NYE Plans: Let's ask Desiree Rodgers... (Message from President Added)

2010 is here and it is time to celebrate!!!

CBS News ran an interesting article about how the American first family usually celebrates NYE. For the past week the Obama family has been in Hawaii and has managed to stop by the local mall and see Avatar.

The Clintons usually check into a hotel, and George W is reportedly too old to stay up to see the ball drop.

Read more of the article

Champagne glasses up!

We look forward to blogging with you! 2010 is going to be #soposh!

New Years Resolution: I will NO LONGER ENVY MICHELLE OBAMA (repeat in the mirror)

In order to fully bring in the new year.... we have to get rid of "old" problems. With the popularity of Steve Harvey's book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, CNN's Black in America, and a lot of other messages about engagements, wedding reality shows, and the LIKE, Black Women find themselves thinking: WHY AM I NOT MARRIED?



- special aired on ABC NEWS

In 2010, we, as Black women need to worry less about the ring on the finger and more on the dreams in their hearts!

The funny thing is history only repeats itself.

During slavery Black women were repeatedly seperated from their Black husbands. And there was a "shortage" of sorts then. Hence the emegence of the torn black family-strong black woman-weak black man phenomenon.

So its not new.... and to be frank- we made through slavery, and we will make it through the 21st century. In my opinion, I do not have to think like a man- I am a woman. That is what makes me special and unique. That is what makes men want me!

The focus of this blog has ALWAYS been fashion, politics, and women... and to be honest all those topics come together in this posting. This to me, is one of the many reasons we have so FEW BLACK WOMEN in POLITICS. This is the new "feminine mystique". Several women put down fabulous political careers for the sake of a husband. Several women refuse to "be too independent" by buying their own Louis Vuitton bag, Gucci shoes, or house for that matter....

Many women love and admire Michelle Obama, but also secretly envy her for finding Barack before we could...

But when it comes down to it, living our lives like this is not smart or fashionable.

#in2010 (for my twitter connects out there) again, let's focus less on the ring on our finger. Let's focus on our careers, let's focus on our children, let's focus on our education, and more importantly, let's focus on us!

Remember, we will always be a man's rib.

Martini's up for focusing on us in the new year!

Martini's up for The Feminine Mystique (by Betty Friedan, one of my FAVORITE books of ALL TIME)

Barack Sent me an Email today, it READ:

Lauren --

Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.

In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.

There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.

If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.

In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.

When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.

There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays,

President Barack Obama

P.S. -- Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you'll join them:

http://my.barackobama.com/SenateLetter

Martini's up for "nearly" universal health care. Our work has just begun!

BTW... we're going to sign the letter!

Sex and the City 2: It's NOT politics, but its Definitely POSH

The trailer isn't enough? Here are some pics as well!

Think MARTINIS not DEATH THREATS: First Lady Threatened

Essence.com today reports that Kristy Lee Roshia (on the left) will appear in court today for threatening the First lady, Michelle Obama.

According to Essence.com:

"In one of many rambling phone calls Roshia made to the Secret Service office in Boston, she threatened to "blow away" the first lady. As far back as 2004 she told agents "although her mission is to assassinate the president she has no desire to hurt him," according to an affidavit obtained by the Associated Press. "

Excuse me, but what happened to the "Sista code"? The Estrogen bond? Are you serious? The Obama Administration is working to do as much for women's rights as it is for everyone else. Not even pointing out that our First Lady has two lovely daughters who would be grow up motherless if the unthinkable happened.

I'm glad to see Secret Service is doing their job, but I am sad to see how much they have to do it. I don't want to say it but..RACISM is NOT DEAD.

The current economic downturn and the holidays also bring out the worst in people.... if everyone drank a martini a day. I don't think this would be a problem!

Read more

SENATE BILL passes MAJOR HURLE: From the Huffington Post

below is commentary from Ryan Grim (ryan@huffingtonpost.com).

READ and tell us what you think!

The United States took a major step closer to the rest of the industrialized world shortly after 1:00 a.m. on Monday morning, voting 60-40 to move forward on far-reaching health care reform that will provide subsidies to million of Americans to purchase health care -- and require all citizens to purchase health insurance or prove that they can not afford to do so. (More on the details of the bill here.)

The vote, which was taken in an unusual fashion, with senators seated and voting from their desks, split along party lines, with all 40 Republicans voting no. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) rose and announced her nay vote with an affect of regret in her voice.

The bill does not include a public health insurance option that would compete with private insurers in order to keep them honest. The proposal does include tighter regulations on the insurance industry than currently exist, but the law would not create any new regulatory agencies and would leave policing the new rules to individual states, which have shown an inability to combat the major insurers. Those companies will have billions more in resources if the Senate bill becomes law.

The Senate still faces two more procedural votes, but Monday morning's vote indicates that the bill is headed for negotiations with the House of Representatives. The House bill includes a public option and more generous subsidies, among other major differences, but Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) both said Monday morning that if the bill that emerges from the conference committee contains significant alterations, they may again decide to filibuster it.

"I think it has all the elements that we've been talking about from the beginning," she said. "It insures almost all Americans. It lowers costs. It provides a huge opportunity to begin to pay for quality and not just quantity of care. It includes lots of investments in health and wellness and preventive medicine. I mean, I'm not sure most people understand what's underlying all of this and I think it's very exciting. It's a big day." ......


Link to article

Martini's Up! Drink, be merry, we might all be closer to healthcare!

Reflections, Dark Chocolate, and Cadillacs: Atlanta Mayor Race 2009 the Day After

The day after an election is often one of reflection. There has to be one loser and one winner, and several questions that surround how each candidate reached that final position.

Today, is the day after a long, hard, and slightly controversial local election. Yesterday our City Council was finally complete with the selection of Ceasar C Mitchell as City Council President, Aaron Watson as Councilmember Post 2 at Large, Alex Wan as Councilmember for District 6, and Kasim Reed as Mayor.... And in case you favor the Blind Side of things, like Sandra Bullock, and have been ignoring local news stations, let me enlighten you: all of the winners are minorities. All of them are Black except Alex Wan who is Asian.

Many political pundits, Atlanta residents, and current elected officials alike tried to deny the fact that the City of Atlanta was deep in racial politics , but yesterday's results obviously reaffirm our reality. A half Black-half White President, (who is often still called "Mr" in several arenas and not given his proper title), does not solve America's race problems and neither did Mary Norwood (who according to her commercial is a Republican who voted for Obama). Mary also said she didn't need a Lincoln Navigator in her commercials as well, but I digress....(and so did she because that had nothing to do with the mayor’s race)

During the campaign season, I heard jokes like: Your President may be Black, but my Mayor's going to be White. Though these were made in fun, there is honest truth within them. I cannot lie as a Black American and Atlanta resident I am proud to say my President’s name is Barack Hussein Obama and my Mayor’s name is Mohammed Kasim Reed.

My President is Black and so is my Mayor- very Black if you want to be specific. The fact that Reed will be one of the darker skinned mayors in Atlanta, gives dark chocolate sisters like me some hope! Atlanta proudly stood together to keep a 40yr long tradition alive, while breaking down an even uglier COLORIZED tradition with traces back to slavery.

There is a debatable statement in public administration and political science theory that states that having minorities in office will have a positive impact on the minority groups in which they represent. With 2 great examples in our President and newly elected mayor, I cannot wait to see if this statement is true. Not just because I am anticipating more support for Reed's recreational centers, Kwanza Hall's 4am club legislation or for Obama's healthcare bill, but because I am sick and tired of being blamed for being proud to be Black.

For years and years, the majority has fought long and hard to keep the majority in power. Whites had fought to keep whites in power, they have voted strictly on color lines, and now that we have a chance to do the same we are racist? We are prejudice? Black people do not have the ability to be prejudice because we do not have the capability to conflict a certain amount of power on those we are being prejudice to.

So in conclusion, I am not recommending that Blacks go out and vote on color lines. I am however recommending that we all be proud on this day.

We should reflect, just as we do on every day after an election. Though I did not support Mayor Reed in the beginning of our election season, I did support what he, himself represents- which is ME. A Black person working to make a difference through public service and public office.

So today, as I reflect, I see great possibilities in the City of Atlanta. I see great collaboration between the Black Mecca of the South and the White House.

And last, but not least, as I reflect, I see ME.

Congratulations Atlanta!

Dark Chocolate Martini's Up!