Category Archives: Oprah Winfrey

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Random Ramblings # 3

Hey World,

Whenever I don’t have a specific topic that I want to blog about, I opt to collect my thoughts on various issues that have captured my attention in the last few days or so…hopefully, my randon ramblings are enough to capture your attention…

1. First of all, as the world now knows, Harold Camping was wrong….the world did not end yesterday as he predicted…My question is: So are his followers going to church today? And I guess therein lies the problem, Camping should not have followers unless he is on Twitter. As his followers claim Christianity, the word of God should be their ultimate authority…as I said in my post last week about this topic, the Lord has not given us a specific date of the Rapture…That being said, a lot of people were hosting so-called Rapture parties this weekend and joked about looting the homes of people that would be raptured…I get the joke…but on the other hand, I have a feeling that many (not all) of these people make fun of regular Christians anyway, and Camping’s misguided prediction gave them a justifiable reason to unleash their latent and not-so-latent feelings about Christianity…

2. If you are a black woman in the United States, you have probably heard about the controversial posting that was quickly removed from Psychology Today’s website. The title of the posting was, “Why Are Black Women Rated Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women but Black Men Are Rated Better Looking Than Other Men?” Satoshi Kanazawa, the author of this study, attempted to his explain his findings by stating, “The only thing I can think of that might potentially explain the lower average level of physical attractiveness among black women is testosterone.  Africans on average have higher levels of testosterone than other races.” If you want more info, please go to The Root…I mean his statement brings back lonely memories of being the only black girl in my elementary school class…I felt sooo different and somehow “unpretty” as a result…Yesterday, I happened to be the only black woman running with my training group. There are other black women in the group, but they were absent for whatever reason yesterday…Anyway, as we were running in Sandy Springs, a group of white cyclists whizzed by us…Without warning, one of them said to another one, “Baby got back.” Now, if I had been in a black neighborhood, I would have taken it as a compliment. But it didn’t feel like one yesterday…R told me I should I have kicked his bike spokes…I mean what is Kanazawa thinking…Let me back on that…He could not have been thinking about how mean-spirited his words are…Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…everyone knows that…I did not like my shape as a child, but God gave me what many people try to get through surgery…

3. My line sister never let go of her dream of going to medical school although she has had some obstacles and challenges along the way. And today, she is graduating from medical school!!! I’m so proud of her, and later today, my line sisters and I will be there to cheer her on! Go Desert Rain (her line name)!!! You did that!!!

4. After having a conversation with a friend yesterday, I realized that I have taken the strength of single women for granted. And at the same time, I never realized about how good it can feel it to have that mate in your corner to support you…Without mates, my friends and I have managed to accomplish many things including: buying a home, climbing the corporate ladder, starting a business, etc….But I’m starting to take notice of how nice it is to have someone other than your parents to get feedback from about how your life can unfold as you pursue your purpose and dreams…With all that said, my main supporter and cheerleader is the Lord God Almighty! God is my source, and I thank Him for putting certain people in my life as resources…

5. I’m gonna miss Oprah…And I cannot believe I’ve never been to the show…I should have tried harder…Her show has been a true blessings to countless people…And her life has been a testimony to the strength, brilliance, power and beauty of black women…A true Shero among us…(Aside: It would have been nice to have been featured in her book club…)

6. I’ve always joked on St. Patty’s Day saying, “kiss me I’m black Irish!” … When I visited Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of Shakespeare) years ago, I discovered that my last name is actually Scottish. There was a place there where you could look up your roots and what not…So anyway, since  Scottland and Ireland are so close together, I could have distant Irish cousins as well…I know, I know – it’s a long shot…But as it turns out, President Obama is actually “black Irish” as it has been proven that his mother’s side of the family are from there…He will actually be visiting his ancestral home on Monday, according to the BBC News…

7. The world may not have ended yesterday, but if our weird weather is any indication of when the Lord will return, it may not be that much longer…First of all, several months ago, the A was blanketed in snow, and then last week, we had three back-to-back cold days…So glad it’s going to be hot day…

So that’s all….

Any thoughts?

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For Colored Girls…My Two Cents…

Hello World! 

Well, I finally saw Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls” last night with my girl “I” so I feel I should offer my two cents about the film…First of all, let me get this out of the way. No, I have not seen Ntozake Shange original play, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” (boo, hiss, I know, I know, get over it…) So admittedly, I am bit stunted in my ability to grasp the whole concept of the film…

When I first heard the film was coming out, I was not sure if I was even going to see the film…I had imagined it would be a modern day “The Women of Brewster Place.” I love you Oprah, but I wasn’t enthralled by that television movie although I applaud Lady O for getting it made…But when I understood that fellow UGA alum Omari Hardwick was in the film, and I saw all the buzz on Facebook about it, I knew I should go ahead and spend my ten bucks…For the record, UGA alums are doin’ big things in Hollywood. I see you Omari, Keith Robinson (“Dreamgirls”), Candace Afia (“Grey Anatomy” – she also played MLK Jr’s older sister in “The Boy King.” Only those originally from the A would know that though.) and IronE Singleton, ( “The Blind Side). Go Bulldawgs…Okay, I know I have digressed…

Let me start of with what I liked or appreciated about the movie. I appreciated that Tyler Perry was able to give work to so many black women in particular and black actors in general…Whatever people have to say about him, he is offering water in what can be a desert for black actors. I did think each character’s story was interesting and compelling their own way. I was especially taken in by Anika Noni Rose’s character Yasmine in the film maybe because of all of the characters I related to her the most. She is basically a sunny personality who happens to run across the wrong dude who date rapes her…While she is being interviewed by a police officer after the rape, she recites what seems to be some of the lines from the original poem on which the play is based. I was moved when she talked about always preparing for danger from someone that you don’t know, only to be end up being assaulted by someone that you do…

I also enjoyed Kimberly Elise’s performance as Crystal. I don’t care what movie Elise is in from “Beloved” to “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” this actress can do gnawing pain and agony like no other…I won’t tell what you caused the pain and agony since I already revealed a plot tidbit earlier…But I will say this: her pain and agony were well justified, particularly when she realizes that her own frailties and perhaps selfishness played a part in the tragic event…

Loretta Devine’s character Juanita had me laughing although it probably shouldn’t have…Although the character was probably in her 50s, she was just learning a lesson that all women should have properly learned at the latest by 35 years old – When a man shows who he is, you’d be smart to believe to him –  no matter how good he makes you feel…There is something about Ms. Loretta that I really love even she always seems to play a similar character in all of her films and television programs from “A Different World” to “Waiting to Exhale.” In her roles, she always seems to be on the verge of blushing or nervously giggling until she is pushed beyond her boundaries and then she erupts in a sister-girl rant… I like her because she just seems the type of person who would be the same no matter what circle of people that she happened to be surrounded by…

And finally, I loved – let me say this again – I LOVED Ms. Janet’s outfits even if she channeled Michael in this film. Her outfits were so fierce, I probably would not have been surprised if Janet I mean Jo did not break out into a choreographed dance from one of her videos…Her makeup although heavy was pure razor-sharp artistry…Her wardrobe was a true boss chick’s dream – from her matrix-like leather blazer to her red bottom stilettos…

So what didn’t I like…I said this before on my blog…I’m not a fan of musicals…so what, who cares…I guess because it messes with my sensibilities when a character just breaks out in song in the middle of what seemed like a regular play…Probably an idiosyncrasy but whatever…This idiosyncrasy is the same reason why I was jarred when the characters, who for most of the movie spoke in regular modern day English, all of a sudden started reciting poetry. I almost felt like the audience should have been signaled before the characters switched gears…I mean it did feel like you were cruising in a manual car, and the car suddenly revs up when the driver decides to operate the vehicle in a different gear…It just made for a disjointed experience…But again, maybe I’m just not deep like that…

Whoopi Goldberg’s character Alice was a black version of the mother in the 1976 movie “Carrie” with her hyper-religious lunacy…When Alice poured oil on her daughter’s head in a scary attempt to rid her of the devil in her, I half expected the daughter to start summoning her telekinetic powers to destroy everyone in the film as Carrie did…But Alice’s daughter Tessa was not Carrie. Instead she just ran out the apartment screaming which was probably the most normal response to Alice’s crazy character in the movie…Alice was so predictable in one scene that I even called out her next line in the theater before she spoke it…I get why she was tragic character in the film and even one that should be explored, but I imagine that Ms. Shange’s intent for this character was much more nuanced than presented in this film…

I could go on, but I feel like I have said enough…In sum, it’s a film worth seeing and I applaud Tyler Perry’s effort although there were some contrived elements in the film…

Note to the brothers who may have seen this film or heard about it and are now criticizing it (READ Courtland Milloy): Contrary to what Malloy asserted, this is not the year to bash the black man…In fact, if anything, it is the year  to scrutinize the single black woman…do I need to mention the ABC “Nightline” special and the media frenzy that resulted again? Maybe I am a bit sensitive because I am a single black woman…but regardless, sometimes black men hurt black women…and sometimes black women hurt black men …and more often than not, people of all races hurt people of all races..stop trippin’. Everyone has a right to tell their story…Hmm…I wonder if it is true…maybe a hit dog will holler…just kidding…For real dough, this is just one movie – not an indictment of the black man…And for the record, I love me some black men…

Any thoughts?

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Two Steps Forward…One Step Back.

Hello World!!!

A friend of mine told me last night that he noticed I hadn’t been updating my blog as much as I usually do. I was so touched. Someone missed me…I hope you’ve missed me too! I haven’t been updating as much as I should this month…maybe more about that later 🙂

So here’s the topic – What is your secret struggle? What is the area of your life in which you take two steps forward only to take one step back? For the divine Ms. O, Oprah Winfrey that is, her weight is her not-so-secret struggle although she wishes it were a secret!  She recently admitted that she has gained 40 pounds since 2006 which puts her weight at a solid 200 pounds. On the January issue of “O” magazine, it features a picture of the 200-pound Oprah looking at the 160-pound Oprah! I really, really, really feel for her!

I have never been obese, but I have struggled with body image issues pretty much since I realized I had a body! I apologize to those who knew me from age 20-25, my favorite question to ask was, “Do you think I look fat?” I swear if I could retrieve the brain cells I devoted to my weight, I would probably have enough to have won the Pulitzer Prize by now! Thank God I now I have a reasonably stable body image, and I no longer feel the need to weigh myself several times a day!!! How did I get rid of this demon? God..and like Forest Gump says, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

So again, what is your secret struggle? I love the story about the  woman at the well in the Bible!  It seems that she was a love and relationship addict! (Theologians, you will correct me if I’m wrong, I’m sure!)  When she met Jesus, she had already had FIVE husbands, and the man she was living with at the time she met the Lord wasn’t even her husband!  She thought her issues were a secret, but the Lord called her out! That day, that woman thought she was coming to the well to get regular old water, but instead, her thirst for real love was quenched that day…Praise Jesus!!!

I think Zacchaeus had a Napolean complex.  As a result, he had chosen a career in which he dominated people, but secretly, he longed to have self esteem that was based on his inner worth rather than his job. And Jesus, being the Lord that He is, got it.  He told him he was worthy of salvation! Praise Him 2x!

I think the man with one talent had the insidious habit of comparing himself to others. It seems to me that he constantly compared himself to the man who had five talents and the man who had two talents. Rather than get into the comparison game, these two men worked hard with what they had and were able to double their talents. The man with one talent, however, seemed to be ashamed of his one talent and hit it in the ground. Unlike the other stories, however, this story didn’t end well. The one talent the man had was taken away from him and given to the man who had 10 talents because he failed to use it.  Sad, huh!  (My father’s antidote to this behavior is, “Keep your eyes on your own plate!” But Praise God 3x anyway just because HE is WORTHY!

So again, what is your secret struggle? And how do you deal with it? Please post your comments!!! You don’t have to post your name!!!

Any Thoughts???

(Aside: If you’re in the Denver, Colorado area, check out my friend, Soul Daddy!  His album release party is tomorrow!!! Congratulations!!! You go boy!!! 🙂 )

P.P.S. I have included a Rev. Paul Jones classic, “I Won’t Complain.”  It doesn’t fit this post, but for some reason the song is on my mind this morning. According to what I read, this amazing talent was killed when he was 30 years old!