On: Chris Rock & The Oscars

I have a lot on my mind about this and I'm not sure how to balance these feelings.

First of all, the opening monologue was hilarious. I thought it was quite genius actually. He was the same old Chris Rock, calling MF's out by name and not holding any punches. If you didn't see it, you can see the intro and opening monologue here and the Magic Johnson theater skit here.

Now, here is my dilemma. Everything he said about black folks and movies is absolutely true and his trip down to the Magic Johnson theaters was very revealing, but there are a few things that this skit point out that get lost in the shuffle of the laughter. Lest you forget, we have the ability to laugh at ourselves when we are the ones telling the jokes. If anyone else would've done that skit (read: someone that wasn't black), it all of a sudden would have seemed offensive.

I have difficulty knowing how to deal with this dilemma of expressing to everyone the importance of improving the quality of movies made by and for blacks. (its the same with music) without showing how ignorant my people actually are. Of course it becomes an education issue and a question of how do you train people's eye to recognize movies outside of shock booty and weed humor? If you continue to talk down to or don't expect blacks to go see a movie like Hotel Ruwanda then the majority of niggas in the hood are going to continue to go and see Soul Plane and the latest shoot-em-up flick. But here is my problem, black people also need to be careful of airing our own dirty laundry out in the open.

The fact that every black person they showed spoke about how much they loved 'white chicks' but hadn't heard of any of the oscar contenders makes us look a certain way: uneducated and ignorant. But by going down to the Magic Johnson theater and singling out blacks as being uninformed about the Oscars ashamedly only supports a stereotype about blacks and the idea that we are an uneducated movie-going population (which leads to 'Soul Plane 2') more so than elaborate on the point of how out of touch the academy is with the general movie watching public. (Which we alreay knew anyway!)

Now, I think the issue with the Oscars is more of an arts / demographic issue than a culture / race issue and besides Ray I doubt there is any other movie in the major Oscar categories that was among the top 50 grossing movies of last year. There is always this gap between what the academy thinks is great and what the general public goes and sees and that has less to do with race and more to do with artistic elitism and cultural egotism (which I admit I am guilty of as well). I'm sure if Chris Rock asked the same questions to middle america, white people in the South, Koreans in the North and Latinos in Texas, he would get the same results.

What I fear is that the actions of Chris Rock unintentionally give others a pass to make fun of black people and only strengthen their feelings of cultural superiority. That says nothing about the fact that overall, my general feeling is that the black movie going public has a lot of learning to do... I would love to try to have a conversation with your everyday movie going black person and talk them into going to see Million dollar Baby, but for whatever reason, the draw is not there and even if it was, to get someone to recognize how great of a movie it is would be like pulling teeth.

As far as Jamie Foxx is concerned, you know... I'm happy for him. But I so wanted Don Cheadle to win. Not only because I think he is one of the best actors working today, but because Don Cheadle doesn't give a fuck about you, me, or the next film he is going to make. Jamie Foxx is a different kind of negro than Don Cheadle is. Don Cheadle is up on capitol hill meeting with congressman and organizing task forces to assist in the refugee crisis that has occurred because of the tragic events in Darfur. (I know because I saw him on C-Span)

Jamie Foxx told a story about his grandmama training him early to learn how to behave... translated: don't embarass me in front of the white folks. I know, my grandmomma did the same thing to me, and I'm sure I'll do the same thing to my kids. See, Jamie Foxx is old school, grandma in his approach to things. Which ensures steady work and a good living. My parents grew up with more of a Cheadle-type attitude, which is more like "wtf are you looking at?? hell yeah I'm beating the shit out of my kid in the middle of the produce department!" So I have a bit of both in me but I have to admit I was rooting for Don.

I wanted Don Cheadle to win because he would've gotten up there, thanked a few people, then lectured the American public on the ignorance of standing by and letting a million Tutsis die. Beyond the name of the movie, I bet the majority of people watching the Oscars don't even know what the movie is about (or that it even exists). Don would've made sure that everyone that is watching would've known what is going on over there by the time he walked off of that stage.

Jamie is looking for longevity, much in the same way that my grandmother urged me to act right so as not to upset the white folks, or give them the wrong impression about us as a people. So I regretably hold deeply onto this idea of what do people think of Curtis and I wish I could shake it.

Don on the other hand knows he's talented as fuck and don't need to rely on shit because he is in a position to only take the roles that he wants to and doesn't have to give a fuck about how he is perceived and what others think about him. I think this is how I regrettably see myself... as being so talented that I shouldn't have to give a shit about what others think and the work should just be coming to me!! Unfortunately, I recognize this is not the case.... yet. :)

So I end up straddling the two worlds, but wishing I was more on the Cheadle side of things. This is why I wanted Don to win. It would've been a victory for all of the people that have chosen to do things on their own terms and have the strength and conviction to stand up in front of the world and stand for something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Jamie Foxx, and I'm not sucking Cheadle's dick because not one man or award is more important than the killing of all those people. I'd just much rather see us get recognized for a performance that called attention to this ongoing tragedy that is widely ignored by the entire world than the singing and piano playing of a drug addicted handicapped person.

~C

CD of the moment: Federico Aubele - "Gran Hotel Buenos Aires"

Don't name your kid "Loquisha"

great article below shows how names affect destiny...

http://diversity.monster.com/afam/articles/names/
In the movie Coach Carter, a pregnant teenage African American girl is asked what she plans to name her baby. "Loquisha," she says. Her friend replies, "Well, she might as well have the name 'Food Stamps.'"

The point is clear: Loquisha is a "black" name, and names affect destiny. That premise gained scientific backing with "Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination," an MIT-University of Chicago study conducted in 2001 and 2002 and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in 2003. Researchers sent 5,000 fictitious resumes for sales, clerical and customer service positions in Chicago and Boston. Applicants with white-sounding names were 50 percent more likely to be called for initial interviews than those with African American-sounding ones. The racial gap was uniform across occupation, industry and employer size.

The response was immediate. Newspapers headlined the report. African Americans debated whether the "responsibility" of giving a child the "advantage" of a white-sounding name outweighed the cultural or social "right" to name a child whatever the parents chose. And human resources personnel rushed to make sure company hiring practices did not follow the patterns the study described.

Since the 2003 study, do Lakisha and Jamal have a better chance of being called back, or do Emily and Greg still get the call?

NBER study authors Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan have not done any follow-up work. But another study, published by NBER in September 2003, casts the controversial findings in a different light.

"What really matters is not that you're named Kayesha," says Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and coauthor of "The Causes and Consequences of Distinctively Black Names" with Roland G. Fryer Jr. "It's that you live in a community where you're likely to get that name that matters."

Using data covering every child born in California over a four-decade period, Levitt and Fryer conclude that the perception of a name is less important in hiring than the actual race of an applicant. Their study found no negative impact of a distinctively black name on life outcomes and say in the report, "The stark differences in naming patterns among blacks and whites is best explained as a consequence of continued racial segregation and inequality, rather than a cause that is perpetuating these factors."

"We think that if a black name matters to an employer, he wouldn't hire you, no matter what your name is," Levitt says. But names do matter, counters Bill Maxwell, who as a St. Petersburg Times columnist covered the initial study and continues to follow the controversy as a Stillman College scholar-in-residence.

"The reality is, white people joke about those names," he says. "Kids are very aware of what names mean -- look at that Coach Carter line -- and employers do, too. They have a reaction when they see the name Loquisha or Tyrone. I suppose it's OK for entertainers. If you want to call yourself Ice Cube or Snoop Dogg, go ahead. But most kids are not going to go into entertainment, so I don't think we should be putting up unnecessary barriers to employment among our kids."

Author and commentator Keith Boykin says parents should be able to name their children whatever they want. "It can be Shaneequa, Latisha or Lexus Nexus," he says. "We should not blame parents for giving kids ethnic names. Instead, we should examine what it is in American society that leads people to discriminate simply because of someone's parent's choice of names. It's not Loquisha's fault -- or her parents' fault -- how people react to her name. It's the fault of people who don't understand or accept that we live in a pluralistic society, and that good workers can be found in many different places."

Boykin applauds the studies for "introducing racism to white people. It's sad we need that validation to say that yes, racism exists, but if it leads to companies looking at the way they handle resumes and hiring, that's good."

Curt's guide to phenomenal sex!

1. Communication
2. Attention to detail
3. Enthusiasm

that is all.

~C

CD of the moment: Daddy G (from Massive Attack) - "DJ Kicks"

my sexy chest just got sexier

shaved chest
Originally uploaded by cinnamon.stick.

Yeah. This is a picture of my shaved chest. Let me tell you a little story.

So I decided to go get my ticker checked out since there is a history of irregular heartbeats, and heart disease in my family. Needless to say, the doctor said something sounded a little funny and wanted me to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours.

So the nurse has me lay down on my back and without warning turns around with a razor starts scraping my chest. I looked at her and said, "Ow." she says, "that doesn't hurt too much does it?"

I'm thinking, its not everyday I take a dry razor to my inch long chest hairs, but yes, this shit hurts! She scraped my shit bald and tells me one of the sticky things needs to go there.

So I have this sexy bald patch in the middle of my chest. How am I going to explain this to the hoes?? So after affixing 5 of these things to my chest and I'm looking like a cyborg she tells me, "you can go ahead and maintain your regular physical activities with this one."

I say, "what do you mean?"

She says, "Well, you'll just have to make her RIDE THAT PONY!!! HAHAHAHAH!!! doctor's orders!" I sat there speechless as this woman proceeded to explain to me how if I HAD to have sex tonight that I just couldn't "be too rough with it."

What do I look like, a sex maniac??? How would she possibly come to the conclusion that I'm Mr. Marcus based on our 3 minutes of interaction?

I guess I'll just let it grow back a bit, then cut it all even, but until then I have to live with this bald patch. I've already embraced it.. I just get tired of my chest itching all day, people are going to think I have cooties or something.

~C

Song of the moment: Erykah Badu - "No More Trouble" (Live from Bob Marley tribute concert)

maya who?

mayawho
Originally uploaded by cinnamon.stick.

I saw an amazing show last night!

I know I've shared with some on my feelings that the Brand New Heavies were exactly what music needed when they arrived and their existence is what allowed groups like Jamiroquai to blow up.

And, the Heavies couldn't be fu*ked with in concert (except for maybe Prince, but who's fu*king with Prince??) Well, there is a certain feeling you get when your at a show and the magic of the music, of the artist, of the vibe just takes over you. It's almost orgasmic in a way... or maybe more like that first time cigarette smoker buzz... but it's just that thing that makes you step back, slow down and say, "whoa..."

I get it everytime I see Prince live. I REALLY got it when I saw Sade. But she oozes so much gotdamn sex appeal it's almost sickening. Well, I ALMOST got it last night. ALMOST!! And for someone who I had never heard of before a week ago, didn't know not nan one of the songs I was listening to... and to STILL almost get that feeling is saying a lot IMHO.

Her name is Maya Azucena and the album is called Maya Who? She's a beast on stage with stage presence to boot. I haven't listened to the CD yet, but I bought two, just in case...

Yes, she was that good.

~C

Instead of posting a CD of the moment and hoping you go out and cop them, I'm going to try posting up songs that you can DL... this way I'm putting that shit straight into your ear like now!!! Also, a friend of pointed out to me, you can't expect people to keep up with your CD buying habit. This is why I've tried to send you to Amazon since they have music samples most of the time.

Anyway, click on the link and it will take you to a site where you can download the track for free.

Song of the moment: United Future Organization - "Listen Love" (Yoruba Soul Mix)

Prince - Sign O The Times Screen Capture

02_play_01
Originally uploaded by cinnamon.stick.

Remember about a week ago I was telling you about Sign O the Times finally getting a proper DVD release?

Here's a screen capture... It's Prince, and it's fonky!

IPOD is the Honda Accord of MP3 players.

I'm in the market for a digital music player and I don't want an ipod.

To some, uttering these words is blasphemy. Everyone who has an ipod loves them. I understand that. Part of me doesn't want one for that simple fact.

I'm not hating (well, maybe a little bit) but it seems like the IPOD has become the Honda Accord of MP3 players. Two of my best friends have honda accords. They are reliable, good quality, affordable cars. but I wouldn't buy one. That doesn't make it any less of a good car, it's just not the right car for me.

That's just me though. Yes, it has a lot to do with how I see architecture and the need to have buildings that are so very different that they upset the balance of the status quo. I think these sorts of things, these sorts of people are good for society.

mp3's and downloading used to be this big taboo thing..... wwwooooooo I'm a downloader... wwwoooooo I have Napster (the original) wwwooooo don't get caught with that on your computer or feds will bang down your door and confiscate your shit.

See I remember the days of prodigy fool!!! That's right I said Prodigy!!! where I had to infiltrate to become a part of a group of collectors who traded bootleg Prince concerts on casette tapes!! You'd mail your tapes all around the world and share your list of tapes with people that you wanted to trade with. there was this one cat with the handle MikeA7 that had EVERYTHING!! If you wanted something, you had to go to him. It was to the point where basically, he had everyhing you did, so out of the kindness of his heart, you would just send him like 5-6 blank tapes and you'd get back 2 with stuff on them. This became necessary because it was basically the only way to get this stuff!

Other than that you had to know of a few indy record stores around the country and know that they carried bootlegs, but had to wait to make sure some guy named Jerry was there and ask him in some coded way to show you the 'good stuff'. As in, "Hey, do you have anything ELSE by Prince?" Then you'd get taken to some back room where there would be a whole section of concerts on vinyl and/or CD by everyone from Metallica to Journey.

Some stores would place them out in the open with the rest of the CD's under the guise of an 'import CD', but the $35 price tag would que you to realize that it wasn't something that was regularly released. Now, downloading is in the open, offices have mp3 policies that allow you to have them, but you can't go get them on personal time. crazyness... So I still carry the have the stuff that noone else has yet mentality and runs through the core of my being. I see it in the shoes I buy, the music I listen to, the computer I bought, etc... so it has come to the mp3 player as well.

I basically want (read: need) an mp3 player no-one else has yet. So naturally, I've picked one out that isn't even released yet, then i consequently saw it on the napster commercial last night during the super bowl. which may make me reconsider... either it will blow up and lots of people will have it... OR, I could look at it like I was one of the first to have this IPOD alternative...

So let me know, what you think of this?? and should i get in silver or red ?? I like this one because it also has an FM tuner and has a color screen. I've also read that the Korean version can be programmed to play video, but why would I watch a video on a 1 1/2" screen? The only disadvantage I see thus far is that it has 5GB but you can get the photo version of the Ipod to hold 40GB!! Do you know how much space 5GB is though??? I mean really. I BARELY have 2GB of music and I've been downloading off and on for 5 years.

After years of searching, I did actually find the one single bootleg vinyl I had been searching for while I was in Germany. I bought it and left it with a friend in Germany to mail to me back in the states. I would've taken it, but I had about another 5 weeks of travelling to do, so it didn't make sense to carry it around and risk something happening to it... I never received that MFer....

I hear she still has it. So Stella, if you're reading this, it's not too late! You can still send it to me!!! I'm not mad!!!!

~C

CD of the moment: Verve Remixed

ninjas vs. pirates

If there were a battle between ninjas and pirates who do you think would win?

At first one would assume ninjas. How could a bunch of 5'3" asians from the hills possibly lose to a bunch of drunk hicks with parrots on their shoulders?

Well, I would give two reasons... alcohol and gun powder. Put those two together and there is no way the pirates don't mop the floor with the ninjas. All the throwing star accuracy in the world wouldn't matter... a drunk pirate ain't feeling no ninja star? He'll shake that shit off and just start shooting at the lil brotha dressed in all black.

Also, do you notice that ninjas wear all black whether it's night or day? so ACTUALLY, during the day they ain't sneaking up on shit.... unless they're in a cave I suppose. So my argument is based on ninjas and pirates actually fighting during daylight hours... and not in a cave. Because if they were in a cave, the ninjas would probably win. Ninjas would probably win out in the jungle too because they could climb up the bamboo and jump from tree to tree.

But on a boat, or in a bar or like out in the open.... I'd give it to the pirates. But if it's one of those two story bars with balconies and stuff, you'd have to go with the ninjas since they can jump from one floor to the other... then again, the pirates can shoot up multiple floors....

Overall, I'm sticking with the pirates. Pirates are quicker than you think they are and have much more dexterity than you would think... you know that thing where they move knife all around real fast with your hand on the table.... that's quickness, accuracy, control... all that shit.... hellz yeah... pirates it is.

ninjas vs. pirates is one cartoon you'll probably never see.... Can you image the cruelty of animals when the throwing star misses and all you see is feathers flying from the tail of the parrot... That would just scare kids to death!

On another note, my di*k was hanging out today and I didn't even know it.

Seriously. I was walking to the train this morning and I was thinking to myself, damn, it's cold, but it shouldn't be THIS cold.

So after walking to the train, riding the train, walking to the office and riding the elevator up to my floor, I get to work, say hello to the secretary and go to the bathroom, as I open my coat to go to the bathroom, I see my cock hanging out.

... not only is my zipper unzipped, but my di*k had somehow creeped it's way through my boxers and came out to say hello to the world through my unzipped pants.

I thought to myself, "no wonder it was so cold!"

note to self: make sure your di*k is not hanging out when you leave the house.

~C

CD of the moment: Erykah Badu - "Worldwide Underground"