Posts filed under: ‘freedom of speech‘
KIM BURRELL IN AN UPROAR….
I saw the video that Kim says someone took of her during a service some night at her 
church, when Kim Burrell goes off the chain proclaiming her dislike of gay people… with particular reference to those in the church.
I also saw the video that Kim made backing or attempting to back away from much of what she said in that video, of her ranting about gay people. My thing in watching this video was this.
‘Kim if you really feel about gay people as you said while standing in the pulpit. Then why back down from it… if you feel that what you had said was right?’
Cause you see if I say something that I think is right… then I am not going to back down 
from it. Oh, I can change my mind… yes, regarding my thinking. But if I feel that I am correct in my thinking then I am not going back away from what I believe. And I don’t care who may not like it. Unless… again… if I think about it and later begin to regret what I said… or how I said it. Or I might even discover that I was wrong… because that does happen too. And has happened to me.
I mean I would be lying if I said I never regretted saying something. It happens all the time to many of us. We spoke too fast. Or mis-spoke…
But the way Kim was going on and on in that pulpit… I would have to say 
that she was really versing her sentiments quite definitely. And if what I heard in another video was correct… in that what that person said about her husband, whom Kim is now either divorced from or separated from for some years now… was that he was gay.
I would say that might cause a woman to go on and on about hating gays. That woman who used to sell orange juice years ago… I forget her name. She had 
been an ex-Miss America when she came out strongly against gay people back in the latter 70’s or 80’s… and boy did they slam her. She lost all 
kind of contracts behind that… and the orange juice industry was quick to get rid of her. But what a price that industry paid in revenue losses when gay people boycotted orange juice… and boycott it they did. And 
they won.
With regards to Kim Burrell… whom I often have found to be sharp with her tongue… I find it hard to believe that she did not think about her wardrobe person, or her make-up person, or her hair stylist or everybody else who may possibly be on 
her team, when she is preparing to get up to perform… because most of them are gay. But I am sure that hit home shortly after she realized that that video got out… had been uploaded on youtube, and the calls started coming in to her.
This is America and, of course, Kim Burrell like everybody else in 
America has a right to an opinion on whatever she wants to have an opinion on… whether I may or may not agree with her on it.
But where I thought Kim Burrell went too far …was for her to be standing in the pulpit and talking about certain things… like men having ‘p___nis’ in their mouths. Or women with their breasts shaking in front of another woman. It was a bit too much.
Kim went overboard and that is what more than anything I believed killed her… and took away from anything that she was trying to say. She was not preaching… nor was she teaching. But Kim was spouting out vicious remarks of feelings, that maybe she had been harboring for 
some time and just felt it was okay… for some reason or other… to release those sentiments into the atmosphere at that time… in that church service.
I am a firm believer that the pulpit is not for all types of conversations. Nor is it a place for where we should be standing in it believing that it is okay to just say whatever comes into our narrow minds. The sanctuary and …certainly the pulpit is ‘holy.’ It is holy ground and it is not meant to be a place where we preach hate or condemnation.‘
Who are we to condemn people as though we too were not once lost in sin?
This is the problem I have with many people in the church. They act as though they were never once sinners.
And I really get tired of hearing those people who say, ‘I’ve been 
saved since I was 3.’
Are you really trying to tell me that since you were a child… and supposedly became saved that you never once sinned?
I will bet that you sinned more than once. And probably did things I never thought to do.
So, the devil is a liar. And those people need to stop telling that ‘I’ve been saved since’ lie.
Why do people want to pretend that they are so holy and righteous …when they are filled with such ‘high looks,’ bigotry and animosity against not just gay people… though gay people always seem to be at the top of everyone’s list… but against everybody but fornicators… adulterers… liars etc….etc…etc.. Because THAT list certainly goes further than just being gay.
Some of these same people voted Donald Trump into office and saw no sin in him. I would 
not have believed that either… had I not heard and seen them at our national convocation in St. Louis. It was quite disturbing to me. And a couple of them… bishops even… I had to set straight.
Speaking of bishops. Some of these very people are ‘the 
corrupters.’ Stealing away the lives of many of these young boys, by feasting on them sexually …while proclaiming something else in the pulpit and making jokes about ‘limp wrist.’
This thing is sad. And there are a bunch of hypocrites in the church… in the black church and white church… and everything in between.
Yeah, they can proclaim they hate them… but they lead the choir… play the instruments… 
sing the sermonic solo.
So, stop playing with yourself… and trying to preach hate, when their is a cleansing that needs to take place. And it is in the hearts of each and every one of us because we have been commanded to love… not condemn or chastise folk because we act like we can’t stomach their sin.
It is not for you to stomach. God who is the creator and is also the finisher. And you don’t know who he is going to clean up and place over you.
He can turn everybody around. Did He not turn you around?
Oh, I forgot. He is still working on you, Kim and everyone else who thinks like her.
I was at the convocation 2 years ago when that guy came out and started proclaiming, ‘I
ain’t gay no more.’
That whole service was like being in the midst of a comedy show. That guy from Orlando 
who was suppose to preach… was beside himself …just like Kim. And practically the whole area was eating it up… they were rolling over in laugher of this guys homophobic tyrants.
It was so good to them that the video department sold out of that dvd that night… and could not keep up with the demand for it. This I know not because I tried to buy it… but because the next day while waiting on 
my ride back to my hotel a bunch of people were still laughing over that mockery of a church service. I sat through it, yes… but it was all I could do not to get up and walk out on that guy that night. And I would have had I thought my courtesy driver was outside 
to take me back to my hotel.
We should stop all this ‘gay mess.’ It is not the only sin… need you think of what you are 
doing that God may be angry at. Because at the end of the day… that is what really should concern you more than anything else. Because when you shut your eyes… it won’t be that gay man in the choir or up the street whom you will have answer for. But your behavior towards them will 
surely be an issue before God.
I think we all need to read the Bible more. Because somewhere along the line you are all missing something when you attack anyone who is lost in sin.
And I think that any pastor or anyone who calls him or her self a pastor …or whatever who
invites someone to come and preach at their church and says, ‘You can come to preach but don’t mess with my sissies.’
I think that person needs to remove themselves or the church remove him or her… because they are users. But not Godly. They rather see people not hear the truth… and I am not talking about a bunch of harsh and hard words of condemnation… but ‘the truth’ as to what the Bible says because they desire that everybody in their church or under them know what God desires in order for us to sincerely get into heaven…
Let us not chase people out of the church. But let us work on trying to allow God to do His perfect work in them. The Bible says, ‘faith comes through hearing the word of God.’ They must be allow in the church… so that they do not go to ‘gay churches’ and sit up in there believing that everything is 
alright… and while they play church that they can make into heaven.
Let us not be that mean …or selfish. Thank God the doors of the church were open for us… or we too would still be out there doing whatever it was that we used to do. And many of you still do… if the truth be told….
Well, God bless… Well, I finally got my chance to say what has been on my mind concerning this subject. I just hope that people will come to love and respect one another and all of our differences. I hate sin and it hurts for me to see people languishing in it. I have many gay friends … and even some family members whom I know will be lost if they fail to change. But I pray that God call them out as He was so kind and gracious enough to do me. And that they have an ear to hear… and God gives them a desire to come out… and stay out.
Well, God bless… I’m out. Thanks for reading my blogs. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” http://www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2016
Add a comment January 9, 2017
PAULA DEEN CHEF BY DAY… RACIST BY NIGHT… THE FIRST FAMILY…
Sometimes things just slip out when we least expect them to.
Sometimes some of the things we do and say may not seem hypocritical or hurtful to us.
Sometimes things just catch up with us.
Sometimes we pretend to be 1 way but really are another.
Which of these scenarios do you think best fits celebrity chef Paul Deen?
When 1 of my next door neighbors stopped me to tell me this story I must admit I did not understand what she was saying. I thought she was talking about some radio station DJ acting a fool again, like Imus in the Morning had done… before he got canned. But it was not until my son began to tell me this story that I finally got a clearer picture of what my neighbor had been trying to say to me.
Not a big television watcher I really was not familiar with the 
name, Paula Deen. Though my neighbor had said it and said it again several times, as if I should have known her personally. But of course I did not. But now that I have looked up the story, I have to admit that I had caught Paula Deen at least once tossing in a couple bars of butter into some dish she was preparing on the Food Network.
One could hardly say that what she said was purely by accident. Meaning it was how she was accustom to talking… though never before the cameras. And why not I wonder?
Well, maybe because she knew it was wrong. That it was backwards and intolerable. But however backwards that way of thinking is and talking… it finally caught up with Paula Deen. Oh, yeah, she can blame it on her back home training and down-home southern roots. But can that really justify what Paula said… or has been talking for years? I mean she is a grown woman… a grand-mother at that besides being a big time TV chef. So, she is certainly old enough to know that using that word or any word like it 
was unacceptable and offensive to many. And that the times have long ago changed… when white people could simple use such words and get away with it.
Let us examine this in its totality. Exactly what did Paula Deen say?
Well, it seems that Paula Deen liked throwing around the ‘N’ word. She and her brother, a partner with her is some restaurant they own together. They both based upon reports liked calling some of their non-white workers by the ‘N’ word. And Paula called a TV assistant the word a few times too many it certainly appears.
In a legal action brought against Paula Deen …and 1 possibly against her brother too, 
both are accused has having referred to African American employees as the little ‘N’ word. In various news reports it is stated that her brother continuously referred to at least 1 employee as ‘a little monkey.’ And it also seems that Paula Deen was planning someone’s wedding… where get this… Paula decided it would nice to have a ‘plantation style wedding’ with some little (the ‘N’ word) running around and dressed up like slaves.
Now, how far in denial was she?
Who did she believe would not get upset or find that ‘offensive?’
There are people who just do not want to let the ol’ south go. They want to pretend like the Civil War really did not happened. And that the ol’ south will rise up once again.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/paula-deen-today-days-no-show-article-1.1380902
So, yeah I would say that Paula Deen’s out and out racists remarks and backward thinking deserved to get her booted off the Food Network… seeing that many African Americans love that channel, and many other minority people, as well. And a whole lot of ethnic cooking goes on on that network.
In fact, many of Paula Deen’s southern style recipes have their direct roots in the African American style of cooking… whether Paula would admit to it or not.
So, lets face it we live in a big world… full of lots of people of all sorts… all kinds of nations and religions etc. And the world and its people are forever growing.
Is it not time that we put aside ever strife and ill thinking when it comes to people who do not look like us?
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50149463n
But there are some people who just want to believe that they are more superior to other people. That they are smarter… more progressive… higher achievers… more accomplished etc… etc… etc. And there are... but it is just not the ones who usually think they are.
When you go back into history and really track this thing… if the truth be total all civilization got its start in 
Africa. The first universities, libraries, mathematicians etc… you name it… architects, astrologers etc. etc… all of it got started in African. In fact, scientists today are still mystified by some ancient ruins. They are even still trying to figure out just how certain structures such as the pyramids had been built.
The books say Africans were not seafaring people. But historical events defy that lie. In Biblical scripture, II Chronicles 8:18, it speaks of a man named, Huram, who was a master builder who had built up cities for King Solomon, for storage of his chariots and riches. This man Huram also had servants who manned his ships. Yes, the Bible said ‘ships.’ And it also said that this man’s men possessed knowledge of the sea.
Which goes to say that yes even way back then, thousands of years ago, in Solomon’s time African men were building large sea vessels and riding the seas. When you consider the land mass of 
Africa in Biblical times… Africa stretched straight to and included Asia. Which takes me to another point and that is… that the entire Bible basically takes place in 
Africa… not in Europe except for when Caesar and Rome come into the picture, and those other places across the Mediterranean Sea, such as Macedonia and Greece etc. As all the countries and/or nations as we know them today had not been birth yet… nor boundaries such as those of today, therefore, Africa in its time had to have been very powerful. This is something which has never been reflected in any of our history books.
The history books also do not reflect all the great contributions and inventions created by African Americans even while in this country. And there a tremendous amount of them of considerable importance not only to this country but to the world… but there is a reason.
This reason goes all the way back to the myth and historical stereotyping of us that had been created and propagated by those who desired to keep what they called us back then 
‘darkies’ in their place. So, the myth was that we were not smart… could not learn… were lazy and shiftless. Also, as time went on it became that we were born criminals… and scoundrels… and not to mention that we were less than human… animals to be owned and bred.
And so… here we are today in the 21st Century still having to deal with old myths and stereotypes … and names made to keep us down… hold us back and seemingly needy. They 
were created to hinder us and our children from ever achieving anything in this country… least of all any level of pride and our own sense of real self-worth.
It is interesting that this Paula Deen thing has come up when it has… as I happened to catch a portion of a television program Sunday. As I have already made mention in at least a couple of my prior blogs, as well as, this 1 I really rarely watch television any more… but I happened to be over my sister’s house this weekend, and normally while there I try to
catch up on my television watching… as there is really nothing else for me to do there except to watch television. So, this show was called ‘THE FIRST FAMILY.’ It was… or is supposed to be a spoof on the Obama family in the White House. Needless to say I found it to be repulsive and a slap in the face to our real First Family.
I remember sitting in class and a discussion came up about a made for TV movie on the Reagan family during Reagan’s White House years. Mind you that this discussion was years after Regan was dead and after he had long left the White House. Yet, the outcry against that movie was soooooo great. Every talk show hosts and news medium was doing a story on the uproar that movie was causing. The TV network that was set to air the movie backed out… and another network picked it up. But there were tons of letters …there were lots of phone calls… there were a lot of screaming and hollering over this movie about this man, Ronald Reagan, and how this movie would portray his legacy, his 
image, his years as a President etc… etc.. etc.. They saw it as being aimed to discredit Regan, and refused to allow the movie to air without a fight. And fight they did.
When you think of the Queen of England and how they hold her is such high regard and her position as Queen, they would never allow any sit-com to be made about the Royal Family where they would be the brunt of jokes… and made to look incompetent. This is also the why they used to think in this country concerning the White House and the Presidency until…
Well… until the Obama’s moved into the White House.
I am very proud of the First Family, the Obama’s. Compared to the vast majority of the Presidents who have occupied the White House they are truly a family to be put up as a national example of what a good family is supposed to not only look like, act like or be like… but is. The President, Barack Obama, and his wife, Michelle Obama, are more than just great parents they are exceedingly good role models for those looking to marry. They exemplify what 1 should
seek in his or her future marriage with regard to their husband or wife. And how to ensure that your marriage works.
So, yes I find any show, play, television program or anything else designed to make a mockery of them totally distasteful and highly offensive… and clearly an attempt to be a slap in the face of President Barack Obama and his family. It is beyond me if they really wanted a laugh how no one thought to come up with a sit-com on the Bush’s… wouldn’t have had to look far for material to laugh about there.
Hopefully, that show will get cancelled… and it never should have been allowed in the first place. What an insult to all of us.
Now, going back to Paula Deen and her story. Yes, she definitely deserved to get the boot off the Food Network. I would venture to say if ever there was a word she wished she had 
probably never learned… it was the ‘N’ word. It cost her greatly… and rightly so.
Well, God bless…I hope you are having a great week. I know… it has just gotten started. But I can still wish that you have a great 1. Stay out of the heat and work on getting something done. 
And I will be doing likewise… and as you can I already have. Another blog… FINISHED.
I thank those of you very much who have ventured out and purchased my book… which can be ordered on-line at any number of websites… just google THE BISHOP’S WIFE by Bernadine Smith… and see for yourself. And you can also read excerpts from my book on-line as well at Barnes&Nobles Nook, amazon.com etc…
O
h, before I end this just let me say for the record that I am not familiar with either of the African American history books whose picture I used in this blog. So, should I at some time in the future ever read them… or if you do… and find them less than truthful or wholly without merit… please do not believe I suggested them as being that which they may not be. And that is truthful with regard to our history as African people and African American people in America.
UP-DATE…Tuesday, June 25, 2013: Just a little update on the Paula Deen story… something that I came across today. The Food Network owns another network. And Paula’s show on that network was not pulled. Uh-huh… How people do love to play games. It looks 1 way 1 way… while they are doing something else another way.
Okay, now that the cat is out of the bag lets see what the Food Network is really going to do… on their sister channel…
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-25/paula-deen-hasnt-been-fired-from-this-channel
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2013
4 comments June 24, 2013
Serena sick… Young aspiring athletes… Extremism…
I don’t know maybe it is because I have become somewhat disappointed in both Serena and Venus in the last few months… that when I looked at my blog 
stats yesterday…and the day before… I just never paid any attention to all the hits for info on them. As a rule I do pay a lot attention to what people are hitting my blog in search of. But for some reason not to the hits for information of the William’s sisters.
But this got pass me…until today when I happened to see the title of an internet news headline… reading that Serena was sick.
The story read that Serena had to go into the hospital following the Oscars due to a blood clot in 1 of her lungs. And it said that this past Monday it seems that Serena had to undergo…what they called ‘medical treatment’…. but sounds more like surgery for what they are calling ‘hematoma.’
It definitely sounds serious… and certainly reason for great concern.
We certainly pray for Serena and her family.
No matter how much money we may amass… it may aid in getting the best possible medical attention… but it cannot compensate for life without pain or health issues.
What would you rather have… money or life without pain or illness?
In looking over other news pieces over the internet lately… which has basically today has become my only primary means of regularly reading news… it seems to me that most of it is geared towards todays new up and coming rising athletic stars. Be it football or basketball… or whatever have you… though mostly football and basketball… it strikes me like…
Well, to me… like they are robbing candy from a baby.
Most of these new talents are nothing more than just kids that they are running after 
today… many are barely in junior high… or what they call today… middle-school. And they are running after them waving money… jewelry… and everything else that they can in order to get the young hopeful’s attention. And that of their parents also.
In fact, 1 mother was so gun-ho over what they were promising her and her son… that she signed his papers for him. They call that forgery… and it is punishable by the law. And she did it so she could commit her son to a certain college.
And today it is such a big thing just watching to see what school certain of these young hopefuls will be going to. And it means big money… endorsements… and all kinds of business to certain schools. Not to mention the attention media and otherwise to the school and/or college campus as well.
Whether it is an athletic franchise… or national pro team… or some high and mighty college… these young kids… babies really are being sought out and after to their own demise whether they know it or not.
A young kid in junior high… or–or in middle-school, if you must… has no business having his or head turned towards looking for a big pay-day sometime in 
their foreseeable supposed future. Rather their minds should be centered on their education. They should be concerned about making good grades and getting out of grade school… and then on to college.
These kids today… the chosen few… are being scouted far too young. They are being spoon fed on a bunch of hopes and far away dreams that may never come into being. The promises may 
simply not materialize for most of them. And this is a very real fact.
Then what?
Where will they turn?
What will become of their lives?
Sure LeBron made it. And so didn’t Moses Malone.
But success is certainly not guaranteed to a bunch grade schoolers who may show promise today… but may not be able to step to the mark as 
they continue to grow and develop physically. Or not grow… or not be able to stand up to the pressures of pro sports and all the baggage that those pressures bring into the life of many professional athletes.
And these kids are developing over inflated egos… and attitudes that will sooner or later destroy them and kill any promise that they may or may not have really had. But mouth and arrogance got in the way of what might have become.
A key basketball player at Brigham Young University found out the hard way… that the same way they can put you up… they can take you down. And even if it costs them a season.
There is a message to the below story LINKED here. Never get too big for your own breeches… because somebody inevitably will show you who is really the boss.
There is just so much extreme extremism in America… it is just hard to believe.
What crazy church would want to picket the funeral of U.S. military men and women who have sacrificed their lives for this country… to be outside the funerals carrying signs decrying America …and saying things like-
“Thank God for 9/11.”
Or… “God hates America.”
What sick perverted people would be doing that?
It is as insane as saying you are pro-life and you go out and blow up an abortion clinic filled with pregnant women in it.
It is contrary…and insane. And it certainly is not Christianly.
There is nothing about such acts that can be proclaimed as being holy or saintly. The people who set about enraging people to go out and to do such things are just people who are full of nothing but the devil.
And though I usually do not speak in such terms… the truth is the truth. And 
this is truth telling-time.
I felt the same way about preachers who loaded up buses to take people to Capitol Hill to protest gay marriages.
These things are just foolish.
Putting people of buses and travelling to the state capitol did not change 1 thing.
T
here is ‘sin’ in the land. There are ‘evils’ in the land. And none of this extremism attitude is addressing any of the real issues. This is why the devil is called ‘the great deceiver.’ He takes people’s eyes off what they really should be paying attention to.
There are some real core issues in this country and around the world that are in dire need of addressing. And they …these issues… go beyond self perceived notions of what is or is not sinful… or a greater sin.
Why should every American soldier have to endure a bunch of crazy people targeting their funerals in that small Kansas town… or anywhere is this country… causing nothing but more grief for their already grieving 
families and friends?
Is there not enough chaos and unrest all over the world without us here in America causing ourselves any more than what is necessary?
Soon people will be in the streets searching out their neighbors… and brother will be against brother. It is prophesy.
So, some berserk preacher… and it is funny all these little un-named and unknown preachers coming out of the woodwork wanting to make some kind of stir that will land them on ‘Good Morning America’ or ‘Nightline’… or some other television show. Then they’ll write a book …get an agent and go out on tour.
Going back to my original thought… these berserk little preachers trying to make a name for themselves… go out and stir up their congregations feeding them false doctrine… and backward ignorant thinking.
We serve a God of love. Who tells us to seek peace with ‘all’ men.
During Biblical times were there not homosexuals?
Did Jesus target them?
Did he set out to get them?
Did Jesus even preach against them?
No. Because we serve a God of love. Who says with ‘love and kindness have I drawn thee.’ And do note those words… ‘drawn thee.’ Not tried to chase you away… or antagonize you… or belittle or berate anyone.
And anyone who acts in such a way is not of God. But serves that other master… no matter how much they would debate this.
Well, God bless…hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. It is now March… time certainly is marching on… and seems to be getting away from us. It is flying by so quickly… fleeing.
Some time during the course of your day just take the time to look up and observe the beauty has planted up there for you to enjoy.
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2011
Add a comment March 3, 2011
Racism in America is alive and well… and growing… Beck in the dog house…
Who in the world is Glen Beck?
I had never heard of him before until coming across this internet article on him during his radio program imitating the President’s daughter.
Upon listening to the radio program in question…as it is included in the article… all I could think of was the black face comic skits that white people 
used to do of black people. They would mimmick 
our voices making us sound as dumb and as ignorant as possible…while having covered their faces with some kind of black oily face paint. And then they would paint on their faces some excessively big lips.
All of this they did in stupid attempts at making fun of not only how we talk, pretending to think and reason like us aloud…and, of course, supposedly depicting what our facial features look like. It was all done to belittle us as a group of people, and also to make Black folks feel unequal, backwards and ignorant people. All of which was and is a lie…then and now.
The fact that Barack Obama may well be the most intelligent man to hit the White House… which maybe the root to this whole problem.
The 2nd problem for some of these back in the Dark Ages back woods ignorant racists…is that President Obama may also prove to be a 
greater President than Franklin Dalano Roosevelt. Oh, no… that can’t possibly happen. But based upon the set-up left behind by George W. Bush it could become true.
Roosevelt’s fame as a President came from the mess he stepped into as a President. Stepping into the White House following Herbert Hoover, a
Republican and the 31st President of the United States…he sank the country into one big mess. Therefore, Roosevelt inherited an United States that was suffering. The Stock Market had crashed and dire poverty covered the land from coast to coast due to the Great Depression.
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/hoover/essays/biography/1
Roosevelt was the creator of ‘The New Deal.’ With the New Deal Roosevelt ushered in a new America…a reformed America and a series of new social programs designed to aid and assist the needy, and to strengthen and mobilize America back onto the road of recovery.
Often we have heard that history repeats itself. If this is indeed so…many then can see where President Barack Obama is set on the path to do for America what Roosevelt did for America some 78 years ago.
There is no doubt also that America when Barack Obama was elected in as 
the President of the United States a year ago, had been left in a questionable place and a time of vast uncertainty and downcline around the world. Allies around the world questioned our stability, truthfulness and fortitude as a still world leader after years of rule under the moral degradation and lies of George W. Bush as President of America.
Obama inherited a crashing Stock Market, a collapsing World Banking system, a
rapidly dwindling American dollar, skyrocketing fuel and gas prices, the highest ever in America… record numbers of out of work Americans, soaring health and medical costs with record numbers of Americans without any form of health care policies, corrupt leaning and borrowing systems, with record numbers of Americans being forced into 
the streets due to foreclosures, and soaring out of control country financial deficit fueled by 2 wars without a seemingly end…and much more. All of which had happend under the 8 years of administration and rule of George
W. Bush. And also under the Bush Administration, America for the 2nd time in her history was attack on her own soil…September 11th, known as 9-11. Where thereafter all kinds of other attempts, boomings and plagues came about.
If you examine the mess that Obama inherited including those things which generally come up during the term of a President… such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf…and when Russia decided to
invade Georgia, in the Baltics… you find that Presidents have to deal with all kinds of things…including unforseen natural disasters. But it doesn’t make it their fault. Though much of what happened under George Bush’s watch was.
Now, I am going to vent.
I am so tired of reading all these articles where people refer to our President Barack Obama using a small ‘p.’ It is so annoying to me. I 
absolutely hate reading anything about him written this way. It is so disrespectful to Obama.
I know that Obama being the man that he is pretends that it does not bother him…but he is an intelligent man, a historian and a man of letters. Meaning he has read all kinds of documents and 
articles past and present on all past Presidents of the United States, as it was for 1 thing…his field of study. And I am sure he has also noticed that at no other time has any other President of this country ever been 
referred to in any form of text using a lower case ‘p’ as has become the practice when writing articles about Obama.
Thus, to do so when referring to Obama is not only disrespectful but an act of racism. An act of out and out racism and I do not care what anyone else says. And it is all a campaign purposefully set to down grade and minimize Obama, his efforts, his effectiveness and his success.
But I want to let you know… every last one of you that it won’t work. Just like they say in that gospel song…it just won’t work.
Obama is going to be great in spite of you.
And he is going to be as successful…if not more successful than Roosevelt. And that if for no other reason than because some many racists want to see him fail…with Palin and that whole Republican machine riding in the front car.
But the Bible says…that he whom the Lord has blessed is blessed indeed.
And Obama is blessed…his family is blessed…his children are blessed…and this country shall be blessed because of him. 
If anyone has any doubts about whether Barack Obama is blessed just go back and look at those photos of his inaugural. Look at all those people who flowed into Washington, D.C. to celebrate with him and his family. And check all his record numbers…record number in the amount of money contributed to his campaign…the most money ever give
n to any political campaign ever. Record number in contributions from people who have never 
contributed to a politician ever. Highest number of voter turn out ever. And the numbers continue on and on in regard to Obama’s accomplishments.
He shall be like Solomon because God has set 
his course for him over this nation. And if you doubt it go back to his mother, and how she used to 
wake him up at 4 AM in the morning to go over and learn American History. Obama’s path was laid for him long before Obama was born.
Therefore, as it is said in the Scriptures…no weapon formed against him shall prosper. Meaning all the evil works being performed against him will come to nought. Every vote 
meant to hold him back and hinder a bill that he is trying to put through will be turned around, and go against those who are trying to oppose him and stop his progress…or hold up his candidates for offices.
Another Scripture says this…that what the devil means for evil God will turn it around for your good. Meaning the all the name calling, opposition and hindering in Congress and the Senate will be turned around for Obama’s good. Already I can see this happening in that Obama is becoming a lot sharper and more posed when attacks come against him publically. He is definitely far more Presidential now, and I am sure he would have more of a targeted response for anyone who should suddenly decide it smart to call him ‘liar’ again while he is speaking before the Senate. I have no doubt of it.
I am proud of Obama and I know that he is no joke. And he is not going to continue to allow people to treat him as one.
And as far as this Beck person goes… Well, I just hope that he has no children. I cannot 
imagine what he would do if someone so cruelly and purposely poked fun at his little daughter…and made a joke out of her.
I also hope that none of the children in Obama’s daughter class have heard that stupid radio clip. What an ignorant thing to do. And these people call themselves adults…but are too afraid stand up in front of Obama and say what they have to say.
No, they’ll do it from behind a microphone…and then issue out an apology from somewhere. A bunch of cowards. That is all they are…a bunch of racist ignorant cowards.
But then I guess I can kind of understand why some should be jealous 
of Obama. I mean after all…not only is he a great husband… but also a very loving and caring father. He is also handsome…and looks well in everything he wears. He’s smart…tall…and doesn’t have a problem with his weight. He’s athletic…and he has a beautiful and highly intelligent wife. And 2 very beautiful and intelligent…and very well behaved daughters. And oh, yeah…also an important part… a mother-in-law who loves him as well.
So, yes he is well on his way to be the most powerful and successful President of this country of all times…who will be spoken of and the measure that those who follow him shall be measured by. Of this I am sure.
So, yes…you who want to see Obama fail…I can see why. But instead of 
attacking Obama you should start working on your own life…and get it in order so that you too will have something to be proud of . Because I can tell you are a bunch of very sad and lonely people…and highly disappointed people… out attacking a little girl?
Come on, now. And you call yourself a man, Beck?
Go stand in front of Obama and mimmick his daughter…and I want to see what happens to you. I bet you are afraid to do that.
And is it true that BP stands for British Petroleum?
And is it also true that Halliburton, Dick Cheney’s former employer and big time war profiteer and scam artist… is over the operation of BP in the Gulf ?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/37519216#37521148
Could possibly be a set-up?
Anything to make Obama look bad. With all the talk and Obama blaming you would think that Obama owned BP. And that he could automatically go down and just plug up a hole nearly 5,000 feet below the water surface…leaking over 5,000 barrels of oil each day.
It is not a pin hole. And the problem really belongs to BP…without a doubt it is a major concern to not only President Obama and those people down in the Gulf/Atlantic Ocean area. And probably might affect us all…but it is clearly a concern of Obama’s youngest 
daughter just as well. We can all tell that she is well briefed…and is growing up quite civic minded.
And we should all have a sincere appreciation for all children who cares about others…not make a joke or poke fun at them for any reason.
Monday is Memorial Day. We 
should all take a moment or 2 to reflect on the sacrifices of others, that we might all live here free and out of harms way. Thankful for all the freedoms we hold so dear…never forgetting the price paid and being paid so that we might stand in our liberty here in the United States.
I hadn’t thought about it for a while… but I had all but forgotten about the war. Since stopping even turning on the television to watch the news… so those images are no longer before me. It sadden me reading the list of names per week of young men and women who were killed in Iraq. Many of them just 19. And every so often you would see a name with an age of 
28…or 29 and above…and I would think of all their families that they left behind giving of their lives for an America not yet quite grown up.
While they huddled together with bullets flying over heads… or booms dropping nearby… or 
right in their midst… yet they marched on… fought on… for an America not yet totally grown up. A place where division and strife still lives on …while they struggle in foreign lands that we might proclaim peace …while we yet still pull against 
one another.
I salute them and pray that one day this country will live up to what was the dream and the creed to which those men who signed their names…signed their names… to which they all marched off to war and became involved for… those soldier who fought and died in our name.
Well, enjoy your day off.
And…God bless.
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Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2010
2 comments May 30, 2010
Who doesn’t have a clue?
I just finished listening to the most hypocritical piece of garbage I have ever 
heard…or maybe I should say in a long time. It has to do with some white woman announcer talking about First Lady Obama who recently paid a visit to a local D.C. school and began sharing with the young students about her earlier years 
growing up. Being bright and well spoken the kids in her school and neighbor used to tell her that she ‘talked like a white person.’
This white woman announcer pounced all over that and began saying, “We have trash in the White House.”
Clearly, she is in need of loosing her job…besides having been way off the mark.
For some reason white people just can’t seem to get it right. They think everything is about them. They have no understanding of the black experience…yet want to say that they do.
Because we are the only group of people who came here in chains…there is no other group of fellow country men who can quite grasp this with any kind of clear understanding because they never went through it. Sure, many groups were ostracized, joked about, called names, belittled and many hated…some more so than others…as they came here to this country in search of a better way of life for them and their family…same as those who came before them. But their experiences were still not the same as ours.
Having worked on a job…my last job with a bunch of black folks. The first time in 
my life I had ever worked with all black people. I must say it was the worst job I ever had. They put me through the ringer…and it was all because…as I came to find out over time…because I had a highest level education than anyone else in the building including out of all the workers, other managers and upper management.
I did not talk like them…I did not swear…nor did I stand around telling nasty jokes…and I did my job far above average. They hated me because I was not like them. They hated my work ethics…everything about me. To them…I have no doubt…they felt that I thought I was white. Because this is something which many black folks have been called when they were smart, or well spoken…good workers… etc…etc… Which for those of you who may be white…it means they thought that I thought…I was better than them.
So, that white woman radio announcer had not a clue of what she was talking about when she started to bite into Michelle Obama. Because had she had a clue she 
would have known that Michelle Obama was telling the students in that class that it was okay to be smart and not to be ashamed of making good grades…and not to worry about what the other kids might call them. This was indeed what Michelle Obama was telling those students…and vast numbers of African Americans, if not all, hearing that speech knew right off what the First Lady was saying without thinking twice about it. She was not talking about some ‘white/black thing’…but a ‘black on black thing.’
But white people do not have a clue. They feel they know us. Have a handle on how we feel about things…how we operate…behave…and react. But really…they do not have a clue.
Take for instance shock jock-Imus in the Morning. He thought he was being 
funny…that what he was saying was cool and that he could get away with continually degrading and belittling black folks. And he felt this because of Pop culture…rapp music…rapp videos…and how the brotha’s talk in the streets.
But he failed to understand that there are other groups of black folks who felt that even the brotha’s and sista’s on the streets, in the videos etc…speak things we too find offensive and unacceptable. Because the kids…the rappers etc…do not have clue…didn’t mean that Imus could also operate within that same clueless realm 
and feel it was okay…because as he said, “They say it.”
Like Imus…the kids are clueless. The kids know nothing about the history behind much of what they say…nor take it, unfortunately, as being serious. But those of us who know the history…know also the pain…and saw the cost…we know. And not only take it seriously…but personal.
But…so isn’t that female announcer who would dared to want to call the First Lady of this country ‘trash.’ She is definitely quite clueless…and maybe so to a even higher level.
Would anyone dared to have called Barbara Bush that…and then felt that they could have gotten away with it?
How about Jacqueline Onassis-Kennedy?
Never.
And if you tried…everybody would be up in arms coming at you.
But you can get away with things when you are talking about black people or other minority groups that would never be acceptable or allowable when talking about someone white who sits in such a high position as the Obamas…or anywhere.
After all the stuff that Bill Clinton did while he was in the White House with Monica…never once did anyone call him outside of his name. They may have went after Bill but they never called him anything but Bill Clinton…or Mr. President.
Two semesters ago in a communications class we had to read about the uproar 
about the making of a TV movie about Ronald Reagan. The first part of the controversy was about the belittling of an American President…making him to appear erratic…and lost.
The second part of the argument had to do with party lines…the Republicans were staunchly against the TV mini-series about their beloved President Ronald Reagan claiming that the mostly liberal Democrats of the Production’s Executive Directors and writers were trying to tarnish the memory of an American hero, as well as, President…which should not be allowed.
I doubt that any of those people will stand up for First Lady Obama. But clearly 
large groups of people should including the owners and affiliates of that radio station that she works for and the syndicated stations she airs on.
Not only did not the woman have a clue as to what she was talking about by trying to under-cut what the First Lady had said to the students…but she was also highly out of order and offensive…and racist. There was an air about her tone which spoke…”I can say whatever I want about those n…..s and nobody will stop me. Because they are just n…..s anyways.”
So, it is not Michelle Obama who has a problem. No, but anyone who thinks and talks like this woman announcer. CLICK the LINK BLOW…if you want to read more about what this woman had to say…and you will also hear what it was that Michelle Obama said to the students. This woman clearly did not have the slightest clue to the real meaning of…outside of possibly pushing up some negative ratings for her radio program.
I wish I were the Program Director or manager at that radio station…she would have been pulled immediately…and sent packing.
And oh, yes…I purposely did not call her by name. Some people just are not worthy of the bother…I have given her more than enough play…(many of you might not understand that either…but I will let you try and figure it out). She is in dire need of a proper education.
This is America…and we do have freedom of speech. But she went way overboard. And for that there should be a penalty…as was in the case of Imus. And no appology will do. We are in the 21st Century…when do people start to grow up?
I get so tired of people saying whatever they want to say whenever it comes to black people…and then have the nerve to feel that there should and will not be any reprecautions for doing so.
Still working on the web site. I have to admit that it is really shaping up far better than anything I have done in the past. God is so good…He has endowed me.
And oh, yes…the weather has turned again. It is freeeeeeezzzzing.
God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on “
www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
1 comment March 25, 2009
Taboo Subject 2…self-respect…maturing… Michelle Obama layout…
Got up very early again this morning…but I was not nearly as 
productive as I had been on Saturday. In fact, I got up going to the bathroom and then stopped to read a chapter in my Bible…and then returned to bed.
I spent the past couple of nights sweating out my cold…of course, I can certainly see a vast difference. Been drinking plenty of fluids too…and also been making sure I take my iron tablets. Got to thicken up my blood…which is why I am also enjoying my Cream of Wheat. I am working on my 2nd box of it now…and still enjoying every minute of it. And as I do…it makes me think of how my father used to make it for us as children.
Mondays was our father’s day to care for us. As he was a barber…Sundays and Mondays were his 2 days off. I do not know 
how they worked out their schedules…but my mother and father did have it worked out as we were never left in the care of other people.
Daddy worked days and mommy worked nights. She worked at a state institution as a nurse supervisor…as I had previously stated in another one of my blogs…my mother had been the first black nurse in the little southern town where I was born.
Everything my parents did centered around us…their children. When they bought their first house…it was less than a block away from the little grade school that most of us went to…there was a bakery at the corner…a drug store…a small corner grocery store and deli…a bus stop…and we were only three houses in from the corner of a main roadway. Not to mention as I see by the city records today…they had bought the largest parcel of land of any 2 family house within our block. They were wise. And on top of all of that…there is a college right across the street.
So, when I eat Cream of Wheat it takes me back to those 
days…when daddy used to make it for us on cold mornings just as were going off to school. Some mornings he would fry us this thing called festival by some Jamaicans…or fried dumplings. He could really make those things…no matter what you call them. And we loved them…we filled them up hot out of the pan with plenty of butter and jelly…or some times with lots of syrup and butter…but they were good…always. But daddy was a great cook…and for that matter…so was our mother.
I am watching the snow fall down…and it is steady. It had been rain. It had rained straight through the night…and hard. Had all that rain been snow we would have been buried up under it right now. And that rain had been steady right up to the time it just turned to snow not so long ago. Now it is just a steady flow of un-yielding snow. I will soon have to go out and start shoveling…cold or no cold. But I am not going to complain…it is still beautiful.
I remember my friend in New York…the elderly woman, the church mother, who used to go to our 
church who passed this past August. You know I had never realized until some time later that she had passed on my mother’s birth date. And last night as I was thinking of her…my friend…it also dawned on me that when I had gone to the hospital to visit her…that the floor I had to switch from elevator to elevator on…had the same name as our street…the street that my parent’s house in 
on.
It is not a common name…and you do not see it everywhere. I thought that to be divine providence…you know…God’s working in the matter. I was very blessed to have had her…to have met her…and that she counted me as a friend. Her guidance to me shall forever be treasured.
In reading the article on religion…it is odd to me that a country founded on the freedom to practice religious beliefs would today be shifting away from having religion at all. But these days were bound to come.
When you reflect back on the years following 1962 when the push began to remove prayer from public schools…then anything bearing the word “God”…the challenge to remove the 10 Commandments from court houses and so forth…then this really should be of no surprise.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_re/rel_religious_america
http://atheism.about.com/od/churchstatemyths/a/ohairprayer.htm
I don’t know…perhaps it is just me. But where were all those anti-gay marriage people…and anti-abortion people when all of this was going on?
Droves of anti-gay marriage people come out picketing and marching…and demonstrating…against something which does not 
affect them…and will never affect them. But when something like taking prayer out the public school system…removal of the 10 Commandments from the court houses and other federal buildings…removing the words “In God we trust” off of our U.S. currency…comes up…where are these people?
Prayer was taken out of our school and replaced by sex education…and condoms. The kids today in school learn less about their A-B-C’s, Math, Sciences etc…than they are about condoms and the ‘birds and the bees.’ 
Kids do not need to learn anything about sex. Nature through all her infinite wisdom and years of expertise in that department has not needed any help…from the day that Adam and Eve ate that fruit from that tree. There does not seem to be one time in history that men and women did not know how to get together to procreate. And now it seems…little kids too. And I won’t blame it all on sex-education…because that would be foolish and quite absurb of me. But I do not see where educating kids about sex…does one thing to prepare them for their future in life.
But if they wanted to really to teach them something in regard to youth parenting…then maybe like those ‘Scared Straight’ programs they used to have years ago…perhaps they should take them to a welfare office where they get to meet and talk to some teenage mothers and see for themselves the pitfalls of pregnancy at young ages. There is nothing like a little one-on-one in reality in order to get the whole picture.
Or maybe…have them go do work study hours in places like a welfare office or WIC office aiding in in-take service…and they would truly learn a lot that just might give them a reason to pause and to think twice about the consequences of childhood pregnancy.
As I sit here watching the snow…I have been thinking about this 
guy…this man. I had met him at an event that I gave a few years ago. So, whenever he sees me…he likes to greet me.
Which is fine…I have no problem with that. It is something I became accustom to through my years in radio. Everybody wants to grab you…hug you…kiss you on the cheek. Okay…so, allow it. It is part of the territory…it goes with the turf when you become popular.
But this guy one day while I was in the library computer lab at school saw me…and he came greeting me…kissing me on the top of my head. Okay…fine. I did not say anything about it…but it was on my mind.
But the other day while I was waiting in a bank line…he happened to be passing by and saw me. My back was to the bank door…and he came 
up behind me. He said something to me grinning…and then kissed me to the back of my neck. I thought nothing of it at first…but later as I got into my son’s truck…in which sat a friend of his whom I was giving a ride to…that is when it hit me.
That guy had kissed me to the back of my neck.
I am very picky. Peculiar…you might even say. I really do not like people getting too familiar with me…and particularly people who I do 
not really know. And besides…he was not even good-looking. And even if he was…he still out of order…and I am still picky.
After all, this guy started out by sort of hugging me. Then he moved on to greeting me with a light kiss to a cheek…then to the top of my head. And I really should have stopped him then. So, I put it in my mind that the next time I saw that guy I would have to tell him that he could not touch me again.
That time came shortly…while I was once again in the library computer lab. As he approached me…he bent with his arms open ready to embrace me…and I guess kiss me again. But I happened to catch him…right on time…and drew away from him.
I stopped him saying-
“Listen, shake my hand if you want to greet me. But do not kiss me.”
He looked at me oddly.
So, I began to remind him about that day in the bank when he had come in and kissed me on my neck. I told him that anyone seeing that would have thought that we had a relationship and were involved with each other. Then I asked him what he would have thought if he had been standing off somewhere in the distance and happened to see a man kiss me on my neck.
And you know what he said?
“I would have thought that you were involved with each other too.”
Case close.
I said-
“Look, I am a woman of God. I cannot just have people walking up to me and kissing me all over the place like that. Plus that is disrespectful of me for you to do that. You should have more respect of me to even do anything like that.”
Wow, I have truly grown. I am a woman.
Gone are the days when I was a child…and people could do anything to me…or with me.
I have control over me.
And I am not having it.
You will respect me.
Wow… I am woman.
That guy apologized to me…and thanked me for correcting him. I appreciated him accepting my correction. Yet…I felt within myself that it should not have been warranted that I should have had to do such a thing. But men have a way…of taking things for granted…and particularly women.
I felt that many times while working in radio. I hated when my bosses called me ‘sweetheart,’ and ‘dear.’ It was very demeaning to me…while they never greeted each other in such a way…or spoke to each other in such familiar terms. Consciously , sub-consciously or unconsciously…such things historically have been designed to keep women in their place.
When I was a child…I was powerless. When I worked in radio…I had limited power. Today I am my own boss…I wheel power as I may…but yet…I measure it. As I know I can be highly intimidating to some.
But this may come as a surprise to some of you. But I have never been kissed. Not by the male species.
I know I have a son…but that does not mean that I allowed that man to kiss me. And I know that I said in my other blog…that Willis Kattrell…well, he kissed me. And he did. But I think my head was in motion when he did it…so he only caught a portion of my lips. To the side really…of my mouth.
So, I have never been kissed. Not really…though yes many women have kissed me…and I them. But the male species…no.
I never had a boyfriend…and have never dated men.
I am different… Not like most people. And my experiences have been different.
Yet, I am a mother. And I have a fantastically wonderful son. I treasure and love him very much. He too is…different.
This is how I know of generational curses. It was in my mother’s family. And I do realize…that generational curses can be broken. I bear witness to it.
I love the change in my life and look forward to my tomorrow. Perhaps…my husband. I now wish I had had other children. My son often had spoken of it…and still does.
There is this funny thing about me. After having been sexually abused at a very early age…perhaps before or by the age of 10…only twice and by 2 different men…but sometime thereafter, I decided that I wanted to save myself for my husband. I thought I 
wanted to live in a big house with a white picket fence…with a 2 car gargage…and have all the children that I could have. So, that is what I did…I decided to save myself…and that is what I did.
From the point of whatever age it was…10 maybe less…the last time someone had taken sexual advantage of me…I never became engaged again sexually until some time when I was 25 years of age. At this point…I was only interested in woman. And not just any woman. Gay women…women like me. Women who were upper-wardly mobile and doing something with their lives…professional
women mostly in media…though some were doctors, accountants etc…but talented…beautiful…well educated women…who looked and acted womanly.
Not all women who are gay…look it. In fact…many do not. The same is true of men…though the reverse thinking about gays is the myth.
I have no idea as to why I have begun to disclose so much to you…about myself. I shall have to pounder it.
Ahhh…yes… The point.
So, I decided to save myself. Well, at that point I could no longer save certain things as they had been stripped from me. My innocence had been stolen from me. But somehow throughout all the 
years one thing has remained…my kisses. So, since I have never kissed the male species…or allowed anyone of that species to kiss me directly on the lips…I decided to save it.
I am saving it for my husband…it is the least that I can give him. Unpolluted…un-tampered with…safe within my power…to give…or not to give. So, I am saving it for him. So, no I am not going to let somebody just walk up to me…or sneak up from behind me…and think that he can just come and steal it away from me…not that too. Except for…of course…er, uhm…if his name is Willis Kattrell. (you have just got to read that blog)
And let me just say…that I am still scrubbing my neck today…everytime I step into the shower…I am trying to remove the memory of that man’s lips to the back of my neck.
Well, the snow is slowing up now. And the kids are on their way home from school. I better get out and start shoveling. Enjoy the rest of your day.
http://www.stylelist.com/celebrity-style/style-evolution/michelle-obama
http://www.blackvoices.com/life-style/black-style-beauty/michelle-obama-fashion-photos
Didn’t like the VOGUE cover of Michelle Obama at all…just goes to 
prove that nobody can do us better than us. Thank God for Essence, Ebony, Jet, VIB, Right-On, Black Enterprise…and 
everything
else we have today.
THE BISHOP’S WIFE is now on sale…CLICK this LINK to purchase my book. You do
not need a paypal account to purchase, and you can purchase using a debit card. Thank you. 
God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on “ www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
Add a comment March 9, 2009
Re-classification…
Today I have been reclassified. And I have been smiling…really chuckling to myself since.
While waiting on the bus…which I had to dragged myself out of bed, shower and get dressed to get to. And I said all of that because knowing that if I didn’t want to waste my day today…I needed to get out and catch the bus.
Well, who wants to catch the bus?
So, I finally got out to the bus stop after deciding to make myself some Cream of Wheat…which I have really been enjoying for the past few days. It has been years since I 
have eaten it…but I woke up with a taste for it one day and I have been indulging myself since.
But it has been a long time since I have taken the 
street bus. And I needed to get downtown to the college where I am using their software to build my web site. Knowing that I would not have the truck today…it was the bus or not go. So, I decided the bus. But since I haven’t been on the bus for a while…I was 
not sure how much it now cost.
When I arrived at the bus stop there was a young guy on his cell…and finally when I saw the bus coming I decided to ask him how much it cost. So, I said-
“Is the bus still a dollar?”
He looked and kind of hesitated for a moment then smiled somewhat and said-
“For you 65¢.”
I didn’t quite understand what he meant when he said-
“For you.”
It was like they were having a special or something just for me. So, I asked him again saying-
“How much for you?”
“For me (meaning him) it’s a $1.25.”
Then he kind of grinned at me saying-
“But for you (meaning me) it’s 65¢.”
I still didn’t understand the ‘for you’ part of our conversation. And it must have been written on my face because then he kind of looked off as someone searching for the right words…then he looked back at me saying-
“For seniors its 65¢.”
FOR SENIORS?????
I have to admit he seemed so embarrassed in being forced to say it…and that I found to be quite funny.
Senior?
Me?
I have been called many things but never in my life before have I ever been called that.
So, between all my smiles…let me just inform you right now…that…
Well, I have been re-classified. I guess today I have been designated as a ‘senior.’
That is so funny to me. It reminds me of one day about 10 or so years ago while downtown Brooklyn and I was getting ready to cross the street. And this guy…this…this man…about 30 or 40 years old called me ‘ma.’
You will not know how insulted I was. Here he looked like he was all of 40 or something himself and here he was calling me ‘ma.’ I wanted to grab him and start beating him…calling me ‘ma?’ Are you kidding me…that was what I thought…and I was mad.
I was not accepting that…but today was different…I found it cute. The young guy today had done 
everything he could to keep from calling me a senior citizen…and I just could not understand what he was trying to say until he finally said it. And it was funny to me. And I have been smiling every since.
I do have gray hair…I come by it legally. Daddy’s hair was pure white…and I am very proud of having my father’s hair. I have even been complimented on it. It is pretty…and then the other half of my gray hair I earned. And I mean…I have earned it. Worries and problems, baby. They will do it to you too.
So, yes…as of today I have been re-classified. And now I expect to get all kinds of discounts…and all those little perks that come along with my new classification. (smile)
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
Add a comment February 25, 2009
Venus out in Melbourne… Non-Believers controversy
Sent packing Thursday following her lost to the number 46th seed woman in the tennis world, Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, Venus Williams, rated number 6 in the world, was thought to be the woman most likely to emerge as winner on the Women’s Singles side in the Australian Open…but following her 2-6, 6-3, 7- 5 whipping at the hands of the Spaniard in the second rounds of the tournament that brought an abrupt end to that hope and casted it totally into the wind…Venus… Well, she took it hard and…
It was all they wrote for Venus who has yet to win a single championship in the great ‘down under.’ But all may not yet be lost…as there is still the Women’s Doubles…where Venus and Serena are a very strong team and are presently doing quite well.
http://www.arcamax.com/sports/s-483219-454868?source=1930
http://www.nndb.com/people/229/000023160/
It is amazing how time truly flies…Venus is now 28 years old. It seems like only yesterday that 2 little black girls stepped out on the world tennis stage leaving tons of bodies in their wake…with white beads all in their hair beating them across their young gleeful faces while they overpowered the field female opponents, both young and old, with phantom speed and might.
Serena on the other hand moved right along until… Well, she wasn’t sent packing…but her pride was a bit… Well, she had to sweat through her second round…6-3, 7-5 victory over Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
One year younger than my son, Serena having been born on the 26th of September 1981…who at the tender age of 14 turned a professional tennis player. My…amazing. And she has already won the Australian Open 3 times…2003, 2005, 2007…seems she likes odd years. She just may pull it off again. Cha-ching!
And along with Venus…she too has her own line of clothes…that story is in one of the LINKS BELOW.
http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/668860.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/nothing-patchy-about-serenas-win-20090120-7led.html
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=57&ContentID=120068
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/cmatch/12wd.html
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gu-A1eCt0kuDKuY_MFbs6A_EhLLA
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24954548-16143,00.html
First it was those black folk who questioned Obama’s blacknesss. Then those
who didn’t want Obama talking on this or that. Then there came the Tavis Smiley Klann who want to hold Obama ‘accountable.‘Accountable to what?
For what?
To who?
And why?We didn’t create him. We didn’t feed him. We didn’t send him to college…didn’t sit with him and tell him-
“Boy, you better study.”
We never told him –
“I’ll be there for you, Barack.”
Now, you want to hold Obama ‘accountable’ to black folks because of 
what?
Because he is black?
I didn’t hear anybody say they wanted to make George Bush accountable for nothing. And if ever there was a person that that should have been done to it was him.
Now, here comethe black brethren of the Cloth…upset because in his first speech to the nation during his inaugural…Obama said these words-
“…Christian, Muslim and non-believers.”
They are upset because ‘non-believers’ was included in that speech. Rather than to have enjoyed one of the highest moments ever in Black History and American History period…they sat around like a bunch of old hens knit picking.
How very sad for them.
That whole very beautiful event that took place this past Tuesday when a black man was sworn in as the 44th President of this country just totally flew over the top of their heads because of ‘non-believers’ being spoken.
When the #1 man in the world became a black man…they sat around poking out their lips and mumbling about 2 words…‘non-believer.’
The #1 man in the free world is a black man…Commander and Chief of our country and armed forces. I am just curious as to what in world part of that they fail to understand?
Perhaps, they are too filled up with their own self-importance…or supposed importance to get to the real significance of this whole thing.
He is the President. Barack Obama…he is the President of the United States of America…he doesn’t take orders or anything else from anyone…and particularly a bunch of dis-satisfied and highly disenchanted old men sitting around looking for things to complain
about…because somebody has reached a higher level than them.
He is the President of the United States. Barack Obama is President of the United States…and in case they don’t know…that is higher than any CEO…any CEEO…any board of Presiding Bishops…higher than anything outside of God. And even God recognized the law of the land…and told us to ‘give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.’ That includes respect.
He is the President. Not chump…whipping boy…or somebody those men should be sitting 
around trying to analyze every word in order to find fault.
I have never been able to understand people who try to bury their heads in the sand and want to pretend like something is not there…or does not exist.
Just who caused prayer to be taken out of our schools?
Who have had the court houses around this country remove from their walls, edifices and corridors the 10 Commandments?
Who has been seeking to have removed from the face of American 
currency “In God we trust?”
Yes, them. Those people…those very people whom Barack Obama dared to make mention of in his inaugural speech. They are real. They do exist…and in growing numbers. Those…those non-believers…atheist
Get your head out of the sand, gentlemen. The world did not stop turning because President Obama included them in his speech. They are here…and I suggest that you go after them not Obama if you really want to make a statement…and stop letting those people corrupt and change everything to suit themselves. 
You gentlemen are on the wrong side of the battle ground…but then I do understand. There is only one Barack Obama…and tons of them. Yes…I clearly understand.
On a higher note… Obama’s approval rating for his first couple of days in office is out…and he gets high marks. Best since Kennedy. You can read more on that…CLINK on the LINK BELOW.
http://news.aol.com/?feature=316834
http://news.aol.com/article/obamas-nonbeliever-nod-unsettlessome/316339
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=13694
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_obama_text
Well, God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
Add a comment January 25, 2009
Obama picks…. Bush demise… out with old and in with the new…
First, people wanted to say the Obama wasn’t qualified enough. Now, everybody is talking about the people he is bringing on board to help him get this mess straightened out “are old political insiders.”
They really need to decide what they want…either they want experience or they don’t?
Moreover, everybody who has every done anything or worked anywhere knows that ‘changes starts at the top’ and not at the bottom. In everything in this life there is a hierarchy.
Have you ever worked on a job and a new boss was hired to replace your old boss?
Or a new supervisor had been appointed over you?
Well, if not then you are a very rare bird. Because practically everyone has experienced this in some shape or form and at one time or another in their life. When the
old went out and the new came in. Much like New Year’s…now that I am thinking about it. Your year today was nothing like your year last year…though all the dates were exactly the same. The months were in the same place…but some how none of your days were ever the same. So it is with anything new…the same can even be said for clothes. Once you’ve worn it one time…it will never feel as crisp or fit quite the same way.
So, it is with new management. When new management comes in…all the employees can be the exact same but policies change. What was or is not acceptable changed…what was once tolerated many now not be tolerated. And what had been allowable may not now be allowable.
It is what new management…new leadership…even ‘new direction’ does. It brings about a change…and it starts from the person who calls the shots or is instituting the changes…and it triggles downward to those who have to now do as the new boss and/or leader…head…chief…executive etc. says.
So, what is all the hoopla about President Obama bringing into his presidency some of the Clinton people?
Haven’t they already been there?
Done that?
And have a clue of what now might need to be done?
Many of you said, “Obama lacks experience.” Now, he gives you experience in terms of his staff you start singing yet another tune. Every executives seeks out people with experience…people they feel they can put their confidence in.
So, should Obama be any different?
Obama is no fool. He is highly thought out and he seeks to bring into his folds only the brightest and best…just as he is…and just as any company management does. So, don’t let the right wing conservatives who sit on your television screens day in and day out lead you to believe that Obama is not going to hold to his promises of bring a new day to politics in Washington, DC. His campaign showed us the stuff that Obama is made of, and he will continue to made good decisions…his campaign clearly demonstrated that.
We didn’t vote in a dummy. Not this time around…and I shouldn’t even say “not this time around”….because I didn’t vote for George Bush either times. And I was angry when more of this country didn’t stand 
up and cry foul when he stole his way into the White House in the first place following the 2000 Presidential Election. That never ever should have been allowed. But my goodness…why go back to the polls 4 years later and then try to legitize that robbery and that lie by voting Bush officially into office in 2004?
The price this country has had to bare because it is almost unspeakble. the glaring evidence of it cannot be denied. And certainly it very sad when you consider the innocent lives lost because of it…due that man deciding non-unitarially to start dropping bombs on Iraq.
If you want to wonder why America is in the state that she is in…look at what Americans allowed to happen in 2000. And then maybe you might come to realize that no good thing can come from evil…and as the old saying goes-
“A thief never prospers.”
Now, turning my attention to something going on on our campus here in town. I ran into a student to pointed out that I should go on-line to read some of the comments that some of the white students were making about Barack Obama being elected President of the United States.
First of all…what surprised me was the fact that they were openly discussing Obama being killed. Then came the comments that ‘Biden really was the president’…because Obama was not going to be around long. Not to mention the typically racist and bias and bigoted statements that some people have historically made about black people. Such as calling us ‘apes’, ‘monkeys’…and one even stated that ‘the campus a zoo because it had so many black student’ etc…etc…etc..
Needless to say…this did infuriate me. And I quickly wrote an email notice myself. First, I informed them that there are 2 things in the United States which are definitely against the law…and that they could go to prison for. (1) yelling ‘fire’ in a public place, and (2) threating to kill the President of the United, or being found to be conspiring to kill the President of the United States, and being found trying incite others to kill the President of the United States.
Like it or not Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America. And I will drop a dime on anybody I overhear talking about killing him in any shape or manner…even in joke or as a passing thought.
And I am serious about it…as well as we all should.
I intend to do everything I can to protect Barack Obama and his family, including telling a bunch of racist students that before they speak they should consider the law regarding the person of the President of this country. After having posted that…for the most part the ignorant comments ceased.
Barack Obama is going to live a long time. He has no fear over his life being taken…and neither does his
family.
The only people seeking to be empowered by such acts or thoughts are those who seek evil…for the sake of evil. And with the hopes of instilling fear.
Not many people remember who killed Abraham Lincoln…but we all 
remember Abraham Lincoln.
And as I have already stated in a former blog…I believe that Barrack Obama was predesinated ‘for a time such as this.’ And that is Biblical…and if any of you knows what that means…then you know that Obama’s life is set for him (ordained of God). And can’t nobody do anything to him or take it from him but God.
Speaking of Obama…the buses are already being reserved for the many thousands who plan on being down in Washington, DC to personally witness the swearing in of Barack Obama as President of the United States on January 20th. Between Maryland and Virigina there will no hotels anywhere due the mass of people who will be converging in DC on that day. This will probably be the biggest mass convergence in the world…consider the over 250,000 who gathered in Grant Park on Election Night to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. Well, double that 
figure…maybe even triple it.
They will be in DC, baby. And they will be flying in from all of the world as well as from all over the USA for this very special moment in American history.
Not to mention that DC is probably now going to replace New York City in popularity among tourists coming to this country. Because everybody is going to want to get a picture of the White House…be hoping for a glimpse at the new First Family…and possibly shake the President’s hand. And I definitely intend on being one of them.
Well, God bless…have a good weekend.
It is cold this way though the sun is shining. I was out earlier this week raking up leaves. Thank 
goodness my son came and helped me out. I didn’t know that raking leaves could be such hard work…and particularly when the wind is blowing. But it was the first day that the sun had come out and it hadn’t rained.
Think about it…next Thursday is turkey day. I always look forward to the leftovers. But it is just amazing how quickly the days are rushing by. It seems like I just started this week and here I am at Friday. Everything is whizzing by us.
Whatever your plans may be safe…remember those who are less fortunate. Even if you have nothing more than simply prayer for them…prayer always goes a very long ways.
…pass it on…’ www.bsmith101.wordpress.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/barackobamadotcom?ob=4
God bless…and thanks for reading ©2008
Add a comment November 21, 2008
College girls…and grade school girls…Where’s the Pride?
While in the lab working on a class project. I happen to overhear a conversation between one of the male college students and one of the female college students.
For all that he was saying to her…I would have gotten up and slapped him. But this girl took it with such ease. It did not phaze her none in 
the least.
The boy was talking to her like she was nothing but a tunnel down there…and you probably know where and what I am talking about.
Though she was none in the least embarrassed, I was embarrassed for her.
She lacked any understanding of herself and why this boy and what he was 
saying to her should have been offensive to her.
After thinking about it for a while, I now understand why.
Those very girls and boys which I had discussed in prior blogs “Teen Pregnancy Pact” etc…those are the same little boys and girls who were mothers and fathers in grade school. Well, maybe not exactly them…but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. They just didn’t get caught…meaning ‘they had not gotten pregnant.’
Well…well, these are those people today….they are 
entering college. And this girl…well, she is a product of that mentality.
This girl whom the boy in the lab was talking to…well, they spoke so….so casual…ly. She to him and him to her. That one would have thought that such blatant and insulting conversation was the norm and alright.
And if any of you says it is…I will strongly beg to differ.
It is not.
That young girl is an example of what is emerging out of the school system where kids get to talk about sex and act out in ways…which…which frankly should never be allowed.
No man should ever call a woman a tramp (even in an around about way…or in mild causual conversation)…unless he first stops acting as one himself. And even then it is not allowable.
And believe me…there was nothing ’round about’ in the way this boy was talking to that girl.
But why are women so degraded?
Why are we the ones ‘de-valued’?
The young girl would not be one among many of the campus whores…and I am very sorry to say that…and it really hurts me to have to call it as such…but it is true…if the male population were carrying themselves a lot better too.
You would have had to have heard the conversation to know what I am talking about. And for her to sit there talking with him as he laid out all her whorish shortcomings…espisode after episode…to her without so much as a grimace or a sidewise glance from her?
It was appalling.
This speaks volumes as to how far off the mark these young girls…young ladies…and yes…I guess….young women have fallen. They are far off course. And all the sex education in the world has done nothing for them…but allowed them to feel more and more like sexual objects. And very much for lack of saying it in any other way…and they “get down with that.”
For them it is okay. And even seems as though they enjoy it…being known as the ‘girl who will throwdown’ or ‘go down on anyone.’ UGH!!!!!
I wish someone would dare to talk to me as if I were common.
I am not common.
I am not going to be common.
And no one is going to ride me like a horse.
Only to cast me off and turn me out to pasture like some old broken down nag.
And then have them laughing…and talking about me?
No.
These young girls have no pride. And many older women do not either.
Maybe, it is that I think too much of myself?
But this thing is really ashame. And the problem is…is that the same standards are not allotted towards men. Throughout history the male speices if you will…has been given a free ride (excuse the pund) when it has come down to issues of morality. If this had not been the case and was not the case today there is a chance that this topic and the approaches to it would be different in our world today. But since 
the beginning of time for men in almost every country the standards have differed greatly from those applied towards women. Morality has never stretched both sides of the aisle.
However, this would not in any more way justify such talk…but it could create a level of standards on both party’s part. The boy in the lab, who was maybe all of 24, clearly didn’t see anything wrong in the behavior of either himself or any of his friends
who were hopping on top of this girl. Nor did he think it disrespectful to her to speak so loudly so that the entire lab could hear that sickening conversation. And nor did she in her own ignorance care whether everyone heard.
But why should she be any more of a whore then they?
Are they not all engaged in the same thing?
Will there ever come a time again…when men protected women’s valor rather than trampled all over it?
Oh, yes…by the way…that conversation was not between a black male and black female student. As typically many people believe that only certain groups carry on in certain ways. This issue of sex…pre-martial sex…sex in grade school…etc…etc…is a very big issue…and it involves everybody.
I am appalled because I have young nieces and nephews coming up in a culture that believes everything is alright…as long as it feels good. Everything is not…alright. Whether it feels good…or not.
As old fashion as this may sound…what it really does boils down to just one plain thing…‘self-respect.’ I don’t know how many times I used to overhear older people say that when I was growing up…but not today. I haven’t heard it in years. But it is what we have to teach our children, nieces, nephews etc. They must learn how to respect themselves first. Then they will be able to ensure and enforce that respect among their friends and peers.
That may sound like a too simplified cure to such a big and overwhelming problem as responsible living and sex given todays sexual culture…but self-respect is the beginning root to a successful life. Without it how does one grow, accomplish or achieve anything in life?
Well, we are inching closer to the finish line…Election Night 2008. It will be a big and exciting night for many reason. May God bless America!
Even the little ones support Obama!
Even the little ones support Obama!
Even the little ones support Obama!
It gives me such hope for this country. It really does.
There is no country like this one.
There is no place at all…like the United States of America.
Through all her adversities, contradictions…missteps…and fall downs…American is great. And she is beautiful…though there have been times in her history when people, Presidents, groups didn’t always act justly, fairly or truthfully. But through it all she has maintained her beauty…and she is worth everything we can do to save her.
In closing…let me take this time to clarify once again…that Barack Obama is not just a phenomena because he is black.
No, it is far greater than that.
He i
s a phenomena because he is who he is.
That is what America has much to be proud of…because he is a product of her. It has taken us much and a long time to get here. But we are here. And at the end of the day…it does matter. It really really does…for everyone’s sake.
Perhaps a d
ecent wholesome Obama family in the White House is what this country is in dire need of to get her morally back on the right track, as well. The kids certainly need other role models other than the ones they follow in Hol
lywood and the Rapp world…and certainly other than the likes of a Britney Spears to pattern themselves behind.
Please be sure to share this blog site with all your friends…family…just….just….everyone!
Tuesday….Tuesday….Tuesday….
Smile and have a beautiful day.
Please be sure to share this blog site with all your 
friends…family…just….just….everyone!
Have a beautiful day…and thank you for reading.
…pass it on…’ www.bsmith101.wordpress.com
Smile and have a wonderful wonderful day. It’s nice out today. A bit cool…but yesterday we got lots of flurries….awhhhhhhh….
Please be sure to share this blog site with all your friends, family…just everyone…friends and woe. Thank you for reading.
…pass it on…’ www.bsmith101.wordpress.com
God bless…and thanks for reading ©2008
Add a comment October 30, 2008
Nikki Giovanni…a voice…
I don’t know what I was doing but I decided to see if there was anything on youtube on Angela Davis…I thought of Huey P. Newton…and then my mind went to Nikki Giovanni.
So, I punched it up and I have to share it with you…not that I agree with it. But it is funny.
Most of what I talk about is serious stuff.
I am not a comedian…and couldn’t tell a good joke if I tried. Believe me.
My son tells me often-
“Ma, you are not funny.”
I consider Nikki Giovanni an icon and was happy to see that I could find some footage on her. And even though I don’t necessarily agree with all of her opinions in these clips…she is funny.
And we can all stand to laugh from time to time. And it never hurts to be able to laugh at ourselves every now and then.
So, smile…and enjoy.
I have the utmost respect for both Dr. Bill Cosby and Dr. Condoleezza Rice…as well as Dr. Giovanni, 
who still has that same voice after all of these years. And it is just as strong as ever.
I am happy to agree on those thing in which we can all agree and disagree on those that we do not agree upon. There is just no way that all people are going to agree on all things…or even most of the people. It is the way that it is.
I have 7 siblings…and none of us can agree on anything.
But the good part is when you can disagree and still love each other. That day hasn’t come in our household yet…and maybe not in the black community either. It is something for us all to work towards.
Well…. …God bless… …and enjoy your day. ©2008
1 comment July 22, 2008
Hello world! Obama, Hillary, Bill…and me
To think that someone is allowing little ol’ me a platform to voice my highly opinionated thoughts anywhere in this universe…it is a dream come true. Can’t stand high tech stuff…I don’t want any ringtones or a cell phone that takes pictures, nothing…but think I might actually get to love this blogging thing…because I have a lot to say. And now thanks to this high tech outlet I can say them to someone other than my niece’s cat.
(1) I thought we lived in America?
Whatever became of the right to have freedom of speech? I don’t know how many times marches and rallies were allowed to the KKK (Ku Klux Klan…the clueless and mindless…oh, well…that’s another subject) in various cities (north and south) in this country…because whether we liked or not they had a right to voice their mindless opinions.
Then why during this pre-election period had several occasions arose that people were ousted from various campaigns for having said things like… “Hillary is mean”??? If she is mean…she is mean. And no amount of reshuffling or rephrasing is going to overcome it. The truth is the truth. And truthfully speaking she and her husband did some pretty mean spirited things during the primaries which spoke volumes towards who they truly are. They were the ones who introduced the race card…they were the ones touting that “they” represented the poor white voters of America. Since when? I’ll tell you when…since she needed them and couldn’t think of another way to win…and it still wasn’t enough.
Frankly, that Priest who spoke in the church where Obama used to be a member, he really told the truth about Hillary. That whole enactment was directly out of network tv (the nightly news) and had it been done on Saturday Night Live nobody would have said anything. Also, as quietly as it has been kept I heard commentators stating those exact same things at the very time they were taking place (it is in the news clips).
But going back to my initial thought…isn’t this America? Our right to freedom of speech is drafted into the fabric of the Bill of Rights called the 1st Amendment. So, what I could not understand was that all during the primaries people were being given the boot because they voiced their opinions. What? Let me say it again…all during the primaries this past Spring various members of all the primary campaign groups vying for the Presidency of the United States all lost people close to their campaigns due to those people saying something. And the number one adversaries leading these charges were journalist (what a bunch of hypocrites) sent out by whatever political group they favored to smear and smutty up the other side as much as they possibly could by unseating whomever they could. And look for it to get worst as we draw nearer and nearer to November…when it is time to really cast our votes for who will become President of the United States. And dare I say…look for more tricks by those underhanded, double-dealing, side-talking, conniving, backstabbing-(PAUSE) Oh, I’m sorry…I got carried away…REPUBLICANS!
(2) What did you think about Hillary trying to rewrite the game as she went 
along? At first Obama had the majority vote and Hill had the delegates…then the tables turned. When she had the delegates and Obama was winning state after state…Hill was singing ‘well, let the delegates decide.’ Yeah…that was before Obama started to dwindle her delegate count and finally overtook her even in that. Then near the end of the primaries Hill started picking up states…only mind you…after the Republicans began to try and throw the primaries in her direction. And why not? The Clintons exited the White House amid a myriad of unresolved issues of which the Republicans would have anxiously welcomed revisiting.
And all that stuff about “…so my daughter and all your daughters”…hog wash…that’s all that was. It had no real meaning for Hill other than being just another ploy to try seek out some level of loyalty from a very underserved group. What a bunch of crock that was coming from Hillary Clinton, and about as truthful as Hill saying to the poor people in the hills of West Virginia, Tennessee etc., who make their living going down into dangerous un-monitored coal mines, breathing in cancerous polluted air whilst drinking and bathing in filthy polluted water while providing this country with one of its most valuable and most highly under-rated commodities, coal…saying that she knew them and felt their pain? Oh, yeah…while stepping out of what limousine? Or while getting on what jet plane and turning up to her lips a glass of what top-shelf drink? Whilst all the while they (Hill and Bill) were trying to frame Obama as the elitist…insane…when they have double the millions…in fact almost 3 times as much money as the Obama’s. And she wants Obama to pay off her Primary debts which she liberally and unabashedly kept sinking into that sinking ship called her campaign…be real. If she loaned it to herself then let herself pay it back…it’s what we do in the real world when we take out loans and create debt.
But oooh no they’re different, those Clintons. In real terms it was her money…loaned to herself…so, if she gave it back to herself what would that hurt? Least ways she wouldn’t have to worry about any interest accumulating on it. Why should Obama give up any of his donations (which he will surely need to use during his run against McCain) to reimburse Hillary for going to the Mall and spending her own money on herself? (This may well be but yet another Hillary scheme…if Obama ran out money during the final leg of his campaign to the White House and lost…Hillary could step in and say “See, I told you he couldn’t win.” But he really lost because he ran out of money…due to reimbursing Hillary’s…what nearly $10 or $15 million back to her. But everybody would be reporting the lost as Obama was ‘weak, inexperience, lacked diplomatic credentials, lack of voter confidence, etc.’…and guess who would be leading the charge? That’s right…our girl Hill…team player that she really is.)
She knew she was loosing…and yet Hillary continued to pour money into her campaign knowing that whoever would become the nominee for the Democratic Party would be put on the spot to do so…to pay off her debt. And lets face it unless you were either pretty dumb or lost in space somewhere you had a pretty good idea that Obama was going to end up being the nominee…it was in the numbers and he had them…all of them.
So, yeah…Hillary kept pouring in the money…because she knew one way or another it would end up being somebody else’s responsible. Either she was going to reimburse herself out of her own campaign money or she would break poor old Obama down and try to wiggle it out of him and the Democratic Party. She should fall down on her knees and repent right now. But that’s how insiders play…they stack the deck and never play fair…and always want you to look like the bad guy. Personally, I hope Obama doesn’t give her a dime…not one thin dime.
(3) To anyone thinking about self-publishing…let me give you the dis’ on that. And you will probably hear it only here. a. no matter how much you investigate a publishing company you will never know them until you have to work with them. b. they may look like the best thing since Santa…but I am telling you be weary of anybody wearing a red jump suit all year round. c. you’ve checked out their product and their publications look great…right? yeah, right….. contact the authors and asked him or her what the first cover looked like and how much were they were charged for another cover. (I even got a cover design that had been used for one of the company’s prior author’s book…and they still wanted to charge $250 for a re-design) d. find out their charges for corrections because you would be surprise just how expensive making corrections can be. (let’s just say after a $50 sur-charge for corrections the cost at the company I used, it was $2 per correction and that only covered type-po’s…..’alw’ instead of ‘all.’ then there were errors that company made in reformatting my manuscript…errors in spacing…even to not wanting to in my table of contents, want to assign the page numbers to various sub-sections)…where is Batman or Superman when you really need them? Oh, brother…
All I can tell you when they ask you for the money first (and my process was on-line…the first part of the process was to pay them)…realize you are already in trouble. That was the easiest part of the process; it rapidly went downhill from there. There system suddenly became convoluted so much so I couldn’t readily tell how to submit my manuscript or anything else…but 
they had my money. And I am very computer literate.
The next morning after failing to move forward with my order on-line, I called the company and ended up having to email them my manuscript (instead of being to do over their system). I added rush order service and something called ‘author’s press release express.’ It all was an exercise of just giving away my money. I spent over $2,000 for something which from day one only got worst and worst.
Remember I just told you that I paid for rush service. Well, on the 11th day after having placed my order for this company’s services I came to find out my the staffer handling my service at the time had not put my order through as of yet…because during those 11 days he was busy trying to get me to buy yet another service from his company that would have cost me another $299. So, I had paid for rush service believing that once I had placed my order with them that they were working on producing my book. But they were not…because it was actually sitting in limbo somewhere while this guy was trying to add to his commission by getting to buy something else.
Furious at this, I demanded back my rush service money as well as cancelled the other additional service which I had foolishly bought into…believing I was dealing with a fine and upstanding religious printing company (Oh, and I am going to tell you their name…just keep reading I have more to tell).
The next thing to happen following my dissatisfaction regarding my rush service…or the lack thereof, was this service which they call ‘authorlinks.’ It is where authors go on their websit, put in your user code and password in order to access notices that the company forwards to you regarding your book, sales, production etc. But the access code they gave me never worked. Upon calling and talking with thr other person who was assigned to me once my book was finally put into production…she commence to tell me how my user information did work and how she was looking at my notices inside my box, and that I had 12 notices. I told her it did not matter that she could access them when I could not. Well, this was just too big of a thing…she had to send a notice to the techy people and how they had 500 other authors and none of them had any problems accessing their box…etc…etc… You would have had to be on the other line to really get a picture of this story…I never recognized that at the time it was all a game at first. So, she told me until they could fix it she would email me my typeset manuscript and anything important…which is what she did.
My manuscript had some 260 pages…from which I found 150 errors which I had failed to pick out before sending it in to them…and it is a good thing I kept going back over and over my work before submitting it to them because I had had no idea about the charges for corrections. But with far less than 1 error per page and only one paragraph that needed to be redone (which they considered a major change) I thought I was doing pretty good…I wasn’t going to be too bent out of shape. The fee of $314 to make my corrections didn’t overwhelm me…because I would rather have a professional product…and a bunch of type-po’s and grammatical errors take away from any book or any other printed material. But about 8 of my errors were errors done on the part of the company and were not mines…and they refused to adjust them. And not only did they refused their errors but to make any corrections until I paid them the $314…this mind you while they were still in procession of my $2000 and had yet to refund me for the 2 services I had previously cancelled, and had already paid for. I absolutely refused to give the company another dime until they forwarded me my correction…for one main reason…because the company refused to make many of the changes which I requested even enough they claimed that my 150 changes…basically misspelled words…deemed that they needed to retype set (that was what the $314 was supposedly). But if they had to retype set…then why couldn’t they also make all the necessary corrections which had text all jumbled up (errors that happened on their end)? I was simply not going to pay for corrections which I was not sure about what I would be getting, and highly unsure about what I was suppose to get. This held up my book for another 2 weeks (14 days).
By having bought into their rush service my book was suppose to be published within a 45 day span. There we were still at the starting gate locked at a standstill with 25 days already lost, no refund of the money for the services I had cancelled, and here came the cover of my book.
Upon putting in my order for service the company provided an area where you tell them your thoughts regarding your cover design. One of the key requests regarding the design of my cover was that there were no people on my cover. Secondly, I requested a sophisticated ritzy design as my book was entitled “The Bishop’s Wife.” And I got anything but what I requested. First of all there was a woman on my over dressed in some type of sundress…no jewelry…no Sunday suite…nothing ritzy and certainly nothing sophisticated about it at all. In fact it was quite plain…and on top of it all…from the very moment I saw that cover I knew I had seen it somewhere before. And I had. It was the cover of another author’s book which this company had published. What a disaster. And they still wanted me to pay for it.
After trying to straighten out the mess with the company and to get them to refund me for the services I had cancelled…all to no avail…I decided to sever my ties. I’ll have to get back to you on that as I am still waiting to hear from them on it. But I will probably have to take them to court.
Sometimes you just have to recognize something for what it is. I had a bad feeling about this company from the moment I tried forwarding my manuscript to them. When the first thing they took was my money and failed to provide an adequate system for me to also forward my manuscript…that in of itself should have sent off bells in my head…and to a degree it did but not enough to keep from trying to work with them to get my book published. It was all one big mistake…right from the start.
I thought I had made the best choice…that they were a bit more expensive but I believed that I was going to get what I paid for. And you know what…I really did. I got just what I paid for and deserved…because I decided to judge a book by its cover. The website of the company looked great, the services sounded great, their product (or what I thought were their products…books by other authors) seemingly all looked great. But you really can’t judge a good book by its cover. I should have contacted some of those authors.
And that company’s name is Xulon Publishing or Printing out of Longwood, FL…and they called themselves a good Christian company. Don’t you believe a word of it. And you can tell ’em I’m going to tell the world just what kind of company they truly are.
Now, that I have gotten that off my chest who knows what I will be talking about tomorrow. I’m widely versed, highly knowledgeable…and would love to hear what you have to say. And did I tell you I write screenplays and once won a law suit where the judge not only awarded me my money back but the car too. Only the Lord…I used to think I was smart. But now I know better…I give honor where honor is due. God Bless… ©2008
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