Today, Monday hit me like a semi-truck. I was so not prepared to wake up this morning. Especially after a rather mentally draining "family meeting" we had last night. I remember on the Cosby show they had family forums. What took place last night was similar to that. We all went around the table and said how we felt about a particular issue I'm not at liberty to discuss on the world-wide web. In the midst of the meeting, I kept thinking, "this is so 1986 Cosby Show cheesy". I always wanted to be a Huxtable. Last night I got my chance. Side note: While reading the paper on the way to work (via bus, not while driving), I read an ad for the "Second Annual Save-the-Turtles Silent Auction". Seattle in a nutshell. What is wrong with these people?

Bush Loses Support of Gay Republicans
I don't think this is something George should be concerned about. It would make perfect sense. According to the article, which is of course slanted in view and probably not credible, they feel "betrayed" by the President's recommendations concerning the constitutional amendment. They were entertaining illusions of grandeur if they really thought the President would be pro-gay marriage, constitutional amendment or not.

The State of the Black Family
On Saturday night I had the not-so-privilege of watching a forum held on CSPAN called "The State of the Black Family". It was a Tavis Smiley presents deal that included a panel of smarties, Ph.d's, authors and whatnot. It also included a few notable African American achievers like Dr. Ben Carson famous neurosurgeon as well as not so noted, flaky, fake-Christian spiritist Iyanla Vanzant (who knew she was still around?). Many remember her from a stint on Oprah; then she got her own show but who doesn't after being on Oprah? I guess she was just no Dr. Phil because her show was cancelled rather quickly. We should all thank the network for that. Now she runs her own company "Inner Visions". That name itself is a warning sign to stay far away. So in any case, I'm sitting there watching this symposium with my usual cynical, critical eye, trying to be as open-minded as possible. Well, I tried. At least Cornel West was in the audience and not on the panel this time. His rhetoric drives me crazy.

I will admit, there was some good stuff said all around (education reform, rebuilding communities, getting fathers back into position, understanding the hip hop generation, yadda yadda ya). But overwhelmingly, it was nothing more than a bunch of intellectual smarty-pants sitting up there trying to out-intellectualize each other. A telling moment: one viewer emailed in a question concerning the current gay-marriage debate wondering what were the thoughts of all the panelists on the subject. Never in my life have I seen so much talking around the issue. After a good 30-45 minutes spent intellectualizing theory, no one was able to give a clear answer. I was so sickened by that. Most of these people either had no idea what they believed, or they were too afraid their book sales would go down by being labeled "conservative" for saying how they really felt. For goodness's sake, take a stand one way or another. At least don't talk in circles. I have more respect for people who will put their conviction right on out there.

The Passion Scores at the Box Office
Hollywood changes its tune. At first people we're calling Mel Gibson's demise. Now they're saying otherwise. They are some of the most fickle people I tell you. I'm willing to take all bets, and I promise you, the next year or so will give birth to a couple of spin-offs and/or other Biblical stories being brought to the bigscreen not necessarily at the hands of Mr. Gibson but somebody's going to run with this. For the most part, Hollywood is all about green. I still haven't seen the movie yet, but I will say, there is something to be noted in the fact that Mel used his own money primarily to finance his vision in spite of skeptics and now even many of the skeptics are changing their tune. He will be reaping some financial benefits here. That will inevitably bother Christians. Well, we're fickle too.