From "Driving Miss Daisy" to Dating Granny's Baby?

Say it ain't so. Lord Jesus, please, say it ain't so. I might as well stop wishing because all indicators seem to indicate that it is. Why do the things I write in this blog keep coming back to haunt me? I wrote about Gov. Sanford from South Carolina, while mentioning that Mississippi has it's own problems and that I should not go too hard on SC. Next thing I knew, former Mississippi politician Chip Pickering was exposed by his wife in her divorce filings because he was having a similar affair. After that, in the post about LeBron, I wrote that no one famous (even of the celebrities that are from Mississippi), ever comes to Mississippi except world-renown actor and native son, Morgan Freeman. Now Morgan Freeman has a scandal of his own, and one of epic proportions. Morgan Freeman - the man who played Joe Clark in "Lean On Me," who played Red in "The Shawshank Redemption," who played Lucius Fox in the Batman films, who played GOD himself in "Bruce Almighty" and its sequel, "Evan Almighty" - is dating his step-granddaughter, one E'Dena Hines, and seems to be planning to marry her once his divorce is finalized. No, you're not crazy. Neither am I. Do not adjust your computer screen. Instead, check out the full story here.
**Update: It has been reported that he doesn't plan to marry her. Note, however, that the affair was not denied when you check out that full story here.**
It's a mother effing shame, too. Here this dude is, the most visible Mississippian (who actually lives in Mississippi) and what does he do? Does he help us out of the stereotypes that have plagued this state (some of them rightfully so, but I digress)? No. He reinforces them. Of course, the state of Mississippi is in what is referred to as the "Deep South." One of the things that people think we do around here is get our incest-ridden relations on. I have never kissed a cousin and never even had sinful thoughts about a family member, thank you very much. However, the stigma remains. Now there's evidence to support the misconception. Now they can cite Mississippi's own version of Samuel L. Jackson as a culprit. It gets worse, however. This chick is his step-granddaughter, but she was raised as his actual granddaughter, meaning she likely thought of him just like she would a biological grandfather and probably even called him "Granddad." They may not be getting married, but it still seems that he went from "Grand Pop" to "Don't Stop." Is it really okay to practice PDA with family or with those that we consider family? No, there's no actual bloodline. I know. However, if you ask me (and by reading this blog, you're asking me), it's all freaky and nasty - no matter how one chooses to slice it.

*Side note -Speaking of family members or those who consider each other family practicing PDA, isn't it funny that Lil' Wayne wishes that he could F every girl in the world, yet he only wishes that he could KISS Baby aka Birdman? Just a thought.*

Anyway, it gets worse, yet. Freeman is 72. Hines is 27. Once again, do not adjust your computer screen. It just so happens that if you should put his age in reverse, you come up with her age. That's a completely new twist on the phrase, "opposites attract." That's not all, friends. It's gets worse, still. He's been sleeping with the girl since she was 17. He was 62 then. Come on, Mr. Clark! You're supposed to educate the kids, not deflower and satisfy them. She must've 'leaned on him' a little too hard. All this from a man who played the detective who saved the kidnapped women in "Kiss The Girls?" Too bad he was kissing the girls himself. As for Ms. Hines, is it really that hard to find a man in Mississippi? Of course not, I'm single. I know the population of whatever town she's from had younger and more appealing men than Morgan Freeman to offer a 17 year old. This is like a low-budget sequel to "The Color Purple" or something. And until Morgan Freeman does right, everything he thinks about is gonna crumble.
I'd just like to say that I blame Hugh Hefner, Viagra, and Woody Allen (hey, maybe Morgan and his step-granddaughter can get with Woody and his wife/stepdaughter and double date?) for this as well. Is there really any love in this relationship? Does he look at her and see anything more than, dare I say, a "new model?" Just a younger, slimmer, finer young thing for him to fulfill his fantasies with? Seriously, the guy did star in the film, "The Bucket List." How do we know that a twenty-something wasn't on his? Does she look at him and see anything more than the Hollywood lifestyle, red carpets, riches, stability, security? The fact of the matter is that it isn't my business. But why so young and so close to home? When you look at Cindy Crawford still doing her thang at 43, you know that younger doesn't always necessarily mean better. Plus, she's your step-granddaughter. Seriously, I know there's no blood connection - but she's family. Family-on-family love is good. Family-on-family sex, however, is a no-no. Period. Plus, when his age is factored into the equation, it makes one think that if he keeps getting his freak on with baby girl, she'll be the death of him - literally. I can hear the interviews now. Just like another scene from "The Color Purple."

"How'd he die?"
"On top of me."

What a tragedy it will be if the great, accomplished, and storied life of Morgan Freeman is muddled in the press and in our memories by his freaky family frolicking. He'll be following in the footsteps of people like Michael Jackson, James Brown, Frankie Lymon, and other black celebrities by having his estate, family, and memory enshrouded in controversy (shout out to Bernie Mac for being a family man who went out far too soon, but nevertheless did so with dignity). Sounds like a libido lynching waiting to happen.

LeBreezy, You're Doing A Heck Of A Job

Translation: "The ship be sinkin'."
Case in point:

Where should I start? Probably with the news that made the most headlines and waves across the sports world.

You guessed it, LeBron James got dunked on. He contested the dunk, and got it slammed all in his face. At his own training camp, the LeBron James Skills Academy. Wow. That's like somebody beating Tiger Woods at the Tiger Woods Golf Tournament. It's like Jay-Z being upstaged at his own concert (which very well could happen if Nas is a featured performer). Nobody likes it, but things happen. Every once in a while, someone gets one over on you. Allen Iverson crossed Michael Jordan up, and we all saw it. Remember?

They were both in the league, though. LeBron got embarrassed by a college student named Jamal Crawford. Yes, I said embarrassed. Why? Not because Crawford transferred to Xavier and therefore sat out the entire season this past year. Nope, that has nothing to do with it. Like I said, things happen and 'every dog has his day,' as the saying goes. He was embarrassed due to the way that he handled the whole thing. He reportedly had the tape showing this dunk confiscated by Nike personnel. Are we seeing a trend here? When does competitive spirit become unsportsmanlike and selfish bulljive? Hmm... At the end of his playoff run when he stormed off the court and refused to shake anyone's hand? Not only that, but he later gave an interview saying that 'he didn't understand' why he was expected to shake hands with those who had just defeated him. However, he seemed to have no trouble understanding or expecting those he had beaten to shake his hand on their way back home to watch the remainder of the NBA postseason on TV. Now, he has footage of himself getting dunked on confiscated. This is dumb for several reasons. First of all, we live in the information/technological age. Everybody's phones or other handheld devices have video capabilities and videos taken on these devices can be stored or sent in an instant. Anyone - and yes, that includes LeBron James - who thinks that he can somehow get rid of or confiscate any and all video footage of any event or occurrence which happens in front of a crowd of people in an audience is an idiot. Period. Secondly, these things are bound to happen if one plays basketball. Trying to hide it is like T.O. getting tackled and trying to have the hit edited out. It's like me walking around campus, tripping over something (maybe even my own feet - it happens) and then pulling a gun and swearing all passers-by to secrecy.

"Tell anyone I tripped, and I mean anyone, and I will put a hollow tip in your dome. Understand me? I mean it. Try me, you'll bleed!"

Make sense? Of course not. People will probably see it and laugh or talk about it for a few minutes. After that, it's pretty much over. But if you try to hide it, it becomes more of a story. This guy is taking the "King James" moniker bestowed upon him a little too seriously, is he not?
What, does he think that he is too good to be dunked on? If so, Jordan Crawford of Xavier put that one to rest. To make matters worse, LeBron actually has something to brag about in all of this. People get dunked on everyday. Every single day. 24/7, 365. They do not, however, get their names printed or remembered and Google searched like Crawford did. His buzz grew considerably. If I were LeBron, I would be saying something like,

"I'm the only guy you know that can get dunked on and make the other guy a household name. Behold the power of LeBreezy!"

He made a mountain out of a molehill by trying to cover the ish up. Dumb move. People were already getting over the LeBron honeymoon after he failed to reach the finals and live up to the muppets commercials.

It's four now, LeBreezy. Count 'em. One, two, three, FOUR! To your zero.
Plus he dissed the Magic after they beat him, as I mentioned above. Now this. Too bad it's not over yet. Now, LeBron's coming out with a book in which he admits to using marijuana and acting like a jerk in high school. His words. However, from what I can tell, his "jerk" days are far from over. LeBron recently paid a visit to my state. That's right. King James in all his glory and splendor came to Mississippi. Why? His teammate, Mo Williams, had a basketball camp here. Mo is a Jackson, MS native and played ball at Murrah High School. He does something for the kids every year, and this year he had a basketball camp that featured a highly-anticipated LeBron James appearance. Once again, as I have said in earlier posts, NOBODY famous really comes to Mississippi besides Morgan Freeman. Lots of celebs are from here, but they get the heck away. We don't spot or sight anyone famous or that we see on TV around here. So you can imagine that LeBreezy mania hit a fever pitch in Mississippi in the days leading up to his arrival. How'd it turn out? Like this:


Of course, a special shout-out and thank you to Scott LaPeer of Mississippi's WLBT Newschannel 3 for having the guts to speak up about this when many other people kissed butt and tucked tail.
Real men are standing up. It's about time. Let's recap for those of you who didn't or can't watch the video. LeBron comes through with his entourage and doesn't engage the crowd at all. He doesn't interact with the kids or even look at them very much. Instead, he took pictures with kids from each age group accommodated at the camp. So that it would look like he got around to many people, maybe? He then mingled and took pictures with those who had paid for VIP passes and whatnot to meet him. He spoke to the crowd for about a minute flat, and then did a shootaround which ended in an unenthused, anticlimactic dunk. No autographs or words of encouragement for the kids. He didn't even pick anyone up so that they could dunk. That's a must when you're playing basketball with kids. I do that with the neighbors and I'm not anywhere near the shape or skill of this guy. Here's an opportunity for one of my favorite NBA players to really do something memorable in the lives of so many young people who have no one to look up to, or at least not up close - and he blows it. All it takes is a little time, energy, and compassion. No money, probably not even any sweat. All we needed was for LeBron James to give a you-know-what. Obviously, he didn't. What gets me is that this guy acts as if he doesn't know that it's the FANS that made him who he is. If it weren't for adoring fans who are enthralled by this man's ability and kids who wanted to wear his jersey and beg for their parents to buy it, he wouldn't be a hot enough commodity to demand the amount of money that he does from endorsements. Yet he neglects to sign autographs? He'd better be glad that people want his autograph. I know a rapper that would probably kill to be asked for an autograph these days (hint: It's Murda!). The fans' adoration is a testament to the greatness and relevance of a public figure, relevance and greatness that celebrities' careers cannot survive without. I understand that celebrities often want their "space" and to be anonymous like normal individuals. They can't! Fame and anonymity cannot coexist. No one can be a public figure and a nobody. I understand that there are some drawbacks to public life, but when this guy signs contracts there are hundreds of millions of dollars... er, reasons that the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks. Fame and the requests and demands that come with it are a small price to pay, in my opinion, for such a privileged life. A life that is provided by the fans (either directly or indirectly) when you think about it. My advice to one of my favorite players is to grow up, grow some, and start acting like he cares about the people that he means so much to. If he doesn't, he may wake up and find that people just don't like him anymore. That has nothing to do with his skills, of course, but it will certainly dim the bright sheen of success already apparent in his career - not to mention the fact that it would decrease his overall popularity and therefore his jersey sales and endorsements as well. Thanks, LeBron. For arriving but never actually showing up. It's like going to a restaurant, paying for a meal, and not even touching the food. There's absolutely no point in making the trip at all. You could've stayed in Akron or Cleveland, on Jay-Z's nuts, or any other place you call home instead of screwing around with us. Once again, you are truly doing a heck of a job. Kobe's stock just went up in Mississippi big time. In fact, with all of Bron Bron's antics, I'd say it has risen tremendously at the national level as well. He knows his mama raised him better.

Just Call Him 'Chip Off The Old Party Block'?

Oh, you knew it was coming. You knew that I was gonna have to speak on this. Chip Pickering? More like Chip Dabbling... or Chip Frolicking. Maybe Chip Cheating? Remember on the last post - about Gov. Sanford - when I said that South Carolina had to do better? Then I added, and I quote, "but I'm from Mississippi and have no room to talk." I proved prophetic yet again. Enter Chip Pickering, a lobbyist and former U.S. Representative from the state of MISSISSIPPI! Guess what party he's from? You guessed it, the Grand Old Party full of "Good Old Boys" (which Michael Steele so desperately wants to be but I digress), the party of "family values," the Republicans. It is not looking too good for these guys, is it? Between hoping that President Obama (and therefore the country, duh) fails and getting caught with their pants down, it looks like no one is going to be able to actually lead the party (not to mention that Sarah Palin's microscopic, nearly invisible shred of political capital or credibility is gone due to the fact that she's quitting). Let's look at the facts in this story, shall we? The full story can be found here.
So... Chip Pickering has a wife, Leisha Pickering (at least until the divorce), and five sons. One more than the four that Gov. Sanford had and left to be with his Argentine Aphrodite. Here's a picture of Chip and his wife, probably during better times? Pickering met his freak-on-the-side in college, and some time after his marriage, had rekindled his relationship.

*Side Note* The freaks are in college. Remember the Freaknik? Seen House Party 2? Heard of the date rape drug? THE. FREAKS. ARE. IN. COLLEGE. Period.
If you have half a brain, do not go to college to find the freaks. I repeat, do not go to college to find the freaks. You'll wake up broke with no education and a strange sense of satisfaction, not to mention inexplicable stains and/or smells. Pardon the interruption, back to Chip.

Chip's freak-on-the-side goes by the name of Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd. I, for one, can't wait to see what she looks like. Once again, cheating is unjustifiable by any and all means. However, if you're going to wind up in the wrong and busted, at least get caught with someone who dazzles just a little bit. If I find a pic, don't even worry about it. It's as good as posted. Your mind could run wild imagining the types of things they may have done in college. Sneaking in sorority houses, breaking curfew, etc. Here's what makes it worse. Why do I always say that infidelity is unjustifiably wrong, no matter the circumstances? It's simple, really. Married couples take vows. Before God and man, they take vows to love one another til the end. That's a capital G-o-d. Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. He created us in the beginning and we'll see Him in the end, whether we want to or not. Back to the vows, how do they go again? For better or for worse. For richer or for poorer. In sickness and in health. Maybe they should add things like, for example: for finer or for uglier. For sexier or for more repulsive? For exciting or for mundane. Most wives can't trust their politician husbands. Why, then, do we expect to be able to trust them to serve us? We don't even know them that well, we're just the public! Not only did Chip Pickering make these vows before God, but he lived in a facility set up for Christian politicians who work for the government in Washington, D.C. Basically, this dude got his adultery on while he was staying at the We Love Jesus Hotel (no, there's no such actual place that I know of). They probably prayed every morning and read scriptures every night. They probably sang songs of worship together and blessed every meal. Read Bible verses just like they read legislation. But in the meantime and in between time, they got their God-fearing freak on. It gets better. Pickering retired and now works as a lobbyist for a firm that represents Cellular South, which Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd's family owns. Hopefully the child support people are jotting this down. Those five sons WILL BE FED! Good hearty meals, too. Pickering released a statement asking for privacy. Why don't they think about privacy until they become public figures and screw things up horribly? Tsk, tsk. Leisha Pickering, Chip's wife (what kind of Chip, you ask? I'm thinking Lay's) said that Pickering was offered a Senate seat by Gov. Hell, er... that is, Haley Barbour, when Trent Lott resigned without warning and with much controversy in 2007 (I could go into that a lot deeper, but I'll leave it for you to Google Search). Pickering refused. Now if you look at the Senate vs. the House of Representatives - Senate has longer terms, less people so it's more prestigious, easier to make connections, better committees and councils to sit on, etc. Also, it's a step closer to the Presidency - you know that any Rep would love to become a Senator if possible. It's like a bill waiting to become a law.

But Pickering refused. Why would he do such a thing? His soon-to-be ex-wife says that his mistress told him that he would not be able to be with her and continue his life in public service because it would be better for his image and campaigns for him to be married. Thus, alleges Leisha Pickering, Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd hit him with the ultimatum: choose a job in the private sector or I'm leaving. No senate seat for Pickering. Gov. er... Haley Barbour says that he only offered the job to Roger Wicker. This could very well be true. It could also be false, due to the fact that there is a sort of conflict of interest here. Barbour's nephew is a partner at the firm at which Pickering works. Can you see why he wouldn't want Pickering's name dragged through the mud any further? Might be bad for business at his nephew's firm. None of us really wants our extended-family relatives living with us if we can help it. Just a thought.
Back to the refusal of the senate seat. I can just see how that conversation probably went.

"Baby, if you take that Senate seat, we're done. You know what that means..."

"No more playing Clinton and Lewinsky in my office during lunch break?"

"Thaaaat's right!"

"I'll call the Governor right this minute!"

Things were so bad with his wife (shot in the dark here) that he refused to quit his affair, even though he had to forfeit a Senate seat, the ultimate promotion for someone like him. Ol' girl must have been drinking his bathwater, as the saying goes. She has him wrapped around the wedding ring finger. Wow. She did something so well that he was too turned on to turn her down. How does the song go? "That girl is poisoonnn!" It never ceases to amaze me how men tend to let temptresses and seductresses keep them from advancing. Shake my head. Played by the pelvis. Again. We've got to control ourselves.
I'm a left-leaning moderate, but parties don't even matter to me anymore when it comes to this. Once, just once, can't some guy in a powerful position or political office be strong enough to resist these Desperate Homewreckers? Democrats, Republicans, Independents? Green Party? Reform? Libertarians? Anarchists? There's gotta be somebody. One thing is for certain. Infidelity is a bipartisan practice. Freaky women reach across the aisle in more ways than one, and the lusts thereof seem to be the only things that diametrically-opposed politicians can agree upon.

The moral of the story is....
Sex is a powerful thing! Beyond pregnancies and STDs, it has social and psychological effects that people don't talk about. The R&B singers never mention these effects in their songs. The rappers never rap about these effects as they make it rain on oiled-up video girls. Most movies tend not to depict it, either. But sex is powerful and unauthorized sex (i.e. outside of marriage) can lead to all types of horrible things. You end up getting played because you are emotionally bound and under the control of your partner. You may put up with neglect, abuse, infidelity, etc. because of the way your partner makes you feel on passionate nights. Before you know it, you're in over your head and you're throwing your life away. Sanford's four sons who were fatherless on Father's Day? They'll never be the same. Pickering's five won't either. Steve McNair, need I say more? Families are broken up, relationships damaged, lovers killed or injured. Senate seats are forfeited, jobs and credibility are lost along with respect. Control yourselves. Men and women, control yourselves. Hold on to purity, before you find yourself DOA (either literally or figuratively), the victim of a libido lynching.

I'm Starting Not to Recognize My Own Town

I'm going to mainly focus on national issues on this blog, but I have to say something about my hometown first, which ties in to a much bigger issue. I am from Vicksburg, Mississippi (yes, as in Siege of Vicksburg for you history buffs). Vicksburg is a pretty boring town, where most people know most other people and seem to get along pretty well (once again, there's a lot of history to explore and museums and exhibits and whatnot, but for most people my age - and even some who are much older - history is not the most interesting subject, especially when most of us have grown up around it, more on that at a later date). Or, at least that's what it used to be. All around me, my town is morphing - literally changing right before my eyes. Common decency is getting harder to find, and common sense has begun to follow. Conflicts last longer, tempers and fuses are shorter. The most trivial arguments lead to fights, people getting jumped, stabbed, or even worse, gunplay. Not only that, but the streets are less safe. Robberies are occurring more and more frequently, assaults, break-ins, and even murders are following. Just last week, the Vicksburg Post reported that the rate at which city teens are being arrested has doubled from last year. Yes, the town seems to be in the early stages of a turn for the worse, and while I still feel safe most places I go and do not want to be overly dramatic, I believe that we have to take notice and take action now before things get irreversibly wrong. Teenagers and adults under drinking age seem to be the source of many of the problems plaguing Vicksburg right now - meaning that my generation is responsible for the unwanted change that I see in my hometown (which leads me to the national issue). Across the nation, Generation Y seems a lot more reckless and ignorant than we should be. Los Angeles is boasting astronomical juvenile crime numbers, Chicago has had nearly 40 teen homicides this year alone. We're beginning to spin out of control, and it's about time someone said something about it. No one can really hold us accountable for these things until we begin holding ourselves accountable first.
Nas probably said it best in his song "Purple" off his Lost Tapes disc:

"These hot-headed youngsters
always gettin' in trouble
reactin' before thinkin', they easily irritated
and murder's premeditated
it's a fact that we sinkin'
when we should be climbin
in a nutshell
it's just jail
Drug sales, liquor and diamonds, niggaz rewindin
instead of movin forward, to blow up so what's the science?
People shoutin, police pushin the crowd
And on the ground's a young soldier, with meat hangin out him
Am I hallucinatin off the hazin?
Or did I just see a nigga shoot another nigga's face in
It's a ugly nation, cops circle the block with mug shots
Photograph pictures of, suspect faces..."

Let's explore some of the reasons (not excuses or justifications, mind you, but explanations) for what we're seeing. These are in no particular order, by the way.

1. The absence of fatherhood in general, but especially in minority and low-income homes
2. The stronghold that the mainstream media has on our culture, and our desires to be socially accepted at almost any cost
3. The resonance and reach of the "Stop Snitching" campaign (not to mention the absurdity). Basically, the mentality is as follows: "I've been robbed, but I wouldn't dare talk to police because I wouldn't want them to possibly arrest the person and recover my stuff. Also, others might actually stop robbing people if they knew that victims would cooperate in efforts to bring the criminals to jail. Wouldn't want that!"
4. Either our inability - or perhaps, our refusal - to think things through and consider the consequences before making decisions
5. The effects of the instant gratification we have always known from our consumer products and machines and the fact that many of us are beginning to expect the same instant gratification from people, relationships, disagreements, and the like.
6. The fact that many of us shun knowledge, refuse to read, and neglect to value education or learning in almost any form
7. The older generations do a lot more talking about us than talking to us, which simply leads to more resentment and a wider generation gap. This, in effect, makes the problem worse and prolongs the development of a solution.

There are many more than seven when you think about it, but these are the ones that I will address. Once again, none of these are excuses and when it comes down to it, we've got to develop and keep higher standards for ourselves and make the right decisions. We're capable of so much better. So many legal and social battles have been fought and won for us to live in the unique times and have the special opportunities that we have today. Perhaps because we did not have to fight for them and never went without them, we fail to realize just how important and special these opportunities are and how fortunate we are to reap their benefits. We owe it to ourselves to change this, rise up, and reach our true potential.

This is getting pretty long, so I'll break one of the listed concepts down each day until I get to the end.