on the dig

Spike Lee’s Passing Strange opens today in New York City.  And if you know anything about what’s what in the advancement of black expression in the American arts [or want to know] then you should know everything about Passing Strange.  The hit Broadway musical about a young black man determined to look beyond his imposed…

South African runner Caster Semenya is under investigation for her gender.  The 18-year-old track and fielder won the 800-meter Women’s gold medal at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin yesterday.  Semenya won with a record-breaking 1 minute, 55.54 seconds.  That’s beyond impressive.  I ran the 800-meter in high school and couldn’t break 2 minutes and…

It’s absolutely hilarious that a Dartmouth College student would walk into a town hall meeting with a picture of Obama defaced like Hitler.  It’s down right radical that Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank refused to engage in a conversation with the student who compared Obama’s health care policy to a Nazi policy.  It made my day…

Standish Maximum Security Prison may shut down in October.  That’s an interesting blow for the good people of Standish, Michigan.  One, it was just announced that the Standish facility was being considered for the relocation of Guantanamo detainees.  Two, it’s the largest employer for the town and that means folks won’t have a means to…

District 9, one of the most anticipated alien flicks in decades, opened this weekend. And yes, I nearly went into cardiac arrest trying to find tickets and seats for Saturday.  Rest assured, I made it happen.  I love sci-fi films.  I particularly love sci-fi/alien films that make intriguing social commentary on humanity and the humans…

Abercrombie & Fitch is in the news again. Their quarterly sales have come in and it doesn’t look good. The clothing store refuses to lower their prices during the recession and folks aren’t shopping there.  But that’s not the news I’m talking about.  I’m talking about a semi-nude black man, an auction block and dozens…

Asbury Park, New Jersey is known as a mecca for musicians and artists.  Bruce Springsteen carved out a mammoth career paying homage to the seaside community.  It’s also known for its progressive gay scene and a recent cultural revitalization.  And no, I’m not on the pulse of what’s what in cultural America.  I didn’t know…

Women make up fifty percent of HIV infections across the globe.  We know this. Some men prefer to have sex without condoms. Especially in sub Saharan Africa and many corners of America.  We know this too.  If not, know it and change the habit or knock some sense into ANYONE who brags about this criminal…

Horror stories from the airlines are getting worse and worse. Just last week a Continental jet encountered severe turbulence and over twenty passengers were injured.  But I don’t think it gets any crazier than Continental Flight 2816. Forty-seven Minneapolis-bound passengers were grounded ten hours because of severe weather and never allowed to leave the plane. …

Big Daddy Kane performed at Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Saturday.  And yes, Mister “King Asiatic Nobody Else” was still bringing lyrics and Asiatic flow and the courage to dance like a true golden rapper.  I must admit I wasn’t able to check him out.  Don’t worry.  I was grilled by a few friends about…