The Black Headband

Last of the Last

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 00:16:00 +0000

It's been a long time coming. The time between the posts over the years has gotten longer and longer. What used to be a passion of mine has become somewhat of a chore especially the past three years that have changed the course of my life forever.
Do I get angry whenever an unarmed black man is shot by the police? Hell yes. Do I get incensed at life's injustices? Of course I do. Am I baffled and annoyed by the election of Donald Trump? Yes, he bared his racist soul and brought along his KKK, neo nazi and white supremacist comrades along to the White House. He wants so much to be a dictator but we won't let him. I have faith in some wonderful people I have met that despise Trump as much as I do. We will resist.
From here, I'm out. No more posts but there are plenty of posts I've written over the past eight years. Some are good, some not so good. Writing has always been a struggle for me. When God was passing out talent, writing wasn't what he gave me.
Thank you for taking your time and reading my posts. I'm officially on hiatus. Peace.

Always and Forever The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 12:54:00 +0000

Death is so near, and time for friendly action is so limited. Love and peace always.

-Muhammad Ali 1942 -2016

Lines Not So Blurred

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 18:33:00 +0000

The late great Marvin Gaye singing "Got to Give It Up"

Congratulations to the late Marvin Gaye's children Nona, Frankie and Marvin II who won their lawsuit against Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke over the song "Blurred Lines".

When I first heard a few bars of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke I knew he was ripping off Marvin Gaye. It was way to obvious. Then I got even more suspicious when Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke hired a lawyer early on to preemptively sue the Gaye estate to prove they didn't steal from "Got to Give It Up". That was a bad move.

I remember when "Got to Give It Up" first dropped in 1977. It was so far ahead of it's time, there was no other song like it. The beat was infectious and the lyrics were fresh. I don't care where you were but when the dj played this song EVERYONE got up and danced the entire eleven minutes of parts one and two. It still has that same effect today. Throw this song on and I'm out of my seat dancing. It sounds just as good today as it did then.

All the people listening to "Blurred Lines" last year making it best song of 2014 probably don't know anything about Marvin Gaye or his music so they are conent to listening to rehashed music, lifted or borrowed from someone else. Pharrell and Robin Thicke wanted everyone to think they created something new when they were clearly ripping off Marvin Gaye.

In court, Robin Thicke claimed he had very little to do with the creative process (says he was high on alcohol and painkillers while in the studio?) while Pharrell said he listened to Marvin Gaye growing up and was channeling that late 70s feeling. No it wasn't channeling, it was stealing. That's like peeing on someone's head and telling them its rain.

As hard as he tries I would never mention Robin Thicke in the same sentence as Marvin Gaye. Marvin's essence, style and soulfulness cannot be duplicated. Too bad Pharrell and Robin Thick had to learn the hard way.

I doubt this is the first time Pharrell has lifted a tune from another artist. He either sped it up or slowed it down, but he copied.

A Food Review - Papa John's Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 02:34:00 +0000

Papa John's Cheeseburger Pizza because they don't have a picture of the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, just throw a bunch of pickles on it and add some more cheese and it will resemble what I ordered (Taken from PapaJohns.com)

Papa John tore his pants with me awhile back when he was acting like an ass about the Affordable Care Act (ACA aka Obamacare). I decided to give him another chance by ordering one of those Bacon Cheeseburger pizzas I saw advertised on television. It looked good and the fact that it had bacon made it seem even better.

Tonight I took the plunge and ordered one. The first bite was delicious but then the whole experience quickly went south. With each bite I was tasting more and more pickle with a hint of smokiness and nothing else. On my pizza the ingredients were not much hamburger, mozarella cheese, a tad of hickory smoked bacon somewhere, a bunch of pickles and some tomatoes. The idea was a good one but with each bite I was overwhelmed by the taste pf pickle. Although its advertised as Bacon Cheeseburger pizza, the bacon was few and far between. Very disappointing.

My husband and I ate in separate rooms and he came up with the same conclusion. He said he didn't run across any bacon on his slices either. After a brief discussion, we decided we would reinstate our ban on Papa John's. With that said, we preceded to search the remaining slices for bacon and located the motherlode on one slice. It wasn't quite a motherlode, it was about a one sixth of a teaspoon. Seriously? Are you kidding me?

The Bacon Cheeseburger pizza I had was more like a pickle and cheese pizza so I would not recommend it. Better ingredients? Better Pizza? I say nope. I can confidently say I will not be ordering another pizza from Papa Johns. I could go into a political diatribe about this but I'm taking a break from politics. Bon appetit.

I Won't Be Watching the Superbowl But...

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 19:04:00 +0000

I love, love, love this Skittles commercial by the Seattle Seahawks Marshawn Lynch. I probably won't be watching the game, I'm more of a Puppy Bowl kind of girl but this is really funny.

I Really Wanted To Know

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 16:05:00 +0000

Lil Wayne and Christina Milian. Yuck, yuck and yuck.
Photo from Daily Mail UK

Every now and then I have to ask myself certain things where the answers may seem obvious to most people but not to me. I have a lot of them today.

You mean Kim Kardashian isn't a gold digger?
Who cares Kanye? Who you trying to convince yourself or us? I get it. Kim likes black men. Kim has dated poor black men. But what makes Kanye different than any other rich black man that marries a white woman although she let another black man pee on her in a sex tape? Absolutely nothing.
Why does Christina Milian have a reality show?
Other than being Lil' Wayne's side piece (I'm putting on a hazmat suit and have my can of Lysol at the ready) who picks fights with his various babies mamas on Twitter. What is it about her that I'm missing? She can't sing and is a marginal actress. There is nothing interesting about this woman in my opinion.
If Lil' Wayne was the average broke brother standing on the corner, he wouldn't get the time of day from these women who keep having his babies. Oh wait, he just might. He was engaged once before and his fiance didn't look like any of his babies mamas. Get a clue, it's not okay if he impregnates you but he isn't about to marry you.
If gossip blogs are to be believed, he's still dating his fiance and Christina Milian is still runniing around acting like she won the lotto. Maybe she did.
Has Lance Armstrong learned anything?
Obviously not. For him to come out and say he would cheat again to win the Tour de France is deplorable and arrogant. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make it right. Some people never get it.
When will women stop accusing Bill Cosby of drugging and raping them?
This story is like one of those pimples ready to erupt. I have not once heard Cosby disavow any of these women's claims, all I've heard is he's hired a bunch of lawyers to dig up dirt on them. Classy guy. I don't see this stopping anytime soon unless he starts paying these women to keep quiet. All the while Camille Cosby is silent.

Why doesn't Hillary Clinton go ahead and announce that she's running for President in 2016?
It's not like its a secret yet she's running around in her stupid pants suits with that big old cheesy grin on her face like she knows something we don't know. She's been awful busy for someone who isn't running for President. Heck, the Republicans are already name-checking her. The jig is up.
Don't know about you but I belong to the "Anybody but Hillary' club. Unlike most black people, I do not like the Clintons. I don't like the Bushes either if you want to get technical.
Am I the only who thinks twerking is stupid?
Of course it is. If I could do it that wouldn't be something I'd be proud of. Miley Cyrus looks just as stupid as Amber Rose. Save it for the strip club.
Is CariDee English the worse 'model' ever?
She's got to be. Anyone who wins a contest called 'America's Next Top Model' isn't ever going to be a top model and she is proof. I cringe everytime I see her in this commercial for Stelara. That's some bad modeling there. Does she have more than two poses? I think not.

What's the big deal about Taylor Swift?
I have to be honest, I've never heard any of her music. I don't like pop music that tries to pass itself off as country music. She's someone I'd never listen to. I could however pick her out of a line-up. Her mouth never closes. She's young, obviously talented and rich. Glad she's not waiting on me to buy any of her music 'cause girlfriend will be waiting a long time.
How did First Lady Michelle Obama get away without wearing a headscarf while visiting Saudi Arabia?
Angela Merkle did it too. Seems hypocritical to me or perhaps its just important women from Westernized countries that can get away with it. Wonder if she got to drive too?

I Dream of Uncle Ben

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 02:40:00 +0000

Photo taken from OneEarth.com

Over the weekend, conservative Republicans met for the ~~clown~~ Iowa Assembly hoping to generate some Presidential buzz. A group larger than a baker's dozen got their chance at the mic but some of the more notable attendees were: Senator Ted "Is he American or Canadian?" Cruz, former half-term Alaskan governor Sarah "why oh why" Palin,New Jersey Governor Chris "Bridgegate" Christie, Rick "he's still around" Santorum, HP CEO Carly "I spent a whole shitload of my money on the California governor's race and still lost" Fiorina, Texas Governor Rick "I want you to think my eyeglasses raise my IQ by about five points to an even 100" Perry, former Arkansas governor Mike "I dream of Beyonce" Huckabee and last but not least the latest conservative darling Uncle Ben Carson (nope, we're not related).

While I could get down and dirty into who said what, I'm just going to skim the surface. These Republicans can give you so much material to work with. While they may not agree on alot of things, they all seem to be united in their disdain fort the middle class and the poor. And then there's gay marriage even though it has nothing personally to do with them. Minding their own business has never been the Republican party's strong suit. They spend way too much time in folks bedrooms and closets. They were glaringly quiet about equal pay for women and a woman's right to chose. Sadly, Sarah Palin is still calling grown ass women girls. I thought that went out ages ago.

From what I read, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney and Bobby Jindal skipped the meeting. As the front runner Jeb can afford to skip this nonsense, wannabe front-runner Mitt Romney probably thought he was above the fray being entitled and privileged and all. The shocker was hearing that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal spent the day in Baton Rouge getting some Christian cred at a prayer fest. Whatever.

Out of all the stupid, hypocritical and nonsensical things said, I was most offended by Uncle Ben Carson. He's the black self-appointed anti-Obama critic.While commenting about Obamacare, he said he wouldn't support it even if it did work. Doesn't that mean it's working? I think so. What's the problem? Lower and middle class people don't deserve healthcare?

As a former doctor he should be supportive of any program that makes healthcare accessible to everyone not just the affluent. I'm pretty certain he collected many a government paycheck from Medicare and Medicaid but he's against it now. Without these government run insurance programs, poor and middle class people wouldn't have access to healthcare. We all know what happens when someone is uninsured and suddenly becomes ill, gets into an accident or comes down with a terminal illness. Republicans don't.

Quote of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 02:32:00 +0000

I try not to be serious all the time. Today I ran across some comments on MadameNoire.com made back in 2004 that made me laugh out loud. This quote is courtesy of ~~Negro~~ Black comedian Bill "Don't Call Me African American" Cosby who has been in the news a lot lately but I won't get into that today:

We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don’t know a thing about Africa. With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail.

Okay Bill.

The State of Boko Haram

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:53:00 +0000

Doron Baga, Nigeria photo taken from BBC News

While the world was rallying behind the French on Sunday, Boko Haram, Nigeria's ultra Islamic terrorists decimated Baga and Doron Baga, two villages. The most repulsive of these attacks was the fact that they kidnapped ten year old girls and used them as suicide bombers. Where is the outrage? Where are the 200 missing girls? Where are the drones?

It's obvious Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is preoccupied with getting reelected. He expressed outrage at the attacks in France but was decidedly more subdued talking about Boko Haram's attack. They are the extremist of extremes They murder without impunity. Seventeen dead in France, ten thousand dead this year in Nigeria at the hands of Boko Haram. No outrage there. No regard for the ten year old girls used as suicide bombers. I can't even begin to imagine what that would have been like. I bet none of Nigeria's ruling party have ten year old daughters.

President Jonathan must be paralyzed by fear or incompetence. Boko Haram managed seize one of the military bases near Cameroon. There doesn't appear to be plans to take it back. What's the army doing? Cowering somewhere far away from Boko Haram? And why isn't anyone outraged about the ten year old girls? Don't their lives matter?

Is nothing being done about Boko Haram because they are in Africa, because of President Goodluck Jonathan or both? We can manage to find our way to obscure places in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq to fight Islamic terrorists but Boko Haram in Nigeria isn't on our radar at all not even with all of the carnage and bloodshed.

It's clear Nigeria is incapable of containing Boko Haram, how many innocent people have to die? In Baga, it can't even be ascertained whether 150 or 2,000 people were killed. That's a problem there. No one even seems to know what going on.

This just seems like another colonial hangover, where the leaders are preoccupied with staying in power and maintaining access to money and power while the average Nigerian ekes out a living the best way he or she can. No chance of a trickle down much less running water.

I'm just wondering when someone is going to get off their ass and do something.

Where Were You?

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 21:54:00 +0000

The French flag from Middlebury College School in France

While watching that phenomenal march yesterday in Paris, seeing many of the world's leaders joining the French in solidarity in what was the worst terrorist attack in their history; I kept watching and wondering who's there from the United States.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas were there. Angela Merkel and David Cameron were there. Even leaders from Third World African countries were there to show solidarity with the French but no United States. There were more than fifty leaders who attended.

I looked and looked, waited and waited but still no U.S. official. I was ashamed and embarassed. I would have been great if President Obama could have been there but on such short notice security probably would have been difficult to arrange. But what about Vice President Joe Biden or Attorney General (if he's still in office) Eric Holder? Come to think of it, our new Republican leadership in the House and Senate could have flown to France to show their support.Whatever the case, we f**ked up. We were rude and disrespectful.

I'm certain we're going to expect support from France, England, Germany and Israel the next time we are attacked by terrorists. We are not immune, its been quiet for a minute but that doesn't mean we are immune to terrorist attacks. Just today I heard that the US Central Command's Twitter and YouTube accounts were hacked by Islamist supporters. Way to go!

Don't expect sympathy from the world when you can't show solidarity with one of your major allies. Je suis gêné d'être américain.

Post Script: I hear Vice President Joe Biden will be travelling to France this week to show our solidarity with the French. Late but at least he is going. The US Ambassador to France attended the rally Sunday but that was largely overlooked.

Mike and Beyonce

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 15:32:00 +0000

Beyonce throwing up gang signs on Instagram

Glad to not have to be talking about Muslim extremists today. Bump al qaeda of Yemen who is claiming credit for the murder of sixteen people in France a few days ago. Allah is watching and is not pleased.

Although its too early to start talking about the 2016 Presidential race, I can't help but think the Republican side of the ticket is going to be the most interesting. You got the token Republican darling Dr. Ben Carson, Jeb "oh no, not another one" Bush, grits and gravy Mike Huckabee and that empty paper bag Mitt Romney making threats to run. I could hit the snooze button on every one of these guys.

I'm only writing this because I read that Mike Huckabee has a new book out. In his book I hear he calls rapper Jay-Z a pimp for allowing his wife Beyonce to prance around stage in a sexually seductive way. I have several questions. Who knew Mike Huckabee ever heard of Jay-Z? Did someone slip him a copy of "The Blueprint"? When did he slip into a Beyonce concert? Did he watch one of her concert videos or did he see her documentary on HBO? I think its funny as hell. Why is it when its election time Republican candidates pick on rappers for their alleged thug lifestyles, drug use, dread locs, low morals, etc.? They obviously don't know rap is more suburbia than inner city.

And if you've been paying attention you know Republicans can't mention Jay-Z and Beyonce without mentioning President Obama. According to any Republican you listen to, they are the bestest of friends therefore if Jay-Z is a low life, President Obama is low life too. After all they are friends.

All Mike Huckabee's criticism about Jay-Z and Beyonce tells me is that he's got a major case of the hots for Beyonce and nothing else. Perhaps he prefers to have her do those sexy dance moves in his bedroom instead of her own. He is in no position to call Jay-Z a pimp, he probably couldn't pick him out of a line-up.

Je Suis Charlie

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:19:00 +0000

Jeff Danziger's cartoon in reaction to the killing of 12 at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo

I woke up this morning to disappointed to find that the two suspects in the Charlie Hebdo murders are still on the loose. Not quite loose but cornered in a factory in Northern France in Dammartin-En-Goele. They were kind enough to allow school children to be evacuated but decided to keep some hostages.

I've been watching this for a couple of hours now and can barely contain my disdain for these faux terrorists/martyrs. Cowardly yes especially when you murder police and innocent bystanders. Real marytrs would have killed themselves or blown themselves up like yesterday after the crime. Cherif and Said Kouachi, the jihadi brothers are the cowards. They aren't dead yet but are threatening to kill themselves. I say go for it.

The second set of nitwits, Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene are holding hostages in a Kosher supermarket and are thought to have murdered a policemen yesterday. Their faces and names have been put on blast all over Twitter and Al-Jazeera as well. They are thought to be linked to Kouachi brothers. I guess crazy comes in fours. I'm certain they think they are martyrs too. They didn't have enough guts to kill themselves either. Cowards.

These people are poster children for Islamophobia. There is no choice. They are making all Muslims look bad. Terrorists who claim to murder on behalf of Islam are not real Muslims, they don't wage holy wars or blow themselves up. Islam is a religion of PEACE. Innocent people aren't murdered. Idiots don't blow themselves up and take innocent people with them. They are wrong, wrong, wrong.

Kudos to the French government for the successful conclusion of what could have been something very bad.A total of 16 people were murdered over the past two days and four hostages were killed.

Radical Islam is a threat to us all. I'm not sure this is the last we've seen of the crazies.

I am Charlie.

Charia Hebdo

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:49:00 +0000

One of the many covers of the French magazine 'Charlie Hebdo' making a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed

I was extremely saddened yesterday by the murder of 'Charlie Hebdo' staff members. Besides running a satirical magazine, their only mistake was to make fun of the Prophet Mohammed. We all know, the majority of extremist Muslims have no sense of humor. Make fun of the Prophet or commit blaspheme against Mohammed you deserve to die. There's nothing in the Koran or the Hadith that says so but these folks who have hijacked Islam are making rules up as they go along.

I've got news for them, comedy is not a crime. The caption in the above cover in English says:

100 lashes if you do not die of laughter

Folks I'm Going to Miss in 2015

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 00:04:00 +0000

Poet, activist, author Maya Angelou
1928-1914

No list would be complete without poet, activist and wise woman Maya Angelou. I had the opportunity to meet her on two ocassions and each time, she had something profound to say to me. I was left speechless but better for having met her. "I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings" changed my life in ways I can't even begin to express. All I know after that is I never missed reading any of Angelou's books or stopped listening to what she had to say. She was a natural treasure.

Activist, author and playwright Amiri Baraka
1934-2014

I'm also going to miss Amiri Baraka (nee LeRoi Jones). As member of the 60s Beat Generation, I stumbled across his classic "Home" in a San Francisco used bookstore and read it from cover to cover. He was a revolutionary when it wasn't necessarily cool to be one. He was never
afraid to change his point of view. He evolved from a Marxist to a Muslim over the years. He was never afraid to share his opinion, stop writing and talking about racial relations.

Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter
1937-2014

Wrongly convicted for triple murder, Reuben Hurricane Carter was finally released from prison in 1985 At the time of his arrest, he was a contender for the middleweight crown in 1963. He never got the opportunity to compete because he was convicted based on dubious testimony by police informants. An excellent film about Reuben Hurricane Carter's life starring Denzel Washington is worth renting or checking out on Netflix or Hulu. It's an amazing story about perserverence, belief and triumph of the human spirit. What an amazing man. May he rest in peace.

Activist, actress, playwright Ruby Dee
1922-1914

And finally I can't forget to mention to legendary actress Ruby Dee. She did everything under the sun and moon. She acted, was a playwright, author and role model for so many black actresses who came after her. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, especially during the civil right era. I loved her in "A Raisin in the Sun", no one in my opinion can play that role but Ruby Dee. She dominated film and stage, she definitely wasn't a black actress to be pigeonholed. Ruby Dee blazed her own path.

There are several other folks I'm going to miss in 2015 . I have to throw in Joan Rivers. She had the filthiest mouth but was funny as hell. I'm going to miss the back and forth between her and Rihanna on Twitter. That was some funny shit.

And then there's James Garner. I love the 'Rockford Files'. He made acting looked so effortless and seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

The Worse President Ever

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:21:00 +0000

President Barack Obama
(Photo taken from tusconminaret.com)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I'm not big on Christmas, I'm not a Christian. I do celebrate the New Year and always look forward to what the new year will bring. Before I move on, I have several bones to pick before the end of the year.

The first has to do with President Obama. He gets blamed for just about everything that goes wrong in this country but I'm going to do something different. The "liberal media" has overlooked the fact that the stock market has grown over his past two terms. Last week the Dow cracked 18,000 which is unprecedented. The Dow is one of those economic indicators used to determine if our economy is in good shape or bad. FYI the Dow was 6,900 when he took office. Think about it.

While Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both Republicans, whined about the President's intention to normalize relations with Cuba. It's long over due and the embargo has not worked for the past fifty years, another fifty years isn't going to make a difference. Fidel Castro retired from office. The only thing the embargo hurt was the Cuban people on the island. It's time to set aside backward policies and do something that will benefit everyone.
.
In addition to the stock market, the unemployment rate has been steadily dropping. Last week it was 5.8 and the lowest it's been this past year. You probably didn't hear much about that either. There were more important things to talk about like that vacation. You know that vacation, the one President Obama takes every year that pisses everyone off. He takes an annual two week vacation to his home state of Hawaii.

He still has quite a ways to go to catch former President George W. Bush who racked up a total of 407 vacation days. President Obama has probably taken around 200 or so yet a certain contingent of our population is always complaining that the Obamas are wasting our tax dollars on vacations and act as if the President shouldn't even get one. Haters are always going to hate regardless.

The last bone I want to pick with President Obama is gas prices. I paid $2.01 a gallon to fill-up my tiny sportscar. It amounted to about $23. To borrow a phrase from my mother, I was like a punk in paradise even though it was short lived. Then a few days later I saw gas for $1.97! What in the hell is going on around here? I know President Obama isn't getting credit for this either but if gas were $3.99 a gallon he would be.

Wrong Again Charles

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:35:00 +0000

photo taken from the blog.familyofvet.com about life with PTSD

It's open season on black men. It's another sad day where the policeman who choked Eric Garner to death in New York City, is not indicted. My condolences to his family, I can't imagine how painful this news is to thme but deep down I don't think they were surprised given the previous decisions not to prosecute the police officers involved in the death of Amadou Diallo. Diallo was shot over twenty times, was unarmed and fumbling for his door keys in his apartment hallway before he was shot.

In New York City, they'd rather open their checkbook and pay a multi-million dollar settlement than prosecute one of their policemen. This lets us know the police are immune to prosecution regardless of the circumstances of death,. Their victim of choice is black men. Where is your humanity when someone tells you they can't breathe?

Sorry Charles Barkley, but Eric Garner did not deserved to be choked to death any more than Michael Brown deserved to be shot dead. It appears your celebrity has gone to your head, that somehow you are immune to the treatment that other black men in this country are subjected to. This is a matter you should keep silent on especially since you were arrested for soliciting prostitutes a few years back. You didn't even have enough sense to be embarrassed chasing after some street walker that gave you a "good blow job". You deserved to be arrested but it was nothing to be proud about. Stick to basketball commentary and leave the rest of your opinions to yourself.

Yes, the police are great in your book and I want you to keep believing that and justifying every police action shooting of black men. A lot of black people are crooks you say, I hope you are including yourself in that group. Soliciting prostitutes is a crime you know so that technically makes you a crook too. And lastly, you are the wrong person reporters should interview on matters of race and the police. You are not like us.You are a celebrity that has brainwashed himself into thinking he's different. It's only a matter of time when something like this happens to you so to use your broad brush to paint black people as criminals will not bode well for you.

You are more known for your big mouth than your intellect. These protests and conversations are about injustice against black men, something you evidently know nothing about.

To Protect and Serve

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:15:00 +0000

Yes, we can all get along. This viral photo proves that.

I was glad to hear that Ferguson policeman Darren Wilson is resigning and will not get a severance package. He got off on a murder charge, no need to reward his inexcusable behavior with pay. He needs to go home and think about what he has done. His bed will be very hard to sleep in.

In any instance where there is a police shooting and a black man is involved (come to think about it, you don't hear about white men being shot by police nearly as often), the black man is always portrayed as some big black buck with supernatural powers. According to Darren Wilson, Michael Brown looked like a demon. Oh really? He could have also looked like the tooth fairy but that would have made him less threatening. Regardless, he did not deserve to be killed. Neither did twelve year old Tamir Rice whose only crime was having a BB gun. Policeman have a hard time discerning the difference between a BB gun and a real gun. The police officer didn't even bother to administer any kind of first aid. Aren't police officers supposed to protect and defend? Oh wait, maybe they are suppose to protect and defend a certain segment of the population. It'a sorry state when black men and boys can be gunned down without impunity. Black lives mean nothing.

My Sunday afternoon was disturbed by the crass uninformed comments by GOP hopeful Rudolph Guiliani on Fox News. Mr. "Stop and Frisk" fancies himself as some kind of expert on crime when in fact all he shows is his ignorance. He blames black people for police shootings. Of course it's always the black man's fault for getting in the way of a policeman's bullet. Guiliani said "no question" that unjustified shootings happen more often in black communities, but said those communities have the responsibility to prevent the need for more police officers in their neighborhoods in the first place.

Say what? Black men come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds so to paint the entire black community with a broad brush is an over-simplification of a very complex topic. A rich black man living in a predominantly white neighborhood is no more safe than a black man living in the inner city. Anything to advance that "he got what he deserved" theory. Although Guiliani is unable to give up the stereotypes of black men and black communities, he's preaching to the choir on Fox News. No one over there is going to call him out on his blatant lies and inaccuracies. They are nodding and agreeing. But we all know Fox News operates in a parallel universe stuck in about 1958. They are reprehensible, dishonest and represent what's wrong with what passes for "news" in this country.

I'm tired of narrow-minded, uninformed and backward people defining black men. This is the crowd that truly believes black men get what they deserve when they are murdered by the police. Not every black man is a dangerous predator. I'm tired of the unprecedented show of disrespect for our President. We haven't quite made it to the color blind promised land. We have way too many hang ups about race and where people belong in our society.

I'm Mad

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 22:24:00 +0000

R.I.P. Michael Brown
1996 -2014

I don't know what the folks in Ferguson, Missouri were thinking about. From waiting until the downside of 9:00 pm to announce the Grand Jury's unsurprising findings to the Governor dispatching the National Guard to protect the police department and nearby white suburbs. This whole ordeal has been downright outrageous.

I don't care how many times Michael Brown's parents appealed for peace and calm, there was no doubt that shit was going to be burned down. There's a whole lot of angry people out there including me that would have liked to have seen a different outcome. Whenever a police shooting like this occurs, rarely does the officer face any charges. They get to skate free like Darren Wilson, free to hit the talk show circuit profiting off the misery of the Brown family without any conscious at all.

Personally, I don't care what Wilson has to say. I was done when I heard him say that Michael Brown looked like a demon. Seriously? Wonder what he was looking like at the same time he shot Brown, the face of the death? Here's a man with a badge, a gun and the entire police department behind him and he's insinuating that he feared for his life. Oh please!

It's still open season against black men and Michael Brown is the latest casualty. As long is there is no justice, there will be no peace. My heart goes out to all the folks in Ferguson whose businesses were burned and looted. Where were the Ferguson police then? They certainly weren't protecting and defending their citizens, only one of their own.

It ain't over!

Ho, Ho, Ho, It's Walmart

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 13:45:00 +0000

Your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart is gearing up for Black Friday.
(Picture from Forbes.com)

With Black Friday just a few days away, I was surprised to hear that just about everyone's favorite retailer, Wal-Mart has not paid fees associated with the trampling death of Jdimytai Damoor six years ago. According to the Huffington Post, Wal-Mart has still not paid the $7,000 fine to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Instead Wal-Mart has spent millions fighting the fine in an attempt to skirt OSHA laws . Rather than pay their six year old fine, they have stalled and attempted to come up with their own lame solutions to that trampling death six years ago on Black Friday. A man was killed and all they can do is drag this case along while they avoid paying the $7,000 fine? Last year Wal-Mart netted over $473 billion, I think its safe to say that $7,000 is a minuscule amount to Wal-Mart It's doubtful they even pay out that much money on one shift.

Wal-Mart claims they could not have anticipated what would happen on that black Friday six years ago so they have spent millions fighting OSHA over a $7,000. Wal-Mart Black Friday commercials run practically non-stop on every network, they are pretty hard to miss and those unbelieveable prices make me piss my pants (figuratively not literally). This excuse I ain't buying.

This case could go on for years so if you still plan to shop at Wal-Mart (seriously?) remember merchandise is going to be spread around the store not clustered which decreases the likelihood no one will be trampled but I don't think this will guarantee that a fist fight won't break out in the aisles or that someone won't be carrying a loaded gun or pepper spray. The other solution they have is to stagger sales times. Well, okay. Not sure what this is going to do but I wouldn't be caught dead in a Wal-Mart. They don't give a damn about their employees so I know they don't give a damn about me, they just want my money and they ain't getting it.

A friend told me last night I couldn't change anything. I disagreed I can choose when and where I spend my money. I chose not to shop Wal-Mart (even if Jesus himself makes a personal appearance). I don't celebrate Christmas, I don't understand this holiday shopping frenzy (folks need to chill the fuck out) and wonder why people don't support local businesses more (remember those?).

You Are Not the Woman I Imagined

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 16:20:00 +0000

My heart goes out to the unidentified newlywed Saudi woman whose husband rejected her after seeing her for the first time. Neither saw each other before their ceremony. Feeling no obligation to her or their marriage, the man divorced her on the spot. I can't imagine the pain and humiliation she suffered at the hands of this no good jerk. According to news reports, when he saw her face he leapt to his feet and proclaimed "You are not the one I imagined. I'm sorry but I divorce you." To ensure that he gets the woman he imagined, I recommend not dating women you have never seen before. Can't see her in person, get a picture. That can save a lot of time and trouble.

Only in Saudi Arabia could something like this happen. Women don't even have the right to drive let alone leave the house without a male relative. Courtships like this are quite typical and the marriages go on without incident. Most men have a sense of honor that was lacking in this situation. Marriage is arranged and women marry whoever they are told to marry. There isn't too much picking and choosing going on. Had the wife been repulsed by her husband's appearance, she has no recourse. She's stuck with him for life or until he decides to divorce her. I hold out hope that one day Saudi women will be able to leave the house alone, drive around the streets of Riyadh and chose their own husband

In a similar vein, the women who have accused "America's Dad" Bill Cosby of allegedly drugging and raping them face their own kind of humiliation. With the number of women reaching fifteen, Cosby has no problem threatening or intimidating these women. Cosby is a very wealthy man so the threat of a lawsuit is supposed to send these women back into the shadows and shut them up.

I find it very hard to believe that these women are making these accusations up. The stories are all very similar. It all starts with Cosby allegedly giving his victims a drink and the victims passing out. Some of the women accusing Cosby claims are decades old. Rape and shame go hand in hand, the victim is treated like the guilty one expected to stay quiet. Rarely do victims have power in a rape case so it's easy to see why these women did not come forward earlier. Accusing a rich powerful man in Hollywood of rape is an easy way to torpedo your own career aspirations besides no one will believe you.

Just because a woman does not report rape when it happens doesn't mean it didn't happen. There are all kinds of reasons not to report rape. Fear, shame and embarrassment come to mind. Accusing a powerful man of rape doesn't always go well, you can find the tables turned on you and have your sex life scrutinized. That's how women are treated in our society unfortunately.

A Little Somethin' Somethin'

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 03:45:00 +0000

ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) jihadists training in Syria
(Iraqinews.com)

After more than a year away, I decided to start blogging again. There have been so many things that have caught my attention over the past year but I really didn't have a chance to blog about it. I'm still passionate about social justice, politics and get indignant over injustice.

I'm not surprised when there's news about George Zimmerman pulling a gun on someone. I'm not surprised when some shit goes down at Wal-Mart. And definitely not surprised by the rise by the super extreme Islamists parading across Syria and Iran murdering and beheading people. It's shocking at best then you think, are these people really serious? Yeah, they are and the idiot women escaping to Syria to become jihadi brides aren't much better but then women like bad boys even when they murder and behead. This is not about Islam but about power.

I can't leave out Boko Haram, another bunch of crazy Islamists operating in northern Nigeria. Snatching young school girls and making them brides? Desparate much. It's a sorry state when you can't find your own women but have to kidnap young girls so they can become sex slaves and bear your children. Pathetic but not quite as pathetic as the Nigerian government who has done nothing to rescue these girls. Another inept, self-serving African government.

Not all of Africa is bereft with inept leadership. I give props to the people of Burkina Faso who took to the streets to oust aspiring President for Life Blaise Campaore. Twenty-seven years of looting and stealing from his people wasn't enough for President Campaore but it was enough for his people. As Africa's poorest country, the Burkinese people only need check Campaore's foreign bank accounts to find out where their future went. Let's hope the military leadership cedes power in elections that are supposed to take place in a few months.

I still get amused by made up names but that doesn't make me a self-hating black person. I'm just old school. I like names I can pronounce and spell. Some are quite ridiculous, apostrophes and accent marks that don't really belong and the ones that annoy me the most are the ones that defy all rules of grammar. Names make a person and none of these names are of African origin. In West Africa, children are always named after someone, they never just name a child without giving it some thought.This usually means they are named after a famous person (remember Idi Amin?), a friend or someone they respect. Their names have meaning and they are spelled correctly. So there. I get just as annoyed with first names that are last names too. Nothing self-hating about that either.

At a time when the Dow Jones has soared above 17,000, unemployment is below 6% and job growth has increased steadily, it's amazing the Republicans gained power. In all honesty, President Obama didn't do a good job of selling his accomplishments. With the Republicans controlling both the House and the Senate we're doomed. People always amaze me when they vote against their own personal interests and support a party that only cares about corporations, the one percent and in denial about science. As a woman I am not amused. It just means more attacks on my reproductive rights and the likelihood that I will never get the same pay as a man for the same work. We're definitely not going forward. I'm going to enjoy my Obamacare while I still have it.

To be continued...

Dear George

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 22:05:00 +0000

Trayvon Martin

"These fucking punks always get away." --George Zimmerman

Dear George (I hope its okay if I skip the formalities and call you George. Seems like we've know each other for years even though its only been a few short months. Mr. Zimmerman sounds soooooo formal.), I believe you are right especially after being acquitted for murdering 17 year old Trayvon Martin.

To avoid doing a rehash of the story we've already heard, Martin was walking through your neighborhood with a bottle of iced tea and a bag of Skittles but the most important thing was he was a black man wearing a hoodie. In your small mind, any young black man sporting a hoodie must be a hoodlum, thug, criminal or some kind of predator. Evidently the jury of mostly white women thought the same thing too. They bought your story, line by line.

In your world, young black men are suspicious no matter what. None of us will ever know what really went on between you and Trayvon Martin because you were the only one left standing and the story is yours to tell. It's amazing how an unarmed kid can be murdered for no good reason but it really must have been easy for you. In your mind, Trayvon Martin could not have been just a young black man on his way back from the store with a drink and some candy, he had to be one of the "fucking punks" that always get away. You made sure that didn't happen again, didn't you?

Your acquittal means that it's open season on young black men; deemed criminals and suspects on sight. They can be shot and the perpetrator, like you, can claim self defense and escape justice.That's a damn shame. Trayvon Martin wasn't just a young black man in a hoodie, he was someone's son who never made it home that fateful day. He was a brother, a cousin and a friend. He was a man.

For now, you have gotten away with murder but I'm pretty certain your life won't be getting any easier. I heard you have aspirations of becoming a lawyer. (Watch out there, you'd better finish up community college first.) You have no reason to celebrate, this is not a victory, it is travesty.

Now that you've proved you can murder a black man and get away with it. I am convinced that this post racial society they claim we live in does not exist. If the tables had been turned and you had been murdered, I am 100% certain that Trayvon Martin would be sitting on Florida's death row if there is one or serving a life sentence. Nothing post racial about a society that values a person based on their skin color and played out stereotypes.

We have a long way to go in dealing with our racist legacy. American has always had a problem with race and your acquittal last week certainly proves that. Not sure if any of those jurors or you for that matter, tried to put yourself in Trayvon Martin's place. Growing up a black man in America isn't easy.

For now, I surely hope you will go back to living your life quietly and out of the spotlight but I don't think that's happening. Personally I don't want to see you, your attorney or your intellectually challenged brother making the talk show circuit talking about how justice has been served. We both know that's a damned lie. You are a murderer, nothing more, nothing less. You cannot profit from someone else's misery.

In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers will be for Trayvon Martin's family and for their terrible loss.

Me
(I'm just as angry as those folks protesting in Los Angeles, New York and Oakland. If you noticed, it isn't just a bunch of angry black folks, the crowds I have seen have been very diverse. Your head is probably exploding at the prospect that other people would be just as outraged by the verdict. The world is a changing. You don't have to be black to see that your acquittal was a miscarriage of justice.)

Do I Look Suspicious?

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:12:00 +0000

It has been a year since 17 year old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood vigilante George Zimmerman. Martin, who was unarmed, was walking home from a deli with a soft drink and a bag of Skittles when he was spotted by Zimmerman and reported to the police as being suspicious before being shot. Was it the hoodie Martin was wearing or was it the soft drink and bag of Skittles that aroused Zimmerman's suspicion?

Black men wearing hoodies, beware lest you become a victim as well. Racial profiling in this country is alive and well. Black men anywhere can easily become victims by ~~just being black~~ looking 'suspicious' which usually means being somewhere a white person thinks you shouldn't be. A department store, an upscale neighborhood and even a deli. Yes, the world is very small and in spite of having a black President, we have not gotten beyond racial stereotypes and prejudices. This is not post-racial America.

My prayers go out to Trayvon Martin's family, I can't even begin to know what it is like to lose a child under such tragic circumstances.

Four More Years

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:38:00 +0000

From the Daily Kos:

Have a happy, healthy prosperous 2013!

noreply@blogger.com (kimberly) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Here's one of my favorite Buddhist quotes that I'd like to share with everyone. One of my biggest faults is holding on to a grudge like nobody's business. I'm going to do better with that this year. I'm a work in progress but while I work on my anger issues, I try to remind myself of this:

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

Be happy, be healthy and be prosperous. Peace and Love. K.