Pondering the Chicago sit-in...

A bitch saw a news report on the worker sit-in at Republic Windows and Doors and…well, wow! The story is getting a lot of play and this bitch thinks this worker action is an example of the reality many workers face in these fubaristic economic times.

The workers were laid off with three days notice and no offer of severance or vacation pay. Their bosses blame Bank of America for not extending credit. Bank of America says that they are not responsible for Republic Windows and Doors responsibilities as an employer. And this bitch is thinking that this shit is exactly why most of us are fucking disgusted with the bailout epidemic currently breaking out in Washington.

Between the lack of home-owner considerations in the first bailout plan to the general disregard towards worker protections in the current proposals, there is a serious disconnect between the proposals to stimulate the economy and the creation of plans that actually reach workers who are the engine that will actually stimulate the economy.

And I don’t give a flying shit if some CEO is working for a $1 a year…show me that motherfucker’s complete compensation plan, which I suspects is oozing money.

Fuck.

And the workers of Republic Windows and Doors continue to occupy the space they labored in while their demands for economic justice are met with shrugs and denials of responsibility.

This reality…the worker’s reality…is what we need to consider as our government tosses billions at companies without so much as a “go fuck yourself!” to address the workers at those companies who will be left out in the cold when the money machine goes off line.

Shit rolls down hill...

…and picks up speed along the way.

The Bleeding Deacon Grand Opening…

What?

The Bleeding Deacon Grand Opening

When?

Saturday, December 13, 2008 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM

Where?

4123 Chippewa St. (Just West of Gravois Ave.)

The Damage?

‘Tis FREE!

And there will be complimentary snacks and drinks!

A bitch had the honor of stuffing myself at The Bleeding Deacon a couple of weekends ago and it was fantabulous!

By request, a rant…

This one’s for Margaret in Bangor…who has promised a bitch hot chocolate if I ever visit!

Shall we?

Ed Rendell put his foot in it when he said Janet Napolitano was perfect for her new job in government because she has no life.

But Rendell said what a lot of people think about singles in general and single women in particular – we have no life so we have tons of time and few personal obligations.

If a bitch had a dollar for every time someone has said shit like that to me I’d be able to fund a fucking bailout.

Well, I call bullshit!

And the people saying it should know that it is bullshit…unless they actually spent their single years sighing and fretting over when they’d partner up and thus get a life.

Shit.

Breaking news – I have a life!

A bitch may be single but I sure as shit have a family.

Gasp!

Pause…roll eyes…continue.

Now this bitch knows that conservatives has been busting ass for years trying to define “family” as one man and one woman joined in sanctified marriage with at least two kids, a mortgage and a pair of chocolate labs, but if this bitch waited for those assholes to get a fucking clue I’d be a damn fool just like Ed Rendell is a damn fool for thinking Napolitano’s single status equals a lack of a life which will then make her the perfect workaholic for her new job.

Lawd, have mercy.

The worst thing about the comment is that it ignores the accomplishments of Napolitano and folks like her working in government who get the fucking job done and balance having a life with service…

…but a bitch doesn’t need to hear a chorus of crickets to know that shit won’t be acknowledged anytime soon.

That'd be too much like right...

Ooooh Canada...

Longtime readers know that a bitch adores Canada.

Not only is there great hockey…and Tim Horton’s…and an abundance of Smarties…but Canada also has some of the best political theater in North America!

Blink.

What?

Did y’all think we have the only show ‘round?

Shit.

This bitch has been following the drama facing Canadian PM Harper and my ass is fascinated. Harper is on the ropes now that Liberal and New Democratic parties have joined Bloc Quebecois in an attempt to unseat Tories…so Harper has suspended Parliament!

Daaaaaaaaamn.

Confession – a bitch has always been a wee bit jealous of that dissolve government and no confidence shit. That would have come in handy as a motherfucker down here...more than once...sigh.

Anyhoo, this bitch wants details!

What’s the status?

What’s going to happen?

Is this a good thing or is all hell about to break out?

And when is the price of Smarties going to go down (wink)?

A Bitchfirmation for Fal…

For Fal, because you asked.

Shall we?

When my father passed away I struggled with a lot of things. I wanted to be angry...to scream and shout and vent, because my time with him was too short. I wanted to mourn as the ancients did…to wail and moan and beat at my body until my physical pain equaled my emotional pain. And I wanted everything to stop…for motion to cease and time to stand still until the storm in my heart settled.

But time didn’t stand still.

Life moved on with freakish normalcy even though everything in my world was anything but normal.

I woke up one day with a song playing in my mind…one of my favorite songs from church that I used to sing while standing beside my father so many years ago.

I feel like going on.
Though trials come on every hand.
I feel like going on.

I hummed it as I prepared to start the day and I sang it in the shower, as tears of blessed remembrance blended with the water washing over my face.

Though the storm may be raging
And the billows are tossing high,
I feel like going on.

I sang while driving to work…and suddenly I just pulled over and knew, even as I sat in a car on the side of the road, that I wept out of love for a most extraordinary man. And I found the fuel to go on.

Though trials come…

Let yourself feel.

Let the tears flow.

On every hand…

For you will find that you can celebrate a life even as you mourn the loss of it.

I feel like going on.

And you will.

Stuffy of nose and oily of stomach…

A bitch is feeling illish…stuffy of nose and oily of stomach.

Shit!

Oh well, ‘tis the season for colds and such.

Wince.

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

This bitch took the weekend off from everything so my ass is catching up on the sorta-news…and Lawd have mercy!

Pondering the attacks in India…
I’m always amazed by how the press is unable to report on a world event without filtering it through a narrow American perspective. In the case of the attacks in India, the media frenzied about whether these attacks were launched Al Qaeda…and that’s understandable, since they were coordinated and multi-locational.

But to stop there...to get hung up there and then gaze about frantically in obvious confusion when your own expert consultants point out that it might not be that simple?

Well, that’s just fucked up and frustrating as hell.

Breaking news – other countries have internal and external threats that are different from our internal and external threats!

Is it too much to ask for an exploration of the complexity of it all?

Can a bitch get some background information, for the love of Reporting 101?

***cue crickets***

Shit!

Pondering the Wal-Mart stampede…
Lawd, have mercy!

A man was trampled to death when doors opened at a Wal-Mart for post Thanksgiving Day shopping. Let me say that shit again…a man DIED!

And people went on shopping.

Hell, they demanded that they be allowed to continue shopping…’cause they had waited in line for several hours.

Blink.

What the fuck, people?

This wasn’t a food riot outside of a United Nations relief drop. This was an opportunity to shop at a motherfucking Wal-Mart!

Fuck a duck, what the hell could you possible need bad enough to continue to get your shop on after…of fuck it.

Save money maybe but "live better" my black ass...

Pondering World Aids Day...

I remember the first time I heard of Aids and saw images of those suffering from it flash across the television screen.

I remember friends lost…the hateful rhetoric of those who saw their death as God’s judgment…the courageous activists who have taken us so far…the marches and protests…the songs and poems…and the continuing presence of Aids in the world.

And I circle back to the fact that every day is World Aids Day.

Every second…and we must place a priority on treatment, research and education.

Every hour…and we cannot afford to continue to think of Aids as someone else's problem.

Every day…and we must discuss of Aids impacts our loved ones and communities and act on that accordingly from a position of respect.

Every second...every hour…every single day.

Thankful Day Preparedness…

Lawd, have mercy.

The radio stations are already playing Christmas music 24/7 and this bitch is beyond over that shit.

Ugh!

Do they do it to punish us?

Huh?

The thing is, there aren’t that many Christmas songs…and recording artists tend to record the same ten songs and try to put their own spin on it, so the masses end up listening to one hundred different versions of Let it Fucking Snow (shudder).

It makes a bitch hostile as a motherfucker!!

Pause...consider...continue.

Mayhap this will inspire my ass to figure out how to make my I Pod play in Miss SisterGirl Cabrio.

Shit.

Fuck it.

Onward to Thankful Day preparedness!

Newish readers should know that a bitch is all about preparedness, particularly during the holidays. One wouldn’t want to bunker down for a four-day holiday weekend and find out that your ass is out of vodka (gasp!) or that you don't have a damn thing to munch upon.

Blink.

Thus, the list.

Food-based munchables…
Shark-Fu’s Corn Casserole Yumminess
Brother Rob Thurman's Green Bean Casserole
Mama Thurman's Stuffing
Sour Cream Potato Mash
Roasted bird
Bread-based something-or-other
C-Money’s Apple pie…it's mine, mine all MINE!!
C-money’s Sweet Potato pie
Ice cream…to put on the pie, for the love of al that’s fantabulous!
Ryan’s Divine Bread pudding…yumtastic!

Drinkables...
Vodka…duh.
Grape cran…duh to the second power.
Citrus-based soda pop
Bourbon…from Kentucky, natch.
Holiday beer…for C-Money
Diet Coke…for Brother Rob Thurman

Meds…
Allergy pills…approved for high blood pressure because a bitch takes my pressure seriously
Tylenol…because something is going to work my nerves at some point (wince)

Viewage…
Ordinary People…because ‘tis a tradition that puts this bitch in a holiday frame of mind (wink).
Red, White and Blue…if you have to ask then you don't need to know!

Fall-back films…
Watergate
Love Actually
The Exorcist...what?..as if you don't watch it every holiday...shit.

Blink.

Last but not least - for the dawgs…
Kibble and snackable dawg crisps
Chewing bones
And lots of people about to love on them!

Ah, the holidays...happy, happy, happy and joy times three!

Pondering the Get Over Its...

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

I was reading an article on the protests against Proposition 8 and several comments carried the “You lost – get over it!!” theme in support of Prop. 8.

I can’t even imagine the kind of life that lets a person think rights are decided like a hockey game tied after overtime. I’m thinking a person has to be pretty fucking blessed to feel comfortable with a winner takes all shoot-out. Shit, a bitch isn’t exactly comfortable with that solution during hockey games.

I mean, does that world view have limits?

Would the Get Over Its respond to everything that way?

I can just see them as characters in my new favorite television obsession, Battlestar Galactica.

“We’ve been invaded by Cylons! We lost - let's get over it!!”

Blink.

Anyhoo, this bitch suspects that these Get Over Its are also fans of gradualism. They probably think women would have gotten the vote…eventually. People of color would have gotten civil rights…simply with the passage of time. The Cylons would have come to regret their world domination and leave the humans alone…after a century or two.

Well, my people call that bullshit.

Patience ain’t a virtue in the struggle for equality and this bitch will not be getting over a motherfucking thing.

***logs off to begin marathon viewage of Battlestar Galactica Season Two***

By request – A Bitch’s thoughts on the transition thus far and some other shit…

A certain Rodney from Montreal (city of lights and Smartie-based goodness!!) sent this bitch an email with some requests.

Well Rodney, you asked for it!

Regarding Thanksgiving Preparedness.
Yes, a bitch will post my Thanksgiving preparedness list of needed things and include my recipe for Corn Casserole Yummification.

Gawd, I love food-based holidays!

Regarding the Democratic Caucus forgiving Senator Lieberman.
Hmmm....well, that’s best explored through the musical brilliance of the Dixie Chicks.

I’m not ready to make nice!
I’m not ready to back down!
I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go round and round and round.
It’s too late to make it right!
I probably wouldn’t if I could!
‘Cause I’m mad as hell...can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should!

Cough.

A bitch gets the logical shit about keeping one’s enemies close, but there’s a difference between monitoring that asshole and handing him his knife back then turning your back on his ass. As for his future vote on critical shit, a bitch has a hard time believing Democrats can count on that shit anymore than they could count on him behaving during the campaign.

Plus there’s the lost opportunity to send a strong message to those who may ponder showing their natural ass in support of The Dark Side in the future…but ‘tis done.

Sigh.

As for my thoughts on the Obama transition thus far…
A bitch must confess that I’ve been a wee bit distracted by the fact that my home state of Missouri took for-fucking-ever to count our General Election votes (for the love of…fuck, fuck and another fuck!!).

We finally finished...and thank Gawd the nation wasn't waiting on us to decide a damn thing...so I promise to be more attentive.

I did notice the development of a theme that the selection of Clinton-era folks for certain positions means that not a damn thing is going to change but the date come January.

On a case-by-case basis, I’m not convinced that is true…but it makes for good copy. This bitch would prefer that the press focus on the series of lame-duck rancidity Scooter B. and his minions are trying to squirt through as our long national nightmare comes to an end…but I’m not driving the spin bus.

Regarding the much speculated upon selection of Senator Clinton as Secretary of State, that’s the pick that probably inspires “will this lead to change?” speculation for a bitch.

Shit…catch that knee before some body gets hurt!

Mercy.

My concern comes from the difference in diplomatic policy expressed by Clinton and Obama during the campaign. This bitch is looking forward to some serious bridge building and relationship repairing on the international stage and I have to wonder if Senator Clinton can sing someone else’s song. Soloists don’t always blend well in a choir…I’m just saying.

But a bitch recalls the past underestimation of the decision-making skills of Team Obama. For all the talk of the media’s adoration of Obama 2008 during the campaign, a bitch remembers a steady beat of doubt and second-guessing all the way up to the decisive win on Election Day.

The balance between selecting the experienced people needed to make shit happen (and trust a bitch, skills are needed) and the out-of-the-box thinkers needed to make the right shit happen will be daunting to establish and tricky to maintain.

And it is that balance that this bitch is looking for as the transition proceeds and selections continue to be made.

Right now, the puzzle is far from complete...

Survey for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region

This one goes out to my St. Louis readers.

Please take a moment to help the fantabulous folks at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region by filling out this survey.

Click here, damn it (wink)!

It only takes a few minutes and all answers will be kept confidential.

Thanks!

Bracing for fubar…

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

A bitch has been watching coverage of the hearings with auto industry CEOs and the stock market too.

Pause…check blood pressure…continue.

What the fuck?

I repeat, WHAT THE FUCK!!!?

Who the hell takes a private jet to a bailout hearing where they then beg for money? That was one huge FUCK YOU to strategery, assholes.

And where do we go from here?

***cue crickets***

Shit!

As much as a bitch shares the disgust over the ways and means of auto industry CEOs, I’m beyond worried about the impact the failure of that industry will have on communities across the nation.

Hell, it’s not just the auto industry…we’re bracing for layoffs in almost every business category.

In my community we have plants preparing to close…businesses going out of business…take-overs that will most likely result in layoffs…and all manner of shops and services that serve all those businesses that are now positioned perfectly to achieve fubar before the end of the year.

It’s like waiting for an attack you know will fucking devastate you.

And after every news segment covering economic drama this bitch mentally explores the options…umm, err the lack of options.

What business will come into town and replace the jobs already lost and those soon to be lost?

What industry will surge and replace the industries that are dying?

Pause...listen...continue.

Well, at least crickets are working overtime.

Blink.

Belated Kick Ass Award pictures

A bitch rarely posts pictures of myself, but C-Money managed to sweet talk Jonathan S. Pollack of J. Pollack Photography into taking shots of me during the Kick Ass Awards event and now she’s all over my ass to post them.


Check out J. Pollack’s website – the man has skills and he made my sister happy!


Congrats to my fellow ass kickers and thank you to everyone at 52nd City for the honor!

Oh, and that's the back of C-Money's Afro - I'm just saying.

Toodles!

Hit the lights, hush and it’ll be more better…

A bitch has been following the consequences of Nebraska’s Safe Haven law with great interest. Safe Haven laws are supposed to protect newborns and infants from unsafe abandonment by shielding parents from legal prosecution should they leave their child at a designated Safe Haven location. Nebraska’s law apparently does not specify an age limit and that has resulted in older children and teens being dropped off at Safe Havens.

The response to this has been fascinating. Some Nebraska lawmakers have accused parents of casually abandoning their children as if selfishness is the only reason a parent would ever utilize a Safe Haven for an older child. The media has frenzied over stories of large families being torn apart and parents driving across the country to deposit their teen at Nebraska emergency rooms.

What is lost is the window into reality that this so-called mistake offers.

Or maybe it isn’t lost.

Maybe some people want that shit to remain in darkness…out of sight and blessedly out of mind.

What they see is a law that needs to be rewritten to clarify the precise age when legal abandonment becomes illegal so parents will no longer be able to abandon older children.

What I see is an example of how society fails to meet the needs of parents, children and families and an opportunity to address that shit.

And that’s an uncomfortable thing for many Americans to confront. After all, state after state has been working feverishly to pass laws and propositions that are allegedly designed to protect families and marriage…children and society. The last thing supporters of all that paper want to hear is that they’ve moved all their troops to the western front of a war being waged in the east.

Hit the lights.

Why oh why examine the real pressures families face…poverty and the fear of hunger, homelessness and the fear of violence, mental health issues and the lack of options and so forth and so on.

Hush!

‘Tis much easier to just turn out the lights…rewrite the law and toss all those cases into a box labeled Not My Fucking Problem.

And it’ll be more better.

Right?

***cue crickets***

Shit.

Less a prank and more a symptom…

A bitch just read this article about the surge in racist acts post-election. The article is brief and describes the acts as mostly pranks that “haven't posed any real danger to society or the president-elect”.

Although this bitch agrees that there is a difference between a physical attack and someone spray painting racist graffiti on a wall, I have to disagree with whether that shit is a real danger.

Racism and bigotry eat away at society. Symbols of racism and bigotry that are not taken seriously create the feeling of freakish agreement…that other people feel the same way and that the expressions of hate is okay.

But the real power of these so-called pranks is how they jump up in a person’s head.

A cross-burned under the cloak of darkness in front of a person’s house makes the victim question every stranger…her or his neighbors…and wonder who hates them that much. The victim wonders why their house was spared and what act will be next.

So, a bitch has little tolerance for those who casually dismiss acts of hate…who try to explain them away as unfortunate jokes of youthful misbehavior.

These acts have power and that is why they are being investigated and monitored.

But ig’nant acts of hate also identify a disease in need of treatment.

They can inspire the silent to publicly voice their support and those who are skeptical that racism still exists to question that opinion.

And they can empower communities to get about the business of doing the inner work required to advance beyond hate…beyond tolerance…toward respect.

All that is possible only if folks incidents or hate for what they are…less a prank and more a symptom of something real that has been festering below the surface.

And we have miles upon miles yet to walk…

Post Prop. 8 protest reflection…

Earlier today a bitch joined 1,400 of my fellow activists in support of equality and in protest against passage of Prop. 8 in California.

It was cold as hell (shiver...wince...and shiver again) but people showed up and added their voices to the chorus calling for equality and social justice.

Fantabulous!

I was inspired to see so many young people and student activists in the crowd. These youth are fired up and ready to get active…and they give me hope for the future.

This bitch hopes that folks will stick with this and organize.

We stand on the side of justice, y’all.

And the one thing we did right was the day we started to fight.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Hold on!

Let the defubarization begin!

A bitch is finally feeling recovered from the election rush! Missouri may still be up in the air…and Lawd knows we love to take our damn time with post-election counting sessions (wince)…but we’ve got to move on and get about the bitness of defubarization.

Pause…roll up sleeves…continue.

Shall we?

This bitch adores a good debrief. I’ve participated in many event-based things and even a successful happening has areas in need of improvement. So, I’m more than a little eager to dig under the scabs covering the wounds of soon-to-be previous administrations.

Why?

So we the people have a better understanding of just how fucked up shit was and can make the adjustments necessary to prevent that mess in the future.

Catch that knee before you hurt somebody!

No, we haven’t just spent two years doing that. Elections aren’t debriefs…they are festivals of spin where facts often get trampled.

And 'tis facts that shall set us free.

Let’s start with Missouri…’cause I live here, damnit.

Governor Matt Blunt was fucked up from the floor up on day one, but folks stopped talking about some of the specific fucktitude the second he declared his fiendish mission accomplished and took his own rancid ass off the statewide stage.

Yay.

He’s gonna get gone.

But as anxious as we all are to see the south side of a northbound Blunt, this bitch thinks we should look through the trash before it gets tossed out to make room for Governor-elect Nixon.

Governor Blunt’s administration is accused of improperly using campaign technology to communicate state business…of having no protocol for the handling of email communications…and of purging communications that may contain evidence of who the fuck knows what.

Lawsuits have been filed and investigations are on going.

On one hand a bitch would like to know why Blunt’s minions apparently got Nixonian…tricky Dick not Jeremiah…and indulged in a lot of delete, empty trash and then repeat.

I see that many flies and this bitch knows there’s a pile of bullshit somewhere.

But on the other hand, a bitch wants to understand the nature of Blunt-based fubar so I can make sure we clarify that shit for the new Governor.

The same shit applies to our federal government...and members of the outgoing crew who appear a wee bit anxious to get out the door.

Our long national nightmare may be coming to an end…

…but those who forget the shit that makes absolute fubar possible are doomed to repeat it.

This bitch and the 52nd City Kick Ass Awards...

A bitch has been nominated for a Kick Ass Award from those fantabulous folks at 52nd City!

Blink

Oh my!

***fluffs Afro***

The Fifth Annual edition of St. Louis Kick Ass Awards will be held on Thursday, November 13, with a live presentation at Joe's Café, Bill Christman's whimsical, one-of-a-kind, retro-futuristic (and booze-free) music venue in the heart of the Skinker-Debalivere neighborhood. The awards will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will run until approximately 9 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

The St. Louis edition of the Kick Ass Awards launched in the early winter of 2004, based on the popular Austin, TX, event begun earlier that year by writer/raconteur Spike Gillespie. Since then, nearly 70 St. Louis individuals, organizations and other entities have been honored by the publishers of 52nd City, who promote this annual event, dedicated to folks in the community who often don't get the praise they deserve… or, in other cases, folks that the publishers of 52nd City really, really dig. (For a full list of previous winners, you can check:www.kickassawards.blogspot.com.)

This bitch would like to thank the publishers of 52nd City for this...umm, kick ass honor (wink)!

Prop. 8 protest in St. Louis...

Join the Impact

Protest Prop 8 St. Louis city

On Saturday November 15 2008, across the United States cities will stand with California in a public protest regarding the recent outcome of Proposition 8.

At 12 Noon, the St. Louis community will gather at the Old Courthouse (Broadway and Market Streets) and speak out against Proposition 8 and the issues around equality and Civil Rights.

Website - http://ShowMeNoHate.blogspot.com

Join the cause, join the voice, and JOIN THE IMPACT!

A bitch hopes to see you Saturday...

Yes, they did…

A bitch is rested, y’all.

Shall we?

On Election Day millions shifted their rally cries from "Yes We Can!" to "Yes We Did!"…but not all of those folks were talking about President Elect Obama’s victory. Anti-equality activists had a series of victories over justice in California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas. Like thousands of equality activists across the country, I am struggling to reconcile Obama’s historic victory with the denials of equality passed into law at the same damn time.

In California anti-equality extremists funded the push that resulted in passage of Proposition 8 that bans same-sex marriage.

62% of Floridians passed the so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment,” banning all recognition of and benefits for unmarried couples, both straight and gay.

Arizona went the route of Missouri in 2004, passing Proposition 102 with 56 percent of voter and amending their state constitution to recognize marriage as limited to unions of one man and one woman. Like Missouri, same-sex marriage was already illegal in Arizona and this move is strategic to block any action through the courts.

And Arkansas voters passed the “Unmarried Couple Adoption Ban,” that makes it illegal for any unmarried couple living together in the state to adopt children or serve as foster parents. 57% of voters passed that rancid piece of shit into law. State law and the state constitution already ban same-sex marriage.

When people ask me whether the election of this nation’s first president of color means America has instantly become a more just and equal society, those are the Election Day disasters that make a bitch look at them like they’ve lost their damned mind.

But we have just begun to fight.

An injustice to one remains an injustice to all.

There will be a nationwide protest against passage of Proposition 8 Saturday November 15…I’ll post details on the St. Louis protest as soon as I get them.

And, just for kicks, a bitch would like to point out that man on woman marriage is threatened by a lot of shit…families struggle because of lots of pressures…but same-sex marriage isn’t one of them.

Missouri banned same-sex marriage in 2004…

…and if we had a dollar for every failed man on woman union or divorce filed since that ban this nation would have our motherfucking surplus back.

Blink.

Friday!

The frenzy of the last couple of weeks has caught up to me and a bitch is sluggish as hell.

A good kind of sluggish but still the mental equivalent of walking through waist deep mud.

Thank Gawd today is Friday, y'all!

I'm taking the day off from bitchitude to rest my mind so toodles until tomorrow...

Decisions, decisions and more decisions…

All manner of political talking heads are getting their speculation on over who will be appointed to what and why in the new Obama Administration.

A bitch would like to explore the challenge of deciding shit through one key selection about to be made…the choosing of the First Dawg.

A bitch is always amazed by how many people select their canine companions based on looks. I know people who purchased designer dawgs because the breed was in fashion…or they liked how the dawg's coat matched their décor…or they just wanted something they could fit in their handbag.

But dawgs have personalities…just like people. And, just as we should not select a cabinet member simply because they have an impressive resume, we should not select a canine companion just because they are the breed of the moment or have been bio-engineered not to bark at the mail-person.

I’m serious!

What if the soon-to-be First Family wound up with a dawg that they selected because it didn’t shed only to find out that it had a history of doubting the metal abilities of women and may or may not have created an atmosphere of extreme tension during it’s tenure at a certain Ivy League university?

Blink.

They might not have to deal with the allergies inspired by pet dander, but just think about the other drama they'd get in exchange!

Sigh.

Anyhoo, a bitch recommends that everyone consider canine adoption carefully and weigh the realities of their lifestyle with the potential dawg's personality and temperament.

Start at local shelters…ask if fostering is available…and be prepared for pee in the residence since a bitch is certain the scent of Barney’s legacy will linger for years to come.

...when we the people make it happen.

A bitch is still struggling to put into words what I am feeling right now.

I must confess that I didn’t believe an Obama win was possible until they called it on the telly (Brother Rob Thurman was quick to call a bitch and remind me that he was right…and I’m thrilled enough to take that shit graciously).

I’m going to relish this indescribable feeling today…allow my soul to fill with the emotion of knowing that my Father, may he rest in peace, would be so thrilled that he lived to witness this…and let my sore as hell feet heal a bit (wince).

But tomorrow we begin.

President Elect Obama inherits a towering mass of drama and the daunting task of dealing with it.

And our work…the work of social justice…begins today.

Elections give us tools that we call politicians. It is our job to use the hell out of them…to hold them accountable and to work with them to bring about change.

So get your party on, y’all.

As soon as Missouri finishes the count (Lawd, have mercy…get it done, people!!) and bitch will dust my Afro off and get to it.

Because this moment…these twilightesque weeks between Election Day and inaugurations…is when major shit goes down.

We have not reached the mountaintop, however exciting this historic moment may be.

With many states passing inequality into law…with so many in economic peril…with our nation still at war…and with reproductive justice still under attack…we have a lot of work to do.

And you’d better believe this bitch is fired up and ready to go!

Change happens…

…when we the people make it happen.

Been walking the walk...

Literally.

Sorry for the delay, y'all!

This bitch has been getting my canvass on with a certain Michele and Alison from Planned Parenthood Affiliates in Missouri (see, I told you I'd give you a shout-out...wink)...and then I put in another round with my good friend Ryan who charmed me out of my exhausted funk.

A nod of the Afro to my fellow activists...you are amazing.

Anyhoo, Happy Election Day!

I hope everyone took the time to savor the beauty of the vote. Enjoy the moment and know that this right was won through the courage and actions of many who are no longer with us.

As I drove to meet my fellow canvassers this morning...and we're talking serious morning, people (wince)...I cruised by a polling place on Delmar and saw a line that led all the way down the sidewalk.

I can't remember the last time I saw a line at a polling place in the city.

Fantabulous!

A bitch is off for my final round.

Feet tired.

Soul inspired.

A bitch’s vote-based request…

This bitch got my absentee vote on last week!

I’m scheduled to work polls in the county on Election Day, so my city-based self needed to take care of my patriotic duty early!

Longtime readers know that I adore voting but I’d never voted absentee before. I was a wee bit worried that it wouldn’t be the same…that it would lack the emotional rush I get when I vote on Election Day. But as I filled out my ballot the rush was there…the thrill of finally being able to make my choices official and doing so in a crowd of fellow voters…it was fantabulous!

But many of y’all will head to the polls Tuesday November 4th and this bitch wants to make a simple request of you.

***steps up onto soapbox***

Ahem.

With all the frenzified anticipation surrounding the presidential race it is easy to forget that there is a lot of other shit…a lot of very important other shit…on the ballot.

State Senate races, State Rep. races...here in Missouri we have the Governor’s race and the A.G. race, proposals and initiatives...and so forth and so on.

Those of us who have worked our asses off on state campaigns need voters to complete the ballot!

Mmmhmmm, y’all need to commit to finishing it…flip it over and work your way down to the bottom (blink) …COMPLETE IT, DAMN IT!

Pause…collect self…continue.

In the words of the SOS Band…baby we can do it!

Take the time.

Do it right.

***steps down off of soapbox with that song stuck in my Afro***

Pondering the absence of the Queen of Rancidity…

A bitch has been working the front lines of this election battle in Missouri and this battleground shit is fierce! I keep telling myself that there will be time enough for sleep after November 4th.

Sigh.

Anyhoo, I couldn’t fall asleep last night and this bitch found my thoughts wandering to the current line-up of political pundits getting their talk on.

And it hit me that Ann Coulter has been missing in action.

Blink.

The last time a bitch saw the Queen of Rancidity on television she was vowing to vote for anyone but McCain.

Where for art thou Ann?

Don’t get me wrong…this Coulterless election season has been refreshing as a motherfucker. And its not as if others haven’t picked up the nastification slack in her absence.

I know that she’s still churning out outrageous shit somewhere, but a bitch hasn’t been assaulted by her presence on morning television for months. Mayhap the faithful aren’t buying her brand of chili the way they used to.

Pause…consider…continue.

Could it be that a new version of the Republican ‘fear the other and resist reality’ brand is being developed during this election cycle?

I was so sure Coulter would emerge when the Edwards sex scandal broke since she adores hating on all things Edwards…but, if she held a party a bitch sure as shit didn’t see anything about it.

‘Tis a mystery, for sure.

And a bitch wonders if the absence of Coulter, even as the presidential campaign dissolves into the kind of fear-based revival of the Red Scare that she’d usually be all over like a fly on shit, signals the emergence of a changing of the guard in the social conservative ig’nant rhetoric club.

Bitch may not be the new black…

…but mayhap Elizabeth Hasselbeck is the new Coulter.

Pondering the single party rule argument…

Shall we?

A bitch has noticed that a certain Senator McCain in making the argument that all hell will break lose if Democrats control Congress and the Executive Branch. He hopes to score votes by whipping up fear of single party rule.

Interesting decision…particularly when the most recent example of a majority gone wrong hails from the Republicans.

But we don’t vote for parties.

We vote for candidates.

‘Tis true that we often cast our vote for one candidate because we are against another candidate...but outside of each base people spread their vote around.

In every state of the union people are being overwhelmed with pitches from individuals who sorta agree with the policy positions of one party or another. Here in Missouri we’ve got candidates running statewide who never even mention their party affiliation. A bitch suspects that has something to do with the general state level disgust for all things republican and the fact that we no longer have the option of voting a straight ticket.

Political commercials follow a basic formula – I’m for this, that and the other but I get mavericky over that, this and this other shit so you can trust me even though you don’t trust the political party that shall not be mentioned.

Pause…consider…continue.

It appears to me that McCain’s tactic-esque strategy of getting the fear of handing Dems the keys to the store and the alarm code too vote is headed for a collision with the ballot. His hopes may reside in the fact that 'president' is still the first decision voters make…but he runs the risk of reminding undecided voters that some of their indecision results from the trauma leveled by the last party that held all the keys and raided the fuck out of the pantry.

Blink.

Update - Urgent! Missing Child - Julian King...

Update - It appears that a body found inside the missing SUV is Julian.

May he rest in peace...

The nephew of actress Jennifer Hudson (Julian King) is still missing after the weekend murder of Hudson’s mother and brother in Chicago.

Hudson and her family have offered a $100,000 reward.

Please click here and read the Amber Alert information about Julian King.

Julian is a black male, 7 years old, 4 feet 11 inches tall, 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, wearing a brown polo shirt with stripes and khaki pants.

If you see Julian or have any information about this case call 9-1-1 and advise that they have an Amber Alert for him.

Shame, shame and double shame…

A bitch went to Parkway schools.

As a matter of fact, I spent the bulk of my educational life in the Parkway system.

That was some 20 years ago (wince) and a bitch liked to hope that the bigot-based bullying that I endured during my time there had gone the way of the campus smoking lounge.

But news that five students have been suspended from Parkway West Middle School for hitting Jewish students as part of Hit a Jew Day…well, that just makes me sick.

Some students were hit on the back.

One student was slapped in the face.

Just sick!

Clearly this incident should be a wake up call to Parkway, but it really needs to be a wake up call to the community too.

I can’t imagine what I’d do if I got a call saying my child had hit or slapped another student as part of…ugh!

Shit.

This isn’t about tolerance.

This is about respect.

And if they’re going to haul students into an auditorium for sessions on diversity they need to make damn sure they haul their parents in for the same fucking sessions.

Fuck it, spring for a semester.

Damn it.

Sigh.

My thoughts are with the students subjected to this mess and their families.

Debunked!

This bitch woke up at the crack of dawn...wince...and caught the news item about the woman in Pittsburgh who claimed that she, a campaign worker for McCain, had been mugged at knife point and assaulted by the carving of a “B” into her cheek because her alleged assailant (a black man, natch) was offended by the McCain sticker on her car.

Blink.

I’ve been getting my campaign on all day and missed the news…so I just checked in on this story and discovered that the woman has now admitted to making the story up.

Blink once again.

This bitch was skeptical from jump.

Didn’t the backward “B” give anyone pause?

Mercy.

But a bitch wishes the woman speedy recovery from all that ails her…

…and I hope this isn’t a sign of the drama to come as the campaign enters its final stage.

On the road...

A bitch is traveling today!

Toodles 'till tonight.

p.s. Happy Birthday...a wee bit late...to Jeff!

But isn’t this really about fairly distributing the burden?

A bitch watched my beloved Blues come up short against those Red Wings last night.

Sob.

We’ve got to do something about that first period…big time!

And inviting a certain Gov. Palin to get her campaign on at Friday’s game…well, that’s just not right. Shit, this hockey mom (sorta-beagles count, right?) hasn’t done a damn thing to deserve having that woman on our home ice! The only positive is that she’s likely to drop another couple grand at Saks while she’s here...you know, to stimulate the local economy one luxury item at a time.

Blink.

Anyhoo, Missouri is in play and both presidential candidates are trying to show the Show-Me state why we should vote for them.

A certain Senator McCain has decided to do that with an "I am Joe the Plumber" ad that is so obviously ripped off from those "I am a P.C." ads that this bitch thinks someone should sue.

And doesn't that make McCain-Palin the political version of Windows Vista?

Mercy.

Well, a bitch isn’t Joe the Plumber.

But I am a Missourian…who would like to speak directly to my fellow Missourians about this shit.

Ahem.

Are you Joe the Plumber?

Or are you a worker…who has seen your wages flat line while prices go up?

Has your life thrived under the Bush tax cuts…are you swimming in prosperity…do you feel that those tax cuts have created jobs, stimulated the economy, solidified our status as an economic player, lowered costs and encouraged investment in Missouri?

Or are you struggling…making far less than $250,000 and surrounded by others in that same boat?

Well, its time for some Show-Me logic!

Don’t fall for this tired as shit.

This ain’t Czarist Russia, we aren’t serfs (thank Gawd for comment-based editors!..wink) and…despite what Gov. Palin thinks…the wealthy don’t rule by the will of Gawd.

This is Missouri, where we the people haven’t seen anything trickle down but stagnation and want.

McCain and his ads aren’t warning you about the dangers of spreading the wealth, people.

They’re desperately fighting against the possibility of having to fairly distribute the burden…

Ummm, that’s not what they meant by President of the Senate…

Lawd, have mercy!

A bitch thinks that Governor Palin may have joined McCain’s ticket…by accident.

Palin appears to have a rather expanded, completely inaccurate and...well, unconstitutional definition of the duties of the Vice President of the United States of America.

And a bitch can only speculate that Palin is either winging it and got it wrong (someone needs to show her how to Google that shit, for the love of basic civics!)…or she’s eager to take on a job that does not exist for damn good reasons (can you imagine Cheney running the Senate?)…or she plans to launch a campaign to amend the Constitution to expand the powers of the Vice President.

But hey, at least she's dressing for success.

Blink.

The 8 Against 8...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

On a hockey note - Go Blues!

C-Money and this bitch caught the Blues hockey game on the telly Saturday night.

Blink.

What?

They were playing those Chicago Blackhawks at home...that’s a rivalry deserved of respect and live television viewage!

Anyhoo, the Blackhawks scored first…and by the third period a bitch was fretting that I’d have to endure some serious trash talk from Chicago fans.

But then it happened…the Blues made a third period comeback to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Gasp.

And after a scoreless overtime we went into that shoot-out-to-decide-it-all business that is beyond bad for a bitch’s blood pressure.

Mercy!

Thank Gawd the fantabulous T.J. Oshie (the fresh faced rookie down from North Dakota that C-Money just adores and wants to feed soul food to) took that moment to score his first NHL goal and win the game!

Blues…4

Hawks…3

Dawg biscuits for sorta-beagles and Sweetie the three legged chow…3

Vodka crans…don’t even ask.

Shit, if we weren’t in an economic depression the Bitch Squad would buy season tickets.

Change happens…

A bitch is a huge fan of inner work…and Lawd knows that Diane Fedele of the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated, needs to get about the bitness of looking inward fast as a motherfucker.

Fedele is responsible for sending this to her fellow members with a caption that read "Obama talks about all those presidents that got their names on bills. If elected, what bill would he be on? Food stamps, what else!".
And for issuing subsequent denials that the image is in any way based on racial stereotypes.

Blink.

At first this bitch wondered why people who clearly were getting their Birth of a Nation on are now trying to pitch some lame ass bullshit about not seeing the image as racist.

But then it dawned on me that Fedele and her family may actually believe that an Obama presidency will usher in just such a food stamp…and a cabinet of black folk who will dine on watermelon that they’ll surely wash down with grape Kool-Aid while dancing a jig in the Oval Office.

Lawd, give me strength.

Anyhoo, a certain Ron from Montana (my favorite conservative email-based debate foe for over three years) sent a link to an article about this food stamp mess stating that he’d already decided to vote for Obama but that this racist mess made him leave the Republican party altogether.

I’ve been arguing with the man for years…years, I tell you! But it took Diane Fedele’s public display of bigotry and news of those robo-calls from hell and a series of scary angry mob-based Palin rallies to make Ron from Montana go Independent.

Pause…consider…continue.

Fuck it.

Works for me!

Change happens when it is meant to happen...

Pondering special needs…

Happy Friday, chil’ren!

Let’s jump right on in, shall we?

The fact that the Palin family has a child with special needs (her son has Down syndrome) has sorta-sparked a national discussion on the needs of children with special needs.

Longtime readers know that my older brother is autistic…’cause, Gawd willing, special needs children grow up to be adults with special needs…and I’ve written about the ups and downs of co-guardianship and dealing with the system.

Supporters of Gov. Palin like to use her choice to knowingly have a child with Down syndrome as some sort of example of how it can be done. I’m the youngest in my family and I’ve never known a day without autism…the Palin family is just getting started, trust a bitch.

Special needs are needs, for the love of all that is logical. My brother is 38 years old and my parents struggled to pay for private school, therapy, special camps and treatments followed by assessments followed by treatments followed by meds that weren't covered by insurance and so forth and so on. Now that he is grown he is vulnerable to funding cuts that have taken away dental coverage and supported employment programs.

The fat was trimmed long ago...but The Man hasn't put the scalpel down.

The lifetime costs of caring for a person with autism are estimated to be around $5 million dollars and only some of that shit is covered.

When a family has a loved one with special needs everything changes. Personal time…vacations…daily rituals...everything changes and a lot of shit is taken off the table. I recently wrote about the lack of funding and support for programs that benefit people with special needs at RHRealityCheck because we need more than rhetoric…we need leadership, programs and the motherfucking funding to put them to work.

There are some great programs out there…at the state level and at the federal level…that would really help out, but too many have been underfunded or eliminated. Families need respite, financial assistance for therapy and special education…we need government to value our families too.

And now, with the economic crisis sure to impact what the next President will be able to do, we need our needs to be a priority...on the must-do list and off the cut first list.

Senator Obama has a plan...it ain't perfect, but it is a plan that we the people can work to make happen.

Senator McCain?

***cue crickets***

Mayhap a bitch should get Joe the Plumber to ask where the fuck it is?

Blink.

Pondering plumbing…

First, thank you all for the encouragement and advice commented to yesterday’s post!

I really appreciate y’all…BIG TIME!

Shall we?

Last night Joe the Plumber got his fifteen minutes and then some during the last (thank Gawd!!) presidential debate before the election. Joe the Plumber…who may also be a Joe six-pack…was the dude who challenged Obama during a campaign event on his tax proposal saying that he’s about to buy a bitness making some $250,000 and feels Obama’s plan will tax him more.

Obama answered Joe the Plumber then…and again last night. McCain basically dedicated his debate appearance to the man.

Shit, Joe the Plumber was spoken to some 24 times during the debate between the two candidates!

Blink.

Must be nice.

Well, I’m Shark-Fu the AngryBlackBitch and I’d like to point something out to Joe the Plumber.

Cough.

Joe?

Hi!

Congrats on the new bitness.

A bitch is one of the masses that would be a potential customer for you if you were a Missouri-based plumber. We have bathrooms and sinks and toilets and such…and when shit breaks we usually turn to a plumber. But the economic crisis may impact that…and have the Family Bitch turning to Lowes and a self-help book first.

Shudder.

Not that you seem to give a damn about the rest of us working people who would LOVE to be able to afford a plumber much less buy a plumbing bitness in the middle of a fucking recession.

Shit.

Fuck it.

A bitch suspects that plumbing, like beer, is recession proof.

Pause...consider...continue.

Yeah, because this bitch would rather suffer through another debate than the horrors of do-it-yourself plumbing...

Untitled...

Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts:
Can you show me where it hurts?

A bitch is longing to feel Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb right now.

Ugh.

I’ve tried to put it to the back of my mind and I’ve tried to write about something else but I keep ending up unable to do anything but keep it real.

Longtime readers know that this bitch does a lot of volunteer work with young women.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that I can’t fix every wrong and I can’t live any life but my own.

Sigh.

A fifteen year old woman I know is pregnant.

She’s not the first young woman I’ve volunteered with to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.

But I am feeling a sense of failure…and I know that this isn’t about me and that my personalizing it doesn’t accomplish shit.

There is no pain, you are receding.

Yet the feeling that I should have done more…taken more time…built up more trust…been there more…that feeling has settled over me and taken root.

A distant ships smoke on the horizon.

And I can’t help feeling angry that she doesn’t have choices…her mother is anti-choice and this young woman is now a mother-to-be whether she wants to be or not.

You are only coming through in waves.

I can’t help but fret over her future, because I know that the same people who do not support reproductive choice will not support her in the life she will have to build absent choice.

Your lips move but I cant hear what you’re saying.

…and that she will have to balance school, work, working the system and parenting in a society that views that struggle as the wages of sin.

When I was a child I had a fever.

The reality is harsh...this economy will not smile upon poor teen mothers...and this young woman will not enjoy a Palin-esque outcome.

My hands felt just like two balloons.

And I wish.

Damn it.

I wish I could have done more.

Now I got that feeling once again.
I can't explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.

The lack of options and the daunting challenge that is before her are running in a loop through my mind.

I have become comfortably numb.

Numb?

And then that numbness is gone...not numb, not blind to reality...not ignorant of the role money and education and resources will play...not able to ignore the poverty she already lives in that thrives as a result of our apathy and cruel disregard.

Poverty...the only war America doesn't want to fight.

And oh, the burden of an enlightened mind.

Ok.
Just a little pinprick. [ping]
Therell be no more --aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.

Shit.

This isn’t about me but the tragedy is that this isn’t even about her.

Can you stand up?
I do believe its working. good.
That'll keep you going for the show.
Come on its time to go.

No, this won’t be about her until she gives birth.

Then it will be all about her.

She who is seen as unfit to make decisions because she is fifteen will be charged with making all the decisions in nine short months.

There is no pain, you are receding.

And I wish I could be comfortably numb.

A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what you're saying.

Pause...gather self...continue.

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.

Time to listen while everyone else talks...to comfort and assist when asked to.

I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.

We...must not become comfortably numb.

Hold please…

A bitch is mid-juggle and there are too many damn balls in the air!

Sigh.

Bitchitude shall return tomorrow…

By request - scratching my angry black scalp...

The fantabulous Liss of Shakesville fame sent this bitch an article by Patricia J. Williams titled The Politics of Michelle Obama’s Hair. The piece is an exploration of Michelle Obama’s presence…her personality, appearance and oh yes, her hair. Williams clearly is inspired by the complete Michelle Obama package, but there’s something about the way she explores the hair thang that gave me pause.

Shall we?

Full disclosure – a bitch rocks a natural Afro and has for several years.

Cough.

I was raised to believe that wearing natural hairstyles (meaning not straightening my hair) wasn’t the route to regular employment, acceptance or happiness. More importantly, I was taught that black women were charged with the task of putting others at ease through both our appearance and our temperament…and that was the clear route to regular employment, acceptance and happiness. So when I chopped off my chemically straightened hair and began to grow my Afro I was honestly concerned that it would have negative ramifications. Williams describes it as “political hair” but she seems to be searching for empowerment within an acceptably black definition by contrasting the appeal of Michelle Obama to the way Cynthia McKinney was treated by Capitol security allegedly because she began to wear a natural.

The thing is that has more to do with the very society Williams acknowledges is neither post-racial nor post-feminist.

When Williams tells of how sad she felt when wearing a Condi Rice Halloween mask versus how up beat she felt when wearing a Michelle Obama mask…well, she lost me.

If I’ve learned anything it is that true empowerment comes from being comfortable and loving the hell out of your own ass.

The thing that I like about Michelle Obama is that she exudes that empowerment. She’s cool with herself – no mask required (wink).

But Ms. McKinney is also cool with her self…and just because some members of the Capitol police aren’t cool with that shit doesn’t mean she is any less empowering as a result. Let’s be clear…members of the press politicized the role of her hair – her hair was just being hair.

Sigh.

Is Michelle Obama fantabulous?

Yes!

Would I feel fantabulous rocking her look…her ways…her life?

No.

***logs off to fluff Afro then read Ain’t I a Woman one more time***

By request – politics is local…

A certain Anonymous asked what this bitch’s thoughts are on the race to replace Gov. Blunt (bless his rancid heart) here in Missouri.

You asked for it!

Rep. Kenny Hulshof is the Republican candidate…though you’d be hard pressed to find any reference to the political party that shall not be named for fear of negative vote-based repercussions in his television commercials. The Hulshof campaign is a great example of the way Republicans are running in Missouri this year. His ads and literature have his name, his policy positions and so forth…but he and his fellow GOPers are running fast as a motherfucker away from all things Republican, Bushed or Blunted.

The thing is Hulshof has a record and it stinks the stank of a social conservative in moderate clothing. His votes against reproductive justice alone make him an unacceptable candidate…and no clever advertising tag line is going to hide that shit.

On the other side we have Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Sigh.

Nixon may not be the darling of the progressive set…but.

Yeah…but.

Missouri continues to writhe under the relentless abuse of Republican control and I, for one, shudder at the thought of four more years of anti-knowledge, anti-family, anti-women and anti-common sense government.

Sigh again.

We each have to make our own choice, Anonymous…do your research and make sure you are voting from a place of knowledge and not spin.

Negativitude...

Mercy, the presidential campaign has gone negative…big time!

Despite the excitement of the press, the current mud slinging is only the beginning of the flood we’re about to see.

Over the weekend the polls shifted and a bitch’s home state of Missouri went from leaning Republican to being a Big Ass Battleground state.

Missourians were already knee deep in the slug fest to replace Governor Blunt…which includes dueling television ads that are made up of 60 seconds of “HE LIES, HE LIES, HE LIES…(insert opponent’s name) is the very definition of BULLSHIT!!”

I’m serious, the republican candidate for Governor has a cartoon bull in his ad…for real...and it gets branded at the end (wince).

But now they’ve layered on presidential ads because Obama and McCain are dead even here. In St. Louis McCain is running ads questioning Obama’s readiness, character and honesty. Obama is running ads about healthcare and the economy...lots and lots of ads...tons of ads...an ad for every voter, for the love of media exposure.

Since St. Louis is in the midst of some serious economic drama…and the real battle for Missouri is really in the suburban counties of St. Louis and Kansas City, where people are being forced to redefine the American Dream due to Fubar Economics…this bitch is tempted to question the tactic (or is it the strategy?) of not talking about the issues but my ass honestly hopes that flawed shit continues.

Either way, The Great Media Battle for Missouri is making it damn near impossible to watch television without the aggressive use of TiVo (bless you, oh fantastical invention of the century)!

Buckle up, chil'ren...and put on a helmet too!

Blink.

Toodles ‘til after the debate…

Say it ain’t so, Joe…

Joe McCain, Senator John McCain’s brother, apparently thinks Northern Virginia is “communist country”.

Mmmhmmm, Joe McCain sorta-joked that Arlington and Alexandria are hot beds of communist activity…lousy with communists…the home base of a bunch of Raymond Shaws (who are the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human beings I've ever known in my life).

Blink.

The McCain camp is getting their McCarthyism on with the good folks of Northern Virginia?

Daaaaamn.

So, is this a tactic or the entire strategy?

By request – No you’re never gonna get it, never ever gonna get it…

A certain Anonymous left a comment on my V.P debate post that asked for this bitch’s thoughts on the issue of some white voters who are not going to vote for Senator Obama because he’s black.

Blink.

Shall we?

A bitch isn’t one to bet, but my ass is pretty damn sure that Senator Obama is aware that there are some white voters who traditionally vote for democrats who will not be voting for him because he is black.

As a matter of fact, a bitch has noticed that the people who seem most surprised by a lack of support sourced deeply in racial bias are white people who thought America had progressed a hell of a lot further than we actually have.

The success of the Obama campaign has surprised me but it has not convinced me that Americans are beyond making decisions based on race, class and gender or that some among us are prepared to cast votes that go against their personal best interest simply because the logic resistant infection of bigotry courses through their veins.

Sad?

Yes.

Surprising?

Not one bit.

The thing to do is to keep it real, Anonymous.

Be authentic and a wee bit audacious (wink) and continue to explain why you are voting for the people you are voting for. You may not change minds but, then again, you may.

Just remember that you can only live your life...

...and others will have to live theirs, ig'nant though they may be.

Pondering the vice presidential debate…

Last night Senator Biden and Governor Palin participated in the sole vice presidential debate of the 2008 election in my home city of St. Louis Missouri. I watched most of the 90-minute debate and the post debate analysis and…well, it made my Afro hurt.

Hell, my Afro still hurts.

Let’s rewind a bit to examine the pre-debate attempt by conservative bloggers to cast doubt on the integrity of moderator Gwen Ifill. Ifill is writing a book about American politics in the “age of Obama” and she has been upfront and open about that. But conservative bloggers decided to question her impartiality because the book deals with Obama’s political career among other politicians of color.

I see that unfounded questioning as a continuation of the grand insult dealt black women by political analysts throughout this election. Time after time, pundits have voiced their assumption that black women will vote for Senator Obama simply because he is black. They have perpetuated the myth that all black people value racial pride over political legitimacy, that we are easily dazzled by the success of other black people and that we will fail to weigh the issues and policy positions of a black candidate simply because we want to see a black man elected president. Thus, they dismiss the fact that black voters were pro-Clinton even after Obama entered the race, that many black voters questioned and analyzed Obama’s campaign just as they did the campaigns of the other candidates and that Senator Obama has had to earn the black vote just like President Clinton did in the 1990s.

So it came as no surprise that Ifill’s journalistic integrity would be questioned in the same way the integrity of black voters has been from the primaries on. But it was and is a sad commentary on how the bigoted assumptions of some define the political temperament of black America.

With that drama weighing on my mind, I sat down and watched the vice presidential debate. I can only speak for myself, but the pain in my Afro grew as I witnessed Gov. Palin deliver a performance drenched in folksy phrases and overly simplified pseudo-patriotic statements designed to seduce white voters in Middle America. I hoped that she would hold her own because I know that many will judge all women in politics based on Palin's ability to perform under pressure. I also hoped that she would prove herself worthy of the office she seeks and that she would then be judged on the policy positions presented rather than on the fall-out of another intellectual meltdown on national television.

What I saw instead was 90 minutes of those folksified “you betchas” layered on top of gross generalizations of what middle class America desires from their government. As the candidates gave their closing statements I couldn’t help but wonder what the analysis would be. Suffice it to say, it turned out to be one of the best examples of privilege that I have ever witnessed.

Headlines on news sites announce that Palin has gotten back on track and that she defied expectations. Conservative analysts applauded her for being herself and speaking like and to average Americans.

And I’m left trying to imagine the response if Gwen Ifill had moderated the debate using the same folksy phrases Gov. Palin tossed out like Mardi Gras beads during a parade.

I can just imagine the response if Senator Obama dodged questions with a wink followed by something along the lines of “You betcha, hockey moms and Joe six-pack want affordable healthcare and fiscal responsibility too!”

I'd put money I don't have down that the response wouldn’t be praise.

And I’m damned certain Ifill or Obama wouldn’t wake up this morning and read that they held their own and got the job done after tossing out that much verbal bullshit the night before.

But obviously Gov. Palin is being measured by a very generous stick.

I’ll betcha Gwen Ifill won’t uncover that kind of privilege in her book.

Mmmmhmm, you’re darn tootin’ she won't!

Lawd, give me strength...

Debate Preparitude…

A bitch had a fantabulous time last night at the Missouri History Museum and thanks to everyone who turned out!

Shall we?

This bitch has been watching to desperate attempt to stir up pre-debate drama over Gwen Ifill’s book on up and coming young black politicians and…well, I call bullshit.

Gwen Ifill’s reputation is beyond solid and she has been very upfront about the content of the book.

Shit.

If anything, the GOP should be thrilled that Ms. Ifill is moderating instead of some anchor desperate for ratings who is really seeking a gotcha moment that’ll land her ass on You Tube and their candidate in a approval ratings death spiral.

Blink.

On another note entirely, a bitch sends healing wishes to Ms. Ifill…rumor has it she hurt her foot earlier in the week.

Wince.

Onward to debate preparedness!

ABB’s List of Vice Presidential Debate Required Things…
Munchables
I’m thinking a plate of smothered yumminess from Sweetie Pie’s is called for. Mmmhmm, with some mashed taters and mac & cheese and corn bread too!

Pause…drool…continue.

Beverages
Vodka followed by grape cran with lots of ice
Water…’cause tonight is a school night, chil’ren!
Ginger Ale…because odds are Gov. Palin is going to say something that’s sure to made a bitch’s stomach churn.

Technical Support
A freshly charged TiVo remote control
Well rested television set with satellite
Miss Sister Girl MacBook
And a notebook for note taking…

Dessert (to be consumed during post debate spin watching)
A bitch has settled on banana splits with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Yum.

Let the bullshit begin!

Busier and busier…

Lawd, have mercy, y’all!

This bitch is busier than busy so please forgive me my lack of posting. I’ve been preparing for my participation in the A Girl like Me: A Conversation About Race, Beauty and Self-Image event at the Missouri History Museum tonight!

Things kick off at 6pm and don’t forget to bring some dinner-based yumminess with you.

Anyhoo, the much anticipated Vice Presidential Debate is taking place here in St. Louis and this bitch needs to get my pre-debate preparedness on.

Blink.

Oh, c’mon…the pre-debate frenzy of speculation is usually better than the actual debate! I just adore watching political commentators freak the fuck out over ever shifting poll numbers and which wanna-be Veep is more likely to fuck up. And with Gov. Palin’s recent verbal malfunctions feeding the fire, this bitch anticipates some serious pre-debate bullshit to go down today through tomorrow.

The best part of having a high profile debate hosted in my home town is knowing that all the media folks a bitch watches on a regular basis are in town.

Pause…ponder whether the fantabulous Gwen Ifill would join a bitch for soul food yumminess and political speculation at Sweetie Pie’s…continue.

Anyhoo…this shit calls for some serious preparedness.

I’m thinking smothered soul-food yumminess, vodka followed by cran and a well rested TiVo…