BlackMan Time

Archive for August, 2008

I have lost count how many times white associates have looked me straight in the eye and told me: “I don’t really like Black people you know but you’re alright.”

Now to them this was a huge compliment which is supposed to signify that they thought I was somehow different or exceptional. To me it was an insult. However, at the time this was said I wasn’t brave enough (or maybe too polite) to challenge their…racism. I guess that’s what it was.

At times it was funny to see how they would switch from liking me to hating the Black friends I associate with. In my mind I thought:

It’s an open secret that I don’t understand black people who support George W. Bush. What, exactly, are they defending supporting a guy like that?

Of course everyone has a right to choose in any democracy so if the choice is Republican and Democrat in a voting system you’ve really got four choices. You can choose Republican, Democrat, some other party or none of the above.

To me choosing the Republican Party when Bush is its head somehow signify you agree with his policies. To be reminded of what Bush really thinks of black people we only need to remember the callous disregard he showed the predominantly black families affected by Hurricane Katrina. It took almost a week before he responded to this national disaster.

When he was governor of Texas he was responsible for the record number of black deaths by a combination of hanging and electric chair.

If misguided, mixed up, self-hating black people want to ignore Bush’s legacy and character or the party he represents, then that’s their prerogative. But other, bright-thinking black people who know differently should (and mainly do!) walk the land with great pride.

Which side of the fence do you fall on?

One of my favourite moments about going to the movies is when the previews to future showings are on. These clips give me a glimpse of what’s to come and hopefully will leave me with hope to return to the cinema again very soon.

Of late, however, I have noticed that these preview clips have gotten longer and more revealing in what they show.

This sometimes serve only to reveal too much plot and/or storyline. There are cases when revealing too much actually spoil my enjoyment of the film because any scenes requiring an element of surprised is compromised.

My plea to film distributors, studios and those in charge of marketing a movie: have some consideration for any real film fan who might like to just let the action unfold without promotional scenes spoiling their entertainment.

They’ll probably ignore me but at least I’ve let them know how I feel!

How do you feel about it?

I think I’ve finally nailed down the qualities that I would love to have in my ideal woman! Of course my tongue is firmly within my cheeks as I say this because if I had really accomplished such a task I would be able to bottle the formula and sell it and make my second million!

Thus, now that you get the drift, I’ll be brief, but these are the qualities that will attract me:-

• Confidence – she has to ooze it and not be timid or too scared to act because she is crippled by fear.
• Honesty has got to be something she’s familiar with.
• Truth – she will surround her world with the stuff and must not be calculating how to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. Especially mine!
• Attractive – it helps if she has a pretty face but it is even more important that I’m attracted to her and her for to me.
• Age – she will be approximately half my age plus seven! I know this sounds weird but some people swear by the formula but here I’m only using it as a guide.
• Future – it would be good if she’s the kind of person who has one or two goals to reach and the reason why she would like to reach them. A goal-oriented person will tend to be driven with a sense of purpose.

But hey, these are only guidelines and not a blueprint for perfection!

A new contract I recently started forces me to be a daily home to Docklands area commuter. This is a journey of nearly one hour each way.

Rather than complain I’ve taken to filling this gap by reading, a love I have not had the pleasure of seriously embracing for a long while. I just have not had the time.

Ironically, I read (and write) every single day, but usually news and information pieces and other stuff designed to keep me up to date with my various interests.

But now in one week I’ve completed one novel and I’ve already started on a book of short stories. It is a joy to rise each morning to get ready to prepare for my reading slot on the train and tube. And it’s the same feeling on the return journey home too.

When I came to the end of the novel I even read during my lunch times: my impatience would not allow waiting an extra day or two to finish the book!

It’s like reading is fun again and although I notice the journey around me, I’m more interested in the world I’m being transported to while I’m reading my book.

I hope you are reading me!

Two things control whether we fear, why we fear and how we fear. These are the past and future, believe it or not!

Things that have happened in the past shape our attitude and behaviour towards the way we feel about things that are happening now. This, by default, extends to how we might feel in the future.

If something negative happened in the past it goes without saying we may dread it happening again in the future. This is overlooking the fact that in the present what we fear the most is not happening. To our mind, however, it’s as if it’s already happening because it is anticipating that it will happen at some point.

This is fear.

The best way to conquer this fear is to literally live in the present. A variation on an old saying goes: “take care of the present and let the future take care of itself” is particularly apt. Obviously, this is easier said than done to those who fear but it is one that’s well worth heeding.

There’s nothing to be gained from fearing the past or the future when the present is where reality is and where we currently exist.

King of pop Michael Jackson was 50 on Friday and people have been speculating about how he might have looked at that age without the extensive facelifts he is alleged to have had done.

For this image of Jackson at 50 age-progression experts used a mixture of science, computer trickery and genes study to cook up this final image. Starting with photos of Jackson before he went under the knife, they studied how other members of his family have aged, including his 79-year-old father Joe.

In pre-surgery pictures he has great teeth, skin and bone structure, so these were also taken into account. Due to his star status, he would have also had the best personal trainers and nutritionists. There’s no doubt he would have grown old gracefully.

Jackson chose the plastic surgery route which has left him with a face that is as pale as a ghost, a nose as delicate as it is pointy and a visage that makes him look like a Caucasian person.

Despite all this Michael Jackson is still one of the world’s most influential figures. His album Thriller with 65 million copies sold remains the world’s biggest selling record of all time. Thirller25, a recent re-edition of this 1982 album has sold 2.5 million copies since February 2008 and is the 5th best seller of this year.

King of Pop

Although dubbed “King of Pop” Jackson has never called himself that. This was done by fans during his BAD tour where they were holding banners with King of Pop on them. Actress and close friend Liz Taylor cemented the title when she called MJ the King of Pop, Rock and Soul in 1989.

His album HIStory is the biggest selling double album of all time, reaching at least 20 million copies while BAD and Dangerous sold 32 million copies. Off The Wall, an album released in 1996 sold 20 million.

His 50% share of the Beatles catalogue is worth over $650 million although he reportedly owes millions in loans.

Some people will still denigrate Michael Jackson, with names about child molestation, weirdness or wacko behaviour but even after a long stint out of the limelight MJ remains one of the most enduring and fascinating characters living on planet earth today.

Shame about all the plastic surgery though…

The gun and knife incidences taking place around Britain are not solely the black communities

As I got clothed to attend a business meeting one day, I asked myself what was the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant.

In my mind I didn’t think there was any difference at all. But after putting in those words as a search criterion into Google, I learnt something new that day…

It transpires that the main difference between them is in the way they work and how they affect your health over the long term!

Odour Eater

Sure they each use different chemical processes to minimize body odour. And, although certain ingredients in either product may be unhealthy, it is deodorant that is often cited as a better alternative than many antiperspirants.

The main reasons are these:-

• Antiperspirants contain fragrance to mask odours, but they also contain chemical compounds that block the pores to stop the discharge of perspiration. The concept is no sweat, no odour. Or preventing the cooling mechanism that nature equipped every human being with: sweat!
• Deodorant on the other hand, allows the release of perspiration, but prevents odour by combating it with antiseptic agents, which kill odour-causing bacteria.

Fragrance

I must admit up until that point I never really knew how these things worked. I incorrectly assumed that both released a fragrance that covers up body odour.

And another thing: antiperspirant often contains aluminium to block pores, a reaction that has been cited to cause breast cancer. This is a claim manufacturers refute, of course, but then no fisherman would ever say his fish smells!

The solution I find that works for me is to use cologne under my arms. Not only does it mask smell and leave me with a very pleasant odour, it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. As far as I know anyway…

I was awoken by the smell of dinner being prepared by my upstairs (or downstairs) neighbour on Sunday. I couldn’t tell which one was starting the traditional West Indian Sunday dinner.

Sniffing the air I tried to guess what they were cooking. It smelt like the red peas (kidney beans) are softened or maybe it was the chicken being browned. It was hard to tell.

What was unmistaken was the strong, smoky flavour wafting over. I envied them…

Later, I went out to the supermarket to get my weekly shopping. At the lift entrance I met a woman who told me there had been a fire under my floor. I told her that I didn’t know this before.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire. The only casualty was my imagination or nose for thinking or smelling my neighbours were representing Caribbean culinary culture better than I was.

Amazing how wrong you can be sometimes, isn’t it?