- There are many things I could take offense with singer Erykah Badu about, namely her music…..but this time it’s not me who has the beef with her. No, one the heels of her naked stroll through downtown Dallas for the making of a music video on March 17, Dallas police have reason to contend with Badu. Her, um, performance has earned her a disorderly conduct citation. Badu shed her clothes as she walked through Dealey Plaza until she was nude and then fell near the spot where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. According to the singer, the video was "shot guerrilla style," without a crew and in one take March 17. According to a Dallas Police spokeswoman, the department wanted to press charges against Badu because children were present but no complaints had been filed by anyone present - until Thursday. "One witness did come forward yesterday, thus leading to the charges filed today," a statement from Dallas Police said Friday. Badu, ironically, is a Dallas resident. A citation of misdemeanor disorderly conduct has been mailed to her. If convicted, she could face a fine of up to $500. Badu can either contest the charge in court or pay the fine and even with her abysmally crappy music, I’m guessing she has enough cash on hand to pay the fine and just keep moving. “After much discussion, it has been determined that this charge best fits her conduct when she disrobed in a public place without disregard [sic] to other individuals and children who were in close proximity," the police statement said. So far, Badu’s only comment on the incident was a post on her Twitter feed last weekend, soon after the "Window Seat" video was released on her Web site, stating "there were children there. i prayed they wouldnt b traumatized." Well they were and now you are going to have to dig into the ash tray in your car and pull out the spare change to pay this fine……….
- The nation may be teetering on the brink of financial disaster, but the national leaders of Senegal are not allowing that small fact to distract them from what really matters - building ginormous statues. On Saturday, those leaders unveiled a massive statue during a lavish ceremony even as critics widely ripped them for their excess. The 164-foot statue -- about a foot taller than the Statue of Liberty -- depicts the figures of a man, a woman and a child, arms outstretched, looking out toward the Atlantic Ocean. President Abdoulaye Wade, perhaps fancying himself an amateur sculptor, designed the structure himself and insists that it is a monument to Africa's renaissance. Those who would prefer the money be used for things that actually benefit Senegal’s citizens in a direct, tangible way say that the statue is nothing more than the product of Wade’s self-indulgent delusions and poor leadership. The copper statue towers above the skyline of Senegal's capital, Dakar, but it doesn’t measure up to Wade’s claim that it is the world's largest. Perhaps showing off that trademark delusional mindset, he made that outrageous allegation even though his statue is shorter than several others around the world, including China's Spring Temple Buddha, which stands just under 420 feet. Opposition groups have been vocal in speaking out about the statue and one such group, Benno Siggil Senegal, called on the Senegalese people to "refuse to associate themselves with a fraudulent scheme designed to satisfy the fantasies of Abdoulaye Wade and to lay the foundations of dynastic reign of Wade on our country.” The cost of the statue is estimated to be $20 million, with proceeds from the statue (so I guess the hope is for tourists to come visit it and pay to see it?) will supposedly benefit Senegalese children. By the way, I’m all for celebrating your nation gaining its independence and the unveiling of the statue marked the 50th anniversary of Senegal's independence. But just because you got Jesse Jackson to show up (seriously, dude will show up for anything just as long as he gets to talk into a microphone) doesn’t validate your choice to build this monstrosity. The money for the statue may have been given by North Korea in exchange for a chunk of Senegalese land, but you’re telling me that money could have been put to better use? Way to show you care about the welfare of your people, President Wade…………
- Life is getting tougher for smokers and I could not be happier. Life can never be tough enough for smokers because if it were tough enough, then every last one of those losers would give up that filthy, disgusting and harmful habit. Taxes on cigarettes can never be high enough and there can never be enough places where smoking is banned. Having said that, I am throwing my full support behind the state of New York’s potential new $1 per-pack tax increase on cigarettes to help balance the state budget. Coupled with the ban the federal government recently dropped on sending cigarettes through the mail and you have a truly great period in the American fight against the menace of smoking. Owners of convenience stores and other businesses that sell cancer sticks are worried that the new tax will hurt their business, but perhaps they should have chosen another business, one whose products weren’t responsible for millions upon millions of death merely when used according to design. The ban on mailing cancer sticks will also help to prevent loser smokers from procuring tax-free smokes from outside the country, which is another big step in the right direction. We don’t quite have smokers on the run to the extent that we need to, but these are two steps in the right direction and this is no time to slow down or let up. Press the fight, go after the menace that is smoking and don’t stop until we have completely eradicated this plague from our shores, America……….
- I am not in the habit of declaring winners and losers in battles where I have no direct stake, as it just feels like a waste of time - ha ha, just kidding. I am all about looking over the landscape of this here society and culture and handing down verdicts whether the recipients want them or not. So I am stepping in to soundly reject ABC’s claim of victory in the ratings over the last two weeks for “Dancing with the (D-List) Stars” over Fox’s “American Karaoke.” I don’t care if it’s true that “DWTDLS” drew a larger average of viewers (23.6 million) the past two weeks than the Tuesday total for “American Karaoke” (23 million). Nor do I give a rat’s behind if the Monday night episode of “DWTDLS” tallied 23 million viewers while “American Karaoke” brought in 21.3 million viewers and 20.5 million viewers for their Tuesday and Wednesday night shows, respectively. ABC has not won this battle because of course, when reality dancing and karaoke shows are involved, there are no winners. The public loses because they either have massive chunks of their television schedule eaten up by inane, worthless programming or they are dumb enough to get sucked in by these shows, with neither option being any good. Perhaps people are finally wising up to the fact that “AK” sucks balls and that it’s a crap-tacular karaoke fest with a bunch of hacks who have neither musical talent nor the self-awareness to realize their lack of talent. Or maybe the impending depature of that one judge, you know, the one always out to promote his own agenda and brand on a televised karaoke show, maybe him leaving the show at the end of this cycle of torture, er, season is dragging everyone down. I can’t say for sure and I value my ear drums and musical credibility too much to tune in and find out, but let’s just agree that there are no winners when “DWTDLS” and “American Karaoke” are involved. It’s a lose-lose situation if I’ve ever seen one…………
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