ENDS & ODDS

• People need to get hip to Raphael Saadiq! You no know who Raphael Saadiq is? He's the former lead singer for seminal 80's r&b unit Tony! Toni! Tone!, musician and producer for artists such as D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Kelis, the Isley Brothers, Mos Def, Angie Stone, Anthony Hamilton,Macy Gray, TLC, and many others ; leader of his own short-lived "super-group," Lucy Pearl, which featured him, Dawn Robinson, formerly of En Vogue, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest, with whom he had a grammy-nominated album; not to mention solo singles on various soundtracks throughout the 90's. Then there is his first solo album, Instant Vintage, a sadly overlooked and underplayed recording that, at least, was also acknowledged by the Grammy academy. (They can get things right sometimes). Anyway, check out his Live CD, All Hits at the House of Blues. It's a real live album! I mean it sounds live! There's actual musicianship, improvisation, people interacting musically with each other - amazing!
  

• Mick Jagger just turned 62 last week. Concurrent with his b-day the Stones announced a new studio album, A Bigger Bang, their first since 1997. The thing is - who cares? The Stones haven't put out a musically relevant album since 1978's Some Girls, with their sexagenarian asses!

• How come celebrities rarely seem to lose any of their hair?

• I actually read an article that said that the San Bernardino City Unified School District was purportedly proposing introducing a curriculum that teaches so-called Ebonics! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! There were several quotes from members of a black organization called Project 21 that I thought were pretty much right on target, though some of them (the quotes) made me ever so subtly uncomfortable. Anyway, I looked up their website and the first thing that I saw was a picture of a very pleased looking, middle-aged black man being embraced and looked at approvingly by an older white man! I knew alarms weren't going off in my subconscious about these Project 21 cats for nothing! First of all, what's with the name? Who picks a sinister sounding name like that for their organization? Sounds like they're up to something! Turns out these "brothers" are, by their own description, "The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives." Their own description on their website includes, "Project 21 is an initiative of The National Center for Public Policy Research to promote the views of African-Americans whose entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to family and commitment to individual responsibility has not traditionally been echoed by the nation's civil rights establishment." I bet that they consider themselves revolutionaries! Sign of the times - From the Black Panthers to the Black Conservatives. The thing is, I have quite a few "conservative" opinions myself; I'm all for "dedication to family and commitment to individual responsibility," as are most black people, I'm sure. But I believe that one should always challenge theirselves to remain open-minded and not confine theirselves to one ideology or another. I believe that having the courage to do exactly that is what got Malcolm X and, to a lesser degree, Dr. Martin Luther King assasinated. I think that both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois had valid points. I do feel that we spend too much time blaming "the white man" for our problems. While there is a definite case to be made for the systematic oppresion of black people, the fact is that until we are willing to be accountable for our own mess, then we can't think about combating outside forces that conspire against us.
  
  

• THE PRESS IS ACTUALLY COVERING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A BLACK WOMAN!!!
  

LaToyia Figueroa, 24, who is five months pregnant and the mother of a 7-year-old daughter went missing in Philidelphia on July 18th, reportedly after going to a doctor's appointment with a male friend, after which she never showed up to pick up her daughter from day care and has been missing every since. There has been a small outcry lately over the lavish press coverage of Laci Peterson, Natalee Holloway, and others, all white women, while black women (and men) go missing regularly without a peep from the press. In fact, according to USA Today, “…men account for slightly more than half of the nearly 50,000 active missing persons cases in FBI files and that blacks account for nearly 30%, although they make up just 13% of the population.” Apparently, lowly bloggers, just like me (well maybe not just like me - they have readers) decided that they'd had enough of this disparity and started writing about Ms. Figueroa's disappearance as well as the negligence of the major press outlets in giving equal time to non-white disappearances. BLOG POWER!!!

• There are reports that poor Michael Jackson had to be hospitalized after his recent acquital. I have to qualify what I'm about to say with the honest admission that I am a very suspicious-minded individual. That said - BALDERDASH! Really though, in all fairness to Mike and in the spirit of the open-mindedness that I spoke of earlier; it would have to be incredibly stressful to be facing major jail time for a despicable and heinous crime that you did not commit......of course, it could be just as stressful, if not moreso, if you were guilty! For the record: I really have no good idea whether my former childhood idol is a pedophile or not. Hope not.
  

• Former Miami City Commissioner Arthur E. Teele Jr. shot himself to death in the lobby of Miami Herald this past Wednesday, July 27th, after explosive and, in some cases, embarassing allegations were made regarding a host of illicit dealings that he was having behind the scenes. Seems Mr. Teele was being roasted alive by the press in his hometown and decided he'd had all he could take and he could takes no more! For more on this made-for-the-big-screen tale, see the story, "Tales of Teele: Sleaze Stories," an article that came out on the day of his suicide, that he may or may not have seen prior to his demise. It can be found at: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2005-07-28/news/feature.html For an interesting and informative viewpoint of the tragedy, see my man Leonard Pitts Jr. (I love that guy!) at http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/12250509.htm
  

• Black folks must read article about Rev. Al Sharpton’s speech to the National Urban League @ http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200507%5CPOL20050729c.html I have to admit that I used to think that Rev. Al was a joke - musta been the perm - but you know what? That brother has some things to say that a lot of people need to hear!
  

• Last, but not least: I just remembered…there’s a new pope, isn’t there?!

REMINISCENCE: BILLY THE BAD-ASS GUITARIST

I have a favorite story concerning the problem with trained musicians.

I am a self-taught guitarist. Many years ago some musician friends and I would get together on the weekends and have long, completely improvisational jam sessions at an old warehouse. We would just find a blues or reggae groove, for instance, and start to play; these sessions often lasted for three hours of so, morphing, uninterrupted, from one genre of music to another.

One day I ran into a guy I went to high school with (I was about two or three years out) that had studied classical guitar for a few years, and I was telling him about our weekend jams. He was very enthused and wanted to participate. I told him "Sure. The more the merrier," and that weekend I met him at his parents' home to take him to the warehouse. Before we left he took me into his bedroom, put on a record by virtuoso jazz/rock fusion guitarist, Allan Holdsworth, and played along with the complex music note for note. I was very impressed.

We got to the warehouse and everyone sat around drinking a few beers and whatever else for a little while, then we went to our instruments to get down to business. We decided to start off with a simple A-D-E blues, you know, the stuff of countless blues, jazz, and rock standards; we start playing and this guy is just kinda standing there fingering his axe! He was lost!
Basically what it came down to is this: with some sheet music in front of him, or with music that he had studied and practiced, he was an incredible musician! But without it?...whole nother story. Basically he had no concept of improvisation!

I decided right then and there that, given the choice between being him or being me, musically that is, I'd take me. After all, I reasoned (and still do), the purpose of music or any art form is to provoke emotion and a sense of empathy in the person receiving the art. One does not have to be classically trained to do so, in fact, it is pretty much impossible to "train" someone to be able to move others with their self-expression. Either you have it, or you don't. No amount of training in the world could teach someone to have the visceral impact of Jimi Hendrix! This is why John Lee Hooker could sit on a stool and sing and play the most rudimentary music and transfix an audience, but Yngwie Malmsteen might impress for a song or two and then find those same people heading for the exit. What good does it do to be able to play incredibly fast, complex music if your audience doesn't really get it? Why try to impress someone with your mastery of the Japanese language if they only speak English? Why regale someone with twenty dollar words and a pretentious show of knowledge when they have a high school education and just wanna talk about the game? I'm no dummy, but most of the time I think I'd prefer to discuss the game than listen to fancy nothingness.

BLESSING

In about one hour and 15 minutes my wife and I will have been married for five years! I draw upon our experience together, just the fact that we are together, period, as proof that their is a power greater than ourselves at work!

Six years ago, I was just beginning to get my feet wet in a new life after about twenty years of mispent youth. I was looking forward to really enjoying my life and possibly doing something positive with it for the first time since I had been an adult. What I was not looking to do was get married! But, how's the saying go? You wanna make God laugh? Make plans! Or something like that, anyway.

Sometime in the middle of August of 1999 I met my wife, Rachelle. Of course, I did not know that she would be my wife. In fact, I had no idea that she would be anything to me. But what began as a simple exchange of smalltalk quickly blossomed into something much bigger, and one year later I found myself a married man, suddenly a father of two with one (my first and only) on the way. This might sound like a curse to some, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that there have been times when I felt that way as well, but that's just the self-centered part of me that didn't have any resposibility to anyone until well into his thirties.

My wife and kids have helped to give my life meaning and direction where, before, I had none. Rachelle and I have been through times both wonderful and devastating together and are sure to face more, but we have learned that, no matter what, we have to be as one. That's really what marriage is about isn't it? Two people coming together to make their lives and the lives of their children, if they have them, better. Through it all, pleasure and pain, frustration and elation, my life has been enhanced because of an unforeseen, unintended encounter with a beautiful woman almost six years ago.

I want to use this forum to say publicly - I LOVE MY WIFE!!!

Now if I could only get her to read my blog!

LAST WORD ON MEMIN - I THINK

I think that I've finally figured out how to get some semblance of a readership - take on some current, national or international events! I'm much better at prattling on about my own dull life, but I'll give it a shot!

Memin Pinguin. I've heard from a few people (more than two - less than a thousand) about the entry that I wrote about the celebrated Mexican character that has some folks in an uproar. First of all, let me say that I am not one for trying to force anyone to do anything. If the Mexican government wants to issue stamps with an image that a large group of people find very offensive, even somewhat painful, that is their right. One thing that I am learning during my years in this shell is that if someone wants to feel a certain way about something, nothing anyone can say can dissuade them if they don't want to be. That said, I want to make clear that I have no plans to go round and round on this subject.

From the comments that I've received, as well as a few other writings that I've seen from some natives of Mexico, they feel that the indignation on the part of some African-Americans is much ado about nothing. They seem to feel that it is simply a matter of cultural miscommunication. The official line seems to be - Memin is in no way seen by Mexicans as a pitiful or lesser human being. In fact, he is a character much adored by many who grew up reading his comics. He promotes peace and happy feelings - Understood. But understand-so did J.J. on "Good Times." American media is rife with lovable, black buffoons. Maybe Memin isn't seen by Mexicans as a buffoon, but understand that is what blacks in America see when we see that image. The lovable pickaninny. (see Buckwheat).

One responder, a Mexican-American woman, asked, "And if we are going to talk about the memin's features, I would then ask why aren't african-americans offended by let's say, the Fat Albert cartoon??" I think that this question points out the problem that the opposing sides are having seeing each others viewpoint. Fat Albert, though somewhat exaggerated, is not markedly different in appearance than African Americans that we all know, neither are any of his cohorts. Conversely, I don't know anyone who looks like Memin Pinguin or the many other caricatures designed to degrade black people in this country over the years. Which brings me, again, to my second point: Black Americans in America have a history of being belittled with characters who look very much like Memin. Combine that with slavery, Jim Crow, and institionalized racism; then maybe you can understand the response here, in America, to the beloved Memin.

The aforementioned respondent and the author of the article that I initially read, both made a point of saying that they are not offended by racist, stereotypical images purporting to depict Mexicans. Though Mexico hasn't exactly been spared in America's quest to be the biggest and baddest on the block, their people have not been the recipients of the psychological tactics used to try and convince African-Americans that they are innately inferior to the white man who subjugated them. Characters like Memin have been part of the effort to undermine any feelings of worthiness that some would be loathe to see black people develop. So, if you truly wouldn't be offended because you have a positive self-image as a people, please understand why it is not so easy for the ex-slaves in America to shake images like Memin Pinguin off.

BLACK APATHY

I've been wanting to write about this for the longest, but I've avoided it because I didn't want to air "dirty laundry," in front of potential readers who might not be part of the group that I'm addressing. (As if I have a huge readership); but, screw it! Here goes:

How long are we going to go on, as black people, African-Americans, doing nothing, saying nothing while we, as a people, self-destruct? I can't stand it! Did our ancestors really go through centuries of torture and oppresion so that we could have the freedom to physically, spiritually, mentally and psychologically kill each other off? Ever wonder why you don't hear much of anything about the Ku Klux Klan anymore? Who needs 'em! Why should they risk derision and jail when they can sit back and watch us do the job much more effectively than they ever did?

I know - there are reasons that we (collectively) are like we are now - the government has stacked all the cards against us: all black people aren't like that; every generation thinks that the generation after them are all screwed up, etc, etc! As they say, "Yeah. Whatever." I'm tired of excuses and rationalizations! Believe me, I've tried them all.

I live in "the hood" for the first time in my life, and I never cease to be amazed at the behavior and attitudes of too many people in my community. Mothers calling their children out of their names and threatening bodily harm to them like they're talking to some fool on the street! The kids cussing and demeaning each other in ways that I never imagined! And I mean "kids!" Small fry! Young children, barely old enough to talk calling each other all kinds of "bitches" and "mf's!" Out at all hours of the night! Trash strewn about everywhere! Young girls, bodies just developing, dressed like hoochie-mamas! The boys with their pants hanging off their ass! Urinating in public! Not behind the tree or bush! In public! Right on the sidewalk! Like that's cool! Blocking the streets with their cars! You dare not honk! You go to the grocery store and not only the customers, but the staff are cussing! Like that's acceptable now! To carry on like that in front of someone's small child! I've had to ask friends of mine, who I would think know better, not to use profanity in front of my kids! We tolerate too much! We have begun to accept the most immoral behavior! I'm just as guilty as the next man (or woman). I was in an auto franchise one day and they were playing obscenity-filled music over the speakers in their establishment! I told myself that I was going to call their headquarters and file a complaint, but I didn't. I thought that I didn't want to call the "white man," and get my "brothers" in trouble. Then I thought that they (the white man) won't do anything anyway. "Let those jiggaboos play their jungle music!"

Which brings me to the music. Let me say, first, that I was in my mid-twenties when rap first began to really catch on, back in the 80's. I was an avid listener until the mid 90's, and I listened to many artists that weren't exactly wholesome. Biggie, Ice Cube, Wu-Tang, etc; but I also listened to Public Enemy, KRS-1, De La Soul, etc. And you were just as likely to hear one of the latter as the former. Now? Seems like they only play the most ignorant, profane, self-hating, debasing, violent, materialistic crap that they can find on the radio! It's like dope though. Do black folks control the mechanisms that bring drugs into the country? No. Do black folks control the radio stations, the major record labels? No. We are playing right into "their" hands. I don't think that it is any coincidence that even our most "positive" rappers can't get through more than a few sentences without cussing. "Oh! They're just words," you say? How often are these "words" utilized to convey a positive sentiment? Has "bitch" become a "term of endearment" like "nigga" supposedly has? Probably. Unfortunately. Is it a coincidence that so many of our people, particularly our youth, act out the worst aspects of those terms? Why does being a "real nigga" basically mean being as ignorant as humanly possible? Why are sisters proudly saying, "Yeah. I'm a bitch!" meaning that they "use" their bodies for gain, that they are flippin-the script on these niggaz?

I think that we have lost our minds! I went to a festival a few weeks ago, that was alledgedly celebrating our emancipation from slavery. I passed a booth that was playing some hip-hop and it was completely unedited! I've got my four-year old daughter with me and they're blasting this mind poison! I'm so tired of it! I'm tired of biting my tongue! I saw how some people blasted Cosby for daring to say that we are "f***ing up!" Yeah! I said it! Call me a hypocrite! I never claimed to be a saint! But, I can tell you this...you won't see me in the grocery talking like that! Because I respect what my parents and so many others worked for - a vision of a day when black people could live with dignity, not act in a manner completely devoid of any!

note: there's so much more that I could say, and I'm basically writing this in a storm of frustration. I'm not taking the time to be deeply analytical. I just want to get it out! I'm not saying this to apologize for anything, I guess that I'm saying that this isn't an intellectual analysis; it's a diatribe, a rant, and I don't pretend that it is anything else!

DUH!

DUH!
I just found out how to make the picture smaller. It's right there in the instructions, "small," "medium," "large." I am so dense sometime!

But, hey! I've got a lot of stuff on my mind. My life is heavy with problems, but it's ok! My wife and I are working toward a better life for our kids and us. In the meantime, sacrifices must be made and bad fortune gets to befalling, but hopefully one day the potholes will be gone and the road will be made smooth. In the meantime its about keeping faith, not giving up, and trying to appreciate life as it is.

You know, I think that I appreciate Jimi Hendrix more now than I ever have in my life. Even the songs that you can hear at any given time on the radio, and that I thought that I'd gotten jaded about sound incredible to me now! I'm listening to "Manic Depression".......genius! I used to be a musician. Well, I guess that I am still am, just not a practicing one. I still love music, but the intensity of the feeling has changed. It's like when you're a kid, a teenager or in your early 20's; you fall in love and you're so charged up, it's like being high! Now that I'm a little (ok, a lot) older, the feelings aren't all spazzed-out like they were in my youth. Now it's kind of mellow, like "I really like that song," as opposed to, "Oh my God! That's the most incredible song in the world!!!"

Anyway, it's late, I'm tired and I don't know what the hell I am doing. I'll get back to you folks, whoever you might be. I'm going to try and write in this blog a lot more often than I have been. I had my first non-acquaintance readers recently and it felt great! I wanna get more strangers reading and to do that I must write. So write I will (if my wife and kids will let me).

p.s. - I will post and reply to the comments that I got regarding the Memin Pinguin entry. I'm just not up to it now. It's a quarter to four in the morning and my stupid-butt needs to be in bed!

PEE-ESS

I just noticed that the address contained in the previous entry has no city. It is in Chicago. Don't try to find or go to a Balbo St. in your city if you are not in Chicago, Illinois! It isn't there!

WORTHY CAUSE

OK. Now I've finally figured out how to get a picture on here, but it's humongous! I'm going to try and trim it down to a reasonable size, in the meantime you'll just have to bear this huge visage!

Anyhoo! I've got some serious business to post on here. This ties in with a previous entry (See: Devotion).

Ama Thomas is still in a coma and is being cared for by her husband, Phil. They are persevering through trying circumstances. People like to make noises about compassion and love, unity and such. Let's not just talk about it - Let's be about it! Give. Help if you can. Thank you.

If you have any doubts about the veracity of this cause, please see the previous "DEVOTION" entry, dated 4.15.

THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR…

A fundraiser for the family of

Ama Johnson Thomas

SAVE THE DATE

AUGUST 21, 2005

at the HotHouse, 31 East Balbo

1:00—6:00 p.m.

Phillip Thomas’s loving wife, Ama has been in a coma for six months leaving the family devastated and without the support of her loving guidance. This fundraiser is an effort designed to raise funds to assist the family in covering medical and in-home extended care expenses, childcare, school tuition and transportation.

Please come out to the HotHouse and hear music performed by Yoko Noge’s Jazz Me Blues, Muntu Dance Theatre , Ernest Dawkins, and many other artists who are donating their talents to assist with this very special gathering. Tickets can be purchased on line at the Hothouse website: https://www.hothouse.net/home/tickets_preview.jsp?showId=1178

Proceeds will go to the Ujima for Ama Fund, administred through the Black United Fund of Illinois. Donations are tax deductible.

DARN!

I just noticed that they have a new, non-computer geek-friendly way to post pix on your blog, so I tried it, figuring I can put a nice, unflattering pic of my mug on here. It didn't work!
)%&&Y(*$$%!!!
(Does that look like cussin'? It doesn't, does it?)

THE NERVE!

Long time, eh? You have no idea!

Anyway, down to business!

I read an article from my man, Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald, about a controversy over Mexico issuing a series of stamps honoring a character known as Memin Pinguin. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/leonard_pitts/12049659.htm.

This lead me to do a little quick research, and I ran across this blog: http://ngrand78.blogspot.com/2005/06/memin-pinguin.html.

I've enclosed the relevant contents just in case you have trouble finding it with the address listed above, or are just too lazy to!

The Mexican government has issued a series of five stamps depicting the 1940's character, Memin Pinguin. The stamps are part of a series that pays tribute to Mexican comic books. It is worth mentioning that this is the second series and that it was chosen for being the 50th anniversary of the character.

only a couple of months ago president Fox was criticized for making comments that were construed as racist. I'll agree that Memin Pinguin has exaggerated features thick lips and wide-open eyes. But what people have to take in consideration is that the Mexican culture is different, I am not going to say that discrimination doesn't exist in Mexico, it's just based in other characteristics, social status and wealth being the most notable ones. The truth is that back there the color of the skin is not important and people pay little attention.

now, if you are going to criticize this cartoon on the sole base of the character's appearance, why hasn't Archie gotten in trouble? I mean, isn't his red hair and freckles a stereotype? I mean, it is a cartoon, of course it's going to have exaggerated features. I remember reading the comic when I was a kid and it never made me think less of anyone, if anything and because of his mischievousness, he was my hero.

now I respect other opinions and I know a lot of people are not going to agree with me, but ultimately what we have to understand is that Mexico and the U.S. have very different cultures and you need to at least try to understand where other people are coming from before jumping into conclusions.


Here is my response to that balderdash. I sent him this as well. Hopefully he will respond to it.

I almost decided against replying when I read the response of Ravi, but I've decided to, if nothing else, echo his sentiment and, hopefully amplify it.
You mentioned people being unaware of the history behind the character and Mexican culture in general. Perhaps you should do a little (and I do mean "a little, because it wouldn't take much) research into the type of image this character, Memin Pinguin, has historically portrayed in American culture.
Let me ask you to consider this: If someone took one of the more offensive stereotypical portrayals of Mexicans(check out some of the older American cartoons - there have been some), made a cartoon character with a huge sombrero, pulled down over a hairy, perpetually sleepy, lazy face with bulbous, red nose (from drinking tequila constantly), and attributed "positive" characteristics to this character (friendly, happy, polite), do you think that some Mexican people would be deeply offended? Please don't tell me, "No."
By the way - trying to compare this character, Memin Pinguin, with Archie is so ludicrous as to be almost laughable. Almost. First of all, in this country anyway, white features are not seen to be offensive. There is nothing particularly demeaning about having red hair or freckles in the United States, if anywhere. I read Archie quite a bit growing up and I don't remember his features, as depicted, being exaggerated at all! Perhaps Jughead, with his elongated nose was a bit of an exaggeration, but Archie is no more offensive to American whites than Richie Cunningham!
When it comes down to it, your attempt to rationalize away the righteous indignation of African-Americans at this painful reminder of the humiliations that we have suffered for centuries in this country is as offensive or more offensive than the Memin Pinguin character and its celebration!!!
Ric | 07.05.05 - 6:12 pm | #

Unfortunately, I am not sufficiently computer-savvy to figure out how to post a picture of good ol' Memin, but just put "Memin Pinguin" in Google and it'll take care of you.