Katt Williams: Pimp Meltdown Vol.1

OK....

The picture basically says it all...Katt Williams has lost his damn mind.

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY IS IT....that our black stars always find a way to take their success and allow it to be overshadowed by drug habits, gun possession and mug shots like the one above.

I mean don't get me wrong, we all know that Katt Williams is a little off. I mean most comedians are and they have to be to get up on stage with that much energy and come up with jokes that practically make the audience roll on the floor with laughter. The last comedy special I watched starring Katt had my ab muscles in more pain than I get from doing 200 crunches. But I think Mr. Williams might have taken a hit from way too many blunts.

We all know about Katt's love for the mary jane. He jokes about it all the time and he is not the first comedian to do so. It always baffles me how comedians and rappers go on television and openly confess that they partake in the daily use of an illegal substance and don't get arrested for it . I mean don't get me wrong, I think that the ban on the lady mary is a bit ridiculous but let's face it...rules are rules...I guess that only applies to us regular folks. And yes, we think that marijuana is harmless but I don't think that lady mary is all Katt is smoking.

Remember back in '97 when our beloved Martin Lawrence began his legal troubles. He was trippin out for a real hot minute. Assaulting random people in clubs, sexually harrassing Gina on the set of his hit show and then going out jogging in 100 degree weather with enough layers of clothes on for a winter in Antarctica. The man almost killed himself that day, nearly frying his brain and ending up in a coma. Later, Martin came out and admitted that he got a hold of some bad stuff which led to his erratic behavior during one incident when he decided to pull a gun and going running down the freeway like a madman. Again...it was lady mary but she didn't act alone.

Luckily, Martin was able to recover and I was so glad because he is another great talent that I only want to see experience success. So this is my personal plea to Katt.

Come back to us, brotha!!! We miss the original playa!!!

Rihanna Breaks Her Silence

Since the incident took place we have heard so many opinions on the Rihanna/Chris Brown assault. In regards to the two involved, for the past few months the only side we have heard was Chris Brown's. His constant on-air, teleprompter recited apologies to Rihanna and his fans. His constant rants on You-Tube explaining that he is not a monster. And lets not forget his terrible Larry King interview with his mother and lawyer helping to explain how unlike him this situation is, how great of a kid he is and how much of a second chance he deserves. For months we've heard him not really tell his side of the story but begging for forgiveness from anyone who would listen. Well...on Friday, November 5th it was finally Rihanna's turn to break her silence. And at the end of the interview...I was so glad that she did.

I have to admit that when it happened I did look for reasons as to why she might have been responsible for what went wrong. Maybe she started the argument that resulted in him losing his temper. Maybe she hit him first which did nothing but add fuel to the fire. I like many went by the public image that I knew of Chris Brown. The squeaky, clean R&B teen sensation with a great smile and attitude who wears bow ties for goodness sakes and dances like the new age Michael Jackson. To me and to millions of others he couldn't have done this without being provoked...right? But then the pictures of her bruised face became public and the details of the injuries sustained became known and the realization came that this boy turned into an animal that night. Rihanna herself described Brown as having no soul in his eyes as he beat her, bit her and threatened to kill her.

What baffled us all was that three weeks after this hideous attack, Rihanna went back. Her description of Brown as a youngster who reached superstardom very early (like herself) and with that comes a sense of power and entitlement that even most adults can't handle. For both Rihanna and Brown the word "NO" is probably hardly something they encounter which most likely explains why he snapped and she went back. However, I think her wake up call came when everything seemed to go back to normal for Chris Brown but she could not erase the empty eyes that looked at her while hurting her for what probably seemed like forever at the time. Besides being a public figure, an international superstar whose major fan base are young women who could possibly be trapped in the same situation gave Rihanna a sense of responsibility that finally made her say no more to Brown and let the relationship go forever.

What the interview did do was help to recognize how we as women. even the strongest women, end up allowing men to get away with hurting us. Being on the receiving end of a man's anger especially when it leads to physical violence changes everything. Even if you spent years with that person and loved them more than anything in the world, that one moment changes the way you look at them for that point on. They are not the same because the second they put their hands on you in a hurtful way they crumble a piece of that love and it disappears. I understood Rihanna's embarrassment because to the world around her she is this strong, independent and beautiful woman who can be with anyone. I think it is because of these qualities that she was unable to immediately leave what was a volatile situation for a long time. The belief that she could handle it, the bruises would go away and her strength would carry her through. These are just some of the reasons many women do not leave or end up going back.

In truth, the saying that a man who hits you once will hit you again stands true and for Rihanna was proven as it came to our attention that this was not the first time Brown had put his hands on her in a violent way. But I was so proud of Rihanna for telling her story and giving a better understanding as to why the battered have a tendency to return to the batterer; but also she showed all of her female fans that it takes even more strength to walk away. I do hope that she and Brown seek the help they need to heal from this horrific incident and to move on as both are very young and have a lifetime ahead of them.

I Support David Letterman

Ok...so if you haven't heard about the David Letterman sex/extortion scandal then you probably have been living under a rock. It is all over the news, plastered on the front page of newspapers and the internet is swarming with updated information.

The one thing that stands out about this particular scandal is that it was Letterman himself that blew the lid off of the entire thing. In true Letterman fashion, good ole Dave trumps the media and confesses to multiple relationships with female staff members live on his show. And I can't help but say BRAVO DAVE.

One thing that I have always loved about David Letterman is his brutal honesty especially when it comes to his personal mistakes. A great example is the joke he told earlier this year about Sarah Palin's daughter which he earnestly apologized for after a very big overreaction from former Governor Palin (wah wah...it's just jokes!!!). But this admission of guilt is a much bigger deal and it really does truly affect what will happen next in Letterman's home life. Keep in mind that these affairs took place while he was seeing his long time girlfriend and now wife of six months Regina Lasko who he informed us is quite pissed at him right now.

And if that is not enough for Dave to worry about, the media has opened up a whole new bag of worms by posing what I think are ridiculous questions and getting the public and organizations all riled up.

Question 1: What will happen to the show's ratings?

Answer: Well, so far so good. The ratings for the show have gone up drastically since the confession show aired probably because most viewers are wondering what Dave is going to reveal next. I don't really think this is going to change anyway. The truth about audiences that watch late night tv is that there is usually a specific devotion to a specific late night host and I don't think that Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon pose that much of a threat to taking Dave's audience away from him. I mean regardless of the whole scandal neither O'Brien or Fallon's shows are funny.

Question 2: Who are all these women?

Answer: Who CARES who they are????!!!!

Question 3: Were the women sexually harrassed or made to feel forced into these relationships to further their careers?

Answer: I am sure that if these women were sexually harrassed or pressured by a millionaire late night tv host into having sex with him to further their careers then this story would have broke a long time ago. At least one of them would have come out against Dave if this was done because of harrassment because they could sue and if it is proven then they could win and if they won there pockets would be much fatter.

Why is it that when these cases come up then automatically the woman becomes the victim. Yes, of course, sexual harrassment does occur and there are tons of male bosses who flirt with their young, attractive female employees but let's get one thing straight. First of all, this is not an episode of Mad Men. Cases where women have said no to unwanted sexual advances by a boss or co-worker are one of the reasons why Human Resource departments were created. If you blatantly say NO and it continues then file a complaint. Second of all, women have to be very careful with being sure to draw the line at work and making that line clear if these advances are not wanted. What society needs to understand is that in many of the cases the women are not being harrassed but are actually complying with these advances because they are not unwanted. I mean sex in the workplace exists because we are human and when you spend eight hours a day, forty hours a week with a person (sometimes more) shit happens. It shouldn't but it does.

I know this is going to sound crazy coming from a woman but I am actually impressed by Dave's honesty and unsurprised by his actions. He is a man and let's get down to the raw truth. Dave is not exactly Brad Pitt. If he were your average joe on the street, most women would not give him the time of day. However, he is a celebrity and with celebrity comes attention and for male celebrities much of that attention comes from women who are willing to sleep with them. And a man is going to be a man, if the offer is on the table MOST guys are going to take it. It shouldn't happen but it does. Now does this excuse David's behavior, absolutely not but as Steve Martin said when he discussed the situation with Dave on the show Monday night...it makes Dave human.

The bottom line is that even with all of the media hoopla I think Dave is going to come out of this unscathed, professionally at least. I am a huge fan and will continue to watch the show and I am sure that I am not the only fan who is going to do so. There are probably millions of people who will tune in from now on because of all the attention this entire situation has generated. In the end, I support David Letterman.

One thing his audiences can depend on...much more interesting Top Ten Lists.

Chris Brown vs. Everybody

I just finished watching the Larry King interview with R&B singer Chris Brown and the more I see this kid speaking out on his own behalf the more you realize how much of a KID he really is.

Brown is only 20 years old and as this fact does not excuse his actions it does give me a different perspective on how to approach my opinion on what happened with him and pop-star Rhianna.

Don't get me wrong: a man should NEVER put is hands on a woman...a real man walks away from an argument if they feel that they are not in control enough to resolve things in a calm manner.

But I have to admit that watching this KID put out these constant videos and participate in numerous interviews to apologize over and over again and reiterate to everyone that his is not Ike Turner is really sad.

The interview in itself was not helpful on his behalf. He doesn't give any information on what led to the beating which he insists is an invasion of privacy for both himself and Rhianna. Rhianna has not spoken either about the incident to clear up as to why this happened. So the public will never know what really happened in that car unless the two persons involved plan to share that information. And for Chris Brown, I think his silence on the matter may be more about the fact that if it comes out that some petty argument led to him slamming his girlfriends head into a window then he will put his career in even further jeopardy; however it might further bring to light how young both Chris and Rhianna are.

Really the best thing for him to do right now is be silent. He will never escape this horrible chapter in his life but going on Larry King and saying you don't remember beating a woman doesn't help. Putting out an apology video on your website that came off as him reading a pre-written statment doesn't help. Calling people HATERS and promoting your new album on an additional video doesn't help. If his advisors are good, they should be informing him of how much all of the statments and appearances he have made him seem insincere and unapologetic. His appearance on Larry King seemed to emote a person who was lacked remorse and really just wished this whole mess was behind him. The best thing for him to do is to just get the help that he needs without involving the media aspect to keep his fans. I must admit that as much as I don't like what Brown has done, I still think the kid is a great talent and really like his music.

What Brown needs is solid counseling, a positive male influence and time to grow as an individual. Not to be ridiculed by some he felt were colleagues and friends within his profession (hint: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey). And if Brown needs counseling then so does Rhianna. Take into account her actions after the incident:

1. Brown turned himself; Rhianna didn't call the police

2. Rhianna did not want to press charges (and I am sure everyone reading this saw the pictures of the girl's face)

3. Three weeks after the incident, the two of them are photographed basically vacationing together at Sean Combs' Florida mansion after he supposedly beat her to death

The bottom line is I think it is crazy to judge and criticize the boy so bad and say his career should be over for one mistake. I mean, if we can forgive Michael Vick then why not Chris Brown.

Just saying...

YAY for 30!!!

In exactly 119 days I will be turning the big 3-0 and to be honest I was extremely excited.

At least I was until...I saw this shirt.

And I read these quotes:

"I'm turning thirty this year. And you know the saying, a woman over thirty is more likely to get hit by an A bomb than find a man."

-Fanny Fink

Congratulations, you've made it through a third of your life.

-Anonymous

And then I made the mistake of opening and reading these articles on the internet that gave a list of things that one should have accomplished before turning thirty years old.

Then...I started to panic.

I mean real bad panic attack with hyperventilating and crying and not being able to sleep. I mean I haven't accomplished half of the things on the list yet and am nowhere near getting married...hell I am not even dating at the moment.

Okay...so the panic attack slowly went away and then I got angry.

How come 30 gets such a bad wrap...

at 13 you become a teenager

at 16 you become sweet

at 18 you become eligible to serve your country and buy cigarettes legally

at 21 you can throw your fake I.D. in the trash

at 25 you're halfway through your 20s and all the college binge drinking didn't kill you

at 40 you're finally an adult and the new 20

What the hell is wrong with 30?

The answer is Nothing!!!!

The person who finally told me this....my mommy! (LOL!!!)

The truth of the matter is I hated my twenties. It is a decade of insecurity, trying to find who you are, lots of drinking and (and in my case) wasting time with all the wrong men and though I had some really fun moments I can't say that I would ever want to repeat that period of my life.

You see, 30 gets less recognition because it falls in the middle. You're not young anymore but you're definitely not old. You know at 30 that you are too young to be worrying about retirement but you're too old to be dressing up for Halloween and having themed birthday parties. You're too young to be concerned that you will never get married but you're too old to still be chasing 18 year olds.

That's it.

The rules just change a bit but the 30s decade is for taking all of the mistakes that you made in your 20s and learning from them. It's about becoming the person you were discovering in your first real decade of adulthood. It's about being better and realizing that your time is not up but still just beginning.

So for all of those out there who are turning or have turned the big 3-0. I say let's raise a glass and toast to being in the middle!

Thanks MOM!

No Smokers Allowed

Ok...so I am a smoker.

I smoke with my coffee, after a meal, when I feel stressed, after sex...I like to smoke but I do plan to quit...

Apparently, it has become the government's mission to help people like me to realize the error of my ways but scaring the shit out of me with scary pictures of the affects of smoking. I am not sure if this really works.

I read an article today that within the next three years instead of warning labels on our packs of cigarettes there will be gruesome pictures of sore infested mouths, blackend lungs and failing hearts to help push the quit smoking scare tactic. In the subway stations there is this ad with a woman who has lost most of her fingers because of the affects of smoking. When I go to work and cut out for a smoke break I have to endure the comments of co-workers..."that is a really bad habit"..."you should quit"..."that doesn't make you attractive". All of a sudden everyone has a strong opinion about my bad habit and honestly because of my very defensive and defying nature all of the ads and the labels and the taunts just make me want to do the opposite...I want to smoke more...

It really is silly. Do the non-smokers really think that we who do indulge in our nicotine habit are not aware of the horrible affects that the cigarettes have on our bodies? The warning is written on the box in a clear, bold Surgeon General Warning label basically saying that if you continue to do this on a regular basis all of the horrific crap that we have stuffed into these cancer sticks will eventually kill you.

Let me make something clear...everyone who smokes wants to quit.

We talk about it in our small smokers circles outside when we are huddled together trying to get that last puff. I have quit at least three times in the 8+ years that I have been a smoker but have always found myself back to the nasty habit after I go out for a simple beer and bum a smoke. That one cigarette leads to another and then the next thing you know you are buying a pack. And we smokers also agree that smoking is absolutely disgusting.

But quitting the habit will be my own personal triumph...without the truth commercials and the extreme warning labels and the bans and whatever else society comes up with to make smoking the plague of America.

I have set my quitting date.

I have made it my goal to cut the habit in order to live a stronger and healthier life.

But I do ask this...

To all of you out there who have a friend that smokes and you would like to encourage them to quit, do just that encourage and support...

Just saying....

To Feed or Not to Feed?

AHHHHHHH Motherhood...


It is beautiful and I do love watching mothers and their children bond.

The other day in my office, my colleagues and I stumbled upon an interesting debate about one bonding ritual in particular....BREASTFEEDING.

It seems to be a faux pas in American society to breastfeed in public which I don't agree with. I don't feel that a mother should be locked in the home with her infant until the poor child is waned off and decides that the bottle works just as well. Breastfeeding is natural and should be accepted in public, and of course, discretion is greatly appreciated. A mother pulling out her breast in the park is not my idea of a memorable moment but they should be allowed to feed their child anywhere accept in a RESTAURANT...

That is it...that is my only limit...Let me give you a scenario...

You are out to dinner with your loved one (i.e. boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife) enjoying a romantic dinner for two at a nice restaurant. The two of you are having a great conversation, can't keep your eyes off of each other, the food is amazing, the wine is divine (I like that...LOL!!!) and then at the moment when lips are expected to lock you hear the WAH, WAH, WAH of the infant child at the table next to you with the beautiful family.

Now instead of the mother and child exiting the dining room to a private corner for feeding time, mom discretely (hopefully discretely) begins feeding the baby at the table. The entire dining room stops...the impending kiss is haulted and the room is filled with the low murmur of "is she breastfeeding that baby right at the table".

Let's be honest, whether you think it is okay or not, the act of breastfeeding your child in a crowded dining room does draw attention for a variety of different reasons. During our discussion, one colleague felt that the mother had every right to feed her baby in the restaurant as it is a natural way of life and she is paying to be there as well; however another colleague and myself felt that as a diner we didn't pay to see such a display and argued that when the child dirties its diaper that is natural as well but if the mother started changing the diaper at the table (which by the way has happened at a few restaurants I have worked in) then that is natural as well...is it not?! Okay, maybe an extreme example...but you get my point.

Bottom line...this issue may never truly be resolved and in the end my colleagues and I agreed to disagree. I personally still stand by my "No Breastfeeding in Restaurants" motto but thought it was an interesting subject...

Just saying...

Punk Revolution Chinese Style

Last night I went to see an independent films with a couple of friends presented by Rooftop Films and titled Rock Heart Beijing. The film is directed by Karen Winther.

Going in my impression of this film was that I was going to get to experience the music. You know that hard, raw, emotional, angst filled quality that is Punk Rock music. Music that speaks out against the establishment and challenges political barriers and the music created by the Subs is just that but on an entire different level.

China is the country I call the fish bowl because everyone is looking in but the glass bowl is very thick and outside influences are strongly kept at a comfortable distance. The lead singer of the band, Kang Mao, utilizes her powerful voice and the raw aspect of the music to express her struggle with being an only child and not meeting the expectations that her culture has for her. The best moments of the film were with Kang Mao on her own explaining to the rest of the world just how caged in she felt. Ultimately, it made me greatly appreciate the freedom I have as an American and especially as an American woman.

In this country, we are encoraged to speak up even though most of us don't unless we are directly affected by decisions being made by our government. I mean look at the Health Care situation at the moment. Now that it is being re-examined and the results could possibly change things for some and make things a bit better for most people are literally losing their minds. For Kang Mao, the struggle is so much simpler. Lack of freedom when it comes to expressing oneself, being ridiculed for not seeking and obtaining what is considered a good job and especially not settling down with the right man.

Last night after the film it became even more important for me and hopefully for the others that were there to embrace our freedom and take advantage of it as much as possible. For Kang Mao, I say keep on rocking because your voice and your music are the key that will unlock the door to the prison that you have been caged in for so long.