"2006 is Butt Nekkid Wednesdays"--e. badu

you've gotta love Erykah Badu. This clip is from Before the Music Dies, a documentary I saw a few weeks ago at a screening in DC. The documentary is about how the commercialization of music is killing the artistic value of music today. This part of the documentary is showing how a pop star is "built" and marketed...and probably explains why non-singing folks like Cassie have a career.

World AIDS day.

Today is World AIDS day. Get tested if you haven't already, pray for loved ones who have been effected by this epidemic, donate to AIDS research and advocacy groups. Do your part in fighting the good fight.

"no day but today"--RENT

HIV 'afflicting global workforce' HIV/Aids is having a crippling effect on the workforce of many countries, a report by the International Labour Organization for World Aids Day says.

The ILO said HIV/Aids killed almost 3.5 million people of working age in 2005.
South Africa, among the worst-affected nations, has announced a plan aiming to halve the infection rate by 2011 and to boost the use of antiretrovirals.
In a speech to mark World Aids Day, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged more frank and open discussion of HIV/Aids.
All politicians had to consider themselves personally accountable for stopping the spread of the disease, Mr Annan said, as did every individual.

"It requires every one of us to help bring Aids out of the shadows and spread the message that silence is death," he said.
South Africa's government has in the past been accused of not doing enough to fight the HIV/Aids pandemic.
More than five million South Africans are infected with the virus.
The announcement by Deputy-President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of a five-year action plan was expected to mark a significant change in policy.
However, the BBC's Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says Friday's launch was downgraded from a fully-fledged plan to a framework document.
Many details of the new policy have still to be spelt out, he says.
South Africa's former policy, which emphasised diet over the use of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, was widely criticised.
The health minister responsible, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, is reported currently to be on sick leave and has played little part in recent developments, our correspondent adds.

'Breathtaking' challenge

Figures recently released by the UN reveal that in terms of numbers, India is now facing the most severe HIV/Aids burden of any country in the world, with 5.7 million people infected.
Former US President Bill Clinton said in a BBC interview that India was the new epicentre of global infection.
He described the challenge to control the spread of the virus in India as "breathtaking".
Elsewhere, countries are marking World Aids Day with a series of events, including:

*The broadcast of radio and television messages in 25 countries across Africa aimed at preventing the spread of the disease among young people

*A march by Indonesian activists through the streets of the capital, Jakarta, demanding an end to the stigma attached to HIV/Aids

*A plan by activists in Thailand to create the world's "longest condom chain", a ribbon of 25,000 condoms stretching through a Bangkok park

*An announcement by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for an extra US$170m (£83m) to help its Asia-Pacific neighbours tackle the HIV/Aids epidemic
In its report, the ILO calls for sustained action worldwide to improve access to AVR treatments to cut mortality rates.

Without this, it estimates that the cumulative loss to the global workforce from the virus could rise to 45 million by 2010 and almost double again by 2020.
ILO estimates that more than 36 million people of working age are now living with the virus, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV/Aids is adding an enormous burden to countries struggling to emerge from poverty (Odile Frank ILO ) This has had a damaging effect on the availability of labour in the worst-affected countries and has stunted economic growth. The ILO conducted research into the impact of the virus on 43 countries with some of the highest rates of infection in the world.

More than 70% of these countries were in sub-Saharan Africa.

Based on its findings, it has estimated that 1.3 million new jobs have been lost every year between 1992 and 2004 because of the virus.
This, in turn, reduced annual economic growth by an average of 0.5% over the period and 0.7% for sub-Saharan countries.

"HIV/Aids is adding an enormous burden to countries struggling to emerge from poverty," said Odile Frank, one of the report's authors.

"We need more employment opportunities for people with HIV/Aids and an end to discrimination against people with the virus to help them to secure work."

Treatment imperative

More than two million children around the world are now living with Aids while those aged 15-24 account for half of new infections.
The ILO said many children were forced to seek employment because they were living in extreme poverty, while their parents had either died from Aids or were too sick to work.
Other children found themselves working in unregulated industries such as the sex trade which exposed them to being infected.
The ILO said increased access to ARV treatments could significantly reduce the impact on the global workforce.
"The prospect of averting between one-fifth and one-quarter of potential new losses to the labour force should serve as a powerful incentive to target the workplace as a major entry point to achieve universal access to ARVs," the report concluded.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/6197074.stmPublished: 2006/12/01 13:29:05 GMT© BBC MMVI

Nas won.

I like Jay-Z just as much as the next sista, but Nas is really impressing me with this new single. Kingdom Come is starting to grow on me, but for a comeback album "Show me What you Got" seemed kind of anticlimactic for me. Will I be the one on the dancefloor two-steppin to that joint? of course. But I still think Jigga could have come harder than that.

Yes, I'm ready for my WHAT? BUT THAT SONG IS HOT! rebuttals. :-)

Nas delivery, lyrics, and message is just stronger to me. He saw an opportunity to "change the game" and he took advantage of it.

Oh, and the video is way more interesting to look at than Bey-Z stuntin' on a yacht.

one question: why?

cuz if I was the communications director this never would fly...and i'm only a couple months in the PR game!

anyways...look at this foolishness:

NEWS ALERT : PELOSI TELLS HASTINGS NO ON INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMANSHIP

After meeting with House Speaker-elect Pelosi this afternoon, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., issued a statement confirming he will not serve as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. "I have been informed by the speaker-elect that I will not serve as the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 110th Congress," he said. "I am obviously disappointed with this decision."

Hastings won election to Congress in 1992, after having been impeached and removed from office as a federal judge. He concluded his statement by saying, "Sorry, haters, God is not finished with me yet."

RIP Bebe Moore Campbell.

About a year ago my aunt gave me a signed copy of Bebe Moore Campbell's children's book, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry. That story almost moved me to tears. I was just thinking about this story when I saw the following report.

Author Bebe Moore Campbell dies at 56
Mon Nov 27, 4:35 PM ET

Bebe Moore Campbell, whose many best sellers such as "Brothers and Sisters" touched on America's ethnic and social divides, died Monday. She was 56.Campbell died at home in Los Angeles from complications due to brain cancer, said publicist Linda Wharton Boyd. She was diagnosed with the disease in February."My wife was a phenomenal woman who did it her way," husband Ellis Gordon Jr. said in a statement. "She loved her family and her career as a writer.

Her books, largely fiction and based on real-life stories, included the perspective of many ethnic groups.

One of her first novels, "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine," was published in 1992 and spanned a 40-year period. It dealt with prejudice in the United States. The book earned her an NAACP Image Award for literature. She followed the book with "Brothers and Sisters," which focused on race relations in the corporate world after the 1992 Los Angeles riot.Among her other novels were "Singing in the Comeback Choir," "What You Owe Me" and "72 Hour Hold," the latter dealing with a mother coping with her daughter's bipolar disorder. Her 2003 play, "Even With the Madness," also focused on mental illness.

She also wrote children's books, including "Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry" in 2003, which won the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Outstanding Literature Award. Another children's book, "I'm So Hungry," will be released next year.

As a journalist, her articles appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Essence and Ebony.Campbell, whose full name was Elizabeth Bebe Moore Campbell Gordon, was born in February 1950 in Philadelphia. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971.

Campbell is survived by her husband; a son, Ellis Gordon III; a daughter, Maia Campbell; her mother, Doris Moore; and two grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.

From my cold, dead hands.

We're privileged to have Omar Woodard, a very good friend of mine, to bring his thoughts on gun violence in our communities to Ignorant Art this evening. Omar is an MPA candidate at The George Washington University and a Philadelphia native.

Where I'm from, gun crimes are typical. In Philadelphia, there have been almost 360 gun homicides alone since January 1. It was nothing for us to lay down and hear not firecrackers, but the sound of 45's clapping in the air. But recently, in the past year I've lost too many friends and family members to guns. One is too many, five is unbearable.

On my birthday, my best friend and prom date, Ardyce Hogan was shot and killed. My cousin was shot and killed just last night, over an Eagles jersey. An Eagles jersey that he didn't want to give up, so he gave up his life. This isn't a black issue, either. White folks have been killing each other for a long time now, I'm not sure if anyone has noticed flipping through your history books. But in America, our gun related homicide rates in major cities and rural areas are high every year. In PA, averaged over the past ten years, 70% of ALL homicides involved a gun. (source below)

I say that to say this: there are forces at work in our country that are actively opposed to the cessation of gun violence. ACTIVELY. OPPOSED. In my native state, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the legislature refuses to pass a one-gun-a-month law. They refuse, on the ground that it is unconstitutional to bar citizens from their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. So they can circumvent existing law to wiretap Americans, under the auspices of keeping America safe, but they can't bar someone from buying more than 12 guns a year that may actually go a ways to keep Americans safe?

Rural folks say that people in urban areas need to stop shooting each other. Would that it were that simple! It isn't about the urban and rural divide anymore, it's about priorities; it is about doing what is appropriate to keep kids safe on their streets. The Bush Administration thinks we should fear terrorism from Islamic extremists? We should fear the continued inaction of our state and national government. That is a far cry from being safe, from real "homeland security" - whatever the hell that means.

A single father of five was shot two weeks ago in Philadelphia, the victim of a stray bullet. It hit him in the head and killed him instantly. And we are scared of terrorism? Families are fearful to step outside their homes!

There are forces at work that actively oppose the cessation of gun violence in America. All the while, people are dying. Why won't we stand up to them? Why won't we demand that enough is enough? My family, my friends are being killed by guns, not bombs. They are not being killed by bearded Muslims, but by clean-shaven Americans.

Charlton Heston, the famous actor who once played Moses in the film The Ten Commandmants, and who walked with MLK Jr. in the March on Washington, uttered the now famous words, "They will pry this rifle from my cold, dead hands." Ironic, isn't it? The man who played Moses, the man who offered the Ten Commandments, one of which said, "Thou shalt not kill" - was President of the NRA?

There are forces at work that actively oppose the cessation of gun violence in America. People are dying. I'm not talking about taking anyone's guns away. But if 70% of ALL homicides over the past ten years in a state with 12 million people in it involved a gun, maybe we should reduce the number of guns available to people who shoot other people. Common sense measures can be adopted.

1. Limit purchases to one-gun-a-month

2. Renew and make permanent civilian ban on assault weapons

3. Increase age to buy guns through private sales to 21.

4. Allow local authorities, like Philadelphia, to set gun regulations

5. Adopt a national registration system, like for cars. We know what car you could hit someone with, why not know what gun you could shoot someone with?

Sources:1.http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/Search/Homicide/State/RunHomStatebyState.cfm

2. www.nra.org

3.www.ceasefirepa.org

*To my friends who worry about a career in politics, don't worry. I'm not.

Homecoming.

This Christmas will actually be the first one I spend with my east coast fam since I was at least 7 years old. I'm excited, but I think I'm also a little sad. My childhood friends like to say, "You're so east coast!" whenever I come back from DC. Sometimes I wonder if it's because I've been away for that long or if it's really that I've "adapted" to life in the DC Metro. Have I REALLY traded my flip flops for timbs and hightops? Nah, not really. I'm still a Cali girl at heart. I miss the Chuck Taylors with the fat white laces. I get hype when they play old school Snoop in the clubs out here. I like my latte with soy milk. I still get slightly irritated when it's below 60 degrees outside. And sometimes I am still amused with how many people don't drive out here. As comfortable as I am with Washington, I find that I miss home a lot, even when I don't want to admit it. I miss Los Angeles "staples"--Venice, In and Out, Coffee Bean, Roscoes, Poetry and jazz sessions in Leimert, Watts Towers, stilettos and cellphones in Beverly Hills. I miss palm trees in the middle of December. I even miss the long bus ride on the 210 to my high school sometimes.

But the more I think about it, it may have been easier to adjust to DC since much of my family's roots are here. My mother grew up in Southeast, my father in Northwest. I mentioned in my last entry that I was contacted by my cousin, who has been researching his family history for ten years. I learned some things I hadn't known about before, and a few things I had wondered about but hadn't gotten answers about. For instance, it was confirmed that my father's side of the family had migrated to DC from the Carolinas and Virginia, respectively. Talking with my grandmother and with my cousin about our family history, I learned we can trace our family as far as Frances Simmons, who was a sharecropper like many Blacks after the Civil War.

Some of my relatives live in a house in Northeast Washington DC. When I was there for a small family gathering in April, it was mentioned that the house had been in the family since the 1890s. My great-great grandmother owned that house in during those years; she was a stenographer, while her husband was an insurance broker.

All of this begs the question--knowing that my great-great grandmother moved to Washington circa 1919-1920 (the tail end of the Great Migration)...knowing that my fam has roots in Virginia and the Carolinas...knowing that some of us got to the Carolinas by way of Haiti...where were we before then? The easiest answer is Africa, but I can't help but wonder where in Africa. It's one thing to guess or hypothesize, it's completely different to really know.

When I spoke with my cousin, I asked about if he had been able to research past the late 1800s. He said that the hardest part is the disconnect caused by slavery--before Reconstruction, most Black folks were recorded as "property" so birth records and Census data would not have accounted for that. Family units were divided again and again as slaves were bought, sold and sometimes killed. As a result, the familial bond was oftentimes broken. "It's possible though," he said in a more hopeful tone. "It would take more work, but if your Grandmother and I keep talking and researching--and if you keep doing the same and keep learning more--maybe we can get more questions answered."

For Black families, researching family history can be both frustrating and painful. Frustrating because our history of slavery and opporession makes it even harder to reach conclusions about where our roots really begin. Painful because--as with any family of any race--there will always be questions that some family members would rather be left unanswered. But just beginning to talk about things as simple as when your grandmother moved into her house or where your aunt went to college can spark a conversation about why your family is the way they are. Taking the time to talk about things that are not-so-pleasant as well as the good memories and anecdotes is just part of the "healing process" if you will. It's one of the first steps in strengthening the familial bond that we've lost in our past.

Knowing where you came from

I received the following email today from a cousin I haven't even met:

I am your cousin.
I am going to do a relationship chart to show you how we are related:

James and Bessie Dixon
children:
Miriam =Sisters=Bessie
Michael =1st cousins= Jacqueline
Anthony = 2nd cousins= John
Angel =3rd cousins= Lauren

I just wanted to contact you because we are cousins and we are the same age. you were born in Feb. and I was born in April. Just give me a call so we can stay in touch.

all this time I was thinking that I didn't have any cousins who were the same age as me, and then I find out that I actually do and not only that, we used to live practically around the corner from each other! He's been researching his family lineage for ten years now; his father is my grandmother's cousin. Apparently, he can trace our family back to Norfolk, Virginia in the late 19th century. This is very exciting and it makes me want to learn more about my family's history; I only know bits from talking to the older relatives and from my own research on my great-grandmother's life.

He's coming to DC in a few weeks, so we'll actually be able to meet face to face.

This will be continued...what a way to end the night...

Wednesday is only one step closer to Friday.

but until then...a little humpday humor. a friend shared this with me and it made me chuckle a bit.

Loryn's favorite things: Happy Halloween Y'all.

I know it's been a while, but I thought I'd come back with a Halloween edition of Loryn's favorite things. The list is short, but they're worth mentioning:



classic music video moment. and people STILL borrow moves from this joint!

and now, one of my favorite poems...."The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe wrote a lot about how the death of a beautiful woman was the key to a good piece of poetry---I guess the proof is in the pudding:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;
Only this, and nothing more."


Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore,.
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore,
Nameless here forevermore.


And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me---filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
" 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door,
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door.
This it is, and nothing more."


Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you." Here I opened wide the door;---
Darkness there, and nothing more.


Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
Lenore?, This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
"Lenore!" Merely this, and nothing more.


Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
"Surely," said I, "surely, that is something at my window lattice.
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore.
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.
" 'Tis the wind, and nothing more."


Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven, of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door.
Perched upon a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door,
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.


Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly, grim, and ancient raven, wandering from the nightly shore.
Tell me what the lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore."
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."


Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door,
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."


But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered;
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before;
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."


Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster, till his songs one burden bore,---
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never---nevermore."


But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore --
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!


Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee -- by these angels he hath
Sent thee respite---respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"


"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--
On this home by horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore:
Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me I implore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."


"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore---
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."


"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."


And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted---nevermore!

How to Write about Africa by Binyavanga Wainaina

I grew up in a community where I was taught that Africans were so incredibly different from African Americans that there was no way we could ever get along and understand each other. I remember my mother telling me never to marry and African man and the kids on the playground calling the one African kid in the class an "African Booty Scratcher." I remember seeing the images of poor African children in the charity commercials as a kid and wondering if they were any different from poor Black children here, or if there were even any children in America who lived like that. I kept thinking, "why does Africa always seem so sad? This can't be true."

I didn't realize that these stereotypes weren't true until I actually moved to DC that I really started to see that the generalizations I had been socialized to believe about Africa and about the African experience were just that. I met Nigerians, Ethiopians, Ghanaians, Chadians. I met folks from Senegal who spoke fluent French and would exchange a phrase or two with me. I met cool ass Ghanaians who could rap with me about 50 Cent and Phyllis Wheatley. I started listening to Fela Kuti and met folks from Nigeria who would joke with me and ask "whatchu know about Fela?"

The following piece is a prose-poem written by Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina. A good friend of mine is a Nigerian brotha who I've talked about Pan-African idea(l)s with from time to time. He shared the following prose-poem with me yesterday morning, and I want to share it with all of you. Wanna hear it? He'ah go.

some tips: sunsets and starvation are good

Always use the word 'Africa' or 'Darkness' or 'Safari' in your title. Subtitles may include the words 'Zanzibar', 'Masai', 'Zulu', 'Zambezi', 'Congo', 'Nile', 'Big', 'Sky', 'Shadow', 'Drum', 'Sun' or 'Bygone'. Also useful are words such as 'Guerrillas', 'Timeless', 'Primordial' and 'Tribal'. Note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans.

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.

In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn't care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.

Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African's cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.

Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.

Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can't live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.

Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.

Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).

Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa's situation. But do not be too specific.
Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.

Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the 'real Africa', and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West. The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.

Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people's property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).

After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa's most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or 'conservation area', and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa's rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.

Readers will be put off if you don't mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical—Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).

You'll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.

Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.

thanks, obi.-L.

eat the cake, anna mae.

I'm so excited about this film. I saw the trailer this summer when I went to see...Superman I think it was. Sofia Coppola is a very talented director/writer. I have yet to see Virgin Suicides but Lost in Translation was one of my favorite flicks that year.

Marie Antoinette may very well have been a pre-cursor to Paris Hilton...well, maybe not. She was definitely smarter than her. But given all the rumors that were swirling around about her, perhaps it's a good thing there was no such thing as a "sex tape" in 18th Century France. I saw Dangerous Liaisons a while ago which was set in the same era as this film, and sometimes I wonder if the raciness of the two movies was actually true to the historical period, or if it's today's modern obsession with sex and sexuality that drives it?

In any case, this movie is going to be freaking awesome.

what if all the world's problems could be solved through a danceoff?

no but for real....now mind you, if we leave it up to Bush, we'd probably still be s.o.l. but you never know. maybe condi can surprise us and bust out with the mean worm.

i mean we could at LEAST take on Saddam in a danceoff.

Miles in the Sky

On this day in 1991, we lost Miles Davis, one of my favorite musicians and arguably, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

listen to Kind of Blue today.

The Blues People.

This morning I heard the news of Terrell Owen's alleged suicide attempt (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/09/27/owens.report/index.html?cnn=yes). Many people are shocked, saying that they never would have guessed that TO was struggling with depression. But I think there's another issue here--depression and suicide are issues in the Black community that are still tremendous taboos. Somehow, we still seem to think that depression, therapy, etc. are "white issues" and that only White people suffer from it or need therapy for it.

I've known people who have committed suicide, and I know people who have suffered clinical depression. It's a serious subject, and one that needs to be talked about in depth in our community. Read on.

-L.

http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/depression/minorities_5.asp

"It's a hidden crisis and it's killing more young black men then ever. Suicide is a taboo subject among many cultures, but the denial of mental health disorders runs rampant among African Americans. Between 1980 and 1995, the suicide rate of black males doubled to about eight deaths per 100,000 people. The authors of a new book are uncovering an unspoken crisis in the African American community.

It was 1979 but Amy Alexander remembers the day like it was yesterday."He was just very wonderful," recalls Amy Alexander, author of Lay My Burden Down" I looked up to him. I admired him."She was just a teenager when her brother Carl took his own life. Still reeling from the tragedy, Amy teamed up with renowned Harvard psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint to dispel the myths of suicide among the black community."It is very much a misperception that black people don't commit suicide and that comes in part from a need the very real and legitimate need for black people for many years to be very strong," says Alexander.

They see mental disorder and depression as a sign of personal weakness or moral failure," says psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint, M.D. of the Harvard Medical School.The suicide rate among black men has doubled since 1980 making suicide the third leading cause of death for black men between the ages 15 and 24. Poussaint calls his own brother's death from heroin abuse a slow form of suicide.

"Psychologists and psychiatrists have to pay attention to those types of behaviors and look at them in a context in the same way they would look at someone who, in fact, was depressed or maybe suicidal," says Poussaint.

Like others, African Americans may display depression through physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches and may complain of an aching misery."There must be an increased awareness about the unique aspects of mental health in black Americans."

Doctor Poussaint says one reason African-Americans may not seek out professional help is because only about 2.3% of all psychiatrists in the United States are African American. Amy feels it's important that culturally sensitive training become a part of the standard mental healthcare education process. She emphasizes mental health problems are often physically related and can be treated through talk therapy or through medication.

STARTLING STATISTICS:

Between 1980 and 1995, the suicide rate among black men doubled to nearly 8 deaths per 100,000 people. Suicide is now the third leading cause of death among black men between the ages of 15 and 24.SILENT SITUATION:Despite this increase in numbers, the topic of suicide is still considered "taboo". While this is true nationwide among all groups, Alvin Poussaint, M.D., a Harvard psychiatrist, says the stigma is even stronger in the black community. One problem, he says, is the stigma associated with depression itself. More than 60 percent of black individuals don't see depression as a mental illness, which makes it unlikely they will seek help for it. Dr. Poussaint says it goes back to the days when blues music was invented as a way to sing about pain and distress. He says blacks just consider it part of life. He also says blacks pride themselves on being strong after surviving 250 years of slavery and years of segregation and discrimination. Depression, then, is seen as a sign of weakness.

OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM:

Dr. Poussaint says the first step to help is public awareness. He says, "You can't prevent illness or suicide if you don't talk about it and gain some knowledge about it." Along with this, he says education about the warning signs of suicide is needed. These signs include:
* Irritability
* Changes in appetite
* Changes in sleep habits
* Headaches, stomach aches, pain all over
* Chronic fatigue - not wanting to get up in the morning
* Sadness that continues for up to a month - spontaneous crying
* Social withdrawal - a loss of interest in activities and things once considered enjoyable

SLOW SUICIDE

Dr. Poussaint also talks about what he calls "slow suicide." This is other self- destructive behavior that can accompany depression. This includes drug addiction, alcohol addiction, gang involvement, and other high-risk behaviors.GET HELPDr. Poussaint says if these characteristics describe you or anyone you know, get help. Don't deny the problem. He says, "It is not a moral weakness, and it doesn't mean you are less of a person because you reach out for help."The National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or for a crisis center in your area, go here."

...but some days, i sit and wish i was a kid again (c) ahmad

today when i was on the metro, an interesting childhood memory flashed across my mind. Highlights Magazine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlights) was my favorite thing to read as a little kid. i remembered my mom and i solving the "hidden pictures" puzzle. i really loved those...lookin for the picture santa hat inside the picture of a giant dog, stuff like that. she'd read me stories from the newest Highlights and then we'd get to Hidden Pictures, and we'd say together in a singsong voice, "Hiiideeeen Pictuuuuures!" and i'd grin and laugh.

i miss that sometimes. i can't believe i had so much less to think about back then. or that there was a time when i had so little to think about. now it's how i'm going to pay my next bills, how i can avoid eating ramen for the next two weeks, and how the hell i'm going to afford grad school. why can't life stay as easy as finding the hidden picture of a santa hat? or as predictable as the end of a Bearstein Bears book?

playing dress up. that was fun too. wearing my mom's clothes and pretending to be mommy. or a princess. or a lawyer. or anything. i can't pretend anymore. and hell, i gotta PAY to play dress up now! and H & M doesn't seem very cheap anymore.

i remember when choosing and keeping friends depended solely on whether or not i traded by ho-ho with them for a fruit roll-up. i think as you get older a consideration of REAL emotion and raw honesty and loyalty is more important, but the issue is that everyone's perception of these things is different and depends on your life experience. and experience can make you either optimistic and hopeful or judgmental and perhaps cynical.

sometimes i definitely wish it was as easy as it was when i was 5. this whatever years/pre-quarterlife crisis time, in a word, SUCKS. no matter what aspect--job, dating, money, fam--it nowhere near ideal. but at the same time...i know i couldn't have it any other way.

Thoughts on the random: Pandora, office snacks, the non-cuddler, and No-Debo.

I know it's been a while since my last post. My work-life balance is laughable right now. Nevertheless, I will talk about the above topics in that order, and i may add things to the list as i see fit.

Pandora stations: L-dub's current obsession

About two weeks ago I was bored at work and I needed something to make the day more interesting, or at least make it go by quicker. I finally checked out something called Pandora Radio Stations...it's an internet radio station that you customize by entering what artists or songs you like. So far, I've created a a neo soul station, an oldies station, a new york hip hop station, a southern rap/crunk station, a straight R&B station, and of course a West Coast rap station (four fingaz up, two twisted in da middle :-) . I don't know what else to say, but Pandora.com is the truth!

The office snack guy.

so i don't know about y'all, but in my office (in fact in most offices i've been in) there's that guy who always has snacks at his desk that he often shares with the rest of the office. it's cool, but also kinda funny to me. it reminds me of that kid in middle school who always brought big bags candy and stuff with him to sell on the playground during recess or whenever.


revisiting the non-cuddler.

so some of you may remember when i was talking about men who don't like to cuddle. now i don't know how much this rings true, but a guy friend of mine believes that depending on the type of relationship you have--cuddling is either part of the arrangement or not. ie, if they're just a random fling, then it may not be expected that you're gonna like...lay in bed and cuddle cuz it's like that (and that's the way it is, boo).

i just don't think some guys get it though. most women wanna cuddle. point blank period. it's arguably---the best part of whatever you were doing leading up to it. i think if some men did it more, then perhaps more fun activities would ensue--that's all i'm saying. however, if it's a random fling---perhaps the guy doesn't care about that, right? this isn't the case in every scenario of course, but it could be the case at least in a few instances. but what do i know? i sleep alone.

No-Debo on the Metro.

my newest pet peeve HAS to be people who try to "Debo" their way into an already crowded train cuz they're too damn pressed to wait for the next train during rush hour. this has got to be one of the dumbest things ever, mostly because during the morning hours the trains are about 5 minutes apart if not less than that. so why push your way in? they're even more annoying than those idiots who stand on the left side of the elevator when they KNOW they're supposed to stand right and pass left.

maybe next time that happens i'll push them outside of the doors before the chime sounds.


or not.

Public Service Announcement:

I am a guest contributor to Honorable Media this week...peep my article on R&B's Women to Watch:

http://www.honorablemedia.com/blog/uncategorized/262

ten years already.

Tupac Shakur died ten years ago today...I grew up Cali and i had just started middle school when it happened....i remember coming home from a class camping trip right before he passed, and getting a call from my homegirl down the block....tupac got shot! for real though! turn on channel 7!...i remember that he was in the hospital, and everybody was like "he's gonna be okay, he's gonna make it...talkin to other people it seems like that was the sentiment they expressed as well...as if he was a fallen superhero...makaveli came out and it was mad spooky....the image of the crucifix, the track "hail mary"....then the "he ain't dead" rumors...ain't that him in the "sweetest thing" video! peep it again!

the vendors down on slauson and crenshaw in LA are still pushin pac t-shirts....but around that time you could cop them literally anywhere...

nikki giovanni's "thug life" tattoo....

countless tributes...bet playin and replayin all the tupac videos...

then, about 6 years later, 50 hopin we love him like we love pac...right.

people can say what they about 2pac's skills as a rapper...but i think it's pretty hard to "swagger jack" somebody like Pac...

but that's just me.

rest in peace, brother.

what he was a businessman instead of a business, man?

i was having a conversation recently with my aunt about beyonce. as i've said earlier, i'm not necessarily a beyonce hater, and i never have been. but i'm honest with mine. i know that she isn't the end-all be-all to Black music, and if it wasn't for her daddy and other numerous people around her she wouldn't have any of the fame she has now. point blank, i don't find her to be very smart or intellectual. like...if she wasn't a singer, what the hell would she do in life that would bring her as much success as her singing career does?

that switched the convo to another topic: which celebs do we find to be the smartest in the bunch, and furthermore, which ones do we think that if life dealt them a different hand and they had another occupation, they'd still rock our world? we created a shortlist, and i think it's worth sharing. wanna hear it? heah'go!

Andre 3000-the man is just very intelligent and if the way he approach life as a whole is any way like the way he approaches his music--there's no telling what he would have done.

Kanye should have finished college, and that's all i'm gonna say about that.

Alicia Keys

Nas

Jay-Z shouldn't be on this list cuz he's already a business man, i guess

Madlib

Jill Scott-i don't know i could see her being a social worker or maybe a college professor.

David Banner should have finished his masters.

Gabrielle Union always comes off as being very smart to me, and i don't know why.

i don't know, this list turned out to be really short, and i don't know if it's because we just weren't thinking hard enough or because there really aren't very many people in show biz who have got it like that. something tells me it's the latter.

save our girls.

i have no further comment.

Youth Gang Rape Reported in Milwaukee

By CARRIE ANTLFINGER, Associated Press Writer

3 hours agoUPDATED 1 HOUR 55 MINUTES AGO

MILWAUKEE - It began with a crush, police said, and turned into one of the most shocking crimes in Milwaukee's long, violent summer: an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by as many as 20 boys while a 16-year-old girl she was romantically interested in watched and coached her.

The 16-year-old and a 15-year-old boy have been charged in juvenile court in the alleged attack, which authorities said took place Monday in a house on the city's north side. The teenage girl's 40-year-old uncle might also be charged, authorities said.

The youth's names were not released because of their ages.

Investigators are still attempting to identify and locate the boys who were in the house.
"We're dealing with a lot of nicknames, so we're trying to track down these people," said prosecutor Matthew Torbenson.

The 11-year-old girl told police she was interested in the teenage girl, who looked and dressed like a boy, authorities said in court records. She and two friends went to the teen's house, where the child performed oral sex on three teenage boys, the court records said.

The teenage girl's 40-year-old uncle admitted he also had sex with the 11-year-old and told police that his niece was coaching the child, the records said.

The 11-year-old told police she then went to the basement, where there were about 15 males and "began to choose who she wanted to perform oral sex on," the records said.

The teenage girl told police that the 11-year-old had told her she wanted to perform oral sex on the boys in the house, according to court records. The 16-year-old denied encouraging her.

The teenage girl and the 15-year-old boy were charged with being a party to sexual assault. Torbenson said he will probably seek to have them tried as adults.

The reported attack punctuated Milwaukee's felonious summer, which started with a Memorial Day weekend in which 28 people were shot. Though homicide numbers are lower than 2005, assaults are up by 22 percent and robberies by 36 percent, Police Chief Nan Hegerty told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Several mob attacks have taken place in Milwaukee's inner city in recent years. In 2002, more than a dozen people, mostly boys, chased a man through the streets and beat him to death with shovel handles, rakes and tree limbs.

A mentally ill man died after being beaten and robbed by a group in 2004. Four days after that attack, a 14-year-old boy was kicked, punched and hit on the head with a piece of lumber after he exchanged words with a girl. He was in a coma for two weeks. Also that summer, four brothers were beaten by a group armed with bats, bottles, sticks and socks stuffed with canned food.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett described the latest alleged crimes as disgusting and deeply troubling.

"When you have people working in concert and no one in the group is showing conscience, that's a real problem," he said.

"It almost leaves me speechless," said Barbara Nuell-Moore, director of the neighborhood-improvement group Project Respect. "It is just senseless acts of violence. It is inhumane. It is embarrassing to the city of Milwaukee and its people. ... There should be outrage."

Open Letter to Facebook from Mark Zuckerberg

if you remember from yesterday's post---and probably from the influx of news articles and wikipedia entries---you know that facebook has gone haywire, with the Feed feature allowing everyone to see your every facebook move. since then, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's creator, has written a letter of apology and a promise to give us a choice to turn off the feature if desired. Read on. (note the bolded statements--that's my embellishment. why was this so hard to realize for him do you think? i welcome your comments.)

We really messed this one up. When we launched News Feed and Mini-Feed we were trying to provide you with a stream of information about your social world. Instead, we did a bad job of explaining what the new features were and an even worse job of giving you control of them. I'd like to try to correct those errors now.

When I made Facebook two years ago my goal was to help people understand what was going on in their world a little better. I wanted to create an environment where people could share whatever information they wanted, but also have control over whom they shared that information with. I think a lot of the success we've seen is because of these basic principles.
We made the site so that all of our members are a part of smaller networks like schools, companies or regions, so you can only see the profiles of people who are in your networks and your friends. We did this to make sure you could share information with the people you care about. This is the same reason we have built extensive privacy settings – to give you even more control over who you share your information with.

Somehow we missed this point with Feed and we didn't build in the proper privacy controls right away. This was a big mistake on our part, and I'm sorry for it. But apologizing isn't enough. I wanted to make sure we did something about it, and quickly. So we have been coding nonstop for two days to get you better privacy controls. This new privacy page will allow you to choose which types of stories go into your Mini-Feed and your friends' News Feeds, and it also lists the type of actions Facebook will never let any other person know about. If you have more comments, please send them over.

This may sound silly, but I want to thank all of you who have written in and created groups and protested. Even though I wish I hadn't made so many of you angry, I am glad we got to hear you. And I am also glad that News Feed highlighted all these groups so people could find them and share their opinions with each other as well.

About a week ago I created a group called Free Flow of Information on the Internet, because that's what I believe in – helping people share information with the people they want to share it with. I'd encourage you to check it out to learn more about what guides those of us who make Facebook. Tomorrow at 4pm est, I will be in that group with a bunch of people from Facebook, and we would love to discuss all of this with you. It would be great to see you there.
Thanks for taking the time to read this,

Mark

Introducing Hanifa Walidah

Loving this video....i think we're so used to black lesbians being fetishized in black music that seeing them in a natural, normal setting is "weird" to us. i'm not a lesbian and i don't claim to be. but this is a very sexy portrayal of women loving other women to me.

a while back i took a critical theory class, and we talked about how female relationships always exist along a lesbian continuum. it's things like this that remind me of that (peep the hug sequence).

if only black gay lifestyles weren't so looked down upon.

i just find it very interesting that in hip hop at least, two gay men is unheard of, but two gay women is a man's fantasy and fetish even. men have made videos about it, made songs about it, all of that. another strange double standard in the world of sexual politics and black sexuality.

oh yeah, and the track is kinda hot.

thoughts on the random: skinny jeans, sexual politics, facebook=stalker net, and my fav. time of the year.

the above topics will be talked about in that order and i may add things to the list as they come to me.

on: skinny jeans.

i'm really feelin this new look...skinny jeans, sexy top, cute little pumps. and i want to try it. but....i dunno, i just think that maybe it doesn't work for me. see, i have a big booty, and those who know me...know that my big booty cannot be denied. i don't know if i am bold enough really to wear skinny jeans...cuz...i mean....skinny jeans...the name alone implies that...one needs to be skinny.

now i'm not a fat girl, but by some [men's] standards i am considered thick. i may not have any business wearin nothin called... "skinny jeans," but...f*ck it, i think i may try it.

i mean if ashlee simpson can do it, then dammit, i can do it too!

on: issues regarding sexual politics.

this weekend i read somewhere that about 5% of men everywhere actually NEED to use magnum sized prophylactics (you know what i am talking about. if you don't, you may want to do yourself and favor and stop reading). the other 95% either a.-don't need them and don't use them or b.-are lying to themselves and to their partners. now i think this is most likely true (especially option B)....but now i find myself looking for the men who belong in that 5%....lol, j/k (maybe :-)

and another thing, what is it with men not wanting to cuddle? i don't understand. i've only met one man who wanted to cuddle and he was the best guy i've ever gone out with. so what is it with these losers who don't like to cuddle? don't even get me STARTED on the ones who can't cuddle right. they can miss me with all that.

on: people who stare you down on the metro.

yes. i hate these people. but what i learned was that if you stare back, they will think you are crazy and will avert their eyes. this dude on the train kept staring at me, and not only was he very close to me near the door---an invasion of privacy i'm sure---but his eyes were just...on me, and it made me uncomfortable. so i shot him this mean ass look as if to say: the f*ck you lookin at? he immediately backed off. see? as long as you LOOK like you can kick a dude's ass, you're usually okay.

on: facebook becoming the new COINTELPRO.

i can't handle it. i logged onto my facebook today to find out that they had completely overhauled the damn thing. now they have this thing called a frickin "news feed" and an accompanying "mini-feed" for your personal profile. apparently, they tell you who's just poked who, who is now in a relationship with somoene else, who just wrote on who's wall, even who's goin to what events, and where the fuckin events are at!

it's just too much info for me....i don't WANT to know that you're goin to the Kappa party on friday, i don't WANT to know that Jamal broke up with Keisha and now he's looking for whatever he can get. i don't WANT people to know if i'm suddenly in a relationship with the Ape at Umass or some shit. i simply think it's invasive. this is sooooo not the business. but i'll tell you what is...

on: my favorite time of the year in DC

that's right. CBC WEEK! the week of the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference has GOT to be my favorite time of the year in DC. great chances to hear powerful Black speakers, massive happy hours, handsome black professional men in suits, and plus Love nightclub shuts down and becomes mad classy. i'm so very excited. i think i might skip out on the Zeta/Sigma/Thurgood Marshall CBC reception though this year, because i want to check out the Urban League's young professionals network event. and it's the same night.

for background: www.cbcfinc.org

short attention spans and short skirts

I recently was having a conversation with my aunt's fiancee. He was on his way to a wedding and his daughter was going to be a bridesmaid. I said, "oh. your daughter is pretty young to have friends who are getting married."

i found out that it was actually her older cousin who is 26. he said that they had met their second year in college and that they had been together ever since. to which i replied,

"i need someone to explain this 'met in college' shit to me...cuz that's not what happened when my ass was in college."

then he explained that they went to a small rural school in pennsylvania, and that the community there, esp. for black people, was very small. "i guess the culture of the school was since the community was so small, once you found someone who was halfway decent you kinda just stuck with them til it was time to get married."

what a novel concept that was to me. i went to school in a fairly busy city setting, in a place full of other ambitious, young professionals of all races and backgrounds. it's a place that, for the most part, it's possible to date more than one person and--if you're careful--they never find out about it. but also, because there are so many quality potential mates here, the competition is turned up a notch. for instance, i can name at least 5 dateable men who i'm friends with (names withheld to protect the innocent...or not so innocent :-) as well as five dateable women.

so...as such, i find that the people here--esp. the men--have VERY short attention spans when it comes to dating. they'll date you, then one day, they disappear because they've found someone who was smarter, prettier, funnier, better in bed, than you were. now...you can miss me with the standard "he's just not that into you" quip--that's a given. but there are other implications to this. i honestly believe that with so many eligible singles around, it's easy for a guy to simply not have his attention kept long enough to give one girl a shot that lasts more than a week or two.

if i had a dollar for everytime a guy has called, wined, dined, and then disappeared into the night, i'd be a millionaire and could probably quit my job. in fact, that kind of behavior has happened at least three times this very summer! it's incredible to me. but i think it all goes back to the fact that i'm sure most men--and some women---think to themselves, "there are so many other guys/girls out there. and what's more, there's at least one of them who are smarter, prettier/more handsome, funnier, and probably better in bed than this girl/guy is." and then before you know it....*poof.* into thin air.

i'm sure i've done it too though. i don't call. he calls. i hit the reject button. he calls. he leaves a message. i listen to said message. as i listen to said message, i meet another guy at the happy hour that the voicemail guy is interrupting. the other guy buys me drinks. the other guy is a law student. the voicemail guy then reverts to myspace messaging. i ignore. and ignore. and then ignore until i never hear from him again. and by that time, the happy hour guy has already taken me out on three dates!

i think if you took this theory and observed it in other cities like maybe new york, los angeles, or even atlanta....you'd see it happen there too.

"In my mother's house there is still God"

The other day i was thinking about the scene in Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun when Beneatha, the daughter says that there is no God and no need for religion. Lena Younger, her mother, slaps her clear across the face and tells her to repeat the words, "In my mother's house there is still God."

This scene raises a lot of questions for me about what happens in that time between leaving your parents and becoming an adult. My parents taught me a set of morals, values, and even religious doctrine in hopes that they've "raised me right" so that I would not depart from it as the Bible verse says. And they did raise me right; i successfully graduated from college and living on my own in DC. However, it's amazing how as you get older, you feel the need to create your own doctrine, your own set of rules, ones that seem to best match were you are in life.

It's not a matter of respect or lack thereof for your parent's teachings. It's not even a sign of disobedience and rebellion. It's merely a sign of learning what works for you, what doesn't, and how to reconcile the adult, freer-thinking you with the child of your youth who did things because your parents told you to.

That's where I'm at now, and I think that's where a lot of early twentysomethings are. I'm at a point where I'm figuring out what was realistic and what was idealistic about my parents' wishes, what i'm comfortable with and what i'd rather change. I'll be the first to admit that it feels awkward most of the time, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

i had to take a pause for the cause.

for this man right here...my new celebrity crush....reggie bush. if you don't agree that this is the finest piece of chocolate you've ever seen....you are either a straight man or you're sleepin'.

okay. maybe not the finest...but is body at least rivals a lot of other cats. and i don't even LIKE footballs players like that.

Thanks to Fresh over at Crunk and Disorderly for the pics.

Africa: We Must Not Forget, We Must Not Give Up

Today I have the great priviledge and honor of having Ms. Minyon Moore as a guest contributor to Ignorant Art. Minyon was the White House Political Director and Director of Public Liaison during the administration of former President Bill Clinton.

I am a proud daughter of the African Diaspora. Born and raised in Chicago, and working in Washington, D.C. I always dreamed of visiting Africa, but I never had the opportunity until I traveled there with President Clinton in March of 1998 – a two-week trip that marked the first time in more than 20 years that an American President had visited sub-Saharan Africa.

This past July, I went back – once again with a delegation of Americans and Europeans headed by Clinton but without the fanfare accompanying a President. In a hectic seven-day, seven-country tour, we visited health clinics, agricultural projects, and met with presidents and their cabinet ministers.

As thrilling as it is to travel with a President and meet with other heads of state, what I remember most from both visits are the children and the young people of Africa. I’ll never forget the little boy in Ghana, eight years ago, who risked being lost in a crowd of 100,000 people so that he could shake hands with President Clinton. I was inspired by the young people who waved American flags during our visit this year, despite how controversial and isolated our country has become throughout the world. And, I still see the images of the children, without shoes and in worn clothes, who ran alongside our motorcade-- rejoicing, laughing, and dancing. Their eyes full of life – and hope. I wondered if they knew how desperately poor they and their countries are. I thought, how can these children be so excited and have so much hope amidst so much despair? If they aren’t giving up hope, then how can we?

According to the World Bank, throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, 218.6 million people – 39.1% of the population – live on less than a dollar a day. According to the United Nations’ Human Development Report in 2003, the poorest 25 nations in the world were all in Africa.

This terrible poverty challenges all of us – from Africans to their kinfolk in the Americas and people of conscience all around the world. For the Africans, the question quite likely is, “What can we do for ourselves?” For everyone else on this planet, the question should be, “What can we do as people of good will to help them see a brighter and healthier future?”

That question has preoccupied Bill Clinton since his final years as President and during the six years since he left office. Without the media attention that the critics and cynics would have expected, Clinton has been addressing this issue here in the U.S. and around the world --how to work with poverty-stricken communities and provide people with the tools, to build better lives for themselves.

In Africa, it’s apparent that there is one overwhelming obstacle to people surviving, much less succeeding. AIDS is still a pandemic in Africa, cutting short people’s lives and jeopardizing entire societies and economies. According to the World Health Organization, only 9 of the 53 African countries have life expectancies of 50 years.
For the past few years, the Clinton Foundation has been working with pharmaceutical companies and African governments and health care professionals to reduce the costs of HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostics, and to develop and implement plans to deliver tests and medicines to people with HIV/AIDS. During Clinton’s trip to Africa in July, we saw how these efforts are saving people’s lives, especially children. In Lesotho, a small landlocked country in southern Africa, where over 24% of the population is infected with HIV, almost all the people have been tested for the virus. I spoke with women whose children are taking anti-AIDS medicine – and they are alive, active, and healthy.

Africa’s problems and promise involve much more than AIDS. As with poor countries and communities everywhere, poverty results from and is reinforced by a web of problems – poor education, a lack of jobs, the lack of viable industries, a shortage of investment capital, and, ultimately, an absence of hope.

Many of these challenges were addressed throughout the week and at the Leon H. Sullivan Summit. This Summit continues the work of the visionary African American minister who strived to build bridges between the African Diaspora and the continent.

At that meeting, attended by African Americans and Africans, Clinton explained why Africa’s challenges require a collective response, not only by entire countries but by the entire world. “If you look at the miracle economies of Asia, it is not only hard work but the opportunity to be part of a system that will reward your intelligence and hard work,” he said. In Africa, he continued, a system needs to be designed “to improve life, per capita income, agricultural productivity, health, education, energy and water and sanitation.”

Two days before, we had seen how such a system can be created through a new kind of development assistance. We were visiting Malawi, a southeast African nation, with a population of 11.6 million people, 85% of whom live in impoverished rural areas and whose annual income is about $160 – less than 50 cents a day. Together with the Scottish philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, Clinton has launched a $100 million initiative targeted directly to rural communities to help them improve their own farming, schools, sanitary facilities and water supplies.

We attended the dedication of the pediatric cardiology wing of the Johannesburg Hospital, which has been named for the late Walter Sisulu, a freedom fighter who had been one of Nelson Mandela’s closest friends and allies. When Mandela himself walked through the door, we found ourselves not only participating in the dedication but also the 88th birthday celebration for the first freely elected President of post-apartheid South Africa. While his body is frail and his walk is slower, his mind is alert. Later in the day, he regaled us with the story of how he had been released from prison and allowed to wear a business suit for the first time in decades in order to meet with President Botha in July, 1989, a month before the aging apartheid advocate resigned and made way for F.W. DeKlerk, who would put the country on the path to peaceful change.

Before heading back to the United States, we visited Monrovia, Liberia. The newly elected President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, held a town hall forum for young people to talk with Clinton about his foundation and how it would directly help and work with the young people of their country. Sirleaf, an economist who faced down violent and dictatorial forces in her country and ended up beating a soccer star in a free election, is an extraordinarily competent and courageous leader.

But our visit to Liberia offered a distressing glimpse of the problems the she and her country are confronting. When we landed at the airport and began to travel down a long road where, as far as the eye could see, there were small shacks and unspeakable devastation. Once again, we saw the children – children wading in the water because it had rained all day, and the area had begun to flood.

I kept asking myself: In a country that has no electrical grid and runs mostly on generators, what happens when night falls? Where do the children sleep? How do they keep themselves from being bitten by disease-carrying bugs? Where does their food come from? Will these children ever see a book in their lifetime? Will anyone understand that they are God’s children, too? At one point I had to simply close my eyes and repeat the words of the African American anthem, “God of my silent tears.”

That is why it is so important that resourceful people from outside Africa – among them, Oprah Winfrey, who is building a school for girls in South Africa, Bill and Melinda Gates, who are making Africa a focus of their foundation, Alicia Keys who is working to build a medical facility in Durban, Ambassador Andrew Young, Sir Tom Hunter, philanthropists Frank Giustra and Karlheinz Kogel, Chris Tucker, Cicely Tyson, and Bono, to name a few – are all trying to help the people, as partners and not as patrons.

But it is also important that so many lesser-known people, with enormous energy but limited finances are also helping, as volunteers in Africa or as contributors here in America. Even if we only donate to the Clinton Foundation, Africare, Oprah’s Angel Network or charity of your choice, we all can help. Go to your local church or go online and find an organization so that you can volunteer. Visit Africa, you will see first hand the amazing resiliency of these children. No matter how big or small your contribution, you can make a difference.

We all should remember what a blessing it is to have a decent meal, sleep in a warm bed, have shoes on our feet, clothes on our backs, and hope in our hearts. Even now, with the world’s attention turning to the Middle East, we must not forget about, or give up on, Africa. Think of the children. I won’t forget them.

We love you, Philip Bailey.

Aside from the overall cuteness of the video (peep the phillip bailey "OWWWW!"), i think people are missing the point when they look at this youtube video. Every body and their momma is on some "oh that little girl is gonna be a STAR!" like this is star search or something.

the real poignant piece to this is the fact that at a young age, the little girl is learning how to appreciate good, authentic music. when i was growing up, my dad and i would listen to all of his earth wind and fire tapes in the car on the way to school or to the grocery store on sunday afternoons. it was then that i learned how to really listen to music.

this isn't about a little girl becoming the next American Idol winner or becoming the next alicia keys or any of that nonsense. This girl LOVES MUSIC, and has been taught to do such with a joy and a passion that i feel is lost in today's Laffy Taffy Generation.

THAT'S why these parents--whoever they are--are good parents.

late registration

my brother left home to go to Tuskeegee this evening. he actually graduated last year, but like some students he needed a year to kind of "find himself" and think about what he really wanted to do with himself.

he didn't care about school much, just playin ball and chillin. he went to a community school, and was content with that until he saw more and more of his friends dying in the streets to gangs and guns. he said he had to get out of there.

so one day he just start doing his schoolwork, got a job, and then filled out an application to attend Tuskeegee University.

i couldn't be prouder of my brother today. he made a decision to better himself, and not to be another brother on the corner. i find it interesting/intriguing that he chose the school founded by Booker T. Washington, the great Black thinker who encouraged Black people to think and do for themselves, to 'pull oneself up from the bootstraps' and decide for themselves what they want to be. i feel as though this is a lesson my brother needed to learn. in a way it kept him going.

i IM'd him while he was in the airport today. he told me, "i'm proud of you for graduating and giving me something to follow." that meant a lot to me. my life after graduation isn't perfect and sometimes it feels like i'm not doing anything right, but it's good to know that i've done a few things right and that i can be an example to something else. it's kind of a relief and encouragement to keep going.

Here's to you, John-John. make me proud.

don't date him girl!

i'm sure some of you have heard of this site:

www.dontdatehimgirl.com

the listing of men who are assholes and that women warn that you shouldn't date.

well now there's a spinoff:

www.sorryassbabydaddies.com

i don't know what to say but this just makes my heart hurt. and probably my head hurt too.

as for the former--i can't say there are many men i feel that way about. you know enough to say to other women not to date him. but i don't know how i feel about that concept. i mean just because it didn't work out with me--that doesn't mean that he'll treat her bad too, does it? i just think women let these men get away with stuff and if a woman doesn't take any ish, then she'll save herself from bein in a world of hurt, you know?

i used to date someone who consistently lied to me. he is now dating someone else who i know. do you think i'm callin her, facebookin her, IM'in her on some "don't date him girl!" of course not. who has time for that? and i could be sabotaging something that is good for the both of them.

i mean the other site...i still don't know what to say. i guess i'm at a loss for words.

Loryn's Favorite Things: the sexy love songs edition

Well, as you all may remember i did a favorite things post which talked about various clothes, shoes, cell phones, etc. that i like. this time, i'm going to take a different approach.

on my last go around as a blogger, i had a list of songs on my playlist to "get you in the mood." i was actually in competition to see if i had a better playlist than my boy.


now, contrary to popular belief, I think i came up on top cuz i had more classics ;-) but this time i'm going to do a list of some of my favorite slow jams. this could be long, but i'm gonna keep it at ten.

Maxwell-Til the Cops Come Knockin

do i have to explain about this song? it's so sexy. i mean he hits you with the "lock you up in love for days"! that's crazy to me.

janet jackson-anytime, any place

i don't know what's sexier the song or the video. but this joint will get it poppin fa sho.

prince-do me baby
i'm not going to explain this one. it's prince, dammit.

pharrell williams-take it off (dim the lights)
see, i normally wouldn't include this one, but i think it's just my favorite at the moment. real nice lil track by pharrell on a not so cool album (his solo album was so underwhelming it's sad.)

floetry-say yes
the chorus will get you EV-ER-Y-TIME. all you gotta do is say yes/don't deny what you feel let me undress you baby/open up yr mind and just rest/i'm about to let you know/you make me so...

and anything can be after that "so"! i love it. floetry will be on this list again, trust and believe

R. Kelly-seems like you're ready
now mind you, it's a little creepy, cuz this song COULD be a bout a teenage girl, but it is a classic in the mood song and i don't thinkt there's been anything made that has this sort of quintessential value in the last ten years.

Bob Marley-Turn the Lights Down Low
who DOESN'T like this song? esp. the remake with lauryn hill. real nice, chill out song. makes you wanna grab your sweetheart and just hold each other on the dancefloor and move real slow.

floetry-lay down
if you haven't heard it, you're sleeping.

maxwell-sumthin sumthin (mellosmooth mix)
i mean besides the fact that it's on arguably one of the sexiest soundtracks of all time (love jones)...just a hot song to me. beautifully arranged, lovely falsetto, and it's maxwell.

musiq-settle for my love
i probably need a late pass for this one. but...this song is beautiful, i discovered it just last month. a simply, sweet song. i hear patrice rushen did it first. so if any of you out in cyberspace have a copy of her version, send it on like d'angelo.

are YOU a sideline hoe?

find out by listening to monica's new song:

http://us.video.aol.com/audio.full.adp?pmmsid=1681092


this is pretty effing hilarious if you ask me. i mean who wants to KNOW their a sideline ho?

who actually WANTS to be the sideline ho? i mean i'm sure somebody wants that position.

don't forget to apply it DIRECTLY to the FOREHEAD! (thanks, obi)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Is3icfcbmbs&search=HeadOn


My friend hipped me to this on this very morning. Now i didn't see it til i read the wikipedia articl on it. But...This may very well be the WORST commercial of all time. who thinks of these things?

Repetition, however, often does translate into dollars. I guarantee you the next time I am in CVS, I will at least look for some Head-On on account of that damn commercial.

Has anyone else seen this? because I'm surprised i'm just now discovering it.

it only happens every hundred years

this past week was alpha phi alpha fraternity's 100th anniversary celebration. i'm willing to argue that this is probably a very momentous occasion in black history, and it happened in my city. 7 young men with a vision at a predominately white school. that's incredible. and it's probably one of the reasons why i maintain that i may not have joined a bglo at a black school. i feel like the struggle is much different at a white school. different issues.

with that being said: here are some highlights-

*my blue ice mixer. peep the above pic. that's only a glimmer of how frickin fun that shit was. lots of drinks, happy people, spades, and cute ass alphas.

*my boy jason's (HAY BOO) presidential suite. good God that place was bigger than my entire office.

*H2O with one of the coolest sorors i know, malica ahmad. damn, there were some real cuties in there. and darn good drinks.

*beautiful opera solo at their public program. that was really breathtaking

*the following comment: "you're a Zeta? ooooooh....ahhhhhh...i love Zetas" on repeat all week.

*partyin and chillin with my rhode island boys again

*actually finding a cute stuffed gorilla

* seven words: 6 to 1 guy to girl ratio.

and there you have it folks.

and you shoulda gone to H2O.

this was so on point, that i had to share it with you.

I had a talk with my friend yesterday (see below--he's in RI), and we were saying how for some reason I can't find someone who is interested enough to actually date me; not just kinda chill up in my crib and maybe hook up.

Then today, I looked at my horoscope, and here's what it said:

AQUARIUS: Romance can blossom, but make yourself available to someone who is eager to pursue a more active involvement with you.

now isn't that amazing? we were JUST talking about this hours before I picked up my copy of The Express.

Now that's what i'm talking about.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS REACHES BACK: Artist is has plans for community center.

*The artist/writer/super producer Pharell Williams is going back to the community and bringing gifts.

The Star Trak executive is in talks to build a computer resource center in his hometown, Virginia Beach, VA. The economic development director for Virginia Beach, Don Maxwell, told The Virginian Pilot that the demographics, cost, and size of the project are still being figured out. But, Virginia Beach’s City Council may get to review the deal as early as next month.

In addition, Williams is also negotiating with Apple and Microsoft to support the center and will utilize a local architect to design the building.

"One of these kids could be the next chemist for Pfizer," Williams said referring to the health care giant Pfizer Inc. HP has started a campaign entitled the “Computer is Personal Again” and Williams has agreed to appear in the new spot.

The campaign debuted with rapper/mogul/Def Jam president Jay-Z and has featured Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, U.S. Olympic, snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White and television executive Mark Burnett (The Apprentice, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, On the Lot).

All three spots will be available online prior to hitting major television networks.

We can also prepare for Williams highly anticipated solo release “In My Mind” to drop July 25.

hood? providence? are you kidding?

oh i kid you not.

for a place that seems very "suburban" i was shocked to find how hood some spots were.


we went to a club on friday night called Jovan's. I guess i should have known from the name, but i thought "well it's providence, the block can't be THAT hot"

oh but it was....when we were leaving, we walked as quickly as possible to the car. with all them black folks out there in front of the club, a "nigga moment" was bound to pop off (thanks, aaron macgruder).

providence is also home to probably one of the most awesome malls i've ever been to. providence place NOT ONLY has an H &M, and two (2) aldo stores, but it also happens to have...a Delia's store! Delias? i thought. I grew up on the Delia's catalog. Seeing the store was total trip to me. i couldn't believe my eyes.

another cool place i went to while i was there: this spot called...the Black Repertory Center (Black Rep for short). very chill, fairly inexpensive drinks, live soul music, and dj that played mostly dancehall. oh, and lively, inebriated alphas. what more can a girl ask for? wonderful vibe, nice ambiance.

i used to crack jokes about my boy livin in rhode island...one liners about cow tipping come to mind. but now i'm rethinking it. maybe i'll go even go back for a return visit. whoda thunkit?

providence--america's hidden secret.

i went to rhode island this weekend to visit my friend (see above) and meet some of his friends and frat brothers.

i was pleasantly surprised to find that providence has quite a nightlife. details are to follow.

new bey-z

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/player...._beyonce.jhtml

some day i'll learn how to embed a youtube, but for now here's a link to the new video for deja-vu.

i'm loving the song, the video is whatever.

unlike some women i simply don't hate on her. i think beyonce's doin her thing and i can't really hate on her. i like her music and she is arguably the greatest entertainers out right now.

update on the psp ad:

Sony pulls controversial Dutch PSP adWed Jul 12, 2006 08:09 AM ET By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Corp. said on Tuesday it had pulled a Dutch billboard advertising campaign for the new white version of its PlayStation Portable video game player and apologized to anyone offended by the ad, which critics dubbed racist.

A billboard ad in the campaign -- which Sony said was launched in the first week of June and created locally and exclusively for the Dutch market -- portrayed a white woman aggressively grabbing the face of a black woman and read "PlayStation Portable White is Coming."

Sony said that the Netherlands campaign intended to highlight the color contrast between the existing black PSP and the new ceramic white PSP.

Instead, the ad campaign riled California Assemblyman Leland Yee, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a youth civil rights education project called Sojourn to the Past.

Those critics condemned Sony's use of the racially charged photo to sell a product and said it recalled an age and time when black people were portrayed in minstrel shows.

"We recognize that the subject matter of one specific image may have caused concern in some countries not directly affected by the advertising. As a result, we have now withdrawn the campaign," said Sony, which has also removed the image from its Dutch PSP site and apologized to those put off by the ad.

"I am pleased to see Sony taking responsibility for their racially charged ad and appropriately pulling it from the marketplace," said Yee, who has spearheaded state legislation aimed at keeping excessively violent and sexually explicit games out of the hands of minors.

Late last year, Sony sparked controversy in the United States with spray-painted PSP ads that looked like urban graffiti. The stealth campaign featured dazed-looking kids doing a variety of things with their PSPs, from riding them like skateboards to licking them like lollipops.

Each of Sony's controversial PSP campaigns has created massive buzz in the Internet blogosphere -- which can work to the company's advantage.

The PSP's closest competitor is Nintendo Co Ltd.'s DS, a dual-screened mobile game device.