Gates Update

Now...
Who can defend the cop now. Before there were so many arguments claiming that Professor Gates was deserving of an arrest. The fact that he was an upset victim didn't get him even the slightest bit of sympathy from the media. Now that we find out what the police officer really thinks about Gates, who besides Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh will rush to his defense?

Swindling Ass Kindle

Exactly how ironic is it that Kindle recalled all eBook versions of 1984? I was carousing the internet the other day, looking for interesting book-library-publishing news. (This is what we librarians sometimes do so that we have cool tidbits to share when we have awesomely dorkish conversations!) I came across a frightening article about just how easy it is for these huge media sales-machines like Amazon and iTunes to take back your stuff, even after you've purchased it, and believe yourself to be the proud owner of said merchandise.

I used to could defend these types of electronic devices. (I don't go ANYWHERE without my iPod!) My chief praise was how convenient these things are. I was a mess carrying around all of these clumsy CD holders everywhere. A few years ago, I was dodging the metallic debris when my car flipped on an old dirt road in rural Alabama. Imagine how much easier going to school could be. There would be no more use for a book bag if you could just download a copy of your textbook onto your kindle and bring it to class. Children would no longer have bad backs from all of the books and homework they lug around.

After finding out just how easy these companys can take these purchases back, I can press pause on doing a Farenheit 451 on all of my books and using my iPod and Kindle exclusively. Now we see why there is still a value in owning and purchasing a book.

With more and more things being bought and sold digitally, this drawback of eCommerce is all the more frightening.

I am a proud user of the Blockbuster-by-Mail system. Last year, to save money, I decided to place a hold on my account. This hold was supposed to keep me from closing my account, yet allowing me to take a break from recieving movies and thus paying the monthly fee. On January 1st, Blockbuster decided to "re-activate" by account and proceeded to take money out of my account without warning. Could you imagine them going into my pocketbook and forcing me to purchase a product against my will? This is in essence what they did. I find that once you give you credit card number out, a lot of companies will freely go in and out of your account. just like Amazon and iTunes can give and take back things you've purchased.

There used to be a time when a person could purchase a product. After you purchased if, you could do with it what you liked. Those days seem to be fading fast. Nowadays companies are tracking your purchasing history, taking back items you've purchased, going into your bank account, and probably doing worse things I couldn't imagine if I tried.

Post Racial

I don't think I need to do yet another recap of the Gates/Police debacle. Instead I will offer my opinion on this whole notion of America being post-racial. This morning and last night I had some very interesting conversations regarding the matter.

First of all, I'd like to say that there is absolutely no reason that Professor Gates should have been arrested in the first place. I was unaware that a non-violent overreation warranted an arrest. If it were so, Rush Limbaugh and nearly every person in America would be hauled off to hail.

Second of all, we're not even sure IF Professor Gates "overreacted".

I'm bothered that reporters keep wanting to "trip" Obama up with this incident. I don't think Bush, or Clinton would have been asked about this matter. I don't think this would have gained as much attention as it has. The only reason that this is such an issue, is because most Americans truly believe that because we have the first Black president, this somehow means that we are post racial. Marginal reporting is done on the growing number of hate groups ignited by this historic presidency.

No one talks about all of the snide water-cooler comments that Blacks endure when well-meaning liberal whites want to "ask a Black Person" about Obama's politics.

Racism is embedded in American society. Don't fault me, I didn't make it so. Nevertheless, it is what it is. In what circumstance is it okay to arrest the VICTIM of a crime. Do we arrest people who have been raped, robbed, buglarized...for being upset at the scene of the crime!!??? Apparently we do. And there are a lot of people who think that because Professor Gates is Black, he had absolutely no right to be upset. He should "stay in his place" and be as accomodating to the officer as possible. (For goodness sakes, a Black man can and should be arrested and or shot for being upset!)

This incident is another wake-up call to America that will probably, unfortunately, be ignored.

See Obama's "Apology Speech" here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D22ZzIvWe6A

Sookie and Bill

I proudly admit that I'm a self-respecting woman who indulges every Sunday night to the "Trueblood" trash phenomenom. I got hooked near the end of last season after my sister put me on to these post-bellum vampires in hot and humid Louisiana. Not only am I surprised that I can stomach a show about vampires, I've actually begun seeking out more vamp entertainment to hold me over until I get my next weekly fix.

I absolutely love Lafayette. I have been watching with lackluster enthusiasm because he's not the shit-poppin' homo thug from last season. But I can just satisfy myself with the fact that he's even alive (apparently in the book he does, in fact, die.) But I must get on to my main issue....Sookie and Bill. First of all, I can't stop staring at Sookie gap sitting dead in the middle of her face. Am I really supposed to think that she has seduced a pseudo-sexy vampire? Not me, that can't slip that one pass me!

I find myself just wishing I could fastforwad them...OMG!....they're totally taking up my hour! Shit! I mean really, all of the other characters are way more interesting than Sookie and Bill. Jason (and his fine ass) is definitely way more interesting than Sookie and Bill whining over some vampire beef that I could care less about. I LOVED Tara last season (even though she was the stereotypical "Black Bitch"...but she was just so damn FUNNY!!!! This season's she's too soft and vulnerable for my tastes....but I have enjoyed the whole MaryAnne and (Ok...so I just googled Tara's boyfriend, and apparently his name is....Eggs???) Eggs dynamic. Discovering that MaryAnne is a "maenad" had me online researching...what the hell exactly is a maenad?

As shocked as I am that I even enjoy this whole fantasy world filled with shape-shifters, vampires, "maenads", and telepaths... I'm even more surprised how much the main characters SUCK!

Welcome to Blog-Nation

If you're reading this...you are probably a blogger. If you're not a blogger, you probably know someone who does. If you don't know someone who blogs (or think you don't) you probably regularly read a blog - and then I'm hoping that mine is your first choice! Everyday someone else I know is a newborn blogger.

Some consider this type of prose the lowest form of writing. Other think these rantings are the very fabric of destruction that is quickly eradicating any whiff of intelligence still remains in this country. Just this morning I came across my little sister's blog ( I knew if was her because, unlike me, she's decided not to be anonymous and I saw her picture). She only has one post, so here's hoping.

Most of us who blog do so for different reasons. Some are professional writers who crank out witty paragraphs with a paycheck that has more zeros than their blog has words. Some are attention seekers (uh hum...Perez Hilton). Some are lonely and want to rant to a world that doesn't care anyway (even though it's probably me...I'm not ready to admit it!), and others just want to improve their writing skills. (Who would be so nerdy???....)

Whoever you are, whatever your purpose....just know this....you're grandmother's probably a blogger!

Celebrity

As a new New Yorker, I frequently spot celebrities and almost celebrities all the time. Just the other day, I was in a very humble yet delicious Chinese restaurant in Midtown where I saw two reality TV non-stars. Since I've already become a somewhat jaded New Yorker, and have ceased to go up to celebrities and let them know that "I" have spotted them, I squealed in excitement to my lackluster boyfriend.

Often friends and relatives ask me if I've gotten a chance to spot a celebrity and I give them all the details of all my D-list spottings. In this day and age of TMZ and everyman reporters (if you've got a camera on your cell phone, apparently you're a reporter) how is it possible that this obsession is seeping out of me. It's possible that maybe it's not, inasmuch as not only do I read MeadiaTakeOut obsessively, I've got it sidelined on my blog for goodness sake!

Some of the celebrities have been very nice to me, and have even held conversations with me. Others have raised their eyebrows at me and spoke to me with that "leave-me-the-fuck-alone" tone. Outside the reality non-stars I saw a television actress in a new restaurant in Harlem, and I didn't bother to say a word. I don't know if these events are kudos to me, or just proof that new in my New Yorker is getting a little stale.

Michael Jackson

I've been mourning so hard, I forgot to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson. It would definitely be a shame on me if I didn't acknowledge this icon. Rest in peace Michael.