Push By Sapphire

Performance poet Sapphire unflinchingly probes the consciousness of an all-too-real teenager from a severely abusive household. Push opens to find Precious? Fat, unloved, illiterate, deeply confused, routinely raped by her father, and physically and emotionally molested by her mother?enduring her second incestuous pregnancy.

Crawling from self-hatred and violent loneliness to determination and, occasionally, hope, Precious enters a pre-GED program, learns to read, bears her second child, and breaks from her parents, all under the inspiration of Blue Rain, her steadfastly encouraging and apparently tireless new teacher. Precious's name loses its irony but soon takes on a dark new meaning as she learns the extent of her father's abuse. Written as an internal monologue and journal entries by Precious, with her rudimentary spelling skills and abrupt transitions, Push is compelling, graphic, and occasionally facile but disturbing and not soon forgotten.

The books has been adapted into a screen play which premiered at the Sundance Film Festivalwhere it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo'Nique. The film's title had been changed to Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which was confirmed soon afterward by the film's distributor Lionsgate. The change was made to avoid confusion with the 2009 action film Push.

Allison Harvard from America's Next Top Model

In threads featuring her more zombie-like states, she is referred to as Creepy Chan or Tussin Chan. In threads featuring her softer, innocent side, she’s called Cute Chan.

Allison Harvard (AKA Creepy Chan, Tussin Chan, Cute Chan) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1989. Pictures of this very big-eyed person started popping up on 4Chan in late 2005. The photos there feature a range of looks, usually landing somewhere between Fiona Apple in the video for Criminal, to Genie the wild child. Allison Harvard’s own photos and drawings take on the cliche of heroin chic and add a whole new layer of weirdly interesting macabre beauty.

In March of 2009, Allison Harvard joined the cast of America’s Next Top Model for their 12th season. On the May 6, 2009 episode of America’s Next Top Model, Celia was sent home and Allison had the top photo, making her one of the final three models. In the finale on May 13, 2009, Allison was passed over as America’s Next Top Model, coming in at number two behind Teyona Anderson.

Many ANTM fans have hypothesized that Harvard is faking her fascination with blood in order to gain attention. Her Flickr page would seem to support claims of having a fascination with blood.

Check out her work HERE

Police Shootings

It's become so commonplace to hear that a black man was shot by a police officer. You never hear about white people being shot by cops. It seems that police officers have a natural instinct to shoot/kill a black man, even if he hasn't committed a crime! Only thing needed is a presumption that a crime has been committed or looks like a crime may have been done or even look like a crime may happen to take place and it (The shooting) is a preventive measure.

And it is in part racial, because minority cops have no problem shooting other minorities! Is it acceptance by their white peers that makes them feel like they can or is it the Police Department's way of training and teaching how to handle minorities? I can't ever recall hearing a black officer shooting a white 'suspect' without probable cause. %#&@$!, EVEN WITH probable cause! That's probably cause the punishment will be harsh for shooting a white person than it is for killing a black one! Wait! There is usually no punishment for a cop killing a black man. Maybe this is why there is no restraint when a police officer pulls a weapon on a black man.





What scares me most is that it can realistically happen to me! I've had cops draw guns on me before and for no legitimate reason other than me being a dark skinned black man. And please don't question a police officer! This is justification for them to 'use force'. I have seen white people get pulled over, yelling at cops for stopping them and then be allowed to leave without even a warning! I've NEVER been arrested but you would think I was a known criminal whenever a cop stops me. Although I wouldn't go as far as saying I hate cops, I can and will say that I don't trust ANY police officer because there are many people in jail railroaded by the system in the name of racial injustice!

Cops should be placed on a higher standard because they are 'trained' to uphold the law yet they are also breaking the law because they feel they are ABOVE the law! Why are cops given 48 hours to come up with a perfect story to tell based on the crime they've committed? When a suspect is arrested, they aren't given ANY time before they are questioned! Police officers who commit blatant acts of lawlessness should NOT be given ANY privileges!

The Police Department should be run by an independent and neutral entity to ensure that when a police officer shoots a black man or is involved in any questionable activity, we will be ensured of a thorough investigation, as opposed to the police clearing their own officers.