Bitter Daze

Oscar Season is here.

2010-10-01T13:34:00.006-04:00

After leaving the theater last night I realized that Oscar season is here. I mean, I had just seen Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps a few days ago and the week before that, Ben Afleck’s The Town. But it wasn’t until I saw David Fincher’s The Social Network (aka the Facebook movie) that I realized who the contenders would be for Hollywood’s most prestigious award. Now I know what you’re thinking. It’s only September, how are you so sure any one of these movies will be nominated. Well that’s a good question. But hear me out.

The academy changed its policy last year to increase the number of movies to be nominated for best picture from five to ten. So here’s my potential list of movies that may be considered for best picture:

The Social Network: The plot revolves around the founder of Facebook and former Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg played by Jesse Eisenberg recruits some of his classmates to develop the social networking website, Facebook. The endeavor, however, leads to a messy fallout with friend and co-founder, Eduardo Saverin played by Andrew Garfield. Personally I think they should just give this film the award and call it a day. It’s that good.

The Town: Ben Afleck directs this Boston drama about a career thief Doug MacRay played by Affleck who considers deepening his relationship with Claire played by Rebecca Hall, a bank teller who was traumatized by a recent heist -- and who has no idea that Doug was behind the crime. Meanwhile, an investigator played by Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, who is close to unmasking Doug's secret life.

The Kids are Alright: An alternative-family drama centered on lesbian parents Nic (Annette Benning) and Jules (Julianne Moore), who each conceived a child through artificial insemination. The family's dynamics are tested when their youngest child, 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson), convinces college-bound Joni (Mia Wasikowska), to look up their donor played by Marc Ruffalo.

Inception: I know I could be just dreaming but I think this movie has a shot at being nominated. If ya haven’t seen Inception by now it’s about a thief played by Leonardo DiCaprio who specializes in the art of extraction, the stealing of secrets from a target's subconscious. Though his profession cost him everything he has ever loved and has turned him into a fugitive, an offer for a final job -- one that requires him to plant an idea instead of pilfering it -- could be his chance at redemption.

Black Swan: While vying for the coveted lead roles in a production of Swan Lake, a veteran ballerina played by Natalie Portman enters into a twisted friendship with a promising new dancer played by Mila Kunis that threatens to consume her. Darren Aronofsky directs.

Hereafter: Clint Eastwood directs a supernatural thriller centered on three people-- a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy --- touched by death in different ways and the man who helps them communicate with the dead played by Matt Damon.

Welcome to the Riley’s: On a business trip to New Orleans, a married man played by James Gandolfini grieving the loss of his daughter and his estranged marriage begins a tentative friendship with a young runaway played by Twilight’s Kristen Stewart.

Never Let Me Go: Set in a dystopian Britain, boarding school friends Ruth (Kira Knightley), Kathy (Carey Mulligan), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) face the sobering reality that awaits them all as they mature into adults.

The King’s Speech: The chronicle of King George VI's played by Colin Firth effort to overcome his nervous stammer with the assistance of speech therapist Lionel Logue played by Geoffrey Rush.

127 Hours: Danny Boyle directs this true story about a mountain climber Aron Ralston played by James Franco becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

For Colored Girls: Tyler Perry directs this adaptation of Ntozake Shange's play (For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf). The drama is centered on a group of black women whose lives and experiences intersect at a 12-step healing program. I’ve got a feeling that this film will be a success for Mr. Perry. People love to hate on him for obvious reasons but there is something sincere in his work even though some may see it as trite and pedestrian.

Here are some notable mentions that I think may sneak in there. Conviction, Secretariat, and The Company Men.

So there you have it. Is it me or am I the only one who thinks Lion’s Gate might buy a nomination for Tyler Perry? After all that money he brings into the studio I really think it's the least they can do for the man.

Loss, Faith and Hypocrisy

2010-09-18T13:40:00.000-04:00

Loss

At the end of 2009 I lost an important family member in my life. In April of 2010 I lost two friends to a random act of violence. In May I lost another family member. In June a close friend of mine lost his mom. And last week I went to the funeral of a woman who is partially responsible for me meeting Professor Angry (aka the wife)

Death has been wining this year with me. I’m not afraid to admit that. And with all the death I’ve witnessed this year it has kinda shaken my faith in a higher power. I can live with the loss of those who have “returned home”, but I refuse to believe that there is some kind of pattern or plan. If there is a plan then the less I know about it the better. I don't see any fairness in this plan. I still believe there is a G-d, but right now I think the creator is on some random shit. There I said it. Normally I do my best to articulate my feelings in a way that shows that I was educated but there are times when all that fancy talk doesn’t cut the mustard. G-d is on some random shit people and the sooner we accept it the better humanity will be as a whole.

Faith

Faith is an important thing for people. People die, get molested, fight wars, build schools, feed the hungry, create beautiful works of art, and write beautiful poetry and many other things all in the name of faith. Like everything in life there’s a good side and a bad side to it. But what makes faith interesting to me is a person’s commitment to it. Even I’m not immune. As humans it’s essential for us to believe in something, even if you’re an atheist you believe that there is no G-d that in itself is a belief. It’s not a religion but it’s faith that there is nothing out there and this life is all that there is.

Hypocrisy

Here’s where I think we fuck up. As humans we let our fears dictate our behavior and it manifests itself through our belief system, so much so we do wrong when we think we are doing right out of fear. Here’s an example: If I’m "saved" then I’ve made my peace with death no matter what the outcome, I know I’ll be fine, but for the person that doesn’t accept Jesus into their life they may go to hell. I think that’s pretty crappy if ya ask me. This idea of G-d as an insurance policy to get you into the “afterlife” is narcissistic to me. I do think that G-d judges all men (and women). But that belief comes from my idea of what I deem as fair. I want to believe the “wicked” will be punished and “righteous” will be rewarded. With what I have no idea. I don’t think there is a physical place called heaven or hell and I am not gonna assume to know what G-d says or thinks of me or any of my brothers or sisters. That job is out of my pay grade.

Hypocrisy is best described as the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. When I looked up the definition I saw a picture of the Pope. Strange huh? We all have had moments when we’ve been a hypocrite, consciously and unconsciously, we’re only human, so I hope the creator will forgive me for my doubts. I do the best I can to be aware of the times when I’m full of shit. Even while typing the words across this screen I stopped to ask myself, “Aren’t you being a little full of yourself?”

I know this post on the surface looks pretty deep and heavy, but I had to let that one off my chest. So with that said I promise that the next post will be a little light hearted.

Confession

2010-09-18T13:39:00.004-04:00

Looking at a blank screen is a blogger’s worst nightmare. As I sit here and stare at this blank screen I am frozen by fear and loss. Has it gotten to the point where I’ve run out of things to say? No not at all.

I can make a lot of excuses for my absence but the fact of the matter is I’ve been listening to that negative voice inside my head that told me that I can’t write.

So I decided to listen to it for a time.

In this moment, I’m wondering to myself. Should I even tell y’all some of this shit? Self analysis is a good thing but too much can prevent you from moving forward.

So let’s go.

Get a clue people

2009-07-24T15:12:00.005-04:00

Get a clue people.

I was just reading about what happened to Heny Louis Gates Aka Skip Gates. And I really think that it’s funny that people still don’t understand how race plays a small role in this. The officer was just doing his job, but he didn't have to arrest the man. HLG had just come home from China…First off do you even know how long that flight is. So naturally he’s probably in a un-rested bad mood. Now put yourself in his shoes. You just come home and your front door is jacked up. So what do you do? Go around back and you come in that way. But your nosey neighbors call the cops because they see suspicious action.

But all you trying to do is get into your house. Seriously this reads like an old Dave Chappelle joke. So you’re in your house resting from a long flight and here comes a cop asking you if you live there and if you are alone in the house and if the house is yours. Man you just got back from China and you’re tired and now you gotta deal with a cop asking you questions talking about do you live here? WTF? Of course he was gonna be a little upset. His front door is jacked up and he’s gotta fix that and now he’s got to explain himself to this cop? Hell I’d be a little pissed off to.

Now ya see this whole thing is shocking cause it’s HLG. If this was Cornel West or Michael Eric Dyson; I would be more inclined to see why they got arrested cause those brothas can get a little loud. But this is HLG…I mean this guy is so calm and non-threatening that it’s shocking to me that he would be considered disorderly. If you’ve seen his documentaries or read his books you would have a better understanding of what I’m saying…that being said this arrest could be good for him in terms of book sales.

Now I see both sides to this. The cop was just doing his job. He’s conditioned to think a certain way. Asking a man if anyone else is inside his house when you get a call on a reported break in is a fair question to ask. From his perspective there could have been someone in the house that HLG didn't know about. But I also see HLG side of things. I’m tired just getting home I gotta get my front door fixed and now I got to deal with this cop.

But I digress. And then what added gasoline to the fire was someone asking ole 44 (Obama) what he thought of the arrest. And the president backed his boy up. And white America is shocked by this? If y’all had any doubts about 44 being black. All doubt was removed when he used that moment to remind white folks of black people’s history with the police. See I got NO problem with the president having his boy’s back. He had every right to say what he said. And if people listen to the whole comment there’s nothing out of the ordinary that was said.

The question that burns within each black person when they hear of this kind of crap is: If they can do that to an accomplished scholar like HLG then what the f*ck are my chances? The best case scenario is that charges get dropped and you get held for a few hours. The worst case scenario is ya get shot like Oscar Grant.

Happy New Year...Are you still there???

2009-01-09T07:24:00.008-05:00

It’s been a long time…And first off I’d like to say HI HATERS! I told you so. Obama is our new president. And that’s all I got…Nothing more to say. This year I’ve decided to have a little more fun…Assisting me in this endeavor will be a friend, she is currently living aboard and does not want her real name out there so I will just call her…Cassie aka Sassy Cassie. Cassie is a strong beautiful opinionated woman of color who has traveled the world. We’ve known each other for many years and I always get a kick out of her unique world view. By the way she’s from Canada. I threw a couple of topics at her to not only get a rise out of her but to give you a taste of her unique world view. I hope you enjoy.

The random sample of topics included the following subjects:

Fake Boobs
Black Chicks who dye their hair blond
Chicks that did porn and want to sing
Sex In the City is it a myth?
Girls with Pink Hair who have baby voices are they faking?
Black chicks who wear their hair natural who date white men.

Cassie in classic form responded as follows:

Re: Fake Boobs she had this to say:
"Don’t care as long as they appear natural. Do the rest of us a favor though and please stop flaunting them in the female locker room at the gym. Big breasted women can spot fake tatas anywhere, especially when you lay down since fakes stay up an don’t slide to the side and kiss your armpits. We can also see the scarring. Most importantly, flaunt them around the wrong woman and she is likely to stick a pin in your new found confidence and cause it to leak out like the silicone in your breasts."

Re: Black Chicks who dye their hair blonde:
"It’s actually getting tired. If you’re in show business or the beauty industry, it’s understandable. It is not acceptable however if you can’t keep up the hair, make-up and wardrobe of such a demanding colour. If you can’t afford the maintenance, STOP! Ill groomed black blondes look washed out and dirty and yellow straw never really blends well with black hamburger meat."

Re: Chicks that Did porn and now want to sing:
Irrelevant because no one knows who they are. Just trying to marry a rich singer and need to get their foot in the door. Actually feel sorry for these pathetic sperm receptacles.

Re: Sex in the City:
I can’t be fair to Sex and the City. When I was going through my divorce and was actually on my own, making money, travelling and having promiscuous sex, I thought it was the best show in the world. Now that I’ve grown up, I can’t even stomach to look at it because it reminds me of how stupid young, independent, smart women are and the lengths they will go to for a man’s attention. I think it’s should be viewed as a guilty pleasure or a safe escape for women who’ve never lived in New York or are independent. However, if you can identify with every character at a point in time in your life, move on. It’s an endless merry go round that is never going to stop. Know when to get off.

Re: Girls with Pink hair:
I don’t’ get the pink hair thing. I don’t think they’re faking. I think they are gullible and some fabu gay hairdresser has convinced them that this is the “new blonde” and they bought into it like the emperor’s new clothes. It’s all about being accepted. Again, if you’re in the entertainment or beauty business, fine. If not, the response above.

Re: Black chicks who have naturals who date white men:
Some of these women are extremely hypocritical. I have nothing against interracial dating or marriage but think you need to ask yourself this one question as a black woman: If a white guy is only interested in me because of my afro, dark skin and big lips, perhaps he has some xenophobic, domineering fantasies, like Thomas Jefferson? Just because he wants to f*&k you doesn’t mean he’s not racist. I am so sick of these girls walking around with the afro t-shirts and the souls sister image when at the end of the day you only feel better about your hair when a white man validates it as an acceptable beauty standard, not you. In other words, the fact that the white guy likes it supposedly makes it better and silently gives the black man the finger. At the end of the day, some of these so-called soul sisters are with white men because they want to get back at the black men who rejected them. Straight, curly, blond, pink or nappy, self hatred is still alive and well!

Catching up.

2008-09-08T17:06:00.002-04:00

I’ve been away from this for a couple of weeks and I’ve got some catching up to do. I’ve got a few things to get off my chest so let’s just get started with the randomness.

I got a problem with this new show Sons of Anarchy. It’s on the FX channel and it’s basically a story about a motorcycle club (gang). Right off the bat I have a problem with this show because it reflects a double standard that is pervasive throughout our culture.

If this show was about the Crips or the Bloods people would be up in arms. I know it’s just a TV show and I don’t have to watch it but still there’s something about this show that just bugs me. Where is the outrage from the trailer park coalition?

The tale of two conventions.

I saw both conventions. The Democrats didn’t attack enough and the Republicans lacked substance. The ticket is set: Obama-Biden and McCain-Palin. Either way history will be made in November. There’s just one quote that sticks in my craw that I’d like to vent about: "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities." Maybe it’s my urban values or my urban upbringing but I don’t get what’s so damn funny about being a community organizer. In an interview with Newsweek Obama’s former boss had this to say “I think it shows how much people from the wealthy and privileged sectors have dominated community life.” I could not agree more with that sentiment. Anyone who comes out of an Ivy League college and decides to do “community work” must be commended simply for the fact that they have chosen to help people who have less rather than maintaining the status quo.

For years my mother was some what of a community organizer. As TA (tenant association) president she looked out for the rights of the other tenants in our housing development. When a tenant had a problem whether it be a flood, repairs, or a boiler issue my mother was the one who made the call to management to make sure that tenant received the proper assistance they needed. So to say that a community organizer doesn’t have responsibilities is not only an ignorant statement but it’s an insult to anyone who works from a grass roots level to help people who fall between the cracks left by the government. It’s the community organizers who the local politicians call when they need votes it’s the community organizers who eventually become politicians. And if I’m not mistaken didn’t Mrs. Palin get her start on the PTA? And isn’t the PTA a community organization?

By the way I love the way teenage moms are getting love from the GOP. Who knew that all it took was for the VP’s daughter to get knocked up. I guess it’s ok cause Bristol plans on marrying Levi Johnson. Apparently Bristol hasn’t read Levi's MySpace page which stated: “I don’t want kids.”

*As of last week his MySpace page was taken down. Guess he changed his mind?

Barack Obama Hecklers : My Take On It

2008-08-16T00:21:00.001-04:00

Saul Williams - Telegram

2008-08-15T23:27:00.009-04:00

Obama Heckled on African American Issues

2008-08-15T23:18:00.001-04:00

In the interest of fairness I am posting this clip.

Mind the Gap.

2008-07-16T22:15:00.000-04:00

I’m pretty much fed up at this point. First Jesse Jackson leaves his mike on and gets caught talking about how he wants to cut Obama’s nuts off. Then Phil Gramm calls America a nation of whiners. Then we have the cover of the New Yorker. And then I read this.

But let’s look at the context of what Jesse may have been caught saying. “Obama’s talking down to N*ggaz.” But aren’t N*ggaz the ones who are being irresponsible.

But I digress.

It is incumbent upon Barack Obama to close the racial gap. But if he can’t is it his fault?

There are a lot of white people who want to stay in Iraq. There are a lot of white people who are not comfortable with a black man becoming president no matter what. There are white people who like Barack Obama but do believe in his message. My overall point is that there are too many variables at play here for Obama to actually close the racial gap in this country. His message of unity has put a magnifying glass on fault line that is race in America, making us more conscious of it, and making some of us resentful that he’s indirectly brought the problem to light.

In my humble opinion it is not Obama’s job to improve race relations. The responsibility falls at the feet of the people. I for one am not going to fool myself into believing that just because a black man can become president means that racism is over. It is a huge step, but that does not erase the vile legacy of racism in this country. Now the average white person reading this is probably asking himself well then WHAT WILL? WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT THEN?

I want white people to understand that it is not that simple. I would like white people to acknowledge that the issue is far more complex than they would like to admit. White people’s idea of racism and what is racist is a far cry from what black people feel is racist.

But vote Obama in the fall anyway. It’s a step in the right direction.

Are you offended?

2008-07-14T13:01:00.002-04:00

Does this picture offend you?

2008-07-02T21:01:00.008-04:00

Last week I was gonna talk about this then this happened, then I got sidetracked. Which brings me to this week’s post.

Is it me or is McCain making a lot of mistakes? Grover Norquist a McCain supporter was quoted recently by saying Barack Obama is John Kerry with a tan.

And this week Now John Wesley Clarke has officially screwed himself out of getting the veep slot on the Democrats ticket. He challenged McCain's qualifications and then said "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."

This election cycle people are going to be very creative in the ways they make the other one look bad. Obama at the end of the day is a politican and if he can out smart the Clintons then he can surely outsmart the GOP.

But when you say something as stupid as Obama is John Kerry with a tan it really forces you to see how creative these McCain supporters can be.

Are we ready?

2008-06-18T22:37:00.002-04:00

From the beginning of Barack Obama’s campaign the question of “Is white America ready for a black president?” But let me ask a question that has not been asked my many.

Is Black America ready for a black president?

Tavis Smiley on his June 13th show posed two questions I would like to discuss here:

On his June 13th show Tavis Smiley posed the question “Having some body that has to race transcend and has to pivot on race does that mean we are really ready?”

The way he poses this question leads me to believe that he would rather see a candidate like Jesse Jackson who runs an unapologetically “black” campaign and win. In my estimation Mr. Smiley doesn’t see the big picture. When a man runs for president of the United States he’s got to have an appeal that crosses all boundaries. Everyone knows Obama is a black man. Obama reminding white people that he’s black will only serve to marginalize him.

What does black America gain by getting behind somebody who has to jump through hoops just to get in office?

Once again I find it very noteworthy in the way he posses this question. Being that Tavis was an avid Hillary supporter his question is revealing in the way he sees the scope of things. Are we to believe that Black America would gain more if Hillary was the nominee? What is to be gained? Mr. Smiley poses a hard question. One can only speculate about what’s to be gained for all black and white. I do not think black Americans will get any special treatment if Obama becomes the president. I can tell you what we will loose though; we will loose the ability to make the excuses we’ve been making for decades.

We will now have to step up while staying vigilant. It’s going to be hard as hell to convince white people racism still exists with a black man as president but only a fool would think that a black president would end racism in America.

Now what???

2008-06-07T12:55:00.000-04:00

It happened. Obama won the nomination and as of today Hillary Clinton has suspended her campaign.

Now comes the hard part, winning the White House in November. America will be put to the test these next five months we will truly find out how far we’ve come as a nation.

I don’t use this term lightly but I am very happy that Obama has the opportunity to run. It’s a long time coming and it’s not going to be easy but I know in my heart it is possible.

Now that I’ve gotten that positive stuff out of the way I would like to take this time to get some things off my chest.

I really didn’t know what to think of Chris Matthews and Tom Brokaw getting misty eyed Tuesday night. It just felt weird to see them get emotional about the prospect of a black man becoming president of the United States. In one way I felt as if they were patting themselves on the back as if to say, “Look how far we’ve come people see racism is dying.” But that’s how I felt in the moment. As the thought of Obama becoming president sunk in I realized that my first reaction may not have been on point. Maybe just maybe these men were being sincere.

These past few days I’ve come to realize the depth of how whites and blacks view race in this country. In the majority of white people’s minds racism is a dead issue. But to a majority of black people in America it’s still an issue that permeates our daily lives.

There in lies the problem. How can we in the post-Obama world see eye to eye?

Shame on you Liz Trotta

2008-05-28T22:04:00.001-04:00

I feel sorry for this woman. Is this what fair and balanced really means?

It's amazing that stuff like this slips under the radar.

But the thing that bothers me the most about this kind of thing is that deep down everyone fears for Obama's life in one way or another because the last time a leader was this popular with both black and white people he got shot.

This kind of thing is unacceptable and I am surprised there wasn't a bigger uproar.

Thug Fashion Rant.

2008-05-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

This week I am making the conscious decision not to say ANYTHING about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Instead of my usually drivel, I am going to talk about something that I've been dying get off my chest. Now what I'm about to rant about may be considered frivolous by many of you but to me this is a VERY SERIOUS issue. It is one of those things that I find to be the tipping point in what some might call hip hop culture. This thing that haunts me whenever I see it, isn’t chicken bones in the street, it isn’t stretch marks on women wearing tight clothes who have no business in them?

No my friends this thing is far worse than any of that. This thing is what I like to call THUG FASHION FLUBS.

If you live in the hood you should not wear anything to do with NASCAR.
If you live in the hood you should not be wearing anything that sparkles. Stop with the sparkly skulls. WHAT’S WITH THAT?? Thugs don’t sparkle.
If you live in the hood you should not wear ANYTHING THAT IS DAY GLO. That includes AIR FORCE ONES that are BRIGHT GREEN WITH NEON PINK SHOE LACES!

Now don’t get me wrong this is not a homophobic rant. This is more about IMAGE.

YOU CAN’T BE TOUGH AND SPARKLE AT THE SAME TIME!

Sorry but WHO ARE YOU SCARING WEARING THAT SH*T??

I thought keeping it hood was about resiliency in the face of the harsh reality of the urban experience. I thought keeping it hood was about toughness. HOW YOU GONNA BE TOUGH IN SOME PINK AIR FORCE ONES!

And WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT NASCAR JACKET. Do you even know what NASCAR STANDS FOR?? Why are you a walking BILLBOARD???

I’m sorry, maybe it’s my old age or maybe it’s just my GENERAL FASHION SENSE.

Mid-Week Rant 5-14-08

2008-05-14T20:33:00.008-04:00

Can I just get some stuff of my chest....

How many times have you heard or read the following statement:

Clinton's largest margins, were registered among voters at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Among white voters without a college degree.

So if you are a white person who makes under $30,000 a year and didn't go to college, chances are you are a Hillary supporter.

What is the elitist media really saying when they keep repeating this stat??

I'll tell ya: Dumb white people like Hillary.

I honestly do not believe that because I would like to think that poor white folk can think for themselves and make their own decisions.

But that's not what I want to talk about today. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite topics. RACE. Wait...Hear me out before you click away and go to another blog.

Obama's foot soldiers encounter name-calling, vandalism, bomb threats

Yes ladies and gentlemen racism is alive and well and white people are finding out day by day that if you volunteer for a black candidate for president the chances of your life being threatened are heightened.

What is this the 60's? Don't these white people know racism is over? This kind of behavior is very disturbing.....Ok if you can't tell I'm being sarcastic.

It's amazing that these incidents are being reported just as the primary season is coming to a close.

You may go now....Wait don't go

2008-05-07T22:19:00.000-04:00

Question: Who does Hillary Clinton have to pay to change the laws of mathematics in order for her to win the Democratic nomination?

Because at this point that’s what it’s going to take for her to win.

Question: If the math is against you, how can you raise money for your campaign?
Answer: Loan the money to yourself!

I love how the media is now calling for her to drop out. I totally disagree. I want Hillary Clinton to stay in this until it is over. Yes it will be a little humiliating for her when she has to tell her supporters that she has to bow out. But a little humble pie is good for the soul.

Last night Obama won North Carolina, and lost in Indiana. I’m very happy about this. But I take nothing for granted. Obama could say something stupid or a crack-head friend could come out the woodwork and then we’d be back to square one.

But I digress. Hillary Clinton needs to stay in this race and the media needs to shut up. Whenever there have been calls for Mrs. Clinton to leave the race it always ends up firing up her base and then it looks like the media is making her the victim and then that sets the stage for another so-called “comeback”.

The math is not on her side. So why is she still in the race? What does she have to prove?

I think it is pride. But in the words of the great Marsellus Wallace, “That's pride fucking with your head. Fuck pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps.”

Never truer words spoken in cinema.

A Requiem for Sean Bell

2008-04-30T21:05:00.003-04:00

Perspective is defined as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.

After the Sean Bell shooting I was able to gain some perspective. Let me share it with you.

Sean Bell was intoxicated when he hit the minivan that the undercover cops were in. This by no means justifies Mr. Bell and his friends getting shot at fifty plus times. This fact gives me perspective.

Mr. Bell was arrested (but never convicted) of dealing drugs and gun possession. This fact also gives me perspective.

At the time of the shooting neither Mr. Bell nor anyone in his party had a weapon. This fact also gives me perspective.

I mentioned those two facts because they were taken into consideration when the judge handed down the acquittal last week. Whether he cares to admit it or not Bell’s past was taken into consideration.

What I’ve learned from this case is that people who support the cops feel that Bell’s past is relevant to his creditability. Basically in some people’s minds all the cops did was kill another drug dealer. On the other hand people who see past the surface see that the cops used excessive force in that situation.

My POV is as follows. I feel that the cops did use excessive force. I feel that the cops should serve some kind of time for man-slaughter. Now I’m not saying the cops should be locked up for life but they should serve some kind of time.

But here’s what I see in the BIG PICTURE. If you are a man (or woman) of color and a police officer kills you, the chance of that officer being punished for that crime are SLIM to NIL. That basically means that ex-cons or anyone with an arrest record has fewer rights in a court of law than a person who doesn't have a criminal record, based on creditability alone. Now please by no means do I think this is fair. I am just stating what I’ve observed.

So what is the lesson here? The lesson is that young black men (and women) need to keep their records clean because if they don’t their lives can be snuffed out without a single thought by the same people we pay to protect us.

My Final Thought.

The day of the verdict I had one of the best conversations when an 11 year old kid in a book store. We were in the comic book section and I was explaining how Captain America didn't know at first that Winter Solider was really Bucky and various comic book geek stuff. After I left the store I was filled with a bittersweet feeling. At first I was kind of taken back that I was able to talk to a kid and I wondered if that was how conversations would go if I was to have a son. Then I thought about all the things I would have to explain to him and then I started to think of Mr. Bell.

How does a parent explain to their child the cops can kill an unarmed man and not be punished? Is this the kind of world I want to bring a child into?

Still here.

2008-04-23T22:03:00.002-04:00

After the results of last night's PA Democratic Primary I have come to realize that Hillary Clinton would be an ideal choice for the VP slot. Maybe she can raise some money to get out of debt now that she's won PA.

By the way why is it that Obama was able to raise more money than Hillary after losing Ohio and tying in Texas? Hmmmm...

Now I know some of you are saying. But wait Doc, she's won all the BIG states? Who decides what a BIG STATE is? How do you think the people in S. Carolina, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Vermont, Mississippi, Louisiana, Minnesota and Kansas (just to name a few) feel that the media and Hillary Clinton think their states AREN'T CONSIDERED BIG.

Big is another word the media is using for industrial. See Obama has won a lot of states that the Democrats gave up on during the last election cycle. Last time around it was all about RED STATES vs. BLUE STATES. Now it’s about BIG vs. LITTLE.

But what this really is about is the Electoral College. Hillary has won in the states in where the Electoral College vote is HIGH. In theory you can win the presidency by just winning only 15 states? How unfair would it be if you won all the other states but your EC count didn't match up? This whole system needs an enema.

Speaking of systems…….There are a lot of children that are going to be put in through the system because they were born to people who felt it was their religious duty to be separated from the outside world. How cool was it that a black woman from Colorado was the one who dropped dime on these fools. Heh just leave it to a sista to pull salt in the game huh? I feel sorry people but I cannot help but to draw a similarity between these people and the Taliban. The only difference is the women in the Texas Mormon cult wear prairie dresses and the women under the Taliban wear burqas. It amazes me how we sit in judgment of other people’s religions but yet we have the SAME SH*T going on under our noses.

Sometimes the hypocrisy is enough to make me vomit.

Did someone say bitter?

2008-04-16T21:06:00.003-04:00

So let me get this right? April 6th Obama was in San Francisco and made the following comment:

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and no thing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

And then everyone took what he said out of context. So am I to believe that people in small towns and some cities across this country aren't bitter because the factories have shut down and there are no jobs because they've been outsourced?

At best his words may have been harsh. What word should he have used? Angry? Disenchanted? Unhappy?

Can we cut the bullshit for just once? Who wouldn't be bitter about there being NO JOBS in their community?

But let’s get to the last part. “-they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

If that statement came out of Rush Limbaugh’s mouth would it have been taken out of context?

So after watching the debate I’ve come to a conclusion. Barack Obama has been vetted enough by the press. They dug up people he’s been loosely associated with, they havegone on about him not wearing a flag pin, they have criticized his pastor and the church he’s a member of and through all of this I have realized one thing.

NONE OF THESE THINGS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS VARIOUS POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES.

Question: When Hillary calls Obama an elitist is that code for Uppity Negro?

Random thoughts

2008-04-09T21:35:00.006-04:00

I just finished watching Randy Pausch's Last Lecture (the condensed version).

I found it to be very inspiring. For some reason it made me think of the late Bill Hicks. On Feb. 26 1994 Bill died of pancreatic cancer. Bill in some ways did what Dr. Pausch with an album titled Arizona Bay. Which is an absolute classic. In some ways that album was his last lecture. Check it out when you have the time. Bill Hicks in my opinion is probably in the top five on my list of the greatest comics of all time. He was truly a visionary and WAY ahead of his time.

Question: Is America ready to have a black first lady?

In my humble opinion, I don't think America knows what's in store for them if Michelle Obama becomes first lady. Let me explain. Michelle Obama is a black woman, please note I did not say African-American I said BLACK. Yes people there is a difference.

If you've read her senior thesis you would understand what I mean. Let's just say that she is not one to be f*cked with and I hope the Washington press core understands that she will cut a muthaf*cka that steps out of line.

Our Story....

2008-04-02T21:28:00.006-04:00

What if I told you a story about a white girl who grew up in the hood, ran with gangs and dealt drugs, all while in the care of a black foster mother. Now what if I told you this same girl wrote a book?

Here's the catch. It's all a lie. Margaret B. Jones aka Margaret (Peggy) Seltzer is the author of 'Love and Consequences' a critically acclaimed memoir about girl being raised in a black foster home in South-Central Los Angeles and following her black foster brothers into the gang life.

When I first heard about this story I could not help but to be offended. But then I started to read a little more about Ms. Seltzer. She admits that though this isn't her story, many of the details in the book were based on the experiences of close friends she had met over the years while working to reduce gang violence in Los Angeles.

So this begs a few questions. Who gets to tell "our story"? And why is it more marketable when it comes from a white person?

Let's start with the first question. I believe that anyone is capable relaying their perspective on various peoples. But I do think there is a line and Ms. Seltzer crossed that line. It's one thing to relay a perspective but it's another to fake the funk. If Ms. Seltzer wrote a book about her experiences in South Central as an volunteer trying to end gang violence it probably would have been a decent book. But instead she choose to fabricate a memoir while painting herself as an urban female Tarzan if you will.

She probably knew that it would sell better. Which leads me to my second question. Why is it more marketable when it comes from a white person?

The same reason why Tarzan movies where popular back in the day. The concept that no matter what environment you are thrown into you know that you will overcome and rise above it is a popular one in the mainstream...To put it simply: White people like the idea of being dominant no matter what environment they are thrown into.

I know that sounds little bit harsh to some of the white people who may stop by here to check in but, hear me out.

It's an entertaining concept when (what Bell Hooks calls) the "other" is able to rise above their socioeconomic strata especially when it's a person who doesn't fit the stereotype. I'm sure if I made up a memoir about my life as a gang-banger who eventually gets accepted into Harvard the mainstream would eat it up.

Hmmmmm. I better get crackin.

Thanks Sinbad.

2008-03-26T21:26:00.004-04:00

Thank you Sinbad for coming forward with the truth about what happened in Bosnia. So it turns out there was no snipers. So where is the outrage? Last week Obama was judged on the words of his pastor yet this week Hillary is not being judged on the words that came out of her very own mouth. If Hillary can lie about this, what else is she capable of lying about? It's not the lie that bothers me as much as the way she brushes this off.

So it turns out that those pledged delegates are not necessarily pledged. A delegate can change his or her mind at the time of the convention. Am I the only one who thinks that this system is a tad bit flawed? So am I to assume that Hillary’s plan is to plant the seed of dissent in the hearts of the Obama delegates? Is it just me or does Hillary Clinton wants to win this nomination at all costs even if it means that she destroys the party in the process?

I’m full of questions today. Have ya noticed?

Ya know how people were complementing the grace Hillary showed last week when she kept her mouth shut about Rev. Wright? Well I guess that’s over. “You know, you don’t choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend.” Very sly Mrs. Clinton, very sly indeed.

That’s a very interesting statement. Because if Hillary had a choice do you think she would want Hugh and Tony Rodham for brothers? For those of you who have not taken the time to dig up the dirt on these two please allow me to brief you. Apparently Hugh Rodham received around four hundred thousand dollars for legal services regarding gaining the Presidential pardon of fraudulent businessman Glenn Braswell and the sentence commutation of drug trafficker Carlos Vignali. Vignali was sentenced to fifteen years for shipping cocaine to Minnesota. Tony Rodham in 2002 was in disputes with his former wife over child support payments, with Nicole Boxer saying he had not paid them in six months.

So I can understand why Hillary would say that you can’t choose your family. After reading Carl Bernstein’s article about Hillary’s inability to be open and honest, I’ve come to a conclusion.

Hillary Clinton has a problem being candid. She was ok with Florida and Michigan’s delegates not being seated when she thought she had the nomination wrapped up, but was quick to change her tune when she realized it wasn’t going to be handed to her. But the thing that bothers me the most about her is that she is completely blind to the fact that she is acting like she’s entitled to this nomination. And what bothers me more than that are her supporters who believe she deserves this, as if to say it is her turn. That’s where my problem lies. This is not something that you can just hand to a person. Can someone tell me why she deserves to be president?

Before I go I want to leave y’all with this, when a black man cheats on his wife the best gift he can give her is an 8 carat purple diamond ring, but when a white man cheats on his wife the best gift he can give her is a seat in the US Senate and possibly the Presidency.

Real Talk

2008-03-19T21:08:00.014-04:00

"Real Talk" is a common term used nowadays to underline how serious a person is. Sen. Obama's speech yesterday is a perfect example of "Real Talk". He did an outstanding job of outlining the problem on both sides of the issue.

In hearing and reading over Obama's speech I realized that he does love this country with a passion. I love this country but I don't think I would be able to do what he did yesterday. I would rather give up and tell everyone to go to hell if I was put in that position. Obama showed me that he is willing to stand up for himself and what he believes in and speak from the heart. He faced the issue head on. It was one of the bravest things I've seen a politican do in recent memory.

But was it good enough? The analysis following his speech has been pretty mixed. In my humble opinion it was good enough for the people that actually understand the issue of race in America and, the people who are trying to understand the issue of race. But it was not good enough for those looking for him to apologize for (and denounce) Jeremiah Wright for his sermons. And may I say frankly,

HOW DARE YOU?

How dare you pundits ask this man to renounce his pastor. How dare you (network news media) reduce Rev. Wright's 30+ year career to a bunch of sound bites. How dare you insult Sen. Obama's intelligence by assuming that just because he goes to a church that has a pastor who has radical views that in some way would mean that Sen. Obama would share those views as well? Never in the history of this country has a candidate been under that kind of scrutiny to the point in where his character is in question because of the kind of church he goes to.

Where was this outrage when G.W. was kissing the ass of the racist religious right?

Let it be known I am not a Christian. So please don't think I'm going to go on some religious rant here. I just think that Obama has spent too much time jumping through hoops.

First they said he wasn't black enough. Then they started rumors that he was Muslim. Then Hillary said the media was taking it too easy on him. And all of sudden we are lead to believe that Obama is now TOO BLACK? And ya know what pisses me off the most? When it is all said and done. Some pundit will say "Well ya know the President of United States is just a FIGUREHEAD for the government."

Where you at Andrew Young? Say sumthin. SAY SUMTHIN NUKKA! Is he BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU NOW MUTHAFCUKA! WELL IS HE? SAY SUMTHIN!

Sorry I got a little flustered there. I just took my meds so I should be alright throughout the duration of this post.

Where was I? Oh yea HOW DARE YOU? When I say "YOU" I mean the pundits who have disected his speech and have learned NOTHING FROM IT.

"The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning."

What part of that don't you people understand?

Like many other bloggers out there I took the liberty of posting Sen. Obama's speech below. It clocks in at 37:10 minutes if you have the time listen to it and judge for yourself.

I love this country but I think Chris Rock said it best when talking about Black people's love/hate feelings for America when he said. "America is like the uncle who molested you as a child but paid for you to go to college."

Thank you and God bless.

Barack Obama: 'A More Perfect Union' (Full Speech)

2008-03-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

Mid-Week Rant

2008-03-12T21:30:00.016-04:00

It's Wednesday and I've already learnt so much. First on Monday I learnt there are drugs in our drinking water. Then Tuesday I find out that New York’s governor like whores.

And now it's Wednesday. Eliot Spitzer has announced he will resign from office.

And in the middle of all that Obama won another primary and Geraldine Ferraro feels that "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

So where do I begin.....I'll start with Ms. Ferraro.

Ms. Ferraro is under the impression that being black is an advantage in politics. If her son was black he would be in jail right now. If her husband was black he'd be in jail right now. So I'm kind of confused as to where she gets off thinking that being black is some kind of advantage.

One time I was at a bar, just minding my business and as I was enjoying my beer I observed two women talking and enjoying themselves. The first one was kinda cute but very laid back. The second one was loud and obnoxious and just didn't know when to shut up. The second chick in this story reminds me of Ms. Ferraro. She just doesn't know when to shut up, so much so that it kinda makes you wonder why this kinda cute girl (Hillary) is friends with her.

It makes me question her judgement.

Now say Obama just happened to be in the same room with Louis Farrakhan for under two minutes. You just know the media would lose their collective minds over this and he'd be SOL (shit out of luck). But some how this shit with Ms. Ferraro is OK. Maybe I'm just a little sensitive but I just don't understand it.

The following comment is a classic example of what I like to call "WHITE PEOPLE LOGIC." I define White People Logic (WPL) as how white people process things in relation to race and other matters relating to various people of color.

This gave me a headache when I read it:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," she told the Daily Breeze of Torrance, California. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

So in her white mind racism works two ways. And that's where we have the heart of the problem. See racism doesn't work two ways. It only works ONE WAY. Power and prejudice equals racism.

Ms. Ferraro has stepped down from her fundraising position but she still will be raising money for Hillary on the side.

Raising money hmmmmm.....That reminds me. Spitzer.

I heard on the news this morning that Spitzer spent 80K over a period ten years on call girls. 80 grand on pussy? DAMN! Are you kidding me? Was my first reaction. Then I started to be very happy for David Paterson. I've always liked David Paterson. From what I've seen (pardon the pun) of him he's always been a stand up guy. I hope his vision (Ok I'll stop) for New York is a good one.

I feel for Spitzer's daughters. It's the children that suffer most when these things happen. I feel for his wife as well. That being said you just know the wife if gonna get a sweet book deal out of this and probably a Lifetime movie of the week. But all that money can't take away the humiliation and pain that her husband caused, but it's a start.

But you know who's gonna have the sweet deal out of this? The whore. In the next few months she's going to drop her single, get a book deal, and hit the talk show circuit. Did I mention she's only 22. It just seems as though this young girl decided to take a short cut to fame and fortune. America loves a good sex scandal, but what does that say about our society in where we reward bad behavior. Whatever you do, don't buy this whore's single and don't buy this whore's book.

Before I go I'd just like to get something off my chest. This goes out to U.S. House of Representatives. Instead of holding hearings on who's doing steriods in Professional sports. Why don't you take some time and worry about the fucking steriods in our fucking drinking water you assholes!!!!!!

If this shit keeps up at this rate we'll all be batting .350

Don't Panic

2008-03-05T20:55:00.003-05:00

Don't panic. That's what I told myself last night as I watched the primary results. "Just be calm. It's gonna be just fine." Because if I didn't I would have killed my TV.

It's frustrating watching all these people analyzing this process. If this was anyone else they would have dropped out by now. But Hillary Clinton is different. She just keeps on going. History may remember her as the woman who nagged her way into the White House. It's the classic strategy. Just keep talking no matter what. Just keep going.

Obama can't attack her because it will look bad. But he can ask questions. For example, why haven't you made your tax returns available?

Here's the reality. Neither Obama or Clinton will get the pledged delegates needed get the 2025 needed for the nomination. Therefore Superdelegates will decide.

What scares me, is that there is an outside chance they could overturn what the pledged delegates have already voted on and give the nomination to Hillary with the provision that she make Obama her VP. Scary huh? Here's another scenario. They decide that Obama gets the top spot on the ticket but Hillary has to be his VP.

How are they going to convince America they're buddies? It's a tough sell.

But it is better than the alternative. A Clinton/Obama ticket.

If Obama has an ounce of self-respect he will refuse to be Hillary's VP. The idea alone is something that makes me sick to my stomach. Let me make it perfectly clear. I do not hate Hillary Clinton. But I do hate the methods she is using to pursue the nomination. It's one thing to win fair square but it is another to resort to back door politics ala Superdelegates. That's the thing I have a tough time dealing with. It sends the wrong message to my fellow Democrats. How can this be the same party that railed against disenfranchisement in 2000 and be the same party that would strip Michigan and Florida of their delegates?

In the words of Bill Cosby's new book. COME ON PEOPLE!

If by some chance she ends up the nominee. I will probably either not vote or I will be voting McCain.

The greatest moment in television history (so far)

2008-02-29T00:45:00.001-05:00

Priceless

Two parts.

2008-02-27T21:38:00.004-05:00

This blog post is going to be in two-parts. In the first part I'm going to talk about last night's debate (ya just know I had to do it) in the second part I'm going to talk about an ongoing conversation that my relatives have been having online about G-d and gambling. So let’s get started.

The 20th Debate:

I watched the debate like many of you last night. I noticed that Hillary Clinton may have a point. The media did go after her. I think NBC has an axe to grind with her for some reason. That being said in my humble opinion, Obama was tested. What the hell is up with the Louis Farrakhan, question??? What is the difference between denounce and reject? IMO I think he handled it smoothly but still WTF?

I find it very interesting that the media has turned on her in such a way. Last year she was the front runner now she's the chick who has overstayed her welcome. I do not feel bad for her, but I am curious as to why the media is doing this. Maureen Dowd said it best when she wrote: “Beating on the press is the lamest thing you can do. It is only because of the utter open-mindedness of the press that Hillary can lose 11 contests in a row and still be treated as a contender.”

The only reason why she’s been in this race as long as she has is because her last name is Clinton. If the shoe was on the other foot the press and the DNC would be calling for him to drop out. Senator Clinton may have a minor point, but if she ran a better campaign it would not be that much of an issue. She has failed to learn the basic lesson of Campaign 101: Optimism always beats Skepticism. Bill Clinton knew that in 1992. Overall I think that Obama did well. Hillary tried really hard but Obama just kept his cool and when you think about it that’s the kind of person you want in office a person who can keep his cool when under pressure.

When JFK was president the press protected JFK, everyone knew about the affairs but no one reported it because they thought it would be in bad taste. I wonder if the press/media are consciously making moral decision not to dig too hard into the personal lives of the front runners. McCain has a lot of skeletons in his closet and Obama….well the press can connect him to Farrakhan through Jeremiah Wright. Jeremiah Wright is someone we are going to be hearing a lot about once he is the nominee but hopefully it will backfire on the press.

Is Gambling a sin?

That was the question a cousin of mine recently asked my family’s Yahoo Group message board. It sparked a debate among the various members of the family. Online anonymity helps in these situations because you don’t feel like a kid talking to your uncle; we all are equals on this message board. The generation gap is still there but it is less of an issue. My answer to the question was NO. IMO gambling becomes a sin when it becomes the focal point of your life; because that would be considered idolatry. Anything that becomes more of a priority than your service to G-d is idolatry. Most of my cousins are Christians but there is a segment of them that are starting to question what they've been taught. I never thought in a million years I would see my cousins question the bible. They always seemed like the types that just got along to get along never rocking the boat. But that’s changed. And now the elders have to come to terms with their new found curiosity. I will keep you guys posted on this.

Why do I do it?

2008-02-20T22:55:00.006-05:00

My shrink asked me the other day. "What are you trying to do with this blog thing?" "Where do you see it going?" At the time, for the life of me I couldn't answer him. A part of me wanted to say that I'm doing this as a release and as a way to have some fun. Also I see this blog as part of a bigger picture. My long term goal is actually to be a real legitimate writer who gets paid to do this kind of shit. Hell if the staff of Don Diva can have jobs why can't I.

Hell I plan on submitting something to them some time in the near future. Ya gotta start somewhere.

After taking some time and doing some soul searching I have an answer for my shrink and myself. I'm doing this because, I want to be heard. I feel that the words I write will change things, whether to change someone's mood from sad to happy or to show someone a different way of looking at things. I think my perspective is unique and worthy of attention. So that's why I'm doing this. Now for some ranting.

My favorite Brit Chris Hitchens make the mistake of writing the following statement in reference to Barack Obama's race: "What are we trying to "get over" here? We are trying to get over the hideous legacy of slavery and segregation. But Mr. Obama is not a part of this legacy. His father was a citizen of Kenya, an independent African country, and his mother was a "white" American. He is as distant from the real "plantation" as I am. How -- unless one thinks obsessively about color while affecting not to do so -- does this make him "black"? -Wall Street Journal 1-18-08

It is quite pathetic that Mr. Hitchens doesn't understand that he benefits from the wretched legacy that his own country has perpetuated. To put it simply you are part of the legacy sir. And if my history is correct Mr. Obama's father grew up in Kenya which was a British colony up until 1957. So for you to say that Barack Obama is not apart of the legacy is quite ignorant. In fact Barack Obama is as close as you can get to that legacy based on the simple fact that his father was a British subject.

Here's one of my favorite quotes from Mr. Hitchens: "Isn't there something pathetic and embarrassing about this emphasis on shade? And why is a man with a white mother considered to be "black," anyway?" -Slate 1-07-08

When I read that line I actually laughed to myself. Obviously this man doesn't "get it". So Mr. Hitchens by any chance if you are reading this, I would like to recomend that you find a willing black woman that will have sex with you, and make a child with her. And then try to convince society that you have a white child and we'll see how much luck you'll have with that.

Cheers mate.

Open Letter to Howard Dean

2008-02-13T21:11:00.005-05:00

Dear Mr. Howard Dean:

A great man once said "If we stand for nothing we will fall for anything." I ask you, sir what do you stand for? Fairness? Justice? I put this question to you, sir. Where is the fairness in seating delegates who never had a actual choice in their vote? The DNC penalized Michigan and Florida for moving their primaries to earlier dates in violation of party rules. Little did we know at that time that these states would be a very important part of this process. Maybe that is a problem to itself? Both states were stripped of their delegates, and the party's presidential candidates signed a pledge not to campaign in either state.

The people who voted in those contests never got a chance to interact with the candidates. Did these people have a real choice? I think not. I believe the DNC needs to find a solution to this problem. Just seating delegates will not empower anyone, in fact it will only serve to reinforce the status quo.

I agree that these states should develop some kind alternative voting system – like a state caucus. Mr. Dean, this is a very serious problem that could tear at the fabric of the Democratic National Commitee. All this talk of super delegates defeats the purpose of the primaries and caucuses that have taken place. Let us not return to the days of the smoke filled room.

Feels good to be wrong

2008-02-06T20:24:00.001-05:00

It really feels good to be wrong. I really thought the Patriots would go 19-0. I am glad I was wrong about that. Sorry Randy maybe next year.

Last night while I was walking through the rain listening to Eminem on my iPod I pasted a newsstand and an overwhelming feeling built up in me. I briefly glanced at the most recent cover of Ebony magazine. The cover story this month is titled "In Our Lifetime", I'm assuming that it's about Barack Obama and the possibility of him being the first black president of the United States. I was in too much of a hurry to actually pick it up, after getting settled on the train, I started thinking about what that really meant. I thought about 1984. I thought about my mother being excited for Jesse and how passionate she was about him making a run for the presidency. I thought about how we all knew deep down he couldn't really win but how exciting it was to see him run. I thought about the many things that I could not have possibly imagined back in 1984. Which leads me to Senator Obama and the results of Super Tuesday. He did way better than I thought.

He took more states than Hillary, and walked away with a decent share of delegates. Professor Angry-Strangejazz (she's hyphenated it since we've gotten married) and I went out to meet up with some friends to watch the results in Harlem. The crowd at the restaurant was full of Obama supporters and it was more diverse crowd than I expected. Black, White, Asian, and Latino were all there enjoying the vibe. Was I transported to Bamelot? Is this what it's going to be like if he wins? All of us on the same page? Nah. I'm too much of a cynic to buy into that fantasy. That being said it's been a long time since I've been this excited about a candidate and my pessimistic side is wearing thin.

I've always thought that I would never live to see a black man become president of the United States of America. If Obama wins it will feel really good to be wrong.

Bamelot' 08 and SB Rant

2008-01-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

There’s a lot I want to get to but first off. How bout that Barack Obama huh? Winning S. Carolina Getting and endorsed by the Kennedy’s. I think I’ll call it Bamelot it’s like Camelot but different. This past Sunday Caroline Kennedy wrote a great op-ed piece in the times comparing Obama to JFK. And on Monday Ted Crash Kennedy endorsed the good senator from Illinois. She put into words what a lot of Obama’s supporters feel:

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.
We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama.

That pretty much sums up how a lot of Obama’s supporters feel about his candidacy. I include myself in that number.

The endorsement is symbolic at best, and probably doesn’t mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, that being said you can’t deny that there is just something about him that is inspiring.

In other news, John Edwards dropped out of the race today. Let it be known that if Obama wasn’t running for president I would be backing John Edwards. This man is a class act. Yes he’s playing both sides of the fence but that should not take away from him being a man of integrity and passion. “It is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its’ path.” He’s the only white man talking about “We should never forget about New Orleans.” He has my respect, but we want that endorsement and those delegates nukka, hand em over NOW!

I know I’m a little all over the place today but I have to talk about the Dean of Harlem and Chair of the House Ways and Means committee, that’s right the Kingfish himself the one the only Charles “don’t call me Carlos” Rangel. Hey brotha do you know where you wife is?? It appears that Mrs. Rangel has more sense than her husband. It amazes me that Rep. Rangel encouraged Obama to run back in January of 2007.

Here's a little secret. Rep. Rangel is supporting Hillary as part of a deal that will make Lt Gov. David Patterson Senator when Hillary has to give up her seat. Gov. Spitzer is down with the plan so if Hillary becomes president expect David Patterson to be on the short list of contenders. Hell the list is so short that it just has his name on it. Ahh politics.

And now I just want to get some sjit off my chest. The Super Bowl is this Sunday. The Pats vs. the Giants. Personally I am not a fan of either team. That being said I will have a smirk on my face when the Pats win the Super Bowl. Oh yes that's not a prediction that's just me stating the enviable. Why will I have a smirk on my face you ask? Well let me tell ya. I got two words for ya RANDY MOSS.

Let me give ya some back story on this before I go into my rant. Ya see I had a conversation with one of my melanin challenged friends today and I happened to tell him that while I'm not rooting for the Pats but I will have a smirk on my face because of Randy Moss. My friend (let's call him Tony) let me have it. Rany Moss doesn't deserve a ring he's a criminal, blah blah blah. Taking his comments in stride I asked him the following: What does that have to do with what he does on the field? NOTHING. Tony then in turn played the role of Bill Clinton and said I'm only defending Randy Moss cause he's black. Tony couldn't have been more wrong. And that leads me to my following Super Bowl rant.

The Pats are the best team in the NFL period. They are the first team to go undefeated in over 30 years. That being said they are not as sweaky clean as they would like EVERYONE to believe. This team was accused earlier this year of cheating, Tom Brady has baby momma drama and Randy Moss is slapping women. I do not like the Pats. But I respect their collective gangsta. And I love the fact that Randy Moss will get a ring with this team. There's just something so poetic about this All American team working with Randy Moss. Y'all remember that Afro he used to rock back in Minnesota? I want to see that sjit when they win Sunday I hope he takes those corn rose out his hair and let his Afro loose. If we gonna have a show then let's have a show. Ya dig?

Thank you, Toni Morrison

2008-01-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

Who knew that when Toni Morrison wrote this, it would come back to haunt us to this day?

Enough is enough. Bill Clinton was not this country's first black president. This joke has gotten way out of hand, so much so that Barack Obama had to answer the question: "Do you think Bill Clinton was the first black president?" in the last Democratic presidential debate.

This is probably one of the dumbest questions ever asked in a presidential election. To his credit, Obama laughed it off and came back with a tongue-and-cheek answer, but that's not the point. It's the audacity that a reporter would ask such a question. And don't get me started about Andrew Young saying that Clinton is as black as Obama.

Let's clear some things up. No one remembers the context of Toni Morrison's article about Bill Clinton being the first black president. "After all, Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas." Basically he's a cliche or a caricature of what blackness is.

What pisses me off about this whole situation is that the Clintons, for as much good as they did when they were in office, have convinced black people that they know what's good for black people better than what we know for ourselves. That's why so many notable black leaders (i.e. Charles Rangel, Bob Johnson, and Andrew Young) believe that Hillary will be a better president. They refuse to believe that Obama is qualified for the White House.

We sick boss. Yeah we sick alright.

2008 Most Anticipated Movies

2008-01-16T23:29:00.000-05:00

As some of you may have guessed by now I’m what they call a Fanboy. For those of you who don’t know what a Fanboy is it is defined as a person who is a passionate fan of various elements of geek culture (e.g. sci-fi, comics, video games, anime pop-culture etc.). This year is a big year for us fanboys. Half the movies on my “Most Anticipated Movies of 2008” are movies based on comics. While this makes the fanboy side of me quite happy, the grown up side of me that craves originality and creativity is rather bitter. Hopefully there will be some independent films like Teeth that will become sleeper hits. Now on to the list:

Iron Man –Another Marvel icon comes to the big screen. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark in this comic adaptation. Release Date: May 2nd, 2008.

Speed Racer – From the people who brought you the Matrix the Wachowski Brothers bring to life one of my favorite Japanese anime cartoons. Release Date: May 9th, 2008

The Dark Knight – This summer the sequel to Batman Returns with Heath Leager as the Joker. Release Date: July 18th, 2008

Vantage Point – Looks like has a great cast. Mathew Fox, Forest Whitker, and Randy Quaid to name a few. Release Date: February 22nd, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Harrison Ford may be in his 60’s but that’s not going to stop me from going to see this movie. Release Date: May 22nd, 2008

The Incredible Hulk – Ed Norton replaces Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. Maybe they will get it right this time around. Release Date: June 13th, 2008

Get Smart – Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart. Need I say more? Release Date: June 20th, 2008

Wanted – Mark Millar’s dark graphic novel comes to life. Release Date: June 27th, 2008

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – Yes another comic sequel. But I can’t resist. Release Date: July 11th, 2008

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – It is Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Harry begins to lean that he has more in common with his enemy Voldemort than he ever thought. Release Date: November 21, 2008.

Honorable Mentions: Cloverfield, George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead, Charlie Bartlett, 88 Minutes, M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo, Bond 22 (they have not come up with a new title for it yet), J.J. Abrams's Star Trek.

I'm back.

2008-01-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year people. You know how everyone has a New Year’s Resolution? Well my NYR is to start this blog up again. Yes I know I’ve made my share of excuses but this year is different. Why is this year different? Gald you asked. Well for one it’s an election year so I will have plenty to bitch about. Also I am married so you know a brotha will need to vent from time to time.

Would you believe that my wife and my shrink have just discovered my blog? But I am not going to let that censor me in any way shape or form. So let’s get right to it.
OBAMA!!!!!!.....Lost. Because Hillary cried. Who knew tears could win you a primary. It’s funny how Obama’s campaign revolves around change and now all of a sudden Hillary’s campaign revolves around change. In a werid way this reminds me of the early days of rock-n-roll in where the black artists would have their songs covered by white artists. So now Hillary has found her voice, a cracked one at that.

Can I be honest with y’all? I don’t know if I am ready for a black president or a woman president. There’s a selfish part of me that wants John Edwards to be president, maybe cause his wife doesn’t really have that much time left to live and by the inauguration he’ll be our first single president since Grover Cleveland (I had to look that one up). Imagine, John Edwards single in the White House? You just know Britney will find her way over there to comfort Johnny boy. But seriously folks…..I’m voting for Obama even if I have to write him in. So just in case Obama wins the whole thing, here are some tips for us black folk. Yes I know it’s too early to do this, but I don’t care.

Things BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD NOT DO when Obama becomes President:

Do not gloat. White people voted for him too.
Don’t quit your jobs. There will not be any reparations
Do not start naming your kids Barack or Obama unless you plan on sending them to Harvard.
Do not expect Michael Vick to get a presidential pardon.
Do not expect the national anthem to change. Hip-Hop has come far but not that far.
Do not expect Oprah to be Vice President. The best she’ll get is a cabinet post.
Do not expect Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to shut the fuck up. That one was more for the white folks but you get my drift.

This country needs change. The question is are we ready for it?

The Wedding Post

2007-10-30T21:26:00.001-04:00

So on October 20th I got married. To be perfectly honest with you I don't feel different. It does feel strange to look at my left ring finger and see my wedding band but outside of that not much has changed yet.

The ceremony was perfect. We started a half hour late because the zipper on my wife's dress came off and had to be sown back on. I know women reading this will be like "WHAT!?". Yes it's true the zipper came off the dress at 6:15pm. Anyway the ceremony was a dual denominational ceremony, (Jewish and Christian). Most of our guests didn't know what to make of it.

I started this post out saying that the ceremony was perfect. But to be honest there was something that kinda put a stain on it. My mother.

Now I know what y'all are saying, Doc aren't you being a little harsh. Well...No I'm not. See my mother attempted to sing along with our rabbi. It really was annoying. Little did I know this was only of the beginning. See when I look back on my wedding I don't think I'm going to remember all the good things that happened. I fear that I will remember all the negative things that took place. For example, my mother bursting into the kitchen to demand that her table get served first, my mother yelling at my best man, people fighting to get a chair and table, family that decided to invite themselves at the last minute only to give $50 as a gift, my mother commandeering the microphone and telling everyone my full name (something I usually keep hidden).

Before I go any further I want to say that there were a lot of positive things that happened at my wedding. But because of the type of person I am, I will remember the negative things before the positive, (yes I am seeking help for this). The overall experience of getting married is one of the most surreal moments of my life. The reception was a blur. A fun blur but a blur nonetheless.

The wife was unable to move because so many people wanted to say hi and take a picture with her, she looked beautiful and elegant. On the other hand I was able to move around and meet and greet people. I didn't stop moving until the after party. Oh yes there was an after party. Frankly that was the best part of the evening aside from the ceremony. I just wish we took more food home with us.

I am still dealing with my feelings on what my mother did. Not only was it embarrassing but it was uncalled for. I've always been able to forgive her for her outbursts but this time I find it really hard to forgive her. I keep asking myself "Am I a bad person for feeling this way?"

I got issues.....

2007-09-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

So where do I begin.....Let's start with OJ. This guy should have moved out of the country as soon as he got acquitted 12 years ago. I'm just amazed that this guy is still around. And the messed up part is HE JUST GOT OUT ON BAIL. And guess who was there....Marcia Clark. For those of you who don't know Marcia Clark was one of the district attorneys who assigned to the OJ murder trial. Talk about grudges....Seriously doesn't this woman have anything else better to do than to follow the Juice around. I bet she was just WAITING for the day that he'd fuck up. OJ is gonna go to jail this time and if that's what we need in order for Barack Obama to have a chance at becoming president then so be it.

And while we're on the topic of Barack Obama....What the hell is wrong with Jesse Jackson???? I thought he endorsed Barack Obama, so what's with this whole Obama needs to stop acting white bit??? Of course he's back tracked (in record time), but the story is already out there. Now how did this all get started??? Well, Jesse has a new cause y'all...Some of you may have heard of the Jena 6. The NY Times wrote an interesting article about this case click here for the link to the story. Apparently Jesse seems to think that Obama needs to speak up about his case and make it a campaign issue.

To quote Dennis Miller but I don't mean to get off on a rant here but.....Who the fuck is Jesse Jackson to tell Barack Obama what he should talk about. Yes the case of the Jena 6 is a civil rights atrocity, and yes this is a case that deserves national attention. That being said Barack Obama does not need to make this case a CAMPAIGN ISSUE. It's enough that he's finally convinced White America that he can be taken seriously and he's actually got a chance. And for the record Obama made a statement Friday after one of the teen's charges was thrown out, saying, "I am pleased that the Louisiana state appeals court recognized that the aggravated battery charge brought in this case was inappropriate."
"I hope that today's decision will lead the prosecutor to reconsider the excessive charges brought against all the teenagers in this case," he added. "And I hope that the judicial process will move deliberately to ensure that all of the defendants will receive a fair trial and equal justice under the law."

Where's Hillary's statement? Why isn't Jesse asking for that? See the problem is that Jesse wants Obama to fall into the trap of running as the black candidate and Obama ain't having it. And for the record Obama's camp is right, that was the problem when Jesse ran in '84 and in '88. If he's to win the nomination he has to run as the candidate that just happens to be black and not the black candidate. That's the problem with some of our leaders they're like crabs in a barrel. Shame on Jesse for using this case to suck Obama into a racial quagmire. Please don't get me wrong the Jena 6 case is a very important case but it not not worthy of being something that should come up as a topic of discussion during a presidential campaign. There are more broader topics like Health Care, the war in Iraq and Education, that must be discussed first before we go into how small towns in America are still backward and racist. Yeah I said it. If you think Jena, LA is the only town in America that has a problem like this you're sadly mistaken.

And on a totally unrelated note....I just want to give a big shout out to Dan Rather. Get yo money playa.

Blog from a treo.

2007-08-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

I'm in a dinner waiting for my check and I realize that this is the first time I've had a moment to myself. My days are numbered. 10-20-07 is the big day. Every thing will change for me. I'm forced to ask myself. Are you ready kid, are ya?

Smear.

2007-03-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

This, pisses me off. What does that have to do with what happened last year November? I can see if Sean Bell was found with a gun in his car but they didn't find one. This is the kind of thing that distracts people from the real issue at hand. A innocent man gets shot dead, and what comes out in the press? Oh he may have shot some one in the past. Let's say he did shoot someone in the past. What does that incident have to do with what the cops did? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. At the time of the shooting the cops didn't know Sean Bell had any priors. And if they say that they did they are LYING.

I don't think that Sean Bell was a saint. I don't think he was some martyr for police brutality. All I know is that he was a human being. And he was killed for nothing. Why is it that whenever a black man gets killed by the cops the victims past comes in to question? Why can't the cops just take responsibility for their actions? There were FIVE cops on the scene but only THREE are in court and out of those THREE, ONE is going to probably end up in jail?

What kind of country are we living in, where the we blame the victim for getting shot? Seriously this is bullshit.

Oscars 2007 Part II: The winners

2007-02-26T23:41:00.000-05:00

And now the winners...

Best Picture: The Departed: I really can't believe this won best picture. I still say the original is better

Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed: Just think after all those years of making Italian mob movies he wins an Oscar for making a movie about Irish gangsters. The cherry on top of the cake was Lucas, Spielberg and Coppola presenting it to him.

Best Actor: Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland: He gave one of the best speeches in the history of the Oscars. I love the fact that a humble genuine nice guy won. Sorry Peter O'Toole.

Best Actress: Helen Mirren for The Queen: Did I call it or what? I knew she was gonna win.

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine: Glad to see Arkin win. I wonder if Peter O'Toole tried to jack him for his Oscar at the after party.

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls: Just goes to show you; you can lose on American Idol and go on to win an Oscar. Good for her.

Best Original screenplay: Michael Arndt for Little Miss Sunshine: A smart witty and funny movie, won an Oscar. What is this world coming to?

Best Adapted screenplay: William Monahan for The Departed: He didn't thank one Chinese person. I mean seriously that's just bad form in my book.

Black Greeks Part 2

2007-02-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

I know I've been slackin'. In part one I presented a brief outline of the nine black Greek letter organizations. In part two we will get into pledging, elitism, and why would I want to join a black Greek letter organization.

Pledging: Pledging is the period of time in where the recruit (the pledge) goes through a series of challenges which eventually lead to initiation in to the group. Hazing is the ritualistic harassment, abuse, or persecution of prospective members of a group as a means of initiation. Hazing is something that has become a huge problem among black fraternities and sororities. There have been numerous deaths as a result of initiates being hazed. When ritual reaches the point where it endangers the life and limb of an individual, it needs to be discontinued. The pledge process is not about beating someone down. It’s not about degrading someone just so you can feel good about yourself. Basically you don’t put a person online to drop (make them quit) them. So then what is the process about? The answer is simple it is meant for: team building, leadership experience, organizational skills, time management, and learning the history of said organization. It is a shame that people have lost sight of that over the years.

Elitism: This always seems to come up in one of these conversations. Please someone help me out here, because I’ve never been able to put my finger on what people mean by that. I’ve always assumed that these organizations are highly selective and thereby exclusive to people who qualify for membership. There has been a history of these organizations being HIGHLY selective, whether it was expressed through excluding people based on degree of skin tone, or socio-economic back ground. That being said in my humble opinion I think the days of the brown paper bag test are over. Frankly this wasn’t my experience. Most of the Alphas in my chapter come from similar backgrounds. Most of us grew up working class. The one thing I respected about the Alphas on my campus before I pledged was that they were some of the most REAL brothers on campus. Now this varies from chapter to chapter and organization to organization but in my case I was lucky enough to be in the company of some of men of true integrity and intelligence.

Why would I want to join a Black Greek letter organization?
Now this is the big question. Many people join just so they can wear a t-shirt and go to parties, others join because they are legacies and it’s expected of them, then there are others that really want to do some good and see this as a step in the right direction. It all depends on what kind of person you are.

Black Greeks Part 1

2007-02-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

*Note to all my white readers. Some of you are not going to understand this whole black greek thing some of you are going to sit there and scratching your head all the while saying "Why is he talking about fraternities and sororities? That crap is for college kids." Well my melanin challenged friend black greek life does not end upon graduation for some of us. Some of us choose continue serving our community through being active in a graduate chapter (speaking of which I gotta pay my dues)....Any who please just sit back and read and maybe ya might learn something.

*Please note that the links will not lead you to the fraternity or the sorority site but instead it will lead you to their Wikipedia site. If you are interested in learning more about these fraternities and sororities you can click on the links provided on the their respective Wikipedia site.

A couple of months ago I opened my big fat mouth while visiting the After Party and said I would do a post about black greeks. Well I was given a deadline and my time is up so here goes. Please keep in mind that I am not going to get into a deep history debate. Basically what I'm going to do is give you founding dates (in chronological order) and prominent members. Feel free to click on the hyperlink to their respective sites.

Let's start with the first of all black greeks Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. A Phi A is the first national intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans. Founded on December 4, 1906, on the campus of Cornell University. The Prominent members of this fraternity are a various who's who of Black intelligentsia. Martin Luther King, Cornel West, Thurgood Marshall, Jeese Owens, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, and Paul Robeson; I could go on but you get the idea. This fraternity is very near and dear to my heart because well if you haven't guessed by now I am also a member. Now I could big up my frat all day but that is for another time.

Next up are my sisters the lovely ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. AKA was formed in January 15, 1908 at Howard University, it is America's first Greek-letter organization established by Black college women. Prominent members include Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Ella Fitzgerald, Alicia Keys, Coretta Scott King, Jada Pinkett Smith, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. Well you get the idea.

Next up are the gentlemen of the crimson and cream the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. Kappa Alpha Psi is the second oldest collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership, founded January 5, 1911 at Indiana University. Here is a short list of members of note: Arthur Ashe, Calvin O. Butts, Bill Russell, John Singleton, Tavis Smiley, C. Vernon Mason, Johnnie Cochran, Percy Sutton, Stan Lathan, and Congressman John Conyers.

Next up are the brothers of Omega Psi Phi also known as the Ques. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated was founded on Friday, November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Prominent members include Bill Cosby, Alonzo Mourning, Carter G. Woodson (black historian), Vernon Jordan, Jr., Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Ozzie Newsome, Jesse Jackson, Charlie Ward and the great poet Langston Hughes.

Next up we have Professor Angry's sisters the lovely ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Delta Sigma Theta was founded at Howard University January 13, 1913. Let me drop some names for you: Octavia E. Butler, Carol Moseley Braun, Poet Nikki Giovanni, Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, Ruby Dee, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Cicely Tyson, Lena Horne, and the late great Betty Shabazz.

Now we move along to the fourth fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914. Here's a short list of famous members, A. Philip Randolph, Willis Reed, Jerry Rice, David Ruffin, Emmitt Smith, Eddie Kendricks, Huey P. Newton, Kwame Nkrumah, Benjamin Chavis Muhammad, writer James Weldon Johnson, Blair Underwood, Morris Chestnut, and George Washington Carver.

Moving right along we have their sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Zeta Phi Beta Inc. was founded January 16, 1920, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Famous memebers Jayne Kennedy, Zora Neale Hurston, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughan, Minnie Riperton, Esther Rolle, and Melba Moore to name a few.

Next up we have the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated was founded on November 12, 1922 by seven educators in Indianapolis, Indiana. The group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to Alpha chapter at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here are some notable members: Hattie McDaniel, MC Lyte, Marilyn McCoo, Victoria Rowell and Lindy Boggs

Last but surely not least we have the brothers of Iota Phi Theta. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated was founded on September 19, 1963 at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Here's a short list of prominent members: Bobby Rush (former Black Panther turned US Congressman), Terrence "T.C." Carson, Kirby Wilson and Earl King.

In part two we will get into pledging, elitism, and why would I want to join a black greek letter organization.

Oscars 2007 Part I: The nominees

2007-01-26T20:19:00.000-05:00

Yes it's that time of year again. So here are the nominees.

Best Picture:

Babel – Another interconnecting story with interesting characters.
The Departed– This is a remake of a Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs.
Letters from Iwo Jima – This is the flipside to Flags of Our Fathers.
Little Miss Sunshine - The little indy movie that could. Comedies don’t normally get nominated so I’m kinda pulling for this one.
The Queen – Really spectacular. This is one of the best movies of the year.

Best Director:

Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel – Who is this guy?
Martin Scorsese for The Departed – Oh give it to him already.
Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima – NO EASTWOOD NOT THIS YEAR DAMNIT! Damn you EASTWOOD!
Stephen Frears for The Queen, – He did a really but it's Scorsese’s year.
Paul Greengrass for United 93 – It must’ve been real hard to direct this movie. But I don’t think it’s his year.

Best Actor:

Leonardo DiCaprio for Blood Diamond – Sorry I’m not feeling him this time around.
Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson – Hmm Gosling’s playing a recovering drug addict. Ok next.
Peter O’Toole for Venus – He’s playing an old English actor. Damn what a stretch.
Will Smith for The Pursuit of Happiness – This is his second nomination. Maybe he might get it this time around.
Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland – He had to get extra dark to play this role. And I ain't talking about his personality. They did a good make up job on him.

Best Actress:

Penélope Cruz for Volver – Why does she look like a moth?
Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal – I think they do her make up better when she does the Bond movies.
Helen Mirren for The Queen – She just nailed this role so I don’t see her losing to anyone.
Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada – I can’t believe she got nominated for a comedy.
Kate Winslet for Little Children – This role gave me a new respect for Winslet but, didn’t she win for that movie about that boat hitting that iceberg.

Best Supporting Actor:

Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine – Arkin plays a grandfather that shoots H and ODs on a road trip. Yeah he should win.
Jackie Earle Haley for Little Chidren – Wasn’t this guy in the Bad New Bears?
Djimon Hounsou for Blood Diamond – Did he get to hold a gun at least once in this movie?
Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls - Glad to see him nominated. I really hope he wins.
Mark Wahlberg for The Departed – Wahlberg plays an asshole in this movie. Yep I’m sure it was a stretch.

Best Supporting Actress:

Adriana Barraza for Babel – Never heard of her.
Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal – Wasn’t she nominated last year?
Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine – Too young in my opinion.
Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls – Wasn’t she on American Idol? She didn’t win on that what makes her think she can win here?
Rinko Kikuchi for Babel – I know her as well as I know Adriana Barraza.

Best Original screenplay:

Guillermo Arriaga for Babel – Haven’t seen it.
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis for Letters from Iwo Jima – Ahh it's the The return of Haggis.
Michael Arndt for Little Miss Sunshine – A smart witty and funny movie. It doesn't stand a chance.
Guillermo del Toro for Pan's Labyrinth – I didn’t see it.
Peter Morgan for The Queen - I saw it and liked it.

Best Adapted screenplay:

Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – You mean to tell me this movie had FOUR writers? I thought most of that sh*t was improve.

Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby for Children of Men – One of the most Kubrickian movies I’ve seen in a long time.

William Monahan for The Departed – The guy who adapted this screenplay has also written Kingdom of Heaven and we all know how good that was.

Todd Field & Tom Perrotta for Little Children – You might remember them from a movie called In the Bedroom.

Patrick Marber for Notes on a Scandal – This is his first nomination. From what I found he used to write for Steve Coogan’s old Alan Partridge show. Well I guess he can’t be all bad.

Most Anticipated Movies for 2007

2007-01-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Well it's that time of year again where I give my list of most anticipated movies for this year. Looks like this is the year for sequels.

Ghost Rider - Nicholas Cage plays stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze who gives up his soul to protect the ones he loves, based on the Marvel Comic release date: February 16, 2007

The Kingdom - Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, and Jason Bateman star in this thriller set in the Middle-East. Directed by Peter Berg. Release date: April 20, 2007 .

Spider-Man 3 - Sandman, Green Goblin, and Venom battle Spidey in the thrid installment of this Marvel franchise. Release date: May 4, 2007

28 Weeks Later - This is the sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days later. Release date: May 11, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - This is the follow-up to the record-breaking smash 2006 hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Release date: May 25, 2007.

Ocean's 13 - I'm guessing there is some kind of heist involved in this one. The best thing about this movie is no Julia Roberts. Release date: June 8, 2007.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - The first family of Marvel returns to battle the Silver Surfer. Release date: June 15, 2007

Transformers - Michael Bay finally brings a live action Transformers movie to the big screen. Release date: July 4, 2007.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - This is the fifth installment in the series. And it just keeps getting darker. Voldemort has returned and no one believes Harry. Release date: July 13, 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum - Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne in the thrid installment of this series. Release Date: August 3, 2007.

So there you have it folks my list of most anticipated movies of 2007. This is what they in the industry call a tentpole year. Honorable mentions: Frank Miller's 300, Hannibal Rising, Reno 911!: Miami, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Zodiac, TMNT, Live Free or Die Hard, The Simpsons Movie, Rush Hour 3, The Invasion, American Gangster, I Am Legend.

Made some changes

2007-01-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

I've made some changes. I'm Still updating. So please forgive me if your link isn't there.

2006-12-26T22:42:00.000-05:00

New Respect for JT

I have no problem with JT after seeing this.

The Challenge

2006-12-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was challenged by Jackie Chiles of the Airing of Grievances blog.

He challenged me to prove that the Republican party does not have the interests of black Americans at heart.

Here is the annual Civil Rights Legislative Report Card for the 109th Congress for the year 2005. This resource is designed to provide NAACP members with insight into the general voting patterns of their congressional representatives (Senators and members of the House of Representatives) over the course of the year. The NAACP Civil Rights Legislative Report Card demonstrates how every Member of Congress voted on the bread and butter civil rights issues important to the NAACP.

You be the judge (make sure to scroll down when you hit the link). You won't be too surprised who gets F's.

Long time ago black Americans supported the Republican party but some where along the line there was a shift. I'll sum it up for you in two words. "Southern strategy"

What was the "Southern Strategy" ?

The phrase, Southern strategy, was coined by Nixon strategist Kevin Phillips. Southern states, were traditionally a stronghold for the Democratic Party became key swing states, providing the popular vote margins in the Presidential elections 1960, 1968 and 1976. During this era, several Republican candidates expressed support for states' rights, which critics have argued was intended as a signal of opposition to federal civil rights legislation for blacks. This strategy was largely a success, and the South is now considered a Republican stronghold in national elections.

I blame Lydon Johnson. Now check out this quote.

Bob Herbert, a New York Times columnist, reported in the October 6, 2005 edition of the New York Times of a 1981 interview with Lee Atwater, published in Southern Politics in the 1990s by Prof. Alexander P. Lamis, in which Lee Atwater discusses politics in the South: You start out in 1954 by saying, "N*gger, n*gger, n*gger." By 1968 you can't say 'nigger'—that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites.

Deep huh??

So here's my theory. It's very indirect. The Republican party doesn't want to keep the black man down they just want to keep him in his place, which in my opinion is much more dangerous. Black Americans aren't a priority. Honestly where is the money in ending racial profiling?

Also I suggest Jackie read White Nationalism, Black Interests: Conservative Public Policy and the Black Community (African American Life Series) by Ronald W. Walters.

Witness to the end of an era.

2006-10-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

Recently I went to see a couple of shows at CBGBs in NYC. Two weeks ago I saw Fishbone's last show at CBGBs. Overall it was a entertaining show. After the show people outside mentioned that Bad Brains were going to play in two weeks. I raced home to my PC and looked for tickets. To my dismay the show had already been sold out. Luckily they added a third show. I managed to get tickets to that one. Let me tell ya about it.

Got there early the weather outside was in a word wet. It was pouring down hard but I we were patient. Once I got this feeling of anxiousness. What would they open with would HR act up? They opened up with I Against I after that it was all a blur. I do remember being at the pit toward the end of their set. Yeah I'm guilty of reliving my youth. I had to do it.

CBGBs closes it's doors this month. It was the birth place of punk rock music. On a purely superficial level it's a small venue. But the history is undeniable. I'm sure there will be another CBGBs but it won't be the same.

Hip-Hop reminds me of....

2006-08-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching the Decline of Western Civilization: The Heavy Metal years. And in a odd way it reminded me of the state of hip-hop today.

I know it may be painful for some of you but let's go back, way back into time to the days of bands with names like Faster Pussycat, Trixter, Firehouse, Cinderella, Whitesnake, White Lion, Warrant, W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns, Skid Row, Extreme, Poison, Motley Crue, and of course the grand daddy of them all Guns and Roses.

What did all of these bands have in common? (Besides having big freaking hair.) They basically talked about the same damn things; sex, women, and partying. Do you see where I'm going with this? Basically (mainstream) hip-hop is doing the same damn thing. All they're talking about is sex, women, and partying. Compare the way women are portrayed in videos today to how they were portrayed in the mid to late 80's. It's the same damn thing.

So here's my theory, once things become so bloated and blinged out people will eventually start listening to bands that matter. For example when people got tired of Warrent they started listening to Soundgarden and Nirvana. Eventually the mainstream catches up, this usually takes some time but it does happen.

It's already changing when you consider the current landscape of artists out there. Kayne West has, and hopefully will continue to make an impact. Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and the Roots have broken out of the underground (to a certain extent). I'm sure in the coming years artists like Planet Asia, Rhymefest, and Jedi Mind Tricks will rise from the underground.

One can only hope.

All apologies...To the brothers who couldn't make it.

2006-08-04T18:46:00.000-04:00

I am so sorry for not updating. I've been really busy with work and I've really had nothing to say. But I have been commenting, mostly at the After Party.

Where do I begin? Last week I went to the Alpha Phi Alpha centennial convention, Alpha Phi Alpha is the oldest college fraternities in the country, founded in 1906 at Cornell University by seven brave men.

It's hard to put into words the feelings I had entering the lobby of the hotel that was hosting the convention. The best way I can put it is I had a overwhelming feeling of brotherhood. I met brothers from all over the country but I have to say that being with my brothers from my chapter (Omicron Zeta) and my other New Jersey brothers was the highlight of the convention. I got to meet brothers I had only heard stories about and others that I hadn't seen in years. It's a shame that more brothers couldn't come through. This was a once in life time celebration and I don't think we will live another hundreds years to see it again.

Becoming an Alpha was a defining moment for me in college. First off I'm not really a joiner or a follower. I'm an only child and I like being an individual. So how do I explain joining a fraternity? Easy, I pledged by myself. If you are reading this and you're confused I'll repeat myself. I pledged by myself. Yeah I know I always have to do things the hard way. It changed the way I looked at myself and the way others looked at me. The process alone made me a stronger man and helped me to understand that no matter how hard things are in college the real world is much more harder and challenging. I want to take this moment to thank the brothers that came before me and the ones that followed me. Hold the light high.

Ghetto Saints

2006-06-14T23:16:00.000-04:00

First off I just like to say that I've been really busy. Still adjusting to the new apartment post renovations and still adjusting to the new job. Also therapy has really made me less bitter (That usually lasts until I see the bill). But I'll get into that at another time (or maybe not.)

The title of this post is Ghetto Saints. Now what is a "Ghetto Saint"? Glad you asked. Basically a Ghetto Saint is an icon who is celebrated within the ghetto and who's image is often worn on tee shirts. Some ghetto saints are alive (50 Cent) but the most popular ones are either dead (Tupac) or made up characters who are dead (Scarface).

I normally don't pay attention to fashion, I like what I like, and I try not to judge others for their fashion choices (it's something me and the shrink are working on.), but I've just about had it up to here with all this Tupac and Scarface paraphernalia. Seriously. I know I'm preaching to the choir on this one because people who wear Ghetto Saint paraphernalia don't come to my site but, I just had to get this off my chest.

Ok I've seen Scarface (maybe a dozen times) I GET IT, his story is a classic tale of a man who wants his part of the American dream, and he's prepared to kill for it. OK I GOT IT. But why do we insist on glorifying a character who epitomize almost everything wrong with our community? This is a character that wasn't even made up by us. Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay to Scarface and I got news for ya IT'S A REMAKE of a movie that was made in 1932.

The Tupac thing I understand (even though Tupac wasn't really a thug until he got into music, but that's another story.), but this Scarface thing doesn't make sense to me. It's as if some white guy (who never lived in the hood) made up a story about the hardest gangster that ever lived and we all bought into it and said YEAH that's how it is. Wait that's exactly what happened. Why do we feed into sjit that somebody else made up? Why do we glorify sjit that we don't even own. And when I say "own" I mean we had no part in the writing, directing or producing that movie so why do we choose to identify with some exploitation sh*t that was made up.

Now please don't get me wrong I have no problem with an Italian-American playing a Cuban refugee or a white guy writing a screenplay about a Cuban refugee who goes on to become a druglord. My beef is not with the creators of the movie my beef is with the people who buy into that image and think that is something to aspire to. It's cause of sh*t like this that we can't get our act together and why hip-hop culture is looked down upon as something that lacks morality.

Someone help me out here. Comments are welcome.

A Day without Immigrants, were you affected?

2006-05-02T08:08:00.000-04:00

I am the son of immigrant parents. My parents are from Guyana, (that's in S. America). They came to this country (LEGALLY) with hopes and dreams of making a better life for themselves. My parents came to this country during a different time (mid-60's) among protest rallies and riots they came face to face with something they had not experienced in their own country (racism).

So now we flash forward to today. Immigration is a huge topic in the news lately, I'm guessing it has something to do with mid-term elections coming up.

It seems that when people talk of immigration the first thing you think about is someone of Latin decent (particularly Mexican). But there are many other kinds of immigrants who are in this country legally and illegally. But you don't see them at the forefront of this movement. Why is that? Let me put a few ideas on the table.

Please note that I have not done any in depth research on this topic and I am strictly giving an opinion and what I've seen on the news. Remember folks this is my blog and I can say what the hell I want to say.

Maybe non-Latin immigrants don't want to be at the forefront of this issue because they have already assimilated to the point where you would not be able to tell if they are here legally or illegally. We have thousands of Irish illegals running around but no one seems to be able to find them. We have thousands of West-Indians who are here illegally but no one seems to be able to find them. Is it because they've managed to blend in to the point in where they would not want the attention?

I understand that Latinos make up the majority of illegals. But does that mean Latinos get to be speak for all immigrants? What do you think?

Tagged

2006-04-20T15:48:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago Nominal Me tagged me. So here goes.

Total number of films I own:
About 12 DVDs.

The last film I bought:
Grosse Pointe Blank and A Solider's Story

The last film I watched:
Sympathy For Lady Vengence - I highly recomend you see it if it is playing in your city.

Five favorite films I either watch frequently or that mean a lot to me:
Pulp Fiction, Grosse Pointe Blank, Citizen Kane, A Soilder's Story, and Jaws.

Oscars Part II: The Winners

2006-03-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

BEST PICTURE
Crash - I really can't believe this movie won. I really hope it sparks a national conversation on race relations. Yeah right like that will ever happen.

BEST DIRECTOR
Ang Lee - In all seriousness he deserves this award. It was his time. He said he made this film for his father. Are you trying to tell us something Ang?

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman - He gave one of the most sincere speeches of the evening. I had no idea he was raised in a single parent home. By the way, Hoffman's mom is a MILF.

BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon - Seriously I couldn't see this. I don't know why this happened. I am speechless. I hated her speech. Reese you don't matter.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney - He deserved this. Too bad Paul Giamatti got screwed again. Clooney's speech was one of the highlights of the evening. He's totally a movie star in the tradition of the old school greats.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rachel Weisz - I really like her as an actress but I hated this movie. I wonder who knocked her up?

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit": What's up with the freakin bowties?

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana for "Brokeback Mountain": Well they had to give them something right?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco for "Crash": I said it once and I'll say it again: "I can't believe Haggis used to write for Different Strokes."

Overall I thought it was a good show. Jon Stewart did a great job as host. He wasn't edgy and he was the consummate picture of the outsider looking in.

So Three 6 Mafia won. Some of you boughy Negroes out there think it's a bad thing. Personally I think their song fit perfectly with the movie. I don't know of any song in the running whose lyrics tell the story of the movie that it's representing. This win shows that hip-hop is a true force to be reckoned with not only in the music world but in the world of film. I can't hate on them. Their acceptence speech was one of the most realest things the Academy has ever seen.

Here are a couple of highlights in no particular order:

Lauren Bacall talking about film noir. After all these years she's still got a lot of class.
Morgan Freeman messing up his lines.
Jennifer Garner almost falling down.
Three 6 Mafia winning.
Richard Pryor being the last name mentioned in the "In Memoriam" segment. It is probably the first time a black man's name has gone last.
Gavin Hood accepting for the best Foreign language film.
The cast of Crash's reaction to them winning best film.

False alarms

2006-02-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

I've been slacking big time during black history month but I promise that I will make it up to you readers that still come around.

Today's topic is WHEN IS IT RACIAL or Are we too sensitive?

In this post I will put forward several situations that may or may not be racial. It all depends on your perception and your ability to see things for what they really are. You be the judge.

Case 1:
Like many New Yorkers I was affected by the MTA strike back in December. The TWU lead by Roger Tussaint called a strike for all transit workers in NYC. He sited that the MTA has been treating their workers unfairly and that this was not just about money but about their dignity. Talks are still in limbo.

A majority of NYer's thought it was all about the money. And Tussaint's call for a strike was a bit much and he should just make a deal (read roll over and play nice). But Tussaint's pride wouldn't let him.

Tussaint was vilified in the press. Now was it cause he called for a strike that made New York City loose over 10 million dollars. If the president of TWU was a white man would he get bad press the way Tussaint got it?

IMO: I think anyone that makes New York loose money is gonna get bad press. Tussaint being black has nothing to do with him getting bad press. But there were trigger words used in the press (ex. calling the workers thugs) to describe the workers. And let's not forget that the union is a minority run union (meaning there are more black people in the union than white.)

Case 2:

Shani Davis. Is he an angry black man who's not a team player or is he misunderstood?

IMO: Based on what I've read he's a loner and sometimes people can be rubbed the wrong way by that. It looks racial in the way the press has covered it, let's be honest here; it's black guy playing a white sport. No matter how anyone covers the story is going to look racial.

Sometimes black people in America see racism when it ain't there. But that's cause most of us have experienced it for most of our lives.

Yes that's a valid excuse white folks so deal with it. We didn't create racism we just live under it's evil thumb.

So when is it racial? Is it racial when a white man stands up side by side with a black man and says "YES THIS IS RACIALLY MOTIVATED." Or is it a matter of how we perceive things? So in an effort to help my white brothers and sisters I've come up with a guide to help you tell when things are racial.

When a black person with no criminal record gets shot or beaten by the cops, chances are it's racial.
When a black person runs for public office and the media wonders what he or she is going to do for the rest of the community, chances are it's racial
When a black person dominates what we've been told is a white sport and gets bad press chances are it's racial.
When the sentence is 25 to life for crack while the sentence for cocaine is one year, chances are it's racial.
When a white rapper sells more records than a black rapper, chances are it's racial.
When black people loot and white people find, chances are it's racial.
When a Harvard MBA looses to a High School graduate on a reality show, chances are it's racial.
When a black TV star runs out on a 50 million dollar contract and runs off to Africa, chances are it's racial.
When your land gets "discovered" even though you've been there, chances are it's racial.
When your continent and respective countries gets renamed and borders are changed without you being notified, chances are it's racial.
If your oil and diamond rich country is in debt to the IMF, chances are it's racial.
If there is more of your people in jail than in college, chances are it's racial.
If you can't believe your hair or skin is beautiful without treating it with lye or bleach chances are it's racial.
If your character dies within the first 30 minutes of a movie, chances are it's racial.
When you get called a refugee in your own country, chances are it's racial.
When your neighborhood gets washed away and the gov't doesn't care, chances are it's racial.
When your church gets blown up with four little girls inside, chances are it's racial.
When a white person just doesn't get it, chances are it's racial.
When you get shot for having a dream, chances are it's racial.

I hope this guide helps my white brothers and sisters out there. Have a nice day.

Black History Month 2006

2006-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes it's that time of year again so before I get into the race ranting I want to open up this post with a quote from my frat brother Carter G. Woodson.

"If you can control a man's thinking, you don't have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have worry about what he will do. If you can make a man believe that he is inferior, you don't have to compel him to seek an inferior status, he will do so without being told and if you can make a man believe that he is justly an outcast, you don't have to order him to the back door, he will go to the back door on his own and if there is no back door, the very nature of the man will demand that you build one."

I guess that is the point behind Manderlay. But I'll get into that later.

Last year I really set the bar high for myself. So my intentions this year are to surpass my work and take it to another level, so let's get started shall we hmmm...

This month I want to hit on a few things that I didn't get to touch on last year.

Some of it is gonna be positive and some of it is gonna be down right ignant. So let the race ranting begin.

First off I want to get this off my chest. My history is not limited to one month out of the year. Black history is AMERICAN HISTORY. This country was built on the backs of black men and women. And I will be damned if my peoples sacrifices and contributions are not acknowledged YEAR ROUND. One month is not enough to talk about the accomplishments of black people in America.

A black man by the name of Carter G. Woodson invented this tradition. But I want my white brothers and sisters to not get it twisted. Just cause we keep this tradition alive doesn't let you off the hook the other 337 days out of the year.

Black history didn't start with Martin Luther King. As great as he was, his legacy stands on the backs of dozens of leaders who came before him.

That being said, as my fellow blogger Panama G. Jackson would say let the Stoned Soul Picnic begin.

Stay tuned.

Oscars Part I: The nominees.

2006-02-03T22:10:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again folks. And the nominees are..

BEST PICTURE
Brokeback Mountain - You can't make me like it. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Capote - Very cool movie. I liked the pace of it.
Crash - It's always nice to see a race movie in the running. I just wish it was written by a black person, is that so wrong?
Good Night, and Good Luck - Very heavy handed. I got the point after the first half hour. I find that this movie is relevant to today but I think the pace of it was kinda slow.
Munich - I was blown away by this movie. Spielberg's best work since Saving Private Ryan.

BEST DIRECTOR
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck": He's a better actor than director.
Paul Haggis, "Crash": He's a better writer than he is a director.
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain": From what I heard he does a good job.
Bennett Miller, "Capote": I really liked the feel of this movie.
Steven Spielberg, "Munich": I don't think he'll win but I think out of everyone nominated he deserves it.

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote": He totally captured the voice and spirit of the character.
Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow": I really want him to win but I know it ain't gonna happen. And honestly who wants to win an Oscar for playing the role of a rapping pimp?
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain": I guess he was the top.
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk The Line": He totally captured the heart of the character.
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck": See what I wrote about Hoffman goes double for Strathairn

BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents": I didn't see this movie nor do I have any intentions to. If I want to see Judi Dench in a movie I'll rent a Bond movie.
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica": So let me get this straight. She's a woman who's playing a man who wants to be a woman? Aww just give it to her already.
Keira Knightley, "Pride and Prejudice": Hell no. NO!
Charlize Theron, "North Country": Didn't she win already?
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk The Line": NO. I just can't see it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney, "Syriana": If he doesn't get the award for best director this could be the conselation prize.
Matt Dillon, "Crash": Is it me or did Don Cheadle get robbed?
Paul Giamatti, "CInderella Man": Got robbed last year so he'll probably get it this year.
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain": I just don't see it happening for him this time around.
William Hurt, "A History of Violence": Deserves it. But won't get it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Junebug": She's the underdog in this category. I really liked her performance.
Catherine Keener, "Capote": She's a safe bet to win but that being said the competition is stiff.
Frances McDormand, "North Country": I didn't see this movie but I'm sure she turned out a great performance. She's just that good.
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener": I hated this movie but I really like Rachel Weisz.
Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain": She's come a long way from Dawson's Creek.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Howl's Moving Castle": Didn't see it.
"The Corpse Bride": Tim Burton could win with this.
"Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit": This movie should have come out 3 years ago and maybe it would have had a chance.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana for "Brokeback Mountain": I'm sure this movie was in development hell for years.
Dan Futterman for "Capote" : Good stuff.
Jeffrey Caine for "The Constant Gardener": HELL F*CKING NO!
Josh Olson for "The History of Violence": Brilliant. This was the most direct movie I've seen all year.
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth for "Munich": Awesome and telling. I loved this movie.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco for "Crash": I can't believe Haggis used to write for Different Strokes.
Grant Heslov and George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck": Who knew Clooney could write.
Woody Allen for "Match Point": Don't ya just love how Woody Allen sneaks in with this movie.
Noah Baumbach for "The Squid and the Whale": Nice title.
Stephen Gaghan for "Syriana" : Hard to follow at times but good idea.

2006 Most Anticipated

2006-01-03T13:55:00.000-05:00

X-Men 3 - The return of Jean Grey. Nuff said.

The Fountain - Darren Aronofsky gives us three parallel stories that span over a 1,000 years.

Superman Returns - Bryan Singer restarts this franchise.

Mission: Impossible III - Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames return to the spy franchise.

Inside Man - Spike Lee directs a bank heist thriller staring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster.

Manderlay - From the man who brought you Dogville. It is a story of slavery, set in the 1930s American South.

Casino Royale - Daniel Craig is the new James Bond. We'll see how he does.

The Da Vinci Code - Ron Howard directs this adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller. Some guy named Tom Hanks is supposed to be in this.

V For Vendetta - The Wachowski brothers adapt the infamous Alan Moore graphic novel.

Also look out for: Miami Vice, A Scanner Darkly, The Return of Zoom, Stranger Than Fiction, Dreamgirls, The Good Shepherd, Eragon

Best and Worst of 2005

2005-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

You know it's that time a year again so I give you my top 10 movies of 2005.

Munich - This has to be Spielberg's most violent movie since Saving Private Ryan. Gripping, intense and brilliant. If there was any shadow of doubt to Spielberg's genius, this movie would put those doubts to rest.

The Aristocrats - The funniest movie of the year. There are so many laughs in this movie that you have to see it several times to get them all.

Oldboy - This movie left me with a sick feeling in my gut at the end. Who knew Koreans could do Greek tragedy. This is a story that could not be told in America.

Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: What can I say my childhood is over. The first two were disappointing but this one wasn't.

Sin City - One of the most ambitious movies of the year. Well executed. Robert Rodriguez took a lot of flack for giving Frank Miller a director's credit. You will not see a movie that is more true to its source.

A History of Violence - One of the most direct and to the point movies I've seen in years. Ed Harris and and William Hurt play great bad guys.

Crash - This movie is packed with stars and great performances. I've never seen a movie where race and power were used so honestly. How can you not love a race movie set in Post 9/11 LA? Crash is one of those movies that attempts to make a statement about race relations in this country and tries to give equal time to all ethnic groups.

Kung Fu Hustle - As funny as it was entertaining. I was surprised by how good it was.

Hustle & Flow - Gritty but very good. Terrence Howard gives a career making performance.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Yeah ok I bought into the hype and ya know what? I don't care. Great action sequences. The on screen chemistry cannot be denied.

Honorablee Mentions: Batman Begins, G, Syriana, Capote, Thumbsucker, Broken Flowers, Waiting, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Junebug, Four Brothers, Layer Cake, Shopgirl, The Baxter, Lord of War, Good Night and Good Luck, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The Ten Worst Movies of 2005

State Property 2 - WHY Dame (Dash) WHY? This was the most ghetto piece of sh*t movie of 2005.
Stealth - This was not a good movie for Jamie Foxx.
Cursed - No direction. Poor story. Should have gone straight to video.
XXX: State of the Union - Icecube really tried, but he came up short in the end.
Domino - Over done. Disappointing.
Doom - Some video games shouldn't be made into movies. Better luck with Spy Hunter Rock.
Mindhunters - This is another one that should have gone striaght to video.
Bewitched - Great premise but it ended up being a waste.
The Island- Michael Bay is repeating himself. How many times can you see the same chase scene.
The Constant Gardener - Poor execution. This movie ran too long. I don't need white people telling me how hard it is in Africa. This movie was crap.

Bloggers I would love to meet

2005-12-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

This post is dedicated to the bloggers I would love to get into a room together.

In no particular order the following is a list of bloggers I would love to meet in real life.

Panama Jackson - The self proclaimed sexiest blogger alive, Panama's site is filled a wit and humor that revels my own. His style is off the cuff and random. He is a man who not only inspires up and coming bloggers but he's a man that often gets ripped off by other punk ass bloggers.

Kajuana - I go to her site just for her take on relationships. She's an old fashioned woman with a unique way of looking at relationships.

Humanity Critic - This brother is one of the most angriest bloggers around. If I ever meet Humanity Critic I will not tease him about David Spade or the many times he's been stopped by cops. Humanity Critic is the master of the throat chop. Do not fuck with this man.

Jackie Chiles - Jackie is one of the many contributors for the Airing of grievances. Like myself Jackie has been the only black guy in the room in many situations.

Jaine Blaize - Ms. Blaize brings the fire where ever she goes. She's had my back many times on my blog and I appreciate her for that.

Not only would I love to meet each of these guys but I would love to get them in a room together with a bottle of tequila and a camera and tape the conversation.

How's that for an update Panama?

Good bye Mr. Pryor

2005-12-11T21:32:00.000-05:00

Richard Pryor died of a heart attack just after 8AM Saturday December 10th 2005 in Los Angeles. Growing up I admired two famous black men. The first was Muhammad Ali the second was Richard Pryor. Both men had a reputation of being rebellious black men who said what was on their minds. Both men where trailblazers and pioneers in their own way. Richard taught me that a black man can say whatever the f*ck he wanted to say whenever he felt like it. I had never seen a black man so free. I often say that my mother is the one who taught me how to curse, but the truth is Richard was the one who taught me. My mother took me to see all of his movies and that’s actually how I learnt how to conjugate the verb, noun, and adverb and adjective we all collectively know as fuck.

When I first heard that Richard died I felt numb. I thought he had at least another five years left in him but the news didn’t shock me, for years Richard had been sick and there was no sign that he was getting better. Over the next few days a lot of people will be writing eulogies in honor of Mr. Pryor saying that he was a trailblazing comic who was an influence of a generation who had many demons, blah, blah, blah. This is all true but what people leave out is that his material was the blueprint for what most black comics are doing today.

Without fear Richard talked about things that black people would only say behind white people’s back, and put it on stage for the whole world to see. He was a social critic. He made you laugh and at the same time his material made you think. He wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable or angry. He used his demons to make us laugh with him. And he never stopped being funny. I cannot stress this point enough. It took a disease for him to stop working and even then he would show up randomly at some comedy clubs in LA.

Every comic working today owes a debt of gratitude to Richard Pryor. And every black comic working today owes that nigga a check, cause every time you hear a black comic do the bit about how white people do stuff differently from black people that's a page out of Pryor’s book. Every time a comic uses the word nigga Richard Pryor (and Paul Mooney) should get a check.

Saturday night I did my best to honor the memory of Richard Pryor. I snorted a line of cocaine, banged a couple white chicks then lit myself on fire. I suggest you all do the same, because Richard would want it that way. (Just kidding, I love you man. Rest in peace muthafucka)

When wrestling gets real.

2005-11-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. For a little over 20 years I've watched professional wrestling. Yes I know it is scripted. But that does not mean it is fake in any way (it's pretty damn hard to fake being thrown through a table).

Here's something you probably didn't know: The average pro wrestler is on the road little over 300 days a year. That means they go from city to city doing basically the same match night after night and rarely do they get time off to be with family. These guys are entertainers/athletes. Talk about dedication.

When I was young fan coming up I was unaware of a lot of the things that go on behind the scene: the politics, the a drug use, the deaths and the backstabbing. I just thought it was a good violent fun. But as I grew older I started to notice some of these guys were dropping like flies. I guess it all started when "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert died of a heart attack in 1995. He was 33. When I first heard of his death I thought it was strange that a guy that young just up and died of a heart attack. Then two years later Brian Pillman (35) died. Brian Pillman bounced around the WCW and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling), but spent the last few months of his career in the WWE (what was then called the WWF) he died right before a PPV. The following year ECW's Louie Spicoli died. He wasn't even 30.

Then in 1999 Owen Hart died. Now for those of you who really don't know anything about wrestling the Hart family are one of the most famous families in Pro-wrestling. The patriarch Stu Hart has trained some of wrestling's famous superstars (Chris Beniot, Chris Jericho, and Brett Hart to name a few). Owen Hart died in a tragic in-ring accident on a live PPV broadcast. The following night on Monday night Raw I got to see the people behind the personas. It was one of the most emotional things I've ever seen on TV. Please keep in mind that Owen wasn't a drug user he was a all around nice guy. Probably one of the nicest guys in the business, and for him to die that way was just unfair. Watching HHH break down was one of the most real and sincere things I've ever seen. Who knew they were that close?

Why do I bring all this up? Well it happened again. Eddie Guerrero died a couple of weeks ago in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eddie Guerrero was the second Latino world champion in the history of the WWE. Here's another case of a decent nice guy who battled drugs and came back and fought for his life and family only to die. He not only was a great talent but he was also a father and husband. The thing that is most unfortunate is that his death could have been prevented if he had just gone for a check up.

I know I've been out of the loop for a while and my first post coming back is about the death of a pro wrestler. Some of you guys reading this may and ask; WHY the hell is he talking about these guys.? My answer is simple. These guys lead a lifestyle in where they've sacrificed a lot of themselves to entertain people and for that they get my respect. If you've ever seen a classic match (ex. Ric Flair vs. Sting) you'll know what I'm talking about. I'll miss you Eddie. Rest in peace.

All Apologies

2005-10-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,

I would like to take this time out to apologize for my long absence. I've got several reasons why I've been unable to write lately. The following is a short list of reasons.

Home renovations: As some of you know Professor Angry and myself live in a lovely Brownstone in Harlem. We don't own the whole building but we do have a whole floor to ourselves. We are currently in the process of redoing several rooms in the house. One of the rooms that needs redoing is my lab of intellectual exploration. My computer has been unplugged and will not be plugged back in until the lab's ceiling is fixed.

DVR: For those of you who don't know what DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. It enables you to program TV to record the shows you want and also enables you to stop live TV. If you are a fan of TV it is a must have gadget. But please be warned it will suck the life out of you and you will find yourself watching things that you have not seen in years. I for one have been trying to catch up with Smallville.

Work: As most of you know I've started a new gig and it's working out fine. The people are wonderful and the job has a lot of potential. But I've got a lot of learning to do. The hours are 9 to 5 but there are times when a brother has to do OT.

So as some of you can see these factors have lead me to slack off a little. I promise you I will be back but for now I'm taking a little break. Trust me folks I've got a lot to be bitter about but for now I need to get to work so I can get my ceiling back so that I may be able to pay the cable bill that supports my new DVR addiction.

Bennett's Boo Boo

2005-10-02T01:45:00.000-04:00

I'm tellin ya Tim my penis is this big

Sometimes being angry can just be exhausting. But then guys like Bill Bennett say something stupid like aborting black children will lower the crime rate. And I have no choice but to be angry. But then I took a deep breath and actually looked on Bennett's site for unedited audio of what he said and then I formed an opinion.

First off, there are no two ways about it he did say it. But his words were taken out of context. He had a caller who suggested that if there was no abortion we would not have any Social Security problems this lead to a discussion to where Bennett argued that this is an unknowable proposition and he sited the analysis and discussion on the closely related topic of crime and abortion in the best seller Freakonomics (written by Yale alums Steven D. Levitt and Stephan J. Dubner) and then he went on with a hypothetical analogy to point out how absurd the original proposition was and that's when things got ugly.

I can honestly say that Bill Bennett doesn't think that all black women should have abortions. But he shouldn't have used that particular analogy in such a cavalier fashion. Not while there is a National debate going on involving poverty and race.

It pisses me off that black people are so easily manipulated by the media. Here we have the opportunity to actually have a national debate about race and poverty in this country after Hurricane Katrina and what does the media do? They go the sensational route and run with a story involving an ex-Reagan cabinet member making racist comments on his talk show. This kind of sh*t takes our collective eyes off the ball ladies and gentleman. Bill Bennett's comments were taken out of context. But please make no mistake folks, there are plenty of white people out there that think black women having abortions would lower the crime rate, but BILL BENNETT is not one of them. Also let's be honest here this kind of thing is good for his show (hell I even listened to the unedited clip of the show before writing this post).

Bill Bennett's comments don't piss me off. What does piss me off is the divisive fashion the media uses race to divide us more then already are. It's as if they are saying SEE BLACK PEOPLE WHITE PEOPLE STILL HATE YOU. I don't need the media to point out this out to me. I would rather have the media spark a debate about why white people feel that the race problem was solved with the passing of the Civil Rights act, or why did black people's humanity have to be legislated? These are some of the things that lie at the core of the race people in this country.

Now some of my friends actually have opinions about this, I promised that I would use their quotes in this post but I will refrain from using their real names and instead I will use pseudonyms my friend Big Fun was quoted saying: "Well, I *think* what Bennett is really saying is that you could make an argument that aborting the children of people under a certain income level would likely end reducing your crime rate, but doing so would be every bit as reprehensible as aborting all black babies to achieve the same end. I think he is drawing the correlation between race and income level which, as we all pretty much know is not entirely without merit...but probably didn't really need to be said to make his point."

Not quite Big Fun he was actually using the analogy to make a point about how eliminating abortion wouldn't solve the Social Security problem.

This comment ended up pissing off my friend Ironman to where he responded with the following comment: "No, I think he's saying blacks are responsible for crime. He didn't mention aborting white babies. The way I read it, it's almost like he says "Damn! We just CAN'T DO IT!...because it's bad. But if we could, exterminating the Black Population by aborting all their babies would certainly drastically lower the crime rate." I recall a similar argument made toward Jews awhile back. Sadly, he is just speaking to the converted that is his audience."

It's truly amazing how my white friends approach stuff like this from two different angles. The funny thing is they were only going on what the media put out there.

New Beginnings

2005-09-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

I spent most of the summer reflecting on what to do next. During that time I really didn't write a lot because I was either distracted or looking for a job.
The good news is that I am no longer unemployed. I was just recently hired by another financial institution. The job is more responsibility and more money. I want to thank all my friends and the people who have stopped in here to read my sporadic ramblings.

My new job requires that I wear a suit. This is very huge for me because I never thought in a million years I would be one of those guys people see on the train. You know what I'm talking about. The guy in the suit and briefcase he looks like he's got it all figured out. He looks like he makes a ton of money. The truth is. Just cause a guy wears a suit to work and carries a briefcase doesn't mean he's got it all figured out.

Losing my job was one of the most challenging things I ever had to go through and I would not have made it if it wasn't for God, my beautiful girlfriend (Professor Angry) and my family. And when I say family I'm including my friends cause I love them just as much as I would a family member. This was truly a test of a man and I'm happy to say that I pasted the test. For the first time in my life I feel like a man.

Thank you all for indulging me and please stay tuned.

Black people loot, white people find.

2005-09-03T05:20:00.000-04:00

Upon seeing this I could have easily taken the high road and be a good Negro and say that these pictures came from two different sources and that people are blowing this out of proportion. But who the fuck would I be kidding?

I was so pissed off when I saw these photos that I responded to an email with the following message:

White people in these situations always talk about how black folks steal. I got one question for all my white friends.
How the fuck do you think we got here in the first place? The answer WE WERE STOLEN! So don't talk to me about stealing.

Some of my white friends that are reading this will think that I'm doing the old angry black guy bit but I assure you that I mean every word I said in that message. Who else out there is sick and fucking tired of this bullshit? Who else out there just wants this race shit to come to a fucking end? I for one wish to God that white people (and black people) could see the stupid shit they do to perpetuate this crap.

I've seen this story reported on other blogs and some people don't seem to understand how blatantly racist this is. And that's the fucking PROBLEM. White people don't understand why it's racist. Their logic is, "Well the pictures are coming from TWO different news sources and two different photographers took the pictures"

My response to this logic is. SO F*CKING WHAT? It's still wrong. And if you can't see that, then there's a problem with the way you perceive things. The point is WHY would one reporter look at two white people with food and say they FOUND food while another reporter looks at a young black man and say he STOLE the food.

And while I'm on a roll, can I ask y'all something? WHERE ARE THE WHITE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA? Seriously it's as if all the white people were warned and all the black people just decided to stay. Now I know that's truly not the case because the police would never do something so racist as to just warn the white folks and leave the black people to suffer.

Here's what I think happened. You have a LOT of black people out there who didn't have the means to evacuate. Meaning they didn't have cell phones, money, cars or family that would take them in, so they were left to brave out the storm. Now of course no one thought the levee would break but it did and the rest is history.

Now getting back to my original rant about racism in the media, A picture speaks a thousand words but it's the caption that everyone reads, and that's the problem. People just need to open their eyes and maybe just maybe we can take a step toward ending the bullshit. What do y'all think?

Pat Robertson apologizes.

2005-08-24T20:39:00.000-04:00

Is Pat Robertson flip-flopping, or is he being sincere?

Would he have apologized if the White House didn't release a statement distancing themselves from him?

Can someone out there explain to me why people listen to this crack pot? Please for the love of God please explain to me why this asshole gets the attention he does?

I just don't understand why the media would give this crackpot creditbility in the first place. It's a sad state of affairs when a man like Robertson has a lot of followers who hang on to his every word. WHY? Cause he's a preacher? What has this man done to deserve his power? Then I read this.

Now granted the link is a little slanted but there is a little truth to it. Do people really believe that God speaks to this man?

If any of Pat Robertson's followers are reading this I want you to do me the following favor. Kill yourself, seriously kill yourself, you will make the world a better place if you just kill yourself right now. Jesus loves you now kill yourself.

Starting over. Hello Windows XP.

2005-08-22T22:22:00.000-04:00

I just want to rant for a minute so bear with me folks.

Time Warner gave me a month of free cable. Why? Because they f*cked up.

At first I thought it was my modem, so I went out and replaced the crappy RCA modem Time Warner gives you with a new Motorola. That didn't solve the problem.

They had to come out to the house three times before they realized that the wiring in my building wasn't the problem but the wiring in another building was the problem. Apparently there is a lot of construction going on in Harlem and someone messed with some cable wires that are attached to my building. So as a result of the gentrification of Harlem I went without cable for a month.

So just as my cable modem problem is resolved guess what happened....

The BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! Nothing is worse than the blue screen of death folks. When you get the blue screen of death it's time to change operating systems. So after dropping some cash on the new modem I had to drop some cash and get XP Professional. Thanks to a connection I was able to get it at a discount.

So that's my story folks and I'm sticking to it. Granted I've been a little lazy this summer but I promise I will be posting a little more often now that I've got a PC that freaking works.

Random Friday 8/6/05

2005-08-05T07:45:00.000-04:00

"Well I'm goin' out west. Where the wind blows tall."
-Tom Waits

I know it's been a long time since I've posted something to this site. But there's been a lot of drama going on in my life since I've last posted something. Stuff I dare not get into today but, I do reserve the right to talk about this later. And now here are some of my random thoughts.
I love what Carville did to Novak. Please watch it here. You know God hates a coward. Why didn't he just stay? And what's with the profanity? I hope the FCC fines his ass.
When did it become hip to become a redneck? With all this hype surrounding the new Dukes of Hazzard movie you would think it's cool to be a redneck. Little do people know that the director of the Dukes of Hazzard is Jay Chandrasekhar of the Broken Lizard comedy group. Broken Lizard is a NY-LA based comedy group who made Super Trooper's (2001). Jay's style reminds me of some of Harold Ramis's early work. That being said I won't slam the movie until I've seen it.

Random Schadenfreude

2005-07-15T07:39:00.000-04:00

Schadenfreude is a German expression (from Schaden: damage, harm; and Freude: joy) meaning pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune or shameful joy.

Here are some stories courtesy of Smoking gun.com, in where some of you will experience Schadenfreude.

Billy Graham's daughter was arrested domestic violence rap for allegedly choking and pushing her husband during a bizarre roadway dispute last Friday.

As some of you know Terry McMillan is in the middle of a vicious divorce from her now gay husband Jonathan Plummer. TSG has posted copies of the court docs put forward by Plummer and McMillian.

Hip Hop Wednesday 7-6-05

2005-07-06T08:03:00.000-04:00

Karrine "Superhead" Steffans has just released a tell all book about her days as a video vixen.

Part cautionary tale part memoir, Ms Steffans weaves a tale marked by physical abuse, rape, and drugs -- all before she was twenty-six.

I haven't read this book yet but from what I understand Steffans, is currently a columnist for King magazine, and has also sold the book rights for a movie for 7.3 million.

So basically she slept with a bunch of rappers and did drugs and then sells her story for 7 million dollars. Granted this woman was raped at 13 and I'm willing to bet this sent her on some kind of path toward this kind of behavior. But I don't think women will look at this book as a cautionary tale. In some way I think young women out there are going to look at this book as a guide rather than a cautionary tale.

I don't have anything against this women personally but it seems that she got into the business to become famous and now that mission has been accomplished but at what price? And how is her son going to feel when he grows up and reads how his mom had sex with all these men? Fame is a funny thing, in some ways it can be a contagious virus depending on who you sleep with.

Let me know what you think people? Just cause you sleep with someone famous does that make you famous?

Happy Anniversary

2005-06-30T17:08:00.000-04:00

One year ago today I started my blog. I just want to take this time out to thank EVERYONE who has stopped by (and commented) on this thing.

I can't believe that it's been a whole year. Time really flies when you are ranting about bullshit. I want to thank a couple of bloggers out there who keep my traffic flowing: Panama Jackson, Kajuana, Nia, Nominal Me, Humanity Critic, Ms. Blaze, Xquizzyt1 and my friend at The Marigold Trail. Thanks for linking me to your sites.

Special thanks to the people at We the Voices.com. I know the site has been on hiatus for a while but I hope you guys come back soon.

Stella's Groove sounds like the Village People

2005-06-28T12:07:00.000-04:00

When I first hear this story I had to laugh just little.

Karma is a bitch isn't it folks. Terry McMillan has made a fortune male bashing and now it's come back to bite her on the ass.

For those of you who don't know Terry McMillan she's the woman who gave us such urban novels such as Disappearing Acts, Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

The heroine in her books are always these middle aged black women who've been dogged by men. But some how they manage to over come their troubles and start a new with the help of their girlfriends or a younger man.

I always thought it is kinda funny that Terry McMillan married a man 23 (Jonathan Plummer) years her junior. But for him to turn out to be gay after all this time is just amazing to me. It would appear that he seduced her and married her just to get US citizenship.

It is a shame that an accomplished, intelligent, and beautiful black woman was such a fool for love.

The real question is...Is Mr. Plummer entitled to a share of the royalties of Ms. McMillian's bestseller "How Stella Got Her Groove Back"? Personally I feel he's entitled to some money. Why, you ask? Because he was her muse. Granted it all blew up in her face but he still deserves some money for being her inspiration.

Let me know what you think on this one folks.

Hip Hop Wednesday 6-22-05

2005-06-22T06:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some minor notes:

March 9, 1997 Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.) was killed shortly after midnight, on a Los Angeles boulevard after someone in a dark sedan fired seven shots into his sport utility vehicle while both cars were stopped at a light. Wallace was heading to a hotel following the Vibe Magazine awards show after-party.

Eight years? Eight freakin years? Finally the family gets their day in court. The civil suit alleges that Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight ordered the 1997 murder of Wallace and that former various LAPD officers helped cover up the murder and stifle an investigation.

The Game has 300 Bars for 50 Cent. Download here. 15 minutes of pure hate.

Cassidy was denied bail after surrendering to police. This is normal for people accused of murder in Pennsylvania.

Rize a new documentary by David LaChapelle is set for release this Friday 6-24-05.

America's God

2005-06-14T18:46:00.000-04:00

I thought OJ was a fluke. Then came the Kobe Bryant case (I still can't believe that it didn't even go to trial) and after that Robert Blake. Then came the BIG ONE. Michael Jackson.

For over 10 years there were rumors of child molestation. And he even had to pay one kid off back in the late 90's. But this trial was supposed to be different. The result. NOT GUILTY.

I am the owner of several Michael Jackson albums and I do like his music. But I hate what he's been reduced to over the years. Make no mistake he is probably one of the most talented entertainers ever. Do I think he molested this kid? No, not this kid. But I do think something happened with another kid at some other time? Yeah probably but we will never hear about that. Which leads me to my point.

America's God is money. It's just that simple. We talk a lot in this country, ya know what I mean. RIGHTS, JUSTICE, FAIRNESS, EQUALITY, blah blah blah. All of it is just talk folks. Money is the only thing that gets things done around here. If you are a male with enough money (and a little bit of fame) you can do ANYTHING YOU WANT. Anything? Ya mean I can kill somebody? Yes you can kill somebody. You mean I can sleep with little boys? Yes you can sleep with little boys.

Is it that simple? What about the law? What about justice? Sorry folks it's just talk.

What if instead of marching and hollarin black people POOLED their money together in an effort to obtain some kind of communal WEALTH? We (as a people) probably would be a little more ahead hmmmmmmmm. We were too busy fighting for CIVIL RIGHTS and we failed to see the big picture. We were too busy fighting the law to see that the law can be BOUGHT and SOLD for the right price. The law is not the answer, money is.
It's very upsetting to learn this simple rule so late in life. I should have kept up with those piano lessons my mom made me take or maybe learn to sing and dance or maybe play ball. Yes granted I would have to deal with being a commodity but at least I would be above the law.

Just remember folks next time you hear some guy on TV yellin about justice or some guy yelling about morality and religion. Just remember that America's God is money and the number one thing we love selling in this country is BULLSHIT.

Hip Hop Wednesday 6-8-05

2005-06-08T20:45:00.000-04:00

Here are our top stories:

Once again it's on between The Game and 50 Cent. Why is Hot 97's Summer Jam always controversial. I really hope this doesn't end badly. In my opinion The Game had every right to shoot his mouth off. Behind the scenes members of G-Unit have been shooting their mouths off about him for months. Case in point Tony YeYo was interviewed recently by Star (from the Star and Buc Wild show). When he was asked about the Game he called him a "Ungrateful" (I'm paraphrasing). So I'm rhydin wit cha Game. F*ck 50!

Looks like Young Buck is going to stand trial for that Vibe awards stabbing. Maybe he'll get probation like Jay-Z did back when Jay had his little run in with the law.
Speaking of Jay-Z, President Carter is going to be working with Foxy Brown on several tracks on her new album. This woman needs all the help she can get to get her self established. Now that Lil Kim is in jail there really isn't a woman in the top spot so maybe the time is right for a Foxy Brown comeback. The girl ain't even 30 and she's trying a comeback? Damn the music business is rough.

A Progressive Man's Dilemma

2005-06-03T15:43:00.000-04:00

I consider myself an open minded progressive man. But lately I've noticed that I might be a little too progressive for my own good.

In a relationship the man and women both have respective roles. Traditionally the woman is the care giver and the nurturer and the man is the bread winner and the one that provides a sense of security. In a progressive relationship the roles can sometimes get blurred.

Growing up I thought a woman's role was to cook, clean, raise the children and look pretty. As I grew older I learnt that these expectations were a part of a patriarchy that was created to hold women down. Yeah I took a woman's studies course in college. I had no idea that expecting a woman to cook and clean was apart of an oppressive order. Who knew? After learning all this my expectations changed. I learnt to expect nothing. Whatever role you want I would complement that. But recently me and my girlfriend have been fighting over what a man and woman's role should be.

I have various roles in my relationship. I cook, lift the heavy sh*t around the house, pay the cable bill and I can be quite nurturing (supportive) when need be. My girlfriend's role is to clean, keep the lights on, and be equally supportive (and nurturing).

Now this sounds all simple and good doesn't it? Think again.

I've got no problem cooking, and being nurturing but from time to time my girlfriend expects me to do shit that I just hate. For instance. Carrying her bag. My girlfriend carries a BRIGHT ORANGE bag and from time to time when it gets too heavy for her she asks me to carry it. I know that people cannot tell it's a woman's bag but I KNOW IT'S ONE. Sorry I just had to vent there. My point is, I didn't sign on to be a freakin valet.

Question to all the ladies out there: Do you really expect your man to carry your bag (when it gets heavy)?

See my problem is I don't expect anything from her that would even compare to that. Yeah I'm a tit for tat kind of guy. I guess I'm kind of confused as to what a woman's role should be.

Ladies I need some feedback here.

Hip Hop Wednesday 6-1-05

2005-06-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

It seems 50 Cent's empire is just getting bigger.

MTV was probably one of the first to break this story.

In my opinion it's not a bad move for both M.O.P. and Mobb Deep. The only potential problem I see happening is them going TOO mainstream to the point where the music suffers. For years M.O.P. and Mobb Deep have had critical underground success but it's never panned out financially.

And in all of this where does that leave Nas? For years Nas has had close ties to Mobb Deep. And in the past there have been harsh words between 50 and Nas. Some how I see a battle coming out of this. Hope it's good for business.

As far as M.O.P. goes I think they will definitely come out lovely with this deal. They came out on the short end of the stick when Jay and Dame split, I hope they can make some serious paper in the near future with G-Unit. I hope they can come out behind the shadow of G-Unit and make a name for themselves. Good luck boyz.

Here's a little hate on 50 Cent.

Coming out of hibernation: Lessons in Love

2005-05-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

A week ago today I got laid off from a job that wasn't really challenging and with a boss I absolutely hated. As a result of that day, I put my blog on hiatus for a week.

Well I'm back. I want to thank everyone who took time out to comment and wish me well. It's not easy but I know I'll get through it.

Now on to today's rant. I want to do something totally different today. Normally I'm usually ranting about race, politics, music, or movies. But today's rant is going to be a little different. Today's topic is "How love varies from relationship to relationship."

Before I begin I want to set the record straight. First off, I have a girlfriend that I love and if I wasn't for these previous experiences I would not have grown into the man she loves today. Second, I want to give props to my fellow bloggers Kajuana and Humanity Critic for inspiring me. And now the rant...

I've been in love a couple of times in my life and looking back on some of those experiences I've learned that in each situation was different than the next. To protect the innocent I won't use real names. Let's start with the first one. We'll call her Keena.

I first met Keena when I was 17 years old at a Purim party. She was tall, cute and very confident. Being that I'm black and Jewish and she was also black and Jewish I thought we were a perfect match. I was naive back then and really a sucker. The love I had for her at that time was pure and naive. I believed anything and everything she told me. BIG MISTAKE! She knew every weakness I had and exploited each and every single one of them, one by one. And the funny part is I kept on coming back for more. We never really made things official and we never really had sex (although we did play Monica meets the President a couple of times), but I deep down I thought we would end up together. We were on and off for about 6 years. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when we were in DC (a trip I paid for) and went through the trouble of buying her a dozen red roses and her response was "Where's the vase?" That day something died inside of me. That day I realized that this woman never respected me. In the end this wasn't love, but at the time I was going through it all you couldn't tell me I didn't love her and til this day a part of me still cares for her, I think part of that comes from nostalgia. Recently her grandfather died. He was a mentor to me and I really loved him. On his death bed he called me his son, and right there in my mind I made a promise to myself that I would look out for her. We talk once in a while but it feels more like a sparing match.

Let's move on to our second subject. Mary. Mary and I went to high school together. She was one year younger than me and she was one of the cutest girls in the school. She had a look about her that was just stunning, but still pretty enough to be approachable. At the time you couldn't tell me there wasn't another girl that looked as good. Eventually she gave me the inevitable "Let's be friends" speech that I had been used to getting, thereby ending all my chances of hittin it. Still I would be getting these mixed messages from her (ex. Long phone conversations in where the L word was used). But alas, she ended up going out (and losing her virginity) to this redheaded white boy who was what we called back then a wannabe, today you would just call him a wigger. That's right folks I was so corny in high school that I lost my girl to a Marky Mark wanna be. Ok to be honest she was never really my girl to begin with. We tried to remain friends even though her boyfriend wanted to get me jumped. She even set me up with my first piece of ass, her fat friend Lucy. My reasoning for hittin it was simple. I didn't want to go to college a virgin and wanted to use Lucy to get to Mary. STUPID STUPID STUPID. I know it was a sjitty thing to do and it didn't work. It took years for my friends to quit the jokes about her. The back and forth with Mary finally came to an end my freshman year in college. She had already dumped the redheaded Marky Mark wannabe and was dating some other dude who was in the military. I was watching Rikki Lake one day and lo and behold I see LUCY! The topic was something like VIOLENT GIRLFRIENDS apparently Lucy dropped a bowling ball on her boyfriend's car. I quickly called Mary to ask if she was watching this. We hadn't talked for some time and she told me she was with child. I was happy for her but sad to hear her and her man weren't getting along. I ended the conversation with me saying something like "Well at least you don't have to worry about me going after you." she asked "Why?" I responded by saying "Well I don't date chicks with kids." *click*. That was the last time we've ever talked. I haven't heard from her since. At the time you couldn't tell me what I was feeling was love but now that I think about it really wasn't.
(Note: Keep in mind I was 20-something at the time).

Now we move on to our last subject. Jenny. I met Jenny about 8 years ago. I was unemployed and living with my mom. Jenny is a Yale graduate and also holds a masters from Columbia. She's into video games and likes sci-fi. And she's very intelligent in general. When we first met she was living in LA and out here in NYC just visiting friends. We met at a birthday party for her friend Lisa. All the mushy crap that I had buried for years seemed to come to the surface that night. I fell real hard. I was like a kid again. Needless to say that kind of thing didn't really go over well with her and I was banished into the friend zone. But we managed to maintain contact with each other and eventually she moved to NYC after 9/11 (through no prodding of mine). This was probably the most complex and interesting friendships I've ever had with a woman. Through our 8 year platonic friendship I've learnt a lot about myself and I've learnt a lot about her. We've got a weird Victorian thing going on. I would go into a ton of details but chances are she's going to end up reading this. Recently Jenny told me she's moving out of NYC and going to law school in New Mexico. I wish her all the best and hope she succeeds in her endeavors whatever they may be. She will be missed. Through our friendship I learnt to feel and protect my feelings. She summed it up best by saying she would be a Sith and I would be a Jedi. Two sides of the same coin I guess huh?

These examples I've presented have lead me to believe the following: Love vaires from friendship to friendship. Woman to woman. Time plays a big factor in all of this. At the time I met Keena I was young and dumb and had no idea I was being played like a fool. As a result I tricked myself into believing that I loved this girl. Was it love? Well at the time I thought it was but now that I'm older I see it a little differently. When I met Mary I was looking for accpetance from others and I thought getting with a cute chick would solve some of those problems. In return I ended up getting the complete opposite (Lucy) and settling for just getting laid. The man I was when I met Jenny is completely different from the man I am now. We both had baggage from previous experiences and eventually we broke down each other's wall (it took 8 years) and eventually we discovered that being friends was best for both of us. Her friendship helped in the growth process.

Laid off

2005-05-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

I went into work today and found out that my position has been eliminated.

This is sad news but I feel that I have to take it in stride. I feel awful right now as I write this but in some way I know it is all for the best.

Now to release some hate.

I really learnt the meaning of hate during my five years of employment at that place. I really hated my boss. He was the number one reason I would hate to go to work. You know the type of person that just hates everything and can never be happy? That was him in a nutshell. Never satisfied and never really happy. I feel sorry for the people that I left behind today because they have to live with that guy.

To call him a piece of shit would be a disservice to all pieces of shit world wide. If he had a personality he would probably be a piece of shit. But alas he doesn't even have enough personality to be considered a piece of shit.

There were times in where I wished he would get a cancer and then have it go into remission. Then on the day he walks out of the hospital with a new lease on life he would get his by a truck and die a painful death.

But that is not to be. Finally I can get a new start on life and with the support of friends and family I will get through this. The bright side of this is I will now be blogging more than EVER. So please stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting.

Thank you.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-18-05

2005-05-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

First some minor notes:

Out with the old and in with the new. Eminem has a DJ. Recently DJ Green Latern, voluntarily left Shady Records after a conversation with 50 Cent's adversary Jadakiss was unknowingly taped in a conversation about the pair' beef was released on a DVD.
Remember last year 50 Cent jumped into a crowd at a concert because someone threw a water bottle at him? Well he ain't going to jail for that sh-t.
Mixtape Awards founder Justo Faison died in a car accident Saturday. For those real hip hop heads out there this is a huge loss.

And now the main story:

Russell Simmons (founder of Def Jam records) recently responded to Abraham Foxman's comments on Millions More Movement by saying: "Simply put, you are misguided, arrogant, and very disrespectful of African Americans and most importantly your statements will unintentionally lead to a negative impression of Jews in the minds of millions of African Americans."

Well done Russell. What business is this march of theirs? Why is it that whenever black leaders come out to support something positive Farrakhan does Jewish leaders have to come out and remind the black community that Farrakhan has made anti-Semitic comments in the past?

Maybe the answer is simple if we go back in history. Jews and Blacks worked very hard together during the civil rights era. Jews through the years have donated a lot of money and time toward black causes, all of this is well documented. Maybe some Jewish leaders feel slighted whenever a black leader lays down with Farrakhan. I can understand that. But somewhere deep down I feel that guys like Foxman sub-consciously feel that black people owe something to the Jewish community for stepping up during that time. Before I go to far with this post I want to make something perfectly clear.

I was raised as a Jew. And I am black. Believe it or not. Ok now that we've got that out the way I can get back to our regular scheduled rant.

I don't think the black community owes any kind of explanation to any Jewish leader for what is going on with the Millions More Movement. Jewish leaders never have to explain themselves to black people. Why should we be accountable to them? Just cause you marched and gave us some money doesn't mean that you have a right to scold us for teaming up with Farrakhan. Farrakhan has made anti-Semitic remarks in the past no doubt but SO WHAT. Anyone remember Meir Kahane?

The bottomline is that the ADL should just but out. They should use this opportunity to reach out to this man and try to bring some kind of peace between Jews and Blacks. But instead he has to play the role of a critic. It's a damn shame in my opinion.

Just shut up and catch the ball boy.

2005-05-17T16:47:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading an article about Javon Walker written by Jeffri Chadiha. And it got me thinking, about what white America expects from its black athletes.

Millionaires can't bitch. If you are making six-figures you can't ask for more money. Where do they get off? Why can't they just shut up and play?

If I was a white guy with a beer gut making minimum wage at the local Sip and Dip I would feel the same way. But I'm not that guy. At the end of the day pro-sports is a business. It is what it is, not everybody plays for glory people. And please believe me when I say there are a lot of white guys out there that are making more money off of these black millionaires than I can shake a stick at.

Now just hear me out. This post isn't about whether they should be asking for money is right or wrong. In no way am I trying to defend the actions of what TO and Javon Walker are doing. This post is about how it is more beneficial for a black athlete to keep his mouth shut and get paid rather than open his mouth and get bad press.

Through the ages white America has enjoyed watching black men run, jump, and catch. But the minute we have something to say the black athlete gets bad press and is called out for being uppity. Wuz up wit dat? I'm good enough to be your entertainment but I can't open my mouth to say that it was a bad throw?

Javon Walker is an example of what white America wants. Please don't think I'm calling him an uncle tom for that. I am merely saying that he is doing what is expected of a black athlete (keeping his mouth shut). He took his lumps from his QB (Brett Farve) and he's moving on in silence. Will he get his money? Maybe. We do know one thing though. He won't get any bad press because he's keeping his mouth shut. Now TO is what white America hates. He's a mercenary. Jumping from one team to the next in search of a bigger check and glory. White America hates a brotha like this cause he's playing the system for all it's worth.

I ain't mad at either of them. The shelf life of a NFL player is short so you might as well get all the $$$ you can while you are physically able. Seriously what are these guys going to do when they retire? Sell cars? Go on TV as commentators? I hope they save their money and do something smart with it.

Is Bill Cosby Right? Yes he is Mr. Dyson.

2005-05-16T23:01:00.000-04:00

I recently got a chance to see Michael Eric Dyson speak in Harlem at the HueMan Bookstore. For those of you who are not familar with him he's the scholar that white people drag out from time to time to explain black culture to the white masses. Frankly I don't like being explained to folks. Either you get it or ya don't. Mr. Dyson is a professor (University of PENN) and a ordained Baptist minister. Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson just finished a book titled: Is Bill Cosby Right?: Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost its Mind? I think it's great that he's keeping this going. It's good to have a national debate about this kind of thing, and if his book continues the dialogue then so be it.

Dyson was very eloquent and used all kinds of big words and flowery speech to make his point. Basically in a nutshell Dyson doesn't agree with Bill Cosby. He feels that Mr. Cosby was picking on poor people because; they're an easy target. Dyson brings up some interesting questions toward Cosby. Why now? You've never wanted to be identified as an expert on black people why do you want to be identified as one now?

Hearing Dyson speak is very exasperating if you don't have a broad vocabulary. He speaks so fast and moves from one topic to the next it can be hard to keep up. He reminds me of one of those brothas that spent all his time in jail reading the dictionary and can't wait to use all the big words he learnt on the inside. Dyson feels Cosby is misguided and bitter; there was no love in what Cosby said.

My opinion of Dyson is he's one of those black men that walk the tightrope between the street and college, personally I feel they should cut that rope, it's a real simple choice the gun or the book. The choice is yours black man; Dyson has all the tools to be called a black leader he's an accomplished author, a college professor, a ordained Baptist minister and activist so naturally people are gonna want to hear him speak. He means well in his message but I just think he's a tad bit too slick for his own good. Shouldn't he be reaching out to Cosby instead of slamming him in a book?

It was very frustrating listening to him go off on Cosby. At one point he had the nerve to say that Cosby has never addressed white supremacy. This all depends on what you what you mean by the phrase "address". I've seen numerous interviews in where Cosby has addressed white supremacy by saying; yes it exists but should we let that stop us from succeeding? It didn't stop black people in the 40's 50's and 60's so why should we use that as an excuse? It's not necessary for Cosby to bring up white supremacy, because it is something that has always existed and something we have always had to work around. White supremacy is the reason how black people ended up in America in the first place, we know this Dyson! but what are we prepared to do to fight it? Now if that's not addressing white supremacy I don't know what is.

After the lecture he took some questions from the audience. He didn't call on me. He got a bunch of softball questions from the audience. By then I was just too flustered that I had to go to Popeye's to calm down.

Here are some questions I would have liked to ask Dr. Dyson:

Have you ever lost (donated) millions of dollars to a cause and not see any progress?
What would you say to a person who spends more money on sneakers than on their own children?
When are we as a people going to stop caring what white people thinking of us?
How many ten-dollar fancy words are in your book?
What do you think MLK would say of all of this?

Basically my impression of Dyson is that he's saying everything that black people want to hear but nothing they need to hear. Cosby intially said a lot of harsh things, but he's paid his dues and he has every right to speak his mind whether it be harsh or not. Cosby wasn't talking to the hard working people who are just trying to get by. He was talking to the people who are out here making the hard working people look bad. People often forget that Cosby grew up poor and no matter how much money you earn in life it still cannot wipe out those early memories of youth.

Thoughts on Star Wars (feeding the hype machine)

2005-05-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

Last night Nominal Me and myself were out on the town. We managed to get on the topic of Star Wars and at one point in the conversation he turned to me and said, "May 19 our childhoods are over." I looked at him and said "Yeah I know."

I had been thinking the same exact thing for a number of months the feeling became more real to me after I bought my ticket. Now granted I'm in my early 30's but I still go to comic book stores, I still like sci-fi and I still play video games. But this movie changes everything for us sci-fi geeks. There will be nothing left for us because we've seen it all (Spider Man, X-Men, and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy etc.) But this is different from all the others, finally it's happening, all the pieces are going to fit together and we will finally know how Darth Vader came to be.

As a kid I wished for a channel devoted strictly to cartoons. Now we have two. I used to wish for a channel devoted strictly to sci-fi. Now we have it. As a kid I wished they had went back and told the story of Star Wars from the beginning. Now they have. What's left?

I bought my ticket for the midnight show (5-18-05) on 4-21-05 a few days shy of a month before the opening. I picked Union Square because it's one of my favorites and it's right across the street from the Forbidden Planet (a great comic book store). It's the perfect location. I plan on getting home from work eat dinner and then take a nap so that I won't be too tired once the movie starts. I will probably get there by 10PM so to avoid the line.

I need a front row seat to the end of my childhood.

Shameless self promotion on a Friday

2005-05-13T13:58:00.000-04:00

We the voices.com has just updated its movie section.

Check out my reviews of XXX: State of the Union and Crash.

Fringe Thursday 5-12-05 Velocity Girl

2005-05-12T09:07:00.000-04:00

Last week we saluted Bettie Servert, this week we give props to another band that never quite got the attention they deserved. Washington D.C.'s own.

Velocity Girl

Taken from allmusic.com

Velocity Girl emerged as one of the most successful and acclaimed indie-rock bands of the early 1990s. Their roots lie in the short-lived Gotterdammacrats, which formed in Silver Spring, MD in September 1988 around the nucleus of singer/guitarist Archie Moore, bassist Kelly Riles, guitarist John Barnett and drummer Berny Grindel. Barnett exited following the first performance, and after playing a series of gigs as a three-piece, in the summer of 1989 the group welcomed vocalist Bridget Cross and adopted the name Velocity Girl, borrowing the moniker from an early B-side by the then-obscure British band Primal Scream. As the year drew to a close, the band made its recorded debut with “Clock," a contribution to the compilation What Kind of Heaven Do You Want?, the first release on the fledgling local label Slumberland. Drummer Jim Spellman replaced Grindel in the fall of 1990, and after completing the single “I Don't Care If You Go," Cross left the lineup early the following year; she soon resurfaced in another seminal D.C. indie band, Unrest. Singer Sarah Shannon was tapped as Cross' replacement, and a week after adding second guitarist Brian Nelson—Moore's bandmate in the pioneering Black Tambourine—Velocity Girl entered the studio to record its breakthrough single, 1991's “My Forgotten Favorite." The record was a major college radio favorite, and brought the group to the attention of the Sub Pop label, which released a split single featuring Velocity Girl and fellow D.C.-area band Tsunami in early 1992. Velocity Girl remained with Sub Pop to issue its 1993 full-length debut Copacetic—a much-acclaimed set featuring the singles “Crazy Town" and “Audrey's Eyes," its ingratiating noise-pop approach proved pivotal in expanding Sub Pop's image beyond that of merely a Seattle grunge label, and at the time was the second biggest seller in the company's history, behind only Nirvana's Bleach. The follow-up, ¡Simpatico!, was even more successful, generating the minor hit “Sorry Again." 1996's Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts was far less fulfilling creatively and commercially, however, and after completing the album Shannon relocated to Seattle. The group's days were clearly numbered, and a U.S. tour culminated in a farewell show at Baltimore's 8x10 Club that September.

I remember being in college.
I remember watching the video for Crazy Town on MTV's 120 minutes.
I remember seeing them live at Tramps in downtown Manhattan on Apr. 20, 1996. I was out of college by then. I saved the ticket stub.

VG was one of those indie bands that never quite took off because they were really not grunge and they really weren't pop. They were decent live but really weren't as flashy as their contemporaries. What I loved about them is they made catchy songs that had cool lyrics and good hooks.

I suggest you pick up a copy of Copacetic and check out track #1 called Pretty Girl.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-11-05

2005-05-11T07:21:00.000-04:00

Here are some random notes.

The Game has truly changed. Now I'm all for a man evolving and becoming more positive. But changing the tear drop tattoo to a butterfly? Come on Game, I understand you want to be more positive, but gangstas don't tattoo butterflies on their faces.

Tom Green is planning to put out a rap album. Well before you go WTF? Green before he became a comic was in a group called Organized Rhyme.

M.O.P. has left Roc-A-Fella records. Now personally I think this is a good move for them. M.O.P. has never been one of those groups that I saw going mainstream. Maybe it's a smart move for them to go back to the underground.

Now our main story:

Foxy Brown denies it but Miami rapper Jackie O says it happened. First thing I asked myself when I heard about this was: Who the hell is Jackie O?

Apparently Foxy was in Miami and was invited into the studio by Jackie O, words were exchanged and that's when people's stories get shady. Jackie O's people says she knocked out Foxy Brown and Foxy's people are saying it didn't happen. Now I understand that she doesn't want to lose face, but I also see that no one outside of Miami has really heard of this Jackie O chick until now. I think she's just trying to make a name for herself. And at the same time Foxy is trying to promote her new stuff so I'm a little suspicious of this whole thing.

My Crazy Daydream

2005-05-06T08:28:00.000-04:00

I must be losing my mind because I just had a crazy ass daydream yesterday.

I dreamed I was...(hold on to your seats) a BLACK LEADER. That's right yours truly Doc Strangejazz a certified BLACK Leader.

That's not all I dreamt. I dreamt that I was holding a press conference and I had on stage with me the following people: Bill Cosby, Michael Eric Dyson, Richard Parsons (CEO of Time Warner), Julian Bond (Executive Chairman NAACP), Louis Farrakhan, Condi Rice, Jay-Z, Sen. Barack Obama, Armstrong Williams, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson and a host of others I will mention through out this post. It was a big freakin stage ok.

I know it's crazy to have all those people up on stage with me at one time but this is my dream so just roll with it.

I took the podium and gave a speech that went something like this:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, I come to you a humble man with a mission. My mission today, well our mission today is a hard one. But it is one that I think we can complete in my lifetime. Our mission simply put is to end the bullshit that permeates our culture. Simply put people, the nigga nonsense has got to go. From this point forward all of my compatriots that you see here on this stage will work together with me and many other leaders to end the nigga nonsense. From this point forward all questions about black leadership shall be deferred to me. No more will we have you (the press) deciding who our leaders are for us. You're looking at him people. Simply put I am the only black leader you will need to come to, from this point forward. Now I'll leave the floor open for any questions.

The first question came from a reporter in the front row. Mr. Strangejazz what are you plans for Black America?

First off call me Dr. Strangejazz. We have many plans. We have collectively decided to have a 15 year moratorium on all professional sports and entertainment. We've decided collectively to not sing, dance, or play any sports. That means you won't see any new black artists or athletes coming out for at least 15 years. I wanted to shut it all down but that would cripple the economy so we compromised and settled for the fifteen-year plan. Next question.

What do you plan to do about the incarceration rate of black people?

We are working on this problem on two fronts. Many of you know that recently we lost a great legal mind in one Johnny Cochran. He will be sorely missed. Before his death we were able to get a sample of his DNA and brain matter. From these samples we were able to produce clones of Mr. Cochran. Now of course these clones do not look exactly like him, but trust me they are have his skill. We have thousands of them currently working on appeals for our incarcerated brethren. That’s on one front; we are also working with Sony and Microsoft to provide computers and PS2's for the kids who are in certain target areas. If they are on the PC or the PlayStation they won’t be on the street doing harm to anyone or themselves. Those are just a few of the ways we are handling the problem. Next question.

What do you plan to do about the image of black people?

Glad you asked. As you know this is a huge problem for us. Mr. Parsons, Mr. Cosby and I have worked out a deal in where Viacom will be selling us back BET. We’ve also acquired UPN. Once these deals are final, effective immediately the programming will be radically revamped. We plan to do it right this time around people. In addition to that we are instructing all black people not to audition for any reality television shows that includes talk shows such as the Rikki Lake show, Jerry Springer and Montel Williams. We also would like to inform you that we will only have four comics working on a mainstream basis. Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Griffin and Paul Mooney. Of course other comics will be allowed to work in clubs and do standup but we’ve come to an agreement that only four comics will be allowed to shuck and jive and make you white folks laugh. Next question.

Dr. Strangejazz do plan on running for president?

No. My job is here with my people. There’s a lot of work to be done. One thing we are currently working on that’s close to my heart is getting black women to wear their hair naturally. It’s gotta be nappy if we are going to be happy. And while we're on the subject of hair. No more jerri curls. Anyone caught with a jerri curl will be shot on site. Right here in my hand is a piece of legislation that was just signed into law that allows any police officer to shoot anyone wearing a jerri curl. Not kill just shoot. They should get the message after that. Last question please we've got a meeting to go to at Cosby's house.

Dr. Strangejazz what does the black church think of what you're doing?

Well as you know the black church the cornerstone of leadership for our people. That’s going to radically change now that I’m in charge. Churches will now be required to teach our people about money, how it works, how to invest and make a profit. Of course a few churches have similar programs like this but we plan to increase that number drastically over the next few years. We are going to empower the people with knowledge of how money works. Ok folks we gotta get out of here so thank you and take care.

Fringe Thursday 5-05-05

2005-05-05T08:08:00.000-04:00

This post is dedicated to a band that never really got the mainstream attention they deserved.

Bettie Serveert

Taken from Allmusic.com:

Bettie Serveert were formed in Amsterdam and existed briefly in 1986 when De Artsen members Peter Visser (guitar) and Herman Bunskoeke (bass) quit their band to join up with Canadian-born vocalist Carol van Dijk, whose family moved to the Netherlands when she was a child. However, with the release of their debut album, Conny Waves With a Shell, De Artsen gained a wider audience around Holland, and with plentiful demand for their live act, Visser and Bunskoeke rejoined; meanwhile, van Dijk was hired as De Artsen's new sound engineer. When De Artsen broke up again in 1990, Bettie Serveert reconvened with new drummer Berend Dubbe, a childhood friend of van Dijk's and a roadie for De Artsen. Dubbe suggested the band's name, after an instruction manual by Dutch tennis star Bettie Stoeve.

Bettie Serveert recorded a seven-song demo in early 1992 that found its way to the American indie Matador, thanks to a friend of the band who worked in a specialty record shop. Matador signed them immediately and released their debut album, Palomine, later that year. Palomine received enthusiastic reviews, and the singles "Tom Boy" and "Kid's Allright" landed substantial airplay on college radio, making Bettie Serveert extremely popular on the campus circuit. They launched an extensive supporting tour of America, and became genuine stars in their home country; they also helped establish Matador as America's emerging indie label of choice, along with seminal artists like Pavement and Liz Phair.

In the wake of Palomine, Bettie Serveert spent around three years on the road, playing with artists like Belly, Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, Buffalo Tom. When it finally came time to record the follow-up to Palomine, the band was still scrambling to craft more material; although Lamprey was generally well-reviewed upon its release in 1995 and sold decently among the group's college fan base, it proved a more erratic collection than its predecessor.

Hip Hop Wednesday 5-04-05

2005-05-04T08:10:00.000-04:00

Just some minor notes.

May 15- 22 is Hip Hop Appreciation week. Please feel free to click on the link. Would you believe they have more events planned in Portland Oregon than they do in New York? Something is off there.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was number one at the box office this past weekend. Who knew Mos Def would beat out Icecube when it came to the movies.

The Game just landed EA Sports Madden 06 title track. Ironic that he was shot in 2001 while playing Madden on PS2.

Hating on the List

2005-04-29T08:11:00.000-04:00

People Magazine has released it's 2005's 50 Most Beautiful People list. So here's my take on the list so far. Click on the links and judge for yourself.

Jessica Alba - I'm amazed that no one has found out that she's mixed. Her father is Mexican and Indian.
Jennifer Aniston - Maybe 5 years ago (when the b*tch had a show) but she hasn't been the same since Brad left.
Drew Barrymore - No. Are you freaking kidding me? You could go to almost any bar in NYC on the upper east side and you'll see chicks ten times better. WTF?
Mischa Barton, The OC - She's got a great face but she's just too damn skinny. Why won't this b*tch eat?
David Beckham, International soccer star - Yeah it's pretty obvious on this one. The f*cker can sure kick a ball.
Halle Berry - Yeah she's hot as hell but I still wouldn't drive with her. Something about her just ain't right.
Orlando Bloom - Bulk up kid. And keep the goatee. For his sake I hope he never has to go to prison. He's just too pretty.
Penelope Cruz - I don't get it she looks like a moth. Is it me?
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy - I loved him in Can't Buy Me Love. He's aged well. I always thought of him as the poor man's John Cusack.
Johnny Depp - No denying this one. I like him cause he makes himself ugly on purpose to be taken seriously as an actor and what happens..He gets put on lists like this. He can't avoid his looks.
Hilary Duff - Enjoy it now, cause you will not age well kiddo.
Sara Evans, Country singer - Average at best. She doesn't deserve to be on this list.
Colin Farrell - I like his dirty look. Check for him in 20 years. Brando anyone?
Jamie Foxx - The new Denzel? Ya done come up son.
Tim Green, former NFL star and best-selling author - He looks like Matt Damon. Is it me?
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU - Yes. Her beauty is arresting. Oh come on it was so there.
Tyler Hilton, One Tree Hill - Great another dim looking guy. That's all we need. Keanu anyone?
Josh Holloway, Lost - He sure knows how to play a redneck. I guess he got the trailer park vote.
Scarlett Johansson - The lips are just spectaular and the voice is so raspy. I wonder if she has small hands. Nothing like a chick with a raspy voice and small hands.
Angelina Jolie - I wonder where she stole them lips from? Maybe that's why she's always traveling to Africa doing charity type stuff. She feels guilty for stealing the lips.
Juanes, Colombian musician - He looks like Antonio Bandaras.
Alicia Keys - She belongs on this list. No hate on this end. Just stop wearing that hat gurl.
Heidi Klum - Typical. Nothing special here ok maybe the boobs but it ends there. Another skinny white chick BIG DEAL.
Jude Law - Too charming for his own good. His head is a tad bit too big don't ya think?
Lindsay Lohan - Is she still jailbait? No denying this one. She's hot. Too bad about her messed up family.
Eva Longoria - She needs to be a Bond girl. Very hot.
Jennifer Lopez - yes. And that goes double for her ass.
Ann-Margret - Maybe 40 years ago but not today.
Matthew McConaughey - He drinks like a fish and he bangs latin chicks what's not to love.
Eva Mendes, Hitch - I hear she's hotter in real life. She needs to do something with that hair though.
Jesse Metcalfe, Desperate Housewives - Well I guess he's better than Ricky Martin.
Sienna Miller, Alfie - Riding the coat tails of Jude Law.
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace - She has a genuine look about her.
Sandra Oh, Sideways, Grey's Anatomy - Heard she just got divorced. I just saw her do a love scene with a black man last week so her stock went up with me.
Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda - Flawless. Nice to see a fresh face on these things.
Clive Owen, Sin City, Closer - The return of the rugged man. He's got to be the next James Bond.
Tyler Perry, Diary of a Mad Black Woman author - Two letters DL! Dat's right I said it.
Brad Pitt - Of course. Over 40 and still going strong. George Clooney must be giving him tips.
Julia Roberts - WHY! Couldn't they dig up Trigger? Here's a little joke: Julia Roberts walks into a bar and the bartender asks her why the long face. GET IT!
Seal - Riding coat tails of a skinny white chick. I ain't mad at ya scarface. This is proof that if you can sing well you can get model type chicks to fall for ya no matter what.
Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player - Serena she ain't.
Jessica Simpson - She's too damn cute. It's almost unnatural. She's got to be from another planet.
Elizabeth Smart, Utah teen - Brave maybe. But beautiful? Come on. Why cause she got kidnapped 8 miles away from her home? Walk home bitch! Damn they left the house a couple of times.
Martha Stewart - There's just something so bad about her. You just know she's a closet freak. She's all Home and Garden on the outside but deep down on the inside behind closed doors she's all Leather and Lace. Oh I feel so dirty talking about her.
Hilary Swank actress - WHY ? Seriously why? Must be the butch action she's got going on.
Usher singer/actor- Eh? Really did I miss something?
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat basketball player - Jordan he ain't
Oprah Winfrey - You just know she bought her way on to the list.
Kate Winslet - EH?? Come one are you people serious? Hideous Kinky? WTF?
Ziyi Zhang, House of Flying Daggers - I would learn Chinese if I knew there was a chance I could meet her.

It's nice to know they added more black people this year. But it's a shame the list didn't go further and add more Asians. Check out last year's list here.

Hip Hop Wednesday 4-27-05: THE RETURN

2005-04-27T07:39:00.000-04:00

First some minor notes:

In addition to the new Outkast movie and staring in Be Cool, "Andre 3000” Benjamin has been tapped to star in and produce a new untitled musical. The musical will concern a man with "magical" powers. Great that's all we need another Magical Negro.
Don't be fooled by the bootlegs of Common's new album. According to Common "They ain't got all the songs yet."

And now our main story.

I hope the movie isn't half as bad as the soundtrack. I recently got to a chance to listen to samples from this album so let's run down the track list:

Get XXX’d by J-Kwon featuring Petey Pablo & Ebony Eyez - I'm just not feeling this one.

Anybody Seen The PoPo’s?! by Ice Cube - I guess it was in his contract that he had to contribute to the soundtrack.

Fight The Power by KoRn featuring Xzibit - This probably was a good idea but the execution is just garbage.

Messiah by Dead Celebrity Status - They sound like early Cypress Hill. Check out their site here.

Oh No by Big Boi featuring Killer Mike & Bubba Sparxxx - Weak production can bring a record down no matter who is spitting on the track.

The Payback by P.O.D. - Not a bad track, but I expect better from them.

Dirty Little Thing by Velvet Revolver - I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for STP and GnR so I'll give this track a pass.

Wyle Out by Bone Crusher - Throw ya bows y'all Bone Crusher repeats himself into oblivion with this one.

Here We Go by Dirtbag - This track is produced by Timbaland. And that's probably the only good thing cause I wasn't really listening to the words.

Dis Dat Block by YoungBloodZ - I'm sure this song will uplift the black community. SIKE!

Lookin’ For U by Chingy featuring G.I.B. - Just press skip.

The March by Hush - Hush is a MC from Detroit, but don't think he's another Eminem he sounds more like Icecube before he went Hollywood. This track is one of the few bright spots on this album. Check out his site here.

MKLVFKWR by Moby & Public Enemy - The colaboration looks good on paper but it really misses the mark on this one.

Just Like Wylin’ by Bone Crusher & Three Days Grace - This is probably the most radio friendly song on the album. I'm sure this song is in steady rotation on your local KRock station.

Did It Again by Labba - This cat sounds like a southern version of Shyne without the depth.

The Good Song by Tonéx - This song sounds like Prince post Purple Rain. Gospel and funk can sound good together but this ain't that song.

The movie comes out this Friday April 29, 2005.

Interview with the Last Comic Standing

2005-04-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

Before I left for Morocco, I got a chance to meet with the Alonzo Bodden. For those of you who don't know Alonzo was the winner of the Last Comic Standing TV show. Standing at six feet Mr. Bodden is very physically intimidating, but at the same time he was very nice once you get approach him.

How many years have you been doing Stand-up?
12 YEARS AS OF JANUARY.

How did you find out that Last Comic Standing got cancelled?
We taped the last show on Tuesday and they called Wednesday morning. It was funny because there was threat of cancellation after the 3rd or 4th week. No one expected them to just cancel he last episode.

Do you have a development deal with NBC in the works and if so what's it about?
NBC has a holding deal on me until august. Basically I can't do any other shows without their permission until then and they could use me for a pilot but they haven't yet guess I'm not the Law and Order type.

Who are your influences?
BILL COSBY, GEORGE CARLIN, ROBIN HARRIS, GEORGE WALLACE, STEVEN WRIGHT, CHRIS ROCK, DAVE CHAPELLE.

What is the question that most interviewers ask you that gets on your nerves?
Would you do my blog, no seriously it would probably be the questions abut why NBC pulled the show, since I don't really know. I don't even know who's decision it was, they don't explain anything to us. They're just unnamed network suits.

If you get a chance to ever see him perform please make sure you do.

Thoughts on Morocco: The Wrap-Up

2005-04-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

The next day (Monday) we shopped for carpets. Actually the correct term is Kilim.

Kilim rugs is a tapestry rug woven from fairly harsh, thick wool. Most kilims are reversible, but rarer Kilims have loose ends on the back. Kilim rugs are made by nomadic peoples in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Russia, China, Pakistan, India and Morocco.

All of the Kilims that we bought were made by Berber women. The Berber is a ethnic group that still lives up in the mountains of Morocco (Yes, Morocco has mountains).

Professor Angry and I woke up early that day. She gathered all her information and research, placed it in her bright orange bag that would eventually become too heavy as the day drew on.

Omar walks us down a alley in the medina to the carpet store. And once we walk in we see. Carpets.

and more carpets.

I don't get impressed easy but DAMN this place was incredible. They were very happy to see us in a genuine kind of way. We sat down and the salesman called over his assistants to give us a demonstration. The assistants literally roll out the carpet in front of you with an elaborate flourish. Then the salesman talked to us about where the carpets come from and the different styles. Now keep in mind that Professor Angry spent 7 months prior to this trip doing all kinds of research on Kilims. So she knew exactly what she wanted. She laid out all her research from the internet and called the salesman over to give him an example of what she was looking for. It took about 3 hours for us to choose from there selection. We walked away with an undisclosed number of Kilim for a decent price. Omar and I were very instrumental in the negotiation of the final price. After all that we went back to the hotel and rested.

Tuesday was Professor Angry's birthday so Omar decided to take us to a Fantasia at a place called Chez Ali, a fantasia is a tightly choreographed spectacle complete with charging horses and plenty of trick riding and action. The ornate costumes of the participants will remind you of "1,001 Arabian Nights. Going to a fantasia showed me how people in Morocco really know how to pimp their culture. The food at Chez Ali was amazing for a place that looked like a tourist trap. Earlier that day I had the pleasure of meeting one John Weiss a photographer is now a professor of photography at the University of Delaware. Back in the 80's Mr. Weiss released a book called The Face of Baseball.

Wednesday morning we went to a Berber village in the mountains. We had McDonald's for breakfast and I crashed once we got back, I swear the McDonald's overseas is more potent than the McDonald's here in America. After my nap, I spent most of the afternoon chilling by the pool and checking email. Wednesday would be our last day with Omar but at least we would have Abdul as a substitute.

Thursday Abdul drove us to Essouria. The drive was about 2 and half hours. But it was worth it. I listened to my iPod for most of the ride and just sat back and checked out the view. The drive to Essouria was probably one of the best things that I got to experience on this trip. While we were there we ran into Arthur a nice gentleman we met on the way in. He's what I like to call a MAD COOL BROTHA. Arthur is the type of person you can talk to, and feel at the end of the conversation that you've learned something. He was staying at this PHAT riad near the beach and man did he have a view. We also had the pleasure of meeting a nice Jewish man named Joseph who had happened to live in Forest Hills, Queens for a number of years. This was cool for me cause me cause I went to HS in Forest Hills. We chatted in Hebrew for a while and talked about how NYC has changed since 9/11. We ended up buying a painting and some jewelry. If any of you people reading this ever go to Essouria. Do no leave there without trying the fish.

Friday we ended up chilling for most of the day. We went to a nice garden in the day and at night we hooked up with Arthur and drank wine til about 12AM in a riad. While we were there we ran into a Eurotrash table of people that were interested in finding out where we were from, I personally had enough of people asking me if I was an NBA player or the bodyguard of the famous singer (Prof. Angry) I was with.. We blew them off and headed back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep.

Saturday we woke up at 4AM to catch our flight out of Marrakech to Casablanca. The flight home was long and not easy. First off we were at Casablanca for 3 hours with nothing to do. While on the plane I got 2 fevers and was in the middle seat. Let me tell ya something folks being 6'3 and in the middle seat between a woman that is 6'1 and a another gentleman who is 6'2 isn't fun.

So this wraps up my trip to Morocco. All of this was made possible by Professor Angry. Thanks sweetie. I might not be smiling in all the pictures we took but don't think that I didn't have a great time.

Minor notes

2005-04-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

I'll be wrapping my my tale of Morocco later on today. In the meantime check out my review of State Property 2 on We the Voices.com.

Also check out my piece on the Magical Negro in film.

Thoughts on Morocco: Part Three

2005-04-14T17:08:00.000-04:00

First off I want to apologize, got my timeline messed up. A special thank you to Professor Angry for correcting my mistake. We went shopping for rugs on Monday so that story will be in Part Four not in Part Three. And now part three of my thoughts on Morocco.

So Sunday we woke up pretty early to get breakfast which for me consisted of a hard boiled egg and two croissants, orange juice and a cup of coffee, (this was to be my breakfast for the next 6 days). Omar was on time.

Omar being the gentleman that he is gets us into a cab and it's off to the medina. First we did some site seeing at a sultan's palace. Which was packed with tourists from all over. I don't remember the sultan's name but from what I gather he had a lot of wives and slaves buried in his garden. From there we went to another palace that was just beautiful. I got some great shots of the interior. I can't do that place justice with my words so I won't try. After we took in some of the historical sites we were off to the medina.

The medina is one big market place in where you can see live snake charmers, acrobats and monkeys. The place is WILD and freaking hot (but it's a dry heat). Omar takes us into the serpentine alleys, on our way to the carpet store we are approached by beggars and merchants selling their wears. Omar acts as buffer between us and the beggars so we don't get our pockets picked.

While walking through the durbs we managed to stop in a nice antique store. There was so much jewelry Professor Angry couldn't stand it. Hell I even was blown away by some of the pieces in that store. Professor Angry took great pleasure in trying on some nice necklaces and I was on a quest for a nice lion ring and some jewelry for my mom. After trying on about six different necklaces Professor Angry asked me to call on Omar to negotiate the price. In Morocco if you buy something the merchant will always give you what he calls a "good price" but that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Rule one of shopping in Morocco: Every thing can be negotiated in the medina. So Omar and the merchant go back and forth and finally come to a price both can agree on, Omar shows then shows the piece of paper with the price on it to Professor Angry, it's too rich for her blood so we move on. We move on down antique alley to another store that is more elaborate than the one we just left. The place looked like a museum. The manager knows Omar so it's cool to look around, I notice how he has a wall of fame that includes people like: Michael Keaton, David Bowie, Bill Clinton, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. I'll admit it I was impressed.

After moving on from that store we walk down further. To our left we see a nice candle holder shop. The inside of the shop looked like something right out of New York's Greenwich Village (funny how familiar surroundings can make you feel comfortable huh?). Very nice stuff all around and all the art work was done by the guy and his partner running the place, I know this to be true because I actually saw him doing work while I was there. He had some interesting stuff. Professor Angry was also very impressed with his wears. At one point I decide I'm going to buy something. Fellow blogger NominalMe asked me to get him something so I figured now was as good a time as any to get him his gift being that he was one of the few people that wanted something from Morocco. We sit down and we look over the candle holders the nice young guy makes us some tea and gives us some bottled water (in most stores they will serve their customers Moroccan tea). So we chill out and hang for a few.

Professor Angry is just chatting up a storm about the many different lamps he has for sale and begins to start wondering if she can purchase a lizard lamp that is on the wall behind me. Thank goodness she didn't end up buying that thing because there was no way were going to be able to bring that on the plane with us. While Prof. Angry is chatting I start to look around and I notice a blank octagon looking candle holder. It's simple and very sturdy and it is a blank. I decide that in addition to the two candle holders I'm going to buy this octagon looking one and have the artist put some designs on it, of course Professor Angry sees what I'm doing and decides she's going to bite my style and asks if the artist can do one for her. So once again we have Omar negotiate the price and we make arrangements to come back and get the finished product by Wednesday. And so we moved on further down and got lunch. The place Omar took us to was a very basic looking Moroccan dinner. But don't be fooled by appearances just cause the place looked basic doesn't mean the food was. The food was GREAT. During our meal we bonded with Omar as he asked us about Harlem, and race in America. He found it to be very unfair in the way black people are portrayed in the media. We agreed that is was very unfair and explained to him that black people have limited control in how they are perceived in the media. Omar told us about how he went to NY and people warned him about Harlem but when he finally went up there he didn't see much to worry about. Funny how people lie huh?

After our meal we went back to the hotel for a nap. That night we went out to another nice restaurant and ate a wonderful meal. We got to bed pretty early for tomorrow we shop for Kilim (rugs).

Thoughts on Morocco: Part Two

2005-04-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

After checking into the riad we realized that we didn't want to stay there, but how were we going to break it to them and how much would we pay? And to top it off we had a guide coming to see us in a matter of hours.

Little did we know that he would be the best thing to happen to us on this trip.

We expected a young guy who was slick and swarthy looking. What we got was a peaceful kind older gentleman named Omar.

Omar has over 30 years experience being a guide. He speaks five different languages and he knows almost everyone in Marrakech.

The culture shock of where our riad located really shook us up a bit, but when Omar arrived we some how knew things were going to turn out fine. The first thing he did after helping us negotiate our way out of the riad we were staying in was take us out for tea. During tea he gave us some historic background of the city. It was really nice how he did this without sounding too preachy.

After tea we went into the new city and settled into our new hotel. Our new hotel was located in the modern part of town aptly called "the New City". The Hotel Diwane had internet access (in the lobby), AC and TV in the room. Also they had a pool and a lovely restaurant. We got settled in and went out to dinner at a nice place up the street. The food was lovely and we managed to run into a nice American couple. This was a nice first night. Tomorrow we would shop for carpets. That's easy right? Think again.

To be continued.

Thoughts on Morocco: Part One

2005-04-11T08:08:00.000-04:00

First off, it feels great to be back in America. We really do have it good over here and sometimes I tend to take that for granted in my rantings, but when you travel and see how other people live you realize how good we really have it in spite of all the things our collective gov't has to do to maintain the status quo it's worth it.

My companion Professor Angry and myself set out of JFK on Friday 4-1-05. Being that there aren't any direct flights to our destination (Marrakech) we had to transfer at Casablanca. While we were in the unorganized line at Casa I noticed that there were a lot of black Africans going to Europe. It was like 125th Street up in there. Professor Angry was not pleased at all, so she decided to cut the line; successfully she was able to obtain our broading passes. Later on we find out that we could have avoided this by having our boarding passes printed at JFK.

Arrive at Marrakech around 9AM. Getting a cab (a Mercedes no less) was very easy. We make small talk with our driver who's English isn't half bad. Months earlier we reserved a room in a riad. For those of you who don't know what a riad is; it is a home that has a garden, but the gardens in most riads are organized around one central courtyard. Now that's the definition I found in a tour book. What they don't tell you is that most of these riads are in the medina which is made of a maze of alleys called durbs.

Getting to the riad was an adventure. We pull up on the side of the street and get out and our driver walks us down this tight serpentine alley. On our way there we were almost hit by several mopeds (EVERYONE IN MOROCCO HAS ONE) and had to squeeze by several European golfers. Finally I see a small sign under a blue door that says Hotel Sharharazad. Finally we're here we knock on the door and there's a nice young lady there at the desk who checks us in. The inside of this riad looks fairly decent and exotic but it's nothing like the internet. So now we meet a nice young man who takes us to our room in where we had to go out the front door of the hotel and then go next door and up some steps to our room. The room is bare bones at best. Very small, no dressers and a very nice bathroom. The only thing I had a problem with is there was no TV, and the lock on the front door was crap. Welcome to Morocco b*tch, we're going to need a guide or something.

To be continued.