Can I touch it?
It looks so nice.
Every time I see it something happens on the inside of me.
An attraction that I can’t explain.
The way the hair lays down on it.
The neatly trimmed lines.
I can’t take my eyes off you or it.
When I’m away from you I see it in my minds eye and I smile.
Its shape
Its light covering
Even the way it smells
I remember it all
It’s just one more reason why I love you
I would have never imagined that I’d feel this way…
about a haircut.
**inspired from the reaction my wife gives me when I get a fresh cut.
(I know some of y'all were in the gutter)
Wednesday
Monday
Communal Contradictions
I do a lot of thinking while driving. It's a time when I can just let my mind explore. Forget about the traffic, just let the CDs spin and I'm lost in my own thought process and sometimes brilliance happens. Other times I just come up with fodder for the masses; something to blog about. This would be one of those times.
While heading eastward on I-70, heck it could have been south on 170, I really don't remember, but I'm pretty sure I was listening to Common's new joint Finding Forever - which song? - well that's a blur too but it was probably Misunderstood (it is the joint). Anyway, I was driving and thinking, and the thought occurred to me how we contradict ourselves. For instance, I'm sure you have had an occasion where you have heard someone say "there is nothing out there", meaning be happy with who you have because there is nothing waiting out in the vast sea of traffic. Then on the other hand we often tell those unmated people we care about or whom we have come to endear that "there is someone out there for you". Sometimes for good measure we even give them the "God is perfecting you/them" speech so that they remain patient. So it got me to thinking. Either there is someone out there or there isn't, it can't be both or can it? Is the former just something we are told so that we endure each other and work things out or have we just bought into someone else's ideology? Can both dichotomies exist at once? Can there be nothing out there for mated individuals while the remaining pool of candidates exist only for those who are unmated? What if you lose your mate or it doesn't work out, is there no one else for you because you used up your mate allotment. Is every other candidate an illusion and the relationship is doomed to fail, since there is nothing out there? Hmm.
People are constantly seeking "the one", but my question is could there be more than one? What if in hindsight you realized that a former mate was "the one", but they are unavailable now. What do you do then? Settle? Just some food for thought, material for you to comment on. So get in where you fit in.
Friday
Friday Randomness
For some reason, I’m not feeling a lot of this music that I hear on the radio. Nothing moves me enough to want to purchase. I have only purchased three CD’s all year. So, my question is for a music aficionado such as myself, what CD would you recommend?
While you are coming up with that list, do yourself a favor and check out “Reign Over Me” featuring Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler. And, I know this one has been out for a while but “300” was off the chain. It may be more of a guy flick or for chicks who dig action movies but don't judge the book by the cover. The themes and messages that run through this movie are incredible. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
While you are coming up with that list, do yourself a favor and check out “Reign Over Me” featuring Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler. And, I know this one has been out for a while but “300” was off the chain. It may be more of a guy flick or for chicks who dig action movies but don't judge the book by the cover. The themes and messages that run through this movie are incredible. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
Wednesday
Not Philly!
*disclaimerThe word on the street is that if you are in Philly, it's going to be harder to find that attractive mate because...well...umm...Philly is home to the least attractive people in the US, and DC wasn't that far behind. Dang! What's in their water?
Philadelphia is home to the least attractive people in the United States, a survey of visitors and residents showed on Friday.
The city of more than 1.5 million people was also found to be among the least stylish, least active, least friendly and least worldly, according to the "America's Favorite Cities" survey by Travel & Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News.
About 60,000 people responded to the online survey -- at www.travelandleisure.com -- which ranked 25 cities in categories including shopping, food, culture, and cityscape, said Amy Farley, senior editor at the magazine.
For unattractiveness, Philadelphia just beat out Washington DC and Dallas/Fort Worth for the bottom spot. Miami and San Diego are home to the most attractive people, the poll found.
Read more
*The owner/publisher of The Rich House is in no way making a statement as to the attractiveness of the individual displayed in the photo. It is our belief that all God's children are beautiful. Some just look better than others.
Monday
Life Reflections: C-Mac's Musings
The Great Paradox – C-Mac
Genesis 1:26:
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
1 Peter 1:24:
For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall.
As I have journeyed through this life, I have examined that there are many complexities in this life. One of the greatest for me is the value and significance of man and mankind. I have learned that there are laws that govern the universe and there is one in particular that I like to call the law of opposites. Meaning that there are ways of doing, ways of seeing, and ways of being that totally contradict one another. One way of being is not always right, and neither is one way of seeing or being always wrong. However, there seems to be a time and a place for everything. For me – understanding that dichotomy and navigating through extremes of philosophies is the ultimate goal. That goal is achieving the law of balance. To be balanced is also to be wise. To be wise is to have understanding. To understand and to comprehend is a divine quality that has to be sought after day and night. It has to be the top priority. But it’s there to be found. Not for the simple, but for the prudent. It takes guts to seek after real wisdom and balance, because to know, to understand, to comprehend, is also to be sorrowful, angry, and frustrated. So how do I sum this up per the value of man and his contributions when it comes to understanding the law of opposites and balance? I will share.
Take my life for instance – I have learned not to take myself so seriously. But alternatively I take life very seriously. What do I mean? I mean I am but one man. Born on such and such day, live for a certain amount of days, and will pass on one day. I am in the midst of billions of people on the earth. Billions have lived before me, and perhaps billions after me. Most will never know my name. Most won’t care to either. When I am dead, I am gone. People will forget, move on, and go forward. My accomplishments will pass on. My inheritance will go to someone else and I very well may not like the way he/she uses it. I am not that important. I will be just another of the many voices in this wilderness called Earth. I ain’t all that! Who really cares? Nobody! If life is a stage and we all are actors, I’m sure that we won’t keep our parts forever.
But wait! That’s not the end of the story! For you see I have also been created in the image and likeness of God. I have creativity within my spirit, and innovation within my soul. I have the potential and ability to change the world and to influence my family. I can make a difference in my community or even the world. I can promote peace like Gandhi. Start a movement like Malcolm or Martin. Write great thesis like Baldwin. Rise from the chains of imprisonment to become president of a nation like Mandela. Serve like Mother Theresa. I can influence billions or simply influence one who will in turn influence billions. I can make a significant difference and contribute greatly because there is a spirit that lives within me that is eternal. There is a purpose for my life that the universe clearly understands. There is a value on my life that only my creator can determine. I may never understand – but whom and what I have touched as well as that which I will touch will be forever changed. My potential is limitless – and it has already been proven that I have survived some of the toughest times known to man starting with the passage of the birth canal. As long as I draw breath and have the ability to speak, move, and express energy – there is an opportunity to be the greatest of blessings to mankind. And somewhere – there is someone who cares.
So here you have it – the great paradox – perhaps the greatest of them all. My primitive way of balancing these juxtapositions is to take life seriously, but not to take myself too seriously. To understand that there is no wisdom in comparing myself to other people. The greatest gift I can give to my generation is to grow into the greatness that has my name on it, and to give it away to the world without apology. Then after I drew my last breath on this earth, and its time for me to move over to allow someone else to live, learn, hurt, breathe, and shine – as God judges me and man analyze my legacy – hopefully then I will begin to understand even more so this great paradox. Only this I am sure of – that I have not touched the surface of the value and reasons for this life.
Genesis 1:26:
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
1 Peter 1:24:
For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall.
As I have journeyed through this life, I have examined that there are many complexities in this life. One of the greatest for me is the value and significance of man and mankind. I have learned that there are laws that govern the universe and there is one in particular that I like to call the law of opposites. Meaning that there are ways of doing, ways of seeing, and ways of being that totally contradict one another. One way of being is not always right, and neither is one way of seeing or being always wrong. However, there seems to be a time and a place for everything. For me – understanding that dichotomy and navigating through extremes of philosophies is the ultimate goal. That goal is achieving the law of balance. To be balanced is also to be wise. To be wise is to have understanding. To understand and to comprehend is a divine quality that has to be sought after day and night. It has to be the top priority. But it’s there to be found. Not for the simple, but for the prudent. It takes guts to seek after real wisdom and balance, because to know, to understand, to comprehend, is also to be sorrowful, angry, and frustrated. So how do I sum this up per the value of man and his contributions when it comes to understanding the law of opposites and balance? I will share.
Take my life for instance – I have learned not to take myself so seriously. But alternatively I take life very seriously. What do I mean? I mean I am but one man. Born on such and such day, live for a certain amount of days, and will pass on one day. I am in the midst of billions of people on the earth. Billions have lived before me, and perhaps billions after me. Most will never know my name. Most won’t care to either. When I am dead, I am gone. People will forget, move on, and go forward. My accomplishments will pass on. My inheritance will go to someone else and I very well may not like the way he/she uses it. I am not that important. I will be just another of the many voices in this wilderness called Earth. I ain’t all that! Who really cares? Nobody! If life is a stage and we all are actors, I’m sure that we won’t keep our parts forever.
But wait! That’s not the end of the story! For you see I have also been created in the image and likeness of God. I have creativity within my spirit, and innovation within my soul. I have the potential and ability to change the world and to influence my family. I can make a difference in my community or even the world. I can promote peace like Gandhi. Start a movement like Malcolm or Martin. Write great thesis like Baldwin. Rise from the chains of imprisonment to become president of a nation like Mandela. Serve like Mother Theresa. I can influence billions or simply influence one who will in turn influence billions. I can make a significant difference and contribute greatly because there is a spirit that lives within me that is eternal. There is a purpose for my life that the universe clearly understands. There is a value on my life that only my creator can determine. I may never understand – but whom and what I have touched as well as that which I will touch will be forever changed. My potential is limitless – and it has already been proven that I have survived some of the toughest times known to man starting with the passage of the birth canal. As long as I draw breath and have the ability to speak, move, and express energy – there is an opportunity to be the greatest of blessings to mankind. And somewhere – there is someone who cares.
So here you have it – the great paradox – perhaps the greatest of them all. My primitive way of balancing these juxtapositions is to take life seriously, but not to take myself too seriously. To understand that there is no wisdom in comparing myself to other people. The greatest gift I can give to my generation is to grow into the greatness that has my name on it, and to give it away to the world without apology. Then after I drew my last breath on this earth, and its time for me to move over to allow someone else to live, learn, hurt, breathe, and shine – as God judges me and man analyze my legacy – hopefully then I will begin to understand even more so this great paradox. Only this I am sure of – that I have not touched the surface of the value and reasons for this life.
A couple of things
My girl Shark Writer over at Literary Felonies was feeling the pressure to post last week and jumped the gun and gave y'all a rough draft of something she's working on. Well, she reworked that thang and it's rather nice, so go check it out.
The other thing is that I just want to thank you all for hanging in here with me. This month made an entire year of blogging at my own spot (Oct 12th to be exact). Needless to say, I've come to enjoy it. I've grown so much - as a man, as a friend, as a husband, as a writer, and most of that has come from my sharing here with you. Being open enough to let you all in and hear what you had to say. So I just want to say thanks and I can't wait to see what the future holds. It's been a stone blast so far.
The other thing is that I just want to thank you all for hanging in here with me. This month made an entire year of blogging at my own spot (Oct 12th to be exact). Needless to say, I've come to enjoy it. I've grown so much - as a man, as a friend, as a husband, as a writer, and most of that has come from my sharing here with you. Being open enough to let you all in and hear what you had to say. So I just want to say thanks and I can't wait to see what the future holds. It's been a stone blast so far.
Friday
Missing Me
I have been on a quest. A quest to find me. In my efforts to be a good husband, father, and man, I lost me somewhere. I guess that can happen when you purpose to be selfless and put those you love before you. All that aside, it is still wise to love on you every now and again.
The part of me that I scaled back a great deal was the Renaissance man that existed in me. I was so busy chasing a dollar, so I could support my family, that I stopped enjoying the music, art, literature and other cultural treats that used to be a regular part of my life.
Anyone who knows me knows that music was a major indulgence that I pleasured myself with. My music collection isn't nearly the size it could be had I continued my circa 92' ritual of purchasing a CD every time I got paid. As I think about it, the moment I left Atlanta in 94' my life hasn't been the same musically. I tried to hold on to some resemblance of it, but that was easier said than done. St. Louis didn't have Red, Beans and Rice Music Store and there was no more Hot Ice Show featuring Ken Batie (who I learned while doing this post is now deceased) my Atlanta people will understand.
As much as I love music, over time it lost the presence in my home that it once had. Maybe because all I have now is old CD's and the radio. St. Louis doesn't even have a commercial Jazz station. Umph, umph, umph. So that brings me to current day. Rich is trying to get his groove back so my ears are always open to hear a good tune, especially within the jazz/acid jazz genre. In fact, I heard a song today that took me back to my days of Atlanta splendor. Those of you in more aesthetically pleasing cities may be hip to this artists but if you aren't, check him out. Until you can find your way to make a music purchase, check out the artist known as Plunky.
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
The part of me that I scaled back a great deal was the Renaissance man that existed in me. I was so busy chasing a dollar, so I could support my family, that I stopped enjoying the music, art, literature and other cultural treats that used to be a regular part of my life.
Anyone who knows me knows that music was a major indulgence that I pleasured myself with. My music collection isn't nearly the size it could be had I continued my circa 92' ritual of purchasing a CD every time I got paid. As I think about it, the moment I left Atlanta in 94' my life hasn't been the same musically. I tried to hold on to some resemblance of it, but that was easier said than done. St. Louis didn't have Red, Beans and Rice Music Store and there was no more Hot Ice Show featuring Ken Batie (who I learned while doing this post is now deceased) my Atlanta people will understand.
As much as I love music, over time it lost the presence in my home that it once had. Maybe because all I have now is old CD's and the radio. St. Louis doesn't even have a commercial Jazz station. Umph, umph, umph. So that brings me to current day. Rich is trying to get his groove back so my ears are always open to hear a good tune, especially within the jazz/acid jazz genre. In fact, I heard a song today that took me back to my days of Atlanta splendor. Those of you in more aesthetically pleasing cities may be hip to this artists but if you aren't, check him out. Until you can find your way to make a music purchase, check out the artist known as Plunky.
The album is entitled: COLD HEAT
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
Thursday
To The Diva
Happy Birthday Flyy Chick. Here's wishing you a fantastic day.
Have fun celebrating in the BIG APPLE.
Have fun celebrating in the BIG APPLE.
Have a slice of Diva Cake while you are there. 
For those who don't know her...
She's really a kid at heart, and she has the voice to prove it.
She's really a kid at heart, and she has the voice to prove it.
She loves her some Chauncey (Mr. Big Shot)
...and she looks good on the arm.
FYI, this is not her man, I just like the picture.
Sheletha and Lance (infamous blogger)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY FIRST BLOG FRIENDS.
FYI, this is not her man, I just like the picture.
Sheletha and Lance (infamous blogger)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY FIRST BLOG FRIENDS.Wednesday
What's Holding You Back?
Some of y'all commented on this back in May. I wonder if your answers would be the same today? Hmmm.
*I don't usually do reposts, but some reviews are good to do. Here's an opportunity to assess if you have changed in this area.
*I don't usually do reposts, but some reviews are good to do. Here's an opportunity to assess if you have changed in this area.
Everybody wants more. More money, more house, more car, more love, more patience. Maybe not all at once, but you want something. All I want to know is what is it that you want and tell me, just for the record, what's holding you back?
I'm Coming
I was talking to a couple of friends about how people should but won't help you live out your dreams. What is all this "I had to work hard for it, so you will too" stuff. I'm all for helping whomever I can. Most of my friends are the same, but I do have an acquaintance or two who won't help anyone if it means you will be higher on the totem pole than them. There is enough blessings to go around. What's up with all the dream blocking?
Talking about it all inspired this little diddy. Feel free to comment or not.
I know you see me coming in the rear view mirror
But what can you do about that?
I'm not worried about you being on the road
So why worry about me
I’m too busy driving
Not really trying to take anyone’s spot
So how about you stop boxing me out in traffic
My car
New car
Newer engine
You are a classic
Proven over time
It’s not a competition
I’m coming
Nothing you can do to stop me
I'm getting in
Even if I have to take to the shoulder
You are just shorting your blessings
Do yourself a favor and let me into traffic
Besides
I got my invitation to the party
Just like you.
Talking about it all inspired this little diddy. Feel free to comment or not.
I know you see me coming in the rear view mirror
But what can you do about that?
I'm not worried about you being on the road
So why worry about me
I’m too busy driving
Not really trying to take anyone’s spot
So how about you stop boxing me out in traffic
My car
New car
Newer engine
You are a classic
Proven over time
It’s not a competition
I’m coming
Nothing you can do to stop me
I'm getting in
Even if I have to take to the shoulder
You are just shorting your blessings
Do yourself a favor and let me into traffic
Besides
I got my invitation to the party
Just like you.
Monday
Who u wit?
It's October and in a minute we will have to decide who is going to represent us in the next Presidential election. So, I was wondering, who are you with? Are you making informed decisions or are you becoming a puppet to the political machine? The media has already chosen who they think you should select, but will you make up your own mind? What's important to you, for real? Don't fall for their endless talk about education (we've been paying for that since the 70's and the schools are no better). Will health care be the deciding vote for you or will you get caught up in religious tale spin and choose based on moral issues. In the end, it comes down to you and God, so laws or no laws, you will have to face him. My point is, cut through the rhetoric and vote for something that matters. Not for the garbage we get fed but the issues that truly add to the quality of life for all concerned.
See who's getting pushed to the top. (Have any of you been contacted for any of these polls?)
Rasmussen Reports conducts national telephone surveys on the Presidential race every night and releases updated data from our Presidential Tracking Poll by noon each day, Monday through Friday.
For the seven days ending September 30, 2007, Hillary Clinton earns 42% of the vote. Barack Obama is second at 22% followed by John Edwards at 14%. Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich each attract support from 3% while Joe Biden is at 2%. Chris Dodd is supported by 1% Mike Gravel less than half a percent. Thirteen percent (13%) of Likely Democratic Primary Voters are undecided (review history of weekly results).
For the seven days ending September 30, 2007 show that Fred Thompson earns 25% of the vote while Rudy Giuliani attracts 23%. Mitt Romney has moved back into third place, supported by 13%. John McCain is now the favorite for just 10% and Mike Huckabee is at 6%. Four other candidates split 4% of the vote while 19% are undecided.
The seven day results typically include interviews with more than 1,000 (each party) likely Democratic/Republican Primary Voters. This includes both Democrats/Republican and those independents likely to vote in a Democratic/Republican Primary. In some state primaries, independent voters are allowed to participate in party primaries while in others they are excluded. The margin of sampling error for the weekly update is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Sunday
Happy Birthday Mizrepresent
I think I bumped into Miz back in March of this year and we've been cool since day one. In fact, she's like family now. I always look forward to the email exchange and I can't wait to kick it with her again - live and in color. Anyway, I didn't want the day to pass without sharing some good wishes and a few pictures out of the archives. I hope your birthday was a stone blast. You can leave her some birthday wishes at her site - Write for Life
The different sides of Miz:
Smokin' Pen Miz (The girl can write)
The Mysterious Romantic
The Kid at Heart
Friday
Freestyle Friday: Pass the Mic
Alright. On this one you have a little room. The hook is kind of hidden. It is "cause she (or he) like what I do". As long as you work it into the rhyme, you're good. The beat comes in pretty early, about nine seconds (when you see Jamie Foxx's face) so pay attention. Get a feel for the flow first if you like. It's not as fast as last week, but it is smooth and something you know.
What I Do
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
Here we go one time
In the Rich House
You shine
We bout to get on this grind
And make you bounce in your seat
Yeezie lent me his beat
Now my promise I keep
To give u what you deserve
No matter what u done heard
Watch the beat when it start
I like her hard
To get
On my arm
I got
to be involved
And large
Ain’t a thang
Cause I
Always bring
The heat
No beans and weanies
But it’s
Negro Sausage type treats
(Pause - Change Tone)
She like what I do
I’m her man
I stay true
To the game
She don’t
De-serve
No pain
I try to keep it real sweet
Make these busters compete
For her heart
They got
To bring it hard
To me
If they think they gone beat
A southern brother like me
Never sleep at the wheel
Cause she ain’t no tip drill
Coming straight from the Lou
You know she like what I do
Now I’ll pass the mic
Who’s up next maybe you
Man With Balls
I'll take the rock cause I'm hard
Don't play me close
I'm in charge
I'll tell you why she like me
Cause in the bed I'm a beast
Always got me a piece
Look in her eyes you will see
No one does it like me
Cause she like what I do
Always keeping her straight
U know I lick the whole plate
Give her love till its gone
Return the favor that's all
Blow and lick
She climb walls
Nobody beats
Man With Balls
MC Don
just because they don't see
that I’m the man for you
they don't understand
grind my heart in they hand
it don't mean that they don't
they just choose not to do
I’ma keep my head up
just be you and stay you
wanna be on the screen
work your skills on TV
you gotta do more
than just your screen test for me
I don’t know why we fight
are we lacking trust
I wanna exhale
Hell yeah, I’m for us
this game be so wicked
and trick-ed you see
no need for speed ballin'
slow it down to gently
many a brother has walked
down the same road
coming up short
more baggage to load
Use to like what I do
Our love was sky high
I didn’t do none of that
They just a bunch of
HOOO!
Pinocchio’d nose
steady telling you lies
But they’ll get theirs
In the by and by
I’ve always been down
So don't seem surprised
I'm in it to win it
Beginning to end
So stick with me girl
We’ll get that house and a Benz.
How many lies
from your friends do I take
Get comfortable girl
Forget what they say
I’m not your last dude
How many dues to pay
I like what u do
Just believe in me
And this –ish
we’ll definitely get through.
All-Mi-T (Twista)
jones main
get on these
str8 from the west coast of tennessee
i get guap
no matter what
and i see 12 behind me
no doubt ruminatin' freak
slick as ice
call me gatbsy
so fuck boy gone head and jump
playing yo thug role well
i can fight
but would rather smash
yo bitch ass
with brain cells
make yo head swell
homies bail
to get they gat
too late
I done sprayed
amazing words
All-Mi-T
can't be beat
so
tell yo woman i dont cheat
she like what I do
that why she come thru
now u raise hell
lucky for you
dogon priest on bail
What I Do
[click "play" (the arrow button) to watch]
Here we go one time
In the Rich House
You shine
We bout to get on this grind
And make you bounce in your seat
Yeezie lent me his beat
Now my promise I keep
To give u what you deserve
No matter what u done heard
Watch the beat when it start
I like her hard
To get
On my arm
I got
to be involved
And large
Ain’t a thang
Cause I
Always bring
The heat
No beans and weanies
But it’s
Negro Sausage type treats
(Pause - Change Tone)
She like what I do
I’m her man
I stay true
To the game
She don’t
De-serve
No pain
I try to keep it real sweet
Make these busters compete
For her heart
They got
To bring it hard
To me
If they think they gone beat
A southern brother like me
Never sleep at the wheel
Cause she ain’t no tip drill
Coming straight from the Lou
You know she like what I do
Now I’ll pass the mic
Who’s up next maybe you
Man With Balls
I'll take the rock cause I'm hard
Don't play me close
I'm in charge
I'll tell you why she like me
Cause in the bed I'm a beast
Always got me a piece
Look in her eyes you will see
No one does it like me
Cause she like what I do
Always keeping her straight
U know I lick the whole plate
Give her love till its gone
Return the favor that's all
Blow and lick
She climb walls
Nobody beats
Man With Balls
MC Don
just because they don't see
that I’m the man for you
they don't understand
grind my heart in they hand
it don't mean that they don't
they just choose not to do
I’ma keep my head up
just be you and stay you
wanna be on the screen
work your skills on TV
you gotta do more
than just your screen test for me
I don’t know why we fight
are we lacking trust
I wanna exhale
Hell yeah, I’m for us
this game be so wicked
and trick-ed you see
no need for speed ballin'
slow it down to gently
many a brother has walked
down the same road
coming up short
more baggage to load
Use to like what I do
Our love was sky high
I didn’t do none of that
They just a bunch of
HOOO!
Pinocchio’d nose
steady telling you lies
But they’ll get theirs
In the by and by
I’ve always been down
So don't seem surprised
I'm in it to win it
Beginning to end
So stick with me girl
We’ll get that house and a Benz.
How many lies
from your friends do I take
Get comfortable girl
Forget what they say
I’m not your last dude
How many dues to pay
I like what u do
Just believe in me
And this –ish
we’ll definitely get through.
All-Mi-T (Twista)
jones main
get on these
str8 from the west coast of tennessee
i get guap
no matter what
and i see 12 behind me
no doubt ruminatin' freak
slick as ice
call me gatbsy
so fuck boy gone head and jump
playing yo thug role well
i can fight
but would rather smash
yo bitch ass
with brain cells
make yo head swell
homies bail
to get they gat
too late
I done sprayed
amazing words
All-Mi-T
can't be beat
so
tell yo woman i dont cheat
she like what I do
that why she come thru
now u raise hell
lucky for you
dogon priest on bail
Thursday
Hoodwinked -- Commentary by CMack
Hoodwinked!
60 Minutes Trades Journalism for Book Promotion in Thomas Interview
As I sat in a local pub watching my beloved Steelers about to take their first lost on the chin by the Arizona Cardinals I was all set to finish my Blue Moon and head in for the evening. But CBS made me do a double take as they featured the upcoming episode of 60 Minutes to appear immediately after the game. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was to appear and that changed my immediate plans. You see I am no fan of Justice Thomas or specifically his decisions while on the court. I always saw his votes as well as his writings as being anti civil rights and rather hateful towards African Americans as well as the poor in general. But that didn’t matter. Because at the end of the day, Justice Thomas is the second man of African descent to ever don the robe of a Supreme Court judge and he rarely is seen making public statements. I wasn’t a golf fan either until I saw Tiger Woods play. When he won his first Masters in 1997 I had to watch. In my eyes Tiger was a black man - all “Cablinasian” talk aside. Incidentally the first time I ever saw Tiger Woods was on 60 Minutes as well when he was a child. But I digress. The point is that good, bad, or indifferent, I had to stop what the heck I was doing and pay attention to what the man would say.
Upon watching the piece it was revealed that Thomas is selling a book called “My Grandfather’s Son”. The piece featured Thomas in an endearing light away from the court by traveling to his Georgia hometown where he was raised, to his love of traveling in an RV cross country which include stopping overnight in Wal-Mart parking lots. He and interviewer Steve Kroft talked of his past as a former black radical as well as his seminary experience when he studied to be a Catholic priest. They talked of his Yale degree that he “keeps in the basement” because it didn’t help him get a job and his switch to the Republican Party in 1980 to follow Ronald Reagan. He talked of Anita Hill, his perception within the African American community, the Supreme Court itself and most of all the enduring lessons he leaned from the firm hand of his grandfather. If you did not get a chance to see the piece, you can read the transcripts or view the video on the posted link below this column.
I found the 60 Minutes piece interesting and it left me somewhat conflicted about the man whose mere name is a lightening rod to both conservatives and liberals alike. In a sense I felt the humanity of a man scarred by racism and segregation. I saw a man who seemed to be hurt and disappointed in being disconnected from mainstream black America. I saw a man who seemed to be of both deep thought and deep pain. I saw a man who is human. But despite those qualities that resonate with me from a humanistic standpoint, I must maintain a Socratic perspective as I ponder this figure that I find both fascinating if not tragic.
Let’s start with 60 Minutes the program itself. I’ve watched the show since the 70s, and historically I was accustomed to critical reporting and analysis as they offer not only one side of a story, but also some alternative views and perspectives as well. In the tradition of greats such as the late Ed Bradley, critical feedback is given during the midst of the conversation and if a question is not answered a follow up would ensue. This was not the case as Steve Kroft tossed batting practice softball questions to Thomas as if he were an adoring fan. When he told Justice Thomas as if speaking for African Americans, "They feel that you received some preferential treatment because you were black. And that now, you are trying to say that they, that blacks, that other blacks shouldn't have it. That you've pulled the ladder on black people after you’ve climbed to the top," Thomas simply laughed and said, "Steve, that's silly. Come on.” Notice he did not answer the specific points of the question. Neither did his elaboration on the point offer any further insight. And Kroft didn’t dig any deeper in trying to get an answer.
When the subject of his own race was discussed, Thomas said that he considers himself a man first, then a US citizen who happens to be black. When asked how much of his life was determined by his race, Thomas compared it to his height. “I'm 5'8 1/2" tall. I don't know how much of my life is determined by being 5'8 1/2" tall. It's just a part of who I am.”
I was not the only one who held the opinion that this was a poor answer for someone of Thomas’ caliber. Professor Cornel West of Princeton put it this way, “When he talks about being 5'8.5", I don't know of American history where they enslaved people who were 5'8.5". I don't know of American history where they lynched people who were 5'8.5".” Thomas uses double-speaks numerous times on the subject of race. In one breath he talks about the difficulties of racism throughout school and career, and then in the next breath he shuns it all as if he were taking off a rain coat. To quote National Urban League head Marc Morial, “I think that he contradicted himself, because his legacy of his grandfather and studying to be a priest and how he feels about being at Yale and the difficulty with getting a job means he has internalized the pain of exclusion and discrimination. Yet when asked about it directly, he diminishes it. He sets it aside as though it is only like being 5'8" or only like being male and American.”
Even as he gave the sorry reasoning for his lack of concern for African American issues, he said, “Does Justice Scalia care for the concerns of Italians?” Justice Scalia doesn’t have to care for the concerns of Italians. The last time I checked Italians for the most part enjoy the same status as whites in this country. For Thomas to compare the plight of the African Americans to the plight of my Italian brothers was an ignorant if not foolish thing to say.
Clarence Thomas has benefited over and over because of his race regardless of what he may have convinced himself to believe. From Affirmative Action policies that enabled him to attend both Holy Cross and Yale, to the appointments as head of the EEOC to finally the Supreme Court. As head of the EEOC he wasn’t a lawyer especially keen on enforcing civil rights as his history of being a Reagonite would testify. And yet having a black face to run the office in a less than favorable fashion towards civil rights served dual purposes as the underlying message would be that a black man was head of the division regardless of its inactivity. Certainly he must have known that when Justice Marshall retired and his name was called that the seat was going to be filled by an African American. Since a republican happened to be in the White House, of course a conservative would be appointed. But Bush Sr. could not afford to put another White male in the slot and expect that to go over well even with Black conservatives. I believe it would be safe to say that there will always be at the very least one person of color on The Supreme Court; Perhaps just one at a time, but always one. And yet I did not see Thomas shun this act of Affirmative Action thrust upon him when offered one of nine of the most powerful seats in a court of law. He was not insulted nor did he put the invitation in the basement. It was common knowledge that he wasn’t the best and brightest judge available with all due respect. Therefore, at best Judge Thomas is disingenuous. At worse he is in total denial or conveniently blind to the mirror that has been consistently held to his face. Perhaps his bootstraps have been tied a bit too tight.
Furthermore, Thomas himself used the so called race card during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings when he referred to the process as “high tech lynching.” This was a shrewd yet transparent attempt to gain sympathy by drawing on the call for the same equal justice that he seems to disdain other African Americans from having themselves. It’s especially insulting when African Americans draw upon their blackness at a time of public scrutiny and danger while all but shunning racial issues during their normal course of life. OJ Simpson did the same thing as he tried to re-activate his “ghetto pass” during his trial for double murder in 1995. Michael Jackson did it during his child molestation trial as he held close to Jessie Jackson and hired the Fruit of Islam for security. Kobe Bryant invoked the name of Martin Luther King during his rape trial. However, once their issues are resolved, they will never again make statements on the issue of race when others are persecuted for fear of alienation and tampering with the corporate dollar. To quote Thomas again, “That’s silly. Come on!”
Part of me feels for Clarence Thomas. As a human I see a level of pain in his eyes and I connect with that. Still none of that matters when it comes to the law and his tenured record in the courts. It doesn’t matter how hard his grandfather was when he raised him. We will judge him by his writings and the way he votes on the courts; for those decisions alone will be his impact on the ability of the legal system to provide equal justice within the constitution of the United States. He is a man that says he shuns preferential treatment because of his race and yet has continuously benefited from it. Thomas certainly turned out to be a man of accomplishment. I am sure that despite the preferential treatment he received because of his race interwoven with his politics, his grandfather would have been proud that his grandson turned out to be a Supreme Court judge. Unfortunately, Justice Thomas’ voting record shows that he has consistently ruled against the interest of poor and disadvantaged people. He has not represented the compassionately conservative judge he claims to be. Instead he rules and writes opinions as if he is his grandfather displaying his personal form of judicial discipline, while struggling to love himself and be fully comfortable in his own black skin. That’s too bad.
It’s a shame if he only does interviews with the likes of 60 Minutes and Rush Limbaugh who interviewed him on October 1, just one day after the CBS feature aired. Because I cannot think of any major Black radio personality who would not also interview Thomas were he not afraid of the more poignant question he would receive along with the accolades of praise. But at least with the exposure of the 60 Minutes piece as well as his other tours of White radio and television he will sell a lot of books. I’m an author and I want to sell books too. So I am not mad at him. But when I sell my books, I’ll prefer to retain the rights to my soul.
References and Quotes
CBS News Story
Tavis Smiley Article
60 Minutes Trades Journalism for Book Promotion in Thomas Interview
As I sat in a local pub watching my beloved Steelers about to take their first lost on the chin by the Arizona Cardinals I was all set to finish my Blue Moon and head in for the evening. But CBS made me do a double take as they featured the upcoming episode of 60 Minutes to appear immediately after the game. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was to appear and that changed my immediate plans. You see I am no fan of Justice Thomas or specifically his decisions while on the court. I always saw his votes as well as his writings as being anti civil rights and rather hateful towards African Americans as well as the poor in general. But that didn’t matter. Because at the end of the day, Justice Thomas is the second man of African descent to ever don the robe of a Supreme Court judge and he rarely is seen making public statements. I wasn’t a golf fan either until I saw Tiger Woods play. When he won his first Masters in 1997 I had to watch. In my eyes Tiger was a black man - all “Cablinasian” talk aside. Incidentally the first time I ever saw Tiger Woods was on 60 Minutes as well when he was a child. But I digress. The point is that good, bad, or indifferent, I had to stop what the heck I was doing and pay attention to what the man would say.
Upon watching the piece it was revealed that Thomas is selling a book called “My Grandfather’s Son”. The piece featured Thomas in an endearing light away from the court by traveling to his Georgia hometown where he was raised, to his love of traveling in an RV cross country which include stopping overnight in Wal-Mart parking lots. He and interviewer Steve Kroft talked of his past as a former black radical as well as his seminary experience when he studied to be a Catholic priest. They talked of his Yale degree that he “keeps in the basement” because it didn’t help him get a job and his switch to the Republican Party in 1980 to follow Ronald Reagan. He talked of Anita Hill, his perception within the African American community, the Supreme Court itself and most of all the enduring lessons he leaned from the firm hand of his grandfather. If you did not get a chance to see the piece, you can read the transcripts or view the video on the posted link below this column.
I found the 60 Minutes piece interesting and it left me somewhat conflicted about the man whose mere name is a lightening rod to both conservatives and liberals alike. In a sense I felt the humanity of a man scarred by racism and segregation. I saw a man who seemed to be hurt and disappointed in being disconnected from mainstream black America. I saw a man who seemed to be of both deep thought and deep pain. I saw a man who is human. But despite those qualities that resonate with me from a humanistic standpoint, I must maintain a Socratic perspective as I ponder this figure that I find both fascinating if not tragic.
Let’s start with 60 Minutes the program itself. I’ve watched the show since the 70s, and historically I was accustomed to critical reporting and analysis as they offer not only one side of a story, but also some alternative views and perspectives as well. In the tradition of greats such as the late Ed Bradley, critical feedback is given during the midst of the conversation and if a question is not answered a follow up would ensue. This was not the case as Steve Kroft tossed batting practice softball questions to Thomas as if he were an adoring fan. When he told Justice Thomas as if speaking for African Americans, "They feel that you received some preferential treatment because you were black. And that now, you are trying to say that they, that blacks, that other blacks shouldn't have it. That you've pulled the ladder on black people after you’ve climbed to the top," Thomas simply laughed and said, "Steve, that's silly. Come on.” Notice he did not answer the specific points of the question. Neither did his elaboration on the point offer any further insight. And Kroft didn’t dig any deeper in trying to get an answer.
When the subject of his own race was discussed, Thomas said that he considers himself a man first, then a US citizen who happens to be black. When asked how much of his life was determined by his race, Thomas compared it to his height. “I'm 5'8 1/2" tall. I don't know how much of my life is determined by being 5'8 1/2" tall. It's just a part of who I am.”
I was not the only one who held the opinion that this was a poor answer for someone of Thomas’ caliber. Professor Cornel West of Princeton put it this way, “When he talks about being 5'8.5", I don't know of American history where they enslaved people who were 5'8.5". I don't know of American history where they lynched people who were 5'8.5".” Thomas uses double-speaks numerous times on the subject of race. In one breath he talks about the difficulties of racism throughout school and career, and then in the next breath he shuns it all as if he were taking off a rain coat. To quote National Urban League head Marc Morial, “I think that he contradicted himself, because his legacy of his grandfather and studying to be a priest and how he feels about being at Yale and the difficulty with getting a job means he has internalized the pain of exclusion and discrimination. Yet when asked about it directly, he diminishes it. He sets it aside as though it is only like being 5'8" or only like being male and American.”
Even as he gave the sorry reasoning for his lack of concern for African American issues, he said, “Does Justice Scalia care for the concerns of Italians?” Justice Scalia doesn’t have to care for the concerns of Italians. The last time I checked Italians for the most part enjoy the same status as whites in this country. For Thomas to compare the plight of the African Americans to the plight of my Italian brothers was an ignorant if not foolish thing to say.
Clarence Thomas has benefited over and over because of his race regardless of what he may have convinced himself to believe. From Affirmative Action policies that enabled him to attend both Holy Cross and Yale, to the appointments as head of the EEOC to finally the Supreme Court. As head of the EEOC he wasn’t a lawyer especially keen on enforcing civil rights as his history of being a Reagonite would testify. And yet having a black face to run the office in a less than favorable fashion towards civil rights served dual purposes as the underlying message would be that a black man was head of the division regardless of its inactivity. Certainly he must have known that when Justice Marshall retired and his name was called that the seat was going to be filled by an African American. Since a republican happened to be in the White House, of course a conservative would be appointed. But Bush Sr. could not afford to put another White male in the slot and expect that to go over well even with Black conservatives. I believe it would be safe to say that there will always be at the very least one person of color on The Supreme Court; Perhaps just one at a time, but always one. And yet I did not see Thomas shun this act of Affirmative Action thrust upon him when offered one of nine of the most powerful seats in a court of law. He was not insulted nor did he put the invitation in the basement. It was common knowledge that he wasn’t the best and brightest judge available with all due respect. Therefore, at best Judge Thomas is disingenuous. At worse he is in total denial or conveniently blind to the mirror that has been consistently held to his face. Perhaps his bootstraps have been tied a bit too tight.
Furthermore, Thomas himself used the so called race card during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings when he referred to the process as “high tech lynching.” This was a shrewd yet transparent attempt to gain sympathy by drawing on the call for the same equal justice that he seems to disdain other African Americans from having themselves. It’s especially insulting when African Americans draw upon their blackness at a time of public scrutiny and danger while all but shunning racial issues during their normal course of life. OJ Simpson did the same thing as he tried to re-activate his “ghetto pass” during his trial for double murder in 1995. Michael Jackson did it during his child molestation trial as he held close to Jessie Jackson and hired the Fruit of Islam for security. Kobe Bryant invoked the name of Martin Luther King during his rape trial. However, once their issues are resolved, they will never again make statements on the issue of race when others are persecuted for fear of alienation and tampering with the corporate dollar. To quote Thomas again, “That’s silly. Come on!”
Part of me feels for Clarence Thomas. As a human I see a level of pain in his eyes and I connect with that. Still none of that matters when it comes to the law and his tenured record in the courts. It doesn’t matter how hard his grandfather was when he raised him. We will judge him by his writings and the way he votes on the courts; for those decisions alone will be his impact on the ability of the legal system to provide equal justice within the constitution of the United States. He is a man that says he shuns preferential treatment because of his race and yet has continuously benefited from it. Thomas certainly turned out to be a man of accomplishment. I am sure that despite the preferential treatment he received because of his race interwoven with his politics, his grandfather would have been proud that his grandson turned out to be a Supreme Court judge. Unfortunately, Justice Thomas’ voting record shows that he has consistently ruled against the interest of poor and disadvantaged people. He has not represented the compassionately conservative judge he claims to be. Instead he rules and writes opinions as if he is his grandfather displaying his personal form of judicial discipline, while struggling to love himself and be fully comfortable in his own black skin. That’s too bad.
It’s a shame if he only does interviews with the likes of 60 Minutes and Rush Limbaugh who interviewed him on October 1, just one day after the CBS feature aired. Because I cannot think of any major Black radio personality who would not also interview Thomas were he not afraid of the more poignant question he would receive along with the accolades of praise. But at least with the exposure of the 60 Minutes piece as well as his other tours of White radio and television he will sell a lot of books. I’m an author and I want to sell books too. So I am not mad at him. But when I sell my books, I’ll prefer to retain the rights to my soul.
References and Quotes
CBS News Story
Tavis Smiley Article
Tuesday
Hump Day Hookup
I've watched some good Suspense films lately. Just when you think you've figured them out, they throw you the curve. My kind of writing. So, if you would like to be finely entertained, check these out.
Slowburn
Lucky Number Slevin
Fracture
Slowburn
Lucky Number Slevin
Fracture
Monday
Is it what you think it is?
If you have hung around here for any length of time, you know I like to mix it up and sometimes I'll stay on a certain topic for a while. With that said, I'd like to offer you another chance for self reflection and a venue by which to express yourself.
Here's the question: Is it still love, even when you aren't getting your stuff?
As good as it feels to be in love, I mean that good can't keep him/her off your mind, smile whenever you see him/her, think about him/her all day, can't wait to get next to him/her, still smelling your fingers (feeling those tremors), called him/her five times today, kind of love. As good as that feels, what do you do when you have grown past that? What happens when you get to the I'm only calling because I know you are expecting it, I wish I had more space to myself, if it wasn't for these kids I'd leave you, we ain't had sex since last month kind of love. Is your relationship still love at that point?
When you aren't getting your stuff, how do you handle that? Do your eyes wander, do you give in to that brother/sister at the job who has been dying to hook up with you. Do you live the double life because you just aren't happy anymore. What do you do? Do you still consider it love?
At some point in most relationships things are going to change. Some relationships change a lot, some just a little, but what do you do when it appears as if seasons are changing in your relationship?
How do you view love? Are you happy as long as you are getting the attention you want and when life crowds your time out you want to run and take your ball home? Or are you happy as long as you are getting the flowers, candy and gifts. What happens when the money gets tight and those things disappear? Or maybe your significant other has just been mean. They don't like the hand life has dealt them and now you don't hear the sweet nothings all you hear are complaints. Is it still love?
What is love to you? Is it deeper than the surface? Do you give up at the sign of trouble? Can you go the distance? Are you in it for better or for worse or are you in it as long as you are getting what you want out of it?
Talk to me. How do you deal with love when you aren't getting what you want? Don't preach to me, kick it to me where you live. I know the scripture, I want to know how you do it. Let's have some real talk.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 -- Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
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