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Saturday, October 30, 2010

How to Get Famous 201


In 2010, it is not about if you're talented or not. It's all about if you are memorable.

Society has set the stage for us to find our way onto someone's flat screen! Will you do something so mind-numbingly stupid that people will remember you and want to see more of you?

How to Get Famous 201 starts now!

YouTube

If you have not seen this guy's video (which has turned this man into a YouTube sensation overnight), then by all means, please click here and be entertained. This was supposed to be a serious story, but given the circumstances that no one was hurt, it's become one of the funnier stories of 2010. It's also turned into financial gain for Antoine who's been remixed into a song (on iTunes), has a doll created in his likeness and has made multiple appearances on talk shows.

This is an example of how a creative idea or an off-the-wall moment can lead to 15 minutes of fame. Making it big via YouTube is just one unfortunate moment away that happens to get caught on film.

So, for those of you who are struggling to get into show business, then struggle no more! Think of a great idea. Something so stupid that people will break their necks to sit in front of a computer just to see it.

If you can't make it to Hollywood, then bring Hollywood to you and "go viral"!



Next topic: Reality show contestant
Previous topic: Sex tapes/scandals

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Karma, Baby!



I'm at lunch today and as I'm going into a restaurant named Broad Street, I see a couple pull up in an older foreign car (maybe a Honda or Hyundai). I really didn't pay them any mind as they pulled into a handicap parking space. What got my attention, before I got inside, was when the lady who was driving stepped out of her vehicle only to stop when the passenger asked, "Are you really going to park here?"

"We'll only be a couple of minutes," she replied.

Now, that was an indication to me that they didn't have the proper credentials to park in a handicap parking spot. I continued inside and thought nothing of it. I've seen situations like this on that NBC investigative show, "What Would You Do?", but in 2010, inserting yourself into other people's business can get you shot. So, I decided to do like most people on the show and minded my own business.

Once inside, I ordered a spicy pork loin chipotle wrap and sat at a table near the window. Shortly after my food arrived, I noticed a cop car passing through the parking lot. It didn't mean much to me when I saw him, so I just continued to eat.

10 minutes later, as I walk out to return to my car, who do I see getting a ticket for parking in the handicap spot? You guessed it! Dumb and Dumber are standing outside of the car while "Officer Friendly" writes them up.



I started to think to myself,"Did the restaurant get their order mixed up and that's why they're still here? It's been 20-25 minutes, so they should have been gone by now."

I continue to walk by with a huge grin on my face only hoping to make eye contact when I heard the passenger reveal the reason they were still parked there:

He looked at the lady and said,"Thanks to you, we now have to pay Pop-A-Lock and the City of Jackson!"

LOL! She had locked the keys in the car! No wonder they happened to still be in the parking spot when the policeman rolled through!

That's karma, baby!

Monday, October 25, 2010

A Bit Much?



Okay, the latest controversy in Jackson is about a couple of billboards a local gentlemen's club, by the name of Danny's, has placed on the highways.

Tasteful or distasteful?

Is a bit much? Are we at a point in society where we should just accept things like this and move on? I remember at one time when people were protesting "The Simpsons". Now, 25 years later, shows like "Family Guy", "The Boondocks" and "South Park" are just another show.

So, with Victoria's Secret having prime time shows showing night wear and the Miss America Pageant showing "cheeks galore" in the swimsuit segment in stunning HD, are we to the point to where this is just something else that was once frowned upon that we will now accept?

If so, how many years are we away from having nude people on billboards?

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Don't Limit Your Kid's Dreams

Anyway, I'm watching "Man v. Food" the other day and I keep thinking to myself, "This dude is going to die on camera."

Seriously. Does this guy not take his life in his own hands every time he stuffs a pizza, hot dog or insanely-hot wing in his mouth? How do you even get a job eating for a living anyway? What was the interview like? "Hi. I'm Adam Richman."

"Nice to meet you, Adam. Let's get started. Do you like to eat?"

"Yes. I've eaten ever since I was a baby. I can't live without food!"

"Excellent. Can you eat a lot of food?"

"Yes. I've been known to stuff myself from time-to-time. One Thanksgiving, at my grandmother's house, I went back for seconds."

"Great! You're hired!"

So, this guy travels the country and stuffs himself with good-looking food. Amazing. If only I knew they were hiring. Dag, some people have all of the luck.

Growing up, my parents never told me that I could have a cushy job that can be fun, too. Why did they make me think that work was always suppose to lack pleasure? I could have been a professional eater, or a photographer for King or Maxim Magazine or even a U.S. Senator.

Parents, don't limit your kid's dreams. Let them know that there are jobs out there that can be fun. Who wouldn't want to eat for a living? Who wouldn't want to take photos of gorgeous models? Who wouldn't want to pass a bill that benefits their own business while living off of their constituents' tax money?

Make sure your kids are informed!

Friday, October 22, 2010

A Distorted View

Crazy schedule at work this week. I ended up working a split shift on Tuesday and today (8 AM - 12 PM and 5 - 9 PM). It's actually not a bad deal since the extended lunch break gave me time to run a few errands with The Mrs. and do lunch with her.

The downside of the day is that I missed NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice, at an autograph session at a local business. I was hoping to add a 3rd HOF'er to my list of athletes I've met in person (Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin), but Rice was scheduled to start the signing session at 5 PM which is when I was scheduled to work.


Oh, well. What sucks is that Rice and I attended the same college, so I may have even had a conversation with the guy. Luckily, my friend, Corey, who works at the place looked out for me. He was able to snag an autograph for me, so props to him for that.

Anyway, I'm still on my blog streak of 21 days and counting or something like that. I find myself running low on topics. I've started at least 10 drafts that sit unfinished until I get my inspiration from some where. If no inspiration arrives, then I'll be the first blog to have reruns. Maybe someone on "The View" will say something stupid on Monday and fuel my fire for the upcoming week. In fact, the probability of that happening is pretty high.

Speaking of "The View", I never gave my two cents on Whoopi and Joy walking off stage on Bill O'Reilly. Whoopi and Joy would have served themselves a lot better explaining why they disagreed with Bill rather than walking off the show like a couple of kids.



What's so scary is that people actually turn to these losers for their political insight. "The View" is a very popular show and after reading some comments on Yahoo! Buzz I now know that people actually listen to these ladies.

Why do people believe everything they see on TV? Why does every talking head captivate us and make us regurgitate garbage to our friends, family and co-workers? Why do we take someone else's opinion and pass it on as fact to other people too lazy to research it themselves? The ladies on that show do nothing but give us a distorted view (pun intended) of society by screaming loud and not making a point.

And poor Elizabeth Hasselbeck has to deal with Whoopi and Joy teaming up on her every single day. How does she do it? I haven't a clue. Not that I feel sorry for her because I think she's extremely disillusioned. Some times I agree with her, but once she gets started, she always gets too extreme with her ideology. Then Joy and Whoopi will start loud-talking her, Lizzie will pout and that's when I change the channel to something newsworthy... like Maury Povich.

LOL! Okay, not really.

SN: Where in the world is Falen? I haven't seen/heard from her in days.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Should Marriage Licenses Expire?



Just about every license you get expires. Hunting, fishing, driving, etc. But, not marriage licenses. Once you apply for a marriage license and "jump the broom", that's it for life. Or until you divorce.

What if marriage licenses had an expiration date? Now, before you all jump down my throat, this is just a question to provoke thought. I'm not looking for an out from The Mrs. or anything. I'm just "kicking the can" on this one.

If marriage licenses expired every four years then divorce lawyers would be out of business. Judge Lynn Toler would be back to the municipal courts in Cleveland due to lack of couples signing up for her show. Husbands/wives who are unhappy don't have to try to justify cheating. "Just three more months and I'm home-free on that expiration date!"

On the downside, Vegas would be flooded every weekend with people willing to get married since they know that they have an out. "No need to date a long time and get to know my mate. If it doesn't work out, then we'll go our separate ways in October of 2014."



There would be more kids with step-parents than you could imagine. Now, that I think about it, Judge Toler would still be in business because someone has to separate all of the property/income received over the four year period.

Still, wouldn't it be interesting to have the ability to "renew" or let your license "expire"?

Take my poll on the left and voice your opinion on "Should Marriage Licenses Expire?" or voice your opinion in our forum here!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Cultural Differences


I met a fellow blogger by the name of Paula in the Thank, Q Community on TheBlogFrog. Paula is from Germany and now resides in the U.S. with her American husband.

After reading a few of her comments on one of the forum discussions, I was extremely fascinated with some of the different values that I learned about her German background. Some of those differences are completely opposite of her husband.

As I read some of the comparisons she made to how her husband was raised and how she was raised, it made me realize how wonderful the story of them becoming husband and wife truly was.

We should all embrace the opportunity to learn something about someone else. We should all embrace diversity.

Below, I have included some of the differences Paula mentioned to me in the forum:

Paula
"I am very independent, confident and well travelled, always ready to go for discussions. I mean for truly and hearty discussing and sharing different opinions. I grew up speaking openly about love, sex, religion and politics. I am used to sunbath nude. He is highly protective, considers a discussion an argument, and nudism is not on his plate. He is used to see plenty of violence, blood and guns on the American TV. I am used to see more tenderness, love and sex. This violence thing gives me shivers."

"I never would consider a person a friend if this person wouldnt have proven himself over many years! He very quickly uses the word friend. Makes me cringe!"

"I am used to health checks as often as I want and need. I have access to one of the most efficient health care systems in the world. He constanly considers what and when he is seing a doctor. Copayments and deductibles are foreign to me!"


I encourage you all to visit her blog, "Love is a Journey" to get the full story!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fat Women Don't Like Sports?

What's the matter ESPN? Fat women don't like sports? Is that why I see a bunch of ex-models or hotties on the sidelines telling me about someone's injury?

Women have tried for the longest to join the sports world. A world that has always been dominated my men. Now that you see more women talking sports than ever before you have to wonder:

Are women still viewed as inferiors in the sports world?

Sad to say, but the answer is "yes". Women are still not taken seriously in sports. It's not the fault of the everyday female sports fan who is attending games or rooting from her couch. It's the fault of the sports stations exploiting women for their personal gain.



Jillian Barberie was the stereotypical weather girl for FOX NFL Sunday. She offered no sports knowledge whatsoever and little weather knowledge either if you ask me. Lisa Guerrero was a Los Angeles Rams (yes, they were once in L.A.) cheerleader and was probably the worst female sideline report in the history of sports. She couldn't even get the team names right and was gone after one season. I blogged about Ines Sainz before, so there's no need to repeat myself about her setting women back 20 years in sports.

Women who are hired for looks and not knowledge wind up on the receiving end of cell phone texts of naked guys in Crocs holding their junk.



There are so many respectable women in sports. Suzy Kolber has been in the game for a minute and has even hosted NFL Live on ESPN. She's very respected in the field although a drunk Joe Nammath did try to kiss her on national TV once. Michelle Tafoya has to be my favorite sideline reporter. I rarely hear her ask anything irrelevant and you see the respect the players have for her despite being a cute lady. Lisa Salters is mainly an NBA sideline reporter and despite her 5'5" frame amongst giants, she is friendly yet respected in the league. And I'm a huge fan of Pam Ward who not only knows football inside-and-out, but better than most of her male counterparts. She's the only female I'm aware of that does play-by-play for NCAA football. A female in the booth calling the game is the ultimate achievement.



And then there are the women who fall in the middle. The women who display their sexy side, but still struggle to grasp respectability in the workplace. It's understandable how some of them want to hold on to their femininity and still expect the same reaction towards them as the guys get, but is it realistic?

Erin Andrews started her career with a conservative wardrobe, but over time became sexier on the sidelines. Ironically, her popularity grew from there and she's now a Google search favorite in college frat houses across the country.

She now has a huge career (even flipped it into an appearance on "Dancing With The Stars"), but at what cost? Just being a sexy shape on the sidelines who tells me if someone is injured? When Erin hosts ESPN College Game Day, does anyone listen to whatever two cents she may offer up as a football opinion?



Only time will tell what will happen to her career. Will she end up as another Andrea Kramer and stay in the game for over 25 years? Or will she wind up being replaced by the next sexy 20-something like the women who have preceded her?



Erin outfits could lead to more outbursts like this. This is a clear demonstration of how she's viewed, even by a college athlete.

Women can say "they have arrived" the day they have crusty old ladies working sporting events. The day they have a female version of John Madden, Al Michaels or Tony Siragusa working the sidelines is the day they can celebrate. If I had to guess, the average age for a male in football commentating is probably around 50 years old. For women, I'm sure it's closer to 30 years old.

I guess it's still a Man's World after all.

Monday, October 18, 2010

What Do You Mean "You're Out?"


Ok, so I'm looking for an evening meal since The Mrs. and I had a late lunch. I go to a local restaurant not too far from my house and grab a seat. The server comes by and asks me what I want to drink. I ask for iced tea and she quickly replies, "I'm sorry, we're out."

"What do you mean 'you're out'?" I inquire while looking at my watch.

It's 8:15 PM and the place closes at 9 PM. Now, granted, I'm the only person in the place not sitting at the bar, so it's safe to say I'm the only one asking for tea. But, still, it's 45 minutes until close and your response to me is "you're out"?

"Yes, sir. We're out. We do have Coke products." she replied.

Now, since I've worked in a restaurant before, I know that it's nothing to go to the back and brew some fresh tea. Yeah, it seems like a waste to brew a new urn for one person, but given that iced tea is one of the biggest price mark-ups in restaurants, I don't see the big deal.

I was a bit frustrated, so I chose to go elsewhere since iced tea with my meal, to me, is like morning coffee to half of the world.

Another incident was with a recent trip to another restaurant in the town north of me. Now, I knew based on my experience and their reputation that they tend to be slackers, but it was convenient to go this day. I choose to go inside since I could probably hatch and raise chickens during the time it takes to get served in their drive-thru.

"Here or to go?" the lady asks.

"Wow." I think to myself. "Not even a 'welcome to (insert name)' or anything."

It's 830 PM and they close at 9 PM, so I know I'm pushing my luck in getting what I want. "I'll take a two piece, mild, please?"

"We're out of mild. All we have are spicy thighs and legs."

Well, that would be great if I were ordering women, but I'm ordering chicken and I don't prefer those particular pieces. "What do you mean you're out? What time do you all close?"



"In 30 minutes, but we've been out for 20 minutes now."

Do you see a theme here? Places that say they close at one time, truly close an hour prior to that time. That's bad management. I realize that no one wants to get stuck at work when it's time to leave, but if you're scheduled to work until 9 PM, then do it. Don't stop at 8:30 PM and start putting everything up. You do that after you close, not before.

Needless to say, I don't frequent these places much any more. They'll probably never miss my presence, but in the long run, it will hurt them. Mainly because I've complained about both places to my friends and co-workers. Also, toss in the fact that I review restaurants regularly on Yelp and Urbanspoon.com.

It just shows the mentality of some people. They do just enough to get by. Not just in crappy service, but life in general. They do just enough in their relationships, just enough in parenting and just enough in being respectful.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Divided States of America

"United we stand, but divided we fall".

That phrase has been thrown around for the better part of three centuries. We've all heard it, yet we don't subscribe to the theory.

"United States of America"? More like the "Divided States of America".

How can we call ourselves "united" when we're constantly separating ourselves from one another?

To most people that I know, I'm considered African-American or black. I've been in this country almost 39 years and I don't ever recall once being called an "American". In fact, if I live 39 more years, I seriously doubt I'll ever hear someone in this country refer to me as an "American". The only way I'll hear it is if I go to a foreign country. They tend to refer to their visitors from the U.S. as "Americans".



Why am I classified in my own country? Why is the U.S. different? Why do I have to select who I am on every application I fill when it should be assumed that I'm just an "American"?

Then there's the old Democrat and Republican argument that's been going on for a few hundred years. Citizens align themselves with a political party and a news station that promotes that party's agenda and then the ignorance begins.

We've all seen countless town hall meetings of people screaming at one another over statements they're regurgitating from a Glenn Beck or Chris Matthews. They only know one side of the story, but they testify as if they really understand what's going on in this country.

I watch both FOX News and MSNBC (so I can actually get something that resembles the truth) and I see how both of them manipulate their audiences. FOX News is notorious for taking a Democratic's quote and selling their own interpretation of it as a fact. MSNBC is notorious for bringing Republicans on as guests and then screaming them down without letting them express their point.

As long as Republicans and Democrats keep us arguing, they'll keep making money. Republicans toasted George W. for basically creating a monopoly for the pharmeceutical companies. Democrats tore him a new one for preventing imports from Canada amongst other things. But, when Barack basically extends the same agreement, the Democrats have nothing to say and now Republicans are up in arms. Both of them did the same thing, but we act as if they're different because these news stations treat them as such.



And while the citizens are arguing about it, both Demos and Repubs keep getting rich and re-elected because we feel that they can't be wrong. After all, FOX News and MSNBC says they're correct, right?

Name one politician in the White House who isn't rich? Can't do it, can you?

Now, ask yourself this: would you raise millions of dollars for a job? Sounds stupid, doesn't it? Well, politicians do it every election.

There is a Senate candidate in Nevada who raised over $3 million dollars in less than two weeks. Two weeks! All for a job that paid a salary of $174,000 in 2009.

Think about it. What person would raise millions of dollars for a job that pays $174,000 unless there was some sort of kickback from it? And do you truly think corporations donate millions of dollars to a candidate without expecting something in return?

Those same corporations who give their senior leaders eight-digit bonuses and donate millions towards campaign finance have the audacity to tell the U.S. citizens that they don't have the money to create jobs. Interesting.

So, if you're arguing that one party really cares about spending more than the other -- you're fooling yourself.

If you're arguing that one party is fiscally responsible than the other -- you're fooling yourself.

If you think that the same people responsible for sending jobs overseas truly want to create jobs here, then I hope you're good-looking because brains aren't your strong suit.

Who do you think the White House will show its loyalty to regularly:

The corporations that donated the millions and millions of dollars to get them a $174,000 job?

Or you?

Stop voting for political parties and vote for progress.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Baby, I'm A Star!

My writing skills have finally paid off. Well, not finally. It did land me a brief stint as a sportswriter for my local newspaper a decade ago. Aside from that, I guess I've had a bit of a drought.

Well, with the newly-found urge to blog, I'm back in the writing game. I submitted a restaurant review back in July for a contest sponsored by the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau and lo and behold, three months later, I freakin' won. Like Annah, I'm approaching "famosity" status!

I was interviewed and had a brief photo session and it's all on their website. In the words of Prince: "Baby, I'm a star!"

To see my review, just click the moving ad on their site that says, "Want Free Food?"

Dinner for four to Julep. It's one of the more reputable restaurants in Jackson and was once rated Top 10 in the nation by the USA Today for their unique version of fried chicken.

Now my only dilemma is: who do I take with me and The Mrs.?

Friday, October 15, 2010

How To Get Famous 101

A few decades ago, it took talent to get on TV. Not only did you have to have acting skills in the days of Sammy Davis, Jr., Elvis or Fred Astaire in order to get on TV, but you also had to know how to sing and dance, too. Everyone on TV was the "complete package" when it came to truly being famous. That meant years and years (for some) of doing stand-up comedy in night clubs, or singing in bars or going on the road and performing in plays.


In 2010, it is not about if you're talented or not. It's all about if you are memorable . I don't know who won last season's "American Idol", but I remember the "Pants on the Ground" guy, Larry Platt.

Society has set the stage for us to find our way onto someone's flat screen! Will you do something so mind-numbingly stupid that people will remember you and want to see more of you?

How to Get Famous 101 starts now!

Sex Tape/Scandal

Monica Lewinsky, Paris Hilton, Ray J, Kim Kardashian are a few names that immediately come to mind when I mention sex tapes and scandals. Each of them were either the furthest thing from my mind or completely unknown to me before their tape/scandals put them on the map.

I had absolutely no idea who Kim Kardashian was before her sex tape. Aside from the fame generated from the sex tape, I really don't know what her accomplishments are in life. For that matter, the co-star of her tape, Ray J, was an extremely small-time R&B singer before the release of the flick. I simply knew him as "Brandy's brother" prior to its release.



Now, he is going into his 3rd season of his reality show "For The Love of Ray J". A show where actresses, er, uh, I mean contestants try to win his affection through whoreish tactics, er, uh... Scratch that. I mean, by spending quality time with him.

Kim K. is going into her 5th season of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" which is about a family of losers spending their dead dad's money. And while I'm on the topic of Kim, if I hear one more white guy comment on her butt, I'm going to blow a gasket!

Black women have had booty for centuries and they have gone unnoticed. Now I have to hear my white friends go on and on about Kim's butt?

I'm going to give it to you straight because I'm a Life Referee: I can go to my local historically black university and see 25 Kim Kardashian booties from the time I park my car until the time I walk to the first dormitory. If you don't believe me, then you better ask someone. It's not to hate on Kim's shape because it's the one thing I've seen evidence of that she does well. Well, maybe one of two things. So, it's not her at all, but it is about the guys I deal with regularly who act like Kim and J-Lo invented round butts. Fail!



If Kim were black, she would be another curvy shape and not some "wide hips revolution". It may sound harsh, but it's true. Not to turn off any of my readers, but my blogs are real and I call it like I see it. Sorry about the tirade. My blogs are simply my thoughts put on-screen. What comes up, comes out.

Back to sex tapes/scandals. Monica Lewinsky turned her romps with Bubba Clinton into a TV show and a book deal. Only in America can a person turn from a ho to a household name.

Paris Hilton was the first person who I ever heard referred to as a "socialite". Dictionary.com says that a socialite is "a socially prominent person". My translation of that is "a person who shows up at parties and tries to get on camera every chance they can". Speaking of cameras, how can someone take a million different photos and have the same expression in each one of them?



When she released "One Night in Paris", she became an internet Google search sensation virtually overnight. She helped paved the way for many shameless people who "leak" sex tapes to get, for lack of a better word, exposure. Although Pam Anderson was the first one I remember, it was Paris who did it during the Digital Age which skyrocketed her popularity. Sorry, Pam. I hope "Dancing With The Stars" worked out for you.

Next topic: YouTube

Thursday, October 14, 2010

QOTD: Can You Say Coke Is Better If You've Never Had Pepsi?

Question(s) of the day: I think that everyone should experience multiple (more than two) relationships in their lives so that they can learn how to separate "the good" from "the bad".



You can't say Coke is better if you've never had a Pepsi, right?

People who find love in high school and go on to marry and stay married to that person are very rare. I know two couples who were each other's firsts and they are both happily married 20 years later. I have also recently encountered a young lady on TheBlogFrog.com who has dated her boyfriend since high school and they're each other's first and look to get married. But, I also know countless others from high school who tried and failed miserably by their mid-20's. They realized that they made a grown up decision without being a grown up.

So, it can work, but are the odds stacked against it?

If a teen-ager isn't mature enough to vote or drink, how can they possibly say I want to spend the rest of my life with my first boyfriend/girlfriend without experiencing another?

Do they look at other couples and use them as a measuring stick?

Are they able to be honest with themselves and know that they are satisfied with their mate?

Are they able to attend different colleges and feel secure that the other one is not being tempted by something new?

What's your take on this? Join the discussion here!

In Stunning HD!






It's amazing how things look so differently in stunning HD! I now realize that Flava Flav played in "Gremlins" and Granny from "The Beverly Hillbillies" covers college football on ESPN as Lou Holtz! The clarity in my HDTV is amazing!

Have a good day everyone!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Ladies, What Are You?

Men have titles. We get categorized. We get labeled as "breast men", "leg men", etc. by our peers. Whatever seems to be the first thing to attract us to a woman seems to stick with our reputation.



I sometimes wonder what ladies talk about when they get up from the table and go to the restroom in groups. Since I don't know, I'll just speculate that it is to discuss this very topic. LOL!

As I reached my late 20's, I realized how much women talk about men. I used to think that we were the farthest thing from your mind at times, but as I got older, I realized that you all have some very similar conversations that men have. Maybe not to the same extent, but you get where I'm going.

So, my question to all of my lady followers is:

Ladies, what are you?

What part of a man attracts you when you see him? Do you like men in suits? Do you love good hair? Are you into firm butts?


How would your friends categorize you? Please comment below or join our discussion here.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

It's important that men support it, too...

Do White Women Care?

My high school was 75% white and throughout my four years of high school, I'm only aware of one interracial couple. And now that I think about it, no one knew about them for two years until the girl's friend leaked the news on accident. I'm sure there were more couples, but it was hush-hush.

Interracial dating is no longer the issue that it once was when I was a Mississippi teen in the late 80's. I see interracial couples all of the time while I'm out and about and think nothing of it.



But for some reason, black women just can't seem to let it go when they see a black man with a woman of another ethnicity. Especially white women.

My best friend, who now lives in Florida, was always into white women when we were in high school. Black guys rarely said anything to him about his preference, but the black women at our school would go off on him every time they saw him.

They were furious. Despite the fact that he'd actually tried to date a few of them and got rejected, they still came down on him for "crossing over".

So, a lot of black women tend to get furious when it happens, but do white women care about interracial relationships involving white men?



Does a white woman see a white man with a non-white woman and get enraged or feel betrayed?

Please comment below and give me your take on it regardless of your ethnicity or join our discussion here.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Media Bias Against Black Athletes


Ok, so this story about Brett Favre trying to get with a NY Jets employee and sending her photos of his junk was first brought to my attention two or three months ago. I told some co-workers of mine that the story would not carry a lot of steam when, or even if, the media decided to report it. There's too much of a media bias and it's driven me to blog about it. A majority of the media loves Favre and wouldn't speak badly of him unless they absolutely had no choice.

I'm not one to play the race card, but as a sports fan, if I sat down with pen and pad, I could probably easily write down 10 white athletes who have done something stupid and got a slap on the wrist (if anything) from the media to every five black athletes who have done something stupid and get 'skull drug' by the media.

Now, with this Favre-nude-in-Crocs-photo thing, I can't help but think of Tiger Woods. When Tiger had his car accident last year, there was immediate speculation that his ex, Elon, took a nine iron to his dome. The talking heads were spewing left and right that she assaulted him with a golf club for cheating.

Where's the media speculation on Favre? Why am I not seeing it lead SportsCenter every night like I did with Tiger? Tiger was even the big story on non-sports shows from Nancy Grace to Good Morning America. Why are the sports stations now deciding to "wait on the story to unfold" before commenting rather than speculating as usual? There are photos, voicemail messages and texts posted online as evidence in the harassment case, so isn't that enough for a story?



Another example: when a drunk Ben Roethlisberger allegedly sexually assaulted that college student in GA, ESPN did not even report on the story until days later. One of the reasons is that ESPN (affiliated with ABC) was featuring Ben in a reality show with Shaq. There was no reason to report he was potentially a rapist and ruin your ratings, right?

Yet, ESPN immediately fired Michael Irvin from his radio job after he was accused of rape (even though charges were dropped). Why not give your employee the benefit of the doubt? Sure, Irvin has a reputation of doing stupid things, but that was over a decade ago since he was considered a bad boy. ESPN later said they were not going to renew his contract anyway due to bad ratings. If that's the case, then why not let his contract expire like everyone else instead of firing him?

I remember back in the 90's watching a football game with Deion Sanders playing. I can't remember if it was Ian Eagle, Dan Dierdorf, or whoever, but the commentator criticized Deion for playing while hurt. "He's hurting his team by being selfish and not taking himself out of the game" is what I remembered hearing.

That very next week, the same guy was covering a Jets game. Wayne Chrebet, a white wide receiver, was playing hurt that day and not having his best game. I remember hearing something along the lines of, "Chrebet is such a gutsy competitor to tough it out despite his injury. A true iron man."

What!!!??? To this day, I remember how furious I was. Deion can't be "gutsy", too? Is it because of his flashy style? Because he chooses to dance in the endzone after scoring while Chrebet just hands the ball to the referee?

The black athlete rarely gets the benefit of the doubt. At one time, some of them did, but after O.J., Kobe and now Tiger, I doubt many ever will again.



The Q Score Company (not my company -- LOL!) did a survey on the most hated athletes: Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco and Kobe Bryant were the Top 5. All black.

Vick, I can understand people hating him since he went to jail for dog fighting. Tiger, T.O., and Ocho have not been accused of any crimes to my knowledge. Kobe got accused of one, but was later cleared. The first white person on the list is Ben Roethlisberger who was #6.

So, excluding Vick, two adulterers and two show-offs are more hated than a man accused of rape twice in two years? Are the reality shows for T.O. and Ochocinco really that bad?

Don't answer that.

Is LeBron James the first sports guy to ever leave a team for greener pastures? Nope. It's been happening for two decades now. See Nick Saban, Ray Bourque, and almost any MLB pitcher.

So, how does a man leaving a single Midwest city make him the most hated man in America?

Two words: media portrayal. I believe the only reason is the Top 5 Hated is blacker than a Jackson State University homecoming is the way the media reports on black athletes. I can't think of any other reason. If you can, then please tell me.

Have any of your ever heard of Matt Jones? Exactly. Probably not unless you're an Arkansas Razorbacks or Jacksonville Jaguars fan. He's had felony drug arrests and I wouldn't recognize him if he walked into my house wearing his jersey. I guess I missed him on Nancy Grace.



When a black athlete does something stupid, it's not just sports news, it's national news. If you don't believe me, then Google "Tiger Woods cheats" and see how many non-sports sites come up on Page 1. Then Google "Ben Roethlisberger rape" and see how many you get.


*** UPDATE - Before I posted this today, I did see a segment on "The Today Show" about Favregate. So, although it comes two or three months after I initially heard the story, it does look like the ball is rolling on this scandal. I don't want/enjoy to see athletes fail because we all do stupid things. But, when it does happen, I want everyone scrutinized equally.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Involved Ladies, Let Me Help You Out...

Ladies, most of you truly don't know how easy it is to satisfy a man. Sure, most of you have mothers who may have taught you that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach", but things are different in today's world.

A lot of you with boyfriends/husbands knew the way at one time, but have either forgotten it or have chosen to ignore it. Involved ladies, let me help you out when it comes to easily keeping your man happy with you.

The way to a man's heart is through his ego. It's just that simple. That three letter word can be the difference between you having a happy man or a man who eventually grows tired of being around you.



If a man can't be uplifted by the woman he was willing to give up his single life for then his ego will be crushed and his happiness will slowly erode.

Let me give you an example of how a man can easily be separated from his woman emotionally:

John works 40+ hours a week as a salesperson. He's worked really hard to do well and sell his company's product. In his office, his co-workers really like and admire the work that he does and compliment him regularly on his performance.

John gets home from a good day at work and tells his wife, Tonya, about his day and how he sold more product than he has ever before. She says "that's great, honey" very dryly and quickly changes the subject to "what's for dinner?"

Now, this doesn't sound like much to most women who probably read that, but to the men who read it, it's something they've probably all experienced before. Even though it wasn't a huge bonus or promotion, John chose to come home and share a good work experience with Tonya and she blew it off as "no big deal".

Men always get stereotyped for not sharing, but sometimes when we share something that is important to us, if it's not important to you, it hurts. If you can't get enthusiastic about something that excites your mate, then why are you with him? If he's happy and it's not a big deal to you, then why would he continue to share anything with you?

Now, I'm going to show you how "bad" can turn to "worse": John gets back to work the next day and in walks Sasha. She's a curvy co-worker who is single and aggressive. "Great job with the extra sales, John", she starts. "I think you do such an excellent job."

Ladies, this is how relationships go wrong. It's not always about a man not getting sex at home like some of you have been trained to think. It's about a man not getting uplifted at home. If he has to leave home to find someone who appreciates his achievements, then that's sad. If his support and compliments come from outside of the place he lays his head at night, then his mind will eventually wander from that place.



Tonya didn't recognize the fact that John was seeking her approval when he mentioned his extra sales. He wanted to show the person he chose to spend his life with that he was excelling. Now that he hasn't received that support from home, do you know how much better Sasha looks at the moment now that she's given him the lift he was craving?

When a man's ego is crushed, he will always think that it is something wrong with him. It will plague him to no end that his girlfriend/wife isn't satisfied with his efforts. He'll feel less of a man.

When another woman comes along and decides to stroke his ego, then he will start to think that there's something wrong with his girlfriend/wife. At that point, he starts to look at her as a negative in his life instead of a positive.

All of this sounds so simple, yet it's very real. Many of you may not know, but you've probably already lost a man or two because of your failure to support his ego. Some of you put down your man without even realizing it.

A man can go out and do something nice for you and still wind up feeling crummy afterwards. He can actually regret doing something nice for the woman he loves.

Let's say Tonya always does the dishes every evening. She washes them and puts them away in the cabinet every single night. One evening, John decides to surprise Tonya and do the dishes so that she can relax. He washes them, but leaves them in the drain instead of drying and putting them in the cabinet.

Instead of Tonya being thankful for what he has done, her response is: "why did you wash the dishes and not put them up?"

I'm sure 99% of the ladies reading this is asking herself the same question: "Yeah, why didn't he?"

It doesn't matter that he didn't. He put forth an effort to make Tonya's evening easier yet she was unappreciative because he didn't make it easy enough for her.

Every man who's reading this now is smiling and thinking "Thank, God someone finally said this."

Let me flip the script for a moment: A woman could go outside, grab the lawn mower and proceed to mow only 25% of the yard. That man will brag about it to his friends that his girlfriend/wife made the effort to help him with yard work. He won't show displeasure for her not finishing it all. That's just not how the average man's mind works.

But, let a man only do 25% of one of his woman's chores and not only will she not appreciate the fact she only has 75% left, she will feel insulted by it.



If you want to run a man off, literally or emotionally, then keep doing this. Because I guarantee you that Sasha will appreciate every single, little thing that he does at the office.

Every sales strategy he provides. Every inside tip he shares. Every good joke he cracks. Everything he does well, she will remind him of how well he does it. She will show him the same admiration that you once showed him at the beginning of your relationship.

What happens after that point strictly depends on his character.


(For a different take on parts of this post from a woman's perspective, check out what was said over at Pish Posh! Involved Men: Women Need Appreciation

Saturday, October 9, 2010

"The Friend Zone"


I don't get it. I had a conversation with a woman who said about a guy she knows that "I wish I could find someone like him".

In the southern accented words of my friend, Allyson, "Excuuusssse me?"

As someone who heard that phrase multiple times in his life, I immediately had to figure out why she wanted someone "like him", but "not him"?

So, I asked, "Find someone like him? What's wrong with him? He doesn't like women?"

"No, he likes women."

"Is he married or something?"

"No, I think he's going out with someone, but it's not serious."

Now I'm even more confused. "Uh... Okay, is he ugly?"

(LOL!) "No, he's not ugly or anything. He's just a little nerdy, that's all. He lacks style."

Ladies, let me see if I have this straight: there are roughly six or seven good men left in the U.S. and you want to "weed" out the nerds? I understand women in their early 20's may do that out of immaturity, but this lady was early 30's.


You can help a man work on his style a lot easier than you can help him work on commitment.

Memo to all good guys out there (and I was joking when I said six or seven):

It's time to stop thinking that if you are nice to her that she will some day wake up, see how wonderful you are and make you her boyfriend. When her biker boyfriend, Thrasher, pours beer over her head and tells her to "beat it", don't be the fool she runs to unless you truly just want to be her friend. I know it sounds mean to say this, but you're only torturing yourself while she ignores you.

She will use you until one of the two things happen:

A) she finds a guy like Thrasher who happens to know how to treat a woman
B) she reaches the age where she thinks time is running out and she settles for a Thrasher wanna be.


So, good guys, don't do it! Before I got married, I had more good-looking female friends than a Maxim magazine photo shoot. They all discussed their problems with me ad nauseum. Yet, I remained single like a slice of Velveeta cheese. So, take it from someone who knows the deal.

But, back to the ladies. Let me ask you this:

Why is it that when some guys (even one you may find attractive) crosses that imaginary line to "The Friend Zone", he becomes forever untouchable?

Can one of you women explain that to me? Join the discussion.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Tomorrow Is Garbage Day

It's late in the evening and I'm looking at the clock. 9:46 PM. Do I want to watch a recorded show before bed or just flip on live TV?

So much to do tomorrow. I have a project at work that should keep me busy for most of the morning. Then there is lunch at Broad Street with Corey, a former co-worker of mine. We have to catch up on this past weekend of football and how his LSU Tigers lucked out yet again. Dag, I haven't even had lunch with The Mrs. this week. I need to come correct this evening and treat her to some place nice.



I had lunch at a "mom & pop" restaurant today. A little hole-in-the-wall called the Marquee Fish Hut. A very, very small place. The place is so small that you have to step outside to nod your head. It's take-out only, so there's only a bench to sit on if you're waiting on an order.

I walk in and greet an older gentleman and a younger lady and place my order after perusing the menu a bit. A Philly cheesesteak minus the onions. The onions may be the best part of that sandwich to some, but to me, it may as well be poison. I despise onions.

After placing my order, I sat next to the old man. He is owner of the place. A man in his late 70's, if I had to guess. I pulled out my Tilt 2 and immediately started browsing Facebook. I figured if I had to wait 10 minutes for my food, then I might as well surf on my phone and entertain myself. The lady, who I later learned was the man's daughter, went into the kitchen to prepare my food.

The owner changed the channel on the small 13" TV to "Divorce Court". My attention immediately gazed upward towards the screen. After all, I am a Judge Lynn Toler stalker.



As the show went to commercial, the gentleman turned towards me and started to make small talk. Within 30 seconds, I let out my first of many laughs. Realizing that he was going to be way more entertaining than surfing, I put away the Tilt and started to listen to him tell a story about his morning. The more he talked, the bigger his smile got. He was enjoying being an entertainer. I was making this man's day by just listening.

As he got deeper into his story, I started thinking to myself of how it's amazing that people in the U.S. have gotten away from basic conversation. Here is a man who probably spent many evenings as a youth sitting on his porch and talking to people and I'm over here playing with my phone. I almost felt ashamed that I pulled it out of my pocket in the first place.

I'm old enough to remember being a kid and sitting around the corner of the house eavesdropping on my father and his brothers cracking jokes on the porch. They would sit outside and laugh for hours talking about everything under the sun.

Now, kids can't even ride in the same vehicle with their parents for two minutes without turning on a DVD, playing a Nintendo DS or slipping iPod headphones into their ears. No communication. Just co-existence.



As 10 minutes slipped by, I paid for my food and got ready to head back to work. The old man said that he enjoyed talking with me and that he hoped I would come back. He even said I didn't have to buy anything that I could just stop in and say "hello".

I will definitely be back. For the food, which was delicious, and for the conversation.

Today was a wake up call for me. I'm going to visit my grandmother tomorrow. I haven't seen her in weeks and at 87 years old, I need to treasure every opportunity I get with her. I'm going to sit down and we're going to talk about whatever comes to our minds.

Verbal communication is a lost art. I got reminded of that today. Dag. I also need to set myself a reminder about tomorrow.

Tomorrow is garbage day.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

When "Pampering" Becomes "Tampering"

Okay, ladies, some of you go too far. Some of you go to the salon looking normal and come back looking like Mimi from "The Drew Carey Show". Whatever you do, please don't overdo it or you'll just end up being another case of "When Pampering Becomes Tampering"...

So, you've all seen "When Animals Attack" or "When Keeping It Real Goes Bad" and the likes, but this is different. I'm going to share a story for you of a young lady who tried to enhance her look, but had an epic fail.



I'm at a Walgreens pharmacy to pick up a birthday card. I go to this Walgreens every blue moon, but enough to recognize employee faces when I see them. One of the employees is a young, black woman around her early 20's. She's of average build and caramel-colored complexion.

Now, she usually is working the "Plain Jane" look whenever I see her with little-to-no makeup and short hair pulled back into a knot (that's right a "knot"--- not enough hair for a ponytail). Although she's basically a "Sally Housecoat", she's still a cute young lady.



Well, I get into Walgreens on this faithful day and I see someone who resembles her walk around the corner. I almost dropped my phone. This same lady went from "the girl next door" to Lil' Kim overnight.

She looked like the survivor of an explosion at a Mary Kay factory. "'What in the Wide World of Sports' did she do to herself?", I asked. (For those of you not paying attention, that quote was from "Blazing Saddles". You need Netflix in your life!)

Her eyebrows were shaved and painted back on, her lipstick was a "shade of hooker", her hair extensions would make Predator jealous, her fingernails were long and pointy enough for her to climb glass and her makeup was so thick that you can see the outline underneath her chin from where it ends and skin begins.

"Why?", I asked myself. "Why did this young lady feel the need to take a good thing and tamper with it? What possessed her to overdo her look and go from a normal young lady to a Muppet?"



Ladies, whatever you do... if you want to pamper yourself... please don't overdo it like this young lady did. Don't let your "friends" tell you that purple weave is cute or fingernails long enough to fish a dime out of a 16 oz. bottle is sexy.

Be reasonable with your appearance unless you're planning on hanging with Dennis Rodman. Don't let your pampering become tampering.

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