Are you not entertained!?!

Jon and Kate plus 8.

Before Monday the only parts of this show I ever saw were 10 to 20 second clips that were played on “The Soup” I’m not a huge fan of TLC, so that is probably why I never watched the show. The clips on “The Soup” were always hilarious, because I felt like I was watching caricatures. Kate was the nagging, shrill, drill sergeant wife, and Jon the beat down comatose husband, who acquiesced to her every whim. Ha Ha real funny. Recently however, because this show and the apparent demise of their marriage is getting so much media attention, I watched a little bit of the premiere this week, to understand what all the fuss is about.

Something struck me immediately; I am not comfortable with watching children on reality TV. Before you judge me as being self righteous, I am no means a TV snob; I can proclaim here today to the world that I watch the WORST reality TV shows ever. VH1. Do I need to say more? Okay I will, I have watched full and partial seasons, of Flavor of Love 1 and 2, Rock of Love, Charm School, and Tool Academy. Should I go on? Basically, these shows reach down to the dregs of the reality TV bin through cattle calls for wantabe stars. People, who probably came to LA with dreams of acting, but strip, do porn, wait tables or anything to make some money when the acting gigs are sparse. I watch these shows and feel no sympathy for these people, because these are adults who have chosen to have their lives recorded and manipulated in post production editing to create a caricature of who they really are. They are looking for fame in anyway they can find it. Since they are adults more power to them.

This brings me back to Jon and Kate; everyone seems to have an opinion. They hate Kate, or they hate Jon. I don’t know these people well enough to form an opinion about their relationship. What I do know is that these 2 adults made the decision to exploit their own family situation and children to hop on the TLC gravy train. Raising children is serious business and should be treated with the deference it deserves. What are Jon and Kate committed to now? Is it each other, their kids, or is it fame? I noticed tweets and Facebook status updates, and it seems as if the mood has shifted to sadness for this couple. Now this show has more attention surrounding it then ever. It’s so deliciously voyeuristic to watch the demise of a character. It’s easy make trite comments about how sad you are for them, and how you hope the marriage the media is trying to ruin is saved. The problem is we are watching real children who are not yet equipped to deal with the media firestorm that surrounds them. I will never tune into this show again.

Honestly I hope this show goes off the air soon, but guess what? It won’t. As sad as we “feel” we still would want to see the separation, the divorce. The show could be called, “Kate plus 8 & Jon every other visitation weekend”. I hope this couple can make the difficult decision to take themselves out of the spotlight, so their children do not have lasting emotional damage from this 5 year flirtation with fame. In the end it will not be worth it.

Back to the blog

When I started this blog a few years ago, the focus was on my journey as I decided to change my lifestyle and lose weight. Over the last year or so, I haven’t had the desire to blog about weight loss. During 2008 I was completely captivated by the day to day election coverage and found myself wanting to discuss specifically religion and politics with everyone all the time. So, I find myself making the decision to move this blog in that direction. Popular culture, religion, politics, class, race, & gender. I may just use this as a general sounding board for topics I feel passionate about. Thanks for reading.

#44 President Barack Obama!!

#44 President Barack Obama!!

Hope: I am the American Dream

Yesterday was a day that I know I will remember for the rest of my life.

I honestly never thought in my lifetime I would ever see a Black presidential candidate who received a Democratic or Republican Party nomination. I remember my exact words about one year ago regarding Barack Obama’s bid for the White House. “Obama seems like a smart guy, but there is no way he will ever get the Democratic nomination, this is America.” I said these words to my friend, who is also Black and we both agreed with my statement, without even giving it a second thought. We simply had accepted it as fact, that as Black Americans we would probably never get to see a person nominated for President of the United States who looks like us, even if they were just as talented and qualified as Presidential candidates before them.

I am not one to go around constantly complaining of what I can’t do because I am a minority, and how I will never get ahead because of the invisible (or not so invisible, in the South) hand of oppression and racism, quite the contrary actually. I have two well-educated parents, who have always stressed the importance of working hard, exceeding the minimum expectations required, and never giving up or giving in. My father is from Nigeria, and is a complete embodiment of the American dream. If you are willing to get the education, and put in the hard work with the understanding that you will always have to work twice as hard just to be equal to your non-minority counterparts you will have success in America. It always struck me as slightly unfair, but those are the breaks if you are a minority and want to be successful.

I came to terms with this as a teenager, and have always strived to do better than what is expected of me, in school I was pushed not to settle for just getting an A, but to try harder next time and get an A+. I carried this way of thinking and living with me to college, into my career, and now to graduate school. Along the way I was often ostracized by my own Black people for “acting white”, and still to this day as an almost 30 year old woman, I still here comments from Black people about how white I act/talk. This is still is difficult to hear, because In mind since I was 10 years old I have just been living the values that my parents have tried to instill in me.

As much as I heard my parents “work harder than the next guy” mantra, beat into my brain, and growing up and trying to live my life this way, I guess I never fully 100% bought into to it until yesterday. Everyday I wake up and try to do my very best to make the right choices, but in the depths of my heart I have doubts that at the end of my life it may have all been in vain, because even in, America the country I love I think I am still regarded as a second class citizen. I have lived a life in which I have been presented with discreet racism, overt racism, and I just try to ignore it fight through it, and remember what my parents have told me; get educated, work hard, always work to improve yourself. I have doubts that even though, I know I am smart, and capable, and will always been seen as less than.

I know there are famous Black people on television all the time, but I feel like as a nation, we rarely get to see Black people who have embraced higher education, taking personal responsibility, and working harder, to become successful. I know they are out their living their lives working hard, and having the same thoughts as me, but I didn’t get to see them. There are times when you think surely, there is a place where there are people like me and my family. Why do I never see these examples?

Obama’s story is especially important to me, because so often when people make generalizations about Black people, the assumptions are made that they are in their predicaments because of poor choices. What about all the Black Americans who make the right choices, and do whatever they can everyday to be “good citizens” their entire lives? What about the Black people like my father, and mother, and two brothers who work hard, get educated, never make excuses, but are faced with daily doubts and live in a country where you are constantly having to fight for a chance? Where you are fighting preconceived notions about your abilities, and always having to prove to others that you are capable, and intelligent, but still feel like an afterthought, or left feeling marginalized when you know you have good ideas, in spite of ALWAYS trying to do the right thing to be a good citizen.

I don’t always 100% agree with Obama’s policies or his voting record, but I truly believe he is a candidate that is aware of the areas in which he has weaknesses, and will staff to sure them up. We are 67 days away from Election Day, and no matter the outcome, I think I will remember the day of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, even more than Election Day, because this was the day, for the first time in MY adult life that I felt included. This is the day, that for the first time in MY adult life that I sincerely believed that you can not give up hope. This is the day that for the first time in MY adult life I feel confident in not giving up, even in the face of being an afterthought to some people. This is the day, that for the first time in MY adult life I believe more strongly than ever in the importance of education and higher education.

I am the American Dream.

REALLY? It has come to this...

Here’s the story

Woman Accused of Trading Sex for Gasoline
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

FORT WRIGHT, Ky. —

Police in northern Kentucky arrested a woman who officers say traded sex for gasoline.

Police in Fort Wright set up a prostitution sting and said one of the suspects they arrested engaged in sex for a $100 gasoline card and other gifts.

Angela Eversole, 34, of Fort Wright is charged with prostitution and doing business without an occupational license. She pleaded not guilty at a Tuesday arraignment.

Police also arrested a man they said paid Eversole. He is 50-year-old Kenneth Nowak of Avon, Indiana.

Kenton County prosecutor Ken Easterling said it's sad when people are selling their bodies for gas.

Couple of things jump out immediately from this brief but hilarious article. The alleged working girl was charged with prostitution and doing business without an occupational license. I want to fully understand what occupation she had other than whoring.

Gas is expensive, but people have whored themselves for less and this particular woman was also whoring for “other gifts”. I can’t help but wonder what these “other gifts” could have been. Maybe one of them was bread. Have you heard how expensive groceries are now? Bread has gone up in price by 6484631% since 1856. So maybe, just maybe she was whoring for bread as well as gas.

Maybe she was whoring for prescription medication. Have you heard that people with out health insurance, like whores and the elderly can barley afford their medication? So maybe if this woman didn’t whore she would have died. I wonder if the police stopped to even consider this before arresting her.

Have you heard that home foreclosures are up 565689% since the beginning of time, maybe this woman was whoring, because her adjustable rate mortgage increased and the one job wasn’t enough, and she didn’t have much free time so whoring seemed like the most efficient use of her time. Oh how I wish this article was longer, and if we could understand what would drive a woman to prostitution. Alas, there it not more info so I am left to assume it some how the result of the government (specifically Republicans), insurance companies, and the lack of universal healthcare.

QUICK HITS!!!

Weight loss
”Maintaining is going so so. I make better choices about food all the time, and make little deals with myself everyday, to make sure my eating & emotions stay in check.

Life… personal and the other

School days
Only a brief 6 years after completing undergraduate work, I have decided to start work on my MBA. In January I officially became a student again. In an odd way it’s so very comforting…WHY? ? Because I can do school. I was the nerd who actually enjoyed going to school, I enjoy structure and schedules. I know, that is sexy! My first class was Marketing Management, and now summer school is kicking my ass. Right now at this moment I should be working on a paper on Supply Chain Management but instead I am blogging, I am going to cram hours in whenever I can, I should finish in December 2009 or May 2010.

Money
Two words. Dave Ramsey. If you have never heard of him you need to. I recently started “living like no one else” and I love it. Well I don’t always LOVE it, but when I am semi-retired at 40 and doing work I truly love I will be happy.

Work
What can I say, about work…I typically refrain from explicitly talking about work, because it brings me no joy. I am the type of person who would describe herself as one who lives to work rather than working to live. I keep thinking that one day I will happen upon some type of employment that will make me happy. I don’t necessarily think that is in “Corporate America”, as I suffer from two career restrictive afflictions; double jeopardy if you will; being a black lady and all. Also my life at work is a little bit like The Office in that I have mangers that are just like Michael Scott.

These were the quick hits from the last few months, all in all I am thankful, my life is good, I have my health and my family is GREAT, just getting a little bit off my chest.

Tomorrow is not promised

On Monday a good friend of mine, Andy passed away. I am still completely in shock by his death, because he was such an unselfish, kind, and caring person. About 9 months ago Andy started attending the church I go to on a regular basis and the only solace I can take away from his unexpected passing is that he had a relationship with Christ and right now he is in a much better place. There are so many times that as a Christian, I don't always exhibit the best behavior or exemplify a good example of a Christian, but I know in my heart that I have accepted Christ as my Lord and savior and that if I were to die today I would see him in heaven.

At this point you might be thinking that the tone of this message is a bit crazy, and maybe it is the overwhelming grief talking, but I know that I have had opportunities to talk to my close friends about having a relationship with Christ, but pass on the opportunity because I don't want to look like "one of those Christians".

Today I have moved beyond my own selfish feelings of embarrassment to make sure I don't let those opportunities pass me by ever again. I started to think of my friends, that I really do love and care about deeply, but I am not sure about where they stand with Christ, and I have just been completely absorbed by this all day. If something were to happen to them, before they had a chance to accept Christ into their lives, I would feel completely devastated because there was an opportunity that I didn't try to use.

I know that as a Christian I am supposed to testify to others about Christ, but I have always been uncomfortable with it. Immediately it would conjure up images of people yelling scriptures at strangers, and telling them to repent or burn for all eternity if they did not, and I never wanted to be like that. Oddly enough, I actually spent about a year casually mentioning to Andy how fun and unique my church was and how he should check it out. I guess it didn't feel like testifying but in away it was.


Tomorrow is not promised, and if you were to leave this earth today, do you feel comfortable about your eternal resting place?