http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvfdWaDDk6s

Love is stronger than death even though it can’t stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can’t separate people from love. It can’t take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.

- author unknown

And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. Ecclessiastes 3: 16

I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Ecclessiastes 3: 18-22

“It’s gon be some stuff you gon see, that’s gon make it hard to smile in the future. But through whatever you see, through all the rain and the pain you gotta keep your sense of humor, you gotta be able to smile thru all this”. Today’s Pardon me message is dedicated to the loving memory of my dear friend Irene Simmons who passed away yesterday, may her memory and spirit always be with us. I received the information yesterday and after talking to multiple people I was still hoping someone got it wrong, that she had not passed but that she was in the hospital. Maybe it wasn’t looking too good but still in all she was still here on this earth with us. Earlier in the day I had planned to go to the bank and mess with her but I never made it, so when I heard the news I kept calling her phone hoping that she would pick up, that I would hear her voice but all I heard was her voicemail.

The young lady had not been out of Temple University a full year when this tragedy happened. I just kept thinking about how young she was, and how much of a beautiful spirit she had. Typically when people pass on I can mask it by just acting as like I haven’t seen them in a while. But as I lay in bed making a youtube tribute to her last night, as her smile glowed at me through the computer screen, I knew that the Irene that I knew was no more. I can’t harass her on the phone, bother her at her job, even with me living in the middle of nowhere she came out to see me and we hung out, none of that anymore.

A friend said to me that her father said to her “we should not weep for the dead because they are better off at that point than we are”. I replied, I guess spiritually I am not at that point just yet. This is why I specifically chose today’s scripture where it says Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Last night I was thinking, my grandmother died when she was 65, there is no doubt in my mind that she is resting in a better place. I mean, she had cancer, it had gotten pretty bad so when the Lord took her I was at peace. It’s always a little different with a younger person, a person who has yet to fully live their life. I know everything happens on God’s time and it happens for a reason but when it’s a younger person who you know, who you are used to talking to it can affect you a little differently.

All in all I know that rather than mourn her memory we must celebrate her life and continue to let her spirit live on through us. For anyone who loses someone, we all know that there is a time for us to die. Let us enjoy our work as the word says, let us enjoy our friends and every moment that we have. We walk around knowing that our days are numbered but mentally we think we will be here forever. Then something like this happens and we are forced to reilize how precious life truly is. Don’t wait until someone passes on to give them your flower, tell them you love them today and honor them while they are still living. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Peace and love Irene, may your memory live on.

Media critic and pundit, Paul Porter says TV One’s coverage of last night’s DNC convention can be summed up in two words — Gluteus Maximus.

      In a statement to EUR, Porter goes on to say:

 

      TV One’s “After Party” analysis of Michelle Obama rear end by Michael Eric Dyson, lacked class while lowering the low standard for television news.

      Dyson’s admiration for Michelle Obama’s figure was off base and deserves an apology from TV One and and the George Town Proffessor.

      It’s tough enough trudging through opinion based biases on a daily level with pundits and analyst, Dyson has officially added sexism to mainstream media’s divorce of discussing real issues.

      Michael Eric Dyson’s referenced a recent trip to Europe, by labeling European women with flat rear ends and was proud to see Michelle Obama’s, “gluteus maximus” as a symbol of the beauty of African American women. Education and common sense are obviously two distinct values and Dyson’s comments are living proof.

source

So I’m sitting here trying to wrap my head around this comment by “The Great Michael Eric Dyson”. Honestly, I can’t, the comment was inappropriate on so many levels that no psuedo intellectual explanation of it will make sense.

Here are some possible explanations:

a. I was merely complimenting the beauty of a woman of color.

Well I for one think my mother is a beautiful woman, my sister is beautiful, I have had numerous beautiful girlfriends but I would be highly offended if someone commented on the beauty by referencing their “booty”. As an intellectual, social critic I really can not understand how he fixed his mouth to make this absurd comment. 

Michelle Obama is a beautiful woman, regardless of your trip to Europe and seeing all the flat butts in the world what right does that give you to discuss her rear end on national television. It is outright disrespectful. All this coming from the man who a month ago was ranting about black men’s mistreatment of black women. Well mike, I hate to tell you, when you meet a black woman, comments about her breast and butt are not compliments, they like more when we compliment their intelligence, their natural beauty, hell even their hair.

b. I was just complimenting the brother Barack Obama on his woman.

You can’t be this stupid, I mean Barack is presidential and all but I remember him telling the Republicans to lay off his wife, what you think he would say to your dumb self for discussing his wife’s butt on air. As a man i want to know why you were looking at my wfe’s butt in the first place, but not only are you looking at it but you have the audacity to comment. Michael Eric Dyson loves to pull some hood credibility to his name when he is discussing the plight of African American men. In your search for hood credibility did you ever notice that black men are extremely protective of their women and do not tolerate the blatant disrespect that you aimed at sister Michelle.

I mean you obviously owe Michelle Obama, the Obama family, and everyone who heard your distasteful comment an apology. Bt you can also stop driving your psuedo intellectual rhetoric down our throats, you can go back into coon world where you obviously belong! Peace and Love.

Am I being punk’d. Superhead has officially retired, I’m guessing from being a celebrity ho. I apologize ladies who found that offensive but this video of her passing the torch to other young women is an utter disgrace. What is the world coming to when women aspire to be SUPERHEAD. She has declared that she is taking the S off of her chest and that she came with not 1, 2, 3 nooooo she came with 4 dudes and ladies yall can have them. I mean really wtf!

Letter to a young black female

What’s up young lady. You may not know who I am but I know who you
are. You see, I see your potential, I envision you accomplishing all
of your dreams and goals. Anything that you set your mind to can and
will be yours if you just Believe!

Believe in what you may ask? Yourself! Believe that you are the
intellect which has governed civilizations for century upon century.
Believe that you are the standard of beauty and not whatever images
the media shells out at you. Believe that there is no task too big
or too small that you can not reach for and achieve.

Realize young lady that women have always been at the helm of
everything great. James Brown said it best, “this is a man’s world but
it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. You have so many big
sisters to look up to, so many sources of inspiration that have
provided the framework of the strong work ethic known as womanhood.

Notice I call you young lady for these terms that I hear you referred
to are not your names. You are a Queen who must demand respect, your
mere presence should command respect. You must first respect yourself
however, and respect your fellow sisters as well. Together you young
ladies make up the future table of leadership.

God made you to be special, he made you to stand apart from the crowd.
So fear not if you feel isolated or alone, look back to your big
sisters who have changed the landscape of history, they once felt
alone too. I write you this letter to show my admiration for you, to
pay homage to the beautiful gift that the creator is bestowing upon
us. Follow your dreams and believe in your path young lady, for the
very thought of you reaching a tenth of your potential is an
inspiration to us all!

Truly yours,
Cedric D. Shine (your #1 fan)

Common is a dope dude, PERIOD. He’s clearly paying hommage to Biggie on this one. God ish!

So how is it, that Hillary Clinton makes a speech at the DNC, where everyone is supposed to be rallying behind Obama and right after her speech we se 5 minutes worth of this BLACK woman crying still mad that Clinton is not the candidate.

This raises man issues for me:

1. Isn’t ironic that out of all the cultish Hillary Clinton supporters they found a black woman to convey this message. If history tells us anything, it is always better to rally an anti-sentiment for blacks through blacks.

2. Why did CNN allow this woman to go on this tirade for 5 whole minutes. They cut awa at the drop of a dime on anything else, so why a whole 5 minutes dedicated to “STUTTERING STANLEY” over here.

3. The Republicans may be dirty, call them whatever you like but trust that they know politics and you will not see any of this type of coverage at their convention. Why? Because they won’t allow it. There are tons of people who are on the far conservative right who think McCain is a jerk but you will not see them voicing that at the convention because the word of the week will be “team work”, something blind sighted folks like this Clinton supporter are not quite able to see.

All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was. 

- Toni Morrison