Coretta Scott King 1927-2006

Coretta Scott King has passed.

A wife, a widow, a mother, a woman has died.

Many will laud her courage and use words like dignity, wisdom and grace.

Many will speak of her strength in the face of violence and oppression. Others will mention her dignity in the face of great loss…of murder so public yet so personal.

Yes, Coretta Scott King was all of that and more. The legacy of her life is both an inspiration and a challenge to us all.

This was the life of a black woman…so full of experiences and history, of family and friends, of laughter and tears.

A glorious black woman…with wisdom born from success and failure, pain and joy.

A magnificent black woman…with grace wrenched from the hands of oppression and denial.

A black woman…a daughter, mother, wife then widow. Her face has looked back at me my entire life…captured for all time in triumph, in sorrow, with hope, despair, joy and perseverance.

So beautiful….her head held high in defiance, with pride, with faith and yes with courage. Those shoulders burdened but not broken…that body full of strength that seemed to hold us all together, to take on so much and yet move forward so that we all could take those steps after each stumble...get up after each fall...continue to struggle year after year, denial after denial, incident after incident, victory upon victory.

Her legacy is now our inheritance.

Mother, sister and elder…you will be honored. You have left a footprint, a beautiful scar that stands as a testament to what we all can do, can endure, can triumph over, can embrace, can struggle against, can overcome…can be.

Will be.

May you be blessed, Coretta Scott King.

State of the Union Preparedness...

A bitch hopes y'all had a good weekend.

Saturday night found this bitch and a couple hundred of my fellow St. Louisans at a trivia night fundraiser sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and benefiting several GLBT causes. Sadly, this bitch was put squarely in my intellectual place…shit, who the hell knows everything there is to know about St. Louis history, cartoons and candy bar lineage? Anyhoo, it was fun and raised some serious cash for some very worthy organizations.

My ego will recover with time…maybe a couple more hours at the most.

Moving forward…

A bitch is eagerly anticipating the State of the Union tomorrow! As most of you know, this bitch is committed to reporting both the texture and quantity of Presidential bullshit. Trust that the 2006 State of the Union address will be given my full attention.

In keeping with the administration's 'manage their expectations and our guy won't look like the complete dumbass he is' battle plan, CNN.com is already posting ‘leaked’ spinables of the President’s address.

The anticipation is almost too much!

ABB’s Department of Bitchitude State of the Union preparation list of must haves…
Smothered soul food goodness procured from Sweetie Pie’s on Manchester.

A yummy butter-based cake with creamy chocolate icing...every speech deserves some cake.

Vodka…preferably Swedish, but Russian will do in a pinch.

Cran…this bitch plans to have both 100% cran and a grape/cran blend on hand for variety.

Cigs…my ass is weak.

A legal pad for noting down specific bullshit laden phrases like “axis of evil” and “I have an energy plan”.

Sudafed…if you have to ask you don’t know a bitch.

Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce…if we must suffer, then we shall suffer with an ice cream sundae in our belly.

Whew! That should do it.

Oh wait, how could a bitch forget…the score card!

ABB’s State of the Union score card of anticipated bullshit…
1. Reference to September 11, 2001 = 1 point per reference

2. Utilization of September 11, 2001 as excuse for illegal domestic spy scheme (a.k.a. the post 9/11 versus pre 9/11 Rovian 'I’m more patriotic that you are' spin) = 2 points per utilization

3. Nixonesque sweaty upper lip complete denial of Executive’s lack of legal footing for illegal domestic spy scheme = 3 points per denial

4. If he cocks his head to the side and snorts through his good nostril = 2 points per snort

5. Smarmy glassy eyed sanctified man on woman and married before Gawd adoration towards Laura Bush = 5 points per random nod at unelected spouse

6. A 'do y'all have any idea how fucking cheesy you look' elected official participation in an ink stained finger salute (note, a bitch does not expect to see this shit in honor of the triumph of democracy in Gaza) = consume a slice of cake and 2 points per unified stained finger raising

7. Lifting of 2005 phrase “this plan will reduce our dependence on foreign oil” = consume one (1) ice cream sundae and 3 points per out of touch reference to failed energy program

A bitch is betting Scooter B. scores well into the 50+ point range...

So un-American it's almost Ukrainian!

A certain Ann Coulter of the freakishly insane and emaciated Coulters made news for ‘joking’ about poisoning Supreme Court Justice Stevens in order to make room for more conservative justices on the court.

Coulter was speaking at a historically black college and was booed for cutting some questioners off. She stated that she would not be lectured.

Alrighty then, Miss Lecturer to the whole fucking world about why they should want to be just like you, even though you are clearly miserable and rotting from within!

Ann…honey…what happened to what would Jesus do?

Looks like Ann prefers to do as the Ukrainian opposition has done…

Ooops…a bitch is dangerously close to lecturing the Queen of all things rancid and foul!

A thing to do and a thing to support...

A bitch is thrilled that Friday has arrived!

Get your culture on…
This bitch is eager to see the new Chicano exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center! And Cheech Marin even made a stop in The Lou to help kick it off. For more information visit this site.

Fantabulous!




Support this shit…
A bitch’s friend is participating as a shavee in the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser. (Update - you have to type in Nikki Wright and choose the St. Louis, Missouri location! My bad!)

St. Baldrick’s is shaving the way to conquer chil’ren’s cancer…and this bitch supports the hell out of that. Please support Nikki's de-hairing and this cause!

You can search this site to find all information related to your local St. Baldrick’s event!

National Mentoring Month...

January is National Mentoring Month and this bitch just wanted to take a moment and encourage y’all to consider becoming a mentor!

There are lots of organizations, local and national, that will match you to a child in need of a mentor. They will offer support…and you will need it…advice and access to supplemental activities to enrich your mentee’s life.

This bitch has been a mentor for over 2 years. My mentee has gone from looking up at me to looking down at me...literally...the child is growing out of her sneakers! It has been challenging from day one…and it is one of the most rewarding relationships in my life.

If you live in St. Louis…check out these organizations for information about mentoring.

Big Brother’s Big Sister’s of Eastern Missouri

Mentor St. Louis

Discovering Options

If you live elsewhere…

Big Brother’s Big Sister’s of America

Mentor: Expanding the world of mentoring

Toodles!

Music for the masses...

Let’s just jump right on in, shall we?

A quick note on anger…
Anger is fueled by passion and giving a shit. Everything this bitch is, every right this bitch has and every freedom my ass enjoys exists because someone got angry...and then got active.



Moving forward...

Connections as explored through music…
A bitch used to sing in my high school’s concert choir. We practiced everyday…first the song, then the inflection and finally the presentation.

And then we went out and performed. Yes, this bitch was fantabulous…well, it’s true (wink)!

Anyhoo, too many organizations committed to social justice are trapped in practice mode. They send out messages about songs no one outside of 'the choir' has heard and then get pissed off when people either misinterpret what song they are singing or throw the messages away because they have no fucking idea what the hell you are taking about.

All things circle back to the masses and our ability to introduce them to our music. Eventually, we want them to sing along…to hum the song on the way home and throughout the day. And when someone mentions the song, we need them to remember our version of it and be able to sing it back with passion and conviction.

The song…the message…must be presented to the masses. And you had better sing your ass off! Shit, we need to be singing about equality like Jennifer Holliday sang in Dreamgirls...and if you don’t know what my ass is talking about a bitch may faint.

Got a cause? Great! Practice that song, honey…and then get off your ass and on stage and perform the fucking hell out of it. Otherwise you forfeit the right to bitch about the fact that the masses are singing tired assed shit off key. The show will go on, with or without you.

Speaking of the show...

Today a bitch listened to the news that Hamas is claiming victory in the Palestinian election with concern. But my ass remembers our own election…and those masses who let my ass down.

Democracy won…the people chose, with an apparent mandate, the party whose policy they want to pursue.

Yeah…they’re singing, but does their music appeal to thy ear?

Did Fatah present their own music to the masses? Yes. Did the masses prefer Hamas’s music? Apparently.

Democracy won…and now we have to figure out what to do. Do we turn off the radio because the tune hurts our ears? Do we try to work with the masses to get them to sing the music they prefer better? Or…do we try to show them that the song sucks and that they should sing an entirely different tune?

And it all circles back to the masses....the winning of hearts and minds.

Lawd, this bitch is tired of singing Motherless Child...

A duo forever...

A bitch read the news that Fayard Nicholas passed away with both sadness and joy. His was a talent worth mourning and will certainly be missed...

...but now the Nicholas Brothers are a duo once more in the great beyond.

No one ever did it better than you two did it together...

By request, some thoughts on Condi...

A bitch received an e-mail from a certain Joanna requesting my thoughts on Dr. Condi Rice.

This bitch lived in Texas when Condi burst onto the scene following Scooter’s 2000 Presidential election uh…ummm…well…decisionesque Supreme Court election deciding moment FROM HELL!

Whew!

And let me tell you, that moment from hell was beyond painful when experienced surrounded by Texans for Bush. Lawd, y’all have no fucking idea!

Anyhoo, many of those same Texans seemed to think that this bitch should be thrilled because Condi was in the Scooter bullpen...

“She’s black! Just like you!”

Yes, she’s black…but she’s not just like this bitch.

A bitch explained that my ass didn’t embrace a person simply because they are black….there’s a little thing called substance that a bitch looks for in all people. And nothing pisses me off more than assumed acceptance based on race.

“But how can you not love Condi? She’s so…well spoken and educated!”

Lawd, give me strength! And so a bitch often replied…“So was Stalin” or something along those lines.

This bitch, being the recipient of many a ‘you speak so well’ comment, rolled my eyes and pondered the act that, in one area, Condi and my ass were in the same boat.

Beyond a bitch’s obvious problems with Condi’s policy positions, eagerness to infuse religion into American politics and general approach to all things, this bitch finds Condi disappointing.

To see a woman who demonstrated so much drive in her early years take a backseat to a person of lesser intelligence is disturbing. It’s her right to do so, but it’s still disappointing. And this is not simply because she is black…it is this same common decision that bother’s a bitch about all of the women behind scooter.

Walk with me a second. My ass isn’t talking about what they believe or advocate, but rather about the fact that they are advocating for an idiot better than the idiot could do for his own ignorant self.

Shit, a bitch hates Ann Coulter with a passion not just because she’s an idiot preaching stale neo-con rhetoric but because she’s willfully sacrificed her acknowledged intellectual chops on behalf of a political movement that would have preferred her barefoot and pregnant to racking up A’s at Cornell. Her thoughts make me gag…her lack of any feminist drive coupled with her inability to see the inconsistency of her rhetoric when contrasted to her life experience is what actually produces the vomit.

But we speak of Condi and my thoughts on her.

This bitch acknowledges Condi’s resume and wishes she didn’t hold herself as if she is holding in a monster shit. But fuck it…who the fuck knows Condi anyway?

All we see is Condi’s vision of what The Man would prefer her to be. Ever grateful and loyal, she’s a throwback to a generation that defined themselves by the acceptance of the powerful…success by being handed the keys to the club...and respect by getting a seat at the table through dedicated assimilation. And judged on that scale Condi is batting a thousand.

A bitch’s opinion is that Condi is a black woman with a certain resume, a certain wardrobe and a certain public poise…who this black woman judges to be wrong in her beliefs, application of those beliefs and continued pandering to The Man.

And when she speaks on his behalf?

Well, she just speaks so well...

Pontifical payments...

You can still hear the laughter of bunnies at play...


This bitch had a fantabulous time last night celebrating Brother Rob’s birth! The crew began the evening at the new City Grille and Brewhaus on Lindell…formerly the Playboy Club. A bitch has never been to a former...no longer affiliated...definitly not still associated Playboy Club and, thank Gawd, they still have a lot of the original but now former Playboy accents. Fantabulous! The place was cool and they turned out a yummy assed burger too. Anyhoo, Brother Rob was thrilled with the tour which included a behind the scenes look at the former Penthouse and the former Play Room (please don't sue a bitch, Hef!), both of which give off a serious vibe of parties long past. The only thing missing was a velvet rope…and you know we mentioned that shit to the new owner (wink).

Post eat fest and tour, we made our way to AMP…which was, as always, a great scene and a fantabulous vodka cran…and indulged in more merriment. All in all, a fun evening of Rob Thurman based adoration and celebratude!

2 cups coffee with the usual, 1 Claritin, 2 Sudafed and cigs…

Pontifical payments…
A bitch was beyond amused to hear that the new head Pontiff in charge has decided to get paid for his…and every other Popes for the last 50 years…pontifical utterances.

Yep, the Vatican announced that they will now impose a strict copy write on all Pontifical announcements. The copy write is retroactive and encompasses all Pontifical writings dating back some 50 years…including writings done when the new head Pontiff in charge (HPIC) was working his way up the pontifical ladder.

The impact of this was immediate! NBC’s Today Show didn’t even reference this new hustle when it skimmed over, with no specific references mind you, the news that the HPIN had issued his first encyclical. They didn’t even dare to define what the hell an encyclical was…it probably would have cost them a fortune!

This bitch is fascinated. Just how does this Pontifical copy write work?

If the Pope is Gawd's messenger on Earth...and trust that a bitch does not buy that shit and color me a Protestant..., then isn’t he charging for the word of Gawd? And does this copy write include direct readings from the bible? Shit…if the Pope reads the entire Old Testament does that mean that the Vatican can cash in on any reprinting?

More over, if the Pontifical position is that the Pope is Gawd's messenger on Earth and the Bible is the word of Gawd and the copy write is retroactive does that mean the Vatican intends to cash in on all printings of the Bible for the last 50 years?

Jesus to Gawd, what a fantastical hustle! Shit…this is the most masterful pimping of Christianity since indulgences!

Observe and learn, members of the faithful…do as the Pontiff does and keep your mind on your money and your money on your motherfucking mind!

Out the door...

This bitch is heading out the door!



It's time to toast Brother Rob's birth, chil'ren!



Toodles...

Lawd...!

A bitch is feeling much better now. My Play Husband is right…something ripped a hole in the universe yesterday and fucked with space and time...or something. Lawd!

On a much lighter note...
Happy birthday Brother Rob Thurman! A bitch shall join you tonight in a celebration of the general fuckeduptitude of all things...oh, and your birth. The first Diet Coke is on me...


Ooooooh, Canada...
To my beloved Canadians…a bitch tossed back two stiff vodka grape crans in your honor last night. Take comfort in the fact that Harper did not win a majority…and in the fact that vodka is plentiful.



And on the topic of politics…
A bitch received an Anonymous comment last night that got my ass thinking. See, Anonymous doesn't give a shit about politics. Yeah, this bitch wondered why Anonymous felt like sharing too...but, whatever. Anonymous doesn't give a shit and seems angry that this bitch does. Also, Anonymous is angry that a bitch is angry...or was that 'confused as to why a bitch is angry'? Jesus to Gawd, it was painfully punctuated. Anyhoo...dear Anonymous lower-case only using with no punctuation comment maker - there has got to be an online poker site missing their best customer right about now.

Jesus!

Anyhoo...

A bitch doesn’t understand people who have no interest in politics. Who are these people? My ass understands differing political opinions, but having no opinion at all? Nope, a bitch doesn't get that.

Even if...shit, particularly if you are a selfish motherfucker, you should care about politics. Your money is tied up in politics. Sex and greed are tied up in politics. The fact that you can't articulate your thoughts worth a damn...blame some of that on the politics of education. Taxes, groceries, your job, if you have a job, how much you make at that job, your house, whether you get to keep that house when the city plans a new road next month…a bitch could go on and on. But fuck it…you don’t give a shit, right?

Lawd, give me strength.

Politics is all up in your business whether you give a shit or not. A bitch wishes my ass could just throw up my hands and say fuck it. This bitch has a life. Why the hell should my ass wade into the muck when you don’t even care? Fuck it…you get the government you deserve!

Well listen up, you no giving a shit shits. This bitch doesn’t deserve this government and my ass lives here too. A bitch has no intention of living in the America apathetic fucks like you are facilitating the creation of.

Don’t give a shit?

Then go do whatever apathetic no-voting people do.

Go on...

Shoo!

Fuck this fucking day!

Is this the worst day of the year?

And why the fuck didn't someone warn me?


Lawd, have mercy!


Make it end...

Ready...set...go!

Roe v. Wade is 33 years old today…only a month to the day older than this AngryBlackBitch. A bitch has always lived in an America where reproductive freedom was a constitutionally protected right. And a bitch has always lived in an America where those same rights have been under attack.

33 years of choice.

33 years of debate.

33 years empowered with an education about my body, my rights, my options and my responsibilities.

33 years of Roe.

Within my lifetime a bitch has been grateful for the protection of choice…that broad protective quilt that encompasses far more than what anti-choice activists would like us to believe.

Oh yes…this bitch has been blessed by choice.

When a bitch rolled over and felt a lump in my abdomen a few years back…this bitch had choices.

When a bitch desperately ran out to the local Planned Parenthood office to seek medical advice within hours of feeling that lump…a bitch had choices.

When my ass received efficient medical advice and care…when they told me that it was most likely fibroids…when a bitch was given so many options that my head was spinning…oh yeah, this bitch felt the power of choice.

And when a bitch sat down for my first consultation with my surgeon…when she asked me…fucking asked me…whether my ass planned to have children…what my fucking intentions for my motherfucking body where…this bitch experienced choice in action.

A bitch was able to make medical decisions regarding my reproductive future with my doctor. Wow! And the heavens didn’t fall. The oceans didn’t part and frogs didn’t rain out over the land like water.

This bitch knows that what was so simple for me would have been revolutionary before.

And when a bitch counted down from 100 in that operating room and slipped into dreamland it was with the knowledge that my doctor was making decisions with my medical health in mind…not the government, not the President and not some sanctified asshole pontificating from a pulpit.

My body, my doctor…my motherfucking choice.

There is a war underway. A war that is being fought in our schools, pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Women are being denied reproductive health education, prescriptions are not being filled and doctors are being told what to do or not do…and we need to ask why and who benefits from this. Not me and not you…so who?

Who benefits from young women with four children before they reach the age of 21? Who benefits from young men and women not knowing how babies are conceived, how disease gets spread and how they can be empowered through planned parenthood as an applied action? Who benefits from the rise in STD’s among women of color? Who benefits from women not knowing that they can prevent a pregnancy after rape, not being told that they have choices after they have been assaulted?

Some motherfucker is pleased by this bullshit and it sure as hell isn’t me.

Do you understand that your right to make decisions is under attack…that choice encompasses abortion rights…

and…

so…

much…

more…?

Are you with me?

Or are you so blessed by freedom that you can’t work up the fucking passion to defend it?

The revolution has come. The war is already underway and it is beyond time for Generation pro-choice to stand up and defend this shit!

Ready?

Set.

Go!

Tired as a motherfucker...

A bitch is fried...and not in the yummy breaded way.



Shout out...
Okay, so a bitch has to give some love to my girl Laura for mailing out a check to the Southern Poverty Law Center in the amount of $100 today. A bitch loves you more than frozen margaritas on a hot day, Laura Lou!







Blog for Choice...
This bitch is breaking with tradition and blogging this Sunday! My ass is participating in Blog for Choice Day this Sunday. Keep in mind, a bitch has to complete my Sunday ritual of watching political chat shows and consuming mass amounts of cheesy eggs, fried potatoes and coffee.

But a bitch shall post immediately following said ritual!

Toodles for now...

Pausing...

A bitch would like to thank my Canadian brothers and sisters for taking the time to explain what the fuck is going on up there! Please keep a bitch up to date on the election outcome. Oh, and this bitch shall lift a glass…or two…in your honor Monday!

A certain Anonymous expressed some concern over a bitch’s mass consumption of Splenda. This bitch consumes all manner of bad-for-you shit…Sudafed comes to mind…but my ass is open to exploring other coffee sweetening options. A bitch shall check out this fructose substance and let y’all know my thoughts. 1% organic milk yumminess, however, is here to stay!

Monkey! Lawd, a bitch was alarmed to read that you were in a tussle…that resulted in facial injury, no less! That is too fucked up...ice it down and tend to that carefully. And a bitch hopes you clocked the motherfucker…hard.

Anyhoo, this bitch is tending to bitness and shall post later today...

Ride Sally, Ride...

A bitch just learned that the great Wilson Pickett has pass away...

Don't play!

Oh shit, this "N" word incident has riled up the militant in C-Money! Motherfuckers better back off...a bitch's sister don't play!


Thanks to everyone for having my back!

Ahhhhh....the "N" word....!

A bitch has just won a $50 bet that my ass would get a juicy "N" word comment within a year of blogging (see anonymous comment #1 to this post)!

Told ya...

$50 will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center in memory of the late Judge Theodore McMillian, who left this world yesterday and was the first black judge appointed to the 8th circuit court of appeals.

For the record, a bitch is almost 33 years old and has been black since conception. A bitch has heard it, been called it, cried over it, fought over it and sighed over it.

And that comment stays on this blog.

For the people who think that racism is no longer a factor in American society.

For all those that think that black people don't get called 'those names" anymore.

For everone who thinks that a bitch is way out off target and that folks don't "think like that anymore" or "express those kind of feelings anymore" or have the audacity to act on them.

That comment stays.

Excuse me. What the fuck do you think you're doing up there?

A bitch is beyond alarmed with some of the news my ass has read regarding a political shift to the right in Canada.

My Canadian brothers and sisters, you go to the polls January 23rd and now is no time to act crazy! Conservatives in the national lead? Have you lost your motherfucking minds?

Look down...

Yeah, southward to America...

Does this look like happiness, prosperity and fucking joy?

Lawd, give me strength!

Canada and Sweden are a bitch's flee to countries should America go too far to shit. Fuck it, a bitch has to have an exit plan. That doesn’t mean my ass isn't committed, but it helps cut down on the daily anxiety.

Canada is obviously closer...and is lousy with Smarties...so a bitch is pissed off to find that Canada is exploring the possibility of shifting to the right politically!

ABB's Sincere Response...
No!! No! For the love of all that is sacred and holy. NOOOOOOOO! Chil'ren, you have the benefit of learning from our mistakes...and past mistakes...and same stupid mistakes that we should have learned from our damned selves! Lawd! Be reasonable...you don't want to be accused of copying something American, right? Well going neo-con is so last year! Been done, hon! And it’s a HUGE motherfucking mess to try to clean up…think elephant diarrhea. Mmmhmmm…nasty. Seriously, living in a conservative country at war with its own founding ideals sucks...big time!

ABB's Totally Selfish Response...
Oh no you didn't! A bitch is in the midst of planning a trip north and y'all decide to loose your fucking minds now? Oh, hell no! You must stay liberal...super liberal...so liberal they have your national flag next to the word 'liberal' in the dictionary...and not just until my ass gets done touring and debauchering. No, a bitch must have a go-to and flee country and you are it...until they drop the airfares to Sweden. Pull your ass together and cease playing!

Oh my Gawd. A bitch is going to cry...

World traveler...

Happy Wednesday!

A bitch woke up with the same headache my ass went to bed with. Suffice it to say my mood is bitchy and only the promise of Smarties from a certain Jeremy in Montreal has this bitch looking forward to the rest of this week.

Let’s just jump right in, shall we?

World Traveler…
Although it seems that Scooter isn’t concerned with his historical legacy, his wife appears to be addressing her lack of a legacy in his second term. For the first four years of the Bush presidency this bitch saw Laura Bush as rather passive…sort of a Nancy Reagan first lady who often gazed at her husband as if he were the risen Christ. After the leadership meltdown that was 2005, Laura emerged in yet another traditional role…defender of her man. She was out there preaching the good word, which usually amounted to a refried version of ‘believe what we say and not what you see’.

Recently, Laura has gone forth into the world with some clear objectives. She is clearly committed to supporting Bush policies in Africa and the Middle East and is targeting her rhetoric to women. My blogfather, Brother Rob Thurman has posted on this. Then a bitch read this shit and…well…this bitch has to add my two cents.

"I think that what happened to me really happened also to the other people in the United States," Mrs. Bush said, reflecting on her plane during a four-day swing through West Africa, a trip that ends on Wednesday.
"After Sept. 11, when we all looked at Afghanistan and saw the oppression of women there, it awakened a lot of people to the plight of women around the world," she said. Source-Assocaited Press

But Afghanistan was in the news prior to September 11…the plight of women throughout the world has been news prior to September 11. Statements like this are distressing…they tell the world that Americans are blissfully unaware of suffering (which isn’t true of all of us) and they make it seem like suffering doesn’t take place here (which is bullshit). More importantly, they shine a harsh light on a segment of the American population that is disconnected from reality...our American reality and a global reality. Who is this woman? How can she have lived through 5 decades and not wondered, not questioned and not been moved by the difference between her life and the lives of so many other women?

"The question we must answer now is, how do we nurture the development of the next generation of women leaders in Africa?'" Mrs. Bush said in prepared remarks Wednesday. "The answer begins with education." Source - The Associated Press

Taking a message of equality out into the world is one thing, but the goal expressed by Laura Bush is to educate communities about how to change that shit. The exporting of our policy is what concerns me.

How much success have these policies had here in America where, and this may come as a surprise to Laura, there are women living in states of oppression and inequality. As she tours Africa, how many people hear her rhetoric and contrast it to the images of New Orleans post Katrina…the growing numbers of working poor here in America…the lack of access to health care faced by so many families…the rise in HIV and STD infections among women of color…the 50% divorce rate…the domestic violence...the child neglect...the totally fucked up contrast between America the brand and the actual product.

The problem with touting American success is that the brand message does not jive with the product...and the product warnings are now being sent out on-line and via satellite. Laura is saying to these women that there is a better way…just try this shampoo and your hair will be glorious. But this isn’t the better mouse trap…we are not ready to go to market yet. Laura doesn’t know that, because she has been living with her head shoved up her husband’s ass. A bitch does not absolve Laura of her ignorance…she is an educated woman who has not been living in a cave for the last 50 years. Her lack of examination, personal reflection and her willingness to embrace the party line are disturbing…the fact that she is trying to sell this pile of shit abroad is dangerous.

So called third world living conditions exist here and are not being addressed by her husband's administration, state or local governments. In many cases they have been exasperated by Bushonomics and his fucked up social policies. A simple trip to Appalachia, the inner city or rural communities in any state will expose you to a side of America that most people don’t want to be confronted with. Our little mess…our nuclear waste, so to speak. And activists have been confronting Americans with it for years…before September 11…before the war…before Laura woke up to the plight of women throughout the world and decided to change it by pimping our better mouse trap...our fantastical American dream.

Education is a wonderful thing, Laura.

Enlightenment on this topic can be found a few blocks from the White House.

Weather and a bitch's habits...

This weather situation is fucked up! St. Louis has jumped from 30 degrees to almost 60 degrees and back again in the space of a week. My allergies are out of control and…oh shit! A bitch woke up with a sinus headache from hell!

2 cups coffee with Splenda and 1% organic milk incorporated, 1 Claritin, 2 Sudafed and cigs…

A final note about Smarties…
A certain Anonymous (this bitch thinks they should issue numbers to y’all so my ass can distinguish one from another) asked how Smarties differ from M&M’s. A bitch wants to be clear…and avoid any irate comments from M&M loyalists…that my ass enjoys M&M candies. However…SMARTIES ARE PERFECTLY FANTABULOUS AND KICK SOME M&M ASS!!! Whew. Smarties are made from a different chocolate…and a bitch is of the opinion that they have a better yummy candy coating.

Confession. Box #2 was inhaled yesterday. Fantabulously consumed by this bitch in less than an hour.

Moving forward…

Tagged…
My sistah in bitchitude, Cranky Prof, tagged a bitch for the Five Weird Habits meme.

List and explain five weird habits that you have.

1) This bitch always brushes my teeth with my left hand behind my back palm facing out, always facing the mirror. My ass has no idea how that got started, but a bitch is a creature of habit.

2) A bitch is obsessed with lotion and moisturizes constantly…all over the body post-bathing and hands throughout the day and evening. Shit…how else is a bitch supposed to maintain my youthful softness? And a bitch can't stand being ashy!

3) Ice followed by vodka followed by cran…every single time. Did a bitch mention that my ass is a creature of habit?

4) A bitch wakes up at the same time Monday through Friday...lets Betsey the sorta-beagle out to pee...makes coffee and pops some Sudafed, then pours a cup and settles in for an hour of morning television before getting dressed. Trust me, this never changes.

5) This bitch has to have an area...my couch with my random things and a place to put my beverages while lounging and chain smoking. No area equals an anxious bitch and nothing throws my ass off like someone sitting in my area and fucking with my things.

Gawd, my ass is ritualized like a motherfucker.

Consider yourself tagged...Blood Ray, Dixie Peach, Homer and Jenna.

The Smarties Situation...

A bitch just wanted to clear up some confusion floating around about Smarties and why my ass is always bitching about the lack of them here.

There are Smarties.

And then there are Smarties.

The yummy chocolate ones can not be found here...even though a certain Nestle company has a massive chocolate filled facility within the borders of St. Louis city. Don't ask...a bitch does not try to explain the illogical!

So...when a bitch writes about the absolute joy of Smartie consumption my ass is talking about these Smarties!

Sorry for the confusion, Blood Ray!

Now my ass is going to finish off this box of the real stuff and float off into bliss...

A dinner party guest list...

A bitch has been inspired by this Boadwee Blog post! My ass has often speculated about the ultimate dinner party guest list.

ABB’s Dream Dinner Party Guest List…
A bitch
Hunter S. Thompson
George Sand
Dorothy Parker
Audre Lorde
Angela Davis
Nikki Giovanni
Zelda Fitzgerald
Cornell West
a bitch's sister C-Money
Terrence Howard…for C-Money (wink)
Thelonious Monk
Fareed Zakaria
Josephine Baker
Brigid Berlin
Pamela Harriman

Shit…it’s hard to narrow this down to 16 people including my own ass. Mayhap it should just be a wild gathering of 100 people?

Sigh.

Can you imagine trying to order booze for this party?

Mercy.

That sassy girl with afro-puffs...

After a weekend of much needed rest, this bitch woke up this morning full of energy! Last night a bitch spent some quality time with my Play Husband and Brother Rob. We had an excellent dinner of yummy soup, salad and chocolate-based decadence. Hugs and adoration to my Play Husband for knowing how to cook and Brother Rob for lifting my spirits with two boxes of Smarties direct from a certain someone in Canada!

Moving forward…
A bitch is eagerly anticipating a decent night of television viewing. No, my ass isn’t talking about the Golden Globes Awards. This bitch is talking about Lincoln on the History Channel! A bitch adores the History Channel and they have been pimping this Lincoln show for weeks. Can’t bloody wait and it had best be good.

That sassy girl with afro-puffs…
There aren’t a lot of pictures of this bitch. As the youngest child of three, my ass was not photographed extensively. Shit, my parent’s were exhausted with three babies in diapers. Later, my ass avoided having my picture taken because a bitch thought myself ugly. So, there are only a few pictures of a wee bitch.

A certain Maven requested a childhood picture a while back for a contest she was doing. This bitch was instantly concerned. Of the few pictures of me that exist, several of them make my ass look insane! That’s not vanity talking…a bitch has some school pictures that make my ass look absolutely CRAZY. However, this bitch was able to locate one picture that wasn’t too alarming.

After shooting it off way past the deadline, my ass sat back and looked at my younger self.

Who was this person looking back at me with a twinkle in her eye and a sassy attitude?

The thing is a bitch knows her. My ass really likes my four year old self. This bitch looks at that wee bitch with afro-puffs and is in awe of her. She was fearless, unconcerned with fashion or appearance, full of joy at simple and uncomplicated things and…well…cute as hell!

It has been years since this bitch really looked at this picture…really thought about that little girl captured in a moment of time and all of the complex simplicity contained within her. But my ass knows her…can remember her so vividly.

Me….before definitions, rules, expectations and insecurities.

Me….sassy, fearless and obnoxiously inspired by life.

Me…back when Kool-Aid was perfection in a glass, Spiderman was a real person and all trees were fit for climbing.

Years ago, when a bitch looked at this picture my ass cried. This bitch was in mourning for my four year old self, because she was a faded memory of the person my ass used to be…before. She was 'pre'…pre-limitations, pre-definitions…shit, pre-drama.

But now, a bitch is post-bullshit and no longer in mourning. A lot of that little girl survived the drama…maybe a little scarred up, but not mortally wounded.

Looking at her makes me smile with legitimate happiness. This must be progress.

She’s looking back at me and saying...

Let’s go climb a tree and then drink some Kool-Aid!

Why the hell not?

Thanks for the random inspiration, Maven!

Happiness and joy...!

Okay, before my ass takes off for the weekend this bitch just had to express my happiness and joy over Disgusted in St. Louis and a certain bitch related creative creation!

Fantabulous!

On that note...this bitch is heading out in search of soul food, Swedish vodka, grape cran and debauchery...

Stamina...

Happy Friday! A bitch plans to refuel this weekend!

2 cups coffee followed by Splenda and 1% organic milk, 1 Claritin, 2 Sudafed and cigs…

Stamina…
A bitch has been thinking about the Civil Rights Movement. With the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday approaching and Black History Month on the horizon the country has once again turned its gaze brownward. Now, a bitch is always frustrated by the language of these celebrations…love, unity, community, solidarity, dreams and so forth and so on. By mid-February the oration contests will be in full swing and a bitch will tune out.

My frustration comes from the fact that many of those who use the language of the struggle have no idea what they are saying. And my ass is on record…saying shit does not make it a reality. And isn’t that the real message of the Civil Rights Struggle? Better yet, isn’t that the real lesson we should take from the life of Martin Luther King Jr.?

The Civil Rights Movement can best be understood by an examination of the citizens who participated in it. King, as a leader and a constant source of inspiration, is an amazing example of the power of one…but he should be evaluated as one of the whole. This bitch understands that folks admire King…a bitch admires him too…but part of my admiration is based on the fact that he is not deified in my mind. When viewed as a man, with all of the faults, insecurities, fears and obligations every human being holds, King’s accomplishments and courage are all the more inspiring.

As one of the whole, King stands as an example of the journey experienced by many Civil Rights activists. The reluctance/fear to initially join, the clear identification of their individual role, the entry into the fold, the solidarity of organized struggle, the fear and anxiety, the denial and humiliation and yes, for far too many, the violence and possibility of death. Every marcher, every child walking for justice, every student risking it all faced many of those same elements.

And so what are you trying to say, bitch? Well, chil’ren, a bitch is glad you asked!

Today we face a drought of courage and stamina. And no, that isn’t just an inner city black people drought. Many who profess a commitment to social justice constantly demonstrate that lack of stamina, courage and dedication. A bitch sees it across the activist spectrum…pro-choice, anti-war, feminist, gay and lesbian equality, education reform and all manner of political activists burning out before getting waste deep in the fight.

And that, to this bitch, is the ultimate insult to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and all the many unknown heroes of the Civil Rights Struggle.

Do you think it was easy? Do you think, because you can sit down in your living room and watch Eyes on the Prize, that it went down in a carefully edited 8 hour video shoot? Have you considered that it took years…that the struggle began prior to Emancipation and continues today? Have you digested the unique experience of women of color…that for too long the feminist struggle rejected us and that our own efforts during the Civil Rights Struggle bore a limited crop and we were thrown meager rations from that?

Have you considered the toll apathy has taken on those earlier activists? What is must do to see young people scoff at what you risked your fucking life to achieve? And what it must feel like to have activists do everything and anything but embrace the power of the vote…after you took blows all over your body, risked life liberty and the pursuit of all happiness to gain what so called activists now lack the stamina…the courage…the respect to protect.

A bitch does not say this to deflate, but rather to inspire. Get up, get motivated and get busy! Our crops need tending and there are so many more mouths to feed.

Securing, protecting and nurturing equality is an on-going effort...they don't call it a struggle out of tradition.

So, this MLK Day a bitch plans to fortify my soul, fill my spirit and refuel…for the struggle continues…

‘til victory is won, right?

You bet your happy ass...

Brilliant!

My sistah in bitchitude, Bitch Ph.D., posted a thread yesterday and the comments are hilarious!

Oh shit...some of these motherfuckers may actually be serious.

Fuck it.

Gawd, why didn't this bitch think of this first?

Anyhoo...enjoy!

Crying and be-freckled bullshit...

This bitch indulged in a CNN festival last night and Lawd was it a wild trip!

A bitch settled onto my couch in my designated bitchitude area with a fresh vodka cran and the new Vanity Fair featuring Lindsay Lohan on the cover. My beloved TiVo was fixed to CNN and Betsey the sorta-beagle was snuggled in for a nap. What could be better?

There’s no crying in baseball!
At the top of the hour a glamorous CNN anchor (when did they start hiring super models to read the news?) informed this bitch that Mrs. Alito, wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Sam Alito, broke down and cried and had to leave the Senate chamber during the confirmation hearing Wednesday.

Pause.

Sip vodka cran….sip vodka cran again (yummy!!).

Hit rewind followed by play.

There's Sam and behind him...oh, there's Mrs. Sam...crying.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY!

There’s no crying in baseball!

You never...NEVER...let them see you weep! Haven't you done enough...both of you...now, you're going to sit there and fucking SOB on national television!

What the...?

Okay, so a bunch of Senators pointed out that your husband was a member of some alumni association connected to Princeton that aggressively bitched that women (oh, perish the thought) and people of color (Lawd have mercy) were being admitted to their blessed white bastion of privileged grade inflation. Mrs. Alito didn’t break down and cry while the kids on the left lit into her husband….no, she waits until Senator Graham absolves Alito of all bigotry in a rather plain spoken soft shoe question…

Are you a bigot... or something like that?

And Alito, that shady motherfucker, had the audacity to pause and consider the answer! For the love of all that’s holy! You’ve got Alito pausing and looking flustered, Senator Graham looking rather pleased with himself and Mrs. Alito (because she has no separate identity from her husband and why on earth would she want to…shit, even CNN refers to her as Mrs. Alito…Gawd, is this 1952?) breaking down into a fucking chin quivering pre-sob red faced Victorian sorta-faint in the middle of a motherfucking United States Senate confirmation chamber-like room!

Mercy!

This bitch is not against crying…but my ass wouldn’t have let anyone have the pleasure of seeing me cry in public over that shit. Sorry, but a bitch is hard like that. The again, my mate wouldn't have been a member of a bigotted organization that the only defense against being associated with is that you weren't aware that they were advocating gender and racial segregation.

Nope...not my type.

Anyhoo, hold it together Mrs. Alito! Women have weathered far more disturbing shit on the Hill...ask Anita. And why the fuck weep when you can get angry? This bitch couldn’t help wondering…was Mrs. Alito crying because folks were attacking her husband or because she just realized that her husband is a retro-bigot?

Whatever. Cease crying! You married an asshole and now the whole world knows it. Buck up and take it like a woman…

Freckles…
As a bitch mentioned, my ass was reading the new Vanity Fair while tuning in to CNN’s rehash of Mrs. Alito’s emotional breakdown, her husband's Senatorial tap dance and all things confirmation related.

Lindsay Lohan has freckles…everywhere. She graces the cover of Vanity Fair…with her freckles and a rather tragic emaciated attempt to revive the lush feminine beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The problem is that Marilyn ate…food…on a regular basis. Lindsay looks more like Marilyn in the news footage after one of her divorces…you know the one, where her hair was all tore up and she was clearly under the influence of medicinal assistance…yeah, that clip where she looks like she needs a good meal and 8 hours of sleep.

Anyhoo…Lohan is on the cover and they even wrote an article about her tragic teen queen ass…how that ass got really skinny…why her ass got skinny…the bones that poked out of that be-freckled skinny ass…and why she’s all better now. It was basically a re-write of every 'teen trying to transition into adult while dabbling in music, videos, film and drugs and not doing any of them well…who gets hooked on being thin, parties her ass off, has some nude photos taken or video tapes uninspired sex with her boyfriend or videotapes uninspired sex with her girlfriend or has her left breast pop out on the red carpet' story.

Sigh.

This was nothing new.

Nor was it new to have Lohan issue some bullshit statement that she was shocked and horrified with the article and disputes all of it…probably even the freckles.

Honey?

Lindsay!?

Shut the fuck up! Gawd, give me Taylor and Burton over this shit any day. The only thing more pathetic than cooperating with a refried Hollywood teen queen tragedy article in Vanity Fair is disputing the refried lame ass so-already-been-done elements of said piece of shit article!

Shit. At least give us some juicy detail then dispute that...or go suntanning with your co-star buck-naked off of Capri while your new husband, who you stole from your best friend while griveing the love of your life's tragic death in a plane crash, reads about your torrid love affair in the press!

Oh. My bad...there's that Taylor/Burton thing again.

Lindsay! Drop the bleached blond hair, keep the freckles, eat...food...and fire everyone associated with the past 6 months of your public relations life.

Update on AngryBlackBitchFest…

A bitch just learned that the location of the debut of my first sorta-play, All About Ann, will have to find a new location. Mardi Gras and Soulard equals logistical nightmare.

So, this bitch is now searching for another location for Friday February 24, 2006…

Theatrical drama is so taxing!

Confirmations...

A bitch is feeling much better today! Thanks again for all the love.

Oh and to Chuck from Louisiana….a bitch has a multitude of Live Journal faithful, but you did bring me some serious laughter-based joy yesterday! Hugs to Live Journal Chuck who eats his grits old school!

Moving forward at 85% of full bitchitude capacity…

2 cups coffee with Splenda and 1% organic milk, 1 Claritin, 2 Sudafed and cigs…

A bitch watched the Today Show this morning and was alarmed to see that Katie Couric has recently bathed in self tanner. Shit, she was a bright autumn orange! And a bitch can’t understand why tans are associated with health yet tanning is so fucking bad for your ass…and why would Miz Perfect perpetuate a physical image that, if achieved through nature, will result in rawhide skin and cancer? Whatever…the woman was distractingly freakish.

So, Katie of the autumn orange #5 Courics interviewed Carville and Begala (Democratic strategists for my non-American or non-political junkie or non-War Room viewing friends). A bitch was shocked when Miz Thang came out with the following statement regarding the Alito confirmation hearings…

“What purpose does this serve the American people except to take up their time?”

Katie was referring to the fact that Senators are asking lame assed questions and Alito isn’t answering them for shit. And this bitch was put in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with the rancid Miz Couric!

Let me clarify. This bitch feels that the confirmation process is vital. It should be public, aggressive, and full of depth. What my ass doesn’t give a shit about is if it is civil. If the shit gets nasty then it went there…take your fucking gloves off and get at it.

Anyhoo…CarvilleBegala (it was as if they had merged into one uber-being) were pimping their new book, which is basically a Democratic call to arms. Something they said hit this bitch…the need for courage at all levels. They have identified weakness as a failing within the party and the fact that many elected officials lack the courage of their convictions.

This bitch feels that the motherfuckers may be lacking convictions…period.

But it dawned on me that this is my problem with Alito. Well, on top of the fact that he is a pre- Roe throwback conservative who longs for an American monarchy and unlimited Executive power. And he's waxy...and he has that freaky soft and deliberate Satanic Cheney voice.

Sam Alito is on the record as a conservative. He is on the record as a conservative judge. Alito is on the record as stating that he feels Roe is not constitutional and he has spent the last two days dodging his own professed beliefs. Alito’s convictions are clear…he is personally anti-choice and anti-Roe in his professional life. The fact that he lacks the courage to profess that shit in front of Gawd, the Senate and everybody illuminates his lack of integrity and courage. Shit, maybe even the depth of his personal convictions and/or judicial philosophy.

This is a key issue for me.

If Alito is anti-choice because of his personal convictions but has this ability to set aside those personal convictions while serving on the court then a bitch needs some examples of that shit...which don't exist, because he's lying. If Alito is anti-choice and has every intention of overturning Roe if confirmed, but is lying to get confirmed then a bitch has serious issues with that. Basically, Alito is either a lying sack of shit or a lying sack of shit. He has either lied about his position on Roe, lied about his commitment to the anti-choice movement, lied about his ability to some how separate his personal convictions (which may or may not be a perceived sin in his eyes depending on how much he has lied about being an anti-choice religious zealot) or lied about having a principled legal conflict with Roe as decided by the court.

Jesus, this motherfucker would throw a seizure if someone came before him in his capacity as judge with this level of complete bullshit.

So here we are, watching day two of the 'don’t ask, don’t tell on choice' confirmation hearings and this bitch is disgusted. A lack of courage? Yeah…but not just on the Democratic side. Alito is a spineless little shit too. Stand up and proclaim, you sorry motherfucker! Let the people know what you believe and why. But that brings us the great murky untold angle that the conservative movement doesn’t want to shed light on…the fact that Alito’s position on choice is unpopular and not held by the majority of American people.

Let’s keep it real…if Alito’s anti-choice ass was in the majority he would have waltzed into the confirmation hearings with Life tattooed on his forehead. As it is, he's probably got Life tattooed to his left asscheek, which he has all but displyed to the judicial committee while dodging yes or no questions like he was born to evade and deceive.

Yep, that motherfucker just continues to side-step and twirl. And Senators continue to pontificate and enable.

Pro-choice on the ballot clearly doesn't equal pro-choice in the chamber. And a bitch shudders to consider the vote on this asshole...

Update on a bitch's funktitude...

A bitch is feeling slightly better. My ass is still in a funk, but a night of chocolate ice cream and news avoidance helped a great deal.

Thanks to everyone for well wishes, cyber hugs and the promise of Smarties. A special thank you to a certain Live Journal fan for sending rays of sunshine all the way from California…oh my!

Anyhoo, a bitch is looking out my window at a rather dark day. What to do?

ABB’s Prescription to address Winter Funktitude…
Soothing music...
A bitch loves all types of music, but my ass recommends jazz to deal with extreme funktitude. Right now a bitch is listening to Miles Davis…yeah baby!

Soothing light…
A bitch has adjusted the light to soft. Not only does it provide a calming atmosphere but a bitch looks 10 years younger!

Comfort food…
This bitch has already made plans to acquire some serious soul food after work. We’re talking smothered, pickled and boiled with pork! Oh, and corn bread too.

Other people’s drama…
Tonight a bitch plans to watch Lifetime Television for Women. When a funktitude sets in it is helpful to watch other people spiral out of control…oh come on, y’all know you love some Lifetime.

Bra-less flannel-based laziness…
There is nothing like sitting around in an old college sweatshirt, no fucking bra and flannel while doing anything. Oh, and slippers to!

Ahhhh…

Okay, we’ll give this a try and see if it helps. If not, a bitch has been promised Smarties from two sources…and everyone knows that funktitude can not survive an assault from Canadian Smartie goodness!

Toodles!

Funk...

Chil'ren, a bitch is in a serious funk today.

It happens.

This bitch knew it was going to be one of those depressed super-funk blah days when it took everything in my power to get out of bed.

Shit.

Anyhoo, a bitch is taking a mental break and will post tomorrow.

Sigh.

Gawd, a bitch hates funks.

Lou Rawls (1933-2006)...

A bitch was saddened to hear of the death of Lou Rawls.

This bitch was a fan…not one to crave his music but certainly one to enjoy it when it.

My ass most associates Lou Rawls with the United Negro College Fund, which he supported through his Parade of Stars Telethon. To my knowledge, Lou Rawls didn’t go to college. Yet he spent a lot of energy and time trying to make college a possibility for multitudes of students.

If an individual is able to do some good…to help a fellow human being…to inspire someone to reach beyond their perceived limits and to dream, learn and accomplish…then that individual has lived a blessed life and left a legacy.

May we all find as much inspiration in Lou Rawls’ charitable legacy as we do in his musical one.

Not targeted, but perhaps hit...

Thank Gawd it’s Friday!

This bitch is exhausted. Two straight days of not enough sleep…shit!

3 cups coffee with minimal 1% organic milk followed by copious amounts of Splenda, 1 Claritin, 1 Excedrin Sinus Headache and cigs…

Not targeted, but perhaps hit…
A bitch caught the tail end of CNN’s Situation Room with Wolfie B. last night. There was a curious news item about the possibility that the NSA has been listening in on Christiane Amanpour’s conversations. It seems that Andrea Mitchell of NBC asked a rather odd question of reporter James Risen…something about have they ever listened in on a conversation with Christiane Amanpour. The transcript of her interview was posted and the blogs went at it like a dawg with a bone.

NBC took it down then reposted it with that section missing. They issued a statement saying that it was posted erroneously and that they are in the process of doing further blah blah blah.

So, on the Situation Room the good people of CNN attempted to address the question. They were able to get a statement from the NSA saying that they are not listening in on reporters, but that some conversation may be recorded during another listening operation. And, of course, those recordings are always destroyed (wink).

Now, this whole thing was odd but it kind of gets to the heart of the whole bugging without a warrant situation.

If this bitch had been doing the report my ass would have pointed out that we have only the NSA’s word on this shit. We have no way of confirming any of this nor can we confirm that recordings that happen to contain conversations between reporters and sources are destroyed. Which, on the surface is okay, but is fucked up to the limit when one really explores it.

Our government has tripped this wire before. They listened to activists during the 50’s and 60’s, they listened to student groups during the 50's, 60’s and 70’s and we all know that Nixon and his cronies were actively spying on reporters during their tenure at the White House. Shit, our government even listened to people having sex...freaky motherfuckers. All of which allowed them to use the power of government as a tool against citizen’s…blackmail, infiltration to undermine legal demonstrations and sabotage.

This bitch wonders if these spy operations would have been approved through the warrant process.

And perhaps that’s the real motivation for not getting one...then and now.

What we don’t know can hurt us. This bitch has moved on from whether this spy game makes us safer to how it hurts us. Our government could bug us all...hell, they can put a micro chip in every American and they could know who is where at all times.

Would that make us safer or more vulnerable to a different enemy?

Is our government protecting Americans or laying the foundation to manipulate and control us?

My ass doesn't know what pisses me off more...the fact that these fuckers are doing this shit or the fact that most people don't give a shit.

Coverage...

Well a bitch had one crazy day yesterday. Not a lot of drama, but too much running around! Shit. My current state of blah didn’t help matters either…oh, and the fact that most people can’t read a bitch’s mood for shit added to that pile.

Fuck it all.

First, let a bitch say congratulations to the University of Texas Longhorns for hookin' 'em right good last night! Fantabulous! A bitch knows too many alums of U.T. to not get a wee bit misty at their victory. Gawd, can you imagine what a hot mess walking Jenna Bush was last night at the victory kegger? Mercy.

Moving on…

Coverage…
A bitch watched the initial coverage of the West Virginia mine explosion and subsequent rescue efforts with shock and dismay. Regardless of how everything turned out, this bitch simply felt sick over the herd of media folks camped out to capture every single fucking second of it.

Catch that knee before it jerks, Anonymous...a bitch isn't saying that events should not be covered. No, my ass is commenting on the coverage...on how that coverage impacts those being covered...on that fucking shit called emotions that no one factors in and no one wants to talk about lest they be confronted with some dumb assed auto-response about censorship. Cover it all...fuck it. My ass just couldn't help but think 'what if that was me'.

A bitch couldn’t help but think of my father’s death from a heart attack several years ago. The great phone call we had that morning, though he seemed tired. The phone call my ass received from the hospital later that day…your father has had a heart attack and is in bad shape…are you alone…you need to come to Chicago immediately. A bitch thought about the wait between the time my ass called my sister and the time she arrived back home….the chanting, was that in my head or did a bitch say it out loud…oh Jesus, oh Gawd, oh Lord, oh no. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when C-Money came through the door. The pathetic feeling of weakness when my ass stepped back and let her make that terrible call back to the hospital. The look on her face and the absolute all consuming denial sparked by her confirming the worst with those four fucking words…he didn’t make it.

And then this bitch thought about experiencing all of that shit with 200 news cameras stationed outside of my house…following us as we left to inform our mother that her former husband was dead…calling us for interviews while we struggled to locate our father’s new wife and tell her that her husband of less than two years was gone.

Covering...my loss, my pain, my tears, my family...over and over and over again.

There, but for the grace of Gawd and an editorial decision, go we all...

Hold please...

A bitch has bitness to attend to...

The liberal to do list part 2...

Lets just jump right in shall we?

The 2006 elections…
Political analysts are already weighing in on which races will be crucial and so forth. Fuck that shit.

They are all crucial. Every single one of them…crucial as a motherfucker!

We need to aggressively educate our fellow citizens about the races, the stakes and their rights at the polls. And we need to vote. Invoke Katrina, the war, the leak scandal, the spy scandal, the corruption, the unchecked spending, the lack of proactive government, the lack of accountability, the lack of viable Social Security reform and all things Medicare/Medicaid related.

Get busy and know that this bitch will be too…busy as a motherfucker.

And a bitch is serious about this shit. We can’t afford to assume an energized voter base. Everyone my ass meets is apathetic and burnt out on all thing political. There is a real danger that liberal voters may just say fuck it or listen to those political analysts and ignore their own races because some asshole on CNN said it wasn’t crucial.

A bitch is very passionate about this shit. My ass has taught voter education for over 2 years and let me assure you there is a serious need for it.

Tired of hearing about undecided voters?

Yeah, me too.

So get out there and start preaching the good word! Give these people something to help them decide! And remember, the best way to counter an undecided voter is to register someone with their mind made the fuck up.

And do the follow up too…drive some folks to the polls on Election Day.

The liberal to do list...part 1

Happy 2006! This bitch rang in the New Year with yummy food and a serious party…fantabulous! Oh, and my ass got to hang out with a bunch of folks from a certain bitness in Fenton Missouri. Y'all are crazy...cool as shit...and crazy!

A certain AbsolutBilly has forwarded pictures, which a bitch may or may not post depending on how a bitch looks in them.

2 cups coffee with Splenda and 1% organic milk, 1 Claritin, 2 Sudafed and cigs...

AngryBlackBitchFest Update…
A certain AbsolutBilly took up a bitch’s cause and found a venue for my sorta-play All About Ann! Fantabulous! And thanks again to Chris and Judith.

A bitch is pretty sure that AngryBlackBitchFest is going to go down Mardi Gras weekend here in the Lou, so the sorta-play will be staged Friday February 24. And who the fuck knew the weekend of February 24-26 would be such a whirlwind here in St. Louis? Not only is Mardi Gras going down, but also a whole crew of gay non-gays will descend upon the city to talk about being gay non-gays...oh, and a bitch’s birthday celebration will be taking place.

Mmmmhmmm…y’all need to take those vitamins, get plenty of rest and save up some bail money!

The liberal to do list (part 1)…
A bitch has been thinking about politics a lot recently. A lot is going down and a bitch likes to keep on top of shit. So this bitch spent the month of December observing and listening to the political buzz going on around me.

And…well…a bitch is concerned. Not so much with the current state of polarization in American politics…a bitch strongly believes that polarization is a necessary step and helps those pesky undecided voters clarify what they need to decide. No, this bitch is concerned about my fellow liberals.

And lets start with the word liberal, shall we? There has been a recent push to refer to liberals as progressives. A bitch is willing to conceded that progressive as a word has power. The problem is that most progressives have made the fatal error of leading with a new definition that their policy can’t back up.

Give the people progressive policies and they will start calling you what you fucking are.

Call yourself progressive while still clinging to stagnant policies and the people will chant bullshit. If it walks like it and talks like it, honey call it what it is.

A bitch prefers liberal and has no shame in it. And there is a part of me that doesn’t want an update simply because it validates the conservatives rhetoric that liberal equals bad. Fuck ‘em.

Moving forward…

Are you better off today than you were four years ago?

No?

Why?

Ask and answer that question and you can build an entire motherfucking platform! For the love of Gawd people, shut your 1960’s handbooks and step up to the plate. We are in a war for hearts and minds! This is not the time to be caught mentally masturbating to outdated political theory!

A bitch believes that the fundamental problem with many of my fellow liberals is that we are guilty of the same shit as conservatives…not participating in the very society we seek to represent. And, when you don’t wade into the muck you will always have a hard time describing its texture with accuracy.

Before you can discuss Social Security reform you should get to know the current Social Security system. Wait! Slow the fuck down! Do not research this shit on-line. As a bitch’s sister is known to say, the Internet is a dangerous place. Take your happy ass to your local Social Security office, pick up a motherfucking pamphlet and read it. Twice. Then start researching. Because we do need to fix some shit and we might want to consider putting some FUCKING OPTIONS ON THE TABLE!

Before engaging in a discussion about poverty you should get to know the poor. A bitch is broke but my ass is not equipped to discuss poverty as a personal experience…poverty is different. Push away from the computer and travel a bit. If you find yourself afraid to enter North St. Louis City, that may be a starting point for you. Why are you afraid? Is it right for you to be afraid? Mayhap you should think about doing something about those things that spark fear and anxiety into your heart.

If you want information about organizations or groups that you can volunteer with just let a bitch know! But do not…DO NOT… assume that you can understand the challenges ahead for the poor without interacting with poor people. And do not…DO NOT…assume that there is an easy fix. American poverty will impact our health care system, retirement, social security reform, disaster preparedness, tax reform, military recruitment/logistics/make-up/existance and education reform…name it and poor people are a key factor.

Lawd, it has been over 30 years since RFK toured Appalachia and this bitch still has to listen to fellow liberals quoting dead communists while failing to grasp the nature of modern poverty.

A bitch is calling on all liberals to step out of that sanctimonious anti-conservative pro-nothing box, lead from a place of knowledge and make ourselves worthy of the word progressive!

How’s that for a 2006 agenda?