Seven signs you’re dating a sex addict

This might seem like a random post, but considering the rates of sexually transmitted disease and HIV infection in communities of color, this topic is more than worth mentioning, because it is clearly connected to unsafe sex. In my informal discussions with women in my age group, the majority of them claim multiple sexual partners, or are dating someone who they believe may have other sexual partners besides them. Casual sex seems to be now almost an afterthought, a modern prelude to dating. A second look needs to now be given to the link between mental illness and sexual activity in the health care and human services communities. Promiscuity can be a red flag that something deeper is going on beneath the surface, and research links depression and other form of mental illness to inappropriate sexual behavior. Sexual addiction is indeed an addiction, but not so similar to other forms, like drug addiction. They are both health issues, and both require clinical mental and physical health diagnosis, and treatment. My point is here is that individuals and treatment communities alike have a shared responsibility to come together and look at ways to prevent the spread of disease, and have more honest conversation on this topic. Because if the topic is uncomfortable, or you think it doesn't apply to you, then you are probably not being part of the solution.

Seven signs you’re dating a sex addict

Noam Chomsky: America hates its poor

Noam Chomsky: America hates its poor

I love the headline. Its honesty gives me life, the realness and truth is what it takes to make people know we have a big fucking problem. Its starts with people being facetious and uncomfortable with the meaning of the the second word. HATE. Hate also can mean strong dislike. Do we not still use dictionaries? People are also ignorant about the experience connected to the last word of that headline. POOR. Unless they are personally familiar with that experience in life, they cannot comprehend the meaning of what Noam Chomsky is referring to here.

You may think: "Why in (insert spiritual deity/or atheist phrase for disbelief) name would anyone hate poor people Mr. Chomsky? Oh pish posh. Don't be ridiculous."  But we do. I can tell you why, because my life is testimonial of hatred for the poor. I myself almost damn near perished in poverty...Don't go grab a seat and some chips kids. I'm not gonna spill. Not today. But in the long view here is that his statement is steeped in a truth that America doesn't want to face.

Read on for clarity and continuity in the linked article.

The link between sage historians and revolutionaries

’He is now at peace’: Nelson Mandela dead at 95

A revolutionary passes on. When I was a youth, I could hear the color television set hum in the background with things I was too young to know about and fully understand. To give some perspective on my recollection, in those days, at least in the south, most people still used rotary dial telephones, and cable television was in its infancy. It was 1980's to 90's-ish, I believe; rather I'll say, so as not to give away the proverbial farm of age. I was a curious sort, and an inquisitive sponge of a child. Some of the images I saw on the television new broadcasts impacted me so that to I will always remember. One story I heard was of the terrible treatment of people who black like me. African people. And the face of a man they called Nelson Mandela.

The serious looking news anchors told stories of South Africa, imprisonment, apartheid, and revolution that I didn't yet comprehend, but my wise grandmama Alice Bernice Cooper, was an teacher's resource and educator in the public school system, and her news clippings that she saved from decades past explained it to me as it grew. Stories of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, from carefully preserved, archived original news printings. She was a treasure, and contributed so much to her community in Southeast Newport News. I am forever grateful to her for making sure that got to see the news, read the stories, and gain the knowledge of events in history that would shape the history of the world that I live in today. Yesterday was her birthday. She passed on in 2007. I don't like to say that I miss her, because she is with me in spirit always.

Today, Nelson Mandela went on from his journey in this life with us, after fighting a good fight for his country. His storied struggle for racial equality in Africa is the spirit of activism, risking life and limb, and suffering a long, arduous incarceration on Robbin Island by refusing to accept a fate that was not his, a calling beneath him. He was a leader, and he would not renounce his people their right to humanity and dignity from oppression. It was around 1990 when he was finally released https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIV3kV4aQxA, and light of his leadership shined brightly for the world to see. The rest, is legend.

Rest in peace Madiba.

Are the wrong people sending people to prison?

A hot topic on this editorial...I'm sharing the link, but I may return and comment my views on it as well. But for now, I'm way more interested on what others think. Feel free to comment.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/opinion/bennett-osler-sentencing/index.html?hpt=ju_c2

A Friend on my journey

Hello friends,

Something is heavy on my heart. I recently heard the news of Sister Mary Nerney's passing. She was an angel here on earth. Her compassion, kindness, sincerity, and sheer love for her work are the things that stick out in my mind when I remember her. I first came to know her through my work with the Coalition of Women Prisoners, where we worked together on a domestic violence advocacy campaign. She worked tirelessly in the community, and was committed to helping survivors of trauma and abuse. She always put a smile on my face with a hilarious comment and a warm hug whenever we crossed paths. Rest in peace, Sister Mary. the gifts you have given will live on forever. You will be dearly missed by many.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/harlem-advocate-dies-cancer-age-75-article-1.1532522

Longest serving female prison inmate released

Welcome home Betty Smithey. Read more here:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/betty-smithey-longest-serving-female-prison-inmate-released/story?id=17001914#.UC9La92PXy0

In the words of rap great Grand Puba, "Sorry I left You"

In the words of rap great Grand Puba, "Sorry I left You"

This blog is taking a new direction. I felt I didn't have time for this shit. I still don't. I'm a student on a quest to not have mediocre grades. So I study until I have zombie brain. As a result I fell asleep studying in bed with my laptop and accidentally flung it to the floor upon waking, ruining my hard drive. The replacements been here for a couple month....ever since my fingers touched the keys they have burned with the desire to get these thoughts and words out. Its been calling me to blog it out, to express what was on my mind. Not because any reason besides my head is just way too full of opinion that nobody cares about but me, and I gotta get it down. So are you down? Cus' I'm still the peoples champ, and I'm ready to ride. I won't bs you and promise you regular post and all kinds of supertastiscal content, but I will curse, vent, share, relate, care...and write whatever I want about things that matter to me, things that are on the current. Like a mind surfer. A silver surfer. Come ride the wave...

Champion of the day: Papoose

People may pop mess about Papoose but I respect this man for standing by his woman, his loyalty to Remy Ma is beautiful and fitting of a king who loves his queen. The rarity of a man taking care of his incarcerated woman, which he speaks about doing in this video, 

http://www.vladtv.com/video/163015/exclusive-papoose-on-continuing-marriage-with-remy-ma-in-jail/fb_action_ids=10201118563274414&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582 

is so sad, it is the way it should be! For better or worse! When I worked in Rikers it was heartbreaking how the families, husbands, boyfriends, baby fathers would desert the women, even for a short term petty thirty to sixty day sentence sometimes. Female inmates get fewer visits, and the "why this is" interests me deeply to research.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/women-rikers-island-visitors-men-inmates-article-1.945039 

No visits, letters, or money or her books for food and essentials. It is so Un-Christ like to abandon someone helpless behind bars paying for their mistakes. It’s easy to throw stones, until you walk in those shoes. 
Yet women support the men, are at every visit with the kids, even sometimes bickering & fighting with sidepieces who show up, or realizing they are the sidepiece when the main event comes to the visit and they are sidelined! Jail and prison visit rooms are just messy for women.

 I wonder why women’s loyalties lie so strongly in these men, who studies and research show, will not do the same, and do not feel the same way, about them. It is sad indeed. I celebrate Papoose. And I implore women to make the right choices, so they don't end up in Remy's position. I need my people of color to wake up and see that #massincarceration does not discriminate between sex, just race, ladies you can get it too! Will he be there for you if you get caught out there? Shit happens, and if you are paying attention, the long arm of the law is getting longer every day! Everybody’s a criminal 

By the way, welcome home Melissa Alexander! Stand your ground, no woman deserves to be abused.