Its Only 365 Days
157/365: RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
6 JUNE 13
It was so insanely hot today. I went out on my usual morning rounds to water the plants and the garden and my shirt felt like it was on fire. I checked the 10 day forecast and all week long the temperature is not expected to dip below 94 degrees, no rain. However, today, it said there was a 20 percent chance to which I fervently rolled my eyes, even watering the plants again in the afternoon under a cloudless bright sky. A mere 20 minutes later, there it was the first signs of rain and we received a pretty decent shower.
In other news: have you heard about this Cheerios commercial which caused all this controversy because there was a biracial child in the commercial with a white mother and black father. Cheerios says that they had to shut down the comments section because of the overwhelming amount of racist comments. When asked if they were planning to remove the spot which only played on youtube, the company absolutely refused, stating that the commercial reflects the changing faces of their customers and the country, although the comments section remains disabled. See the commercial here: youtu.be/kYofm5d5Xdw
Stuff like this makes me really angry. It reminds me of my troubles with my former boss who was white. I have spoken on this subject a few times, but long story short, my former boss at the time who was black quit and sued the company for its racist practices because as the only black manager in the district, despite having more then double the sales of other stores, she was the only one being grossly underpaid. She won her case and the next thing we knew, we had a white manager whom they shipped in from one of these others stores. Just to make it clear, I had no issue with her until her true colors started to show. She made a few racist comments here and there and eventually this became a major issue when it happened against a black customer who went off on her in the store. I had tried to warn my manager about her behavior, but in the end, my warnings fell on deaf ears and it was clear she had no intention of changing, so when she and the customer got into it, I tried my best to diffuse the situation, but when I heard my manager defending her actions to the black customer, I was done. Afterwards, at the close of the day, my manager said to me, why didn't I defend her. I blew up at that which is really uncharacteristic of me. I don't like hostile situations, but I think it was the stress of working under her, constantly feeling like she just didn't get it, or the store we worked in, not to mention this lady literally smelled like pee all the time, we just couldn't figure that one out...but in the middle of this argument, she said to me, "I don't know why ya'll are so up and arms because racism doesn't exist." I told my co-workers who were there at the time, I've got to step out because I'm going to really lose my sh*t in a minute and I'd rather not lose my job or my sanity (at the time, it was helping me pay for books/dorm for college) over this.
I have had several people through time tell me something along those lines, that black people ALWAYS get up in arms about everything and it being racist. I've talked about several personal experiences I've had with blatant racism, and undercover racism. It exists. I experience it on a yearly basis, and as colorful a rainbow of friends as I have, none of them are immune to it either. It doesn't go away just because there is a black president, or there are laws to protect against it, or because you are not black, you don't encounter it. I try my best to give people the benefit of the doubt, but when you show your true colors, and I try and educate you as to why what you're doing/saying is wrong and you continue to do it, then I'd rather seek out greener pastures with people who aren't hung up on color. You lose out in life by assuming all people of a certain race act/do certain things. You lose out on good friendships because you can't be bothered to see beyond stereotypes and colors of skin. My whole life I have had friends from across the globe and have been exposed to some things I would have never known had I been closed minded and ignorant about them. This Cheerios commercial, which by the way, is just super cute, just goes to show that the problem still exists. Practically all youtube videos, whether they involve race or not have comments filled with hate, bigotry, misogyny, bullying, you name it. It's absolutely ridiculous.
In other other news, since I'm already a little hot around the collar, watching the 5am news (going out early to shoot this morning, house smells amazing because I've got some slow cooker carnitas in the crock pot on an 8hour stint), and one of the female newscasters in a break between segments was saying that she tweeted out there that she had decided to walk 2 miles to get some exercise in her sweats, a tank and some capris and tennis shoes, to get her car which she'd left at the shop. On her way there, a nice car rolled up and a gentleman rolled down his window and asked her how much. Okay, eww first of all. The other two newscasters, both male began commenting on her story. One said to her, that is gross, makes all men look bad, no one should be soliciting anyone like that, and if someone did that to his daughter he'd want to ring their neck. The other one, said, shockingly that what's the harm in him asking you how much, I mean, supposing you were a prostitute. The daggers that shot out from her eyes. The other guy put his head in his hands shaking it. The guy went on to say, what, lets just be fair, you are an attractive woman, and well, he thought it was his lucky day. I mean, come on dude!!!! Really. Who says that. You're basically backing up the disgusting nature of the story. Attractive or not, the guy could have pulled up and said, wow, you look cute, what's your number, or something else, but when you ask, how much...that's a whole new ball game. I used to take the bus a long time ago, and again I've talked about this, and how even in my old beat up clothes, hair looking crazy, guys would still drive by and honk or whistle at me. Not to degrade myself, but what are these guys standards really?!? There was one that rounded the corner, made a U-turn and came back around and parked in front of me at a green light to ask for my number at a bus stop. It really freaked me out because I thought he was going to try and grab me or something. You just never know. Dateline man! So many stories. As I've said before, I don't know any of my girlfriends who finds this practice of being whistled at or hollered at attractive in a man. It's rude, and we're not pieces of meat. I'm not denying that getting into the female holy grail is most difficult for men, but just have a bit of class...it will take you far in your pursuits and if not, you have yet to find the right woman who appreciates you for that.
157/365: RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
6 JUNE 13
It was so insanely hot today. I went out on my usual morning rounds to water the plants and the garden and my shirt felt like it was on fire. I checked the 10 day forecast and all week long the temperature is not expected to dip below 94 degrees, no rain. However, today, it said there was a 20 percent chance to which I fervently rolled my eyes, even watering the plants again in the afternoon under a cloudless bright sky. A mere 20 minutes later, there it was the first signs of rain and we received a pretty decent shower.
In other news: have you heard about this Cheerios commercial which caused all this controversy because there was a biracial child in the commercial with a white mother and black father. Cheerios says that they had to shut down the comments section because of the overwhelming amount of racist comments. When asked if they were planning to remove the spot which only played on youtube, the company absolutely refused, stating that the commercial reflects the changing faces of their customers and the country, although the comments section remains disabled. See the commercial here: youtu.be/kYofm5d5Xdw
Stuff like this makes me really angry. It reminds me of my troubles with my former boss who was white. I have spoken on this subject a few times, but long story short, my former boss at the time who was black quit and sued the company for its racist practices because as the only black manager in the district, despite having more then double the sales of other stores, she was the only one being grossly underpaid. She won her case and the next thing we knew, we had a white manager whom they shipped in from one of these others stores. Just to make it clear, I had no issue with her until her true colors started to show. She made a few racist comments here and there and eventually this became a major issue when it happened against a black customer who went off on her in the store. I had tried to warn my manager about her behavior, but in the end, my warnings fell on deaf ears and it was clear she had no intention of changing, so when she and the customer got into it, I tried my best to diffuse the situation, but when I heard my manager defending her actions to the black customer, I was done. Afterwards, at the close of the day, my manager said to me, why didn't I defend her. I blew up at that which is really uncharacteristic of me. I don't like hostile situations, but I think it was the stress of working under her, constantly feeling like she just didn't get it, or the store we worked in, not to mention this lady literally smelled like pee all the time, we just couldn't figure that one out...but in the middle of this argument, she said to me, "I don't know why ya'll are so up and arms because racism doesn't exist." I told my co-workers who were there at the time, I've got to step out because I'm going to really lose my sh*t in a minute and I'd rather not lose my job or my sanity (at the time, it was helping me pay for books/dorm for college) over this.
I have had several people through time tell me something along those lines, that black people ALWAYS get up in arms about everything and it being racist. I've talked about several personal experiences I've had with blatant racism, and undercover racism. It exists. I experience it on a yearly basis, and as colorful a rainbow of friends as I have, none of them are immune to it either. It doesn't go away just because there is a black president, or there are laws to protect against it, or because you are not black, you don't encounter it. I try my best to give people the benefit of the doubt, but when you show your true colors, and I try and educate you as to why what you're doing/saying is wrong and you continue to do it, then I'd rather seek out greener pastures with people who aren't hung up on color. You lose out in life by assuming all people of a certain race act/do certain things. You lose out on good friendships because you can't be bothered to see beyond stereotypes and colors of skin. My whole life I have had friends from across the globe and have been exposed to some things I would have never known had I been closed minded and ignorant about them. This Cheerios commercial, which by the way, is just super cute, just goes to show that the problem still exists. Practically all youtube videos, whether they involve race or not have comments filled with hate, bigotry, misogyny, bullying, you name it. It's absolutely ridiculous.
In other other news, since I'm already a little hot around the collar, watching the 5am news (going out early to shoot this morning, house smells amazing because I've got some slow cooker carnitas in the crock pot on an 8hour stint), and one of the female newscasters in a break between segments was saying that she tweeted out there that she had decided to walk 2 miles to get some exercise in her sweats, a tank and some capris and tennis shoes, to get her car which she'd left at the shop. On her way there, a nice car rolled up and a gentleman rolled down his window and asked her how much. Okay, eww first of all. The other two newscasters, both male began commenting on her story. One said to her, that is gross, makes all men look bad, no one should be soliciting anyone like that, and if someone did that to his daughter he'd want to ring their neck. The other one, said, shockingly that what's the harm in him asking you how much, I mean, supposing you were a prostitute. The daggers that shot out from her eyes. The other guy put his head in his hands shaking it. The guy went on to say, what, lets just be fair, you are an attractive woman, and well, he thought it was his lucky day. I mean, come on dude!!!! Really. Who says that. You're basically backing up the disgusting nature of the story. Attractive or not, the guy could have pulled up and said, wow, you look cute, what's your number, or something else, but when you ask, how much...that's a whole new ball game. I used to take the bus a long time ago, and again I've talked about this, and how even in my old beat up clothes, hair looking crazy, guys would still drive by and honk or whistle at me. Not to degrade myself, but what are these guys standards really?!? There was one that rounded the corner, made a U-turn and came back around and parked in front of me at a green light to ask for my number at a bus stop. It really freaked me out because I thought he was going to try and grab me or something. You just never know. Dateline man! So many stories. As I've said before, I don't know any of my girlfriends who finds this practice of being whistled at or hollered at attractive in a man. It's rude, and we're not pieces of meat. I'm not denying that getting into the female holy grail is most difficult for men, but just have a bit of class...it will take you far in your pursuits and if not, you have yet to find the right woman who appreciates you for that.