The W. Kamau Bell Curve One Part Manifesto, One Part Diatribe, and Several Parts Funny.August 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29 in NYC!

The W. Kamau Bell Curve

One part manifesto, one part diatribe, and several parts funny.

August 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29 @ The New York International Fringe Festival in New York City - www.fringenyc.org

Here’s the Facebook invite!

JUST LIKE SKINNY JEANS, superhero movies, and frozen yogurt, racism continues to make a comeback. In 2007, The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour opened big and came out swinging against big targets. Back in 2007, it was celebrity racism that was all the rage. (Imus, Kramer, Rosie O’Donnell, Dog The Bounty Hunter, etc…) But two short years later, America has amazingly elected the first black president… of the Republican National Committee — Michael Steele. Oh, and also we elected, as president of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama. All this MUST mean racism is over. We’re officially in Post-Racial America… Right?… Right?

WRONG! Because now that a black man — or a half black/half white man if we want to split not so nappy hairs — is leading the free world, the stakes just have gotten higher. Racial injustice has become more insidious (thanks to Rush Limbaugh, the continued broadcast of BET, black and Latino people being blamed for the passage of Prop 8, Teabaggers marching in lock step with white supremacists, and most of the comments on Kamau’s YouTube page). That’s right. Racism has redoubled — no, re-quadrupled — its efforts. Well, W. Kamau Bell is here to make (non)sense of all of it all. And because racism is always attacking in new ways and from new angles, Kamau attacks back by adding new material at every performance. The Curve is a seamless mix of stand- up comedy, video and audio clips, and solo theatrical performance.

The W. Kamau Bell Curve is inspired by the work of several different comedians: the passionate, agenda driven comedy of Bill Hicks, the free flowing, “talking shows” of Henry Rollins, the soul baring honesty of Margaret Cho’s “I’m The One That I Want,” the take no prisoners and leave no stone unturned style of Dave Chappelle, and the ripped-from-the-headlines relevance of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

And as always…

BRING A FRIEND OF A DIFFERENT RACE & GET FREE GIFT!

The W. Kamau Bell Curve has played to sold out houses all over San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and has also played The Jewish Community Center East Bay in Berkeley. It has also been performed twice at The Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles. And this summer will appear at The La Pena Cultural Center and The New York International Fringe Festival.

TRON: LEGACY VFX (Visual Effects) Concept Test YO! THIS LOOKS DOPE, Y'ALL!Check Out Da Trailer > Click Da Pic

Harlem Week Events, This WeekendAugust 15th and 16th, 2009Harlem, New York City

SATURDAY AUGUST 15th 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Uptown Saturday Night
W. 135th St. from Malcolm X Blvd to St. Nicholas Avenue An Outdoor Cultural Arts & Entertainment and Dance Festival that will also include

The National Historic Black College Fair & Expo
12 Noon to 6:00 PM W. 135th St. Btwn. Malcolm X & A.C. Powell Jr. Blvds.

N.Y. City Health Fair & Expo (Part I)
11:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M. W. 135th St.
(Btwn. Malcolm X & A.C. Powell, Jr. Blvds.)

The N.Y. City Children’s Festival
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
W. 135th Street (Bet. Malcolm X and A.C.P. Jr. Blvds.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HARLEM DAY!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16th 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
W. 135th St. (Between Fifth and St. Nicholas Aves.)
3 Main Stages: 12 Noon – 7:00 PM

1. St. Nicholas Stage – R & B / Hip Hop/Reggae

2. YMCA Stage –performances of dance/fashion/poetry/music

3. 5th Ave. Stage – Gospel & Jazz/Soul



N.Y. City Health Fair & Expo (Part II)
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM W.
135th St. (Btwn. Malcolm X & A.C. Powell, Jr. Blvds.)


The Upper Manhattan Auto Show
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Howard Bennett Playground
W. 135th St. (Btwn. 5th Ave. & Malcolm X Blvd.)


The N.Y. City Children’s Festival (Part II)
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
W. 135th St. (Btwn. Malcolm X & A. C. Powell Jr. Blvds.)
A Free event (Tickets required)


The Harlem Honeys & Bears Swimmers
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

For more info, call 646-302-3487
www.harlemhoneysandbears.org


International Vendors, Exhibits, Foods, Art, Fun & Games
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
W. 135th St. (Between. Fifth and St. Nicholas Aves.)

Health Walk in Harlem (2008)

The Harlem Family HEALTH WALK-A-THON
& 1st Annual International 5K Run
Saturday, August 22nd 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Walk Starts at: Morning Side Park 110th and Morningside Avenue


The Joints Are Jumpin’
Wednesday, August 26th 5:30 PM & 7:30 PM
At various Uptown Locations

NYU Film Studies:"Sound Production For Film & Video"ROD's Class & Sound Team (August 2009)

Hey Y'all,

I figured I'd share some of the pics I took in my Sound Production for Film and Video class. These pics are from the last day on Thursday, August 6th, 2009. With the exception of two pics that I'm in, I took all the pics you see here.

THE SOUND RECORDING TEAM aka "RAA" Team (left to right):
Aaron, ME (BIG ROD) and Arturo

The first thing we did as a team is check all the equipment to see if everything works BEFORE checking the equipment out. We are responsible for the equipment if anything is broken, so a spot check is a must before leaving the NYU equipment lab.

To prepare our recordings as a team we checked the levels of the Shure FP33 3-Channel Stereo Mixer using its built-in 1kHz tone generator and then balanced it against the Fostex FR-2 Field Memory Recorder.

Aaron was responsible for the Shure mixer, I (ROD) was responsible for the Fostex field recorder and Arturo generated the sounds we needed to record. Because Aaron and I were operating the equipment, we had to work closely together to make sure the sounds were being recorded properly so they're not too low or too high where the sound is clipping (distorting).

All The Sound Recording Equipment That We Checked Out.
I Had The Fostex FR-2 Field Recorder (not pictured)

Aaron Recording Auturo's Mouse Clicks and Keyboard Sounds

We Recorded The Elevator "Pings"
and The Door Opening and Closing

We Were Recording The Dial Tone From The Phone's Handset

Arturo With The Phone




Aaron Checking The Mixer's Sound Levels
In order To Pick Up The Cell Phone's Vibrate Sound




Arturo Using His Apple iPhone To Call My Cell Phone
So We Can Record My Phone's Ring Tone




Prepping a Recording

Aaron Holding The Shotgun Microphone At A Optimum Distance
To Record My Cell Phone's Ring Tone




Aaron Wrapping Up An XLR Cable




Our Instructor, Sam Skaf, Who Was Mad Qool And Funny As Hell!
He's Sitting At The Desk Preparing A Class Lesson.
The Fostex FR-2 Field Recorder (lower right corner of picture)




Sam And His Studio Monitor Speakers In The Classroom




I Took A Picture Of The Splash Screen Of Pro Tools LE 8.
I Thought It Looked Qool!




This Is a Waveform Timeline Of A "WAV" File In Pro Tools LE 8




One Last Look At Da "RAA" Team!
"RAA" Stands For "Rod, Aaron, Arturo"
Adios Amigos...

CACTUS Wireless Shutter Release AccessoryFor My Nikon D200 DSLR Camera

Hey Y'all,

I wanted to share a new toy that I received today. My new toy is the CATCUS Wireless Shutter Release accessory that I'm using in conjunction with my Nikon D200 DSLR camera. I ordered the accessory from an online merchant called Gadget Infinity (parent company is Harvest One Limited) and it was shipped and air mailed directly from Hong Kong, China to me. My order arrived in 14 days. The device is $30.00 bucks and shipping was $5.00 for a total cost of $35.00.

The image above shows the entire contents of the packaging: Everything came secured in a manila bubble wrap envelope. You get the black and green box which contains the wireless RF (radio frequency) transmitter, receiver and the paper instructions on how to adjust the 16 variable channel frequencies available to you. The transmitter and receiver each come with their own respective batteries installed.



The above photo shows a close-up of the transmitter (pictured left) with the antenna pulled out, and the receiver (pictured right) which attaches to the camera. The effective distance of the RF transmissions specification mentioned on the box itself and the Gadget Infinity website kinda conflict. The website says a maximum of area of 15 meters. The side of the box that I have says the effective range is UP TO 30 meters. This tells me to go on the side of caution and that the effective strength (with no problems) of the device is 15 meters and the maximum possible signal distance is 30 meters. Anything between the range of 15 to 30 meters (49 to 98.4 feet - in english units) and the performance will vary.



The transmitter comes with a GP Ultra alkaline battery (type 23AE 12 v) as shown above.



The receiver comes with a lithium battery (type CR2 3V) as shown above. Interestingly, the lithium battery initially comes shrink wrapped in a mylar type plastic (which is already placed in the receiver for you) which I would assume was to preserve and not drain the battery's life by touching the positive and negative contacts of the rest of the device while being stocked. I'm no battery expert but I guess the lithium battery is more sensitive than the alkaline battery in the transmitter which didn't have a plastic wrap covering. The instructions even mention that you have to remove the plastic wrap from the lithium battery. The specifications also mention that the unit can be triggered continuously for 20,000 times. The energy-saving design allows you to use the unit for a year without having to change the battery inside.



The above picture is a close-up of both devices together with their respective frequency channel button selector switches. Both the transmitter and receiver's switches must agree in order for them to work with each other.

As mentioned before, you can set up 16 different channel frequency scenarios. This is most convenient if you are shooting outdoors and there's nearby RF interference; you simply change the transmitter and receiver's frequency and you're good to go. The other and major benefit is if you have multiple cameras set up in a shooting scenario, you can attach more than one receiver and fire off different cameras at different RF frequencies depending upon your goals of the photography project.

Some people might be wondering what is so special about this particular device. Nikon sells wired and wireless shutter devices!! And... so what???!!

Well, the difference is that Nikon does sell wireless shutter release devices, BUT they are INFRARED and NOT RF (RADIO FREQUENCY) devices, and that makes all the difference in the world. For example, digital SLR cameras have something called bulb mode. Bulb mode allows you total manual control over the shutter (shutter speed) and therefore how much light gathers within the sensor for a specific picture exposure. Bulb mode is used extensively for taking pictures of firework displays, for example. Because most firework displays are at night where there is little light in the sky, it's imperative to shoot fireworks with the shutter open in bulb mode at a slightly prolonged interval. The downside to bulb mode is that it can be a big drain on the battery so have extra batteries on hand when using bulb mode.

The problem is that infrared wireless shutter devices cannot work in bulb mode and so you're stuck. They simply fire the shutter. One would have to stand near the camera and manually press the camera's shutter button and hold it down in order to use and maintain bulb mode. This manual procedure is not an option if you're doing something sophisticated where you can't be near the camera.

The CATCUS Wireless (RF) Shutter Release is a great accessory. It allows one to press part-way down on the transmitter button to get an auto-focus on the camera itself, and then one can press all the way down to take a picture. In regard to bulb mode, you press down on the transmitter button fully to move the shutter on the camera and then press the transmitter button again to release the shutter.



The photo above is a test set up in my house when I was first testing the device. I have the camera mounted on my tripod (Gitzo, baby!!), and I'm holding & pressing the transmitter (the green LED light confirms this) in my hand, and the receiver is plugged (hanging) from the 10-pin port of my Nikon D200 and flashes red every few seconds when the receiver is ready-to-go and green when it receives a signal from the transmitter.



One extra step I have taken is to put some velcro on the wireless receiver and on the battery grip of my Nikon D200. Black velcro would be ideal in this instance because the camera's body is black and black velcro would camouflage on the camera better. (I'll get some black velcro from a hardware store soon).



Then I can easily attach the wireless receiver to the camera so that the wireless receiver is not hanging all messy like. And this also prevents zero stress on the receiver's wire cable hanging from the camera's 10-pin port.

I think the $35 duckets is a great price in comparison to Nikon's MC30 Remote Cable Release which goes for $70 duckets!!! And the cord on this device is only 31.5 inches long! And what's worse, I was considering the ultra-expensive Nikon ML-3 Modulite Remote Control Set. This is the infrared device I alluded to before. The ML-3 is useless because it doesn't support bulb mode as I mentioned before, and then add insult to injury, it goes for a whopping $190.00+ duckets! Shiiiiit! I could exchange my zenny from a Capcom video game and still not be able to pay for this damn expensive device! LOL!

Anyway, CATCUS makes different wireless shutter release devices to suit major camera companies like Canon, Sony and Olympus. You can see Gadget Infinity's product page and order it here: CACTUS Wireless Shutter Release.

If the above link should ever fail while you're reading this, just go to http://www.gadgetinfinity.com and there is a search field in the upper right hand corner of the page - just type in "wireless shutter release".

If you're interested in taking pictures of fireworks using bulb mode and want to know the step-by-step method of doing so then check out these links here and here.

A Self-Portrait of Myself Chillin'
Using the Catcus Wireless (RF) Shutter Release

Have FUN Y'all! You know I will! LOL!

ROD (aka BIG ROD)

I LOVE THESE ADS!GOSH, THEY ARE SO SAME GENDER LOVING AFFIRMING

I just absolutely love these ads. They are so adorable, sensual and same gender loving. I wish I had seen these kinds of ads growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. It would have done so much for my self-esteem and confidence as I grew up struggling with my own sexuality.

Beautiful ads!





I have to quote Kenyon Farrow, a friend, who said it best "This is the way to do social marketing for HIV prevention for Black and Latino Gay men. My friends at the Institute for Gay Men’s Health at GMHC continue to break the mold in terms of how to do effective, interesting, and NON-STIGMATIZING HIV prevention."

_____________________

This "I AM GAY: AND THIS IS WHERE I PLAY" ad was absolutely brilliant and groundbreaking to me. I can identify with the sports element in this ad as a Black SGL brutha who does play sports. Also, it depicts masculine (all things being relative) bruthaz around the idea of sports play, too. A total connection for me and hopefully others less informed or playing into stereotypes. I have blogged (twice already in July 2009) about my LOVE of sports and how most Black SGL bruthaz in my circle aren't really into sports. And you don't really here about Black SGL men in sports reported on in the mainstream (unless a player retires and reveals himself after the fact to be homosexual - and I have no value judgment on that. It's most certainly a personal decision).

Well, I had the privilege of seeing a huge 80 foot long (I'm guessing) monstrosity (I mean that in a most excellent and grand way) affixed to a building wall at the corner of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue - If you never got to see the ad below in person, can you image it in the middle of the heart of HARLEM, USA?????! It blew my damn mind. YOU READ ME?!!! YOU HEARD?!!! The scale was huge and it was most certainly in your face and totally unavoidable. It no doubt sparked a lot of dialogue. And dialogue is definitely needed in the Black community.

I personally don't identify with the word "gay" at all,
instead I use the self-naming, cultural affirmation and pro-Black term SGL (Same gender loving). You'll see MY use of the term throughout my blog and if we communicate via email or in person. However, this ad caught my total attention as I stopped on the corner, stared at it for many moments and looked around to see if anyone saw me looking at it. LOL! There hasn't been anything bold like this since I saw the controversial (wording) "I Know My Son Messes Around With Other Men..." ad back in the late 1990s on the inside of the trains themselves. Phenomenal! Dat's wassup!

INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA!!!Why Does Homosexual Porn And SGL Lifestyle Magazines Need A "Sexual Orientation" Disclaimer?

Is it just me or does anyone get bent out of shape in regard to the (above picture) "sexual acts" disclaimer (pictured above) at the beginning of porn video credits???!! I know some people may laugh at me for getting bent out of shape about a disclaimer on porn (despite it's overall artistic endeavors and impact on the world being low on the totem pole). However, there is something to be said about the psychology of this kind of thinking and propaganda and one's self-worth to even address this on a video.

Although this particular disclaimer above is from the Rocky Ruiz porn video, I've seen this type of disclaimer in a number of homosexual porn videos as well as same gender loving (SGL) lifestyle magazines like PULSE, CLIK and Bleu (see the fine print).


I mean, why do these companies need to say that? Do heterosexual porn videos or general (non-homosexual) lifestyle magazines out there state a similar disclaimer? Well, NO, not that I've ever seen. To me this speaks of internalized-homophobia: the idea of being featured in a homosexual porn video or a respectable and excellent lifestyle magazine, yet claiming a loophole that some of the actors, stars or models may not have a homosexual orientation because they're featured in a homosexual product. This is NOT needed!! It's like being apologetic for someone featured in a magazine who might be misconstrued as being homosexual because the target audience is Black or Latino same gender loving folks. Come on... Actors are actor! Stars are stars! Models are models! As long as the viewer's fantasy is fulfilled in a video, or a magazine model's picture compliments the words of a particular feature article(s), then that is all that matters.

I don't wonder or muse through a video or magazine on whether a brutha is hetero or homo. I sometimes think to myself in some cases that "Wow! He looks mad cute" or "Man! He's a hottie" and then I move on because I don't know these bruthaz.


I've had this discussion with other bruthaz in my circle and basically I get a body language shug of "So what?" or no response as it's not important to them. I told one of my mentors that I'm going to publish it here on the Nubian Knights Network, and his question was "Do you actually read the credits during a porn video?" I didn't say this to him (my mentor), but I do like to read credits only for the productions dates of the video to see how recent the video is otherwise I don't read anything else except the starring people. It just so happens that I've been catching these disclaimers in a number of videos and remember seeing it in PULSE magazine, too. And YES, I do proudly claim that I do sit through and read the credits of Indy and Hollywood films at the end of a film in the movie theater, and also watch the credits through and through for home viewing. Going all the way back to when I was a kid, I've always taken the artistry of filmmaking (not porn) seriously and I like to see the credits of the hundreds of folks it takes to put a film production together. I guess, hence me persuing the dream as a filmmaker myself. So sue me!

Click The Above Image To See
The Yellow Hi-lited Fine Print
On The Ridiculous Sexual Orientation Disclaimer

Again, maybe it's just me, but I wanted to get this off my chest. I just think it's stupid and ridiculous and speaks to one of the myriad of problems in the Black (and Latino) SGL community regarding our (non) comfortability with our fluid sexuality and the emasculation and woundedness of the Black male which goes all the way back 400+ years to our powerlessness during slavery and the middle passage.