Disqus - Latest Comments for hustleandfloe

Re: Katie Couric asks Glenn Beck about ‘ White Culture’

hustleandfloe — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:16:21 -0000

I agree with that theory if I think on it hard enough. To randomly spew so many epithets makes it difficult. Imagine asking the worst of the worst to "tell me about the time you said ni773r in 1965 - what did you mean by that." It can only be answered generally, not specifically since it's meant to hurt or incite, not to really define. The unfortunate thing is that, yes, a large enough percentage of folks to justify company's spending ad dollars to run in his slot. That money is amoral running to profit and away from drama. The boycott is drama, so some drop. Others weather. And maybe a few are actually corporate ideologues, but imagine any company saying, "yes, we are glad to promote white culture." There's no way to say that and have the words read simply as they're written. There is white culture, but not in the way he meant it. In a base, non-political definition as possible, white culture could be approximated as the popular definition of Americana. By right, Black is Americana, but if it were, then Whitney Houston, for example, in her heydey (glad she's back!), or Denzel, or Cosby would be considered American fabric, not just black icons. Cosby almost got there, but he's still, in my opinion, relegated to asterisk Americana, i.e. in popular thought (yes, I'm assuming here) considered "a great Black American" but not just a great American. We probably won't ever be that. A shame since white culture, black culture at their best do inform and grow each other and have done so in the worst of times.

Re: About Sonia Sotomayor’s ‘Temperment’……

hustleandfloe — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:22:50 -0000

same here. turns out my walk to Daniel Webster Elementary from Parkway Apartments on Altoona (next to cockrell hill rd.) was only 2 miles - there goes the 5-miles-in-the-snow minimum hurdle for lying to today's kids.

holdin down nyc now. they ain know.

Re: Making the Legal Case for Gay Marriage

hustleandfloe — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:07:53 -0000

While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was legislation and not a Supreme Court decision, it rested more than any legislation of the day, in my opinion, in the shadow of Supreme Court thought. I'm glad that "timing for outcomes" (bobbing for unrotten apples) did not stop Martin Luther King from pressing for what LBJ affectionately deemed "the nigger bill."

This "strategy" breaks foul wind in the face of why we bring any case to the supreme court: constitutionality.

I'm sure King, as a scholar, was cognizant of the other Civil Rights Act - the 1875 one which was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court - and the nearly uncut influence on those who held power and decision-making that remained through 1964.

Our method is to put it to the court - in season and out of season and then to abide by it per rule of law, arming for the next challenge if we disagree.

"I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

He dreamed and worked at the same time, not waiting on any favorable condition.

Re: Making the Legal Case for Gay Marriage

hustleandfloe — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:41:50 -0000

well said.

Re: About Sonia Sotomayor’s ‘Temperment’……

hustleandfloe — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:39:54 -0000

fareeldoe, tc. (to put it texas style, oak cliffian to be exact)

Re: About Sonia Sotomayor’s ‘Temperment’……

hustleandfloe — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:30:24 -0000

Thanks, Wordsmith and Spirit. Your comments point to what I believe to be a core of the debate - a singular need for game stepped up. In that sense I believe she and Obama share an open secret, knowing how to navigate the two issues that they'll try to use to pin her: abortion and race. Obama is, by his own admission, pro-life in the technical sense and he hints strongly that he is pro-life in the personal and popular political sense of that term. But he knew how to navigate both of the extremists along the campaign trail. I think Sotomayor may well be a mirror and comrade-in-arms with this deftness. It's exactly because she's got much game that she would use the bench to punk somebody, knowing full well that the bench isn't for that, technically, but in a larger sense serving the greater good of keeping lightweights off the podium - even if they're on your ideological team. Like playing playground ball, there's that one dude on the team who will be hit in the back of the head with a pass and get rightly blamed. After that, he gets nothing and the team goes forward 4 on 5 cognizant of the opponent (the "5") and the internal enemy...that no-game player on the team.

I think she's gonna surprise a bunch of folks, e.g. by not steering strict left (keeping the ball away from the weak links) and by dunking hard on the captains of the other 5 (Scalia and Thomas). May be easy too as Scalia and Thomas are not much challenged squarely on merit of nuanced argument (thomas doesn't write much and scalia goes strict ideology). She's got game to do that.

Re: Utah Governor Huntsman – Next Ambassador to China

hustleandfloe — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:38:50 -0000

yes, still traditionally a billionaire/millionaire's post, but interesting to see someone who actually has credentials that fit. it happens once in a while (check the black folks that have been appointed to major posts, e.g. Ruth Davis). from this far, most of us can't judge any of the nonsense in wash except on it's face. this seems nearly unassailable.

Re: Thursday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:45:32 -0000

but this is constitutional - you must read fine print. "...according to regulation of gatherings amongst certain folk it is duly and hereby certified that three in a cubicle constitutes a meeting, four on the street - a meeting, two on screen? a meeting. and meetings are forthwith and highly discouraged as they provide negative animus to the broad population and are thus proscribed in the interest of national s'kurdy."

Re: Thursday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:41:07 -0000

From Texas, too, Lisa - but I promise to be nice on this one as I don't want no norfsoufness to take root up in this fine thread. How..ever... I will say that I recognize that many folk are wont to claim they undergroundrailroadness... for one reason or nuther. jus sayin, ya'll need to help us scoop that water out the boat we all in.

Re: Wednesday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:27:13 -0000

I think we're giving a bit too much shine to people we would call unworthy opponents. I haven't seen much that looks like a reasoned and principled stance in this conservatism publicly espoused by black folks. More often, they look like desperate searches for identity and belonging. The fact that they can be lauded in media, get away with classic anti-intellectualism by labeling any opposing view 'elite' should be our cues that we're the ones being had by spending time wit 'em. They need us to get paid, like rush needs his most vocal haters - they clock in like Fred and Ralph and then go have dinner afterward comparing traffic with g-analytics. These aren't conservatives, just hustlers going where that bank is. Thought we knew that game.

Re: Wednesday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:06:28 -0000

Indeed. Epicfail. These protests are for the plainly deluded. The way of the world is that these cats will continue to abuse and misuse tax money. Can't do jack about that except keep your hustle intact.

Even further, this supposed crowd of 'don't work don't eat' conservatives has only themselves to blame as they have miscast taxes from the fee for service that it should be to a round punishment. I would love to pay taxes if it I knew they'd be used correctly ...simply because I can't buy my own firetruck.

Re: Being Biracial and Black in the Age of Obama

hustleandfloe — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:28:10 -0000

Jewish and African American... Mona Sutphen, currently west-wingin' it.

Re: Being Biracial and Black in the Age of Obama

hustleandfloe — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:27:16 -0000

mulatto is a bit too old school - i don't hear it as much, but I am not of a shade to be as cognizant. thx for the highlight. we may yet move into the 21st century.

Re: Karl Rove Dares to Dis Barack

hustleandfloe — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:32:24 -0000

I'm not advocating either. I just don't see it stopping.

Re: Karl Rove Dares to Dis Barack

hustleandfloe — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:07:45 -0000

in other related news - we bout to puff legal, puff live (please see Life's a B, courtesy of our friends Nas and AZ). Hil's putting it out there: http://foxforum.blogs.foxne... but the decriminilization route looks like the literal opiate of the masses, unless the states deal with weed-smoking just a little rougher than with cigarettes - heavier taxes and confined areas to bluntificate. ain't no kid with freer access gonna pay as much attention to a book or two.

Re: Karl Rove Dares to Dis Barack

hustleandfloe — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:57:23 -0000

you're dead on it robM. the move to a single measure, a basket that replaces the dollar as world reserve may well be the method to stabilize. it's gaining plenty of mo.

Re: Karl Rove Dares to Dis Barack

hustleandfloe — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:38:58 -0000

at this point, we should realize that they're done dog-whistling. these are mega-horns - I say this for two reasons.
1 - the old whistles done gone with the wind from overuse. everybody knows the codes that motivates the masses.
2 - they're done dog-whistling because they have themselves become a bit slow in the head, lacking new codes. so how can we keep up the race distraction. I don't know...fly a confed flag and call it historical observation, mention states rights, call a negro "arrogant", compliment with "articulate" - see they're all played, because black folks for the most part don't need to whine about these any more. we just get to work, still cruising on the benefit of folks who gave blood for us to do that. notice that all the whistles are from the 60's and the lone straggler from the 80's is to call anyone "hiphop" and that one may be effective but it's of limited use. Media tried and tried to put chris brown down as a hip hop artist based on all the ill that the rap game has brought to itself. (google "hip hop artist chris brown" and be amazed - dude ain't no more hip hop than the easter bunny - but it registers with older white people to call him that.)

so - stay tuned for the new codes. this one's gonna be a real tricky set. they gotta come up with em bec the race game is so necessary to keep divisions among us americans.

Re: Wednesday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:02:59 -0000

Dope, AK. I imagine c1 almost spoke the backwards magic word.
Nevertheless, methingks C. Dodd may well be his partner with a little blue derby, caught in Klptzyxm here: http://politicalticker.blog...
h&f

Re: Wednesday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:54:18 -0000

On point. We speak as if there has ever been such a thing as a truly private company apart from small business. And even small business lobbies hard for sba loans. I'm not against government money going to business in some ways but the giant co's use the states as an atm linked from the pockets of 300 million people directly to the pockets of about 1 million people.

AIG is not just a distraction from the root, but a giant apple hanging low from the tree.

The treas sec'y I only fault for not being deft enough in such a public position. He is lucky not to be black as that scrutiny he's now under would metastasize into yet another referendum on black intelligence.

The fearles corporate exec with grit and intelligence above all is a perennial myth as we discover yet again that these are just supermen flying on strings. Today, we see the strings better than folks on broadway's front row watchin' peter pan.

Re: JJP To Be On Closing Episode Of News And Notes Tomorrow

hustleandfloe — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:47:38 -0000

"I swallowed hard last night when Craig posted "Obama knew".

shoot - we brought OJ back in the house, protecting him from the white beatdown thought still giving him a solid tour of the woodshed on the black side. we still love mike ...and we should. (ok, if not "we" the "I" as I still believe he'd pay money to have our big black nose back and some brown skin to go with it.

I'll stick with O as our best bet since Soyinka, Fanon, King, X, and Garvey - though he plays a role much different from that of overt freedom fighter for black folk.

Re: JJP To Be On Closing Episode Of News And Notes Tomorrow

hustleandfloe — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:38:06 -0000

It would be its own interesting NPR story to explore the uneasy relationship of the NPR literati and their audiences with black hosts, shows, and audiences with interest to tune in to that perspective. They started with Tavis - no dis but I think many thought that was a bad fit and an overestimation of core audience and cross-over appeal. Then they went with Ed Gordon, who I thought did an excellent job, leaning in tone and tenor to a true journalism vibe. Then they mixed the journalist vibe with contemporary spirit in Farai Chideya, seemingly a square fit with the npr culture but I think it may have been difficult to achieve audience with that iteration. WNYC and PRI's "The Takeaway" with Adora Udoji and Al Hockenberg is getting anywhere from mixed reviews to just plain gettin' hammered.

Seems there's no way to graft black folk into the flow, except as it occurs in the white host's repertoire. I give Brian Lehrer much credit for being one of the most naturally inclusive types as he gets it in, but not with any overt insertion moves - Black seems like the Americana fare that it is when it shows up on his script. But we also show up there as we do in the wider media landscape, not quite as Americana and rather as topics for special occasions and borders to the American fabric.

Anybody got any insight from the African American Public Radio Consortium, Richard Prince, NPR or any other possibly knowledgeable sources? Do we just not fit the format of supposedly the most egalitarian environment and format?

Doesn't seem so impossible if you look over at BBC where from music (esp. One Extra) to news, we are still stylized figures but nevertheless clearly embedded in the mix and showing up in a bit more randomized and non-special-occasiony way...

just wondering.

...or is it time for jjpRadio? would have to widen audience a bit - I may be wrong - correct me - but just judging from the fact that most of us seem to be black in this camp and white folks commenting tends to elicit (often rightful) controversy.

Re: Monday Evening Open Thread

hustleandfloe — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:26:23 -0000

I think AIG is just round 3. Obama's in it for 15. ...even further, I suspect he's rope-a-dope'in. He's proven himself a strategist.

Re: Obama’s “Doing Too Much” (with Snark)

hustleandfloe — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:54:33 -0000

"...but at what point will they tire of hearing it? At some point--and that point is coming real close--Americans are going to say we know you inherited but you campaigned on the competency to fix it. Now just fix it already!"

I don't think the President is shirking any reality. I think those who are shirking reality are the voices that criticize without strategy at the base of their point, especially considering that they cry out for 2 months to fix 12 years. That math alone means there will be pain in the fixing.

And as long as they're delaying or spreading the hit somebody (either us or the banks) have to take for the trillions of dollars of fake assets, then the solutions will by definition be even more painful. No one can see inside the dance between the banks and the people. No doubt the people will pay for it, AIG bonuses to wit, Our whole system is structured for us to be insurance for the private sector: it's not so private after all. but I'm not counting the President out as an advocate just yet. It's a major dance and the ruint partner he's dancing with is irreparably a bad actor.

Re: Obama’s “Doing Too Much” (with Snark)

hustleandfloe — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:48:12 -0000

true. those folks don't deserve the mantle to speak.

Re: Women’s History Month Daily Thread

hustleandfloe — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 03:34:54 -0000

yeah, i'm against - mainly on personal grounds. it fills the hallways of my building and kids and elderly who don't deserve the contact have to walk through it. since weed is such a low priority, i don't call the cops. i don't even want to and they wouldn't come anyway in bk. there are other ways to shut it down and i've done that.

to take it up higher than personal, the potency of the stuff is increasing right along with demand and that gets no ink. but i work with and live around a lot of kids who aren't asleep on that, knowing more about it technically than the legalize it crowd. they're already bugged out on it. how will the law distinguish?

so for personal and public health reasons i'm against. but, yes, some good can come from legalizing, a stabilized market on the supply side, but i don't think that good outweighs the public nuisance argument (esp. re: children) or the potency argument. [if we can't barbecue in manhattan, then surely the weed spots will have tight regulation - but i think we'll have more illegal smokers than illegal bbqers as the urge to get high is too strong.]