What a week this has been. What a 24 hours this has been.
About an hour ago, I got the news that Michael Jackson has died. I must admit I almost cried when I read the news that scrolled across my Blackberry aloud to my fellow Toastmasters at our dinner meeting. If I had been alone, I probably would have cried.
To be honest, I haven’t been a true Michael Jackson fan since “Beat It” and “Billy Jean”. Thriller is arguably the greatest CD ever made, and it still holds the title for best-selling album of all time (according to CNN). It was nominated for eight Grammy Awards and has been certified platinum 20 times. Bad followed Thriller five years later. I must admit, even though there were some awesome cuts on that album (“Dirty Diana”, “Bad”, “The Man in the Mirror” and “Smooth Criminal”), I found my interest starting to drift by that stage in Michael’s career.
Now that I think about it, the lighter Michael’s complexion became and the thinner his lips and nose got, the more my enthusiasm for him seemed to wane. Maybe that’s why by the time “Dangerous” and “HIStory” were released, I had metaphorically sent my fan card back in. Does that make me racist? Hmmm… That’s another blog.
About six hours ago, I got a text from WLTX saying Farrah Fawcett had passed away. Even though I knew she was ill, I was still sadden to hear she had succumbed to cancer. I’m only 36 years old, so Farrah really wasn’t a part of my generation. I don’t have much of a recollection of her, other than “Charlie’s Angels”. Wait. Didn’t she do a made-for-TV movie about domestic violence ? “The Burning Bed”, I think it was called. Ok, it’s all coming back to me now.
Anyway, I had a great deal of sympathy for Farrah and her condition. No one deserves to live with or die from cancer. On May 15 of this year, a special broadcast aired on NBC called “Farrah’s Story”. I didn’t watch it because it was too maudlin. I’d heard enough of her sad story already that week. The day after the show aired, Meredith Vieira interviewed Farrah’s long-time companion, Ryan O’Neal on The Today Show. When I heard O’Neal say Farrah’s first question was, ‘How were the ratings’, I was glad I had not watched the show. What was her motivation for airing that heartbreaking story? To feed her superstar ego? Sad. Very, very sad; trying to hold onto the spotlight even as life slips away. And today, the very day Farrah passed away, Michael’s death upstaged hers.
About 24 hours ago, I got word, again, courtesy of WLTX text, that Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an affair. While the state and country thought he was in the mountains licking his wounds about the stimulus bill issue, he actually was in Argentina with his ‘woman’. And on my dime!
Dang. Another decent man fell victim to lust and the mystic and allure of sex with someone other than his wife. I was dismayed at the realization that even the most stand-up men can fall prey to temptation. Scary.
Articles, blogs, commentary and surveys are all over the internet asking why do politicians cheat. I can answer that for you. Politicians cheat because men cheat. Politicians are no different from any other man. If your man is a cheat, then he is going to cheat; it doesn’t matter if he is a politician or not. So ladies, what can you do to keep your man from cheating? Simple. Don’t marry a cheat!
Back to Sanford, can you imagine when he stepped off that plane to make his way to his ditched SUV and was bombarded with reporters from around the country? Then he realized, “they’re onto me”. May as well come clean.
The humiliation of it all. In a matter of hours, all your personal business and affairs are public knowledge. Your marriage, career, good reputations, and self respect all vanish as cameras flash in your face. Sanford must have wished he could die.
Today is Thursday, June 25, 2009. What a day it has been. Michael is gone; Farrah is gone; and with all of his political hopes and dreams in the toilet, Sanford probably wishes he was.
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Black Bike Week 2009: STAY HOME
An Original Beach Girl Speaks Out
I am one of the few people who actually remember when Black Bike Week (BBW) was something special. It was a reunion; it was a festival; it was FUN. Now, it is a freak show. Just horrible. It seems the rule is: the more naked, the better.
I am a native of North Myrtle Beach (now living in Columbia). I grew up going to Atlantic Beach for BBW. Remember Punk’s Patio? Remember meeting that special guy and walking along the shore until you saw the sun coming up over the horizon? I do. What a time we had.
Now, BBW is full of nudity, noise, violence, and controversy. As such, the City of Myrtle Beach has banned both the Harley Davidson Weekend and Black Bike Weekend. And I say, “Good riddance”. Not so much to the Harleys. I hate to see them go. But as for the black bikers, you won’t hear a single complaint from me.
Yesterday as I was leaving my primary gig and going home to my second gig (which includes a myriad of activities, like writing this blog and the such), I caught the tail end of the PA Bennett Show on 620 AM. She was saying that the NAACP is going to be in Myrtle Beach to make sure things go well. She also said that since MB does not want our (I guess she meant black people) dollars, to stay away. Find another place to spend ‘our’ money. I called in quickly and was lucky enough to be the final caller of the day. I told PA that I agree with her. Black bikers should stay home, but for different reasons. Here they are.
Reason 1: Your money really isn’t that great.
People seem to think that BBW brings millions and millions of dollars in a single weekend. Well, I don’t know the exact numbers, but I am willing to bet that it is significantly less than you think. The people who benefit the most are the hotel owners. They are guaranteed to sell every room in their hotel that weekend. Other than that, restaurants don’t make any money. Many think that is because they close their doors. True, in the past, many have closed for the weekend. And with good reason… they don’t make money! Black bikers seldom go and sit down in a restaurant and have a steak, or a seafood dinner. Some do, but most grab hot dogs, grilled sausages, BBQ, and rib dinners from street vendors. Therefore, street vendors make great money. Full scale restaurants, do not.
Furthermore, if the restaurants were to open, who is going to cook the food? Let’s be real, the majority of the kitchen personnel are black. And guess what, on the BBW weekend, they want to be out in the streets having fun too. So they call in, take off, and sometimes, just don’t show up. How do I know? Because I LIVED it. I did it too, when I was young and didn’t have a mortgage. So I ask again, who is going to cook? The manager can’t do it all himself.
When the NAACP went running down there complaining that it is discrimination because the restaurants closed, my thought was, go fight a real discrimination battle. Unless you live there, you just don’t know!
Reason 2: BBW is too problematic.
The nudity is disgusting. The profanity and provocation are intolerable. The violence is barbaric. The shooting is ghetto. The litter is trifling! I guess when you are about 19, you consider all these things to be fun. But when you get to be 30, 35, 40… that is a disgrace. People drink too much, take stupid risks, and people die. It just isn’t worth it! I don’t know about you, but I like clean, pretty Myrtle Beach. Not ghetto, trashy Myrtle Beach.
Reason 3: There isn’t overt racism and discrimination like many think there is.
For the past few years, I’ve been hearing about the NAACP going down there and making a fuss, saying BBW is handled differently than Harley Week. Yes it is… because it IS different. Just because black bikers are not treated the same as the Harleys does not mean the black bikers are treated wrong. I had absolutely NO problem when traffic was redirected on BBW and not during Harley week. When the Harleys came down, bikers came down in droves, perhaps with a woman on the back … on their BIKES! During BBW, bikers came down with SUV's, huges trucks with trailers towing their bikes, and droves of people who don’t even own a bike. The dynamic of the two weekends are completely different. During Harley week, the majority of the people are on bikes. During BBW, there are far more spectators and car drivers than bikers. So the rerouting of traffic is completely necessary, not discrimination.
Year after year, the same topic comes up on local talk shows, like Cynthia Pryor Hardy’s and now national talk shows, like Michael Baisden’s. But each host speaks as an outsider looking in. Take it from someone who has lived the Harley Davidson Week and the Black Bike Week. The Harley were OK. But black bikers HAD to go!
This is the opinion of one North Myrtle Beach native. I'm sure there are many who feel differently. Feel free to let me know how you feel.
And yes, I am black.
I am one of the few people who actually remember when Black Bike Week (BBW) was something special. It was a reunion; it was a festival; it was FUN. Now, it is a freak show. Just horrible. It seems the rule is: the more naked, the better.
I am a native of North Myrtle Beach (now living in Columbia). I grew up going to Atlantic Beach for BBW. Remember Punk’s Patio? Remember meeting that special guy and walking along the shore until you saw the sun coming up over the horizon? I do. What a time we had.
Now, BBW is full of nudity, noise, violence, and controversy. As such, the City of Myrtle Beach has banned both the Harley Davidson Weekend and Black Bike Weekend. And I say, “Good riddance”. Not so much to the Harleys. I hate to see them go. But as for the black bikers, you won’t hear a single complaint from me.
Yesterday as I was leaving my primary gig and going home to my second gig (which includes a myriad of activities, like writing this blog and the such), I caught the tail end of the PA Bennett Show on 620 AM. She was saying that the NAACP is going to be in Myrtle Beach to make sure things go well. She also said that since MB does not want our (I guess she meant black people) dollars, to stay away. Find another place to spend ‘our’ money. I called in quickly and was lucky enough to be the final caller of the day. I told PA that I agree with her. Black bikers should stay home, but for different reasons. Here they are.
Reason 1: Your money really isn’t that great.
People seem to think that BBW brings millions and millions of dollars in a single weekend. Well, I don’t know the exact numbers, but I am willing to bet that it is significantly less than you think. The people who benefit the most are the hotel owners. They are guaranteed to sell every room in their hotel that weekend. Other than that, restaurants don’t make any money. Many think that is because they close their doors. True, in the past, many have closed for the weekend. And with good reason… they don’t make money! Black bikers seldom go and sit down in a restaurant and have a steak, or a seafood dinner. Some do, but most grab hot dogs, grilled sausages, BBQ, and rib dinners from street vendors. Therefore, street vendors make great money. Full scale restaurants, do not.
Furthermore, if the restaurants were to open, who is going to cook the food? Let’s be real, the majority of the kitchen personnel are black. And guess what, on the BBW weekend, they want to be out in the streets having fun too. So they call in, take off, and sometimes, just don’t show up. How do I know? Because I LIVED it. I did it too, when I was young and didn’t have a mortgage. So I ask again, who is going to cook? The manager can’t do it all himself.
When the NAACP went running down there complaining that it is discrimination because the restaurants closed, my thought was, go fight a real discrimination battle. Unless you live there, you just don’t know!
Reason 2: BBW is too problematic.
The nudity is disgusting. The profanity and provocation are intolerable. The violence is barbaric. The shooting is ghetto. The litter is trifling! I guess when you are about 19, you consider all these things to be fun. But when you get to be 30, 35, 40… that is a disgrace. People drink too much, take stupid risks, and people die. It just isn’t worth it! I don’t know about you, but I like clean, pretty Myrtle Beach. Not ghetto, trashy Myrtle Beach.
Reason 3: There isn’t overt racism and discrimination like many think there is.
For the past few years, I’ve been hearing about the NAACP going down there and making a fuss, saying BBW is handled differently than Harley Week. Yes it is… because it IS different. Just because black bikers are not treated the same as the Harleys does not mean the black bikers are treated wrong. I had absolutely NO problem when traffic was redirected on BBW and not during Harley week. When the Harleys came down, bikers came down in droves, perhaps with a woman on the back … on their BIKES! During BBW, bikers came down with SUV's, huges trucks with trailers towing their bikes, and droves of people who don’t even own a bike. The dynamic of the two weekends are completely different. During Harley week, the majority of the people are on bikes. During BBW, there are far more spectators and car drivers than bikers. So the rerouting of traffic is completely necessary, not discrimination.
Year after year, the same topic comes up on local talk shows, like Cynthia Pryor Hardy’s and now national talk shows, like Michael Baisden’s. But each host speaks as an outsider looking in. Take it from someone who has lived the Harley Davidson Week and the Black Bike Week. The Harley were OK. But black bikers HAD to go!
This is the opinion of one North Myrtle Beach native. I'm sure there are many who feel differently. Feel free to let me know how you feel.
And yes, I am black.
Are you President and First Lady? Or Are You Rock Stars?
My 100 Day Assessment.
I am so proud of President and First Lady Obama. I absolutely LOVE them. I can’t think of a better couple to represent everything good about black people and America.
First Lady Michelle Obama is my hero. She shows how an educated woman can be strong, accomplished, and still be appreciated and loved by her man for her strength and just being who she is. And the fact that she is more chocolate than vanilla makes me beam with pride!
President Obama shows how even the unlikeliest of men can be president. A black man born to a white woman. A black man stereotypically raised without ever really knowing his father. A black man with a name that, post 911, almost sounds anti-American. But he did it. He harnessed America’s desire for a change, a new day. And here we are, celebrating his first 100 days in office.
Donna Brazile gave a comprehensive assessment of President Obama’s first 100 days in office. She gave President Obama a B+ on the stimulus plan. On the 2010 fiscal budget that will create jobs with investments in education, health care, and clean energy while cutting taxes for middle-class families, she gave him an A-. Finally, for handling of national security, foreign affairs and our image abroad, she graded our president an A+. I am in compete agreement Brazile's assessment. She is one of the sharpest political minds America has and I am proud to claim her as a sista’. But to further her assessment, I add a category called public exposure. For that, I give President Obama a D+.
What is my public exposure category? Public exposure accounts for how much non-political exposure the president gets. And in my opinion, he has been getting entirely too much.
When was the last time you have walked into a store and did not see President or First Lady Obama on the cover of some magazine? I know they are the new ‘it’ couple, and rightfully so, but my concern is that all of these interviews they are granting will hurt them in the long run.
I understand that “everything Obama” sells. This is reminiscent of the Bee Gee’s craze of the 70’s; Michael Jackson of the 80’s; Madonna of the 90’s; Beyonce’ of the new millennium. But the Bee Gee’s, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Beyonce’ are rock stars. That is their job. They don’t do anything else, really. But President Obama has a real job; a serious one at that. And being on somebody’s cover every week diminishes the respect of his position.
Here is a list of magazine covers the Obama’s have graced and/or interviews they have given: Men’s Vogue, US Weekly, Essence, People, Ebony, Time, Vibe, GQ, Newsweek, Jet, Rolling Stone, Women’s Weekly, Wired, Life, O Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Vanity Fair, and tons more than I can possibly name. Now, with this month’s issue of Essence, they are dragging Mother Robinson into this thing. Mrs. Robinson, please don’t fall prey… don’t get bitten by the rock star bug!
I know the Obama’s can’t control the magazines that run their image without their consent. But they give an awful lot of interviews with their consent. Is that what we really want from an American President? A rock star- like following? I personally prefer my president to be a president and not a music-less Michael Jackson.
And remember President Obama’s appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno? The only thing that came out of that was the gaffe he made about the Special Olympics. Keep in mind that it is the objective of those shows to get you to relax, let your guard down, and talk freely. President Obama did that and see what happened? Is there really prestige around being the first sitting president to appear on a late night talk show? I think not. I think there are some firsts that President Obama should not aspire to be.
Donna Brazile said, “Considering that he still has 1,360 days to go, I'm fastening my seatbelt. It will be a bumpy ride. But I will thoroughly enjoy watching Obama's journey of restoration and revival. Our 44th president may not be perfect, but he's in the game, scoring wins for America while the opposition still figures out how to play.”
With the coming and going of President Obama’s first 100 days, what would I like to see from him in the next 100 days? Actually, I’d like to see less on him… on the magazine racks, that is!
I am so proud of President and First Lady Obama. I absolutely LOVE them. I can’t think of a better couple to represent everything good about black people and America.
First Lady Michelle Obama is my hero. She shows how an educated woman can be strong, accomplished, and still be appreciated and loved by her man for her strength and just being who she is. And the fact that she is more chocolate than vanilla makes me beam with pride!
President Obama shows how even the unlikeliest of men can be president. A black man born to a white woman. A black man stereotypically raised without ever really knowing his father. A black man with a name that, post 911, almost sounds anti-American. But he did it. He harnessed America’s desire for a change, a new day. And here we are, celebrating his first 100 days in office.
Donna Brazile gave a comprehensive assessment of President Obama’s first 100 days in office. She gave President Obama a B+ on the stimulus plan. On the 2010 fiscal budget that will create jobs with investments in education, health care, and clean energy while cutting taxes for middle-class families, she gave him an A-. Finally, for handling of national security, foreign affairs and our image abroad, she graded our president an A+. I am in compete agreement Brazile's assessment. She is one of the sharpest political minds America has and I am proud to claim her as a sista’. But to further her assessment, I add a category called public exposure. For that, I give President Obama a D+.
What is my public exposure category? Public exposure accounts for how much non-political exposure the president gets. And in my opinion, he has been getting entirely too much.
When was the last time you have walked into a store and did not see President or First Lady Obama on the cover of some magazine? I know they are the new ‘it’ couple, and rightfully so, but my concern is that all of these interviews they are granting will hurt them in the long run.
I understand that “everything Obama” sells. This is reminiscent of the Bee Gee’s craze of the 70’s; Michael Jackson of the 80’s; Madonna of the 90’s; Beyonce’ of the new millennium. But the Bee Gee’s, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Beyonce’ are rock stars. That is their job. They don’t do anything else, really. But President Obama has a real job; a serious one at that. And being on somebody’s cover every week diminishes the respect of his position.
Here is a list of magazine covers the Obama’s have graced and/or interviews they have given: Men’s Vogue, US Weekly, Essence, People, Ebony, Time, Vibe, GQ, Newsweek, Jet, Rolling Stone, Women’s Weekly, Wired, Life, O Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Vanity Fair, and tons more than I can possibly name. Now, with this month’s issue of Essence, they are dragging Mother Robinson into this thing. Mrs. Robinson, please don’t fall prey… don’t get bitten by the rock star bug!
I know the Obama’s can’t control the magazines that run their image without their consent. But they give an awful lot of interviews with their consent. Is that what we really want from an American President? A rock star- like following? I personally prefer my president to be a president and not a music-less Michael Jackson.
And remember President Obama’s appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno? The only thing that came out of that was the gaffe he made about the Special Olympics. Keep in mind that it is the objective of those shows to get you to relax, let your guard down, and talk freely. President Obama did that and see what happened? Is there really prestige around being the first sitting president to appear on a late night talk show? I think not. I think there are some firsts that President Obama should not aspire to be.
Donna Brazile said, “Considering that he still has 1,360 days to go, I'm fastening my seatbelt. It will be a bumpy ride. But I will thoroughly enjoy watching Obama's journey of restoration and revival. Our 44th president may not be perfect, but he's in the game, scoring wins for America while the opposition still figures out how to play.”
With the coming and going of President Obama’s first 100 days, what would I like to see from him in the next 100 days? Actually, I’d like to see less on him… on the magazine racks, that is!