politics from the eyes of an ebony mom

Is President Obama enjoying the GOP race for the presidency?

musesofamom — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:56:13 +0000

The current New Yorker cover says it all, and the President is probably enjoying every minute of it.

Tyler Perry Gives His Keys to Success

musesofamom — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:49:11 +0000

Tyler Perry has been very successful. He has perfected a formula for his movies that cause people to flock to the theaters to see his movies the day they release. Perry worked very hard to get to where he is today and he shared his journey on this clip.

Maryland First lady Katie O’Malley Regrets Calling Opponents of Gay Marriage “Cowards”

musesofamom — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:05:37 +0000

Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley is passionate about gay marriage passing in the Maryland legislature. So passionate that while appearing before a gay group yesterday she called those who did not support the legislation last session “cowards.” This drew applause in the room, but today she is apologizing for the statement. O’Malley said today “I let my feelings get the better of me.” “I deeply respect that there are strongly held and differing views on marriage equality in Maryland, but hope that our state’s elected officials will come together to fairly address this important issue for our families and children.” The fact is there are differing opinions on this issue within the state. Different does not mean wrong or cowardly it means just that different, and that should be respected too. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-first-lady-katie-omalley-blames-cowards-for-gay-marriage-failure-last-year/2012/01/26/gIQAUUk6TQ_story.html

President’s Sings “Let’s Stay Together”, and sales go up almost 500%

musesofamom — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:48:37 +0000

Last week the president belted out a few of the lyrics of the Al Green hit “Let’s Stay Together” and the sales for the 1972 hit went up almost 500%. The president effectively provided Green with his own individual stimulus plan.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678013/al-green-lets-stay-together-barack-obama.jhtml

UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS® Presented By Target Celebrates The Power of Education

musesofamom — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:55:04 +0000

Performances and Appearances by Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi, Marsha Ambrosius, Estelle, Miguel, Musiq Soulchild, Tatyana Ali, Pooch Hall, Jill Marie Jones, Brian White, Terrence J, David Banner and Many More!

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19, 2012 — UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will broadcast UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS® Presented by Target nationally in major markets on Saturday, January 28th and January 29th and on BET Networks at 11 p.m. EST/PST and 10 p.m. CST on Sunday, January 29th. For a complete list of stations and additional information, visit http://www.uncf.org/aeos/ The combination of headliners like legendary songstress Patti LaBelle, singer Erykah Badu, singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton and R&B star Ledisi with star students whose education has been made possible by UNCF makes the program a high-voltage celebration of the best in music and the best in education. Patti LaBelle’s powerhouse performance of “When You’ve Been Blessed”; Estelle’s heartfelt rendition of “Break My Heart”; Anthony Hamilton’s soul-stirring performance of “Fine Again” and Miguel’s eclectic sound on “Sure Thing” bring the audience to its feet. And UNCF student success stories celebrate the power of education—like the story of the junior who served in Iraq before returning to college, the senior whose undergraduate record won her a coveted slot in Teach For America, and the Florida college graduate who became the youngest person to fly solo around the world—make the capacity Pasadena Civic Auditorium crowd proud of both the students and the organization. “This year’s UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS® is filled with high energy performances, combining the hottest talent with inspirational stories of young students who are beating the odds because they can receive a good education,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF president and CEO. “We are grateful for the support of all our celebrities, sponsors and contributors, who understand the importance of ‘Educating our Future’ and giving students the opportunity to earn college degrees that will enable them to lead successful and fulfilling lives.”
Additional highlights of the evening’s 10 performances include: Marsha Ambrosius’ sultry sound of “Far Away”; Jill Scott’s soulful rendition of her hit “So Blessed”; Musiq Soulchild’s blazing performance on his hit single “Yes”; a crowd-amping group number of “Shining Star”; and BET’s “106 & Park” host Terrence J sharing his inspiring testimony on how UNCF helped start his professional career after receiving a scholarship which included an internship at a radio station. In addition to performers, this year’s UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS® Presented by Target includes special appearances by Tatyana Ali (“Fresh Prince of Bel Air”), Pooch Hall (BET’s “The Game”), Jill Marie Jones (CW’s “Girlfriends”), Coby Bell (BET’s “The Game”), David Banner (Stomp The Yard 2), Sean Patrick Thomas (Save The Last Dance), Lance Gross (TBS’s “House Of Payne”), Sheryl Underwood (CBS’s “The Talk”), Terrence J (BET’s “106 & Park”), Monique Jackson and Kita Williams (VH1′s “The TO Show”), Shaun Robinson (“Access Hollywood”), Kenny Smith (TNT’s “Inside the NBA”), Brian White (TNT’s “Men of a Certain Age”) and the national presidents of the Greek-letter organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

The stars on the UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS® stage not only shared their hottest hits but made special appeals to help UNCF students who are committed to getting to and through college. From the stage, celebrities asked the show audience and television viewers to text “UNCF” to 50555 on their cell phones to donate $10 to help students secure their education and their future. Viewers are also encouraged to visit www.UNCF.org to make larger donations to help young men and women get their college degrees. This year’s show is made possible by Target, Presenting Sponsor of UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS®, and National Sponsors McDonald’s and AT&T. Official and Major Sponsors include American Airlines, Wells Fargo, BET Networks, Buick and the U.S Army.

For more information, please visit www.uncf.org and www.bet.com/uncf. Also, follow UNCF on Twitter: @UNCF (#EveningOfStars).

*All times are ET/PT.

About UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS®
UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS®, formerly the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars®, first aired in 1979, and since that time has become one of the longest running and most successful televised events in U.S. history. UNCF An Evening of Stars® has raised more than $200 million that has helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college and graduate. In recent years, UNCF An Evening Of Stars® has featured a Who’s Who of remarkable talent, including Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Ne-Yo, Nancy Wilson, Beyoncé, Anita Baker, Jill Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, Fantasia, Joss Stone, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Hall and Oates, Ziggy Marley, Maroon 5, and scores of others. UNCF An Evening of Stars® received NAACP Image Awards for its 2006 tribute to Stevie Wonder, its 2008 tribute to Smokey Robinson and its 2010 tribute to Lionel Richie. Learn more about UNCF An Evening of Stars® at http://www.uncf.org/aeos/
(United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF supports education through scholarships and other programs, by supporting its 38 member colleges and universities, and by advocating for the importance of minority education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. The UNCF logo features the torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at http://www.uncf.org/aeos/

Chris Rock Reacts to Deception not Newt Gingrich

musesofamom — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:40:05 +0000

Here is the situation: Chris Rock is in Sundance promoting a film. Someone comes up to him and asks him to take a picture with him and his girlfriend when he turns around he is greeted by a camera in his face and a guy asking him a question about Newt Gingrich. Rock gets angry and destroys the guy’s camera, but the headlines today have started insinuating that Rock has a problem with Gingrich, but to me it looks like Rock has a problem with deception. Tell me what you think. Was Rock justified? Is this simply media generated nonsense?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/click/2012/01/chris-rock-loses-it-over-gingrich-question-112077.html

New York Ad Agency Under fire for faking amputee photo

musesofamom — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:28:35 +0000

With so many people with Type 2 Diabetes would it be hard to find an amputee? No, but you would have to make an effort, but a New York ad agency simply said why try…just use photoshop. Read the link for all the details.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/26/mans-leg-amputated-by-ad-agency-not-diabetes-in-anti-obesity-ad/

Governor Janet Brewer this is no way to greet the President

musesofamom — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:17:26 +0000

Arizona Governor Janet Brewer greeted the president’s plane today and presented him with a letter requesting a meeting. The president agreed and said that she had mischaracterized a prior meeting that they had had in her book. the exchange grew testy and the governor is pictured pointing her finger in the face of the president. Is this any way to treat POTUS? To me it looks disrespectful. Tell me what you think.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-jan-brewer-obama-welcome-20120125,0,5568347.story

Mayor Joseph Maturo’s Answer to Racial Profiling: “Eat Tacos”…not the right answer

musesofamom — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:12:27 +0000

One blunder on top of another?

“The mayor of East Haven, Conn., came under a torrent of criticism Wednesday for telling a TV reporter “I might have tacos” when asked about how he would support the Latino community in the aftermath of the arrest of four town police officers accused of racially profiling and bullying Latino residents. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called Mayor Joseph Maturo’s comments “repugnant” and “unacceptable.” An attorney for some Latinos suing the town police department called the comments “appalling.” Some residents said the mayor should step down.”* So what do you think. Should the mayor step down?
*MSNBC

Life is not fair, Mr. President

musesofamom — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:16:53 +0000

I listened to the President’s State of the Union Address last night and I was struck by his call for fairness in America. What does fairness really mean? Webster defines fair as “according to the rules.” America has been operating according to the rules, but the rules are determined by the ones in power and if you are poor in America you are not making any rules. So how do you achieve fairness? Is it fair for somebody to purchase a home that they can not afford and expect the government to bail them out? Is it fair to sign a contract you do not understand and when you do read it you want it voided? Is it fair for me to buy a home I can afford and be forced to bail out my neighbor because they were financially irresponsible? Over the past few days I have heard the pundits criticize Mitt Romney regarding his taxes. What did he do? Did he do something illegal? No. He paid the amount of taxes the law dictated. Is that a problem? Yes, but the problem is with the tax code not the candidate. We are a nation of hardworking people. We want to achieve. We want a chance to achieve our American dream. We want to educate our children, but we also know that the government does not have all the answers. We have got to recognize the paradigm shift. I learned along time ago that life is not fair but if you work hard it can be good.