Over at Racialicious they've been discussing Helena Andrews' book "Bitch Is the New Black" via a piece at the Washington Post that once again seeks to figure out why black women are single and apparently lonely.
Andrews and others go on about their misfortune with dating (what I gather to be black men) in the DC area:
Andrews writes about what it is like for a young, black woman dating in D.C., trying to find a mate who seems ever elusive. The futile rituals are familiar: the dressing up, the eager cab ride over to the party, the hold-your-breath as you walk in, scanning the room quickly for any looks returned. The mantra sounding in the back of your head: "So-and-so found a man last year at a party like this. Maybe tonight is my night." Then one by one, the men prove to be disappointments and disappointing: married, uninteresting or uninterested.
The disappointment as you end up at the bar once again, committing straw violence in your drink (stirring the drink frantically and unconsciously).
Andrews writes the truth of those nights. The truth is for too many, they never work out. Not for Andrews and not for her friend, Gina, who is a prominent character in her life and in the book.
You know I get tired of reading about how single black women are and how lonely and basically unloved we are if we are "successful" (more on that later).
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Hat-tip to my sister Seattle Slim over at Happy Nappy Head for this one]
So this week, parts of the recently passed Credit Card Act 2009 goes to work -- score one for the little guys. As of right now credit card companies must immediately begin to mail bills at least 21 days before their due dates and provide at least 45 days notice before making a significant change to their rates or fees. Considering that contrary to what the WuTang Clan believes, credit rules everything around us and not cash. I suspect credit card companies may not be too happy about this.
Hopefully in their angst they do not resort to stuff like this:
If they should so desire to become aggressive as the bill collectors employed in the video above, thankfully New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has stepped up to make a difference in his state. Yes, and I suppose this is why Dorothy Gilbert will now become the face of the new Economic Civil Rights Movement. Ok, so there's not really a new movement, but there should be. In these economic times where Blacks and other minorities have been disproportionately affected negatively, I suspect that there are more abuses in practice other than that of the Benning-Smith Group, the Western New York debt collection company in question in this case. Yes, I'm sure there are more "lazy" and "ghetto" women and people of color around the country.
You know, like this:
Yes, this is something that is not exclusive to the great state of New York. It is my form belief that these practices occur everyday all across the country. As with anything I pretty much speak upon as far as injustice is concerned on this blog. I would say that much of what we see occurs as a result of a lack of knowledge. As consumers, or more specifically minority consumers, we should arm ourselves with information so as to combat the systematic economic and financial racist practices we encounter.
Avoid dealing with debt collectors after the statute of limitations has expired. [link]
Keep good records of any dealings with debt collectors. [link]
Request verification on any debt that you feel is incorrect. [link]
Always get an agreement in writing before making a payment. [link]
If your rights have been violated, file a complaint with the FTC. [link]
I'm only suggesting that we arm ourselves because as minority consumers we cannot hope to wait for the gov't to pass legislation to counteract predatory lending as they did the credit card reform act; if you don't believe me CLICK HERE. Yeah, not only can companies prey on minorities, and poor people for profit, evidently they can degrade and intimidate them as they did Dorothy Gilbert in New York. This information is not solely intended to protect minorities but every consumer in this country. My focus as with much on this blog happens to be minorities because it is our condition, especially economically, that is a measure of the American dream. If we arm ourselves and hit them where it hurts the most, hopefully things will change, and we can sleep better at night and not worry about the American nightmare of being in debt.
This is what happens when people who've never had anything before finally become wealthy. We see it all the time; more specifically, with professional athletes. In a recent article for Sports Illustrated - How (And Why) Athletes Go Broke - writer Pablo S. Torre had this to share:
What happens to many athletes and their money is indeed hard to believe. In this month alone Saints alltime leading rusher Deuce McAllister filed for bankruptcy protection for the Jackson, Miss., car dealership he owns; Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad put his mansion in Charlotte up for sale on eBay a month after news broke that his entertainment company was being sued by Wachovia Bank for overdue credit-card payments; and penniless former NFL running back Travis Henry was jailed for nonpayment of child support.
In a less public way, other athletes from the nation's three biggest and most profitable leagues—the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball—are suffering from a financial pandemic. Although salaries have risen steadily during the last three decades, reports from a host of sources (athletes, players' associations, agents and financial advisers) indicate that:
• By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.
• Within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.
This type of financial downfall is not exclusive to professional athletes. Ordinary people who by chance and the luck of the draw manage to pick the winning lottery numbers also fall victim to their financial ineptitue [See: 8 Lottery Winners Who Lost Their Millions]. Just like professional athletes, they all wish they had it to do over again. Of course not all lottery winners and professional athletes are daring enough to "make it rain" on women in strip clubs. But never the less, through bad decisions they for the most part wake up one day wondering "what the f*ck?!!"
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but now lives on his Social Security.
"I wish it never happened. It was totally a nightmare," says Post.
A former girlfriend successfully sued him for a share of his winnings. It wasn't his only lawsuit. A brother was arrested for hiring a hit man to kill him, hoping to inherit a share of the winnings. Other siblings pestered him until he agreed to invest in a car business and a restaurant in Sarasota, Fla., -- two ventures that brought no money back and further strained his relationship with his siblings.
Post even spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector. Within a year, he was $1 million in debt.
Post admitted he was both careless and foolish, trying to please his family. He eventually declared bankruptcy.
Now he lives quietly on $450 a month and food stamps.
"I'm tired, I'm over 65 years old, and I just had a serious operation for a heart aneurysm. Lotteries don't mean (anything) to me," says Post.
I often wander off in my mind like everybody does and wish I could hitb the lottery. Like you, I have found myself imagining just what I would do if I were ever in that situation. I often wonder what I would buy, and just how my life would change. Just like you, the thought of hitting the lottery is a welcomed dream. But hey, there's an old saying that says "you gotta pay to play". I can't help but to think that sometimes said price isn't worth it.
I guess in the end we can all say that what happened to these people will never happen to us. But that's easy to say especially when you never had it to begin with. Adam "Pacman" Jones, though unlike other athletes who have lost money and are broke after retirement was a fool. I'm sorry, but I don't think it gets any more silly than going into a stripclub with $100,000 in cash. Especially when you can get women for a lot less by just being a professional athlete in ton on Allstar Weekend. He took forgranted the opportunity he had, and he threw it away. He was given a second chance in the NFL and he has since pissed it away. In my opinion, though a gifted athlete, and as much as I believe in people given a chance for redemption, Adam "Pacman" Jones deserves no more than he was already given.
You can read this article - 25 Rich Athletes Who Went Broke - to get a feel for the who's who of professional athletes who have had their share of financial ruin. Like me, you'll probably be surprised to see the host of White athletes who made the list. Further proving that failures are not always the kid you take out of the ghetto.
“He who warned uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.” -- Sarah Palin on Paul Revere
