Fresh Squeezed OJ

Let's get some basics out the way.

I believe he did it. Whether or not as an a principle, or accessory - details are irrelevant. (Sidebar: Peep out the 'accessory' link).

I believe that he is a hot mess that gives me a headache everytime I see him.

I say all this to say that what I say is not in defense of HIM. It is questioning the rage of AmeriKKKA and their intense devotion, fascination, and preoccupation with Orenthal James Simpson and the subsequent murders that are forever linked to his name, even more so than the Heisman, Naked Gun, and Hertz Rent a Car. . .

Apart from the grief that the Brown family and the Goldman family have to endure from losing a loved one in the most brutal way possible, OJ, and all of the variables surrounding his case brings out the worst in society, where what is said about him cleverly masquerades what is felt regarding: black men and the supposed criminal element that surrounds them, interracial relationships, (black men and white women in particular), and how the racial dynamics of this entire case were a platform for those to discuss how they 'really' feel without discussing how they really felt.

This case is over a decade old. Yet, the mere mention of OJ into a conversation with liberal and conservative Mr. Charlie's and Becky's bring these words to life:

"He is scum"
"He is an animal"
"He deserves to be tortured and bludgeoned just like he did his victims".
"The lowest form of human being"
"Those jurors were idiots".

It is never an intellectual conversation. It churns the clock back, counterclockwise, to October 03, 1995, where lines were drawn on levels that had nothing to do with the OJ case.I have yet to hear a logical, valid argument that sounds similar to this:

"Yes, I believe he did it. I also believe that the prosecution put on a very poor case, and that, in that, the jurors had to make a decision based on holes in the prosecution case"

And, it IS true. The prosecution put on a VERY poor case. It was a circus. It was disorganized, emotionally charged (and a lawyer's projection of such should never be that way, until it is opening and closing argument time). The case could have been stronger, but the DA's office did not take measures to prevent this from occurring. You have two individuals (Marcia Clark, Christopher Darden), who behaved like new booties on the trial floor and petulant children at trial's end - and, have also, subsequently profited richly as a result of being associated with this case.

Switch reels. ROBERT BLAKE, where, not even two years ago, he was accused of murdering his wife, perhaps not the dime piece that Nicole Brown Simpson is projected as in the media, but a person, nonetheless, that left an infant daughter behind. You have mounting evidence that points the way of guilt for Baretta, enough where he went all the way through the trial process. He, too, was found not guilty - HOWEVER. . .

There was no public outrage. . . There were no comments from the National Organization of Women. . .NONE of the matching variables that occured with the OJ case, that virtually turned society into folks that transitioned mass hysterial reminiscent of the cabbage patch doll craze of the 80's

Baretta is now free (no pun intended) to move on with his life.

And then you have this here. . .



The beating of a grown man on tape, where the "Not Guilty" verdicts sparked a recipe for disaster that began on Florence and Normadie. Did this affect people long term? Where is the outrage for that NOW, as that area still struggles to rebuild? When Mark Furhman wrote books, was their outrage from an officer who has turned calling suspect and other people of color niggaz into being a correspondent and lucrative speaking engagements? Is any of his money, or city money, being used to rebuild that area of Los Angeles?

Yet, in the case of OJ and "If I Did It" (which by the way, is ridiculous in and of itself), brings people out of the woodwork, brings the all the racial epitephs (disguised as other monikers, such as 'animal', un-human, etc), back out the closet.

Open Wounds. Fresh Squeezed OJ.

You tell me. . .What angers people about OJ IN PARTICULAR. . .where they don't project the same resentment with, say, any other so called "miscarriage of justice?" Do you agree, or disagree with the statements posted here?

Mac & Cheese, Peach Cobbler, Bullshit, and Hell No

Thanksgiving, 2005.

Last year, my father came to visit. No one in the family had seen him in several years. Now, my family is not as close as others, but it was a great experience to have him back in town. Before I go any further, let me give you the players of the game so you can follow the story. The names have been changed to protect the guilty:

Rose Colored Glasses: My Mother
Rich and Stingy: My Brother
Queen of Sheba: My Sister in Law
Diamond: My niece
Frick and Frack: My sister in law's two kids
The Ying Yang Twins: My brother's two kids
P: Yours truly.

Considering that my mother wanted to plan a big event for the family to be around, I insisted that it be held at my place. People could just come in and out all day, and do what they do. However, my mother suggested that we have it at Rich and Stingy's house. I didn't want to, but hey if my mother likes it, I loved it.

Queen of Sheba doesn't know how to cook. All she knows how to cook are greens. So, my mother and I prepared the entire meal. I wasn't going to cook much, but I know my mother would have tried to go all out by herself and I was only trying to help HER out. . .Really. If anybody knows me, it was strickly because of Rose Colored Glasses and her idea of what a holiday should be.

Everything I am about to tell you now, I did NOT find out until a week after Thanksgiving, because my mother knew that I would blow my turkey feathers. Rich and Stingy initially told my mother that if we had the dinner over his house, there could be no kids allowed. (I have 12 nieces and nephews - 2 of which come from him). Rose Colored Glasses then said "We won't have it there, then. I am sure the Ying Yang Twins and Frick and Frack will be there, and I'm doing all the cooking? You must be crazy."

He calls her back and says: "Okay, well kids can come". Later on Queen of Sheba calls my mother and let's her know that she is not cooking anything because she's too busy to be bothered with that kind of stuff. (They have been married for two years. She doesn't clean nor cook - he married the wrong woman, that's another story).

Then we find out that Diamond's brother (my sister's children), a man/child who has had some er, trouble with the law, was promptly seen as Bin Laden himself by Queen of Sheba and Rich and Stingy, because they were in fear of their lives (buh-leeve me when I say it wasn't that serious).

(reminder: I know none of this until a week after).

After I stay up until three am doing everything, and then packing the food in my mother's SUV, and then going to sleep for awhile. I get over there, her family is not speaking to anybody, they are lapping up the food like there is no tomorrow and taking plates home to boot. I had to hoo-bang on her sister, who was blocking the back doorway, looking at me. I asked, "Are you going to move, or am I going to move you?"

So, immediately after eating, the Queen of Sheba revs out the door with her Louie Vuitton bag and her family, no doubt to hang out with her mother and discuss (read: gossip) about everything and everybody.

Trust me when I tell you that I am making this sound good. . .

Fast Forward - Week of November 18, 2006: Email Received:

From: Rich and Stingy
To: P
Re: Mac and Cheese, Peach Cobber

Need to contract with you and mom for Thanksgiving. Think you all help? Food for about 10-15 people. Let me know. Thanks.
((Insert Blank Face here)). WTF??
1. Who are the 10/15 people? Must mean a pre-scheduled list that you and the Queen of Sheba make up, considering you and yours and hers make up 6? And I'm supposed to be cooking? Are you NUTS?

2. Does Rose colored glasses and P look like indentured servants?

3. Does he think I give a phuck after what happened last year, not that I wanted to participate, THEN?

4. See 1-3.
So, as you know, my prompt response to all of this was:
Bull Shit, and Hell No.
Do you have any NERVY friends/relatives? Or, have you had a memorable Thanksgiving to speak about (Good or Bad - but of course, you KNOW we love drama here at KPAT-FM).

Trouble Standard

I have always expressed discomfort with double standards. Not because I am this "I am woman, hear me roar", but because I have always believe that it is damaging to both genders. I think women utilize them even more heavily than some men do, often times selectively choosing the standard that is appropriate for their needs.

I feel bad for some of the brothers! They don't know if what they do is seen as overly aggressive, passive, or anything in between, based upon the variance of attitudes that women have (liberal, moderate, conservative). As for the 'fairer' sex (hehe), sometimes we can't feel out way through, seeing one thing and then hearing another, or vice versa.

I couldn't think of a fancier way to say this, so here are some of the double standards that get on my nerves: Those that are not fair to EITHER ONE OF US. I have a lot of the ones that are unfair to the guys in there, because I think they catch a lot of flack from this as well, but it's indoctrinated in our cultures, effecitively psychologically castrating them. Might not go that far, but using the phrase 'psychologically castrating' makes me appear to be somewhat intellectual. So, without further adieu, like to hear it, hear it goes:

If a woman has custody of her children, then nothing of it. If a man has custody of his children, then something 'really' must have been wrong with the mother, (versus him just being the more appropriate one to rear the child).

If a man takes care of a woman and showers her with gifts, he is taking care of business and keeping his woman happy. If a woman does it, she's stupid and being taken advantage of (as if someone can MAKE you do this).

A woman cheats; its emotional; a man cheats, it's purely sexual.

If a man is agressive in the work force, he has a take charge attitude; if a woman does it, she's overly ambitious and a bitch, to boot.

A man opens the door for you, he is a gentleman. But if he encounters a "I am woman hear me roar" woman, she thinks he is being condescending. So, he doesn't open the door for a woman, and then he's considered unthoughtful. (Poor guy can't win).

A girl wears a "Boys Are Dumb" t-shirt; folks laugh; a man wears "Girls are Dumb", he's sexist and ran out of town.

A man sleeps with a lot of women - well, that's da MAN! A woman does it, she's the freak of the week!

If the woman seeks alimony, well, hell, she should, all that she had to put up with. If a man seeks spousal support, he's a pussy, whoremongering gold-digger.

A man dates a younger woman; he can't handle a 'real woman'; a woman dates a younger man, then she's just exploring her options and meeting a mate compatible with her sexual energy.

Woman tries to get in an all male academy - well, she SHOULD be let in, why not? Man tries to get into an all-female academy, well, he's up to something, just trying to make a point, and THIS SHOULDN'T BE TOLERATED!!

If a man is angry, something must have really made him mad; if a woman is angry, she must be PMS'ing.

If a man keeps a woman 'in check', he's controlling. If a woman keeps a man in check, she's being strong, or keeping him in line (or, she could be married to Doug Christie)

Guys 'get' a girl pregnant. (Like he's a sexual predator or something).

Brokeback Mountain? UGH! Beyonce starring in a lesbo movie w/Eva Longoria? Well, that's another story!

Speaking of sexual predators; if a teacher has an affair with an underage girl and get's her pregnant, he's a sick bastard that deserves to be put under the jail. If a teacher (female) does it to an underage boy, then she's bipolar (with a husband named Vili).

Whether or not I AGREE with any of these is NOT THE POINT HERE!!!! (hehe). I'm just sayin. . .

So, Ladies, and Gentleman, boys and girls. . .

Any double standards you've experienced? Have you thought/used/been a victim of any of the above? Open Forum!

"Positive" - Or Negative?

November 7th is my friend Jamal's birthday. It's also the day that New York elected it's first black mayor, David Dinkins. This is also the day of the fiasco that occurred between George Bush, Al Gore, and the Sunny state of Florida, home of fresh squeezed orange juice, Jeb Bush, and shady polling places.

Those are some of the things that happened on November 07. But what happened on November 07, 1991, - well most of us remember when we were when we heard this - just like knowing where we were when the OJ Verdict and the Rodney King Verdicts, when we heard about the Aaliyah, and when we heard about Tupac Being Shot.

It was Ervin "Magic" Johnson, basketball player extraordinary, face of the Lakers, personality to die for (pun intended), one who adored the ladies and won the admiration of men - it was this Magic Johnson that stunned, paralyzed, and sent shock waves that reverberated through out the world as he announced that he was retiring after testing positive for the "HIV" virus.

We were all stunned. Not stunned in the since that we didn't know how he contracted it, but stunned in the since of:

- Oh, so you CAN get this by heterosexual contact, and not just homosexual relations, dirty IV's, and blood transfusions?

- This is a man, a black man, a strong black man, who got it. Just from being a FREAK

- He's going to DIE. He won't make it to see the hall of fame.

And any other combination thereof.

It made the men of this world take stock - of what they had been doing - who they were doing it TO, and when. It made women's minds race, wondering how much that third drink 'really' may have cost them. The sale of prophylactics skyrocketed; everyone was playing it safe and keeping their noses clean.

Ah the good old days. Are we back in the nosebleed section, now?

With a resurgence increase in sexuality, (both teens and adults alike), and the hedonistic attitudes that pervade our culture, I believe that the message has been lost regarding abstinence, safe sex, or any other practice that is deemed appropriate for your respective lifestyle. It is difficult enough to swallow (no pun intended) the fact that many teens don't consider oral sex 'sex'. Now whether they got that message from Bill's spiel on his relationship with Monica Lewinsky is another story; the fact is, it is so. It is equally difficult to know that there are now more people trapped in the closet than an R. Kelly Video.

This is no gender blaming incident - we are all responsible for our behaviors and actions. Nor is this particularly the forum to discuss whether or not people are 'going to do it anyway', even though you are open to discuss anything you wish. The bigger, prevalent issue that I see here, is that so many people get 'caught up' in what they doing, indicating "Well, it only happened once", or "I've been with them for so long", that there is an ongoing game of Russian Roulette playing, and that the bullet has pieced many who have sung that mantra, and more often than, not, it was that time that "It only happened once".

Most of what we see now endorse sexuality. Videos. . .Songs. . .and everything in between. 16 year old Keisha Castle Hughes, the sister in whale rider, is expecting a baby with her boyfriend of three years. We can go on and on with that but I don't want to overlap messages.

I want to turn it over to you. . .

Do you think that both adults and children have returned to the days of old, being careless and reckless in their sexual escapades?

November Old Skool Joint