A Fight Agaisnt Taser Abuse and Other News

UPDATES!

Day of Blogging For Justice: The AfroSpear has declared Wednesday a day to spread awareness of the abuse of tasers by law enforcement. These acts sometimes ending in death for the people they encounter. This is a huge problem very few in the press are talking about, other than showing the occasional cop cruiser video of "Don't Tase Me, Bro" taser abuse exploitation.

The reality is these devices, intended to make things safer for police and suspects, are being misused to the point that people are being seriously harmed or tortured for little to no reason. With the false mental concept that tasering doesn't cause lasting damage, it has become the weapon of choice in situations that don't warrant its use, sometimes amounting to a death sentence for the unfortunate individuals being tased.

It's a sad truth, but because it is the poor, the black and the brown who often are the target of this thuggery, little attention has been brought to the cases of a suicidal man tasered on a bridge, causing him to fall to his death or a pregnant black woman being tasered in Ohio or the case of a black man dead when he went to the police for help and was tasered. But the larger reality is if the police feel comfortable with abusing society's "undesirables" and ethnic minorities with them, they're not going to think twice about using them on anyone else. But we don't want to wait for them to taser Lindsay Lohan to death to get people to care.

The blog Tasered While Black has even more disturbing stories of tasers being used as a torture device when in the wrong hands.

For those who have blogs or Web sites and want to spread awareness, you can obtain this anti-taser abuse widget here and place it on your site.

It's sad to know that something meant to save lives is now being abused to end them. With everyone from teenage girls to college students to pregnant women being targets and suspects being tased to death or torture via tasers in prison, it's necessary to spread awareness that this device's use needs to be monitors as closely as the use of a gun or any other form of excessive force.

IN OTHER NEWS:

• I'm still accepting submissions for "Doomed Romance." So far I've received four. I'd like to get at least five or more (the more the merrier) for the series. (Ideally, I'd like 10 so I could do a two week series like I did with "Mothers and Daughters.") You can send your stories to me (500 words or less, if you can) at blacksnob@gmail.com. All stories will be reprinted anonymously.

• There's still time to vote for your favorite (and not favorite) pundits in Black Snob's "America's Next Top Pundit" poll. I'm noticing that a lot of people hate Sean Hannity. Not surprising with his Obama is a secret Muslim who belonged to crazy "whitey" hating black Christian Church. I'm not even going into that nonsensical thinking. (Pick ONE, Sean! Secret Muslim or Crazy Christian. ONE!) And a lot of people lurve Donna Brazile (You're not her boo!) And a lot of folks are not voting for their favorite Republican blonde fembot! C'mon! You have to enjoy the insanity of at least one!

• 

  Today is Big Sis' birthday. The eldest Snob Sister has turned 35. We shall commemorate this day with banana cake and stories of how she terrorized me as a child by telling my my braids were really worms growing out of my head and abandoning me in the scary basement under guises that she's "be right back" after going to the restroom.

  I love you, Big Sis!

Tom Kaine Isn't Exactly Setting the World on Fire

There's some murr-murring in the press right now over a Virginian who is not Sens. Jim Webb or Mark Warner.

It's TIM KAINE!

Tim who, you say? Well, Tom Kaine is the not-quite-popular governor of Virginia who is in the running for Barack Obama's number two. (William Riker not available?) He's on a really long list of potentials. Some say he's a favorite but those in the media are non-too-thrilled. Of course, it would make the press' day if he'd just pick Hillary Clinton and give them something really good to crow about, but Kaine? Where's the razzle dazzle?

New York Magazine's Daily Intel blog does a round-up of the underwhelming of the chattering class. Oh. And they're not enthrall over Kansas' Kathleen Sebelius either. I can hear them now shouting "BORING!" as they pine for a far more risky and CRAZIER pick.

Marc Ambinder says Kaine, as well as another veep short lister, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius, are "governing choices, not campaign choices." They won't generate much enthusiasm and won't shine in debates, but they're "solid," "centrist-in-style," "Washington outsiders," and "know how to balance budgets and deal with Republicans." [Atlantic]

He could still shock us all and pick Will Smith. I got both me fingers crossed!

Michelle Obama Makes Vanity Fair's "Best Dressed" ... Again

First Lady candidate Michelle Obama in Chicago Tuesday addressing a Women for Obama fund raiser. The Chicago-Sun Times reported the event may have raised $1 million for her hubby's presidential campaign. (Photo AP)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are on Vanity Fair's list too, but Michelle O. is up there two, shining in the bright lights of her impeccable fashion sense and classic, yet creative style.

Sayeth US Magazine:

For the second year in a row, Michelle Obama has made Vanity Fair's international best dressed list.

The magazine hailed her as “our commander in sheath.”

(Obama started a fashion craze on The View in June: After she wore a $148 Donna Ricci dress from her local White House/Black Market shop in Chicago, the frock quickly flew off the racks.)

Congratulation's Ms. O! But I have to say I'm not surprised. As Michelle's number one fashion reporter/admirer/"stan," the woman has managed to out-class the upper crust and cakewalk around Cindy McCain's Nancy Reagan Redux motif.

The ordinary copy, the extraordinary inspire! Here's just a sample of what Michelle's been rocking lately.

Other list inductees include:

David Beckham, Kanye West and Today co-host Matt Lauer, First Lady of France Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Christy Turlington, Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton, Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig.

A Belated Celebrity Round-Up

You're invited to a garden party! (Or I should say, you're invited to look at pictures of a garden party.) It's the Art for Life benefit in East Hampton, NY July 19th. A gala filled with celebrities, most matching in lavender (or purple) and white. The lady in red and director Brett Ratner apparently didn't get the memo, but they let them get drunk there anyway.

All the important black people showed up, including the new governor of New York, David Paterson and music mogul Russell Simmons. And where Simmons goes, so goeth his latest hot model girlfriend.

This year's flavor is Porchla Coleman.

Mmmm ... modelicious. Sure, none of these hot models from ex-wife Kimora Lee to Denise Vasi to Porchla would be even seen next to the troll-like Simmons if he weren't worth untold millions and filled to the brim with hip hop magic powers, but both parties probably recognize that and choose to engage in the fantasy that he's so cute and funny and she's so interesting.

And the "littlest" Simmons were there, sans their model, gaudy bauble hawker mommy.

Adorable. They make my biological clock tick so thunderously. And they are the best part of Kimora's reality show, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee, insanely cute and funny kids.

The Gov and Dr. Ben Chavis.

(Left-to-right) Lola Ogunnaike, Soledad O'Brien, a mystery woman (WireImage didn't provide a name ... lazy WireImage) and Danny Simmons

Grant Hill, looking big eared and petrified in this pic, with his diminutive, adorable wife Tamia.

Run, Aretha! It's Tracey Edmonds! Wait. You're not a famous man with money. Never mind. Side note: Tracey actually looks very pretty in these pictures (the dress is so light and the layers look like flower petals. She looks perfect for the event) and while I make fun of her because I'm pro-Babyface and anti-Tracey, I am glad she dodged that bullet with Eddie Murphy. No woman deserves that.

(Left-to-Right) Tracey Edmonds, Tracy Mourning, Erica Reid, Gayle King and Soledad O'Brien. Soledad seems like she should have dressed up more, but I've never been too impressed with her fashion choices outside of CNN. She's just much prettier than ... that. As for Gayle King ... sigh. I just can't bring myself to care unless Oprah is there. Did Oprah show up at Art for Life? No? Bye, Gayle.

Who's scarier? Aretha Franklin or the mother of the "Shiny Suit Man," Janice Combs? This is a toughie, but considering Aretha gave me "Do Right Woman" and all Janice gave me was Sean "Diddy" Combs -- Janice, you ARE the scariest looking woman in this picture.

Aww ... mother and dolphin teeth son ... and for some reason, Russell.

Soo pretty. I even like the understatement of the flats.

Gayle? That dress is not on hit. It's something a bride would force on her closest friends at her wedding to make sure all the bridesmaids look far more ridiculous than her. The flower blossoming out of your bosom is not doing much for me.

And finally, the Gov and Ed Lover. Everyone wants a little pinch of that Paterson magic and Ed Lover feels the love.

Someone Please Give These People A Job

A series featuring my favorite underemployed blacktors and blacktresses.

I'm not going to admit that I came up with the term "blacktors and blacktresses." Anyone who closely watched "In Living Color" back in the '90s would recall a David Alan Grier skit where he played the host of a black awards show that was basically an exaggerated version of the Soul Train Awards mixed with the NAACP Image Awards, only it gave awards for best scared black man in a police show and Whoopi Goldberg was nominated a ton of times as she seemed to be the only black woman getting steady work in the '90s.

Which brings me to my point. I am a lover of film and television. I own an insane amount of movies from the eclectic and high brow (Julie Taymor's "Titus" and the film version of "Marat/Sade") to mob movies ("Goodfellas," my personal greatest film of all time) to sci-fi (All three "Terminator" flicks, "RoboCop" and "Starship Troopers" and I'm a "Trekkie"). So I get frustrated that there are so few quality films with black people in them and the few there are always either triumph over racial adversity flicks or the most depressing films ever. (Don't get me started on why I try to avoid watching "Glory," it always suckers me and I end crying through the whole damn thing EVERY TIME!)

So this is my occasional shout to Hollywood to give a favorite sporadically employed actor something decent to do other than making extra scratch doing plays and teaching at The Learning Annex or maybe managing a Barnes & Noble.

Please Hollywood, give these people a job. (Or a better one than they have now.)

Aisha Tyler

Current Job: She played "Jane" in the 2008 indie film "Meet Market" and is playing Casey Spandeau in "Black Water Transit," a big budget crime/drama pick also starring Laurence Fishbourne, Evan Ross, Stephen Dorff and Brittany Snow. It is currently in post-production for a 2008 release.

Claim to fame: Her wicked standup comedy, her Dartmouth degree, E!'s "Talk Soup" and her one-off as the first recurring black character on "Friends" in the show's final season.

Why she should be more famous than she is: She's funny, she's smart, she's tall, she's pretty. Really? What's the problem here? Does Hollywood have something against tall, beautiful black women? And what was up with that stint on "The Ghost Whisperer?" I was glad she was getting a steady check, but then, boom, her character is axed. (Possibly as part of that black actor Holocaust that started pre-writer's strike with Isaiah Washington's foot-in-mouth moment of hubris and is still going, claiming the jobs of Jesse L. Martin and Gary Dourdan ... although Gary might have been high at the time.)*

If ... wait, not if but ... WHEN they make Barack Obama the Movie Aisha should be somewhere at the top in the running to play Michelle Obama. Right there with other super tall under utilized black actresses like Gina Torres. While I think Gina's the better actress, Aisha actually looks a little bit like Michelle. Or like Michelle's super hot cousin once removed. Either way. Michelle has great comic timing and frank, cool attitude. Aisha was born cool.

Other things I'd gladly take Aisha on: Any cop procedural show, "Grey's Anatomy" (You own me another hot black doctor, male or female, Shonda!), or her own show on a viable network. Not some backwater burg like the CW. I'd also like to see her a big budget Will Smith production. Aisha looks like she was made for a summer blockbuster action/comedy. I'm talking to you, Mr. Smith! Hook-a-smart-funny-sista up!

Or something where she stars opposite Jamie Foxx, but nothing with Eddie Murphy. Poor Gabrielle Union. Did anyone go see her in "Meet Dave?"

That said, make this happen, Hollywood!

*Down thread someone mentioned that Aisha left "Ghost Whisperer" of her own volition, which is, like, cool with me because the show was gawd awful. I was also informed that she's been on "24," which, alas, I did not know because I didn't start watching "24" until season three or four.

Urban Renewal

I usually walk past the Urban Renewal section of Urban Outfitters, thinking it is vintage stuff, which is not really my thing (not unless they come from a member of my family anyway). At the back of my head, I'd always wondered exactly how they got so many vintage items of the same style in different sizes together in one place. I mean, aren't vintage items supposed to be unique? But I'd never really been interested enough to read the fine print on their website and find out how. It wasn't until my friend mentioned it the other day that I realized what it was. Apparently what they do is collect vintage clothes/fabric and put them together to form new, more updated clothes. That is how they come up with so many pieces of the same style in different sizes. You can buy it at the store or online, where they claim you can even choose colors and they'd make you a completely unique piece using different materials in the same cutting as shown. The whole idea is to re-use materials and it has been around for over 20 years (before the whole go green craze!)- I didn't even know that Urban Outfitters have been around for over 20 years, let alone this division.
One of the reasons I don't like vintage clothes is that whenever I see them they almost always look very dated, hippie and bohemian like, which is so over - thank god! And indeed they do have such stereotypical vintage clothing in this collection here (above: ugh). In fact, most of the collection is like this and I was not impressed. However, there were a few pieces that are intriguing- like this denim vest (right). The extra trimming is quite sharp and refreshing! I'm not really sure how this black blazer (left) is vintage, but I like the cutting.
The ruffled tunic shirt (left) is feminine and romantic looking. Perfect paired with that crisp cropped blazer above! And the floral skirt is cute, reminds me of the floral skirts in the Prada ads this season. Though one should be careful when wearing that in case you look like you're wearing your curtains. Paired with something smart, tailored and modern, it would look stunning.

The thing is though, I'm still not really sure how I feel about this concept of "Urban Renewal." Besides the fact that you still do not know who the previous (many!) owners are, I heard that the renewed material is very scratchy and not very comfortable. On the other hand, we do use recycled paper and bags......so why not clothes? Thoughts?

Image Source: Urban Outfitters

Urban Renewal

I usually walk past the Urban Renewal section of Urban Outfitters, thinking it is vintage stuff, which is not really my thing (not unless they come from a member of my family anyway). At the back of my head, I'd always wondered exactly how they got so many vintage items of the same style in different sizes together in one place. I mean, aren't vintage items supposed to be unique? But I'd never really been interested enough to read the fine print on their website and find out how. It wasn't until my friend mentioned it the other day that I realized what it was. Apparently what they do is collect vintage clothes/fabric and put them together to form new, more updated clothes. That is how they come up with so many pieces of the same style in different sizes. You can buy it at the store or online, where they claim you can even choose colors and they'd make you a completely unique piece using different materials in the same cutting as shown. The whole idea is to re-use materials and it has been around for over 20 years (before the whole go green craze!)- I didn't even know that Urban Outfitters have been around for over 20 years, let alone this division.
One of the reasons I don't like vintage clothes is that whenever I see them they almost always look very dated, hippie and bohemian like, which is so over - thank god! And indeed they do have such stereotypical vintage clothing in this collection here (above: ugh). In fact, most of the collection is like this and I was not impressed. However, there were a few pieces that are intriguing- like this denim vest (right). The extra trimming is quite sharp and refreshing! I'm not really sure how this black blazer (left) is vintage, but I like the cutting.
The ruffled tunic shirt (left) is feminine and romantic looking. Perfect paired with that crisp cropped blazer above! And the floral skirt is cute, reminds me of the floral skirts in the Prada ads this season. Though one should be careful when wearing that in case you look like you're wearing your curtains. Paired with something smart, tailored and modern, it would look stunning.

The thing is though, I'm still not really sure how I feel about this concept of "Urban Renewal." Besides the fact that you still do not know who the previous (many!) owners are, I heard that the renewed material is very scratchy and not very comfortable. On the other hand, we do use recycled paper and bags......so why not clothes? Thoughts?

Image Source: Urban Outfitters