For Real Though?

For those of you who don't know me... I'm a public health goon. I love the theory; I love the practice.

With that said, I have a particular interest in public health campaigns. How they are created, how they are funded, and who gets to design them are questions that are constantly swirling in my mind. And sometimes, the swirl comes to a boil when I feast my eyes on bullshit like this:


Like, yo....what the fuck? For real? If we are going to try to tackle obesity then we need to do it in a way that does not marginalize, demonize and dehumanize fatty bodies. (For the record, no hate when I fatty...I love a booty with a little jiggle).

Why is it that we constantly, incessantly want to believe that fat = bad. How many fucking times have you heard someone (boy, girl or trans) say 'I'm so fat.' I fucking can't stand it. Not only does it make you uncomfortable because now you've suddenly been propelled to defend someone's self-confidence but... you can't help but think, shit...'am I fat, too?'
EVEN if you don't think that being fat is bad, it's portrayed in such a negative light that you internalize these body-shaming mantras. So when you see an ad like this, that implies fat = bad and wrong and ugly, you start to see yourself differently. You start to distance yourself from other human beings. You might think, 'pfft, thank God I dont like that...' Or 'I can't stand myself... I look like that.'

There is nothing inherently wrong with a fat body in the same way that there's nothing naturally beautiful about a thin one.

I wish that public health folk would try a little harder. These campaigns are simply not effective.

What do you all think of these ads?

What is Your Weakness?

As I cam into work today I had prepared myself for a long day of work and an even longer day of homework. I was optimistic that I could get what I had planned done and that everything would go well. What I hadn't planned for was to be assaulted by the smell of my weakness. One of the few things that has, in my adulthood, been both a treat and a curse. Twizzlers.

This candy has been an end to many diets. It has also been a comfort when I was particularly stressed. Either way it has been a weakness for me. I love this candy. It is undoubtedly my favorite candy other than Twix and Take 5. And even though I gave up candy for New Years, I have relapsed. Today I gave in. I got to my office and smelled the candy. My coworker who was eating the Twizzlers and had offered me some, I'm cursing her as we speak. JK., informed me that another coworker was selling the candy. I reflected on my resolution not to eat candy for all of 5 minutes. I weighed the pros and the cons. I could continue to work on my resolution to my personal satisfaction. But in the end I decided that I deserved this treat. Especially because I am planning on doing an all-nighter just to get some assignments in early. That and I know myself. Though I may finish the bag today (it's a small one, so sue me), I won't automatically go back to splurging on candy like I did last year. And because I shop for the household groceries, I have made it a rule not to go down the candy aisle, especially if candy my family likes is on sale. So far so good.

Meh. So I've given up on one resolution. I still have 7 more that I have been working diligently on. One bag or bar of candy everyone once in a long while won't hurt me. As long as I don't make it a habit. I just need to remember that Twizzlers (and my other favorites) are my weakness and that if I don't control myself I'll relapse something bad. It's all about will power and I hope I'll have enough to get through this year.

So ladies and gents. What is your weakness? And how do you handle it?

Check Your Receipts!

Happy Hump Day Folks. For some this is a day to rejoice. The work week is almost over and it is so much closer to the weekend. For others, like me, this day spells doom. I'm looking at you ridiculous mountain of homework.

Anyway, as I was getting ready this morning I was thinking ahead about the groceries I need to buy next week and that made me think of my most recent grocery purchase. Just last weekend I had gone to my area Shoprite and purchased about $130 worth of food. (We have a big family and sometimes you just have to stock up.) And one thing that I learned from my mother and father is to always check the receipt. Sure you may check the prices as the item is being scanned but sometimes you miss something and double checking is always best, especially when it comes to money.

When I checked my receipt for my purchases, I found that 2 items I bought were wrongly priced and that I had been overcharged. Because I had double checked I was able to get the items for free, something that many supermarkets do for customers when the store is in the wrong. I got back $3 and my items for free. And that $3 can go far in this economy.

So folks, if you don't already, check your receipts. You may be surprised just how often stores make mistakes and you pay for it.

Why I saw Red Tails AND Pariah

Hola Folks...sorry about the absence...nah mean?

Over the past few days I splurged and saw TWO movies (bc yes... in the city I live in going to see a movie in theaters is 'spencive) . And boy, was it worth it.

The first was Red Tails. I walked into the theater secretly expecting to be offended but I walked out of this film feeling relaxed and even mildly entertained. Sure, for some Red Tails was whack and did not really explore the extent of the racial tensions our heroes had to face. Yea, the movie could have done more in that department... but it's George Lucas... IF we really care so much we should make our own reenactment. Don't complain about the funding ... look at all the low-budget but effective, accurate and informational videos out there. Like this one, for example, that highlights the life of Ms. Oney Judge.



I went to see the film not to 'learn' and not to prove to white hollywood that black folks watch movies, I went because I wanted to be entertained.

Now, Pariah. If you have not yet seen this film... what are you waiting for? It was SOOO good. No really. SO good. Oh wow....
The film is a coming of age story about a black lesbian from a middle class family in Brooklyn. I saw this film to support this narrative. Pariah is a movie about a hero. Yes, a hero. For a young, black woman, with very little social support to come out to her family and friends as a lesbian is a heroic act. She is marginalized and routinely harassed by strangers and those who are closest to her but she does not cower. She stands firm to who she is in face of all these challenges.* We should always applaud that.

If you haven't heard of it... you can check out the preview here.




* I'm not saying that every gay person who is NOT out is not a hero. I realize that it is a complicated and multi-faceted issue. Nonethless, being out and gay is a difficult process and

Web Junk 3 (Slightly NSFW)

Happy Hump Day My Good People!

It has been a hectic time of me balancing between being lazy, a total fatty, and doing homework. But I'm back with this week's web junk.

First is this hilarious tumblr I stumbled upon (see what I did there?) on the facebook. I can't remember who shared it so I can't give them their props. But Celebs that Copy Brandy entertained me highly, especially when they compared Brandy to the Queen of England. Mad props.  

Next is a hilarious video that my lil cuz Jim showed me while he came up from his southern haunts to visit. This video was a bit weird at first but it grew on me immensely. I hope you enjoy the "White Boy Boogie" as much as I did. Skip to 4:28.

And last but certainly not least is my favorite video of the week. This little doozey had my jaw dropping and me ready to go get a yoga mat discount from groupon. Real Talk. I give my girl Eun all the props for showing me this jem. I mean gawddamn. And you'll understand why after watching it. BTW folks. It's slightly NSFW so be warned.

And there you have it. I hope work or school or your kids doesn't kill you and/or give you grey hairs. Happy Hump Day!

The Old, Old, Old, Oldies

Most cities with a lot of black people have at least two or three radio stations that play oldies. The classics. The good stuff. But why do oldies stations primarily play music from the 70's, 80's and 90's? Soul Train was great but soul music existed way before the decade that brought us black power. Here are a just a few examples of great music your grandparents may know something about.

Papa Chele played Ben E. King's greatest hits album for at least twelve years straight. For an album that includes Spanish Harlem, you could imagine why. Many of you are familiar with King's song, Stand By Me. A former lead singer for The Drifters, he scored his first hit in 1961 with Spanish Harlem.

She was taken from us too soon but Dinah Washington left behind plenty of music for us to treasure. She passed away at the age of 39 from an accidental overdose. Despite such tragedy, Dinah is remembered as one of the most successful female singers in the 1950's. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby is a 1962 recording but it was first written by Louis Jordan in 1944.

Speaking of Louis Jordan, it is only appropriate that he be included in this list, and heard on our radio stations today. Tell me this isn't soul you hearing! Not just soulful, but The Father of Rhythm of Blues was often comical and political. I first heard Beans and Cornbread on the Malcolm X soundtrack but other songs of his including What's the Use of Gettin' Sober, That Chick's Too Young to Fry and  Pettin' and Pokin'. Beans and Cornbread was recorded in 1949.

 

I really don't think this wonderful woman needs an introduction. Ms. Lena Horne, ladies and gentleman. 

Do ever wish for TV One's hit television show Unsung to make an episode about a certain artist you love? With his incredible career and many gifts, it would be great for younger generations to learn about Johnny Mathis and the contributions he made to music. Chances Are was recorded in 1957 and a year later, Mathis compiled a selection of chart-topping single he made with Columbia Records and created a Greatest Hits album, the first ever in history.

It's important to may homage to all the soul musicians that gave music we have learned and loved. Let us not limit our appreciation to music simply because it is more familiar to our ears. Artists mentioned above and their contemporaries laid the foundation for all of the sounds we groove and bop our heads to. So call your local classic soul stations and make the disc jockeys dig deep for those old, old, oldies!

Teaching Reading is Fundamental

With pure luck, I was able to find another assistant teaching job in an after school program. The elementary school is located in a neighborhood adjacent to mine with very similar demographics. The area is almost entirely black, middle class with many Caribbean residents. The school itself is aesthetically appealing with artwork on almost every wall.

It is almost night and day when compared to the last school I worked in where the hallways were decorated with cafeteria trash, rather than student drawings. And instead of the disrespectful, volatile kids from before, the kids in my current school are disciplined and appropriately innocent.

I am impressed with the school so far. While the students' performance on last year's standardized tests were average, the parents and staff work hard to provide the kids with the resources needed to improve the overall quality of the school. This includes two after school programs, Saturday school and a variety of extracurricular activities.

Again, it is a fairly decent school. I'm happy. I did, however, notice something slightly bothersome. I teach  first grade. Out of a class of twenty four, having two or three who cannot read is not too bad. (Especially when compared to the two or three who could read in another low performing school I taught in briefly.)

I'm not familiar enough with curricula in New York City's public schools, but I wonder if kids are being taught reading fully in kindergarten or if educators are instead waiting until the first grade. I hope this is not the case because learning how to read is difficult, especially for children with learning disabilities. It is likely that kindergarten teachers have to compensate for those who did not attend preschool and as a result, have a lot of catching up to do. But doesn't this give more reason for us to start earlier??

What are your thoughts?