When was your first time?

At voting, silly! Take a look at my future baby daddy, CNN's T.J. Holmes talk about his first time...ahem, voting:




Swoon! I think it's funny that he uses the phrase "geeked up" to describe being excited. One of the many things he and I have in common.

Like T.J., 2000 was my first election; however, it was the first time I was able to vote in a presidential election. I don't play with my voting.

When was your first time?

Damn this catchy beat!

Check out Beyonce's new single from her forthcoming album I Am, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"




This is so not feminist, but what is? Sigh.

If you like it...you know what to do. LOL.

What the F***?!

Do you see why voting is so crucial?

Thanks to RJP for the pic.

Chain of Fools

Sigh. I am so disappointed (though in no way surprised) at the current antics going on with the election. John McCain and Sarah Palin have been conducting a fear-mongering, hate-spewing, and generally inept campaign that insults anyone with an ounce of self-respect, morality, and human decency. Even their own conservative brethren have noted their sad, defensive, and demoralizing campaign of hate, nonsense, and shenanigans

Every day I teach the conservative youth, those who think affirmative action is racist, would take away my right to choose, and want to stop me from marrying who I see fit. How is that for small government? I was raised to pray for folks who know not what they do, but the more I live in the deep South, the more I am convinced that this is a willful ignorance, a defiant spitting in God's face as she tells us to love one another.

I was talking with my mother today, who is the closest thing to a evangelical progressive I know, about what we'll do if (God-dess forbid) McLame and Falin (yes, I went there) won/stole the election. Like Tina Fey, I've contemplated leaving the planet, but space travel is so expensive and I have these student loans. Then I got to thinking about how some of the conservatives have been likening Senator Obama to the Antichrist. Having proficient knowledge in the book of Revelations (I was raised with the fire and brimstone and can tell you all about the vials and the Four Horsemen, etc.), I think that the one good thing about McCain and Palin being elected would be that it would clearly initiate the Second Coming. Clearly, they constitute the False Prophet and the Antichrist if I ever saw it, although maybe I'm giving Palin too much credit in being the Antichrist. My point is, if those fools win only some sort of deus ex machina ending would help our asses.

Start praying now.

This Week at the Movies

Living in a small town means that there are not many opportunities for extra-curricular activities. Put another way, that means a sister goes to the movies a lot. Last week, I saw Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys Together. Though certainly not an Oscar-worthy flick, it was a definite improvement from that drivel that wasted two hours of my life, Meet the Browns. How bad a writer/director can you be to have Angela Bassett act poorly? It was a hot mess.

Family that Preys did not offer any profundity, but the lighting was good, the acting was decent (with especially strong performances by Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, and Robin Givens, of all people), and I was entertained the whole time. Not a bad way to spend a Friday evening. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

But yesterday afternoon I saw a veritable cinematic tour-de-force, Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna. I'm all about supporting black film, but I often have my reservations. Tyler Perry is often technically inept and heavy handed in his religious myopia. Spike Lee often takes bold steps in his films that are technically savvy, sharp stylistically, and visually interesting. He also makes it his business to consistently call folks out on their racist complacency, whether it be in mainstream film, independent film, documentary, or what have you. However, Spike's sexism, heterosexism, and homophobia--see She's Gotta Have It, Jungle Fever, and She Hate Me (the latter I find interesting but problematic) to see what I mean. And yes, the specter of sexism does loom in this film. However, by and large, I was pleased with it and would recommend it to others--4 out of 5 starts. Beware! It's long (a little over 2.5 hours) and there are some moments of pedantic speech that'll have you rolling your eyes (not to mention the ending--I won't even go there). However, despite these critiques, it is a film worth watching and discussing, especially considering, among other things, the fact that we are at war and will be at war for a while.

I have read that some critics have cited the flashbacks about racism in the South as "superfluous" and "distracting" from the overall message of the movie. A movie that is about the racism and genocide at the heart of Nazi propaganda and their pogrom to exterminate all Jews. Were they watching the same movie? While I agree the film could have benefited from more judicious editing, I think this critique mostly underscores the discomfort that some so-called liberals have in discussing race. Please note, discussing race or racism is not dredging up the past, it's acknowledging the realities of the present. The sooner we realize that and stop dancing around our guilt/shame, the sooner we can begin to really do some positive, anti-racist (sexist, etc.) work. Assuaging our discomfort is just not going to cut it.

Bottom line: go see the movie and discuss it with some rational folk.

P.S. On a considerably lighter note, there are some fine men in this movie--Derek Luke (Antwon Fisher), Laz Alonso (former BET vjay and This Christmas), and my personal favorite, Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell, Barbershop). To quote one of my favorite bloggers, B. Scott, the film has some definite future baby daddies. Oh my!

I'll Get Back to Ya

Tina Fey just keeps getting funnier and funnier. Check out last night's spoof of that sad sack interview between Gov. Palin and Katie Couric. What's extra hilarious is that much of Fey's dialogue is taken verbatim from Palin's simple behind. And yet there are still undecided voters. Keep me near the cross!

Check out Huffington Post's discussion of the shenanigans.

Vote or Die

Remember when Diddy (Puffy, Puff Daddy, Sean John, or whoever) came up with this pithy slogan? I am not in the business of listening to him for political advice, however, if this society/economy/country isn't comatose and on its way out, I don't know what dying looks like.

Please, please, please, register to vote! Go to www.voteforchange.com or www.rockthevote.com to set the whole thing up. It's easy peasy!

Spiraling Out of Control

Last week it was Lehman Brothers acting a mess and now it's insurance giant AIG. So far today, the Dow plummeted 300 points, which is an improvement from the 700 point drop it experienced on Friday. I guess. Talk about a lesser of two evils.

All this laissez-faire economics is bull. We all know that corporate interests and ne'er do well lobbyists have a huge influence on our government and vice versa. This is a big problem and, as the saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost. As usual, look who gets left holding the bag.

Neither Obama nor McCain are identifying really specific remedies for this economic meltdown also known as a recession. I think it's because neither one wants to get caught up in prescribing a solution that a year from now folks will be like "Well, he promised not to raise taxes and look at him now!"

This is the thing. I'm as pained as the next person when I see the taxes taken out of my check, especially when I'm not sure what my hard earned money is being spent on. However, we need taxes to pay for things. And, perhaps most importantly, we need government officials who are wise and prudent (though not "prudent" like George H.W. Bush) who can ameliorate (some)things immediately and also have a clear and realistic picture for what to do in the future--instead of turning a surplus into a deficit and turning our economy into a hot monkey mess like some people have done. I won't name any names.

JHud Engaged to Punk

Chile...this just off the presses:

"Jennifer Hudson and boyfriend, David Otunga, have gotten engaged, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively. 'I can confirm that Jennifer got engaged to her boyfriend David on Friday night in L.A.' says the rep. Otunga, who is known as 'Punk' from the reality show I Love New York 2, popped the question with a Neil Lane diamond ring on the Dreamgirls Oscar winner's 27th birthday. The couple, who have been dating less than a year, both hail from Chicago. Professionally, it is a busy time for Hudson as well. Her debut solo album, Jennifer Hudson, will be in stores Sept. 30, and her next film, The Secret Life of Bees opens on Oct. 17."

Okay, I'm going to refrain from citing Otunga's "suspect" sexuality, which implies that there is a non-suspect sexuality--and no, heterosexuality is not it! (Although I do agree with Katrina Renae from ThickMisses that homie does look a bit like Terry McMillian’s ex. LOL. ) But I will say that I probably would not want to make out with anyone who has kissed New York (who has kissed Flavor Flav--ooh, the bile is rising in my throat). I mean, here's to hoping she has an ironclad pre-nup. I don't give a ding dang about no love. In related news, here's a clip from JHud's recent hoodfab appearance in Montgomery, AL that I was lucky enough to attend and have been meaning to put up. The child can blow.

Yes, I know that you are seeing other people's heads. Those mofos were in my way! But at least a sista got some good audio, right? I actually saw Punk at this performance. He stood looking longingly while JHud handled her biz in a particularly touching love song (something about giving all of herself, or something). I must say he is the most unphotogenic human on the planet because he was fairly handsome in person, something you do not get from the pics. Go figure.

Source

Strange Bedfellows

I rarely watch Saturday Night Live--it's on too late (I'm officially old) and generally it's not that funny. What I love about viral video is that you find them pretty easily and can watch them anytime. Thanks to RJP for turning me on to this hi-larious skit of Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnRUKIMegn8




I mean, Tina Fey really looks the part. And that accent, "well, my gosh!"

This would be funnier if it wasn't so tragic. Sigh.

It's Like a Train Wreck

I know I shouldn't spend any more time on Gov. Palin (although she wracks my nightmares--every morning I wake up in a cold sweat with visions of her overturning Roe v. Wade as she chews on a mooseburger while shooting at wolves from a helicopter), but let me throw in two (more) cents.

If progressives are going to really critique her (and there is so much to critique), we have to do so on valid grounds. The fact that she has five children, the youngest of whom has special needs, is NOT a legitimate critique. While McCain was going from port to port, the Lord only knows who he has spawned. Even our own dear Senator Obama has two young daughters that deserve active parenting from him and Michelle, and I haven't heard a thing about him being a bad dad. So let's not get all sexist and imply (or outright say) that Palin is incompetent because she's got a gaggle of children. And as tempting as it is to point out that abstinence-only education did not work in her family, that poor Bristol Palin has enough to deal with.

The fact of the matter is that Palin is so wretchedly incompetent and such a reprehensible and shockingly immoral choice, we don't have to mention anything about her motherhood, pit bull in a skirt status (makes me wonder if she has paw prints tatted on her chest--sorry Eve), or religious extremism (okay, we probably should consider that). Let me cite the short list of concerns.

1. Her level and caliber of "experience" makes Barack Obama look like he's been in the senate since Jesus was in high school.
2. She has a horrendous record on LGBT rights. Now, Obama is not a LGBT savior, but he ain't the devil either. She, quite possibly, however...
3. She shoots wolves from helicopters. That's just barbaric.
4. She describes herself as a pit bull and yet she is not a rapper from Philly
5. She doesn't know what a community organizer is. (Check out illdoctrine's take on her janky RNC speech, aka the Republican Hater's Ball)
6. She doesn't believe in global warming. Like I tell my students, whether or not you believe in something or like something (for example, the mid-term that will occur) does not stop that thing from existing and happening frequently.

Shall I continue? I feel like electing McCain is just asking for President Sarah Palin. I'm all for a woman in the White House, but not just any old body they pull in off the street. She is no Hillary Clinton.

Something for the Soul

With all this RNC hateration, I've been soothing my heart with good music like this:




I love Kindred, The Family Soul. I want them to hurry and come out with another album, but I think they are too busy making/having babies...soul music often has that effect.

Really? C'mon now...really?

John McCain picks newbie governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. Palin has been governor since December of 2006. Before that she was the two-term mayor and city council member of small town Wasilla City. So, you pick a young (44 year old) state governor with no foreign policy credentials and you've been talking all that yang about a certain Democratic nominee's lack of a resume? I know that Palin is not going up for president but, let's be honest, while none of us know the day nor the hour of our demise, McCain-Bush is knocking on death's door. This Palin character has to be ready, to borrow from HRC, to start the job on day one.

Palin is considered a bold choice for the McCain campaign. She is known as a reforming conservative who has been aggressively pushing for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Um, that sounds like a smart choice).

Of course this is what they'd come up with the night after Obama beat it out the frame with his acceptance speech. Haters. FYI, putting a woman in a position of power does not necessarily make you progressive. (Look at Condoleezza Rice). I bet you this is partially a ploy for those rabid HRC supporters who refuse to do the sane thing and throw their support around Obama. I hope those fools don't start complaining if (God forbid) McCain is elected and the so-called Grand Ole Party (aka the Good Old Boys) continue eroding our rights.

When it Rains

This hurricane season is not playing with us. Look at the projected paths of Gustav and Hanna. I pray that these suckers provide much needed rain, but that a Hurricane Katrina-type storm does not occur.

Being from South Florida (and the Caribbean) I have seen my share of wild weather; however, the past five years have had such an increase in crazy storms, I don't know what to think. I mean, my evangelical upbringing leads my to question whether Jesus is indeed on his way. But seriously, are our crazy emissions and overall disrespect from Mother Nature increasing the weather shenanigans we are seeing?

While no one needs a hurricane, these most recent storms--such as Fay and Gustav--unfortunately seem to be wreaking damage in places already wracked by poverty and hard times. Several people have been killed in the Dominican Republic and Haiti the past week due to the weather and now Gustav is headed towards Jamaica (my people are battening down the hatches) and perhaps to New Orleans. Sigh.

Source

The Tears of a Clown

I have been paying attention to the Democratic National Convention. It's all so very interesting. But, as is so often the case, what happens on the sidelines is sometimes just as interesting as what is on the mainstage. You may have already peeped the following, but take another gander:




This women is articulate and passionate about her politics, clearly. While I'm at a loss as to why CNN spent nearly four minutes on this (well, maybe not a complete loss), this just seems like more whiny HRC supporters who can't get their way and are now digging in their heels. She didn't win! Yes, misogyny played a part of it, let's not get that twised. But it is also very, very obvious that her campaign made several blunders that she never recovered from. So, do we want to sit up here and keep up crying and usher in a new era of conservative foolishness with John McCain or do we want to roll our sleeves up and fight for democratic values and put a (fairly) progressive in office? This seems like a friggin no-brainer to me.

Keep Him Lifted Up...

Here is Terrance Howard's new video, "Sanctuary."



Um, I'm not sure what to make of this. He always has this pimp quality that I find troubling, although he can be sexy when he wants to be. Discuss.

MIA

Yes...I've been missing in action...doing a lot of writing for work and getting prepped for the school year. But I'm back!

That thing you said

Thanks to rootsinthecity for passing this gem along. There's a video blog sweeping the web entitled "How to Tell People They Sound Racist." I like the whole notion of holding people accountable for their actions, rather than zipping off into outer space so the racist fool can tell you how many black, latino, gay, etc. folks are their friends. (You know I had to throw sexuality up in there too!) This response makes me think of that old Pat Parker poem, "For The White Person Who Wants To Know How To Be My Friend."

The first thing you do is to forget that I'm black.
Second, you must never forget that I'm black.

You should be able to dig Aretha,
but don't play her every time I come over.
And if you decide to play Beethoven -- don't tell me
his life story. They make us take music appreciation, too.

Eat soul food if you like it, but don't expect me
to locate your restaurants
or cook it for you.

And if some Black person insults you,
mugs you, rapes your sister, rapes you,
rips your house or is just being an ass --
please, do not apologize to me
for wanting to do them bodily harm.
It makes me wonder if you're foolish.

And even if you really believe Blacks are better lovers than
whites -- don't tell me. I start thinking of charging stud fees.

In other words -- if you really want to be my friend -- don't
make a labor of it. I'm lazy. Remember.

Thank You for Being a Friend

Estelle Getty, perhaps most famous for playing feisty senior citizen Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls, passed away yesterday.



As a kid I loved this show, and I still do. Although I must admit I did not get all the raunchy jokes back then. Who knew four single seniors in South Florida were dropping it like it's hot like that?

Tatted Up

This is a bit of old news, but I just ran across this.

Yep that's right. Jill Scott got a teeny, tiny tatt of her boo's name behind her ear. I'm generally against the name tattoos, but I'm a let her slide this once--especially since she made it small and tasteful. If she wants to express her love in ink, it's, in the words of Bobby Brown, her prerogative.

Would you ever get tatted up in honor of your boo?

The Only Bad Luck in the World

Ran across this little gem, courtesy of Bossip. Apparently, fashion designer Braun, born Doron Braunshtein, has been crafting (I'm using the word very loosely) similar items (other "designs" include slogans such as, “Jews Against Obama,” “Obama = Hitler” and “Who Killed Obama?”) to reflect the opinion of "ordinary WASPs." Last time I checked, "WASP" stood for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. I'm just saying. Braun also reveals:


“For a lot of people, when they see Obama, they see a slave. People think America is not ready for a black president,” the Israeli-born designer said.



“I can’t stand Obama,” Braun says, but claims that it's not because the candidate is black.


“That’s the only thing I like about him. He opens the door for other minorities.”


“He reminds me of Adolf Hitler,” Braun explained, adding he does not like the Illinois senator because “he is a Muslim” — a myth that Obama apparently cannot escape.


There's a lot going on here. Where do I begin? While in some ways this is an extreme situation, one need only consider the Obama Sock Puppet and the Obama/Curious George iconography out there as further evidence of the palpable discomfort some (very vocal) folks have with a black man running for president. At least have the decency to lambast him for his economic credentials or foreign policy. Oh, and the whole thing about him being a Muslim, which clearly in this day and age is akin to being a devil-worshipping child molester in some circles, boggles my mind. And how is Obama like Hitler, who, to my recollection, was neither Muslim nor black?!

To add injury to insult, a woman wearing the Obama Slave tee was assaulted by four teenage girls who succeeded in "shoving her, pulling out her earphones, and spitting in her face." And now this woman is suing Braun. What a world!

Source

Preying

I have my critiques of Tyler Perry's work (although I must admit that I enjoyed Why Did I Get Married? if only for Jill Scott going upside that fool's head), but I have to say that this preview looks intriguing.

No Magic Bullet

Recently, the New York Times published an article entitled "Poll Finds Obama Isn’t Closing Divide on Race." The title alone struck me as a piece of folly. Reading between the lines, it sort of implies that Obama has the power to close the divide on race. Or that, perhaps, his presence indicates racism is dead. (Yes, we've come far, but we still have a ways to go). I just find that so interesting. Now, not only is he an agent of change, but he's also imbued with superhuman powers of post-raciality! I wonder if he shoots beams out of his eyes or something. I mean, honestly.

Beyond the title, the article does reveal some interesting findings. For example, blacks and whites differ (vastly) in their interpretations of the world and de facto segregation is rampant:

Nearly 60 percent of black respondents said race relations were generally bad, compared with 34 percent of whites. Four in 10 blacks say that there has been no progress in recent years in eliminating racial discrimination; fewer than 2 in 10 whites say the same thing. And about one-quarter of white respondents said they thought that too much had been made of racial barriers facing black people, while one-half of black respondents said not enough had been made of racial impediments faced by blacks.

Indeed, the poll showed markedly little change in the racial components of people’s daily lives since 2000, when The Times examined race relations in an extensive series of articles called 'How Race Is Lived in America.'

As it was eight years ago, few Americans have regular contact with people of other races, and few say their own workplaces or their own neighborhoods are integrated. In this latest poll, over 40 percent of blacks said they believed they had been stopped by the police because of their race, the same figure as eight years ago; 7 percent of whites said the same thing.

Nearly 70 percent of blacks said they had encountered a specific instance of discrimination based on their race, compared with 62 percent in 2000; 26 percent of whites said they had been the victim of racial discrimination. (Over 50 percent of Hispanics said they had been the victim of racial discrimination.)

And when asked whether blacks or whites had a better chance of getting ahead in today’s society, 64 percent of black respondents said that whites did. That figure was slightly higher even than the 57 percent of blacks who said so in a 2000 poll by The Times. And the number of blacks who described racial conditions as generally bad in this survey was almost identical to poll responses in 2000 and 1990.

I quote this article at length because the information is pretty revealing. In terms of the respondents' perspectives, it seems like folks are living in different worlds. Then again, considering how few of us really, truly intermingle, that makes a whole lot of sense. I remember when I went away to college (a tony, Seven Sisters, liberal arts school), it was the first time I was in close quarters with a large number of whites. It was eye opening, to say the least. I was certainly disabused of certain misconceptions, while also finding myself the object of scrutiny, exoticization, and all types of nonsense. Oh, my first year roommate! But, I digress. Quiet as it's kept, race still matters.

Source

Good Enough to Eat

I was lucky enough to win something pretty fabulous when I was in New Orleans the other week and, no, it wasn't at the slots at Harrah's (unfortunately). I won a gift pack from Carol's Daughter!

Now I'm walking around smelling like almonds and sugary goodness. In some respects, I can be a pretty frugal woman (some, who shall remain nameless, have even called me cheap), but one thing I don't like to skimp on is lotion and bath products. But this gift pack (Almond Cookie Indulgence, to be exact) is worth $90. Let's keep in mind educators don't make enough for such indulgences. So, I was indeed blessed and highly favored to have won. I mean, I could've bought say, the lotion, and that would've been it. A sistah is on a serious budget. Can we say "student loans"? Yes, we can!

I am absolutely in love with Carol's Daughter's products (the Hair Milk does wonders) since I began using them almost eight months ago. I even did away with my Paul Mitchell, after having a religious devotion to The Conditioner for about five years. (It's not a real breakup though; we're just seeing other people). You know I like to support the black-owned businesses, especially when they keep my natural tresses looking great and healthy. Feel free to add "vain" to "frugal."

Spotlight

Jennifer Hudson's long awaited debut album seems like it's gonna drop soon. Her publicity team just released her album cover.

Is it me, or is this picture a little fishy?

One thing I like about Jennifer Hudson is that besides actually being able to sing the rafters off of any place she's in, she's "real-sized." That is, while not morbidly obese, she clearly eats sandwiches with full fat cheese on them. You know what I mean. Moreover, she also speaks in complete sentences without generally embarrassing herself. I think those are all good traits.

So, back to the picture. JHud looks good. But bless them if they didn't photoshop the poor child within an inch of her life. They (drastically) cinched her waist, minimized the girls, and shaved off a little wobbly arm.

So much for real-sized.

NOLA

I'm in New Orleans (until tomorrow, anyway) for the Essence Music Festival. It's been quite a time. I think I have red beans and rice coming out of my ears. And the bread pudding?! Oh my my. I guess I'm going to have to be extra good when I get back to Sweet Home, Alabama.

Traveling tells you a lot about yourself, I think. I'm a pretty laid-back, go with the flow type person in general, but I get a little type A in traveling. I think it goes back to traveling abroad in college. That was the first time I'd ever been anywhere (significant) when the planning was all up to me. I remember obsessing about the best way to get from London's Gatwick Airport to the University of Kent in Canterbury. It was not rocket science but, at nineteen, I was so afraid of being a lost black girl in a foreign country. I figured there'd be no team looking for my behind if I disappeared. Or maybe I'm just an anal control freak. I think it's a lot of the former and a large pinch of the latter.

But, back to the Essence Festival. The music was pretty fabulous. I came to see Jill Scott, but all the other acts last night--Musiq Soulchild, LL Cool J, and the incomparable Miss Patti LaBelle--were all wonderful. I mean, LL looks better now than he ever did. He was just, oh my! The stuff at the convention center seemed a little haphazard (I missed Bill Cosby talking about pound cake and so on because there were no itineraries online. Hmph), but, overall it's been a good experience. I'm hoping that my boy Maxwell will grace us with his presence next year, cause I'll be back!

Didn't you know this? Or didn't you notice?

Anyone who knows me knows that I heart Jill Scott. Indeed, when the movie of my life is made, I want her to play me.

Earlier this week Jill Scott announced her engagement to her bandmate/drummer John Roberts during a concert at Carnegie Hall. Last year she divorced from her husband Lyzel Williams.

Now, I've read a lot of hateration about Jill's love life since this announcement: it's too soon after her divorce, you shouldn't date someone you work with (or who works for you), he's a gold digger, this reeks of desperation, and so on. And, I must admit, my first inclination was to be like "Jill, I hope you make him sign an iron clad pre-nup!" But, since we don't know these folks and can only speculate, what can we really say?

I have been thinking a lot about love lately. I've taught courses on the role of love in literature and it's always so interesting to hear undergrads wax poetic about "true love" and all sorts of other nonsense. But, in all due seriousness, the politics of Jill's move aside, I think much of hate out there about this is about scarcity.

What do I mean by scarcity? I mean operating from an ideology or epistemology of scarcity. The idea that fundamentally there is lack, that there just isn't enough in the universe. Enough food, enough money, enough love. I am not claiming there isn't poverty in the world; it is for real and definitely not imagined. Indeed, there is enough to go around, just not everybody's getting it. But that's a whole nother blog.

What I mean by poverty is poverty of imagination. You know, this idea that you have one soul mate and if you don't find that mofo, that's it. The idea that if you are 35 you are going to get hit by lightning before you get booed up. I refute it and rebuke it. Maybe it isn't the wisest move to marry your drummer (or maybe it's a brilliant move, I dunno), but I do not doubt there is enough love out there for Jill to go through a horrible divorce and find love the next year. And not because she's "Jill Scott" but because she's a human being. And don't we all want to be loved?

Obamaniaaaaa

Not Barack mania. Michelle Obama mania. Not even first lady (yet!) and this week alone she gets a major spread in the New York Times, special segments on CNN's "American Morning," joins hubby on the cover of US Weekly, and served of as a co-host of "The View." I do not think she is undeserving of the attention. I do think it's interesting to note the kind of interest she is receiving, however. Let me give you a few examples.

1. The infamous "fist bump." Known in the streets as a "pound" or "dap," the greeting she gave her husband the night he clinched the nomination has been scoured, analyzed, and dissected from about 8 million perspectives. Really? I mean, it's a greeting. People (black people, yes, but all sorts of all other people too) do this every day. With gas at over $4 per gallon, we need to reshift our focus, people!

2. The crazy YouTube clips. Like about "whitey" (child, please!) and "The Michelle Obama Song" by The Hardly Boyz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvsk01dQZj0. "Pull my lever"? Sigh.

Regarding the recent onslaught of corny special interest Michelle Obama pieces, CNN's Lola Ogunnaike writes "So here she is, a Princeton graduate and an accomplished executive, talking about trips to Target, Sudoku, bad hair days and dance recitals. Subtext: I'm just another bargain-hunting soccer mom, who just happens to be married to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee." I appreciate the whole idea of trying to make her down-to-earth, but here's my theory: I don't think the First Lady (and certainly not the president) should be "just like me." What a farce! It's a huge responsibility that is in no way "average." The president and his/her partner should ideally be extraordinary folk. Not so lofty or "elitist" that they cannot relate to the masses, but really exceptionally educated, capable, poised, and so on.

I guess I should be thankful the interest this week is on her pearls and purple shift rather than on how supposedly unpatriotic she is. Indeed, look at what we are up against.

Whose Wedding is it Anyway?

No, I'm not getting married. But "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" on the Style Network is a guilty pleasure of mine. I confess.

Another guilty pleasure of mine is Logo's dramedy, Noah's Arc. Its not quite biblical--think Sex and the City meets Girlfriends meets Queer as Folk, with a pinch of The L Word for flavor. Those fools at Logo "suspended" production after the season two cliffhanger (did Wade make it out of the car crash alive?!) in favor of a feature film, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, to be released in September. Click on the link to see the teaser of the film:


http://www.logoonline.com/?popThis=popVideo(237786)


So.....this is a feature film, right? You know I'm going to be in the theatre with rainbow colored bells on supporting gay black cinema (and hot black men), so let's not get that twisted. However, I'm a bit concerned about the picture quality and....

Womannish Water

No. I'm not talking about perfume or even bath water.

"Mannish water" is a traditional Jamaican soup. The recipe varies, but usually consists of potatoes, yam, chocho (a.k.a. chayote or christophine), carrots, thyme, scallion, garlic, white rum, the ubiquitous scotch bonnet pepper (which makes a jalapeno taste like a bell pepper), and goat's head.

Yes, goat's head.

It is a man's aphrodisiac, hence the name, mannish water.

I can't say that I'm always thinking about Jamaican aphrodisiacs, but I was talking with a friend the other night about this and it got me to thinking...what would womannish water be like? Like Alice Walker's erstwhile definition of "womanist," womannish water would embody the adult and serious aspects of womanhood. So, I offer a recipe:

white rum
dark rum
citrus rum
coconut rum
peach schnapps
fruit punch
ginger ale

*chocolate on the side, as a garnish

I am not arguing that a sexy, empowered woman is an inebriated woman. Indeed, I think that whatever womannish water is, it should not simply help bring out one's inner vixen, but fortify a woman for the (un)expected trials of the day. Though perhaps she should not operate heavy machinery.

afrodisia speaks is born

well, since i spend so much time on the computer, i figured i'd put myself to good use. inspired by my dear friend, rootsinthecity, i've started afrodisia's corner...i've got big plans. just wait and see!