Cynique

I'm still trying to figure out why carey implies that Linda's answer to Troy's question invalidated Troy's points. Linda didn't challenge anything Troy said. She simply replied to his question by using references to the movie to clarify her response. But carey is so desperate to have his nonsense reinforced that he claims as allies those who don't strengthen his argument. Next he proceeds to agree with Kola whose input moreoreless bolstered Troy's remarks. So there carey dangles, talking out of both sides of his mouth, dissing certain cast members while giving Tyler an "E" for effort but a failing grade as a director, still insisting that if his detractors go see this flawed movie this will exonerate him from looking silly. Typical carey logic.

YOU are the one who is missing the point, carey. As usual, you are rebutting claims that I didn't make. I called you out because you were exhibiting the inconsistencies that taint all of your arguments. I never knocked the movie. I simply quoted what other critics said. YOU came out the box putting down Tyler and this movie just a few weeks ago, now suddenly you are his staunchest defender, suggesting everybody should support the film whether they like it or not. Why? Because YOU say so. People are entitled to follow their own convictions about this film, and nobody needs you to try and whip them in line like you are some kind of an overseer. Take all of your hot air blow it up your azz.

Oh puleeze. What a flip-flop. You seemed to have forgotten that you posted a video in which you bashed and ridiculed Tyler Perry in general and this movie specifically - before it had even come out! Git outta here. You're full of it, carey. If some folks don't like this movie, so what? Who are you to lecture them?? Still consider yourself the director of black protocol. stfu.

Yes, Troy, it is becoming increasingly clear that the message of this movie is in the eye of the beholder. Thank you for your circumspect comments. Who needs all of the hystrionic outrage or the Mary Sunshine happy talk? Not me. I'll take Kola's and Courtland Milloy's critiques any day. They were incisive and witty.

It’s bad enough that show biz divas are caught up in the latest fad, somehow convinced that the rest of the world gives a damn about their pregnancies as they flaunt their baby bumps in tight dresses that make their figures look like the question marks that come to mind with the announcement of the bizarre names chosen for the squalling little snots they pop out. Lately, another craze is invading the realm of dysfunctional circles, competing for public attention. Anorexia, bulimia, self-mutilation are not enough to evoke sympathy for skeletal starlets who hate themselves, or brooding hunks who’ve taken to poppin pills. The equal opportunity offense of being molested as a child has now joined the competition and suddenly every other celebrity reports having been sexually abused when they were growing up. Whassup wid dat??? I realize this sexual perversion is a fact of life, but I’m still curious about it, mostly because I personally don’t know anyone who acknowledges being molested as a child! Yet, studies show that it is not uncommon, and adding insult to injury, the perpetrators are invariably a relative or a family friend. Whassup wid dis? Are we to accept that innocent children are fair game for grown-ups? Pedophilia is supposedly a complicated mental illness, but so many of these offenses seem to be just a simple matter of lecherous opportunists taking advantage of defenseless kids, turning them into objects to be fondled and penetrated, or forced to perform oral sex, all of which can be engaged in with adults. So why children? Is latent pedophilia the culprit??? Why do men harbor sexual fantasies about girls in ponytails wearing catholic school uniforms replete with white cotton panties? Is this a natural instinct that’s kept in check by will power? What does all of this say about the human species? Sex, like hunger and thirst, is a primary drive. Somewhere during the course of evolution Homo Sapiens maybe decided they could eat and drink whatever they wanted, but it was best not to get caught over-indulging their appetite for different sex partners. Was this because the brain began to compete with the genitals, and emotions gradually took root? That the sexually-abused are usually unwilling victims of those whose sneakiness is an admission of their guilt would seem to prove that imprinted on the psyche is an inherent sense of right and wrong. But such awareness does not always quell impulses, and horniness does tend to impair the good judgment of the testosterone crowd. Men from all walks of life risk shame and ruin just to enjoy the thrill of a fresh piece of tail - the younger and kinkier, the better. Cheating husbands patronize strip clubs, stepfathers take liberties with stepdaughters, bosses harass voluptuous employees, coaches seduce agile young nymphets, politicians makes themselves candidates for scandal, clergymen anoint the females eager to kneel at the altar of their fly zippers. To a lesser degree, women are guilty too, certain ones succumbing to the appeal of ripe young studs with ever-ready batteries swinging between their legs. There has to be an explanation for this errant behavior. I’d check the clinical literature on it, but it is probably written by psychiatrists who lusted after their patients, making good use of their couches. Seems like I do, however, remember Freud attributing carnal aberration to feelings of insecurity or a need to exert power. Another reason obviously has to be that the primitive appetite for forbidden fruit has never disappeared. Like the proverbial slithering serpent, temptation sinks its fangs into the libido. Some can resist it. Many can’t. Desire overpowers decency. Sooo, as the world turns, illicit passion will continue to wreck homes and careers, and neurotic folks will continue to come forward, attributing their maladjustments to predators who allowed their inner animal to prevail. This is what passes for Civilization in the year of our Lord 2010. And what can be learned from all of this? Why does a penis or vagina take on a life of its own??? Simple. Human nature has a dark side, and the devil is a voyeur. Sex is what it is; it’s Mankind who screws it up. But y’all knew that, didn’t cha? Just musing...

I was initially so impressed with how well you stated your case that I was curious to learn more about you so I clicked on to your FaceBook icon, Denissemarie To my surprise, you appeared to be white in your picture and advertised yourself as a "virtual" marketer available for hire, a someone who will do for a client what a client is too busy or inept to do for themself. In your glowing review of this movie you referred to your husband as being a "wonderful black man", further mentioning a book which, from your description, seemingly reinforces the idea that, in God's plan, women exist to be understanding of men, and being used as a door mat by them comes with the territory. Yeah, right. This may be the curse of black women but surely not white ones, particularly those married to wonderful black men. Take notice of my screen name and pardon me for thinking you sound like you're plying your trade in recommending this movie. In reconsidering your review, IMO I now find it just a little too patented.

My personal complaint remains the same, Troy. Posts are not accessible enough. The overload of information interferes with the intimacy and spontaneity of the one-on-one interaction. You have to go through too much trouble to find out what somebody has said, and the last poster on a subject tends to cancel out the appearance of those who have come before him. If everything was out in the open the way it used to be, people would know who all has contributed to a thread without having to do a lot of clicking on and scrolling down. Half the posts I just happen to stumble upon and have to figure out who said what. Maybe it's just me, but - Also, lot of time I want to solicit people's opinion about a certain subject, but then you end up feeling foolish after you pose a question and nobody reponds. As a result, I usually elect to talk to myself or, "muse", the term I use to diguise my doing this. Nothing seems to stir lurker's interest. I got the feeling that my excursions into the music of the past was boring to them. But as long as you maintain the board, I will stop in from time to time and share my thoughts. I am currently trying to sort out my reactions over how common a practice child molestation seems to be. I guess this is something that has always gone on, but is now out in the open more. Seems like this might be an interesting subject to tackle next...

Somewhere someplace, Hillary Clinton secretly has to be alternating between gloating and breathing a sigh of relief because she didn't beat out Obama for the office of POTUS. But had she won, in the midst of all this national turmoil, she would've at least had the counsel and moral support of her experienced husband, whereas Obama is stuck with a bunch of amateurs not equal to the task. Even George Bush knew enough to surround himself with ruthless, calculating spin doctors. Democratic voters apparently thought they had not only elected a smart "nigga" but a "bad" one and now the white males who backed Obama are accusing him of having no balls, of spending too much time apologizing for his mistakes instead of going on the attack. Just an example of what a no-win situation Obama's in is how the same males who criticized super bitch House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for being a liability because she was too abrasive and undiplomatic, are now scolding Obama for being too civil and wimpy. So now we have the emergence of the Tea Party, a faction made up of a bunch of ignorant folks seeking simple solutions to complicated problems. Had the president been white, they may have given him a chance but Obama's missteps only served to reinforce their doubts about the capabilities of a black man, as salivating Republicans welcome into the fold these racist henchmen they can now use to do their dirty work. Black folks, as usual, are left to hope for the best and expect the worst. Disillusioned idealists have referred to democracy as a "noble experiment" that failed, and this may yet be a phrase applied to Obama's presidency. Electing a black chief of state may have been an idea whose time had come, but Obama presently does not appear to be the man for the job. He lacks the wisdom that comes with age and the political savvy that comes from years of fighting in the trenches. Yet, for the Obama faithful, maybe all is not lost. There's still time for "the office to make the man" instead of "the man making the office". And, ol Will Shakespeare's words still have relevancy. "There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures."

Fighting back tears, his voice tremulous with emotion, Tyler revealed how the intense hate exhibited toward him by his father confused and devastated him and that this, along with the sexual abuse he endured from older men while a youngster, made him a dyfunctional sex partner with the women he later tried to romantically relate to. He couldn't perform in bed with them presumably because his mind was blown by the guilt he carried inside. He was apparently conflicted because, although he was mentally revolted by the molestations, he couldn't deny the physical pleasure they evoked and this made him vulnerable and more responsive to men than women... I think that was what he was laboring to say. In trying to explain his feelings he became increasingly distraught, so much so that I turned away before the interview was finished. Oprah, as usual, was getting on my nerves as she tried to interpret Tyler's distress through the filter of her own experiences. Anyhow, it's sad that all of his fame and fortune does not seemed to have assuaged the pain and shame of his past. Poor Perry. I wouldn't be surprised if after he emerges from his hiatus, he will come out of the closet.

Kola Boof, our former resident feminist, shared her opinion of this film on FaceBook and she found it "entertaining", but was disappointed with Tyler Perry's treatment of the play, which was a favorite of hers when it appeared on Broadway. She seemed unimpressed with the rather stereotypical portrayal of black women but happy for a vehicle that provided a showcase of a stellar cast of black actresses. "He's no Stephen Spielberg" is how Kola summed up Perry's directorial endeavor, - an obvious to reference to Spielberg's production of "The Color Purple", also a favorite of hers. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, the distinguished dean of movie reviewers, who is, incidentally, a white man married to a black sista, also gave a luke warm review of the picture, awarding it 2 and a half stars, having had his expectations met when he anticipated that this play should be spared what a movie would do to it, especially in the hands of Tyler Perry and his "unsophisticated" audience. The consensus about this film seems to be that it lost something in the translation. It was a stark, artistic stage drama that had to be dumbed-down when adapted for the screen, a transistion which burdened its cast with the task of staying in character while alternating between aesthetic soliloquies and common dialogue. Apparently this proved to be a daunting challenge for the actresses and a distracting pitfall for the film. This is probably a movie that will be better enjoyed by those who approach it cold without having ever seen or read the play. Those who are not fans of Tyler Perry will also probably have a hard time divesting themselves of their prejudices when judging this film which was not entirely free of his vibe. BTW, "For Colored Girls" opened in third place with a $21,000,000 week-end box office take. Also, I just received a mass e-mailing from Tyler Perry who announced that with the release of "For Colored Girls", he was going on a long hiatus to try and find himself and resolve the conflicts of his past that were revealed by his true confessions on Oprah's show. I think I'll wait for this film to come on Cable TV.

Yawn.

Who gives a fuck if you're hatin on me, or think that I'm destined to join you in Palookaville, Chrishayden??? I certainly don't. Haven't you figured out by now that your opinions don't rate wth me??? BTW, when mental musings go into cyber space, the only power they require to remain perpetual is the electric charge a thought wave creates in the universe. Sorry, Troy, I know your mother would never use the F-word. But for me, that word comes with the territory of musing... Ah, those were the good ol days. LOL

•serenasailor is hoping the clip he posted on YouTube make him famous like the tenant in the projects who had his TV interview turned into a rap video. •brownbeauty123 is undergoing a make-over by having her breasts implants removed and her hair extensions taken out. •urban_scribe is hard at work on the secret expose she is writing which will blow the lid off of the E-Book industry. •moonsigns is seeking a divorce from her black husband who she discovered was having an affair with an Asian stripper.

Well, Troy, in response to your inquiry as to why Thumper's Corner is on life support, I believe the reason has to do with the bulk of its membership being composed of lurkers who apparently don’t like to debate. They, perhaps, want to express an opinion but not to argue with someone who challenges it because this takes them out of their comfort zone. Re-hashing the same ol boring issues also probably figures into the ongoing malaise. And instigating crazy, funny, threads also seems to have lost its effectiveness because having a sense of humor is no longer a trait that can be taken for granted when it comes to posters. A forum is, after all, an arena for an exchange of ideas, but the average black person nowadays doesn’t seem to have a lot of ideas. The exceptions to this, now populate the blog communities. Reacting to how increasingly stressful life has become, many Blacks are simply placing their trust in the Lord, ambiguous about what is the cause of “the black problem” even as they blame white racism for most of their troubles. Reading is not one of their favorite pass-times, with the females very much into expensive shoes and purses, and the males into sports, especially those of the bedroom variety. And, like everybody else, Blacks have become electrified by gadgets that are stealing their humanity, insidiously programming their minds for an alternate form of communication. Even laughter has been replaced by a three-letter "LOL". And so as the first decade of the 21st century draws to a close, the black state of the union is reduced to its constituency helplessly identifying with a black president who is struggling with doing the best he can. I enjoyed my tenure here at Thumper's corner, but the handwriting does seem to be on the wall and - all good things must come to an end. Lately, this is the case with so much in my life as it becomes obvious to me that I am fast becoming an anachronism. You could say that “I am history”. But, guess what? That ain’t such a bad fate.

First, I have called you many things, Chrishayden: stupid, idiotic, narrow-minded, clueless, irrational, myopic, hypocritical, obnoxious, - but never megalomanical. I always figured even YOU were not deluded enough to think you were anything other than a nonentity. Second, EVERYBODY'S on-line musings will remain in cyberspace forever. Third, it's entirely possible that computer hard drives will be among the artifacts of this doomed civilization, and who can say whether or not one such relic might have belonged to me? Fourth, your insipid retorts to my comments are never on point, you mindless ol coot.

Well, here I go again, filling a void. Guess I just can’t resist taking advantage of a silent forum. If nobody is interested in what I have to say, so be it. My musings will be in cyber space forever and when the ruins of this civilization are discovered, archaeologists of the future will come across my computer hard drive and upon translating its hieroglyphics, will learn something quirky about an ancient culture. Along with everything else that is mercurial about my life, I spent a lot more time than I should playing cards on line; mostly the game of Bridge. When I discovered POGO, which is a free computer game app that includes Bridge in its selections, I was ecstatic. I regularly grieved about how much I missed the monthly bridge club I belonged to for 30 years before it disbanded as the members either moved away, descended into dementia or - died. I should add here that Bridge, itself, is a fading game played nowadays mostly by senior citizen retirees, although there does seem to be a slight influx of curious young gamers. For those who aren’t familiar with Bridge, it is similar to all the variations of whist, once the bidding for what will be trumps is over. How it differs is that players name the suit they are bidding in and the bidding keeps going around and around, finally going to the highest bidder after everyone else has passed. Then the partner of the winning bidder becomes the “dummy” and lays his hand down so the declarer can play both his own hand and the exposed hand. Those who the computer assembles for a 3-game match are from all over the country. So, four strangers come together to engage in a competition calling for shrewd card sense. Chatting is allowed, and teammates simply address each other as “Partner”. Partners are not supposed to communicate with each other during the time a hand is being played but once it’s over, one partner can compliment the other on a game well-played, or point out why a bid was missed. All of this is done in text-like shorthand. During my participation in this activity I’ve had partners with whom I have had great rapport, and others with whom I didn’t click. It was uncanny how I could usually tell if I was playing with a male or female, or another black person. There was just certain subtle clues that cued me, all of which contributed to how much fun and fascinating this pass-time can be. To make things more interesting, each player has a screen name - some choices outrageously creative, others totally unimaginative. Everybody has a standard avatar but you can personalize and embellish your avatars, choosing skin tone, sex, hair color, glasses, and facial expression. I finally got around to giving my neuter avatar a makeover, coming up with a “mini me” which among other things showed my skin color to be beige as opposed to white, and - a most interesting phenomenon began to emerge! Suddenly, when I entered a game the tension became palpable. My partner would often abruptly disappear or take a long time to play while other players would complain if I didn’t play fast, even booting me from the game. When I scored a coup making a high bid or was responsible for cleverly setting my opponents, I could sense their resentment before one or both of them very often left without completing the match. This rude behavior not only amazed, but amused me, as once again I was reminded how much can be deduced about people by playing cards with them. Faced with the choice of not being held accountable for their actions, under the cover of their anonymity, many people showed no reluctance to display their racial prejudice. Just to see if I was being paranoid, I changed my avatar again, making it hard to determine my ethnicity, and once again I played without incident other than the usual sprinkling of poor sports implicitly blaming their partner for getting set. What is the lesson to be learned from all of this? That Cynique must be smoking something? No. That she’s been drinkin again? Maybe. Actually, it’s that political correctness hides a multitude of sins, and that if The Tea Party was a secret society, its members would don the white robes and hoods of their role models. Anyhow, I'm back to enjoying my daily Bridge games, even though my avatar is hiding behind huge sun glasses that make me look like a glamorous ol babe with a Florida sun tan. And so it goes. Don't forget to vote! Keep those Republican Elephants from stampeding and making asses out of the Democratic Donkeys. Give hope a chance.

I never said anything about the title of my post being a "joke". I said it was a pun. And it's obvious that things do have to be explained to a "clueless bozo" like you, Chrishayden. As for my prejudices against Islam, it's a free country. I can dislike this religion if I choose to and I don't have to apologize or justify this. The jehad is what impassions the foes of America in the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanstan and this dates back to the Crusades. In any case, an intolerant hypocritical Christian like you should empathize with my stance, since the opinions you try to pass off as facts reek with your biasness. I also noticed that you didn't go into detail, when trying to refute my misconceptions about Muslims. And I am as much aware of what's going on in Chicago as anybody else. The city is in a state of chaotic turmoil, something you would know, if you kept up with the news. We do need to thank Jesus for giving most people enough sense to dismiss the idiotic rantings of a misfiring loose cannon like you, Chrissy.

I am ignorant and naive when it comes to high finance, but what you two have articulated here are things that had gradually started to occur to me, leading me to draw the conclusions that buying a home, is indeed, not all it's cracked up to be considering all of the taxes and ongoing maintenance expenses ownership entails. I really wonder why a single person would prefer purchasing a house over renting an apartment? I also balk at the idea of playing the stock market, an investment pursuit that is a gamble, - a game, that you can just as easily lose as win at. People talk about making your money work for you but I wonder why just letting it draw interest in a savings account is such a bad idea. I've never heard of anybody losing a bundle by banking their money, but I hear all the time about people losing their savings through bad investments. I've also always heard that a person couldn't go wrong by putting their money in T-bonds. Sounds like good advice to me. I was just reading the obit of Bob Guccione the founder of Penthouse Magazine, and apropo of what Mel said, it mentioned how he'd been one of the richest men in America when he was an entrepreneur but went broke once he branched out into business investments. The CNN program's claim that debt is more the downfall of black folks than racism certainly doesn't surprise me. Debt is the result of being materialistic and black folks excel at conspicuous consumerism. Like all the other cultural constructs that have changed, the American dream needs a reality check. There should be just as much emphasis on "living within your means" as their is in "the pride of ownership". IMO. Soledad O'Brian's whole dynamic seems to be that she's doing black folks a favor by acknowledging her negroid bloodlines, a gesture implicit with the idea that she inspires admiration because, based on appearance, she could deny being black. She is very detached in her role of investigative reporter and she brought no black empathy or authenticity to this guise.

Pity newsman Juan Williams. NPR fired him cuz he confessed to being unnerved by anybody dressed like Ali Baba or Scherazade who happened to be boarding the same flying carpet with him. This has really sparked a debate. I'm filled with mixed emotions because I have never cared for the unctuous Williams, but I, too, find garbed Muslims scarey, especially since between prostrating themselves in prayer 5 times a day, brothers of this faith stone their sisters to death should they lose their virginity before marriage. And "Mary" ain't even an Arabic name. Naturally, conservative zealots are up-in-arms accusing the liberal media, as exemplified by NPR, of violating Juan's first amendments rights. Which is their way of saying that casting a jaundiced eye at "sand niggas" is perfectly permissible and anybody who objects to this is unpatriotic. So there! Looking down from its lofty stance, NPR has chided Juan for compromising his journalistic integrity by expressing a personal opinion about a controversial subject. Take that, Sarah Palin and Glen Beck! If I had to choose sides, I think I'd go with with NPR. Giving Williams a vote of confidence, Fox News proceeded to hire him as a full-time commentator, rewarding him with a million-dollar annual salary. Any pin head who ingratiates himself to the Fox network automatically gets a thumbs-down from me. Furthermore, Williams wasn't simply guilty of expressing his opinion, but the opinion he expressed was a stupid one. Any terrorist planning to hijack a plane would try to look as inconspicuous as possible. Thank you, Allah, for continuing to spare the big city sky scrapers of America! Lucky us. People watchers got a double-header this week since the Juan Williams brouhaha had to share the spotlight with Supreme Court Clarence Thomas' wife who e-mailed Anita Hill, offering to forgive her if she’d recant the sexual harassment charges she leveled at Dufus Thomas 19 years ago. Not satisfied with her role of a right-wing activist who regularly attacks President Obama, a deluded Virginia Thomas still hasn't gotten over Anita portraying her husband as a dirty old man. I commend Anita Hill for blowing this crazy white ditz off, - something I’m sure Ol Clarence would appreciate Anita doing for him... Just more reasons for me to detest Republicans. My contempt for them is what forces me to give my support to the stumbling Democrats. Talk about the lesser of two evils. Oops! I forgot about the Tea Party. Make that the lesser of 3 evils. Oh, well, guess I'll go find some Gays to bully. I'll avoid the "butches", tho, cuz they might kick my ass. Or kiss it.

Gee, Guys, I was just poking fun at TV, singling out certain shows to ridicule, as opposed to making a blanket condemnation of this medium. Television is, after all, a form of entertainment and does actually have something for everyone. There is quality TV available for discriminating viewers. Most important of all, is that people are free to not watch TV and can instead spend their free time worrying about the real woes of the world.

I'm sure you'll be hearing from a presumptuous Chrishaden, volunteering a crock of irrelevant explanations as to why black women read romance novels. I don't have a college degree and I rarely read books of this genre, but I would feel comfortable in speculating that with a plethora of jerks like Chrishayden around, black women seek escape between the pages of a book into a fantasy world where men are virile heroes instead of impotent heels. LOL

I made "Along" two words, as a hint that my post was a lengthy one. "A Long Comes Cynique" was a play on words, something which apparently went over the head of an obtuse Dummy like you. And I was not looking for explanations in regard to what appears on TV because I recognize the obvious motivation of the producers. I did acknowledge that reality shows garner high ratings. I was simply making fun of what passes for entertainment nowadays. And if I was searching for any insight into pop culture, you'd be the last person whose opinion I'd value. Furthermore, nobody asked for your stupid advice, Chrishayden, so don't tell me what I need to do. I'm enjoying life, doing exactly what I want to do which is to watch TV when I'm not reading or surfing the net. I am admittedly prejudiced when it comes to Islam so I exercised my right to hold erroneous opinions about this religion which, like many others, I find stifling, vindictive and corrupted. Also, in case you hadn't noticed after all of this time, this site has expanded its focus and I posted my comments under the "Culture, Race and Economy" category. Since days had passed with no entries here, I decided to fill the void with some musings. You, with your usual lack of perspective, took me seriously, deciding that I needed to be lectured to. Put a sock in it, you clueless bozo.

Yes, it’s me. The Lone Poster. Hi-Ho Silver, here I go. Got my gun cocked ready to take some pot shots. My target? The easiest one in sight. Television. TV is currently overrun with reality shows, encouraged undoubtedly by the ratings which attest to how voyeuristic viewers have become, seemingly mesmerized by narcissistic airheads whose vicissitudes allow audiences to either empathize with or live vicariously through them. Who needs soap operas or sit-coms when you can watch exhibitionists be their own obnoxious selves. And who can deny that truth is stranger than fiction? Guess it’s easier to observe the bizarre than to read a book. Just ask Snookie. Or Kim. Of course, the reason Maury’s show endures is that no one ever tires of watching Baby Daddys being outed or exonerated. If an alien visitor ever game to Earth and saw nothing but this show, he would conclude that females of the black species are born with a compulsion to have babies, much to the dismay of males of the black species who seemingly can’t figure of out how babies are made, even as they rejoice over mistaken paternity, and their mortified accusers streak off the set in hysterics. Better luck next time, Shenequa. Then there are the game shows. They give great insight into the idiocy that is second nature to the average person, providing a clue as to why the masses are so gullible when it comes to picking their leaders. “Family Feud”, for instance, has been around for decades, frequently changing hosts but never its format. The contestants who appear on this show are expected to match answers to questions asked of a 100 people surveyed, something which seems to challenge their reasoning. The obvious responses invariably elude them as they blurt out far-fetched guesses drawn from their own personal experiences, confident in their choice as their maniacal teammates enthusiastic encourage them with shouts of “good answer”, 2 words that couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes time for the jackpot round, nothing is more redemptive than than watching the 2 geniuses chosen to earn the grand prize deflate as their stupid answers draw a zero punctuated by a loud buzz, and a final score of, - say, 25 out of a possible 100 sends them away with their tail between their legs. Steve Harvey is the latest host of this show and even HE is sometimes rendered speechless by this nonsense. Talk shows also continue to attract loyal audiences. Naturally, Oprah is the queen. Day in and day out she holds court, her hair her crown, as gushing guest stars pay homage to her, and dysfunctional damsels dab at their eyes, dutifully listening while “O” dispenses the insipid advice that invited experts don’t dare contradict. “No one can complete you”, she tells everybody. “You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else”, she insists. Nobody in her presence has the courage to dispute this, or suggest that everybody needs a yin to their yang and that loving yourself can evolve into the self-absorbtion that turns others off. Poor Steadman. Not to be out done, Whoopi Goldberg, does her clown act everyday on “The View“, peering over her granny glasses, stiff dreadlocks framing her rubbery face. Everybody is expected to shut up when she demands their undivided attention so she can pontificate, - her comments about as enlightening as yesterday’s newspaper. Watta bore. There was a time when every show has its token Black. Now they all have their token gay person. Personally, I’m tired of all these celebrities who rub your nose in their gayness, referring to their same sex partners as their “husband” or “wife” Puleeze. Yeah, we know you were born that way, but you’re still an aberration. If you weren’t, you could replicate yourselves and your coupling could produce offspring, and you wouldn’t have to be adopting kids who will grow up repressing their embarrassment. Stop comparing your pity parties to the Black struggle and get over yourselves. Quit trying to make heterosexuals feel that they are at fault. There’s nothing wrong with straight people. You’re the crooked ones who are queer. And while I'm offending groups, I think I’ll take on the Muslims. The prejudices they inspire don’t make them the new “niggers”, either. Like Gays, they can blend in if they so choose, plus they have their own distinct culture. And they are just as hypocritical as Christians, not to mention how repressed their women folk are. Islam has been out to get even with Christianity ever since the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Building a mosque in the shadow of the 911’s ground zero is nothing but gloating, and all these PC people know it. I’m done. Except to say that I hope every Tea Party candidate running for office gets burned and goes down in flames. Defeated.

I don't want you to feel slighted, Chris, because Troy singled me out to comment on polio. So tell us any recollections you have about chicken pox, - that childhood scourage! I can hardly wait for you to share your memories with us.

I finally finished the 620-page “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Isabel Wilkerson, and it was a trip! Literally, - its subtitle being “the epic story of America’s great migration.” This was an amazing, magnificent book chronicling the history of great numbers of Blacks who began leaving the south to seek a better life in the big cities of the North during the time period between 1915 through 1970. I was particularly interested in checking this book out because my mother was a part of this exodus, having left her home town of Franklin, Tennessee, in 1916 to seek her fortune in Chicago. My father, who was a midwestern farm boy from Kansas, had a little different history, arriving in Chicago in 1914 after having been kidnapped by his father, who came back to Kansas to rescue him from an abusive aunt in whose care he had been entrusted after his mother died. But - that’s another story. Anyway, many of the anecdotes related in this book perfectly described the experiences I remember my parents talking about when they reminisced about their early years in Chi-Town. This is one of the reasons I found this book so engrossing as it followed the adventures of 3 migrants during 3 different decades, a young woman who came to Chicago from Mississippi in the 1930s, a youth who fled to New York from Florida in the 1940s, and a doctor who left Louisiana for Los Angeles in the 1950s. Dispersed between their stories is a wealth of interesting history about the life and times of black folks struggling to improve their living conditions during the 85-year period that encompassed the great migration. What was most compelling and depressing about this documentary was how hated Blacks were both by their southern oppressors and the working class northerners who viewed them as a threat to their status. What was inspiring was how these pioneers persevered, kept on pushing, their eyes on the proverbial prize, as they drew from the inner strength that 400 years of degradation couldn’t kill. I can’t say enough about the skills and artistry of the author a young black woman from Washington DC, whose parents were migrants from the south. As dense as this book was, it was a “painless” read with its seamless narrative and characters that came to life. The only problem I had was how she made no mention of the black migrants who after coming north, left the metropolises to settle in their suburbs. My parents moved from Chicago in 1922, becoming members of the black colonies who occupied their own little sections of the villages and towns that ringed the big cities, removed from the hazards of urban life, leading less stressful existences. This once again reminded me of how the black experience varies, and how mine is not that typical. In any case, I actually grew sad as the book drew to a close because I was going to have to bid farewell to the 3 main subjects, friends whom I had come to love and admire and empathize with as I accompanied them through the ups and downs of their quest for freedom. Needless to say, I highly recommend “The Warmth of Other Suns”. Even its title impresses me. It says so much, and is a quote from a Richard Wright poem. This book is well worth the time it takes to read, and I give it 4 out of a possible 4 stars. ****