Katrina 3 Years Later

It has been three years and I finally face my grief. In my soul is a deep unhappiness. I have been struggling toward normalcy so long and so hard that I forgot to take care of my wounded soul. Now, it seems to have turned on me. What I desire most is to move on past what has happened. What has kept me in the dark bitter place is the fact that my healing depends on the remnants of my family living without the cocked gun of a shoddy levee system in place. So far, flood prevention in New Orleans is escaping the United States Army Corps of Engineers. My family that continues to reside in New Orleans have rebuilt their homes but, now I fear for them. I cannot bring our mother back to the state where she was born because first there are few if any services for dementia patients and having to run for safety again I am sure would kill her.

Three years later and yes, I am still bitter that the city I love was in such a horrible shape economically that most working poor prefer newer places of exploitation since they are paid more and live better where they have landed. It is the richness of the culture and the strong bonds of family that kept many of us there. Now, that we are away we can clearly see how devastating holding on can be. What angers me most is that the sheer numbers of dead are no longer mentioned. Over 1800 deaths are attributed to Karina. The somehow seem to be forgotten and that too is a shame.

Washington Post has a Pick Your President Map

Spend a few minutes choosing how (state by state) you believe the 2008 Presidential Race will turn out. My link is called Deb's Daring Revolution 2008 and I realize that it is very optimistic. Remember to vote in November! Click on this article's title and check it out.

My Hero, Popeye

My hero has always been Popeye the Sailorman. He was not handsome, yet Popeye thought well of himself. He had a disability. One eye seemed permanently shut. He had an addiction. Smoking. He was in love with a taller than he shapeless very skinny woman named Olive Oyl. He was loyal. He parented a child that maybe was not his own...baby momma drama!

For the most part Popeye was meek. Then things hit the fan when a loved one or friend were in trouble. Long suffering, Popeye would utter his motto just as he was about to open that can of whoop-ass..."Ive taken all I can stands and I can't stands no more!" Bluto, Brutus or Alice the Goon would get dealt with and things would go back to what was normal for them: Olive Oyl leading Popeye on, Sweet Pea needing his time, and Whimpy needing some cash to feed his hamburger Jones. After Popeye sorted things out order is achieved.

Oh, how I wish that that could be my life

He's Making Heaven Laugh
Bernie Mac October 5, 2007 to August 9, 2008

It was a shock when tolling through my email I saw an alert from the Chicago Tribune that comedian and actor Bernie Mac had died. Just bringing to mind his face makes me smile. He was funny in that way that took our culture and justified it. Lately, the Tom Joyner Show played a clip of his act and the topic was how black folks could tell a whole story using the expletive m*ther f*cker and everybody listening would understand. Not only did he demonstrate his point by producing a story about a man trying to collect a debt but his story made sense and was very familiar to me. I heard the piece during the week about four times and I laughed as hard the fourth time as the first because the story was familiar and while there were no names to his characters I certainly had heard the real life version of the story and could name those characters myself.

I love smart observant comedians like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Robin Harris, and Bernie Mack. Those guys had the "touch" with their humor. Bad children are still called Baybay kids. I am to this day mindful of accumulating "stuff." When you go to the court house looking for justice there is still "just us" there. And m*ther f*cker will always be a noun for me. You rest in peace guys. Heaven is a whole lot funnier now.

Let's Vote Already!

I don't know about you but I wish we could have the November election right now. Yes, after that long and trying primary season my patience with politics is razor thin. I am going to vote for Obama and every single Democratic office seeker, so why not let me do that now? I am so sick of what the Republican Party officeholders have done to this country that at this point nothing they can say or do can change my mind towards voting for them. They are bankrupt of ideas except for graft and need to be stopped.

I just simply want to do my voting now so that I can tune out the asinine main stream media and read stacks of good and some trashy books until February 1, 2009 when the Democrats will be running the country. Then I pay attention again to hold them accountable to our country.

Let us vote now we need the rest!