"Fashion Police" becomes reality.

A 17-year-old spent a night in jail last week after police arrested him for wearing low pants in Riviera Beach, southeast Florida.

The law banning so-called "saggy pants" was approved by city voters in March after supporters of the bill collected nearly 5,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

Wow. Next up are a ban on "high waters", spandex, "muffin-top" jeans, cropped T-shirts, white outfits after Labor Day, pajamas in public, and....wait for it..... "Mom" jeans!!!

That was until a Florida judge deemed the law unconstitutional. The sad part is Dallas and Atlanta are considering creating their own "fashion police". Maybe they will ban black trenchcoats because clearly only terrorists wear those things.

"The fundamentals are stong..."

You can't make this stuff up.

Speaking of book banning....

Shortly after taking office in 1996 as mayor of Wasilla, a city of about 7,000 people, Palin asked the city's head librarian about banning books. Later, the librarian was notified by Palin that she was being fired, although Palin backed off under pressure.

Why would you even ask such a question, hypothetical or not, in this day and age and with all the book burning done in Nazi Germany? Can the GOP explain that one? Why does she need clarification on such a thing? Doesn't she know her history and the Constitution???? You're telling me you don't know if it would be legal? You don't know if you have the power to do so as Mayor? What planet does this woman live on?

I swear you can't make this stuff up:

Jim Rettig, a University of Richmond librarian who heads the Chicago-based American Library Association, suggested that lingering quarrel raises issues that are still relevant as librarians prepare to celebrate Banned Books Week later this month.

Librarians are very committed to the principles of the First Amendment of the Constitution and that means we don't allow one individual or a group of people to dictate what people can or cannot read," he said. "Most librarians if they got that sort of a question would be curious as to what the intent of the questioner was.

I'm sorry, but the only reason someone asks that question is because #1) They're ignorant and don't know history or the Constitution or #2) They're thinking about banning a book.

Celebrity talking sense.

When you see a display of common sense, it's so refreshing I felt the need to share it with you all.

Shoes

This is not about American politics now. Someone left a pair of grey adidas sneakers with orange stripes and white socks. Please let me know what to do with it. Should I give it away or hold and send back with whoever comes to the wedding?

Puting a Trini perspective on Palin

This is the intro to a cloumn in the T'dad Guardian written by Dr. David Bratt a pediatrician. I put the caps on Sangre Grande because I found that to be so funny.

"Perhaps the most important thing that the Republican VP candidate in the American elections, Ms. Palin, the "pitbull in lipstick," and formerly the mayor of a town the size of SANGRE GRANDE, will ever do , has been done and that is to raise awareness of Downsyndrome.

If you have not heard and you must be the only person alive not to, Sarah Palin is supposed to have had a child with Down syndrome barely four months ago and as one experienced mother told me, she is the healthiest looking four-month old post partum woman yet seen, even if , as reported, she is breast feeding , whilst working a full-time day as governor of Alaska.

They make them tough up north!

There is talk that the child is not hers but her 17-year old daughter's who is also said to be now five months pregnant. The theory goes that Governor Palin covered up her daughter's pregnancy for political reasons. Whatever the truth, and I certainly do not believe the rumours, this is a fertile family, indeed."

John Stewart is brilliant!

Watch hypocrisy perfected.

House vs. Fancy Outfit

Now I see why they laugh off being a community organizer. Because then they wouldn't be able to spend $300,000 on an outfit.

Community Organizer?

Besides the fact that they have to resort to personal attacks because they have nothing else to run a campaign on (what, they're gonna talk about how great the last 8 years has been?), what really offended me last night was the sight of 20,000 Republicans laughing like hyenas at the fact that out of college at the age of 23, Obama moved from NYC to Chicago to become a community organizer and help jobless people on the south side of Chicago. As if being a community organizer is some kind of joke and waste of time.

Well, as pointed out on this blog, I guess these community organizers never led or accomplished anything:

• Susan B. Anthony
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Cesar Chavez
• Harriet Tubman
• Dorothy Day
• Mohandas Ghandi
• Oh, and somebody named Jesus of Nazareth.

And if Sarah Palin thinks by just being a governor that makes her better then any community organizer, then she must really like this guy, who was also a famous governor.

Mother = qualified to run the country.

Because when you're a mother of 5 kids and manage a family budget that automatically qualifies you to run a country of 300 million and a budget over $1 trillion. So claims random woman on The View.

You just can't make this stuff up....

In defense of "Mom" jeans

Ah, mom jeans. You with your room-making front pleats, high waist, pegged legs, and stone washed finish. How we all love to pour the hater-ade on you, but when it comes time, can't get enough of you....

Thinking as I walked into work this morning, I suddenly understood the appeal of these jeans. You can easily hike them up over that little pooch thing you get after bearing children that never goes away, even after like 6 BILLION crunches each week. Hiking them up but wearing a longer top over it just covers the area and really makes your tummy look as flat as it once was...sorta. I haven't resorted to this fashion disaster (if ever there was one) but will it eventually come to a head? Will someone help me make the right decision when I reach that crossroad? Paired with a pair of white Keds, how could one go wrong.

Sometimes the choice of a "mom" jean is the difference between no muffin top with a high waisted pant, or an unsightly muffin top. Which is the lesser of the evils? With the new "High Waisted Pant" craze, will moms parading around in these pegged suckers be considered fashion-forward?

Second Reunion Video!

Hey folks!

Here's the next reunion video as promised. It covers all the family portraits that were taken during the Sunday Brunch. (68 pictures and two songs.) Unfortunately posting these videos on the blog, you tend to lose some of the detail to keep the file size small enough to load quickly. However all the detail is kept when creating a DVD to play on a player and your TV. (Also, sorry for the slight video distortion. Still trying to figure out why it appears slightly scaled after I upload. I guess one trade off is everybody looks like they lost a few pounds. LOL!)

For the time being, enjoy the slide show and music. And again, all the photos I used are posted on my Flickr account. There are some really great portraits in there worthy of printing I think. After you Photoshop out that pole! LOL

Laytuh!!!

A picture worth a thousand words...

...Because when you work as a mayor for 6 years in what (according to James Carville) "...looks like a bait shop in South Louisiana", you gain enough experience to run the United States of America.

Tina? Is that you?

All seriousness aside, does anyone think Pallin looks a LOT like Tina Fey?

[Fixed the "red X" that used to be in place of Tina's picture. -Trininuyawka]

Wow...

I was VERY impressed by Obama's speech last night. And as for McCain's VP pick, I didn't see that one coming. A woman... very smooth move. As I said before, I don't usually follow politics, but this is one great soap opera!

Usain Bolt guilty of performance drugs!

I knew it!!! He was running way too fast!

After winning the Gold Medal in the 100m, 200m, and 4 x 100m relay, the Olympic Committee called for an immediate testing on Usain Bolt and the entire Jamaica track and field team. Results were delivered and labs detected large amounts of Yam, Oxtail, Manish Water, Steam Fish, Rice & Peas, Ting and Mackerel.

When questioned by reporters, the Jamaican Track Coach adamantly responded, "Kiss Mi Neck!!....A peer rumors a gwan!!" After which, he brandished a machete and threatened the reporters with responses such as: "You wan test de Rocket Launcher?!" More details to follow...

KB is Home.....

KB is home after successful surgery and doing well. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. Sorry this was scheduled at this time and spoiled our end of summer get together at Moan and Groan.

Make a fool of yourself in 20 seconds

Only a chupidee would make a statement like this. First off, nobody gets paid that much to pick lettuce. Second, nobody would turn down a job picking lettuce if they did get paid that much!!!!

You can't make this stuff up....

Quotes you didn't hear...

Here are some juicy nuggets you didn't hear from last night's DNC convention unless you were watching C-SPAN. All the cable news networks had their pundants talking non-stop during all the speeches. Yes CNN, I'm talking about you! If John King pulls up his map one more time, I'm gonna lose it! LOL

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland:

You know, it was once said of the first George Bush that he was born on third base and thought he'd hit a triple. Well, with the 22 million new jobs and the budget surplus Bill Clinton left behind, George W. Bush came into office on third base -- and then he stole second. And John McCain cheered him every step of the way.

New York Governor David Patterson:

If [McCain is] the answer, then the question must be ridiculous.

President of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards:

A woman voting for McCain is like a chicken voting for Colonel
Saunders.

No way. Now how. No McCain.

Hmmmm... could that be "Bushman" behind the costume? And is that McBush on the right?

Any fanpires out there?

Enough about politics... Let's talk about stuff that really matters. Like the Twilight Saga. Has anyone read it yet? Camille, Jules, and I have totally geeked out and are counting down the days until the movie opens (87 days). Who's going with us???

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A First Lady I can relate to...

As I sat last night riveted by the words of Michelle Obama (as well as Ted Kennedy), I was struck at the prospect of a First Lady who I could relate to on so many levels. For as long as I've been interested in politics and been able to witness previous elections, I always felt that, some way, some how, The President and First Lady were so far removed from my own experiences. They always appeared rich and wealthy, elite and privileged. Vacationing at "retreats" and "ranches" oblivious to the typical American life and problems of average Americans. They had an air about them like if you sat down with them and had a conversation about daily struggles and childhood experiences, you'd stare right back at their blank faces. Or they'd patronize you making believe they understood your issues.

Then I listened to Michelle Obama's speech last night. She spoke about growing up with her older brother and he spoke about her memorizing Brady Bunch episodes. In that second, I connected with her in a way I never did with any other politician, much less a First Lady. We could instantly talk about how Marsha got slammed in the face with a football. Or recall the lyrics to "Keep On Movin'" or "It's A Sunshine Day". Then she spoke about coming home from the hospital with their first daughter Malia and Barack's anxiousness from the front seat while driving. And again I could relate to bringing Isabella home and feeling the weight of being a good father and raising a daughter of my own. She spoke about her mother helping to raise her kids and how she sees her mother in her daughters...and again I related. Finally, seeing the whole family on stage and hearing both Malia and Sasha say "I love you, Daddy" to Barack... although I can only hear "Dada" from Bella, I imagined the joy I would feel to hear those 4 words everyday after a long days work.

After hearing her speech, this election took on a more personal feeling for me. To see a family in the White House so close in similarities, experiences and values to my own is something I never thought I would witness. But there I was relating to Michelle as some lost relative instead of some detached stranger. Someone who I felt would have my best interest in mind more so then even Hillary. Now I understand the connection people may have had to JFK, and yes MLK too. You didn't know them personally, but you still felt a connection and a certain pride in them. To feel this connection to Michelle Obama...and Barack Obama as well... I am surprised in myself. And what a pleasant surprise it is.

For those who missed it, here's her 20 minute speech from last night's Democratic National Convention.

Die-Hard Hillary Fans - A Rant...

Okay, so the McCain camp keeps saying they got the Hillary voters. Sorry, but I just don't believe it.

Let us first examine the demographic of the Die-hards: Hillary supporters are mainly middle-aged women who came of age during the sexual revolution of the 60's and 70's and are VERY committed to the idea that Hillary is a woman and was to be the first female president. They enjoy spirited debates about women's rights and how the media unfairly characterized Hillary througout the primary season.

Now, let us examine a prominent plank in the Republican party: They are Pro-Life and do not believe a woman has the right to an abortion, except for in the case of the health of the mother (and some don't even like THAT qualifier). Their main goal is to do all they can to strike down Roe v. Wade or make it next to impossible for a woman to obtain a safe abortion in this country. Basically, reverting back to 1972 when maternal mortality rates were at an all-time high. Why, you ask? Oh yeah, because women were dying from back alley, unsafe abortions, that's why!

Yeah, I could totally see where the Hillary Die-hards and the Republican party find common ground.

Note to the other side: If you really want to do ANYTHING to lower abortions rates, making them unavailable has been proven to make it worse, not better. How about providing adequate, COMPREHENSIVE sex education and easy access to family planning methods (and by "methods" I don't mean strict confession and a prayer that it didn't "take")? Allowing Big Pharm to make Viagra available at the drop of a hat, but making a woman shell out $130 for birth control seems a little like a mixed message to me. Don't you think? Isn't that your argument about abstinence only education?

Finally! The first Reunion video!

Okay, folks. After sorting through hundreds of pictures and sampling several songs, I finally created the first slideshow from the reunion called "Sunday Brunch". I think all those who attended will see themselves at some point in the slideshow. It's consists of 2 songs and 88 pictures.

I will be creating several more (Family Portraits, Store Bay Beach, Farewell Dinner, etc) and once I am done I will burn DVD's of all the slideshows for those who want one. This way, you can look at it on your TV nice and big instead of a tiny, somewhat blurry, version on the DNN blog.

All the pictures used in this slideshow can be found at my Flickr account here. However it's just not the same without the music! Turn up the volume and click the play button to the lower left to watch. Enjoy!

***If you are using dial-up, I wouldn't recommend trying to watch the video. It won't play smoothly. Sorry!***

Not to beat a dead horse...

But when you get a gift that keeps on giving, you get some really great amusment out of the whole thing. Perfect for a slow TGIF, this little nugget I came across gave me a good chuckle...