The Sleaziness of White Privilege

 

If Brett Farve had not become a successful NFL quarterback, I believe he would've been just another good ol' southern, blue collar country boy.  Some might've even labeled him as "poor white trash." 

Favre was born in Gulfport, MS in 1969 and raised in the unincorporated community of Kiln (just outside of Gulfport).  Kiln, with a population of around 2200, once had a reputation for being known as the "moonshine capital of the world." It's also important to note that less than one percent of blacks live there.  One report indicates there were only 2 black residents:  Kiln, MS stats

 Of course, we all know Favre went on to make millions in the NFL and kept making $$$ with endorsements after his  career ended.  It's safe to say Brett Favre benefitted from being a white male and he knew how to use his executive white privilege card to get things accomplished.

He used that privilege card to allegedly siphon funds from the Mississippi Welfare Fund to build a volleyball facility at Southern Mississippi University, where his daughter just happens to play the sport.  This good ol' boy also reportedly leveraged his status to secure funds for a start-up biotechnology company that ended up going belly up.  Of course, Favre claims he had no idea the money was being taken from the poor to give to the greedy and he hasn't officially been charged with anything as of this moment.  Text messages, however, implicate him on just about every level including the one he sent asking the woman, who allocated the funds, if the media could ever find out where the money came from and how much.  Wow! Just Wow!   

So now our attention has focused on the Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka (who happens to be black with NO privilege card) and his scandalous sex scandal, while most of the media continues to remain relatively silent about the man robbed from the poor to give to the rich.  Why isn't the NFL up in arms over one of their own abusing his power?  I say kick him out of the Hall of Fame but I have learned that there is nothing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame bylaws that allows the  removal once enshrined.  (That's probably why O.J. is still there). 

That's what white privilege can do for a good ol' southern country boy.

Baby Boomer Men Not Sold on Going Green

Baby boomer women have a clear edge over baby boomer men when it comes to understanding what it means to "go green."

According to Crowd Science's Just Ask! opinion survey men over the age of 55 are nearly twice as likely to believe that shopping "green" makes no difference. They are also much less likely to check that their purchases come from "ethical" companies than women (30% vs. 42%) and twice as likely to believe that the green movement is just a marketing ploy (16% vs. 8%).

The survey also concluded that education plays a key role in understanding green behavior, as 21% of those with a post-graduate education will pay substantially more for green products as opposed to 12% of those with a basic undergraduate background or less.

So is this where I'm supposed to say women are just smarter than men?

Noisy Sex Gets a Conviction

I think you and I will agree that it's a good thing when a husband and wife can really turn each other on at midlife, right? But should your neighbors have first hand knowledge of what's going on in your home?

It seems as though a 48-year-old baby boomer woman from the UK was convicted for making too much noise during her love-making sessions with her husband. The noise was so bad that everyone from the neighbors to the postman heard their escapades.

A next door neighbor of the couple told the court she was frequently late for work because she overslept having been awake most of the night because of the noise.

She said: "The noise sounds like they are both in considerable pain. I cannot describe the noise. I have never ever heard anything like it."

An actual recording of their love-making sessions was also played for the court.

OK....so is this a cheap thrill or is someone jealous?

To read the whole article, click on the title at the top of the page.

In the Minority---AGAIN!

If you've been following my blog, you know I talked about bras yesterday. Apparently there are women in several states who are suing Victoria Secret claiming their bras cause rashes and permanent bruises.

Today I'm talking about bras again. No, I'm not having a bra fettish but, as a journalist, I like to stay informed and it just so happens that bras are in the news again today.

One of America's largest bra makers, Wacoal, is predicting that 36DD will be the size more women purchase than any other in 2009. WHAT?!

It appears obesity in women is a contributing factor. According to a study of adult women by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity has increased to more than 35 percent. Another contributing factor to the increase in breast size is breast implants. Everybody still wants to look like Pamela Anderson.

Age and hormones are also playing havoc with baby boomers' bust sizes. But wait a minute. I'm a baby boomer---but the only fatty tissue I've seen an increase in is in the lower--not upper half of my body.

I guess that means I'm in the minority again. But I do remember someone once telling me "more than a handful is wasted."

Knowing Your Neighbors

Shortly after I moved into the neighborhood where I currently live, I made it a point to get to know my neighbors. I didn’t wait for anyone to come over with a welcome cake or some collard greens. As I learned from my own parents, knowing your neighbors is a good thing because you never know when you’re going to need help.

Last week, I needed help so I cashed in one of those “good neighbor” chips to my next door neighbor and fellow baby boomer Kathy.

For those of you who’ve ever had food poisoning, you know how terrible it can be. Needless to say, I was miserable and on top of that, I was very weak. I called Kathy and asked her for some crackers. In less than two minutes, she was at my door with my request. She had even volunteered to make me some soup.

Now, let’s just say I didn’t know Kathy but decided to call her anyway. The conversation would’ve gone something like this:

Bev: "Hello, Kathy?"

Kathy: "Yes, who is this?"

Bev: "Kathy, this is your next door neighbor Beverly."

Kathy: "Who?"

Bev: "Beverly."

Kathy: "OK, which house do you live in?"

Bev: "I’m in the yellow house."

Kathy: "Oh, OK. I'm surprised you have my number. What can I do for you?"

Bev: "Kathy, would you by chance have any crackers. I need something to put on my stomach with my soup."

Kathy: "No, I don’t have any crackers. All I have are Wheat Thins."

Bev: "Oh, OK (inaudible) I’ll take those."

Kathy: "Sorry I couldn’t help you. Hope you feel better." (hangs up)

Believe it or not, there are still many communities where people haven’t taken the time to get to know each other. I’m just thankful I don’t live in one of them.

Thanks Kathy!