Essence of DOPE
Posts tagged BC Radio
Ray ena King Kong
Feb 2nd
I would rather have the warmth of Ray’s rays than the basking heat of envious and odious Ethiopian stars that refuse to believe in the essence of Hebret.
by Teddy Fikre written: Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
God damn, now I done did it finally. I finally stepped on a land mine by my incessant need to tap dance in land mines. Finally, after popping my collars in hurricanes it seems that Hurricane Habesha has blown my ass to kingdom come. I have been blown back to Kansas—Toto and I both windswept—and in the process I am left in dark lit corners yet again shivering from the judgmental cold breaths of folks that don’t know me. This is the risk I took a long time ago when I decided to speak up for those who don’t have a voice; I knew I would attract the enmity and hatred of folks who speak with voices of odium.
So what is it that I have done that got me and Toto blown back to Kansas you ask? Well today started off like any other day, I woke up early, did a few things on www.browncondor.com and headed out early to work—this time Teddisho would be on time More >
BC IPO
Feb 1st
Instead of throwing your money away to filthy rich corporations and enriching people like Mitt Romney, why not instead use $5 to invest in a fellow Ethiopian jegna?
by Teddy Fikre written: Tuesday, February 1st, 2012 Finally, after years of toil and struggle, after years of broken hearts and meaningful tears, the day has arrived. You see, a long time ago, I planted a seed in the ground. It was as though I was 7 years old back in Bole. Back then I used to plant corns in my back yard and then wait for it to grow on a daily basis. I never had patience; I would continue to dig in the ground to see if the corn was growing. 9 out of 10 times, the corn never grew because I did not give it time to sprout to life. My impatience has ended the life of hundreds of baby corns. I guess you can say I used to be a corn abortionist, I was Dr. Kevorkian of corns in Addis.
Now I know, you are saying to yourself, ende, ehe ibd, ahun degmo mendinew emyaraw (what is this crazy person talking about). What the hell does a corn in Bole More >
Dope Mathematics
Jan 30th
The money we waste on a daily basis could ensure that no children in Ethiopia or Eritrea die from malnutrition or HIV/AIDS.
by Teddy Fikre written: Monday, January 31st, 2012
Time for me to put on my Mos Def hat and turn to mathematics to count up the ways and errors of my life. I will add up multiple negative moments—and some upbeat times—to arrive at a number that I am sure will not be too positive. This article was inspired by a conversation I shared yesterday evening with my fraternity brother Robert Sinclair from Nasty Nu Psi. We were talking about the various things we have done in our lives, the times we have escaped the clutches of countless hazards and lived to tweet about it. We are the luckiest fellas in the world, while a guy like Ayana Werku Tegegnedies dies from liver disease before barely taking a sip of liquor; we continue to lead healthy lives indifferent to the dangers around dark lit corners waiting for us. This world, it is cruel and uncaring, the good ones die young and the sinner live for an eternity.
It was at this point I conveyed to Robert that my ass was dead More >
Habesha Mailbag
Jan 27th
Welcome to the Inaugural Habesha Mailbag
I am launching the Habesha Mailbag with the help of a few friends who lent me their time and creativity to come up with some questions, enjoy the gursha sewoch.
by Teddy Fikre written: Friday, January 27th, 2012
Well the moment has come for the launching of the inaugural Habesha Mailbag. Yes, I have changed with the time, I still don’t like the word Habesha, I prefer to be called Ethiopian. However, the word is not going anywhere, and if it serves as a bridge for Ethiopians and Eritreans to identify with a common name—well who am I to hold a grudge? So going forward, I shall call this the Habesha Mailbag.
So you ask, what is Habesha Mailbag. Well it was influenced by one of the writers I idolize by the name of Bill Simmons. On a weekly basis, Bill would take questions and comments from his readers and then reply back with a wit and humor that would make me literally make me laugh my Qit off as I was reading the article. Grant it, trying to emulate Bill Simmons is a tall order—after all, Bill was a writer for multiple late night comedy shows. But More >
BC Radio Interview with Goddess Magazine’s Love Weah
Sep 2nd
Tune in this evening, Thursday, September 2nd, at 8:30 PM EST to hear a live interview with Love Weah of Goddess Magazine. BC Radio can be heard by clicking on the Ustream screen on the top right hand side of this website.
Goddess Magazine was created to celebrate the diversity, beauty, and accomplishments of women from the African Diaspora. Created summer of 2009 with the sole purpose of unifying the diverse beauty of African woman living worldwide. Goddess is dedicated to uplifting and promoting the beauty of African women, through our chic one of a kind magazine. Goddess magazine focuses on three issues that African women encounter daily; beauty, fashion and relationships.
Within Goddess Magazine, Women will be given beauty secrets, relationship tips and fashion must haves. Throughout the period of a year, there will be three issues of Goddess published and distributed across the United States and worldwide. Goddess magazine will consist of a summer issue, winter issue, and spring/ fall issue.
Be on the lookout for Goddess Magazine, one of the keys to progress in the 21st century for Africa and her people is to shape the message about our community. The media has a powerful impact on the way More >
Quote of the Week
Aug 30th
What is more important than the label of one’s religion is how one chooses to live by the creed and spirit of that religion.
Once a week, quotes from different contributors will be posted. If you want to contribute a quote which will be cited accordingly, please submit it via email at info@browncondor.com with a subject header that reads “Quote of the Week”.
Brown Condor Transformation
Aug 19th
Browncondor.com is coming up on the 6 month anniversary since its founding. The aim of the website from the inception was twofold: 1) to introduce the Ethiopian culture to a wider audience by highlighting our people, music, tradition, and businesses and 2) to build a bridge to other communities in the African Diaspora by highlighting our common hopes and our shared history. To this end, we are off to a great start but have a ways to go. As Brown Condor embarks on the first year milestone, we are currently in the process of revamping the website to make it a first class portal where people can continue to get news and entertainment about our people.
To this end, we like to think that the Brown Condor business model is built on the precepts of inclusion, where the reader is a stakeholder and takes part in shaping the direction of the website and of BC Radio. Thus, we humbly ask you for your feedback, both constructive and critical, with respect to the strength and weaknesses of the website. Please let us know where you would like to see improvement, especially in the area of the web layout since that is in More >
Thoughts Fueled by Feelings
Jul 7th
Emotions cause me to think beyond a surface-level acceptance of half-truths given to us through our textbooks and the images we are fed through the media.
by Liya Endale. Published: Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Author: Liya Endale
I think. Therefore, I am? I can’t help but wonder how many others are made of the same substance as I. It is true that I am a thinker, but first and foremost, I am a feeler. My thoughts are fueled only by the incessant nagging of my emotions stirring up all the elements which comprise my being. What do I mean? “I feel. Therefore, I am.” René Descartes raised a compelling argument when he coined this phrase in the 1700’s, but for me there is a phenomenon which precedes my thinking. That is my feeling.
Lately, I have been enmeshed in the unmasked conditioning process which accompanies all Graduate Schools which practice a ‘cohort’ model. You and your classmates share the same schedules, the same classes, same assignments, and even do your taxes together on occasion. This means that you also share the same high-stress, high-stake environment known as higher education. You have all paid a ridiculous amount of money to sit in your chair and More >
BC Radio: Unlike Any Other
Jul 1st
Bridge our community by disavowing the things that divide us and instead focusing on the things that unite us as Ethiopians and as human beings.
by Teddy Fikre. Posted: Thursday, July 1, 2010
When we think of Ethiopian radio stations, we most often think of radio stations located on the AM dials. Mostly, we think of radio formats that are geared to those that are avid followers of politics in Ethiopia either for or against the current Ethiopian government. The radio stations are mostly geared to an older generation where the hosts talk in Amharic about current developments in Ethiopia. Don’t get me wrong, these stations are a vital component of our community that serves to disseminate news and commentary within and about our community. However, the younger Ethiopian generation, those who grew up in the United States, is not the target audience of the Ethiopian radio stations for the most part.
As an Ethiopian who grew up in the United States for the majority of my life, I find myself unable to navigate the various Ethiopian radio stations. Part of it is a challenge in speaking Amharic, though I understand Amharic, at times, things can get lost in translation. I longed for More >
Gone Too Soon
Jun 25th
Michael might be gone too soon, but through his music, he will always be remembered.
by Teddy Fikre. Posted: Friday, June 25, 2010
It is still hard to imagine that the King of Pop, the iconic figure of music in our lifetime, has been dead for a year. I still find it hard to believe that my childhood hero would be demonized in my adult life, that the kid who refused to grow up would draw the ire of so many people in the United States. A year after his death, I am heartened to see that the legacy and music of Michael Jackson has outlived the ire of his detractors.
We will never know if Michael Jackson was truly the man that he was painted to be by the mass media. I will admit that I too started to believe the darker side which was portrayed of Michael Jackson. Before the first news broke of the allegations against Michael from Never Never land, I had grown distant from Michael Jackson. The image of MJ moon walking at the Grammy Awards faded into the ether, replaced by a man that I could no longer recognized. With each successive plastic surgery and lightening of More >