Writer, director, actor Jordan Peele's directorial debut "Get Out" is one of the most well thought out, race-conscious, films ever made. Adding to it's overall goodness is the fact that it's done as a horror-thriller not a melodrama. The black protagonist isn't crying and begging for white mercy as is the dynamic in so many other race films. This time he's standing and fighting racism to the death like one must do any demon in order to stop it from possessing the souls of others. Black and white is in full color in this film. The line is drawn, no blurring the view. As in real life, plans for the black man's demise can only be thwarted when he realizes he most close his ears to the hypnotic power of liberal indoctrination and stay focused on the light,(black)consciousness. This film is the conversation we all need to be having right now.

I couldn't help but talk about it with my listeners. It's a pivotal piece of work. One we'll be discussing for weeks, months, and years to come. I tried to be vague and direct at the same time. Can't say I didn't give away spoilers but hopefully enough to intrigue you not to ruin the story for you.

My best advice: If you have not seen this film, see it. If you have seen this film, see it again.

The Spirits: Lindemans Peche Lambic

Warning: This podcast is full of spoilers.

One week after it wins the Oscar for Best Film, "Moonlight" gets renewed life as it is released in over 1500 theaters across the country. And with that enlarged expansion comes what seems to be it's new definitive marker as the first Oscar winning black gay film. But is that the definitive answer to what this film truly is about?

Listen in as Bliss and SGL (same gender loving) actor, director Carltaise Ransom break down why "Moonlight" might not be as gay as you think, why Oscar is still so white and what the cost of doing black films in Hollywood really is.

The Wine: Abbrazia Santa Anastasia - Nero D'Avola

Warning: This podcast is full of spoilers.

One week after it wins the Oscar for Best Film, "Moonlight" gets renewed life as it is released in over 1500 theaters across the country. And with that enlarged expansion comes what seems to be it's new definitive marker as the first Oscar winning black gay film. But is that the definitive answer to what this film truly is about?

Listen in as Bliss and SGL (same gender loving) actor, director Carltaise Ransom break down why "Moonlight" might not be as gay as you think, why Oscar is still so white and what the cost of doing black films in Hollywood really is.

The Wine: Abbrazia Santa Anastasia - Nero D'Avola

There is a change of the political guard happening here in America and some of us are concerned, even scared, not knowing what that change is going to mean for our way of life. Although nobody knows for sure exactly what's going to change or how, many are certain it won't be good. Many of the people who feel that way are black folks and rightfully so. The US is headed towards the reign of Trump, a minimum four year time frame which could quite possibly revert our civil, economic and social progress back to the times of Martin and Malcolm. That is, unless we are prepared, strategic, decided and solid as a unified force. But we aren't. We're fighting, arguing for minor issues verses attacking major problems. Calling out and destroying each while giving "others" a pass. Defending causes and people who will, and have always, abandoned us once we are of no service to them anymore.

I used the word "cooning" in the title of this podcast. I want you to know I actually despise that word and what it suggests, but I wanted your attention. And now that I have it, I ask you to listen in closely cause we (all) need to talk.

There is a change of the political guard happening here in America and some of us are concerned, even scared, not knowing what that change is going to mean for our way of life. Although nobody knows for sure exactly what's going to change or how, many are certain it won't be good. Many of the people who feel that way are black folks and rightfully so. The US is headed towards the reign of Trump, a minimum four year time frame which could quite possibly revert our civil, economic and social progress back to the times of Martin and Malcolm. That is, unless we are prepared, strategic, decided and solid as a unified force. But we aren't. We're fighting, arguing for minor issues verses attacking major problems. Calling out and destroying each while giving "others" a pass. Defending causes and people who will, and have always, abandoned us once we are of no service to them anymore.

I used the word "cooning" in the title of this podcast. I want you to know I actually despise that word and what it suggests, but I wanted your attention. And now that I have it, I ask you to listen in closely cause we (all) need to talk.

This podcast was recorded at about 9:50pm on January 1, 2017. It was not scheduled as a recording day for me but I received so many texts, inboxes, DMs and phone calls about the videos circulating with Umar Johnson and Kim Burrell that I felt compelled to answer my supporter's requests.

As many of you know, the incident with Dr. Johnson, the self proclaimed Prince of Pan Africanism, was of particular importance to me because I have spoken of him and his work several times on the show. With Ms. Burrell, who is a talented gospel vocalist, I felt less invested, but I understood based on the topic of her video, why my listeners wanted me to chime in.

Some of you will support my opinion, some of you won't. I'm perfectly content with knowing that. My hope is that all of us will pause and reconsider how we respond to what we're seeing and hearing on social media in the future. If you're easily triggered, stop and breathe more. If you're always quick to respond, consider taking more time to think about what you are saying and why you are saying it. I'm not attempting to tell anyone how to feel or if they should respond when moved to. But I do hope that we all get to the place where we determine that criticisms, differences of opinions and even what we perceive as personal verbal attacks will not cause us to descend into the low-lying spaces of regrettable, degenerate, language and behavior.

It's 2017, a brand new year. Time to know better and do better.

*Wine was not involved in the recording of this podcast.

This podcast was recorded at about 9:50pm on January 1, 2017. It was not scheduled as a recording day for me but I received so many texts, inboxes, DMs and phone calls about the videos circulating with Umar Johnson and Kim Burrell that I felt compelled to answer my supporter's requests.

As many of you know, the incident with Dr. Johnson, the self proclaimed Prince of Pan Africanism, was of particular importance to me because I have spoken of him and his work several times on the show. With Ms. Burrell, who is a talented gospel vocalist, I felt less invested, but I understood based on the topic of her video, why my listeners wanted me to chime in.

Some of you will support my opinion, some of you won't. I'm perfectly content with knowing that. My hope is that all of us will pause and reconsider how we respond to what we're seeing and hearing on social media in the future. If you're easily triggered, stop and breathe more. If you're always quick to respond, consider taking more time to think about what you are saying and why you are saying it. I'm not attempting to tell anyone how to feel or if they should respond when moved to. But I do hope that we all get to the place where we determine that criticisms, differences of opinions and even what we perceive as personal verbal attacks will not cause us to descend into the low-lying spaces of regrettable, degenerate, language and behavior.

It's 2017, a brand new year. Time to know better and do better.

*Wine was not involved in the recording of this podcast.

This episode of "ELB" is a return to the original reason I started doing this podcast in the first place, and that was to give my listeners a chance to listen in to some of the very natural, organic, real life conversations I often have with the people I know. Unscripted, unrehearsed, unhindered, real talk, the way real people do. The conversation starts one place but it's fluid so it flows and expands out into many places and we let it.

This conversation is with one of my favorite theater folks, Donald Owens, artistic director of Arena Players Inc. in Baltimore. When I met Donald many years ago I wasn't ready for him. I enrolled in an acting class he was teaching at Arena Players with the expectation I was going in for the standard theory and practice process I was used to. That's not what I got. Instead, I had this worldly eccentric probing and pushing me to examine who I was, who my family was and what my experiences meant to me up until that point in my life. And he was asking me to feel all kinds of feelings and connect them together, then connect them to the characters I was reading and attempting to understand. "Huh? What? Um, I thought this was a beginner's class." I was too young, too green and too closed off to go that far that fast. Needless to say I didn't stick with the class. But for some reason, I did stay connected to Donald in some form or fashion over the nearly two decades since that class. In that time, I've grown to understand and appreciate him deeply. He's one of my favorite people to chat(and drink) with. What you hear on this episode is exactly how it goes down when we get together to talk, only we gave you a very abbreviated, "cleaner" version.

Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting it up!

The Wine: Cantus. Vino Bianco. Italia

This episode of "ELB" is a return to the original reason I started doing this podcast in the first place, and that was to give my listeners a chance to listen in to some of the very natural, organic, real life conversations I often have with the people I know. Unscripted, unrehearsed, unhindered, real talk, the way real people do. The conversation starts one place but it's fluid so it flows and expands out into many places and we let it.

This conversation is with one of my favorite theater folks, Donald Owens, artistic director of Arena Players Inc. in Baltimore. When I met Donald many years ago I wasn't ready for him. I enrolled in an acting class he was teaching at Arena Players with the expectation I was going in for the standard theory and practice process I was used to. That's not what I got. Instead, I had this worldly eccentric probing and pushing me to examine who I was, who my family was and what my experiences meant to me up until that point in my life. And he was asking me to feel all kinds of feelings and connect them together, then connect them to the characters I was reading and attempting to understand. "Huh? What? Um, I thought this was a beginner's class." I was too young, too green and too closed off to go that far that fast. Needless to say I didn't stick with the class. But for some reason, I did stay connected to Donald in some form or fashion over the nearly two decades since that class. In that time, I've grown to understand and appreciate him deeply. He's one of my favorite people to chat(and drink) with. What you hear on this episode is exactly how it goes down when we get together to talk, only we gave you a very abbreviated, "cleaner" version.

Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting it up!

The Wine: Cantus. Vino Bianco. Italia

On November 8, 2016 many people worldwide realized their worst nightmare. Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America. In the three weeks that have passed, we've seen a plethora of responses to the election results, from fear and loathing to euphoric revelry. Unfortunately, most of these reactions are emotional and impetuous, not strategic or logically thought out. Understandable, but only acceptable for a short time. Time to shake it off people. On this episode Bliss and "Counter Intelligent" founder True Asiatic Allah call out Liberals and Conservatives on the the waste of time antics that keep both sides distracted from the real agents that will threaten the social and economic balance in the upcoming Trump years. The times are a-changing folks. Time to get ready. Time for some action.

The Wine: Teavine~~ Green tea, white wine and honey infusion

Note: The song "A Song For You" which was made famous by Donnie Hathaway and written by Leon Russell.