Palin quits…or does she really?
This woman is a bag of tricks, some brilliant and some dumb as hell. Which is this?
She’s either a member of the Dumbass Brigade or she is secretly a brilliant politician, time will tell.
As always, be well
CF
Here is part of an excellent article about that fu*ked up fiasco that took place on Sunday night on BET (Black Entertainment Television…indeed) It is from a gentleman by the name of Jonathan Pitts-Wiley who does a blog called Pitts Indeed; he also does The Buzz Column over at The Roots.
It was around the time that Taraji P. Henson, Tyrese and a possibly drunk Ving Rhames took a Baby Boy sketch too far that the BET Awards lost me.
Before that, the show had been riddle with the chuckle-inducing–Aaron Hall trying breathe through his set with Guy; the mildly embarrassing but somehow digestible–Don Cornelius during the O’Jays tribute; and the applause-worthy–Jay Z performing “DOA.”
But the Baby Boy sketch made a show already failing to respectably honor Michael Jackson something that could only careen headlong into coonery. The kind of coonery that brought shame goosebumps to my skin up until Janet Jackson walked out on stage and showed BET and those who participated in this farce what grace and class and simplicity really looks like.
I understand Michael Jackson’s death threw a monkey wrench into their show’s plans. But you know what? Don’t one monkey wrench stop no show. They didn’t have to make some historic adjustment to acknowledge Michael’s passing; they merely needed to honor him; to gracefully acknowledge that his musical contributions were such that marking his passing was far bigger than anything that was scheduled to take place that night.
But they didn’t.
Instead, it was The Niggers Acting Up While Sometimes Acknowledging the Death of a Cultural Icon Who They Claim to Admire and Respect Show
Many spoke words of reverence, but they rang hollow. The energy of the show was of the macabre sort: Death was acknowledged, but not respected. Gravitas didn’t truly enter the building until Janet Jackson walked onstage and reminded people her big brother had died. The mood didn’t respect a legend’s passing until one song was sung in his honor.
BET has always been a member of the Dumbass Brigade, we are just now officially acknowledging them.
As always, be well
CF
As always, be well
CF
…is an ASS!
and an official member of the Dumbass Brigade.
As always, be well
CF
My girl Fantasia Barrino is back!
She is back in the studio, releasing a gospel album, and doing a reality tv show on VH1…go figure!
Here are a couple of new publicity shots of her…girlfriend looks good!
Photos by Derek Blanks
As always, be well
CF
I could ask what the hell the belt is for, but it does seem to break that mess up a bit.
So relax, close your eyes and imagine what is going on in the back of that outfit; she has got to be ass out or should I say BIG ASS OUT. This is one of those obesity side effects where you think you can wear anything…NOT! And look at the woman behind her; I can hear her saying “Lawd, help this child.”
I have to say though that I am proud of her in that she has accepted her fat and doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks about her. You Go Girl!
As always, be well
CF
First, let me say this, I do not condone violence in any way, shape or form; I think it is deplorable. It is beyond the pale and no one has the right to put their hands on another human being unless it is in self defense. That being said…Here is Another Member of the Dumbass Brigade
Perez Hilton’s “Fag%ot” tirade got him popped in the mouth. You can’t mouth off to people and expect them not to react or to see you as anything other than a gossip columnist with a chip on your shoulder. Everyone isn’t non-violent dumbass. Perez, now you must deal with the consequences and repercussion of your behavior just like everyone else. You are not beyond being popped in the mouth for the venom you spew. Not everyone thinks what you do is cute or is going to put up with your blatant disrespect; this is not the 1920’s and you are not Hedda Hopper or Louella Parsons.
You have no real power dear so get over yourself and trust me once your bloated ego is healed, you will get over this.
So here is a little fun from a new friend.
Introducing…Drama Dupree
Enjoy!
As always, be well
CF
Our President is so frigg’in awesome; he reads Pakistani Urdu poetry. How many of you have even heard of Urdu poetry and if it wasn’t for him, you probably never would have?
This is why it is so important to expose your kids to cultures other than your own. We can be so myopic here in the United States; it’s really unfortunate for our children and their perspective on a global scale. It is also unfortunate that America is practically the only country that produces children that speak only one language.
If you want to make high-brow small talk at one of President Barack Obama’s cocktail parties, don’t bother brushing up your Shakespeare. Try reading Urdu poetry.
As POLITICO’s Ben Smith points out in his blog, Obama showed off his intellectual flair by evoking a standard of Pakistani culture in a recent interview with Dawn, a popular English-language newspaper in Pakistan.
I would love to visit. As you know, I had Pakistani roommates in college who were very close friends of mine. I went to visit them when I was still in college; was in Karachi and went to Hyderabad. Their mothers taught me to cook,’ said Mr Obama.
‘What can you cook?’
‘Oh, keema … daal … You name it, I can cook it. And so I have a great affinity for Pakistani culture and the great Urdu poets.’
You read Urdu poetry?’
‘Absolutely. So my hope is that I’m going to have an opportunity at some point to visit Pakistan,’ said Mr Obama.”
It may sound somewhat esoteric, but this ancient form of mystical and oft-times philosophical love poetry has been popular in Pakistan and parts of India for centuries. And there are a few things to know before you try to impress the poetry-lover-in-chief.
One of the most popular poets was Mirza Ghalib, whose work dates from the mid-19th century. The still-popular art form usually features the story of a lover scorned by his beloved. And there is almost never a happy ending. “Often the beloved is often a total witch,” says Gwen Kirk, a University of Texas master’s candidate in the subject of Urdu poetry. “She breaks the lover’s heart all the time; she neglects him. It’s all about the process of trying to get closer to the beloved, and it’s got a lot of Sufi and mystical elements as well.”
The ghazal is the most common form of Urdu poetry, and, like sonnets, it follows strict rules of form: four to 12 couplets with a meter and rhyme scheme. But the similarities end there. Couplets in an Urdu poem can sometimes be completely unrelated to each other, each delving into themes that range from unrequited love to the meaning of life.
Fear not if your Urdu — one of two official languages in Pakistan — is a little rusty. Obama likely reads one of the many translated compilations of the texts, according to Kirk. Or if he is a truly savvy Urdu poetry enthusiast, he may choose to listen to the poems recited or sung, as it is commonly performed in the region.
Obama’s admission that he shares an affinity with the “great Urdu poets” may get him further in the region than most think. The language and poetry are commonly associated with Pakistan’s and India’s Muslim population, according to Kirk, and it remains intensely popular in the region — poetry recitals sometimes attract gatherings of thousands of people.
“It does show a willingness to understand that part of the world,” says Kirk.
And in general, it gives Obama further credibility as a supporter of the arts. Not only is he one of three American presidents to have poetry read at their Inaugurations, but he reads the stuff, too!
As always, be well
CF
Michelle my Bell, who woulda thunk it! You have taken the world be storm and have proven that this country can and does produce fantastic African American Women who love their country as much as the next person and can thrive and succeed on their own terms.
I salute you every day.
Below is part of an article by Robin Givhan of The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — So far, the first lady has chosen to be a food bank volunteer with an outsize entourage and an education activist with the largest soapbox imaginable. But Michelle Obama also fills a role that is not of her choosing but that may, in fact, be the most influential: She serves as a symbol of middle-class progress, feminist achievement, affirmative-action success and individual style.
And she has done all this on the world stage, while being black.
Time and again, observers grasp for adjectives to describe Obama’s combination of professional accomplishment and soccer-mom maternalism. It’s no wonder so many eye her with awe and disbelief. Or why a minority still view her with suspicion. There have been few broad cultural precedents for what she represents.
Historically, television has been more progressive than reality, preparing a society for the moment when what only existed in the shadows surges into the spotlight. From “Soap” to “Will & Grace,” TV helped people envision gay couples living picket-fence lives. “Maude” and daytime soap operas raised the topic of abortion before it became a political wedge issue. And popular culture has more than once suggested that the idea of an African-American president wasn’t so far-fetched. But it rarely introduced viewers to anyone like Michelle Obama.
As always, be well
CF
