Weighing the Equities: Fret Not

I thought this was a beautiful guitar. A nice diversion from the deep analytical .

Alembic Custom Guitar in honor of Woody Guthrie Photo Source

Marketing the Bad Boy Image

There is something to be said about the tremendous success, media attention and hefty paychecks that a bad boy image can garner in today's entertainment market, catapulting many of the misbehaving or those rumored of being dark and twisted to the top of the Hollywood dung heap. Taylor Swift's recent album including a song entitled Dear John,which alludes to an alleged past relationship with guitar god/singer songwriter John Mayer was said to be the fastest selling album of 2010. The song describes Mayer as dark and asks the question of him "Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
John Mayer's media coverage concerning Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson overshadowed significantly his extraordinary talent as an artist. Our culture seems to promote and thrive on the antics of the shocking and the outrageous. The brazen and raw outtakes are in today's reality driven market the kind of incidents that draw mass attention and are almost certain to go viral, in the process attracting devoted followings and even offers ranging in the tens of thousands to the millions for product endorsement and advertising deals. Call it the dark side or the hard cold reality of the business.
The domestic violence episode on the Kardashian reality show some months ago where blood was actually drawn due to the severity of the injuries certainly had everyone talking and "outraged" for days, if not weeks. The ratings of course went through the roof and, of course, the Kardashian clan came out on top financially last year grossing upwards of 11 million dollars. There have been other attention drawing antics that have also generated attention and controversy. By today's television standards they are considered royalty, and, a standard to measure up to.
Seriously, how can you really blame stars and their handlers hungry for either money or attention for taking the more lucrative, albeit less tasteful and sometimes sleazier route if it will mean the difference between a hefty paycheck or a paltry one? And, in some cases it could mean the difference between having a career or simply not working at all. For some it is simply a formula, a method and a calculation for guaranteed success, assuring popularity and a rise in mass appeal. I can imagine the tremendous pressure that some artists must be under to conform their real selves to the image that sells.
I don't want to sound too preachy or for my observations to take on a self-righteous tone because I am well aware and painfully in tune with the realities of the world in which we live. Yet somehow in the midst of all of this there seems to be a higher standard, a mark or a bar which we are being called to raise ourselves in order to bring some sense of sanity and decency back into the equation. If not it seems the frenzy of mass appeal generated by the thrill rides of shock value and the like are poised to overtake our sense of decency and morality, heading our society on a collision course with itself and a sure route to implosion. The examples cited are just a tip of the iceberg. If the low achievements in US education revealed in plumeting test scores and our ranking 30 on the list with China at number one is not a subtle wake up call of sorts and a barometer of misplaced priorities then what other signals do we need and what else will it take?



I read recently that John Mayer was heckled on city streets by women who were still railing from his treatment of ex-girlfriends Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, proclaiming rather boisterously in a public place that he was a horrible person. Mayer has been portrayed consistently in the media as the serial heartbreaker, the tell all ex who characterized Jessica Simpson as sexual napalm. He was so distressed by this incident that he is currently on a full court press to make an "image" adjustment and change people's perspective about "it." I said "image" and not him because an artist's image and who they are authentically outside of the public persona that is oftentimes developed to sell a product varies significantly. Many of John's close friends and fans have experienced him as a completely different person. A horrible person is something that would not even come across their minds as a way of describing him.
Charlie Sheen, the most notorious bad boy these days is the highest paid actor on television commanding 1.25 million per episode after renegotiations which came despite a Christmastime arrest over an assault on his wife and subsequent sentencing to 30 days of rehab. Sheen made over 40 million dollars last year and his television sitcom is number one.

While there are no hard and fast solutions to what seems to be an ongoing dilemma of the marketability of the authentic person in contrast to the profitability of the 'bad boy" image, it seems to me it will boil down ultimately to the following questions. The first is what will the market ,and, ultimately society, bear? The second is how well does the sporter of the bad boy image sleep at night? Charlie Sheen and other bad boys have either at some point in the process overdosed on drugs, been in and out of rehab and clocked up numerous hours on their therapists couches. So, the question at the end of the day and eventually, at the end of life's journey is "how much is or was it really worth?"

Something upon which to ponder,reflect and perhaps rethink...

Multiple Grammy Winners Jamie Foxx and John Mayer Join List of Grammy Presenters

Grammy Award winner Jamie Fox and seven(7) time grammy winner John Mayer who is also nominated this year for three Grammy Awards, including best pop vocal performance on Half of My Heart, best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for "Crossroads", both singles are from his best pop vocal nominated album Battle Studies,will join the awards show line up as presenters. Their names were announced today in a growing list.

"Wherever I Go,Whatever I Do...

I just returned home to D.C. after spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Detroit with my family. I was reminded of the good feeling it is to be in the midst and surrounded by people who really emit warmth towards you,are so glad to see you and genuinely love you.

Thanksgiving dinner was great and the family fellowship was satisfying. Some of my family I hadn't seen in years and some of the new arrivals, I finally got a chance to meet. I believe I am an auntie several times over. Quite a few new faces added to the Wilson clan.

While in Detroit I also ran into Congressman John Conyers, the Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus at the local Starbucks(photo above). It was really fortuitous to run into him. We exchanged greetings and memories of Rosa Parks and the people who helped to run her organization. She used to work on his staff years ago and he remained active in most of the community programs she ran over the years.
He invited me to a local television stations community program to expose youth to television. I informed him about the blog and podcast and he invited me to come out and video record it if I chose to.

Cyber Bullying of a Different Color

 I started blogging about my cyberbullying experiences several months ago before it reached the current "tipping point". I posted a series of notes on my wordpress blog which I have lately been unable to access,even with my password. I can go on about similar incidences on the web since this entire ordeal with "tracked" and "blocked" internet surfing began.

It seems law suits are now being filed left and right,organizations are forming coalitions with others to create more powerful and united fronts in opposition to it. I am relieved to see this momentum developing and hope that it will continue with gusto and needed consistency. It is unfortunate that a young girl dying from Hodgkins Lymphoma--only seven(7) years old at that,and a young college freshman who plunged to a cold and desolate death,jumping from the heights of the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River, had to be the latest victims in what has been a growing evil streak in cyberspace communication. It has been taking the web by storm for months.

Before these latest two incidents, a fifteen year old girl committed suicide after being taunted by jealous schoolmates making subtle suggestions that she die.  I have received a bitter dose of  over  the past nine(9) months. The type of cyberbullying to which I  have been subjected is a four (4) headed  hybrid involving bullying that overlaps into the areas of harassment,stalking and hacking. My personal computer was hacked into,all of my email accounts invaded,several of my blogs made inaccessible at the whim of the bullies, insinuations made about my death and entire blog articles deleted before my very eyes with some sort of sophisticated gadgetery used to interfere with my typing of the words into the blogging interface. If these things were not enough, I  had blog posts stickied and maintained as highlighted articles against my wishes so that my blog was given a certain image and tone against my will.  I was repeatedly bombarded with either flashing light signals,which caused problems with my vision.  There were also at times arrows pointing to black colors or photos of black people which led me to believe that the bullies were trying to convey that this action was being taken and I had been targeted because I was black.

 Fortunately, I did keep a daily account of my experiences in memos and sometimes lengthy letters which I wrote in righteous indignation and sometimes total outrage at the pure callousness of the actions. You are not supposed to respond. However, I was trying to work out a solution and make peace with whomever they were while also ministering to them as best I could under the circumstances.  I would not advise it.  It never seemed to work anyway.

If that is not enough,my wireless signals were consistently interfered with. I got the distinct impression that  my internet  wireless signals were being intentionally blocked, my internet surfing was under seige and I was being held as a digital hostage. There were many times that I had to use a public access computer to handle all of my internet communications because my computer signals had been blocked.

I shared my experiences with friends. I sought legal counsel. I searched for advice and at times I just layed low.  I stopped frequenting places,social networks and communities on the web that I love as well. One of the frequent responses I received was to stop visiting the regular site, delete all email accounts,buy another computer, report it to cyber crimes bureaus, file a lawsuit...Some of the advice I followed. My problem was I did not who the bullies were. I had no name,no face,not even a screen or user name to give me a frame of reference.I had people going through my personal,private documents on my computer and blocking my access to the net. I had them to greet me at my email accounts before I even arrived. All of this caused me considerable emotional distress and interfered with my work flow and productivity. Being bullied and constrained as to where you can and can not surf on the internet,what you can and can not write is a confining and draining experience. While these actions have not driven me to suicide, they have coerced me into taking actions that have compromised my freedom on the internet without a hearing or advance notice. In addition to that I have been denied the opportunity to confront the ones violating my rights in a fair and open manner.

There is something fundamentally wrong with that. The web is too valuable as a means of communication in our daily lives to be abused in this manner. There is no way that anyone should have  access to the web blocked and not know who is doing it and for what purpose. If a person knows why they are being blocked ,perhaps some kind of peace can be worked out. However, if it is just to trip a person up,to hinder their progress and render them ineffective competition in vying for a business position or contract,it becomes  even more ominous. That is a flagrant violation of another person's rights and not behavior which the courts or other enforcement aga\encies should take lightly.

Congressman Conyers in the Neighborhood

 I was happy to run into the Dean of Congress, political icon the late Congressman John Conyers at one of his favorite coffee hang outs, the local Starbucks.Circa 2008.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum:Do You Know Who Your Friends Are?

With the apparent rise of  teen suicide,severe depression and the report of other emotional disturbance as a result of harm done by so-called friends on the web,there is a need for  heightened involvement by the authorities and those in the  grass roots web community who will join forces and make the internet a safer,more quality medium of communication.

The news about the young man who committed suicide is particularly distressing.  The act of recording his sexual intercourse with another man by webcam to expose and embarass was a cruel and reprehensible act. Distraught about how his privacy was invaded and his life put on display on the social network Facebook, he plunged to a cold and horrible death. That another human being's action could cause another to take their own life sends chills up my spine and should be galvanizing decent,caring and  concerned  people to take constructive action about the current state of internet communication and the glaring violations of privacy our current culture appears to promote. There is a need to protect by passing and enforcing needed laws. In addition, outreach programs have to be initiated on the net to educate the public while also closely monitoring such harmful, if not outright illegal behavior. Suicide as a means of solving the problem seems to be growing at an alarming rate. It has to be unacceptable. There is a need for immediate action to protect  the vulnerable by passing and enforcing needed laws. In addition, outreach programs have to be initiated on the net  and at educational institutions across the globe to closely monitor unethical and unlawful conduct,especially that conducted in secret and under cover with the aim of harming others.


I speak so passionately about the subject because I have been a victim,yes victim of cyberstalking and internet stalking over the past eight months and have suffered tremendous emotional distress from the actions of people I do not know and did not invite knowingly into my "cyberpace." Or, I may have had contact with them,but they are not and have not forthrightly identified themsleves.  While I have not had anyone to knowingly record me in that way that the student in New Jersey has, I have had people to hack into my computer,rifle through my personal and business files and to commandeer all of my email accounts ,sorting through and reading personal and business mail as if my business was their business.I have had death threats made against me and my family through inuendo and insinuation through the use of internet ads and the strategic placment and veering of articles on certain internet pages. I have been forced to read certain articles and headlines over others in a method that makes it clear and confusing at the same time, increasing  fear and distress. 

Then there are those who use the net often,especially teens who conduct most of their business and social life via the web.  They often just don't know and have not been sufficiently trained about internet protocol or the rights of others.This ignorance  has contributed to the alarming rate of internet crimes. But most times it seems they are motivated by an evil desire to cause hurt to others.The other part of the equation is that there are the slick perpretrators who have taken full advantage of what others don't know and combining it with their knowledge of the loopholes, have made internet surfing at times a "wild,wild west". Add to that a lack of rules of engagement for identification and rampant anonymity and those who roam the internet seeking victims,have pretty much free reign to harass,intimidate and bully as they please without being traced.

Several of my friends know about the challenges I have faced over the past several months with internet harassment and cyberbullying.Like so many who have been targeted for this kind of treatment,I have often felt isolated and alone. Some of the questions and responses I have recieved when sharing my ordeal have not only aroused righteous indignation, but also have served to increase initial apprehensions about opening up and revealing my experiences. While I have sought legal help and advice, internet law is a very specialized field. You would be suprised how many "heavy weight" attorneys do not practice internet law, are unaware of internet privacy rights, protocol and generally shy away from claims of harassment  on the net.

The long and short of it is that there is an increasing disregard for the privacy of individuals and this brutish way of  harassing,intimidating and forcing people to do things against their will or to commit suicide either physically or digitally is an alarming indicator of a deteriorating society.

Do you really know who your friends are? That question applies to real time and  virtual friends that are accumulated so quickly and effortlessly on the internet through social networks,message boards and forums. Be mindful of that as you engage and interact with people on the internet. Also pray for your friends,positive and enriching internet  experiences and that god will guide you into the kind of experiences that will help you to flourish in the digital age.

I extend a special prayer to Tyler Clementi's family, his friends and the Rutgers University community at this time.  I also pray that ways will be made to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening in the future online or off.