Front Street

2012-01-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

DID NEW YORK BECOME FUN AGAIN IN 2011???
By Gigi

Let’s re-cap shall we? Thanks to a global economic meltdown, the lingering desperation in the air brought down our emotional walls and New Yorkers became friendlier and more open than we’ve been in ages; most of us no longer propped up by elitism as we reached out to one another like we were having a massive midlife crisis together─but in a good way…

Activism replaced bottle service as we saw the rise of Occupy Wall Street, a grassroots movement hating on the corporate greed and corruption that has led to drastic social inequality, unemployment, and unfair parity. The marchers stomped against financial institutions all over the city and ultimately the world, while the OWS home base at Zuccotti Park brought back a 60s-ish rebel yelling community complete with old-style folk singers, fringed ponchos and new-style celebrity drop ins.

Like the Tea Party movement, Occupy Wall Street targets the way our economy is run, but The New York Times took pains to point out that at least OWS is against the right people…because the Tea Party members are all Republicans!! That became clear with their detailed demands, like minimum wage for members of Congress and “removal and arrest of all CEOs responsible for the Great Recession.” The generation being propelled into the hopelessness of someone else’s making wasn’t going to take it in a prostrate position, even if incidents of police brutality and neighborhood antagonism were trying to wet-blanket the excitement by idiots yelling, “GET A JOB!!!”, forgetting that this uprising was happening because there weren’t any!!! But let us continue…..

Unemployment stayed high while President Obama’s popularity plummeted faster than my money-market fund. But he managed some badass triumphs through the gridlock of our deadeningly partisan political system, such as...

1. Shooting down Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in September 2011. I mean after all, you can’t launch bogus wars (Bush), AND THEN turn away soldiers based on whom they sleep with?
2. As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approached, Osama bin Laden was creamed in May 2011, proving that Bush hadn’t really been trying all that hard─no really!
3. In the midst of playing out all these life and death issues, President Obama had to make time to provide his long-form birth certificate to the world and the racist Republicans in particular.
4. Then, there was the coming of the Rapture, but shockingly turned out to be wrong. So the date was re-scheduled (gosh! more packing!) for a later date that never came either! So the globe kept spinning.
5. The Republicans were forced to choose from a bevy of intolerant oddballs in hopes of regaining the White House and undoing whatever human rights advances had taken place in the past three years.
6. Old sexual harassment charges surfaced for horny Herman Cain and his catchy 9-9-9 tax overhaul plan gained prominence right next to Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachman.

I could go on because there’s much more to recap, but if you’ve kept up with all that was considered news worthy last year, then I guess I’m being redundant.

2011-12-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

MILLIONAIRES TELL CONGRESS: PLEASE RAISE OUR TAXES

By Gigi

A well-heeled group calling themselves ‘The Patriotic Millionaires For Fiscal Strength’ lobbied Capitol Hill with an unusual request: “Tax me.” Members of Patriotic Millionaires—open only to people with incomes of $1 million and higher—testified at a hearing on jobs and taxes, then met with super committee members and their staffs, other Congressional leaders and lawmakers from the Tea Party Caucus. They also spent time with low-tax crusader and Republican strategist Grover Norquist. “It will take all patriotic Americans working together to fix the problems irresponsible politicians caused by cutting taxes for millionaires at the same time they put two wars on the nation’s credit card,” insists Erica Payne of Patriotic Millionaires. “We need to pay for the choices we make. These Patriotic Millionaires are willing to do that. And we will ask our elected officials…most who are millionaires, if they’re willing to do the same.” The Patriotic Millionaires For Fiscal Strength stated, “that they are willing to pay more in taxes because the sacrifice is both an ethical and patriotic decision, and made in the hopes of allowing the United States to continue to be a leader economically, politically, and morally.”

I agree with the above statements and would further state that ANY deal reached by the super committee that does not ask millionaires to pay their fair share should be vetoed. Initially formed to urge President Barack Obama to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for people making more than $1 million a year, membership has swelled to 200, and includes dozens of Google employees, actress Edie Falco, founders of Esprit, the Princeton Review, and Ask.com philanthropist Michael Steinhardt, economist Nouriel Roubini, financial guru Andrew Tobias, top executives from Warburg, Pincus and filmmaker Abigail Disney.

Reducing the income tax on top earners is one of the most inefficient ways to grow the economy; according to the Congressional Budget Office…44 percent of Congress is millionaires!!!! The Bush tax cuts were never meant to be permanent, and letting them expire for the top 1 and 2 percent would pay down the debt by $700 billion over the next 10 years.

2011-11-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

FROM PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT
By Gigi

Former President Bill Clinton is giving President Barack Obama advice on the current economy in his new book. I won’t buy it because I know EXACTLY what he has to say. A couple of highlights include:

1. How the debt ceiling fight made the United States look weak and confused to other countries, which look upon us for guidance. The 2011 debt ceiling fight almost brought the U.S. Department of the Treasury close to defaulting on its debts. Clinton urged Obama to raise the ceiling unilaterally and cite constitutional provisions for doing so…Obama didn’t.

2. And how President Obama should’ve sought and locked down an increase hike while the democrats briefly controlled the house; because the final deal did very little to create jobs or solve longer-term debt crisis.

3. How President Obama can create jobs and make the United States competitive again, especially with China, India and Russia. Such as creating green energy and infrastructure improvements and advocating for reforming the tax code by cutting some corporate taxes and giving businesses greater incentives to hire.

But while blaming the republicans anti-tax Tea Party movement for the cause of the current mess as well as Wall Street—Clinton also blames President Obama for several strategic “misfires” early in his fledgling administration. Clinton criticizes Obama and other democratic lawmakers for not making a stronger and cogent case for the steps they took to stabile the U.S. economy in 2009, like the bank and auto bailouts which prevented another depression and the $787 billion economic stimulus program. While campaigning for democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, Clinton tried to explain to the American people what Obama and the party had accomplished, but his efforts were stymied up against the angry Tea Party who stayed on anti-government message and the democrats had no national message to counter the anti-government Tea Party republicans.

Also, Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden urged the Democratic National Committee to distribute a clear set of talking points to activists so they would know how to discuss what the party had accomplished…but couldn’t persuade them to do so. So, the democrats suffered historic defeats in 2010—losing control of the House and giving up several Senate seats.

Clinton strongly criticizes republicans for taking the country deeply into debt under George W. Bush’s presidency…AND I AGREE!! BUT WHO’S LISTENING?

2011-10-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

IS PRESIDENT OBAMA A MAN OR A MOUSE?!?
By Gigi

President Obama is up against an unprecedented and unusual amount of racist republican obstructionism. He’s tried to negotiate with republican’s because he can’t do it unilaterally. But what I hate the most about President Obama is that ALL the fights thus far that he’s had with the republicans was over money and budgets—and he’s caved each and every time to WHATEVER the republicans demanded! Starting from the first 100 days of his administration in 2009, Obama has caved on:

1. Bush’s tax cuts for the rich
2. The debt ceiling fight
3. The public option piece of the healthcare reform, etc.

In regards to the debt ceiling, he could’ve invoked the 14th amendment and explained to the American people and Congress (since Congress have short memories)—that those existing bills were ALREADY run up by Bush and we have to pay for them!!! And that we CANNOT IGNORE them!!! America is in a crisis—he HAD the American people behind him, because they elected a democrat to be president. So we should expect democratic policies and NOT placate the republicans because they had 8 years!!! And no matter how bi-partisan Obama is towards the republicans, they’re still not going to like him. So once and for all he should stick to his convictions.

And as the 2012 elections draws near, it’s time for President Obama to start highlighting and articulating his accomplishments. He’s actually done quite a lot in the first 3 years of his administration:
1. President Obama prevented a depression
2. Prevented the banks from going under by giving bailouts
3. He STOPPED Congressional Speaker, John Boehner from stopping unemployment insurance for people out of work
4. He forced insurance companies to cover and insure pre-existing conditions
5. He lowered taxes for middle class and poor people
6. He re-started stem cell research
7. He passed a credit card Bill of rights
8. He got the U.S. out of Iraq
9. He signed a nuclear treaty with Russia
10. He appointed 2 minority women to the Supreme Court
11. He’s reforming education (No Child Left Behind)
12. And he’s killed 2 very important terrorist, one of them Osama Bin Laden thereby crippling Al Qaeda

President Obama has the same problem like Former President Jimmy Carter; he’s unable to deliver his message of accomplishments effectively. He’s not touting his achievements because he doesn’t want to seem as if he’s pandering, meanwhile the republicans are campaigning on his and the other democrats mistakes. President Obama had better wise up…AND SOON!!!!!

2011-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

FOLLOW-UP: OF THE RICH BY THE RICH AND FOR THE RICH
By Alexis Gigi Thornton

In response to my article last month, my brother in North Carolina who is an Elder in his church was moved enough to write to our President of the United States. An excerpt of that letter is below….

September 9, 2011

Mr. President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President Obama,

I would like to commend you on your speech addressing the job situation that we now face. Although some may think that it was not good enough or it won’t be much of an impact to the economy. The American people must be reminded that it took eight years to get in this mess and when you took office to stop the economic hemorrhage left by the current administration which was under the republican control, and that they created this economic problem. And at that point the jobless unemployment percentage rate was around 7.3 and climbing prior to you assuming office. Mr. President you must also remind the American people that the stimulus plans set forth was not a failure because it prevented us from being in a much worst situation than we are currently in to date. And that it would have been a major success if the GOP would have allowed stipulation to be added to the bill as to the proper usage of the stimulus funds that were being extended to help reenergize and stabilize our economic dilemma.

And that the proposal that you are now presenting to congress to approve will not recoup all that was lost in an eight year period overnight or in one year, but, it will benefit our situation and put us back on course in the right direction in rebuilding and stabilizing our economy. Also stress the fact that you are just 1/3 of the governing body and that you can’t bring about the changes needed to stabilize our situation on your own and that you need help to do so, be it republican or democrat; that we need a governing body that will put people over politics. And that it is up to the American voter to make it known at the ballot box come November 2012, if those that are hindering American from moving forward is replaced with someone who will. Mr. President once again I would like to commend you on your strenuous and tireless efforts in returning jobs to the American people. I also want to encourage you to go forth and “sell, sell, sell” your plan to the people. And give no ear to the negativity coming for the far right, the American are really counting on you.

Mr. President I want you to remember this passage of scripture from the King James Version.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. May God continue to be with you evening with all the adversities you may face.

Sincerely,

Alexander C. Wilson Jr.

But I want to just add, that I’m not sure if the right wing in this country is THAT crazy or just think that the rest of us are idiots, but their solution to the jobs problem and our economic woes is to continue to throw more money-MORE MONEY, at the rich. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!! And no one can point to one job that was created, NOT ONE!!! I propose taxing the richest corporations and people at a flat rate of 25%. Then take the tens of billions of dollars and start hiring people to rebuild our infrastructure, teach our children, provide better healthcare to start. And we can put the so called Tea-Party where they belong…in boiling hot water!!!!!!

SEE YOU IN OCTOBER ON FRONT STREET

2011-08-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

OF THE RICH BY THE RICH AND FOR THE RICH
By Gigi

Our laws and culture cater more to wealthy people: they have tax breaks, industry-written laws, bailouts and de-regulation. All of this makes the lives of the top 1% a little cushier. Bush once stated that his tax cuts for the rich would create jobs, but it didn’t. Taxpayers bailed out corporate America but they refuse to create jobs, instead they’ve laid people off and they’ve divided up the profits to purchase more private airplanes and mansions for themselves. Multi-national corporations have taken jobs from America that has unions and pension and healthcare to overseas where it’s cheaper, such as to China and India.

Congressional republicans are killing the middleclass by allowing multi-national corporations to be taxed only 5%, if they bring 1.4 trillion of their overseas profits. This was tried in 2004, and it didn’t create jobs. That was a blatant lie. The company’s took the savings and paid it out to themselves in dividends. Every congress for the past ten years has raised the debt ceiling, but for the first time in history (and I think it’s because we have a Black president) Congress has tethered the debt ceiling and include it to normal budget talks.

The republicans ran up ALL the debt, bought all the wars without paying for it, but yet they’re supposed to be the party of business. So what did congress do to bring President Obama and the rest of the democrats to their knees? They played ‘chicken’ with the budget and recession and would rather bring on the depression if need be, just to win the next presidential election, lower America’s triple A credit rating and bring the entire country down!!!! Can anyone say TREASON!!!!!

Even Warren Buffett the billionaire, stated you cannot link the debt ceiling with regular budget talks. The republicans hate Obama so much, that if he didn’t agree with his demands, they would’ve destroyed America’s economy and the world’s economy. I’m now convinced that the republicans are the new Dr. Evil!! Because the United States was already in debt BEFORE the Obama administration…by borrowing money from China (now China owns large amounts of prime American real estates) and issuing treasury bonds.

Now republicans refuse to listen to common sense. John Boehner, the Speaker of Congress is blaming Obama for not creating jobs! WHAT?!? It’s up to Congress to do this and they’ve yet to vote for any job creating programs; instead they’ve spend all their time going after Medicare, planned parenthood, social security, Obama’s birth certificate and Michelle Obama’s trips abroad!!! The reason? They want unemployment to be lousy so that they can win the next election! And they probably will because largely, the American public are stupid and naïve and can’t see the forest for the trees to what the republicans are doing and most are racist and resentful that a Black man is in the White House. So they’ll probably once again vote against their own interest; and instead, vote for big business, not realizing that most of us are low or middle class. What banks and corporations did in 2007-2008 on Wall Street is slowly fading from the memories of the average American public. And that’s sad.

2011-07-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

RACE-BAITING IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS
By Gigi

Close to 200,000 people have ask the owners of FOX NEWS, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes to fire Eric Bolling, host of the “Follow the Money” on Fox Business. Bolling have been making racist and bigoted comments about President Barack Obama reinforcing racial stereotypes and perpetuating race-based fears. One would think that in this day and age, no reputable news organization would sit idly by while its personnel uses its platform to stoke race-based fear and hate─behavior that is insulting to Black Americans and does a disservice to Americans of every color.

After an initial outcry, Bolling issued a weak apology. He claimed that he got carried away in the moment. The statement belies the fact that Bolling made the racists comments repeatedly and separately on Twitter. And no, I won’t repeat them here! We’ve seen and heard nothing from either Murdoch or Ailes─and no attempt to hold Bolling accountable…it’s just business as usual.

The Color of Change organization would like to invite a conversation, in hopes of achieving some clarity─as to why conservatives…mostly republicans, insist on being rude, insensitive and overtly racists against African American in general and President Obama in particular? The Color of Change organization wants to do everything it can to make sure that Americans of every color understands the truth about Fox and race-baiting as well as give their member’s ways of responding that will hold FOX NEWS accountable…that will affect Fox’s brand and bottom line!

2011-06-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

ANCHOR BABIES
By Gigi

Anyone born on United States soil is an American citizen regardless of his or her parents’ citizenship. The newly minted term, “Anchor baby” is a derogatory term for a baby born in the United States to illegal immigrants hoping that a child or children will anchor them in this country. Now I must admit, I used to say unkind things about these particular people, and they weren’t all Hispanic, Latin or Spanish…whichever rubric you wish to use. Quite a few were Africans from Africa; and Asians and Indians from Asia, etc.

Once that US citizen child reaches legal age, which is 18 years old, immigration law allows him/her to sponsor his/her own parents for citizenship as well as for older siblings who were not born into this country. There are most who believe that US born children of illegal and undocumented immigrants should not be US citizens. Shouting from the conservative right, Republicans want a hearing to discuss amending the 14th amendment which grants citizenship to children of illegal immigrants. Senator John Kyl, a republican from Arizona stated last year that Congress should hold hearings to look into denying citizenship to illegal immigrant’s children born in the United States, as the fight over immigration widens into the explosive “birthright” issue. “Both parents who are here illegally should not be awarded for their illegal behavior!” He states.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a republican from South Carolina said that he was considering introducing a Constitutional amendment to repeal a provision of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born within the United States borders. And that children born in the United States whose parents are here illegally should not automatically become United States citizens. In addition, the Senator continues, immigrants are taking jobs that Americans want; immigrants pose a burden on the various states in the form of education, medical care and welfare benefits and some are criminals.

I don’t know how he plan to get everyone—Democrats including, on board with something that smacks of racism; in addition to the 14th Amendment, which was enacted in 1868 to ensure that states would not deny citizenship to former slaves. It read, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

In my humble opinion, it may be an attempt to turn back 150 years of constitutional history and tradition. The US is a country of immigrants and always has been. And the 14th amendment is therefore clear. Anyone born here, unless you’re a child of a diplomat, is a United States citizen. It’s part of what has made this nation the great nation that it is in 2011.

2011-05-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

KILLING OSAMA BIN LADEN
By Gigi

The decision to target and kill Osama bin Laden is being applauded by all decent people. Approval to capture or kill this mass-murdering terrorist leader was given by President Obama. It was the right thing to do…it was the right decision, both morally and legally.

Although bin Laden wore no military uniform and held no official military rank, he was an appropriate military target. As the titular and spiritual head of al-Qaida, he was the functional equivalent of a head of state or commander in chief of a terrorist army. So for the rest of the world who denounces and say that the United States actions of entering a sovereign country to kill a mass murderer as immoral and illegal, I say GO TO HELL!!!!!!! And also let the world stop applying a double standard to Israel first and let it start judging the merits and demerits of military tactics such as targeted killing.

2011-04-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

STOP DEMONIZING THE DAMN UNIONS!!!
By Gigi

JUST SOME FACTS:

1. WHO CAUSED THE ECONOMIC CRISIS?
Banks, fat cat Wall Street speculators, mortgage lenders, rich global corporations shifting jobs from the U.S. overseas…

2. WHO IS PROFITING IN THE RECESSION?

Corporate profits, 3rd quarter of 2010, were $1.6 trillion, 28 percent higher than the year before, the biggest one-year jump in history! Meanwhile, average wages and total wages have fallen for all incomes, except the wealthiest Americans whose income grew five-fold.

3. WHO IS NOT PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE?

In U.S. facing a budget shortfall, revenues from corporate taxes have declined $2.5 billion in the last year. In Wisconsin, two-thirds of corporations pay no taxes, and the share of state revenue from corporate taxes has fallen by half since 1981. According to a general Accountability Study out today, nationally, 72% of all foreign corporations and about 57% of U.S. companies doing business in the United States paid no federal income taxes for at least one year between 1998 and 2005.

4. ARE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OVERPAID?

State workers typically earn 11% less and local public workers earn 12% less than private employees with comparable education and experience. Nationally, cutting the federal payroll in half would reduce spending by less than 3%.

5. WOULD PAY AND BENEFIT CONCESSIONS BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES STOP THE DEMANDS?

Absolutely not!!! The republican/tea party/conservatives have made it clear. It wants to cut public pay, pensions, and health benefits, restrict collective bargaining for public sector workers and prohibit public sector unions.

6. WILL THE RIGHT BE TROUBLED IF CUTS IN WORKING STANDARDS MAKE IT HARDER TO RECRUIT TEACHERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS?

No. Because although teachers have accepted wage freezes and other cuts in recent years, many right-wingers goal is to privatize education and destabilize public schools. They’re slowly shredding the government workforce and gutting all government services and will make it harder to crack down on corporate abuse or to implement other public protections and services.

7. WILL THE RIGHT-WINGER STOP AT CURBING PUBLIC WORKERS RIGHTS?

No. Right wing governors and state legislators are seeking new laws to restrict union rights for all private and public employees.

8. DOES EVERYONE HAVE A STAKE IN THIS FIGHT?

Yes. The rise in living standards for the middle class in the 1950s was the direct result of a record rate of unionization in America. It is of course unions that won the 8-hour day, weekends off, and many other standards all Americans take for granted that are now often threatened with the three-decade long attack on unions spurred by that right wing icon Ronald Reagan. Increased wages and guaranteed pensions put money into the economy with ripple effect that creates jobs and spurs the economy for all.

SO IT’S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO SAY IT LOUD:
 No more cuts in public sector pay, pensions, or health benefits
 Balance budgets by closing corporate tax loopholes, restoring fair share taxes on corporation and wealthy individuals
 Guarantee retirement security and healthcare for all

2011-03-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

STOP THE FINANCIAL RAPING OF POOR COUNTRIES
BY GIGI

The international and financial banking institution has rightfully frozen the assets of Libya’s former president for life, Col. Moammar Khadafy and his family just like former Egyptian president for life, Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak and his family. If only France (greedy cowards) had done the same thing to Jean-Claude Duvalier, better known as Baby Doc, for plundering the countries treasury; then Haiti wouldn’t be in the sad shape it is in now. Just like his father (Papa Doc) before him, he lived without fear of prosecution. Baby Doc and his entire family lived in such opulence and splendor that rivaled kings and queens of other countries!!!

Well, Baby Doc…Jean-Claude, got it into his head to return to Haiti, under disillusionment and egomaniacal narcissistic craziness, that the people have short memories and would welcome him back home to lead the country in its hour of need. He reigned for over a decade and a half from 1971 to 1986, with crimes so heinous and murderous, that a U.S. hit squad should’ve followed his thieving murdering ass to France. Well upon his arrival in Haiti, Jean-Claude was arrested. Hopefully he will be charged for his past murderous crimes, including plundering the treasury, the selling of drugs, the commerce of selling human body parts, torture and disappearance of Haitian citizens as well as other human rights violations. Between 40,000 to 60,000 people died or disappeared under both the father and son’s rule.

Still, the human rights abuses will certainly prove more challenging. There has never been a systematic investigation into what happened during the Baby Doc years, and what few attempts have reached courts in the past two decades have met obstacles like statute limits. A case in Paris, for example, was dismissed because the crimes took place before the country’s relevant laws were in place. “Duvalier himself was not doing the shooting and torturing,” adding another complication, says a French prosecutor. “But it shouldn’t be that difficult to piece together.”

Thankfully, the strongest case in legal terms is the embezzlement, at least that’s what the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti says. For the financial crimes, they’ve got documentation, so, they're easy to prove, because they literally have boxes and boxes of evidence.
BR>And so, Haiti waits, as do many of the exiles and victims who remember life under Baby Doc like it was yesterday.

2011-01-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

AS HATE LEADERS TAKE OVER, IS THERE BLOOD ON SARAH PALIN’S AND OTHER BIGOTED CONSERVATIVES HANDS?
By Gigi

Remember all those anti-gay candidates who ran for office this year? Well guess what? As of January 2011, dozens of them endorsed by Sarah Palin and voted into office by bigoted constituents—mostly from the South, are now members of Congress and the House of Representatives. Voices of people, such as me are not important to them, because right-wingers don’t care how many Americans support equality, and therefore don’t understand the political implications or consequences of their hate. There’s a huge effort in a bigoted Congress right now to reverse ObamaCare and continue discriminatory federal legislation on gay anti-marriage, illegal immigration, hate crimes, employment non-discrimination, responsible HIV/AIDS policy, et.al. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!! We’ve allowed the haters and bullies lead the political and moral conversation for far too long. BUT NO!! THAT’S NOT ALL! NOW WE HAVE BULLETS OF HATRED!! I’m referring to the nut job in Tucson, Arizona, Jared Lee Loughner, who shot and killed six people, nearly killing Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Sarah Palin famously displayed a map on her website, showing districts, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson Arizona in cross hairs. I’m sure that Jared Lee Loughner heard some of the hateful vitriolic language before he loaded up and madness overtook him. He was obsessed with ultra conservative issues, like big government and taxes. People who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to this type of vitriol, and they’re encouraged by it. What hateful language am I referring to?

Sarah Palin: “Don’t retreat! Instead reload!”
Failed Nevada Tea Party candidate, Sharron Angle: “The first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out!”
S.C. State Sen. Jake Knotts: “She’s a fucking raghead. We got a rag head (Obama) in Washington already; we don’t need one (Nikki Haley, his rival for governor) in South Carolina.”
Rush Limbaugh: “If Obama weren’t black, he’d be a tour guide in Honolulu.”
Glenn Beck: “I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself or if I would need to hire somebody to do it?”
Ann Coulter: “Liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots.”

That’s just to name a few. And this type of thing has happened before and will again. Do you remember the angry rhetoric over the years that led James Earl Ray to murder Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Or the hatred that helped Sirhan Sirhan put his gun to Robert Kennedy’s head and pulled the trigger? These conservatives and other hate groups have to realize that there are consequences to their violent hate speeches. We are ALL Americans, whether you’re Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative. We have to find a civil way to communicate our differences and fix the country’s problems. Lately, and this is due to the United States having its first black president, amiable national debates have descended into a fusillade of racist and hate dialogue from politicians, political operatives, TV and radio pundits, anti-everything radical survivalists and militias. We’ve seen an extraordinarily rapid expansion of hate and so called ‘patriot groups’. What we don’t need in America is more division, hatred, bigoted violence and its ilk, all because we have a Black president. Racists Southerners and others will have to get over it and know America is not just theirs and theirs alone. We’re in this together. You hear that Sarah?

2010-12-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

WHAT A DEAL!!
By Gigi

I believe that the Republicans hate poor people. I believe that to the bottom of my core. Leona Helmsley, a billionaire once stated when she was indicted for tax evasion in the 1980’s, that “only the little people pay taxes”, and she was so right!!!! The tax deal President Obama struck with Washington’s muscle-flexing Republicans leaves a whole lot to be desired…in fact, it stinks!!! The arrangement leaves a country weathering 9.8% unemployment, essentially where it was before the GOP worked its will—only worse off, because the taxing and spending plan added only, oh, $900 billion to the deficit; which is an additional $900 billion the U.S. will have to borrow. Here’s the sorry scorecard: The Bush-era tax cuts expire December 31. President Obama wanted to extend them for everyone except for couples earning more than $250,000 a year and the very wealthy. The revenue would have markedly improved the nation’s balance sheet, but the GOP refused to let the cuts lapse especially for people earning more than a million dollars per annum. The result is that wealthy Americans keep their unjustified breaks and the economy gets no new stimulation.

So, to soften the blow, President Obama won an extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed and secured a 2% point reduction in the taxes wage earners pay to support Social Security. President Obama, forced to defend the deal, calls it, “real money for real people that will make a real difference in their lives of the folks who sent us here.” But since the breaks will largely replace a different, expiring middle-income tax break, the maneuver will have little stimulative impact.

The Republicans insistence on maintaining the Bush breaks at the top—plus an unconscionable reduction in the estate tax, threw the United States further into an ever-deepening hole. Nice work by a party that postures as a paragon of fiscal discipline and frugality.

2010-11-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!
By Gigi

Let’s see if I got this right…if you cross the North Korean border illegally, you get 12 years hard labor.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally, you will be detained indefinitely, and no phone call request will be granted.

If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally, you will be sent immediately to jail.

If you cross the Chinese border illegally, you may never be heard from again.

If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally, you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.

If you cross the Cuban border illegally, you will be thrown into political prison to rot….I know, I know, wait for it…But

If you cross the United States border illegally, you get:

 A job  A drivers license  A social security card  Welfare, complete with food stamps and Medicaid OR  SSI or SSD (social security disability benefits) for prior existing disability BEFORE crossing the U.S. border  Credit cards  Subsidized rent OR a loan to buy a house  Free education  Free health care  A lobbyist in Washington to advocate for you…you poor thing  Public documents printed in YOUR language…God Bless You  The right to carry your country’s flag while you protest that you want AND demand respect  To vote  WIC for your unborn babies that you slyly planned to be born on American soil, because after all, you get to stay because your baby was born in America.

I just wanted to make sure that I had a firm grasp on the situation.

IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

2010-09-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

DESPERATE LAZIO
By Gigi

The New York City and State primaries for Governor, Attorney General, State Senators, State Assemblymen, City Councilmen, etc. are two weeks away, with the elections rounding the corner in November. Republican gubernatorial contender Rick Lazio has made the centerpiece of his campaign a demand that Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo investigate the finances of the proposed Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero. He wants a probe to determine whether the center’s sponsors are raising money from interests that support radical Islam or sympathize with terrorists or both.

By that standard, Lazio should also call on Cuomo to investigate LAZIO. Here’s why: Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal sponsors the Kingdom Foundation, which backed mosques that spread radical Islam. Bin Talal suggested that the World Trade Center was attacked because of U.S. policies in the Middle East. Bin Talal contributed to telethons supporting families of suicide bombers. Bin Talal is a SHAREHOLDER in News Corp., owner of Fox TV and the New York Post (Rupert Murdoch, what say you?). News Corp donated $1 million dollars to the Republican Governors Association.

The association will support Lazio if he wins the GOP nomination. Is Lazio in league with terrorists sympathizers????? You connect the dots!!!!!!!

2010-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

RACE MATTERS: ACTING SUPERIOR
By Gigi

The Shirley Sherrod debacle appeared to have been analyzed from every possible angle. Shirley Sherrod, an African-American former Agriculture Department official was falsely accused of reverse discrimination and promptly fired and vilified by …everyone it seemed, until the real story came out. Conservative blogger and liar, Andrew Breitbart posted chopped up excerpts from a video of Shirley addressing the NAACP around March 2010. The chopped version was posted on YOUTUBE and was on continuous loop on the racist FOX news channel.

Everyone “condemned” her remarks and calls were made for her to resign, which she promptly did. Days, later upon reviewing the full unedited video in its entirety; everyone including the White House had to apologize. Shirley is planning to sue Breitbart, who didn’t apologize.

About 99.9% of members of any minority group can attest to having been treated badly by their white counterparts, but was written off as being overly sensitive, having a chip on their shoulders to real or imagined slurs, slights or putdowns. It’s getting old. This “acting superior” behavior is perhaps the most common trigger for racially motivated incidents. I’ve found in my own personal experiences that although minorities try hard to live by the rule that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, it’s a lot harder to deal with attitudes that make you feel small and worthless and undeserving. These feelings go to a deep, dark place within that words can never reach…but where nasty creatures reside, waiting to be unleashed. And then, stuff happens.

When color or ethnicity is in the mix, ignorance becomes the true source of racism and it’s usually the less educated that lash back with greater viciousness at people different from them. The have-nots blame the minority for their situation and assume that whatever we have was acquired at their expense, since we are seen as straying from our assigned places in society due to special treatment, such as affirmative action. American society also speaks with a forked tongue about minorities moving forward. We are supposed to become productive citizens, learn English, reach the American Dream…however you define it, and succeed at every step, yet, when we do, Tea Party movements are formed.

The truth is, for some people, we will NEVER be good enough; for them, we will always be foreign and inferior because of our accents, surnames or color of our skin. “Acting superior”… happens everyday.

2010-07-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

IMMIGRANT IGNORANCE
By Gigi

Even after a nationwide awareness campaign and intense mail back effort for questionnaires, the 2010 census is winding down…to sad results. Enumerators trained by the Census Bureau and cleared by the FBI have voiced their frustration regarding people not opening their doors or not answering their questions (ten in all). And I’m sorry to say this, but the complaints and frustration lie within the minority neighborhoods. Apathy and skepticism is causing the most under-served neighborhoods to be undercounted. The early days of summer represent the last chance for those not yet counted to be in the 2010 census mix. There are important things at stake here. Such as politically, the reapportionment of 435 seats in the House of Representatives, the alignment of the 435 Electoral College members who select the President and the reshaping of districts at the city and state levels. Also, the distribution of more than $4 trillion in federal fund is the economic piece of the equation.
There’s so much riding on the census, because there are many neighborhoods with significant immigrant population, including a good number who may be undocumented. Language barriers exist as well, as many neighborhoods have experienced an increase in people from South Asia, Mexico and West Africa. In addition, whether fluent in English or not, many immigrants come from countries where government mistrust runs deep.
But no matter what, and challenges notwithstanding, we have to do everything possible to insure an accurate count throughout the nation especially in those communities where by opening your doors to be counted can avoid Hurricane Katrina-like consequences later.
SO COME ON, LET’S ALL STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!!!!!

2010-06-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

THE ELENA KAGEN DEBACLE
By Gigi

I knew it…I just knew it!! I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and here it is. Quietly, behind the scenes, a small (and growing) phalanx of Black female and male professionals, intellectuals and scholars are holding discussions, roundtables and even coffee klatches about Obama’s choice for Supreme Court justice to replace retiring John Paul Stevens. To the disappointment of many Black women, Elena Kagan is the latest white American to leapfrog in front of Black women for a chance to serve on the Supreme Court. It was made even more disheartening for those who felt that just several weeks after Dorothy Height’s death that it would be a perfect time for the nation’s first Black President to do what should have been done long ago and nominate a Black woman for the highest court in the land. But it would appear that there’s a lack of any real consideration for qualified Black woman or even another Black man as potential candidates. While many other communities are pushing hard for action from the White House (immigration, gay rights, health care and unemployment), Blacks feel that they have to be tentative, conciliatory or ‘wait’ because the Obama Administration will be guilty of race favoritism.

I will say this however; Black women are incredibly loyal, even when Black men do not return the favor. Obama is truly testing the loyalties of Black women in his choice of Kagan; they are feeling the sting yet again…of being invisible. President Obama should not take the loyalties of Black women for granted…society already does.

2010-05-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

ARIZONA IS FED UP!!!!

And who can blame them? The situation was desperate!! So, Governor Jan Brewer was forced to do the job of the federal government─she signed a bill that allows the police to demand the papers of anyone reasonably suspected of being in the country illegally. Since this law is aimed at illegal immigrants from Mexico, the police are almost certain to bend over backwards to avoid any suggestion or racial profiling and will as a matter of fairness, stop and frisk the odd Scandinavian, Canadian or Asian. The law may seem absurd, but its harshness is no laughing matter. It has prompted wide spread outrage, but mostly from those individuals who don’t live near a porous border.

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants and they share a border with Mexico. There is an understandable nervousness over the drug-fueled mayhem that has been taken place in Mexico almost daily and some of it spilling into Arizona...such as a rancher was murdered not too long ago and people being kidnapped and held for ransom and home invasions─all drug related! Bottom line, we need Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, but fast! The Obama Administration had better pay attention to the conditions that produced that Arizona Law!!!

2010-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

BATTLING MY PERSONAL DEMONS
By Gigi

You may’ve noticed that my blogging has become sporadic with missing sequential months. It’s become very difficult for me to even write a few pithy lines of late. This month, I’ve had to defer my doctoral registration for school for Fall 2010, until I can get control of my condition and disease.

My family life has suffered and is still suffering. My second son, age 20, whom I’d pestered to graduate from high school, has decided to follow in his big brother’s footsteps and has dropped out of college in his second semester.

I’ve lost interest in everything, including this website, which is in need of upgrading. My writing, home life, friends, hobbies, job et.al holds no sway with me anymore. I’ve stopped going out and slowly gaining weight...again. We eat lots of take out, because I’ve stopped cooking. I used to cook everyday; now it’s once maybe twice a week.

My ailments: hypertension, scoliosis and clinical depression. I’m in constant pain due to my spine and scared to death I’ll become addicted to my vicodin pills. I’m also on Lexapro for my depression, which I’ve stopped taking without my doctors orders, because I’m having suicidal thoughts; I’ve been battling depression for the past 22 years. I’m also on Sular for my high blood pressure, which I’ve developed in the last 4 years, and is in direct co-relation to my weight gain. My body is so filled with prescription drugs that I’m afraid of taking a multi-mineral vitamin for my sluggishness and accidentally over-dosing like Anna Nicole.

The biggest surprise…no one knew! Not even inkling. Why? Because I’ve hidden it so well from my friends and family. I’m considered the strong one, the reliable one, the dependable and jovial one. I could be in a room filled with family or friends, and all I want to do is go in a corner and cry; or sometimes, I’m milling about, flitting from one group to another with a plastered fake smile on my face or nodding; but not really hearing what anybody is saying. If I appear okay on the outside, then who’s to know what ails me mentally or physically? Please excuse my rambling, disjointed thoughts.

I’m stopping right here…..

2009-12-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING: HAS IT BECOME TOO MATERIALISTIC?
By Gigi

Many people feel stressed out about buying and giving gifts around the holidays; even before the economy tanked, lots of people thought the holidays were too materialistic and more about the gifts than the feelings behind them. Before my family became Jehovah Witnesses, our holidays were marked with gifts and food. I enjoyed it even more as I got older because I realized that our holiday traditions brought the family together and allowed us to share and express a sense of gratitude, joy, abundance…and yes, love.

As a kid, I loved getting toys, clothes, etc. But the gifts were more humble; even the people who could afford extravagant presents probably didn’t do as much buying and spending as we do today. Our culture has grown more commercial, and gift giving has become a booming industry. Sometimes the original meaning behind the tradition gets lost, and the gift giving takes on a life of its own. The pressure of spending money on the right present also becomes the focal point of receiving as well. It’s all too easy to have high expectations of what’s in that beautifully wrapped box—and that can set anyone up for disappointment. When the materialistic aspects of the holiday overshadow its meaning that can leave people feeling empty and wishing for something more, holiday blues and feeling sad and empty ensues.

Holiday advertisements can also foster unrealistic expectations. We’re pressured to buy the perfect gift, get the perfect outfit, have the perfect party and get along perfectly with our perfect families and friends; it’s hard for reality to measure up. Of course there are some of us that simply love the holidays and appreciate the traditional aspects of it, like getting together and celebrating with friends and family. And some of us love shopping and are just fine with the entire gift giving and receiving. But if you’re feeling a little hollow about the holidays, you can focus on traditions and service─try putting real meaning into your giving, such as: volunteering at a hospital, homeless shelter, feeding the poor at a soup kitchen, etc. Happy Holidays.

2009-10-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

AN ODE TO THE SAGGING JEANS
By Gigi

As usual, I was running late and impatiently waiting for the always packed, number 36 cross town bus. The bus stop was starting to get a little crowded. So I positioned myself to the approximate spot to where the bus might stop. As I continued to read my newspaper, I was approached by a handsome young man that I’ve seen several times before around the neighborhood. He murmured, “good morning”. And I responded, “hello”. I shook my newspaper slightly, turned the page and buried my face deeper between the pages. I was in a bad mood and really wasn’t looking for conversation to pass the time. But he took no notice of this and pressed on. “I’ve seen you around the ‘hood before. Um, my name is…” Before he could finish, I stopped him. I took a deep breath, smiled softly and said that I wasn’t interested. I went back to my paper, but felt his eyes on me. I asked how old he was, and he said, “twenty-five”. I smiled again but felt my lips spreading even further until I was practically howling in his face. “You are the same age as my son”, I stated. “I might be old enough to be your patient, more experienced lover, but I’m not desperate like Madonna to even phantom about dating a boy two and a half decades younger than myself, and I have too much respect for myself; never mind the fact that I’m still married…I waved my wedding ring in his face.

I looked at his attire and was mildly disgusted; so I felt that I needed to school him on some things; first if he wanted to capture the interest of an older, sophisticated woman, he would have to stop speaking Ebonics or what I call ghetto-ese. And next, for him to dress better or at least pull up his sagging jeans. He stated he like wearing them that way and he never received complaints before, that even his mother doesn’t say anything. I took a pen out of my purse and ask him to spell the word sagging on my newspaper…he spelled it correctly, but left off the ‘g’ at the end. Then I asked him to write it backwards, and he did; it spelled N-I-G-G-A-S. He was floored. I told him that the origin of the look that he was so fond of came from back during slavery. Slave owners demoralized the field workers by forbidding them to wear a belt as they worked the fields. The field workers resorted to wearing rope to keep their pants from falling down. Also, in prison, pants are worn low for when a prisoner is ‘spoken for’. But belts are forbidden to deter suicide and to prevent you from running away. I told him that as a young Black adult, his entire generation will have to effect.

The media has made a mockery of their generation and Africans from Africa don’t take them seriously either. They must start by pulling up their pants and hold their head up high; that can make such a big difference in the world’s perception of us. Then perhaps, maybe…they will get respect. I looked up and the bus was baring down Webster Avenue and stopped right in front of me. I smiled. As people stepped off the bus, I turned slightly and said. “We need to love and respect ourselves more; no one is going to do that for us. If you take nothing else from this conversation…well, you know the rest.”

2009-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

THE SENATE FINALLY APOLOGIZES FOR SLAVERY…BUT SORRY, WE AIN”T PAYING YOU BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!!
By Gigi

The United States Congress is saying “sorry” for slavery. The Senate voted unanimously for a “resolution” acknowledging the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws”, which authorized the segregation that followed the Civil War. If the House passes a similar measure by June 30th, as expected, it would mark the highest official mea culpa for the hundreds of years of brutality and discrimination that had been enshrined by the Constitution and courts.

Slavery and Jim Crow, and their continuing consequences, are not the historical baggage of one state, one region or one company; they are an enduring national and institutionalize shame, and in some instances persists to this very day of 2009. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had both expressed remorse for slavery…how nice. And Congress has recognized other injustices, such as the internment or prolonged detainment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The slaughtering of indigenous Indians and the extermination of Jewish people during the holocaust, which didn’t occur in America but still, the aforementioned were all compensated in some form or another.

No one pretends that a mere apology or any words of remorse can right the wrongs of the most heinous crimes committed against Black people in the United States. The apology only represents the United States recognition of the past and its commitment to fully live up to our nation’s promise…and that is to never, NEVER EVER, allow this to happen again. The apology does have one caveat…it does not intend to compensate or pay reparations in any form, the apology is simply enough.

2009-04-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

BLOOD IN…BLOOD OUT
By Gigi
There’s a drug war that’s brewing in Mexico and Columbia between rival cartels. The Mexican authorities think that it’s America’s fault, since there’s a growing demand for illegal drugs in various forms and they want the United States to do something about it. People are being murdered over the sale of drugs which continues to underline the fact that billions of dollars in profit are at stake and create a level of greed so addictive, that in its cold bloodedness is not only incalculable, but rivals the greed on Wall Street! Yes, the two comparisons may be a bit extreme, but we have seen all of this before…remember the bootlegging Prohibition years? When politicians and religious zealots thought that outlawing the sale of liquor would bring an end to drinking and the worst excesses connected to it such as organized crime, but instead, the streets ran red with people murdered. Crime syndicates killed until legislation changed its tune. So I see the same thing happening here. Hundreds of people so far have been murdered in Mexico, from high government officials to innocent people caught in drug cross fires.

Pablo Escobar, one of the leaders of the Mexican cartel, declared war on Colombia by ordering entire city blocks to be blown up in order to defend his territory and cocaine profits. The drug trade needs to be broken, it needs to be broken in the same way the back of the bootlegging business was broken…by legalization. Perhaps significant legislative changes will put a permanent hole in the bucket of illegal drug dealing. Mexico is teetering on the brink of collapse; tourism is down because of all the bloodshed. Since Escobar’s greed is matched by his ruthlessness, and threats of doing prison have not run him or others like him out of business, we have to change the game until the game is destroyed. The dealers are trying to meet the massive American appetite for chemical fun in a time when the market is driven by middle to higher class “social users”, not addicts.

Our economy can use all the tax money it can get. We need to look at what legalization would do for us. The tax money would surpass the billions already spent on a drug war we never come close to winning. Also, the tobacco companies have the machinery in place to mass produce marijuana cigarettes on a sliding scale from light to very strong; and the pharmaceutical companies could handle all of the other drugs. The drug dealers will then have to compete against the big pharmaceutical and Phillip Morris-type companies that would not only take over the trade, but will have lower prices, ensure that the potency of the product will be safe and legal and they will pay billions of dollars in taxes. Yes, I hate it too, but I see no other way out of this mess and you can’t stop people from willingly spending billions of dollars of their own money to entertain them selves.

2009-03-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

OFFICE BACK STABBERS: WHY WOMEN BETRAY OTHER WOMEN AT WORK?
By Gigi

CONTINUATION….
To be sure, real progress must come through social policy changes to improve maternity leave and daycare, and to equalize women’s pay. But women can begin by talking about this with each other. The office environment is built around confrontation, and women must learn to engage in it with respect and full disclosure. Women should learn to fight their urge to share too much with female colleagues, a trait that can make them vulnerable. Emotional availability should be an asset, not a detriment, and competition can be healthy. Women can strike the balance between ambition and collaboration in part by discarding the old lie that competition is for men. Here are some tips if you feel that you’re at risk of being betrayed by a female colleague: you protect yourself hopefully without making enemies.

 As stated before, communication is key, deal with problems openly and directly

 Remember, being respected isn’t the same as being liked…you don’t have to be friends with other women on the job

 Keep the professional, professional: revealing too much can make you vulnerable. This isn’t high school and there’s no need to share every intimate detail of your private life with colleagues.

 Be sensitive to personality and value differences: before jumping to judge, put yourself in her shoes. Just because you’re both women doesn’t mean you think and act alike.

 Be generous with your time, your knowledge, and your resources: Teach the women who come under you how to handle conflict and to work together respectfully

 Stand up for yourself: be respectful, but be heard…no workplace I know offers a “Biggest Doormat” award

2009-01-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

OFFICE BACK STABBERS: WHY WOMEN BETRAY OTHER WOMEN AT WORK?
By Gigi

Working women and mothers are the norm these days. But as the number of professional women increases, so do the proverbial elephants in the office. The issue that no one seems eager to discuss is the phenomenon of women sabotaging each other in the work place…and why they do it.

Professional men have been merrily swiping at each other for years. But when it comes to women, it seems most of the stabbing is done in the back. We get opposing messages from the workplace about being ambitious and successful. In addition, we’re caught between ambition and social views of femininity, a working woman may subvert her competitive nature for more passive forms of aggression. We’re afraid to come across as ‘bad women’, as if we should always be bonding together and supporting one another. This fear not only keeps women from addressing the issue, but is also the crux of the problem. Women often still get strong messages that in our relationships with each other, we must put the other woman before ourselves.

Then you get some women, who think like men and want to excel professionally and don’t give a damn about being kind or a generous person and prefer to fight dirty. They will tell lies, withhold critical information, finger point and blame you for mistakes that are not of your making to the big bosses. They’re nice to your face, while boldly presenting your ideas as their own.

So what is the cause, aside from professional ambition which causes women to clash so fiercely at work? We can argue all day long about differences in race and class for bringing working women into conflict. There’s also competition over looks and sexual appeal if you can believe that! Such as co-workers being jealous of the attention you get in the workplace by the men on staff.

The first step to dealing with a difficult female at work?

Communication.

TO BE CONTINUED….

2008-11-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: SMILES, TENSION AND RESENTMENT
By Gigi

Happy Thanksgiving!! Three weeks ago, President-elect Barack Obama was voted into the nation’s highest office and is now the most powerful man on the planet. He will ascend the steps of the U.S. capitol January 20th 2009, to take the oath of office, as the first African-American president of the United States. Wow, those steps…those steps have an interesting history of their own—they were built by Black slaves…but that’s a topic for another time. What everyone is still discussing and bandying about? What the hell happened to the Republican Party? They lost this presidential election by a landslide, and from a Black man!!!! What happened during the aftermath of this historical election? Now Republicans are coming out in droves—like attack dogs, denigrating poor Sarah Palin; not that I feel sorry for her in the very least. She is no innocent. She is arrogantly ignorant and should never have seen the light of day beyond the woods of the Alaskan wilderness from which she was dragged. She should have never been standing next to John McCain!!!!

In the beginning, when they found Sarah Palin, they hiked all the way up to Alaska, and once they found her, they had to pry the high powered rifle from her hands, get her out of the lumber jack clothes and make her shiny and new for all the Hillary Clinton “sour grapes” feminists who were still angry that Hillary lost to Obama. Once presented as McCain’s running mate, the press and the Republicans fell in love with her; after all, she was shiny and new and rode high with their adoring adulation. But how the tides have turned!!! These same Republicans now curse her name. They touted her common quality and her “straight talk” and small town “goodness”; all this were suppose to be the Republican’s answer to the snotty, educated democrats complexity, sophistication and elitism. Too bad she wasn’t good enough. The love affair with Sarah Palin lasted all of 4 weeks; simply put…Sarah just didn’t know certain things…things that were supposed to be combined with real skills, imagination and resilience. Simply put, Sarah needed geographical lessons and civics lessons—even elocution lessons would’ve helped. Again, simply put, Sarah Palin wasn’t smart enough or knew enough to be vice-president.

Sarah, frightened people with her “straight talk”. She started to sound really dumb and simple. The American people don’t need any more dumb presidents like Bush. So the Republican Party scapegoat her; but the real problems of the Republican Party started way before Sarah…no matter what or how they’re trying to spin it now that they’ve lost. We can talk about Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber and all the sideshow psychodrama of feminist rage and elite loathing that had little to do with politics and everything to do with cultural prejudices. So these are my thoughts…my pearls of wisdom, and they should take heed.

1. The Republican Party needs to get rid of the virus that is the Christian Coalition. Because their influence and intolerance disguised as a social agenda continues to drive potential voters away in droves. They need to focus on issues such as balanced budgets, the national debt, etc.

2. They need to get back to their true conservative principles of fiscal responsibility and small government. The Republican Party that I remember used to be filled with intelligent people. That was before Ronald Reagan. So what happened? They just let anybody in.

3. Also, and this is a biggie…they have to stop relying on the White racist vote to get them elected and promote a platform of inclusion like Barack did, instead of hate-mongering politics they’ve gotten so good at over the decades. Sarah Palin was doing this, which is why you heard things like, “kill Obama”, “bomb Obama” at the Republican/KKK rallies. McCain allowed her to do this out of desperation and it cost him dearly. So the Republican Party needs to get away from the bible-thumping, backwoods racist freaks that hijacked the party.

4. Stop excluding Blacks; when you look at the Republican Party rallies, they were predominantly White. Barack’s rallies were a rainbow of races and nationalities coming together…INCLUSION, that’s a new word for the Republican Party to embrace…learn it…live it.

In Barack Obama, we get a President that’s politically intelligent with a steely self-discipline and who is valiant in his splendid elegance; also, with the election of Barack, history has been made. It will take time but we must be confident as Americans that he will get the economy moving, solve the credit and housing mess, reduce unemployment as well as reduce forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. May God bless him and his family and his cabinet members as well as the rest of his administration.

And as an after thought, the rest of America who did not vote for Barack Obama will have to get over it. Stop hating on Blacks, because Blacks helped to build America to what it is today…for free!!! And we’re not going anywhere and will no longer be denied.

2008-10-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

PARTY LINES: PARTY OVER HERE!!!!!
When discussing politics…

By Gigi

…Always keep in mind that you’re conversing, not campaigning. I’m usually guilty of the latter because of my zeal to be heard and understood. The presidential election is less than one short month away and I’m having conniption fits and migraines as a chaser. For me, talking politics in social life has become very tricky. It’s bad enough that I have newspaper cutouts of Obama’s face gracing the front page of several newspapers taped to my office wall, in plain view of every feminist in my office who voted for Hillary Clinton. I ignore the looks of derision and distain, why? Because as a Director of my unit, they don’t dare say anything to me—and as for me…it isn’t meant to be personal.
Plus I’m cool. I respect boundaries; I don’t ask whom someone is voting for, because that is invasive and intrusive (you know, nosy?) Usually I’ll ask something along the lines of “So how do you feel the election is going?” See? That will allow discussion to unfold in a general way, because it will become more personal soon enough, but in a mutually agreeable manner (gulp!! I hope). The reason politics can become so contentious with most people (with alcoholic drinks), especially at social gatherings, is that we confuse it with values. Politics is theoretical, historical, scholarly and impersonal—or at least it should be. But values are different; values are emotional, personal and tethered to our moral fiber…they define us as human beings.
Telling people they are wrong about something—anything, from their candidate of choice to Iran, Iraq, health care, the Supreme Court, etc. etc., will feel like an attack if we are talking personal values, not politics. And in response, we find ourselves defending our beliefs to the bitter end because one’s definition of self, unwittingly or not, seems to depend on being found right. It’s difficult some times, but I try to be impartial, by guiding the conversation away or simply changing the subject, when you can’t simmer down a loud mouth know it all. And God forbid if fisticuffs ensues, because I’m down…just kidding.
If you are talking to someone younger, try not to condescend to them and if you’re talking to someone older, try to back up your feelings with facts. Also, don’t forget the art of listening. Most importantly, never judge a person’s politics by how he or she is dressed. Such as, if he or she is dressed dull-looking, it doesn’t mean that they’re professorial, cerebral and an intelligent liberal who is too serious to care about clothes or fashion OR if someone is dressed sophisticated that they’re a conspicuous consumptive conservative. Politics can set off fiery debates, so tread softly…and carry mace…just kidding.

2008-09-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

FIGHTING TERROR IN HIGH HEELS: KEEP YOUR GUARD UP NEW YORK!!!
By Gigi

I’ve always prided myself as an independent thinker and sharp, intelligent woman. That being said, there are those who thought that Osama Bin Laden’s coven of homicidal murderers comprised ONLY of males…but I knew better. I knew that the danger was much broader than the image we have and were fed of terrorists: uneducated, stupid, impressionable, and backward males with a lot of time on their hands. And here comes Aafia Siddiqui captured in Afghanistan in July; Aafia Siddiqui’s hatred for the United States runs so deep, it’s visceral. Yet and still, she was educated at MIT. The United States is too free and easy with its ports. We’re so busy keeping out other immigrants like the Mexicans, who have no history of violent terrorists acts, but instead, we let in Al Qaeda’s “Mata Hari”.

Siddiqui was captured with a list of likely New York targets; also in her possession, were documents describing the creation of explosives, chemical weapons, and other weapons involving biological material and radioactive agents. She also carried with her excerpts from bomb-making bible, “The Anarchist Arsenal” and one gig-byte portable hard drive. We educated this 36 year old, Pakistani, religious zealot, who hates America and made her a neuroscientist with a Biology degree and a doctorate from Brandeis. I AM SO SICK AND TIRED OF THIS!!!! We shelter, educate, and give them free health care, and they hate us still!!!! A lot of people don’t know this, but about 12-15 years ago, Osama Bin Laden came to our country for free health care: we gave him a new kidney and dialysis treatments. If we didn’t he would’ve died and 9/11 probably wouldn’t have happened. Now he’s hale and hearty enough to do us damage.

Siddiqui’s apparent target list is a reminder to us all, that the fanatics are still out to get us; and they are patient, methodical and vigilant. Siddiqui was on the federal authorities radar shortly after 9/11. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, another mastermind being held at Guantanamo Bay, named her as a possible Al Qaeda operative, plus she used to be married to his nephew. But before she could be captured and questioned, she disappeared for a few years, and only re-surfaced this summer in time for the anniversary of 9/11, just 2 months away. Now she’s griping about not getting the proper medical treatment. Okay sidebar: Siddiqui was shot in Afghanistan; she grabbed a federal workers gun and fired at him, he fired back wounding her. That is when they discovered the documents, et.al. on her person. So she’s here in the U.S. facing federal charges. ONLY IN NEW YORK FOLKS…ONLY IN NEW YORK…..stay tuned.

2008-08-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

AMERICA FOR SALE: THE UNITED STATES IS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK
By Gigi

America is for sale, and the buyers of some of our most iconic corporate assets are a bunch of Mid-east oil sheiks (who are Muslim and may have terrorist ties), Asian government investment funds and market Marxists…and they all hate us! The United States is sinking fast and growing desperate; some of the biggest U.S. corporations have been grabbing foreign dollars by selling off chunks of themselves to foreign economic powerhouses that were once second and third tier states. Amid a historic sell off of the city’s bluest blue chips, Uncle Sam has been a bystander, lowering interest rates and peddling Treasury bonds as critics cry that the wheels are starting to fly off the U.S. economy.

I am not a financial analyst or won’t even pretend to fully understand all the inner workings of high finance. But from my limited understanding, what I’m seeing is that the United States is borrowing from the rest of the world and that means to me, that larger and larger fractions of the U.S. asset base are going to be owned by companies that are not headquartered in the United States and individuals who are not citizens of the U.S. The city has faced runs on its holdings before; the most famous one that I can remember is when the Japanese giant Mitsubishi bought Rockefeller Center in 1989. And that started the trend. Earlier this year, Citigroup sold a $12.5 billion stake to investors from Kuwait, Singapore and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The mighty Merrill Lynch, once a financial titan, crawled and scoured the world to come up with $20 billion to maintain their business and ALL of the cash are from funds associated with foreign governments.

Wall Street banks have raised $59 billion to keep their doors open and most of the monies are from investors in the Middle East and Asia. And among them, are government related entities of Singapore, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and China. Two years ago, remember the hysteria that erupted when Dubai put up money to invest in U.S. port operations and wound up driven from these shores? Today, given the chance again, we would gladly sell to them and naysayers be damned!!! Because now, we have no qualms about peddling stakes in the pillars of American finance because, to put it quite frankly…beggars can’t be choosers. A United Arab Emirates investment group bought the upscale clothier Barneys. An arm of Abu Dhabi purchased a major chunk of microchip maker Advanced Micro Devices and Dubai is sinking money into the MGM Mirage. The equation: they’ve got the dollars…we need the dollars and will take the dollars at a price.

Who’s to blame? Politicians? Greedy, crude oil producers? Who? All I know is that the U.S. never got serious about reducing dependence on foreign oil. Too many homeowners got in too deep using homes as ATMs; too many bankers threw money at borrowers whether or not they had the means to make payments. And federal regulators looked the other way. It was a hell of a party!!!! And now the hangover is a monster. Job creation has slowed, the housing industry is in the tank, economic stimulus checks were mailed to U.S. citizens to help jump-start the economy and to get us to start spending again. Because hard times on Wall Street mean hard times all around. I for one will not be looking for a return of the property tax cut for homeowners; because we have American bastions of capitalism scouring the globe for cash.

2008-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

ODE TO THE UNITED STATES
By Gigi

The fourth of July is almost here and I want to thank God Almighty for the greatest country in the world. And yes, we do have some problems, like our national policies, but everybody is still trying to come here…land of the free, home of the brave. You don’t see a run on visas to Madagascar do you? Pleeeezzzee… The USA is having problems because we’re too great; the USA is too openhearted and welcoming. We take everybody. Go to ANY hospital, USA, you will get an Italian doctor, a Filipino nurse and the EKG technician will be Indian or Jamaican.

The way we’re going, English will be our second language. A gift from France, Miss Liberty’s arms were open to all—give me your tired, your poor and your green cards. We’re in danger of losing our Americanism. Over the generations, America has taken in too many boarders—except of course the indigenous Indians who were here first and the transatlantic African slaves stolen from the country of their birth and who helped built this country.

So I salute the United States with the crappy potato salad that someone made, warm iced tea, cold hot coffee, soggy tuna fish, underdone franks, overdone and burnt hamburgers, burnt spare ribs, corn on the cob with ants stuck to the butter, macaroni that’s limp. Cheap and damp paper plates that’s NOT Chinet. Have a Happy Fourth of July.

2008-06-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

THIRTY SOMETHING GRANDMOTHERS
By Gigi

Young grandmothers in poor minority neighborhoods; this trend is getting so sickening and clichéd. In my Bronx neighborhood which is predominantly Black and Hispanic, you have grandmothers still in their thirties, getting tattoos, listening to hip hop, going to Jay-Z concerts and wearing the same fashions as their 15 year old teenage daughter. The sad reality is, the conditions that results in teen pregnancy don’t change from one generation to the other; children of teen moms are more likely to be teen moms themselves. It is a vicious cycle—like welfare. Teenage girls have babies in communities where teen pregnancies are the highest. Why is this happening? Is it lack of adult supervision? Not knowing whom your children are hanging with? Poverty? Limited education? It’s easy to place blame on these variables, but the sad reality is teenage girls emulate each other in clothes, behavior, etc. And the biggest culprit? Their mothers. Yes, their mother had them very young, so they don’t see anything wrong with it...and neither do their mothers!!!

One young grandmother age, 28 stated to me a while back, that one of the advantages of being a grandmother before 40, is that she has more energy to deal with her grandchild and to help out her middle school daughter, age 14, when she has too much homework, by watching her grandchild for her. How sweet…and that she doesn’t think that it’s the end of the world to have a baby at a young age. Where do these people come from? As long as you have ignorant young mothers with teenage children that think it’s okay to get pregnant at a young age, the numbers will continue to skyrocket. I’m not saying that it’s all gloom and doom when teenage girls have babies. But they are missing out on their most formative years as carefree teens and will never get that back. Misguided parents usually gave out terrible advice to their children based on their own sad experiences…or sometimes it’s cultural, like in the Hispanic communities.

Also, besides pregnancy, no one is taking heed on STD’s and HIV; which is highest in the Black and Hispanic communities. So these young grandmothers that’s running around and bragging about how young they look to be a grandmother and sanctioning their teenage daughter’s (and sons too) behavior, will get more than a grandchild. Their teenager might contract the monster!!! Take heed—take heed.

2008-05-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

ROCKET SCIENCE: SIGN OF THE TIMES
By Gigi

Let’s see a show of hands if you agree: Many of us in New York are concerned that Arab schools are popping up and teaching more than Arab culture. We aren’t able to see the school’s full curriculum or list of text books used? If all that is being taught is Arabic, couldn’t that be done in the classroom of any public high school, in the same way that Spanish and French are taught? Why is it necessary to provide public funding for schools that emphasize any language or culture other than ours? Our tax dollars are being used to fund Arab-themed separatist schools. If such an accommodation were ever made for a Jewish or Christian community, the left leaning New York Times would be the first to scream its objections. The City’s public school system cannot even manage to effectively provide a minimal education to its extended student body, so why on earth is it expending time and resources on this folly in Brooklyn, New York? If the frigging Arab community values a madrassa education for its children, it is free to establish and fund their own private schools...preferably back wherever the hell they come from!!!!

New Yorkers are desperate for common-sense leadership and political correctness has gone too far!!!! Common sense once was the order of the day; but today, using common sense now brands us as racists and bigots. The reason for pushing through such schools is so that immigrant families may continue in their own culture without assimilating into America. So let’s get this straight—they willingly come here, so they must love our country, right? Because we live in the greatest country in the world; so why are they promoting education that teaches separatism and foments anger and hatred of American values and plants the seed for potential violence and terror in impressionable youth? Do you think Americans can do the same in their country, HELL NO!!!!

We need education that emphasizes our commonality; uplifts people and bring them together. And if they don’t agree, they are free to leave America.

2008-04-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

I’M OFFICIALLY OLD….
By Gigi

Not chronologically old, because I look great. But lately, I’ve looked around and realized…I no longer “get” what the teenagers are into. It would appear that in the last 5 years or so, pop culture or maybe what’s left of it is no longer interesting or intriguing—except for poor grammar, comprised mostly of pidgin (not pigeon, which is a flying rodent) English and abbreviations. And of course, blogging, where you can anonymously and with narcissistic delight make hateful comments about people you don’t know, while utilizing crude photo shop skills to draw horns, tail and blacken their teeth.

Then there’s TV; I find the majority of current programming either completely insulting or “dumb down” for the illiterate masses. And these are the same 2 characteristics that have taken up permanent, symbiotic residence on MTV, BET and VH1. These stations main goal is bent on showing kids how to spread herpes faster. I’m still trying to pinpoint and isolate the exact moment things turned sour for me and I became a fuddy-duddy. Was it that we’re raising our children to be collective button-pushing monkeys? Was it when I needed earplugs to survive today’s rap music or was it that every time I want to go to see a blockbuster movie at the local teenager-plex on the night it opens, I get a wicked involuntary twitch which attacks my left eye?

Oh sure, I consider myself still cool and I can drop it like it’s hot as well as ANY 25 year old…okay I’m lying, maybe I drop it like it’s luke warm; but I’m telling you, if I hear the name KIM KARDASHIAN or hear anymore nonsensical crap about televised dance competitions or Flavor Of Love reality shows, I will go into a rage spiral! The kids on my block already talk about me being a cranky old bitch. And it gets worst from here. Soon I’ll be eating dinner at 4:30 pm…God, I’m old.

2008-02-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

AFTER BUSH LEAVES, WILL AMERICA BE LIKED?
By Gigi

I say no…why? For one thing, it’s nonsense to say George Bush caused all the problems that the U.S. is currently facing. Most of the world’s current problems are either already getting better or not our fault. The second thing is this—the U.S. promotes global democratic capitalism and our military might ensures international free commerce in the air, land and sea. And because this is so, it bothers regional dictators and terrorists eager to carve out their own sphere of influence, regardless if it’s Hillary, Barack or Donald Duck sitting in the Oval Office. When the next president takes office in January 2009, he or she will be confronted by a world that either understandably appreciates America or for self-interested reasons will challenge it.

For starters, the next American president will have to deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, which is proud, jealous and angry for reasons that go well beyond the Bush administration. Russia is flush with petro dollars, still pissed over lost empire and sick and tired of American lectures about human rights over impotent European states. Iran, which repeatedly snubbed the efforts of the Clinton administration to normalize relations, still wants its bomb built and continue to intimidate Israel. And now that Pakistan is nuclear, they’ve said “up yours” to the U.S. and is more friendlier to the jihads. China is peeved at us too, because the U.S. is demanding that they clean up their export trade practices and also grant basic human rights to it’s own citizens. If the U.S. isn’t careful, we will see hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese-held US government bonds sold off. And so it goes.

They’ve all envied the U.S. for centuries; ever since the U.S. gained it’s independence from England and as the youngest nation on the planet, have grown to be the world’s sole formidable super power in a matter of a few hundred years. Everything from the U.S is copied by other countries, from: how American business is conducted, our culture and way of life. So much so, that India, Russia, China, Asia and Latin America are demanding the same good life that Americans take for granted. They think that the U.S. is ‘played’ out, short of energy, long on debt and hogging the world’s best resources. They see no reason to stop pushing just because of our past strength and reputation. They think the future is theirs, and the past was ours. So they will challenge the next president, no matter how nice the next president is.

2008-02-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

BEYOND RACE: THE CLINTON – OBAMA, BLACK AND HISPANIC SPLIT
By Gigi

This is a battle royal; fierce fighting over African-American and the Hispanic vote has turned out to be the biggest surprise of the 2008 Democratic race. But here’s the kicker: Blacks are gravitating to Sen. Barack Obama and Hispanics to Sen. Hillary Clinton. I don’t know about y’all, but I wasn’t surprised. Not in the least. The same thing occurred over 12 years ago when Rudolph Guiliani, who is White received most of the Hispanic vote in New York over David Dinkins for Mayor, who is Black… The tension between Hispanics and Blacks has many sources: like the immigration issue.

Growing anger over the way Hispanic immigration is changing the Black neighborhoods has prompted many Blacks to re-think the notion of a “rainbow coalition”.

Surveys show that many Hispanics mistrust Blacks and see themselves as more White than like Blacks. And Blacks feel that the only time Hispanics see themselves as minorities, is when they’re being persecuted by White law enforcement and look towards an “Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson” to fight their battles for them. But when everything is okay in their community, they hate us again and think that they’re better than Blacks.

Hispanics have been riding the coattails of Blacks due to Affirmative Action for decades, a movement that was started by Blacks. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that Blacks and poor immigrants could become political allies. Later on, Rev. Jesse Jackson heralded the arrival of the mighty “rainbow coalition” of Blacks and immigrants and touted such liberal policies as amnesty for illegals; which soften anti-immigration attitudes in the African-American community. But since immigration re-ignited as a national issue in 2006, Black anger has clearly grown. Blacks—that is American Blacks, not newly arrived Africans or Blacks from other countries benefiting from my transatlantic slave ancestors, and are in favor of cutting immigration levels.

Behind the anger is the rapid change that Hispanic immigration is working on longtime black locales. Places like South Los Angeles have transformed almost overnight into majority Latino communities, what with all the sneaking across the borders that’s been going on. Hispanic population has exploded…the majority of which are Mexicans and Ecuadorians. The Latino in-pouring has intensified the feeling among Blacks that they’re losing economic ground to Hispanic immigrants, especially in LA. You would be hard-pressed to find a Black face on a construction site or in a fast-food restaurant.

The Latino influx into formerly Black-majority urban neighborhoods has sparked deadlier kinds of conflict. While most violent crime in these areas is still Black on Black or Latino on Latino, inter-ethnic violence is mounting. In LA, Blacks were the victims of most of the racially motivated attacks in 2006 by Hispanics. Black anger is also rising because they realize that many Latinos hold intensely negative, and in fact racists stereotypes about them. Latinos don’t think that Blacks are hard working or cannot be trusted. Perhaps someone should school them on Slavery in this damn country, and how my ancestors built this country for FREE!!!! Latino political gains are coming at the expense of Blacks. Hillary Clinton knows this, which is why she’s courting for their votes in heavily populated Latino states...and she’s getting them.

The Republicans with positions on immigration that would resonate in the Black community haven’t tried to take advantage of black anger on immigration…they’re missing an opportunity. American Blacks and non-American Blacks did not participate in the Latino marches and protests in favor of amnesty last spring. I know I didn’t!! I couldn’t even cross the street, because there was so many of them. I was hoping for Immigration to back up 50 or 60 large vans to pile in all the illegals demanding things from us Americans. Because I feel, if they didn’t like our policies and you’re illegal in this country, then they should return to their own countries.

Many of the Hispanic women have as many babies as they can to be American born in order to remain here. And many get on the public welfare rolls the minute they hit our shores, because they’re largely un-educated and un-skilled. And if our political leaders felt threatened enough, they could actively pursue tougher immigration policies. STAY TUNED……..

2008-02-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

CLINTON VS. OBAMA
By Gigi

I need to vent; I voted this morning; I voted for someone that I stated on FRONT STREET just a year ago, that I wouldn’t vote for. That’s right…Barack Obama. Why? Because just 2 weeks ago, Hillary Clinton’s husband, “Slick Willy” also known as Ex-President, Bill Clinton, was in South Carolina using divisive and racial language, scaring White people of the thought of having a Black President and coercing them to vote for his wife. You don’t see Obama’s wife, Michelle sticking her foot in her mouth, raising the ire of White people. Bill needs to let Hillary convey her platform without his help. Because it looks like she can’t fight for herself; like the typical woman who need the help of a man. This shows that she needs a man to defend her. Another example, when things weren’t going well in New Hampshire two weeks ago, she “cried”. And she teared up again in New Haven, Connecticut last night, Feb 4, 2008. Whenever Obama picks up steam, she seems to open up the waterworks, which to me is starting to look contrived.

I’ve heard Black people in the past say that Bill Clinton is our “first Black President”. This was first heard over 10 years ago in jest and still being said today. And because of Slick Willy’s popularity with Black people, he has enjoyed our divine love and protection from fault because Black people truly felt that he “understood” us. So of course, Hillary is hoping to ride that wagon until the wheels fall off; after all, by extension she’s Mrs. Slick Willy.

People didn’t know that Hillary had a plan 10 years ago, which is why she stuck it out with Bill through the many and countless infidelities, lying, conniving and embarrassments. Yes, her plan all along was to be president herself; but first, she had to test the waters by running for Senator…she of course won by default. Because Guiliani dropped out due to being diagnosed with prostate cancer; not that New Yorkers would’ve voted for him anyway—since most of us hate him; especially Black people, whom he treated with such dismissive distain. But Hillary used the Senatorial post as a stepping-stone for bigger and better things. She knew all along that she wouldn’t remain in that job. In South Carolina, Bill Clinton threw everything at Obama, including the kitchen sink and garbage can and still, that didn’t help Hillary. When things don’t go the Clinton’s way, they collectively will attack with negative comments and try to dig up dirt to smear you. Over the years, I’ve watched how the Clintons operate to get what they want. And now, today, as of this moment, I don’t like either one of them very much.

Anyway, people please, go out to vote; it is your duty. This means YOU especially Black people. Because your ancestors died for you to exercise this right.

2008-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

PERFECTION: VIOLATORS WILL BE HUMILIATED
By Gigi

We reside in a status conscious, name-dropping, celebrity obsessed and designer label seeking culture. I’m guilty of the latter, but that’s it. Now, I’ve met my fair share of celebrities—but my relationship with celebrities is generally simple: although I am dazzled by certain stars who appear to have unattainable good looks and glamour, I do not envy or dutifully worship any of them. Because since they are in the limelight, they are supposed to be everything that I’m not: thin, beautiful, rich…in other words: flawless. Why? Because that’s their job. So while I may, from time to time be glued to my computer processing contracts and other boring work, while munching vending machine candy bars—the stars are getting facials and doing pilates. I hold up my end of the bargain by purchasing over-priced movie tickets and tabloid magazines. And they hold up their end by being fabulous and remaining perfect.

But alas, us mere mortal nobody’s…we’re a snide and venomous bunch, are we not? When the contract is broken, out come the daggers. Just recently, several of these gorgeous women have had the audacity to gain weight and even (oh sugar, honey, ice tea…) exhibit cellulite. WHAT NERVE!! THAT IS NOT ALLOWED!!! That is a violation of the most sacred of celebrity rules! Oprah, Tyra Banks, Britney Spears (add also crazy) Kirstie Alley and Jennifer Love Hewitt, listen up. In the past, fans had no recourse other than to turn the page, change the channel or vent to friends over lunch. But now, with the rise of 24-hour gossip cycles and web sites, anger is given a new and very public venue to vent. Blogs and message boards are allowing fans to spew bile anonymously. How dare these stars approach “normal”…who do they think they are? US? All must be sacrificed to the great God of skinny. Celebrities are supposed to be perfect, because I’m not. So if that’s what a slightly pudgy celebrity’s butt looks like in a bikini, how bad is mine? And ‘no’ Tyra…your comment of, “kiss my fat ass”, doesn’t help.

2007-12-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

FOR THE OTHER WOMAN…
BY GIGI

Another New Year’s Eve is fast approaching and the married man that you were creeping with for most of 2007 won’t be spending it with you! MmmmHmmm…Christmas, if he spent a few hours with you, it was just a holiday string-along. I bet he told the missus that he was running out for batteries—for 6 hours. So feeling like a big fat loser (and I’m emphasizing the fat here) this holiday season, just remember…girl it could be worse.

Holidays are typically very emotional and very hard for the other woman. It reminds you that it is the end of the year and he still hasn’t done anything to change his circumstances—but hope is a very powerful emotion. Because no matter how suicidal or homicidal you feel this holiday season, there is a bright side…I think. You can dump him because you deserve better; and mark the New Year coming as a brand new start and a new beginning. OR, you can continue being alone, this time of year…sweatpants clad, frequently drunk (I’ve heard…) and potentially enraged!

Girls, know this—that the married man will do and say anything, especially during the holidays to hang on to you. “If only I’d met you years ago” to an emotionally needy woman sounds like a hugely flattering line. And he can morph into, “I wish I was waking up to you on Christmas Day.” Ladies, just remember, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AND IT’S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!

Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and even his birthday; these occasions are most difficult because they follow each other and they’re all reserved for family and this leaves you the other woman, out in the cold…and to all, a good night.

2007-12-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

GREAT SEX…ARE YOU GETTING ANY?
By Gigi

Before I begin, I have to say that I agree with Bill Maher. Star Jones-Reynolds looked prettier when she was fat. She should put the weight back on, because I prefer the old Star…you know, the sassy one that used to say, “Talk to the hand,” and the hand was covered in powdered sugar…

Okay ladies, this is a continuation, from September’s blog. I’m giving you diamonds and pearls here, so please pay close attention. I will try to address most of the sexual problems here and if not, there’s always next month’s blog to continue, for however long it takes to resolve these issues, such as:
1. speed demons in bed
2. robots
3. spitty kissers
4. nipple pinchers, and so on...

Suffer no more. I will share some strategies for turning a so-so lover into a lover who will rock your world, with a few carefully laid hints. Trust mother, I’ve been there. You meet a guy, you’re into him—he’s into you, things are going so well, until…he sucks in bed. His technique is lacking and he’s doing that annoying thing with his tongue/hand/leg (take your pick). You finally ask yourself, “How did he get this far knowing so little?” Finally you’re thinking about the last slice of pineapple cheesecake in the refrigerator and you want to get to it before your greedy son beats you to it or the cute expensive boots you saw in Bloomingdale’s. It’s never a good sign when your mind leaves the bedroom and into a department store. Then, you hope that your boring lover will turn out the lights and lock up when he’s done so that you can get some sleep, because you’ve got things to do tomorrow.

But what’s a girl to do? Twenty something years ago, the immature me would’ve thrown him back into the dating pool and kept it moving.

A lot of women usually suffer in silence, tsk-tsk. OR you can teach an old dog some new tricks. Let’s get one thing straight! Making a guy better in bed is actually about making sex better for you, period. And believe it or not, despite the sexual revolution and women’s lib, a lot of women are still Victorian in their thinking and are afraid to ask for what they want.

Fortunately, there are women like myself who are bold and assertive and know how to ask for what we want instead of planning shopping sprees in the middle of sex. So now, pay attention, because basically, it’s all about honest communication:

The Spitty Kisser / Orally Challenged
A lot of guys do not know how to kiss, period. Some kiss with tight lips locked up like fort knox. Some kiss very drooly, like a teething baby. (are you dry-heaving yet?) You can do the immature thing during a make-out session and grab a towel to wipe your mouth…and if he continues, you fetch a mop…that being said, I like to also add that a lot of guys don’t know how to please a woman orally either. For most women, this flaw is a complete deal breaker. It’s not something you can teach. I of course disagree. You can’t go in thinking that you’re going to get perfect sex every time. Work with him…You have to let go of that feeling and simply ask him, “How do you like to be kissed?” Believe it or not, most guys are open and upfront about discussing it. Soon, after you do this, he’ll be eager to emulate and reciprocate. Once you have an open line of communication going, you can continue telling him what you like and how.

The Speed demon
I once had a boyfriend tell me he was done, while I was unlocking my front door to get into my apartment…just kidding. For a lot of men, anticipation is simply too much for them…more than they can handle. If he’s that way, maybe you shouldn’t build it up too much. If you’re going to see him that night, don’t send dirty emails or leave sexy phone messages, because as he watches you disrobe…one part schoolgirl outfit, one part striptease, he’s already ejaculated in his shorts and it’s good night Tyrone.

The Jack hammer
You ever had a guy nail you…literally? You feel like a piece of meat, right? Don’t hurt his feelings, girls. Guys feelings are not as resilient as they’d like to think, so go easy on him. Give subtle directions with compliments—it’s all in the way you approach it. Tell him gently to slow down or “Wow, that feels good when you’re gentle”, and quickly follow it up with, “but don’t stop”. The results will please you…and him.

Nipple Pinchers/ Biters
Apparently, some lying heifer…or Rottweiler puppy, told some guy, and he told some other guys, that it felt good to us for them to chew and suck on our nipples as hard as they can. Listen up girls, if you want to keep your nipples, you must show him what you like. Try it on him what you want done to you. Then, do it his way, rough and gnawing cannibal like…he’ll get the message.

When he thrusts your head
Women don’t you hate that? This is a pretty common move from most guys while you’re giving them Fellatio. Sometimes when you attempt to lift your head for air, they misinterpret that to mean you’re done; so they thrust your head harder, thereby gagging you with their member and making you dry heave. Soooo not sexy. So, this is what you should do. Get several scarves and tie his arms behind his back and also blindfold him. Whisper in his ear, “I run this show…you simply relax and enjoy the ride.” And he will.

2007-11-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

“I NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT GREAT SEX WAS UNTIL…”
By Gigi

Before I get right into discussing about sex, there are a few things I need to say that women should never take for granted:

~ The bliss of vacation sex…never, and I mean NEVER conk out early on a hotel bed otherwise, you’ll never be invited again
~ The upper-body strength of men—hey, I’m a feminist, but that couch ain’t gonna move itself.
~Your fertile years…yea-yea, I know it’s un-P.C. to say so, but it’s true
~ The great guy who never takes YOU for granted
~ Your partner’s sex face…it may not be pretty, but at least you know he’s satisfied
~ Fork me, spoon me…get the picture?
~ Slightly dirty text messages throughout the day—it’s all about the buildup
~ And lastly, the Trojan Vibrating Ring. Fun and orgasm inducing.

Okay, so let’s get started. This is basically a continuation from the last blog posted. You know, I’ve got to say, I never really knew what great sex was until…I stopped trying to be sexy. That’s right...I thought that good sex relied on fundamentals like: steamy glares, artful hair whipping, and a myriad of passionate cries of ecstasy. And believe me, I had it all down to a science until I got serious with my husband (he’s an ex now). Prior to that, other guys had either enjoyed the show or were just too wrapped up in their own show to care about my pleasure. And ladies, especially you women with long hair; be very careful about whipping your hair around. Things might go awry and you might knock yourself unconscious; he will laugh at you, because now the act is more slapstick burlesque than sexual art.

Most men, believe it or not, espouse the virtues of simple, unadorned pleasure; they prefer true intimacy and bliss. So this is not the time to start stressing about whether your ass is well built or did you wax enough “down there” or if your breasts are sagging or not. Then there’s the smell factor: how one smells in bed could be a deal breaker. After a shower or bath, women tend to smother their natural scent with sprays and oils. This ritual has marred many a sex lives. First of all, if you spritz “down there” with perfume, it will irritate and burn your partner, especially if he’s not wearing a condom. And since you know that your partner will be “putting in work” by going down on you; you start worrying if “eau de stink” is wafting from your nether regions, so you spray “down there” with perfume…damn near killing him with poison; and/or his attempts are met with locked legs. Ladies, simply let your inhibitions go. Inhale deeply, and savor the musk of your mingling scents. To be continued……

2007-10-13T09:35:00.001-07:00

COVERBOYS AND CRYING MEN
By Gigi

Are some men becoming soft? …Ladies, if you’re sick of all the over-grooming that men are doing, please raise your hands. If you’re sick of all the men who pluck and shape their eyebrows and in fact, will nudge you in haste to get the last moisturizer at the Clinique counter...lets hear your searing wail!!! I’m so sick of men with their better complexions and manicures; all this metro sexual stuff has become annoying and has gone too far. And I’m blaming this on all the makeover reality shows, plastic surgery shows, Snoop Dogg, Ice T and the Southern pimps. What ever happened to real male machismo? Men should get back to having real huevos or cojones and stop all this nonsense. Better still, I prefer a man who is hombria or un verdadero hombre...which means manliness, courage, integrity, honesty and uprightness. Because if I see another African-American or Latino brother with pigtails, bouncing, permed, candy curls like Shirley Temple or afro puffs like Pam Grier, I don’t know what I’ll do.

2007-10-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME….
By Gigi

My birthday this year landed on October 2nd, Tuesday; however I was feeling blue the day before and couldn’t muster up the energy or enthusiasm—in fact, I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday at all. At work, I received the requisite cake, flowers and card from my co-workers; but a good personal friend of mind had five additional gorgeous bouquets consisting of 3 dozen roses with baby’s breath (3 different colors), Birds of paradise bouquet and daisies with baby’s breath delivered to me, which I appreciated (thanks boo, XOXOXO).

I guess my feeling blue, stems from not yet being where I want to be professionally as a writer and artist. My horoscope stated that, it was important for me to continue to take things easy and let life come to me. And since I’m a writer, my horoscope further stated, to let my imagination roam because something I had visualized over and over, could turn out to be more than just another idle daydream. I’m not sure what that means exactly; but I’m not willing to be obsequious or climb the greasy pole to fame and fortune. I’d rather keep my hand clean, relatively speaking.

Success in this world is fleeting and often requires unwelcome sacrifices. But also, success appears to pick and choose who it is that will be celebrated and who won’t. It could be sour grapes on my part, but I see some “celebrities” undeserving of this honor; they basically ‘lucked up’ or they know people who know people…some of these people contribute nothing other than salacious gossip for reality TV or the celebrity rags. Oh hell, I’m rambling…never mind. Happy Birthday Gigi, you still look fabulous!!!

2007-09-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL….
BY GIGI

“Let’s talk about sex baby…let’s talk about you and me…let’s talk about sex…” Well I think that’s how the refrain from that classic Salt ‘N Pepa rap song goes; anyway, my blog for this month—SEX and women.

Women in large numbers are lying about the amount of sex and or men they’re getting or seeing. The reason? For fear of being labeled a slut, ho, skank, doorknob…just pick any misogynist label…or create your own, that’s always fun. It’s common for women in New York (and other large cities in the U.S.) to lie about this part of their lives because as forward thinking we’d like to think that we are…we’re not really. It’s just not socially acceptable for women to sleep with a lot of men as it is for men to sleep with a lot of women. Most women will blatantly lie, by reducing the numbers down to a couple.

Just recently in the papers Angelina Jolie revealed that she slept with only 4 guys (yeah right…). I laughed hard at that one. With all her admitted drugging, drinking, cutting on her skin and other abhorrent behaviors—all is conducive to sexual promiscuity. And if it is true that she only slept with 4 guys, it’s only because she slept with mostly women since she’s an admitted bi-sexual/lesbian. Most women will tell a man that she’s serious about, that she only slept with 4-5 guys; but some guys are not as dumb as they look.

Generally, if a woman is in her 30’s-40’s, and make that claim, that means that she’s been married or in a committed relationship for a long time. If you make that claim and have never been married or in a long committed relationship AND been dating for over 20 years, please expect a few skeptical and raised eyebrows…especially if you’re an attractive woman. Yes-yes, I know that these are just blanket statements and opinions of mine, but it rings true…doesn’t it? Why do women have to lie to men about their sex lives? Because they’re afraid of being left; they don’t want that man to judge them or look at them disapprovingly. Also, maybe a small part of it is that they feel ashamed of themselves. Your mother’s voice telling you as a teenager, “Wait until your wedding night…don’t throw away your precious virginity like confetti…” Most men want an experienced woman…just not that experienced and one who’s been with numerous partners either.

So what’s an acceptable number to fib about? And why do men have to know how many guys you had sex with anyway? Well, guys usually ask when things start to get serious. Plus, guys are insecure; they want to know who has (had?) the biggest penis, which man pleasured you the best and all the other testosterone filled insecurities. There’s no acceptable number over 3 or 4. Women also try to justify their mistakes. “Well he doesn’t count because, I was drunk and it happened only that one time…I barely remember his name…”

For guys, it’s a totally different double standard story: Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain braggingly claimed to have had sex with 20,000 women. Charlie Sheen claimed to have slept with 5,000; Gene Simmons from the rock group KISS, said he slept with 4,600 and Diana Ross was one of his conquests. Men can boast and lie about large numbers of women they’ve bedded. It’s of course an old stereotype and double standard. Also men are supposed to be more experienced than women. But men—come on…? Do you seriously want a woman who can’t “slob a knob” correctly—I know you don’t!!! So stop complaining; unless she brings you a disease, you have nothing to complain about!!!

Better yet, stop asking these women their personal business. They had a life before you came into the picture…also men, lest we forget…where do you think you’re getting all of YOUR experience from? THAT’S RIGHT, WOMEN…YOU IDIOTS!!!

2007-08-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

SCHOOL DAZE
By Gigi

It’s August, school will be starting soon next month; and already homework is weighing heavily on elementary, middle and high school age children. Parents have complained for several years that teachers give out too much homework. Nightly homework from Monday to Friday for most students is more than two and sometimes three hours every night including weekends and holidays!!! And if your kid is in elementary school and sometimes middle school, you’re right there with them helping out. So family life is disrupted and parents are fed up and are rebelling. The parent’s claim that the amount of time spent nightly on homework, far exceed the ten minutes per grade level recommended by the National Education Association; because NEA claims there is zero co-relation between homework and scholastic achievement, especially for elementary school age children; for high school age children, the benefits of homework decline after two hours.

The New York City Department of Education DOES NOT have a strict homework policy…this is left up to individual teachers and most are ill-equip and the teachers are over-worked, that they barely have time to plan lessons. It’s time for parents to get together with the teachers during parent-teacher meetings and suggest decreasing the homework especially since it has been proven that homework has no value; why should children spend all day in school and then do tedious homework at home for another two to three hours? Parents should suggest to the teachers which assignment would benefit the child more and this way, time would be left over for the entire family to spend quality time together in the evening; which is the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores, according to the University of Michigan. Kids will have more time to spend with friends, family and they’ll be happier, healthier and more well-rounded.

2007-07-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

TRANS FAT…TRANS GENDER…NEW YORK IS TRULY CONFUSED
By Gigi

The trans fat ban in all restaurants and food manufacturers is not the only issue the health officials are grappling with. Cowardly City health officials have buckled under pressure from radical, special interest gay groups and have given in to a plan that would NOT have allowed New Yorkers to switch ‘willy-nilly’, the gender/sex on their birth certificates WITHOUT undergoing sex- change surgery. I don’t even agree if the individual is full on trans-gendered or not…you can’t AND shouldn’t fool or toy with nature. At first, City officials benignly stated that the issue needed further study and review to make certain that it didn’t conflict with federal laws currently being developed…such pretense…whatever. They can delay it until the next coming.

In the past, New York would allow individuals who have undergone sex-change surgery, to get a new birth certificate reflecting the change; but now, the policy was further liberalized to include people who had taken other steps short of actually undergoing surgery...such as taking hormones, wearing a dress and PASSING as a woman…the indignity! New York is truly confused. And of course, what New York doesn’t know, is that this is the only way for gay rights activists to circumvent the NYS marriage laws; how come only I can see this?

2007-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Heads Ups Ladies…And Gentlemen And Watch Your Mouth!
By Gigi

Ladies this just in!!! Oral sex and throat cancer may be linked! The virus that causes cervical cancer maybe linked to throat cancer in people who engage in oral sex. A study of 300 adults found that those infected with the human papilloma-virus, or HPV, who had oral sex with more than six (6) partners were three times as likely to get throat cancer. The research was included in a package of studies and commentary on the virus in an issue of a medical journal. Oral HPV infection occurs in both men and women who engaged in this type of sex and is the main mode of transmitting an oral HPV infection.

Most people with HPV infection, clear without a person showing symptoms. Also HPV is equally transmitted between men and women. Of the 100 people included in her study, only 14 were women. But help is on the way; a new FDA-approved vaccine can prevent girls and young women from getting HPV, but the inoculation has not yet been proven to help males. Women are screened for HPV when they undergo a pap smear for cervical-cancer screening, but doctors do not have methods to look for oral cancers. The only way the disease can be picked up is through visual inspection, most often by a dentist.

Some agree, it was too early to recommend HPV detection in oral cancer screening, because HPV-LINKED ORAL CANCERS HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES! HPV-associated cancers will eventually outpace those caused by tobacco and alcohol use, which currently cause two-thirds of oropharyngeal, oral cavity and pharynx cancers in the United States. So please, Ladies and gentlemen, invest in dental dams and condoms if you insist upon engaging in this type of sex.

2007-05-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

CHECK PLEASE!! LADIES, SPEAK WITH YOUR POCKET BOOK
By Gigi

Ladies, are you continuously disrespected in restaurants? Let me share some of my dining experiences with you—because sexism (and possibly racism) is alive and well in the New York City restaurant industry. First, let me say, men are treated better than women, no matter whom is paying the bill (it’s always assumed that the man will pay, even if the woman is actually paying); wine is usually offered for the man to taste as if by virtue of his gender, he knows wines. On one such occasion, a group of my girlfriends arrived together to a trendy restaurant. We were shown the least desirable table. Our assigned funky table was too small for all six of us and we were squeezed together. We requested twice to be moved, but we were rebuffed. We watched as a lone male diner came in and got the big table…he was White and my group consisted of Black and Puerto Rican women…but perhaps I’m paranoid. Let’s continue. Upon finishing our dinner, the girls and I sort of lingered; we talked long after the bill was paid. The waitress walked back and forth throwing caustic glances in our general direction. It was finally time to go, so we left a small tip since we didn’t get the table that we requested and the time it took for her to bring us more bread and such. I excused myself and left for the ladies room; upon my return, one of my friends was arguing with the waitress. As I got closer, the waitress accused us of taking too long, plus we kept asking for hot water for our sodden tea bags and made her lose money because other prospective diners came in and sat in other stations.

She also complained about the tip and said whenever she get a bunch of women, that we never tipped well at all…not like the men anyway!!! So I fixed it for her—I relieved her of the puny tip, leaving her nothing and I pranced out of the restaurant with my girlfriends bringing up the rear. That’s right ladies, speak with your pocketbook!!!

I hated doing that because waitresses don’t get paid enough, and rely on tips to get by…but if you’re in the service industry and you want good tips, you must give good service; and the type of service we received (or not in this case) shouldn’t be ignored or be based on gender or race. I also think that as long as the stereotypes of women making less money is put out there, we’ll always be treated as second-class citizens. Here’s another example: I treated a male friend to dinner as a birthday gift...totally different restaurant. As soon as we checked in, the hostess only made eye contact with him and pretty much ignored me. Once we were seated, she expected him to order for me. Now I was at risk, and on the verge of acting like a nightmare bitch, because this situation came on the heels of the last restaurant incident and I was fed up; when she came back with the check after dinner and dessert, she placed the small tray with the check on it directly in front of my friend…not in the center or off to the side.

But I fixed her right up…I got the last laugh when I reached for the check and placed my American Express black card on it. When she returned with my credit card and lingered for a gratuity, I snapped my purse close with such fury she jumped. She looked at me for the first time that night and saw the seriousness in my brown eyes. I beaconed her to come closer and whispered, “It was pretty much a mistake and narrow-minded of you to assume that my friend here was paying the bill and therefore you disregarded my entire presence; and that’s why you’re not getting a tip.” So my advice to women, if you receive poor service in a restaurant or any service industry that’s driven by gratuity, assert yourself…SPEAK WITH YOUR POCKET BOOK…and further, don’t ever go back either.

2007-05-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

AMERICA SAID, NO WAY IN HELL…!!!
By Gigi

So, finally they’ve said it. The United States of America—or specifically a Federal Appeals Court rejected most claims by slave descendants that they DO NOT deserve reparations from some of the nation’s biggest and wealthiest insurance company’s, banking institutions and transportation company’s. The Appeals Courts stated that ‘yes’, although they recognize the injustices African slaves received upon stepping foot into this country after being dragged in chains away from their homeland, Blacks losing their cultural identity, losing their native language, losing their name and parentage and for the women being systematically raped over and over… that it does not negate the fact that slave descendants have no right or standing to sue for reparations based on injustices suffered by ancestors and that the statute of limitations ran out over 100 years ago.

Well, that’s interesting—since over 100 years ago, Blacks receiving education or simply learning how to read was considered a crime. Hypocritical Bastards!!! My point? Most Blacks didn’t know how to read or to fight for their rights against a power structure that included such institutions like: the newspapers, courts and racist politicians. It seems so unfair even by today’s standards, that other disenfranchised groups: Indigenous Indians, Japanese and Jewish peoples have received some form of compensation or fiduciary discharge for their pain and suffering.

The Indians received land (not as swanky as Manhattan which was stolen from them in the 1600’s) where they built their own reservation, casino partnership or ownership and other forms of gambling establishments, cigarette distribution businesses and they don’t pay any taxes; Japan received money and all kinds of aide to rebuild after Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the US bombed those two cities in retaliation for Japan bombing the Pearl Harbor naval port in Hawaii. Japan also received some form of agreement from the US that the US would buy ANY and EVERYTHING that Japan exports to the US; all of this is due to the US feeling guilty. So Japan started exporting cars, audio and visual equipment, etc. I guess the US doesn’t feel guilty about how African slaves or even their descendants today are still being treated.

The Jewish community received a museum/monument in Washington DC depicting the Holocaust; they received monetary reparations and more…in fact, they’re still getting reparations as I write this. And please, don’t talk about Blacks receiving Affirmative Action, because that’s nothing! Why should Blacks be satisfied for policies correcting the murderous and disparate treatment they’ve received for over 400 years and is still present today? Common decency towards other fellow human beings shouldn’t have to be legislated...it should be a given. In the meantime, Congress is trying to roll back affirmative action.

2007-05-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

AFRICAN EXODUS
By Gigi

Very little love is lost between the African government and the United States issued H-1B visa; the H-1B visa, is a highly coveted stamp in a non-U.S. passport which allows the passport’s owner to enter the United States legally to work—and not just work, your job has to be specialized…something of distinguished merit that the U.S. can benefit from. The H-1B non-immigrant classification allows the bearer to be employed temporarily in a specialized occupation: architecture, engineering, medicine, education, accounting, law, theology, any of the arts…and yes, even a fashion model. And for that, the African countries want to slap a ban on the emigration of these professionals, who are badly needed in its own countries.

It’s bad enough that African doctors and nurses have been immigrating to Britain for years, where it’s easier to get a work permit than in the United States, but the U.S. is the coveted place to come because working conditions and salaries are better. And because of this, Africans who have the means to, will travel to Britain or the U.S. for medical treatment due to inadequate health staff in their own countries. And the fear is that places like: Kenya, Ghana, Egypt and Nigeria will run out of primary health care workers if the health workforce crisis is not immediately addressed. But since the United States is experiencing a shortage of nurses itself, the Senate is seriously considering allowing an unlimited number of medical professionals to come in to work with a new immigration bill that’s pending—this bill will allow undocumented workers to apply for a work visa, pay a $1,000 fine and after six years of working, or six years of schooling for students, they can file for legal permanent resident status.

African officials are up in arms about this; but because of low-wages, dangerous working conditions and scarce medicine and supplies, medical personnel are leaving and as a result will be leaving behind more suffering. But once the U.S. officials lift the cap, which currently allows 500 nurses per year from Africa and other countries to take jobs in the United States, the emigration will become much worst. Solutions to the U.S. nursing shortage shouldn’t come at a cost of African lives. Right now as I type this, there is one doctor and 49 nurses per every 100,000 people in Kenya; the World Health Organization states the ratio should be one health professional per every 5,000 people. The Kenyan government in Africa is planning to hire 3,800 medical personnel by years end to help close the growing gap. Other African countries will likely follow suit. But is this enough?

2007-02-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

BLACK STYLE
By Gigi

I have a little something to say about Black Styles being used and exploited by mainstream America. Usually “our” style isn’t accepted until someone White adopts it. It started with our music…ROCK, JAZZ, BLUES and now HIP HOP/RAPPING and then radical art forms of tagging, break dancing, etc. which are used also on TV commercials. I’ll never forget Bo Derek running across a white sandy beach in a movie entitled, “TEN”, meaning on a scale from one to ten, she rated a 10. She wore Black-African style cornrows with cowrie shells, beads and other hair adornments clipped to the braids. She created a sensation, and that was in 1979; then ALL of the White girls…at least here in New York City, were running towards 125th Street to get their hair braided by Black women just like Bo Derek’s. High-end beauty salon’s cashed in by hiring Black women to braid and cornrow the silken tresses of White girls… at a cost of $500.00 per head!!! How much of that money did those Black women, who did the actual braiding get? God only knows.

As people of color, we love clothing—we love to dress; whether we have taste or not. I’ve known for a long time now, that it’s not what Black people wear, but it’s how we rock it. Out style and swagger can’t be duplicated by other races, no matter how they try. Blacks have the “it” factor—meaning bravado, swagger and attitude. For example, a brother can take a simple baseball hat and flip it into something new. Just like the white tee shirts all the boys in my hood was popping for a good two years. They took a simple under garment…an undershirt, and flipped it into fashion. Black people put the funk in dressing.

My father, who is where I get my flair for dressing from, had clothes for every occasion. He was a clotheshorse. I see White suburban kids all over the world wearing urban styles; from braids, locks, doo rags, backwards baseball caps, over-size baggy clothing (which by the way came from prison when your belt and sneaker laces are taken from you, the brothers flipped it into a style), large hoop earrings, name chains, gold or platinum grills…the list goes on and on. I say all this to say…give credit where credit is do.

2007-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

BARACK OBAMA
By Gigi

Who are the people who have been feeding Barack Obama stories that lead him to believe that he can be the next President of these United States? Was it his wife, or his many amorous female (and male) admirers? So Obama is running for president; the only thing different about him from the other Blacks who ran for President in the past, is that he’s well liked by White people. Obama is treated with the same kind of public interest and affection that Colin Powell had when he seemed ready to knock Bill Clinton out of the Oval office.

Well, I won’t be voting for him, even if he manages to become the democratic nominee for president in 2008; and no, it’s not because his mother is a White woman from Kansas or his father is from Kenya. Barack Obama does not share a heritage with the majority of Black Americans (notice I didn’t say African-American) who are descendants of plantation slaves. He stated himself in his book, “The audacity of Hope”, that although he has experienced some “light discrimination”, he cannot claim “the problem” as his own, because he has not lived the life as a Black American—that alone separates him from me, my parents and my ancestors.

Barack Obama has had a privileged upbringing in Honolulu and lived in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. His gold-plated academic credentials include: elite prep schools until high school, and then he attended Columbia University and Harvard Law school. Can’t be mad at him for that…but in my humble opinion, Obama doesn’t have enough national OR international experience to run for president in 2008. I don’t care how beguiling or charismatic he is…

2007-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

GAY MEN NEED TO STOP PRETENDING TO BE STRAIGHT
By Gigi

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t dislike gays, lesbians or trans-gendered people at all. My concern is gay men; especially gay Black men, who date, marry, copulate and father children with clueless women, specifically Black Women. These “down-low” men are infecting Black women with HIV and other STDs. It’s an epidemic!!

These men are selfish and unwilling to “come out” of the closet and be truthful. They’d rather cover-up their sexuality and impersonate straight, heterosexual men. They are so selfish that they will cover up, lie and involve poor unsuspecting women. My advise to young women: Since these men cannot be trusted, please, you must insist on a condom… hell, even two!! Because until these men receive in-depth counseling to become emotionally well-adjusted, mature and responsible human beings to understand their sexuality and the full weight of their reckless actions, trying to have a relationship with them is futile.

2007-01-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

EXCUSE ME, BUT CAN YA BE ANY RUDER? DAMN!!!
By Gigi

Do any of you use the trains and buses as often as I do? Ya do? Then I know you can relate to what I’m about to say: RIDER RUDENESS!! It’s a brand new year and still my fellow New Yorkers continue to exhibit a lack of decorum almost on a daily basis. I have to contend with: Door Blockers, Litterbugs, Noisy Gum Chewers, Seat Hogs Napping, Leg Sprawlers, Loud Cell Phone Yakkers, people who bring on their shopping carts or 2-3 suitcase bags for me to trip over, women putting on make-up or taking down their hair OR god forbade…I’m inhaling nail polish fumes until I almost pass out and an assortment of unwashed smelly people (and no I’m not talking about the homeless) with stinking breath! And then there are people who must bring and proceed to eat their breakfast (or dinner…depending upon the time of day) on rapid mass transit.

In this MTV/VH1/BET culture—rude, crude and obnoxious behavior rules the day. What ever happened to showing common courtesy to your fellow human being? The lack of manners today is ridiculous; just this morning, as I hung on for dare life to my straphanger as the #36 bus careened down the hill while making a sharp turn, this man with a huge backpack on his back, almost knocked me over as he move down the aisle. “Are you going camping or to work?” I yelled loudly. We’ve gone way beyond the ‘Me Generation’ . We’ve become the ‘Screw You Generation’. I’m tired of seeing grown-ass men not offering seats to the elderly, pregnant or to just any female riders in general. And where I live, they charge and knock over hundred year old women like linebackers just to get a damn seat. What’s up with that? And I swear, if I have to squeeze by another Door Blocker, who refuses to move the hell out of the way…or the idiots who start getting on the train before I can get off, I’m knocking all your asses over!!!

Also, I would like to mention something about pole huggers, who wrap themselves around the poles like they’re in love with it and therefore it’s their personal property, when in fact it was designed for numerous standing commuters. And I haven’t forgotten you tone deaf singers, singing along to your ipods; you pumpkin and sunflower seed eating people that spit your wet shells for others to step on…there—I’m feeling much better now. Happy New Year!

2007-01-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

TRASH TALKING, SO WHAT? I AIN’T AFRAID OF YOU!!

By Gigi

So Pope Benedict XIV “insulted” Islam or the Muslims, stating that their religion is violent…whatever. I do feel that there should be a need for religious tolerance and mutual respect; and if that respect doesn’t materialize, the end result should not be bombings and murders. The Pope has since apologized but not before Sister Leonella Sgorbati was gunned down with her bodyguard outside a clinic she operated in Somalia, in angry retaliation for the Pope’s remarks; as well as other violence that took place in other parts of the world around the same time frame.

It would seem that Muslims can say and do anything they want in regards to other people’s religion; but when it comes to anything deemed insulting or negative about Islam, there are threats of violence and wrong-headed retaliations. Well I say they can’t have it both ways! Any small thing, it seems can anger Muslims and set them on a path to violence without reasonable, intelligent discussions, as far as I’m concern. The violent reactions to the Pope’s statement, in many parts of the Islamic world, justified EXACTLY the Pope’s original statements…and fears.

Okay, so the Muslims want respect for their religion and beliefs—granted. We’ll let them enslave their women, suppress art, science and literature and continue their perpetual hindrance and stagnation of the individuals in their society but only in THEIR country; since they seem to be against anything progressive or creative for themselves or their descendant’s future. They prefer to live in rubble and caves…whatever. But in turn, they must respect the rights of Christians who live in western society to worship how, who and what as they choose. Now take that with you…

2006-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

HAS GOD ABANDONED US—OR DID WE ABANDONED HIM…
By Gigi

It is said that the root causes of all our difficulties is: human selfishness, mistaken order of values and sin. We need a new way of thinking about ourselves, about our relationship with the world and with God. In the news and daily publications, human suffering, violence, starvation, poverty, disease and war is reported daily—not to mention the pollution of our waters, air and land.

When Jehovah created us, he envisioned a world of beauty and harmony; he created the world, making it every part an expression of his wisdom and love. Humans were created in his image and likeness; he gave us dignity, an immortal soul, self-awareness and freedom. But we sinned by disobeying him, and thereby rejecting his design for creation. So the original harmony of creation was destroyed; that was the first sin.

But as time marches on, the social and environmental crisis the world is facing is proof that we’re still betraying the mandate Jehovah has given us. Even still, I say no, God has not abandon us—but we as a race of people have lost our way. It is God’s hope and will that we eventually find our way and realize his original mandate—to bring about a relationship between not only God and mankind, but also mankind and the natural environment, which God entrusted to us to guard with wisdom, love and respect.

It is also God’s hope and will that the world be free of degradation, violence and blood shed; that we return to the power of prayer to enlighten us regarding our duty to respect

2006-12-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

DOES THE BLACK MAN EVEN GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE BLACK WOMAN ANYMORE?
By Gigi

I say the majority of them don’t; and it goes beyond the misogynistically cruel lyrics in some of the rap songs I sometimes hear or the abusive and violent behavior I sometimes witness against the sistas in my own neighborhood. I had a phone conversation recently with a friend of mine who is trying to get back out there and date; but she’s growing despondent due to the lack of quality ‘brothers’ out there. In the interest of privacy, I’ll name my friend Marcia. Marcia is feeling a little bit of the ‘black, single woman’ angst and she doesn’t like it. “Black women are out of style,” she states. “Black women are out of style like marshmallow platform shoes and afros—like jheri curls and dashsikis…”

The reason for her comments? Marcia is tired of witnessing well-appointed Black men canoodling openly with White women. “I firmly believe that our Black men are endangered and we’re losing them to jail, AIDS, drugs, police brutality and now…White women.” She sputtered into the mouthpiece. “They’re becoming fewer and fewer by the numbers and the heterosexual, drug-free, disease-free, hard-working ones are being taken by Caucasian women.” Judging from Marcia’s statement, I know that this has ignited some ugly and unchristian-like hostilities within her in addition to rendering her helpless in controlling her hateful thoughts and feelings. She said that brothers of all shades will at first look at her, and then right through her, while risking whiplash to look at a White or Hispanic woman passing by. “Is there something wrong with me, Gigi? Should I dress sexier? Should I cut off my locks, straighten my hair or wear a weave? Perhaps I should seriously think about losing some of the weight I’ve been promising to do every New Years Eve. And I guess I’m just too chocolate for some brother’s…just check out the music videos. More and more of our brothers are exiling Black women from their lives and replacing them with White or ‘other than’ women…other than Black that is.” She sighed. I lamely answered, “Who the hell knows what Black men want…why don’t you do what they do—date outside of your race. Don’t limit yourself.” I tried reasoning with her. “Hell my baby sisters are doing just that…in fact they don’t even look at Black men. And my sons are currently dating Puerto-Rican women...they said the sistas are too loud and bossy.”

“Well I don’t care about what everybody else is doing…I can’t see myself with anyone but a Black man…face it, the brothers aren’t checking for me because I’m not thin, I’m too dark-skinned, I don’t floss designer labels and…I wear nappy locks.” She snarked.

“Well, I’m sorry Marcia, but I for one am not about to slip into the woe is me mode; no man does not or will not define who I am.” I answered defiantly. “I’m educated, attractive, have a good job, run my own business, I am published and have my own home in the Bronx. I’ve recently emerged from a twenty-two year marriage and I have three sons…two of them are almost grown. I’m a young woman of a certain age that can stand to lose a few pounds but I’m not obese, far from it. So unlike you, I don’t feel that anything is wrong with me…I like who I am, and I will date outside my race if I have to.” I answered confidently.

“We’re as beautiful and desirable as our Caucasian sisters, right? So how come White men aren’t publicly and shamelessly chasing down Black women like the brothers are doing with White women, and pleeze don’t mention Robert De Niro, with his tired ass…is he the only White man who sees the beauty in Black woman, since the brothers are obviously blind?” She implored. “Oh, I don’t know...there’s Bill Maher who dated Karrine ‘Super Head’ Stephens…” I answered. “I’m sure there others…you know, there was once a 19th century French artist by the name of Charles Cordier, who was an Ethnographic sculptor; he traveled the world capturing the look of people from other cultures and races. Being French, Cordier had a taste for exotic faces and shapes, especially faces that belonged to North Africans. It was in 1892, that he said something most astonishing for that time period. He said that, “every race has its beauty, which differs from that of other races”, and that “the most beautiful Negro is not the one who looks most like us…he meant Caucasians or White people.” After an hour on the telephone with Marcia, I hung up, thinking about some of the things we discussed.

Marcia’s angst stems from knowing, that as attractive as she knows that she is, she feels unattractive and not good enough whenever she see an attractive Black man walk down the street, arm-in-arm with a White woman who may or may not have a smug look on her face. And the feeling that the feeling that she has, is constantly being re-affirmed by society echoing its value system within the confines of the White-owned magazines, television and other consumer driven venues of the media. Of course, this is obviously charged terrain that’s rife with complications and resentment. Rarely do you see positive affirmation in regards to dark Black women no matter how beautiful they are, only and unless if you have “crossover appeal” and light skin like: Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Jennifer Beals, Nicole Ritchie or Mariah Carey. In no way am I impugning these lovely women or hating on them. I’m just merely pointing out a value system erected by White men, designed for us to assimilate and with a clear ideological and aesthetic concept, to divide us and keep us fighting. Moreover and sadly so, we’re all a product of a White western world.

In this society, White women are superior, privileged and protected, simply by virtue of being White…and they know it. And I don’t care if most White Women don’t happen to agree with the ideology set up by mainstream society because again, they have the luxury to oppose it. The point is, they still enjoy the privilege that extends from it whether if they agree with it or not. In addition to that, confused Black men are consciously and sub-consciously perpetuating the myth of White women as the image of beauty. And what’s even more embarrassing is that White men know that their women are desired and coveted by Black men...especially Black men with money. From the time Black men (and Black women too) are born, most are bombarded and fed untruths about light skin, good hair and ‘marrying up’, that has lend itself to a destructive value system which has influenced the way that they as a people think and feel about the Black woman and each other in general.

And so, gradually, some Black men have moved away from the light skinned Black women to coveting, dating and marrying the ‘real thing’—White women. Most high profile Black men, athletes in particular, have White or ‘other than Black’ spouses. Tiger Woods, who claimed once on Oprah to be ‘other’ than Black, recently tied the knot with his Swedish girlfriend in Barbados. What skills does she possess? Well get this, she doesn’t need skills…she’s White and blond, period. The same could be said for a number of prominent Black men in sports; entertainment or other business fields and the list go on. Rarely do you see a White man leaving his White wife for a Black women; but brothers have left long-term relationships with their Black wives or girlfriends for White women. And those same White women, who marry the Black man, believe that the whiteness of their skin, in addition to their euro centric features, is a bulwark against infidelity and other women, especially Black women.

To offset this, most Black women have subjected themselves to skin-bleaching products, weaves and what not. But other Black women, such as myself, have chosen to go another route: to develop our attitude, self-determination and strength, for all the good it’s doing. How can brothers adopt attitudes that our former masters had fed us for the sole purpose of dividing us and therefore keep us fighting with, disliking and distrusting each other? Here we are thirteen generations from one of the most heinous systems of slavery ever erected in history and Black men, whose ancestors were shackled together with mine; reject my friend and other Black women who look like both of us, just because we’re not euro centric-looking enough. And I’m tired of listening to the same old excuse from the brothers, that: Black women are too bossy, nosy and we always cuss them out while rotating our necks on its axis. My favorite excuse: we’re too materialistic! And that White women are docile, caring, have more class and they’re not materialistic. Pleeze! If some of these affluent Black men didn’t have any money, White women wouldn’t be running behind their asses either. So let’s be fair. Black women want what White women have been getting for centuries due to the sense of entitlement that was erected for them. Black women want the same thing as White women—financial security; only with us, we’re castigated as gold diggers and that is so unfair.

The real reason Black men don’t want us and afraid to say or admit out loud, is that they’ve been brainwashed into thinking, that White skin is better than dark skin; and Black men purposely, deliberately and publicly seeking out the White woman is perpetuating this myth. They secretly want light-skinned children with ‘good’ hair, but they’re not man enough to admit it.

A question was raised on the Oprah Winfrey Show about 14 years ago, about what Black men prefer. One of the brothers on the panel had the nerve to say on national television that, “having a White girlfriend is like sporting a Rolex watch.” Jackass!! So what does that make the Black woman, a Timex watch? A Swatch? It’s partly due to comments like that, which is why my friend, Marcia has been more or less, ‘forced’ into celibacy.

We’ve both run the gamut of night clubs, athletic events, church, etc. But Black men at these places are usually paired up, and if not―we’re just not what they’re looking for or want. For myself, I want and prefer a Black man who is loving, who loves Black women, the idea of being with a Black woman and more importantly, who loves himself instead of self-hating; that when he looks at himself in the mirror, he sees the images of his proud ancestors stamped on his face. But if I can’t find one, there are other types of men from other races to explore. Because no matter what Black women do, at the end of the day, the brothers will do exactly whatever pleases them.

I say all this to say, go’ head my brothers; have your White, Asian and Hispanic women. If being with a White woman floats your boat and you think that you’ll gain entrée to the mainstream, well that’s just fine. But I further say this, the minute you mess up, and a lot of you do mess up, White people will always be there to remind you that you’re just a Black man in White America; that they’re running things. And further, they’re unforgiving and they’ll try to hurt you professionally and financially…just ask Brother O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant.

2006-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

CHEERS FOR THUGS SHOOTING BLANKS: WHAT’S WITH THE DISRESPECT??
By Gigi

I’m once again grateful that United Nations Week (September 2006) has passed. Liberal New Yorkers love having foreign leaders in town. Me? I hate it!! My tax paying dollars is used for police protection and private security, Broadway shows and to wine and dine these despots!! Vehicular traffic is always tied up and disrupts morning and afternoon rush hours with street closings and “frozen zones”; mile long limousines parked with the flags of their country flapping in the breeze, motorcades with flashing lights and screaming sirens disturbing the peace. We should be backing up some trucks the minute they step one foot unto American soil and throw their murdering asses in jail!! And why is it when dignitaries and leaders of other countries come into the United States to visit, they feel that it is all right to blame, accuse, point fingers and disrespect OUR President?? And the kicker…in the past, liberal and left-wing traitors usually AND publicly agreed with these despots, because at the time, it fits a preconceived viewpoint! Not anymore it seems (for now). Why?

Charles Rangel, a member of Congress, and in a pretense of outrage, “expressed extreme displeasure” with comments made by the President of Venezuela attacking President Bush, while trying to sell his countries cheap heating oil to us poor Americans. Why now all of a sudden? After all, this is nothing new, except election time is coming up and no liberal want to appear anti-American or disloyal; they need your vote to either remain in office or to seek higher office. President Bush, whether you like him or not IS the President of the United States AND represents the entire country. Any negative comments made by passing dignitaries who are foreign to our lands, should be viewed by Republicans AND Democrats, as an attack on all of us, despite your feelings about the President. Do you think that if we made negative statements about an unpopular foreign leader and his countries policies while enjoying their hospitality on their countries dime and on THEIR land, that we would make it home in one piece? HELL-TO-THE-NO!!! Some of you Liberals should try that while visiting Iran…your tongue would be in a museum!! LIBERALS AND LEFT-WING NUTS, YOU ARE DAMAGING AMERICA AND I’M CALLING YOU OUT!!!!

2006-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

OUT OF AFRICA
By Gigi

I’m trying hard to understand, what it is that Angelina Jolie and Madonna Ciccone-Ritchie has done personally for the public at large (myself included) to be violently critical of their sudden plunge (plundering??) into third world child –caring (snatching??) adoption? Well let’s discuss this, shall we? Personally, I think Angelina is sincere with her adoption efforts, but Madonna, I believe is up to some contrived-copycat, “Angelina-thing”. Is Madonna doing it to get publicity and attention? I say ‘yes’ because since Angelina received a lot of press and praise for adopting an African baby girl, whose mother died from AIDS, Madonna “copy-adopted” an African baby boy who’s mother died in childbirth.

I feel that since there are a lot of orphans, including African-American orphans IN THIS COUNTRY that also need good homes, why don’t they adopt them? Are they not as desirable or exotic as adopting an African, Cambodian or Korean child? Guess not!!

The new trend, it seems, is that Black IS THE NEW Black. For those celebrities who are planning side trips from Paris to Botswana or Namibia to pick up that all important, must have accessory: African babies—indeed...you all disgust me!! The fashion world is all in a tizzy, because the African baby is in…it is this season’s Birkin Bag or pampered pet accessory to hang off your hip.

The trend for adopting third world children began with Mia Farrow, who adopted nine or ten children…some had disabilities. No big fuss was made over her adoption techniques, because Mia’s actions were quiet and understated without the media hoopla and she is soft spoken—but I disgress. Celebrities do not have to travel thousands of miles to adopt a poor, sick, motherless orphan; you don’t even have to leave your home state! The United States have: cute ones, really Black ones (since that’s this seasons preference), cuddly ones, huggly ones, some born with HIV or positive tox (addicted to drugs) and impoverished ones. So you celebrities, if your efforts are truly genuine, you should want to adopt babies here in the U.S. and not just Africa. Charity begins at home.

2006-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

THE PAJAMAS PARTY
By Gigi

What is up with the boys and girls (mostly teenagers) in my neighborhood wearing their PJs in the streets? Everywhere I look, people are making themselves at home—on the streets. When did this look become fashion forward? It is the equivalent of when people use to walk around wearing the plastic wave caps (to preserve their jheri curls or women still walking around with curlers in their hair in the streets) in the 80s and early 90s; or boys (and sometimes grown men who ought to know better) who still walk around with their jeans or sweat pants hanging off their asses; OR walking around the City with their sneaker laces untied. This slovenly mode of dress is not acceptable or cute ladies and gentlemen; I see you taking your younger sibling to school in pajamas bottoms and flip-flops; I see you in the bodegas buying coffee, cigarettes and newspapers in your jammies; I see you in the laundromat or at the pay phones in your chenille robes…PLEASE PUT ON SOME DAMN CLOTHES!!! HAVE SOME MODICUM OF RESPECT FOR YOURSELVES!!!! Just because you’re in the ‘hood, doesn’t mean you have to act and dress like ghetto hood rats!!! So respect yourself.

2006-10-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

WIFE BEATERS
By Gigi

Nope!!! Calm down…I’m not talking about abusive husbands or boyfriends (although that is where the term originated). I’m talking about underwear…basically, an undershirt that is a tank tee. Where did a name like that come from—to label what is basically an under garment? The first person I knew to coin that phrase was my baby brother, Clay. He mentioned it in 1994; Clay said that whenever he watched the cop shows on TV, the men were generally arrested for spousal abuse, and once the cops drag them out of their homes, all they wore was a dingy, white tank tee and they were always drunk. So he started calling them ‘wife beaters’. I chuckled at first, but as time went on, I thought it misogynically rude and inappropriate.

The Wife Beater shirt…is an insulting slang that has taken off like wild fire. The term is demeaning and is often associated with ‘white trash’, more specifically, Italian-Americans. The origin of the term is a stereotype that the shirts are worn predominately by men who beat and abuse their wives. Wife beaters are also popular in the street gang culture of the United States and hip-hop culture. The National Organization for Women (NOW) says it trivializes domestic violence. “The implication is that wife beating is not viewed as sufficiently serious to lift it above the level of something that’s OK to joke about.” stated Kim Gandy, President of NOW. And I agree.

The ‘Wife Beater’ shirt is now a part of pop culture; teenage boys use the term and think it’s cool. And being that the term (slang) is commonly used and relatively widespread, it has recently been accepted into Oxford English Dictionary. I tried discussing this issue with a colleague at work and he came back at me with, “Well it’s not only a wife beater, but the official lesbian tee.” I was rendered speechless. He then muttered loudly while walking away, “Perhaps I’m callous and unfeeling…maybe even reprehensible, but I have a hard time getting worked up about a sleeveless undershirt. I have a record of fighting for women’s causes, but I must draw the line to this issue. Wife beaters is a publicly recognized name for this particular product—and the companies (Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Jockey, etc.) had no role what so ever in it’s naming. Now don’t get offended, but it would be as if blaming a…let’s say, security dog breeder for naming the types of dogs he breeds, “nigger-chasers”. He said as he backed up away from me, because I wanted to slap him. “There are some names that although they display poor taste, are still the name recognized by the consumer. And when it comes to matters of finance, what sells is what counts in our capitalistic culture.” He finished.

I hated to admit it, but he wass absolutely right— the arrogant bastard!!!

2006-09-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

THUGS IN THE MILITARY—I SAY WHY NOT?
By Gigi

Since the Pentagon is falling behind on recruitment and has relaxed their standards, let the unfit serve in the armed forces. By unfit, I mean: neo-Nazis, gang-bangers, murderers and rapists…let them go to the Middle East and fight. Don’t recruit the lazy, the coward, the college bound or the decent (and probably timid), bespectacled guy or gal working at Staples, Rite Aid or Starbucks, they’re useless. And rich people won’t let their children fight for the very freedom they’re enjoying; and I think the same should be for poor people as well. So I say, EMPTY THE JAILS INSTEAD!!! They’re up for it. Let’s train them, hand them a gun and ship them overseas post haste and let them run wild!! Let them scare the bee Jesus out of the Iraqi’s. Draft the psychos and the cancer of this society—go to the swamps and drop them over there. They’ll be happy; and here’s the selling point…they get to kill people and they won’t go to jail.

2006-09-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: WHO WAS IT REALLY MEANT FOR?
BY GIGI

“When the Catholic, White missionaries first came to Africa, they had the bible and the Africans had the land. The missionaries said to us, ‘let us pray’, and we all closed our eyes. When we opened them, the Africans had the bible and the missionaries had our land.”
Bishop Desmond Tutu

What is Affirmative Action? By definition, according to Webster’s Dictionary, it means: An action taken to provide equal opportunities, as in admissions or employment, for minority groups and women. Sounds nice…in theory. Let’s look at this more closely; Affirmative Action programs were developed and designed to eliminate the current effects of past discrimination and to provide equal opportunities to individuals and groups of individuals that have been systematically and institutionally discriminated against because of their race and/or gender. Now that sounds even better, yes?
Which group of people was Affirmative Action created for? Yeeesss, you can say it—Black People or African-Americans. From the outset, Affirmative Action was envisioned as a temporary remedy or measure that was supposed to end once there was a “level playing field” for all Americans. But this hasn’t happened yet. Because in spite of civil service laws and constitutional guarantees to redress discrimination—discrimination in some form, still persists. Equality as a fact (not as a theory) and as a result must be realized for Affirmative Action to be successful; then someone whispered: What about Reparations?
I’ve been trying to stay abreast of the discussions surrounding reparations and Affirmative Action for many years now. The U.S. and its American institutions have been discussing ways to address and apologize for the most inhumane, murdering and heinous system of slavery ever erected in this country’s two-hundred year history; and since the duration of which the inhumanity was inflicted is unprecedented, it made the struggle for justice intergenerational and our U.S. government not only guilty of criminal behavior, but also their participation in the enslavement of Africans. Our Ancestors were victims of a historic national crime…our ancestors were dragged here in chains, shackled and sold on the auction block like cattle. So, one of the forms of reparations IS Affirmative Action…but here’s the problem…
There are more and more immigrant, undocumented person or illegal aliens—whatever nomenclature you which to use, for any individual or group of people who are not American, that is slowly changing any discussion on Affirmative Action. Affirmative Action has become a grab bag-free for all, for anyone who isn’t White—American or not. Well, let me set you straight on a couple of things!!! The original mission of Affirmative Action was to address ONLY ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE that has spent over two-hundred years enslaved and that the descendants deserved consideration because of it (and why not? The Jews, Japanese and Indians received some kind of apologetic consideration from the U.S and the world at large).
Affirmative Action wasn’t intended for people from India, Africa, Latin America, Asia and so on. African Americans, meaning the descendants of the transatlantic slave trade realizes that what happened to us, our experience is extremely unique. African-Americans are unique to this country because we were created out of slavery―and have long suffered under legislated and institutional racism. The people who have not only benefited, but have been the greatest recipients of affirmative action are White women. Yeesss I said it! We live in a system that values whiteness. It is easier for White men to hire people who look like their wives, sister, etc. That way a company can turn around and claim diversity. White people are not aware of the connection between color and success because their whiteness has put them in good stead in the first place. Darker-skinned people tend to face greater adversity in corporate environments.
But in order to be heard, we need to articulate and frame our thoughts and goals…and that, yes damn it, AMERICAN BLACKS ARE OWED!!! So before the American government ups and start doling out rights like confetti to other minority groups, it must first give it to the American Blacks. As for reparations, it should come to us in the form of free education…not land or money. I say education, because our ancestors were denied the right to education, even to learn how to read was considered a crime, punishable by flogging (being whipped) or even death!! So again I say yes, American Blacks are owed…

2006-06-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

HAITIAN RACIAL DIASPORA
BY GIGI

I want to bring something to light because there’s very little discussion surrounding this awful travesty and I think it’s time to bring it to a halt. Modern day Slavery in 2006…is happening right under our noses You’d never think that modern countries would engage in such inhuman practices; but here it is…the Dominican Republic! If the reports and evidence collected by church organizations, United Nations organization and various human rights groups to be believed, what’s actually taking place with the Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic MUST BE STOPPED!!!

Haitian immigrants and their children are routinely abused, both physically and emotionally; and they’re confined to the most primitive conditions imaginable and not fit for human habitation. The Haitians are forced to work for little or no money and their demands for justice only further the anger of the Dominican authorities, who incidentally deport thousands of Haitians to their homeland—right next door. And if those awful conditions weren’t bad enough, they’re denied Dominican citizenship. The ongoing tragedy and the indifference of the officials in DR are astounding. I also add to that list, the United States of America! U.S officials in Washington are aware of this and continue to do nothing! If the U.S were as vigilant about the awful situation in DR as they are about Saddam Hussein dictatorship in Iraq, this problem would have been resolved decades ago without any blood being shed.

Haiti shares an island with the Dominican Republic; and it would be a monumental achievement if the U.S. can encourage the DR government to not only crack down on the abuses of Haitians, but to treat the Haitians in a manner we have all grown to accept from members of the international community. But given the long history of the abuse and the failure of successive U. S., DR and Haitian governments to act decisively, with speed, and forcefulness, many people are skeptical, including myself, that any changes are forthcoming.

In closing, I think it’s a frigging shame that right here in our Western Hemisphere, such conditions are allowed to persist in the Dominican Republic.

2006-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

ENDANGERED YOUNG BLACK MALES
BY GIGI

I don’t have to look around my Bronx neighborhood to witness the plight of young Black or Hispanic men; I can use two of my sons as examples. I say this with great pain and sadness, that regardless of my educational and professional success, I don’t know how to help them. My sons were raised middle-class, with two parents. They were instilled with good values, good common sense, a love of knowledge and jewels of wisdom that they can do and be anything they want to be; and that not all minority males are doomed to prison, premature death or to be drug abusers. In short, they were presented with a blueprint for manhood and success; that despite racism, guns, crime, drugs, etc. they can achieve success with guidance and direction. But despite my and their father’s explaining how education is important, we don’t know what else to do to help them. I thought that communicating Black achievement and leading by example would be enough. But it’s not.

After just two semesters of college, my 19 year old decided that college wasn’t for him and he wanted to be a rapper. And with no education or skills of any kind, he was quickly drawn to the lure of the street corners, drinking beer, smoking marijuana and hanging with his homies. I got so scared, that I shipped him off, practically kicking and screaming to Job Corp; I didn’t know what else to do.

My 16 and a half-year-old is gladly and enthusiastically flunking the tenth grade…again. He told his father that he hates school, and wants to drop out and take the GED…the GED? What the hell is going on? Aren’t children supposed to mirror the product of their upbringing? Is this a test? Did I do something in a past life to deserve this? My sixteen year old wants to be a football or basketball player, since he’s equally good at both. Black males in urban settings aspire to be one of three things: a rapper, an athlete or a street hustler. My husband and I did not give our sons these limited life options. These are not the beacons of hope we instilled in them. So why?

After countless discussions with family members about this, we’re not any closer to a solution; but my mother, the kids grandmother suggests they need a bible study. So, I’m appealing to the human race at large and currently accepting suggestions to my dilemma.

2006-04-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

THE NEW TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF BLACKNESS
BY GIGI

I’m finding that more and more Senegalese, Nigerians and other Africans are moving to the United States. Great numbers have moved into my neighborhood over the years. At the time, I wasn’t certain how I felt about their constant presence. I got worried when a few of my African-American and Hispanic neighbors moved out of the neighborhood, and African immigrants started to move in; But still, since they are here, I’m forced to acknowledge them. I once had a cordial friendship with an African woman who was Muslim and braided hair for a living. Her husband who drove a gypsy taxi, kept a good eye and a strong hold on her. She whispered to me that he didn’t want her to pick up any "bad" American habits.

I wanted to know more about where she came from and her past life; but one caustic look from her husband usually clamped her mouth closed. I’m sorry to say that I don’t know much about Africans, outside of the fact that most are Muslims, that the women carried their babies tied to their backs, they braid hair and the men drive taxis or sell things on the streets for a living. But in my observations of them, I find the men to be a little domineering and controlling, especially the married ones; and the women to be passive and oppressed. This of course can be defined as my ignorance shadowed by stupid stereotypes. But on the other hand, the feeling is probably mutual; my friend once uttered to me while her husband was out working, that most Africans think that African-Americans are lazy, complain too much about racism, that the women are mostly whores and we as a whole, lack culture because we don’t know our heritage, our language or which tribe we originated from; that we are "akata". I felt hurt by her blunt and derogatory remarks. I saw her less and less after that.

A couple of years later, I started dating an African brother from Nigeria, who was more assimilated and actually preferred African-American women to African women. He felt that African women were backwards, unsophisticated and un-educated. We were walking around one day in my neighborhood and ran into a few of his friends from his village whom he hadn’t seen in twenty years; two of them were women. I got dirty looks and smirks and they spoke to him angrily in their native tongue. When they left us finally, I ask him what was said about me. He refused at first, but with my relentless prodding, he finally told me. The women wanted to know, what was he doing with "the American slave…cotton picker". He said that he told them that I was nice and for them to not be jealous. This didn’t make me feel any better. We had a long discussion that night about Africans vs. African Americans and the many layers of sensitive issues that plague us.

African-Americans have a long and illustrious history of championing African causes and since more and more Africans continue to arrive in the United States, they automatically benefit from Civil Rights and Affirmative Action, even though they do not participate in civil rights issues in large numbers like African-Americans. Basically, I feel that Africans should stop feeling superior over African-Americans, because our ancestors were dragged here against their will, but yet through resilience and stubbornness, they persevered; and due to their trailblazing the Civil Rights Movement, this made it possible for Africans to live decently in the U.S. and benefit from services and other entitlements. I also feel that if the two were to over come the mutual stereotypes and band together as a formidable group domestically and internationally, we will have the ability and the potential to reach such a daunting level of influence in this country, that it would be phenomenal.

2006-03-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

ALMOST OUT OF TIME

By Gigi

As a political enthusiast, and since we’re fast approaching the 21st Century, I’m wondering if anyone knows what the significance of the year 2007 mean to Black People in America? You don’t? Well let me enlighten you; our right to VOTE will expire in the year 2007. The Voters Rights Act signed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, was just that, an ACT. It was never made into law. Then, in 1982, President Ronald Reagan amended the Voters Right Act for 25 years…which means, that in the year 2007, we could lose the right to vote. We are the only group of people (as a race) who require PERMISSION under the United States Constitution to vote! That’s right, you heard me!!!

In 2007 next year, Congress will once again convene to decide whether or not Blacks should retain the right to vote. In order for this to be passed, 38 States (I believe most are Southern States and/or within the bible-belt proper) will have to approve an extension. My opinion—not only should the extension be approved, but also the ACT must be made into LAW. Our right to vote should no longer be up for discussion, review or evaluation! Everyone should contact their Congressional District Representative, Senator or whomever, to put a screeching halt to this nonsense! We cannot afford to drop the ball on this one; we’ve come too far as a race AND we’ve been through enough already.

2006-02-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

THE HOLY GRAIL OF AMERICAN LIFE…FAME
THE REALITIES OF REALITY TV vs. REAL WORLD ISSUES

By Gigi

There’s something inherently wrong with our present culture when seemingly intelligent people are prepared to do insane and desperate acts to garner this vacuous honor; and the ones who already have it will do anything to retain it, including becoming attention starved media whores. I’m talking about fame. And they don’t have to pay for it in sweat to attain it. When did unscripted reality shows replace quality prime-time programming? And I must admit, albeit sick of the many talk shows and game shows that once glutted TV, when did reality shows replace them?

You have publicists becoming actors, actors becoming governors and rappers becoming actors—there won’t be any room left for the real professionals. Our nation is in disarray from corporate corruption, the U.S. is at war with Iraq, unemployment spiked post 9/11, our schools are in shambles and we’re raising future morons due to the mis-education of our children; we have pedophile priests running loose, quality of life and gratuitous crime has increased, HIV and AIDS is on the rise within the Black community,especially among Black women… and yet, reality shows is ruling television . I can go on, but you get what I am saying here.

People are tuning in each week to see who gets voted off, booted out, or fired on: The Apprentice, American Idol, America’s Top Model, Survivor and Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire, to name a few. And the unlucky ones who are unceremoniously ask to leave, are resurrected to appear on other reality shows, TV shows, movies and commercials—anything to prolong their 15 minutes.

Desperate for recognition and ugly grabs for power, these greedy, shallow and insecure former contestants will shamelessly promote themselves at any and ALL costs to remain in front of the camera, and we buy into it. Are we so starved for entertainment that we accept any dreck the networks churn out for ratings? Are we all in dire need of mindless distractions and other D-list celebrity nonsense, because we cannot bear to think about what is really going on in the real world? Well, behaving like an ostrich won’t make it go away. And just as Nero played the violin while Rome burned, we watch MTV, while America quickly becomes a third world nation, with uneducated children who cannot read, write or execute simple mathematic problems; and meanwhile, we have North Korea (potentially more dangerous than the mess in Iraq) reprocessing enough plutonium to make an additional half-dozen long range nuclear weapons, to cook half the world, yet we are instead inundated with cooking reality shows like, The Restaurant.

We as Americans need to re-focus and to re-commit ourselves; we need to put our energies where it’s needed most, towards our atrophied future: our children, our family, our country, and our values, before we further deteriorate and fade from reality.

Because although tentative for the present, the dissolution of the Unites States is not so far-fetched…look at what happened to Russia. It’s time to wake up!