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July 29, 2007
Hot Ghetto Mess is a hot ghetto mess
Having been to hotghettomess.com from time to time over the past however many years of existence, I understood the conversation about the purpose of the show was hopeful that it would scratch the surface.
After the first segment, I was sure that they had failed. However, after the first "street walking" installment, I changed my mind a little. A street team, led by a guy who I actually thought was very good, asks passersby of all ages, colors and socio-economic appearances questions like:
"Who's richer? Jay-Z or Bill Gates?" and the follow-up if they said Gates - "what if Jay-Z made like, one more hit album and followed it up with a world tour?"
"How many blacks are on the Supreme Court and what are their names?"
"What does NAACP stand for?"
"When did slavery end?"
"What's the unemployment rate amongst African-Americans?"
"Who is Barack Obama?"
You can imagine some of the answers. Actually, some of them you probably can't. After three black men old enough to have at least been in their teens or 20s during the civil rights movement had no idea what NAACP stands for, I kinda wanted to cry.
By the end, I've decided that I think the show speaks to exactly who it's aimed at. For me personally, I wanted a little more finesse, some statistics, maybe some study results. But they producers probably (hopefully probably), left such things out by choice. The host is Charlie Murphy, he's dressed in "tasteful" hip-hop, as is his language. In the end he included a comment about how we all should be watching less TV a reading more books - making every effort at every moment to better ourselves. Then the show closes on him reading aloud from, wait for it... an adult novel (or a racy scene from some novel).
So yeah.
I will be tuning in, if only to catch more of the street walking segments.
Posted by nikl at 03:28 PM | Comments (1)
So much less humid in Denver
Posted by nikl at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2007
Mr. Jimmy says, "wassup."
This morning on KMOX they reminded us all that it is the anniversary of the crazy day a year ago when the twister came to town and everyone was without power. I guess it's a positive that it was only then that I realized it is also the anniversary of my grandfather's death. And when I remembered, I wasn't sad in the slightest. At peace that he's at peace.
About an hour ago, a big ol' storm whipped up. I hear ya', Papa - good to know you're chillin'. Thanks for not knocking out the power for a week.
Posted by nikl at 04:55 PM | Comments (1)
Wesley kills me
Thanks to Spencer for forwarding this hilarity.
Years ago, Spence and Amy would have parties, and their friends Wesley and Chris would come. They were hilrious and awesome and so much fun. They lived up in Inwood, so once we went to their house after a party and there was much laughter. I haven't seen either of them until this morning when Spencer sent me this hilarious clip.
Posted by nikl at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2007
Some observations
1. You know how they remake movies b/c the technology has improved? Yeah. Musical theatre should take a clue.
2. I had a new musical theatre revelation, which isn't often. I thought I had them all years ago. Regardless, revelation: I am going out on a limb to say that the majority of shows might only be popular because a sampling of society was forced to put them on in high school. Therefore, really what people like about them is the fact that they remember their first kiss backstage during [insert duet or trio here] and the butterflies they felt as a result of said kiss as they stood backstage immediately following said kiss getting ready to go on for [insert large group number here].
Just a hypothesis.
3. Tinkerbell is a beyatch first class.
4. Peter Pan is not for children.
5. Peter represents musicians evrywhere. Wendy, the girls who fall for them. It's rather simple.
Peter wants a mother and to have fun, Wendy wants a relationship. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Wendy keeps hope alive for this possibility. Peter "takes her to Neverland" where she's forever changed. There's a band of other lost boys who do whatever Peter or the miniature flying hottie say. Wendy's world is rocked, she goes home. Peter gets bored and comes back for her, but she's got a clue now - "I'm ever so much more than 20!." Peter doesn't understand, but with a shrug takes Wendy's daughter, b/c Wendy specifically didn't really matter as much as the role she filled.
I'm just sayin'.
Posted by nikl at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)
Never neverland indeed
Watching Peter Pan in the 90 degree heat. I'm pretty sure it's not the heat. This show is about s - e - x Sex.
Posted by nikl at 08:48 PM | Comments (0)
Maya's New Album
Maya Azucena's new album is now available on iTunes. It's an acoustic set, with new tunes and new versions of some of the familiar. I am SO GLAD to finally have a good clean recording of "Break the Spell." Because it rocks the hizzie.
Posted by nikl at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)
Hold your Clydesdales
In this month’s issue of Fast Company, they did a report on the Top 30 Cities for Business worldwide using data from various studies as a base and taking into account criteria like opportunity, innovation and energy. They ranked cities as “Fast,” “On the Verge,” “Slow,” and “Too Fast.”
Out of a total of 60 cities, there were only five “Slow” Cities:
1. Havana
2. Budapest
3. Detroit
4. New Orleans
and… wait for it…
5. St. Louis
and I quote: “For every St. Louis, a spot as bland as a flat Bud Light, there's a hip joint like Fort Collins, Colorado, a high-tech hub that's also the microbrew capital of America.” - and - “Too normal for its own good. It ranks dead last on CityVitals' "Weirdness Index," a measure of passion and engagement.” More concise definition of the Weirdness Index: Average of the extent to which the metro area’s 10 most distinctive consumer behaviors exceed the national norm for each behavior.
All this to say, “ouch!” Clearly, this is one article in one publication. However, rankings like these effect the collective consciousness when it comes to college graduate retention, corporate headquarter locations and our general place on the national scale of things.
On the bright side, it reinforces what I’ve always thought about St. Louis and why I had no problem coming back. It’s a can-do town. It’s not the hottest ticket, everyone’s not clamoring for a piece of a small pie, it’s affordable and it’s off the radar. So when it does reach the national consciousness as the new home of the creative class, I’m gonna be sittin’ pretty.
Here’s a link to the article intro, further explaining the criteria >
Here’s the map of all the cities >
Posted by nikl at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2007
Kids say the darndest things...
Indeed >
Posted by nikl at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2007
Love it
Bring it!
Love it.
Posted by nikl at 07:58 PM | Comments (1)
July 03, 2007
Just be
Last night we saw Ocean's 13, which I liked just as much as I thought I would.
The most shocking thing about the movie was Ellen Barkin's desperate grasp at her youth, live on the big screen. Everyone is entitled to whatever, but I'm also entitled to find it hard to see it up close and enlarged. Ew.
Posted by nikl at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)