Blog on Seyram A. Butame

The Penultimate Figaro

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 20:45:00 +0000

I went to The Barber of Seville at the LAOpera the other night. A very very nice show, I really enjoyed it. Perhaps it is because I have some familiarity with the music. If you ever watched Bugs Bunny cartoons, you are likely familiar with the Overture and Figaro (Cavtina: Largo al factotum della citta). Both pieces have been sampled in several cartoons. However, the Overture was the basis for the episode Rabbit Of Seville (1950), where Bugs fleeing from a murderous Elmer Fudd stumbles onto a production of the Barber of Seville, shortly before opening.

Saw Izzard for the first time

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:45:00 +0000

Tour Poster for Eddie Izzard (The First 35 Years) - The Remix Tour

I had the pleasure of attending Eddie Izzard’s performance last night, and what a show it was! About two decades ago, when I first started college, YouTube was still a novelty, and I recall stumbling upon a few clips from Izzard’s stand-up specials on the platform. There was also an ITunes radio channel that frequently aired snippets from comedy specials, and a couple of Izzard’s bits were in heavy rotation. I can’t pinpoint the exact one, but it might have been the one where they portrayed Noah in a speedboat with a windswept beard, or perhaps it was his take on Darth Vader (aka Jeff Vader) in the Death Star canteen.

Ghana Jollof should reign supreme

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:30:00 +0000

Ghanaian Jollof or Nigerian Jollof

So, I got access to Bard, Alphabet’s/Google’s artificial intelligence chat bot, and decided to ask it a truly important question.

Bard AI trying to decide between Ghana's take on Jollof vs Nigeria's take.

I don’t know about the answer though, Bard’s refusal to acknowledge Ghana’s surpriority when it comes to Jollof Rice seems to be just asking for trouble. Bard took a very middle of the road approach and this is absolutely incorrect (I am joking of course).

Death of Tyre Nichols (RIP)

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:30:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, Tyre Nichols was killed. Turns out police officers from an elite unit of the Memphis, TN Police Department (MPD), pulled him over and then proceeded to meet out a brutal, and most violent beating. The video is truly horrendous. There is an angle from a street post, where you see several officers (now former) holding Nichols up, as others take turns pummeling his body and face. I struggled to hold my gorge as I watched (I think I have to stop traumatizing myself like that). The angle where you see them from above is silent. However, there are other videos, from the officers’ body cameras, where you hear the exertions and heavy breathing as they beat the life out of Nichols. It is harrowing to watch. And as I watch, I wonder why policing as an institution has lost its humanity, or if policing ever had any humanity to begin with.

This Christmas!

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 20:30:00 +0000

Born at Christmas - Christmas birthday (Juliescribbles).

The holiday season is upon us, and I am listening to the variations on all the Christmas music. When it comes to this time of year, I love all the music; the good, the ingenious, the lazy, the repetitive, I mean all of it. Well, that’s not wholly true. I do love holiday music as a genre and enjoy the efforts many talented pop stars and musicians from all genres put into capitalizing on the season. Truly whoever designed this particular holiday could not have been aware of what they were unleashing on the world. There is just so much out there, and every year, musicians, new and old, take a stab at remaking the music in their image. I suspect this is in part because it is relatively easy money. But also because if you grew up in any western country (and any country colonized by a western country), you were blasted with the season’s music, for days on end.

When fans roar with delight!

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 20:30:00 +0000

One of the things I love about football (and sports more generally) is the reactions it gives people. One of my fondest memories is how during the 2010 South African iteration of the World Cup, Ghana’s match against Uruguay brought so many together, in joy and then later in grief and disappointment. I’d spent the day traveling through rural parts of Northern Ghana to reach Mole National Park because I wanted to see some elephants. When I arrived at the little resort town just outside of the park, it was just in time to watch Suarez’s famous handball (famous in Ghana at least_), Asamoah Gyan’s failure to convert the spot kick, and then our final demise at the hands of Diego Forlan’s men. The next day, I vividly remember overhearing one of the game wardens describe how he could not sleep because each time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the open net Gyan failed to stuff with the ball. It is a fond memory because it reminds me of the shared spirit of the sport, how everyone shouts “goal” when the home team scores. How every sighs and groans in disappointment when the home team concedes a goal. And finally, the elation or despondency that grips entire neighborhoods, cities, and even countries when the home team wins or loses.

How to contain a legend

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:30:00 +0000

Get that guy! Get him! Get him!

That’s what I imagine the players saying as they chase down Messi. Today Argentina scraped by with a victory against the Netherlands during their quarterfinal match-up at the World Cup in Qatar. This World Cup in Qatar is most likely the last for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the greatest players of the previous two footballing generations (i.e., the mid-2000s through to the Present).¹

The rings in the Twelve Days of Christmas

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 20:30:00 +0000

The Twelve Days of Christmas song poster (Xavier Romero-Frias).

As the holidays draw closer, I am listening more and more to holiday music, specifically the Christmas carol types. The other day, The Twelve Days of Christmas came on randomly, and I was reminded of Eddie Izzard’s bit about everyone coming out to sing about “Five gold rings.” The Twelve Days of Christmas can get repetitive as you go through it. It’s the nature of cumulative songs. However, the part about five gold rings never fails to snap me back into the song’s rhythm.

The holidays are here!

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 19:09:00 +0000

The holidays are here at last, and I can play and sing Christmas songs without fear of seeming like a weirdo. I know it’s the holiday because I went to a Starbucks the other day, and they had switched to their holiday decorations and beverages. And they were playing holiday music. But the thing that truly marks the start of the holiday season is Mariah Carey’s Halloween/Christmas transition video. For the last several years, Carey will release a video after all the festivities of Halloween have ended. The video often transitions into her singing, “All I want for Christmas Is You.” (see tweet below) What an earworm of a song. The other day, I was listening to a podcast, and the host posited how many times a person could listen to that one song on a loop without getting tired. I could give it a good hour before bailing, I think. Mariah Carey certainly has some great hits, but that song and its parent album. I am sure her progeny will continue from the royalties for generations.

A new look at Jupiter

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 18:30:00 +0000

Images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) show Jupiter in such a beautiful light. I have seen pictures of Jupiter before, and you get a sense of the size and scope of this planetary behemoth. But, it always seemed dull, muted, a lumbering giant. But these new pics from the JWST, my god, it so vibrant. Of course, it’s an aggressively hostile environment to human life and existence, but still, it’s gorgeous, like looking on an icy tundra after a blizzard.

Adventures with Lyft - Vomiting passengers

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 18:45:00 +0000

So, it finally happened. Ever since I began driving for Lyft, I have feared someone would throw up (or produce some other kind of bodily effluent in my car), and I would then have to spend time cleaning it. Well, it happened. I have had a few close calls, but last night it finally happened, and let me tell you, it is as disgusting as you would imagine.

I drive in a college town/city, and because I often drive at night, many passengers are usually drunk, anywhere from buzzed and loquacious to incoherent, with their heads lolling. I remember my first drunk passenger; it was a woman who requested a Lyft ride from a local restaurant/bar on a Sunday night. I had always thought my first drunk passenger would be a fraternity “bro,” given that Tallahassee has a rather vibrant greek life, and those people drink like fish. But no, it was a young woman who had one too many. Fortunately, she’d used an accurate picture for her profile and responded to the given name when I called out to her and mentioned her destination. Lyft riders often use no photo, or they use a picture with a weird filter and a fake name, like “Bzzzzz” (Seriously, that was someone’s name on the app when I picked them up). Anyway, when pulled up to the requested spot, she was crouching against the bar’s outer wall, trying to hold herself up, I imagine. When I called out to her, identifying myself as the Lyft driver, she straitened up and promptly fell over. And that was my first drunk person ride. When we arrived at her location, she’d fallen asleep in the back seat, head lolling and spittle dribbling out of her mouth. I was so worried; I thought I’d have to call the police or something. Fortunately, her flatmates came out to collect her at the destination (folks, be careful when you go out drinking).

America leaps backward

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 00:19:30 +0000

Source: Pro-abortion protests in Chicago, 2022/06/24(source unknown).

It has finally happened. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has rolled back time in denying the right of women to seek reproductive health care, including abortions. We knew it was coming. There was the opinion leak from earlier in the year. However, more specifically, we were all aware of a faction working steadily for decades to build the political and economic capital necessary to overturn Roe. Yet, there was a part of me, and I think many Americans also felt this way, that did not believe it would not happen. I futilely felt that reason would prevail among the robed ones, and they would not subject an advanced democracy to barbaric philosophies of the pre-enlightenment world.

Racism still lingers

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 19:50:00 +0000

Source: FloridaTrippers.com - Things to do in Tallhassee.

Last night, I encountered a bit of noxious racism. I picked up a handful of young men from a university in my town (I have been driving for Lyft over the last couple of weeks). They were heading to a local night spot to enjoy the evening (dancing and drinking), the things others of their age look to do on a Thursday night. It’s summer (technically late spring), but the school session just started, so these men were new to the school, and perhaps the town? During the short trip, they discussed roommate assignments and their experience meeting new people for the first time, especially new people from different cultures or countries.

Another mass shooting event

Wed, 25 May 2022 00:02:36 +0000

Source: Shooting in Uvalde, Texas -- CNN.

Another day, another mass shooting, and American politicians continue to pretend like they are paralyzed and unable to act. The people elected to office to deliberate on the big challenges and issues offer nothing but platitudes and prayers. They can’t even bring themselves to fund research into gun violence, as a public health matter, because of reasons. For the politicians self-aware enough to talk about mass shootings being abnormal, all they have to offer is impotent anger.

What if conception began at ejaculation

Sun, 08 May 2022 00:08:58 +0000

Source: Andy Singer Comics.

Came across this Andy Singer editorial cartoon today. I think it is a bit dated, but still, in this world of the recent SCOTUS, it is an interesting what-if exercise.

I don’t recall my Bible stories well. Still, I remember something about one of the gods in Genesis getting upset with Onan (one of the sons of Judah). Onan refused to ejaculate into his dead brother’s wife (i.e., Er’s wife, Er who had been previously killed by the same god because he was “wicked”); instead choosing to spill his seed on the ground.

The SCOTUS is not apolitical.

Fri, 06 May 2022 00:07:58 +0000

SCOTUS Justices (2022).

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., far left, and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., center, with the rest of the Supreme Court justices last year. The two men appear to have differing views on the future of Roe v. Wade.

Chief Justice Roberts appears to be a bit hot under the collar. To hear him and others tell it, Tuesday’s leak of a draft majoritarian decision from the Court violates a sacrosanct process. The leak indicates that the SCOTUS will likely overturn Roe v. Wade. It is a fifty-year, watershed decision that ensured American women could access certain reproductive health services, including abortion. The decision allowed access to abortion services, but it ensured American women and their providers would not face punitive action from the state. In addition to previous statements, Robert’s response appears to highlight a belief in a system that is apolitical.

A song to match the mood.

Wed, 04 May 2022 00:07:58 +0000

The disturbing news from the SCOTUS caused many to pause and think about the fickle nature of our civil rights. Roe and many of the Court decisions of that era established human rights in significant ways for women and historically marginalized communities. If a watershed decision can be discarded in such a manner, then what we are seeing is:

One step forwards, two steps backwards

Overturning Roe v. Wade appears to be a reality

Tue, 03 May 2022 00:07:58 +0000

Roe v. Wade is gone.

Reporters at Politico released a draft copy of a Supreme Court majority opinion written by Justice Alito (at least they claim it to be so). The draft decision indicates that the Court has passed a decision that essentially overturns Roe v. Wade. Roe is the landmark SCOTUS case that legalized abortion up to a point. And though, in the ensuing decades, it has faced some erosion and a constant barrage of challenges, it has held firm. But, it appears opponents of this decision have finally won. Justice Blackmun’s eloquent argument that the right to privacy is found in the penumbras of the Bill of Rights no longer holds sway. Or if it does, women are excluded.

Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed to SCOTUS

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 00:07:58 +0000

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) the other day, and it was such a monumental occasion. Black people (and Black women specifically) have bled for too long not to have their perspectives adequately represented in the nation’s highest court. Judge Brown Jackson is not the first black person on the Court or the first woman, but she is the first black woman, and hers is a perspective that has long been necessary. Additionally, Judge Brown Jackson is immensely qualified and experienced, to the point where it made the behavior of GOP senators during the confirmation process quite the spectacle. While I am not likely to agree with all her rulings in the future, a more diverse SCOTUS can only be good.

Ghana versus Uruguay-- It is on sight!

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 00:03:15 +0000

Qatar 2022 Group Draw.

The group draws for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have been held, and Ghana has found itself in Group H. It is a tough group, and to be honest; I don’t hold much for our chances. Our performances during the qualifiers and the recently ended African Cup of Nations, coupled with the Ghana Football Association’s shedding of multiple managers, will likely impair our performance. C.K. Akonor helmed the team until late 2021, then along came Milovan Rajevac, whom we dismissed after our abysmal showing at AFCON 2022, and now we have Otto Addo as the steersman.

Passwords can be a bother

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:03:30 +0000

Who amongst us has not been in this situation? This very morning, I struggled to remember a password; after several attempts, I clicked on the “forgot password” button and received a link to reset the password. I went to the link address, and surprise, surprise, “Your new password cannot be the same as your old password.” If I had hair, I would pull it out in frustration.

Pervis - The problem with passwords.

When I Loved Anime

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 00:07:45 +0000

I once was a devout fan of Anime (and various manga). I still am, but there was a time in my life when I looked out for new Anime and new episodes with bated breath. It began with Naruto when I was a sophomore in college and continued well into my late twenties and early thirties. Then one day, the passion for that medium went away; I occasionally check-in for some series that I may have left uncompleted (e.g., Bleach and Berserk). And I will sometimes rewatch some of my favorites. I rewatched Black Lagoon a couple of weeks ago, and every year or so, I will watch; Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (RIP to Kentaro Miura, it is so sad he was unable to finish Beserk before he passed, but as a fan, I am grateful for what he left us). Manga and Anime are storytelling mediums that western media would benefit from exploring more. But, I think, for now, the focus is still on only using it if they can use it to sell toys and other merchandise.

3 Tha Hardway it is

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 00:01:25 +0000

I was listening to a radio station based on the music of Guru (the late jazz and hip-hop MC), and a song came on that I’d not heard in ages, 3 Tha Hard Way. What a hot cypher! Three talented MCs spitting the smoothest of rhymes over a dope beat. Because men so dominate hip-hop, I think culturally, we (or perhaps I) forget about the talented women who have blazed their trails in the industry. Bahamadia, K-Swift, and Mecca Starr, your song is still a masterpiece nearly thirty years on.

It is official, condoms are safe for anal sex

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 00:01:35 +0000

This is interesting, apparently condoms could not be marketed by a manufacturer as safe for anal sex.

Davin Wedel, president and founder of Global Protection Corp, said, “I think most people would be surprised to know that condoms are not approved for anal sex. With this new designation from the FDA, consumers will have important information about the safety and effectiveness of condoms for anal sex.”

Yes, Davin, I never knew this. I have always tacitly known to use condoms for penetrative sex (i.e., anal or vaginal) and even for oral sex (Yes, you read that correctly). And I always assumed this was established science and never bothered to look into it. It turns out the recommendation for anal sex was “off-label.” This knowledge appears to have been understated along the way, and educators often don’t mention it. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I had a sexual health class or some kind of sex education where the instructor specifically mentioned how to use condoms and what they are used for.

A new Middle-Earth story is upon us

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:08:08 +0000

A sketch of Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Recently, a television series based on Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth revealed some still images. The show for now titled, “Rings of Power”, is being produced by Amazon’s streaming service. The show will chronicle some of the events described in the Silmarillion and captured in some of Tolkien’s rough notes. I am excited, but oh boy, I am not looking forward to the inevitable backlash. Tolkien famously created a world rich in fantastical sentient beings but lacking diversity regarding humans. The humans we meet in his works are white and mostly male. Notable human female exceptions are Eowyn, niece of Theoden, the ruler of the Rohan, and slayer of the Witch-King of Angmar. There is also the unnamed healer woman at the end of The Return of the King (Loretta?), who declares that, “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer.”

Exotic -- A story in three parts

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 00:07:52 +0000

The other day, I was watching Youtube, and the algorithm recommended a video to me from SoftWhite Underbelly, a documentary channel highlighting society’s more marginalized people; sex workers, people addicted to various substances, pimps, and the unhoused. The interviews are jarring because you hear people reflect on genuinely harrowing experiences. The videos are mostly in color, except for some seconds, usually in the middle, where the subject is shown as a black and white still image.

A volcano goes boom!

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 00:03:38 +0000

Just wow. This morning, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai, a volcano in the Pacific not too far from the island nation of Tonga, erupted violently. The subsequent destabilization and shockwaves have resulted in tsunami warnings issued for parts of the Pacific and much of the US west coastline¹.

However, the marvels of modern technology mean we have a front-row seat to some of this magnificent though incredibly devastating natural occurrence. The Himawari 8, a Japanese weather satellite orbiting nearly 37 thousand kilometers, captured the explosion (see tweet below).

Santa wins this TikTok Challenge.

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:11:35 +0000

Tiktok always produces some great memetic trends. A favorite of mine is the Infinity Challenge. It starts with the subject holding an unlit ring light (or LED light) behind them while dressed down or in everyday clothes. Then they raise the light over their heads, and in a quick camera change, all other lights in the room go out while the ring light provides the only illumination. Simultaneously, they’ve changed into something spectacular, or they’ve done up their make-up to look stunning, or they’ve oiled up their muscles, so they look buff. All while the chorus to Jaymes Young’s Infinity blares in the background. It’s an entertaining trend, and I think it’s meant to show a glow-up. It reminds me of another trend that was a bit raunchier, The Silhouette Challenge.

Using ethnicity as a mascot.

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:07:05 +0000

“We smash cougars congrats lady noles.”

The signage references a football (soccer) match between FSU and BYU, which took place on December 06, 2021. FSU won its third women’s national championship.

Today, I was driving near the FSU campus and noticed a popular local restaurant sign. The double entendre aside (i.e., having sex with a sexually promiscuous older woman), what is “lady nole”? This is a small part of what bothers me about FSU’s insistence on using ethnicity as a mascot. People at FSU refer to themselves as Seminoles (after the indigenous group that once occupied the lands on which the University and the greater town of Tallahassee sits). Being a Seminole is meant to embody the fearless, undying and unconquerable spirit of the Seminole people. The Seminole people, of course, had to adopt that indomitable spirit in the face of the existential threat of colonialism and European settlers stealing their traditional lands.

Scented candles and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 00:03:30 +0000

Scented candles are a multibillion-dollar industry. Yankee Candle® is one of the more recognizable brands in this pleasant-smelling home accessories market. Yankee Candle® was initially bought out by a large conglomerate for 1.75 billion USD and was later valued at 15 billion USD when the parent company was acquired by another conglomerate. These are not small sums and demonstrate the appeal of the product.

Anyway, some eagle-eyed folks noticed that there had been a slew of negative reviews left for Yankee Candle® products in the intervening weeks. Many of the single-star complaints are from customers who claim they can not smell the candles at all. I understand their frustrations; if your house does not smell like Sparkling Cinnamon™, then all you’ve got is a tiny flame dancing atop, a rather expensive jar of burning red wax.

Winter is here!

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 00:04:20 +0000

Today December 21, is the shortest day of the year and officially the first winter day in the northern hemisphere. It was a dark time in centuries past when folks wondered when the chill would recede and the sun would warm their faces.

However, the cold, snow, lack of sun, absence of greenery, and overall sense of desolation that once marked the season have been conquered by our collective industry. The existential threat of the season is a distant memory. Our nostalgia has stripped winter of its deadliness, and it has become a time for play and laughter. It is as Sigman and DeRose wrote:

Are they really your friend?

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 00:05:35 +0000

The other day, Joe Scarborough, conservative television presenter for MSNBC, tweeted the above picture of a poll conducted by Axios.

Scarborough added,

“My most fascinating friendships have always come from “the other side. In Congress, I was considered one of the most conservative members but I always sat with Democrats and built friendships with John Lewis, Elijah Cummings, Ron Dellums, and Maxine Waters. I always benefited.”

I understand his tweet to mean that he did not shy away from establishing relationships with those who held opposing political views in his day. My problem is that he used the word “friendships” and listed several prominent black Congressional representatives at the time he served in Government. The question is whether those individuals considered their relationship with Scarborough at the time to be a “friendship”. Polling questions are very specific and you must interpret results in the specific context of the question. And in rushing to put forward his anecdotal example, I think Scarborough missed the polling context.