I'd like to consider myself a "Bathroom Ninja".
When I go to the restroom, it's for one reason...well, sometimes two. And when I go for "two reasons", I don't want to be seen or bothered.
I'm serious, you won't catch me. I leave no trace (pun intended)
I stay invisible in the bathroom
“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”
-Psalm 104:33:
“The sudden death of legendary singer Whitney Houston has left the music industry in a state of shock. Although her passing came far too soon, the most-awarded female entertainer of our times has left an inspiring legacy, particularly in the Christian world.
Whitney’s roots, early influences, and musical training overflowed with faith-filled melody. Gospel singer Cissy Houston was her mother and first music teacher. Other singers in the family included her godmother Aretha Franklin and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick, all of whom shared gospel music as a fundamental component of their artistry.
An 11-year-old Whitney first sang in public as a performer in the choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. It did not take long for the little girl with the big voice to be featured in church services. Whitney’s first solo performance in the church was “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” She later told Jet magazine that the hymn is “a song that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
During her extraordinary career, Whitney won two Emmys, six Grammys, 30 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards. She experienced worldwide sales of more than 170 million albums, singles, and videos.
With regard to the Christian world, Whitney’s most significant contribution took place in the mid-1990s at the height of her career. In 1996, the soundtrack of “The Preachers Wife” would ultimately go on to become the largest-selling gospel album of all time, with 6 million copies in worldwide sales. Two of the tunes from the album became hit singles, “I Believe in You and Me” and “Step by Step.”
At a Hollywood nightclub two days prior to her passing, Whitney would give what would end up being her last performance. It is fitting, given the inspiration she provided to all, that Whitney’s last song before leaving this earthly stage would be the gospel classic, “Yes Jesus Loves Me.” (Footnote)”
– Except from http://www.newsmax.com/Hirsen/Houston-Gospel-Grammy-Cissy/2012/02/13/id/429232
Despite her obvious faults, Whitney Houston is greatly admired for her faith. When she used her talents to sing directly to the God, it was heavenly.
I have wondered what Whitney could have done if she went “all the way gospel”. And by that, I don’t mean to say her mainstream career was in vain, but I wonder how many more songs she could have created that could have brought others closer to Christ. But then again, I have to tame my imagination and realize that perhaps she did more in that realm than I realize.
Whitney’s voice was indeed God given. And her passion for the Lord radiated in her music, even in songs that were considered contemporary. Being a traditional gospel enthusiast, I really do enjoy when even contemporary artists do gospel songs and albums. Shoutout to Mariah and Christina. Yes, there are plenty of talented gospel singers out now. But we’re past the Golden Age of Gospel. Most talents these days may be raised gospel, but when they enter the music industry, they likely go pop/adult contemporary.
Since Whitney’s death, I’ve been compelled to think of many of her songs as gospel songs. Not a new concept, I know. Many love songs are a simple translation away from being gospel. Some of my other favorite examples of contemporary songs being applied to as gospel songs is Musiq Soulchild’s Love and even, The Temptation’s Ain’t Too Proud to Beg. Sister Act I and II were full of them.
God’s so good, that just referencing him in a song can even convert a song that initially was talking about Other People’s Privates (“You down with G.O.D.!”)
As you read through these lyrical re-arrangements and listen to the original song, just be aware that it will take a degree of open-mindedness to disregard what may seem corny or awkward, as well as some musical savvy to follow along. Some songs were easier to translate to gospel than others. Feel free to comment your suggestions the gospel re-arrangements. Enjoy and be blessed!
You set your alarm to wake you up just so you don't accidentally oversleep and miss out on such a beautiful day!
You wake up to a familiar smell... Pancakes and Bacon -- a Saturday staple. Nothing like waking up to a big breakfast.
You likely know exactly what I’m about to say. And likely, exactly what I’m about to call out. To most of you reading, this subject isn’t a surprise. It’s not even news anymore. It’s a story that happens…and continues to happen on a regular basis. For those unaware of such activities, let me sum it up for you:
Black people have a hard time getting into “certain clubs”.
Wow.....wow....
And we’re not the only culture, but I can only speak from my perspective and experiences. I’ve even recently heard of cases of folks getting in trouble who stood up for their peers (in this case, teammate) who were discriminated against. If this hasn’t happened to you yet as a black male, you either don’t go out, you’re always over-dressed when you do go out, or you simply just stay ‘in your comfort zone’.
Going to college in Austin, TX, I learned these lessons at an early age. Ya see, back in 2004 when I was a freshmen, brothas were still in the blazers, long button-ups, jeans, and Air Forces.
“I’ll admit, I saw this movie because I felt obligated.”
“I thought the theater was going to be sold out.”
“You think some of the white people here came because they are George Lucas fans?”
“Well, my mama told me it was good…but she likes anything with us in it.”
“Black folks will clap everytime a black character stands up to a white character in a movie.”
“I thought I’d learn somethin’ new though…”
“Were any of those characters real?”
“Shhh… don’t talk down the movie around mixed company.”
“The music is a bit much, no?”
“What was up with that Arial font in the opening and ending credits?”
“That script was killin’ me…”
“Not one sista, huh?”
“The characters had 21st century swagger in a 1940’s movie. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they dabbed each other up at some point.”
Continue reading Shit (some) Black People Said During and After seeing ‘Red Tails’
We understand that Facebook has many features at our disposable to enjoy for socialization purposes. However, since its creation, many people have used such social networking to enhance their own “thirsty” agendas. Hey, we’ve all done it – spit a lil’ game via Facebook chat, or unnecessarily commenting on someone’s post/status (typically with an “lol” — to essentially say ‘Hey! I’m been on your profile!’). But this post is dedicated to mocking those who have NO shame in their game.
The following is a list constructed of observations from my newsfeed…and inbox…and timeline for you tweeters. No particular order.
1. “Poking”
This is a classic ‘thirst move’ for attention. Probably one of the first for Facebook. A new age, “Yes, No, or Maybe”, if you will.
Poor girls, I bet this is all too familiar. A series of pokes from guys you don’t even talk to on a regular basis. And I know a few girls that would have a whole page-length column of them. And these girls would save them– like trophies. Us guys usually just poke back or remove –like instantly.
Ever have someone “poke” you so often you think to yourself, “Didn’t I remove this poke, or did they just poke again?” Yeah, it’s as creepy as it sounds.
2. “Liking” Single
To “Like” or Comment on someone becoming single is just messy in the first place. Unless it’s Tina Turner or someone in a similiar situation. I don’t see why “liking” is even an option. Facebook should disable that in this instance!
And there’s usually a thirsty or messy comment as well. Some folks just ready to box out for the rebound.
Still thirsty? Continue reading…
“Double Consciousness” was first defined by W.E.B. Dubois in his book, The Souls of Black Folks. In short, the term centers around the notion that Black Americans have to toggle between the two words that define them; “Black” and “American”.
Back in 1903 when the book was published, everything associated with the black race had a stigma of being second-rate, immoral, foul, stupid, silly, fruit-less, etc. And for a people who have just been set “free” into a society that wasn’t ready for them, it was difficult for black people to adapt/fit-in to the American standard, yet maintain their identity as Black.
Some, maybe most, would say that we’re still fighting that stigma today in some fields.
This post may seem to be about defining our positive/negative stereotypes or to address the status of the African-American in our society, but don’t be fooled — it’s not.
This post is meant to stimulate thought on the “etiquette of being Black” that African-Americans have set for ourselves. As if it wasn’t good enough to just pursue being good in the first place, being born into the Black race comes with a list of unofficial laws, expectations, taboos, etc. Yes, I imagine every culture has this concern, but I’m not certified to write on those –but I do welcome insight.
You probably sense a slight tone of resentment from me on this subject. Well, that’s because I’ve been call out for not meeting the Black standard of being Black. And for most of my adolescence, I’ve struggled to titer on the spectrum of blackness that resides between the two extremes of being labeled an “oreo” or a “coon”.
[Prologue: In leiu of the current cartoon character trend on Facebook to protest child abuse…]
Is it too much for a kid to want a happy-ending?
All kids expect happy endings. And kids will go out of their way to get closure on a storyline — especially when the kid relates to or admires a character. When I was a kid, there were just some characters that I rooted for all the time—because they seemed to never ‘win’. Cartoonists definitely knew how to pull the heart-strings of lil’ kids, and I fell into their sentimental traps every time.
I don’t believe in prosperity gospel, but in the case of cartoons and ‘feel-good’ movies, I wanted the characters I rooted for to ‘win’ all the time. As horrible as it was, I forced myself to watch Aladdin: Prince of Thieves because I had to see Aladdin marry Jasmine, and I wanted to know who Aladdin’s father was too [oops, spoiler alert].
This post may seem bitter, but I assure you I am over it. My childhood; however, is still holding a grudge.
[Note: Youtube links don’t all work on blog page, so click to watch on Youtube!]
5. Doug Funny
Alright, Doug didn’t have it THAT bad. But I had to root for this kid.
He had a long-time crush on Patti Mayonaisse, even though nothing developed there. I wouldn’t really say that Patti reciprocated her feelings but the storyline definitely led us all to hope that she would eventually turn around.
Continue on to Top 4…
Why is it so hard to have a good time sometimes?
Going out isn’t as fun as it could be, IMO.
And I could sit up here and act like I’m self-sufficient, like I’m above going to parties and say, “I don’t need to party…I can have fun all by myself”. But that’s not me.
The purpose of this post is to analyze, review, and call out the practices that I have witnessed, rebuked, and yes….even indulged in myself at the club.
If you go to bed every Friday at 10PM, then disregard this post
(Not that there’s anything wrong with that)
If you watch Saturday Night Live – when it’s live, then I’m not talking to you.
(Not that there’s anything wrong with that)
If you prefer to have a Red Box/Blockbuster Night every weekend with a significant other, then press play.
This is for the socialites.
First of all, I love my culture. We definitely know how to party and have a good time. In a way, I imagine every culture could say could that. And by ‘my culture’ and ‘we’, I’m referring to African Diaspora-influenced festivities; i.e. Hip-Hop, R&B, Adult Urban Contemporary, etc. So if you can relate or appreciate, don’t feel that I’m necessarily talking to one color here.
Now that I got my disclaimers out of the way, let me go in.
1. Dress
The Grown & Sexy crowds definitely know how to dress up. You got to look like money. It’s all about looking good and feeling good, right? A good rule of thumb whenever you step outside the house.
We’re just products of our culture, like anyone else. We do and dress like we see in the videos. Nothing new there.
Dresscode is usually strictly enforced at G&S parties. Dresscode is also used to deter the “urban-casual” crowd. [yep, I’ll real PC]. I.E. No white-tees. No baggy pants. No Tennis. No baseball caps. More on this later. Dresscode is used as a filter to attract a certain ‘money-spending’ crowd to a party.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that a thug can’t dress like Carlton Banks and bring his beef to the party…
Nor does it stop a dude with a chip on his shoulder from private school to think he runs things for once in his life. But it filters the drama that many clubowners/promoters try to avoid.
Not that your character deserves to be judged based on your dress, but I think we all understand the concept of dresscode. I think…
[Digression: Discrimination is out there. And it’s not always at the clubs with non-black owners. I have personally witnessed dudes get turned around because of subjective discretion of how ‘baggy’ their pants are. And I don’t think there should be a difference between a black guy wearing a hoody who can’t get in and a white guy wearing a hoody who can get in. I’ve seen heavy-set dudes get turned around for having jeans too baggy. His jeans were quite tight especially around his thighs, but baggy around his calf. Was he suppose to wear skinny jeans for the big & tall? I’m calling you out, Austin’s Pure Night Club!]
And with the hipster culture being more embraced, we seem to be ‘evolving’ from our 2004 Usher-like blazers to V-neck tees and cardigans being Grown & Sexy acceptable. Its cool to be casual, yet fancy.
I can only speak for the fellas here mostly. Ladies know how to look good.
I could comment on my thoughts on how folks dress, but that’s not my intention, nor area of expertise.
2. Music
Historical fact: Music sets the mood .
Matter of fact, it REALLY sets the mood. We respond to music like no other. How many times have you seen an old school ballad have everyone sangin’? How many times have you seen a hit song hype everyone to go to the dance floor? How many times have you seen a Lil’ Jon song start a fight? How many times have you seen thirsties pep up on the dance floor once Juvenile [and you already know which song] comes on?
Continue Reading…
The Thread 