Biometrics Surveillance, Mark of the Beast for a Turkey Sandwich

There is something very disturbing when children are used to "forward" surveillance technology. In a small, modest-earning town in Louisiana, an elementary school is implementing a palm scanning device in their lunch program.

This latest implementation of surveillance is one of a long line of biometrics surveillance and tracking what will be called your digital footprints and biometrics footprints.

The youth will have to scan their palms instead of giving a ticket. According to the principal, the palm scanner provides more accuracy. To whom he doesn't say, but it is probably for government purposes in a free lunch program for needy children. Either that or for all those lunch thieves in the second grade stealing beans and rice and beignets.

But thank goodness there is an "opt out" program.

Are you appalled, please don't be. Using children, poor communities, military enlistees and prisoners have been the easiest, simplest population of guinea pigs.

Don't think so, ask Disney, they have already implemented facial recognition, fingerprint scanners and monitors throughout the park.Yes, it is a small world.

Or the martial artist suffering from Parkinson's Disease who was arrested at a cycling event London Olympics by technology that reads body signals to determine if you are threat, and was snatched up because he was not smiling.

Or perhaps, the London advertisement agency, Clear Channel UK and 3D Exposure; that determines how to target consumers based on recognition of gender with facial recognition and eyeball scans.

This is not Wonderland, Terminator 3, or Total Recall, its the now ladies and gentlemen. Get ready for the ride, and take pictures all the time.

London Olympics Entry #4: Crip Walk Controversy, Serena Williams and the Gold

When Justin Bieber, a Canadian who wears sagging pants (a fashion style that is said to come from prison culture), tweets Missy Franklin for winning a gold, it is called sweet teen spirit. When volleyball players sport itty-bitty-titty bikini's in front of the royal palace, it's called a proper uniform.

When the English Queen does a skit with the most misogynistic and man-whore spy in the world, the director is considered brilliant, while the queen was crowned as the memorable crowd favorite of the opening of the London Olympics.

When a tennis player smashes their racket to the ground like a drug-riddled heavy metal rocker, that's just great sportsmanship.

But when Serena celebrates with a dance that has become a crossover move that was created and popularized out of urban culture, she is signified as a trashy representation of the USA. Like her father said many years ago, the people in Compton will be celebrating with their 40 ounces and Chronic.

But eff'em, let me unpack this complex cultural moment that has contributed to this shift in Olympic culture.

In an unconscious moment of resistance, Serena Williams, in her own way, threw up her own black fists. While NBC covered her matches at ungodly hours, and did very minimal in highlighting her slaying top players, Williams decided to be unapologetic for the on-court beat downs with a victory dance from her own ethos.

And by the way, she is one of the few black women to win golds, and one of three African American women---her sister Venus, and trailblazers Whilma Rudolph who won three individual golds share this history.

Williams who is a huge hip hop fan, and a product of a hip hop generation, did what emcees do when they win, they celebrate in a braggadocio manner.

And as a child who grew up about a 10 minute drive from where Serena was reared, I know exactly Serena's POV. It has nothing to do with gangs. This is our native American black Angeleno war dance, a dance of strength and champion.

For several seconds, she displayed her connection with an aspect of black American culture and defied the Euro/Amero Bourgeois expectations of the lily white culture of tennis player. She bowed in victory with grace and swagger.

She has never apologized for her grunts, flashy outfits, and assertive court behavior. She and her sister were booed for years, their appearance has been scathingly critiqued, and oft times, US announcers imply their favor towards a Williams opponent.

Serena, no matter how many titles and now a gold that you win, you will be accepted as a brilliant and phenomenal player no earlier than 2073. So in the meantime, hop, step, hop. I celebrate you.

London Olympics Entry #3: Gabby Douglas and Hair Politics

I write this journal entry particularly to the black women who thought Gabby Douglas' hair was inappropriate or unkempt.

While the rest of the US are celebrating a newly minted American hero, some Negroes are fuming over something as petty as her hair. I guess this is what happens when the emphasis for black women has become how one looks in the eyes of others, even if it is to her own detriment.

Tis true, we are the first to attack our own about our coily tresses; however, if you are a black woman, you know the first tormentor regarding your kinky aesthetic looks just like you.

But since a good portion of black women in the United States have been locked into years of relaxers, flat irons, extensions and weaves, we don't even know what their natural hair really looks like anymore, nor how to care for it.

I am sure most of these critics look in the mirror and see their thinning or disintegrated edges, male-patterned baldness at the crown, severe breakage and empty patches where hair used to reside, and still think Gabby's hair is a mess.


But this time, as you attempt to project your self-deprecation, something I understand is not all of your own-doing, I am telling all of you to step the fuck off.

Keep your 'Buckwheat' images tucked into the orifice of your arse. And don't come crying to people like me when a non-black person calls you a nappy-headed ho.


Our tresses do not wisp about in the wind. They roll and wine in spirals like a Trini Calypso song during Carnival. We are not Snow White, no matter how biracial and octoroonish you may think you are, our edges will forever puff up in resistance like a Zulu army.

SPOILER ALERT FOR MEN WHO DATE BLACK WOMEN: If you have only seen us with relaxed, pressed hair and tracks or weaves for years than it is highly likely that there is not much to work with. Case and point, Naomi Campbell

Flying Squirrels and Jumping Monkeys at the London Olympics

There isn't anything remotely close to London Olympic gold medalist, Gabby Douglas, being a squirrel---be it flying, scurrying or smashed like roadkill.

Gabby is the quintessential American hero who has risen like a graceful Phoenix---dark skin, thick lips, broad nose, coily hair and all.

Gabby is not a mascot that you pat in sympathy with white patronizing sentiments like a Pickanini slave child dancing for watermelon seeds.

Her father is serving in the military with an overseas deployment, while her mother pooled all of her resources so that she and Gabby's siblings could be there to support. They may be cooking dinners on hotplates at the hotel, but they are there by hook or crook.

That is the black family template I know. We make do when the can't do is staring us down in the face.

So let me give this PSA to the world. The name, 'The Flying Squirrel' is not cute nor is it endearing.

And though I am sure Gabby laughs at this 'nickname', and wears it proud, I am quite disgusted. And I know I am not alone. As a result, I will take the role as her elder, and defend her, even if she isn't quite clear how historically demeaning and racialized it is to be reduced to a furry, disease-infested, buck-toothed critter.

Gabby's story is nothing short of phenomenal. 

She was thought to not have "what it took to be an Olympian" because 'experts' believed she "lacked confidence and focus". Commentators emphasized these 'doubts' with implications that she had fell short on maturity, competition experience and an understanding of what it took to be a victor.

It seemed as if her only skill was to smile like a 20th century Amos N' Andy caricature. But we who have been there knows that Gabby, whether consciously or not, understands the true meaning of "grin and bear it" or to smile, even when they are the meanest.

Juxtaposed against Gabby was her teammate Jordan Wieber, who was touted consistently as America's real "darling". Unlike Douglas, Wieber was framed as effortless and destined to win. But when she failed, the commentators showered reports with endless, acceptable excuses as to why and how she wasn't performing up to par.

I almost spit out my smoothie when a news report said, "the world watched in shock as Wieber shed heart-wrenching tears—she wouldn't be competing in the all-around competition." NOT. I wasn't stunting Jordan Wieber, and I question what world that, that reporter belongs to---perhaps white Suburbia that orbits around asinine.

But the one-sided outrage of the individual finals being Wieber-less went as far as an NBC gymnastic commentator stating later that he thought Olympic officials should reassess the rules of how many people can qualify. I have seen this strategy repeated when certain people lose at a game of which they created the rules---they simply change them when they are no longer the game-changers.

And although Gabby scored highest during the team finals, it was projected that Wieber's leadership and emotionally evolved, selflessness is what actually got the job done for the win.

Even up until the final event leading to Gabby's individual gold, while the world was cheering, the privileged and supremacist eye kept disbelieving. When Gabby won, it was so antithetical for the biased commentators who were edging for any white girl to win by the end, that folks took to twitter and Facebook to celebrate what wasn't being acknowledged on air.

So uncomfortable with Gabby's domination and being the current face that represents the United States as a champion,  those who have absorbed the ideologies of privilege and supremacy threw jabs like the alleged "ill-timed' monkey commercial following the ceremony.

It is as if  Gabby is like Obama in 2008.The results are in, and they will never admit, that they were all dead ass wrong, upstaged by and underdog and still soak in their racism.

Olympic Watch Entry #2 The World is Black People

I can recall as a child how the US would feature Russian ice skaters with dingy skates, and tough-as-nails Yugoslavian gymnasts or pale Canadian swimmers. Every now-and-again you'd catch an Ethiopian or Kenyan runner, but black folks were always (and sometimes solely) present in track-and-field, and perhaps boxing, and definitely basketball.

It seems like track-and-field was black day. Flo-Jo, Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner were talked about in our private circles the next day. "Did you see what Flo-jo was wearing? Her nails were too long!" Track anf field competitors were our pride. Our legacy of Jesse Owens. Our mark of athleticism in a world gathering where it seemed we were the minority, even in most of the sports, sending a message that we could only run and beat up shit.

Honduras soccer team who have defeated Spain

But now I know the fascade that was painted in the Olympic Games. Often times, this elitest competition was too costly for most countries to attend or train.

And although globalization has historically reared and ugly economic and socio-cultural disadvantage, it has deterritorialized borders. In an agenda, not of its own, globalization has pushed into the forefront nations and peoples who were once absent or relegated to the periphery of the Olympics. Resultantly, it shows the true hue-man make up of the world. That thing that European explorers were shocked to see during the Age of their Discovery.

Costa Rican track star.

The world is black people, teeming and full of black bodies that range of deep brown, midnight complexion to olive tanned. We are the world.

Canadian diver Emilie is part of the duo who garnered Canada's first medal.

And as I talk about the Olympics to the little ones in my family, I let them know that even though we don't see much of us competing, we are there representing, we are in every corner of the world. even in the whitest of places, you will see our skin.

Gymnasts Danell Leyva and John Orozco

Olympic Watch Entry #1: We Need Educated, Culturally Aware Announcers

Ugandan Olympic contingency

Just because we have a few pastey-skinned, black reporters on CNN doesn't absolve the issue that members of the press, and in particular, the US are still ignorant, lack in diversity, and keep the cogs of institutionalized racism going.

Being a person who worked in the newsroom, I think one of the dumbest professions is journalism, because most "journalists" report facts and never take the time out to actually understand them. And in the case of growing technology, they do very little of acquiring facts at all.

Unfortunately, our media is darkened by idiots like Bob Costas who referenced Idi Amin in the opening ceremony as Uganda entered the London stadium for the Olympics. That's like referencing Hitler when Germany comes out or Stalin for Russia.

It even get's better. Costas said earlier about another African country, "If there was an award for country name that makes you smile, Djibouti would win the gold."

US Olympic news coverage needs an enema.