A black athlete who chooses to speak

Sort of long, article, but I found it interesting:

clicketyclick

It's not just that it has to be a great player, it's got to be a popular player. One that has actually gotten love, riches, admiration. Gotta get the people's attention first, then hittem.


Ask Mr. Ali

Raceway Gas Station,

Edison, NJ, 3:30a this morning.

1 gallon regular: $1.99/gallon

revel in your jealousy

--
"'Cuz I said so, that's why!" - Every Black father ever

You say you haven't heard that new Prince joint

yet?

Well, click here and remedy that situation.

Count to three and let us know if you scream like a white lady.

For those who weren't able to see "Yellowman",

Elliot's monologue in Be Cool pretty much sums it up.

:/

Not Black Enough Like Me

This past afternoon I got a tm from a potnah:

"According to the negroes @ work, I am white"

continuing...

"They said I don't act very black and I don't dress black...other things."

I found this interesting b'cause this particular pal, to me anyway, is full of extra crunchy culuhd funk. Now, she does listen to rock, but she'd have to tell you for you to know that. For a second I thought maybe it was a work thing, but we actually got to know each other working together in Houston, so I decided that was booboo reasoning for her current cohorts.

What she is is different. I'm not sure what "dressing black" is, but I imagine they said that because she has a habit of dressing comfortably (and in pink). I've seen her in a skirt twice, and one of those times was a picture. The other doesn't count 'cuz it was this really cool joint made out wind pant material and came to just below the ball of her ankle (she wore it as a favor to the males in the office; if I remember correctly, we didn't know how to act).

She also had this thing for Hello Kitty...

And has a strange affinity for nearly middle aged, bald, hyper black men who have a penchant for performing in suits with no shirt or underpants...

She's different. In my experience my fellow color-eds have a tendency to refer to this as being not black.

In high school, when I used words with more than 3 syllables (as I was wont to do - hell, I like syllables), I was told I was talking like a white boy. Or Carlton.

I do find this "not dressing black" thing interesting. My suspicion is they say that because she doesn't dress up and probably has direct access to the only supply of non - lo-rise women's jeans in left Houston. Then there's the not having had a perm since some time in college thing...

Also interesting is that I got these messages while reading a passage in Queens about a lady in London who rocked a huge 'fro despite common disapproval (suggested reading, so suggest I).

I have been remarkably isolated for the last few years. I keep forgetting that not doing what's expected (i.e.: what e'one else does) still isn't accepted - particularly if you're Black and among other Black folk.

Not that I've never thought of someone as not being properly Black; my definition has evolved though. There are those in the world who are what people look at and call Black who have not experienced Black life/communities. Their experience is still valid as part of the pantheon of what makes up the diaspora, but I do feel that one has to actually experience it in order to be apart of it - not just be born with the physical attributes. If you've not had that experience, don't want that experience and are of African descent, that's fine. Write about it and we can file it in it's rightful place in the cultural consciousness.

Don't, however, use freedom of expression as an excuse to run from that which you've been mis-educated into believing is inferior.

Potential daddy quote

I was watching a documentary on Samuel Goldwyn and he apparently told his children something that he may not have given his children what they wanted, but he gave them what they needed.

Interesting.

Something I might tell some progeny one day: "My job is to give you what you need. Your job is to figure out what you want."

or

"My job is to give you what you need so you can figure out what you want."

Nah... I don't like that one - too passive.

Maybe:

"My job is to provide what you need so you can take your time and figure out what you want - and figure out a way to pay for it. Get out my house. Bring me a ginger beer on your way through the kitchen."

Yeah. That sounds right.

Black History on VH1

Vh1 was just showing a program about Black folk on the telly through the 90's. Frankly, it is probably the best of this type that I've seen (important to mention that it prolly wasn't Vh1 production).

It did seem strange that it would be on this branch of the great media tree that is Viacom rather than BET...

Why is Vh1 still being molded as the adult Black alternative to M Tv?

My money says BET's being held until it can be sold or dissolved into the other channels.

strange

Doing it again...

I've become nocturnal again. I need to not be. I keep setting up
times to meet with acquaintances that I know I'll miss in an effort to
shift my sleep schedule. My apologies to you all; do know that your
annoyance and inconvenience goes toward the greater good.

Being social in this place is too hard. I like just rolling up on people
happenstance-ically. Appointments are for job interviews. I can only
make a certain time when an event is involved.

blah

What are the models for?

So, I'm watching the All-Star game and it's halftime, which means it's time for the half-time show. Now, for some reason, Destiny's Child - Houston's most popular musical act to date - performed the U.S. national anthem instead of at halftime...puzzling.

So, halftime starts with that country starlet that you can periodically find warbling in Hershey's commercials on Adult Swim. She was surrounded by a crowd of what appeared to be young persons chosen from the audience and given All-Star apparel; fake, but excusable.

Then comes one John Legend... now, I would think that you'd choose a slightly less loungy act than John Legend, but whatever. So he's playin' & sangin', and I look in the little crowd of people around his stage and realize that they're all young women. Then I realize that they're all model/video girl types.

1. Why do you need to do this?
2. Why with all women? You didn't do all men for ol' girl...?

This is not a well-written post, so I'll just continue rambling...

I actually wish the Andre Iguodala would've won the dunk comp, 'cuz then the fact that people will only remember Nate Robinson becomes that much more glorious.

I wish he hadn't taken 20 attempts, but Nate REPRESENTED for the average height cats - REPRESENTED I SAY!!!

How strange is it to think that Steve Francis was an All-Star and a dunk finalist (and I say one can make a strong case for him to have won) to now being only of interest as trade bait...

I HATE watching the mouth animation on the Boondocks.

After being up by 20, the West is now down by 10. So much for the domination of the big West...

I just tried to switch to the Boondocks during an All-Star commercial break. Then Riley "spoke". A channel change was necessary...

I can't stand Kobe, but he just spilt two defenders with a ridiculous back-to-front through-the-legs dribble.

McGrady can't get a clean shot off, no foul called, end of game.

I went to close my roommate's window the other day and saw that he had in his DVD collection Boat Trip (@@%!??!$?#!@!!). Disappointing. Quite.

I'm gonna watch Be Cool now.

Maybe later I'll practice rollerblading in the living room.

Health...

While I was in St. Louis, I lapsed into some fairly bad eating habits, not that I was perfect before, but I did get in the habit of partaking of fried food, fast food, etc. (although the major portion of that was due to me trying to make up for two years without a reliable supply of catfish).

One thing that I began to give into is the late night urge for burgers/fries -purely psychological, vastly illogical, and directly and completely related to the domestic gastro-industrial complex. One night I took advantage of being in the Midwest and checked out a Hardee's Thickburger. I didn't go completely mad and try that 3-patty bastard, though - just a double with no cheese. It was certainly better than that which is available at McDonald's (which had given me a slight digestion-al disturbance some days earlier). Not having gone completely crazy, I took one of the patties off (and ate it about 30 mins after I finished the burger).

Now I'm back in NYC and I've basically not moved strenuously since I've been here - save shoveling the truck out of the two feet of snow that just fell. I'd started getting in the habit of some kind of exercising while in St. Loo, but that left after we got into tech and I was more tired than an 18-wheeler pulling a load of dualies.

Now JK just put a comment on the previous post about Jay Dee from Slum Village passing away. I searched and found that he succumbed to kidney failure. This story refers to an episode he suffered through last year. It quotes about him saying that it was the result of him not eating well while abroad....

And I could babble on (and this is quite incoherent)...

I will, instead, present a thesis:

Take care of your/our/my selves. We all we got.

peace

I have almost completely forgotten how to ride the train and I feel like I should care a little more about the $76 I spent yesterday on a Metrocard.

I'm hungry.

I should be looking at lines...

... so that must mean now would be a great time to make a blog entry.


Random thoughts about the past month.5 and coming back:

There was actually something nice about driving back onto the island, coming into the house... When I came in the door there was this comforting clean smell. The roomie was sleep and the little white dude is at his grandparents'. I went into the bathroom and one of my towels was hanging, waiting for me. When I came in the room and sat down at my computer, it felt right to see the desktop on my monitor. It was warm in a not-referring-to-temp way...it felt "right". I went to the Yellowman website and looked at the production photos, which I'd done many times on the laptop I took with me (good looking out, Roomie). They felt special for the first time seeing them on my big ol' CRT screen.

At some point between the last show Sunday night and leaving Tuesday morning, the significance of what I'd been apart of began to materialize for me. I don't know I'll do it again, I don't know that I won't. I'm somewhat concerned that, with Yellowman, I've gotten a chance to do a lot of what I've wanted to do/try. I've done it, so now what's my motivation for continuing?

I'm concerned that I am still primarily negatively motivated. I don't really start trying until somebody pisses me off (so does this mean I should be in the habit of finding something at which to be pissed off.

Though this was an unusual case, theatre still takes a lot of time and lot of yourself - and the money you get generally doesn't justify the effort (not when compared to TV money anyway).

GAS HEAT SUUUUUUCKS.

It's funny how you can go 3 years without seeing somebody, laff with them for 30 minutes at things that only those raised by the same type of crazy people who raised you can laff, realize that you are irrefutably, incurably connected to these folk due to the effort of said crazy people, then miss them 2.5 minutes after they leave.

With Mrs. Coretta Scott-King's passing, has an era finally ended?

Am I the only one annoyed that Bill Clinton thought it was ok for him to call her by just her first name?

If you're ever planning a road trip and see that you need to cross through Ohio, don't. Re-plan the route. If there is no other possible route (and building an underground tunnel should not be discounted as an option), mind those speed limits. Ohio Highway Patrol is a mite adamant about enforcing the speed limit. Even the truckers were respecting their 55/60 limits. The highest speed limit in OH is 65 - remember it. Be particularly wary from Dayton to Indiana. Those cops have no qualms about profiling you. Ohio - our main industry is raising your auto insurance rates...

If you ever come to NYC and want to make small talk, lead with a negative, not a positive. For instance if you want to say that you’re glad it’s sunny, lead by saying how much you’ve hated that it’s been overcast the rest of the week, then work your way back to the present day’s sunshine. However, don’t praise the presence of clear skies, merely reflect on your uncertainty of course had the weather not changed. The most basic example being: “I don’t know what I’d’ve done if the sun hadn’t’ve finally come out,” (double contractions not necessary, but nice if they can be used – practice first).

Reviews? Reviews You Say?

Fine, here...

These two were a couple of the best written, so say I :

St. Louis Post-Discpatch (st. loo's biggest paper)
Riverfront Times (St. Loo's free, "alternative", "liberal" paper)

These two were by the same guy :
KWMU 90.7
Backstage.com (<-anybody else think dude found a really judicious way to say that he yawned at me?) I like the quote about the final scene in this one: KDHX

This guy calls us "outstanding" yet still manages to make the production sound not-exactly-worth-seeing : Playbackstl.com

This one contains the first and last ever reference to me as "a big muscular man" : St. Louis American. I like the compliments, but I wish they could've been wrapped in an article that was more... shall we say... objective?

This one, to me is good example of a review by someone who obviously liked what he saw, yet manages to give a constructive critique of the play. There is a difference between stating likes/dislikes of something and critiquing it (though, of course, I can't tell you what the difference is...) : TalkinBroadway.com

I'm baaack

back in nyc

tired

temp agency mysteriously calls about a job (despite me not telling them I'm back)

need to re-memorize a show before a rehearsal tonight