all my friends are superstars...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 31 July 2007

Tiger! Tiger! has a new album out.

purchase on itunes

purchase from chicken ranch records

and a great man dies...

_posted in film | 30 July 2007

ingmar bergman

1918 - 2007

ingmar bergman face to face

this sunday morning news is brought to you by the letters T, E and D

_posted in film | photography | sunday morning news catch up | the world | web | 22 July 2007

today on sunday morning news catchup, ive spent a lot of time watching presentations from TED, which by the way is one of my most favorite things ever. i've missed a few great presentations and decided to go back and check them out.

James Nachtwey

james nachtwey has been one of my favorite photographers since forever. his images bring a serious reality and tell stories to those of us who are disconnected by time and location. It's great to hear him talk in detail about some of his photographs. if you haven't seen war photographer, a documentary on nachtwey, its worth netflixing.

TED Prize Wish: Share a vital story with the world

supplemental film

war photographer

Majora Carter

"Economic degradation begets environmental degradation begets social degradation."
Majora Carter is at the same time; incredibly passionate, extremely knowledgeable and lovely in a way only a person whose beliefs runs her life can be.

TED Talk: Greening the Ghetto

sustainable south bronx website

_soundcheck: femi kuti: shoki shoki

sunday morning news catch up and thus africa... and TED.

_posted in film | sunday morning news catch up | the world | web | 22 July 2007

on friday night, femi kuti fed my soul and made me long for africa even more.

lately i've been talking to a variety of people about africa in general and about specific issues. i find that the majority of the people know only about HIV/AIDS, starving ethiopia babies with balloon stomachs, rebels and civil wars. some are aware of darfur and blood diamonds; let's be honest, because hollywood has started making movies about it.

african babies are the new bling in hollywood. as well as lending your star power to a cause, which is all well and good, but how about using your starpower and your own money to help build up industry in these countries you so want to help? why doesn't bono hold an economic/investment conference since he wants to save all the africans? the only aid most african countries need, is the aid of economic stability and those willing to invest in not only the economic situation, but the people. something about teaching a man to fish comes to mind.

most people still think that africa is just those living in huts, dancing for white missionaries, child soldiers, as well as corrupt governments. all these things do exist, but there is a part of africa that is not seen by most people. okonjo-iweala says it better than i ever did, "nobody knows but a few smart people."

my belief is once african countries are allowed (and why should it be others allowing them) to trade and create economies around THEIR own natural resources and goods, the other problems will decline and permanently so.

it's safe to say that the united states and other western countries' policies are based on economics. we willing overlook human rights violations to allow for economic consideration. look to china as a great example. who cares about their human rights violations when we have such a strong economic relationship with them? who cares about their african investments that also raise an eyebrow when they give us cheap goods? talk about accepting your inner capitalist.

anyway, check out ngozi okonjo-iweala, first female finance minister of nigeria. and a few other pieces i thought were worth mentioning

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

i liked a great deal of what okonjo-iweala says, but i did find her history (20 years) with the world bank unsettling. if there ever where an evil empire, i truly believe the world bank and the imf (international monetary fund) answer to that name.

TED Talk: How to help Africa? Do business there

supplemental films

Dead in the Water

Africa Open for Business

Jacqueline Novogratz

TED Talk: Investing in Africa's own solutions

Novogratz's opening story reminded me of the t-shirt travels which is an insightful look into the reality of charity and commerce.

Emily Oster

TED Talk: What do we really know about the spread of AIDS?

Bill Clinton

TED Prize wish: Let's build a health care system in Rwanda

_soundcheck: femi kuti: shoki shoki

$daye == lazy ass

_posted in dayedayerocks | 20 July 2007

i've just declared myself a lazy ass... so what have i done since the summer started... let's see...

_01
ive read NONE of the books on my summer list

_02
i've not looked at all my footage for my documentary to transcribe the interviews; which total about 8 tapes... i've not watched any of the footage from the senior portfolio presentations

_03
i've not cleaned out my bedroom closet

_04
i've not organized my work area, as i've been meaning to do for months

_05
i've not gotten frames for my prints or paintings; nor have i hanged anything on my walls save for; a replica of two twins, two pieces by eric abel, two of my own photographs. and haphazardly i should point out.

_06
i haven't created a budget, cause yes i'm poor as a satanic mouse

_07
i've not answered snail mail for about 6 months

_08
i've not done any sewing since the pieces for my friend's buffi's black daggers art show

_09
i haven't exercised since december!

_10
i've not redesigned any of my sites, nor have i taken one photograph this year, it's safe to say that includes last year as well...

wow, thats a lot of nots and haven'ts. but i have worked on a few websites, including the shit ones at work, i have drank a lot of liquor, and i've been stressed out by the stupidest of people.

so i'd say i better shape up or just accept that my summer is blown like a patron in a bathhouse during the 70s. yea, that was probably bad, but still funny in a way... in some way? ok, not at all...

$newMusicWednesday = false;

_posted in music | new music wednesdays | 17 July 2007

no new music wednesday this week... i have a terrible stomach ache and stress is kicking my ass...

but next week will be all about america latina. so get your dancing shoes on and be prepared to throw down...

lady sings the blues...

_posted in monday morning blues | 16 July 2007

listen.

i just love the explicit advisory on this record.

this week's monday morning blues is all about the ladies. the history of these women is phenomenal. they are considered the ones who put the blues on the map. in some instances they were making the most money out of all the black performers. in the 1920s no less.

so the songs are in chronological order as best as i could research them. they range from 1923 - 1988.

these women are not playing... from sexual innuendos, men who aint no good (yes, dirty mother for you is a dirty motherfucker... o....k...) to just plain old being tried... they make you shake your head and say "yes, girl... tell it girl..."

my top three; sloppy drunk blues and 3 o'clock blues and pussycat moan.

there will be a part two, because there are so many ladies not listed here... enjoy, cause i did.

Down Hearted Blues: Bessie Smith
Blues Ain't Nothing Else But!: Ida Cox
Sloppy Drunk Blues: Lucille Bogan
I Been a Bad, Bad Girl: Ozella Jones
Boy Friend Blues: Memphis Minnie
Dirty Mother For You: Memphis Minnie
Conjur Man: Memphis Minnie
Beggin' the Blues: Bessie Jones
Wang Dang Doodle: Koko Taylor
3 O'clock In the Morning Blues: Ike and Tina Turner
63 Year Old Mama: Koko Taylor
After You Get Rid of Me: Katie Webster
Pussycat Moan: Katie Webster

"you got to evolve"

_posted in dayedayerocks | 15 July 2007

this weekend my friend obi came in from new york for a visit. we talked about the differences in los angeles and new york; the people, the mentality, the search for success.

we also talked about jobs; those that hold you back, those that give you what you need to move on and those that are just jobs that will never be a career. he was saying how he felt he was a train bulldozing through things and hitting this big wall trying to get to a certain place in his career and then realized that you "either break apart or you evolve and fly over that bitch." sometimes the simplest comment can put things in a perspective that just disconnects you from the bullshit you've been swimming in.

it's so easy to just go through the routine of work, school, life that you completely forget to make time for the process. you can't fear the process, thats the only thing thats going to get you to the goal.

anyway... obi will be back in town next weekend because some cat at comedy central came across his tshirt line and loved the black hoodie, so that shit is going to be in the gift bags they hand out at the comedy central roast of flavor flav. so mr. jetset will be going to the roast and sipping fucking drinks while watching people ooohhhh and aaahhh over his hoodie. i can't even hate. if i cant be where i want right now, at least the people i know are getting there... fucking superstars...

"I guess while I was there, the general attitude was, A dead Iraqi is just another dead Iraqi"

_posted in sunday morning news catch up | 15 July 2007

this sunday has been news intensive for me, and i thought that the format should change a bit for sunday morning news catchup. i know a lot of the articles are extremely long, but the rule on sundays is the television doesn't come on until after 12noon. this allows me to seriously take time to catchup on what's going on in the world. i've added more articles, but one liners about them.

this week's articles about iraq were intense. so i only focused on the one that struck a serious cord with me. i think this is a great example of what we aren't hearing in mainstream news outlets.

The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness

full article

supplemental photography

quote 1

Many of these veterans returned home deeply disturbed by the disparity between the reality of the war and the way it is portrayed by the US government and American media.

quote 2

"And if you find something, then you'll detain him. If not, you'll say, 'Sorry to disturb you. Have a nice evening.' So you've just humiliated this man in front of his entire family and terrorized his entire family and you've destroyed his home. And then you go right next door and you do the same thing in a hundred homes."

quote 3

According to a May report from the Government Accountability Office, the Defense Department issued nearly $31 million in solatia and condolence payments between 2003 and 2006 to civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan who were "killed, injured or incur[red] property damage as a result of U.S. or coalition forces' actions during combat." The study characterizes the payments as "expressions of sympathy or remorse...but not an admission of legal liability or fault." In Iraq, according to the report, civilians are paid up to $2,500 for death, as much as $1,500 for serious injuries and $200 or more for minor injuries.

quote 4

On one occasion, in Ramadi in late 2004, a man happened to drive down a road with his family minutes after a suicide bomber had hit a barrier during a cordon-and-search operation, Lieutenant Morgenstein said. The car's brakes failed and marines fired. The wife and her two children managed to escape from the car, but the man was fatally hit. The family was mistakenly told that he had survived, so Lieutenant Morgenstein had to set the record straight. "I've never done this before," he said. "I had to go tell this woman that her husband was actually dead. We gave her money, we gave her, like, ten crates of water, we gave the kids, I remember, maybe it was soccer balls and toys. We just didn't really know what else to do."

Simpson Family Values

the american family at its best.

Influences: Werner Herzog

i'm not sure how I feel about werner herzog, some days i think he's a mad genius, other days i think he just a mad man.

Boys (and Girls) of Summer

the fact the stuart klawans evokes lenin's "useful idiots" in a review of live free or die hard makes him one of my new favorites. as a woman i notice the trend in film and television of emasculating men, or making them "inadequate" in order for their character arcs to exist, or even to make women in films look stronger.

Slimmed-down school curriculum aims to free quarter of timetable for pupils aged 11 to 14

how do you say hitler and churchill are no longer compulsory in education, while william wilberforce is? could it be because there was a recent film about wilberforce? reminds me of a few in los angeles who wanted to remove algebra as a required course, since so many students fail it... yea, thats the real solution...

supplemental article

_soundcheck: monday morning blue no. 1

the countdown begins...

_posted in africa | music | 13 July 2007

who's going to go see femi kuti at hob on sunset thursday? who you ask? ME! thats who. the count down has begun.

this is going to be the concert of the year for me, until tinariwen in november. fickle heart that i have, moving from one greatness to the other...

antero had the nerve to say he's not interested in seeing femi and how he's never been into afrobeat, except for fela. he attributes this lackluster view of afrobeat from some lame taking him to go see antibalas. alright, lets get a few things ironed out.

antibalas is to afrobeat what phish is to rock. they are a jam band that sucks on cd. as well as jam bands that are a shadow of the form they have claimed. thats about it.

to his credit antero does enjoy the awesomeness of fela, as he should since he is a well cultured human being (like that antero?). but i'll be damned if i'll let antero pass up on seeing one of the great afrobeat performers every to grace the shrine. now in a perfect world i'd be at the african shrine in lagos listening to femi.

so be prepared for regular emails and calls antero. you have been warned, so i suggest you resign your self (and why does it have to be this way) to seeing femi, while drinking over priced beer at the house of blues.

"how you gonna disretrospect me?"

_posted in africa | dayedayerocks | film | ingredients for life | 12 July 2007

alright... a coworker sent me a link to who's your caddy?. let me just say right now, i love the 'kast... me and outkast go back to 1994, hardcore... but i'll be damned if i let big boi get away with this racially charged remake of a horrible movie. that movie being caddyshack 2 with jackie mason.

let's get beyond the fact that the movie looks like complete shit, and talk about why, why and WHY my people have to come incorrect when it comes to comedy. lowest common denominator means you're a whack ass comedian, with no insight or you're not smart enough to come up with an intelligent comedic viewpoint. i think you need to look at some good examples; dave chappelle, richard pryor. it's possible to still talk about race and not feed the stereotype machine... if your whole shtick is about being black, then you need to work on your fucking act. last time i checked, black and white people pissed the same way, shat (yes i said shat) the same way as well... something about pants and one leg at a time thing...

"how you gonna disretrospect me" big boi? ras! im just saying man. when are we going to make movies that are not dumb racial comedies, that more or less solidify stereotypes. fuck i cant even stand "white trash" comedy. i dig smart comedy that deals with real issues, be they black, white, yellow, brown, pink or mauve issues.

_in other news.

the quiet life has a post about african eats... oh yes... believe me im making me some fufu and moambe stew soon. i haven't had nigerian food since leaving atlanta. man i miss my international friends. i never had to venture far to find some food from indian, morocco, nigeria or senegal. and all i had to do was go home to get some west indian food cooked by my own mama. man, i could use some salt fish and ground food right. about. now.

since i've mastered west indian cuisine (and my da is quiet proud) it's time to venture past our caribbean home to the motherland. this will be my first foray into african eats, so i may create a nice new category on the site... recipes gone wrong, in the kitchen, or ingredients for life. holy shit... im feeling ingredients for life. it has been decided... fresh recipes as caprice dictates.

_soundcheck: common: like water for chocolate

thus africa...

_posted in africa | music | 11 July 2007

yet again... africa... my heart pines for you...

i've been rocking tinariwen almost thrice a day with a lot of femi kuti thrown in for good measure.

speaking of tinariwen... they will be in los angeles and san francisco in november. i'm that far gone that i'm definitely making the los angeles show and hoping i can afford the san fran jazz festival. one day i'll see them play at the festival au desert .

speaking of concerts this summer... there are some amazing things going on for the free no less... the only thing better than free is stolen... the temple bar of course isnt free, but im so reluctant to even put it out in the universe, because i don't want to end up there and find its packed, but in all fairness you should know who's going to be there... damn me and my fairness... anyone interested in going to these shows let me know...

GRAND PERFORMANCES
Friday, August 03 - 8:00 PM: Afro Cuba Calling!
Saturday, August 04 - 8:00 PM: Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective
Friday, August 10 - 12:00 PM: Vieux Farka Toure
Friday, August 17 - 12:00 PM: Alex Cuba
Thursday, August 30 - 8:00 PM: Kronos Quartet

SKIRBALL CENTER Sunset Concerts @ 7pm
Thursday, August 9 @ Taper Courtyard : Vieux Farka Toure

TEMPLE BAR
Friday, August 10: Vieux Farka Toure
Saturday, November 3: Tinariwen

ROYCE HALL : UCLA : 8pm
Saturday, December 1: Youssou N'Dour
Saturday, February 16: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
Wednesday, March 12: Angelique Kidjo

_soundcheck: tinariwen: aman iman

new music wednesday

_posted in music | new music wednesdays | 11 July 2007

i'm not to sure how i feel about this week's music. andrew bird is interesting. i wonder, though, if he does himself a disservice by being too daring in his approach. each on of his albums is unique, yes, but you don't know what to expect. oh! the grandeur! definitely has a django reinhart feel, while his other albums are atmospheric or instrumental, violin heavy. im not about knocking creativity but i'm not sure if i could jump from album to album with him.

andrew bird: andrew bird and the mysterious production of eggs
andrew bird: armchair apocrypha
andrew bird: oh, the grandeur!
andrew bird: the swimming hour
andrew bird: weather systems
blanche: if we can't trust the doctors
erin mckeown: we ill become like birds
great lake swimmers: bodies and minds
the photo atlas: no, not me, never

_soundcheck: tinariwen: aman iman

i slept (if you can call laying in bed in the dark listening to music, sleeping) for an hour last night.

_posted in dayedayerocks | 10 July 2007

insomnia is "a sleep disorder characterized by an inability to sleep and/or inability to remain asleep for a reasonable period."

i've had insomnia since i was a kid.... i use to stay up until 3am watching westerns with my grandfather.

if not insomnia i experience hypersomnia, "recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep." this usually lasts for about a week every 6 months or so...

and when i do sleep, i experience bruxism, "the involuntary grinding of ones teeth while sleeping." i also keep the ipod at the corner of the bed so i can listen to music or a podcast hoping that will help me fall back to sleep, which usually never works.

so when i get my normal 2-3 hours a night of sleep i grind my teeth, and that sometimes wakes me up and i get less than 3 hours of sleep... i usually crash around 2:30am, or so and im up by 4:30am, lying in bed wishing i could go back to sleep, then im out of bed by 5:30am. i either watch tv, clean up or cook breakfast, yet i still dont make it to work until 7:30am or 8am. or sometimes i get to bed at 5:30am or so and walk up a 7am or 7:30am and make it to work at 9am.

i feel like that fellow in clockwork orange, where his eyes are forced open for prolonged periods of time.

my friend brandon has a form of narcolepsy, i swear to god. he can fall asleep anywhere at anytime. he was eating once and just like that, fell the fuck asleep. i've never let him live that one down.

don't get me wrong, i'm tired as hell. i'll sit at my computer almost dosing off and then when i think, "holy shit! sleep!" i instantly go to the bedroom and i just lay there pissed off that i can't fall asleep. the lack of sleep doesn't bother me as much as the headaches i frequently get from not sleeping enough. and the fact that i can't be as productive in my late night hours piss me off, as well. if im going to be up i should be working on a cure for AIDS or solving the world's poverty issues or saving the polar bears or something.

_soundcheck: tinariwen: aman iman

happy birthday b...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 09 July 2007

do you remember this picture bran?

brandon... you are at that lovely age where you lie about how old you are... you are twenty thirty... enjoy it... cause you'll soon be old... old like me... old like your dad... old! and dont forget... zombie jesus will always love you, when others don't or won't.

hugs and kisses, you new york stud... rocking ny like the mad genius you are...

back breaking work...

_posted in monday morning blues | music | 09 July 2007

listen.

alan lomax is one of my musical heroes. imagine what he could accomplish today with the technology available. these were all recorded by lomax over the many years he spent traveling the world and recording music in its natural setting.

what i love most about these is the fact that you hear the realty of the situations. work songs or chain gang songs are a great example of culture passed from generation to generation. it's call-and-response at its best. this is not only the forefather of gospel music, but most importantly the blues. many blues musicians brought those work songs into the juke joints and made them their own.

so today is all about the work/chain gang songs lomax recorded. notice the ambient noise, the pick axes hitting the ground, the sound of singing in a tunnel, the genuine voices and the realty of back breaking work. damn if i don't get home sick when listening to old black men singing.

you may have to adjust the volume here and there because some of the files are definitely lo-fi. enjoy.

Don't You Hear Po' Mother Callin': Hollie Dew, Bull, and Group
It Makes a Long Time Man Feel Bad: 22 & Group
Black Woman: BB & Group
Whoa Buck: CB
Jumpin Judy: Tangle Eye, Fuzzy Red, Hard Hair & Group
Old Alabama: BB & Group
John Henry: Ed Lewis
Early In The Mornin': John Lee More & Prisoners
Rosie: unkown, Alan Lomax

the internet is god's way of saying he loves me

_posted in web | 09 July 2007

this is mad sick! mad amazing! just plain fucking mad crazy! i love it! walk it out, ladies.
daye: omg
daye: i love it
chris: this song is bad ass too
daye: yea it is
daye: no doubt
daye: anything with dre is hot though
chris: yeah, its pretty much all it takes to make shit hot
daye: heheheh
daye: amazing
chris: its fucking sick how much this sync's up
chris: I'm watching it over and over
daye: i know. i love it. ive watched it a couple of times now
daye: hehehe
chris: he says on my wrist
chris: and there hands fly up and they flip their wrist
daye: i know!
chris: its like they're meant to be together
daye: fate, destiny, dare i say kismet
chris: woah
chris: you went so far as kismet
daye: hell to the yes
daye: and i just said "hell to the yes"

"Good thing I'm not an idealist-I'm just here for the money."

_posted in africa | sunday morning news catch up | the world | 08 July 2007

there's some guy claiming that the press ties the hands of those fighting the war on terror, suggesting that there should be another my-lai massacre like the one in vietnam. that alone will solve all the problems with terror, killing civilians in cold blood. thomas friedman has always been on of my favorite columnist, but i've never agreed with his views on globalization aka neocolonialism. i need to read some of samir amin's work. speaking of neocolonialism, danny glover takes the imf and world bank to task in his latest film, bamako.

The Taliban's Opium War

full article

supplemental photography

supplemental audio

quote 1

A great dust cloud formed as the A.T.V.s hyperkinetically whizzed past us and the trucks kicked up plumes of swirling yellow powder. Picking up speed, Lockyear exclaimed, "This is redneck heaven. You get to run around the desert on A.T.V.s and pickups, shoot guns, and get paid for it. Man, it's the perfect job!"

quote 2

"How long have you been growing poppies?" Wankel asked him. The farmer looked surprised. "When I was born, I saw the poppies," he said.

When we were ready to move on, the farmer said, as if to be polite, "Thank you-but I can't really thank you, because you haven't destroyed just my poppies but my wheat, too." He pointed to where A.T.V.s had driven through a wheat patch. Wankel apologized, then commented that it was only one small section. "But you have also damaged my watermelons," the farmer insisted, pointing to another part of the field. "Now I will have nothing left."

Wankel turned away. As we walked on, the farmer called out, "Are you destroying all the poppies or just my field?"

quote 3

Hook, a former Army man and prison guard, had been hired by DynCorp just the month before. One morning, he said, "The real problem in this war on terror is you guys, the press. Ties our hands. The only way to fight this is to give them back the same medicine, like Operation Phoenix, in Vietnam. My Lai-what Calley did there was probably just on orders."

quote 4

Back at camp, everyone was in a bad mood. Hook, the former prison guard, remarked, "We ought to take all those guys and hang them in public, beginning with the governor." He laughed, and added, "Good thing I'm not an idealist-I'm just here for the money."

Sorry, Thomas Friedman, the World Is Round

full article

quote 1

But, like all revolutions, this one will have its winners and losers. Of the former, most obvious are corporate CEOs who will fatten their bottom line by tapping into the vast reservoir of cheap foreign labor. On the other side is Joe Six Pack, who will suffer from a net loss in American jobs. Much of the success of Friedman's book lies in his dire warnings to Americans that they are on the verge of a major crisis. Not only are hard-working, low-wage Indian workers stealing their jobs, but hard-working, tech-savvy Chinese students are increasingly taking seats in top undergrad and graduate college programs. And, Friedman frets, if America doesn't wake up, it will face a potentially disastrous decline: Or, as Infosys's CEO Nilekani later explains, the American middle class "has not yet grasped the competitive intensity of the future. Unless they [do], they will not make the investments in reskilling themselves, and you will end up with a lot of people stranded on an island."

quote 2

According to Amin, the ethic of liberalism -- "Long live competition, may the strong win" -- is now ravaging societies of the Third World, causing further "social alienation and pauperization of urban classes."

"What is going to become of these billions of human beings, already for the most part, the poor among the poor?"... In this drive to satisfy the insatiable hunger for new markets of its Western clients, the WTO is sanctioning a process that will "destroy -- in human terms -- entire societies."

Bamako: Danny Glover Produces and Stars in New Film Putting the World Bank and IMF on Trial in Africa

full article

supplemental audio

quote 1

And Bamako is the capital of Mali -- that he began to weave this story where we have men and women who are traumatized and who are dismissed by globalization. They're the ones who give testimony. So it's their story. It's them -- they're saying, in a most brilliant way, how globalization has impacted their life, how the IMF and the World Bank and structural adjustments and conditionalities have impacted their life, and the structural violence that it's caused in their life. This courtyard has people who are unemployed, women who dye fabrics, which is a dying art in Africa, anyway. Most of the fabrics are now dyed somewhere else, particularly in China. And so, this is just -- then they unfolded this story, and then, not only that story, that within the story the court happening, you see the life, the teeming life, the life of the people as they go through the day-to-day aspects of survival.

quote 2

Imagine if we even look at our own lives here, in reference to what is happening in areas in this country where people are in slums and in inner cities. We don't know what's really happening in those areas themselves.

quote 3

You, Harry Belafonte, Nelson Mandela, the Congressional Black Caucus, progressives throughout the country have been talking about getting rid of this debt and then promoting trade. And nothing, Danny, is more disturbing to me than last week's announcement that the US was building a huge military base in Africa. Question: what for?

_soundcheck: tinariwen: the radio tisdas sessions

the efficiency of death

_posted in dayedayerocks | 07 July 2007

i just walked in the door from attending the funeral of my friend's father. edgar de leon. having listened to ben and others talk about his father, i am sad i never had a chance to know him. amidst all the emotion and tears that come with any man's passing, there was truly relief in knowing that his father is no longer suffering. i hear people say this alot and i honestly never believed it. but after listening to ben talk about his dad for the last 8 months i've come to realize there is a better place, there is a place where the people we love no longer suffer, and that's in our hearts. i've never seen two people as composed as ben and his mother at the passing of a loved one. yes, they've had some time to come to terms with his impending death, but their dignity, grace and appreciation of those who attended were amazing.

with all this emotion and understanding was the disgust of the efficiency of death. it took the caretakers at forrest lawn 15 minutes to bury ben's father. had it not been for the flowers placed on his grave you would never have known a man had just been buried. a backhoe was used to pull the dirt over the open grave, and then there was some apparatus on the backhoe that became a flatter. it packed the earth down flat, and it made a horrible sound like a jackhammer. then the green carpet was rolled out aka green sod, and then another round with the flat jackhammer. and scene. until the machines and men moved down the street to the next burial.

i couldnt help thinking that people have always died and people have always been buried. it was not always this way. we dug holes ourselves, we placed loved ones in these holes, and covered them ourselves. when i die just wrap me in a sheet and place me in the earth. i want my friends and loved ones to cover me themselves. i want them to get their hands dirty and participate in my passing. i want them to help me on my way as i hope i am living my life; messy, with hands dirty from trying to scratch a place for myself, and calloused from trying to be of help to those around me. as i want to be a willing participant in the lives of those i love and care for, i would want just one last time to know that those who love and care for me, are willing to participate in the last moments of my bodily form.

im off to once again call the grandmother, but this time to just tell her i appreciate her. i think i've come to a place where i've accepted that we all die, we all will cease to exist. the thing to keep in mind is how we want those we brush past in life to remember us.

my newest crush...

_posted in africa | photography | 06 July 2007

wow. im so smitten right now... andrew dosunmu's photography is honest. and i love it. all his images have a quality that just screams realty, they arent airbrushed crap of artists or models, they are places and people that make sense. you can tell from his images that he's confident, he doens't feel out of place, he belongs where ever he 's taking a picture, he belongs with the people in his images. even his fashion photography appeals to me and i hate fashion photography.

he directed the video for youssou n'dour's birim! and any man who can make me love tracy chapman even more than i already do, is completely talented in my book. he's done work with common, patrice and other artists. and i'm not sure how he wasn't on my radar, cause he's exactly what i love about photography and film.

he did a documentary by the name of hot iron that i did see so long ago and thought, "holy shit. that's mad crazy, i love it!" check it out.

_soundcheck: youssou n'dour: joko from the village

fife and drum...

_posted in monday morning blues | music | 06 July 2007

mos def has a fife and drum hook on his most recent album and it solidified his musical god status for me. i marvel at current musicians who take the time and effort to find the roots of music. this is another one of those deep deep generational arts that date back to well before we were sharecroppers. the belief is slaves, who had no instruments, created the fife from bambo or wood. the most famous fife player in america was othar turner. he died at 94, just a few years ago. this music proves that a person can be a complete master of his craft.

the electric blues.

_posted in monday morning blues | music | 06 July 2007

once the migration to the north started black musicians who were playing on acoustic guitars starting playing electric guitars. once they left the deep south musicians, who started out strumming like the others on his old school guitar, took up playing with electric blues. the availability of electricity changed how the blues could now be played. once you're in an environment that lends itself to a new form of a genre, stand back.

muddy waters, bb king, howlin wolf, elmore james... these guys rock it hardcore.

lady sings the blues...

_posted in monday morning blues | music | 06 July 2007

listen.

i just love the explicit advisory on this record.

this week's monday morning blues is all about the ladies. the history of these women is phenomenal. they are considered the ones who put the blues on the map. in some instances they were making the most money out of all the black performers. in the 1920s no less.

so the songs are in chronological order as best as i could research them. they range from 1923 - 1988.

these women are not playing... from sexual innuendos, men who aint no good (yes, dirty mother for you is a dirty motherfucker... o....k... to just plain old being tried... they make you shake your head and say "yes, girl... tell it girl..."

my top three, for obvious reasons, sloppy drunk blues and 3 o'clock blues and pussycat moan.

there will be a part two, because there are so many ladies not listed here... enjoy, cause i did.

Down Hearted Blues: Bessie Smith
Blues Ain't Nothing Else But!: Ida Cox
Sloppy Drunk Blues: Lucille Bogan
I Been a Bad, Bad Girl: Ozella Jones
Boy Friend Blues: Memphis Minnie
Dirty Mother For You: Memphis Minnie
Conjur Man: Memphis Minnie
Beggin' the Blues: Bessie Jones
Wang Dang Doodle: Koko Taylor
3 O'clock In the Morning Blues: Ike and Tina Turner
63 Year Old Mama: Koko Taylor
After You Get Rid of Me: Katie Webster
Pussycat Moan: Katie Webster

there are some things...

_posted in music | 06 July 2007

you just don't do. one of those things is an attempt at remaking fela kuti's sorrow tears and blood in some sudo neosoul/r&b bullshit... for some reason bilal thought it was ok to do this. one, fela is the president. two, he cant even try to reach that standard of musicianship. three, afrobeat is afrobeat for a reason. and believe me i tried to listen to bilal's song a few times and it actually made me sick to my stomach. i will never again listen to bilal for this blasphemy. never. again.

thursday = new music wednesday this week...

_posted in music | new music wednesdays | 05 July 2007

yes sometimes its nice to keep it short and sweet...

africando, ketukuba
animal collective: here comes the indian
brandi carlile: the story
dan deacon: spiderman of the rings
pharoahe monch: desire

_soundcheck: pharoahe monch: desire

kernal panics...

_posted in dayedayerocks | 04 July 2007

my macbook pro is experiencing serious problems since installing to the must current update... in short it has died. i am not happy, but thank goodness for being a geek with two computers... the g5 keeps on ticking...

and no i cant seem to find the macbook pro install cds that came with the damn thing... apple, damn you and your disposable products. and yes i'll still by the iphone cause im a complete fool

"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt"

_posted in dayedayerocks | 04 July 2007

yet another passing... last night my friend ben told me his father passed on friday... his father has been dealing with some serious issues for quiet some time. he finally got a lung transplant at the eleventh hour a few months ago, when his family was resigned to the fact that his situation was grave. and now he's passed.

all i could think about was how amazing benji has been as a son. he spent every night with his dad. it made an amazing impression on me, the way he took care of his family. and all this on top of being mr. teacher and still finding time to enjoy his own life.

of course i called my da and we talked about life and death, yet again. and i think what i never admitted to myself was, as i get older, the people around me got older. and they happen to have already been old when i came around. i know that sounds silly, but i never admitted to myself that my grandmother is now 74 and my grandfather is now 77. best case scenario they have about 20 good years left. lately ive been thinking about my grandmother as a great grand. it would be a complete disservice to have kids and them not know my da. as a grandmother she's been exceptional, as a mother just as exceptional. i can only imagine how she'd spoil my kids, pass down a rich west indian culture, and just be an amazing influence on them...

i can say the last few months have made me think about my life more and my relationships with people. what's important are those relationships with family and friends, cause what you accomplish in life is secondary to the people you connect with and grow with. my boss gave me three pieces of advice, shortly after his daughter started chemo; work hard, enjoy your life and be a good person. that's it. in the face of losing his child thats what he felt were the three most important things he's learned.

and i completely co-sign on that advice. i'd add in there one piece of advice i myself find hard to follow; even in the face of failure or mistakes, walk away knowing you learned a valuable lesson.

monday morning blues no.1

_posted in monday morning blues | music | 02 July 2007

listen.
Well here's the playlist for monday morning blues. there are some examples of old school and new school versions. new school being electric guitar. enjoy.

It Serves You Right to Suffer: John Lee Hooker
Country Blues: Muddy Waters
Traveling Riverside Blues: Robert Johnson
Cross Road Blues (Take 1): Robert Johnson
Standing at the Crossroad: Elmore James
Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley
I'm a Man: Bo Diddley
You Can't Lose What You Never Had: Muddy Waters
The Sun is Shining: Elmore James
Black Betty: Leadbelly

The best way to listen to the playlist in iTunes is to save the m3u file and then make a playlist for the file. This way all the songs will automatically play one after the other, otherwise you'll have to manually play each song. I really cant say how other players will deal with the file. In the future this may be a flash player, but I did squat this weekend and didnt get around to it.

C.R.S. - Can't Remember Shit syndrome

_posted in photography | sunday morning news catch up | the world | 01 July 2007

this week has been filled with news about the supreme courts decision and since my last post was about that, there are no links in sunday morning news catch up. but there are some interesting articles, none the less.

The end of photojournalism

full article

quote 1

In Europe, German photojournalistic magazines were influenced by the Soviet films of Eisenstein and Pudovkin. In the 1930s Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and David 'Chim' Seymour - co-founders of Magnum - worked for Ce Soir, the communist daily newspaper. Cartier-Bresson also contributed to Regards, the communist illustrated weekly. Photojournalism was a left-wing occupation. Photographers, agents and editors, forced out of Germany and Hungary by Hitler, took their craft to Britain and the US.

quote 2

The Historical Section of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) gave unemployed photographers jobs so they could record the trauma of the American Depression and the triumphs of the New Deal. Later, Congress wanted to destroy the FSA's 270,000 negatives as un-American. They were saved and are now in the Library of Congress. Some 20 years ago Nick Hedges almost persuaded the Labour government to support a similar project in Britain. It went to Cabinet, but collapsed when the Conservatives won the election.

The General's Report

full article

quote 1

"The whole idea that Rumsfeld projects - 'We're here to protect the nation from terrorism' - is an oxymoron," Taguba said. "He and his aides have abused their offices and have no idea of the values and high standards that are expected of them. And they've dragged a lot of officers with them."

quote 2

The former senior intelligence official said that when the images of Abu Ghraib were published, there were some in the Pentagon and the White House who "didn't think the photographs were that bad" - in that they put the focus on enlisted soldiers, rather than on secret task-force operations. Referring to the task-force members, he said, "Guys on the inside ask me, 'What's the difference between shooting a guy on the street, or in his bed, or in a prison?'" A Pentagon consultant on the war on terror also said that the "basic strategy was 'prosecute the kids in the photographs but protect the big picture.'"

quote 3

"From the moment a soldier enlists, we inculcate loyalty, duty, honor, integrity, and selfless service," Taguba said. "And yet when we get to the senior-officer level we forget those values. I know that my peers in the Army will be mad at me for speaking out, but the fact is that we violated the laws of land warfare in Abu Ghraib. We violated the tenets of the Geneva Convention. We violated our own principles and we violated the core of our military values. The stress of combat is not an excuse, and I believe, even today, that those civilian and military leaders responsible should be held accountable."

Are You There, George? It's Me, Ava.

full article

supplemental video

supplemental video

ava's website

quote 1

It remains to be seen, however, whether such virtual, viral efforts can serve as a replacement, or even a stimulus, for face-to-face networks such as church groups or labor unions.

quote 2

At an early age, Ava revealed herself to be more zealously political than her parents, and more left-leaning. By the seventh grade, she had persuaded her mom to let her be homeschooled. Ava didn't fit in at regular school, being more interested in the Electoral College than the latest gossip. She told me her teachers teased her for wearing a Gore-Lieberman T-shirt or reading Dude, Where's My Country? in homeroom.

_soundcheck: femi kuti: do your best

brown vs. board of education is dead.

_posted in education | news | 01 July 2007

i spent all day thursday at work creating a website for the supreme court's recent decision on voluntary integration. they struck down the seattle school district's use of race to to determine where a majority of students will attend school. this was their way of fighting segregation in their schools. it is no doubt a blow to brown vs. broad of education.

the "cruel irony" as justice stevens writes in his individual dissent, is for chief justice roberts to evoke brown vs. broad of ed. to justify his decision to strike down seattle's method of desegregating schools. roberts also stated, "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

i call bullshit. when you have schools that are 80-90% one race and 20-10% another race you have serious issues. how can our young people function in an ever changing world having never interacted with other races? the only white faces some of these kids see are teachers, who in their world are examples of power and dominance. they never interact with peers or families at their level from other races.

i've been doing my documentary at a school that is 80% latino and 20% black. from what im told there are about two white kids, and no asian students. this school has about 5,000 kids in a school meant for maybe 2,000 kids. needless to say these kids are at a disadvantage from day one. the resources at their school are sorely lacking. there is a clinic on campus that is about to be shut down due to lack of funds. so the students and teachers have to fundraise in order to keep it open. there are teachers who pay for books with their own money or who are regulars on donors choose.

brown vs. broad of education died a long time ago. and this week the supreme court put the final nail in that coffin. it rests quietly next to thurgood marshall at arlington national cemetary. a 5-4 split down party lines is just another example of how we still make decisions based on our belief in our party's ideologies, not our children's future. but the truth of the matter is how many of these justice's liberal or not, have kids in these schools effected by this decision; none. when people of power believe that all children can get the same education without needing the backing of our legal system then we as a country, and as citizens of the world, lose out.

so does moving from a race-based system to an economic-based system make things better? you'll still be on the race-based track. historically minorities have been the poorest in this country. either way, schools in neighborhoods where parent(s) are working two or three jobs are the losers in thursday's decision. neighborhoods where 50% of the students drop out of school,which by the way are the numbers nationwide for black and latino students, due to the lack of resources or even just decent resources are the losers. i'm not saying the majority of these kids who drop out will end of up the legal system, but remember, its cheaper to educate a child, than house an inmate. just something to think about.

_soundcheck: ahmad jamal: ahmad's blues