Oh Look, A Trade War

Last week, 45 took to Twitter (again) and started some unnecessary bullshit (again). Like every other hair brain idea he has, he followed up with some ridiculous argument that he is proud to have started this trade war and it is going to be good for the United States AND easy to win. I cannot believe that I have to type this, but trade wars are NOT good, for any country involved. Ever. I live in a state that is part of what folks call the "rustbelt" meaning that parts of Ohio was part of the once booming steel industry. Those areas are mostly desolate now. So when 45 talks about helping the steel industry, he is talking about parts of Ohio but his little plan isn't going to help Ohio or any other place in the rustbelt. Let's review a few things: 1. the United States of America operates in an international market, 2. the last time the US imposed tariffs it led to the Great Depression 3. we need a leader who can finesse a good deal, instead of being a fat, balding bully on the international stage. 

First: I know that everyone likes to think that the United States could make it on our own, but that ain't the way this party is set up. Our economy is tied to the economies of other countries, like it or not. Most notably we are tied to two countries that 45 is deadset on pissing off-- Mexico and Canada. When the US went through our recession, so did the rest of the world. We cannot just decide that we are going to make significant changes to our modus operandi and expect that we will make it out unscathed. Hell, as soon as 45 announced these new tariffs from hell OUR stock market plunged. It is like other people knew this latest policy change that flew out of his ass was not moving in the right direction. Honestly, the world market has been tied together since World War II... and for good reason. If 45 doesn't like the way that trade is handled with certain goods then he should invite diplomats to D.C. and talk about changing the present set up, like a normal fucking person. 

Second: 45 is what happens when people don't know the history of their country. I wish the assholes that voted for him could feel the wrath of this side-eye I am giving. Y'all. I mean, I know that at least SOME Americans know that Hoover was a President-- and a categorically bad one. He signed a "protectionist" tariff into law and guess what we got a year later? If you yelled out "The Great Depression" you would be right. That shit did not work in 1930 and it is not going work in 2018. If you want folks to use more American made steel and aluminum, make it easier and more cost effective for them to do so. Does 45 know exactly how many industries will be affected by his tariffs? Does he understand exactly what is going to happen to our economy? Do his supporters know that he is notorious for NOT using US Steel in his building projects? I mean, if I am being nice I would say that he doesn't understand much and certainly not the complexities of an economy where you can't just declare bankruptcy to solve your money problems. Hoover wasn't the only president that thought tariffs were the answer to our problems. Over and over again Republicans (W., Reagan, Nixon) have exposed us to tariffs that did not work. Why would anyone believe that this time would be any different?

Third: It takes a certain kind of person to be a politician... and there is a reason for that. Some folks are still acting like they voted for 45 because he was the anti-Washington guy. Yeah, ok... even if that was true (which it isn't but let's just pretend that it is) there is a reason why we gravitate to fucking smooth talking slicksters as our politicians. Ma'am, sir... those people talk and get shit done. They make it sound good. They make you feel good-- and they do the same thing to OTHER politicians. They compromise. That is how they get shit done. They aren't the bull in the china shop because they realize that situation only gives you a mess you have to clean up. Do you get it? That is the reason folks loved Barack. He was stable. Fucking smooth sailing most of the time. Shit, Bill Clinton could still sell ice to an Eskimo. Like it or not, American politics are not the advanced by coming to a decision when you are pissed off, writing it into law and SAYING that it is going to be great. That is not how this shit works. Fucking finesse me, man. But 45 can't... because his plan is shit and he knows it and so does everyone else. 

Starting a trade war will do nothing but hurt the United States. It will further break companies in the rustbelt. The economic fallout will be long-lasting. We are getting screwed by the president. Again. 

Family Drama and Social Media

Social media is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it has the ability to bring folks with common interests together... and a curse for the exact same reason. I mean, I can be planted in my warm house in Columbus, Ohio and participate in a "not so crafty" group with members in Europe, Australia, California or any other part of the world with a strong WiFi signal. Amazing, huh? I could also friend some crazy racists in a penal colony on some island somewhere. Not so amazing.

The main example of when social media is a curse is the ability to air out personal laundry for all to see. I FIRMLY believe that family drama should not ever be dealt with online. You take your hurt feelings to whoever you are pissed at and work it out. Everyone should not have the ability to to see you fall out with folks who know your deepest, darkest secrets. Now listen, do I fall out with my family? Hell yeah- there are about a million of us running around this city, we all live VERY close to one another and personalities differ greatly. With ten kids, that will always be the case. But, even in the midst of our own brand of craziness I have never felt the need to let everyone in the world know when one of my siblings is acting like an asshole-- with one exception, and I don't hardly regret it.

Not only do I NOT want my friends (and enemies) to know the weaknesses of my family members, I also do not want to let some duplicitous asshole know how to get to ME. I want folks to have to WORK to figure me out, I don't want to give these bastards a roadmap. So yeah, my clan is drama filled. If you are a close family friend, you MIGHT know a good 15% of what we are arguing about this week, but we handle our shit in house; like all families should. Now, y'all's president? He is a whole different story.

This weekend Tangerine Dream went on a Twitter rant against the FBI. Sir, no. Uh, that shit is not kosher. Not anywhere. Now, as a Black, American woman, do I have qualms about how the FBI (and other government agencies) deal with my community? Absolutely. I routinely call the police and other law enforcement agencies out on their bullshit, but I am a private citizen. It is not like I am the Police Commissioner yelling at the top of my lungs that my police officers are corrupt... because Police Commissioners don't do that. They handle shit quietly, face to face... privately. 

Now here we are with a president that people ALREADY think is not working in the interests of Americans, screaming about how fucked up our intelligence community is on a platform that everyone can see. Our enemies. Our allies. Just... everyone. The Commander-In-Chief laying out the government in-fighting for all to see. Why would he do that? Things that make you go hmm (or however they say 'hmm' in Russia). 

Manic Monday - Change is Coming

I am on the cusp of being an adult. Ok, I know I'm married and have a kid, but honestly, in two months and four days I will be a for real grown up. I'm turning 40. With this new age bracket sprinting toward me, I am trying to do a few things differently. TRYING. 

My baby is starting to become a little walking bullhorn, so I am attempting to limit the time I call people out of their names in front of her. That's right, no more calling y'all's grandmas "rude bitches" when they cut me off in the grocery store aisle. I will also stop mumbling about ripping all those bobby pins out of their ice blue wigs if one more of them ask if I am my child's nanny. Yep, you're welcome. 

I'm trying to be a better person so I keep trying to let shit go. Like, when our basement flooded last month, I took a few deep breaths and built a bridge over all those shitty feelings I was having. Why? Because life is too short to sweat the small stuff... or some other cliche shit like that. Listen, I'm trying to be better because I am about to be old, my baby repeats all the inappropriate shit I say at a very high volume, I don't want to raise an asshole, I would NOT do well in jail AND I want to save all my real venom for when I am super old and no one can attempt to correct my bad behavior. 

All three of us were lounging on Sunday morning. Hubs and I were discussing politics, Baby K was running from room to room with nothing but a diaper and a smile on. The animals were hiding from her. Fun times. All of a sudden, this video popped up on my timeline. I immediately started to show my age by 1. knowing all the words, 2. naming all the people singing and 3. knowing who in the video was still alive. What can I say? This is a house full of delightfully corny people, led by yours truly. This song can be applied to SO many things going on in the world and the US right now. By the end of the song I was taking the words to heart (and seriously considering stealing Cyndi Lauper's hair color). Turning over a new leaf starts at home. With you and me. And 1980s icons. 

Happy Monday, y'all. Change is coming. 

Sexism In The City

The Tangerine Tyrant has struck again. At this point, I have to tell you, I'm not shocked at what comes out of his sick mouth. He is an asshole, and just like all assholes, he deals in shit. I expect absolute garbage to come out of his mouth. Every day. Yesterday he took to Twitter to pick a fight with Mika Brzezinski of the Morning Joe show. 

Now look, I don't really deal with the Morning Joe show. To me, they were WAY too chummy with the mango colored minstrel show during the election cycle, so I don't watch them. Supposedly the show has taken a turn now that Tangerine Tyrant is in the White House--clearly they said something that got under that clementine colored skin. Whatever was said on their show didn't warrant the response, but here we are. Again. 

Millions of people, myself included, ride 45's ass day in and day out-- because he is a political moron and has no business running our country. So why did he choose to talk shit about Mika? Because bullies know exactly who to go after. First, let's just get this out of the way: 45 does not have, nor as he ever had, respect for women. That's why he cheated on his first two wives; it is why he talks about his daughter in a sexualized manner (and allows others to do so); it is why he tells women what it would take for them to be a 10 in his eyes. He is a pig. He is emboldened by a Congress that also does not think highly of women-- that is the reason that pregnancy is a pre existing condition in the drafts of these health care bills and why men only panels are determining the care of American women. The Tangerine Tyrant picks on women because he knows that his base will back him up. And the women that voted for him? They all thought he was going to be their savior with a blond squirrel on his head, but he shows them EVERY day that he doesn't care about them, their daughters, their sisters, their mamas.

So, he knows that his base won't go against him--even the women. He knows that the useless Congress might pitch a fit the first day... and then they will go alone with whatever nonsense he puts in an Executive Order the next. They are spineless... yep Jason Chaffetz, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, we are looking at you. They won't do shit. Hell, 45 talked shit about Ted Cruz's wife TO TED'S FACE and that turd still kisses his ass. Jason said that he didn't know how he was going to tell his daughters that he supported a man like 45 after the Access Hollywood tape came out. How is that going, Jason. You comfortable supporting him now? How did that conversation go with your kids? Uh huh. They will ask him to stop (for optics) but they aren't going to do anything else. They certainly won't stand up to his demented ass. 

Mika hasn't been the only journalist that has something to say against the Clementine Colored Catastrophe... so WHY was she cherry picked for abuse? Jim Acosta has been giving his press secretary the business, nothing about his looks made it to a tweet. Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper and Don Lemon have all taken swipes-- nothing about their faces or bodies have made it to Twitter. Why is that? You know why.

I'm from the Midwest. We are salt of the Earth people here. I learned a while ago what is right and what is wrong. Folks are on social media trying to make what y'all's president did ok. That shit is not ok. What would you do if Mika was your daughter? Would you be ok with the leader of your country objectifying your kid while a whole nation watches? Of course not. You want to know the kicker? That fucker was dead wrong, but will not ever apologize. He is not sorry and he will work tirelessly to make YOU think that an apology is owed to HIM. 

The Way My Sympathy Is Set Up...

In all my (almost) 40 years I have spent a lot of quality time working on my emotional responses. I had to work on my responses in emotionally charged situations, not because I'm a sociopath, but because I am a fixer. If one of my friends is hurting, I am (generally) the person that puts a solution in motion. I mean, there has to be ONE person that doesn't cry, right? Bottom line: when there is a sad situation, I recognize the sad and try to work on making sure everyone and most things are taken care of. I'm not one to cry (much)... I just move into action. 

So, I am proud of my responses in most emotional situations. I am not as bad as Sheldon on Big Bang Theory, but I can recognize that some may be put off by my "can do" attitude when a hug and some comforting words would do just fine instead. I'm working on it-- especially now that I am a mom. Any time it is possible I am totally committed to being the empathetic person in the crowd. I try to put myself in other people's shoes when they have been served a bad blow. What would I need? How did I feel when I was in that situation? What would be better for me? If I were grading my emotional responses, I would be passing... like a low B. Yeah, B for sure. However, there are situations when I feel like putting in less effort.

I am sure that everyone has heard about the Otto Warmbier case. He was the young Ohioan who was convicted of a petty crime in North Korea, jailed and sent back to his parents in an almost vegetative state. He died three days ago. As an Ohioan, a parent and a human being I hated to read about his demise. It was sad. No one wants to read about a parent losing a child. No one wants to read about their fellow statesman coming to a brutal end for some nonsense. Nobody. And I don't want to say that my sympathy for the Warmbier family stops there. I don't WANT to say that...

Let me put it like this: when I read about (and saw the video of) Otto Warmbier getting in trouble for taking a poster off a hotel wall, my thoughts didn't jump to his family. You know who I thought about? Sandra Bland's mom. Tamir Rice's mom. Eric Garner's family. Philando Castile's family. John Crawford's relatives. Walter Scott's family. And see, this is why I gave myself a low B when it comes to emotional responses. Because, see, how my sympathy is set up... makes it hard for me to see things in a vacuum. I see all this social media outrage about the death of Otto Warmbier-- people completely incensed about him dying at the hand of this "rogue" dictator... when people of color die for trivial crimes every day, so much so that the outrage seems to only come from minority communities. And no one pays for it. No one is found responsible. No one pays the price for these lives taken... except for families that are forever altered; and communities that are deeply scarred; and a nation that become accustomed to seeing Black and Brown men and women die on the evening news. The American public, in general, can stomach our police killing Ray Ray in the street... and blaming Ray Ray's family for raising a thug. But let them see a college student- a white college student- receive that same kind of treatment in a different nation. 

Injustice to one SHOULD be felt as injustice to all, but every day we see evidence that shows that ain't the American way. 

Respect Is Earned

There is an old saying: "Respect isn't given, it is earned." Nothing quite illustrates this point like modern day politics in America. I have made no secret of the fact that I don't like the current president. I don't generally use his name when I write. I don't agree with his platform and I think he thinks that making America a bully will advance his agenda (it won't). Essentially, he is a jackass. I don't repeat that puppet. He was elected by a minority of folks who believe that America used to be great when everyone "knew their place" and being different wasn't tolerated. That is not the America that I want to raise my daughter in. It is, in fact, the type of America that I rebel against daily. 

On Tuesday comedienne Kathy Griffin posted a picture of herself holding a bloodied trump-like head. Now, listen, I don't really care for Kathy Griffin's style of humor... mostly because she seems obsessed with making out with my pretend boyfriend, Anderson Cooper... but there are tons of comedians that I don't like, so...eh. Now what she did on Tuesday was completely unacceptable. She said as much in her public apology. It was tacky. As much as I dislike MANY people, I don't picture them beheaded or physically harmed, nor do I want others to picture them that way. That being said... cry me a fucking river. It was tacky and ill conceived but now the Tangerine Tyrant has pulled the sympathy card tweeting that his children are having a hard time with this? Boy Bye.

As much as I talk about politics, I firmly believe that children should be off limits. Once children start throwing jabs (ex. Bristol Palin, Tangerine Dream's older sons) then they can and will be checked, but little kids? Off limits. So, I don't generally talk about the Tyrant's youngest kid. No one should-- to do so would be in bad taste. But... Tangerine Dream says that the imagery of a comedienne holding a mannequin head and fake blood has essentially traumatized his child. Hmm. Ok. I don't give two fucks... and let me tell you when I will start to care about it: not never. 

I will start to care about the Mocker-In-Chief, his feelings and the feelings of his spawn when the following happens: he realizes that he and his ilk did WORSE to President Obama for 9 years-- without apology; he shows that he has an ounce of empathy for minority groups; he goes one whole week without showing a map of the electoral college win; he goes three whole days without bashing Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or the United States of America; he stops tweeting; he ends his love affair with Putin; he reads/speaks at a level above the 8th grade; he stops making money off this presidency; he stops trying to make life unlivable for the poor and the elderly; he actually realizes and denounces the fact that the folks following him are out here killing Brown and Black folks without fear of repercussion; he brings himself to actually mutter the name of Richard Collins III or ANY other citizen that has been murdered by the ilk that follow him; he stops stealing my daughter's future and the future of all of our children; he stops LYING. 

Considering that as I type he is telling the American public that he is pulling us out of the Paris Accord, I seriously doubt that he is going to start caring about Main Street Americans. He cares about continuing to line his pockets and the pockets of his little friends. Do I care that Kathy Griffin hurt his feelings? Nah. His butt buddy Ted Nugent said that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should be killed and his ass got a White House invite, so clearly Tangerine Tyrant only has an issue when this type of attention is directed at him. Get over yourself. You sell Americans short every day. You pump up deplorables with the idea that you are going to get rid of all of us "others" so that they can live on top of the hog in a Leave It To Beaver fantasy world. You devalue my life and the lives of others who look like me. You are trying to assure that my daughter won't have the same opportunities that your children had... that you had. You gladly took part in attempting to destroy this country's first Black President. You are actively trying to destroy women in leadership (Hilary Clinton and Angela Merkel spring to mind)... and you want me to feel bad for you and your devil spawn. Yeah... I'm good. 

Country Over Party

Wow, wow, wowzers. The daily life of an American citizen these days, am I right? Our news cycle is in overdrive. The idea that democracy itself is under attack is actually a viable talking point. The country is being led by a stooge... and there are legitimate questions about just whose team the stooge plays for-- the United States or Russia. As a citizen watching the quite frequent misses of this administration, I have to say that it is ALL disturbing. The attack on our fundamental values. This dismissive attitude towards the elderly, the poor, minorities and women are alarming (to say the very least). The inability to admit the current administrations faults is mind numbing. For me, the worst sin is the adamant defense of EVERYTHING that Tangerine Dream does. It is irritating and insulting. 

I have no issue in stating (every day, all day) that I am no fan of Tangerine Dream. I have never been. I knew that there were problems with Hillary and wrote that. I have and will continue to dislike Bernie Sanders, but even I would take his fake ass over the Orange Occupant of the White House. Because I am a thinking person, I know that no matter WHO is in the White House they will not satisfy MY agenda 100% of the time. It is impossible. Example: I love Barack Obama. I voted for him twice; if possible I would have voted for him again. I love his family, his demeanor, his deliberate walk and speech patterns. However, Barack and I didn't see eye to eye on some things. Not just White House things... I lived in Illinois when he was a U.S. Senator. I know now and I knew then that sometimes he would have to do some things that I didn't like... for the greater good. That is the life of ANY politician. So the idea that everyone in the White House agrees with EVERY move that the Orange Oligarch says and does insults my intelligence. That shit is impossible. Seriously. 

As the weeks go on and the news keeps coming, I have but one hope for politicians that represent U.S. citizens: I hope (and pray, if that helps) that they choose Country over Party. Listen, I am not a bitter liberal, ok? I get that both the House and Senate are overrun with Republicans. I get that a small number of folks wanted Tangerine Dream in the White House. I get that we lost in November-- and I don't dispute it. I get that there are differences between the parties-- always have been, always will be. What I DON'T get is how those differences have led us HERE. We all want the same thing: we want to be able to live a free life, make money and take care of our families. It is true that there is more than one way to get to those goals, but is possible collusion with a foreign government one of those ways? Is being demeaning to our elderly, our poor one of those ways? Is giving a tax cut (or several) to the ultra rich one of those ways.... even though history has shown us that it doesn't work?? 

What we need right now is some level-headedness. Some common sense. The question is: where the hell are we going to get that? This administration certainly does not supply level-headedness. Hell no on the common sense also. I mean, Pence seems to be right in the mix of all this lawlessness. Paul Ryan just shucks, jives and agrees (even though Tangerine Dream has thrown his ass under the bus SEVERAL times). Orrin Hatch = hot mess. Jeff Sessions = hotter mess. All the appointees thus far have been absolutely ridiculous and unqualified (ok, maybe 2 were qualified). So where does that leave us? Hoping and wishing that these fools choose US over loyalty to a party that seems to be out to get us. Hoping that our Representatives represent our needs. Wishing that we had pushed for Congressional term limits?? Sweet Jesus, take the wheel. 

Common Sense Politics - Medical Insurance

I know, I know. You looked at the title of this entry and you immediately were like common sense and politics don't even go together... especially now-a-days, right? I disagree. While our current administration is full of clowns putting on a daily show, common sense and politics CAN go together.  Every issue has a common sense solution, something that may not be what everyone wants, but what will benefit the most people. With that in mind, let's talk health insurance.

Supposedly a big vote is going to take place on Thursday. Congress wants to try to pass that piss poor AHCA (aka American Health Care Act aka Trumpcare). Now listen, I have never made it any secret that I am not a Republican, right? That is not the reason I vehemently oppose this health care act. Simply put, I oppose the ACHA because it will hurt a lot of my fellow Americans. Almost every report that has reviewed the ACHA has said that the number of uninsured Americans will go up,  premiums will be unaffordable and insurance companies will be able to deny coverage. Before we get into this, I realize that if you are one of those people that bitch about how the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is the worst thing to ever happen to America since us commie liberals made y'all take down the Ten Commandments from your small town courthouses... uh, you might not get what I am about to type. It is ok. I'll make it plain enough for you to get it. Yep, even you. So, let's get into it.

For the record, I have insurance through Lefty's employer. We are not covered under the ACA, nor would we be covered under ACHA. I do not see the Affordable Care Act as the end all, be all. It certainly should NOT be the end of America searching for a cure to our outlandishly high health care costs. Not even close. There ARE problems with the ACA. I appreciate it for what it is-- a beginning point. With that said, it is absolutely my belief that the ACA is beneficial to more people-- right now. I searched Twitter to see WHY people are so opposed to ACA and the top three reasons are: 1. they didn't know that the ACA and "Obamacare" are the same thing; 2. they hate that the government is "making" them get insurance and 3. they are pissed because premiums have gone up for their family. Common sense can be used to address all three of these concerns. Some of y'all are not going to like my delivery, but that won't negate the validity of the answers (so suck it up, buttercup and get ready for this truth).

To address number 1: if you are/were enrolled in and served by the ACA but didn't know that it was also called "Obamacare" you need to get your life together. I mean, you are just stupid. If you went to rallies to scream about how "Obamacare" is terrible/ruining our country/needs to be repealed and replaced, not realizing that you are covered under THAT very program you should be made to go home and only be allowed to watch CSPAN until you are able to pull your head out of your ass. You should not be allowed to mingle with the public. You're dumb and the ACA is the least of your problems. Honestly.

Number 2: if you are a true conservative, seeking smaller government, I guess I could see that you would be miffed that the big bad government is making you get medical insurance. I guess. But even if I let that slide, there are so many instances where Americans are mandated to do something. Since I own a car, I have to have insurance, right? You know why? Because if I get in a wreck someone will have to pay for property damage and physical injury. Have to have it, and if I roll the dice and choose not to get car insurance, I will have to pay the price for that. Why are people expecting health insurance to be held to a different standard? Common sense would dictate that you should have health insurance, especially since you and your family could be bankrupted by a visit to the emergency room.

Number 3: Premiums have gone up. Yep. Especially if you are young and healthy. That is how this works. The young(er) and healthier generally pay more. And from what I have read about ACHA, your premiums are going to skyrocket if that act is passed. I know that some people are convinced that their premium went up ONLY because of the ACA. You poor souls. I know. But, your premium going up has more to do with the bottom line of your insurance company, rising health care costs and rising numbers of extremely sick Americans.

Here is the deal: everyone should have health insurance. A major illness could be catastrophic for a family without insurance. I saw the bills after I gave birth to my daughter last year. Without insurance my stay in the hospital would have been $50K+ and hers would have been $20K. Seventy thousand dollars for the birth of a child. Health care costs are out of control. What SHOULD happen is: Congress (all of whom have health insurance that the American public pays for) should build upon the ACA. They should make sure that everyone can be covered-- even if they have had pre-existing conditions, the insurance should be affordable and there should be a reward for medical professionals who work efficiently while caring for patients. Is this possible? Yep. Will it be easy? Nope. But we should not allow them to skate on this. After all, I am sure that the insurance we provide them with is A+.

Fed Up Friday - Political Apathy

I can't lie, since the election I have been very hit or miss on social media. Ok, that is not exactly true. I'm ON social media, but I don't always comment. I SEE what is going on, but I kind of just operate in silence. For example, I have seen some online acquaintances say some really stupid shit and I have quietly deleted them. Seriously, my friend list has decreased by a good 10% so far... and I am working on getting my number down even further. A few years ago, I would have unfriended people AFTER they felt my Hot, Black and Bitter wrath, but I have to confess: that is no longer my M.O. because, fuck it, I just don't care to have the needed conversation. 

As a stay at home (new) mom, I spend way too much time on social media- especially while my chubby bunny dozes 30 minutes at a time. For the last week, my timelines have been filled to the brim with coverage of politics, protests and analysis. In the last two days I have seen an uptick in the "why does everyone keep posting about politics?" posts. Uh... Listen, I get it, politics isn't everyone's game, but let me tell you something: APATHY IS WHAT GOT YOU (US) HERE.

Politics can be troubling, especially during times like these. Politics can be uncomfortable, especially during times like these. Politics WILL BE DIVISIVE-- and they should be. Do you know why folks don't discuss politics on a regular basis? Because politics show the INNER you. Not the fake you that you post about on Facebook. Not the "you" that you aspire to on Pinterest. Not that fake life you advertise on Instagram. The REAL you. Politics show what is important to you; what, ultimately, you say that you can deal with. What means can justify the end result. Who you are willing to sacrifice so that your lifestyle can continue. So two months ago, when Tangerine Dream won the electoral college, it showed where people were in life. And listen, you have to be ready to defend that. You have to ready to go toe to toe for what you believe. You don't get to vote for a mini hand, orange colored dictator and not be questioned. You don't get to put a (self admitted) serial pussy grabber in office and not have to answer for that. You don't get to vote for someone who has absolutely NO regard for the lives of minority Americans... or immigrants... or the working population... or, fuck it, the truth... Someone who seems hell bent on making enemies of every ally The United States of America has-- and then get mad when someone shines a light in your face. 

As long as you are MY acquaintance on social media, you are going to get these political memes. You will get these blog entries. If I am feeling particularly randy one day, you will see what I tweet about y'all's president. You gave us this "gift" so now you need to live in your truth and soak this shit up. If you DIDN'T vote, you are responsible. If you voted for a third party candidate, you gave us this child ruler. If you voted for Tangerine Dream, you can catch these memes for the next 4 years, every day, and your punk ass will like it. This is what y'all wanted, right? So, deal. Apathy can't live here anymore. You not giving a shit is what got us in this mess.

Election Reflections

Well now. Who would have thought that 2016 would be such a colossal shit show? We should have known that it would be awful when the Almighty came and took Prince, but nooooooo. We decided to press on and last week one more sign of the fucking apocalypse reared its ugly orange head. That's right. These United States of America elected the most unfit, uncouth, ridiculous bastard to be the leader of our country. And honestly, I just want to reach out and slap all the ass backward people who voted for this shit stain. That's right. This liberal is not over the fact that a moron and his cronies are going to be in charge come January. Not over it, ain't going to be over, don't want to be over it. 

One reason I can't get over it is because everyone is now coming out with one of three arguments: 1) not all White people voted for trump (he doesn't deserve capital letters, so he isn't getting any on this blog), 2) for those that did vote for him: "um, I'm not racist, but..." and 3) we all need to come together, love one another and forget what has been said/done for the good of country. 

All y'all muthaf**kas can kiss my ass. Since I have had to hear you "explain" since Wednesday, let me explain why those three sorry ass excuses are weak as hell. Let's go in order, shall we? 1) Yep, I am clear on the fact that not ALL White people voted for Tangerine Dream. I get that, BUT a vast majority of y'all fuckers did. Someone you know did. Someone you are related to did. Someone you talk to on a regular basis, who pretends to be your friend/sister/brother/ally DID vote for him. And you probably knew it was going to happen. And you probably didn't say anything. Listen, I don't deal in "ALL". I know ALL White folks didn't vote for him, just like I know ALL Black folks didn't vote for Hillary. I also know that whenever the subject of the election came up, people knew exactly where I stood, who I was voting for and why... and if they told me that they were voting for Tangerine Dream, I asked them WHY. I am not ashamed to say that I have distanced myself from many acquaintances and I will continue to do so as a direct result of this election. I've deleted some people from social media accounts as a precautionary measure. Not ashamed in the least. My sanity comes before y'all's fucked up feelings any day. 

2) "I did vote for Tangerine Dream, but I'm not racist..." Honestly, I stop listening after you say that you voted for him and my interest in talking to you ever again diminishes greatly. Listen, the majority of folks will show you exactly who they are, especially in times of trouble. Cap'n Cheeto showed us all who he was. He hit the stage running with that anti-Mexican rhetoric and some of y'all ate that shit up. He has routinely talked shit about women-- and that was BEFORE that Access Hollywood tape came out. He straight told y'all that he wants to ban Muslims and make the ones that remain register... like fucking chattel. Over and over again, he more than insinuated that Black folks have been relegated to the ghettos around the country, that we don't receive/take advantage of public education, we are lazy and we can't walk our streets without killing one another (Black folks only... so don't worry poor White people). His outreach to the LGBTQ community has been abysmal and his attack on the media damn near incited riots at his rallies. You saw all of that... and you voted for him anyway. You don't have shit to say to me. I don't want an explanation. You take responsibility for what's about to go down. Let it be known right now: if you voted for Cap'n Cheeto YOU decided that it was in your best interests and you didn't give a fuck what he said about the rest of us because you aren't in any of those groups. You may have a Black friend, sibling or spouse and you chose to fuck us all over. You knew that he was slinging racist/xenophobic/misogynistic thoughts and you voted for him anyway. Do you feel good about that? Of course you do, you inconsiderate bastard. So save the explanation-- your vote did all the necessary talking.

3) "We should all get along. Your candidate lost now let's all get behind Orange Faygo." You can totally miss me which all this bullshit. I know that it sounds good and everything, but that muthaf**ka directly threatens my family's livelihood, so this fall in line, step and fetch routine is not going to happen. One of my best friends is a married lesbian, I am not trying to "fall in line" while marriage equality is reversed. I'm a very pro-choice woman, I will not "fall in line" while Roe v. Wade is reversed. I am Black (and so is my daughter) there is no way I will stand still while Orange Faygo's henchmen try to bring back "stop and frisk" on the national stage. I am ME, there is NO WAY I am going to stand idly by and watch ANY group be maligned because some backwoods rednecks want to go back to 1900 when Blacks were still damn near slaves, women had no rights and White men were the ruling class. Hell no. 

I don't feel bad about my convictions. I will not rest until folks are treated equally. I will continue to be bitter (like I have been). I will not rest until my daughter knows that she should stand up for people, like her parents do. People will know that they have a place in my America. I will stand up as an ally for my LGBTQ friends, my Muslim friends, my Mexican friends, my Black friends, cops, women, liberals AND conservatives. I haven't changed and I will not change... even if we do have a small hand/dick/brain dictator at the helm.

The Political Race - An Endorsement

It has been a while-- and that has mostly been on purpose. Things around the HBB household have been in full swing. We are preparing for a baby, including getting a nursery ready, being generally uncomfortable all day long and enjoying (not) extra doctor's visits and tests (that is what happens when you are old... no fun). Most of my social media presence has been on Twitter and Facebook so I have seen what has been going on. And, honestly, most of it I have ignored. Vowing that the last few months of this rough ass pregnancy would be drama free. Ah, but it has all come to a head the day after Super Tuesday, or so it would seem. 

So much has happened in the last week-- and we haven't even gotten to the Ohio primary. It seems like American politics are a dumpster, filled with highly flammable shit, next to a warehouse full of matches, with no extinguisher in sight. People who can't decide what cereal to buy at the grocery store now have social media Ph.Ds on the best route for the American people to take and who can get us there. That crazy uncle that your family routinely hides away at holiday dinners is now front and center, giving you the full extent of his racially/culturally insensitive rhetoric, making you question the gene pool you are a part of. And let's not forget the cute little millennials who are hell bent on telling you how to vote, although you have most definitely been of voting age longer than they have been alive. Dumpster fire, y'all. 

Since I am a voter-- a serious voter, like I do not miss anything; if the polls are open, I vote-- I find all the hoopla surrounding this next election super annoying. Like most gyms the first week of January. People come out of the woodwork, they don't know how the gym works and most of them use the machines wrong and get hurt before they see results. I mean, I get it... for several reasons people are super pissed off and want to see some change in how our government is ran. I understand. But how much of these extreme measures are actually helping them get their points across? How many memes FULL of misinformation will float around and actually change someone's mind? How much physical abuse is going to happen before we say enough? How many shitty debates and false promises do we have to sit through? 

Make no mistake, I absolutely speak my mind. I have a favorite. I know who I am voting for on the 15th in the Ohio primary. But I am not actively trying to change people's minds regarding who THEY are voting for. I have republican friends. Lovely, wonderful, misguided republican friends (I kid, kinda). I have friends who love Bernie Sanders. Lovely, wonderful, misguided Bernie fans (I... am not kidding). I don't lose sleep over who my friends are going to vote for. They have their reasons, I am sure. If they become fanatic about posting misinformation, I just delete them from my feeds-- self preservation is what I call that. So all you social media Ph.Ds, crazy uncles and sweet faced millennials should know... it doesn't matter how long we have know each other, or if we are related or if you are really, really cute... I will delete your ass with the quickness if you bombard me with "my candidate is the best, yours is a liar, America is so bad, only so-and-so can make it great again" nonsense. Just like before. Pregnancy has not lessened my ability to press delete rather quickly. (Yay!!) 

For whatever it is worth, my pick? Hillary Rodham Clinton. Lefty and I were talking about her about a year ago and I told him the one reason I didn't think she was going to get elected: people don't LIKE her. She has never been painted as a likable person. Ever. She has always been seen as a woman who constantly oversteps her boundaries, pushes for more than she should, demands so much from people and thinks she is the smartest person in the room. Essentially, I told Lefty that she sounds like me. I like her-- as much as a layperson can like a politician. She has more experience than anyone in the field and she pushes for improvements (things that can ACTUALLY happen) without blowing smoke up my ass. She is sassy and I don't care if you like her or not, Hillary is BRILLIANT. She knows how to work the system-- and we need someone like that. She is JUST enough of a smart ass-- she is not a self entitled billionaire or a crotchety old man. She speaks to the needs that I want addressed and that is why I am voting for her. 

All that said-- there is a debate for the democrats tonight... sweet baby Jesus, I pray that I don't have to hear anything about the size of someone's genitalia, like I did during the last republican debate. 

Could I Be A Republican??

Nope, you didn't read the title wrong. Well, not exactly. I guess I should explain. Whoa-- that is never good... explaining at the beginning? Eek. Ah, well, I mean, how bad could it be? :)

So, a couple days ago, Papa Hot, Black and Bitter were having a hushed telephone call. Hushed because Lefty works second shift and Papa HBB has this thing about calling me in the morning. I think that he just misses me most out of all the kids, so YAY!! Anyway, we were having a hushed conversation about politics. The more I think about our conversation, the more I think that if someone met me, they would assume that I would lean towards the right.

The largest portion of our conversation was about the responsibilities of members of society. What we are supposed to do for our households, our community, and our friends. Clearly not a shocker that my dad and I came up with the same idea on what someone's responsibilities are-- I mean, he taught me responsibility, so of course we would both think that, as members of a civilized society, it is our responsibility to be productive AND to help others. There we were, two *slightly* reformed heathens, talking about how we should help others prosper, because the Bible tells us so. We were a Sunday School song. In real life.

Seriously, we talked about "Christians" that we know that refuse to help people looking for job-- even if they know of job openings. Those who are content to let others suffer, living from paycheck to paycheck, when they KNOW how people can earn extra money. "Christians" who refuse to do community service if it is offered in a building that belongs to another denomination. You know the type, right? "Christians" that will talk about you on Sunday after sitting next to you at the club on Saturday. Super, super petty Sister so-and-so who comes to church with alcohol on her breath, daring you or anyone else to sit in 'her' seat. Super thirsty Brother so-and-so who will tell you what to do in your house, when his house is built on top of a sink hole. And this week-- Brother and Sister so-and-so who are praying so hard for Bobbi Kristina Brown to recover from her medically induced coma, but won't spare a dime, dollar or a good word for their neighbor. Yep, I said that.

Why did this conversation make me think I could be a Republican? Because everything that I have read lately from the Republican party says that they are the party of societal responsibility, Christian values, high moral code, God loving, Jesus fearing... Bible following... See, that sounds good... on paper.

BUT are you working towards the betterment of your fellow man? Are you just talking a good game on social media or are you backing all that talk up? Are you helping people find employment or are you one of those people who say "I have a job, you should go and get one too"? Are you doing community service-- in YOUR community or are you going to a different state or country to help people you don't know? Are you following up with the widows in your life? How about orphans? Do you volunteer for The Boys and Girls Club? Big Brothers Big Sisters? Local recreation centers? Or do you just complain about these crazy kids, walking through your yard in the summertime? Do you take people under your wing? Do you make it EASY for folks to be successful? Or do you only look good on paper?

Moral of the Story-- in theory I could make a great Republican-- on paper-- EXCEPT, I don't just talk a good game on social media, I make it happen. I know I didn't make it here by myself-- and I refuse to be a stumbling block for someone else who is trying to make it. Someone encouraged my crazy thoughts & dreams. Someone told me I could make it to college, get a job, do whatever I wanted. Someone helped me when I got laid off; when I moved to another state; when I bought a house and when I lost it. So I encourage people to do what they are passionate about. I don't look down on folks who make less money than I do. If I can do something that will help my neighbor bring in a honest check, instead of contemplating stealing my shit, I am going to help them. I help with resumes, cover letters, referrals. Because I know a good job is not going to fall in your lap. I know that sometimes things are just out of your control. I know that sometimes you just need a little help, for a little while. So, I am not a Republican, or a Democrat. I am one of those scary, slightly idealistic Independents... that does what she wants, helps the less fortunate and VOTES in every election. Be afraid, be very afraid.

BHM2014 - Grace Towns Hamilton

Grace Towns Hamilton was the first African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly.  She was a lifelong advocate of rights for the disadvantaged, and was instrumental in key district reapportionment efforts and black voter registration that helped bring minority representation into Georgia politics.

Hamilton was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 10, 1907 to Harriet McNair and George Alexander Towns. Her father was a professor of English and pedagogy at Atlanta University. Hamilton was educated from grade school to college on the Atlanta University campus, from which she received an undergraduate degree in 1927. Hamilton left Atlanta to attend THE Ohio State University where she received a master’s degree in psychology in 1929.

Hamilton returned to Atlanta in 1929 to take a position as an assistant professor at Clark College (now Clark-Atlanta University) where she taught psychology. While there she met her future husband Henry Cooke "Cookie" Hamilton who was a fellow faculty member. The couple married in 1930 and had one daughter born in 1931.

In 1931, Grace and Henry Hamilton moved to Memphis, Tennessee where they taught at Le Moyne College. In 1941 they moved back to Atlanta when Henry was selected to head Atlanta University’s high school program. Instead of returning to teaching, Grace Hamilton was appointed executive director of the Atlanta Urban League (AUL) in 1943, becoming one of the first women to hold such a post in the National Urban League. Hamilton focused on working within the confines of segregation to improve schooling, housing, health care and voting rights for African Americans. However, her seeming acceptance of racial segregation led to her resignation in 1960. 

In 1965, Hamilton and seven African American men were elected to the Georgia Legislature, representing newly reapportioned districts with significant numbers of African Americans voters in Fulton County. The special election came as a result of a 1962 U.S. Supreme Court decision that increased the power of urban areas and created the dramatic growth of black registered voters in the city. Hamilton was one of the leaders in that voter registration campaign.

Hamilton represented her inner city Atlanta district from 1965 to 1985. While in the legislature she worked continuously to expand political representation for African Americans across the state. She was the principal architect of the 1973 Atlanta City Charter, which for the first time allowed blacks to be elected to the city council from districts. She also led a congressional reapportionment battle that placed most Atlanta blacks in the Fifth Congressional district. Andrew Young, who in 1972 became the first black Congressman from the new district, credited Towns with making his election possible.

Hamilton lost her seat in 1985 however when she sided with white leaders and refused the demands of black leaders in the early 1980s to insure that the Fifth Congressional District become gerrymandered into a black majority district. After her defeat Hamilton never held elected office again, but did serve as an advisor to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission (1985-1987).

Grace Towns Hamilton died in Atlanta on June 17, 1992 at the age of 85.

Scandalous, Party of 1

Oh dear Lord… it is Thursday. And 10 minutes to 10. You know what that means, right? It means that Scandal is about to start and every timeline that I have is lit up with opinions about the tv show Scandal.

Some of y'all are all about the virtual disapproving head shake, making it a necessity to comment about "how you don't understand what all the fuss is about." Making sure we all know that you would never stoop so low as to watch Olivia Pope have an affair with the pretend President of the United States.  Some of you just can't wait to shame the watchers of the show by either complaining about the interracial relationship, the constant twists and turns of the plot, the "disgusting" display of politics, the gay relationships, the philandering…

You know what? It is a tv show. You all need to relax. So what if I totally have a girl crush on Kerry Washington and her AMAZING wardrobe? So what if I can not WAIT for Thursday nights? So what if I like the fact that the President is cheating on his (horrible) wife with a constant problem solver? Who cares that I am secretly having a love affair with Columbus Short, in his 'gladiator in a suit' line? (PS- he is SO fine!) It is an hour out of the week where I can get lost in a very good television show. I can see inside even fake politics and see the lengths that people will go for money and power. And I happen to LOVE it. Bitch, don't kill my vibe.

Scandalous behavior to commence in 3, 2, 1…

Our Relationship with Black Politicians

As I was perusing Facebook today, I came across a post about my city. Our Mayor, Michael Coleman, announced yesterday that Columbus is being honored as one of the most intelligent cities in the world and that there will be a free public celebration with community leaders... Ok, I was excited. How great that the city that I live in is being honored like that, right? Right?

 Clearly, I need to drink more haterade, so that I can be on the same level as other Facebookers. I mean, you should SEE some of the comments that were left on this announcement. It was so bad that I felt the need to comment on these people (obviously). There were the run of the mill "Congrats" which I guess I expected. Then there were the "April Fools" comments since it was posted on April 1. As I scrolled down, though, my heart began to sink and my anger began to rise. Who is shocked by that? No one? Ok, moving on.

I will quote the comments...

"it sure is april fools...if we were that intelligent we wouldn't keep electing this demonrat moron."

To be expected also... I think. I have never really grasped the reasoning behind liking a page on Facebook of someone you dislike, only to leave hate filled messages when they post something. Who has time for that? And really, why would you want to do that? Next one:

"Intelligent only because we have OSU, CCAD, CSCC, Franklin, ITT, DeVry in close proximity. However, they get educated and LEAVE because there's nothing here. Especially for the film, music, art community."

Also, to be expected... though this comment is incorrect. There are tons of arts and music to be had and made in Columbus. There are TONS of people who come here for school who fall in love with the city and never leave (Lefty, for example). And, I have to say, unlike Cleveland and Cincinnati and other bigger cities in Ohio, Columbus is booming with business, jobs, education and family friendly venues. I feel like I always have to defend where I grew up to people who have never been here, but if you live in Columbus and think it has nothing to offer my one question would be: Why don't you move? Be a part of the educated masses that "LEAVE because there's nothing here." Wouldn't we all be better off? I mean, you wouldn't have to take time out of your oh so busy day to leave ridiculous comments on the Mayor's Facebook page. Comments that 1 - probably won't hurt his feelings and 2 - he is NOT likely to read, since he is, you know, busy running the city.

Here is a funny one:

"Oh dear, I clearly haven't been factored into the intelligence measure." I chuckled when I read that!

And here is the kicker:

"The poor condition of Black African Americans in Columbus has a direct correlation to your leadership. There are still artificial barriers intentionally designed that deny Blacks access to city, county and state programs that dole our our tax dollars. City Council just gave $500,000 to TechColumbus, but did anyone ask to see their track record of funding Black African Americans? Black Entrepreneurs must leave Columbus and Ohio to achieve any success due to racist policies that Black Faces in High Places help to maintain. That's a dam shame!"

Ok, how do I say this without offending people? Oh, I don't- here goes: Seriously, what? Michael Coleman is NOT in charge of all Black people in Columbus, simply because he is Black. This guy wants to see the track record of funding for Black people--  I want to see the number of Black people who actually applied for funding and what they wanted funding for. Racist policies? Clearly this man has never lived in Chicago, where nepotism rules the roost; or some places in the South, where racist is overt and dangerous.

I have said this before and I will say it again- Black politicians cannot be looked at like they will/can "save" the Black race. That is ridiculous. Our community has problems, like any other. Those problems were not brought on by one person, so one person cannot solve them. Black or not. President, Mayor, City Counsel member, whomever. Some barriers that block Black people are self built. Having Black people in every part of government/leadership is not going to fix all that ails the Black community. At some point the Black community, or any other community that is having trouble, will have to realize that certain problems need a hands on approach. We cannot continue the attempts to pass the buck to Black politicians to fix "us." And, more importantly, if we have problems, why on Earth would we allow someone else to fix them? Problem solving for an individual starts on a personal level, right? If there is a mess and you want it cleaned up, you pick up a broom and some rags and get to cleaning, right? So, why then are we comfortable handing over the reins to one person to fix a problem that, ultimately, starts at home?

If there is no funding, where are the protests? If there is a history of unfair treatment, where are the marches? If there is an overabundance of violence in our community, where are the calls to the police? The cries for justice? The fight against the hoodlums? The fight against stereotypes? The fight for innocence? The passion for the betterment of our community? Where is it? Are you producing that fight, or waiting for a Black politician to give you the podium? What are you waiting for?


 

I Don't Know You, So Hands Off My Uterus!!

The political debates have been all aflutter with talk of women's reproductive rights. The only thing is, I have seen almost no women involved in the debates. If you have been watching the news, you have undoubtedly seen what I am writing about. The demise of the fan base of the Susan G. Komen foundation for withdrawing funding from Planned Parenthood; the attempt by some Congressmen and women to de-fund Planned Parenthood all together; the asinine comments from Rick Santorum regarding his dislike for pre-natal screenings. The list goes on. Here is my take:

If you do not actually have a uterus, you don't get to tell me what to do with mine. Period. I don't care who you are; if your anatomy is different from mine, please shut the hell up. If you have never had cramps, sensitive boobs, a menstrual cycle or watched the Miracle of Life and wished you were a guy for the entire film, just so you would NEVER have to go through childbirth- you don't get a say in what I do with my uterus; what testing I get done pre or post natal; whether or not I populate the entire north side of Chicago. Nope, so shut your damn mouth. Chances are that you will NOT be the reason that I get knocked up, so what is it to you what I do with my body? Just because you are rich, male and (slightly) educated does not mean that little ol' me, not rich (momentarily), female and more than slightly educated has to follow your plan for women everywhere. That is so not going to happen.

For the women that have so much to say about us heathens non conservatives... yo, bitter Betty: keep your eyes on your own panties. I don't tell you what you should do about what goes on in your pants, so how about we just keep this relationship reciprocal? Do I say anything to you when you declare that you and your (obviously gay) husband want to bump uglies in the missionary position with all the lights off, while each of you are thinking about someone else? Nope. Do I rub it in your face when you preach to the whole world that abstinence is the only thing that we should teach our children as one of your children gets knocked up? Well, yes.. because that is too good to pass up. But hey, if you want to have a child and a grandchild the same age and you are able to financially take care of both, then I say, have at it. But what I need you to do is worry about the people under your own roof. Worry about those genitals... and stop your fascination with mine.

What I do (or don't do, for that matter) is absolutely none of your business. I have made it 34 years without needing your input on my life, in general; I have no children, but even if I did-- I get to choose IF I have kids and how many. Not you, not your religion, not your pastor/reverend/minister/pope, and not our President. And for the love of God, definitely not the lackeys in Congress. Those people cannot pass legislation for their own states to keep their constituents in their homes, with jobs with food on the table for the family members they already have. They can't seem to get anything done except argue over whether or not the President is a citizen and who is at fault for the economic disaster that is our economy. I would argue that Congress and politicians in general have so many other things to worry about besides whether or not I get genetic testing done to see if my child is developing properly, a sonogram to hear my child's heartbeat for the first time or exactly who will pay for that. They should not be concerned with whether or not I get birth control from planned parenthood, or go there for a pap smear because I don't have insurance. Since most (fiscal) conservatives believe that social programs should be done away with, why would they care if someone aborted a baby they couldn't afford? Conservatives don't want to pay for that child. Let them tell it, they want to do away with welfare programs all together, so who is going to pay for these children that EVERYONE should have because the pro-lifers say so? If there was no WIC, how would those babies eat? If abortion wasn't legal, where would all these babies go? Surely not into the already crowded foster care system. With celebrities routinely running to other other countries to adopt babies when hundreds of thousands of poor American children wait to be adopted every year, sure no one is going to say "carry that child and then place it up for adoption." Not in good conscience. Not for EVERY unplanned pregnancy in America. I mean really, this is the real world, not your homogeneous utopia.

How about this: Congress, you stick to doing nothing. You guys do it well and you are getting paid handsomely to do so. Keep your mouth closed about shit that does not affect you, namely, what a grown woman does with her body. The country has enough problems to keep you occupied, I promise. Concentrate on getting re-elected... for some of you, that will be a hassle, trust me. Presidential hopefuls: I mean, I guess that I understand that you have to appeal to your voting base, but how many of the people voting for you don't have mothers, sisters, wives, daughters who will be negatively affected by what you are proposing? What would you do if people actually listened to the dangerous propositions that you are advocating? What will you do then? You have Rick Santorum saying that he doesn't believe in pre-natal care (he later when to change it to "genetic testing" in pre-natal care... his advisers just let him say whatever), he also said that he doesn't believe in abortion at all... in any case. He actually said in the case of rape, there should be no abortion option and that women should "make the best out of a bad situation."Yeah, that jackass will never speak for me. His extreme views alone, are enough to put women's rights back to the dark ages. How about he keep his hands off my uterus? I don't know you. You don't know my struggle... keep your hands off my reproductive organs. We have done well thus far.

Debunking Some Myths - Q&A with Hot, Black and Bitter

So, I wanted to wait until some of the holiday craziness wore off before I posted another blog entry or answer some of the questions that I received from readers-- and here is the first entry! Welcome to the last week of 2011!! It seems like the year just flew by! It could be my crazy work schedule or the (lack of) vacation time- whatever, it seems like it was just June! As we headed into mid-December, I posted on Facebook and Twitter that I was taking questions from readers and I got a TON! Thank you SO much for sending in your questions. I have emailed some answers and this entry will answer the vast majority of the questions (there were several duplicates). I have decided to do a "here are some things about me" type entry. Here we go!

1. Several of you want to know why I am bitter. If you read my bio on the right side of the blog, you see that the name of this came from a corny joke that my dad told. But, one definition of bitter is "hard to take." Those that know me know that sometimes I can be just that. If you regularly read this blog, you know that some of the stances I take are very personal, very one sided and very black and white. I don't always leave much room for empathy or other people's opinions, so essentially, I am the poster child for "hard to take." I'm ok with that... and anyone who strongly, disrespectfully disagrees is easily disregarded. See, bitter! ;)

2. Why am I single? Wow-- I get this question more than I like sometimes. Um, the short answer is that I am single because I have a low tolerance for bullshit (please see #1). I have a goal in mind and if I don't think a certain guy is a vehicle towards where I want to be, I lose interest-- quickly. Just because I am not interested romantically doesn't mean that we can't be friends (I am friends with most exes-- i.e not the crazy ones)... it just means that guy is not for me and I am not the girl for him.

3. What do I have against traditional male/female roles? Absolutely nothing. Listen, just because I believe that women are capable of doing everything that a man can do (except impregnating women) does NOT mean that I don't appreciate traditional roles in relationships. What it does mean is that I know that I can take care of myself until I get a partner-- and that is ok. Plus, I have to say, most men AND women cannot handle traditional roles. There is a lot of give and take and some people are unable to bend to fit into their role. Some men are not responsible enough to take care of himself and a companion in a traditional way. Some women are unable to concede in a power play, or wrap their mind around the fact that they can't be in charge of everything. That's truth-- uncomfortable for some, but truth nonetheless.

3. Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? Pro-Choice. There is no short answer for this question so, a follow up entry with be forthcoming.

4. You're supposed to be a Christian, so why the foul language? This question actually made me smile. I will refrain from actually using some colorful words in my response, I will instead say that instead of worrying about the words that you read on the screen, worry about your life, faith and deeds. That is a way better starting place. Look at how democratically I handled that... when I really wanted to tell you to keep your ultra-sanctified eyes off my blog, shithead. I'm getting better.

5. Why are you harder on Black people in your entries? Looking at all my posts on Facebook, Twitter and this blog, I don't know that I am harder on Black people than any other group. I am an equal opportunist when it comes to bashing idiotic or bad behavior, no matter who is actually participating. However-- I will say, I EXPECT more from Black people. Mostly because I am a member of that group; I know my capabilities, strengths, knowledge AND the history of Black people. How can I look at all that we have done, what our group has been through, how many people have died and sacrificed and NOT expect more? I think that every person expects more from whatever group(s) they belong to, and I am no different.

6. Do you think you are better than other people? Hmmm. Some cases, YEP. Some cases, no. Depends on who we are talking about. I think that some people have come to the conclusion that I am an elitist. I do not confirm or deny that allegation.

7. Why don't you date Black men? Who said I didn't? Again, this deserves a longer entry... and it is coming.

8. Do you think that Black women get a bad rap in the media? Short answer- not always. I think that stereotypes are around for a reason. Someone fits that type. So, some Black women fit the shitty stereotypes we see on tv/news/media in general. Some White women do. Some Asians... ok, maybe not Asians (kidding). My job is make sure that everyone understands the most important word in this paragraph is SOME. All Black women don't fit in the same box. There is no type of anything that is uniform in all ways, ever. With that said, some shit that goes down in American society needs to stop across the board, no matter what group it pertains to.

9. Do you even like Chicago? Um, yeah- I live here!! Listen, Chicago, like every city, has its downfalls. Some days are better than others. Some seasons are less violent, some people are more trustworthy, some attractions put a smile on my face and some... don't-- ever. It is what it is. If I didn't like it here, I would leave. Trust me, I have had many opportunities, lots of family & friends telling me to move back to the Heart of It All (that is Ohio for all of y'all who don't know). I love this city and some of its inhabitants. I just point out foolishness. And if I was Hot, Black and Bitter based in any other city, I would do the exact same thing.

10. Stance on bullying? Is there anyone that stands for bullying? If so, that person deserves a punch to the genitals. Yes, please catch that irony. Clearly, I do not advocate for bullying people, no matter who it is. I will stand up for someone to THINK what they want. When your ACTIONS begin to infringe upon my life and wellbeing, however, then we have problems. Bullying should be nipped in the bud.

11. How can you give your opinion about children's behavior when you don't have kids? Uhhh-- because when your bad ass kids leave the house and act a damn fool, I (society) has to clean up the mess. Listen, I am not saying beat your kids into submission BUT I am saying that the job of parents is to raise productive members of society and some of y'all are seriously SLACKING. Get off your asses and stop letting kids run shit. How can you complain about me noticing your lack of parenting skills? Be less concerned about what I say about your bad ass kids and be more concerned with whether or not my assessments are true. Get on your job.

12. Do you have kids? I get this question more than the "why are you single" question. As noted above, I do not have children. That is often followed by... why? Um, to each his own, right... but I don't have kids because I don't have a husband. Kids are expensive for one, they talk back, you have to send their asses to school (damn) and I was raised in a two parent home, and I think that all kids deserve that. Short answer: I am not the girl that wants to be a single parent, so if that means that kids aren't in the cards, I am good with that. Oooh, or MAYBE I can be a hot, Black and bitter stepmom? I could make that look good! :)

13. What do you have planned for 2012? Same goal-- inching closer to world domination! ;) Y'all should be scared!

Please feel free to send any other questions to hotblackandbitter@gmail.com. If I get a ton more, I will definitely do another entry like this one.

Fed Up Friday - Herman Cain

If you don't have a job... blame yourself?



Oooo- NO SIR. Herman Cain is a douchebag and should keep his mouth closed. If you made it through the last four years without being touched by the downturn in the economy-- good for you, HOWEVER, to say that people who don't have jobs have failed themselves and should be angry with only themselves is assinine. If that WERE a true statement, Cain would have no reason to consistently complain about how the President has failed us all because there has been no job growth. So, um, shut the fuck up, weirdo.

And when he was on the View, he said that businesses cut personnel out of necessity, and his 9-9-9 plan was going help that... so is it REALLY someone's choice to be unemployed?



And gay is a choice? Really? I want to punch him in the dick... and NOT simply because he is a Republican. He is so closed minded about social issues, when that is NOT what we need right now. Do we need to reign in our spending? YES. Do we need to revert back to the middle ages socially? Absolutely NOT. Don't Ask, Don't Tell should NEVER make a comeback. Healthcare bankrupting families should NEVER happen in the wealthiest country in the world. High unemployment should not be blamed on the people that are suffering, but on the corporations that are enabling that suffering by NOT hiring. Should I really have to type that in order for some knuckleheads to get it?

Four years ago, everyone... including stupid Sarah, harped on the President because he had limited experience, but Herman has NO experience and says so.



So, I am so confused as to why this ridiculous man is one of the frontrunners for the Republicans. Are the Republicans doing what they did the last election go round? Remember when Hilary was running for the Presidency? Then the Republicans introduced Stupid Sarah? That didn't go over well, right? Have they realized that there is a Black man in the White House and are countering with a Black man? Hmmmm. The real question is: will the American public allow them to do that and be successful?

Fed Up Friday - End of April Issue

Hello readers!!

It has been a rough week, so I'm fed up about numerous things. Ready? here we go:

Donald Dick- oops, I mean Donald Trump... he IS a dick. Like a walking penis with a bad toupee. I used to put up with him, his show, and that thing on his head, but after this week all I want to do is slap some Jesus INTO him. Ok, is he kidding? I keep thinking that the American public is getting punked. Are there really people out there that believes what he believes? I mean, I will be the first to say- I think some of y'all out there are more than stupid. Some of the people I see on a regular basis can't walk and chew gum at the same time... I always count on a moron being in my presence. ALWAYS. But really? There are actually people who believe that Barack is not an American citizen-- STILL? Granted, there are some things that are completely ass backward in Illinois, but raise your hand if you think that all the citizens of Illinois would vote an illegal alien into the Senate. I mean, we DID have Roland Burris, but he isn't illegal... just an alien.
Back to the dick... such a waste of time. I have no respect for him, those that support him, or the nonsense that he is perpetuating. Donald Dick, you want a cause? Want something to be mad about? Gas prices have almost hit $5 in Chicago, taxes are out of control and we are involved in a two front war... that should hold his dumb ass over for a while.

Do-gooders: ok- I am not fed up with ALL do gooders. Just a select few. A catastrophe happened in Haiti, celebrities everywhere, people giving money, American Red Cross going to help, pictures of Haitians babies all over every newscast for a month. Catastrophe in Japan, same thing. Fundraisers here in Chicago- everyone wants to help. Out pouring of cash and help was AMAZING. Now picture this: oil spill in the gulf that affects several states, wildlife, economies are further broken, people are suffering. And this: tornadoes rip through sleepy southern towns, people die, economies further busted, babies are orphaned, families are torn apart by death... no celebrities, no fundraisers, no... nothing.
WTF?!?!!? That shit happened.... HERE. Where the fuck is your American pride? I swear if someone else asks me to help some children that do not reside in this country, I am liable to slap them. Dude, has everyone forgotten that America is in the middle of some shit? People don't have jobs; our economy is shitty and now states are experiencing death and destruction at the hands of Mother Nature?!?!?! Someone PLEASE have a fundraiser for the people in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and anywhere else affected by the storms. Please renew my faith in American citizens because some of y'all are SO worried about other countries that you are not seeing the needy in your backyard. Shame on you for that.

Royal Wedding: I can't front- I like the idea of it. Horse drawn carriages, a Prince and a Princess. Big party and everyone looking at me, er, I mean, her! But damn, some of you with these blow by blow tweets and Facebook updates. I was like that little kid on the Shining this morning (redrum, redrum, redrum). Seriously, it is cool that you watched, hell, I saw some pics of David Beckham that made me mad that I wasn't up at 4:00 CST to see him roll up to the church, but wow- I wasn't THAT into it and everyone that was, I gave you the side eye this morning- and just now.

Ohio State football, Jim Tressel and all that: look,y'all WILL stop hating on my coach, my team, my hometown. And I'm not playing. Tressel is a good coach- and before you say something stupid, it is not because he beats michigan every year, because they are so sorry that anyone could do that. Those kids believe what he is selling them. The graduation rate has gone up. When interviewed about the trouble that they have gotten into, more than one athlete has said that they are sorry they disappointed their coach. Haters everywhere are so quick to say that he should be fired. Then guess who else should be fired? Everyone- because regardless of whether or not they have been caught (YET), every coach is guilty of doing some dirt. EVERY one. Pretty little cheerleaders are assigned to athletes, money exchanges hands, special consideration is given in classes. That happens everywhere. Let's not be naive. So how about this... Get a life. Jim Tressel is going to pay his fine, serve his suspension and win some more. If Ohio State was smart, they would have him winning for them. Everyone else needs to shut the hell up (yeah, I am totally looking at you Kirk Herbstreit). If you don't sign Tressel's checks, now is the time for you know your role and pump your brakes. Shut up and let my man work.

Honorable mentions go out to: the assholes standing on the corner during the rainstorm this week- weirdos; the lady with the chinese food on a hot ass train car; my co-worker- even after I totally read you the riot act; people who act like they are your friend- but aren't; and people who act like they don't care in front of others and then try to be all up on you when no one is around... I see you! ;)