Civil Religion

Disclaimer: I used this as my intro to one of my final papers. This is MY work.

September 2011 exactly 10 years after the horrendous attack on the World Trade Center, there was a New York Jets football game. They played who we as Americans consider “America’s team” the Dallas Cowboys. It was opening weekend for the National Football League and a very emotional time for the nation; especially the city of New York. A man in a Dallas Cowboys jersey (the away team) refused to stand up for the National Anthem. His reasons were he was a Jehovah’s Witness, but ultimately he did not really need an excuse or reason. We tote this saying “the land of the free” yet when one does something out of the norm and exuberates being free, we chastise them for it. This man was harassed by some Marines behind him for his actions and fellow attendees at the game saw nothing wrong with it. The man in the Cowboys jersey feared for his life and ended up using a taser on the group of men harassing him. Now, how ironic is that? A man sporting the jersey of “America’s team” doesn’t stand up for the national anthem and is harassed by some Marines for exercising his right to not do something, which is what we are told Marines fight for. No matter how free we think we are in America and how individualistic we want to be, everything boils down to a civil religion and obeying those unwritten rules in this country.

America's Education Plan

Sometimes we let our desires cloud our reality. The proof is always there, yet when the truth is too harsh we tend to keep faith in it possibly not being the truth. With each generation of children getting an American (public) education, it seems like the curriculum focuses more on passing tests than educating our future citizens. There are two main arguments that are supported by facts and unfortunately those facts are a poor reflection on our society. The way our government sees it, under-performing schools should be closed down and teachers "punished" for it. They use standardized testing to determine each schools' performance and an educators livelihood hangs in the balance. Is that fair? Not really since there are many factors as to why a certain school may have more students failing than the others and it probably has nothing to do with the actual teachers and their techniques. Maybe the school doesn't have enough school supplies, space, or teachers which is very common in these impoverished neighborhoods all over America that has schools closing at an alarming rate. This burden often falls onto the shoulders of everyone involved in said school, so they need to come up with answers with close to no resources. Well these teachers have to defend themselves for their rent, groceries, and student loan payments depend on it. The very legitimate argument these educators have is that education is not something solely done in the school. Where are the parents, why aren't they doing their part to enforce the basic educational values they received as a child? As a parent I'd be a fool to think that it is anyone else's sole responsibility to teach my child. We live in a world where responsibility is not a common attribute and people only think about the immediate future. Yes Sianna is my spawn, but she is a citizen of this world who will possibly make life decisions that will determine how every single one of us will live in the future. If she becomes a criminal because of the people she is around and my values and life jewels I gave her weren't enough, she may end up making someone who never cared for her welfare a victim who shunned her and it will affect/effect that person's family drastically. Or maybe one of her teachers who really inspired her will have a family member who suffers from some illness and that'll be the impetus behind my daughter becoming that doctor who cures said disease which effects millions of people. I mean those two examples are quite extreme, but exactly how far-fetched are they regarding our society? America's goal isn't our goal, period. The education system and it's standardized tests have been directly linked to studies which determine where prisons are built. States receiving funding to build prisons based on how low their scores are. America's goal is not a nation of educated people with hopes of living the "American Dream." America's goal is a nation of poor people with skill-sets which only allow them to go so far in life and keeps them dependent on the government. Starbucks and McDonalds are a dime a dozen, even more so than churches now. There will always be room for cashiers in this world as long as the citizens of this world don't value education; America banks on that, literally.

I done turned Brooklyn to Manhattan...

If there is any day that you'll learn, you gon' learn today. Read a Facebook status about a week ago which inspired this blog post. The person suggested that the faces we as Black people identify with (celebrities) are the ones they send to help destroy us. Sort of how the mafia or mob would send your best friend to kill you, so you'll never see it coming. We've been given poison from the enemy in various forms. The most potent is when it comes with a familiar face. Now I'm an avid NY Knick fan so my allegiance basketball-wise has always been a city thing as far as pride, but don't get it twisted I've liked watching the Brooklyn Nets. In fact the only Knick game I went to this year was against their new rival Nets and I've actually attended 2 Nets games this year. Everyone from Brooklyn no matter how long their residency is proud to be from here; sorry it's just the coolest borough. With that sense of pride comes a price unfortunately. Since there was word of the Nets coming to Brooklyn the whole city has been in a frenzy; new rival, a city divided. What some have failed to realize is that the division does not only fall with one being a fanatic of one of the two teams. See we have a new rivalry in this city and our political friends like to call it "class warfare." Other terms such as gentrification have been tossed around, but simply put it's the same old case of the Haves versus the Have-Nots. The most fucked up thing is that it ultimately boils down to a matter of race and location. Us poor (Black and Brown) people in Brooklyn have been sitting on prime real estate since forever with our easy access to the subway which makes our commute to the luxurious Manhattan a hop, skip, and a jump. Manhattan has become a wealthy European's paradise, so the natives can't keep up with the rising prices to live in the borough. Now moving to the Bronx isn't quite ideal well because there's nothing really there besides a zoo and Yankee Stadium (new and old). The city of NY has not really pumped a whole lot of dollars into revamping that borough, so all efforts have to come from the residents which isn't a whole lot. It's not as industrialized as a Manhattan or has a large enough population as a Brooklyn so it's almost a lost cause in the eyes of the powers that be in this city/state. Manhattanites want to be as close to Manhattan without that Manhattan price. Queens doesn't have enough trains/train stations and NOBODY moves to Staten Island. My Beloved Brooklyn has been gifted and cursed with a new-found desire of people wanting to live here. I mean over the years there has been a spike in residency and rent, but after the new stadium it's had a negative effect on the people. They threw native Brooklyn son Jay-Z all over the face of the Nets before they arrived and We as a whole embraced the new team and stadium never mind the steep cost. Local shops were bought out and demolished, even peoples' homes as well. Still didn't matter, it was a morale boost for the borough. Fast forward to Spring 2013, the Nets have an awesome season and Jay-Z bails out on the team for other endeavors and guess who is stuck holding this expensive ass bag? We were blinded by sports and fame and concerts and fancy new train stations and fucking forgot or didn't care to actually check what the average rent is by Madison Square Garden, this stadiums Big Brother. My wife and I have been passive-aggressively looking for a home to buy in Brooklyn and I swear with each Net win the price jumps another 10 thousand fazules. Damn, (y)our local hero Sean Carter came up in here like our good good long time friend and just whacked us mob style. No prints on the gun and we were the only witness, yet at the same time a victim. We let it happen and now look at the rent in Brooklyn. Look at what these homes cost. Brooklynites cant afford to live here anymore. Look what we let happen to my Beloved Brooklyn. We done turned Brooklyn to Manhattan... Yall gon' learn today, tomorrow, next week, next month, hell HOPEFULLY just any fucking day! Check your ingredients people, Peace!

Who is to blame?

One of my newest favorite songs starts out with Pete Rock uttering the words "These little niggas is crazy..." It's a Styles P record featuring Pharaoh Monch and I ultimately like the record. It reminds me of a barbershop conversation amongst the elders in an urban neighborhood. It also represents the men who've come directly before me, that point out the problem and complain about it approach. The only difference is that my generation of men are glorifying these problems because the very same men who came before us did so. There is absolutely no break in this cycle. Human beings are creatures of habit, so if you teach me how to do something I will learn it and possibly perfect it. Now I'm not here to bash or be critical of rap music, but I would like to address something that hasn't been spoken about; when does it stop? Death and destruction in rap music is about 15-20 years old (on a national/international level), so it is still a baby. I cannot for the life of me understand why this is seen as a form of entertainment. I can understand why there is a need for a Chief Keef to let us know what is going on with young Black males in American ghettos, but I cannot understand why people have a problem with his style of dress or Instagram pictures. I thought the problem was that this young man, like many of his peers, embrace dangerous lifestyles. This concept of leading a potentially deadly life is somewhat ignored and seen as just another "thing." Are We too busy out there getting our own shit and worrying about Me, to realize our lack of doing is causing Our untimely demise as a people? I have a suggestion: Lets stop praying for eachother and start doing for one another OR nah is it easier to think about better thoughts for someone really really hard with your eyes closed while kneeling?
"CHILDREN is all missing the rulebook, these old niggas is hard don't know how to school'em/ Don't know how a herb or a sucker or fool look, don't know how a crack-pack, dope, or the tool look"- Styles P
I'm not sure that they should know what all of those things are, but we sure ain't schooling them with the right schooling. Lets start equipping our children before they're forced to equip themselves with weapons and shoot fellow poor people at home and abroad. Peace!

Window Pain

The world through my window isn't dark. Bright though, it may not be, yet I can still see things a bit clearer. In efforts to maintain my sanity and remain true to myself, the greater good I sought. Those dark skies became light, and the shadows and things that went bump caused less of a fright. I sought out the good and the bad faded on its own, Not to black just to the background. And the space created left room for endless possibilities. The world through my window hadn't always been fair. There were days when no sun shined and the abyss came in and took its hold. I made the choice to reclaim what's mine. My life my dreams my aspirations. No jealousy or hatred or room for negation. No simple minded people with one track minds. But a willingness to go farther that can be defined. I adjusted my lens and focus and zoomed. Imaginations should run wild, shit we've been to the moon. With constraint and a goal and a plan in hand
I retrained my brain, (oh yes, you can)
Societies fallacies and over saturation of the "truth", mean nothing unless you let it, lets take a look at it the youth. The fragile and weak and easily lead a stray, it saddens my heart to think of raising kids any where near this way.
But when you have a chance to observe those things now taken for granted.
Like love and loyalty and fidelity and standards. It should bring comfort to know that all is not lost. The story of your ancestors and the fights that they fought. Was not totally in vain
Many of us will never know their pain
Or the true meaning of struggle. Everyday struggle.

New Message Alert!

I always bash watching the news. I guess it's because I honestly don't believe America as a whole is smart enough to decipher the messages being put into the airwaves. The Boston bomb suspect is going to be treated as an enemy combatant in his case. Now I'm going assume that everyone doesn't actually know what that means, lets just say he wont have the same rights as George Zimmerman in his case. Now this alleged bomber is being treated as such because of his RADICAL THOUGHTS i.e. his involvement with ISLAM and trips to CHECHNYA and RUSSIA. So is you dong praise capital G, and your passport has a potential enemy stamp on it, you're a radical. You will never hear of this alleged bomb suspect again. They are also labeling him a RADICAL because this is being treated as a mass murder. I don't know exactly how many people have to be killed at once for a crime to be labeled a mass murder, but if killing multiple people at one time revokes your rights as a criminal and you're a radical then why is James Holmes not an enemy combatant. Yeah the Aurora shooter. What about attempting to kill more than one person, shouldn't intent play a part in the matter? Why weren't the Sean Bell shooters being treated as such. Is it because these people were American citizens who were victims, why we treat this alleged bomb suspect as a radical/enemy combatant? Is this a tactic they see fit as one that will prove effective, sort of to scare people into NOT killing people? Why aren't people who murder Black American citizens treated as enemy combatants? Why are we allowing those in law enforcement to make up the rules while playing the game? This guy is going to disappear and you guys are going to forget about this Boston bombing until the 1 year anniversary, just like 9/11, Aurora, Sean Bell, Diallo, Troy Davis, Trayvon, Oak Creek Wisconsin (Sihk Temple Shooting), Newtown, etc & etc... Check your ingredients y'all, PEACE!

God Bless You

Yo I watched the Bible's television series and I can't lie... I think if you believe any of that shit is true you might be un-smart. You may not be pro-intelligence. First off, that was the first time I've learned any stories wholeheartedly in the Bible and oh my L. Ron Hubbard that shit is violent. That shit helped me understand why the Crusades was popping and why America (Christian Country) feels like guns and violence is the key to ANYTHING. Possibly the most violent TV series I've seen all year, and I watch "The Walking Dead" weekly. What scares me is that a lot of the Bible was left out in the television series, so exactly who the fuck does the History Channel think they're talking to and why would they hide the truth? I mean I know why, I hope others ask why. Secondly, I've spoken to many scholars and just avid Bible readers and their was lots of sexual activity left out of the Bible television series. Ummm what's up with that hot shit? This is pretty much lying to people like myself who are ignorant to the Bible's teachings and stories. No, I don't care to read the fucking Bible, but it made an awesome television show for Sundays being that football season is over and "Game Of Thrones" just came back last week. With all the sex, violence, and hallucinations (come on son, speaking to a burning bush) the Bible seems like it was a frat party or rock & roll concert. Ultimately, the Bible made the best comic to television series of all time in my opinion. Bra-vo King James, Bra-vo (or whomever wrote that shit).

You Need Peace of Mind, Here's a Piece of Mine

I get it, I'm not gotten. People don't get me, I'm fine with that. My understandings of the world and life aren't what we'd consider the norm, yet for one to understand those two differently than myself comes across to me as a misunderstanding of what it means to understand. 1+1=2 is what we're taught. The easiest math problem we could possibly learn as a child. In the workings of this world we occupy, not too many examples prove this as truth. Of course if Johnny has 1 apple and he picks another one out of the tree, he then has 2 and I totally get that. If Johnny and Jane meet and become fond of one another and later on become a couple, they are now 1. It's not 2 individuals in a relationship, well that's what we're taught. Maybe that's the reason why marriage has such a high divorce rate, the lack of the 1? So then if we use simple math and figure that 1+1 doesn't always need to equal 2, then maybe our perspective on life would change. In fact 1+1+1+1+1+1=1 at times, especially when it matters the most. A collective of individuals working for one cause with the same ideals become one movement. Who manipulated these numbers to make us look at eachother as math problems on a daily basis? Why are we seeing eachother with dollar signs in our eyes? Why are we nothing but statistics to one another? Why do we need a number figure to make something truth when 1 out of any amount of people being the total opposite can logically offset a stereotype and prove it as a total falsehood? I guess it's just easier to misunderstand what understanding all of what I said is... Rabbit Run.

Sleep To The Slaughter

Ever since I've been opining via the internet there has been one concise theme no matter the approach I take; noone likes to really know they're being fooled, and most of the time it's by their own free will. Simple things like one doing research have now become a task for super-humans with the ability to NOT be lazy. Every new fight/struggle/cause/issue/WHATEVER in this world (well especially the U.S. of A) have really been just popular trends to "care" about. Nobody cared about Troy Davis. Nobody cared about Trayvon Martin. Nobody cared about Joe Kony. Nobody cared about Aurora, Colorado. Nobody cared about Newtown, Conneticut. Nobody cared about Christopher Dorner. Nobody cared about gun control. Nobody cared about Libya. No, you people care about making bitches bow down and defending the right to do so. You care about being the president's side-chick, and how she is "empowering." You care about "housewives" with nannies, who drink wine all day, party all night, and disrespect their family with their outrageous behavior fist-fighting and all kinds of bullshit on natoinal television. You care about wanting to put as much salt as you can in your GMO ass food. You care about drinking 139 ounce drinks in the movie theaters out of foam cups. You care about yelling WORLDSTAR and recording savage behavior instead of perhaps preventing an act of violence. You care about blasting your Beats By Dre on maximum volume with bullshit like "dont stop pop that pussy" in your ear at the gym and using that as motivation to get your ass fatter so a REAL NIGGER can pour some champagne and money on you Memorial Day weekend in Miami, Florida. One thing I can say about MYSELF is that I keep it concise. Views may be swayed, perspectives may be modified by new information, but my stance on what I deem important and sacred are always the same. The subject matter in which I choose to elaborate on is always an effort on my behalf to make a better me and Us. I try to discuss shit that we all should care about, but then the media gets bored and starts making you care about bullshit that scares you. This illusion of "freedom" and "free will" to do as you please has got all of you cats out here asleep. You don't give a fuck about equality, you don't even care about your own quality of life. Miss me with the gay-marriage support and bust it open for a real nigger like you're used to doing. The minute this topic gets boring again, it'll be something else which will be the total opposite of equality you'll fall for. Check Your Ingredients...

Worms

Can't judge a worm by fish standards. Can't judge a fish by a bear's standard. Can't judge a bear by a rifle's standard. Those people who shoot rifles like to put people in catergories which further seperate, yet bring certain folk together. My culinary background makes me evaluate certain peeps cooking skills on a whole nother level, but it doesn't make me judge their character in the least bit. See we have to level the playing field here, and until we do so suck my dick. Now I do not mean that in any sexual way at all, but I do so mean that ever so sensual because it's offensive. See I've been offended my whole life being tested like an experiment monkey with these fucking standardized tests which may or may not punt me into the right playing field of life. Can you imagine being 6 years old and not making the cut for an elite program in an elementary school because you didn't pass a test by a point or two and the opposite of passing is being a 6 year old in a classroom with less teachers and no textbooks? Or nah you're cool with that? Nobody wants to open up that can of worms, because we'd then have to seriously discuss how we evaluate EVERYTHING on a life scale. My African mind wouldn't do well in a Euro-centric society, so when you tell me it's about ME ME ME eye won't understand because my DNA is telling me WE US THEM. Nevermind, bow down bitches... PEACE!

Celebrating Celebrities

Yeah the title is a little redundant but please let me explain. There seems to be this pandemic in the world we live in where the idolization of famous human beings isn't enough, we've gone to the extreme. Some are mutilating their bodies to pay homage, some are even altering their own body to mimic these people. I have no problem with admiring people from afar or near, but we're now at a point where what was once seen as obsessive and/or deranged, is now damn near the bare minimum. I remember getting into a scuffle in a bar a while back (well I got sucker punched and the guy ran) over a LeBron James debate on whether he'd come to the New York Knicks or not. I've been in countless disagreements with people over the years where the situation almost became a physical altercation. Now I know I can be a jerk and I know how to say things to get under people's skin, but plenty of times the person's rage comes from an emotional place that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual argument we were having. They took what I said personal solely because what I said disagreed with their perspective of said person, the celebrity. Never have I had a disagreement with someone about something pertinent to Our own welfare and it became so heated that I thought we'd come to blows. I mean I can debate/argue all day about the state of Black America with anyone, but the minute I don't agree with Beyonce telling young women to bow down to her and refering to them as bitches I face opposition filled with determination and rage. You guys are all fans of the wrong shit. I like all forms of entertainment as the next person, but I'd be a fool to think that my admiration for a person's skill-set is an excuse to celebrate them to the point where I'd place them before my/Our best interests. It takes too much energy to explain to me why your personal opinion of someone is better than the next person's. Why not focus that passion on your community and people, or nah? By the way, my position on the LBJ fiasco was that he would never play in NYC because he has too many endorsements. They'd tax the shit out of him and it'd make no sense to have a max deal. The other guys perspective was "NAH YO, LBJ wanna come to NYC to be an inspiration to the kids." I explained to him that what he was saying was ideal, but don't hold your breath because I doubt it happens. I guess he didn't understand what "don't hold your breath" meant and when I sat down he reached around and punched me in the eye. I gathered myself and saw a No. 23 Cleveland Cavs LeBron James jersey running out the bar. So yeah... Peace!

Gang Violence

So this show "The Bible" is like a fucking super number 1 hit ratings-wise show on television. Now me being the "heathen" I am, youd think I would stray away from such a show. WRONG! This is my SHIT! Like this is the ultimate fucking soap opera/comic book/drama on television in ever. Yes my dude, in EVER! I've never read the Bible because when I did at a young age I was on some "damn Marvel comics ain't even entertaining, what is this bullshit" type of shwag (yes shwag). As an adult I'm on some "yall people live your fucking lives according to this bullshit doctrine with no evidence type of shwag" shwag? Why do we need pieces of paper with undocumented documents by undocumented folks to tell us we should love one another and not kill eachother? What is wrong with you fucking people? My neighbor had a falling out with her child's father and his mother and it became physical, I called the police. Before I dialed 911 there was no epiphany like "what would Jesus do" or "I'm a Christian/Muslim/Quaker/whatever, so let me call the law." It was more of a "Uhhhhhhhh I have sisters and he might have a weapon so let me call po-9 because I don't want to put myself in such a position and end up losing." Losing being dying... That was my part though, I looked out. My good deed I did without hesitation and it didn't make me feel good about doing it. I felt awful because the cops came and another Black man who doesn't know how to express himself put his hands on a pregnant woman, carrying his child, got into an argument with his mother and I had to call police officers to handle the situation, because if I myself did so I'd possibly risk bodily harm. What does the Bible say about that? Before you even begin to answer, re-evaluate this scenario and put yourself into my shoes as a Muslim, Atheist, or Buddhist. After that, take your Christian views and apply to the situation. See, we all in the same gang yall... Peace

Zone is frozen you sweating? Woooooo

Listen I get it, the NYPD ain't SHIT. I get everyone's stance and feelings on the NYPD as a the enforcers of the law, sometimes the abusers of it as well. To condemn every single police officer walking this Earth would be ignorant of me, because that'd be the equivalent of judging a whole race of people by the actions of a few. So I'm torn because I get stopped for I.D. knowing it's only because I'm Black, but if there is a child molester or murderer living on my floor I'm most definitely calling 9-1-1. So I'm going to visit this FROZEN ZONE shit going on in my BELOVED Flatbush, Brooklyn. This is the neighborhood of Brooklyn which has made me who I am today. I was driving down Snyder Avenue around 7pm with my wife and child and I see about 4 cops on horses, police trucks, and countless "walk-foots" (cops on the beat) in a concentrated area. It sort of looked like they were being briefed or gearing up for something. I then realized this is around the area where a riot took place earlier in the week. I most definitely make a mental note of it and already know the police are preparing themselves for something, perhaps another "peaceful" vigil for the young man Kimani Gray who was murdered by police. I fall asleep waiting on the Knicks to play, wake up around 2:15am and I see a whole lot of Facebook posts about a "Frozen Zone" and words like "MARTIAL LAW" are on every other posts, with a couple of "fuck the pigs/NYPD." So immediately the jerk/asshole in me wants to look at this situation objectively, because I find it to be a fucking super power to be able to understand both spectrums of any situation. Now when you motherfucking President Obama supporters were out there drinking that Fist-Bump knuckle juice, he hit Us over the head with a NEW & IMPROVED Patriot Act. See New Yorkers instead of being outraged by such a gesture, you were out here trying to declare your freedom to drink a fucking BIG SLAM PEPSI because it made you feel like you were FREE. The rest of the nation was bickering about whether or not "God" should be in the classroom OR gun laws which quite honestly do not effect us until they basically take away ALL guns. So I don't want to hear SHIT about martial law because we BEEN HERE! What's so crazy is that you people need to be personally punched in the face to know that when you get punched in the face it actually hurts. If this fucking frozen-zone was in a town with population 3400 people nobody would give a flying fuck, but since it hits home directly (in a part of town which isn't even all that safe) you want to cry about martial law. What a lot of my fellow Brooklynites, New Yorkers, American residents DO NOT know is that the police have been in that neighborhood on every corner in squad cars from 4pm-10pm (roughly) because a young woman was raped and people were being robbed at gunpoint, some even shot. The police aren't enforcing these frozen-zone rules in areas which scream "WE ARE SAFE HERE AT DAY OR NIGHT." Church Ave is not a safe street to walk down after a certain time of night, and the fucking people who live in that neighborhood can tell you this. I've witnessed some of the most violent shit on Church Avenue and I've served in IRAQ. Furthermore, lets not get besides ourselves because WE as citizens cannot/refuse to police ourselves! This is the same community that will watch a Black kid kill another Black kid and put the victim on a t-shirt, wall, or throw a party in the kids name or dedicate a basketball tournament for them AND say "free my nigga _______" who fucking murdered him. The minute a White cop kills a Black kid we're robbing fucking Rite Aid where our grandmother buys her meds from to stay alive and break the windows on the B35 bus we use to get to work & school. For those of you reading this and thinking to yourself "well that ain't me out there rioting and blah blah blah..." Well guess what, you let them. We didn't self-check that in OUR community so now somebody else has to. I don't give a fuck, freeze every zone. If you think I'm full of shit, I DARE all of these criminals out there to NOT commit a crime this weekend. PEACE!

This Is Why I Can't Rock With You Cats

About one month ago there was (allegedly) a savage running around Los Angeles County murking police officers and their family members. Being that we as humans love to flock to a movement because we're groomed to never want to be an outsider, a lot of my fellow Man agreed with the actions of this supposed cop killer because he was rebelling against the LAPD. I'm not about to explain to you why you cannot hate a whole group of people because of the actions of individuals, but if you don't understand that then please remove yourself from this blog. So now we have this Rambo-esque cat on the run shooting people and now the citizens are getting shot at because the LAPD is scared to death and shooting to kill anyone who resembles this alleged murderer. The police department is looking incompetent because they cannot find this one guy, so other federal agencies get involved to find this one guy. This one guy is just way too elusive for all these federal agents so the idea of using DRONES  to hunt down U.S. citizens is introduced. See the use of DRONES to hunt down the "enemy," noone has a problem with because this is all done to "protect us" citizens from terrorists a fucking continent away. No matter how inhumane this practice may seem, the force-feeding of never forgetting 9/11 eventually makes it's way into our sub-conscious and we justify this bullshit. So now that we have painted a picture a domestic terrorist (whom some have agreed with and supported, even arguing how the shooting of innocent people is okay although they themselves wouldn't do it because it's wrong) the DRONES are not out of the question, because we're scared to death as a whole. They find this man in a cabin and there is no mention of whether or not the DRONES were the reason why. I mean at this point it probably doesn't matter because we caught the guy, but for some reason there will be no trial because they actually burned this man to death. There was and still is no uproar about this man getting burned alive and I want to assume there are a couple of reasons why. First is the obvious which is the suspect was Black/African-American. Second, Scandal is on T.V. and nobody has time to be worried about themselves and fellow citizens. Lastly, I don't think everyone is smart enough to decipher what actually was wrong with this whole situation and what made it bogus. Oh yeah, New York City residents just spotted another DRONE flying over the city; the second one in a couple of days. Enjoy the Pope Madness and March Madness, I'll be over here paying attention... Peace.

All aboard!!

Currently on the Amtrak Acela Express heading to Philly. Why?? Cuz I have an interview with a company that can change me life as I know it.

Seems drastic to most I'm sure to travel this far for a job but guess what, and a career is what I'm after and I'm not special enough to have it simply dropped in my lap. But sometimes when you put it out there, up there, pray, wish, hope whatever it is that you do...sometimes, and most sometimes, the universe talks back. Are you listening??

So I choose not ignore the jobs that add time to my commute and would rquire me to get up an hour earlier. And I read the postings for OT and even OC. And as I sit on this train I realize that my motivations for doing this, right now, are bigger than me. I'm thinking about kids to come, and education systems, and health and emergency care and opportunities and lack of limitations that my concrete jungle in the middle of a mad/crowded/consuming city sometimes restricts.

Not bashing where I'm from, it's made me who I am. But I can't do paycheck to paycheck just to maintain my independence and I just don't see living in moms basement with hubby and child as a permanent way to go. (In between gigs, Unexpected lay off, Saving for a house cool months tops though). And many front like its the best thing ever, but depending on what you want in/from life, there are downsides to this big city living that will forever stand in your way. And the lights and buildings do nothing for me any more. I crave peaceful, serene, quiet when it should be, and civility amongst neighbors, as equal equal opportunity as it can get and decency.

My decisions today will without a doubt affect my life 1, 5, 10 years from now. And as for the uncontrollable I pray you be gentle. And the controllable, I'mma tighten my grip. No tattoos or hair styles or cynicism or negativity are gonna keep me from doing me. I got plans. Shit to do. Moves to make. Trees to shake. Never was one did the fortune and game. But comfort and security go a long way as well and my unforseeable children will want for naught! And if they take longer come, I can live knowing that whenever they do, I'm ready.

Live for today but always have your mind on tomorrow.

It's always tomorrow, never yesterday.

Next stop. 30th street Philly.

#wishmeluck
#ordontimblessed

Black Culture

I had a conversation with someone about a remark a professor once made which I seen as her being sneaky, trying to sneak-diss Black people. We were discussing some American religions and one that came up was the celebration of Independence Day. She then started to bring up some of the traditional celebratory things we do as a culture and shit like BBQing, fireworks, and drinking ice cold beer came up. No harm there until she blurted out "and you guys watermelon." Now I caught that light jab from this old stanking ass Jewish woman, but the rest of the class didn't seem to see anything wrong with it. I didn't open my mouth because just MAYBE she wasn't trying to be snarky and genuinely thought that all Black people ate watermelon on Independence Day, but being that the class was 90% African (like from Africa) and West Indian they didn't see anything wrong with her comment at all. See I'm West Indian myself, so I never understood the beef with watermelon comments until I lived in the southern part of America and realized it was somewhat of a racial stereotype. I mean I don't eat watermelon and the only people I saw eating watermelon was the people who I knew were raised in Black American households which wasn't many of my friends. Back to the person I had this discussion with, their perspective was that eating watermelon and chicken actually IS Black culture in America. Now the professor made the comment abut a week ago and now I'm not even offended by it anymore. When I look at Black culture in America it embodies every fucking stereotype that is out there, some by choice some are forced but they are present. I mean we cannot be the people who are on welfare the most we're like 15% of this country, but per capita we are the most represented. Per capita we've the highest dropout rates in high school and the lowest SAT scores, not solely our fault but this is a stereotype we don't seem to mind proving right. Per capita we've spat out the most single-mothers from our community, but that's not solely to sex mis-education because we have to factor in the unfair treatment of Black males in the judicial system via absurd jail sentences or law enforcement simply shooting us dead in the street. When I drive through White neighborhoods I dont see Kennedy, Crown, Kansas, American, etc... Fried Chicken, KFC, Churchs, or Popeyes on every other corner so I mean is it safe to say Black people like chicken like a motherfucker? Someone is going to misunderstand this blog and feel as if I'm hating my own people, but when I sit back and evaluate Black culture in America all I see is Eurocentric idealogies forced upon us being carried out and exercised. All the plans they had for us are working out for Them, not Us. We embraced everything they gave us and will fight tooth and nail to keep those oppressive practices thriving in our culture. I've never seen a Black Jesus in a White person's home, but a Black person will be quick to tell me it doesn't matter what race Jesus is with a White Jesus on their wall. Not trying to get too into the religious aspect of it, but that was just an example of Black culture embracing what we was given. I know that people eat chitterlings in the southern region of America still, but the ones I encounter are only the Black people. Not to say there aren't any White people who do, but the history of that nasty ass food comes from... Go look it up. So listen we like fried chicken and watermelon, but I'm also smart enough to know that every and anyone can and does enjoy those two foods. For it to be a stereotype, sure why not. It's moreso an American thing than a racial thing, but let's not act like Black people dont like chicken and watermelon. All the other stereotypes I mentioned, unfortunately we do represent them well and it's a fucking shame because of actually discrediting these as stupid assumptions about Us as a people by doing the total opposite, we'd rather excuse and explain them without a plan of action. Just a thought yall... Peace!

Stop Di Bloodclot Crying

I'm sick and tired of your fucking crying about inflation. When you complain about what you ain't got time for, yet will shake that ass to a rapper telling you what he got time and money for you look fucking crazy. Why are all the hit songs about shit we cannot afford as regular citizens? Why are we entertained by unrealistic notions? There used to be a time in this country when if shit didn't go the way we wanted, the people showed their ass and marched and/or even burned some shit down; what happened to that mindset? Where did the "fighting against the man" mentality go? Why are we so passive with all the outrageous shit that goes on in this country? I mean this is pre-molly so don't start blaming the youth of today, who are probably more rebellious than my parents' generation. Who dropped the ball here? Where did this complacent attitude come from? Another subway hike in NYC? No worries, we're going to pay it right? Right? Riiiiiiiiight, herbs...

No Such Thing As White Jesus

I find it bizarre and kind of fucking stupid how We as Black/African/African-American people will acknowledge (well some of us that are aware) that the FIRST man was an African man, but will cry and do the Harlem Shake in church catching the Holy Ghost because of some White man with long flowing brown hair with a well manicured goatee. I just don't see the logic in it, especially when we can go into the history books (no not your Bible) and figure out what exactly your Bible would be talking about if it were true. What I started to do was give people verbatim what in the Bible can be disputed and discredited but then I'd seem like a Christian hating Atheist. I'm not a Christian hater nor am I an Atheist (for those who think I don't believe in ANYTHING) which is pretty much the premise of this blog post. Who told you that YOUR belief is the right belief, a book that supports YOUR belief? Why can't we consider other beliefs and religions? How come it's Christianity/Judaism or the highway? What about Buddhist? What about Scientologists? Why do we have to be so certain about who or what we praise and thank for waking up instead of being grateful the Sun is doing it's job in nature providing trees with sunlight so we can get some fucking oxygen in our lungs to keep us alive? Why do we have to place a face/race/time on a savior instead of Us fixing what's wrong in society instead of just praying to something/one who may or may not be coming the fuck back to fix man-made troubles that literally kill us? Literally kill us... People are dying over religion y'all... We're savages, I don't give a fuck who you praise. If you're praying for troops to come home unarmed and for them to kill people who share different beliefs than you, you're a savage. If you feel like God hates people who share a different race/gender/sexuality/pay/education level/neighborhood than you, you're a savage. Religious texts are suggestions, nobody's God/Gods wrote them a person did. A person with a certain perspective and/or agenda wrote a pamphlet of guidelines and suggestions he/she felt was proper to instill within the persons dwelling this planet at a certain point and time. We can mix different fabrics of clothing, we'll be fine. A woman does not need to be stoned to death for commiting adultery if she is raped. These primitive ass notions being remixed to fit our society (some of them being the original version of themselvves as well) are bogus as fuck, because they are just tools to divide and conquer. Spread Love not Religion. No Such Thing As White Jesus.

Thank You Marchuary...

Boy was I sick & tired of reading about "respectable" Negro people that this society has deemed safe enough to celebrate in the shortest month of the year. I want to thank all my fellow Black people who unlike me, will no longer celebrate ANY Negro people for the next 365 days. See you guys are motivation, my fuel. The more I see how ignorant you are to Our history, the more I want to learn and spread what I learn to You and Others. See I get upset sometimes when my peers are too busy fawning over celebrity pregnancies, the latest viral sensations, and what the First Lady has on today, but I have to stay focused and realize that those distractions aren't for me. When I say that they aren't for me, it's me simply acknowledging that those are obstacles and weapons of mass destruction being used to deviate my attention from what I should be paying attention to. I cannot lie I'm late to the party, but better woke late than never. This later stage of my life has made others view me different, my new sense of pride has those trained to solely be proud in February think I'm "going too hard" or "practicing reverse racism" (whatever the fuck that is), so I get a lot of backlash when I come off as what you people call militant. I absolutely positively don't fucking care. Listen, you can have your month to celebrate the Negro people of this country who've made strides for the African American community (which are barely even noticed/celebrated), but see I've had enough White history decades ( I'm 30) so pardon my back while I celebrate some Black and African people for the next couple of decades. Peace!

C.U.N.T.S & Oscars...

I seriously Cant Understand Niggas Talking Shit about this bullshit online site "The Onion" calling little Black babies names, when we mock and ridicule Ourselves and say worse shit. Be mad ALL THE TIME. All fucking February I've seen meme after meme and social network post after the other of this self-hate/ridicule of Black History Month (which I can give two shits for) by people who find themselves being appreciative of Chez Whitey giving us the shortest month of the year to celebrate Our tainted history. Like seriously, give me a fucking break and save that outrage for TODAY which marks one year Trayvon Martin has been gunned down while his murderer walks the streets eating good because this savage has been showing up to court heavier and heavier. You want to participate in Their games and awards, you're unfortunately subjected to whatever treatment they feel you deserve. African American/Black actors and actresses still playing the same ol' sambo roles of servants, slaves, and musicians in movies, then HEY you're going to have to deal with Seth McFarlane refering to an established actor like Don Cheadle as a slave who needed to be freed in the parking lot. Get your shit together Black people...

Don't get mad...get right!!

Ok ladies listen up...
There will be no beating around the bush for this topic. Straight to point. No ice, no chase

SUMMER BODIES = PURE UNADULTERATED FUCKERY

N before you start with the whole "thats just something skinny bitches say" and/or become defensive please know I'm not coming at any of you, ever, but theres a lack of truth telling in the world, (enter Ms. Megatude), and I don't care to sugar coat it.

Where was I.....

CHOOSE to have a year round body. I could easily let myself go. Just like you don't have to wait for the summer time to get your bodies/lives together. You CHOOSE to let yourselves go the other 9 months of the year.

No judgement. Just facts.

I have friends guilty of this too. Currently planning our annual ladies only Vegas fiasco and of course I'm hearing " I gotta get in the gym" and "I hate you skinny bikini wearing bitches" Yea.... well we hate you whining ass lazy bitches too.

Here's some truths that you may not know:
1. Some skinny/fat ppl don't have a choice
2. Skinny isn't all it's cracked up to b
3. I know more than enough men who wouldnt touch a skinny bitch with someone else's parts.

You should be fit, healthy, and in shape all year round. It's essential to life!!!! Not miami for memorial weekend. How you're gonna look on the beach shouldn't determine when u start taking care of yourself. And I'm not saying be skinny, just be healthy. Wear YOUR size and clothes that compliment your attributes. Just cuz it buttons doesn't mean it fits!

And let's shoot straight...two-pieces aren't for everyone. There are some hot one pieces that can compliment, secure and look good on those who have shapes and curves but just don't want the whole beach to see their Brazilians and other intimate parts. Try it.

I WISH I could put on a good 20lbs. I don't like lifting my arms and seeing my ribs. Just like I hope you don't like putting on or clothes and seeing all that muffin top. But the way my DNA is setup...You get the point.

But like everything else in life, there's needs to be a balance. A world full of skinny ppl would mean chaos in the dept stores amongst other things. Some ppl are just meant to b bigger than others, own it. Some are made to be small some ugly some gorgeous so tall some short some smart and Allotta dumb!!

Point is, be comfortable in your own skin. The more confident you are inside the more radiant it will shine outside.
Fuck a magazine. Fuck a runway model, even though the VS models are hott. Fuck society's standards!! Clearly society has lost their marbles (do you know what Barbie would look like in real life??) and just be you, do you and love and take care the body and the skin your in at ALL times.

I bet that acceptance will shine brighter that the belly ring that hopefully looked a lot better in high school.

#jussayin
#dontlikeitdontcare
#doyoubooboo

Killa Cam

When it comes to beef YES indeed it get's hazardous:
We are living in a space and time where the people we put in power are fucking beefing with us; why are we cool with that? Is it because of the fact THEY give us dollar burgers, shotty textbooks, unlawful laws by their standards, paying for bottled WATER which falls out of skies THEY pollute, the concept of "homelessness," sexually transmitted diseases, Racism, and all kinds of division and we see it as just everyday life? Why are we AGREEING to these terms?
Seeds can't be saved by Jesus Of Nazareth:
OH y'all still praying about your bullshit instead of doing something about it? No doubt... Jesus is a superhero, like Aquaman, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Horus, etc & etc...

"Christopher Jordan Dorner"

Okay so this story may be a littled dated for those with the attention span of a mosquito, but this situation has changed the United States of America forever and you should be very afraid for several reasons. I'll try not to be long-winded with my fingers and get straight to the point(s).

The L.A.P.D. is a very corrupt police department and has been for decades. We as citizens (especially us brown ones) have always known this, yet the last time we had an organization to stand up to them they wee assassinated with bullets, assassinated with crack/cocaine, or exiled. We as a whole never took the initiative to ever reboot such a movement and the L.A.P.D. has run wild on us. Not only have they run wild, we've run wild on eachother. So to sit back and point the finger at the L.A.P.D. for all the unjusts in the Black community in Los Angeles county is ridiculous and hypocritical when the Black community is the leading cause for these unjusts. So that leads to the point that people who supported Mr. Dorner's crusade to wipe out cops and their family members is bullshit and y'all need to have a fucking seat fam. You don't get a point across murdering people if you want someone to stop being violent towards you unless you are DEFENDING YOURSELF. I mean was he even shooting crooked cops or just the ones he could find?

Secondly, in 2013 where they can find anyone anywhere why was there never any footage of a man running around shooting people? I mean I don't know about you guys, but I don't even 100% believe this story is real. We live in a time where EVERYONE is walking around with a device which can record, yet nobody could put my man Dorner on TMZ or Worldstar? I'm half-heartedly joking with that last statement, but the other half comes from a space in my brain that is dead ass fucking seriously asking where is the video or audio proof? The only proof we had of this man was his physical presence and now a fireproof California state drivers license? Yeah, I'm asking because I honestly don't know who the fuck the media and the government think they're talking to with this bullshit ass story and evidence.

So I briefly touched on the FIRE which was used to catch an alleged criminal. Since when is FIRE used as a tactic to catch alleged criminals? I cannot recall any when FIRE was introduced to law enforcement protocal when dealing with a SUSPECT. I mean this is America and all SUSPECTS are given a trial by jury and not judged by FIRE, correct? Then there's the authorization of drones used to hunt down this SUSPECTed killer of 3 people... I don't know about yall, but that shit has me scared to death. I mean NOW they're unarmed, but it is very much a possibility that in the near future these drones will go through yet another authorization process that will arm them. All the futuristic movies we saw and took as forms of entertainment with the government controlling the masses and oppressing the people with brute force is coming true. The storylines may not be exactly the same, but they're damn sure using storylines and fairytales to get their points across. So with all of that said, let me wrap this up and shit...

You're a savage if you rooted for a man executing people. You're a fool if you think a plastic/paper drivers license can survive a fire. You're not paying attention if you're not outraged by law enforcement using fire to kill a suspected killer. You just might be a sheep if you seriously dont think using drones to hunt down people/citizens is cool You just might be fucking "crazy "(like myself) if you think this whole Christopher Jordan Dorner debacle isn't made the fuck up and another fable used to pass some sort of legislation during your man's tenure. Zip it in and zip it out...

The Grammys

Fuck the Grammys...
www.mixcloud.com/TheInconvenientTruthPodcast <<<<<<<check out the newest podcast

My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me?

So today a morning radio show I seldomly listen to spoke about an issue I find somewhat laughable; mental health, in the hood. I know exactly what these guy's angle was and I commend them for trying to tackle that "big boys don't cry" shit. I get it, I applaud the effort. Now my problem is that there is no real effort to come up with a real solution, The tactics which supposedly assist one with coping with said mental health issues are like giving someone a pair of crutches and they're in a fucking body cast. Lets keep it 3 hunna and seriously address the problem, the ills of society which cause these problems. Unrealistic standards are spoonfed to the people who reside in this country and without the proper guidance they can cause these people to deal with unrealistic scenarios. Only in America can I witness people who are groomed to have a drive which makes them want to make ALL of the money, get the money and can buy anything they want, and be unhappy or depressed. Then you got unnecessary mental health "experts" diagnosing people with these bogus ass diseases or conditions which can only be fixed with these magical beans, I mean pills. Think about it, they keep diagnosing Our children with ADHD because they won't pay attention to bullshit boring ass lesson plans in an era where their attention is being captivated and stimulated by TV ads, Ipads, commercials, billboards, etc... How can Mrs. Smith compete with an Old Spice commercial in terms of keeping a 13yr old's attention or sparking their interest? Why are we drugging children to pay attention to bogus history and math problems they'll never in ever use in life? I mean I'm not saying ALL of mental health is bullshit, but to really approach this problem with intentions of preventing or coming up with solutions we need to get to the root of said problem. How about we STOP trying to profit off of peoples' sickness that we ultimately create and start trying to solve these issues, no? No? Fine, fuck you then I'm out. Peace!

Obamatomicly...

Socretes philosophies and hypoth... NO but seriously North Korea aint playing and it looks like Barry dont want it. EVERYONE on this planet has a right to defend themself, so if you got motherfucking nukes you're a smart country. I mean America probably has the most nukes being that we're a mercernary of a country doing all the dirty work for Europe when need be, but exactly how many times are other nations going to stand by helplessly and wait for something America disapproves of be the reason we invade and bomb these cats? Iran, Syria, Russia, and North Korea don't give a flying fuck about this righteous holier than thou tour the United States has been on since the 60s and honestly it's about time somebody press these niggas! Me being an Army veteran I am somewhat conflicted when it comes to issues like these. I would hate to see anyone I know personally to have to fight in ANOTHER meaningless war, but then again what the fuck are you doing in the Army in 2013 anyway? With all this information out there regarding how savage the Armed Forces are when it comes to slaughtering innocent people I cannot compute exactly how someone would want to be part of that solely because they pay you to be? Where is your humanity? We in this country like to think we are civil and almost better than most of the world because we have easy access to Apple products and paved roads, but name another country flexing their muscles just because they can? In the last 3 years BULLYING has been a hot topic when it comes to our (White) youth, but all we teach them is how to bully on the news if they're paying attention to the world news. Well we teach all of our (White) youth to stand up for themself, so why in the flying fuck would I be mad for all of these nations standing up for themselves with NUCLEAR WEAPONS when America is out here bullying the shit out of everyone else with their guns and Bibles? Peace!

Fuck Black History MONTH!

I don't want parts of anything which McDonalds sponsers first off... Secondly, how absurd is it to give the most disrespected group of people on planet Earth (besides the Native American Indians) the fucking shortest month on the calender to "celebrate" their SMALL history. What type of slap in the face is that? How dare anyone celebrate this bullshit of a tradition. How about learn ALL history ALL year? I don't want a designated time slot on anyone's calender so miss me with that being grateful for 28 (MAYBE 29 ) days  to learn about the Black history the education system in this savage of a country deems SAFE for You, I, and Our babies to learn about. With all this hidden history, why not give us a decade of Black history so we can catch up to the Eurocentric bullshit we've been spoonfed since we were old enough to walk this Earth? Oh yeah and while I'm at it, fuck Jackie Robinson. How dare he leave the THRIVING Negro League for an all-White league of players just to see some change ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$). Get the fuck outta here with that "breaking color barriors" BULLSHIT because we've been taught in this country since the first days of being a SLAVE that White people DO NOT WANT TO intergrate unless it is somehow profitable. Nobody freed the slaves for moral reason, it was solely economical. So the next time you find yourself praising all this American bullshit that was given to us to celebrate, just know they're only giving us what they want us to know because as they say "The Truth Shall Set You/Us Free" from this mental slavery which plagues Us All. Think I'm bullshitting? Every single Negro in U.S. history that was detrimental to the plan to keep Black and Poor people POWERLESS was assassinated. Instead of digesting the bullshit they're trying to feed you, go learn about the Black HEROES they've been hiding from you ALL YEAR. Peace the fuck out!

Edumacation

I've ALWAYS admired teachers. Even before my mother was a teacher, I felt like teachers were the shit. Don't work any nights or weekends, vacations like crazy (alllllllllllll summer), and you get to hang out with cool kids like myself for 7 or 8 hours a day. I never pursued a career in teaching until 2 years ago when I went back to school. The more insight I got from teachers about teaching and the more I learned about the education system I was turned away from that profession; actually I was disgusted. My early childhood education was not exactly the same as my neighborhood friends I grew up with. I went to the local elementary school, but being that I was in a "gifted" program I was often in classes with children from different races and cultures. That in itself was culture-shock for me, and my school was like 7 blocks from my home. Hearing an Asian kid with a Brooklyn accent and sounding like me was bananas, especially since he liked playing basketball and trading cards. Being that the program I was in was for "gifted" chiildren, the cirriculum was actually helpful. I learned things the kids in my grade had no access to via school, even the trips we went on were different or exclusive. So when I reflect and RE-evaluate my schooling, the school system was grooming us to be the people in society who succeed and be in charge. The way we learned was different, the skills they equipped us with we different, the way they prepared us for the next level was different. The playing field was not fair and those peers of mine in regular classrooms were already behind the power-curve and haven't even step a foot into the real world yet. I now see this on a larger scale where the gifted program has become somewhat extinct and there is now the gifted or priviledged district. Gifted or priviledge school in a pool of schools destined to fail because of the lack of impetus to make sure those children are getting a fair shake at life. I sit back and get upset about shit like that to the point that I don't want to be a teacher, I want to open my own damn school. Then I sit back just a little bit further and realize, somebody has to cook the fries at McDonalds for this capitalist society to thrive. We need uneducated people for this world to function, unfortunately... I'm 100% NOT condoning this practice, but I need some help from You guys. I need ideas on how we can combat these issues and save Our babies. Peace!

Bad versus Evil

I've come to realize in this pessimistic society we live in that the lesser of two evils is always the winner. We see this present daily in our politics. As a NYC resident I've seen an emperor declare he was the best choice to run the city for an illegal third term although the public voted against it. Not only did We let it rock (should've burned down money-makin' Manhattan), but We actually voted him in for another fucking 4 years. Wow, suckers aint even the word... Oh and dont think it's only NYC fulla suckers, we voted in a President (Obama) for a second term simply because the other guy is what we've been told to hate by our celebrity counterparts in this country. We're always being pushed this message of 'never settle' yet the moment when we're faced with such a decision We fold, We settle. When is the public going to come together and realize that it's okay to NOT choose one of these two or three or one hundred horrible choices. Let's CREATE a better choice. Why can't We, yes all 7 BILLION of Us, come up with solutions which benefit our interests instead of settling for a dictatorship? How can the minority speak for the majority? In what scenario does that work, especially if it is being proven that it's failing DAILY? Yo, We came up with all types of shit mankind, We can't come up with a better concept than picking the lesser of two evils? If not, then We deserve exactly what We get. Peace!

Worthlessness

How can you deem something to be of lesser or no value using a system that does not benefit that thing you're evaluating? If I weighed a 50 dollar bill and a 50 cent coin, the coin would weigh more than the bill. Does that mean the coin is worth more? Humans tend to use human standards when evaluating something's worth such as animals and plants. Fine, an animal may not be able to build a cellphone or find multiple uses for the word "chair," but does that make them unintelligent or worthless? Read a comment online that really disturbed me... It was a picture of a cow being lifted by some sort of heavy machinery in a slaughterhouse. The photo was shared on so that one would feel empathy for the cow. Now I myself just recently started back eating (red) meat. The reasons are a whole nother blog post so I wont get into it here, but I understood the message of the photo and could definitely relate. A person who obviously didn't get the message being broadcasted says the following crazy ass comment: "cows cant talk or build houses, plus if they had the chance they would eat us." Cows eat grass yo...

See that kind of mentality, that ethnocentric attitude humans have about every other living thing in the world is exactly why the world is facing the environmental problems it is today. In New Jersey they have an annual bear hunt to keep the bears from wandering off into the residential areas. The bears were there first, not your condos... The residential areas are where-the-fuck-ever the bears see fit they can live. If anything, us puny humans should admire these "wild" animals who can survive the elements without a swanky overpriced apartment, internet, and cable TV. What would you do if you had to find your food everyday, instead of going to Trader Joes every once in a while? Creating supermarkets and restaurants are a very clever and convenient idea, but they do not make you civil. Especially when you delve into the restaurant business and see the millions of dollars worth of food thrown away nightly in America as opposed to feeding the starving homeless people wandering these roads paved of gold out chea... Back to the point though, animals, plants, and fish DO matter. NO, that "good" book was wrong, all these animals, plants, and fish are not here to serve you or for you to consume/deplete. We have a thing called an ECO-SYSTEM asshole.

The problem doesn't start nor stop with our assessment of animals, plants, and fish. We have this value system when it comes to other cultures amongst our fellow humans. I also refer back to this example, but to think the Native Americans sold Manhattan for some magic beans and 6 cents is absurd. Their concept of land and "ownership" is not one of the European viewpoint. The land is for EVERYONE to use, but be fruitful and do not diminish. Appreciate the land, for you cannot survive a day on this planet without it. The concept behind consuming and abusing land is quite arbitrary, idiotic even. Why exactly would I cut down trees which produces oxygen (which I need to breathe) to the point where there is a shortage? Why wouldn't I (not in a religious sense) praise that tree for giving me this very oxygen, providing fruits I need to keep my body strong, providing shade for those who lack melanin, providing shelter from the unbearable elements sometimes? Instead, we cut down trees to build luxury homes for those who already have homes. We'll cut down 50 trees, build a home, then plant 2 trees for decoration in front of the home. I do not see the logic in that... What's even crazier is that those who do see the logic in that find it somewhat primitive to value those trees and will dismiss that persons whole culture as pretty much being quite savage. Savage to the point where they do not matter and they'll exterminate those people, literally.

I challenge you all to find value in something or someone you was taught to actually be worthless, then RE-evaluate the source of information which told you that thing had no value. Peace!

Frankly Speaking

What do you think my brain is made for, is it just a container for the mind?
This great gray matter
What do you think my eyes are made for, are they just decorations for the blind?
These soft shades matter
What do you think my ears are made for, are they just for muffling the sounds?
These soundwaves matter
What do you think my feet are made for, are they just to remind me of the ground?
These MJs matter
What do you think my mouth is made for, is it just to hide those pearly whites?
These loud Js matter
What do you think my hands are made for, are they just to work and fight?
These long days matter
What do you think this tough heart was made for, just to push me through the grind?
Those hardened ways matter
What do you think these chromosomes were made for, just to say I got mine?
Daddy-daughter days matter
What do you think this know-how, wit, and gut feeling provide?
These fathers matter
What do you think this nuture, love, and common sense align?
These mothers matter
What do you think this village, community, and People invite?
Sisters & Brothers
What do you think is wanted by these enemies of you and I?
When nothing matters
That soft pink matters.

#Catfish

SO unless you've been living under a fucking rock and do not indulge in social networking, you've heard of this new show on MTV (music television that plays no music videos) "Catfish." It's a show about people who are in online relationships, who seek out the help of some cornball named Nev (not to be confused with my boy Nev) because they want to meet up with their online girlfriend or boyfriend. Now it seems to me that they only take the cases on the show when they suspect something is wrong or someone is lying and not being truthful about who they really are. With each episode of the show the shit gets crazier. Last night was fucking overkill and just plain old ridiculous as shit. I wont get into the episode too heavy, but let's just  some people are very confused about their sexuality. I have no beef with the show because I honestly do think it is genuine. My gripe is with society, like what the fuck is going on in America that nobody wants to be themselves? This country has a self-esteem issue that nobody wants to address. We reward beauty in this country with a license to kill, what the fucki is a beauty queen? What the fuck is a super model? Why is there a Miss America representing the people in this country and We don't get a say-so on who she gets to be? This country has been telling it's citizens who aren't 6ft2 112lb White women they're UGLY. That shit has been driven into our heads so much that people would rather hide behind a computer and pretend to be someone else just to have some sort of relationship with another human being. To find someone else unattractive isn't shallow and you reserve the right to date who you deem up to your standards physically, so I don't even give a shit when the people on the show meet up and one person isn't satisfied with the other's appearance. I especially don't mind when the motherfucker was lying about who the fuck they were. People change and their appearance may seem a little different; weight gain or loss, you know common shit like that. I ain't even mad at that... I'm mad that in 2013 people aren't comfortable in their own fucking skin. Like wow... I'm not knocking computer love, but it's 2013 get ya fucking Skype on or facetime or some shit. Way too many technologicaladvances in this day and age to be getting duped by fake transgendered lesbians and shit... Aight y'all be safe, Peace!

Knock Knock It's We Again

Hi my name is Damien and I too am poor
I mean I'm rich in spirit, family, knowledge, drive but my pockets do not rival the average law-maker in this nation We dwell in
Yes, We dwell in...
We dont make noise, We do not disturb the "peace," We just sit around and spectate
We're spectators of our own lives
We let men and women We give power to, dictate the lives We live and We choose the lesser of two evils
We let the minority control the thoughts and actions of the majority
We let them pit us against one another
We let them diss us and blame our Brothers
We let them discuss and claim we've never been better, but then they dismiss us and play in sunny weather
We got to be buggin'
I mean We got to be something other than a punching bag
Enough's been had, well by me
Duped us for way too long, shit's not going well by me anymore
Plenty more fools for you to play with
Who don't wanna say shit, but they aint none of the people I came with
Knock knock, We up

C.R.E.A.M.

I love revisiting historical events I learned about as a child, now as an adult. The his-story books we were taught as being gospel played a big role in shaping my perspective of America, it's citizens, it's victims, and other societies/civilization in this world I was not alive to witness or partake in. Sometimes it's by me just doing my own investigations of such events and re-evaluating the situation or sometimes it's as easy as someone enlightening me of the truth or new facts never before known. Shit, sometimes it's as the government coming out and apologizing or admitting to some fuckery and people'll overlook the matter and dismiss these atrocities because it did not happen to them personally; it was something that happened to people who are no longer here or relevent to their own personal existance. How fucking wack is that? Why is noone upset about history being altered with ulterior motives, hidden agendas? Why do we dismiss objectively thinking about the reasons why something would be hideen, information "lost?" Why do we categorize people with the ability to analyze a situation differently a conspiracy theorist or just plain bat-shit crazy? Oh I get it... When people start paying attention to the truth, that's when you start fucking up the money and we all know
Conspiracies Rule Everything Around Me, cream get the money... Shalom!

Happy Birthday Doctor King

This year marks the 50th annniversary of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. For those of you who've only known him as the complacent negro who wanted to kumbaya get along with Whites in America, check out some of his speeches towards the end of his life besides his most famous one where he speaks on the Black Power Movement. History>His-Story, Peace!
http://youtu.be/Ua3mGKcHouk

The Chief Rocka

SOOOOOO in an interview with a British reporter the savage Quentin Tarantino proclaimed that the slaughter of the Native American Indian was an issue that has basically been put to bed, handled. I find that interesting being that we have popular sports teams in this country with names like the REDSKINS and the BLACKHAWKS. We even have a caricature of a mascot for a baseball team conveniently named the Cleveland INDIANS. We made their culture into our pop-culture and didn't even think twice about it. We've turned a derogatory term like REDSKIN into one of the most popular football teams in American history. Could you imagine Alabama having an NBA team by the name of the Tuscaloosa Fighting NIGGERS? How about the Beaufort, S.C. COONS for a professional hockey team? I swear there needs to be a serious discussion about race in this country because people are fucking oblivious to the offensive and insensitive shit going on in our everyday lives which mock people and their culture. If you think I'm full of shit, tell me the last time you thanked a tree for air? Nevermind, keep littering and shit... Check your ingredients B, PEACE!

Dont Trust Them New Niggers Over There

As I sit here blasting "Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers I can't help but think about the Civil Rights Movement and the Watts/D.C. riots. Yo when Black people were upset about something in this country, we'd destory shit. Not to say I'm trying to incite violence, I'm saying sometimes people only get the message when you burn down their fucking property, steal their merchandise, and beat them the fuck up. Seldomly does one mention the riot in Detroit Blacks were gunned down by law enforcement. All these acts of violence (commited by both parties) has shaped African-American culture. The more powerful the African-American community became with their voice, message, and rioting the stronger the retaliation from the U.S. government. Eventually they felt like they were wasting their bullets (they needed those shits to gun down foreign niggers) and just put some crack and heroin in our hallways of the low-income housing facilities they were experimenting on us with by stacking us on top of one another 15 stories high, hence the "projects." Mix that with a little bit of NON-opportunistic situations, poor education, self-hate, violence, sex, and poor dieting you have a recipe for disaster. I see this, I can identify this practice, we see it everyday. Nobody outside of the race of people this type of assault was aimed at had a problem with it for over 50 years. Nobody gave a shit about Compton, Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago or any major cities with impoverished neighborhoods consisting of mostly Black citizens. Even Dr. King cared about EVERYBODY poor, but you know they gunned him the fuck down. Poor Whites were fine with being poor because at least they were White and felt like that was a leg up on Black people. Think I'm talking shit, go find me a poor White Democrat voting for their best interests and I'll find you the fucking Tea Party. So now we're in 2013, African-Americans have been conditioned to weather these conditions they've been groomed to accept and we as a people have survived. We're not nearly as strong as we should be as a People, but with all the shit thrown at us it's not a miracle we still exist. The best of the best out here, and now you got these new niggers who aren't built to withstand these man-made elements such as poor healthcare, poor education, poor living conditions, lack of monetary funds, etc... These new niggers now want to protest, and sleep in parks, and complain about shit My people have been enduring for really centuries in this corporation of a country and NOW it's a problem? What's worse is these African-Americans having compassion for these new niggers, must have something to do with somebody's Jesus. More distractions for African-Americans to keep them from tasks which would progress them as a people, now they're concerned with a people who are struggling NOW and want you to identify with them so we can fight one fight. We did that already, remember the 1960s? Remember the Womens Rights Movement? Remember Dr. King? They left us in the fucking dust once they got their shit together and now they're back looking for our help; like some hired African mercenaries fighting in a war which will never benefit them. Yall us be all fucked up, now you fucked up and need us to help you bail you out again, and here we go falling for it again. Pay attention to whom/what matters in this country Black people, lets get Our shit together. Hotep.

Weapons of Mind Destruction

One of the deadliest and poisonous weapons ever used on a mankind was/is His-Story. When you rewrite or erase a people from the history books, they're accustomed and subjected to whatever those in control see fit. If I want to convince you that you're a savage, I'll tell your people for generations that they're savages, write them into the history books as savages, and even when the TRUTH comes to light I will reinforce those savage stereotypes by depicting you and your people as savages via new and improved avenues. Does this sound far-fetched? Does this sound like a tactic of mental warfare? Are you a victim of these practices? I know I am, a recovering one. Not a victim in a sense that I was lost or confused about the history of My ancestors or people, but a victim in a sense that My history was hidden from me; another tactical movement. We as human beings must arm ourselves. Me as a Black/African/African-American man I have no choice but to arm myself, because these tactics are directly aimed towards me and my existance. I can no longer allow myself to be a victim. I can no longer indulge in a lifestyle which keeps me ignorant to the truth. I can no longer entertain His-Story. I must write/right my own story, our story, History. Peace!

You're So Vain...

So POW had like a fucking epiphany last night while watching a popular television show (a guilty pleasure I wont speak on), and in one segment there was a woman modeling. Not like modeling on a runway, she was participating in a photoshoot for a magazine. I'm not like googly-eyed and shit watching this woman, my demeanor was more like "why the fuck is this woman famous?" I'm not a hater, I just don't understand how in the manger of White baby Jesus could we as a society give someone props for being attractive with or without the help of photoshop? Why are we rewarding beauty? BEAUTY? Like, we're giving people props for being attractive? When has someone being attractive done ANYTHING positive in the history of ANYTHING, EVER? What the fuck is a SUPER MODEL? What percentage of the world is considered model material? How the fuck do you market looking like a model to someone who isn't a model, and the people who're being marketed to actually consuming whatever is being marketed to them? It took me like 5 minutes to write that sentence because that shit doesn't make ANY sense. I used to think self-hate had some exclusivity when it came to image (Black people), but damn that shit is an international multicultural disease of a concept. I wont even elaborate, I don't want to insult anyone's intelligence reading this blog... Peace!

My Prescription

This mad mad world we live in has prescribed us a very harmful drug called "truth." Yeah quotation marks fam, hear me out though. See what we want to believe as truth has become a drug, something detrimental to our health yet we'll prescribe to it as long as it (co-)pays in the long run; or what we think is the long run. It's sort of like a crutch, something to help us along life. We're too weak as a race of Humans to live without excuses and security nets so we prance along the galaxy like we own the place holier than thou, because we have doctrine to excuse our behavior; "truth." That "truth" comes in many forms, but every single one of them are lies. The biggest "truth" will establish the hugest lie, and for that alone these words I spit (without an arm I spit) will fall upon deaf ears. An exercise in futility I'm willing to endure. You say it long enough someone old enough is bound to hear it right? Right? Riiiiiiiight... Let go of those "truths" and embrace those "lies" sometimes. Indians didn't sell Manhattan for 6 cents, beans, or were too dumb to understand the deal. You cannot sell nor own land. Apply that concept to everything you know or reject everything I spit, without an arm. Peace!

Either do it or don't!

To all those screaming, yelling, posting, tweeting, im'ing, blogging, and lying "New Year, New Me", blow it out your ass, no seriously.

I've never been one for resolutions, either I do or I don't. Some things in life are just that simple. But it's kinda sad and bit disturbing that a date on a calendar, even if it is the 1st date, is such a "factor" in soooo many ppl doing the things that they need to do/shoulda been doing. Starting on 1/1 of any year, for whatever reason, doesn't make ANYTHING easier EXCEPT remembering the day you started. And if all you need is for the calendar to start over to be/feel motivated, you have bigger issues. 

Moving on...

I wonder what the Mayans are doing, cuz I'm still here and for the last few weeks or so I've been reflecting, on 2012 ofcourse, but life, mine in particular, as a whole. I love when I'm able to sit back and recount moments/events that I never thought possible to forget or get over, and realize that not only am I past it, I'm damn near healed.  And I use the word healed loosely, so there's no confusion.

This isn't healing by divine intervention or repentance for my sins, this is self-healing. This is choosing to look at oneself, in the face, and decide to either live in the past, present or future. The latter two being my personal choices. And yes, some things are unforgettable, this I/we know. Hurricanes, Mass Shootings, (in 2011 alone I lost 7 loved ones all under 40 yrs old-worst year of my life! so far...), but I'm not talking about forgetting, 'cuz I will never forget. I'm talking about healing.  Living with it AND through it.  Acknowledging the issue/problem/loss, accepting it and the lack of or amount of control you had over the outcome, and finding a place to put it so that it doesn't interfere with everything else you got going and will need to do with what remains of your life.

There's a buncha "woe is me'rs" running round crying and boo-hooing and looking for, we'll call it attention, because they don't like it when you call it pity. All they ever get from me is a side eye. YOU get YOUR life together. YOU. Back up off me with all that help me, you got it good, I wish I could shit. "Ain't nobody got time for that - in my Tamar voice, wait...wtf is Tamar?" YOU can help yourself, DIY, or at the very least, give someone a reason to want to assist-keyword. And because you're just straight lazy, ain't a reason! Not in my book.

I'm a strong woman, definitely part of my purpose in life. I say this because in my life as well as in love, I'm ALWAYS presented with situations that a lot aren't strong enough to go through with help much less alone. I'm tested, tried, and challenged, but what separates me from others is my dedication to the solution. I have but so much time to dwell on the issue itself, especially if it's one that I can't fix or do anything about. So my energy goes into "where do we go from here/how can we fix it/ what can we do mode. Those thoughts alone are already moving me forward, which is the only direction for me.

I used to say since I've been outta college, the years have simply been flying by. But they were always fast, I just wasn't paying attention until I graduated and the 1st of the month started coming around quicker and quicker. And since I don't know when (even though a gypsy told me at 72) or where I'm going to kick my bucket, I live in and for THE NOW. I do whatever I need to do, any day of the week, without the motivation of others, and because I want to. I don't wait for the winter to get my "summer body" ready, basic bitches. It's always summer body time, I travel year round. And I could care less about anyone's personal opinions (keyword=personal, kept it to yourself) and I envy no one.  As the saying goes "What you eat, don't  make me shit" and it def don't pay my rent, Go that way... 

And I'm not being mean, just straight forward and to the point, which is something else I have an issue with but I will save that for another post on another day. I'm gonna call it "Talk Arounders - Save me the schpeel and get to the point - if there is one". 

~Ms. Mega

Random:

Who started rapping in February of 2012??

Just signed a $2 million deal with Def Jam?

And has the #1 song in the club, right now???

wait for it.............

Trinidad James (Nicca nicca nicca)

Fucking disgusting!

Shout it out 2013

Shout out to the European concept of time, had uggins scared to death. Peace to the late Mayan people who never said the world was ending. Shout out to all people who felt like the world was ending and ain't pay no bills in the month of December and are now homeless, cellphoneless, jobless, carless, etc... Shout out to those who did think the world was going to end and still paid all of their bills. Shout out to "new year, new me" uggins who've been talking that hot shit for like 5 to 6 years B. Shout out to Planet Fitness, Ballys, L.A. Fitness, and all the gyms in America getting this GUAP from all these sucker MCs talking about they tryna get in shape for the summer and wont be in the gym after Valentines Day. Shout out all the people who got engaged on New Years Eve & Day, mad original. Shout out to everyone with plans to change for the better and needed the start of a calender year to do so. Shout out to waking up January 1st and stating "I'm never drinking again." Shout out to kidney abuse. Shout out to me wanting to start poking smot at 30yrs old. Shout out to everything positive happening to you and yours in the next 360+ days and everyday after that. If I missed some shout outs, feel free to add on in the comments. Peace & Love!