I finished reading Malcolm X on Tuesday. It always astounds me how no matter how many times you read a book or see a movie, you always see something you didn't see before. Like I said in my last post, I think Malcolm's autobiography is the most significant work I have ever read. I also think it is one of the most important books in Africana literature; not because of the person who it is about, but because it represents what we should aim for - standing and working for the betterment of our people with no apologies.
-----
I have another interview with a legal temp agency next Tuesday. I'm hopeful that I might be working soon. I'm just so incredibly broke that I don't know how much more patient I can be....
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Reading and Meditating on...
I'm reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. I'm almost finish (I have one more chapter and the epilogue left). This is the second time I've read this book; the last time was six years ago. It is amazing how relevant this work is. I still think that every person of African descent in this world should read this book. Malcolm is so deep that I don't think a lot of people, even now, are ready for the knowledge he was spitting. This book is the most significant book I have ever read. It is my favorite, and I believe it is the book that has made me the person I am today.
Malcolm X quote of the day
"I'm not anti-American, and I didn't come here to condemn America... I came here to tell the truth - and if the truth condemns America, then she stands condemned!"
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Hurricane Katrina and racism
Hurricane Katrina has pulled away the curtains on some of america's dirty big secrets. One of them being racism. It is very true that classism has also been revealed in all of this, but that is a given in a capitalist society.
Lately, there has been a lot of "controversy" over Kanye West's remarks saying that George Bush doesn't care about Black people. Now, some people are saying that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue. NO! This is a race issue. It is an issue of how, in this country and in this world, race and class continue to intermingle.
Whether Bush cares or doesn't care about Black folks means nothing to me. However, it needs to be said that race is part of the reason that the people of New Orleans were not helped out faster. Sure, many of us, including so-called people of color, would like to believe that if eighty percent of the people trapped in the dark dome, the filthy convention center, sleeping under highway underpasses, and waiving "help us" signs on roofs were white, it would take the government five days plus to evacuate people from the city. But can we really look at ourselves and the history of this country and actually believe that. And if this was just a poverty issue, is that something we should be celebrating? - Yay, poor white people are treated just as badly as poor Black people... glory, glory hallelujah!
It doesn't make any damn sense. We live in a white supremacist and classist society, but these things are not separated from each other. Classism feeds off of racism. Racism empowers classism. And when I say racist I am not talking about any person calling me nigger, or not being able to sit in the front of the bus, or being able to go to a majority white school, or live in a majority white neighborhood. When I speak of racism, I am talking about institutional racism. Institutional racism is much more powerful than the racism battled against by the so-called civil rights leaders of the '60's.
Institutional racism is the disproportionate amount of Black people who live way below the poverty line; the disproportionate amount of Black men and Black women who are in the prison industrial complex and on death row; Black people being less likely to have proper healthcare and access to healthcare; Black people being less likely to be in adequate public schools; Black people being in neighborhoods where toxic dump sites are present (environmental racism). I could go on and on, but I would just get a hand-cramp from all of the writing. And yes, many of the policies of George Bush and the Republican party has had a detrimental effect on Black folks and other "people of color." And that's not to say that the Democrats have been that much better, because they really haven't, but that is another story for another post.
What bothers me is that it has become "chic" for people to say that something is about "class" and poverty rather than "race." This is problematic. It's problematic because it takes away from the reality that racism (white supremacy) is still one of the biggest problems that this country has yet to deal with. And it is about time that people, my beautiful Black people in particular, stop letting the white establishment off the hook by saying everything is about class. Let us stop these games with the truth. Too often Black people have dealt unintelligently with the truth; we have been walking around it like it is a game of "ring-around-the-rosy" (I think that is the name of the game). And I don't know if we do this so that we don't hurt white people's feelings or because we don't want to endanger our earning potential, or because as the Last Poets said, "Niggers are Scared of Revolution." See, the truth is revolutionary, and a lot of us are too scared to start a revolution.
Malcolm X said that he had made the decision to tell the white man the truth about himself or die. It is time that we decide to live with the truth and live for the truth. Black people, we need to speak the truth when necessary, as necessary, because it is necessary!
Lately, there has been a lot of "controversy" over Kanye West's remarks saying that George Bush doesn't care about Black people. Now, some people are saying that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue. NO! This is a race issue. It is an issue of how, in this country and in this world, race and class continue to intermingle.
Whether Bush cares or doesn't care about Black folks means nothing to me. However, it needs to be said that race is part of the reason that the people of New Orleans were not helped out faster. Sure, many of us, including so-called people of color, would like to believe that if eighty percent of the people trapped in the dark dome, the filthy convention center, sleeping under highway underpasses, and waiving "help us" signs on roofs were white, it would take the government five days plus to evacuate people from the city. But can we really look at ourselves and the history of this country and actually believe that. And if this was just a poverty issue, is that something we should be celebrating? - Yay, poor white people are treated just as badly as poor Black people... glory, glory hallelujah!
It doesn't make any damn sense. We live in a white supremacist and classist society, but these things are not separated from each other. Classism feeds off of racism. Racism empowers classism. And when I say racist I am not talking about any person calling me nigger, or not being able to sit in the front of the bus, or being able to go to a majority white school, or live in a majority white neighborhood. When I speak of racism, I am talking about institutional racism. Institutional racism is much more powerful than the racism battled against by the so-called civil rights leaders of the '60's.
Institutional racism is the disproportionate amount of Black people who live way below the poverty line; the disproportionate amount of Black men and Black women who are in the prison industrial complex and on death row; Black people being less likely to have proper healthcare and access to healthcare; Black people being less likely to be in adequate public schools; Black people being in neighborhoods where toxic dump sites are present (environmental racism). I could go on and on, but I would just get a hand-cramp from all of the writing. And yes, many of the policies of George Bush and the Republican party has had a detrimental effect on Black folks and other "people of color." And that's not to say that the Democrats have been that much better, because they really haven't, but that is another story for another post.
What bothers me is that it has become "chic" for people to say that something is about "class" and poverty rather than "race." This is problematic. It's problematic because it takes away from the reality that racism (white supremacy) is still one of the biggest problems that this country has yet to deal with. And it is about time that people, my beautiful Black people in particular, stop letting the white establishment off the hook by saying everything is about class. Let us stop these games with the truth. Too often Black people have dealt unintelligently with the truth; we have been walking around it like it is a game of "ring-around-the-rosy" (I think that is the name of the game). And I don't know if we do this so that we don't hurt white people's feelings or because we don't want to endanger our earning potential, or because as the Last Poets said, "Niggers are Scared of Revolution." See, the truth is revolutionary, and a lot of us are too scared to start a revolution.
Malcolm X said that he had made the decision to tell the white man the truth about himself or die. It is time that we decide to live with the truth and live for the truth. Black people, we need to speak the truth when necessary, as necessary, because it is necessary!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Beauty and Music
I just wanted to dedicate this blog post to a few of the women in music who I really have mild crushes on:
Les Nubians - I think these two are so beautiful, and what makes them even more sexy... they speak French. Their songs are so smooth and dynamic.
Vivian Green - I like her music, she makes music that is honest about love and life. She is also absolutely stunning. Her new album sounds pretty good.
Lauryn Hill - I have loved this woman since 1998. I appreciate her talent as an artist. Her lyrical abilities have always been amazing. She has a great voice and is an underestimated emcee. Most interesting about Lauryn, she was one of the first mainstream Hip Hop/R&B female artist to wear her hair naturally - this was before india.arie and Jill Scott and Erykah Badu still had her head wrapped. Even though it became the "in-thing" to wear hair naturally, Lauryn represented to the fullest, and was stunning with every loc'd strand of hair. Beautiful.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Kanye West speaking from the heart
- "George Bush doesn't care about black people." -
It seems that there has been a lot of "controversy" over what Kanye West said about George Bush last week. First of all, he is absolutely RIGHT!!! Bush doesn't care about Black peeople... unless they agree with everything he says and does. For example, Condoleezza Rice. Notice that Dr. Rice is one of Dubya's favorite so-called Negroes. But I must admit, Bush is "fair."
See, he allows people to have one disagreement with him - Dr. Rice disagreed with him about affirmative action; Alberto Gonzales is not totally against abortion. But if you disagree with him more than once, you're done - Colin Powell disagreed with him on affirmative action and he admitted that the administration misled the world about weapons of mass destruction. Thus, Colin Powell no longer has a job.
The Hurricane Katrina aftermath has proved a lot of things. Poor people are always on the bottom of the list of people to be cared about. Second, Black poor people are in even worse regard. It has pained me the last couple of weeks to see all my people sleeping under highway underpasses or being stuck in convention centers and football domes that have now become waist stations for the dead.
All George Bush has done is tried to get in some photo opportunities, but he has been so slow to react. This country's government has been so slow to react. It doesn't matter who is responsible (we know who is responsible Mr Commander-in-Thief); what matters is how are they going to fix this... for the hundreds of thousands of people who are now homeless and in ill condition. And to think, they were considering cutting funds for medicaid today....
It seems that there has been a lot of "controversy" over what Kanye West said about George Bush last week. First of all, he is absolutely RIGHT!!! Bush doesn't care about Black peeople... unless they agree with everything he says and does. For example, Condoleezza Rice. Notice that Dr. Rice is one of Dubya's favorite so-called Negroes. But I must admit, Bush is "fair."
See, he allows people to have one disagreement with him - Dr. Rice disagreed with him about affirmative action; Alberto Gonzales is not totally against abortion. But if you disagree with him more than once, you're done - Colin Powell disagreed with him on affirmative action and he admitted that the administration misled the world about weapons of mass destruction. Thus, Colin Powell no longer has a job.
The Hurricane Katrina aftermath has proved a lot of things. Poor people are always on the bottom of the list of people to be cared about. Second, Black poor people are in even worse regard. It has pained me the last couple of weeks to see all my people sleeping under highway underpasses or being stuck in convention centers and football domes that have now become waist stations for the dead.
All George Bush has done is tried to get in some photo opportunities, but he has been so slow to react. This country's government has been so slow to react. It doesn't matter who is responsible (we know who is responsible Mr Commander-in-Thief); what matters is how are they going to fix this... for the hundreds of thousands of people who are now homeless and in ill condition. And to think, they were considering cutting funds for medicaid today....
I finally have an interview
My goodness,
It has been such a long time since I have been able to be excited about something. Tomorrow I have an interview with the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development. Hopefully, everything will go well and I will have somewhere to go in the mornings. Idleness has its qualities, but damn, I'm getting tired of all the damn tv courtroom shows.
It has been such a long time since I have been able to be excited about something. Tomorrow I have an interview with the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development. Hopefully, everything will go well and I will have somewhere to go in the mornings. Idleness has its qualities, but damn, I'm getting tired of all the damn tv courtroom shows.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
I have to say that I have no words that can describe the devestation of Hurricane Katrina. I really am so sad for the people who lost their homes in the hurricane. Even worse, those people who lost family members in those areas. It is one of the saddest things I had ever seen.
Another thing that struck me about the whole hurricane thing is the reporting. Not necessarily the reports themselves, but the reporters who were down there in Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know how to feel about these people. On one hand, they were pretty brave to be in the middle of a hurricane and still do their job of reporting. On the other hand, what the hell were they trying to prove? One of the greatest storms in United States history, and there the reporters are, in the middle of the streets, in the middle of 150 mph winds and heavy rainfall. What the hell?!!! I do have to say that if they weren't there, viewers would not have the true understanding of what a hurricane feels like. But still...
My thoughts and prayers are with the people who live in those areas and their families everywhere.
Another thing that struck me about the whole hurricane thing is the reporting. Not necessarily the reports themselves, but the reporters who were down there in Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know how to feel about these people. On one hand, they were pretty brave to be in the middle of a hurricane and still do their job of reporting. On the other hand, what the hell were they trying to prove? One of the greatest storms in United States history, and there the reporters are, in the middle of the streets, in the middle of 150 mph winds and heavy rainfall. What the hell?!!! I do have to say that if they weren't there, viewers would not have the true understanding of what a hurricane feels like. But still...
My thoughts and prayers are with the people who live in those areas and their families everywhere.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters
Butterscotch & Now-and-Laters
by J. Grant
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters for 25 cents at the corner candy store
Six years old without a care in the world
Planning our strategy in freeze-tag
Because we were too cool for dodge-ball
And too fly for hide-and-seek
Our claim to fame was being masters of the open fire hydrant
Champions of “Connect Four”
This was our little world…
Our little universe…
Of handball and “suicide”
While the big kids played “craps” and blackjack
We survived on “Uno” and “I declare war”
Three o’clock meant more than the end of the school day
It signified the afternoon main event
“Which heavyweight bully would challenge the unsuspecting lightweight nerd in the battle for elementary school supremacy?!!!”
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters were our candy of choice
Jolly ranchers and jawbreakers not too far behind
As we sat, reciting the words to “Beat it” and “Billie Jean”
Moonwalking on concrete
Spinning on the pavement
Watching the big kids play football in between traffic and parked cars
While we took turns trying to outrun every car that sped down the block
Waiting for the unforgettable tune of the Mister Softee Ice Cream truck to pass through
Begging our less than pleased parents for one dollar to buy an ice cream cone
I never liked sprinkles, but most kids did…
Not too far behind Mister Softee was the Italian Ices man
Just in case you couldn’t get the dollar from your mom fast enough to catch Mister Softee, the Italian Ices man was there to fulfill your craving
This was our world…
Watching it all from the front of our six floor apartment building…
Or the better view from our third floor fire escape…
Six years old without a care in the world…
This was our universe…
We didn’t have pool parties at the neighbors
We had block parties and “party at Janet’s crib”
While the latest hot records blasted from Tony’s boombox…
Or from every other car that rolled through the avenue…
And all we could do is smile and laugh
Because… we had it all
by J. Grant
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters for 25 cents at the corner candy store
Six years old without a care in the world
Planning our strategy in freeze-tag
Because we were too cool for dodge-ball
And too fly for hide-and-seek
Our claim to fame was being masters of the open fire hydrant
Champions of “Connect Four”
This was our little world…
Our little universe…
Of handball and “suicide”
While the big kids played “craps” and blackjack
We survived on “Uno” and “I declare war”
Three o’clock meant more than the end of the school day
It signified the afternoon main event
“Which heavyweight bully would challenge the unsuspecting lightweight nerd in the battle for elementary school supremacy?!!!”
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters were our candy of choice
Jolly ranchers and jawbreakers not too far behind
As we sat, reciting the words to “Beat it” and “Billie Jean”
Moonwalking on concrete
Spinning on the pavement
Watching the big kids play football in between traffic and parked cars
While we took turns trying to outrun every car that sped down the block
Waiting for the unforgettable tune of the Mister Softee Ice Cream truck to pass through
Begging our less than pleased parents for one dollar to buy an ice cream cone
I never liked sprinkles, but most kids did…
Not too far behind Mister Softee was the Italian Ices man
Just in case you couldn’t get the dollar from your mom fast enough to catch Mister Softee, the Italian Ices man was there to fulfill your craving
This was our world…
Watching it all from the front of our six floor apartment building…
Or the better view from our third floor fire escape…
Six years old without a care in the world…
This was our universe…
We didn’t have pool parties at the neighbors
We had block parties and “party at Janet’s crib”
While the latest hot records blasted from Tony’s boombox…
Or from every other car that rolled through the avenue…
And all we could do is smile and laugh
Because… we had it all
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Dumb-ass Pat Robertson
Televangelist Calls for Chaves' Death Source: Associated Press 08/23/2005
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."
"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club.""We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the
accusations ridiculous."You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.Robertson has made controversial statements in the past.
In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
==========
Okay, I already knew that Pat Robertson was crazy fanatic who uses Christianity to make everyone on earth who isn't a "Jesus freak" like him miserable.
But calling for the assassination of the president of Venezuela? Diablo!!!
Pat Robertson and Jerry Farwell are both jack-asses who say stupid stuff in the name of evangelism. It's pitiful that these people actually have faithful followers of their rhetoric... At the same time, it is necessary to have those in opposition of these fools to gather their strength to battle the ignorance that Farwell and Robertson preach.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."
"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club.""We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the
accusations ridiculous."You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.Robertson has made controversial statements in the past.
In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
==========
Okay, I already knew that Pat Robertson was crazy fanatic who uses Christianity to make everyone on earth who isn't a "Jesus freak" like him miserable.
But calling for the assassination of the president of Venezuela? Diablo!!!
Pat Robertson and Jerry Farwell are both jack-asses who say stupid stuff in the name of evangelism. It's pitiful that these people actually have faithful followers of their rhetoric... At the same time, it is necessary to have those in opposition of these fools to gather their strength to battle the ignorance that Farwell and Robertson preach.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Honestly...
I think I have trouble with criticism. It seems if someone doesn't think something I do is really good, I get moody.
I'm going to work on this... really.
I'm going to work on this... really.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Israeli Pull-out of Gaza
Okay, I just had to speak about the situation in Gaza.
First, I admit that, even though I am for Israel getting out of Gaza, it is really hard to watch people being dragged from their homes. However, the land belongs to the Palestinians, and the only way that area can move towards some sort of peace is for Israel to stay in Israel and stay out of Palestine unless invited.
Second, I am tired of people who say that what is happening in Gaza should be compared to what happened in Nazi Germany. THAT'S BULL!!! The holocaust was brutal, inhumane etc. This is Israeli soldiers doing what the majority of Israelis agree is the only way to start on the road to peace. Damn Benjamin Netanyahu!
Third, Palestinian statehood needs to happen quickly or the pulling out of Gaza will be irrelevant to the peace process.
First, I admit that, even though I am for Israel getting out of Gaza, it is really hard to watch people being dragged from their homes. However, the land belongs to the Palestinians, and the only way that area can move towards some sort of peace is for Israel to stay in Israel and stay out of Palestine unless invited.
Second, I am tired of people who say that what is happening in Gaza should be compared to what happened in Nazi Germany. THAT'S BULL!!! The holocaust was brutal, inhumane etc. This is Israeli soldiers doing what the majority of Israelis agree is the only way to start on the road to peace. Damn Benjamin Netanyahu!
Third, Palestinian statehood needs to happen quickly or the pulling out of Gaza will be irrelevant to the peace process.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Playas, Pimps, and Posers
Playas’, Pimps, and Posers
By Jason Grant
What up pimp?
What up playa?
See, in this game of life…
You have your playas’…
Your pimps…
And your posers…
But really, they’re all the same
Dig it, brothas and sistas…
Pimps pimp to make money off of others
Playas play to make enamored fools out of the unsuspecting
But they all pose like they have power…
When all they have is temporary…
Temporary money
Temporary booty
Temporary influence
They pose strength…
But without their victims, their weak
To eliminate their weakness they reproduce others…
Others to follow in their poser-footsteps
You can see them all over
Don’t fall for the typical image of fur coats…
Shiny snakeskin shoes…
And “pimp hats”
Playas and pimps pose in “wifebeaters”…
Blue jeans…
Air Jordans’…
And doo-rags
Grabbin’ their nuts to hold up their lack manhood
Celebrating themselves on street corners and boardrooms…
Red carpets and project hallways…
Laughing all the way to the poser hall of fame
By Jason Grant
What up pimp?
What up playa?
See, in this game of life…
You have your playas’…
Your pimps…
And your posers…
But really, they’re all the same
Dig it, brothas and sistas…
Pimps pimp to make money off of others
Playas play to make enamored fools out of the unsuspecting
But they all pose like they have power…
When all they have is temporary…
Temporary money
Temporary booty
Temporary influence
They pose strength…
But without their victims, their weak
To eliminate their weakness they reproduce others…
Others to follow in their poser-footsteps
You can see them all over
Don’t fall for the typical image of fur coats…
Shiny snakeskin shoes…
And “pimp hats”
Playas and pimps pose in “wifebeaters”…
Blue jeans…
Air Jordans’…
And doo-rags
Grabbin’ their nuts to hold up their lack manhood
Celebrating themselves on street corners and boardrooms…
Red carpets and project hallways…
Laughing all the way to the poser hall of fame
Monday, August 15, 2005
Reading and Listening
I'm currently reading "The Prosaic Soul of Nikki Giovanni." It's a collection of her essays. It's really interesting to read essays by Nikki Giovanni because she's very honest with herself and with what is going on around her. Stuff she wrote in the sixties are the most powerful because the essays are so raw and brutal to "the establishment." I don't think I have read a book that had the word "cracker" appear so many times.
-----
So I'm trying to listen to radio a little more the last couple of weeks, for the purpose of staying slightly relevant.
Okay, I still don't like this Mike Jones brother.... I'm not a fan of Young Jeezy, though the song he does with Jay-Z is pretty tight.
Will someone stop all these people who have the word "Lil'" as part of their names: Lil' Scrappy, Li'l Wayne, Lil' Jon - It gets on my damn nerves. Basically, if you have "Lil'" attached to your name, you're likely to suck. I think that 's the real reason Bow Wow cut that from his name.
Speaking of Bow Wow - okay, I have to admit I kind of like that song with Ciara, "Like You." It's a cute song, and I like the way they do the hook, even though it sounds like they mumble it all the way through.
I'm feeling that Teiarra Marie joint.... The two songs I've heard from Bobby Valentino sound the same, but I can't say I don't turn up the radio when I hear either of them.... I shamefully on occassion have enjoyed the song "Naked" by Marques Houston; I don't know why, it just happens.... I also like the Damian Marley "Welcome to Jamrock" - "out in the streets they call it murdaaaaaa!"
People not getting played enough on radio right now: Teedra Moses, Common, and Goapele.
People getting played too damn much: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"; Pretty Ricky, "Grind wit me"; anything by the Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Tony Yayo (what kinda' stupid name is that), and Young Jeezy.
-----
So I'm trying to listen to radio a little more the last couple of weeks, for the purpose of staying slightly relevant.
Okay, I still don't like this Mike Jones brother.... I'm not a fan of Young Jeezy, though the song he does with Jay-Z is pretty tight.
Will someone stop all these people who have the word "Lil'" as part of their names: Lil' Scrappy, Li'l Wayne, Lil' Jon - It gets on my damn nerves. Basically, if you have "Lil'" attached to your name, you're likely to suck. I think that 's the real reason Bow Wow cut that from his name.
Speaking of Bow Wow - okay, I have to admit I kind of like that song with Ciara, "Like You." It's a cute song, and I like the way they do the hook, even though it sounds like they mumble it all the way through.
I'm feeling that Teiarra Marie joint.... The two songs I've heard from Bobby Valentino sound the same, but I can't say I don't turn up the radio when I hear either of them.... I shamefully on occassion have enjoyed the song "Naked" by Marques Houston; I don't know why, it just happens.... I also like the Damian Marley "Welcome to Jamrock" - "out in the streets they call it murdaaaaaa!"
People not getting played enough on radio right now: Teedra Moses, Common, and Goapele.
People getting played too damn much: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"; Pretty Ricky, "Grind wit me"; anything by the Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Tony Yayo (what kinda' stupid name is that), and Young Jeezy.
Still Jobless and other going-ons...
Sooooooo... Still ain't got a job. Can't even seem to get an interview. But it has only been two weeks. Still, Juris doctorate and still jobless... makes me listen to Kanye West's "College Dropout" CD with a whole new energy.
Y'all, if I end up at the Cheesecake Factory as "a mutha-f%@*in' waiter there," than I have truly slipped.
-----------
So, last week had to be the most rollercoaster-like week I have ever had.
A friend, who I thought I was losing, was actually happy to hear from me when I called last Wednesday. It was great. We had a good little conversation. She told me she had been meaning to call me and I told her I missed her ("Awww, you're so sweet.").
But then I received a call that same day that made the whole week go to garbage. Another friend of mine called me late that night crying. She asked if she could stay with me for the night. Now this seemed very strange since she had an apartment and she also had a fiance who she could stay with. So, of course all types of things are running into your head - was she hurt? did someone break into her apartment? did her fiance hit her? By the time I asked her what had happened she decided that she should not stay with me for fear that she would get in my way. I begged her to stay with me (note: I have never begged a woman to stay in my home ever before; even better note: I have never had a woman call me asking to stay the night with me), but she said no, she didn't want to inconvenience me. Then she hung up on me. I haven't heard from her since.
I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life. Here is my friend, in need of help, and I can't help her. That is not a good feeling. I'm really worried about her. I hope I hear from her soon.
What a bad week....
Y'all, if I end up at the Cheesecake Factory as "a mutha-f%@*in' waiter there," than I have truly slipped.
-----------
So, last week had to be the most rollercoaster-like week I have ever had.
A friend, who I thought I was losing, was actually happy to hear from me when I called last Wednesday. It was great. We had a good little conversation. She told me she had been meaning to call me and I told her I missed her ("Awww, you're so sweet.").
But then I received a call that same day that made the whole week go to garbage. Another friend of mine called me late that night crying. She asked if she could stay with me for the night. Now this seemed very strange since she had an apartment and she also had a fiance who she could stay with. So, of course all types of things are running into your head - was she hurt? did someone break into her apartment? did her fiance hit her? By the time I asked her what had happened she decided that she should not stay with me for fear that she would get in my way. I begged her to stay with me (note: I have never begged a woman to stay in my home ever before; even better note: I have never had a woman call me asking to stay the night with me), but she said no, she didn't want to inconvenience me. Then she hung up on me. I haven't heard from her since.
I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life. Here is my friend, in need of help, and I can't help her. That is not a good feeling. I'm really worried about her. I hope I hear from her soon.
What a bad week....
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Finding a J-O-B
You know what, it never amazes me that finding a job can be very difficult when you need it the most. How do people find work these days?!
Clearly, that "it's who you know" idea is really true.
I've gotten so desperate that I have applied for a job with BET... BET... goddamn BET!!!
Clearly, that "it's who you know" idea is really true.
I've gotten so desperate that I have applied for a job with BET... BET... goddamn BET!!!
Friday, August 05, 2005
Michael Jackson Racism?
Michael Jackson racism rears its head in Georgia
Date: Monday, August 01, 2005By: EURweb.com
"Is Michael Jackson not guilty because he is a nigger or [because he has] money?"
This statement appears on a sign that greets patrons outside a bar in Paulding County, GA. The owner, Patrick Lanzo, says the First Amendment protects his right to have the sign up. The NAACP quickly pounced on Lanzo, launching a petition to urge District Attorney Drew Lane to enact legislation that would force the sign’s removal.
“The sign is racist, hateful, and disrespectful, not only to the African American community, but to all of us who cherish equity and unity in our one human race,” reads a statement accompanying the online petition. “In addition to that, the sign is also a direct slander of Mr. Michael Jackson. No American should have to feel offended, or threatened as they travel through, or within, your county.”
Lanzo, who has a number of racist images in his Georgia Peach Museum bar (including cartoons of Klan members lounging on lynched black men and items disparaging Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), has been putting up signs for the past 10 years that pose questions about celebrities in the headlines. When asked why he chose to use the N-word on the sign, he said: “Because it’s my choice of word.”
====================================
Clearly, this is crazy. And people wonder why I always say that Michael Jackson cannot stop being Black just because he's pale. It's because of stuff like this. I would love to roll up into this bar with about 60 angry Black people and see how brave Mr. Lanzo would be then.
Anyway, I'm glad I'm not in Georgia... I might be tempted to burn some stuff down.
Date: Monday, August 01, 2005By: EURweb.com
"Is Michael Jackson not guilty because he is a nigger or [because he has] money?"
This statement appears on a sign that greets patrons outside a bar in Paulding County, GA. The owner, Patrick Lanzo, says the First Amendment protects his right to have the sign up. The NAACP quickly pounced on Lanzo, launching a petition to urge District Attorney Drew Lane to enact legislation that would force the sign’s removal.
“The sign is racist, hateful, and disrespectful, not only to the African American community, but to all of us who cherish equity and unity in our one human race,” reads a statement accompanying the online petition. “In addition to that, the sign is also a direct slander of Mr. Michael Jackson. No American should have to feel offended, or threatened as they travel through, or within, your county.”
Lanzo, who has a number of racist images in his Georgia Peach Museum bar (including cartoons of Klan members lounging on lynched black men and items disparaging Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), has been putting up signs for the past 10 years that pose questions about celebrities in the headlines. When asked why he chose to use the N-word on the sign, he said: “Because it’s my choice of word.”
====================================
Clearly, this is crazy. And people wonder why I always say that Michael Jackson cannot stop being Black just because he's pale. It's because of stuff like this. I would love to roll up into this bar with about 60 angry Black people and see how brave Mr. Lanzo would be then.
Anyway, I'm glad I'm not in Georgia... I might be tempted to burn some stuff down.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
What's up with music these days?
Why is music so bad? If you listen to the radio these days, all that is on is stupidity. From Mike Jones to Lil Jon, it's all bad.
A friend of mine from the south asked me if I was one of those people from the north who didn't like southern rappers because they "are making all the money."
First of all, I could care less if southern rappers are making money. Of course they're making money, people will invest in crappy music because it apparently sells. I mean think about it, music that promotes ignorance (particularly in hip hop) seems to be on the top of the charts. But is that because people like crap, or is it because crap is easier to listen to, because you don't have to think about it too hard. I mean, when you listen to Talib Kweli or Dead Prez or The Roots or Common, you actually have to think. When you listen to the Ying Yang Twins, there is not much cerebral activity necessary.
Secondly, even if bad music was being made in the north (which there is too - 50 Cent, for example), I wouldn't support it either. If the music is stupid, I'm gonna say its stupid, can you dig it?
There needs to be better music for people to listen to. Some of this stuff is almost like poison to the mind.
A friend of mine from the south asked me if I was one of those people from the north who didn't like southern rappers because they "are making all the money."
First of all, I could care less if southern rappers are making money. Of course they're making money, people will invest in crappy music because it apparently sells. I mean think about it, music that promotes ignorance (particularly in hip hop) seems to be on the top of the charts. But is that because people like crap, or is it because crap is easier to listen to, because you don't have to think about it too hard. I mean, when you listen to Talib Kweli or Dead Prez or The Roots or Common, you actually have to think. When you listen to the Ying Yang Twins, there is not much cerebral activity necessary.
Secondly, even if bad music was being made in the north (which there is too - 50 Cent, for example), I wouldn't support it either. If the music is stupid, I'm gonna say its stupid, can you dig it?
There needs to be better music for people to listen to. Some of this stuff is almost like poison to the mind.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Now That the Bar Exam is Done...
... it's time to get back to the stuff that has been on my mind the last couple of months.
1) There has been a lot of talk about relieving Africa's debt. The G8 conference apparently came up with a plan to relieve much of the debt owed by the African continent. Unfortunately, the agreement is laced with incentives for "Western" countries, not Africa. But, I guess that is to be expected.
2) I never really liked Sandra Day O'Connor (first female on U.S. Supreme Court), but dangit, I kind of regret that she is leaving, given the replacement that "country-bumkin Bush" picked as her replacement.
3) On a lighter note, I heard about The Fugees performing on the BET Awards. The world would a better place if The Fugees got back together... Well, at least Lauryn Hill and Wyclef. Pras is just "collateral."
4) Did you here about the department store in France that didn't let Oprah Winfrey in the store? Oprah said that she had a "Crash" experience. "Crash" is a movie that came out a couple of months ago about race relations in Los Angeles (my man Don Cheadle starred in it.). Anyway, it's funny how you can be the richest woman in the world and still be reminded that your just a nappy-headed little Black girl from the south. I do think there are much worse things happening to Black people in this world that makes Oprah's incident of not being let into a store that was a few minutes from closing look... well... unimportant. I know, I know, hell would freeze over the day something that happened to Oprah would be unimportant....
5) Oh, I have to openly admit to all of you... I, too was happy that Michael Jackson was freed. And yes, I have no shame. Another thing to anger Oprah ;-)
6) What the hell is up with Mike Tyson? It seems his career is over, but he still has to fight because he's millions of dollars in debt. Pitiful.
7) I'm sure the people in London are not too excited about using the subway nowadays. It is crazy that something like that could happen twice within two weeks. And now they're doing "random" checks of people's bags in New York. This is a scary new world we're living in.
8) Condoleezza Rice has created an interesting dilemna for me. It has been rumored that she might run for president in one of the next two elections. Now, I never thought that I would be thinking about voting AGAINST a Black woman presidential candidate, but anyone who is that loyal to Bush and his kin, is not ideal for me. I do think if she were to win, the Republican Party would get a surprise - Condoleezza gettin' "street" on Karl Rove. ;-)
9) Why is McDonalds working so hard to be "hip"? They are spending millions of dollars to have new commercials geared towards the hip hop community, as well as having urban fashion designers design the new McDonalds uniforms. Is this just another attempt to make young Black and Latino people fat, diabetic, and hypertensive?
10) On a sad note, two people who I went to school with were murdered within a month of each other - Elton (Howard University School of Law) on June 3rd, and Jamal (Syracuse University) on July 2nd. The similarities are that they were both killed in Black neighborhoods for NO DAMN REASON! I'm tired, and not tired in the Bill Cosby way. I'm tired because we just don't seem to learn.
Bill Cosby (and others) walk and talk about how Black people need to do this and that; and Black parents need to do this and that. Don't you think that Elton and Jamal's parents tried to do everything for them to make sure they walked a straight path? Do you think that they raised their children to go to college, and in Elton's case go to law school, to get shot and killed? -No. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad parenting going on, but it's more than the parents, it's us. It's what we're doing and not doing in this world that allows our community to go to waste.
I've used this quote before, but it is even more relevant now -
"I laugh when I hear people say that it is the parents who are to blame. It’s not the parents, it’s the society, stupid (emphasis added). The society with its venal, backward, and predatory values. This is what must be changed.” - Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
Just some stuff I had on my mind...
"I'm Back!"
1) There has been a lot of talk about relieving Africa's debt. The G8 conference apparently came up with a plan to relieve much of the debt owed by the African continent. Unfortunately, the agreement is laced with incentives for "Western" countries, not Africa. But, I guess that is to be expected.
2) I never really liked Sandra Day O'Connor (first female on U.S. Supreme Court), but dangit, I kind of regret that she is leaving, given the replacement that "country-bumkin Bush" picked as her replacement.
3) On a lighter note, I heard about The Fugees performing on the BET Awards. The world would a better place if The Fugees got back together... Well, at least Lauryn Hill and Wyclef. Pras is just "collateral."
4) Did you here about the department store in France that didn't let Oprah Winfrey in the store? Oprah said that she had a "Crash" experience. "Crash" is a movie that came out a couple of months ago about race relations in Los Angeles (my man Don Cheadle starred in it.). Anyway, it's funny how you can be the richest woman in the world and still be reminded that your just a nappy-headed little Black girl from the south. I do think there are much worse things happening to Black people in this world that makes Oprah's incident of not being let into a store that was a few minutes from closing look... well... unimportant. I know, I know, hell would freeze over the day something that happened to Oprah would be unimportant....
5) Oh, I have to openly admit to all of you... I, too was happy that Michael Jackson was freed. And yes, I have no shame. Another thing to anger Oprah ;-)
6) What the hell is up with Mike Tyson? It seems his career is over, but he still has to fight because he's millions of dollars in debt. Pitiful.
7) I'm sure the people in London are not too excited about using the subway nowadays. It is crazy that something like that could happen twice within two weeks. And now they're doing "random" checks of people's bags in New York. This is a scary new world we're living in.
8) Condoleezza Rice has created an interesting dilemna for me. It has been rumored that she might run for president in one of the next two elections. Now, I never thought that I would be thinking about voting AGAINST a Black woman presidential candidate, but anyone who is that loyal to Bush and his kin, is not ideal for me. I do think if she were to win, the Republican Party would get a surprise - Condoleezza gettin' "street" on Karl Rove. ;-)
9) Why is McDonalds working so hard to be "hip"? They are spending millions of dollars to have new commercials geared towards the hip hop community, as well as having urban fashion designers design the new McDonalds uniforms. Is this just another attempt to make young Black and Latino people fat, diabetic, and hypertensive?
10) On a sad note, two people who I went to school with were murdered within a month of each other - Elton (Howard University School of Law) on June 3rd, and Jamal (Syracuse University) on July 2nd. The similarities are that they were both killed in Black neighborhoods for NO DAMN REASON! I'm tired, and not tired in the Bill Cosby way. I'm tired because we just don't seem to learn.
Bill Cosby (and others) walk and talk about how Black people need to do this and that; and Black parents need to do this and that. Don't you think that Elton and Jamal's parents tried to do everything for them to make sure they walked a straight path? Do you think that they raised their children to go to college, and in Elton's case go to law school, to get shot and killed? -No. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad parenting going on, but it's more than the parents, it's us. It's what we're doing and not doing in this world that allows our community to go to waste.
I've used this quote before, but it is even more relevant now -
"I laugh when I hear people say that it is the parents who are to blame. It’s not the parents, it’s the society, stupid (emphasis added). The society with its venal, backward, and predatory values. This is what must be changed.” - Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
Just some stuff I had on my mind...
"I'm Back!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)