To a Hollering Phantom (poem years after divorce)

On the shore, he stood, while I drifted on the sea to icecaps.
My heart left him. He says he left me hoping, he believes.

In a home, perhaps that's warm, you comfort
that self-declared real man. You wear the rings I did
once, gold on your finger, leash in your nose.

In dreams you come, a shadow on the side
aisle of a candel lit chapel.

In dreams he follows me with clumsy negotiations.
Once his wife but content to walk free,
I am forever enthroned.

He is singing me in the public square. You will feel used.
He is writing a life lyric: You are his wife but I am his muse.

I would weep for you but you never wept for me.
You have made your bed, now sleep uneased.

My favorite song is "Free!"

(c) 2009 Nordette N. Adams

Do You Care that People are Leaving Facebook?

I was reading a New York Times article that annoyed me about a female author in England who's been skewered because she wrote about her son's drug addiction when I saw this headline, "Facebook Exodus." If folks are leaving Facebook in droves, then that would be news, but this article says it's not droves but a relative few:

The exodus is not evident from the site’s overall numbers. According to comScore, Facebook attracted 87.7 million unique visitors in the United States in July. But while people are still joining Facebook and compulsively visiting the site, a small but noticeable group are fleeing — some of them ostentatiously. (NYT)

The article then goes on to talk about disgruntled members who are leaving the site, one whose mother said (and now he agrees), "Facebook is the devil."

I'm a member of Facebook and became one out of necessity, plodding along with irregular visits. So, I'm not a Facebook junkie. I'm not a raving fan and use the site like a business networking tool. Therefore, my criticism of this article is not an attempt to defend the social networking site nor deny Facebook phobia or rebuke hatred for the site. Nevertheless, I wonder why a major newspaper even published an article that in essence says only that some people joined this site and then left it.

How is that news? People leave sites all the time. People also join sites, click a few links, never return, and never bother to close their accounts.

The article sort of sounds like a newspaper is gossiping about the troubles of a social networking website that competes, in some ways, for the same eyeballs. It has all the nitpickiness and drama of gossip too, like tales of stalking with whispers of rivalries, namely Twitter vs. Facebook.

Anyway, it sounds to me like some of the people who say they are fleeing FB put their faith for making friends in membership on a website while others, those who say their privacy's been invaded, sound like folks ignorant about online life in general. Furthermore, the types of bad experiences some have had on Facebook can't be escaped in life. Driven by human nature, relationship issues may spring up anywhere.

It's true that websites have cultures, some of which may be pretty darn nasty, but anyone joining a website thinking it's the key to love and happiness is a fool. That statement, however, does not mean that some people don't benefit from using Facebook to stay connected to friends.

Still, the huge site has problems. Ironically, as I was writing this post, I received the following message from an online FB acquaintance.

Subject: Spam, hackers & applications
Dear friends,
As most of you are probably aware, spammers and hackers have been extremely active on FB lately, and particularly today. They have been using, mostly, applications (such as "send a hug", "send a heart", "gifts", "birthday cards", and several others) to send fake requests from friends' accounts. Today, after receiving a few suspicious requests and checking with the friends from whose accounts they were apparently being sent, I ended up reporting all of them as spam and blocking several applications. So, at least for a while, I won't be accepting any requests or gifts that allow any application to access my profile, unless I'm absolutely sure that one of you has actually sent it. Also, I won't be sending any myself, so, please don't accept any request apparently coming from my account - unless I let you know that I'll be sending anything to you. Sorry, this is really annoying and spoils a bit of the fun... but hopefully, things will improve soon! Love, Xxxxxxxxx.

I hate FB apps and avoid them as much as I can. There are only so many hours in the day, and Facebook, Twitter, basically any social networking site, steals time from real projects with deadlines. Who has the minutes to sort through all those apps plus the people who you let friend when you're in a good mood only to discover later your leniency may have been a mistake. Just yesterday I saw an update from somebody on my Facebook page and all I thought was, "Who in the hell is that guy and why is he on my page?"

Fourth Anniversary of Katrina and We're Still Here

New Orleans is my city and I love it. I am not alone in this affection. Yet, I drag my feet to write about how it stumbles down the road to recovery. Shouldn't a writer in New Orleans, seeing her city's value, beauty, promise, its failures, blight, and grotesque inequalities revisit its saga often? Today is the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina changing how America sees America, how the world sees the incompetence and frailty of humans in one of the greatest nations on earth but also how we view the resilience, bravery and compassion of ordinary people facing devastation.

I don't write about my city enough because I sit overwhelmed beneath its staggering complexity. ... Please read full post at BlogHer.com

Michael Jackson's Birthday and Macauley Culkin's Video

Today, August 29, is Michael Jackson's birthday. He died in late June, and his body still has not been buried. At one point the media reported the King of Pop's body would be buried today. Later the day changed to September 3rd. I'm here in New Orleans so my mind is not exclusively on Michael. I'm also thinking about the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Still, I could not let the day go by without acknowledging MJ's birth.

He would have been 51 today, and according to E Online! Hollywood stars and others are throwing MJ birthday bashes today. The list includes Spike Lee, director of When the Levees Broke, an excellent documentary about Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans flooding. I love connecting strange dots. Lee is throwing a "Brooklyn style block party" in honor of the mega-store's birth.

I've never done a Jackson birthday post before before at my blog, but with the recent revelation that the coroner's called his death a homicide, the recognition that his remains remain above ground, and my personal acceptance that he touched my life more than I realized, I felt compelled to post this time.

Checking MJ out on YouTube, I see that there's an "official" Michael Jackson YouTube channel now. I guess it went up after his death, but most of the video doesn't allow embeds. No matter because rather than post another MJ music video, I think this video of him on the set of Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin gives a different look at the star, reminds us that he was also human.

Culkin appeared in the King of Pop's memorable "Black or White" video and the two remained close friends over the years, with Culkin making frequent trips to Neverland -- and even testifying on Jackson's behalf during the infamous molestation trial, of which the singer was acquitted. Culkin is one of Jackson's only confidantes who has not come forward to talk about their friendship after Michael's death.
The exclusive 1992 video was shot by Culkin's 'Home Alone' co-star Devin Ratray in Chicago when the opening scenes of the movie were being filmed. Devin played Culkin's older brother, Buzz. Devin just happened to bring his video camera the day that Jackson came by for a visit. (Entertainment Tonight)

Happy Birthday, Michael. May we not mourn today but celebrate your beauty and talent.

True Blood's Vampire Queen Plus Bad Boy Eric

It's getting crowded sharing space with so many True Blood fans, but that's a good thing. While BlogHer's community manager may not get the show's appeal, I perk up every Sunday night knowing a new episode hits the airwaves. Understandably, I chuckled when I saw the following animated .gif at TrueBlood Dallas, which found it at Movieline, which found it at Oh No They Didn't.



Movieline has a cool piece, "9 Fun Facts About True Blood Breakout Alexander Skarsgård," which about the 33-year-old actor who plays the devious Eric Norhtman. I like the assertion in the articles lead that we should have learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lost that blond bad boys do well in love triangles. Here's the story behind the .gif.

In his first U.S. role, he played one of the ill-fated male model roommates in Zoolander. For the denizens of ONTD, who love Skarsgård and (in equal measure) making animated .gifs with heads pasted over the Zoolander “Jitterbug” sequence, the discovery was mindblowing: A True Blood “Jitterbug” .gif could be made that Skarsgård was already in!

From the piece I also learned who is playing the mysterious vampire queen who watched Bill enter her home at the end of last Sunday night's episode, Evan Rachel Wood. According to the L.A. Times, Wood lobbied director/producer Alan Ball to play Queen Sophie Anne, an 1,100 year-old vampire temptress who may be either lesbian or bisexual.

True Blood is based on the Sookie STackhouse novel series by Charlaine Harris.

Courtesy Link: True Blood Dallas

Poem Prompt: Mistake

The following poem was written via a prompt from Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer, "write a mistake poem."

Plans
By Nordette N. Adams

The kitchen floor is a little gritty.
She'll sweep later, after the magic's done,
and her favorite show's ended, when the house
smells like shimmering Sunday mornings,
and love's risen in the old oven.

Three cups of sweetness and as much flour
as written in her mother's hand.
Two sticks real butter to pop vanilla
as dreaminess hits the tongue. Plus salt!
eggs, the milk, the shortening that
wards off dryness.

For the son, the wily one, young and busy on a Wii,
forgetting how he hid his afternoon clumsiness
with a rush of Morton's in the sugar jar.

She didn't test the batter.
Trouble in the house tonight.

(c) 2009 Nordette N. Adams

Sen. Ted Kennedy Has Died, Report News Outlets

I heard through email and have confirmed through both national and local news that Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, 77, beloved by many, scorned by some, has passed away. Called the "Lion of the Senate," Kennedy died this morning at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. With reports since last year of his battle with cancer, a brain tumor, and the close scare he had during President Barack Obama's run for the White House, I guess I and everyone else should have expected this, but it still feels strange, like the last great giant from a family of giants is dead.

I had the opportunity to meet Sen. Kennedy in the spring of 2008 and wrote during his birthday celebration this March the following:

I was in a room with Sen. Kennedy about this time last year, close enough to touch him, with people who adore him. I applaud the senator for his work with healthcare reform, a subject on which I have strong feelings. His birthday seems like a sweet victory that even his opponents cheer ... Kennedy suffers from aggressive brain cancer. (WSATA 3/09)

I add this evening that even in ill health, he had a light and showed a love for people. Even while ill, he tried to ensure Massachusetts. would have representation in the event of his death by passing a law to have a temporary replacement in place. However, that did not come to fruition.

Not only was he a champion for health care reform, but also powerhouse on Civil Rights. In addition, he threw the Kennedy brand behind Barack Obama, endorsing him and persuading his family to do so.



From CNN, his family's statement and some background:

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," a family statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice."

Kennedy, nicknamed "Ted," was the younger brother of slain President John F. Kennedy and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was gunned down while seeking the White House in 1968. However, his own presidential aspirations were hobbled by the controversy around a 1969 auto accident that left a young woman dead, and a 1980 primary challenge to then-President Jimmy Carter that ended in defeat.

But while the White House eluded his grasp, the longtime Massachusetts senator was considered one of the most effective legislators of the past few decades. Kennedy, who became known as the "Lion of the Senate," played major roles in passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, and was an outspoken liberal standard-bearer during a conservative-dominated era from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

From MSNBC:

Nancy Reagan ‘terribly saddened’
Former President Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy reacted to the news of Kennedy's death, saying:

"I was terribly saddened to hear of the death of Ted Kennedy tonight.

Given our political differences, people are sometimes surprised by how close Ronnie and I have been to the Kennedy family. But Ronnie and Ted could always find common ground, and they had great respect for one another.

In recent years, Ted and I found our common ground in stem cell research, and I considered him an ally and a dear friend. I will miss him.

My heart goes out to Vicki and the entire Kennedy family." (MSNBC)

MSNBC also has a presentation of Ted Kennedy over the years.

The front page of the New York Times had a subhead calling Sen. Kennedy "gifted and flawed." That is a true statement that is often applied to great men. Adam Clymer, his biographer, said he is the Kennedy we saw grow old and probably affected the lives of more Americans that either of his brothers. His death is being called "the end of an era."

Michael Jackson's Death Ruled a Homicide

Michael Jackson's death was not simply a drug overdose but a homicide, says the Los Angeles coroner's office. News broke this afternoon that the LAPD issued a warrant for Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, today. Legal experts and journalists say official charges are the next step.

Per CNN's story:

The Los Angeles coroner has concluded preliminarily that singer Michael Jackson died of an overdose of propofol, a drug he was given to help him sleep, according to court documents released Monday.

Los Angeles' coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran reached that preliminary conclusion after reviewing toxicology results carried out on Jackson's blood, according to a search warrant and affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas.

The 32-page warrant said Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, told a detective that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks. Murray said each night he gave Jackson 50 mg of propofol, also known as Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine via an intravenous drip. (CNN)

In the MSNBC video, one anchor says homicide means Jackson would not have died without the doctor's involvement.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The CNN story continues saying that Murray grew concerned that Jackson had become addicted to the drugs Murray had been giving him and attempted to "wean" him off the potent cocktail. The star suffered from insomnia and needed his sleep as he prepared for his final concert tour. The article gives a time line and dosage details.

Murray stayed by Jackson's bedside in the wee hours of the morning on June 25, closely monitoring him, according to Murray's statement to police. The report says he told detectives he left Jackson's side for no more than two minutes to go to the bathroom, and when he returned the King of Pop was not breathing.

Anesthesiologists usually administer propofol intravenously in hospitals to patients undergoing surgery. The patient must be monitored because the drug puts the brain to sleep; however, once the drip is stopped, the patient usually awakens quickly, say medical professionals.

Fans and the curious have been awaiting two important pieces of news on the pop icon since his untimely death in June, today's news and his burial date, September 3rd.

For many, Murray's arrest has been expected because after appearing to be cleared of suspicion initially, he was called in for questioning again, and police raided his offices at different locations. The L.A. Times reports results from police searching Michael Jackson's home.

Although Murray acknowledged to police that he administered propofol, authorities said they could find no evidence that he had purchased, ordered or obtained the medication under his medical license or Drug Enforcement Administration tracking number. However, police detectives saw about eight bottles of propofol in the house along with other vials and pills that had been prescribed to Jackson by Dr. Murray, Dr. Arnold Klein and Dr. Allan Metzger.

Other drugs that were confiscated in the search included valium, tamsulosin, lorazepam, temazepam, clonazepam, trazodone and tizanidine. They also found propofol in Murray’s medical bag. Murray told detectives that he was not the first doctor to administer the powerful anesthetic to Jackson.

At least two unidentified doctors gave Jackson propofol in Germany. Between March and April 2009, Murray said he called Las Vegas doctor David Adams at Jackson’s request to arrange for Adams to administer propofol. ... (LAT)

The Times also reports Murray told the police that he "repeatedly" asked Jackson about other drugs other doctors had given him, but Michael would not tell him.

In addition to Murray, authorities subpoenaed medical records from Dr. Arnold Klein, Dr. Allan Metzger and Dr. David Adams, the affidavit states. They also asked for medical records from Dr. David Slavitt, who conducted the independent medical examination of Jackson for Anschuntz Entertainment Group, Dr. Randy Rosen and nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee. They also subpoenaed records from Dr. Mark Tadrissi, who stored medical records with Adams. (L.A. Times story)

The blog Wendyista and Tennessee Guerilla Women are reporting on the homicide ruling as well as Bossip, where Baby Bossip reminds readers that Jackson's sister LaToya was the first to say publicly that she beleived her brother was murdered.

Jane at Celebrity Gossip thinks Murray will likely be charged in Jackson's death. MSNBC experts say charges are inevitable. The video above has an intersting tidbit, that Michael Jackson called Dipravan his "milk," and a multiple news sources report the star hid needle marks in his hands and feet.

As has been said by others since Jackson's death, this tragedy echoes the death of Elvis Presley in 1977. Despite public outrage once it was revealed that his doctor regularly supplied Presley with addictive drugs, the death was never ruled a homicide. Perhaps Presley's tragic death, the cover-up, and its other unresolved issues contributed to how officials have investigated Michael Jackson's death. Also, Jackson's friend Deepak Chopra decried how easy it is for doctors to enable stars in their addictions shortly after Jackson died.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer Contributing Editor. You may keep up with her writing adventures at Her411.com. This entry is cross-posted at BlogHer.com

Black Billionaires in Missouri

I was about to blog on black billionaires, the Michael and Steven Roberts from Missouri, and talk about books on black titans such as Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire by Carol Jenkins and her daughter Elizabeth Gardner Hines, but things change. Will get back to this but must write on the ruling that Michael Jackson's death is a homicide at BlogHer. Check you later, readers. Have to stop rushing, accidentally typed suicide here earlier.

Advertisers Run from Glenn Beck Show

Fox talk show host Glenn Beck, a right wing extremist in many ways, is losing major advertisers on Fox. Beck's one of the right wing political pundits who's been heating up the health care reform battle with crazy rhetoric like health care is Obama's way to make reparations to black people. The group credited with successfully chasing big advertisers from Beck's show s ColorOfChange.org.

ColorofChange.org is a grassroots social justice organization that uses the Web to spark Black America to political action. It was founded by James Rucker, a very cool dude. I've got a soft spot for James. He started Color of Change because of the injustice he saw during Hurricane Katrina. The group's server may be overloaded at the moment because when I visited it a few minutes ago, half the images were missing.

Rucker's been writing about the success of the action against Glenn Beck at the Huffington Post, Jack and Jill Politics, The Daily Kos, and FiredogLake: Walmart, CVS, Best Buy Ditch Glenn Beck (Plus Five More Companies).

Eight more Glenn Beck advertisers, including Wal-Mart -- the world's largest retailer -- have confirmed to ColorOfChange.org that they pulled their ads from the controversial Fox News Channel broadcaster's eponymous show. Allergan (maker of Restasis), Ally Bank (a unit of GMAC Financial Services), Best Buy, Broadview Security, CVS, Re-Bath, Travelocity and Wal-Mart join the dozen other companies who previously distanced themselves from Beck.

Twenty companies have pulled their ads from Beck's show in just the last two weeks. The moves come after the Fox News host called President Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" during an appearance on Fox & Friends. Previous companies who pulled their ads include ConAgra, GEICO, Lawyers.com, Men's Wearhouse, Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance, RadioShack, Roche, SC Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Sargento, and State Farm Insurance.

"We are heartened to see so many corporate citizens step up in support of our campaign against Glenn Beck," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "Their action sends a clear a message to Glenn Beck: Broadcasters shouldn't abuse the privilege they enjoy by spewing dangerous and racially charged hate language over the air. No matter their political affiliation, hate language doesn't belong in our national dialogue." (COC press release)

Some of the companies themselves back up his statement that they no longer want to advertise on Glenn Beck.

According to the Asociated Press, an organization which bloggers more or less should avoid quoting, companies such Wal-Mart, Clorox, CVS Caremark and Sprint are saying "no" not only to Beck but perhaps other political shows as well, both progressive and conservative, because they don't want the public heat that rises from what Clorox calls "inflammatory speech."

The AP story suggests shows such as the Keith Olberman show and the Rachel Maddow show may also see fewer advertising dollars from big name companies. These are some of the top shows on television now, drawing large audiences.

With the loss of his larger advertisers, look for more ads on Beck's show about products that enhance "that certain part of the male body." I'm sure some people will say Beck's freedom of speech is being hindered here, which is what they said when advertisers pulled out of the Don Imus show two years ago. However, companies rarely consider only who has the highest ratings when selecting where to put their advertising dollars. They also consider how advertising on certain shows reflects corporate image.

If it was all based on "number of eyeballs," you'd see Clorox and Wal-Mart with big ads on porn sites.

Naked Pole Dancing in New York Subways

The following CNN video let me know how out of touch I am with what goes on in the Big Apples these days. Jeanne Moos reports on naked pole dancing in the subways as well as something else I had not heard of before, pole riders. They are pole dancers from Poleriders.net who keep their clothes on and pole dance while someone drives them around on modified bicycles. People throw money at them, according to the report, and men have been known to run out of bars when they see the polerider bikes going by.



Also in the video is a photographer who takes shots of nude people in very public places. The trick, he says, is to get the shot done in a few seconds before the police show up.

Pole Dancing from Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity as seen on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. My adult daughter, 28, saw this and said she didn't find it sexy. She thinks more clothes is sexier. I reminded her that neither one of us is male. I also said, "Hmm. Looks like the Cirque du Soleil people got up one day and said, 'Let's put the rest of the pole dancers to shame.'"

OSF: Prom Memories

Hello, y'all. This is the first time I've been able to get to Old School Friday in about six weeks, and I could kick myself for that. Anyway, the theme is prom.

I went to two proms, one with a guy who graduated in 1976 and my own prom in 1977, and sadly, remember little of the music at either. I went to my prom with a guy I only knew slightly who graduated in 1976 with the other guy who took me to his prom because, well, I was childish. I knew the first guy was sitting around cackling, assuming I would ask him to go with him because I didn't know anyone else. Long story, lots of drama and teenage angst. Great stuff for a movie by the late John Hughes except he didn't do movies with black characters.

But I'm pretty sure this song played at my prom, "Always and Forever" by Heatwave, and I say pretty sure because I'm not remembering the music from my prom very clearly. But I do know that this song was played often everywhere, at parties on the radio in my bedroom, and I have vague memories of dancing to it in a long dress.

I suspect we danced to the Ohio Players, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, and the Commodores too, but as I said, my brains' gone fuzzy. It's a good thing I have pictures to remind what I wore. :-)



The creators of the Old School Friday meme are Mrs. Grapevine and Marvalus at Conversations with Marva and has these rules, if you want to join this theme party.

Update: Marriott's Statement on Rape Case

The Jane Doe v. Stamford Marriott story and case has struck nerves on all side. A story in The Stamford Advocate posted on Friday, August 14, reported that the Stamford Marriott in Connecticut blamed a rape victim for her 2006 rape in its parking garage. The blogosphere erupted in seething disapproval, many calling for a boycott of the hotel chain.

On my first post at BlogHer on this tragedy in which a "special defense" filed by attorneys representing the Marriott, a few comments are starting to roll in on the tail end of debate that I suspect come from misogynistic trolls. On the updated post discussing Marriott's withdrawal of the offensive special defense, a post which has less than 25 percent of the hits on the first story, a commenter dropped an update that's worthy of examination.

Josh Kirshner posted to comments Marriott's official statement, which it released Tuesday, August 18, and a link to the case's court detail. Read Josh's comment, for which I am grateful, here.

From Marriott's website, an excerpt from its official statement on this story and the withdawal of the "special defense":

It was a mistake to suggest that the victim of this tragic incident was responsible for the vicious crime against her. As soon as we learned that this offensive language was included by the insurance company’s defense lawyers in their response to Ms. Doe’s civil suit, we asked that it be withdrawn and it was on Monday, August 17.

This incident is not reflective of our corporate culture or ethical standards, and we apologize to all of our guests and customers who were so deeply offended by the words used in the legal pleading. (Marriott International)

My Response to Josh's Update with Screenshot of Court Detail

Thank you, Josh. Your comments are a testament to the benefits of crowd-sourced journalism. :-) I checked Marriott's website for its statement and someone posted it at 8:00 Tuesday night.

I'm willing to give Marriott the benefit of the doubt and cut it some slack because its offical statement admits the the language of the special defense" was a "mistake." However, the request does not appear in the court detail, which you brought to our attention (thank you), and the court detail does not support Marriott's (its attorney's) contention. *Special note here: Such a request would not appear in the court detail if Marriott made the request to an individual attorney.*

Still, unless the Connecticut Courts website has a typo (which is quite possible), Marriott did not request a revision to its special defense. Jane Doe, the plaintiff and victim, requested a revision. The CT Courts have it as filed by "P."

It seems to me that if the plaintiff had made this request it would be an objection and not a request, but I'm not a lawyer. I wish there was an attorney licensed in CT who could tell us if the plaintiff could make such a request, perhaps due to the offensive langauge, but as I said, it could be a big fat typo by the courts. I'd call and ask if it's a typo, but who has the time to wait for a state government office to give a straight answer about a potential human error?

If Marriott's insurance company filed the request for revision, however, it should take the time to get the "P" changed to a "D" on the state's public website, especially if Marriott's telling the truth and the insurance company screwed everything up.

Here's a screenshot so you can see what I mean, and if you click the image you can see the larger screenshot.

Thanks again for following up on this. As you may guess, there will be people who refuse to give Marriott any benefit of the doubt just as there are people who insist on bashing Jane Doe for filing the suit at all. As I've said in comments on the first post, it's too bad the insurance company can't take public heat on this. If Marriott made the request weeks ago, why did it take the insurance company so long to file the revision?

My Reservations

I'm being more generous than my life experience tells me to be, Josh, as I try to see Marriott's side. Having worked in PR before and considering that the company's official statements do not mention a "two weeks after" request for division, I lean toward believing something's fishy because the reporter at The Advocate doesn't have a direct quote from anyone saying Marriott made a request "weeks ago" as stated in the lead. All Marriott's ever said was it made the request "recently." Here's what the Stamford Marriott's attorney said as quoted by Monica Potts at The Advocate:

"From its inception, the legal case involving this tragic incident has been handled by the insurance company and its lawyers under the terms of the hotel's insurance policy, as is customary where an insurance company bears the risk of loss," said Stamford attorney Marc Kurzman in a statement from the hotel. "Interestingly enough, when we recently learned of this defense we requested that it be withdrawn." (source)

It would seem a request made two weeks after the special defense, which as you pointed out would be a full month before The Advocate's story, would not be characterized as "recently" by a company that hopes to get out of hot water.

Public Relations professionals have a standard of ethics and if they follow those ethics they cannot willingly lie, which could explain why Marriott's official statement doesn't say "weeks ago." Could be recently was Friday, August 14, when the story blew up the web.

But I'll still give them benefit of the doubt because it's possible the request was made verbally and somebody dropped the ball.

PS: Interesting and perhaps to its credit, neither of Marriott's official statements mention an insurance company, not the first, which said it couldn't discuss the litigation, nor the second, which declares a withdrawal of the offensive defense. Only its attorney, Kurzman, says the insurance company filed the "special defense."

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Barney Frank Asks Woman for Her Planet of Residence

I'll bet that there is someone out there in the blogosphere who is completely ignoring the point Barney Frank made while addressing a woman holding a picture of President Barack Obama as Hitler and is instead harping on something like, "Frank was disrespectful." Frank challenged the woman's thought processes at at a town hall meeting on health care reform in Dartmouth, Mass. I'm so sure someone is focused on his lack of tact rather than his honesty that I won't even bother to Google it.

The Massachusetts congressman was right, however, arguing with that simple-minded woman would be "like arguing with a dining room table." This exactly the kind of response I'd like to give sometimes to people spouting nonsense and myths about health care reform and other poltical topics on which they comment but are clearly misguided.

I try to be nice and not come out and say the person's delusional, but God knows that some people don't even realize you refuse to engage them because you think they're insane. I had a man here at my blog like that a while back. He thought I didn't answer him because I couldn't answer him, that he was some kind of genius in his logic. The truth was I thought he was a nut and didn't want to waste my time.


As reported by CNN:

While Frank attempted to respond to all questions, he gave up when one woman compared health care proposals favored by Frank and President Obama to policies of Nazi Germany.

"When you ask me that question, I'm going to revert to my ethnic heritage and ask you a question: On what planet do you spend most of your time?" Frank asked.

"You stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis," he said, adding such behavior demonstrated the strength of First Amendment guarantees of what he called "contemptible" free speech.

"Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table," Frank said to the woman. "I have no interest in doing it."

Despite the disruptions, the meeting covered many of the issues of the health care debate, with Frank shooting down rumors that a House health care bill would mandate free insurance coverage for illegal immigrants. (CNN)

In other health care reform news that reflects American ignorance or insanity: 1.) Think Progress reports that 39% of Americans want the government to "stay out of Medicare." I talked about this form of idiocy on my in-fear-mation post. 2.) The NRA gun-toting crazies test American freedom's boundaries by carrying automatic weapons to heatlh care reform meetings with President Barack Obama. If you skim the Huffington Post's comment section, you'll see what I mean by crazies.

Really, I despise people who only drop by posts to push an ideology rather that to honestly engage. They're like sleazy political operatives. I especially abhor those who don't even bother to read the post's content and who make matters worse by making statements that show they didn't read the post and their only goal is to blast political opponents or spam. It's disrespectful to the blogger/writer and shows they think they are the center of the universe.

SCOTUS Grants Troy Davis Evidentiary Hearing

Troy Davis has been granted an evidentiary hearing. Reuters reports from Washington, D.C.:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted an appeal by a man sentenced to death in Georgia for the murder of a policeman, ruling he should get a hearing to assess what he says is new evidence showing his innocence.

The justices transferred the case of Troy Davis to a U.S. District Court in Georgia for a hearing and determination of his claims that new witnesses will clearly establish his innocence. (Reuters)

Only two SCOTUS justices opposed granting Davis a hearing. Can you guess who?

We are relieved that the Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to reconsider the conviction of a Georgia death row inmate who may be innocent. In a shocking dissent, Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dismissed the idea that the courts have a duty to ensure that they are not putting an innocent man to death.

We hope that the Georgia court will see that justice is done. And that the other justices will make clear in future cases that the Constitution prohibits the execution of death row inmates who can produce convincing evidence that they are innocent. (from yesterday's editorial in New York Times)

I'm convinced that Clarence Thomas, who is from the Savannah area, doesn't just love white people but hates black people, loathes himself. How could a black man who claims he understands the law and seeks justice, knowing that the prisons overflow with black men who may be innocent, argue that the courts have no duty to ensure that innocent people aren't being put to death?

Obviously, the color of the person on death row should not matter. If you deserve a new trial, you deserve a new trial. But one must wonder what the hell goes on in Clarence Thomas's mind. Is he so desperate to disclaim his black skin that he would sign a potentially innocent black man's death warrant that easily? As said in the NYT editorial, the idea of coolly putting to death an innocent man while hiding behind a cold misinterpretation of the law is "barbaric."

No, I don't have a comment on Scalia because it's Scalia. Safe to say I'm impressed with neither of the men.

I learned of Davis' good news from the work of a friend, poet and novelist Aberjhani; however, the Troy Davis case is not new to me. Here is YouTube video I posted the first time I wrote about Davis's case.



Despite witnesses recanting their testimony that Davis shot and killed Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail, and the support of groups like Amnesty USA, the Innocence Project, and the NAACP, Davis has remained in prison. His repeated requests for a new trial denied. Black bloggers with many others have worked consistently to advance Davis's cause, promoting the I Am Troy and the I Am Troy Davis campaigns, and so with this granting of an evidentiary hearing, a small victory may be celebrated. Per CNN, this ruling from SCOTUS also grants Davis another stay of execution.

Here's a little bit of history on Davis's case as written by Aberjhani at his Examiner site.

Very few court cases in recent U.S history have generated the kind of intensified focus, lingering controversy, and international scrutiny as that of Davis, the 40-year-old African-American man currently sitting on death row at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison for the August 19, 1989 murder of the White American off-duty Savannah police officer, Mark Allen MacPhail. August 19, 2009, will mark the twentieth anniversary of MacPhail’s death and commemorate as well the number of years many people have expressed doubt about Davis’ guilt in the case.

The fact is Davis was indicted for the murder November 15, 1989, by the Superior Court of Chatham County for the murder of Mark MacPhail and convicted and sentenced to death on August 28, 1991. Since then, Davis has filed several for appeals—in 1994, 2001, and 2007–– to stay his execution and request a new trial. Each time, his request has been denied and he has barely avoided execution by a few days or weeks. While the Supreme Court halted Davis’ execution before going on recess for the summer, it delayed until reconvening any decision to hear Davis' appeal and possibly order a new trial.

The primary problem with Davis’ case—outside the fact of MacPhail’s tragic death —is that nothing about it is clear. Out of the nine non-police witnesses whose testimonies helped convict Davis, seven later recanted their testimonies and claimed they were either coerced into submitting false testimonies the first time, or did so without certainty regarding their statements. Moreover, a number of “new witnesses” have come forward to claim they saw another man, an apparent acquaintance of Davis’ known as Sylvester “Red” Coles, commit the murder. (source)

The New York Times editorial quoted earlier is entitled "The Court's Duty" and continues:

The Supreme Court ordered a federal district court to “receive testimony and make findings of fact” about whether the new evidence clearly establishes that Mr. Davis is not guilty. Such a hearing is the best vehicle for getting at the truth — and for possibly rescuing an innocent man. There is no excuse for not having one. (NYT)

Exactly right! No excuse.

I'm sympathetic to the concerns of the MacPhail family. As expected they have been adamantly opposed to a new trial for Troy Davis, but if it were my loved one and this many questions lingered, if so-called eye witnesses recanted, I'd want answers and not just any answers but the truth. I'd want the proven murderer in jail, not the nearest suspect sitting in a cell giving me a false sense of closure.

Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mucking Up Customers' Works?

The image above is a screenshot of part of the letter dated August 11 that Taylor, Bean, & Whitaker sent to its partners informing them that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had stopped it from servicing government-backed mortage loans. In essence, the company was out of business. The content continues, suggesting investors/partners "prepare to transition mortgage servicing from TB&W to another servicer."

When I first wrote about the Taylor, Bean & Whitaker mess after finding out why the company's website told me my mortgage loan was restricted, which meant I couldn't make a payment, I discussed my first encounter with TBW after Liberty Bank & Trust sold my loan to the mortgage giant. I was not happy about the service, how its agents seemed to take no responsibility for mishandling paperwork. Well, if you're a TBW customer dealing with its shutdown who must start sending payments to a new company, perhaps you should get out all your mortgage records and get ready for some drama.

According to Ocala.com, website of the Star-Banner, an Ocala, Fla., newspaper, a Cincinnati financial company has filed a lawsuit against TBW, claiming that the Florida-based company is mucking up the works, stalling on handing over important documents.

Since ceasing its lending operations and laying off most of its employees on Aug. 5, the Ocala-based company has refused to carry out specific - and contractually required - tasks to help one of its many business partners, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Cincinnati-based U.S. Bank National Association alleges that Taylor Bean has failed to provide access to documents, data and records pertaining to 1,936 residential home mortgage loans, totaling a balance of $180 million, that Taylor Bean serviced until it toppled. When Fitch Ratings downgraded Taylor Bean's credit rating to "unacceptable" on Aug. 5, U.S. Bank terminated its May 2007 agreement to have Taylor Bean service those loans.

U.S. Bank, acting as trustee on behalf of investors, also claims Taylor Bean is sitting on $2.4 million generated from those mortgages and refuses to transfer the money to the appropriate institutions. (Ocala.com)

U.S. Bank National is not one of the entities listed by TBW as a place to send your mortgage payments.

Tennessee-based Henley Holdings LLC also took legal action against TBW. Last week a judge ruled that more than $4 million dollars of Henley's money being held by TBW be put in separate court account due to TBW's insolvency.

Shortly after the FHA/HUD revoked TBW's right to service loans under Ginnie Mae and Freddie Mac at the beginning of this month, federal agents raided its Florida headquarters, investigating alleged fraud. Mortgage customers became aware of the problems when the TBW website stopped accepting payments or when they noticed TBW failed to withdraw automatic payments from their bank accounts.

For all TBW posts at this blog, click this link.

Taylor, Bean & Whitaker's Message to Customers

I've been following and writing about the Taylor, Bean & Whitaker shutdown. My mortgage was serviced by TBW and I found out early that its website no longer accepted mortgage payments. Through other customers stories, I learned the large loan company had stopped deducting automatic mortgage payments from bank accounts as well.

Late Friday, it seems, TBW's website published the following information for homeowners about where to send payments. Some of the information is the same that I published in mhy post on the FHA's fact sheet.

The message is in all caps as posted by Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.

AT THIS TIME, TAYLOR, BEAN & WHITAKER MORTGAGE CORP. ("TBW") IS UNABLE TO EITHER OFFER AN ONLINE PAYMENT OPTION OR AUTOMATIC PAYMENT DEDUCTIONS FOR ITS HOME MORTGAGE CUSTOMERS. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO AUTOMATIC DEBIT PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE AUGUST 10, 2009. MOREOVER, TBW IS NO LONGER SERVICING GINNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC LOANS.
FOR HOME MORTGAGE CUSTOMERS WITH A GINNIE MAE LOAN, YOUR LOAN WILL NOW BE SERVICED BY BANK OF AMERICA. BANK OF AMERICA CAN BE REACHED AT 1-800-669-6607. PAYMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO:

BANK OF AMERICA HOME LOANS, LP
PAYMENT PROCESSING
P.O. BOX 10334
VAN NUYS, CA 91410-0334

FOR HOME MORTGAGE CUSTOMERS WITH A FREDDIE MAC LOAN, YOUR LOAN WILL NOW BE SERVICED BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SERVICERS:

IF YOUR LOAN IS CURRENT, YOUR SERVICER WILL BE CENLAR. CENLAR CAN BE REACHED AT 1-866-430-9689.

IF YOUR LOAN IS NOT CURRENT, YOUR SERVICER WILL EITHER BE SAXON OR OCWEN. SAXON CAN BE REACHED AT 1-888-422-6451. OCWEN CAN BE REACHED AT 1-800-74-OCWEN.

FOR ALL OTHER HOME MORTGAGE CUSTOMERS, PLEASE MAIL YOUR PAYMENT TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

TAYLOR, BEAN & WHITAKER MORTGAGE CORP.
ATTN: CASHIERING
1417 N. MAGNOLIA AVE.
OCALA, FL 34475

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL CONSUMERS THAT YOUR LOAN NUMBER IS WRITTEN ON YOUR CHECK AND THAT YOU INCLUDE ANY SPECIAL PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO PRINCIPAL OR ESCROW. USE YOUR TBW LOAN NUMBER UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A NEW LOAN NUMBER FROM YOUR NEW SERVICER.

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FHA-INSURED LOAN, CONTACT FHA’S RESOURCE CENTER AT 1-800-CALL-FHA.

FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FREDDIE MAC LOAN, GO TO THE FREDDIE MAC WEBSITE AT WWW.FREDDIEMAC.COM OR CONTACT FREDDIE MAC’S HEADQUARTERS AT (703) 903-2000.

FOR OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT TBW AT 1-888-225-2164 OR 1-800-530-2602. (TBW website)

I overnighted my payment to BAC last week figuring I could track the package and prove it made to the P.O. Box. The FHA FAQ told customers to expect letters from Bank of America in the next few weeks since BAC will be taking over some of TBWs loans. The above information from TBW has information for customers who may not be under BAC.

I would guess that people won't get late fees for this month if their payments arrived at BAC or elsehwere after the 15th because TBW's shutdown has been chaotic and confusing. Accurate communication with customers was a long-time coming, partly due to TBW no longer having staff. It didn't even tell customers what to with payments until August 14.

Earlier this month federal agents raided TBW headquarters in Florida investigating alleged fraud after the mortgage company's deal to save Colonial Bancgroup fell through. Last week it was revealed TBW not only went out of business but is filing bankruptcy.

Health Insurance Companies' Dirty Tricks

I had this in the queue to post a few days back, but am just getting to publishing it. It's a video from CNN of Wendell Potter, a former excecutive with Cigna Health Insurance, talking about the dirty tricks of the health insurance industry.

Are you getting tired of the lies and political spin on the matter of Health Care Reform? CNN's started a fact checker service for this important debate called
Truth Squad.

FactCheck.org, the same service of the Annenberg Public Policy Center that monitors lies in political races, is also covering health care spin. In addition, as I said in my post on health care in-fear-mation, the Kaiser Foundation has a site that lets you compare proposed health care bills side-by-side.

President Barack Obama is currently battling accusations on the left that he's going soft and on the right that he's a socialist for attempting to improve the health care system at all. The left seems to want no compromise while the right is pulling out the stops to make this his make or break issue, and from what I can see some conservatives are far more concerned about getting him out of the White House than they are about what's best for the average American citizen. The fear campaign Republicans have waged to stop health care reform is despicable, and the Blue Dog Dems who back them for expediency's sake deserve to lose their seats.

I fault no one who knows the facts and has questions, but for goodness sake offer an alternative solution to what is undeniably a real problem. Don't just nay-say. Based on what I've observed from protesters, however, the only people who know the facts and have legitimate question are those who want the money explained. The rest are just grabbing at buzz words and being duped by fear tactics. And some of them clearly have no grasp of the facts, just a continuing issue with having a black president period. Have you heard the lie that health care reform is Obama's way to pay reparations to black people?

Marriott Blames Insurance Co. for 'Blame the Victim' Rape Defense, Tells It to Stop

According to an update at The Advocate on the Marriott rape case, the Stamford Marriott in Connecticut has withdrawn its offensive defense in the lawsuit filed against it by a mother raped in its parking garage. In fact, Marriott International, Inc. says it's not the company behind the defense, that its insurance company's attorneys filed the legal motion.

Across the web an outcry arose as news spread of a "blame the victim" defense submitted to the court that bore Marriott's name. I wrote about the case at BlogHer.com, "Raped at the Marriott in front of Your Todders? Too Bad, Slacker." Most of the comments on the post indicated a desire to boycott the hotel.

A spokesperson for Marriott International said that lawyers for the hotel's insurance company and companies associated with securing the parking garage filed the "special defense" that said the mother who was raped in front of her 5-year-old and 3-year-old had "failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities." The spokesperson claims that when Marriott heard about it weeks ago, before the public protest, it asked the insurance company to withdraw the defense. In addition, the hotel has expressed "distress" at how The Advocate covered the story last Friday.

However, Marriott's statement to The Advocate on Friday said nothing of an insurance company being behind the court papers. Furthermore, a hotel manager gave "no comment" while the hotel's attorney could not be reached. Really, it was like the perfect PR storm.

(Marc) Kurzman (a Marriott rep.) said the Stamford Marriott staff are "surprised and distressed" by The Advocate's coverage of the lawsuit filed by the victim. He said there is a "mistaken belief that the Marriott's ownership and management was somehow responsible for the 'blame the victim' defense asserted in the legal papers."

Marriott International, Inc., issued a statement last week saying it could not comment on the defenses, and that "Marriott is profoundly sorry that such a terrible thing happened to the victim of this violent crime. And unfortunately this situation has created a mistaken impression that Marriott lacks respect and concern for Ms. Doe or other victims of violent crime." The woman is identified only as Jane Doe in court papers.

The statement said the hotel regretted the 2006 crime.

"This incident, no matter how tragic and unfortunate, should not in any way affect the reputation and credibility of our hotel." (The Advocate)

Across the Web this Marriott story was viewed as an "epic fail," a public relations disaster.

Taking the company at its word, that the defense came from an insurance company and not Marriott's actual staff, I responded to the Josh Kirshner, who posted a link to the update on my BlogHer post by saying the following:

That's Good News that Marriott Has Withdrawn the Defense

Thank you for the heads up. I couldn't figure out how Marriott let that slip through, but if it was the insurance company that did it, then I hope Marriott has some strong language with it about legal cases in the future, defense language used, and perhaps a run by its public relations department before it moves forward with offensive legal rhetoric.

I see in The Advocate's updated story that Marriott "had requested the claim be withdrawn weeks ago." Shame on the insurance company for not heeding the wishes of the hotel if that is so. If this is true, then I feel better that Marriott told them to withdraw the claim before the public outcry, but I wonder why Marriott didn't say that it wanted the defense withdrawn in the statement it released Friday. I guess the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing?

This case reminds me of the Dollar Tree case last year in which a racist unaffiliated with the store stabbed to death a black female Dollar Tree employee. He'd decided to kill the first black person he saw and that person happened to be stocking shelves at the store.

The story became a greater tragedy when the store's insurance company denied paying the life insurace claim to the dead employees 11-year old son reasoning that because the worker was black and the crime was racially motivated, then it was a personal connection and not a work connection that caused her death.

People boycotted Dollar Tree, bloggers wrote their outrage, and most people saw it as a case of a worker being murdered on the job by a deranged stranger but the company trying to wiggle out of paying for the most odious reason, "her skin color was the reason she was killed," as though she would have come across this man who killed her whether she was working at the Dollar Tree or not.

Dollar Tree said it was only doing what the insurance company said it should do, apologized, and compensated the son. The reversal was attributed to Internet social media and other public pressure.

Too bad we don't know the name of Marriott's insurance company. Its attorneys deserve some public heat, but I'll suppose they've heard an earful from Marriott International. Wish I could've been a fly on the wall.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

While Marriott says it asked for the defense to be withdrawn weeks ago before the public outrage surfaced, which included a petition from MomsRising that quickly accumulated signatures this weekend, I'm sure the anger and threats to boycott the hotel chain expedited the corporation's public disapproval of such a shameful defense.

I love Residence Inns by Marriott. Glad I don't have to keep my boycott on.

Sign MomsRising Petition Against Marriott for Mother's Rape

If you missed the news regarding Marriott International, specifically the Stamford Marriott in Connecticut, then you may read my post at BlogHer.com, Raped at the Marriott in Front of Your Toddlers? Too Bad, Slacker!. A woman's sued Marriott after being raped in the Stamford Marriott's parking garage.

The perpetrator stuck a gun in her back, made her undress, and sexually assaulted her, threatening to do the same to one of her two children sitting in her mini-van. When a car pulled into the garage, the woman screamed and the rapist ran off. Days later the police caught him and he confessed, later pleading guilty in court. The Marriott's lawyers have argued, according to The Advocate in Stamford, per court documents, that the woman "was careless, negligent and "failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities."

As the story goes on, it only gets worse with legal tactics such as contacting the woman's friends and family. Bloggers of both genders and all colors are outraged.

MomsRising, a nonprofit that seeks social justice for mothers, has taken action. It's started a petition with the following protest text.

As one of more than a million members of MomsRising, I am very concerned about recent news reports that Marriott Hotels is blaming the victim in the Stamford, CT rape case. Claiming a mom raped at gunpoint with two toddlers in her minivan failed to "make proper use of her senses and facilities" is disgusting and wrong. The woman in this case, and the moms of this county who now have deep concern about staying in a Marriott, deserve more.

You may sign it at momsrising.democracyinaction.org

Please read my BlogHer post at this link.

Tony Dungy's Influence on Michael Vick's Life

Even if you're not a sports fan, you may have heard by now that Michael Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback who served time for the "federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation," has a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. What you may not have heard is that the NFL laid out a plan for Vick's rehabilitation by arranging for him to have a mentor, a man of impeccable character to help him along. That man is Tony Dungy.

Read full story at the African-American Books Examiner and also see a preview of Michael Vick's 60 Minutes interview with James Brown.

Hillary in the Congo: Why Is Her Anger Questioned?

Before I go any further, I think you should know that it's now reported that the media got it wrong saying the student's question to Hillary in the Congo was mistranslated. He really did ask for Bill Clinton's opinion instead of the opinion of the sitting Secretary of State before him, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Does that make a difference in the Hillary is angry debate?



You may have seen news about a "testy" Hillary Clinton speaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, August 10. The African country is known for violence against women:

The unscripted moment happened as Clinton spoke to students at a Congolese university in Kinshasa, the Congo capital.

A male student rose to ask a question about Chinese financial contracts with Congo.

The student asked Clinton what President Obama would think of the deal, but pool reporters in the room said the translator made a mistake, posing the question as what would Bill Clinton think.

Clinton looked surprised when she first heard the translation in the headset, and then sharply replied, "You want me to tell you what my husband thinks? My husband is not the secretary of state, I am. You ask my opinion. I will tell you my opinion; I'm not going to channel my husband." (CNN)

In the MSM and the blogsphere, Clinton's reaction to the question has drawn more attention than why she was in the Congo at all, which was to address violence against women and other conflict in the Congo.

Naturally, Fox News has used the Secretary of State's reaction to suggest she's unqualified for her position. Hmm.

What I noticed is that the media, and not necessarily only right-wing leaning media, as well as ordinary citizens are doing the same thing to Hillary that they do to other minorities. Hillary's not allowed to show anger. That's all I heard Monday night after the story broke, the question, "Why is Hillary so angry?" (Yes, females, while a majority, are treated as second-class citizens, making them like a minority.)

It's the charge against Sonia Sotomayor, who shows little testiness, and so her critics talk about her writing when they call her angry. It was the primary charge against Henry Louis Gates, "Why is he so angry? Look at how successful he is?"

There seems to be this idea that if a group has been oppressed and anything happens to them that reminds them of that oppression, they're expected to sit back, count to 10, and be very nice about the whole thing. They're supposed to give the group that historically oppressed them the benefit of the doubt that what's being done or asked of them now has nothing to do with attitudes of the past even if the past was just yesterday.

Our society is very similar to a bully culture, in my opinion. They beat the hell out of you but you're supposed to let bygones be bygones the first time they let you sit at the cool kids table and not wince when members of the old cool guard raise their hands in ways that look like slapping gestures. You're supposed to forget that it was the principal who made the cool kids let you sit at their table and ignore that they don't think you're cool in any real sense.

While I think James Carville, Democratic political strategist and good friend of the Clintons, appears to grasp at straws when defending Hillary, he made an excellent point Tuesday night on Larry King Live with Wolf Blitzer, one that was getting lost. He told Blitzer that Hillary was speaking to a group in a country that has a long history of brutality against women, including female mutilation and said we should keep that in mind.

Ben Stein, former speech writer to Nixon, also a guest on the show, added that jet lag might make anyone testy and reminded viewers that Henry Gates's encounter with the Cambridge Police happened after he came off a long flight. Penn of Penn and Teller, a Libertarian and another of the evening's pundits, said Hillary was right but "frightening."

While the men concluded she was right in her response as she understood the question, I observed that it was an all-male panel that shrugged, chuckled and perhaps winced, searching for ways to excuse what's been called an "angry outburst." The joke was she should have smiled and asked, "What am I, chopped liver?"

That the question was reportedly mistranslated is beside the point. You can only respond to what you think you've been asked. However, have you read what "The Lede" of the New York Times reported today?

Robert Mackey asserts that the question was not mistranslated, that the student actually did ask Hillary Clinton to tell him Bill Clinton's thoughts.

In the video of the event embedded below, from Britain’s Channel 4 News, Mrs. Clinton can be seen listening and then responding to a simultaneous translation as the student asked: “We’ve all heard about the Chinese contracts in this country — the interferences from the World Bank against this contract. What does Mr. Clinton think, through the mouth of Mrs. Clinton, and what does Mr. Mutumbo think on this situation?” ... (The Lede)

The piece continues to say that reporters who were present at the event confirmed the student asked for former president Bill Clinton's opinion not President Barack Obama's opinion as has been reported in mainstream media here in the states.

I add, as others have, that Bill Clinton's success in North Korea has been prominent in the news lately. In the Congo, a nation that makes the paradigm of male dominance palpable, Hillary may have been reminded of the stinging accusations she faced on the campaign trail as she ran for the presidency. Her critics frequently suggested that she's done nothing with her life but follow Bill, that she's where she is not because of her intellect or hard work but because of her husband. Such commentary is like the statement "You're only here because of Affirmative Action" with a shot of patriarchy as chaser.

Society likes to blame people who have chips on their shoulders as though society exist in a vacuum of imaginary chips.

Jermaine Jackson didn't write that book, says family friend

Michael Jackson may have passed on, but the drama surrounding his life and death only grows bigger. While some in the blogging community say they are tired of all the MJ stories and as the market explodes with King of Pop memorabilia and books, the rumor mill continues to grind out strange tales of MJ and his family, and an old bit of gossip has been revived. A gossip site says Jermaine once proposed a "trashy tell-all" book about his brother and family. A family associate denies this story with a believable counter tidbit.

Read full edited article at the African-American Books Examiner.

If Privacy's an Issue, Try Google's Opt Out Program

Here's video from the Onion News Network explaining how you can opt out of Google. Made me laugh.

Letting Go as Our Babies Head to College

This past weekend, I had it all planned. I would take my son out to buy his clothes for college, having already warned him that I was on a budget and anything beyond that budget would be up to him because he has a job. You'd think I'd be excited because my son, my baby boy, is about to start college.

Maybe it hasn't hit me yet. Maybe it hasn't hit him either because he said he didn't feel like shopping this weekend.

Maybe I'm less frazzled because he's going to the University of New Orleans, which means he's staying local, living at home. Also, in my family going to college is a given, the expected next step after high school. Sending my daughter off to college back in 1999, however, was another story completely. Frazzled is too weak a word for what I was back then.

I was still married then. We had just moved from Georgia to Missouri, and her father and I rented a van to drive her and too many of her worldly goods from Kansas City to Princeton, NJ. And I cried. And cried. It was a huge production. We bought not only wardrobe, but linens, dorm room decorations, late night snacks, and a mini fridge.

You might think my son would feel cheated. No one's doing flips about his going to college, but he's more nonchalant than I am, and the more I think about it, the more I think it's due to all I put him through to get him emotionally prepared for the college experience, the freedom to fail mixed strangely with the terror that failing is not an option. Then came the hemming and hawing over finances, followed by relief when his money from the TOPS scholarship rolled into his UNO account. Whew! UNO is a good school and what we could afford. The only thing I'll be paying for is books, clothes, gas, the same stuff I've been paying for since he was born. Plus, unlike his sister, he'll be home at night.

He's not even excited about being able to sit in a classroom in street clothes again. For the last two years he, with the rest of public school students here, has been wearing a uniform.

Anyway, college is a piece of cake for me this time. I see it as college vs. running the streets of New Orleans. College or running the streets aimlessly with dead end job. College or running the streets. O.K. I'm good. The family and I have fooled him into thinking he must go to college. I've brainwashed him carefully over the last 18 years. Yes. I'm very good, but the next four years will be my report card. Shhhh. Don't tell him.

Now, what's going on at the House on a Hill blog is a big deal, one I can relate to because it reminds me of what blubbering mommy I was sending my daughter off.

She was the sweetest baby a mother could ask for. She talked before she walked but she never went through the “baby talk” stage. A part of me wishes that she can always be my baby but that would be selfish. Sam is 16, she’s going to college and, in less than two weeks, I’ll be seeing her only during the weekends. I’m trying to be brave about the whole thing, you know, but I end up getting soppy sometimes. She’s my firstborn, after all, and she’s never been away from home longer than three days. (House on a Hill)

Connie's stronger than I am. Her 16-year-old baby is going away study photography. ... 16.

CalicoDaisy's wailing up a storm:

Can I tell you how much I miss my son right now? I didn't sleep well last night, and I woke up crying this morning. This is the first time in 14 years I didn't get him ready for the first day of school. I couldn't sleep last night because I thought he could be anywhere. Is he in his dorm room bed? Is he visiting with friends? Did he get a wild idea to run to Wal-Mart at midnight? I don't know. Will he get up in time for college classes? Will he make nice friends? Will he remember to be kind when he is frustrated? Will he remember that he and his sister are my #1 reasons in life right now? I don't know. Will he stand on the firm foundation we laid for him to make good decisions and to know that he has a purpose in life? Will He Remember To Call His Mother ???? !!!! (Read full post)

If her son is like my son, she'll only hear from him if he gets terribly bored. When my son's gone away for school trips or summer adventures, I've heard nada. Nada. Nada. She's thinking about exactly the kinds of topics I'd think about too, but I've taken a vow not to worry, to let my son grow up. God knows I've slacked off on letting him grow up more than I should have. At least that's what my dad, the drill sergeant used to imply. He's let up on me lately with the "let him grow up" line, however. Maybe that means I've improved, that I'm becoming less protective.

Almost Got It is sending off a son as well. I like her post because it makes me feel less like a slacker. She writes that they've "managed to teach him how to make a bank deposit." My son finally got a bank account in December. Before that I spent time kicking myself that I didn't get him one sooner. I know he's sick of my lectures about how to handle his money. He may not be going away to school, but he is going away to roam a campus with no hall monitors and the French Quarter just a bus ride away.

We attended UNO's orientation in July. He met his advisor and registered for classes. I confess I was excited that day. In some ways, I guess, he's already started college in my mind. He stayed overnight and had fun. I expect next year he'll pester me to live on campus. Ugh. I can't afford that. One of the reasons I moved back to Louisiana was the lower tuition at its public universities. I knew that if he went to UNO, I could swing that with probably few objections from his father who should pay half.

So far, my only concern, other than anticipating that I'll be pestered about his living on campus next year and Gov. Bobby Jindal possibly cutting the TOPS program through which my son has a free ride, is that the child has chosen a major for which he's exhibited limited interest over the years. I'm with DrunkenData on this. I don't like pigeonholing. My daughter did the same thing. She insisted she knew what she wanted to do and started out as an Engineering major despite a letter to students from the university's president saying college is in the beginning an exploration and my admonitions that she was rushing herself.

Three years later she switched to English. I couldn't help it. I said, "I told you so." Perhaps it's my experiences with my daughter that have me chilling as my son enters school. The first child taught me that sometimes children have to bump their heads, as one of my friends likes to say. The second child taught me I still don't know what I think I know about life and being a parent. And as he sets foot into his first college course later this month, I suppose I officially end my time as the mother of a boy. He's a man under construction.

I'll always be a mom, and my son and daughter always be my babies, but just as I did when they learned to walk and later took off running, I must sit back, pray, and say, "WOW! Look at 'em go!"

Two other blogging sending students off to college: Moonbeams in Cyberspace, a lovely post about her daughter who had some growing to do, and Elegantly Random, who is not sending off a son or daughter but giving great advice to her younger brother, words of wisdom for any college student. One of those suggestions is "check your email."

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE, where this post is cross-posted. She is also the African-American Books Examiner. Keep up with her writing adventures at Her411.com.

FHA has Fact Sheet for Taylor, Bean, & Whitaker Customers

News Update: Taylor, Bean & Whitaker's instructions to mortgage customers. All WSATA TBW updates here.

Last night I posted that I am one of Taylor, Bean, & Whitaker customers who tried to pay her mortgage and could not. The mortgage lender has gone out of business after backing out of its deal to bail out Colonial Bancgroup Inc. Following that, Federal agents raided TBW's offices in Florida, and on Wednesday of last week, TBW, which services FHA loans, shut its doors with plans to file for bankruptcy.

The Federal Housing Administration, FHA, has posted a fact sheet or FAQ, "FHA-insured Loans Associated with Taylor, Bean and Whitaker (TBW) Questions and Answers for Consumers." According to the FAQ:

Ginnie Mae’s master sub servicer, Bank of America, will be taking over servicing of the TBW portfolio. You will receive a letter from BAC Home Loans Servicing (a Bank of America subsidiary) confirming this transfer and welcoming you as a valued customer within two weeks of your loan being added to their systems.

The FAQ also tells, TBW customers to keep making payments to TBW; however, as many of its customers realize, the website will not accept payments. Other customers report that the bank has not withdrawn mortgage payments from their accounts that they set up on automatic draft. The concern is naturally that this TBW mess will hurt credit ratings. Credit report errors are a pain in the rear to resolve. Since I first wrote about the FAQ, HUD/FHA has updated it again.

Update: You should continue making your mortgage payment at its normally scheduled time. However, your payment should
now be sent to:

BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP
Payment Processing
P.O. Box 10334
Van Nuys, CA 91410‐0334

Please use your TBW loan number until you are notified in writing by BAC Home Loans Servicing of your new loan number. You will receive a letter from BAC Home Loans Servicing confirming your loan transfer and welcoming you as a valued customer within two weeks of being added to their systems. If you have additional questions about servicing your loan, you may contact Bank of America Home Loans Customer Service at 1‐800‐669‐6607 from 5am to 6 pm PST Monday‐Friday. (From FHA FAQ updated today.)

Much of the information in the FAQ is geared toward helping people who were in the process of closing mortgages with the lender or people who were headed toward foreclosure or behind on payments. It seems TBW carried a lot of high-risk mortgages.

In an August 4th HUD press release, the FHA explains why it suspended TBW from servicing FHA loans and will "sanction" two of its top executives:

WASHINGTON - The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today suspended Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corporation (TBW) of Ocala, Florida, thereby preventing the Company from originating and underwriting new FHA-insured mortgages. The Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) is also defaulting and terminating TBW as an issuer in its Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) program and is ending TBW's ability to continue to service Ginnie Mae securities. This means that, effective immediately, TBW will not be able to issue Ginnie Mae securities, and Ginnie Mae will take control of TBW's nearly $25 billion Ginnie Mae portfolio.

FHA and Ginnie Mae are imposing these actions because TBW failed to submit a required annual financial report and misrepresented that there were no unresolved issues with its independent auditor even though the auditor ceased its financial examination after discovering certain irregular transactions that raised concerns of fraud. FHA's suspension is also based on TBW's failure to disclose, and its false certifications concealing, that it was the subject of two examinations into its business practices in the past year.

"Today, we suspend one company but there is a very clear message that should be heard throughout the FHA lending world - operate within our standards or we won't do business with you," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.

FHA Commissioner David Stevens said, "TBW failed to provide FHA with financial records that help us to protect the integrity of our insurance fund and our ability to continue a 75-year track record of promoting, preserving and protecting the American Dream. We were also troubled that the Company not only failed to disclose it was a target of a multi-state examination and a separate action by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, but then falsely certified that it had not been sanctioned by any state. FHA won't tolerate irresponsible lending practices."

Ginnie Mae President Joseph Murin said, "I would like to reassure TBW's customers whose loans serve as collateral for Ginnie Mae securities that, although this action will result in a new servicer, the transition will be seamless for them."

TBW's immediate suspension is for a temporary period pending the completion of an investigation by HUD's Office of Inspector General, an ongoing review by the Department's Office of Housing, and any legal proceedings that may ensue. TBW is the third largest direct endorsement lender of FHA-insured loans and the eighth largest issuer of Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities. FHA decided that TBW's immediate suspension is in the best interest of the public and is necessary to protect the financial interests of the Department.

TBW may appeal its immediate suspension by submitting a written request for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge within 30 days. Such a request will not delay the action FHA is announcing today.

In conjunction with TBW's suspension, HUD sent notices of proposed debarment to TBW's Chief Executive Officer, Paul R. Allen, and TBW's President, Ray Bowman. Mr. Allen's proposed debarment alleges that he submitted false and/or misleading information to Ginnie Mae regarding TBW's delay in submitting its audited financial reports for fiscal year ending on March 31, 2009. Mr. Bowman's proposed debarment alleges that he submitted two false certifications to HUD on TBW's Yearly Verification Report. Mr. Allen and Mr. Bowman have thirty days to contest the proposed debarments.(FHA news release)

I just checked the TBW website again today. Still, it won'at let me make a payment. The website gives the same message it did before, that the loan is restricted, the same message it's giving everyone who wants to make a payment.

It seems stupid to send mail anything to TBW if it has no employees there to receive that mail. I will mailing my check to the address provided above that was given at the FHA/HUD site.

Last week TBW laid off nearly 1000 workers, some of whom have decided to sue because the wholesale mortgage company failed to give 60 days notice as required by the WARN Act.