Annnnnd, I'm back!

 Yo. What’s up? Been awhile. 

I had to take a break from writing for a bit. This last year and a half has been ROUGH, to say the least. Like a lot of folks, I have been in survival mode; shit, not only that, I’ve been in my feelings. Tough. 

Now I know that some of y’all think that I am just some Hot, Black and Bitter bitch on the internet… which I am, but that is just a percentage of my dynamic personality. I am also a mom, wife, daughter and go to person for a lot of folks. And this worldwide pandemic and political unrest in the United States has (understandably) taken its toll on me and my people. Y’all, I been tired. TIRED, you hear me? Shit has been crazy. And I know I am not the only one. 

So I have been dealing with some other shit. I have been to (too) many funerals. I have been minding my business and taking care of my people. And I have been (relatively) quiet- definitely on the blog, but I have also slowed down on everything social with the exception of Twitter. Rest assured, my silence does not equal a lack of opinions… it just means that instead of typing them out, I told them to my husband- even when he didn’t want to hear them. 2020 was wild. 2021 ain’t a million times better, know that. I am sure that stories from the last eighteen to twenty months will be reflected in some upcoming blog posts, so y’all will read what has been going down ‘round these parts. You'll see some changes and hopefully you'll see more blog posts.

Here lately, things have lightened up (a bit) and I have been back on my plotting and planning, so get ready for some more high class bullshit, loud (right) opinions and a little bit of tomfoolery. Hilarity will ensue. You will laugh and I will bask in my Hot, Black and Bitterness. Let’s get after it.

 

Kirk Franklin Owes His SON An Apology

So hey! What’s up? What’s been good? How y’all doing? It has been a while. Who me? Oh, I have just been dealing with this global pandemic bullshit… you know, keeping my ass at home, washing my hands, wearing my mask and waiting on the distribution of these vaccines and stimulus checks. But that is another blog post for another day because Y’ALL I have been on these interwebs and the tea is just overflowing my mug, darlings. 

Now I am generally a little late to the party on breaking news. I see it, read the details and keep it moving. So, this weekend I was just surfing, like I do, and I saw the now infamous video of the “conversation” that Kirk Franklin had with his son. That shit was not a conversation- it was some bullshit and little Kirk Franklin needs to put on his big boy pants and apologize to his son. Now look, I know that I am in the minority here, but I am going to go ahead and explain how I got to this RIGHT answer. Ok? Here we go:

First, I am going to put this in the context of my life. I am a parent and I have parents. My kid and I have a good relationship and my parents and I rock with each other… tough! I love them. They live down the street and we speak at least three times a week (sometimes three times a day). I know what y’all see on this blog, but believe it or not, I don’t curse in front of my parents and I am NOT disrespectful. Never will be. I was raised with respect and I give respect. Just like that. I know me, right? So when there has ever been a problem, I (as quickly as I can) remove myself from the situation. Why? Mostly because my mouth is too slick. I know that once you say shit, you can’t take it back. So if I KNOW I can’t rein in my tongue (and attitude) I just don’t say shit. I am raising a daughter and I don’t want her to have any sort of complex because of the relationship that she has with me. It really is that simple. 

Now, Kirk Franklin- who made a few Jesus songs- is getting a pass for saying that he would “break his foot off in his son’s ass” and that he would “break his son’s neck.” Then he was screaming the N word at the top of his lungs like he was talking to a stranger that just stepped on his new church shoes. Sir. Ma’am. First of all, if y’all have read any of my posts you know I am not giving not one pass to the evangelicals, singers, preachers, YouTubers, authors, cousins, aunties, uncles, friends or acquaintances. I am NOT giving a pass to anyone, friends. You come out in the public, acting like an asshole, and I may comment on it. It is a chance you take. Kirk Franklin ain’t getting a pass, I don’t care how many melodies from heaven renditions he sings. What he did was wrong. That is no way to speak to your children. And let me just add, too many of y’all out here excusing those threats because you have been threatened like that before. Just because it happened to YOU and you survived does not mean that is A1 parenting and that you should do the same to your children. And if you mad, get a cape and be super mad. Stop spreading dysfunction. PERIOD. 

Back to Kirk, do y'all know that he came out with a rebuttal video where that little asshole had the absolute nerve to come out and apologize TO THE PUBLIC but didn’t have it in his short statured body to apologize to his son. What??

His son is a whole grown man and if he has questionable behavior maybe, just maybe, that is how he taught himself to be while little ol’ Kirk was spending the days and hours of his formative years running these streets addicted to porn. <SHADE> Maybe the son models his adult life after the life he saw Kirk living when he was growing up. Don’t come for me- I remember the controversies from before some of y’all were alive. Your children are people. Trust me- they will get on your last good nerve. They do. I’m not saying don’t discipline them. I’m not saying to raise disrespectful ingrates. But you, as the parent, need to lead by example. If you would apologize to the public for losing your temper because it is going to affect your bankroll… you should be man enough to apologize to your flesh and blood for treating them like shit and threatening them. And if you don’t want to apologize,WATCH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH. If your children never see you apologize, or they never experience you apologizing to them for bad behavior, you are willingly raising children who will not apologize when they should. You are not raising well rounded kids. You are failing your children. Stop that bullshit ASAP. It is not healthy.

Now unclutch those pearls, ma’am, throw on some church music and get ready for the comeback of Hot, Black and Bitter. 

Soulful Saturday - Hall & Oates

So I was just on Twitter, being nosy... as one does, and noticed someone started a "soulful White singers" thread. Now y'all know I went through that list with my hawk eye ALL the way open to see who folks thought belonged on this list. Thankfully, the list included good music and didn't list too many sympathy votes (oh, y'all know who I'm talking about). I was pleasantly surprised to see Hall & Oates listed. Then I went to YouTube, you know to refresh this old mind, and I am just coming out of that rabbit hole!

Hall & Oates made some fantastic music. What better way to welcome back Soulful Saturday than to include these icons? This is totally a "Welcome Back Hot, Black and Bitter... now get your lazy ass in gear and actually post to your blog instead of just social media" gift to myself. I'll take it! As we welcome the cooler temperatures of the Fall, I will be spending more time here on the blog... listening to good music, dropping my opinions and reporting on the abundance of fuck shit happening in my country. So, until shit gets too real let's listen to some kick ass 70's and 80's soft rock, shall we?

Maneater - AKA the Hot, Black and Bitter theme song... when I was single. LOL

I Can't Go For That Sara Smile **When you feel cold, I'll warm you. When you feel you can't go on, I'll come and hold you. It's you and me, Sara Smile.** You Make My Dreams PS- It is the leather pants for me! LOL

Soulful Saturday - Musical Obsessions, Summer 2013

I have not posted anything about music lately-- because I have been enjoying the summer weather and getting acclimated to working during the day again. On my way to work, I actually get to hear news and traffic. Oh, working a first shift job is SO very different than working a second shift job! After tuning in to hear the traffic, while in a caffeine-deprived daze, I often get stuck listening to whatever songs get played. Lately though I have been pleasantly surprised by the following songs... I like them. Crazy, huh? :)

Bruises - Train

"We've all got bruises..."How true is THAT?!?! Wonderful and I have to admit-- I sing along often!




Cups (When I'm Gone) - Cover

Yeah, I JUST saw Pitch Perfect this past weekend, so when I heard Anna Kendrick sing this song at the beginning of the year, I was not fully appreciating the song... but I get it now!! And I love this version... and the fact that Lefty STILL thinks the lyrics are "You're gonna miss me by my walk, You're gonna miss me by my TACO" she says TALK... Oh, but it is ok. I laugh EVERYtime. Jesus.




Cruise - Florida Georgia Line f. Nelly

I CAN'T HELP IT!!! Do not ask me why I love this song. I just do... and I am totally pulling my Don't Judge Me card for this selection. PS. Nelly... yep, still SUPER hot. Thank you!




Best I Ever Had - Gavin DeGraw

An absolutely GREAT song to throw Gavin back on the scene. Love, love, love.



And to round out the summer obsession... The Civil Wars - The One that Got Away

Who is sad that they are no longer together?! Me, me, me. These two need to put aside their differences because they make wonderful music together.

Today in What The...?!?!

Ahhhh, I feel like I have been gone so long!! I am settling into life in Columbus, remembering why I love some old haunts and finding new ones. My life has been consumed with visiting family, loving up on my friends and looking for a job. I have also been keeping up with the news-- Chicago and the national news. My general thought process when reading the news is "Oh my God, really?" This week? No exception. Four prime examples follow:

This week in the amazingly stupid: 

1- "Shackle Shoes" by Adidas. Hmmm. Do the shoes themselves upset me? No. After seeing them, I know I would never purchase them or any other Adidas shoes, ever again. Does it make me mad because these shoes reference slavery or somehow makes me have flashbacks of running towards the Underground Railroad by moonlight? Nope. What makes me most upset is that if Adidas had not pulled these sneakers, I have a sneaky suspicion that certain people would make them a top seller. In fact, I read some comments online that said "I'd buy these, they are cute." Idiots. The fact remains that we (read: Black people) cannot be exploited by companies without participating in the exploitation. We have buying power. We have voices to say "no." We should also have common sense to teach our children that shackle shoes are not cute, nor should they be considered for purchase. We can't always play the victims, folks. We are responsible for what we teach the next generation, where we place value and how we participate in consumerism.

2- The Rutgers student who caused the death of his roommate by spying and telling all his (gay) business, has been released from jail... after 20 days. Twenty days? That is how much a life is worth? What a fabulous message to send to the next nosy, stalker roommate that intends to out someone. Just for everyone's information-- unless YOU are coming out, you should not worry about outing anyone else. That is a personal journey that belongs to the person that is going through it. All of that to say: mind your own freaking business. Trust me: most of us have MORE than enough going on in our own lives to keep us busy. And if you don't... I'll give you half my bills... 

3- The Ku Klux Klan is now kinder? They are adopting highways and claiming that they don't hate anyone... they only prefer the company of white people. Ok. Who believes that? If you do-- jump in your closest river (or large body of water) and I hope you can't swim. People who believe this blatant lie are the same people who believe that all politicians always have their constituents best interests in mind. Listen, if it walks, talks and acts like a duck, I expect lots of quacks. If you join a hate organization, it is because you hate someone or something. Do not try to dress it up as something else. Just say you don't like minorities and get off on violating people's Civil Rights. I mean, why else would you join the KKK? 

4- Rielle Hunter is releasing a tell all book. Reportedly, some portion of the book has some disparaging remarks about the late Elizabeth Edwards. OK, let me rephrase that: side chick Rielle Hunter, is releasing a tell-all book, where she has the audacity to talk shit about a dead woman whose husband she was banging. Clearly, authors can write about whatever moves them, and really people have written about worse things... I guess. But damn, where is her shame?!?! I mean really? You sleep with a married man- while his wife is suffering from a cancer relapse, have his baby, lie about it and then talk shit after the wife dies? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that that Hunter lady deserves a good slap... in the face... with a chair.

Let's all try to practice some more common sense, shall we? Great.