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Syndicate Monthly Archives B is not a wordsmith
Brigitte Petrine
April 17, 2008 1:22 PM
Okay I admit it, I suck at this blogging thing. I’ve just never been much of a wordsmith. I think I express myself better with images. So…every once in a while I am going to start random photo posts. I’ll admit, I have one ulterior motive…this will force me to bring my camera out more. Here’s my favorite view from Westover Hills - a tribute to two of my best friends who just finished renovating their new home right around the corner from this view off of Riverside Drive.
Cornel West - The Pope of the Blues People
J.C. Polk
April 16, 2008 11:12 AM
For those of you who were not aware, Pope Benedict XVI was not the only great immaculate figure to make the news this week. Another extraordinary pontif visited the former capital of the confederacy. The honorable Dr. Cornel R. West held an early mass this past Saturday at the convention center. Though maybe not as timely as possible, I believe in full digestion of intellectual rations when I consume them. I do not mark him as an iconic Catholic figure but yet the pope of the blues people. Surely in all your years of life and experience you are aware of what the ‘blues’ are. Credit given to ‘black people’ for its founding, it is also defined as a music genre marked by melacholy, depressed spirits. Doctor West for little more than a concentrated hour brought an address that referenced Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Willie Brown, Ray Charles and the like as those artist who produced numerous autobiographical chronicles of a personal catastrophe expressed lyrically. A chronicle that records injustice, oppression, and time periods to tell a story that contributes to history. Now, narrow-mindedly one would think that this accurately encompasses bars of lyrics like “Nobody loves me but my mama, and she could be jivin’ too” only. However, Dr. West provokes a little more in me. Can you identify a blues people. Women perhaps. This group of people have endured ‘catastrophes’ of a wonderful magnitude. Our hispanic brethren, maybe. Who easily offer a major contribution to this history of our country. Children could be offered as a valid submission. History will record a sad song of how many children have been misused, abused, and neglected in regards to education, health care, and personal development. Whomever you identify as the blues people, the message that Dr West offered was truly inspirational. Behind the backdrop of Sister2Sister conference, he incited the notion that we have arrived in a time and place where echoes are more prevalent than voices. Literally this translates into its figurative sense. An echo is a mere imitation that deteriorates over time and never has the same value as it originally does. There prevalence has created a mass appreciation to the extent that the original has lost its luster. Music to the social treatment of humanity, we can find echos all around. How many of us value or take time to appreciation the original? The danger…as i attempt to be brief…is that in our behavior between one another and thinking we should take the time make sure that we aren’t echos but yet doing those things that represent a true voice and purpose. “From the time you are born you are dying.“ The things that you do ‘between the womb and tomb’ differientiate you from everyone else who born “between a stream of urine and feces”. You can dress up all pretty and fly with plenty plummage, but “the peacock struts because it can’t fly”. In these questionable, uncertain times, we need individuals that have the ability to “mount up like eagles” and fly high to lead amongst others. As the anthem says, “Lift Evry Voice and Sing” because echos die. As a member of the blues people, I know what a great, incredible, catastrphic chronicle has been recorded in history. In the same breathe, I can’t help but celebrate what story lies ahead for all blues people. A special thanks to the ‘extraoridinary pontif’, Dr. West for the message, reminder, and newsflash. As personal benedictions were passed out, I offer you mine… “Brother Polk, Stay Strong!“Richmond bands - all on one CD
Andrew Cothern
April 15, 2008 12:27 PM
Style Weekly has its 2008 music issue coming next week with a “free” compilation CD (which you have to attend the release party and pay $5 to receive). The party is at Capital Ale House next Thursday, April 24, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Updated 4/16/08: Jason Roop at Style has informed me that the compilation CD is in fact free!
Not sure of who is on this compilation of Richmond musicians, but if I had my way, this is what would be on it. Marionette - Lines Funk the War
Andrew Cothern
April 15, 2008 12:04 PM
Richmond students will be dancing in Monroe Park to protest the Iraq War on Friday, April 18 at 2pm. There will be a large group of college students shakin’ it to loud music with large colorful banners and signs. This is sponsored by RVA Students for a Democratic Society, a youth and student power network for the Richmond area working to build student resistance to the war in Iraq. Looks like we’ll need more hair spray
Andrew Cothern
April 15, 2008 8:08 AM
I’m hoping for Warrant, or maybe Quiet Riot…. Venezuela hates the Simpsons
Andrew Cothern
April 10, 2008 7:52 AM
Venezuela has banned “The Simpsons” from its airwaves to protect their innocent children. They have replaced it with a more family-friendly program - Baywatch. I’m sorry….. what? The Sure Thing
Karen Newton
April 07, 2008 1:39 PM
At the end of the year, people will make Top Ten Lists. It may only be April, but I guarantee that you can already put the James River Film Festival performance of Nanook of the North accompanied by the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra Saturday night at the Firehouse Theater on any such list…Best integration of audio and visual? Oh, yes. Most unlikely pairing? That too. Most unexpectedly riveting experience? Without a doubt. The pairing was inspired. Take the very first full-length documentary (and silent at that!) and have it scored by rva’s exceedingly talented gourd orchestra. Result: the sounds of blowing snow, the ice-crusted waves of Hudson Bay, dogs fighting and a walrus howling in death…and that’s not even a fraction of the gourd-produced sounds the audience was treated to. Robert Flaherty’s documentary look at the lives of Nanook and his nomadic family was already pretty fascinating. It became nothing short of awe-inspiring with the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra’s sublime accompaniment. Hats off to Mike Jones and James Parrish of the Richmond Moving Image Co-op for making this happen in Richmond. It will take a hell of a lot to produce a more inspired evening of entertainment in 2008. My top ten list for the year has its first sure thing. Sign o’ the Times: Stolen!
Karen Newton
April 02, 2008 1:24 PM
My favorite handmade sign has disappeared from the rva landscape! Actually, it was one of a series that were put up all over the city presumably by fans of two-wheeled transportation. Yellow diamond-shaped signs that showed a bike with a clever phrase underneath, like “Free AND Fun” on the one in front of Johnson Hall on Laurel Street. Quite often, there was a bike or two U-locked to the sign. It was a superb statement of the obvious. But my favorite of the series was the one over on Marshall Street in Carver. Under the bike image were the words, “Please Don’t Kill Me Today.“ I have seen many a car or SUV come close to mowing down bikers along that stretch (the corners of Goshen and Gilmer are particularly risky when you’re pedaling). I always found that sign to be, on the one hand, especially well-placed, but, on the other, a sad reminder that far too many motorists have no awareness of sharing the road. With gas prices continuing to climb, there are bound to be more and more people taking up this more eco-friendly and less costly form of transportation. In all likelihood, one of the many visitors to Richmond last weekend (and we had all kinds) probably took that sign home for a souvenir. Let’s see, we had the multi-lingual filmmakers and film lovers in town for the VCU French Film Festival, the print-makers from all over for the Southern Graphics Council Conference and, oh yes, bike kids from as far away as Portland and Seattle for Slaughterama. My money’s on one of the Slaughterama attendees and, while I can easily see why someone would want a reminder of the fine biking in this town, I already miss seeing that sign. It always made me smile…I can’t be the only one who will miss it. The Neon Man and Me
Andrew Cothern
March 31, 2008 7:02 AM
Slash Coleman becomes as many as 30 characters who tell an expressive, touching, and very funny story of his struggle to come to terms with the death of his best friend Mark, who died after being blown into a power line. Stories of almost rescuing beach balls, sleeping outside Waffle House, calling collect and talking about elephants leave the crowd laughing and many moved to tears. I was expecting a comedic tribute to his friend - I got that and much more. Slash was jumping around stage, moving this way and that, and the next minute was very sincere and soft spoken. He definitely had a good way of mixing humor and the seriousness of the subject. Slash will be performing “The Neon Man and Me” at the Barksdale Theatre on April 13 and the Children’s Hospital Auditorium on April 26. “Lebron James, you don’t know how to Vogue”
J.C. Polk
March 26, 2008 2:32 PM
OK, first of all let me begin by saying/dismissing anyone who believes that this is not a racial issue. This has everything to do with and regarding race, undertones of culture, ignorance, and exploitation. If you will give me a couple lines, I will follow the advice of my brethren, Mr. Chuck D (he was at U of R if you haven’t read) who challenged all of us to call stupidity, “Stupid”. Again, we have the great fortune of being the witness to ‘dumb-assification’. Parties involved : There is a young man that has matriculated from high school to become a professional in an industry marked by fame, fortune, marketing, and idolization. For the sake of this blog we will call him, Lebron James . For a matter of years now he has lived in and lead the city of Cleveland and a multi-million dollar business, known as the Cleveland Cavaliers in the billion dollar empire known as the National Basketball Association. Worth noting - he has had an agent since his inception into the professional ranks which would intimate a PR person or just entourage of friends; Jay-Z is his official mentor. Party 2 - Vogue mag., let’s say it speaks for it self. International literary publication. Believe it or not, aside from age they may have more in common on influence (i.e. fashion, style, icons, etc.) just on different socio-economic tier. Issue : Lebron became the first African American male, since Vogue’s creation in 1892 (http://www.bookrags.com/history/vogue-sjpc-05/) to grace the cover - yeah an entire separate issue -. Great milestone, right? Breakdown those racial barriers and ceilings like Barack speaks of, huh? Initially one would believe that would be the case. Unfortunately (cue mag cover) not. When I look at this cover, without prompt, I can’t help but to understand what the angle is here. Lebron, aka King James, is depicted as King Kong. Surface level, and not mention on the nieve side, there’s nothing wrong with picturing Lebron as a beastly icon of the cinema past. King Kong as I understood it was a ‘ape-like gorilla’ that caused destruction and chaos. Granted that Lebron destroys team defenses in the league and causes chaos for defensive coordinators but for those of you who don’t know, MONKEY was a racial slur in the Jim Crow era. In the Grand Wizard dictionary it can be found in the ‘M’-s. You know following ‘lynch’ and just before ‘noose’ . Some would argue that this a stretch and another attempt to make something a racial issue and others would say that Lebron voluntarily decided to pose, so what’s the problem? I submit that both parties deserve a “What the hell are you are thinking?“. On one hand one of the many editors, board of directors, or even the damn mail room dudes should have said, “You guys might not want to run this”. (Chuck D would also say that the is one sign that major companies like this lack diversity or the cultural training to know how to respect culture, but I digress) The other side of the coin says, where is Lebron’s stylist, agent, or simple minded publicist that signed off or accepted commission on this mistake. How does this cross so many desktops and layout meetings that everyone says, “Hotness!“? I bring this issue not as a radical, or as the militant Wizard of the Weejun-ites, but just to re-encourage us to be true referees. We should blow the whistle when there is a play infraction or just plain stupidity. Not only that, but let us not act so oblivious to when we are prohibiting and perpetuating stagnation and regression of a culture, and I mean as Americans, not individual races. Those of us in the adult world have to be aware that there is a regrettable history and past of this society and country. As soon as we all acknowledge the elephant in the room, the sooner we become an evolving people. This event and misjudgement is a microcosm of the world we live in. Believing that its ok to be numb to silly, insensitive international publications (broadcast included) takes us to a very dangerous place in time. Lebron you are just as much at fault for playing a gorilla as those you hire to advise and advocate for you. Grown (professional) man you are, take responsibility to apply your own common sense to a situation that immediately affects you and the potential ramifications that it may pose for the ‘frowning upon’ of a culture you unfortunately have been forcibly chosen torepresent - due to the lack of racial dialogue. And on that note, I believe I have provided enough dialogue for the masses. To Vogue, I say, really. I mean, really. This was solely a good hearted mistake made in the name of incredible art and pop culture? If so, then it might reflect the demographic you all are seeking which educates and excludes myself…if that is the case. For real, if we all go ahead and stop acting like everything is everything and acknowledge the elephant in the room we stand to avoid these mistakes. Better luck in the playoffs, King…James! |
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