Cosby Show

*whispering* After discovering that I can access my blog from work I decided to go ahead and make a post. I'm finally alone in the office--wondering where everybody else is and if a meeting is going on that I happen to be unaware of. But the real question is do I care? So the iaintgonnabeherenextyearanyway attitude has kicked in.

Oh yeah, I forgot this blog is only for television show stuff. I almost got personal for a minute.

So, bored with my usual television shows (I knew I had issues when I added the Pussycat Doll tv show to my DVR lineup), I've returned to The Cosby Show. I will admit that this was one of my favorite shows, tied closely with Good Times, but I'd given up watching it for sometime. The other night I recorded the episode where Vanessa goes out of town with her girlfriends without permission and all sorts of things go wrong. Eventually she has to go back home and gets busted by Cliff and Claire. I love seeing Claire get in folks ass. I don't know why I get such a kick out of that. I loved witnessing her yell right in Vanessa's face "FOR ALL WE KNOW YOU'RE LYING RIGHT NOW LITTLE GIRL SO YOU BETTER GET UPSTAIRS AND GO TO BED!" (ok that wasn't the exact quote) I also loved the time when Claire went off on Elvin, my least favorite character. Cosby Show memories...

Cold Case

My boyfriend suggested that I start a new blog concerning my experiences as a new graduate student. Since it's only March and I don't start school until August, I figure I have plenty more time to rant about television. I'll do better about posting. I will. I will. And yes, it does get discouraging when nobody comments...as if to say nobody cares...but I need to talk to somebody about these shows and get some writing practice in too. So what if I'm not talking about wack ass American Idol, 24, or Grey's Anatomy. Just not feeling the hype.

Anyway, so I was watching Cold Case, but before we get to that may I say that most of my favorite shows have fallen off? I'm definitely not trying to get on here and act like I'm all intellectual and deep now, but my fiction books are more interesting than most of these tv shows. You know what I think it is though? That damn DVR. It's ruining my television watching habits. I watch everything in fast forward now. Commercial break my ass. Fast forward. Too much dialogue? Fast forward. Just wanna see who wins? Fast foward.

Also, might I add how quickly we've returned to re-runs? I remember when television shows had a real full season with 20+ episodes. Now these mugs do 8 episodes and release a DVD for you to buy. It's a shame when one of my favorite television shows is a reality series involving two white girls living in Beverly Hills. I mean really. Does that say something about me or about the shows being currently produced by the major networks?

Back to Cold Case. What's funny is as much as I watch that show I don't know any of the characters names. Like, who really cares about their names or their personal lives--do the flashbacks, solve the murder, and send somebody to jail! I don't care about your ex-boyfriend returning while you're trying to solve the case. Tell that dude to holla at you during my commercial breaks so we can catch some folks in a few lies, piece together the murder, and let somebody rest in peace. But if I did care about the main characters, I would suggest that the white lady get her hair styled. I mean really does it always have to look like she does it herself?

In just a few short lines I will wrap up the last three episodes of Cold Case, which is an excellent show might I add. I used to be a big CSI and Without a Trace fan (only for the first season), but CSI started getting too fake for me. I just don't believe that 5 people are smart enough to know all this irrelevant information and magically solve a crime. At least with Cold Case their solving the crime is based on them harrassing somebody until they give them all the information they need. That's more realistic than one person knowing the entire history of Egypt and how it relates to little Sara Jane's dead body on the freeway. Come on man.

Three episodes back and the Cold Case episode opens with a black family at Thanksgiving dinner. I will admit that I enjoy trying to figure out which character will be the one with the white chalk outline, but this particular episode was a little different. I believe the family featured 5 boys and a mother. By the end of the mother's prayer we saw 3 or 4 of her boys bodies sprawled out on the cement...dead. Although the episode would have normally interested me because it featured black characters, I actually found it to be a little dull. Why did the momma have to be a crackhead? Did we even have to involve drugs in this episode? I truly can understand how dealing with your boys deaths might drive you over the top, but really...couldn't they have been more creative? This was one of those episodes that I watched while I walked in and out of the room doing other things (including talking on the phone). I don't really remember who did what or why, but I do remember the crackhead momma standing outside a rehab center at the end. (sucking my teeth)

The next episode is one that I told to my boyfriend as a bedtime story. I've been talking about grad school probably more than his nerves can handle and he begged me to talk about something else. So I discussed how this particular Cold Case episode took place in the 1960s and a girl had become pregnant. Her parents rushed her off to a home for pregnant girls, ensuring that she wouldn't embarrass them. While in the home, the girl discovers a couple of things. One, the dude that she'd been dating for two months was a liar who had no plans on marrying her or saving the future of her reputation. She busted dude out with another girl too forcing a weak confrontation. Discovery two--the people at the home were putting some of the babies the girls bore up for legal adoption (as expected), but a few of the other babies were sold on the black market. Knowing that her baby could possibly be sold disturbed the girl and she begged for more time alone with her newborn (long story short). Another girl who recently gave birth who's child had already been sold off witnesses this allowance and loses it. She chases the girl and her newborn out to the forest, has a mental breakdown and knocks the girl upside the head with a rock. At 50 something years old, homegirl goes to jail after they show her a photo of what the adopted son she could never find looks like. The end.

The most recent episode featured a little white boy who secretly wanted to become a dancer in the 1980s. A black man and girl helped him with his skills. His jealous brother who happens to be a wrestler finds out about his secret interest, tells him to cut it out, and when his brother continues to defy him...like a previous episode, he goes upside his head. After killing him, he dumps his body in a trash heap and keeps it moving making everyone believe that the boy ran away from home. Big brother goes to jail in his late 30s as the father looks on in disappointment. Fin.

I like Cold Case.

And another thing...

I would post everyday, but my job has blocked all blog websites. Doesn't that suck??!!

American Gangster

I went to You Tube to see if i could find a few of BET's American Gangster clips, but had no luck. Have any of you watched that show? You have to admit, some episodes are more interesting than others. My favorites--as far as being psychologically/emotionally disturbed after watching them were Tookie Williams and the Chambers Brothers.

My issue with the show is that they don't begin where the so-calleld gangsters lives began. We have to hear the final bit to their story and then backtrack. This is a poor hook. If it wasn't for DVR I wouldn't have the option of fast forwarding through that mess. I want to know their backgrounds first then hear what lead to their demise. This demise is usually caused by one of two things, greed or needing one last run before you get out of the game.

One thing that bothers me about the show is that it's just disturbing to know that most of these brothers were real leaders and entrepreneurs. Given a different upbringing, mentors, a non-racist society, or even just plain ol' the right guidance, they would have all been in different situations and possibly unheard of. Most times the government/FBI/police had no clue what was going on with these individuals, how much money they'd acquired, or what they were in to. What's really a shame is that all the people featured are doing life (or something close) in prison--except of course Tookie.

My boyfriend, being the historical/fact driven commentator he is, and I had a discussion about the Chambers brother episode this morning. He went on to reveal the large percentage of African-Americans who are living in poverty and such today. It just really makes me question what my mother did or what happened to me to help me make it to a better situation. I mean, my mother was always working, I was always home alone (even at night), and there was nobody there to check my homework or to help me. Why was I able to go on to college, escape pregnancy/drug use/etc/etc?

Then I think about how the African-American students at my own school are often ignored. When they are acknowledged its typically to note that they are a discipline problem or failing. In my opinion, our new day begins with the education system, but there are so many things wrong with it. Do you want your black child being taught by a white woman who knows nothing about his background or culture and who can't figure out how to blend those two things into their own class lessons? Our black students are the pearl of that school and the administrators and teachers refuse to believe it.

The problems in America begin with the education system. We can teach children so many things in our classrooms, but since it won't happen, African-Americans will continue to be the main features of shows like American Gangster, The First 48, Cops, etc. Did you now that 60% of the prison population is comprised of people with mental disabilities and emotional disturbances? What are we doing about that? Not a damn thing. And what's really a shame is when I teach kids who are 18 years old who can't read any better than a first grader. What do we expect him to go out into the world and do? Rob, steal, and kill! What else?

Again, my rant is done. I wasn't trying to get deep or intellectual at all. Just wanted to express a few thoughts that I've been considering. Before I committ my crimes, I'm going to do some serious research. Once I make/get the money, I'm taking it to South Africa where I'll live out the rest of my life teaching at Oprah's school--even though I'm hating on Oprah for not opening one in the U.S.. Forget that mess she was talking about kids here not wanting to learn. That's messed up Oprah.

Black Folks...

My boyfriend (that is not his photo to the left might I add) turned to me quite a few days ago and asked me when was the last time I updated this blog. I know he's the only one who comes here and makes comments, trying to act like he's a stranger.

Anyway, on to Top Chef. Now, while I didn't necessarily care for Cliff, I didn't think he was a bad chef. My issue is, why did ol' boy have to get crazy and break out those wrestling moves on Marcell. We know that kind of white boy. Talks shit (in a corny way of course) and pretends he's not scared of anything, but then suddenly when a potential ass whoppin' arises he's backed into a corner shaking. The show is down to five chefs, and two of them decided to shave off all their hair. Cliff decides that Marcell needs a haircut too and rushes over to hold him down. Unfortunately for Cliff, nobody comes running with the clippers. This idiot...instead of letting the poor boy go, goes WWF on him and starts pressing him down to the ground and holding his arms behind his back. Cliff is kinda buff, might I add. When he finally does release him, I don't know why but it looked kind of...well, let's say "homo erotic." That's a nice way of putting it if you know what I mean.

Needless to say, Cliff got kicked off for putting his hands on another cast member (the photo demonstrates his dumb ass expression when they told him they were giving him the boot), which I thought was unecessary, especially since Marcell wasn't upset about it any more. I'm thinking they just like to keep the black cast members on these reality shows long enough to keep the black people watching. And I'm hating because after they dismissed him they started acting like the food he'd prepared wasn't all that. How did he make it to the final 5 if he was making bullshit the entire time? Let's be serious.

To top off a bullshit ass episode, they decided that the 4 chefs that were left would all get to go to the final show in Hawaii. And now since there are no more African-American characters left, I'm cheering on the only female left. Gotta represent one way or another, whether it be women or black folks...although it's nice to have both categories in one.

I Shouldn't Be Alive

Have you ever seen or heard of the show I Shouldn't Be Alive? A better title for this show might be, How Badly Do You Want to Live? I just watched an episode about two white people lost in the Amazon jungle. I was wondering if some mess like that would ever happen to my boyfriend and I. Definitely not. First of all, we're not renting out a cabin in the Amazon for two months just to walk through the forest and explore. I can't even say the Amazon is even on my list of places to see when I begin my worldwide travels. Call me ignorant, but I'm not that excited about heat, trees, and wild/crazy/savage animals I've never seen. Anyway, the two white people spent six days walking through the Amazon, drinking water they shouldn't drink, barely holding it together without their medication--just going crazy.

I just find this show interesting because it really shows you how long the human body will hold out when someone is in survival mode. I don't honestly believe I'd make it through half these situations, but it sure is interesting to watch.

I have yet to see any black people on the show.

G. Garvin Cookbook

My boyfriend has been sick for the past few days, but yesterday called me from his house to notify me of a surprise for me. He proceeded to read something aloud and guess what? He bought my G. Garvin cookbook! Isn't he a sweetie? Well, he really only bought it because he complained that we've been going out to eat too much. Ain't that something? He buys me a cookbook and directs me back toward the kitchen, right? He wanted me to cook him something today, but since the boo-skee is sick I figured his taste buds might be off. My poor baby.

Anyway, pictured below are two other dishes previously created by me, thanks to G. Garvin. One is turkey chops, sweet potato casserole, and collard greens. The other dish features roasted short ribs, sauteed green beans, and goat cheese mashed potatoes. I noticed that with G. Garvin even if you aren't sure about the dish, you just have to try it out. I have yet to be disappointed.




Just in case you're interested, here are a few other dishes I made based on other cookbooks and recipes found on Robbie's website (see her link on the right?).



Southwestern Chicken Salad



Fully Loaded Spicy Nachos



Enchiladas



Smothered chicken, wild rice, and brussel sprouts



Buffalo wings & fries

What can I say...I love to cook! And thanks to Top Chef I know that much more about presentation and making things look pretty (although I was already into that anyway).

Carmen Bryan on Wendy Williams

Now, obviously I'm an avid television watcher (DVR has ruined me), but I do read too. While I don't read as much as I use to--the point is--I read! With that being said, I just want to point out the shit Karrine "Superhead" Steffans has started. First she aired her dirty laundry about who she'd slept with in the music/film/every industry claiming that she wanted to help young girls understand that the video girl (and I'm being nice by using the word "girl") world wasn't all that it was hyped up to be. Ok, while I missed that particular message while reading the book, I will mention that the book was interesting and Steffans' writing was pretty decent. I especially enjoyed the part where she discussed performing fellatio (being nice again) until she got a nose bleed. Wow. That was serious.

So since Steffans' book has been on the Essence best-sellers list, I'm sure it's inspired other females who had numerous sexual exploits with celebrities (still being nice) to write their own tell-all books. Thus, may I present Exhibit A: Carmen Bryan. Now sometime ago I read an excerpt from her new book, the new book where she's consistently noted as being "Nas's baby's momma." (clearing my throat) Being a former A.I. fan myself, I was not impressed with the writing or the content of what I read. Big deal. You slept with him...I didn't...but does that mean I want to read about your adventures? Not really.

My sister and I both read Superhead's book and laughed about her sexual encounters, but I doubt we want to read Carmen's book. I will admit that I'm slightly interested, but I'll only read it if Secret Santa buys it for me. Anyway, found below was the hilarious clip from the Wendy Williams show on VH1. If you have time, it is truly worth going to the website and viewing them all. My favorite parts include when Wendy asks her about her last AIDS test and later proceeds to spray everything with Lysol. Funny.

Oh yeah, if you want to read an excerpt from Carmen's book, feel free to check it out at Amazon.

Carmen Bryan on Wendy Williams Show, Nas Baby Mama

They Bet Not!

Before I get started, let me first say I don't want anybody looking that angry while they make my food. I might have to watch them. So, I was a couple of minutes late for work this morning trying to make sure the black dude didn't get sent home on Top Chef. Now, I don't care for his character, but I knew he didn't need to be sent home. I don't care if he did get sand in his food.

This week's challenge began with very general information and directions for the chefs. They were given $30 and taken to the grocery store where they were allowed 30 minutes to purchase breakfast items to prepare for a group of athletes. They didn't know how many atheletes, they didn't know if they would be in a real kitchen, and they didn't know what supplies they would have. Well, as you can see in the picture they were taken to a beach to prepare breakfast for like 40 surfers. All they had for cooking purposes was an open flame.

One thing I like about Top Chef is that they give the chefs some serious challenges. Did I tell you all about the one where they gave them $3 and put them in front of vending machines? They had to purchase items and whip up a gourmet dish with them. Crazy!



Anyway, three chefs were left standing at the end of this episode and I didn't think any of them deserved to go home. But, like the losing chef said, although by far he wasn't the worse cook on the show, he was the worse at this challenge. Unfortunately, he'd decided to make a quiche and when he got to the beach and saw the open flame he knew he was messed up in the game.

The dude on the right was the one that was sent home--and after he hated on another chef the previous week he got what was coming. I'm just saying, don't announce personal feelings about somebody when judging their food. It's my personal belief that the dude on the left has over stayed his welcome. He's been pretty lucky, but his time is wearing out. He throws crap together and he just looks dirty. I wouldn't want him cooking for me.

"Naw, is that who's in the kitchen? I'll pass."