Faves

Favorite Bible teachers: Allistair Begg, Ravi Zacharias, Michael Youssef, Tony Evans, Crawford Loritz, Arthur Jackson

Favorite musical artists: Shachah, Ambassador, Lecrae, Trip Lee, 116 Clique

What Difference Does A Black President Make?

Here's a clue:

As talk is happening over key positions in the White House, like Attorney General and White House Counsel, for the first time I'm hearing of TONS of qualified Black and female candidates. Names like Deval Patrick, Eric Holder, Mark Alexander, and Janet Napolitano are being passed around, along with some white potentials. But here's the thing: This is the FIRST time people of color and women are in the first round of candidates, rather than an afterthought to satisfy a special interest group. That's pretty phenomenal to me, and it shows why it's important to have a Black person in the White House. And with the exception of one person, I've never even heard of these qualified African-Americans and women! Go figure! Based on the actions of our former Presidents, you would have thought that there are no competent candidates of color and few qualified women out there for top White House spots! Humph!!!

Election Day

Boy, am I excited!!! I'm sitting here waiting for my 6:30am babysitter to come so I can go vote before heading off to work. I am watching CNN and seeing tons of folks - BLACK folks - standing on line in Philadelphia and St. Louis and Richmond waiting to vote. Man, I am so proud of my people!!!

To say this is an historical moment in our country is an understatement. I hate to say it, but for many folks, this is the first time they've felt their vote had even a chance of mattering (is 'mattering' a word?).

Gotta go -- the doorbell's ringing!

Woman to Woman: The Problem with Palin

Okay, so I'm catching up on this week's Vice Presidential debates even as we speak. And, no, I'm not a fan of Palin. Never mind that her lack of legislative experience makes Republicans look like major hypocrites for criticizing the Junior Statesman's short term in Congress. Never mind that some of her practices as mayor of a very small town and as governor smack of the corruption and ethical improprieties for which politicians are known. Never mind a lotta things.

What bugs me is that Palin's obvious incompetence (did you see the Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric interviews) threatens to set woman back in the public eye. I'm a working mom, so you'll never catch me questioning whether we as women can 'have it all'. And I'm a fairly conservative Christian (with independent leanings at times), so you won't catch me ridiculing her beliefs on such controversial matters as abortion. But if, Palin, you're going to get out there and run for the second highest office in the nation, please be ready for it. Otherwise, sit on down. Rather than embarrass women everywhere by trying to pass off charisma and flash for substance, just know your limitations and sit on down.

I pray to God the Republicans don't take it this go around, because Palin is a joke, and the little respect I had for McCain is gone. Why? Because, with the one major decision he's had to make since running for President, he's shown an incredible lack of judgment that takes away any confidence I'd have in him.

On the other hand, Obama, with all of his 'inexperience', has, in the one major choice he's made since running, shown an incredible amount of wisdom. Much like Abraham Lincoln (who, by the way, went into the Presidency with so much inexperience that no one thought he'd have a chance, especially against his politically-seasoned rivals), Obama has managed to see past previous disagreements with Biden to choose someone who complements him well. Mark of a great leader.

BTW, Team of Rivals is a great (albeit long) book detailing Lincoln's journey to the White House, and then his remarkable ability to build a strong cabinet, comprised of his rivals for the Executive Office. Worth checkin' out.

They Got O.J.

Okay, so they finally got O.J. on something. Guilty on all charges. I'm interested in seeing what the sentencing will be. Can't say I'm mad at the jury, and I must admit that I was happy to see O.J. convicted. Yes, I felt he was guilty of the double homicide 13 years ago. But more importantly for this case, I feel he was guilty of the charges lodged against him. In this case there was more evidence (audiotapes and witnesses), though I do wonder why people had audiotapes present, and I am disappointed at hearing the Las Vegas policemen's comments that clearly mean they judged O.J. by his past - didn't make their decisions based solely on the present. Either way, I feel like the hands of justice move slowly, but in this case, they were on time.

I'm Related to Diddy

We belong to the same family. Watching "I Want to Work for Diddy" for a while now, I've realized that P. Diddy and I share some of the same characteristics; we share a similar work ethic or approach to what we do.

It's called workaholism, and I'm not particularly proud of it. In fact, I'm trying to change it a bit. But that still doesn't negate the fact that when it comes to work, Diddy and I are beyond first cousins -- we're brother and sister.

Don't believe me? Just check out some of his famous sayings -- "Diddy-isms":

1) Either go hard or go home. (Ew, I love this...)

2) Make it happen. (a.k.a. "Make a way out of no way.")

3) "Life is not a game. Only the fittest and most aggressive will survive. Sleep is forbidden. A second cannot be wasted. Once seconds are lost, you lose. And losing is for losers."

Another case in point: Diddy's metaphors for life, like his comparing life to hustling (not the negative side, of hustling someone out of something, but the positive side, of hustling harder or working harder and striving harder to get to a certain goal), or his comparing his career to climbing a mountain (an on-going journey).

What about people's characterizations of Diddy: He 'throws a million things at us at once,' and 'he wants things how he wants them'.

Or, how about Diddy's own description of himself: I 'start my day...flying at the speed of light.' And, 'some people say I have a very strong or intimidating energy...Well, that energy is "I play to win," and the people who are full of it are scared of me.'

Don't get me wrong; Diddy and I don't share everything in common. He's far more optimistic and materialistic, and I have problems with his insistence that he's spiritual yet his clearly carnal music and music production and lifestyle. Not to mention I have absolutely no fashion sense, and Diddy is a fashion guru. But when it comes to the work ethic and the mindset about success, the drive and the blunt honesty, and the lack of tolerance for a disease he calls by a name I can't say, I swear, Diddy's my 'brother by a different mother.'

"Lakeview Terrace"

Last night I went to see the new Samuel Jackson and Kerry Washington movie, "Lakeview Terrace". It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It was "Training Day" meets "Twelve Angry Men" meets "Crash". As always, Samuel Jackson's performance was on point, but the rest of the actors and actresses didn't stand out. The most intriguing thing about the movie, outside of Jackson's acting, was the courage of the storyline to explore the race theme.

Sorry to be the spoiler, but the movie's about a Black cop whose late wife cheated on him with her white boss (you find this out near the movie's end, but the formulaic plot makes it obvious from the first minute of the film). So, his grudge against interracial couples leads him to make the lives of his neighbors (a white man married to a Black woman) a living hell. Michael Keaton's "Pacific Heights" performance was much more thrilling and believable, but Jackson's character (Abel Turner) combines wit and cynicism with the psychopath mentality. What was disappointing was the mixture of religious fundamentalism in Jackson's character - not necessary, from my view.

But back to the theme of race. The best part of the movie, to me, was the portrayal of the difficulties that this interracial couple faces due to America's poor legacy of race relations. We're used to seeing TV and film portray white bigots, but this movie turns racism on its head and makes the Black lead character the one who's racist. Yeah, I know the old line that Blacks can't be racist because we don't have power (we can be prejudiced, though, since prejudice is an attitude); I just don't buy that bullcrap. And the scenes where the white husband is tired and frustrated at dealing with the mistreatment he receives because he's in an interracial marriage, and the Black wife tells him he has no idea -- no clue -- of how exasperating it is to deal with racism -- now those scenes are priceless. As are the innuendoes that some whites' adoption of "Black" mores might be rooted in an identity crisis of their own or a desire to experiment with the 'exotic', and the double standard Black women face when they date white men -- the stigma they encounter that isn't there when Black men date and marry white women.

Though "Lakeview Terrace" lacks the suspenseful depth and believability of, say, a "Pacific Heights", or the well-written script of a "Crash", it does have the courage to unearth some of the issues that come with race relations in America. I just hope movie-goers are up for the "courageous conversations about race" this movie sets the stage for.

Fine Black Men

Okay, am I hormonal or something? This weekend I've been thinking a lot about the beauty in the Black race, esp. when it comes to brothers. Here's my list of the finest Black men on the planet:
Tyrese
Morris Chestnutt
Brian Mcknight
R.L.
Joe
Noel Gourdin
Bokeem Woodbine
Montell Jordan
Denzel Washington
Michael Jordan
LL Cool J
Michael Jai White
Blackstreet – all but one

the list goes on and on...

Exposure

Today I have the privilege of doing something that some folks might not delight in. But those whose background and upbringing are similar to mine will understand where I'm coming from...

About a month ago we ended the very first year of our new (start-up), small high school. We had the good fortune of starting this school from scratch, beginning with just freshmen (we'll add a grade each year). On purpose we are 'non- selective enrollment', which means we deliberately do not 'cream'. We exist for any student who chooses us, but we target students who normally would not test into our city's top tier high schools, but who still deserve a quality college-prep high school education. We have a long way to go, but last weekend I had one of my 'satisfying moments', one of those experiences that remind me I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. And today is part two of that experience.

I took four of my students to a suburban college to spend a week there at a business camp, learning about business and entrepreneurship, putting together a business plan, taking field trips to downtown businesses, and getting experience of what it's like to be on a college campus. I cannot tell you how excited I was for my students, but also how much I was reminded that lack of 'exposure' is a real reason why many of my people never make it to college.

First, there were more students than the four who went who had the opportunity to attend. Sadly, some parents did not grant permission to their youth to go. My colleagues and friends and I have discussed possible reasons why (that's a whole other blog), but the bottom line is that their fears and short-sightedness stand in the way of their kids' futures.

Second, cost was a real factor. This program is great, but like all summer college programs, there was a cost. The cost was $300., and students would get that money back at the end of the week, when they receive a $500. stipend for completing the program (I had to explain what a stipend was to one of my students -- the only one bold enough to ask/admit she didn't know what the word meant). My close friend and co-Sunday School teacher, whose daughter went, along with another church member, whose son went, were able to afford this cost with no problem. Not a single one of my parents was. So I paid for their participation from my school's funds. Not one parent was able to get their child to the campus. Two parents, single moms, were working (one was at work when I picked her daughter up; another was on her way to work when I picked her child up). One parent said she needed a ride because her daughter couldn't take public transportation to the campus; she didn't even know that there's no city bus that goes to this suburb. So I borrowed a friend's Jeep, plus that friend borrowed her mother's van (we pitched in for gas), so that we could transport my four students, plus my friend's daughter, plus my daughter (who's handicapped - I couldn't get a sitter).

Now we're running up on more costs. Each student needed $30 as a deposit in case they lost their room keys. Nobody had it. And each student was told to bring $50 spending money for the week, since they'd go bowling a couple of times and do other on-campus outings. Parents gave what they had, which amounted to about $20 for their kid. I gave the rest out of pocket, but told the girls they'd have to pay me back when they got their stipend.

Now at each step of the way, these financial obstacles threatened these students' participation. Nobody can tell me that money is not a reason why people don't attend or why people drop out of college. And the financial piece was not a case of lack of parental support. Proof of support was that these students completed the entire application process to get accepted into this program, and their parents completed the appropriate paperwork in a timely fashion. And, for two of the parents who were there when I picked up the kids, the whole entire family stood on the porch to bid good-bye to their loved one for the week. You would've thought the girls were going to Iraq or something. So the moral support was there, but the financial support was not.

Of course I had to give my 'big speech' before we left the girls on campus last week. After we got them registered and settled into their rooms, and after we went to the local Walgreen's to get a few items they needed but didn't have (hangers, room freshener), I had my talk with these ladies. I told them they have been given a golden opportunity, and they needed to take full advantage of it. I told them that a lot of effort has gone into they're being here, so they need to conduct themselves in a way that shows respect for themselves first, then for their family, then for our school.

Because I had already noticed a certain look on one of my student's faces (she looked a little nervous and intimated, esp. when her roommate looked down her nose at her and filled the room w. her entire family and this student was all alone except peers and me), I added this:

I told my girls that there would be people there who were more prepared than them, but they shouldn't let that make them feel "less than" anyone; instead, they should just work harder. I told them there was a chance they'd be more prepared than someone, but they shouldn't let that make them feel "better than" anyone; instead, they should be humble and helpful. I told them they need to soak up and learn everything they can about business and about college this whole week -- and it doesn't matter if they aren't interested in business. I told them they were a family, so they'd better take care of one another. If one person has an iron, they all have an iron. If one person has a cell phone, they all have a cell phone. I told them not to let any of them be late for classes -- to wake each other up and make sure each one has what they need to have a successful week. "We know, Miss Caine; yes, Miss Caine," were their replies, but I think they got the message.

I think they're having a ball, since nobody called me at all this week. Not even when I left a message with their chaperone for them to call me and let me know how they were doing.

Today I go to their presentation of business plans, and awards ceremony, and then I take them back home.

I was reminded of when I went to college. My mother had to get someone to drive us from NJ to CT (we had no car), and I was literally dropped off. Then my mother and her ride sped off. No one was there to get me situated -- to help me find my room, tour the campus with me, make sure I had all the things I needed, whatever. But other parents did that for their kids. I realize my mom, who'd never been to college herself, was likely uncomfortable in what was a foreign experience.

I want to do everything I can to make sure kids in my school don't have the same obstacles I did. I am going to work with my counselor so that every student visits colleges several times a year, including overnight visits, and so that as many students as possible attend these summer college programs.

Why? Because exposure means so much. It ignites a passion for college. It builds comfort level with a new experience by taking some of the mystery and uncertainty and uneasiness out of it. It challenges students by letting them meet and work with youth their age from all over the country, showing them what 'college-prep' really looks like and showing them how far they have to grow academically and socially.

And a big THANKS to the Entrenuity staff (Brian Jenkins and Tiffany Staley) for making space for my kids to have EXPOSURE. I know their futures will be different because of this past week.

On My Heart

Two different situations are on my heart this morning.

The first is the need to pray for two Christian families who've recently experienced the loss of loved ones in a very tragic, sudden way. Rev. Timothy Wright, Gospel singer and pastor of a COGIC church in Brooklyn, lost both his wife and grandson in a freak automobile accident this weekend. He's in critical condition himself. Someone was driving on the wrong side of the highway and hit them, and that driver died, too. This situation is so sad and really breaks my heart. I cannot imagine the pain this family must feel. It reminds me of a similar situation that occurred about a month or so ago. Steven Curtis Chapman, Christian Gospel singer, lost his five year-old daughter in a freak accident at his home. His teenaged son was backing an automobile out of the driveway and didn't see the precious little one, and struck her with the car and killed her. What's most ironic is that this little girl was one of two daughters that Steven and his wife adopted from China I believe, heeding the Lord's call to add to their birth children.

If these situations don't show that the godly are not exempt from tragedy, nothing will. Let's remember to "weep with those who weep" by joining our hearts with theirs in prayer to our heavenly Father, the God of all comfort, to be with these brothers and sisters in Christ in their time of need and sorrow.

The second situation is yet another example of how I feel like living as a Black person in America is like trying to swim to a shore and someone has put weights on your arms and cut your legs off. I feel like so much of American history as it relates to people of color is either not told, or is told so inaccurately that we don't have a strong sense of our accomplishments, nor do we have a clear idea of the history of injustice that our forefathers endured. Have you ever heard of something called Massive Resistance? Well, apparently, this week some Blacks were honored in VA for standing up and trying to integrate schools after the '54 Brown vs. Board of Education decision. The terrible part is that the state of VA launched an all-out war almost, a full-fledged campaign, to prevent that landmark decision from taking place. What was astonishing was that a lot of schools closed their doors rather than segregate, and the governor (who led this mess) enacted laws preventing schools that integrated from receiving State funds. What is most atrocious is that at one point an entire county (Prince George's, I believe) actually closed every single school in their county rather than integrate. Damn! Like Marvin Gaye said, "Makes me wanna holla, and throw up both my hands!"

Learning this angers me, but it also fills me with pride to see how far my people have come. Then when I hear Ralph Nader chiding Barack Obama for 'sounding white', I almost flip out again...

richard allem

"The River"

In a musical world full of nonsense that passes as music, it was refreshing for me to stumble upon a treasure of a song. It's called "The River" and it's sung by newcomer Noel Gourdin.

Okay, so everybody's telling me this song's been out for a year(?) and asking me where I've been. Living in a cave called running a school is my answer. But seriously, this song's lyrics are powerful. It conjures up vivid images and warm feelings inside. And if you have roots in the South, you can instantly relate. Even if you don't, you can relate to the wistful theme of love lost. And brother man's voice is FIRE! Some say he reminds them of Anthony Hamilton or Jaheim. Humph! Really reminds me of the old school crooners back in the day -- the Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffins and such.

For the full experience, check out the video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dy7iPhG7VT4

Or for the initially skeptical, here are the lyrics...

"The River", produced and written by Lady and a Tramp and sung by Noel Gourdin

Growin' up, it was tough
We were glad for what little we had
I saw my share of Old Fair, Mississippi, dirt roads, and Confederate flags
Everyday my father would tell me, “Son, run and don't never come back”
That's where I left my girl
That's where my heart is at, and ohh...

[Chorus]
I held my breath when they dipped my head
Then I came up shiny and new
Found out about love in the back of my Impala
Where they laid my grandfather too
Down by the river where black folks gather after Sunday service is through
How the river runs to the ocean, I'll be runnin' right back to you

I got along, I'm movin' on
I bandaged the scars up well
I think of her, then I sit and I wait
For a card or a letter in the mail
I walk the beach with the sand in my feet
Place my ear up to a shell
I wonder if you miss me too
Cuz I been longin' to get to you
I'm sick of starin' out my window sill
I'm tired of hopin' she remembers me still
I'm packin' my bags, I said I'm goin' back home
To the place where I belong
The river
And if she's there when I get there
I'm never gonna leave her again
You see, she stole my heart
Down by the river

[Chorus]

So I'm packin' up my suitcase
Bought me a one-way fare
I'm leavin' everything behind me
But in my heart I always care
And I'll still be right there (Thank you baby)
Cuz nothin' can replace that part in my life, and...

[Chorus]

Hip Hop Chef

So it's 8:30am and TT is still asleep (yes, she's sick), and I'm watching... get this -- a cooking show! No, the world is not coming to an end. Yes, I feel okay. But for someone to get me to watch a cooking show, the host has to be interesting, and interesting this host is...

His name is G. Garvin, and he looks like a dark-skinned LL Cool J (ladies, get your minds right!). The name of the show is "Turn Up the Heat w. G. Garvin", and this 'hip hop chef', as I've dubbed him, is known to dress in a crisp button-down (w. sleeves rolled up so he can cook), while rocking a red turned-back baseball cap. Today he's wearing another button up, along w. black jeans and white 'kicks' (a.k.a. sneakers).

He speaks what comes naturally to him: a perfect blend of 'cooking lingo' and hip hop lingo. He refers to himself as 'ya boy' and cracks me up w. his 'know what I mean?' spoken as only true hip hop lovers can. He just said, "We're gonna watch this baby do what it do!" Now when was the last time you heard Emeril or Rachel Ray use this type of language?

G. Garvin is able to talk about the specific spices he uses, different kinds of cheese (Gruyere is the new one I learned, from the Switzerland town where it originated, which I learned from G. Garvin), and prosciutto (the Italian word for ham; I wondered what I was ordering from Wendy's when I ordered the sandwich w. this; I was just going by the picture!).

G. Garvin also takes us on field trips. Today he's at a restaurant in New Orleans, letting a female chef there teach us. One Saturday he took us to a South Side restaurant that also doubles as a famous culinary arts school (Washburne Culinary Arts Institute and Restaurant). This cool place is located in the South Shore Cultural Center, "a Chicago landmark and architectural treasure restored to preserve the original details of many areas" (taken from opentable.com).

Oh, right now G. Garvin has moved us to Cafe Reconcile, a restaurant that is also a training program for at-risk youth, ages 18-21 years old.

Can anybody see the 'hood commitment blended w. the cooking commitment?

So.... Why am I sharing all this? Is it just to let everybody know that part of me is starting to want to learn how to cook? Hecky-naw (to quote my friend D).

I brought this up to give a perfect example of what it is like to "contextualize" something -- in this case, contextualize cooking in a Black urban setting. G. Garvin has found a way to make cooking/culinary arts appealing to a specific group of people. His hip hop nature and love of the 'hood comes through clearly, even as he introduces the audience to high-end dishes.

As the Christian church thinks about what it might look like to be "missional" and to "contextualize" the Gospel, check out G. Garvin!

Wisdom

Okay, so I went to the cleaners this past Monday, the first day of my 'working' spring vacation. I had a huge bag of clothes, as it's not often that I even get to go to the cleaners (doing laundry every week is enough of a challenge). When I do go, though, I always have a boat-load of clothes to be cleaned.

This is my regular cleaners, and putting 2 and 2 together, it became obvious to me that the white folks who own the cleaners are giving ownership over to an Asian family (an Asian woman was standing next to the white women who normally wait on me, learning what they do).

So, in addition to the clothes that need cleaning, there are 3 pairs of brand-new jeans that need to be hemmed. Usually I take them elsewhere to be hemmed, but to cut down on time, I did it all here. However, when the white women waiting on me told me they don't hem pants unless they clean them, too, I told them 'Never mind; I'll take the pants to be hemmed somewhere else and just pay my bill for the cleaning of my dress clothes." At my statement, the Asian woman held onto the 3 pairs of jeans and told me they'd hem them without cleaning them. What transpired was really interesting...

The white women insisted that the rule was to only hem pants if the customer paid to have them cleaned there, too. Politely, while trying to hurry with the rest of my order, the Asian woman told them, "It's okay; I take care of it," meaning she'd handle the exception. The white women's voices got louder, even saying there was no way to put in the computer hemming of pants without cleaning as well. Finally, the Asian woman, struggling over language, won the battle, getting the white women to use the old-fashioned way of receipting customers -- the duplicate copy receipt book -- so that I could receive the service desired.

Witnessing this long interchange, I admired the Asian woman's wisdom, though I felt sorry for her. Though her language and newness to that particular store's policy seemed lacking, she was really the smartest of the bunch. She saw what the two white women missed: the big picture. She saw the importance of making a small exception for a regular paying customer (who had a huge order) over dogmatically following the rules. Instantly I knew I'd return to the store, more often now than ever, because of this Asian woman's wisdom.

A Smile

So I was on this flight home from New Orleans (work conference), sitting between this grouchy teenage-looking, bi-racial-looking young man on my right and this over-middle-age white woman on my left. So I started reading the many magazines I'd bought before boarding. The white woman had to use the bathroom at one point and, afraid of disturbing the obviously irritated young man (whose eyes were closed and whose earphones were on), she intimated that at some point in the flight she might have to get up. Annoyed at the young man's attitude, I volunteered to be the 'bad cop' and awaken him. In return, when she got back from the lav, the white woman struck up a conversation with me. She mostly talked; I mostly listened. And what she shared put a big smile on my face...

Turns out this woman was a Methodist from Reno, who'd spent the past week with around 30 or so of her church members, helping renovate three homes in N.O. This woman shared her experiences and seemed genuinely interested in helping out ordinary folks whose lives were devastated due to Katrina over 3 years ago. As if this wasn't enough good news to me, the woman then shared how amazed she was to find a total of about 600 Methodists from all over who'd volunteered their time as well. There were others, too -- the 20 college kids using their spring break to lend a hand, and the two Christian women from another denomination who relocated to N.O. to coordinate the volunteer efforts of the Reno woman and many others.

Well, I was simply amazed and ecstatic at how these people of God have 'stepped up' (sorry about the cliche) and heeded God's command, or better yet, reflected the heart of God, in aiding those in need. And without any fanfare or publicity or anything like that. Truly awesome! Though I am still saddened that it's three years after The Storm and folks are still not made whole in terms of living conditions, I am grateful for God's folks doing His work. And before we landed, this woman and I were talking about how wonderful it would be to bring a group of my school students to N.O. for a week in the summer..... Hmmm.....

Female Leadership

Okay, so I've been thinking a lot lately about leadership, about how lonely and how hard it is, yet how absolutely critical it is to the success of any organization or group or enterprise. Both for myself and for work, I've renewed my focus on God and on my personal mission statement (the latter of which has a heavy leadership component). But I have been thinking about something (sorry for the rambling)...

Is there a gender bias with respect to what's acceptable in leadership? Do people accept a male leader who is firm and more autocratic than they do a female leader with the same qualities? Do people expect women leaders to be more nurturing and collaborative and such? Just some thoughts...

Is It Right?

Okay, so I've just watched my second episode of "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew. I waver between feeling saddened and embarrassed for the has-been celebrities on the show, to identifying with the effects of addiction that these folks have wrecked on their families.

I've never been a reality show addict; in fact, I've only watched one relatively consistently (if, like 2 seasons count): Celebrity Apprentice. But all the other reality shows, esp. the ones that are auditions for jobs, pale in comparison to this one. Celebrity Rehab is like an audition for life, or for the rest of your life.

So, I've struggled as I've watched both episodes of this show, much like I struggled watching talk shows in their earlier days (before, incidentally, swearing them off): Is it right to have such a deep look into folks' personal lives, esp. as they're wrestling with their demons - not after they've won the battle?

Granted, Celebrity Rehab's no Jerry Springer or Maury (which I don't see how anyone in their right mind could watch). But it does smack of a bit of voyeurism to me. I dunno.

I wonder what other folks think...