Rihanna shows her versatile style

Kendra Wilkinson

Yogi"s Ark Lark

Back in the early seventies - Hanna Barbera produced a We Are The World type animated series that was intended to raise the awareness of the World's ecological issues.
The premise was that Yogi and his friends would search the globe in order to find the perfect environment in which they could settle.
They were searching for a land that was not overrun by corporations and greedy humans (who were always portrayed as having caused more problems than they solved).

But every place that looked the most promising had problems of it's own.
After solving each locale's problems - the crew would again board it's ship and begin their search anew.

Having exhausted themselves in searching - they finally returned home to find the best place from which to begin CREATING their perfect place.

So, what's the point?
That there is no perfect place from which to create a perfect environment for success.
It's just a case of, "The grass being greener...".
Each person is already given all they need as their foundation to make the improvements in their own lives.
It all comes down to what each person does with what is given them.

It's Not What You Have...

If it were a fruit tree - some would eat the fruit.
If it were a shade tree - some would sit in the shade.
But a smart guy would eat the fruit, save and plant the seeds, and cultivate an orchard.
The smart guy would save the acorns, plant them and grow a forest.
The really smart guy would take the forest and create products.

The bottom line?

It's not what you have - but what you do with it.

Three Black Women

The three archetypes of Black women in American media are thus;
The sex toy.
Rihanna/Chris Brown was only in the news because Ri was hot. Ciara, Beyonce and Kerry Hilson are only selling records because they are nice to look at.

The crackhead/hoodrat. Even Halle Berry had to play a crackhead... twice (Losing Isaiah, Jungle Fever) before getting the chance to move "up" to the sex toy.

Or the mammy.

Do I really need to list the countless mammy images in today's media?

Beyond these images - where do you (American Black women) exist?

Teach A Man To Fish...

I'm often harangued for proposing the social equivalent of Scipio's Golden Bridge as the most efficacious means to alleviate the problems in the hood or those of the oppressed.
Most people want to rely on social programs and financial entitlements as the final and complete answer.
But now it seems that some institutions are waking up the the fact that they are creating and cultivating bigger problems by their misguided efforts to solve a more manageable problem.

Check out;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31427832/ns/health-infectios_diseases/

Some would say that we need to invest in ways to solve the problems of others who may not have the means to solve these problems on their own.
Okay, I agree with that.
But how do we go about this?

Let's say that you're doing alright (financially speaking).
You have a cousin who is on crack, hasn't had a job in years and who lacks any formal job training or education.
This cousin asks you to pay his bills for one year in order for him to get his life in order.
You feel bad for the cat's situation and decide to give him a chance at a better life.

After the year is up - this cousin still has made no effort to improve his situation.
But now this cousin has had a couple of kids.
You now feel that maybe you haven't done enough to help your struggling cousin.
You now pay their bills, pay for day care and enroll your cousin in the local J.C. for remediation and to help them towards getting some kind of degree.

After another year has passed - one of the children has developed Asthma and needs medical treatment.
How could you overlook a simple necessity like health care?
You now decide to pay your cousins bills, pay for their schooling, pay for their children's day care and pay for their health care (You also decide to give your cousin a little extra money to pay for a little fun every once in a while.).
After a few years of doing this - your cousin tells you that the life on the streets was too much for him to overcome on his own.
That the influence of those around him was too much to resist.
He is still on crack, has contracted AIDS, now has four children and still has made little progress towards independence.

What went wrong?
Did you not do enough?
The problem was that you failed to add stipulations to the assistance. (i.e. - Get off crack, you'll pay some bills. Stay healthy, you'll pay for school. Do well in school - you'll buy their groceries. Etc.)
Or did you forget the essential concept of one first being prepared to manage and maintain any assistance given them?
IMO - Many people are not qualified to benefit from the assistance given - it just becomes another level of dependence.

Peter Crouch wraps himself around his WAG Abbey Clancy in steamy holiday clinch

Onlookers might have been a touch embarrassed at the steamy clinch between Peter Crouch and his WAG Abbey Clancy.

But the couple, who are holidaying in Sardinia, Italy, would probably not have noticed, such was their total devotion to each other.

The 5ft 9in model looked tiny wrapped in the 6ft 7in footballer's arms and his hands seemed as though they could nearly go around one of her toned, tanned legs.

The Pursuit of Happiness

"Smart" cannot be measured by money, test scores, social status or race.
I typed in "Happy Family" and this is the first image of a family that popped up.

Then I typed in "Stressed Out Family" and this was the first image of a family that popped up.

But going by the standards that most people accept as the norm - which family is doing better?

IMO- It's the top family (not based on race). They seem relaxed and at ease with each other. They seem comfortable being the Joneses.

The bottom family seems anxious to maintain any social status they may imagine themselves as having. They seem more concerned with keeping up with the Joneses.

-

Maybe the Bible was correct in giving the advice to be happy with what one has. (This does not mean that people should stop trying to improve their situation - just that they should enjoy the fruits of their labors thus far.)

The stress of keeping up appearances will kill you.

The comfort of ones friends and family will make one's life better and longer.

All that stuff Madison Avenue tells you that you are supposed to want only ensures their level of comfort - not yours.

-

Most of the problems people ascribe to race, gender, sexual orientation, financial status or anything else are just the over-exaggeration of one's own fears and insecurities.

Being "Smarter" (whatever the definition) does not bring happiness,

nor does money,

nor fame,

nor social status,

and definitely not one's looks.

-

Being Black, white, Hispanic or Asian does not guarantee one's success or failure.

Waiting for perfect conditions wastes time that could be spent actually doing something to make one's life (or the lives of others) better.

Changing others is more difficult than adding skills, knowledge or connections to one's own arsenal.

-

In fact, the happiest times in my life were the times of greatest struggle - with my family and friends rallied around me.

When someone finally reaches their goals (with all of the financial and social trappings included), they often find themselves longing for the days of struggle.

For the time when they had to use all of their knowledge, abilities and relationships to their maximum potential in order for them to overcome any obstacles.

For the time when they were the most fit, agile or able to adapt.

For the time when they were forced to live a life of "Being in the Zone" (An almost unconscious state).

But it's really not the struggle that they are longing for - only the ability to function at one's full potential (without the distractions of "stuff" or concern over one's persona).

It's the Ego without the arrogance.

-

Much of the drama about not being able to do something predicated on one's race is almost laughable.

"They don't hire Blacks to be cops." Really? Do YOU want to be a cop? Does anyone you know want to be a cop?

"They don't let Black people live in (insert Red-Neck town here)" Really? Do YOU want to live in any of those towns from Deliverance?

"Society is always trying to hold us back." Really? Are YOU even trying to move forward?

"They don't have enough Blacks in Baseball, Hockey, Soccer or NASCAR." How many Blacks are even trying to participate in these sports?

"The police profile Blacks." Okay... I might give you this one. But it's really part of a larger issue of police incompetence.

Really, how much of the stuff that is complained about is actually desired by those doing the complaining?

Or how many are even in a position to have a legitimate complaint based solely on race?

-

Yeah, SeeNew - DV is the master of polemics.

But really it's about the absurdity of perceptions vs. reality.

(And how foolish so many people are to buy into what is being sold.)

The absurdity of what one really wants in order to ensure their happiness - as opposed to what they are told they are supposed to want in order to imagine themselves as happy.

If the situations and objects to be desired are all the same - we run into our current condition of resource competition and the collapse of economies and societies.

It's the variation that makes thing work.

Is It Better ... ?

Big Don said; "The one we are really going to mourn is Chuck Berry, whose time is getting close. This is true musical genius: He wrote the music, wrote his lyrics, sang and played the lead instrument on numerous top-40 hits. No other performer has ever done this..."

Well...

Alicia Keyes and Prince (Here you go SeeNew - Your girl Salma. Although she is a little "chorter" than I'd prefer - in her case, I'd make an exception.) come to mind.

But does it really matter?

Is it better to be better - but unable to capture the imagination of the masses for over four decades ?

Or is it better to be a slightly better than average talent with phenomenal success in one's chosen field?

Who Is Smarter ?

The people who win on Jeopardy are usually in possession of an extensive formal education.
The questions are somewhat difficult to answer and the winner usually walks away with less than twenty thousand dollars.

The contestants on Wheel Of Fortune seem to barely possess a high school education.

The game is basically a higher tech version of Hangman and the winning contestants usually walk away with close to fifty thousand dollars.

So who is smarter?

The genius who makes little money,

Or the common man who walks away with more?

Or maybe the billionaire who produced both shows?

K.O.P. (For Real)

Mr NoFace said; There are more than three archetypes, though. Don't forget about the Noble Negro (the asexual, harmless paragon of virtue).
D Pizz said: @Mr. You are right sir!
What about the fiery Preacher or Activist?

Barack mastered both attributes.
Mike only needed one.

Barack Obama has the ability to preempt any television programming by giving a speech.
But even Mr. Obama lacks the ability to totally control of most of the world's media outlets in the same way as the death of Michael Jackson.
Who says that we are not a popular culture driven society?

They Die In Threes

Damn... I thought that was only a myth.
But maybe coincidence is stranger than fiction.

First it was Ed McMahon.
Iconic? Maybe.
Let's see...
StarSearch, The Tonight Show and the Publisher's Clearinghouse giveaway.
I would have liked to see Ed show up at my door.
So yes... Ed's an Icon.

" Ooh...You can see her nipples." I said as I looked at my friend Robert's copy of this poster.
Iconic - for one poster and a short stint on a television show?
Somehow - yes.

But Mike?

I'm not really a fan of Mike.

What, whuuut?

(Yeah... I liked Off The Wall better than Thriller.)

But even with his rumoured fondness for little boys, skin ailments and costumes - Mike was the shit!

C'mon... who didn't do the robot after Dancin' Machine,

or who didn't try to moonwalk after his performance on the Motown show?

Mike was the man.

Favorite 10 M.J. songs?

I Wanna Be Where You Are

Off The Wall

Leave Me Alone

Man In The Mirror

Remember The Time

Smooth Criminal

Billie Jean

Beat It

PYT

Heartbreak Hotel

Jennifer Lopez's dress slips to expose her assets

Racist Robots ?

Mudflap and Skids are racist stereotypes of Blacks?
Do we really see ourselves as illiterate, gold teefes wearing, jive talking comic relief?

Well...

Maybe some of us do.

(See; Any show with two or more Wayans brothers.)

Black Images

There are only three acceptable Black images;
The Mandingo,

The Gangsta'/Dope Boy,

Or the Clown.

Any variation of the three is a'ight.

But anything that socially surpasses these images is seen as non-Black.

Single Women

Who says that there aren't any single women out there who are ready for a family?
The Octomom is single, a pseudo-celebrity, college educated and has a hustle.
What? Are fourteen kids too many?

How about that nagging bitch Kate.
(Damn John... I feel you on dumping this chick - Ida' gone all Chris Brown on her ass years ago.)
The kids are past the terrible twos.
She is a nurse, makes about 50k per episode, and is about to be single.
She's even had the lypo done already.

Maybe TLC can get a really big house and have a singles mothers as roommates show.
It wouldn't be any more crazy than what already exists.