The Analytic Mode

Love it when other people write things I wish I could have written - this time because the author is obviously better informed and more politically savvy than me, but also because he was able to help me better understand why I trust this President so much. His analysis of the differences between campaign and governing is excellent, and helps me sort out why it doesn't bother me that Obama isn't doing every single thing he said he would.

Not putting this on Facebook because I have conservative friends that would spoil the post with their comments. As you know, I prefer to avoid dialog with people who don't agree with me. =)

The Analytic Mode by David Brooks in NY Times.

A Slightly New Obesssion

I don't know why I have recently developed a major crush -- well, now border lining on obsession -- with rapper Lil' Wayne. Actually I do know why. Since I don't do much (any) dating, I have romantic attractions with men I will never meet that I get to know over watching them on t.v. (i.e. my long-time love of Will Smith). For the last month they have been showing Lil Wayne's Behind the Music special on VH1. Needless to say, I have watched it every time I've noticed it was playing. (FYI -- this is the first half of the episode, which I DEFINITELY do not expect you to watch. But in case you're interested...)



Something about his tumultuous past and daring future has me thinking that men somehow get cuter when they go to jail. (LOL -- j/k... sort of.)

Now, I clearly recognize this is a problem, which is why I wil lnot allow such men into my real dating life. But a woman can live in the world of fantasy from time to time, cant' she?

I told the Fearsome Foursome yesterday about my latest obession with Lil Wayne. Specifically, I said:

"Have you ever thought that a swag-a-licious dude tends to be even more fine when he's a little high? I'm starting to find Lil Wayne attractive -- problem?"

Here were a few of the very best responses:

Ruth: This is a definite problem. You clearly need to meet someone -- you're getting delusional.

Dawniece: Yes it is a problem. Lil Wayn = not sexy. Come out of that nightmare!

And my personal favorite:

Yodit: Umm... I threw up in my mouth a little. They at least have to be cute for that to work.


This made me laugh so hard last night that I had to share it with you. How's that for a "cultural obession"??? LOL!

It's more than a recommendation, more than a radio show - it's an obsession!

I am obsessed about Radiolab. From their webpage on WNYC.org: "Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility."

Start listening - here's the page with their archive on it: http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/category/podcasts/

Soon you'll be obsessed about Radiolab, too.

The existence bias (my subtitle: How found myself wearing bell bottoms - again)

J Pers Soc Psychol. 2009 Nov;97(5):765-75.

The existence bias.

Eidelman S, Crandall CS, Pattershall J.

Department of Psychology.

The authors demonstrate that people treat the mere existence of something as evidence of its goodness. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that an existing state is evaluated more favorably than an alternative. Study 3 shows that imagining an event increases estimates of its likelihood, which in turn leads to favorable evaluation; the more likely that something will be, the more positively it is evaluated. Study 4 shows that the more a form is described as prevalent, the more aesthetically attractive is that form. This indicates a causal relationship between aesthetic judgments and existence in a domain lacking choice among alternatives. Study 5 extends the existence bias to gustatory evaluation and demonstrates that the effect is not moderated by valence. Together these studies suggest that mere existence leads to assumptions of goodness; the status quo is seen as good, right, attractive, tasty, and desirable.

Good Hair

We have a black president, so now our American culture is attune to "all things black." Different songs, books, magazine articles and respectable TV programs have been coming out new ways to understand the pan-culture that is "Black America" (see CNN, who did quite the terrible job on this program, but that's another conversation entirely). Now, Chris Rock comes out with a sort of documentary titled "Good Hair" -- with hair of course being pronounced with a fabulous southern accent "huurrr".

I was not so sure how I would feel about this movie and revealing the many secrets of black women's hair to the world at large when I first saw the trailer, seen here:



But let me tell you -- I watched it this past weekend and have to say that it is one of the best representations of black culture that I have seen in a LOOOOONNNGG time. And I mean the good, the bad, the ugly AND the unknown. I pride myself at knowing a lot around issues of social justice, and if someone told me that I would learn something extremely relevant by watching Chris Rock's Good Hair, I would have laughed in their face. However, in addition to laughing quite a bit -- I also took some interesting things away from this movie and it made me start thinking of the unnecessary lengths that women go through to attain an unattainable image.

I wear weave (SUPRISE!), but never have I stopped and paused to think where my "100% human hair weave" comes from. Well, Chris Rock did. And he went to India to find out.

This is a must-see for all black women and men to start a dialogue and thought process in regard to their hair. It is also a really really great watch for ALL and a must-see for all of Tomi's friends -- mainly Karen. It was full of a vast range of cameos from literary greats like Maya Angelou, to the Original Gangsta (OG), Ice-T, and various others in between.

Soooooo... we will be watching this movie directly after work at 6:40PM on Wednesday, October 28th, and I promise you will NOT be disappointed! I can't wait for you to see some of this ridiculousness, and then to discuss our favorite lines from the movie.

Allow me to start with some of my favorites:

"I don't feel very beautiful right now." -Stylist Jason Griggers

"It feels like a 100 killer bees are stinging my face." -Stylist Jason Griggers

"If your hair's relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair's nappy, they're not happy." -Comedian Paul Mooney


Good stuff... JaaaaAAAAMMMMM!!!!

In no particular order

Since I have a spoonful of OCD mixed into my personality, and I know myself well enough to know the quest for perfection can lead to procrastination, I want to begin this by saying there is no beginning and no end. No particular order. Nothing to paralyze contributors by demanding chronological sequence or order of importance. Just getting it out, putting it down, on a page that can be found from anywhere and can't be lost in a drawer, mis-shelved, or labeled incorrectly. Labels are optional and the existence of occasional labeling of posts in no way guarantees access to all posts dealing with that subject. And I suppose if we are too embarrassed to think strangers might read something, it can be left out, but let's not get the idea that strangers would really give a hoot about what we write. Seriously.

I am hoping for insight, learning, laughing (lots of that). A place for things that slip my mind to slip to. Discovery. Passions. Questions. OBSESSIONS REVEALED (don't worry, nothing creepy). Dreams? Answers. Challenges. A list of things to read, look at, listen to, watch. A way to get to know, and to be known.