by A.man.I

I have to say, I appreciate NPR’s efforts to include bloggers in the media conversation. I was a guest for the second time on NPR News and Notes with Faria Chideya. The bloggers included ShaunInTheCity who joined me at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studios, and DallasSouthBlog.

Here’s a link to the segment.

Look forward to the next one.

by A.man.I

I’ve been asked to be a guest on the Bloggers’ Roundtable today. The above picture is from the show a few weeks ago. I’ll be posting a link to the segment as soon as it’s up.

by A.man.I

Bob Linger, the GM of my former TV station WTVT (FOX 13) was arrested in Tampa last night. He was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, and exposing his member according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office website.

The alleged crime happened at 4715 N. Lois Ave, at a business is called Fantasyland. It’s listed as a novelty gift shop, but I have a feeling it’s a lingerie modeling business.

Linger’s been released on bond.

Update
In the spirit of journalistic accuracy, here are a few more details. Looks like Linger was on some real Pee Wee Herman ish. He was one of six men arrested.

From SPTimes blog

According to the arrest reports, the six men formed a circle around the undercover officers inside the movie theater and began masturbating.

Fantasy Land has a full-screen theater with couches. There is a sign inside the theater that states “no sexual acts allowed beyond this point,” an employee said Saturday. The theater is considered a public place.

by A.man.I

Is it Friday already? It’s been a positive and busy week. On Monday I launched the Visual Eye Media e-newsletter, and received good feedback from my friends and business associates who took the time to open and read it. The newsletter provides timely information about video production, social media, and the things I’m up to.

Tuesday, I worked for Associated Press Television News, and shot an exclusive story about the first eco-friendly day care in the country. It’s called FIO360. I linked to the video and print story on the Visual Eye Media blog.

I spent Wednesday doing some Marketing. That’s one area where I can certainly improve.

Thursday, I spoke at the Atlanta Web Entrepreneurs “Ask The Experts!” event. I led two discussions. The first was about producing web videos on a budget, and the second covered video production basics.

I suggest that anyone who is interested in video production learn as much as possible. Read, and talk to a few professionals to learn the basic production techniques.

If you’re interested in buying the basic equipment, as far as cameras go, if you don’t want to spend thousands on a 3-chip camera, make sure the camcorder has a mic input, buy a microphone, and tripod. Make sure you watch how you frame your shots, and be mindful of the lighting. I’ll be sharing more hints in the upcoming weeks on the Visual Eye Media website.

I guess that brings us to today. This evening I’ll be shooting the 21st Anniversary celebration at Project South. The folks at the Atlanta non-profit have taken a serious interest in capturing their events on tape, and I appreciate the opportunity to work for them.

Have a great, safe weekend. I’ll be checking out Kat Williams with the family on Saturday. It should be a good time.

by A.man.I

The video has been apparently removed from YouTube, but two Miami thugs landed themselves in a bit of trouble after they made threatening remarks about law enforcement on video and posted it.

Read story here.

by A.man.I

So, if you haven’t heard, there’s a bar in the Atlanta area that has gained a fair amount of media attention over a controversial T-shirt that likens Barack Obama to Curious George.

Why would the monkey joke be so offensive? Well if you must ask, back in the day racist folks convinced themselves that Blacks were subhuman, unintelligent animals.

This post from UndercoverBlackMan illustrates the thinking. The following quote comes from Tennessee clergyman Rev. Buckner H. Payne who wrote “The Negro: What Is His Ethnological Status?” in 1867.

“[W]e take up the monkey, and trace him … through his upward and advancing orders – baboon, ourang-outang and gorilla, up to the negro, another noble animal, the noblest of the beast creation. The difference between these higher orders of the monkey and the negro is very slight, and consists mainly in this one thing: the negro can utter sounds that can be imitated; hence he could talk with Adam and Eve, for they could imitate his sounds.”

But wait! Science tells us that life originated in Africa, so maybe Adam and Eve were a little darker than Rev. Payne could have imagined.

Regardless, there are still plenty of folks who think the Blackman=monkey issue is funny. When I was in high school for example, a fellow student shared a joke that he thought was brilliant.

“Hey Amani did you hear about the Blackman who was looking up his family tree?” he asked. “No,” I replied. “Well, a monkey s*&% on him!” Ha-ha.

With regards to the Obama/Curious George issue, Atlanta political blogger Andre Walker makes an interesting point saying that President Bush has also been likened to a monkey, but no one has ever complained.

That may be true, but who really wants to be thought of as a monkey?

from Press Release

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND COALITION GROUPS ZERO IN ON DELTA & NORTHWEST MERGER

ATLANTA – The Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda convened by Dr. Joseph E. Lowery and comprised of representatives of civil rights organizations and individuals will hold a news conference Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Atlanta Life Financial Center, 100 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 to zero in on the impact of the Delta-Northwest Merger, with particular emphasis on diversity and justice at all levels of management.

The news conference will feature representatives from the following groups and others:

Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda – Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

Concerned Black Clergy

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Rainbow/PUSH

A.man.I

I recently attended the grand opening of WonderRoot. It’s a non profit recording studio dedicated to creating positive community change through the arts. This is a great example of young adults giving back to the community.

I’m calling out the AJC, Creative Loafing, and all other news outlets. This is a great story.

Check out pics from the first studio session at the WonderRoot blog.