Nobody Invited Me
Well, well, well. Another one of those exclusive �top blogger� get-togethers took place in New York Wednesday, and nobody invited me! Hmmmph!
WNBC, the flagship station of the NBC television network, invited 130 of who they consider the most-read bloggers in New York to a special NYC Blogger Summit. From what the news report suggested, it looks like the station wants to try to form an alliance to use bloggers as a corps of grassroots news correspondents. If you can�t beat �em, hire �em, I guess. They aren�t exactly offering money however, more like access to WNBC news reports and video footage. If you can�t beat �em, corrupt their sites with your mainstream media content, apparently.
Now from the brief glimpses of the blogger hordes seated in the audience section of the studio where Conan O�Brien tapes his show, it seemed like a replay of that less than diverse group that Bill Clinton pulled together up in Harlem. I spotted just two Black faces, one of them Nichelle, and two Asians, one of them Jen Chung from Gothamist.com. Despite the presence of WNBC techno-geek correspondent Sree Sreenivasan, perhaps they too think bloggers come in one flavor.
Anybody else get an invite...or not?
Odds and Ends
I haven�t blogged in over a week and even now don�t have much to say. Just a few odds and end on various topics, delivered here in no particular order.
For the first since I�ve been a voting member, I had more of my picks correct than incorrect for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, given out last Sunday night. I got 7 right and 6 wrong. I was particularly happy to see Eddie Murphy win. I finally got around to seeing Dreamgirls just the week before and really liked the work he did in that picture. He�s got a career doing more dramatic work if he wants to pursue it. But Norbit may be a bit of a setback.
SAG Awards time is about the only time of the year when I feel like a big shot. Regular ole no name members like me get to vote and the studios actively court us. I got a free pass to see Dreamgirls, along with passes to see The Queen and Babel, although the former arrived a day late and the latter was for a theater chain that stopped honoring them. I also got DVDs of The Departed, which I�d already seen, Venus, and just arriving in the mail today, several days late, Little Miss Sunshine.
I was genuinely sad to hear that Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro had to be euthanized although it was far from unexpected. Yes, you can argue that too much has been made over the life of an animal, but what was interesting to me was the very fact that his owners even cared enough to try to save his life. Horse racing�s dirty little secret is that far more horses get �put down� than ever get put out to stud. Only winning horses get that retirement, which is why Barbaro got the medical treatment he did. Had he been well enough to sire offspring, he could have easily earned back in stud fees the money spent on training, racing and treating him. But the vast majority of race horses, most of them losers, are of little value to their owners should they get injured or once their racing days are over. Quiet as it is kept, they wind up going to the glue factory or turned into dog food. No lie.
Two weeks ago for my birthday, I saw the Signature Theatre Company's production of August Wilson's Two Trains Running. It was simply excellent in every possible way. Frankie Faison and Arthur French were partiularly memorable, but the entire cast was brilliant. Now comes word that the third play in the Signature's tribute to Wilson, King Hedley II, sold out its entire run in just 48 hours when tickets went on sale Jan. 22. Theatre-goers were waiting in line outside the way sports fans line up for playoff tickets.
This Friday, some friends and I will take in the 100th Millrose Games indoor track and field meet at Madison Square Garden. This is the second year in a row I will have attended and in addition to seeing great competitors, there is some of the best eye candy both on the track and in the stands. It�s a �ke-ke� event that apparently not a lot of non-sports fans know about, otherwise NYC might have developed a weekend of social events around it in the same way the Penn Relays led to the Black Pride weekend in Philly. Maybe one day.
On a topic I may discuss further at some later date, with all the talk of Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls, and will it be Hillary or Barack, I just want to remind everyone that we have 22 months before the presidential election. Twenty-two months! Primaries aren't until next year, and we won�t vote until November 2008, yet some people are acting as if we must decide on a candidate now. Not only do I refuse to play along but I don�t think such an early start to the campaign is in anyone�s best interest. Certainly not the voters.
There�s an outside chance my voiceover career isn�t over yet, but that�s about all I can say at this point. Hopefully I�ll have some good news in the near future.
I�ll post my official Super Bowl prediction either late Saturday or early Sunday.
The envelope please�
Nominations for the 79th Academy Awards were announced this morning in Los Angeles, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Academy member and past Oscar� nominee Salma Hayek.
The full list of nominees is posted here.
Despite multiple category wins at the Golden Globes, �Dreamgirls� failed to receive a much anticipated nomination in the Best Picture category. However Best Supporting Actor and Actress nominations were handed out to Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, respectively. The film received eight nominations overall, leading all contenders.
Golden Globes winner Forest Whitaker received a Best Actor nomination for playing Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in �The Last King of Scotland� and is considered the frontrunner. Will Smith was also nominated in that category for "The Pursuit of Happyness."
Best Actress nominee Meryl Streep received her 14th nomination for �The Devil Wears Prada.� She is a two-time winner.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center�. ??The Oscars� will be televised live on ABC at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), beginning with a half-hour red carpet arrivals segment, �The Road to the Oscars.�
Post Game
The Chicago Bears defeated the New Orlean Saints 39-14 to become NFC Champions.
The Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots 38-34 to win the AFC Championship.
So, for the first time in NFL history, two Black head coaches will face each other in the Super Bowl, Tony Dungy for the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears.
Super Bowl XLI will take place Sunday, February 4 in Miami, Florida.
Road to the Super Bowl: Week 3
Hello again, sports fans. If you�ve been following along with my post season pigskin prognostications, then you know my picks have been positively pitiful, to continue the alliteration. I come into this weekend�s Conference Championships with a 2-6 record and basically need to get all the remaining games right to get to 5-6, and may need to throw in the meaningless Pro Bowl to eek out a .500 record.
Needless to say, my picks are for entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering.
This weekend�s games will not make things any easier. Sunday�s matchups look, on paper at least, to be two of the best games we�re likely to see all season and anyone�s guess as to who will win. The outcomes could also place at least one Black head coach in line to become the first to win a Super Bowl. With wins today, Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts, could also make it the first time two Black head football coaches face each other for the championship on February 4.
But in order to do that, they both have to get past two tough competitors. The Bears may be at home for the NFC Championship, where the weather forecast calls for snow showers, 11 mph winds and temps in the 20�s, but that may simply force the New Orleans Saints, who play indoors at the SuperDome, to rely on their running game. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush might be able to wear down the undersized Bears defense and if the Saints do go to the air, Drew Brees has had much success finding rookie Marques Colston while Bears defensive backs have been giving up points easily of late.
The Bears have the best record of all the remaining playoff teams because they�ve been able to get just enough from offense, defense and special teams. They rarely win pretty, but win they do. They will need all hands on deck again today and maybe a little assistance from Mother Nature to stop the Saints.
In the AFC game, haven�t we seen this before? The matchup between the Colts and Patriots is starting to take on Red Sox vs Yankees proportions, with the Colts in the Red Sox role, typically falling short against their perennial rival. I think we�re all sick of hearing about Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady but until Manning wins the big one and leads his team to a championship, this set of goat horns will continue to hang on his head.
The Colts have proven they can beat New England, they just haven�t demonstrated they can then go on to win it all. With that as motivation and a defense that has surprised the so-called experts by stepping up and shutting down the running games of both Kansas City and San Diego the past two weeks, they are capable of beating them again.
But you can never count out New England. They are the class of the NFL, the dominant team that just finds a way to win at this time of year. Personnel-wise, they are different from the teams that won Super Bowls in three out of four years, but still seem to have players making big plays when they need them. The game is in Indianapolis and the man who kicked so many game-winning field goals for the Patriots, Adam Vinatieri, now plays for the home team.
NFL Conference Championships
(My picks in bold; all times are eastern)
Sunday, Jan. 21
NFC Championship
New Orleans at Chicago
3:00 pm
FOX
AFC Championship
New England at Indianapolis
6:30 pm
CBS
Super Bowl XLI -- Dolphin Stadium (South Florida)
Sunday, Feb. 4
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion
6:25 pm
CBS
AFC-NFC Pro Bowl -- Aloha Stadium (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Saturday, Feb. 10
NFC vs. AFC
6:00 pm
CBS
ABC Meme...
Well, I�ll be ding-donged. I woke up this morning and found myself tagged by this guy.
Since things have been slow around here, I�ll play along.
A. Available or Single? Single and available actually.
B. Best friend? I�ll get back to you.
C. Cake or pie? In deference to my waistline, I�ve cut back on both, but I make a mean apple pie.
D. Drink of choice? Orange juice.
E. Essential item? My computer.. Can�t you tell?
F. Favorite color? I was told once by a spiritualist that golden yellow favors me. I believe her.
G. Gummi bears or worms? Neither.
H. Hometown? Poughkeepsie, NY
I. Indulgence? Edy�s Fruit Bars. I eat them all year round, even in winter.
J. January or February? January is my birth month, but February usually spells the beginning of the end of winter. I�ll go with January though.
K. Kids and names? None.
L. Life incomplete without? Friendship and love
M. Marriage date? N/A
N. Number of Siblings? Five brothers (one deceased).
O. Oranges or Apples? As stated before, I love orange juice and apple pie. A toss up.
P. Phobias/fears? Fear of growing old alone.
Q. Favorite Quotation? �Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.� Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
R. Reason to smile? When well-behaved little kids innocently act out their curiosity about the world around them.
S. Season? Spring and Fall. Not too hot, not too cold, sunny.
T. Tag three people: Karsh, Shawn and Taylor because I think they might accept it in the spirit of fun in which it was intended.
U. Unknown fact about me: Hmmm�.there are many I could choose, but how about this one: I once gave Harry Belafonte a ride in my car.
V. Vegetable you hate: I like all vegetables.
W. Worst habit? Procrastination. I�m doing it now!
X. X-rays I�ve had: Dental, chest, back and foot.
Y. Your favorite food? Comfort food, in any cuisine. Big hearty meals eaten by common folk the world over are my favorites.
Z. Zodiac? Capricorn.
A Man of Peace
Last week, President George W. Bush delivered a televised speech to the nation in which he attempted to convince the American people that more troops needed to be sent to Iraq in order to bring stability to that region, following the U.S. invasion three years ago, subsequent overthrow of Saddam Hussein, escalation of partisan religious and ethnic tension and complete breakdown of any semblance of order and government.
Without spelling out how stability would be achieved or how long it would take, the President wanted support for a vague plan to keep a military presence in the middle of what most experts now see as a civil war. Meanwhile the cost of the war continues to grow, now approaching the five hundred billion dollar mark.
Forty years ago, the United States was engulfed in a similar unwinnable internal conflict in Vietnam, that divided American sentiments, cost thousands of lives, and hundreds of millions of dollars. Just as now, important domestic issues were being cast aside as federal funds were diverted to the war effort. Then as now, political leaders talked of insuring the redevelopment of a foreign nation they had helped to destroy, while ignoring the growing needs of people at home struggling to get by.
On April 4, 1967, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a speech at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned, at Riverside Church in New York City. It was one of his first public statements in opposition to the Vietnam War, which resulted in some criticism in many quarters. But Dr. King felt he had to speak out, as a man of faith and a man of principle, against an action he felt was crippling the country, economically and spiritually.
Not surprisingly, the words he spoke four decades ago, are just as appropriate now as they were then. Here is an excerpt:
Since I am a preacher by trade, I suppose it is not surprising that I have seven major reasons for bringing Vietnam into the field of my moral vision. There is at the outset a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I, and others, have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed as if there was a real promise of hope for the poor -- both black and white -- through the poverty program. There were experiments, hopes, new beginnings. Then came the buildup in Vietnam and I watched the program broken and eviscerated as if it were some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war, and I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.Perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would never live on the same block in Detroit. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.
My third reason moves to an even deeper level of awareness, for it grows out of my experience in the ghettoes of the North over the last three years -- especially the last three summers. As I have walked among the desperate, rejected and angry young men I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But they asked -- and rightly so -- what about Vietnam? They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.
For those who ask the question, "Aren't you a civil rights leader?" and thereby mean to exclude me from the movement for peace, I have this further answer. In 1957 when a group of us formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we chose as our motto: "To save the soul of America." We were convinced that we could not limit our vision to certain rights for black people, but instead affirmed the conviction that America would never be free or saved from itself unless the descendants of its slaves were loosed completely from the shackles they still wear. In a way we were agreeing with Langston Hughes, that black bard of Harlem, who had written earlier:
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read Vietnam. It can never be saved so long as it destroys the deepest hopes of men the world over. So it is that those of us who are yet determined that America will be are led down the path of protest and dissent, working for the health of our land.
Read the full speech, �Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence� here.
$39.95 plus tax*
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday dear Bernie,
Happy birthday to me.
It�s not too late to send gifts.
*$7.05 state and local.
Road to the Super Bowl: Week 2
Needless to say, if I was dependent on picking football games for my livelihood, I might starve to death.
I went 1-3 in picking last weekend�s wild card matchups, and that one win�Seattle over Dallas, 21-20�was by the slimmest of margins, a shoestring tackle of Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo at the 2 yard line following a botched hold of a field goal attempt that would have won it for Dallas.
Otherwise, I was tossing snake eyes. Kansas City never got its running game on track and Indianapolis easily rolled to a 23-8 victory. The teacher, Bill Belichick, beat the pupil, Eric Mangini, as the New England Patriots took care of the New York Jets, 37-16. Finally, in an evenly matched contest between NFC east division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles kicked a field goal with no time remaining to beat the New York Giants 23-20.
Although football season is officially over here in New York, some of us diehards continue to watch, so despite my success rate, I�ll keep guess�uh�predicting.
In Saturday afternoon�s first game, 12-4 Indianapolis travels to Baltimore (where the Colts originated) to face the 13-3 Ravens. Don�t expect a friendly reception or a repeat of last week for Indy. The Ravens have a more punishing rushing game, with Jamal Lewis, while their defense has given up only 12.6 points per game. They are physically intimidating. The Colts will have to try to score early and often to make Baltimore play catchup. Baltimore is 7-1 at home this season.
In the late game, 10-6 New Orleans hosts 10-6 Philadelphia. The Saints were 3-13 last season playing all their games essentially on the road following Hurricane Katrina. They are this season�s feel good story, having completely turned the franchise around under first year coach Sean Payton. Running back Deuce McAllister, QB Drew Brees and rookie running back Reggie Bush spearhead the offense.
But the Saints are playing in only their 6th playoff game in the club�s 40 year history (they�ve won only once) and have had a two week layoff. They remain an enigma. While the Eagles played six days ago, they seem to be peaking at the right time. They are 5-3 on the road. Jeff Garcia has taken over at quarterback in the absence of injured Donovan McNabb and the Eagle offense is utilizing new and different options. Brian Westbrook leads the team with 1217 yards rushing. My heart says Saints, my head says Eagles.
Sunday, Seattle (9-7) at Chicago (13-3) on paper looks to be a Bears win. But you never know which Bears team will show up. Chicago QB Rex Grossman has raised more questions than Alex Trebek with his uninspired play and absence of leadership. (He acknowledged he hadn�t prepared before their Week 16 drubbing by Green Bay.) The defensive secondary is also susceptible to giving up the big play.
Seattle is the defending NFC Champion and despite the injuries that have plagued them all season, certainly should have learned something from last season�s march to the Super Bowl. They�ll need big games from walking wounded QB and tailback Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander respectively to force Chicago to come from behind.
Finally, while I have picked San Diego to win it all this year, and I will stick by that prediction until proven otherwise, Sunday�s contest against the always dangerous Patriots could be the hardest game to pick. Charger coach Marty Shottenheimer has a losing record in post season play, but comes into this game with the NFL�s most successful team (14-2), most effective rushing, LaDainian Tomlinson, and hottest QB, Philip Rivers.
But the Patriots are always dangerous and have found enough weapons offensively to arm Tom Brady. While not as potent as during their past Super Bowl winning seasons, they can still put points on the board. The question is, can they stop the Chargers� offense?
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
(My picks in bold; all times are eastern)
Saturday, Jan. 13
Indianapolis at Baltimore
4:30
CBS
Philadelphia at New Orleans
8:00
FOX
Sunday, Jan. 14
Seattle at Chicago
1:00
FOX
New England at San Diego
4:30
CBS
Conference Championships
Sunday, Jan. 21
NFC Championship Game
3:00 pm
FOX
AFC Championship Game
6:30 pm
CBS
Super Bowl XLI -- Dolphin Stadium (South Florida)
Sunday, Feb. 4
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion
6:00 pm
CBS
All That Jazz
New York City is awash in jazz musicians, jazz fans and jazz news this week.
First, some 8,000 educators, musicians, industry executives, media and students from 45 countries are in town through Saturday for the 34th Annual Conference of the International Association for Jazz Education.
The four-day conference will feature a 75,000 square-foot music industry exposition, commission premieres, technology presentations, research papers, award ceremonies, and performances by over 500 of the world�s most respected professional jazz groups and musicians. In addition, a number of top school groups from France, Denmark, Australia, United Kingdom, Israel, Kazakhstan, Canada, and the United States are scheduled to perform.
On Friday, January 12, the IAJE Conference will host the 2007 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Awards Concert. Beginning in 1982, and every year since, the NEA Jazz Masters Award has been conferred on a handful of living legends that have made major contributions to jazz. Recognized as the nation�s highest honor for the field of jazz, the award to date has been given to 87 great figures in American music. The awards concert will feature performances by The Dizzy Gillespie All Star Band, under the direction of Slide Hampton, and the Clayton Brothers Quintet.
Jazz fans that can�t be there in person can hear on-site reports and interviews with musicians by listening to Newark, New Jersey-based jazz radio station WBGO, either locally or over the Internet.
Had you been listening this morning, you would have heard the announcement that Wynton Marsalis, the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the musical director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, will be taking over as host of the center�s syndicated radio program, �Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio.� The weekly broadcast heard on over 240 public radio stations, had been hosted for 14 years by newsman and jazz fan Ed Bradley, who passed away last November.
Finally, Lincoln Center was the site earlier today of the unveiling of a new United States Postage Stamp honoring the �First Lady of Song,� Ella Fitzgerald. The new 39-cent stamp bearing her likeness becomes the 30th in the Black Heritage commemorative series, which includes among others, James Baldwin, Alvin Ailey and Paul Robeson, noted on these pages at the time of their unveiling. One of Fitzgerald�s musical collaborators on several truly memorable recordings, the great pianist Oscar Peterson, was also honored with a postage stamp in his native Canada.
How to Order the First Day of Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at The Postal Store Website at www.usps.com/shop, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24 and at their local Post Office. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
ELLA FITZGERALD STAMP
POSTMASTER
421 EIGHTH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998
After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by March 10, 2007.
One hundred and fifty million Ella Fitzgerald stamps were printed.
Wild Card Weekend
The NFL calls it parity, but you can just call it mediocrity.
As they like to say, on any given Sunday any NFL team can beat any other team. That was true all season long with but a few exceptions, as no team seemed capable of running away with their division. The exceptions, the AFC West�s San Diego Chargers, AFC North�s Baltimore Ravens, and NFC North�s Chicago Bears, all won their divisions quite easily, but due in no small part to the weakness of the other teams in their division.
The NFC in particular, including the Bears and the other division winners, the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks, from the East, South and West respectively, was an up and down affair each week with even the better teams losing games against opponents they should have beaten. The Bears went undefeated through their first seven games, then inexplicably got trounced by lowly Miami, raising questions about quarterback Rex Grossman and their defensive secondary.
In the AFC, the Chargers were clearly the dominant team, and are my pick to not only win the conference championship but the Super Bowl. With the NFL�s Most Valuable Player in running back LaDainian Tomlinson, they posted the leagues best overall record at 14-2 and longest winning streak at 10 games.
This weekend marks the start of the second season, the playoff round, with four wild card matchups, featuring a number of teams that limped into the playoffs in just the final week. In keeping with my annual tradition, each week I�ll give my predictions on who will advance.
Despite having the better record, the Indianapolis Colts have historically done poorly in the post season, and I don�t see that changing this weekend. They were erratic down the stretch and their defense has been weak against the run, which is exactly what Kansas City is going to throw at them in the form of running back Larry Johnson.
Dallas and Seattle come in with the same 9-7 record, and while both teams are capable of winning, both teams are also capable of looking very bad. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells has warned everyone against anointing quarterback Tony Romo, and with good reason. Seattle may have an edge only because they are playing at home.
Sunday features two games between teams that play in the same division and thus have already faced each other twice this year. Both the NY Jets and New England Patriots of the AFC East, and the NY Giants and Philadelphia Eagles of the NFC East, split their two games this year, so these rubber match games are a toss-up. I genuinely think the Jets are capable of beating New England again, but I am picking the Giants over the Eagles solely because I am a Giants fan. I think the Eagles are the better team and have picked things up down the stretch. I hope I am right, but expect to be wrong.
NFL Wild Card Weekend
(My picks in bold; all times are eastern)
Saturday, Jan. 6
(AFC) Kansas City at Indianapolis
4:30 pm
NBC
(NFC) Dallas at Seattle
8:00 pm
NBC
Sunday, Jan. 7
(AFC) N.Y. Jets at New England
1:00 pm
CBS
(NFC) N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
4:30 pm
FOX
SAG nominations and snubs
The Screen Actors Guild announced nominees for its 13th annual motion picture and primetime television acting honors this morning, and as I feared, my fellow SAG members slept on the best drama on television, failing to recognize the talented ensemble cast of The Wire.
Amazingly (totally fucking amazingly!), they included the cast of Boston Legal in that category. Give me a break! Boston Legal next to The Wire is like comparing a paper match to a raging forest fire. There is no comparison, but apparently the latter show is too deep for the limited attention spans of some actors.
ANYWAY, Dreamgirls received nominations in both individual and ensemble categories, as did a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, Martin Scorcese�s The Departed.
Read the entire list of nominees here.
Because actors make up the largest contingent of Oscar voters, these awards are often seen as an indicator of likely voting for that award. The SAG Awards will be held Sunday, January 28 and broadcast on TBS and TNT cable networks.
All Things Considered
Were it not for the very reason for the trip, it would have been a truly wonderful weekend.
I am finally beginning to recover physically from the whirlwind cross country journey out to Los Angeles and back last week for my grandmother�s funeral. While the trip itself was from December 28 � 31, the whole odyssey and the planning required to pull it off began on the 22nd when we learned of Gram�s passing. All through the Christmas holiday, small mountains had to be moved to find flights and hotels. In my immediate family alone there were six people traveling from five cities, all on the east coast. Among extended family also descended from Gram, there were another nine travelers from three east coast departure points.
My cousin Alesia in California pulled off the Herculean task of booking the accommodations. She�s not a professional travel agent but she certainly could be. She not only worked the web but worked the phones talking to her personal contacts at the airlines to negotiate the lowest possible fares, taking into consideration the short travel time, the bereavement allowance and our various starting points, date and time requirements. Wheelchair arrangements were also made for my mother at every point going and coming, and she pulled strings with friends at an LA area hotel to get us rooms that were not far from where family lives in Inglewood.
Tuesday after Christmas with the family, my younger brother and I had to travel back to Atlanta and New York City respectively to pack, take care of personal affairs, then fly out on Thursday. Two other brothers also departed that day, while Mom and my oldest brother left a day earlier.
Now I must tell you, I don�t travel well. I hate flying. I�m not afraid to fly, I just don�t care for it, especially when it�s such a long distance, you have to make connecting flights (I narrowly escaped being snowed-in in Denver during their most recent storm) and when there is such a short turnaround. Being cramped in those small seats, in that sealed capsule, with nowhere to go for six hours is hell on earth. It would have been far easier to pack me in dry ice and ship me FedEx. Add to that the fact that the four days spent out there wasn�t enough to adjust to the three hour time difference, so I was always going to bed at what would be the wee hours of the morning here in the east. I was a hair shy of punchy the entire time.
As funerals go, Gram�s home-going was a very lovely and respectful affair. She was quite a beloved member of her churches (plural, she belonged to one years ago, then moved to another) and ministers from both were represented. They spoke not in the general platitudes one gives to just any old deceased person, but with glowing and heartfelt comments of someone they genuinely knew and loved. Gram in many ways had raised them too. One younger minister told of how she had corrected him on some scripture passages and educated him about how things were done when he first arrived. It was interesting to hear comments from so many people who were not related but who also considered her like family.
Gram was a towering presence. She was the first in a long line of very dynamic women in our family, my mother, aunt and cousins, all carry on that trait, so much so that the entire ceremony was organized almost entirely by them. I had a hand in writing an early draft version of her obituary during Christmas that we emailed out, but by the time I arrived, and the programs were being created, it had been expanded to about three times its previous length. One of my older brothers helped in the design and layout, but other than that, most of the men in three families were simply left to do pall bearer duty.
Various grandchildren spoke during the funeral itself. Another of my brothers has become the designated speaker for our family on such occasions, the rest of us would turn into a blubbering mess, I�m afraid. He now calls himself �The Vice President,� the one assigned to speak at official functions.
Thankfully, we don�t have any �throw yourself on the casket� types in our family. Nobody fell out or had to be removed in hysterics or pulled focus away from the purpose at hand. It was all quite tasteful. Afterwards, at the repast in the church hall upstairs, I got to meet several family members I had previously never met before. It has been thirty years since my last trip out west and I have cousins who were teenagers then but who are now married adults with children I have only seen in photographs. It was a somber, yet friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Finally, we had to make the long journey out to the cemetery. We were instantly reminded of how spread out the LA area is and how long it takes to get everywhere. The church was in Los Angeles, the burial site in Covina, which took us 45 minutes to an hour.
For those of you still shopping for a burial plot, let me make a suggestion. Keep your pall bearers in mind when you look at locations. Gram chose a truly beautiful site, with a lovely view�high up on a steep hill. There were eight pall bearers and every one of us, plus a cemetery official, was needed to safely carry her to her final resting spot. I should have worn turf shoes with cleats instead of Kenneth Cole. We worried my oldest brother was going to have a heart attack, his breathing was so heavy when we finally reached the top. But it was a lovely view. A lovely view.
We said our final goodbyes to Gram and even watched as her casket was lowered into the ground, although I�m not sure any of us were really prepared to see that. We made the long trip back to Inglewood, where everyone gathered for more eating and socializing. While the events of the day weighed heavy on our minds, they seemed secondary to the pleasure of each other�s company.
All of us admitted we hated the fact that it took a funeral to bring everyone together but we were still glad we were there. My late grandfather, Gram�s husband who died before I was born, had eight siblings. There were descendants from at least two other branches with whom I got to talk, exchange contact information and share stories. I learned for the first time how our great-grandfather escaped a slave plantation by outsmarting trackers out to recapture him.
Thanks to digital cameras and laptops, the memories were preserved as well. One cousin who is a photographer, had taken lots of pictures and dumped them to his PC and burned a CD. My brother then took his CD, dumped those pictures to his MacBook, added shots from his own camera, then created a slide show in iPhoto that everyone was able to watch. A day later he added some pictures I took and roughed out a DVD that we watched on a big screen tv. He�ll refine it and make copies for all of us.
There was a family reunion back in 2002 and plans for another in 2005 that failed to come off. So while some of us were out sightseeing Saturday, others were planning the next one, for July or August of this year in Atlanta. Spurred on by this recent set of circumstances and an awareness of a gradual transition on the genealogical chart, we came away from this week turning what could have been a negative experience into an opportunity grow closer. It is undoubtedly what Gram would have wanted.
Here�s to new beginnings
New goals, new focus, a renewed sense of purpose. A new starting point. Resetting the clock and beginning again, committed to doing it better, smarter, passionately, more efficiently, with greater results.
Happy New Year!
Holiday Blues
I can�t say it was unexpected, because it wasn�t. The timing just sucks.
My grandmother�my mother�s mother�died this morning around 5:00 a.m. Los Angeles time, where just a day ago, she had been moved from a medical facility to a hospice care facility. She was 98 and had been in a nursing home for the past three years.
I must confess I always had a love/hate relationship with �Gram.� It�s not that I didn�t love her or she me, it�s that she practiced tough love. She had hard and fast rules that were not meant to be broken and a singular view of how kids should be raised. She sometimes thought my parents let us get away with too much. When she would come to visit us periodically from California, we always knew we�d have to adjust to her way of doing things for as long as she stayed, which often seemed to be open-ended. If she called for you, yelling out your name, she didn�t want to hear �What� in response. She expected you to come, immediately. We learned early on, �A hard head makes for a soft behind.�
Fiercely religious and a member of the Church of Christ, she knew we were going to hell. We were the �wrong religion� as Roman Catholics. Her visits were always one more chance to try to convert us. It never worked on me.
But cantankerous as she could be, Gram was also a great role model for the independent woman. For as long as I�ve been alive, she has never worked, but always had money to do whatever she wanted to do. A widow since 1951 (I never knew my maternal grandfather) she traveled the world, either with church members, friends or even by herself, well into her 90�s. Around 30 years ago, she had a house built for her out in the middle of nowhere, it seemed, in Perris, California, and lived there by her self quite contentedly.
In the span of just over a year, my mother has lost my father, her husband of 56 years, her younger brother, my uncle, this past September, and now her mother, my last remaining grandparent. She doesn�t show it, but this has been quite tough on her. Just my aunt and her remain from that generation and this loss of my elders is taking a toll on my brothers, cousins and me as well. There is a profound awareness that the time we have left together is fleeting.
Right after Christmas, I�ll travel back to NYC, tie up some loose ends, pack and make my way with other family members out to Los Angeles for a funeral probably Friday.
�Twas the week before Christmas��
I don�t recall how old I was when I began to doubt the whole Santa Claus thing, but I know I was pretty young. I was a precocious kid to begin with, so when I began to put 2 + 2 together, it just wasn�t coming out 4.
For starters, if Santa was up at the North Pole making toys, then how come you kept seeing him at all those department stores, in parades and on street corners ringing bells? Shouldn�t he be off working somewhere? My father tried to convince me, �Those are his elves,� dispatched as emissaries apparently to make all those public appearance dates.
And speaking of toys, how come we saw so many commercials on tv? Again, Mom and Dad were quick with the spin control. �Santa farms out some of the toy manufacturing in order to meet the demand.�
Ok, semi-plausible to a 6 year old. But then other stuff still didn�t add up.
If Santa comes down chimneys, how did he get into our house? We didn�t have a chimney. If he came to the front door, he�d have to ring the bell and my bedroom was right near the doorbell. I never heard nothin�!
How does he make it to every house in the world in one night? And how does he tell the Christian houses from the Jewish houses or the Moslem houses or just the people who don�t celebrate Christmas? Something was fishy.
It started to become really obvious to me that this was all a racket run by a big eastern syndicate, when Mom would tell us to look through the Spiegel Christmas catalog and decide what we wanted. Then unmarked boxes would show up weeks or days before Christmas and she�d go to great pains to hide them from us.
So one day I sat her down for a heart to heart. I made sure to do it in private, in case my younger brother wasn�t as hip. �Mom, is there really a Santa Claus?� I asked.
�What do you think?� was her clever way of shifting responsibility for this momentous revelation.
I expressed my serious reservations, she confirmed them and that was that. I was no longer a child.
I was advised to keep it to myself because not only was my little brother clueless (but not for long), but so were other kids, and she didn�t think it was fair to spoil it for them. Good thing I listened too because one day, walking home from school, two of my best friends and I got into it and our opinions were all over the map. One of them still believed, while the other was also a non-believer, in Santa anyway. �But I still believe in the Easter Bunny� he said most confidently. (Ok, I never once believed in big rabbits delivering eggs or for that matter, fairies doling out money for your baby teeth, but who was I to ruin it for him.)
Ever since that fateful day, this holiday has never been the same. That sense of surprise, as you wake up Christmas morning to see what Santa brought, is gone. I know ahead of time whether or not I�m going to get anything or not and pretty much what it is. As I�ve reached adulthood (ok, middle age) I am able to get most of the things I want and need myself.
But that doesn�t mean I don�t still enjoy getting gifts. And you can help restore my lost sense of wonder by visiting my wishlist and picking out something you think I�d really like!
C�mon, you knew this was all leading up to my annual appeal, didn�t you?
Happy Holidays!
The Wire: Was Anyone Paying Attention?
A week has now passed since the airing of the final episode of the fourth season of the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. Diehard fans will no doubt experience withdrawal symptoms without a television show even remotely close to that quality to watch. HBO Video on Demand may have to be employed to satisfy the urges.
With the show renewed for a fifth and final season, production to begin sometime in the Spring of 2007, the challenge now is to see if this ground-breaking series gets the recognition it deserves from the show business awards community.
The Wire received a Peabody Award in 2004 and been praised by reviewers since the show debuted. About this season, the New York Times said the show "is the closest that moving pictures have come so far to the depth and nuance of the novel." Daily Variety observed, "When television history is written, little else will rival THE WIRE," hailing the show for its "extraordinary depth and ambition." Entertainment Weekly called the series "a staggering achievement," while the Washington Post described it as "electrifying and disturbing...a gripping saga," and the New York Post termed it "the single finest piece of work ever produced for American TV."
Yet acknowledgement by way of awards from the television industry has eluded them.
This show, set and filmed in Baltimore, Maryland; produced and written by creatives who are most decidedly not a part of the Hollywood mainstream; and which stars a cast of enormously talented actors, many of them African American, but all of them outside the �pretty, young, White, 20-something� model that too much of the industry embraces, has gone unnoticed by many of those who decide on the awards.
This past week nominations were announced for the 64th Golden Globes, and while the HBO network garnered 14, none were for The Wire.
Awards don�t just happen by chance. This is a political process and lots of money, time and effort is exerted by networks and producers in campaigning to get nominations, then votes, necessary to secure the coveted trophies. Average television viewers can�t vote.
But we can influence networks to devote the resources necessary to mount a campaign to seek a nomination. Fans can write letters to the tv editors of their local newspapers and major entertainment magazines, to praise their favorite show and generate wider publicity. And that�s what fans of The Wire should do, and they�d better do it fast.
It�s too late for the Golden Globes but the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Emmys are still to come. SAG, of which I am a member, announces its nominations (in acting-related categories only) on January 4, 2007. A random sampling of the entire membership was chosen to make nominations, while the full membership will get to vote on those. The awards will be given out on January 28.
However, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the industry�s highest honor, won�t be held until August 2007. That�s a long time for people to forget all about this excellent fourth season. Fans need to lobby hard and for the long haul.
Viewers can start by telling HBO to commit their marketing efforts towards promoting The Wire for both the SAG nominations (even at this late date) and the Emmys, nine months from now. Write to:
Chris Albrecht
Chairman and CEO
HBO
1100 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-6712
Phone 212.512.1000
Carolyn Strauss,
President, HBO Entertainment
HBO
1100 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-6712
Phone 212.512.1000
Whether writing to network executives or news editors, express the need to reward excellence and how The Wire embodies the highest standards of television in its writing, acting and producing. Tell them how television is full of too much formulaic programming and how lower broadcast network viewership is directly related to that. Remind them that The Wire is simply the best drama on television, anywhere, and it deserves to be given awards befitting a show of such consistent quality.
Is America Ready?
Just a little over a month ago, midterm elections were held. The Democratic Party won back control of the House and Senate, as well as a majority of the nation's governors offices. Already politicians are gearing up for the 2008 Presidential elections, with two names emerging as early frontrunners for the Democrats, New York Senator and former First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and first term Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
In last Sunday�s New York Times, political correspondent Adam Nagourney pondered the very practical question of whether or not America is ready to elect either a woman or an African American. Times and attitudes have changed over the years�there are more woman and Black lawmakers in Congress than ever before�but have they changed enough?
Without question, women and blacks have made significant progress in winning office. The new Congress will include 71 women � one of whom will be the first female speaker of the House � compared with 25 when Representative Geraldine Ferraro, a Queens Democrat, became the first woman to run as a major-party vice presidential candidate in 1984. There will be 43 blacks in the new Congress, compared with 13 when the Congressional Black Caucus was formed in 1969.
Attitudinally, many observers including prominent African Americans, believe a woman may occupy the Oval Office before a Black man.
�All evidence is that a white female has an advantage over a black male � for reasons of our cultural heritage,� said the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the civil rights leader who ran for president in 1984 and 1988. Still, he said, for African-American and female candidates, �It�s easier � emphatically so.�Ms. Ferraro offered a similar sentiment. �I think it�s more realistic for a woman than it is for an African-American,� said Ms. Ferraro. �There is a certain amount of racism that exists in the United States � whether it�s conscious or not it�s true.�
Still others suggest that in order for a Black man to become President, who he is may be more important than his race.
David A. Bositis, senior political analyst with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a nonpartisan Washington group that studies black issues, said that it would certainly be hard, but not impossible for an African-American candidate to win.�I certainly felt in the �90s that if Colin Powell had been nominated on a major party ticket, he would have had a very good chance to win,� Mr. Bositis said. �If it�s the right black candidate, I do think there is propensity to elect a black. But it has to be the right black candidate.�
So what do you think?
1. Who do you think is most likely to receive the Democratic Party nomination for President in 2008?
a. Hillary Rodham Clinton
b. Barack Obama
c. A White male candidate
2. Do you believe you will see a woman elected President in your lifetime?
a. Yes
b. No
3. Do you believe you will see an African American President in your lifetime?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Rank the following, from most likely to least likely, in terms of who could win a race for President?
a. Hillary Rodham Clinton
b. Barack Obama
c. Condoleeza Rice
d. Colin Powell
5. Which political party is most likely to have a woman or an African American elected President?
a. Democrats
b. Republicans
Two Trains Running, Fast
The Signature Theatre Company�s limited engagement of August Wilson�s Two Trains Running has been extended an additional three weeks, January 2 � 21, 2007, but don�t wait long if you want it see it. Tickets are going fast. (I got mine today, for the third week.)
Signature has put three Wilson plays on their 2006-2007 season schedule. �Seven Guitars� ran from July to October, and �King Hedley II� is slated to open February 20. Wilson, who died from liver cancer in October 2005, wrote a ten play cycle chronicling the African American experience during the 20th Century, setting all of his productions in his native Pittsburgh.
�Two Trains Running� takes place in 1969 in a diner that serves as central gathering place in the neighborhood. Directed by Lou Bellamy, the play stars Leon Addison Brown, Chad L. Coleman (�Cutty� Wise from The Wire), Frankie Faison (Commisioner Burrell, also from The Wire), Arthur French, Ron Cephas Jones, January LaVoy and Ed Wheeler.
Ball Boyz
To the surprise of virtually no one, Ohio State University quarterback Troy Smith was the runaway winner of the 2006 Heisman Trophy, honoring college football's best player, awarded at a ceremony in New York Saturday night.
Smith received 801 first-place votes and won the Heisman by 1,662 points -- both the second-best marks in the 71-year history of the award.
Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (878) finished second, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (782) was third and West Virginia running back Steve Slaton (214) was fourth.
Only O.J. Simpson's 1,750-point victory in 1968 was more lopsided than Smith's.
The 22-year-old Smith is the sixth player from Ohio State to win the Heisman and first since tailback Eddie George in 1995. And it's the school's seventh Heisman -- Archie Griffin won two in 1974-75 -- tying Notre Dame and Southern California for the most.
Meanwhile, Miami HEAT guard Dwyane Wade has been chosen as the 2006 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, for symbolizing in character and performance the ideals of sportsmanship. Wade, who captured the 2006 NBA Finals MVP after averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.67 steals in the six-game series against the Dallas Mavericks, helped the Miami HEAT earn their first NBA Championship.
The Sportsman of the Year issue hit newsstands last Wednesday, December 6. Wade will receive the award in New York this Thursday night, December 14.
Personal Business
A year ago today, my father passed. The grieving that I thought I had done prior to his death as Alzheimer�s disease slowly stole him from us, continued over the past year and today I find myself just going through the motions. Swimming in wet cement, I like to call it. Functional, but just barely. Later today, my mother and one of my older brothers and I will iChat, our new favorite way to stay in touch. I�ll communicate the old fashioned way by telephone with other brothers who don�t have that capability.
Over Thanksgiving, I walked around my hometown and took pictures. On days like today I find myself thinking about home a lot, the physical/geographical as well as spiritual/psychological. I don�t think I have felt at home for many years now.
I found out purely by accident that an interview I did awhile back has been published in the October issue of A&U; Magazine. The article was about the Black gay blogger campaign in response to the inclusion of certain homophobic Jamaican dancehall acts in an AIDS awareness concert planned for last summer. Unfortunately their website doesn�t have the article. I only learned of it when a former co-worker told me she saw it.
Similarly, I have reason to believe I am listed somewhere in Nyansapo, the publication of the National Black Justice Coalition. They requested a picture of me quite awhile back, but I have not seen anything. If anyone knows, please let me know.
It Takes A Whole Village
This Sunday, HBO airs the season four finale of their critically-acclaimed series, The Wire. Hailed for its searing accuracy in dramatizing contemporary social issues in a decidedly non-network-television style of storytelling, this season has also been by far the show�s best ever in terms of its writing and acting.
Continuing their established storyline about the drug trade in Baltimore, Maryland and its impact on dealers, addicts, ordinary citizens, the police and elected officials, this year the show interwove that into the framework of the educational system and its role in contributing to and mediating the ways in which young people get caught up in the life. However, while the school system may be the vehicle through which producers explore these topics, what we have all learned is their complexity and inter-relationship.
There are great similarities between the running of a public school, a police department, and a city government administration. There are people to be served and people to whom you are held accountable. There are measurements of success and failure. There is money to be spent wisely or squandered on hopelessly flawed approaches. There are opportunities for great innovation and creativity, and the temptation to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
The Wire introduced us to four new characters, students at the fictional Edward Tilghman Middle School, all products of the tough West Baltimore neighborhood that produced the Barksdale crew, Stringer Bell, Omar, Bubbles and all the other characters we�ve been following.
Michael Lee (Tristan Wilds) is a mature, reflective young man carrying responsibilities far beyond his years. Practically a father to his younger half brother, he navigates the streets carefully and at times by displaying physical toughness, while at home dealing with a drug addicted mother and recently, an ex-con for a stepfather, who he had good reason to distrust.
Randy Wagstaff (Maestro Harrell) is a story of loss and redemption. He lost his mother at an early age and never knew his father, reputedly an East Side drug dealer and has grown up in the foster care system. Placed in a good home with a sense of discipline and hope, Randy is a quick learner and resourceful entrepreneur, aware that there is life beyond the streets.
Namond Brice (Julito McCullum) is second generation corner boy. His father, the imprisoned Barksdale enforcer Roland �Wee-Bey� Brice, still commands respect and loyalty from what remains of the Barksdale operation, and as a result young Namond is expected to follow in his footsteps. In fact, his mother demands it to keep her at the standard of living to which she has grown accustomed.
Duquan �Dukie� Weems (Jermaine Crawford) is the worst case of neglect and the most deserving of attention. A smart and inquisitive student who is fully capable of advancing academically if given support, he won�t get any of that at home. Both of his parents are addicts, willing to steal and sell his school supplies to meet their needs, unable to keep a roof over his head, clean clothes on his back or food in his stomach.
Wrapped around and running all through their lives are the larger city-wide issues of official accountability, real responses versus cosmetic ones, as well as the need for parents to step up and be parents before someone else does, with more sinister consequences.
The campaign for mayor pointed out how easy it is to mislead the public for purely political reasons. Outgoing Mayor Clarence Royce (Glynn Turman) directs police to keep a lid on any new murder investigations to artificially deflate the crime statistics��juking the stats� they call it�so he won�t look bad in his race against Councilman Thomas Carcetti (Aidan Gillen). Carcetti won the election on a platform of reform and real change, but now faces the daunting task of making that happen.
Schools juke stats too. The entire Tilghman faculty is directed to focus on prepping their low-achieving students for upcoming state-mandated tests. They must pass to continue to receive financial aid and avoid direct state supervision. Test scores take precedence over real teaching, or the use of innovative classroom techniques like the dice games former detective, now math teacher Roland Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost) used in his class, or the university-backed program to specifically target the problem students, that former Western District police Major Howard �Bunny� Colvin (Robert Wisdom) is leading. Why do kids need to actually learn as long as the school can create the impression they are succeeding by getting them through the tests? Why invest valuable resources in kids with such diminished dreams and expectations?
If elected political leaders and school officials don�t care about the city�s children, who does? That is another battlefield heavy with landmines. The four young men, and their peers in the school and out on the streets, must negotiate their own way around adults with conflicted agendas.
About his mother, Namond said last week, �She expects me to be my father.� She is completely unable to see the dysfunction of pushing her only child onto the corners, where dealers like Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector) are eager to find and recruit new talent. He was shelling out cash for school supplies at the beginning of the year to any kid who wanted it, in exchange for their services of course.
Pryzbylewski made the teacher�s fatal mistake of growing attached to one of his students by taking Dukie under his wing. By laundering his clothes at home, sharing his lunch with him, and arranging for Dukie to shower at school before it starts, �Mr. Presbo� is taking on a parental role missing from the young man�s life.
Dennis �Cutty� Wise (Chad L. Coleman) returned home from prison in season three, flirted with the Barksdales then gave it up to try to be a positive force in the neighborhood by opening a boxing gym. While he has been more successful in influencing other kids, Michael has kept him at a distance. However, as an image of a Black man not caught up in crime and drugs, Cutty has gained the attention of many of the single mothers and taken advantage of that opportunity on at least one occasion.
Even junkie/informant Bubbles (Andre Royo) has tried to do the right thing by helping another homeless, neglected youth, Sherrod (Rashad Orange). Although he can barely take care of himself, his intrinsic understanding of what the boy needs to do to survive is well-intended.
The show has always been about the City of Baltimore itself, and less about any one particular character. Through the twelve previous episodes leading up to this weekend�s conclusion, the inherent truth of the series is that there are no easy and simple solutions to any of these issues. Just as in real life, one size does not fit all, either in addressing the crime problem, the school deficit, parental neglect and absenteeism, unemployment, homelessness, economic development, hopelessness and despair.
As an exploration of why some people fall into a life of crime and dope dealing, this season of The Wire suggests it is often because they are faced with few viable alternatives and not enough people who care if they don't. In making a dramatic commentary on the war on drugs, the lesson here is that unless we are willing to examine the innumerable ways in which a multitude of other social ills impact on and are affected by the problem, simply focusing on the drug trade alone will have no lasting effect at all.
Think Equal
In late October, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that state lawmakers must provide the rights and benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples. The high court gave legislators six months to either change state marriage laws to include same-sex couples, or come up with another mechanism, such as civil unions, that would provide the same protections and benefits.
The court's vote was 4-to-3, with the three dissenting justices arguing the court should have extended full marriage rights to lesbians and gays, without kicking the issue back to legislators.
Full marriage rights remain the goal of some New Jersey activists who are taking their case to the people--in hopes of putting pressure on the legislature�by way of a clever new Internet commercial that parodies the popular �PC vs Mac� commercials run by Apple Computer.
Blue Jersey, a progressive source of news, political analysis and activism in the state of New Jersey is behind the spot and the �Think Equal� campaign. They assert that even legalized civil union status is no guarantee of equal treatment, especially during times of crisis like medical emergencies.
You can view the ad here.
World AIDS Day: Keep the Promise
Today is World AIDS Day and the 25th anniversary of the first recognized cases of the disease. The theme for this year�s annual observance is �Keep the Promise.�
The promise to which we are referring, was made six years ago when world leaders made a promise to halt and begin to reverse the spread of AIDS by 2015. However new reports by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that, as of 2006, the epidemic continues to spread in every region of the world.
To date around 65 million people have been infected with HIV and AIDS has claimed the lives of more than 25 million people since it was first recognised in 1981. The vast majority of the 38.6 million people living with HIV in 2005 are unaware of their status.
AIDS is among the greatest development and security issues facing the world today.
In 2005 AIDS claimed the lives of 2.8 million people and over 4 million people were newly infected with the virus.
At around 17.3 million, women make up almost half of the total number of people living with the virus, 13.2 million of which live in sub-Saharan Africa (76% of all women living with HIV).
Sub-Saharan remains the most affected region in the world. Two thirds of all people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa where 24.5 million people were living with HIV in 2005.
Growing epidemics are underway in Eastern Europe and Central Asia where 220,000 people were newly infected with HIV in 2005.
Declines in HIV prevalence have been noted in Kenya, Zimbabwe, urban parts of Haiti and Burkina Faso and four Indian states including Tamil Nadu.
Here in the United States, at the end of 2003, an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons in the were living with HIV/AIDS. In 2004, 38,730 cases of HIV/AIDS were diagnosed in the 35 areas (33 states, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands) with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that approximately 40,000 persons become infected with HIV each year.
In 2004, the largest estimated proportion of HIV/AIDS diagnoses were for men who have sex with men (MSM), followed by adults and adolescents infected through heterosexual contact. MSM accounted for 70% of all estimated HIV infections among male adults and adolescents in 2004 (based on data from 35 areas with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting), even though only about 5% to 7% of male adults and adolescents in the United States identify themselves as MSM. The number of HIV diagnoses for MSM decreased during the 1980s and 1990s, but recent surveillance data show an increase in HIV diagnoses for this group. This increase points to a continued need for culturally appropriate prevention and education services.
Almost three quarters of HIV/AIDS diagnoses were for male adolescents and adults.
According to the 2000 census, African Americans make up 12.3% of the US population. However, African Americans accounted for 19,206 (50%) of the estimated 38,730 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 35 areas with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
During 2001�2004, the rate of HIV/AIDS diagnoses for African Americans decreased, although the rate for African Americans was still the highest rate for all racial and ethnic groups.
The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American men was sexual contact with other men, followed by heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
The primary mode of HIV transmission among African American women was heterosexual contact, followed by injection drug use.
...........................
Expecting world leaders to hold to their promise may seem like a tall order, but there are things we can all do as individuals to contribute to the global effort.
First, educate yourself. Know the facts about HIV/AIDS, what it is and how it is transmitted from person to person. Don�t make assumptions about your own risk level or the health status of people with which you come in contact.
Second, share your knowledge with others. Correct misinformation and don�t fall victim to other�s assumptions or assertions about who is or isn�t at risk.
Third, take responsibility for your own actions. Maintaining your health is your responsibility, not that of any potential partner. Understand the risks and take necessary precautions to keep yourself safe from infection, even if others are reluctant to do so.
UNAIDS LINK
World Health Organization LINK
Centers for Disease Control, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention LINK
National Minority AIDS Council LINK
National HIV Testing Resources LINK
World AIDS Day: Across the Blogosphere
Once again, the worldwide blog community is joining together to raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic. This list of participants will be updated over the course of the day as I become aware of more blogs, so if you wish to be included, send your link to me at Bernie@bernardjtarver.com. Put �World AIDS Day� in the subject line.
At Thirty-three LINK
BlackGayBlogger LINK 1 LINK 2
Clay Cane LINK
The Edge of Night LINK
The Emancipation of ProfessorGQ LINK
Flan! Flan! Flan! LINK
Gay Persons of Color LINK
GreasyGuide LINK
J's Theater LINK
J-Notes LINK
Jasmyne Cannick LINK
Just be dat LINK
Keith Boykin LINK
The Mad Professah Lectures LINK
Pam's House Blend LINK
PinkMafiaRadio LINK
Rod 2.0:beta LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 LINK 4
thebrotherlove LINK
The Republic of T LINK 1 LINK 2
This Thing Called Life LINK
Troy LINK
Words or Actions?
In the wake of Michael Richards� racist tirade at an LA area comedy club, everybody is weighing in on the use of the �N� word and in particular the fact that it is commonly used by Black people, especially performers in music and movies.
News commentators and columnists, as well as fellow bloggers Jasmyne, Nova, Frank and Jonathan, among others, have shared perspectives on the use of the word, its meaning historically and in contemporary society (and whether or not there is any difference), and which is worse, the word or the sentiments behind it.
The Richards incident has even changed the thinking of comedian Paul Mooney, who has known Richards for 20 years. Mooney has made regular use of the �N� word a part of his standup act for decades, but declared this week he will no longer. He will also discontinue references to women that use the �B� word.
All of this linguistic analysis and justification belies the fact that while use of certain language may be identifiable symbols of racist thinking, it is not a prerequisite. Where racism is concerned, actions speak far louder than words. Economic and political power and privilege, and a willingness to exert it over others in order to maintain that position of power and privilege, is the truer test of a racist.
So while I am personally quite tired of hearing other Black people cavalierly toss around the word, in whatever derivation, manifesting a level of internalized self-hatred and confusion they themselves probably can�t even deconstruct, and while I long ago grew immune to its use by White people for the shear fact that its definition does not apply to me, I realize that the people I need to worry about the most are those who would otherwise smile in my face, speak only kind words, yet act out their racism by erecting barriers to my pursuit of happiness.
The more virulent racist isn�t the one who calls you a nigger, but the one who harbors a preconceived and erroneous notion of who you are, makes no attempt to correct his misinformation, and acts on his ignorance in a way that is detrimental to your well-being.
NBA star, published poet and social commentator Etan Thomas recently wrote about an encounter with a league referee who was unaware of his off-the-court accomplishments. Upon learning about Thomas�s life beyond basketball, the ref responded in a way that was insulting, condescending and clearly racist. He never needed to say the �N� word.
�Kramer� Kracks Up; Hurls the "N" word
Michael Richards, who played Jerry Seinfeld�s crazy neighbor Cosmo Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," exploded in anger as he performed at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday, hurling racial epithets that left the crowd shocked.
Richards was performing at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, when two guys, both Black, playfully heckled him. Richards lost it.
As in so much of life nowadays, a video camera was present. See for yourself as Richards begins screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass."
Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now motherfucker. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger, look, there's a nigger!"
After the tirade, the majority of the audience members got up and left in disgust.
Ironically, Richards uses words all too commonly uttered by Black people to other Black, but clearly demonstrates that put in their historically accurate context, they carry the same weight as originally intended. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned here for everyone about the continued use of the word.
It will be interesting to see if this generates as much publicity as Mel Gibson�s recent anti-Semitic comments, as well as if Richards ever works again.
Larry King�luddite?
Sad and funny at the same time.
Personally Speaking
It has come to my attention that this blog has been sorely lacking in entries of a personal nature. Scroll down and you can see I�ve been playing reporter for the last month or so, covering celebrity comings and goings, politics, local news, sports, movie and theatre reviews, but nothing having to do with things going on in my own life.
Well, there�s a reason for that. There ain�t a helluva lot going on in my life right now. Single, middle-aged, unemployed. This ain�t Sex and the City. I spend my days surfing the web for jobs and sending out resumes, taking occasional breaks to go to the gym, then coming home to make dinner, watch tv and websurf. That�s pretty much been it for weeks now. With the daylight savings time shift, it gets dark early and that makes things pretty gloomy. A very unglamorous life.
I�ve gotten to hang out with a couple of blogger friends who have visited from Atlanta recently (at separate times). Good people, both of them and great to see them face-to-face.
Yesterday, I was contracted to conduct a training for my former employer. It went well, I guess. If it didn�t I don�t really care. It�s over and now I just wait for the check to come. For the five years I was employed there, I trained staff of other agencies in a variety of topics, but the one I had to do yesterday was one I had not done before, so it required me to research and write a new curriculum just for this one time event. Frankly that was far more work than I cared to do and it was agony having to do it. I didn�t finish my outline until the night before although I had about two months to prepare. I just wasn�t feeling it.
Then, going back to the old shop I find things haven�t gotten any better. A new group of my former co-workers have been told they will be out of work at the end of February, and those who remain are wisely looking. What once was a great place to work is now a mere shell of its former self. Believe me when I tell you, this was the perfect job for me. It was good work that I was good at, a supportive environment, very accommodating hours�we NEVER worked evenings and weekends unless we wanted to�which allowed me free time to do all the other things I enjoy. A good salary and generous benefits too.
Then the asshole-in-chief launched the country into a totally unnecessary war in Iraq, and this social service agency which got 80% of it�s funding from the federal government, saw that money siphoned from the federal budget to support the ballooning war effort. Cuts, cuts, and more cuts. If there is any question as to the correlation between who is in office, federal spending priorities and their impact on real people at the grassroots level, look no further than this example. Its not about me being unemployed, it�s about the loss of services to our clients that was the end result.
Rant off. Thank you for letting me share.
I am so doubtful of finding a job like that ever again. I see lots of positions for which I am qualified, but then there�s the line �occasional evenings and weekends� or �some travel involved.� I think not. I really don�t care to work that hard. I am soooo not trying to be in somebody�s office until 8:00 doing paperwork every night.
My resume would suggest I should be management level. Been there, done that, don�t need to do it again. I don�t need a title or a big office or lots of responsibility. I am not the �driven� type when it comes to working for someone else. Forty hours a week, clock out at 5:00, save time to do my stuff. A good salary�I don�t need a lot�but comprehensive health benefits, so I can continue to see the battery of health specialists I used to keep on retainer. Such jobs are hard to find, unfortunately, but I keep looking.
I�ll be doing Thanksgiving back upstate with the family, as I always do. I don�t have to. I want to. Family, food and football, is what that holiday is all about, as far as I�m concerned. I suspect I�ll have some role in making dinner, although I don�t know to what extent, and will pack my knives and recipes for the trip.
Newsman Ed Bradley is dead
Ed Bradley, a longtime veteran of the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes," has died. He was 65 and died from complications of leukemia at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital.
The 2005-06 season of "60 Minutes" marked Bradley's 25th year with the groundbreaking, critically hailed CBS news magazine. Recently, he did an investigative piece on the Duke lacrosse team alleged rape incident.
He collected 19 Emmys, the most recent for a segment on the reopening of the racially motivated murder case of Emmett Till.
Bradley was born June 22, 1941 in Philadelphia. He grew up in a single parent household, and learned the value of hard work from his mother. He attended Cheyney State College, graduating in 1964 with a degree in Education. His first job was teaching sixth grade at the William B. Mann Elementary School in Philadelphia's Wynnefield community. While he was teaching, he moonlighted at WDAS in Philadelphia, working for free and later, minimum wage. He programmed music, read news, and covered basketball games.
His introduction to news reporting came during the riots in Philadelphia in the 1960s. In 1967, he landed a full-time job at the CBS-owned New York radio station WCBS.
In 1971, he moved to Paris, France and was living off of savings. As he ran out of money, he became a stringer for CBS News and later covered the Paris Peace Talks.
In 1972, he was transferred to Saigon, to cover the Vietnam War. He spent time in Phnom Penh covering the war in Cambodia. While covering the war, he was injured by a mortar round. He had shrapnel wounds to his back and arm.
In 1974, he moved to Washington, DC. He covered the Jimmy Carter presidential campaign in 1976 and then became CBS News' White House correspondent until 1978. From 1978 to 1981, he served as principal correspondent for CBS Reports.
In 1981, he joined the staff of 60 Minutes, when Dan Rather left to replace Walter Cronkite as the anchor of the CBS Evening News. He was the first�and to date only�male correspondent to regularly wear an earring on the show. He had his left ear pierced in 1986 and says he was inspired to do it after receiving encouragement from Liza Minnelli following an interview.
An avid jazz fan, he hosted the radio program, �Jazz at Lincoln Center.�
He was married to the artist Patricia Blanchett. He had homes in Woody Creek, Colorado and New York, New York.
In remembering his colleague, fellow "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney said, "He wasn�t a television star to me. He was just my friend."
Priceless!
From today's New York Daily News.
AP: Democrats Win Both Houses Of Congress
Va. Senate Race Goes To Webb
POSTED: 3:41 am EST November 7, 2006
UPDATED: 9:02 pm EST November 8, 2006
WASHINGTON -- The Democrats clinched the final victory needed for a 51-seat majority in the U.S. Senate Wednesday night, according to the Associated Press, effectively handing both houses of Congress to the party for the first time since 1994.
Jim Webb was declared the winner by the AP reporters who contacted election officials in all 134 localities where voting occurred. About half had completed canvassing and nearly all absentee ballots had been counted, according to the AP.
As of Wednesday, the Senate stood at 49 Republicans and 50 Democrats (including two independents who caucus with the party), with Virginia still up in the air. Because Vice President Dick Cheney holds the tie-breaker in the chamber, the Democrats needed a full 51 seats in their caucus to win majority control.
The new AP count Wednesday showed Webb with 1,172,538 votes and incumbent Sen. George Allen with 1,165,302, a difference of 7,236. The only two statewide recounts in modern history in Virginia have resulted in vote changes of only a few hundred votes.
Citing an adviser to Allen who spoke on condition of anonymity, the AP reported that Allen has not formally decided to campaign, but intended to wait until most of the canvassing was reported, which could come as early as Thursday night. The adviser said Allen was reluctant to request a recount if vote tallies held the same margins they did on election night.Democrats Win Both Houses Of Congress
Rumsfeld to resign
He could have waited for a new Democratic majority in the House to be sworn in and then hold hearings on his mis-management of the war in Iraq, but instead Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down. In a breaking news story, this information has been confirmed by President Bush.
Reports suggest Rumsfeld was prepared to work with Congress concerning Iraq as late as Wednesday morning. No word on what caused the change of heart. Perhaps it was a simple matter of stepping down now, or being forced out later.
Tuesday's elections are reaping benefits already.
Here�s Your November Surprise, Mr. President
Democrats win the House. The Senate is too close to call. Update: The Senate is now split 50-50 with a Democratic victory in Montana. (see below)
That headline was screamed across newspapers from coast to coast this morning, as the American people sent a clear and unambiguous message to President Bush, about his handling of the war in Iraq, the atmosphere of corruption rampant in his administration, and the general direction of the country under a president with the lowest favorable rate in the history of the office.
Here in New York, a solidly blue state in a solidly blue region of the country, the election was a bit anti-climactic. We have a new Democratic Governor, Eliot Spitzer, the outgoing State Attorney General. The new Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, is the son of the last Democratic Governor, Mario Cuomo.
I am proud to say that the congressman from my district here in NYC, Charles Rangel, now stands to gain the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee that determines how the federal government spends its money. A Black man and now a Democrat in such an important seat at this point in history is a significant achievement.
Back in my hometown area in upstate New York, a congressional district that has always sent moderate Republicans to Washington, a Democrat has unseated an incumbent Republican. LINK
Ah, there�s change in the air and it smells good.
Election Map LINK
A Loud Message for Bush LINK
Voters Rebuke Bush, War in Iraq, the Right LINK
NY
Democratic Representatives Poised to Snag Top House Jobs LINK
Democrats take statewide races LINK
PA
Casey Ousts Santorum LINK
MA
Deval Patrick Wins Governor�s Race in a Walk LINK
VA
Webb Has Slim Lead over Allen, Recount Likely LINK
NJ
Menedez Rides Democrats� Wave LINK
OH
Strickland's landslide ends GOP statewide dominance LINK
MO
McCaskill ousts Talent in tight Senate Race LINK
TN
Corker captures Frist Senate seat LINK
MT
Democrat Wins Montana Seat LINK
National
Gay marriage loses at polls LINK
Governors' mansions go blue LINK
Record Number of Gays Elected to Office LINK
International
Ortega wins Nicaraguan election BBC LINK
Comment: paradigm shift result that changes Capitol Hill Times of London LINK
It's a big leap from the statehouse to the White House Toronto Globe and Mail LINK
There's Nothing Left to Say
Meanwhile, Tuesday's New York Times will make history.
