blac.sapphic

Just one of those days.

2008-05-25T21:57:00.004-04:00

For those that take time out to visit my space, I sincerely apologize for the infrequent posting.
Life has thrown yet another curve ball my way and as of next week, I will no longer be a North Carolina resident / IBM employee; I've decided to hand in my resignation and of course with my family in tow, relocate ...back home to NYC!!!!

After 3 years and a half hearted attempt to resume my undergraduate studies, it is time for much needed change. The familiarity of home and my large extended family are exactly what the doctor ordered. The opportunities for my family, as a whole, are immense and we are looking forward to all that lies ahead.

On to the topic at hand...

I am not a patient person. More importantly, I do not purport myself to be one.
I have an EXTREMELY low tolerance for bullshit ...in any form. Quick tongued and often harsh, I've put major effort into relaxing, evaluating each and every situation from as many perspectives as possible so as to avoid making snappish decisions and hurting those that matter most. As of late, the trigger on my bullshit meter has become that much more sensitive and old habits have reared their respective heads.
Often times I'm left wondering if I overreact. More often than that, I'm left feeling like others are desensitized and have resigned themselves to letting things slide rather than dealing so as to avoid unpleasant situations.
I thrive on the unpleasant as conflict is my comfort zone. I can count on one hand the number times I've failed to come out on top, though as I write this, I'm unsure as to whether or not that is an attribute entirely positive. What does it say about my character?

In addition to the aforementioned, I'm a control freak ...tenacious ...aggressive - and I have yet to master the art of applying these personality traits in a manner conducive to ...anything.
Don't get me wrong, I can, AND DO, keep them in check however, have been known to throw all that decorum shit out the window and go in hard ...quite frequently lately.

Ugh. I don't know where I'm going with all of this.
I'm just in a bad mood and out of chardonnay - it's that time of the month and lemonade isn't cutting it.

I'll be back - I hope.

Today

2008-05-06T14:08:00.000-04:00

...I voted for Barack Obama.

A simple goal.

2008-02-08T16:49:00.000-05:00

I'm going to read a book this weekend. Maybe two.

That's it.

Random tidbits until I post again ...which will be tomorrow ...hopefully, lol.

2008-02-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

I am exhausted.
Between my promotion of sorts and my home life, there is never enough time in the day.

I have yet to complete this week's laundry and what has been washed / dried has been sitting, rumpled no less, in various baskets throughout the house. I have resorted to completing rote HR tasks after hours and have yet to unpack / settle in to my second office space to my liking. My nails, eyebrows, eye lashes and highlights have yet to be retouched and it doesn't seem like I'll be able to fit them in this weekend. I can't tell you the last time Garvey has been to the park and I havent picked up his K-9 Advantix and HeartGuard for the month yet. Oh and the family and I haven't spent any QT together in the last few weeks. Maybe we'll hit up the movies this weekend.
UGH.

Tonight we had Chinese and after everyone was fed and the dog walked, I napped until 9:30.
Save for the minor neck ache I was left with ...it was splendid and I don't forsee having any problems going right back to sleep around bed time.

Oh, guess who got their BlackBerry ....and from the job no less.
I did ...and its fab.

Yes, the BlackBerry 8830 CDMA / GSM World Edition.
...and I don't even have a passport so that's another 'To Do' to add to the list.

I'm going to get it together y'all. Soon.

Procrastination and a BlackBerry

2008-01-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I didn’t revisit the poem like I said I was going to. Shoot me.
I say I’m going to do a lot of things that never actually pan out; I haven’t watched the yoga workouts I saved to the DVR, I haven’t stopped eating fish / seafood …I haven’t even blogged since last Thursday.

I’ll tell you what I have done though …I’ve become addicted to eBay.

Since my most recent promotion at work I’ve been looking to upgrade to a BlackBerry so as to be able to access the network and my email, without have to tote around my laptop. Sprint sucks dirty ass and has decided that long standing customers aren’t worth lowering prices on upgraded devices; we have to pay full damned price (449.99)…while new customers can get a BlackBerry for 99.99.
I thought I could get the company to comp one but by the time they get around to, it I’ll be ready to retire. Long story short…eBay to the rescue.

Pray that I win the bid on this damned PDA, y’all.

No wonder 'BET' is pissed off: Aaron McGruder's take on the 'destruction of Black people.'

2008-01-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

...wouldn't be as funny if it wasn't on point.
I don't know how I feel about that.

See, this is why Barack doesn't do it for me ...I can't sell my soul for the promise of better days to come.

2008-01-24T11:24:00.001-05:00

I can not settle it within myself to wholeheartedly stand behind anyone who can only advocate for 'civil unions'.

Civil union - a legally recognized institution that serves to provide same sex couples with rights, benefits, and responsibilities SIMILAR to that of heterosexual marriage.

That is not ...and never will be progress and / or 'change we can believe in'. I'll believe change when I see it ...and right now, I don't see a damned thing. It's the same old line, different salesman (or woman) every time. Until we as a people can understand that simply by virtue of the fact that we all live, breathe and bleed the same way, and WE ARE ENTITLED to ALL rights, protections and opportunities afforded to everyone else, i.e. heterosexuals (yeah, its pretty much us vs. them) ...we will continue to fall short of hitting the equality mark for real.

As it is a civil rights issue, I will in some instances compare it to the Civil Rights Movement and say that it is the equivalent of saying ....'Well you don't have to sit in the back of the bus anymore ...you can sit next to me, in the middle.'
Don't blow smoke up my ass because that shit isn't good enough.

I am not a card carrying rider of the Gore train but I will say this, above all others ...he'd have my vote.

We need someone to have balls big enough to say ...'they deserve to be treated fairly. With the same respect that I would want for myself.' Period.

Fuck the white and Black Christian vote. Fuck the people that think their shit don't stink and that having affairs, molesting children, abusing federal money, and taking trips in and out of rehab for 5 minutes at a time cures you, etc. ...is better than being a dyke / faggot.
...but that won't win you an election.

Again, Obama knew what he had to do.

And what other options do 'we' have? Who do we stand a better chance with ...someone who refuses to recognize our humanity in the same capacity as their own ...or someone who is willing to throw 3/4 of the bone our way?

All I'm saying is we shouldn't have to settle for less.
Think about where we would be with regard to the Civil Rights Movement if we said 'Ok, we'll take the middle of the bus. Ok, y'all can go to school Monday through Friday ...we'll take Saturday and Sunday. No, I don't need affirmative action ...I'll dig myself out the of never ending hole of disparity based on hundreds and hundreds of years of racial inequality that was forced upon us. Fuck it ...y'all got it and we'll take whatever we can get.'

Granted it would be one small, small step in the right direction but damn, ...that shit makes me ill.
Bitch assed catch 22.

Left by my wayside.

2008-01-23T21:26:00.001-05:00

i yearn for a cup of coffee over convo at a café in france with Baldwin and a build with Ntozake but only after Morrison tells me a story and Giovanni whispers in my ear. collectivism in the face of fragmentation. a living wage healthcare and reparations in the form of a free education. a free mind and Meshell to free my heart after hooks rocks my soul because Lorde told me my silence wouldn’t protect me. a free palestine. stem cell research and a cure for aids. quiet time under moon by the ocean to give thanks to Yemaya for letting me see her through Basquiat’s eyes.

...it's been well over a year since I even looked at this.
Damn.

I'll be back on it tomorrow.

A little less of me in '08: 2.0 The better version.

2008-01-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

17 days ago I declared there would be a little less of me in '08 and that I'd be active in my mission to 'lose weight and get my body into a shape I feel most comfortable with before my 25th birthday'. To date, I've worked out once and am not happy about it. **Note that the 'once' I'm referring to was today and damn it felt good to do some yoga.

I love yoga. No, really I do. People underestimate the power of yoga but when done properly, that shit will have you burning, aching and more sweaty than running ...but in a good way.
Russell Simmons tapped into something wonderful. Psh, I wish I had my very own Porchla Coleman and could get a few beach side lessons of my own. ;) I guess I'll have to settle for the 7 episodes of my favorite yoga t.v. show I have on DVR. Trust, I'll put them to good use.

Oh, and I really need to stop claiming veganism.
I do not eat ...and probably will not ever go back to eating... dairy products, eggs, poultry and red meat, but damn it if I haven't been eating seafood like ...daily!!! Blackened salmon, fried tilapia, shrimp, scallops and flounder are the devil and have totally thrown me off track ...and I never even liked seafood! To this day the smell of tuna makes my stomach churn, ugh.

Let's be clear, while I am, and always will be, an advocate for the ethical treatment of animals, IN LIFE AND IN DEATH, I did not go vegan for them. I just happened to get my hands on a copy of
Skinny Bitch: A no-nonsense, tough love guide to savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous! ...and baby let me tell you, the juicy tidbits they let you in on are enough to have you cleaning house that night; straight second guessing everything you put in your mouth. I loved it!!! ...it's a must read.

So why did I go vegan? I went vegan because 95% of what the local supermarket has for sale is trash full of hormones, covered in pesticides and I wanted to improve my quality of life, starting with what I put in it. Just eliminating dairy from my diet has made my skin clearer, I no longer suffer with acid reflux and overall just FEEL BETTER. Seriously, try not eating ANY dairy for a week and I'm telling you, you'll noticed a marked difference. Besides, soy alternatives are to die for ...just visit your friendly, neighborhood Trader Joe's; good quality vegan and organic products at affordable prices.

Anyways, I don't want to sound like an infomercial and I sure as hell am not getting paid to advertise. Long story short, going vegan was a decision I will never regret and plan to go back to as soon as I can work this fish thing out of my spirit.

Back to 'less of me'.

From today on, I won't be claiming less of me ...just a better me. I'm sexy ...curvy to be damned and full/firm in all the right places. Even the kids think so and I'd hate to let that go. While losing weight, say 20 lbs., would be nice, I'm way more concerned with getting healthy, tight and toned just in time for my summer birthday bash.

...and who did I think I was kidding??? Give up leather boots, shoes, jackets and purses? Who, Sapphic???

What??? Absurd.

Hey QKoC ...I see you!!!
bless

One to add to your respective blogroll's: Gorgeous Black Women

2008-01-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

I came across this today ...and loved it, to say the least.
...so many beautiful BLACK women all in one place ...I can't take it.

Gorgeous Black Women

I know I plan to check in daily.
Please, please, please do the same.

I've reposted their initial post below.

Why I started this blog
1. Positive portrayals of gorgeous black women in the media are limited. It's Jezebel or Mammy. These two stereotypes are far from the norm.
2. Black women are indeed gorgeous, whether you're 18 or 80 with espresso bean or honey colored skin, skinny mini or curvaceous body, no hair, short hair, long hair, fros, twists, locs or straightened. This blog will feature everyone.
3. Who doesn't love gorgeous women?
4. There needs to be a shift in how black girls and women perceive themselves and their looks. Bonus points if everyone else gets with the program.

We hold these truths to be self evident: Other declarations...

2008-01-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 22nd observance of the federal holiday designed to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Signed into law by Ronald Regan in 1983, it was observed for the first time on January 20th, 1986. It wasn't until 2000 that Martin Luther King Day was officially observed in all 50 states.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 15th, 1929 - April 4th, 1968

"Don't let anybody make you think God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America, 'You are too arrogant, and if you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name.'" - MLK

Another quotable: "Many of the ugly pages of American history have been obscured and forgotten. A society is always eager to cover misdeeds with a cloak of forgetfulness, but no society can fully repress an ugly past when the ravages persist into the present. America owes a debt of justice which it has only begun to pay. If it loses the will to finish or slackens in its determination, history will recall its crimes and the country that would be great will lack the most element of greatness — justice." - MLK

Lupe Revisited

2008-01-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

An 80’s baby and avid music listener …I love hip hop.
Wholeheartedly.

I had quite a bit to say with regard to what has been dubbed ‘Fiascogate’.

Totally disgusted, I’ve likened his forgetting the lyrics to a classic banger like Electric Relaxation to hip hop sacrilege and while I am not …and will never, EVER forgive his appearance on VH1’s Hip Hop Honors…

Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool is that shit!!!

Little Weapon is without a doubt my favorite track on the album. I hadn't heard anything beyond Bishop G's intro and was compelled to restart the track like 6 times before I actually got all the way though. Once I did, I was hooked. Child soldiers, high school shooters, kids with guns and video game violence ...absolutely brilliant.

Now little Terry got a gun he got from the store.
He bought it with the money he got from his chores.
He robbed a candy shop; told her 'Lay down on the floor, put the cookies in the bag, take the pennies out the drawer.'

Lil' Khalil got a gun he got from the rebels to kill the infidels and the American devils.
A bomb on his waist. A mask on his face.
Prays five times a day and listens to heavy metal.

Little Alex got a gun he took from his dad that he snuck in the school is his black book bag.
His black nail polish, black boots, and black hat.
He gon' blow away the bully that just pushed his ass.

Intruder Alert is a masterpiece. Rape, drug abuse and immigration ...Mathew Santos' mellow vocals just reinforce your head nod. He appears several times on the album and never disappoints.

Hip-Hop Saved My Life is another standout. If you're not up on Nikki Jean ...please make yourself familiar immediately. Aside from being absolutely beautiful ...she's got real talent. Check out her YouTube channel here. Also, the free Noveau Riche album (her band) is definitely worth a download and burn.

Fighters, Streets On Fire, The Die, Put You On Game, The Coolest, Dumb It Down and of course Superstar, his current single, are all faves. Together they make for an overall bomb ass album. It will be in heavy rotation at least through summertime ...right along with Graduation, The World Has Made Me The Man of My Dreams, American Gangster and Just Like You.

Watch this Nikki Jean video that was featured on YouTube ...it's actually how I came across her. You can't help but feel her happiness.

bless

The Politics of Self Identification

2008-01-17T00:12:00.000-05:00

I do not find solace in being ‘safe’.
It’s actually an experience quite the opposite for me; unnerving to say the least.
Repressive. Confining. Fictitious.

I don’t enjoy passing by virtue of my inherently feminine nature.
I can not wear my sexuality on my sleeve in the same manner that some of my more masculine female, feminine male, androgynous and everything in between ** thereby ‘presumably obvious’ ** counterparts do. For that I am, I don’t know …sorry.
Sorry in that I often wish I could wear my love for queer / gay / lesbian / SGL women, F2Ms, transgenders and transvariants as if it were my smile.

Jealous too.
Jealous in that I often feel relegated to putting forth extra effort to proclaim my existence. Whether it be verbal, written, on a t-shirt or otherwise I hate having to inform the masses.

Sexuality, sexual preference and gender identity shouldn’t be presumed.
…don’t I sound delusional, lol?

I do enjoy defying perceptions though.
The furrowed brows, gasps, embarrassment and looks of disdain.
I enjoy being the ‘other’. A disruption of the heteronormative flow.
It makes my blood rush.

I hate the questions though. I loathe them.

‘But why?’

…I’m sorry, what is it that you don’t understand?

More often than not I get that from heterosexual men; baffled by the thought that I’m not interested in all they have to offer me.

I am a femme.
I adore hair / nail salons, false lashes, 4” heels, purse shopping and makeup.

black nationalist. black feminist. non conformist. queer.

I don’t care to identify though a label, even one that is self imposed, but I am often left feeling like I have no other choice.

I went to the supermarket tonight and among other things, the male cashier called me ‘Ma’ more times than I could count. His voice was markedly different with me than with the customer before …dropped an octave or so lower. His eye lids seemed heavier ...bedroom I'm guessing.
His juvenile attempts at flirting.

I didn’t have the energy to set him straight but I didn’t entertain him either…no smile, eye contact. Nothing.
I’m sure he had a few choice words for me when he realized I was blatantly ignoring him.

I paid and left.

…but I passed.
I was angry with myself afterward.

YouTube ...my new found obsession.

2008-01-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

YouTube has become my new 'get me through the work day' thing and I love it ...so much so I've even created a page thingy and have favorites, etc. I rate videos, read comments and have even subscribed to a few channels I think might pique my interest.
That being said, I have not, and probably will not, ever create, star in, or post my own video ...and I'm not knocking anyone that has / does ...yet.

See, I know my limitations.

Though I have been known to throw my head back and attempt to blow with the rest of them ...I can't ...and I know this. I do it for the fun of it.

Surprisingly enough there are quite a few people out there who seem to be oblivious to their own short comings ...creating channels with multiple videos, posed, primped and ready to sing like a recording contract is sure to come as a result of their over the top attempts at superstardom via random YouTube fuckery.

They also help me 'get through the work day' ...with a hearty laugh to boot.

A little less of me in '08 ...just a little.

2008-01-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I last visited this blog. I guess its only fitting that my first blog of the New Year expound on changes I'd like to make.

I have a serious snacking problem.
This year I will be, and remain, committed to losing weight and getting my body into a shape I feel most comfortable with, BEFORE my 25th birthday.
Currently, I weigh about 180 lbs and wear a size 12 comfortably; I have for the last 2 or 3 years with no change in either direction. I guess that is a good thing, lol.

Ideally, I would like to weigh no less than 160 to 165 lbs and be no smaller than a size 8. I adore every last one of my curves and would hate to lose them. That skinny thing IS NOT for me, and if I must say so myself, my weight is generously distributed in all the right places. That being said, I guess my main concern would be toning up, particularly my stomach and legs.

I had a Gold's Gym membership ...well, still do through March. I pay a fairly large amount monthly but can not tell you when I visited the gym last. September ...maybe.

Embarrassing.
The 1,200 spent on that membership could have been applied toward a good elliptical machine. Something I've been wanting for a while now. **Note that if you'd like to contribute to my funds, I do take tips.

Once my contract is up with Gold's, I'm buying an elliptical. Period.
In the meantime, I'll revisit my Yoga Booty Ballet DVDs, my Hydroxycut, adhere to a STRICT vegan diet, drink nothing but water whenever possible and look into local yoga studios with late classes and flexible schedules.

Let the countdown begin.

Beloved

2007-12-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

"Here in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it. They don't love your eyes; they'd just as soon pick em out. No more do they love the skin on your back. Yonder they flay it. And O my people they do not love your hands. Those they only use, tie, bind, chop off and leave empty. Love your hands! Love them. Raise them up and kiss them. Touch others with them, pat them together, stroke them on your face 'cause they don't love that either. You got to love it, you!"

"... This is flesh I'm talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved. And the beat, beat, of your heart... Love it. More than the lungs that need yet to breathe free air. More than the womb, which holds life. More than the private parts that give life. Love your heart. This... this is the prize. Amen. This the prize... Amen!"

"Let the children come. And let your mothers hear you laugh."
-Beah Richards as 'Baby Suggs' in Beloved

I can only hope the dialogue is somewhat close to that of the film as would hate to do a disservice to what I believe is one of its most powerful scenes. Seeing as how it was taken from the internet and much to my dismay, I can not recall it verbatim, I will have to rely on the help of others.

I consider myself an avid movie watcher. I even have the heavily used netflix.com subscription to prove it. Foreign and subtitled, drama, horror, documentary, 'stupid comedy' and most everything in between ...at some point, I've watched them all.

There are very few movies able to evoke tears or any other visceral reaction beyond an initial viewing, if even at all. Most that do usually have something to do with race, gender or sexuality; issues to which I am inextricably bound. Rosewood, The Women of Brewster Place **Shut up!!! I love that movie** and The Color Purple being prime examples as I cry every time I watch them. Another came to mind today and I was glad.

Beloved, the film, didn't necessarily do well. It only made a total of $28,000,000 whereas the novel won a Pulitzer Prize and although loosely based on the life of Margaret 'Peggy' Garner, is, according to a survey of 125 'eminent authors and critics' by The New York Times, considered the best work of american fiction in the past 25 years. See the 1987 review here.
Toni Morrison's irrefutable brilliance aside as I am dealing with performance not word, Beah Richards is absolutely breathtaking in this scene.
I kissed my own hands.

Also, if you haven't already seen it, I implore you to watch Beah: A Black Woman Speaks at some point in the near future. Directed by Lisa Gaye Hamilton, it's an award winning documentary birthed from over 70 hours of taped conversation on Beah Richards life and career.

bless

My retraction ...of sorts.

2007-11-16T19:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok I'm sorry.

As is my way admittedly, I was a bit tenacious and antagonistic with regard to my exchanges on Bossip AND subsequent blog entries.

Baby Please, I'm sorry. Your comment below was sweet natured ...I appreciate it and your ability to not take things so seriously.

I hope your dinner was enjoyable and look forward to more pleasant banter.

bless
blac.sapphic

Yes, Baby Please.

2007-11-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

Per the bossip.com post, below you'll find a comment left for me.
One so juicy I felt compelled to reply but wouldn't detract from the subject at hand in the comment section any longer.
Even if they don't respond, I've had more than enough fun for one day **sniggles**.

***UPDATE!!!***
...LMMFAO ...Baby Please, yeah the one without time ...responded via Bossip AGAIN!!!
Blah, blah, blah ..."cheap shot" ..."skewed and unfounded" ...."never say how much time I actually do have" ... ***obviously enough to read AND write again*** ..."ok, I'm finished".
Awww, so soon??? I was having fun.
Shit, its Friday. I have all the time in the world.

Oh, and one more thing ...all you have to say is "my remarks — as quoted above — were accurate"?? No they weren't ...and I had a retort for everyone of them. You can't come any harder than that????
========================================
Baby Please
@ black.sapphic
“I’m fairly certain that ‘we’ did not.”
I disagree. I do believe a black person created this phrase.
I'm almost positive you're missing a fundamental point, I've not said this term wasn't coined by a black person, I believe it was HOWEVER, your continued use of 'we' is misleading. I will maintain that until.
“We can not imply a ‘black person’ as it is indicative of a plural AND …last I checked you were not appointed to speak for the entire race so your ‘black people’ assertion is null and void”
I have not the time nor the desire to involve myself in a conversation with you about semantics or reading comprehension. Your sentence is pompous and absurd.
I don't believe either of your assertions can be founded and think you're becoming defensive to say the least. Oh, and you do have the time ...as indicated by your next few lines. Don't worry, it's Friday ...I have time too.
“We, in this instance meaning a good majority of the people I align myself with and I, did not create nor do we perpetuate the term.”What?
I'm sorry. What wasn't clear?
“A few people may have but again, that can not be inclusive of the majority.”A few? This term enjoys widespread use in the black community.
I never said it didn't. If you'll look carefully, I said “We, in this instance meaning a good majority of the people I align myself with and I, did not create nor do we perpetuate the term.” ...and was only clarifying the we that I was referring to in MY response. Not be confused with your misappropriation of 'we'.
“Also, aside from stating its origins within the Black community, I doubt one can pinpoint anything with certainty.”… which is precisely why I posed my question to readers in my last post to you…
because I don’t know everything. And I am uncertain.
With regard to your closing question, I don't have the answer either ...but still doubt anyone can come up with one. It's too convoluted.
And for the record — you must be feeling particularly adversarial today –
duh…
when this all started, I WAS AGREEING WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A GOOD POINT YOU MADE.
Awwww, thank you.
=======================================
**Note you'll find my responses in gray.

For the sake of understanding I will post a few key exchanges leading up to this below.
=======================================
@ 11:23
@ blac.sapphic
Does the fact that she is Black necessitate “baby daddy” rather than father / daddy? …and this is what newspapers print.
I think this is a very worthwhile question, absolutely.
But actually, because of what we create, whites think they have certain liberties - like using this word in “respected” journalistic forums and why Imus had no compunction about using the term “nappy headed ho.” And so on.
=======================================
@ 11:31
@ Baby Please
I so get what you’re saying however, ‘we’ didn’t create it.Respectively, you can’t attribute that term to an entire community, particularly when there is marked opposition to its usage from within.Whites often misappropriate and mistake false senses of entitlement with comfort levels. It’s instances like these that cause you to sit back and internalize the state that we’re in, where white’s, on Page Six, think that its ok to print this stereotypical garbage.
=======================================
@12:34
@ blac.sapphic
Actually, blac; I am fairly certain “we” (meaning a black person or black people) did indeed create this term ourselves. Not Whitey. The first time I remember hearing this term was in a southern rap song prolly in like 1997 or 1998. Ya’ll might know more than me about this. But this is the first time I remember hearing this term. It was indeed created by us, as I understand it.
What is the origin of this term, ya’ll?
=======================================
@1:19
@ Baby Please
I’m fairly certain that ‘we’ did not.We can not imply a ‘black person’ as it is indicative of a plural AND …last I checked you were not appointed to speak for the entire race so your ‘black people’ assertion is null and void.
We, in this instance meaning a good majority of the people I align myself with and I, did not create nor do we perpetuate the term.A few people may have but again, that can not be inclusive of the majority.
Also, aside from stating its origins within the Black community, I doubt one can pinpoint anything with certainty.
=======================================
@1:42 ....please take it to the top of this post.

Racist overtones, "pseudo intellectuals", generalizations, misconceptions and plain old stupidity.

2007-11-16T13:28:00.001-05:00

I read Bossip daily. It's often hilarious.

Today I came across this gem they posted quoting the Post's Page Six.

========================================

"Carrie Bradshaw’s “Mr. Big” from Sex and the City, is having a baby with longtime girlfriend Tara Wilson (See photo above). Via Page Six:

“SEX and the City” star Chris Noth is about to be a baby daddy. Noth’s live-in girlfriend, actress Tara Wilson, is “about five months along”. The couple is not engaged and has no immediate plans to marry.

Aww, who knew Big was down with the brown, congrats to them."

========================================

Our clipped banter has been quite entertaining to say the least.

My initial comment:

Does the fact that she is Black necessitate “baby daddy” rather than father / daddy? …and this is what newspapers print.
Racist bullshit.

...and yes, I do post under my own name.

Happy Friday!!!

I wonder if they were the ones thrown out.

2007-11-12T14:32:00.001-05:00

...funny shit snatched from AHH.

Wanna laugh harder? Read the comments left on YouTube.

Fuck the vote!!!

2007-11-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

I sat on this for a few days ...wondering about the implications and really mulling it over. It's been difficult to reconcile within myself, to say the least.

As a nationalist, I'd love to see a black man in office. Yeah, I'm a feminist ...a Black feminist and I know Hillary will never be given a pass. EVER.
That aside ...I'm queer and this coming election means more with regard to my fundamental rights as such.

In short, Fuck Barack Obama!!!!!

Taking Donnie 'ex-gay' McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker and Mary Mary on the road was not the way to go you fucking dummy.
...AND a lame ass attempt at damage control via a statement with respect to you not sharing his same views and toting the token gay ***but white*** Rev. Andy Sidden means nothing, particularly when homophobia in the Black community is the issue AND you could have taken Michael Eric Dyson and /or 2 gay pastors with you on your concert series to attempt to bridge the gap.

Can't fault your hustle game though.
You knew what you had to do to win over the Black south.

Asshole.

MySpace is the devil.

2007-11-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

"A place for friends" you'd probably never speak to regularly but add as a means to boost your numbers, MySpace is the black hole of the internet.

After endless 'I'm bored so hit me up', 'New pics - comment and I'll return the favor' and 'Check out my new song' bulletins , I'm seriously considering an account cancellation.

MySpace has grown old.

Ignorant much???

2007-11-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

I read the gossip blogs pretty much daily.
Actually, several times a day so as not to miss anything.

Dlisted is one I read frequently. Today I came across this.

This image was selected for their 'Caption This Contest' ...and admittedly, it could have been taken in so many different directions and actually been funny.

Of course some of the comments left by readers were ugly, racist, culturally insensitive, derogatory and the like.

I cracked a half smile at the winners comment but was absolutely appalled with the runner-up selection.

==========
Winner:
John smiled for the camera but was secretly devastated that he forgot his goat leggings at Tom Cruise's house. - Conky

Runner-up:
Travolta thought he was dancing for his supper. The cannibals however knew their supper was dancing. - Rough Rider
==========

Shocked that they'd be so bold as to choose this? I'm not.
Poor, poor taste.

Dlisted

Meet Garvey.

2007-11-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

...like Marcus Garvey as that is his namesake. Big, strong, broad, powerful, serious, formidable.
All things obvious in the way that Garvey carries himself.

He growls, grunts, barks, huffs, runs, twitches and grinds his teeth ...all in his sleep while in the real world, he proffers as much protection as a wilting house plant; he's nothing more than decoration.

Soft, cuddly, timid, EXPENSIVE, passive, spoiled rotten, whiny and overly friendly ...the only way he'd harm you would be to crush you under his massive weight. See, Garvey has it in his head that he's a lap dog and if left undeterred, he will climb up in your lap for a nap. I've often let him do it and have pretty much created the monster that is Garvey, The Inept Watch Dog.

I'd like to think that he'll rise to the occasion if the need ever presented itself, but I'm not so sure.

I'll be the first to admit, Garvey does not live a life conducive to that of a large breed dog. A 3 year old, 80 lb., Lab Mix should have access to a huge backyard, take long walks daily and visit the park regularly. Garvey gets / does none of that. More often than not, his days are spent tucked off into a corner asleep and when he is active, he's amazingly clingy, attention starved and annoyingly hyperactive. You WILL play fetch, by choice or default and in one way or another, there WILL be physical contact.

He's taken to depositing his slobbery tennis ball in your lap so even if you don't want to play, you end up tossing it away and there is his cue to repeat the process OR he'll rub up against your legs as if he were a cat so that you'll touch him ...even if it is to shoo him away, never mind the fact that he is a shedding animal *ugh - he didn't always do that, it started about 6 months after I got him and by then I was attached* whose feet smell like a fresh bag of Frito's as soon as it's around about that time for him to visit the groomer.
Fortunately, he doesn't have dog breath.

Garvey is stupendous.

I adore him. We have our very own ritual greeting when I get home from work. It consists of him charging at me, full speed, like a ball out of a cannon, hugs, rubs, pats, various pet names and a walk directly across the street for him to pee. *yes, his walks should be longer but I don't have time. I walk him until he does his business, I clean up and we head home - at least 3 times a day* Afterward, he's usually ready to eat his too large dinner *on our last two visits, his vet informed me that Garvey could stand to "slim down a bit" - I like to eat, my family likes to eat ...WE EAT. No one in my company will EVER go hungry, Garvey included*.

My one complaint with Garvey is he has too human tendencies. He doesn't bark AT ALL, EVER but when he does ummmm, communicate, for lack of a better word, it's almost as if he's mimicking human speech. Scary to say the least.

Oh, and he sleeps like people do ....on pillows, with blankets, etc. Long story short, Garvey has taken over in a lot of respects, totally flipped my household upside down. I mean I can't even go out after work unless I want to come home to a brown surprise - and that ain't happening.

Did I say one complaint?
I lied.

I'm sure I can come up with several others but the one that takes the cake is as follows:

Garvey has ....shall we say, a sensitive stomach. Any little thing can set him off and he won't eat / drink for a while and back when we first got him, it raised a lot of concern and made for several trips to the vet *thank the creator for Banfield and their doggie health care plans*. This long story short, Garvey vomits ...often. As a matter of fact he did twice yesterday and once today ...but it is fairly early so that isn't saying much.

He's like a grown man after a night of heavy drinking and a few White Castle burgers too many.
...and I don't appreciate having to keep a plastic bag handy to stick his head in just in case he starts heaving, which he does for about 3 minutes before he actually erupts *blah*. I don't even get that kind of personal treatment and I shouldn't have to do that for a dog.
It's gross.

I love him though.
We're complicated *sigh*.

Frustrations

2007-10-14T14:32:00.001-04:00

I'm tired ...of so many things.

Too tired to expound on them right now.

Lupe clears the air - Vibe had it f'ed up!!!

2007-10-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

...either his PR clean up skills are ridiculously on point OR ...he's telling the truth and Vibe just wanted to stir shit up a tiny bit more.

Lupe will be taking Vibe to court for defamation of character, claiming that the now infamous 'Vibe Exclusive' was actually an interview done approximately a month ago but used for the purposes of adding fuel to the fire.

Kay Slay is a bit much for me but if you can take it, here is Lupe setting things straight.

Note that although Q-Tip states they never spoke on his participation save for a conference call to plan the actual performance, Lupe insists that Q-Tip is his 'Muslim brother'.

Boo.

Happy National Coming Out Day!!!

2007-10-11T10:02:00.000-04:00

Be Proud.

Lupe Fiasco has officially forgotten himself.

2007-10-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

Dude, have a cookie and kick push your ass into a corner.

"After screwing up his rhymes during a tribute to A Tribe Called Quest on VH1's Hip Hop Honors awards show on Sunday, rap star Lupe Fiasco has quickly become a blogger's whipping boy in a drama now referred to as "Fiascogate," with new allegations from Q-Tip that Lupe was never asked by him to perform at the VH1 ceremony at all.

...Lupe wasted no time addressing the VH1 mishap on Okayplayer. Under the screen name FNF Up Up And Away, he causticly wrote in all caps concerning the performance, "When it was initially offered to me, I turned it down because I felt it was out of place for me to be honoring them because while I was fully aware of their impact in hip-hop, I wasn't really aware of their music like that . . . but guess who wanted me to be apart of it . . . hmmmm . . . how about . . . Q-Tip!!! . . ."

How about we try that one more time Lupe.

But according to Q-Tip, that wasn't the case. On the gossip blog of Miss Info, Q-Tip was reported as saying, "I'm not trying to make this any bigger than it is. But I just want to clear up one thing. . . We never hunted him down and begged him to be a part of the show or anything like that. His name was pitched to us by VH1, and we said, ok cool. The only time I spoke to Lupe about the Hip Hop Honors performance was on a conference call, which we did with the other artists too, like Busta and Common, to plan the performance."

...In the past, Roots drummer Questlove has criticized Lupe for never having heard Marauders. Most recently, Phonte of the group Little Brother gleefully added fuel to the fire. "You fuckin up, my nig. Straight up and down," Phonte posted on an Okayplayer message board. "What's even more amazing is the same cats on this site defending your arrogance and ignorance on this topic . . .you forgetting the lyrics to a classic song from a classic group on national television while paying tribute to them, the 2nd plane has officially hit the tower."

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!! I'll take Hip Hop Sacrilege for $1000, Alex.

Lupe aired out his grievances exclusively to VIBE concerning the backlash to the revelation that he missed out on Marauders. "[Tribe] didn't sell 10 million records, so why would people think they had a blanket on the world like that? MC Hammer was way more popular to me than Tribe Called Quest."

Umm, "Come again Pikey".

It's all about hip hop vanity, Lupe explains. "Because there's kids in Harlem who right now would never ever listen to Midnight Marauders, I don't give a fuck what you do, they'll never listen to Q-Tip and they want to be rappers and they want to talk about positive things. So why would you shoot them down?"

His voice rises. "It's like, 'Oh, you ain't never listened to Midnight Marauders? You ain't expanding your horizons? Oh, you ain't real' cause they did that shit to me! 'Oh Lupe, that's fucked up man, I don't fuck with you now, I'm not buying your next album' and be dead serious!It made me feel like, 'You dirty bastards. Like how dare you.'"

Overall, the rapper appears to be more hurt than furious from the blog butchering. And he claims he'll still "never" listen to Midnight Marauders, though he's criticized for denying the fact that groups like Tribe opened doors for the lyrically-PG, happy-go-lucky form of rap he's known for. But no matter how you look at it, Lupe's refusal to throw on some headphones and pop in the album isn't about Midnight Marauders, or lack of interest at all: it's about defiance.

And his power comes from being unapologetic to critics. "Those hip hop elitists who think [Tribe] hold the crown and the copyright to hip hop," he says. "I listen to 8Ball & MJG and I think they're better than you [Tribe].""

Wow buddy.

Really Lupe? Really???
I like 8Ball & MJG ...but MC Hammer? Really???

Tell 'em why you mad son. Tell 'em why you mad.

Quotes taken from a Vibe.com Exclusive

40 Years Ago Today

2007-10-09T15:31:00.000-04:00

...Ernesto 'Che' Guevara de la Serna was executed.
Felix Rodriguez, the CIA and Mario Teran **and by extension the Bolivian Army are responsible for his murder.

Che Guevara June 14th, 1928 - October 9th, 1967
"He vivido días magníficos."
- Letter to Fidel Castro 1965

"The great lesson of the guerrillas' invincibility is taking hold among the masses of the dispossessed. The galvanization of the national spirit; the preparation for more difficult tasks, for resistance to more violent repression. Hate as a factor in the struggle, intransigent hatred for the enemy that takes one beyond the natural limitations of a human being and converts one into an effective, violent, selective, cold killing machine. Our soldiers must be like that; a people without hate cannot triumph over a brutal enemy."

The VH1 Hip Hop Honors

2007-10-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

*pause*

...I just have to put this out there before I even begin the blog.

Did anyone peep dude in the audience dancing like he was the only person there???

Every time the camera happened to cut him ...man, listen. Baby boy was putting in work!!! Overtime.

*play*

Aside from a slow start, Pepa's nose looking a hot mess, Lupe's unforgivable ATCQ flub **not to mention subsequent b.s. excuse, later dismissed by Q-Tip himself ** Keyshia being dead wrong for that jacked vocal, and a premature / off base hip hop honor **no shade but there are female MC's way more deserving than Missy Elliott** the tributes to Whodini, Snoop and A Tribe Called Quest made watching the 2 hour taping worthwhile. I sat back and 'wopped' up a headache, rattling off the words to practically every song, as I clapped myself into a nostalgic tizzy.
Tell me you didn't peep Nelly get low, lol. I can't wait for the videos to hit YouTube.

Ain't nothing like the good old days; back yard barbecue's with someones stereo turned out the window, dancing for your uncles spare change.

*pause*

Oh, yeah ...and the Cowboy's came back and stunned the shyt out of the Bills.

How 'bout dem Cowboy's!!!

The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams - Meshell Ndegeocello

2007-10-08T15:39:00.001-04:00

Refusing to be categorized, the melding of so many different genres with an ease and fluidity that today, is unmatched ...we have yet another banger from Meshell Ndegeocello.

I've had my copy since last week.
Undoubtedly, Sloganeer is my favorite. Simply consuming, it stays in heavy rotation. I fear I may wear a grove in the cd itself.

Coming in right behind it are Elliptical, Michelle Johnson, Evolution, Virgo, Shirk, Relief, Solomon, Lovely Lovely, ...shall I stop short of an out of order track listing?

Save for a set in Charlotte, where she seemed more like the introduction and not the headliner she is, Meshell has yet to disappoint me.
Please support her raw artistry.
**Note the version of Sloganeer now playing is not the album version. This comes from a live show in Zurich.

'I'm just a soul on the planet. Trying to do good, be good and feel good.'
...Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur 'Michelle Johnson'

**UPDATE**
Praise YouTube ...I found a video of her performing Sloganeer.

Get a bang out of life.
...Suicide
Straight to paradise.
If you're the chosen...
Why don't you just
...Kill yourself now, kill yourself now.
Cause I hate all the beautiful people.
Just open your legs.

Supposedly, the song is to / about a suicide bomber. I need more time to digest it before I can draw any conclusions.

Also, I don't advocate for the taping or photographing of Meshell with out her permission as in her case, among other things, it is a health hazard ..but, please don't bother to point out the contradiction in reposting this video; I'm aware.

**Link to information re: Epilepsy

Tattoos and Drum Sticks

2007-10-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

I came across this again today and I don't know why I didn't post this video earlier.
Tavis Barker is amazing ...actually makes the song bearable.

Factotum

2007-09-26T16:27:00.000-04:00

I read my horoscope today ...the first time in several weeks. I was forced to internalize the following:

"You can be proud of yourself today, since you probably have good reason to be pleased with your accomplishments. As others notice and acknowledge your work, you could be feeling very satisfied. Giving yourself praise is as important as anyone else offering positive feedback, if not more so. If we ourselves don’t believe what is being said to us, it will not have the impact that it is meant to have, which ought to be taken as a gift that is being offered. Many times our inner critics are the loudest voices that echo in our heads from our earliest days, and they don’t need to be true for us to listen to them. But when we acknowledge our own hard work and our satisfaction with a job well done, those voices begin to quiet with each triumph until they fade away completely. Today by allowing yourself to take pride in your work, you honor the truth of your abilities and strengths."

~Many times our inner critics are the loudest voices that echo in our heads from our earliest days, and they don’t need to be true for us to listen to them.

To say that I'm hard on myself would be an understatement. I am without a doubt my own worst enemy.

Since my abrupt departure from academia I've done nil with regard to claiming my right to aspire to a higher degree of ...anything, not that I have much of an option as my transcripts are being held hostage in lieu of a $12,000 debt owed directly to the State University of New York at Buffalo. *Insert 'F*** UB' here* It seems I've almost resigned myself to bend under the weight of my mounting personal disappointments. I managed to complete 3 1/2 years of course work in a matter of 4 1/2, all while pretty much damning my credit to hell ...so much so that the 6 months and $24,000 I am shy have become my very own dream deferred and am now one of IBM's factotums.
The joy that is life after college, lol.

I often feel detached from all that is. Resorting to contacting old professors I developed friendships with for the purposes of having them forward their current syllabi and reading lists so that I'll have something to feed my brain with. Pathetic, I know ...but wait it gets worse.
...I've never even opened the attachments they've sent.

What's interesting is while attending college, the thought of others proffering their degrees as a badge of honor replulsed me. I refused to delude myself into believeing a piece of paper validated my intellectual existance ...and I still don't.
...but I do.

My lack of a degree, in any form, knocks the wind out of me, daily. For many, having just a Bachelors is last season to say the least ...and as it stands, I'm a semester shy of one. I've managed to fall behind in the race of the 'Talented Tenth' with no idea of how I am to follow what is fast becoming a pipe dream Ph. D.

Now before you take it there, hell no I don't look down my nose at anyone who doesn't have a piece of paper granting them the special previledge of working for more than $40,000 a year, hopefully with decent benefits that extend to 'domestic partnerships' ...and I wouldn't even if I had that over priced b.s. myself. I'm simply saying that it would serve to make me feel like I hadn't blown my golden years, lol; I'm not ready to turn 25 without that damn piece of paper.

Ok, ok ...back to the horoscope.
I really need to get it together in terms of appreciating what it is I have going for myself now, as well as what I know am capable of and will do ...in time.
I'm impatient ...but things could be worse.
I could be working for a company that didn't value my contribution to the team so much so that I wouldn't be able to enjoy many of the perks I do now ...like pretty much making my own hours if I actually choose to go into the office, instead of working from home. I'm good at what I do for IBM ...damn good.
I could not have gone to college at all and been left void of the many life altering experiences that forced me to stand up on my own.
I could not have been blessed with the wonderful family my partner and I have created as well as the loving, open and accepting family I have back at 'home'. They love me ...and that keeps me sane, grounded and moving ...everyday.
...I could be doing a whole lot worse.

While I don't consider my blog work, college work, course work. I appreciate the fact that it has the potential to become an outward expression of the waning writing abilities I'm trying to reclaim and desire to dive back in to what makes me happy.

I'll be back.
~Thank you again Adam ;)

Realizations

2007-08-27T15:22:00.000-04:00

I don't post often ...if ever.

I'm compelled to change that.

Unfinished

2006-08-22T11:30:00.000-04:00

i yearn for a cup of coffee over convo at a café in france with Baldwin and a build with Ntozake but only after Morrison tells me a story and Giovanni whispers in my ear. collectivism in the face of fragmentation. a living wage healthcare and reparations in the form of a free education. a free mind and Meshell to free my heart after hooks rocks my soul because Lorde told me my silence wouldn’t protect me. a free palestine. stem cell research and a cure for aids. quiet time under moon by the ocean to give thanks to Yemaya for letting me see her through Basquiat’s eyes.

...hello all

2006-05-17T15:22:00.000-04:00

While indulging in my daily dose of net goodies, usually about Bey-Z and Rhianna's latest page 6 exposé, I came across a blog that for one reason or another, made me think but ...let's just say, ruffled my feathers. Compelled to respond to the post about homosexuality and the young, experimenting, immaturity, phases, and girls who want to be men ...I decided to toot my own horn a little harder past responding anonymously and create a blog of my own.

Granted, to each her own opinion, and indeed I have my own and could give a shyt less what others think about it ...I think it's that very attitude that fosters a lot of misconceptions in general, but in this case, misconceptions about homosexuality in the black community.

I read a post about young girls experimenting with other girls ...in public among other things, and how homosexuality has become a trend, which indeed it has; however, what got me was the inherent denial of sexuality and sexual expression based on age. I won't link or post to the blog for obvious reasons but, here was my response:

In response to the actual post as well as the previous comments...While I agree with/understand your point with relation to children, especially girls, experimenting with the same sex, and engaging in PDA's etc., I think its important to stress the fact that while it is inappropriate (for it to occur at a young age and in public), to question the intention or deny the sexual expression is to deny the individual and in my opinion wrong. I say that to say that yes, homosexuality is already a trend but to generalize and make a blanket statement that could be interpreted as "you're young so you don't know what you want", is wrong; some do it for the wrong reason but again, that's just some.
As a Black Lesbian in my early 20's, I would never have dreamed of engaging in those acts on a subway, or anywhere else for that matter, at that age and at present, but sadly enough children are only moving along with the fast pace of life and doing what they are force fed by the media daily, and what permissive or non existent parents allow. I say that in no way shape or form to make an excuse for, place blame elsewhere or justify that behavior.
At that age, as a matter of fact much earlier, I was more than cognizant of my attraction to women, and I sympathize with younger SGL's and LGBTQ's who have to endure being scrutinized or be told they don't know what they feel because of their age. I feel as though regardless of your age you know what you like, whether it's a phase or not; didn't you? Didn't you, as a teen, know whether or not you liked X, Y or Z from up the corner and around the block, irrespective of gender? It really has nothing at all to do with the supposed lack of "emotionally available men".
As far as girls looking like men, gender and sexual expression are extremely personal and by that I mean vary. To mock someone because of their gender expression, i.e. dress, walk, talk, how they like to be addressed, etc., is beyond ignorant. What's to say that these young girls aren't Lesbian identified Butch or are on the road to self discovery and will ultimately end up as an FTM? What's to say that it isn't a phase and they won't end up someone new the next day, month or year? Whatever it is, to deny sexuality based on age is to deny the individual and people should be more concerned with teaching young girls, and boys, to protect themselves, sexually, emotionally and physically, in lieu of trying to force them to be something deemed acceptable by societal standards. Girls, and boys, are owning themselves earlier and earlier and should be allowed to express themselves, sexual acts aside, in a way most comfortable to them and them alone.
Again, I in no way shape or form condone PDA's, random sexual acts, sex at a young age, etc., but in reality, what can we do to prevent kids from doing what they want to do? Don't you remember how determined you were as a teen? Beat them and you could potentially suffer legal consequence, buy clothes for them and they will beg, borrow, or steal someone else's. At this point, education is our best bet; educate the young in hopes that they will carry the knowledge with them and make an informed decision about what it is they want to do with their lives. We can guide them through life but we can't live for them.

Needless to say, that I was a little annoyed with the comments made about "girls that look like boys".

After all was said and done with that, I went on to read a few of the comments posted before mine, in detail, and noticed that one in particular was an attempt at drawing a comparison between homosexuality and molestation ...after that I was pretty much through, response as follows:

Maybe it's just the way I'm reading it, and please, please, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the impression that you're making a comparison/correlation between homosexuality and molestation.
As far as turning someone out, that really isn't possible; either its rape or molestation at the time and whether or not you engage in sexual acts or enter into a relationship with someone of the same sex at a later date is a choice made only by the individual. To "lay blame" for sex or relationships that occur at present on disgusting acts forcibly committed in the past is wrong and that denies the persons sexual/gender expression. Granted there are exceptions to "the rule", but as a Black Lesbian, if someone were to tell me that I was gay because I was molested, they might as well tell me I'm Black because I was in the sun too long.
...Insert here - the debate on being born gay/gay as a learned behavior.
In short, no one is gay because they were abused. You're either gay because you are, your scarred emotionally, which as someone that was abused you have every right to be, and you turn to the same sex or you buy into the "I'm gay because I was abused" and you're looking for a way to excuse the fact that you are gay but have not yet come to terms with your tendencies or sexual preference and are looking for a way to respond to the negativity from family members or friend ...which is B.S. in itself.
Again, JMO.

Why is it that someone always has to come up with a way to account for/excuse etc., homosexuality ...like I need a damn pass to be gay!