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Unforgettable Classic: Drumline

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, February 07, 2013

Two Sundays ago, I decided to go through my movie library and came across this classic 2002 movie titled Drumline which stars a younger Nick Canon (now Mariah Carey’s hubby) as the young

drummer from New York who gains admission into a University, joins the school’s drum band section and has to confront obstacles such as the band leader, his music education as well as his own haughty self-confidence and attitude.

The movie is an interesting flick with powerful messages that border on leadership and self-discipline. The story carries so much substance that it could equally be used as a motivational tool to teach youths a lesson.

Nick Canon plays Devon Miles, a struggling youth who with his Mum’s support against all odds manages to graduate from high school and make it to the fictional Atlanta A & T University, a historically black college that takes enormous pride in its marching band. Devon being a talented drummer looks forward to joining the band and from later progression of the story, we learn that Dr.Lee, the head of the band had actually invited Devon on scholarship over to the University based on his prodigious drumming talent.

Nick Canon as Devon Miles

Devon’s cocky attitude and disposition that he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to the A&T band becomes a glaring flaw that not only threatens his band membership but also his relationship with Laila (played by a younger Zoe Saldana), a cheerleader with the band and fraternity sister who happens to be his love interest.

Devon has to contend with the band leader Sean Taylor (played by Leonard Roberts) who can’t stand his lone ranger approach to things. When the rift between them eventually goes too far, it results in tragic consequences for Devon and embarrassing disposition for Sean.

Sean (Leonard Roberts) in a dramatic personal faceoff with Devon (Nick Canon)

The play of tension rising between the two young men was beautifully directed by Charles Stone III. The characters are real and it gets to a point when Devon begins to piss you off with his attitude and you watch how it eventually leads to his fall. He attempts to redeem himself by joining a rival band from another college but when he sees the dirty trick in the offing as a result of joining the rival band, his conscience won’t let him go all the way. Here we see the humanness of Devon coming to fore.

Laila (Zoe Saldana), Devon's love interest.

Underneath that cocky attitude, he still had a heart and a conscience. This was where Devon began the journey of change; from the lofty heights of destructive pride to the honorable depths of humility and responsibility. The next steps he took lead to the path of redemption.

Apart from the beautiful and realistic interpretation of Devon’s transition of change, the movie also has powerful adrenalin pumping moments of marching band performances and displays which climaxes with the faceoff with the rival band of Morris Brown College at the end of the film.

Devon with his band members at boot camp

Nick Canon does a fine job playing Devon Miles with his street-smart demeanor and arrogant boldness. Leonard Roberts was also impressive as Sean Taylor, the band leader at loggerheads with Devon; his dedication and insistence on teamwork and the ways of the drumline made his character shine. You couldn’t help but pity him for the consistent disrespect he got from Devon.

Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones) chides the band over Devon's indiscipline

Orlando Jones as Dr Lee, plays the character beautifully as the head of the band whose integrity for musicianship will not allow him to compromise his standards.

Zoe Saldana part as Laila had its own importance in the movie as she serves as a convincing factor to Devon’s decision making; she gives drops a word of thought or two that gets Devon thinking and taking steps.

Devon's band, Atlanta A&T in faceoff
with rival band from Morris Brown College

I’m not surprised that the movie gathered some awards and received a lot of positive reviews. It’s a movie I can never grow tired of. I seldom watch movies more than once but this one is most definitely a must watch any time any day. Especially the classic face-off between Atlanta A&T Band (Devon’s Band) and the Morris Brown College Band towards the end of the film.

If you haven’t seen Drumline at all, believe me, you’ve missed out. It’s a movie worth watching again and again. The trailer didn't even do enough justice to the awesomeness movie.

A Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, February 05, 2013

There's this back gate and route that I pass when coming into the estate where I live. From a certain distance, the particular view pictured above greets your eyes. Notice anything odd in the picture?

The green house in the distance.

It's sort of tilted; leaning to the right as if its about to fall.

For anybody coming to this location for the first time, you'd think it's a defect that just recently happened but that's not the case.

That's how the house was built!

I knew when the house was in its early stages of construction. It had always been leaning to one side and was abandoned for a while for a long time. Construction work suddenly began on it a couple of years back and the house finally took shape.

Next, a 'To-Let' banner with phone number was put out and I guess agents in the area were informed. Before the year was out, people had fully moved into the building and were living there. At some point cracks appeared in places in the building but they were all patched up hurriedly.

I'm still baffled how people could feel safe in such an awkwardly standing structure. The building just looks downright dangerous and unsafe. Yet people still moved in, paid rent and have been living there for more than a year now.

Each time I pass by the house, my heart beats and I pray that nature does not have its brutal way with the structure in my presence. The thought of people getting trapped or perishing in a collapsed building is not something I never want to think about.

I keep wondering what Housing and Environment agencies are doing. They are always ready to mark any house that hasn't settled them in red paint but are they really blacklisting structures like this?

If this is a disaster waiting to happen, I sure as hell don't want to be around - maybe I should have moved out of the neighborhood

The building just freaks me out.

The Most Annoying Web Ad So Far

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Saturday, February 02, 2013

Has anyone ever come across the Ad pictured below?

It's an interactive Ad which compels you to kill a roach darting about the space in order to win an iPhone. When you move your mouse over the square space, the slipper or sandal moves with it and when you click to kill the roach, another page pops up advertising stuff as usual.

I'm not against creative and sometimes leading advertising like this but the visual of that roach darting about creeps me out. Fact is, I hate roaches and kill them anytime I see them with disgust and anger. This Ad almost made me want to smash my screen as the roach was getting on my nerves.

This has no doubt got to be the most annoying Web Ad I've come across so far.

Or am I the only one who sees this?

Two Awards for Timi

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, February 01, 2013

Congrats to my little Angel who got two awards in her class at school for Good behavior and for Science. Apparently the seeds of parenting are paying off. Like I did the last time, I let her know how proud I am of her for winning these cute honors. Its important we compliment our kids when they do good things. Never underestimate these young 'uns. They understand what it really is about.

Not only do I compliment Timi and congratulate or applaud her, I also do a small photo session for her and then do a post entry for her on my blog. One day when she's older, she'll be reading this page to appreciate how much she's loved. So let's go ahead and honor our kids (if you have any or when you do), its a seed worth sowing into their lives.

This is far better than turning my kid into some baby strumpet on charades like Toddlers and Tiaras.

Congrats again baby girl!

A Visit from the Weird Ones [Photos]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, January 31, 2013

I was at my desk late yesterday afternoon skimming through my twitter account and doing some online research when the door opens and in steps Goldie and Denrele. In case you don't know who they are, Goldie is an recording artiste known for her weird videos and a Big Brother Stargame Housemate while

Denrele is a VJ with Channel O and red carpet host renown for his wild eccentricity.

At first I thought it was a case of the proverbial mountain moving to mohammed because mohammed has refused to move to the mountain - this being the fact that I had been recieving text messages from Goldie's manager to meet with us for collabos and endorsements but I had 'accidentally' ignored the message. Don't blame me, there was no way I could have determined if it was fake or real.

Later I was to find out that it was a visit for the same purpose but aside from the text of which Goldie was not even aware of.

Goldie was somewhat slimmer than what I usually see on TV. In fact when she stepped in, I didn't know it was her until my CEO who had shown them to our office asked me 'Do you know who this is?' That's when it hit me - the matching hair and skin.

Denrele was a trip. I don't know how he does it - he just bonds with everyone he comes across as if they've known each other for a long time. Beneath all the weird exterior is this pleasant extroverted personality that knows how to liven every moment.And he sure had a lot of interesting gist to spill.

Did you know that the hair on his head is actually his real hair? No weave, no attachment.

We talked a while; Goldie and Denrele sharing their own side of experience, what they could bring to fore and we on what the industry entails and expects. I know this year promises to be an exciting and buoyant year, I just can't place which celerity is going to be involved with us. Not too long ago 9ice was also in our office on a visit too.

All I can say is let the celebs keep proposing, in due time we'll dipose.

The Abuse of The Next Generation

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Terrified Toddler being tattooed.

I was on Myne Whitman's blog today when I came across this piece she wrote yesterday about a video on youtube which shows a Mom holding down her reluctant toddler as he got tattooed by some tattoo artist.

The sight enraged me.

For goodness sake...a tattoo? Of what value is that going to add to the child's life? Is this brutal branding really necessary?

I was gonna write about something else for today's entry but I just had to vent on this.

Why are people doing crap like this to children? It goes on to show that there's a generation of downright stupid accidental parents out there busy failing at their responsibilities by robbing little kids of their innocence.

The other day I was generally surfing searching for info and came across this African American toddler with conrows, carrying a water rifle like he was getting ready to bust a cap in someone, swearing and spitting out F-words like he was born with it.

Riley from 'The Boodndocks'

The video was tagged 'Real Life Riley Freeman' (A character from the Boondocks cartoon series). This little guy has totally been denied of his childhood by some idiotic gangster parent with no conscience...or rather just plain ignorant.

And while we wonder at these parenting fails, one of the greatest would be the sexualisation and exploitation of childhood innocence by that abomination of a show called 'Toddlers and Tiaras'. These little children may never know the simplicity of innocent childhood. All has been selfishly hijacked and selfishly manipulated by possessed adults and the glitz and glamour of an evil showbiz venture.

A mother is shown forcing her screaming and trembling 5-year-old
to get her eyebrows waxed in the 5th season of the show.
Looks a lot like the first picture above.

According to a wikipedia report, one mother on the show was criticized for padding her daughter's chest to resemble Dolly Parton's and another was criticized for asking her daughter to smoke fake cigarettes on stage!

Yep. That's a frigging 4 year old with a padded chest!

And she smokes a fake ciggy to add finesse.

A shameless mom dressed her daughter on the show
as Julia Roberts' prostitute character in 'Pretty woman'!

Kids just wanna be kids. They just wanna play...like other kids!

I've always seen child beauty pageants as nothing but a peddling of children's sexuality for budding pedophiles and a desecration of the precious gifts of life God has placed in our hands.

Children have a stage in their lives. Its called childhood. Its the stage when they do all the things children love to do. Why must we microve their future and start getting them to do adult things? Are you parents that do that insane?

Look at the clothes some of our children wear today. I presume they were designed by people who hate the family unit and want to destroy children by all means. I was alarmed during Timi's christmas party at her school when the DJ started playing a mix of songs and I suddenly heard W4's 'La Tan' (Open your laps). I challenged the organizers and they changed it instantly. Some people will think and say its just music and that they (the kids) won't understand. I'm sorry but that would be the most retarded thing anybody that calls himself a good parent would say.I'm sorry but music is more than just 'tunes and vibes' to dance to.

Music is a WEAPON OF MASS SEDUCTION.

If you don't understand what that is, research on it or check out my post on the strange power of music and know the extent of the damage that's taking place.

Timi after recently loosening her hair.

I have a lovely daughter, Timi, and its cute to see her run about playing kiddy games and being the three year old she was meant to be, not being forced to grow up. I know if she was excessively made up, she'd be stunning but I know she'd also look creepy because its not the right thing to be doing to a child of her age.

I just had to vent.

Hi5's Big Pimping

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, January 23, 2013

I used to have an account on Hi5 years back but after the Facebook bug caught on, I deserted Hi5 and moved on to the Zuckerberg wonder. Today I’m getting weary of Facebook as I began to discover reasons not to so hooked to the social network. I got tired and stopped putting up personal photos and making friends with people I’m really not interested in knowing. Maybe it’s my new obsession with Twitter, coupled with my blog and Naija Stories.

So when I got this funny mail from Hi5 (after several mails intended to keep me on the site which I ignored) I was wondering whether the network was trying to woo me back by pimping pictures of cute chicks at me.

The Hi5 trick mail
Click to view larger size

With my experience in advertising I know that sex always sells or draws attention and I’m quite sure that’s the strategy being applied here. Before this mail, I had been receiving notifications from Hi5 to check out new friend requests or updates that I might be interested in. I never replied or visited the site for any of these.

What got me convinced that this was some kind of trick to get my attention was the fact that the subject of the mail said ‘Kush, open this mail for 12 people you should meet’. Then on opening the mail I see ‘Play the Pets game to meet new people.’ Also there's this disturbing line that goes; 'Pets is a game where you can buy and own other people as your pet' And all these ‘new people’ turn out to be pretty ladies; not a single guy among them.

Sounds almost like an escort service if you ask me.

Nice try Hi5.

But I’m not buying it.

Only in Naija 2 [Photos]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, January 21, 2013

People say all kinds of things about our country Nigeria. But if you look at it, our diversity and way of doing things generates so much to laugh at and about. Lighter mood stuff happens everyday and we've come to 'own' these hilarious oddities such that when you're out there on another man's land, you can't help but refer to things like these as stuff that happens only in Naija. Check out these funny oddities I gathered from friends and the internet.