Sol Pop

Dorothy Roberts Debunks Race as Biological in "Fatal Invention"

2011-08-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

Dorothy Roberts is author of the new book Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century (New Press, 2011). She is also the Kirkland & Ellis Professor at Northwestern University School of Law and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research, with appointments in the departments of Sociology and African American Studies. Here she discusses the rise in identifying race as biological.

YLW: Why did you write Fatal Invention?YLW: There is this increasing push, fueled by profit, looking at race as a biological structure instead of as political.

DR: I decided to write it because I have noticed resurgence in the use of the term race as a biological category. And also [I noticed] a growing acceptance among colleagues and speakers that race really is biological and somehow genomic science will soon discover the biological truths about race. The more I looked into it, I saw there were more scientists that said they discovered race in the genes, more products coming out showing that race is a natural division.

YLW: But race is not biological, it’s purely a political creation.

DR: I thought this trend [of race as biological] was supporting a false concept of race. But also, I was alarmed that knowing history; the biological construct of race has been used to obscure the political origin of racial inequality, to make it seem as if the reason people of color are disadvantaged in society is natural, as opposed to political and institutional.

It’s a very frightening development. We would accomplish so much more, if all the money that was going into race based genes were going into cleaning up the toxins in black neighborhoods that cause black people to get cancer and die, cleaning up education or basic health care for everybody.

YLW: Many people have a hard time accepting that race is a political creation and not biological, despite the years of proving otherwise.

DR: There are some people who understand this- using economic theory and research showing you that you cannot divide the human race into species. Scientist have known this and proved it definitively for decades. So it’s alarming when you see scientist promoting race as genetic.

YLW: Can you give me examples of the false notion of race as biology that’s popping up in science that your reference in your book?

DR: There are ancestry groups testing customers that say with a cheek swab they can trace your ancestry. Then you have federal and state authorities that are amassing DNA databases that compel people to give up their DNA if they are arrested. As a result these databases are disproportionately made up of black and Latino profiles. Pharmaceuticals targeted people according to race. The food and drug administration has already targeted a heart therapy for black patients. It was only turned into a race specific drug when the original patent ran out.

DR: There are studies to explain racial divisions in health that are actually caused by social inequalities. Yet you have researchers studying high blood pressure, asthma among blacks, etc. and looking for a genetic cause. However, research shows these [illnesses] are the effects of racial inequality and the stress of racial inequality.

YLW: So race based medicines, like a heart medicine for African Americans, are illogical, because since race isn’t biological, you can’t have a medicine targeting this group?

DR: Correct. Of those who say [race is biological], they usually point to sickle cell anemia, as proof that illnesses are race-based. Even if you look at these genetic diseases that seem to run along with race, it’s actually caused by environment. Sickle cell is an adaptation in areas with high rates of malaria. You find it in some areas of Africa, Asia and Europe. It’s not about race at all.

DR: To me it’s so obvious that race is not a political category. Who is considered black, Asian, Indian, all these things changes depending on political circumstances and are determined by political markers. Yet people hold on to this idea that if scientist keep searching and searching they will find the divisions of a human species, and we’ve found it is a false pursuit.

YLW: You argue that the scientific inquiry in looking to genetics to create health remedies has led to an interest in looking to genetics to explain a host of social ills and challenges including race.

DR: Genes can never tell you anything without looking at the environment that they are expressed because of the very cells of our bodies. There is not a gene that causes cancer. That is false. After spending millions and millions of dollars they have not come up with the genes that cause cancer or diabetes or any of these diseases. It’s been a false hope, now they are looking to race as a way to make money off of this failed attempt to make money off of a gene map. Race is a bad way to prescribe drugs. I don’t want some doctor to look at me and say you’re black so you should take this drug. I want it to be based on an examination of me.

YLW: What are the dangers of viewing race biologically?

DR: It’s not just a matter of being wrong. It’s the disastrous consequences, because it sends the message that all the inequalities in who dies earlier and who bears suffering from disease, who gets poorly educated, who fills prison cells- it makes it seem like it’s some biological difference, when it’s the power of advantage and disadvantage. But instead of looking at those implications, they’d rather look at false proof written in our genes.

DR: There is a history of tracing race to a biological pathology. And there is a counter tradition of saying no, we have innate superiority. I don’t think talking about innate superiority or otherwise is the way to go. I think looking at the success in spite of the disadvantages, looking at doing it in spite of the social constraints, makes sense.

DR: I also got resistance from black friends, relatives and colleagues to this idea that race is a political system. I think there are people who realize there is racism in America and the political nature, but they also want to hold on to a biological concept of race. There are conservatives who want to hold on to the fact that there is a biological concept of race to explain inequality. But there are also black people in America who believe this.

YLW: Can you give me an example?

DR: For one, ancestry testing and another in the first race specific drugs targeted to African American patients with heart failure. In both cases these are African Americans who are promoting products to some extent that use the idea that we are biologically different and saying that is important to our identity.

YLW: You’re saying that genetic ancestry testing, say finding the African tribe you descended from is impossible to find genetically?

DR: We cannot, in most cases, trace our ancestry back to Africa. My position is that you’re basing it on an illusion that there is a biological demarcation.

YLW: Ancestry testing is very popular and many people take great pride in being able to identify the African ethnic group they derived from. But you’re saying that genetically, you can’t trace this ancestry. Why not?

DR: The science of it is matching the customers DNA profile and specific genetic base to a genetic base that was collected in Africa. Each company has a different database. It’s proprietary and based on collections that they did themselves and collected, or publicly available ones they collected. You’re talking about matching a customer’s traits to a database that was collected recently, obviously not collecting those people who were around during the slave trade. They didn’t test anyone 300 years ago.

DR: The most they can tell you is that your traits are the closest to a group they sampled recently, but that group might be different. They might not be in the same location. There have been migrations in Africa sense then. You just don’t know if it’s a match to an ancestor. And because different companies have different samples and different ways of matching, you can go to four ancestry companies and get different results. It is not the definitive answer that many people think it is. It involves a lot of guess work. At the end a lot of people who have results say they came from the Mendi tribe, others say Yoruba or Zulu. Then the customer who has all these results has to pick one. Then we’re back to a political affinity. Which one do I like better? Which one do I want to align with?

DR: I say just pick one. Why take the test? Maybe you like the artwork of that group, or maybe you met someone of that group, or maybe you like the politics. Yes we have ancestors from Africa and from other countries as well, but that does not have to be spliced down

DR: Africa has more genetic diversity than any other continent in the world. We are genetically extremely diverse, but we also know that African Americans are products of mixtures of all kinds of ancestries. There is no biological essence to being African American. We’re extremely mixed. But I believe there is a political solidarity that we can have, not based on our biology, but based on our commitment to fight racism and to have a better world that is rid of political injustice.

For more information on Dorothy Roberts go to http://www.dorothy-roberts.com/

Toastmakers: Happy New Year Fizz Lovers

2009-01-01T12:19:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year! Happy New You!

While New Year circles around at the dawn of every Winter Solstice, this time when the clock struck 12 and I was zipping through the street honking my car and bobbing my head to a hot radio mix of the moment in search of that golden parking spot for my party of choice, I felt new. It wasn't some empty promise of great things to come, but rather a refreshing acceptance of living life to the fullest now.

Just moments earlier, I was bumming around in the silence of the bat girl cave, trying to trick myself into believing I of all people could celebrate the New Year in reflection. But as the clock ticked away, I said "What the heck are you doing? Get out there and move something." I grabbed those fur boots I keep closeted away for fab affairs and hit the fast track highway.

Yes, I've been dedicating the last three months to this refabbed me, and I've gotten back to who I really am, who I thought I was striving to be, only to realize I was already there.

A new me, means a new Solpop. Cultural nuances, political foibles, artistic inspirations and some personal insights, too are all here for the taking.

Truly peachy. But why be all brand new by yourself? Take this life and shake it. Solpop can provide fizzy insights to make that 360 a little bubblier.

So drink up, my friends.

One Love,

Ytasha
Solpop Penmiester

Lip Plumper - Shopping Tale of the Exploding Lips

2008-10-14T11:26:00.004-05:00

I thought my favorite lipstick had been discontinued three years ago. So imagine my sheer glee when a Sax make up guy with an uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt found a handful in the samples section. But like any woman who's about to spend an unusually high amount for a tube of gloss, I decided to survey the counter to make sure this was in fact the best bang for my buck. And that's when I ran across The Plumper.

"That's a plumper," Brad remarked, very bright eyed and bushy tailed as I surveyed the rival shimmery bronze. "It gives you full fantastic lips. It's so hot right now."

"What do you mean it gives you full fantastic lips?" Surely, Brad must have found something ironic about sharing the virtues of full lips to an African American woman, but he proceeded to explain anyway.

According to Brad, the plumper had ingredients that made your lips fuller, sexier, hotter to which I responded to myself "Yeah, right."

"Is that safe?" I asked Brad, recollections from killer beauty doc American the Beautiful still haunting me. He smiled that "I guess we'll know in ten years" kind of smile and I agreed.

But with one swab of the plumper, my lips started to tingle and burn, like I'd painted them with liquid Tic-Tacs and acetone. Brad said I'd get used to it and as I waited for the icy fire to a wane I looked in the mirror noticed this plumper had one heck of a gleam. Tingle aside, the plumper gave my favorite gloss a run for it's money in pure shine factor, and after having a bevy of sales guys do a cross cultural lipstick comparison, I said to heck with my discontinued favorite and bought the plumper.

Let me remind you, the plumper was not made for me, my family or any one totally unconcerned with lip size. The whole culture of collagen injected lips is stamped with a does not apply sign in my life world and affairs. So why buy the plumper? Well, I didn't expect it to work. I figured it was another cosmetic industry scheme like at home teeth whiteners or hair growth stimulators, some new product who's effectiveness is hard to measure.

Well, it took all of five minutes for me to walk from the across Michigan Ave. to my car before I realized this Plumper stuff was potent. My lips were ice cubes, stinging into numbness. It felt like the Black Hawks were playing ice hockey on my pucker. My heart started racing like I'd ran a marathon and I could feel the icy hot sheets formerly known as my lips expanding like glaciers. By the time I got to the car and checked the rearview mirror, I looked like a bee had stung me in the kisser. To which I said "I'm taking this crap off."

I ran back to Sax, testing the limits of the 15 minute parking breaks zone, found Brad and made a switcheroo before scrubbed that plumper crap off.

"Dude, that tingly feel never goes away," I said. "And my heart was pounding."

"Yeah, that's what the other customers say. Not everyone likes it"

"No kidding."

I did some reading on the phenomenon, and apparently the plumper is the rage in make up circles. There are a host of review and product sites. Some formulas use a traditional lip-plumping ingredient that stimulates collagen and boosts hydration. Others use ingredients that help retain moisture, which gives lips the appearance of being fuller. Some work, some don't.

But don't expect any more plumper updates from me. I'm done with the icy hot bee sting.

A Voters Headache: Terrorists, Bradley Effects and McCain's Defense

2008-10-13T10:01:00.009-05:00

All these rumblings regarding Sen. Barack Obama and his mythical terrorist ties now have Sen. John McCain nervous. After launching a Republican lead smear campaign with Gov. Sarah Palin tying Obama to radicals and rumer mills falsifying a Obama Muslim upbringing, it appears that the nastiness of it all and the increased racially cloaked remarks from audiences at McCain affairs caused McCain to defend his opponent.

If Obama does win, McCain said, reassuring a voter, you have nothing to fear. "He's a decent man, a family man."

Gee, thanks.

I can't commend someone for taking an action they're supposed to take, but there is an irony in that the McCain campaign stoked these fears intensely over the past week and after some disturbing commentary with news cameras in attendance, had a change of heart and decided to back off.

I'm not sure if this was sincere or just another ploy to win voters. But I can say that the fear tactics are highly aggravating. And they're not working.

When people are worried about their retirement savings, keeping their jobs, and trying to figure out how to keep up with mortgage payments, they could care less about a connect the dots affiliation between a presidential candidate and a former radical.

Speaking of being annoyed, I'm also bothered with the new found media infatuation with the Bradley Effect, a phrase coined after the former L.A mayor was predicted to win as governor of California. Pollsters later found that many white Americans reported they would vote for Bradley but changed their minds in voting booths due to Bradley's race. Some argue that the Bradley effect could play a role in Obama's race and that his slim lead in the polls is not due say an upswing in Obama voters tired of the economic downturn, but rather a result of some indiscernable number of white voters lying to pollsters.

But the Bradley race was 20 years ago. While I get that their aren't many high level races with African American candidates to compare Obama's campaign, too, I think the analysis of the Bradley Effect is totally misleading and that the same elements aren't applicable in the Obama race. While a casual debate on the matter may be entertaining to some, there is no quantifiable data to substantiate or explain its relevance in this election.

Frankly, between these terrorist charges and Bradley effects fears, I've been highly annoyed by recent campaign tactics and coverage. Rehashing old news to fan fears is a strategy we were all familiar with in the primaries.

The real issue is the economy. Obama's position on the economy was strong before the current market flip flop and it's ironic that his knowledge on this matter may be the key to victory.

VP Debates- The Non Answer to Your Own Question

2008-10-03T12:29:00.005-05:00

Expectations for Gov. Sarah Palin's debate performance were so low, that short of her collapsing on stage, she'd be applauded by her supporters.

Really, is she supposed to get points because she can pronounce Ahmadinejad?

However with debate strategy now topping the headlines, I too have a question.

When did not answering the question become a suitable debate strategy?

Palin was incredulous in her decision to answer what she wanted to answer and in some cases not addressing the question at all.

While one could possibly get away with changing the subject on a question or two, to design an entire game plan around avoiding the question and instead raising your own questions to answer is perplexing. Knowing how confusing her non answers would be she remarked and 'that she might not answer the questions the way Biden or the moderator may want her too but will speak directly to the American people.' Yeah, well, the moderator is there because the American people can't exactly get their questions answered by yelling at their flatscreen.

But in an attempt to take control, Palin decided to ask her own questions, which she didn't bother to answer either.

Furthermore, when did winking at the camera become acceptable in a debate format? Call me observant, but Gov. Palin winked at the camera at least three times. Coy flirtatiousness may work fabulously for actresses on Leno, but to inject the wink in a vice presidential debate is absurd.

Sen. Joe Biden proved himself to be knowledgeable, wise and passionate on foreign and domestic affairs. Some feared that his style might be too overbearing for Palin, another backhanded smack to the progress of women (implying a that a woman can debate a man 'aggressively.') However, Biden was incredibly diplomatic, flipped McCain's 'Maverick' monitor on it's head, and linked McCain's policies to President Bush's. Palin, oddly didn't rebut any of Biden's attacks on McCain, seeming to stick to tried and true info she'd memorized instead. She also made some very odd remarks regarding the expansion of the Vice President's role that were diametrically opposed to the U.S constitution.

I don't want to be a Palin basher. I would hope that despite differences in ideology, she would at least prove herself to be a capable leader on the world stage. I too am a woman. But while she may have guts and drive, that alone is not enough to lead our nation.

Don't Take My Debate TV

2008-09-24T16:20:00.006-05:00

I thought my ears were deceiving me when I heard that John McCain aimed to cancel the presidential debate and suspend his campaign.

I flipped to WVON, caught a snippet and ran to my laptop to verify. There is was, confirmed on the New York Times website.

McCain wants out.

So much for those ballroom, bar and hall rentals. I have received more emails for debate parties and viewings in the past two weeks than I can count. News radio, tv and web banners are hyping the debate like it's a heavyweight champion fight.

I guess it is, well, if it happens.

Supposedly, McCain wants to take these precious two days to work on the economy. Wisely, Barack Obama stated that with just 40 days left until the leader of the free world takes the reigns, the American people deserve to know the candidates' views on the matter and wants the debate to go on.

The story goes that Obama initiated the call to McCain, suggesting that they make a joint statement regarding the economy. Six hours later, McCain jumped the gun and made his crash and rash announcement, taking Obama's good intentioned jesture a step further and recommended ending the debates.

It's this assumption that the American people are idiots that I take issue with. Obama's numbers are up, McCain has repeated frequently that the economy is his weak point, he's not the most intriguing speaker in the world and the haste to cancel the debate makes McCain look like he's running scaird.

There is no spin to make this action look lofty. Citizens deserve to see their presidential candidates debate during this unique time.

The debate should go on.

Economy Matters- Dumb it Down

2008-09-24T14:42:00.005-05:00

With the economy being the talk of the town, I've found myself either talking to people who are de facto economy experts or explaining to people just what the heck is going on.

I've probably done a little more of the later than the former. In fact, I found myself in a circuitous explanation on the whole affair with my mom for like an hour. In my attempt to be as simple and thorough as possible, I realized that I had a hard time explaining it in part because the concept of a mortgage backed security doesn't really make any sense. How can you create an industry that people invest in backed by a debt bundle with no actual or liquid value? But that's another conversation.

At any rate, while watching political pundits on TV turned economic experts, I've discovered something else.

Explaining the mortgage backed security fiasco cannot be done in a sound-bite.

There's no condensing this stuff. Forget making the whole matter neat and easy for the common man. There are no winning sports analogy, no bare knuckle moose wrestling metaphors, and no patriotic slogans to explain this mess.

While I've heard a few commentators manage to at least de economize the language, I still hear people tossing in peanut gallery remarks that have nothing to do with the matter at all.

Politicians with any savvy know that if you can't say it in a soundbite, you might as well not say it at all. That's in part what's happening. People are trying to spoon feed an elephant. If you're talking to an audience who get skittish when explaining stocks, well you still owe them a hearty expression on the matter. Pull out some charts, make some graphics, anything but don't act like a few cowboy quips will put those who don't know at ease.

There are so many misguided catch phrases tossed around to sway the masses on the government Wall Street bail out blaming "overcompensated Wall Street CEOs" or "they're giving money to the people who got us in this mess and not the people who lost their homes." There's even a proposed march planned on Wall Street, which I don't understand either.

Oddly, Pat Buchanan was one of a handful of political pundits turned economist who explained the whole deal in a comprehensive three sentences. I was impressed. Barack Obama proposing that American citizens be viewed as investors and should benefit from the upside of their tax dollars in a bail out. A smartly worded statement as well.

While, the television medium is not typically the home for complex brain activity, when it comes to explaining the economy in this day and age, it has to be.

Family That Preys - The Return of the Smack

2008-09-16T15:25:00.005-05:00

I saw The Family That Preys Together last night.

I won't review it. And I won't ruin the ending, but I do have a question which analyzes a scene, which implies the trajectory of one of the characters, which could be a spoiler, so read with caution.

That said, drum roll please . . .

Is there ever a justifiable reason for a man to smack a woman? Is the movie smack back?

Sanaa Lathan's character, a savvy corporate woman who loathes her blue collar husband (Rockmond Dunbar) is having an affair with her high profile boss. She makes some pretty heated comments, spewing some lines that no woman with any sense would ever say to a man without either a can of mace in her hand or her foot on a gas pedal, bags in the trunk, while pulling off on a drive way. At any rate, she makes these mind blowing revelations to her husband in front of the rest of the fam and POW, her mild manner husband smacks the beejeezes out of her and she goes flying over the counter. No one runs to her aid, no family tackles the husband. The next scene, her mom is icing her down and I believe the sister, played by Taraji Henson says something like "Wow, I never saw him that angry before."

I'm not saying her revelations weren't worthy of a smack. I'm not saying that the do good husband didn't have his reasons. I'm just saying I didn't exactly like the repercussionlessness of it all. Domestic violence is domestic violence, justifiable smack down or not. And I was uncomfortable with the fact that all is fair in love and war, including a heavy handed man knocking out a woman.

Before you answer, I have to refer to that comic genius Chris Rock who said no one is above a beat down, just don't do it. "There's a good reason to kick an old man down a flight of stairs," he said. "Just don't do it."

Back in the 30s flicks, women were smacked all the time. With the changing of the times, education on domestic violence, the justifiable man smack had disappeared from film imagery.

So while, the smack might move along the plot, I echo my comedic hero. "Just don't do it."

TKO - Economy sends lipstick gate packing

2008-09-16T14:06:00.004-05:00

The economy trumps lipstickgate this week.

Thank goodness.

Despite my self imposed temporary exile from 24 hour cable political news viewing due to last week's Palin overdose and the global pig attack, I am still avidly listening to radio and of course reading. And it's great to see everyday people having hearty water cooler conversations about financial instruments and institutions and actually wrestling with some of the real causes of the overhauls in the market instead of being the ra ra squad for political propaganda football.

It's a thumbs up to the Democratic process that analysis of strategy for the moment has taken a back seat to the real issues that citizens of all walks of life are experiencing - issues that our presidential candidates should be addressing in the first place.

But Obama for the most part has been trying to divert the conversation back to the economy for some time now. But news outlets treated his speeches as a teaspoon of cod liver oil compared to the cotton candy antics of the Palin/'McCain camp (My inversion's intentional). He had to toss in some rogue small town metaphors about a pig to wedge his economic arguments back into the limelight. Too bad it took the sudden closing and sale of some of the nations oldest financial institutions for the economy to top the news line up.

That said, I think it's the problem solving aspect rather than the dooms day angle of the economy that concerned people should be engaging themselves in. To quote Melody Hobson of Ariel Capital who spoke on Al Sharpton's show earlier today, the worst is over and done with. Now it's time for the work.

Books Ink - Knight in a Shining Bookstore

2008-09-15T17:10:00.004-05:00

I'm a bookstore addict. Give me a cup of tea, a magazine rack and a couple of bookcases and I'm in readerholic's paradise.

So imagine my excitement when I attended the reopening of Books Ink, a quaint bookstore in the Beverly area of Chicago. I was knighted to teach a screenwriting class there at the end of the month (SHAMELESS PLUG at the end of the story).

In the age of Amazon and the omnipresent chain store it's cool to see someone who is dedicated to the cause of the independent. Nearly 100 people came out. It was very community friendly affair with tables for self published authors promoting their works a host of raffles, and the chipped in services of a coffee shop. After my hunger induced visits to the cake and pasta line, I made my bookshelf rounds and was surprised to find a unique collection of books including a novel on Ira Aldridge, the Shakespearean actor who toured Europe in the 1800s; a biography by fashion editor Andre Leon Talley; a self published book on the first black catholic priest, and a children's book on Barack Obama.

It was a reminder that independent bookstores are incredible relevant and versatile, despite the competition, - a fact, that futurist, I'm sure, are boggled over.

The concept of the book on demand, online orders has revolutionized the book business. While searching online for books works great if you know what you're looking for it's totally overwhelming for browsers.

Books Ink, founded by Constance Shabazz featured mostly hard to find readers on African American life. Although most major bookstores have popular titles, rare books are still hard to come by. They are even harder to find if you don't know they exist.

Moreover, there are a watershed of self published writers looking for homes and launching pads for their work. While Internet presence is a must, a brick and mortar site can't hurt, and is a great companion tool for grassroots marketing.

But the coolest thing is that Books Ink doubles as a community resource hosting book readings, book clubs and classes (SHAMELESS PLUG: I'm teaching a screenwriting class there beginning Monday, Sept. 29th).

After doing a series of writers workshops, I've found that the need for accessible writing/book friendly classes are a must have in our communities.

So during a time when technology connects us more than ever, opportunities to bond in person are increasingly precious.

Cheers to the indie bookstore. May they continue to thrive.

Books Ink is located at 1835 W. 103rd. Call 773-445-9984 for details on Screenwriters Ink Courses.

Lipstick Politics and the Pytharorean Theorem

2008-09-11T15:32:00.008-05:00

Feeling shut in by the McCain/Obama lipstick debates, I decided to cruise through the aisles of Borders and find something intellectually stimulating to take me away from the absurdity of the political sphere.

It was a bit difficult at first, trying to find the magazine without Gov. Palin and the shotgun, so I made a hard left to a section where I could be modern day election free - The Greek Classics.

I flipped through Antigone, as if reading it for the first time and found it to be unusually refreshing considering it's a Greek Tragedy. Antigone was bold one and prone to giving life or death "keep ya head up" kinds of speeches. The section was home to the Iliad and the Odyssey. I think subconsciously I was looking for the impossible dream of Greek writing - - - a new ancient Greek story. My search beat hearing rehashed opinions on barracudas and pit bulls and pigs and make up, so I decided to hang around the section a little longer.

That's when I discovered The Music of Pythagoras, by Kitty Ferguson.

Being an HBCU grad, Clark Atlanta University to be specific (GO PANTHERS), Greek history lessons were always buffered with the reminder of its Egyptian and Babylonian influence. So any mention of Pythagoras and his theorem was always quickly followed with "well you know the Babylonians knew that 2000 years before" or "he studied it in Egypt." Naturally, the book did nothing to contradict this. But Pythagoras was always a point of curiosity for me. Whenever I read up on ancient middle eastern history, Greek culture, or early Christian history, a sect of Pythagorean followers always popped up, so I figured I should read up on him.

Plato referenced him as the original philosopher king, a guy who's teachings changed Croton society and ultimately influenced Greek and eventually Roman culture. He was also in a quest for the mathematical order to everything.

On another day, I might have looked right past it, but the day before, I was talking to a friend of mine and we glossed over higher level math and joked that if I taught a math class I'd probably wind up making the kids do a play on formulas (not quite sure how we got on that topic), so when I saw the book I figured it was synchronicity.

And it's pretty doggone interesting, in part because there's so little known about Pythagoras, and what is known falls in the realm of folklore. But not only do they know very little about his personal life, there's also a total information gap regarding what this Samian taught. Pythagoras had a school and followers that lasted for centuries. What they taught exactly is a mystery.

The book came out this year, so it's the latest of the latest on Pythagoras. I give it a thumbs up.

It beats lipstickgate any day.

My Nightly Love Affair - Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews

2008-09-09T09:51:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to ween myself off of my political news junkie syndrome and was hoping I could write something on bikram yoga, leadership frays, the falling of the leaves.

But just as I was about to write some diatribe on the blight of orange on the city's foliage, my heart skipped a beat. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews were removed from their nightly political coverage beats. They will do commentaries for the rest of the presidential election.

I was surprised.

Obviously Olbermann, a little more than Matthews, were Barack Obama supporters. But with right wing charges of overt liberalism, media elite Obama bias and Sarah Palin criticisms paraded by spinmasters as sexism, these two journalists were ripe for the blame.

I always thought of Olbermann's Countdown show as the anti Bill O'Reilly. Reilly, a right wing zealot is on at the same hour, and a segment of each Countdown show was dedicated to his demise. But during a time when virtually no political coverage isn't washed over in bias, I thought Olbermann's wit and honest criticisms, though favoring liberal thinkers was a nice counter balance to other coverage I've watched. Olbermann had a left leaning, usually younger audience that found another home away from reports via Internet, that addressed concerns from their perspective.

Matthews, on the other hand, who in my opinion gave keen, honest assessments on Hardball, a benefit from his days in the political trenches, seemed to merely find Obama's efforts more genuine than the McCain campaign. He was equally vigilant in questioning both sides, but was more impressed with team Obama in the end. Either way, I don't think this took away from his reporting ability, and frankly I'll miss his laser direct questions.

But I do look forward to their commentaries. No longer tied to walking the line of journalistic balance, I'm sure their zany opinions will be even more pointed. The dogs, so to speak, have been let loose.

Can't wait to tune in.

Palin Overdose - Escape from Alcatraz

2008-09-04T12:50:00.007-05:00

I officially had a Palin Overdose, yesterday.

I think I might petition the American Medical Board or whatever organization you reach out to when it's time to report an undiagnosed ailment, because this thing is serious.

It's my fault, really.

Yesterday, I hopped to the laptop piping early and made the crucial mistake of turning on cable news and never turning it off.

As the news unfurled with analysis after juicy analysis, a 12 hour preshow to Sarah Palin's career defining speech, I think I heard every possible spin and strategy assessment repeated a gazillion times, each time with a slightly different twist to keep me hanging and wanting to hear the next analysis and rebuttal.

And it's not like I did nothing all day. On my way to my morning meeting, WVON had a lively discussions about the condemnation of teen pregnancy.

After the meeting NPR was talking about Palin's extreme conservatism.

When I got back to the office, it was more nonstop- Palin. The investigation regarding her brother, new revelations about her husband, her pastor; photo ops with McCain with her pregnant teen daughter and boyfriend.

It was inescapable. I wrote maybe two stories or so, did some interviews and had some conference calls. But in between every working moment I heard a new twist on Palin.

Her name must have bounced off my ear drums at least 12,000 times. Which is odd because it had never bounced off my ears before.

As the hour of the speech grew near, I found myself feeling claustrophobic.

Someone reminded me that Venus and Serena Williams were playing tennis as well.

"You've gotta be joking?" I said, speeding through the streets looking for an impenetrable Palin zone, shocked that something else was actually going on in the world.

I drove to my self proclaimed workout cottage and did several dozen butterfly kicks. I almost forgot this Palin fever. I felt refreshed, renewed. There is, apparently, something else going on in the world besides Palin's pending speech. But just when I thought I'd escaped the web of political spin I went to to freshen up and her speech was blaring on the TV screen.

So I watched it. I felt it was my duty after all the hype to have an opinion on it.

Obviously, I didn't agree with any of it. But that's not the point.

The point is, that when I returned to my fair laptop, my TV set was still on and the analysis was in full steam. But I was too deluded from stream of consciousness politico clouds in my brain that I couldn't turn it off. Weary, I fell asleep. But the news was still on, rewiring my dream sleep with enough political strategy to make me conjure up a few during REM zone myself.

I should probably call a campaign manager and share them.

Nevertheless, when I woke up, I felt like I hadn't gone to sleep.

Calm was only restored when a self imposed silence doubled as my aspirin and I was able to regain consciousness.

Boy, what a nightmare.

Marie the Flame, McCain and the Pin Drop

2008-09-03T07:48:00.006-05:00

I really don't think I should know Marie the Flame of Florida.

But thanks to my devotion to political conventions, now I do.

I was editing some business stories last night while former Tennessee Senator and actor Fred Thompson was praising John McCain at the convention. The TV in one room and me in another, it was my preventive measure to stay work focused while still hearing convention rhetoric without being fully devoted to it.

Nevertheless, with a southern drawl and humor tinged commentary, Thompson elicited riotous applause. He said what I would expect him to say until roused by a canon ball of enthusiasm he threw in a quip about McCain's stripper girlfriend on the convention floor.

“In flight school in Pensacola, [Sen. John McCain] did drive a Corvette and date a girl who worked in a bar as an ‘exotic dancer’ under the name of ‘Marie the Flame of Florida,’” he said.

The crowd went silent.

Then he added "And the reason I'm telling you these things, is that, apparently, this mixture of rebellion and honor helped John McCain survive the next chapter of his life:

Now he followed this with a heartfelt tale about McCain's POW days and was able to rebuild excitement. While the pundits questioned a line Thomas made stating that McCain's POW experience didn't mean he should be president but showed his character (a line certain Democrats would be pummelled for) or a line Thompson misquoted regarding Barack Obama and abortion, I was still stuck on Marie the Flame of Florida.

I was stuck because I couldn't believe I actually heard it.

In fact, I text my editor, who was up rereading the stories I was editing to see if he heard the same thing. Surely, my ears hadn't deceived me. And he had.

Not one to stay on smut, I'm less amused by McCain's stripper dating days than I am by the need for either Thompson or some speechwriter to toss it in. Where exactly does this fit in the party platform? I'm assuming this wasn't in the approved speech or was it? Was this an ill advised effort to make the nominee one with the legions of men who spend their nights in strip clubs? The new "common man approach?"

How did that line make it past an editor?

I'd like to think that Thompson got excited by the attention of it all and thought he'd throw in some off the cuff folksy insight. But what was he trying to say? It was very boys club and conflicted strongly with McCain's efforts to woo women. By the sounds of the pins dropping after his raucous comment, I'm sure the audience was shocked, too.

I don't know where Marie the Flame is now, but I'm sure she never expected to get a shout out at the Republican Convention.

Katrina Shadows- A Convention and Gustav

2008-09-02T09:29:00.007-05:00

I was writing during most of the Labor Day break.

During my escape from the laptop, I watched some of the Republican Convention. To prioritize the possible impact of Gustav, convention organizers scaled back and dedicated much of the convention to addressing relief efforts.

Politics, it was noted, was put aside.

Each of the states impacted by the storm have Republican governors, most of whom did video packages on the state's relief effort for the convention. But it was odd that Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, the state hardest hit by the storm a Republican rising star of Indian did not do such a video. At one point, he was a likely vice presidential candidate.

Either way, Gustav was an eery reminder of the federal administration's failures regarding Katrina which hit just three years ago. New Orleans and much of the coastal towns in Mississippi are still ravaged by the storm. Thousands of Katrina victims can't return home. And the efforts to rebuild one of the nation's greatest city's has been unbelievably slow.

Katrina was one of the Bush Administration's greatest failures to its citizens. With all the controversy over Iraq, memories of Katrina had taken a back seat, until now.

So while the conventioneers storm efforts were noted, it was nearly impossible to shelve those awful horror stories from years past - a city drowning before our eyes and a president who allowed it to.

Katrina can't be forgotten.

Women for Hire - Palin's Crowning

2008-08-29T15:01:00.004-05:00

I wonder if it's really progress when a woman gets a job simply because she's a woman.

As the media scrambles to get more info on Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, I take issue not with her capabilities but the fact that her sex and positioning alone put her above other worthy contenders both women and men.

Would a guy who was mayor of a city with 85oo strong and lead as governor for 18 months be tapped to be a VP contender?

Of course not. He wouldn't even be in the running.

Even if the VP selection was limited to Republican women, it's Palin's image and the spin of her story, that of a young driven mother of five with one kid headed for war and another with Downs Syndrome, that's stronger than her national credentials.

She's not even an advocate of the core issues that define the woman's movement, including equal pay and reproductive rights.

While she might be a great lady, smart and capable, none of that was a deciding factor in the decision.

The selection is an insult to women everywhere.

Palin's in for quite a ride. The political buzzards are swarming and I wonder in the hype of it all if she has any idea what she's just walked into.

Palin is charged as running as a maverick, waving the banner for working women while supporting a candidate who's proposed policies mimic the much maligned Bush administration. She benefits from the women's rights movement while simultaneously undermining the very rights the movement's fore bearers fought for. And she's about to go under one heck of a microscope.

It reminds me of Obama's Senate bid when the Republican party nominated Alan Keyes, a African American serial candidate who didn't even reside in Illinois but was propped up as a worthy opponent. I suppose the hope was that he'd split the black vote. Keyes probably figured that if nothing else, he's build some solid relationships in the party. That never happened. He only embarrassed himself.

Palin is expected to woe women. While she's no Keyes, she is a political pawn.

And that's not progressive.

Where's My Flag? - ObamaRama, Pat Buchanan's pride

2008-08-29T08:07:00.005-05:00

I was headed to Kung Fu class last night when I realized that I would miss arguably the most important moment in Barack Obama's campaign thus far. With history pending, I called my instructor and prepared for the moment to unfold.

I watched MSNBC as an excitable Keith Olbermann, with a released version of the golden speech in hand, read three powerful paragraphs nearly spoiling the whole surprise of it all. Granted, he was caught up in the magnitude of history, too. But imagine some giddy reporter on that memorable day before the Lincoln memorial "teasing" the audience with King's "I Have A Dream." "Oh, this is amazing. And then he says' Let freedom ring . . "

I called my girl Gina and complained that this guy was reading the speech before the speech, but my rants were putting me off focus. History was on speed dial and I needed a videotape to record it all. I hit the streets and rushed to a drug store and like Superbowl night or the legendary Bulls Championship games, the far South side was a ghost town. Not a kid or a straggler in sight. And no one was at Walgreens either, which is why I bought the tape in two minutes flat, catching Joe Biden's intro on NPR as I raced to get back home.

The speech was amazing. And lest I be criticized for mimicking Michelle Obama's misread comments on being proud of her country for the first time, I will say that I felt uniquely American and felt a rush most people get from watching action flicks. But this wasn't Morpheus' speech to Zion in the Matrix, it was real life. The sentiment was echoed by Gina who called me afterwards yelling "Democrat's, What?" And then we agreed to buy U.S flags.

Sometimes with the racial and class issues we tackle in this country, we can forget that our struggle and quest for civil rights is born in the promise of a Constitution that promises so much, including the pursuit of happiness. Every struggle and protest in our history was an effort to make good on that promise. Obama spoke of the American Spirit. He said our nation's wealth isn't in how many millionaires we have or the might of our military or our culture. It's in the American Spirit.

And it's this American Spirit that we all buy into. The belief is that if you work hard you can be whatever you want to be, you can live the life you choose, you can provide for your family. It's a core belief echoed by ministers, teachers, rappers, parents, and volunteers alike.

But the icing on the cake was watching Pat Buchanan, a staunch Republican who in his previous commentary on the election walked a tight rope between party punchlines and glee over the gut fighting of the race, was stunned by Obama's speech. Buchanan, who in watching these pundits, I've come to respect as a savvy guy with key insights into campaigning despite his politics, had been criticized Obama during much of the race for not sticking it, so to speak to McCain. Obama wasn't tough enough. Buchanon wanted Obama to go for the juggular. And with speech in hand just minutes before Obama took the stage, Buchanan was flabberghasted. A former speechwriter, he remarked "this is a speech."

After the speech, fellow pundits stood silenced as Buchanan gushed over the magnitude, the power, the reach of the speech. He sounded like a proud father reading Obama's speech point for point and his fellow pundits were speechless. Chris Matthews, another reporter who once reported that Obama's speeches made his thigh tingle, said "to hell with his critics" and hailed this moment as a great in American history. Matthews even thanked Buchanan for crossing party lines and admitting to the glory of the hour.

And for a moment I could feel people putting politics, decorum and special interest aside as they stood receptive to change.

I'm glad I stayed home to witness history. Even if it came live via the small screen, it was a big moment that I'll remember.

Impossible Dreams- Barack's Grace Under Pressure

2008-08-28T13:31:00.004-05:00

In a few hours, Barack Obama will give his acceptance speech, securing the Democratic nomination and becoming the first African American to represent any major party for President.

I missed the emotional roll call yesterday, but I did see the aftermath - veteran civil rights leaders in tears, longtime party members with reddened eyes and it brought home to me just how impossible some people thought this moment would be.

I never thought it was impossible. I'd say it was a generational thing, but little over a year ago, before Barack's prominence, many people my age didn't think it was possible either. "We'll never see a black president in our lifetime," they'd say. It was such a self defeating belief, so entrenched in fears stoked by our nation's past, that it was sad to see the pessimism so alive in people so young, the very people who would determine the shape of our tomorrows.

There's a fear to hope. A fear of the mountains to climb and mental blocks to slay. A fear of the disappointment, the racism. But without vision, the people perish. Without hope our future looks like yesteryear.

Obviously, I want Barack to be president. It will be interesting to see what impact his race has on people's belief in their own possibilities and limitations. Many still probably can't quite wrap their brain around what it means. What does it say about our nation? Our neighborhoods? Our lives?

For starters, I can say that any strife I've experience doesn't compare to the ridiculousness he's had to deal with recently. His patience and ability to rise above the mess is mind blowing. He was never anchored by the hater machine, which in some cases came from the people he least expected.

And obviously, cable news doesn't ruffle his feathers, either.

Barack is the ultimate modern day example of focus, inspiration and grace.

He's also an example of a leader who operates in integrity. I don't know why some wannabe
leaders believe conniving, backstabbing, duplicitous behavior well intentioned or otherwise
is the way to achieve. While it may seem effective in the short run, it always ends in their own unravelling.

In my own daily squabbles, whenever I feel the tug of the mudslingers and that playground instinct inches to the surface, I just think on how Barack dusts off his shoulders with a smile and I switch gears, too.

Grace under pressure is possible.

Cheers

Democratic Convention - Family Junkies

2008-08-25T22:47:00.004-05:00

Watching the Democratic Convention is a treasured past time in my family. We look forward to it the way others look forward to the Olympics, the Black College Classic.

Some years its better than Christmas.

It stokes the fires of the American Dream, somehow connecting the political struggles of the past with hope for the future. With all the political, historical analysis that's tossed around the family table as I grew up, there's also a bit of nostalgia, too.

I remember my family huddled around the table watching Jesse Jackson deliver his convention speech in 84'. I remember my dad video taping it with our spanking new VCR, and I remember how we, dad, mom, little brother and me played it over and over again, jumping up and down with every and ebb and flow of Jesse's fiery words - as excited about his campaign as we were about our ability to play it again and again. "Keep hope alive," he said.

Then I remember my dad saving that same video tape a whole four years and taping Jesse's next speech in 88'.

I would sit in front of that TV screen watching the endless speeches, the crowds in American flag pins and hats, the people from every corner of the nation . . . fully believing in the promise of America and my responsibility to do something and be somebody.

My generation didn't have the same kind of freedom fighting stories my parents had. We didn't have those personal memories of Martin Luther King; I was too young to vote for Harold Washington; and the opportunity for marches and protests to prove our meddle in the hard won fight for human rights were few and far between.

But that rush of historical significance could always be found watching the Democratic Convention. And I looked forward to the day when I could vote.

I thought about that today while I was watching the convention with my mom. She teared up as Teddy Kennedy took the floor. And after Michelle Obama spoke she jumped up to give me a high five.

In the legacy of Democratic Conventions, this is certainly the most exciting one.

As far as family viewing goes, it's the Superbowl, NBA Championships and Martin Luther King's B-Day all in one.

Go Obama!

Straight No Chaser- Writers & the Bottle

2008-08-21T14:19:00.007-05:00

The New York Post just did a funny story on writers and drinking.

Apparently, the writers love affair with the bottle that was the hall mark of legends like Hemingway and others, has gone the way of the typewriter.

Gone are the days when writers cohort at the local dive - the days when tortured souls clutched a pen in one hand and brandy in another channelling their life through ink.

Gone too are the days when publishers, editors and the like felt like accommodating such folks.

The article featured my friend Kenji, who confirmed that writers nowadays are more into yoga and juice. The lush life having gone old school, he says, hard drinking is "something your parents do."

Which isn't to say that writers don't drink, they just don't drink to write. Or they don't drink to write and then write about drinking. Or if they do drink to write they don't write about it, they just drink and think about it and write about something else.

The only drink I guzzle while writing is a cup of green tea. I have some wildflower honey I'm really digging. And in this green is cool world, doling over my favorite teas doubles as the perfect libation for self indulgence.

Funny how times change.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08202008/entertainment/writers_on_the_rocks_125199.htm

Sho Nuff - True Shogun of Harlem

2008-08-21T12:42:00.004-05:00

I was talking to my sister the other day. We both know Julius Carry aka Sho Nuff's mom, and she was checking in to be sure I knew about his transition.

Sho Nuff, the venemous kung fu villian in The Last Dragon is a pop culture icon. Who knows how many city-fide kids enrolled in karate class after what is probably the only urban aka black martial arts flick to hit the big screen in the 80s. That movie rivaled Coming to America in oneliners. Like a true thespian who cut his teeth on the likes of Shakespeare, Carry made lines like "Who's the Master" and "Kiss my converse," lines that could have been the corniest ever in the mouth of a lesser actor be the coolest catch phrases of the decade. The flick featured heartthrobs Taimak and Vanity, who's posters lined more teen walls than I'm sure they're aware of. But Sho Nuff was the film's superstar, later to be reearthed in Busta Rhyme videos and hip hop lore alike.

My sister and I discussed this and then she made an interesting point. Unlike other larger than life icons, whose images loom and symbolize an era (Mr. T, Flava Flav, George Jefferson etc), Carry never played himself.

You didn't see Carry sporting his Sho Nuff gi years later, he didn't try to hawk cereal, go on The Surreal Life or spend his days in the camera lens screaming "Kiss my converse." He went on to play low key cool roles in TV shows and lived a respectable life beyond the boundaries of his iconoclastic character.

You have to respect that.

He'll be missed.

Back in Space

2008-08-21T12:09:00.003-05:00

After much debate with myself, I'm back in blogger sphere.

And just in case you're wondering, I won. Not that I couldn't win, obviously. But I did spend a lot of time juggling the possibilities of what this space could be. Is it my heartfelt journal open to the legions in cyberspace? Is it a mirror of my quirks and fantasies? My quack happy days? Or is it just a serendipitous update of whatever I find interesting. In this nouveau marketing world where everything you do, you doggone well do yourself, I figured it's okay for it to be all of it and neither of it at the same time. In essence, it's totally me.

I figure that should be interesting enough.

Peace & Green Apples
Ytasha

Failing Grade: The Souljah Boy Remix

2008-02-20T06:16:00.007-06:00

I returned to anti flip mode and watched Souljah Boy Tellem aka Souljah Boy 's video for “Let Me Tell Em.”

The video opened with a public announcement of sorts about violence which I thought was a skit until the song started playing. Like Supaman, this song was accompanied with a dance, too; a sea of braided up teens posturing with invisible AK-47 and or assault rifle in hand. The symbolism was disturbing but the teens looked so happy doing their choreographed routine, that I dismissed the violent metaphors as being no worse than singing Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff."

Then I watched his video “Yaaahh” where he complains about the duties of fame and cries that too many people want his autograph.

And in the popular double video format, a clip of his latest song “Report Card” came on and my jaw hit the floor.

The chorus plays off of Rich Boy's “Throw Some D's On It” aka “Throw Some D's On That Bitch”, an ode to rims and spinners. Kanye's infamous verse in the remix flipped the song into a now ironic ode to breast implants

But this kiddie version was different. Teen hearthrob Souljah Boy was flossing his disdain for school. He pleaded with teachers that they offset his straight F's with some D's.
The lyrics go something like this:

"Ayyyy Soulja Boy Chillin Dog I Just Got My Report Card Looked At It/ All F's Took It To Tha Teacher Desk(Throw Some D's On That Bitch)/ I Just Got My Report Card(Throw Some D's On That Bitch) Just Got My Report Card Ayy.

Throw Some D's On That Bitch is the chorus.

Cleverness aside, it is an all time low for how teen stars are marketed, jump kicks the malady of under-achievement to new heights and once again sends an anti-education message echoed all too frequently in urban communities. Souljah Boy ends the segment with a crooked smile meant to double as boyhood innocence, where he says he's just playing and that kids should stay in school.

How did this song make it off the school yard? What irresponsible adult, said "oh, yeah, let's push this song to the kids of America?"

Adult hip hop stars and their teams have explained irresponsible lyrics away by slapping warning labels on cds. They tell angry parents on panels across America that their music is written for adult ears only, arguing that if you raise your kids right, they'll resist the omnipresence of the airwaves and and won't buy the song in the first place The argument is chock full of holes, but at least they recognize the inappropriate nature of the song for kids.

But you can't use this rationale with Souljah Boy, a Georgia born teen who's colorful videos are shot in classrooms and school gymnasiums. His music is hardwired for teen ears and teen ears only.

I was disappointed.

For the past few years, I've taught weekend classes to teens and discovered that a number of them believed a grade of D was acceptable. Some students had invested in the dream deferred, believing that as long as they showed up to school, got a point above failing and did the absolute minimum to pass, they'd somehow stumble into a windfall of prosperity that would make up for everything they never learned. While they all wished for their own slice of the American pie, the link between academic excellence and a happy future was foggy at best.

So to now give these same misguided students a song to sing that justifies low expectation, crystallizes self defeating attitudes, and promotes a dire form of self sabotoge that jeopardizes their future is just plain unacceptable.

"Report Card" gets a failing grade.

The Brainwashing Resistance: I don't wanna like "Low"

2008-02-20T04:12:00.007-06:00

I'm a channel flipper. A remote flicker.

And every time Flo Rida's "Low" comes on I switch the station.

I don't know why exactly. It's something about that catchy chorus that rubs me all wrong.

The lyrics go something like:

Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans [Jeans]/Boots with the fur [With the fur]/The whole club was lookin at her/She hit the flo [She hit the flo]/Next thing you know/Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Then I switch.

I fully enjoy the power to size up a song or music video in 8 seconds and switch before its pending wackness high jacks my brain and an incessant head bop tricks me into thinking its not so bad . . . when it is.

I change stations in my car like a speedracer changes lanes because I refuse to be beat over the head with bad music.

And playing it 750,000 times on every station every day isn't going to change my mind.

I won't be whipped into praying to the heavy rotation wack music god.

Then one day "Low" came on and I didn't switch. And when the song was over I didn't vomit. The hip hop gods didn't thump me over the head with my own copy of Beats Rhyme and Life and lightening didn't strike.

Thus the beginning of my foray into the anti flip, a stark departure from the brainwashing resistance.

I was growing tired of switching stations, annoyed that my high musical standards made it look like I had attention deficit disorder. I was weary of the switch.

So I made it official: I would learn to love something about the music I hate.

I don't hate everything. I'm not a neo hip hop hater, a new south basher, or the mad rapper.

But for every dirty club ditty that gets the blood flowing, there's another one that makes me want to climb a wall.

So its these songs (we all have THAT SONG) that I made myself watch and find some ounce of creativity in the sess pool of ridiculousness. Lucky for me, a whole string of em ran on one video station uninterrupted.

I watched Gucci Mane's "Icy"; Plies' "Shawty"; Sean King's "Take You There"; Flo Rida's "Low" followed by his latest "Elevator" as in "She's stuck on the elevator." I watched a whole slew of songs I usually flip from.

Then I started laughing. These artists weren't anti artistry, they just had a keen knack for making super silly songs.

It helps if you're in a club. The bass from the subwolfers overpower the senses, a drink or two blurrs the lyrics, and if you shake really fast you can whip yourself into a self induced frenzy and pretend you're dancing to something else.

But I was in my living room.

I just couldn't take this stuff seriously anymore. It didn't help that it was topped off by a hip hop commentary that included David Banner and Princess arguing over when you're too old to be "Lil" as in "Lil Wayne."

Rivetting.

My anti flip stance lasted for less than an hour and I flipped to CNN for a Wisconsin primary update. In addition to the anti flip, I'm currently weening myself from an addiction to political analysis and election results. Obama was in the lead, so I switched back.

Fortunately, Rihanna's "Don't Stop"; Janet Jackson's "Feedback " and Snoop's "Sensusual Seduction" came on reminding me that talent lives. Dem Franchize Boys followed it up with "Talkin Out Da Side of Ya Neck" which I quickly addicted as my dirty south get hyped song.

I took a break from music appreciation 101 and flipped back to CNN. Obama won. I caught his powerful speech which was as long as my anti flip hour. But It was a reality check.

There's more to change than flipping channels.

Political Pundits: Obama Confusion

2008-02-13T18:18:00.005-06:00

Pundits suck.

Granted, I understand that this year's election is one of the most unpredictable races in history. But the rotating pundits who frequent CNN, MSNBC and FOX news are unusually confused when trying to explain Barack Obama's wins.

No alliances dubbed as predictors in the past seem to be relevant this year. If these talking heads can't break wins down along racial, gender, or economic lines, they're lost.

When Obama won in Louisiana, talking heads credited the black vote. They don't consider that in Louisiana, he had a smaller margin of victory compared to his big wins in Maine and Nebraska, a largely white electorate. But rather than analyze his wins in Maine and Nebraska, and analyzing his blue collar appeal, they choose to focus on Louisiana and credit the black vote for winning the election.

When Obama loses in the California primary they note that Latinos voted for Clinton 2 ro 1 and conclude that Obama's made no headway among blue collar whites. But when he wins in Nebraska, Maine, North Dakota, and Kansas, majority white states with blue collar populations, our expert pundits are mum. There's no analysis about his support in states where the ethnic populations are miniscule, no break down of blue or white collar whites or the much buzzed about young college crowd. In fact, they predict that Obama will do well in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, again, because of the sizable black populations and upscale whites. But they speak as if no other demographics live in these areas, and if they do, they don't fit into Obama's demographic so they don't count.

The most obvious blunder, is the frequently referenced belief that all Latinos are voting for Hilary, in part due to the large support in California and Nevada. They ignore his Latino support in Illinois and New Mexico, preferring to paint Latinos as unanimously supporting Hilary. With Texas hailed as Clinton's omnimous firewall to Obama's rise, the assumption is that Latino voters will support her enmasse. No polls have been taken, and worse, no Latino pundits or experts are brought in until, the the night of Obama's Potomac primary sweep. The two Latino guests I caught while flipping stations are both from Texas. Both agree that the Latino Democratic vote is split by age in their state, with younger voters going for Obama and seniors largely advocating for Clinton. The news staffs are shocked. And when one young Latina guest notes that Latinos are not some homogeneous group, news staff are stunned again. And in a moment of enlightenment, one commentator notes that he made a shocking discovery: Twenty percent of the voters who voted in the last Texas primary are African American. As if to say, you mean black people live in Texas, too?

Finally, as the night wore on, pundits admitted that Obama seemed to outpace Clinton in all categories in the Potomac primary including white men, white women, African Americans, Latinos, and young voters.

But if they'd done this same analysis with other states he'd won like Georgia, Alabama, North Dakota, or Alaska, maybe the February sweep wouldn't have been such a stunner.

Black Creativity: Celebration in Film

2008-01-18T12:53:00.003-06:00

The Museum of Science and Industry presents Black Creativity 2008: The Magic and Science of Cinema and Television.

The exhibit opened for private review on Tuesday and was packed with local arts supporters. It runs through March 31.

The exhibit includes info on current film notables, many with Chicago roots, including myself (which was quite a surprise to see, really). It's a kid friendly exhibit, allowing children to experiment with their on camera talents. Moreover, it includes memorabilia, classic movie posters, and the dining room set from Soul Food. The museum's admission is free through Jan. 31.

However, the coolest part about the exhibit is that it's not just a retrospective, but rather a reminder that film and television is a living, breathing entity with real people behind the scenes.

While I may be one of these people, for many its a radical shift to think about the creators instead of the creation. To know that the shows and films that fill our lives began with an idea someone found relevant. Somebody, somewhere had an idea they wrestled with for weeks, months even, and spent the better part of a season hammering away on a laptop. Or some talented technician working 18 hours a day for a month capturing crystal clear audio that reaches the ears of an audience unscathed. The collective audience doesn't think about these people. But these in the trenches workers are as much a part of the American fabric as Superman and The Lone Ranger.

So a toast to all those who work behind the scenes. Your work is appreciated.

Camel Polo: Sport of the Summer

2008-01-16T23:14:00.002-06:00

Dubai is all the rage right now. While flipping channels, trying to find something intellectually stimulating to watch, I ran across a show on polo in Dubai.

I know nothing about polo, unless you count the outfits and uber rich cache. I probably know more about Dubai, by way of Hollywood film festival reviews and financial news, than I do about polo. So it was cool to see a show combining two things I knew next to nothing about, somehow merged in one.

According to the show, polo is hot in Dubai. Apparently, a Middle East polo competition is in development. Polo is one of those networking sports. And the participants say it's a lot more interactive than horse racing, even if you own a horse.

But because polo is mostly a sport for the wealthy, polo enthusiast and eager money makers are exploring ways to introduce the sport to the masses. One of those ways is an emerging hybrid sport: camel polo.

As we speak, there are people training camels to respond in the way horses do. It will be a cool tourist attraction, say developers. The camels they showcased looked a bit unruly, with muscle toned polo lovers trying to wrestle them into form. They needed some practice.

Nevertheless, the trainers were pretty excited and they figured it would be a fun game for friends on an adventure filled trip to Dubai.

To be honest, it looked a little dangerous. But it was nice to know that someone thought the prospect of camel polo was worth investing good time and money into. I found it comforting that these carefree sports lovers had a mildly kooky dream they were dead set on bringing into fruition. While I'm sure the developers had friends who they ran this idea by; people who no doubt said, "Camel polo? You gotta be kiddin me!" these tried and true dreamers continued on.

How refreshing.

Everyone Go Get Your Doctorate

2008-01-16T22:24:00.000-06:00

I have attended two race based seminars at a highly esteemed University that will remain nameless and each time I've been woefully disappointed.

The presentations, given by visiting professors who are well adept at academic jargon and phraseology, couldn't seem to get past their words and jumbled concepts to make a clear, concise point.

In fact, they missed the point.

I have had the tedious pleasure of listening to an academician discuss his analysis of identifying bias in white Americans. When asked what factors may have contributed to those who were not biased, he responded that he didn't know. In fact, he hadn't thought about it. But a fellow academician in the audience had a theory. Maybe, she said, they had some sort of brain dis function where they couldn't discriminate, like, when they saw an Asian person, they didn't recognize them as Asian and therefore, they couldn't attach any racist stereotypes to them. The class thought it was a workable theory.

(Drop you jaw here)

Then I listened to another professor, who wanted to ascertain the essence of blackness. He wondered if cultural arts like jazz or the stylistics of African American preachers, were really just outgrowths of racism. If there had been no racism, he wondered, would these talents exist?

What?

Granted, trying to assess the identifiers for bias or trying to identify "blackness" in any kind of scientific module is difficult at best. While jazz, or gospel music, or even the plethora of black preachers might not have been created without slavery, the artistic talents of music making or colorful speaking predated racism's existence. But he didn't get that. He was too stuck on what is blackness.

So my advice to anyone with any sense, anyone who can make an argument, write, think, or break down concepts, please, please, please go get your doctorate. We can't have this disjointed logic spreading across the halls of America's Ivy League.

Orator- The New Four Letter Word

2008-01-14T11:35:00.001-06:00

When did making a good speech or two become a bad thing?

I didn't plan on dealing an inordinate amount of blogspace to what are now daily Obama talking points spawn by the Clinton camp. I find myself following the presidential primaries like a never ending football game and I feel a bit manipulated.
However, in the wake of the "fantasy" comments hurled by former president Bill Clinton, in reference to Obama's campaign, as well as the mildly twisted commentary about Lyndon B. Johnson's role vs. that of Martin Luther King's in the civil rights movement, the use of words is under more scrutiny than ever. Campaigns, media pundits and the like just love what I call code words. And in a race that both camps want to say is not about race or gender, the race is in fact so exciting because of race and gender, and the campaign is chock full of words with double meaning to remind you so.

Orator is one of those words.

Political spinners are playing into the embedded popular history consciousness by playing on words that are entrenched in history. While there's been quite a bit of media analysis on the fantasy and King statements, few are looking at the Hilary camps use of the word orator.

Obama's been accused of being an orator: a charming guy who gives really nice speeches. A man who can master words to touch hearts and move masses.

While this is positioned by the Hilary camp as a very limiting thing, a trait that somehow belies action, we'd be foolish to ignore that words have power.

American history and lore, our glorious past are rife with noteworthy orators. "Give me liberty or give me death" "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" "Four score and seven years ago. . . etc, etc." Let's face it, our national icons were some pretty doggone good orators. Where their oratory skills failed them, we can at least say they wrote some amazing speeches.

Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, Sojouner Truth, Barbera Jordan ,Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and others are heralded for their speeches. Now granted, they took some dramatic actions as well. But their words, their speeches shaped a time, a movement that left an indelible print on America.

There were many intelligent strategists who surrounded King, many of whom designed the Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized The March on Washington, etc. While these strategist were arguably more knowledgeable of politics and had more experience in organizing, these loyal intellects didn't have the ability to move people. King, through his words and presence, was able to galvanize people of all ethnic groups, classes and sex, to raise individuals to new heights and take actions they didn't think were possible. That's a talent and a rare gift.

The African American tradition is rooted in oral tradition and people who chose to speak for justice in the face of hostility. Churches and other religious institutions, civic organizations, civil rights groups and others in African American history are entrenched in traditions of fine orators.
In fact, one could argue that to even snag leadership in the midst of social change, it is a requirement to have oratory talents. Aspiring leaders had to be able to rouse crowds with words of inspiration. But that's just the point. Orators stimulate action, typically through their own action. So it's no surprise, that most of the so called great civic leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries were also great speech makers.

Let's be clear, an orator is not some rote term for men and women who can use fancy words. Orators move people. They're change agents. For a country that's always prided itself as a beacon for democracy, with the First Amendement protecting, above other things, freedom of speech, there is no doubt that orators and speech making is as American as stove fresh apple pie.

Ummm, yum.

Cry for Me New Hampshire

2008-01-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

When did crying become a political strategy?

Granted, after Iowa's blow out, Sen. Hillary Clinton had every reason to want to be dismayed. While she may have been saddened by Obama's win, her decision to tear up in a New Hampshire coffee house, in my opinion was a calculated choice. Hopefully, I'm wrong. Hopefully, it wasn't a visual image sent around the world to answer critics who say she's too stoic. Hopefully, the first serious contender to be the first woman president of the U.S would not resort to crying to feminize herself. Hopefully, one of the most powerful women in the world did not resort to the same tactics that Southern Belles and Damsels in Distress play into hoping for pity. Please prove me wrong.

She found her own voice, she said in her New Hampshire victory in a grey floral jacket, a contrast from her sharp business suits. And she said it with a softened voice, a departure from her authoritative posturing. Maybe it's the real Hillary. Or maybe she runs by any means necessary.

Time will only tell.

Obama Haters: Wrong Side of History

2008-01-08T18:14:00.000-06:00

Obama Haters: Wrong Side of History

I find it incredibly weird that a number of African American notables have come out to publicly bash Obama, as if their pockets are personally hit if he wins.

While clearly, people can vote for whoever they want to vote for, these African American Hillary zealots make some very strange arguments for why she and not Obama should win. If they argued that Hillary has a better platform, she represents African American interests, or that she has a stronger record, then I could understand. We could all be engaged in a philosophical discussion about who has the better agenda and move forward.

Even if these supporters said that they are indebted to Bill Clinton and that voting for Hillary is their way of paying him back, I'd understand. It's no secret that many African American heavyweights were solid Clinton supporters. But they're not making these arguments.

Noteworthy individuals with big names and media savvy, people who have never so much as publicly announced who they vote for, are now calling up radio stations, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Michael Baisden Show, leveraging their name to get quoted in the media, and sounding like raging lunatics looking like nothing short of haters as they attempt to burst Obama's political balloon. The "he's not black enough" argument isn't working. The "he's inexperienced" argument has been crushed. So what, precisely are they afraid of?

My Little Cousin Bought Me A Playboy T Shirt

2008-01-05T16:24:00.000-06:00

Typically, I wouldn't wear Playboy paraphernalia. Not that I have anything against them. I find Hugh Hefner to be interesting, fascinating even. As for his plethora of bunnies, who they are never had much impact on who I chose to be.

When you look at all the commendable work the Playboy Foundation has done from breaking black comedians into the white club circuit to avid fundraising to kicking off The Playboy Jazz Festival (they even sponsor one of the film festivals that launched my film career), you have to think twice about blanketly labeling everything as anti-anything. But in the aftermath of the Lil Kim, Pam Anderson craze with "girl power" doubling as feminism, preteens sporting thongs and grown women dawning french maid outfits in the name of female liberation, I tried to avoid some of the obvious off shoots of patriarchal duality, like me, a self proclaimed writer indie type with a serious social consciousness wearing a Hustler and Playboy T shirt.

Not that I haven't done it before. I did wear a shirt with a minuscule bunny once while driving through Pennsylvania. It was my driving T shirt. And the hicks who ran the highway snack shop gawked, thinking their bunny girl fantasy had just sauntered in the door. Not quite. And during the leather pants is hot craze, I had some skin tight leather-like pants with a tiny, nearly microscopic bunny on the back pocket. But never have I worn a flaming red T with a gigantic bunny, and there's a reason for that.

The Playboy symbol is so weighted. For some its the porn empire, the glitterized version of male domination at its sleekest. For others its cutesy, female fun or unabashed pride and confidence at its lusty peak. There's just one problem. My little cousin gave it to me for Christmas. He loves me. And I don't think sexism or female pride was on his mind when he saw it. He probably thought it was kind of cool and that I was gutsy enough to pull it off without either of those beleaguered interpretations distracting from my shine. So I put it on. And guess what? I didn't morph into a purring dominated sex kitten, nor did I suddenly get a rush of faked female pride. I felt very much like me with a T shirt That said I (bunny symbol) you.

There's power in redefinition. Let's remember that.

If I Were an Iowan - Close Enough I'm From Illinois

2008-01-05T14:27:00.000-06:00

If Barack Obama winning Iowa isn't a sign of change, I don't know what is. The Illinois senator spoke to the idealist in the American patheos and inspired 39% the Democratic caucus, out distancing John Edwards by some 8% and leaving front runner Hillary Clinton trailing at third. All conventional wisdom said that Obama was a novel contender, but would never crack the racial barriers that paralyze the nation. A liberal black man winning the majority of the vote in a red state that's 97% white speaks volumes. He proved to the establishment, both black, white and otherwise, that well, they aren't as established as they think. He proved to the pessimistic, demoralized and the naysayers that hope is a word that must be backed by action. Many Americans still believe in what our Constitution aims to protect, they want to believe their leaders are defending their freedoms, and want to restore our nation as the beacon of hope our history classes tell us we're supposed to be. Iowans were willing to look past race, ethnic heritage, divisive politics and focus on the issues. Kudos to Iowa for challenging other states to follow suit.

2007 Hit List: 10 Worst Civil Liberties Violations

2008-01-03T12:14:00.000-06:00

Forget the New Year’s “in and out” lists. In the ACLU’s list, the Constitution is always in, says the ACLU.

For the New Year, The American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office looked back on 2007 with its top-10 list released today, “2007: The Year We Didn’t Get Our Freedom Back.” It documents the top 10 worst threats to our civil liberties in 2007 as well as the top 10 reasons not to lose complete faith in our government.

Topping the “worst” list was allowing illegal NSA spying to continue and allowing Guantanamo Bay to remain open. Topping the “best” list were the recent strides to reduce the disparities in sentencing for crack offenses and cocaine offenses. This year, the U.S. Sentencing Commission changed its guidelines to make sentencing for crack offenses fairer and applied them retroactively, and the Supreme Court decided just weeks ago in Kimbrough v. U.S. that judges could depart from the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s guidelines to give shorter sentences.
The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

“For the past six years, our rights have been on the chopping block. If 2007 was the year we didn’t get our freedom back, 2008 will be the year we demand it. Our holiday wish list is simple: We want our Constitution back. It doesn’t even need a ribbon. This New Year, we resolve to hold our leaders accountable. We hope they will resolve to follow the law.”

2007: The Year We Didn’t Get Our Freedom Back
Top 10 ways our government failed us:
1. Not putting an end to warrantless NSA spying. Congress instead has continued to let the NSA spy without warrants and is considering letting the telephone companies off the hook for spying on Americans illegally. The Senate debated FISA last month before the holiday recess, and in a gift to the American people, legislation that would have forgiven telecom companies for spying on their customers and given the NSA more freedom to spy on Americans was not voted on. Congress is expected to take up the legislation when members return later in January.

2. Not repealing the Military Commissions Act or restoring habeas corpus. Despite a valiant effort and near success, an amendment to restore habeas corpus received 56 votes when it needed 60 votes. The support in the Senate indicates that legislation to fix the Military Commissions Act could pass. The Supreme Court will also issue a decision in 2008 regarding habeas corpus.

3. Not closing the Guantanamo Bay Prison. January 11 marks the sixth anniversary of the arrival of prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, where prisoners have been held without habeas corpus rights for six years. The ACLU is organizing people across America to wear orange that day in recognition of the shame the prison has caused for all of us.
The number of inmates shrank this year to 355, having started at over 700; officials expect the prison to close one way or another in 2008. But Guantanamo’s closing will not necessarily mean the end of holding prisoners without due process, especially if the Military Commissions Act is still in place.

4. Not giving due process to immigrants and denying life-saving health care in immigration detention facilities. Although the comprehensive immigration reform bill ultimately failed, even that legislation would not have given immigrants badly needed basic due process rights. Congress failed to pass legislation this year securing those basic human rights for immigrants.

5. Allowing the CIA to destroy interrogation tapes. The executive branch claims it can investigate its own wrongdoings, but the ACLU demands an independent investigation that the law calls for and that the scandal warrants. The attorney general’s announcement that the Department of Justice will investigate the tapes’ destruction is a good start, but it does not go far enough. We want real independence, coming from outside the executive branch.

6. Not repealing the Real ID Act. Several states rejected Real ID this year, but the federal government still believes its invasive, costly, doomed program can be a success.

7. Not fixing the terrorist watch list, which is filled with errors. Hearings have been held, reports have been written and the public has spoken: The list – approaching one million – is too large to ever be effective as a security tool.

8. Letting Judge Michael Mukasey off the hook after he would not admit that waterboarding is illegal under six different laws. It’s simple: Waterboarding is torture, and torture is not acceptable. Mukasey’s denial did not mark a restoration of dignity to the Justice Department.

9. Foot-dragging by the White House in getting to the bottom of a disgraced Gonzales Justice Department. Alberto Gonzales ran a politically motivated Justice Department that did more to stunt justice than promote it.

10. Stripping the hate crimes amendment from the Department of Defense appropriations bill. The House, in a stand-alone bill, and the Senate, in an amendment to the DOD bill, voted for the first time to allow certain crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans to be designated as hate crimes without compromising free speech. But the amendment was stripped from the DOD bill in a conference committee.

Top 10 reasons not to lose complete faith in our government:
1. Real changes were made to start fixing the unfair sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine that disproportionately affect minorities. The U.S. Sentencing Commission changed its recommendations to be more just in sentencing for crack offenses, and it applied those changes retroactively.

Perhaps the biggest victory was the case Kimbrough v. U.S., in which the Supreme Court said judges were free to issue shorter prison sentences for crack cocaine offenses, bringing them closer to the sentences for powder cocaine. The ACLU wrote an amicus brief supporting departure from the guidelines.

2. Senators stood up to the Bush Administration’s push for permanent warrantless wiretapping authority and immunity for the telecoms. It was a historic moment. A group of senators stood up to warrantless wiretapping and immunity for telecommunications companies, shutting down the Senate Intelligence Committee’s power grab of a FISA reauthorization bill – for now.

3. A federal judge struck down the national security letter provision of the Patriot Act that allowed the FBI to collect personal data secretly without a judge’s authorization.

4/5. Senators voted against a $300 million Real ID funding bill. Although $50 million was eventually appropriated to Real ID in December, an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill this summer that would have given millions more to the program failed.

6. The House passed a bill to offer more protections for reporters and their sources. The bill wasn’t perfect, but it was a victory for the First Amendment. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted the Senate’s version of a reporters’ shield bill out of committee.

7. Legislation was enacted to reauthorize and reinvigorate FOIA. The House and Senate passed a bill to enforce the Freedom of Information Act and ensure that government agencies are accountable to it – and President Bush just signed it.

8. Religious discrimination wasn’t written into the Head Start program. Members of Congress voted not to remove civil rights protections prohibiting the hiring of teachers, staff and volunteers based on religion in Head Start programs.

9. A majority of senators fought valiantly to save habeas corpus. A bill passed the House and won a majority of votes in the Senate – 56 - 43 – but it needed 60 votes. However, the vote shows Members of Congress are making a strong attempt to restore basic rights.

10. The American people wanted a change in Congress, and they went out to the polls and voted. We have faith in the American people to fight to restore their rights. We hope the next president and members of Congress elected will take civil liberties as seriously as we do.

America The Beautiful

2007-10-30T19:50:00.000-05:00

America the Beautiful, a powerful documentary that explores America's obsession with beauty recently won the Special Jury Prize for Best Representation of the UN Declaration for the Rights of a Child at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

This acclaim comes just weeks after winning The Special Jury Prize for Best Director at the 43rd Annual Chicago International Film Festival.

Directed by Darryl Roberts, this outstanding documentary is sweeping the film festival circuit.

I caught the film at the Chicago International Film Festival and it is one of the most profound docs I've ever seen. Roberts, in a Michael Moore-like expose, navigates the pristine beauty world, making his way to backstage runways and plastic surgeons offices, and reveals the cruel and calculated underworld that guides America's favorite obsessions. He shadows a cast of beauty industry fixtures including a precocious teen model and plastic surgeons top rated TV shows. But he also interviews the parents of a young girl who died of bulimia, researchers with jaw dropping stories about the chemicals in cosmetics, and a bevy of super sexist guys.

Roberts said it took him some three years to complete this project and its well worth the wait. For more info and upcoming shows check www.americathebeautifuldoc.com

My Sister for President

2007-10-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

The current political frustrations and violent attacks surrounding Pakistan's former President Benazir Bhutto had me thinking about women leaders of the world.

And while I knew very little about Ms. Bhutto until recent weeks, it amazes me that Pakistan, viewed in the Western world as a largely conservative nation, at one point had a female leader and is in negotiations to have her resume her leadership.

With Hilary Clinton currently waging a major campaign to be the nation's first president, I was curious about other women currently heading the world's nations.

For as progressive as the U.S may be on women's rights, Pakistan elected a female president first.

So I did a little research.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Chile, Finland, India, Ireland, Liberia, The Philippines and Switzerland are the only seven countries that currently have women presidents.

Meanwhile, Germany, New Zealand, Mozambique and The Netherlands Antilles are the only four nations with female prime ministers.

As for the world's reigning three queens, they can be found in Denmark, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands.

I wonder what dynamics exist in these nations that gave rise to a female leadership?

Perhaps we should look into it.

Affirmative Action is the Antichrist

2007-10-05T21:22:00.000-05:00

I know a 21 year old African American college student who hasn't so much as looked up Affirmative Action in Wikipedia, and yet he professes that AA is the downfall of black progress.

We've had heated conversations in which I and a few of my colleagues called ourselves schooling this guy, and dousing him in African American history 101 to 500.

Yet he's firm in his beliefs: Affirmative Action is the Antichrist.

When I patiently explained to him basic American power structures and how historically they could not be cracked by people of color or women, he remarked. "Why can't you just marry into some super rich guys family, then you'll be part of the power structure, right?"

After that jolt of misguided logic, I told him not to talk to me about affirmative action ever again until he's read some books.

Now, I could dismiss the conversation as the rantings of the ignorant, except for one tiny problem.

He wants to go to law school.

And thanks to affirmative action's reigning problem child, Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas, who's now working the media circus with book in tow, I can no longer discount the twisted conservative logic of a misguided black college kid with law school dreams.

He might become a Supreme Court Justice and dedicate his life to chipping away my rights.

And he might read Mr. Thomas' book.

So I've decided to tell him about a University of Michigan study that states that college students who come in through affirmative action get consistently higher grades than legacy kids (those who came in on their parents merit). In fact, they were typically very good students who lead healthy academic lives.

It's the empirical data the world's been waiting on, to prove that Affirmative Action is not some hand out. It creates opportunity for good students.

Hopefully, this study will mean something to him.

And if it doesn't, God help us all.

Yard Sale: Designer Vaginas

2007-10-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

Hey ladies, do you want a designer vagina?

Thanks to those socially conscious mavericks known as the plastic surgery business, not only can ladies of the world get DD breasts, pursed lips, eyelids to the forehead and soar derrieres, we can also add the all new designer vagina to our shopping list.

We can enlarge our clitoris, enlarge or minimize our labia, shorten the vagina, and if you want the virgin experience, an all new hymen is just the thing for you!

Let me say, if there is some medical case for the surgery, by all means get it. If your religion forbids sex before marriage, and you could be killed for entering the vows of matrimony as a virgin plus, then the new hymen is a life saver.

Otherwise, I seriously ask women thinking about this topic to ask the following.

What the heck is a perfect vagina?

One British study I read reported that women who agreed to the study unanimously had an image of a prepubescent look that resembled American porn mags, with most bringing in magazine cut outs of porn stars and the like who had clearly been digitally altered. The study further blasted the cosmetic industry for a lack of research and patient follow up as well as an justifiable reason for the risky procedure in the first place.

Risks include lack of arousal and a variety of complications.

In my reading on the topic, most of the ladies interviewed who agreed to the surgery aren't resolving severe health issues. Many were insecure types who thought the designer vagina would make them more appealing to men. Others thought it was the miracle cure for a drab sex life. One woman remarked it would keep her husband from cheating, saying something like, and I paraphrase, 'my husband said sex with me now is like sex with someone else, but it's still me.'

Wow.

In my totally unscientific poll, I asked a few guys what they thought about the designer vagina, since men were listed as the reason most women wanted it in the first place. They weren't pleased.

"That's the last straw," yelled one southside Chicago guy, totally offended by the idiocracy of it all. "Tell women this," he said, steam rising from his nostrils. "Any man who tells their woman to get a designer vagina or leads her to think she needs one doesn't like her . . .at all. And she needs to leave him immediately."

Thanks.

I have to thank Hermene Hartman's N'digo column for bringing this topic to the forefront.

Attack of the America Bra

2007-10-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

There's something wrong when bras become matters of national security.

When trained security can't tell the difference between a bomb, bra hooks and under wire, you know we're in trouble.

While most citizens willingly take off their shoes, belt buckles, jackets, and submit to unfavorable pat downs by the flocks of security at our nation's airports and federal buildings, at some point, we must admit enough is enough.

Lori Plato said enough was enough after U.S. Marshalls Service employees demanded that she remove her bra after the undergarment ignited alarms at a federal building.

The building had no screen or changing room. When she asked if she could change in a rest room, she was told no, and urged to remove it in a nearby restaurant. Her husband shielded her with his coat and she removed the offending garment.

This news was announced the same day, a woman I know called me in tears, stating that airport security demanded she remove her long lined bra. The security officer said the traveler's bra was in the way of the traditional pat down and demanded that she disrobe behind an open screen in full view of employees and passengers. When the traveler called for management, she was told that the guard was "incorrect", and that she simply needed to unhook the bottom of the bra, for a less invasive procedure. But by this time, the traveler was so humiliated by the guard's cavalier attitude and sheer possibility, that this reassurance didn't matter.

There's something wrong when guards feel comfortable enough to demand that a woman drop her underwear in order to enter a secure facility. To know that some security get a kick out of disrobing random women at will is a real problem. The inconsiderate nature of the demand speaks to a false sense of empowerment some security professionals apparently enjoy.

So ladies, if a guard orders you to take off your bra, sue their pants off.

The Golden Rule or the Tuareg Cross of Agadez?

2007-09-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Africa is such an expansive continent, with hundreds of cultures, languages and subgroups, that it's a little off putting when someone lumps them all in one.

While oversimplification might make for digestable nostalgia about black history and the world, we miss the incredible cultural lessons, the richness in diversity, and the essence of the people themselves when we resort to such ridiculous limitations.

So I've made it a mission of mine, to go beyond the do good rhetoric of those who claim they're blanketly raising money for Africa, or this school will be built in Africa, or this necklace was made in Africa, and asking for some details. "Where in Africa?" What ethnic group?" "What does this mean?" and so on.

The other day, I stopped by an African jewelry shop in Washington D.C's Adams Morgan. I surveyed the counter and was captivated by a large silver onkh-like pendant, boxed in triangles on a necklace. It had decorative etchings, and was very ethereal and old world. So I asked the owner about it.

He said it was made by the Tuareg people of Mali. The Tuareg also know as the Blue People because of their indigo rich clothing, are a Berber ethnic group. The Berbers were a nomadic culture known for their artisanship and business savvy, and credited for the sophisticated trading systems across the Sahara and in the Mediterranean hundreds of years ago. The Tuaregs primarily reside in West and North Africa.

The piece in question was the Cross of Agadez, a Tuareg version of the Egyptian anhk, meaning it expressed life, the balance between male and feminine energy in creation. As for the triangle shapes that bound it, they symbolized the four corners of the world. "When a child grows up and decides to go out on their own, the parents give this to them," the shop owner said. "It's a reminder that no matter where they go, or what corner of the earth they travel to, they should always be kind to people. They should treat others the way they want to be treated."

What a nice bit of wisdom to send someone off with. As a people who've historically travelled to foreign lands, I thought it was also a very peaceful approach to life.

It made me wonder which came first, the biblical golden rule or the ankh inspired Tuareg Cross of Agadez?

The shop owner added that the Tuareg were also called "The Veiled People." The men were known for wearing ornate but heavy veils. While most assumed it was to protect them from the sandstorms of the Sahara, the shop owner said it symbolized something else. "They believe that the spoken word has so much power that its best to cover your mouth to prevent you from saying anything foul," he said. He also added that for the Tuereg people, it's fundamentally more important to cover your mouth than any other area of your body.

But the Tuaregs are one of thousands of cultures, many with old world roots who've accrued pearls of wisdom over the ages. While much of this wisdom probably influenced the philosophers or religions we know today, the cultures that gave rise to or were influenced by it are rarely discussed.

I didn't buy the cross. The guy was charging $120 for it. But I found some online for $20 bucks. Even a bit of wisdom can be found at a discount.

O.J for Breakfast, O.J for Lunch, O.J for Dinner

2007-09-20T00:47:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for wasting ink on this matter, but I can't take another O.J trial.

Which is probably fine by the Juice, because I'm sure he's not amped about going through another trial either.

This hyper analyzation of celebrity downfalls and the way their dilemmas are plastered across the airwaves as must-know news is truly bewildering.

And the looped tape of O.J's muffled vocals demanding that no one leave is repeated like a yogi mantra.

Or a brainwashing sect.

Is O.J's new felony conviction more newsworthy than the Jena 6?

Is Marsha Clark's new face lift more important than the one million Africans in the western and eastern regions displaced by the recent flood? Or the hundreds estimated to have died? Did you even know there was a devestating flood in the region?

No, but I'm sure you've been fully informed that Simpson's controversial book "If I Did It " (which Ron Goldman's family owns the right to) was released just days before this debacle.
And how timely, because Beauford Books is releasing a second issue.

Great.

So forgive me for joining the circus fray. At least I didn't include a photo.

Goodbye Tampons, Hello Diva Cup?

2007-09-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

Tampons. Check. Pantyliners. Check. Heavy flow pads. Check. Light flow pads. Check. Adhesive heating pads. Check. Oh, and Pamprin, Midol and Tylenol. Check. Check. Check.

All the necessities of nature's wonder crammed into that oh so cute Prada knock off.

But there is an entire world of alternative menstrual products that most women are unaware of.

Pick up Bust, Bitch, Ms. or any of the feminist mags on the stands and there's always an ad for for Lunapads.com.

Lunapads is a Canadian based company that makes an array of alternative products including reusable multi-colored pads and pantyliners, padded underwear and diva cups, a reusable silicone menstrual cup inserted like a tampon.

The benefits of these, and most alternative products, is that they are reusable, in some cases up over a year and can cut monthly expenses. They are also eco friendly.

Commercial tampons are usually made of rayon. They contain other chemicals, bleaching agents, gels to boost absorbency and perfumes. The absorbency agents can soak in natural moisture and increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome. Most tampons are not biodegradable.

On the other hand, Diva Cups are made from a form of silicone that is 100% hypoallergenic, has antibacterial properties, is latex-free and odorless. Because it's duct-like cup catches flow, no absorbency agents are needed.

And there are other products like Natracare's 100% cotton tampons and pads, which pride themselves on being eco friendly and natural.

Other companies provide sea sponges as tampon substitutes.

Those who like the products say they feel more comfortable and feel more in touch with their bodies.

Its good to know there are options out there.

For more info on lunapads and Diva cups go to http://www.lunapads.com/

Pull Up Your Pants or Sleep in the Slammer

2007-09-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Yet another city has made baggy pants public enemy number one.

Trenton New Jersey councilwoman Annette Lartigue is drafting a proposal to make it a crime to wear sagged pants as well.

This comes after last month's ban proposal in Atlanta, which includes criminalizing publicly worn sports bras. Meanwhile, Delcambe, a city in Louisiana has already approved a fine of $500 or six months in jail for sagging, too.

As a person who was a teenager when the whole baggy pants edict came into vogue in the early 90s, I have to admit that I find all of this a bit ridiculous.

Most hip-hop inspired kids in the 90s bought oversized pants to contrast the ultra tight spandex fashions that reigned. The pants sagged by default because they were too just too big. You couldn't buy baggy pants in your size because there were none. Then designer underwear came in vogue, and what better way to show them off than with your sagging size 22 Levis.
At some point, designers caught on, and the likes of FUBU and Karl Kani, began to make loose pants that actually fit in the waist, too.

Now people like to say that this style was an offshoot of the prison culture where prisoners couldn't wear belts. Perhaps so, but most people wearing this style are not consciously mimicking the styles of jailed criminals.

I guess some politicians are determined that they share that fate, anyway.

Every generation at some point had a style that parents hated. I'm sure my grandparents weren't thrilled about my dad's looming Afro in the 60s, and my Mississippi born grandma claimed her own father wouldn't let her wear these new sex enablers called swimsuits to the county pond in the 30s.

This is just another excuse to upgrade the police harressment of teenagers and young adults, most of whom are people of color, and find new ways for the city to make money off of them. I don't know if the legislators who are waving the banner of the anti sag care about this fact, or if they sincerely hope that jail time will curb a trend they'd rather see burn at the public stake, either way I'd hate for ticket happy cops to be scoping parks and school yards waiting for an unassuming kid in lowriders to bend over.

As for the trend itself, my biggest beef is that it's still around. I mean baggy, sagging jeans have been around for over a decade now. And despite the emerging fashionistas and new school designers in tow, some refuse to let the trend die.

But if the asymmetrical and the mohawk can make a comeback and wide flair jeans can sit beside boot cut denim in peace, then baggy, sagging jeans have their place in fashion history, too as the first fad to be banned across the nation.

Call it true renegade fashion. So cool, they'll put you in jail for wearing it. Totally, antiestablishment. Now that's a marketing angle.

My Night with the Dhoad Gypsies

2007-09-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

I saw the Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan last Friday.

And you're probably thinking, 'who are the Dhoad Gypsies?'

I didn't know who they were either until five minutes before the show, seated at the Museum of Contemporary Art for the World Music Festival in Chicago, a hostess handed me the show plugger and I read their bio. I was there, in part to support a spiritual empowerment group I'm a part of, LIFE, which is on a new adventurist mission and picked this as our fall kick off gathering, and in part to satisfy my eclectic leanings which the World Music Festival will always satisfy.

The Dhoad Gypsies are from the Thar Desert, an area in the north western Indian province of Rajasthan. Rajasthan is actually the ancient homeland of gypsies and the mythic travelling caravans of musicians and troubadours who hopped from town to town, across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe entertaining both royalty and commoners. The Dhoad Gypsies consider themselves to be heirs of these ancient traditions of artists and Friday was their U.S Debut.

After watching an exciting performance by a Chicago group called Lamajamal featuring their self coined "gypsy surfer," music a combo of Middle Eastern, European and African folk music punctuated with electric guitars circa 60s acid rock, I was, pretty much open to anything.

I've always been fascinated by the similarities between Middle Eastern, African, and Indian music. I'm equally as fascinated by the subtle relationships between the dance styles and instruments. The poetic hand movements in Spanish flamenco are identical to that in belly dancing. Belly dancing is a clear derivitive of traditional African dance. The percussion in belly dancing songs and the use of the tabla has the same rhythms as that in African dance.

I say this to say, that I shouldn't have been too surprised when the opening music of the Dhoud Gypsies, a rousing 16 count solo on the tablas, a Hindustani drum in classical music was very much like West African drumming circles. The drumming was extremely hypnotic, and the veracity that they rhythmically thumped their fingers and palms echoed with a distant familiarity that sent my mind.

In addition to an assortment of percussion instruments, they played a variety of instruments I'd never seen before. One, known in Rajasthan as the morhang, also known as the jews harp and some 40 other names across the globe, was one of the funniest looking instruments I'd ever seen. Its essentially a metal or bamboo reed attached to a tiny frame that's held in your mouth. The mouth as it opens and closes serves as a resonator for the sound as your finger plucks the reed. But this funny little instrument is unusually loud and sounds like the droning grooves a guitarist plunks and thumps in 70s style music. Its one of the oldest instruments in the world, and according to my research, its eery sound is associated with magic. The guy in the band who played the instrument, had all the swooning charisma of a lead guitarist in a funk band, which was amusing because, he was banging away on the morshang.

But no one topped the group's fakir, an Arabic word for a Sufi who performs feats of endurance. My words will only pale in comparison to actually witnessing what I saw; a petite man, among other things, balancing four glasses stacked on top of one another on his head, with a gigantic ceramic jug of water atop the glasses. And he danced as he balanced them. At one point he balanced the glasses and jug while dancing on top of a bed of rusty nails. Another time he balanced a three foot wooden wheel that must have weighed 50 pounds on top of a metal glass which was on top of his head and he kept dancing, shaking his hips and working the floor, like it was nothing more than a baseball cap. Totally unreal. Oh, did I mention, that he took sticks of fire and rubbed them up and down his skin in between swallowing the fire and spitting it out into a looming fire ball? It was truly unbelievable, and I wish I had more friends with me who could have witnessed it.

Last weekend, at the UNCF walkathon , I managed to balance a tiny box of business cards on my head as I walked for at least four blocks. But this guy put my amateur balancing act to shame. One of my friends who was fortunate enough to witness the fakir at work, remarked that after watching the Dhoud Gypsies, we're, and he included me in his summation, are really half stepping when it comes to maximizing our potential. We thought we were okay just running along the lake and taking a kung fu class every now and then. Clearly, we haven't even scratched the surface.

But the enchanting nature of the Dhoud Gypsies did make me wonder what other exciting feats and performance styles were lost over the centuries, particularly those that came out of Africa.

Nevertheless, I'm inspired. The Dhoud Gypsies give us a window into yesteryear while forging a bridge to our future potential.

So instead of balancing one book on my head and walking around my house for kicks, I guess its time to pile on two. And if I could balance two books while doing Soldier Boy's "Superman" . . . now that would be enchanting.

Sol Pop and Y?

2007-09-14T11:43:00.001-05:00

I started Sol Pop because it just dawned on me that the same issues that rattled me five years ago, when I considered myself to be a neophyte journalist scraping my way up the media/entertainment ladder, the concerns I figured somebody would address at some point, have still gone unanswered. It still amazes me that the voice of young people of color is noticeably missing from mainstream rants, that pundit humor has replaced news, that gossip reigns over logic, and that anything witty that can't be condensed to a soundbite just isn't newsworthy anymore.

I've been restless these last few days. Something about the anniversary of 9/11, the still unresolved catastophe that led us into this war we can't get out of, those dogged conspiracy theories floating in the air, the crispness in what should be warmth lingering from a summer I don't want to end, and the the fact that despite my full fledged awareness that this Kanye vs. 50 hype is a big money backed campaign chucked up to get me promoting their cds in random conversations pro bono. And despite the logic angel that tells me my mind is being twisted by the publicity monster, sabatoged by the marketing machine, screaming that Kanye vs. 50 isn't more important than say the Jena 6 or recycling, that I'm as caught up in the frenzy as a 15 year old kid.

Some people wait til the New Year for this rigid self assessment, I kick things off after Labor Day.

In my college moments, I had an inkling to start a magazine that would talk about social issues, have a literary twist, and still be in touch with pop culture. And while I pinned my hopes to many a fair venture,most of which took a sea ottor styled nose dive, some years later this magazine didn't exist because I hadn't created it. The voices of the young, inquisitive adult still doesn't make mainstream beat junkies and a whole lifestyle of active thinking people lives below the radar. So this blog is my foray into Sol Pop, a fresh twist on real issues for fun people who relish in thought provoking moments.

Call me giddy, but I'm pretty doggone excited, and I hope that you will enjoy the ride as well. So live life, learn daily, and question the obvious. I don't do milk, but sol growth is good for the heart.