Lincoln Park

Since we've actually had some unbelievably good weather around here for the past few days, I was able to get out and see a little of Lincoln Park yesterday.

The Hard Way

So last week, Stephen Colbert found out the hard way that, sometimes, that joke just isn't funny. He did a bit on one of his shows that attempted to show the hypocrisy of the Washington Redskins' management for creating a fund to help Native Americans. (Yes, we want to help you while we continue to refer to our team as the "redskins." Right.) But Colbert's mistake was to use Asian stereotypes to get this point across. This is what happens when you have a writing team comprised of primarily white men. I don't know if Colbert's team has any people of color or even any women on its writing staff, but I suspect if he did have some minorities, maybe (hopefully) one of them would have spoken up when this skit was put on the table and argued that a joke involving Asian stereotypes isn't the best way to expose racism against Native Americans. "But it's satire!" Colbert's fans argue. Yes, but at one point are you laughing AT me rather than laughing WITH me? That's what these folks don't get.


I am a big Colbert fan, but I think he failed with this one and people (Asian and non-Asians alike) were right to call him out on his bullshit. When you're at the helm, you need to steer the ship and Colbert needs to step up this week, admit an error in judgment was made, and apologize.

Chicagoland

Since I now live outside of Chicago, I have been eagerly watching CNN's "Chicagoland" series so I can learn more about my new community. I read criticism of the series before it even aired, mainly that the series episodes are very pro-Rahm Emanuel---and they are! This week's episode was particularly Rahm-friendly in that it showed Chicago's Mayor mentoring a young black man and attending community workshops designed to help young black men. Not to say that Rahm doesn't care about inner-city kids, but as I watched Rahm and his young black protégé get out of his SUV limo and walk together to City Hall, I felt like the entire scene was a photo-op for the mayor. As he greeted folks on the street, I felt like he was thinking, Look at me out here on the streets of Chicago with this black guy! I'm helping him! We're friends! Take a picture of us together! Also, when he met one-on-one with the principal of a failing Chicago high school, I wondered how he had the time to meet with this woman. Maybe he meets with public school principals all the time. Or maybe he just had time for her because she's featured in the CNN series. Likely, it's the latter of these two scenarios.


I like Rahm, but I'm critical of this series and the way he's presented in it. "Chicagoland" does seem, at time, like one long campaign commercial for the mayor.

Math Is Essential

I stopped at Boston Market to pick up some dinner for my sister and me and the total order was $15.24. I gave the cashier $20.25. How come she counted out $4.98 to give me back in change? Then, when I alerted her of her error, she said that she punched the wrong amount into the register. Okay. Regardless, my change is $5.01. I gave her the .24 cents so I wouldn't get back a load of change and a bunch of ones. Math is essential, folks!

Collusion in Paperback

Collusion is available in paperback now. 

Sheena Easton

During my commutes to and from work, I often listen to CDs since Chicago radio largely sucks. (I know I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.) This week, I broke out Sheena Easton's greatest hits. I hadn't really given a lot of thought to Ms. Easton, but in listening to her greatest hits, I realized that (A) "Strut" is a great song and (B) "Sugar Walls" is ridiculous. Come spend the night inside my sugar walls. Heaven on earth inside my sugar walls. Really? Isn't Prince the genius behind these inspiring lyrics? He must have written this song on one of his off days. In other singer-related news, I read Kate Bush is planning to perform again. Good for her. I like Kate Bush. Her voice is an acquired taste, but I love "Hounds of Love." Maybe I should put that CD in the car for next week's drive (if I can find it).

Daddy Issues - On Sale Today

My new book, Daddy Issues, is available for sale today. Twenty-four-year-old Jason Townsend has issues. His boyfriend Jared Theuer, who’s also his boss, adores him in the bedroom, but treats him like dirt at the office. His father frowns on his homosexuality and constantly criticizes the way he lives his life. And, just when Jason thinks things can’t get any worse, he discovers his mother’s new boyfriend, Paul Everett, is the same man he had a drunken one-night stand with last summer.

Jason pleads with Paul to break up with his mother and Paul refuses, claiming he enjoys being with women and shrugging off his hookup with Jason as one-time thing that, while great, really didn’t mean much to him. Unwilling to reveal his and Paul’s history to his mother, Jason stews in silence as he watches his mother and Paul grow closer. Meanwhile, Jason’s relationship with Jared falls apart, he and his father become further estranged, and he finds himself becoming more and more attracted to Paul. Unable to keep his feelings for Paul under wraps any longer, Jason makes a pass at his mother’s boyfriend and is surprised when his affections aren’t spurned. Jason and Paul quickly begin an affair that is filled with tremendous passion and crushing guilt. Paul is everything Jason wants in a man. He’s the boyfriend Jason has always wanted and the father he never had all wrapped in one. But Jason knows every time he and Paul are together he’s betraying his mother and he hates himself for it. As Jason struggles with his and Paul’s deceitful relationship, he watches his relations with those around him suffer as well and he is ultimately forced to decide between his man and his mother.

Daddy Issues is the story of love that comes at the right time with the wrong person.

Get your copy today at JMS Books:  http://www.jms-books.com/