Yes, a bitch is featured in the June 2010 issue of St. Louis Magazine!

Yep, that’s me.

The very fantabulous Stefene Russell wrote about this bitch for the June issue of St. Louis Magazine – ‘tis on the stands and St. Louisans can check it out, but the article isn’t online just yet.

They do have a podcast up about the June issue, though.

Minor correction to the podcast – a bitch was actually born in St. Paul Minnesota but I was certainly raised in St. Louis Missouri!

Anyhoo, I’ll post a link as soon as the article goes online.

Many thanks to Stefene Russell and all the folks at St. Louis Magazine for choosing to profile a bitch...

...and tons of thanks to a certain Matt Marcinkowski, photographer extraordinaire, who made this bitch look good and my Afro look even better!

Stanley Cup viewage – reflections on Game 1 between the Hawks and the Flyers…

Hockey is nothing if not unpredictable and Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals proved that shit…big time!

A bitch and C-Money settled down to watch the pre-game build-up on the NHL Channel and the anticipation was fantabulous.

Would it be a blow out?

Would anyone put on the foil?

Would nerves play a role?

Would the Flyers contain the Hawks top line?

Would Americans get a Don Cherry sighting?

Oh my!



I.


Love.


This.


Game!

A blow out?

No.

Both teams got their score on, much to this bitch’s surprise.  I would have expected Chicago to drop some whoop ass in a high scoring game, but the Flyers held their own right down to the final few minutes.  There were 11 goals total with the wining one giving the game to Chicago 6-5…but Philly played with ‘em and met their firepower with some of their own.

Did anyone put on the foil, coach?

Nope.  There weren’t any fights and that too was surprising, since ‘tis obvious some of the boys would rather look at a smear of shit on a wall than some of the dudes on the other team.  Darn those NHL rules!  Tussles, high sticks, one unfortunate boarding incident and some shoving aside…both teams left the foil in the locker room.

Nerves, however, did make an appearance.

A bitch suspects that both goalies had a case of the jitters.  Both shat the bed a bit in the game…but Leighton was the one who got pulled.  Most the of the post game analysis says that the score-fest wasn’t due to synchronized sieve-ation between the pipes…but trust that this bitch will be watching the minders of the net closely in Game 2!

Mercy.

All in all, it was a wild game…with goals coming from expected and un-expected places.  My take-away is that this is going to be a serious series…both teams are there to win…and we the hockey adoring masses are in for some damn good NHL viewage!

That should make up for the fact that a bitch was assaulted by several shots of an asshole Hawks fan in full this-is-what-white-people-think-Native-American-war-paint-looks-like gear complete with a headdress and…wait for it…a tomahawk.

Pause...roll eyes...continue.

Lawd, give me strength.

I can only hope that the NBC cameraperson will skip the public displays of cultural disrespect in the future.

I mean shit, next time cut to a crazy ass Don Cherry rant or something!

Blink.




Anyhoo...

Hawks 1 - Flyers 0 and onward to Game 2!

Dream a little dream of me…

Stars shining bright above you.
Night breezes seem to whisper, 'I love you,'
Birds singing in the sycamore tree.
Dream a little dream of me.

A bitch has a rare four days off from work!

Pause…consider…continue.

Okay, that’s not accurate…I have four days off from my nine to five gig, but my ass still has plenty of work to do.

Say nighty-night and kiss me.
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me.
While I'm alone and blue as can be,
Dream a little dream of me.

Shit, it still feels like a vacation to me!

I slept in a bit…made cheesy eggs and bacon (yum!)…and skipped the coffee ‘cause I intend to take a mid-day nap, damn it.

Aw, the joy of a four day stretch…a holiday weekend with dawgs, and a lawn to mow, and paperwork, and writing to do, and…shit!

Stop…cease…don’t do it, bitch!

Breath in relaxation…release stress and obligation.

Sigh.

Yeah, that’s the way.

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear,
Still craving your kiss.

‘Tis a beautiful summer-esque spring day…and I don’t have to do a damn thing.

I'm longing to linger 'till dawn, dear,
Just saying this:

Maybe I’ll make some iced tea…oh, oh no…lemonade with tons of sugar and ice!

Sweet dreams 'till sunbeams find you,
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.

Yeah, that sounds like heaven…some iced out lemonade, a good book or documentary on the telly and dawgs sleeping at my feet.

Fantabulous!

But in your dreams, whatever they be.

Dream a little dream of me.

Toodles ‘til tomorrow….

British Petroleum and redefining fubar…

Shall we?

Lawd, have mercy.

There are fuck ups and then there is the current eco-disaster pumping out in the Gulf.  Everyone is frustrated…every day this shit gets worse and every day entire industries are being destroyed.  Watching this unfold is the very definition of agony and the eco-disaster itself is the very definition of fubar.

It just is…all indications are that it simply will be…an absolute hot mess of epic proportions.

I’ve noticed a recurring statement in the media coverage of BP’s attempts to stop the oil from pumping out – “this has never been tried in deep seas.”

Every time they propose and then attempt a fix...every time that fix doesn’t work…BP is forced to admit what no one wants to acknowledge – that companies are drilling offshore in deep sea conditions, that drilling carries with it the risk of spills and spills will happen, and no one has a proven technique to deal with those spills in deep water when they do happen.

The only question on the table is whether anyone will figure something out, who that person will be (and it sure as shit doesn’t look like BP’s gonna get a clue anytime soon) and how much oil will be in the region once that yet to be determined genius gets her or his genius on and delivers a fix.

Damn it all to hell.

As the masses come to terms with the reality that screaming “do something!” doesn’t make a this-will-fix-this-shit-so-we-can-start-cleaning-up-this-oil perfect something-based fix suddenly appear on the table, I’m left wondering if we’ll learn anything and knowing that the odds are against it.

BP is arrogant because they can be…they aren’t taking responsibility because they don’t have to…they lack a sense of urgency because they know that their proposals to fix this shit might not work and there aren’t consequences for that, other than our anger…and the worse thing about all that is that BP is a monster the lack of regulations created.

The federal government doesn’t have the answers because they don’t have to…they’ve been reformed to do just what they are doing – spin in circles while waiting for private business to solve problems.

This is small government, rampant free enterprise and lax regulations in practice…economic theory playing out in a real life scenario for all the world to see.

But hey, we’ve got a live web cam to capture all that fubar for the record!

Yay.

Christ.

Will we learn anything?

Will we apply the lessons we learn?

Will the oil ever stop pumping out so we can even think about lessons and changes and reform?

They drill baby…because they can.

And it spills, baby…because it will.

And even if the buck stopped somewhere we’d still be faced with that recurring statement ‘cause “this has never been tried in deep seas”, with the Gulf as testing ground and with a growing eco-disaster no one is responsible for.

Because they don’t have to be.

Fubar, redefined.

Blink.

Onward to the Stanley Cup Finals...

Okay, Game 5 of the Habs v Flyers series was exciting as hell.

True, no one took a puck to the face...lost 7 teeth...and still return to play in the game (Lawd, have mercy), but that goal by Richards was a thing of beauty!

Anyhoo, the fantastical play-off run of the Montreal Canadians came to an end...and a bitch must confess that I was sad to see its conclusion.  But the Habs have a lot to be proud of…they played with heart and truculent belligerence (wink).

Now onward to the Finals in the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup!

It’s going to be the Hawks vs. Flyers and a bitch suspects both teams will be puttin’ on the foil, coach…

It's off to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Hawks...

A bitch caught Game 4 of the Hawks v Sharks Stanley Cup Playoff series yesterday afternoon.

I really thought the Sharks were going to make a go of it…but they ultimately fell short and the Chicago Blackhawks took out the broom and swept their series.

Daaaaamn!

It’s off to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Hawks!

Now we get to see if the Flyers will finish the Habs to join them.

A bitch would call that series for the Flyers…but if any team can pull a miracle run it’s the Habs.

Can’t wait, can’t wait...CAN’T WAIT!

Sigh.

Hockey bliss…

Pondering a nun, an abortion, hospitals run by religious institutions and how one person’s “good” is another person’s “evil”…

The other day my sister C-Money and I were discussing the case of the nun in Arizona who was excommunicated for authorizing an abortion at a Catholic hospital to save the woman’s life.

My sister remarked that the nun likely knew that there would be consequences of some sort or another.

Then she added that courage is what you do even when you know the risks.

Shall we?

I’ve been following coverage of the news story about the nun, Sister Margaret McBride, who was excommunicated from the Catholic Church for approving an abortion in order to save a woman’s life.  The specific situation is disturbing – the 27 year old woman was 11 weeks along in her pregnancy when a serious heart condition placed her life in peril.   Doctors said that the woman would face certain death if she continued the pregnancy.  The Catholic Church allegedly has a loop-hole for such cases at Catholic hospitals…so Sister Margaret McBride, an administrator at the Arizona hospital, approved the abortion procedure.

The woman survived.

Sister Margaret McBride was excommunicated.

In the eyes of church officials, she “consented in the murder of an unborn child”.

CBS News quotes Rev. John Ehrich, the medical ethics director for the Diocese of Phoenix - "There are some situations where the mother may in fact die along with her child. But - and this is the Catholic perspective - you can't do evil to bring about good. The end does not justify the means."

Alrighty then.

As someone who lives in a region with several Catholic hospitals, I’ve known that not all hospitals are the same for quite some time.  There is a never-ending debate over the role of religion in hospital administration that everyday folks are probably not even aware of.  On the surface it is all so simple – churches have rights, hospitals run by religious institutions often build policy based on religious doctrine and patients can choose to not go to a hospital if they disagree with that shit.

But things are never as simple as they first appear.

When a person has a medical emergency, they are taken to the closest medical facility…and that should be a good thing.  In cities, there are usually several hospitals to choose from for elective things…but if a body lives in a rural area there may only be one hospital serving a large area, so the issue of choice does not apply.

That brings us back to the issue of hospitals run by religious institutions, those rights and the policy positions based on religious doctrine.

Even if you aren’t Catholic you are subject to Catholic ethics at a Catholic hospital…or [insert religious institution here] ethics at a [insert religious institution]'s hospital.

Even if your doctor isn’t Catholic she has to adhere to the policies of the hospital she is practicing medicine at.

That may not mean a damn thing…or it could mean everything.

Rape survivors who are taken by ambulance to the nearest medical facility may not be offered emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy.

Women who would like to have a tubal ligation procedure after giving birth are denied that option.

And a woman facing certain death should she continue a pregnancy might have died...but for the decision of a nun working in hospital administration.

It all depends on hospital policy…policy based on faith dressed up to look like medical ethics.

Think about that for a moment - the difference between life and death for many of us could all ride on the actions of one nun in administration.

Other writers have pointed out the rancidity of a church automatically excommunicating a nun for authorizing an abortion yet protecting, enabling and not excommunicating pedophile priests.

But my focus keeps coming back to what this all means for people living in communities all of the nation...to everyday folks who assume that hospitals are all the same and doctors will do everything they can to save a person’s life…and I can’t help but wonder what other scenarios are out there, unexplored and not yet pondered, that may challenge the ethics of a religion and thus limit the life saving options for doctors.

Tis true that “you can't do evil to bring about good”…

…and ‘tis also true that everyone isn’t working from the same definition of  “good” or “evil”.

Many are now asking the question are Catholic hospitals safe for pregnant women and this bitch is wondering who else they aren't safe for.

Blink.

Hockey Night in Bitchlandia continues…

A bitch caught Game 3 of the Canadiens v Flyers series last night.

The Flyers went in with a 2 Game to 0 lead in the series.

The Habs went in needing to win…to show the hell up and play a full 60 minutes…to recapture the fighting spirit that has fueled their remarkable playoff run.

Well, playoff hockey was in the house last night…big time!

Montreal came out gunning while the Flyers seemed to pay for every mistake and turn over.

Habs 5.

Flyers 1.

And some old time glove-to-the-face drama broke out in the 3rd period, so a bitch suspects Game 4 is going to be fierce as a motherfucker.

Next up, Game 3 in the Hawks v Sharks saga.




Fantabulous!

I love hockey…yes I do…I love hockey and so should you!

Dear Anonymous Asshole…

Pause…stretch a bit…and begin.

Dear Anonymous Asshole,

This bitch is reaching out to you in response to the comment you attempted to make to my Where we stand after the Great Primary Showdown of 2010 post, because I feel that you may have a serious problem in need of immediate treatment.

It’s best that I just come out and say it – you may be able to read but you lack the ability to comprehend.

Now, now…I’m making that diagnosis based on your over-the-top, freakishly rambling and ALL CAPS SO A BITCH’LL KNOW YOU MEAN BITNESS defense of a certain Rand Paul, who you seem to think I called a racist in my post.

But…um, well…I didn’t call Rand Paul a racist in my post.

As a matter of fact, I didn’t reference Dr. Paul’s comments about race or the Civil Rights Act at all.

Pause…wait for Anonymous Asshole to re-read post…continue.

Did anything sink in the second time around…where you able to absorb the fact that my mention of Rand Paul addressed the wrongness of his statements about the Americans With Disabilities Act?

Now, ‘tis true that many people of color benefit from the Americans With Disabilities Act…but a bitch isn’t gonna stretch that to try to make an argument that Rand Paul opposes protecting the rights of the disabled because a brown disabled person may benefit.

On the contrary, I think Rand is an equal opportunity supporter of organizations and businesses that would like to deny rights and privileges to Americans with disabilities!

Back to your condition – charging a bitch up about whether I’ve read or could understand Arizona’s immigration bill after you clearly demonstrated that you either did not read or could not understand my post was priceless.

Using racial stereotypes to make the case that Rand Paul isn’t a racist while self-diagnosing your own ass as not racist even as you refer to “the history of colored people” and “radical Negros” was delusional.

But accusing this bitch of calling Rand Paul a racist in a post where I didn’t call Rand Paul a racist was probably the all time hand down most ridiculous shit I’ve read in years.

And for that achievement Anonymous Asshole, you get a radical, socialist, undocumented worker loving, militant, pro-abortion rights supporting, state sovereignty denying, feminist, lgbt equality rights advocating cookie!

You can redeem this post for your cookie as soon as you get a fucking clue.

And we’ll just let Rand Paul speak for himself on the issue of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…

Toodles!

Rain, rain and more motherfucking rain…

Fuck a duck.

Complaining about the weather is foolish…a bitch gets that…but damn it to hell and back, I’m tired of this constant rain so I’m gonna indulge in a bit of foolish complaining.

Is this what it’s like in Seattle?

Jesus!

I don’t know why, but St. Louisans drive like they’ve lost their damn mind…as if rain slick roads are triple dawg daring them to test their breaks.

And don’t even get me started on the wet dawg situation.

Two rain hating sorta-beagles plus one three-legged chow are also tired of this constant rain…and a bitch is tired of the aroma of wet or recently wet dawg.

Mercy.

At least we’ve got a steady drizzle and not a fierce storm.

But, fuck a damn rain soaked duck…we’re going to miss spring and skip right into a humid as hell summer!



***shakes fists at rain pissing sky***

Shit!

Sigh.

Thanks.

I needed that.

Toodles!

Where we stand after the Great Primary Showdown of 2010…

Shall we?

This bitch didn’t watch coverage of the mid-term primaries last night…’cause some serious ice hockey was on the telly and I’ve got my priorities straight. 

Wink.

But I easily caught up on what's what this morning.

Senator Arlen Specter will not be returning to the Senate once he finishes this term.  The former Republican turned Democrat lost his Democratic primary battle to a certain Joe Sestak.  Sestak is pro-choice with a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America, so reproductive justice advocates in Pennsylvania need to ramp it up and turn out the vote for him this November.

In Arkansas, incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln received a message from the progressive masses…she’ll face a run-off against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter to determine who the Democrat will be to face Republican John Boozman, who won the GOP nomination yesterday.

In Kentucky, Rand Paul delivered a Tea Party victory.  A bitch doesn’t know much about Paul…but his public statements against The Americans With Disabilities Act are enough to turn my stomach.  Suffice it to say, Kentucky will have a choice to make in November and that choice will have consequences…let’s hope voters look beyond the spectacle at the doctor's policy positions.

Mercy.

Now to the race political junkies were anxious about…despite a shit-load of money pumped in by the GOP, Mark Critz defeated his Republican challenger to win the special election race to fill the House seat vacated by the death of Rep. Murtha.

This truly was the race to watch last night…unless you were watching hockey.

Democrats were testing to see what works as they battled to hold on to the blue-collar Pennsylvania district where they have a 2-to-1 registration advantage.  The GOP was testing out the effectiveness of the Obama = evil, health care reform = socialism and Pelosi = Satan message.

Progressives need to take note – Critz won by leading with his anti-choice, pro-gun, same-as-Murtha economic policy positions.

If the Democratic Party is formulating their survival plan based on Critz’s road to victory, we who would like to see them take the reproductive choice plank of the party platform seriously have a serious problem.

Blink.

Where we stand after The Night of Two Game 2s…

Last night was Hockey Night in Bitchlandia in my house as we caught two Game 2s in the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup – Habs v. Flyers and Hawks v. Sharks.

The Habs v. Flyers series is a battle of the unexpecteds, so it seems as if anything is possible…but this bitch assumed Montreal would come out blasting after shitting the bed in a 6-0 loss in game one.  But nooooo…twasn’t in the stars!  The Flyers were in control and the Habs looked bewitched, bothered and bewildered as the Flyers skated to a 3-0 shut-out win.

The Flyers lead the series 2-0 and this bitch suspects Montreal is praying that there’s no place like home for Game 3.

The Hawks are looking like a team that learned something last year…big time.  The Shark Tank is usually an intimidating place to enter as the visiting team, but the Hawks were focused in Game 1 and stayed focused for Game 2.  Even though they started both games slow, the Hawks battled hard for wins…and the Sharks are now down 2-0 in the series as they head to Chi-Town. 

Hockey drama = hockey bliss!

Primary election frenzification….

First an update on Theo the sorta-beagle!

As some of you know a bitch has two sorta-beagles, Theo and Betsey.  Theo had surgery on Friday to remove a freakish skin tag from his front leg and he got his teeth cleaned while his ass was knocked out.

Theo is recovering well, but…well, he’s beyond pissed off at his being coned.

I tried to explain to him that I coned him for his own good…Theo, like all dawgs, is prone to lick his wounds and that’s not a good thing.

But Theo ain’t trying to hear that shit – he spent last night alternating between trying to get free of the cone, glaring at me or trying to seduce me into removing the cone by casting puppy glances my way.

Sigh.

I’ve got five more days of this shit.

Yay.

Lawd, give me strength!

Onward.

Some folks will get the chance to vent their political frustration at the polls in a primary election today.

The press has worked itself up into frenzy as they anticipate the fall of incumbents followed by the opportunity to feed upon the corpses of multiple political careers for the next few weeks.

A bitch suspects that voters will indeed vote against incumbents today…but I’m more interested to see if they vote for anyone.

See, throwing the bums out is one thing.

Voting a party in is another altogether.

This has all happened before.

This will all happen again (wink).

A bitch recalls the mass anti-incumbent correction of 1994, when many in the media interpreted voter anger as a political thumbs up for Newt & Company.  In reality, many voters got their vent on and flipped Congress more to punish Dems than embrace Newtology…even so, those voters sure as shit expected the newly crowned GOP to kick ass and take names.

Just like voters who kicked GOP incumbents out in 2006 expected much of the new Democratic majority.

I’m fascinated to see what happens today and in November.

I’ve come to understand that the masses aren’t consistent voters…those that are consistent voters aren’t necessarily party loyalists…and mid-term house cleaning is as reliable a happening as my basement flooding when it rains (translation – 'tis reliable as a motherfucker).

Anyhoo, this bitch won’t be watching the primary-apocalypse tonight – I've got a volunteer phone bank (non-election based) and...well, after that it's Hockey Night in Bitchlandia.

Pause…consider…continue.

Could the fall of the defending Stanley Cup champ Penguins have been a harbinger of Great Incumbent Dethronification of 2010?

Blink.

***logs off to eagerly anticipate tonight’s viewage of Habs v. Flyers and Hawks v. Sharks***

Get back up, dust self off and continue…

I don’t know ‘bout you, but a sistah needs some Mavis Staples singing We Shall Not Be Moved right now (click here for a listen).

Gawd, I love this song.

Shall we?

We shall not we shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Union is behind us
We shall not be moved
We shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved

The 2010 Session of the Missouri Legislature has ended.

Legislators passed an abortion restriction bill, an ethically challenged ethics reform bill…they cut funding to all manner of programs and services…and they sent to the August ballot an unenforceable measure to allow Missouri voters to decide whether to opt out of federal health care reform.

The Missouri legislature failed to pass a single jobs bill…a bitch suspects that multiple days spent pandering to sovereignty supporters and crafting legislation to insult and oppress women ate up a lot of time.

Sigh.

This was a rough one…but we who fight for social justice shall not be moved.

We're fighting for our freedom
We’re fighting for our freedom
We shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Fighting for our children
We shall not be moved
We're fighting for our children
We shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Black and white together
We shall not be moved
We shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved

I listened to the end of the session Friday, logged off my computer and made myself a stiff as hell vodka cran.

I was disgusted and tired as hell of this bullshit.

But I woke up yesterday and reminded myself that they call this a struggle for a reason.

We didn’t lose the war this session…maybe a battle or two, but certainly not the war.

Reproductive justice advocates did not walk away from this session empty handed – expedited partner therapy, which allows doctors to write a prescription for a person’s partner too when a person is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), passed and will be law.  As a resident of St. Louis city, where STI rates are some of the highest in the nation, this is an awesome legislative win that will have a positive impact on my community.

A fluff of the Afro to all who worked so hard for years to make expedited partner therapy (EPT) a reality!

Ohhh
We shall not we shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Well now
We shall not we shall not be moved
We shall not we shall not be moved
Just like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
Ohhh
We shall not be moved
We shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved

This bitch is preparing for what's next…for the work yet to be done.

And the truth is still true…regardless of the lies and misinformation spewed under the dome in Jefferson City.

Our cause is just.

There is no true freedom without reproductive justice.

And we shall not be moved.

Onward!

***logs off grooving to Mavis and refueling my activist soul***

Stressed and pondering the ban on ethnic studies...

Just when a bitch thought I couldn’t possibly be more stressed out…a certain Theo the sorta-beagle came up with a red and irritated skin tag on his leg that the vet says has to go.

Thus, Theo’s skin tag removal plus teeth cleaning (fuck it, once you knock him out you might as well get some shit done) both of which will happen this morning.

Lawd, give me strength.

Anyhoo…shall we?

Arizona has banned ethnic studies.  

Legislators passed and the Governor signed a bill that…well, the law prohibits the teaching of any classes that promote “the overthrow of the United States government,” “resentment toward a race or class of people,” “are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group” or “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”

Blink.

My initial thought was that, when my grade school history class in Missouri taught a section on the Civil War, at least two of my fellow students spoke in favor of the cause of the Confederacy using phrases from our text book to make their case.  Makes a bitch wonder if that class would violate Arizona law...since it explored whether the armed revolt against the United States government that was the Civil War was just.

I’m just saying.


Onward!

When asked what the fuck they were doing and why, the response has been 1) that “ethnic studies” classes promote ethnic solidarity over community integration and 2) “Public school pupils should be taught to treat and value each other as individuals and not be taught to resent or hate other races or classes of people,” (from the text of the bill).

So, teaching students that young people were attacked with water hoses in Southern cities during the Civil Rights movement when they protested segregation…which may result in black students realizing that there was a time in this nation’s history when those in power oppressed black people to maintain their social control…that kind of history is dangerous.

‘Twould be better to teach students that the South would have gradually done away with segregation but a bunch of socialist trouble makers came down and stirred up shit?

Or should students be taught that activists sang that they would like to give the world a Coke to keep it company and then, hearing that song, Southern segregationists were inspired to join hands and sing of the joy of tolerance – thus the nation was integrated?

This is such bullshit - the history of the United States is littered with the oppression of people of color.  Teach students the truth...that there were people here before this territory was "discovered", that the economy of this nation was built on the back of free slave labor and that we the people have come a long way but have a long way to go. 

The truth hurts...but it also gives us some shit to be proud of.

Ugh.

As to classes like Chicano History teaching racial solidarity…well, Gosh – why in the world would students of color need to be taught to be proud of their cultural history in Arizona?


Lawd, have mercy.

A bitch suspects that this law coming on top of the rancid immigration law is one more step in a master plan.   First, create a climate where even natural born people of color are seen as suspect.

Second?

Re-write history to remove any references to facts so that the next generation of Arizonans will believe that Arizona was settled by pilgrims from the Mayflower and that the Constitution was drafted in Phoenix while Native Americans looked on with appreciative joy and then celebrated the birth of a new nation by peacefully re-settling themselves far away ‘cause they wanted a change of scenery.

Christ.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

Or mayhap Arizona is in some sort of We're Rancid - Come Visit brand war with Virginia to win the title of #1 Travel Destination for bigots who fear all who are brown.

Nice.

A bitch has been getting my lobby on…

Hi all!

A bitch has been in Jefferson City lobbying the state legislature to vote NO on the Abortion Restriction Bill.  This is the last week of session and, as usual, the legislature is working to pass a lot of pending shit before the bell rings at 6pm on Friday.

Sigh.

Longtime readers know that this bitch highly recommends the folks pay attention to their state and local government.  Legislators need to hear from their constituents – it is essential and does make a difference.

Trust me, they hear from special interest groups hourly…and legislators often define the values of their district by which voice in the special interest group chorus is the loudest.

Sigh again.

Since my ass has had to juggle dawg care and work with the drive to and from Jefferson City, I know very well that it isn’t easy for the masses to get their citizen lobby on.

But we can all send an email, pick up the phone and make a call and let our elected representatives know where the people stand.

Missouri lawmakers are poised to pass legislation that will add more restrictions to access to abortion services…restrictions that shame women, promise support for women who chose to continue their pregnancy that the state can not so will not provide and that do nothing to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in the state.

And the same ridiculous shit is happening in state after state.

So this is my tired as hell, stressed out and generally disgusted with the ease with which some people pander to anti-choice organizations in an election year soap-box appeal to the masses…

Be aware…be vocal…and be persistent – politics is local and we the people cannot afford apathy.

Pause…consider…continue.

Gawd, how I long to be able to say “Thank goodness that law didn’t pass!” instead of “My Gawd, I can’t believe that piece of shit is going to be law.”

If you live in Missouri and have not taken action against the Abortion Restriction Bill, please click this link and do so now.

Thanks.

Remembering the great Lena Horne…

When I was a young girl I had the pleasure of seeing the great Lena Horne perform at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.

She was touring a one-woman show and my parents wanted me to get a chance to see her perform live.

When Lena Horne took the stage that night she took command…she was larger than life, a long slim column of pure power…her arms stretched up as if to touch heaven itself and she moved across the stage in great sweeping steps, her entire body swaying and rippling with the music.

Lena Horne sang with her entire body…she was a truly beautiful woman who wasn’t afraid to get ugly when a note demanded it.

She was an instrument…the sound and the story of each song interpreted through fierce movement and fearless music.

And I sat up in the balcony knowing that I was witnessing magic…a woman who knew who she was, who was confident in her talent…so glorious a performer that I was moved to tears.

It is hard to process that Lena Horne has died…she was so alive, so full of power and energy that it seems impossible.

But the news is ultimately undeniable…Lena Horne passed away last night.

And when I was a young girl I had the pleasure of seeing Lena Horne perform at the Fabulous Fox Theatre…

Today I treasure that moment…the happening that was Lena Horne.

Lena Horne was 92 years old.

On Mother’s Day...

A longtime lurker sent this bitch an email asking me whether I dislike Mother’s Day because I am estranged from my mother. 

Interesting question! 

Here’s my answer.

I cannot and do not speak for all folks who are estranged from their mother or mothers this Mother’s Day…but this bitch appreciates mothers 24/7 and all year long because I am estranged from the woman who gave birth to me.

I have known the absence of maternal comfort, support and love…so it dazzles me to see it demonstrated by mothers I know.

Women who aren’t perfect but who parent with humor, love and dedication.

Those are the mothers I think of today.

So, no…a bitch doesn’t have a problem with Mother’s Day.

Parenthood isn’t for everyone but it fits some folks like a custom made glove.

A fluff of the Afro to mothers this Mother’s Day and I hope you have a glorious day…

And a very special Happy Mother’s Day to my aunts and cousins…y’all are fantabulous!

A Terminator situation…

Confession – a bitch doesn’t trust the stock market.  It has a look in its eye that screams at a bitch “I’m going to fuck you over and it’s not a question of if but when.”

Shall we?

Yesterday the stock market freaked out…lost it’s shit…had a total public melt down.

Speculation is that a trader typed in a sale for a fabillion trillion when it should have been a million…and then other traders responded by selling everything they could as fast as possible…and then the machines took over and took a single human fuck up followed by frantic reflex trading for a wild ride.

Financial pundits are now debating the cause and the fact that they can’t seem to agree on what caused this shit is enough to make this bitch ponder banking with my mattress.

Lawd, have mercy.

Some say that it was human error…others say that the machines that kicked in made all the mistakes…and still others are trying to link yesterday’s drama to the economic fubarity and civil unrest in Greece.

Yep, ‘tisn’t a matter of if but when.

Pause…sip coffee…continue.

At least this public display of financial crazy has produced some fantabulous Terminator-based conspiracy theories!

Just think of it…what if this really is the rise of the machines?

Mmmhmm, what if the machines decided to flex their power or just got bored and decided that watching the ignorant masses freak out would be a fun afternoon diversion?

And they probably have red eyes…and are liquid-looking shape shifters…and our feeble bullets can’t kill them…and it’s only a matter of time before they tire of torturing us and seek to destroy all human kind!

Mercy.

Remember people, no fate but what we make.

Blink.

What to do in Atlanta…

Flock of bitchitude!

My good friend and blog-father Brother Rob Thurman will be visiting the fantabulous city of Atlanta.

I'm damn sure Atlanta is going to treat Brother Rob right!

So, what’s what?

Drop must dos and should sees in the comments, please.

And thanks in advance!

Toodles...

And the walls...come crumblin', tumblin'...

A bitch hit an emotional wall yesterday.

It happens.

As an activist, I’ve learned that there are up days and down days…there are moments that inspire and moments that make one question what kind of world we live in…and then there are fucked up from the floor days that pile up, one after the other, and become the wall I hit yesterday.

Sigh.

I hit that wall and sat watching the NHL hockey playoffs, disgusted that I live in a state where legislators spend the bulk of the legislative session trying to deny Missourians access to reproductive health care.

That’s not new…the legislature does the same shit every year.

But that’s the kind of shit that builds the wall…the same wall I hit yesterday.

Adding to my disgust is the response many have had to Arizona’s new immigration law…and the fubar that is the oil spill in the Gulf…and so on and so forth.

I just sat there disgusted.

The Sharks beat the Red Wings.

And then I went to bed…a sorta-beagle warming my feet.

When I woke up this morning (the sorta-beagle is still sleeping…and snoring), I fully expected to still be too disgusted to practice the fine art of bitchitude.

But…and this may seem silly – fuck it…but I saw the story about how the Phoenix Suns basketball team will wear Los Suns jerseys to honor the Latino community for Cinco de Mayo.

And my disgust eased.

Sometimes the little things are the right things at the right moment…the perfect thing to remind a bitch that everyone doesn’t support the wrongs out there anymore than everyone in Missouri is thrilled that our state legislature is fixated on attacking women’s reproductive freedom like a beagle fixates on a new bone.

And the walls…come tumblin’ down.

And the walls…come crumblin’, crumblin’.

And

The

Walls

Come tumblin’, tumblin’…down.

Wink.

***logs off to go get active while singing along with John Mellencamp***

A quizzical about the political chats this morning…

A bitch caught the Sunday morning political chats this morning and watched several spin masters discuss the tragic oil spill in the Gulf.  CBS Sunday Morning had very solid coverage of the spill and the impact it is already having on local businesses.  But, as I watched This Week on ABC, I couldn’t help but wonder why producers didn’t take this opportunity to invite Sarah Palin on.

Pause…sip water…continue.

I’m serious.

Sarah Palin made drilling off shore for oil a foundation of the 2008 election…she mentioned drilling at every opportunity…and she even questioned the patriotism of those who opposed drilling off shore.

So, why wasn’t Sarah Palin on every single show this morning?

Didn’t the very hosts who indulged the Drill Baby, Drill crowd in 2008 want to follow-up with those folks now that drilling has resulted in spilling?

Blink.

I do.

I really, really do.

I’d like to ask Palin what her solution to this drama in the Gulf is…if her Drill baby, Drill policy would mandate remote shut off technology…what she has to say in defense of off shore drilling to the folks in the Gulf who, based on 2008 election results, voted for her ass and McCain.

But the rogue has gone silent.

Sigh.

‘Tis shit like this that makes a bitch wish I had my own political chat show…This Week in Bitchitude!