What a crazy past few months it’s been. Lots of change and lots of unexpected things happening but then what is life without abrupt turns? I’m not huge on Christmas, at least not until I have kids. I’m not one of those super revolutionary who try to smash the whole thing under my boot because of the commercialism and all that. I just believe what my dad always said: Christmas is for kids. I have super fond memories of Christmas as a child and wouldn’t be who I am today without it. Some of that even included the commericialism and materialism folks try to diss. What little girl wouldn’t be complete without a Barbie luxury townhouse that would eventually be dissected down to the cardboard structure with the lifelike mural of rooms and furniture Barbie couldn’t actually go in? Where do you think my imagination grew? Right there iniside the Barbie trailer home where I pretended Barbie and Chrystie (the black girl)were pretending to run from serial killer Ken (lots of CHiPs in my house too).
Let’s get back to The Wiz. Why? Because people forget that it took place during Christmas! And as elusive as Richard Pryor aka The Wiz was, well, that’s as elusive as Santa is. I think they are the same. We’ve never seen them together. Think about it.
Below is a clip from The Wiz, one of the greatest movies ever. This clip encompasses feelings of direction, confusion and every other adult milestone in nine plus minutes. Kids, enjoy your time before the bills come.
Ike “Eat the damn cake, Anna Mae” Turner has died. See below for proof for all you flinchers. I try to find the silver lining in things so here’s my shot at this one:
Maybe now all of you asshole macho/big ass ego/mind fucker/double talking/too good to work/too wack to hustle right/fake heavy weights can stop worshipping at the alter known as Ike Turner and get your shit together. Go tutor your kids. Go cook dinner for your wife. Go have ONE beer. Go tell your dealer that he’s been replaced by your 401K/travel fund/stamp collection/rare Run DMC collectable addiction.
Posers. Don’t care if you are talented, you don’t have to be an asshole who beats on his woman. Let Ike’s life be a lesson to you that you can shit hits but if you ain’t right, some kinda devil is going to mess your game up.
Musician Ike Turner Dies at 76
By ELLIOT SPAGAT – 41 minutes ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock’s critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife and icon Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.
“He did pass away this morning” at his home in San Marcos, in northern San Diego County, said Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner’s musical career.
There was no immediate word on the cause of death, which was first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in his later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for “Risin’ With the Blues.”
But his image is forever identified as the drug-addicted, wife-abusing husband of Tina Turner. He was hauntingly portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the movie “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” based on Tina Turner’s autobiography.
In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Turner denied his ex-wife’s claims of abuse and expressed frustration that he had been demonized in the media, adding that his historic role in rock’s beginnings had been ignored.
“You can go ask Snoop Dogg or Eminem, you can ask the Rolling Stones or (Eric) Clapton, or you can ask anybody — anybody, they all know my contribution to music, but it hasn’t been in print about what I’ve done or what I’ve contributed until now,” he said.
Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock ‘n’ roll record, “Rocket 88,” in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.
But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record — it was recorded with Turner’s band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.
And it would be another singer — a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock — who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.
Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced singer the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.
The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, “A Fool In Love,” was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including “I Idolize You” and “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine.”
But over the years they’re genre-defying sound would make them favorites on the rock ‘n’ roll scene, as they opened for acts like the Rolling Stones.
The densely layered hit “River Deep, Mountain High” was one of producer Phil Spector’s proudest creations. A rousing version of “Proud Mary,” a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and won them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.
I love it when dumb ass people get caught like jailbreakers. I could get all Michael Evans on you and start talking about self hate but we all know that everyone tunes out when you get preached on (this explains how the Republican party got to be not Republican but a capitalist cult wearing a fake Jesus cape - it’s all your fault Oral Roberts) and things go the opposite way of your intention. What I will say is that I know there’s a Sherlock Holmes joke in here somewhere….
Revealed: scientist who sparked racism row has black genes
By Robert Verkaik
Published: 10 December 2007
A Nobel Prize-winning scientist who provoked a public outcry by claiming black Africans were less intelligent than whites has a DNA profile with up to 16 times more genes of black origin than the average white European.
An analysis of the genome of James Watson showed that 16 per cent of his genes were likely to have come from a black ancestor of African descent. By contrast, most people of European descent would have no more than 1 per cent.
“This level is what you would expect in someone who had a great-grandparent who was African,” said Kari Stefansson of deCODE Genetics, whose company carried out the analysis. “It was very surprising to get this result for Jim.”
The findings were made available after Dr Watson became only the second person to publish his fully sequenced genome online earlier this year. Dr Watson was forced to resign his post as head of a research laboratory in New York shortly after triggering an international furore by questioning the comparative intelligence of Africans. In an interview during his recent British book tour, the American scientist said he was “inherently gloomy about the prospects for Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really”.
The Science Museum in London cancelled a lecture by him, while the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, branded his comments “racist propaganda”.
Other scientists working in the field of molecular biology quickly distanced themselves from the comments, saying that it was not possible to draw such conclusions from the work that had been done on DNA.
The study of the DNA of Dr Watson – who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for medicine – adds another twist to the controversy surrounding the American scientist’s comments.
In addition to the 16 per cent of his genes which were identified as likely to have come from a black ancestor of African descent, a further 9 per cent were likely to have come from an ancestor of Asian descent, the test indicated.
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3239366.ece
I saw this from my hometown newspaper and cried this morning. So much dumb berating propoganda gets reported about kids today (you do know this includes Britney, L. Lo and Bobby Brown - wait, maybe not L. Lo anymore) that we forget sometimes we are just dissing ourselves. Just like we all start to believe things we are inundated with, kids are the same. I want to post this story because this is about a real life superhero kid…we all have one in us and it’s time they just came on out.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Fund set up for 7-year-old ‘hero’ who saved mom
Jennifer MROZOWSKI / The Detroit News
DETROIT — A fund has been set up for 7-year-old Alexis Goggins, who police are calling a hero for stepping in front of an enraged gunman to save her mother’s life.
Alexis was shot six times by Calvin Tillie, 29, who carjacked the girl, her mother, Seliethia Parker and family friend Aisha Ford outside a Dwyer Street home on the city’s east side, police said.
Parker, who was shot in the head and arm, was treated and released.
Alexis is in stable condition at Children’s Hospital in Detroit with wounds to her eye, temple, chin, cheek chest and right arm.
Alexis is still slipping in and out of consciousness, said Marvin Bodley, a Detroit Public Schools’ attendance agent, who has been at her bedside in the hospital.
During a bath today, Alexis pushed away the nurse’s hand, which onlookers considered to be a good sign, Bodley said.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “But we’re very hopeful she’s going to survive this incident.”
Alexis, who was shot in the face, is having surgery to her eye Friday, he said. Bodley said all indications are that Alexis will lose the eye.
Offers of help have been pouring in from around the country, Bodley said.
The school has set up a fund through Comerica Bank to help with Alexis’ care.
Checks should be made out to the Alexis Goggins Hero Fund and sent to Campbell Elementary School in care of the Alexis Goggins Hero Fund, 2301 E Alexandrine St, Detroit, MI 48207.
For information, call (313) 494-2052.
You can reach Jennifer Mrozowski at (313) 222-2269 or jmrozowski@detnews.com
Alexis is in critical condition, and a fund has been set up for her recovery and well-being. She had suffered a stroke as a younger child, and always struggled with developmental complications–and yet she still survived six bullets.
Alexis’ school has set up a fund through Comerica Bank to help with Alexis’ care.
Checks should be made out to the Alexis Goggins Hero Fund and sent to Campbell Elementary School in care of the Alexis Goggins Hero Fund, 2301 E Alexandrine St, Detroit, MI 48207.
Thanks to www.thedailymocha.com for reporting this.
Yes his name rings a familiar tune. First Real World about four million years ago. Get over it. He’s done like forty seven thousand things since then. Google some shit. Now, he’s running for office in Brookly in 08. If you enjoy Obama-ness, then here’s your chance. Mr. Powell’s annual Charity Bash is going to be off the hizzy (you old timers know what that means…young folks can google some shit). Bring your Henny cups and your Champale mini bottles. But don’t forget the stuff for the less fortunate. Your baby hair will not get you in this time around if you’re empty handed….
Too tiny to read? Upgrade your glasses. Or click on the image. Ha.
I was 16 years old and I was fooling around with Eli Elliott, my then boyfriend. We were so magically youthfully in love that we were like rabbits, doing it everywhere imaginable. He would take me home from school in his white K car with the burgundy interior (and I lived far! God forbid it rained or else we had to pull over because good ole K didn’t run well in the rain) and, since my mom worked until 7ish, we would go at it. I’m not ashamed because Eli and I loved each other. I didn’t feel like I was trying to confirm my sexual identity or bow to peer pressure. He really thought he was going to sell his K car and buy me an engagement ring. Now, maybe there wasn’t going to be a stone in it and maybe it might bend under pressure but it was the thought that counted. That is not however, the love I am talking about.
One day, my dad came to our house and caught me coming down the stairs, buttoning my shirt while Eli was headed for the door. Yes, catastrophe. Dad kicked Eli out and told me he’d be back. I was devestated. I called all my friends and I told them I loved them and slowly declared my prized possessions to each. I was sure I was going to die. Even my mother set aside her anger and gave me some sympathy on my impending death. Thanks, mom.
Later, my dad came and picked me up without a word. We drove and I was sure I was about to be left in a field with an ax in my head. Little did my dad know that each time Eli and I had sex, I MADE him put water in the condom just to be sure no babies made a little surprise performance. I was having a bad enough time with Physics. As we continued to drive in the darkness, I started to cry, quietly. Then we pulled up to Cracker Barrel and I was thankful for light because light means maybe no murder but broke legs. Then we got seated. And we ordered. Silence. Then he says to me, very calmly, “If you get pregnant, you will break my heart.”
And I bawled like a woman going to the electric chair.
You see, if you love somebody, they don’t really need to hoop and holler like a bad gospel play. All they really need to do is tell you the truth about how you are to them and you’ll feel it. So whenever I get hit with sincerity from someone I love about a sticky situation, I always think back to my dad and how he didn’t murder me but told me the truth about what he thought, and I feel all at once, loved/humbled/eager to do the right thing/mad I did something wrong/unable to breathe/constantly take deep breaths/heart pounding/heart stopping/dry skin/sweaty hands…you get it.
This is for Scott.