Virtual War(games)

The concept behind Wafaa Bilal's piece is intense and sick. In a period when Americans seem more concerned with the next American Idol than the war, an Iraqi artist's attempt to engage us in virtual game realities seems to me a pretty damn ironic way to get our bloody attention.

From Crudeoils.com:

"Iraqi born Wafaa Bilal has become known for provocative interactive video installations. Many of Bilal's projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the virtual vs. the real. He attempts to keep in mind the relationship of the viewer to the artwork, with one of his main objectives transforming the normally passive experience of viewing art into an active participation. In Domestic Tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact, or shoot, Bilal with paintball guns. Bilal's objective is to raise awareness of virtual war and privacy, or lack thereof, in the digital age..." read on.

Can't Compute.

System. Overload. Cheneys. Overload. ERRor. ERRor. V97. Holding. Can't Compute. Can't Compute. Baby. Overload. Do not recognize command. Mary Cheney. ERRor. ERRor. Lesbian Daughter . Stop. Please Stop. Of Vice President Dick Cheney. Overload. System. Overload. HadABabyWithHerGayPartner. Overload. Please Stop. Cheneys Smiling. Mary Had A Little Lamb, Little Lamb. Happy. I Said Stop! Must ShutDown. As The Proud Grandparents They Are. Reboot. Now! Can't Compute. Sys

<connection lost>

Consumerist (which I got off of Confessions of a Chinatown Cowboy) linked to this blog featuring some cool free personal money management software. Wesabe anyone?

Watched the video and scanned through the Q&A. Looks pretty legit. I could understand how some people would be hesitant on the upload all your financial data feature due to big brother privacy issues. I think that's a legit concern. However for me, weighing an opportunity to handle my business and the gubment knowin mine, I'll choose my interests first. Oh, and I can "socially network" and keep the wallet fat? Nice:



Ye asketh, the Universe giveth. I've signed up to Wesabe and plan to report back in after I've been on it a bit. I think Wesabe will help me deal with Impulse Buyer Syndrome, Check Book-itis, and Rich Boy Wannabe-ism.

5 Years and Counting

On May 20th, 2002, me and my best friend Stephanie moved together from Austin, Texas (Hook 'em!) to Brooklyn.  Five year's later, Stephanie is happily married and living back in Austin.  I'm happily single and living 3 blocks from the apartment me and Steph crashed at on that night.  Thing's done changed, but still ain't too far from being the same!  What happened in those 5 years?  Oh, the juicy details: From broke as hell to gainfully employed. From party-goer to party-thrower.  From envious to the envied.  From love to heartbroken stalker ( gasp! Andre! gasp!). ;) From...

Alright, alright, you get the picture.  I could bore you with a five year narrative of these past years, these [insert thematic phrase] journeys into light,  but instead I wanted to open up this here blog for your narrative, your story of moving to NYC (yes I'm being out-of-towner centric).  But yes, let's open up this comment space to hear your story: Upon Moving To New York City...

A couple weeks ago I was sharing with a friend how living in NYC has it's ups and downs.  Boy did that open up something for him!  "Oh you ppl just fly into JFK, drop your bags, and expect an apartment in the Village, a boy on your arm, and phat job at a non-profit, well guess what, it ain't that easy!"  Ouch.  LOL.  This sassy young man is indeed from NYC and has some, how do I say, strong feelings about out-of-towners.  So you native New Yorkers, if you are so inclined, share your opinions about us - just don't do it anonymously!

Calling all Bloggers!

Put a brother on your buddy list:

AIM: andrelove
Yahoo: andresist

I use Adium, a multi-chat client that combines many of the cyberworld's IM services into one cool program. I activated a cool feature on my adium that allows you to see what song that is playing on my iTunes. Neat, right? I've already enlisted one fellow blogger as a virtual roommate. I don't think he's as excited as I am to relive our old aparTment no. 1 days. ;)

Now granted I know it might seem like I'm opening the floodgates to the millions of readers who rss and visit my blog, but you know, I'm a fast typer, I'll handle it!

NYPD Surveillance of 2004 RNC Protesters

Wow. Even though many folks knew that NYPD and other law enforcement agencies were spying on activist groups during the 2004 Republican National Convention, it'd be safe to say that not many of us ever thought we'd lay our eyes on proof.

Well look no further, but today, documents revealing police surveillance in the run up to the 2004 RNC protests were made public through a court order. Some of the groups that received mentioning include:

Anarchists People of Color
Critical Resistance
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
Youth Channel
Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Hip Hop Summit Action Network
United for Peace and Justice
National Youth and Student Peace Coalition
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
NYC AIDS Housing Network

This lists of groups, which includes such innocuous groups like Youth Channel and NYC AIDS Housing Network, confirms widely held beliefs in NYC activist circles that the 5-0 and its minions weren't concerned with "protecting America against terrorism" but instead were in the process of building a portfolio to (1) plan their over-the-top and illegal preemptive arrests during RNC and (2) collecting COINTELPRO-inspired file cabinets of surveillance materials in which to later use to potentially target and harass.

In one of the reports, police found that Anarchists People of Color "explored subletting an apartment in NYC in order to accommodate group members from 'around the country.' " In the same report, police infiltrators noted that other protest organizers from Critical Resistance, More Gardens and WBAI radio were planning an event that would "unite peoples.. train community leaders."

I was involved in the RNC protests. I thought they were the most powerful examples of democracy that I have participated in my life. I either am familiar with all of the groups above or I or folks I love and respect have done work with them.

For the government to be directing its "law enforcement" efforts on these groups and communities, sends a clear signal to what interests they are protecting. Why not a World Bank conference call? Why not a Halliburton board meeting? Why not peep out their own meetings and document how in their search for supposed illegal activities they were in fact committing their own?

Right now I'm writing a play about a young man who has a super power of healing. How would this character fit into this supposed benevolent society? Of course all these questions are rhetorical. I know the answer (the character questions i'm still working on though!). And I know you know the answer too. But I'm just putting it out there again for all of us to think about while going about the dailies of life.

Don't lose hope. Fight for it.

WARNING: Unabashed Praise Inside

I heart Donnie.  I hearted his first album - The Colored Section - for its honesty, ATL Soul, and Donnie's own vocal power.  Tracks like "Do You Know" and "You Got a Friend" quite frankly got me through some pretty tough times!  And everybody knows that I've spun Quentin Harris's remix of Cloud 9 to death.  For me Donnie conjures Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, and his ATL bud India.Arie in his music.  Not too shabby?  But he's his own man.  A black male artist not afraid of doing him, being beautiful, strong, and fierce through his spirit and song.  Work, Donnie, work!

But it's been a minute since The Colored Section went from underground hit to record label pick up. This is all to say that many of his fans, myself included, have been on edge so to speak since word dropped last year that his new album was coming out.  As a teaser to the June 19th album release, here's his latest video.   If you aren't familiar with Donnie, get The Colored Section now.  Second, don't let this first track's kumbayah's feel fool ya.  Two tracks, which I had the privilege of hearing back at his concert at Joe's Pub last summer, includes two fierce ones by the names of "Daily News" and "9/11."  

Back it up y'all, Donnie's bout to step to the mic.

p.s. King Britt is going to be at Summer Stage on July 28th according to his myspace.  Stay tuned for the full list to drop on Summer Stage's website in mid-May (are we there yet!?). 

I'm just a bucket of sharing and goodness this morning, ain't I?  ;)

This YouTube is from a brewing corporate ad warfare between eharmony.com and chemistry.com. Yeah, mom, I'm still gay. Happy Mother's Day! hehehe...

Was perusing a friend's myspace blog and came across this very dope and well framed argument "from a Black Actress Perspective."

Highlights:

By arguing that Hollywood only recognizes the "Aunt Jemima, the "magical negro", or the "filthy slut" undermines, demeans and belittles the historical accomplishments of Black actors. It also exposes the paucity of knowledge about the industry and the craft of acting.

Word.

RIP: The Price Is Right

This article in today's Washington Post will have you smiling 'n laughing all the way through. I actually don't know what I enjoyed more, the humor and playfulness of Hank Stuever's writing (RSS 'em) or going down memory lane.

So long Bob Barker, you made many stay-at-home days filled with voyueristic fun, even if it was a bit consumer-driven. ;)

don don da don
don don da don
don don D A D A DA DA...

Obama/Ford Case Study

Good news for Obama:

"In 2006, when white Republican Bob Corker beat black Democrat Harold Ford Jr. to represent Tennessee in the Senate, Corker's lead was overstated in the polls. Whites voted for Ford in largely the numbers they had told pollsters they would."

Familiar with the concern that though Obama's poll numbers are high now, white voters in the privacy of their voting booths will change their mind and vote for the white Republican? Well worry not, Obama-heads! I hadn't heard about these exit poll numbers from Harold Ford Jr.'s Senate run, but it's encouraging.

Remember that crazy white fright ad that Coker dropped right before the election?

All this being said and even with the heated nature of the campaign that ads like this exploited, the O Campaign has to be encouraged by these numbers from Ford's run. Though he ultimately lost, many pundits wrote that given the obstacles (playboy superbowl party, family history of corruption, a Black man running for Senate in Tennessee!) Ford ran a strong campaign.

Check out the full Washington Post article here. There's some juicy and honest interviews with folks talking about race and Obama's campaign.

P.S. I'm a big Edwards fan too, but do folks think he can win a general election when Republicans will surely attack him for not ever visiting Iraq?

Blogging for Life

Some people blog for pleasure or to vent. Others blog to not flood their friend's e-boxes, but instead throw up their rant, raves, and fwd's on one convenient site. My friend Donald Agarrat is blogging for life.

Weeks after a drag performer (really I don't say that moniker faithfully as this could be an ID given to him by unrespectable places) was gang attacked which was caught on vid, but YouTube has since taken the video down. Banju Banton performed this weekend at Madison Square Garden. Unable to sleep, Donald blogged this to say about his anger at Banju's lyrical messages that incite such attacks. He talked about his frustration with the unresponsiveness of many in the blogger and real time community.

Please check out Donald's site, send him a "I'm with you brother" note while you are at it.

Woke up this morning still reeling from last night's loss.  :(  The cure to my blues?  Music.  Lots of it.  Even if it is...

As is a new sunday morning custom, I ran across a hot drop on Breath of Life: Terry Callier's "Dancing Girl" (search Terry Callier, select What Colour is Love).  Listening more to a couple of his songs "Love is all that keep me faithful," in particular, bring me back.  Not as far back as when the songs orginally came out in the 1970s, but back to my living room back in Htown with my dad jamming in the next room.  Damn and "Butterfly" is giving me Fertile Ground-esque or rather Fertile Ground has conjured TC.  Nice.

I measure my music in different ways.  When I nod, I'm there.  When I feel it so much I gotta sing it, I'm there.  When my friends recommend it, I'm there.  When it conjures up memories of my dad jamming out on a sunday morning, I'm so there.  This is definitely going on my get-list.

Here's a snippet from the Breath of Life review about why record companies flood the waves with what we got now:

"We know the answer (because the music industry is about making money and not primarily about making music) but do not be fooled, they don't have to sell aural dope to make money. Part of the reason for pushing the music that is pushed is because such music is not only entertaining, but also because the music is politically backwards. The majority of today's popular music keeps its audience in ignorance. We are not inspired to think or examine our conditions. The radio and MTV are an anesthesia designed to keep us passive."

rocket (heart)attack.

as many of you know i'm a not-so-closet sports fan of many things houston and all things Texas.  Right now i'm having a minute cardiac arrest.  Game 7.  Rockets vs. Jazz.  Under 2 minutes left.  Rockets down 1.  

say a prayer.

FILM: The Hip Hop Project

The Hip Hop Project
Screening at Magic Johnson Theatres, Harlem
Tuesday, May 8th @ 8pm
Must RSVP.

This is a *must* see if it already hasn't been saw'ed by you. I know it sounds madly hyped, but the film definitely pays off. Great story, great execution, great film. I saw a screening of it last fall and was blown away by the film and as if that wasn't enough a live performance by the youth themselves. WHAT?!?

Check out info on how to RSVP to the 5/8 screening here.

Finally!!!

I *totally* 100% enthusiastically agree with this David Pogue's blog post re the overuse of power point. 

With my fellowship over the past year I've gone to many technical workshops and trainings.  I found the best workshops were the ones that *did* not use power point.  As a matter of fact I took in a lot more when I had to delineate which ideas were most interesting to me and take notes on those items.  The *worst* is when folks just read off the power point bullet points, I'm like, well either we need you or we need your pc, not both!

Finally!!!