2017

After six-years, Tia Mowry's son Cree Taylor Hardrict got his first haircut, and he couldn't look any cuter. Infamous for his long locs, Cree decided it was time for a big chop!  Despite the naysayers Tia told ESSENCE last year that, "I asked my son, I said, ‘Cree, do you want to cut your hair? Do you want mommy to cut your hair?’ He's like, ‘No, no mommy.’ I'm like, ‘Okay, then we ain't cutting your hair.’”  But that all changed yesterday evening when the youngster giddily bid fairwell to his tresses via an Instagram video posted to Tia's page. "Yes, someone got a hair cut. I just did a live video explaining why I decided to cut my sons hair," Tia says. "If you missed it, it's plain and simple. He asked me to. As his mom, I'm here to nurture his thoughts and ideas and that's exactly what I did," she went on to say. And Cree was all smiles post big chop! We think he looks adorable with or without his hair, and can't wait to see what style he decides rock next. 

Season 3 / Episode 2 / The CW

And you say C-City!

Fun Flash is back baby! We start off the 2nd episode of the season with Barry gettin his Risky Business swag on, singing Rock’n’Roll in his boxers (The Flash don’t fux wit briefs) while cooking breakfast for bae. Iris rises from her black girl magic slumber looking like utter perfection and digs in. Barry plops down on the couch to catch up on all the Golden Age TV he been missing out on… namely Jon Snow dying and (Spoiler alert) coming back to life. He watchin Game of Thrones and all these shows at 100x speed and IT WAS GLOOOORIOUUUSSSSS. What was less than glorious was Barry brushing over the fact he basically planned the entire wedding solo dolo. Read the room Barry, read the damn room!

Joe, Barry, and Cisco get called down to a crime scene where some uber rich dude who just casually copped a penthouse was mutilated by an elevator. Apparently Cisco now has CCPD credentials cuz he waltzes up in there like the Prince That Was Promised and starts breaking down the situation after hilariously proclaiming Sriracha will never be the same after seeing this strawberry jam massacre. Turns out the guy didn’t die because the elevator fell a hundred floors, dude was Shake Weight jerked, rattled and pummeled to death by a washed Jake the Snake lookin guy with purple haze eyes, who had a blast hacking the system.

S.T.A.R. Labs: Fun Flash elements resurface as Cisco highlights the new suit that Barry rolls his eyes about cuz he’s already worn it. But you don’t know about this tech comeup kid! Cisco hands him an instruction manual the size of a Encyclopedia Britannica… and the tech on tech on tech setup for this episode is complete.

After Barry cancels his evening training session without talking to Iris first, Caitlin tries to get Iris to go to therapy, but Cocoa Butter kisses is like, “Ummm I’ve known him all my life, I’m good.” Awkward convo avoided by an unauthorized breach in the lab alert! Cait and Iris get in position with the hammers drawn while Wally aka opossum mop speeds is ready for action.

But it’s just Gypsy, here for a date with Cisco da Tech bae. Too bad he has to put her gorgeous radiance on hold because we got another (random?) guy in a nice car getting taken advantage of by the same KILG%OR hack as the elevator. Flash is on it, much to Wally’s helpless disappointment. Problem is, Barry is so hyped that he’s the Flash again, that he’s out here making dumb ass rookie moves. He can’t stop the hacked car and fails to listen to Iris’ directions, which puts the guy in more danger. Luckily Flash dismantles the car like Earnhardt’s pit crew with the help of some mechanic’s Snap On tools.

Sidebar: The writers are not playing this season. They gone get these jokes off every chance they get!

S.T.A.R. Labs: The meta of the week is not only hacking technology, but controlling it. They find a pic of the 2 guys who’ve been targeted. The 3rd member of the flick must be their hacker meta, Deacon. Barry knows he done fucked up out in them streets and apologizes for not listening. Iris tells Barry that Cailtin may have had a point with the couples therapy suggestion. He resists… then remembers he has the baddest young ting in the DC universe and relents. Aaaaand they have appt in 30 mins. As they sit down in he therapist’s office, Barry reads the newspaper headline that Mayor Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow. Easter Eggs and showrunners tryna pull fans back to Arrow… moving on.

The therapist immediately goes in. She takin all the notes on parental deaths, ex bae deaths and friend deaths. It’s so terrible. Eventually they get into some real shit and looks like therapy is paying off aaaand alert alert! Barry, sans suit runs down to the CCPD where Joe is questioning the rich guy, Tim Kwon, who almost caught the NASCAR fade. Biker Kevin Love with the Targaryen eyes isn’t going to let homie off the hook that easy. He’s controlling a Johnny 5 lookin bomb squad robot carrying a grenade to the interrogation room. Barry gets there milliseconds after the grenade goes off and plucks every shard of metal and piece of shrapnel out of the air before Joe and the billionaire get turned into explosion pin cushions.

Cisco dives into the robot like a 3 year old in the McDonalds ball pit in 94. Turns out dude is like a living computer virus. Cisco proceeds to throw out various tech terms like the code keeps changing, biodigital, and most organic virus’ mutate… all to convince us he knows what he has to to defeat this guy. And he does… cuz Cisco is a fuckin beast, but Cisco is quite the opposite when it comes to love. He cancels his date with Gypsy, who is surprisingly cool with it and Caitlin is like, “You dumb SOB. She mad as hell.” I go on for days on this scene alone but I’m gonna leave it as is cuz it’s just too real.

Back to the therapist’s office and Shit. Gets. Real. Iris finally breaks her happy to have Barry home silence and calls him out for flat out leaving her without a shred of remorse consideration for her feelings. He clams up like a herb, but the therapist ain’t wit the shits. She forces Barry to tell her how he felt when she said that. Can’t lie, for a CW show, this was an impressive scene, acting and writing wise. Glad to see the therapy reppin movement of 2016-17 continue.

Tim Kwon goes to his associate’s crib to talk about Deacon comin for them. Turns out he’s just another white collar thief. Angry hacker bum walks in and pumps the 4th diabetic member of this former team full of insulin cuz she’s a tech guru and has automated injection technology. Deacon kidnaps money bags and Dandelion Flash zips in there just in time to save the insulin comatose young lady.

Sidebar: Yooo the new computer panels in S.T.A.R. Labs are flames! Iris redecorating while Barry was leveling up in the Speed Force?! Moving on…

S.T.A.R. Labs: WestAllen tries to make up when Kwon appears on TV to confess that the rich mufuckas that’ve been getting murked stole the Kilg%re idea from Deacon. Right on cue, Cisco reveals that the Team has created some code killing injection needle that will anti-SkyNet dingy Chief Hopper. But Killg%re, as he asks to be called has other plans. The Flash and Kid Flash fly down to the villainous warehouse hideout but it’s all for naught because Killg%re detects a whiff of technology in Barry’s new suit and takes control of the Flash. Son is literally helpless in his own super suit as Killg%re forces puppet Flash to blast DandelionFlash with a fucking Iron Man style rocket that comes firing out of his hand.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Team Flash is likeeee, how much technology did you put in his new suit, Cisco? Mad tech. In that moment I stopped rolling my eyes (Deacon’s power wasn’t all that crazy) and thought about how much damage one could do with the Flash’s suit at his/her disposal. Cisco tells him to get away from Killg%re and hopefully his control weakens, before his evil ass cuts the cord on the comm to S.T.A.R. Labs. He abides and runs away so that my favorite part of this episode can go down. My mans and dem Barry da Speed Force Gawd picks up a pay phone and MAKES A COLLECT CALLLLLLLLL to S.T.A.R. Labs and I fuckin LOST IT!!!!

I’m over here im fuckin stiches while all these geniuses in one room are baffled at what to do next. Who steps up to hold it down for Team Flash? Who comes forth with the brazen confidence of a gladiator?! Like Hinata coming to rescue Naruto from Pain’s deadly clutches, Iris da Melanin Gawdess hops on the mic and drops those listen to bae barzzz! She tells him to throw a lighting bolt at himself to short circuit the suit. He said he doesn’t know if he can do it. He doesn’t know if the Flash can do it. Iris stops him dead in his tracks and let’s him know he aint doin shit cuz he aint the Flash, “We’re the Flash” then drops the line that only Iris can now drop. Run Barry, RUN! And boooiiiiii that man ran! He fires the bolt, runs to the hit point and gets wrecked. He wakes up, brushes a lil dirt off his shoulders and puts the beats on Kilg%ore before he can mobilize all the androids Google and Apple have stored in their basements.

They lock dude away in the metahuman wing of Iron Heights and the mysterious new Amanda Waller type character leaves us with a feeling of ill intentions.

Cisco focuses his attention on the lady he spent an entire season wooing and somehow put on the backburner on this special day. Earth-19 is crazy man. I dont know what the hell a 1-1-1 day is, but this Valentines type Day did sound like some adorable shit so Cisco breaks out the suavamente papi moves and sweeps Gypsy off her feet.

The thinker appears again and it’s looking like it’s about to be a takeover once he locates all 8 of his creations.

Flash Facts

• The therapist excuses Had. Me. Dying! He cancelled training! Training? Yeaaa swimming, that’s right swim meet. Like, what?! I guess Grant Gustin does have a Phelps type body.
• Wait. Can we talk about how Joe and Wally set up this whooole sting operation surveillance and still failed to stop Kilg%re from bodying the tech guru girl and kidnapping homie.
• Team Flash security is just as bad as the S.T.A.R. Labs security.
• Actor from Being Mary Jane gettin that CW money!?
• Caitlin’s powers are all over the place. Wonder where they’re going with this storyline.
• Worthless Wally Watch: Still hasn’t done a dam thing this season. And his hair?!

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The post The Flash Recap: Mixed Signals appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Okay I take it back.

She’s still not Kara “Sunny” Danvers.

I mean, she’s physically back, she’s not avoiding everyone as much as she had been. She’s participating. But she still exists primarily on the periphery.

Consider for instance, her job at CatCo. Her new boss and best friend, Lena, wonders why Kara’s missing meetings and, you know…generally do what she’s paid to do. Kara however has to rush off regularly to do Supergirl stuff, not that she can tell Lena or anything. Except you know what? She totally could. I wish she would because I just know that’s gonna blow up in her face.

She leaves Lena hanging with a less than pleased James, who had no idea Lena was gonna be so hands on, and meets up with the rest of the gang to deal with a new and weird problem. And no, I’m not talking about Maggie and Alex’s wedding prep dramas. It’s a bank robber who seems to be able to incapacitate everyone. Kara goes to stop her and thinking she’s immune, and soon learns she isn’t.

Needless to say, Psi, bank robber extraordinaire, escapes.

She’s examined and gets a clean bill of health. Even as J’onn warns her he detects psionic activity, she thinks she’s all good. She’ll be ready the next time it happens.

So when another call pulls her away from CatCo to face Psi, she’s ready! Oh wait. No, she’s not.

J’onn tries to provide support from afar but Psi takes him out. Kara is left alone and helpless to Psi’s powers. Paralyzing fear overtakes her as she relives one of the scariest moments of her life: her exodus from Krypton.

The gang at the DEO go on a hunt for how Psi’s attacking her victims but Kara already knows. She only tells Winn because she doesn’t want others to worry. Um what? Since when does Kara “Stronger Together” Zor-El believe it’s better to keep her friends and loved ones out of the loop? Seriously. I miss my Kara and I hope she returns to us soon.

Lena’s probably thinking the same thing. At first she tries reaching out to Kara to see if she’s still hurting and needs time, but Kara brushes her off and is rather rude about it. But the thing is, Lena is not only her friend, she’s also her boss. Lena’s actually forced to call Kara out for treating work like a hobby and disregarding her job. And she’s totally right on target here.

Kara heads out to the interview Lena’s asked her to go do when she gets another call from Alex about another bank heist. But before she can get very far, Psi attacks her long distance, or so she thinks. She’s helpless on the elevator floor until a burst of sheer willpower enables her to escape through the roof.

Back at the DEO, Winn gives her the bad news. Psi didn’t attack her in the elevator after all. She just had an epic panic attack. Alex watches Kara skitter away and Winn is left to deal with The Alex Danvers Glare™. After blubbering a lot of gibberish, he decides it’s better…not to mention safer…to come clean about Kara.

Meanwhile Sam aka Reign (but we don’t know that yet!) is having a Day of her own. She’s about to start a big new job but before she gets there, she’s called away to her daughter’s school where she learns Ruby punched someone in the face.

Ruby’s decided her mom’s got superpowers because of what happened on the Waterfront and for some reason she tells her friends at school. They of course call her a liar, and well, she didn’t appreciate that all too much.

She thinks her mom’s lying about not having powers and it’s her job to get her to “out” herself. That way, her mom can spend most of her time with her and not go off to a stupid new job, even if that stupid new job will bring in a lot of money for them.

Back at Kara’s, she’s attempting meditation, Kryptonian style. Alex invites herself inside and tells Kara she knows what’s up thanks to Winn. Kara confides in her sister. She’s trying to get back to being who she was but everything she found respite in is gone. She doesn’t have Mon-El. She’s at odds with Lena, who’s asking where she is all the time. She’s still off kilter, feeling broken as Kara but strong as Supergirl. But now, Psi is taking even that away from her.

It’s an extension of what she said last episode but now I really feel like we’re getting closer to a breakthrough. Mainly because she’s finally listening to Alex, finally, and there’s nothing the Danvers sisters can’t get through together.

Ruby, in the meantime, has run off and is ignoring texts from her mom. But when she sees Psi going after the police and an armored truck, she uses that as bait to get her super mom to save her.

Supergirl makes a stop at the DEO before heading off to the site of Psi’s latest attack, and that’s a good thing. Winn’s ready for her with a psionic inhibitor, which should stop Psi in her tracks. Or so the theory goes.

Ruby puts herself in the path of a wrecking ball hoping her mom will stop it. Sam rushes over and holds onto her daughter just in time for Supergirl to catch the wrecking ball, saving them both.

Supergirl goes against Psi but falls prey to her attack once more. Thankfully Alex is there, and Kara shares her deepest fear: The pod she’s been envisioning was Mon-El dying, not her leaving Krypton. Alex has to pull her back from the edge and assures her her fears are not real. That she saved Mon-El, just as her mother saved her by putting her in the pod and getting her off Krypton.

And with that assurance, Kara’s able to take a stand. This time it holds because she knows her crippling fear was based on a lie. Psi’s perplexed by her strength. Well, she’s perplexed up until Supergirl headbutts her into unconsciousness.

Later that night and back at CatCo, Lena’s working late and Kara has some crow to eat. She apologizes for being a bad friend and a crappy employee and points out Lena’s a good friend and great boss. They kiss and make up (proverbially, of course) just in time for Sam to show up. Lena introduces her, Samantha Arias, to Kara. Sam will be taking over Lena’s old job at L-Corp.

And while everyone else settles in for the night, Sam testing to see if she’s super strong (she’s not), Kara and Alex having a sister movie night (yay!), J’onn’s off by himself drinking at the alien bar when he receives an urgent psychic message from M’gann. He needs to return to Mars, NOW.

Triggers showed that Kara is finally dealing with losing Mon-El. This is a good thing. While there was a three month jump from the end of S2 to the beginning of S3, Kara was essentially in a state of emotional limbo. She didn’t come to terms with losing someone she loved, she simply ignored it and pretended it didn’t happen. Now she’s allowing herself to go through the process of grieving and accepting. By stripping away the safety net of her powers and forcing her to face her anxiety head on, Psi actually unintentionally did her a favor. Now, she’s allowing herself to feel broken and awkward, rather than avoiding it. Now she’s tackling her fears and she’s accepting help from her friends and, especially, her sister.

Meanwhile, as much as I adore Sanvers, we saw some cracks appear in this episode. Namely around the topic of having kids. The DJ versus live band argument was, I felt, emblematic of the fact they’re not on the same page overall on that important issue.

I give Triggers 9 Alex Danvers Glares™ out of a possible 10.

The post Supergirl S03E02 Recap/Review: Psi-ched Out appeared first on The Nerd Element.

The national controversy surrounding NFL protests took a dramatic turn on Monday when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones issued a statement indicating that he will bench any player who refuses to stand during the national anthem. “If there’s anything that is disrespectful to the flag, then we will not play,” Jones said. “Understand? We will not… If we are disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period.”

ESPN journalist Jemele Hill, a black woman, responded by tweeting about how disgruntled fans can effectively boycott Jones. “This play always works,” Hill tweeted. “Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ’s statement, boycott his advertisers,” she concluded.  

Hill was subsequently suspended for two weeks on Oct. 9, 2017. ESPN cited “a second violation of our social media guidelines” as a rationalization for the suspension. “In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences,” the network said in a statement.   

The Culture of Offense

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s recent threat to bench non-compliant team members, coupled with ESPN’s suspension of Jemele Hill, illustrates why I oppose what I call the “culture of offense.”

The culture of offense normalizes and encourages employer-based punishment for offensive but non-violent comments or political gestures. 

Since what may be considered offensive varies on one’s perception and offense is perceived differently by individuals across the socio-political and ideological spectrum, punishing these football players creates a slippery slope that threatens the rest of us to freely express ourselves without the looming threat of consequence.

The First Amendment and the Workplace  

The right to free speech is not entirely protected at the workplace. “An employee may have a constitutional right to talk politics, but he has no constitutional right to be employed,” said Oliver Wendell Holmes. In other words: to keep your job, you often can’t say or do what you like.  

This is in part due to an absence of protections at the state and federal levels regarding speech-related terminations. “At the protective end of the spectrum, five states (California, Colorado, Montana, New York, and North Dakota) prohibit employers from punishing employees for legal off-duty activities that do not conflict with the employer’s business-related interests,” according to the American Bar Association.

“These limited protections for off-duty political speech are not available to approximately half of the U.S. population… Accordingly, the majority of Americans only have legal protections for their speech only when it relates to a narrow category of topics protected by federal, state or local law.”

And yet, increased state or federal protections are unlikely to reduce the threat of workplace suspension or termination as it relates to politically motivated speech or actions, precisely because said speech or actions impact “business-related interests.”

This is particularly true during this deeply divided period in American political history. As such, employers are increasingly at risk of losing profit when their employees make on-the-job political statements or issue remarks that offend a target customer. This would explain the rationale that Jones used to explain his no-kneeling policy. “Too many of the fans of the Dallas Cowboys perceive this as disrespect for the flag,” he noted. “And so I don’t want our team doing it.”

The Solution: A Shift in American Values  

The solution to the challenge I have presented is not a shift in policy or an increase in regulatory protections. The solution is a cultural shift from offense to toleration.

Far too often, people are quick to take offense when presented with ideas that do not align with theirs. In many instances, the offense becomes a rallying call for punitive action. This has become increasingly apparent as a result of the NFL protests, during which 47% of Republicans agreed that NFL players should be fired or suspended when caught kneeling during the national anthem.

As the Republican response to the NFL protests demonstrates, the culture of offense has normalized and encouraged employer-based punishment for non-violent comments and political gestures. NFL owners, broadly, and Jerry Jones, specifically,  have cited “business-related interests,” which translates to nothing more than offended consumers, as the key motivator driving the decision to reprimand players who kneel during the anthem.

The onus is on us—ordinary citizens and consumers—to renounce the culture of offense and to promote toleration, civil debate, and the free exchange of ideas. Although it is OK to respectfully disagree with others, encouraging employers to retaliate whenever one is offended puts us all, regardless of race, ideological orientation, or political affiliation, at risk of being punished by our employers for making comments or political gestures that others might disagree with.