The greatest moment in television history (so far)

Priceless

Two parts.

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.....

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.

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.

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

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

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

*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

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

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

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

New Respect for JT

I have no problem with JT after seeing this.