“12 Days of Christmas: The Concert – Redux”

Posted on December 25, 2013 by alphaheel

“12 Days of Christmas: The Concert – Redux”

Posted on December 25, 2013 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/21/11 and 12/24/12)

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day.

By now, many of you should have already begun your well planned and no doubt, richly deserved hiatus from work. You have finished your shopping and taken care of all the major errands that accompany preparing for the Big Day. Perhaps all that remains is packing and/or traveling; maybe that throw-down cooking marathon that precedes the arrival of the family, friends, and guests whom you will host over the coming week.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. No, this is your time to take advantage of the opportunity to hang out with your guests, or to be a guest, and enjoy the hospitality of friends and family.

In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am, as the Title suggests, reprising a previous post. In fact, not just any previous post, not even just any prior Christmas Post. I am, essentially re-posting my entry from last Christmas and the one that preceded it.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled “The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.” I think Congreve was on to something. If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards. This year, I am again offering the same artistic olio for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure. Below, you will find bios for the 14 artists, the 13 YouTube video interpretations, and the 12 songs listed and included in the form of a Yuletide e-concert. The information and links below tell the essence of the story; but there are a few points I wish to amplify for your consideration.

The number in parenthesis after each artist’s name is his or her current age, or the age at which the artist died, in the cases of James Brown, Eartha Kitt, John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, and Donny Hathaway. Each artist, song and interpretation is special in its own right.

The legendary Godfather of Soul, as James Brown became known, died on Christmas Day (2006, aged 73), as did Eartha Kitt (2008, aged 81), whom shall ever remain, to many of us, the incomparably personified Catwoman. There was both a surreal sadness and a resolute completeness associated with them ending their respective earthly journeys on Christmas Day, two years apart. Both artists were born in South Carolina; Brown in Barnwell, and Kitt, in North. Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” was a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than flash and dash. Kitt’s “Santa Baby” is on my list, not only because it is a classic; it is, but also because like me, it was born in 1953. I’d like to think we both (the song and I) have held up well.

Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” quite simply personifies Christmas for many of us. Hathaway, an initiate of Howard University’s Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, was a brilliant musician, but a troubled man. He endured bouts of depression and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which ultimately led him to commit suicide (1979, aged 33). “This Christmas,” however, lives on, and along with it and many of his other classics, so does his melodious voice.

Chris Brown (age 24), has had his moments. He is known in most circles as either the Pied Piper to Generation Y (Millennials), or That Guy…you know, the one who beat down Robyn Fenty (age 25); Rihanna to you! This post will not attempt to moralize, or capitalize in any other way on the beef between these two. Rather, for the purposes of this commentary, I wanted to touch upon Chris’ cover of Hathaway’s classic tune This Christmas. I think he did a fine job, and is an example that, many voices to the contrary, Gen X’ers are not only capable, but do in fact, continue to perpetuate the tradition of making great music.

Nat King Cole (1965, age 45) and Natalie Cole (age 63), father and daughter, both stellar musicians, in their own right represent two successive generations of the “family business.” Though the elder Cole is probably better known for his interpretation of “The Christmas Song,” I intentionally chose his rendition of another standard, “O Holy Night,” to highlight another of his great performances. I included Natalie’s rendering of “The First Noel,” solely because of my partiality to the reverse spelling of “Noel!”

Having eschewed Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song,” I could not omit it altogether. Mary J. Blige (age 42), delivers a virtuoso performance of this classic tune, The Christmas Song. She is one of my favorite contemporary artists, singing one of the Christmas songs I enjoy most. Ledisi (age 43, until her New Years’ Eve birthday) and Lauryn Hill (age 38) are two of contemporary R&B’s most accomplished female voices. Their versions of “Give Love On Christmas Day,” and “Little Drummer Boy,” respectively, are special treats, and integral components of this e-concert.

John Coltrane and Dianne Reeves (age 57) add an instrumental (“My Favorite Things”) and vocal (“Christmas Time Is Here”) jazz flavor to the mix, respectively. “Trane,” born in Hamlet, North Carolina, died of liver cancer (1967, aged 40), another life cut short, at far too young an age. He and the combo render a cool version of the tune, so much so that it could make it one of “your favorite things.” Ms. Reeves uses her powerful and well-trained instrument to construct a compelling version of “Christmas Time Is Here.”

Christina Aguilera (age 33) and Brian McKnight (age 44) unite in a superb collaboration on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” They revel in demonstrating multiple octave range and elasticity in framing their unique arrangement of this classic that makes it a song I enjoy listening to again and again. Last, but certainly not least, Will Downing (age 50), perhaps my favorite musical artist, delivers a silky smooth rendition of “White Christmas.” What can I say? Will…is Will!

That’s it, 14 artists, 13 videos (a Baker’s Dozen), and 12 songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The Concert – Redux!” Enjoy it again, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

James Brown (73) – Merry Christmas Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg6FcaYHf4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown

Eartha Kitt (81) – Santa Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMyF9fDKzE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt

Donny Hathaway (33) – This Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1mVUEHeUE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway

Chris Brown (21) – This Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty2eya8zWyE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_(American_singer)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna

Nat King Cole (45) – O Holy Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4uP32mnAjY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole

Natalie Cole (60) – The First Noel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6fTRTQrG4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Cole

Kem (41) – The Christmas Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jk34lUQoyQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kem_(singer)

Ledisi (32) – Give Love On Christmas Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f64UB0904As

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledisi

Lauryn Hill (35) – Little Drummer Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxv88-euQtE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauryn_Hill

John Coltrane (40) – My Favorite Things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6xkVRWzCY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane

Dianne Reeves (54) – Christmas Time Is Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE&feature=related

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Reeves

Christina Aguilera (30) & Brian McKnight (41) – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftva4G2vmDw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McKnight

Will Downing (47) – White Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f64UB0904As

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Downing

Obamacare: The Worst Thing Ever?

Posted on December 18, 2013 by alphaheel

Over the last five years, we have become accustomed to assertions from the GOP and the Tea Party Movement that President Obama and his policies are detrimental to our health, wealth, and anything else we treasure. The current Exhibit A on the subject comes to us via social media.

This past Sunday morning (7:41 AM – 15 Dec 2013), North Carolina State Senator Robert Rucho, a former dentist who represents the state’s 39^th Senate District, which includes Mecklenburg County, tweeted:

“Justice Robert’s pen & Obamacare has done more damage to the USA then (sic) the swords of the Nazis, Soviets & terrorists combined.”

There has been a fair amount of follow-up on this subject, including a campaign designed to promote shame, or otherwise persuade Senator Rucho to apologize. Not surprisingly, he has resisted efforts to make him comply. In fact, on Sunday afternoon (1:14 PM – 15 Dec 2013), Senator Rucho responded to his critics with a follow-up tweet making the following point”

“Those that tweeted, put your thinking caps back on: “The PEN is mightier than the SWORD.” Edward Bulwar-Lytton (sic), 1839. But surely you knew that.”

In the most basic parlance, the Senator framed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a way that likened it to the devastation promulgated by Hitler, Stalin, and al-Qaeda…except, in his assessment, it is worse. Nazis and Stalinists perpetrated oppressive regimes and killed, or caused the death of millions of people across the Continent of Europe. Closer to home, we learned that al-Qaeda was responsible for the atrocities of 9/11, when 2,996 died immediately during the attack, including citizens from more than 90 countries. Authorities accounted for 6,294 people treated in area hospitals for injuries from the 9/11 attacks, just in New York City.

By contrast, the ACA, or Obamacare, as the law is known familiarly, would insure nearly 40 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance, extend pre-existing condition coverage, and lower premiums by as much as $2,500. The relative power of Pens and swords notwithstanding, the Senator’s metaphor does not seem at all analogous in this instance.

Perhaps some of the most significant news associated with his pronouncement is that he expanded the list of culprits for this damaging scourge, to include not just the President, but also the acknowledged conservative Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts.

For a denizen of the Right to target this POTUS as the man responsible for desecration and disintegration of the fulcrum of the Free World is easy, almost axiomatic. Painting the current Chief Justice with the same brush is more than a little surprising, but perhaps simply emblematic of the multitudinous desperate measures that Right Wing haters have taken to marginalize, defeat, and depose this president, since the day he took Office.

The recent attack on the ACA is neither the first, nor the only target upon which Senator Rucho has trained his sights. He has also:

Sponsored a bill to restrict North Carolina from setting up Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges
Rejected Medicaid expansion, which blocked nearly 377,000 North Carolinians from Medicaid coverage
Referred to a bill to slash the State’s unemployment program a “re-employment bill”
Supported implementing a regressive sales tax
Opposed immigrants taking up slots in NC Community Colleges

Continuing to respond to negative feedback, Senator Rucho, on Monday, clarified that he was referring to the economic damage caused by the ACA, compared to the economic damage of other events. By doing so, he narrowed the window of focus, but it is still a stretch to suggest that the combined deleterious economic impact of the Holocaust, Stalin’s purge, and 9/11, is less than that caused by Obamacare. As we Southerners are fond of saying, “That dog don’t hunt.”

In the final analysis, there are many ways to look at this latest hyperbolic expression. It may be par for the course, it may be the logical extension of previous outrageous partisan assertions, or it may be the most ridiculous statement you have heard lately. I do not know what the Senator thinks, but it sounds as though he is suggesting…” Obamacare: The Worst Thing Ever?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Rucho

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/goper-obamacare-worse-the-holocaust

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bulwer-Lytton,_1st_Baron_Lytton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richelieu_(play)

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/Blog/2013/12/16/NC-state-lawmaker-says-Obamacare-is-worse-than-Nazis-Soviets-and-terrorists-combined/9941387217076/

http://www.wral.com/rucho-health-law-more-harmful-to-us-than-nazis/13220181/

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/12/15/3067651/north-carolina-legislator-obamacare/

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/rucho-obamacare-more-harmful-us-nazis/ncMBq/

http://wonkette.com/536655/north-carolina-state-senator-hits-nazi-ussr-terrorist-trifecta-of-obamacare-hyperbole

http://beforeitsnews.com/opinion-conservative/2013/12/think-progress-not-happy-nc-legislator-says-obamacare-worse-than-nazis-and-terrorists-2773018.html

Farewell Madiba!

Posted on December 11, 2013 by alphaheel

Break It Down!

Last Thursday, the venerable (Nelson) Rolihlahla Mandela, former, and first black, President of South Africa, died. Yesterday, in the fifth day of a ten-day observance memorializing Ta Ta’s (referred to thusly because he is considered a Father figure by many South Africans, but also the Father of the South African nation) life and accomplishments, President Obama was among those chosen to speak at the service. The following CNN link includes a video and transcript of President Obama’s remarks: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/politics/mandela-obama-remarks/

Most Americans know the story of President Obama and of the improbable nature of his rise to prominence. While it is true, in 2004, few Americans would have been bold enough, or prescient enough, or even crazy enough to predict that a black man in the Illinois State Senate would by 2014 be in the second year of his second term as President of the United States. Tempest fugit…and things change.

Well, as unlikely as President Obama’s arc to the Presidency was, President Mandela’s rise to the ultimate seat of power in a country synonymous with Apartheid, and in which Nelson Mandela had spent 27 years in prison was even more unlikely. The government of South Africa imprisoned Mr. Mandela from August 5, 1962 until February 2, 1990. It is difficult to imagine that anyone could have predicted in 1989 that by 1999, Mr. Mandela, who was still in jail at the time (1989), would in ten years, voluntarily step down after having served a term as South Africa’s President. The government in Pretoria might have placed an individual who did such a thing on a fast track to a cellblock next to Mandela.

However, that is precisely what happened. So yesterday, America’s first black President, after a 19-hour flight, served as one of the celebrity eulogists for Ta Ta, South Africa’s first black President.

Mr. Mandela, who died at 95, reinvented himself, and was revered and beloved by many around the world. President Obama, in his speech, talked about Madiba’s tribal (Xhosa/Thembu) roots, and at times compared him to Gandhi, King, and Lincoln. President Obama was clear in expressing his personal admiration for the South African, and noted specifically that his first political action came after learning about Nelson Mandela. He protested Apartheid.

I noted earlier, the link above directs you to both a video and the transcript of President Obama’s remarks. Principally, I am taking this opportunity to declare my own esteem and appreciation for the life that Madiba lived and for his fidelity to the principles of doing the right thing, and to his resolute commitment to forgive…even those who imprisoned him.

To wit I say, “Farewell Madiba!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-madiba-meaning/3889469/

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/12/08/south-africans-affectionately-called-mandela-madiba-or-tata-look-at-his/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/politics/mandela-obama-remarks/

http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/names

http://www.citypress.co.za/news/tata-gone-eyes-never-hearts-minds/

http://www.channel24.co.za/News/Local/A-beautiful-flash-mob-in-honour-of-Tata-Madiba-20131210

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/zuma-winnie-pray-for-tata-1.1619143#.UqftEMvxvIU

http://citizen.co.za/97871/pta-gears-pay-tata-homage/

https://www.google.com/search?q=mandela+ta+ta&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=WOunUqnRHMnksATXmYDYAw&ved=0CGsQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=620

Another Day, Another Presidential Death Threat!

Posted on December 4, 2013 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

There is a popular meme that if a person is President of the most powerful country in the world, he or she is about as close to invincible as possible. However, the reality of the situation was re-enforced all too poignantly as we as a nation collectively commemorated the 50^th Anniversary of the November 22, 1963 assassination of JFK.

Coincidentally, or not, during the same week as that Golden Anniversary observance of the death of President Kennedy, the U.S. Secret Service arrested Joshua Phillip Klimas, of Coventry, Connecticut, for communicating threats to kill President Obama and his family. The agents arrested Mr. Klimas on November 20, 2013. A judge then ordered him committed to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

According to the criminal complaint, On June 1^st, Klimas wrote on whitehouse.gov:

“If you do not resign by the end of the year I will kill you!”

Klimas is an engineering student at the University of Connecticut (UConn). According to Hartford TV Station WFSB 3, Klimas wrote at least two other statements threatening the President, including:

“Your days are numbered and it will bring me much pleasure to watch the blood pour from your treasonous body,”

“I will not rest until you are either behind bars or a pile of ashes.”

The agent who took Klimas’ statement said he admitted he wrote the post. He added, it was his duty to protect the Constitution and that the post served as a wake-up warning for the President Obama.

The complaint noted that Klimas has threatened other people. Klimas stated that he has had mental issues and has been committed to a hospital on two occasions as a result. He also indicated he has taken medical marijuana for anxiety, and that medical professionals at UConn treated him.

Klimas’ actions are under investigation by the Secret Service, UConn, and the Coventry Police Department. However, in many ways, it is probably unfair to highlight just the Klimas case. After all, his is by no means the only instance this year (which is almost over), or in that month, or during the week in question, or even on that day. In fact, the sheer volume may surprise you. The number is so staggeringly massive the Secret Service does not even tell the President about them on an individual basis. Through the year 2012, the number was around 40,000, which translates to more than 30 per day. That extrapolates to more than 50,000 by now, and nearly 1,000 more by the end of the year. To wit, “Another Day, Another (Thirty) Presidential Death Threat(s).” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/joshua-phillip-klimas-obama-threat_n_4318973.html

http://newsone.com/2788994/joshua-phillip-klimas-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-president-obama/

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/UConn-Student-Accused-of-Threatening-President-232880531.html

http://www.wtnh.com/news/crime/man-allegedly-threatened-to-kill-president-obama

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/11/connecticut_man_joshua_phillip.html

http://wzakcleveland.com/3587739/joshua-phillip-klimas-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-president-obama/

https://www.google.com/search?q=Joshua+Phillip+Klimas+threatens+President+Obama&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=S4-eUvuJHpfIsASnkoHYAg&ved=0CGoQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=620

http://foxync.com/tag/joshua-phillip-klimas/

http://www.blackchristiannews.com/news/2013/11/connecticut-man-joshua-phillip-klimas-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-president-obama.html

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/16006555-joshua-phillip-klimas-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-obama

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/366975-joshua-phillip-klimas-arrested-for-threatening-to-kill-president-obama/

http://jezebel.com/5963372/massive-number-of-death-threats-against-president-obama-exhausts-the-secret-service

A Time For Giving Thanks!

Posted on November 27, 2013 by alphaheel

Originally posted on November 24, 2010 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

As in the past, since it is Thanksgiving Week, this post will deviate from the standard fare. I know that travel schedules (impeded by weather events this year), meal planning, family time, shopping, football, parades, and if there is any time remaining, relaxation, will dominate this week. However, it is Wednesday, so there shall be a blog! It is definitely brief.

Those among us who have perfected humility, and ascended to a genuine Nirvana state, have no doubt, also elevated giving thanks to an art form. The rest of us must fully invest our appreciation in the notion, “That’s why we have Thanksgiving!”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which kicks off what we refer to commonly as the Holiday Season. Almost instinctively, Thanksgiving and Christmas come to mind. Yet, there is so more than that to the Season.

Over the next 54 days, many of us will enjoy succulent feasting at Thanksgiving, exchange gifts and contribute to the needy during Hanukkah. We will buy, give, exchange, and/or receive gifts at Christmas, eat, drink, and celebrate the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, and party and toast the dawn of 2011(2014), on New Year’s Day. We will honor the life and works of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on MLK Day. In addition, even in these tough economic times, this weekend, millions of Americans will pay (literally) homage to our most celebrated of shoppers’ holiday weekends, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, by rising early, and proceeding to scour the aisles for those perfect gifts…and if not perfect, at least cheap, relatively speaking.

In past years, I have recounted my reasons for being thankful. This year I find that I have more reasons than ever to sit contemplatively in humble repose, and affirm boldly, that I know, without caveat, not only the goodness, no greatness of God, but also of his inestimable and inexhaustible beneficence. I thank Him for deliverance, and for imbuing me with the sense and sensibility to discern the distinction between kairos and chronos, Greek concepts for God’s time, and man’s time, respectively.

Eons ago, when I was a college student, I joined a fraternity; the Oldest, Boldest, and Coldest…I digress. The point of this reference is that during the erstwhile pledge process, as prospective initiates, we were required to learn a series of poems. There were many, each selected to convey a specific life lesson. Many of them have stayed with me, but none more than Invictus, written by English poet, William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). The Latin translation for Invictus is undefeated. You may recall it, but just in case, see it below:

Invictus (Latin for Undefeated) By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

So, as you go about your way tomorrow, and all the tomorrows that follow, recognize that Thanksgiving, at its core, is not simply a day on the calendar. It is a spirit that dwells within us, an impulse that prompts us to thank God (for our being undefeated), and the graciousness to share His blessings with our fellow men and women. Indeed, everyday is “A Time for Giving Thanks!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kairos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ernest_Henley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

The Hip Hop Congressman: Busted!

Posted on November 20, 2013 by alphaheel

BREAK It Down!

At first blush, the notions of conservative, hip-hop, and Congressman may seem incongruent, if not mutually exclusive. However, as we wind our way through the 21^st century, we must be aware that some paradigms have shifted; after all, we have a black President. There are other instances in which, while the paradigm may not have changed or evolved, there are exceptions. I give you Florida Congressman Henry Jude “Trey” RadeI, III.

Mr. Radel maintains a Twitter account. He describes himself, in his Twitter profile, as a “hip hop conservative.” He is a 37 year-old conservative Republican who represents Florida’s 19^th Congressional District, which includes Fort Myers, Naples, and Cape Coral in southwest Florida.

“Trey,” who grew up in suburban Cincinnati, lists the musical influences of his youth as, Eric B., Big Daddy Kane, and Chuck D of Public Enemy. In other words, he was part of the “quiet as it’s kept,” majority white culture support system of the rap music industry. He claims as his 1989 introduction to the world of hip hop, NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton.” The first words he heard: “You are now about to witness the strength knowledge.”

Congressman Radel found a way to integrate the spirit of hip hop into his conservative political vision. As he framed it:

“I find a conservative message in “Fight the Power (a Chuck D meme)” because I believe when government expands it becomes a political tool meant to oppress.”

Radel may be a part of hip hop records’ majority of buyers, but his affiliation with conservative Republican politics is another thing altogether. While I have no statistics on the question, I have a sense that his avowed hip hop flava makes him a minority of one among Republican Congressmen. In his allegiance to the musically crafted views of Chuck D, he is almost certainly unique in the club that is Republican Congressmen. In July 2013, Congressman Radel, in describing why he is a hip hop conservative, wrote this:

“My goal as a Member of Congress is to connect and communicate the conservative message to people, cutting across cultural, generational, and ethnic lines. My love for music has helped me do this, and as much as we may disagree philosophically, Public Enemy and NWA have helped me do this. Music has always been a way to bridge people together, whether it’s sharing a head nod to hip hop or having a jam session with a few Fenders.”

On October 29, 2013, law enforcement officials arrested Congressman Radel on cocaine charges, in Washington, DC. Today he will appear in court on misdemeanor charges of possession; he could serve a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail along with a $1000.00 fine.

The Congressman, married and father to a son, has apologized to his family and his constituents. He has admitted, in addition to letting down his family and the voters, that he is an alcoholic. He notes that a positive outcome of this unfortunate event is it has nudged him to seek treatment and counseling.

I hope Trey can pull it together, for the sake of his family, for the sake of his constituents, and most important, for the opportunity to save his life. This is my wish for him, as it would be for anyone, our ideological differences notwithstanding. For nearly eleven months, Mr. Radel has been an interesting person, an oddity in his field. Today, he is…” The Conservative Hip Hop Congressman: Busted!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey_Radel

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-trey-randel-charged-cocaine-possession-20131119,0,6316068.story#axzz2l9AK94Gm

http://news.yahoo.com/fla-congressman-charged-cocaine-possession-220606904–politics.html

http://www.ibtimes.com/trey-radel-cocaine-tea-party-republican-congressman-florida-arrested-charged-cocaine-possession

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/19/hip-hop-conservative-rep-trey-radel-arrested-for-cocaine-possesion.html

http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/19/rep-trey-radel-arrested-for-cocaine-possession-in-dc/

http://www.mediaite.com/online/gop-rep-trey-radel-arrested-for-cocaine-possession/

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/11/19/hip-hop-conservative-rep-trey-radel-charged-with-cocaine-possession

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-florida-trey-radel-update-20131119,0,6782446.story

http://www.smh.com.au/world/tea-party-hip-hop-congressman-trey-radel-to-be-charged-with-drug-possession-20131120-2xufo.html?skin=text-only

http://gawker.com/republican-congressman-trey-radel-busted-for-cocaine-po-1467756797

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_(band)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Daddy_Kane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_B._%26_Rakim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.W.A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Outta%27_Compton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrQtOoQRpc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk

Richie’s Wish: To Be Incognito, Please!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by alphaheel

In MEMORIAM: G. Ronald Tillman 5/21/53 – 11/13/12

BREAK IT DOWN!

Today is the one-year anniversary of my friend, Fraternity Brother, fellow Carolina alum, and sports fan extraordinaire, G. Ronald Tillman, transitioning to the next life. May he Rest In Peace! This post is for him.

For the past couple of weeks now a significant portion of the NFL media machine has focused on the brouhaha emanating from the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin imbroglio. Just in case you have been in a cave, you have been out of the country, or perchance, you happen not to be a football fan, and have managed to miss this storyline, it boils down, in a nutshell, to a blow-up in the Miami Dolphins locker room.

Depending upon ones perspective, the not so spontaneous combustion occurred because Incognito bullied Martin, and displayed racist behavior, or because Martin, a rookie, despite being 6’5”, 312 pounds, was ill equipped, or at least reluctant to push back against the 6’3”, 320 pounds of Incognito. Ultimately, Martin left the team, according to his attorney, because of “harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing.” The Dolphins subsequently suspended Incognito for conduct detrimental to the team.

By most estimates, football, the NFL variety, is America’s Sport. It is the ultimate gladiator contest. Moreover, as this episode underscores, not just the combatants, but even teammates can be adversaries. There are myriad stories purporting to depict the intricacies of what happened and why, including details of the interaction between the two men, both before and after the controversial locker room/team meeting incident.

For his part, faced with the release of a profanity and racial epithet laced text message that he sent Martin, Mr. Incognito has responded , insisting that he is not a racist, and that the transcript of the text message simply reflects the close nature of the team, and the fact that they routinely communicate (without malice) in this non-traditional way. He also asserts that Martin recently sent him a threatening text message…which he “did not take seriously.”

While the NFL is still in its investigative process, there are already rumors that Martin may be through as a Dolphin. Speculation persists that Incognito, despite a checkered past, in college, and in the NFL, is of higher value to the team than the shy, standoffish, and perhaps cerebral (played collegiately at Stanford University) Martin.

The angles to this story are varied and endless. I will not even attempt to explore them, nor their validity, in an exhaustive manner. Instead, in honor of my good friend Ron, I will do what sports fans (extraordinaire or not) typically do best; offer my unvarnished opinion on the matter.

I have been neither in a cave, nor out of the country. I do admit to not being a big NFL fan. The he game is too violent for my tastes. Moreover, it is not just that there is violence in the game, but rather that NFL players, especially at the so-called non-skilled positions, gain their bona fides based on the level and intensity of the violence they bring to a particular play. There is a purposeful effort to elevate the “doing battle in the coliseum” metaphor when opposing teams take the football field.

By most accounts, Richie is certainly no choirboy. However, there is no indication his behavior, vis-à-vis Martin, was viewed as a problem by the team. In fact, his extracurricular activity may even have been encouraged. While I respect that football culture is unique, and that the locker room is a special inner sanctum, it is virtually impossible to draw an imaginary line in the sand that dictates aggression and hostilities start and stop on cue. Those unpredictable traits almost never conform in such a convenient way.

In my view, Incognito’s actions are boorish and unsportsmanlike. His behavior in this incident was not consistent with that of a good teammate; in every way imaginable, it was unacceptable. However, the bottom line is, his actions are on par for the NFL. Some reports floating around go as far as to suggest Miami’s coaching staff actually encouraged Incognito to “bring Martin out of his shell.” Given the machismo-driven attitudes associated with even the fandom of football, it is hard to consider anything about this matter surprising. It is part of a classic vicious cycle. The players display a ake-no-prisoners attitude. The fans exhort them to be even more forceful. The players double-down and step it up.

So where does it all end? In this instance, it ends with…“Richie’s Wish: To Be Incognito Please!” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richie_Incognito

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Martin_(American_football)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovan_Belcher

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dneagles/My-Perspective-Of-The-Incognito-Martin-Mess.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2013/11/10/richie-incognito-says-im-not-a-racist-in-fox-interview/

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/11/07/richie-incognito-jonathan-martin-dolphins-lydon-murtha/

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177105/jay-glazers-interview-richie-incognito-was-sports-journalism-its-worst#

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9955599/richie-incognito-miami-dolphins-only-product-environment

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/10/jonathan-martins-text-meme-richie-incognito_n_4252055.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/as-game-draws-near-dolphins-fend-off-questions-about-martin-incognito-harassment-case/2013/11/10/edef00cc-49c7-11e3-b87a-e66bd9ff3537_story.html

http://www.tmz.com/2013/11/04/richie-incognito-n-word-bar-rage-video/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/11/us/miami-dolphins-bullying/

One Year Ago Today: President Obama Won…Again!

Posted on November 6, 2013 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

On November 6, 2012, Barack Hussein Obama defeated Mitt Romney, beat the odds, disappointed the collective GOP-Tea Party, and marched into the record books. By holding off Romney’s challenge, the President, now at the close of his fifth year in office, fashioned and executed an improbable run back to the top by winning despite facing deeply entrenched headwinds from economic doldrums that included a full-fledged downturn characterized as the Great Recession, and an unemployment rate that, even now, has not fallen south of 7%.

The President, of course carries the distinction of having been the first African American (emphasis on American if you are a Birther…hint, hint, Mr. Trump) to win the Office. November 6, 2012 marked the end of his political office-seeking life. It is too early to pen a retrospective or define this President’s legacy, of course. He has his share of detractors. Lest we forget, despite all the naysayers, Team Obama managed to:

Conceive and formulate legislation that saved the Auto Industry
Reinvent American Banking
Stabilize and energize the Housing Market
Enact a comprehensive Stimulus Package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)
Oversee approval of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Save a Captain/spawn a movie (though not depicted in Captain Phillips)
Withdraw American troops from Iraq
Terminate Osama bin Laden
Sign an Executive Order to expand immigration
Nominate two women, including the first Latina, for the Supreme Court

While any comprehensive list of POTUS’ achievements, substantive and otherwise, is much longer than the ten items above, and I have already conceded it is too early to talk legacy, the final story is likely to be closely tied to the issue known as Obamacare. That is too bad.

I say that, not because I am down on the President’s signature domestic initiative, I am not! In point of fact, I anticipate that the horrific website rollout issues will fade into a distant memory, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will do what it is designed to do…ensure that millions of Americans who have previously been denied health care will get it.

That new normal, in my opinion, will stabilize Obamacare, and the program, which will always be controversial, because of its ties to President Obama, will gain traction, and increasing support. Why will it remain controversial? We must remember, a key element of this Country still opposes Social Security, Welfare, in any of its iterations, and every other safety net program ever established in America.

Every Democratic Administration since Truman’s has been infatuated with the idea of rolling out some version of a National Health Care model. Barack Obama, the man whom Dinesh D’Souza and Newt Gingrich cited for his “Kenyan anti-colonial” worldview, despite that slur, got it done. Gingrich and the GOP-Tea Party tried valiantly to prevent Barack Obama’s re-election. The former Speaker of the House, and many like him, called the President a Socialist and virtually everything but a Child of God…oh yeah, and President. Undoubtedly, November 6, 2012 was a dispiriting day for all who hold their banner, and for their special worldview. There is no denying it, “One Year ago Today: President Obama Won…Again!” Moreover, so did America.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt_Gingrich

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinesh_D’Souza

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2010/09/12/gingrich-obama-is-engaged-in-kenyan-anti-coloni/170508

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/election-2012/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-07/obama-wins-re-election-with-romney-defeated-in-key-states.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/11/07/turnout-and-organization-were-key-to-obama-victory/1688537/

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/president-obama-wins-reelection-promises-best/story?id=17655541

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/president-obama-wins-reelection-networks-20121106

Shopping While Black: A Story of Racial Profiling

Posted on October 30, 2013 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

I cannot imagine that there is a black man in America who has not heard of, or does not know someone who has suffered the indignity of racial profiling. In fact, if I had to hazard a guess, I would suppose most black men have endured the sting associated with that repugnant act, live, and in living personal color. I certainly have.

Though the story always hits home when it is personal, it tends to have a broader and deeper resonance when the party involved is a “known entity” or has a higher than normal profile. Such is the case with “Treme” actor Rob Brown.

According to Brown, while shopping at Macy’s Manhattan Flagship store, he bought a watch for his mother. He made the purchase to commemorate her college graduation, which coincidentally, he was en route to attend. The price of the $1300 watch, (relatively expensive, but not so much when compared to the nearly $40K purse Oprah was allegedly denied an opportunity to purchase in a Swiss Boutique a couple of months ago), apparently in conjunction with Brown’s skin color caused a Macy’s clerk to suspect Brown’s may have been using a fraudulent credit card. At least that is what Mr. Brown’s surmises.

By Brown’s account, he completed the transaction to purchase the watch. Because it was a display model, the clerk needed to remove some excess paper and glue residue from the watch. Meanwhile, Brown walked to a nearby store and initiated a purchase of a pair of sunglasses. While in the midst of this purchase, several white males, at least one of whom flashed a badge, approached him.

They began to lecture him about a stolen credit card, and told him he was going to jail. They “cuffed and paraded him,” he said, through the Macy’s store, and took him to a room for interrogation.

Eventually, the detectives or security team gleaned enough information to determine that they had detained Brown in error. They then took Brown, a graduate of Amherst College, to his mother’s graduation…which he missed, by the way.

Macy’s issued a statement in its defense insisting that none of its employees were involved in the arrest. They added there was “no record” of any employee contacting authorities about Brown’s purchase of a luxury Movado watch. Wink-wink!

While that is certainly within the realm of possibility, the likelihood that the security detail materialized out of thin air, before the sunglass purchase was complete, but after the watch, alleging credit card fraud, with no prompting from Macy’s seems like one huge-A stretch. Having already admitted I have experienced profiling, and on numerous occasions, I admit I am inherently a cynic on this question.

The Brown incident is not an isolated case in the Naked City. Recently, two blacks sued Barney’s, another lionized New York shopping institution, for racial profiling. In Brown’s case, he sued Macy’s for racial profiling, and the New York City Police Department for unlawful stop and search. As this world turns, it is still clear, like driving, we must consider “Shopping While Black: A Story in Racial Profiling!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Brown_(actor)

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/29/tonight-on-ac360-actor-rob-brown-describes-being-paraded-through-macys-in-alleged-racial-profiling-incident/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/black-man-sues-macy-cuffed-making-legit-purchase-article-1.1496735

http://www.ibtimes.com/rob-brown-sues-macys-nypd-treme-actor-files-lawsuit-unlawful-stop-search-department-store-1442388

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/25/macys-racial-discrimination-lawsuit-black-shopper_n_4164823.html

http://nypost.com/2013/10/25/macys-targeted-black-customer-for-pricey-purchase/

http://hinterlandgazette.com/2013/10/treme-star-rob-brown-accuses-macys-racial-profiling-movado-watch-purchase.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/stasi-article-1.1497985

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2478002/Macys-DENIES-Treme-actor-Robert-Brown-race-profiling-allegations.html

http://thegrio.com/2013/10/28/macys-employees-not-involved-in-alleged-race-stop/

“Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: The Much Ballyhooed Website Debacle!”

Posted on October 23, 2013 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

Just over 3 weeks ago, we witnessed the official launch of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, affectionately, derisively, or at least familiarly known as Obamacare. Thanks largely to an unbelievably inauspicious, if not torturous web management enterprise; the President’s signature domestic initiative likely could not have started on shakier footing.

Perhaps, if there was one infinitesimal element or redeeming feature related to the October 1, 2013 debut of Obamacare, the thing that comes to mind is that because of inexplicable Congressional machination, the GOP/Tea Party forced a shutdown of the federal government. Consequently, major media outlets, while giving a modicum of coverage to the failed state of Obamacare program kick-off dynamics, was immersed in exhaustive day-to-day coverage of the government shutdown.

In basic terms, it is my opinion that the hoopla attendant to the website morass is vastly overstated. Yes, of course it is significant. Obamacare is, after all, characterized as that one domestic accomplishment that the President’s critics call his “only” accomplishment, before they quickly add that it would never have come to pass, were it not for a Democratic Supermajority in Congress, as no Republicans voted for it. Even supporters concede it is likely to be the legislative mandate that will be most closely associated with the future Obama legacy.

Still, the web rollout is, in and of itself, not Obamacare. It is simply a means to an end. It is an important means, to be sure. Ideally, it would be the most efficient, effective, and often used means. Ultimately, it may still be all of the above.

First, let us note, the rollout is not a one-day, a one-week, or even a one-month event. Prospective customers, or patients if you prefer the language from the legislation, have until March 2014 to sign-up during the period of Open Enrollment. There is every indication the web portal may be fully functional before then. Moreover, there are other means to access the program, including individual State exchanges (in States other than those in which intransigent Republican Governors have refused to allow the program), and egad, by picking up the phone and calling to sign-up.

This brief statement is, not by any means, intended to downplay the seriousness of the flawed web rollout of Obamacare. Rather, it is a suggestion to one-and-all not to throw out the baby with the bath water. Partisan political agendas aside, there are problems…and they are resolvable. The Administration is pushing ahead to that end…and the President’s opponents are working just as fervently to derail the efforts. In the final analysis, the marketplace will decide the outcome.

Having watched much of the discourse unfold around this initiative, I must admit, I find a couple of recent revelations…well, perplexing. Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who has oversight responsibility for the rollout of Obamacare, in a CNN interview with Dr. Sonjay Gupta, said two things that will undoubtedly draw lots of intense reaction. She indicated that HHS is bringing in the “A Team,” in an attempt to resolve the problems. She also asserted that President Obama was not made aware of the nature and scope of the problems with the website until two or three days in.

I have only one word…”uneff’nbelievable!” That is all.

Interestingly, it is the policy implications of this law that really matter. The website discussion is small ball, but low-hanging fruit that Senator Cruz and his Tea Party crew found irresistible. The Senator has threatened to pull a déjà vu move early next year, and play the shut down the government/threaten a default card, all over again. Alternately, Senator Mitch McConnell has said, essentially, “It ain’t gonna happen!” So goes the schizophrenia of the GOP.

Meanwhile we continue to consider…”Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act: The Much Ballyhooed Website Debacle!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.