Oil Spill, The Economist, N'awlins, and Me

So, this blog was originally supposed to be a motivation for me to keep up with the news and what's going on in the world around me, yet it has somehow transformed into something a bit more philosophical at times, or better yet, just random excuses about why I'm not blogging. Whatever. That's life. To be quite honest, I've been enamored with everything pertaining to starting med school and grad school, and making the big move down to New Orleans - I have truly loved every minute of it (aside from the packing). As a result, I have no idea what is going on in the world around me. Shame. I refuse to be the doctor/med student that is ignorant to the latest news due to overindulgence in the medical realm of life. Tunnel vision is great for achieving your goals and getting to where you want to be at in life. However, if it excludes other important things from your vision such as friends, family, and important developments, how beneficial, as opposed to detrimental, is it? I propose tunnel vision is good in the short-term, but bad in the long-run...that is if you desire to have any type of a social life. Well, since I do, I am slowly trying to incorporate real world developments into my daily life. It's a slow, arduous process, but I believe the effort and energy will pay off in the end.

That being said, I am very up-to-date on this mess of an oil spill. BP, you should hang your head low. Just what are you doing?!? All the lies and nondisclosure...come, come now...do better. BP's oil spill is about to do more damage to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast than Katrina did. Seriously. While not killing people like Katrina did, BP is killing people's incomes in an already depressed economy. Many of these people rely on fishing as their primary source of income. Well guess what? As much as seafood is the #1 staple down here, these items are now being imported in. People who have already invested loads of money for the shrimping and other fishing seasons, are now out of that money since their supply is now dead/unusable. On the end of BP there have been no developments save for increased knowledge on how bad this really is. Our ecosystem is about to be devastated, the effects of which probably won't fully be felt for a few years. And what happens when hurricane season hits full force? That oil is about to be spread even further. I heard talks of someone proposing burning off the oil...riiight, because that's what our ecosystem needs... [insert side eye]. This is the main news story I've been keeping up with and it is just depressing.

On a related note, under the tutelage of a good friend, I have gone ahead an acquired a recent issue of The Economist (ummm, readers beware, one issue is like 7 bucks and only covers 1 week...in other words, it's expensive). Anywho, the purpose of reading The Economist is two-fold. First, it truly covers a wealth of topics both nationally and internationally, and thus, will serve to broaden my knowledge in foreign affairs, economics, and politics. If you know me, you know I'm a closeted nerd who just loves acquiring more knowledge. We know the average human uses ~10% of their brain power (or so we've been told in school...wouldn't be surprised if this was an educated lie to get us to study more), but I'm trying to up that percentage. Plus, I like to be able to talk to a random person on the street about anything. Since I know where my weaker areas are, it makes perfect sense to target those now. My second reason is to better pick up a white boy. Yes, I said it. I was talking to this same friend who made the recommendation, and she said how she's been over black guys for a while (even though she's still dated a few here and there) and she was talking about how she's perfecting the art of picking up a good white guy. She's like, " what you need to do is go to some fairly high foot trafficked area, grab yourself an issue of The Economist and maybe a Vitamin Water, and sit and read. Make sure you don't have headphones or sunglasses on, and slowly scan your surroundings every now and then. When you find one you want, briefly make eye contact, smile a little, and go back to reading. They will come." lol - this girl has a game plan! She has other strategies too, but this one seemed the easiest for me to start with. Granted, now that I'm down South, I don't see many types that look like they'd be into The Economist, but let me know judge a book by the cover. Even if Southerners innately look simpler, a few might surprise me.

You know, people hate on Southerners, but I think they're onto something. They definitely know how to enjoy life and put an emphasis on spending time with people - the same time that we see as such a rare commodity up North is amply doled out down here. Even though I can't really indulge in eating or drinking, I absolutely love Love LOVE New Orleans! Honestly, if I can adapt to the heat and humidity, and survive the bugs and hurricanes, I might never leave - dead serious. Come visit!

Packing Woes…

I’ve actually had a lot to blog about in recent times, BUT packing has literally consumed my life! Ugh. It’s high on my list of least favorite activities…or better yet – activities that pain me. Goodness, I don’t think I know one person who likes packing. I swear, if I can afford it, the next move I make will involve professional movers, because this crap is for the birds. I remember, I thought I was being slick by starting to pack my things up a few months ago – FALSE! True, I moved a lot of my big furniture into storage, which helped clear out the house, but I grew tired of packing within the first two hours and quit, thereby defeating the purpose.

It was a good look slowly packing up my desk and books and such in Banker’s Boxes (my new favorite moving supply!). Let’s pause a second and give respect where respect is due. Banker’s Boxes are what’s up, if you didn’t know. One, I have a slight OCD-like complex when it comes to organization…as in, highly organized things make me feel very good. I love Banker’s Boxes because they’re small with hand holes, so I could load up a bunch of heavy books in each and not worry about not being able to carry them like I do for larger moving boxes. With a little creativity, I can easily fit about 7 in the trunk of my car, freeing up more space in the back seat (though, I still need to load my car for tomorrow, so things might change (as I’m sitting here typing, I’m starting to think they might do better stacked in the back seat…hmmm…).

Anywho, as much as Banker’s Boxes have simplified my move, I still hate it.

What is it about packing that so upsets and irritates the human spirit? The most obvious annoyance is the monotonous activity that comprises packing. Usually, you start with a respectably organized area, create chaos so that you can sort thru things, and then sit and fold and wrap items for hours. So, not only is it repetitive, but also, you have to make things messy in order to accomplish your goal.

Next on the list, or at least on my list, is the decreased view of self that accompanies the process. Let me explain. If you've read some of my earlier posts, particularly those pertaining to minimalism, you'd know that I have consciously been working towards moving to a more minimalist lifestyle. Simply put, the act of packing slaps me in the face with how far away I am from a minimalist lifestyle. Like really, how do I have this much stuff? And why can't I follow my own rule of "if I haven't used or seen it in the past year, it's time to throw is away"??? Yes, when I pause and reflect, I see how pitiful I look drowning in a room full of stuff I hardly ever utilize...and then I feel foolish...and then I feel a little less good about myself.

Ah well. I finally packed up and made the long drive down to New Orleans! I'm staying with a mentee of mine from undergrad who's here for Law School, and I'll be moving into my summer sublet on Sunday! Since I'll be doing my own apartment shopping for a late July move, I think I might spend the next few weeks just living out of boxes...I'm not really trying to unpack only to have to turn around an re-pack.

Random Aside: How come all those packing commercials and ads always show the people looking so happy with big Cheshire cat grins plastered to their faces while I always look distressed???

Fendora...Mi amora!!

So, I have this newfound obsession with finding the right one or two fendora hats for spring, summer, and fall down South. I've always been in love with hats in general, but I've grown particularly found of these hats in recent years, especially the straw ones...they really remind me of the bliss of summer. Everytime I see one, I picture myself chilling beachside, enjoying the ocean breeze in some linen pants with a nice cold drink in my hand (vivid imagination, I know).

My quest is on! Especially with this relocation to New Orleans, I've realized how limited my wardrobe is in terms of cooler outfits. In sum, I have a very stereotypical Northern closet - winter hats, scarves, an overabundance of dark colored and heavier weighted attire. I am low on the capris, shorts, skirts, dresses, and light colored clothing. Also, I'm thinking it would be beneficial to block those oppressive sun rays beating down on my head with a nice lightweight hat or two.

I found this lovely Fendora hat at Arden B that I'm thinking of pruchasing. Thing is, I also want a typical, beige tan one that scream summer! Luckily, Fendoras are making a strong comeback in fashion, so my search shouldn't be too difficult.

Wish me luck! And, of course, I welcome any leads you might have :) Not many of my posts will be pertaining to fashion, as I consider it something realitively low on my list or priorities in my life development. However, I am a BIG accessories girl! Shoes, bags, scarves, hats, jewlery, headbddans - if they're on the list, I have a slight obsession with them...exciting pieces do make me tingle from head-to-toe ;)

Arizona Strikes Again...

The latest legal developments out of Arizona are marginally constitutional, in my opinion. I agree with the first half of the legislation, declaring illegal immigrants well, illegal. However, I think it is dangerous to legally empower law enforcement to demand identification for persons they “suspect” of being here illegally. I love (re: hate) how the Arizona state legislature acts as if racial profile does not already exist and has not existed probably since the beginning of law enforcement. We all know how this is about to play out. How exactly does one “suspect” some is illegally in the US? Is it by the way they look? The way they speak? The way they carry themselves? Something tells me that, simply put, the more ethnic you look, the greater jeopardy you will find yourself in of being suspect, while the more “Americanized” (re: White) you look, the safer you’ll be. Sad, but true. Adjust your wardrobe, hair, and speech accordingly.

My guess is that very shortly, Latinos in Arizona are going to face daily accosting by the police, thereby increasing the anger and frustration amongst this community. How would like to be questioned at whim about whether you “belong” here? I tell you what, as someone who attended a university where minority students were repeatedly racially profiled on-campus by police (i.e. forced to show their school ID to prove they “belonged”) I can tell you how horrible of an experience that is. It is degrading and frustrating. It leads to distrust and anger. No one, save for the people doing it, likes when authorities abuse their power. No one enjoys being perceived as an outcast. Granted, some members of this community are illegally here, are aiding in the draining of our tax dollars, and are “taking” jobs, but I emphasize this is SOME, not ALL. If we want to crunch down on immigration, let’s up border security let’s thoroughly check all documents when hiring people for jobs…oh wait, that’s right, people try to skimp on paying what they should for services and resort to hiring daily hands for manual labor, meaning they don’t check said documents. I’m digressing.

My point is that things in this area are about to escalate rapidly and probably explosively. Think about it. One of the main sentiments driving this new legislation is the increased crime rate that has correlated with the increase in illegal immigrants. And I’m sure that some are contributing to this. However, I guarantee that regardless of the percent of the Latino community involved in these crime stats, as soon as racial profiling increases, these individuals are going to respond in violence. I really wouldn’t be surprised if there were riots reminiscent of the LA Riots sparked by the Rodney King beating. Might be a bit of a stretch, but as I said, I really wouldn’t be surprised.

Personally, I don’t see this legislation holding up. There are already protests springing up throughout the country, as well as statements being made against this move by government officials. It’s kind of nice to see my fellow Americans uniting against this very un-American (yet, typically American) act. I mean, we’re a country that prides itself on its history of immigration and working hard to make something of oneself, yet we also know our nation has a history of people working hard to get theirs and then doing everything in their power not share the wealth (i.e. allow other people to work hard and reap the benefits). Nothing at this point surprises me…not even this legislation.

Let it be known, I am adamantly against illegal immigration, especially in these rough economic times. [disclaimer: I am about to sound rather Republican for a minute] Quite frankly, we do not have enough to go around for our own, let alone people that illegally sneak over here. On the one hand, it’s kind of noble that some would risk their lives to try to provide a better life for their families, however, it’s still wrong. There’s a reason it’s illegal, and just because you succeed at coming over her and establishing yourself, even serving for our country, doesn’t mean it was right in the first place. This might sound cold, but quite frankly, I don’t care. And stop trying to pop babies out in hopes that it’ll help you secure permanent or extended residence in the States. Furthermore, as an African American who knows the history of “her people” and knows that historically, as crappy and underpaid as they were, we were at least able to secure bottom of the totem pole positions and try to work our way up like other cultures…just with a few more institutionalized obstacles. In the past two decades or so, I have seen those jobs handed over to new immigrants, many of whom are Latino American, and to be honest, it is disheartening and slightly infuriating. I commend the legacy of hard work in this community – they are willing to do whatever work is necessary to provide for their families, and that’s commendable. But there are people that are legally here, that would also be willing to work these same menial jobs, that are not being given the opportunity because employers know they can hire illegals for cheaper to do the same work under the table. Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do? Illegals are taking jobs that legal residents deserve and are using up a decent share of our tax money, and yes, this is an issue that annoys me, BUT Arizona, this is not the way to address these issues. I was taken aback by this latest news, but then a friend pointed out that it’s the home of John Mccain – ‘nough said.

Daddy's Home

As I roam around in my car letting the latest jams blast through my speakers, up and out through my open windows, and drift into the flowing warm air of an abnormally hot summer, "Daddy's Home" by Usher repeatedly (and annoyingly) comes on every station's play list. Personally, I'm not a fan - I think he peaked with Confessions. Like, he went too hard on that whole album...to the point where I really don't see how he can top it. Add on the fact that he's seemed to take a cue from the success of Confessions by repetitively abusing his muse - i.e. let me find a woman, fall in love, have it all get messed up, and write an album surrounding it. Usher Raymond, fyi - while your listeners might not necessarily be the sharpest tools in the box, as a collective, any fool can see through that sub par "art" you're putting out. Your abs are no longer good enough to attract all your previously young fans - you know, the young ones you had gawking and flocking over you back when you were a young one. Quite a few of my twitter followers have been tweeting about how they wish a few artists would progress appropriately as they age. Guess who was atop that list? If you guessed Usher, give yourself a pat on the back (Mariah Carey was up there too)! Clearly, I'm no longer an Usher fan, but my lack of interest in Usher is not the focus of this post.

What I want to focus on is the string of questions that pop into my mind every time I hear this song:

• Do other races refer to each other as Daddy/Mommy?
• What is it about the Black community that promotes the referral to the Black man in a relationship as Daddy?
• Why don't we really ever hear Mommy?
• Does this all have something to do with the overabundant absence of father figures in Black communities?
• Are males (namely Black) preying upon the "Daddy issues" running rampant among women in the Black community?
• Are they trying to use these issues to usurp power and exert dominance in the relationship by having their women refer to them as "Daddy"?

I'd agree with the general notion that, as compared to other racial communities, that within the Black community, many Black women do not have a true or good Daddy of their own. I believe this absence of a good or stable father figure leaves many women of this demographic looking in all types of places for someone to fill that father figure. Now this is where "Daddy" has been inserted into relationships between men and women of this community. Note you don't really see relationships among other groups using this term outside of the context of when children are involved. But not for the Black community! We women want that father figure and somehow come to seek it in a spouse who should be an equal rather than some other member of our community. Can we not find someone to fill that role who is not intimately involved with us? Nope. We resort to calling our significant others, the ones who are supposed to be the other half of our give and take relationship, "Daddy." Yes, they normally do assume the role of protector and provider in the relationship, while we do assume roles usually associated with caring for things and planning out. Both sides are needed, yet, on some level, it has been made almost a given or something natural to do (i.e. calling your current mate "daddy"), even though we know on some level, there are certain connotations associated with that term (i.e. a submissive role for the person using the term). Hmm...

Now artists playing upon these issues...smh

And let's be real...Is Daddy really home? Nah. Well, at least not for long - just look at Usher's track record. At the end of the day, most of these relationships are bound to fail, resulting in another "Daddy" leaving yet another Black woman to fend for herself, leading to even more heartbreak, and more issues revolving around trust and expectations for "the Black man." Quietly, we know many of these "Daddies" run off to some non-Black girl, so...wait - why am I even discussing this? lol. Whatever, Black men really have come to annoy me more and more with each passing day. Clearly it's not a term I use or can picture myself using (again, unless we have children - then that's a little different). If you catch me calling a boyfriend "Daddy" I hereby give you permission to smack me upside the head!