Barack or Plaxico: Pick Your Role Model

Man, the pickin's sure seem thin out there in the dialogue-o-sphere lately.

I've plumbed theroot.com, afronerd.com, essence.com, blackpressusa.com and way too many others seeking inspiration. (Watching the soaps and "Big Brother..." on The Africa Channel hasn't helped one bit. Grimmacing at snippets of The Bravo Channel's "Real Housewives of the ATL" only numbed the senses. Sadly, C-SPAN's coverage of shabbily-staged summit on older black activists' and officials' reviews of the election lulled me to sleep. Here's the best I could come up with....


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NO! Not the scary prospect of Junior emulating Yo Gabba Gabba's DJ Lance (above). I mean this piece of work in nymag.com's Nov. 9 Intelligencer..."Revenge of the Black Nerd".

It says nothing never uttered before really, except to the reactive reference to Obama's recent election.

Still, it got me thinking slightly. It helped in that constant assessment of priorities. I'd entered the Thanksgiving Weekend (rather, five days away from Pre-K) with a faint sense of dread. How would I keep Junior occupied that long? How would I nurture his inner nerd (so the charter school takes him next year) as well as his inner jock (the great inducer of naps)?

Turns out we did a lot of counting: of Hot Wheeels cars, checkers pieces won (because I let him), basketball jerseys (7), times Ping clubs were spotted as I thumbed (on demand) through golf magazines while he pooped.

I totally lost count of how many times we viewed a DVD compilation of "Little Rascals" episodes that I borrowed, on a whim, from the local library. And I know not a waking hour passed all weekend when I didn't fret over Junior's "skills evaluation" tomorrow night for the Y's 4-to-5 year old basketball league.

How much does it really matter how the volunteer coaches rate him at Target Passing, Ten Meter Drilling and Spot Shooting at his age? In an age when Super Bowl stars like Plaxico Burress are shooting themselves in the proverbial foot, and NBA stars like Stephon Marbury are portrayed as dodging the competition they're paid insanely to engage in; the doping, the baby mama drama, the DUIs, etc.

At least we spent as much time gorging on the Noggin and Sprout channels as we did ballon-sword fighting and tossing the Nerf (rainy weekends suck). But if I'd had my priorities in order, I'd have carved out some serious reading time with him as well.

Can We Trust BET Founder/Obama-Hater?

According to a report on the Maynard Institute's "Journal-Isms" blog, penned by Richard Prince, BET's billionaire founder Bob Johnson _ a fervent Clinton supporter during the Presidential primaries _ wants back into the cable television game.


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Reportedly, Johnson _ whose groundbreaking Black Entertainment Television network was chiefly responsible for propagating the imagery of pimps, hos, husters, dope dealers and menaces to society onto the mass market, according to some critics _ has applied for a license from the Federal Communications Commission to launch a new "urban" station under the auspices of Ion Media Networks, Inc. Ion's parent company, according to report, is best known for re-running such high quality programming as "Mama's Family" and "Baywatch".

What's Johnson's motivation? To undo the "set the race back a generation" hot mess that BET turned into? To ride the colorific coattails of Obama's ascent, even though Johnson backed the President-elect's main rival.

I love how Aaron McGruder parodied what Johnson and BET wrought so ruefully on his "Boondocks" series (click above). Do we want that man at the helm of another network? Will any programs that Johnson runs be any good for our kids?

Correct me if I'm wrong in thinking, "Not".

Obama: It takes "A Milli" to hold us back

"It might feel good
It might sound a lil somethin
But the fuck the game if it ain’t saying nothin' "
Public Enemy, "He Got Game" (VIDEO: YOUTUBE; LYRICS: craveonline.com)

"Is it just me, or does it seem like every hip-hop awards show staged in Atlanta winds up in some insane drama that effectively "brings down" the whole race? *
The "race" in question, it goes without saying, is the black one. The same one that's waiting so breathlessly to get on the guest list for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
(I pity the fools who live anywhere near D.C. and answer the phone when virtual strangers call between now and Jan. 20...)
The same one that tracks "The Real Housewives of the ATL" more intently than the cabinet appointments now that Obama's been elected.
Back to the point: the rap genre has much potential to undermine the Obama Presidency as any scheme devised by Rove and his cohorts in the foreseeable future.


(VIDEO: YOUTUBE *WARNING-EXPLICIT IMAGES AND LYRICS*)

They'll try to trip him up so that it's a one-term administration. His public perception, unfortunately, could be tied to the pop-culture icons whose words and deeds rub off on us all.
In this house, rap's a guilty pleasure. On the way to pre-K the other day, the II and I exchanged a gleeful glance as we soaked in Outkast's "So Fresh, So Clean" on the Steve Harvey Show without Mommy there to rinse our minds out with Borax.
Beyond that, though, hip-hop and too much of what it alludes to isn't fit to young ears. And the genre clouds what the mainstream thinks of Obama's most fervent constituents.
I can imagine camping out on a lawn somewhere near one of the Jumbotrons that will broadcast Obama's inaugural speech live to the masses on January 20th, and conceive of how bouncing around to someone's beatbox serenade might help keep me warm that night. But other voters for change might easily find those intonations appalling. Shouldn't we?
A valued viewer of the askyourdaddy blog asked whether Seal's version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" resonated with me. Certainly it did. But not as much as the Sam Cooke version, obviously.
The question, music lovers, is: Will it?
*(Kudos to Sandra Rose for intrepidly following the ongoing downfall.)

Cedric The Entertainer / Thespian (?)

Sadly, it took a deep dig through this Sunday's New York Times to find something that felt relevant and fun to comment on.
If it ain't about Obama, or some dark tale of deprivation, this audience has to look long and hard for news that's fit to print.
Thank goodness, the adage "seek and ye shall find" still applies.


VIDEO: YOUTUBE/picturediscvinyl

There, tucked away in the Arts & Leisure section, was a rather gripping article on that Kings of Comedy stalwart, Cedric the Entertainer.
Bro' wants to be taken seriously as a Broadway actor, apparently. And with good reason.
He may best warrant this age's mantle left empty by Richard Pryor. He may need a theatrical venue to prove it since the Times gave his troupe's new rendition of David Mamet's "American Buffalo" a scathingly bad review.
No matter. Mamet and the Great White Way's powers that be are at least trying to include more actors of color in their productions; and Ced's helping to break new ground. Sharply or not.
In trying times like these, shouldn't we all stretch?
Mamet might say it in a few hundred words more, but "ain't nothing wrong with healthy conversation", as Ced's "Barbershop" character put it. Right?

While Obama assembles his Dream Team...

Let's look on the bright side.
Give this President-elect time to work things out.
It looks like his master plan is in full effect as far as cabinet placements go.
In the meantime, let's wake up every morning from until after Tax Day or Barack's first 100 Days (whichever comes first) realizing that things actually could be worse.
Here's this household's new theme song to help soothe the cold, early a.m. aches and pangs.


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If nothing else, current conditions teach us that it truly is, as the Soul Stirrers sang, "A Mean Ol' World". This "Ray Sings / Basie Swings" (Concorde Music) CD I just bought on a whim hits back with a certain, determined meanness that showed "the Genius" up against a full big band at his prime and fuels me. Not that I'm endorsing it or anything...
Back to the main point: Rise up singin' people! Show your kids by example that you've got the gumption to persevere. Fight back, at all costs, the shadows of doubt that might cloud their eyes.
Like that Big Buford burger I wolfed down after a volunteer stint at that germy pre-school this afternoon, this too shall pass.

When Michael Vick gets out of prison...

It's lighten up the mood time here at askyoudaddy...


You have to click on this hilarious Zippy Video link to get where I'm coming from on this one.


FROM MURK-WARS: ON YOUTUBE

Since no one wants to delve into the heavier topics that this blog was meant to address (namely, sharing advice on how to raise a generation of little Obamas), I'm digging into the goodie bag and just proposing jokes to invoke laughs and dialogue.
There aren't many mentions in the news lately about disgraced QB Michael Vick; and that's probably a good thing. I hope bro's in there at Leavenworth getting his mind and body right in hopes of returning, somehow, to the NFL.
*Note: askyourdaddy in no way condones dogfighting. askyourdaddy just enjoyed watching Vick play football. We're not saying what the Dolphins' Joey Porter was saying...namely, "all it was was dogs".
Since Vick's name doesn't come up much in the news, I don't have to lamely explain why he's in jail to my (almost) 5-year-old son as often as I once had to.
For the next seven months until MV7 is released, I can bide time; and find humor in the tragedy we can all somehow learn from and teach our kids to avoid.
Any thoughts?

Got yer 'house negro' right here, Hadji

I can't recall the first time I was ever called the "N" word; nor the last.
If you're any kind of evolved black man, you learn to get past B.S. like that. Put it behind you.
That's what I'll teach my son. (Since we live in Georgia, the slur's bound to be hurled his way sooner or later.)
And I'll remind him to pause and reflect on how President-elect Barack Obama reacted when the word got out that Osama bin Laden's No. 2 man, Whackadoo al-Zawahri, took Malcolm X's name in vain while referring to Obama as a "house Negro".


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Of course, the mainstream ate the clandestine message from some Afghan cave right up and spread it like Kingsford lighter fuel in the hands of a drunk uncle at a barbecue. Obama's reaction was classic: he didn't react at all.
That any Muslim leader would besmirch a man of color in that way is beyond comprehension. And it defies sanity, given the racial indignities and innuendos Obama endured during the Presidential campaign.
But such is the fate if you're born black and stand proud. Someone _ some impotent skalawag _ is going to stoop to the basest level in a desperate attempt to bring you down.
Don't take the bait. Obama's re-taught us that.

What if he asks what 'gay' means?

It's bound to happen sooner or later.


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We might be raking leaves, or poking around the hardware store, or driving to school.
Sooner or later, I'm guessing, the 5-year-old genius is going to pose the question the way an attorney would: "What does gay mean?". He'll have an answer in mind before even asking. And I'll be on the figurative witness stand, sworn to be honest and forthcoming.
But how?
Granted...
The Young'un has known and accepted for a year or two that the little neighbor girl with the chubby cheeks "has two mommies". His only barber (besides Mommy) is a gritty gal who has no qualms about flexing her masculine side. And, without doubt, at good few of his intown pre-school teachers lead me to believe that they lead "alternative" lifestyles.
So be it. He's progressing briliantly. So don't ask, don't tell. Right?
But now we have Wanda Sykes (who I always thought was fine) coming out as a proud lesbian. And untold thousands are protesting across the U.S. because California voted down gay marriages. The controversy's not going away. So there's bound to be spill-over he picks up on.
Back to the question of what to say. (Since I met Wanda up close and personal once and found her lovely skin and chiseled features and white-hot wit really attractive, I consider myself an oblivious moron on these matters.)
The g-word passed my lips inadvertently in front of the Young'un on Sunday when his godfather and I were watching an NFL game andit occurred to me how one player didn't strike me as playing manly enough. I regret the comment for countless reasons.
Chief among them: the Young'un might have asked what I meant. And rightfully so.
Coming soon...DO THE CUB SCOUTS STILL EXIST?

School Daze: Public or Private for Obamas?

Here's yet another reason why I connect with our President-Elect.

I'm in the same jam as far as picking the next school route for my child.

Or, more accurately, weighing in on the decision my wife will ultimately make.

Decisions like this can cost you sleep.


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The choice between public or private schooling causes intown Atlanta parents agony to no end. We all wish the unspeakable for ourselves: enough wealth to swap the question aside entirely and just navigate the political landmines en route to enrollment in one of the private academies. There are several within the city limits. And their fees for kindergarten students now rival what it cost me for my freshman year at Vanderbilt 25 years ago.

As of now, that rules this household out. But stay tuned ladies and germs: Poppa's got a maniacal scholarship plan in the works.

But back to "the conundrum". I've enjoyed reading the admittedly late take on the issue posted on theroot.com. And I commend the way the Obama's adressed the matter yet again on "60 Minutes".

Do "we" who have overcome the failings of the urban public school systems somehow owe them for what they got right? Do we have to give back by sacrificing our kids' future? Are we absolutely obligated to roll up our sleeves and delve into educational systems that by all indications seem like lost causes?

If black middle class parents abandon the public schools now, will any generation ever benefit from them again?

I'm just asking...

Does Barack Obama play golf?

I'm frankly still feeling too wiped out from all the election hysteria that culminated two nights ago to go through Google to find out what else the President-elect and I might have in common; hobby-wise.


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But I will; and if the golf industry sees any chance to make his connection to the game a win-win in terms of publicity, it'll soon be known anyway.

For some reason, I keep envisioning Barack and Tiger Woods in a dream pairing; playing privately at Woods' Isleworth compound. Imagine the conversation, the laughs, the bets, the precious pauses.

To lighten things up on this blog, for a change, let's focus on golf. Black men who play golf. How black men play golf differently, if at all. What draws more and more black men to the fairways?

More importantly: what's the best way to get more of our black children into the game? My son is 5, so I can't get him into the First Tee program for another two years. I've tried, without pushing, to get him used to swinging clubs. But it's hard to hold his attention for more than 20 minutes.

Any suggestions?

OBAMA'S GRANDMOTHER DIES: 'Tomorrow' ain't promised

No matter what, Wednesday will be "a great wakin' up morning in America".

We may have Barack Obama as our next President. Or we may not.

That all depends on how the actual voter turn-out turns out.

Whatever the final count(s) reached in this election, if you can say you voted you can claim credit for real change.

If the numbers of "change" advocates at the polls is anywhere close to what's expected, this nation will forever be transformed.

And we'll have Mrs. Dunham to thank for raising a grandson with the spine of steel needed to help change the course of history.


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He's the dearly departed's precious gift to all of us whoever felt powerless to make a difference.

How do we repay pillars like her, who thought they'd go to their glory convinced that no black man would ever rise high enough to come close to becoming Commander in Chief. Much less winning.

If you can't carry someone sick or shut-in to the vote, at least reach out and keep them posted about the turnout and returns. Take pictures to show them later on.

But not much later. Share this lasting moment with them while you still can.