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Hey all.

Media and life-wise, Year 2006 was a kooky a year as any, maybe even kookier thanks to the antics of Britney Spears, Nicole Ritchie, idiotic celebrity wedding and baby infatuations, and that old American stand-by – racial hatred – displayed in the public arena vividly. As we end the year, here are the awards to the best and worst of pop culture.


"The It's Just So Silly, But Damn It's Just So Catchy" award

This goes to the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie for her infectious ballad "Fergelicious". What a fete to the history of music she's made with this song. The lyrics, the flow…it's inarguably the bestest song of all **** eek, oop, aarrrghh***

Sorry everyone, I was taken over by the pod people for a minute, but I've regained my sense of self. Where was I? Oh yes, Fergie. Ever since she's come upon the scene mainstreaming BEP with the 2003 release of Elephunk, she's been a constant, if not annoying, pop darling. Fergie, realizing she's not talented enough to stray too far from home, enlists de facto group leader Will.I.Am infuses her grating hit track with an infectious rhythm.

                      


"The 'Did I Just Sell Out?' " award

I was mad at Will.I.Am at first for selling out and going pop, which seems to be more the norm these days lacking the cultural animosity it did in prior generations, but I realized some time later that "he finally got it!" With his BBE solo releases, the classic "Lost Change" as well as "Must B 21", he gets to make the type of music old BEP (okay, traditional) fans dig and still make his moolah with the commercial stuff.


The "I ALMOST Sold Out" award

I may not be even near his biggest fan, but I've always loved Snoop Dogg. From way back. When other West Coast style rappers left distaste in my Biggie-centric heart, Snoop was the one who I (secretly) listened to. But it was really weird seeing him shill gum and chill with Lee Iacocca for the past few years I must say (although, one can argue that a 'supposed' gangsta like Snoop hanging out with a corporate giant isn't too far removed from reality, but that's a story for another day). I mean yo, he's more than a pop culture icon. He's now, dare I say, a safe black man (brrrrr). No need to hide the girls ma, it's just Calvin!

But with all that, he seems to have kept some integrity, boosted by his hip-hop horror anthology Hood of Horror, a stern attempt at capitalizing on the strong return of the horror film genre, and his latest album release "The Blue Carpet Treatment", a banging album reminiscent of what made Snoop one of my personal favs for years. Welcome back to the fold bro-ham!


The vaunted "When Did She Get So Fine?" award

Nelly Furtado.

                   

She wins hands DOWN! You're not like a bird anymore chica. Good-bye granola…helllooooo nurse!


The "Switched At Birth" award

American news reporters have made celebrity gossip once again the top news stories of the day. Never mind all the American boys and girls dying over in Iraq, decimation of poor people in Darfur, or a more polarized sense of race the likes of which hasn't been seen since the 1960's, no we the public yearn to hear more about…celebrity babies!

The argument can be made that with all the ills in the world that distractions are needed. Surprise, surprise…I actually agree with that argument. So while I'll give them the leeway to talk about Bradgelina, Vince and Jenn, TomKat, and the like (I can't believe I actually just typed all those nicknames out), the attention should stop somewhere.

And that somewhere is people's children.

But with that, hard as a brother may, one just can't escape the inundation of attention brought upon us with Maddox & Co.

So with that, yes my people I've looked at the celeb baby pictures as well. And with my perusal, I've peeped some strange goings-on. Firstly, Suri Cruise, Tom and Katie Cruise's (supposed) love child. It can't be just me that looked at the 1st pictures of this baby and said: Um, isn't she Asian? Maybe me being among the body thetans, I just can't see the truth. Thank Xenu that America's favorite couple can. Dianetics forever baby!

Secondly, singer Seal and model Heidi Klum's recent child Johan. Now, I know the child is a newborn, but does Seal have some kind of genetic block on his chromosomes 'cause this baby is as pale as Nicole Kidman skiing in the Alps. As I said, some strange goings-on.


The "Much Ado About Nada" award

"It's racist! It's the racist Survivor!" folks lamented at the latest installment of CBS' most famous reality show "Survivor" in which this year they divided up the teams by race: African/African-Americans, Asian, Latino and Caucasian.

Before the show even aired, many advocates said that dividing up the teams by race is wrong because of the hard work by so many over the years to promote racial "cooperation and break down the barriers of segregation without having a major TV network artificially create racial separation," as quoted from a September 4th article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Some felt that segregating the teams would promote stereotypes while others felt that viewers with little knowledge of certain races would feel more superior to other ones and take that attitude out onto the streets physically.

As if people needed a television show to do that.

"Survivor", in every season as well as this 13th season and seventh year of the show historically does well because it doesn't deviate from its formula. It may mix things up a bit, but most of it runs pretty commonly – a familiarity that I think its regular watchers dig.

The "racist" season was no different. After the first three episodes, the four teams combined into two…and by the middle of the season finale, one African-American, one Latino and two Asians were the final contestants. In a show with historically ivory finalists, in the end the wholly multicultural cast actually for once put Survivor contestants on equal footing, much like CBS's multiple Emmy Award "The Amazing Race" does every season. Finally.


The "Should've Been Much Ado About Something" award

Ice Cube, everyone's 3rd favorite rapper/actor/director, etc., executive produced an excellent show in early 2006 called "Black.White" in which two families, one White and one Black, switched places due to the magic of Hollywood make-up and styling living as each others races. It aired on the FX Network.

While to me the make-up on the Black family was pretty weak, everyone encountering them seemed fooled. Rose, the college age White daughter turned Black, had the biggest breakthrough honestly experiencing how people treat her differently and a few things that a young black woman has to go through notably the way they see the world versus the way the world treats them. And she really looked Black in her make-up (some viewers argue that she even looked better Black!).

The best parts of the show however were when the make-up came off and the families discussed their differences, which while some were race-based others were seemingly cultural – even between members of the same family.

In the end, the examination and experimentation was better than the alternate kumbyaness that other passive programs and long-time organizations unsuccessfully try. It's better to talk candidly about our issues instead of ignoring them.


The "While We're On the Subject…" Award

2006 was a year where not too many Black folks starred on new television shows. And the show that had the most, the CW's "The Game" is pretty cheesy no matter who comprises the cast.

In particular, there are limited continuous roles for Black men in television drama. Lately, when we are hired, we're either non-involved authority figures (see: Jonathan Adams in "Bones"), awkwardly gay (take your pick of shows), or…yes ladies and germs the good 'ol American stand-by…the brutal buck …the THUG!

The beginning of this TV season, we saw two prime examples of this old stand-by. In HEROES, Leonard Roberts (DRUMLINE, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays the main Black male character D.L. Hawkins (thanks for THAT first name by the way- by either meaning of the abbreviation!), a convict that wife Niki Sanders is constantly on the run from. His character gains better credibility later in the season but by this point he's already labeled as a troublemaker.    
      
                                                                             

It's reverse for Dorian Missick (Lucky Number Slevin), who plays Damian on "Six Degrees". We first see him as a hard-working limo driver, but then we're introduced to his gangster brother. INSERT: Shady criminal past. How ho-hum. How Hollywood.

With the continued police violence against Black folks, especially Black men, for these shows to constantly promote negative images of us just further erodes our positive presences. Not that it's all the media's fault, it is something engrained in the culture, but nonetheless this continuous barrage doesn't help matters.

All isn't lost though. CBS' surprise hit show "Jericho" remains the main exception with its casting of Lennie James (Snatch) as the mysterious and indomitable Robert Hawkins, a role to be proud of.


The "Best Remake" award doesn't go to any movies this year, but to a TV show.

The dramedy UGLY BETTY is an addictive show. Set in the high gloss fashion world, this fish-out-of-water story revolves around Betty Suarez, who literally looks like the fish who is taken out of water and slapped against the boat floor repeatedly and violently. Actually, she doesn't look quite THAT bad since she's played by the adorable America Ferrara, best known as the star of the 2002 HBO movie Real Women Have Curves. Heck, she's recognizably thinner in this than she was in that. But affixed with a grill of braces and oversized glasses, she's a stark contrast to the subjectively beautiful people with whom she works.
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Betty is hired to be the assistant of Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius, EYES), the new Editor-In-Chief of MODE magazine because she's so unattractive that her new boss won't sleep with her like he does all his other assistants. Because of her, to say the least, lack of fashion style and demeanor, Betty is ostracized by her superficial co-workers who basically conspire to dispose of her (including her boss). But like these stories always go, and that's why we love 'em, Betty's perseverance and hard work win out. Don't worry I haven't given away the ending! Remember, it is a regular series.

Ugly Betty, based on the Columbian telenovela "Yo Soy Betty La Fea" which has also been adapted on international networks, is brought to American audiences by actress and producer Selma Hayek (who guest-starred as a sexy magazine editor during and after the November sweeps period). And trust, the American Betty looks MUCH better than the Betty I've seen while zapping past Telemundo (Or was it Noticias? I can never tell the difference).

America Ferrara is absolutely sweet as Betty. She plays Betty somewhat aware of her lack of style, but allows the character to concentrate so hard on doing her best, as a daughter, sister, aunt and employee, that we know Betty "keeps it real" as opposed to all the plastic people around her at work.

And while we're on the subject of keeping it real, I'd be remiss without mentioning the Latino aspect of the show. Notably, there is no overwhelming nature to it. The family is Latino, Mexican-Americans to be specific, but there's no flagrant stereotyping of it. The Suarez's are just a normal American family living in Queens, New York that works hard and loves each other. Thank Writer/Co-Producer Silvio Horta (Urban Legend, Jake 2.0) for creating such parity between the Latino character's everyday lives and their culture.

My breakout star from the show, other than Ferrara, is Ana Ortiz who plays Betty's sister Hilda. Ortiz, who's had recurring roles on Boston Legal and FX's Iraq war drama Over There, besides being an effectively funny and passionate actress on her respective shows, also radiates some kind of sexy.

Ugly Betty returns in January on Thursday's at 8pm on ABC.


The "TOTALLY LAME" award goes to Katie Couric, who is now the anchor of the CBS Evening News.

This is the same newscast that Edward R. Murrow, Walter Kronkite, Connie Chung and Dan Rather hosted in times past. Lovable, adorable, delectable Katie Couric. Boring and uninspiring Katie Couric.  With that last bit, at least that's what she is when tens of idiots aren't out in the cold yelling and holding up "I'm from Boise and Boise do I love Katie" banners at the TODAY show window.

But my critique is less with Katie and more with the executives who thought this was a good idea. Ratings boost? I say thee nay! After the first week, the rating plummeted hard.


The "Better Be The Shiznet" Award is awarded to Jennifer Hudson, formally best known as that chick from American Idol, but late of the recent "DreamGirls" remake.

Hudson is getting adulations out the wazoo for her portrayal of Effie, the role that Jennifer Holiday (hey! Same first name and initials! [how weird is that]) originated and signified on the Broadway stage. I haven't seen the movie yet, but my apprehension, hence the award, is with the media's explosive praise of Hudson.

                              

I'm always weary when they do this, especially with Black female actresses of a certain look. Okay, I'll just come out and say it: I pray that they don't "mammify" her. Hudson's not a small girl, and the Effie Role is a sassy one at that; White folks tend to love their black women large and sassy.

That said I really wish Hudson the best.


The "I'm Here Too!" Award goes to Beyonce for her role of Deena Jones in DreamGirls. Jennifer Hudson (see above) has so taken over the movie from mega-starlet Beyonce that NO ONE is talking about our favorite "B-Day" gal.

 
No worries Beyonce, the rest of the world still loves ya.
                                              
1st runner up: Ellen Pompeo, the title character from Grey's Anatomy.



The "Insiders" Award 

            

This goes to, coincidentally, Spike Lee. Not because of his directorial efforts on "Inside Man", although that was both a gripping and fun film, but to his directing prowess of the HBO documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem In Two Parts".

For those unfamiliar, this film is a sharp look at what really happened during Hurricane Katrina due to the indecision of the government and how much it truly affected the people of New Orleans and surrounding cities.

I'm man enough to admit that seeing some of the bodies float in the river and hearing the tales of loss was enough to make me cry a little because the emotion racked up during these four hours is that powerful. I didn't think any documentary could be as emotional as Spike's first full foray into the genre with "4 Little Girls", but "When The Levees Broke…" has just as much, if not arguably more, dynamism.


…and finally…

The "Badassssssss" Award

Historically, I give this to a real maverick. To someone who lives to put his or her foot up the (wannabe) man's ass, to quote Van Peebles.

But this year it goes to a person who has a history of sycophancy. A person who's snotty disposition can annoy even the most patient of people.

This year, the Media Man "Badassssss" Award, 2006, goes to Mrs. Star Jones-Reynolds!

                               

The way she stood up for herself when that old hag Barbara Walters gave her the ax, then expected her to sit there like a good lil negro and roll with the program was inspiring. It was so disrespectful of them to expect a woman who helped make that show the success it is to take a bow like that.

Star's exit, and the fallout that followed, was incendiary. But knowing when enough is enough is the hallmark of independence. I'm still not a fan of Star, but I've got heaps of respect for her, and that goes a longer way in my book.

 

 

As a burgeoning screenwriter, I encounter a lot of other writers and filmmakers who tend to downplay the artistic merit of television shows.  They often debunk television, making it seem as if it's mindless and juvenile – that it rots your brain.  I'm the total opposite of that kind of thinking.  Too much of anything can rot your brain, even French New Wave film.

While I'm an admitted film snob, I loves me some TV.  Television is what made me want to get into this business. From watching reruns of everything from Love American Style to What's Happening?!, I've always wanted to express myself in that medium. 

Ergo, the new fall network season is among my favorite time of year!  This past summer brought us the 3^rd season of Entourage on HBO.  The producers finally listened to me and turned Vincent Chase's life upside down - loved it. Summer also brought us Season 2 of The Closer, starring Kyra Sydgwick (a fav of mine from way back) as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Southern whippersnapper still facing issues as the head of the recently formed elite Priority Homicide Division of every Black man's favorite LAPD.  I'm still mad she lost the Emmy to the forced acting of Mariska Hargitay, but I digress. 

So as good as summer was, this Fall has brought us a great crop of new shows.  This season promises to be almost as good as the 2004-05 season which brought us LOST, Desperate Housewives, House, Veronica Mars, Over There, and Grey's Anatomy.

So here is Part Uno of my Favs and Misses for this new tv season:

THE FAVS:

 
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip is the name of the fictional tv skit show, a la Saturday Night Live but airing on Fridays, recently taken over by the previously ousted senior  writer and segment director, Matt Albie and Danny Tripp, after the show's producer/director has an on-camera breakdown of Chayefskian proportions.   Created by Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing fave (Sorkin also wrote my favorite presidential love story The American President – though, I can't think of other movies that fit in that category), Studio 60 is a bright, witty, complex, and in some ways sexy, hell of an entertaining show.

Matthew Perry, loved by millions as Chandler on Friends, takes a dramatic turn as Matt Albie, who along with Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman on The West Wing) work at turning the formally stagnant show back into a hit, despite the machinations of the network executives.  The only player that has their back is the one who re-hired them, new studio president Jordan McDeer, played wonderfully by Amanda Peet, who has finally made me a fan of hers.    

And this parlays into what makes Studio 60 such a wonderful show.  Much like he did with Sports Night and The West Wing, Sorkin's serials show us the backroom politics, creative, financial, and personal-wise, of a live television show.  With real-life angst and a back-stories that go on for days (I can only imagine the length of this show's 'bible'), Sorkin relishes at giving us that slow reveal of what each episode is truly about. 

My only complaint so far: Give D.L. Hughley's character Simon some juicer lines. If Stephen Weber can have some, so should D.L.  Don't, please don't, tokenize him.

If you love great story, great story, and great writing, Studio 60 is a Top 3 of the new fall line-up.   Sarah Paulson, Nate Corddry, Timothy Busfield, Evan Handler, and Carlos Jaccott round out the cast.     

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip airs Mondays at 10pm on NBC

 
So what's better than Studio 60?  One word:  HEROES.  I was privy to receiving an advance preview of the pilot and was left salivating for a month before the 2^nd episode aired.  Yes, it's that good.  Some folks who are against, say, comic-book movies and think that they're immature truly miss out on some good fiction not catching a show like this.  It ain't the Fantastic Four (be it the 2005 version or the horrible 80's movie), so get your mind away from that. 

Heroes is about different people from all over the globe who suddenly one day wake up to discover that they have extra-normal abilities:  super powers.  Some welcome their abilities, others are terrified of them. And that terror, it's substantive.  There are some who are after these folks in order to…wait, I can't give it away.  

This isn't a silly show; it's an honest jaw-dropping ending thriller.  And it's one that's gotten consistently better with each episode.  Can they keep up the momentum?  Well, there are so many stories:  the professor who leaves India to go to America to find out why his father, who had been researching people with special abilities for years, has now disappeared and is most likely dead;  the mysterious man who most likely has killed the Professor's father and is killing other paranormals;  the artist who can paint the future and is going bonkers doing so;  the office worker from Japan who bends both space and time and has seen a nuclear disaster in NYC; the invulnerable cheerleader who denies her powers and whose father is one of the mysterious people chasing after these paranormals.  In short, there's so many levels that show can build on the only way it can fail is if the creators destroy the ship themselves. 

Like LOST, part of the reason this show works is because they are no real stars on the show, just people you've seen here and there.  The most recognizable cast members are: Ali Larter, co-star of the first two Final Destination movies; Noah Gray-Cabey, Franklin from Damon Wayans' My Wife & Kids; and Milo Ventimiglia, Rory's old boyfriend from Gilmore Girls; and the always good Greg Grunberg from Alias and Felicity. 

Check out HEROES now.  Slept on the first 3 episodes?  Yo, download it, borrow it from your homeboy that taped it, go peep it on your brother's DVR or TiVo – but watch–this-show.

HEROES airs Mondays at 9:00pm on NBC

 
Help Me Help You is the latest sitcom offering starring Ted Danson, best known to the world as womanizing bar owner Sam Malone from CHEERS.  He stars as Dr. Bill Hoffman, an therapist with a thriving practice who is idolized by his peers.  Regrettably, one of those peers is currently dating Bill's college-age and is close to Bill's age.  Also, Bill's marriage is just about over and his ex-wife-to-be, Malcolm in the Middle's Jane Kaczmarek, is already steadily dating.  All this commotion is starting to make Bill nuttier than his group therapy patients – which is saying a whole lot. 

These patients are Jonathan, a middle-aged man who can't admit that he's a homosexual; Inger, a computer programmer and self-made millionaire with zero social skills;  Darlene, who has so many psychological issues they'd take up this entire page, including a "Daddy" complex that extends to Bill;  Michael, who requires anger management, and the newest group member Dave, who has issues standing up for himself and has recently attempted suicide by jumping out a window at work – and landing on his a-hole boss. 

The show harkens back to The Bob Newhart Show from the 1970's which revolved around a therapist's life at home and with his therapy group, the difference being though that Bob often just reacted to his crazy crew at work and at home, but Bill's actions reveal him to be seriously losing it – he needs just as much therapy as his patients, if not more.

Now, I still haven't forgiven Danson for dressing up in blackface at that Friar's Roast years back for his then lover (ugh!) Whoppi Goldberg, but in all reality – this is a really funny show.  I haven't laughed out loud at any of the new sitcoms like I have for Help Me Help You.  Much like Everybody Hates Chris, there is no laugh track to force you to smirk (Which is more common these days. The top network comedies – My Name is Earl and The Office are also shot on film and contain no canned laughter).  Aside from Danson, Jonathan, played by Jim Dash has some of the best comedic reactions I've seen in some time, and Suzy Nakamura's Inger, is so depressively out of touch with connecting to people, it's suddenly funny and a far cry from her outrageously funny delivery as the sarcastic waitress Tina, her recurring character from the recently cancelled Half & Half (ah, I miss you Rachel True…). 

Despite having no Black characters, which I think in this case I'm happy about, Help Me Help You is the must-see no comedy of the season.

Help Me Help You airs Tuesday nights, 9:30 pm on ABC.

the MISSES:

The CLASS is so winy its unbearable.  Yet another show about white folks with no real problems.  Pass, very quickly. 

SMITH starts Ray Liotta, Amy Smart, Simon Baker, and a lot more good talent.  Unfortunatly, it's pieced together so badly and the story is so slow that it's boring as heck.  As of this posting, CBS has temporarily shelved it after 3 episodes.  They didn't waste anytime, and sorry for you if you wasted yours.  

Still not too sure about:   KIDNAPPED

Wassup people!

It's been a minute since I've posted to this  blog so I figured instead of pontificating about an issue for once, that I'd just spit on how life has been.

Things are cool.  Admittedly, I was a bit low for a minute there.  Things really just hadn't been going my way.  Nothing major or (insert adjective), just a whole lotta lil 'ish piling on at once - a whole lotta disappointment.  I do tend to be hard on myself when things don't flow right, especially when I clearly see the errors I made.  However, when you look at the things you did right, and see that it grossly outweighs the errors, then is when you realize" "Okay, let me turn that page and keep it moving."  And that's where I'm at right now.

I may be misquoting the amount and the phrase a bit, but Thomas Edison and crew had 100 mishaps before creating their famous world-changing light filament (we all know Lewis Lamiter was the main man responsible, but I digress - no ponitificating Curtis!). When asked about the success he accomplished, he said, paraphrasing, that they figured out 99 ways on how not to do it.   Funny statment, but totally appropo on how to go about dealing with both your business concerns and personal life. 

I say all that to say, trite as it sounds, we all do best when we learn from our errors.  It's fine to mourn what went bad, but dust yourself off and prove to the world that you've got enough game to make the type of life you need for yourself.

 PEACE 

 

 

Im here this Wednesday night watching A Different World which starting replaying on Nick @ Nite a few weeks ago. 

 

This episode, World Alike, was the one in which Freddie (Cree Summer) is organizing for the anti-apartheid movement at Hillman College and finds out that Orange Glow Soda, a major contributor to Hillmans scholarship and other campus programs hasnt fully divested from South Africa.  For those unaware, this is about 1989, the year before Nelson Mandela was released from jail and the South African government stopped (at least in obvious practice but thats a story for another day) their hardcore apartheid regime.

 

Compared to programming these days, the early 1990s was a different world indeed.

 

Neverneverwould you hear a conversation about divestment from South Africa on the airwaves today, much less on a so-called Black show.  Waitthere are barely any Black shows on the air these days, save Girlfriends (or rather, give it back) and Everybody Hates Chris; as much as I enjoy the latter, we know Chris Rock aint near that deep.

 

I know I sound like a fuddy-duddy saying all this, but Im nostalgic for the early 90s.  Yes, there was crappy programming on then too (see: Family Matters), but at least there were some things of substance, while still funny.  In Living Color, South Central, Roc, heck even The Sinbad Show, were both funny and thought-provoking compared to a lot of the claptrap that came after, and before (with some exceptions, naturally). 

 

When it comes to shows about a positive reality, all we have now is coon-swaggle.

 

The early 1990s was when hip-hop graduated from entertainment to art form.  It was when a lot of young black people werent afraid or ashamed to study their history it was actually cool in many circles to study African/African-American history AND actually discuss it.  Now its cool to be dumb again.  What a world we created for ourselves.

 

But this nostalgia is good, because it shows you what could be and kicks you in the butt to try to make things better. 

 

Ive been speaking to some like-minded individuals about this sort-of activity.  Things are gonna change soon. 

 

Hold me to this yall.  Please. 

 

Question 1: If you had the chance to have a private conversation with any 5 people (dead or alive), who would you choose to chat with?

A: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I'd always wanted to know what he had planned next for the Poor People's Campaign, among other things.

My grandfather Woody. The summer I was supposed to meet him, he died. I'd just like to kick it with him, ask him about my Mom when she was young, and bask in where I came from.

My old love interest Raquel. I was very young, stupid and scared to death of her, but I know through too many missed opportunities that she was feeling me hard. Last I heard she was married with children, which is cool for her 'cause I'm not trying to steal her, but I'd like to talk with her nonetheless. She is cool peoples.

Richard Avedon,the photographer. His work is one of my great inspirations.

George "Dubya" Bush, because I'd have to see straight up if he's really THAT dumb.



Question 2: If you could get rid of one characteristic in mankind, which one would it be?

A: GREED. The bad kind at least. It's what makes man overly desperate for things he doesn't have.



Question 3: If I could grant you unrestricted access for 24 hours to anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

A: Wherever it is the US government and Europeans store records on all the programs it used to destroy Black and poor peoples lives throughout history.
I'd either procure or take pictures of the greatest conspiracies.
2nd place: The DC comics library :)



Question 4: What 5 luxuries do you feel you absolutely need in your Life?

A: Clean water, health food, my books, a TV, a house of my own.


Question 5: Who are you "tagging" in this round of 5x5?

J.
Mik
Miss Courtney
Beautiful Essence
Clyde

Don't you hate when you wake up thinking the same thing you went to sleep thinking about?  

Considering the fact that I only slept 5 hours, and have been catnapping for the past two days, makes the situation less idyllic.  But, as usual with my life with being connected strongly with a higher place, the answers come to me sooner than later.

Brian Tracy is an world reknown speaker who specializes on the Power of Success.  I subscribe to his newsletter, but don't often make the time to read it.  But would you know, it's the first thing that popped up today in one of my emails.  Some of this one reiterates what I already know, but you need to hear certain messages again and again.    

I'll share his message with you on "Three Questions for Lifelong Happiness" (edited a bit by me):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You already have everything you need to create a wonderful life for yourself. You know everything you need to know to be your own best friend, a gentle guide, a teacher and a helper to yourself so you can be truly happy and fulfilled.

You can learn how to become your own psychotherapist for life, and how to resolve the difficulties that stand between you and personal joy.

Be Honest With Yourself
The starting point of becoming your own best friend is for you to be perfectly honest with yourself and your relationships. Refuse to practice self-delusion or hope for the best. For example, when something is making you unhappy, for any reason, the situation will tend to get worse rather than
better. So avoid the temptation to engage in denial, to pretend that nothing is wrong, to wish and hope and pray that, whatever it is, it will go away and you won��t have to do anything. The fact is that it probably will get worse before it gets better and that ultimately you will need to face the
situation and do something about it.
(the Media Man! note 01:  of course, you have to really be open to being honest with yourself, which I think for most people is the hardest part of this exercise)

Deal With Your Problem at a Higher Level
There��s an old saying that you can��t solve a problem on the level that you meet it. This means that wrestling with a persistent problem is often fruitless and frustrating. For example, if two people who are in a relationship together are constantly fighting and negotiating and looking for some way to resolve their difficulties, they may be attempting to solve the problem on the wrong level. Dealing with the problem on a higher level, those people would ask the question, ��In terms of being happy, is this the right relationship for us in the first place?"

Find the Right Job For You
Many people work very hard and experience considerable frustration trying to do a particular job. However, in terms of their own happiness, the right answer might be to do something else, or to do what they��re doing in a different place, or to do it with different people-or all three. Here are a few questions for you to answer in this arena of happiness. Write them down at the top of a sheet of paper, and then write as many answers to each one as you possibly can.

What Would It Take?
The first question is: ��What would it take for me to be perfectly happy?�� Write down every single thing that you can imagine would be in your life if you were perfectly happy at this very moment.  Write down things such as health, happiness, prosperity, loving relationships, inner peace, travel, car, clothes, homes, money, and so on. Let your mind run freely. Imagine that you have no limitations at all.
(the Media Man note 02:  this harkens back to note 1 and being honest w/yourself.  Some folks are professional depressionists and have clue zero what could make them happy.  Therapy is thus needed)

What is Holding You Back?
The second question is a little tougher. Write down at the top of a page this question: In what situations in my life, and with whom, am I not perfectly happy?�� Force yourself to think about every part of your day, from morning to night, and write down every element that makes you unhappy or dissatisfied in any way. Remember, proper diagnosis is half the cure. Identifying the unsatisfactory situations is the first step to resolving them.

Determine Your Happiest Moment
The third question will give you some important guidelines. Write down at the top of a sheet of paper these words: ��In looking over my life, where and when have I been the happiest? Where was I, with whom was I, and what was I doing?��

Decide What to Do
Once you have the answers to those questions, think about what you can do, starting immediately,  to begin creating the kind of life that you dream of. It may take you a week, a month, or a year, but that doesn��t matter. Every single thing you do that moves you closer to your ideal vision will be rewarding in itself. You��ll become a more positive and optimistic person. You��ll feel more confident and more in charge of your life, and you��ll achieve true peace of mind.


Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, examine your business and personal relationships carefully. Is there any situation you wouldn��t get into again if you had it to do over?

Second, make a list of every single thing in your life that would make you happy and then think about what you could do to begin achieving them.

Third, allow yourself to dream and fantasize about your ideal life, what it would look like and feel like, and then do something every day to make it a reality.

I seem to live a life of opposites.

At one point of my life, I knew what I wanted but was afraid of the potential success.

At another, I didn't know and when I found something that was good for me I chased it away because it wasn't perfect.

I'm older and smarter know, but this energy hasn't disappated but seems to still surround me.

I've grown into what I call a Realistic Idealist -- I seem to know how most things are going to work out since my instincts have always been strong, yet I'm still so idealistic that I seem to think things will turn out better than I feel them going.

The real beats the idealism in most instances.

Idealism seems to be in vouge today though.  Look at the growing power of Jerry Falwell and religous right and the cash money dollars dudes like Creflo Dollar and T.D. Jakes pull in.  It's not ususally about faith, but a search for ideals. 

But then it was Mencken who said, "An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup."  In other words, one experience doesn't apply across the board.

In some ways, it helps to live on both sides of the coin.  It all helps my writing since the drama is so good (yet thankfully, not dibilitating - with the exception of early 2006), but besides that positive it leaves a brother feeling very hollow. 

Life thus imitates art, and the reverse. 

Who ever said either was easy?  Correct that - they're both hard as hell.   

I Aint No Joke is the best hip-hop song of all time!  Well, thats what I thought back in 1987 when I got my first true introduction to Eric B. and Rakim.  At the time I was only a casual hip-hop, or rather rap music listener, depending on my big brother to determine what was hot or not.  Suffice it to say, I did know The Rapping Duke was crap novelty, but thats a story for another day, a- huh.    

 

Back to the lesson at hand, the first time I heard that now classic song was when the video played on tv.  Im pretty sure it was on one of those UHF channels you had to crank the dial hard to find, or it couldve been on Video Music Box (channel 31 to those who know the deal), but regardless all I remember is that I was entranced - hard.  Eric B. mixed that lacy funky Godfather of Soul beat in between Rakims serious as cancer rhymes expressing and exulting themselves as the best there is, and ever will be.   Frankly, I Aint No Joke changed my life.  I wasnt a hardcore hip-hop listener after it, I was still as corny as Top 40, but I became a much less casual fan.  Now Rakims still on my Top 5 MC list, and will always be, but this writing is not intended as reverence for those pioneers, but for the other star of that video.

 

My man Flavor Flav.

                                           

 

What?  Yep, my man Flav.  I hadnt heard of him before seeing him in this video, but shortly thereafter I would see him with Public Enemy, and the seeds for my most momentous transformation would be made.  Say what you will about PEs debut, 1987s Yo! Bum Rush The Show, and the even tighter 1988s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back 1990s Fear Of A Black Planet is the most complete PE album.  Beat, Music, and Lyrics wise, the production value on Fear transformed Public Enemy from revolutionary angry black men to legendary revolutionary angry black men with undeniable and an unbreakable sense and focus.  Along with MC and leader Chuck Ds steely, mature and rebellious rhymes, Flavors convulsive quips established him as a modern trickster right out of folklore - turning over falsehoods and exposing the truth about the ills of society that the whole group shared.  That was some period in time.

 

Now here we are in 2006.  Chuck D is still doing his thing by shaking off the shackles of an on-the-low oppressive society and Flavorwell, Flav is, umallowing Viacom to rent a mansion for him so he can find love from a bunch of scandalous and conniving women, one of which cant hold her bowels and instead chooses to defecate on a flight (or two) of stairs.  Yeahthats what I said too.   

 

Flavor of Love 2 is the overly hyped follow up to early 2006s Flavor Of Love in which Flavor Flav had to pick from 20 women of different walks of life to find one that would be the love of his life.  It was a ratings SMASH!  Conveniently, love didnt live in that mansion anymore, mayhap because the rental agreement was expired, so Flav (and his alter ego Taste-O-Taste) and the production crew are on a search for eternal love in the sequel.

 

Now, while I consider myself to have extremely good taste, there is something that forces me to watch this show.  Maybe its a habit, I gotta use it.  The same thing happened with the last installment, and the same for his previous show (I hope this brother is PAID!) Strange Love, which starred Flav and washed-up actress Bridgette Nielsen on a cross-continental quest to discover whether the spark they had on The Surreal Life could blossom into love.  Obviously, it didnt.  All that said, I dont know if I would akin watching him on these various shows to the proverbial train wreck, but Ill be damned hes entertaining as hell.

 

But then, so was Stepin Fethcit.

                                                        

 

 

Flavor Of Love 2 is without question the worst of these incarnations.  While things got crazy with the women of FOL (an accurate acronym), FOL 2 is basically both a minstrel and T&A show.  The majority of the women are without a doubt some type of entertainer, whether it be struggling internet model, singer or entertainer (Buckwild - the over the top white girl is reportedly a comedienne) and it all seems more manufactured than the past 5 years of MTVs The Real World, and thats saying a lot.    

 

The minstrelsy hurts the most though.  In one too many scenes, especially the cut-ways with his commentary/narration, Flavor Flav is seen eating chicken.  Fried chicken.  A lot.  Sometimes it looks like broiled chicken.   But nonetheless hes eating chicken time and time again.  Not that a brother cant enjoy some chicken, but you know how that looks.  And with the way he wears his braids he looks like Farina from the Little Rascals. 

 

Yo Terminator man, yo, meet the coon thats killing it for me. 

 

Its bad enough that Flavor was seen by many to be a shuffling coon when with Public Enemy when he wasnt that at all.  He was a critical component of the golden age of the hip-hop movement.  And to personalize it, he was a gateway for me to being a true hip-hop head.  But like Atlas, even the greatest can fall.  It wouldnt surprise me that by episode five of FOL 2 if they show Flav throwing down on some watermelon in between segments.

 

But even with all that, Flavor Flav cant kill my love of hip-hop.  Like the ex-girlfriend or former best friend that introduced you into a lifestyle that made you the righteous person you are today, theyve served their purpose in your life. But with all that said, like a sucka Ill keep watching the show, waiting for the punchline to get the meaning.

 

Life is difficult enough. But when you choose to be one who examines life and has the courage to confront both what is questionable about it and what should or shouldnt remain the same, and then wants to share that with the world in a lucid and passionate waythings get a whole lot more difficult.

Im going to talk about 3 writers faced with different struggles. First, theres me Ive been working on my latest screenplay, back and forth, for almost three years now. Thats three years from idea gestation to my latest bit of editing today. Im grateful that after my first attempts at shopping it around that I got good feedback from pros and peers on how to enhance my baby (nee, the script) but lately its like every time that I think Im done with it, I find out more info on how to make it better. The info once again is soundbut when the hell am I going to be done with it? Ive had this issue before: how do I make it perfect? But then what is perfection anyway? Its a screenplay. Itll be a movie. Its better to have a good screenplay made into a bad movie as opposed to having a bad movie made from a bad screenplay, but nonetheless I need to get this done, I need to get it sold! Its frustrating, but thats part of the art of writingdealing with the pains of creation and making this story real to the world.

Friday I had a meeting with Mec regarding a screenplay we're collaborating on based on her experiences (I think I can say that w/o giving away too much info). It was a great meeting and we got a lot of insight on the main character fleshed out, but shes another one of my ilkanother frustrated writer. Shes a novelist, and her words are like magic on a page. I havent told her in these words yet, but her work is getting better and better and Im really proud of her. But from what I understand about her, shes struggling to find the time to make her dreams real, to give this story the life it deserves. How long can a story remain pertinent, whether its about you or about someone else? Thats a question thats made me abandon a couple of older scripts Ive written or devised.

My boy A.A. called me yesterday morning. Hes a great novelist and playwright whose last great effort is the novel Bobo World. A.A. is a good brother, but hes really sensitive to the world and is struggling to find his place in it again. From dealing about whats marketable enough to write about to dealing with whats important enough to really live for, hes run through his own personal gamut for several months now. I feel his pain. I started the screenplay I mentioned earlier (not the callabo) because I felt it would be marketable, as opposed to the thriller and sci-fi work I wrote before (which are still really good stories I might add!). A.A. is ready to write bullshit because bullshit sells. Little Man should do great this weekendand Negroes continue to quote Friday. That said, can I really blame him?

I suppose that when all is said and done, you confront your personal demons and whether you win or not is determined by how passionate you feel about the importance of your life. Okay, you may sell out and go down the road more taken, but to get back on track may take more than it did to fall off of it. My favorite novelist, Ralph Ellison, said that, If the writer exists for any social good, his role is that of preserving in art those human values which can endure by confronting change. Dealing with the shadows of the past, and those of the future, and choosing not to give up or give in to our basest desires seems to be the only way to make it. It may not be the most economically viable way, but when your soul is correct then everything else falls right in and falls in line.