Obama Hustle

I thought I would mark my return to the blogging scene with something kind of light. A friend sent me this email featuring Obama supporters doing a hustle (line dance) named after the man himself. Let me explain something about the people in the southern region of Michigan, which includes Flint, Lansing, Saginaw, etc. They never met a hustle they didn't like. I visited one summer and went out to a club and counted 16 different hustles in one night!

I found this video humorous and thought my best friend would also. He had the nerve to act like he was offended, stating, "the last thing Obama needs is a bunch black folks naming a dance after him". He goes on to say how these people need to get lives and jobs (now I am offended). I saw Obama and Michelle dancing on "Ellen", I wonder if he would be offended to have his name associated with this dance.

Darlene Stewart of Detroit brings you the Obama Hustle, created by Crystal Smith and performed by Seniors United of the Grenadier Lounge. This hustle was created by and for seniors, but it's definitely hot and a great dance for people of all ages. When Obama wins, will you be doing this hustle? Anyhow I will let you be the judge. Is this offensive to you or just fun?

Old School Fridays - Girl Groups

I had to go with one of my all time favorite girl groups, Martha Reeves and the Vandallas. They were considered stepchildren at Motown in comparison to the Supremes, but there is nothing like the groups distinct sound.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out6. Have fun & don't forget to

leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Music Memoirs #190 - Top 5 TV Themes

This week is TV themes. Here is the link if you want to join the fun

1. The Theme from the Hogan Family (formerly Valerie) - By Roberta Flack


2. The Theme from Maude - By Donny Hathaway


3. The Theme from Moonlighting - by Al Jarreau


4. Theme from China Beach - Reflections by Diana Ross & the Supremes


5. Theme from Good Times - Singer Unknown

Old School Fridays - Disco

What is Disco? K. C. of the Sunshine era stated that "Disco is just R&B". I agree with that sentiment. Barry White said that "Disco music makes everybody beautiful" and Isaac Hayes commented (and I quote) "Black people dance on the 2 and the 4 (beat) and White people dance on the 1 and the 3, Disco music has all four beat, so everybody can dance together". Sometimes I don't go with the obvious choice but this week I must. Donna Summer is the undeniable queen of the genre and the most successful star of the Disco era.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

With that said, here is my favorite song by Ms. Summer "Hot Stuff"

Thursday Thirteen #29 -Thirteen Movie Disasters

I haven’t been around for Thursday Thirteen in a month of Sundays (literally). Notice that the title of this TT is "Thirteen Movie Disasters" and not "Thirteen Disaster Movies", big difference! This week I shed light on thirteen of Hollywood’s potboiler (disastrous) films. Certainly there are more than thirteen, but alas I can only list the magic number (13). I will save you the agony of sitting through a clip of any of these films. You might rather sit around and watch paint dry :-P

13. Battlefield Earth (2000) – John Travolta’s two decade long quest to put L. Ron Hubbard’s work on film bombed in a big way. It won seven Razzies, a feat only accomplished by another famous box office bomb “Showgirls” (I am not even going to pick on Showgirls). Budget 73 Million, U.S. Box Office 21 Million.

12. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) – Eddie Murphy really needs to quit! Sometimes he is pure genius, while other times he really needs to chill, have a seat and think about what he is doing. This was one of those times. Budget 100 Million, U.S. Box Office 4.4 Million.

11. Heaven’s Gate (1980) – Mix cattle rustlers, rich WASP ranch owners and roller skating and you have a recipe for disaster. This film destroyed the career of director Mike Cimino and shut down the United Artist Studio. Budget 40 Million, Box Office 3.5 Million.

10. Town & Country (2001) – Not even Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn could save this fiasco. Budget 90 Million, U.S. Box Office 6.7 Million.

9. Cleopatra (1963) – While not quite as bad as others film on this list as far as budget goes, it none-the-less lost plenty of moolah. Budget 44 Million, Box Office 26 Million.

8. Hudson Hawk (1991) – Oh Bruce, this surely is no “Die Hard”. Rumor has it that a special effects firm had to go through the film and airbrush his bald spot. Talk about sensitive! A hat would have been a hell of a lot cheaper. Budget 65 Million, U.S. Box Office 17 Million.

7. Cutthroat Island (1995) – Director Renny Harlin convinced Carolco Pictures that his then wife Geena Davis could carry this action film. She couldn’t. The film shut down Carolco Studio and derariled Ms. Davis’s career. Budget 98 Million, U.S. Box Office 19 Million.

6. Ishtar (1987) – In spite of good reviews by the New York Times, this film about two lounge singers caught up in the cold war flopped. Budget 55 Million, U.S. Box Office 14 Million.

5. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) – This film flopped at the box office, but picked up steam on video and DVD. Budget 47 Million, Box Office 8 Million.

4. Howard the Duck (1986) – It is hard to believe that George Lucas was affiliated with this foolishness. A cigar smoking duck from Cleveland…As my uncle would say “Like Wow!” Budget 38 Million, U.S. Box Office 16 Million.

3. The Postman (1997) – Believe it or not Kevin Costner’s Waterworld actually made money, but Dirt World (as the crew so lovingly called this one, did not. Budget 80 Million, U.S. Box Office 17.6 Million.

2. ZYZZYZX Road (2005) – This road really exists. It is an exit in California close to the Nevada border. I have passed it numerous times on my way to Lost Wages, Nevada. A lot of indie films don’t make money, but this box office payoff was less than the price of filling up my Toyota Matrix! Budget 2 Million, Box Office 30.00 (Yep! That’s Right! 30 freakin dollars).

1. Dave (2008) – Eddie Murphy strikes again. This is the #1 potboiler of the summer with a Budget 60 Million and a U.S. Box Office of 11.6 Million.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

More On Reverend Manning

James David Manning is chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church on 123rd Street in New York City. He has been at ATLAH since 1981. ATLAH stands for All the Land Anointed Holy, which is Pastor Manning's name for Harlem. Thanks to X. Dell and further investigation I found that this man is an ex-con who burglarized homes on Long Island. He spent about three and a half years in prison in New York and Florida for burglary, robbery, larceny, criminal possession of a weapon, and other charges before his release in 1978. While in prison, he became a devout Christian.

This guy professes to be a man of God, however after listening to several of his sermon, many of which you can find on You Tube, I found this guy to be a pompous, arrogant, offensive, hateful, insulting and intimidating. One who not only attacks Barack Obama’s inborn dignity (things he cannot change about himself), but also attacks his mother, his father, White people, Black people, anyone who might vote for Obama, etc. I sat here watching videos of his sermon with my jaw dropped, not believing what I was hearing and believe me I am not easily shocked. In one of the video clips I watched, this man (I use the term loosely) actually had the nerve to say the reason you should not trust Obama is because he had never been to jail. “You can’t trust a black man who hasn’t been to jail” is his retort.

Most notably, he called Obama a "good house negro" in one sermon, while in another, he referred to Obama as "trash" due to his mixed race heritage and accused him of being a “pimp" citing the popular viral video “I Got A Crush On Obama” as evidence. It should be noted, however, that the video was produced by “Barely Political” a private company that has no affiliation with the Obama campaign. “Barely Political” themselves clarified this fact in a subsequent video, stating, "[We] would like to make it clear: the Obama campaign had nothing to do with Obama Girl.

I will give this fool (Manning) credit for doing one positive thing and that is lighting a fire under my ass. I was getting real complacent about this election and now I am ready to put on an "Obama Mama" T-shirt and get out there and support Obama's campaign in a meaningful way. I currently talk to young people who take my courses about registering to vote and exercising that right, which is not only a privilege, but a responsibility.

Back to the matter at hand, here is a clip of one of Manning's Obama trashing sermons. What is really telling is the looks on some of his parishioners’ faces. They look like they would rather be anywhere but where they are at that moment.

You Be The Judge

I was visiting the blog of this nut case, oops, McCain supporter and found this beautiful piece of propaganda. I am not going to even say anything about this clip, other than it is the most bizarre misinformation I have probably ever heard in my life. Is it me or has this gentleman lost his mind? You be the judge. Leave your comments, I am interested in your opinions.

Old School Friday: Neo Soul

For this week's theme, I selected two singers that helped to kick off the Neo Soul musical genre: Erykah Badu and Maxwell

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999 (with the exception of this week).
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants. If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

First let's listen to Ms. Badu "The Other Side Of The Game"





Here's Maxwell singing "Fortunate"

Top 5 On Friday -Week 189 - Goodbye Songs

This weeks theme is goodbye songs.


1. Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye - Steam



2. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday - Boyz II Men



3. Good Riddance (The Time Of Your Life) - Green Day



4. What's So Good About Goodbye - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles



5. I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing



Steam performing their 1969 hit "Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye"

Clinton Gives Obama Full Support

Hillary Clinton asked that those who backed her presidential bid now vote for Obama. After days of backstage dissatisfaction among both her supporters and his, no one knew exactly what to expect. Obama didn't just beat a strong and popular candidate; he snatched the reins from the party's old guard and ticked off a former president, Bill Clinton, in the process. People might have wondered if Hillary Clinton was preparing to launch her 2012 campaign when the Pepsi Center filled with thousands of cardboard placards emblazoned with her website address. After all, history holds plenty of examples of also-rans who achieved far less than Clinton did this year - her 18 million primary votes essentially tied Obama over a grueling six-month race-yet refused to close ranks behind their party's winner.

Clinton cleared up all doubts in a matter of seconds: "I am here as a proud mother," she declared, "a proud Democrat, a proud senator from New York, a proud American-and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.' At that the crowd of some 15,000 people, which had greeted Clinton with a solid four-minute wall of noise, erupted again, waving all those white "Hillary" signs in an enormous cloud. But perhaps the most striking benediction she delivered to her former foe was to hand him - maybe as a loan or maybe forever - the mantle of 1990s peace and prosperity that she had hoped to wear as her own. "As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats," she said to a new round of cheers. "And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again."

Bill Clinton watched the speech from box seats high above the convention floor, flanked by the widow of Arkansas Democratic chairman Bill Gwatney, killed recently by a disgruntled former employee, and the son of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio. When the speech ended, the former president wiped tears from his eyes, mouthed the words, "great speech," and let out a long sigh.

Clinton did her part to unify the Democrat party, criticizing McCain politics, stating that “McCain promises more of the past. America has never been afraid of the future and we shouldn't start now." She also praised Michelle Obama and the Obama’s running mate Joe Biden and his wife. I personally feel that Hillary Clinton did herself proud last night.

Old School Friday - Crooners

This week the theme is Crooners. I could have went with the obvious, i. e. Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, Frankie Beverly or even my beloved Stevie Wonder. However I decided to go with arguably the most exciting crooner of the seventies, The Teddy Bear himself, Teddy Pendergrass. He had jeans named after him and even had concerts attended by a female ONLY audience. Unfortunately his world crumbled on one fateful night when an tragic automobile accident left him a quadriplegic.
This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here. Enjoy Teddy!

Pervis Jackson of The Spinners Dead At 70

Pervis Jackson (2nd from the left in the photo), one of the foundling members of the legendary singing group, died yesterday of cancer. Friends and fellow Motown Records musicians are mourning the loss of the Detroit singer, who died "quietly and peacefully" early Monday at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, said Claudreen Jackson, his wife of 40 years. He had been diagnosed with brain and liver cancer late last week, just a month after starting to feel ill and bowing out of several Spinners dates. He was 70.

The group formed in 1954 at Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Michigan. They first recorded for Harvy Fuqua's Tri Phi label before it was bought out by Motown. The group enjoyed its biggest success in the 1970's with such songs as, "Could It Be I Am Falling In Love", "How Could I Let You Get Away", "Sadie", "Games People Play", and I'll Be Around.

His last onstage appearance was July 19, when the Spinners performed in La Habra, Calif. The group has been a fixture on the casino and festival circuit for years, typically on the road more than 200 days annually. Surviving him in the group are fellow original members Henry Fambrough and Bobbie Smith. Founding member Billy Henderson died in February 2007.

Music Memoirs Week #45

List the first band/artist/song/album that comes to mind when you see these 10 words:

Ending: The Beginning of My End by The Unifics

Long: Long Tall Sally by Little Richard

School: School Is Out by Kool and the Gang

Teen: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Crazy: Crazy by Patsy Cline

Search: Searchin' by The Coasters

Baby: Baby Baby Baby Baby by Brandy

Shoes: My Addidas

Mellow: Mellow Yellow by Donovan

Window: Look Into The Window by The Jackson Five

Isaac Hayes - Succumbs At 65

They say death always comes in threes (number one was Bernie Mac) and now my beloved Isaac Hayes. Soul singer and arranger Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy awards and an Oscar for the theme from the 1971 action film "Shaft," has died, sheriff's officials in Memphis, Tennessee, reported Sunday. Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Schular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m.

Hayes born in Covington, Tennessee and raised by his grandparents, grew up very poor and ofter referred to his days of picking cotton in his song monologues. He was a longtime songwriter and arranger for Stax Records in Memphis, playing in the studio's backup band and crafting tunes for artists such as Otis Redding, The Emotions and Sam and Dave to name a few in the 1960s with his collaborator David Porter.

Besides his musical career, Hayes had a long running television and movie career dating back to the early 1970's. He appeared in films and television, such as, "Truck Turner", "The Rockford Files", "I Gonna Git You Sucka", "Hammer, Slammer, and Slade", but is probably best known as the animated character "Chef" on the long running cartoon "South Park".

Isaac and I go back so far that I feel like we are old friends although we have never met. I actually had the extreme please of seeing him live back in 2003 at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Amphitheater along with the band WAR. I throughly enjoyed the show, in which he performed all of his classic, including of course the "Theme From Shaft".

He is survived by his wife, 12 children, 14 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Enjoy this live clip from 1973 of Hayes performing his Oscar winning "Theme From Shaft".

Bernie Mac Is Dead At 50

CHICAGO - Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor and comedian Bernie Mack has died at age 50, his publicist said Saturday.His publicist Danica Smith said Bernie Mac died early Saturday at a hospital in the Chicago area of complications due to pneumonia.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body’s organs, but he had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently had been hospitalized and treated for pneumonia. Mac had starring roles in “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Bad Santa,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Transformers.” The Mac Man (his nickname) was also mentioned in Christina Aguilera's song "Dirty".

Mac, along with Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley were "The Original Kings of Comedy" which produced some of the funniest stand up I have ever witnessed and Bernie Mac was arguably the funniest among the four. His act had me in stitches, especially the sketch about his grandmother. The comedian also drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television show "The Bernie Mac Show".

Born Bernard Jeffery McCullough on October 05, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. He is survived by his wife Rhonda and daughter Je'niece. Read more biographical information at Popculture Dish.

Check out the Mac Man's breakdown of the word "muthafucka"

Old School Fridays - Rock Songs

This is one of my favorite "Rock" songs of all time and arguably the best of all times as well. This is Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven". I just saw a biography on them and was intrigued. Thanks to Mrs. Grapevine again for sharing this week's theme early. This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Morgan Freeman Badly Hurt in Car Crash

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is in a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., after being seriously injured in a car accident near his home in Mississippi. Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Stringer said Freeman, 71, is in serious condition. The hospital is about 90 miles north of the accident scene in rural Tallahatchie County in the Mississippi Delta.

Freeman was driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima belonging to Demaris Meyer of Memphis when the car left a rural highway and flipped several times shortly before midnight Sunday. It has been reported there's no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved and he and his passenger were wearing seat belts. Freeman was airlifted to the hospital in Tennessee. It appeared that Freeman's car was airborne when it left the highway and landed in a ditch.

The jaws of life were used to extract him from the vehicle. He was lucid, conscious, talking and joking with some of the rescue workers at one point. When one person tried to snap a photo with a cell phone camera, Freeman joked, "no freebies, no freebies".

Freeman won an Oscar for his role in "Million Dollar Baby." His screen credits also include "The Shawshank Redemption," "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Dark Knight," now in theaters. He was born in Memphis, Tenn., but spent much of his childhood in the Mississippi Delta. He is a co-owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. Here's wishing Mr. Freeman a speedy recovery.

Old School Fridays - Motown

Motown artist, the Late Great, Rick James, makes his final performance on the BET Awards in 2004 with Teena Marie, just days before he passed away. Let him and Teena hit you with some "Fire and Desire" and don't forget he's Rick James B.....! You better act like you know!

I am posting early because I will be indisposed tomorrow. Thanks to Mrs. Grapevine for sharing this week's theme early. This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre

2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999

3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version

4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane

5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out

6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

GO GREEN ! – Thursday Thirteen #28 – 13 Ways to Go Green

Here are thirteen tips we can all consider in order to live a greener life without becoming fanatic. Not that fanatic is a bad thing in this case. I wish I could grow my own veggies and walk to work, but I don’t have a green thumb and logistically walking or riding my bike is impossible (1 live at least 26 miles from work). I actually do several things on this list, not only because they save the ecosystem, but they also save me money.

1. Kill Your Junk Mail
The average adult American receives 41 pounds of junk mail - catalogs, credit-card come-ons and other assorted crap - every year. It wastes your time, millions of trees, billions of gallons of water, and tons of greenhouse-gas emissions. Sign up for online non-profit 41pounds.org's junk mail killer service, it costs $41 for five years' coverage, and they'll break the bad news to retailers and financial institutions for you. They'll also donate to the charity of your choice.

2. Keep electronics out of the trash
Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible. Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.

3. Think about what you throw away
Often things that we throw away could be easily recycled which would help reduce otherwise wasted energy, water and natural resources. Start by checking with your trash removal service or your town/county to see if they offer recycling removal.

4. Less gas = more money (and better health!)
Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

5. Shorten your showers
Showers account for two-thirds of all water heating costs. Shave a few minutes off your shower time and you will reduce the amount of energy and keep bills lower.


6. Skip the bottled water
Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.


7. Buy reusable shopping bags
Most supermarket chains offer reusable bags at the checkout counter now for a couple of bucks, and companies like Sage Green and Chico Bag offer them in several styles. Don't forget to take them with you to the supermarket!


8. Eat Smart, Eat Green
If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

9. Save energy to save money
Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

10. Wait to wash
Reduce your use of water and electricity by waiting to run your dishwasher and washing machine until you have a full load.


11. Find Cheap Gas
Comparison shop. Be a proactive consumer. Don't just pay the high prices at the closest station. Shop around to find the most competitive price in town. For a little help, visit http://gasprices.mapquest.com to compare prices in your area. You can find the best deal by zip code and street name, as well as check out prices by grade of gasoline.

12. Buy a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Consider buying a fuel-efficient vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an alternative-fuel vehicle. It could save you a lot at the gas pump and not to mention help the environment. FuelEconomy.gov offers tips on buying a new fuel-efficient car or truck.

13. Slow It Down
Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph, costing an additional 10 cents per gallon. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets, resulting in 7 cents to 49 cents per gallon. Don't get too emotional driving, its supposed to be a time to relax and reflect. Next time you get in your car stay calm, cool, and collected put your car on cruise control.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants