Sunday, July 01, 2012
Tea Toast Salute: Happy Anniversary Pam & Kate (Spaulding)
Here is a Daily Sweet Tea Toast salute to Pam Spaulding and her wife Kate on the 8th anniversary of their marriage in Canada on July 1, 2004. The lesbian couple were legally married in Canada where same-sex marriages are legal but they are residents of North Carolina which recently became the 32nd state in the USA to approve a constitutional amendment that bans legalization of their relationship. Pam Spaulding is one of the legends of the blogisphere and known affectionately as the "Blogmistress". And if you aren't reading her blog at PAM'S HOUSE BLEND then this must be your first time on the internet! All hail to the Blogmistress and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Pam Spaulding and her WIFE Kate! This weekend happens to be the birthday of BILLY BROWN, of the R&B group Ray, Goodman & Brown. And today I share their 1980 hit "Happy Anniversary"
Hot Tea!!!!
 | ||||||||
| It's hot as hell this weekend! |
So what are you doing to cope with the record breaking heat? Some cities in Georgia and The Carolinas reached all-time record temperature highs as high as 108 with a heat index of 120 in some cases. Sure this is the south and it does get hot here but this is a big deal. And you folks in places like Arizona who may be laughing at us. Remember the old phrase "its a dry heat"...FOR YOU! But here it is a humid and downright uncomfortable experience. Looking forward to slightly cooler temperatures in the 90's in coming days.
7.1.12: Another new name!
July 1, 2012 and the blogging history of Edric Floyd has entered another new phase through a new name.
Gone is the short lived "Collard Greens and Sweet Tea" to "The Daily Sweet Tea". And it is a renewed hope that I will present a daily entry and keep up with current events and opinion. Also a simpler name but still keeping a regional reference so as to distinguish and highlight the part of the United States that I proudly call home in a world and community where there is more disparagement toward the region where I live than there is praise and honest documentation.
And so be it, this is the beginning of the "Daily Sweet Tea" by Edric Floyd. I hope this time I can actually keep focused and make it work.
Thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy a daily dosage of my "Sweet Tea". Brewed and sweetened fresh daily for your blog reading pleasure. (Yeah right.)
Gone is the short lived "Collard Greens and Sweet Tea" to "The Daily Sweet Tea". And it is a renewed hope that I will present a daily entry and keep up with current events and opinion. Also a simpler name but still keeping a regional reference so as to distinguish and highlight the part of the United States that I proudly call home in a world and community where there is more disparagement toward the region where I live than there is praise and honest documentation.
And so be it, this is the beginning of the "Daily Sweet Tea" by Edric Floyd. I hope this time I can actually keep focused and make it work.
Thank you in advance for reading and I hope you enjoy a daily dosage of my "Sweet Tea". Brewed and sweetened fresh daily for your blog reading pleasure. (Yeah right.)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Netroots notes: More than Marriage and don't abandon the south
Last week there was a convention called "Netroots Nation" held in Providence Rhode Island. It is mostly made up of Liberal and Progressive political bloggers and activists and just before the conference was "Netroots Connect" targeting the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and thanks to modern technology you could follow almost everything from these events online. And I did just that.
Of the Netroots connect conference of LGBT activists there were some great topics of interest to those of us who live in "red states" including mostly conservative rural and southern regions. One, the matter "Marriage Equality" or same-sex marriage dominating the so-called "gay agenda" politically.
While marriage equality is an important concern it was FINALLY mentioned in a public forum that for many of us, economic and other social issues take president to whether one can legally get married or not. To quote one of the attendees via twitter (not exact wording) "Getting married isn't all that when I can be fired from my job for talking about it". That was in reference to the possibility of someone who is LGBT losing their job simply because of who they are and having no legal recourse. And there are other primary issues of concern that effect singles as well as LGBT couples. Tax concerns. National security. JOB security! Crime and government corruption. These are issues that concern most anyone in any segment of our society and are often compounded for the LGBT community but take a backseat to marriage equality for most of the attention given by the LGBT community politically.
We need to start focusing on many other issues, especially local issues in our community that also effect our straight relatives and neighbors.
And another issue that was brought up is one that is close to home for me and my neighbors. The fact that the national LGBT community and our national organizations frequently discard its community that lives in what is considered a "red state", especially states in the Southern United States. So questions were asked as to what can the national LGBT community do to help its rural, southern and "red state" members of the family. Many in the LGBT and so-called "progressive" community have simply abandoned and written off places that are not urban or in the Northeast or Western areas of our country. So the easy answer is to COME to our red states, our rural areas, our southern states and walk with us as we work to educate and make ALL of our homes a better place.
Many disparage our areas, especially the South for our negative education statistics and the higher domination of conservative politics and religion and if you are LGBT living in these areas it is often suggested to us that we move to other areas, to LEAVE our hometowns for places that appear to be more open minded, welcoming or "safe". But the reality is that those places are no more safer or open minded than many small towns in the rural south. There are many instances of gay bashings and police harassment in urban areas and "blue states". Places we are supposed to believe are safe. While there are things that happen in all areas of our world that are often undocumented, the problems of being LGBT in American society have no boundaries. Even if you can marry your same-sex partner in the few states that allow it, you still don't have all of your rights. You are just like us who live down here in the red states.
I had a good twitter conversation with blog mistress (and North Carolina resident) Pam Spaulding as was told by some that she should pack up and leave NC and consider it a lost cause. But because of the hard work of the citizens of NC the results of their recent constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage were actually more who voted IN FAVOR of marriage equality compared to other states. The amendment passed with only 60% of the vote. In other states where similar amendment votes were held, those who wanted to see marriage limited to one man-one woman won by as much as 75-85%. My point is, thanks to the hard work of the citizens of North Carolina, nearly 40% voted with the right intentions. That is so much more than what happened in the neighboring states. So the amendment vote failed for our side. But progress was made because people didn't give up. And North Carolina proved that you can't just pack up and move away we need our LGBT community to stand with our family regardless of where we live and build progress one step at a time.
I have experienced other instances where it was suggested by the LGBT community to run away from our southern home towns and don't look back like Blacks did during the civil rights movement. But think about it! The Blacks who stayed in the south marched and sacrificed AT HOME while those who moved away may have lived a happier life but in retrospect haven't done or achieved that much. Take a good look at our inner cities of the North and Midwest and their decades of decay. Many of my own relatives who left the south in the 1940's through the 1960's eventually retired back in their original home states to find places that were made better because of the people who worked hard to make it a better place. They didn't have to work to make it a better place, somebody else did it for them. And that is the mindset of the LGBT community in too many cases. Those who live in "safe" urban areas and the North and West where life is happy and there are many things to do don't realize that all of that comes at a price. You have to work for it and can make it happen anywhere.
Martin Luther King didn't run away to New York or Detroit, he stayed close to his home and helped fight to make a difference. And if the LGBT community loves to latch onto the history of the civil rights movement as so many of us within the LGBT community do, then you should take heed from Dr. King. He didn't abandon the small town, the "red states" of the time or the South. And the LGBT community shouldn't abandon US either.
Of the Netroots connect conference of LGBT activists there were some great topics of interest to those of us who live in "red states" including mostly conservative rural and southern regions. One, the matter "Marriage Equality" or same-sex marriage dominating the so-called "gay agenda" politically.
While marriage equality is an important concern it was FINALLY mentioned in a public forum that for many of us, economic and other social issues take president to whether one can legally get married or not. To quote one of the attendees via twitter (not exact wording) "Getting married isn't all that when I can be fired from my job for talking about it". That was in reference to the possibility of someone who is LGBT losing their job simply because of who they are and having no legal recourse. And there are other primary issues of concern that effect singles as well as LGBT couples. Tax concerns. National security. JOB security! Crime and government corruption. These are issues that concern most anyone in any segment of our society and are often compounded for the LGBT community but take a backseat to marriage equality for most of the attention given by the LGBT community politically.
We need to start focusing on many other issues, especially local issues in our community that also effect our straight relatives and neighbors.
And another issue that was brought up is one that is close to home for me and my neighbors. The fact that the national LGBT community and our national organizations frequently discard its community that lives in what is considered a "red state", especially states in the Southern United States. So questions were asked as to what can the national LGBT community do to help its rural, southern and "red state" members of the family. Many in the LGBT and so-called "progressive" community have simply abandoned and written off places that are not urban or in the Northeast or Western areas of our country. So the easy answer is to COME to our red states, our rural areas, our southern states and walk with us as we work to educate and make ALL of our homes a better place.
Many disparage our areas, especially the South for our negative education statistics and the higher domination of conservative politics and religion and if you are LGBT living in these areas it is often suggested to us that we move to other areas, to LEAVE our hometowns for places that appear to be more open minded, welcoming or "safe". But the reality is that those places are no more safer or open minded than many small towns in the rural south. There are many instances of gay bashings and police harassment in urban areas and "blue states". Places we are supposed to believe are safe. While there are things that happen in all areas of our world that are often undocumented, the problems of being LGBT in American society have no boundaries. Even if you can marry your same-sex partner in the few states that allow it, you still don't have all of your rights. You are just like us who live down here in the red states.
I had a good twitter conversation with blog mistress (and North Carolina resident) Pam Spaulding as was told by some that she should pack up and leave NC and consider it a lost cause. But because of the hard work of the citizens of NC the results of their recent constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage were actually more who voted IN FAVOR of marriage equality compared to other states. The amendment passed with only 60% of the vote. In other states where similar amendment votes were held, those who wanted to see marriage limited to one man-one woman won by as much as 75-85%. My point is, thanks to the hard work of the citizens of North Carolina, nearly 40% voted with the right intentions. That is so much more than what happened in the neighboring states. So the amendment vote failed for our side. But progress was made because people didn't give up. And North Carolina proved that you can't just pack up and move away we need our LGBT community to stand with our family regardless of where we live and build progress one step at a time.
I have experienced other instances where it was suggested by the LGBT community to run away from our southern home towns and don't look back like Blacks did during the civil rights movement. But think about it! The Blacks who stayed in the south marched and sacrificed AT HOME while those who moved away may have lived a happier life but in retrospect haven't done or achieved that much. Take a good look at our inner cities of the North and Midwest and their decades of decay. Many of my own relatives who left the south in the 1940's through the 1960's eventually retired back in their original home states to find places that were made better because of the people who worked hard to make it a better place. They didn't have to work to make it a better place, somebody else did it for them. And that is the mindset of the LGBT community in too many cases. Those who live in "safe" urban areas and the North and West where life is happy and there are many things to do don't realize that all of that comes at a price. You have to work for it and can make it happen anywhere.
Martin Luther King didn't run away to New York or Detroit, he stayed close to his home and helped fight to make a difference. And if the LGBT community loves to latch onto the history of the civil rights movement as so many of us within the LGBT community do, then you should take heed from Dr. King. He didn't abandon the small town, the "red states" of the time or the South. And the LGBT community shouldn't abandon US either.
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
WIMP of the Day: Caiden Cowger of West Virginia
The WIMP of the day for June 6, 2012 is 14 year old Caiden Cowger of West Virginia.
The host of "The Caiden Cowger Program" as a young Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck wannabe recently posted a rather insane homophobic video rant saying that the President was making children gay. Then when he started getting comments and taking heat for his video rant, he little boy CLOSED his YouTube account basically running and hiding from the results of his own making.
Hey Caiden, here is some advice from some old guy in his mid 40s. GROW UP! If you want to play in the grown up game of public commentary then you have to have the nerve to accept both the praise AND the scorn. You'll never be taken seriously, not because of your youth and proven ignorance but because of your cowardly running away by removing the videos you wanted everyone to hear so you can impress the big boys you hoped to be when you grow up.
You are forever marked as a wimp.
Go away little boy!
The host of "The Caiden Cowger Program" as a young Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck wannabe recently posted a rather insane homophobic video rant saying that the President was making children gay. Then when he started getting comments and taking heat for his video rant, he little boy CLOSED his YouTube account basically running and hiding from the results of his own making.
Hey Caiden, here is some advice from some old guy in his mid 40s. GROW UP! If you want to play in the grown up game of public commentary then you have to have the nerve to accept both the praise AND the scorn. You'll never be taken seriously, not because of your youth and proven ignorance but because of your cowardly running away by removing the videos you wanted everyone to hear so you can impress the big boys you hoped to be when you grow up.
You are forever marked as a wimp.
Go away little boy!
President Barack Obama is making kids GAY!
President Barack Obama is making kids GAY!
So said a 14 year old with too much spare time on his hands!- AND AFTER HE POSTED THIS VIDEO, IT WENT VIRAL AND HE RECIEVED COMMENTS, THE LITTLE PUNK CLOSED HIS YOUTUBE ACCOUNT!! (update 7:30pm, a few hours after the video was posted)
If I find another link to this I will share it! He basically went on a rant about how he felt that homosexuality was a "belief" and the traditional rant that it is a sin against god and that the president was making kids gay.
Update 6/7/2012 @ 2:41am, here is a "mirrored" copy of the video saved and reposted after Caiden took down his original YouTube account!
You know, my elders used to believe in a philosophy that children should be seen and not heard. THIS KID HAS HIS OWN RADIO TALK SHOW, A Facebook "fan" page and a YouTube channel! He is seen AND heard by at least a few!
And who is it they say is going to hell? Well if there are any more Caiden Cowger's out there we're ALL going to hell in a hurry. Beware world! This kid is eligible for a driver's license in a couple years and perhaps more dangerously, eligible to VOTE by 2016!
So said a 14 year old with too much spare time on his hands!- AND AFTER HE POSTED THIS VIDEO, IT WENT VIRAL AND HE RECIEVED COMMENTS, THE LITTLE PUNK CLOSED HIS YOUTUBE ACCOUNT!! (update 7:30pm, a few hours after the video was posted)
If I find another link to this I will share it! He basically went on a rant about how he felt that homosexuality was a "belief" and the traditional rant that it is a sin against god and that the president was making kids gay.
Update 6/7/2012 @ 2:41am, here is a "mirrored" copy of the video saved and reposted after Caiden took down his original YouTube account!
You know, my elders used to believe in a philosophy that children should be seen and not heard. THIS KID HAS HIS OWN RADIO TALK SHOW, A Facebook "fan" page and a YouTube channel! He is seen AND heard by at least a few!
And who is it they say is going to hell? Well if there are any more Caiden Cowger's out there we're ALL going to hell in a hurry. Beware world! This kid is eligible for a driver's license in a couple years and perhaps more dangerously, eligible to VOTE by 2016!
Cleaning house: Putting old records away
As I am trying to get back into the blogging habit I must take care of some issues within my blogging past.
One of my favorite interests is the music that I grew up with and most of the posts in the year 2011 included YouTube videos of the music I blogged about. Well so many of those video links are no longer valid as so many of them were pulled from YouTube. Also, posting them has caused a great problem with the blog posts and sometimes the entire blog from loading on many browsers and computers. So I may have to delete most of my blog posts from the year 2011. Or at least change or remove the video links.
I hate to remove entire blog posts but I guess I should have known that eventually it could be a problem and a waste of cyberspace. The blog posts that remain will be edited and will have an asterisk (*) on the blog title and some will have an explanation of changes.
I will continue to enjoy and post/share music. But in the future you'll have to be a subscriber of my Facebook and Twitter pages to enjoy them.
One of my favorite interests is the music that I grew up with and most of the posts in the year 2011 included YouTube videos of the music I blogged about. Well so many of those video links are no longer valid as so many of them were pulled from YouTube. Also, posting them has caused a great problem with the blog posts and sometimes the entire blog from loading on many browsers and computers. So I may have to delete most of my blog posts from the year 2011. Or at least change or remove the video links.
I hate to remove entire blog posts but I guess I should have known that eventually it could be a problem and a waste of cyberspace. The blog posts that remain will be edited and will have an asterisk (*) on the blog title and some will have an explanation of changes.
I will continue to enjoy and post/share music. But in the future you'll have to be a subscriber of my Facebook and Twitter pages to enjoy them.
Saturday, April 07, 2012
What the hell am I going to do with this blog?
There are lots of things I could have blogged about in recent months but somehow haven't found the time or energy to post about it here with the appropriate quality and information. I wanted to make this a blog worthy of reading whether you'll disagree with the presentation or not.
Where I have posted my opinions covering current events I have met with some great disagreements but presented good arguments and a view that I hope made some people think and develop a more open view of the situation. Some are too bull headed to achieve that and even one of those people suggested that I "get a blog". Well I have had THIS blog for many years. I just haven't quite figured out how I wanted to manage it. I don't think I will ever be as big or able to put as much effort into this to become a blog of destination. But I suddenly feel like trying to at least make it a habit again.
So here I go.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Protesting in West Georgia
A conference promoting failed teachings that people could be "cured" of their homosexuality was protested by more than 50. And I was one of the protesters. On Saturday February 18, 2012 several groups from Atlanta, Macon, Athens and Savannah Georgia representing The Queer Justice League, Get Equal, Georgia Equality, PFLAG, Macon State College GSA and even folks from Ohio traveled to participate in this protest.
Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out was there and wrote the best summary of the event LINKED HERE!
Please visit www.truthwinsout.org for a more educated view on the subject and understand why we were there to protest.
A blog Re-Introduction: Serving Collard Greens and Sweet Tea
I have made changes again! The Blog that originally started as "The E Blog" and changed a few times in just the past three years has changed again. So ladies and gentlemen I present the new "Collard Greens and Sweet Tea" by Edric Floyd. A blend of the Old School with LGBT Activism that is politically INDEPENDENT and non politically correct.
Why the reference to food? Well I love Collard Greens and I love Sweet Tea for one! I can't indulge in either as much as I did in the past but I still love them none the less. And Collard Greens and Sweet Ice Tea are staples of the South where I live. I wanted to call it Grits and Sweet Tea but I searched for that and others use references to grits. But the real reason for the new name and image is that for a long while I have grown tired of people disparaging the South especially those within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community (LGBT) though various blogs and websites. We need a voice from the perspective of someone born, raised and living in the South. Not just by living in a southern state but away from the big city as well.
The feelings and experiences that I plan to share here are as much personal as they will be for the benefit, support and advocacy of others. Personal as I will share my opinion without sugarcoating. Personal fun as I may share my taste in music or other things. And more importantly this blog will be used to share news and information in the spirit of activism for the LGBT community for which I am a proud member having myself come out GAY in my late 20's after years of hiding from the fear of my peers and family's expected homophobia.
There will be a lot of references to the "Old school" for I believe that if not for the old, there would be no new! I believe in that for music and in life. I love the old school. I love history and believe we all should learn from it. I love music so I recognize old school music frequently in my online life. And I will acknowledge various points in history and when time permits will share important points in LGBT history.
My politics have always been INDEPENDENT. If you are expecting the traditional gay blogger here you will be disappointed. I am not a bed wetting liberal nor am I a "neocon" or "homocon". I LOATHE political parties and I refer to a political "party" as a political CULT as often the people who follow a specific political "Party" behave as if it is a cult and the flock follows their cult leaders as they lead them to their own destruction. And yes, political partisanship does lead to destruction. I challenge you, my readers how many few or many to prove to me that political partisanship is helping the United States of America in ANY way. You may have to work hard on that one as you will be able to tell through my posts.
One thing about me through my many attempts at blogging whether her on Blogspot or on MySpace and later the comments and rants I have imposed on my Facebook friends is that I don't do political correctness. And I expect that to be a major part of this blog. Honestly and integrity that is sometimes blunt and bold. A couple times my comments have offended a few people. While that isn't my intention I can't honestly say that I care too much when something I post does offend. I often believe that the truth hurts and if my opinion offends then I must have made my point. So be prepared for the occasional rant.
And finally in this re-introduction to my blogging I say this. Whether you think I am right or wrong I will never intentionally offend or defame anyone. If there is anything that appears personal against anyone it will be after careful thought and only the proven TRUTH will be shared with documentation. I fully believe in the spirit of "The truth shall set you free" even if the truth may embarrass someone. THIS IS MY SOUNDING BOARD and I will never be ashamed and will seldom apologize for my expressions. Actually I never apologize for my expressions. And I don't hide from them. My name is EDRIC FLOYD and what I post will be as they always have been, my honest expressions without shame but with full honestly and integrity.
Having laid out the ground rules for my end, I say to everyone welcome to the new COLLARD GREENS AND SWEET TEA blog. And I plan to cook and brew an interesting read for you daily.
Why the reference to food? Well I love Collard Greens and I love Sweet Tea for one! I can't indulge in either as much as I did in the past but I still love them none the less. And Collard Greens and Sweet Ice Tea are staples of the South where I live. I wanted to call it Grits and Sweet Tea but I searched for that and others use references to grits. But the real reason for the new name and image is that for a long while I have grown tired of people disparaging the South especially those within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community (LGBT) though various blogs and websites. We need a voice from the perspective of someone born, raised and living in the South. Not just by living in a southern state but away from the big city as well.
The feelings and experiences that I plan to share here are as much personal as they will be for the benefit, support and advocacy of others. Personal as I will share my opinion without sugarcoating. Personal fun as I may share my taste in music or other things. And more importantly this blog will be used to share news and information in the spirit of activism for the LGBT community for which I am a proud member having myself come out GAY in my late 20's after years of hiding from the fear of my peers and family's expected homophobia.
There will be a lot of references to the "Old school" for I believe that if not for the old, there would be no new! I believe in that for music and in life. I love the old school. I love history and believe we all should learn from it. I love music so I recognize old school music frequently in my online life. And I will acknowledge various points in history and when time permits will share important points in LGBT history.
My politics have always been INDEPENDENT. If you are expecting the traditional gay blogger here you will be disappointed. I am not a bed wetting liberal nor am I a "neocon" or "homocon". I LOATHE political parties and I refer to a political "party" as a political CULT as often the people who follow a specific political "Party" behave as if it is a cult and the flock follows their cult leaders as they lead them to their own destruction. And yes, political partisanship does lead to destruction. I challenge you, my readers how many few or many to prove to me that political partisanship is helping the United States of America in ANY way. You may have to work hard on that one as you will be able to tell through my posts.
One thing about me through my many attempts at blogging whether her on Blogspot or on MySpace and later the comments and rants I have imposed on my Facebook friends is that I don't do political correctness. And I expect that to be a major part of this blog. Honestly and integrity that is sometimes blunt and bold. A couple times my comments have offended a few people. While that isn't my intention I can't honestly say that I care too much when something I post does offend. I often believe that the truth hurts and if my opinion offends then I must have made my point. So be prepared for the occasional rant.
And finally in this re-introduction to my blogging I say this. Whether you think I am right or wrong I will never intentionally offend or defame anyone. If there is anything that appears personal against anyone it will be after careful thought and only the proven TRUTH will be shared with documentation. I fully believe in the spirit of "The truth shall set you free" even if the truth may embarrass someone. THIS IS MY SOUNDING BOARD and I will never be ashamed and will seldom apologize for my expressions. Actually I never apologize for my expressions. And I don't hide from them. My name is EDRIC FLOYD and what I post will be as they always have been, my honest expressions without shame but with full honestly and integrity.
Having laid out the ground rules for my end, I say to everyone welcome to the new COLLARD GREENS AND SWEET TEA blog. And I plan to cook and brew an interesting read for you daily.
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