Oh Paige...don't be a Jackbutt like your Father...

Let's not even talk about what Robert and Sheila Johnson were thinking when they named their now 17-year old daughter, Paige.

The now divorced Johnsons seem to be aware of power and how to groom their little black progeny for the acquisition of it. Paige, a world-class junior equestrian competitor with hopes of becoming an Olympic champion, has won over $200,000 in prizes since first competing.

"Them" Johnson's sure know how to get over. Make money off of ushering African-American young people into a level of self-hatred never seen before the inception of BET (think about it), become BILLIONAIRES, then get your own kids as FAR away from the decrepit lifestyle you so endorsed with your choice of programming for blacks on the ONLY station exclusively for "the people".

You know, Robert...I know about you... I know how you took advantage of the Affirmative Action programs to get into Princeton and while there, was open about your jack-buttedness and your "money by any means necessary" mantra. Well, you weren't joking. You have single-handedly taken generations of black children into the cycle on no-expectations, PROVING that you are a true American. Yup...this belief that you can rise ONLY by stepping on other peoples necks...

Paige, seriously...smile and nod when papa talks to you, but KNOW that man has nothing of value to contribute to your sensibilities. Good luck.

Old News, but my Heart..MY HEART!!!

PerezHilton.com

Oh Johnny...you KNOW I've been fighting HARD for you and Tommy. I'm in that ring e'ryday, but this was the knockout punch. (sniff) Son, I'm out for the count.

An Open Letter To Whitney Houston

Dearest Whitney,

Now that you have let him go, never ever turn back. Why? Because yours was a sick sad codependent relationship, one that will never end unless you end it. He is a mess, and he will always make you think it's ok for you to be a mess. You can't both be a mess. Did you see yourself in that photo with the twisted wig and fur coat on a midnight run to the gas station for cigarettes? How does that even sound to you? That wasn't you. That was you with a side of Bobby. Shouldn't your man have told you you looked crazy in the wig? Shouldn't he have nixed the fur coat? Perhaps told you that you were behaving like a fiend? He told you it was ok. This is it girl, run. Run to the opportunity of a lifetime. We look forward to the comeback. Fly Whitney, fly high. High like a bird in the sky. But this time skip the cocaina.

9/11 and the New York Primary

Bi Nka Bi, the Adinkra symbol for peace...

It's a sad day - five years from 9/11. As much as we condemn the administration for the day their rallying cry, it is still sad to hear the reading of names, particularly familiar ones. Twas a tragic day, and if not careful, a familiar twinge of vengeance can be felt in the pit of one's stomach. However, we consider the hundreds of thousands of people being killed daily overseas, and declare that given our American experience with such tragedy, it is morally reprehensible to take on a killing campaign overseas. If Iraqis read the names of all killed in the war they'd be on tv until like tomorrow.

And, segue. Tomorrow is the New York Primary Election. Please, please, please vote. Also, please vote sensibly - not motivated by vehemence, but motivated by reason. If you, like the President, cannot connect 9/11 to the war on Iraq, (last week the President admitted that making the connection is one of the most difficult tasks his administration has to accomplish), keep that in mind when voting. If you are wondering why 9/11 makes people writhe in agony, while Katrina gets little to no attention, take that into account. OK?

Hypocrisy: What We Learned From Kate Moss

White (like powder) is still alright, black (like crack) is still wack...

We're watching VH1's "Fabulous Life of Comeback Stars," and of course Kate Moss is high on the list. She's being lauded for her ability to "come back" within like 60 days of her fall from grace - you know, the whole snorting coke on camera thing. This is a sore subject for us something that has been making us sick. Why? We'll give you an example.

Kate Moss graces the cover of this month's Vanity Fair, an homage to Marlene Deitrich and old Hollywood. September issues of major magazines are the actually the year's biggest, particularly fashion magazines. Advertisers clamor to be in these issues, unveiling new ad campaigns to highlight their most recent wares. Prime positions for ads are within a few pages of the cover, but before the masthead. This is primo primo space. Kate Moss appears on the cover gatefold in a four page spread for Calvin Klein (this is essentially four pages of ads attached to the front cover...simply put, it costs a fortune for Calvin Klein, and is a model's dream). Two pages down the road, she's in a 2 page spread for Louis Vuitton. Turn 5 pages, she's in a 2 page spread for Christian Dior. Turn 4 pages, you'll find Kate Moss in a 2 page spread for Burberry. Turn 6 pages for the masthead, and you see Kate Moss as Marlene Deitrich. To summarize, between the cover and the masthead there are a total of 12 advertisers. Of these 12 high-end campaigns, in premium ad space, 4 have selected Kate Moss to be the face of their luxury brand. Yes, one-third. Of course, her appearances in the magazine do not stop there - Kate Moss ads fill the editorial well...Kate Moss for Versace, Kate Moss for Kate Moss.

Kate Moss has been awarded 14 new ad campaigns, including most recently, Agent Provocateur, since her public "shaming." This comes exactly one year after she was videotaped vacuuming powder off a mirror with her nose. I mean, like, there was evidence. She has been praised for her comeback in every major media outlet. Comeback, we think, is a misnomer. Come back from what? From an industry who in 1992 herladed her as the second coming because of her "heroine chic" appearance. Drugs, and in particular cocaine, retain a little cachet, yes, cachet, among the whites. Let a negro smoke some weed, and we're a culture of degenerates. Hypocrisy.

The Africanized Latinos, huh?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, former drug and sex addict, proud son of a Nazi, and now governor of California, was caught on tape explaining the hot-blodded temperment of Latinos, specifically Cubans and Puerto Ricans during a behind-closed-doors speech writing session.

According to Schwarzenegger, the latino blood mixed with the black blood makes for some pretty savage beings...which would explain the "whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Carlos" spirit of Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia whom they were referring to at the time.

What's interesting, though, is the respsonse of some of the major latino politicians. Well, I'm not going to go there... I mean...we have frickin' Clarence Thomas and Condi Rice!

Breaking News: LOLA RESTAURANT IS BACK!!!

To all the New Yorkers who have been missing a certain fab black restaurant called Lola (formerly of W. 22nd Street), sound the trumpets, because Lola is back back back. After a protracted legal battle about their liquor license, it appears Lola will reopen somewhere near the Holland Tunnel. We hope our favorite tranny waiter Darrell will be back too. (BTW, racist neighbors beefed about the liquor license because they feared the restaurant, which was always a class act would become, a hip-hop club (quelle horror)).
Eatery Wins Booze Battle, Page Six, September 6, 2006

P.S. Also in New York gossip, are we the only people who didn't know about Miss Jones' antics with Beyonce's mother? Question for HR over at HOT 97...how many suspensions does one get before being umm, terminated?

Kelefa Sanneh Knows Hip-Hop Is Dead (and so do we)

New York Times arts journalist Kelefa Sanneh penned a piece of interest in today's New York Times, entitled "Imagining a Summer With a True Hip-Hop Hit." Kudos to him and the Times for giving a shit, right? Anyway, he calls to mind summers of yesteryear - or perhaps yesterdecade - when summer had an anthem, and the anthem was squarely within the parameters of hip-hop. Yes, strictly hip-hop as opposed to pop with a rapper on the hook or some other transgenre collabo, e.g., Shakira w/Wyclef, Nelly Furtado w/Timbaland, Eve w/ Gwen Stefani, Gwen Stefani w/ Pharrel.

Will Smith and Rakim made the first summer rap hit that we can remember, and aptly named it "Summertime," so as to make their intention clear. But it was really Bad Boy that perfected the art of the summer hit, ruling the airwaves during the summers of the late 90's. It was one or two ridiculously infectious songs that you could not escape for two or three sultry months. Every time you turned on the radio, there it was. Every party you went to, they played it twice, for an ecstatic frenzied crowd. Granted, payola was a huge component in the blueprint, but that's really not our business is it? The point is that they made hits, and marketed them to death. Alas, we have reached a time when the hitmaking is secondary to the marketing. Bad Boy is finished, as nothing lasts forever, but there is no replacement in the market. No one.

Rap music officially sucks. Its not so much that southern rap sucks, as it is that the entire country has permitted it to dominate the industry. "Bounce and roll your butt in the club, shake it shake it, what you got back there, I want to shake it and bounce it and roll it in a blunt and smoke it between my ice grill, in the club." I cannot name one "hit" song of the last two years that does not prominently feature one of these themes. I cannot name one rap song made in the last two years that has been remotely interesting. I cannot name one album heralded as the shit. Or one artist who has lived up to the promo and marketing hype.

We are at the mercy of aging moguls and entitled upstarts who do not speak or understand English well enough to bastardize it creatively. Every great empire falls, and this may just be the end of hip-hop as we know it. Boo.

CRIKEY!!! Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, dead at 44!

I'm freakin' out y'all...

Steve Irwin, that lovable Aussie whom we wanted to slap every time he put himself in danger, was killed Monday, ironically, by a stingray.

KILLED! I can't wrap my brain around it!!!

What the frig!?!?!?!?!

The US media, as always, is lagging behind on the REAL story...check out the REAL DEAL here.

Does anyone Remember Renee Richards?

Well, I'm too young to remember, but as my husband and I were watching the Agassi/Baghdatis match, he told me the story of the (male to female) post-op transsexual tennis player who, in the late seventies, decided to go pro as a woman.

If ya' don't know, now you know...

It Doesn't Pay to Emulate U2....Especially if you're a Nigro

Sooooo...apparently our boy, Mos Def solidified his street cred with an arrest, last night, outside the MTV Video Music Awards.

A personal favorite of mine, this rapper extraordinaire took it upon himself to "Edutain" the masses (with sound system in tow) on the streets of NYC outside of the MTV Awards venue Thursday night.

Not unlike the impromtu rooftop stylings of U2, Mos Def took his message to the streetz with an ode to Katrina, a consciousness rap with a touch of "what the f*ck George Dubya"... only difference, the nigro was arrested.

Def was given a summons and was released FROM JAIL FRIDAY morning...

BTW...the Yahoo.com/Reuters version of the article is crap...check out the REAL DEAL here.

Disaster Preparedness

Watching Spike Lee's documentary reminded us that in the event of an emergency we will likely have to fend for our little black selves. Thus we encourage folks to prepare themselves and their families for potential disasters. As Mama says, "do your best, and let God do the rest."


The Red Cross recommends having 6 categories of things on hand for emergencies:
1) water - 3 day supply (1 gallon/person/day)
2) food - 3 day supply (ready to eat canned meat, fruit, vegetables, vitamins, salt, sugar, energy bars)
3) first aid supplies (include non-prescription drugs)
4) clothing/bedding (1 changes of clothes and footware per person)
5) tools and emergency supplies (see website for suggestions)
6) special items for medical conditions (prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lens supplies)
Stored water should be replaced every six months - drink what you had in storage. Food should be replaced every 6-12 months. Batteries should be replaced as needed. Update stored clothing by season.


Target and the Red Cross partnered to create an introductory disaster preparedness kit which retails at Target for $29.99. It includes ponchos, a flashlight, a radio, first aid supplies, and more. The Red Cross also sells a variety of its own exclusive kits.


Lastly, the Red Cross recommends keeping important family documents in a waterproof portable container. These include, but are not limited to: wills, deeds, social security cards, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, insurance cards and policies, birth certificates, marriage certificates.


Check the website at www.redcross.org for more.