Troy

I got the two disk CD this monring the liner notes (which even I will need an electron microscope to read) look pretty infromative and there were a few nice shout of the group. I immediately burned the disk into iTunes to complete my new PFunk playlist. I think the final list will be about 60 songs. There are not many groups who have 60 songs that I like that much. Which is one reason PF is one of my favorite bands. Many of the songs on this CD were not the original versions used on the LP (or CD versio of the LP). One song (I don't rememeber which) had the whole intro cut out. It was almost as if the song started in the middle -- not good at all. The only reason I could see this being done was for space limitations on the CD itself. Actually as I write this, I just noticed that the music was from the 45s: that explains the truncated versions of some of the songs. If the CD was available via iTunes I would have simply purchased the tracks I did not already own.

Wow Turner that is a lot for a first post here, welcome. I think you are heaping way too much responsibilty onto Tyler Perry. Honestly, the only reason I go saw Perry's last film was so that I could speak about it first hand. So while my reaction might be the same the reasons are very different... Black men are not Tyler's demographic. Sure we are useful for accompanying his real target audience to the theaters -- Black women. Boycott all you want it will not make a difference. Also, Perry will never be the same type of filmmaker that Spike is, comparing the two is not constructive. It is like complaining that Teri Woods does not write books like Toni Morrison. Peace

Chris This is the best compliation of Funnkadelic I've ever seen! This collection contains some of their best stuff - period. There are a couple of cuts, I'm surprised, I never heard before and I like all of them. I have no idea how I missed this compilation before now -- thank YOU. I have many PF albums and CD and I usually only really like a few of the cuts, I like every single song on this 2 CD set I'm gonna create a PF playlist with some of these joints and will blog about it shortly... I'll let you know what I've added that is not already in this compliation -- off the top of my head I can't think of anything other than "Testify", but I'll get back to you. THANKS!

Chris you don’t need your own religion; you can use one of the existing ones like, like Christianity, as some of our more charismatic Brothers have. And seriously, I ain’t hatin’ on Steve either just makin’ an observation. I too would capitalize off giving relationship advice – if I could. For now I’ll be content with earning commission off his book sales

Lili was it your first marriage? How old was your beau and was it his first marriage. I'm sorry to read about your failed marriage.

Bookfan, Everything that happens in this country is about selling you stuff -- especially the news." I'm pretty sure the Dickens' titles were in the publick domain so I'm sure about the vlue add there. You best believe I'll incorporate ebook commissions in the the business model.

" My children and grandchildren would be embarassed. That's why I took my picture down." My children are sufficently embarassed by me in the flesh!

This culture is just so jacked up now. Knowledge about relationships should be so well defined and ingrained that everyone should know the deal by the time they finish puberty. Today we got comedians reinventing the wheel based upon calls from other nuts. Cynique regarding blow jobs: I would have cited Karrine Steffans (God, this the 2nd time I wrote about Karrine in one day) to dispute your friend's claim. I always think of Andrew Dice Clay who would inquire if the wife of some dude in the audience could give good head when they first met. Usually the proud husband would say, "yeah" and Dice Clay would growl, "How do you think she got that way!!!" Some guys want head from whores but not their wives. It all depends on the dude. Frances Cress Welsing said men should not get married before age of 35 and women 30. Of course neither should have children before marriage. I suspect if you ignored all the stuff about about appearence, blow jobs, and anything else a Steve Harvey might mention in his book. This alone would probably be enough to greatly improve the odds of a successful family. It would be interesting to see some data on the success rates of first time marriages of black people who got hitched up after 35/30 age. But I would bet the sample set would be too small to mean anything.

Well I can't argue with you on that point Kola. I simply missed Cynique's statement - sorry Cynique. Maybe I missed it because "four" was spelled out and three was written as an integer -- who knows but I clearly missed it. Yeah, yeah short attention spans. Doing multiple things at one time. I get it, I'm guilty -- shoot me! In fact, the same happens with my own writing. I can write a newsletter re-read it multiple times and miss glaring errors -- that I only catch after the thing has been emailed. People can only consume information in small bytes. We are taught to "webify" our content -- write in short easily digested sentences. Text dense sentences and polysyllabic words are a non-no The world operates on emotion fueled sound bites. Kola get used to it. It will only get worse.

Celebrity is to Americans as The Royal Family is the British. I guess there is something in human nature that creates a tendency in the majority of folks to worship celebrity. And this is probably sufficient to answer my question. I draw a line when we begin to value the advice of folks on subject matters they have clearly demonstrated little success in their own lives. I’m not trying to pick on Steve Harvey personally, because I’m sure he is no worse (or better) than any of us. I just chose him of as one example, of many I could have selected, to illustrate my point. In this month Essence magazine, Steve Harvey was on the cover again. This time the supporting article introduced Steve’s latest book: Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man. The promotional copy says, “Steve Harvey proves once again that he is the king of relationships.” I don’t know much about Steve’s personal life; I really only care how funny he is. However I read the Essence article and learned that Steve is one his 3rd marriage and has four children by 3 different women. If being the “King of Relationships” is measured by the sheer number of relationships then I guess the crown is warranted. Personally, if I’m interested in learning how to obtain, develop and maintain a quality relationship I’d be most interested in the advice of someone that has actually accomplished the feat or at least studied the issue in a meaningful manner. Of course I realize a non-celebrity would be incapable of making the NY Times bestsellers list offering advice on the relationships. A Steve Harvey can. Presumably it should make no difference who delivers the message assuming the advice is sound. So I guess I should stop bitching and be glad someone can do the work and help others. Then again, maybe Steve is simply capitalizing off his celebrity and offering poor advice to people worse off than he is; people with fewer financial resources and too fixated on his celebrity to know better. We expect far too much from athletes, actors, and comedians. Whether it is Ronald Regan, Anorld Schweznegger (no I’m not gonna look up the correct spelling) or Al Franken we expect these folks to know a little more than us. Black actors for the most part have to be a rapper or comedian to be cast in a major motion picture; and athletes are expected to be model citizens. And comedians, with multiple failed marriages, are expected to be able to offer sage advice on relationships. We live in a twisted world. Actually if you do read the slimed down version of Essence magazine check out the article on the rapes in Haiti it is a piece of journalism I'm unaccustomed to seeing in Essence

Bookfan I see our brains work simmiliarly. I'll look into to see what the numbers actually mean and if it makes sense to (or even if it is possible to) change the the rankings as you suggest. Initially, I tried to carry over the rankings over from the previous board. Those ranking were based upon the number of posts. However, ABM or Cynique would blow Thumper out of the water in every quantitative measure that I have access to. Cynique your comment especially the last line was cyniquelly on point.

I wonder of Linda ever finished all these book in 90 days.

Hey Cynique is that 3 out of 4 or 5 star? Have you read the other installments. How does this one compare?

In a recent interview published here on AALBC.com MacArthur Genius fellow winning author Edwidge Danticat said she was reading Dinaw Mengestu’s new book, “How to Read the Air.” Dinaw Mengestu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1978. He is the recipient of a fellowship in fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a Lannan Literary Award, and received a "5 under 35" Award from the National Book Foundation. His first novel, "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears", was named a New York Times Notable Book and awarded the Guardian First Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, among numerous other honors...

Cynique it is interesting that you would conclude that I "deplore" street lit based upon the quote you supplied. I'll comment more about this in another post. I guess we beat a dead horse here... By the way 39 Steps was a british thriller the play was a comedy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW97dS7_h54 12 Angry Men was a did start out on 12 but I believe it was a movie before it was a play. In any case I see you'll find a problem with any example I provide even through there are many other examples.

I vote for the After Party! I thought the "fanatical Christians" were in the deomcratic party Some of the most racist people I've ever met were liberals in the democratic party. "Lesser of two evils" sounds like choosing death by lethal injection over death by decapitation. Is not Chi-town the poster child from political corruption? They say "Black Tea" is good for you... so a Black Tea Party can't be too bad

Cynique! Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and the courtroom drama 12 Angry Men, are couple of the successful example of Broadway plays derived from original motion pictures -- please, cry uncle!!! I also acknowledged that a play and a film are as different as A & B, no need to belabor that point. While I realize your point: "And in light of your desire to give the screen and the stage the same props, maybe you should re-think your objection to street lit enjoying more acclaim than quality fiction. How about giving the hack writers an "E" for effort." was said in jest. But i would like to point out that; (1) I never made such an objection, and (2) the statement if flawed in that it assumes Street Lit can not be "quality" fiction. ----------- The crux of our disagreement I believe is illustrated by your point: "you can't be true to your craft when you are catering to a mass audience" Do you think the Godfather I, arguably one of the top films of all time, was counter productive? Sure the film and the novel are different, but both have artistic merit and one could easily argue that the film based upon Puzzo's novel has even more artistic merit than the source material. The Godfather is a commercially successful film with artistic merit. But again creating a Godfather I caliber film is really hard. As much as I support books and complain about TV. I don't hold one over the other as superior when it comes to artistic expression. There was a time, indeed for most of modern man's existence, when neither format was available. Do you think art did not exist? Do you think art back then was of "lower quality" that what we have today? Sure I may have a personal preference for an specific form of artistic expression over another but that does not mean I believe it is "better" than I format I prefer.

Cynique Broadway plays have been adapted from every concieveable source: Here is another example; Mel Brooks' The Producers was a film that was converted into a Broadway musical. You are just going to have to conceed this point. Also, I agree with you motion picture are two different things. But again, I don't hold one over the other. They are just different forms of art and when done well both can be equally compelling. Cynique maybe you have not been to a Broadway play recently. It has become very commercial, a tourist attraction for bus loads of overweight, camera totting out of towners and their ill behaved children. I went to see A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway. Puff Daddy was in the lead role (which should tell you something). People we noisily eating, laughing at inappropriate times, talking back to the characters, it was a mess. It was the kind of behavior one has unfortunately had to become accustomed to in some the movie theaters (and you know what I mean). As far as movies go I've seen serious film at the Mayseles (in Harlem), IFC in (Greenwich Village), and other views (including my own). The movies (often include a discussion with the film maker) are attended by serious, intelligent, informed movie folks. Needless to say, far better behaved than patrons of the more expensive Broadway play. So I'll have to have a rare disagreement with you Cynique, regarding the relative elitism on Film versus theater. Carey man, I don't know what do say to you. I'm trying to hold a serious conversation and you are talking about guys jumping "out a window (Butt naked) to see if he can fly". Is this really going to be the foundation of your conversation? Ok I'll clarify, Most critical reviews (professional or otherwise, including my own) of Tyler's FCG film were more negative than positive. Virtually all that I've read from the adaptation of Ntozakes work lacking. Again I agree with this assessmentSome of these critics found Tyler's film to be an example of Male bashing. I disagree on this point.I commend Perry for given it the ole college try. I don't really recall any other reviewers condemning Perry on the attempt -- just the outcomeAs far as just regular folk, I've spoken to online and off, the reviews were mixed but mostly positive, some of them strongly positive.Again, Tyler had to know, based upon the source material, that this was not going to be a block buster film. I believe he did everything within his ability to make it a commercial success. He loading the film with popular and talented actors. All he was missing was Halley Berry and Queen Latifah. One could argue the effort to make the film a commercial success is counter to making it an artistic one. Again i reject this notion on very level. It can be done, it is just hard.

May as well include Kevin's book. The BIG Black Lie: How I Learned The Truth About The Democrat Party

Chris and your point is....? This is all schtick. There is nothing new here. We see it on both sides. At least Kevin freely admits what he is all about. I ain't made at him. Of course if you look under the covers you see a Black man who epitomizes many of the stereo types he eschews. Fathered four kids (at least) and not married to their mothers. But a Christian nonetheless. Democrats demonize the Tea Party as white racists, the same tactic used to demonize the Republican party to keep Black people as Democrats. When it comes to politics, 21st century Black Americans are perhaps the most easily manipulated people to walk the earth. Who else would so slavishly support one party, with nothing to show for it and our situation progressively worse getting, year over year, for the last half century!?. It seems white folks are getting upset too. At least some of them are organizing and trying to do something about it. As opposed to simply dismissing them was racists, maybe there is some for us to learn here -- what do you think?

Carey regarding your comment: "...and sometimes, the risk of that reaction is not worth the reward..." Carey it is up to the person engaging in the activity to make that determination. The reason I commend Perry is that he tried. Haven't you ever done something that others thought was a waste of time, but you went ahead a did it anyway? Did you ever succeed? Did it not feel good? Did you fail, but felt good inside that you at least tried? Without getting too preachy here MOST people are unhappy because they've wasted their lives never trying any thing risky, or hard -- even if that thing was as fundamental to their own happiness as pursuing their passion. In fact ,some people don't even have a clue WHAT there passion is, 'cause they perceive even that level of self exploration as impossible. So I would augment Cynique's assessment of my perspective as so; Troy speaks as a person who sees unlimited possibilities. Cynique, as far as screen play that was made into a movie and put on Broadway there are many (at least several). Off the top of my head, I can think of the Lion King one of Disney highest grossing films. Someone decided to turn it into a play and it has been on Broadway and many other cities ever since. Conversely the Motion Picture A Soldiers Story was an excellent adaption of Charles Fuller's play A Soldiers Play. These are examples where I suspect you would agree that the results were quite good. Actually if you ignored the professional critics MOST people believe Tyler Perry did good job! (Carey this alone is sufficient to nullify your argument). To be clear: I never said A was equal to or equivalent to B. Of course they are different. However I don't consider either form of art superior to the other. We obviously disagree on whether this particular A (Ntozake's choreopoem) should be made into B (Tyler's film). Carey and Cynique it sounds like you believe Tyler should have left this one alone. However do you believe this is true for the general case -- that no staged work should be ported to the big screen? Or vice-versa? If so we'd have to disagree about that too.

Cynique, "You rarely here of a movie being made into a play"; In this case Cynique I'd have to question what you are hearing. Not only are films being turned into stage plays TV programs are as well. You can check the numerous offerings currently on Broadway to see what I mean. One could make a very strong case that MOST of what is on the "stage" today is for the great unwashed. Again, most of what you see on Broadway, right now, would serve as a perfect example. Your comment; "...FGC losing its artistic integrity when it was sacrificed on the altar of mass appeal." makes it sound as it something can not have mass appeal and retain artistic integrity. Now that may not have been your intent, and if may be true for the Tyler's FCG case; but I do not think artistic integrity and mass appeal are mutually exclusive -- just really difficult. We have; A: an stage based performance by Ntozake Shange that was not designed for mass appeal. B: A major motion picture, based upon A:, designed for mass appeal. The process of going from A: to B: , we all agree is very hard. Some would argue that it is so difficult, that it should not even be attempted. I vehemently disagree with this point on every level. Flight is really hard, but fortunately many people had the balls to try it; until someone succeeded. Today flight is so "easy" that it is taken for granted. But that does not mean tragic outcomes will never occur. Again I commend Tyler Perry for trying; because it shows the man has balls to do something that so many believe is possible. Indeed it is this attitude that has placed him in the position that he is in today. Maybe he did not do so well going from A: to B: in this case, but others will learn from his mistakes and improve upon Perry's efforts. This is how progress occurs. @Kat what up doc?

Carey, nice meaty comments from your Blog (I presume). A few of my comments based upon what you just posted: The ONLY reason for Ntozake's book in on any bestseller's list (including #1 on my lastest list) is because of Perry's film. The idea that Beloved only belongs on the page and FCG only belongs on the stage is silly. It is just difficult to do. Indeed, making ANY good film a difficult. I think the argument that "predictability also gets old" is flawed. Sure the predictability may get old for current consumers, but as someone once said "There's a sucker born everyday" I'm not aware of any other film version of FCG, other than the public TV version a couple of decades ago. We never heard so much about that or any other version because 20 years ago the public never had a voice the way it does today with the Internet I'm defintely one of the folks who "appreciate his [Tyler Perry's] effort".

John H, considering Tyler Perry is not a woman and the bulk of the film For Colored Girls is Perry's own work; I find your comment: "...is anything they can learn about how things look from the standpoint of the women.", interesting. I agree, most of the men griping about this particular flick need to take a chill pill.

Carey I watched the damn movie, and all my previous comments stand: http://aalbc.it/FCGimho