Derrick's Window

Wasilla Hillbillies

2011-11-06T09:56:00.001-05:00

...looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast

I wonder if i will still be doing the blog by the time this is scheduled to post. This is just in case the republican party decides to go after Joe everyman again. I want everyone to remember what they said about one of their own!

Damn it's dusty in here!

2010-01-01T18:47:00.003-05:00

Wow.. July. Ok Well here is the thing, this was my first serious mostly non personal very political ( with some pop culture) blog. And it was fun, for awhile but then it got a little obsessive and i went to a place where all I could do was talk politics and well... politics. So here is thing...I am moving. It's a New Year and I got some different stuff happening. for those who followed the window I thank you. If you want to see my Alchemic transformation then head on over to the new spot.

For those who don't ...well Thank you for sticking around for your input and your love.

Happy 2010!!!!!!!

Matt Smith Doctor #11

2009-07-20T17:21:00.002-04:00

First look at Matt Smith as the New Doctor Who

A tale of two Michaels

2009-07-20T17:15:00.003-04:00

Michael (Bow wow) Vick was released from home confinement today as his 23 month sentence came to an end. Vick received 23 months for participating in a dog fighting ring. He hopes to restart his NFL career but if he can it will not be with his former team the Atlanta Falcons who released Vick from his contract in June.

Being a dog lover myself I have to say he broke the law, dogs suffered he should be punished. However as we all know (even those there are some who refuse to admit this) we have a dual legal system. Because while Michael Vick was dog fighting and will be paying for that for awhile, I saw a “Subway” commercial today with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. Yes that Michael Phelps who was caught on camera smoking weed. That Michael Phelps who already had 1 DUI arrest. That Michael Phelps who clearly has broken the law a couple times and got on TV apologized and it has not seemed to slow down his career.

Sports figures, Entertainers, the rich and powerful break the law just as much as the average Joe and for the record I don’t think one mistake should kill a career. So I wish Mr. Vick all the best of luck re-igniting his career and having the staying power that Phelps has had.

We now return to our regularly scheduled blogcast!

2009-07-20T17:10:00.001-04:00

Who knew I needed a blogging vacation? But the last two weeks pretty much media free seems to have done the trick. My batteries are recharged and I am feeling my stride so with that said on to blogging!

A-list event or Michael memorial??

2009-07-06T18:41:00.004-04:00

The show of shows that is the death of Michael Jackson continues as the names of those participating in the memorial service is released. While I am sure that some of these folks are genuinely saying goodbye to a friend and a fellow musician, others see this as a high note on their resume'.

Who is who? You be the judge!

Ron Boyd (family friend); Kobe Bryant; Mariah Carey; Andrae Crouch Choir; Berry Gordy; Jennifer Hudson; Shaheen Jafargholi (finalist on "Britain’s Got Talent"); Magic Johnson; Martin Luther King III; Bernice A. King; John Mayer; Lionel Richie; Smokey Robinson; the Rev. Al Sharpton; Brooke Shields; Pastor Lucious Smith (family friend); Usher; and Stevie Wonder.

P.S.
Nice to see some of the King kids could stop infighting long enough to participate...

Just some random 4th!

2009-07-04T09:31:00.002-04:00

I love this guy...he is so talented!

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!

2009-07-04T06:58:00.002-04:00

Don't part to hard!!!!!

why can't we sissies keep our hands to ourselves...and other bizarro world tales!

2009-07-03T10:49:00.002-04:00

Here is another one of those stories that I don't need to rewrite I just need to post it. What i will post later on is my reply I will be sending to the police chief.

Texas Cops Celebrate Pride by Bashing Gays by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca‚ Jul. 02‚ 2009

News stories around the country are comparing it to the Stonewall Riots of 40 years ago that gave birth to the modern gay liberation movement. Ironically, it happened on the actual anniversary date and around the same time that the New York bar was raided. Only this time, it was in Fort Worth, Texas.

On June 28 around 1:00 a.m., police and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) agents entered the Rainbow Lounge in Fort Worth for what they said was a routine inspection for liquor-related violations and in the melee that followed, one man was hurt. Twenty-six-year-old Chad Gibson is still in intensive care with a serious head injury. What happened depends on who you talk to ...

Police say that patrons of the Rainbow Lounge made “sexually explicit motions” toward the officers, and one groped a cop’s crotch. Twenty people were pulled outside for questioning. Seven were arrested for allegedly being publicly intoxicated.

Patrons say that police officers were abusive and used excessive force. Todd Camp, who founded Q Cinema, Fort Worth’s LBGT film festival, told the Dallas Voice, “No one I saw appeared to be highly intoxicated, and the way they were choosing people just appeared to be random harassment. They were pretty violent in grabbing people, and one guy was shoved to the ground and handcuffed.”

“I have been in plenty of bars when the TABC checks happened, and this was not like anything I have ever seen before,” Camp added.

Lots of others confirmed what Camp said. Justin McCarty, who worked security for the bar, saw an officer throw Gibson to the ground. “It was just brutal,” he said.

Alison Egert watched officers throw Gibson against the wall and then the floor. “Here you have this gay man who looked like he weighed 100 pounds,” she said, “thrown to the floor with six cops on top of him. That’s when I started noticing that they were only arresting men, and they seemed to be targeting the smaller men.”

“The people in there were scared,” Egert said. “They were all getting out of their (police officers’) way. No one resisted arrest. They were singling out specific people, the men who seemed more effeminate. It just seems like it was a deliberate jab at the community.”

None of the eye witnesses saw any officers getting groped or being in any way sexually harassed. Even if they had been, it doesn’t justify beating a 26-year-old to the point that he’s fighting for his life.

In the aftermath of the incident, Police Chief Jeff Halstead is saying that everyone should “take a deep breath.”

A deep breath isn’t going to change the fact that Halstead and his officers have a lot of explaining to do.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca is co-editor of Avanti Popolo: Italians Sailing Beyond Columbus, and editor of Smash the Church, Smash the State: The Early Years of Gay Liberation, which has just been published by City Lights Books. His website: www.avicollimecca.com

Who will take care of her pussy now????

2009-07-01T20:33:00.002-04:00

Mary Isobel Sugden under the stage name Mollie Sugden won over a generation as the multi hair colored senior sales staffer of Grace Brothers in the British show “Are you being served”.

In the show she played Mrs. Slocombe, saleswoman in Ladies intimate apparel and was the master of the double entendre. She was a regular on the series for it’s entire 13 year run. She was 86. Wow there kind of dropping like flies aren’t they?

Karl Malden also passed away today. He was 97.

Movie makers- A little out of touch with the pulse of children.

2009-07-01T17:12:00.003-04:00

This week Spike TV is celebrating the “Force of July” by showing the Star Wars movies, old and new. Well as I was flipping channels I happen to pass by The Phantom Menace and its star character “Jar Jar binks”. I was immediately reminded of all the hoopla surrounding that character when the movie came out in 1999. What I remember the most is that George Lucas said the character, which had caused such controversy because of its buffoonery/coonish behavior, was made that was to relate to the kids in the audience. Such controversy that Jar Jar, a vitally important character in the first movie, was almost nonexistent in the following.

If you have read any movie reviews in the last two weeks this may sound very familiar as Michael Bay introduced two autobots in his summer blockbuster “Transformers Revenge of the Fallen” , who have re-ignited that very same storm of controversy about coonish/ buffoonery to close to comfort negative stereotypical behavior. And just like George Lucas, Michael Bay seemed to think that the jive talking semi illiterate characters would appeal to the kids.

I guess my question is, what kids are these gentlemen attempting to reach? I mean really think about it. Kids today with their own personal computers at age 7 and cellphones, there PS3’s and Wii’s. Kids who can bypass the parental safeguards on various machines and who live to download. Basically kids who are more technologically diversied than any other generation ever would find this form of slapstick and buffoonery funny. When you look at it like this the response that it was done for the children does not hold water.

So for any future movie makers out there, this is not the 70’s and these are not Saturday morning kiddie shows, in fact when was the last time they showed kiddie cartoons on a Saturday morning? Falling into characters with negative and racist stereotypes not the way to entertain the Children of the new millennium.

A different slant on DADT and Dan Choi

2009-07-01T15:12:00.004-04:00

For the record…it is wrong for laws like Don’t Ask Don’t tell to exist. Anyone who wants to serve should have the right to do so. Hell discrimination on any level is clearly wrong. Having said that here are some things about being gay.

Unlike when they would not allow Negroes to serve in the military, you usually can’t tell gay people by looking at them, we don’t wear scarlet letters or have pink triangles etched onto the side of our faces. So unless you’re caught live or on film in a “situation” people generally will not know you’re a homosexual.

Lt. Dan Choi has a very impressive military resume’.

“Lt. Dan Choi, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Iraq War veteran, is a capable soldier and leader who can continue to play a vital role in this time of war.

As a member of the military who is fluent in Arabic, Lt. Choi's skills are especially needed at this critical time
in our nation's history. America's national security is dependent on the service of soldiers like Lt. Choi, who is ready to deploy again if his country calls on him.”

Today a military board ruled that Dan should be dismissed from the service because he came out of the closet. Let me repeat that….He came out of the closet!! On his own of his own accord, without any prompting from anyone else. Now look at his resume’ again, he went to West Point so these rules are not new to him. He decided however to break those rules on national television.

I have received many emails asking me to sign the petition to keep him in the service and a couple of times I thought about it, but at the end of the day Dan is on a road that he put himself on. I am all for him being a spokesman for repealing DADT, I am all for him being branded a trailblazer. But at the end of the day he did break the rules. He had spent many years in the service and he knew what would happen to him when he went on Rachel Maddow. Unpopular true but also very accurate.

The window random opening and closing....

2009-06-30T22:39:00.002-04:00

Due to my computer getting sick ( Never buy a HP notebook, nothing but trouble) my postings will be hit and miss for the foreseeable future. Please bear with me.....

Bernie Madoff 150 years

2009-06-29T12:34:00.003-04:00

I could not write it any better so courtesy ABC news.

Notorious Ponzi scammer Bernie Madoff has been sentenced to the maximum 150 years in prison for the $65 billion fraud that swindled his many devastated victims.

The former NASDAQ chairman receives maximum sentence for investment fraud.

More Photos

Judge Denny Chin said the sentence was a symbolic one for a crime that showed "extraordinary evil" and "took a staggering human toll."

Madoff, addressing the court in a dark suit, white shirt and black tie for about six minutes, said that when he started the scam, he thought he'd be able to "work my way out." He said he lives in a tormented state and expressed regret of leaving a "legacy of shame" to his family and grandchildren." Madoff said his wife Ruth will make a statement later today.

He maintained that he acted alone, saying, "How do you excuse lying to brother and sons? How do you excuse lying and deceiving a wife who stood by you for 50 years and still stands by you? There is no excuse for that and I don't ask for forgiveness."

He then faced his victims in court and said, "I'm sorry."

When the sentence was read, the courtroom broke out in applause.

Infomercial King Billy Mays passes.

2009-06-28T19:51:00.003-04:00

TV product pitchman Billy Mays who made such household helpers as Oxi Clean famous passed away today in his Florida home. According to reports Mays’ wife found him unconscious and unresponsive in their home early this morning.

As of yet no cause of death has been determined however Mays was onboard a US Airways flight yesterday that had some trouble when the front tires blew out during the landing at Tampa’s airport. The passengers and crew were banged up but no serious injuries had been reported.

Carrie Bradshaw meets Kathy Griffin comic book style

2009-06-28T17:17:00.003-04:00

Marvel has put out some really interesting projects lately in their further attempt to shake up the status quo of their universe but I have to admit this one I did not see coming.

"Marvel Divas" follow four D list female heroes from different walks of the Marvel Universe. Patsy Walker (Hellcat) and Monica Rambeau (Currently no code name) both former Avengers have formed a out of costume friendship with former Spider Man girlfriend Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) and former New Warrior Angelica Jones (Firestar)*.

While I have only read the preview it came off as one of those internal windows tot he super world that happens between the big battles that we don't get to see. The things that put the human in Super Human.

And though I am not a huge fan of "Sex in the City" which this book has clearly taken part of it's inspiration from, there is a self depreciating humor that exist in this book which I will enjoy.

*V I know she was an Avenger but she never really fit there hence the NW reference.

Future of the turntable?

2009-06-27T17:52:00.002-04:00

Rhea Jeong's "void" turntable concept uses what would have to be incredibly strong and precise magnet control to levitate a record above its base. That little red ball on top of the vinyl is actually the needle.

We're not sure how the music would be outputted—would there be a transmitter in the red sphere? It's probably not worth worrying about that kind of minor issue as we're pretty sure the entire idea is impossible, but it's also creative and great to look at, and would almost certainly blow your parents' minds.

Practicla or not... I think it is just hot!

Still Remembering Michael!!!

2009-06-25T20:41:00.001-04:00

Rest in Peace Michael

2009-06-25T18:30:00.002-04:00

The public relations department is really busy in heaven today.
May you find the peace in death that seemed to elude you the last few years of your life.

Dear Michael, (ala Kim Fields)

2009-06-25T18:16:00.002-04:00

You know who he is; you don’t need a history lesson from me. I am sure that many blogs will post the whole Jackson history.

For me when you say Michael Jackson the first thing that comes to mind is the 1984 Victory tour. As an after thought someone got me a ticket and the circumstances around me and the concert and my nuclear family at the time. But all that melted away when Mike took the stage. For three hours in my life at that time all my troubles melted away and I was just in pure music bliss. While his name and circumstances have changed in the recent past I will always appreciate the man and his talent for those three hours of my life.

At this point only TMZ is reporting that Michael is dead; all the other news outlets have him in a coma. Either way this goes this is how I choose to remember M.J., he’s “Bad”!!!

The Angel ascends to heaven!!!!!

2009-06-25T14:47:00.002-04:00

Rest in Peace Farrah
May you be named Patron Saint of no longer abused women.

Good blacksploitation

2009-06-24T21:00:00.001-04:00

This was help get the taste out of my mouth from the last post.

Robotic Blacksplotation 2.0

2009-06-24T18:39:00.002-04:00

I am not gonna put a certain actor out there like that. I know my blog is small but there are so few black actors out there that I am not taking any chances especially with one I like. I will say that this actor was up for a role in the very early stages of this Transformers sequel and that they recognized that the character was an ugly black stereotype. I was at a project this actor did and the actor told this story to the audience about how Michael Bay had decided that he was done with being “Politically correct” and that people needed to get over themselves. While the part that the actor was up for did not make it into the cut of the movie it seems the attitude of Mr. Bay did.

"Jive-talking twin Transformers raise race issues

By SANDY COHEN

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" introduces some 40 new mechanized characters of all shapes, sizes and even sexes — but it's a pair of jive-talking 'bots that critics are singling out as more than just harmless comic relief.

Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They're forced to acknowledge that they can't read. One has a gold tooth.

As good guys, they fight alongside the Autobots and are intended to provide comic relief. But the traits they're ascribed raise the specter of stereotypes most notably seen when Jar Jar Binks, the clumsy, broken-English speaking alien from "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," was criticized as a racial caricature.

Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern described Binks in 1999 as a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit," a reference to a black character from the 1920s and '30s that exploited negative stereotypes for comic effect. Extending that metaphor to the "Transformers" sequel was AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire, who calls Skids and Mudflap "Jar Jar Binks in car form."

And Manohla Dargis, film critic for The New York Times, takes it a step further, writing that the "Transformers" characters were given "conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas."

Director Michael Bay insists that the bumbling 'bots are just good clean fun.

"We're just putting more personality in," Bay said. "I don't know if it's stereotypes — they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it."

TV actor Reno Wilson, who is black, voices Mudflap. Tom Kenny, the white actor behind SpongeBob SquarePants, voices Skids. Neither immediately responded to interview requests for this story.

Bay said the twins' parts "were kind of written but not really written, so the voice actors is when we started to really kind of come up with their characters."

"I purely did it for kids," the director said. "Young kids love these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them."

Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said they followed Bay's lead in creating the twins. Still, the characters serve no real purpose in the story, and when the action gets serious, they disappear entirely, notes Tasha Robinson, associate entertainment editor at The Onion.

"They don't really have any positive effect on the film," she said. "They only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk about how stupid each other is."

Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of black characters for comic relief, said Todd Boyd, a professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, who has not seen the "Transformers" sequel.

"There's a history of people getting laughs at the expense of African-Americans and African-American culture," Boyd said. "These images are not completely divorced from history even though it's a new movie and even though they're robots and not humans."

American cinema also has a tendency to deal with race indirectly, said Allyson Nadia Field, an assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"There's a persistent dehumanization of African-Americans throughout Hollywood that displaces issues of race onto non-human entities," said Field, who also hasn't seen the film. "It's not about skin color or robot color. It's about how their actions and language are coded racially."

If these characters weren't animated and instead played by real black actors, "then you might have to admit that it's racist," Robinson said. "But stick it into a robot's mouth, and it's just a robot, it's OK."

But if they're alien robots, she continued, "why do they talk like bad black stereotypes?"

Bay brushes off any whiff of controversy.

"Listen, you're going to have your naysayers on anything," he said. "It's like is everything going to be melba toast? It takes all forms and shapes and sizes."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved."

Can you re-imagine VIII

2009-06-23T16:43:00.004-04:00

When M. Night first hit the scene I was really excited. He was a breath of fresh air and his stories were original. That lasted for 3 movies. Then there was a string of WTF movies starting with “The Village” and “The Happening”. So when it was announced that M. would be directing the live action remake of “Avatar The last airbender” an American anime, I was more than a little nervous. When word came out that there was an all white cast to play these Asian characters I was just scared. And even though I still have issues with the casting I have to admit the trailer kind of blew me away!

Taking the bull by the balls Part 3

2009-06-23T06:06:00.005-04:00

I’m calling you sissies out!

Ok I am just gonna say it, The gays are getting on my nerves. I know I know your thinking “Hey DJ are you not gay?” Yes I am but I am a gay with common sense, ah these is the difference. It seems I am also a that is not a coward gay.

So several states have decided “Hey we got some real issues going on, if two men or two women want to get married and drive each other fucking crazy who am I to deny them that?” and so many states are passing gay marriage laws or some kind of equivelant. Everybody is getting in on the fun except for California, who can say why, maybe the closet movie stars decided they couldn’t vote against prop 8, but I digress.

President Obama who has stated in the past he does not believe in gay marriage but he does believe in equality says yes to civil unions or same couple unions or whatever the buzz word is. Personally if it allows me to visit my sick partner in the hospital without a lot of bullshit you can call it booboo kitty fuck! Anyway we have a President who is clearly on our side, much more than the previous one, but clearly he is not moving fast enough for my fellow homosexuals. So they have decided to attack him, and they are boycotting, and doing all kinds of “cutting off your nose to spite your face” type shit.

The ziplock commercial taught is yellow and blue make green but what does yellow and pink make? What the hell do you mean there is going to be a stonewall cocktail party or whatever it is that is gay themed and the power gays that are invited are not going? How fucking crazy are you people, I mean have the poppers fried your brain cells? Excuse my racism but Damn yall is real white!

Where was all this noise and revolt and boycott of the invites to the gays from the Bush White house….oh yeah that is right, yall didn’t get invited to the White House cause nobody gave a fuck about you then. So now that someone has shown you a little attention you have decided to grow a pair? That is so gay!

So to my fellow gays, you want Gay to be the new black and really mean it, you will A) Learn a little fucking patience, people of color still catching hell across the country and the Emancipation proclamation was put into effect back in 1862. The Black Power Movement was 1966-1975 and we are still looking for a level playing field. B) Don’t attack your allies. We were in the dark for over 8 years and now you want to bite the hand that is feeding you cause the vittles are not coming fast enough?

I wish Barack would invite me to the White House, two minutes face time to make my case, Hell yeah I am going!

You crazy sissies! Gay has a long way to go for it gets black, right now it is still very yellow!

Can you re-imagine VII

2009-06-23T01:04:00.004-04:00

Ok here is the thing. I am really against this movie and until I saw the trailer I was refusing to see this movie. Hollywood in a rare gleem of wisdom decided to cast all these actors as teachers I would like to see. SO I will probably see the movie on video or television with one eye open. The cast includes Debbie Allen (this time as Principal of the school). Also Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, and Bebe Neuwirth, all people who keep me entertained!

Minority Reports

2009-06-22T22:18:00.007-04:00

They thought it was over and done with, but racial ignorance and proof that the election of Barack Obama means that we have entered a “post racial” society is a myth continue to raise their head in the most unlikely of places. My four color fantasy place, the land of comic books.

Dwayne McDuffie is a writer, director, producer and personal hero of mine. He is living my dream as a comic book writer. He was also the co-founder of the Milestone comic book company which focused on original characters who were largely characters of color. One of his characters was even picked up for a Kids WB cartoon series “Static Shock”.

For the last two years Dwayne has been the writer of one of DC comics flagship book Justice League of America. The JLA is the group that on the average of twice a month save the world, the universe, even sometimes the whole of creation. Most of your DC A listers including but not limited to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern (all of whom either have movies out or in the making). Justice League has been interpreted into a not picked up live action Tv show, and several cartoons including Super Friends. All of this to say that in the world of comic geeks and DC the Justice League is a big deal and DC does not just pick a name out of a hat at random to write there big time books.

So on one of the comics sights Newsarama, Dwayne posted a preview of his upcoming final issue. Some of the comments made left me speechless.

“…how many blacks did McDuffie manage to sneak onto the team this time–five? (I bet DC editorial gave him the same order as Burger King in that lawsuit–to “lighten things up around here.”)”

“Why don’t they call this the “Minority League”? ”

“I don’t think anyone will support an original black “mainstream” character. I know I won’t.”

"Couldn't they get Static, Black Lightning, or one of his daughters instead of Dr. Light on the cover of BET League of America? Ha!"

And my personal favorite…….

“Maybe they should establish a separate league for all the negro superheroes. I’m not saying kick them ALL off. One would be okay. (Doesn’t Hollywood have some kind of law that says every movie has to have at least one black in it?) I just think they’re going overboard with all this diversity stuff. I mean, how many comics do minorities read anyway?”

Yeah that last one bothers me more than any of the other comments ( and that whole All Negro superhero comment comes close I mean really NEGRO??????)

It is very difficlult for me to understand that when one of the most popular comic book properties right now is the X-Men franchise, a continuing story about a group of people that have spent the entire lives being discriminated against for no reason other than they were born different that this kind of ignorant and racism can raise it’s head.

So for the record all you sheet wearing geeks, much like anything else geekdom comes in all colors and creeds. Yes minorities read and yes they read comics. And yes we like to see people like ourselves in those books.

Oh and no there is no “rule” that you must include one black in a movie, blacks, browns, yellows, pinks, etc are all part of this country and all have stories to tell. It is not like there is not a need after all, most of the incarnations of the JLA have been a little all white.

Back to the Grind

2009-06-22T17:46:00.000-04:00

Hello Blogland, I am back from my completely unplanned vacation from blogging. When last we blogged I told you that my time was being used to prepare to take on City Hall and this bag “tax” that was being introduced. I am happy to report that while the issue has not been completely dropped the city council recognized that putting this into law was going to be no easy task and there were a lot of holes that needed to be filled.

I also made the local television news and was quoted in the paper. If you want to see me in action (recognizing that only soundbytes get used in these things) you can click here for the video( after the commercial).

Bag full of taxes

2009-06-15T18:06:00.001-04:00

For any of my regular readers you know my posting has been a little light this past week, well there is a very good reason for that. Tomorrow I will be appearing before the City Council of Baltimore. A city councilman has introduced a bill that will charge a “surcharge” of 25 cent per plastic bag from any store in the Baltimore city area. In a economy that is already struggling and a city that was struggling long before that, you want to charge people a tax for basically grocery bags.

It is being introduced as a “green initiative”, a piece of legislature that would help the environment be free of plastic bags. Sounds great on the surface I know but what is the alternative? How do people on a fix income, people with no cars, people just ecking by as it is get their grocery’s home?

I also question how a bill proposed to deter people from using bags is being estimated to bring in a minimum of 1.6 million dollars in revenue?

Other cities have introduced similar legislature but it is on average between 4 and 6 cent. So tomorrow I am going to fight the power, and the research that I normally spend on my blogs has been spent on my day in council.

Wish me luck!!!!

The Tv's are a changin!!!!!

2009-06-12T12:28:00.002-04:00

As of writing this we are about 5 minutes away from the biggest most confusing scam I have ever seen. TV is switching from analog to digital. Normally I am all for modern tech but I am never for having to have something. You need cable or converter boxes in order to get free telelvison channels. They can’t be broadcast in both analog and digital? And when the digital goes down ( don’t say it can’t happen) what do we do then?

Well good luck everyone, this is generally the point in the sci-fi movie where the machines get the first foothold on society before the big takeover!

In need of a good laugh today!

2009-06-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

And Dot can always bring that......

Will anyone name him HERO???!!!!!

2009-06-11T06:22:00.002-04:00

Yall know what happened. I am not writing his name, I am not giving him power here in my space. He was a man full of hate and he gave that hate a voice with a gun. If you want to know about him google search I am not writing about him.

I will write about Stephen T. Johns.

He was a guard for 6 years at the Holocaust museum. He was liked but his fellow employees. He will be missed. And that is pretty much all we know. Nobody has talked to his friends or family or neighbors. We only have the most basic of info on Stephen. WTF!!!

But the hate monger, I could write a whole bio on just what I have seen on the news, but i am not gonna do that.

Goodbye Stephen and thank you.... I will call you HERO here!!!!!

Not the kind of Master I am use too but I like it just the same

2009-06-10T18:46:00.004-04:00

In just a few hours is the premiere of the Top Chef spin off show “Top Chef Masters”. Unlike previous incarnations of the show which pits beginners and relative unknowns against one another for a grand prize at the end, this show will feature chef’s that are already considered masters of the craft and will be competing for their favorite charity.

I will miss the series regulars Bear hottie Tom Colicchio and recently nude host Padma Lakshmi but I am willing to give the newbies (so to speak) a chance.

Hosting duties will fall upon food journalist Kelly Choi and judging duties will go to restaurant reviewer Jay Rayner, restaurant critic Gael Greene, and editor in chief of Saveur magazine James Oseland.

Can Bravo capture lighting in a GE microwave twice?

Wonder Woman in DC

2009-06-09T22:17:00.005-04:00

Lynda Carter appeared in DC's Metro Weekly magazine discussing her new album, her new show, and gay rights.

Click pic for full article.

An evening with the Ifill

2009-06-08T12:07:00.002-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of seeing and meeting Gwen Ifill and her cousin Sherrilyn Ifill , civil rights attorney, at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. I have to tell you I don't know if they did this stuff at the Chicago Libraries but the Baltimore city library is kicking ass!

For those unfamiliar Gwen is a Journalist and author. She recently came into attention on the national stage because republicans tried to block her as moderator for the 2008 Vice Prediential debate because she had a book (already done) scheduled to come out called "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama" and their was a feeling she might be impartial.

Gwen has been carried in The New York Times, Washington Post, and several major newspapers.

Michelle is better than Barbie!

2009-06-06T18:21:00.004-04:00

Michelle Obama Inaugural Doll
An exquisite, all-porcelain collector doll capturing the very essence of our nation's First Lady.

Our skilled artisans have perfectly replicated Michelle Obama's Inaugural Ball attire down to the very last detail. Her white, one-shouldered chiffon evening dress has been hand-tailored and features all of the touches that made the original gown so spellbinding.

We've also expertly re-created her stunning diamond bangles, drop earrings, and sparkling cocktail ring. The result is an elegant porcelain sculpture that radiates with the First Lady's uncommon strength and beauty.

Order here

University shuts out successful restaurant

2009-06-05T21:08:00.002-04:00

“ Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop — the South Side restaurant that future President Barack Obama touted on a 2001 episode of WTTW-Channel 11’s “Check Please!” show — will close its Hyde Park location June 7.

Its lease runs out at the 5225 S. Harper Ave. location June 30.

Owner Carol Andresen said she will offer some of the restaurant's dishes at sister restaurant next door called Calypso Cafe.

Andresen also owns Dixie Kitchen restaurants in Evanston and Lansing.”

I used this blurb in the opening of this post to get out the information not with the President as the selling point. Before there was Dixie’s Kitchen there was a “Chance’s Are” where I remember as a youth throwing peanut shells on the floor and being fooled into thinking that my kitty cocktail was a real drink.

I don’t remember how many years Dixie’s was in business but I remember having business meetings there, I remember having dates there, and taking out of towners there. I think the last time I went we wound up having a conversation with some people at the next table about the food.

The restaurant is closing because the University of Chicago wants to spread out some and is closing Harper’s Court. Harper’s Court is a beautiful section of Hyde Park where at one point in time you could go to the movies, or sit outside and watch the old guys play chest, or hear somebody playing the drums. It was in every sense community and no the businesses are being closed up for purposes unknown.

Sadly I won’t be able to get back to Chicago in time to visit Dixie’s one last time to have some Johnny cakes, shrimp and corn fritters with jalapeno jelly, jambalaya, or fried green tomatoes.

My fat soul died just a little today!

Diva Update

2009-06-05T19:43:00.002-04:00

Hey Kyle I am sorry your having a bad week and I know I promised to keep you updated on this but it slipped through the cracks. To anybody in the area for this weekend who loves some good music check it out!

Fiery Singer Gracefully Steps In to Relieve Her Friend Natalie Cole

Washington/Baltimore's Premier Contemporary Jazz & Soul Event just got a little funkier and jazzier with the addition of the one and only Chaka Khan, filling in for a recuperating Natalie Cole who in May had the good fortune to receive a much-needed kidney. Ms. Cole, who will hopefully return for Capital Jazz Fest 2009, shall recuperate while Chaka dazzles the crowd with four decades of hits, a generous helping of her jazzier material, plus songs from her acclaimed double-Grammy-winning latest CD, Funk This.

The 17th annual Capital Jazz Fest - which is nearly sold out – is happening June 5-7, 2009 in the lovely wooded setting of Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. A thrilling line-up of vibrant contemporary jazz and R&B is coming on two big stages where music is certain to materialize. The Pavilion Jazz Stage will be graced by Chaka Khan as well as S.M.V. (bass virtuosos Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten), George Duke, Al Jarreau, Lalah Hathaway, Fourplay, Norman Brown, Roy Ayers, Will Downing, Kirk Whalum, Pieces of a Dream with special guest Phil Perry, Guitars & Saxes (f/ Jeff Lorber, Euge Groove, Jeff Golub and lady saxophone newcomer Jessy J), Regina Belle, Marion Meadows and trumpeter Joey Sommerville.

Meanwhile on The Soul Stage at Symphony Woods (a.k.a. "The Party Stage"), R&B lovers will be treated to a double dose of divas: the 20th anniversary reunion of "The Funky Divas" - all four original members of En Vogue (Terry Ellis, Cindy Heron, Maxine Jones and the returning Dawn Robinson) - as well as the soulful new all-star trio "The Underground Divas" (Maysa of Incognito, N'Dea Davenport of The Brand New Heavies and Caron Wheeler from the original Soul II Soul). Also sprinkling the smooth R&B flavor will be Peabo Bryson, Angie Stone, Rahsaan Patterson, Leela James, Gary Taylor, Raheem DeVaughn, Anthony David & Mike Phillips, singer/saxophonist Pete Belasco, English duo Swing Out Sister, and Atlanta duo Daysahead.

Today's Favorite Photo

2009-06-05T19:07:00.001-04:00

Upcoming x-Men 511

Water boarding chickens come home to roost

2009-06-05T15:06:00.003-04:00

Since my dip into what I call adult blogging (I consider my previous attempts at blogging practice runs and not really informational) one thing I have discovered especially with my Afro Spear brethren is that everyone has that one thing, that one subject that grinds their ass only the daily basis. The thing they have news alerts for and have become in my opinion experts at.

For Wayne over at Electronic Village that subject is tasers. For those not sure what that is tasers are the non lethal weapons several police departments have been using the last few years which have resulted in quite a few deaths of brown people on the streets of America. Yeah I know I just said non lethal but clearly there are still a few flaws that need to be worked out and thank heavens all these brown folks are walking the streets waiting to be test subjects….but I digress.

Today Wayne posted a blog about a judge who allowed tasering to be used on a suspect who declined to submit to a DNA test. Well actually to be fair he declined to submit to a second DNA test. You see the first sample of DNA which was obtained with his consent got sent to the wrong lab and was improperly handled and tainted and such. So a second sample was required since someone on the side of Law and Order had messed up . Well the suspect, a Mr. Ryan S. Smith, said thanks but no thanks to that swab to nowhere. For which after stern protest and a statement of he would stay locked up before submitting to the test, the police sat the handcuffed Mr. Smith on the floor and tasered him in the shoulder until he had a change of heart.

Yesterday Judge Sara Sheldon Sparrazza ruled that It is legally permissible for police to zap a suspect with a Taser to obtain a DNA sample, as long as it’s not done “maliciously, or to an excessive extent, or with resulting injury”. So the DNA sample obtained through “enhanced interrogation techniques” is legal and admissible in court.

There you have it folks. We are now allowed to legally torture suspects in custody until they give us the answers we want and we don’t even require the “ticking time bomb” scenario that is being sold to enhance interrogate suspected terrorist.

God Bless America!!!!

Full story here.

RIP David Carradine

2009-06-04T12:22:00.001-04:00

David Carradine, the star of the 1970s television series “Kung Fu” and the title villain of the “Kill Bill” movies, has died in Thailand, The Associated Press reported. The United States Embassy in Bangkok told The A.P. that Mr. Carradine had been found dead in his hotel suite in Bangkok, where he was working on a movie. He was 72.

NY Times!

The EYES have it

2009-06-03T03:36:00.001-04:00

German researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems have embedded a head-mounted microdisplay into a pair of glasses—allowing the user to access and manipulate data with simple eye movements.

I can't wait for this is this not the coolest thing????

Can you re-imagine VI

2009-06-03T03:07:00.004-04:00

Well I got to go a whole week without doing one of these but that just means I got to do a lot in one sitting.

As reported earlier “Clash of the Titans” is getting a remake, here is the first picture from it.

Someone thought the Hardy Boys had rested on the laurels long enough and is dusting them off as men. The original Hardy Boys/ Nancy Drew mysteries starred Tiger Teen heartthrobs Parker Stevenson & Shaun Cassidy from 1977-1979. Now this is just the one I remember, the truth is the Hardy Boys have gone thru several incarnations starting back in the late 50’s.

There was an attempt at a revival back in 95 but it only lasted 13 episodes (though I swear they didn’t show them all cause I do not remember this) No stars attached as yet.

Lastly Barberella is being dusted off for a reboot again not many details but I will keep you posted.

Movie I can't wait for

2009-06-02T21:50:00.002-04:00

Thanks but no thanks

2009-06-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

Bryan Singer said in a interview today that he would like to return to helm another X-Men movie. Singer was the director for the first X-Men movie as well as its sequel X2 X-Men United both produced by Fox studios. Singer was not around however for X-Men 3 the Last Stand opting instead to tackle the Superman relaunch.'

Bryan feels that X-Men is a part of him and he has at least one more in him, Personally I say thanks but no thanks. This is not because I didn’t enjoy his movies in fact I did enjoy both his entries in X lore. However I think his superhero movies are a little too cerebral and his does not include the action (which sadly was the only thing Ratner had going for his X-Men movie.).\

Perhaps someone like Jon Favreau, who directed the Robert Downey Jr. movie Iron Man could take a crack at it. He seems to be able to find the right balance of action and story.

Today's Favorite Photo

2009-06-01T17:41:00.001-04:00

Nuff Said!!!

Michael Moore says goodbye to GM

2009-06-01T16:03:00.003-04:00

Michael Moore is generally a good guy, i have watched a few of his movies but honestly he is not that balanced in his documentary telling and to be honest sometimes he makes me cry. Today Michael released a letter he wrote about the closing of his home town heart GM. I thought he made some very interesting points about the business models of modern America and how you can shoot yourself in the foot.

"I write this on the morning of the end of the once-mighty General Motors. By high noon, the President of the United States will have made it official: General Motors, as we know it, has been totaled.

As I sit here in GM's birthplace, Flint, Michigan, I am surrounded by friends and family who are filled with anxiety about what will happen to them and to the town. Forty percent of the homes and businesses in the city have been abandoned. Imagine what it would be like if you lived in a city where almost every other house is empty. What would be your state of mind?

It is with sad irony that the company which invented "planned obsolescence" -- the decision to build cars that would fall apart after a few years so that the customer would then have to buy a new one -- has now made itself obsolete. It refused to build automobiles that the public wanted, cars that got great gas mileage, were as safe as they could be, and were exceedingly comfortable to drive. Oh -- and that wouldn't start falling apart after two years. GM stubbornly fought environmental and safety regulations. Its executives arrogantly ignored the "inferior" Japanese and German cars, cars which would become the gold standard for automobile buyers. And it was hell-bent on punishing its unionized workforce, lopping off thousands of workers for no good reason other than to "improve" the short-term bottom line of the corporation. Beginning in the 1980s, when GM was posting record profits, it moved countless jobs to Mexico and elsewhere, thus destroying the lives of tens of thousands of hard-working Americans. The glaring stupidity of this policy was that, when they eliminated the income of so many middle class families, who did they think was going to be able to afford to buy their cars? History will record this blunder in the same way it now writes about the French building the Maginot Line or how the Romans cluelessly poisoned their own water system with lethal lead in its pipes."

read the rest here!

Supernatural Real Estate

2009-06-01T15:04:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the impromptu vacation, internet was down a couple days (I can’t wait till internet access is worldwide and we are not slaved to the phone/cable companies).

During my break I was able to devote my full attention to a series that will be on BBC America soon. The premise may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, A Werewolf, a Vampire, and A Ghost all live in a house together it is anything but. “Being Human” is the story of George, a werewolf, and Mitchell, a vampire, who are both, struggling to hold on to their humanity. To take their journey one step further they decide to rent a house together and soon discover their new sanctuary comes with some bad plumbing and an in love spirit.

One of the reasons I like British television so much is because they don’t have to try to stretch one story into 22 weeks, they are allowed to do it in 6. In 6 episodes this series shows heart and intelligence and tells an entire story very well without falling into any of the traps that American television can’t seem to stay away from.

The series stars Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, and my new favorite hottie Russell Tovey and will premiere some time in July.

Alert Eagles land for a three day rest.

2009-05-27T21:45:00.002-04:00

I heard about this story on “The Ed Show” on MSNBC but they never went into a lot of detail about it. Ft. Campbell, home of the 101^st Airborne, located on the Kentucky/ Tennessee border closed down for 3 days due to the high rate of soldier suicide in this year alone. Here is the whole story…

“Fort Campbell, KY (NewsBahn) - With at least 11 confirmed suicides this year Fort Campbell Army Base in Kentucky is closing down for three days to allow commanders to identify at-risk soldiers and help them with their mental health issues.

To gain some perspective on why the Army would order a stand-down of Fort Campbell, the 11 suicides there were a significant number of the total 64 suicides the Army experienced so far this year and Army officials are also investigating some other deaths as possible suicides.

Fort Campbell began the stand-down Wednesday and officials are working to identify anyone who has feelings of wanting to hurt themselves. As stress levels go up in the military, many soldiers are having trouble dealing with resulting mental health issues.

Base commander, Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend, spoke to the 19,000 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division.

He told the soldiers that if anyone needed help to just ask, he told them that he had no way of knowing if they needed help unless they asked. Soldiers are sometimes reluctant to ask for help with mental health issues.

Following an Army suicide prevention program in March there were no suicides for six weeks, but last week there were two, leading to the decision to stand-down for three days and try to reach soldiers grappling with suicidal feelings before they act on those feelings.”

Now a little history, I lived in Oak Grove, KY for a little over a year. I was in a relationship with a retired soldier and had moved there with him. It was not that long of a time but it was very eye opening. Having lived in Chicago my entire life I was not use to the synergy that existed between a small town and a industry, kind of like Detroit and the auto industry.

Oak Grove is one of the trhee cities that Ft. Campbell is located in and is in fact the official address of the base as that is where the main gate is located. The other two cities are Hopkinsville, KY and Clarksville, TN.

Everything in this trifecta area is military. The base itself provides literally everything one might need to live, honestly if you have never been on a Army base go. It is a small self contained city, and soldiers are well taken care of. But as you do better and you get a family ( or a gay lover) you branch out and move into the community.

Ok so here is the scary thing. 11 people in this rather small community decided it was time to end it all and took their own lives, I don’t mean to sound like a ghoul but I am glad they decided to just take their own lives and not take anyone with them.

Think about it, these people are not only highly combat trained but they actually have access to all the weapons they need to lay siege to any part of the community. I am not talking about Tanks, I am talking about small and medium arms weapons, plastic explosives, etc…

These are not the folks you want flipping out cause give the choice between the professional soldier and the local banger with a uzi I will take my chances will the Ray Ray and them any day.

I am glad that this issue is being addressed but Ft. Campbell , while one of the larger bases, is not the only base around. I don’t have the answer as to what needs to be done but clearly something needs to be done and fast. These soldiers need our help and support and they need to be respected by the government they gave up their sanity for.

Story by Linda Young - AHN Editor

Fear and the GOP

2009-05-27T16:13:00.002-04:00

I head heard rumors but yesterday I saw it, actual proof that the GOP, the party of the old white man, is scared to death. The United States is quickly sliding to a place that resembles a general melting pot and not White men standing on top of everyone else, and they are scared.

How scared???? Check this out!

That Sneaky Badu...........

2009-05-26T21:18:00.002-04:00

For those that don’t know, I am a pretty big Erykah Badu fan. One of my selling points is that I don’t listen to much music made past 1992. I don’t like it, I don’t see the merit in it and it has caused me to break the promise I made as a teenager that I would not be an old fogy and denounce the music of the following generation.

That said one of the few stand outs in Erykah Badu who has never let me down. Well for the last two years since she released New Amerykah part one; 4th World War I have long waited for Part 2 return of the Ankh. From what I understand her recent pregnancy has delayed the releasing of that project.

Today however I was doing some artist/music searches and came across “Erykah Badu live 2009” huh????!!!!! So yes I did call some of my DJ friends and sure enough very quietly and under the cloak of darkness Erykah has put this release out. A collection of songs all done live but not all recoded in concert form as her previous live album.

I have not had a chance to listen to the whole thing yet and I can’t tell you where to get it yet. But none the less, today I am a happy camper! Thank you Erykah!!!!

Taking the bull by the balls Part 2

2009-05-26T18:39:00.005-04:00

A few random thoughts about gay Marriage.

So Prop 8 was upheld by the courts today in California and the gays are up in arms. I wonder just how long it will take for them to blame the President for this. I had a conversation with a friend today about Prop 8 and gay marriage and I told him at some point how tired I was of this conversation (not with him just in general).

In an earlier post I asked if gays thought that being gay was their ethnicity and nobody was able to convince me otherwise. So today when reading about the California Supreme Court upholding prop 8 I read all these stories comparing themselves to slavery. I find that so very offensive. Apples and Oranges people.

The “gay” community is mostly white; now that is not to say that all gays are white, just that most of your advertising and your numbers are geared toward white gay men and women. When you see the face of gay America there is very little color in that picture. So I find it odd that this group wants to identify with the civil rights fight when they are one of the most inclusive least diverse groups running around. Case in point… The groups fighting against Prop 8 in California, a state with a 35% Hispanic and Latino population waited until a week before the vote before printing any of their literature in Spanish.

The religious right does not want marriage to be “redefined” because they don’t want folks hoarding in on their racket. Marriage at its bases is about property ownership. Check the 16^th century when only people who, sorry only MEN who owned property. The poor didn’t get married, not in the legal sense that we know today. Also if marriage was simply about “God” then why do you need a marriage license? If you want to fight an injustice then by all means fight the whole injustice. The entire marriage system as it exists in this country today is flawed; let’s fight to overhaul the whole thing instead of just screaming how something is not fair.

And finally the next time I try to get into a “White gay club” please don’t ask me for three pieces of ID or treat me like I don’t belong. (see Civil Rights)

Can you re-imagine V

2009-05-26T15:22:00.004-04:00

Here is one I can’t re imagine. How are you going to make a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie without Joss Wheadon? They did that once already, Kristi Swanson and Luke Perry and we see how well that went.

“A new incarnation of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" could be coming to the big screen. "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon isn't involved and it's not set up at a studio, but Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment are working with original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui, on what is being labeled a remake or relaunch, but not a sequel or prequel. While Whedon is the person most associated with "Buffy," Kuzui and her Kuzui Enterprises have held onto the rights since the beginning, when she discovered the "Buffy" script from then-unknown Whedon. She developed the script while her husband put together the financing to make the 1992 movie, which was released by Fox. Kuzui later teamed with Gail Berman, then president of Sandollar Television, bringing back Whedon to make the TV series, which was produced by Fox TV and launched on the WB in 1997.

Kuzui and Sandollar received executive producer credits on "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel." The new "Buffy" film, however, would have no connection to the TV series, nor would it use popular supporting characters like Angel, Willow, Xander or Spike. Vertigo and Kuzui are looking to restart the story line without trampling on the beloved existing universe created by Whedon, putting the parties in a similar situation faced by Paramount, J.J. Abrams and his crew when relaunching "Star Trek."

I think of all the “can you re imagines I have done so far this one makes me the saddest.

Child Knocker Outer!!!!!

2009-05-21T21:15:00.004-04:00

I like kids, or better yet I like well behaved kids. Of course with all the liberal laws preventing spankings and parents wanting to be their kids best friend, well behaved kids are far and few between. While in truth I don’t agree with this device cause I think parents put a lot of fear on their kids when dealing with doctors and such, I do like this device for any little bad asses who might come by my house and I can’t put my hands around their neck for not behaving.

“This device, called the PediSedate, was invented to calm kids down before a scary medical procedure. The helmet connects to a GameBoy that the child can play while a mouthpiece slowly blows nitrous oxide gas into the child's face.

Invented by a doctor who had seen far too many kids freak out before medical and dental procedures, the PediSedate is intended as a medical tool. But I wonder whether it will suffer from the same prescription creep that Ritalin did, and start finding its way into classrooms where kids "get scared" before school.”

Again science gone to far. You start strapping this on kids, how long before adults are next, and then it becomes mandatory to mental patients and the old in retirement homes. Are science is way faster than our morality.

Story courtesy IO9

I’m a CEO get me out of here!

2009-05-21T18:57:00.001-04:00

It was announced today that Edward Liddy current CEO of AIG will be stepping down as soon as a proper replacement can be found. Edward Liddy took over the evil AIG empire (see AIG ruined my birthday several parts and ongoing) once the company went toxic. Liddy has survived multiple public relation disasters from AIG’s million dollar getaway weekends to million dollar bonuses. I wish Ed Liddy the best of luck and good luck finding someone else to sit in the hot seat.

Can you re-imagine IV

2009-05-21T13:54:00.004-04:00

Who knew this could turn into a daily post? That is kind of sad when you think about it, is Hollywood producing nothing original??

Meet the new Ren McCormick, a teenager who was raised in Chicago. McCormack moves to a small town where the town government has banned dancing and rock music. Ren and his classmates want to have a senior prom with music and dancing. They must figure out a way to get around the law and Reverend Shaw Moore, who makes it his mission in life to keep the town free from dancing and rock music.

Yeah exactly, that was Kevin Bacon from Footloose. Well Kevin is out and “Gossip Girl” teen throb Chance Crawford is in. And if your thinking it would have been a perfect vehicle for Zach Efron he originally had it first. I see my past before me and I shudder!

I will be Jonesing for Jones but only for the summer!

2009-05-21T13:14:00.003-04:00

Upfronts were yesterday for the Travel Channel. An upfront is a meeting hosted at the start of important advertising sales periods by television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers. It is so named because of its main purpose, to allow marketers to buy commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the television season begins.

Seems the Cox communications owned Travel Channel did very well this past season with 13 months of consecutive growth. For those not versed in televisionese, more folks were watching more often.

While I enjoy the Travel Channel as a whole the stand out of course has been for me and my friends the freshman show “Dhani Tackles the Globe” featuring Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones. I am very happy to see that he will be returning for a second season.

On a much more geek personal note Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman will also be coming back. As more and more “reality” finds its way on the boob tube I find myself less enamored with flipping channels or even turning the TV box on at all. But it is good to know I have some stuff to look forward to next season; I hope Dhani does some more beach type sports….

Can you re-imagine III

2009-05-20T23:32:00.003-04:00

Here is a trailer for the new midseason 2010 series "V"

While it looks like they stayed true to story I am a little concerned with the lack of color. I mean after all the mothership did land in New York, why are all the visitors wearing Anglo-saxon skin jobs? I thought we got out of this whole one token colored in sci-fi after Battlestar Galactica

Claire Huxtable on Broadway......

2009-05-20T17:33:00.001-04:00

Phylicia Rashad will soon be adding another formidable woman to her collection of Broadway portraits.

Producer Jeffrey Richards says the actress will join the New York cast of Tracy Letts' August: Osage County on May 26, playing Violet Weston, the play's acidic, pill-popping matriarch.

In the past, Rashad has portrayed such strong women as Lena Younger in the 2004 revival of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun and Aunt Esther in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, as well as the more sweet-tempered Big Mama in the 2008 revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Rashad will follow Deanna Dunagan and Estelle Parsons in the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play on view at the Music Box Theatre.

Story from USA Today

Ask Not........

2009-05-20T17:06:00.003-04:00

Inauguration day January 20th 2009 One of the things President Obama said was that he could not do this all alone, it was on all of us to be and make the change we wanted to see.

Today I got an email from My president asking for my help and of course I will but I implore all of you out there to do the same. So i am sharing the email here.

Derrick --

The chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American.

As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in.

When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward.

Join my call: Ask Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009.

After adding your name, please consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life and the lives of those you love.

I will be personally reviewing many of these signatures and stories. If you speak up now, your voice will make a difference.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

American families are watching their premiums rise four times faster than their wages. Spiraling health care costs are shackling America's businesses, curtailing job growth and slowing the economy at the worst possible time. This has got to change.

I know personal stories can drive that change, because I know how my mother's experience continues to drive me. She passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. She deserved better. Every American deserves better. And that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America.

Please add your name to join my call. Then share your personal story about why you too will not rest until this job is done.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Tuesdays Invitation!

2009-05-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Russell T. Davies was born in Sketty, a suburb of Swansea in Wales April 27^th in 1963. He is a British television writer best known for his original works “Doctor Who”& “Queer as Folk” which was adapted for an English version by Showtime.

Russell T. Davies is an Oxford graduate with a degree in English Lit. After graduation and a short career as a production assistant he took some directing classes and began directing some British children television shows. He even won a children’s BAFTA ( British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for best drama. He continued writing on this show and that building his reputation including writing many gay themed shows such as Queer as Folks and Bob and Rose. In early 2003 he wrote the religious tele-fantasy drama “The Second Coming” for which he won a Royal Television Society Award, This made him one the UK’s foremost drama television writers. In 2003 he brought on to a project which has made him a household (well scifi households) name. He was asked by the BBC to head up the revival as Executive Producer and head writer of Doctor Who. The series which began in 2005 has been a ratings smash and has spawned a number of spinoffs making Russell the Father of the modern British Sci-Fi age.

So Russell T Davies., please accept this invitation to the Dinner party of the year. Your opinion, your diversity, and your talent are more than welcome!

National day of blogging! This legal misjudgment of Troy Davis

2009-05-19T05:56:00.001-04:00

I have not made a huge deal of this but I have recently been admitted into the “Afro Spear” a group of openly progressive black bloggers. For more first unity blog from the group I am participating in the Day of blogging for Troy Davis.

Davis is an black man, who was convicted of the 1989 killing of a white police officer, Mark Allen McPhail. However, since his conviction, seven of the nine witnesses to the crime have recanted their testimonies, and now claim they were intimidated into making their initial statements against Davis. There is no physical evidence tying Davis to the scene. There is no murder weapon. Three witnesses now claim they overheard another man confessing to the crime.

I don’t know if Troy is guilty or innocent as I was not there when this cop was killed. I will say that there is enough doubt that perhaps we don’t need to be injecting him with anything or pushing any buttons that might electrocute him. In fact until our legal system is fixed and every defendant is treated as though they are the CEO of a fortune 500 company perhaps we need to put the death penalty on hold.

Troy has already had one stay of execution which expired on the 15th of May and Amnesty International is hard at work on his case. Please lend your support through word, or act, or just in getting the word out to others, as it seems this story is not juicy enough for the network news outlets.

Today's Favorite Photo

2009-05-18T21:11:00.004-04:00

Pictures of David Tennant and Billie Piper from the upcoming last episode of the 11th Doctor Who.

Can you re-imagine II

2009-05-18T16:42:00.003-04:00

Can you re-imagine?

I loved the old television series “Bewitched”. It had magic and it was funny. The characters were real and honestly who didn’t love the idea of a mother in law who could actually cast an evil spell on you. Plus there was that whole gay uncle thing who was a screaming queen but never said a word. So when I heard it had made the small list of at that time shows being remade I was a little excited, till I saw who was starring in it. Now I have always pretty much been indifferent to Nicole Kidman, but I have never really had an appreciation to Will Farrell. He was part of a long list of cast members of Saturday Night Live who emerged from what I called their “Toilet/Frat boy humor cast. In the years since he left the show my opinion of him has not changed (though I will give him his props for his George W. Bush).

The only bright spot to the cast was Shirley MacLaine and for awhile I thought about checking out the movie just for her. Then the reviews came out and even Shirley was not enough for me to sit thru two hours of Will and company butchering a classic show. Even turning it on its ear as a deconstruction of the show and making a show within a show was not clever enough for me. By the way the movie cost 85 million to make and only made 131 million world wide. It only made 61 million here in the states so between the box office and the critics the movie was a flop.

So in the view of a flop what do you do, why give him a second chance at another remake of course. Advertising started this weekend for the upcoming movie “Land of the Lost” a classic by Sid and Marty Kroftt re-imagined by Will Farrell and company.

The original premise of the series was about a father and his two kids who get swept up thru a dimensional gate during a weekend camping trip into a prehistoric world where they have to learn to survive.

This new movie is about a disgraces paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide who find themselves (I don’t know how) in a prehistoric world where they can make jokes in order to survive.

I smell something in the works but I don’t think it is a hit.

Honestly Blogging!

2009-05-18T15:10:00.003-04:00

Some honest things, Thanks so much Ian, about me.

1) Yes it is well known that I love Sci-fi but even with all the bad sci-fi out there, I am still a closet “Power Rangers” fan. I literally will download some episodes and watch them in the closet.

2) I am not much of a drinker, I don’t smoke, and never been into drugs. But in times of stress I head right for the fridge. I am the worst stress eater in the world.

3) I honestly do believe that even bad publicity is good publicity and I do like my publicity. I was once voted a “hot ghetto mess” on one of those viral emails.

4) Because my feet would never settle down and decide on one size for any length of time I never had more then 3 pairs of shoes at one time as a kid. Now that my feet have settled down to a comfortable size 15 I have gone show crazy in my adult life, well crazy for me I am now a the happy owner of about 25+ pair of shoes.

5) Everyday, at some point of the day, no matter how bad that day might be, I find a reason, a joke, a something, to give myself a good belly laugh ( and with my belly that laugh can last a long time!)

Ok I think that is all the honesty I can some up with right now. Since most of my blogging friends have done this already I am going to have to tag uglyblackjohn and Running Mom!

Superhero Friday

2009-05-15T12:00:00.001-04:00

Wow been introducing a few new segments here at the window this week. Well I got the idea to do this one from a blog posted by Uglyblackjohn. While it was not the intent of his blog to talk about superheroes he said some things that made me realize a lot of people are unaware of the strides comicdom has made to bring more (pardon the pun) color into comics. So I bring you the first of weekly entires of ...

DUST

Real Name: Sooraya Qadir

Universe: Marvel

Nationality: Afghan

Team: Young X-Men

Book: Young X-Men

First Appearance: New X-Men #133

History: Sold into slavery in her native Afghanistan at a young age, Sooraya Qadir was liberated by Wolverine of the X-Men. Subsequently enrolled as a student at the Xavier Institute, Sooraya was originally placed in the Special Class to allow her time to acclimatize to her new environment. When the Class' instructor, Xorn, was manipulated into believing he was Magneto, Sooraya joined the X-Men in opposing him.

Powers: Dust can transform herself into an explosive cloud of sand-like silicon particles and maintain control of her sand form (for instance scouring the flesh from her enemies' bones like a sandstorm, shredding steel or forming a human-shaped body), before reforming at will.

Cultural Note: After some of their other attempts in the past, it seems Marvel did not just take what they had seen on television and just create an Islamic character, they actually did research. Dust is observed at all times wearing her Abaya though occasionally some artist tighten it at the waist to show off her curves which defeats the purpose of the garment.

Pfizer "supports" you after layoff!

2009-05-14T19:01:00.001-04:00

Drug manufacturer Pfizer unveiled a new program Thursday that will allow people who've lost their jobs and health insurance to continue to get some of their Pfizer medications for free for up to one year.

Pfizer will provide more than 70 drugs, including Lipitor and Viagra, at no cost to unemployed, uninsured Americans, regardless of their prior income, who lost jobs since January 1 and have been on a Pfizer drug for three months or more.

You can get information or sign up for the program by calling 866-706-2400 or by visiting Pfizer's website at www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com.

Free Viagra!!!!!!

Can you re-imagine????

2009-05-14T18:19:00.002-04:00

Ok it is happening enough that can start a whole new segment. So welcome to the first of many

Abel Ferrara, and independent director known for the movies “King of New York” and “Funereal”, will be directing a re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”.

Set to star as the lead Dr. Jekyll is Academy Award winning actor Forest Whittaker who recently took the gold home for how role in “The Last King of Scotland”. Set to play his devious and disturbed alter ego Mr. Hyde is the rapper who is as famous for his lyrics as he is for his “beefs” with other male rappers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson III

The project is set to “contemporize and update” the story and is working under the current title “Jekyll & Hyde” how original.

Bill Ayers, Dogma, and Adolph Hitler

2009-05-14T16:55:00.004-04:00

One of the best things about moving to Baltimore has been the Enoch Pratt Free Library system. I mean maybe it is because one of the hubbys is a librarian that I never noticed this stuff in Chicago but somehow I just don’t think so. The Baltimore library always has someone interesting showing up to sign books or give speeches. Well last night I got to meet and listen to 60’s radical weatherman Bill Ayers.

Bill Ayers became a household name during the previous election cycle, he was one of the Republican parties talking points when it came to discrediting Barack Obama, even going so far as to have Sarah Palin coin the phrase “Paling around with Terrorist”. And while it is true that Ayers was labeled a domestic terrorist 40 years ago for his bombing activities with the weathermen none of his actions resulted in anything more than property damage and any charges against him where dropped by the federal government. He has since become an author and a professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Last night Ayers and his wife Bernardine Dohrn appeared at the Library to speak and sign copies of their new book “Race Course: against white supremacy”. For the 90 minutes that they spoke and took questions just a little was discussed about the book, most of the conversation and question revolved around their days as “domestic terrorist” and how they felt about the direction the country was in now.

While they did not point out much of anything that was news to me as far as where we are as a country and race relations, the differences in legal systems for blacks and whites, and how we have miseducated our children one thing that Ayers said to me really stood out. When asked if he had any regrets he said he regretted that he and his compatriots in the Weathermen had become so Dogmatic that had become another version of what they were fighting against. At 64 he realizes that while there way was not a blueprint for civil disobedience the act of civil disobedience in itself is called for. The act of people standing up and shouting “I’m mad as hell and I am not gonna take it anymore!” is quite necessary.

The other thing that struck me is how a man like Ayers can be a danger to society. As the evening was wrapping up and we were waiting for people to finish getting their books signed Reggie, Mark, and I got into a conversation about the book (we only have one copy and Reggie got it first.) In the book bill Ayers discusses how he had never really found his place after he got out of school. He was armed with a college degree and ample time on his hands and no real direction. After joining many groups including a “fight club” type style group he started attending meetings with then girlfriend Diana Oughton of an organization that would become the Weathermen.

This part of the story very much reminded me of another young man who was educated and directionless who drifted from job to job and group to group looking for direction. He eventually ran the Third Reich. It made me think of all the young people we have walking the streets these days with no direction who while they may not be “book smart” are for all intents and purposes quite gifted. That is a very dangerous thing to me.

So I didn’t hear anything about race that would make me run out and get a copy of the book, however I still look forward to my turn at reading it if for no other reasons to see the warning signs of other 22 year olds who feel they are not being heard and decide they need to be radical.

My desk says I am not in the mood!

2009-05-14T01:40:00.002-04:00

Part of the Emotionalize Your Light competition, the Perfekt Desk is a prototype desk-slash-lamp workstation, trimmed with LEDs that change colors in order to reflect your mood. The desk includes a ceiling fixture, made up of 16 1W standard light bulbs mounted onto a square aluminum tube, and cold cathode fluorescent lamps for the lights surrounding the desk. As the creator is currently working on a computer that'll control the lights to change into different hues of the rainbow, the current mood lighting is controlled using switches, and only produces red, green and blue glows.

Today's Favorite Photo

2009-05-13T22:49:00.003-04:00

From the upcoming Movie Gathcaman... or as some of you know it in America "Battle of the Planets"

W.W.W.D.?????

2009-05-12T20:27:00.003-04:00

What would Wilhelmina do?

Well maybe her real life alter ego Vanessa Williams who back in 1984 was asked to resign her crown after naked pictures of her surfaced during her reign as Miss America. I only ask because since then it has pretty much been built into every Miss (Fill in the blank) contest a clause about naked pictures of contestants.

The current and still reigning Miss California Carrie Prejean recently had nude pictures of herself surface, proving she lied when she signed her pageant contract, and after about a week of being on the bubble Donald trump decided that she had suffered enough and was allowed to keep her crown. While Vanessa Williams is so much classier and was even quoted saying after giving up her crown “Success is the best revenge” Wilhelmina Slater, her Ugly Betty counterpart, would be about destroying all things Prejean.

The White House is Jammin’ tonight

2009-05-12T18:00:00.004-04:00

The President and First Lady will host the first ever Poetry Jam at the White House this evening.

“Guests for the event include James Earl Jones, novelist Michael Chabon, jazz singer Esperanza Spalding, pianist Eric Lewis and Lin-Manuel Miranda, star of Broadway's "In The Heights." It will be streamed live beginning at 7:45 pm ET at http://www.whitehouse.gov/. "

In December, Mr. Obama said he and his wife planned to "open up the White House and remind people this is the people's house." He specifically said he would host performances of jazz and classical music as well as poetry readings.”

I was going to write about how even though I don’t get a lot of poetry, I like it but I don’t always get it, but that was before I started reading the comments left on this news story. The nicest one was “Who is paying for this?” I think the one that stood out for me the most however was “Is this president out of touch or what? Hosting a bunch of snooty artsy-fartsy liberals in the WH - yeah, many average Americans can relate to that.”

Artsy fartsy? Liberals?? I can only assume they are thinking about the 70’s stereotype of the poet in a beret smoking a long cigarette from a cigarette holder. All the more reason I think to have a poetry jam, if for no other reason than to teach folks what poetry is about. It ls another voice, it is a love song, and a painting, and martial arts and a blockbuster movie all put into words.

Ok well maybe I do know a little about poetry but I can always learn more and at 7:45 tonight so can the rest of America.

Taking the bull by the balls Part 1

2009-05-12T01:03:00.005-04:00

Taking the bull by the balls is the new segment for all those topics which I am sure will cause uproar and naughty words. But after I hope will inspire actual conversation.

What about the children?

This is going to be one of those posts that you have to throw caution to the wind and just write it. It will be uncomfortable to write about and to discuss, but as I grow older I learn most things worth talking about are things that are hard to talk about.

The question is “What about the children?” This question in the last 20 years has served to shape our society. Think about it, that question has lead to removing the ability of parents to discipline their children. Were there kids out there being abused, of course, but sometimes a spanking is just a spanking. And in order to protect those few we created sweeping changes in the laws that in the end affected everyone. The Auto industry built accessories into cars solely based on children, things like the dual DVD screens that play different movies or my favorite, the window that won’t go down all the way. We created the child proof medicine cap that as I child I had to open for my great grandmother because her hands were too disfigured from arthritis to open on her own.

There are many many more examples and I could go on but I think you get the picture. Now for the uncomfortable part. We have raised a generation of children that are so protected there stupid and delusional. In trying to protect the next generation of children we have crippled them physically, mentally, and emotionally. We have taught the children to fear life in all aspects. And we have made life more difficult for ourselves in the process.

I posted a blog yesterday about enhancements to the body, physically or chemically, in order to compete and I asked if it was fair to allow some types of enhancement and not others. One response I got was very interesting; it said we should ban enhancement drugs from sports so our children don’t turn themselves into disfigured freaks trying to compete. Here is the truth of the matter, say I am a professional baseball player and I decide I want to enhance, as an adult is that not my right to do what I want to to my own body? If I grow a third eye out the back of my spine then as an adult I have to suffer the consequences. What I should not have to do is raise other people’s children for them. If you don’t want little Bobby or Melinda taking drugs then now and for the next 18 years of their life is your chance to have the conversations with them you need to have.

And at the end of the day that is the problem, when did we decide it was easier to write a law than talk to our kids? Grand Theft Auto is not to blame for your kid’s bad behavior, lack of teaching them how to act is the blame for their behavior. We as a society have convinced ourselves that children are too stupid to understand things so we dumbed it down until we stopped talking to them altogether.

Then we send them out in the world stupid, unable to cope, and believing that if they just show up they deserve a place on the team.

I have a friend who told me this story, I repeat it every chance I get because the point is usually lost. My friend told me when his niece was 6 or 7 years old he taught her if someone a friend a stranger a family member whoever ever touched her down there she was to scream at the top of her lungs “This muthafucka is touching my pussy and I need some help NOW!!!!”

His sister was not happy about that, and when he repeats the story someone usually says his name in that long drawn out tsk tsk kind of way. I don’t get it. Thos people never get the point of the story that he has taught this little girl to not be a victim, that if someone touches her in a way they should not she is able to get people’s attention and get help. They instead can’t believe that he taught her “muthafucker” and “pussy” two words I am sure she has heard on television anyway.

Lenore Skenazy is a freelance writer and blogger who runs a site called “Free-Range kids” that coincides with her book “Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry”. She first came to my attention when she was attacked by the media for letting her 9 year old ride the subway all alone. He had been begging her to let him figure out his way home and so she armed him with a metro card, 20 dollars, a roll of quarters and the love of Jesus, and you know what, he made it home just fine. In fact she had given his something that kids today don’t get a lot of, a sense of independence and accomplishment.

In the end the old saying is true, it does take a village to raise a child, but when did the village become a high security prison camp you were locked up in for your own protection.

My question with enhancements.

2009-05-11T18:59:00.002-04:00

So there has been a lot of talk about enhancements in the news lately and my question is why? Why is it ok for you to enhance in this area of competition and not in another. Manny Ramirez was recently suspended for allegedly testing positive for a banned substance in his system. A Rod just came clean and said he took performance enhancements between 2001- 2003 and was roasted over the coals for it. There was even a congressional investigation back in 2003 over enhancement drugs.

So my question is why is it not ok in a society where you are literally given a pill for each and every issue you might think you are having is it not ok for these people who clearly abuse their bodies everyday wearing them out to take drugs to keep them going a little longer and a little stronger for the benefit of our entertainment.

And then there are those others which it seems are encouraged to use enhancements for their competitions that are suppose to have nothing to do with their body. How many women in beauty pageants are winning on enhancements? And why is that ok? Miss California Carrie Prejean was recently outed as the recipient of breast augmentation and enhancement but it is her nude pictures that might snatch her crown from her. I just find it interesting because we are always told that pageants are not about beauty they are about the brains and personalities of the girls, it’s for scholarships. Are there valid reasons for these double standards or are we just picking and choosing?

Grumpy Old Geeks!

2009-05-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

Seems like I am full of questions today. So I have to ask myself if I am becoming that which I promised I would never be a grumpy old geek. Anyone over 30 knows what I mean by this, we promised we would not be like our parents, we would not tell our children to turn that music down, we would not say things like “all that moving around is making me tired sit still”, we would not predict the end of the world because they were not doing it like we did it (whatever it was) and we would not judge their media outlets as crap and wish for the old days.

But more and more everyday I find myself doing all those things, especially the last one. In the past few years there has been a new trend on an old street. Remaking, reimagining, ret conning, and revamping my movies and television shows.

To their credit sometimes the “re ing” of the show is really really good. But most of the time it has resulted in an expression of “Why?”

So today during my news hunting I went to one of my favorite geek pages “Sci-Fi wire” where I read a story about the upcoming remake of “Clash of the Titans”. Now truth be told I did not just find out about this remake, but with the amount of geek knowledge I posses some things, especially those that are upsetting, don’t get retained. So the piece goes on about the monsters that will be featured in the remake of the 1981 classic.

It also talks (reads) a little bit about the new Persues and how he was approaching the role. Now here is my issue, other than being grumpy and old, “Clash” is a great movie for it’s time in fact it was the 11^th highest grossing movie in 1981 so clearly folks liked it. Mythology is vast and huge, if you want to do something why not continue the story, tell a new chapter, it just seems like Hollywood is full of people right now screaming “Oh I can do that but like fifty times better!”

Well I don’t want you to do it better; I want you to do your own. Hey are Titans after all, can’t they clash more than once? Leave my Coco cola alone, I don’t want your new coke (which tastes like Pepsi). “I don’t want more choices I just want nicer things!” Poor Harry Hamlin has gone from being Persues to being the old Persues. Maggie Smith and Burgess Meredith all but forgotten.

Ok grump over…you may continue remaking my greats into just oks!

Is gay their ethnicity

2009-05-10T16:34:00.006-04:00

When I woke up this morning Reggie was watching the video of Wanda Sykes from the White House correspondence dinner. Once I fully woke up and gathered my wits about me (a 30 minute process on a good day) I logged on and went to check her out myself. For the record let me say I have been a Wanda Sykes fan for awhile, well before she came out. I watched her short lived sitcom on Fox and she was the only reason I sat thru “Monster in Law” with that damn J-Lo, plus anybody who can get under Dr. Bill Cosby’s self righteous skin is ok in my book.

Anyway after I had finished , she did very well in my book by the way, Reggie asked me if I felt she had not done her due part by including her recently outted lesbianism into her act. I knew his question was academic and not an actual slight, so as with most things I answered with a story. I won’t retell the entire story here I will just give the reader’s digest answer. I was a huge fan of Ellen’s sitcom until after she came out on the show and the whole show became about her coming out. Curious I asked Reggie why that question had come up and he told me before I got my ire up (no difficult job) that nobody had said anything…yet. But he was bracing himself for the backlash from the gay community for her lack of “pride” at the event.

To late I thought, as my ire was clearly up and alert now. As I rolled my eyes and breathed through my nose at the ridiculousness of it all Reggie, clearly the sea of calm in our little family, said I should not get mad at the gay community as being gay is their ethnicity.

Let me take a beat here and explain some gay community stuff. The gay community for all its bluster for wanting to be treated like everyone else is one of the most diverse divided societies in this country. When I usually speak of the gay community I usually mean white people who are gay. Yes gay comes in all flavors and colors, but like the rest of America there are divides and separations. You don’t believe me, the group that fought against Prop 8 in California last year planned and laid out this fight for awhile but it was not until the week before the election when one of the higher up decided, maybe we should get some of our literature out in Spanish, I mean it is California after all. If it is not the exotic boyfriend white gays usually don’t include browns in their community.

So when Reggie said their gay is their ethnicity, it gave me pause (and lowered my ire). Could this really be the case? Could all this uproar and constant grinding of teeth I hear from the gay community stem from the fact that they feel that in this country, which for the next 40 years will still cater to whites really believe that their gay struggle puts them on the same par with the struggle of other “ethnic” groups?

Food for thought indeed and questions in need of answers, so I ask you blogosphere. I have a lot of readers from many groups’ black, white, yellow, pink triangles, red black and green power fist. Is gay an ethnic group?

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

2009-05-10T02:26:00.002-04:00

Well it it mothers day. The day to tell that special lady who got you here how much you love and appreciate her. My mom and I have had our ups and downs but I would not trade her for any other. This blog is for her.....

Send this eCard !

No really???!!!!

2009-05-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you hear some news that is in no way news, it’s just a given. But you write it up as part human interest and part who were you trying to fool? Paula Abdul, former dancer singer, current American Idol judge and star of her one season Bravo reality show “Hey Paula!” has admitted to a 12 year pill addiction. She told the entire story to “Ladies Home Journal” which posted the story on Monday.

Today's Favorite Photo

2009-05-05T22:30:00.002-04:00

President Obama personally stimulates economy.

AIG ruined my Birthday!!!!! Part 8 "They made how much?"

2009-05-05T21:58:00.004-04:00

Just when I thought I was done talking about how AIG had ruined my birthday, news came out today about the March bonuses from those “Rooskie Batards” over at AIG. It seems that as more bookkeeping paperwork has come out it seems that the 180 million dollars in bonus money that went to high ranking employees is actually more like 454 million dollars.

454 million dollars that is almost four times the amount that caused people to take to the streets. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) had this to say.

"I simply cannot fathom why this company continues to erode the trust of the public and the U.S. Congress, rather than being forthcoming about these issues from the start,"

I will bring the pitchforks if one of you guys brings the torches and I will meet you on Wall Street.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T18:40:00.002-04:00

The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. The outnumbered Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had not been defeated in almost 50 years.

Forget the flu from Piggy Now the Raccoons want their time.

2009-05-04T20:10:00.001-04:00

One New York teenager and infant have been affected by a rare disease known as Raccoon ringworm, a disease that is caught from the leavings (feces) of the animal.

Sp far only their have only been two cases reported the teen has lost sight in one eye and the infant is suffering seizures and brain damage.

Now unlike the wine and the birds sharing their airborne flu, the raccoon ringworm can only be contracted by ingesting the droppings of the raccoons. So no need to go out and buy more mask, just stop eating raccoon shit!

(Why would anyone eat raccoon shit???!!!!)

My Top 5 Favorite Giant Robots

2009-05-02T21:23:00.005-04:00

Number 5 was “Goldar” of Ambassador Magma known in America as Space Giants. One of the first transformers ever, “Goldar" could change from human form to rocket, he could fire energy blast and finger rockets and had a long flowing mane of golden hair. Plus he went home to his wife “Silvar” every night, though I did wonder how him being a giant and her being regular size produced their son “Gam”

Number 4 is a tie with the “Man” brothers Ultra and Spectre (not actually related). Like “Goldar” these imports from Japan dominated the airwaves of my youth and the monsters that appeared every day. Ultraman had a cool ass theme but Spectreman had Dr. Gori the humanoid ultra intelligent Gorilla with the platinum hair and the hand motions.

Number 3 is not a sentient robot in itself but is controlled by a whole host of people. The SDF-1 (Super Dimensional Fortress) from Robotech. Home to a whole portion if the human race trying to find their way home, the SDF-1 is converted from ship to robot mode in order to defend all its refugee’s onboard.

Number 2 is my favorite Transformer that Diva of the sky Starscream. He was conniving and backstabbing and hungry for power and was probably one of the most human of all the Cybertronians.

Number 1 is my main man The Big O. No not Oprah, the actual Adult Swim star Big O and his pilot Roger Smith. It is like Batman meets Johnny Soko.

I have to give honorable mention to Mighty Orbots who only made one season but I loved it!

Superhero Theatre

2009-05-01T13:11:00.003-04:00

I continue to be amazed by the talent that walks the streets that I would never see without the internet. It is truly the great equalizer. For a little over a year I have been following the youtube entries of a true artist. Just some random guy along with his partner in crime Just some random gal have produced a series of comic book action figure inspired theatre pieces. Here is the latest entry by the two and their producer Just some random cat!