Out 21

Hello outside people, this is Ma'at giving you all the info in the Lou. Just recouperating from Turkey Holiday. If I see one more turkey leg, turkey soup, turkey giblets, turkey gobble, turkey whatever, I'm going to start spitting out turkey feathers. On the real. That is one thing about Turkey Day and the days following--you got to eat what your mamma makes, cause if you don't, she's going to think something is wrong. My moms is from the South and she was raised on eating means you love her and I couldnt dare not eat what she cooked which was everything--turkey, ham, dressing, greens, cornbread, potato pie, egg pie, oooh let me stop before I gain another lb just typing about it. Good thing I am maintaining with my regimen of being a work-outaholic (on the right is a pic of myself during my beginning stages of my work out regimen in 2002, photo taken by Japhus Johnson of Hot Shots) , cause I would be trippin out big time of the lbs I did gain. But it was cool on the real. It was nice being with the family at the dinner table saying grace, carving the turkey and eating and talking about how blessed we are and will be and of course the usual,-What are you gouing to do with your life speech" from my parents. That is always a given. I hope you and yours had a good one. Ok, let me get like Russell Simmons and get to the biz....


Before the Turkey Day rush, I had to watch the American Music Awards this year because
1)Its my yearly tradition since the early 80s to watch this show where I try to predict the winners and see ho wmany I got right and 2) St. Louis' own Cedric The Entertainer hosted.
The award show came on last Tuesday and I must say I was not-so- excited about this year's show mainly because there were no real star power artists performing this year--the big name they were hyping all night were the Rolling Stones and they were not even there at the award show but live via satellite. Now dont get me wrong, Rolling Stones is a legendary group and has entertainment value, but if ABC only had the Stones to keep people watching, that was a much ballyhooed stepped down to when Prince, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Lionel Richie and Madonna reigned supreme (Babyface's backstage Memory Lane segments were too short and not worth the trip taking) and they were worth the last few minutes of a three hour show to be glued to the telly and watch them perform (I remember back in the day in 1987 when Janet first performed on the AMAs and lip synched/danced to her hit "Control" WOW! That was the best performance Ive ever seen of her!). Anyway, Cedric did OK. He did his thing. He started off on point, coming on stage with a ghetto blaster in his hand , pimping to D4L's wacky booty song, "LAffy Taffy." Then he cracked on everybody including Britney Spears husband Kevin Federline syang that he has a new cologne out called, "Freeloader," and when he mimicked Will Smith's nude pose in the film, "I Robot." After that, he played it safe and just intro's many of the acts. The show really needed a shot in the arm in the hosting category (maybe a Chris Rock or Mike Epps even) cause the performances on there were painstakingly awful especially Lindsey Lohan's non-singing self and Hilary Duff's lip synched high pitched dread. Mariah Carey did OK. When she won her sole award at the top of the night, and she blamed her voice on not hearing the monitors. I dont know what's going on, but I hope next time the schedule of singers and acts are better (even Ciara, didnt cut a rug like she usually do, she was relagated to singing her chorus to "Like You" with Bow Wow on a makeshift set of the hood). Omarion was probably the best act even though he did his best Michael Jackson dance routine through most of his solo time. And there was no way Missy Elliot could perform (who was on crutches) cause she was walk-deprived. Oh well, maybe it was becasue AMA producer Dick Clark is still recovering from his stroke that the show was lackluster this year. Who knows. Hopefully the Grammys will be better (I hope to attend that next Feb, fingers crossed).

As far as going out last week, I mostly chilled with the fam. My boy Kameron said he attended Nelly and Murphy Lee's pre-thanksgiving party at Club Dreams and said it was packed, but I think he didnt have too much fun cause he rode with Brandin and Tony who had VIP tickets to it and didnt tell Kam about the VIp tickets and he had to pay 10 bones to get in. OUCH. Then he said his driving crew wanted to step after about 10 minutes in. Kam was passed pissed. That was too much playing. Not telling someone they didnt have VIp tickets and their having to pay was FOUL.

Thanksgiving Day I ate and ate and watched the Good Times Marathon on Nick at Night that lasted until last Sunday. That was cool. It was nice analyzing the shows like the James Evans (John Amos) years (1974-76)--the best episodes; the post-James Evans years (1976-1979) that had Florida (Esther Rolle-God rest her soul) leave the show in 1976-77 because of a dispute over JJ's (Jimme Walker) bafoonery and Willona (Ja'net dubois) taking over as surogate mother; the Keith (Ben Powers) years (1978-79) and watcvhing how bad of an actor and impersonator he was and the final episode, "Looking Over the Rainbow" in 1979 when the Evans family got out of the ghetto. I always liked Good Times. I would a little kid when it first came on, but I have always watched it ever since the frist syndicated run in 1980 onward. Now as a gron up kid, I can understand why Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and Willona were the eye candy of the show. I always used to wonder if JJ or James ever tried to flirt with them off camera? I wouldnt blame them. Both of them were hotties back in the day.
Here are my best and worst episodes and when teh show KILT THE GUN (when the show went into overkilled and died)

Best Good Times episode: Neighbor Gertie came over to the Evans home and brought over meat loaf for the dinner and they all thought the meat loaf was made out of dog food. CLASSIC

Worst Good Times episode: Penny almost burned the Evans couch and the Evans kids give their story of how the couch got burned. HORRIBLE--A WASTE of 30 MINUTES.

When did Good Times KILT THE GUN? When the producers of the show introduced Carl (played by the late STL actor Moses Gunn) on the show as a love interset for Florida. This was when teh show died for me. It was enough that James was killed off at the beginning of the fourth season (1976-77)and then to bring in a love interest for Florida so quickly after James' death was nothing but a contrived, plot device that didnt work for me.

On Friday, I decided to see what was the big fuss about this Black Friday craze (black as in in the black that is) , shopping for sales a day after Thanksgving. So I did my own little assesment and got up at about 7 in teh morning and checked out the Walmart Superstore in Ofallon Illinois. It wasnt as jammed packed as I thought it would be (the Walmart stores in St. Louis were no joke with all of the people cramming and running in the store like it was Armaggedon) until I went to the electronics section of the store. It was a long line that wrapped around that little section of the store like it was rush hour on the highway, people were grabbing DVDs, TVs, cameras, you name it. I was waiting for the Santa hats that people were wearing to be knocked off cause of someone getting the last of whatever, but everyone was cool, even polite, no drama at all (They did have an ambulance oustide of the store just in case). For about an hour of this, I decided to roll out. Later on that evening, I decided to go out and check out Cafe Eau at the Chase. I was going to Chingy's party at Formula, and even called the club manager , Kay, and told her I was coming through, but I was not feeling the club thing. My girl Tiffani Blackmore had voice and e0mailed me earlier that day cause Carlos M and Gina wanted to know if I was going drinking at Club Dreams. I was confused at the message as far as why Tiffani would contact me for Carlos, but then I realized that Carlos' celly must still be missin (and I guess Carlos and Gina are back together) I tried calling Tiffani and Carlos back to see what was up, but I didnt get a repsonse back. I met up with Christiaan, Kameron and his "in from out of town" lady Teresa up there about 11. It was jammed packed mainly because it was too cold to be outside. But inside, I ran into some socialites and the person I talked about last time that I refuse to talk about was there. Kam was about to tell me that they were here but I saw that person before Kam did and let him know before he answered that I saw that person. The band was backing up Haromy Fernandez, a white chick who could sing soul. I talked with her briely during the intermission and she was drinking a drink that was colored blue. I forgot what she said she was drinking cause it was loud up in there but she did tell me to check out her site harmonyfernandez.com. I have yet to check it out, but eventually I will. We stayed at Cafe Eau til about 1 in the morn. I was nice and only had one drink--a Jack and Coke that was about $5.50. Kam and Christiaan and Teresa had Long Isles.

Last Saturday, I decided to change it up in my Bally locations and check out the one in Dorsett. I got there about noon. It is bigger and spacier and more equipment than the one in Clayton (they close dteh one on Rock Road by the way) . I ran into music man Aaron Foster up in there who usually goes to the Bally in Clayton. He asked me if I still needed music for my talk show or had I gotten someone else and I said "HOLD UP LIGHT SKIN". (Naw, I didnt say that. A little jokey joke there. )Naw, I reassured him that I didnt get anyone else and I woudl keep him posted on when Tia and I may need his music genius. Kam works there as a message therapist and I decided to check that area out and it looks like a dungeon down there. Kam wasnt there that day cause he was busy in afterglow from the previous night. LOL. Kam said thats what they call downstairs too--the dungeon. I checked out Red Sea. They usually have reggae on Saturday nites and decided to go there. I met up with Kam and Teresa and it was ghost town up in there. I got there about 10:30 It was few people up in there 20 tops and everyone stayed upstairs to listen to reggae. Before I got there, I had a kamo that put me right and Kam bought me a Jamican beer that was really nice. I was toasted after that--talking loud, acting crazy while Kam and Teresa laughed at me. The bartendar chick was even drunk--what was up with that? It was too funny. We started complaining aboutthe gnats that kept flying our direction and I made the comment--these must be racist gnats cause they are only messing with the niccas. LOL. While we were laughing and drinking, I got a call from hollabackboi that he attended the Earthquake show at Roberst Orpheum that was hosted by STL's Lavelle Crawford, and opening acts STL's Arvin Mitchell (are you trying ti be sexierthan me now? LOL), and Guy Torry. Man, I forgot about that show. I usually can get in with a comp, but I wasnt even trying to go through all that drama to call up the PR people, get a ticket and try covering it. Besides, Ive seen all of them perform before so it was no biggie. But hollaback said the show was good. I could barely hear him from teh music playing at the Sea but he did ask me why backstage looked toe up to the floor up. OOps! I then asked him, how did he get backstage and he said through his buddy Ricky McWoods, whose married to Guy Torry;s sister. Oh, him. No comment, Anyway, hollaback was suppoed to get back with me as far as how the show was, but I guess I'll read it in Partyline with Delores Shante cause I know someone from the American was there reppin. We stayed a little bit longer as we saw the white girls up in there gettin drunk and looking for love. I also took Kam and Teresa's photo withTeresa's digital cam (I gave her an idea that they should take nude pics 2gether. LOL--I must have bene drunk to say that. GOSH GEE) ) At about midnite or so, Kam took me to my car and I jetted to the crib.

FOXX WATCH: Did you all see Jamie Foxx on Oprah? It was definitely a love-you-love-you fest. Foxx is cool and he knows how to give the "right Tv image" now that he is an Oscar winner. Nothing was really revealed on the show as far as the supposed rumors about Jaime that he was going to set the record straight about. The ones revealed were not all that compelling like Jaime kicking it with Oprah (yeah right) and the supposed nude pics of Jaime found by a trash man in his dumpster (Jaime did say that was true) . The only things I saw that were interesting was Jaime talking about Whitney and Bobby being at one of his infamous parties and they saing Karoke (that aint all I hear be going on at his parties--or as Jaime said on Oprah--"At my parties people can let their hair down--uh-huh), teh other was R&B singer Tank being in the audience as one one of Jaime's three closest friends that he always hangs with even when he is on a date with a lady. Hmmm, what is going on there? And when did Tank become superfriends with Jaime? Hmmm, inquiring minds would like to know I'm sure. I knew Oprah wasnt going to talk about Jaimes' supposed bisexuality thatI heard from a STL comedian here who told me that he goes both ways. OR getting into Jaime, Rev Jessie Jackson and Snoop Dogg's mission to stop the execution of Cripp founder Tookie Williams (who Jaime portrayed in a cable movie last year called Redemption and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performnace BTW) Now that would have been compelling TV and would have made Jaime even more interesting or as Barbara Walters' lame TV special said the other day, about the 10 people she interviewed for 2005, including Jaime-- "Fascinating."

MILES OF HONORS: Kudos to the Miles Davis Family--the late great jazzologist from East Boogie was recently named into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that will take place in March 2006 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

My boy Kam recently told me that my pic is in the new issue of Hipster Magazine, posing with my girl Tiffani Blackmore. If I get a shot of it, I will post it here next week.

Well, that will cover it for me. Next week, I will give you a report on Santa Land Diaries at Lemming Aramda Theater in Bellville , First Friday at Formula (Hmmm, interseting choice of venue) and my take on gospel superstar Kirk Franklin coming clean to Oprah about being a porn addict. Until next time, see ya outside!