December 18, 2006

Band in Chapel Hill You Gotta Check Out

Yo, my buddy Andrew Blass let me know that his band, Red Collar, will be playing the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC tomorrow night.  If you hit The Cradle around 10, you should definitely be there in time for all the festivities.  Check out the band on MySpace at www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic

Off to take some cats’ money in poker.

December 18, 2006

Respect to the Rapper

Business…here’s why I can no longer hate on Kobe Bryant. Yeah, I was included in the group of haters. Just didn’t wanna use the first-person in the piece.

So I went on a matinee date to see The Pursuit of Happyness. It seemed worth checking out from the commercials, but I admit I was a bit leery when my girlfriend saw a couple of her friends at the mall they said they went to see it because of the glowing recommendation given by Oprah’s audience. I’m not an Oprah hater, but ehhh…

Anyway, the movie was really good. Had a couple of qualms with it–namely the implicit statement that dude’s wife was wrong to leave him when he wasn’t putting food on the table, which is as good a reason as any to end a marriage–but it was a feel good movie. Never bad to see people making their dreams happen.

But I left that movie with even more respect for Will Smith. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become better able to appreciate adult Will. No black actor, not even Denzel Washington, has been able to build a career with the range Will’s has. In fact, I’d say that few actors of any kind have been able to do what Will does–pretty much what he wants. He’s decided what sort of image he wants to convey in his movies, and he’s a bankable enough brand that he can bring those things to screen. And he’s talented enough to make those characters cool and endearing.

Pretty much, he’s won the game of life. Great job, making good money, beautiful woman that he seems to actually enjoy being around, and seems to be able to do so without compromising himself.

Think about it. How many people have been able to make the transition from goofy child-star–and his time as a rapper counts as child stardom–into this sort of stardom as an adult? I really can’t think of anybody, and I surely can’t think of anyone black.

So props to the man on a good movie. But respect to the man on an admirable career.

December 16, 2006

Radio Today

Hey, I’ll be on 610 Sports in KC today around 2 ET.

And here’s a random thought…

I was listening to Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” today.  Gotta say I dig it, even though there are some parts of it I find to be a little laughable.  Chief among them is the idea that she’s going to take back everything she ever bought for dude.  Sorry, boss, but that ain’t how it goes.  The only thing you should be able to get back is an engagement ring.  That’s it.

But see, that got me to thinking.  When I was a kid, we had a term for people that gave stuff to folks and then asked for those things back.  That term has since been deemed offensive and politically incorrect–as well it should have been.

But has anyone else noticed that nothing synonymous and less offensive has been coined to replace that term?  To me, that’s a problem.  People who do that are the scourge of the Earth.  There’s got to be a way we can lambaste them so that we can casually refer to such people that instantly evokes a negative picture.  Something that can be said in four syllables or less.

Suggestions?

December 15, 2006

Happy Times!

Business…here’s my take on whether Michael Vick will ever be a Super Bowl quarterback. I’m in a rush, so I can’t link, but I think you know how to get there.
Now, there are a couple of things at the Palatial Bomaniland Estate that make me very happy.

First, here’s a sign of how grown I’ve become. I decorated it myself. Click to enlarge.

Can’t have a house and no tree, man. Even if the tree is directly in front of a large portrait of a Muslim. But if The Maker’s gonna find reasons to keep me out, this won’t be where He/She starts.

Now, here’s a surprise from me ladyfriend, one that brought me greater joy that I’ll be able to properly convey with words. Could some of the Texans in this piece please explain how they’d feel if they saw this after being deprived of it for far too long. Again, click to enlarge.

If you don’t know about the Blue Bell, I feel bad for you. I really do. The first taste of that sweet Butter Pecan was a rush of flavor that almost made me wanna weep. Good gracious, the Blue Bell is the greatest.

December 11, 2006

Another Great Moment in Bomani History

I’m a genius.  Got IQ tests to confirm it.

But you want some real confirmation?

One of my classes has its final right now.  I walked into class feeling good.  Even baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch so they’d have something to munch on during a dinnertime exam.  Plus, I like baking cookies.

Anyway, I pulled out the exams and took them out of the plastic the print shop wrapped them in.  As I prepared to stand up and hand them out, I noticed a lot of bold print on the tests.

The bold print was on the right answers.  Somehow, I managed to send the key to the print shop, not the exam.

That there’s puttin’ all this IQ to work!

The cookies are boss, though.  At least got that goin’ for me.

December 11, 2006

The Greatest Television Episode I’ve Ever Seen

Of course I’m talking about The Wire finale.  I saw it on Monday, but I waited so as not to spoil it for the folks that don’t have  On Demand.

Last night’s episode really was that good.  We start with Bubbles at the police station, a storyline done so well that it’s forgivable how predictable it was that Sherrod was going to take the hot shot by mistake.  At the station, we got proof that the dude playing Bubbs is the best acted character on the show.  He’s totally convincing, and he manages to bring out the pure positive emotion of Bubbles while making clear how being addicted to that shit is debilitating for him.  I’m curious to see how Bubbs comes back next season, since it seems like the stage has been set for him to get cleaned up.

Michael going to the darkside was inevitable.  There’s not too much to say about it other than expressing the same wonder about where he’s gonna be when we see him again.

What broke me down, though, was seeing Dukie on the corner.  What a tragic chain of events–social promotion sends a kid to a grade he’s not ready for, and he’s so not ready for it that he doesn’t even walk in the door.  And since his parents are fiends, he’s got nowhere to stay but with Michael, who’s fresh into the darkside.  Think you’re stayin’ with a dope boy for free without getting on the payroll?  Hellll no.

And just that fast, the least likely kid to wind up on the corner is there.  Sadly, it really looked like there was nowhere for him to go.

Randy being branded a snitch in the group home?  Goodness, that’s all bad.  Of all the kids, he was the biggest loser.  Michael’s turning into a monster, but he’s away from the molesting stepfather and his irresponsible mother.  Dukie’s in a similar boat.  But Randy?  He’s lost in every way.

The winner?  Namond Brice, baby.  I mean, he went from being forced to slang by his mother to moving in with Bunny, which provides him with a responsible environment he was never going to get.  And what earned him this good fortune?  Getting smacked around like a sucker by Michael.  Never has a pimpslappin’ saved a man’s life before like this.

Omar…quite simply, he’s my favorite character on television right now.  If you don’t watch the show, I just can’t explain it.  But there’s nothing like seeing a man that’s totally despised but universally respected.  That’s gangsta, and I mean that in a good way.

Prop Joe?  His time’s short.  Notice he charged Marlo a different price on the dope than he was charged by Omar?

I also have no idea how Chris and Snoop are gonna be able to get outta this.  Their days are good and numbered.  My guess?  At some point, Michael’s gonna be asked to take Chris out.  Maybe he’ll take Marlo out instead.  But something serious is gonna go down.

I also really dug the parallel endings for Bodie and Carcetti.  A moment of pride got Bodie killed.  A moment of pride could do the same for Carcetti’s time as mayor.  Gonna be interesting to see that play out.

After watching that episode, I was struck again by the genius of David Simon.  The most interesting thing he’s shown here is how societal factors drive people into these games.  A lot of it has to do with bad decisions, but really think about the decisions these kids made that will lead their paths?  With what they had in front of them, it’s really hard to knock what they decided to do.  Dukie got evicted and couldn’t even find his parents.  He’s gone from school, and nobody would try to find him, even if they could.  Is the corner really worse?

Same with Michael.  What were the alternatives?

Maybe that’s apologist writing, but I don’t think so.  These situations are so realistic and very similar to stories I’ve heard.  The stuff with the schools was particularly telling.  Expectations are so low for black students, and funding’s even more deficient.  Kids are bumped up year after year with little concern to whether they know a damn thing.

So forgive me if I don’t wag my fingers at a lot of folks that ain’t trying to go to college.

Anyway, the show was gripping at every turn.  And it managed to provide powerful climaxes while perfectly setting the stage for the next season.  Gave us all we could handle, then saved the rest for later.  Few of us are able to do that right.  I rarely am, that’s for damn sure.

So what did you think of it?

December 11, 2006

A Great Moment in SSP History!

Just wanted to let you know that I’ll be doing radio a little regularly now. Look for me every Saturday evening with Matt Scott on 610 Sports in Kansas City. Don’t think it’ll be a set time every week, but I’ll try to make sure to let you know the time as soon as I know it.

Also, I’ll soon be on regularly with my man Eric Eggers on 100.7 FM in Tallahassee. Still working on the exact day each week, but I’ll definitely be on tomorrow night around 6:30.

Gimme an S!

Gimme an S!

Gimme a P!!!!!

December 8, 2006

New Piece Right Fast

Business…here’s an interview with Richard Billingsley, one of them behind the BCS computer systems.

Helping my students get ready for the midterm, so I’ll have to update for real later.  I feel a list coming on.

December 7, 2006

Mission Accomplished!

So I closed the semester with a short essay assignment–in less than 800 words, tell me what you got from the class.  I seriously wanted to know that, and I figured doing that would help them crystallize some of the course’s abstraction into something useful for non-majors.

What follows is one student’s submission.  With her permission, here is proof that I did everything this semester a good professor should do.  Even the last part.

What have I learned in ECO 201?

            Before the tax multiplier and comparative advantage, the most important thing that I have learned in Principles of Economics is to always read the assigned chapters before class!  Not only for the sake of my grade on pop quizzes, but also because it is impossible to understand what is going on during lectures without having some sort basic knowledge about the course material.  Too many times in the first half of the semester did I think I could skip out on the reading before class as if it would not matter.  Well, the two times it took me to learn my lesson were the two times Bomani decided to give pop quizzes.  Even worse, because I did not study as the semester progressed I had to cram right before the mid-term.   I am hoping that my study and preparation habits have changed significantly since and studying for the final will be comparably less stressful.  And because of my negligence, my final grade is probably going to suffer. 

            In addition to reading the book and preparing for class, I learned that it is crucial to pay attention in class!  Making my notes look pretty is the last thing I should be worrying about during a lecture.  Being legible is all that really matters.  In reference to paying attention in class, Bomani CAN tell when a student is text messaging, regardless of how slick he or she thinks they are. 

            Finally, I learned that I want nothing to do with economics after this course is complete.  Even though I understand more about supply and demand and how prices are determined, I think I will stick to my communications major.

What can I say, I’m an educational genius!

December 7, 2006

Attention Bloggers

It’s been a while since we’ve had to talk about the Code.  Anyway, I’m gonna keep this quick and simple.

Anyone that chooses to roast me and my work is welcome to.  Disagreement is part of this game, and that’s fine with me.  I think it would be best if people weren’t personal about things, but I can live with that, too.  It’s foolish for me to think that I can get paid to comment and criticize people and not expect to receive the same in return.  Game recognizes game, and the game is to be respected.

But I’ll make this request–should any blogger choose to appropriate pictures uploaded on this blog for theirs, I ask that they be kind enough to only use pictures of me.  Currently, there’s a blogger using a picture I took with my nephew at his high school graduation for a post trashing my piece on the BCS.

The trashing of the piece is fine.  But that has nothing to do with my nephew, nor does any piece I write have to do with anyone but me and whoever or whatever I’m writing about.

So please leave civilians out of it.  If Michael Corleone could walk around the first half of The Godfather as a civilian, my friends and family should be able to do the same.

And to make your life easy, here are a few photos you’re welcome to use, some of which are far from flattering.

Here’s me with my legs wide open on a hotel bed in London.  That’ll make me look real foolish.

You can cut Fred out of this one and just use me.  Ohhhh, I look like I’m high!

Hey, here’s me in a throwback on the EuroStar.  And I need a haircut in it???  Briiliant!
But show some respect for my folks.  It’s bad enough that they gotta hang out with me.  Anything more than that’s just unfair.