Wrap Up Of This Week's News

Some of the things I failed to cover this week:

Another Bush Aide releases book. - So this week, Scott McClellan set the whole cable news and Washington on fire by a "scathing memoir." I want to know why do these folks wait till after they leave their position before taking a courageous stand. McClellan joins a growing list of Richard Clarke, George Tenet, Gen. Wesley, etc.

Will Smith says Divorce is not an option. Another buzz-worthy news from Big Willy giving marriage advice. Well, I understand where he's coming from but as one single friend told me a few months ago, when a guy starts saying he doesn't believe in divorce, it's time for you or him to hit the road.

NBA to Fine Floppers: Boy, God surely answers prayers. So note to you Manu Ginobili of the Spurs

Father Pflegler Joins The List

I'll be honest, at first I found the embeded video funny but then the logical side of my brain kicked in and it was: NOT AGAIN? Not another Pastor joining this election season's fray. Seriously!!!

What is it about this year's election with religion? We've had Rev. Wright - who is not a suprising preacher to most black folks but became a revelation (for lack of a better word) to the rest of America. Then you have the John Hagee and Rod Parsley? Oh boy! I'm still waiting on not seeing the videos over and over again on my TV like the Rev Wright's greatest hits.

Now, Father Michael Pfleger joins a growing list of Pastor problems. He is a friend of Sen. Barack Obama's Trinity Church in Chicago. Oh did you notice he's white? The Father must have spent a lot of time with some black preachers with all the contrived dictions associated with the black preacher. I'm just saying.

So now the hoopla is about what Father Pfleger said about Sen. Clinton's "crying." I'm not saying his perception is unfounded but come on! We are in a YouTube, Internet driving political charged atmosphere. Obama doesn't need the headache of trying to explain what happened in his church. Too late! He had to speak out against this latest Pastor Problem. Obama's statement was that he was "deeply disappointed" in Father Pfleger. Also, Father Pfleger released a statement of apology.

The apology reads: ''I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them," he said. Really Father! The tape doesn't lie. You were laughing on the tape before you said the words knowing it will get people talking.

Again, I would like for all this preacher fiasco to stop so we can get to the real issues. But my hope might be wearing thin, knowing that's not really sexy for the political pundits. Isn't that a shame?

Tag: Michael Pfleger

Murdoch Loves Obama

Talk about "Fair and Balanced," owner of Fox News and new owner of Wall Street Journal (as a former business student who was mandated to read WSJ, I hated that move), Rupert Murdoch love Obama over McCain. Who would have thunk it?

On Obama,Murdoch says: "He is a rock star. It's fantastic" "I love what he is saying about education." "I don't think he will win Florida.....but he will win in Ohio and the election". "I am anxious to meet him." "I want to see if he will walk the walk."

How about McCain? Murdoch says: "McCain is a friend of mine. He's a patriot. But he's unpredicatble. Doesn't seem to know much about the economy. He has been in Congress a long time, and you have to make a lot of compromises. So what's he really stand for?... I think he has a lot of problems."

I may just start changing my tune about Murdoch; this guy is cool (hope I'm not speaking too soon).

Tags: Rupert Murdoch

Sex And The City Movie

Hello Lover! You’ve been four years coming. I’ll put a brake on the puns of Sex And The City. Most SATC fans know the “hello lover” was Carrie’s greeting to some to-die-for-shoes and I, like many women was hooked. Yes SATC was a revelation to men and a revolution to their opposite sex.

Four women navigating their thirties and forties on having great careers and great or grim personal (yet public) lives. Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha became household names; at least to the female households and males who dared to ask or were secret fans. They showed men how women really talk among themselves; let me let you in on a little secret guys, it’s even worse in real life.

Through Carrie’s keystrokes, the world learned the secret lives of her dear friends and her missteps in love with Mr. Big and others. Charlotte was the forever romantic (couldn’t stand her), Miranda was the realist (could hang with her), and Samantha was the unapologetic (LOVE her).

Here’s a side note: I don’t approve Samantha’s lifestyle but I love the notion of not caring what people thought of her and giving her friends straight up advice of how not to short-change themselves. Samantha literally stole the show. Ladies watched SATC for what Carrie was going to wear but Monday morning, they talked about what Samantha said.

So for four years, women have been subjected to SATC reruns and this weekend and others to come, they will be like birds free from their cages barging into movie theatres to catch up on the lives of their fictitious girl friends.

My advice to guys: don’t try to make sense of it. Schedule your own me time or some time with your boys. You’ve been trying to do so for a while anyway. Let your girl have her four to five hours girls night out. Don’t assume anything when she’s dressed to the nines just to see a movie. This is not just a movie; it is an EVENT.

Tags: Sex And the City

Rachel Ray's Scarf Fiasco

Can this lady kill us or is her scarf giving us a secret message about a future terrorist threat? Some folks have really lost their ever-loving minds to see a terrorist threat on a scarf. SERIOUSLY!!! That’s what we get for living in a post 9-11 world. Any little thing could be used to invoke fear. Also, it shows how ignorant some Americans (specifically conservative blogger Michelle Malkin) really are.

In case you haven’t heard, the lovable (albeit annoying) host of one of Oprah’s empire, Rachel Ray and a few other shows on the Food Network got in trouble for wearing a scarf in a Dunkin Donuts ad. According to Malkin, Ray was trying to be “jihadi chic.” Malkin must be smoking some joint; now terrorist wear are considered high fashion. Also, she wrote “I hope her hate couture choice was spurred more by ignorance than by ideolology.” Hmm, Malkin, I could say the same of you with your writing.

The sad thing is Malkin generated enough buzz that Dunkin Donuts had to take down the ad. See folks, you REALLY can make a difference. However, it is a shame when you have zeal without knowledge. Such is the case with this scarf-gate.

How is Ray going to foster a terrorist attack? Pour some EVOO (for those of you who don’t know that term, that’s Rachel’s speak for Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on some fire? To all those folks up in arms about Rachel Ray’s scarf . . . GET A LIFE! And to Dunkin Donuts shivering under pressure even when they knew this criticism was unjustified, I say, GROW SOME (you know what).

Tags: Rachel Ray Michelle Malkin Dunkin Donuts

Did The Refs Help the Lakers?

Anyone who knows me know I REALLY don't want to see the Spurs in the Finals. They are BORING!!! In fact, the most watchable person on that team isn't even playing; that will be Eva Longoria Parker. Be honest guys! I've been pulling against the Spurs since the first round when they played the Suns. But after watching one of the best games I've ever seen in Game 1 of that series with two (almost three) overtimes, I knew the Suns were toast. That was just a heart-wrenching loss most teams don't get over.

So on the next round and I was pulling against the Spurs again but they prevailed and you know who I'm pulling against now in the third round; you're right, the Spurs. According to ratings, I'm not alone. The ratings of last finals were absymal and so was 2005 finals; both featuring the Spurs.

But watching last night's game especially in the waning minutes, I couldn't help but form some conspiracy theory if the Zebras (I mean the Refs) weren't helping the Lakers in some form. There was a moment Kobe got entangled that I thought the Zebras should have called foul against him, but no call.

Then the most controversial non-call that's got every basketball talking today; the Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Brent Barry of the Spurs in the final seconds with Lakers leading by two. Barry is one of the deadliest three-point shooter I know, and it seems Fisher got a piece of him but the Zebras let it go and he missed the shot and the Lakers are just one game away from the Finals.

The "No Spurs in the Finals" part of me is happy but the logical and fairness part of me is wondering should the Zebras have made that call; I don't know . . . what say you?

Roland Martin Gets Some Loving

I have a confession to make: Roland Martin was not my favorite TV pundit; that accolade goes to Donna Brazille. I always felt Martin was just too hyper for me. And don't get me started on Jamal Simmons, who I feel is vying for a position in the cabinet if Barack Obama gets elected.

But about Martin, I've said in other conversations with friends, I needed a couple cups of coffee to listen to him. But over the past few weeks, he grew on me and now I actually look forward to hear his take on some ridiculous assessments his fellow conservative or white liberal colleagues might make.

Such was the case last night (I'm still searching YouTube for the Video) when the issue of the flag pin with the perception of patriotism (I can't believe we have such conversations). And the white guy I don't know was just going off on why Obama finally wore the flag pin on his lapel and you could almost feel Martin about to jump out of his skin about this B.S. from this guy.

When it got to Martin's turn via satellite, he called the white guy out on the stupidity of his comments. He reminded him that some folks were called unpatriotic a few years ago just because they questioned the iraq war. Martin was almost pleading for the American people to use their brains in this election. Wow, a pundit who actually believes Americans have brains; now that's a person I can give a second look.

Tags: Roland Martin

Ferraro Driving Me Nuts!

Aren't I woman too? So why am I dumbfounded everytime Geraldine Ferraro finds another willing camera to blast Sen. Obama and the media (specifically Tim Russert) for another exhibit of sexism? The latest camera is on FOX News, the enemy territory but who cares, air the dirty laundry of your party to folks who really would love to see that party's failure come November.

Ferraro is old enough to be my grandmother, so I want to give her all the respect she deserves for her contribution to society but she is really making it tough not to tune her out. I feel like calling her to the side to tell her she is tainting her legacy of feminist rights BIG TIME! The taint is coming from playing the victim; the antithesis of what the feminist movement is all about.

Making statements such as "all the surrogates that they had out there, from the black journalists — you know, have you read Bob Herbert recently in the past six months? There wasn't one column that had anything decent to say about Hillary." WTH! Bob Herbert is one of the most respectable journalists out there (black or white) and he calls it as he sees it regardless of race. So because he happens to be black, he automatically supports Barack Obama? Are you freaking kidding me?

Then she went after Tim Russert (this is where you could really see she's losing her bearings - all pun intended): "When Tim Russert came into the campaign and he went after Hillary in the debate, he had done that also when she ran for the Senate here in New York," Ferraro said. "And we complained about it then. He kind of almost was up on the stage helping her opponent." Ok Time-out! Russert goes after EVERYBODY!!! I guess Ferraro has been living in a bubble for many years for not watching Meet The Press or the parody on SNL. What does Ferraro want? Russert to ask Sen. Clinton easy questions and overlook her policy decisions? Then what is he getting paid for?

And don't even get me started on her perceived sexism from Obama. Ferraro saying Obama was belittling or demeaning Sen. Clinton for shrugging off the Philadephia debate - What? Let's be honest, Obama has gone out of his way to be very gracious to Clinton even with the latest RFK gaffe because he doesn't want to run the typical mudslinging political campaign.

So Ferraro, please do us all a favor especially for the future of women coming after you and stop playing the victim - it doesn't help our cause.

Tags: Geraldine Ferraro

The Boys Are Jealous Cuz The Girl Can Play

I love basketball but you wouldn't find me at a WNBA game anytime soon (or ever). I'm all for female equality but that is one area I just prefer to see the bodies diving for loose balls, flying in the air for insane dunks, and flexing their biceps after great plays to be MEN.

Yes I'm proud to say I'm a feminist and I tried to watch the WNBA in its inception with Sheryl Swoopes, Theresa Witherspoon, Lisa Leslie and company but there was just something (actually a lot) missing. It was (and still is) difficult for me to watch female basketball games (both college and pro) when I fell in love with the game as a young girl watching the theatrics of Magic Johnson and the sky hooks of Kareem Abdul Jabaar of the ShowTime Lakers to relegating myself to a league of layups (I mean the WNBA). Ok Lisa Leslie finally did a slam dunk a few years ago but how long did that take?

So why did I take an exception to this story about a 12 year old girl, Jaime Nared, who was kicked out of the boys team she was part of since second grade? The answer is: she was better than all of them. Also, it doesn't help the boys team case to kick Nared out a day after she had a 30-point effort against an all boys team. Hmm, hey boys, did your ego take a beating too?

Tags: Jaime Nared

Keith Got It Right

I'm quick to criticize the MSM (Mainstream Media) when it is slow or lazy about an issue but I hope to be quicker to complement when it really gets something right. Yes there is a long way to go with MSM but when one of its members really takes the time to research and take a courageous stand on an issue even against a powerful politician gaffe, I have to say BRAVO. So much props to Keith Olbermann of MSNBC for calling Sen. Clinton out on the bizarre RFK assassination comment as seen here:



Tags: Keith Olbermann

Sen. Clinton and the RFK Assassination Comment

This election season must be really draining when one of the smartest politicians starts throwing “assassination” comments around without realizing the impact of such word. I’m talking about Sen. Hillary Clinton of course defending her reason for staying in the race since her husband didn’t get the nomination till mid of June (not really true) and RFK was assassinated in June (chilling but true). I’m more confounded by the day why a person I long admired resorted to spinning some words and events to make a case for her candidacy.

As usual, the TV pundits had a field day dissecting what Sen. Clinton meant by the latest gaffe. Personally, I don’t think she meant any harm to Sen. Barack Obama but I find it hard to believe her excuse of having the Kennedys on her mind these past days as the reason for the controversial remark. Granted, the bad news of Sen. Ted Kennedy malignant brain cancer diagnosis has been on everyone’s minds but she made the same remark to TIME magazine back in March when there was no event about the Kennedys. So what gives?

It is becoming the modus operandi of Sen. Clinton a la Bosnia sniper attacks and now the RFK comment to spun events for her benefit. She can’t blame exhaustion when it can be proven she mentioned the same scenarios three other times. Also, she can’t compare RFK’s run with hers when he officially entered the race on March 16, 1968 before his assassination in June of the same year. Sen. Clinton has been in the race for over a year and winning Primaries since January – as usual, this is fuzzy math on her path just like her calculation for winning the “popular vote.”

Tags: RFK, Assassination

More Pastor Problems

Here’s the great thing about the Internet especially with blogs; they create buzz. Then the Mainstream Media (MSM) picks up the buzz worthy subject and makes it “breaking news.” So I wasn’t surprised when I saw the “latest news” about Sen. John McCain with endorsers John Hagee and Rod Parsley. For the past month, many Net-watchers have been discussing why there is a double standard as it related to Sen. Barack Obama with his former pastor Rev. Wright while Sen. McCain sought the endorsement of a lightening rod Preacher in John Hagee. Even a month ago on This Week with George Stephanopoulis, McCain still failed to denounce Hagee’s endorsement.

What happened between last month and a few days ago when the “breaking news” went all over the cable TV shows, videos surfaced of both John Hagee and Rod Parsley saying damning stuff against Catholics and Muslims respectively. Here’s what I don’t get with the MSM, why aren’t these videos of both Hagee and Parsley running on my TV screens like the Rev. Wright fiasco every couple of hours of every day? Can you say double standard . . .

Tags: John Hagee, Rod Parsley

Why I Don't Listen to John Hagee . . .

If Jesus is NOT the Messiah according to John Hagee, then why am I a Christian?



Tags: John Hagee

I Love Me Some Grey's Anatomy

Crossposted at my other blog: http://afro-americawriter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2D30651C10302D91!561.entry

I mentioned once I was singing the blues while the writers’ strike was going on in Hollywood. I must have read more books and magazines during those months than I ever did; and I was already an avid reader. My favorite show, Grey’s Anatomy was also on hiatus during this time and I missed my weekly diet to check in with the “Doctors” of Seattle Grace Hospital. Well the two-hour season finale was last night and it did not disappoint. (What I thought of it will be in another post but first . . .)

I was never a person who jumped on board after the rest of America caught the “Grey’s Anatomy” bug; I was fan from day one. I remember when the show started in the fall of 2005 right after “Desperate Housewives,” programming, I stuck around just to see what this hospital show was all about. As usual, I came in with a little apprehension because at that time I thought most shows on TV sucked. Also, I wondered how successful will another medical drama be since a few over the years I loved have either been cancelled or lust some luster. Shows that come to mind were Chicago’s Hope, City of Angels, and ER (after George Clooney left). So my tepidity towards the new TV show was well placed. However, the writing (the most important factor in my opinion) grabbed me the first few minutes, and the casting of the diverse actors made me an instant fan.

But I was worried if some Americans will get it and not let this great gem I have found NOT go to an early TV grave yard. Well not to worry, month after month, the audience kept building and Grey’s became a bonafide hit. Now “Grey’s” buzz words such as McDreamy, McSteamy, Va-jay-jay (to those living under a rock, let’s just say it refers to a certain female’s anatomy) have become everyday lexicon even the big O (Oprah Winfrey) who’s publicly made know for watching little or no TV, put her stamp of her “favorite” show to the point of using the buzz words (especially the va-jay-jay) on air. Well, TV comedians had fun with that one.

What makes Grey’s successful is not just the medical mumbo-jumbo; that is there in abundance to make the show authentic. However, it is the story about life and how complicated it is whether as a mother, daughter, wife, father, son, or husband and every other role one plays in this thing called life. In one episode, a viewer could go from great comedic timing with the characters of the show and grief when a lovable character (I cried my eyes out when Denny – Izzie’s love) passes away. It is where a so-called jerk (i.e. Alex) could have some redeeming qualities or for a person who made a mistake not to be defined by the misstep – I loved what the Nazi said to recurring character Dr. Montgomery not to let a man define her (great advice).

Tags: Grey's Anatomy