Interracial Duet: On My Own by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald

Dear Readers,

I'm pretty sure my friend Ky and I are the only two black people in America who are not watching the BET awards tonight. Ky simply hates BET for its past (?) crimes of not uplifting the black race when it was in such an amazing position to do so. My reason is a bit more shallow: I just don't like award shows. Never have. However, I do like following people's commentaries on Twitter and Facebook. Go figure.

I was super excited when I saw posted that Ms. Patti LaBelle would be performing. Not going to lie, I first fell in love with her as Chipmunk's (Dwayne Wayne) mother on A Different World, and then learned what an amazing singer she is. Don't judge me! I was born in the 80s. I wasn't old enough to understand or appreciate her music way back when.

Anyway, I fell in love with this song of hers back when J.J. Kennedy hosted "New York's Favorite Love Songs" segment (8 p.m.-midnight weeknights) on 106.7 Lite FM.

For your enjoyment, the interracial duet of Ms. Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald singing On My Own.

Album : Winner In You
Year : 1986
On My Own
by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonard
(Bacharach, Sager)

So many times,
Said it was forever,
Said our love would always be true,
Soimething in my heart always knew,
I'd be lying here beside you,
On my own
On my own
On my own

So many promises never should be spoken
Now I know what loving you cost
Now we're up to talking divorce
And we weren't even married
On my own
Once again now
One more time
By myself

No one said it was easy
But it once was so easy
Well I believed in love
Now here I stand
I wonder why

I'm on my own
Why did it end this way
On my own
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
OIn my own
I wish that we could do it all again

So many times
I know I should have told you
Losing you it cut like a knife
You walked out and there went my life
I don't want to live without you
On my own
On my own
On my own
Chorus Repeat

This wasn't how it was supposed to end
I wish that we could do it all again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
On my own, I've got to find where I belong again
I've got to learn how to be strong again
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
By myself by myself
I've got to find out what was mine again
My heart is saying that it's my time again
And I have faith that I will shine again
I have faith in me
On my own
On my own
On my own

Why is there no looting in Japan? aka Why are the Japanese so much more civilized than the barbarians of African ancestry?

A recent CNN article poses the question Why is there no looting in Japan? in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami.

The article juxtaposes the behavior of the Japanese with that of the Haitians who also faced a devastating earthquake, and the Americans who faced the hurricane Katrina. The author asks people to weigh in on why it happened in Haiti and Katrina and not Japan. 

Some of the responses that are indicative of what little progress we've made in race relations are noted below:

Kim:
Because Japanese culture, unlike all other modern cultures, is based primarily on honor and dignity. Unlike our Katrina disaster, the Japanese don't see this as an opportunity to steal everything in sight. The so-called civilized world can learn much from the stoic Japanese. 

Natasha:
The Japanese are resourceful, innovative and disciplined people with a great sense of national pride. While they also have criminals and felons, it is not quite in comparison to the sleaze balls we have in our streets. It was disgusting to watch these scum bags loot stores in New Orleans during Katrina when they should have helped their fellow citizens in need. While watching the devastation in Japan is heart wrenching, it is so refreshing to see the civility of people within the calamity they are facing.

We have a theory of our own. 

EIRIC:

Maybe there's no looting in Japan because they have enjoyed a very prosperous economy for years and very few of their citizens know and understand what it means to live without food on a daily basis - even in the absence of a natural disaster or any other large scale emergency.

We're always interested interested in answering social science questions and hearing the perspective of others, but not when they're inflammatory just for the heck of it.

All photos courtesy of Google and CNN.