January 17, 2008

Does it make me a bad professor…

…because I’m hitting “refresh” on the Web site that lists delays and closings due to severe weather like I’ve got an exam that I’m not prepared for?

January 16, 2008

Listen to the NPR show

Yo, click here then go to “listen to Wednesday’s show.”  From there, click on the bloggers’ roundtable and I’m there.

January 16, 2008

Catch Me on NPR Today

SSP…I’ll be appearing on News and Notes with Farai Chideya on NPR this afternoon.  What time?  I’m not sure.  Check their site and see if you can figure out when the show airs in your part of town, for I can’t tell from here.  Thanks to Jozen Cummings for looking out on that, and the same to Siddhartha Mitter for looking out on a radio appearance on WNYC yesterday.

January 15, 2008

The Wire–Episode 52

I’d like to start by hating on all of you that have OnDemand and, by extension, Episode 53. I hope all the bad things in life happen to you and only you.

(OK, that was a particular shoutout to a certain columnist that just threw it in my face on Sunday. You know who you is.)

Here we go…

Episode 52 was just as good as I thought it would be, after I was told that Marlon and Avon would meet up and that there would be a Clay Davis scene. To say the episode met those expectations is saying quite a lot.

1. Jimmy McNulty has lost his damn mind. Look–no good idea has ever come about because of a swig of Irish whisky. Funny stuff? Absolutely. Good one? Nope. That includes massaging a cadaver’s throat to make it look like a junkie was murdered by a serial killer that doesn’t actually exist. However, my guess that it will come across…

2. ...the reporter that makes up stories! Lots of things sprung to mind while I was watching the various journalism scenes. Seeing how I’m not a newspaper guy, I can’t relate too much to the newsroom (I was fortunate enough to deal with all my editors from beyond arm’s length, which may have saved all our lives). I can relate to walking around a sporting event finding out who wants to talk to you, a complete stranger, about larger, broader things related to a game. It’s not fun. Lotta time, it’s about stumbling across someone that’s just so honored to talk to a reporter, rather than the ones that are so annoyed to be talking to your–okay, my–skinny ass. That said, making stuff up isn’t the heat. The editor can tell when you didn’t have much to work with. And when you outright made something up. But oh well, cuz we’ve got…

3. …the beginning of a great story. McNulty lying about the serial killer. The reporter adding on to Jimmy’s lies. For whom will things first get out of control? Easy money’s on Jimmy going just a widdle bit too far.

4. Not sure what’s going to happen with Michael. So Mike let a witness walk away from a shooting. I’m not sure how Chris and Snoop are gonna feel about Michael refusing to blow a child away, but I imagine they’re going to be mortified by him allowing eyes to walk away. The best, though, is that…

5. Mike thinks Marlo’s a sucka. Ahhh, the simple genius. MIke asked the equivalent of the following question–if the dude don’t even know your mama, who cares what anybody says about her? Either way, Mike seems to be to headstrong to work under Marlo. Wonder where the problem’s gonna come up.

6. Avon’s back! Well, kinda. First, there’s no surprise that Avon runs jail. What is surprising, however, is that he linked with Sergei for any reason. More surprising? That Marlo wants to talk to Sergei. Why? Because…

7. Sergei’s a snitch! Doesn’t anybody else remember Sergei turning state’s evidence? His statement let them close the port case. Why would he pass the Greeks any message? Why would the Greeks listen to a snitch? And if Marlo could find out who Sergei was, wouldn’t he have his hooligans look through the paper work and find out Sergei’s a snitch? Wasn’t no trial!

8. Was Avon high? Remember when he called D’Angelo weak for snorting H in prison? It seems pretty obvious to me that Avon was looking mighty dusty. Then again, that just coulda been the negative effects of a few years in the joint. Wonder how Wee-Bay’s doing.

9. Clay’s back! OK, Clay ain’t going down quietly. One thing interesting about the Wire is that we know some of these cats so well that we know what they’re gonna do. And Clay Davis is gonna squeal loud, loud, loud. And Day-Day–aka Ashy Larry–will be back in 53!

10. Does he come back in 53? You know who.

And now I want on more. I’ll try not to catch the shakes by Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll keep watching Season One as a pacifier.

January 15, 2008

Please…

…tell me you got a notification for this.

January 11, 2008

Additional Wire Question

So when Mike and Chris meet on the corner, Mike asks if Chris wants him to come to the meet with Marlo. Chris says no, but that he’ll “send word if it’s on.” If what’s on? What would be on in a meeting with Marlo?

January 10, 2008

Tiger doesn’t care…and?

So Kelly Tilghman, the lady that said golfers should “lynch” Tiger Woods has been suspended.  I’m not sure how she hasn’t been fired, but I guess a suspension is something.

What’s nothing, however, is Tiger’s statement that this is a “non-issue.”

Sorry, Eldrick, but you don’t get to determine whether this is an issue or not.  This actually has nothing to do with you.

Yes, Tiger was the person toward whom this bit of foolishness was directed.  That said, he wasn’t the person toward whom this was truly offensive.  Granted, I have no idea how Tiger’s just letting this slide.  I’ve let a few things go with friends because, in many cases, I realized they truly didn’t know any better.  No doubt in my mind that she knew better.  And if she didn’t, she’s too stupid to be allowed to talk on television.  Just that simple.

But everyone should be offended by this.  There is nothing funny about lynching.  Nothing.  I can find humor in pretty much anything–particularly things wholly inappropriate–but there’s none here.  The reason–there’s not a single thing funny about the idea of taking someone against his or her will and having him or her killed without any semblance of jurisprudence.  Nothing.  Lynching is one of the most terrifying, indefensible, and nauseating phenomena in the history of this country, and I have no desire to hear anyone, let alone a white woman on a golf course, act like that’s some kind of joke.

What Tilghman said was offensive to those who were actually lynched, those who had relatives lynched, and those of us that continue to deal with the latent attitudes that made lynching possible.  Actually, no need to stop there.  That should have been offensive to everyone with a brain and any sense of historical perspective.

Tiger’s opinion on the topic is worth knowing, but it doesn’t matter.  That he’s not bothered doesn’t dead this as a larger issue.  This isn’t about him.  This is about everyone.

Tilghman should have been fired immediately.  If she thinks, at any point, that such a thing is appropriate, then she doesn’t have what it takes to work on live television.  I also don’t know if she’s got what it takes to tie her own shoes.

This wasn’t a faux pas, or a slip, or anything else.  This was an unquestionably racist statement.  That’s fireable, and it should have been in that case.  It’s not just the language.  It’s the sentiment.  And if the sentiment was a joke, that lynching someone is worth a chuckle or two, then it might be worse than if she was dead-ass serious.

So Tiger can let it slide.  I won’t judge him for it.  But I’m not letting it slide, nor should I or anyone else.  I’m not content to have racism thrown in my face with a chuckle, and I’m not going to get over it because the King of Cablinasia doesn’t care.

There are jokes to be told about that time in history.  This, however, wasn’t the joke and Tilghman, certainly, wasn’t the person to tell it.  Black folks have been too much in America to be asked to tolerate at something like a lynching joke, and everyone needs to respect that.

January 10, 2008

Notifications

I believe they’re now fixed.  Are they?

If they are, please check the site out and catch up.

Also, the sidebar link to the feed at 850 the Buzz is now up.  Look to the right of the site if you want to check out Sports Saturday with Bomani Jones, produced by Shannon Penn.

January 8, 2008

Stop It!!!

(Correction–I believe this is the same chick as before.  However, I’m leaving this up because the outraged is totally deserved.)

Seriously, ladies…cut this shit out.

Now, before when we saw one of these here sitcheeations, a few people were sympathetic of the groom. After all, if he signed off on this, what did he have to veto? It’s an interesting thought.

What we didn’t consider–how in the world could you even think you could live with someone that would make the wedding cake a likeness of herself? Unless you’re Tom Petty, there’s no way this isn’t an indication that maybe, just maybe, this woman will drive you out of your cotton-picking mind.

January 7, 2008

Are You Receiving Your Notifications?

I’ve been told some people aren’t getting theirs.  Are you?