Juicy DTales

Hillary: I Am Woman, When It Suits Me

2008-01-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hillary is confused. One day, she's a soft-spoken, teary-eyed kitten and the next a sturdy, unbreakable lioness. Which is it, Hill?

It was reported that the Hill recently pulled out of a photo shoot and a sitdown with Vogue because she feared appearing too feminine.

It's Vogue, Hilary! Not Men's Health! What did you expect? Flannel overalls and a hammer?

I guess she was too busy to watch "The Devil Wears Prada?," the movie rumored to portray the fire-breathing Anna Wintour, who is someone with which not to cross. And she was none too happy when Mrs. Clinton refused to indulge Vogue with her manly-womanly presence.

The reason I say Hillary is confused is this: She can't run a presidential campaign without her man. She desperately tries to come across as secure in her manliness by wearing unflattering, tapered pants and getting into a tete-a-tete with Obama every chance she gets. And then when she losing footing in the race, she cries! And it's evident that she lets Bill do all the heavy lifting while she lays by the pool soaking up some sun.

And while Billy boy trumps around the nation inserting his foot into his mouth, he's simply stating all the inaccurate declarations his wife is simply not man enough to say. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that women should be classified as emotional creatures who can't stand on their own feet, but Clinton is playing both ends. I'm just getting tired figuring out which Hillary she is that day.

I do have to admit, that due to her gender, she can pull off the dual roles. But tread carefully, Hill, so you don't appear to be just a flaky blonde.

Heath Ledger, The Only Dead?

2008-01-22T16:12:00.001-08:00

When I heard about Heath Ledger's passing in a tony New York City apartment today, I was crushed. Immediately my memory went back to the time I first laid eyes on him in his adorable performance in "10 Things I Hate About You," then followed by his disturbing role in "Monster's Ball" and to his critically-acclaimed role in "Brokeback Mountain," which earned him an Oscar nod.

With that incredible smile (and body), he was climbing up the Hollywood food chain - fast. So of course, every talking head of both news and infotainment telecasts lead their broadcasts with the strange circumstances surrounding his death. It was reported that he was found by his masseuse in a NYC apartment bedroom naked with a series of sleeping pills scattered on the bed yesterday.

And no doubt having women - and even some men - gawking at the television screen, soaking up every detail, me including.

Then I snapped back to reality.

Here I am in Philadelphia, a city that has tallied nearly 400 deaths in 2007 and a death toll of over that number in 2006 and I'm grieving over Heath Ledger. Now, I am not saying that we shouldn't care that he died. He was a human being and one that had a life. But because Heath has graced our silver and big screens several times we care more about what happened to him than the "average" Joe down the street. What gives?

I find it terribly wrong that the public - and media - are so fixated with celebrity deaths (i.e. Anna Nicole Smith) than neighbors. We would much rather buy the next copy of a cheesy tabloid detailing Smith or Ledger's suspicious, drug-related deaths than read the local news section detailing little Tyreek Walker's death (that person does not, or did not, exist to my knowledge).

We pride ourselves in being pop culture connoisseurs and not tuned-in to the pulse of our streets. Let's care more about cleaning the blood off of North and West Philadelphia 'hoods than catching the 1:00a.m. repeat of Access Hollywood.

Who's Counting?

2008-01-16T16:02:00.000-08:00

Remember when President Bush vetoed a child health care bill? One of his complaints with it was that it was too expensive. Let us not mention that this bill, that Bush griped about breaking his pockets, actually costs just a fraction of what our 5-year war does. Billions of dollars have been spent fighting people who neither attacked us, or want our democratic aid.

Yet millions of Americans remain homeless, millions of Americans live uninsured, millions of Americans will probably never see above the poverty line. This war - which we have long since grown weary of because we're too bogged down with crap in our own backyards - has sucked us dry a longtime ago.

Don’t believe me? Ask China.

A Crying Shame

2008-01-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hilary Clinton is getting desperate. The political pressure - which has been mounting for months - seems to have taken its toll on the hard-to-crack former first lady. Clinton's emotional display in New Hampshire yesterday came in the wake of a miserable third-place finish in last week's Iowa caucuses.

Clinton broke down in a room of mostly undecided women voters while responding to an innocent question: "How do you do it?"

"I have so many opportunities in this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards. This is very personal for me. It's not just political. It's not just public. I see what's happening and we have to reverse it."

Now, I believe the teary eyes and wavering voice were both sincere and strategic. Think about it. Hillary is an intelligent woman who knows - and plays - the political game well (although she lambasted those who view elections as a game).

No doubt what Hillary felt was genuine, but I'm convinced she's a woman who is very capable of harnessing her true emotions and doles it out when she deems necessary. Indeed the campaign trail is difficult for any woman - or man. It's not for the faint at heart or regular Joe or Jane. As readers and viewers, we take for granted that these candidates are too human and have flaws and feelings like the rest of us.

And as the sole female candidate, Hillary has consistently shown the public how strong she is (depending on your definition of the word strong). But it was political genius to whip out the "I-really-am-sensitive" card when she has had little else to use in her favor.

Some say that she shouldn't have played the "weaker sex role" and her tears embarrassed the entire female gender. Others are relieved by her softer side. I don't know if will help her. Who knows if a strong woman's tears can stand against a charismatic man's optimism.

The Difference is in the Diversity

2008-01-06T19:47:00.001-08:00

Now that we know how a majority-white evangelical Christian state voted for a presidential candidate let's flip the script and see how a majority-white Liberal state will fare in the voting booths. A big contrast!

Obama and Huckabee on Top

2008-01-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

I was made into a liar...well, almost.

Congratulations Barack Obama for winning the Democratic Iowa caucuses! (FYI: Obama won 38 percent of the support, John Edwards: 30 percent, Clinton: 29 percent, ).

Sorry, Mitt Romney, former governor of my former home state - Mike Huckabee beat you out with his downhome, guitar-playing genial politics. Who would have thought? But I must admit, Huckabee deserves it (FYI: Huckabee won 34 percent of the support compared to Romney's 25 percent). Similar to Philadelphia Mayor-elect Michael Nutter, Huckabee, the sheepish former Baptist pastor from the boondocks - barely on anyone's radar - rose up from the tightly woven ranks to eyebrow-raising dominance. What an incredible feat.

Huckabee is a likeable guy and all, but he's no match for Obama. Mmm, on second thought, I'll hold on to my prophetic innuendoes for now.

Election Prophecies

2008-01-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

My predictions for the 2008 Iowa caucuses:

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney (R) will come out on top, even with Mike Huckabee (R) knipping at his ankles. And on the Democratic side, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be the frontrunner. Hilary (D-NY), sorry, it was close, but no cigar.

Let's see if I'm made into a liar. Stay tuned.

Giving Cheney the Boot - Will It Work?

2007-12-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

Cheney should start feeling a pinch right about now. In November, the House of Representatives voted to send a resolution of impeachment of him to the Judiciary Committee.

Yup, you heard right.

Among the allegations, flung at him are: abuse of power, deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens. Yeah, I'd say those are serious crimes.

Can we throw in Enron for good measure?

But I ask: why try to impeach Dick Cheney now? Does it matter anymore?

I say yes. As long as this impeachment hearings don't disrupt regular business, then let's do it!We spent weeks 'impeaching' Clinton and all he did was an offense impeachable by his wife. (Well, okay, he did commit perjury). In any case, let's face the facts, this president and vice-president have made a mess of this country.

I swear, someone needs to make a movie or write a book about these guys - the tale of occurrences during the Bush administration. Then people will really see how much autonomy we afforded this man. It's simultaneously comical and disturbing.

Michael Moore, where are you?!!!!

For years to come, historians and scholars will attempt to dissect and analyze the crap Bush and his imps created, but to no avail. No amount of research and explanation can ever legitimize the debacle he calls his presidency.

Click on http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/12845272.html for the full article in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Genarlow Wilson v. State of Hypocrisy

2007-12-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm going to go out on a real narrow limb and assume that Casey Aldridge, Britney Spears' could-be-brother-in-law, will not be charged with statutory rape nor will he see the inside of a jail cell. And why should he? In this shallow, celebrity-obsessed society in which we live, Aldridge - the fresh-faced, blue-eyed and blond-haired father of Jamie Lynn Spears' budding seed - is the archetype of American pop culture. Not at all does he match the "typical" description that would befall a deviant sexual criminal.

Now, Genarlow Wilson, he does. I mean, let's think about this critically.

Wilson, 21, was convicted of having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2005. He was 17. Georgia's stringent (and ridiculously archaic) laws make that act a felony.

He was sentenced to a decade for the "crime."

He's since been released after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled 4-3, calling his sentence "cruel and unusual punishment." And state legislators have changed the law to make consensual sex between minors a misdemeanor, rather than a felony. Big whoop!

Take the case of Casey and Jamie - who also happens to be the younger sis of pop-tart Britney Spears - and let's compare.

Wilson was 17 at the time of his arrest, Aldridge is 18. Wilson's unidentified sex partner was 15; Spears is 16. While Aldridge, a legal adult, and Spears, who is still a minor, are basking in the news of their bundle of joy, unconcerned with potential criminal incriminations, Wilson was left to rot in jail for two years for something he did while he too was a minor! Does that sound fair?

The fact of the matter is the Georgia criminal justice system had no qualms locking up a brown-skinned young man. His family isn't rich. He doesn't have a famous older sibling. And he doesn't star in his own Nickelodeon sitcom. All he had, however, was sex with a white girl and that was reason enough to throw away the key.

I may swallow my words later, but I fervently believe that Jamie Lynn Spears will carry to full term without seeing her baby-daddy carted off to the pen.

Lucky for them, they don't live in Georgia.

Predatory Police?

2007-12-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

The 43 newest graduates of a police academy in Idaho may have more in mind than protecting their citizens. Each graduating class of the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy creates a slogan that will appear in their ceremonial programs.

Their choice? "Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it."

The PTSD to which they were referring is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a disease suffered by thousands of former combatants, who experience flashbacks and nightmares from horrific war experienes. Civilians, who have been victims of crime or have experienced a traumatic event, also suffer from it.

These "boys in blue" are supposed to protect and serve. A lesson they may have missed during their law-enforcement training. Thousands of people and their families are affected by this crippling disease. PTSD is not something you just "go out" and make happen. It's not that simple. It's a disease that mentally and emotionally imprisons its victims. Why would they want to be incitors of such a disease?

This is bothersome.

There are, in fact, cops out there who act above the law instead of upholding it. Their gross abuse of power does in fact cause discomfort to those that are incapable of protecting themselves from their supposed protectors. And we can't ignore the disturbing trend of police brutality - does the name Rodney King ring a bell? It's not being taken seriously enough. No widespread investigations, no sensivity trainings, nothing.

According to the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy website, their mission "is to provide the citizens of Idaho with ethical, physically and psychologically competent, well educated, professionally trained, career oriented, motivated peace officers who are sensitive to the needs of the public.

So why were 43 potential bullies unleashed onto Idaho's streets?

If these so-called "cops" want to "go out and cause" PTSD, I wonder by what means? The latest graduating class of this police academy should have gotten more than just a tongue lashing (if they even got that). From now on, the Idaho Police Academy, and other police academies, for that matter, should monitor and approve the slogans, or other ideas of their graduates, before they further embarrass law-enforcement.

What is to Come

2007-09-24T13:29:00.001-07:00

A considerable amount of time has passed since my last (and well, first) posting. But I have returned to the City of Brotherly Love and will be chock-full with juicy details. Stay tuned!

DTales

This Is Going To Be Interesting

2007-08-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

My first posting. Welcome!

For the next however many days, weeks, months or years (says the commitment-phobe), I will be the host of this promising blog....Juicy DTales.

For starters, I want to assure you that I will not use this forum as my soapbox - no emotional rants; I will refrain from using explicit language and will uphold the standard form of AP and MLA writing style; and most importantly, I will only deal with 'truths' (wholistically and not partially).

I want to touch upon these topics: Entertainment, Haitian and Afrocentric Culture and Personal Life (not in any particular order).

To reiterate, Juicy DTales will not be the line onto which to hang my dirty laundry. I am first and foremost a journalist, therefore my word is held at a higher regard than ______. (You fill in the blank).

I hope that this is the beginning of a beautiful - and rewarding - experience.

DTales