Progress Won't Stop, Can't Stop!

I am typing furiously right now after reading an article in The Hill discussing Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and his quest to repeal marriage equality in the District of Columbia. He claims that he is doing this in favor of “liberty and small government”. How is repealing marriage in a district you don’t live in acting in the best interest of the citizens in the District? How is that not an invasion of government? You don’t want to provide the District with better schools or voting rights but you feel it’s somehow part of your perverse idea of justice that you intervene when an expansion of rights are underway?


I love how Republicans jump on the band wagon of liberty when their sole mission in life is to make sure that white, wealthy, straight men remain the “haves” and the rest of us remain the “have not’s”. If the system somehow shifted and the playing field was made more level then where would they be? I’ll tell you, they would be left with a mirror to face, left staring at themselves and the years of injustice that they imparted on the rest of “us”. I am tired of their “take back America” bullshit. You mean you want to take it back from the people who built it? You mean you want to take it back from the people who are currently tilling the land, watching your kids, cleaning your house, checking you out at the market?


However, I don’t blame them for their warped perspective on the world. How are they supposed to understand the needs of a land as diverse as America when their party is filled with old, straight, white people, who have an analog perspective on a diverse and digital world? How can they lead this country into the future when their messages are reminiscent of the "Leave it to Beaver era"? They are not just the party of “no” but the party of regression. Someone needs to knock on Jordan’s office door and tell him the hard sad truth; your days on top are numbered. Progress is like a bullet train…you can slow it down, but it won’t be stopped!

And That’s My Two Cents

Lives Unfinished

And so, in the past few weeks several young people have taken their lives. Why? Because of all of us! Kids learn how to treat others by watching adults …and you know what we’ve shown them? That it’s OK to hate, and that anyone that is different than you is less than. Our children are mirrors of society for better or for worse. The rise in teen suicides resulting from bullying is a monument to this nation’s intolerance and scorn for difference.

We don’t allow people like me to marry who they love because they are gay, yet we allow radio hosts to call for our deaths and make jokes about gay bashing--and then let them defend their repugnant behavior with “freedom of speech”. We tell the LGBT community that they are sissys, “sweet”, fags and more, and then when they bravely take up arms and fight on the front lines of our wars we tell them “we don’t want your kind, unless you live a lie”. We are told to show up every day for work and do our best…and we do; but then our bosses have the right to fire us in the name of “protecting family values” simply because we are gay… and once we are out of work without insurance, our partners can’t protect us under their insurance if we live in the wrong state!

We teach these kids that it’s ok to bully, torment, and harass their peers to death…with each hospital visitation denial, with each marriage certificate denied, with each dead gay soldier brought home. With each “NO” shouted at the LGBT community, we tell our kids “you see these people over there, the ones that are different than you…they don’t matter their not deserving”.

So, stop with your “how could this happen, how could these kids take their own lives” sob story, and know that with each hate filled speech we tolerate from the pulpit, TV, web stream and radio, we are putting the noose in our children’s hands, placing duck tape over their mouths and telling them to jump. As far as I am concerned we all become accessories to hate crimes every time we choose to stay silent when witnessing these injustices.
So, tell me what are you going to do stop it?

And That’s My Two Cents

Re-Branding HOPE, Yes We Can?

And so, here we are 20 months into Obama’s Administration…and as the now infamous Velma Hart stated “we are exhausted and tired”. Does that mean hope is over? Shall we send hope on his way? Thank him for coming, but say “don’t let the door hit you…”? Yes, we are tired; of course we are…this recession has beaten the shit out us…like a two bit piñata! Millions of jobs have been lost, homes have been foreclosed, and the once stable middle class has now become the “shrinking class” much like the housewives of New Jersey! I’m tired, you’re tired, but does that mean we give up? Does that mean that we throw up our hands, lie on our backs, and let the Tea-Party have their way with us?

With their witchcraft, Hitler signs, and utter B.S. they have shown that they are about as capable of leading as Lindsey Lohan is of staying out of jail. It’s time to get serious and stop thinking that some white horse is going to gallop down Main Street and make everything OK. This is not a fairy tale and change, REAL change, takes hard work from everyone who wants it! Obama did not pretend to be the Messiah when he ran for President. Am I defending the Administration and their inability to communicate their message to the American people the way they did during the election…and have a cohesive plan, and have some f’ing cohones when it comes to Republican bullshit? No, I’m not. But what I am going to do is remind everyone that it did not take 20 months to get into the mess we are in…it took a freakin’ decade!

This is not the Cosby show where everything gets fixed at the end of 30 minutes so we can all to bed feeling warm and fuzzy. This is the real world and this is some real shit that we have gotten ourselves into. Politics and leadership is made for folks who take their drinks straight up without an umbrella…it’s not for the faint of heart or spineless. So, if you’re as angry and frustrated as T.C. is then don’t whine about it…do something about it; because if we don’t then the Tea-Party and the Rethugs will.

Boehner just released the Republican’s “manifesto” entitled their Pledge to America. Um, excuse me, Mr. Boehner, 1994 called and they want their book back! You see, they never have to change their ideas because when Americans like Ms. Hart become exhausted, the Rethugs get voted back in…and then the country gets screwed! The rich get richer, the sick get sicker, and when a few years pass and everyone is standing in a bread line...the Dems get to put the country back together again! It’s a cycle…a nasty one! We need to demand better, we need to express our anger and hold our elected officials accountable for their actions…but don’t think that electing some abstinence-loving witch who is going to cast a spell on all of us, and make us all straight, white, and Christian is the answer. The opposite of what we have is not always the answer to our problems.

Our government is as accountable as we make them! They listen to whoever the loudest people are…and right now the tea-party are the only ones doing all the shouting! So, take a swig of a stiff drink, wipe of your brow, and get off the ropes!!! In mass we can do great things. GET ANGRY, GET LOUD, AND DEMAND THE CHANGE WE VOTED FOR…we don’t have the time to be tired….

And That’s my Two Cents!

Thinking of a Master Plan…

And so, T.C. pleasantly surprised herself this weekend by realizing that she is not too cynical to get inspired… Let me begin by saying that like most of you, I read the news every day, and it seems to me that we are experiencing not just a financial meltdown of epic proportions, but a cultural and moral one as well!

Now don’t get it twisted, I don’t mean “moral” as in “the cross” and “clutched pearls”, I mean moral as in we as a society seem to have lost our way. We seem to have come to place where the only people being rewarded and celebrated are the people with the most hate to spew and the worst public behavior! “I’m ready for my f%cking close-up Mr. De Mille”. *I am looking at you cast of ALL the Real Housewives, Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Pat Buchanan, Sarah Palin…and the list goes on*

The worst you are, the more fame, money, and followers you obtain. That my friends, is the New America, and it makes my stomach turn.

Last week however, instead chasing the headlines with a pack of Advil and a bottle of Pepto Bismol, I engulfed myself in something different. I decided to attend the Congressional Black Caucus’s Annual Legislative Conference. For those who are not inside the beltway, and don’t work in this dysfunctional circus we call “politics”, the conference is an event that happens annually when all the major Black thought leaders, politicians, policy wonks, and the like descend on Washington for a week of issue forums, “braintrusts”, films, and ah yes, the parties! Now generally this conference is an excuse to put on painful shoes and fabulous outfits and party hop—and yes, I still did all of that…I’m not dead! *wink* But, I also sat in on some of the most thoughtful policy forums I’ve been to in awhile. Where people were talking about issues and laying out plans…remember those, you know actual solutions instead of complaints!

The FLOTUS spoke, and the statistics that she articulated about America’s youth are still haunting me—days later. “The greatest threat to the sustainability of our society is the health and well-being of our children” she exclaimed, because 40% of our children are obese or overweight. Yet we continue to pump them full of high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and mystery meat, and call that “breakfast”. All the while locking them in their rooms with their computers and telling them it’s not safe to go outside. Then we scratch our heads and wonder why we have a childhood obesity epidemic on our hands??? Okay, I digress.

My point is that, this year’s forums highlighted headline issues in a thoughtful and eye-opening way. How refreshing!

The week’s events concluded with a gala on Saturday where President Obama spoke. He was and is absolutely captivating. As I watched him on stage (btw my seat was so close it was bananas), I had the Chris Matthews’ “tingling sensation” running up my leg, and held on to each and every word he uttered. His speech can be summed up with his final quote about moving America forward, “If you want a car to move forward, you put it in D; if you want it to move backward, you put it in R.” Classic! The President was finally fired up! And with his words I felt my spirits begin to rise.

The tea party has lulled this country into a trance—campaigning on hate and capitalizing on fear, hoping that we wouldn’t awake from our Bush-induced “my-life-is-in-the-shitter-and-I-need-someone-to-blame” stupor until they were in power—and adding anyone who disagrees with them to some neo-McCarthyist list! Yes, we are in the worst recession in decades, yes foreclosures are at an all time high, and yes millions are out of work... BUT, if you expected that the policies that this country had been operating under for almost a decade were going to miraculously disappear in 2 years, then you are as out of your mind as those lunatics with Lipton tea bags glued to their LL Bean shirts! We have become so accustomed to having everything we want, when we want it, that we forget that progress and change don’t happen just because you enter it into Google and hit search.

If you think we’re in deep “Barney” now, then wait and see what happens if you just continue to sit on your couch and wait… Wait until the headlines read “Tea-Party backed Palin wins the Presidency”. Oh you think it can’t happen??? Eight of the Republican backed candidates lost their primaries to Palin-backed Tea-Party candidates. Eight! Wake up and smell the Earl Grey my friends, they are coming… and if we don’t put down the remote and collectively put together a master plan…quickly and shake America out it’s “tea-haze”, this country could end up once again stuck in R with a bunch of crazed elephants at the wheel.

And that’s my Two Cents!

Dirty Thirties Syndrome

And so, TC has been away for a while…but I’m back in effect with a bit of a quandary; what do you do when you find yourself at an in-between stage in life? Too young for the mid-life Porsche, but too old for a guidance counselor? Evidenced by a series of conversations with friends and frienemies alike…this is the stage that we are all currently in…it’s that spot right after the quarter life crisis and before your mid-life breakdown. For so long this time has been nameless, but today it hit me like Elin with a golf club! I’m going to call this lovely little sweet and sour patch, DTS. What is DTS you ask? It is the rightfully named “Dirty Thirties Syndrome”.


DTS is that point in your life when it’s no longer publicly acceptable to get hammered to the point of vomiting and passing out on your front lawn, when your “in-your-face” Mohawk becomes a more sleek and professionally acceptable faux hawk, when the college furniture gets upgraded…a little less IKEA and a little more Crate and Barrel! In this moment you start to think about the future and all its potential…all of YOUR potential! You move from the “what are we doing tonight” to “what are we doing over the next 5 years” conversations…everything and I mean everything carries more weight, much like Kirsty Alley after Cheers! It’s not like your 20’s when you had all the time in the world to lay on the “grassy nole” and contemplate…you know “stuff”. But at the same time the world is your champagne oyster shooter (love those)!


Everything is possible...hate your job, change it…have been dating for years with no “real” commitment, end it, want to travel, live in a new city???? All of these questions and desires can be answered, why?? Because the beauty of DTS is that we are not strapped with all the baggage that begets your 40’s and 50’s but we have a hell of a lot more sense and bank than we did in our 20’s (or at least you hope)!!!! Really, we are at the perfect midpoint...and much like with your second glass of champagne, you should feel relaxed and fabulous! So, cheers to you…you are officially, almost, kinda, a grown-up! And that’s my Two Cents!

Ciao,
T.C.

Mad as Hell????

And so, I have been on hiatus way to long…so without further ado let me jump in with both feet! Let me begin by saying…where the hell is the change??? Yeah I said it! I said what we have all been quietly murmuring to each other behind closed doors…I voted for Obama not Joe Lieberman and the two women from Maine. So, can someone please explain to me why they seem to be the ones with all the power and a year in my President is still fumbling around in the dark??? We are getting ready for midterm elections and a huge freakin upset, you know why??? Because when you have no job, no retirement, and your selling everything in your house including the kitchen sink to keep a roof over your head you need to blame someone…and for a party who said they were about change they haven’t done a freakin thing worth note in 2009!!!! Ok, so you want to talk about the stimulus package they put forth??? To that I say “show me the money” where did all those billions of dollars go??? They sure as hell didn’t go to the 10% of the population who are out of work!

Now, the banks are off the hook because they are paying their “loans” back so that they don’t have to be accountable to US anymore…like they ever were. How is it that the folks at AIG made so much money off the bailout that they were able to break off and start a new firm??? Do I want to keep giving our new President a break…yes, but not at our expense…he needs to stand up and be a leader not the “king of compromise” I get it you want to show how willing you are to work with “your friends across the aisle” but understand this; they want nothing more then for you to fail and for America to fail and with that I say “F ‘EM” and move on, it’s the only way to play this game and win! I don’t want compromised legislation just because we need a win to tout for our first year…I need something that is going to work for me…like healthcare that isn’t going to send me to the poor house…sick! I need healthcare that is going to treat women like equal citizens and give us the coverage we need for all of our needs. Why is Viagra covered by most insurance companies but birth control and abortion is not???

And now for Marriage Equality…a lesson in lobbying, if you don’t have enough votes DON’T bring your measure to the floor!!! Instead of whining after the fact in the press why not…oh, I don’t know try and create some type of political strategy!!!! Rallies and marches do not win campaigns they are glorified field trips organized so you can wear a witty t-shirt and carry a sign then afterwards go to brunch with your friends and congratulate each other for how “involved” you are in the movement!

Here’s an idea if you keep losing with the same strategy over and over and over again then try something NEW!!! Putting a bunch of well-off white men in front of a camera to shout about their lack of rights is NOT GOING TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS!!! You know why?? Because pretty much every group of people in this country have been at some point screwed over by a white man….from Columbus to Bush!!!! Yeah, I said it because it’s the truth! You need a two-prong approach. Political and PR… because your PR campaign alone ain’t cutting it! We are in the midst of a gorilla war with the Right and they are winning with the same playbook they have been using for decades and we are still trying to “coordinate our efforts and have meetings about it”…when you are at war there is no time for a chat! Where is the umph? Where is the gusto? Portugal just passed their marriage equality measure today and they are one of the most conservative countries in Western Europe…and we can’t manage to find the votes in NY and NJ??? WTF!!!!

It is a New Year people and it is time for us to stop waiting for the glorious knight to save us…we need to save ourselves! The fact of the matter is our elected officials don’t know anymore than we do…and they have shown us that they are not leaders at all but a bunch a high priced call girls that are easily swayed by anyone with a dollar!!!! You voted for change, well guess what YOU are the CHANGE you have been waiting for…so GET INFORMED, GET UP, AND DO SOMETHING!!!! Oh, BTW Happy Freakin New Year!!!!!

And That’s My Two Cents!

Happy New You!

And So—It has been a million years since I have laid down my two cents…So without further ado here we go. 2008 by most measures absolutely sucked! For one we found out that we had been in a recession since December 2007, the DOW dropped over 10,000 points, Sarah Palin was given a microphone, gay marriage ended in California, and so on…it was not a good year. However there was a high point…what you ask…well, America finally came to its senses and came out in droves to vote for Barack Obama!!! Who 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. will become America’s first African American President! Now, that my friends make all the other bullshit we dealt with in 2008 worth it!!

It is time the shed the cynicism of 2008 and look to the change that is 2009. And when I say shed cynicism—I am talking about yoursJ it’s my job to be cynical! Ok, so let’s begin…January is a fantastic time to get all the shit that has been clogging up your life in order and out of the way…so you can be your most fantabulous you! Start a new routine…like not putting up with other people’s shit. If you’re like me and are sick of the bullshit they put on the “news” then write in…blog, do a podcast… get angry, and instead of bottling that anger up where it will do ABSOLUTELY no good, but ferment (and not like a yummy Malbec) and then ooze out into other areas of your life. Put that anger to good use…if you feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket then do something about it…you may not be able to change the world but you can change your impact on it!

Next, we need to get healthy as a country…the burgers and fries thing has got to go…I am tired of people using the excuse that they are “big boned”! Our bones are all the same size it’s the fucking meat around it that’s the problem which in turn puts crazy pressure on your bones and joints…pull yourself together this year…and say “no more excuses”! If you say “but TC I have no time”…I say “that’s bullshit” if you do not have time in your life for you…whether that be 20 min or an hour to just focus on you and your physical well being then something is wrong in your life…and you need to become a priority on your “honey do list”!

Finally, this is the year to “get up, get out and fucking do something”. Barack inspired us all to reclaim our country and say “no more” to the ideologies of the past, but this commitment to change did not end on November 4th. He created the momentum we needed to start believing and caring again…but it is up to all of us to keep this vibe going! Find something to contribute your time to this year…don’t just give money and then turn a blind eye…get involved in something…allow a cause to overwhelm you to the point of action! Here is wishing you all a Happier, Healthier, and more complete YOU this year!

And That’s My Two Cents!

Guest Blogger Baldwin Said--Obama is Exceptional!

Obama is Exceptional!

Maybe not. Senator Barack Obama is probably one of the most talented politicians and orators of our time; arguably in history. He is the quintessential intellectual and currently holds titles as “the first” and “the only”; with one more to be added on November 4. He is an impressive individual, but his “exceptionalism” is due to exclusion.

Senator Obama IS exceptional by any standard, but he is not an exception. I don’t intend to diminish the achievements of Senator Obama; however, the lack of media coverage of successful black men leaves people in this country, and across the world, with depictions of inarticulate, criminal minded, non-parenting, money-chasing, unemployed, lazy, womanizing black men. When a black man— void of these descriptions— enters the national scene, we are amazed and awed.

At times I am shocked at the public’s reception of dynamic black men in the media. I recall when Kwame Jackson was a contestant on “The Apprentice.” To most viewers, it was almost unbelievable that that Kwame was educated at Harvard’s prestigious school of business, co-founded several Internet start-ups during his time there, and held sales and marketing positions at the multi-billion dollar, Fortune 500, Procter & Gamble. Are his achievements impressive? Indeed. Should I be surprised? No.

There is an excess of positive stories of black men to be told, but the media’s failure to tell the stories of black men like Kwame, and their ardent promotion of minstrels like Flava Flav is due to pure laziness and the public’s unwillingness to accept positive images of black men.

Ill-informed images of black men in the media not only shape the public’s perception, but also influence how black men see themselves. I would argue that these depictions do not boil down to a direct cause-effect relationship— negative images seen produce negative behavior. What takes place is the creation of a subconscious framework that influences how one views and relates to black men. By perpetuating these negative images, the media reinforces pre-existing stereotypes that encourage prejudice behavior.

The most important point this raises is the esteem issues that black men face when they enter a hostile world that views them in the most negative light. A black man’s awareness of how he is perceived by society creates an additional hurdle he must overcome in order to focus and cultivate his natural talents and abilities.

Instead of striding into an interview with the self-assuredness to tout how he can uniquely contribute to an organization, he first thinks about how the interviewer will frame their interaction based on the color of his skin. Instead of being confident in his pitch to a potential client, he frets that they may be inclined to think he isn’t competent to handle their business because he is a “lazy black man.” Although one must always be aware of their environment, this neurosis impedes him from focusing on what’s important by obsessing over the racial barriers that have hindered him and generations of men like him in the past.

Senator Obama has made a positive impact on how black men are seen nationally and internationally, and has inspired many black men to continue pursuing their dreams. But to take a page from the Senator’s campaign play book— it took millions of people donating $100 and less to fortify his war chest, not just a few big spenders maxing out at $2,300— the way black men are viewed will take the stories of many to show the diversity within this community and dispel the notions of a monolithic body that history created.


--Baldwin Said

The Celebration of Mediocrity!

And so—it amazes me how far the fight for women’s equality fell last night. With every bat of her eyelashes and ever wink that Palin made… she put women back 10 years in the fight for equality. For far too long women have had to fight to be taken seriously in the workplace…to be thought of as more than competent to lead…Last night Palin, stole any bit of progress that Hillary Clinton’s campaign made. Hillary is a serious woman who was not running to be the first woman President but instead running to Be President! It sickened me to watch Palin use her sexuality to deter from the fact that she couldn’t answer a straight question…that every time the subject strayed from Energy she brought it right back…regardless if we were talking about Afghanistan or not. I am not impressed that after 4 days of cramming with McCain’s cronies that her colleagues said her performance was “good enough”. Do you want a VP… or potential President to be “good enough”? Didn’t we already go down the “Jo six pack” road with Bush???? And look where it got us…No disrespect to small town folks but I don’t want you leading this country…you don’t know enough. You live in a bubble in the bible belt where everyone looks the same, worships at the same church, eats the same food, works the same job as their parents before them, and goes to the big game on Friday night…and well if you’re a little different you stand the chance of being beaten to death, jailed for having consensual sex with a white girl (only if you happen to be a young black man” or dragged behind a car( if you’re on the wrong side of town)…no, I am not interested! I am not interested in anyone who sits and drinks a “six pack” in one sitting negotiating treaties…with a finger on the nuke button! I am not interested in someone claiming to run a microcosm of the U.S. but yet whose own state has about as much diversity as the characters on the Hills!

This is a serious time for serious people…not show ponies who need days to cram with her daddies friends…in the real world there is no time to cram! Either you mean what you say or you don’t. I have had enough of a President who thought it was “ok” to learn on the job! I want someone who can not only answer but coherently follow up on questions from a reporter… someone who knows their stance on important issues like foreign affairs, energy, and economics like the back of their hand. The time for training wheels is over…Palin did women who have worked for decades to have a woman looked at in the same intelligent light as a man an EXTREME disservice last night…Biden, had kid gloves on...why you ask??? Because he was dealing with a “lil lady” last night not a woman! And the conservatives were just waiting for him to point out that she wasn’t answering the questions asked…by saying he was “picking on her” What is this pre-school!!!! I want a woman who is going to discuss her plans and policies in a clear and assertive matter…a woman who wants the tough questions because she is smart enough and tough enough to answer them… not a woman who thinks a National Debate is the appropriate place to shout out her fucking family like she’s on a talk show!!! The time for “reality television” is over…let’s get back to the seriousness of the stakes we have in front of us…I don’t think we can get out of our economic crisis by “winking” it away…and flashing a smile…it’s going to take hard work and a thoughtful plan…and that my friends is not coming from a pit-bull with lipstick!

And That’s my Two Cents

The Bush who Cried Wolf!!!

And so--- Financial markets tumbled today…and the fairy tale “the boy who cries wolf” can help explain why! How??? You ask…well, let me explain. In the story the young boy feigns danger by saying the wolf is coming, the wolf is coming…and every time he cried the townspeople came running to make sure the boy was ok. But in the end when the wolf really came…no one came to rescue the boy…and sadly he was eaten! Well, fast forward to 2008 for the past 7 and so years the Bush Administration has been that little boy…In 2001 we were attacked…and we went to war in Afghanistan. Then in 2003 the Bush Administration told the American people that Iraq had WMD’s so we moved the war…then a few years later we found out that guess what…there were NO WMD’s. But we remain in IRAQ bombing them to smithereens…while the people who were responsible for the attack regain power and strength and begin to attack all over the world… Then in 2005, Katrina occurred…after the wind died down and the waters stabilized the administration said they could not get into New Orleans to help people….but guess who did???? OPRAH! So, you’re telling me that Oprah was more capable than the Army Reserves????? And then in 2007 the Bush Administration fired several U.S. Attorney’s without clear reason other than the fact that they did not agree with the administration, but when asked for records of why they were fired Bush and his posse claim Executive privlege! …those are just three examples off the top of my head of BUSH lies…

So you wonder why the American people can’t get behind this bailout…because he has cried wolf too many fucking times for the people to understand/believe the severity of this situation…But make no mistake…the WOLF is HERE!!! This is no longer about the Cat’s on Wall Street this is about your jobs, your 401K, Social Security etc…this is the real fucking thing…if Congress doesn’t get a hold of this mess soon we will see massive lay-offs. As was quoted from CNN “if your house is on fire because your kid played with matches…you don’t stand out front of your burning house blaming your spouse leaving the matches out…you get a fire extinguisher and worry about blame later”! Listen, the house is on fire…and the only people who are going to get burned are regular folks…because the fat cats have moved their money offshore to the Cayman’s already!!! And so, I say…understand what is at stake here…it’s not about golden parachutes anymore…it’s about your home, your job, and your future…if we hit bottom there is not telling how long it will take for us to get back up…this is the beginning of a domino effect…this is not 1929 when we were a stand alone economy this is about the GLOBAL economy facing massive lay-offs, oil shortages, food shortages, it all connected!!!! Do the research…

That is my Two Cents!!!

Pimp My Kids!!!

And so--I have never witnessed a political candidate like Sarah Palin in my life! Forget about the picture of her in an American Flag bikini with a gun (Republican Porn), forget about the knocked up daughter, forget about the earmarks for Alaska (there are many), forget about the state investigation (for firing the state commissioner who wouldn't fire her ex brother-in-law...why you ask??? because her sister was going through a divorce..dahhh! Forget about ALL of that...and focus on this...Ms. Alaska Mother of the Year has been using her fucking kids for political gain! I have seen a lot in my small time here on Earth, but this takes the cake.

"Keep families out of the election" that is what she said right??? That's what Republicans said right??? Oh, unless you can tout them for votes...she is carrying that baby with special needs around like her badge of honor! He is a child Palin...not a fucking flag! Has anyone noticed that her knocked up daughter's baby father has been holding her hand since this morning???? Did mommy carry a shotgun over to his home??? that's how small town folks do, right???? "You gone marry my daughter or else"! I am sure that self promoting redneck will make a great pappy! She is marching that poor girl onstage as she is going through this pregnancy in the American spotlight...is that what a caring mother does???? She uses her child's decision to enter into combat as her token campaign slogan that is unbelievable... "This is a private family matter...please give us our privacy" that's what Palin's spokesperson said...Really, I think Britany Spears has done a better job keeping her life "private" than this woman has done to her family...Palin, you make me sick!

I do not want the Republicans to go down in history as the first party to put a woman on the ticket...because she is not worthy of such a place in history...she is a distraction and speed bump at best!!! Some may say "why so angry then TC?" I am angry because I am tired of Republican bullshit...I am tired of them dragging out the flag and telling the rest of us we are unAmerican because we choose College over the armed services....I respect the job of service people...and I am sure they do enter the service hoping to one day exploit their service to win an election...I am tired of being marginalized and feeling like 3/5ths of a human being because I am not straight, white, or rich...it is time to take the gloves off Dems and get dirty...if they want to fight...give them a fucking monsoon!!!!

And That's My Two Cents!

Today is the Gayest Day EVER!!!

And so—Today is a spectacular day!!! On the cover of People magazine the largest mainstream celebrity magazine…is the wedding of Ellen and Portia! This is a huge deal… Some of you may say who cares...who actually reads People magazine???? A lot of people…do you know that in every grocery store line there are average Americans buying milk and seeing the first high profile gay wedding pics!!! It is moments like this that give T.C. a little hope….that we are making great steps towards inclusion of gays and lesbians in the U.S. Also, in addition to People magazine recognizing that gays are people too…Hallmark the largest gift card manufacturer has announced that they are releasing a line of Same Sex wedding cards…Oh, T.C. feels the wind changing…..this is an amazing time!!!! Grab this moment in time by the horns and make sure that you and every person you have ever known in your life votes this November…As Americans it is time that we make a move towards change...and that change is Barack Obama!

The world is no longer blind…we have eyes wide open and are moving at a rate that was never thought possible…Same Sex Marriage being recognized in more countries every year…massive attention being paid to our energy crisis…hundreds of thousands of people gathering with baited breath just to get a glimpse of Obama…the world is ready for change…and it is time that we make up for the bullshit blunder of the past two elections and use 2008 to get it right!

Tonight…let’s raise a glass to the steps mainstream America is making…and in November let’s seal the deal!

Ciao,
T.C.

Don't Step on my Ferragamo Shoes!!!!

And so—T.C. is wondering today how rich is rich??? Well according to John McCain that magic answer is $5 Million…What? In order for this Ferragamo wearing, private jet owning, marry for money, candidate to consider you rich you need to have $5 million in the bank…Really! But Obama is the elitist right? Obama who recently paid off his student loans through his book sales…Obama who owns one home…not seven!

McCain is beyond out of touch…when asked how many homes he and his Barbie wife own his response was “I don’t know you will have to ask my staff”…that’s almost as good as when Paris Hilton didn’t realize that her license was suspended because you know “she doesn’t handle that kind of stuff”. Why you ask?? Because rich people can defer questions and average responsibility to their “staff” so they can be consumed with more important matters like finding ways not to disclose their tax information so that the average poor schmuck voter think that you are just like them! McCain is about as far removed from reality as a celebutante…he stumbles over questions, has the occasional outburst, doesn’t know anything about geography, and married rich…actually I think that John McCain maybe the biggest Desperate Housewife of all! Oh, and did I mention that he doesn’t know how to use the internet??? Why would he need to bother himself with a place that is just boiling over with information??? Oh, possibly because he is running for President! This man is an embarrassment to himself and the rest of the silly elephants who clap for him…

More importantly instead of dealing with McCain it is time for Obama to come out swinging…you only get one shot at this and NOW is his time! With Convention coming in just a few days it’s time for the Obama camp to finish McCain off once and for all…How do they do this you ask??? Simple, start talking about all the issues with clear cut plans while simultaneously highlighting how out of touch McCain is and painting a clear picture of what America will look like under his control! It’s time to remove the gloves and get this party started…I want Obama to wow the shit out of me next week…like he has done in the past. And show America that he is their only hope for change!!!

Ciao,
T.C.

Where is the real news???

And so—T.C. has decided to emerge from a long slumber to grace your inboxes again with some comments…who am I kidding…some rants! So, without further ado let us begin. First, on the Olympics…the opening ceremony was the most amazing thing I have ever watched…however, I found it extremely difficult to focus with all the fucking commentary from U.S. news anchors dismissing the pure brilliance of the Chinese and instead discussing a bunch of B.S. Yes, the Chinese have done a lot of things that may make your skin crawl…but let us not forget the U.S. scandal on human rights issues at Abu Ghraib…don’t throw stones! Moving on in Olympic news Usain Bolt’s finish in the 100m…yes, he was cocky...but if you have watched sprinters over I don’t know ALL of the Olympics-- that is how they are…next…Gymnastic judges---THEY SUCK!

Now, that I have returned from a much needed vacay…I am back to watching the news…as it turns out Obama is now behind in the polls. There was an article in the Huffpo yesterday discussing how when it comes close to the elections and there is a black candidate… self promoting white liberals tend to get a little squeamish when it comes to voting for the black guy…you know, liberal out front but really a closeted “good ol’ boy”! Why is it that when the media reports on white’s they are allowed to be broken down it to types but blacks are just “black voters” with no difference in opinion??? Anyway, the fact of this election comes down to Obama being the best candidate…and if mainstream America votes McCain in…that will be the final sign of the apocalypse! Voting for a man that sang a song entitled “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran” just because he is “white and safe” is absolutely crazy! I will honestly lose the last shred of hope that I have left in the American people if this is their choice! He stumbles in interviews…has “senior moments” constantly, has no geographical understanding of where countries are located…and lies about the experiences he had in a POW camp…I can’t believe that this is who Americans feel safe with…and for those of you who are still undecided, a message “take your fucking head out of the sand and get informed”! There are no excuses anymore to be ignorant there is 24hour news channels and this little thing called the internet for fucksake!

And finally the media…Check your God damn sources before you report! Not but a short while ago they reported that Rep. Tubbs-Jones from Ohio had died when in fact she is in critical condition in the hospital…Have some thought before you go rushing to print…we want the correct and accurate information not fast food news…if I wanted fries with my reporting I would watch Fox not CNN! And that’s my two cents…

Ciao,
T.C.

Stop your Whining????

And so—let me begin this post by saying…this entry will not be nice! T.C. has a lot of pent up frustration that is dying to come out…Issue 1) Jesse Jackson and his “nuts” comment about Obama. Let me give you some background. Jesse Jackson was on Fox news doing an interview. When the interview was over he thought his microphone was off…big mistake! So, he leaned over and commented that Obama has been “lecturing to black people and that he wanted to cut his nuts off”! Oh that’s right, let’s persecute Obama for making a justified statement that places responsibility where it should be. There comes a time when you have to start looking at the choices you are making and how those choices are affecting the people and the community around you. Yes, there are a lot of systemic problems that are in communities of color; however there are a lot choices that can be made to lessen these problems…such as sticking around when you get a woman pregnant, not buying the blinged out watch when you live in your momma’s house and don’t pay rent, like purposefully not doing well in school so you don’t seem white, like not hanging out on the street all day when you could be looking for work!

I can say this…why you ask??? Because I see this shit every freakin’ day when I am coming and going from my home. It infuriates me…and yes, I am pissed and yes, if I had a pulpit I would preach from it…the system is broken! I am aware of that; but when shit breaks you don’t wait for it to get fixed while your laying on your back…you get up and you figure out what you can do to make your life a little bit better….yes, even if you have never seen anyone around you do better, you need to try. Because people died to give you this opportunity—to go to school, vote, work, marry etc. They marched, bled, were hung, and they did not do this so young black kids could stand in front of the FUCKING 7 ELEVEN and smoke a blunt while hollering at every young woman that walks by!!!!!!!!!

Issue 2) Viagra and McCain—Senator McCain voted for a measure that gave insurance companies the choice not to cover women who seek birth control…wait for it… it gets better. However, Viagra is covered! Can we talk about some nonsensical bullshit! Insurance companies will make sure that old men can get it up—but won’t cover the necessity of birth control for women to make sure they don’t get pregnant?? Do you want to know what McCain said on the issue???? Nothing, he bumbled like a freakin’ idiot saying he “would look into it” look into what??? Look into the fact that even though it is 2008 the government still does not want to protect women…but will sure as hell make it a priority for men to keep having sex way pass their prime? He makes me sick!

Issue 3) Bush and the EPA—So, Bush comes back from the G8 conference with a great announcement…he is not going to do shit about global warming! Instead he is going to comment on how Congress needs to let America drill into Alaska and offshore for oil that we won’t see for 7-10 years. Oh and in the meantime we can pollute more places by accidental spills…as long as his cronies in the oil industry get the business; who cares about the environment! The EPA instead of acting on the crisis we are currently in has decided to look into the matter for a few more months! Really, well maybe by then Polar bears will be extinct, there will be a tornado in Brooklyn and the middle class in America will be a fairy tale you tell your kids at night while you tuck them into the back seat of your car which is now their makeshift bed because you lost your house because you had to make the tough decision between gas and your mortgage! But you know McCain’s top economic advisor Phil Gramm is probably right…The recession that we are in…is all in my head, I am making this up. I am an economic hypochondriac! I am just daydreaming when I see gas at over $4 a gallon, I am just hallucinating when I go to the grocery store and milk costs as much as gas…America is just a bunch of whiners and we need to just suck it up! I have two words for Phil Gramm…FUCK OFF!

The problems that this country is facing today are huge…and we need a candidate who is going to take his head out of the sand and make real decisions about our future right now. Fuck the rhetoric, the speeches, and the quips back and forth! Let’s get real before it is too late…don’t be one of those people who say that their opting out of voting this year because politicians aren’t about shit or because you don’t know enough…we have 24 hour news for fuck sake…you don’t have any excuses and neither do your friends or family! Get up, get out and do something…because the economic state that we are in is real, and if it hasn’t hit you yet this blog hopefully has!

And that’s my Two Cents!

A Reflection

What if you were to wake today and stumble sleepy eyed over to the alarm clock and hit snooze…only to wake again…10 minutes later from the cozy cocoon you call a bed to hit the alarm for a final time. With heavy, sleep filled feet you walk slowly to the bathroom to wash your face and brush your teeth…when you look up to wipe off the excess toothpaste from the corner of your mouth you see an envelope taped to the mirror with your name on it…but what lies inside is not a note from your lover…but a note from an angel saying that tomorrow will be your last day in human form…that it’s time for you to leave this Earthly place. What if that was how death came…gentle, soft, and with a day to prepare, to pack and to leave…as if you were going on vacation…how would you leave? Would you leave the same way you came in? Kicking and screaming? Would you have one big dinner with family and friends, dance, sing and drink late into the night…so that you all could catch that one perfect sunrise together before you left?

With each passing day millions of people leave this Earth and most days unless they are close to us we continue on our path…rushing to Starbucks, jumping on the subway before the doors close, finishing a paper for class…nothing much changes with us. I think it should. I think that with each person that passes or is struck with illness…we should pause, we should reflect on the way we are living our lives…that’s what deaths should be…a time to meditate on life… whether close to you or not…it should be looked at as an opportunity for you to take a moment and ask yourself…a simple question. “Am I living my life’s potential?” Are you living your truth? We are not given an infinite amount of time on this planet…and most days we take that reality is taken for granted. So, today I ask that you reflect on your time spent… and time left and live each day honestly, truthfully and peacefully...giving as much as you take, and loving as hard and as full as your heart will allow…so that if you wake and there is a note on your mirror, you can say with a smile “I lived as full as I could, and loved as deep as my heart would allow and now it’s time to rest”!

I dedicate this passage to Anna. A woman I have never met, but who is about to embark on a journey that will take all her might to win. Namaste

Ciao,
T.C.

Remembering Tim Russert

The passing of Tim Russert has brought great shock and sadness to the world. His passing also shines a light on the field of journalism and reporters as a whole. Tim Russert was one of the last real journalists of our time. He was not preoccupied with creating an “image” for himself. He was more concerned with presenting the facts. In the 24 hour news world that we live in now…sensationalism reigns supreme. There was a time when you could rely on the media to give you the straight facts…like Tim Russert did. He laid out the facts and allowed us to draw our own conclusions. His ability to ask questions and wait for responses was an art form…one that will sorely be missed as we move into this historic presidential election. He was a hard hitting journalist who asked nothing more from his guests than the truth about what they were going to do for the American people and the world at large. He was the last man to rely on when you wanted to know what was happening in the world…you could sit back with your morning paper and cup of tea on Sunday morning and turn on Meet the Press and let Tim layout the news for you. You could rely on Tim Russert the way you could a family member…you may not like the questions he asked at times…but you knew they were honest, and as a result you would be better off for knowing the answer. I am fearful that the passing of this legendary figure will not only leave a seat empty on Sunday mornings but leave emptiness in credible reporting as whole. Thank you Tim Russert for your sincere and professional approach to the News!

Ciao,
T.C.

'Til Death do Us Part????

And So—It has been a loooonnnng time since yours truly has written…but never fear…T.C. is here! So, first on the agenda---the Gays may get to have their day in sun…the California sun that is! On May 15th the California Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision for same-sex marriage. However, before the brides and grooms to-be could run to their closest Vera Wang boutique a group of conservative bigots ran to the courts and asked them for a 5 month stay of the judgment so that voters could have the opportunity to strike down their decision with a state amendment to ban same sex marriage. So, now T.C. is pissed! What the hell is wrong with these conservative groups and their sanctity of marriage bullshit! If marriage was so F@$%ING sacred then I ask why is The Bachelor a hit show??? Why did Britney Spears get an annulment after 84 hours??? Why do shows like Bridezilla and Marry a Farmer exist??? Why don’t these groups get together and ban shows like these for tramping all over traditional marriage???? I am so tired of their debate! You know… these were most likely the same groups who said that people of different races couldn’t married during the 50’s!!! My God, how short the memory of America is…we just wait for a new marginalized group to surface so that we can throw our “traditional” bullshit at them…. WAKE UP!!! The traditional America that these groups have held so near and dear to their hearts has long since died! If you want to cling to your traditional ways I suggest you get a compound in Utah and keep to yourself…start a town in the mountains…ride in horse and buggy…churn butter… but leave the rest of the hell alone! Ok, now I feel a little better.

Next, George Bush…ohhhhh DUBYA…the dirty tricks you play when you a far from home. Calling Obama an appeaser…yes, your right to try and have conversation with our opponents is wrong…it might lead us to negotiation and that is not the “yippy caye” gun totting’ way of Dubya’s USA!
Today, his former press secretary came out with a book in which he shatters the Bush Administration by telling us…wait for it…WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW! Yes, the American people hired a coke snortin’, illiterate, wanna-be better than daddy, spoiled little frat boy! There, I saved you the $14.95 of an Amazon book shipment.

Next, Hillary’s still in the race…but I don’t care... so we are moving on from there. More interesting than that is the fact that Dunkin Donuts pulled a TV advertisement today because their spokesperson Rachel Ray was wearing a scarf that was thought by the right-winged bloggers to look like an Arab keffiyeh. Really, are you kidding me?? Do we live in a communist country where the clothes that people wear on T.V. have to be censored not because it’s too sexy, but because it’s too Arab???? Way to show a pair Dunkin Donuts!! What were the American people going to do… boycott your patriotic coffee? “America runs on Dunkin”…probably not… because that would mean that families would have to cook nutritious food for their kids before they go to school instead of hopping them up on your sugary crap… but being as how we are too busy, toolazy and too fat to do that…you sacred fatty empire is safe! But the fact that you pulled the add sure as hell makes T.C. not want to enter into your politically charged and overtly racist establishment! How much F’ing time do we have on our hands that this is what the media is paying attention to instead of …Oh I don’t know that gas is reaching $5 a gallon, or that the prices of just about everything we consume is rising through the roof…no it’s much easier to comment on Rachel Ray’s wardrobe! And that's my Two Cents!!!

Ciao,
T.C.

Nuclear Summer for the Dems???

And so--T.C. is pissed and I must tell you all why...I am on VACA this week and was enjoying myself until I turned on MSNBC. I know what your thinking...GEEK! But, you have to understand I am an addict! "Hi my name is Two Cents..and I am addicted to politics"! Except when I tuned in...do you know what I heard???? Well, let me tell you. I heard the pundits discussing whether or not reporters on the campaign trail hook-up with one another...because there is nothing else to do??? Are you F@%KIN kidding me???? Was I watching MTV's the Hills??? I don't give a shit if "professional ADULT journalists" hook-up with one another...I care if they are actually covering the news while they are on the campaign trail...not each other!

Ok, enough of my rant back to the news...So, Huffpo is reporting today HRC's Nuclear plan...no not her energy plan...her plan to nuke the democratic party by having her supporters that sit on the bylaws and rules committee push forward the votes of the people in Michigan and Florida...Now, don't get me wrong I am not into disenfranchising 2.5 million voters, but I will say that their states should have followed the rules! Now, some of you may roll your eyes and say "T.C. some rules are meant to be broken". Yes, that is true but the reality is...she would not be calling for their votes if she wasn't the only Dem on the ballot in those states...should she be rewarded for playing her down-low game??? I wish, that DNC chair Howard Dean would grow a pair and put his foot down! I am not saying not to seat the good people of these states at convention...but if we are going to count votes then we have to redo the campaigns there and give both her and Obama the time to campaign there and then redo the votes...not just except what's there...But if she manages to use her "Nuclear" strategy she will obliterate not only Obama's chances (which she wants...understood) but she will also be responsible for the imploding of the democratic party...and I am sorry but her win...ain't worth that! That's my Two Cents...now I am back to relaxing!

Ciao,
T.C.

Coming to a T.V. near YOU...

And so—there has been a lot going on in the news and it’s ONLY Tuesday…so buckle up, because something is telling T.C. it’s going to be a loooong week! There has been enough drama in the news… that you will have no need to turn on Lifetime…just watch CNN! First, the Pennsylvania primaries have come and gone and guess what??? NOTHING has changed! The pundits have debated at length on the importance of this primary. Here is T.C.’s quick and dirty take from Pennsylvania…OBAMA is still ahead! So she [HRC] can cheer and drink beer and shoot ducks all she wants between here and North Carolina but numbers don’t lie!

Ok, moving on…to Rev. Wright! So at first when this entire media storm hit the fan I was all for the “good Reverend’s” right to speak on whatever he wanted in his church. I was all for freedom of speech, religion, etc… and felt that the media was once again playing clips of his rant on a 24/7 cycle for ratings and the character assassination of Obama. However, T.C. has had a change of heart….why you ask?? Because Rev. Wright is lapping up the media spotlight right now like a cross between Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg! That man is everywhere…he’s at the NAACP awards which for the record… are never televised but were for his appearance, he’s at the National Press club, Howard University and so on! I am just waiting on him to become the next reality show on the E! Channel… “Wright’s ‘Hood” produced by Ryan Seacrest! He is doing more harm than good…with his continued rants; but when you catch a case of the “15 minute fame bug” there is no telling what you will do to stay in the news…just look at the cast of “Flavor of Love”. Something is telling me that the “Good Rev” ain’t going anywhere… anytime soon.

Next in the news…Oh Miley! Miley Cyrus the famed daughter of the one and only “achy breaky heart” Billy Ray has made headlines…why you ask? Well, because she did a spread in Vanity Fair where it appears that she is topless. Now, this generally would not be a big deal except the “Tween Queen” is only 15 years old. I am all for art…I think the nude human figure is beautiful except when it’s…well…jailbait! However, it was a mistake, one that she is embarrassed about…T.C. says “give her a break, it’s not like she’s a Spear’s…it was art misinterpreted…not a porno”!

Finally…remember when HRC said that Rev. Wright “would never be my minister”??? Well, turns out I wouldn’t want her claimed religious guide as mine either. Why? Because he was just sentenced to 3 years in prison for molestation! My advice for HRC never “throws stones”! Rev. Wright may have made comments that offended some people but all he did was talk…

Ask yourself this dear reader…why wasn’t this little misstep big news??? Be inquisitive and ask the hard questions…and always put in your two cents!

Ciao,
T.C.