Plantation 2010- another Tasha creation

"I freed thousands of slaves.
I could have freed thousands more
if they had known they were slaves." -Harriet Tubman

It’s 2010 and we’re still slaves. Yeah, we’re still slaves. The whips are a bit different, but we still jump at the sight of them. We still run in gangs held together by chains. We’re still wrapped up in picking cotton under white folks names. Still slaves. They say we’re free- but we still choose the plantation. Still choose the comfort of darkness because we’re ignorant of the light. Still pick tobacco like there’s no other option. Worshipping spirits like we aren’t the closest things to God. We defile our own temples. We’re still slaves. Still coonin’ and shuckin’ and jiving’ and tommin’ every opportunity we get. Still bought and sold, still lynched. Still think white is always right, so you make her mother earth. Still dancing to make it rain and killing kids because we can’t protect them from “massuh”. Still running in circles because we can’t see a way out. We wait to be fed from the scraps of their tables. Are we slaves? We’re afraid to show our strength, our intelligence. When we do show it we use it to further THEIR cause. We live like paupers so they can live like kings. We wait for some proclamation of our emancipation when God said we can just claim it. Instead, we claim whips and chains and a chance to move in the big house. We are some different kinds of slave.

Call A Doctor!!

Heyyyy!!!

Helloooooo!!

News flash: Our community is ailing.

We are in desperate need of some healing, some TLC.

Not quite on life support, but definitely ICU status.

The symptom that is most disturbing is apparent in our interactions with one another. As my BMF (best male friend), Reese, puts it, “Black folks don’t know how to be social anymore.” (Reese is a genius, by the way.) Before anyone crazy enough to be reading this gets their panties in a bunch, allow me to explain. Take my favorite hangout, Roxxy’s, as an example. I know, it’s not exactly a scientific control group but it works for me. I engage in two of my favorite pastimes during the countless hours per week that I spend there- people watching and ear hustling (I am almost a professional at both). So, using Roxxy’s as a microcosm- a fishbowl of sorts- of the surrounding community I can positively assert that we are in trouble. If I were speaking to Houston, I’d say we DEFINITELY have a problem.
The issue? Women and men find it extremely difficult to positively interact. What happened to the days when men asked women if they’d like to dance? When did it become socially acceptable for men to impose their will on unsuspecting women like rabid dogs? Why do women who want to gather male attention feel that it is necessary to engage in female-on-female pornographic dance moves? Why are we so intimidated by one another that we resort to outright disrespectful behavior in public? These things happen because the community is trying to live with its illness rather than seeking a cure.
Part of the solution could be returning to the behavior of previous generations. Would a woman be asking too much if she desired to not be referred to as a “bitch” or “ho”, especially when the reference is made by a man who is trying to convey his interest in her? I’d find it pretty hard to believe that my grandfather spoke this way to my grandmother.
Is it terribly difficult for women to “inspect what they expect”? Would your father have stepped to your mom if she was at a Mississippi juke joint “bumping uglies” with another female, much to the delight of the men who were just too cheap to go to the strip club? Better yet, would he have wanted to make her the mother of his children? It is implausible to demand to be treated with respect when you carry on in a disrespectful manner. We should not be so starved for attention that we accept negative attention. It is counterproductive to what should be our collective goal- to be recognized as queens by all who come in contact with us.
Men need to step to ladies correctly- that means your underwear should not be in plain view (including your white tees). I’ve never seen a picture of Martin or Malcolm in which I could definitively answer the question “Boxers or briefs?” Dress the part. Get some real shoes. Wear a shirt with some buttons, or a collar, or a message. Take your time getting to the good part- “You got a fat ass” or “Damn them some big titties” can hardly be regarded as successful pick up lines. (Trust me on this.) When a woman is approached in this manner, she should respectfully check the brother. That can go a long way towards curing his ignorance and he may one day thank you for it.
Brothers, begging for drinks, food, cigarettes- from ANYONE- is so unattractive!! I don’t mean harmlessly asking a friend- I mean going from person to person literally begging. How can a woman view you as a man if you can’t support your own habits? If you can’t provide for yourself how in the world could anyone expect you to provide for them? Have a little pride. If you can’t buy your own drinks you may need to reconsider stepping out.
I feel like having a “School Daze” moment. (I’ll give everyone a moment to channel their inner DVD player to remember the relevance of this particular Spike Lee Joint.) You know, just running through the hood ringing a bell and yelling “WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!!” If these things are regular occurrences at Roxxy’s we need to smell the coffee. The writing is on the wall. My research shows that the symptoms I have shared with you continue to be spread throughout the community. I suppose Reese and I should currently be working on a vaccine.
I am making the situation sound hopeless, maybe even a little funny. It’s not. I do know some positive brothers and sisters who, while they battle their own demons, don’t step on the toes of others. I am a positive sister most of the time and I can admit my own failings and strive to be the best me I can be. I yearn to be the neighbor that I want as my neighbor and my circle is filled with like minded individuals. And I suppose that this attitude is the vaccine that our community needs. We need to treat one another as we desire to be treated. The greatest Biblical commandment- love thy neighbor as thyself. It worked for our grandparents and great grandparents. So, we need to go back to what worked in earlier generations. The illness is not terminal.

Moving On- An Original Poem by Me!

Moving on is not as simple as I thought
Because my thoughts are consumed with you
And all the things we ever did and never did
(Except in my fantasies).
All the conversations we ever had and never had replay in my subconscious with HD clarity.
All the places we’ve ever gone and never gone take on the persona of one of the wonders of the world.
How do I move on when I feel as if we’re just getting started?
So many things left unsaid and undone
Coupled with what I’ve said and I’ve done-
Our business is unfinished.
Add to that things you’ve said and you’ve done, and we have quite the conundrum.
How am I supposed to move on when I’m haunted by shit we could have done and should have done but didn’t?
I’m constantly confronted with shit you needed to say and wanted to say while I was saying too much.
I’m pissed knowing what we could be and should be while I watch you pour the energy, that could and would build “us” up, into bitches who don’t appreciate all that you are.
Your hope is she will be and can be me. She ain’t me.
I gotta move on cause the shoulda, woulda, couldas add up to nothing.
That’s what makes this so hard-
Where do you go from nowhere?

Why I Always Fall for Your Type?

 

 

 

So Drake has this song that says it all...

 

 

Can I, can I save you from you (yeah)
Cause you know there's something
Missing and that champagne you've
Been sipping not suppose to make you
Diffrent all the time.

It's starting to feel like the wrong thing
To do (yeah); 'cause with all that recongnition
It gets hard for you to listen to the things
That I must say to make you mine.
But if boy, have some fun boy. We'll be fine
Trying to convince myself I found one
Making a mistake I never learned from!

I swear, I always fall for your type (yeah)
For youur type.
Tell me why, I always fall for your type (ohhohh)
For your type.
I just can't explain this shit at all!
I just can't explain this shit at all!
I just can't explain this shit at all!
I just can't explain this shit at all!
Never believed in people like you!

I am officially unplugged from the "love" matrix. Deuces!!

Is "The System" Responsible For the Condition of Black Men in America?

"I've been in the city and the dichotomy of the women and the men in the minorities, there is a difference in the fact that most minority women, either the single parent or coming from a poor neighborhood, are motivated more so than the minority men," Reynolds said, when asked what he would do to increase diversity at state colleges. "And it's a pretty good reason. Most of the women who are single parents have to find work to support their family. The minority men find it more lucrative to be able to do drugs or other avenues rather than do education. It's easier." (source- Huffington Post)

Recently, during campaigning for a senate seat, Tea Party candidate Al Reynolds stated that Black men in Chicago would rather sell dope than get an education. This comment sparked heated debates all around the nation from break rooms to barber shops, radio stations to bar talk. In one such conversation on a nationally syndicated radio show, Reynolds’ “opinion” was followed by the question- is the system responsible for the condition of black men in this country? First of all, to follow Reynolds statement with that question lends some type of credence to it. Do we really buy into the hype that an entire city of men prefers crime over education? Further, do we believe that the majority of black men in America are in a “state” that reflects poorly on our race? Well, here are my thoughts on the subject.
Once upon a time, not very long ago, “the system” had power over black people throughout our country. During those times it was known as Jim Crow, segregation, and any other term that indicated that black people were less than our white counterparts. Our predecessors fought hard through tragedies and tribulations for our generation to enjoy equal rights in this country. Segregation became a thing of the past and we all began to live happily ever after. “The System” became an urban legend to a lot of people, people too far removed from the way the world was in that era.
Blacks in America have access to educations, careers, opportunities that would never have been afforded to our grandparents and in some cases, our parents, and that reflects some growth in this nation.
So, if a black man is not living up to his potential in America who is to blame? Do we blame his parents? Quality of education? Do we place the blame squarely on his shoulders?
I say, blame the system. Wait, the system no longer exists, right? No one quite knows who is involved in the system. We can hardly identify the role of a system in the world, how can we blame it? Truth is, the system to black men is like the boogeyman to little children. As long as you believe in him and fear him, he has power over you. There are men who have no fear of the system who have achieved a measure of success in this country simply because they can’t be held back by a principle they don’t acknowledge. But, if they don’t acknowledge it, how can they be sure it has not held them back? There are men who believe that the system controls every aspect of their life and it stifles their growth into successful men. But if that were the case, there would be NO positive examples of black men.
The system exists, in the hearts and minds of people- both black and white. Al Reynolds believes in the system. He and his Tea Party cronies are picking at the scabs of the wounds left by Jim Crow and racism. We can’t allow them to convince us that the boogeyman has power over us. We can’t view one another with consternation and condemnation. What happened to the spirit of brotherhood that we displayed when racism was more overt? Those of us who achieve a level of success could mentor our brothers who believe the system holds them back. Then there are brothers who use “the system” as an excuse to be intentionally mediocre. Those guys should just go and ask Al and friends if they can be poster children for the Tea Party movement- if you can’t beat the system, may as well join the system.

Propagandized

History dictates- from the earliest of times- that when a person spits too much truth in too short a time his reward is a loss of life (e.g. Jesus Christ, MLK, Malcolm, JFK).  Too much undiluted truth is poison to the plans of the few.  The "powers" may find a need to water it down a bit, so they put tiny bits of the truth out there but envelope it in nonsense.  All of this is an attempt to make these truths seem implausible.  Then there are agents of disinformation-  they spread lies from a reputable mouth.  In other words, if that person sleeps well at night and doesn't fear for his life, he is likely the worst kind of Judas.  A disinformation junkie.  Some of what they say is fact, but the lies are so colorful that folks are thrown off the truth's scent.  We are charged with the task of filtering through the bullshit to obtain the pearls of truth.  Rarely can we take much at face value.   Satan, or Lucifer, has been called the father of the lie.  He was (and is)  known to use scripture to support his lies and deceptions.    He takes the utmost in truth and perverts it.  Since this approach works more often than not, it serves as a blueprint that those in power have carefully adopted.  They follow it nearly to the letter.  Whether they acknowledge Satan's handiwork or even his existence, he is the architect of their grand design.  My challenge to all of America is to WAKE UP.  Do not blindly follow a leader, political party, even religion.  Study.  Make conscious decisions.  Be vigilant and process information independently.  Most importantly, when a person shows you who he is, believe him.   

Re-Investing in Self

Lately I have been thinking about ways to improve myself.  I recognize some characteristics and beliefs that I have that have been incredibly limiting and am now ready to release them.  The issue that I wrestle with is that some of these characteristics are not necessarily negative- just limiting.  For instance, I am extremely loyal.  I am loyal to my friends, my lovers, my hangouts.  I show up when I don't feel like showing up, I support when I am in need of support, I love even when the love is not returned.  I am always THERE.  So, one of the steps I need to take is re-investing that loyalty in myself.  I need to slow down when I feel sick, and rest.  I need to hit ignore on the phone sometimes and ponder my own situations instead of strapping my friends' problems to my back and carrying them around like they are mine.  I need to quit feeling obligated to being "the life of the party" and sit a couple out.  I need to be selfish.  Spend a day at home with my son doing absolutely nothing or everything (depending on how I feel).  Go back to reading books from cover to cover, because it's more entertaining than hanging out.  And if my "friends" can't handle the selfish version of ME, say fuck them and mean it.  I need to re-invest in me, and they don't have to like it.  Once upon a time loyalty to others was an endearing quality that made people want to be around me but somehow now it translates into boring and I become taken for granted.  There is at least one person who won't take my loyalty for granted, though, and that's me.  As long as I am looking out for me I can't go wrong.  Once I have mastered being loyal to my wishes, my feelings, my SELF I may be able to pour it out to my friends, lovers, and hangouts.  For now, I plan to concentrate on being the best woman, mother, sister, auntie- the best me- I can be.   The next step in my evolution is for me to "devolve" into a self centered, narcissistic, asshole so that I can learn how much of myself to give to others and how much to hoard.  I think that learning to value me and mine over everything is an important step to growth.  If I value me and mine, I will do nothing to de-value us.  World be ready, I am unveiling the new and improved version of MizzInkredible!!

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.  ~Author Unknown

To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution.  ~Joe Cordare

9/11 National Holiday?

Should the anniversary of the 9/11/2001 be a federally recognized holiday?  In my opinion, it should not.  I feel this way because, while we won't forget the egregious nature of the attack, we have to acknowledge that our government did not take the necessary steps to prevent it.  So, do we reward them for NOT protecting the citizens of this country by giving them a day off with pay?  No, we should send them to work that day, and everyday, until they admit the part the federal government played in making these attacks possible.
    I could delve into several theories that chronicle the conspiracy, but I will, instead, encourage you to read Jesse Ventura's "American Conspiracies".  Soon after the attacks, I (along with many other people) began to think that there had to be more to the story than what we were being fed by the media.  How could an attack of this magnitude be possible in America, especially when the "weapons" of choice were airplanes?  It should have been nearly impossible for that many planes to be hijacked and re-routed without red flags going up or even ONE being intercepted (although I do believe that the plane that went down in Pennsylvania was shot down).  Who had prior knowledge that our fighter jets would be participating in military drills that took them far away from the sites of the attacks? 
   The federal government had warnings that these attacks were being planned, yet failed to take them serious enough to place our military on heightened alert.  Because of their prior knowledge and inaction, they should be held equally (if not MORE) responsible for the acts that precipitated the loss of lives on that fateful day.  So, give them the day off?  Surely, you jest.  They took THAT day off.

Keeping the Faith- and Why That's Hard to Do

I am a young, black, single mother who is gainfully employed, attractive and independent.  I am extremely bright, have a good personality, and am quite well rounded.  Yet, I am unwillingly single.  I said it- UNWILLINGLY single.  Meaning, I am lonesome, I would like to meet a black man who brings to the table what I bring.  I have previously used all of the single black woman cop outs- straight out of the cop out manual.  They're either married, locked up, gay or dating white women.  Very short manual.  But, the truth is, I now know that I need to inspect what I expect.  I also need to explore what may be some of my less than endearing qualities.  Some men can't handle an ultra competitive, potty mouthed, hard drinking, rough around the edges female.  Not that I am willing to try to "change" into a more suitable chick if they can't.  Again, I believe in a higher power- God, Jehovah.  So, I have requested from Him to deliver to me a man who can handle me as I am.  Who is turned on by my competitiveness, who loves me despite my mouth, will match me drink for drink, and realizes that diamonds start off with rough edges.  And, I believe that God will deliver that man to me in His own time- when both of us are ready to receive the gift of love.  I am attempting to exercise patience and faith in this process.  I am devoting time and energy to the process of connecting to my inner being and becoming a more rounded person in the meantime.  But deep, deep down, I still want to force God's hand.  I want God to send me the man I think is perfect for me instead of the man HE knows is perfect for me.  I lust and long after one man in particular, and I make it my business to focus on all the ways that I know he is the best thing for me.  Truth is, he may very well be but I need to let go of what my ego is telling me and move (in faith)  throughout my days like he is just another friend.  And that is very hard to do.  He isn't just another friend, he is amongst my best friends.  He entered my life a year ago, and I can't remember the last time I bonded with anyone so quickly.  He is a fixture in my life- I can't think of going one single week without seeing his face or hearing his voice.  But the time is not right, or we are not right for one another because God knows best.  So, the problem is I need to exercise my faith but my intuition tells me that he is my man.  Our close relationship further compounds the issue.  Should I, as the ultimate act of faith, limit my contact with this man whom I love so the temptation to manipulate God's plan is minimized?  Or should I have faith that God's plan will prevail despite my intentions?

Getting Organized!!

Are some people born with a "disorganized" chromosome?  If so, I readily admit that I have it.  At work, I have a system that works for me, and that would lead folks to believe that I am that way in all walks of life.  The reality is, I struggle with finding a place for everything and keeping everything in its place.  I am committing 21 days in September to cleansing my conciousness, so I suppose that would be an ideal time to get my home in order as well.  I am welcoming any and all suggestions on how to motivate myself to get things done around the house and ideas on the easiest course of action.  Organized confusion is not just the name of my blog, it's been my lifestyle and I am ready to shake that.  A cluttered home sometimes equals a cluttered mind and this is my experience.  Because I am embarking on a mission to change my way of thinking I must also change my way of living (as long as it's for the better).  I am in the rare position of asking for help.  So HELP!!!!

Midwest Blues Unveiled!!! My Fantasy Team!

My 2010 Fantasy Football lineup for the Midwest Blues!!

Let's only hope that they do me proud.  This was a journey, and I have fielded quite a few sleepers.  I hope that my gamble works out. Just because I like to play devil's advocate, I have a team that was picked completely by the numbers called the Midwestern Blues (yeah, how is that for creativity).  It will be interesting to see which team does better in the regular season!  If you aren't a football fan bear with me.  Things will be back to normal tomorrow... but Sundays will definitely be devoted to football beginning Sept 12.  As an added bonus, I will be blogging LIVE from sunny South Beach for the Chicago Bears vs. Miami Dolphins matchup on Thurs. November 18, 2010. I guess the bonus is more for me!

QB QBBN Jay Cutler QB- CHI

RB RBBN Matt Forte RB- CHI RB RBBN Cedric Benson RB- CIN WR WRBN Pierre Garcon WR- IND WR WRBN Steve Smith WR- NYG WR WRBN Terrell Owens WR- CINTE TEBN Zach Miller TE- NE

BN RBBN Thomas Jones RB- BN QBBN Brett Favre QB- MinBN TEBN Visanthe Shiancoe TE- MIN BN RBBN Fred Taylor RB- BN WRBN Braylon Edwards WR- NYJ BN WRBN Michael Crabtree WR- SFK KBN Robbie Gould K- CHIDEF DEFBN Dallas Cowboys DEF

So, at what point is it actually 'cheating'?

Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance. -- Oscar Wilde

 I am involved in a happy relationship.  I work in an office with Damon, who has a well documented crush on me.  We have playful conversations and flirtations, but he is aware that it will never go anywhere.  (Is this cheating?)  After a particularly stressful workweek, a group of co-workers decide to meet up for drinks.  Damon attends.  (Once I know Damon is going am I guilty?)  After a few cocktails, the DJ starts spinning some dance music.  He asks me to dance.  I accept. (Okay, what about now?)  We sweat it out on the dance floor and he buys me another drink.(I know Damon has ulterior motives, is this where I stray?)  The DJ slows it down and Damon comes to find me for another dance- it's harmless, so I say yes. (Is it really harmless?)  When he pulls me close, I can feel that he was aroused by our proximity.  Dame is definitely working with something.  He's whispering in my ear.  I'm responding.  (I've gotta be cheating now, right?)  He kisses my neck, I don't pull away.  The tequila is working on my conscience, I am totally uninhibited.  We leave together.  (I'm drunk and leaving with a guy who I know is into me.  Cheating?)  He walks me to my car where we talk for 20 minutes.  He kisses me. (Intimate contact, but not intercourse.  Is that cheating?)   I know I need to go home but Damon is convincing me to stay.  He says he'd feel better if he took me home because I am a little tipsy.  I accept his offer. (Now, I'm in a car with him, alone.  Is this the breaking point?)  When I get home he kisses my cheek and asks if I'm coming out (with the group) next week.  I say yes, and then go in to the man I love. (No sex- does that equal no cheating?)

   So, at this point, it's a matter of opinion.  When did the cheating start, or was there any cheating? 

This could be YOU!!

Never tell a loved one of an infidelity: you would be badly rewarded for your troubles. Although one dislikes being deceived, one likes even less to be undeceived. -- Ninon De Lenclos

How Tolerant is America Expected to Be?

~ We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity. ~  Kofi Annan

 How tolerant?  Very, as we consider this country "the melting pot of the world".  For years our borders were open and people from all over the world were welcomed in to share in our vision of freedom.  Lately the citizens of this country are showing more sensitivity that manifests in outright prejudice.  When Muslim residents proposed to build an Islamic center two blocks from the site of Ground Zero the shit hit the fan.  Remember, Ground Zero is where "Islamic zealots" crashed planes into the World Trade Center's twin towers killing thousands on September 11, 2001.  That would be the same day that all Muslims in America lost the right to do anything near Ground Zero, as the area is now called.

 For real, people?  If this society is so evolved, why can't it separate Muslims from terrorists who happened to be Muslim?  Why must the multitude of followers of Islam be punished for the sins of a few?  An Islamic center- not on the site of Ground Zero, but at least two blocks away- could be the first step in saying this nation is healing and are prepared to offer the same liberties to all its citizens.  Even the ones who happen to be Muslim.

 I mean, Muslims (besides the terrorists) did die in the towers.  They are part of the 3000 casualties and, given that they make up roughly .6% of the nation's population, their community was hit pretty hard.  They have some stake in the Ground Zero pie.  Even if you accept the "official" story about 9/11 you can't hold every Muslim everywhere responsible.

 It's sad to realize that this society is so prejudiced that something like building a place of worship has become a major news story.  I know this sounds harsh, but it's time to move on.  Move on- much like the Native American and Black communities are expected to (thanks, Dr. Laura!) although those groups have suffered past (and present) injustices.

 Let the Islamic center go up!!

~ The noblest vengeance is to forgive. ~  Proverbs

Breaking it in easy...

 ~ Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious... ~ Michael Stipe

Everybody that really knows me is aware that I have more than a few idiosyncrasies that make me who I am.  I am spiritual, but not religious.  I believe in not-so-covert conspiracies that involve organized religion, the entertainment industry, and government agencies and officials (just to name a few).  I believe that urban legends contain at least a kernel of truth.  And through my cynicism, I still believe in all incarnations of love- familial, platonic, romantic, AGAPE.  I have a rough exterior, am bullheaded, will debate with whomever whenever wherever, but at the end of the day, it's all love.  So, if my musings seem a bit tame, I am just breaking things in easy.  I may get personal or preachy but it's all love.  My interests run the gamut- sports, music, self exploration, sex, and where current events fall in the grand design.  I am so faceted, my confusion so organized, that I am being compelled to put it out there, whether anyone is interested is another story.  Next post will be the first organized piece.  I will touch on a subject that is sure to raise eyebrows- the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.  Just how tolerant is America expected to be?  Somehow, I expect some confusion!

Just Getting Started

MizzInkredible

Welcome to my world.  A "Bizarro" type of place where everything is not always as it seems.  Guess that's why I refer to it as Organized Confusion- I am generally all over the place.  For instance, my big thing for the day has been Fantasy Football.  I am an avid football fan (Bears Nation, stand up) but, for the life of me, I could not understand the obsession with fantasy sports.  I've been looking for a hobby, so I decided this morning that I would join a fantasy league.  It is simple enough to join one- I went to NFL.com, clicked "Fantasy" and had a league home in 2 easy minutes.  That is where the simplicity ends.  I had to familiarize myself with the point system, prepare for the draft, decide on a team name... trust me, it's like having a second job.  I have pages of pre-draft rankings, cheat sheets, top ten sleeper reports, players to avoid reports, and draft strategies.  I have participated in 3 mock drafts to familiarize myself with the process- all of this on day one!!  And that, my friends, is how one becomes obsessed.  My team is the Midwest Blues, and my draft is on August 22.  Until then, I must immerse myself in this team building process.  I have got to eat, drink, sleep and breathe FOOTBALL.  All of this stems from a decision I made today while I was eating my Wheaties.  Organized Confusion- you never know what side of left field I'll come from.  Enjoy your stay!