Monthly archive of September 2005

Black Leaders Confront CDC on AIDS

Atlanta, GA -- More than 70 black gay, bisexual and same-gender-loving community leaders from across the country emerged on Atlanta this week, where they challenged and confronted top officials of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and began the process of creating a new national AIDS organization specifically for black gay and bisexual men.

In three days of intense meetings held in Atlanta about HIV/AIDS among black men who have sex with men, the leaders developed and then presented a list of specific recommendations for CDC and other government agencies to implement. The meetings, which followed the announcement of a CDC study in June that found 46 percent of black men who have sex with men (MSM) in five U.S. cities were HIV positive, included a tense 90-minute session with CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding on Tuesday.

Posted in sexuality on September 1 2005, 1:30AM | Read More | Comments (3)

A Total Breakdown

Atlanta, GA -- There is only one word I can think of to describe the effects of Hurricane Katrina: apocalyptic. This is no longer just a "tragedy" or even a "catastrophe." What we are witnessing in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast this week is nothing less than a total breakdown in the structure of a society. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless. Thousands are likely dead, while tens of thousands of others have no food, water, clothing or shelter. Tens of thousands of refugees at the Superdome are slowly being relocated to the Astrodome in Houston. Billions of dollars of property has been destroyed. Hospitals, banks, grocery stores and restaurants have been wiped out, and electricity and phone service is unavailable. Even the police cannot communicate with one another to protect the city. The city of New Orleans, if it survives, may never fully recover.

Not since the devastation of the enormous tsunami last year has the world seen such a disaster. But when we saw the images of the tsunami on television, we deceived ourselves to think that something of that nature could never happen here in the United States, and if it did, we assumed we would be better prepared to respond. Not true.

The federal response to the hurricane has been slow, feeble and disorganized. Public safety officials in New Orleans lack adequate security, relief, and rescue assistance to save the people in the city. Television reporters have reached areas where no police or guard patrols exist, and many of the victims who are still trapped and suffering have little or no hope to be saved. We don't even have enough National Guard troops on the ground to protect the FEMA relief agency staff.

Posted in pop culture on September 1 2005, 4:34PM | Read More | Comments (24)

Blogging on Blogging

Atlanta, GA -- The New York Blade newspaper was working on an article on gay New York City bloggers last week and they asked me to answer a few questions about my own experience as a blogger. My answers were folded into a larger story that was supposed to be published in the paper today, but all I found on the Blade website was a smaller article published last week.

So instead of waiting for the media filter, I thought I should provide the full interview here on my site. Everyday, more and more people are launching their own blogs to communicate their own messages to the world. For those of you who are thinking about starting a blog of your own, this interview might be helpful to give you some perspective on what the experience means to a fellow blogger.

Posted in pop culture on September 2 2005, 9:00AM | Read More | Comments (7)

Refugees or Evacuees?

Atlanta, GA -- I was watching CNN's Jeff Koinange (pictured on the right) this morning as he reported the news from New Orleans. Koinange described the situation in New Orleans as something similar to a "refugee camp" in a Third World country. But a lot of people on this site and elsewhere have complained about the term "refugee" in describing the newly homeless victims of Hurricane Katrina, so I thought I would look into it.

In some ways I agree with the criticism of the term "refugee," but in other ways I do not. Originally, I thought it was odd that the media chose to describe the evacuees from New Orleans as "refugees." That is a term I had normally associated with people in other countries. But I looked up the word in the dictionary and it describes a refugee as "one that flees," which seems to me to apply to the evacuees in the Gulf Coast.

A more detailed definition from the dictionary described a refugee as a person who flees, "especially to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution."

Given the definition of the word, I disagree with what Rep. Diane Watson said at the Congressional Black Caucus press conference this week, when she criticized the media use of the term "refugee." In fact, I think our resistance to the use the term "refugee" when referring to Americans is problematic.

"'Refugee' calls up to mind people that come from different lands and have to be taken care of," said Watson. "These are American citizens," she said. The assumption in the argument seems to suggest that foreigners can be refugees, but Americans cannot. That assumption raises troubling issues of xenophobia, cultural imperialism and linguistic hypocrisy. Given those issues, I think the use of the term "refugee" makes sense in this case.

But that's not the end of the analysis. If the mostly black evacuees in New Orleans are described as "refugees" but the mostly white evacuees from other parts of the Gulf Coast are described differently, then there's a problem of racial disparity. Once we start to use the term "refugee" to apply to Americans, we cannot do so selectively. But I could find no conclusive evidence to prove that is happening. Instead, the media seem to be using the terms "refugee" and "evacuee" somewhat interchangeably.

I did a Google News search for "New Orleans" and "refugee" and found 2,940 articles. I did another search for "Mississippi" and "refugee" and found 1,430 entries. Similarly, when I searched "Alabama" and "refugee," I found 1,110 news stories. The disparity in the number of listings between New Orleans and the other areas may reflect the increased attention focused on the Big Easy in the news coverage overall. But based on the numbers from the Google searches, it would seem to me that the media are using the term "refugee" to apply to all the evacuees along the Gulf Coast, not just to the blacks.

Posted in politics on September 3 2005, 12:20PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

We Are So Screwed

Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist died Saturday evening at his home in Virginia. The conservative jurist aligned with Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas to form a solid right-wing bloc on the court for the past decade. With the recent resignation of Sandra Day O'Connor, Rehnquist's death creates two vacancies on the nation's highest court. President George Bush has already nominated John Roberts to secede O'Connor, a decision which could tilt the court further to the right. Now Bush will nominate a second Supreme Court justice.

All I can say to America is this: "We told you so." The nearly 60 million Americans who voted against Bush knew all along. And all those people who voted for Bush thinking he would keep us safe and not do too much damage to the country, think again. From his failed handling of the September 11 crisis, to the failed war in Iraq, to the failed fiscal policy of tax cuts for the wealthy that led to record deficits, to the failed handling of the hurricane crisis, George Bush has shown his true colors. It's not just his philosophy that troubles us. It's his incompetence.

And now the man who thinks he has all the answers and rarely admits mistakes is about to appoint not one, but two justices who will serve lifetime tenures on the most important court in the land. Get ready to fight folks. Otherwise, we are so screwed.

Posted in politics on September 4 2005, 12:50AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Bush to New Orleans: Who Knew?

There he goes again. President Bush said this week that no one could have predicted the disaster in New Orleans. "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," the president said on Thursday. But as several websites have reported, that's just not true.

Posted in politics on September 4 2005, 2:36PM | Read More | Comments (6)

More Critics Challenge Bush on Hurricane

From Celine Dion to Kanye West, people are outraged by the Administration's handling of the hurricane crisis. Even the normally pliant media have grown a backbone and begun to challenge official Administration spin. The most notable change in tone came from Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, who only days earlier had refused to criticize anyone for the failures of the relief effort. Now even she is angry. This is what the critics are saying.

Posted in politics on September 4 2005, 6:26PM | Read More | Comments (15)

How You Can Help

The harvest is past,
the summer is ended,
and we are not saved.
--Jeremiah 8:20

Labor Day traditionally marks the unofficial end of summer, a time for one last day of vacation before the beginning of the fall. But this year many of us will not be thinking of vacation. Our hearts still grieve for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the gulf coast exactly one week ago today.

There are thousands of stories from Hurricane Katrina, and by now many of us have heard quite a few of them on television. Many of us have also seen the stories up close. I've gotten several emails from victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some of them I know very well, and some I've just met. Here now are a few of their stories.

Posted in pop culture on September 5 2005, 3:03AM | Read More | Comments (6)

We Knew This Would Happen

NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams reports on his blog today that the National Weather Service actually warned officials eight days ago that the hurricane that would strike the Gulf Coast would be the most destructive natural disaster in a generation. (Incidentally, the Weather Service site also includes more than 350 aerial images of the hurricane damage.) This is the actual message from the National Weather Service.

Posted in pop culture on September 5 2005, 5:10PM | Read More | Comments (4)

Kanye West: Late Registration

And now for something completely different. The last time we heard from Kanye West he was reminding us that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and telling homophobic rappers to cut it out. Thankfully, Kanye West is more than a political commentator. He is also a talented recording artist, which we see on his new CD, Late Registration.

From the very first track on West's new CD, you know you are in for something different from your standard rap album. Music fans will recognize the first sampled melody from Natalie Cole's "Someone That I Used to Love," which reappears in the second track, "Heard 'Em Say." With the lyrics, "nothing's ever promised tomorrow today," you get the feeling that West knows all too well that success, like almost everything else in life, is fleeting.

Posted in music on September 6 2005, 4:22PM | Read More | Comments (8)

Do The Right Thing Arnold

In a surprising victory, the California state legislature last night approved an historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage and sent it to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign into law. The legislation passed just three months after the state Assembly defeated an identical bill. The final vote was 41-35, with all Republicans and a small group of Democrats opposed. Three Democrats who had abstained the last time switched their votes in support of the bill this time.

The vote marks the first time in the United States that a legislature has approved a bill that ends marriage discrimination. The state of Massachusetts recently adopted marriage equality only after the state's highest court declared marriage discrimination illegal.

Posted in politics on September 7 2005, 12:07PM | Read More | Comments (4)

A Tale of Two Teens

Michael Williams Jr. and Leon Hall probably never met each other. But the two Illinois teenagers, both black, have been in the news lately. Williams, 14, was murdered in Chicago last month and Hall, 15, disappeared in Belleville, Illinois during the same time.

Williams was last seen by his family on August 17. Some time after that, he was sexually assaulted and suffocated and then left on a street, 20 miles from his home, a place where he had never been before, according to his father. Williams's father believes his son was lured to the area by someone on a telephone chat line. The father believes his son was using chat lines because his cell phone bill was extremely high. The media have tiptoed around the issue of whether the chat lines were gay chat lines, but the local gay paper has already picked up on the story.

Posted in pop culture on September 7 2005, 1:00PM | Read More | Comments (6)

Farrakhan Meets With Black Gay Leaders

In an unprecedented move, Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan met with black gay and lesbian leaders Wednesday for a 50-minute conversation about black gays and lesbians and the Millions More Movement. The wide-ranging meeting, held by conference call with participants in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., marked the first time ever that Farrakhan had met with openly gay or lesbian leaders.

Posted in sexuality on September 7 2005, 5:20PM | Read More | Comments (22)

The Phone of the Future?

At last, here it is. After two weeks of buzz, I have finally seen the new IPOD cell phone (well, at least a picture). It's not perfect (it only stores 100 songs and you can't download music from the phone), but it may mark the beginning of a new revolution in multi-functional handheld devices. The goal: a single device that does everything. Right now the Treo and the Blackberry are the closest tools we have. I can't speak for the Blackberry, but the Treo works pretty well as a Palm Pilot and a web browser, but it sucks as a phone, camera, email device or mp3 player.

The Ipod cell phone is far from my ideal phone. My ideal phone would combine the mp3 function of the Ipod, the PDA capacity of the Palm Pilot, the web browser from the Treo, the email capacity of the Blackberry, the camera ability of the Canon Powershot, and built in Bluetooth capacity with a free Motorola wireless headset. Now if you can fit all that into a single handheld device for a reasonable price, I'd buy it. Is that too much to ask?

Posted in pop culture on September 8 2005, 12:34AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Oprah's Back (and She's Pissed)

Oprah's back and she is pissed. She's down in New Orleans bringing us the scenes from the hurricane disaster in a way that only Oprah can. First she meets with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin at the Hyatt Hotel where Nagin set up his command post during the hurricane. Contrary to rumors spread against the mayor, he never fled the city during the disaster. Nagin blames the federal government's slow response on politics. "If this thing would have happened in Miami, if it happened in LA, if it had happened in Chicago, we would have had everything that we needed." The mayor gets tearful and Oprah gets mad. "This should not have happened," she says. (See the video.)

Then she visits the Superdome. The Superdome is dark and filthy and has not been cleaned. "There's dogs running loose in there, there's dead bodies in there, there's stench in there that you couldn't imagine," Nagin explains. After being told she cannot enter the building, Oprah argues with the mayor until he lets her in, but only after she releases the city of all liability for what happens inside. Then she enters and we see the squalor in which some Americans were forced to live for a full week. (See the video.)

Posted in pop culture on September 8 2005, 1:34AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Busted!!

It's bad enough that he was fired from his previous job judging horse shows for the Arabian Horse Association, a fact curiously omitted from his official bio. That alone made him the target of critics and the butt of jokes from the late night comedians. But now comes word that Michael Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), wasn't exactly forthcoming with the truth in his resume.

A TIME magazine investigation finds that Brown promoted himself from "intern" to "city manager" in his resume. A White House press release announcing Brown's appointment said that he worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing the emergency services division." But TIME found a discrepancy. "In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an 'assistant to the city manager' from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. 'The assistant is more like an intern,' she told TIME."

But that's not all. His profile at FindLaw.com says he was "Outstanding Political Science Professor" at Central State University, but TIME discovered he didn't even teach there. He was a student! Now, I know George W. Bush is loyal to a fault. (Last week he publicly told the FEMA director, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.") But loyalty only goes so far, and Brown is such a clear liability that even Bush has to see it. My prediction is that Brown will be history by next Wednesday.

Posted in politics on September 9 2005, 12:01AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Venus and Serena Press On

They may not be playing in the U.S. Open this weekend, but you can still find them on the cover of Black Issues Book Review this month.

I had the chance to see Venus up close Tuesday night at the U.S. Open here in New York. She played well the first set, a little less well the second set, and then completely lost it on the last set. I was a little disappointed, but not surprised, that the audience in Arthur Ashe Stadium seemed to be rooting against her in her match against Belgian Kim Clijsters. So much for American patriotism.

Without Venus and Serena in the tournament, there was no reason for me to continue watching the women's side, but I still had James Blake to root for on the men's side. Blake played his heart out Wednesday night, but ultimately he lost to Andre Agassi on the very last point of the fifth set in a perfectly balanced match. So there won't be any color in the U.S. Open finals this year.

Posted in sports on September 9 2005, 11:37AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Now I Ain't Saying He A Gold Digger...

"But he ain't messing with no broke niggas." Yes, you heard it. Those are some of the lyrics to a new song that parodies George Bush's slow response to the hurricane crisis. The song, called "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People," takes the words from Kanye West's now famous NBC television outburst and adds them to Kanye's own hit song, "Gold Digger." The new song, created by Mic and D, is hot.

George, Barbara and Laura just don't get it. Thankfully, FWMJ does. Thanks to Boing Boing for pointing this out. Click here to hear the song (it takes a minute or two to download) and check out some of the lyrics below.

Hurricane came through, fucked us up 'round here
Government acting like it's bad luck down here
All I know is that you better bring some trucks 'round here
Wonder why I got my middle finger up 'round here (...)

Five days in this motherfucking attic
I can't use the cell phone, I keep getting static
Dying 'cause they lying instead of telling us the truth
Other day the helicopters got my neighbors off the roof

Posted in politics on September 9 2005, 1:15PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

The Shaming of America

"Even America's many enemies around the world tend to accord it respect," writes The Economist. "It might be arrogant, overbearing and insensitive—but, by God, it can get things done," the British magazine added. That was before Hurricane Katrina. Now the world's only superpower has been reduced to a common charity case, holding out its hand like a beggar pleading for assistance.

Say what you want about New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin or Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, but the disaster of Hurricane Katrina will forever be associated with the failure of presidential leadership, not local leadership. No matter what Nagin and Blanco did or did not do, in times of national crisis Americans look to one person to show leadership. It's not a mayor and it's not a governor. It's the president of the United States.

The effort to blame Nagin and Blanco is being fueled by the White House spin machine to deflect attention from their own failures. Nobody, including the city of New Orleans, was adequately prepared for this crisis. But you can't blame a poor black city with no resources for the inability to fight against an apocalyptic catastrophe. Not when you have a huge, rich country with plentiful resources doing nothing for five long days. This was not a local disaster but a national one, and it required a national response. No one, not even the president, could have stopped this hurricane. But after it hit, there was only one person, vacationing on his ranch in Texas, with the ability to mobilize the nation to respond.

Posted in politics on September 9 2005, 3:26PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

The New Ballroom Rockstar

With all the talk about the hurricane recently, I don't want to forget all the other topics I usually write about on this site. So I hope you can deal with the zig zag between hurricane coverage and other news.

The new issue of Ballroom Rockstar is out. Frank wrote about it on his blog and Clay wrote an article about "Sex & God" in the new magazine. I met the editors of the magazine last week in Atlanta and they seem to have a great concept on their hands. I thought it was just a magazine for the ball scene, but it looks like it's much more than that.

The website includes sections on fashion and grooming, health and wellness, news, "hot boyz" and the ballroom scene. There's also a message board, links and a photo gallery that's updated weekly. Be sure to check it out.

Posted in pop culture on September 10 2005, 12:36PM | Permalink

8:46 a.m., September 11

It's hard to believe it was four years ago at this time that terrorists flew the first of two commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center. Today as we remember the tragedy of September 11, the memory is almost eclipsed by the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Just as 9/11 defined the first term of the Bush Administration, Hurricane Katrina, and the federal government's response to it, may define the second Bush term.

If there is one lesson we should have learned four years ago today, it is that government is necessary. Despite decades of conservative criticism about the uselessness of government, there is nothing like tragedy to remind us that there are some things that only the government can do. Now is the time to articulate that message.

As George Lakoff wrote this week in Alternet, "progressive-liberal values are America's values, and we need to go back to them. The heart of progressive-liberal values is simple: empathy (caring about and for people) and responsibility (acting responsibly on that empathy). These values translate into a simple principle: Use the common wealth for the common good to better all our lives. In short, promoting the common good is the central role of government."

Right-wing conservatives have the opposite values and principles, according to Lakoff. Their main value is to rely on individual discipline and initiative and to reassert the central principle that "government has no useful role."

Perhaps that explains why even conservatives like Newt Gingrich are now urging their party to change the playbook in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. "We're not in a values fight now but over whether the system is working," Gingrich said recently. "The issue is delivery." Gingrich may be right, but that shift in strategy is also about values. It is a recognition, long overdue from conservatives, that government must help to make our lives better. They cannot expect Americans to trust the same government that they have convinced them to believe is useless in the first place.

Posted in politics on September 11 2005, 8:46AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If Madonna Calls...I'm Not Here

Seems I can't pick up the phone these days without getting a call from some bigwig trying to win my vote. First there was Mario Cuomo lobbying for someone or another, then there was Al Sharpton lobbying for a Manhattan Borough President candidate, and then there was City Councilman Bill Perkins. I think he was lobbying for himself, but I don't know for sure because I hung up the phone before he could finish speaking.

No, I'm not that rude. I did not hang up the phone on a city council member. I hung up on a voice recording. It's election time in New York and it seems a lot of candidates have resorted to these annoying recordings to get out the vote. I got three or four of them last week, and then I got five of them yesterday. Enough already! I don't know if these calls make a difference to any self-respecting voter, but personally I'm not changing my vote...unless I hear from a real person.

I hate to be shady, but it reminds me of the 1996 Junior Vasquez house hit: "If Madonna Calls...I'm Not Here."

Posted in politics on September 11 2005, 12:13PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Walking the Runway

As fashion week arrives in New York, it's a perfect time to take a look at "America's Next Top Model" diva J. Alexander, who is profiled in Genre magazine. The Bronx-raised Alexander is now described as "the world’s premier runway coach," and this fall he will be promoted from coach to judge on Tyra Banks's hit show. Alexander will be replacing aging diva Janice Dickinson, who has most recently been seen on VH1's Surreal Life.

So is the show making an impact? Apparently so, says Alexander: "I’m in the airport half-asleep, waiting for a flight, and here comes Michelle from Destiny’s Child: 'Oh I love you.' Nicole Richie is a big fan. I mean, everybody watches it. Gay boys stop me on the street, saying: 'You’re an inspiration to me. You allow me to be myself in life.'"

America's Next Top Model premieres September 21 at 8 on UPN.

Posted in pop culture on September 11 2005, 7:24PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

She's Back

Remember a few years ago when "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" was hot and Regis Philbin was everywhere? Well get ready for the female version of Regis. This fall, television is all about one woman: Martha Stewart. Today begins the rehabilitation of Martha when her colorful, self-titled daytime talk show debuts. Apparently, prison was very good to Martha. She looks wonderful, tanned and rested.

Watch out Oprah and Ellen because M. Diddy is here. She's got a huge new set where she can cook, garden and diva, but no couch. (When you're this busy, who has time for idle chatter?) And she's got great guests who still want to be on her show. This week, Marcia Cross, Jay Leno, P. Diddy, David Spade and Elmo will be chatting with Martha.

Posted in pop culture on September 12 2005, 12:01AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Enter John Roberts

Now comes John Roberts, appealing to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, for a recommendation to the full Senate for confirmation. The man who just a few weeks ago was nominated to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is now nominated to be the Chief Justice of the same court on which he has never sat.

Senators should use this time to question Roberts about his beliefs, his legal philosophy and his judicial decision making principles. But they should also ask him his opinion on specific cases, including Roe v. Wade (legalizing abortion), Lawrence v. Texas (invalidating sodomy laws), Grutter v. Bollinger (upholding affirmative action), Roper v. Simmons (outlawing execution of minors) and Bush v. Gore (stopping 2000 Florida recount). All those cases, except for Bush v. Gore, are now settled law, and the public has the right to know how Judge Roberts would have voted if he had been on the court. He may not answer the questions fully, or he may not answer at all, but it is the right and the duty of Senators to ask those questions and to judge the candidate based on his responses, or his lack thereof.

Posted in politics on September 12 2005, 10:35AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Fashion Week Spring 2006

It's Olympus Fashion Week in New York, and today I'll be checking out the new collection from designer b. Michael. Some of the top designers have already been seen, and of course I scouted out the hot male models, including models for Kenneth Cole, Perry Ellis, John Bartlett and Lacoste.

Also noteworthy. Black designer Michael Wesetly's menswear collection included models with shaved heads.

I will be posting more information about Fashion Week on the site this week. Check out the "Out In Left Field" column for pictures from the various spring 2006 collection shows. And feel free to send me your own pictures if you have any as well.

Fashion Week lasts from September 9 until September 16 here in New York City.

Posted in pop culture on September 12 2005, 11:07AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Did They Really Say That?

It's been two weeks since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, and it's produced 14 days of the most fascinating news coverage since September 11, 2001. The images have been dramatic and profound, but the words that accompanied the images were just as astounding. From George Bush to Michael Brown to Kanye West, we've seen and heard it all. Here's a list of what the key figures said during the past two weeks, and I'm not making this up.

Posted in politics on September 12 2005, 12:05PM | Read More | Comments (17)

Pussycat Dolls: PCD

I get new music and books all the time in the mail. Most of them I never get to until months later, and much of it, quite frankly, is not very good. So imagine my surprise last week when I got an amazingly good CD from, of all people, the Pussycat Dolls.

You remember the Pussycat Dolls, recently famous for the single "Don't Cha," which is also featured on their new CD called "PCD." Well it turns out that every song on the CD is hot. They're mostly modern uptempo pop and R&B tunes, but they all work. Even their remakes of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" and Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" sound like whole new songs. Originally I expected this sexy girl group would fade away faster than you can say Spice Girls, but unlike their 90s British predecessors, the Pussycat Dolls can actually sing. They may not look like the next Destiny's Child, but they sing just as well, and they bring lively, entertaining music to a generation of young music lovers.

My favorite song is a song called "Right Now," which sounds like a show tune straight from the latest Broadway musical. But I also love the soulful "Feeling Good," which is amazingly good. I'm rarely impressed by pop music, but this is one of those times. PCD is, without doubt, one of the best new CDs I've heard in a long time. Buy it now!

Posted in music on September 13 2005, 1:53AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Newspaper Slurs Chinese

Am I the only one who thinks this is racist? The headline in the Weekly World News this week says "Chinese Admit: We Can't Tell Each Other Apart Either." I guess that's somebody's idea of a joke. Sadly, I'm not surprised from this satirical supermarket tabloid.

"Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya, 54, stated, "The problem has grown to epic proportions. It's hurting us in business, in culture, and in our personal lives. The truth is that we all look very much alike," according to the News. There really is a Chinese Ambassador named Wang Guangya, but he never said that.

But maybe I'm taking this too seriously. After all, this is the publication that claimed Elvis is alive, aliens are everywhere and Bush is being advised on Iraq by the ghost of President Lincoln. (Well, at least that last one seems plausible.) I know it's supposed to be satire, but is this taking it too far?

Posted in pop culture on September 13 2005, 12:25PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

The Execution of Frances Newton

If all goes as planned tomorrow, the state of Texas will execute a black woman for the first time since the Civil War. Frances Newton, 40, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection for the 1987 murder of her husband and children. But questions linger about her innocence, the evidence used to convict her, the evidence that was never investigated, and the inadequacy of her legal counsel. On the eve of her scheduled execution last December, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended that Governor Rick Perry grant a temporary reprieve to Newton to settle lingering questions about the evidence used to convict her. Perry granted the reprieve, but legal experts are still not convinced that she committed the crime.

Even if there were no questions about her guilt or innocence, this case would still raise plenty of questions about race, crime and the death penalty itself. Although blacks make up only 12 percent of the population of Texas, they account for almost half of the people on death row in the state. Texas leads the nation in executions, and in Harris County, where Frances Newton was convicted, the police crime lab is notorious for botching capital cases.

As the Senate holds hearings this week on the nomination of John Roberts to become the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, it's worth re-opening a debate in the country about the death penalty. The death penalty does not deter crime, it's racially discriminatory, and it's part of a criminal justice system that is seriously flawed. How many more people need to die before we finally abolish capital punishment altogether?

Posted in politics on September 13 2005, 12:39PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

From Hoop Dreams to Hulk

Can you believe this guy once played college hoops? Yes, that's Phil Heath, a former University of Denver basketball player, on the cover of this month's Flex Magazine.

Heath, 25, was just 5-foot-9, 185 pounds in college. Now he's 215 pounds and a huge success in bodybuilding after winning the "Mr. USA" title this year. He was never the typical size for a basketball player, but now he's a good size for a bodybuilder. I've never been into the huge Hulk types, but I'm always pleased to see how many black men have excelled in professional bodybuilding. Add Phil Heath to that list.

Posted in sports on September 14 2005, 12:22AM | Permalink

You Can't Hide Your Lying Eyes

Kudos to The Daily Show for pointing out the hypocrisy of civility on parade by some key Republicans this week. Seems now that John Roberts is up for confirmation by the Senate, the GOP wants everyone to be friendly and unified. "When I ponder our country and its greatness, its weakness, its potential, my heart aches for less divisiveness, less polarization, less finger-pointing, less bitterness, less mindless partisanship," said an emotional Tom Coburn, almost breaking into tears at the confirmation hearings.

That's a great speech Tom, but it flies in the face of your own divisive rhetoric. As Jon Stewart noted last night, Coburn is the same guy who said last year, "The gay community... is the greatest threat that we face to our freedom today. And he's the guy who said in July 2004, "I favor the death penalty for abortionists." And this is the guy George Bush chose to chair the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS.

Hmmm. I wonder why we live in such a divisive, polarized and bitter society? Perhaps it's because the right-wing lunatics like Tom Coburn are so busy poisoning the political well with their vicious venom. Later, Stewart showed footage of Coburn, get this, filling out a crossword puzzle at his desk during the confirmation hearings. So much for taking the hearings seriously. Spare us the bullshit Tom. You're a part of the problem, not the solution.

Posted in politics on September 14 2005, 1:04AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Gorillaz: Planet of the Fakes

How did a cartoon parody of a rock band become a real live music group more popular than the groups it satirized? A virtual band called Gorillaz, comprised of four animated band members, has managed to do just that.

Although the group began in 1998, I had never heard of them until I noticed their music on ITunes over the summer. I bought two of the songs, oddly named "Feel Good Inc." and "Clint Eastwood," and I liked them enough to add them to my regular playlist. Little did I know what I was getting into. Wilkipedia, the online free encyclopedia, provides a detailed explanation of the group's history, but they've become quite successful, selling millions of albums worldwide. Most notably, Gorillaz has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. Of course, that makes me wonder: Are there others?

I know some people would prefer that I write about politics all the time and skip the music and pop culture. That's not going to happen so get over it. I'm going to write about all the many things that interest me, and I happen to like music as much as, if not more than, politics. So if you want to try something different, check out Gorillaz.

Posted in music on September 15 2005, 12:04AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

George's "Dear John" Letter

What's up with these Republicans not paying attention these days? First there was Tom "My Heart Aches" Coburn playing a crossword puzzle during the Senate confirmation hearings for John Roberts. And now there's George W. Bush, the president of the United States, writing a note to ask for a potty break during the United Nations General Assembly meeting here in New York yesterday.

The photograph above is an actual note being written by the President to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday during a UN Security Council meeting. The note says, "I think I may need a bathroom break." (Click on the photo to enlarge the image.)

Thanks to Reuters photographer Rick Wilking for snapping the soon to be famous shot.

Posted in politics on September 15 2005, 12:50AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Lloyd Boston Does It Again

I love Lloyd Boston. His new book, Before You Put That On, is hot. With 365 daily style tips, it's sure to be a bestseller. I just picked up a copy last night at his fabulous book launch party at Jones New York. Not only is Lloyd a "Today Show" contributor, fashion diva and author, he's also a gifted illustrator and he personally created the images in his new book. That's talent.

Lloyd is the only person I know who could bring out Lynn Whitfield, Star Jones-Reynolds, Al Reynolds, b. Michael, Harmonica Sunbeam, Gordon Chambers, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Robert Verdi, Thelma Golden and a diverse collection of others for his star-studded launch party. Lloyd's new book hits bookstores October 4.

Posted in pop culture on September 15 2005, 1:22PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tattoos "R" Us

Is there such a thing as too many tattoos? Of course, it's all about personal preference. Some people don't like any tattoos. I'm not one of those. I have one tattoo myself. I got it 5 years ago in Washington. I had planned to get four of them (one on the chest, one on the arm, one around the navel, and one on the leg) but I only got one (on the left arm) after I realized how painful it was. Ouch.

So I found myself thinking about tattoos when I noticed this picture from Floss magazine of a young man with quite a bit of ink on him. He's even got a chain tattooed around his neck, running over his massive chest and falling into his cleavage (excuse me, where was I?). I think it's kinda hot, but I wouldn't do it myself. In fairness, I should say I have no idea who this guy is. I just found his pic on the Floss website, which also features some other hotties as well.

I do have to admit, though, that I don't like Mike Tyson's tattoos all over his face, but hey, if it works for Mike, who am I to judge? As long as he's happy with the tattoos, it's fine with me. What do you think? Is there such a thing as too many tattoos?

Posted in pop culture on September 16 2005, 2:38AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

New Flavor In Town

Leave it to Rod to find yet another hot new magazine to profile. This one is called FlavaLife and it bills itself as a PG-Rated "travel and entertainment guide that caters to the Black and Latino community and the people who love them." I don't know about that, but the website and the media kit certainly cater to me, thanks in part to model Carlos Cruz. The magazine is published bimonthly and says it has a readership of 45,000.

It appears that Flava Life is related to another magazine called FlavaMen, which is undeniably gay. It's a black and Latin gay porn magazine. The two sites use similar language and identical fonts, but the PG-rated FlavaLife site appears to be registered in California while the X-rated FlavaMen is not independently registered, although it lists an address in Chicago. Wherever they are based, the magazines look hot.

Posted in sexuality on September 17 2005, 2:35AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The President's Finest Hour

George Bush gave one of the best speeches of his presidency on Thursday in New Orleans. For the first time in his Administration, he displayed something that I had never seen in him before: humility. In a rare expression of contrition, the president took responsibility for the government's failure in responding to Hurricane Katrina, he pledged to do whatever it takes to rebuild New Orleans and the other Gulf communities affected by the disaster, and he proposed specific government programs to achieve his goals.

Here, finally, was the president we have all been waiting to see for the past four and half years, and certainly for the past 3 weeks. Gone was the arrogance of power that has marked this Administration for far too long. The goofy grin, the cowboy swagger and the familiar aura of hubris had somehow evaporated in the humidity of the Crescent City. They were replaced by a refreshing sense of leadership and commitment, a solemn call to action, and an appeal, although limited, for public sacrifice.

Posted in politics on September 18 2005, 1:49AM | Read More | Comments (9)

Building A Better Magazine

I've always said that there are too many black gay and lesbian magazines out there. It's great to have a lot of options, but so few of the magazines seem to last very long. We've had BLK, SBC, Malebox, Kick, Whazzup, Real, Arise, Venus, Women In the Life, Clikque and a number of other publications over the years. And those are just the ones I remember. The only one that really seemed to thrive nationally is Black Inches.

The problem is that the skill sets needed to put out a good magazine were too dispersed among too many people. BLK was good back in the day. Malebox and Kick were mostly focused in their respective cities of Washington and Detroit. Arise had high quality paper, a good distribution network and good content, but it struggled with layout. Venus had a good network and good format, but it just didn't come out on a regular basis. Women In The Life was mostly for women. And Clikque had great layout, but it was more of a party guide than a magazine.

Posted in sexuality on September 18 2005, 2:40AM | Read More | Comments (11)

Lil' Kim Goes To The Big House

Today is the big day for Lil’ Kim. Like Martha Stewart before her, she’s going to jail for lying. I said this about Martha Stewart and I’ll say it again about Lil’ Kim. I understand the point of the perjury laws, but I don’t see how society is benefited by forcing Lil’ Kim to sit in jail for the next 366 days. Can't we think of more creative punishments than sending everyone to jail?

Earlier this year, Lil’ Kim was found guilty of lying to a grand jury which was investigating a 2001 shooting outside of New York City radio station Hot 97. The shooting reportedly grew out of a rivalry between Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown after Brown ridiculed Lil’ Kim on Capone-N-Noreaga’s song "Bang Bang."

Posted in pop culture on September 19 2005, 12:02AM | Read More | Comments (19)

The Ultimate Fighter

Judging by the (lack of) response to my previous posts about wrestling, I may be the only one on this site who cares about this, but I do want to point out how much I enjoy the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter" show. The production quality is not as good and the story lines are not as developed as Sylvester Stallone's reality show, "The Contender," but if you like to see guys fight, this is still a good show.

"The Ultimate Fighter" does for grappling what the quadrennial Olympics broadcasts have done for other sports -- it humanizes the athletes. We don't just see two guys in a ring fighting. We get to know who they are, we see their conflicts and rivalries, and we see what motivates them. It's part of the standard formula employed by all reality shows, but the formula makes this sport more palatable to those who aren't already fans. And the payoff is the big fight at the end.

The Ultimate Fighter airs tonight and every Monday night at 11:05 on Spike TV.

Posted in sports on September 19 2005, 12:15PM | Read More | Comments (9)

Tuesday Night Fights

Yesterday's wrestling post went over so well that I thought I'd squeeze in one more. I don't mind watching wrestling, but I prefer to participate. So every Tuesday night that I'm in town and available, I take the subway down to the Hamilton Fish Recreation Center in the Lower East Side to wrestle at the Twin Towers Wrestling Club.

When I moved to New York in 2001, I was looking for new things to do that I wouldn't have been able to find in Washington, D.C., where I lived before. That's when I took a Broadway singing class and joined the wrestling club, and before long I found myself really addicted to wrestling. I don't do any cardio exercises at the gym because I find it dull and boring, but wrestling, on the other hand, is very exciting and it's the best cardio workout I've ever experienced. A simple three-minute match will work your body like an hour on the Stairmaster, and you use every part of your body. There's no better cardio workout.

Posted in sports on September 20 2005, 12:51AM | Read More | Comments (2)

Not Again

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to New Orleans, now comes Hurricane Rita. It's already made landfall in Florida and now it's headed into the Gulf of Mexico toward Houston and New Orleans. We've been down this path before. We know the New Orleans levees make break, the city needs to be fully evacuated, and the National Guard needs to be ready to step foot inside the hurricane zone as soon as it passes. Whether it hits Galveston or Gulfport, we have no reason not to be ready for this hurricane.

But there's another issue at stake here too. It's the government's ability to protect us with increasingly limited resources. Hurricane Katrina should have taught us that government is already stretched too thin. The President, under heavy criticism, caved in and offered a slew of new government programs to provide assistance. The cost could run as high as $200 billion, but the President has no idea how to pay for it and fund his war and his tax cut at the same time.

Posted in pop culture on September 20 2005, 11:18AM | Read More | Comments (3)

My Super Sweet 16: Bjorn's World

"My Super Sweet 16" is the type of reality television show where rich young suburban girls decide who gets to come and who can't come to their sixteenth birthday parties. The spoiled girls plan, plot and scheme to pull off elaborate parties and they cry and scream for their parents to accept their birthday demands, including their demands for luxury automobiles. Usually the parents complain about how spoiled the kid is and then they give in and buy their kid an expensive car. It's annoying, if not also entertaining, television, perfectly suited for MTV.

Last night's episode was a little different. Instead of being introduced to another rich white girl, we met a rich black boy named Bjorn whose black parents footed the bill for an elaborate fashion show that he personally planned and choreographed. Bjorn, of course, was the star of the show, even allowing himself a "Beyonce moment" as he exited his white limo and made his red carpet entrance to the thunderous sound of screaming classmates outside the party.

Posted in pop culture on September 20 2005, 12:24PM | Read More | Comments (21)

America's Next Top Model

Today is the big day. It's the day we've all been waiting for. Today is the day when Tyra Banks goes head to head against Martha Stewart. These two divas continue their quest for world domination with four, yes four, television shows between the two of them on the air in one day. They each have daytime talk shows on the air, and tonight they will have prime time reality shows on air at the same time.

Thank goodness for DVR. Otherwise I would have to choose between "America's Next Top Model" and "Martha," both of which premiere tonight at 8. Martha's show is new and it's on NBC, so the ratings will be red hot for her. But don't sleep on Tyra either, who is returning for her fifth season as host and executive producer of "Top Model."

So what to expect for Tyra tonight? It looks like we have at least three black girls (Bre, Ebony and Nik) on the show this season, and I'm not sure about Coryn and Diane. Time will tell. America's Next Top Model premieres tonight at 8 on UPN.

Posted in pop culture on September 21 2005, 12:01AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Now It's Martha's Turn

Move over Tyra. Here comes Martha...Who said crime doesn't pay? Domestic diva and ex-con Martha Stewart got not one, but two TV shows out of her much publicized conviction last year. And tonight she steals the limelight from The Donald when her version of The Apprentice premieres on NBC.

New York magazine says "she’s always been part den mother, part taskmaster, but now Martha’s finally doing what she’s implored us to do: Have it all." We'll see about that. The Apprentice: Martha Stewart premieres tonight at 8 on NBC.

Posted in pop culture on September 21 2005, 12:10AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Jass Stewart Pulls It Off

It's official. Jass Stewart won nearly 30 percent of the vote and finished second in the mayoral primary race yesterday in Brockton, Mass., which enables him to move on to the general election in November.

In an email Stewart sent earlier today, he reported the results: "I’ve advanced to the November 8 election!!! We earned 29 percent of the vote in a four-person race. The team has already started our outreach efforts."

Posted in politics on September 21 2005, 5:11PM | Read More | Comments (5)

Everybody Hates Chris

The new television season couldn't come at a worse time for me. Just when all the new shows hit the air, I'm not at home. Instead I find myself down in Washington for a three-day conference. Last night I missed "Lost," "The Apprentice" and "America's Next Top Model" because I don't have access to my DVR here in the hotel. But tonight I really want to see Chris Rock's new TV show, "Everybody Hates Chris."

Inspired by his childhood experiences, Chris Rock narrates the semi-autobiographical story of a teenager growing up as the oldest of three children in Brooklyn during the early 1980s. On Sunday at the Emmy Awards, I saw Tyler James Williams, the young man who plays the lead character, and he was very articulate on stage.

Chris, the teenager on the show, is bused into a mostly white junior high school. Now that's a story I can relate to. I was never bused into a whole new neighborhood, but I was a black kid who attended a white junior high school in the early 1980s. The critics are already raving about this show. It's been called "the best reviewed new show of the fall," a rare achievement for UPN, and I can't wait to see it myself.

Everybody Hates Chris premieres tonight at 8 on UPN.

Posted in pop culture on September 22 2005, 7:43AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Historic Summit Brings Black Gay Leaders

Washington -- What would happen if you brought together more than 100 of the leading black gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered figures in America and asked them to begin developing an agenda for the community? That's the premise behind the unprecedented summit being held this week in Washington by the National Black Justice Coalition.

The three-day summit began last night with an opening reception sponsored by Service Employees International Union and continues today with panels featuring nationally recognized leaders of civil rights organizations and gay and lesbian organizations. The panels this morning included Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), NAACP Washington office director Hilary Shelton, Lambda Legal Defense Fund director Kevin Cathcart, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force director Matt Foreman, and several others. Other panelists include Palm Springs, California mayor Ron Oden, former Cambridge, Massachusetts mayor Ken Reeves, and black gay talk show host Herndon Davis.

Posted in sexuality on September 22 2005, 3:35PM | Read More | Comments (5)

With Friends Like These...

Washington -- A few months ago, no one would have believed that Louis Farrakhan would be chatting with gays and lesbians on a conference call while William Weld would be distancing himself from the LGBT community. But that’s exactly what happened over the summer.

Farrakhan, the historically homophobic Nation of Islam leader, found himself reaching out to black gays and lesbians to encourage them to attend his Millions More Movement March in October, while Weld, the traditionally gay-friendly former Massachusetts Governor, found himself wiggling out of his state (and his past) to carpetbag his way to the Republican nomination for governor of New York.

Posted in politics on September 23 2005, 12:29AM | Read More | Comments (9)

Uptown Saturday Night

Not along ago in a place not too far away, there used to be a monthly Saturday night party in Harlem that drew quite a few people uptown. Despite the community's storied gay history with the Harlem Renaissance, today there are not many social outlets for black gay men who live north of 110th Street in Manhattan.

But fortunately, this Saturday we get a taste of the old and a blast from the not too distant past when UP hosts a reunion party. Promoters Nathan Williams and Nathan "Seven" Scott will be on hand to greet the guests. They've even gotten DJ Ken Terry again. The UP party takes place this Saturday, September 24 from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. at Bayou, 308 Lenox Avenue at 125th Street.

Posted in pop culture on September 23 2005, 5:45AM | Permalink

The Unsolved Murder of Rashawn Brazell

"Around 3:00 a.m. on February 17, 2005, New York City transit workers found two suspicious bags alongside the track at the Nostrand Avenue station in Brooklyn. It would spark the investigation of one of the most gruesome crimes New York has seen. One of the bags was a black trash bag. Inside it was a blue trash bag, and inside that were the body parts of a young black male." That's the way "America's Most Wanted" begins its description of the murder of Rashawn Brazell.

Thanks to the work of the Anti Violence Project and others, the case of Rashawn Brazell will air on "America's Most Wanted" tonight. I've reported on Rashawn Brazell before on this website. Rashawn was a 19-year-old black gay man and an aspiring web designer who was interested in the fashion industry. He was last seen alive around Valentine's Day in Brooklyn, New York, and police are still searching for his murderer.

Posted in sexuality on September 24 2005, 12:28PM | Read More | Comments (6)

Desperate Housewives Returns In Color

They're back. The ladies of Wisteria Lane are back and more fierce than ever. Now they've even got a little color in them with Alfre Woodard.

This is the one show I've been waiting for since last season. The series began last fall with Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong), the narrator, took her own life. But what would make this perfect housewife abandon her perfect life? Each week we learn a little bit more about Mary Alice's not-so-perfect life, the scandals behind her friends and neighbors, and about the murder itself.

Posted in pop culture on September 25 2005, 3:06PM | Read More | Comments (11)