Meet Ben Breedlove
Concord Mania
ARE
YOU
SERIOUS?!
First, look at this video below:
All that hoopla for this:
Now, I did have someone pick up these Space Jams when they first came out several years ago, but the mania was nowhere near what was depicted above. I must say, if I had to deal with those lines (and the fights) for some shoes, I would go without...
Free Waffle House Waffle
That's it.
Do it.
Enjoy.
The NBA is back!!!
Income tax coming back
They say the income tax is supposed to go back to "normal" come January 1st unless this government, that seems to only have the goal of embarrassing President Obama in national history, does somethin to extend the system in place. That 2% break we have gotten comfortable with is about to vaporize. They say the average family will lose around $80 per month. That may not be a WHOLE lot for some but its enough for majority to feel. That changes your weekly movie theater visits to redbox nights. It makes you think twice about dating that materialistic person who lives two counties away because that gas tank has to make it all week instead of just Monday through Thursday with a second fill up for the weekend. The sad part about this "increase in taxes" is that we kinda need it, as it funds social security. The same social security that they say will run out in 25 - 30 years if we don't do anything about it.
It's a catch 22. If we get this increase in taxes, consumers won't be able to consume as much. As a result, businesses will suffer, which will possibly lead to job loss and a resulting further downward spiral. On the flip side, we can't throw our elderly to the wolves and tell them to fend for themselves. So what do you do? Try your best not to do anything that will run the risk of further slowing the economy or do you say "forget about that 'old folks welfare system'" and possibly let my generation suffer when we reach retirement age? I'm torn. There definitely needs to be a system in place to help the elderly but... if the economy sinks a lot further, the elderly won't have much to work with anyway.
In the words of satan...
Heavy D has passed away at the age of 44
Stephenson High School vs MLK
(Sidenote: The fella mighta said something true in his rap... Stephenson is known for their "Superband"... ain't nobody talking about MLK's band. When he said it, I had to pause myself and ask "Wait... DOES MLK have a band?!")
Crazy how this lil music video trend has started for highschool pep rallies and stuff. According to an article on AJC, Grayson kinda got things started with a song called "Brookwood, where you at?" (Sidenote: Where IS Brookwood? And while we're asking, where is Grayson?!). Anyway, "KUDOS" to you Grayson fellas for starting this up (Nobody says kudos but Im giving praise to Grayson, so its cool). I posted their video below if you wanna take a look at it. Its a cool lil rap song.
I didn't watch the whole video from either school but, from what I saw, you can tell who had money to get professional camera (with professional camera lenses, I might add) and took time to do some heavy editing... not to mention the wherewithal, according to their youtube, to put their original song on itunes as well... That being said, you gotta love the team spirit from each school. I like what's happening.
Bryant Gumbel calls the NBA's David Stern a "Plantation Overseer"?!
Fact: David Stern needs to end this dispute and let the NBA come back. I hate the lockout and I know Stern holds the keys to ending it but, I cant go as far as this fella, Bryant Gumbel, went. Stern does seem to want to run a tight ship... But what's wrong with order? What's wrong with wanting your employees to look professional on camera? Believe it or not, white people are still the majority. And since they are the majority and he wants the majority to love basketball, he needs his organization to appeal to the majority. That means no du-rags, no backwards caps, no sagging jeans with the matching boxers, etc. And there is nothing wrong with that. Is that racist to ask that players to use a little discretion when at team events? Last I check, I couldn't come to work with flip flops, an A-shirt (aka wife beater), some long shorts and a du-rag on my head either. Did I whine? No. I got to work. Attire may not affect your work or work ethic, but it does affect your image and how much (white) people like you... and that can affect the league's bottom line.
People also question his "players must be 19 to play" rule; Calling it racist. Again, I beg to differ. Dont ALL races have to be 19 for them to play in the NBA? Is there some special loop hole for white people that allows them to come out early anyways? Making the kid go to college ONE YEAR aint hurting these fellas at all. A lil maturing and practice with some better competition under a coach with a different style of coaching than their highschool had will do them more good than it does harm... but this is called a "racist" move. Why? Is it because white kids have the opportunity to go on to play college ball and black kids don't? That cant be it; not when the same talent that can get you in the NBA can get you a full ride scholarship to most big name colleges with exposure. Are they afraid that they could be hurt in that ONE extra year and that injury may ruin their career chances? Possibly. But, honestly? Come on son.
I love black people. I love basketball. I love when young talent comes to the NBA. But I think this race card was more about making Bryant Gumbel a household name again for a day than it was about what's really going on inside David Stern's mind. And since that was the goal... Mission accomplished.
It's not ok to beat your significant other
Looks like its ok to beat your wife in Kansas. According to this article, Topeka Kansas has started sending domestic battery suspects home with no charges because they just can't afford to keep up with the cases. Too many felonies; not enough money in the budget.
There are problems with the budget and they have decided that the families will suffer because of it. I question this decision. Of all things to give up enforcing, I wouldn't think "wife beating" will be one of them. This year, I promise, I've seen more cases come across these news websites concerning spouses and gf/bf abusing/killing each other (and the kids in some cases) than any other time in my life. It's been absolutely crazy. People are snapping under the pressure of this economic and the additional stresses caused by it. The last place they need upheavals is in their own home... and when the upheavals do happen, rather than dealing with it properly, as they probably would have had the rest of their life been ok, the upheavals is proving to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.... Then backs start to get broken, and not in that good way that people previously used to try to make up after an argument.
Now, because this law isnt being enforced in that city, people must live in fear. No more running and calling the police; nothing is gonna happen... unless someone dies - then its murder and not just domestic violence. But no one wants to wait for that to happen.
I hope this gets reversed and no other city decides to follow suit. My advice to all women (and abused men) who live in Topeka: Move.
When being a "whore" gets old
On the article that I found out about the movie on, the author, who mentioned that, according to studies, people still count the number of people they sleep with, is basically saying that people should no longer count their sex partners or be concerned with how high their number is; "sex is a part of dating and numbers don't matter" was basically the mentality at the root of his/her argument. There were many who agreed with the author and just a few (read: one) that disagreed. (Keep in mind that I read this early on yesterday and the comments may have doubled or tripled by now...)
This one person who disagreed took the position of "We should be dating for love and the only way to be sure he/she loves you is marriage." Sadly, she was ridiculed by some of the other posters. Only one person almost sided with her and his approach was along the lines that he was old, had all the fun he wanted to have, and now he was lookin for something a little more meaningful... This is what I want to talk about.
Every "whore-monger" I know, and I know more than a couple who engage in random/casual sex, eventually gets tired of "whoring". Our generation has cheapened sex down to a feeling much like getting high (which it actually kinda is since dopamine is released during sexual acts/orgasms and dopamine is the natural chemical that the street drug known in some circles as "dope" tries to imitate. I digress). So we now live in a society of sex "addicts" who, rather than waiting to at least have some sort of meaningful connection with the person they are sharing their sex organs with, are in constant search of a "fix". If I had to guess, by the gentleman referring to himself as older, I'd say he's probably somewhere in his 40s, as most under that age don't call themselves old. Let's say, for the sake of argument that he possibly lost his virginity as a teenager - 17 is a pretty common age. If somewhere in that general range is true, it would've taken him over 20 years of countless encounters with people he didn't have the emotional connection with that he was looking for before it finally clicked that his behavior was pointless. It's true he's a man and society has given men a double standard in this area, but let's keep in mind that he never mentions marriage - just emotional connection; we're talking about casual vs committed. At a minimum, waiting for a committed relationship and placing some level of standards on who you date would eliminate a lot of the numbers that you would get had you not been casually "kickin it".
I wanna take it a step further tho... If I'm looking at a woman and her numbers are very high, the first question I'm thinking is "Why can't you stay with one person?" I'm asking this in search of personality or character flaws. If you're under 30 and you have 20+ sex partners, you've been doing the most in the last 10-15 years. What's REALLY going on? Immediately after that, the next thought is "If its somebody elses fault, what are you searching for that continues to land you in situations with people who are worthless?" I say "her" cause I'm a guy, but this question applies to BOTH sexes. Think about it, with all that sexual experience, they ought to be pretty good in bed. If sex aint the issue, it would seem like by the time you got to person number ten (in our freaky generation), you would've learned just about all you can learn about sex AND learned who NOT to date to the point where SOMEBODY would want to be with you seriously... unless you're just unstable and crazy...
People know EARLY in most situations if the relationship is gonna work or not. If, after just talking on the phone for a few weeks, you have that "what now" feeling, it may not be a good look for you. You gotta be able to communicate and connect on a friendship level first. The root word of relationship is relate and if you can't do that, why are you screwing that person?
Why are you screwing somebody you don't even like?!?!
That being said, try to keep your numbers low - for your physical health, your mental health, and your emotional health. Nobody wants to be with anybody who has been with everybody... and don't use "gaining/having sexual experience so you can be great in bed with your future husband/wife" as justification for putting yourself out there like that in the present. You can gain a lot of sexual experience without having to use all of your fingers, toes, and some of your eyelashes to count the people you have slept with. Have sex with one person a lot - not a lot of people once. I could see maybe the number 5 kinda sneaking up on you, but honestly... 20 just seems like a bit much. But maybe I'm the only one who feels this way...
One won't do and two is not enough...
This has got to be some of the strangest sounding stuff I have heard in quite a while. Polygamy. Sounds like it might be the life for the dude, as he gets a license to be with 4 different women whenever he pleases - as they all "rotate" and share their nights with him. At first I questioned the self esteem of the women. Then I questioned the sanity of the man. Then I started thinking of ways where I could actually see this situation working out for both parties...
Benefit one: Multiple streams of income. This is self explanatory. Ain't nothin like a lil teamwork to help a family make it through today's tough economy. The more working adults you have, the higher the household income.
Benefit two: Safer sex. Everybody already has an understanding in this situation. When a person is screwing around outside the marriage, there is no telling WHAT kinda disease the outsiders may be bringing into your household. With this, you know the full health record of all of your partner's partners.
Benefit three: Shared cooking, cleaning, and child rearing responsibilities. How many moms out there would like to take a day off and let somebody else play mom while they take a break for the day? I'm guessing there are more than a couple who wouldn't mind having a mini "mommy vacation". Even if its just one day a week.
NOW, with all of that being said... This is still quite odd to see in this capacity inside the borders of the United States. I ain't really feeling it. I wouldn't want this situation at all. Not only cause it seems weird, but because dealing with the personalities of 4 different women who are from where I'm from and trying to keep them all happy at the same time sounds like a recipe for disaster. I wanna life a long healthy life... not get stabbed trying to break up a fight between two women who are upset because they think I'm playing favorites.
Yeah...
I think I'll be just fine with one.
I have a question...
And I said to myself: "Self?"
Myself said: "Huh?"
I said: "This is exactly why women get away with MURDER in relationships/friendships."
What do I mean and what does this have to do with the first statement, you ask? Knowing this chick and her tweets, this was probably over a phone call that she ain't return for whatever reason... And it probably played out like this:
New guy meets girl and has a decent conversation.
They exchange numbers.
The talk a few times.
A few weeks in, guy calls and girl doesn't answer.
Girl never calls back.
A few days later, guy sends girl text asking whassup with her not returning his call.
Girl tells Twitter that guy is acting like a female for questioning her phone etiquette, then goes on to explain that she pays her bill and she can do what she likes.
End.
And so the guy ends up in a lose lose lose situation. If he let's it go and let's her win, she'll keep ignoring him and he'll stay right in the position he's in - forever chasing. If he complains, he runs the risk of getting called a female - at which point some guys will let it go and let her win. If he wants to save face, the only choice he has is to quit calling and act like she doesn't exist. But if youre really trying to date, this ain't really an option... So most times, if the guy actually cares, the guy concedes, one way or another, for the sake of tryin to salvage the situation.
As a guy, I think many will agree that we hate to argue over stupid stuff and we hate to be lied to. Not me, you, nor Jesus is believing those "I've been busy/sleep/sick/working late/at the gym the last 3 days and that's why you haven't been a thought process" stories... At this point we really wanna say "Shawty, forget all of that. You taking too long." But we keep quiet to keep peace... because if we speak out against it, we're acting "like a female". But I can't help but wonder... Why is this behavior socially acceptable? I remember I got screamed on for not taking my cell phone with me while walking around the house after "taking too long in the shower" (Crazy, I know, but it happen), but we can't yell at yall for NOTHING! What would REALLY happen if we all just started screaming on them like they scream on us for "leaving our phone on vibrate all day"? (Lol!) What if we told THEM to woMAN UP and take responsibility for their actions instead of making excuses? I guess then we'd be acting like females and it would look a lil somethin like this...
Dubstep... Meet the Xbox Kinect
Odd talent...
A Caste System for dating
Disclaimer: This was just a crazy thought that popped in my head so don't take any of this seriously.
You know what I've been thinking about recently? What if there were official social classes for dating? Over the years I have heard many conversations where women (and some men) make comments asking why "person A" is with "person B" or how did "person A" get someone who looks THAT good. I couldn't help but wonder, what if there was an actual caste system set up which told you, based on looks and financial status, who you could and could not date/marry?
There are those "opposite's attract" type situations where the rich person marries the "commoner" who they say makes them feel "normal." The nice person sometimes wins the heart of the person who has unlimited options. The persistant "ugly" person sometimes makes the "pretty" person cave by simply being in the right place at the right time all the time. These make for great movies and sometimes lead to long loving relationships.
But opposite that.... we've all seen that "their out of your league" situation unfold... where the brother with no job, car, or motivation tries to holler at the young lady whose caliber is of "ball player status" (if you catch my drift) with the professional career to match. He tries his best and she gives him the "why are you talking to me" treatment. Shut down. Or, on the flipside, where the female with no job, car, or motivation tries her best to get the ball player/established career man, with the idea that she can win his love and be the perfect "trophy girl." She tries and he gives her the "since you're throwing it, I'll catch it but don't catch feelings because you'll never be my wife" treatment. Heartbreak. You also see people who may be in the same league financially but not in the same league of physical attractiveness. Person B is shut down purely on superficiality based on Person A's personal perception of what beauty is. Both situations happen all the time and both situations occur because the person who is perceived to have absolutely nothing to bring to the table is trying to go after what is perceived as a "Grade A" thoroughbred stallion; Meanwhile, they are operating with "mule swag."
The question then becomes: Do you think it would make things easier or harder if somebody actually blew the whistle on those types of situations before they got started? All hoodrats/trailer park attendees must stay with their kind, ugly people must keep to themselves, rich people must stay with the rich (unless they give up everything), and pretty people must be with pretty people - Even going down to the level of saying rich ugly people can't be with rich pretty people and so on.
Again, I'm just clowning around. But on a serious note... Do you believe there is a certain caliber of person that you should just not go after (IE a fan trying to go after [insert famous movie star/singer] by going to every event, sending them tweets, youtube videos,etc. or is the sky the limit?
The Nike "McFly's" are here... for real
So after all this time, they're finally putting them out. The real deal too. Not those Kobe Hyperdunk Back to the Future wannabees. We're talking about the ones Marty McFly wore himself in Back to the Future II. The ones that laced up by themselves. I've had my eye on these for a WHILE and now that they're here... I will watch other people enjoy them. With the release being limited to like 1500 pairs, getting your hands on these babies for a reasonable cost is gonna be quite a task. They're being auctioned off on ebay for Michael J. Fox's foundation (He suffers from Parkinson disease). Here's hoping that God lays it on somebody's heart to hold me a pair to the side so that I can look fresh.
Operationmcfly.blogspot.com no longer exist but the owner of the sight was vigilant in his campaign as you can see in a story about him (which connects to an interview with him) here.
The laces won't actually work like in the movie, the strap seems a touch bit too high, and the shoe looks a little more colorful than it did in the movie but nevertheless, its still VERY crazy to see them come to reality. Now we just need that Hover Board he was skating on...
Playing games for a living
3D with no glasses
Cured of Tourettes Syndrome
Grinding...
Warren Buffet speaks against lower taxes for billionaires
I say if you can afford to pay more, then you should. If they can't come up with a fair system then just make everybody pay the same rate across the board. Greedy people will always find a way around the system to create a higher bottom line for themselves. And while on one side, they work hard for their money and deserve most of it, there is no reason for them to get a higher percentage of their income to play with when the people on the bottom of the totem pole have to dance on a pole to get gas money and a loaf of bread.
The guy in the video below speaks on how cutting taxes for the wealthy in our nation has led to calamity more than it has lead to prosperity. Seems like our "scholars" in Washington would recognize that, if the foundation crumbles, the entire house will collapse with it. But instead, people are more concerned about pushing their political agendas than saving the entire nation... all for the sake of getting their hands greased and keeping a few extra dimes in their pockets. Hopefully, somebody somewhere will listen to Warren and make some changes to their personal philosophies so that 90% of our population can move from "struggling" to being "relatively comfortable." We will see...
Killer YoYo-ing
Sand Castles
On another note, it sounds like these guys were pretty successful financially before they started this venture. I imagine that "old" money is being used to help them make new money and allowing them to live out their dreams now. I applaud them and their good works.
Put on a happy face
A while ago I posted a video that detailed habits of millionaires that made them successful. One of the habits that really stuck in my mind was their ability to rebound from defeat. It's somethin that I really use to struggle with. In the past, if somethin that I was solely responsible for didn't go according to plan and I suffered an embarrassing defeat, it took me MUCH longer than it should have to rebound - often re-living and analyzing every detail in my head and thinking of things that I could have and SHOULD have done better instead of re-focusing that same energy towards getting up and trying again.
Looking back at the year 2010, which I consider to be one of the most difficult years of my short life, and examining how my thought process is now, I can see that I have completely transformed my way of thinking from the way that I use to think when I was younger. I did so by realizing the following few things:
1. There will be a better opportunity in the future - hindsight is 20/20. After you've lived for a while, you'll start to see where history will try to repeat itself. The key here is to use that 20/20 to learn from your errors; don't let them handicap you.
2. Its really not that serious - Nothing matters unless we make it matter. It was only a brief moment in time and, for most situations, as soon as it happened, it was over. Its our own mind that takes that one moment in time, that may have lasted all of 5 minutes, and makes it seem like it lasted an ETERNITY! The sooner you accept the fact that the past has passed, the faster you can begin dealing with the present and building a better future.
3. Praise God for EVERY single victory you get and downplay your temporary defeats - it is IMPERATIVE that a positive disposition be maintained. If you believe you are a loser, you will probably put forth a losers effort and, as a result, obtain loser results. (Thanks to the cousin for that talking point!)
4. It's alright to fail; its not alright to be a failure - to fall and get up is one thing; to fall and stay down is a completely different thing.
5. Laugh at EVERYTHING - anything you find remotely funny needs to be laughed at. Take a moment each day to be silly. Laughter is a cure all for both depression and stress. You see, while you're laughing, your mind is focused solely on whatever it is that is making you laugh. The complex thought processes that are stressing and depressing you can not co-exist with laughter. Thus, the more you laugh, the less time you spend beating yourself up over past failures and the quicker you get back on the path of conquering the world.
I don't have all the answers for every situation; I'm just telling you what helped me. Hopefully it'll help you. In the end, always remember to never let any level of defeat stop you! It's only over when you die... And I've heard stories of people coming back from that so... I guess its never over. Keep smiling!
Old for New
You ever heard of the term "old for new"? Its something you might here an older person say when describing how the latest punishment of a person may seem too severe for their most recent wrongdoing; The person is getting heavily punished for all the old stuff they did even though the new "crime" wasn't really that bad. Example: You're 15 years old and you break your 10 o'clock curfew. Your mother comes downstairs and LOOSES CONTROL ON YOU! What you didn't know is that 2 weeks ago, your school had called her cell phone and told her that you have been late to school every day this year... and SHE drops you off... Yeah... She's been holding that in for a while now - Old for new. Example 2: Michael Vick did the "Ron Mexico" stuff, allegedly had weed in his water bottle at the airport, and murdered people on the football field (sorry, I couldn't resist). When he got caught up with the dogfighting ring, rather than getting some rehab and a slap on the wrist like MOST celebs of his caliber would have gotten, he gets prison time. They made sure to make up for the other stuff he should have went down for - Old for new.
Why did I start thinking about this, you ask? I was reading this article about an accused cop killer and, a lil more than half way down the article, they started going into his legal records... He started out by bringing a knife to school at 10 and has been having legal troubles ever since. I said to myself at that point "even if this guy DIDN'T kill the cop, which he more than likely did, he is going DOWN!" But that thought doesn't make sense... If he didn't do the crime, should he be punished for being perceived as a "bad" person? Isn't it possible that he may have changed his life for the better since the last time time he appeared in court?
And then I got to thinking... We do this to people in relationships ALL THE TIME!
Honestly ask yourself this question, if you've been in multiple relationships where lying was the norm, wouldn't that alter how you deal with the new person? Wouldn't you at least watch them with a more careful eye even though they hadn't done anything? Let's get extreme but real at the same time: Is it fair to become suspicious of the new person who chooses to keep their phone locked just because the last person had messages from other people they were "getting to know" when they were currently in a relationship with you? Does the new person get screamed at about taking too long to get home because the last person used "working late on a project" time to cheat? Is the new person automatically accused of lying about wanting to wait a while to get to know you before they allowed you in their home because the last person who didn't invite you over immediately for "late night rendezvous" had another family? Its kinda sad, but we often harshly punish the new person for a new "crime" that they may not even be guilty of because of repeat offenders who have gotten away with old "crimes" that have occurred in our past.
So how do we fix this? How long do we give somebody the benefit of the doubt for all this questionable activity? I say use the number 2 for new people. 2 months is about the time that it takes to differentiate what's a part of a person's every day lifestyle/character and what is just an act of kindness/foolishness done by that person at a particular moment in time. Please understand that learning from your past is ABSOLUTELY necessary; just remember not to allow your past to consume your thought process and, as a result, destroy your future.
Random "racial wealth gap" thoughts
So news about racial wealth disparity has begun to float around the internet... I read it... Shook my head... And then proceeded to carry on with my day.
Yes, it did bother me. Why then, you ask, did I take is so nonchalantly then? Because its the same old story that's been plaguing the minorities since we marched on Washington the FIRST time and asked for JOBS instead of asking businesses. And yes, while we're talking about it, we have come a long way. We have a "Black" President (who will systematically go down in history as the most ineffective President that this nation has EVER had thanks to the GOP who will refuse to go along with anything that he says, even if its their own idea. The "nation" will pin this economic failure, that is bound to happen, solely on him and then say to the one black president we've ever had "never again"... But that's another story.) But nothing has changed when it comes to the financial structure of our nation - the "Haves" get more and the "Have Nots" have even less.
To get money these days, you need to have money. You need to be smart about buying bonds and stocks, have the money to purchase enough of them to the point where it matters, possibly have your own business, AND your house needs to be paid for. I personally don't know many of ANY minority in that position.
So we are now in a position where we either extend our families, which most of us can't/won't do, or commence a full fledged assault on the service sector to fill the void created by the recently departed illegal immigrants who began running away as these new immigration laws loom. Let's see: service jobs, a set amount of food money food stamps after being unemployed (aka rations), living with the entire family under one roof... Sounds a lil bit like somethin else to me... But maybe I'm reaching. Lol.
There is always hope though... I'm optimistic that, by some strange random act of kindness from God, things will get better soon for those of us in the middle that are fighting hard not to sink beneath that poverty line... And that hope alone is enough reason to keep pushing for better.The Work Out Kid
This 10 year old lil fella embarrasses most of us with his work ethic. No weights - just the will and drive to exercise to a degree that most of us adults probably couldn't keep up with. Every day this guy is going at it with an almost religious dedication to the performance push-ups, crunches, lunges, burpees, etc. Its garnered some attention... enough attention to get him his own personal workout video for kids. Watch the video and then ask yourself this question: How's that couch feel?
Full original story
Meet Billie Board
I got the opportunity earlier this year to work with the homeboy BillieBoard and let me tell ya... Saying "the fella is good at what he does" is an understatement. Check out the video.
As promised... a few of the shots from the shoot appear after the jump... along with contact info for the photographer.
The Dark Knight Rises Trailer
Sidenote: The trailer honestly wasn't too interesting, but I guess it gets the job done of developing some sort of interest... Maybe they'll do better the next time.
Swimming from Cuba to the Florida Keys
Are They Interested?
(Sidenote: This story is part two to The Backburner Person)
Gone are the days of passing notes that say "Will you go with me?" We now live in a world clouded with ambiguity and mixed signals; where you can be best friends with the opposite sex, have sex with them on a fairly consistent basis, provide all the emotional support (and sometimes financial) that a girlfriend/boyfriend is supposed to provide and STILL be considered as "the homie." Its absolutely crazy.
I hit the homeboy up the other day to talk some business and, after that was taken care of, we started talking about women we knew... and then the question came out: "I mean, how do get a girl to really like you?" He asked it as kind of a rhetorical question and continued talking... But the crazy thing is, as I listened, I couldn't help but stop and think "Wait... How DO you get a girl to REALLY like you?" We've all been taught to play the game; Wait a few days before you call. Don't seem too anxious. Never sweat the small stuff aka "they ain't call me back as quick as I want them to," etc. We've been taught how to be sexy in an effort to make someone lust after what society deems as "fine." But, while those things may trick someone into gravitating toward you with feelings of infatuation from the need to have the best and most attractive, seemingly uninterested individual on the planet, eventually you have to stop that foolishness, come back to reality, start being yourself (as no one can keep up that "uninterested" act for over 3 months if they really ARE interested), and that person has to deal with the real you - at which point you better either be ready to break up or have some substance and "spectacularness" to your personality and character. The sad part is... Most of us don't. We know how to interact over text and social networks but, in person, we're socially awkward. We might know the words to say to get us to the bedroom for a "monkey smang," but that's it. To be quite frank, most can't hold a deep conversation about anything that doesn't involve the music industry, sports or the latest episode of Single Ladies. In order to have something real, you have to start off real; say what you mean and mean what you say. Honestly, I do think, with confidence, well rounded-ness and the basic ability to express yourself, its easy to get somebody to really like you. The problem is recognizing who they are as they tend to look just like all the people who are playing like they like you...
Which leads us to our next question: How can you tell if someone is cautiously pursuing you, or if you're really on the back burner. Peep the video.
I must say, we were being foolish and that may not have been the best advice but, a person that wants to make a relationship work will reciprocate the effort that you put into the relationship and make a conscious effort to make you comfortable with gradually revealing more and more of your feelings while revealing feelings of their own. Once you have discerned to the best of your ability that the person may have genuine feelings, I think the best thing to do is put all the cards on the table. Tell the person what you want and hope to God they feel the same way. Its the only way to permanently get rid of all the guessing games - and the possibility of ending up as "the homie" aka a "best friend cut buddy" with no official title. Assuming one way or the other could prove to be detrimental.
The "Backburner" Person
My advice: Don't lead someone on by putting them on the back burner until you make up your mind - put them in the "friend zone" and, for your sake, maybe they'll still be there if you choose them 6 months later. In fact, just don't go out with people you don't really like; its a waste of time, energy and money. The next part of the video will probably be posted shortly.
The Cell Phone Movie
Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.
But honestly, the real reason I posted this was that the ENTIRE film was made using a cell phone video camera - the Nokia N8. Is that crazy or what? Apparently Nokia held a contest in which they were searching for who could make the best short film using only a cellphone camera; director JW Griffiths created this work of art for it. Goes to show, with time and a little "know how", amazing things can be done. The making of the film can be seen here if you're curious.
SuperGilles - The Performance
Once again, you can download his promotional cd by clicking the DOPE photo below, you can get his app by scanning or clicking the bar code, you can follow him on Twitter by clicking HERE or go to his official webpage at www.supergilles.com
Captain America
Chasing after the heart of a woman
So Im reading online and come across this blog post. On it, the writer is questioning whether or not men are still interested in chasing women. After the questions, she just lets her readers flesh out the rest of the post with their comments and dialog between one another. One bit of conversation caught my attention because the homeboy had JUST complained of this behavior last night; that women want to be sweated for the sake of their ego/self esteem more than they want an actual relationship.
One male reader responded with this:
Are guys still interested in chasing women though? I think the problem with the chase is some women confuse being chased and pursued with being SWEATED. Some women like the attention that comes from giving your number out and never taking the guys calls, always flaking out on dates, playing games, etc. This makes some women feel like they are in DEMAND and gives them an ego boost. I think if you are interested in a guy, you should be receptive beyond just showing up for the date. I think the woman should reciprocate a conscious effort because if she doesn’t the guy will eventually wise up (no pun intended) and realize he is doing all the work and then probably move on.
A female reader responded to him and said this:
It is something to say for maturity. I’m not talking necessarily age, but mindset....Start off relatively small and work your way up. If she’s into you...she’ll have no problem reciprocating.
Personally, I feel like relationships should be like breathing - completely natural and fluid. The moment you start to feel like "if I don't call/text this person, we won't talk" is the same moment you might wanna re-evaluate the position that you might currently be in when it comes to that person's life. The last thing I would recommend to ANY individual is to be a consolation prize, "back-up plan" or "ego stroke" for someone who has no intentions of allowing you out of that much maligned area known as the friend zone - and that goes for both males and females.
On the flip side, you must consider how emotionally banged up most people are these days (again, both male and female). Oftentimes, people can be quite hesitant to let people into their inner circle just off the strength of your word; especially after being deceived by some of the worst people on this side of Hell. Things may not be as simple as they use to be when all you had to do is write "I like you, do you like me? Circle one: yes or no". This is something that HAS to be account for. With that being said, I think the REAL question that has to be raised here is not "are men tired of chasing", but instead, what are the motivations of the woman who is making the man chase and how long is long enough before she breaks the news to him - good or bad? We don't hate the chase; we hate the FRUITLESS chase. The whole purpose of the chase is the need to fulfill our hopes of eventually capturing the prize that we are after.
In the end, my advice to everyone who finds themselves in a situation like this is to.... wait... I don't really have any advice because it really just depends on the heart of the person you're chasing. I don't imagine a good person would intentionally string you along once they get an inclination of your intentions. I guess the best thing to do is to try to only attempt to date people who have high self esteem so you won't be needed as a "boost" and pray to God they don't have stupid friends in their ear giving them bad ideas about how to deal with the opposite sex.
Sometimes you just have to try...
“It’s impossible.” said pride. “It’s risky.” said experience. “It’s pointless.” said reason. “Give it a try.” whispered the heart.
This is a quote in the "about me" section of Judy Kinney on her blog titled"Live in the Heart of life". It moved me to say this: Even when its a road that's never been traveled on, a journey deep into the unknown, and you have no idea if you will be successful or not... sometimes you just gotta try - especially if its to get somethin that you've never had.
Satisfying the Insatiable
This man tried for YEARS to get this particular position within the company. He went to school, finished and began doing excellent in the job that he had before his promotion. The company then gave him a shot at this new position that he had desired for so long. A year hasn't passed yet and we're right back where we were: complaining with a hint of frustration from being unsatisfied with his current state.
Please note that I am by no means saying wallow at the bottom of the barrel and never attempt to strive for more. This post isn't about stifling your dreams and settling for mediocrity; it's about learning to have a positive and appreciative attitude and disposition WHEREVER you are so that your level of joy is not determined by the quality of your circumstances. There may be quite a few things that don't go according to your plan, but you must make a decision to NEVER let those disappointments lower the quality of your day to day life.
Happiness is a gift. It is a gift that many choose to forfeit by paying so much attention to the small things that aren't quite going perfectly. If you find life difficult and/or unfullfilling, take a few seconds every night to strictly reflect on everything that DID go right that day. Make room for happiness in your life by reducing the time spent focusing on disappointments. Or like the old William DeVaughn song says: "Just be thankful for what you've got".
The Child Support Question...
Your appearance matters
BEWARE of Single Friends
An extremely critical eye can be quite detrimental to the cause while on the hunt for the "perfect" person. She's too tall, he's too short. She too fat, he's too skinny. Her feet are ugly, his feet are too small. She broke, he broke-er. She too serious, he play too much. The list could go on and on, but the truth of the matter is you're gonna have to accept SOMETHING. The trick is to determine who you are, what you need and what the absolute "deal breakers" are. This can be easily and quickly done... if you didn't have the "close single friend".
To help you recognize this person on your life, I'm gonna describe this person as I have seen and experienced them in the past.
Trait number 1: They are perpetually single.
Trait number 2: They complain about EVERYONE they meet AND everyone YOU meet (whether or not you're happy doesn't matter).
Trait number 3: They constantly remind you of what they "wouldn't deal with".
Trait number 4: Physical attraction is the end all and be all... And they make a note to point out everyone's flaws. (Note: ugly is never whassup, but "cute" and cool always beats gorgeous and evil.)
Trait number 5: They hook-up with people based on that superficiality and use that one wrong person's character flaws to justify their mentality once the relationship fails.
Trait number 6: They rarely stop to look in the mirror, do some introspection, and realize that they themselves aren't perfect.
Trait number 7: They tend to live by a "one strike and you're done" policy, which is one of the main catalyst behind trait number one.
I could be missing some things but, receiving counsel from a CLOSE single friend with the above traits will keep BOTH of you single...
There will be those who read this from top to bottom and disagree with me on everything. I want to express that I am not an advocate of settling; just an advocate of opening people's eyes to the fact that a person's CHARACTER is what is most important. Don't hook up with anything or anybody just to say you have somebody. Just make sure to take notice of a person's efforts. If the person is LEGITIMATELY trying, give them the benefit of the doubt.
Why do men cheat?
Where are your papers?
UrbanLax Radio Volume 3 Mixtape
The mixtape is on DatPiff OR you can just click the picture above to download it.
1.Go Crazy-J Road ft Yung Tone
2.Day Dreaming-Jimmy Flint
3.You Ain’t seen-Raymonee
4.Cranberry Vodka-Illa
5.I’m on my Job- J.O. Hardworker
6.Terrorize-Young Scolla
7.Mean Swag Money-Willy J Peso ft. Travis Porter
8.Super High-B. Keyes ft JC
9.Motivated (Whip-Mix)-Whiplash ft. T-Pain
10.D. Rose-Nova and Dre Chi
11.Radar-I.D.
12.Hands on you-P8tience ft. Drey Skonie
13.The City-Ro Spit
14.Super Loops-RA
15.I’m Gonna-THE GM
16.C.E.O. of UrbanLax Speaks
Thank you UrbanLax Entertainment!
Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode 1
P.S. They have a video game coming to Xbox and PS3 on April 19th that's supposed to be taking to franchise back to its roots...
The Lebrons - Episode 1: Lions
HotDamnIRock Vents
Like My Father
Check out his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/ImJustBlack
and/or follow him on twitter at @KeithAllenHayes
At any rate, peep the video...
Remembering Brian Eric Smith
Civilized talks... Number 2
HTC EVO 3D - The new "New" phone
Skinny Jeans Problem...
How did we go from this:
To this:
It's unexplainable. I've tried to stay some where in the middle, but shopping ends up being something like a bad lab experiment with lots of field work. The thought process went from "how can I look cool without looking sloppy or having to use one hand to hold my pants up all day" to "how can I look cool without looking 'sexually questionable' or becoming completely androgynous". Its horrible.
The "regular fit" jeans have become completely bland; you have a choice of blue or... blue, with very slight variations. "Baggy" just looks retarded because all of the shirts becoming "fitted" and that's like wearing bell bottom jeans from the seventies with a Fubu football jersey, only in reverse.
Sidenote: These "fitted" shirts... Sigh... I don't know how I feel about the back of my shirt stretching whenever I reach down to tie my shoes... Large is the new medium and medium is the new small.
And so I am reduced to 3 choices:
1. Deal with the "Slim straight 514's" aka "skinny jeans without the taper at the ankle" and loose out on some of the better designs.
2. Buy skinny jeans 2 sizes bigger than normal so that they fit like regular jeans with a taper at the lower portion of the leg and look awesome with a pair of chucks.
3. Drive 45 minutes to the nearest mall that offers the new 520's aka "regular fit with the tapered leg" that I saw for the first time while doing this write up.
I will take option 3. No more stepping on the back of my pants when I'm wearing the Chuck Taylors. Not sloppy or effeminate - we have the middle ground: The Levi's 520 Jeans for men.
Sidenote: Levi's PAY ME FOR THIS ENDORSEMENT!!!
Here's hoping to God that they have more than the same plain/boring blue, dark blue, grey, and black they offer in the 514s and 569s. And if so... Problem solved.
You have unlimited ability
Know when to quit...
The "Zero Waste" Lifestyle
Civilized talks with Savage... Number 1
What IS typical?!
The Gas is TOO High!
This article speaks of something that could single-handedly save the American economy by producing fuels that could power jets, cars, trucks, etc. This discovery, if all of the claims prove to be true, would reduce our dependence on outside sources for barrels of oil and possibly lower these ridiculous prices that gasoline seems to be on its way to. Joule Unlimited is the company that is involved in the this process which CO2, sun, water and a "genetically-engineered" fuel secreting organism to create this fuel. One can only imagine the possibilities if this dream becomes reality. I won't say much more... but for the sake of our nation's financial well being, I do hope and pray that this becomes real really fast.
Chinese Magician Trains Goldfish
Dre and Brown
Chillin with Dre Phantom and Barracuda Brown. Click here to view the old interview video (from 2009 I think...):
I just DONT like you... Period.
or do I just need to be understanding.... LOL! Whatever..........
Dating outside your tax bracket
What I can say is this: below the Mason Dixon line where slavery was a lil more prevalent, the culture is a lil different than that of most other areas. I'd imagine it's partially due to the lingering effects of past prejudices against african american people by the majority race. Most of us, both black and white, who were raised down south, were taught to "stick with your own kind". Cant say it was the best of advice because we can learn a lot from each other, but considering black men were getting beat half to death for looking a white woman too long under two generations ago, it seemed like a good idea not to date them. Im pretty sure the famous boxer Jack Johnson would cosign the notion that dating outside of the race back in the day wasn't necessarily the best thing to do if you wanted to continue your career (he was arrested for taking a white woman across state lines to do what grown-ups do. I think he later married the woman if Im not mistaken). If you just so happen to marry someone of a different ethnicity because you cant get any love from your own people, or you're in different circle due to your career, or that's just what you're attracted to, DO YOU!!! And don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise. Love has no face.
In certain parts of the hood you will still hear black mothers telling their sons "don't you bring no white woman home!!!" And Im pretty sure, in homes in the back woods of the south, you still have some white fathers telling their daughters not to date a "n*gger". (Please believe there are parts of Mississippi and South Carolina that you better not stroll through alone at night.) Depending on how old you are, your grandparents may have their (VERY SERIOUS) gripes about your relationships but they will be just fine.
The question is... can you blame a black woman for being upset if the story goes: date hoodrat black woman; date classy black woman and have baby; hit millionaire status; marry hoodrat white woman and make her sign a prenupt... ?!? I don't know... But if it's real, and the black women in the life of the black male "star" are just messing up, and he cant find a good woman in his tax bracket, you cant hate on love. Whatever works, just let it be.
At any rate, watch the video. Im done rambling.