FYI … I started writing this on September 4,2014 … I probably left out so much but it’s a rant

So, the country and the world heard that Joan rivers passed away. I have to admit I liked her, and then I did not because she seemed to offend or target blacks. Then I did again because before going ugly I decided to listen to more of her monologues and found out that no one was safe quite frankly! She was funny while being very offensive, she provided her audience with gasps while on point and if you were actually listening, she was an activist for several protected groups! There always seemed to be a negative focus on her family life. I admit, at first she seemed to have had some rocky interactions with her one and only child, but also turns out this woman not only made fun of other races and social groups she was the first to dissect her own life, loves least we talk about that face. In addition, her great relationship with her daughter became a lucrative collaborative effort that brought Joan back more than once and made folks say, wow she is back. I could list all the reason Hollywood tried to knock her down, actually they kept her down for about a minute while she was reinventing herself over and over as the good ‘olé boys obviously were scared; did what they could to make her life miserable and they did …I blame them for the ultimate knocking and shutting out. We can all say well, he had issues he was not strong enough he had too much pride … well Joan loved him and had her own personal thoughts about him that she did express … period and she had to face yet another wall she had to climb forced upon her by an industry that needs some serious intervention. The SAG needs to do more for its card holders as more and more young actors decide life is just too hard and as I listen to the media praise and diss Joan Rivers, it made me wonder who started the red carpet ..Hey, who started the red carpet interview knowing the path was not exactly a yellow brick road probably quite bumpy for any woman daring to be on it much less doing interviews. I decided to go to wiki…yeah I know, but it stated that red carpets started in the states around 1821 for President Monroe. Then in 1902, the NY central railway pushed plush carpets, the film industry for premieres and then in 2010 somebody decided to remove the red carpets due to potentially hazardous conditions in high winds, which seems to have been only for Presidents, Airports and the Pope.

Today, folks interested in “Film Stars” or any entertainment event seems to plan their lives around seeing the red carpet interviews, who gets the red carpet treatment though folks back in the day said noooo, it’s too dangerous it is definitely alive and well, sometimes overly or poorly done but done. It sounds like Joan Rivers first acknowledged appearance was around 1977, they said, she did her first Première. There is a lot of information but nothing that tells us who was that first interview on the red carpet… We all know Joan Rivers is the person that coined “who are you wearing” on the red carpet, yet, people keep asking how did she get there; fact is Joan was in the fashion industry when she was just in&out as a college graduate followed by more entertainment gigs. I am not going to do a Joan Rivers timeline because it is all over the airwaves and all you have to do is listen

Rest in Peace Joan

~ pop culture

Kid President’s Holiday Gift Guide

12/23/2014 Nativegrl77

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The meaning of community

12/23/2014 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

We All Must Recognize That Police And Civilians Are Part Of The Same Community

Tragedy struck this weekend when two New York City police officers were murdered. After attempting to kill his girlfriend on Saturday morning, Ismaaiyl Brinsley got on a bus from Baltimore to New York where he shot and killed Officer Wenjian Liu, a recent newlywed and seven-year officer, and Officer Rafael Ramos, father of two with two years on the force.

This senseless act has put New York in a state of shock and further polarized the relationship between many of our communities and law enforcement. More broadly, it seems to have opened afresh the nation’s wounds created in the aftermath of the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Protesters in New York have widely condemned the shooting and last night a group of protesters marched to a Harlem church “to remember all victims of violence.”

Now many right-wing pundits and media outlets, including former elected officials, have turned the blame to these peaceful protestors and President Obama, despite his condemnation of this act of violence. Fox News showed coverage essentially implying that President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and the Reverend Al Sharpton shared blame for the murders because of their sympathy for recent victims of police violence. Former New York Governor George Pataki blamed Holder and de Blasio for the murders. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani blamed the protests and just about everyone else for the murders, particularly Mayor de Blasio. And the president of the New York City police union said that there was “blood on many hands tonight” on the night of the murders, singling out de Blasio.

Each of these leaders, including the President, the Attorney General, Mayor de Blasio, Rev. Sharpton and the families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, has condemned the shootings for what they were: cold-blooded, unprovoked murder. In addition, de Blasio has called for protestors to temporarily halt the protests, at least until after the funerals of the officers, in order to allow the city to remember its losses.

This kind of political blame and rhetoric only widens our divisions. Our focus should be on how to keep our communities, and those who protect and serve them, safe. These two officers, Liu and Ramos, put their lives on the line to protect the people of their city, and their sacrifice means a lot to New York City and people across the country.

Instead of trying to use this tragedy to point fingers, exert blame on others, and further divide the country, we must come together and develop reforms that achieve fairness under the law and equal rights for all. Last week, the Center for American Progress proposed four such ideas that could help reform the criminal justice system and begin to rebuild trust among in communities.

Here’s another thing we know to be true: laws that allow a felon like Brinsley with 19 arrests to still buy a gun are a problem. Peaceful protestors are not.

BOTTOM LINE: Too often we use the challenges we face in our criminal justice system to divide communities. Tragedies like the many our communities have endured this year underscore how alike we are and the goals we share. We all want safe with strong relationships between residents and police. It is time to focus on solutions to rebuild the trust in our communities.

~ my 2cents ..., ~ pop culture

dwts 2014 winners

12/23/2014 Nativegrl77

Get ready for some great Dancing Skating and Music from 2014 through Spring 2015!

Could we get meryl&maks skating and or dancing to great music on or back on National TV ?

For someone who has been a movement participant since forever, an athlete and sports enthusiast along with some dance training, it was a treat to find a show that focused on a genre of dance that was popular but seemingly underground unless you knew where to go, hot, but not so much here in the states unless you knew where to go, suddenly on national TV. I have followed, been a fan, been frustrated with dwts, dumped it, tuned in again and had some not so good things to say, but dwts season18 2014 was beyond fun to watch. A show the whole family can watch with a lot of conversation and as some of the contestants&pros shed lbs., it makes you want to move a bit more. Yes, we viewers have a whole lot of attitude about some dwts drama, but I think that is definitely a part of the producers agenda baked in …and viewers response never cease to disappoint. We get locked in, over react or join up to try and make our votes count!… geez, I mean come on( in my best Bruno Tonioli) voice and this year was no different. I am and have been what folks call a “Maks fan” even before melb. and when they did not win I stopped watching until Season16. In Season 16, there not only were more willing people of colour participating, the youngest competitor ever seemingly brought dwts back and younger viewers tuned in, ok, the end result was awful and I stopped tuning in on the regular until rumors of maks being on the show again kept popping up. The Maks and Meryl partnership was/is amazing, wonderfully, seemingly personal and fun. As we all watched their friendship progress we saw what happens when connections on the dance floor are made, seem raw, real, effect affect the masses that put smiles, tears and love in the hearts of those who appreciate dance, contests and maybe some drama made us viewers vote for this fabulous partnership/couple.

I loved meryl and maks together, hope their partnership …is continued and look forward to seeing future dance or any project(sss) from them …

I have to admit that dwts shows prior to melb and after were not that exciting, maybe because not many entertainers of colour were participating not to mention the fact that the pros were great but few were people of colour let alone not originally from the US and while the optics were odd … Those “things” became less important once the dances began. I love that the dancers have to earn their pro positions while in troupe … experience matters

Anyway, Congrats to Meryl & Maks, the 2014 dwts winners! so deserved!

watch this space … As more dance more music skating and more charity events come from this partnership!