70s Flashback: Cleopatra Jones

What black girl growing up in the 70s didn't want to be Cleopatra Jones? She was beautiful, smart and nobody messed with her.

Tamara Dobson worked the hell out of this role. And wasn't Antonio Fargas in every black movie (a.k.a. blaxploitation movies) that came out back then? Let's just hope they don't try to do a remake with Beyonce.

The Octomom Freakshow

Octo-mom doesn’t take care of her kids. The latest drama surrounding Suleman has to do with the Angels in Waiting, the non-profit group that volunteered to help her take care of the octuplets. Linda West-Conforti, founder of the group, harshly criticized Suleman‘s parenting skills. She says while nannies were caring for the babies, Suleman spent most of the time away from home shopping or hidden away in her room. She says Suleman only fed her children when the cameras were around. Is this a surprise?

Nadya Suleman is on television every day. She's either on the news or some entertainment show rushing about with her head bowed, eyes averted and holding a coffee mug, keys or some food object in her hand while walking to or from her mini-van. It appears that she’s always out shopping or running errands; a fact borne out by the story Angels in Waiting is tells. When is she with her children?

For all the time she spends away from home, I hope she is getting some much needed therapy but that’s wishful thinking on my part. She's already proven she is resourceful and adept at spending other people's money. She's got a website for donations, a lawyer and Dr. Phil. She took her disability settlement and got sperminated with the octuplets and had some plastic surgery, all while collecting welfare from the taxpayers of California. In her mind, it isn't welfare so that's all that matters.

In the meantime, there are fourteen children who had the unfortunate circumstance to be born to an extremely selfish mother and a clueless sperm donor father who do not have their best interests at heart. If Suleman loves children as much as she claimed, why isn't she ever at home with them?

I can understand why Suleman fired the Angels in Waiting nurses. Those octuplets are her meal ticket, if they are taken away, she will never get a reality show.

Dumbassness of the Day - Flavor Flav Celebrates His Birthday

Flavor Flav, the object of affection in the 'Flavor of Love' and former hype man for the legendary rap group Public Enemy, celebrated his 50th birthday last week. It's been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This must be the case for Flav. A 50 year old man running around with some damn clocks around his neck and no grill? Flav must really be getting old.

Picture taken from Rhymes with Snitch.

That Other Trend Setting First Lady

President Paul Biya, First Lady Chantal Biya and Pope Benedict XVI

First Lady of Cameroon and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Chantal Biya has created quite a stir with her big 80s hair and her even bigger head wrap. All eyes were on Cameroon last week because it was the first stop on Pope Benedict XVI's two nation tour of Africa. Much has been made of Mrs. Biya's hair and wardrobe already but it was her head wrap that attracted attention from journalists last week.

I don't expect many Western journalists to understand head wraps. They are a staple for women in West Africa, they're practical, versatile and the perfect answer to those bad hair days. No boubou is complete without a matching a head wrap. What set Mrs. Biya's elaborate head wrap apart was that it was big, tacky and obviously expensive. What's not to like? The average per capital income in Cameroon is $1,050 so I'm willing to bet the First Lady's head wrap cost much more than that.

As the wife of one of Africa's big men, (Paul Biya has been President of Cameroon for more than 20 years) there's no doubt the First Lady has an endless supply of cash with which to indulge her fashion whims. She is a fashion icon in her native country. There is even a whole school of fashion devoted to her called the Chantal Biya. She is rumored to have never worn the same outfit twice, not that it matters but there are 365 days in a year and she's been first lady since 1996, her closet is probably the size of a small village.

As for the average people in Cameroon who don't have big bank accounts to indulge their whims, life is much different, they are hampered by rising food costs, rampant corruption and intimidation but lack the power to make any meaningful changes. President Biya, a devout Catholic, is a tyrant who rules with an iron boot, he doesn't tolerate dissent or criticism very well. So while the Pope decries poverty and greed, it's doubtful that Mrs. Biya and her husband got the message.

Your Religion or Your Life

There's a point at which religion and common sense part ways and Catholicism, like most organized religions is no exception. Pope Benedict XVI is on a two nation, week long tour of Cameroon and Angola. Surprisingly, the continent has the fastest growing population of Roman Catholics in the world.

While in Cameroon earlier this week, the Pope dispensed some dangerous advice to the crowd. He told them that condoms were not the answer to the AIDS epidemic. With more than 500,000 people in Cameroon suffering from HIV/AIDS, this is the last thing they needed to hear. Condoms have been proven to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS but the Pope finds them morally objectionable in country where women account for 60% of all reported HIV/AIDS cases.

The other weapon in the Pope's morality kit is sexual abstinence. While it may be easy for someone like the Pope who has taken vows of celibacy, it's not for normal people. His advice only serves to show how idiotic and moth-eaten Catholic Church doctrine can be, especially given the situation in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV/AIDS is an epidemic with serious economic, social and health consequences but the Pope is more interested in increasing membership in the Catholic Church.

Uncle Thomas Has a Soapbox

Photo: AP/Don Petersen

First someone lets Dick Cheney out his bunker and now, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is on the loose. The lone black Supreme Court Justice made a rare public appearance at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. It looks like he left that big chip, which is usually on his shoulder, at home. Uncle Thomas (no relation) is skinning and grinning.

As one of the most conservative and vacuous members on the bench, Uncle Clarence is now giving speeches about personal responsibility. He thinks Americans are lazy, self-indulgent and don't know anything about the sacrifices our parents and grandparents made. Uncle Thomas is right but for someone who's insisting that we subjugate our individual needs to those of our government, he has some nerve.

Uncle Thomas became the first Supreme Court Justice to break precedent by entertaining another lawsuit that challenged Barack Obama's citizenship after a similar suit had already been rejected. I guess aiding and abetting baseless, frivolous lawsuits challenging President Obama's legitimacy is one way to serve the government good.

It Might As Well Be an Episode of Maury

I like to be entertained as much as the next person but the drama swirling around Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has an addictive yet dysfunctional quality. It's like watching the Maury Povich show after they reveal the results of the paternity test. "Tyrone, you are NOT the father of 18 month old DeAndre!" Tyrone jumps up from his chair and does a goofy dance as the audience boos while Tanisha, the confused mother, lets out a blood curdling scream, goes into meltdown mode and heads backstage with the cameras in hot pursuit.

After a few moments of agonizing and a bucket of tears, Tanisha tells Maury that she was 100% certain that Tyrone was the father of DeAndre and that she hadn't been with anyone else. She seemed so sincere but knew all along that Tyrone wasn't the father and took a chance anyway. She desperately wanted him to be her babies daddy.

Tanisha's ordeal is very much like RNC's. The Republicans thought Michael Steele would be the perfect party chairman. After all, Barack Obama, an African American, had just been elected president. The Republicans thought they'd be making a bold statement by electing their first African American chairman. Look Obama's black, Michael Steele's black, this will be great for us! We'll have a magic negro too!

I think the Republicans are now feeling remorseful and realize they made the wrong choice for all the wrong reasons. Just like Tyrone doing his happy dance on the Maury Povich Show, Steele is enjoying his time in the spotlight. Unfortunately for everyone, he cannot stop talking. One moment he's threatening to give the G.O.P. a hip-hop makeover, the next he's claiming to be the leader of the Republican party. We know Republicans have no interest in appealing to African Americans nor are they ready to distance themselves from the divisive rhetoric of talk show host Rush Limbaugh. So much for giving the party a new vision and leadership, he's done neither.

Steele is the wrong man for the job. Must he remind us at every moment of his blackness? Sure he claims to like Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Chuck D, but who cares? That has nothing to do with raising money for the G.O.P. or broadening Republican appeal to the masses. Seriously, when is the last time you've heard this much chatter from an RNC Chairman? If you're going to talk this much at least have a backbone.

Now if I were Michael Steele, I'd concentrate on raising money for the RNC rather than redecorating my office. Many a corporate executive has been undone over an office redo, you'd better be careful.

Remembering Louis Jordan

I learned an appreciation of great music from my mother. One of my favorites is Louis Jordan. He was prolific bandleader, musician and songwriter from 1940s - 1950s, you may have heard some of his songs covered by Ray Charles, Nat 'King' Cole or BB King. You might remember 'Beans and Cone Bread' from the TBS show 'Dinner and a Movie' but what about 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' or 'Let the Good Times Roll'? Those were both written by Jordan but made famous by other singers.

According to my mom, Jordan and his band, Tympany Five rocked the house back in the day. She was right. Between 1943 - 1953, he had 18 number one hits and was dubbed 'King of the Jukeboxes'. Only Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder had more number one songs. Many of Jordan's songs are imbued with a playfulness that is both comedic and contagious. I dare you to listen to 'Saturday Night Fish Fry' or the Island flavored 'Run, Joe' and not want to laugh and dance.

Jordan's best of CD gets plenty of play in my car. My personal favorites are "Saturday Night Fish Fry,""Five Guys Named Moe" and "What's the Use of Getting Sober". It's hard for me to listen without singing along. Although Louis Jordan was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, he's often overlooked and underappreciated. He wrote some of the most enduring, memorable songs of his time. His music is definitely worth checking out.

Jim Cramer Gets Owned, Again!

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It's a sorry state of affairs when the host of a show on a comedy network is the only journalist asking hard questions about the cozy relationship between CNBC and Wall Street. Jon Stewart, host of 'Daily Show' took aim at 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer earlier this week. Of course, not to be out done, Cramer struck back by calling Stewart an entertainer and it's been on ever since.

Jim Cramer, in all his bug eyed glory, can usually be seen on CNBC twice a day screaming and sweating over the stock market and the economy. Watching him is like watching one of those annoying barkers at a carnival side show. The only thing his show is missing is a bearded lady and a one armed man.

Cramer and Stewart finally met face-to-face last night on the 'Daily Show.' If there's anything that we can learn from this interview is to not trust anything Cramer says but more importantly not to trust CNBC or any of those other business televisions channels. Cramer has become a symbol for everything that is wrong with this television genre. Corporate interests always trump the public good, especially when money is involved. They'd much rather sell us something than tell us the truth.

We don't need Jim Cramer to tell us how inept the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is. They had the opportunity to bust up Madoff's Ponzi scheme as early as 2000 but had more important things to do. So if you ask me, the SEC is just as guilty as Madoff.

As this face off between Cramer and Stewart shows, we really can't trust any of these financial gurus to tell us the truth. Moreover, they don't even take their own advice. I seriously doubt Cramer had his own money in AIG, Countrywide or Bear Stearns. Now that he has been exposed and hopefully embarrassed, maybe he will be less wreck less and more thoughtful about what he says and does on his show in the future.

Although he says he enjoyed it, I doubt he had that much fun on the 'Daily Show'. I almost felt bad for him.

Did Anyone Really Expect Bristol and Levi to Last?

Did anyone really expect Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston to last? Levi's sister, Mercede has gone and spilled the beans to Star magazine. Not that she had to tell us this, but how many 17 year old high school kids want to run off and get married?

Remember how the wedding was conveniently planned when Alaska Governor Sarah Palin became the Republican Vice Presidential candidate? Bristol's pregnancy was a private, family matter and off-limits to the media. Jamie Lynn Spears, star of 'Zoey 101' on Nick TV, didn't have that luxury. She was subjected to all kinds of criticism and scrutiny by the media, most of it related to her perceived lack of morality and poor upbringing. Remember Jamie Lynn is the younger sister of pop singer Britney Spears, who during that time, was going through a mental meltdown. Most of the criticism was mean and malicious.

Bristol's pregnancy laid bare the hypocrisy of her mother's belief that abstinence only was an effective tool in preventing teen pregnacy. Sarah Palin was damn near sainted because Bristol was not only keeping the baby but she was going to marry the baby's father. After all, only poor black and Hispanic girls from broken homes have out-of-wedlock births, not teenage girls from god-fearing, devoutly Christian families like Sarah Palin's. While Bristol was an unwed mother, black and Hispanic girls in the same predicament are sexually promiscuous and irresponsible babies mommas.

Shotgun weddings rarely last and I think Bristol and Levi were probably over months and months ago. When Bristol appeared on Greta Van Sustern's show and declared that Levi was a "hands on" dad, the story just seemed too good to be true. Obviously it was because Levi's sister Mercede claims Bristol won't even let Levi see the baby. Sounds like some drama is going to be popping off in Wasilla!

I doubt we'll be hearing the end of the story especially if Levi's sister is doing the talking and one of the tabloids is going to pay her.

Where's the Money?

Photo taken from Huffington Post

Admitted fraudster Bernard Madoff will reported plead guilty to eleven counts of felony fraud. Madoff who concocted his Ponzi scheme in the 1980s, will alleged get a life sentence or 105 years for his misdeeds. He folded like a cheap card table, without putting up any defense, elaborating about accomplices or apologizing to his victims, maybe that comes later but I think that smirk on his face denotes something more sinister.

For most people, a life sentence sounds really harsh but just like his penthouse arrest, I doubt if Madoff will be serving any kind of hard time like in a real Federal penitentiary with real criminals. White collar criminals regardless of how much they steal or swindle, rarely serve hard time, they get to do their time in country club prisons. A person caught shoplifting at Wal-Mart will serve harder jail time than Madoff.

Greed isn't a crime but fraud is. For all of the lives he ruined, neither he nor his wife should be allowed to keep a dime of their ill-gained fortune. What I really want to know is what happened to the billions of dollars he swindled? No one appears to be all that interested in finding out what happened to all that money or who helped. I think the joke is on us.

Dumbassness of the Day - Coolio + Crack?

Photo: Coolio

Old school rapper Coolio was allegedly caught with drugs after passing through a Southwest Airlines checkpoint at LAX yesterday. According to reports, he had crack cocaine in his luggage. Crack cocaine!? Who still smokes that shit!? Crack is whack.

I don't know what rock (no pun intended) he's been hiding under, but he obviously hasn't watched 'Airline', that reality show based on the adventures of Southwest Airlines employees. Those folks don't play. Besides that, where has been where attempting to smuggle any illegal drug through any airport actually works. He might have had better luck with a loaded gun.

Doing stupid stuff like this will get you arrested with a quickness. He obviously hasn't heard or thought it didn't apply to him. Oh, well...

Now there is a distinct possibility that the crack didn't even belong to him and he was set-up but I don't think anyone cares. Coolio and all of his dumbassness is so 90s, he's a mediocre rapper. I'm hoping VH-1 won't offer him a dating show like Flavor Flav or Ray-J but he might be an excellent candidate for the Celebrity Rehab show though.

I'm still scratching my head over this one. Only someone whose brain is fried from drug use would try to sneak them through the airport in their luggage. This is pure dumbassness. Poor Coolio.

Michael Steele in the Hot Seat, Again

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Who knew an old black lady was on the Republican National Committee? Anyhow, Dr. Ada Fisher appeared on Rachel Maddow's show last night criticizing the party chairman Michael Steele. Steele has been in the hot seat ever since he took over non-leadership of the Republican National Committee. He can't seem to keep his mouth shut and once it's open, he often makes an ass of himself or ends up apologizing or backtracking on some of his statements.

Dr. Fisher isn't a bit pleased with Steele and wrote a memo to other committee members suggesting that he resign. This memo was conveniently leaked to the media. Surprise-surprise. I'm sure Dr. Fisher isn't the first to call for Steele to resign but it's funny how her memo got leaked and you haven't heard from any other members besides her that want Steele to step aside. I just find it curious that Republicans now have high profile black members. Who would have thought!

I like Dr. Fisher and wonder where she's been hiding. I haven't seen her anywhere talking about how her party is like a snake with no head, slithering about with no leader, no message and no hope. She's a smart lady and makes a whole lot of sense, she clearly articulates the Republican message better than any politician I've seen on television lately. It's just a damn shame that she is being used by the Republican party. I'm not a Republican but I find some of Steele's comments offensive and inappropriate, from the "slum love" to the "hip-hop" foolishness.

Out of the handful of blacks in the Republican party, why is Dr. Fisher being used to go after Steele? I'm certain she's not the only person on the Republican National Committee unhappy with Steele and wishes he would resign but why is she the only face we see?

Twelve Steps for the Notorious G.O.P.

Motor mouth Michael a.k.a. Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, is at it again. Not content to stay in the spot where Rush Limbaugh left him for roadkill, he's back spewing more nonsense and foolishness. Michael your days are numbered.

This time he wants to put his party on a 12 step program. Now that he's claimed a non-leadership position within the party, he wants us all to know that only Democrats focus on the trivial, non-substantive issues. So what exactly have you been doing Mr. Steele? Trying to bring some hip-hop, urban flava to G.O.P.? Sending out some 'slum love' to Bobby Jindal? And these are substantive issues?

In an interview with a Baltimore radio station yesterday, Steele said:

"I am putting the party on a 12-step program of recovery. This is going to take some time, it is going to take some effort. But we are prepared to move forward and to state the case, make the case to the American people that we have something to offer. We are not here to be the party that is just here to say no. We are not the party to be in opposition just for the sake of opposition."

Given that programs like the 12 step are for addicts, compulsives and other behavior issues, Steele might want to acquaint himself with what this really means. You cannot worship Rush Limbaugh and expect to change the party.

I'm so inspired by Michael Steele that I've rewritten the original Twelve Steps and refashioned it into what the guiding principals of the Republican party should be:

1. We admit we are powerless over Rush Limbaugh—that we want Barack Obama to fail.
2. Believe that Rush Limbaugh, a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
3. Make a decision to turn our will and our party over to the care of Rush Limbaugh.
4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves but prefer to blame the Democrats, Barack Obama, poor people, minorities, illegal immigrants and the government for our shortcomings.
   
5. Admit to Rush, to ourselves, and to anyone who will listen the exact nature of other people's wrongs.
6. Are entirely ready to have Rush pontificate about other people's defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Rush to ignore his own as well as our shortcomings as a party with no message.
8. Make a list of all persons we hold responsible for our country's decline, and be willing to blame them at any and every opportunity (e.g., Representative Barney Frank for record home foreclosures, Democrats for saying we can't win in Iraq and Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid for everything else.).
   
9. Make no amends to such people even when we are wrong, even when to do so would slander or injure them or others.
10. Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly ignore it and continue to blame everyone else.
11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with Rush, praying only for ourselves and those that embrace our beliefs because we are the only ones who matter.
    
12. Have a non-spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we have carried the same message for the past eight years to the American people and continue to practice these outdated principles in all our affairs even though they have been proven wrong and misguided.

Michael Steele Blinks

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was on D.L. Hughley's show Saturday night denying the claim that talk show host Rush Limbaugh was the "de facto leader of the Republican party". Steele seems to be real clear about his role as the party's chairman. He dismissed Limbaugh as an entertainer whose show is incendiary and ugly. Aside from all of the other stupid crap Steele was saying last week, what he said about Limbaugh was right but that was Saturday night.

Less than 48 hours after he criticized Limbaugh, Steele came to his senses and apologized for his comments. Of course Michael, you were misunderstood. You really didn't mean to diss Limbaugh. Although he is the party chairman, Steele found himself in the same predicament as any other Republicans who dares diminish Limbaugh's influence on the party; he ended up apologizing and kissing the ring of the man who claims to command an audience of 20 million brainless minions.

Here's what Steele really meant just in case you're confused:

My intent was not to go after Rush - I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh. I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.

So who is really running the Republican party?

Police Deputy Punches and Kicks 15 Year Old Girl

When is it okay for a grown-ass man to punch, kick and drag a fifteen year old girl around by her hair? Seeming that her own parents could not do this without being arrested for child abuse, what makes this deputy think his behavior is justified?

I'm sure he's got a perfectly good excuse for this; he probably feared for his life, felt threatened by the girl or something lame like that. Regardless of what she did or said, this young woman did not deserve to be yanked around by her hair or punched in the head.

The good news is the deputy, Paul Schene has been charged with assault by the King County (Seattle, Washington) prosecutor.