolling series of these updates I feel the urge to write in my "Status Update" that I Hate My Life! Someone Put Me Out Of My Misery! You know, the kind of updates that no one wants to read.
The Internet "commenting" crowd can be ruthless and judgmental. When people like me admit to such feelings we are often considered to be a "Loser" and are mocked or shunned. Honesty isn't valued in some circles if the admission isn't "positive." In fact, telling the truth is considered a "weakness" - even if the "truth" you are telling lasts for only a few days or minutes.
The first suggestion to someone who feels like sheet after reading the lively, happy news of friends on social networking sites on days when you aren't at the top of your game, would be to step back, take some time away from the medium, and get on with your own life and make it special in your own way. That is a mentally healthy route to take.
This morning I debated with myself regarding whether or not I should write this post. What will "others" think of me if I confess to feeling a certain distress that I'm not jaunting about wearing expensive clothing and going to high-end dinners and parties and having my picture taken in a group of successful people that is splashed all over gossip sites?
And then I reflected on the other side of the truth coin: our perception of those who are rich or famous or both is often skewed by the overall image that is sold by others. I reminded myself that even a few of my own FB postings could be cause for someone else's envy or depression because they haven't lived some parts of the life I have been fortunate to enjoy from time-to-time. It's all relative, isn't it?
I also remembered that for many former "stars" it's tough to have been very well-known at one time only to be flung to the curb and to live on one's laurels as one actress I recently ran into (literally) in a bathroom has experienced. No one talks about her anymore. She is older, has gained weight, and must feel very bitter about her loss of the best seats at any spot in town because one would think I had spat on her shoes when I went to the sink to wash my hands at the same moment as she. The look she gave me was so entitled I nearly wanted to dry my hands on her dress. I was IN HER WAY, by Gawd! And, YOU MUST KNOW WHO I AM - huff-huff!
I bet she avoids FB and tabloids at all costs because if I feel like crap at times when I forget to stop comparing myself to others who are at least 10-20 years younger than me and have worked quite hard to gain the recognition and awards they are receiving, then this actress must want to die every day if she sees what her former (still A+) boyfriend is doing these days, as well at what her peers of the same age who still look glam and are working are up to.
It's also the glaring, sad truth that many people we think have "it all" don't feel that way - at all. Despite homes on the beach, bank accounts beyond belief, self-doubt, depression, emotional regression, are alive and unwell in the withering heights of fame and wealth.
Happiness, as we are always "told" by one source or another, is a "state of mind." And that is the truth. Sure, having money, as I always say, ensures that bills are paid and the basics of life don't cause strife. However, some of the happiest, most sincere souls I have ever known, have adopted attitudes that allow them to find tranquility in the sound of an orange dropping from a tree in their yard.
And so, as I share how the splashy lives or the well-deserved rewards of those in my real and virtual life can sometimes bring me down because at this point in my life I am twixt and tween my next move in life toward career and personal satisfaction, thus feeling a bit of an empty space where once there had been a happy place, I now admit that I'm beginning to feel much better than I did when I began writing this post.
Yes, I could keep all of this to myself, as so many do, and put on yet another mask and don yet another persona to pretend that my smile is real and life is a brand new bowl of berries (I don't like cherries). But that isn't how I roll, as "they" say/write. I know from experience that someone out there might also feel better after reading this post, knowing that Facebook Depression isn't theirs alone.
Remember: Comparing our lives to others is perhaps one of the worst things we can do to ourselves.
My Status Update (here) has now changed to I'm Going To Take Back My Life And Enjoy The Parade Of Ants Marching All Over My Balcony Instead Of Killing Them.
Image via: www.workitmom.com
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
"Secret Servicing" No More
Can we get right to the point here? Prostitution is not going away. Period. Over. Done. Finito. Fact. Women who need the money and do their jobs in the World's Oldest Profession aren't going to slip away into the nether-regions of obscurity. And men who want the company of a woman and are willing to pay for it aren't going to stop doing it.
So, as with my position on the legalization of Marijuana, I tend to believe that it's time all non-killing of Unmarried Non-Virgins countries wake up and smell the truth of human nature and stop trying to put a lid on the always exploding sexual desires of human beings.
Ah, but this "scandal" with the Secret Service and Friends is different, isn't it? Those who are now sitting in a different kind of "hot seat" from how their personal seats were feeling in the heat of Columbia must be wondering if their lack of professionalism was worth it now that all of the world knows how they allowed their pants to fall down on the job.
What to do in these situations? The "Loose Zips Sink Presidential Trips" incidents?
Well, "Investigate" is the usual route to take. After that, firings, suspensions, back-room badgering by the Powers That Be screaming "What the ^%*%$ were you guys thinking" verbal take-downs are part of how the scenario in most government or corporate scandals play out (unless one is a Wall Street player where not only is a huge bonus placed in their lap but sometimes a Special Lady will spend a bit of time there as well).
Anyone who uses the excuse that a seemingly immoral-promiscuous nation (America) ruled by The Devil in modern times is to blame for all of the seething sexual flames is wrong, wrong, wrong. Look at the history of EVERY NATION IN THE WORLD when it involves men procreating beyond the desire to continue a blood line and one will immediately realize that pornography, the Popular Overly-Sexualized Culture of Now has only brought the Sins Of Our Fathers to light, rather than stirring what some deem to be a new, modern blight.
No, I don't believe it was wise for any agent of any government to party-tarty when prepping for their president's visit - anywhere. In the current volatile terror-ridden world, Secret Service and other agents of protection need to find other ways to deal with their erections.
But, in a general sense, the continuing scandals of affairs by Menz Of Power (large or small) bring the discourse to the level of how focused humans are, have been, and may always be, on fulfilling a human need to get rid of their endless streams of seed.
And, that is why I say once more that at the deepest core of human mores Prostitution (under Legal Restrictions for Health Reasons) should be reevaluated - once and for all. If Secret Service agents feel so sexually repressed/suppressed, their sexual quests may not have needed an outlet while on the job - day or night.
Something about sex in our world just isn't handled "Right."
But then, others often adjust to the "Left."
I know, I just caused a few of you to groan.
Happy Monday (or Tuesday wherever you are).
Image via: http://geniusbeauty.com
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Who Deserves A Flog Today?
Winslet reference details: Here
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Different Art of the Day
Artist - Chris Burden
Location - Los Angeles
Format - Light Sculpture
Image via: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com
Friday Tidbits
One man's nightmare could be another man's fanfare: Hormones Or Ho-Moans?
Goldilocks finally found the "just right" food and bed - sorta: Papa Bear's Not Happy
Uh, what about other (alleged) criminals who lost a spouse and have kids? It Must Be His Nice Hair
Guys like him are the true "nuisance": Must Have a Lead-Filled Belly
Sure, let's keep it a secret while everyone talks about it: Shhhh, Don't Tell Demi
Wow! The Universe must be very, very hungry: The Big Gulp
Just when you thought those LSD flashbacks were long gone: High-Lights
If this is true, all haters can rejoice! Now They Will Finally Break Up
See ya' later....
Image via: http://smallbizmedia.tv
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Street Art of the Day
Attribution TBA
Note: Due to searching tons of street art sites each day, locating this image again for the proper credit is still in progress.
(If anyone knows who the artist is, please send info here in Comments. Thanks.)
Denial Is A Man's Worst Friend
You've been reading (perhaps) and hearing gents such as Mitt Romney and other GOP-reactionaries defend their position that the only reason women don't earn as much as men in the cliche'd "workplace" is Obama's fault because the economy isn't as strong as every single one of the people in the 99% income bracket of non-millionaire/billionaire status would like it to be. Read This If You Haven't Been Paying Attention
Say what?
Beyond the income inequality that has been going on forever (as a DJ, for example, I was paid almost 50% less than my male counterparts despite high ratings for my radio programs. And that was in the 70's). Now, in a new millennium, only a few extremely high-profile women in CEO or other "powerful" positions in industry, politics, entertainment and so on, are paid on an equal level with the men who once held those cushy $$$ positions.
Adding the usual insult-injury, the battle to bar a woman's choice to decide whether or not she can seek Contraceptives for not only birth control but for other health issues is the target of the Extreme Right Wing Platform. Why in the world can these men claim that they are not trying to control Women's Choices?
What year and planet do they live in/on? Obviously, one in which they may use a little blue pill to assist their Arrested-Not-Developed-Anymore-Erectile functions, whereas another series of pills to help women ward off the Staff-Of-Baby-Making-Fluid is a threat to not only their manhood (for some odd reason as so many father's bail on child support), but an excuse to run to the religion of their choice to place women in the typical subservient position of yielding to their Master's Omnipotent Declarations of old-fashioned "ownership" of their wives, not unlike Slaves who toiled for nothing more than a pittance of food and shelter once "bought" by the well-heeled landowners of yore.
Okay, guys, it's time to set aside your flats and put on a pair of high-heels for a day or two and spend at least 8 hours of the day working in a woman's shoes, then receiving a check that is insultingly paltry considering how hard you worked as well as the probability that somewhere along the week a man made a remark about your physical appearance - pro or con - while noticing that the men who work the same job as you flounce-off with their higher-than-yours check to get ready for a night on the town, a gambling casino, pay-off the mortgage.....
After doing (or imagining) such a premise, I wonder if any of you will finally understand what it feels like to be deemed a "second-class citizen" subjected to the irrational verbal assaults by many politicians and employers that there is NO WAR ON WOMEN.
Believe me, if women rose up and stood in front of a podium and denounced your use of Viagra and promised to do whatever they could to make it illegal, you would cry foul and declare that there is a WAR ON MEN's BFF. And when you see your paycheck as a slap in the face, I wonder what you would do about it? But then, you'd stomp into your boss's office and demand a pay raise that you would probably receive. IF the person sitting behind the desk is also a man.
That's it for now, but the debate will continue.....
Image via: http://www.squidoo.com
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A National Nightmare Is Not Quite Over
In the legal process, numerous scenarios always must be followed: First, if all goes as per usual, a Preliminary Hearing is in order.
Zimmerman is now in custody at an undisclosed location in Florida after charges were filed against him today in the latest American Criminal Justice Brew-Not-So-Hah-Hah that has divided, consolidated, most of the U.S. following 45 days since the curious shooting of unarmed Trayvon Martin.
If anyone feels that prosecutor Angela Corey dodged details, she did not for anything other than allowing the future legal machinations to unfold in the proper way. She did what is correct. Nothing at all should be brought forward until a trial/hearing is in progress. If any of us were in Zimmerman's position, we would be relieved to know that at the very least our case would not be compromised by public opinion, foolish "slips of the tongue" by biased prosecutors.
The brilliance of Corey's presentation in the midst of an enormously tempestuous, controversial, internal (by now) focus of concern is to be applauded.
There is a reason why we have Court Proceedings. To say or imply anything other than the basic facts of an arrest is the way to go.
And, despite my personal feelings that racial profiling is at the base of the killing, I will, at least in this case, hope that all stones will be unearthed; that justice will be more than considered, but acted-on in a fair and just way because, regardless of the holes in the American Way of Often Non-Justice, anyone of sound mind ever wanted was a sincere, serious, fair and clear investigation into what has become the tip of the Racial Iceberg in our unfortunately prejudiced (against both Whites and Blacks/Hispanics/Others) society.
It is a serious shame that it was the death of a kid of colour who was apparently doing nothing but Walking While Black to bring to the surface the deep-seated anger of both Whites and Blacks to the forefront.
I am not writing anything unusual from what the pundits, et al, have been saying and writing. But I will not stand back and pretend I haven't been touched by this because it is an example of how far the human race has to go in the evolution of tolerance of RACE RELATIONS.
Before I end this simple post, please think about what I have written below - and draw your own conclusion(s).
Think about it: Did you ever wear a hoodie walking alone and have a car or person follow you as you went on your way? White or Black, etc., I know that as a woman, another "minority" based on the GOP and most of the world, I would sure as hell stand up for myself if someone got out of their car and asked me what I was doing in the neighborhood.
Reminders: Despite ID and a cell phone found on/with the victim, his body was placed in the morgue as a "John Doe" for 3 days before his family was notified.
Assumptions by Sanford police: Victim had to have been guilty of something or else what other reason would the shooter have had to kill him?
Question: Why did the police not notice the lack of any wounds on the hands and body of the victim if he had been beating the shooter in what was deemed to be "a fight for his ('shooter') life"? Why were no crime scene photos taken? Truly think about it if you are not a Racist, yet "on the fence" with this situation.
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Waiting
Stay tuned....
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
The Easter Charade
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Oh, I know. Why diss a little egg-hunting when the squeals of delight stream forth from the mouth of babes when they find one?
Nevertheless, I'm constantly amazed at how many Christian-based holidays are rife with cutesy symbols (Santa Claus, Reindeer, Expected Gifts, Easter Bunnies, etc,). Why did a Bunny/Hare become the symbol of one of the most religious of all Christian religious days? And yes, a Hare is a larger form of a Wittle Wabbit but shares the same reputation and hippity-hoppity gyrations of its cousins.
In researching the origins of why the Rabbit/Hare and the colourful eggs became associated with the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, a variety of explanations abound depending on how many articles one reads. The primary information is simple, really. Rabbits have a tendency to breed beyond belief, thus they represent "Birth" and with the Spring Equinox in-sync with the holiday, "Rebirth" - as in "Spring" - is the culprit.
The above is the easiest explanation. And the eggs? Well, eggs hatch into beings and also represent fertility and renewal. There is much more to the lore of why the eggs became involved since Rabbits don't lay eggs, just fuzzy little rabbits every five minutes, and there are numerous discussions and historical renderings of why the eggs are dyed but I won't banter on about all of that. You can look it up and freeze your mind in the process of digging through various scholarly explanations.
All I know is that Easter is a jumble of religion, seasonal change, unusual pagan rituals and fashion parades that are too colourful for words. It has become a "Look At Me" day when many people go to church wearing their Finest-Of-The-Finest clothing because, you know, dressing-up for the new season supersedes the basic simplicity of what Christ represents.
Oh yes, you could say that dressing-up is to show respect. I say it's a shame that fashion is one of the main focuses of this holiday. Isn't this a day for Christians to glory in the Resurrection of their Savior rather than how glam one looks in the mirror? I doubt that Christ would be impressed. He was a man of simplicity, correct? I'm sure he would rather his followers use the money they spent on garments to feed the hungry and help the poor.
But I digress from the primary purpose of this post: Rabbits/Hares. "Easter Bunnies."
Funny, isn't it, that the primary social symbol of Easter is an animal that is the most sexually promiscuous of them all? Perhaps that explains why so many church-going politicians have a difficult time reigning-in their lusty behaviour and thoughts.
It must be in the Hare.
Image via: http://www.simtalk.com
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Pass-It-Over To Someone Else
As in, suddenly they're running away from helping, supporting, "being there" for that person with whatever the patient needs from them - or anyone.
Compassion, empathy, isn't in everyone's DNA. But one doesn't always know this about the people with whom they have developed what appeared to them to be a loving, close association of any sort until they become ill or injured and require care. Even while in a hospital where all that might be required of the spouse/partner, etc. is to show-up, hang-out, hold a hand, translate what the doctor or nurse just said if under sedation and unable to comprehend the often incomprehensible information.
Or, just bringing flowers to cheer up the drab hospital room and the supposed loved-one's spirits.
This particular subject has risen to the top of my mind after not only having my own shock at the reactions of family and a few friends over the years whenever I had to be hospitalized for one thing or another, or simply very ill with the flu, but with the recent knowledge that a friend's boyfriend (whom she had been supporting financially) bailed on her when she nearly died a month ago.
All was well in their Happy-Land until the boyfriend realized his meal ticket and wonderful lover was human - with frailties. And, it wasn't as if she had been perfectly healthy when they met. She has pre-existing conditions that could send her into a health spiral at any time, so he certainly had to be aware that a bit of tender care might be required throughout their relationship.
What, I have to ask, is wrong with these people?
Fear is part of it. Fear for one's self, is a portion of the tune-out. The general mindset of those who "bail" is part a) What will they do without their love/child/friend? Better "protect" their possible heartbreak by emotional and possible physical exit from the situation. b) They don't want the "taint" of illness to rub off on them. c) The responsibility of caring for another is too much for them to handle.
Okay. It's understandable that not everyone is capable of care-giving. However, what's with the complete inability to show compassion and love? Surely a way around becoming the complete "care-giver" is available to many. If health insurance doesn't cover Home Care, then find a way to ease the load and recruit compassionate friends, relatives or even strangers (under supervision) to help.
To me, it's not only a head-scratching situation when people leave the scene of the sick-bed, but is a reason to reevaluate the limitations of those we most depend upon for our well-being. If only we didn't discover these holes in our closest associates while in the midst of a crisis. There is no true/accurate test to take to discover who will bolt and who will stay, nor is it always obvious with how the other person treats others with illnesses if nothing has popped-up to provide a hint.
The point to this post is to request that anyone reading this post will look into their hearts and ask themselves if they are able to set aside their fears, or a snobbish attitude that only "Losers Get Sick" and thus must keep their distance. Want to know why? Because, in my life experience, almost everyone who once removed themselves emotionally or physically from me during various illnesses and surgeries have ended-up with serious health problems of their own.
What they were running from caught up with them. And when that happened, they all came back to me with apologies for having left me in the lurch. Luckily, I've had more support than not, yet it has been those with whom I have been in a relationship, or as with my mother, who have disappointed me the most in the last few years.
I don't intend to divorce my mother. She did vacuum my bedroom floor when I returned from the hospital last year, but when I needed my sheets to be changed one would think I was asking for her to build a new bed for me. Suddenly, Mrs. Anal-Compulsive Joan Crawford #2 in the cleaning department seemed unable to even cook my breakfast.
And when I heard of my friend's loss of her boyfriend due to her illness, the reality that who we thought would care for us until "the end" could barely go beyond a hospital stay before wimping-out, has caused me to bring up this subject.
I could make snarky remarks toward people who can't handle illness and the responsibility that often goes with the territory. The truth is, some people are wired to care, and others need to be re-wired "To Beware." And those people could be you and me.
Suggestion: Make sure your insurance covers Home Care, and do as my friend did when her man wimped-out on her as she was filled with breathing tubes and in ICU:
Dump his sorry arse. STAT!
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