Face Time and Fried Chicken

Thanks to Facebook, I’ve reconnected with a few friends from my past. Here’s a note I received from a friend responding to a piece I did for The Root on IHOP’s “discovery” of fried chicken and waffles.

“IHOP should know that barnyard pimp has been wedded to a variety of foods. I personally have never had chicken and waffles. For years I had an aversion to fried chicken which stemed from eating it so much growing up. I had a distaste for it along with watermelon. So their aha moment with the waffles is a bit late. I am sure they will soon add other things that are already being served.

“When they serve fried spam with pancakes, etc or grits and salmon croquettes; I'm sure they will really rock and roll. Remember bisquits in brown bags that were greasy when we were in school? How we didn't want anyone to know we had bisquits? Tried our best to hide them and folks would see you anyway? We will kill for a bisquit now! Tails of oxen that were cheaper than dirt are now a much prized food along with neck bones, pig feet, chitterlings,pig ears. Theyr'e no longer a po' man's food. Might as well buy lobster.”

Happy Birthday to Ya!

Check this out from the NYT: This marks the anniversary of the map that laid out the street grid system made Manhattan. But, of course, like no one tells us that 125th Street in Harlem is on an earthquake fault line, nothing on this 200-year-old map indicated that life was worth acknowledging up town. We didn't make it onto the map when"Nieuw Haarlem" was "a suburb for the wealthy." As Sam Roberts reported in the NYT about what was then "Nieuw Haarlem": "No streets were initially laid out on the Heights North of Harlem because planners thought no one would build there for 'centuries to come'. It now holds some of Manhattan's densest neighborhoods."

Black Men Behaving Badly

Barry Bonds and steroids. Lawrence Taylor and sex with a minor. Neither is a role model despite their many accomplishments on the field.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Give it up. Turn off the whole darn thing. So many actors seriously injured. Director fired. Choreographer fired. Ticket prices ridiculous. Save your $100 or so, my friends. Go to BAM in Brooklyn or uptown in Manhattan to Harlem (www.harlemonestop.com). Go to other plays on and off Broadway. Spider-Man is for folks who want to see disaster.

War in Libya

I don't get it, Mr. President. How many wars can we wage? "It is U. S. policy that Qaddafi has to go," you said yesterday. There are a whole lot of tyrrants out there, Mr. President. How do you pick and choose among them? I'd much prefer that you waged war on poverty and illiteracy here at home. Any way: here's an editorial in today's NYT.

R I P

Drew Hill, former pro football player in Atlanta.

J.T., found dead in my Fire Island neighborhood. My favorite bartender.

Why Are So Many Black New Moms Dying?

I came across a fascinating article in Women's eNews today. Apparently “black women for the past five decades have consistently suffered an almost four-times greater risk of death from pregnancy complications than have white women.” And, writes the author, Rita Henly Jensen: “Pregnant black women in New York City face nearly double the national risk.” The medical experts are still seeking plausible answers to the disparities. Today's article is the first in a series. Check it out.

Fried Chicken and Waffles

If you have not already done so, check out my piece for The Root on IHOP’s decision to tap into blackfolks’ fondness for this dish, as evidenced by the menus of many Southern or soul food restaurants around the country. The novelty of this dish on its menu may help improve IHOP’s bottom line, but what about the waistlines of its patrons, especially blacks? I wrote the article to focus on IHOP's "discovery" of this dish, but it does make me wonder about health consequences. What do you think? Follow the link to the article on The Root and add your comments.

Is Sarah Palin "Slumping"?

According to The Washington Post, she is. Its latest poll shows that the GOP’s once presumed 2012 leading contender is losing her runaway standing among Republicans and independents. I’m actually not all that convinced by the numbers, from a poll conducted between March 10 and 13.

From the article:
“In one sense, the poll still finds Palin near the top of a list of eight potential contenders for the GOP nomination. The former vice presidential candidate scores a 58 percent favorable rating, close to the 61 percent for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and 60 percent for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and better than the 55 percent that onetime House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) received.
“But Palin’s unfavorable numbers are significantly higher than they are for any of these possible competitors. Fully 37 percent of all Republicans and GOP-leaning independents now hold a negative view of her, a new high.
“In another first, fewer than 50 percent of Republican-leaning independents — 47 percent — hold favorable views of Palin.”

If the poll is correct, her standing restores my faith in the ultimate ability of Americans to come to their senses even after periods of illogical exuberance.