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Harriet: My Review

I watched the film “Harriet” over the weekend. “Harriet” is a dramatized retelling of the life of American hero Harriet Tubman. There was a lot of buzz around this film and a lot of think pieces were written and vlogs were made about this movie. People really over thought this. It was a good movie, not great but good and I think it’s worth watching. However, historic accounts of Harriet Tubman are more thrilling than “Harriet”.
Something about “Harriet” made me feel like I was watching an 80s night time soap opera. Violins played in the background of several scenes. This movie told it’s story in a feminine way. It was a love story of sorts. Harriet escaped to freedom in the north and she returned for love of her husband and other family members.
When I envisioned a film version of Harriet Tubman’s life I thought of her as more of a rebel, freedom fighter and visionary. In my mind Harriet Tubman’s life is more of an action, thriller and suspense story. Harriet was bold, fearless and determined.
The actress that played Harriet Tubman often had a deer in the headlights expression on her face and a furrowed brow. There was also a lot of dainty running in this film. It was the kind of running women do in horror films. Actors also fell as they were being pursued. Harriet Tubman commonly had fainting spells due to a head injury she suffered at her owner’s hand. The spells were depicted in the film and she fell pretty kind of like Scarlet O’Hara. None of this is necessarily bad thing I just think the director’s choices were interesting.
I do believe that “Harriet” sanitized Harriet Tubman for White audiences. She was a gentle character and not a fierce revolutionary. Harriet Tubman is famous for threatening to kill runaway slaves if they lost their nerves and wanted to turn around. She is also famous for saying that she freed (paraphrase) thousands of slaves and could have freed thousands more if they knew they were slaves.
Spoiler Alert
There was a scene in the film where Harriet had her slave master on his knees at gun point. She had the opportunity to shoot him but she talked to him and let him live. I think that this plays into the trope of the all forgiving African American that turns the other cheek regardless of how they were treated.
Nonetheless, the film was entertaining and I would recommend it. But I recommend reading historical accounts of Harriet Tubman. Her acts of bravery were absolutely thrilling and she is one of the greatest American heroines.

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Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez – My Review

I watched the three part documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez which is about the late New England Patriots tight end and convicted murderer (well kind of) Aaron Hernandez. Aaron Hernandez is an interesting person to say the least. His story is almost Shakespearean. I remember Aaron Hernandez’s football career very well and I’ve seen several pieces about him in the media before watching the Netflix documentary. But Killer Inside offered some new information.
Family dynamics are interesting and Aaron’s family was full of complicated relationships. Aaron grew up a male dominant household. His father is Puerto Rican and seems to be very traditional. Aaron looked up to his father and was devastated by his death. He had a very close relationship with an older female cousin who loved Aaron like he was her own son. She was a mother of two children dying of cancer and served a prison sentence instead of testifying against Aaron.
The female cousin was married at one time and her husband left her for Aaron’s mother after Aaron’s father died. Aaron had animosity and resentment towards his mother because of her new significant other who sat next to her during Aaron’s trial. Aaron had a male lover who was featured in the documentary. Aaron also had a faithful fiance who was the mother of his daughter. Her support for Aaron never wavered.
I think it’s telling that Aaron allowed his cousin and fiance to suffer for him. He seems to be very self centered and without a conscious. We’ll never know if his sociopathic behavior is the result of nurture, CTE or celebrity privilege. The film implied that Aaron was driven to homicidal madness due to having to hide his same sex attraction while being immersed in the hyper masculine culture of sports.
Aaron was convicted of killing a man named Odin Lloyd in cold blood. Odin Lloyd was his fiancee’s sister’s significant other. Aaron appealed his sentence and later hanged himself while incarcerated and awaiting for the chance to appeal.
A Massachusetts law states that if a person dies while on trial there will be no conviction on the record books. Therefore, Aaron Hernandez is not a convicted murderer. He was also accused of killing two other men in Boston but was not convicted.
Aaron Hernandez was a brain damaged, bisexual, homicidal street thug, a football star who was a part of a sports dynasty with the undying loyalty of two women, a contemptuous relationship with his own mother and a father of a young girl who committed suicide at age twenty seven. His suicide may have outsmarted the Massachusetts legal justice system. Aaron Hernandez was not a sympathetic character but he was nonetheless compelling. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez was an interesting film even if you already know quite a bit about the man.
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Watch “Proverbs 15:4 Ecclesiastes 7:9” on YouTube
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Meaningless Observation: Derelict Buildings in 90s Music Videos
I noticed a theme in a few 1990s music videos. Derelict buildings were used as the back drop for a lot of the videos of the time. I researched my theory and I realized that the musical group Prodigy is responsible for a lot of that imagery. It looks like all of their videos were made on the same dank set. But aside from Prodigy a few others used similar images.
I’m not going to hypothesize why this is. I don’t know that there is a why. Sometimes a thing is just a thing for no particular reason. So here’s my collection of 90s videos with dark, derelict imagery.
I don’t listen to much alternative rock but I enjoyed this song and remember the video playing in MTV very well.
This is borderline. Natalie’s apartment wasn’t that bad. It just looked like an urban hipster apartment. This video probably started the urban gentrification of American cities.
Whose house is this? Did they break in and start performing their choreographed routine?
Lisa brought a feminine touch to this empty, raggedy apartment.
This video is creepy and sexy at the same time.
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Child’s Play 2019: A Short Review

I recently watched the 2019 remake of the 1988 film Child’s Play. I saw the original Child’s Play when I was a teenager. Just about everything from the 90s is corny so I didn’t have very high expectations for the film. I didn’t care for the new Child’s Play. The film was ridiculous then and it’s worse now.
If you’re not familiar with the plot of the film, Child’s Play is about a homicidal, red headed doll named Chucky that causes chaos for a single mother and her son. In the 80s version Chucky was possessed by the spirit of a hardened Chicago criminal.

In the latest version Chucky was installed with artificially intelligent software and was programmed by observing things in his environment. I there was a part in the film where the Chucky doll that went crazy was hexed in the Asian factory where he was manufactured by a disgruntled employee.
Chucky is eager to please his owner Andy and is very possessive over him which spurs part of the killing spree. But some of the murdering happens without any provocation whatsoever. Chucky just goes off on people and starts doing crazy s—. Early in the film it is established that Andy has a hearing problem. I don’t know why they writers added that because it played no part in the film whatsoever.
Not only is this film franchise a negative depiction of red heads but there are some very negative depictions of Black people in this movie. That could be an essay within itself but I don’t feel like editing clips. Trust me, the Black roles in this film are cringeworthy.
After several gruesome deaths and thousands of dollars worth of property damage the film ends because Andy’s mom twists the dolls head off. Much like in the earlier film I don’t know mom didn’t destroy the doll in the first place. The film moves along quickly though and seems short even though it is two hours. I can’t recommend that you spend two hours of your life on this movie. But if you enjoy corny horror films you may enjoy Child’s Play.
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Watch “Golden Calf Part 2” on You Tube
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Watch “Golden Calf Part 1” on YouTube
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There are a lot of You Tubers that I watch that would fall under the so called Pro Black umbrella. I think that every last one of them is a scam artist and they should not be taken seriously. Not only should they not be seen as leaders they should be seen as scam artists or at least opportunists. Pro Black You Tube is simply for entertainment purposes and I don’t think that any of them are interested in Black empowerment.
Any good hustle has an element of truth to it. A lot of pro Black You Tubers have interesting thoughts but their messages often gets lost. My first problem with pro Black channels is that they are very White centered. Whiteness is always the measuring stick for them. At the beginning of any journey I believe that one needs to define success. For most Pro Black You Tube philosophers White standards are success which is a problem within itself.
They are very focused on racism which at this point is stupid. Racism is kind of like gravity. It’s just there. It’s a problem is you drop your phone or fall down the steps so you need to learn to avoid the pitfalls of gravity. Racism is not going to ever end in America. It’s too deeply ingrained in our culture and mindsets. It’s such a part of American life that we take it for granted and don’t even notice it a lot of the time. Learn to live with it and how to avoid it’s pitfalls.
I wish that Black You Tubers simply discussed problems in the Black community and ways that we can make improvements. It’s rare that any of these people discuss matters such as finance, health, self acceptance or healthy families. They also don’t discuss matters of spirituality unless they are making disparaging remarks about Christianity. I believe that those are the kinds of issues that would make a difference in Black lives in America.
Pro Black channels are very focused on Black celebrities. The lives of Black celebrities are irrelevant to circumstances of the average Black American. I don’t mind listening to the trials and tribulations of rich Blacks on channels that brand themselves as gossip channels. But channels that brand themselves as wanting to make Black communities better should ignore all celebrities. Black celebrities are completely out of touch and most of them seek to exploit their popularity with average Black people.
Pro Black channels tend to speak on sensational matters and they are clearly looking for views in order to increase their subscribers and make more money. They like to discuss things that push emotional hot buttons and shocking viral videos. Most of their topics are simply clickbait and don’t hold any real substance.
Pro Black You Tube channels love to talk about problems in the Black community but they rarely offer solutions that are realistic to every day people. They claim that they just want to wake people up. I find this to be very condescending. I don’t need a has been rapper from the 90s informing me on anything. Based on their topics of conversation I was so called woke long before they were. They also like to say things like “Black people don’t read” and “simple minded Negroes”. There is no reason to listen to someone that thinks so little of you.
The most detrimental problem in Black American neighborhoods is violence but this matter is rarely discussed on Black You Tube. Nothing can be accomplished in communities that have been turned into war zones. No one will invest in commerce, home ownership isn’t likely to be established and healthy children can’t be raised under the threat of drive by shootings, property and sex crimes. Relationships and trust can not be built among neighbors when there are killers and thieves in the neighborhood not being brought to justice. But Black You Tube channels don’t discuss this matter.
I think that Black You Tube stays away from this issue because it would ask men to take more responsibility for the community. Women and children can’t stand up to street thugs. African Americans have a hard time setting standards and guidelines for boys and men. For thirty years or more Black boys and men have been treated as charity cases and porcelain dolls to be pitied which has not been productive. The way the Black community treats Black boys and men is disrespectful and insulting to them. It’s as if we think they can’t do and be better.
A lot of Black You Tube is just plain delusional. A common topic is “divestment”. Those that follow this foolish theory believe that if you don’t take interest in issues that affect Black Americans, socialize with, date or marry or spend time in areas with large Black populations you have divested. This is mental illness to me.
If I move to Montana and marry a White guy and cut ties with my Black family and friends I’m still going to be affected by racism when I cross paths with a racist because I am clearly Black. Those that preach divestment are foolish. While I am alive I am going through the world as a Black woman so the way Black women are perceived and treated will always be a concern of mine. I will divest when I am dead. It’s not really even my choice.
Pro Black You Tube is also completely obsessed with inter racial dating and marriage which I don’t think is a big problem for Black people. I agree that many Black people choose to date and marry outside of their race because they think the union will gain them and their children access to White privilege. But that’s why these You Tube channels should be promoting self acceptance.
I can’t be bothered with anyone’s dating or marriage choices when babies are being killed in drive by shootings. Loni Love’s boyfriend should be of little importance when we consider that Black people are more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes. If the average NFL player wants a blue eyed blonde then he simply isn’t for me and I need to move on and find a man that prefers the dark eyed, dark skinned girl, dark, course haired woman. It’s as simple as that.
I also think it’s stupid the way pro Black You Tubers criticize the Civil Rights movement. They say that integration didn’t benefit Black people. Who’s fault is that? The Civil Rights movement gave Black people more opportunities and freedom to move about society. If idiots decided to turn their backs on communities and institutions that Blacks built and flock to White communities and institution because they perceive it as superior that is not Martin Luther King’s fault.
Civil Rights leaders put everything they had on the line for a change and they were successful. Meanwhile Black You Tubers who conceal their identities criticize their efforts. In fact, Pro Black You Tube spends a great deal of time criticizing anything and anyone that is successful and Black.
Pro Black You Tube can be good for a laugh and at times they make good points but they are superficial and lazy. They just want to make a quick buck off of monetizing their You Tube site and they use the emotional matter of racism to do it. They aren’t doing any real work that doesn’t enrich themselves. They use celebrities and viral videos to sensationalize their sentiments but they are reluctant to talk about something as pedestrian as saving money, meal planning, exercise and the best ways to raise healthy children. Pro Black You Tubers are all scammers.
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Untitled
I had the day off on New Year’s Day so I decided to go to the mall and take advantage of some sales. One of which being the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale. I browsed around the store for a while and made my selections. Then I headed to the register to pay for my things. So far this is all standard and there isn’t much of a story to tell. Until I crossed paths with a ruffian in yoga pants.
As I made my way to the register this unkempt woman in yoga pants ran up to the sales counter and cut me off before I got to the register. I was a bit dismayed by this unladylike behavior. It was like I was placed in a race to the register without being told.
The aged store clerk was helping Yoga Pants with some sort of customer service issue as I approached the counter. I don’t know why anyone needs that much help at Bath & Body Works but I digress. Yoga Pants stupidly left her cell phone next to the register. I suppose that’s why she made a run for it when she saw me walking towards the front. She probably thought I was going to steal her phone as opposed to, ya know, make a purchase. Everything is all about her after all. I’m unsure of why she just didn’t put the phone in her coat pocket when she walked away.
I’m trying to understand the sense of entitlement of Yoga Pants. She thought she had dominion over the public space and the store clerk’s focus. She also talked very loudly while she was being served at the register to some young ladies that she knows and into at the store. This woman needs a lot of attention.
I stood where I was cut off by Yoga Pants and stared at the group of silly, vapid women while they had their loud, phony, superfluous conversation. Yoga Pants never made eye contact with me while she took up space and time.
Yoga Pants finally finished her small purchase that she was able to redeem her coupon on and went on her way. Hopefully she went straight home to get some rest because she looked tired. After the clerk finished with Yoga Pants she stepped to the side of the counter and had a conversation with a co worker who had her purse and was wearing her coat. They were talking about scheduling or something. I’m not sure how long the conversation lasted.
The clerk who is heavily made up and kind of reminded me of Betty Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane finished up chatting with her off duty co worker and then she rang up my items. At the end she pointed out to me which items were in which bag and then she said in an over the top almost sarcastically sweet tone, “Thank you and have a good day”, with a phony smile plastered on her face.

One thing that really irks me is when store clerks are rude or dismissive but they are nice when they are saying good bye. I’ve had store clerks not greet me or offer to help as I enter the store or as I am browsing but they want to act all sweet as I’m leaving. Save it!
Thanks for listening to my petty post about a rude, arrogant, self entitled, tired looking suburban thug in yoga pants and an even more worn out looking sales clerk that really didn’t want to be bothered that day, at least not with me. I found some good sales items though and that’s what matters. If I decide to participate in the Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale again I’ll go to one in the city. Further away from such ruffians.

