The Boom-Boom Room

The Rebirth of the Boom-Boom...

2006-07-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Guess who's bizzack....

Today is July 1 and after a nearly three month sabbatical, I have returned to blogging (no applause needed). I just felt this was the right time, even though it took me about 3 tries to remember my password on blogger.com.

Yesterday was my last day at work in Knoxville. It was bittersweat on many levels. While I am eagarly anticipating my new life and career in Connecticut, it's never easy to say goodbye to the place that gave you your start. While I am excited about the new people and coworkers I will come in contact with in Conn., leaving my coworkers here, who basically have been my family away from home, was tough, but that's life.

As I talked with my dad this morning, who by the way still insists on calling me before noon on Saturdays, he asked how it felt to not have to go to work (here) anymore. I first shared with him about how my lsat day was and I simply told him I just view this as closing one more chapter in my life and beginning yet another.

Whether it's a job or relationship or whatever, in life there will be times where we all have to close chapters in our life. They key, at least in my opinion, is that we recognize which "chapters" or "doors" we need to close and which ones we need to hold on for a little longer. Often times the answer is not clear. Often times it's very obvious. Often times we rush in deciding either or. Tyler Perry put it best in Diary of a Mad Black Woman when he said that "Sometimes we hold on to things which God himself is trying to close."

It is important that with every stage in our lives that we learn from our mistakes so that we can apply those lessons in the future. I've learned a lot here in Tennessee and I can't wait to see what this next chapter in my life brings.

Now what?

2006-04-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

Several people have inquired as to why I don't blog as much as I used to. I really haven't given anyone a legitimate reason as to why I haven't. Maybe it's blog burnout. Maybe I've been to busy writing for my "real" job. Maybe I just needed a break. Or perhaps, I just really haven't had anything to right about. Nevertheless, I use(d) the Boom-Boom Room as a place to discuss my opinions and thoughts on certain topics that are going on, not necessarily looking for feedback, but welcoming comments, good or bad.

Like most people, I've quietly, yet attentively followed the Duke lacrosse scandal with extreme interest. However, unlike most people, I didn't jump to conclusions after the first few days. The popular opinion, particularly amongst my brothers and sisters of color, was to immediately jump to the defense of this exotic dancer, simply because she was a) black, b) an HBCU student and c) she accused a bunch of white boys of the crime. Some were ready to call Jesse, Al and Barack and turn Durham out. After all, we all know "if it had of been one of us..." I digress. Some discredited her story from jump simply because of what her hustle was...a stripper. Some said since it was Duke, shhhh, we'll never hear much more about it. I waited, listen and waited to see what would happen. I did believe that, because the accused were wealthy white bretheren from Duke, somehow, someway, the case would go away quietly. We've seen it too many times.

The case presented many familiar, yet still very disturbing issues. Race, class, sex, privilage and money. The haves and have nots. As time played on, frustration began to set in. Public forums were held and people, who knew just as much about the case as I did, were outraged that no action had been taken. I watched. People were upset that no member of the lacrosse team had been arrested. Because we all know "had it been one of us..."

But as the case progressed and the stories began to not add up, the loud protesters began to simmer down. The DNA didn't match, even quieter. I still watched. Now we've found out that the guys that have been identified have nearly air tight alibies. Hear that? Something happened that night. One young lady, whether we believe her or not, life was changed forever. Duke will for the near future be looked at, not as a great institution, but the lacrosse school. Central will always have to deal with being the school that "that stripper went to."

Something happened that night. The sad part is we may never find out the answer. So what do we do now?

Black people don't tan dammit!!

2006-03-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

Recently Cori and some of her little friends went to the Dominican Republic for spring break. She had a good time and was excited about the trip and I was happy she was able to enjoy it. Some people asked was I ok with her going. Why wouldn't I be? I was able to have a little "me" time. And while I talked to her maybe once a day, I was able to go about 10 days with about being flooded with questions, being bothered while trying to watch the game and being worried to death. Ya know, the usual. So when she got back, naturally she told me about her trip, what they did, where they went, blah blah blah. I listened. She was equally excited to show me some of the pictures she took, which was about 300 by my count. But, being the patient guy that I am, I looked at each picture and acted like I enjoyed it. The thing that bothered me the most was not the fact that she spent a week in an exotic location with a bunch of El Debarge lookin brothers, it was her constant talk of how she got a tan or how she and the girl were out at the beach tanning. People of color don't tan, we get darker and blacker. So I got sick and tired of hearing about her using "sun tan" lotion and that sort of stuff.Tan is a color that our caucasion brothers and sistas and some of our latino fam can get. But for the brothas and sistas, tan should never come out our mouths.

She's got spirit, how 'bout you?

2006-03-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Cheerleaders get a bad rep sometimes. For starters, there's the whole arguement of whether cheeleading is a sport. (I'll plead the fifth oon what I think). Then there's the perception that cheerleaders are dumb broads who are only there to get close to athletes. For the record I love cheerleaders. Well, maybe just HBCU cheerleaders, like Hampton's Blue Thunder and VSU's Woo-Woos. I prefer Shake Deez, dancing and sequence moves versus stiff clapping and making pyramids. But I have to show some love to cheerleader from Southern Illinois University. During a timeout, her and the rest of the SiU squad where doing some stunt and one of the male cheerleaders *snicker* missed an assigment and the cheerleader fell on her head and broke some bones in her neck. Fortunately, she wasn't paralyzed. But as she was carried off the court STRAPPED on a stretcher, she continued to cheer. How tough is that? She gets all the respect from me. That's who I want on the sideline cheering for my team.

Big ups to Triple 6...

2006-03-06T18:03:00.000-05:00

Guess who's back!!!!!! Yeah, I know ya'll missed me. But anyways, I decided I'd end my blog sabbatical as soon as something interesting or monumental occurred. Judging by the above picture, I think that warranted a post. So last night at the 78th Academy Awards, Three 6 Mafia, a rap group out of Memphis won the Oscar for best song "It's hard out here for a pimp" I shocked. Not because a rap/hip group won the award, it was only a matter of time before that happen. But, I flashbacked in my mind to when I saw Hustle and Flow and there was nothing about the song that said Academy Award winner to me. That's another story. However, with what the experts called a suprise, Three 6 Mafia, opened yet another door for hip hop and the hip hop culture. I always find it funny when mainstream media thinks hip hop is so amazing when in actually, those who understand and live it, know what it really is all about. So big ups to Triple 6 for breaking yet another barrier.

When I die, don't smile or laugh, but get me in the ground in a hour and a half...

2006-02-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

Like many I watched attentively at the live coverage of the funeral of "our"mother Sis. Coretta Scott King. It was one of those special moments in history that made me, as a black person, be proud to be black. I could not recall, in my lifetime, the national coverage and outpouring of love for a black person's funeral. It was special. Four president, numerous congressmen, celebrities and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends :) were in attendance. All for this matriarch of civil rights, who stood by her husband, when she could have easily said she didn't want to be a part of it.

I listened every attentively to what each speaker said. I watched to see how President Bush would handle himself around a bunch of "us" I waited. seemingly on the edge of my seat, for some one to call him out on some things. Rev. Lowery did it and did it in the right way. Numerous other spoke, praising King and recalling special moments they shared with her. She will be missed.

But time went on, speaker after speaker came. Song after song was sung. Commercials ran. I flipped the channel. I came back, the funeral was still going strong. Going on 5 hours, the eulogy which was delivered by Bernice King, had yet to come up. I spoke with my mom and she said "this sure is a long funeral" My response: "Well what do you expect, this is history"

I didn't make it all the way to the end of the funeral, the day was almost over, I had things to do. However, I must make one thing clear. I one day aspire to be a well-known figure. I know I'll probably never receive international stardom and celebrity like Coretta Scott King did. As a result, when my time on earth is pass, I probably won't have a 6 hour homegoing celebtration.

Not saying that there's anything wrong with long funerals, because if you've had any experience with the black church it can go on and on and on and on. Thank ya. Hallelujah!. But for me, just roll me in, sing a song say a prayer and I'll be gone.

Dammit Janet!!!

2006-02-06T00:23:00.000-05:00

For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, so said my elementary school science book.

A few years ago, Janet Jackson, along with Justin Timberlake performed during halftime of the Super Bowl. Since Good Times, I loved Janet. I think she's beautiful and obiviously comes from the most famous family in music. So anyways, Janet and Justin were getting there grind on in front of millions of people, much to the displeasure of the FCC and middle-aged conservative white men everywhere. Justin, who someone received his ghetto pass for the night, told Janet via song lyrics that he'd have her naked by the end of this song.

No big deal, it's just a song.

But sure enough, at the end of the song Justin reached across Janet's outfit and "accidentally" pulled... I SEE TITAY!

Most people I know, where pretty excited about the events of the evening. In less than an hour, photos and video clips where streaming on the internet, so we could get an upclose look at what had happened. Needless to say, people on the networks and the FCC where not pleased and as a result, Super Bowl halftimes where changed forever.

So Sunday as I was forced to watch 100-year-old Mick Jager and the Rolling Stones perform, I could only say to myself, dammit Janet, see what you caused. Never again will the NFL book hip hop acts because of you. The risk is too great. Someone may get offended by too much bumpin and grindin and all that stuff people in my demographic enjoy. So as I watched the game, the middle aged white men around me were busy singing "I-can't-get-no---Sat-is-fac-tion"

Not me, I just shook my head and waited for the 3rd quarter to begin.

Would you hit it? IV

2006-01-28T15:23:00.000-05:00

vs.

Disclaimer: The "hit it" series has received rave reviews. However it has caused some confusion as well. Many think my usage of "hit" is always meant in a sexual connotation. That is incorrect. Would you hit it can range from would you have sex or would you choose or how do you feel about such and such. So with that being said, back to our regular scheduled blog.

Once again, the all mighty Hampton University has made the news. And once again, it is controversial. Recently, the school of business has decided that in the best interest of its students and to prepare them for the business world, they are elimating dreads and cornrows for their students. They want to in a sense prepare their students for the real world.

For the record, I have no problem with it. I can see Hampton's perspective and what message they are trying to send. Contrary to what some of my brothers and sisters may say or think, we are the minority in the business world and while some may be successful with a certain appearance, the fact remains that certain styles are acceptable. When you get you own business, then you can determine what is and is not acceptable.

There have been mixed emotions from students and alumni alike. Some are yay and some are nay. Those against it say that Hampton is enforcing the stereotype that you have to be "clean cut" to be successful. Others think that an institution has no place in determine the appearance of its students. Some ask what type of message is this send to it's students.

A friend of mine (I would post her blog link, but she's on a sabbatical) is against it. To spark a debate, I asked her what she wanted to name her children. Since none of the names had a bunch of vowels and apostrophes (you get my drift), I asked why those names. While she danced around the subject I knew one of the reasons was that when you put some of those "unique" names on a resume, it gets second-guessed. In my opinion, that can relate to appearance. I'm not knocking those who wear dreads, as a matter of fact, I love the natural look. The fact remains that more often than not, a person with a clean cut look will be hired for a Fortune 500 company first.

The above picture is a perfect example. On one hand you have the clean cut Randall a.k.a Not the ApprenTIE and on the other hand you have BET's Cousin Jeff. If you were the CEO which one would you hit? You be the judge.

Put some damn draws on...

2006-01-25T23:13:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to get my LL/Tyrese Gibson on, I work out three times a week. I go there not just to exercise, but to get away from the stresses of everyday life and have some ME time. This gym is located literally about 500 yards from my apartment, so it's easy access. I've met some interesting people and have toned and tightened up my booody. The work out crowd is very diverse. You have your serious, steriod-injected people. You have your cardio people, who just run. You have you older people, who, at any minute look like they're about to pass out and you have you lost-in-the-gym people who walk around aimlessly with seemingly no purpose.

My only problem with the the gym is that in the locker room, some of the older men think it's cool to walk around butt naked. The last thing I want to see after about an hour of perspiration is to walk in the locker to get my stuff and see a pale ass cheek. Sure it's a locker room and sure for some people, that might be a welcome sight. But not for Big J. Is it too much to ask that after you get out the shower, put some drawers on, or at least wrap a towel around your waist. For those of you who may say "Well why you looking anyway?" Believe me, I fix my eyes the other way as fast as possible.

I know everyone feels that after a work out they feel the need to show everyone their figure. I've walked with my shirt off and chest out. But what's below the belt needs to stay below the belt. That is unless I make a mistake and go into the ladies locker room. Then it's fair game...

81 reasons to stop hatin' Kobe...

2006-01-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

For the past few years I've been, among other things, President and CEO of the I Hate Kobe Bryant club. I began to notice some things about him that I just didn't like. It started when one game, Kobe had a breakaway dunk attempt and in the process, he stuck his tongue out. "Did I just see that?" I thought to myself. Maybe it was just a one time deal. But sometime later, I saw him do the same thing. I'm think "he's biting off Mike (Jordan)" Now, I'm one of the biggest MIchael Jordan fans. I think that he set the standard of excellence on an off the court for the NBA. So here comes some out-of-high school player trying to immulate MJ to the tee. From the tongue, to the suits and to the way he talked. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but it was a little over the top for me. From that point on, I was an official Kobe hater. It got worst a couple of years ago when, despite what anyone says, Kobe ran Shaq out of town AND put his personal business on the street.

However, last night, for maybe the first time ever, Kobe caught my eye. He did something that Jordan didn't do. He did something Magic didn't do. He did some Barkley didn't do. He scored 81 points. Wait, let me repeat that. He scored 81 points in a single game. It was the single greatest performance I've ever seen. It was second only to Wilt Chamberlains 100 point game back in stone age. If he hadn't been slacking off in the first half, me just may have flirted with the C-note. So just as last week Shaq was the bigger man and ended his beef with Kobe last week, I am officially ending my Kobe hatred, 81 points later.

A Dream Deferred...?

2006-01-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry uplike a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore--and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over--like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load Or does it just explode? - Langston Hughes

Today was Martin Luther King Day. A national holiday set aside for one of the most influential figures in the history of society. We all know about Martin Luther King, Jr. We know about the marches. We know about the sermons. We know about the speeches. But some 40 plus years after his untimely assassination, I often wonder, what's the state of Dr. King's dream today. I talked to several of my friends today and asked each of them, "So what did you do to keep the dream alive today?" Some of the responses I got varied from “nothing” to “going to work” to “reading some of his speeches” I even went as far as asking my dad, who likes to boast about hearing Dr. King speak when he was in college in Tuskegee, what he did. His response; “Well there was something on the History Channel about his life that I watched.” So naturally, when I asked people what they did, many countered, obviously getting defensive, by asking what I did. Apparently, people must have thought I was trying to judge them. My response, somewhat sarcastic, was “If it wasn’t for Dr. King, I wouldn’t have a job where I could enjoy this day off.”

There were however, many events going on around the nation and many people seemed, from the looks of it, to be in full celebration mode. But I wonder, what would Dr. King think if he were alive today and saw the state of the world and the state of black people. Is he rolling over in his grave at the sight of the high number of crimes committed by black people against black people? What does he think about how many young black aren’t taking advantage of some of the opportunities he helped create? Is he proud of the ones who did?

Many people have watched in utter disgust as the King children battle over the rights to the King Center in Atlanta. Due to the lack of money, two of the children want to turn the site over to the government, make it a National Landmark and receive federal funds. The other two want to keep the center in the family. Some feel that the the feud is going against everything Dr. King stood for. Many are disappointed that the King children are acting this way. Would Dr. King be pleased?

The dream lives on within each of us. It is, through us, whether black or white, that Dr. King and his message will continue. We must walk through the doors that he helped open. Leave the doors of racism that he helped close, closed. Work together and in doing that, his dream will never end.

Would you hit it? Part III

2006-01-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

It has been brought to my attention that America's favorite talk show hostess (insert sarcasm) Star Jones-Reynolds is releasing a new book entitled "Shine" in which she discusses among other things her weight loss and her marriage with "sweet" Al Reynolds. First of all, besides co-hosting "The View" what has Star done to gain national celebrity status? Obviously some people do, because from the Tom Joyner Morning Show to other televsion shows, Star has been every where promoting her book. She is even now the official Love Coach for AOL. One of the more interesting topics she's discussed is the alledged homosexuality of her husband Al. She firmly denies it, noting how great Al makes her feel and how "beautiful" of a man she is (she above photo). She also talks about the weight loss she's had to deal with. She's gone from a super plus size to what she calls " a very comfortable size" So she loses a lot of weight, married a rich El Debarge looking brother and now is the voice of love? I don't get it. Maybe someone who's a big fan of hers can explain her stardom. I mean, I wouldn't hit it?

"Just a few minutes ago, we were praising God..."

2006-01-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

I’m a sucker for breaking news. Whenever I see the “breaking news” logo on CNN, I immediately stop what I’m doing and see what’s going on. So the other night as I flipped through the channels, I stumbled across Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN and there it was “Breaking News: 12 Miners Alive!” I was one of the many who thought that there was no way these guys would survive. So after seeing this, I sat down and watched. (On a side note, am I the only one who thinks Anderson Cooper is the new age Peter Jennings, always the voice of the big news events?) Anyways, I watched as family members rejoiced as they received news of the “miracle in the mine” I saw people singing hymns and praising God as they expected to see their family members soon. Time past…nothing. Still I saw “Breaking News: 12 Miners Alive!” I thought about what it must have been like trapped hundreds of feet underground with no way out. Not knowing whether you will be able to see the light of day again. What were they thinking? Were they quiet or talking amongst each other? Did they cry? Time went on…Still nothing. I continued to watch as a person came up to Anderson and said that only one miner had actually survived. What? Somehow, someway the messages had been “misunderstood” Joy turned to anger. Praise ceased. Sorrow began. Going on 3:30 a.m. I sat in amazement as I watched this unfold. Somebody fucked up big time. I went to sleep that night, with the utmost sympathy for the family. The same people they had shown in such a happy state hours earlier were stoned faced as they left the church.

The next morning I immediately turned on CNN to see what the new developments were. They were interviewing a guy from the town in West Virginia and he was given his account of what had happened inside the church when the announcement was made that only one had survived and 12 had actually died. It was emotional as he described the scence. The line that stood out to me was when he said that ‘just a few minutes ago we were praising God and the next minute they were cussing.’ As easy as it may be to snicker at the face that people seemingly forgot about God so quickly, just imagine the roller coaster of emotions they just went through. To one minute think that your relative has survived and enormous tragedy and the next minute find out the worst and feel like you’ve been lied to. I can’t imagine that and I hope they find some comfort in a difficult time.

Would you hit it? Part II

2005-12-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

One of my many obligations as a boo, is to play tag along in a mall, store, outlet or any other place where the wifey can spend unnecessary money. So when Corinthia recently came to visit me over the Christmas break, we decided to go to the mall. The main objective of going to the mall was so that I could finish my shopping. I had about 2 or 3 gifts left to get, so unlike the female species, I wouldn't take 3 hours to get 2 or 3 gifts. I went and found what I wanted to get and I was done. So as we window shopped for the rest of the time we were at the mall, we decided to stop by B. Dalton. Much to my suprise, Corinthia was looking for "that book with the video chick." Of course, she was referrring to Confessions of a Video Vixen by some how famous video chick and porn star Superhead also known as Karrine Steffans.

I had heard about the book and about Ms. Head, so out of curiosity, I "skimmed" over it, reading over passages here and there. I must admit, it was very ineresting. I read the many stories of this young ladies' life and the many things she had been through. From being a groupie to alledgedly sleeping with celebs from Ja Rule to Shaq to becoming a sought after video hoe (excuse the expression). So as I read it, I thought of the many conversations I've had with the wifey and many of my female friends. They always say that guys don't show them enough respect and are just out for one thing. However this girl has made a career off of being degraded and being paid for sex and the book about it is on the New York Times Bestseller's List.

So what message is this sending to the women that bought the book and stood in line the get it signed? If you can get hooked up with celebraties, you'll be alright? I'm not saying she's a gold digger... Guys look at it from a whole different perspective. For the most part, we drool over the video chick who isn't afraid to flaunt her goodies. We look forward to the hoe that will give it up easily, without much effort on our part. But do we want used goods? Would we hit it even though we know she's "been around the block a few times."

I'm not knocking Superhead for her book. It's what she does. But we need for positive role models for young girls, especially when all some of them see are girls on BET shakin' dat ass. As long as this type of lifestyle is glorified, respect for young black women will continue to progress at a slow pace.

Merry Christmas...

2005-12-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

I don't care what the mainstream media tries to say, it's Christmas. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. I hope your day was blessed.

Matthew 1:18-25
[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.[20] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.[21] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.[22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,[23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.[24] Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:[25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

In Proper Perspective...

2005-12-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

I have developed a daily routine for when I get out of bed. I whisper a prayer, go to the bathroom and on my way to the living room, I turn on the computer. Once logged on, I usually check my email, check the news and check ESPN. On my first two stops, nothing caught my eye. A bunch of junk email and no breaking news. However, when I made my stop at ESPN.com, a headline caught my eye. "Dungy's son, 18, found dead" I had to take a double take. The previous day, I had just watched Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy elated about seven of his players that had been selected to the Pro Bowl, now this. Apparently his son had committed suicide. How could this be? How could one day a man be in such high spirits and the next day receive a call that his eldest son was no longer with him, just a few days before Christmas? Those close to Dungy say that he's a family man who's life is built of faith. They say he's an ideal father who loved and cared for his late son James. He's one of the most successful coaches in the NFL today and is at the helm of argurably the best team in football in the Colts. So why? People have kneeled in prayer, people have sent flowers and cards, people have flooded message boards trying to find a little of nothing to condemn Dungy's son. For the black community, we felt as though we lost a family. In a sense Dungy is "our" coach. When he was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996, he was the only the second black head coach in the NFL at the time. He represented us and did it well. So when lost his son, a part of black fans everywhere felt a loss.

So as many players and coaches were interviewed following the tragedy, they said it puts football in perspective. Too often we ger caught up in sports, work and other extracurricular activities that our priorities get messed up. What's important can easily get pushed to the side when things are going well. It's sad that it takes a tragedy in the life of a celebrity for many people to realize this. It certainly woke me up. Tony Dungy was riding high for so long. His team was undefeated, they were and probably still are Super Bowl favorites and now this. What's God saying? Do we get it? Maybe we should revisit what we consider important things in our life. Maybe we should not sweat the small stuff as much. Maybe, because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

One Crazy Nigger...

2005-12-11T23:52:00.000-05:00

First of all, if I offended anyone with the above topic, I apologize. However, to fully understand the genius that was the late, great Richard Pryor, the word "nigger" cannot be left out. Richard Pryor passed away Thursday. With that, we lost perhaps the most talented, opinionated, controversial comedians of of lifetime. Along with making us laugh whenever he took the stage, during his prime, he took issues that people were hesitant or even scared to talk about openly, and made us think. Richard took racial issues, economic issues, sexual issues and cultural issues and had the gift of turning them into a story that had us with tears in our eyes, both from laughter and some from the reality of hurt.

From Live at the Sunset Strip to Stir Crazy with Gene Wilder Richard Pryor wasn't afraid of telling it like it was. He wasn't afraid of using the word nigger in front of mainstream audiences. He represent comedy from the black persepctive. Black folk could identify. We could understand. We laughed. So when we see Chris Rock, Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac, we see Richard. When we saw Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy in his early days, we saw Richard. Because Richard Pryor was the original King of Comedy. He opened up doord for black comedians that were closed before he came along. He will be missed. The muthafucka was funny.

It's now officially Christmas time!

2005-12-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

"Lights please." - Linus

Every year as the holiday season approaches, I come across some idiot who says "Well I finished my Christmas shopping in July." Even worse, the Friday after Thanksgiving known as "Black Friday" exposes how foolish we as citizens act when it's time to begin the Christmas shopping season. From the latest Cabbage Patch Doll to Tickle Me Elmo to the XBOX 360 to whatever the hottest item of the year is, people will stand in line forever, forever ever, ever-ever to get "the" gift. Fights have broken out over the last gift in stock. Silly. As early as a week or two before THANKSGIVING, I have seen lights go up and trees being lit, all anticipation for the holidays. As a go about my daily routines, I may run into someone I know and they casually ask "Are you ready for Christmas?" Very stern, even to the point of being sarcastic I say "No." This past Friday, the 2nd of December, I took a walk through the mall, just browsing. The line for Santa Clause was at least 30 feet long. I could barely manage my way through the crowd in the different stores. As I looked at peoples faces, they appeared to be filled with holiday cheer. It appeared as though visions of sugar plums were dancing in their heads. I still wasn't there yet. I wasn't ho-ho-ho'n yet.

But tonight, amidst my attempting to get in the Christmas spirit, it happened. A Charlie Brown Christmas came on television. The short, 30-minute movie, originally aired in 1965 and was based on the comic "The Peanuts" created by the late Charles Schultz. Over the course of 40 years, A Charlie Brown Christmas has stood the test of time and in my opinion is the best Christmas special ever created. With all due respect to Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, Schultz kept it simple and in doing so was able to use his characters to send the real meaning of Christmas out to millions. He incorporated biblical quotes and traditional Christmas hymns. In the age of commercialism and being politically correct when it comes to the "Holiday Season" A Charlie Brown Christmas, 40 years later, remains a breath of fresh air. Until tonight, I was being a Scrooge. But after watching Charlie Brown discover the true meaning of Christmas, I'm ready. It may be corny, but oh well. It's now officially Christmas time!

Goodbye to two icons...

2005-11-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

For those of us born in the late '70s, early '80s this past weekend, we lost two icons that many of us grew to love growing up. Stan Berenstain noted author best know for his children's book series The Berenstain Bears and Pat Morita, better known to us as Mr. Miyagi both passed away. For me, reading "The Berenstain Bears" was a hobby of mine during my younger days as I learned to read and was probably the beginning of me developing the enourmous vocabulary that I possess today. Mr. Berenstain provided a generation with fun-filled books that were easy to understand and at the same time provided life lessons that at a young age were very valuable for us in that stage in life. He was no Dr. Seuss, but his work will always be remembered.

I don't think there's a person in the world who will ever forget Mr. Miyagi. All due respect to Jackie Chan, but without Mr. Miyagi and the Karate Kid, unless you a real martial arts buff, all that kicking and karate in movies would be pretty lame. Withour Mr. Miyagi, we would have never had "Daniel son" without Mr. Miyagi we would never have a reason to try and eat with chopsticks and without Mr. Miyagi, everytime we wash our vehicles, we would never say "Wax on-Wax off."

Can I Live?

2005-11-30T01:14:00.000-05:00

One of the stories I've been following recently is the battle to save the life of Stanley "Tookie" Williams. I actually had to revise this post due to the developments that occurred on Friday, Dec. 1 of which you can see on the link I provided. Tookie is a former leader of the L.A. Crips who is currently on death row for murders he committed in the late 70s is scheduled to be put to death via lethal injection on Dec. 13. Over the course of his stay in prison and on death row, apparently Tookie has turned his life around for the better. He has written several childrens books and has spoken out to peopl about the bad things about gang life. As a result, many gang-bangers have turned their lives around because of Tookie.

So now, there is a fight to save Tookie's life. Protesters are saying that because he has turned his life for the better and has had such a positive effect on the community, his life should be spared. Jamie Foxx, who played Tookie in a movie depicting his life has come to the forefront and is one of the leading voices on saving Tookie's life. There is still an outside chance that California Governor Terminator 2 can still grant Williams clemency. An outside chance.

So the debate is on. Should Tookie live. On one hand, you have a former gangbanger who has committed crimes and will possibly face the ultimate punishment. Death. One could say the judicial system worked. On the other hand, being that he's been on death row over 20 years, he's had the opportunity to, as "the man" says, become "rehabilitated." He's changed his life around. Does that count? Should that count? Does the punishment still fit the crime?

The death penalty has always been a sensitive issue in the United States. It's a countdown. You know the exact day, hour and moment your life will end. It undoubtedly is torture. But there seems to be a problem with the death penalty. Should we as a country have the liberty to end someone's life.? Sure people have committed crimes that "fit the punishment" in some people opinions, but should they die. Is it revenge? If a loved one of yours was brutally murdered, would you want to see the person who did it die? Hmmm. But more often than not, death row inmates wait for years before they even get close to their final day. Over the course of time, many improve their state of mind and become generally good people. So when this happens, opinions on whether they should live or die changes, as is the case with Tookie. The benefit of the doubt is given. Because the person has improved their life, judgement on them is often clouded. Should it be this way? Are we putting to death a cold-hearted criminal who 5-10-15 years ago committed a horrendous crime or are we putting to death a decent human being who is trying to get his or her life together? Hmmm.

Time will tell. Until then, many death row inmates, like Tookie, are continuing to use their time to rehabilitate themselves, make the best out of their lives. Is it a waste of time? Their lives rest in the hands of the government, the only ones, who at that last minute, can save their lives. How often does that happen? People die changed men and women, but that still doesn't erase what they did. Right? They only can hope that they can live.

Oh Give Thanks!

2005-11-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

Psalms 107 verse 1 says "Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving. As we spent time with family and friends, renewed old acquaintances, watched football and ate, ate and ate at some point during they day and over the course of the weekend, many of us took time to reflect and give thanks. Whether your family gathers for prayer and everyone gives a testimony of what they're thankful or whether you secretly and discretely offer some sort of thanks to who or whatever you serve, the fourth Thursday of November gives us an opportunity to count our blessings, name them one by one and give thanks, for despite how much we front sometimes, all of us have something to be thankful for.

I was blessed to be able to visit with my Corinthia for a couple of days and be with my family for Thanksgiving day. As always there wasn't enough time to do everything I wanted to do and see everyone I wanted to see, but just to get away and be around the people I love and respect the most in this world was a blessing in itself. I gave thanks for that. As I said earlier I was able to sit down and have dinner with my family, something I wasn't able to do last year. Last year was my first thanksgiving away from home and away from family. So I gave thanks that I was able to be home again with family and that over the last year, my circle of family and friends wasn't broken due to death. I gave thanks for that.

Much to my surprise, my dad asked my to say the thanksgiving blessing. A "honor" usually reserved for my grandfather, James A. Hudson, Sr., My dad, James, Jr. asked me to step up to the plate. I ablidged. I don't remember what I said, but it was from the heart and sense the smell of stuffing was coming up my nose, I kept it pretty short.

Back to the passage of scripture, Oh give thanks... Sure thanksgiving is an "official" time and date to give thanks and enjoy everything that goes with that special day, but not just on Thanksgiving should we make a point to give thanks. Each and everyday we wake up and are able to go here and there freely, we should give thanks, simply because its only a blessing that we're not sick, unable to reason and thinks with a sound mind, unable to move around on our own. I give thanks for my life, my fiancee', my close friends, my family, my job and just the ability to be able to give thanks. I hope you have something to be thankful for.

My Prerogative...An Ode to ME!!!

2005-11-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

"Tell me, tell me Why can't I live my life (live my life) Without all of the things that people say (oooh)" - Bobby Brown, 1989

My dear friend, Miss Erinn R. Johnson, has been bugging me day in and day out to give her a "shout-out" in my blog. At times it can be overbearing, even to the point of being bothersome, but I deal with it. So in light of her recent blog, which you can find at the above link, I figured this was the best opportunity to give her a shout out. EJ recently had a boo prospect who had an issue with her petiteness, saying that he does not usually date petite women. That was ok, but apparently he kept forcing the issue of that, which was a turn off. In her words, she didn't want to be anyones experiment. I thought to myself, should a person male or female, have to be subject to criticism just because of who they are? On a side note, even if this guy had of come correct, she probably would have found something wrong with him, because that's just how sistas are. Never satisfied. *sigh*

Anyways, as with any situation I come in contact with, I try and see how it relates to me and where I am with my life. I was watching BET 25 special the other night. It was basically a suck up to Bob Johnson, but that's another story. However, Bobby Brown, yeah him, came out and performed with New Edition and then went on to perform probably his only hit, "My Prerogative" As a 7-year-old, when this song first came out, I had no idea what it meant, but as I listening to him attempt to sing and then to absorb EJ's recent situation, I wondered to myself, am I comfortable with myself? Do I care what people think about me? Do I try to change who I am just to conform to what society says is right?

I came to the conclusion that I don't, even thought I knew this already. I am me, I am OK. Over the course of my 23.5 years, many a person has brought to my attention things that they don't like about me. (Perceived arrogance, sarcasm, my jokes, etc.) I have also been told that I need to adjust somethings as I enter the professional arena (Outspokeness, my "black" lingo, my "black" walk, ya know). While some of the advice has been well received, I decided that if I were to change somethings, I wouldn't be being me. So if I can't be true to myself who can I be true with?

EJ is who she is and should have to deal with unecessary BS just because of some guy. God made me who I am and I'm content with that, despite what people may say or who may approve or disapprove. I'm going to do me and I suggest that you do you as well.

Would you hit it?

2005-11-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

It seems that a couple of my female associates and fellow bloggers have been talking about sex and relationships in some of their recent posts. Out of respect for them, I won't name names, but they know who they are. I'll refer to them as Toya and Kim. It's not just them, it seems there are a lot of women struggling with relationship and unhappy with their men and just bitter about their situtaions.

Toya is officially on what I like to call a sex strike. She seems to have a problem with today's society and how sex has come so casual among people. Toya believes that people should not become sexually intimate unless they are emotionally attached to each other. Basically, she's become anti-cut buddy material. She questioned whether sex should be a part of the progression from friendship to serious relationship.

I read what "Toya" had to say and I even discussed it with her some. She asked me what I thought. I didn't say what I really thought out of respect for her and because she's a friend. And plus, I'm a guy. Most guys enjoy sex and when they have to deal with the 25 questions in their attempt to get some a$$, they lose interest and move on. Sad. Yes, but true. Many men aren't intially concerned with getting to know a female deeply. We scan the lay of the land and see something we like, then we go for it, especially in college. If we're lucky, we find a female who is down for the get down (see cut buddies or friends with benefits).

However, on occasion we find a woman that we're had no remote interest in starting a relationship with, but somewhere along the line we get hooked and next thing you know we're engaged (see Jamar).

But as a guy who's been getting down with the get down since 14, I really couldn't answer Toya's question directly. Am I right? No. Should we abandon sex until we get to know someone? Probably. I guess to each his own.

On the other hand there's "Kim." A very good friend of mine who I talk to nearly every day. Kim has another dilemma. She has a full-time cut buddy whom, to my amazement, can call anytime of the day and say "I'm coming over" and its a done deal. Now, I aint say she a gold digger, but she aint....ya know. She's cool with that. They both understand that its nothing more, nothing less. But she's tired. She wants something more stable. A lot of her oh so beautiful friends are going for the younger man route. She's a little picky though. She said it would take a "highly mature" 19-year-old for her to give him the time of day. She's impatient.

I constantly have said, when I was 19, I'd do anything to have the attention of a 22-year-old. I told her that "freshmeat" would have her twisted. All I get is a *sigh* That goes back to her being picky.

She has a checklist for prospect. 1. Good looking. 2. Goal oriented. 3. Sexual Vibes. That's fine and all but you never know who'll come into your life and more importantly when. It's at the least expected moment you're ideal person will pop into your life. But until that time you gotta get yours!

Sunday Randomness...

2005-11-06T14:03:00.000-05:00

From the sea to the pros
Big ups to former Hampton Pirates Devin Green and Jerome Mathis! The 2005 graduates are both making names for themselves in the professional ranks. Green with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Mathis with the NFL's Houston Texans. Mathis has already won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week once and has been nominated for Rookie of the Week twice. Green gets to ball with Kobe, enough said. It's not that often that players from Hampton make moves to the pros, so I have to give them some props.

Chuuuuuurch!
I try to go to church on the regular. I average about 2.5 Sundays a month which is good, but I can always do better. I went today and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The sermon was good, choir sang their hearts and it was just spirit filled. But one thing stood out to me. I'm going to need for the music ministry not to turn the altar call segment into a jazz improv. While the pastor was giving the customary "Is there one in the house who doesn't know the Lord" segment and while the deacons were preparing communion, Mr. Piano player, Mr. Drummer and Mr. Bass player decided they wanted to spice it up a little bit and next thing you know, they were jamming. I must admit, I lost focus a little bit and was nodding my head. I'm sure they meant no harm, they probably just caught the spirit. May God have mercy on our souls.

Star Watching
This weekend at the Miles and Morehouse football game, I had the chance to talk with Mrs. Pauletta Washington, wife of Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington. The two were on hand to watch their son John David play. "J.D." is a running back for Morehouse College. I wasn't able to talkwith Denzel because he doesn't allow media when he's watching his son. But in the 5 minutes I talked with Pauletta, she was the best smelling woman I have even stodd next to. Not to mention that watch that nearly blinded me.

Let it Go
I don't get out much, but a couple of my colleagues wanted to go to a party Friday, so I ablidged. We went to this party sponsored by Omega Psi Phi in this hole in the wall joint down in the hood. The party was apart of Knoxville College homecoming weekend, so I'm expecting some people around my age to be up in there. Quite the contrary. The majority of the people there were in the 30 and up club trying to hang on to the little bit of partying juice they have left. There were 40-year men there trying to spit game and there were 40-year women dressed in halter tops and jeans that were skin tight, revealing their cottage cheese figure. You got to know when to let it go.

Furniture Moving
About 2 or 3 times a week, my neighbors above me get their groove on. It can be at 10 in the morning or at 11 at night. I'm all for wild and crazy sex and rolling around. Ya know. But I don't what the hell is going on up there. It's some serious furniture moving going on up there. Hey I aint mad at them though. I always give them the "I know whats going on" look everytime I pass them outside.

The Measure of Success...

2005-10-31T14:59:00.000-05:00

This afternoon as I sat and enjoyed my day off, I was flipping through the channels and came across some old basketball games on ESPNClassic. The NBA season starts Tuesday, Nov. 1 so in preparation, there were a lot of old NBA games being aired. I happened to catch Game 1 of the 1991 Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers aka Magic versus Michael. Game 1 was the only game the Bulls lost in the series as MJ finally broke through and won his first NBA championship defeating the Lakers 4 games to 1. As I sat and watched, not only did it feel good watching the good ol' days, but as the game ended, I started thinking. In this particular game, the Bulls lost by one. Who missed the game winning shot? Michael Jordan. We don't associate His Airness with missed game winning shots. We forget those, which were many. We see Mike, shooting over Ehlo. We see Mike, pushing off (thats right) on Bryon Russell to beat the Jazz. We see Mike at UNC, securing a National Championship with a game winning shot. I thought how ironic this was. What made MJ successful was moments like that. Missed game winning shots, lost games. But do we as a society acknowledge this? Or do we just see the feel good moments and don't think there was any bumps and hard work that brought about these moments.

Forget about MJ for a second. How do you and I measure success? Many of us have decent jobs, are doing well in school...yada, yada, yada. When people see us, they may say "You doing alright" or "Must be nice" We smile, we are politically correct. But when someone recognizes are well being, do we think of what it took to get to that point or do we forget how we got there. For you who are so-called mentors, when you get praise, do you ever stop to say "thanks, but let me tell you how I got to this point."

Is success measure by what we achieve or what we had to overcome to achieve. In Jordan's case, there missed shots, losses, run-ins with teammates. He had to conquer those things BEFORE he won 6 championships. What have you and I overcome to be successful or what will we have to overcome? Some will have to overcome not-so-great backgrounds. The struggle as I like to call it. Some will have to overcome discrimination whether race, religion or sex. Some will have to deal with not getting that dream job as soon as they want. THey may have to hustle a while longer than others. Overcoming that in itself could be a success for some people. Success doesn't come easy. What people consider a success varies. Either way, it doesn't come easy.

Just Because...

2005-10-27T23:19:00.000-05:00

It seems that this is the latest thing in the world of bloggin' So I figured, why not give it a shot.

I am not: friendly to people I don't know
I hurt: when I can't be there to help someone
I love: spending time with family and friends
I hate: losing at anything
I hope: my grandparents live to see me get married
I hear: my phone ring no matter how far away I am from it.
I regret: not playing football in high school.
I cry: hardly ever
I care: about Corinthia's well being
I always: whisper a prayer before I go to sleep.
I long to: be the best
I feel alone: everyday
I listen: to lyrics more than I do beats.
I hide: my emotions more than I should
I drive: "the cavy" a 1998 Chevy Cavalier
I sing: Luther Vandross songs when I travel long distances
I dance: when I go out :)
I write: better than most people on my job.
I breathe: hard when I sleep
I play: on the computer when I'm at work
I miss: Corinthia
I search: for peace and happiness
I say: whatever's on my mind
I feel: like people at work are intimidated by me.
I succeed: becaused I've learned to fail
I fail: which prepares me to succeed
I dream: about everything
I sleep: in a beater and draws
I wonder: what people I went to high school with are doing
I want: to "make it"
I worry: about not making it
I have: my own place, a good job and a lovely woman
I give: good advice
I fight: only when necessary.
I wait: hours for Cori to get ready
I am: a good friend, happy-go-lucky, fun to be around, talented, comical....
I can't: say the word "can't"
I stay: putting people on blast..

She was tired...

2005-10-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

In life, it's not the quantity of what you do, it's the quality. This simply means that even the smallest of actions or deeds can go a long way. On Decmeber 1, 1955 in Montgomery Alabama, one of those small actions occured. I can only imagine what it was like that day. I picture a chilly day, maybe even a tad bit cold. After all, it's Alabama in the winter, so I know it wasn't snowing. I see some people walking along the streets in the afternoon whistling Christmas carols, for it's almost that time of the year. Somewhere in Montgomery on that day stands Mrs. Rosa Parks. She's at the bus stop waiting to head home after a day of work. I don't know what's going on in mind. She probably was exhausted from a long day of sewing. After all she was a seamstress. I see relief on her face as the bus comes near. She gets on. Too tired to make her way to the "Colored Section", Mrs. Parks sits in the front, which at that time could lead to some serious problems. In my mind I don't think Mrs. Parks even cared about the possible ramifications of her actions. She was tired. Too tired that when a white man asked her to get up, she simply said "No"

It was that one word that launched the Civil Rights movement. What if Mrs. Parks wasn't tired that day? Would she have just gone to the back like every other "colored" person was programmed to do? What if she didn't even take the bus home that day? Would we even know who Rosa Parks was? Probably not. But if she hadn't said no, what would have happened? Would we have even heard of a young preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr.? Would there have been a bus boycott or sit-ins? What would have been the effect on my generation. See, Mrs. Parks wasn't a marcher, she wasn't a vocal leader, she didn't preach. She simply said no.

Mrs. Parks died Monday. Around the nation, I saw tributes to the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" I never had the opportunity to meet her, but her actions, enabled me to be where I am today. 50 years ago she simply was tired. Now, she gets to rest. RIP.

Hampton Homecoming 2005

2005-10-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

What you see above is the chapel on the campus of by alma mater, Hampton University. I made the trek to my home by the sea this past weekend for homecoming. So if you've been expecting me to blog, that's where I've been. Homecoming 2005 was...how do I say it...it was aiiiight. I got to see some of my friends, I got to watch the football game, which #3 ranked Pirates won 14-10, I got to go on campus for a little while and of course, I was able to spend time with Cori. So I had a blast!

On the other hand, homecoming was a tad boring. The Soiree was Friday night. The first mistake. How do you have the main homecoming party on Friday? Half the people coming in town don't even get there until Friday night. Secondly, there was not one officialy Hampton Homecoming party on Saturday. Enough said. The homecoming concert featured Ruben Studdard and Lil Scrappy. I haven't talked to anyone who went to the concert. How do you even book those two? That's like booking John Legend and then having Mike Jones. Bad combination. Finally Hampton's Homecoming was the same weekend as Howard's. I love, I love, I love my H..I...U, but everyone and their momma knows Howard's Homecoming is one of the hottest events of the year. More Hampton students wne to D.C. than stayed in Hampton.

Nonetheless, it was good to go back. It was good to get back to the place where I grew into a man. I love Hampton. I love the people there. I love what it did for me. Despite it's subpar homecomings, every year, I'll keep coming back.

Is this how you go to work...?

2005-10-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

It appears as though my beloved NBA is taking yet another step to rid the perceived bad influence of hip-hop out of the league. Earlier this year, the league implemented a 19-year-old age limit on players who are able to enter the league. In other words, no more jumping from high school straight to the pros. Many cried racism. Many said that people were tired of seeing mostly 17 and 18-year-old young black men instantly become mllionaires. Who could debate those allegations? I mean, there's no age limit in any other sports except football. Kids as young as 13 have turned pro in tennis and most recently 16-year-old Michelle Wie turned pro on the LPGA Tour.

The buzz around the league now is a dress code that Commissioner David Stern has mandated. According to the new rule, players will no longer be able to wear:
• Sleeveless shirts
• Shorts
• T-shirts
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player's clothes.
• Sunglasses while indoors.
• Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team locker room).
Players will also now be required to wear a sport coat on the bench when they are not in uniform.

I like to call it the "Allen Iverson" rule. You see my VA homeboy has been the poster child for the NBA's hip-hop image ever since he came into the league. He and many others have had an enormous influence on the way young kids dress and act. On the flip side, players dress and sctions have also had an effect on the league's perception. Many people view the league as a bunch of overpaid thugs, simply because of the way they dress and act off the court, not know that many of these athletes have families are well-behaved and are not threat to society.

It seems as though these blue collar rich businessmen have put pressure on Stern to get rid of the hip-hop league by implementing the dress code. This was never a problem when Michael, Magic and Isiah popped off the team bus in designer suits or when the closest thing to hip-hop the league had was when "Whoop there it is" played over the loudspeaker. The players may not like it, but these same business men are the ones paying their salary. I personally think that the rule's bad. I don't think in sports, a dress code should be mandated. I honestly feel if players didn't dress like AI does in the above picture, it wouldn't be a problem. Different people have different opinions on what is or isn't appropriate dress. I think the NBA committed a foul on this play.

Get Out the Damn Closet!!!

2005-10-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

Dear R.,

I'll admit, Trapped in the Closet was innovative. It was different. It's something we haven't seen before in music. Well, maybe Thriller , but anyways. I defended you when many people were hating on Trapped in the Closet. They didn't understand it. They weren't feelin it. They didn't understand the concept. I liked how you kept us on the edge of our seats. I admired how you turned your lyrics into a muscial drama. However, this evening during my boredom, I was flipping through the channels and much to my surprise... I saw yet another chapter being made. R. C'mon man, don't mess up a good thing. I think you're going a little overboard now. Come out. Open the door. Get out the damn closet!. What happened to the Bump N Grind and 12 Play days? You've gone from 12 Play to I believe I can Fly to Happy People to Trapped in the Closet. Give the chapters a rest. For now at least.

Sincerely,
Big J

On a side note....

-Michelle Duggar, a 39-year-old woman from Arkansas gave birth to her 16th child earlier today. I had to take a double take when I first read it. 16 kids? Someone has been doing some serious, well umm...ya know. But big ups for Jim Bob Duggar, the father of all 16. Needless to say, he's been putting it down. I'm not a parent yet, so I can't even imagine how hard it is to raise one child much less 16 Apparently the Discovery Channel will be doing a feature on the family as they prepare to move in their new 7,000 square foot home later on this yard.

So Big J, how many kids do you and the wifey plan on having?

Three is good number for me. She wants four so we'll see. I know damn well it won't be 16. Ya'll know my motto. "Strap it up before you smack it up."

-Hampton Homecoming is next week. I'll definitely be making a guest appearance. Those who want to see me, please contact me in advance because I'll be in high demand. You may see my at the bazaar, you may see me at Coliseum mall, you may see me at the cab, you may see me in the bandroom. I'm looking forward to it. Mainly because I'll be able to see Cori! Believe me, there will be some furniture moving up in there. *did I say that out loud?* Anyways, I'm declaring an officialy roll call for homecoming. If you go to Hampton and are going to be there for homecoming holla at me.

Monday Randomness...

2005-10-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

- Like most youngsters, I enjoyed my share of candy. Sure, I got the speeches about how too much candy would rot my teeth and how I shouldn't be eating that much candy because I'd get sick. Yada, yada, yada. Believe me, I understand where my parents and other grown ups were coming from. They only wanted the best for me. But like most youngsters, I didn't listen. I used my pocket change and bought Now -N- Laters (Nowalataz), Bubble Gum, Nerds, Airheads and Laffy Taffy. Yeah, that Laffy Taffy. Fast forward about 15 or so years later Laffy Taffy seems to still very popular. Not the candy. There's a song out now called "Shake that Laffy Taffy" or something like that. I had heard about it, but didn't actually hear it until a couple of weeks ago. Needless to say, unlike the candy, the song didn't stimulate my taste buds. It seems, however, to be very popular amongst some people. Is the state of music this bad where "Laffy taffy" can be turned into a mega hit and be into heavy rotation? *sigh* Someone pass me a piece of candy.

-There was disappointment yesterday along the Beltway as the previously unbeaten Washington Redskins lost their first game of the season to Denver 21-19. While is was a disappointing loss with several questionable calls, I was proud of the 'Skins for how well they played in defeat. If there is such a thing as a good loss, this was it as Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins put it. Kansas City fans, you're on the clock!

-I try to stay up to date on the world of politics. Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I've been paying very close attention to how the big shots in D.C. I was particularly interested in the recent nomination of Harriet Miers. Maybe some of you conservatives acan explain to me how a person with no judicial experience can be nominated for the highest court in the land.

-My mom ran into a couple of young ladies I went to high school with the other day in the grocery store. Since I was the big man on campus in high school *snicker*, they immediately asked how I was doing. One of these young ladies had a baby and the other one, in the words of my mom, "had put on quite a few pounds" I often wonder how people I grew up with are doing. It's been five years since I graduated from high school and I can count on my finger how many of my classmates I have kept in contact with since graduation day. I'm thankful, I was able to get away from home and have some opportunities. A lot of times, those of our friends and classmates who are "left behind" at home end up pregnant, in jail, in trouble, or just aren't the same. Being cool in high school, doesn't guarantee success in life.

They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To...

2005-10-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry. No really I am. I really really am. But you see I've been trying my hardest, absolute hardest to remember what girls looked like when I was 16, 17, and 18 years old. I'm consulted fellow classmates, friends and family. I'm dusted off yearbooks, scrapbooks and old newspapers clippinsg, searching. I've done internet searches. But I've come up short. I've failed. You see when I was 17 there was nothing around that looked like what you see to your right ---------------------------->
Fellas, you know what I'm talking about. Most of the girls we knew that were 17 didn't look like they were 25-26 (see pic). Most of the girls we knew at 17 didn't look like wifey material (see pic). At 17, if a honey had some shape to her and was "cute" it was ok. That's all that mattered, because at 17 , all we were trying to do was... well...ya know. Ladies, you know who you are, stop hating, because if you look like that (see pic) when you were 17, you're lying. You probably had braces and microbraids. So don't comment talking about how fine you were when you were in high school. Meka Lee was the finest girl (in my opinion) in my graduating class and she's nowhere near what you see (see pic).

Teairra Mari (see pic), the newest member of the ROC has to be the finest 17-year-old in history. Why do I feel nasty for saying that. I know there are attractive 17-year-olds out there, but they're not famous so they don't count. She's from tha D which my dear friend Erin L. Hill likes to remind everyone. Hey E, when I come to the D take me to her hood.

TIMEOUT!!!!

Jamar, aren't you engaged? Why are you even concerned what other girls look like. What if Cori reads this, she's gonna be pissed. I know I would.

Cry me a river. First off all, I look don't touch. Second of all there is no way I'd have a chance with Teairra (not due to the lack of game), because she's a star. And third, I have to deal with Cori talk about Will Smith, Allen Iverson, Tyrese, Tyson, Shemar Moore, Denzel, Carmelo, Ray Lewis and on and on and on and on. So let me have my moment. Damn. Bitta Sistas.

I digress.

It seems that this is a new trend in the world. Young women look 5-10 years older than they are. Warning to the fellas, check ID. Check the date before you make her your mate. Don't be a statistic. I don't want to come see you in the fed.

Jail bait never looked so tempting. I just want to know why weren't these type of girls around in the 90s. I mean really, all we had was TLC, En Vouge and Salt N Pepa. Not "Teairra-airra-airra-airra. Gucci sweater. Louis leather." -Kanye West (Make Her Feel Good Remix)

10 years ago...

2005-10-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

October 3, 1995. I sat in Mr. McKeetheran's 8th grade biology class. Nothing was special about that day. I don't remember much, but more than likely I was sitting in the back making fun of the teacher. You see Mr. Keetheran was one of those typical middle school biology teachers. He wore a tie, suspenders and some of the thickest glasses I've seen to this day. Anyways, Mr. Coleman, who was the resident all-purpose teacher, meaning he really didn't have a class of his own, he just taught gym and was the Detention supervisor, comes in the the class and utters two words - "Not guilty"

We all knew what he was talking about. OJ Simpson. For months, the Hall of Fame running back's murder trial captivated a nation more than any trial we had ever seen or ever will see. It raised issues of race, sex, money, the integrity of the judicial system, you name it. Everyday the trial was on CNN. Marcia Clark, Judge Ito, Chris Darden, the late Johnnie Cochran. For months we saw the evidence, all of which in my opinion, pointed towards the Juice. You see, as I said earlier, this case showed that race was still a major issue in the United States. We saw Mark Furhman be accused of planting evidence. We saw the beautiful blonde Nicole Simpson allegedly attacked by the black Simpson. We saw it all. But in an instance, 10 years ago today, the not guilty verdict allowed the racial divide in this country show it's ugly face. You remember the highlights. Blacks cheering, whites in shock. Whites said "how could this happen" Blacks said "justice -finally"

That was not the case for everyone though. Me? I thought the bama was guilty. I still do. I didn't rally around the Juice like some of my black brothers and sisters did. Yeah I enjoyed the Hertz commercials and the movies. Yeah, he was a great running back. But I had a hard time identifying with OJ. Too often, black celebrities who make it big forget where they came from..that is until they get in trouble. Whenever trouble comes, they come running back to us *paging Michael Jackson* So I wasn't going to jump on the OJ Simpson bandwagon just because he was black. What happened that night? Only three people know. One is still walking around today. But those who remember that summer will always remember the white bronco, the mugshot and October 3, 1995. One thing is certain though...

"If it don't fit, you must acquit"

A Great Book..

2005-10-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

Those who know me well, know that I'm a huge fan of Tom Joyner. When I get up early enough, I'm a faithful listener of his nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. When I don't get up early, which is more often than not, I catch his show online. I've been a supporter of Tom and his efforts for a while now. Not because, he and my parents went to school together, although that did play a role in my first learning about him, but because he worked extremely hard to get where he is today. Everyday for years, he would do a morning show in Dallas and fly to Chicago to do an after noon show. EVERYDAY! He eventually found his break and when he did, he didn't forget where he came from. Tom gives back. To his community and to his first love Historically Black COlleges and Universities. I admire him for that. I just finished his new book. "I'm Just a DJ But...It Makes Sense to Me" For you bookworms who are looking for a pretty easy read, this is a great book. For you hustlas who are losing confidence in your plan, this is a great book. For you C- students who don't think you'll be successful, this is a great book. So, you get the point. Go buy it. read it and you won't be disappointed. I guarantee it.

Bumps in the Road

2005-09-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

The beauty of life (or should I say irony) is that for every high there is a low. There are moments, some last longer than others, were everything goes right. The weather, job, money, friends and family. Everything and everyone is on the same page. Even when things don't go right, you find a way to find some positive out of it. All in all, you're just in a damn good mood. On the flip side, there are times when you're just down in the dumps, nothing's going right and no matter where you turn there's negativity. These moments are what I like to call "bumps in the road." We all have them. The important thing is how we handle our bumps in the road. Some people are better at it than others. It's sometimes hard to handle the bumps simply because when things are going well, we don't have to worry as much. But as soon as things take a turn for the worst, we panic. We have a hard time dealing with the issues. The true test of a person's character and will is how they handle bumps in the road. They can either fold up and go crazy, or we can hold our head up high and handle whatever comes our way. Bumps in the road can be what my oh so beautiful friends of Allllllpha Kappa Allllllpha Sorority, Inc. call "A Ser-i-ous Mat-ter" or they can be minor.

I had a bad few days last week. I didn't feel well, job was stressing me out, the wifey and I weren't on the same page and so forth and so on. Being by youself and not have a support system, you learn quickly how to deal with issues, both good and bad. You learn how to be humble when things are going well and be strong when things aren't going the way you think they ought. You learn that life, no matter how beautiful it can be, can be just as ugly from time to time. The important thing is that will take the bitter with the sweet, suck it up and move on.

Sunday Randomness...

2005-09-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

-It has occurred to me that I am one of the few avid sports fans who has not jumped on the Fantasy Sports bandwagon. It's seems that Fantasy Sports has become more important than the actual games. There are websites devoted to fantasy play, there are television segments that update fans on how their fantasy picks are doing. Maybe it's because I'm not very educated as to how the process works, but I just don't see the excitement in paying money to compete in some unrealistic football league. I'll just stick watching the real game.

-I sat behind a gay couple today at church. I know what you're thinking. "How do you know they were gay Jamar?" Well first of all, the two gentlemen were sitting a little too close for comfort in a place of worship. Secondly, when it was time for the "period of fellowship" I got a "broken wrist" handshake. Seeing a gay couple in church struck me as odd, as a matter of fact it was kind of a distraction. I'll admit I still have a long way to go as far as being acceptable of different lifestyles. I've gotten to know a few gay men (not like that) the last few year and it's been a eye opener to say the least. Knowing homosexuals has allowed me to not be so judgemental when I see them in public.

-I always find it interesting to come in contact with minorities, particularly black folks, who are naive to the fact that racism is still very prevelant in today's age. Their main argument is "why does the color of ones skin matter" or "why must you always be racial." These are the same people, who, when they finally experience their first real taste of mistreatment, become pro-black overnight. Sure, we've come a long way, but minorities should never forget what it took to get there.

-One of my new favorite quotes comes from the new Nike "High School" commercials. A high school coach tells his players "The man who says he can and the man who says he can't are both right. Which one are you?" To me, it tells me that my destiny is in my hands, it's up to me.

-Hampton Homecoming is less than a month away. The Uppity Negro Radar will be in full effect.

-It's been years since I've kept up with "Prime Time" television. As a matter of fact, my last memories of being a regular primetime viewer was back in the day when TGIF consisted of Family Matters, Step by Step and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. With apologies to Desperate Housewives, Lost and Survivor, I'm just not into network primetime television. Give me ESPN, CNN and Nick at Nite and I'll be good.

-I hear the term "life changing event" a lot. Whether it's a car accident, death of a family member or friend or a religious revelation, it seems that a lot of people have had something to happen to them to make them look a life from a new perspective. I was watching Driven last night on VH1 and Kanye West was talking about how his near fatal accident changed is life. I thought to myself. "Have I had a life changing experience yet?" I couldn't think of one. Does it have to be a near death experience? I hope not.

Sista Gurl in "F*** that hoe!"

2005-09-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

*It's Friday! After a long week of work, Sista Gurl is ready for a night on the town. She calls up her girl Alize' to set up the evening's plans. She goes in the 'fridge and pulls out the Henny for a lil pre-club drink. It's on tonight. She goes to pick up Alize' and they head for the club.*

Sista Gurl: Daaaaaamn! Would you look at that line, I told you we should've left earlier.
Alize': *smacks lips* Don't even worry, we'll be up there in no time. Maybe we can get a cutie to let us in front of him.

*50 minutes later*

Alize': awwww yeah. I told you it wouldn't take that long. It's live up in here tonight. Let's hit up the bar.
Sista Gurl: Umm hmm I need a drink after standing outside that long. Oh wait girl, look at this fiooone brotha standing there.
Alize': Gurl don't stare, let him notice you. He's over by the bar too. Let's go over there.
Sista Gurl: Don't even try it, I called him first, he's mine.

*At the bar*

Sista Gurl: *to the bartender* Umm let me get a Long Island Ice Tea.
Fine Brotha: Excuse me, can I take care of that for you.
Sista Gurl: *frontin'* That's ok. I got it. I don't even know you.
Fine Brotha: My name's Tyson, I'm a financial assistant downtown.
Sista Gurl: *still frontin'* Oh hi. Tyson, that's sounds interesting.
Fine Brotha: So you're not going to tell me your name?
Sista Gurl: Maybe later. Let me finish my drink
Fine Brotha: Well, at least, let me get your number before you leave
Sista Gurl: Aight

*Sista Gurl give him her number and her and Alize head to the velvet couches that surround the club*

Alize': Sooooo what did he say?
Sista Gurl: Dat n***** talkin about he's a financial assistant. I didn't believe him for one second. Plus he said his name was Tyson. WTF?
Alize': Why didn't you believe him?
Sista Gurl: You know how brothas are. ALWAYS lying just to see who they can get wit for the night?
Alize': Well all I know is that if you don't want him I'll...
Sista Gurl: What?
Alize': Look who just walked up in here...

*In walks Tracy, the superfine chick, Sista Gurl's ex-boo has been seing every since they broke up. Like most women, Sista Gurl can't stand the girl who's giving her ex-boo affection*

Alize': Look at that bitch. Comin' up in here thinkin' she cute.
Sista Gurl: I know girl, I should go over there and beat that ass. I don't even know what he sees in her.
Alize':Why you trippin' She don't even know you. YOu should be mad at you boo, or ex-boo for leaving you.
Sista Gurl: Yeah but, still, I just don't feel right being near that hoe.
Alize': Why she gotta be a hoe?
Sista Gurl: Cuz she got what's supposed to be mine, so f*** that hoe!, Let's get outta here
Alize': But it doesn't shut down for another hour.
Sista Gurl: I don't care, I lost my buzz
Alize': *sigh* AIght. Well what about Tyson?
Sista Gurl: I don't even want to think about men right now
Alize': Well, when he calls you, give him my number.

Until next time...

Stubborn vs. Stubborn

2005-09-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

I'm engaged to a stubborn young lady. She's engaged to a stubborn young man. So when we bump heads, our stubbornness comes out with avengence. I think I'm right, she think's she's right. I don't think what I did wasn't that bad, she doesn't think what she did wasn't that bad. Neither stubborn wants to admit they are wrong. It leads to a battle of wits so to speak. Neither stubborn is willing to give in, say we are sorry. As a man, you never want to admit you're wrong, which is wrong anyways. You think that what you're doing is in the best interest, but to the woman it doesn't across that way. Women get defensive easily. Yes they do EJ! They want to feel loved at all times, so when a stubborn man upsets her, her stubborness reveals itselfs. And then, it's on.

TIMEOUT!
Before I get a bunch of comments from bitter sistas complaining about how I need to treat my woman right, let me just say that there is nothing wrong in my relationship, I'm just basing this blog on a discussion I had the other day. *sigh*

What I like about my relationship and what makes relationships great in general is that two people are able to compliment each other. My strength works with her weaknesses and vice versa. A lot of times, we tend to look for someone who thinks, feels, acts exactly like we do. When we do this we fail to appreciate the uniqueness and individuality of a person. If everyone was the same, there would be nothing to learn about people. Each person brings something to the table, whether it's a strong personality or a sense of humor. When both parties combine their strengths, it can be a beautiful thing. When both parties use each others strength to compliment their partners weakness, it makes the relationship go smooth. However, when we clash, instead of appreciating each others strengths, we get stubborn and stand by what we feel is right and don't care what the other person thinks, says or feels.

There's nothing wrong with being stubborn and holding our ground when we go against another stubborn person. The important this is that once we cool down, we realized and understand where we were wrong and how we can correct the problem. I'll always be stubborn, she'll always be stubborn. But what makes it all work out is that we can agree to disagree. We yell, bitch, get mad, but we move on.

T.G.I.F.

2005-09-15T23:27:00.000-05:00

It's Friiiiiddaaaaay!!!.

A few of my regular readers have brought it to my attention that I hadn't blogged in over 3 days, which goes against me regular schedule. First of all, don't you think I know that and two sometimes I feel like blogging, sometimes I don't. I mean really, some of my fellow bloggers go 1-2 weeks between blogs. They know who they are. Apparantly, a lot of people are visiting the Boom-Boom Room on a regular basis. My beautiful blonde-headed buddy Erinn Johnson even said that I'm on her must-read list everyday and that my site is listed as one of her "favorites" How nice. But lately, I really haven't had anything to talk about. There's only so much Katrina related issues I can discuss. Sista Gurl is becoming very popular, but I can't have an episode everyday. So bare with me folks, don't fret. If I go more than three days without blogging, be patient I shall return. But anyways, It's Friday and there have been a few things I have noticed over the last few days.

-Why is Ray J still singing? It's bad enough he hosts BET.com Countdown (Yes, I do watch BET), but it's really time for him to give up his singing career. It's not happening. His one hit was that joint he did with Lil Kim a while ago.

-Speaking of Lil Kim. I always find it funny how a music celebrity is celebrated before heading to jail. Ms. Jones, who was found guilty of perjury earlier this year, will serve a year in jail beginning sometime this month. However from the VMAs to Access Granted, the Queen Bee has been everywhere. Shouldn't she be packing her clothes? Is this something we should be glorifying? Maybe it's jsut me.

-I was extremely proud of the NBA players who went down to Houston and helped out the Katrina evacuees and had a charity game for their benefit. A lot of times the NBA gets a bad rap for being a league full of thugs who only are in it for the money. But to see some of the high profile NBA stars like Kobe, LeBron, T-Mac and Carmelo down there giving a helping hand did my heart good.

-While we're on the evacuee subject, last weekend I had to ask one of our editors to change the headline of a story that was on the web. Why? Well in the headline, he used the word "refugee". I told him that wasn't an appropriate term. He was kind of caught off guard and said "well, let's look it up." We did, and after he saw the light he said, "well i guess you have a point." I smiled and walked away.

-Why are there so many bitter sistas? Let me not go there today.....

-It appears that the women of the WNBA are complaining because their league sucks...oh I meant it's ratings are low. Now I've watched my share of WNBA games mainly the Houston Comets, but seriously, does anyone take this league seriously. Not knocking women's hoops because the girls can play, but they schedule games inthe summer when most sports fans are into baseball and anticipating football season. As long as their season is in the summer, the ratings will remain low.

-Why does Tyra Banks have a talk show? Not that I mind, because I wouldn't mind watching Tyra for an hour and especially if she brings Eva on for a show.

-Am I the only one who still sees Marques Houston as Roger from Sister-Sister?

9/11 Remembered...

2005-09-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was Tuesday. Not hot, but not yet fall. In other words, a typical September day at Hampton U. I was a sophomore so I had not yet figured out that it wasn't cool to have class at 8 in the morning. Following my biology class I walked out Turner Hall and ran into one of my boys. "You heard what happened?" he asked. "Naw, what's up?" I replied. "They blew up the World Trade Center," he said. I didn't think much of it. I figured it was just another minor incident.. Nothing major. "I'll holla at you later," I told him. I made my way back to my dorm and found my roomate glued to CNN. Then I realized that this was much more serious than I'd ever thought. I'll never forget the look on my roomates face. He was from Newark, right across the river from Manhattan. This was home to him. This was a skyline he saw every time he opened his door. "What the hell is going on?"I thought to myself. A lot of my associates/classmates/friends were from the tri-state area. They couldn't get in contact with family. They were nervous. They were scared. Some were crying. I sat and I watched. I don't think I went to class the rest of the day. I watched people jump 100-plus stories to their deaths. I saw The World Trade Center, an American landmark, something that defined the NYC collapse right before my eyes. Again I asked "What the hell is going on?" Meanwhile, closer to home, I fiind out that a plane has crashed in the Pentagon and one was on the way to the White House. My dad called me to see if I knew what was going on. I had lots of family in Arlington, Alexandria and the surrounding areas. I know people who work in the Pentagon and with the government in D.C. "Are they ok?" I wondered.

In a matter of about 50 minutes, our lives changed forever. I would later find out that a cousin of mine was coming up the elevator of the Pentagon City METRO station around the same time the plane struck the Pentagon. I have a cousin that works for the Deparment of Defense who frantically was evacuated of the building due to the fact that there was a plane supposedly heading for the area.

It's been four years, yet the memory of the day still lingers. My generation doesn't remember the Civil Righs Movement, we weren't around for Vietnam or the Great Depression. For us, September 11, 2001 was a day that will with us for ever. Wherever we are, not matter how old we are, whenever the calendar shows September 11, we'll always remember that day.

Sista Gurl in "Damn Gas is High"

2005-09-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

*After a long week of work, Sista Gurl's "boo" calls her up. He wants to treat her to a nice candlelight dinner at the city's top lounge across town*

Boo: What's up?
Sista Gurl: Nothing, just got home not too long ago.
Boo: You wanna go out later?
Sista Gurl: I don't care. What do you wanna do?
Boo: Well I thought I'd treat my girl to one of the top restaurants in town tonight. I'll throw on some slacks and a button up and you can get all cute and it will be on.
Sista Gurl: Awww, that's so sweet. What time?
Boo: I figured we could head out around 9.
Sista Gurl: Good, that will give me time to freshen up. You want me to just come over to your place and we go from there?
Boo: That's cool.
Sista Gurl: Aight, I'll call you when I'm on my way.
Boo: See ya later.

*Sista Gurl rests a while and then gets ready. She stands in the mirror and admires herself. She's decked out in a short, black dress. It's sexy yet classy. She glosses and leaves a wet, smooth shine. She slips on her stiletto heels, grabs her purse and heads out the door. When she turns on the car, she realizes, her tank is on E.*

Sista Gurl: Shit, I don't have any gas. There's no way I can make it to his house on this. I think I have enough to make it to 7-11 and fill up.

*She's able to make it to the 7-11 where she looks up at the gas prices*

Sista Gurl: What the hell? $3.55 for regular. Damn this gas is high. I ain't paying 3.55 for gas, let me try to Amoco down the street.

*It's 8:50 and Sista Gurl is starting to sweat. She hasn't called her boo yet, because she doesn't want him to get mad. After all, he always tells her never to let her tank get below a quarter full. Then it happens*

Sista Gurl: Shit, shit shit. Don't give out on me please no. Damn.

*Sista Gurls car runs out of gas on a side street. Her phone has no service. Stilettos on, she walks the remaining three blocks to the Amoco. She convinces the gas man to let her borrow a quarter to use the phone.*

Boo: Where are you? It's 9:40. I got reservations at the spot.
Sista Gurl: My car ran out of gas.
Boo: I thought I told you to make sure you kept gas in the car
Sista Gurl: I was going to fill it up on the way over there, but gas is so damn high, I tried to find some a lil cheaper.
Boo: Whateva, I'm over here waiting on you and you over there messing around trying to find a bargain on some gas. I'm hungry.
Sista Gurl: You know how it is. You said it yourself. We can't af-ford no gas.
Boo: Anyways, where's the car?
Sista Gurl: Ummm
Boo: What you mean umm?
Sista Gurl: It's down the street.
Boo: WHAT?! The same car I'm giving you money to help out on.
Sista Gurl: uh yeah
Boo: You trippin. Well you need to figure something out, I aint got time for it, I'm going to eat.
Sista Gurl: *crying* Noo come help me. You know I can't afford to fill up my tank.
Boo: Whatever, cry to George Bush, don't cry to me.*click*

until next time...

Kanye...Unplugged

2005-09-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

I bought, yes bought, Kayne West's sophomore album Late Registration earlier this week. As a self-proclaimed member of the Roc La Familia, I'd been anticipating "Ye's" album for quite sometime now. So when it was released, I was at FYE claiming my copy, which came with a free poster, by the way. Kayne has multi-racial, multi-gender and multi-culture appeal, some that I haven't seen in quite some time. I had planned to give you, my faithful readers, my personal review of the album. After all, everything we read, see and hear nowdays is about Hurricane Katrina. I had planned to go against the grain, talk about something different. Give everyone a break, talk about something positive. I was going to blog about how great I thought Late Registration was. I had planned to give Kanye props for the variety in which he put together the album, how it was very eclectic. I wanted to invite you all to my probate for crossing Broke Phi Broke, which are a series of interludes on the album. I had planned to nominate Jay-Z's verse in the Diamonds are Forever remix was the hottest line of the year. That was going to be it. All Kanye, no more Katrina for a while.

Then, it happened.

In a NBC telethon the other day with Mike Myers (Austin Powers), Kanye went away from the script to voice his opinion on the events on the past week. He criticized the govt., Red Cross and the most talked about statement was when he said Bush doesn't care about black people. I literally fell off the couch when I saw the look on Mike Myers face. People are upset with Kanye. "How could he say that?" "What was he thinking?" Experts have called Kanye's move a ploy just to boost sales. I dispute that to the fullest extent. For the record, I'm neither yay or nay on whether Bush doesn't care about blacks. Scratch that. As a matter of fact, I'm going to disagree with Ye and say yes, Bush does care about black people at least to a certain extent. What I do feel is that the perception that has been given off is that he doesn't, due to the fact that there was a slow response. There's a big difference between perception and reality. The problem here is that Kanye made a big mistake in the eyes of White America. I say White America because, believe me, many black people where sitting in their homes aggreeing with everything he said. But Kanyne made the mistake of being the "Angry Black Man" Those, not in tune with the black community are often intimidated with an outspoken black man with strong opinions. They call him angry, upset or say he has a temper. I know because I'm the same way. Kanye wasn't wrong in what he said, I just think he should have chosen a different place to say it. Because he, didn't, he allowed his statements and image to be another segment for the media to feast on and show theses "cussing, pissed off n166as, making a fool of themselves." I'm with Kanye. I know what it's like to be taken out of context. My response: You'll never ever understand a black man until you walk a day in his shoes.

God...We need you down here!

2005-09-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Dear God,

It's Jamar. Yeah, that one. I know I don't come to you as often as I should and I know I haven't given you 100 percent, but I was taught at an early age that if I ever needed you, you were just a prayer away. So here I am, just one person in a world of millions.

Lord, I really don't know where to start, I just know my heart is heavy. You already know, but it's a bad time for our nation right now. I'm sitting here, just as I have for the last 4 days, watching the world you created crumble before my eyes. I'm sitting here watching my people suffer and die because of the lack of resources , the lack of help, the lack of means. Like so many people, I sit and I wonder why. Why would you let this happen? Why would you let people suffer from this? What are you trying to tell us? As soon as I get brave enough to question you, I remember where you said. I will never leave you or forsake you. I remember where you said Ill never put more on you than you can bear."

God, I believe it, but there are some people who don't. There are those who've lost faith, lost all hope. We need you! I'm asking Lord to just give your people some sign of hope. Bless those families in the Gulf, Bless those whose homes and lives have been destroyed. Bless those of us who still have our well being can only watch in amazement.

In these days and nights of uncertainty, Lord somehow, someway give people peace of mind. I can't say it enough, that we need you. Give sight to our leadership, because you know that people are losing confidence fast. Give those in the decision making roles foresight, not hindsight. I pray for healing, comfort and peace.

You warned these things were to come. We didn't listen. We were ready. We ignored. We didn't believe. Some questioned you, ask What kind of God lets this happen? I admit sometimes I don't understand it either. But, I ask you for faith stability. Help our unbelief. Help us to stay positive in a negative time. We need you now more than ever. Forgive us for not looking up to you until we got so down we had no other choice. Bless New Orleans. Bless everyone.

Amen.

Introducing....Sista Gurl

2005-08-31T21:32:00.000-05:00

In the constant effort to make my blog more interesting and to have something to do in my free time, I developed a Boom-Boom room character. This character was inspired by the many female friends of mine who come to me with their concerns, complaints, issues and problems they have with men and everyday issues. Sista Gurl who she will be called is not one specific person, she is a combination of situations I've come across here and there. So from time to time, I'll present mini blog - screenplays involving Sista Gurl and she will assist me in tackling some of the issues I deal with and are presented with. The key to making this work is the imagination. So with that being said. I present the debut of Sista Gurl to the Boom-Boom Room in "Thug Appeal"

*Sista Gurl is sitting watching her daily dose of BET when she decides to give Jamar a call*

Sista Gurl: Hey, did you hear 50 Cent is dating Nia Long now?
Jamar: Yeah that's what I hear
Sista Gurl: What is it about him? First Vivica, now Nia, he's just not cute at all to me
Jamar: Well you know how it is with you women. ya'll are attracted to the thugs and ganstas
Sista Gurl: Na uh, that's not true.
Jamar: Hell yeah it is, you know you would date a guy with a doo-rag, white tee and a luxury car before you'd date the guy with the khakis and a polo shirt.
Sista Gurl: Well yeah, I don't want no soft ass n**** I want to feel protected.
Jamar: So you're saying that you'd rather feel safe with a thug rather than have a good man who is a financial advisor for Bank of America.
Sista Gurl: Well um I don't know. I just would rather have a guy with a little edge on him
Jamar: I see. I just don't understand how you all always complain about how there are no good men out there, but when you have a good man approach you, you turn him down because he doesn't have thug appeal and then you get mad when you see Becky and Mandy with a brotha.
Sista Gurl: *sigh* You don't understand
Jamar: Make me understand.
Sista Gurl: Women like bad boys. We like guys with money. I don't want no guy riding around with a Geo Storm. I want a n**** pushing a big whip.
Jamar: I hear ya. Just remember, while you're passing up the good, clean cut brotha with a good job and no criminal record, some good sense sista will scoop him up and take him home to big mama. You on the other hand, will continue to get dogged by Keith and nem on the corner and next thing you know, you'll be 35, you titays will be saggin and you won't have a man.
Sista Gurl: Whateva *click*

Until next time...

The Aftermath

2005-08-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

I sat in utter amazement as I watched and continue to watch the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. My heart goes out to those who have direct connections to New Orleans and the Mississippi and Alabama coast. My family in Mobile lost their power, but other than that they're doing fine. I think it's safe to say that this ranks in the top-5 of disasters I've seen in my lifetime. It's going to be a very very long time before the N.O. and the gulf is ever the same. In times like these, it certainly puts things in perspective and lets us know that when we're down, there's no where to look but up. As I watched the post-hurricane coverage, a few things have jumped out at me and caught my attention.

-Once again, I was disappointed in our nation's leadership. I often give Bush the benefit of the doubt, however, it was absolutely inexcusable how long it took/has taken for some action to be taken and relief to be sent to the disaster area. We knew almost a week in advance that this storm would hit, yet they National Guard is just know beginning to arrive in the Gulf Coast. As co-worker made a good point earlier today as we were discussing this. Had this been in New York or more of a cosmopolitan area, relief would have been there ASAP. You know what I think.

-I always find it entertaining to watch the weather people during hurricanes. I guess this is their high. This is what get the on-site meteorologists' adrenalin going. Call me crazy, but if there was something I could do for a day, I'd like to cover a hurricane live.

-As a black person, I've found it embarrassing and almost distasteful to watch the coverage of the looting that's going on in New Orleans. I've asked myself "Why we have to act so stupid sometimes?" "Why does it always have to been us actin up?" But at the same time, while I don't condone it, I understand. I just wish there was another way for the less than fortunate to get things they need during these times.

-I'm an avid listener of the Tom Joyner morning show. I think that Joyner is one of the best black leaders/philanthropists in the United States. He was talking with Al Sharpton this morning about what we as blacks, particularly our black celebrities can do to offer help people during this tragic time. Those who have the means are presented with a perfect opportunity to give back a portion of what they've been blessed with. Rev. Sharpton put it this way. "It's time for the best of us to help the rest of us."

Time will tell.

Damn Katrina, why you trippin'...?

2005-08-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Katrina, what I like to call the first black hurricane *snicker* is heading straight for the Big Easy. Unlike previous hurricances/tropical storms, our storm chaser friends at The Weather Channel are predicting this to be the the worse hurricane to make landfall in the United States. I even read on the wire this evening where "experts" are saying that this time tomorrow, we may be looking at a death toll we haven't seen since 9/11. This is serious. We're not talking about a lil rain and a few gusts, but the idiots from TWC who mind you are still down there standing in the empty streets of the N.O. are saying we may see Tsunami like waves of up to 30-40 feet. I know what you're thinking. The ghetto hurricane done came up in here with an attitude. Typical sista. Somebody made her made, now she wants to get all huffy and puffy (no pun intended) and get all tough. Why you trippin 'Trina? With all due respect to my readers who are from the Gulf area, our prayers are with you. My mom's family is still in Mobile, Ala. so I'm keeping a close eye on what's going on. My dear mother even wanted to go down there and be with her mom. Needless to say my dad said you need to stay your behind in VA. I'll be watching 'Trina act a fool tonight and tomorrow, and pray that everyone in her path will be safe.

Ghetto Fabulous?...Not me

2005-08-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

I'm not from the ghetto. I wasn't raised in the 'hood so to speak, even though my neighborhood was all black. I didn't go through "the struggle" as much as some people I know who were less fortunate than I was growing up. I grew up in the 'burbs. Although when I was old enough to drive, my friends and I would ride to up to Church Hill to see what all the fuss was about. On a good day, we'd make the trek to D.C. and ride through Anacosita just to get a taste of the 'hood, but we quickly left and headed back down 95 to our wooded neighborhood nestled in the middle of nowhere. (Stay with me, I'm going somewhere with this). I knew less about robberies, homicides and poverty and I knew more about allowances, safely playing in the street and timeshares. My dad was a veternarian and my mom was a teacher. Most of my neighbors were in education, law enforcement and politics. I knew/know more blacks who came up in similar situations than I know who came up under privilaged. I met even more friends at associates at Hampton who grew up in mid to upperclass neighborhoods and had parents who were professionals. I am not a thug, I don't hang out with thugs, but I can identify with those who get trapped in a less than inviting situation, because I've seen were they've come from.

So, with that being said, it seems that my friends/colleagues in the media are developing a pattern. Not only media, but non-minorities who aren't exposed seem to have this perception that all black people, paricularly those under 30, have grown up in the hood and come from underprivilaged situation. I believe I've been naive to this fact for a while, until I've started reading and watching the news lately. I was discussing this withe Erin L. Hill last night and she agreed. In fact, we had a similar experience on our respective interviews that made me think. When I interviewed in Knoxville last year, the managers who were showing me around the city made a point to take me to the 'hood to show me where the black folk hung out. "Ok why would I want to come down here" I thought to myself. By the way, Knoxville's 'ghetto' , on a scale of 1-10, gets about a .5 from me on 'ghettoness' As I talked to E. Hill, it seems as she had a similar experience this week when she was in Akron, Ohio. Granted Ms. Hill is from Detroit and if you know anything about Detroit..well, anyways.

I am becoming disturbed, particularly with broadcast media, that every profile that is focused on a black person or black people, has to show someone who has come up through "the struggle" and has overcome "many obstacles" to make. Yeah, I am happy that we are getting some play, but as I always like to ask. "What message is this sending?" People who watching t.v and read print, develop perceptions and opinions. So when they see these self interest piece, people assume that every minority came up the same way. As the only black in my department, I find myself often having to speak up and be the voice of reason, when me co-workers speak with a lack of substance.

It goes farther than hard news. In entertainment, our kids our getting the ideas that unless you are a rapper or baller you can't be successful. Our young women are more interested in the guy with "thug appeal" rather that the guy with the khakis and a polo. Let me stop right here, for those who know me and are over there calling me a hypocrite, because you've seen me rocking the white tee and a durag, let me be the first to admit, yeah I try to "keep it real" stay abrest with my culture, but I know where to draw the line. We need to make sure there's a clear definition of who we arem because people are seeing us in a blur, instead of focused vision. So ghetto fabulous, not me, not a lot of people I know, not every minority.

As always...just one man's opinion

Shortest Post Ever

2005-08-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

There's hurricane forming in the Atlantic. Usually this would be no big deal. However this hurricane is special. Why? This storm is named Katrina. I never thought I'd see the day!!

The Value of Life

2005-08-23T23:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Thomas Herrion, an offensive lineman for the San Fransisco 49ers died following the 49ers preseason game against the Denver Broncos. He was just 23. He collapsed in the 49ers lockeroom as he and his teammates were taking part in their postgame prayer. Just a while earlier, Herrion was on the field as he helped his team drive 90 plus yards for the winning touchdown. Ironically, cameras were focused in out Herrion as he walked off the field. Moments later, he was died. Unfortunately, football deaths have all to common the last few years. While preliminary reports show that Herrion wasn't on any kind of drugs, there are reports that he has a family history of heart problems. Nonetheless, he is a young man whose life is over much to soon. I'm 23 also and I know I have so many things I have yet to accomplish and experience. Yet as with anything in life, you never know what tomorrow holds. There was an old saying by some of the older folks "Here today, gone tomorrow" In todays age its more like, "Here today, gone today." So I pose a few questions. Ponder on them if you will. If you were to die today, will you be ready? What are you doing to live life to the fullest? What mark are you leaving behind?

The truth is we don't know what our future holds. This young man died young, playing the game he loved. There are others who die younger, some older. Some die due to crime, others to sickness and others there are no explanation. Each day we should live life to the fullest. Let's not get caught up in petty things that allow us to miss out on the natural joys of life that God presents to us. Love, live, enjoy. When it is our time, what's printed on our obituaries will be an afterthought, but the impact we have on someones life can last forever. Life is precious. handle with care. RIP Thomas Herrion and all others we've lost too soon.

Saturday Randomness....again

2005-08-20T13:20:00.000-05:00

I'll begin this blog with the news that LaToyia Figueroa. The 24-year-old pregnant woman from Pihlly who had been missing for nearly a month. Unfortunately today, her body was found in Chester, about 15 minutes outside of Philly. Not to my surprise, her on and off boyfriend was arrested and charged with her murder. When arrested, he was wearing a bullet proof vest and was carrying a gun. What was that about? What still leaves a bad taste in my mouth was not that she was murdered, although that's never good, but the fact that her case was seemingly swept under the rug. I've touched on this point before, but it still lingers in my mind. There was absolutely NO difference in her case and the Laci Peterson case, yet there was nationwide coverage of the Peterson case and LaToyia's case. I guess the news media felt more comfortable posting up in surburban California that they did in the 'hood in South Philly. RIP Ms. Figueroa. We still have a ways to go.

It's football season!. I was in Chattanooga last evening and as I sat in the pressbox, a guy asked me "Do you know the most famous sportswriter from Knoxville?" "Ralph Wiley," I replied. I guess this guy was trying to catch me off guard. First off all, you have to wake up early in the morning to get one past Big J. Secondly, whatever you do in life, make sure you know your history.Which is why I know, think and respect the late Ralph Wiley. If you're into sports journalism, particularly if you're black and in sports journalism, Wiley is one of those names, along with the late Sam Lacy you're supposed to know. Wiley was one of the first black sportswriters to come with hard hitting, tell it like it is columns. And he did so without forgetting who he was - a black man. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/wiley/020219.html

http://http://espn.go.com/page2/s/wiley/021113.html

An original ESPN page 2 columnists, Wiley was one of the first black sports journalist who made the cross over to television, which opened the door to the likes of Michael Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith and hopefully one day me. Never forget, someone always paved the way for you.

Other stuff....

-Am I the only one who likes "Growing up Gotti"? It seems that way. I get a kick out of watching the Gotti boys act a fool and get into it with Luigi and anyone else on the show. I just know that if I ever talked to my mom the way they talk to Victoria, my a$$ wouldn't be living.

-What happened to the good Saturday morning cartoons? Granted, I don't really get up until around noonish on the weekends, but still. Seriously, with all do respect to Kim Possible and Dora the Explorer, I still long for the weekends I could spend watching Coyote and Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny, the Chipmunks and Winnie the Pooh. I must be getting old...

-Why do women take so long to get ready....*sigh* next...

-Cedric the Entertainer was right. There comes a point when you have to realize you're a grown ass man. Now, I still were my white-tees every now and then, but I have gone from the 4-X back to the 2-x a reasonable size for a guy my size. For the record, I'm a pretty big guy. But I cringe when I see guys in their 30s walking around with night gowns, gold fronts (ugh) and nappy a$$ hair. I just want to say, grow up! We've got to do better people.

Big J's 100+

2005-08-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

This personal list thing seems to be a must have for everyone's blog. In an effort to be a team player, here it goes.

1. I dont talk much when I'm at work.
2. I think I'm better than most of the writers in the sports department.
3. I can come off very cocky to some people.
4. I'm just extremely confident.
5. I have no desire to go see 40-year-old Virgin
6. I can't imagine being a 40-year-old virgin.
7. I'm 23 and I can't imagine being a 23-year-old virgin.
8. I was 14 when I lost the v-card.
9. I still remember it to this day.
10. I'm getting married in June 2007.
11. I'm already feeling stressed.
12. I want all my boys to be groomsmen.
13. Someone's not gonna make the cut.
14. I don't like living in Tennessee.
15. I hate the color orange.
16. I love Melyssa Ford.
17. I love Cori more. *snicker*
18. I used to smoke weed often.
19. I stopped...thank God.
20. I got drunk almost every weekend in college.
21. I've drank less than 10 times in the past year.
22. I'll be in Maryland by this time next year.
23. I hate repeating myself.
24. I hate when people spit in public.
25. I talk to Erinn Johnson on the computer everyday.
26. I think her friend Lauren is gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as Cori *smile*
27. Erin Hill knows just about everything about me.
28. I can count on her for just about anything.
29. I work out three times a week.
30. I could've gotten better grades in college if I tried.
31. I still talk to one of my professors every once in a while.
32. It's more of a friendship than teacher-student
33. I have a tatoo on my right shoulder.
34. I have a large birthmark on my back.
35. If I ever die a tragic death, that should be the first thing someone looks for to identify me.
36. Every morning when I wake up I think God for another day.
37. I walk by faith and not by sight.
38. I have a bad temper that flares up from time to time
39. I've gotten a lot better.
40. I'm pro black to a certain extent.
41. I'm not a fan of interracial dating
42. I've never messed with a girl of the opposite race.
43. I love black women.
44. I have nothing against people who date outside their race.
45. I'm an only child.
46. I'm not spoiled.
47. I hate when people can't "dap" properly
48. I dap girls up as much as I dap up the fellas.
49. I was a pretty good baseball player in high school.
50. I wear a size 13 shoes
51. In my case, the old saying is true :)
52. I absolutely love the Cosby Show.
53. I know about 80% of the lines for every show
54. I support Bill Cosby.
55. The only reason people get mad at what he says is because he's right.
56. I can be extremely sarcastic from time to time
57. I know every line to the movie The Best Man
58. I've become an unstoppable spades player over the last year.
59. I welcome anyones challenge
60. I don't curse as much as I used to
61. I use the word bitch more than I need to
62. One day, some girl's gonna smack me.
63. I love the smell of victoria secret on a woman
64. I have a "vicki" mix for those special evenings.
65. I have a secret ambition to play the piano.
66. I pretend I'm playing the piano on my computer to gospel music.
67. I went to my first go-go when I was a sophomore in high school.
68. UCB is my favorite band.
69. I love 69...
70. I think Jay-z is the greatest rapper of all time.
71. I want to see Eminem battle Jay.
72. I used to take part in the cafeteria sipher in high school.
73. I wasn't that good.
74. I sing tenor in the church choir.
75. I don't care what people think
76. I'm not a fan of public affection.
77. I've never used to term "making out"
78. I hate when people ask how long me and a girl have been "going out"
79. Where are we going?
80. I want 4 boys
81. I think I'm jixing myself.
82. I love listening to Jill Scott.
83. I could listen to Jill and Erykah Badu all day.
84. I worked on Christmas and Thanksgiving last year.
85. I'll quit my job before I ever do that again.
86. I look up to Michael Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith and Stuart Scott.
87. I want to meet Michael Jordan one day.
88. I've seen heard George W. Bush speak in person.
89. He's actually a pretty funny guy.
90. I voted for Kerry.
91. I don't believe in the war.
92. I believe the draft will be implemented within 5 years.
93. I snore at night.
94. I'm not ashamed of it.
95. I've played basketball with Roy Jones, Jr.
96. I've dapped up Bernard Hopkins
97. I have sinus problems
98. I go through a sneezing spell every morning when I wake up.
99. I'm almost finished.
100. I can't believe I did this.
101. Last but not least, I love my mom and dad, they're my best friends.
102. I talk to them multiple times a day.
103. I talk to Cori even more.
104. I'm done.

Is Coretta Relevant....?

2005-08-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

As you may have heard, Coretta Scott King was hospitalized a few days ago in Atlanta. At the time, her condition and the reason she was admitted was not known. Mrs. King is best (maybe only) known as the widow of the late Dr. Martin Luther King. This brings me to the next question. The news of Mrs. King's hospitalization made national headlines. It was on every major news outlet including CNN. As I browsed the net, I became particulary interested in a message board discussion that was brewing on one of my favorite sites http://www.meacfans.com. The question was raised "Why is this news" referring to the coverage of Coretta Scott King's sickness. Another question that was asked was since MLKs death, what has she done for African Americans. Posters after poster attempted to answer this question, many of them not knowing what she has done and were surprisingly clueless and stomped on the question. I found this interesting and to be honest I really couldn'y figure out what she has done. Sure she was a visible figure during the civil rights movement, marching side by side with her husband, but now 30 years later, it appears to some that she is just a famous face, with her name just printed on several organizations. I'm a regular poster on this particular website, but I chose to avoid this discussion and just observe how it played out. In my opinion, for black people, whether she is relevant or news worthy shouldn't even be a question. She was there, fighting for our rights, getting mistreated so we could have the freedoms we have today. So yes...she is relevant.

Breathe...

2005-08-15T15:45:00.000-05:00

In my lifelong effort to fully understand the female species, I spent the wee hours of this morning watching Waiting to Exhale, the mid 90s movie staring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and the oh-so-sexy Lela Rechon. It had been a while since I watched this movie and I must say that I forgot how great a soundtrack this movie had, mostly because of Whitney Houston. My have times changed. *sigh* Anyways, back to the movie. Seeing that I have a lot of female friends I try to watch these types of movies to understand and see things from their perspective. However as much as I try, I always seem to come up short. It seems that Terri McMillan has a way of poisoning black women's minds through her books and films. Women read, watch and think it's reality. As I sat on my couch and watched Waiting to Exhale, I saw Angela Bassett burn down our ex-husband's car because he left her for a white woman. I saw Gloria's ex-husband reveal he was gay. I saw Lela and Whitney dogg guy after guy. What message is this sending? I know I'm setting myself up to receive the wrath of my female readers, but let's be real. As president and CEO of the Good Brothas, I try to be fair. I try to understand why my sistas talk so bad about us. As I watched the movie, it began to become clear to me. Many women live their lives through what they see on television. Whether it's thinking they will go to Jamaica to find some fine young man to give them their groove back or thinking that every black man will leave them for white women, these films are giving us a bad name and a lot of women see this and think they must sit around soggy and with hatred in their system. My beautiful sistas, stop waiting to exhale, loosing up a lil bit...and breathe.

Live from...Da urea

2005-08-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm writing this blog in Maryland aka "Murdalan" where I am on vacation from Tennessee visiting family and friends. I know people are asking "why are you blogging on vacation?" Simple, as I always say, I am "for the people" I realize that people depend on my blog to make it through the day and I didn't want to disappoint them. I will be here running around the beltway until Tuesday. From RFK to Ashburn to Bmore, I'm going to have a blast. Until Tuesday...Be easy!

Bitch...sit your ass down!

2005-07-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: To all my female readers, I apologize if the wording in the subject offends you. Those who know me understand that I, in no way ever disrespect the female species. However, there are sometimes when you just gotta vent.

Now that I got that out the way...

In our society, there are certain people who, for whatever reason, feel that they are an important asset to this world. Don't get me wrong, we all are important and we all have something to contribute, but there are some who tend to think they're a little bit better than the rest of us. We all have encountered them, whether at work, school or even in our family. Many of them, we can spot from a mile away by their mannerisms, their walk and their talk. It's never good to judge a book my it's cover but when it's obvious, you can't avoid passing judgment.

Since I've been in Knoxville, there is someone who fits this to a tee. Out of respect, she'll remain nameless. Anyways, just know that I encounter this person 3-4 times a week due to work. When I first met her (for the sake of discussion, we'll call her Raven), I was cordial in introducing myself. "Hello my name is Jamar," I said. "Oh hi," Raven said rolling her eyes if saying wtf do you want. I let it slide. Maybe she was busy at the time. Over the next few weeks, I initiated conversation and even offered to hang out sometime, play cards, whatever. In no way was I trying to be fresh, I was trying to simply make friends. So as the weeks went by, my conversations with Raven fizzled. I went in "radar mode" and began to observe her from a distance. I began to notice that she doesn't converse with anyone at work. I noticed as even with the lack of assets, Raven walked as if she was Beyonce in the Crazy in Love video. Maybe I'm overreacting. But one thing I learned from going to HU, I know uppity when I see it :) Even so, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, ya know, maybe she was having some issues at home or with a relationship. So when she walked pass my cube everyday and didn't speak I was like hmmm. When I saw her in passing and her nose was in there air and it looked liked it pained her to speak I was like, I where you're coming from now.

Just for confirmation, I consulted some associates about this. "Yeah, that bitch thinks she's the she!t," one person said. "She's actually really nice, she just doesn't like being friends with people at work," said another. So I'm not the only one. As the months have passed, my relationship with Raven is none existent, except for when I smell the perfume for 100 feet away and realize that she is somewhere near. I know it's not right to want confrontation, but I long for the day when Raven says something out of line to me. When that happens, I'll sternly say "Bitch...shit your ass down!" smile and walk away.

You smell that...?

2005-07-31T18:02:00.000-05:00

I don't about anyone else, but I smell football. No, really I do. You see today is a very important day in my football life. Today marks the beginning of training camp for my beloved Washington Redskins. Players reported to Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. to begin another season, the beginning of another journey in hopes of reaching the Super Bowl January in Detroit. Seems pretty easy. After all, the 'Skins have won the Super Bowl before. What will it take to reach the promised land this year? Well we need to win. I mean that's why you play. New York Jets coach Herman Edwards said it best. "You play to win the game!" But it's been 13 years since the Redskins have won a Super Bowl. In those 13 years, we've moved to a new stadium, got a new owner, went through about 4 or 5 coaches and 4 or 5 quarterbacks. Yet each year around this time, the excitement still returns. The hopes of getting that winning tradition back on track always gets the juices flowing. The anticipation of singing "Hail to the Redskins!" is evident. It's never been easy being a 'Skins fan. We constantly deal with the haters, those who refer to our beloved team as the "Deadskins" There are others who seem like enjoy watching the Cowboys or Eagles more than the Skins. So be it. But last year, Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs returned. For Skins fans everywhere, Gibbs return was like the second coming of the Messiah. Gibbs had won 3 Super Bowl when he was with the Redskins. if anyone could turn it around, it was him, right? Well, not so fast. Despite the No. 1 defense, we only went 6-10 last season, but if Gibbs' track record holds up, his second year will be phenomenal, which means good news for the 'Skins. Hail to the Redskins. Hail victory. Braves on the warpath. Fight for ol' D.C.

Prediction: 10-6

Black and White Television

2005-07-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

I try my best, I mean my absolute best not to play the race card. That is, not to blame "the man" and cry racism all the time. Even on this blog, where I control what's talked about, I try and not make things a racial issue. Yes, there have been a couple of times where I have discussed racial issues on here, but I've tried to keep things tasteful, seeing that I have such a diverse group of people who step foot in the Boom-Boom Room. Today, however, I came across a message board discussing the media and it's coverage of race in America. The topic of discussion was the young pregnant woman from Philadelphia who has been missing for about a week or so now. This young lady is a minority. An interesting debate was brewing on how the media covers missing people. One person suggested that unless it's an attractive white woman i.e. Lacy Peterson, Natalee Holloway that nobody would care and it would receive no media coverage. Another person believe that it has nothing to do with race, insteed it's about money, status and location (middle American, suburbs).

Give me a break! If anyone believes that the media doesn't play into stereotypes i.e. the All-American blonde, you're in for a rude awakening. This is coming from someone who works in the media and has a semi-idea of how things operate. It amazes me how naive some people can be. On the other hand, I have not surprised at how the media presents things to the public. That's just the way it is. Unfortunately, if Becky in Nebraska suddenly goes missing CNN is there, but if Tawanna in uptown is killed, nobody cares. I understand that people go missing everyday and it's impossible for coverage on each and every case. What I do know is that I don't want to watch black and white television.

Solution? Good question. I was reading in the missing Philadelphia woman case that community members have been flooding CNN and the morning shows with emails and correspondence begging for coverage. As I complete this entry I'm watching Nancy Grace *sigh* and there was a segment about the Philadelphia women in between day 61 coverage of the Natalee Holloway case. Oh well, it's a start

Damn it's hot!

2005-07-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

One of my "regular" readers suggested that I continue to put art with my posts because "it added life to my blog." Since I'm "for the people" I went along with it. Anyways, contrary to some of my friends in the blogspot world, I really don't have any drama of sorts to talk about, but in an effort to keep the Boom-Boom Room fresh I decided to blog tonight, because I'm a cool kind of guy. Hence the segue into my topic. Damn it's hot! I mean for the past week or so, whenever I walk outside it's like walking into a sauna. Now, I usually enjoy going to a sauna or steam room and I usually enjoy watching to opposite sex come out with little to nothing on, but unless it's absolutely neccessary i.e. work, I'm not leaving the house! To quote my beautiful friends who are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.,"This is a serious matter!" This heat is nothing to play with. People are getting sick, passing out and even dying because of it. The elderly especially are in dier need of care and assistance during this heatwave. I spoke with my grandmother yesterday and she assurred me that her and my grandfather are "hanging in there baby." This is the kind of heat that makes you want to live right, because we all know that *in my best black preacher voice* Hell is a lot hotter! To make matters worse I'm stuck in hickville Tennessee with no beach in sight. *sigh* I guess me and good ol' A/C will do for now.

Temporary Layoff...Good Times!

2005-07-24T16:08:00.000-05:00

I dreaded coming in to work this evening. One reason is because I'm sick, but I can deal with that. But the real reason I dreaded leaving the house is because I was going to miss the rest of the Good Times marathon on TV Land. Since Friday, I've sat on the couch and laughed my a$$ off at Florida, Michael, James, Wilona, Bookman and Kid a' Dynomiiiiiiite. I talked to a few people about the marathon and like me, many of them have been tuning in all weekend. However, it seems that the ones who have not been so excited are my female friends. "I'm not really a Good Times fan," said one female friend. "I really never got into that show like that," said another. I was baffled. How could these young ladies not like Good Times?It was funny. It reflected life for a large number of blacks during that time period. (1970s). It wasn't vulgar and again...it was funny!

I pondered on this as I watched episode after episode and it hit me. Thelma. That's right, it's Thelma. Thelma's the reason guys tend to enjoy Good Times far more than our female associates. It may sound stupid but for many of guys my age, when we were first exposed to Good Times via re-runs, we were amazed at Thelma. She was fine! For me, Thelma and Freddie from "A Different World" were my first t.v. loves. With all respect to J.J. and Michael, females didn't have any eye candy they could watch on the show. Contrary to shows like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" where many girls drooled over Will Smith, they had no option on Good Times. That is unless you count the older big gurls who found Bookman sexy. Young boys had Thelma and middle aged men had Wilona, who was no slouch herself.

As I continued to watch episode after episode, I noticed how life in the ghetto or 'hood was embraced. It was a way of life. It still is today. For blacks and whites are 'hoodS are our being. They represent a culture, beliefs, thoughts and emotions. Like Kanye said "I wish I could give you this feelin'" If you haven't experienced it, you wouldn't understand. For those of us, like me who lived out in the 'burbs, whenever we got the chance to sneak down to the 'hood, we did, just to get a taste. Not condoning some of the things that go on in the 'hood, but just to go. It was a reminder to continue to work hard so one day I could help people who were less fortunate. Sometimes we need a reminder of what life could be like if some of us weren't so blessed. Maybe Good Times was my reminder.

Larry Brown

2005-07-20T22:16:00.000-05:00

I used to like Larry Brown, former coach of the Detroit Pistons. I knew all about his UNC roots, his 1988 National Championship at Kansas and his days at UCLA. I even took his side during the infamous riffs between he and my favorite player Allen Iverson. Even when he left for Detroit, I rooted for him. I knew he was known as a nomad of sorts, I didn't care, he was a good coach and had a track record and developing good, quality teams. Somewhere along the line, however, I missed it. Yeah, I heard people talking about how Larry Brown did the teams he coached wrong, but I brushed it off. I heard how despite the fact that he was a great coach, it was still all about him. I didn't believe the critics and I stood behind Larry. But from the midpoint of this year's playoffs until now, I've lost all respect I had for Larry Brown. They way he treated the Pistons was a disgrace to coaching. Sickness or no sickness, to have your name linked to several NBA jobs while YOU'RE STILL COACHING THE PISTONS is wrong. He does have some health issues, but to use that as a crutch to hold out on discussion with the front office, when in actuality you're planning on leaving the team is ridiculous. To lie and say you're not interested in no other team besides the Pistons and they day after you're released you're in negotiations with the Knicks is terrible. Larry Brown has no class. I hope his team, whoever it is goes 0-82 this season.

Trapped in the Closet...The bigger picture.

2005-07-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple of weeks now since R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" musical mini drama debuted on BET and I think it's safe to say that everytime it's come on, I've tuned in. "Shit-think, shit- think, shit-put me in the closet." Anyways while many of R. Kelly's fans and music fans alike are intrigued by this new style of music, some people are not into it. I was discussing "Trapped in the Closet" with some of my white co-workers the other day and they talked about it, they way me or some of my friends would talk about country music or heavy metal. My co-workers couldn't grasp the fact that the song was a different, innovating way of musical storytelling. In my opinion, this was a prime example of how we still as races are so different. No matter how much we interact in the education, recreational and corporate worlds, our likes, habits and cultures are WORLDS apart.

This is not to say that there are some brothas and sistas who are not fans of "Trapped in the Closet" because believe me there are many. However it's really not about the song, it's about the bigger picture. We as minorities cry inequality and racism a lot, often too much. While it's important to gain eqaulity and be treated the same as our colleagues/co-workers. However if and when we ever are truly treated equal, we still must realize that the more we are alike, the more we are different. It often shows up when we get comfortable in our situations. The example most often used is when the O.J. Simpson verdict was read. As soon as we heard "not guilty" our different world popped up out of nowhere. It shows up in our music, our religion, our culture and our neighborhoods. It's reality and reality, sometimes can be a bitch.

Random Beliefs Part II

2005-07-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

-I believe "Being Bobby Brown" is a dumb show, yet I still watch it

-I believe Whitney Houston still has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard.

-I believe that Natalee Holloway (the Aruba girl) is still alive.

-I believe that the guys in custody are telling the truth.

-I believe that the space program is a waste of dollars and sense.

-I believe that cycling in the most underrated sport.

-I believe I'll be a decent golfer within 6 months.

-I believe Bill Cosby is right.

-I believe Claire Huxtable is the greatest t.v. mom ever.

-I believe I'll be out of Tennessee by this time next year.

-I believe Erin needs to stop frontin' (she knows what I'm talking about)

-I believe Erinn and Big Texas need to stop playing games. (she knows what I'm talking about too)

-I believe the Redskins will make the playoffs this year.

-I believe these "wanna be gansta" athletes need to get there life together and stop worrying about "keepin' it real"

-I believe MTV's "The Real World" gets worse and worse every season.

-I believe Jill Scott is the most underrated vocalist in R&B.

-I believe I intimidate my co-workers.

-I believe there are more good men out there than women realize.

-I believe women need to stop blaming men for their misfortunes.

-I believe in being humble.

-I believe Osama Bin Laden is hiding in the United States.

Angry Black Man

2005-07-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

My friends and associates often tell me that I can come across as a bit cocky. While I dispute their claim and defend myself, I honestly can see where they are coming from. I sometimes can come across very sarcastic and what I like to call "very confident." As a black man, I know no other way. My father told me at an early age to speak up for what's right and that I'll always have to work twice as hard as the next person. So if I come across a little harsh, so be it. Jay-Z said it best "What up B, they can't shut up me. Shut down I, not even P.E., I'ma ride. God forgive me for my brash delivery. But I remember vividly what these streets did to me."

That preface brings me to my point. I am one of only 7-8 blacks at my job and of the 15 or so people on the sports staff, I am the only black. For you politically correct bammas, I'm the only person of color. Whether I like it or not, when I walk through the door at work, I'm representing an entire race by the way I walk, talk and carry myself. But like Jay said, I remember what these streets did to me. I remember being mistreated and encountering prejudice and racism. So when I see any form of it, I get angry.

*Due to the sensitivity of work and blogs, I won't fully describe the incident.

Anyways there was a picture in question in today's paper. I didn't like the way it portrayed the guy, who happened to be black. So I walk over to one of the big shot's desk and in a very calm professional way, tell him that they way this situation was presented to our readers was bullshit. As we discuss it, I feel and see eyes cutting toward us. Nevertheless, we continue. My objective wasn't to come across as the angry black man, however may and probably already do perceive by to be some type of way. So be it. I wasn't going to let that slide and I won't let anything I feel to be suspect slide. If I come across brash, oh well. My coworkers will know that I'm paying attention to what's going on and I'm not afraid to speak up...unlike some of my other brothas and sistas at work...but I'll save that for another discussion.

Bombs over Baghdad

2005-07-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

So I wake up this morning, turn of the t.v. and what do I see? The infamous "Breaking News" flag on CNN. My eyes were sleep filled so I couldn't make out what was underneath that flag. I figured it was either something about the Aruba girl, someone famous was dead or something went down in New York. Then I see it was London. London? Yes, London. Damn. Here we go again. Just when the world seems like its back to normal, something else happens. While it hasn't been confirmed, all fingers point to Bin Laden and his boys. Weren't we supposed to be looking for him? Maybe we were too busy wasting time in Iraq that we forgot about the source of terrorism over the last 10-15 years.

I watched the people in London and I immediately had flashbacks to 9/11. What makes this such a unique situation is that the bombs hit such a vunerable area; Mass Transit. As many times as I've taken the Metro around and about DC, I've never thought about how easy it would be for someone to carry out an attack. Well, enough about that, I'm trying to stay positive.

While I was watching, I couldn't help but notice Dumb and Dumber aka George W. Bush and Tony Blair looking like someone just stole their bike. I don't like when bad things like this happen. But sometimes it takes an event like this to open our "leaders" eyes to were our focus should actually be. The war on terrorism is not a bad idea, we just need to make sure we're shooting up the right neighborhood.

Trapped in the Closet

2005-07-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in a few days and several of my avid readers have brought this to my attention. I'm not one to disappoint my fans so here goes nothing. Yesterday Robert Kelly commonly referred to as R. Kelly released yet another album: TP3. It seems as though the release of a R. Kelly album has become an annual event, however as much as R. Kelly goes through outside of the studio, nobody can hate on his music. He is the most talented musician/songwriter of my generation and he added to his legacy with "Trapped in the Closet." The five-chapter mini movie premiered Tuesday on BET and I must say the concept was superb. To make a five part song with no chorus, no hook and really no verses and turn the song into a mini movie is ingenius.

Now, about the actual song "Trapped in the Closet" This song as receieved mixed reviews. For a lot of brothas (not me), this song hit the nail on the head. Dealing with scandalous and hoeish sistas can lead to a world of trouble and often times brothas can find themselves trapped in the closet. Messing around with married women (or men if that's your thing) can leave you trapped in the closet. Men, Kels has given us a blueprint. Don't get trapped in the closet, you may not be able to get out.

Luther Vandross 1951-2005

2005-07-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we lost perhaps the greatest voice in R&B and soul history. For many, many years Mr. Vandross gave us songs that whenever we heard them, made us feel good on the inside. Words can't describe how much I loved his music. He will be missed. In tribute, below are the lyrics to my favorite Luther Vandross song. RIP

"A House is Not a Home"

Doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo dooD
oo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...

A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sittin' there
But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home
When there's no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss goodnight

Whoa...oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...
Girl
A room is a still a room, even when there's nothin' there but gloom
But a room is not a house and a house is not a home
When the two of us are far apart
And one of us has a broken heart

Now and then I call your name
And suddenly your face appears
But it's just a crazy game
When it ends, it ends in tears

Pretty little darling, have a heart, don't let one mistake keep us apart
I'm not meant to live alone, turn this house into a home
When I climb the stairs and turn the key
Oh, please be there, sayin' that you're still in love with me, yeah...

I'm not meant to live alone, turn this house into a home
When I climb the stairs and turn the key
Oh, please be there, still in loveI said still in love
Still in love with you...yeah...

Are you gonna be in love with me
I want you and need to be, yeah
Still in love with me
Say you're gonna be in love with me
It's drivin' me crazy to think that my baby
Couldn't be still in love with meAre you gonna be, say you're gonna be

Are you gonna be, say you're gonna be
Are you gonna be, say you're gonna beWell, well, well, well
Still in love, so in love, still in love with me
Are you gonna beSay that you're gonna be
Still in love with me, yeah...
With me, oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...
Still in love with me, yeah...yeah...

President and CEO of Good Brothas, Inc.

2005-06-30T22:05:00.000-05:00

I love my sistas. I love their hair, I love their skin, I love the way they walk and they talk. I have probably just as many, if not more female friends than male friends, a lot of which come to me for advice and "counseling" on their relationships. However, sistas, as much as I adore you, I am sick and tired of hearing and reading how bad the brothas are and how we all are dogs and full of shit. Enough already! Every brotha is not lazy, triflin and a wanna be gansta. Every brotha is not out to hit it and quit it. Every brotha doesn't talk like he didn't make it past third grade. Every brotha doesn't walk around like he's the shit. It amazes me how my sistas often generalize a whole species of men based on one or two bad experiences. Relationships take time and effort, believe me I've been in one for damn near three years. I urge my sistas not to give up on a guy because he makes a mistake or acts foolish, because we all do from time to time. Work with us, don't round up your girls and try and tear us down. I'm introducing myself as president and CEO of Good Brothas, Inc. an organization for the brothas who receive a bad rap just because of a few foolish men. Sistas we're out here, you just have to find us.

NBA

2005-06-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

The last few years the NBA draft haven't really caught my attention. The main reason is because with the emergence of foreign players and the overflow of high school players, I have no clue who these people are and as a result, I can't offer any analysis. This year, between my drooling over Beyonce at the BET Awards, I was able to catch bits and pieces of the draft and it was very refreshing. The top nine players attended college and I knew them. I believe point guards Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton all will have an immediate impact on their teams and will be solid for years to come.

This brings me to my next point, the NBA 19-year-old age limit. It has occurred to me through conversation and internet browsing that a lot of my black brothers and sisters feel this ruling is racist. First of all, we as a black race play cry racism way too often and are always quick to blame "the man" for doing us wrong. For the record, I don't agree with the age limit. If a 15-year-old can complete professional of the golf tour and on the tennis circuit, a high schooler can compete in the NBA. On the flip side, too many of our young black men are dismissing the thought of getting an education in hopes of making it to the league. WHen in reality, a slim number actually reach that level. Too many young black men aren't attempting to challenge their minds in hopes of getting that ticket to the NBA. I think that the ruling won't last long. But for this short amount of time, it will give young black men, whose race dominates the league an opportunity to go to college or prep school and not only improve athletically, but improve intellectually and socially.

Random beliefs

2005-06-26T19:39:00.000-05:00

-I believe in God

-I believe in heaven and hell.

-I believe Dwyane Wade is the best player in the league.

-I believe Lebron is a close second.

-I believe Tim Duncan is overrated.

-I believe in Allen Iverson.

-I believe Barry Bonds used steriods.

-I believe brothas need to stop blaming "the man" for their misfortunes.

-I believe in the word bitch.

-I believe black women are the most beautiful women in the world.

-I believe black women with bad attitudes are the ugliest women in the world.

-I believe being gay is so...well....gay.

-I believe DC is the greatest city in the world.

-I believe DC is the craziest city in the world.

-I believe Jay-Z is the greatest rapper of all time.

-I believe most "hip-hop" today is garbage.

-I believe in love.

-I believe in family.

-I believe historically black colleges are better than PWCs.

-I believe Hampton is the best HBCU.

-I believe Harvard is the real HU.

-I believe Atlanta is the best place for blacks to raise a family.

-I believe R. Kelly is the most talented musician of my generation.

-I believe most white people don't like blacks.

-I believe most black people don't like whites.

...to be continued

Moment of Clarity

2005-06-26T12:17:00.000-05:00

"Thank God for grantin me this moment of clarity. This moment of honesty - the world'll feel my truths." - Jay-Z

Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to party and have a good time. In college, we lived for the weekends. Friday nights we used to head to the liquor store and stock up. If there was a party, I was there and right in the middle of it. It was fun, that's what college is all about. That and uh...studying. Those days however seem oh so long ago. My crew has all graduated and everyone is trying to find their nitch in the workforce.

Cedric the Entertainer said it best. At some point you have to realize you're a grown ass man. My moment of clarity has arrived. I've been in Knoxville for about 11 months now. I can count on my had how many times I've been "out". The nightlive here sucks. And it's not because there isn't a large black population here, it just sucks. I guess I've been spoiled partying in DC, Philly and Hampton Roads for that matter. In spite of the suckiness (my made up word) I've tried to work with where I'm at, ya know give it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I've dealt with it so far because I'm down here by myself and sometimes going home to an empty house gets old.

In life sometimes you have to realize it's time to put things in perspective. Last night I just felt out of place at the club. Here I am, a professional and up in here with a bunch of losers, believe people who live here are losers. I counted five, thats right five pregnant girls in the club, two of which were smoking. I was like WTF? I counted zero, that's right zero, no good looking girls at all. So I've decided to give it up. It's not in me anymore. There's no need trying to turn back the clock. Those days of partying are gone, at least down here they are. I'm a grown ass man now with responsibilty, a future to worry about. I'll have plenty of time to party, just not right now.

Peyton...

2005-06-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet and interview Peyton Manning, MVP quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Of all the professional athletes I've met, Peyton has to be one of the most down to earth people I've ever come across. In today's age of pros not wanted to give you access and huge egos, it was nice to be around someone who appeared to be very humble and genuine. This brings me to my next point. I've been fortunate enough in my short career to come across some of the most famous athletes in the world and some of the most talented sports journalists in the business. At just 23, I've done more in 2-3 years than many people have done in 20 years, which is indeed a blessing. Unfortunately there may come a point in the near future where I have to give up this business and I'm not very thrilled about it and it's starting to bother me. Why you may ask, well that's for another post...

Positive Blackness

2005-06-21T23:32:00.000-05:00

I was able to catch the Different World reunion special on E! earlier today. While the actual segment sucked, it was good to see some of the characters I grew up watching (expect for Freddie - my first television crush). Contrary to some of the garbage thats on television these days *cough BET cough* shows like A Different World presented a positive image of blacks and was educational at the same time. A Different World opened a lot of eyes and shedded light on life at an HBCU. Thousands of young people saw college as cool and as a result attendance at HBCUs shot up in the post Different World period. Where are these influential shows today? As minorities, we need an outlet that shows us we as a people can be more than rappers, singers or basketball players.

Our young people need positive blackness. They need to see that they can still "keep it real" and challenge their minds at the same time. Our young boys need to know and look up to Barak Obama and Tavis Smiley just as much as they look up to 50 and AI. Our young women need to realize that Robin Roberts and Dr. Mae Jamison are just as important as Remi Martin and Amerie.

I just hope postive blackness comes around again before it's too late.

23

2005-06-20T00:35:00.000-05:00

Not only was yesterday Father's Day, but it was my birthday!!! Go-go-go-go shorty, it's your birthday, we gonna party like it's your birthday. Ok ok. I'm 23 now! Almost middle 20s, almost a quarter century. I'm certainly thankful to see another year. While I didn't do anything special, my mind was at peace for most of the day. I'm thankful for 23 because many I knew didn't make it to 23. I'm thankful to be 23 because according to statistics, I'm supposed to be either in jail, on drugs or dead. I'm thankful at 23 because I have a degree, a job, not into any trouble and am trying to live a decent life. I know not what year 23 holds, I just hope to live 23 to the fullest and pray that next year this time I'll have stories to tell about 23 and look ahead to 24.

Father's Day

2005-06-20T00:26:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little late but Happy Father's Day! Words can't describe how much my father, James A. Hudson, Jr., means to me. Over the years he has taught me so much about life and how to be a man and live a respectful life. With so much talk about the lack of fathers in today's age, I'm thankful to have a father in my life to steer me in the right direction, listen when I seek advice and pick me up when I make a mistake. We as men often times front and try to hard and tough and we fail to express ourselves to one another. While I am still working on this, I'm not ashamed to say I love and appreciated everything my dad has done and continues to do for me. My only hope is that one day I'll be able to be the type of man and father he has been.

Jacko and more

2005-06-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

A lot of my associates have been sweating me to update my blog. For those who depend on me for daily commentary, I've been busy, get over it!!! (smile). Anyways, I've been debating whether I should weigh in on the Michael Jackson case. We'll here it goes. I may be one of the few black people that actually thought Michael was guilty. Call me what you want but I just have a problem with a grown, pale looking man having little boys as playmates. I'm not going to sit here and say "the system works" everytime a black man is found not guilty. You have got to be kidding me. Yes, there were some holes in the case and yes the case probably shouldn't have gone to trial in the first place but in my opinion out of all the charges somewhere there should have been some guilt. Maybe it's just me.

Ok Phil Jackson back to the Lakers...
*yawn*

I've been keeping up with the Aruba missing girl case the last couple of weeks. I can't imagine what her family may be going through doing this time. However, the investigation, from what I've seen is a complete joke. There is no way the Aruban law enforcement can handle this case. The FBI needs to take fulll control and get this case solved. Forget about tourism and protecting the islands image. For a country who only sees 1-2 murders a year, they are nowhere near capable of solving this case.

Family First

2005-06-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

Ask me what is most important to me in my life and I'll tell you family. There is no thing or nobody that means more to me than my family. My cousin was able to graduate from high school this past weekend. The same day it was my parent's anniversary. I knew it was going to be rough to make it home to be there. However, in my immediate family, we all have been together to celebrate each others accomplishments as long as I remember. So I was determined to keep the tradition going.

I was able to get a plane ticket to Richmond, leaving on Saturday morning and returning on Sunday morning. Sure it was a lot, but being able to spend a day with my family and see thelook on my parents face was something I'll never forget. The simple things in life are what matters most. I'm thankful I was taught that at an early age. No matter what happens in life your family will always be there. So although I almost melted in downtown Richmond Saturday, it was worth. I have no doubt that in my time of need they'll be right here.

Public Service Announcement

2005-06-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is a rant. This is only a rant. There are a few things on my mind so here it is. I apologize in advance if anyone is offended.

Sean Taylor (Redskins safety), what the hell are you thinking? You are a PROFESSIONAL athlete making $30 million dollars and you're out waving a gun in front of people. Give me a break! Like Cedric the Entertainer said, there comes a time in a person's life where you have to realize you're a grown ass man. Apparantley, that hasn't entered your thick skull. I'm sick and tired of young black athletes complaining about how bad the media potrays them and how they get no respect. Respect is EARNED not given. If I were Joe Gibbs, I'd cut this dumbass and let him act a fool all he wants elsewhere.

Secondly, this past week there was a story of the NYC about a 9-year-old girl who was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the murder of an 11-year-old friend. According to reports, the girls where arguing over a ball and one girl stabbed the other. HELLO, this is a 9-year-old we're talking about. I know accidents happen, but this is where I draw the line. Neighbors describe the attacker as a trouble maker and a little thug. MOM? DAD? anyone? A child isn't born like this, it's picked up by either imitation or environment. We've got to do a better job of raising our kids. There is NO excuse for this. Let me repeat that. There is NO excuse for this.

Someone send help please!

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G BEE

2005-06-02T12:58:00.000-05:00

Admist another afternoon of boredom, I decided to sit and watch some of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Let me first say that, if you've never attended one, I suggest that you make a trip to D.C. and watch (my personal plug since I work for Scripps). These kids are amazing. While I am certainly not a speller extraordinare, I did win the 3rd grade spelling Bee many years ago. However, the National Spelling Bee is on another level. Last year as I sat in the audience, I guarantee you I couldn't spell half of the words those kids could.

Oh well, thank God for spell check.

Deep Throat

2005-05-31T23:04:00.000-05:00

You'll have to excuse me if I don't get pumped by the discovery of the man referred to as "Deep Throat." Pardon me if I keep flipping the channel the next few days when they talk about this all day. I think it's safe to say that 90% of my generation don't know who the hell Deep Throat is or was. In our world deep throat is well umm, I'll save that for another discussion. Anyways, while it's same to assume that this revelation is very important to our country's history. To those born in the late 70s to the present, the whole ordeal is just going right over our heads.

My point is (i guess) that there is still a distinct generation gap in this country. What many of the baby-boomers value and consider important, those of us in the technology/hip-hop and 21st century could really give a damn about.

It's really going to be interesting how this world is run when our generation reaches our 40s and 50s and the generation running the country now is dying out (no offense). Our thoughts/worlds are completely different. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

The Sun is setting...

2005-05-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

The Phoenix Suns are done. Yes, their high-powered, exciting offense was something special and very fun to watch, but that train has hit a brick wall in the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have the complete package. They too have a high powered offense, however, they have the key ingredient that the Suns lack; defense. At this time of the year, the old saying still holds true, defense wins championships. A 110+ point performance is only good if you can come up with defensive stops and the Spurs have clearly exposed the Suns and have clearly separated themselves as the superior team.

The series WILL end Monday.

Memphis

2005-05-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to spend this past week in Memphis, Tenn. First off, let me say that Memphis is a beautiful city. I was able to visit the Civil Rights Museum and let me say that every person, black or white, should make a point to visit this museum. It was one of the most powerful events I had ever experienced. To be able to see where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed is something I'll never forget. The entire exhibit was something that reminded me how the struggles of my ancestors paved the way for me to be able to live the life I live today. In Memphis, I was proud to be black.

I'm Bizzack

2005-05-22T20:12:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in two or three days now, so after my brief blog sabbatical, I'm proud to announce I'm back. Yes!

Two things things in the news today really bothered me. This first is the story of an 8-year-old girl who was found buried alive today in Florida. The accused is a 17-year-old associate of the girl. Thankfully the girl was found in decent condition, but if I was the father, I'd be gearing up for some serious arse kicking.

The second story came by way of Cleveland aka "the Land". A 30-something mother and eight children were killed when a fire started in a house in one of Cleveland's poorer neighborhoods. Apparently, the house was a very popular hangout of kids in the community and the mother was a very nice person, according to the media, family and friends. Here's my beef. Four of Carters kids, ages 7-15 were killed. Three of the four kids have different last names, none however had the last name Carter. Where's the father? Is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me. God rest there souls, but when will black women realize that having a bunch of kids by different fathers who don't give a damn about them is not the way of life. We need to be smart, invest in morals and respect. Get educated so we can get out of these low income residents. Because the public doesn't care about us until something bad happens. Case in point.

Juiced up!!

2005-05-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

For the umpteenth time this year, I had to spend part of my day listening to professional sports representatives testify before Congress concerning steriods. And for the umpteenth time, I shook my head in utter disgust at the proceedings. For the record, I think that something should be done to eliminate the growing amount of perfomance enhancing drug usage in pro sports, even though I dispute the fact that steriods actually help an athlete perform better. However, should the United States Government really get involved with this? Aren't there more pressing issues that congress should be holding hearings on? How about they televise hearings on crime, racial profiling, drug use and poor housing.

Sports are supposed to be fun. Yes, there are some bad apples in the bunch that are giving sports a bad name, but is it that bad that there has to be a circus on Capitol Hill to fix it? I don't think so. After all, the entire steriod argument is based on speculation of what a few athletes have done. No hard facts have been found to justify a misdemeanor fine, much less a Congressional hearing.

I say let the powers that be in the respective leagues handle the problem, not congress. It's a sad day when outsiders try to fix what's going on in your house. Essentially, that's what's happening with Congress and sports.

Get in where you fit in Congress!

Another Day

2005-05-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

I really don't have much to say about this day. I was blessed to see it and blessed to live through it.

Spoken Words of the Day

2005-05-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

I found this poem of this black peotry site. I kind of reflects what I think sometimes.

Broke Asses
by Alyce

broke ass peoples
upset me...
hurts my heart
when I see my brothaz
step to my sistaz
like they got
gold trim from the
base to the rim
when all that glitters
is in they mouth
and can't even articulate
what they talkin bout
and all the sistaz ain't even
exempt
in bandanas...
and slippers
tacky and
unkempt
acting like theirs
is pearl-lined and
triple fine
(Lawd haf mer c
on me and mine)
broke ass people
and I don't mean
material deprivation
it's more like the
result of mental starvation...
I'm speakin
of the void of understandin
low on knowledge
folks rollin on empty
in the think tank
ain't thinkin bout college
I'm sayin there's
a lack of learnin goin on
people walkin round
with holes in they souls
with no fruits of the Spirit
folks who despise
the Truth
and don't wanna hear it
broke ass people
my sista, my brotha
all my neighbors
and we need to help
one anotha...
so I figure if somebody
loves me enuff
they need to tell me
some
hard-to-hear stuff
don't worry bout
softenin me up
with too much kindness
cuz I'm also guilty
of selective
blindness
just back me up to
the nearest mirror
so I can see my
broke ass
a lil mo clearer

Journalism Ethics

2005-05-16T23:40:00.000-05:00

Everytime I look around, there is some sort of fabrication going on in journalism. From Mitch Albom to Newsweek, the media is fastly loosing credibility. As someone who works in the media, particularly a minority, I have to be very careful that I don't fall in the trap that seems to be an epidemic in our business. Our job is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Our audiences depend on us for information and when our information is false, we lose their trust and our integrity.

Happy Camper

2005-05-16T23:13:00.000-05:00

Corinthia came in from Baltimore to visit me today! I am a happy man. We really didn't do anything besides lay around the house, watch t.v. and sleep. We did go to this jazz club tonight and had some very good conversation. She's not into music as much as me but we still had a good time. I'm just happy to have someone around the house for a change.

Sad Story

2005-05-15T17:32:00.000-05:00

A local high school kid died earlier today due to complications during surgery of his broken leg. He was 16 and apparently very popular at his school. Why should we care? It's to point out that we never know from one moment to the next what will happen. Never carry the "it won't happen to me" attitude because you have no authority over that. Live each day to the fullest because you never know when it's your last.

Random Thoughts

2005-05-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

I was having a conversation with a very dear friend of mine and she suggested indirectly that I need to be able to express myself more. I told her that I know how to express myself and because she doubted me, I decided to go back in my archives and post a poem I did a couple of years ago, to let her know that I am indeed in touch with my expressive side.

You
By Jamar C. Hudson

At each morning’s sun rise
I picture your beautiful brown eyes
And realize
How truly blessed we are to be in each others lives

For each moment we’re together
There’s nobody I’d rather be with
There’s nobody I’d rather share my thoughts with
Than YOU

For it is you who keeps me going
It’s you who motivates me
It’s you who makes me looks forward to tomorrow
Another day of being with YOU

For each day with you
Is better than the day before
For the more I get to know you
The more I love being with YOU

I love being with you
Because it is with you that I find my joy
It is with you that I find my pain
I find love…with YOU

This love that I’ve found is rare
Never would I have thought I would feel this way
Never would I have thought anyone could make me feel this way
Never would I have thought I would be writing a poem…about YOU

I write about you because it is in you that I find my inspiration
It is in you that I find happiness
It is in you that I find peace
All that is good and perfect, I find in YOU

They say nobody’s perfect
I beg to differ because it’s not true
The Bible asks “Who can find a virtuous woman?”
I can say that I’ve that woman in YOU

In you I find support
In you I find class
In you I find beauty
Everything I’ve ever dreamed of I find it in YOU

At a moment when I wasn’t searching
I found a lover and a friend
At a moment when I sat carefree
I looked to my right and I saw…YOU

Since that glance, purposely or not
It is you who has made my life complete
There’s only one person who could ever take your place
And that person is…..YOU

Copyright 2003
JaCori Flows

Bull Riding

2005-05-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

I was sitting watching some bull riding on ESPN and I think it's safe to say that it's the only sport I'll never see a brotha thrive in is bull riding. This is truly the epitome of a "white man's game." Tight jeans, farm atmosphere and a bunch of yee-hawin' just isn't our type of environment. Oh well, to each his own.

Another Day

2005-05-15T01:05:00.000-05:00

At the end of each day, I pause to reflect and give thanks for being allowed to make it through another day. Despite it being a rainy, gloomy day, this was a day that the Lord made, I rejoiced and was glad in it.

2005-05-15T00:40:00.000-05:00

Flash

2005-05-14T20:42:00.000-05:00

Dwyane Wade has officially won me over. Forget about LeBron, forget about Kobe, forget about T-Mac and as much as I hate to say it, forget about AI. D-Wade has emerged as the premier guard in the NBA. He has carried the Shaq-less Heat throughout the playoffs and because of that, they are my pick to win the NBA title!!!

Yes!!!

2005-05-14T19:39:00.000-05:00

There are times in life that you feel good when you've accomplished something. I finally got it! Let the blogging begin.

This is tough

2005-05-14T19:27:00.000-05:00

...I thought I was smarter that this. I'm going to get it though.

Test

2005-05-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Test

Trying again

2005-05-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

Just a test...

I'm in

2005-05-14T18:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, it took me a while to figure out the whole "blog" thing. After some thorough research and spying on other people's blogs, I figured I'd give mine a try. So sit back, relax and enjoy what the locker room has to offer.