Uggins, Niggas, & Niggers

Tried to stay away from this subject here, but I think people are a bit confused when I use such vile language. I honestly try to keep that word out of my vocabulary, but this self-hate I was taught mixed with a little bit of knowledge of who exactly I am fuels this bullshit I participate in. In no way, shape, or form are my intentions to display a self-hatred or hatred of others when spewing such venom. My intentions are solely to insult one or to make a situation relatable to someone who considers themself one of or all of the above terms. One elder once said to me "nigger or nigga all comes from the same vocal chords, which makes them the same exact word." Tis' true, but try convincing Waka Flocka Flame or Jay-Z that their term of endearment is actually them insulting one another. I struggle with such concepts being that the populace feels this term is either a term of endearment or is associated with Black people in either a positive or negative way. See when I use the word amongst my friends, it's usually just a word I use to get their attention or a substitute for their name. I like to think that it is of the "a" and not "er" variety, but hey like that wise elder told me it all registers the same vocally (via vocal chords). I OFTEN use the "er" brand of the word to describe an imbecile, savage, ingrate, untamed being whom walks the Earth oblivious to their outrageous actions and does so with a sense of pride, arrogance even. That term is not reserved for a particular race and I find it hilarious when I spit that hot 16 at a Non-Black person. It flips their whole world upside-down in a manner where a rebuttal is literally impotent. That's my shit right there, that flustered look on a person when being insulted in a manner they cannot understand. Not to say that the word nigger is a whale of a word to understand, the concept that a nigger being someone OTHER than a Black person is just too incredible for them to fathom. I know this tone seems very boastful... Well because it is! Me using THAT word in such a manner which dispels any bullshit stereotype of Black people being the solamente niggers is a win in my little Black book. Yes Black people can be niggers, but it has absolutely nothing with them being Black. Oh yeah and uggin is just nigga pronounced backwards; check out your favorite 1990s hip hop records radio friendly version (shouts to Dupree). Those are my ingredients to my organized confusion of logic, which runs through my mind daily; thought I'd share a lil' bit. Peace!

Rappers: The Griots of my generation

For those who are unfamiliar with the term griot just go look it the fuck up, then come back to this blog. For those who are well aware, I'll proceed to give you what you need in the place to be. Whether we like it or not, Hip Hop music has become the voice of the urban community since it's creation in the late 70's early 80's. Fast-forward to the year 2012 and Hip Hop artists are quite possibly the most successful independent artists to ever grace the music arena. They've turned a culture into a profit, but at what costs? I can remember watching Video Music Box on my grandmother's living room floor while singing along to KRS-One's "You Must Learn" before I could fully understand what exactly he was rapping about. Although my age has given me the opportunity to witness the progression and transformation of Hip Hop music, it has also spoiled me. I got to enjoy the feel good music of Kid N' Play and Kriss Kross, as well as the Native Tongues movement, all the way to NWA all within a 1 or 2 year span. That is a whole lot of mixed messages for me as a youth, but I ultimately deciphered it all with the help of some responsible/irresponsible adults and elder cousins who lead by example whether they were positive or negative. These rappers or griots were the mouthpieces or storytellers of a silenced generation, who had no guidance being that the drug epidemic in America (fake ass war on drugs) took away all of the seniority our neighborhoods and communities had to offer. Jail, disease, murder, and death were all offspring to this violent drug situation which forced my generation to grow up lost, aggressive, and simply confused. Someone saw this tactic as profitable and now we're stuck with a people who draw inspiration from a genre of music which is dead set on destroying the very people who gave it life. The music used to emulate the happenings of the community, now the community is a direct reflection of the music. When the musicians have motives which don't necessarily promote positivity, then we have a fucking problem.Well, I guess we have a fucking problem... I guess I'll wait for another genre of music to come along to get excited again, Peace!

Time and time again...

I don't like shit like "colored people time." I understand that there is a structure within this (slave) system we operate in which constricts time. We're never alloted enough time to do some shit which 99 out of 100 times NOT saving lives or changing the world; why are you working 60 hours a week crunching numbers for a firm that could crumble and nobody would die. I mean what's the big deal with getting to work on time? Fuck a 9-5, is the job getting done? Can't it wait til later? Can't I just do this at home? I'm sorry but I LOVE to study origins of shit and something like 'time' has always sparked my interest. Now ancient cultures (yanno the ones who created the concept of time) viewed time as neverending. I know that's some mindboggling shit being that we have like 2weeks left on this Earth if you ask the Mayans (who also felt like time never really ends). In fact, the Mayan calender isn't the same one we use now; the world ended almost 6-7 months ago counting leap years the Mayans had no idea about... Anyway! This concept of time we haved adopted as a race of humans is one of the shark-biting ass Europeans. How you acting like the originator and you a pump faker? How we just gonna accept this bullshit concept? Daylight savings, leap years, 28 days in a month? Cmon son... This all trickles down into our daily lives and we have people exhausting themselves to meet dumb ass fucking deadlines just because someone said so. Listen bro those TPS reports will get done, ha! Enjoy your life and time on this Earth because honestly NOBODY knows when this world will end, let alone your own personal world. Wristwatch or shackle? Anyway, check your ingredients. Peace!

Has the youth gone mad...

Monday evening, rush hour, and I'm headed home from work. Hat, scarf, gloves, Soul Tape II on deck. Shortly after crossing the Manhattan bridge, 6 youngsters/hipsters/teenie boppers/hooligan types enter the train and commence to bringing a halt to the common, semi-silent bond shared amongst those—or should I say, we—straphangers who are simply attempting to make our way home from our overworked, underpaid day spent slaving for the "man," to our children and loved ones or solitude.

And as I stand by the door, expending great effort to camouflage myself against the cold, unforgiving steel—my only salvation for the next 15 minutes—I'm forced to endure the naked insolence characterized by obnoxious laughter and out-of-tune choruses to outdated songs bellowed at decibels far too loudly for the confines of this train car. These little...tyrants, presently "disturbing the peace" with their high-pitched cackles are wholly ignorant; oblivious to those around them in the midst of this commute—my commute—the one meant to bring me home to my loved one...and anti-bacterial hand soap. Their acute awareness of their own presence illicits various stares, snickers, and whispers, from those opting out of administering reprimand...myself included. I always find these unwarranted intrusions greatly annoying, especially the ones that dance and hang off the poles "like the monkeys we are said to be." But those interruptions are only momentary, fleeting, and before the migraine has opportunity to take root, they're done and off to annoy the denizens of the next train car.

This botheration brought by this group of delinquents, however, feels more like punishment. For finishing my work on time; for being able to leave the plantation at a reasonably human hour, in order to trudge along with a like crowd of strangers who are similarly at the mercy of mass transits' sketchy hiring policies. Daydreaming interrupted, I hear... "Ooh, a seat!" from one of the xy carriers, as he races to sit down, chivalry aside, casting no regard to any of the 4—ahem, females—in his entourage.
I just smh...

Unfortunately, this seat happens to be right next to me, and the door separating me from freedom, and now becomes the radius to the circle of uncultivated swine that's slowly closing in on me, as they gyrate and gesticulate in the face of someone's grandmother.

2 more stops...

The tasteless profanity and banal inside jokes slowly begin to dissipate as, one by one, the group begins to disperse during this seemingly neverending commute—my commute. I unconsciously draw closer and closer to the sliding, steel barricades standing in the way of me and the staircase that will thankfully replace my reflection in this glass. I ask myself "Were my friends and I like this?? At this age??" I feel sure enough to say "fuck no." I know, personally, I used to think that every "grown up" on the train was my mom's BFF and if they went back to her with news that I was carrying on with one iota of the trashy manner in which these pupils were, shit would get REAL when I got home!! N that fear was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow, especially in the streets. But clearly times have changed and basic mannerisms, such as chivalry, common sense and respect for oneself and your elders have ceased to exist—and in its place, we have...this.

Next stop, my stop

The moment I've longed for from the instant I left work and strode into the bowels of the concrete jungle that birthed me, is now upon me. Sketchy, abrupt halt as the doors open considerably quickly, and out and up the stairs I bolt, boo thang within grasp on the other side...and I reach...and we smooch...and he begins to say something I'm unable to register. He reaches towards me and I recede just a bit, confused as he takes out, my headphones...

The Young Black Youth...

I've been on this Earth for 30 years and have seen different phases of the Young Black Youth in America with my own two eyes. I mean We love to celebrate the "80s babies" because we think our childhood was so cool. I have to admit, a lot of things I've gotten to experience in life is due to the decade I was born in, but not all of it is celebratory. One perfect example is the fact that I have maybe 3 childhood friends who grew up with 2 parents. Now I'mnot of a generation where all the fathers went off and died in a war, these uggins just left. Not always to another borough, city, state, or country but they definitely were absent physically and emotionally. I mean that affect/effect has motivated different people in different ways, but I ultimately see it as a negative outcome. As much as my peers would love to think this aspect of our life has made us stronger, we've weakened every generation after ours. We never took the time to check on our siblings or little cousins after us to make sure they were okay, like how those 70s babies were looked after by their predecessors. All we did was introduce them to our way of life and didn't give them the manuel. That kind of stuff became habitual because that generation too was as fatherless as ours, but they had a bigger stronger machine out there in society trying to destroy them. That type of behavior became as frequent as tying your shoe. Now we got this generation of Young Black Youth here who We view as lost and ridicule for their identity (such as style of dress), yet We are the reason they are who they are. Everything that I am I can trace back to the generation before mine and even the generation before them. Next time you're calling the current music of the day stupid or anything that defines this generation as lesser than yours, remember that You and I are to blame. Check your ingredients, Peace!

Thanksgiving Slaughter-bration

Yeah well I know Thanksgiving Day was last week but I figured nobody would be doing much internet surfing unless it was for Black Friday deals so I held on to this one until that 9-5 came calling yall names... So Indian saved the Pilgrim and the Pilgrim killed him, hmph! Yeah we all know the deal with the Pilgrims (crossing my fingers that the people who read this blog daily actually DO know the deal) and I get that that MAY not be what you're celebrating exactly. Check this out, if I smoke yo' God damn cousin in front of you uggin (Menace II Society reference) and celebrated that day annually AND passed down that tradition of celebrating that day to my kinfolk who will carry that tradition, how would you feel? I mean it might not be AS bad being that me smoking your cousin didn't lead to the demise of your whole entire family tree which still isn't as bad as a whole entire RACE of people pretty much wiped off the map. Me being Black and living in a White supremecist societ I'm always reminded that I should just "get-over" or forget about slavery, but what about the Natives? What about the people indigenous to this soil? Are they just supposed to forget about 1492 and every day after that? Are they supposed to revel over flicks showing Cowboys killing "Indians?" I mean their people have been used as mascots for professional teams and the National Football League has the audacity to create a "rivalry" which perpetuates this Cowboys and "Indians" beef with the Dallas Cowboys being archrivals to the Washington REDSKINS (which is like saying NIGGER if you ask me). Their culture has been mocked and ridiculed as if their belief system is fairytale, yet they are one of the few cultures we learn so little about that respects the areas and lands they dwell. Imagine that, a people who respect the Earth taken off of the Earth so We can destroy the Earth with values which offset theirs. Now imagine celebrating that massacre "innocently" every 4th Thursday in November. How do you think those people who are kin to those victims feel? I bet if 9/11 was a holiday in Gaza you'd have a fit... Check your ingredients and pass that leftover turkey, Peace!

We The Sheeple...

Seems like every-fucking-time the people in charge of this society need to hide something from the sheeple they control, it's in plain sight. Now I can give you plenty examples, but unless you go about this big round planet with an open mind you'll reject everything I tell you. I'm definitely not trying to come across as this all-knowing being of flesh who drops nothing but jewels when I open my mouth (although I secretly do think that sometimes). NO, I'm just a person who can look at everything I've ever been told and broke down the storyteller's intentions with their version of the story. Who would gain if I accept that perspective as the truth? Words like conspiracy theory/theorists are just excuses for one not wanting to actually investigate and/or research on their own an objective thought to a widely accepted aspect. I definitely understand it is much easier to fancy lies and half-truths as gospel, but I ask that you question what persons or agenda(s) will acquire an advantage if get down instead of standing up and walking away. As always, check your ingredients, Peace!

Friends, Enemies, Homosapiens...Lend me your ears!!

In the wake of a failure to communicate lies a lack of willingness to acknowledge and accept. Often ignored are the crucial factors that contribute to the revelation and separation of what was, from what is, and what will be. The difference between what one WANTS and what one NEEDS is no different.  The process by which one becomes aware of that fine line is the first step down the path, allowing all that was written to come to pass. Accomplishing said task is far from a simple feat, however, with the right amount of attention to detail the means by which to distinguish become clear.

This separation should exist in the aspects of one's life that weigh the heaviest or determine the most. In relationships, por ejemplo, you have the basic...give/take, sacrifice/compromise. But the defining characteristic behind making these adjustments is your reasoning.  Is it to acquire what you want or what you need?? The difference... For some, it is as simple as deciding between what you can and can't live without. Exhibit A: "I can live with someone who doesn't have a car, but not with someone who doesn't have an education." Exhibit B: "I can spend my life with someone who can't cook, but not with someone who doesn't have manners." Exhibit C: "I can be with someone who's not D.D.G. (drop dead gorgeous) as long as they treat me right." What you NEED should supercede what you want (consider it a matter of life and death), and what you WANT will come to pass so much easier once your needs are met.

But even these simple examples, must be fine tuned over time.  What you want/need from a relationship when you're 20, should not be exactly the same when you're 30.  Via trial and error (I believe most call it "dating"), by 30 you should know what's working from what's not. What's healthy for you and what's not. Who's doing it for you and who's not, literally. Don't just live in "the weeds," letting life pass you by, racking up partners with nothing to show for it. Pay attention to the failures, fights, the arguing and the break ups, and find something to learn from them because there's a lesson in everything. Sift through the superficial, outer layers of B.S. and get to the heart of the matter, even if you come out realizing you're the one at fault. Take that realization and apply it, to life, work, relationships, whatever it is that means something to you.

And then keep it real...

Ladies, if you know you're a bitch, don't say you NEED a good guy, 'cuz we all know how that's gonna end. With you walking all over him and then getting bored. What you NEED is a man who likes bitches. They're out there!!

Fellas, if you know you're a dick at times, don't say you NEED a good girl/Christian woman. 'Cuz the ending to that...we've all seen on Snapped. What you NEED is girl who's attracted to assholes. They exist, I swear!

More to come....

Role Models

Imagine a whole generation of children without an abundance of positive males to look to for guidance in a societal structure built to destroy them; welcome to the fatherless 80s. This is a setting some of (y)our favorite rappers love to glorify and would love to see again, but the only problem is that it wasn't thriving. Well it wasn't thriving for folks like myself anyway. I walked to school stepping over crack viles just like any other kid born in the late 70s/early 80s, but it affected/effected us all the same yet differently. That outcome was all determined by our surroundings and influences... I hate to give those two variables all the credit, because add a little bit of common sense and accountability and you'll see two people come out of that situation completely different. No matter the neighborhood we all grew up in America and for the most part being that we are a product of the 80s, we've all been groomed to predominantly like the same things. A lack of a perspective which differs from the agenda which is forced on us leads us having the same tastes, for a great deal of reasons. One of those reasons is because we want to belong; what we want to belong to, who knows? We all develop these "common" interests influenced by outside influences which we have no control over and oops pow surprise, we fucking celebrate those who achieve the highest level of success in those interests we possibly do not have any genuine interests in... How crazy is that? This poison has been going on since floor model televisions all the way to mp3s and flatscreens. Decades of marketing to the masses as to what/whom we prioritize... We love shit that we love because we have been groomed to love that shit, and those who love it the MOST are the people we look up to. Damn... Check your ingredients and make sure you pour your own poison, Peace!

Reality Television

Remember when The Real World was basically the only form of reality television besides game shows? I mean my introduction to reality T.V. was shit like Double Dare on Nickelodeon, but who knew we'd spin that whole concept into a genre of television which has become the norm. It's gotten to the point where reality T.V. is miseducating the masses about a person or group of people. Stereotypes are either being built or reinforced and unfortunately a whole lot of naive and/or dumb people have access to remote controls and cable T.V. without the proper guidance or aren't fortunate enough to encounter multiples walks of life in this country. It's easy to squash said stereotypes by just meeting different types of people, but when you're born and raised in Mooseknuckle, Omaha and your introduction to Black Americans is Basketball Wives or Love & Hip Hop, that doesn't necessarily help you with judging people. I mean we all judge so peace out with that righteous bullshit, but to do so ignorantly is beyond me. Reality T.V. has turned into a tool for the closeted to make assumptions about flocks of folks whom they'll probably never meet in their lifetime; what happened to the entertainment? When I see shows like Saturday Night Live misrepresenting the citizens of say like a New Jersey, their go-to impersonations shouldn't be of a Jersey Shore reject. Although a lot of truth is said in jest, in this case the truth may be representing someone's own prejudices and assumptions. We went from green slime oozing out of huge ( faux Jewish) noses to grown women beating the living shit out of one another in front of cameras, why? Oh I know why; because fuck you that's why. You're gonna watch it anyway... Can't complain about these type of shows if you indulge. Check your ingredients before you find yourself on a television show embarassing your family for flashing lights and a couple of bucks. Peace!

Fast Food

Everyone loves to save time. I myself will spend extra money without hesitation to avoid layovers just so I'll reach my destination quicker so I wont have to wait. One thing I just cant/wont compromise when it comes to time is nutrition. An O.G. once taught me 'all money aint't good money' so I always find ways to apply that to everyday situations. One of those bad money things is fast food. I mean damn when you're caught up in the hustle and swing of things like a say NYC, you're always pressed for time. Finger foods or anything we can eat while NOT having to stop moving are always ideals because we live by this mantra of "the city never sleeps," and it ultimately effects/affects our diet. We are what we eat, literally. In 2012 when information is readily available and even unreliable sources like Wikipedia have some truth to them, I can't rock with someone just telling me "I didn't/dont know." That shit is absurd and we all know that fucking fast food is 100% here to harm us. I see time like others usually don't with my newfound respect to other cultures, so I find it hard to shove a fucking lab-made burger into my mouth because I am late for anything. So people please seriously, check your ingredients... Peace!

Thou Shalt Not...

As a youth I always felt like (modern) religion was quite bogus. For those of you who are still reading, let me explain. I never understood the concept of Heaven, Hell, and sin. If God loves everyone no matter what, why would he even consider sending us to Hell if the reason we sin is because he made us sinners? I've gotten the same rhetoric regarding that question, but none of the responses really answered my question. As I grew older and wiser I encountered other faiths and some were similar to what I grew up experiencing. Those encounters, whether through actual people and conversations or reading up on them, have shaped my entire perspective as to what the purpose of religion is and was. Many of them agree with my theory of religion being a very corruptive thing due to mankind, but they also believe it is because mankind corrupted it and not created it. Well then who created religion, someone's God? Since ancient civilizations human beings have needed a reason to explain the things they couldn't; usually these explainations were of some kind of divine happenings. Some of the early religions were (in my opinion) very genuine. Although sometimes there were alterior motives, there was a high level of spirituality present which was to promote prosperity for everyone and everything. Oneness with the Earth for example was highly promoted, which saw us human beings as part of the ecosystem which needed to thrive for us to live. That is the very opposite of this concept of believing every plant, animal, and fish is here to serve us. Another example was the belief in Goddesses. The value of women in modern religion has decreased and they're usually in a subservant role, no matter how they slice that McRib out of Adam. I mean those are two broad examples, but they aren't exclusive to just one religion. Those are actually some of the stepping stones to a lot of modern religions, mixed in with a little bit of prejudice and hate of course. Then we have good ol' sin. Sin sin sin sin mothereffing sin. I try to explain my perspective on sin and how they're just boundaries and crutches for people, but they often get offended. Before the Ten Commandments people knew not to kill eachother, no matter how many people went to war or just murdered others. In fact the church itself has been and is responsible for the slaughter for people daily. A couple of quick history lessons teach us that, so when we delve into religion and it's purpose and mix in a little bit of sin in there, we have to actually examine with a clear objective mind and determine what is their agenda? What has the church done with this weapon of mass destruction religion? In fact dont even worry about it, just go hang out in The Vatican. Oh wait, can you hang out in The Vatican? Nevermind, thou shalt no question thy hidden agendas. Check Your Ingredients before you overdose on someone's God, Peace!

Info Wars

The 2012 Election has turned the most novice mf'er in regards to knowledge of politics and policies, into CNN analysts. I find it cool though because it makes the people somewhat aware of what is going on. My only beef is when an opinion which is based on factual information is not a popular one, that opinion is often ridiculed by those ignorant to the information that opinion is based off of. Simply put how the hell can someone tell you what you're saying is wrong, if they dont even understand what you're saying??? Often I say things to people and my perspective is misunderstood and dismissed. I try to explain my opinion in the simplest form possible, but I often end up saying my favorite quote "I dont understand what you dont understand about what I said." It may sound arrogant, but anyone who knows me must know I seriously dont give a fuck. If the information I am basing my perspective on is wrong, I have no problem saying so. Noone is too big to admit when they are wrong, so stop-it-5. The worst shit is when debating/arguing with imbeciles whose view(s) are solely based off of opinion and emotion. Listen I get it you like ________ because they're a nice guy and all, but what about all these fucked up things they've been doing for the past decade bro? Information is everywhere and the sooner people are ready to look past the bullshit facade and flashing lights they are presented with on a daily basis which is soooooooo attractive, the sooner an objective opinion or perspective will be respected or a common one. I'm one that believes NOTHING trumps facts, and that's a fact. Check your ingredients yall, Peace!

Cuz I'm Black Yall

I will NOT lie, I do have a special place in my heart for sports. Like the average fan, they help me escape the reality or "reality" we live in, which can sometimes be too heavy of a burden. In fact, I even watch shows about sports on television stations like ESPN. My favorite of them all is First Take which airs Monday through Friday, I never miss an episode (ask my wife about our DVR memory). One of the sports analysts on the show is probably the most articulate people on the boob tube today, Stephen A. Smith. Not only do I admire this man's mind, I am proud he is also a native New Yorker. Besides us sharing a foundation like NYC, he's also Black. I can't even lie, I watch this man speak and sometimes have to pause the show to look up a word he just uttered; I have no shame in that, it's great to look up word you don't know nah mean? Anyway, one day it fucking hits me: WHY can't a man so educated and with such great influence be this passionate about the struggle of Black people? Then I started thinking about all of the Black coaches in sports who don't get a fair shot to become head coaches, yet have the gift of motivating grown ass men to put in work in regards to sports. How come these great leaders of men (and women) aren't out here motivating the people who REALLY need motivation? Why is their talent being wasted on grown ass men and women to play a child's game and get paid LITERALLY millions of dollars to do so? I mean like I said I love love LOVE sports, but would be fine if they were all to go away. Life goes on, sports aren't that important. Yes they can be a ticket out of living in poverty, but what the hell does that have to do with the welfare of an entire race of people? Too many times we can look back in history and see a talent wasted due to an impetus which serves absolutely no positive purpose when looking at the effect that talent could've had on the welfare of Black people. Imagine someone as influential as Herm Edwards (for my NFL heads) leading a neighborhood of poor Black people to the community board meeting to demand answers for the unfair treatment of the residents by police officers, dope right? Imagine someone as business savvy as Magic Johnson as the CEO of an all-Black business whose sole purpose is to uplift the community. I wont sit here and patronize you readers with more examples I think you get my point, right? Right? Riiiiiiiight... Stay classy, Peace!

When I Die, My Seed Will Be Ill As Me...

As a child are were sold the dream of wife-kids-house-dog, but the older I get the more I run into people who want none of those things. They'd rather go through life being productive citizens with no moral or emotional (or legal) responsibilities to the welfare of another human being. That is totally fine, being that we live on a very very very very very very very very overpopulated planet by the name of Earth. I have absolutely no gripe with those who choose to NOT reproduce or marry, that is their choice. My beef is with those who bring offspring into this world and see no faults with the reasons why you do so, or the practices you use to raise that child or children. I am a new parent myself and I'd be lying if I said my spouse and I weren't freestyling sometimes when it came to the methods we use raising our daughter. We're smart and responsible enough to know which things worked and didn't work on us so we move accordingly when it's time to put our parenting skills to the test. I won't get too specific, but I will speak on something I have noticed in the last several years of my life. The way we on this side of the Earth teach our children responsibility is in layman's terms fucking ridiculous. In fact our children do not often learn the burden of responsibility until the age of 18 years old when they graduate high school and are now given these new freedoms and rights. It is assumed that the average 18 year old will be disciplined or just plain ol' smart enough to handle being an adult. I find that shit absurd and here's why... Let's think about the what the average person goes through as a small child up until an 18 year old. A child and child I mean like a baby has no concerns besides their own self-preservation. We have to teach them to share and care for others. We teach them to love Mommy and Daddy, because Mommy and Daddy loves them. Maybe they don't wanna love their parents, why not let them decide? I'm not advocating tough-love for small children, but I am trying to look at this stage of human life objectively. Their concern with their own well-being doesn't necessarily come from a space which wants them to succeed or accomplish anything they desire while putting another person or human being into a compromising predicament. If they want milk, nap-time, or to be held nobody has to die. If an adult wants lets say something as common as a cellphone, someone in some foreign poor country is being deprived human/civil rights just so that new Iphone 15 can see the light of day. As the children get a little older they show their true selves/personalities, but everything about this society oppresses that notion and we enforce it because it is the norm. Don't color outside the lines, color inside the lines like everyone else yet make sure you're an individual because You are special like everyone else... Wait What? What kind of mixed messages and bullshit are we teaching our kids? I won't dwell, so fast-forward to the preteen stage where most children are by now introduced to sports. We tell them it 'builds character' and helps our children learn teamwork. If that's not the biggest crock of bullshit I've ever heard in my damn life... Yo how the fuck does giving all the kids a trophy, yes even the 12th kid on the fucking bench who saw no playing time unless it was a blowout, establish one's character if they're being rewarded for something they DIDN'T do? How and why does that make sense to anyone? This practice is repeated until teenage/high school years when sports and popularity matter. This is where we groom our children to be WINNERS or just to not be LOSERS in life. Maybe one has a job, maybe not. The ultimate goal I believe here is to constitute one's role in this structure we've built and participated in, which wont rock the boat. Of course we leave a little room for those who recognize this whole bullshit steez, but those voices are drowned out. Let's look at the end product and BOOM a whole generation of people who think they're individuals, but are really just loafers trying to find a way to express themselves but cant because that part of their brain has been held in check since they learned to use a crayon and now want to be rewarded for shit they've never accomplished, walking this Earth entitled as fuck trying to be the coolest person they can possibly be all while trying to handle responsibilities they were never taught to manage. Damn, ain't that some shit... Next time you find yourself practicing widely-accepted methods of parenting, think about what exactly you want to communicate to your child and what kind of person you want them to be when they grow up. Think about yourself and what was helpful/harmful to your character. Be sure to always check your ingredients, especially if you're giving them to someone else... Peace!

Global Warming for Melinated People

Now this is going to sound crazy, ignorant, and crazy ignorant all in one but please enlighten me as to what is the big deal with Global Warming? I'm from Afrikan descent which explains this melanin in my body, shouldn't I like Global Warming? I mean, I'm from Flatbush Brooklyn and every fall/winter I watch my fellow West Indian people struggle with this temperature they're not used to or built for. We can't seem to shake the sandals and t-shirts, no matter how much the windchill factor drops in my beloved New York City. Maybe we need a warmer planet. White people are something like what 1/7th of the population on this Earth which is nowhere near the majority or enough of a people to be a deciding factor if we were to have a serious vote on any social issues on Earth which affects everyone as a whole. Now I don't know all the scientific facts behind Global Warming, but one thing for sure is that there is constant mention of ice caps melting and blah blah blah... LOOK, if everyone was left where they were supposed to be there would be no concern about Global Warming. You don't believe me, check this out. Without giving one a total history lesson, we can historically trace Global Warming back to the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was directly influenced by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. If slavery wasn't so profitable, then there would be no need to make it even MORE profitable. From the Industrial Revolution we got the steam engine (1775) then 117 years later the diesel engine. The number 1 and 2 reasons for the accelerating rate of Global Warming are engine-related causes; fossil-fuel burning power plants and carbon-dioxide emissions from burning gasoline for transportation respectively. So basically all I'm saying is this shit ain't my fault or concern. The cultures of conquered peoples have a common factor which is "we are One with the Earth." Basically, we understand the need for every single creature/living thing in the ecosystem, so who taught you/us that these plants, animals, and fish were for us to consume until they are no more? Global Warming not only effects the human beings here, it effects the entire environment. Maybe if we kept in mind everyone/thing that is effected by this Global Warming epidemic then it'd make much more sense for it to be an issue we need to pay attention to, but we don't. We don't give a fuck enough to care about anyone but ourselves, which is actually a foreign practice to people of Afrikan descent like myself. So what I'm trying to say is let the fucking Earth heat up til Alaska is a beach (even though I can't swim) because it ain't my damn fault. Blame the... Nevermind, I'm about to drive around Brooklyn for 3 hours in my car while I look for gas, then wait 3 more hours in line to get gas just so I can park my car and take a city bus where I need to go. No worries, I recycle so I'm good right? Right? Riiiiiiight... Check your ingredients, Peace!

Soldiers Story

October 25, 2000 was the day I left my mother’s home in Deltona, Florida to pursue a career in the U.S. Army. I justified my reason for joining was for school money (which I used 10 years later), but I knew I was coerced by a slick-talking recruiter trying to get his numbers up. It was cool for me because I was chillin’, getting paid, out of my mother’s hair, and too busy enjoying my membership in the biggest fraternity in America. 3 years later I was in Iraq fighting for oil and I never had a gas bill in my name or owned a car at that point. Luckily I made it home in one piece(peace), but I could not say the same for all of my comrades. Let’s fast-forward 9 years after my experience in Iraq and slick-talking recruiters are still coercing indecisive young men and women into joining the Armed Forces. We view the military as being such an honorable profession although the main objective of our military is to destroy, conquer, and rebuild or remodel into what this country wants another country to be. Instead of being truthful to potential recruits, they’re being sold that they’re performing a duty they owe to a nation of people who may not even agree with the agenda this government is trying to execute via military action. Please tell me Mr. Slick-Talking Recruiter, how are we going to civilize people by bombing their homes and shooting their men who are simply defending their land we invade? Don’t worry about it I’ll be too busy never forgetting 9/11 and figuring out which country to hate next, while you persuade our youth into dying for a country that wouldn’t negotiate their return if captured by the enemy you have taught them to hate. Poor people kill poor people to make rich people richer.

Healthcare VS Health

There seems to be this misconception about what healthcare is for in this country. Healthcare is quite meaningless if one is not living healthy. In fact, it might even serve as a license to kill (one’s self) in the wrong hands. I refuse to believe that if everyone were afforded the opportunity to be covered medically that in turn there would be a drastic change in lifestyle in the average American’s life. In a country where bacon can virtually be ordered in/on/with ANYTHING, a sandwich can contain absolutely no bread but instead two deep fried chicken breasts, a burger can be served on a donut instead of a bun, cigarettes keep raising in price yet there is no drastic decline in the populace that smokes, over a third of the country is obese, organic foods are a fad or trend and not a way of life, etc… Seriously, do I need to give more examples o f unhealthy living? Not to say one has to be as fit as an MMA fighter or any type of pro athlete, but since when is abusing your body and proclaiming you need healthcare something someone of sound mind, body, and soul rational? It bothers me that things like this have to be said and meet opposition when presented to the very people who claim they need healthcare. In what situation is someone deserving of a service when they blatantly put themselves in a predicament where they show no restraint when it pertains to what that service is for? If you lose a limb in an accident then you shouldn’t have to pay to see a doctor. If you lose that limb due to diabetes, you should not only have to pay you should be last to be seen. It seems like the masses won’t learn until they’re put into that situation. Instead of disagreeing with what I think about health and healthcare, go live healthy and shut people like myself (the hell) up.

Election Day

So many times Black people in this country have historical-amnesia when it comes to showing their allegiance to a country. Sure We built this country, but this land is not Our's. Daily we are reminded we do not count in this society, yet I see Black "patriots" fighting tooth & nail to keep this American dream of a nightmare alive. We ignore the struggle and brush it off as a necessary fight although no other group of people had/have a plight quite like Our's besides the people native to America and they're damn near all gone. We let those Willie Lynch tactics effect/affect Us and even embraced them as remedies for problems we didn't even create. We'll blame the lack of Black fathers in our daughters' lives as a factor when it comes to teenage pregnancy, when it's not solely the Black father's fault he's not present and teenage pregnancy started with Massa raping Our teenage ancestors in the barn creating these light-of-skin Negro boys & girls whom We've been groomed to hate; where do you think Light versus Dark skinned people started in the Black community??? That shit is nuture not nature, but anyway... My whole premise is coming from an angle which is trying to force Black Americans with this patriotic bullshit attitude to seriously take a look into American History and exactly what it has done For Us and To Us. Check your ingredients before you rock that vote and be sure to hold that candidate accountable. Imma sit this one out, y'all have fun... Peace!

Black Hypocrites in Politics...

One day til election day. I honestly could give 15 fucks or shits, but this is not me trying to convince others to be as carefree as I am. This is me expressing my frustration when it comes to my community and their political awareness. Over a month ago actress Stacy Dash came out supporting Republican candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and was crucified for doing so, particularly by the Black community. A couple of things wrong with this scenario... First, why do we give a damn about who an actress endorses for the presidency? Since when does Stacy Dash have any kind of political influence over anyone in this country? In fact, if she does then that person (I doubt it'd be more than one) should actually NOT have the right to vote. That may seem a little harsh being that people have died for the right to vote, but I seriously doubt they fought for idiots to vote just because they can or because it's cool. I think the impetus behind that struggle came from a place genuine which wanted politically educated persons to exercise this right, not for those who wanted to participate in a popularity contest. Celebrities using their celebrity to sway a person and what they value as important to them is total bullshit, yet when we were warned by such practices (by the late-great Frank Zappa), nobody listened and now we are here. Now it is decades later and z-list harmless actresses with zero influence are being put through hell-fire for voicing her political stance, while rappers who promote drugs, violence, guns, materialism, misogynistic views, self-hate, genocide, and the total destruction of their own communities with MORE influence than just about any actor/actress endorse a candidate because it's just a popular thing to do. Stacy Dash is a victim of Freedom of Speech, yes a victim. See that only applies when what you say is attractive, not when it's actually a free thought free from faddish influence. President Obama may actually be someone people genuinely want to vote for and I'm not accusing all of his supporters of being influenced by such powers outside of the political arena, but damn when songs like "My President Is Black" is a hit record by rappers who rap about selling his own people drugs are hit records in an election year (4 years ago)... I'd be hard-pressed looking for a legit President Obama advocate who can converse with me about his policies and how it affects their everyday lives if I walk down Flatbush Avenue and grab the first 10 I see. Okay that's a bit much, I'll say 9. Doesn't really matter now, I honest to (someones) God/Goddess believe he will be re-elected and this blog post will be lost in the shuffle and dismissed as another bullshit opinion from some guy most over 99% of voters never heard of. Maybe I should send this to my favorite rapper to spit as hot-fire over a Kanye West beat and it'll make some noise. Nevermind, I'm in the library and this girl next to me breath is fucking kicking I'm out. CHeck your ingredients, Peace!

Dear New York City

You don't matter and I mean that with every ounce of love in my heart. The man running this city views you/us as dollar dollar bills y'all. So many times we actually expect this dictator of a mayor to show a heart for our children, our poor, our less fortunate, etc... Why? When has he shown a sense of urgency when it comes to the misfortune of the residents here? I come from a poor neighborhood which has been overlooked until newly gentrified. I'm used to not mattering being that my neighborhood was undesired until it was discovered as cheaper than Manhattan and 20 minutes away via mass transit. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy I see more and more that it's not just my neighborhood. It used to be a "race" thing in NYC, now it's a dollar thing. The debut of the Brooklyn Nets playing against their new rivals the NY Knicks was canceled due to the lack of transportation, yet the Barclays Center wasn't used as a shelter. Why? NYC Marathon is going on and Central Park has generators for the runners this Sunday, while countless residents do not have power. Why? NY Knicks opening their season at the world famous Madison Square Garden, yet not once was it used for shelter during the past several days while locals remained homeless. Why? I know why... We don't care that's why. Maybe if we cared about the welfare of eachother everyday, travesties like this one would be handled a lot better. Since we don't matter to eachother, we will never matter to those who are supposed to care about our issues and well-being. Nevermind, another fight just broke out at a gas station in Brooklyn for overpriced gas... Stay classy New York.