Headlines from around the world.....

And here is another massive site........

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

I was beginning to think that sanity was becoming an endangered quality in this political season.....

Here is a little sanity from across the pond!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/03/sarah.palin.debate.feminism

Listen, I am all for women in the White House and OEB but.... not this woman! My IQ drops more each time I hear her talk! I think the writer has a point here, read the transcript of the debate just to underscore how incoherent it actually was.

So I am not a big beach volleyball fan, in fact I don't think that I have watched a beach volleyball match before this year.....

But I have to say I am really impressed with Kerri walsh and Misty May-Treanor.... They won the gold at the Olympics in Athens and since then have a record of 458-18 and are currently on a 107 win run.

They just won the semifinal round so they will play to defend their medal against a Chinese team for the gold!

You go girls!

The Olympics: Is it fair?

There is this big hoopla about Michael Phelps and his gold medals. And it has gotten me thinking....

Not to take anything from him, he really is an amazing athlete (swim, eat sleep... that is all he does, and he is supposed to ingest 8000 -10,000 calories a day! Can you imagine?!?!?), but this has me thinking.... 8 gold medals is quite an accomplishment but what about the athletes who compete in mutliple rounds all games long just to get one medal -- like volleyball, tennis, soccer..... Are they lesser athletes because they will never have the opportunity to win that many medals in a single Olympics?

Olympic Fever

I'll admit it.... I have Olympic fever....

The second ever black person, Cullen Jones, is on the Olympic swimming team this year. He learned to swim after he almost drowned at the bottom of a water slide when he was 5. He just won a gold medal as part of the World Record setting Men's 4x100 relay team.

Dara Torres has become the oldest person to win an Olympic medal at age 41

Why is the time that Bush has spent at the Olypmics ( 4 days total) the longest time he has spent in any country since he has been president......

I think it is interesting how instrumentals of popular hiphop songs have become the background music for the montages and feature stories during major sporting events -- I have heard Take a Bow by Rihanna, Superstar by Lupe Fiasco (a favorite -- it was also used heavily during the Superbowl) and Apologize by One Republic and Timbaland so far.

Gotta go.... more Olympics to watch!

No maybe about it!

Yesterday, I went to go see the movie Definitely, Maybe with Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin and I have to tell you..... it was the sweetest movie I have seen in a long time!


for those of you who are not familiar with it, the story is about this guy, who is in the process of getting a divorce, who's 10 year-old daughter, out of concern for her father's happiness, convinces him to tell her the story of his love life in an effort to understand why he ended up with her mother and get a clue to how he might be able to find happiness post-divorce. He agrees under the stipulation that the real names were changed and it becomes a game for her to try to figure out which woman he tells her about is actually her mother.

I have to tell you, this is like every Nora Ephron movie and Serendipity (with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale) all rolled into one with the cutest most endearing daughter you have ever seen. I think I got about 3 or 4 good cries out of this move and not necessarily in the places you would expect. Derek Luke (of Antwon Fisher fame) also has a role in this movie. I can't wait to this to come out on DVD so I can buy it (and put it next of Love, Actually in the girlie part of my DVD collection!)

I only get one vote, huh?

This past week, I proudly concluded my streak of never watching one of George W Bush's State of the Union addresses. I just can't stand to see what he has to say and the poor and unpolished way he says it. I can't stand his little beady eyes and his little smirkish grin. And what I cant stand the most, what makes me cringe is that people in other countries actually think he represents me in any way!

With that being said, how nice it is to have two democratic candidates that I would be happy to have in the White House, representing me and promoting the things that are important to me! But as I was concluding watching the debate on Thursday, from a policy perspective, i didn't really see much appreciable difference between Clinton and Obama. And the things that he did hold up as differences, who was opposed to the war from the start, some intricacies of their health care reform initiatives, and some points on immigration policy don't seem like that big of differences. Let's face it, almost anything would be better than what we have!

This is truly a historical time and an exciting one! Either a woman or a black man will be the Democratic candidate for president this year. Momentous is that say 100 years ago, neither of those groups were even allowed to vote in this country. I am sure there are many of the older generation who never thought they would see this day in their lifetime. And it is here, and it is exciting. One of the most impressive things about Barack Obama has been his ability to mobilize and engage previously politically disenfranchised sections of the population, namely the youth and black communities. I see my 22 year old cousin actively inspired by Barack and actively involved as a volunteer in his campaign, putting up flyers, attending speeches. Barack likely has some of the broadest financial support of any presidential candidate. He has refused to take money from PACs and lobbying groups and 90% of his campaign contributions have been in amounts of $100 or less! And he raised $23 million dollars in the month of January alone, more than any presidential nominee in history.

I was struck by a question that was asked by a 38 year old woman during the debate which said that she has never had the opportunity to participate in a presidential election where there wasn't either a Bush or a Clinton running. Obviously, this is the same case for me. For 20 years there has been either a Bush or Clinton in the White House! I did like Hilary's response though ("Maybe what we need is another Clinton to clean up after this Bush!") And let's face it, the 8 years of the Clinton presidency were not bad ones. We had a trade surplus, a strong economy and good diplomatic relations around the world. But, I can't assume that similar things would automatically happen with Hilary in the White House. As she likes to remind us, she is not Bill. Hilary says that she has the experience on her side but sometimes it takes impassioned eyes, not exposed to all the seediness and backdoor dealsmanship of the Washington political machine to really get things done.

If I am taking the political process seriously, I can't pick who I want to be president based on who I like better. I should pick based on who is best for this country. As a black woman, I would be happy to see either a woman or a black man as president of this country.

So the long and the short of it is, that am still not completely decided. This is going to be a far more difficult decision for me than the actual presidential election. I guess I will just see who I am feeling most inspired by on Tuesday!

What I have learned from daytime TV....

I seem to not have the patience to watch soap operas anymore. I basically don't watch anything between 12-3 because there are not any other choices besides soap operas (and maybe judge shows) and I really could be doing something more productive with my time. But I have learned a few things from the shows that come on during the other hours of the day.

1. From Montel Williams - Coconut water is really good for you. In fact, it is a great natural energy drink. It s excellent for replacing lost electrolytes from exercise and illness. It actually has 15 times the amount of potassium as most sports and energy drinks which helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. It also regulates the functioning of the intestine which can help to promote digestive health and can can help promote smoother, more hydrated skin. Another odd and interesting fact: The electrolyte profile of the coconut water is similar to human plasma. In World War II and the Vietnam War coconut water saved many soldiers lives. Doctors used coconut water as an intravenous solution to prolong life on the battlefield when IV solutions were in short supply. Coconut water was also injected directly into the blood stream to prevent dehydration. Coconut water can be found at health food stores and stores like Whole Foods.
   
2. From Rachel Ray - Black Vinegar has a hearty taste like balsamic vinegar and is great in salad dressings. It is also good for reducing high blood pressure and drinking a dose of vinegar each day became a popular health trend in Asia, so much so that vinegar bars started to become all the rage in Tokyo. In fact, drinking 15 milliliters of vinegar each day has been shown to lower high blood pressure. The compound also suppresses the buildup of lactic acid, which helps people to recover from fatigue; promotes secretion of saliva, which aids digestion; and contains antifungal agents. Black vinegar can be found at Asian markets.
3. From Suze Orman on Oprah - A messy house is an indicator that there is disorder and something unsettled in your life that needs attention. She was actually helping a family stop bailing out a sister/daughter who was using them as her own emergency fund and an excuse to not exercise her own fiscal responsibility. But I find that I do this when I am troubled, overwhelmed, or stressed by something in my life. I lose the energy to clean up and put away things. But it is important for me to take that time because it is an indicator about how I feel about myself.

So I guess daytime television is not all bad!

A funny Journeyman coincidence?

An article on Yahoo News about a recently re-opened FBI case where a man hijacked a plane and parachute jumped out of it with a briefcase of money, alluding authority sounds extremely familiar to all of us Journeyman watchers! Um, can you say Dylan McCleen?!?!?

This story smack of an episode on Journeyman, The Legend of Dylan McCleen, about a soldier from Vietnam who jumps from a plan with $150,000 never to been seen again and how Dan Vasser, the shows main character, ends up rendezvousing with him throughout time.

So this is interesting because we have a family friend who is in business development for a TV production studio in LA (at least through the end of January -- if this writer's strike continues she will be out of work in February but that is another story!) Anyway, her job is to not only read new scripts that come into the studio but also to look for interesting news stories etc that might make good ideas for new shows. I guess the writers of Journeyman follow a similar process to get ideas for new episodes. I think what they came up with sounds a little more interesting than this true story, although I am amazed that this guy was actually allowed to hijack a commercial airliner, submit demands and actually get them.

Watch episode 105, The Legend of Dylan McCleen here on NBC.com

No, no, no! We must save Journeyman!!!

http://www.candorville.com/wordpress/2008/01/01/journeyman/

I am upset! You may remember in my post about visiting LA a few months ago I mentioned seeing the pilot for a new show named Journeyman that is on NBC. On the surface this show seemed a little Quantum Leap-esque but week after week I continued to get drawn into this show! It is not often that I like a new show so much right off. I mean, I let a whole season of Lost go by and it wasn't until the summer season re-run that I got interested in that show. But Journeyman is really pretty intriguing and smart. It is not a corny travel back in time show. It really shows a more "realistic" viewpoint of what might happen if you mysteriously started traveling back in time randomly with little control, what it would do to you, the effect it would have on your family and job, what would happen if you were tempted to try to change things about your life, what would happen if you left things from the future in the past etc....

I mean this is really interesting stuff! And I have been sitting rivoted to my TV (or Tivo) after Heroes every Monday just to see the next installment. Now there are very strong rumors that the show has been canceled by NBC, right in the midst of this writer's strike and the show's ardent fans (I am starting to become one of those as well) are launching a multi-faceted campaign to let NBC and other networks know how much we like the show.
Prong 1: Spreading comments across numerous message boards, comment areas etc, sharing our enthusiasm for the show and our disappointment at a possible cancellation, especially NBC messageboards. Here is a listing of a few key ones to hit:

http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showforum=93
http://save-journeyman.blogspot.com/
http://www.ew.com/ew

imdb.com Journeyman message board

youtube.com (search and comment on journeyman videos)
digg.com (search for Journeyman articles, digg them and comment. If you don’t already have a digg account, it’s really quick to create one and very easy to use)

Prong 2: Sending Rice-a-Roni boxes to NBC in support/protest because since Journeyman is set in San Francisco, we think of it as the latest"San Francisco treat!" Corny, I know.... but effective. When tons of Rice-a-Roni boxes show up at NBC studios, someone is going to notice. Info on where to send the boxes can be found here: http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showtopic=779766

Prong 3: Organized download-aramas organizing fans to download episodes from NBC.com at organized times to show NBC how big the fan base is. The first one is scheduled for today, January 7 at 10pm (the regular time for the show, which is not airing today.) Fans, those interested in finding out what the show is about etc should download/stream/watch the first episode of the season "Love of a Lifetime" at 10pm from NBC.com

It just upsets me that in this age where what is real TV is being increasingly replaced by meaningless reality dribble like he return of American Gladiators, any number of the new mindless gameshows based strictly on luck or chance, oh, and lets not forget the karaoke shows, or the 50 million shows about the real life of some rapper or celebrity du jour (Irv Gotti, the Kardasians, Kimora Lee Simmons, Snoop -- do I really need to see their everyday life on a weekly basis!?!?) that a show that is complex, detail oriented, smart and intriguing can be canceled while shows like Fear Factor are allowed to live on in perpetuity!

I urge you, if you are a fan of Journeyman, let your voice be heard. If you have not ever watched an episode, check them out at NBC.com. But please people, let the studio know that we actually care to see well-written, suspenseful fiction protrayed by professional actors on our TVs!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080101/ap_on_re_us/looking_for_cooper

If you missed NBC Nightly News last week....

You can see all the stories online at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21982216/

Watch NBC Nightly News this week!

News about this series has been going around but in case you haven't heard yet, Brian Mitchell is doing a 5 part series starting Monday on the problems facing African-American women in this country. Topics will range from education to relationships, the 2008 election to health, interracial dating to the portrayl of women through hip hop music.

Please check it out and encourage others you know to do so as well! On your local NBC station. You can also check www.msnbc.com for message boards and blog entries on the series.

Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous

What would we do without YouTube! These guys are on this show on HBO called Flight of the Conchords about a band from New Zealand trying to make it in New York. It had me cracking up!




Here is the version from the show....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FArZxLj6DLk

My secret dream....

Many of you may not know, but I have a secret dream to be a ballroom dancer! Well, specifically, the latin dances (you can keep the fox trot, quick step and waltzes.) Which is why I was obsessed with "So You Think You Can Dance!" I mean, Dancing With the Stars had nothing on this show..... Yes, it is impressive to see what non-dancers can accomplish but to see established dancers in their own right grow into well-rounded professionals, masters all dance styles and being forced out of their comfort zones with awe-inspiring results is just the best!

And I mean, I have watched previous seasons, but this season was just the best. All the dancers are really great. And my favorite to win (Sabra, and she has only been dancing for 4 years!) actually won, but really, the amount of exposure they have all gotten on this show, I am sure that they will all have great careers. Mind you, these dancers are learning 3 or more routines a week with not more than 2-3 days to learn the routines. Here are some of my favorite Sabra moments!

Jazz routine with Nick - Eurhythmics


Hip Hop routine with Dominic - Ne-Yo


And this Pasa Doble with Nick is just crazy! I continue to be amazed by the ending.... (sorry for the crappy quality, I think you still get the idea)

Essense has an expose on 60 black bachelors who love black women..... Can you say "Ahhhhh!"

Check it out!

http://www.essence.com/essence/dorightmen/index.html

Okay, there are a couple I am really tempted to email!

Spotlight on Cathy Hughes

Watching the movie, Talk to Me, influenced me to do some more research on Cathy Hughes and her company, Radio One. Although an ancilliary story to the movie, the movie really introduces us to the beginnings of an African-American radio empire, that many may not know anything about.

Radio One is the seventh largest radio broadcasting company in the country which targets African American and urban markets and owns 70 stations in 22 cities. It was the first African-American woman-owned company to be traded on the stock exchange. It is responsible for the syndicated Russ Parr Morning Show

Additionally, in a joint venture with Comcast Corporation, the company created TVOne with lifestyle and entertainment oriented programming for African American adults.

But all these amazing accomplishments underpin an impressive personal story. Cathy Hughes was born and grew up in a housing project in Omaha, Nebraska. Extremely smart and ingenuious, she was the first African-American to attend a pretegious catholic school in the area and had a job at the age of 14 with the local African-American newspaper selling classified ads. However, when she found herself pregnant at age 16, her dreams became derailed....temporarily. Fueled by the determination to provide a good life for her son, she turned her passion for urban owned media into a media empire. For more information on her inspiring life story, read this profile on the Nebraska State Education Association website.

Go see "Talk to Me!"

I urge you all to go out THIS WEEKEND and see the movie "Talk to Me" starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Vondi Curtis-Hall & Martin Sheen. The movie, currently in limited release with the promise of wider release with enough interest from the public, is directed by Kasi Lemmons of Eve's Bayou fame anf fellow sister in lockdom (See her below on the cover of the famous book, "Dreads" by Francesco Mastalia, Alfonse Pagano, & Alice Walker.)

The movie is about Petey Green, a controversial talk radio personality, in Washington, DC in the 60's and 70's. Petey, called the forefather of talk radio as we know it today, was the imperfect voice of a frustrated black community in turbulent and confusing racial times. He was a public figure who was not scared to say what need to be said in the most direct and irreverant way possible. But he was able to mobilize a community in a time when they felt they had no voice.

Check out trailers and more general information here.

If it is showing in your city, go see this movie and let the movie studios know that this is the type of film you want to see more of! And, give the folks in smaller markets the chance to see it themselves.

Addendum: I went to go see this movie myself last night and it is really a great movie! We all laughed out loud so hard at certain scenes (in fact the woman next to me laughed so hard she hit me a couple times --- and then apologized.) I don't remember laughing that hard at a movie in a long time! And there were really touching scenes as well that made me cry.... This is really just a great movie! My hats off to Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejifor and Taraji P. Henson for some really multifaceted performances. I didn't really realize that Ejifor's character was Dewey Hughes, the ex-husband of Kathy Hughes and co-owner of the radio station that would be the foundation of the black owned Radio One media empire. There is actually only one reference to Kathy Hughes in the whole movie, even though the end covers the time when she and Dewey were married, which makes me believe that the movie did not have her full support, but it was really interesting to learn about a portion of our more recent black history that I had no idea about, even though I lived in the DC area for 10 years. Also, read this story about how the movie got made, despite the odds.

My thoughts on the latest media Imess....

So I had wanted to post about this mess with Don Imus and his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team but I didn't get a chance to yesterday and I had a feeling that one of my other blogger compatriots would get to the subject before I did --- and it happened. Bygbaby has done a great job of summarizing and quoting the comments by and about Don Imus in the past week in his post from April 8th. I know that when I first heard that something was said about the team and that they were called "hardcore hos" and nappy-headed hos" I was annoyed but not as offended as when I heard the entire conversation and all the comments that Imus made. As Bygbaby, mentioned he did go as far as comparing the Rutgers and Tennessee women's teams to the "Jigaboos" and "Wannabes" from Spike Lee's School Daze but he did additionally talk about all the tattoos on the Rutgers women and also went on to contrast to how the Tennessee women were "so cute." So now I am pissed......

The Backlash
So, initially, Imus has gotten a two-week suspension however, it won't start until Monday. And there has started to be some other public backlash, albeit small...... Cal Ripken, Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles baseball player, declined to fulfill his appearance on the show scheduled for this week in light of these comments. (It is also worth noting that John McCain, Republican Presidential Candidate, said that an apology was good enough for him and has decided to still come on the Imus show as planned. He's not the one who needs the apology!!! Is this the kind of sensitivity you want in a president???) Staples & P&G have canceled their advertising on his radio show and MSNBC just announced that they will cancel the TV simulcast of his radio show in light of his comments. Barack Obama has called for Imus' firing and C. Vivian Stringer, the coach of the Rutgers women team, held a dignified press conference on the matter and the team has agreed to meet with Imus on the matter. But what I keep wondering is how come the NCAA has not come out to comments on these comments made about their players??? I would expect them to at least issue some statement taking about about how they don't support derogatory comments made about college athletes etc...... What signal is that sending about how it supports its athletes? And what about Pat Summit? Shouldn't she be making some comment in support of their rival team and the coach who has been a good friend of hers for 30 years??? Well, I suspect more reaction is yet to come but I am disappointed that it so slow in coming.....

***************************
In an example of exactly why Imus' comments should not be taken lightly and should be approached with the appropriate consequences, a DJ in Allentown, PA thought it would be cute to make the phrase in his station's "Phrase that Pays" contest on Tuesday, you guessed it, "I'm a nappy-headed ho!" Three of the listeners who called were awarded tickets to a NASCAR promotion at a local club. Nice, huh? He was subsequently fired, with the justification that "he uttered the slur in a premeditated manner, 'with full knowledge of the reaction to Don Imus' use of the exact same phrase.'"