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General Discussion Forum / Truly inspirational music and words for these tough times

« on: September 21, 2020, 11:18:18 AM »

These are troubling times for black folks, other people of color, and otherwise progressive white folks across the country. But this song penned by that great American songwriter has inspired millions since it was first written and recorded by Bob Dylan in the mid-60’s during a period, similar to now, of great civil unrest.

A lot of artists have recorded this song, but this particularly recording by the late, great Josephine Baker just sends chills thru my bones.

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General Discussion Forum / Alum and other “Queen City of the West” residents

« on: August 31, 2020, 12:38:47 PM »

So the other day, Alum and I had an exchange about music, especially about genres of music that most appealed to me. I believe the exchange arose out of him posting a reference to Cardi B and Megan’s WAP song, my never having heard of the song before, but after listening for 30 secs or so, realizing that it was not recorded for my “demographic”..... a middle-aged negro grandfather.

So, in this age of severe health and economic uncertainty, along with national racial reckoning, I’ve posted a link to the following lil “gem” that he and other residents of that region on the banks of the Ohio River would appreciate.......enjoy. 

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General Discussion Forum / Netflix movie “Uncorked” - Alum, where u at?

« on: March 29, 2020, 08:04:14 PM »

Guys........while you’re scrambling trying to maintain your sanity at home quarantining, check out this Netflix movie.

Won’t give away the plot, but it’s based in Memphis, TN, and the protagonist is a young bruh (late teens/early 20’s), working in the family’s Barbeque joint. He is an unknown actor - at least I had never seen him before - but the parents are played by Courtney Vance and Niecy Nash. Love me some Niecy Nash. 

So Lil homie also works part-time at a local wine store, develops a strong interest in wines, and ultimately prepares for the rigorous sommelier exam (that means wine expert, Ms. j  ), and the story takes off from there.

It REALLY IS a pretty decent film, or as Mrs. Strike described it, “a cute lil movie.”    My man, Alum , is the board’s resident wine connoisseur, and I’m surprised he hasn’t mention the movie on this board. But all Mrs. Strike and I have to do is read, see or hear something about wine, and that gets our immediate attention. So in a sense, we are winos, or oenophiles, another fancy word, Ms. j. 

Anyway, y’all watch this movie. You ain’t doing nothing else anyway but running around hoarding toilet paper and paper towels. 

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General Discussion Forum / Christmas Music

« on: December 20, 2019, 01:02:45 PM »

.......man, you guys are slipping.  Only five more days before the Big Day, and y’all ain’t said a damn thing about the music of the season. Oh, well, here is one of the cuts from, arguably, the greatest R&B  Christmas album ever recorded. 

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General Discussion Forum / LA area peeps and board

« on: November 19, 2019, 01:33:24 PM »

 ............guys, just returned yesterday afternoon from a five days visit to Los Angeles. It was the first time visiting a city I’ve heard about and been fascinated with all of my life. The trip was to be present at a surprise birthday party for Mrs. Strike’s brother.  A few observations.....

The city and region reminded me of my hometown of West Palm Beach and the rest of South Florida.  Beautiful, sunshine weather and palm trees. But someone who has visited both areas suggested that LA weather is nicer because there ARE cool days, unlike South FL which is pretty much warm year round. I think I agree LA weather is a tad nicer.

I did not rent a car because I was intimidated by the reputation of LA’s freeway system. I thought I would be run off the road, and the process of driving on highways that were 5-7 lanes across in one direction intimidated me. But riding around with other relatives behind the wheel wasn’t so bad. But the sheer VOLUME of traffic, including, say, on Sunday morning was a sight to behold.

Was able to establish my LA tourist street bona fides by visiting the Crenshaw neighborhood where Nipsey Hustle was gunned down. The shopping strip is still cordoned off with fencing and tarp for some unknown reason.  And the brutha who offered to sell us some T-shirts out of his trunk commemorating the event for $80 was a bit extreme, but the visit was interesting.

There is a lot more I could talk about....a LOT MORE......but did want to mention Venice Beach. Now THAT was uniquely Southern California. Walking along the boardwalk we encountered folks from LITERALLY around the world. We actually spent just a few minutes walking on the actual beach as I’ve seen enough of the Atlantic Ocean growing up in South Fl and visiting all my life. But this was the Pacific Ocean and, at least as the ocean laid at Venice, the water was cool, crisp and clean.

Btw, did I tell you guys the BEST part of the VB experience was watching the kids skate boarding at the skate board park?  A good number of those kids are serious athletes.

All in all, a good trip visiting the City of Angels. 

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General Discussion Forum / Live from the Met - Wagner’s Die Walkure

« on: April 02, 2019, 03:06:15 PM »

Guys, my boy Alum just tried to clown a brutha on the thread about Nipsey Hussle being shot down. Thought I would “elevate” the entertainment discourse and tell you guys how much I enjoyed seeing the Met Opera matinee broadcast this past Saturday of Richard Wagner’s second drama in his Ring Cycle, Die Walkure.

For the last five years or so, NYC’s Metropolitan Opera Company has selected a few of their Saturday matinee productions for simultaneous HD broadcast in movie theaters across the country.

I am a mini-Wagner fan, and Die Walkure is my favorite Wagner drama. Mrs. Strike is too an opera fan, but no particular fan of Wagner, and was definitely not in a mood to sit thru FIVE FREAKING HOURS of Wagner on a Saturday afternoon. 

But your humble poster THOUROUGHLY enjoyed the experience. And was fortunate to have been seated by an 84 year old white woman whose spouse did not accompany her - for the SAME reasons mine didn’t accompany me  - but who was VERY knowledgeable about Wagner. And that includes having attended once before the annual Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Wagner’s hometown in Bavaria, Germany.

Anyway, I realize that what I’m posting is of little to zero interest to the VAST majority of peeps on this board. But seeing how Alum is one of the leading oenophiles on this board, secretly, this all probably intrigues him somewhat.

After all, wine and opera make great accompaniments, do they not?

 

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Politics / Jacinda Ardern - New Zealand PM

« on: March 20, 2019, 11:11:25 AM »

Guys......am I the only one who regularly convenes on this board who has been awfully impressed with this lady’s leadership since the slaughter of 50 Muslims in two mosques a week ago?

Man, from the jump, the PM called the murderer for what he is, an extreme-right radical, white nationalist terrorist. There was no equivocating in her language whatsoever. When asked if she agrees with this BABOON in the White House analysis that white nationalists are not a growing worldwide problem, she simply said “no”.

She has met with Muslim leaders on two or three occasions since the tragedy, expressing her sympathy and grief on behalf of the NZ people in response to the mass murder. She covered her head with a scarf out of RESPECT for the Muslim practice/tradition of women covering their heads in public.

And, finally, Ms. Ardern’s office announced a short while ago that the Muslim National Prayer Service set for Friday (3/22)) will be broadcast on national television.

Is the PM of New Zealand a bada-- or WHAT? 

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Sports Forum / TN State/Hampton, 9/15 in Hampton CANCELED!

« on: September 11, 2018, 05:19:38 PM »

It was just announced that TSU's game at Hampton this upcoming weekend canceled due to the approaching hurricane expected to impact the Carolinas coast.  Perhaps not unexpected for most of you reading this, but it will be the SECOND WEEKEND IN A ROW that TSU's game was canceled due to bad weather.  Their game last Saturday nite against Jackson State, Southern Heritage Classic, was canceled due to lightning and driving rainstorms in Memphis.  The officials did not call the cancellation of that game until three hours past the 6pm scheduled kickoff.

This is shaping up to be QUITE a season for the Big Blue.  In my 37 years residency in Nashville, have NEVER observed two games canceled in a single season due to weather or anything else..........WOW!! 

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General Discussion Forum / “On the Run” in Nashville

« on: August 23, 2018, 06:53:32 PM »

 .........uhhhh, Mr. and Mrs. Carter are performing at Vanderbilt Stadium tonite, and I’ve heard NOTHING from you peeps about this concert.

So, wassup Ms. j and others, are you guys planning to leave or have you already fled the Beyhive?

Or are you simply no longer “drunk in love”?

 

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General Discussion Forum / Happy 4/20 Day!

« on: April 20, 2018, 08:01:37 AM »

.........to those for whom it matters.

 

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General Discussion Forum / Parkland, FL - Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS

« on: March 29, 2018, 12:28:58 PM »

 ...........ok, so your humble poster and Mrs. Strike just returned to Nashville last nite after visiting my elderly and ailing mother in West Palm Beach. I shared with the board a few weeks ago the exultation Mrs. Strike and I had over the birth of my first grandchild. And now I must have equal compassion for the health of my octogenarian mother.

Anyway......after spending some time with family in Ft. Lauderdale, decided to take a short drive to Parkland, also in Broward Cty, site of the 2/14 massacre at the HS that took 17 lives.

By now, most if not all of you folks have seen the still pics/video of the memorial that has developed along a good deal of the fencing surrounding the parking lot at the school. Most of the flowers, teddy bears, and other tributes have withered through the exposure to the elements over the past six weeks.

But what REALLY struck me after driving around a few streets near the school, is that seemingly EVERYONE resides in a gated community, with views from the street obscured by thick shrubs and other foliage.

So it was clear to THIS poster that, prior to the massacre, what was advertised as a strong
feature of living in Parkland was a sense of “exclusivity,” and “safety,” and I don’t have to tell you guys what demographics are implicated if THAT is what you are selling to prospective homeowners.

There are more thoughts, but I’d like to hear from other peeps with some familiarity of this
community.

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General Discussion Forum / She has arrived! And she is a sight to behold!

« on: March 02, 2018, 05:24:13 PM »

 ........guys, your humble poster and Mrs. Strike are pleased beyond all measure to announce here what what we have been sharing with friends and family all week.  And that is the arrival of our first grandchild, a girl,born last Sunday nite. Mommy, Daddy and baby are ALL doing well.She came in at 6lbs, 5ozs, and G-Ma and Pa-Pa can't stop looking at photos and videos of this bundle of joy.

Many of you will recall that when I first started posting on this forum - and for sometime simultaneously on the old meacfans forum - I would routinely refer to my daughter as "sweet and precious, Ms. Strike".  Well, she's all grown up, a full-fledged millenial, and now a mommy.  Ms. Strike is an only child.  And for the overwhelming majority of her life, I have lovingly personally referred to her as "the baby".  So now with the arrival of her daughter, I am distinguishing the two as Baby I and Baby II. 

While neither Mrs. Strike nor your humble poster is interested in spending our lives in anyone's rocking chair doting on this baby, her birth really does give NEW meaning to our lives.

Guys its true...........Jesus REALLY DOES love the little children of the world. 

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Politics / So, it's really going down today....

« on: January 20, 2017, 07:51:07 AM »

 .......the day that most SANE people have been dreading since 11/9 will really happen today. The so-called, slave owning Founding Fathers devised a system where an unabashed CON MAN will take the presidential oath of office.

Is this the beginning of the end of the republic as we know it?

Invite peeps to ruminate here as we enter this DANGEROUS era in this country's history.

God help us. 

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General Discussion Forum / The movie - Anthropoid

« on: August 14, 2016, 05:21:38 PM »

.......uhhh, Cholly, B4L, soflo, Alum, Wildman, M&G, GK, et al who have an appreciation for good cinema.

Saw this movie last nite and it was BRILLIANTLY done.  I understand it was shot in a particular film to render the sense of foreboding and doom that permeates this entire movie.

For those unfamiliar, the movie is based on actual historical events. It's set in WW2 Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia.  Among other things that you are reminded of when watching this film is that, not only did the Nazis mete out brutal and ruthless treatment of the Jews within their zone of power, they could be equally as cruel to non-Jews in the countries/lands they occupied.

Invite peeps to check out other sources for the plot lines to this movie.  But in a nutshell, the Czech government in exile in London devise a plan to drop several members of the Czech resistance movement in the forests in the Czech Republic under cover of nite.

Their ultimate plan was to assassinate Hitler's Nazi governor of occupied Czech, a dude named Reinhard Heydrich. Heydrich was a particular NASTY and mean mofo.  And when I say "nasty," I'm not alluding to any kind of hip-hop terminology.  I mean dude was a completely RUTHLESS dude who, in additional to being the Number 3 most powerful person in Hitler's regime, was one of the main architects of The Final Solution, the Nazi's plan to exterminate European Jewry.

Could go on, but wont.  Y'all just need to walk not run and see this movie.

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General Discussion Forum / Music for the soul

« on: June 22, 2016, 06:41:26 PM »

 

So you guys occasionally discuss music that moves you in some way or has some particular value for you.  Your humble poster was in a funk recently, suffering from a bout of melancholia or something, and came across this tune.

The singer may be familiar to some of you, perhaps most, has a beautiful tenor voice, and does a stirring job on the recording of this song.  As I proceed well into the "mystery" of middle-aged negro male status, songs like this begin to have special meaning for me.

Like to hear you guys thoughts.

[Poster's note: although I was aware of this song prior to coming across the recording set forth at the top^^^^^, I was NOT aware that it is also apparently used in a certain current action film.  ]