Month: December 2015

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Holiday at The Movies

So I’m going to tell the truth about something that shouldn’t be that much of a secret. I’m a big ass kid at heart, tehe. This holiday season I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Trip. If I’m being completely honest, I love the Chipmunks and I’ve seen every movie that they’ve come out with. This time it was decided that we would go see them on the big screen. And damn it, I was absolutely excited to watch my lil homies do they thing.

From Alvin being his typical mischievous and Theodore providing his cute, innocent fun, to Simon being..well Simon; this movie doesn’t disappoint from the fun and laughter that all the movies provided. Also, I love when they sang and the songs that they gave me this was were songs I could jam too in my seat. I was like a big kid in a candy store when they was hitting all the songs from the year. Bopping my head, tapping my feet and enjoying those loveable little, fury creatures. If you’ve got kids it’s definitely a must and if you are a big kid and just love kiddie movies go see the crew.

The second movie I saw this holiday weekend was Daddy’s Home. I have to say that I’m partial to Will Ferrell movies because he is a damn fool. He truly didn’t disappoint in this movie. Mark Wahlberg also did his part to make this movie a real must see. It had all the stuff you could ask for. It was funny and dramatic, had surprises and an intriguing story line. It really highlights how hard it is to be a step-parent in today’s society.

It highlights the dynamic between the cool, hip but unprepared father versus the responsible, less cool but more stable step father. The lessons that are learned from this funny movie are things that you can apply truly to your every day life. You learn how to really manage this difficult situation, but you most certainly learn what not to do too. LOL, Will Ferrell makes being a step-father cool and also very comedic at the same time.

If you like to laugh and you like surprises check out this movie. There will be things that you really don’t expect and the guest appearance at the end absolutely caught me off guard. Just when you think the movie gave you all you wanted,  it gives you just a little more to send you home with. If you got some free time go check it out. Promise you will laugh a good bit.

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An Election No One Wants

Over the past few months, I’ve been writing from all angles about the upcoming President election next year. I have talked about the cunning, yet jack ass that is Donald Trump. I have written about the uninspiring field the Democrats have, because of Hillary’s inability to connect to middle America and the reasons that this could be a poor turnout election. Let me truly offer another pointed reason why young people are completely turned off to this process this cycle and why we really need an overhaul of the election system.

Trump is able to go out on National television and disrobe Hillary Clinton with his macho, egotistical statements and not have any recourse. His supporters laugh at the foolishness that comes out his mouth and are so vehement in support of his nonissues platform. He talks a big game, but truth is he has yet to put out any real specifics about how he would Govern the country.

The opponents of Trump in the race for the nomination are such bitches, because they’re scared of his backlash and the bases hatred for them if they speak against Trump, that they refuse to take a true stand and call him out for his insensitive and divisive remarks. They instead will find ways to softly reject his words, while giving their opinions that aren’t all that much different from his, just with a softer touch.

It has to be disheartening to young people who want to hear what each candidate really stands for and what issues they will fight for in this election. The Democrats really don’t have a candidate that’s lighting the world on fire either. Hillary can’t keep from lying and Bernie doesn’t have a sound foreign policy strategy, so we’re left to take the best of the two and that is Mrs. Clinton

I’ve written many times that this is the most uninspiring pre-election cycle that I’ve been able to witness since 43 ran for a second term against John Kerry in 2004. There is not a candidate in the race who is really wanting to take a positive message of inclusiveness, togetherness, rebuilding, and reinventing to the people and sell it hard. Instead all these candidates want to do is see who can be in position to top Trump if he ever falters.

I wish Elizabeth Warren or one of the other bright, young Democratic Representatives, Senators or state Congressmen would have ran for President. At least we would be able to have someone truly speaking to the voice of the masses and not the elite or crazies of the minorities. Hopefully, we get some fresh blood soon, because after the historic heat generated by President Obama the last eight years, this is a major letdown.

Trump doesn’t speak the truth, he speaks hate, bigotry, lunacy, prejudice and elitism. Hillary Clinton speaks lies, elitism and false middle class understanding. No wonder the media takes to Trump over anyone else. All the rest of the candidates are trying to fit themselves somewhere around these two candidates. What a suck ass election we’re going to have.

2020 anyone… HAHA

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Did He Really Act Like That?

Even though Odell Beckham Jr. has burned my Dallas Cowboys a lot during his brief NFL career, I have to admit that I am a huge fan of his. That took a major hit Sunday when I saw his childish and unsuperstar behavior on the football field. Now there are conflicting reports about what happened during the pregame warm-ups and if anything was said to him. I will be the next to say that if the rumors are true that the Carolina defense was hurling anti-gay comments his way, then they got what they deserved.

The only thing that makes me question that is because those rumors didn’t get talked about until after the punishment for Beckham Jr. was handed down. Does that mean they’re false? No it doesn’t, but it also doesn’t mean he isn’t looking for an automatic Get Out of Jail Free card either. Odell, you must understand that you can’t just take things into your own hands. You can’t go out there and intentionally make plays that could cause injury to your fellow NFL brothern.

I’m all for hard play and physicality because that is actually what the NFL is based upon. But I really want him to understand you aren’t the judge, jury and executioner of player conduct. Now as I’m saying all of this, I have to also be fair to the young star of the league and say that I have absolutely seen worse actions on the football field and certainly more deliberate actions also, so I’m not going to really overreact to the situation.

The League also must take a punitive action against that referee crew as well. Because lets be honest, they should have ejected him out of the game well before the peel back, helmet crack happened. Both of the players were playing with recklessness and I would have been ok with both players being tossed for their actions. It’s like in the NBA when there is a heated contest between teams and the officials blow the whistle tight in the game.

It established control of the game and lets the players, teams, and coaches know that there won’t be any dumb ass shit happening that shouldn’t. The NFL officials need to use the power of the yellow hankie and penalty yards to take command of NFL games.

 

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Tarheel Pride

Watching the Tarheels play basketball over the past couple of games the narrative that gets written about is the same: When this team is focused and gives max effort on the court, nobody can beat them. I saw this team play, what right now, the game of the year against Maryland. It was an absolute masterpiece between two teams that look to be playing late into March looking for the title. I saw them in games before and after that where I saw similar moments of brilliant basketball from this team and then moments where they truly looked uninspired.

The other narrative that has come out of Chapel Hill is that the teams of late of lacked a total aggressiveness and toughness to win the tough games. They like to play pretty and don’t like to get too dirty as they say. I would agree with all of the assessments because as a true Heels fan I have seen some really head scratching performances from the over the years since their last national title run.

While this season has a long way to go and this team certainly has a lot left to prove, I would definitely be willing to say that they have brought in a lot more to the idea of bringing their lunch pale’s to the arena. Maybe it’s the pending NCAA punishment looming. Maybe it’s the senior leadership of Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. But this team has a different look more often than not. They look like a team that has it’s eyes set on the long term goal of winning coach Williams his third title and the Tar Heel program it’s sixth national title.

This teams makeup looks practically identical to other two national title teams Williams had. They have great senior leadership, big men who can dominate, explosive talent from their point guard, reserves who could start on any other team and streaky three point shooting that seems to come right on time. This group will have games to come down the line where all of this talent and potential will get to display itself, so lets just wait and see if the crown will be a shade of Carolina Blue when all is said and done. But one thing I know for sure, Roy won’t let up as long as this team continues to buy into the message: Bring your A game all the time.

 

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The Christmas Gift

It’s that time of the year again.. Gifts being wrapped and bagged. Kids excited, adults having grown-up parties and the spirits are freely flowing, and no I’m not talking about of the ghostly kind, LOL.. But it’s also a very difficult time of the year for some. For one reason or another there are those out there who suffer this time of the year. Lost loved ones, financial strain, depression and the list goes on.

This holiday season we always see social media light up with the parties and festivities folks are attending and the joy that is being brought to those who are caught up in the holiday spirit. But, I just want to make sure folks remember to take some time to really talk to those you love and to spend some real quality time with your family and your friends. This world can be very cruel and you never know what’s lying behind a smile or laugh. There can be pain and sadness unmesurable.

People drive them selves into debt trying to buy what they can’t say sometimes. They spend money that they know they really don’t have because they want someone they love to feel loved and experience the commercial gift of Christmas. However, lets remember what Christmas should be about first and then what we make it second. This is about giving thanks for Christ’s birth. Being thankful for being here and able to share it, hopefully, with the one(s) you love.

It’s about giving yourself and your time to those less fortunate and being happy to do so because you’re not on the end of the needy. I wish every one has the moment to step back from it and just give Thanks to be able to apart of the holiday hustle and bustle. You could not be here or you could have no one to share it with. Times like these I like to just sit back and listen to the Christmas music and watch the bright, vibrant faces and smile. Because I know someone’s day will be made by the gifts under the tree and some just because they get to see someone they normally don’t.

But remember it’s not all about giving all of your money to please those you love. Sometimes the best gifts are smaller in monetary value but big on sentimental value. Because if you been diligent all year you’ve given and shown your love from January to now and this just puts the icing on the cake. And sometimes a gift from the heart just sticks with you a lot longer too.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Kwanza to all!

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Fitted clothes..you gay???

Funny title right? But what I’m finding more often is that soo many women now a days and some men have this ignorant opinion that just because a man chooses to wear his clothes fitted to his body and don’t sag below his ass that must instantly be gay. I think that this has be another of the dumb ass stereotypes being applied to men, mostly Black men, in America because nobody wants to accept that we all have different ideas of style and fashion and that everybody don’t wanna look like a thug, or jail bait..LOL

The latest online banter was about August Alsina and his wardrobe overhaul. He has decided that the fitted look is in for him and the thug look is out. And the hounds were quick to say that he must be gay because he went to the more slim and trim look, that shows off the physique and not how low ya pants can drop. Did any of these idiots stop to realize that in the business world, Black people don’t own a lot of shit? Do we realize that white folks are still in control of a lot of the businesses and they don’t really favor the urban, thug look. They tend to favor the more fitted, business attire.

Let me be clear.. I can show you a hundred gays and of those there may be half who dress alike and the other half each will be drastically different. We are not a group of people that you can group together or paint with a broad brush. We aren’t able to be lumped into one category based upon anything that we do. So I really hope some of these stupid ass females who want to label a straight man gay because he chooses to be more professional because he’s trying to promote himself, which is his brand, will realize a smart man knows what to do.

It truly blows my mind to think that we still operate in a society where clothes are still defining what your sexual preference is and how much sex you have determines if you are gay or not. I’m just not sure when did we get to the place where these are the barometers for gay vs straight. When did having color in your hair automatically make you gay or straight. Make you a top or bottom?

All of these things that I mention tie into the fitted clothes stereotype. I am at that place where I need people to understand that you need to let people be themselves. Let the expressiveness be just that. Why are we such a judgmental group of people? Why are Black folks so anxious to label each other as one thing or the other? Why do women keep saying that there are no real men left because you can’t distinguish gay or straight because we both like to dress similarly to each other?

The problem in our culture is that all we care to do is make people equal to us. We want to say that if we do something a certain way then if someone doesn’t they must be labeled some type of black sheep or odd ball. Once we finally realize that the uniqueness of each of us makes us a very special community, we will be so much better.

Black people, stop tryna to define a nigga by what he wears or how he speaks. Stop tryna define a prep or urban boy because he wears fitted clothes. Truth is I know a lot of preppy boys who are athletes and musicians. I know a few niggas who are politics and educational type things. We are one people, split by different views and outlooks on life. Live free, be real and stop worrying about who wears what clothes.

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Finally Something New

I will freely admit that I am man who loves the male soap’s that is WWE Wrestling. While my loyalty to this brand has been tested over the past couple of years because of stale writing, predictable storylines, horrible character build-up, mismanagement of talent and other reasons, I must say that FINALLY last night WWE mixed it up and got it right!

If you’ve been watching over the past year and a half or so, The Shield has been torn apart and each of these wrestlers have embarked upon singles careers that were at different heights. Seth Rollins made the biggest leap, by becoming a heel and joining the Authority, first to become the World Heavyweight Champion and carry the banner for the company. But Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were not to be left behind. Both men were in the Championship title picture and Roman was getting an enormous push from the company.

Only problem with that was, nobody really knew how dynamic Reigns could be or if he had the mike skills to be the top dog of the company. These questions didn’t exist for Rollins and Ambrose because as smaller wrestlers, they had to go out night after night and lay it all on the line. Reigns is more of the thoroughbred that WWE loves and could destroy people at will. Well, unfortunately the WWE Universe realized this and they didn’t take to kindly to Roman’s quick ascension.

WWE was still living in the John Cena era and were really failing and properly packaging, advertising and pushing the Samoan Warrior. Despite big league promos from his cousin, The Rock, Roman still struggled to get over with the people. That is until WWE started to truly invest in Reigns and let him show his natural ability and a few of his one-liners on the mike. Last night was truly the culmination of all of this hard work and they couldn’t have chosen a better running mate to put him over than the boss himself..Vincent Kennedy Mcmahon.

Say what you want about Vinnie Mac, one thing you must give him credit for is that he knows how to put a superstar over and get the crowd behind him; and boy did it work! The buildup to the title match, the belt versus career hype. All of it was what WWE use to be known for. Vince cheating as he use to do to Stone Cold and others. The deck stacked, the heels brothern rushing to try and save him. The challenger fighting with all his might to overcome the odds and win the gold and save his “career”.

If you’ve watched as of late you thought you might have known what the outcome was gonna be based on history. Reigns loses and is “fired” only to get reinstated and get vindication. But damn it they finally did the twist that every one was hoping would happen. Finally the title switched hands on television and not just on Pay Per View. Finally they put the title on Reigns after the buildup hit a peak last night.

Vince didn’t screw Roman, Roman fucked the Mcmahon family last night and it was awesome. His actions at the Pay Per View Sunday and his performance last night won a lot of fans over and now.. maybe, just maybe Reigns can take his place and the support of the crowd. It was a great finish to the match and I was so happy that this was the ending. I stayed up glued to the t.v. eating up every bit of the match. I was hanging on every inch and this really felt like old school Raw. Good guy has the deck stacked and the Villain thinks he’s gonna win but the good guy finds a way.

I don’t know how this will play out over the next few weeks and months but if the company can continue to write with a twist up and down their wrestling card the company might can pull out of the ratings dumb they’ve been in over the past few months. Time will tell but damn it I was excited to see that ending last night.

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Sports Media Hyprocracy

I will be completely honest and say that I love the Dallas Cowboys. They have been my favorite football team since I began watching Professional football. No, I don’t care that they’ve struggled off and on the past decade I don’t and won’t turn on my team. I know that we’ve had a dumb ass GM (The Owner) but there have been some really smart football moves made for this football team over the past few years. To not acknowledge that, even for the most ardent hater of the Cowboys, is to say that you really don’t know football you just want to hate a franchise.

Now all that said lets talk about this lunacy that I heard yesterday on t.v. and what’s been generally considered the consensus among sports pundits about Jerry Jones’s recent comments about his coaches and the amount of losses the team had while Tony Romo was out of action the first time with an injury.

Jerry said that we was completely dissatisfied with the job his coaches did in the seven games Romo  missed earlier in the season and that he didn’t understand how his team didn’t win any games while Tony was out. That makes perfect sense to me. As a Cowboys fan I was truly pissed to watch them find a way to blow games late in the fourth quarter after playing well. Look at the Falcons game, the Seahawks game, the Bucs game. Those three games alone, the Cowboys were leading in the fourth quarter and late in the fourth in two of those games, only to lose all three.

Dallas found ways to give games away when they were there to be won. So while that exciting end of game win over Washington kept them in the picture, the reality is they should be leading this division. Look at the second Giants game as well. They were in all these games and couldn’t find a way to get the W. And Jerry was right, that win Monday night was not because the Cowboys out coached Washington, it was because that team refused to quit.

Now I will give head coach Jason Garrett credit for that because it takes the right mindset instilled by your head coach to never quit when things never seem to go your way. But Jones was right, this staff should and could have done a much better job to get W’s on the board in earlier games. Imagine if they had closed out the Tampa, Seattle and Giants game. Instead of being 4-8, they would be 7-5 two games up in the division and looking to put it away down the stretch.

Reference my first paragraph, I don’t agree with a lot of what Jerry Jones has done or said since 1996 as the General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys, but I don’t get these Media slobs. When Jerry says his team is the best in the league and they should win, they say he’s crazy and you can’t take him seriously. When he makes bone head moves you tell him to fire himself. But when he has a solid and sensible draft and makes good football decisions you give a little pat and quickly pivot to the past.

When he tells the truth about his coaches the suck ass job they did in game preparation and execution, the Media says Jones doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But you let ESPN Analysts or Fox Analysts critique the team and they would say the same thing. Sometimes you just have to give the devil his due. Jerry Jones, for once, took a step back after a big win and admitted the truth: This team should not have lost all seven games without Romo. They should have been at worst 4-3 and most likely 5-2. The Carolina and New England games were the only two where they really had no chance.

Be real out there and give him his credit, Jerry may actually be wising up a little…Or maybe Stephen is actually, finally putting his imprint on this franchise and it’s noticeable. Hope it continues.. Go Cowboys!!!

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The Red Ribbon

I hope that after I speak about this today that there will be further dialog around tables and parks. In homes and just out in the street. There needs to be more talk about HIV/AIDS in this country. While there have been some major breakthroughs and medicines that help to stymie the virus and not destroy your internal organs at the same time, there is still the problem of too many Africans Americans, humans in general, and especially Gay men and women being infected with this virus daily, monthly and yearly.

While there is now PreP medicine that is taken by folks to prevent themselves from getting the virus, there is still the need to tell folks to be aware that there are still other sexually transmitted infections that can take you out, and at the very least make life uncomfortable for you for a while. We need to understand that there are still millions of people dying from this illness and that there are some great discoveries in medicine that have found potential cures for this disease.

As it is known I don’t have a problem with someone saying that they like having sex. Or with anyone who says they like having sex with multiple people. I have always said that’s your personal choice and it’s your right to live your life however you feel. But, what I will also tell you is that there needs to be accountability and a smartness about who you choose to lay down with. That dick or ass or pussy might be everything and you might skeet for the high heavens, but, after that nut is over are you ready for the possible consequences?

Lets be real about the situation too, raw sex has been happening since the world was created and evolved. How the hell do you think we all got here? It ain’t cause our ancestors and parents practiced wrapping it up all the damn time. In fact , it was the opposite. Back in the day there use to be women who had lots of children and proudly so because that meant their legacies were guaranteed to be carried on. Now days there are fewer women having lots of kids. We have become more modest even though our population is booming out of control.

I say all of that to say I’m not about the holier than though talk that says you should always wrap up no matter what unless you’re married. That is the ideal situation and that’s what we all hope would happen. Truth is people today are having sex at younger and younger ages; they’re having babies early and getting STI’s at really rapid rates. HIV is something we can control because we can say yes or no to fucking or getting fucked by someone.

If you keep up with lightly reported stories you will know that there are whispers and indications that there is a cure. That more traditional and holistic doctors are finding treatments that not only destroy or significantly minimize the virus, but also protect the body in the process. I hope this post starts a dialog somewhere and if I feel the need to revisit it again, if you’ve read any of my material you know that I will.

Take care of yourself America

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The Christmas Miracle

I went to the movies this past weekend and saw Krampus. Now before I get into the movie I want to say that this time of the year is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. I love the holiday season. The time that folks get to spend with their loves ones and the smiles that you see across folks faces. It just seems to be that when the calendar turns to November and December people get just a little bit nicer and treat each other just a little bit better.

Given that first paragraph, I also know that this time of the year is extremely hard for some. They may have lost loved ones this time of the year or their loved ones aren’t around anymore to share these beautiful moments with. It could also be that they have to work a lot or just don’t have anyone to spend the holidays with. Could also be that money is funny and you can’t really buy anyone anything, so this time of the year is a drag when you see all the commercials about buying things for the holiday to show your love.

I am on the record many times for saying that I feel that Thanksgiving gets massively overlooked because there isn’t a retail pitch to be made aside from spending money on food to fix for your family and friends. Christmas gets all the pub because there is commercial value there. Gifts galore and spend, spend, spend. Sometimes we forget that this time of the year is meant to give thanks and spend that quality times with those that you love and cherish the most.

Sometimes I think if we remembered that the gift of Christmas is having people to spend it with that love you and appreciate you whether you can afford to buy them gifts or not.

If you see this movie Krampus, one of the messages you will take away is the power of the belief of the Christmas magic. Santa Clause and the Elves and just the holiday magic itself. You believe that this time of year allows for you to put aside you petty differences and believe in the power of the spirit and the coming together so celebrate and enjoy the company of one another.

Those movie plays on the fact that kids are the precious angels that protect Christmas and the miracle that encompasses it. That when you spoil it too soon for them and you take away that belief and magic, that the “evil” of Christmas will display. That is, that we forget why we are coming together and we focus on the things that separate us rather than what binds us together.

Children, families, individuals are the pulse behind Christmas. Seeing your child run to the tree and open all their presents. Having that Christmas party where everyone is laughing and dancing, playing games and just getting lost in the moment. Making those lasting memories that when you’re apart you can think back to, look back at and smile because you created something that will last forever.

Folks that’s the Christmas miracle. Giving your time, energy or money to those less fortunate who can’t afford what you can. Letting others know that even though they may feel forgotten, you remember them. The power is inside each and everyone of us. What we do with it and how we use it is makes the season great every year. So come on folks take some time to laugh and play. Sing some songs, give some gifts and most of all share your Christmas spirit, because that’s how you will keep the Christmas Miracle going for decades and decades.

Happy Holidays America