Monday, January 30, 2017

Blocking the BS

Try a I might to block out the daily ridiculousness of our current administration, it's hard to do these days when both television and the internet are overflowing with stories of more bullshit orchestrated by Donny T and His Band of Idiots. For all those people who keep saying, "I can't believe he (Donny T) is doing this/that" well, believe it, folks! This is happening. I spoke with a friend over the weekend who asked what she could do to help in dealing with the iron fist of government we're currently under and I told her she can volunteer to help others who are underserved or donate money to the ACLU or some other organization that helps the oppressed. Maybe all of us can't march and be on the front lines for justice, but we can and should help in other ways.

I was born during the Nixon administration and I managed to survive that. God willing, I'll survive Donny T's hot government mess also.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

On the Mend

I am, thankfully, on the mend after an outpatient surgical procedure yesterday. I've had surgery before, but I was younger then and with his most recent procedure, I found myself worrying about the anesthesia more than the surgery. You hear so many horror stories about people dying from complications involving anesthesia and I was worried that the same would happen to me. Thankfully, things went well and I'm back on the mend.


Thursday, January 26, 2017

Cake by the Ocean

During my workout class last night, the teacher put on "Cake by the Ocean" and I was one happy lady. I'd heard this song before, but because I rarely listen to popular music, I was not a fan when it initially came out. Now, once again, I'm late to the party, but that's okay. The only thing wrong with "Cake by the Ocean" is that it's not long enough. (Okay, the video sucks also. Where's the dance routine?? This song just calls for a dance routine!) As I've said before, I make an effort (even more so now with Donny T ruling the government) to try and find good music to listen to during the day so peppy little "Cake by the Ocean" is definitely coming to me at a time when I need it.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Bob vs Bruce

As a Michigander, I'm a huge fan of Bob Seger and as I was listening to "Shame on the Moon" during my drive home from work yesterday, I thought about how truly underrated Seger is especially when compared to Bruce Springsteen. Now, nothing against Bruce, but Bob's music just speaks to me. I've said before that maybe you need to be from Jersey or Philly to be a true Bruce fan. Seger has so many great songs and he really should have been a bigger deal than he is. And the song he's most famous for ("Old Time Rock and Roll") isn't exactly his best work, in my opinion, but I tend not to like songs that were played too much on the radio. (I'm looking at you "Piano Man.") I used to work with a woman in Philly who was a huge Springsteen fan and I just didn't get it. Again, maybe the music just isn't for me to get. I should have suggested she try some Seger.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

The Numbers Game

Why can't our new POTUS focus on the numbers of people who are in danger of losing their health insurance if the Affordable Care Act is overturned or the number of people who are unemployed in the country or the number of people who fear their basic civil rights will be crushed under the heel of this administration  rather than the number of people who attended his inauguration? With so many important issues in the world today, I don't understand why Donny T. can't focus on these things instead of playing the numbers game and worrying about how the media portrays him. His slogan should be MITM, Majoring in the Minors, given the way he frets over inconsequential things. It's clear to see that the way to keep up the pressure on this guy is to constantly speak out publicly about his ineptness because, clearly, he can't handle being publicly criticized (something he really should have given some great thought about before he decided to run for POTUS, a job that brings a steady stream of public criticism).

In a slightly unrelated matter, as much as I enjoyed seeing the crowds of women (and men) at various marches around the country yesterday, I couldn't help wondering how many of those marchers either (A) voted for Donny T. or (B) didn't vote at all.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Ugh

Ugh. Just ugh. I resisted watching the day's "festivities" and chose instead to spend my workday listening to inspirational gospel and smooth jazz selections. But when I did get on the internet I got annoyed reading that the new administration's White House website has removed all pages concerning civil rights, LGBT issues, and climate change. Yes, this is the country I live in now. Ugh.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Worried? Of Course I Am!

I am trying to be calm and enjoy the last night before the Trumpocalypse begins tomorrow. (Are you well-stocked for canned goods? How's your water supply?) I kid, but I'm also serious. Changes are coming and I fear they'll be terrible for a lot of people (myself included). How can someone nominate (with a straight face) a woman to be Secretary of Education who has never attended public schools herself nor have her own children ever attended public schools? I find this just ridiculous but I find so many things ridiculous about the incoming administration that Betsy's nomination is just one more item to add to the growing list of bad decisions made by these people. I said when 2017 started that I was going to try to maintain a positive outlook and I'm trying to do that, but I'm still worried about the future. But my worries won't keep me from doing what I can to fight against Don the Con and his minions. I'll continue my volunteer work helping those less fortunate than myself, giving financially to organizations that need help, and writing stories about people who are underserved.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Leslie Odom, Jr.





I admit, I'm late to the game in appreciating the vocal talent of Leslie Odom, Jr. Since I'm not a fan of the Hamilton soundtrack (clutch the pearls), I wasn't hip to Mr. Odom through the hip hop historical musical. However, I got on the Odom train after seeing his commercial for Nationwide Insurance around the holidays. What a wonderful voice this man has! I like his version of The Guilty Ones also. I have been a huge fan of this song from the Spring Awakening soundtrack for some time, but Odom's version puts a different spin on it that I equally enjoy. Speaking of Spring Awakening, I could kick myself for not seeing this musical when it was initially on Broadway. I remember reading a description of the play and thinking, I don't want to see that. Stupid me. I should have gone to see it. But I digress. I'm always looking for soothing music to listen to while I work and write and Odom is filling that bill right now.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Hidden Figures and RIP Ringling Brothers

I saw the film Hidden Figures over the weekend and I enjoyed it. The film that tells the story of three black women who worked for NASA in the early 1960s is uplifting and just the kind of movie we need today during these trying political times. Aside from the great performances by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, the movie does a great job of showing the subtle and not-so-subtle ways people of color were and still are being deterred or simply stopped from getting ahead. On this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (or Great Americans Day as folks in Biloxi are calling it--insert eye roll here), it's nice to see a movie that highlights the achievements of black Americans who far too often are treated as if we contribute nothing to society.

In other news, I was sad to hear Ringling Brothers is shutting their circus down. I believe the one and only time I went to the circus was in the 1970s when I was a child. It was just the sort of thing all kids did. But times have changed and kids today aren't interested in seeing clowns and animals under the big top. Plus, if you add in the animal activists who fought to get elephants removed from the shows, you've got a recipe for disaster. So RIP Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.


Saturday, January 14, 2017

Negro Day, Part Deux

I saw on the news that Trump invited comedian Steve Harvey to Trump Tower yesterday to meet with him and Ben Carson to discuss urban housing issues. (Yesterday appeared to be the second Negro Day at Trump Tower. The first was when Kanye West visited along with Jim Brown and some other black folks.) But back to Steve Harvey. What, exactly, is Harvey's qualification to speak on urban housing issues? Oh, right. He's black. Apparently, that's the only qualification one needs to address HUD issues.

In other Negro news, I read that the British Michael Jackson biopic starring Joseph Fiennes as MJ was shelved due to on-going criticism from the public about having a white man play Michael Jackson. Jackson's own children came out against the biopic which is interesting to me given that they're pretty white themselves. (I don't believe those kids are Jackson's biological children, but I understand that Jackson was the only father they knew so of course they're going to defend him as such.) But, let's be real here. Michael Jackson was pretty darn white when he died so having a white actor portray him on screen should not, in my opinion, have been a huge issue. I assume there were other issues with the portrayal that brought criticism, but Fiennes's race seemed to be the overwhelming factor that brought the biopic down.

And, lastly, I read that Biloxi, Mississippi years ago changed the name of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday to Great Americans Day to honor. These city bigots just couldn't bring themselves to honor Dr. King, so they changed the name of the holiday so they wouldn't have to. Unbelievable.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Spokesman?

I'm so tired of seeing commercials on television with creepy spokesmen. From the disheveled Trivago guy to the bearded True Car guy, these spokesmen just don't look ready for prime time. What happened to putting appealing people in commercials? Folks who are pleasing to the eye? I guess those days are over. I could see if these spokesmen were real customers of the companies they're representing, but they aren't. These are hired spokesmen which makes me wonder exactly who hired them. I understand the trend to have people who don't look like models and movie stars in commercials so the general public will view them as trustworthy and real. But being "real" and being "creepy" are two very different things.

In a slightly unrelated note, our incoming government spokesman, the HJIC (Head Joker/Jackal in Charge), is a walking, talking, one-man freak show. Just when I think things can't get any worse, they do! Almost every day, there's more shenanigans with this guy and he hasn't even been sworn into office yet. It's like a never-ending nightmare. Has the zombie apocalypse started yet? I'd better stock up on canned goods and candles.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Not All the Same

Although I didn't watch last night's Golden Globe awards (because I don't normally watch award shows and I was watching a bad Netflix movie instead), I did read about the awards ceremony this morning. The Hidden Fences thing just makes me shake my head. How do you confuse two totally different films just because they each have words that start with the letter "F" in the title? Easily, apparently. And you add the fact that both movies have mainly black casts, you've got a perfect storm for wrongness. As a black person, I just have to laugh at this mistake because it's all too real. I've been mistaken for other black women in the workplace...black women who I don't resemble in any way other than that we're black. At one of my jobs in Philadelphia, one of my co-workers looked me dead in the face and called me another black woman's name. The other black woman was probably ten years older than I was and had salt and pepper colored hair that she wore in a really cute natural style. She was also about five shades lighter skinned than I am, yet I was still called by her name. (We both did wear glasses, so maybe that's where the confusion came in.) We all make mistakes, I know, but when things like the Hidden Fences thing happens, it just reminds me that some people find it easier to lump non-white people and their projects together rather than treating them as individuals and that's both dismissive and sad.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Moving Out

I read an article recently about a high percentage of people moving out of certain states. While New Jersey was at the top of the list, Illinois was in second place, and New York pulled into third place. Having lived in all three of the top three states, I wasn't surprised by these findings.

New York (particularly the metropolitan area around New York City including the boroughs), as most people know, is just ridiculously expensive, so it's no surprise that people are moving. It's hard to pay $2000 a month or more for rent when you only make $50,000 (or less). It's a wonder to me how people who work low-wage jobs and/or have kids even survive in New York. When I lived there, I was getting by, but there wasn't much wiggle room. I had a nice apartment in a not-hip-and-trendy part of Brooklyn and the place was rent-stabilized, but it was still expensive for someone who didn't make a six-figure salary. I feared constantly that I was just one paycheck away from being on the street. I remember one time while I was living in Brooklyn that the direct deposits didn't go in for employees at my company at the end of the month due to some technical glitch (so they said). I was freaking out because I, like many people, depended on that end-of-the-month pay to pay my beginning-of-the-month rent. I had enough money to get my rent paid in the event that my paycheck was late, but not much beyond that. Thankfully, we all did get our paychecks and the crisis was averted, but the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.

Most parts of New Jersey are also ridiculously expensive, particularly those parts in the central and northern part of the state that are within reasonable commuting distance to New York City. I lived in central New Jersey for a few years and commuted into New York where my day job was located. Back then, I was paying more than $200 for a monthly pass on New Jersey Transit plus about $50 a month to park my car at the train station. Thankfully, I didn't have a car payment at the time, but when I added my commuting expenses on top of my rent, and took the commuting time to and from New York five days a week into consideration, I decided it was more beneficial for me to move closer to Brooklyn where I'd be closer to my job and wouldn't have to spend more than two hours a day on the train and driving to and from the train station. I did miss my suburban New Jersey apartment with its dishwasher and in-unit washer and dryer, but sacrifices had to be made.

And last, but not least, there's Illinois. I've made it plain that I am not a fan of my current home state and I'd leave this place if I could. The government is a joke, Chicago is a mess, and I just don't see things improving around here anytime soon. However, it's my home for now, I have family here, and I have to try and make the best of a bad situation. Plus, I don't know where else I would go if I did leave. I often think about returning to Philadelphia, a city that I feel is affordable on the East Coast and not a bad place to live. Granted, I haven't lived in Philadelphia for more than ten years and I don't know how much has changed since then, but I largely enjoyed my time living there. I probably would have still been there if I hadn't taken the New York job.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Inspirational Music

I wrote a blog post Tuesday about Holy Rollers, the overly-religious who are quick to criticize others about their so-called sins often ignoring their own shortfalls. Now I'm not a person who doesn't believe in getting through life without having some kind of faith, I just hate all of hypocrisy some people exhibit when they consider themselves "saved." Although I haven't been a regular church-goer for some time, I do miss it and I find myself turning to religious music to fill the void. There are some great inspirational songs out now and a lot of the modern gospel music I've heard is very uplifting without being overly preachy and I, for one, appreciate that. Whenever the Christmas holidays come around (and Easter also), I enjoy listening to the religious music of my youth. It's comforting to me and, God knows, in this day and age, a lot of us could use some comfort in our lives. Personally, I'm just trying to get myself mentally ready for the Trumpocalypse that's coming in the next few weeks. Jesus, take the wheel!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Holy Rollers

I've been reading about the latest controversy involving a gospel singer who was supposed to appear on the Ellen show this week, but now won't be appearing after her fiery anti-gay and lesbian sermon went viral. The singer gave a typical response after the whole thing blew up on the internet and basically gave one of those "love the sinner, hate the sin" spiels. What I can't figure out is why she even agreed to go on Ellen's show when she knew Ellen is an open lesbian. I suspect she didn't expect anyone to find out about her anti-gay views and just wanted the publicity and the huge audience Ellen's show could offer her. How Christian is that? Not very! What kills me about Holy Rollers is that they're always picking and choosing parts of the Bible to throw in someone's face. Leviticus! Acts! Why single out one Biblical passage to condemn homosexuality but ignore the others that preach against gluttony, adultery, eating certain foods, etc? Holy Rollers also love to point out other people's perceived sins while ignoring their own. Sure, most will claim they've been "saved" from a life of sin, but many are still backsliding and they know it. These same folks would deny a marriage license to a gay couple while they're on their third or fourth marriage. (I'm looking at you, Kentucky Kim.) I know Holy Rollers. I have some in my family and I've had some as friends. I try to avoid them when they start proselytizing because I know far too many of these folks don't want to hear any difference of opinion when it comes to what they believe.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I am determined to start 2017 on a positive note and I will try to be optimistic as this new year begins. There's more than enough negativity in the world right now, so I'm going to work to decrease some of that in my own life this year. I'm also going to finish this book I've been slowly working on. It's almost there. I know I've said that before, but I mean it this time. The end is near!