Mama, I Want to Blog!

Is Money Worth Dying For?

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I was greatly disturbed today to read an article about an L.A. man who killed his wife and five kids, then turned the gun on himself. He faxed a letter to a news station before the murder-suicide outlining his reasoning. He and his wife had both lost their jobs, were behind in their mortgage and other bills, etc.

I don't want to trivialize this economic crisis, nor the notion that people can become severely depressed behind this stuff. However, WTF? I mean seriously. When I first heard this I was livid. First of all, every time I hear about one of these murder-suicides I always wonder why the assailant didn't start with the suicide part. I mean why take innocent people with you? This just disgusts me to no end. But then I started thinking about how many other cases of finance-based suicides I've read about in the past few months. I asked myself, are our possessions more valuable than life itself?

It seems like an easy 'no' on the surface, but think about it. A person's inability to sustain their standard of living just cost seven lives. And there are plenty smaller stories out there that aren't sensational enough to make headlines. It's clear that financial problems are enough to depress anyone and with a sudden onset of depression there's always potential for a worst case scenario. So how do we prepare ourselves?

I honestly don't know for sure what I would do if one day I was in danger of losing everything I had with no other options in sight. But in light of this recession/depression we're in, I've given it a considerable amount of thought. I hope my SURVIVAL SKILLS would kick in and I would maintain the necessary composure to help guide my family through it. I hope my FAITH kicks in and I'd know that what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. I hope LOVE kicks in and I realize that love indeed concurs all and as long as we have it, we will survive.

I believe we need to start treating the financial crisis like the category 5 hurricane that could come any day. Think about, talk about, take precautions. I believe mental preparedness is a valuable asset in times like these.

I think I can safely recommend the Blackberry Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:41:00 +0000

I am a gadget nut. Seriously. I'm not someone who needs the latest and greatest of everything. But every now and then, something moves me so much that I just HAVE to have it...if it's within my budget of course. So I sold my LG Dare and purchased a Blackberry Storm - on launch day. Yes, on a cold November morning, I sat outside of a local Circuit City waiting to be one of the first to have this little treasure in my hands.

Unfortunately, my delight began to wither away shortly thereafter. The touchscreen was inconsistent to say the least. The phone lagged, lagged, lagged. But after having the blackberry experience there was no way I could go back to a regular phone. So I decided to wait it out. A software update came. It helped a lot but the hardware still seemed a little jacked. So I got a replacement device. This one was a tad better but new problems arose with this one. It would reset spontaneously, freeze for no apparent reason. Just awful. So I called Verizon customer service once again and after pleading my case, received yet another phone.

So now I am convinced that RIM has made some adjustments to this phone that were not there in previous issues. The touchscreen is MUCH better than either of the other phones. The interface seems a bit peppier and with another OS upgrade due this month, I suspect it will run like a champ. The phone I have in my hands now is the phone that should have been available on launch day. Sometimes it simply doesn't pay to be an early adopter.

Laptop #4

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:14:00 +0000

Well, well, well. I haven't posted to this blog in quite a while so let me say 'hey' to the 3 people who might read it :-). One of the main reasons I haven't been blogging lately is because my laptop died on me. Those who know me personally and my history with laptops were not surprised by this at all. Why? Well this was the 3rd laptop I've had in 5 years. Which basically means I have never gotten two years worth of mileage out of a single laptop. I don't think I'm especially hard on the things. I mean I do use my laptop a lot. I am a certified internet junky to say the least. But it's not like I'm physically harming the machines...am I?

Well anyway, I was able to replace the laptop with a new one and decided to go Mac this time. The new sleek unibody macbooks just came out so it was the perfect opportunity for a cheapskate like me to get a good deal on the older model. So I got a substantial savings on a 2.5ghz Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro. This is my first Mac and so far I am satisfied especially with the operating system. It is much more stable than Vista and very intuitive.

So wish me luck...I'm gonna need it.

Speechless...but trying to put some thoughts together

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:04:00 +0000

All day I've just been thinking about what I just witnessed. It's surreal to me still, a full day later. I, like so many, have never really cared this much about politics. Sure I've voted before, exercised my civic duty because it was the 'right' thing to do.

But this was different.

I could go on and on about everything I see in Obama that appeals to me as a voter. But right now I choose to just take it all in. There is so much attached to this victory that it will probably take weeks to truly take it all in. I'm just in a daze right now, seriously. When I saw President-Elect Obama take that stage with Michelle and the girls last night, it just really put the evening in perspective. I was glaring at the TV thinking, "this...is...HUGE!"

I'm hardly in the mood to blog right now but I just wanted to say something. I'll have much more to say when I sober up.

And the award for biggest minstrel show since 'Flavor of Love' goes to...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:34:00 +0000

D.L. Hughley. Did anybody see this mess on CNN? I accidentally fell upon a rebroadcast of this show last night, so I watched. I predicted it would be bad, but I had no idea. I mean, damn. Less than two weeks before the nation elects its next president (potentially a black one) this show appears outta nowhere. It's clearly CNN 's lame attempt to break into the political satire market with a black guy who can say what the white guys can't about Barack Obama. It made me cringe. The writing was awful, D.L.'s delivery was off and let's not even talk about content.

If Barack took us 10 steps forward in race relations, this show just took us 11 steps back. My only hope is that nobody watched this buffoonery and in the end it won't matter. If you didn't see it, you didn't miss anything but cooning at its finest.

Mr. Hughley, you have reached a new low with this one. We let your little nappy headed hoe remarks slide and gave you another chance. Now you've blown it. You are officially a sell-out. You are no better for black people than some of these degenerates showing up at the McCain-Palin rallies.

And CNN, I have watched your network for over a decade but will NOT watch again until this disgraceful show is removed from your lineup.

Rant over.

Ok, he's black...and?

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:57:00 +0000

I was very excited yesterday when I learned Colin Powell was endorsing Barack Obama. Now that excitement has been tainted by these nasty insinuations going around that Powell only endorsed Obama because he's black. Is it really that simple? I mean, really. Does race trump everything?

When Joe Lieberman--who only 8 years ago was on the freakin' democratic ticket in the race for the White House--endorsed McCain I didn't hear anybody cry racism. I personally didn't think twice about it. Maybe Lieberman doesn't want a black man to be president and that's why he endorsed McCain. Now how ignorant does that sound?

Yet, General Colin Powell, one of the most respected men in the world and perhaps the most distinguished black man on the planet has been reduced to just a black man sticking up for another black man. I mean WTF???

This historical election has revealed so much about this country. Although the double standards are troubling, I've come to realize how far we've come as a nation. I honestly never thought Obama would make it this far. I thought Americans were far too narrow-minded to consider a black man for the presidency. And some are. Even those who may vote for him may do it with reluctance. But they are brave enough to take a chance on a good man...and that says a lot.

I believe part of that willingness to take a chance on Obama is the direct result of General Powell's prominence in American politics. To believe this man, who served under W. of all presidents, would use race to determine his endorsement is nothing short of absurdity.

The Phone I Almost Waited For....

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:17:00 +0000

I really dig my LG Dare. My only real complaint is that it's not a 'smart phone.' I had been hearing about a touchscreen Blackberry for months. And it's finally here. Well not quite. It's been announced by Verizon but not available for sale just yet.

The Blackberry Storm gives you 3G, a 3.26" 480 x 360 pixel touch screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, tactile feedback, full QWERTY software keyboard, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, full HTML browser, no wifi though (argh), 1GB of onboard memory and comes with an 8gb memory card (nice).

I think I'll certainly have to tinkle with this in the store when it comes out. I'm very curious about the accuracy of the touch screen and the overall feel of the phone. I'm confident Blackberry got it right. They've been on point with their phones these days.

Anybody wanna buy a 'like new' LG Dare? lol

Get more info on the Blackberry Storm here.

Freudian Slip?

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:49:00 +0000

Bubba would rather have this bumbling fool elected than vote for an intelligent black man. Check out this YouTube clip of McCain saying "my fellow prisoners" instead of "my fellow Americans."

YES!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:18:00 +0000

Wow, I haven't posted anything in a minute. Ok, I kinda suck at this blogging thing. You know it's really kinda difficult sometimes to come up with something actually worth posting.

Like most Americans, I've been glued to all the political news surrounding this upcoming election. So that's all I've been writing about lately when I do blog. I feel like I've OD'd on election coverage. Some of this stuff is just unbelievable and not easy to digest. But in spite of it all, for the first time this election cycle, Barack Obama has a double digit lead in the polls. My president is up in the Gallop Poll 52% to 41%, an 11 point lead over McGrumpyOldMan. 11 points is well outside the margin of error. Short of a catastrophe, Barack Obama will be the next POTUS.

This is so exciting. You know there will be Obama parties popping up everywhere. Election day through inauguration day will be Obama season. There will be more bottles popping than New Year's Y2K. Let me go get some Moet stock or something. You know we're gonna go all out for this one. An Obama victory might do more for the economy than the bailout.

Damn...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:12:00 +0000

McMessy....

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:14:00 +0000

It doesn't get any messier than this. According to this Washington Post blog McCain is already advertising that he has 'won' the debate he just decided to attend. The ad ran prematurely on the WSJ website this morning. What in the sloppy hell is wrong with this campaign?

Must See TV...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Well it looks like McCoward is gonna come through and debate Obama tonight. I'm thrilled. I need something good to watch since Grey's Anatomy was just 'blah' last night.

I am praying for Obama. Tonight needs to be THE night for him. Those who are on the fence need to be convinced that Obama is their dude.

After all the McFlipFlops and shenanigans this week, this old man is still statistically tied with Obama in the polls. I have no words for that. I do, but I probably shouldn't state them on a public blog.

Please get him tonight, Barack. Or, in the words of good 'ol Jesse, CUT HIS NUTS OFF!!!

A Heartbeat Away...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:17:00 +0000

You can never be too sure about the longevity of this McCain fellow. God forbid the McPalin ticket actually takes the White House, the repubs might be rocking this bumper sticker before January.

Did RFK Predict It...?

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Tim Russert reported that, in 1968, Robert Kennedy predicted a "negro" could be president in 40 years Check out this YouTube clip. The strange thing is that Tim says these words were from 1968 and the caption below the text says 1961. Hmmm...this would be remarkable if it was indeed 1968.

VoteforChange.com

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:12:00 +0000

VoteforChange.com is an awesome site that makes it easier than ever to register to vote. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE forward this site to as many people you know. If you're already registered, check out your registration status, request an absentee ballot and find your polling place.

This is serious...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:58:00 +0000

I've done several posts about the upcoming election. There have been many unsettling developments since the primaries began. But last night I came across the most disturbing thing I've read this entire election season.

The Michigan Messenger posted an alarming report on their website discussing a lawsuit Obama and the DNC have filed against Michigan's GOP. These republicans are trying their best to straight up steal the election through voter disenfranchisement. In this instance, they are using foreclosure lists to 'cage' voters.

Caging is a technique of challenging voters where they take lists of addresses, mail to them with a “do not forward” marking and if for whatever reason those mailings are returned, they use this as a basis for claiming that the voter no longer lives at the address at which they are registered.

In short, they are trying to prevent people who have lost their homes from voting. Gee...I wonder why? Maybe because this administration didn't work for them and they are unlikely to vote for the candidate who supported it 90% of the time. This is sick. I mean truly sick. These people are already hurting and to top it off you want to take away their right to vote? I'm totally disgusted. I can't even type anymore.

Double Standards...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:02:00 +0000

I am so freakin' sick of this election and the worst is yet to come. Everybody's jumping on Obama's back over this 'lipstick on a pig' comment. Yet, not even a year ago, John McCain used the same adage to describe Hillary Clinton's health care plan. In the words of Sarah Palin, "Yup, yup."

If this doesn't scare you into voting for Obama...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:48:00 +0000

Lord, help us.

Palin's best friends can't even say they'll vote for her....

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:37:00 +0000

Four of Sarah Palin's best friends did an interview on Good Morning America. Only one said they had committed to voting for her ticket. The others hadn't 'made up their minds just yet.' That's a polite way of saying "hell to the naw Sarah...you cool and all but you know you ain't fit to be prez."

John Ridley Introduces Us to 'Palinguage'

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:05:00 +0000

I love this guy's posts. In Vol. I and Vol. II The Guide to Conservative Palinguage, John Ridley points out some interesting variants in 'Palin-guage' and the language everyone else speaks. Here are a few excerpts.

If you're a minority and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "token hire." If you're a conservative and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "game changer."
If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you're a "baby daddy." If you're the same in Alaska you're a "teen father."
Black teen pregnancies? A "crisis" in black America. White teen pregnancies? A "blessed event."
If you are biracial and born in a state not connected to the lower 48, America needs darn near 2 years and 3 major speeches to "get to know you." If you're white and from a state not connected to the lower 48, America needs 36 minutes and 38 seconds worth of an acceptance speech to know you're "one of us."
If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America, you're an "extremist." If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you're a "fundamentalist."
If you're 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant "life happens." If you're 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you're a "registered sex offender."
If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of "Change," it's just "empty rhetoric." If one week before your party's national convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about "Change," that's "red meat."

Check out his blog. He's one clever cookie.

Keep Talking Palin...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:59:00 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Barack Obama's presidential campaign said it raised $10 million Thursday following the Republican National Convention speech by rival John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Palin's address, heavily laced with digs at Obama, prompted an outpouring of donations from more than 130,000 donors.

"We're up over the previous record and the number is still climbing the more Palin's attacks are covered on cable and network news," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.

The Republican National Committee announced earlier Thursday, at mid-afternoon, that it had raised well in excess of $1 million since Palin's speech. Republicans expect Palin to mobilize their donors. But the Obama camp promptly used the speech as a fundraising hook, sending an overnight e-mail to supporters to contribute.

McCain can no longer raise private donations for his campaign because he has decided to accept $85 million in public financing for the fall campaign. The Republican National Committee, however, can continue to raise money through its victory fund. His campaign reported raising $47 million in August, an impressive amount for the Arizona senator that broke his previous record

Obama is not accepting the public funds and is continuing to raise money from private donors. Fundraisers have said he and the Democratic National Committee will have to raise more than $100 million in September to stay ahead of McCain.

Jon Stewart on Republican Hypocrisy

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:48:00 +0000

Jon Stewart may be a funny guy, but he delivers some real talk man. Check out this clip from his show last night, the Sarah Palin Gender Card.

What is a Community Organizer?

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Last night at their convention, the rebublicans tried to discredit Barack Obama, once again, by belittling his start as a community organizer. Click here to read a great post from Daily Kos that everyone should read...especially those who don't fully understand the significance of a community organizer.

Photo of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:51:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure this was photoshopped but it's still funny...

Source

Interesting week in politics...

noreply@blogger.com (Mama, I Want to Blog) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Well, the democrats had their convention this week. All the party's superstars came out to speak on Barack's behalf...even good 'ol Bill and Hillary. They were even believable this time. Barack accepted the nomination on the 45th anniversary of the March on Washington. Wow...now that alone is goose bump worthy. He gave a great speech as usual. Many say it was his best...I don't know if it was his best but it was certainly up there.

Some black folks are mad because he didn't say MLK's name in his speech when he mentioned the March on Washington's anniversary. He used the words "a young preacher from Georgia" to identify him. Come on...anybody of voting age should know know who that is. But the nitpickers shall never cease.

John McCain attempted to one up Obama in his quest to make history this November by putting a woman on his ticket. Ooooooooh. Sarah Palan has been governor of Alaska around 2 years or so and before that was the mayor of a town of 7000. What she doesn't have in experience, she makes up for in the looks department. Have y'all seen her? She's a fairly hot chick. Even Rush Limbaugh joked on his show about having a "babe" on the ticket. Plus, she's a sho nuff conservative. She's pro-life, pro-guns, and evidently pro-creation. Dems better look out, this strategy might not be so dumb after all.