Hooked on Phonics

Which part of me likes this more: the librarian or the mom? I don't know, but it's hella cute.

Scarlett translates Boynton into Martian from whitneymoss on Vimeo.

Daily Chocolate: Goodwill Toward Men and Shopping, Too!

I live in the East Bay, where it seems basically fashionable to not want anything material (wear it 'til its worn out, baby), but being born and raised on the East Coast, and having spent most of my teenage years and early 20's in a mall, let's just say old habits die hard. Plus, I like nice things, and I'm not ashamed to say it, though I'm a super bargain hunter as well, which often results in shopping choices and clothing combinations I probably shouldn't have made.

On my wish list for whenever I save up or happen to have enough money to spend like this (ha, ha - I'm a librarian! -- living in California! -- on maternity leave! -- unpaid! ha, ha) is a trip to a new store in San Francisco (where people aren't shy about spending money) called Philanthropist. The clothes aren't cheap (sigh), but 100% of profits go to poverty fighting charities. (How are they going to stay open?) I read about it in the January 2009 issue of InStyle magazine. Here's a little article in Daily Candy about it. By the way, don't you just love the name "Daily Candy"? The only way I could love it more is if it was Daily Cookie, or Daily Chocolate. Oh, hold up. I might have to use that one.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Sounding Lyrics (or Out of the [Clear Channel] Loop)

My sister, who lives in the Southeast, said during one of our recent phone conversations: "I hate the music out here. Listen to this, I can't even tell what he's saying." She held the phone up to the radio and I heard the artist saying something that sounded to me like: "Why y'all eat that hair ball? Why y'all eat that hair ball?" I can't say that the popular music out here sounds any better -- because I make a point not to listen to it. I got tired of the "drop the panties" music a few years ago. I hear about most of the music I've got on my IPod from tv, other people, random matches on Pandora and ITunes, and blogs. So, to return the favor to all those people who clued me in to music that I wouldn't have heard on the radio -- here are a couple of people that I just happened to find out about that I think are pretty slammin'.


Jazmine Sullivan, "Fear" from the album, Fearless - I heard about her because she was opening here for Maxwell when he was on tour in the area -- a concert that I missed because I had just had my baby. I think I must have looked her up on ITunes (which is what you should do) and heard the song "Fear." The lyrics are simple, but "...it's true, so don't pretend it ain't you too. We're all afraid of somethin' here, 'cause you ain't human without fear."

Anthony David, "Something About You" and "On and On" Yes, the first is a remake of the Level 42 classic - this version is acoustic, but the one I downloaded had the mellowfunky beat that made me love the original, with his scratchy soulful voice singing along. "On and On" is a sweet, sweet love song that would make any girl melt.


Adele, "Melt My Heart to Stone." I really like her song "Chasing Pavements", which has gotten more attention than "Melt My Heart to Stone", but I love the contradiction in the lyrics of this song and the raw emotion in what seems to be a song about unrequited love. "And I hear your words that I made up, you say my name like there could be an us..."

I'm also feeling Ledisi, Goapele and Common (who isn't unknown, just sadly under appreciated, in my opinion. I still love him, even though my eight months pregnant butt had to leave his concert in Berkeley before he came on because the people who were there to see N.E.R.D. (who I also like, don't get me wrong) were smoking so much weed that I was afraid that my baby would come out addled, brain damaged, or addicted.)

And if anyone knows the real lyrics, or the artist of the "Why y'all eat that hair ball" song -- I'd love to know, so I can laugh at it some more.

Things that annoy the hell out of me

Who the hell is that Animal Crossing game being sold to? The commercials make it look like it's got to be the most boring game in the history of gaming, and the women playing it in the commercials have this fake sound to their smiling conversation - like they can't even get enough enthusiasm together to really sell it -- but what's there to sell? The graphics look like they suck and the characters look like Weebles or the Fisher Price people. If it's supposed to be like the Sims for little kids, as my generous husband offered, then why are there GROWN women playing the game in the commercials? I would like to know if anyone actually buys this game and if they regret it after having played it.

On Amazon.com, it got an "A" rating by the staff of 1Up.com. The reviewer said: "OK, I know it sounds super lame, but trust me—it's a blast." Okay, they should make the commercials a little less boring, then.

It's Coming Back!!!

Battlestar Galactica will be coming back January 16th! Yes! Yes! Yes! Now all I have to do is find out when Project Runway will be coming back on and all will be right in my (tv viewing) world.

Santa, Baby...

Eartha Kitt, best known for the song "Santa Baby," passed away today - Christmas Day, 2008.

Her version of "Santa Baby" makes Madonna's sound like a horrible, juvenile parody of Kitt's original. Kitt was also a much better Catwoman than Halle Berry (I can say that even though I haven't seen Kitt as Catwoman, because I have seen Halle Berry as Catwoman -- ohhh, that's mean.)

Other Pop Divas (and Pop Divos) will recognize Kitt as the older lady who seduced Eddie Murphy in Boomerang. I can still her her coo "Maaaarcus!"

I don't really know much else about her, but I have always admired her, because she seemed to be bold, fearless, and oh, so sexy - unapologetically so, even as an older woman. As my Grandmother would say, "Aww, get it, girl!

So Amazing

It's so surreal. I don't know if I thought it could really happen. I know that I truly believe that he is the best man for the job (and have thought he would be very presidential since he spoke at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in 2005.) I am even more impressed with him because his speech was powerful, yet subdued. He is very aware of the challenges, the huge challenges that face him and all of us in this country. And I respect him for that so much more than for a "rah-rah lets celebrate" speech, because this campaign and presidency has to be about fixing this country - because there are people here who so, so desperately need it, and who truly are putting their hope in this man and what he represents.

With the losses that my people have sustained, with the faith that I have continuously lost in this country since becoming an adult and seeing again and again that my values -- looking out for the underdog and the downtrodden, fighting for true justice and brotherhood -- seemed and were secondary in this country to fighting wars, subjugating and conquering people and expanding empire and possessions -- it is so amazing to me that there is space in my country for the idealism that I had buried deep in my heart and expected never to see reflected in my political leaders again. Especially never in a leader that looks like me.

I am so proud that my newborn daughter has the blessing to be born into the world that I feel that we may be approaching and possibly building. And I am proud for the first time in a long, long time to be a citizen of the United States as well as a Citizen of the World. I am ready for change, and looking to see what I can do to contribute to it and keep this joyous loving momentum going.

In Memoriam - Player Awards, Part II

Actor Paul Newman, of the beautiful blue eyes and humanitarian causes, died Friday, September 26, 2008 at his home in Westport, Connecticut. I love that when he was put on Nixon's enemies list, he called it "the highest single honor I've ever achieved." I guess it's time for a Newman film festival at our house.
For more: CNN.com: Paul Newman dies at 83

Player Awards, Part I - He's Still Got It

I mentioned in my last post how I love it when artists reinvent themselves. Let me explain. It would be all too easy to just remember the following gentlemen as people who did some cool thing way back when. While these celebrities will always be remembered for the things that initially made them famous, they come back in their later years and do things that make us remember just how cool they still are.

William Shatner


From Captain James T. Kirk to Denny Crane, he's still got it. (My husband saw this and could only say "Oh yeah, Canadian Pimpin'" - it's a compliment and a reference to Shatner's Canadian heritage - don't sweat it.) In my house, we have a saying that someone went to the William Shatner school of acting when they do the overwrought, overdramatic thing - like how he was as Kirk. Some other cool moments: Shatner instructing Eddie Murphy and Robert DeNiro how to be TV cops (Like T.J. Hooker, remember?) in the movie Showtime. So funny.

Billy Dee Williams

I couldn't resist putting up the picture of Billy Dee as the Colt 45 spokesperson. I prefer to look past the tagline: "It works every time" and see it as a piece of history.

Anyway, Billy Dee was an actor before he appeared as Lando Calrissian - he was in the tearjerker Brian's Song (which I bawled at as a kid), and showed off that sexy, sexy, sexy speaking voice in Lady Sings the Blues with Diana Ross - the diva I love to hate. The movie came out in 1972, but somehow I saw it on TV with my mom when I was probably about 11 or 12. Just hearing him say "Ciao Bella" in that deep, drawn out way was enough for me, and I was just a kid! I just saw him again in an AT&T ad, playing on his old persona as all around cool dude and ladies man.

Tony Bennett

Anthony Benedetto. Would you ever believe that the guy who left his heart in San Francisco would be back singing with Christina Aguilera, guest starring on Saturday Night Live (playing a Tony Bennett imitator who was guest starring on the "Tony Bennett Show", with Alec Baldwin playing "the real" Tony Bennett - if I could have found the video, I would have posted it) and being totally cool without even trying? How could he help but be cool? We have the same birthday! Of course, he was born 45 years before me. :)

He Was a Bad Mother...Shut Yo Mouf!

Issac Hayes - August 20, 1942 - August 10, 2008

More Than Shaft: Hayes Was a Goldmine of Influence. Associated Press, August 10, 2008.

Of course, we remember him as the composer of the Theme from Shaft, which won an Academy Award for best Original Song for the movie Shaft (1971).

I love it when people reinvent themselves -- and he did that, keeping his fame alive with his role as the Chef in South Park, and with roles and cameos in many films. One short role that he had that always cracks me up ('cause I'm twisted and have an extremely weird sense of humor), was in the truly horrible movie Reindeer Games. He and Ben Affleck were inmates in the same prison, and in the cafeteria, Hayes' character had a meltdown, jumping up and exclaiming "There are...monsters...in the gelatin" louder and louder until complete havoc ensues. After that, you might as well turn the movie off.

I just had to add this picture because my parents have so many pictures of my father in plaid suit jackets just like this one, and this car, while not a Monte Carlo, reminds me of the old, red, Monte Carlo that we had in the seventies. For a while, growing up, I even thought one of my uncles looked like Isaac Hayes.

Olympics Update

Wow, what is going on? A tourist at the Olympics was killed by a guy in Beijing?! That's horrible. I was reading an article about this, and one thing that struck me is that it said that "Attacks on foreigners are extremely rare in China, not least because they carry heavier punishment than crimes against Chinese people." <"Olympics 2008: US coach's relative murdered in Beijing" www.guardian.co.uk> That completely sidetracked me from feeling bad about the death to feeling really weird about that statement - it's like saying that it's okay to kill your fellow citizen, but God forbid you hurt a foreigner and bring the criticism of the world upon us. Actually, I can't really see any good reason for that policy, which is probably why I'm not in politics. Killing someone is pretty heinous. Why not have the same punishment, regardless of the victim? Look at what I'm saying. Just think of the injustice of how people are sentenced in the U.S.

Side note: a spectator at an Equestrian event tried to fly a flag with a Tibetan symbol on it and was hauled out of the event. (They did ask her to leave first, and she refused) I applaud the Free Tibet protesters for their determination to bring attention to China's human rights abuses against Tibet, but I really hope that it all stays peaceful and no one gets hurt.

Child at Free Tibet/San Francisco Torch Protest in April, 2008

Side note: So I missed watching Michael Phelps win a gold for swimming, but I did happen to catch badminton?

Whaaat? I don't mean to be disrespectful to the athletes that surely have trained hard for this event, but I have a hard time seeing this as something that should be an olympic sport. It's a backyard game. If I can play it well, I feel like maybe it's a bit too easy for the olympics. Maybe they'll add Connect Four as an Olympic Sport, too.

And please, I really hope they never add Poker as a sport. It's bad enough that it's on ESPN. How much more boring can you get? I really don't want to watch other people play poker. I just don't care. I'd rather watch badminton. At least with badminton, I saw the female player from Indonesia working up a sweat. That is, before I fell asleep. (I'm in my third trimester and on vacation -- give me a break!) Just know that I would have fallen asleep much faster had it been poker.

Rest In Peace

I heard a few days ago that comedian Bernie Mac was in the hospital for pneumonia, but I didn't realize how serious it was. He passed away today at the young age of 50. It was a shock, if only because we are so used to celebrities bouncing back from illnesses and setbacks.

If you only saw him in his movie appearances, you missed out. Check out one of his taped stand up performances; he was hilarious. And no, he was not always P.C. - I can't think of one comedian that I really like that hasn't said something at sometime to offend somebody. (Although, I do have to admit that Bill Cosby's offensive remarks didn't happen during a comedy routine - which might make them worse.)

I didn't even hear until today that Bernie Mac got some flack from Obama for saying some "inappropriate" comments and using "salty" language at a benefit for Obama. Come on, Obama, were you not familiar with his comedy, or are you living in Leave It to Beaver land? I honestly don't know what Mac said, but he is (was) a comedian, and anyone familiar with his comedy would have known what kind of things he would have been liable to say.

Enough of that. That's not what this post is about.

Anyway, Rest in peace, Bernard McCullough. You made us laugh.

"Chicago Comedian Bernie Mac Dead at 50: Fearless rants on race, fatherhood captivated audience." Chicago Tribune, August 9, 2008.

Thats Hot!

I'm loving Paris's response to John McCain's ad.
From Funny or Die.com

'nuff said.

8.8.08

I have to admit, I am a BIG olympics nut! I love the individual sports, the inspiration of these athletes who have committed their lives to excellence in their sport, and even the sappy tear-jerker stories about those who have overcome incredible obstacles.

I'm excited about the start of the games, and hope that with my increasingly addled brain, I don't forget that it's going on and miss some of my favorite sports. (By the way, sorry I've been gone so long -- we've got a lot of catching up to do!)

One world, one dream.

(oh, my corniness begins...)

Is This The End?

What happened? I don't get it. Are you trying to tell me that Battlestar Galactica is over? I'm not mad about how it ended. I don't see any other way to give closure and not be corny and still leave us like "Oh snap" - which is why I love this show so much - it's the mouth hanging-open-factor that happens to me time and time again. I love the great writing, the great acting and the incredible twists in plot.

What I am mad about is that there are so many unanswered questions. D says that to get the answers, you have to go to their website, but I don't wanna. I want another episode. Who is the last of the final five? Why was there that vision of Caprica Six and Baltar with Hera in the Opera House? Why was the door closing? Where were they going? Why is Hera so important? Who cares that she drew a coloring book full of Sixes - maybe she (like everyone else) just thinks the Six is pretty? What's up with "You are the harbinger of death, Kara Thrace"?

Can anyone help me out here?

***On a happier note, glad to see that the Six herself, Tricia Helfer, will be on Burn Notice, another good show. And that the only other show worth watching on SciFi, Eureka, is back. Who is in charge of SciFi's programming? They suck. There are way too many good old Science Fiction shows for you to waste our time with Lucy Lu's old B vampire movies (though I love Lucy), and attack of the giant dinosaurs. What about the original Bionic Woman, Star Trek, Quantum Leap, Friday the 13th the Series -- okay, so that last one was corny. I don't care. I liked it.

Megasaur or Gwen?

My godson, Noah, is the sweetest kid in the world. He has already picked out names for our baby.

He told me a couple of months ago that if the baby is a girl, she should be named Gwen. I said, "That's a nice name. We'll have to keep that in mind." "And", he said, completely serious, "if the baby is a boy, he should be named Megasaur." We're still laughing over that one. But we don't have to worry about that now, because it's not a Megasaur, it's a Gwen!

We had our 20 week (alright, so, it's 21 weeks) ultrasound yesterday. And the ultrasound technician (what are they called? Sonographers?) said, in her infinite wisdom, that it was a girl. I could tell where the head and nose and arms and legs and feet were, but she had to point everything else out to us. Although it was so obvious when we saw the spine -- wow.

I was laying there, and the next thing I knew a couple of tears had rolled down my cheeks. ("Had rolled?" My grandmother would be appalled at my poor grammar.) It was so good to see that the baby was doing well, and growing okay. My husband, D, kept asking me if I was breathing, and I don't think I was. I was so nervous.

The baby kept moving her feet around. D said she was a little soccer player. I said she was a dancer like her mama. But I loved seeing her little clenched fists, up by her face, like she was boxing. She has been moving around a bunch, so maybe she's trying to box her way out. Hope she's more like Laila Ali than Jackie Frasier, or God forbid, Tonya Harding (remember when she was boxing -- why?). I don't even want to say that woman's name in any connection or comparison to my child. Ugh. Anyway, I've been calling her (our baby) my little American Gladiator. I'm really curious to know what kind of a personality she's gonna have.

Lakers vs. Celtics -- the remix

Lakers versus Celtics...

No, no, no...It's the 21st Century. Let's try that again.

That's more like it.

Celtics versus Lakers, 2008. The Remix

Yes, I watched the other games in the finals (okay, 3 of the 6), but I had to work tonight 'til 8 and forgot (!) to set the VCR (shut up. No, I don't have Tivo), so by the time I got home, I only got to see the last 5 minutes of the game. That's alright though, 'cause the Celtics won, 131-92! I'm just saying, don't expect a play by play from me. I like to watch, but I'm no expert. Check out ESPN for that.

My boy at "Str8Hoops" called it in a post back on April 19. He said Celtics over Lakers in 6. Nice. I have no idea what everyone else was saying, but I know that way back when the Celtics picked up Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, I was cheering to myself knowing that we had some nice basketball ahead of us (and at that point, I didn't even realize that Doc Rivers was the coach - that's how long it's been since I've watched.)

I'm someone who doesn't usually get into the games until the playoffs (someone called me a fair-weather fan), but I knew I hadn't heard anything from the Celtics in a while. You don't have to watch every game to know what's going on and who's getting the buzz. I grew up with my Dad cheering on the Celtics, and I was excited to see what Pierce, Allen and Garnett were gonna do, but I do have to say, I was surprised to see them up against the Lakers at the end. At first I was like this is the finals? Like the final finals? Then, I got real excited.

Because my husband doesn't watch as much sports as my Dad does (it's not hard to watch less, since growing up, it was all sports, all the time), I just wasn't in the loop. I was happy to see that the Celtics made it to the playoffs, then that they were Eastern Conference champs, and really happy to see that they made it to the finals against the Lakers. Deja Vu! I like Kobe and Derek Fisher, but neither of them are Magic Johnson. I wasn't for a second going to feel conflicted about cheering on the Celtics against them.

During one of the games, one of the commentators was like: "The Lakers are the team of the future." I was like, yeah, the future. This is the Celtics time to shine. And Paul Pierce? He didn't sit down once during game 5, and in game 1 he had to be carried off the court, only to come back to lead them to the win. He earned that series MVP title. Good for you.

I don't know what was up with KG's outburst after the game! But that's emotion for you. Half the time, I didn't know what he was saying. Something about his mother and "Top of the World" and I did read his lips for part of that bleeped out swear (that made me laugh). But what really made me laugh was when he looked down at the reporter and said "Michelle, you're looking good tonight. You're looking good, girl!" I don't know if he was just all caught up in the emotion or trying to pick her up, but it was funny - my husband was like "Oh God. Go to Ray Allen. He's acted. He knows what to say on camera." Not your normal postgame interview. He did get it together enough for me to understand what he was saying at the press conference. But you know what, KG, I ain't mad at ya. Celebrate.

Not Guilty? - Friday, June 13

"Just because they found him not guilty doesn't mean he's innocent."
-Admiral William Adama, Battlestar Galatica

R. Kelly Acquitted of Child Porn Charges - NPR

So on Friday, a jury in Cook County found Robert Kelly (better known as singer/producer R. Kelly) not guilty of having sex with an underage girl (possibly as young as 13) and videotaping the act.

Humph. I have to say that I don't believe that he's not guilty, and I am amazed at some people's characterization of him as having dealt with an ordeal these last six years that he managed to avoid both trial and prison. This is the man who calls himself the "Pied Piper of R&B." If he's innocent, would he like to explain just what all that is about? I mean, this man seemed to almost capitalize on this - remember "Guilty Until Proven Innocent?" the song he did with Jay-Z?

"You can't touch me, no you can't touch me/Jigga, Kelly, not guilty/Try to charge me but I'm not guilty/I got, all, my mamis/I've got all of my mamis/Tell me, what you, want from me/Tell me.. (I am the one)/What you want from me? Not guilty."

Okay. Whatever. Don't think we've forgotten about Aaliyah. There is precedent for this. Like Adama said: Just because he's "not guilty" doesn't mean he's innocent.

***If you ever get a chance to see season one of the Boondocks (check your library or video store to see if they have it), check out the episode where R. Kelly goes to trial. Some of the stuff on the Boondocks might make you mad, but you'll be laughing at the same time...***

La Musique

If you've never heard of Les Nubians and you think you might like music that is a mixture of R&B, World Music, and Jazz, do yourself a favor and check them out. They are fabulous. I love listening to music in other languages, even when I don't understand the language, because when an artist can't hide behind the words, we as listeners get a chance to really focus in on whether they can carry a tune and if their music flows and speaks to us. And music doesn't have to be in your language to speak to you.

In fact, here's a list of some of my favorite artists from other countries or cultures (don't be intimidated if they don't sing in English - listen to it anyway!)

1. Les Nubians - Cameroon/France. I love just about everything they've done, but my absolute favorites are Makeda, Demain, Si Infidèle, etc., etc., etc.


2. Joy Denalane - Germany. Heard her on a Putumayo CD and couldn't get her music out of my head. I b-tched and moaned about not being able to find her album on I-Tunes, and having to pay something like $27.00 for her album, Mamami, on Amazon.com, until my husband got fed up and just bought it for me (along with her English language album, Born and Raised.) Favorites from Joy: Was auch immer, Höchste Zeit, Sag's Mir, Born and Raised (song).

3. Crystal Kay - Japan. While checking out a You Tube video from Funkanometry SF, I heard this little sample "You need to chill out and let go sometimes/feel free to let yourself say/Kirakuni, take it easy..." so I googled that phrase (why not?) and found Miss Crystal Kay. It's J-Pop, and I make no apologies for my love of pop music. So there. Favorite: Kirakuni.

4. Bebel Gilberto - Brazil. My sister turned me on to her. (Thanks, Shell!) She's the daughter of a famous Brazilian musician, João Gilberto. My favorite songs of hers are from her album, Bebel Gilberto: Aganju, Jabuticaba, Baby. Though I have to be fair and give her album Momento another listen, since when I heard it, I might not have been in the mood for mellow.

5. Zap Mama - Belgium/Democratic Republic of Congo. Though I think there are people in the group who back her up. Zap Mama is primarily (and basically) Marie Daulne. My favorites are from the only Zap Mama album that I own Ancestry in Progress - though I'm open to hearing more...Miss Q'n, Yaki, Zap Bébés.

6. M.I.A. - Sri Lanka./England. I almost forgot! How could I? She's constantly playing in my I-Pod! U.R.A.Q.T., Galang, Boyz, Bingo, etc., etc., etc.

I just realized that all these artists are women. I didn't plan it that way, but hey - Let's hear it for the sistah's! (And why are they all so fraking gorgeous!)

Baby, I'm Back!

I'm sorry that I've been gone so long! Sooooooooooooooooooo much has happened since last I posted! I wish I could backdate and pretend that I was actually a timely, responsible blogger, but no such luck, so for those of you who have been living under a rock, let's talk about some of the biggest, most hopeful and incredible things that have been going on in the world (and in my world). These are out of order for a very good reason, but don't cheat and scroll to the bottom just yet!

The Second Amazing Thing - May 16, 2008
The California Supreme Court overturned a ban on Gay Marriage! Why shouldn't people who love each other be able to get married? Who cares if they are the same sex? Doesn't the world need more love and a lot less of the hate that causes people to ban gay marriage in the first place? (I guess my post is a little timely, since official gay marriages can start June 17th - actually, I'm early!)
State's Top Court Strikes Down Marriage Ban.

Now unfortunately, conservatives in California have already gotten a measure to overturn the overturning (basically, to "re-ban" gay marriage) on the November ballot. Click here for that story.
This, in spite of the fact that polls have shown that Californian's approve of actually letting two grown people who love each other get married. In his decision, Chief Justice Ronald George, God Bless Him, compared not letting gays and lesbians get married to the laws that used to exist that didn't allow blacks and whites to get married. Seems silly now, doesn't it, but there are a lot of people who wouldn't have been allowed a loving, committed relationship with all the legal perks and rights that married people have if those laws had been allowed to stand, and it's the same thing here and now.

The Third Amazing Thing - June 4, 2008

Barack Obama has secured the nomination of the Democratic Party for President? Wow!! I somehow thought this madness between he and Hillary was just going to go on forever. (I kid you not) I had actually stopped paying attention.

Of course, Time Magazine had already predicted this back in May, which I do have to say, I thought was a little hasty, but I didn't read the article, either, which I'm sure would have illuminated their reasons. I can't say I didn't get a little internal leap of joy when I saw the cover, though. :)

Of course, good news for me is not good news for everyone, and the media is already predicting that Clinton supporters might vote for McCain rather than support Obama. What the hell has Obama done to them that they would abandon the values that made them vote Democratic in the first place and vote for someone who represents a party that has led us into the mess that we are in now?

One thing I have to say for Obama: this is just the beginning of his fight. He's not stupid. I'm sure he knows it. We've all got a lot of hopes riding on him. I was lucky enough to see one of my favorite musical groups, Les Nubians, perform recently, and they mentioned (they are from France) that the whole world is watching the U.S. to see the result of this. Around the World, Much Is Expected of Barack Obama
A lot of people, including me, are hoping that the fact that Obama grew up in this country with brown skin, will allow him to be more open to working with people of color around the world to end their oppression and more sympathetic to issues involving communities and countries that are made up of what has been for too long in the U.S. been considered the "other." I really hope at least, that he works to get us out of the deep and saddening hole that the Bush Administration has taken every opportunity to dig even deeper.

Now, the moment we have all been waiting for:
The First Amazing Thing - February 20, 2008

Drum Roll, Please....

I passed the test! Thus the change from Library Lady to Chic Mama.

Nuff said. You'll be hearing plenty about it later!

Just know that we are overjoyed and I am loving being pregnant,

especially now that it's the second trimester and I'm not tired all the time!

I Knew Them When...

Not really, but I did see them last year in the San Francisco Hip Hop Dancefest 2007 .

I got seriously hooked on America's Next Dance Crew recently. One of the groups that made it to the finals was Live in Color from Miami. My husband and I kept saying, "Live in Color?" Isn't that the group from the Hip Hop Dancefest?" These guys tore it up in San Francisco last year. The audience roared and yelled and someone screamed "Hallelujah." You really didn't get a chance to see just how good they were on America's Next Dance Crew.

Everytime I see people dancing with passion and talent, I wish I hadn't been so damn practical when I was younger. I should have been dancing. Who cares about bills? Being impetuous and irresponsible is what being young is all about. Now I'd just look like an almost 40 year old shaking her booty. (almost. ALMOST. I've still got three and a half years to go before 40.) Not to say that I'd dance like Live In Color, 'cause that wasn't my style, but just to dance -- it's a feeling I can't even explain.

Be Aware. Be Very Aware.

This is very cool. I'm not even going to say anymore so I don't ruin it for you.

Awareness Test


As an added bonus: the title of this post is derived from a line in a 1980's movie remake. Can you tell me, oh imaginary readers, for 200 points and the win, what movie it is from?

8th Annual Big Wheel Race

SF Station TV Coverage of the Event

How upset was I that I missed this? Okay. I know I need to grow up. But I always wanted a Big Wheel. What better than to revisit your childhood and get to race a Big Wheel down a crowded, possibly steep hill, then pull on the brake and spin out at the bottom...okay, you're right, I'm crazy. I just looked at more pictures, including one of a guy who scraped his arm all up rolling in this thing. Maybe not. But I still wish I had had a Big Wheel when I was a kid.

Here's more, including bumps and bruises - yuck.: jonbrumit.com/byobw.html

Big Mouth, Small Brains, part I

I was working at the front desk a while ago when a man that I've helped before came up to me with a reference question. I answered his question, and he thanked me profusely, telling me, as he had before, that I have a really good attitude. I found it strange that he kept telling me this, since I work with the public and it seems like I'd better have a good attitude if I want to do my job well.

You know when you know that something's wrong with someone, but you just want to give them the benefit of the doubt so they will hurry up and get the hell out of your face? I knew what he was up to, and I was trying to keep the smile on my face. But he hadn't yet finished showing me just how dumb he was, so the next thing out of his mouth was "I bet you have a lot of white people in your family." I kid you not.

Because I was trying to keep that good customer service going (and because I'm a good Black girl who has been taught to take pity on those less mentally blessed than myself), I said, "There are a couple." Which is true. There are a couple. Not counting the people who probably raped my ancestors, there are a couple of white people who have married into my family - because they were smart enough to know a good thing when they saw it, and to admit it publicly. But I don't consider that a compliment, though I know that's how he meant it. And the fact that he meant it as a compliment absolutely does not keep me from being completely offended by it. It's as if he was saying that I couldn't possibly have a good attitude, answer his questions correctly and give him good customer service if I didn't have white ancestors to offset all the negative blackness in me. Please.

I just had to share this with you because of course this happened in the "liberal bastion" of Berkeley. (At least, according to Berkeley residents.) I swear, I am tired of hearing Northern Californians tell me I must have had a hard time getting used to it out here. Why? Because everyone in CT is so conservative-not true, or because it takes two and a half times the money to live here that it does in CT--now that is true. I am tired of hearing how they didn't think any Black people lived in New England (so where did me, my mother, her family, my father, his family, my sisters and a bunch of our friends come from?), or hearing that where I'm from isn't diverse (when all you've done is drive through my home state on your way to a vacation spot), or that they aren't surprised about ignorant comments or actions I might tell them about that I encountered before I came out here, because, of course, that was in Connecticut. This self-congratulatory attitude that I've run into here about how liberal and diverse everything is here is just too much.

There's a lot that's cool here, don't get me wrong, but the Bay Area is by no means paradise, and Connecticut isn't evil just because your only view of it is the TV view: big-ass mansions and snobby people riding horses. If I had a big-ass mansion in Connecticut, don't you think I would have stayed there? Long story short, California has it's share of conservatives and no shortage of racists too, even here in the Bay Area.

Oops!

So this is seeming less and less like a library blog, which is really okay with me, but I thought I'd mention it in case you just happened upon this blog and actually expected me to say something about libraries! Oh, foolish one, why would you ever think that? *smile*

I am slowly following the list of 15 things that I'm supposed to learn about. I have signed up for RSS feeds from a few websites (and I might even add some library ones at some point). I haven't even scratched the surface of what you can do with RSS feeds - did you know that you can set up your RSS feed so you are informed everytime a new picture comes up on Flickr for a subject that you are interested in. For instance, "Libraries" or something silly like that.

Photo courtesy of Erik Van Hannen, Flickr.com

Where is the Love?

Liya Kebede

I'm a librarian, but my first love is fashion - not always evident in the clothes I wear, but that's another story to be told another time. Anyway, I just read a couple of articles that stated that Black models haven't been used as much as in times past. I have to say that I'm not completely surprized, but I also wonder where all the other models of color were (and I don't mean Caucasian models who happen to be born and/or raised in "exotic" locations - and yes, of course there are gorgeous Caucasian models too, but my point is that there's plenty of room for everyone). If you think that all the Black models retired with Iman, America's Next Top Model (and even my favorite, Project Runway, to a smaller extent) has proven that there still are little girls of color who want to grow up to be supermodels, so why aren't they on the runway?

Du Juan

Runways Fade to White. New York Times, October 14, 2007

Fashion Week Runways Almost a Total Whitewash. Jezebel.com, February 11, 2008

Where Are All The Black Models? Start By Asking Anna Wintour. Jezebel.com, October 15, 2007

It seems to me that the argument that Black models (and other models of color) do not sell magazines (or whatever else) is a load of it. Its the same argument that Hollywood bigwigs use to explain away their inability to cast more than just a couple of Black, Asian and Latino actors (don't even get me started on the tendency to stick them right in the proverbial stereotype box when they do get cast). I'm feeling quite optimistic today, but I'm feeling like there are a lot of people who will buy from (or pay to see a movie starring, or vote for) someone whose work they appreciate. And sometimes, its about who gets pushed on us as the "next great new thing." Who's in charge of that? If those in charge think a particular person is not going to be appealing to the "whiter" population, they won't hire them, which just becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Elsa Benitez

As Obama's popularity (and number of delegates) has shown, not all people in the general population (and not just in my "progressive" neck of the woods) are as closed-minded as people in fashion and entertainment (and the news media?) would like to think. However, I do wonder about those who are in charge of the magazines, the fashion houses, the booking agents, the casting agents, and the movie producers. I think it's their closed-mindedness we really have to worry about.

**(Update: I have to say that I had the hardest time finding images of high fashion Latina and Asian fashion models - does that say more about me or about who the fashion industry chooses to promote? And don't even think about mentioning Gisele Bundchen as an example of a Latina model. Just being from Brazil does not make you Latina. And yes, I am aware of Jaslene Gonzalez - Boriqua! - but I was looking for established editorial models.)

All photos courtesy of Photobucket.com -thanks Photobucket!