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Cynique

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Everything posted by Cynique

  1. In my dotage, when it comes to the presidential campaign, I feel as tho I've earned the luxury of sitting back being a spectator as opposed to a member of Obama's cheer-leading squad. And what a view it is observing reaction to the latest debate between the candidates. It's almost like Street Lit sparking an interest in reading for those who had no previous interest in books. Suddenly every black person, including me, has become a political pundit. And we all have our theories about Obama's stilted demeanor during the debate. None I've heard have conceded that Obama showed evidence that, without a prompter, he failed at being able to think on his feet in response to Romney's vague claims and half-truths. Others prefer to describe him as cool and contemplative - as in "timid" and "sheepish". Baaaa. Romney's performance, on the other hand, is being called "crisp" by his supporters. Crisp? As in fattening potato chips and diet-friendly celery? Bring on the cheese dip-shit for this waffler! I'm lovin it. But not to worry. Brother Barack will win because, if we are to believe his millions of black disciples, God is on his side. And we slave descendant perennial victims of racism all know how much God luvs us niggas. Praise the lord. And Obama...
  2. Good grief! Shame on Hollywood. Isn't Zoe Hispanic? Nina Simone, herself, must be turning over in her grave. Yeah, we know. By making a character her own, a good actress can pull off any role. Forget the audience, who might very well be distracted by someone playing a real life person to whom she bears absolutely no resemblance! Are the producers tryng to save money, or going for star power??? The could've gotten Jennifer Hudson cheap and she's reasonably famous and even looks a little like Nina. And back in the day, I thought Sidney Poiter playing Thurgood Marshall was a bad call. But at least they were both "black". Jeeze
  3. Serious discussion about a ludicrous situation. Obama looked preoccupied and his face stoic, his monotone a drone. It was his wedding anniversary and he was probably out of viagra and worried that he may not be able to do to his wife what the politicians are doing to the country.
  4. Weak. Is that your best shot, Nah'Sun? You're not "holding your own". You're holding your limp dong.
  5. Your getting uptight about me sterotyping hip-hoppers says a lot about you and your beloved "culture", Nah'Suh. If I can take you at your word, under close scrutiny, there is no such thing as a typical hip-hopper. They are not only "this", they can also be "that". They might be one way or - they may be another. This being the case, what makes them unique??? Presumably, the only way hip-hoppers can be identified is if they place this label on themselves. Apparently, they are a loose-knit segment of the black populace who have one thing in common: They are fans of Rap music and are tolerant of street lit. Whatever. Your impression that I said "bad" things about your "cult" was a subjective reaction. In my post giving my version of hip-hop, I did not criticize. When I said that "keeping it real" was the hip-hop credo then, to me, this excused a multitude of sins, especially since I'm not a Polly-Anna. I'm not appalled by gangsta rap because I consider the source. I'm detached about fashion choices because folks are entitled to do their own thing. Booze and drugs? Whatever floats your boat. Booty calls? Enjoy. Anti-establishment? Count me in. In the twilight of my years, I've learned to live and let live. But I'm also a cynic and have concluded that some people live a little more sensibly than others.
  6. Have I really said anything bad about hip-hop, Nah'Suh??? Just because I can take it or leave, doesn't mean I think it's worthless. It just ain't my cup of tea. As steeped as you are in your devotion to hip-hop, why do you even care what I think about it?? Since I preface what I say with the caveat that I don't know that much about hip-hop, then I'm exonerated. Didn't I request that you correct me? Did I dispute your accusation that I gave stereotypical examples in my limited knowledge of this subject?. And a lot of what I said was tongue in cheek. But you can't take teasing! And I don't know who's any more stuck on the age thing than you. You're the one who can't let it go. Why should it make a difference to you if I think you've got some maturing to do. If you're secure in your skin, my opinion should'nt matter. And again, you attribute a lot of what I say to my age. You can dish it out, but can't take it. Grow up!
  7. This was a really interesting interview. Say what you will, there's an element of truth in Ann Coulter's political incorrectness, especially when it comes to "well-meaning" white liberals. She's an expert provocateur, arming herself with evasive rationales that throw her opponents off balance. I'd like to see a really skillful black debater engage her. In Ann's appearance on "The View" , Whoopi Goldberg, who hadn't even read the book, tried to shut Ann up by using repetitive bluster and profanity, which is no substitute for an intelligent rebuttal. The longer I live, the more I realize that the truth is non partisan and people don't let it get in the way when they become passionate about something. Investing one's hopes in a charismatic leader doesn't always bear fruit. Even Jesus Christ doesn't always deliver. Just look at the shape the world is in.
  8. Get over yourself, carey. I've missed you like I'd miss a toothache. And nobody cares about your tenure here. All of your old cohorts have moved on. You're just another name on the roster, somebody whose reappearance inspires nothing more than a squint. Sulking about why you could never shut me down, is equivalent to an old dog licking his wounds while waiting for somebody to throw him a bone. You intruded on a perfectly good discussion with your ongoing need to discredit me. How pathetic can you get?
  9. What points of Nah'Suh's haven't I conceded? I said I wasn't an expert and was giving my impression of hip-hop. Am I obligated to like hip-hop just because he does? As usual you're a day late and a dollar short, carey, seeing things that aren't there. What brought you back here? Nobody stopping by your sorrry-assed blog to read your drivel??? Poor ol fella.
  10. Tell 'em, writergirl! In other words, Nah'Suh, like the world in general where types of people run the gamut from A-Z, hip-hoppers are just ordinary mopes with one thing in common: they call themselves "hip-hoppers". Big friggin deal. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Frankly at this point, I've decided that hip-hoppers take themselves a lot more seriously than I do. Suffice to say, I really couldn't care less what they represent. They are what they are, and I bet Halloween with its costumes and trick or treat tradition is their favorite holiday.
  11. I hear ya, writergirl. I thought Nah'Sun would jump at the chance to correct and enlighten my impression of hip-hop. Maybe he's too traumatized to respond to a descrption that fails to glorify what he worships.
  12. In the interim of waiting for Troy's response to your stone-walling, Nah'Sun, because I am curious about what is so integral to who you are. What is the hip-hop culture?? I know - if I have to ask, I don't need to know. Nevertheless, in my limited understanding, this is what I have observed and deduced from my little senior citizen perch in a suburb of Chicago. Hip-hop is a mystique whose credo is about "keeping it real" as exemplified by an appreciation for authentic rap which is the music of the street, - an art form that incorporates the spoken word when expressing the violence, vulgarity and disillusionment of the hood. I'd guess hip-hop attire leans toward casual chic or sports gear, and for guys, a pair of Timberland boots and high-priced designer gym shoes a requisite. I'd assume an awareness of Afro American roots is a given, including a passing knowledge of cool jazz and an appreciation of R&B. Natural hair-dos would be the preference of hip-hoppers, ala afros, corn-rows, twists or the dread-locked extensions that can be defined as "affectations". Drug of choice: weed. Expensive booze a priority. Booty calls a plus. Marriage optional...bibliography: gritty street lit from the past and present, along with works of radical intellectualism...idiom bi-lingual, alternating between Ebonics and standard English. Demeanor: swagger. Politics: anti-establishment. Correct me and explain what is it that makes the smug disciples of this ho-hum counter-culture consider it so special???
  13. I have never predicted that Obama would lose, Carey. I restricted my comments to his inept staff of advisors and his silly partisan loyalty to Chicago sports teams and, later, to his incessant fund raising. I've always felt the Republican field of possible candidates was so sorry, that Obama could win by default. Even so, you're treading a slippery slope with your extravagant predictions. I don't think even Obama considers his victory a slam dunk. He's not that stupid. That's why he's rehearsing like mad for these debates, hoping not to repeat any of the gaffes he's made in the past. And you'd better hope people don't follow their hearts because they're an awful lot of them who'd rather vote for a bad white candidate than a mediocre black one. The latest polls show the candidates neck-and-neck. You and your one track mind are just like the talking heads on the Fox network. And it ain't like your not getting an answer to asking "if not Obama , than who?", was some kind of a coup d'tat. All it proves is that, sadly, there is a paucity of capable black leaders. So your stupid gloating falls on deaf ears because I ain't particular about who wins. My days of being a naive cheer leading political groupie for puppets of corporate America are over. I'll leave that to you.
  14. My reference to records was in response to your saying you were a DeeJay. No, I don't know how old you are. But you're younger than Troy. And Troy is younger than me. So - I pull rank.
  15. I'm serious, Nah'Sun, when I say that you take the same stance about old people that you accuse us of taking about young people. But you can't seem to discern this. You whine about old people talking down to you, yet it doesn't seem to occur to you how you try to dismiss older people. Somebody as advanced as you think you are, would recognize this inconsistency. If you were really cool, you'd do a Jay-Z and brush off references to your age like crumbs on your shoulder. But, nooooo, you continue to pout about us not regarding you as our peer. Me, I don't give a damn if you think I'm "over-the-hill", particularly since the wisdom that comes with age allows me to accept that I ain't never been on top of the hill when it comes to being an author. Go somewhere and spin your frisbee - oops, I mean your records.
  16. All old people don't think what you accuse them of thinking in your self-serving statement, Nah'Sun. Many of them draw their conclusions by simply listening to the self-indicting things that young people say. (I noticed you felt the need to tell us that you've been referred to as an "old soul".) And your oblique response to what I've written in my posts is well-noted. Come up with a better rationale for being chicken. Fact of the matter is, I wasn't debating. I was broadening the discussion by expressing another point of view. And, actually, your contentions weren't objective enough to spark a good debate. In attempting to score points against Troy, you didn't rebut him, all you did was contradict him.
  17. "I want all my bitches and 'hos and homies to rock the vote so we can turn those Republican mofos out."
  18. Well said, Troy. Your remarks were the reflection of an overview that bespeaks of maturity. I'm sure Nah'Sun skipped my post because he thinks I'm unqualified to speak on the subject. He reason for this would probably include the opinion that I am "old and over the hill". Like you suggest, Nah'sun's sensitivity about the age thing only seems to apply his chronology I admit I am not qualified to speak on the dyamics of Rap but I can give input on how its totality resonates with society at large; this is where the question of a broad perspective comes in. And I am also attuned enough to detect the underlying tone of Nah'sun's posts, the gist of which was a condesending attitude and an assumption that his undying devotion to hip-hop made him above reproach. Yes, he is knowledgable about the subject so near and dear to his heart, but not being able to see past your nose is a short sightedness more commonly found in youth.
  19. I wasn't recommending these reality shows, Troy. Just commenting on them. I've just watched snippets of them myself because I'm not that keen on wasting my time eavesdropping on people whose lives I have no great interest in. Yes, Writergirl, they're a lot of conjoined twins out there; they used to be called Siamese twins, named after a set who were the first ones medical history reported about. Their names were Eng and Chan and they were born in what is now Thailand but was called "Siam" back then. They married and had children and everything. They were joined at the side. Today, many of these couples can be separated by surgery. And, yes, I remember the ones you referred to. They were joined at the head and one's body was deformed, so her sister had to push her around in a supermarket cart. It was a sight that made an onooker uncomfortable just looking at how uncomfortable they seem to be trying to navigate because they were joined half way at the forehead and their heads were all twisted around. Quite a while back, there was also a black pair of conjoined twins that were joined at the top of their skulls and their mobility was quite awkward, too. People had to walk around them when they approached because they took up a lot of room trying to walk side-by-side. They actually formed an arch. Although they had separate bodies, they died within hours of each other, and a special casket was made to bury them in. They sometimes appeared on TV, and actually, were kinda cool, - even smoked cigarettes. I also remember seeing pictures of a 2-heads on one body case that were born in Russia. It seems the State took them over and kind of kept them hidden away for study purposes. (I didn't have to google any of this because these are things that, seen during the course of a life time, are never forgotten.) To me, the remarkable thing about these human beings is, because they have never known any other way to be, they manage to adjust and live their lives as best they can. And their abnomalties don't seem to have broken their spirits. They're inspiring in a way, because nobody could look at them without thinking that: "there, but for the grace of god, go I." I'm sure the need for money is why these people allowed themselves to be exploited.
  20. I'm sure you are collecting your thoughts to respond to Nah'sun's riffs, Troy, so I'll do my little rant and run. The most off-putting thing about Nah'Sun is how oblivious he seems to be when it comes to the status of Rap. He's deluded. The music scene, in general, is nonchalant about Rap and the world at large doesn't give a good shit about it. The most credible interest in Rap may, indeed, come from the academic community - the sociologist and anthropologists who study things like culture as it relates to the music of an ethnic group.. To millions and miillions of people, Rap is regarded as gibberish they wouldn't pay money to hear, preferring, instead to hum along with elevator music. But because Nah is so insulated, he obviously thinks that there is something monumental about Rap, a brand which gets more mudane by the day except for the insignificant esoteric underground community he is so invested in. And, actually, there is a good reason for Rap's limited appeal. There is nothing more outstanding about it than, say, C&W or Jazz or Rock 'N Roll. They all have their rabid fans and their sub-genres, and they all have their purists and afficionados and they all have interesting roots. They also all have world-world wide appeal. Just because Nah'Suh is a fanatic about Rap doesn't anoint it as being "sacred" or special. And considering how society is evolving and science advancing, it's myopic to believe that Rap is the final frontier in music. Music is the universal language, there might be something new out there in space that is just waiting to be tapped into. If Nah'sun, with all of his arrogance, is older than we think he is, he's doing a good job of misleading us.
  21. Well, it's Friday and since nothing much else is poppin, I'll indulge and amuse myself by putting the "Cynique" in Cynique's corner and make some observations about - nothing. Prince was in Chi-Town for a 3-day engagement. The ol boy can still generate interest and excitement. Tickets to his concert were a hot item. All of his middle-aged fans who grew up with him were hustling up the money for tickets, none of which were under $125.00; this in addition to the exorbitant parking costs attendng this event would include. My FaceBook community was all agog with anticipation. My daughter made the gesture of asking me if I wanted to go with her because I usually try to catch him when he’s in town. But I’m all laid up with an injured foot and I knew I couldn’t handle the strain. Not only that, I’m still stuck on old school Prince and you never know whose going to show up at his engagements; the Prince giving his faithful fans what they want to hear, or the Artist who wants to unload a lot of new shit on you. Anyhow, reviews of his first night were luke warm mostly because there were equipment glitches which delayed the start of the show and hampered his performance. His 2nd and 3rd nights got rave reviews, however, and to the delight of his fans, the Prince they all know and love treated them to some vintage Prince, rockin guitar riffs and dousing them in "Purple Rain", even springing Chicago’s own Jennifer Hudson on them as a surprise guest. Time may bring change, but Prince defies the years and reportedly looks and acts the same. I can remember, when my daughter was in high school, the poster she had of him on her bedroom wall, a reproduction of his first album cover, with him sporting a huge Afro. Now, 30-something years later, the afro is back to complement the indelible eye-liner and inimitable strut that never went away. All hail his royal highness! Longevity is what it’s all about. Michelle Obama is due in town this week-end to host yet another fund raiser. The damn election is almost here but these high-priced affairs are still being held to raise money for the campaign. How many millions do you need to run TV ads for 6 weeks?? Maybe the Democrats could skim a little bit off the top of the defense budget to finance their campaign, - stop spending trillions on those futile, senseless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and use the money for domestic issues. Is it any wonder that voter registration is down? A lot of people don’t care who gets in. I, myself, may even skip the Obama-Romney debates coming up, because although everything else is expensive, talk is cheap. I guess everybody knows Chicago’s resident wife killer, the infamous Drew Peterson was found guilty. Now his lawyers are threatening to sue each other for defamation after they publicly began to accuse each other of being to blame for the verdict which wiped the smug expression off Drew’s face. Actually it’s hard to not convict a man of murdering his 3rd wife when his 4th one is now missing, and her friends report that she confided to them that ol Drew had made her lie about his whereabouts during the time her predecessor was determined to have died. The Chicago teacher strike ended with the Mayor Rahm Emanuel having his free lunch handed to him by the union. Yet, the employees of the public school warehouses still don’t seem satisfied with the increased pay and benefits they are getting for turning out bad products. Not to be outdone, a black suburban teacher was fired from his job for self-publishing his own text book, instructing young people on how to get passing grades in their sex lives, his little manual being replete with details describing how the anatomy of the female private parts differ from ethnic group to ethnic group… I wish I could come up with something more important to write about. Just be grateful I didn’t broach the subject of 2 new reality shows, one starring little beauty contest queen, 6-year-old Honey-Boo Boo and her red neck, trailer park trash family of degenerates who must be an embrassment to even the most rabid of white supremists. The other show follows the life of 22-year-old “conjoined” twins, Abbey and Brittany, - "conjoined" as in one body having 2 heads. These perky blond gals, who finish each other sentences, consented to star in their own show because they wanted the world to see how “normal” they are. (Forgive me, Jesus.) I'm done.
  22. A dubious distinction. What do you want? A lollypop? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
  23. Morris Day would be considered more of a latter-day Cab Calloway attired in white tails, than a rapper strolling up and down the stage in a hoody and gym shoes, Nah'Sun. "Call and response" did not originate with Calloway and he only did it on one song. How about an example of a Rap verse that is about something other than the subjects I mentioned since you're into proving your arguments. (you might want to re-read my post) It's hard to get around the age issue when nobody but a young wanna-be would make the ridiculous statements you do. Attributing great impact to your declaration that what I say is irrelevant to you is the height of youthful delusion. Like I care.
  24. Your little smattering of tid bits about jazz and swing and 1950's love ballads can simliarly be classified as having "limited knowledge", Nah'sun. So you have a Coltrane album. Big deal. Do you even know the genre of MIles Davis' brand of jazz? "Little Richard" and {Dizzzy) Gillespie in the same sentence? Get outta here. "Strange Fruit" a love ballad? Puleeze. Cab Calloway a forerunner of rapping? No way. Have you ever heard of King Pleasure? I didn't think so. Samplings of a producer are not a reflection of the fans of Rap.And where is your input about the blues?? Not content to rhapsodize Rap, you want to elevate to the top position this bastardized music that consists of spitting out a bunch of repetitive, deliberately profane rhymes, the themes of which are undeniably trite, having long ago lost their shock value. Bitches, hos, guns, booze, killings, bling, cars. ZZZZZZZZ In the folly of your youth, you really think the Rap genre is a matrix of black music, your criteria being that anything that meets with your approval is more profound than the rest. And to compound your misguided claims, you resort to discrediting others because they don't regard your opinions with awe. Nobody but a young self-absorbed played-out hip-hopper would espouse the idea that outgrowing Rap is anything other than mellowing with age. For somebody so "perceptive" you seem to have an awful hard time recognizing a generation gap.
  25. I'd like to inject my 2-cents about age as it applies to the black music scene. Y’all have restricted your discussion to Rap, and I was content to sit back and listen and learn, until Nah’Sun very off-handedly asserted that the 1970s were the “golden age of black music.” and the first words that came to my mind were: “Oh, really?” His statement is typical of an element of younger people who tend to overlook or dismiss anything having to do with a time before they were born. I, myself, give R&B and Rap their props. I acknowledge their importance and their artistry. But so many younger people, if not clueless, are condescending about the type of black music of my day, the music that preceded Rap and R&B, - music that laid the groundwork for the next phase. Yeah, there are those who toss around names like “Miles” and “Trane” because it’s cool to do so, but the majority of them have no appreciation for jazz, or respect for the Blues. They consider the "swing" music of the big band era to be “corny”, ignorant of how influential the black instrumental artists of this time set the pace for what was being listened to back in the 1930s and 40s, - giants like Duke Ellington and Count Basie. They yawn at the sounds of the lush ballads of the 1950s with their exquisite lyrics, melodious tunes that comprise the “American songbook”, a repertoire that was interpreted and popularized by black vocalists like Nat Cole and Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Ecstine. How many rappers know that the frenetic be-bop music of genuises like Charlie Parker were in the vanguard of free style as an art form. These "Johnny-come-latelys" think that black music begins and ends with what they are familiar with, and they are indifferent or even contemptible of any music that their pulse is not in synch with. This attitude, of course, is not unusual for people during a certain period of their life, and the phrase "to each his own" does, indeed, apply. My point, however, is that the wisdom to respect and appreciate things of the past is, more often than not, something that comes with age. Golden Age? In assessing the 1970s, this ol broad prefers a less exclusive choice of words, - a description that is more in keeping with the wide perspective that years have nurtured. “The 70s era was a facet in the jewel of black music.”
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