Friday, January 31, 2014

Grateful!

This is a light hearted blog today, as I do not feel like being philosophical today, and it has been a long week!

What I am most grateful for, is that I received my first royalty deposit from my recently self-published novel. Now grant it, I am by no means rich, and I couldn't even buy a nice outfit with the money, but it's mine, and it is the blood, sweat, and tears from a project that is near and dear to my heart.

For those of you, who purchased the book...my sincere appreciate and gratitude. For you mofos who have not, what are you waiting on?

You can get Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled: What My Grandmother Taught Me, and What You Need to Know to Navigate Through Life on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. I was very open and honest in this book, and it was a nice way to honor the woman who made me the man that I am today.

Until next time folks.....

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Your Child is Not Your ATM!

Justin Bieber is spiraling out of control from egging homes to driving intoxicated; he needs a serious intervention.

Everyone is speculating and gossiping about what is the source of his out of control behavior. White people want to make him an honorary black person (Google Sharon Osbourne's disgusting racist comments), and black people are saying, he is fun to party with, but we have enough ratchet members of our race already. Ha!

But you want to know what the source of his problem is? His mother is his pimp! Yep, you heard me correctly. His mother "pimped" him to the entertainment lifestyle, and now that he is out of control, she is somewhere acting like she doesn't know where or how it all went wrong.

How many times have you heard of childhood entertainment stars spiraling out of control, or ending up broke? (Gary Coleman, Emmanuel Lewis). It is because while their peers were playing and enjoying their childhoods, they were the breadwinners of their families.

It is a sad thing when parents "pimp" their children to the industry and reap the benefits. If you were really about protecting your children, you would place their earnings in a trust or invest, so they would have guaranteed money when they reach adulthood. Instead, these parental pimps buy homes, cars, and enjoy a lifestyle, that they would not have had if they weren't pimping their children.

I am also talking about you single/divorced mothers who use your child support funds to buy your weaves, designer handbags, pay mortgages, etc, everything but take care of the very child for which the money was intended.

And you wonder why your child has issues later in life? It is because you didn't get off your lazy ass and get a job like regular people, and used your child for your own financial gain!

So behind all of Justin Bieber's antics and outrageous behavior, is a woman who pimped him during the years when he was supposed to be enjoying his childhood. Blame her, not him...he is simply being a kid, doing the dumb things he was supposed to be doing when he was younger, but was never afforded the opportunity.

Until next time.....

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Thug is the new Nigger

I loathe this word...when I hear it, something maddening just runs through my veins. What is this word? Thug.

It has been used to describe Richard Sherman (a man who graduated second in his high school \class, scored 1400 on his SAT's out of a possible 1600, returned to Stanford for an extra year of eligibility just so he could work on his Master's degree, and who has a private charity providing school supplies to impoverished schools, so they can compete academically with their more economically blessed counterparts). It has been used to describe Trayvon Martin ( an unarmed kid simply walking home with snacks, who called his mother, "cupcake", who wore a button on his shirt, commemorating the life of a deceased cousin, and who wore khakis on the night of his murder).

Why does it make me so mad? Because it is the 21st century version of nigger. The people who use it don't have the intestinal fortitude to say nigger, so they call you a thug instead. I loathe racists, but what I loathe even more are those who hide behind this four letter word, who smile in your face every day, but as soon as you step out of line, here comes this word.

The truth is most of these individuals don't know a real thug. Real thugs do not obtain degrees from Stanford, give television interviews, play professional sports, wear khakis or buttons on their shirts, or have legitimate jobs and/or hobbies.

Real thugs have criminal records, rape women, kill and molest children, are corporate raiders who steal people's retirements (Enron anyone?), or are elected officials who can't stay out of women's vaginas (well, not literally, but pass laws, which disenfranchise women).

Trust me in the South, even  the most violent, crime ridden areas, don't compare to the areas where the real thugs reside. Most of us country bumpkins do not personally know any real thugs.

So to all the people who like to use this word....just say nigger, I can respect you more, because at least I know you have the intestinal fortitude to be who you are!

Until next time......

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Modern Day Slavery

Once again, social media and the human race has let me down. Not making this a white or black issue, just an issue that people need to get it together. After you read this blog, some of you may be pissed off, and others may not speak to me again, but I must tell my truth..my truth is that race relations are a long way from being good, and people need to stop hiding behind their computers and own their racism.

I watched Richard Sherman's post game interview. Was he articulate? Probably not. Was he angry? Hardly. Was he trash talking? Yes, but isn't that what Muhammad Ali did over 40 years ago? I remember watching old interview clips calling himself the greatest, calling himself pretty, and calling his opponents ugly, and we cheered him on. Let's be honest he was great at what he did. Nobody ever accused him of being a bad sportsman, or not being gracious. It was just his way.

Why can't that same courtesy be offered to Richard Sherman? He is young, his adrenalin is pumping, and he is happy. It is not the time to give a long articulate speech about the history of football. It is time for celebration.

My white friends' comments ran the gamut of he was angry (part of that angry black male stereotype, which is a topic for another blog), he was unsportsmanlike (how dare a black man express himself forcefully), and my favorite, I couldn't understand him (which is code for that nigger is speaking Ebonics), of course, this would never be said outside of inner circles.

My black friends's comments ran the gamut of  he has no home training (which is code for how dare he "shame" us like that), because certainly Richard Sherman represents every black man in America (insert eyeroll here), or that he was not articulate enough (which is code for how dare his black ass get on tv and make us look bad (see my previous comment).

We (humans collectively) always make everything about us. Why not allow this man to enjoy his moment? Why does he, regardless of your race, have to subscribe to your notion or beliefs about social behavior? Let's us peek into your life, and see how you would handle yourself, with millions watching on a national stage. I am sure that you would be composed, articulate, self-assured (insert another eyeroll here).

This is why I named this entry modern day slavery. For some white people, as long as a black person, is running behind a ball or cracking jokes, providing endless entertainment, we are cool. But do not step outside of that "entertainment" realm, where you can be feared. Because then you are unsportsmanlike, angry, and can't be understood.

And just like the house slaves vs. the field slaves war that brewed during slavery, it is still going on today among blacks. Those of us who are educated, somehow feel superior to those who aren't and make ourselves the social etiquette committee, of what is proper, and how one should behave to stay "in line". Do not step outside standard English in your speech, do not dress in certain clothing, and do not embarrass the entire black race of national television, or the black diaspora will Tweet, Facebook, and gossip you to shame.

By the way, Richard Sherman is a Stanford grad, with a 4.0 and a major in Communications. For all of the black diaspora and closet racists, let that marinate around your bullshit consciousness.

Until next time....get a grip and worry about your own public personas!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

American Dream or Nightmare?

As I am sitting in my house, which is 59 degrees right now due to a nonworking heating system, which I just replaced in December 2011, I am thinking about the brainwashing that we receive as children to believe that home ownership is the American dream. The question is whose dream?

After being a homeowner for 11 years, it is only a nightmare for me. What they don't tell you in that "dream" speech, is that stuff will break or need repair, and it will be costly, and you will have to use money that you had planned to do "fun" stuff with to have modern comforts in your home (like heat)...ughhhh

The truth is it doesn't matter whether your home is brand new or slightly older, you will eventually have to replace something.

Why do we do it? Why do we work our fingers to the bone, all to replace things that we can't take with us when we die? As my wise grandmother used to say, "You have never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse. All these things we work so hard to replace, will one day be left for our vulture relatives to argue and fight over.

Okay, end of my rant and this blog...stay warm folks!

Until next time....

Saturday, January 11, 2014

It's Not Real....It's Art

Social media is going to be the death of me. People post stupid, racist, bigoted, comments, which just raise my blood pressure, and one day I am going to have a stroke or heart attack...I know...It's not that serious, right? Neither are television shows!

For most of the days, since Being Mary Jane's airing, all sorts of comments having been directed towards "Mary Jane" the fictional protagonist of the show, played by Gabrielle Union. Without giving too many spoilers, she is carrying on an affair with a married man, played by Omari Hardwick. All sorts of comparisons are being made to Kerry Washington's Scandal character, Olivia Pope....the two have nothing to do with each other, except they are both black women, and both are having affairs with married women...that is where the similarities end.

Viewers fall into two categories: those who watch because they are genuinely invested in seeing where the shows are going and love the creativity of the storylines and the dynamic acting, and those who just want to critique and work out their own dysfunctions, rather than paying that $150 for a therapy session.

It is fiction folks! These women are not coming to take your husbands/boyfriends, because they are not real. If you were cheated on, take it up with the sucker who cheated on you, and not some fictional character on your tv, and do I need to mention that therapist again? And for the holy rollers, you know who you are....the ones who feel Jesus is going to personally punish you, for enjoying "sinful activity", even though it is not real, please have a seat or two.

Art is subjective, and as an artist, you are probably going to create art, which someone doesn't like or is going to have strong opinions about. Don't stop creating, because these individuals have serious issues, and don't have the self-control to turn off their televisions. There are those of us, who appreciate the art, the creative process, and just want more!

Until next time.....

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

People Suck

Let me begin by congratulating Jameis Winston on his Heisman trophy win, and his FSU team for their national victory. It was a crowning moment.

Despite the crowning moment, negativity crept in, and guess who the culprit was?: social media.

I love social media, so this is not an "I hate" social media rant. This is an I don't like how people use social media to be jerks.

Now mind you, this young man celebrated his 20th birthday on yesterday, received the most prestigious award for a college athlete, led his team to a national championship, and just survived one of the most difficult years of his young life (he recently was acquitted of rape charges, after a local DA decided there was not enough evidence to prosecute), and all people can focus on was how unintelligent his post game speech was?

With social media as both their weapon and their savior because of anonymity, they raked this young man over the coals. The sad thing is, the most vocal jerks leading the pack, were people old enough to be his parents...seriously? Your life is so empty and devoid of happiness, that you have to spend your time slandering a 20 year old? Get a grip!

Why can't we just be happy for people? I bet if we placed a mic in front of some of those same people at 20 after experiencing such a life changing event, they would not have given half the speech that Jameis did.

Obviously, people should think before they speak, or in this case, tweet.  But I guess that I am asking for too much, so that is why people suck


Until next time.....

Monday, January 6, 2014

Master Procrastinator

I have been on vacation from my main job for the past two weeks. When I first started my vacation, I had all of these high hopes for all of the writing that I was going to get done, all of the housework. I had my life carefully mapped out. Well, guess what? Here it is two weeks later, and I am still in the same boat, as I was when I first started this vacation.

I have course syllabi that need to be developed, an audition to tape, and household chores to complete; yet, I am sitting here writing this blog.

It's not that I don't want to do the task at hand; it's that I always have convinced myself that I work best under pressure, that if I am not stressed to the max, I can't function.

Would that make me an adrenalin junkie? No, not really, just a procrastinator.

Actually, a master at it.

Oh well, let me procrastinate, I mean work, yeah, you get the picture....

Until, next time....

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Sorry, Not Sorry

I just viewed the Melissa H. Perry apology, and let me just say that I am appalled. Not by what she originally said, but the fact that she apologized.

Her original comment and I quote was a joke that maybe Mitt Romney's adopted black grandchild and "Northwest" (Kimye's offspring) would get married, and to see Mitt Romney's reaction over that.

Let me first say, children should never be the source or main topic of anyone's jokes, so if we are viewing this as a right or wrong issue, maybe that part was wrong.

But as a whole, we as a society have to stop feigning surprise and/or disgust when comments target a specific group, whom we deem important or elite, and be nonchalant when another group, whom we do not deem to be important or of a minority, are offended.

Take for example the recent Phil Robertson comments. The lesbian/gay community  was highly offended, while the homophobes/Bible thumpers were not, and people just glossed over the fact he also made derogatory comments about African Americans, but we will get to those racist jerks in another blog post, another day.

Or even Mitt Romney himself during his campaign, making comments about the 47% being lazy moochers (thanks to former President Carter's grandson, for finding that little gem), and those individuals being Pres. Obama's base voter. Where was the shock and outrage by mainstream media then?

We are our brother's keeper. What affects one person and/or group affects us all. So you are not gay, black, a woman, or poor, but you should be equally offended if any of these groups are attacked. Stop reserving your outrage only for groups who you  care about!

And to Melissa Perry and all other apologists, you felt that way at the time, so stand in your choices...stop with the fake apologies, to save face or to keep your job. If you make unpopular comments, stand by them, because fake or forced apologies after the fact, do nothing but make people who you offended, hate you more, and those who supported you, lose respect for you.

And I am still waiting for those apologies from Mitt and Phil...won't hold my breath though...

Until next time....

Making Choices

Okay, this is my first blog post, and I have to admit that I am a little nervous. Never thought to do this until now, but I am going to give it a shot.

It seems that the past few days there has been much talk about Gabrielle Union/Dwayne Wade. I can't say that I am surprised by the hoopla. I think it is basic human nature to want to know what is going on in celebrity lives and also to commiserate when there is pain or discord.

I take two issues with the whole situation. First, let me say the baby is the innocent victim in this whole situation, so I will not be speaking on the baby.

One of the things I often try to do as a human being is to walk a mile in the other person's shoes, try not to judge, and go beyond the surface of things and look at the larger issue or issues.

There are two larger issues for me: the first issue is that Dwayne Wade, break or not, was having unprotected sex. I mean come on dude, you are an NBA player with millions, and you are over 30, two things that should scream that you should know better.

Secondly, this is not some random groupie who he picked up in a club or bar. This is a woman who he has known for years. Now comes the bigger question: how deep is their relationship? You have known each other for years, and you felt comfortable enough to have sex without condoms. That would not sit well with me!

Ultimately, the ball is in Gabrielle Union's court. I would probably guess that she is going to give this thing a try. After all, she accepted his proposal, which came six weeks after the baby's birth, and she is 41, wants children, and a whole family unit, so time is not on her side to get what she wants, at least not by natural means.

Life is a series of choices....I hope Gabby makes the ones that she can deal with!

Until next time folks.....