Ron - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I'm a liberal thinker. Usually down the middle of the road. However, I can be conservative on fiscal issues. But on issues dealing with society at large and its people, I believe the government can and should do more to help the people when it can.....

My Interests

Playing the saxophone, listening to traditional jazz (no Kenny G. or CD-101), classical music, reading about current events, political discourse, writing, PBS (Public Broadcasting System), NPR (National Public Radio), jazz radio stations WBGO and WKCR in NYC. Watching college basketball, college and NFL football. Surfing the web.

Chess

Chess

I'd like to meet:

Most of the people that I'd like to meet are dead. I'm not a movie fanatic. As for sports icons, there are no sports stars playing today that I'd care to meet. If I could meet anyone, it would be the long dead masters of America's only true art form, jazz. I'd like to meet John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughn, and many more. If there is one living person I could meet today, it probably would be my childhood idol, David Thompson. He played for North Carolina State, and led them to the NCAA national championship in 1974. He provided me with some of the greatest memories of my childhood during the years 1972-1975. As they say in North Carolina..."There's God, and then there's David Thompson". That's how legendary he is. Even today. Before there was Michael Jordan, there was David Thompson.

Music:

"A Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis, "Speak No Evil" by Wayne Shorter, "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?" by Sarah Vaughn, "I Thought About You" by Billie Holiday, "Bird With Strings" by Charlie Parker, "l'Isle Joyeuse" and "Arabesque No. 1" by Claude Debussy, and "Pastorale" by Stravinsky.

Movies:

I'm not a movie person. However, I do have an affinity for the classic movies of Hollywood. So I'd rather watch a classic old movie from 60 or 70 years ago, than watch the fluff that's out today. If I have to watch anything of the last 30 years, I'd watch "Cooley High", Spike Lee's "Malcolm X", and "Taxi Driver".

Television:

Most shows on PBS, NCAA basketball, NCAA football, NFL, 60 Minutes, Dateline.

Books:

"Native Son" by Richard Wright, and "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin.

Heroes:

Any black person that lived through the Civil Rights Movement, and before. I don't know how they did it.

My Blog

An Open Letter to Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer & Jason Kidd

The common topic discussed among black women today is the lack of quality black men to date and marry. This topic is prevalent from the cushy black suburbs of Atlanta, t...
Posted by Ron on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:06:00 PST

Don't Diss Oprah

When it was announced several days ago that Oprah Winfrey had built a $40 million academy for girls, my first reaction was "what about the poor, uneducated black boys?" ...
Posted by Ron on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:52:00 PST

As We Remember 9/11/01, Let Us Not Forget 9/16/20

The fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack that destroyed the World Trade Center and forever changed our way of living and thinking is approaching. There will be memorials, prayers and other acts...
Posted by Ron on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 12:04:00 PST

James Brown: When A Legend Dies

December 25th. Normally it's a day of joy and happiness. Christmas Day. However, Christmas in 2006 will be remembered by many as the day that music legend James Brown died of ...
Posted by Ron on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 09:04:00 PST

For Wall Street...'Tis The Season To Be Jolly

The Christmas season brings bonuses for many. No where is this more prevalent than in the bonuses doled out when Wall Street has a good year. And boy have profits been go...
Posted by Ron on Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:15:00 PST

The Amnesia of Our Nation

Over two years has passed since President Bush sent our nation to war in Iraq. His reasons for rushing into this conflict have ...
Posted by Ron on Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:08:00 PST

Kanye West Is Right...Sorta

Kanye West's comments about President Bush not caring about black people is right on track. Now, I wouldn't say that the president is racist and has a dislike for black people...unlike, say, Rudy Giul...
Posted by Ron on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 06:25:00 PST