The Cosby Show

(Warning:  I will try to keep this as G-rated as possible because I believe in family-friendly posts.  If for some reason you feel that you cannot read this post in front of your child, you have my permission not to do so)

(Warning:  Affiliate ink ahead).

(2015) Wikipedia.com

I had changed my blog from covering everything that was celebrity based (I.E. Dance Moms) and how I feel about celebrities, to how to write, and my views on the world.  As the title suggests, I have returned for one post ONLY to the celebrity based view, with a twist, it is my view on the world.

My view this time is on The Cosby Show.  I want you to know that this was my favorite show, and I am going to tell you why.  Because finally African Americans were shown doing the same things as White Americans.  We were shown having decent jobs, decent activities, and a decent life.  In case you have been under a rock or did not grow up with a television in the home, the story is quite simple.  It was a story of a man and woman, a WORKING man and woman, who happened to be an Obstetrician and a Lawyer, AND African American.  They have 5 children (4 when the pilot debuted, the 5^th child was added by the 3^rd airing), and they were your typical children, dealing with growing up in mainstream society.   It was a normal life, having dinner parties, celebrating anniversaries, dealing with school, work situations, and disciplining of the children.  In other words, they closely represented my childhood.  My father, who was not quite like Dr. Cliff Huxtable, had a job in the military, then the post office.  My mother was not quite like Clair Huxtable, working as a lawyer, but mom worked in retail.  My siblings and I were your typical kids.  A match made in heaven for me or was it?

A few years ago, I was standing in line at my favorite grocery store, when I saw this headline, “Cosby has another child”.  I thought nothing about it, since I admired this man so much, and since it was on a “rag” paper, and not the Columbus “Disgrace”, my name for the local paper, The Columbus Dispatch, I thought it was a hoax, so I ignored it. 

Next, last year, like so many of you, I saw where Mr. Cosby had written a book, Cosby: His Life and Times (September 16, 2014), and I wanted to get it, one day.  As soon as this book hit the bookstore, a woman accused him of these now famous accusations, and I thought, “This woman is out for money, how dare she?”  As weeks grew and women came forward with the same thing, I kept thinking, “Opportunists, all of them.  They are bitter old hags, who either became so washed-up in their careers, or was turned down by Mr. Cosby, and now that they ran out of money, they want retribution.  How dare they do that to my favorite TV Dad?”  I really got angry when Beverley Johnson, a former supermodel, came out with the same thing, then later lied about it, I was convinced that all of these women was lying about it as well. For those of us who believed Bill Cosby, we all were convinced.  Even his own cast members were on his side.  But, there are several bible verses that talk about things that are hidden or in secret, which will soon come to light, and neither I nor the rest of the world, or even Bill Cosby himself would see this one coming.  A LOCKED COURT DOCUMENT! This is the problem about locked documents, they tell so many secrets.

After we all thought we have heard the last of this case, and Bill Cosby can go back to his college tours, and trying to secure the rest of his retirement, up pops this document, and in it, Mr. Cosby admitted to using Quaaludes on the woman, who was doing the suing, in order to get her to perform (and I am not talking about loosening her up for a part on A Different World, another show that I loved), but to perform sex acts.   I could not believe what I was hearing.  Bill Cosby, Comedian, Television #1 dad, Educator, Hot Dog lover (he loves Dirty Frank’s on High Street, and they have a hot dog named after Mr. Cosby), AND a pervert?  How could he?  Why did he do it?  I sat there, and I cried.  I loved his first HBO Special when he talked about his wife Camille giving birth.  This was the routine that was based off the whole first season of The Cosby Show.  He loved education so much, until he created A Different World, because it gave his television daughter, Lisa Bonet (who played Denise Huxtable), a chance to spread her wings, but came onto her own controversy later on, and the reason why she was fired in the first time.  How can I now look at this show (The Cosby Show) in the same way that I did when the show first aired.  It was my “go to” show when I see that all other shows today that suck, and I need something to watch.   I remember videotaping the final episode, but when I find it, I am not sure I can watch it now.  It was quite comical, as all of The Cosby Show episodes are.

I started to explain the episode, and now I cannot.  I am even sitting here on the verge of tears, that I am so angry at Bill Cosby now.   I read a blog post from Joseph C. Phillips, who played Denise’s husband Martin on the show last week.  He was 29 at the time of the show and he talked about the “parade of women” coming on the set looking for Mr. Cosby.  He also talked about how as a young boy, he admired Mr. Cosby, because Mr. Cosby showed him in many ways how to be a father, an African American man, and now Joseph is very disappointed with him.  That is how I feel too. 

I feel like I was let down, but that is where the bible talks about why you should not follow mankind because they will disappoint every time.   We should aspire to be like Jesus, not man.   Jesus would never do something like this to anyone.  He was compassionate, humble, told it like it was.  He never judged people, which is why I will never understand why certain Christians choose to judge Homosexuals and other people, you would have to read my post of my views on that. 

I do not hate Mr. Cosby, but I do hate what he has done.   He has ruined so many careers including his own, until it was just sick, and he is sick.  The best thing for him to do, is to just retire, and get out of the limelight.  He needs to find a quiet place for him and his wife to just sit, play with the grandchildren, and make an appearance ever now and then.  I am sure there are people who will buy his latest book, including maybe I.  

How to create a post from Your Social Media Status.

(c) 2015 www.dailymail.co.uk

"God decided that I need an early bath. I wanted to fix something that I did not have in the house, so off to the grocery store I went. Ok, it is cloudy, so what, I thought, and went anyway. I got the ingredients, walking up to the checkout counter, and bless goodness, here come the rain, but it stopped. I finished what I was doing, and walked out of the store. Half way while putting the groceries in the trunk of Jessica (yes that is my car's name), God yelled, "Bath time", and down it came. I was soaked from head to toe, so I had to drive home, soaking wet and had to change out of everything, now I am putting my groceries away, but you know what? Thank God that I am able to decide on getting groceries, or even eat out, or even change out of wet clothes into clean ones, because there are so many who can't. I am not complaining, I am cooled off, by God's bath water."

This is what I wrote for one of yesterday’s Facebook status.  It was one of many statuses I have written today.  As it turns out, a couple of the statuses, I am turning them into a post of their own, because they need further explanation.  Stay tuned.  This is for today.

I want to show you quickly how to turn a status posting from any of the social media updates you post (not someone else’s post), into a blog post.  This works, especially if you have a blog that you type any subject in, or if it relates to your niche blog.  For of all, there are a few small rules in order to pull this type of writing off, and they are:

1)      This is for your SM (Social Media) status only.  You could be answering someone’s question or comment, but please use what you are saying, not their SM status to that person, UNLESS you have their permission to post their status to back up your comment you placed under it.

2)      Not all status qualify for a blog post.  So choose wisely.

3)      Be mindful that if you cannot elaborate on a status, leave it along

 Here is a tip:  Use this type of writing when you cannot come up with the subject for the day. 

You should have already written down in your blog planner the subject of the day, especially if you have a niche blog, and that could be done either at the beginning of the year, or at the end of each month.  Don’t worry if you do not have this done.  Writing down subjects for each day that you write your blog, just keeps you better organized, and you can spend more planning out what you ae going to say about the subject.

So getting back to using your SM status as the subject.  My status in Facebook that I mentioned here is not a good status to elaborate on, and here is the reason why:  I just reported what happened for 15 minutes of my life.  It also shows how grateful of being able to do these things, when so many are not able to.   It is more of a tip, and I guess I could use it as part of a bigger post.  Now earlier in my day, I did mentioned how discussed I felt about Bill Cosby, Jared from Subway, and Paula Deen.  In regards to them, I voiced how people should not hold one another in a celeb status of royalty.  You will have to stay tuned for the post.

Oh, I forget and got sidetracked on explaining why you do not write a post on someone else’s status (unless they give you permission to do so)...they may not want you to and the magic phrase “COPYRIGHT LAW”.  Yeah, I know.  It stinks, but this is how this country operates.  However, you could always plea, The “Fair Use” law that is within the copyright law document, but it only protects the social media platform, and not you.  So it is best to stick to your comments ONLY.

So remember that you can elaborate on your status when you cannot find a subject to write about when you have a blog that covers everything or when it relates to your niche blog.  Remember to cover only the things you post, so you will avoid problems down the road, and have fun with your status post.  The good news is you will gain traffic, and that is great if you monetize your blog.  

Dear Diary….

(c) 2015 Google Images

“I had a bad day.  I feel like the world is going to explode around me.   My little brother, AKA “The Bratinator” (I guess that is how you spell it) will not leave me alone.  My older brother, “The Tool” told everyone my little secret.  You know, the one where I wrote that I was in love with a certain guy, I can only describe as “Y” (and dreamy).  I could just die from embarrassment.  Note to self…do not get neither one of these goons a Christmas present next week.   Speaking of which, my parents just gave me the best present of all…We are going to Disney World.  I just wish I could leave the goon brothers behind.  Eww, they just make me sick.  Mom told me that I can bring a friend.  I think I will ask my BFF, Becky.  I hope her parents will let her come.  We will have the best time, just me and her, for 6 days straight.  I would not have to put up with my stupid brothers, ever!!!!!  P. S.  I still love them.”

Did you ever keep a diary?   A diary is one of those journaling techniques from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and I personally never caught on writing in one.  One of the most famous scenes in television history, is when Marcia caught Cindy snooping in her diary.  This was from the Brady Bunch.  In fact, Marcia had two crisis in regards to her diary.  There was an earlier episode, where Cindy gave Marcia’s diary to a book reseller by mistake.  Marcia was upset that everyone in the world would find out that she was madly in love with Desi Arnez Jr.  The diary was found, and Marcia show the entry to him.   As for the later episode, Marcia wrote in her diary that a famous talent agent was coming into town, and Cindy would be great as the next Shirley Temple.  Marcia was actually trying to stop Cindy from snooping.  It turned out that the woman visiting the Brady household was a client of Mike’s.

A diary is a little bit more private than a journal, which should be shared, but today’s journaling can be just as secretive

as a diary.  I think of diaries as more of a look into the personal window into a young girl’s heart and soul. 

The most famous of diaries is not of fiction (like the two Brady Bunch episodes), but of a real life depiction on what life was like for a young Jewish girl, and her recounts of hiding from the Nazis.  I am talking about Anne Frank.  It was not just about her, her family, and the Van Petz Family (Van Daan in the book according to Wikipedia), and how they got along during the day, when they were quiet, but it was how she saw the world from that tiny little window.  Shortly after The Netherlands was liberated from Nazis Germany, Anne’s father, Otto Frank returned to that home away from home, and found her diary, and had it published.  He wanted the world to know what a brave daughter he had before she died in the concentration camps. 

You do not have to be a famous person to keep a diary or journal.  Just start writing.  Write about your day, your feelings, or it can be something specific, such as a food diary, or a project journal.  Talk about your feelings, if you are becoming a mother for the first time, and you want your child to know about the things in life that matter.  These are some ideas.  Where you keep them is up to you as well:  You can just grab a notebook and start writing.  I use MS Word to write in my journal.  If you want to go public, turn your journaling into a blog. 

Journaling or writing in a diary is one of the few forms of writing, where there are no rules.  Have spelling mistakes, but do not make it a habit, or it can spill over into your other pieces of writing.  Free form your writing.  Grammar is also a must, but a grammar mistake every now and then does not hurt.

OK, I made one mistake….The rule is to have fun.  Do not always write serious stuff.  After all, there is a saying that goes, “I know I am in my own little world.  It’s OK, they know me here.”   

So what does freedom mean to you?

(c) 2015 by P. Lynne Designs

Happy birthday to America AND to me….

Well not yet for me, but it is my birthday month, and I am excited.  I got over the hump of a new decade for me last year. (I am 10 years old for the 5^th time, do the math).  I will get to that post later on in the month. 

The birthday baby I want to talk about is America’s birthday (July 4^th), and celebrating its Independence Day.  This is the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, and freedom from England was a done deal. 

So what does freedom mean to you?

For me it means being able to move freely throughout the country, without question on where you are going, why you are going, what are you going to do when you get there, and who are you going with.  Or is it?  Sometimes I wonder about that.

If freedom means to move throughout the country without being stopped for driving a nicer car and the police stopping you, because they think you stole the car you are driving.  There should not be any problems.  If freedom means being able to walk down the street without a police officer immediately handcuffing you, because you recently walked out of a store, and being accused of stealing an item, or worst yet, shot and killed, there should not be any problems.  If freedom means you can worship wherever you want, without being killed for no reason or having your place of worship being burned to the ground, there should not be any problems.   These are the problems that the African American community, which I identify with, has been going through for the past 4 years. 

Think these are isolated incidences?  It has been a constant on and off situation since slavery was abolished.  I am tired of being treated as a second-class citizen.  We as a race are tired of being treated as second-class citizens.  This is not India, where the class system has been abolished for a number of years.  This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Where did you think we were going after slavery was done away with, back to Africa? I don’t think so, but yet there are still people, who want us to know our place, especially if you are a black man, but the problem does not stop there.

We are killing each other over territorial rights, this gang does not like the other gang, and people get jealous over the success of others.  When we need the authorities the most, they do not come and take care of the situation.  Do not get me started on the war on drugs.  Yes, the government does a mediocre to fair job on keeping drugs out of the country.  Today, I was listening to the news, and heard about a pill form of heroin. Really now? You drug dealers are stupid enough to get your customer even higher than before, yet killing them at the same time, because they cannot remember when was the last time they took one.  You call it business, I call it stupid. Legalize marijuana?  Nothing like a bunch of weed heads being able to get high without being arrested for possession and doing harm at the same time.  I do believe it is called alcohol.

I do not mean to go off like that, but if we want freedom, we as individuals need to take a look at what does it mean to have that freedom.  Yes, we do have it better than most countries on this planet, but at what cost?  Our founding fathers of this country wanted freedom, to not be ruled by another country, but again are we?  There is more than one type of freedom, and we ALL are not fully free to do that.  When we are all free, this can be a beautiful place to live in, if you let it.