After Dusk, Before Dawn

I recently had the pleasure and the privilege of accompanying my fiancee' to a Memorial Day Movie Marathon at Bengie's Drive-In Movie Theater in Middle River, Md. If you've never experienced a movie at a drive-in theater, try to do so and definitely try to expose your little ones if you have em'. Great time for the whole family.

For a low admission price, me and my lady were able to lay back and catch three movies, starting from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m. It was the perfect set-up, the three movies on tap for the marathon were the new X-Men (which I wanted to see,) Failure to Launch (which she wanted to see) and a throw back from the 50's, Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers. It had been a while since I had hung out that late, especially with the schedules me and my lady keep with work and school, so I was amped, to say the least.

The plan was in full effect going into the early hours of the morning; popcorn and funnel cake was on point, and I was certain that I would be in a nice groove going into the third show. Suddenly, as unexpected to me as the aliens technology was to the good citizens of the USA circa 1952, I got tired. Mad tired.

Not that I have ever been the type of individual who runs the streets and uses morning sunlight like mothers use the streetlights, but I have done my fair share of partying and bullsh*tting; the Baltimore-Washington nightlife had been in my veins for the better part of my twenties. I glanced over at my fiancee', (who had been fast asleep 25 minutes into X-Men), and realized that at the ripe old age of 25, I was mellowing out.

I've always known that my soul was too old for my years to ever catch up to, but to fall asleep at just 2:43 a.m.? Not me. Not when I've watched a whole season of Sopranos in one night; not when I've been at a poker table in Atlantic City long enough to go up $900 and back down to $270; not when I talked to my future wife for eight hours straight on a cell phone the day after I met her.

The decline was not a slow one. I went from young to restless in a just a few years and a few frames at the drive-in. I did fall asleep for about 45 minutes, but I woke up just in time for the movie that my fiancee' wanted to see. As the sun came up and the screen went dark, it dawned on me that the old advice I had heard coming up from so many wise adults was genetically programming itself into me.

"There's nothing good for you out there once the sun goes down ."

Granted, freaks don't come out for happy hour, (or at least the good ones don't.) And MJ didn't want to "Rock With You" to cut it short and make it home for the 11 o'clock news, but truth be told, the clubs, the bars, the food, all things you shouldn't have in or around your system late into the wee hours of the morning. And true, the best memories are those that remind us how lucky we were to escape the consequences of our illogical and sometimes illegal behaviors, but we can think that way only because we survived them. Some of us aren't just aren't the Eval Kneival type.

But down off the soapbox and into the Serta goes I; it was a nice run while it lasted. From crazy nights in the streets to lazy nights at the drive-in, I can honestly say that I'll enjoy my life from here on out in the sunset.

Pro/Con Friday

Morgan State University celebrated its 130th Commencement on last Sunday. It was my very first commencement as an employee of my fair alma mater, and the scene, (and sunshine) were surreal. It was a stark contrast from the 2003 commencement, when Mother Nature was raining on us, and we were raining a hefty chorus of boos on our commencement speaker, Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele.

At any rate, I thought that this would be a perfect addition to Middle Class Blues, the Pro/Con Friday. Every Friday, I hope to usher you into the weekend with the pros and cons of any given topic. Enjoy the inaugural, "Black College Commencement."


The Black College Commencement

Pro- The look of pride on the faces of faculty as the graduates march into the stadium.
Con- How the look of pride melts into an uncomfortable frown when the graduates come within earshot.


Pro- The cheers that go up the first time the phrase, "the Class of ______" (Enter your year here) is uttered.
Con- When you look around and everyone that came in with you graduated before you or are coming out next year.


Pro- The joyful exclamations of proud mothers.
Con-The joyful exclamations of ghetto fabulous mothers.


Pro- When the graduating class is captivated by the commencement speaker.
Con- When the crowd is not captivated, and yells out to the graduates in the middle of the commencement address.


Pro- The moment when graduates are first called to approach the stage.
Con- When some graduates lose their place in line while taking group photos.


Pro- When your name is pronounced correctly to receive your diploma.
Con- If your name is called incorrectly, that ghetto fabulous mother who curses out the person at the mic for the entire stadium to hear.


Pro- Wearing a stole with your organizational emblem embroidered on it.
Con- Doing your organizational call as you walk across the stage, inspiring others graduates, the crowd, and sometimes platform guests, to respond.


Pro- Receiving applause from your classmates as you walk.
Con- Receiving boos from your classmates as you walk.


Pro- Taking the first picture when you come off the stage.
Con- Receiving the proof in the mail two weeks later and you can't afford to get that many.


Pro- Seeing your family in the crowd from the field.
Con- Not being able to find your family at the conclusion of graduation.


Pro- Singing the alma mater for the first time as an alumni.
Con- Realizing you don't know all of the words to the alma mater.


Pro- It's finally over.
Con- It's all just beginning.

The Bron' Identity

We expect assassin, we get front-line soldier.

We expect to be critics, we become witnesses.

We expect growing pains, we get growth spurts.

This is LeBron James; the child with a man's game. The Ohio Player known the world over. His environment didn't produce him, our expectations can't reduce him. His pride comes not from doing what is expected of him, but from achieving those things that we shouldn't expect from a 21-year-old uber-star; let alone a 21-year-old uber star in the second round of his first playoffs against a team known for bouncing young superstars around for a couple of years.

Freakish athleticism that changes the way the game is played and watched is nothing new. We have seen that through the course of the league's history with post players like Mikan, Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal and Amare', and with big guards like Oscar Robertson, Magic, and now LeBron.

The demeanor, the decision-making, the dominance, it all goes hand in hand. LeBron is a rare breed of innocence and wisdom; restraint and rage. In one scene, he's biting his nails nervously, The next time you see him? He's drawing the defense and throwing a perfect pass to Gooden for the go-ahead score with 27 seconds left in the game.

Immediately following the two-point win on the Pistons home floor, with his team one-win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals and the next game back in the King's palace, here's the King.

"Detroit is a great team. Remember in 2003, they were down 3-1 to Orlando and they came back and won."

The equivalent? You see your ex-girl at the mall while you are there with your much better-looking, much more sensible girlfriend, and you introduce the two. Super gratifying to you, but you play your position and everyone walks away with a respect and understanding of the past, but an acknowledgment of the truth:

Ain't no going back.

20 minutes later at the press conference, LeBron is asked about the perception of Cleveland not being in awe of the Pistons. Here's the Kid.

"It's just basketball," James said. "They're not the Big, Bad Wolf. And we're not the Three Little Pigs."

He's King enough to take the big shots, the criticism, the punishment in the lane and the unending media scrutiny.

He's Kid enough to have the desire to make everybody around him better, and while that aspect of his personality and game have been criticized, its that exact same quality that allows him to pass when its necessary, to drive when its necessary, and to help on defense when its necessary.
In other words, there is no Bean in Bron'.

There is some truth to the old adage "To whom much is given, much is expected." This is very true for LeBron James, and he has delivered on all fronts; by most accounts, quicker than anyone else in NBA history.

And while it is easy to marvel at the Kid's accomplishments on the court, the charisma, the intelligence and the maturity to put it all together into one complete package says much more about the greatness we are witnessing than we could ever imagine.

And while these playoffs may have a chapter on the Wallace Prophesies, its translation will forever remain in the King James Version.

Bean Ball

I did not see the conclusion of Game 7 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns last Saturday night. I turned it off mid-way through the third quarter. It wasn't because I had been fulfilled by seeing the Lakers get drubbed by a run-and-gun offense, or that Kobe got his comeuppance, which is exactly what I wanted to see out of a format that short of March Madness, only an NBA playoff Game 7 can provide.

Nope, I turned it off about three minutes into Kobe Bean Bryant's decision to quit on himself. I will not venture to say that he quit on his teammates, although it can be safely argued that it was a clinic on selfishness and arrogance to be not only the best player on your team, but possibly in the whole damn league and not even attempt to make a comeback. I can see that, buts that's not where the quitting solely lies.

Kobe engineered himself to be one of the most popular players in the NBA today. Blessed with the mentorship of Mr. Logo, Jerry West; a partnership with the Big Aristotle, Shaquille O'Neill; and the coach with the silver triangle; Phil Jackson, Kobe was in a can't-lose situation. He had access to endorsement deals, fame and fortune, and the chance to throw up the dynasty sign with other Laker greats like Elgin, Worthy, Kareem and Magic.

But KB8 wasn't built for the NBA mold. On the outside, you could catch him marketing Sprite, Mickey D's and Adidas. But on the inside, he was a little different than most. I'm sure he got tired of the Batman and Robin moniker with him and Shaq, so he became more Two-Face. More L.A. Confidential than Hollywood Squares. The world got word of how he didn't interact with teammates, and the running feud with his center. The world got to know about Kobe's veil, and then he got caught up in Vail, CO.

But in true Kobe fashion, he brushed it off. Charges dropped, the Diesel rolls east, and after one bad season, Dr. Buss calls in Dr. Phil to fix the purple and gold. Guess who's bizzack with Nike on his back? New commercials roll out, Kobe is smiling more, and the Bean P.R. Barrage is in full effect.

Regular season runs its course; Kobe puts on an Art Monk jersey against the Raptors, and it the Lakers are back in the playoffs. But then 3-1 melts into Game 7, and we see the Lakers getting ran out of the desert.

The Kobe that called Raja Bell a kid? He got left behind in Game 6. Bean didn't get up in anyone's face for adopting a "no threes, but lay-ups are cool" defensive philosophy. Bean was scoring, but not stopping. Bean didn't even want to shoot after halftime.

Dr. Phil covered it up, the team made it seem like it was their fault. But the world knows the truth. The Lakers were mediocre during the regular season, but Kobe willed them to be just a little bit more, by himself. Not this time. Nike built an entire ad campaign around Kobe's extraterrestrial desire and drive to win, so much to the point, that he actually had us believing that maybe we shouldn't have criticized him so badly for wanting to prove to the world that he could do it on his own.

Bean has called into question his own motivation, his own allegiances and his own willingness to be a leader through thick and thin. Beanie baby didn't sell out his team; he sold out the very image he's worked so hard to reconstruct. With the weight of a false persona off of his shoulders, Kobe Bean Bryant throws the veil of the assassin back on, endlessly stalking a kill that does not exist; to win it all, all on his own.

Ode to the Cookout

For everybody out there in the blogsphere that is familiar with the brother Bomani Jones, don't go telling him I jacked his format. The sports columnist/television personality/PhD. candidate personally gave me his blessing to do my own remix of the popular list, and I'm certainly going to try my best.

If you aren't familiar with "Bo's" work, you should definitely check him out here. After you do that, come back here and check out my very first Top 25 list. Maybe more or less, here is a listing of artists and songs that define summer, that get the cookout jumping. Cheers.

Kool and the Gang -Summer Madness / DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Summertime - Interchangeable, depending on the age range. I happen to be a freak of nature, as my age leans towards big Will, but my old spirit inclines me towards KATG

Frankie Beverly and Maze - Before I Let You Go/ Happy Feelings / Can't Get Over You - Classic songs for them folks with the bad hips that still wanna move something

Mother Father Sister Brother - My Mood - Most people know this group as the creators of the 'Soul Train' theme song (aka "The Sound of Philadelphia,") but DC-Metropolitan area residents might recognize the tune from the closing credits of Channel 4 News at 6 on Fridays.

Parliament Funkadelic - Flashlight/One Nation Under a Groove - Classic Cookout Jumpoffs

Isley Brothers - Livin' for the Love of You/ Harvest for the World / Between the Sheets/ Summer Breeze - Maybe they are the Kings of Summer...

Isaac Hayes - The Look of Love - If you aren't up on Isaac Hayes, this is the song that will get you right.

Sly and the Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime- My personal favorite summertime song, but not many are up on it. Even the piano intro is dripping with summer. Plus, the name says it all. Consider yourself lifted.

Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke/ My Cherie Amor/ Superstitious/ I Am Singing/ Do I Do - Well, maybe I should rethink the Isleys real quick...

Donny Hathaway - Love, Love, Love - Nice feel-good joint to mellow it out, just before...

Marvin Gaye - Distant Lover/ Keep on Dancin' / "What's Going On - The Album" - Perhaps the greatest R&B album of all makes Marvin the king. Okay, Marvin is the Man... I'm pretty sure.

Michael Jackson - Rock with You - Could have a couple other joints, but MJ just cannot be relegated to summer. Mike is the quintissential utility man; all year round.

Sade - Smooth Operator / Paradise - Smoother than a scoop of vanilla off the ice cream truck.

Al Green - Let's Stay Together / Love and Happiness - Enough Said

Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker - Of all the hits Teddy Riley wrote and produced, who would have thought this would have stuck around?

Hi-Five - The Kissing Game - Well, maybe Teddy had a few others in him.

Luke - It's Your Birthday - This saying has infiltrated even regional music at summer parties, (go-go, house, club, i've even heard it in some crunk music.) It makes the list by mass association.

Aaliyah - Back and Forth - For the youth of the world; I know this song had me through the summer into my first year of high school.

LL Cool J- Loungin'/ Hey Love - Perfect set-up for that summertime crush.

R. Kelly - Happy People- The Album - Because of his transgressions, this was a slept on album. Maybe with my reluctant help, no so much anymore.

DMX - How's it Goin' Down? - All of the MTV kids will feel me on this one. God know it was on Direct EFX for like the whole summer.

Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' / Give it 2 Me - Gets you bling like the Neptunes Sound.

UGK - It's Supposed to Bubble - If you don't know about the kings, I feel sorry for you.

Questionmark Asylum (feat. BlackGIRL) - Hey Look Away - From the D.C. area, they fell off. But as long as I'm on the grill, this is on the box.

A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation/ Wordplay / Award Tour - Many summer nights ushered in by the Midnight Marauders.

Mahalia Jackson - Summertime- One of the few secular songs she ever performed, and we have the Duke (Ellington) to thank for it. I'm sure it was one of God's favorites, too.