Ranting...

I was baffled as I sat and watched the political pundits last night. I was bewildered by the arguments they were making for the reason Senator Clinton was doing so much better in West Virginia than Senator Obama. Some said it was because they saw him as being “out of touch”…OK. Others said it was because she always does well with older white voters because they identify with her… Then some seemed to suggest that he was not reaching Hard-working Americans, white Americans. That somehow, something is wrong with his message. Then I started seeing and reading some of the things, these hardworking Americans had been doing and saying. Now I have to question is there something wrong with his message or is there still something wrong with this country. I am not so naïve as to think that because so many people in this country of all races decided to support Obama, that all our past racial problems will be healed by this coming November. That is silly. I watched as Obama was told he was a Muslim and un-American by an older man in Indiana. I watched last night as a young man in West Virginia refused to shake his hand. That reminded me of the time I was a groomsman in one of my best friend’s wedding in Bible belt, South Carolina. In Southern tradition, the groomsmen are to escort all the women guests to their seats. Yeah, it was a first for me. Being that I was the shortest of the groomsmen, I was to escort the first guest to her seat. It just so happened to be an elderly woman, as I approached her to take her arm, she proclaimed that she did not want me as an escort. She would rather have the young man behind me. Being one of two black people in the building, I felt so isolated. It is not a foreign feeling to many people I suspect. Like Obama, in that instance, all I could do was smile. I could not let this overshadow my friends wedding.

Now, they ask why Obama cannot connect with the voters in West Virginia. C’mon!!! Are you kidding me?! We all know why! No other presidential candidate in history has had to endure as many racially charged death and bomb threats, vandalized campaign offices and the harassment of its campaign workers. However, I am hopeful because thirty years ago, a non-white male achieving what Obama has so far was unthinkable. Yeah, that’s cool but we cannot grow content and just act like since the problem only exists in small pockets, we can overlook it. Or even worse, as the media is doing… overlook it for profit. I understand that it is bad for ratings. People hate to hear that they are somehow flawed. They would rather hear that those “other people” are the problem. (Fox News still devotes much of their programming to the Rev. Wright comments. Watch today, I bet you fifty you see a clip). But the racial hatred that Obama has been subject to has gone widely unpublicized until today http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24588813/ ! What am I saying?? I don’t know. I just want the hypocrisy to end, in the media and with us…America.

Ok. cool. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

NEW MUSIC: SANTOGOLD

Santogold a/k/a Santi White has been getting lots of acclaim along with many comparisons to the British artist M.I.A. Santogold does not possess the rhythmic agility of an M.I.A. when she raps, but she makes up for that however, when she sings. Her musical style may conceal the soul and range of her vocals, but on "I'm a Lady”, she flies. A solid debut...not just because she's my philly homegirl!

Twilite Sundays- starting this Sunday

My Buddy Todd (La Linea) is starting his own brand of Sunday Night lounge. He aims to return to the hey days of "hangin' out" in the Lower East Side. From '94 till about 2001, the L.E.S. had some of the best music NYC had to offer.

So, if you're ever in the area and feel like just kicking back with a $3 PBR and absorbing some classic NYC joints, swing by and say what up to Todd.

Charity

by Vikas Menon


A chorus of cries
greeted me, so I began my pilgrimage

in front of the temple, dropping a coin
into each palm awaiting

the welcome weight of coin. A tremor
of childish joy passed through me:

I would give to each.

The coins dwindled,
but my hope held until I arrived at the last man:

splayed out on a cart, a hovel of wind and wood
he had watched me give to each

of his fellows, but now stared
at my empty hand.

His mouth twitched—
mushrooms sprung from a rotting log—

and he laughed, his echo falling away
into the chasm beneath us.

That day, all day,
milk soured to curd in my mouth.

Quick Note...

Why are Hillary supporters so angry?

A lady I work with, who happens to be an older woman, asked me the other day who I would vote for. And without thinking, I answered her. I did not say Hillary Clinton and at that moment the discourse escalated. She angrily went on to start listing Sen. Clinton's accomplishments in a very vague manner while calling my choice unqualified. Maybe not as "experienced" as her choice, but unqualified was a bit of a stretch. I could tell she wasn't well informed in politics but had become enthralled in this campaign year because of the extraordinary circumstances. After realizing this discussion was not going in a fruitful direction and there was no way I could come out unscathed I became very diplomatic. I stated that I really don't discuss politics at work or with my "close" friends. Including "close friends" in my declaration was purely strategic to soften her and hopefully diffuse the situation. It worked! We then agreed that if we disagreed on candidates it was fine.

Fashion: Summer 2008 shopping in Miami

No matter what the season, it seems that South Florida will always be on their own citrus inspired agenda. Shopping Miami this past weekend, i found that this is still the case. I found lots of orange and pink. For summer, there is a heavy infusion of pink in menswear, in polos and in linen tops. Pink isn't really my thing but I saw some really cool stripes in Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers. So maybe I'll be rockin' some pink around the LES (lower east side; for you non-new yorkers) this summer.

As Craig, Max and myself wandered through the medieval alleys of Barcelona's El Born section, we stumbled into a very creepy and deserted square. Placa De Sant Felip Neri is the name of this small square where the walls are littered with bullet holes and the fountain is filled with dirty stagnant water and pigeon feathers. I would later find out that in 1713 during the fall of Barcelona to Phillip V, many Catalan men were executed in this square. You can still feel the repercussions of violence like the echoes of thousands of gunshots from almost 300 years ago...

A Blur...

Along with a few co-workers, I had a brief 2 day marathon in Amsterdam. We were on our way to Barcelona via Prague.

I was totally unprepared for the attack on the senses that awaited me in Amsterdam's red light district.

An April Fool

at 1:10pm today I sent out the following email to a few of my co-workers:


"I would like to say my time here at Sears has been one of the best times of my life. I’ve gained valuable experience while making many new life-long friends.
That is why this moment is so hard for me. Today is my last day. It has been a pleasure working with all of you and I hope we all cross paths again. Please keep in touch.

lovetthines@gmail.com

Regards,

Lovett Hines
Sears Holdings Corp
Mens Knits Designer
Covington




April fools…"

After sending this, I then went to lunch unawares of the firestorm I had just ignited. Upon my return from lunch, My inbox was filled to capacity. Apparently, a lot of my friends and co-workers did not bother scrolling down and reading my entire message. A directors meeting was called and at 4:15pm I was called into my Divisional VP's office. I'll keep that conversation between us. But lets just say, not everybody thinks I'm that funny...