The Felony Murder Rule is CRAP

Yeah, the felony murder rule might seem like such a good idea in your crim. law text book, but when it is put into action...it kinda sucks. Sucks balls actually.

There are two cases RIGHT NOW that are being deliberated by juries in Contra Costa County and San Francisco County Superior Courts that deal with the felony murder rule. They are both heartwrenchingly sad.

Case one. The Defendant is charged under the CA Provocation Act with the murder of his TWO BEST FRIENDS. The defendant and his two best friends (3 African Americans) broke into a man's house, none of them had guns or anything btw. So the owner, an white man shot and killed two of the boys and the defendant is getting charged with it. Dude ain't even have a GUN and he is charged with the murder of his two best friends. I just cannot handle that. He has to be reminded every day that he goes to court of what happened, and then get BLAMED for their death? Just because the shooter has an "affirmative defense" doesn't mean ole boy that never even had a gun at that time should take the fall. That is straight up TRASH.

Case two. The defendant is charged with murder under the felony murder rule. Last year in 2007, he was on trial simply for murder, which was declared a mistrial (7 non guilty, 5 guilty). The DA's office totally revamped their plan and decided to go for the felony murder route. Basically, it was a drug deal gone bad, one person was killed and some weed came up missing. Perfect circumstance for felony murder. There is NO DNA linking him to the crime, there is nothing. Nothing but some phone records that he talked to the drug dealers. I mean there is absolutely NO PROOF of anything. BUT they believe that he was part of the "robbery" that resulted in a death. Biggest crock of shit I have ever heard.

Wait! There's more! So in the previous trial, dudes co-defendant admitted that he shot the person that got shock HOWEVER it was deemed inadmissible in court. Basically, that information could not go to the jury because of the way it was presented. Which is boo-boo. And the co-defendant is a career criminal who is currently in jail RIGHT DAMN NOW for torturing a mother and a daughter. WTF?

Yeah, I know the felony murder rule is supposed to serve as a deterrent to criminal activity... but most of the time, as is illustrated by these two cases its used as something when you can't find anyone else to charge and you are trying to charge someone. So unfair and sad. Are they trying to make an example? What the hell is going on?

And let me say, putting either of these two young men is NOT going to bring back the deceased people. It simply is not. I know they want to put someone in jail, but is it really fair to put someone who is soooo removed from the actual killing in jail? I don't think so.

And I do not cry much, but if either of these two are found guilty, Imma flip out. These dudes are around my age and their lives are OVER because of something they didn't do. Something that happened 3 years ago, and because of a poor choice in judgment, they are suffering for the rest of their lives.

So I REALLY know now that criminal law is not for me. I get way to emotional. I mean, I don't know either of these young men, but I feel for them and will be personally hurt, and maybe even a little distraught if either one is convicted. I'm so upsettable right now...

Are Blacks Getting A New Role On Reality TV Shows?

Something happened in reality tv this week that has NEVER happened before (well unless it was a joke). The number of black housemates outnumbered the number of white castmates on The Real World. WHAT????!!!! Crazyness. Do I think that this "accomplishment" is a bit muted because one of the black guys walked in with a stupid behind shirt talking about "Sorry, I only date blond girls" (with your punk ass.... he's not even cute).

Anyway, I mean can you BELIEVE it? 4 blacks and 3 whites? I didn't think this was even allowed. And beside the stupid punk that walked in with that shirt... they don't seem like total sell outs. TOTALLY am happy about this.

Another thing, on SYTYCD... I stated yesterday that the black people were representing! They have 6 out of 20 this year which is a good percentage being that usually its about 2 out of 20. Anyway, so on the group performance today... they featured the black dancers... which they NEVER do (except that one Mia Michael's piece that I LOVE that featured Danny). Yes, it was a hip hop dance, but I'm just like OH SHIZOOT, are we getting some airplay son? QUAT!?


And even more random (not this next thing does not match)... but Michelle Obama put it down on the view. This chick is my freaking idol. And let us not call her "Michelle Oballbuster"... she just puts it down. That's all. And her outfit was banging too... sans her hair, which I am not sure what she was doing with that.

Oh man! I love (educated and well-doing) black people! And let me put this disclaimer. I am not nor have I ever been nor will I ever be anti-white. I am just SUPER PRO-BLACK! YAY!

Maybe I feel all this black love because of Juneteenth? Who knows WHERE this is coming from

So Apparently We're Scary Now

I love how rivals.com had a headline on Yahoo! talking about Colleges "scariest" football players or something of that nature. So I click on it, and all the pictures they show of are black people. Now, I don't know if all the people that were listed were black but all of the pictures still are.

So I got on Yahoo! about three hours later, and they changed it from "scariest" to "most imposing". Ha! Apparently someone else felt the same way about it as I did.

Reflections on "That issue we like to keep under the carpet"

Now, I may be taking a risk by posting this next topic as I was trying to keep this blog as politically correct as possible, but I read a random post that really got me thinking (thanks DC Blogs). One of the ladies from a blog entitled "The View From Here" posted a post called, "Pretty Fly For A White Guy". It wasn't so much what the author wrote but more what the comments were. There were people who were seemingly upset that the author wrote what she did. The post was pretty much about if the author was to date a white man, what kind of white man he would have to be. Now, I am sure (I don't remember if I deleted the post where I discussed the survey done where Asian men and Black women were seen to be the most undesirable demographic) that other races say things like, "If I were to date a black women she would have to be Halle Berry" so what is wrong with this person putting her preferences out there? I'm just saying.

As black women, we are picked over and treated as undesirables so maybe when one of us lays out a checklist for someone else it is an issue? I'm just saying. Is it soo disconcerting that a black women would have some prerequisites for someone else? I am just tired of it...and it so shouldn't be an issue, but it still is.

I kept it pretty PC...I held back a lot, just know that.

Musings of a Procrastinator v. 2

I love NY 2 is boring...just straight up boring and straight up scripted. I don't even know why I keep watching it. Maybe because I just need to fill my DVR up with more random nonsense that is VH1. I mean the dudes aren't event that cute, and the cute ones don't even get any TV time. Sooooo bored with it.

Dancing with the Stars...the dancers do keep getting better every year but I have a bit of an issue. The two best female dancers are/were in girl bands. And what do girl bands do???? They DANCE. I mean they do have a significant advantage over some of the others, they work on choreography all the time.

Why did Pepa from Salt and Pepa do that do her face? I mean seriously, don't ever get plastic surgery and not even look like the same person. That is problematic to me.

Why do some of the Jena 6 boys allegedly have a myspace video out where they are "making it rain on dem hoes" with all their money? I haven't seen it but I have heard from numerous people that it is out there. I mean WTF...don't use this as a platform to get famous and parade yourself around. Take your behind in the house or something and stay there. I was going to buy a tee shirt to support, but if that's what your doing with it...soooo not understanding the point and severity of what is going on...naw son I'm straight. Spend it on someone who cares.

Posers

So yesterday was one of my high school friends graduation party. Me and my other friend went at 1... sang 90's to early 2000's music the whole way up and had a pretty good time. Then we hung out with her family for a while. Then we hung out with her friends. Now here's the interesting part... we went to a "club". So we get there and there one of her friends is already there with another one of her friends and some black guy (one of the girls was Iranian and the other was Mexican).

So basically to make a long story short... it was a "white club"... and you know that when there is a white club there is always the trolling ass black guys looking for white chicks who are going to think they are special... the black chicks who are always dancing alone because they didn't know what kind of club they were walking into but they paid so they aren't leaving.* It is just so disturbing to me. There were about six very cute black girls (myself included) there and no one seemed to want to dance with us. And none of us minded, because I didn't want to dance with anyone there either BUT it is the principle. And the black dudes that were with some of my friends friends just seemed so freaking happy that they had them and Iranian and Mexican on their arm. It was just so damn ridiculous to me. Thinking they were just the ish... and they looked stupid. Like big ass POSERS... trying so hard.

And I am not a racist and it's not that I have a problem with interracial dating. If you happen to fall in love with a person outside of your race... that's fine. But when you specifically look for women outside of your race... that is when I start asking questions? What is the problem? Did you go to an all white school and they made you hate yourself so much that you steer clear of anything pertaining to your race? Did your mother beat you or something and made you hate all women of your kind? Do you for some reason think you are better than your race? I mean someone tell me what the problem is.

And once again, I am talking about people who strictly date other races because their race isn't "good enough". And I know the whole, "You are attracted to who you are attracted to" bullish

I also don't necessarily get how someone who is socially conscious be with someone who is not of ethnic decent (doesn't have to be the same ethnicity). I didn't say date, I mean long term. Because if you are socially conscious, I just don't understand how someone who has not experienced some of the same injustices can empathize and understand some of the things a person might me going through. I mean, if you aren't socially conscious, then that is a different story because you are comforted by the falsehood of equality but that is a whole different story.

There are just so many beautiful intelligent black women who are just being thrown to the curb because mainstream America does not tell people that we OK to be with. And this is not just to black men because if ya'll dumb asses don't want us, that is absolutely fine... it is just sad that the world has come to this. It's like they feel that no matter how smart and beautiful a black women are... they just aren't good enough. If I was still in undergraduate studies, I would write a paper on this.

*One of my friends told me that the most undesired demographic of people are black women and Asian men. Conversely, the most desired group is black men and white women. I wonder why exactly this is? I mean really.

Is THIS What Black IS?

http://www.zshare.net/audio/bootz_going_off-mp3.html

This Bootz/Larissa character is absolutely ridiculous. She just said, "I'm just showing you what black is" on the radio to someone. Naw chick you just showed everyone what ghetto is. That is what you are showing people. It's not even cute... and she swears it is. Do NOT bring down the whole race trying to say that is the way black people act? You are a disgrace to the race. You are absolutely foul and shameful. And then she is trying to act like she has reason to act the way she does.

But you know what... here's the thing... the argument is basically about how Buckwild is disrespecting the black race by the way she acts. What's funny about it is that Bootz wants to say Buckwild is disrespectful to what she's doing... but Bootz whole person is disrespectful. She disrespects pretty much everyone she comes in contact with... she's on a radio show talking like she is. It is absolutely uncalled for. She's disrespecting the entire black race by saying she is what being black is really about. Is that what you want people to think black people are? Just ignorant and disrespectful? And it's worse because she's a black WOMAN. People already think poorly of young black women... why would you perpetuate the stereotype even further?

Well if being black is acting like Bootz... I don't wanna be black anymore. Imma be African American or a person of darker than "average" pigmentation then. lol. It's called learn how to have an intelligent argument without screaming and cursing like a banshee. It's called learn how to respect others opinions so people will take you seriously and not see you as a spoiled ignorant child. No one thinks people are worth the time of day when they act like that... they are just eventually dismissed.

You know... this whole show disturbs me. YES I watch it for comedy... but then when you think about it, it's not GOOD. If people outside of the black race what this and haven't had much contact with black women... this is what they would think we all are like. "I Love New York" wasn't so bad for the men because they weren't acting up.. they were just constantly drunk. These chicks are just shameful!

And you know what... I don't care if people disagrees with me... in fact, I welcome dissenting opinions. I'm about to get my doctorate in arguing... I need the practice.

American Idol: 2/28

Once again, I must say that this competition simply is not fair. The white chicks are getting blown away by the black chicks man. Very cool, but it is so obvious it is almost embarrassing... my take on the issue. Oh yeah, and if I can't remember what song you sang, you OBVIOUSLY wasn't good.

Alaina Alexander: Some song. I don't even remember what this chick sang. Oh yeah, a Dixie Chick song. Boo
Antonella Barba: Some song. Better but it still sucked. And those pictures were inappropriate man.
Gina Glocksen: Some song I don't remember the name. It was pretty good, but she let the backup singer hit the note that that song is known for. And why does she have like no control over her right eye man!
Haley Scarnato:Some Whitney song. She was one hundred percent better than she was last week. Actually, it did sound pretty good to me. She performed it well. But when Simon made the comment about mostly backup singers, I realized that's why it sounded good.
Jordin Sparks: Reflection. I didn't particularly like this song, but she did OK with it... the crying was a bit much though.
LaKisha Jones: Midnight Train to Georgia. She was OK yesterday, but it wasn't what it was last week. The weave and the mini-skirt and the makeup were as Simon said... DISTRACTING.
Leslie Hunt: Some song. I don't even remember what she sang, BUT her outfit was not cute adn she looks old. Oh yeah, she tried to scat and my friend said it sounds like when someone is seizing but still trying to talk! LOL!
Melinda Doolittle: My Funny Valentine. OK, she completely blew this song out of the park! After the show went over, I watched her performance like three times, there was just no fault. The judges couldn't find any fault, it was just great. She is embarrassing these girls man! Embarrassment. BUT because she isn't the cutest, she isn't going to win. BUT this performance will get her recognized for sure.
Sabrina Sloan: Some Whitney song. I don't really remember this performance but I do know she was pitchy, but it was aight.
Stephanie Edwards: Dangerously In Love. Am I the only person that didn't like this song? Maybe because I don't like Beyonce and she sang it almost verbatim... but whatever. Her dress matched her skin which matched her hair...I did not like this at all though. Just way to much screaming. Still, she was better than many of the others.

Fledgling

So I just finished reading Fledgling by Octavia Butler and to no surprise, I have mixed feelings about the book. I liked the book and I feel that it had potential to be a good trilogy (however, her untimely death is not going to allow this to happen)... BUT the catch is that it was just like Adulthood Rites except the Oankali were replaced by vampires. But I do like how she somehow managed to weave issues of race in here too... not directly, but very subtly.

I am noticing some themes in here books here that are kinda bothering me. In most of her books, she doesn't have black male characters, she just has the one strong black female protagonist. She always has Well this is not totally true because in Wild Seed (from the Seed to Harvest group) there was Doro, and in Fledgling there was her symbiont Joel, and in Kindred, the boyfriend was black, and in Parable of the Sower, Olamina's boyfriend was African. But these characters tend to be foil characters. They don't really have any substance to them. Most of the black female characters develop relationships with white or Asian or Latin men. What does THIS mean?

She also keeps mentioning this them of longing and hunger and the need to human contact YET she professed herself to be a hermit and a loner. This I don't understand. In the Lilith's Brood trilogy the Oankali had a need for physical human contact. One of the ooloi almost died because he had no contact with a human. She also kept mentioning about how humans touch each other. In Fledgling Shori kept mentioning how she needed to be touched by humans and the hunger for blood she always had. I also think this has something to do with addiction. In Bloodchild, the same hunger was expressed through T'Gatoi and her need to touch.

And what is up with the issue of sterility? And these apocalyptic notions? And these bigger than life women?

Butler's books are just so complicated... but when things are really easy, we don't really appreciate them now do we.

American Idol Is Not Fair

Man, American Idol is simply not fair, and for it to BE fair, I think they need to make some drastic changes. Sorry to say this, but they need to split it between races because it is just NOT fair. Not at all... or at least for the women. (Yeah, sense the sarcasm). Seriously, the first episode was actually kinda embarrasing and hard to watch for me because it was blatenly obvious that the five black (ish) girls completly blew away the other girls... minus Gina, she was good. But I mean completly blew them away! It wasn't even a competition.

But then again, American Idol is not just about singing... it's about who is reletively good looking and who also has a reletively OK voice. The person with the best voice NEVER wins... its the person who is most marketable and who has the most decent voice. Lakeisha Jones is not going to win and we know that. She sang that song better than anyone else on American Idol could and I bet if she woulda sang the whole song, it woulda been better and she woulda killed it even worse. Let us be real with ourselves. Melinda Doolittle is not going to win.... she doesn't have a neck and she's kinda odd shaped. They are definatly the two best singers... but they aren't "cute" so they aren't going to win. Honestly, Stephanie Edwards is pretty, and her voice is cool, but it's not going to happen for her. Sabrina Sloan and Jordin Sparks have a chance because thier voices are better than Stephanie, but not as good as Lakeisha or Melinda, and they are light skinned and have that curly hair. lol.

Now, onto the white chicks...let's start with Gina Glocksen. She was definatly the best white girl... although she got a little cocky in judging and for the record, she didn't hit that note. All the rest were boring... Haley Scarnato actually wasn't bad either I just didn't like the song and she put me to sleep but the singing wasn't bad. Leslie Hunt, once again, wasn't bad but wasn't good either. Amy Krebs though... extra boring. Nicole Tranquillo just up and down scared me if we are being real. She sang, "Stay" originally done by Chaka Khan, but she tried to do the Erykah Badu version and killed it in a extra negative way. She was screaming and hella forced it. I was mad, I actually like that song! And last, Antonella Barba and Alaina Alexander... obviously the two worst.... but they are "marketable". Both of them need to be gone, but I think people will keep them since they are skinny ethnically questionable girls but whatever.

Oh yeah, and the guys just sucked so hard that I didn't even take time to mention them. Except for that cute Carribeanish guy.. Jared Cotter. He was decent. Or maybe it was just cuz he was kinda cute. I don't know.

Speaking of good songs... I really like that Ultra Nate song, "Free", it's old but it's hot.

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African American Interest Books

So I am in Barnes and Noble today just browsing passing time and I come upon the "African-American Interest" section. I was kind of confused about what I saw because the only books I saw were books relating to sex and violence. Now, had the title been African American Authors, there would be no problem BECAUSE the authors were African American. But African American INTEREST. Now, had there been other books in here like some Octavia Butler or Walter Mosely or something like that there wouldn't be an issue.

Now behind that "African American Interest" section, was a section that had non-fiction books by African American authors, but I can't remember. Where were the other countless authors who write fiction or science fiction... not just the Arabesque Romance authors?

I LOVE when I go into stores like Marcus Books (Bay Area regional black bookstores) and Karibu Books (DC regional black bookstores). They have such a variety of books by black authors... books you never would have seen in a mainstream store like Barnes and Noble or Borders. This is not to say that they don't have some, because they do, but not the assortment that I like.

Also, I am sooo proud to say that Karibu books actually has a STORE now in Pentagon City Mall... not just a little cart. The store was small yes, but it had lots of books... and not just sexually explicit books, books of substance. Making progress.

Don't forget to visit your local black bookstores... they needs the support.

Uncouthness

Apparently, having a perm or somewhat texturized hair makes one uncouth. This MUST be the reason for the Racial Divide. It all is so very clear to me. LOL. Taking Sen. Biden's words completly out of context here for entertainment purposes... perms make blacks looks dirty and forces them to be "inarticulate".

On a serious note, why would he think that these comments were OK to say. He meant them as compliments, but seriously, you just took a boo boo on all the other black people who have tried.

Obama v.Clinton

First off, to CNN, I know Obama and Osama are very similar in spelling, but really? Mistake the two. Not the hottest move to ever make.

Second, so... it looks as though it will be Sens. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton and John Edwards in it for the Democratic primary in 2008 (thank goodness... it came around faster than expected), who is likely to win. Actually, we need to take John Edwards out of the picture and focus on Obama and Clinton.

The answer to this question is simple. Who does white America, specifically "This is our country" white people (that hickish song by John Mellencamp that they played during every commercial during ever football game this season) hate more NOW, women or black people. Now, being that I fall into both of these demographics, I believe that I can comment on this. Out of the two, I believe Hilary would win, cuz come on, a black man running the United States of America would create so much havoc it isn't even funny. Yes, I believe that a women running the USA would create some issues, but I am pretty sure that the KKK and all kinds of backwood militia like those on the first episode of Dave Chappelle would not be coming out of the woodwork like they would if a black man won the presendcy.

We also have to look at his name. Barack Hussein Obama???!!! Is there any more of an ethnic name than that? I mean really. It just spells different, and Americans have a strong distaste for different. First, the name sounds Muslim... and Americans are STILL having some strong emotions toward Muslims. In addition, Obama sounds like Osama... even CNN made that mistake. Adding fuel to the fire, his middle name is Hussein!!!! LOL. Could it get anymore ironic. I mean really. Aside from sounding Muslim, it just sounds foreign, and I don't believe that some people would like for a "foreigner" to be running their country.

Onto the black thing. When I was writing this, I got to the part about him being Muslim and realized that he IS indeed half white. The fact that I forgot this signals to me that it will be very easy for others to forget that he is part white, and some probably don't even know. It's not like this guy is just straight NEGRO, but I don't think that will make a difference.

As for Hilary, I don't know how that would go over either though. Any little "mistake" she makes or if even the smallest thing goes wrong if she was in office would cause uproar too. Men would think that women can't do the job and blah blah blah.

Any change in the "status quo", how American has lived for centuries, is going to bring about some massive upheavals and issues beyond belief... soooooo.....

Edwards will win.

Octavia Butler

Octavia E. Butler has become one of my favorite writers over the past two years. Her books, while often disturbing, have an element in them that touches you. Octavia Butler was an African American Science Fiction/feminist writer, which come few and far between. Well, maybe not science fiction but speculative fiction, but who really wants to split hairs about that sort of thing.

The first book I read by hear, Parable of the Sower was actually on accident. I was in Barnes and Noble, and I randomly came across the book which was in the wrong section. The cover was a really pretty blue and had a girl on it who seemed like she was about my age. I couldn't find a book that I wanted, so I gave this book a try. The book was about this girl whose city was ripped apart and had to voyage across the country with her new "tribe". The book was great... I wasn't quite sure what it was that I liked about it, but I figured I would give her another try, so I read the sequel, Parable of the Talents.

The third book I read was Kindred, which is about a black woman who is transported back to the times of slavery. Once again, when I finished this book, I wasn't sure why I liked it, but I did.

The fourth book I read was Bloodchild and other stories. It was with this book that I figured out what I liked about Octavia Butler's writing. She is able to convey human emotions better than anyone that I have ever read (and I have read a lot of books).

This was especially pertainent in the fifth book I read from her, Wild Seed. This book is about two immortal beings who basically can't get away from each other; one heals and the other kills. But because they are immortal... they can only have each other. It is actually kind of wierd because you end up rooting for the being that kills to give into the other being because she really loved him. It was just a rollercoaster of emotions that you are taken on with her books... and I acually like it.

I am now on Lilith's Brood, which is a complication of three books Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago. We'll see how I feel about these books later