It's the Questions

1. Isn't it genuinely mind-boggling that Martin Scorcese didn't have an Oscar until 3 days ago?
2. Don't we think Forrest Whitaker should write down his acceptance speeches from now on?
3. Aren't Justin and Fergie's albums just a little bit hotter than you'd like to admit they are?
4. Can you think of anyone who would beat out Tim Hardaway for Dumbest Man Alive?
5. What the hell is wrong with Scottie Pippen?
6. Does the fact that 35 degrees feels like a "nice day" after a month of sub-zero wind chills mean that cold is a state of mind? or at least that it's relative?
7. How much of a baller would you be if you didn't have to pay taxes?
8. Is R. Kelly the most prolific musician of our generation? Think about it...
9. (... as much as I like being feisty.)
10. Speaking of co-contributors (tri-contributors?)... where's Aristocrates' Vegas post? There has to be one afterall. Right?

Bonus Question: As I write this at 5am... Should I have known that 4 shots of espresso at 7pm would equal zero hours of sleep for me tonight?

And 1

Greetings Folks...

Another day, another post. And as it turns out, my previous post was a most momentous one: Our 300th post here at the Musings. Had I been paying attention, I would've commemorated it with some (hopefully) clever commentary on the prolific nature our of postings. Instead, I'll just say a belated Congratulations to Us.

Now to the business at hand...

I recently returned from NBA All-Star Weekend in sinfully sunny Lost Wages, Nevada. A few observations:

1. Brian Urlacher is not nearly as swollen in person as he looks on tv. In person he looks like Brian Urlacher's little brother. (Brian Urlacher's still very cute little brother.)
2. The Mandalay Bay had to know what they were doing when they decided to erect the nation's largest advertisement in the form of Dwayne Wade's portrait on the side of their hotel. If you were wondering where your girl was staying, there's an 80% chance it would be in the hotel with D. Wade's face plastered on the side. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.
3. Gambling is only fun for people who have virtually unlimited funds. Like if someone could take $2,500 out of your checking account without you noticing, at least until you balance your checkbook, then losing $100 on a hand of blackjack is probably pretty funny to you. For everybody else, the fun is a mystery to me.
4. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of Black America. A show of hands of everyone who felt like (or knows someone who felt like) they rode to Vegas on Soul Plane... Yeah, me too. And leaving Vegas??? Wow. Which brings me to my Theory of Lines:

When faced with an impossibly long line, like the one for Southwest Airlines that extended outside Macarran Airport and like 3 blocks down the street, you have a few options. You can
A) Turn around and not do whatever you were trying to do (i.e. fly home).
B) Find an alternative to that line (i.e. buy a ticket on another airline).
C) Get in line and hope you don't miss your flight.
or D) Find a gap in the line (i.e. someone who's not paying attention) and casually make your way into it.

I'm partial to Option D. And for those of you (like myself) who feel just a teensy bit guilty for cutting all those people and wanna restore your karma, keep an eye out for people walking up to the line with their jaws on the ground because they can't believe how long it is. Then invite them to get in line ahead of you. They'll be genuinely grateful for your generosity, and you'll feel like you've done a good thing.

So, to recap: 300 (and 1) posts... Urlacher not so big in person... I (heart) D. Wade... Gambling = bad... and when it comes to long lines, get in where you fit in.

Hollers...

Tragedy and Comedy

The Daily Show's take on the senator's oft-discussed Blackness:



In other (related) news:
I was recently witness to a classroom discussion that reminded me a certain Chris Rock joke...A third grade class was having a Black History Month event. The instructor asked the class if anyone knew who started Negro History Week (the precursor to Black History Month). Little hands flew up.

Call on a little boy, "Yes?" ... Martin Luther King? "Nope."
Call on a little girl, "Yes?" ... Rosa Parks? "No, that's not it either."

No one guessed Martina Luther King, but you get the point.

The Wire

The Wire deserves a post that adequately describes why its the best television show of all-time. I obviously haven't seen every show on television but the simple departure from the traditional and the wisdom of crowds makes me feel damn secure in that position. That being said, such a post is probably not in me.

Throughout the fall of 2006, I pretty much told any peer I could that they need to watch the show especially my social worker-teacher folks given the Season 4 focus. You want to see a realistic portrayal of the challenges faced at the different levels of the societal hierarchy and how competing public policies drive the cultural forces that influence and endanger the lives of black youth then you should have turned on HBO on Sunday nights or called up your HBOnDemand.

But damn...I just re-watched the Season 4 finale and I - even on the second watch - felt genuinely depressed. For better or worse, I generally keep a level of detachment from such fiction but any wall was completely destroyed. Seeing "the system" virtually not work in anyone's favor temporarily zapped my enthusiam to talk about or even refer the show. If you liked the show you'd end up in a funk like me.

But did I mention that this is the best television show in the history of television?

(P.S. I toyed with the accompanying image featuring Bodie but I couldn't bring myself to do it.)

Something I'm Feeling

This tagline:

On its own Web site, Apple Inc. tells visitors to get a Mac, stating, "Why upgrade to Vista when you can upgrade past it?"

"I'm not looking at you dudes, I'm looking passst ya..." - Hov (Pre-Kingdom Come Hov)