I guess it’s my turn to weigh on the controversy surrounding Obama’s no-show at the annual State of the Black Union forum hosted by Tavis Smiley in New Orleans last Saturday. As a veteran journalist, I have an opinion on the actions of my fellow journalist and baby boomer.
Tavis apparently asked Barack Obama to be a part of the forum but Obama declined. In a letter to Tavis’ people Obama said, “In the final stretch, I will be on the campaign trail every day in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum. That is why, with regret, I am not able to attend the forum."
Tavis took offense to Obama’s decision not to attend, saying "I think it is a miscalculation on his part not to appear and a missed opportunity."
There were also reports that Michelle Obama offered to go in her husband’s place but she wasn’t apparently good enough. She was good enough for The View but not for Tavis’ fancy soiree---where only the cream of the crop in the African-American community were invited to grace the stage in his presence.
I guess Tavis just figured he was important enough to have Barack Obama drop his campaign tour schedule just for him. I guess he forgot that Obama is trying to win votes from registered voters of ALL races in two of the most important states to date. Sure Hillary showed up but she did so because of her eroding support in the African-American community.
Funny how some people perceive themselves to be larger than life and want you to believe the world must evolve around them. Tavis Smiley shot himself in the foot when he attacked Obama for not coming to his shin-dig.
Listen up Tavis: Obama’s appearance at your forum probably wouldn’t have changed many minds one way or the other. You probably just wanted him there for “show and tell” so you could make your baby boomer buddies think how big and powerful you are.
Honey, you’re not Oprah.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Daytime TV's Hottest African-American Couple is Hotter than Ever
I don't care what I'm doing at 1pm EST---I have to take a pause to watch my favorite daytime Soap, All My Children. Since the writers decided to bring the story of Angie and Jesse back, I have been glued to the set.
Twenty years ago, the Angie and Jesse characters (played by Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams) created magic as the first African-American couple with a real story line that didn't involve drugs or prostitution. Now they are back as baby boomers and setting the show on fire!
I sat with baited breath as I waited for the pair to finally connect with each other on Friday. But you know how the Soaps do it. They give you this cliffhanger to make you want to come back and watch the show again on Monday. All we got to see was Jesse step off the train while Angie, is standing a distance away in a teary-eyed daze.
Well, they don't have to worry about me. I can't wait to see their reunion as he steps off the train and into her arms.
But the plot is only going to get thicker because there's still quite a few unanswered questions. How are the writers going to explain his death 20 years ago? What kind of shady business is he connected to this time?
Can someone just give this brother a break and let us enjoy the romance?
Twenty years ago, the Angie and Jesse characters (played by Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams) created magic as the first African-American couple with a real story line that didn't involve drugs or prostitution. Now they are back as baby boomers and setting the show on fire!
I sat with baited breath as I waited for the pair to finally connect with each other on Friday. But you know how the Soaps do it. They give you this cliffhanger to make you want to come back and watch the show again on Monday. All we got to see was Jesse step off the train while Angie, is standing a distance away in a teary-eyed daze.
Well, they don't have to worry about me. I can't wait to see their reunion as he steps off the train and into her arms.
But the plot is only going to get thicker because there's still quite a few unanswered questions. How are the writers going to explain his death 20 years ago? What kind of shady business is he connected to this time?
Can someone just give this brother a break and let us enjoy the romance?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
How to Get Rid of Baby Boomer Blubber
Are you a victim of baby boomer blubber? That's the pudge that hangs around or OVER your midriff section. It's the cellulite on your thighs that looks like cooked oatmeal. It's also the sagging that causes your breasts and stomach to become better acquainted.
As we age, our metabolism starts to slow down and it gets harder to get a handle on weight management. Even though some of us eat less, the pounds just keep on coming. That's baby boomer blubber. Want to know how to get rid of baby boomer blubber? Don't ask me because I'm still working on mine but I will introduce you to a 40-something-year-old man who got rid of his. Two years ago, he weighed 387 pounds. He wasn't happy with his weight and neither were his doctors. Find out how this Pittsburgh Steelers fan lost over half of his weight in a two-year period. He will be my special guest on the next edition of Passions, Monday, February 11. You will be inspired by what you hear!
Listen to Passions: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/passions
As we age, our metabolism starts to slow down and it gets harder to get a handle on weight management. Even though some of us eat less, the pounds just keep on coming. That's baby boomer blubber. Want to know how to get rid of baby boomer blubber? Don't ask me because I'm still working on mine but I will introduce you to a 40-something-year-old man who got rid of his. Two years ago, he weighed 387 pounds. He wasn't happy with his weight and neither were his doctors. Find out how this Pittsburgh Steelers fan lost over half of his weight in a two-year period. He will be my special guest on the next edition of Passions, Monday, February 11. You will be inspired by what you hear!
Listen to Passions: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/passions
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Daytime TV's Hottest African-American Baby Boomer Couple
Thank You All My Children for giving me a reason to come back and get my fix. I was a soap opera junkie for many years. My mother turned me on to the ABC line-up when I was a child so I grew up with Erica, Tad and Dr. Martin. I stayed hooked through high school and college.
I became obsessed when the ABC soap brought in a young actress who looked like me. Her name was Debbi Morgan and she played the daughter of a well-to-do couple in Pine Valley. This was the first time I could recall seeing a black woman who wasn’t playing a prostitute or “mammy.” I could so relate. And then the Soap decided to shake up the pot by bringing in actor Darnell Williams, who played “bad boy” Jesse Hubbard. Despite all the drama between the two of them and their families, they eventually became America’s African-American Super Couple. But then, Jesse died and Angie (who went on to become a doctor) left Pine Valley.
But some genius in that All My Children Writer’s Group had the brilliant idea to bring the couple back to the show. They're now Baby Boomers, just like me. I, for one, am so glad they decided to bring them back because I had stopped watching the Soap because I couldn’t identify with anything that was going on. Yes, Erica may still look as good as she did 40 years ago but she just wasn’t enough to hold my interest.
Now, once again, I am glued to my TV watching for every scene that depicts Angie and Jesse. But Jesse’s supposed to be dead. I watched the episode where he died in Angie’s arms. How they’ll explain this one is beyond me but I don't care.
In a recent interview with Essence Magazine, Debbi said she thought the whole story line was going to be exciting as it unfolds:
D.M.: “He is supposed to be dead and when that turns out to be something else, there is so much drama. I don’t know exactly what has happened in Jesse’s past but whatever it is, I don’t think it’s gonna sit well with her.
Essence.com: You really don’t know the details, Debbi?
D.M.: “I swear to you, I really don’t know. I do know that he’s not dead. He’s not a ghost. I have not been told why his death was faked. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to know so when we play the scene, it will be spontaneous.”
OK so instead of wasting my life away at the computer as I have been for the past couple of years, I can now sit in front of my TV with some bon-bons and butter pecan ice cream and enjoy watching the drama between America’s favorite African-American Baby Boomer Couple unfold.
I became obsessed when the ABC soap brought in a young actress who looked like me. Her name was Debbi Morgan and she played the daughter of a well-to-do couple in Pine Valley. This was the first time I could recall seeing a black woman who wasn’t playing a prostitute or “mammy.” I could so relate. And then the Soap decided to shake up the pot by bringing in actor Darnell Williams, who played “bad boy” Jesse Hubbard. Despite all the drama between the two of them and their families, they eventually became America’s African-American Super Couple. But then, Jesse died and Angie (who went on to become a doctor) left Pine Valley.
But some genius in that All My Children Writer’s Group had the brilliant idea to bring the couple back to the show. They're now Baby Boomers, just like me. I, for one, am so glad they decided to bring them back because I had stopped watching the Soap because I couldn’t identify with anything that was going on. Yes, Erica may still look as good as she did 40 years ago but she just wasn’t enough to hold my interest.
Now, once again, I am glued to my TV watching for every scene that depicts Angie and Jesse. But Jesse’s supposed to be dead. I watched the episode where he died in Angie’s arms. How they’ll explain this one is beyond me but I don't care.
In a recent interview with Essence Magazine, Debbi said she thought the whole story line was going to be exciting as it unfolds:
D.M.: “He is supposed to be dead and when that turns out to be something else, there is so much drama. I don’t know exactly what has happened in Jesse’s past but whatever it is, I don’t think it’s gonna sit well with her.
Essence.com: You really don’t know the details, Debbi?
D.M.: “I swear to you, I really don’t know. I do know that he’s not dead. He’s not a ghost. I have not been told why his death was faked. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to know so when we play the scene, it will be spontaneous.”
OK so instead of wasting my life away at the computer as I have been for the past couple of years, I can now sit in front of my TV with some bon-bons and butter pecan ice cream and enjoy watching the drama between America’s favorite African-American Baby Boomer Couple unfold.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How Stupid Can Some Baby Boomers Be?
OK...here's the story. A 46-year-old man in Maine, identified as Michael David, was busted in a Maine hotel room last week for selling drugs. But that's not the clincher. According to police, he sold four 10-milligram methadone pills for $15 each and then went to a nearby convenience store and purchased some lottery tickets. He won $1000! Of course, someone tipped the cops off that Baby Boomer David was selling drugs out of his hotel room and that's where he was arrested.
The winning lottery ticket was confiscated by police, who are calling David's winnings "proceeds from a drug transaction."
Maybe Baby Boomer David should've purchased the ticket FIRST and then he wouldn't have had to sell any drugs. But then again, maybe that's why he was selling drugs in the first place---so he could hit the big jackpot and retire from his life of crime.
The winning lottery ticket was confiscated by police, who are calling David's winnings "proceeds from a drug transaction."
Maybe Baby Boomer David should've purchased the ticket FIRST and then he wouldn't have had to sell any drugs. But then again, maybe that's why he was selling drugs in the first place---so he could hit the big jackpot and retire from his life of crime.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
MLK Holiday: From a Baby Boomer's Perspective
Ever since 1986, the third Monday in January has been set aside to honor the birthday and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some of us celebrate his legacy by attending a prayer breakfast, luncheon or other festive event. We reflect on the famous “I have a Dream” speech. Some still remember and share their own personal accounts of the civil rights struggle. Then there are some of us who do nothing but enjoy a day off from work.
What category did you fall into on this particular third Monday in January?
It’s all well and good to celebrate the life of a great man but what happens the day AFTER the MLK Holiday? Did you wake up and hear the “let freedom ring” bells ringing in your community? Can you say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that all men (and women) are treated equally on your job? If someone were to judge you by the content of your character, what would your sentence be? How many little black boys and little black girls have you seen walking hand-in-hand, side-by-side with little white girls and little white boys ANYWHERE? Did you go out in the world and make a difference by helping someone else or taking a stand against an injustice?
What are we really celebrating 40 years later?
What category did you fall into on this particular third Monday in January?
It’s all well and good to celebrate the life of a great man but what happens the day AFTER the MLK Holiday? Did you wake up and hear the “let freedom ring” bells ringing in your community? Can you say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that all men (and women) are treated equally on your job? If someone were to judge you by the content of your character, what would your sentence be? How many little black boys and little black girls have you seen walking hand-in-hand, side-by-side with little white girls and little white boys ANYWHERE? Did you go out in the world and make a difference by helping someone else or taking a stand against an injustice?
What are we really celebrating 40 years later?
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Hillary Does Not Speak for all Baby Boomers
You know I keep saying I am not going to get caught up in the "politics" behind the politics of this election. Unfortunately, the media makes it very difficult not to.
What disturbs me about this election is how much the media is doing to sway public opinion. Even after Obama won the Iowa Caucus, Hillary was still the center of attention with their "Why didn't she win?" news stories.
Now they're talking about how she showed her vulnerability and choked up when talking about her likeability factor. Was that a news story? NO, but the media chose to make it one. Now they're going as far as to call her the "Comeback Kid." Tell me, how can that be when she was the front runner from the very beginning? The only thing she came back from was a humiliating loss in Iowa.
If there is a so-called come-back kid, it would have to be John McCain who had a very poor showing in Iowa but came back like gangbusters in NH. Why isn't the media making more out of his story?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Hillary would win NH. The Live Free or Die State has always been the frontrunner when it comes to electing women. Remember former two-term Governor Ella Grasso?
Personally, I think the media has its own agenda to make the Democratic Race as divisive as possible and let another Republican sneak in again. He won't have to steal it this time.
The media and politics make strange bedfellows.
One more thing: One of the female commentators on CNN who labeled herself a baby boomer was quick to point out that baby boomer women in NH were rising to the occasion to support one of their own. Lady, please be advised that Hillary does NOT speak for ALL baby boomers. Just ask Oprah.
What disturbs me about this election is how much the media is doing to sway public opinion. Even after Obama won the Iowa Caucus, Hillary was still the center of attention with their "Why didn't she win?" news stories.
Now they're talking about how she showed her vulnerability and choked up when talking about her likeability factor. Was that a news story? NO, but the media chose to make it one. Now they're going as far as to call her the "Comeback Kid." Tell me, how can that be when she was the front runner from the very beginning? The only thing she came back from was a humiliating loss in Iowa.
If there is a so-called come-back kid, it would have to be John McCain who had a very poor showing in Iowa but came back like gangbusters in NH. Why isn't the media making more out of his story?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Hillary would win NH. The Live Free or Die State has always been the frontrunner when it comes to electing women. Remember former two-term Governor Ella Grasso?
Personally, I think the media has its own agenda to make the Democratic Race as divisive as possible and let another Republican sneak in again. He won't have to steal it this time.
The media and politics make strange bedfellows.
One more thing: One of the female commentators on CNN who labeled herself a baby boomer was quick to point out that baby boomer women in NH were rising to the occasion to support one of their own. Lady, please be advised that Hillary does NOT speak for ALL baby boomers. Just ask Oprah.
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