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!