rumor has it...

So rumor has it that Oprah Winfrey will be canceling her day time talk show. I mean I know its a recession, but it cant possibly be affecting the Queen of Day Time, or could it?

The Oprah Show is (well was) the highest rated syndicated talk show in American television history. THAT'S HUGE! The television show has been running for over 23 years, which happens to be longer than my entire life. The original show aired on September 8, 1986. Since then there has been over 3000 episodes. The talk show is viewed by 20 million viewers weekly, and is also broadcasted in over 100 countries worldwide.

Oprah is without a doubt one of my idols. She has stared adversity in the face and is even stronger because of it. She is a living testament to the American Dream. Only in American can an impoverished little black girl become a powerfully strong black woman. I admire Oprah, not only for her success but for the mere fact that through it all she has remained humble and gives back to nearly every community. I can only dream of attaining some of her success.

In the words of Swizz Beats "I'm tryna get that Oprah"

gut wrenching...

This is such a heartbreaking story. I learned of this particular story while on Yahoo! today. The story comes out of Georgia Army base. A single-soldier-mom refused deployment and was subsequently jailed by military police. She was jailed because she skipped her flight to Afghanistan. Her reasoning: no relative or close friend could take custody of her son while away for at least 15 months. The father of the child is ABSENT (like many young fathers in America). Her mother (the grandmother of the baby) promised to take care of her grandson while she was away, however she is overwhelmed with taking care of her dying mother, special needs daughter, and her ailing sister.

Military officials suggest that they do not allow single parents to deploy without a plan of action in place for their children. Unfortunately, her plan of action fell through. Initially some military personnel suggested that she go ahead and ship out to Afghanistan while her child be placed in foster care. Of course, the young mother declined because she does not want to abandon her child.

This is a tough situation to be placed in. When in the military there is a Fog of War, or chain of command, which means you have the duty and obligation to do whatever you are told by a "higher up." One side of the argument is that she has made a commitment, which needs to be filled. The otherside of the arguement is that she should not be seperated from her infant son because he could suffer pshycologically.

If it were another issue, for example, paralysis, there would be no question that the commitment to serve and protect the country could be broken. Unfortunately, she is going to have to make a case for herself because she is a female in a male dominated industry. Lets face it, most men don't have to worry about where his child will be while he is deployed.

To read more on this story click here

monday madness part deux

Last night, I was watching bits and pieces of the Larry King Live show. The guest on the show was former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin. The topics covered on the show ranged from being a mom, to her future in the political arena. Larry King invited some of her supporters on the show. Among the supporters were a close ally to Palin, Kristan Cole. Cole was quoted saying "I want our country back."

That statement was puzzling to me. What do you mean "your country?" Maybe she hasn't heard the song with the tune "this land is my land, this land is your land, from California..." Seems as if there are some underlying inuendo she was suggesting.

I may be totally off target. Maybe she meant the Republicans want control of government back. Maybe she meant conservatives want control of the government back. If that were the case, perhaps she should have specified that. Sarah Palin needs to rethink who she appoints as her spokesperson, but then again it is Sarah Palin.

Would you really want her (Palin) to be running your country? Think about it, she quit the governorship of Alaska, what makes you think she wouldn't quit the Presidency if elected? Nonetheless, she has supporters, who might be supporting the candidate and not her qualifications. But, hey what do I know, I'm just a undergrad student?

monday madness part l'un

American movies are often released internationally, "Couple's Retreat" is no different. Or is it? The movie chronicles FOUR couples trip on a relationship retreat. The main headliner of the film is Vince Vaughn, so of course he would appear on all promotional media and products. But what about the co-stars? Well promotional posters in the United States include ALL FOUR couples, but the UK version, leaves out ONE particular couple. The black couple. Truth be told, the film's target market might not know the two black co-stars as well as the A-list Hollywood actors, but is it blatant racism?

Some have offered their opinions on the situation. James Ulmer believes that "the international marketplace is still fairly racist." Even if that is the case, is that acceptable? Universal, obviously does not believe so, although they allowed it to occur. The entertainment group issued a statement that regretted any offense the poster could or would have caused. They also say that the altered posters will not be used and have subsequently been removed.

My Opinion: There is no doubt that the posters are "suggestively" racist. The blacks were "good enough" to be include in the film, but should not reap the publicity benefits that the non-blacks could potentially receive. As far as the international marketplace being racist, I just have a hard time accepting that as an excuse. It is 2009, there are IGOs that exist such as the United Nations, that unite all people of the world. In many modernized countries especially in Western Europe, there are blacks, whites, and asians all living within the same borders. Do incidents as such suggest to minority groups that they should assume a subservient role? Do incidents as such suggest that white supremacy still lives throughout the world?

impromptu.

man life has been going so great now. I genuinely cannot complain right about now. Everything seems to be falling into place as far as school, work, and family life goes. I know there will be more great things in store for me if I simply FOLLOW MY GUT feelings. Therefore, the soundtrack of my day is....WALKING ON SUNSHINE, better illustrated in the picture =]

Creepy Nights...YIKES!

So this kid is nothing short of amazing. Well without further ado, his name is Damey (Dame). He is EXTREMELY talented, and HELLA humble. Luckily, I get to listen to his music. He is a member of the 4 man band, The Diligentz (yes, the ones I blogged about earlier...so. what? bite me.) that hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. I was fortunate enough to hear one of his latest tracks, titled "Creepy Nights" produced by (the other amazing kid i blogged about) SU!.

My First Gray Hair...at 19!?!

So yesterday, November 13th I had the worst scare thus far! My (only) nephew appeared to be having some breathing problems while he was in my care. I know he wasn't feeling too well. Normally he is HYPERactive, giggling, testing his vocal cords, typical 6-month old stuff, but yesterday he just wasn't being himself. Which lead me and his parents to taking him to the emergency room. After performing an array of tests everything seemed to check out. Luckily he was discharged from the hospital. We all were concerned that he might have asthma, or worse SWINE FLU! I'm just thankful my lil "juice-man" is healthy and back to his normal self. Maybe he was acting strange because he was sick of me playing dress up with him? What you think?

this week in pictures

the rebirth.

Lil Wayne is at it again. He is releasing another album this winter. "The Rebirth" is slated to hit music stores his December 15th. Unfortunately, his record label Young Money, has not released a tracklist, after all good things come to those who wait.

The People Formally Known as Niggers...

This topic of debate has been brewing in the African-American community for what seems like forever. The use of the word "nigger" and its derivatives as slang. In the age of slavery, the term was used by slave owners to refer to their slaves. Depending on who you talk to the word has several meanings. In American English it initially was applied to white abolitionists, and those non blacks that were sympathetic towards Blacks.

In recent years, there has been movements to kill the use of the word, be it as a term of "endearment" or a racial slur. During the prominent O.J. Simpson murder trial, the euphemism "The N-Word" was used in replacement of nigger.

According to the late Legendary Rapper, Tupac Shakur there are two different definitions for the word. "Nigger- a black man with a slavery chain around his neck; Nigga- a black man with a gold chain on his neck."

The video below is an artistic interpretation of the word. Enjoi.

For Further Reading Click on the Link Below:

"The N Word"

the slump economy.

Today I was watching the news (yes, CNN is my source of choice) and there were reports of the unemployment rate in America reaching an all time high of 10.2 percent. This recession is said to be the worst economically since the Great Depression. Never could I have imagined that someone near to me would fall victim. Today my sister-in-law lost her position in a respected Toyota Dealership. This comes after Toyota reported profits in the third quarter. I was a bit baffled by it until the news reporter, said that some 650,000 more jobs would be cut.

With the Congress approving legislation to extend Unemployment benefits, and expand the Homebuyers' Tax Credit to existing homeowners, hopefully the economy will see some improvement. These tough economic times bring up a question posed by many economists, Is the Middle Class Really Sinking?

find out more about the legislation extending unemployment benefits and expanding homeowners tax relief!

From This Day Forward...Well You Will Have To Wait?

Gay nuptials will have to wait in the state of Maine, for now. Voters decided to overturn legislation that would allow same-sex marriages within the state. The vote was significantly close, 53-47. The vote was just another win for opponents to gay marriage nationwide. Now more than 30 states have held elections to allow gays to marry.

Similarly, California voted against allowing same-sex marriage with Proposition 8 nearly a year ago. Unlike Proposition 8 in California, Proposition 1 in Maine works only as a veto and can be overturned by lawmakers the next time they convene.

According to CNN reports, early exit polls suggested that the legislation would be upheld, which would have had enormous implications in favor of homosexual nuptials. Because there was such a narrow margin of votes implies that there is a shift in people's attitude toward the idea of same-sex marriage. Perhaps its a cultural change that many are willing to see.

Ultimately, this issue is going to have to be decided. It will be probably reach a national resolution like issues of the Civil Rights Movement. Initially some civil rights issues were left up to the state, but eventually had to be decided on a nationwide basis through the Supreme Court.

cleaning out the camera...

some photos from HALLOWEEN 2009, had to clean out the camera. enjoi.

I Now Pronounce you Maine and Maine?

Maine finally wants all of America to know that it still exists as a state. Today, November 3, 2009 is the day that Maine voters decide what to do with the legislation "Proposition 1." Proposition 1 is a bill that allows same-sex marriage in Maine. The bill was approved by the state legislature and signed by the governor in May. The bill has yet to be put into effect. A dirty political battle has erupted in Maine with the prominent Roman Catholic Church on one side, and equal rights advocates on another side. More than 80,000 Maine voters have decided to support the interest Group Protect Maine Equality.

On a nationwide scale, not much has been done in support of same-sex marriage. Since 2004, more than 2 dozen states have passed referendums to prohibit same-sex marriage, including typically liberal California. There are however 5 states that have legalized gay marriage. These states include Iowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

If Maine voters decide to uphold the law, Maine will become the first state to endorse same-sex marriage by popular referendum. If that is the case it would put water on the Republican fire that claims there is no popular support for gay marriage.

Nowadays, homosexuals are the new blacks. Many homosexuals find themselves in similar situations blacks were subject to from pre-Reconstruction to at least the Civil Rights movement. Human beings should not be denied life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If it makes gays happy to be legally connected to someone for the rest of their lives, than why should they be denied that basic right given to everyone else also outlined in our Constitution.?

(photo credit: FilmNoirPhoto)