Vision Circle

Hatin' On Kwanzaa

This is to the people who write "anti-Kwanzaa" screeds this time of year.

• Kwanzaa is a made up holiday.

  1. Yes, it's made up. Karenga has said that from day one.

  2. Other "made up" celebrations include Mardi Gras, Mother's Day, Valentines Day, and St. Patrick's Day.

• Kwanzaa is not an African celebration.

  Karenga never said it was an African celebration. He said he took parts of different African cultures and created a "harvest festival" like celebration.

• Christians shouldn't celebrate it.

  OH, do you really want to go here?

  1. The birth of Christ, Our Savior, did not likely happen on the 25th of December. It was "created" to overtake the pagen rituals that occured during the time.

  2. How many Christians celebrate Christmas singing about Santa Claus and Rudoloph?

  
  

• It's a separatist event.

  1. I've been to one Kwanzaa celebration. I attended in Philly and Karenga was a speaker. At this point, I'll mention that there were a fair number of whites in attendence, and it wasn't just news reporters.

  2. Many people come from different parts of the country to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Did you know that there are actually 2 separate Mardi Gras parades happening at the same time? One done by whites, the other by Blacks? Did you know that until 2004, I think, they never even "greeted" each other?

• Most American Blacks have never even been to Africa

  1. Most American whites have never been to Ireland but does that stop them from celebrating St. Patrick's Day?

  2. Most Americans, period, have never left the country.

• Kwanzaa replaces Christmas.

  No, it doesn't. Some "Black churches" even celebrate both.

Take the Kwanzaa hating and step. Ya'll are just spouting nonsense.

For the record: I don't celebrate it. I'm just sick of the silliness the haters go through on trying to shut it down.

Forgotten Favorite Song Line

At work I was listening to a Prince 3 CD set, "The Hits and the B Sides".

All of a sudden, the song hit and I forgot how much I liked this one line in Pope:

"You can be the president,
I'd rather be the pope.

You can be the side effect.
I'd rather be the dope!"

A Telephone Call

<ring>
<ring>
<ring>

'lo?

Mike. Michael Irvin?

Yeah?

This is Whitney.

'sup?
CRACK IS WHACK!

<click>

The Real Meaning Of Christmas

The "real meaning of Christmas" appears to be a man jumping line at Wal Mart and getting the beat down by off duty cops.

The "real meaning of Christmas" appears to be people racing into a store at 6 AM on "Black Friday", falling down, and having other people run over them. ( Did you see the video of the Black woman who feel down, then instead of getting up, grabbed her wig that fell off in front of her, and put it back on her head, and straightened it, before attempting to get up? )

The "real meaning of Christmas" appears to be people fighting for items, getting in line at 4 AM, and getting caught up in consumerism.

What is it about a culture that does that?

Two songs come to mind: "The Real Meaning of Christmas" by the Winans, and "Remember Why" by Alexander ONeil.

Music

I made some music purchases recently that I want to share with you.

I brought George Clinton's, How Late Do U Have 2 B B4 U R Absent?. Please, people do not waste your money. It stinks and I don't mean funky! It does absolutely NOTHING for the funk juices. I rate it a 1 out of 10. The 1 is just because it's George Clinton.

On the other hand, Kirk Franklin's Hero, is not only good for your soul, but some of it will get the funk juices MOVIN! Right now, "Looking for You" is getting some play on secular radio, and with good reason. The groove is based on a secular song of years gone by, "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen. And there is a song on the CD with Stevie Wonder that is nice. In fact, it should have also been on Stevie's CD. I give it a 8 out of 10. Speaking of Stevie...

Steve Wonder's new CD, A Time to Love was a long time in the making. And, frankly, for it to have taken so long, it should have been much better. It is a good sound with solid music. It just doesn't move me too much. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Finally, there's the new CD by Earth, Wind, & Fire. The CD is named Illumination. This is a good CD.

It's a CD with multiple producers and writers: Will. I. Am., Raphael Saadiq, Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Floetry, and Brian McKnight.

I must say that Jam and Lewis do the best job of keeping the classic EW&F sound but keeping it fresh as well. Their production, "Pure Gold" will not disappoint old school EW&F fans. It's a winner. It's too bad it's only getting play on "old school" stations.

Next in line is the final "new" cut that is written and produced by Brian McKnight, "To You." McKnight keeps the EW&F feel and produces a winner for the group.

Raphael Saadiq gets a hand at doing some writing and production work for EW&F. I must say that he holds his own and gains some respect from me. "Show Me the Way" is a good EW&F song, but the only draw back is Saadiq gets some vocal work on the cut. I'm not a fan of the man's voice, so I just want to hear Phillip and Maurice work their chops. But, the song is good. Saadiq did 2 other songs as well. Overall, he does a good job.

Last, but not least, the BEST cut on the CD, one that had me dancing in my seat at work, and had my CD player on single loop, is "The One". Folks, that song is GOOD!

The CD is a solid 8.5 out of 10. If it weren't for Floetry and Big Boi being on the CD, I'd rate it higher.

OH, don't let me forget Public Enemy. I just brought New Whirl Odor today. I got it on "g.p.". I was disappointed by the lyrics, but the beats are STILL BANGING. The beats alone make me give it a 7 out of 10.

A Keeper Of The Funk

Kirk Franklin.

Pat Robertson's Fatwah and the Emergence of Medieval America

One of the best said Malthusian libertarian summaries of the current state of affairs that I've come upon to date. It begs the question of whether we can stop distracting ourselves long enough to concentrate and generate a feedback loop of sufficient intensity to alter our trajectory into the economic phase transition. Note this is only about altering our trajectory because there's no question that we're coming to ground shortly. All that remains in question is whether we execute a landing or whether we crash.

It is a bitter truth to swallow that the American peace movement, by itself, did not end the Vietnam War. It ended, primarily, because the Vietnamese people fought tenaciously, purchased freedom with their own lives and bloodied America's nose. It ended because America's soldiers, mostly Black, began to mutiny, and because college-aged boys, mostly White, declined to fight or die for a war that meant nothing to them. It ended because of the massive stresses in the American economy, the inflation, the devaluation of the dollar, the crisis caused byskyrocketing oil prices due to the 1973 oil embargo. It ended because the feedback loop of the Vietnam War threatened to rip apart the carefully engineered society of America.

I'm Better than the Average Fucking Movie

Teri Woods is making LOOT writing hard core urban fiction. While some wonder whether this is good for "African American Literature" (and peep Raymond Williams on the creation of "literature") I think they're missing the mark. Woods isn't looking to knock out Ellison.

She's looking to knockout Bay.

Giving The People What They Want

On the most segregated day in the country, a thought just occurred to me.

Some accuse "Hollywood liberals" of being racist because Blacks and other "people of color" have a very hard time getting roles. But Hollywood is a very capitalist system, meaning those who generate money, get money to generate more money.

If "Hollywood liberals" give Blacks and other "people of color" fewer roles, maybe it's because they think that Blacks and "people of color" won't generate the type of revenue that they are seeking. And if that's the case, is it Hollywood, or the audience, who is to blame?

Watching the Wiz

My wife and kids are watching The Wiz while i'm working or at least trying to work. I've been thinking about world-building for some random reason or another. Reading The Lord of the Rings for example, can give you a very clear sense of how the different languages develop across time....but there is absolutely no discussion about either economy or state formation.

(What the hell does this have to do with The Wiz?)

The only part I caught was the introduction of the Wicked Witch. Don't go bringing me NO BAD NEWS.

We have a very clear idea of WHY homegirl is the Wicked Witch. Remember, the world of Oz (in the Wiz) is decidedly urban. Homegirl is feared because she's got them damn munchkins WORKING. Ain't had no lunchbreak in MONTHS.

I am not sure I recall why the Wicked Witch (in the traditional movie) had juice.

On the other hand, the Wiz? He's got them mugs so caught up, they're engaging in widespread fashion changes every two minutes!

An overlooked classic.