Literate Musings

Honorable Minster Louis Farrakhan on Barack Obama, Churches, and Satan

2009-10-25T10:54:00.003-05:00

I couldn't agree any more with Minister Farrakkan's words if I had voiced them myself. He's right on so many points. Stay tuned.

I'm Feeling Kinda Blue Today

2009-10-11T18:59:00.003-05:00

Not to be a downer, but I'm feeling a bit blue today. I guess I'm having a "blue day." So to help me get through this moment, I'm gonna listen to the blues man himself, Mr.Bobby "Blue" Bland.

Random Thoughts

2009-10-11T18:55:00.002-05:00

Word Association:

Knees
Ache
Leg
Tremble
Kiss
Love
Sweet
Michael
Honeymoon
Dreamin'
Sunset
Sunsrise
Promises
Hope

Long Time, No Hear or See

2009-07-19T21:27:00.005-05:00

I know it's been a minute -- okay, six months -- since I last posted, but I have a really good reason for why I haven't been online. Really. I've been busy pursuing higher learning.

Yep. I've had my nose in the books for the past nine-months immersed in leadership development program. And lemme tell you, this girl is now developed, in more ways than one. :-)

I'll tell you about my journey in another post, but I just wanted to send out a quick shout to let you know I'm back. So watch-out-der-now, it's on and crackin'. Holla back at me and let me know you're out there.

In Peace,

A newly developed and evolved Leader.

Hello, Mr. President!

2009-01-20T18:09:00.005-06:00

Former Senator Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office today and became America's 44th President. Joined by his beautiful wife and First Lady, Michelle Obama, the attractive couple waved to the jubilant crowd estimated at over 1 million strong, who broke out into a chant of "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!"

What a day in American history!

Feds: Black man posed as white racist in threats

2008-11-15T13:02:00.002-06:00

11/14/2008, 3:11 p.m. CST
By KEVIN McGILL The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A black man from Mississippi has been arrested and accused of sending racist death threats over the Internet to three black students at Louisiana's Nicholls State University.

The FBI in New Orleans said Dyron Hart, 19, was arrested Wednesday. He is accused of sending the messages by way of the students' Facebook accounts. The messages contained racial epithets and death threats and were sent to two black women and a black man at Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La.

The author of those messages cast himself as a white man who intended to kill blacks because Barack Obama was elected president.

Hart told an FBI agent that he sent the messages to "get a reaction," according to the agent's sworn statement.

The criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Hart made his initial court appearance in Biloxi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Golden in Mississippi said Friday that Hart was released on bond and was ordered to appear in federal court in New Orleans on Nov. 24.

Although the case sprang from a probe into messages sent to the three Nicholls State students, the FBI agent's statement said Hart also admitted sending the message to students at other institutions, including LSU, the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama.

An FBI news release said Hart, if convicted, would face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Repeatedly using an obscenity and the N-word, the author of the message threatens to kill more than 3,000 black people in a month because of Obama's election and warns the recipient of a pending attack from "a random white man," according to the agent's affidavit.

Neither Hart nor his family could not be reached for comment. The phone number listed at his home address was not in service. A message left Friday with Hart's court-appointed defense attorney was not immediately returned.

Colton Brodoux was the name of the person who purportedly sent the messages. "Hart admitted that he created the Colton Brodoux profile on Facebook," the FBI affidavit said. The document details how the FBI traced the messages back to a computer at Hart's Poplarville address in Mississippi.

Hello, Mr. President!

2008-11-05T06:21:00.004-06:00

The first Black president-elect of the United States of America and the first family. Simply beautiful! This is truly an awesome day in American history. Let us celebrate with dignity, respect, and a bravado that we've never experienced before.

God bless Barack Obama and God bless America!

May all who came before him rest peacefully knowing that their labor was not in vain. God bless Sojourner Truth. God bless Marcus Garvey. God bless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. God bless my grandparents, Mr. Albert Owens and Mrs. Fannie Owens.

And God bless my dad, Nathaniel Owens, who did not get a chance to see a black man elected to the highest seat in the land.

Obama's Loss Traced to Undefined Voter

2008-10-29T11:30:00.003-05:00

Don't be an Undefined Voter. Vote Barack Obama on November 4th!

Hunt for Red October

2008-10-26T10:18:00.004-05:00

How desparate are the Republicans to win the U.S. Presidential election? See for yourself:

Crazy is as crazy does.

And how stupid is John McCain's brother, Joe? Listen for yourself.

David Alan Grier & Chocolate News

2008-10-14T17:22:00.003-05:00

I don't know what to say about this trailer. Check out the promo for David Alan Grier's new comedy, Chocolate News. I have always liked Grier from his early days with Robert Townsend to his "I've arrived" era on In Living Color with Keenan Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans. But there's something about this trailer that doesn't sit well with me.

Maybe it's the old shtick of cooning and buffooning that has me scratching my head. No need to debunk any stereotypes here, especially since Grier appears to have pulled out all stops in that department. I guess I'll have to tune in to see how far Grier has grown or sunk as an actor/comedian.

What about you? What comes to your mind when you watch this promo?

Seeking Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

2008-10-03T15:18:00.003-05:00

Calling all cooks!

As the holidays approach, I'm looking to spice up my Thanksgiving and Christmas menus with some good ol' southern dessert. Does anybody have a good sweet potato pie recipe?

Please share.

Mental Hospital Phone Menu

2008-09-22T09:21:00.003-05:00

Hello and thank you for calling The State Mental Hospital. Please select from the following options menu:

If you are obsessive-compulsive, press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2 for you.

If you have multiple personalities, press 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want, stay on the line so we can trace your call.

If you are delusional, press 7 and your call will be forwarded to the Mother Ship.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.

If you are manic-depressive, hang up. It doesn't matter which number you press, nothing will make you happy anyway.

If you are dyslexic, press 9-6-9-6.

If you are bipolar, please leave a message after the beep or before the beep or after the beep. But Please wait for the beep.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

If you have low self-esteem, please hang up. Our operators are too busy to talk with you.

If you are menopausal, put the gun down, hang up, turn on the fan, lie down and cry. You won't be crazy forever.

If you are blond, don't press any buttons. You'll just mess it up.

This coming week is National Mental Health Care week.

You can do your part by remembering to contact at least one unstable person to show you care.

(Well, my job is done . Your turn!!)

Okey Dokey Friday Jokey

2008-09-19T16:50:00.001-05:00

Art Imitating Life

2008-09-14T18:52:00.005-05:00

Former 'SNL' alumni Tina Fey nailed her impersonation of Gov. Sarah Palin during last night's opening. This is way too funny (and scary)!

"The Twist" top song of Billboard Hot 100 era

2008-09-12T07:45:00.008-05:00

Awwwwwwww, shookey shookey, now!

Chubby Checker's "The Twist" was named the top song of Billboard Hot 100 era.

"I'm glad they've finally recognized it," said Checker of his early 1960s hit. He compared "The Twist" — named by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock 'n' roll — to the creation of the telephone as a groundbreaking moment because he said it was the first time people were dancing "apart to the beat."

The Billboard Hot 100 chart measures airplay and sales information (and more recently digital downloads) in determining the nation's most popular songs. To determine the most popular song of the Hot 100 era, Billboard used a formula to determine the top song — not always relying on weeks at No. 1 since the data was reported differently in its early days.

Sad Day for Detroit Politics

2008-09-04T12:02:00.008-05:00

The curtain has fallen on Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who pleaded guilty today in a packed Detroit courtroom. The usually cocky and sometimes arrogant mayor was somber and contrite as he admitted to lying under oath.

Detroit Chief of Police Ella Bully Cummings retired immediately after the mayor's guilty plea.

As part of his plea, the mayor will pay $1 million in restitution, spend four months in jail, and surrender his law license.

Kwame Kilpatrick is now a convicted felon. His future in politics remain unclear.

The city now turns its attention to swearing in the new mayor, Kenneth Cockrel, city council president.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

One heart, one widow connect suicides of two men

2008-08-31T20:53:00.008-05:00

By Allen G. Breed
Associate Press
updated 11:47 a.m. CT, Sun., Aug. 31, 2008

On an overcast spring morning in southeast Georgia, Sonny Graham drank some coffee and headed out the door for another day in the family landscaping business and to take his 9-year-old stepson to the dentist. But Graham made a detour to the backyard shed that he’d built.

There, the 69-year-old picked up the 12-gauge Remington shotgun he’d taken on so many quail- and dove-hunting trips, pointed the muzzle at the right side of his throat and pulled the trigger.

It was April Fool’s Day, almost exactly 13 years since another man’s suicide gave Graham a second chance at life

That man was Terry Cottle. When he ended his life, Graham got his heart.
But it was not just an organ that connected Graham and the 33-year-old donor. Nearly a decade after the transplant, Graham married Cottle’s young widow.

And now Graham had made her a widow again.

As word of his death spread, the Internet lit up with the story of the heart that had been twice silenced by suicide — and the woman who’d lost the same heart twice. Reporters and bloggers waxed on about “cellular memory” and whether the organ somehow held a “suicide gene.”

Nonsense, thought Cottle’s sister. The brain is where the conscience resides, where love and loss are felt; the heart is just a pump.

As far as she was concerned, Graham’s death was less about her brother’s heart than about Cheryl — the woman with whom both men had chosen to share it.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Kwame Kilpatrick to plead guilty and leave office

2008-08-31T12:53:00.006-05:00

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is believed to have reached a plea deal. He will admit guilt, resign, pay restitution, and more.

Click here to read the article.

Barack Obama's Missed Opportunity

2008-08-31T12:20:00.008-05:00

During Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, he missed an opportunity to acknowledge the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by failing to invoke King's name in his speech. It would seem that he left that up to the white speakers: Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden.

Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Julianne Malveuax suggests that Senator Obama missed a golden opportunity to link the past with the present, but instead chose to distant himself from history by targeting white centrists.

Do you think Senator Obama's speech "appealed to the white center"? Did he fail to "connect historically" with Blacks as suggested by West and Malveuax?

Take a listen and tell me what you think.

While You Were Sleeping . . .

2008-08-27T06:30:00.002-05:00

. . . here's what happened:

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,147

Dr. Dre's 20-year old son found dead

Former Portland Trail Blazer Keven Duckworth dies at 44

Former NBA player has part of leg amputated

US judge: No delay in White House subpoenas case

No bond for mother accused of trying to sell girl

Jodeci's Back . . . or Not

2008-08-24T18:42:00.004-05:00

It's reunion time! And like most reunions, whether it's family or band mates, you know somebody's going to show their azz. You can almost always bet that somebody will show up drunk, high as a kite, ready to rumble, or looking and acting like a prima donna. Either way, you know you're in for an interesting time.

Well, from the looks of this video I think JoJo from the famed 90's group, Jodeci, showed his azz big time. He collapses midway through the performance. I hope he's okay. All jesting aside, I hope he's now clean and sober.

Check this out.

Word Association

2008-08-23T12:36:00.002-05:00

Man-eater
Cougar
Youth
Maturity
Seasoned
Fries
Hamburger
Ketchup
Gaining ground
Losing ground
Meal Ticket
Hot Item
Wassup
What's Down
Never Give Up
Pressing Forward

Enough Already!

2008-08-15T16:48:00.013-05:00

Dear Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick:

The great citizens of the city of Detroit deserve better!

Do the right thing and resign today. How much more embarrassment and dishonor will you heap upon the taxpayers? This great city -- which struggles each day to find a new identity in the wake of a dying automotive industry -- loses its respectability each day that you're in office. Formerly a mecca for attracting large companies, the cityscape now serves as a backdrop and sad reminder of a once prosperous metropolis. Oddly enough, somehow it seems to now serve as a metaphor for your life today. Do the honorable thing, Mr. Mayor. Resign.

We had such high hopes for you when you rode into the city as Detroit's youngest mayor. With your beautiful wife by your side and a family name rooted in Detroit politics, the city of Detroit welcomed you as the big, strong, handsome former football captain of Florida A&M University. Armed with a law degree from Detroit College of Law and a resume befitting a black urban political professional, for many of us you represented a new Detroit.

As a young and vibrant do-gooder with a heart for children, your record as a state representative proved that you had political chops. Ten years ago you helped develop the $675 million Clean Michigan Initiative. You managed to designate more than half of the funds to Detroit; both Michigan's largest city and the one most in need. And you weren't shy about helping to secure millions of dollars to fight lead poisoning in the city. At the time, more child-related lead poisoning cases were reported in Detroit then throughout the rest of the state combined.

Thirty-one years old when elected mayor of Detroit, you were the first youngest mayor of Detroit and second youngest mayor of any U.S city. You were just twenty-six years old when elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, and later served as the leader of the Democratic Caucus.The first African American to hold a leadership position in the Michigan Legislator.

And like so many young, political proteges, your career in politics was boundless. You even spoke briefly at the 2004 Democratic convention just like my former congressman, Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), who was touted as a future presidential running mate. But also like so many young -- and old -- politicians, once elected the bloom is off the rose. During your first term, Mr. Mayor, you seemed to use the city coffer as your own personal bank account, racking up more than $200,000 on a city-issued credit card for travel, meals, and entertainment. Jet setting from city to city, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, and often seen getting your groove on at celebrity hosted events, all while the taxpayers picked up the bill.

Now in your second term, you're still acting up. With a steadily declining approval rate, did you really think that you could continue your shenanigans and the people would turn a blind eye? Come on. Get real. And did you really think you could end a veteran police officer's career with a few "choice words", have an affair with your long-time friend, lover, and former chief of staff, lie under oath about it, and get away with it? Your poor behavior and misconduct has cost the city over $8 million.

I won't even dwell on your recent foolish behavior: assaulting a police officer, witness tampering, and disrespecting the court. And you have the nerve to want to attend the Democratic National Convention. Get real. As if the Democrats need another side show! We already have The Hillary Show. No More Drama.

Enough is enough, already! Please stop the madness.

Kwame, please do the honorable thing and a step down now. Let the good citizens of Detroit heal and move forward. You have become a distraction and an embarrassment to the city and most definitely for your family. If you won't think about the citizens of Detroit, at least think about how this is affecting your wife and children. What a legacy to leave.

It's time to get off the train, Mr. Mayor. Your ride is up.

Sincerely,

Literate Muse
A Very Disgusted Detroit Sympathizer

Soul Singer and American Icon Isaac Hayes dies at age 65

2008-08-10T19:59:00.011-05:00

The legendary soul singer, Isaac Hayes, Jr., who began life in a tenement in Covington, Tennessee but later went on to win an Oscar and multiple Grammys, died suddenly today at his home near Memphis, Tenn.

Best known for the theme song from the 1971 movie Shaft, Hayes started his music career as an untrained musician. He wanted to become a doctor until he realized his musical talents during a ninth-grade talent show. As he developed as a musician so did his rich, baritone voice. His trademark sound and look (bald head and gold chains) was captured on his hit album "Hot Buttered Soul", which later became the name of his radio program during his stint as a radio personality.

Hayes was a gifted singer and songwriter. He penned memorable songs for notable singers, like "Hold On, I'm Comin'" for Same & Dave.

Hayes, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis in Memphis, Tenn., after collapsing Sunday afternoon near a treadmill in his home nearby.

This weekend has been simply awful. We've lost two iconic personalities -- Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes -- in less than 48 hours. Both men were still quite young and had so much to offer. Now we'll never hear the new comedy routine Bernie was working on. And we'll never know the genius of another Isaac Hayes.

When I first moved to Memphis, I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Hayes. He was very gracious and personable, and reminded me much of my own Dad. His sense of humor was off the chain and he couldn't resist looking at a pretty woman, at least that's what he said when a friend snapped our picture -- just me and Black Moses.

I will always cherish that photograph.

As my thoughts and prayers turn to his family, and Bernie Mac's family, I am comforted by knowing that the time these two genuine spirits spent here on earth is forever memorialized on wax, television, videos, Cd's, film, and in our hearts.

R.I.P.

Comedian and Actor Bernie Mac Dies at age 50

2008-08-09T10:23:00.005-05:00

The lovable and very funny comedian, Bernie Mac, who won a Peabody for his hit television comedy, The Bernie Mac Show, died Saturday at age 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Mac was one of the original Kings of Comedy and brought a unique brand of humor to his comedy. His humor was bold and straight in your face and he didn't mince his words. He rarely apologized for saying what he meant. Mac said what he meant and he meant what he said. And if you didn't like cussing and fussing then you probably wouldn't have liked Bernie Mac's humor.

He reminded me of comedians Redd Foxx, Robin Harris, and Richard Pryor.

Today the world is less funny without Bernie Mac to make us laugh.

R.I.P. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.