My First Directorial Project!

This is my first directorial project. It is a performance piece by Ari DeDeaux of Ebony Readers/Onyx Theater. Enjoy.

National Poetry Month (Poem #1)

Art Form: Writing
Genre/Type: Poetry

In honor of National Poetry Month, I will be attempting to write one poem a day.


Poem #1
The Plan by Kuamel Stewart
(Inspired by "Berta, Berta" by Branford Marsalis)

Berta, Berta - Branford Marsalis

The Plan

Lower the anchor.
Upon arrival, scour the land.
Guard yourself with your eyes. You have been warned. Their dexterity is uncanny.
They can win.
Begin your pilgrimage to the social dominance we have sought after.
Remember your roots to fuel your search. We praised Him, and they tried to kill us.
It is our time.
Rummage through the forest and find her.
When you finally see her, stare at the body that you could never fathom to exist.
Its locks will disgust you. Yes, I know. How could God create such a creature?
Blessed be the damned.
Appreciate its curves. The pigment will be infuriating, yet pleasing. Indeed, they are supple.
Now is not the time to be lecherous. However, if the call from your loins does not subside, quickly, do your business.
Grab her by her ankles. About face. Head back to the vessel.
Along the way, force her into submission.
Raise her higher. Take the nail and pierce it through every vein that circuitously makes up her hand.
Laugh at her cries. Mock her pain. Smell her blood and let her know that it tastes better.
Make her struggle to rise after she trips over your feet. And call the name that you’ve given her.
Stop by the wall where the hieroglyphics are drawn.
Know that your ire will be raised upon understanding that they worship the land.
We all know that Christ frets upon their practice.
And they will soon learn.
Drag her through the mire.
Let the Earth’s fecal matter finds its way through her skin.
Drown out her screams with intoned exclamations about the fortune that will soon be ours.
Make her realize that hell is envious of the experience that you are forcing her through.
What is she saying? We don’t care. She will speak our language, soon enough.
Strike her with the vengeance that God has divinely told us that they deserve.
The humidity will tire you.
Exact your frustrations on her body. You will be calmed.
Once by the shore, make her gather with the rest of her kind.
Make her look at her home for the very last time.
Tell her that the sand, rocks, trees, bushes, forests, and springs of this land are what she will see no longer.
Push her onto the deck. Drag her to the nadir of the vessel. The smell will be foul.
But the future is promising.
Join your brethren. Drink water from the beautiful ocean.
Calculate the time it will take to get back.
It may be best to wait for night. The stars allow for more precise navigation.
The series of outcries will annoy.
Pour water on the lot to quell their expressed suffering.
My brother, it is time, to return.
The takeover has just begun.
Expedite the night by singing our favorite hymns.

....And Down Goes Machismo

Art Form: Writing
Genre/Type: Poetry



So, I recently attended a writing workshop that was hosted by an organization named EROT( Ebony Readers/Onyx Theatre). The members of the organization wanted us to understand that when writing poetry, one can write from many different perspectives, a fairly trivial concept. So, they told us to look at the picture to the right of this blog post and to write a poem from the perspective of anything illustrated in the composite including body parts, clothing, sneakers, the ground, the blood etc. I chose to write from the perspective of the wall in the very back and this is the piece that I composed. Also, we had only fifteen minutes to do this exercise. So take one more look at the photograph before you read my piece.






Seen by Kuamel Stewart

I see you..........misogyny,
Taking your lumps for every impressionable mind that you've imperialized,
You're finally receiving a punishment for limiting the potential of debutantes, mothers and wives,
I see you,
Being delivered near fatal blows for being the catalyst of a sexual revolution that would not have been so necessary had not men forced you to exist,
And maybe in that oppressive mind, that upon this very beating that's making you blind, you're starting to realize that that women inferiority shit was just a myth,
Come on,
Tell me what you're thinkin',
Why won't you stop blinkin'?,
Is it because social equity is beginning to infect your God awful God-complex or is it just because her fist ain't shrinkin' ?,
Oh you thought everyone was going to become chauvinist patrons?,
Well, you stumble corrected because I stand firm on the side of matrons,
I see you,
Being destructed for making Sigmund Freud believe that women were just men turned inside out,
So as your nose goes outside in I hope you turn your thoughts inside out and some "I am for solidarity" goes inside your brain and comes out of your mouth,
Hey misogyny, this is the wall speaking and I am a staunch supporter of the matriarch and you shall fear thee,
Do you hear me?,
Oh I'm sorry, it seems as though you can't answer questions right now,
Because she has finally made up in her mind that this gendered society has sexual standards that need to go out of style,
I see you going toe-to-toe but I doubt how long you can last,
I'm sorry for being so brash but its finally nice to see justice hash,
Yeah, I see you ,
Being dealt a physical punishment that does not equate to the mental and emotional exhaustion that you've caused since time was born,
And it's about time that your power driven disillusioned thoughts were torn,
You know, they say you were the first oppression, and now I'm just guessin',
But it seems the very population that you've forced under suppression is now showing its aggression,
And the witnesses that are standing by watching your beautiful demise are now wondering if you can now see equality with swollen eyes,
I see you,
With your bloody wifebeater that overlays the very skin that deep inside,
believes that infinite opportunity and privilege for the sexes cannot coincide,
Well it looks like the people are sick of you being timeless and are ready to see your influence subside,
Yeah, I see you,
Takin' a vicious haymaker right to that androcentric chin that's leaving you stumbling into the egotistical mire that you will soon fall upon,
Look at you,
Weak,
Defenseless,
But I thought the pedestal that houses masculinity epitomized the very essence of strength and valor?,
I'm not surprised that her "strength" is of a superior caliber,
Didn't think estrogen had such a potent repertoire, huh?
Oh well,
Tell that nose of yours to say hello to justice and goodbye to bullshit because your ass is going down,
And this may be a small battle in a raging-but-never-ending-war, but this time,
as once said by the auto-tuned voice of a man named Kanye....

Ending to Poem.mp3 -

Parting Thoughts:

1. Midterms....need I say more?

2. Perfume by Rhymester. Dig that.

3. I'm suffering from severe loneliness and my sleep playlist isn't helping. All of these freakin' love lyric-laden songs keep coming on and it mars my ability to get to a peaceful sleep. I guess it would make sense to just take them off the playlist huh? Yeah...

4. The rain is back and I love it. If I were home, I would drive on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive in the rain listening to Quiet Storm by Smokey Robinson, Last Day by Teedra Moses, and Music by Eric Sermon in repeating rotation.


Oh Yeah,
I'll be footing it to the park where the swoon units walk. Hangin' with musicians. Diggin' on Phoenicians. Hangin' with the rebels. Sippin' on a Snapple. Buggin' with my crew just trippin' in The Apple.

Making It Right

Art Form: Television
Genre/Type: Talk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uigclQryYa0

Art Form: Architecture
Genre/Type: Residential



Yesterday was the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. So I guess there's a little serendipity with this blog since I've found myself blogging about the calamity that was Hurricane Katrina for the first time; which makes this blog incredibly timely. From my observations of the media, it seems as though we have become incredibly remiss about the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina now, which is a mentality that has pervaded the U.S. since a month after the actual occurrence. I myself am guilty as well. I haven't really thought much about Katrina or its lasting affects on the city of New Orleans. But honestly, that isn't something someone would want to constantly moil over because the nature of the situation is entirely too depressing. But I found myself revisiting the topic while trying to catch up on an episode of Charlie Rose. Charlie was interviewing famed actor Brad Pitt about his new movie, but more importantly, they discussed at great length his new project, Make It Right.

Charlie commenced the discussion by asking Brad what seemed to be the million dollar question post-Katrina. Why didn't the people in the lower ninth-ward receive the sufficient amount of help, care, resources and attention that they should have gotten? There was some solidarity between the both of them as they began discussing the idea of the government conspiring to 'eliminate an underclass in America'. Now I consider myself a, 'A moderate revolutionary', so I would love to dabble into ideas that accuses the government of colluding to put a moratorium on the nadir of America's socio-economic hierarchy. I'm sure the Black panthers would've leaped at the opportunity to profess to the masses that the breaching of the levees was just a paradigm devised by the government to rid our society of blacks and the destitute. But I won't do that. I really don't think that's the case. However, I do believe that the maintenance of the levees was considerably neglected because of the demographics in the area of New Orleans that fell victim to severe flooding. Our government should definitely be ashamed of its cavalier attitude towards the flooding of that area.

I'm taking a geology class this semester. And on the first day of class the professor attempted, in all his passion, to explain why science was so incredibly pertinent. He used the example of Hurricane Katrina and what ensued was a sensitive attentiveness of the class to his example , which probably would not have happened had the professor began to ramble about the profound nuances and the intrinsic value of the application of science to the world. Anywho, what really got my attention was when the prof. exclaimed that about 95% of our political moguls and arbiters know less about the general areas of science than the average college freshman. That's a mind-bottling and scary statistic if its veritable. Maybe we need more scientists in positions of power in the government. But I digress. Two quotes that stuck out to me that the professor showed via PowerPoint were these:

"A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under 20 feet of water, killing thousands..... only massive re-engineering of the levees can save the city".
- Mark Fischetti, October 2001-Scientific American

"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees".
-George W. Bush, August 2005

.....I'm sure the people of New Orleans would readily forgive Mr. Bush if given the opportunity.....Right. I think at this point, no matter how conciliatory W. would act, the people of New Orleans will forever preserve a level of animosity for him that everyone outside of New Orleans would never be able to understand or develop. So, moving away from placing the blame, the events have left people in New Orleans despondent and decadent still 'til this day. But there is hope, and it begins with Make It Right.

Make It Right is a.........well, here's a truncated version that I devised and extracted from the 'vision' section of the project's official website. "In December 2006, Brad Pitt convened a group of experts in New Orleans to brainstorm about building green affordable housing on a large scale to help victims of Hurricane Katrina....the group determined that a large-scale redevelopment project focused on green affordable housing and incorporating innovative design was indeed possible..... To demonstrate replicability, Pitt determined to locate the project in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the most devastated areas of New Orleans, proving that safe homes could and should be rebuilt. Pitt hopes that this project would be a catalyst for recovery and redevelopment throughout the Lower 9th Ward and across the city of New Orleans. Having listened to one former resident's plea to help "make this right," Pitt was inspired to name the project "Make It Right" (MIR).

I commend Pitt's efforts. I think what he's doing is incredible. Aside from the plan itself, the idea and commitment alone is something that needs to be lauded. With the innumerable amount of affluent people that live in this country, especially those who are inherently socio-economically hegemonic, it was left to an actor to take the initiative to spawn a project that would help restore the ability to live and the quality of life in the lower-ninth ward of New Orleans. And it all started with Pitt's sincere love for the city's wealth of culture. The project itself is extremely artistic and environmentally conscious. The houses are going to be built to be eco-conscious and for sustainability (in lieu of Hurricane Katrina). But what really makes the Make It Right project great is that the development and upkeep of these homes for the developers and the inhabitants are going to be relatively frugal. The plan is, as Brad explains to Charlie, is that there will be people who first adopt the homes (paying for them) and then giving the home back to the people who had a home on the particular land space on which their home used to be. So a Katrina victim will come back home, see a brand new house on their land and it will be theirs for the taking. And the houses are built so that the bills and expenses will remain low. Beautiful idea.

Being a conessuire and potential purveyor of art, I'd have to extol the architecture of the homes the most. The models that Brad shows on the show look incredible. If I had to take a guess, I'd say all of these homes are going to be products of post-modern construction; which leaves me a little envious of the Katrina victims. Here are some samples.
















You can see the rest of the designs here.
http://www.makeitrightnola.org/mir_SUB.php?section=mir&page=designs&mySub=main
They're all extremely beautiful. Once again, I commend Brad, his fellow sponsors and all the donors who have supported this project. Brad said in the interview that he and his team have incurred some struggles trying to find adequate support from those who have the resources to really expedite the project, but he's maintained a panglossian attitude. Though the project is fairly nascent, I'm excited about its future. I hope it flourishes. I think that the architecture of these homes will only add to the incredible surplus of culture, custom and tradition that distinguishes New Orleans. Hopefully, 'Make It Right', will catapult New Orleans past its previous cultural stature, and into a cultural utopia for its inhabitants and visitors alike.

Parting Thoughts:
The beginning of school is going really well for me and I can see the newest version of Kuamel manifesting itself already.
Barack Obama's choice for a running mate remains an anomaly to me and I'm actually undecided about who I'll vote for.
I'm officially down with Wale and The Best Kept Secret. See: Nike Boots by Wale
I have a new moniker: Smarty Jones.
The best thing I heard from a professor on the first day of classes was this:

"Being literate is not an English class thing".

Oh yeah,
In lieu of the blog entry, I thought I'd leave you with a lasting image and a song that I think will typify the resurgence of New Orleans from the worst calamity that this country has ever seen. I got the image from a New York Times article I was reading about a documentary called "Trouble The Water", another film that will be portraying the effects of Hurricane Katrina. And the song is actually from the album, "A Tale of God's Will", which was made by Terence Blanchard (who is in the picture) as a requiem for Hurricane Katrina victims. I love jazz.

El Loco Locomotive de La Ciudad de Nueva York

Art Form: Writing
Genre/Type: Novel

<---Welcome to his humble abode. So, since I've emigrated to Chapel Hill from Brooklyn for college, I've kind of lost my 'New York City intuition' and I realized that getting back on the train when I got back home. What's funny to me is that you could never really appreciate the breadth of New York City Transit unless you're new to it or have been away from it for a long time. I think the customs of the train system in New York City need some recognition. So I'm dedicating this blog/journal entry to NYC Trains. Before I go on with my spiel, I want to prelude my thoughts with a piece of writing by Ralph Ellison. Right now, albeit in spurts because of other obligations, I've been reading Invisible Man, arguably Ellison's most extolled and celebrated piece of writing. I'm not done with it yet, but so far, I can really say that I appreciate this man's prose. He writes extremely well and I've immersed myself in the story when I've felt like doing so and found time to do so. Here's an excerpt from the novel that pays homage to New York City transit. The pictures in-between the text for the length of the blog entry provide a nexus with Ellison's words, my thoughts and what it may, or does, actually look like.

"...And while I got down my bags, and my prize brief case, still as shiny as the night of the battle royal, he instructed me how to take the subway, then I struggled through the crowd.


Moving into the subway I was pushed along by the milling salt-and-pepper mob, seized in the back by a burly, blue-uniformed attendant about the size of the Supercargo, and crammed, bags and all, into a train that was so crowded that everyone seemed to stand with his head back and his eyes bulging, like chickens frozen at the sound of danger. Then the door banged behind me and I was crushed against a huge woman in black who shook her head and smiled while I stared with horror at a large mole that arouse out of the oily whiteness of her skin like a black mountain sweeping out of a rainwet plain. And all the while I could feel the rubbery softness of her flesh against the length of my body. I could neither turn sideways, nor back away, not set down my bags. I was trapped, so close that simply by nodding my head, I might have brushed her lips with mine.


I wanted desperately to raise my hands to show her that it was against my will. I kept expecting her to scream, until finally the car lurched and I was able to free my left arm. I closed my eyes, holding desperately to my lapel. The car roared and swayed, pressing me hard against her, but when I took a furtive glance around no one was paying me the slightest attention. And even she seemed lost in her own thoughts. The train seemed to plunge downhill now, only to lunge to a stop that shot me out upon a platform feeling like something regurgitated from the belly of a frantic whale. Wrestling with my bags, I swept along with the crowd, up the stairs into the hot street. I didn't care where I was, I would walk the rest of the way."

That particular abstract only alludes to the infamous thronging that takes place on New York City trains and in New York City train stations. Ellison wrote aptly though, because everything he wrote in that experience was (ironically because its a novel) non-fictitious. The subways are seriously crowded and it does get really annoying. I thought what Ellison wrote about the woman and how close he was to the mole on her face isn't too far removed from some of the experiences that I've had. I've been spat on, brushed, nudged, pushed...you name it. You just have to adapt and understand that because of the nature of the train system, people are going to cram. But being caged in by people who are easily compelled to become volatile can be the worst. Getting into a brief, or otherwise lengthy, argument about personal space on a NYC train can be entertaining, comical and really embarrassing.

The train system has other customs though. For example, I'll always remember teenagers who would come on the train with boxes of candy and introduce themselves monotonically by saying, "My name is Tyquan. And my name is Jarrel. And we're not selling candy for no basketball team. We're just trying to find a honest way to make money so we don't have to do it on the streets. Would anyone like to buy some candy? We only have m & m's and starbursts left...."
And I'd always laugh in my head as they sauntered through the train car looking longingly at everyone they passed with their dirty white t-shirts , ripped jeans and brand new Jordans and no one bought candy. Sad...



One of my favorite customs of the train system would have to be the break dancing. Its great when it's spontaneous. When it's not spontaneous, it means that you've seen the same two fools, one old fool with his little brother whose about 4 feet tall, perform the same tricks on the same train because they take the same route everyday. They are chafing. But it can be some good entertainment though. Their boomboxes are always hot. For them to use that little bit of space and do all those flips, hurdles, lunges, cartwheels, and dance moves to Missy Elliot's Lose Control in the middle of the train car is incredible. The dexterity that they have is comparable to Olympic contestants. But they'll never get that kind of recognition, we all know that.



But how about going into the train station and always finding a show, especially in the train epicenters like 42nd street Times Square and Broadway Junction on the A line in Brooklyn. There's always some kind of show that entail the performances by some of the most hustling-savvy geniuses you may ever meet in your life. These guys really know how to turn on a crowd. They are sly, shrewd, and talented. The guys know how to get women involved with clever comments and the women always grab the attention of male passer-by's with eye-popping moves. I'll never forget seeing the midget in Times Square who looked like Michael Jackson, emulated his every move, and made a ridiculous sum of money from 1 minute and 13 seconds into MJ's Thriller. Priceless. Like I said, these people know how to hustle and it is not wise to under-estimate their purview of economics, especially street economics.























One other custom that you'll find in the subway, is that people always go to the furthest part of the platform as possible and look into the tunnel to see if the train is coming.....every three minutes. What's funny about it is, does it matter when it's coming? It's not like by you gawking at the rat and graffiti-infested train tunnel is going to make the train come any faster. Even worse, when people can see the train coming in plain view, they still look deeply into the tunnel to see if its coming. I can't malign those folks though, I'm one of them. It's just part of the culture I guess. Another part of being inside the train car, is what I like to call the "pole competition". The pole competition is a sport where individual passengers compete to see who will get what hand spot on the pole positioned in designated areas in the train car. Certain advantages are determined by height and strength of arm pit smell. Dead serious. If you stink, people will move away from the pole and let you have it. Thus you win. Someone who is small in stature riding the train will always suffer adverse situations because there will always be someone who is about six feet tall hovering over you with their burly arm(s) sitting on top of your head while they're frantically holding onto the pole. It sucks, but that's just the way it is.



One of the more irritating experiences one can have on a NYC train is the "Stand clear of the closing doors" aspect. The time when it totally sucks can be one of two situations. Either the train doors are broken so they repeatedly open and close and you're left standing in front of them angrily because you want them to shut so the train can move because you have to use the bathroom really bad and the paunchy man behind you keeps pushing you further and further into the corner of the area. The other situation is standing in front of the doors and seeing people hastily running down from the nearby station steps to try and catch the train. And while you stand there hoping that those feverish bastards don't make it because you really want to get home after one of the most taxing days of your life, they do make it and the doors have to open and close once again. Or, they actually don't make it but they manage to catch the doors closing with their bare hands and are so persistent about getting on that train that they won't let go until the train conductor re-opens the doors. By this time, 15 minutes have gone by, and you're ready to karate chop everyone who just made it on the train.

A apologize for not having a picture to illustrate this scenario. I guess Google isn't that resourceful. I hope my writing effectively provided the scene.

If you're not a native New Yorker, or haven't been to New York before, I may have thoroughly discouraged you from using the subway system if and when you get here. But I implore you to not be apprehensive when it comes to NYC trains. Its an experience you have to have. Honestly, I didn't appreciate them until I came back on breaks from school. New Yorkers are kind of spoiled with that kind of culture and we do take it for granted. So if you haven't been to the NYC, you better come and take the train because I spent too much time moiling over this blog trying to attest to the train culture that is special here. I'll see you on the A line in Brooklyn. I'll be on Broadway Junction in front of the Filipino woman and her daughter with their big blanket sprawled out across the tiling with about 65 bootlegged DVD's and unpopular mixtapes that has no intrinsic value which they're selling.

Before my parting thoughts, I'd like to end this entry with one last photograph and a song that fits the theme of this entry by my main man Guru. Enjoy.






















Parting Thoughts:
The summer here is not as bad as its been in past years. But I shouldn't speak to soon, it's only July.

And since it's July, that means that my birthday is coming up in a few weeks. The theme of this blog is very timely because I'd like to announce my plans in the short future. I'm going to ask my parents to buy me a Super 8 Millimeter Camera for my birthday. If and when I get it, I'm going to embark on my first film endeavor. I plan on shooting a short documentary on four controversial topics: abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, and surrogacy. I'll be shooting on different NYC trains throughout the city, candidly interviewing passengers who are willing to participate. I think it'll be extremely interesting and fun. There are always eccentric people on and in the subway and I'm excited about meeting different people with different ideas.

I find it funny that the women who go natural the most with their hair in this country, are white women. Is that technically, conscious for them? I guess that depends on if you believe that wearing your hair the way you were born with it is 'conscious'. I personally like some of the Europeans styles. Ain't nothin' wrong with a perm. Well, maybe there is, sometimes. And I still can't tell the difference between real hair and weave. People have told me its because my mom has long hair. Guess so.

I've been reflecting on my past dealings with women and I've realized certain things in an effort to clear up my search for a good person in the future. I was once with the over-indulged hip hop cultured girl which didn't go well with my maturation process. I've also dealt with puritanical women which I realized probably won't work out in the future because of my staunch heretical beliefs. I definitely have found myself gravitating to those who are grounded and have a subtle benignity about them because it brings me to a comfortable level of communication. Ehh, I could go on about this for days. I'm just anxious to meet a motivated and deeply layered debutante who will compel me to cease defining the word, 'love', as just a fancy noun.

Over and Out.

Oh yeah, Tajai what are we? Masterminds.

Graf-Art brings Smiles and Grief for Harlem

Art Form: Graffiti/Photography
Genre/Type: The only type Graffiti-Art could be: Conscious

I actually stumbled upon this photo on a BET blog site, which seems weird to me because BET has never shown that they'd make an effort to display true art apropos of its history. Nevertheless, this picture is a great shot of 116th and Lenox in Harlem, NY. I like it because it culminates different attributes of the culture of Harlem. Now, it doesn't feature everything about the customs of Harlem because it doesn't have any depictions that allude to jazz , zoot suits, or speakeasies which is more of the 'ancient' stuff, dating back to the early 20th century. However, it does depict the volume of the contemporary culture in Harlem with the infamous Apollo sign hovering over the sneakers that are suspended from the traffic light wiring. I researched what that custom is about and I learned that shoes hanging from wires is a an urban semiotic that alerts passer-bys that drug trafficking is prevalent in the area. Even though we'd all agree that's not a good thing, the depiction in the photo informs us; just like a photo and a caption in a World History textbook would (and they said there's nothing educational about 'da hood'). I know that for Black people, and more specifically for the Black people native to Harlem, graffiti-art, like the one shown above, tells it's own story about the history and culture of the area. My favorite part about this picture is the family. I like the male in front seen leading his family with the afro and his face littered in different color variations and hues. And then, sidled next to him is who I would presume to be his wife, with her natural hair, and child. Beautiful.

It's pretty rare to see Graffiti-art anymore. That's due to the intensified police activity in the areas where people are most likely to tag up walls, which is 'da hood'. You'll mostly see a lot of graffiti-art in the depths of train station tunnels. But the trains go by so fast, you can barely get a look at it. Though, it is nice to see something like this photo attempting to revive a sub-culture of the original Hip Hop and resuscitating a discourse that used be about informing other people. Graffiti-Art is still done all over the world, and I'd imagine anyone who was leading a life that was similar to the lives the original graffiti-artists were leading in 1970's Bronx, then they'd be tagging up anything they could fine just to get their stories out. I really hate when the arbiters of local governments say that graffiti-art is merely illegally applying a medium to a surface. They would be the ones to spin the language and it make sound ominous. And I find it funny that we live in a country where freedom of speech is valued, but rarely is it tolerated. On one of my older blogs, I ended with, "Get your ideas out, By Any Means Necessary". That's exactly what these, artists, are doing.

Lastly, and here's where the grief comes in, the picture does make me think about what is now happening in and to Harlem. As it is now become more and more evident, Harlem will undergo an imminent and immense overhaul. Local officials have decided that the area is ripe for revenue and the buyouts have already begun. Potential franchise owners are seeking to transform what is now a cultural haven for Harlem natives, into another New York epicenter for shopping and consumption. And just when you thought capitalism couldn't get any worse. Gentrification is definitely going to be a product of the new city plans as Harlem residents will be compelled, or coerced I should say, to emigrate from their homes because the value of these neighborhoods will rise above their living means. It's very sad. And I've had a few conversations about what's going on in Harlem and about the gentrification that is and will continue to take place. And there are two good arguments here.

One, gentrification is horrible. Knowing the essence of what is, it seems completely unscrupulous to actually do this to people just for profit. It isn't fair to the residents who will be living in the area. The situation is almost comparable to the, "refugees" (as they called them) indigenous to New Orleans who were just shipped to another part of the country against their will after the calamity of Hurricane Katrina. Granted this isn't the same situation in Harlem, but isn't this the same level of covert collusion that will afford Harlem natives and residents to leave against their will because they won't be able to afford to stay? Sure it is. What happened to the right to vote? Shouldn't the people of Harlem be able to have a say in what happens to their neighborhoods? Well, exercising that right would be to no avail here because the corporate barons who are coming in have the money to commence a new economic cycle in Harlem and that fact is what appeases local government officials. So even despite the potential pleas and bargaining by Harlem residents, their actions would be futile.

On the other hand, there are those who say the new city plans (such as Columbia University expanding its property radius) and gentrification occurring in Harlem is actually a good thing, and I totally understand this position. For those who don't know, the city of New York is incurring a mild recession and the city seems desperate to rejuvenate the local economy. The new plans for Harlem is a very viable option that would allow for a jump start. And if the residents of New York City don't want to see state taxes rise in an effort to counter the recession, they should be in favor of the changes that are set to be made in Harlem. Another part of this position is that the city is making a valiant effort to change the culture in that part of the city. Harlem is notorious for its underclass and a physical change to Harlem would mean that that underclass would have to have a change in venue. In one swoop, the city could significantly decrease the amount of crime, violence, and narcotics that supports the informal economy in Harlem. Unfortunately, a whole lot of honest, hardworking Black people are going to have to move because of the actions of a whole lot of other Black People. It's extremely unfortunate, but it's a win-win situation for the government.

Parting Thoughts:
It was brought to my attention that I didn't pay homage to the great, late, Malcolm X as his birthday recently past on May 19th. Well, Happy Birthday brotha Malcolm and I hope you are resting well. Those of us who have been fortunate to study him, know that he was a great father, husband, philosopher, teacher and human being. Aside from the fact that he fought for human rights, what I found riveting about Malcolm was that he went through three significant reformations in his life, embraced them all with diligence by trying to be the best at what he was (at that specific time) and achieve his objectives. I think Malcolm is a great example of the idea that it's never too late to make a change in your life. However untimely, Malcolm did come to realize that his ultimate goal was not to solely raise the consciousness of the masses of Black people so that they could rise above their white counter-parts, but it was to actively pursue bringing every race, color or creed that had a diaspora into Umoja, which is Swahili for Unity. Malcolm X had a significant influence on my way of thinking, not just discerning the lives, strife, and trials that face the masses of black people, but learning how to think period. Above many things, Malcolm was a student and loved to learn. His favorite pastime was reading and one thing he wished he could've pursued more diligently was studying language. I admire a lot of things about Malcolm: his poise, candor, discourse, commitment, disposition, compassion, congeniality, and sage-like aura. Even though I never met him, just seeing videos/film and photographs of him makes me feel his presence. I would encourage all to learn about the great Malcolm X because he is not only important to the history of people in the African diaspora, but he is one of the most important figures for humankind. Peace be unto you, Brotha Shabazz.



Oh yeah,
The city of New York also has the same plans for Coney Island. So, for all you potential tourists out there who want to see the infamous and broken down Cyclone, Keyspan Park, pier, location for Spike Lee's He Got Game and where the annual Nathans hot dog competition is held, make haste!

Oh yeah (part 2),
Ted Kennedy had his brain tumor successfully removed today at Duke University by one of, if not the best, neuro-surgeon in America. God bless him.

Sex Uncovered......somewhat.

Art Form: Film
Type/Genre: Documentary


So, I've been increasingly become nocturnal this summer. What I try to do every night to prevent this spontaneous stretch of insomnia that I'm enduring is watch films. Unfortunately, watching/studying film happens to be a passion of mine and for me, the hour of the day does not coerce me to get some "shut eye" instead of seeing an interesting piece of art that may me woo me so much, that I'll feel compelled to blog/write about it. And so, the next great piece of work that I saw that evoked some concretized rhetoric out of me was film director, Chris Arnold's, The O Tapes. And as you should be asking, what pray tell is The O Tapes and what does it have to do with that picture? Well, the image to the right of this paragraph is actually very pertinent to the documentary and this blog entry because it depicts one part of what the documentary was about: The Vagina. Though, saying that it was solely about the vagina is too reductive. The documentary was a juxtaposition of conducted interviews of only women, answering questions about their sexuality and sexual experiences. The documentary also incorporated a historical perspective with relevant information to each question that was asked (although you never hear the inquiries because that's an intricacy of documentary style editing) and commentary by professors and doctors. There were also a few animated satirical cartoons which I found amusing, but all of them had very good points. Now, I tried to watch something about women purporting information about their sexuality before... The Vagina Monologues. I couldn't do it; it was too much to take. But after being in a women's studies class for four months, I found myself genuinely interested in the film, even though it was at 4 in the morning... Ok, enough of my ramblings, and now to the content.

Orgasms
What I learned (yes, learned) from the film about female orgasms is that they're extremely rare. I really thought that they happened fairly often and that seldom did a woman not have one because it was a natural part of sex. On the contrary, most women do not have orgasms regularly and in fact, many women go decades without having one and possibly not even knowing what it is. Something else that I picked up from the film was a significant distinction from vaginal and clitoral orgasms. The distinction being, vaginal orgasms are much more intense than clitoral orgasms. According to the film, antiquated philosophies of the two orgasms entailed that clitoral orgasms were immature-which was a philosophy of Sigment Freud- and that the only true orgasm was a vaginal orgasm, which is the product of penetration. And here lies the androcentric view of the nuances of the female body. That philosophy allowed for men (pre-Sexual Revolution) to cajole women into believing that having clitoral orgasms was sign of insolence. That mentality only ripened the ego's of men because they believed that they should be the only entities that invoked orgasms in women. This philosophy also discouraged masturbation because clitoral orgasms were a product of masturbation. One doctor in the film said, masturbation is extremely beneficial to women because it allows them to gain an understanding of what their bodies are like. "Back in the days", men used religion, law and philosophy to discourage women from this behavior so that they could sustain that physical and mental hegemonic control over their bodies. Figures... Yay for the Sexual Revolution for knocking that one and many others out of the park.

I knew some of the historical parts of this because of my women's studies course and what I remember the most was Simone De Beauvoir's instrumental contribution to the Sexual Revolution. I remember reading an article she wrote about women who fake orgasms and why faking orgasms counters the sexual liberation of women. She argued that faking orgasms only fattened the psychological strangle men had on women because allowing men to believe they were the sole source of women's pleasure even though they were completely dissatisfied, only led to an evermore swelling ego of the man. Beauvoir said any woman that fakes an orgasm is doing the entire populace of women a disservice because that woman is accepting and embracing sexual bondage in an effort to secure a man's machismo. Any woman who is dissatisfied should communicate with their partners, accost them honestly and if they refuse to or cannot handle the truth, she should be done with them. I agree.

Women are Men......just the other way around.
Another interesting archaic theory given in the film was that women are men turned inside out. Incredible. So I guess Eve was the antithesis of Adam? Right. One of the ideas behind the theory was that the both men and women secrete seamen. However, men omit from their testicles, which are outside, and women from their ovaries, which are inside: hence, the idea that women are men turned inside out. Another idea underlying the theory was that the clitoris was a modified version of the penis. Seems like the philosophers were fishing with this one. So breasts are the asymmetrical versions of pectoral muscles? Hmmm.... I wonder why our eyes, noses, mouths, ears, faces, arms, legs, torso, and feet are all in the same places. I guess if the knees of women were to be the inverse of the knees of men then they'd be horses. And that's not good for humankind.

Sizing 'em up
Definitely one of the more interesting questions and probably one of the more popular ones: Does size matter? The answer to this question is probably relative, depending on the preference of the woman, but, there seemed to be a census from the interviews of the women in the documentary. Almost all said that size actually doesn't matter that much, but, there are certain exceptions. For example, what I got from the film is that "short and thick" beats "long and thin". Also, larger penis' tend to force contact with "G Spot" more often than smaller ones . Interesting thing about the G Spot, most women don't even know where it is. And I get to dispel the myth that men were the only ones ignorant about the mysterious "G Spot" . It's a tissue found 3 quarters of the way through the vagina that swells when it has incurred enough abrasion. For the curious folk out there, what I got is that thickness is more important than length. But if a guy is too big, it hampers the sexual pleasure for both partners. And we already know what the result is of a guy who's too small. Funny, all of them women said that if a guy was too small, they could make up for it by expanding their sexual prowess to compensate for the "shortcoming". I tend to think telling someone that, is as equally discouraging as visually seeing a woman being displeased because of your anatomy.

Maintaining the Position(s)
Yeah, the question was asked of all the women, what is your favorite position? Another question with a relative answer as it applies to the world at large, but I got some interesting facts. The "Doggy Style" position allows for the most penetration out of all the ones you may have seen in the heralded PalmaSutra. Another census amongst the women was the answer to the question, which positions allows for the most intimacy? All said the "Missionary" position because of the angle and the eye to eye contact. Hmmm..., quick digression here, I think eye to eye contact is one of the easiest ways to tell if someone likes you. And I also think there's a direct correlation between casual eye to eye contact and eye to eye contact in sex (when you begin to talk about "making love").

More interesting though, was the answers to the succeeding question. What kind of raunchy sex have you had? The retorts were unbelievable. Even though I knew some of them existed, it was shocking for me to hear a fair amount of women profess them as if that kind of sex is common. And if it is, I'm just glad human beings are creative. I also hope that they're safe. Here's the list of the types of 'raunchy sex' that I jotted down while watching the film:
Orgy/Manage Twa
Role Play
Public Sex
Dirty Talking
Sex Toys
Impulsive Aggression

I had to throw a red flag on the last two: Bondage and Strangulation
Are you kidding me? Isn't that against the law in about............48 conterminate states plus two more! Shocking...

(Be)Fore[we begin to]Play
The film is about sex, so of course they asked the women about foreplay. And most of them said, interestingly enough, foreplay is the most important part of achieving an orgasm. Now, after I heard a few of them say that, I was pretty shocked. But, I was only astounded because my purview of foreplay was very limited. The women said that foreplay could be anything. One said that honest conversation is a form of foreplay for her. While I thought foreplay was exclusive to kissing and touching, I was missing the essence of what foreplay was, which was clarified in the film. It's what happens that stimulates the desire to have sex. So, foreplay could really be anything. From having dinner, discussing politics, to watching a woman try on outfit's.... anything could stimulate that potential desire.


What I also got from the documentary was that foreplay for men and women work very differently. While the need for foreplay for men is minimal, it's absolutely necessary for women. One woman exclaimed in the film, that a man's sexual organ is outside of his body and because of that, it's always rubbing against his pants or boxers or what have you, and he's constantly reminded of his sexuality while a woman is "folded up inside" and cannot manipulate herself the way or as easily as a man can. That's why for almost all of us, foreplay is necessary. True.


Fighting the Sexual Fight.......I mean, the good fight.
One woman mentioned in the film was Ida Craddock who authored The Wedding Night. The book advised married couples to appreciate their bodies as a part of nature and they should be respected by both parties. This book was authored many centuries ago, and as it comes as no surprise, the power hungry men of the era did not take too kindly that Craddock was telling men to respect the bodies of women. Check this, they arrested her , charged her, and found her guilty of "distributing garbage through U.S. Mail". Un-freakin'-believable. Was the control of women's bodies really that serious? I guess it was. Well, Ida didn't give the judicial system the satisfaction and she committed suicide. That's a shame. She was put in a corner for not only fighting for what she believed in, but for something that is always right; equality. She was and forever will be touted as the first hero of the Sexual Revolution, and rightfully so.

My Thoughts
I thought the documentary was very informative, funny and beneficial. I learned a lot from it. But knowing this stuff kind of confuses me, because, by knowing some of these things, does it make one more hesitant to engage in sexual behavior or more confident? It could probably go either way. What I do know, is that as a male it was good to actually learn some of this stuff. And I'd say for any debutante or just, all women to actively pursue information about their bodies, especially when it comes to sexual behavior. Men need to learn these things as well. Like my man Common said on the commercial, "Knowing is Beautiful".

Here's a few interesting quotes and one fact I thought I'd share from the film:


"If we don't teach women about their bodies, and their male partners, it would be like playing with toys that we didn't read the instruction's manual to."


Approximately 20% of women ejaculate about 20% of the time.


"I've actually been suspended by my breasts" (answering question about raunchy sex)


"Men need to learn about us, so that we can help them and then everybody can be happy"


"You know, there's a four letter word that is relevant to sex and ends with the letter K.................and that word is= Talk"


Parting Thoughts:

I cannot wait to begin to work.
A New Refutation of Time and Space is one of the best albums I've ever heard.
"Why I gotta have religion if I believe in God?"-lyric from Common's verse of Jadakiss' Why?
I've begun to listen to electronic music. And after paroosing through my music library, I've found that I really like jazz fusion and rock.
I'm going to start reading Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man in a few days. I've read that there's some rhetoric about Karl Marx in the book. Ralph's already got my vote.
Why doesn't Hillary just give up already? Sheesh.


Over and Out.


Oh yeah,
Nappy/natural hair is nothing to be ashamed of. Somebody tell these corporate a**holes to get a clue.

Somethin' Like the Biblical Story.......or the painting.

Art Form: Film
Type/Genre: Drama


The Last Supper
Finally, I've seen a film that quenched my thirst to see creative and dramatic political narrative on screen. I absolutely loved this film. The Last Supper is a great movie for the over-indulging vagrant who marvels at their own philosophical prowess and scrutinizes others. It doesn't matter whether you're a staunch leftist, right wing, moderate, socialist, conservative, neo-liberal etc., watching this film will definitely challenge your views and possibly your methodology.

The film isn't stuffed with dense, dull, and verbose political commentary. That would definitely be a turn off. Contrastively, the film's storyline is innovative and engaging. The story entails a group of extreme idealistic pathological liberal graduate students who invite guests over for dinner and kills anyone who disagrees with their moral/ethical/philosophical/political ideologies after discussing specific controversial issues of the world over the meal. I thought the screenplay for this movie was great; probably one of the best I've seen or heard rather. The dialogue will engage and intrigue anyone who is well-versed in political philosophy. Also, the story isn't laden with meaty ideas that one couldn't interpret quickly as the movie goes on. That's what makes the movie good. It incorporates some of the most controversial subjects (such as abortion, war, the significance of J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, liberal methodology, radical feminism, abstinence, and homosexuality) but the dialogue is light enough so that the audience doesn't become frustrated with grappling with the ideas posited in the film throughout the banter and quarrels.

Two actors of good repute that you might recognize are Cameron Diaz and (probably less so) Courtney B. Vance who also played the husband of Whitney Houston's character, Julia: Reverend Henry Biggs in The Preacher's Wife. He's also a regular on Law and Order. Both of these actors play roles of two of the graduate students. These kids are absolutely insane. They kill anyone who disagrees with their ethics, which is actually completely unscrupulous. The irony. But here's the logic: Would you kill someone who you thought, because of their philosophical mores, would make the world a worser place if they stay alive? Yes or No? Well, the grad students in the film take the former. One of the examples that they use, and sorry for the light spoiler, is if you were in a pub Austria in 1915 and unexpectedly Hitler sidled next to you. Would you kill him knowing the potential of his continued existence? Two answers are given in the film. If you want to know what I'd do, watch the film and the last opinion given as an answer to that question is the option I'd take. And that option is a method that I think everyone in this world should use if they sincerely wanted to affect change, which is ultimately what I got from the film. Great movie. Stacy Title, the director, gets a few snaps from me for this film.

Parting Thoughts:
So, the Erykah Badu and The Roots concert was pretty good. I didn't think I would see The Roots actually opening a show for someone because that band is too good for that. But, Ms. Badu's performance (though some were strange but that's just Erykah being Erykah) deserved the privileged designation that the marquee alloted her. Great concert.
I'm sorry Common, a "conscious nigg(er)(a)" is an oxymoron. I still love "Southside" though, especially Kanye's second verse.
I want to give a shout out to all my North Carolina peeps for doing the right thing during the last Democratic Primary. Hey Chelsea, not your mama, we want Obama!
Reverend Al was arrested after he and others protested the Sean Bell verdict. Could this be the catalyst to the second coming of the Civil Rights Movement? Ehh, probably not.
I'm tired of NYPD officers circumventing the law because of government special interest.
Diallo...........Bell........... who's next?
The maroon finished brick sidewalks of Chapel Hill put the dilapidated pavements of New York to shame. Dare I say the quality of life is better Down South? You damn right.
Shoutout to Brooklyn by the way. haha.



Oh yeah, Fight The Power and Revolution!

Heartbeats........Five Of Them.

Art Form: Cinema
Type/Genre: Drama

The Five Heartbeats is by far my favorite film of all time. I think that this film was constructed beautifully and Robert Townsend's writing and directorial skills seem impeccable considering the product he devised. I also have to pay homage to Keenen Ivory Wayans who participated in the screenwriting of the film. I first saw this movie when I was younger when my grandmother used to watch it all the time. And when I say all the time, I mean all the time. I used to never understand why she would pop that thing in the VCR every morning but I guess now I can. I think The Five Heartbeats is one of the most underrated films to have ever been syndicated by Hollywood. The movie was made in 1991 so I don't really understand why it isn't a fairly common known film amongst the past two generations. I'm not saying its one of those films that should be exceptionally prominent in the minds of the public like the heralded Scarface or The Godfather series. But its definitely one of those films that most people should have seen and probably loved regardless of class, race, etc. There are so many things that I can relate to and appreciate in this film.


The Characters

Choir Boy (Tico Wells): So the origination of my alias on this blog has finally been revealed. Yeah, Tico Well's character served as the muse for my nickname, Choir Boy. Choir Boy will also be the name of my independent of production company once I enter to the realm of cinema: Choir Boy Productions. Though, my connection to the name Choir Boy has little to do with Tico Well's character. I chose the name Choir Boy because I definitely think I'm always preaching to people, trying to spread and encourage thought about different things of the world; the socially conscious thing. That objective has been concretized by the advent of this blog, The Tipping Point, which is basically my personal soap box. Aside from that, there are things I can relate to that are encompassed in Well's character. He's the shy one but the member who has arguable the best voice. The guy whose singing is so high pitched that if he fusilladed his voice, it would become nothing more than a glass shattering cacophony. But he's also the guy who's in the back and never gets the attention of the girl he's been eying for a long time. Choir Boy is like the little brother whose big brothers are the coolest and get all the women why he can only dream to be like them. I was definitely like that in my lifetime (the very little of that I lived so far). I've had friends in high school who I envied because they had girls that I thought should have paid attention to me because I knew I was a better person. But Choir Boy does what he has to do to get them (lying about being the leader of the group). I won't comment on that being applied to my life, but I understand. ;)

Dresser (Terrance Williams): Dresser was just the coolest guy in the group. Those suspenders were off the chain. And his dancing skills were hot although he was shown up by the old man. But more importantly, Dresser was the family man. That part of him comes out in the scene when he finally expresses his frustrations with Duck and Eddie because he's upset about not having money and he learns that his wife is expecting a child. I completely understand. Dresser wasn't about the stardom or fanfare. He just wanted to do what he loved and take care of his family. There's probably been an innumerable amount of times where I've envisaged what kind of family I want to have and how we'll live. The idea of being to efficiently provide love and subsistence for my spouse and children while possibly being immersed in the celebrity world is something that sneaks into my mind quite a lot. Despite the money and fame, Dresser maintained that family was important. I respect that.

Eddie (Michael Wright): Eddie King! ( though he pronounces it, Eddie Kang!) Eddy is the man. The guy is enamored with fame and money. I don't think that becomes a bad thing until you become gluttonous with things that come with stardom; things like women and material wealth. Greed could also become an affliction. Those are definitely the things that conflict Eddie in the film and nearly lead him to his demise before self-destructive behavior is curtailed by his potential wife. But what I can relate to with Eddie was his willingness to be that star. He took the leading singing role because he wanted it most. He wasn't necessarily the best singer, which is debatable, but he was determined that that spot was his. And that's how I feel about coming into the film world as an African American filmmaker. There have definitely been the great writers/directors such as Spike Lee, The Hughes Brothers, Keenon Ivory Wayans and John Singleton and the many unnamed. But I think there is a void right now for the new African American Filmmaker. And I want to be the person to assume that spot. You can call it a dream, but I call it a destiny. That's why I'm so steadfast in my pursuit of getting there.

J.T. (James Thomas): The Ladies Man. Now, J.T. had a huge lust problem. Actually, it was worst than that. He had a severe sexual addiction which definitely can be self-destructive. But hey, hormones are hormones. And they get you sometimes, or most times, but a consistent excercitation of self-control can impede that. What I liked most about J.T. was the love he had for his brother. No matter what, he looked out for him; even in the waged war over Baby Doll between them. He even named one of his sons after his brother. That's beautiful. It just makes me wish I could have that kind of relationship with my [half] brother. Sadly, I don't and its really unfortunate. But if I'm fortunate enough to have two sons, I'm definitely going to raise them to have the kind of love, care, and respect for one another that J.T. had for Duck (and vice versa) in the film. Oh, and "shy brother", I think I'll teach that to them too.

Duck (Robert Townsend): Out of all the main characters, Duck is the one I relate to and admire the most. There's a reason why he's the protagonist of the film and its because everything that happens to the group and those affected by the group is a product of his work and dreams. Duck is the visceral writer/choreographer/poet who seems to come up with the perfect tune, lyric, or step because his creative prowess is so unconscionably innate. It seems like everything he does turns into a complete work of art-his music and choreographed performances- and ultimately it's greatly and profoundly appreciated by the public. Although his artistry affords him more money, women, and resources he could ever dream of, he remains subdued in his own world. He shows character traits of a recluse at times, but when he comes out, he delivers something that will be remembered forever (as far as his art goes). I feel like I'm that person too.....

I think all of these characters possess something that I feel I have. Parts of the timber of each individual person lie somewhere inside of me.

The Story Line
I think this film has the best screenplay I've ever seen. The story encompasses so many pertinent parts of the "rags to riches" story for artists and more specifically Black artists. When the group hears their song on the radio for the first time, the elation was incredible. (I love that scene by the way) I think that's how I'll feel when I'm at Festival De Cannes for the time watching my first feature film being screened. The new lifestyles that succeeds the group's long awaited syndication was really cool. Also, the scene where all five members drive through the street with the same car in different colors was the bomb. And the HUGE house with the big ribbon on its facade that Duck surprises his mom with was hot too. I also really liked the scene when the group was on their first tour, driving, and they were unjustly stopped and embarrassed by the police because they were black. Shortly after, Duck then gets back into the car and sings America the Beautiful. Genius. Those are just a few scenes I like, but the film overall is great.

Oh, and the soundtrack is BANGIN!

You can youtube it if I've compelled you enough to watch it or if I've reminded you of how great it is/was and you want to see it again. One.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJHWfLTaG_0&feature=related

There's No Place Like Home...or is there?

Art Form: Writing
Type/Genre: Book/Manifesto

So, my Womens Studies class -which has profoundly affected my cognition- has just finished reading this book by Linda R. Hirshman entitled Get To Work (A Manifesto For Women Of The World). Hirshman is a radical feminist and writer who has been one of the catalysts of the brewing third wave feminism. She wrote an extremely provocative article called Homeward Bound in the American Prospect in which she denounced the influx of women who were opting to stay at home instead of pursuing careers. Her tone in this book is very inflammatory and I understand her urgency to relay this message to women. This book makes a valiant attempt to encourage women to pursue different goals other than staying home in order to keep them from permeating traditional family roles that allow for women to assume stay-at-home positions; which results in the marginalization of women. However, I do have several gripes with this book and Linda's message.

First, I don't think it is at all progressive for Linda, as a radical feminist herself, to polarize the women within the feminist cohort. Linda thoroughly vilifies all women who choose to stay at home. She posits that the women who make this choice actually believe that staying at home is a position that they should inherit; they do not actually delineate whether they should weigh other options. Basically, Linda postulates that women who stay at home are acting under false pretense. She says that the choice has faded and women are just accepting. While I don't agree with that, I want to say first that condemning stay-at-home moms and making them the pariahs in the eyes of working mothers does not benefit the feminist agenda. This kind of discernment of stay-at-home moms versus working mothers is only divisive. Staying at home is not always bad. I think that if you're comfortable enough to settle yourself at home without the burden of working and pursuing capitalistic goals, then you should do it. Hirshman says that educated women who stay-at-home eradicate their possibility of having any affect on the world because they're always in the house. That's not necessarily true either. Many stay-at-home moms write and also participate in their community. Also, every woman should not be inclined to enter the labor force and neither should every man.

I don't think that women who choose to stay at home assume that role. And I also don't think women who stay at home are doing a disservice to feminists or are hurting the feminist agenda. Calling all women to leave their homes and "get lives" will not solve the inequality of traditional family roles. It is still certainly possible for dual-earning heterosexual couples to fall victim to traditional family roles that could further marginalize women. Hirshman aims her vocation of entering the work force to college women and prospective female students. She urges them to set realistic goals, saying that they shouldn't study art but rather vest their interests in subjects that will afford stable jobs, lucrative income and resources. Hirshman also calls for women to take their jobs seriously for job security (establishing tenure) so that they don't end up in precarious lifestyles. She believes money is the fundamental panacea for traditional family roles that marginalize women because generally, the person with the larger source of income in dual-earning households exercises more clout.

I don't think that works. A woman could be a doctor or a lawyer and still be pressured into assuming traditional family roles such as nurturing children, cooking, cleaning and all the other essentials to prevent an unkempt home. The woman having money or a larger source of income than her spouse won't automatically allow her to place those or other responsibilities on her spouse. My resolution is marital bargaining. I think that if women do not want to be burdened with traditional family roles then they should engage in meaningful negotiations with their spouses so that both parties can resolve to equally distribute responsibilities of the home. I also firmly believe that if the marital bargaining does not work due to the apprehension of the woman's spouse, then she should be fully prepared to divorce or separate from him to alleviate any potential marginalization. A good [husband] will understand that the obligations of and for the home should be fairly split between the two so that neither person feels mistreated.

That's my take. If you're really interested in this, you should pick up the book and check it out. It's a very quick read; 90 pages. I definitely appreciated what Hirshman had to say although I disagreed with her premise.

P.S.:
Did you just..................congratulate me for reading?

P.SS.:
I want my son to think just like Huey when he's age 9.

The American Composer

Art Form: Music
Type/Genre: Classical

<-----Aaron Copland is one of the most respected and praised American Composers and Classical musicians in the history of the Americas. He is noted for his impeccable style, musicianship, and years of devotion to the craft. I think Aaron Copland is a genius. I first heard his music when I saw Spike Lee's He Got Game. Spike used some of Aaron's music to score the film. I thought it was a brilliant move by Spike because the sound fit the scenes. There was only one scene where I thought Spike could have used another segment of Aaron's music (its the first scene of the guys playing basketball in the The Garden in Coney Island where Spike uses parts of Rodeo/Hoe Down of The American Album). I'm digressing. I definitely don't want to act on my impulses as a cinephile right now so back to the composer. I had youtubed some of the music that I liked composed by Aaron Copland and I had stumbled upon a video of him speaking on a broadcast. What I found out that I like most about Aaron is that he was the first classical musician in America to incorporate Jazz into his music. At the time, Jazz was a pre-dominantly Black form of music in America (as it still is) so when Aaron released his music, the pundits maligned him for using Jazz. For a long period of time classical music moguls viewed Aaron as a joke because he used Jazz. But Aaron was very steadfast about his music and didn't pay attention to what people were saying, but rather did what he felt was right in his heart. What inspired him most was that when he was young, he noticed that most of the world's classical music hailed from Europe. America didn't have any kind of classical music to claim as its own. And thus, FanFare For The Common Man of The American Album was born. Fanfare For The Common Man is probably one of the most popular and wide-spread pieces of music ever used. You'll often hear it on network television and in stadiums at significant sporting events. Finally, the critics came around. And the same people who said his music was a mockery of American tradition began to crown him as one of America's own great musicians. Aaron Copland was born and raised in Brooklyn and thus his exposure to Jazz music happened easily. From the beginning of his career as a musician, he never discriminated against any type of music. When I was watching him being interviewed, one of the things he said that I loved the most was, that he made music that came from his heart. When he was scoring music for orchestras, stages and screens, he was never pressured to conform. He said it was his intuition that guided him. Whenever something was right, he felt it inside of him. I can totally relate to that. When you feel something inside, you know its right; especially when it comes to art. And that's exactly why I'm excited about the ideas that I have in regards to kinds of films that I want to make. I'm definitely a fan of all art, and I think of all the artists I like, he's one of my favorites across the board.

My favorite piece written by Aaron is a Ballet entitled Billy The Kid.

I think I'm going to let my children fall asleep to some of his music when they're infants.

Guru's Jazzmatazz

Art Form: Music
Type/Genre: Rap/Jazz

I have definitely been "cooling" to Guru's Jazzmatazz lately. This album is really cool. Guru, the lyricist, raps over jazz beats on every track. The album is definitely antiquated, but I recently discovered it. The album features some of the most revered Jazz musicians including Lonnie Liston Smith and New Orleans' own, Mr. Branford Marsalis. My favorite song on the album is, Loungin' featuring Jazz musician Donald Byrd. I also like Transit Ride, in which Branford Marsalis is featured, because I can relate to it being from New York. For me, this album compiles a great group of songs that I would chime to while cruising down the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive at midday with light traffic.


Guru's voice is very smooth and rhythmic; it's comparable to Common's. Every song is pretty melodic and has a solemn feel to it. There's hardly any profanity or vulgarities which makes the album even more refreshing. Oh, and Guru's also from Brooklyn so that inclined me to like it even more. I think the album's intricacy is really innovative because of the mixture of jazz and rap, albeit there may have been other artists who have similar albums.

I'm definitely advocating for you to give this a listen. I've pretty much extolled Guru for the album and I think its a classic.

Classic Funny

Art Form: Comedy
Type: Staged

If you laugh, best believe you're going to hell. LMAO. And Eli is officially my favorite rapper.

But here are a few questions for you to ponder during and after you watch this:
Why are his hands on the dude's chest like that?
What is up with Eli's outfit?
Are some of the words that Eli says real?
What is up with the split screen and the hearts?
Is Eli playing or is he really retarded and they're using him?

I would have usually used my discretion and not post something like this on my blog, but this was/is too funny.