So I read the transcript of the President's speech...thats what the right wing was all upset about? Stay in school and be serious about your studies? Follow the example of greatness as opposed to mediocrity? Oh - I thought the My Favorite Martian antennae would appear from President Obama's head and guide us to "the ship".
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
WHAT SIZE IS YOUR HEAD?
So I read the transcript of the President's speech...thats what the right wing was all upset about? Stay in school and be serious about your studies? Follow the example of greatness as opposed to mediocrity? Oh - I thought the My Favorite Martian antennae would appear from President Obama's head and guide us to "the ship".
Sunday, August 9, 2009
I LOVE A PARADE
If I learned nothing else from the parade I learned that a lot of black folks, more than I ever imagined have blond hair and that I believed all this time was most impossible, a lot of our kids are obese but very limber, we are easily entertained by bad entertainers, our legends are tired, we will dance all over that ass, the back to school portion of what was once a great parade has been lost.
Don't get me wrong I embrace the idea of my people getting together and showing America how we get down. I just haven't witnessed the get down part yet. Admittedly I did not attend this years parade but I watched it on TV and you know what? I didn't see one book or backpack or anything related to school. I did see SEX and plenty of it.
Earlier this week the Chicago Public Schools made the silly decision to ask the singer of the song Birthday Sex, Jeremih to be the poster boy for the Back to School effort. Not only was this so horribly planned, it carried over into this years parade and sex is still selling. With the horrendous number of deaths of school aged kids this year alone, the parade would be better suited dealing directly with that issue and toning down the potential spike in the population based on Shaquinta and her limber vagina.
I know that this makes me sound like a cat that doesn't like fun - quite the opposite I love having a good time. But what does it say about the educators and parents of these children whose hormones are flying out of control not to mention many who have suffered as a result of unwanted STD's and pregnancies. I'm saying it today: kill the parade for at least one year. Take that money to bombard the community that it surrounds with school supplies, health and wellness info and vouchers for uniforms if the school requires them. Let this 80 year old have a year of reflection so that we can be proud of what it represented for many of us for many years.
See it isn't the parade that is the problem, it's how my people act when that spotlight hits us and I feel qualified to say that we could use some "how the fuck to act in front of 25 million people" lessons. I can only hope that the many will stand in front of the few and see what I and many others are seeing. Before anybody gets all messed up in the head - I am from the "hood" and I converse with these young folks daily. I will pass my thoughts on to them and listen to their opinion and I already know that they won't like what I am saying to them.
But I can't look at Shaquinta and her cooter on TV anymore...thank God the parade doesn't include a pole. The Chicken and Hennessy Parade is not a good look...
Saturday, August 1, 2009
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE SHOW WENT OFF THE AIR?
hope you enjoy it knowing that most of the city DID NOT HEAR IT! Pass it on freely...
peace power and progress
M
Thursday, July 16, 2009
QUICK HITS
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
MICHAEL JACKSON
When I was a little boy, one of the first albums I remember being absolutely hypnotized by was the ABC album. Five kids on the cover and three gigantic letters and that album would become a cornerstone in my learning to read. My sister would play the album for me and I clearly remember asking her to replay ABC over and over again and she would tell me about other songs on the album and for a long time I would listen to her and smile…I only wanted to hear ABC.
The first time I played an album on our record player without adult supervision was a Jackson 5 album. I tried to be certain to pick the needle up on our Zenith carefully so I didn’t scratch the LP but I was scared to touch it anymore than I had already and I was forced to listen to an entire side of that great album. Now understand that was before my life would change completely and totally and Michael and the brothers were friends of mine…at least in my mind. We had adventures together and they provided the soundtrack. I didn’t know anything about love but I knew that Michael was letting some young lady know that the love you save may be your own…their music remains so important to me that I am honored to have been around when they were fresh and unfettered.
When I was in high school in the ‘80’s, I was caught in the middle of Michael Jackson fever. It was CRAZY! Imagine that every day on TV, Michael’s face or song or dance move or glove was being imprinted on the world. Please make no mistake – Michael Jackson set this planet musically on fire. No human being will duplicate what he did in the music industry simply because they don’t make LP’s anymore…he was paramount in revolutionizing the “music video”. He was on the verge of being the most recognized human being on the planet but we loved him too much. We got upset when we felt he failed us. We turned our back on him and made him the centerpiece of our jokes and now we are reflecting on how he played a role in our lives. We are all guilty of it whether we want to admit it or not.
This is one of those “do you remember where you were when” days like 9/11, when Reagan was shot, when you first saw Thriller – see what I mean?! Michael Joseph Jackson has made his transition and even though in coming days his life will be relinquished to the public and pundits to scrutinize and analyze and dissect…I want to remember the great comfort I took as a little boy in the ‘70’s and as a teenager in the ‘80’s…as a grown up now, I want my sense of recall to continue to be amazed that I saw it. I saw Michael and his brothers literally change the attitudes of the world during difficult times and prosperity.
I am probably going to write more about my feelings. I’ll certainly write a poem or two...I will certainly make it my business to listen to my MJ downloads since we naturally continue to move forward and rely on our sense of recall… rest in peace brother and know that you changed the world for a little while. We hope to live long enough to see the likes of you again.
Peace Michael Joseph Jackson – rest.
Friday, June 19, 2009
HOW MUCH IS A CITY'S SOUL WORTH?
Get ready Chicago...the Olympic smack down is coming. Whether the actual Olympiad makes it to Chicago is out of the United States Olympic Committee's hands but don't tell Mayor Daley that. In what is quickly becoming the beginning of the end for the once unbeatable albeit unchallengeable Mayor Daley, the Olympic pursuit and the slush fund known as the Parking Meter Fiasco/Olympic Fund may prove to be too much for Hizzoner II.
In a magnificent blog written by Greg Hinz for Crain's Chicago Business, he makes the case that what the Mayor did in Switzerland is being questioned by the Alderman and other members of the city and state government. Well that's special considering that when and as all of this was building, no one cared. Support the bid or face the Mayor's wrath. Mention any problems with the CTA or the Chicago Public Schools or the spike in the city's violence and you could miss out on the Olympic cash cow when it gets here.
And in a stunningly stupid move, Mayor Daley goes to Switzerland and sells the future of this city for two weeks of cha-ching. By guaranteeing over $1Billion in "taxpayer free funds" and this came after he said that it wouldn’t cost the city more than $500 Million, and after he stomped his feet and proclaimed that he would NOT sign the International Olympic Committee’s standard host city contract, he all but sealed every citizen in Chicago's fate. The future is up for sale and if 20 or 30 years from now we still aren’t paying for it, I would be surprised.
Property taxes, city sales tax, whatever tax that can be devised will propagate this huge financial mess. Potentially we (Chicagoans) lose from the jump and don't believe the hype and the hot-air coming from the City Council. Those are the same folks who decided that they didn't care about those parking meters and the Mayor selling the rights to them for the next 75 years and underselling just to get that cha-ching! They began to care once they started getting tickets on their cars.
Well here is the truth - fuck the Olympics (and in this age of social network background checks, I'll probably never be invited to work for this great city in ANY capacity), this is about the gentrifying of communities and the ability to make money. In the short term those folks who live along the King Drive corridor and near the old Michael Reese Hospital and the rest of the "urban" areas affected by this wet dream of a two week international sporting event will lose. They gotta go baby! We got kiosks to build and fresh new faces to replace the historically overlooked people who live in the way of progress.
Mayor Daley wants the Olympics - BAD and you do too let him tell it. The money that the Mayor is asking - oops guaranteeing could be used to restore the Chicago Transportation Authority, repair the HORRID educational system and assure that years from now the citizens aren't still paying for the Mayor's fantasy. Chicago isn’t Japan or South America or Spain. They are COUNTRIES not a city like Chicago…the United States isn't financially "backing the bid" - FUCK NO! In insuring that the city’s liability won’t exceed $500 Million, who pays for that guarantee?
Mayor Richard Michael Daley is going to make us pay and go down in history as the man who bankrupted Chicago.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
CAN'T SAY WE DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING
The murder of Dr. George Tiller and the shooting at the Holocaust Museum today should NOT surprise ANYBODY. The spike in gun sales after the election of President Obama shouldn't surprise ANYBODY. The ugly head of racism has never stuck its head in the sand and the games have just begun. The excuses that we may hear over time will range from the election of a black president (he's black when it's something diabolical like this and multi-racial when its Disneyesque), the horrid economy which was destroyed by the Bush Administration, or just good old 'oh shit here comes good old rooted in the fabric of the nation' RACISM. Or maybe its just hatred or stupidity or lack of history?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
OPEN LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF CHICAGO
6/04/2009
My name is Mario Smith. I am a 3rd generation Chicagoan and what I am seeing is frightening. In this great city there are too many families, friends and acquaintances who are suffering because their loved ones have been victimized by the horrid and needless to say utterly senseless violence that has gripped our city. Chicago is a town that has always been associated with violent reactions to challenging conditions. The time has come to look within ourselves and ask why. Really ask yourselves as I am doing – why?
We monitor our “wealth” by our children's happiness. Their smiles have been replaced with blank stares and mischievous smirks. Some of them have lost the will to continue and we aren't talking about hardcore grownups - these are indeed children. Their happiness has been co-opted in exchange for sexual promiscuity, open air marketing and disrespectful behavior. The latter coming from disrespectful parents. Alarming numbers of Chicago Public School kids murdered. That must come to an end. Within the past week in a 24 hour period 7 lives were lost to violence. This is unacceptable. Lives being turned upside down for what? The citizens turning on the police making an already difficult situation heighten to an unfathomable end.
This letter is for those of us regardless of ethnicity, financial standing or level of competency, this moment in our city's history is very telling. What must be done to improve the conditions of our citizenry so that we can see these numbers dwindle? This isn't a time for quibbling over who started what but a time to examine how it will be stopped.
Chicago, Illinois is the center of the universe right now. All eyes are on the men, women and children who reside here. Our inability to speak is getting people killed and at some point before this gets much worse the people in this town must do something. If you are reading this then you have the ability to promote peace. There is no middle ground in this venture.
The foundation of our existence is grounded in a peaceful way of life for everyone who desires it. Peace cannot be co-opted nor can it be attained by ruthless means. It can be demanded however and I as a citizen of the city I love more than anyone can imagine will use my pen and my voice in that call: the demanding of peace on the streets of Chicago.
I am glad that I can say that violence hasn't played a major role in my life...unfortunately there is a city full of people who can't say the same. If for no other reason this is why we must demand an end to the ridiculous violence that is making life in my city tough for everybody.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
OH I DIDN'T FORGET
So when one decides to commit a robbery, does that individual think about why they are going to do it? The consequences of doing it? The chance that someone could get hurt in the act of committing a crime? Yeah okay...let's assume that everything comes up yes. What in the SPECIAL FUCK would possess someone to rob somebody after a car accident. In that same vain WHY IN THE SPECIAL FUCK would you rob a policeman who has just crashed his car into a light pole? HUH?!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
On Behalf of TROY DAVIS
Let us begin by stating this is not unfamiliar territory. It fucking disgusting. Today May 19 2009 is a Global Day of Action on behalf of Death Row inmate Troy Davis. He has been on Death Row in Georgia (no seriously Georgia) for over 17 years. If this sounds a lot like Mumia it has its parallels in that the refusal to look at evidence is MIND BLOWING.
Friday, May 8, 2009
untitled
Things have been quite interesting in the US the past few weeks. Of course being centered in Chicago (aka "the middle") my perspective is different - naturally. I am in awe of the way people treated the swine flu situation a few weeks ago. With all respect that can possibly be due to those who were affected by the disease, Malaria has a running tote of 350 plus MILLION cases every YEAR. Over 1 MILLION people die from Malaria...I ain't sayin'...I'm just sayin'.
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Luta Continua
If you are in the Chicago area check the show out every THURSDAY at 2:30pm (Central) on WHPK 88.5 FM. If you are at the gig check the show out online at whpk.org.
I really want to thank my man Gary Tyson for totally holding the show down through a really tripped out time.
the struggle continues as do I...
until such time
Monday, January 19, 2009
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
This marks the first post of 2009 and that is by my own design. I am still trying to find the adequate words to convey my feelings about the days to come. I am inspired, a bit cautious. The Inauguration of Barack Obama is a major milestone in the history of the United States but it is just one of many major milestones to come. Many people want to canonize the new President, I will not. The victory that is to come is incumbent upon the people. That whole we the people deal is not so distant right now. Our country is in serious trouble both economically and socially. We suffer from the worst kind of jet lag. Eight years of fear and uncertainty of the highest order.
George W. Bush and his minions made every conspiracy theorist right. They destroyed the already thin faith of the citizenry and did everything possible to disconnect the citizenry with a predisposed dream. History will examine the 43rd President far more harshly if the people don’t get behind the idea of the clean up serving as a rescue mission. Those who sit and watch and not serve are as bad as those who don’t vote but complain.
Service is what will make the change that we now scoff at. Chuck D said something years ago and it is truer now than it has ever been, “this government needs a tune up…” And so do the people. The moment of history that cloaks the 44th President of the United States will not fade quickly. It should be celebrated and cherished. The work that needs to be done is heavy work. It will require extraordinary acts of human strength and mental fitness and if we drop the ball this time…
Congratulations to the 44th President of the United States Barack Hussein Obama. I wish he and his family protection, health and clarity. I also hope that those who have trouble dealing with a Democrat being in the White House and who have a serious fundamental issue with a man of color serving in office – I hope that you will remain protected as well and that you enjoy good health and clarity. It is going to take everybody to get this thing back on track.
peace power progress