"The whole U.S. is looking at this city right now, and this is what they see."

That quote comes from "City a woeful scene," off the New Orleans Times-Picayune's breaking-news blog.

Tony Pierce is royally (and rightfully) annoyed at sloppy wire-photo cutlines. This meme has been making the rounds; the one and only Eric Rice brought it to my attention via instant-messenger late yesterday.

Jay Smooth of Hip Hop Music links to New Orleans/hurricane aggregate LiveJournals.

Voyage to Dawn's Michelle puts out an all-call appeal on behalf of her friend, Mel's Oasis

Solitaire Redux tells us that it's human nature.
And We Shall March talks with her safe-but-shaken sister.
Court shares life at the present moment in Alabama.
The Black Informant talking about taking care of our peeps.
There's a pre-hurricane collection of pictures over at Flickr that's worth a glance and makes me want to put mine up.

Wednesday's Top 40

Here's what got caught in my browser while trawling through the net, or what got caught in my net while trawling through my browser.

Summer Squeeze's Lois is down 40 pounds. Go 'head!
Black Hacker points out Vision Circle's new wiki.
Safire sticks, moves and offers up a dark jewel.

Can I be a legitimate militant sista and be a Metalhead at the same time?

Laina Dawes' "Is Rock 'N' Roll Racist?" gives this post its title.

Jewels in the Jungle has a seriously comprehensive Hurricane Katrina blogging post. T-Steel wants to coordinate volunteer electricians. The Moderate Republican takes issue with Booker Rising's Shay (guest-posting over at Dean's World) about Katrina, and It Ain't Safe Nowhere says our favorite Jackson, Mississippi blogger Ink Blotter is doing all right.

Elsewhere? Oh, by all means.

Abuja, Nigeria's own Trae Days talks about 419 scams.
Abeni at And Still I Rise remembers actor and singer Brock Peters and shares a funny (well, to me, anyway) joke about marrieds.
Down Home Soul Food Cooking Blog has a basic red-velvet cake recipe.
Rashunda Tramble (with a little help from Caryl Phillips) opens up about Luther Vandross
Trudi Wants Her Groove Back has sad memories of her South African hometown.
Travels of the Fighting Kitten got to see "Elevator to the Gallows"
The Christian Science Monitor's blog focuses on motorcycle taxis in eastern Congo.
Adrian at this and that wants the real Masaais to stand up.
Edwige is chillin' in Armenia.
Mshairi is looking forward to London's Notting Hill Carnival.
Frank Leon Roberts wants to know what you're reading, and offers his semester's curricula/reading list. Go, Frank, go!
Scott Poulson-Bryant shares some feelings in probably the last few bits of free time he'll have before his new book drops.
ethiopundit has a sobering post about last June 6th's events.
Mixed Media Watch asks "Dude, where's my white privilege?"

And lastly, think about celebrating blog day (31st August) by pointing out five new blogs that you read and think deserve a wider audience!

Trying to figure out why James Ingram needed to know what he was doing wrong.

I'm happy with Spiced Tea & Letters' post about Quincy Jones' "The Dude." Aren't you? Didn't you dig that album back in the day? Personally, I can't wait for her promised explication.

I missed a bunch of posts lately, but I have the benefit of a five-day weekend to play catchup. Some of them are listed below.

the HotnessGrrrl's "Getting Naked"
optimistic1906 details "The Life of a 1L" at the struggle continues.
Random Genius explains why she started The Zami Network and offers an invite.
Positive Africa explains why they started the site.
Once New Orleans dries out after Hurricane Katrina, Cliff's Crib will still have something to say. In the meantime, Nordette of NJ Spoken Word has a poem and a wish and a memory, while Kenyon has a prayer.
It looks like Patrick Barry Barr is on the move to Peru.
Sister Outsider hears the strangest things at her hairdresser's.
Soul South notices a new blog, South Africa: General thoughts about SA by some among us
The Niggerati Network links to a great conference coming up next March.
Stephane King writes about black hair.
The Christian Science Monitor blog updates with a take on rural South Africa.
John Kamau blogs about human trafficking.
The View shares his take on a June Jordan poem.
Kazey Journal points to the new NigerianBloggers.com.
Ms. World gets a marriage proposal from a Thai monk.
rootwork the rootsblog hopes August Wilson goes down slow.
Black Ink asks questions about publishing in the Carribean.
bankelele points out Kenya's draft constitution (available in .PDF download format)
Courtney Elizabeth's been busy starting up UrbanWeblogs.com.


And of course, you're just wasting your time online if you're not reading Karama Neal's So What Can I Do?

Black, frank, white

I commented over at Jay Smooth's Flickr'd "dubyapumpsta" before stumbling across Michael Miraflor's post about Michelle Garcia's Washington Post article "Deejay's Appeal: 'Kill The Whiteness Inside': In Brooklyn, a Club Following Feels the Irony" Then I see Jay's on it like Blue Bonnet.

Holdin' it down until the weekend arrives

At Mama Specific Productions, Trula's rockin' some fresh Bantu knots.

 Black Looks is apartment-hunting in someone's favorite Spanish city.

Rantings of a Black Polemicist manages a micro-manager.

Jai of Blog Blog Woof Woof taks about his toolbox, reminding me that I'm about due to purchase one myself.

Faye Anderson approvingly notices a Black America Web essay on political-party rebellion among young blacks.

Rock Me Tonight is where an intrepid blogger named Thomas reviews "each and every single which hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Soul/Black Singles chart during the 1980s." I'm not sure if he's black or not, but I know he's got excellent taste (though he makes me feel a litte silly for liking Atlantic Starr's "Always"). He's just updated his blog with jams from May, June, July and August of 1987.

Wednesday's Top 40

There's quite a backlog to get through. Here's what I have:
Nelson George's disclosure of plans for Black Entertainment Television.
The Third Decade's "Sticking together" isn't pleased with the Boston Globe's series of occasional articles on people of color.
Rainmayun's got some confessions to offer.
Prince of Zamunda's "Mistaken Identity" takes me back. (Oh, I've had it happen to me, too.)
SmilingOnThaDL's "I am Rashawn Brazell" is one of several heartfelt black-blogosphere posts about the man in the runup to Sunday's scholarship dinner.

This is my experience, my life and this is what I’m passionate about.

The post's title comes from "Passion" off author Monica Jackson's the way there; go read "RWA covers MC romance" and "Letter from author with hard questions"

This is one of those weeks where I work a few extra days, so I have to put off my regular weekend. That makes posts like Statanic Action's "Sunday 2:14 a.m." a nice snapshot of things I hope I'll get around to instead of the usual errands-and-honey-dos. (Note to wife: Not that there's anything wrong with doing errands!)

Kenyon Farrow has a wonderful post on Kanye West (with a nice, semi-topical assist from Rod 2.0).

EJ Flavors honors Lynne d Johnson, one of my favorite blogfolk, with his latest mix. Did you check Lynne's Vision Circle podcast a few days ago?

What it's like to be a thug, especially in an era marred by HUD scandals.

The title of this post comes from Laura Swisher's "Great Celebrity Reads."
The rest of this post? Things I read and enjoyed this weekend (and maybe a few days before that):
Obsidian Bear's "i worship Damali Ayo, BUT ..."
SGL Cafe's "God Bless Kanye ..."
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast's "You are here"
Trader Mike's "Link Exchanges"
Everything in the new issue of breath of life
Rod 2.0's "Jamaica Urges One Love"
Anderson@Large's "Stumptown"
Writing is Fighting's "How Can I Be So Busy and Be So Broke?"
This Black Girl Reads' "Keeping it real"
Coalition for Darfur's "Black Churches and Darfur Activism"

'Does the rhetoric match the reality??'

At Vision Circle, temple3's "Black Conservatives and Authentic Advocacy" nears the black conservative-vs.-conservative black event horizon.
SistersTalk approvingly notes Kanye West's statement on hip-hop homophobia.
Black Looks movingly shares her thoughts on surviving cancer.
Bejata marks his parents' 56th wedding anniversary.
Dare Obasanjo's uploaded pictures from his Nigerian vacation and has had observations to share.
Soul South says brain drain is hurting Africa.
For a taste of T-dot news and opinion, Jdid offers "file under misc." and "random checks."
Inglewood rude boy Lawrence Ross takes time from touring with his latest book to chop up observations and minutiae.

Careening toward oblivion

Digital Africa points out that one of Tanzania's opposition candidates has started blogging.
Larry Lyons explains ways to help fund the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship.
If J's Theater keeps pumping out quality posts like "Norton's Tales of the City," I'll keep linking to them. It's as simple as that.
Dell Gines' "Macho Men: Gays, Rights, Marriage, Blackness" (via Booker Rising) on the other hand, is a misfire.
Inside Somaliland's "busy egal" shows folks from abroad coming back to visit.
Abiola Lapite says he's no conservative.

Wednesday's Top 40

I've a load of backed-up links to place here. Give me a minute, OK?

OK, right then, here goes:

This Black Girl Reads' "sunday" is random, weird and cool, and I feel a mild kinship of sorts with anyone who has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off.

Prometheus 6's latest "black intrapolitics" post pushes off into the happy news of a new blog.

Steve Gilliard has the only thing I feel worth reading about the other day's iBook riot.

soucouyant's been taking a load of pictures during her latest South African jaunt. Start here or here and work forward, won't you?

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast (via Republic of T.) notices that D.C.'s mayor is blogging.

Back in the saddle again

I'm going to have to beg your forgiveness. I've had a lot of stuff on my plate the last couple of days. When things calm down, I should be able to add some proper links and I'll be able to get caught up on my reading. Till then, will five or six random do you all right?

Courtney Elizabeth is calling all California bloggers. If you're living your life like it's Golden-State, check her out.

Apparently, Boogie Tonight has the blind item of all blind items. My head's spinning just trying to keep all of the parties, um, straight.

Becky Banton's got a sobering post about groupies and self-esteem.

J's Theater has some shots of life in the Dominican Republic.

Fratman 1906 marks a birthday with a fusillade of facts and opinions.

Black Gospel Blog checks in from the Gospel Music Workshop of America.

Pins and needles

Mon from My So Called (ABD) Life has found a Ph.D dissertation writing style that works for her.
Genia Stevens at the Bloggie-nominated SistersTalk has some preliminary thoughts on Logo, the new gay television network.
T-Steel's "The Furniture Gods are laughing hard" is good for a chuckle, unless you're like me and you've got a couple of hundred dollars of do-it-yourself some-assembly-required stuff on the way to your door.
Edwige is on the road and mad about Macedonia.

The miracle of walking around upright

I didn't expect to be walking around again so quickly, but here I am. I did have some company, along with all the blogs I've been reading: "The Island" and "Turn the Beat Around." Thoughts on both will probably follow at a blog to be named later.

Everytime I turn around, Ms. World is in another country. This time? Laos. Tomorrow? Well ...

Christopher Rabb's got a lot to say in his Afro-Netizen post "Black Media, White Hegemony."

If you have strong feelings about albums for beginning jazz fans, check in with Abiola Lapite's Foreign Dispatches. Advanced jazz fans already know to see a friend of mine, James Knox.

 

Wednesday's Top 40

If it's the middle of the week for you and my Sunday, it must be time:

Author Tayari Jones had a good time at the National Black Book Club Conference.
Minister Faust is posting some pictures from his vacation.
Avery Tooley has a podcast on African American Vernacular English.
Donald Andrew Agarrat has a podcast of his own.
Mixed Media Watch launches its "Addicted to Race" podcast.
Ethiopundit has a long post on Addis Ababa metropolitan area's future.
And We Shall March has a thoughtful comics-conference rant.
Kenya Democracy Project's "Blogging, Kenyan Women & Opening of Democratic Spaces" is a must-read, as is Nicholas Gichu's "Random Post"
Black Book Blog has a thorough post-NABJ roundup.

Back pain swallows Tuesday whole without salt

I'm typing this on the couch in my apartment, laptop perched on my knees, hot water bottle crammed into the cushions behind me on my right side. I made the mistake of trying to pick up a rolled-up maroon king-size futon mattress without doing whatever it is you're supposed to do about bending with your knees. I think a muscle in my back literally did a double-take and said "No, brother, don't even think about it."

It's got to be the low 80s (mid- to high 20s Celsius?) outside, but the inside of our place does double-duty as a warm-weather sauna. I'm sweating.

Let's see, there's got to be somebody out there having it worse than me ...

Weakened update

When you're not feeling well, sometimes the only thing to do is to lift weights. Call each link a "rep." Spot me?

Quintessential Negro went to the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Atlanta. Jimi Izrael didn't go. Bomani Jones (that Mr. For Myself and Others to you) has a multi-part series goin' on.

What do you think of Cliff's Crib's tips to reform New Orleans public schools?

You need breath of life's Goodie M.O.B. deconstruction/retrospective in your life.

Creative Soul Confessions' bookstore pas de deux with a nosy guard made me grin.

Obi from South London's got a sobering take on Anthony Walker's death.

Kendall Speaks recounts her old-school love weekend.

Meskel Square's proprietor mentions "blue-line" cabs in Addis Ababa.

"Omnibus" isn't going to cut it!

A roundup of interesting things would take a great deal of time, but I've got plenty going into the weekend, so here are some of the noteworthies:

Pica 12's realization that what you don't know can hurt you, which makes me realize it's been a minute since I've cleared out my medicine cabinet and scheduled a physical checkup.

space for rant's notice about the new issue of marlogirlmagazine is much appreciated. I've got a full plate of online and offline reading, but marlogirl is too cute and well-done to pass up.

Sister Outsider's "Different Now" hits home for me on a couple of levels. It's inevitable that even the most frenetic, compulsive bloggers slow down to reevaluate their commitment to self-disclosure and community participation. An approaching anniversary will have a lot to do with it for more than a few of us.

Jackson G. Tickle's got an amusing take on relationship investments.
Make Me marks her first blogiversary.
The Black Informant takes me there with a who-cut-your-hair post and reminds me of the time I tried, without success, to get a suburban barber to touch up my box fade.
Vision Circle has a Dead Prez podcast.
Butta waxes both amused and indignant about a not-so-poultry matter.

Conference call

Faye Anderson and a newly-Blogsome Will spent time at the National Urban League's annual convention over the weekend. Over the next week or so, I look forward to reading about the National Association of Black Journalists' get-together in Atlanta. Given my day gig, I really ought to be there. One of these days, I'll get it together to show my face. Until then, it'll be interesting to see what effect former President Clinton's address had on the gathering.

And now, for something completely different: RoRicka thoughtfully articulates some of her thoughts on partnership here. I have to admit the issue's on my mind, since Monica Jackson and ding of screed have posted some of their takes on issues rising out of Debra Dickerson's recent Salon.com essay.

Wednesday's Top 40

I can't say enough good things about Keith Boykin's "His Eye is on the Sparrow,"
bejata's "Lifted Up" or urban bohemian's "ain't but two of 'em straight and both of them ugly."
Black Hacker is probably the only black blogger who hates spam more than I do.
The Third Decade did exactly the right thing with "Racial Profiling E-mail."
Travels of the Fighting Kitten had a nice ol' bicycling, world jazzy weekend.
au lait is talking about good Kenyan loving and mourning the death of Sudanese vice president John Garang.
Ronn Taylor sees Harlem Book Fair interviews on C-SPAN (via e-drum).
Edwige of This Actually Happened goes traveling to Guatemala.
Margaret of It's My Place! hit three countries over the weekend.
The Moderate Republican's got a couple of posts worth reading.
The Black Star Journal's telling all who read him how to help anti-hunger efforts.
Black Feminism is thinking of different directions.
Honey Soul has an excellent interview with artist Gaelle.
Over at Devas T. Rants and Raves!, there is tragic news about Artist Greggy.
Amber Henshaw visits a fistula hospital in Addis Ababa.
Here's a great Donald Andrew Agarrat photo of Harlem artists (via bejata).
That Colored Fella had an unpleasant run-in with a driver.
John K. at J's Theater has thoughts on beauty, power and race.
I couldn't pass up Hip Hop Music's "The Fake Black Rock Manifesto."
Mixed Media Watch's "Are black women undesirable because they've been masculinized?" critically engages Debra Dickerson's Salon essay "I want you to want me: I laughed, I cried -- then I wondered: Why won't the 'Wedding Crashers' crash any sister's wedding?" and the ensuing flood of letters.
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast does a fine job juggling grad-school and family commitments, representation and privacy, disclosure and introductions.
Miss World takes on Hong Kong with inimitable brio and panache.
The SPB Q has thoughts on why he began writing and who inspired him.
The Brutha Code courts controversy over the latest King magazine cover.
Old Gold Soul goes looking for Nell Carter.
posthipchick liveblogged BlogHer's "Brown Bloggers Go West" panel.
Booker Rising (rightly, of course) takes Black & Right "AOL's Dun Gone Hood" to task
Ethiopundit's got banners, banners, banners.
Anthropology of African Experiences asks "What shall I do now?"

Post-locktician-visit post

It used to take two hours, from hitting her establishment's door on MacArthur Street in Oakland and leaning my head back into her sink to hitting my car door, turning the keys in the ignition and swinging a headful of tightly twisted nappyage. Now, it's about an hour and twenty minutes. I guess each lock's root knows how to behave itself these days.

Let's see, what's on my radar? I know I had a good look at several posts the last few days, 'cause there are at least three different browser screens hiding in my PowerBook's toolbar. (I use Safari to browse and to begin posts, but only Netscape 7.2 seems to be able to handle use of AOL's blogging setup (by displaying the little bar of options that let you toggle between text and HTML, plus bolding, italicizing and other stuff). Not Internet Explorer, not Firefox and not Shiira (at least not yet) ...

So, while I was under the hairdryer, squirming at that hot-hot-heat diggin' its way into my scalp and baking my poor cranium, I managed to fire up Bloglines' mobile page on my cell phone. I got some reading in. I took these notes:

Nalo matrix? Ursula love London happiness?

I guess now it's time to decode that. To wit, Ms. Hopkinson's been hit with the Sylvia Stewart card, and Ms. Barzey's been blogging up a storm today on just those subjects.

Jdid asks his readers how they write posts. It's a pretty basic question. It ought to yield lots of interesting answers. Me? I've got a desk. It's very functional. I cover with stacks of paper, the odd pile of clothing, newspapers, stray hard drives. Whenever I want to write, I just look at it, shake my head and go off to a less messy corner of our apartment (most often, the spot on the carpet in the front room next to the air conditioner).

Black Weblog Awards? All right now!

It was on my radar ever since Karsh started posting about it a few weeks ago, but now it's here: The 2005 Black Weblog Awards. I can't wait to see who plays by the rules and wins come September 3rd. By the way, I think I'm eligible for six of those awards. Which six? I'm glad you asked!

In theory, I'm eligible for Blogger of the Year and the Black Blogger Achievement Award (I've been at it since May 2000)

My baby Negrophile could take Blog of the Year and Best Political/News Blog blackosphere is eligible for Best New Blog.

... and, of course, the concept of me actually winning any of these awards alone should just about qualify me for Best Humor Blog.

Because I didn't get to attend Blogher (my work schedule got in the way), I made do with a bunch of posts: culturekitchen's "Blogher conference, the 4-Hour Layover Version" and "Here at BlogHerCon," Nichelle Newsletter's "Meeting in the Ladies' Room" and "So Alive," nykola.com's "Sort of Live from Santa Clara," Marian's Blog's "Blogher: Signs of Life in the Overdeveloped World," "Blogher, 'Black is a Country,' and 'Globalization is Good for Women" and "From inside Blogher..."

Elsewhere: it's been an action-packed weekend, if the black blogosphere's posts are any indication. Here are some of the ones I liked best:

Eratoscreed's "my moment of black zen: the dan band"
Dar Kush's "Stealth (2005)"
Keith Boykin's "Rev. Willie Wilson Apologizes...Sorta"
NewBlackMan's "Bakari Kitwana, Political Writing and the Harlem Book Fair"
darkone1980's "Windows Vista, Motherfucker!"
Doan Mind Me's "Caribana Photos"
black looks' "Anthony Walker"
Meskel Square's "What Ethiopian Bloggers are Talking About"