Wake up call

My job is hard. I really think that this is the first time in a long time that I've been intellectually challenged by my work. Professional pharma advertising and corporate communication is drastically different from consumer work. I'm reading things and handling information that I would have never been entrusted with at the consumer focused agency. Now, the downside to all of this new responsibility and intellectual stimulation is a glaringly obvious lack of creative writing! Hello! What kind of copywriter, rarely gets a chance to actually write something?

Well, I do get to write here, in my blog.  But that's just not good enough for me anymore. I'm getting back into a grove, I'm finishing up old projects and consolidating some of the really old ideas into the my new ideas. It's just got to work. 

More shameless Brandy fandom!

Check out the amazing vocal riff at the end of this song, It's really subtle, but when you hear it, it will remind of you of Ella and the creative singing of olde.

Kluster Focus

A few months ago, I attended a NextWeb conference in New York and helped present eyebees.com to the Web 2.0 community. I was particular impressed by the kluster.com presentation given by a lively group of young entrepreneurs.  After the event was over I promptly registered on their site and forgot all about it for some time. Now, after trolling the internet, I've once again come across this dynamic group and their unique formulae for collaboration. They're now working on a project with TED to grant a wish. You have to read-up on it to really get what's going on here, but I think that it will be well worth your time. Check out more about this project by clicking on the title of this post or here.

Two events, One cause

So, of course, everyone now knows that Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America. The son of a white American mother and a Nigerian born father, he is the first American president with African heritage (that we know of). I voted for him and I'm very glad that he won the election.

Now, let's talk about what this means for the millions of Americans that will now be looking to him for leadership in this, our hour of need. After watching the election at a friends house in Queens, NY, myself and two friends walked back to the train station to get home, chatting about the historic event along the way. My two friends, like me, are black men in their late twenties. On our walk, we came across another young man making his way somewhere after the election, a white man. We saw him coming toward us on the side walk just as we were about to reach an area where the path thinned between a fence and a tree. The three of us began to adjust our alignment so that he would be able to pass, but before we could complete the new formation, he swiftly ducked into a gateway in the fence. The three of us then stared in amazement as he ever so slightly nodded, urging us to accept the entire sidewalk and not slow or alter our footsteps. So, we obliged, looking at each other in disbelief.

On the same night, I was making my last connection to the J train at Canal and I overheard and saw another interesting event on the night of Obama's election. Ahead of me on the downtown Q platform there were two young black men, leaning against the wall and two young, white people walking past them. I didn't see what happened, but I'm guess that there was some sort of collision or accidental bump or something. One of the young black men yelled out to the young white guy, "...Oh, why you frontin', Obama '08..." or something of that nature. The young white guy's retort was, "...Oh, excuse me I'm sorry..." or "...I said, excuse me..", I can't remember. The young white woman turned around and asked the young white man, "...What did he say?.." and the white guy began to tell his version of the story. The white man and the white woman never stopped walking.

I've had a little bit of time to think about both of these events and I can't help but come to the conclusion that it's only the tip of the cultural iceberg that America has hit. Now that a minority is at the head of our national government, the social rules and regulations around privilege, respect, authority, communication and power can all be rethought and re-enacted in a very visceral way. No more hypothesizing about what it would be like to have black skin sitting behind the desk in the oval office. No more looking up the ranks of prosperity, and leadership and seeing white faces with a few people of color in the background. Oh No. Now, another type of experiential reference is directing the nation, and we'll all have to look at what change really is and how it's lived day to day.

Will black people in America feel emboldened a prideful now that the president is also black? Will white people feel devalued and unsure of their place in the nation now that someone who looks like a person that many of their ancestors would have owned is telling them what to do and how to do it?

Stay tuned.
I most certainly will be watching. Very, very closely.

QWERTY QUERY

Technology these days can really stack up on a guy if he's not careful. You begin to collect things that you either use rarely or never at all. My cell contract of two years is coming to an end soon and I plan to switch over to another carrier and get the iphone. I think it's a good idea because I'd be knocking out two birds with one stone (i think killing is too strong a word).

But here's the ever present dilema. How do I pay for it? I thought about waiting until my birthday, but that seems so far away even now at the end of October, a month is a long time to string out a contract you don't want anymore. Then I thought, I don't use my DS or PSP much anymore, and there are new versions of both availalble now anyways, so why not sell them to raise the funds? Then I'd still have to save up later to buy the new versions of both, or one of the gaming devices. Now that I think of it, you use a phone everyday and it's helpful in emergencies, but the ds and psp are just for fun, and usually only on long trips. I think I'll sell them both.

All airborne!

Air Art from flip on Vimeo.

Next stop, anime-style gunships and post-apocalyptic society rebuilding!

That's nice, I think?

i found this chair at a yard sale in upstate new york . i re- upholster ed the seat with a thick knit and painted it white to make it younger and less formal. now that i think of it, i should have taken a before pic to make the reveal more dramatic. oh well, next time.

another late pic from my trip to the moma with a friend.

one big guard dog wouldn't be as cute, would it? only in chelsea.

The big picture.

Beached from Keith Loutit on Vimeo

Maybe this is how God sees us sometimes. Who can quibble over insignificant differences when our commonalities are so eloquently displayed? The artists name is Keith Loutit.

Special Signs ?

It took me a while to post this particular photo. It was taken at a birthday party I attentded a while ago. There is also a YouTube video that goes with it. I wish that I could explain why there is a man in a gorilla suit at the party. but I can't. I just can't.

Culture Clash (and then Bash!)

This video put together by the multimedia entertainment team of Ben & Ryan is just simply a joy to watch. It's ingenious. I've watched the original video from the SMACK DVD with the original volume, and although very lyrically impressive, it's not nearly as funny and culturally relevant. Why, you ask? I actually don't know. I'm sure if I really sat down in a corner and mulled it over for a bit, I could come up with something, but as of yet, no real explanation for its communicative power is readily available to me. I like high english, and I like a good verbal assault disguised as a logical argument I guess. It's kind of how my friends and I talk to each other really. I'll just say for now that the plausibility of it all is what makes it so humorous. The way that Ben & Ryan berate each other is completely in line with the "standard" formula for an inner city hip-hop rivalry, it just uses standard English instead of slang and rhyme. Kudos to the creators.

Let's take a closer look

A very good friend of mine forwarded me this interesting email deliniating some of the more pertinent differences between Palin and Obama. Why people are trying to compare the two at all in the first place is beyond me.




Subject: Fw: The Double Standard Lives....



I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, and you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and be President of the Law Review, and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate e representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor , you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

* If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude," with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA , your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

I don't condone, but I do comiserate.

This really sums up how many Americans feel about McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. We are at war, almost in a recession, and facing some of the most difficult diplomatic situations in a generation, and Sarah Palin is what McCain comes up with? I'm so offended! Doesn't America deserve a little more? I'm upset and apalled, but not as much as Pamela Anderson.

Violence is funny, sometimes.

This video tickles me so much. I love how the simple things in life can bring so much enjoyment.

this may just be a coincidence, but here is a front page placement of Palin wrapped in a babies r us ad . how befitting. i'm having a slow day, so cut me some slack.

Right Here, there and everywhere!

Brandy's new single is a touching teaser for her album that touts the strength of our most treasured personal relationships and how they get us through hard times. Even before I saw the video or the making of the video, I really loved the song for it's honesty and good natured message. The story that the video brings to the song makes it all the better. In the video, Brandy is an angel that has come back down from heaven to console her mother and her love interest. It's really simple and cute. Classic Brandy style. I can't wait to hear and see the rest of the album and all the other life lessons and stories that Brandy will share with us.

Here's a pic of my new block. i'm really excited about getting settled in such a great space.

i'm officially a resident of bushwick. affectionately known to some as obamawick, for obvious reasons.

If it aint Barack....

So. In an attempt to jump back into the fray with the other bloggers around the world who are actually paying attention to what's going on in the world, I watched Obama's DNC acceptance speech tonight. And in another attempt to stand out amongst all the other liberal leaning bloggers of color worldwide, I'm going to dedicate this post to what I believe are mistakes he made in his speech. It would be an understatement to say that inspirational, emotionally charged and often times educational public talks are par for Obama's political course. If anything at all besides his more obvious differences from his opponent has intensified the media coverage of this election, it has been his seemingly innate ability to move the masses with his words. Consistently.

Democrats need a wee bit of a wake up call. (In my oh so valuable opinion) The honeymoon with our candidate is over, and now we need to get down to brass tacks to clinch a victory. (Finally)

1. Barack made the mistake of being vague about fiscal policy. I know that most people (including me probably) will not understand a whole lot of number crunching tossed at them from a podium. However, we do need some particulars on how your ideas add up in the real world.

2. This speech may have been a bit short. I don't know what the usual criteria is for this kind of thing, but if you're in the company of your own supporters, why not give them what they want? Spend a little time pandering to your base to let them know you haven't forgotten them. Hilary and McCain, would never make this kind of oversight. But then again... that may be part of his plan to distance himself from "traditional" politics. Hmmm, tough one.

3. Background, Set-up, and more Background. What have you done for me lately? There was a little bit about his accomplishments as a Senator included in the speech, but not enough. I wanted to be WOWed. I want my jaw to drop in awe and amazement at the many things Barack has already done to improve the lives of the citizens of this nation. Ideology is wonderful, and Barack has certainly saturated the airwaves with some of the best political, cultural and social ideology since, well, John F. Kennedy. Having said all of this, there does seem to be a bit of a lack of hardcore facts that he uses to beat his opponent about the head with in a "whose service is bigger contest?" Perhaps he's saving all of this for November?

Well. That's it. I can't think of anything else negative to say. So... in an attempt to end this post on a positive note, I will say this. Good Luck Obama, and God Bless the choice that America will make in this upcoming Presidential election.