Sweet Dreams -

It's bad enough to not be understood
 But to be misunderstood is worse
  I've practiced more than I thought I should
   Yet I still can't get to the verse

The attainable dream is in reach but then
 I wasn't ready for the unicorn
  Everything I wish that I could teach my friend
   Leaves both our hearts shattered and torn

I know and do believe; don't wanna make-believe
 'Cause fairies and goblins can't dance
  By now I should have received the long-awaited reprieve
   My fifty-fourth, fifty-fifth, and sixth chance

Don't wanna keep no score 'bout what was said before
 To the rules of the game I'm no slave
  But I can try to restore that which was ripped from the core
   With thanks for the gift that you gave

If hope ain't hope I won't be able to cope
 'Cause the vista's been dim for a while
  Though it's a slippery slope I'm makin' use of the rope
   And I'm stretchin' my inch to a mile

You need to feel I'm sincere 'cause I can handle it here
 And my resolve is the kind that won't fade
  You can shrug off the fear; although it seems very near
   You will awaken to find that I've stayed . . . .

.k
01/13/2001

Hey y'all. 

I sent this link out to my friends a couple years back and I thought of it the other day, so I'm refreshing it for some of the friends who hadn't seen it yet.  It's a trip! It had me hollerin'!

Black People Love Us
http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/index.html

DJ Seraphim has the most interesting bulletin posts, usually cluing me in to something I didn't know, or making me think about topics I already know in new ways.

In exchanges with her today she was particularly thought-provoking in two areas:  the recent news item in Texas about the pot smoking kids, and the general state of the hip-hop nation.  What follows here is a couple of my thoughts/musings on each, (modified from my replies in our conversation):

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Toking Toddlers:
click link above for the complete story

I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show yesterday and their comments on this situation.  Tom was saying that maybe marijuana is the new beer.  Y'know, how everyone had that older relative that would sneak them a sip of beer when they were young? 

It got me to thinking about situations in my own life:  I was kinda my great-grandmother's official taste-tester at age three when she'd make her homemade wine.  I guess if I didn't make a face while tasting it, the wine was good-to-go.

But also, I remember visiting my first wife in Germany when she was stationed there, and going to a picnic where I busted one of her girlfriends slipping my 2 year-old daughter a taste of german suds.  Neither my wife nor I were drinkers at the time (we were both pretty pious and devout back then) so I was livid.  That's pretty presumptuous to do with someone else's kid.

But there seems to be an assumption amongst some of my people in general that it's okay to slip a kid a sip now and then.  Many think it prevents alcoholism and alcohol abuse later.  There may be something to it, as all my cousins and I were drinkers growing up, and none of us ever developed bad drinking habits.  In fact, I actually quit drinking my freshman year in college, not picking it up again until I got divorced from my first wife.

But even Tom Joyner and his co-hosts agreed that slipping a kid a sip of wine or beer is not to be compared with encouraging toddlers to toke a blunt.  They conceded that it is a lot more heinous to give a kid a joint than a sip of alcohol.  They commented that from the toddlers behavior, it appeared this was not the first time.  They were inhaling and blowing smoke through their nostrils.  Jay Anthony Brown commented that he'd "seen grown men toke and start beating their chest and coughing.  These toddlers didn't even cough."

He transitioned from there to the jokes, of course.

His other comment, mimicking the momma when she woke up: "You mean ALL of the Gerbers is gone? There was over 50 jars of baby food back here and it's ALL gone?  Even the slpit peas?"

;0)

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The State of the Hip-Hop Nation

Many people don't like hip-hop, and that's a lot of what I spin.

My friend DJ Wrexx and I had this discussion too the last time we were both at the DJ Conference.  We were both singularly unimpressed by the performances of the rappers onstage, and in general with a lot of the new music everybody was trying to hype.  Good beats aside, a lot of the new music was trash, everybody hyping the same tired themes and so many new artists fruitlessly trying to mimic the more commercially successful ones.

I think that 98% of new artists within hip-hop aren't really artists at all, and that hip-hop as an art form is self-destructive and self-defeating, and there's no way it can continue to be a viable art form unless it's downside is addressed and healed.

To me, so much of the music is so full of negative energy, with all the unnecessary cussing, and nigga- this and nigga-that, general misogyny, and hype about cars and making money, and dissing other rappers,  . . .  I mean, I know one of the tenets of gangsta rap is being hardcore . . . . but it's hard to enjoy any real quantity of an art form that is so full of negativity.  Eventually it tends to drain on your own spirit and life-force.  And even if you don't care about your spirit, artisticly, there is very little original stuff coming out of hip-hop nowadays.  The whole art form already was based on sampling beats of traditional r&b and funk hits of the 70's and 80's, but nowadays they're rampantly even biting off of each other: as soon as somebody gets a successful new hook or catch phrase, there are 3000 other suckers that'll copy it and try to cash in on it in some kind of way.  The creativity within hip-hop is just not there anymore.  How many of these so-called artists actually study music?  Can any of us out there name more than a handful of them who've actually even picked up a bass or lead guitar?  Horns and woodwinds?  Do any of their drum and keyboard sounds come from anything other than sampling machines and software?  Why do they think the microphone is the only musical instrument that matters? 

Obviously I could go on.

I can't be too overly critical because I spin this stuff at Down Below to the degree that it hypes my crowd.  And honestly, it's not all so terrible.  I tend to pick out the more upbeat tunes and the more danceable ones than a lot of the harder stuff.  I will drop in one or two "hard" ones to spice up the vibe in general, but even as a DJ of this stuff, I can't take more than 2 or 3 songs of it back to back.

Of course I spin a lot of 80's and 70's old school r&b and funk too.  One thing lacking in my repertoire is a lot of the decent 90's rap.  But I definitely establish a flavor people can vibe to most nights.

I'd really like to see a Hip-Hop Messiah come to it's rescue.  Because right now, most of the artists within it are killing it as a genre.  I am so sick of vapid lyrics and copy-cat beats.  It's the exact same complaint that some people have about country music, yet these cats can't see it. 

Nobody wanted to hear Kanye West rap.  Maybe that's because they knew if the public got a real taste of him and others like him (Andre 3000 is still up there) they'd have to up the ante and stop trying to produce trash that they've been feeding us these last several years.

Wouldn't it be nice if hip-hop would stop killing itself and return to the artistry, the musicianship, the poetry and flow that it began with?  Or let them give us something completely new,  just not the trash they've been putting out.

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Okay, I guess that's part of my vent for the day!

It all depends on what you want.

Some people do it all themselves, and just let me spin. 

But for most receptions, I do the announcements and all.  Announcing the bridal party, garter/bouquet toss, cake cutting, toasts, whatever.  Or I can act as a kind of emcee for other people to do announcements and such.

If I'm to do all that, I only ask that I be very well-prepared.  I need to know names, times, special instructions, and anything else that will both help your reception go smoothly and also prevent me from looking like a fool.  There are many times when people give me very limited instruction, or will change something I'm doing right in the middle of my doing it because I've misinterpreted their desires.  Makes me look stupid and unprofessional, when in fact it was they themselves who didn't give me enough information.  I cannot stand being improperly prepared and misinformed.  It's my only pet peeve in dealing with wedding planners and coordinators.

My point is this:  Being asked to DJ a reception is a sacred honor that I take very seriously.  These are memories that people expect to carry with them a whole lifetime.  I am at the bride at groom's utmost service to do the very best I can to make their day special.  But I need to have good input in order to do that.

Work with me, or appoint someone who understands the spirit as well as the letter of your special day's desires to work with me, and everyone will come away with warm fuzzies in their bellies!

http://www.weddingvendors.com

http://www.weddingvendors.com/music

This is for everybody who missed it as a bulletin . . . .  I thought it was important enough to blog . . .

All right . . . .

A lot of you know me but few of you know how much thought I've put into this . . . .

Some of you will disagree.  Some of you will have lights go on your head.  All of you will have your thought processes stimulated, I humbly assert . . .

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Seriously speaking, I love women in general . . . If you are attractive to me, I don't care what skin color you are . . . in particular, I don't care what race you are . . . . There are people in just about every race I find attractive, and people in just about every race that I don't find attractive . . .

But I do confess to having a general particular physical "type" that I find more attractive than others. Sometimes it makes it appear that I might prefer ladies of a particular race over another . . . but it's an oversimplified distinction. Ladies of every race on Planet Earth have turned my head and gotten me to act out in the silly schoolboy ways we all do when we're attracted to someone . . . .

Sometimes in my life I've been criticized for choosing partners of the fairer race . . . . but people honestly can't help their preferences no matter how politically incorrect or socially unacceptable they may be . . . . Many people try valiantly to their own detriment . . . ending up with choices they've made to please others and not themselves, and inevitably allowing their desires to wander elsewhere to their own misery and shame . . .

Personally, I don't think skin color should hold any more water than hair color or body type when it comes to what we find attractive in other people. People should not be vilified for what they like or dislike as far as particular preferences in the physical features of their selected partners. We don't criticize people for liking tall people over short, or short over tall, or brunette before blonde, or redhead before brunette, or buxom before svelte, or lithe before voluptuous. And this follows that white people should not automatically be classified as racist if they prefer partners that are closer to their own hue, nor should black people who only date and select partners within their own race! And the same way for those who choose partners that are differently hued in their skin tones from themselves!

If we would all release each other from these societal expectations and quit associating the choices others make with some insidious accusation of self-hatred, or hatred towards others, we would go a long way towards repairing and forgetting about all the other stigmas that are attached to race and cultural differences. Live and let live; do your thang and if somebody else is doing theirs and it happens to be different than yours, it doesn't mean they're wrong, they're just different!

When the worries of the day

Begin to make you sad

You just hurry and look this way

And you will soon be glad

You just take a look from the other side

Take a minute forget your pride

Throw your head back and let it out

Then you'll know what it all about

At times when you're really tryin'

And your pride gets cut in half

If you should feel like cryin'

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Don't let it get you down

Just  look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Can't shine while wearin' a frown

So look in the mirror and laugh

From frustration comes elation

(we can make you laugh)

From the direction of reflection

(we can make you laugh)

When you're feeling mighty low

And your head is near your feet

Hit the ceiling or let us show

You how to beat defeat

If other people can laugh at you

You've got a right to do it to

If you can laugh at their mistakes

Turn the tables that's all it takes

At times when you're really tryin'

And your pride gets cut in half

If you should feel like cryin'

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Don't let it get you down

Just  look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh

Can't shine while wearin' a frown

So look in the mirror and laugh

Look in the mirror and laugh . . . .

Okay GracieLee, where do I begin?

I am a Christian.  Thoroughly backslidden, no doubt, but a Christian at my core nonetheless.  At this point in my life I give in too readily to the whims of the flesh, and by no means do I claim to represent the Father God, the Lord Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit in the sense that should put anyone on their defenses before they hear what Im saying.  I stand in judgment of no one for his/her behavior, choices, or belief system without first condemning myself for all the junk I allow in my own life.  I look down my nose at no one, and I believe all humans are worthy of respect even if they themselves think themselves unworthy.

I am worldly and sinful by all outside appearances, yet at my core I am still a believer.  Oddly, this gives me a strange perspective on the issues facing our contemporary society.  Very often I find myself sympathizing with elements of our society which the modern church labels leftist, liberal, and humanist. 

I have personally wrestled with unplanned and undesired pregnancies, and am therefore very sympathetic to those who find themselves in that predicament.  Yet I will never deny that abortion is the taking of a life.  And I will do what I can to shed light on the issue, with as much compassion toward those who disagree as they will allow. 

I have many friends who are gay, male and female.  And though Ive read objective studies about how homosexuality occurs, and have known stories of many who have agonized over it, I still feel that homosexuality is inherently wrong.  I will admit to being more and more open-minded about that issue, though, and although I doubt my basic position will change, I am flexible and open-minded to objective dialogue.  I would be hard-pressed to casually dismiss the eloquent way the writer addresses Dr. Lauras apparently glib knee-jerk response to the issue of homosexuality.  The fact that the writer quotes from the very same book of scripture in challenging her assertion is not lost on anyone who reads it objectively, Christian or not.  The writer essentially nullifies her stance with the authority she herself relies upon.  Too often Christians are guilty of standing in judgment without clarifying the truth of the Word of God; too few study it well enough to objectively argue it merits.   Of course we dont kill bulls and goats and stone our neighbors anymore.  The blood of bulls and goats has been done away with as being necessary for the purging of sins since the blood of the Christ was shed.

As for the other laws, the procedures to follow for selling ones daughter into slavery, owning slaves, stoning someone for working on the Sabbath, etc.,  I do not claim to begin to know how to reconcile such passages with what I believe Christ would have us do today.  Secular charges that Christians always claim the Word of God is infallible, that God is never changing seem to carry water in light of passages like that.  If Hes never changing, why do his requirements of holiness and obedience seem so different for us than for the Israelites?

There are no doubt some valid and difficult questions to be put to any apologist for the church, the bride of Christ.  To not take them seriously, or to dismiss such questions out of hand stains the credibility of any professing Christian who does.  Objective truth doesnt need smoke and mirrors or blind declarations of faith to defend itself.  Objective truth will stand on its own for those who truly seek it.  Yet it will always seem evasive to those who come looking for it with a preset agenda.  Only the truly open-minded can find it.

I know the modern church often looks ridiculous in the eyes of the world, not for the stances that its leaders take, but because laypeople in general are not well-versed enough in the arguments that support the doctrines.   And laypeople are the ones who put forth all these weak arguments in the face of anti-christian sentiment in much of secular society, not clergy or scholars.   Thats why it seems so easy for them to be ridiculed.

But even facing scholars and students of the word of God, there is a strong anti-christian current which is very pervasive in our society.  The concept of separation of church and state is not meant to impede religious freedom, yet society is becoming increasingly hostile toward any movement which allows the free flow of Christian expression in the workplace, in our schools, and in the arts.  This is the spirit of anti-christ.  Ask yourself, Why is there such a knee-jerk reaction against anything leaning towards Christian influence in our culture?   It is the spirit of anti-christ.  Why is it so easy to forward jokes in the workplace through e-mail, yet we have an attack of conscience about misusing company resources when it comes to anything that smacks of religion?  It is the spirit of anti-christ.  Likewise, this is the atmosphere which has allowed us as a nation to get so far away from the objective and concrete truths which allowed this nation to rise to greatness.

Oh there are problems with the Bible.  But anyone who reads it seeking truth will find it within its pages.  There are quite a few stumbling blocks for those who read it to find a reason to vilify its contents, and even a few stumbling blocks for those who read it without full confidence in its inherent truth overall.  But that doesnt mean that we should discard it as the basis for our understanding of how to deal with one another and to get along in this world.

There is more that I have to say.  But I will allow you to read this and come back at it before I go any further.  I trust you have much to say as well.