The tiff spot

Okay, one last post

Tiffany — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:42:02 GMT

The slave who became a saint ... that's St. Patrick (or Padraig or Paddy as his friends might have called him) in a nutshell. Good old Paddy became a saint because he was good at proselytism. That's awesome.

Anyways, in honor of St. Paddy, here's my favorite St. Patrick's Day video. It has nothing to do with St. Patrick, but it's funny.

It involves a leprechaun, a magic flute, and ghetto people in the South. It's simply amazing.

So laugh a little today... make sure to check me out on my new projects at holyhiphoponline, theundergroundsite.com, and trutestinternational.info.

Peace,

Tiff

This Blog has moved

Tiffany — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:24:09 GMT

What up peeps...Not sure if anybody still come here to check out what I'm saying, but I've discontinued this project. Check out my other projects at www.theundergroundsite.com, holyhiphoponline.com, and trutestinternational.info.

Hit me up at those sites if you need anything ... Blog design, content writing, etc.

Bulletproof

Tiffany — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:33:07 GMT

Due to financial troubles, French politician Jean Marie Le-Pen is selling his bulletproof Peugeot on eBay France. According to Reuters, a National Front spokesman said the car was up for sale because of "money, money, glorious money." The asking price for the car is 10.000.000,00 EUR right now.

*Note to LA gangsters: This car could come in really handy during those drive bys.

Those wacky Lesbians

Tiffany — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:29:20 GMT

Those Lesbians sure are wacky ... not the women who dig other women, but the people of the island Lesbos.

The people of Lesbos are suing a couple of homosexual rights groups to keep the word "lesbian" out of their titles.

According to the Associated Press, one plaintiff said the name of one of the associations, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, "insults the identity" of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.

"My sister can't say she is a Lesbian," said Dimitris Lambrou. "Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos," he said.

Lesbos was the home of Sappho and ancient Greek poet who purportedly encouraged same-sex relationships for women.

Trippy

Tiffany — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:27:11 GMT

Forget milk, LSD does a body good if Albert Hoffmann is any indicator. The inventor of LSD just died at a ripe old age of 102.

Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, invented the drug in 1938 and accidently became the first to partake of the substance when some spilled on his finger and seeped into his skin during an experiment a decade later.

Hofmann said of his trip, "I had to leave work for home because I was suddenly hit by a sudden feeling of unease and mild dizziness. Everything I saw was distorted as in a warped mirror."

Then a few days later, Hofmann decided to take a larger hit and had a bad trip.

"The substance which I wanted to experiment with took over me. I was filled with an overwhelming fear that I would go crazy. I was transported to a different world, a different time."

Hoffmann continued to take the drug on and off for decades, even after it was banned by most nations in the 1960s.

Jesus, please lower gas prices

Tiffany — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:58:37 GMT

Rocky Twyman, a choir director from Washington D.C. has taken the Biblical saying "Take everything to the Lord in prayer" to a whole new level.

He travelled to San Francisco recently to pray for divine intervention with respect to high gas prices. He staged his prayer-in at a local Phillips-Conoco gas station.

May the Lord answer his prayers, because gas is like $3.60 a gallon up here in Washington, and in San Francisco where Twyman travelled the average gallon of gas costs $4.

Rude Britannia

Tiffany — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:50:50 GMT

Having grown up on Monty Python and C.S. Lewis, before I visited England for the first time, I thought British people were going to be polite but uptight, have bad teeth, wear bowler hats, eat bad food and ride on big red buses. When I went over there I was amazed by how different things were. The red busses were still there, but it was obvious that the things that might have been true generations ago had changed.

One thing I noticed was that British people weren't as nice as I thought they were going to be. An ITV poll has revealed that my observations weren't unfounded. Apparently, British people acknowledge that they are ruder than they were 10 years ago. They spit and swear more and forget to say please and thank you. Britons blame their bad behavior on parental failure and celebrities. They said parents aren't teaching their children manners and people emulating the anti-social behavior of celebrities.

Interestingly enough, instead of shouldering the burden themselves, 75 percent of ITV's survey respondents say that teaching manners in school will fix the problem.

I disagree.I really get tired of people trying to let schools raise their children. If parents would do their jobs in the first place (as the poll shows), modern Brits would be good. Maybe someone will see the sense I'm making one day.

Drug cartels: We want you

Tiffany — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:36:17 GMT

Mexican Drug cartel, the Zetas, latest recruitment effort is further polarizing the Mexican war on drugs, making it seem like a battle between good and evil.

In Luciferian style, The Zetas are offering people in Mexican border towns a deal that may be hard to refuse -- Riches for rags.

The Zetas media of choice to get the word out: posters and fliers plastered throughout the border cities. The pitch on their posters sound like the deal of the century:

"We don't feed you Maruchan soups."

"Former soldiers sought to form armed group; good pay, 500 dollars."

"Join the ranks of the Gulf Cartel. We offer benefits, life insurance, a house for your family and children. Stop living in the slums and riding the bus. A new car or truck, your choice."

All I know is that the Zetas use of guerilla marketing has me thinking about joining. I could use that new car. But then again, am I willing to smuggle drugs and face punitive action from the Mexican government to get that car? Nah. Sorry guys. If you ever need some help doing something legal, give me a call.

What you talking 'bout Willis?

Tiffany — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:18:22 GMT

Let me be the first to say that when I found out that Gary Coleman (Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes) got married back in August 2007, I was elated because:

#1 Little people need love

#B Coleman seemed to be breaking out of that whole former-child-TV-star-with-issues mold.

So, now that I hear he's getting a divorce after nearly 9 months, I'm pretty upset, because I was rooting for him like I said. Things didn't work out because Coleman well ... see #B.

Apparently, Coleman would get violently angry with his wife and throw tantrums. He also had no friends, and would be gone at all hours of the night.

With that said, however, I will be watching his divorce on a special, two-episode Divorce Court May 1 and 2. I might have to take the day off work to do it, but nothing could be as exciting as watching this trainwreck go down on Daytime TV.

If you miss it, check back here for the forthcoming Youtube clips. In the meantime, here's the couple discussing their woes on ET. Click here to view the video.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright gets his say

Tiffany — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:25:13 GMT

I'm so tired of hearing about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's much maligned pastor, I don't know what to do. The media over sensationalizes everything, and frankly it's tiring.

Sure the guy made some inflammatory statements. We all do. We are not as politically correct as we try to pretend. Anyway, the statements were taken out of context. Anyone can be made to sound bad if you take his statements out of context.That's why I'm glad Wright finally gets to have his say.

Wright was interviewed for PBS' Bill Moyers' Journal. He said that he felt that the scandal over his remarks "was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt -- for those who were doing that -- were doing it for some very devious reasons." The interview is scheduled to air tonight on your local PBS station. Check your local listings.

Here's a snippet:

Guest post: Stuck in an elevator

Tiffany — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:58:07 GMT

Tiffspot note:

Angela Jossy wrote this post. She's a talented creative with lots going for her. Check out her Web site http://www.angelajossy.com/

The April 21 edition of New Yorker Magazine tells the story of a man who was trapped in an elevator for 41 hours. The story served as "the hook" for a much less enticing story about elevators past and present. A security video of the man's 41-hour ordeal accompanied the online version of the story where it became an immediate viral sensation. The man, Nicholas White, former production manager for Business Week, left his office on the 43rd floor of the McGraw-Hill building in New York City at approximately 11 p.m. on a Friday night for a cigarette break. On his return, he stepped inside elevator car No. 30 embarking on a trip that would change the course of the rest of his life. The elevator stalled midway up an express shaft which put him a great distance from any nearby floor. This meant that even though he succeeded in rigged the alarm to ring continually without having to hold down the button, the elevator was just too far away for anyone to hear it. He wasn't rescued until Sunday afternoon. The only thing slower than the McGraw-Hill elevator maintenance crew was New Yorker Magazine because White's elevator story is nearly 10 years old.

Of course, two very important changes have occurred in the last 10 years -- video of really boring things are considered fascinating entertainment (especially if you're on the clock), and good reporters know that a history lesson packaged with a toy surprise (or a shocking tale of urban survival) helps the medicine go down.

Today White admits that leaving his job over the incident in order to seek a multimillion dollar settlement was probably the wrong move. He is still unemployed, he only got a few hundred thousand from the law suit, and it's all gone now.

I know you want to watch the video like the other 280,000 people who've viewed it in the last 24 hours so go ahead. There's no shame in it, and I won't tell your boss. Here's the link:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/2008/04/21/080421_elevators

Guest post: Laxing military standards. A good thing?

Tiffany — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:52:20 GMT

Tiffspot note:

Angela Jossy wrote this post. She's a talented creative with lots going for her. Check out her Web site http://www.angelajossy.com/

Associated Press reports that the military is loosening its regulations about recruiting people with criminal records. It's no secret that there is a shortage of manpower on the front lines. Enlistments are down. Recruiters have a hard time selling teenagers and their parents on the idea of free education when stories of death, dismemberment, post-traumatic stress syndrome and stop loss flood the media. Thanks to the perception of an economically-driven United States foreign policy, patriotism just isn't what it used to be. Americans will never tolerate a draft.

But before we condemn the practice of recruiting felons, thieves and rapists, let's just consider for a moment what a wonderful crime deterrent this could be. Imagine a guy who has an impulse to succumb to his more basic desires and commit an illegal act. The thoughts going through his head today might be, "What's the worst thing that can happen to me? I get arrested, potentially beaten, humiliated in court and sent to prison where I'll have three meals a day prepared for me, free gym membership, a clean bed, a roof over my head and new friends with which I have common interests. Compared to the treatment I get at home, that's not so bad really."

If the government were to implement a criminal draft policy then all that changes. Now this same guy has to imagine sand in his gym shorts, sun burn on the back of his neck, sniper fire on the way to the lavatory, MREs, scorpions, landmines and the Baghdad Boil.

You think the drill sergeants are harsh on a regular new recruit, imagine the treatment this guy might get.

Of course I am being facetious here, but still it's a nice thought if you don't consider the penalty the men and women overseas would pay for such a decision.

I'm in an 80's mood

Tiffany — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:38:43 GMT

The 80's were great, were'nt they? I don't know why but I feel like listening to 80's music today...and you should too.

He's praying; get him out of here

Tiffany — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:11:28 GMT

An orthodox Jewish man who went to the back of the plane to pray before a San Francisco-bound plane was to take off was removed and put on another flight recently. The man ignored flight attendant's requests to return to his seat. The man's friends tried to tell the flight attendants that the man would return to his seat after he said his two-minute long prayer. The flight attendants were having none of it, so they called security to take the man away.

I can't really say that I blame them. The flight attendants were just trying ti ensure everybody would get to their destination on time. On the other hand though, a part of me thinks with the latest reports coming out saying that planes aren't getting the maintenance they need before take off, they should've let the man pray all he wanted to, just so the plane wouldn't crash.

lazy post-Doctor Who Season 5, Episode 2, The Fires of Pompeii

Tiffany — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:13:29 GMT

Get your daily dose of fictitious history here folks, with the latest episode of Doctor Who, The Fires of Pompeii. If you're a nerd like me, you'll enjoy it. If not, you'll still enjoy it.

Expelled: The Movie

Tiffany — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:07:47 GMT

Remember when you were in school and your biology teacher told you that evolution was true? Remember how it didn't jibe with what you had been told at Sunday school, but you still accepted it as true? Thus you became a walking contradiction, believing that evolution on a macro scale was true but also in a god.

Before some people throw up their hands and protest about my calling belief in god and evolution a contradiction, let me explain.

Evolution on the face of it all, says that humans and other creatures came into existence by random chance. In contrast, most religions believe that some kind of god created life, the universe and everything else. If you believe that something that was not god created things (random chance ala' evolution), you can't believe that a god created things (creation), those two views are actually contradictory.

Now, you can believe that god used evolution as his means to create the universe, but that take on evolution is still different than just believing that evolution alone was the cause of everything. People who believe in theistic evolution are giving purpose and order to something that by itself is random.

Okay, so why am I even talking about this? "Expelled: The Movie," Ben Stein's new movie about the battle of Intelligent Design vs. Evolution.

Apparently, people who believe in Intelligent Design are being maligned and Stein sets out to expose that maliciousness in his movie. And if we truly have freedom of speech in this nation, then people who espouse Intelligent Design should not be censored. A lot of people believe that a god created things. A lot of people believe that evolution occurred. We don't know which one is right yet, but I suspect one day we will. Anyway, I liken this to a Christian trying to fire Muslim people for being Muslim. In America, that is just not supposed to happen.

Anyway, the movie looks like it's going to be an interesting. I think I might go see it. Check out the trailer.

Run a car on water?

Tiffany — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:03:39 GMT

So I was looking in my junk mail (I do that from time to time), and I saw an advertisement for a device that would increase my gas mileage by converting water into fuel. I did a double take. Of course I had to open that e-mail and follow that link ... I mean, I'm paying like ~ $160 a month for gas right now. If I could get it down to $80, I'd be happy. And I'm not against using alternative fuels. I love the earth, it's my home.

The link took me to a site that wouldn't load. Undeterred, I visited my good friend Google and did a search. Only 17 million pages to look through. I scanned the first couple of sites. They were all poorly done, and they were all trying to hawk eBooks, so I wasn't convinced that some miracle existed. Then, as I visited more sites I still wasn't convinced, especially when I saw what the device looked like: a mason jar with some tubes.

I think the technology is out there, but I don't know if that's it. Most of the sites mentioned that there is some kind of conspiracy to keep water as a fuel under wraps. I believe that. People would lose lost of money if something like that go into the hands of the masses.

If anybody has tried this water to gas thing or wants to try it, let me know.

Song of the week- You got yours

Tiffany — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:00:31 GMT

Here's the song of the week for you'se guys. This is the song of the week, because it's good and it kinda touches on the controversy that has been going down at the Tiff Spot. It's off of Jahaziel's album, "Ready To Live." If I had to give the album 5 stars, I would be upset because I couldn't give it 10. Like, every track is banging and the production and arrangement ... well, I haven't heard anything like it in the mainstream.

Get Your Player

Whew... it's getting hot

Tiffany — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:53:23 GMT

Whew. A lot of ya'll don't like what I said about the two 14-year-old girls who committed infanticide recently. I stand by what I said. I think they are mentally and physically impoverished. Money nor education in themselves will bring them out of that.

I'm from Atlanta, and I've seen many a college-educated person sleeping in Piedmont Park. And as far as having money goes... do I even have to go there? Just turn to any celeb gossip show and look at how "happy" those people are.

It's interesting that I'm hearing a lot about this topic.Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had a similar discussion about how to lift black people out of poverty. Booker T. said black people should work hard...attaining equality with the white man through the sweat of his brow. Du Bois said education was the key. Some people went Du Bois' way and some people Washington's way. I ask you, where is the black community at today? Is it better off now?

From what I hear, black communities were more authentic when the rich and the poor lived together in the same neighborhoods.The rich didn't necessarily disdain the poor, and everyone looked out for each other. They had love for each other, and so there was a genuineness that everyone acknowledged as real.

That's why I'm telling you that until people start loving each other and meeting each other's needs,14-year-old girls are gonna keep on killing their babies, and the world is gonna continue on its steady decline.

If you still disagree, leave me a comment and let me know why.

Peace,

Tiff

Commentary: Rising from the ashes of poverty

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:56:49 GMT

Imagine walking into a restroom, selecting your stall, and closing the door behind you. But instead of waste products, a baby slides into the toilet bowl as you squat over it. You hear your baby cry. Slightly ashamed and freaked out by the blood that won't stop flowing, you put your exhausted hand on the knob of the toilet and flush. As you close your eyes, and drift off in the stall, a classmate who heard everything rushes in with school administrators. The cops are called and so is an ambulance. By the time they arrive, they baby is dead and the cops are treating the case as a homicide.

Now imagine that you are a 14-year-old girl and you live in Baytown, an impoverished crime-ridden area of Texas. What would you do? What would have been going through your mind as you delivered and then flushed your baby? I know what would have been going through my mind. I would have been ashamed that I killed my baby. But I would have also been ashamed that I was so young and pregnant. I would have wished that I never had sex. I would've wished for a different set of circumstances ... a different life ... a better one.

And I'm sure she's not the only one who thought that, a similar thing happened a few days earlier on an airplane. Another 14-year-old girl delivered a baby in the restroom when she was on the way back from a class field trip. The baby was found in a trash can on a Continental Airlines flight that landed at the Houston airport. Authorities think that the baby was stillborn, so they aren't pursuing charges against her.

With both of these incidents happening back to back, all I can say is that this is what poverty is doing to our nation. Because the weight of life was so heavy on one girl, she decided to give her baby a better life than her own, by sending it to heaven. And the other girl, just walked away from her baby like it was a discarded candy wrapper. I know poverty is the culprit because people with money go to hospitals to have the babies sucked out of them.

There have been many theories thrown out there for stopping poverty from wrecking havoc on society and destroying future generations. Education and money (in the form of social programs) are the two that pop into my head right away.

I know the answer is not education. I could preach a gospel of education all day long, but that's not the answer in itself. Education can only propel one so far.

I could also throw all of my money to charities to improve social conditions; but that will only do so much. My money might help someone have a better home or more food, but poverty is not just a physical condition, it's a state of mind.

Even if I was able to give poor people money and education, I am not convinced that they would be better off.

No, the thing that we have to give each other that will bring people out of poverty is love. I'm not talking about sensuality or sex. I'm talking about genuinely caring for that man or woman next to you. We've become so "me" centered in America, it's hard to do that. We have to gratify "our" needs oftentimes at the expense of others, and it's wrong. No matter what philosophy you espouse -- Nihilism, Hedonism, Stoicism, Cynicism, et al -- I know your humanism ...that intrinsic thing that makes you a human being and not a beast... tells you that it's best to do right by others.

So today friends, let's act on our basic human instincts today and love each other. That's the only way we can lift each other out of poverty.

Free anime

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:54:55 GMT

For the person who wrote me requesting I do a story on Anime... Um, no. Cartoons are for kiddies. :)

Unless of course it's the Boondocks. If you haven't seen this episode, it's about what would've happened if Martin Luther King Jr. didn't die, but went into a coma. This episode is timely, especially in today's racial climate.

However, in the spirit of good fun, I did find you a link where you can watch your favorite Anime programs. http://www.animefever.org/atv/

And here's something for you:

I hope you enjoy it. You know who you are.

Relive your past

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:32:19 GMT

When I was a kid, I used to love playing video games.

According to my mom, I would break up a sweat playing them...I loved them that much.

Now that I"m older, I"m too cool for the new school video games, but I still love the old school Nintendo games.

I used to download emulators and search for my favorite ROMS. Now I don"t do that.

I just go to http://www.1980-games.com/us/old-games/nintendo/w/nintendo-games.php, where I can just play any game I want...inside my browser...even at work.

I love technology. It makes it easier for me to slack off.

Shhh

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:12:32 GMT

Don't talk too loud to your girl on that cell phone ... Especially if you are in New York and travelling on the Long Island Railroad trying to handle your business.

If you do, you might incur the wrath of John Clifford.

Clifford is on a mission to stop people from being rude.

This mission landed Clifford, a lawyer and former police officer, in court.

According to the Associated Press, Clifford was found not-guilty after being charged with assault, disorderly conduct, harassment and petit larceny for cussing out a train passenger who was talking too loudly on his cell phone, and hitting the hand of a passenger who tried to intervene.

Clifford said of his "victory," "It took a lawyer and an old ex-police sergeant to stand up to it (public rudeness)."

Whatever man.

Hero for one day

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:10:22 GMT

Hero is not a strong-enough word to describe the actions of an 11-year old Cleveland boy who saved his schoolmates from certain injury Monday.

The boy and 26 of his schoolmates were headed to school.

On the way to the school, the bus driver pulled over at a gas station, pumped some gas and left the school bus running, while he went to the restroom.

While the bus driver was in the restroom, the bus started rolling toward a semi trailer.

The kids were in pandemonium.

Some of the kids jumped out of the rolling bus.

Then a savior appeared: David Murphy, raced to the front of the bus and tried pulling the emergency brake. But that didn't work.

So he steered the bus into a nearby concrete pillar to avoid a collision with the semi, saving his classmates and earning the praise of his peers.

The bus driver, however, will be getting a lot of attention from the Cleveland Police Department, which plans to cite Michael Weir for leaving an unattended vehicle running and registration violations.

Celebrities have talent

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:08:21 GMT

I'm of the opinion that some celebrities have talent; however, most of them don't.

CBS set out to prove me wrong with the "Secret Talents of the Stars." It got cancelled after one episode.

I guess those talents are so god-awful that regular people don't care to know what they are.

Like seriously, who cares that Sulu from Star Trek likes to sing country music or that Donny Bonaduce can ride a unicycle?

I know I don't.

Note to CBS: Do your job. Stop attacking our brains with mind numbing boredom and put some real shows on the air. If you need me to come and write these shows I will. You will not like what I write. Let that be a warning to you.

Are you gonna eat those eggs?

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:06:57 GMT

Bad news for you egg lovers out there: If you eat an egg a day, you're gonna die says the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

I love how scientists make every food out to be deadly. Of course we're gonna die if we eat eggs. We're gonna die anyway.

Man, this news gets a big fat Duh.

Even the percentage they came up with seems oddly suspicious to me.

It seems like the researchers said to themselves: "Let's throw an arbitrary percentage out there to scare people. How about 23? Yeah. That sounds like a good number. Plus it's Michel Jordan's old number. I love Michael Jordan."

Okay, so what have we learned today? If you eat eggs you'll die 23 percent faster than other people.

Oh, and you'll get diabetes too.

Who cares about poor people?

Tiffany — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:04:51 GMT

According to the New York Times, a company working for the State of Georgia inadvertently posted the patient files of thousands of low-income people on the Internet.

The records of 71,000 people, which included birth dates and Social Security Numbers, were on the Web for seven weeks.

This is the second time this has happened in Georgia to low-income people on Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids.

The company that made the error, WellCare Health, has offered to pay for credit monitoring services for the victims.

What's the point? These people don't have any money to steal.

I think the appalling thing is that it took so long to take their information off the Internet.

I'm sure if these had been wealthy people, this would never have happened.

The data would have been removed immediately.

I'm filing this one under the State of Georgia doesn't care about poor people.

Maybe I need to call Kanye, so he can do a benefit for these people or something because this is ridiculous.

These kids are our future?

Tiffany — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:56:43 GMT

Did you guys hear about the group of 3^rd graders in Waycross, Georgia who planned to jack their teacher up?

It seems that the students wanted to get back at the teacher for punishing one of their fellow classmates for being rowdy.

The group of children, ranging in age from 8 to 10 years old, conspired together, assigning some to be lookouts and others to bring the heat: duct tape, a broken steak knife, handcuffs, and a glass paperweight.

The students' plan was simple: Knock the teacher unconscious with the paperweight, bind her with handcuffs and duct tape and then stab her with the knife.

I don't know about ya'll, but if I was a teacher and a bunch of kids tried to injure me, I'd be out looking for a new job.

Seriously, these kids give "Children of the Corn" a bad name.

April foolishness

Tiffany — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:55:18 GMT

The joke was on me this morning when I went to check my Gmail. The welcome screen touted a new service where you could set your own timestamps for events.

With the new features on Gmail, if I was late turning in a paper to a professor, I could literally "turn back time" to make it look like I had sent the paper when I was supposed to. I liked the sound of that. Then as I read more about the service I realized today was April Fool's Day.

Doh! I guess that makes me a fool.

Uh, oh

Tiffany — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:51:43 GMT

A few weeks back, I told you guys that my brother had this weird theory that Republicans were setting up Barack Obama. They want him to be the Democratic nominee so that John McCain will defeat him in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

An article I read today is making me wonder if I brushed aside my brother's comments too flippantly. According to the Associated Press, die-hard Republicans are jumping ship so that they can vote in the Democratic primaries to choose between Obama and Clinton.

I don't know if you guys know anything about Cynthia McKinney, but the same thing happened to her in 2002. McKinney was up for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 4^th District, but was unseated by lawyer and former Dekalb County judge Denise Majette.

Though Majette had judicial experience, she was an unknown in politics. Her election caused a scandal. Why? Apparently, it was because thousands of Republicans switched parties and voted Democrat, just so McKinney would not be reelected for that term.

Just food for thought ... stuff like that actually happens.

Tainted food

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:51:14 GMT

Apparently, China's not the only one making tainted food these days. According to the Chinese government, Italy is too.

That's why if you go to China and expect to have real Italian mozzarella on your homemade Chinese pizza, think again. The Chinese government has banned all mozzarella from Italy, as tests have turned up traces of dioxin, a cancer-causing chemical, in the product.

I'm sure pandemonium is about to break out in China over the development.
I can see it now. People are going to bicycle up to their neighborhood pizza stands and ask, "Pardon me, do you have any real Italian cheese." When the vendor says yes, the thankful bicyclists will order a slice. They will enjoy the deliciously, gooey, cheesy pieces of pizza immensely. Then when they gets home and turn on the TV, they'll find out that vendors around their provinces have been fined for selling black market Italian cheese made out of cardboard. Good times indeed.

Evil words and banned books

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:49:12 GMT

I read in the news today that a play based on Salman Rushdie's controversial book the "Satanic Verses" went off without a hitch in Germany recently.

The play's organizers thought there might have been unrest since Germany has a large Muslim population, and some in the Muslim community see the book as a slight against their religion. Okay, they see it as more than a slight. They see it as blasphemy.

That's why Iran's late leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa (license to kill on sight) against Rushdie in the 1980's, which caused Rushdie to go in to hiding.

Reading this article made me wonder, what the "Satanic Verses" was actually about. When the whole controversy went down circa 1989, I was like 7 years old, so I didn't really care. But now that I'm older, I was intrigued.

It sounded like something to do with Satan worship, but I knew from listening to other people that the Satanic verses in Islam are passages in the Q'uran where Muhammad seemingly tells the people to worship other deities in addition to Allah. Muhammad then says that the devil made him say that. The Angel Gabriel, sympathizes with Muhammad's plight, so he tells him it's okay to keep those verses out of the Q'uran. So in new versions of the Q'uran, those verses are not included.

But knowing that tidbit still didn't tell me what Rushdie's book was about. Was it a history of the verses? I knew Rushdie was a novelist, so I doubted it. So, I decided to do a little digging of my own. Luckily, starting up my Web browser and searching on Google was enough to find what I was looking for. (If I had to go to the library or something, the world probably still would never know what the book was about). Anyway, what I found out actually made me want to read the book.

If you want to read it for yourself, I found a pdf of the text. If you're like me, and kinda lazy, here's a plot summary from Wikipedia that might (or might not) be accurate:

The novel consists of a frame narrative, using elements of magical realism, interlaced with a series of sub-plots that are narrated as dream visions experienced by one of the protagonists. The frame narrative, like many other stories by Rushdie, involves Indian expatriates in contemporary England. The two protagonists, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, are both actors of Indian Muslim background. Farishta is a Bollywood superstar who specializes in playing Hindu deities. Chamcha is an emigrant who has broken with his Indian identity and works as a voice over artist in England.

At the beginning of the novel, both are trapped in a hijacked plane during a flight from India to Britain. The plane explodes over the English Channel, but the two are magically saved. In a miraculous transformation, Farishta takes on the personality of the archangel Gibreel, and Chamcha that of a devil. Farishta's transformation can be read on a realistic level as the symptom of the protagonist's developing Dissociative identity disorder.

After being found on the beach, Chamcha is taken into custody by the police, who suspect him of being an illegal immigrant, while Farishta looks on without intervening.

Both characters struggle to piece their broken lives back together. Farishta seeks and finds his lost love, the English mountaineer Allie Cone, but their relationship is overshadowed by his mental illness. Chamcha, having miraculously regained his human shape, wants to take revenge on Farishta for having forsaken him after their common fall from the hijacked plane. He does so by fostering Farishta's pathological jealousy and thus destroying his relationship with Allie. In another moment of crisis, Farishta realizes what Chamcha has done, but forgives him and even saves his life.
Both later return to India. Farishta, still suffering from his illness, kills Allie in another outbreak of jealousy and then commits suicide. Chamcha, who has found not only forgiveness from Farishta but also reconciliation with his estranged father and his own Indian identity, decides to remain in India.

Embedded in this story is a series of half-magic dream vision narratives, ascribed to the disturbed mind of Gibreel Farishta. They are linked together by many thematic details as well as by the common motifs of divine revelation, religious faith and fanaticism, and doubt as to whether any conception of God is rationally justifiable.
One of these sequences contains most of the elements that have been criticized as offensive to Muslims. It is a transformed re-narration of the life of the prophet Muhammad (called "Mahound" or "the Messenger" in the novel) in Mecca ("Jahilia"). At its centre is the episode of the Satanic Verses, in which the prophet first proclaims a revelation in favour of the old polytheistic deities, but later renounces this as an error induced by Shaitan. There are also two opponents of the "Messenger": a demonic heathen priestess, Hind, and an irreverent skeptic and satirical poet, Baal. When the prophet returns to the city in triumph, Baal goes into hiding in an underground brothel, where the prostitutes assume the identities of the prophet's wives. Also, one of the prophet's companions claims that he, doubting the "Messenger"'s authenticity, has subtly altered portions of the Qur'an as they were dictated to him.

The second sequence tells the story of Ayesha, an Indian peasant girl who claims to be receiving revelations from the Archangel Gibreel. She entices all her village community to embark on a foot pilgrimage to Mecca, claiming that they will be able to walk on foot across the Arabian Sea. The pilgrimage ends in a catastrophic climax as the believers all walk into the water and disappear, amid disturbingly conflicting testimonies from observers about whether they just drowned or were in fact miraculously able to cross the sea.

A third dream sequence presents the figure of a fanatic expatriate religious leader, the "Imam," set again in a late-20th-century setting. This figure is a transparent allusion to the life of Ayatollah Khomeini in his Parisian exile, but it is also linked through various recurrent narrative motifs to the figure of the "Messenger".

New contest rules

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:08:04 GMT

I'm making it easier for you guys to take part in this contest.

Now, all you have to do is:

Step 1: Subscribe to the Tiff Spot RSS feed.

By clicking here
or
here

If you're not familiar with RSS, it's just a really cool way to read all your favorite Blogs, without having to actually go to the Blog itself. If you have a RSS reader in your browser you are already set up. Think of it as getting a newspaper delivered to your door every day. You can cancel when you want.

Step 2: Post a comment on any story on the site.

You can say whatever you want here. Tell me I suck. Discuss the blog entry, tell me how much you like the site or what you want me to improve on. It's up to you.

Winners will be randomly seletected. I will literally put everybody's name in a hat and pull out three names. Winners will receive one of two copies of "The Atonement" by shai linne or one $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com. There will be three winners total. Check out the archive for a sneek peak at one of the songs on shai's album.

Race and stuff

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:55:29 GMT

In the wake of the whole Obama's racist pastor scandal, MSNBC pundit Pat Buchanan posted this on his Blog recently:

PJB: A Brief for Whitey

By Patrick J. Buchanan

How would he pull it off? I wondered.

How would Barack explain to his press groupies why he sat silent in a pew
for 20 years as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright delivered racist rants against
white America for our maligning of Fidel and Gadhafi, and inventing AIDS to
infect and kill black people?

How would he justify not walking out as Wright spewed his venom about "the
U.S. of K.K.K. America," and howled, "God damn America!"

My hunch was right. Barack would turn the tables.

Yes, Barack agreed, Wright's statements were "controversial," and
"divisive," and "racially charged," reflecting a "distorted view of
America."

But we must understand the man in full and the black experience out of which
the Rev. Wright came: 350 years of slavery and segregation.

Barack then listed black grievances and informed us what white America must
do to close the racial divide and heal the country.

The "white community," said Barack, must start "acknowledging that what ails
the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black
people; that the legacy of discrimination -- and current incidents of
discrimination, while less overt than in the past -- are real and must be
addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds ... ."

And what deeds must we perform to heal ourselves and our country?

The "white community" must invest more money in black schools and
communities, enforce civil rights laws, ensure fairness in the criminal
justice system and provide this generation of blacks with "ladders of
opportunity" that were "unavailable" to Barack's and the Rev. Wright's
generations.

What is wrong with Barack's prognosis and Barack's cure?

Only this. It is the same old con, the same old shakedown that black
hustlers have been running since the Kerner Commission blamed the riots in
Harlem, Watts, Newark, Detroit and a hundred other cities on, as Nixon put
it, "everybody but the rioters themselves."

Was "white racism" really responsible for those black men looting auto
dealerships and liquor stories, and burning down their own communities, as
Otto Kerner said -- that liberal icon until the feds put him away for
bribery.

Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America.

Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation. White
America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to.

This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and
demands heard. And among them are these:

First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was
here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew
into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and
reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever
known.

Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.

Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white
Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the '60s on welfare, food
stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans,
legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs
designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream.

Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against
white folks -- with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas -- to
advance black applicants over white applicants.

Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over
America have donated time and money to support soup kitchens, adult
education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks.

We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude?

Barack talks about new "ladders of opportunity" for blacks.

Let him go to Altoona and Johnstown, and ask the white kids in Catholic
schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out
scholarships for "deserving" white kids.

Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and
incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white
America? Is it really white America's fault that illegitimacy in the
African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate
from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?

Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the
black community itself?

As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and
especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while
white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals
choose white victims 45 percent of the time?

Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the
reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first
three years of this decade as the reverse?

We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke
rape case and Jena. And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic
of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.

Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40
trillion tax dollars ago.

What do you guys think about this? Buchanan makes some interesting points, but he also makes a lot of sweeping statements, that to me, show his ignorance.

For example, he says, "First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known."

But the truth is, some of the oldest sects of Christianity, such as the Coptic church, exist in Africa. And as far as prosperity goes, nearly half of all the world's diamonds come from Africa and two-thirds of the gold in the world comes from South Africa. And don't get me started on Mansa Musa, a king from Mali who was so rich that he gave out gold bars to people on his pilgrimage to Mecca, causing gold to become a common thing or Timbuktu, that great center of ancient learning.

Also, Buchanan fails to realize that even though we've "heard it all before," victimhood aside, there has to be an underlying reason why blacks in the United States are in the predicament he describes. If we look at other places where people were colonized and trodden upon, what do we see: Crime, drugs, and violence. It's almost universal. If one group of people tries to keep another group of people down, it messes with that group's psyche.

I don't know, maybe Buchanan should do a little more research or something before trying to put people on blast next time.

Set 'em free and kick 'em out

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:48:21 GMT

Two states with large illegal immigrant prison populations, Arizona and New York, have been commuting the sentences of illegals so that they can deport them. According to USA Today, the states have saved millions by doing this.

What do I say:
It's easy from some people to say "Not our citizen, not our problem," while ignoring the larger social ramifications of this type of "justice." Sure it's good for the state's coffers, but we have prisons for a reason. What about the people who might be harmed in a releasee's home country or right here in the United States if he chooses to make the trek back across our permeable borders? In the latter instance, the money the states thought they were saving could very well go back into capturing the same criminal. It all seems like pretzel logic to me.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:45:45 GMT

Getting your money for nothing and your chicks for free isn't so easy these days, especially if you work in the financial sector.

According to a recent CNN story, many Americans who work in the previously booming mortgage sector are being let go. And when the displaced workers try to find jobs, it's nearly impossible to get one because so many other people are vying for the same jobs. According to CNN, "nearly 125,000 others on Wall Street and at mortgage firms and other financial companies who received pink slips since the start of 2007." Now many of those with a financial background are just looking for work, whether it's in the financial sector or not.

I'm not trying to start anything, but I think it's pretty interesting that we've been in two recessions under George W. Bush's watch.

Fatboy Slim

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:42:34 GMT

I went to see "Run, Fat Boy, Run" last night, Simon Pegg's, of "Shaun of the Dead" fame, new romantic comedy.

Set in London, in this movie, Pegg plays Dennis a loser who runs away from his wedding at the last minute, leaving his very pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar.

Five years later, Dennis is still a loser. He works as a security guard at a women's clothing store and lives in a basement apartment. Dennis is still in Libby's life because of their son.

When Libby starts dating Whit (Hank Azaria), a successful American, Dennis gets jealous because he still has feelings for Libby.

The battle for Libby's hand culminates in a clash of the egos with Whit and Dennis running in the London Marathon. Although he doesn't get the girl, in the end, Dennis becomes less of a loser because, unlike, Whit he actually finishes the marathon and earns Libby's respect again.

Overall, this was a pretty good movie. Even though it's not a typical Pegg vehicle (because it caters to American comedic tastes), its interesting to see Pegg as the straight man in a movie for once.

The biggest thing the movie had going for it was that at the end, you really end up rooting for Dennis.

Though some people will shy away from it because it is formulaic and features an "interracial" story line, hopefully everybody else will go see this film. It's a worthy directorial debut from David Schwimmer (Ross from Friends).

The disaster that keeps on giving

Tiffany — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:33:00 GMT

We all know the story.

In 2005, in one of the grossest acts of bureaucratic negligence the United States has ever seen, the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to immediately meet the needs of thousands of displaced U.S. citizens during Hurricane Katrina, one of the costliest and deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history.

It took people to call the government on its lack of aid to Katrina victims for the aid ball to get rolling in the first place. And when aid finally did get distributed, it was often squandered by the agencies to which FEMA chose to distribute it.

Now, according to the Associated Press, those displaced by Katrina who actually got some help from the government might have to pay some of it back. Apparently, in the frenzy to distribute aid to hurricane victims, FEMA contractor Road Home, overpaid grant recipients thousands of dollars.

According to the AP, "The average amount to be collected is estimated to be approximately $35,000, but in some cases may be as high as $100,000 to $150,000."

What do I say about all this:
I'll refer to the board game monopoly on this one. "Bank error in your favor. Collect $35,000."

Fancy a lie down?

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:37:18 GMT

Apparently being a German these days is so stressful that the only way to cure what's ailing ya is a lie down in a coffin.

And German clergyman, Thorsten Nolting, was supplying what the people needed by allowing them to lie in open graves so that they could escape the hustle and bustle of modern life.

People who took part in the strange relaxation technique seemed to be enjoying it according to Nolton, remarking on how fun it was to discuss their resurrections with others. Yes, the people of Duesseldorf were having a great time until journalists got wind of the happenings. According to Reuters, the pesky journalists spoiled it for everyone because they kept trying to question people taking part in the "ceremonies."

I need a cigarette

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:26:20 GMT

"I need a cigarette" ... that's what a tortoise in China's northeastern province thinks to himself every time his owner lights up according to China's Xinhua Press.

The tortoise became addicted to nicotine after its owner, Yun, gave it a cigarette because he thought it would be funny. Now, the tortoise can smoke a cigarette in about four minutes.

Witchypoo

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:24:30 GMT

In India, that wonderful land where ancient practices meet modern conveniences, something that sounds like it it happened in a deleted scene of a Monty Python film actually occurred: A woman accused of being a witch was tied to a tree and slapped a lot. She was slapped so much that her face turned red.
The mob also cut the woman's hair.

The mob, in Dumaria in central Bihar state, was angry because the woman supposedly tried to use magic and prayer to heal another woman in the village. When the sick woman got really sick, her husband, Ram Ayodhya, got upset and rallied his neighbors to attack the witchy woman.

For his part in inciting the crown, Ayodhya could face up to seven years in jail. At least that red face'll teach that witch not to sink when she's thrown in the water.

Viva el mobile or It's the end of the pay phone and Raul knows it

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:21:17 GMT

Now that Raul Castro is in charge, Cubans have more freedoms than they did under Fidel and his ultra-conservative communist regime.One of the most recent reforms Raul has instituted is the right for every Cuban to own cell phones.

In the past, only state officials or those who worked for foreign businesses could own cell phones.

Quiet riot

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:18:34 GMT

At a Texas federal penitentiary one inmate is dead and 22 are injured after a free-for-all-type brawl broke out last Friday.

The name of the dead inmate hasn't been released. The prison, the Three Rivers Prison, is in between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, about 80 miles from both cities.

Tupac is alive

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:51:24 GMT

The L.A. Times recently said Puffy had something to do with a shooting of Tupac back in 1994, an event that led to the escalation of the whole east coast/west coast rap feud, culminating in the death of Tupac in 1996 and the Notorious B.I.G. in 1997.

Now the Times has apologized and said Puffy didn't really shoot Tupac. They said they were duped by phony FBI documents. No comment on this reputable news agency being duped. Okay, I do have a comment ... The Times researched this story for a year. And they had so much faith in the veracity of this story that they made it the first feature article that they premiered online. Something's fishy here. I don't believe that it took watchdog Web site, The Smoking Gun, to point out the Times' error.

Anyways, The story was stupid to do from the beginning because we all know Tupac is still alive. He's down in South America inciting revolution in Peru with his radical group the Tupac Amaru (the Shining Path).

Guns and rappers don't mix

Tiffany — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:41:26 GMT

It's official, female MC Remy Ma (Remy Smith) is going to jail for shooting an acquaintance in the stomach over $3,000. She faces up to 25 years in jail for her actions. She is due to be sentenced in late April.

In completely unrelated RWG (rappers with guns) news, Grammy winning rapper T.I. (Clifford Harris) pleaded guilty to three felony counts of illegal gun possession. Each count has a maximum penalty of 10 years, but he is expected to receive a lighter sentence under the terms of his plea bargain. Sentencing will be deferred until March 2009. Until sentencing, T.I. must serve at least 1,000 hours of community service.

Don't these rappers know that it's wrong to play with guns? Somebody's eye could get shot out. Well, maybe a little time in the clink will help them learn that lesson.

A pregnant man? --- It's not a joke

Tiffany — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:48:56 GMT

Every woman's dream come-true, a husband who shares in all the household labors... cooking, cleaning, and pregnancy is finally here:

Married man Thomas Beatie, an Oregon native, is expected to deliver a baby girl in June according to the Independent.

Beatie, who was born Tracy Lagondino, is able to do this because he retained his female reproductive organs after he had sex reassignment surgery a few years back.

In an article he wrote recently for the Advocate, a popular gay magazine, he said he is carrying the child because his wife is unable to have children due to a hysterectomy.

"I will be my daughter's father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family," Beatie said in his article.

For more on men and pregancy visit this site: Pregnant men.

In a world where it's supposed to be spring

Tiffany — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:21:58 GMT

It snows...

And typical of the Seattle-Tacoma area, people act like they've never seen snow before. Accordingly, some people skip work altogether for a snow day or drive to slow or fast for road conditions in their morning commutes. All too often this mix of overcautiousness and the need for speed can be fatal. This morning a local woman in Auburn died after rear ending the police car of an officer who stopped to help other motorists who had spun out on the ice. This accident brought traffic to a standstill on Highway 18.

Well, at least snow is pretty...

Free Egg McMuffins

Tiffany — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:47:47 GMT

No not really, but the inventor of the Egg McMuffin, Herb Peterson, did die recently.

According to the Associated Press, Peterson died peacefully in his sleep. He was 89.

Though he started out in the company's ad agency, after inventing the deliciousness that is the Egg McMuffin, Peterson went on to open up a few McDonald's franchises of his own. Talk about brand loyalty.

So, in honor of this loss, I hereby proclaim today Egg McMuffin Day at the Tiff Spot. So everybody, grab your Egg McMuffins and get your fists up.

Contest

Tiffany — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:57:11 GMT

So long Spitzer

Tiffany — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:56:39 GMT

New York's new governor, David Paterson, is awesome. He's not awesome because he's in one of the most powerful seats in the United States, but because he's making history. By now everybody knows that he's a black man. He's one of the only black governors in our country right now (the other being Deval Patrick in Massachusetts). And he'll be the fourth black governor the United States has had in its history.

The thing that I find most interesting about him is that he's blind. I remember reading that in a couple of articles. Everybody glanced over it briefly, focusing on the African-American aspect...I guess because the current election-cycle has polarized our nation's politics based on race. I know I thought that that was the most interesting thing. He's blind, yet he has managed to overcome so much. That's way more inspiring to me. On top of that, homeboy loves the ladies and has run his nose across a few bumps in his day. This guy is no angel, and he has admitted to the veracity of that. Things like that show that this guy is not your typical politician. I'm expecting good things from him.

On another note:

Paterson's selection as the new governor of New York does make me wonder what's going on with the South. When is Georgia ... or Mississippi or any place with a large African-American population going to add to the list to make it a top five?

Hillary tells lies

Tiffany — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:54:41 GMT

Hillary Clinton is a liar.

Yeah, I said it. And I know that may turn a lot of people off, but I'm not saying it to be mean, so hear me out. When Hillary first burst on the presidential scene she was styling herself as the candidate with experience. Before Obama became the front runner for the Democratic nod, everywhere I went ... doctor's offices, restaurants, grocery stores… all I would hear about was how people liked Barack Obama, but they were going to go with Hillary because she had more experience. I don't know how many times I told people that sleeping with the president does not make you presidential material. If that was the case, then Monica Lewinsky should be up for election next. I told them to compare what Hillary has done in her 60+ years to what Obama has done in his 46 with respect to politics and social activism. At the time I wasn't stumping for either candidate, and I'm still not. I just get tired of people getting caught up in the hype and not thinking for themselves. Thankfully, I was able to sway some people and get them to look at Obama's experience vs. Hillary's.

Hopefully more people will wake up now that Hillary has been caught in a few misstatements (translation: lies). True to something that came out of a Jayson Blair article, Hillary had the audacity to claim that when she visited Bosnia in the 1990's that she did so under sniper fire, when footage and other accounts say that that never happened. The bad thing about her gaffe is that it took the media to call her out on it.

Musings on Iraq

Tiffany — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:52:57 GMT

I'm not big on the war in Iraq. I've never been, even when I was in the military, but knowing that nearly 4,000 military personnel have died in Iraq resonates with me in a weird way.

It's probably because I have friends who served over there, who could have added to this large number of casualties.
It's also probably because I almost ended up over there myself.

I remember working as the editor of the base newspaper at McChord Air Force Base in Washington, when the officer in charge of my department called me in his office for a chat. The next thing I know, he's telling me that I might have to go to Iraq because the person who I would be replacing was medically evacuated out of the country. At first I thought he was joking, because he was always playing jokes on people. When the truth of my situation hit me, I don't really know what was going on in my mind. All I remember is that I was shaking, but I tried to keep it to myself. I told my husband. I told my family. My husband told his mom. Anyways, several prayer chains later, I ended up not having to go. For me it was a blessing, but for someone else (who I think I met a year later), it probably wasn't the best of times.

Another interesting aspect of this whole Iraq war thing is that more than 100 people, who died over there, weren't even U.S. citizens. They were, of course, awarded citizenship posthumously, but I don't really think that is enough. I can't even imagine what it's like to fight and die for a nation's population that you'd like to number yourself among. I mean, I'd like to live in Ireland or England someday, but if they asked me to take up arms in defense of the country ... I can't really say that I would have it in me to do it.

Aborigine apology

Tiffany — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:51:17 GMT

The Australian government issued an apology to the Aborigines for years of systematic abuse and institutionalized racism recently.

The Aborigines were discriminated against by the Australian government for years. The government went as far as taking Aboriginal children with one white parent away from their homes and institutionalizing them. These people who were snatched away from their homes are known as the "Stolen Generation."

From an American perspective, it's similar to what the U.S. Government did to African and Native American children. During slavery, African-American children were often separated from their parents and forced to perform hard labor on plantations. Native American children were required to attend Indian Boarding Schools. These schools were often fraught with sexual and mental abuse. In any case, African-American and Native American children lost their cultural identities, just like the Aborigines. To get an idea of what happened to Aborigines during these Australian pogroms, I recommend watching "Rabbit Proof Fence."

When I watch a movie like "Rabbit Proof Fence," I get angry. I get angry that people did this to people...just because they were darker...because they are black. When I say black, I don't mean they come from Africa, because all people came from Africa when we get right down to it. I'm mainly talking in terms of skin color. The Aborigines of today identify in many ways with the predominant black culture (American black culture). Why? Because they are part of the global black experience. They've experienced the same atrocities as other black skinned peoples at the hands of Europeans... all because of the color of their skin. To be prejudged on the basis of skin color is a horrible thing. It can destroy who you are as a person, because you didn't pick it. God gave it to you. As a result of this prejudice, I think it's interesting that Aborigine people find themselves in the same situation as African and Native Americans with respect to urban poverty and drug use.

Song of the week- Jesus is Alive by shai linne

Tiffany — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:27:40 GMT

Music has a way of reaching us. It penetrates the body and goes straight to our inner man. That's why we sing songs to ourselves while walking down teh street or hum them to our children as we rock them to sleep. Music is powerful.

In light of music's amazing ability to reach us, I've decided to do a new thing here on the Tiff Spot. I'm going to post a song every week. This song will be something that I've been meditating on, and hopefully you'd like to meditate on it too.

Since Easter has just passed, I thought I'd share the good news with you guys, but I'm going to do it by proxy. I'm going to do it through the amazing song "Jesus is Alive" by shai linne. The song is off of his latest album, The Atonement. If you are in to Hip Hop that has a message beyond the typical conscious/neo-soul stuff, check him out. By the way, make sure you get this album, did I mention that it was amazing.

Ode to a friend

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:59:03 GMT

Vicki Van Meter, the girl the press dubbed a famed child pilot pilot, died recently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Vikki was my friend. I met her in 1997 at Salem Academy.

We were both freshmen boarding students at the school. In fact, she lived, right next door to me on Mrs. Crowder's hall. I remember talking to her about sex, drugs, and rock and roll-- the things all pretentious youth talk about. I heard whispers that she had written a book or something, but I never knew she was an accomplished pilot. Vicki was cool like that. Even though she had accomplished so much, she was just really down to earth and easy to talk to. When she moved out of the dorms and in with her sister half way during the semester, I didn't see much of her so we kind of lost touch. Then the next year, she went to another school. Had I known it was gonna end like this, I would have made more of an effort to know her a little more. Well, rest in peace Vicki. I miss you.

Republican conspiracy

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:54:58 GMT

My brother has this crazy theory about the upcoming election. He thinks the Republican Party is setting the Democrats up. He said that if Obama wins the nomination, the Republican Party is expecting whites in middle America to jump ship and vote for the Republican candidate, which will probably be McCain.

At first, I viewed his conspiracy theory with trepidation, then I stumbled across this AP article:

Bush: Noose displays 'deeply offensive.'

Say what? Noose displays in America? And it takes the president to condemn this in 2008? What is going on in this country?

Hmm, lets see, we are seeing a rise in hate speech and imagery at the same time we are making history by having one of the most electable black men running for the Democratic nomination.

Coincidence? I don't think so. Now, thinking back to what my brother said, surely if people are still thinking like this...we are not ready to have a black man as the face of our nation.

So maybe my brother is right. I think the article also brings out another point that I brought up with my brother, who supported Hillary Clinton -- that we have to back Barack while we can, even if this is a Republican plot to keep the black man down, and regain the White House. White guilt won't last forever. In fact, as the article states, the memory of black oppression is fading fast.

Come on, Aretha it's not that important

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:47:34 GMT

The AP reported that Aretha Franklin lambasted Beyonce in a press release for calling Tina Turner the "Queen."

When I read the article, I was like, "What the, has this woman lost her mind? Who gets upset over stuff like that?"

I guess Aretha is the only one who can be called the queen...look out Elizabeth, Aretha's gonna send you a statement next.

Uh, Aretha, your diva is showing.

Music makes the people come together

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:45:28 GMT

My sister came to visit me the other day. She's my best friend, but I hadn't seen her in a while. So as we were catching up, for some reason I began to tell her about my disillusionment with the recording industry.

I told her how the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States, just filed a lawsuit against 36 University of South Carolina students for allegedly "pirating" music. How did the RIAA select these 36, when it claims more than half of all college students download music without payingfor it? Why not just sue all college students? I asked her.

Silence.

I also told her how the RIAA sued Jammie Thomas, a 30-year-old single mom of two for sharing 24 songs with peers using Kazaa, a popular piece of peer-to-peer file sharing software.

The RIAA won the suit, and it looks like Ms. Thomas will have to pay a ridiculous $220,000 in restitution to the multi-billion dollar industry - just for sharing two albums worth of songs.

As I was telling my sister this, she just stood silently listening to my ranting. I asked her what she thought of it all. She just shrugged her shoulders and walked away.

Sadly that's what many people do when they hear about the excessive litigation of the recording industry. When they learn that college students and single mothers are being sued by the recording industry for copyright infringement, they just say "Oh, that's messed up" or shrug their shoulders and walk away, never realizing that the recording industry just took away another piece of their freedom - their freedom to choose.

The tragic part of it all is that the RIAA has been slowly eating at our freedom of choice for years.

In the early years of recorded music, when it was confined to vinyl,the music industry was safe from so-called pirates, as it wasn't very cost effective for people to bootleg records.

Then in the 1980s, the power unwittingly ended up in the hands of the people with the advent of the dual-deck cassette recorder.

People used this new technology to make "dubbed" copies of the tapes they purchased.

They would also record songs off of the radio and make mix tapes to share with friends. With such slogans as "Home Taping is Killing Music," the music industry saw this invention as a threat to its hegemony and launched a very unpopular campaign against dubbing.

A decade later, the music industry was at it again when it famously sued p2p software pioneer Napster for copyright infringement. The RIAA won its case in part because Napster's file-sharing model wasn't fully p2p, it relied on a system of centralized, Napster-owned file servers.

Instead of deterring people from illegal downloads, many people signed up for Napster due to all the media attention the case received. These people were introduced for the first time to a whole new world of music - music they had never heard before ... beautiful music.
With Napster's demise, people embraced other p2p software such as Kazaa,Morpheus and BitTorrrent. Using the Gnutella file-sharing network, Kazaa and Morpheus are truly p2p in that with the software, one person can
give another person files off of his computer. BitTorrent technology is a decentralized distributed p2p system in which many people contribute portions of data to create a complete file.

When the music industry saw that they couldn't stop people from sharing mp3s, they began copy protecting compact discs, so that people could not
rip cd audio tracks.

Though people eventually found work-arounds, this was a disaster with even musicians like Switchfoot boycotting the technology by teaching their fans how to rip the audio tracks off of their cds.

British band Radiohead is a great example of the power of file-sharing. Their experimental 2000 release Kid A made it to number one on the Billboard 200 chart in its first week of release because it was leaked on Napster.

Because the music industry tries to prohibit file-sharing, people are not being exposed to new artists, and the record companies are losing money.

They try to blame file sharing, for a decline in cd sales without taking into account the sales of digital-only music.
At the same time they put millions of promotional dollars behind pop-fodder bands while neglecting real musicians and musicianship.

The only real loser in this situation is the fledgling artist loses who gets dropped by his big label for lack of sales.

And that's the rub.

Despite the fact that file-sharing has decidedly added money to the music industry's coffers through free exposure and promotion the RIAA still tries to kill file sharing.

The success of bands like Radiohead, who don't have lots of promotion shows that record labels and the consumer can reach common ground. Record labels would still get paid handsomely if they weren't so greedy. Most people are willing to pay to download music for their personal consumption.

More often than not the consumer just wants to try the product in a high-quality format before he buys it.

From Robin Hood to the Pirate Bay, when people find a way to share good things with others, someone comes along and beats them down for doing so...that's how it has been since the beginning of time.

And that's probably how it will always be -- This constant back and forth.
I really shouldn't be shocked by the actions of the music industry, but I can't shake my feeling of disgust. If the music industry's actions were really about copyright infringement, maybe the idealist in me would be quiet.

But since I know the whole fight is really about money, I feel cheated, used, and abused.

Music is as natural as breathing. It's in our souls. It's in our spirits. That's why we sing in the rain and dance in the street on sunny days.

And if Kabuki rockers Kiss are right, "God gave rock and roll" to us, so why are we letting the music industry regulate our music?

Looking for love in all the wrong places? Stop it already .

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:41:23 GMT

This holiday season, if, when you visit your family, your grandma announces that she's going on a cruise with friends, tackle her.

While she's laid out on the floor amazed at your nerve, go search her room.

Do a thorough search; don't be fooled by the neat and orderly appearance of the room. If you don't find anything, breathe a sigh of relief and blame your
actions on the tryptophan and booze cocktail you just imbibed. Your granny will forgive you, trust me.

If you do find something, namely condoms and skimpy beachwear, then it's time to stick your thumb in your mouth, lie down on the floor, and curl up into the fetal position.

Being in that position will allow you let a somber realization sink in: your good ole' granny and her geriatric pals are going to be cruising alright--they are going to be cruising for sex.

If you want, you can take relief in the fact that they won't be the only ones, as women from around the industrialized world -- the U.S., Britain, Canada, Ireland -- frequently travel looking for sex with hot younger men.

Their travels take them around the world to the sandy beaches and blue, blue oceans of the Caribbean; resorts along Turkey's Anatolian peninsula; the red earthen shores of Kenya; and the tropical climate of Southeast Asia.

The women who engage in sexual tourism are quick to say that they aren't doing anything wrong. The women get what they want -- a good time. And the men get what they want -- financial restitution. In that respect, according to women who in engage in sex tourism, their relationships are a symbiotic form of exploitation.

And just like their colonial forefathers these women are out to spread a message to the lesser nations. However, instead of religion, democracy, capitalism or anything remotely beneficial, these modern-day ambassadors, who have benefited from all that the west has to offer, are spreading hedonism.

As hedonists, these women don't care about anything but themselves. And they are teaching men in developing nations to adopt a "me first" attitude. And if "I" want something, whether it is sex or material
wealth, "I" should get it.

No wonder many developing nations have out-of-control rates of sexually transmitted diseases. It's not because developing nations aren't hearing the western message of abstinence and protection.

It's because the message they are hearing is clouded with doublespeak. On the one hand, westerners are telling them to practice abstinence and use protection. Then at the same time western nations are telling them they are willing to pay for sex.

Conflicting messages indeed. Can someone please say what they mean and mean what they say? Otherwise, evils like sexual tourism will always exist and the poor will always be victimized by the rich because money and sex are the two lubricants of life.

The money's in the bag or what NOT to do at the airport

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:36:08 GMT

I just got back from spending time with my family in Ireland last week. And as much as I hate flying 12 hours across oceans and corn fields, the thing I hate even more is the whole airport experience -- from checking in and checking luggage to standing around listlessly waiting for the plane to come in. (Really, these people give "hurry up and wait" a whole new meaning.)

The part of the airport experience that I hate the most is going through airport security. The security guards almost always seem to have attitudes, and the way they look at you -- it's as if they've assessed your entire history through one glance and a flash of your boarding pass.

Man, it makes me nervous just thinking about airport security. So I can only imagine what Pedro Zapeta, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, went through when security guards saw his duffle bag full of cash meander through the detector. He was arrested for trying to take more than the allotted $10,000 out of the country without notifying customs, according to a recent CNN news report.

I imagine it went something like this:

Security screener 1 (AKA Joe): Hey Bob, get over here now.
Security screener 2 (AKA Bob): Alright, just a second, let me finish frisking this guy.
Joe goes over to Bob
Bob: You see that?
Joe: Yeah, it looks like...
Bob and Joe: A bag full of CASH!!!
Bob and Joe: Quick! Stop that Guatemalan guy with the duffle bag.
Other security guards surround and then detain Pedro while Bob and Joe call in the customs guys.

Yeah, that couldn't have been fun for Pedro. Now imagine the whole encounter happening really quickly and the people around you are flailing their arms and making weird grunting noises that you can't understand like the humans in the first "Planet of The Apes" movie. That's probably more similar to what Pedro actually went through, since he speaks almost no English.

Since that encounter at the airport happened nearly two years ago, things haven't gotten any easier for Pedro. The U.S. government took all of his money and tried to bust him for drug trafficking. But when Pedro produced pay stubs to prove that he had indeed scrubbed dishes for 11 years to get that measly $59,000, the government relented on the drug charges. But for good measure, they are still kicking him out of the country.

I think Pedro's story has a couple of lessons for all of us:

1. Our immigration system needs to be fixed. We shouldn't be busting people for working hard illegally; we should be preventing them from entering the country illegally in the first place.

and

2. It pays to be legal. I know Pedro worked his butt off to get that money, and I feel sorry for the guy, but if he had been in the country legally, he might have known the laws of the land. Then he would have known to take the money back incrementally ($10,000 at a time), or even to just make a declaration in the first place.

I mean, if I snuck into Guatemala, worked hard and tried to take back money to the United States, I'm not sure my sentence would be as light as Pedro's. I can't help but think about the horror stories of corruption and greed that have plagued Guatemala during the last 50 years. If I were in Pedro's shoes, I'd probably be facing jail time and harsh treatment in the newly-minted democratic-republic, while he's only losing his life savings and being expelled from the country. We should all be so lucky.

Fear of a black nation: Is the United States ready for a black president?

Tiffany — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:32:36 GMT

By day, he's one of the world's best statesmen – able to diffuse complex political crises with a single word. When he speaks, everyone listens and takes note of the graceful and eloquent reason that comes from his lips. On top of that he carefully watches over legislators to make sure they are doing the will of the people, and the masses love him for it.
At night, when he's able to loosen his political tie, he prefers loose-fitting clothing to suits. He and his wife enjoy dancing around the living room to old soul and hip hop music. He speaks a little slang. He walks with a swagger.

He's the future president of the United States, and he's a black man.

Can we handle that?

Is America really ready for a black president?

With biracial Illinois junior Sen. Barack Obama seriously running for the Democratic nomination for president, the question keeps popping up.
And according to a recent poll by Newsweek, more than half of the American population says we are ready for a president of African descent.

However, I'm going to have to disagree with the general consensus because we have already had at least five black presidents according to historians J.A. Rogers and Dr. Auset Bakhufu.

Based on their research, both scholars in their respective books The Five Negro Presidents and Six Black Presidents: Black Blood, White Masks, claim Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Dwight Eisenhower for the black side.

Yes, that's right, as shocking as it sounds – some of the United States' most respected and reviled presidents might have had some "black" blood in them.
Even though the supposed African ancestry of these presidents has been discussed and dissected in academic circles, in opponent political camps and by racial purists, the fact that these men have gone down in history as white speaks volumes about American society: We are a nation altogether uncomfortable with miscegenation.

Though we are multicultural in ethnicity, Americans tend to see things in terms of black and white. Generally speaking, if you look black you are black. If you look white, you are white; but God help you if you look white but actually have black ancestors. To deal with people who "jump the fence" we have instituted all sorts of "rules" to keep our bloodlines untainted – from the one drop rule to a host of other anti-miscegenation laws, the last of which was struck down in 1967 with the ruling in the case Loving v. Virginia.

This is an unfortunate aspect of our society because most of us have a mixed ancestry. According to genetic research completed in the last decade by researchers at Penn State University, because of slavery and what went down while the "peculiar institution" was en vogue, most American blacks have a mix of West African and European ancestry with an average of 80 percent African ancestry. White people also tend to be mixed, with 30 percent of them having on average less than 90 percent European ancestry.

Even the black-looking Obama shares ancestry with a number of the candidates he is running against including John Edwards, John McCain, Bill Richardson and Mitt Romney, according to an article by the Associated Press.

A nation uncomfortable with miscegenation and so-called race-mixing can't handle a black president. If it could, we wouldn't even be asking such silly questions about the racial climate of our country. We would, as Martin Luther King Jr. advocated, be more concerned with the content of a candidate's character, and the question wouldn't even be "are we ready for a black president," it would be "who's the best man for the job."