This beautiful blend, I knew her through a mutual friend
She was a work of art, apart of my heart from back then
A brown skin singer, with a knack for actin, and her whole attraction
Just fractionally based on surface, I got into her mental on purpose
And with alertness, while I flirt with her emotion
Walls we built up out of nervousness was broken
I reminisce on how this Black Thought had her open
Wit da energy that got the whole summertime smokin very hypnotized
When it was time we spent time
It’s no way to rewind or prevent
time from slipping away like day, into the dark
and the way that things fall apart, will make some start
to feel more, weak or insecure
But for whatever reason our relationship remained mature
Even when she caught feelings cuz I stay on tour
As I reflect on before, and recap the situation
I guess from experience, comes education
We set on a path to opposite destinations
It’s best to chalk it up and add it to the elevation
Then eventually flow on to lost communication
I called but lost all information
And with time forgot it, it’s not like I’m all in tears about it
But the fact still remains that I miss the Hypnotic

She was the hypnotic, and potent as a narcotic
the bizarre logic of it all, is why the clock tick
pages of the calendar flip, we can’t stop it
time will either tell the tale, or turn a love toxic
now was she real, or an illusion of this optical
confusion with the accent of ancient Egypt
or could it be that she’s the one I was supposed to be with
and together walked this twisted, staircase is somethin realistic
damn, her lips having me addicted to her presence
front page material on Essence, a queen, imperial before her
adolescence
and as she grew into a woman she became refine
I never knew another like her in my lifetime
so now I travel through a tunnel of space, without a place
on the face of this earth, with this pain gettin worse
drivin me insane, or release I’m touchin the brink, of sanity
to think of how I can link, or contact her
I was a fool before, but more wise after the fact
I’m analyzin how I’m wantin her back
and wonderin exactly where she could be on the map
I’m just sittin here spinning the world on one finger
reoccuring thoughts of this brown skin singer
yo, the psychotic, the hypnotic, yo check it out
the most melodic hypnotic, yeah

The Roots “The ‘Notic”

The two men to whom Michael Richards’ directed his racist attack last week are now asking for money as “a compensation for the offenses he brought them.”

In addition to demanding a personal apology from Richards, Frank McBride and Kyle Doss are requesting monetary compensation for the ordeal. Gloria Allred, the duo’s attorney, has publicly stated “It’s not enough to say ‘I’m sorry,’…He went after them. He singled them out and he taunted them, and he did it in a closed room where they were captive.”

To resolve this, Allred wants Richards not only to offer a personal apology, but also sit in front of a retired judge to determine appropriate remuneration.

How ridiculous.

Although I was repulsed by Michael Richards actions and his made-for-TV apology, I am also disappointed that the McBride and Doss are seeking money. Were they embarrassed? Yes. Do they deserve a personal and public apology? Definitely. Should they be paid for the ordeal? Hell no.

Despite his hateful ignorance, Richards should every right to perform a comedy routine that includes the word “nigger.” Of course, if he causes undue public embarrassment or forcefully intimidates the audience, he should be held accountable. Based on the available in video footage, however, the two men seemed far from intimidated. In addition to having the support of audience, much of which was also disturbed by Richards’ rant, McBride and Doss also fired back at Richards. This isn’t to say that their words had the same purpose or effect as Richards’, but that they didn’t feel like they were in fear at any time. Also, I’m uncertain how they were “held captive” when they had the option of leaving the room at any time.

Instead of helping to provoke a serious conversation about race and racism in Hollywood and broader American society, McBride and Doss only reinforce the “race hustler” caricature that follows real activists and cultural critics. Also, cases like these are inevitably brought up by advocates of tort reform as evidence of America’s ridiculously litigious tendencies. Although this particular instance would merely be a red herring used to deprive everyday people of their right to fight back against large corporations, it nonetheless strips us of the the moral authority necessary for legitimate struggles.

After Michael Richards’ racist rant last week, internet sites have been posting this old film clip from “Whoops Apocalypse,” where he played an “Afro-American” man. Is this a coincidence or part of a larger pattern?

It’s time to abolish the “she-didn’t-ask” defense for wage discrimination.

The Wage For Women
By Debra Katz 

Imagine you’re a woman interviewing for a job you really want. You get a call the next day with an offer, and immediately accept it. Later, though, you discover that a male counterpart earns significantly more than you. When pressed for an explanation, your boss tells you that the man demanded more when he negotiated his starting pay.

If you sue for wage discrimination under this scenario, your chances of success would, unfortunately, be slim. Current rulings in employment law have permitted employers to hide behind the “she-didn’t-ask-for-more” and other so-called market-based excuses as legitimate reasons for paying women less than men for the same job or one of equivalent value.

Here’s how the system has been working: Under the crucial federal antidiscrimination law — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — a woman must prove that an employer was motivated by intent to discriminate when deciding to pay her less than a male counterpart. Therefore, employers who merely take advantage of the fact that a woman is willing to work for less won’t be held liable for pay discrimination.

In a slightly different vein, under the federal Equal Pay Act — which requires only that an employee prove that an employer paid men and women differently even though they performed the same job, not an intent to discriminate — the law lets employers escape liability if they can show that the pay differentials are caused by a “factor other than sex.” To avoid legal liability, employers trot out market-based excuses: The woman asked for less money, did not seek or negotiate strongly for a raise, or came to the job from a position that paid less. These excuses have, for example, shielded universities that paid female coaches considerably less than male coaches, or compensated female faculty members in male-dominated disciplines less than their male colleagues.

For the rest of the story, click here.