Michelle: La Femme de Choix

Naeem Khan beaded sheath worn to the first Obama Administration State Dinner

Marie Antoinette

                                                 

Michelle, ma belle.Ce sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,
My Michelle.

The Colored Man is not a historian, but I do like to read and watch educational programming on television, so with some bit of learning, I can relate to you the unfortunate story of Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, better known as Marie Antoinette.  Marie was Austrian royalty, as her parents were the Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I.  She married Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France
in 1770 in an arranged marriage designed to forge political connections between France and Austria.  When she first arrived at Versailles Palace, she was relatively liked by court members, as well as by the French people.  It wasn't until after about 7-8 years of marriage and no stork arrival, that the people began to turn on her.  But Marie made the best of a bad situation.

Michelle, ma belle.
Sant des mots Qui Vont ensemble Tres bien, Tres Bien Ensemble.

Instead of laying in her bed all day eating petit-fours, and wishing that Madame du Barry, her father-in-law's mistress, would leave her alone, Dauphine Marie began to make her impact on French society.  As queen, Marie was expected to outshine others in her dress, hair, jewels, household, soirees.  But she took it to a whole 'nutha level.  Where shall I start? - three-day gambling binges, the refurbishing of the Petit Trianon, her private playhouse, lovers and alleged loverettes.  The only time she slowed down was when she finally got pregnant, but even when delivering she had an audience perched around her boudoir looking on.

Je t'aime, Je t'aime, Je t'aime.
C'est tout ce que je veux dire,
Jusqu'a ce que je trouve un moyen Je dirai les seuls mots que je sais que
Vous l'aurez compris.
J'ai besoin de toi, J'ai besoin de toi, J'ai besoin de toi.
J'ai besoin de te faire voir, Oh, ce que tu represents pour moi.
Jusqu'a ce que je fais, je suis en esperant vous sera
Savoir ce que je veux dire.


But what really did poor Marie in was l'affaire du collier.  It seems that some of Marie's worst enemies conspired to get her to purchase a necklace that was created for Mme. duBarry.  When Marie said you must be crazy if you think that I am going to purchase a piece of jewelry designed by my father-in-law for his mistress, her frenemies went into deep deception and rigged it to seem as if she were writing letters to Cardinal Richeleau, and asking him to purchase the necklace for her.  When everything was revealed in court, Marie's reputation was further soiled and eventually was one of the major conspiracies used against her before her fateful ending at the blade of Monsieur Guillotine's handy invention.

Je t'aime.

Now we progress almost 300 years later, and America has its' own Marie Antoinette, via First Lady Michelle Obama.  Just as Marie was a change-maker during her time, so is Michelle Obama.  From using The White House as a pulpit to promote the arts, to her agenda to change the eating habits of American children.  Marie made dining at Versailles coed, Michelle has brought in a private chef.  Marie installed French gardens, Michelle installs an educational vegetable garden, and starts The White House Farmer's Market.  Michelle Obama has proven that she is a modern-day woman of choice for the modern world.

Je te veux, Je te veux, Je te veux.
Je pense que vous savez maintenant
Je vais arriver a vous en quelque sorte.
Jusqu's ce que je fair, je vous dis donc
Vous l'aurez compris.


But what really sets Mrs. Obama apart from all the other throne sitters is her economic power.  When it comes to creating the economic jump-start that everyone is talking about, Queen Michelle does it, and does it in spades.

Recently, David Yermack, professor at New York University, wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review (http://www.hbr.org/), detailing Mrs. Obama's prowess when it comes to creating economic growth.  He looked at economic reports from fashion companies whose clothes Mrs. Obama had worn in 2009.  Here is just a brief synopsis of what he found:
$14 million - the average value generated by any public appearance
$2.7 billion - total value created for 29 companies by Obama's wardrobe choices in 189 public appearances. 
As  Naeem Khan, the India-born designer who created the beaded, strapeless sheath that she wore to the first White House State Dinner, said, "she is the gift that keeps on giving." 

Mrs. Obama is the first American First Lady, who has created this type of economic impact in history.  Of course there are other first ladies, such as Carla Bruni-Sarkozy of France, who is considered a fashion power.  What puts Mrs. Obama at the front of the pack, is that she mixes and matches from various price-points, while Mrs. Sarkozy is a strict Dior mannequin, and Dior sells at prices that the majority of women in the world cannot afford.  She is also compared to Jackie Kennedy, who was pretty much a one-trick pony as well, wearing clothes by her private couturier, Oleg Cassini.  Mrs. Obama, unlike these other first ladies, likes to give everyone an equal chance to drape, cut, and sew for her, which includes African-American, Asian, Hispanic, African, European, and Caucasian designers.  Mrs. Obama is the first White House occupant to utilize an abundance of minority designers.

Je dirai les seuls mots que je sais que
Vous l'aurez compris, mon Michelle.

Mrs. Obama is a powerhouse when it comes to her fashion influence.  For instance, the other day the Colored Man was at a middle-school, and there in the audience sat an 8th grade student.  Her outfit consisted of a simple sweater-set, jeans, and ballerina flats.  On her left arm were thick multi-colored bracelets, and on the right arm were about 20 thin gold-toned bracelets.  I immediate thought was there goes the Obama Look, even with 12-year old girls.  Her influence on adult women and fashion is even more stupendous.  Another story-I have a co-worker who is not on anyone's best-dressed list, however, last week she wore a sweater with a white blouse underneath, black skirt, and black boots.  Around her waist was one of Mrs. Obama's favorite looks: the thick, figure defining belt. Older and younger women alike, strive to get the Obama Look.  The seek it at Neimen's and Nordstroms.  They seek it at JC Penney and TJ Maxx.

Mrs. Obama has approval ratings in the 70's, while her husband's ratings hover in the mid-40's.  Hopefully, this will change as the economy improves.  But I don't really care about ratings and such, I am excited that we have a First Lady who is all meat and potatoes. She has heft and gravitas.  She's elegant, sophisticated, inspirational and has a body to "beat the band."  She is the modern-day woman, and not the dowdy, helmet-haired, mousy first ladies of our past, and the Colored Man loves it!!!

She is definitely la femme de choix!!!!!!!

Bonjour,
L'homme de Couleur

A Lip-Sticked Pig

The Colored Man loves to travel, so this past weekend my entourage and I-yes, I do have an entourage, no just kidding-but seriously, friends and I went to Charlotte then Lexington, North Carolina, for the Lexington BBQ Festival.  This entire trip was my idea, so I was especially excited to return to the state that I spent some of my formative years in, and to see a part of America that I had never seen before.

I was most anxious to taste some good barbecue at the festival, but alas, the poor Colored Man was sadly disappointed.  If pulled pork sandwhiches and hot dogs topped with some sort of barbecued sauce is your idea of a festival, then the good folks of Lexington, North Carolina need to wake up and smell the pit smoke.  The planners were correct that there would be lots of folks at the festival, but there were no ribs, chicken, whole hogs, pork butts or anything else that you would expect at a barbecue, and the Colored Man was not alone in this thought, as he heard some fellow train riders expressing the same thing while going back to Charlotte.

The car trip down was fun and easy-going with lots of talking and laughing, and a few snores here and there.  We stopped outside Asheville, North Carolina for breakfast at the Miami Restaurant.  The Miami Restaurant is the kind of place that you expect Andy and Barney to hold court in - homey, old-school and old.  When we all walked in, I got the distinct feeling that they were not used to seeing this many people of color together at one time, and I must admit that for a short period of time, it made me kind of uneasy.  But my fears were quickly allayed, especially when a juicy, fresh hamburger arrived.  While there I had the pleasure to meet Bridgette Odom who is a candidate for District Attorney in Buncombe County.  It seems that Ms. Odom http://www.odom2010.com/ comes from a local Republican legal dynasty, as her brother John Sutton is running for Clerk of Court of Buncombe County.  Their father, who I also met was very friendly and told me that he is a retired lawyer, who stopped practicing when he couldn't hear the judge anymore.  Mr. Sutton also told me that he would be voting for Barack Obama in 2012, so Mr. Sutton instantly became a new friend of the Colored Man.

Our next stop, after many stops for gas, was in Charlotte at the Courtyard Marriott on WT Harris Boulevard.  Let me suggest to everyone, that when making hotel reservations, use one of the travel websites such as Priceline or Travelocity.  The deals that you can get cannot be beat.  

We were hungry, so I asked this very nice employee at the hotel, where could we go to get good Southern food.  She instantly recommended Mert's, http://www.mertscharlotte.com/ which is located in downtown Charlotte.  Mert's is funky, eclectic, African-American owned, diverse and hip, and has a 98% rating from the local health department.  The Colored Man is thinking that the missing 2 points, is probably because the chef/owner wouldn't give the inspector a free meal.  It serves Southern and Low Country cuisine from an open-kitchen.  This is definitely one of the restaurants that you cannot pass by if you ever visit Charlotte.  The Colored Man and his entourage...oops, friends, loved it so much that we went back for Sunday brunch.  Mert's is the kind of place that opens at 9am, but by 9:30 had at least 60 people dining, and a flow steady coming in.

Amtrak was the mode of transportation from Charlotte to Lexington.  This is a special one-day, once-a-year service offered just for the festival.  The Colored Man had not been on a train in a number of years, but there is always something peaceful and soothing about a train ride.  After about an hour ride, which seemed to be about a 30-minute ride, we arrived to the Southern-drawled good mornings of the hospitality committee and the soft strings of bluegrass music provided by the Grass Cats, http://www.grasscats.com/.  Our first stop was to find something to eat, and we went to The Southern Diner, where I proceeded to wolf down eggs, grits and country ham, with a homemade biscuit.  I am a true Southerner so I know good grits when I eat them, and these were good grits, and not the instant type that you purchase at your local supermarket.

The festival was in its' early stages so there weren't that many people out yet, but that would quickly change.  I knew immediately that something was amiss.  My nose was not receiving the scent of charred meat, and my eyes did not see the tell-tell sign of smoke wafting through the air.  The pig had shown up all lip-sticked and rouged, ala Sarah Palin, but was not qualified to perform its' duty, just like Ms. Palin.  The pig was supposed to be on a barbecue spit, and it was missing in action.  In fact, word must have gone out on the farm that none of the animals were supposed to show up, cause the chicken wasn't there, nor the steer.  So we spent alot of time just people watching and hanging out, and one of the most delightful people that we meet was Mrs. Aquilla Samson.

Mrs. Samson is a 75-year old, lifelong resident of Lexington, and has been very active her entire life in the struggle for racial equality in Lexington.  I didn't get a picture of her shoes but they match her blouse, which matches her purse.  Very foxy!!! lady, and the pig ears and earrings top everything off very nicely.  Ms. Aquilla is probably the Fox of Lexington who ate all of the pigs!!!

Eventually, we got back on the train to go back to Charlotte and Sunday morning we began our trip back to Cincinnati.  On the way back we stopped off in Asheville, which is an artists colony and the home of the largest private residence in the United States, The Biltmore.  The Biltmore, http://www.biltmore.com/ built by George Vanderbilt, uncle of Gloria Vanderbilt, famous for her jeans, and great-uncle of Anderson Cooper, the is he?, isn't he? silver-haired reporter on CNN, was opened in 1895, with landscapes designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who is most known for designing Central Park in New York.  Due to time restraints we were unable to tour the mansion and grounds - all 80,000 acres, but have made a promise that we will return to Asheville and The Biltmore, at some point in 2011, and pay our $60.00 per person fee, and take the grand tour.  I wonder what ole Georgie would think about the Colored Man riding around his estate in a carriage, as if he owned the whole damn place?

We arrived back in Cincinnati at around 9:30pm, a little tired, but definitely looking forward to another trip.  Word is out that the Colored Man may be going to the mountains in January for a rustic vacation and some hiking.  Let's hope that I can keep up and not get lost.  Remember what happened to the hikers in the movie, Deliverance?

Overall, this was a great trip - great travel companions, beautiful scenery, delicious food and fun times.  I will definitely go back to Charlotte and even Lexington.  But definitely not to the BBQ Festival.  I was expecting to get my fill of barbecue, and that just did not happen, and that was the entire reason for going.  But there is something special about the South - the friendliness of the people, the hospitality, the beauty of the land, the culture, which draws the Colored Man to his ancestral home like moths to the flame.

By the way, the Colored Man is never too proud too beg.  You see these out-of-focus pics, so you know that I am in need of a good digital camera.  Deep down inside I harbor a little James Van Der Zee and Gordon Parks.  Christmas is just around the corner and the Colored Man accepts gifts from one and all.  And I promise to have some barbecue all ready for you, or at the least a few dozen homemade cookies.  Contact me at Thecoloredman@gmail.com.

Circles and Boot Straps

Saturday in Cincinnati, also known as the Queen City, was absolutely beautiful.  It was warm, sunny, and the leaves were at the height of their photosysthesis process.  With it being such a great day, the Colored Man just could not stay indoors all day long.  So, I decided to drive around a little bit, and eventually make my way to this new coffee shop that I found in a neighborhood named Lower Price Hill. 
But before I got there I stopped off at Wendy's and decided to get one of their salads.  Normally I am all about the #2 or #3 burger combo, but I am trying to grab my bootstraps and change my wicked ways.

After getting the salad, my next stop was this beautiful urban parked named, Mt. Storm.  Cincinnati has some beautiful parks and Mt. Storm is no exception, with an overlook that encompasses downtown, the Ohio River, and parts of Northern Kentucky.  It was the perfect location for a salad and iced tea.  Oh, and by the way, I have become a big fan of those salads!!!  After eating and watching quite a number of bridal parties take photos inside the Greek Revival archway, I circled around and made my way to the coffee shop to get a smoothie, this time blackberry and blueberry.

Being out and about on a Saturday is nothing new for the Colored Man.  I've grown accustomed to the city and its' winding streeets and hills.  I know my way around sufficiently well, so I have taken to checking out the billboards quite a bit while driving.  Over the past several weeks I have seen a number of billboards saying that abortion is the #1 killer of African-Americans.  I have seen them quite a few times, but have not paid much attention to them.  But things always seem to go in circles and information stored today will be information used tomorrow.  It was circular for me with the billboards.

Earlier that morning, I was channel surfing and stopped the television on one of the public access channels, which happened to be showing a documentary on African-American women and reproductive health.  I did not catch the program from the beginning, but what I did watch was very informative.  I learned that African-American women have about 50,000 abortions each year. I also found out from the leader of a women's health group, that the reason that I was seeing all of these pro-life billboards is that pro-lifers are attempting to throw a wedge between people within the African-American community, and this is part of a greater drive by right-wingers to use social issues such as, abortion, gay marriage, immigration to split the 80%-90% of African-American's who vote Democratic at the polls.

Let me clearly state, that I am a big proponent of a woman's right to abort a fetus that she does not wish to carry to full-term.  And yes, I have seen the films of actual abortions, and it doesn't bother me.  Just as men have the right to walk away from children that they father, women should have the right to not have that child and the responsibility of that child for 18 years, if that is what they choose. 

Many of the problems facing African-American's, particularly if examining the education system, are due to children being raised by single mothers who don't have the economic means to raise children by themselves, because they don't have the education needed to gain successful high-paying employment.  Higher education equals better neighborhood, which equals better schools, which equals better opportunities, which equals better colleges for children - it's all circular.  Many are children raising children.  Many are "vagina factories" who have babies by "nut hunters", those elusive men who are constantly running around like squirrels, seeking to hide an unprotected nut somewhere.  A majority of these women are simply too damn tired and down-trodden to effectively raise a child in today's society, and unfortunately, their children are the ones who suffer the most. 

Of course there is always exception to the rule, and I salute those women who have been forced to be mother, father, breadwinner, football coach, and everything else in their child's life.  Statistics are showing that more and more women who are watching the baby-making clock tick down and who are financially able, are choosing to have children without fathers active in the child's life.  That is their choice, and I have no problem with it.

As I stated earler, I am pro-choice.  However, I fervently believe that all women need to start protecting themselves, particularly those who are poor and uneducated.  When you meet a guy and he has children already, you need to listen carefully because eventually he will start talking about his children's mother or mothers, and it will come out that she or they had to take him to court for child-support.  Ladies, that should be your key to RUN!!!!!, and if you don't run, PLEASE practice safe-sex.  It amazes me how some women think that a man will treat their child better or different than he treats his other children.  Ohhhhhh......it must be the curly baby hair, the dimples, or the pretty skin.  Don't fool yourself.  Leopards never change their spots.  Further, stop being "tap-heads" - all that's necessary for you to give up the goods are a few sweet nothings whispered in your ear, then a tap on the head, and you're primed like a greased engine. 

My fellow Colored Men, we need to step up to the plate and take care of the children that we father.  Stop being "nut hunters" and start being fathers to the children that need you so desperately.  Stop lying to yourself that everything is ok because you pay child support, and that's just fine and dandy.  Stop pretending that your child doesn't need visits to the school, one-on-one time, and unconditional love.  Stop making babies that you are neither financially, spiritually, morally, or mature enough to take care of.

It's time for us all to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and get focused on making decisions that are best for us and the greater community.  To start thinking about how our decisions today, may effect others tomorrow.  To start realizing that our children are our greatest asset, and they deserve the best that we can give them.

Pull Up to The Bumper, Baby!!!

The first bumper sticker was used in 1927 on the Ford Model A.  Well, actually it wasn't really a bumper sticker, but more like a piece of fabric attached by wires to the bumper of the car.  Forest P. Gill can be credited with creating the modern-day bumper sticker, the kind with the adhesive backing.  They can be commercial, religious, secular, funny, or used to show support for your favorite sports team.

With the election season in full swing, the Colored Man has seen his fair share of bumper stickers supporting this candidate over the other.  Democrat vs. Republican vs. Tea Party vs. Independent.  It's been a real kaleidoscope of varying opinions and thoughts.  The majority of times you can look at a bumper sticker, then look at the occupants of the vehicle and sort of put two + two together.  But the other day I saw a sticker on a car, whose driver I knew, and was completely thrown for a loop.

Now let me be completely honest.  The person is someone whom I know professionally, so we have not had long lunches, and hung out together on Friday's after work.  In fact, the only time that we communicate is when we are planning and actually doing something together professionally.  In other words, I don't know one thing about her political beliefs.  That is until I saw the bumper sticker, which gave me the opportunity to reminisce and think about some things that she had said and quirks she had exhibited.

The bumper sticker told me more than mere words could have ever told me about her.  From the bumper sticker and the candidate that it supported, I could ascertain that she didn't believe in Medicaid and other such programs for our senior citizens.  I could tell that she believed that it was ok for a restaurant owner to deny me, the Colored Man, entrance into his business due to the color of my skin.  I could even tell that if her candidate is elected, she supports his idea to abolish the US Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts,  and I want even go into the social issues, but will ask you to think of a time when Ozzie and Harriet was the #1 show on television, Lucy and Desi were considered deviants from what was truly "American", and had to be careful that Cuban-born Desi not spend too much time in the sun getting darker, and everyone different lived in a closet.  Her candidate wishes to take America back to a time when things were sectioned-off, separated, segregated. Businesses were allowed to run amok of rules and regulations because it was good for the economy. There was no concern for the environment, worker's rights, equal opportunity. sexual harassment. He wants the government to lay down and shut up, and stop butting into people's affairs. He's an undercover tea-bagger, and we all know what they are brewing. 

Statistics say that her candidate is mainly supported by white citizens, who have only completed high school.  That alone, made what I saw so puzzling.  Here is an educated woman supporting someone who thinks that she should be home - barefoot and pregnant.  I just don't get it!!!  Can she be that lost, confused, and upset that Barack Obama is President?, that she would sell her womanhood down the Ohio River.  Surely not!!!  Maybe this bumper sticker thing is just a phase, or perhaps she hit her head on the bumper and is suffering from temporary mental health problems.

I have no problem with her political urgings.  I am just perplexed as to her rationale for supporting this candidate?  Her public endorsement gives me the right to question her opinions, and to look at her in a totally different light.  What I might have suspected about her, she has confirmed and let the cat out of the bag, and believe me, the cat was screaming!!!!!

I think that in the future this is one bumper that my long black limo will not get too close to.  It's dangerous, uncontrollable, uninsured and just down-right weird and kooky.  The Colored Man is not driving in-between, nor backing up, and definitely not parking beside.

Laying-Up with Bed-Warmers

It's starting to get cold and usually during this time of the year, the Colored Man's heart starts to think about finding a bed-warmer or two.  Someone to help him ward off the frigid winter weather.  But in reality I am getting tired of casual bed-warmers, and having to worry about the simple things, like clean sheets and towels, pillow talk and cuddling, the complimentary breakfast, and the cold kiss good-bye at the door, with the promise that I will call, when in reality I know that I probably won't.

This season I am seeking someone with a little more depth.  Someone who understands when it's time to be quiet and when it's time to talk.  Someone who doesn't mind if you snore a little, have morning breath, or wake up a little moody.  And I realized that the best someone, or should I say something, with all my requirements was a good old-fashioned book.

A book doesn't complain about anything.  You can mistreat it, abuse it, not return phone calls, and subject it to all the other relationship drama, and a book will still be where you left it, waiting with open arms for your return.  Here are a couple of prospects that the Colored Man thinks will fulfill his winter lusts.

The first candidate is entitled, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.  Written by Pulitzer-prize winning Isabel Wilkerson, the book follows the lives of three very different and distinct African-Americans who migrated from a debilitating Southern landscape to more promising climes in the North.  Wilkersons' Great Migration tome is non-fiction, but reads like fiction, which makes it engaging and informative throughout the 622 pages.  She manages to weave little anecdotes throughout, for example, that some migrants, unfamiliar with Northern accents, thought that the conductor said Penn Station, New York, at the Penn Station, Newark station and mistakenly got off the train.  Many decided to stay put once they realized their mistake, thus the large Southern Black population in Newark.  I think that one of the very big reasons that I am excited about this candidate is that the Great Migration touches my own family, many of whom migrated to New York from North Carolina during the 40's and 50's. My parents would migrate first to New York, then back to North Carolina, and finally landing in Maryland in the late 60's.  You probably have a similar story in your own family.

The second potential bed-warmer is, The Eyes of Willie McGee: A Tragedy of Race, Sex, and Secrets in the Jim Crow South, by Alex Heard.  This book brings up memories of a time in America that will at times make you steaming mad, but also make you proud of what we as African-Americans have overcome. 

Willie McGee was accused of rape by white housewife Willette Hawkins, but he claimed that his relationship with the woman was consensual; they were having an affair.  Willie McGee was found guilty and sentenced to die, which was no surprise for anyone, as Willie's fate was sealed before he entered the courtroom.

The McGee case was the impetus to lead civil rights activists to fight Jim Crow laws in the South, which were designed to humiliate and punish.  Willie McGee may have died unfairly, but his ordeal was a small piece in the struggle that would eventually lead to Barack Obama being in the White House.

My final contestant who I think is up for the job, is a cookbook.

Marcus Samuelsson is one of America's premier culinary wizards, and he fully understands that food culture from across America and the world, should be explored and appreciated.  Born in Ethiopia and orphaned at age 3, Marcus was adopted and raised in Sweden and began his kitchen travels alongside his adopted grandmother at an early age. 

This is not Chef Samuelssons' first cookbook, however, New American Table may be the one that home cooks find most easiest to replicate the recipes from, and if you don't believe the Colored Man, check out his first cookbook, Acquavit, named after his eponymous New York eatery.  I dare you to recreate a recipe from it!!!  This coffee-table sized book is for the adventurous and definitely the culinary experienced.

Samuelsson is known for his big, bold flavors in the kitchen and his cookbooks are no exception.  New American Table is full of Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean,
and African recipes, that are easy to follow and enjoy at home.  But what really makes it a good bedtime read is that with each recipe there is short essay, along with beautiful pictures of the food and related thoughts.  This is a book that will carry you away to peaceful sleep and gastronomic heaven. 

Well, there you have it.  It seems that the Colored Man will be quite busy this winter season trying out these bed-warmers, and I guarantee you that I will enjoy each and every moment of the audition process.