Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Buried in Books Announcement

Hey folks, I apologize for the absence. The semester is almost over and my mind will be free again to roam the inner workings of my intellectualism. See you in a few days. Eco.Soul.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Who do I need to rape to be this guy?

Three-time-rapist-and-counting is happily throwing the pigskin for Pittsburg Steelers during Spring training as the NFL decides what to do with their prized white, oh I mean, golden ticket.

Yes I did say THREE.

So let's go through them.

Rape #1 - A woman in her early 20s who worked at a golf course near R-dog's home in Lake Oconee, Georgia. One evening she acted acted as a "designated driver" and took the athlete home who then forced her to stay as he pulled down his pants and told her that she could do whatever she wanted with him. A week later at one of his home parties he raped her in his bedroom. Read the details here in the Smoking Gun.

Rape #2 - At the Harrah's in Lake Tahoe, an employee accused R-dog of beating and raping her in the casino while holding her against her will. The two-time Superbowl champ said that they had a relationship which involved consensual sex. Her history of mental health issues (especially the piece where she was seeking help for a fictitious lover) discredited her claims.

Rape #3 - In Milledgevill, GA, R-dog intoxicates a 20-year-old college, sorority woman at a club who says she was later violated while in a drunken stupor. There was a video surveillance tape of the night that R-dog was offering the college student shots, but mysteriously it has disappeared. Though her physical examine shows trauma parallel to rapes, it is dismissed due to her inability to totally give detailed information of the night in question.

Here is a quote from the NY Times that talks about the latest victim's account.

Bright said the woman and Roethlisberger had been drinking and had met at different bars in Milledgeville during the evening. Some of their conversations were of a sexual nature, Bright said. Roethlisberger’s group ended up in the V.I.P. area of one club, and when the woman and her friends arrived, he invited them to join him and bought shots of alcohol.

“Everyone agrees that the victim was highly intoxicated,” Bright said.

Later, Bright said, one of Roethlisberger’s bodyguards escorted the woman down a back hallway, and Roethlisberger followed her into a small bathroom, which Bright said was less than five feet wide.

“Significant questions about what occurred persist,” he said.

The woman was eventually driven to the hospital by friends, and an emergency room doctor and two nurses examined her. Bright said that they noted a superficial laceration, bruising and slight bleeding in her genital area, but that everything else was normal and that the doctor could not say definitively that the bruising was from any kind of trauma or sexual assault.

The gross disparity between the treatment of black athletes and their "ciminal charges" and in particular, when it is linked to their sexuality is as wide as the distribution of wealth in America.

Bigger than Moses parting the violent, red sea...no pun intended.

Tiger, Kobe, Michael, Jack Johnson...the list goes on.

Blog on EcoSoul

Sunday, April 18, 2010

A Simple Tip Can Earn You $50

I've always admired the profession of body aesthetics, commonly known as stripping. It is an audacious display of agility, seduction, and sexuality in a room full of wolves.

I admit, I have taken some very helpful tips; especially since I used to live in the Atlanta. First lesson I learned---a lot of well-bred Spelmanites and CAU co-eds have passed through Magic City to earn tuition money, only to leave turned out.

Nevertheless, I am impressed with the sister in the photo. She must do Yoga and I am working my downward dog in the morning!

But that's not why I am writing this blog. I want to talk about love, marriage and support.

Hands down, I love, love. So much so I ran across a cute blog about a woman who is having the damndest time planning her wedding in Los Angeles.

So much so she is asking the virtual world for tips, and is giving away money every month for the best tip of the month until she gets married.

Click here for Namibia's Blog: http://www.oldnewdarkerthanblue.blogspot.com

Let's help her across the aisle. And I want to help her. She calls her giveaway "recession proof," but I don't know how weddings can be cheap other than going down to the court house in funky shorts and flip-flops and doing the damn thing.

Sheeeit, her proposal to the virtual world might help me with some needed funds in the pocket. But on the real, I'mma help, I'm feeling generous right now.

Plus, me being a native Angeleno, I feel her pain deeply. People in Los Angeles have a different type of shadiness and vanity. It is blinded by the fakeness; all the smiles, fake hair, superficial-thuggery, and nasty case of corrupt cops.

But I have to confess, I discovered I was the queen of false promises when I left the media industry. I thought I could do everything, but let down more folk than I intended.

Hey, I never said I was clean, but I'm damn sure not dirty.

Nevertheless, check out this blog and enter and one of us might win $50.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

My Black Super Hero - Danny Glover

My black folk vacation was short-lived because it was disrupted by the surprisingly pleasant news report of Danny Glover being one of several protesters who took on food management plantation, oh I mean, company, Sodexo.

Yeah Danny, stick it to them!

Just recently, Glover sent out a personal statement to attendees of the last Academy Awards asking them not to wear Hugo Boss fashion because the company was shutting down its Ohio facility and preparing to relocate the factory overseas.

Glover always made me smile. I had the opportunity to interview him when he did the movie, "Boseman and Lena" with Angela Basset about 10 years ago. It was film about a South African couple who lived in a Shanty Town attempting to save their home from being bulldozed.

Of course no one really heard about the movie because it was political and positive, and did not contain black coons, criminals, or a jiggy hip hop beat. It was great acting...well, I must say, Angela's accent was unbelievable at times.

Nonetheless, I proffer that Glover does not get the due recognition and certainly the acting opportunities that actors such as Sam Jackson or the good Negro Morgan Freeman (old man keep your dick in your pants) have gotten.

Glover is not new to civil agitation for the purpose of human and social progress, though he is one of the few who does it not for the accolades, but from the heart, especially when it is not fun, cute, or will bring more celebrity. That is hard to say as of late with the Haiti relief aid effort that surpassed genuine concern to relief aid-gluttonous porn.

Read up on Glover and you know he was not only been physically down to protest, but he has put forward over a million dollars, and he has long been in a blockbuster since The Color Purple and Lethal Weapon movies, 1 to 10.

Another little secret that folk don't know is that Glover, a long-time supporter and advocate for Haiti, has been trying to get more funding to film a movie about Toussaint L'Overture.

He already has received roughly $10 million from Venezuelan President Chavez in what was a $20 million package deal to also film a movie about successful Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar who sought refuge in Haiti during his freedom fighting. Of course Hollywood does not want to touch L'Ouverture or Bolivar because you have a black and brown man getting into the ass of the big Western powers through black movement that was unheard of during the 1700s.

And I have a personal acknowledgement for Glover. Years ago, myself and few brave souls protested for more inclusion of reporters at the Source Awards. The next day Marvet Britto, Glover's publicist, called me and said that Glover and Denzel Washington sent their congratulations.

Yes, Glover is one of the few black celebs that is not afraid to risk it all for the forward progres of humanity. Do you remember when black celebs made it a point to participate in civil and human rights struggles?

So folks, Ecosoul's abrupt end to her black folk vacation was welcomed.

Keep pushing D. Glover.

Blog On..EcoSoul

Friday, April 16, 2010

Taking My Mental Health Day from Black Folk

Some days I wanna shake the shit outta some of my black folk. I am antsy to grab one of'em and put some decent common sense into their thick skulls.

And that day is today. Why do we sometimes treat each other like a hot bowl of fish dookie sauce?

Then be the first one to come running to you to talk about what happened to them and expect you to pat them on the back.

Nu-unh, not today. There will be no "Massa we sick" songs up in here."

As my sister's significant other says, "My pimp hand is itching."

But, I'm going to the be the bigger person and walk away. See you next week, I'm off before I go head up on some of my people.

Wooooossaaaahhhhh EcoSoul.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Yes, I Have Tested Postive

Yup, it is official. I have been self-diagnosed with the nastiest case of Spring Fever and I can't seem to shake it. Honestly, don't want the itch to go away.

What are my symptoms? I don't want to go to class. I don't want to grade these damn papers. I don't want to hear the whimpering pleas of students who didn't do shit all semester. I don't want to be a little rat in the race running for the train this morning. Hell, I know its a recession, but I don't want to work.

I want to lounge in a cafe or walk in the park. I want to surf in Hawaii. I want to go to a stank nasty Salsa class and have Mr. EcoSoul feel on my ass.

And I damn sure want to run butt-booty ass naked in the fields screaming like a runaway slave, "This is Bullshit."

Ahh, but off to the plantation I go in a couple of hours, crummy corrected essays in hand.

Where the hell is a winning lottery ticket when you need one.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Bitch? Butch? Bitter Chick? Diva? Mammy? Who is Oprah Winfrey?

In 2003, a fellow writer who sold 2 million-plus copies told me that Oprah was a diva and a hater.

This writer was invited to talk about her book that provided tips on how to reignite a sexless marriage. BTW, I did Google her and found out that she indeed sold several million copies. Anywho, her book topic to be on the Oprah Winfrey Show was believable because I swear about 90 percent of Oprah's American viewers are housewives who are not getting fucked on the regular at home or with their garden hose.

As the story goes, this writer, who was a black woman was nixed in the "blue room" when Oprah took a look at her and saw she was a thick, black sister like herself. According to my source, Oprah said, "Who is this bitch?" And they promptly placed her on the Maury Povich Show or something like that. I asked the writer why she never blasted Oprah, and she logically explained what I already knew when she said, "If I said something about Oprah my writing career would be over."

Not only that, I know someone who went to Tennessee State University with Oprah and said she was an overly-aggressive, vociferous attention whore then who stopped at nothing to get in the limelight.

And, many women at TSU did not like her swagger, as well as the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter that refused to allow her to pledge. Unbeknownst to them, she would be making all of them kiss her pinky ring years later. Plus she got Gail to lick (literally) all of her wounds and be her personal cheerleader.

Though O holds the dirty, little secret of not graduating from college, she does not need a degree. Why?

She got half of middle-America in her triple E bra cups.

O's media mafia power is no joke. Plus I swear she worked juju in the background because in the eyes of white housewives, she could do no wrong...until she brazenly endorsed Obama.

The story of O being uncouth and over-the-top seems to be corroborating with a biography that delves into the complex and covert life of O who specializes in expose, but just not of herself. Nevertheless, I will not be surprised if they squash this Kitty Kelley because Oprah's brand is more entrenched then Tiger Woods.

As the daughter of a Mississippian, I know O's story comes from her unquenchable drive to stay on top through attainment of money and love via a self-constructed public self that plays on the emotions of the mainstream. Meanwhile, every now and again, Oprah's Mississippi comes out and she pisses on the very power-structure that has validated and paid for her success.

Though I totally admire her savvy, I know she is a beast. Gotta be.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Fela! is Burning Down Broadway

I still am vibrating from the sax, sakere, and drums that I rocked to as I lived the new Broadway show, Fela! Three words, Go See It!

You know how a black movie comes out, and you reluctantly go check it out because it will probably be trash, but in the name of supporting a rare occurrence on the silver screen you go anyway.

You know what I'm talking about, a film that has more than 1 black character not acting stupid, so you waste an evening and about $20 bucks.

For example, I was very hesitant about seeing any more Tyler Perry Films because I paid money at a theater to see him dressed as an old, fat, black woman and I absolutely vomited in the middle of the show. I did not care if Cicely Tyson was in it or not. It was ga-bage. Needless to say, I did like "Why Did I Get Married," but I wonder if it is because I am selecting the lesser of evils out of all his trash.

On the other hand, Fela! was soooooooooo different.

I was totally unprepared for my first experience viewing a Broadway production. Song, potent political statements that were upgraded to today's issues, and dance, I mean straight up-and-down funky shit caught me off guard. I did not see Fela! I became part of the show while I moved my ass from 12-o'clock to 6-o'clock.

Energy, passion and depth packed into 2 1/2 hours. I enjoyed the innovative and powerful way that the creators told the story of a complex and controversial musical-cultural-political icon that many in the US do not know. But in Africa, Europe, and other places, Fela Kuti the man, IS the Bob Marley of the Motherland.

(Above photo is of actor Sahr Ngaujah playing Fela)

And I am glad of the layers of narratives that were wrapped in this show. First, you had Fela's phenomenal journey from Nigeria, to London, the America (specifically black America), then back home.

Fela, played by the ingenious Sahr Ngaujah is exceptional. And the screenplay's writing and direction masterfully interweaves the African Diaspora and touches upon the intricacies of perspectives of the various black people all affected by world colonial powers and neo-Imperialism. But the movie connects everyone through a medium that has been used before it was termed, music. Ahh, the sweet stankness of music.

But Fela the man is just a medium, like his music because he explicitly talks about the ones who cultivated his character, the women of his life. First his mother, Funmilayo, then his black-powered lover, Sandra Isidore in Los Angeles. And finally, his group dancers, the Queens of his social/performance clubs, and some of them his lovers.

These women become the ones who craft him into a being that learns to transcends government oppression, constant harassment, police torture and frequent beatings, and finally death. (Photo of the real Fela Anikulapo Kuti)

Then you have the story of dance, specifically African dance and the African Diaspora. Being someone who danced for years in many African dance classes, I was able to understand the most of the dancing was from the Senegal, Guinea, and Mali region, due to these dominant dance forms in African dance in the US.

However, there were elements of Orisa dancing from an Afro-Cuban and Yoruban perspective. Then you had another facet, tap-dancing, an African-American classic. The fusions showed the fluidity and natural marriages involved in these movements.

A real photo of one of Fela's wives who were noted for their elaborate facial adornments. It was interesting how some people at the Broadway show commented on how they liked the "face paintings" of the women in the show. Honey, that is not costume markings that is make-up just like the overpriced, toxic shit you buy at Macy's. Matter fact, it is one of the ancient forms of make-up)

And to make it all the sweeter, my sister and I took our two nieces, ages 8 & 11, and all of us LOVED the show. Music, it is the pacifier and also the fuel to learn and fight.

Check out the real Fela perform with his group in Calabar Nigeria in 1971 by clicking the photo below. Blog him and read his fascinating biography. Then when you are in New York, check out the show!Modupe Egungun Fela Anikulapo Kuti!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Ig'nant Governors and Redneck Tendencies

Get to know Gov. Bob McDonnell

And his warm, fuzzy family

Somewhere in a governor's mansion in Virginia the ghosts of enslaved Africans are spitting on the graves of Confederate Soldiers.

So you already have heard the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wants a Confederate History Month to honor the soldier and side of the war that supported brutal slavery in honor of the 150th year anniversary of the start of the US Civil War.

He expects all Virginians to celebrate, or at the very least, understand if they don't agree. That includes all people, especially blacks who are 38 hot like fish grease ready to pour them yellow grits on his nuts.

Now if a that was a Hitler History Month, my fellow Jews would be fucking shit up. Oh, wait a minute, that damn fool, Bob McDonnell wouldn't know the difference between Hitler and the Confederacy. Probably because he so ig'nant he does not care to read the growing resentment to his decision.

I propose that we re-enact a revised grandfather clause that states all those who had ancestors that could not vote before the Civil War should impeach this fool out of office.

I scratch my head, trying to understand how Bubbas like Bob get elected. Clearly this product of incest is still fascinated by the lynching stories his grand-pappy told him while they had relations with the local ponies.

And to think, all some people had to do was leap over buildings, distance themselves from their blackness, and apologize every nanosecond to get elected into office.

Yeye Have Mercy on Rio

Once again, Mama of the Ntr (nature) is cleansing the world with her tears or amniotic fluids. If her water did not break with the storms in Northeast US that occured some weeks back than certainly, she has popped and is peeing on Rio de Janeiro. Reported as the "worst storm in history" the rains have claimed 95 lives.

Above is a picture of a mudslide pummeling into a favela. Just like Haiti, Brazil has plenty of places that have been constructed on a wing-and-a-prayer with flimsy materials by the poor folk who have been generationally oppressed.

When I was in Bahia some years back, there were high rises with gaping holes in them with people still living around the holes. You could see floors 10 down to five. I was like woah, that is poverty. Oh yeah, its rough in Brazil. it is so beautiful and yet disturbing the level of poverty that exists.

You'd think that the intensely embedded sex trade would get some more lights turned on, but I guess when you have a brain job by a 15-year-old going for $5 reais or about $2.80 US dollars, its hard on the boulevard.

And one more note, the class system is incredible there. From what I was told when I visited, the slave owners of Brazil, and the light-white skinned Brazilians run this town for five centuries. So when the reports come in of the people who are perishing I know who it is, poor, dark folk.

Kick a soccer ball on that one.

For real, I ask that Yeye Yemonja, the patron saint and revered African Goddess in Brazil, as well as Yeye Osun, have mercy on your children for they are suffering.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Drill Baby Drill and Other Obama Contradictions

I have family who worked offshore on the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a gruesome and ugly job that puts strains on families and the environment. Sometimes family members don't come back, or when they do they are alcoholics or drug addicts.

Oil is one of the nastiest, bloody businesses around. Ask Nigeria, Angola and Iraq. And now the US is dirtying its hands more with drilling to satisfy the savage Republican beasts.

I shook my head when Obama announced the initiative to begin offshore drilling along the Atlantic and in the Gulf. It seems as if he gives the people a dollar then gives right-wingers a gold bar. Bravo we are moving towards universal healthcare because this new oil initiative is going to make a lot of people sick.

Talk about a pimp-slap in the face of environmentalists and the millions of citizens who are suffering from toxic oil drilling throughout the country. If people are dying in places like Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas, than surely the ecological system is super-fucked in the sea.

Obama, on this one you get the "fuck you" finger. Or maybe you should remove the Republican finger that is lodged in your arse and is forcing your hand to make ill-advised decisions in the name of "bi-partisanship". What? On this one I am hetero-conscious.