Get Ready for Kimye!



Move over, Bey/Jay... there's a new baby coming to town!

What better way to close out 2012 and enter into 2013 than the announcement of a royal pregnancy!  No, not those people overseas, but our local royalty here in the states!  We don't do the fancy titles and pompous stuff here.  A sex tape and a rap album will put you on Mount Rushmore in the states these days!  So, without further ado, I present to you: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian!

Now, now, just wait.  Hold on.  I know some of you are frowned up and you think that I'm being facetious.  And in a way, I am mostly, but also in a way, I'm not.  You see, royalty is in the eye of the beholder idiot fan.  Some of us treat athletes as royalty.  Some of us treat actors as royalty.  So, why can't a socialite and rapper be included as well?  After all, all of the above walk on red carpets like kings and queens, don't they?  They have high-level security and have people following them, 24/7, looking for a photo op.  Sounds like royalty to me!

Kim is rumored to be 3 months pregnant with Kanye's seed.  So, I'm guessing that she's known about the pregnancy for a while.  But, what better time to release the news than when everyone in the world, who isnt' partying or drunk (and some who are), will be tuned into TV to see the "ball drop" for the New Year?  And what story will lead each show tonight?

"Get Ready for Kimye in 2013!"

This is marketing gold!  This is bigger than the season finale of "Scandal" and it will be much bigger than anything Jay-Z and Beyonce' could have ever imagined for their child.

Wait, wait, wait.  Okay, there you go giving me the side-eye again.  You're thinking, "Q, you act as if these people planned this."

Uh, yeah, pretty much.  Look, I'm skeptical by nature.  The reason is: a majority of the people that are on TV or radio are trying to pull the wool over my eyes.  Shows are passing themselves off as reality when it's a known fact that many are scripted (yeah, I'm talking to you, Tru TV).  "News" media outlets are passing opinions and assumptions as facts.  So, why should I believe that a rapper at the top of his game along with the hottest body in America (who's still legally married) isn't doing the same with this announcement?

Personally, I don't care that Kim is pregnant.  I hope that she has a happy and healthy, bouncing baby boy or girl, but it has no bearing on my life.  In fact, I'm not coming down on her or Kanye at all.  I think they're geniuses, or at least surround themselves with them.  We'll hear potential, stupid baby names all night on New Year's Eve and a few months from now, people will be guessing the baby's gender.  Maybe that can be centered around some upcoming awards show in the Spring or something.  You know it just won't be revealed on a Tuesday afternoon on some peron's Tumblr site.  Some huge event will be going on when that's revealed, I'm sure.

So, congratulations to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on their child!  Maybe you come up with a creative name, trademark it and add millions to your millions!  I do hope that he or she will at least get their talent from their dad's side of the family. 

So, Kim and Kanye sitting in a tree... Business decision or just a couple in love who coincidentally revealed it around New Year's?



"That's a nice blog post Q made for us, huh?  Just look at it!"

Get Out of The Way!

Why is it so hard for people to get out of the way?  I don't understand it.  It's not difficult at all to realize that sometimes, you have to move.  You would think that it's a common sense thing, but it's obviously not.

Friday, I was traveling down a highway on my way home.  There was traffic all over the place due to holiday shopping.  People were blocking intersections and sticking the nose of their car in your lane regardless if you invited them to do so or not.

While I'm sitting in a line of cars waiting on a traffic signal that's cycled through twice already, I hear a siren.  The first thing that I attempt to do is locate the emergency vehicle so I know what course of action that I need to take.  Well, it appears that I was the only person who was formulating a strategy at the time.  The ambulance was coming up from behind, so I forced my way into the slow lane to make room.  There were about 10-15 vehicles ahead between me and the traffic signal.  The light turned green and only two or three of them moved into the slow lane.  The others continued on their merry way in the fast lane because they wanted to make sure that the traffic signal didn't catch them again.

Because of this, the ambulance had to ride behind with them with lights flashing and sirens blasting for roughly a full minute before being able to cross through the intersection and bolt up the middle turn lane.  One vehicle even drove beside the ambulance for roughly 50 yards while the ambulance was in the turn lane.

Hopefully, no one suffered through a severe injury or, God forbid, died behind these idiots' decision to continue driving rather than pulling over.  At one time, I would have blamed an incident like this on young drivers not knowing the rules of the road.  However, the few faces that I saw who were blocking traffic were the faces of adults!  Grown people who thought that it was more important to get through a traffic light than let an ambulance reach its emergency.

What's wrong with people these days?  Why can't we get out of the way?  Is our time more valuable than someone's life?

Get Your 2013 @HeatherDMarie Calendar!

It's not too late to start the new year off right with a brand new calendar! The 2013 Heather D. Marie Mini-Calendar is one that can be the perfect stocking-stuffer for anyone who can appreciate beauty!

With five mini-calendars in which to choose, you can give someone something to look forward to for 365 days by purchasing one now! Just roll over to www.HeatherDMarie.com and pick the calendar (or calendars) that you like the best!  To top it off: it's only $5!

While you're there, check out Heather's portfolio and her stunning array of pictures!  Born in Jamaica and now making her home in Los Angeles, Heather is active on social networks and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

So, take the time to click and visit Heather's site to learn how you can check out her five mini-calendars, view her photos and maybe even score a personalized, autographed copy of an exclusive 8x10 photo for only $10!  

Be sure to let her know that "Q" sent you!

Thanks for continuing to support the friends of "Thank, Q!"

You'll check your calendar multiple times per day with Heather on it!

Gun Control Won't Work

No child should ever go through this.

The shooting that occurred today in Connecticut was extremely sad.  To see innocent children lose their lives to a maniac is tragedy defined.  However, as much as I'd like to think that gun control is the answer to the random, cowardly and senseless violence that occurs in our country today, it's not.

We keep discussing Afghanistan and spending money over there despite the fact that we have terrorists here in the states.  Terrorists who walk around daily and who look exactly like us.  The latter is the scariest part of it all.

What can we do to prevent things like this?  Well, it won't prevent it, but maybe it would help to have more troops here in the U.S. than overseas in some other country's business.  It would help if people actually tried to raise their kids properly and provide them with professional help instead of sedatives.  It would help if gun possession was taken more seriously.

We keep hearing about "gun control," but what exactly are you controlling?  Do you think making it harder for the average citizen to get a gun is going to protect from random shootings?  No!  Why?  How many dope dealers do you know that buys their guns from Walmart?  When is the last time that you saw someone fresh out of a psych ward in Academy Sports getting an AK-47?

Don't get me wrong.  Gun control would prevent some bad guys from getting guns, but I'd doubt that it would be very many.  Gun control would prevent someone like me from buying a gun for my home for protection.  Well, maybe not prevent, but make it difficult.

Look, I'm not a gun advocate.  I despise guns.  I'd much rather punch an assailant in the face than shoot him.  But, let's be real: assault and high-powered weapons will always be accessible by nuts and cowards.  Always.  Because there is always someone willing to sell to Satan himself just to make a dollar. 

So, why should the cowards be armed and the people who want to protect their families have to go through legal red tape?  I really feel badly for the deceased victims' families in this shooting.  Every holiday season, they'll have to think about how someone took their loved one's life. 

Something needs to be done, but it needs to be creative.  Stop punishing those without criminal records and limit gun control to those with criminal records.  Have real laws for illegal gun possession instead of these slaps on the wrists.  Actually put people in jail for a significant length of time for severe domestic violence convictions and provide counseling.  Let some of our military people provide security at home instead of in some other country.

We're just one or two more incidents away from all public places being locked down like prisons on a regular basis.  We need to do something before we reach the day that we get frisked and scanned going into a McDonald's.

What do you think that the stop the violence solution should be?

Family / Dollar

No, I'm not talking about the department store. I'm taking about the choice between what's more important: family or dollars? Is Black Thursday Friday now a reflection of the "American Way?" There's so much greed in this country that it's a wonder that anyone cares about his fellow man these days.

Everything is centered around making profits. Everything. Black Friday (which is not a holiday for black people) has always been the one day that retailers could rejoice in knowing that they would make a profit. People line up in front of stores just waiting for the doors to open at 4 or 5 AM. After the doors open, they'll stampede down the aisles looking for that bargain item of choice.

However, things change. With the internet now being woven into our daily lives, Cyber Monday became a second day for retailers to make a killing on sales.  Consumers could sit in front of their PC's and point/click their way to great deals.  But, even that isn't enough for the retailers.  Hmmmmm....  How can they make even more cash?

Oh, I know!  They'll open up the stores on Thursday evening and start the sales then!  It doesn't matter if employees are pulled away from their family's dinner table because a profit is more important!  Right?  If it doesn't make dollars then it doesn't make cents (sense).

Stores across the country opened their doors early which required employees to cut their Thanksgiving short and I think that it sucks.  Don't get me wrong.  It's essential that certain people work on holidays.  Customer service centers are always needed to provide help for cable, cell phone, insurance companies.  But do you really need someone to sell you an HDTV at 9 PM on Thanksgiving night?

I had a discussion with my homie, M&M, about how Target and Walmart employees were threatening to strike over the fact that they had to work on a holiday.  They were upset that these stores were taking them away from their family time and rest.  M&M agreed. 

He mentioned how when Sam Walton was alive, he stressed his employees being happy at Walmart.  However, when he died in 1992, his family did the exact opposite of what he would have wanted.  They started opening on Sundays and eventually went to a 24/7 superchain store.  The employees became an after-thought because the only focus of Walmart was to make money.  It was no longer an all-American store either as agreements were made with China to make just about everything in the store.

So, the employees have to come to work and we, the consumers, take full advantage of it without giving it a thought.  We roll into these stores with these disgruntled employees and then get upset over poor customer service.  I guess that's the trade-off you get.  You get employees selling you an HDTV on a Thursday night, but you get the attitude along with it because that person can't even enjoy their own TV at home with their family.  When employees become only a warm body to their company, then you can rest assure that the customer service will suffer.  See AT&T.  If you don't believe me, then go to a Chick-Fil-A restaurant if you're ever in the South and see how great their customer service is.  It's the best I've seen ever and I've been to a lot of places.  Not working on Sundays or holidays does something for morale.  I'm just saying.

With each passing year, money becomes even more of a focus.  How can we possibly expect children to learn how to care from one another when adults don't?  Is it so important to add another million to the billion that you already have that you'll cut someone's holiday short?  Why not use the internet for early sales on Thursdays instead of requiring the physical locations to open?

Don't get me wrong.  I love convenience.  It's nice to need something in the middle of the night and know that I can go get it.  However, I understand that employees have lives and I wouldn't want to come in between them any more than someone doing it to me.  I'm pretty sure that not one CEO worked last Thursday.  They sat at home and took naps after eating turkey while Joe Sixpack and Sally Housecoat had to pay for a babysitter on a family holiday so they could work overnight.

I once was naive enough to think that things could change, but I think that we're too far gone in this country.  We don't care about each other and eventually, we will be one step away from cutting each other's throat for a competitive edge.  These big corporations don't care if you spend time with your family or not.  They just want you to make their money.  Yeah, you may get holiday pay, but wouldn't you at least want the option of your family or a dollar?

Am I wrong here?  Do stores put more focus on money than their employees well-being and will it hurt us as a country in the long run?

I Need Vegas Advice

Should I try The Palms?

I've been contemplating a trip.  I thought about visiting one of my homies in Pensacola to catch a football game with him at his favorite sports bar.  I considered visiting my brother in Dallas and maybe catching a game out there.  But, maybe I should get away to a place where no one knows me.  Maybe I should finally give Vegas a shot.

I've always thought about going there due to the many entertainment options.  The biggest dilemma for me is what should I do while I'm there?  There are tons of hotels, bars, nightspots and shows.  So, how am I going to know which spots are worth my time?

The first thing that I'm going to do is contact my Twitter friend, Cherie.  I know that Ms. @Redhead_702 will do what she can to recommend all of the premier entertainment options for Vegas.  I follow her Twitter timeline like a hawk and she always seem to find the best eating spots and parties in the Vegas area.  I also think that @Ida_homie has been there a few times as well, so I'd love to hear his input.

Now, I'm not really the partying type (any more), but I would be open to going some where and watching people enjoy themselves on the dance floor.  I'm just not going to get out there myself and pull a hamstring.  There's no fun flying home from a vacation with an injury, you know?  LOL!

I just want to get away for a while and add another city to my "Been There, Done That" list.  I got a taste of western living while in San Diego last month and I think I want to experience more of it.  Portland, Seattle, L.A. and San Francisco will be other places that I'll consider going forward, but now, Vegas is on my radar.  Since it is so far away, I really want to make sure that I maximize my time while there.  I definitely don't want to go that far and not have a comfortable stay as well as some stories to share.  And when I say "stories to share," I don't mean talking about a trip to the Bunny Ranch.  LOL!  I'm not a pay-to-play type of guy.

"So, for $5,000, I can have both of you and a monkey?"

I'm hoping for an opportunity to go there this time next year. I usually take two trips a year and although I'm traveling alone now, I hope to continue that tradition. I came across a site that lists a few reasonable and inexpensive lodging options in Vegas, so I guess that's a start towards that dream. I'll do my research and await advice from some of my readers on the "where and what."

 Do you have Vegas recommendations for things to do/places to stay?

Gotta Love @JeseniaBailey!

Introducing Actress/Comedienne, Jesenia Bailey!

Jesenia Bailey

I've come across a lot of talented people since I started my blog.  I've met some really great writers, actresses, models, talk show hosts, singers, etc.  Well, now I can say that I've run into a pretty funny comedian in Jesenia Bailey.

I stumbled across her in a Facebook group which eventually led me to her YouTube channel.  I was treated to some very amusing impersonations as Jesenia took on multiple characters and pulled them off quite nicely.  To help you fet to know her a little better, here is some info from her website over at www.JeseniaBailey.com:

"Jesenia is a New York comedian/actress/writer/producer.  She’s a seasoned theater & film actress, having performed both comedic and dramatic roles.  Jesenia is also a stand-up comedian and has performed at all the major comedy clubs in NYC, including:  Carolines and StandUp NY.   

Jesenia is currently pitching her webseries "BECOMING RICARDO", which is based on her signature character Ricardo Montalban, an off-beat, high-strung macho man.  The webseries will premiere online in August 2012. 

One of Jesenia’s career goals is to become the FIRST Latina cast member/writer on a TV network Sketch Comedy Show!"

Jesenia does tons of characters and she appears to be an up-and-coming performer.  As you know, I absolutely love to see someone, who is good at what they do, excel to higher grounds.

So, I'm asking my TQ Family to help support someone once again by visiting Jesenia's Facebook page before Friday, November 23rd, to help her out.

By taking a minute, you can help promote a career and keep Jesenia moving in the right direction!  Go to this link and simply click "Like."  This contest is in place to help promote more Latinos in show business.  Jesenia could easily fit in with the SNL crew and ultimately into movies and your Like could help.

After you click the link, then stop on by her YouTube channel and check out her funny skits.  Here's a sample of the characters she performs below:

                           (* 11/24 update * Jesenia won! Thanks for your help, everyone!)

Follow @JeseniaBailey on Twitter!

Jesenia doing her victory dance!

Enough, Republicans! You Lost!

There, there, Mittens, it will be okay.

I can't believe the amount of stupidity that has flooded my Google Reader over the past week or so. President Obama gets re-elected and just when I thought people couldn't lose their minds even more, I was proven wrong.

Enough, Republicans! You lost!

Can't you take a butt-whipping like an adult?  I haven't seen this many people griping since Dave Chappelle walked away from his genius of a show and millions of dollars.

For those who read my blog regularly, you know that I despise both political parties.  I think that they both find different ways to get my money and pocket it.  Having said that, I still go out and vote for the lesser of two evils, for lack of a better phrase.  Sure, I could vote for a third party, but we all know that they never come close to winning.  Maybe if they got included in debates... oh, wait!  They aren't invited because they can't afford it.

Thanks to media campaign headquarters news stations like MSNBC and FOX News, people have completely lost their marbles.  These stations get people so riled up that they feel that a person's vote is a personal attack against them some how.  Example: this nut who ran over her husband with an SUV because he didn't vote (for Mittens).  You read that correctly.  Not a woman who got cheated on and got upset, but someone who was so distraught over Obama winning, that she took it out on her husband for abstaining from the polls.

Or, this guy killed himself over Obama's re-election.  He tooks some pills and left a note that said, "Do not revive!  F---, Obama!"  Now that's the true definition of a sore loser.  Why did he feel that it wasn't even worth living rather than dealing with Obama for four more years?

Although these stories should have been surprising... they weren't. Because people do extreme things to make a point these days. And they get no more extreme than ending your own life. Now, I've been mad in my life before, but ending my own life over someone getting a job has never crossed my mind.  Here's another example of a sore loser on Squatlo's page.

Now, I will admit that this goes both ways. I know some people who were so proud of Obama getting re-elected that you would have thought he was a relative. Sore winners, if that's a word. The people who wore their "Re-Elect Obama" t-shirt to work, the day after the election, knowing that it was going to start an argument.

Newsflash: Obama doesn't know you. 

But, I digress. Face it, Republicans: you put up a decent fight and lost. Admit it. Louisiana Republican and 2016 candidate, Bobby Jindal, admitted it and so can you.  Go back to the drawing board and maybe work on actually having a plan in 2016.  With Jindal and Chris Christie, at least your candidates will be a lot more interesting.

Don't you think too many everyday people are taking this re-election too personally?

Dealing with Death... Again

I know that I've been missing from my blog and social networks for a while. It just wasn't a focus of mine over the past month or so. The love of my life, who I affectionately called "The Mrs.," is no longer with me. Her battle with breast cancer (since '03) finally came to an end at 2 AM on November 5th.

After we returned from her birthday trip to San Diego, The Mrs. checked into the hospital on 10/10 due to shortness of breath. One of the side effects from chemotherapy is the weakening of the immune system. She had complications from pneumonia which caused a fluid build-up on the lungs. Almost a month later, her body was too weak to recover from the surgery that she received to remove the fluid. What we thought would be a 24 hour hospital stay turned into 27 days.  Her mom and I stayed with her at the hospital during the duration of her stay.

The funeral was yesterday and although it was filled with tears and sadness, it was also an opportunity to move on.  I did my best to leave all of my sorrows at the gravesite.  Now, when say "move on," I don't mean forgetting.  I mean moving on with life which stops for no one. I definitely know that to be true because life didn't wait for dirt on my mom's grave to settle before this occurred.  My mom's tombstone for her grave had just arrived last week and I saw it for the first time when picking out a spot for The Mrs.

Last night was the first time I dreamed about The Mrs. since she died. In fact, it was the first time that I recall dreaming at all in quite some time. In the dream, she was her normal, healthy self. Nothing seemed weird about the dream at all and it took some time after waking up to even think about the fact that she wasn't sick. I guess that's just a hint to me that she's no longer suffering.

TQ Presents... @AsVinnyCsIt!

I generally try to put out three blog posts per week, but from time-to-time, I get caught up with other things: The Mrs., work, football, etc. This time, I'm nursing The Mrs. back from an illness. So, I figured, why not solicit some of my favorite bloggers to take up the slack for me. Yeah, that's right, I can facilitate my blogging duties to others! How lazy wonderful is that?

I've asked a buddy of mine, Vinny C, to liven up my blog a bit with some toons! Well, I'm going to let him do his thing. After you read this and enjoy his work, then cruise on over to "As Vinny C's It" and subscribe to the blog. It's good stuff. It wouldn't be on my page if it weren't. Take it away, VC!

"Hero?  ME!?!"

Like most, I often find myself pondering some of life’s bigger questions. Things like: when will we stop hearing rumors and gossip and finally see Firefly put back on the air or if the authorities are doing anything to stop the worldwide shortage of bacon. Things like those. What I’ve been thinking about a lot though is how I would deal with something really bad happening.

I’m not talking stubbing your toe, or locking yourself out of the house kind of bad. Those suck, but I was thinking more along the lines of extreme situations, like natural disaster or the society crumbling due to some sort of post nuclear-apocalyptic event.

Or because of that bacon shortage...

We all want to think we could rise to the occasion and take charge. But do we know for sure how we’d react if the shit were to really hit the fan, as they say? I’ll admit right now, I’m not what you’d call an “alpha” male personality. In fact, if there’s something that comes after “beta” male, that’s probably me.

But what if that was only because the right situation didn’t present itself? Sure, I’m non-confrontational and socially inept but maybe that’s only because I don’t see current situations warranting me being more aggressive. Maybe there’s another side to me altogether... deep deeeeep down inside. A hero!

For the record, I own neither as sword nor a machine gun. I just assume that if a zombie apocalypse does happen they’d be a lot of random weapons lying around. Maybe I played too many video games as a child. 

Anyway, I’m sure we all think we can be the hero if given the chance. Who wants to be the whiny victim who has to be rescued and is too scared to be of any use? Worse yet, imagine ending up with the role of nameless victim# 4. No one wants to aspire to that. But with my luck... Nah! I’m the hero. I know it!

AsVinnyCsIt
SprocketInk

Is 400 Enough?

Well, I always thought that I'd blog forever, but I'm starting to feel that's not the case now. As therapeutic and enjoyable blogging can be, it can also be time-consuming. I've always tried to provide multiple blog posts per week to entertain my followers, but that requires sitting in front of my laptop an awful lot at times.

I may have hit a wall on this one.  It's blog post #400 and I'm not sure if I can keep up the pace any more.  I'm not saying that I'm quitting because I'll always have something to say.  Those who follow me closely know of another venue in which I make my points and discuss important topics. :)

But, despite the many crazy, college stories that I have left to tell and the many stupid people in this country who need to be called out, I have to ask myself, "is 400 enough?"

When I first started blogging, I thought I'd post a few blurbs and be done, but I got two followers early on and that drove me.  The posts kept coming and so did the followers and eventually the comments. 

Well, over time, the followers slowed down and so did the comments.  I wasn't putting in the same work in marketing/promoting and the content may have suffered a bit, too.

I've dealt with a work schedule that required a lot of nights and weekends.  I spent more time with my mom after February when her cancer peaked and ultimately claimed her life on June 2nd.  Now, I'm spending a lot more time with my father to make sure that he knows that he's not alone now that she's gone and nursing a sick wife.

So much has happened over the past six months and the aforementioned is only a part of it.  What was once fun has now become "a business plan to get more readers" and I never wanted it to come to that.  I read about SEO's, keyword bait, etc. because I'm constantly searching for followers/comments instead of simply writing for the sheer purpose of saying something that needs to be said.

I just wanted to be a guy who had an outlet to share his opinions.

Well, I'm still going to be that guy, but not as often as usual.  I'm not shutting my blog down, but the pressure to post 3x per week is out the window.  I hope that those who are new to my blog decide to go back and read some of the older ones.  Trust me when I say that a lot of them are still relevant or contain some funny story.  Here are ten suggestions:

When Elevators Attack, Part II

Real Housewives of Panama City Beach

Gettin' Funky

Cold Chicken Tenders

Would You Go to Jail for A Hamburger?

The Real Blogger Shore's Amazing Undercover Idol

Hooters & Bikinis

Torturing Telemarketers

The Cereal Killer

Boonies Aren't for Me

That should hold you for a while if you're new to the blog within the last six months.  However, I promise that I will post when I have something to say.  Will I lose some followers?  Maybe.  Will my presence eventually fade into the sunset?  Possibly.  Will I be happy to simply express myself and not constantly check analytics to figure out why one blog post isn't as popular as the other?  Definitely.

Going Back to Cali

(written on 10/10)

I'm in pain as I type this. My upper shoulder area was sore prior to going to bed last night and now it feels as if Jason Statham just kicked me in the neck. I guess I need a firmer pillow and not one you can fold and put in your pocket. Anyhoo, I'll get over it.

Last week, The Mrs. and I spent Sunday-to-Sunday in Carlsbad (San Diego), CA for her birthday. Not only did we have a great and relaxing time, I also slept much better than I did last night (the pillows were firm at the SeaPointe Resort)!

The one thing that I did gain even more perspective on, while vacationing there, was the value of hard work. I met and unofficially interviewed almost every housekeeping and maintenance employee at our resort. To hear them talk about the jobs situation in America was fascinating to me.

One person in particular that I met was a housekeeper named Caridad was from Mexico. She has been in the states for most of her adult life (I'm guessing she was mid-20's). I asked her, "if I were to move to Carlsbad, would I have a problem finding a job?"

She replied, "office job?"

"No, just a good job." 

"There are plenty of good jobs here, but a lot of people only want desk jobs."

Intrigued, I followed, "why is that?"

"I don't know. Americans don't like to sweat."

Of course, she followed that statement with a nervous laugh to try not to offend me. I wasn't offended at all. I knew exactly what she meant. American-born people tend to want things easy when it comes to the job. I remembered my days of working in a cell phone company's call center and seeing people complain about being "tied to the phones."

But, every other day at the resort, I watched a 50-something Hispanic woman rake even rows in the sand of a beach volleyball area. It took her 20-30 minutes to erase all of the footprints, but she did it and made sure that the rows were even.

I recall wanting some more towels for our bedroom and watching Caridad run to retrieve them. When she returned, I asked her why did she run and she simply replied, "to get them to you faster."

Really? Who does that?  Was it because I was nice to her and I spoke to her daily or just because she understands the real meaning of customer service?

Don't get me wrong. We all complain about our jobs at some point. Mainly over the people we deal with more so than the job, but we complain nonetheless.  I'm sure that even LeBron James wishes he could stay in bed late some days instead of going to the gym. Even a male photographer for Playboy Magazine probably gets tired of packing luggage to go all over the world for nude photo shoots.  Well, maybe I'm reaching there.

From the Filipino woman at the airport named Tess, who was very helpful, to the Pacific Islander Seapointe Resort front desk attendant named Olga, who had the most pleasant of attitudes, I learned something: I learned that we have people, born and raised, in this country capable of being hard workers. The difference between the U.S. and the places where these particular employees originated is the culture.

We don't teach the value of hard work like we once did. So many people have rapped/sang, ran/jumped and sex-taped their way to financial freedom that a lot of us just wait on our "big break" instead of creating it. Do you know how many kids that I know who want to be a singer/rapper, basketball/football player, reality star, etc.? A lot more than when I was in school, that's for sure.

The point that I'm trying to make is that people aren't born lazy. We're turned into lazy bums by enablers. We have companies (insert fast food restaurant here) who hire "warm bodies." Some companies could care less if you're nice to the customers.  They just need you to flip the burgers and take the money.

We have parents who do everything for their children. "Helicopter parents" who hover over their child and won't let him/her do anything on their own.  And then other people have to deal with their children once they become "adults."

We have the media who portray sluts, slackers and drunks as idols.  No need to have talent!  Just do something really stupid that people will talk about on Twitter.

Where did we go wrong? (Sigh)

I enjoyed our vacation in Carlsbad.  I hope that some day we'll be going back to Cali for another stay.  I not only enjoyed the weather and sights there, but I also learned that there are people in this country who still take pride in their work.

It's just that must of them weren't born here...

Are we too far gone as a culture to restore a hard-working attitude back into the U.S.?

Hunters Cheat

"Hey, fellas!  It's an all-you-can-eat!"

I'm not a hunter.  I tried it as a youth, but it was never my thing.  I'd go out into the woods and fields with my father, uncle and brother to hunt "wascally wabbits."  I don't eat rabbit, so a food source wasn't my motivation.  I'm simply went to spend quality time with the men of the family.

My father and uncle taught me what to look for to find the rabbit and how to essentially stalk them.  I will admit that there was a thrill to it when you did eveything correctly and got an opportunity to bag one.  Those things are hard to spot and even more difficult to shoot.

Fast forward to today.  Hunting is just as popular as ever, if not more.  But, things are done a lot differently these days.  Now, I'm going to upset some hunters, but like the youngsters say," it is what it is."

Hunters cheat.  At least, the ones that I know do.  What used to be a complicated "man vs. animal" event has turned into "cheater vs. animal."  My father hunted from pretty much the age of 8 up until he was around 55 years old and he can tell you how many deer that he's killed on one hand.  Why is that?

Because back then, they never used bait, high-powered rifles and / or deer stands.

I have some friends who hunt and they kill three or four deer per season.  Per season!  Are they more skilled hunters than my father and his brothers were?  Absolutely not!

Modern day hunters usually have a favorite hunting spot in the woods where every other weekend during the off-season, they'll leave food for the deer.  This will get the deer familiar with the area and will have them come there on a regular basis to look for food.  During hunting season, the "hunters" will sit in their deer stand and train their high-powered scopes on the place where the deer come to feed.

LOL!  It's cheating! Would you brag about being "a great mouse slayer" because they took the cheese and got caught in a mouse trap?  You didn't "hunt" the mouse.  You lured it.

So, for those who brag about the huge buck that they bagged, I will listen, but I won't be impressed.  If you used any modern tactics in order to kill an animal that's not nearly as smart as humans, then I won't prop you up for that.

Does a person who uses bait, a stand and a high-powered rifle really deserve credit for killing a deer?

"Psst!!!!  Say, doe?  I know you hear me talking to you!  Trifling doe."

A @REALStaceyDash of Controversy

I was 16 years old the first time that I saw Stacey Dash and I developed a silver screen crush on her.  The name of the movie was "Moving."  It starred Richard Pryor and Randy Quaid.  I've been a fan of her looks ever since and now I must come to her defense for her mind.

My man, TrueSpeech, kind of stole my thunder, but I wanted to comment on this "controversy" as well. 

Actress, Stacey Dash, is in the center of a whirlwind full of hate for a tweet mentioning her support for Mitt Romney for President.  First of all, as fine as Stacey Dash is, she can vote for "Honey Boo Boo" and I wouldn't care.

But, seriously, let's just analyze what has happened over the past week: this photo went viral along with her mentioning that she supports Romney.  Since that time, fans, fellow actors, etc. have expressed publicly that she's wrong for doing so.  Wrong for picking a candidate she likes?  Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the people hating on her are even registered to vote.

She's even received death threats behind her choice of candidate.

(shaking my head)

Let's get real here: the reason black people are upset over Dash supporting Romney is because so many of them think that all people of color should default to Obama.  "Minorities aren't allowed to vote Republican."  I'm sure that's written in the "Guide to Being A Minority" handbook.  Because Dash chose to go the other direction, they think that she's a sellout.  Yet, you don't see people of color get upset when white people support Obama.  Why aren't white people sellouts when they don't support their own in Romney?

If Dash were white, then I seriously doubt many people would have raised an eyebrow to this.  I'm a black guy who has voted in every election (not just Presidential) for as long as I can remember.  Do I support "Mittens?"  Heck, no.  I can't get with someone who contradicts himself constantly.  Ask any black man that has ever had a nightmare about "The Man" and I bet they would describe him as looking like Mitt Romney.

Would I publicly blast someone for supporting him?  Absolutely not.  Why should I come down on a Romney supporter just because their opinion is different than mine?  Sure, I'll disagree with them, but to insult them or threaten their life because they think differently?  Is that why a Jacksonville Jaguars fan killed a Chicago Bears fan last weekend?

The logic behind that is stupid!  Social networks have given idiots a false sense of power and anonymity they've long craved.  This venue allows them to come off as socially conscious or to appear as some sort of an expert critic.  It allows them to be able to actually affect the lives of the public figures that were once only accessible on the television screen.

Look, I'm not saying that a person can't publicly disagree with someone's viewpoints.  I do so all of the time on this blog.  That's what America is all about.  But, isn't taking one person's vote and turning it into national stories and death threats a bit much?  Does everything have to be an outrage?  If Ms. Dash isn't allowed to express herself and vote as she chooses, then what's the point of even having an election?  And how would you feel if someone did the same thing to you?

Here's what I'll leave for you all to think about: social networks spark emotions.  Emotions spark bad decisions.  The days of hearing or reading something that upsets you and waiting to have someone to talk to about it are over.  At any time of the day or night, you can go online and find an audience.  A lot of people do just that and the time that we once had to rationally think things out has been replaced with an instant emotion dictated in 140 characters or less.

The end-result is a person bullying a celebrity for having the exact same right as they have.  "How dare you promote Mitt Romney!  #OBAMA2012"

Really?

Have social networks created a "lynch mob" mentality (for lack of a better phrase) when it comes to opinions?

I Love Kids, But I Hate Parents

(Source)

Although I don't have kids, I do like them.  A lot of people have a misconception and think that The Mrs. and I don't care for children.  That's not the case at all.  I love kids, but I hate parents.  My god kids are wonderful kids.  They didn't do that on their own.  Their parents are the reason that's the case.

It's not like that with all children.  You see, when kids (under 10 especially) act up, it's not completely their fault.  I blame their parents.  Case in point: on my trip to San Diego this week, I sat across from a kid who may have been three years old.  He was very loud and disruptive for the entire flight.  Not once did I get upset with him waking me from my nap at 38,000 feet.  But, I got really pissed at his parents who simply ignored his outbursts.  The kid was wearing headphones and playing with an iPad while using his "playground voice."  Every blue moon, his mom or dad would "shush" him, but it was rarely with any type of authority.  It almost seemed insincere as they rarely even looked at him when doing so.  This irks me.  

Kids are disruptive away from home because they're disruptive at home.  I'm a firm believer of that.  This kid is three years old and already has the freedom to do as he pleases.  His parents have basically given him the power to have his way and that will grow over time.

Aside from the noise this kid created, he also held up the line when everyone was trying to exit the plane.  While his parents were begging him to get out of his seat, he chose to play with his toys instead.  Instead of getting out of our way, they simply sat there and negotiated with a three year old.  This upset not just me, but everyone else on the plane since we were on the fourth or fifth row from the front with 100+ people behind us.  Yet, the clueless parents looked at us as if we needed to understand, "he's just a child."

Whatever.  My parents would have never had that problem with me or my brother.  Any time we were disruptive, we were scolded sternly.  If we continued to act a donkey, then other measures were taken.  I know that a lot of people frown on spankings these days, but they did the trick for me and my big bro.

Once you start a peek-a-boo game on a plane, you can never stop. (Source)

I think that some parents have it hard. I saw a single mom on the plane with a child that looked less than a year old. Sometimes you just have to take your kid on a flight. Surprisingly enough, her child was a lot more quieter than the three year old. No crying. No fussing. Yet a parenting team could not control a three year old from having an entire section wishing they were sitting on the wing instead of beside them.

I read where some airlines are putting travelers with kids in sections together on the plane in the back.  This has been dubbed as being placed in a "baby ghetto."  Kind of an extreme name, but the idea is to move all crying babies as far as possible from those without.  I'm not sure if that's fair or not, but obviously, the airlines are recognizing that there's a problem.  There have also been talks of charging parents more money for kids of a certain age to fly.  That's absolutely ridiculous to punish someone for having a child, good or disruptive.

My solution would be to ban the parents who appear to not try.  If people around them are complaining, then prevent them from future flights.  I know that sounds harsh, but if you're letting your little hellion raise the stress level of people who don't have the option of walking out, then maybe you should consider the train.

Maybe not to this extreme... (Source)

Have you ever dealt with a disruptive child as a parent or "victim" in public?

"Q... Thank, Q..."

I'm an avid television watcher. When I was a kid, I had favorite characters that I enjoyed watching whenever I got the opportunity. All kids are impressionable and I wanted to be some sort of super hero or good guy when I grew up. Because of that, I absolutely enjoyed movies where these guys would either get the girl, kill the bad guy or both. However, although I could appreciate the efforts of many fine actors who has graced the big screen, there was only one who I thought stood alone when it came down to best action character of all-time....

Clint Eastwood's character as "The Man With No Name" in the "A Fistful of Dollars" trilogy was one of my favorites while growing up, but can't compare to my #1.

Sylvester Stallone's character as "John Rambo" from the "Rambo" series was a lot of fun to watch, but still can't compare to my #1.

Can you name them all?  Most won't know the 2nd from the left.

Bond... James Bond. (Bond fanfare plays) Six people have played Bond in all of these movies dating back 50 years ago today to 1962's "Dr. No." I've seen all of these movies multiple times, but to be honest, I always feel the need to watch them again whenever a marathon is available for me to do so.

This character was the ultimate idol for a male kid. He had the clothes, cars, gadgets, fighting skills and the women. Did I mention that he had the women? Bond Girls, as they're so affectionately called, had not only a prominent role in these movies, but some of the most interesting names as well:

Dr. Holly Goodhead
Plenty O'Toole
Honey Ryder
Strawberry Fields
And every man's favorite, Pussy Galore.

Yeah, you read that correctly. Click the link if you don't believe me. At one time, an actress' career was elevated to an entirely new level once she became a Bond girl. Kim Basinger and Teri Hatcher's careers both soared after appearing in Bond movies. Being a Bond girl isn't that big of a deal these days since the younger generation doesn't embrace the Bond movies as I once did. I can't necessarily blame them too much given the number of new action heroes on the silver screen for them to idolize. They could feel the same way about "The Bourne Identity" or "The Transporter" series as I once did as a kid about the Bond movies.

Every now and then, Bond movies will mix in flashbacks from the past. (1962 meets 2002)

Another thing that Bond movies had was music. The coolest theme song ever, in my opinion. The most dramatic and recognizable fanfare whenever he had a "Bond moment" and did something super-cool. To top it off, the theme songs for his movies are usually pretty memorable. "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon, "A View to a Kill" performed by Duran Duran and "Live & Let Die" by Paul McCartney.  Now Adele is in the mix for the newest movie "Skyfall."

And for those of you who are also Bond fans, I know you would probably ask my opinion on which actors played Bond the best:

1. Sean Connery - the total package
2. Roger Moore - very humorous, but not quite as smooth as Connery
3. Pierce Brosnan - very smooth, but not quite as humorous as Connery

Worst one? Timothy Dalton by a landslide! I would have rather watched Seth Rogan play Bond than Dalton.  'Nuff said.

My favorite character of all-time has been around for what will be 23 movies when the next installment, "Skyfall," comes out. I'm hoping that this movie will be successful and springboard the character of James Bond for another 50 years. How awesome is it that "Skyfall" will be released the weekend of my birthday?

Who is your favorite recurring movie character of all-time?

TQ Presents... @LadyEstrogen Returns!

I generally try to put out three blog posts per week, but from time-to-time, I get caught up with other things: The Mrs., work, football, etc. This time, I'm on vacation. Hopefully, by the time you read this, I'll be some where on a beach in San Diego.  So, I figured, why not solicit some of my favorite bloggers to take up the slack for me. Yeah, that's right, I can facilitate my blogging duties to others! How lazy wonderful is that?

I've asked a favorite of mine, Lady Estrogen, to pretty up my blog a bit with her insight! Well, I'm going to let Lady Estrogen do her thing. After you read this and enjoy her work, then cruise on over to "Adventures In Estrogen" and subscribe to her blog. It's good stuff. It wouldn't be on my page if it weren't. Take it away, Lady E!

Babies Having Babies

A while back, I was asked to contribute sex advice on a relatively popular social community website for teens. Very quickly I ran into a serious issue that had actually caused me to lose sleep over it. Teen pregnancy. But it’s not even that – since these CHILDREN are not even 13 (In my mind, real teen pregnancy is classified by girls that are actually "something-teen" in age when they get pregnant). It’s not like it is an isolated issue either! One after another, after another, they all post questions and proud statements such as: “I’m keepin it, cuz I dont wants an aborchin” Are you fucking for real? Apparently, they are real... and there are a lot of them!

This consumes me with sadness AND rage, not only due to the ill-informed and pure ignorance of these children – but where are their god damn parents in all of this? I’ll tell you where... they themselves are barely 30 and are allowing their children to have sex under their roof and condone their actions! These so-called parents should be brought up on charges for allowing this – but they seem to be no smarter than the 13 year old (in actuality, they likely aren't). It is like they are fuelling a vicious cyclone of dumb breeding, which apparently gets fully recycled every 12-15 years. When it was once deemed almost impossible to live to be a great-great grandmother, now it’s achievable by the time you’re 60! I would have originally thought that it was based loosely on class, but in these times everyone has access to information and fairly regulated schooling (in Western countries, anyway). It seems to be spreading like a virus – lower, middle and upper class – a lot thanks to teen pregnancy glorification in the media, as per Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin – but 1 serious factor is ignored – those girls have M-O-N-E-Y.

So, everyone wants to have a baby – like it’s all about funky coloured strollers and cute onezies that say "If you think I’m cute, you should see my Mommy". Why are they all in such a desperate rush to grow up? Whatever happened to wearing too much make-up or trying on your mother’s high heels to feel older? These girls are creating new human beings... and yet simultaneously posting questions online like:

“I only did it once in a KFC bathroom, so why am I pregnant?”

“How quickly can I lose the weight I gained cuz I don’t want my boyfriend to think I’m fat and dump me?”

(Source)

You want my advice? Here it is: If you are asking questions like these, YOU SHOULD NOT BE HAVING SEX AND DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT HAVE A BABY. I’m not saying I was an angel at 13; I was doing many things with boys that I was far too young to really understand, but I still knew that there was no way in fuck that I was going to get myself pregnant!

Apart from those stupid girls that don’t even know why or how they got pregnant (which perhaps 40 years ago would be acceptable, but frankly there is no excuse in today’s society), it’s also the girls that PURPOSELY go and do it as well. I really think that in situations like these that the world truly is going mad.

I might be willing to buy the underlying notion of creating a child for a sad concept of unconditional love, but I don’t even think these girls are emotionally mature enough to formulate a complex idea like that. They simply want a cute little bundle to cart around like a fashion accessory. Hey! Go to fucking Toys R Us and get the Graco 3-in-1 Pram – it sells for only $49.99 and you won’t get ‘fat’. So what if the recommended age is 3-4 years; the girls might argue that they are 10 years too old for it. Well, my rebuttal would be that they’re also 10 years too young (at least) to have a real baby, so what’s the difference? Get the god damn toy, so when they find out that it’s not as cool and trendy as they thought it was, they can just throw it out – not so easy with a real one.

End rant

Love, Lady E

My Birthday Gift to The Mrs...

Carlsbad, CA

I hope that she likes it! :)

Things That Affect Your Daily Life



(Source)

It's almost Election Day and you can tell it's close by all of the ads showing on TV each day.  I always wonder just how much better the economy would be if people would put the money spent from campaigning into actually creating jobs.

(Sigh)

Oh, well.  I know it's just a pipe dream, but maybe one day politics will make sense.  Who am I fooling?  It never will.  We'll continue to put people in office who only have interest in keeping their jobs.  Every now and then you'll find someone genuine who truly wants to help, but they usually don't last long.  The other politicians will find ways to get rid of that person or vote against everything proposed.

The best way for us to fight selfish agendas locally and in Washington is to vote for people who have our interests at heart.  And no, I don't mean someone who may or may not ban guns, or who may or may not have a war on drugs/terrorism.  Those aren't interests, those are political platforms.  There is a difference and the state of our country depends on you knowing the difference.


Your interests are things that affect your daily life: 

Can you buy groceries? 

Are your bills being paid on time? 

Do you have enough for retirement? 

Are your kids getting a decent education? 

Is your environment absent of pollution? 

Are your neighborhoods safe?

Yet, we argue over a war on the other side of the world, whether rape victims can get an abortion, apples in vending machines and if marijuana should be legal.  The list goes on.

Do you see how stupid that is?  Every day, our focus is on things that do not affect the average person's daily life.  I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone who gets daily abortions, but I know people who need to eat three times per day.  I don't care if you want to believe in a religion different than mine or none at all, but I care about my god kids being able to afford college.  I don't care if my taxes are raised as long as I have a salary fair enough for me to afford it.

Do you see where I'm going?  Each day, we're beaten over the head by "news" that tells us what we should be upset over.  They tell us that only a Democrat or a Republican can solve our problems.  Two rich parties that spend more money campaigning to get themselves re-elected than you'll ever make in 200 lifetimes.

(Source)

I'm not telling you to abstain from voting.  That's probably the absolute dumbest choice of them all.  If you don't vote, then you don't count.  What I am saying is to vote responsibly.  Don't let family tradition lead you down another generation of stupidity.  Do your homework and vote to promote your daily life and not these fabricated political issues.

Don't be the fool who brags, "I helped get marijuana legalized" and you can't even afford to buy it because you're unemployed.

Don't be the idiot who pumps his chest over voting for/against gay marriage and your kid has a metal detector at his/her school because of recent classroom shootings.

Don't be the nut who jumps for joy that 25,000 more soldiers are sent overseas while 35,000 jobs go with them.

It's time to put on your big boy/girl pants and think for yourself for a change.  Stop letting CNN, MSNBC and FOX News put thoughts in your head.  Learn how to separate the real from the manufactured.  These people rely on you being emotional about what they're saying instead of logical.  That's why they have these outrageous stories and headlines to push your buttons.  Emotional people make stupid decisions.

So, the next time you turn on one of those "news" channels, be sure to take the time to ask yourself after each segment of the show, "is who a person is praying to, sleeping with, etc. affecting my ability to put food on the table and keep the lights on?"

What percentage of politicians do you think really care about the United States?

Blow Bill. Book Deal.

"Hey, Hillary!  Hey, girl!"

She's baaaaacccckkk! After 14 years, Monica Lewinsky, everyone's favorite White House intern has returned! Well, by "everyone," I mean men.

She's reportedly received a $12 million deal to tell how she and President Bill Clinton "got it on" under the nose of Hillary Clinton in the White House. 

According to the Huffington Post, a friend of Monica's said, "She has been through enough already and all this happened 14 years ago. She has put it behind her and moved on with her life."

O_o 

Choke yourself, fool. If she was past it, then she wouldn't be releasing a book on how she she gave oral in the Oval.  I can't stand when someone makes such an idiotic statement in an attempt to protect someone who doesn't deserve it.

Yes, I said that she doesn't deserve it.  Although I never thought that Monica Lewinsky was attempting to gain fame back in 1998, she was still a bad person for what she did.  Sure, she was only 21 years old when she was "taken advantage of," but even 16 year olds understand the concept of being a "side piece."  She knew exactly what and who she was doing when she did Bill.  Back then, I honestly thought that her intention was to steal Bill from Hillary.  So, because of that, I never thought she was anything other than a jaded lover.  However, the money she's made from spreading the news on her and Bill with interviews and now a new book qualifies her as a whore.

Whore (noun): a woman who engages in promiscuous sexual intercourse, usually for money.

The fact that Dictionary.com defines it as "a woman" may be a little sexist.  LOL!  But, I digress.  Now, before any of you fix your mouth to say, "But, Q, Bill cheated.  Why aren't you chastising him?"

Because Bill didn't use this story to elevate his social status in the world.  He was already the President of the U.S. and a well-documented cheat.  He didn't sleep with Monica to get paid, he slept with her to get his rocks off.  That doesn't make him a good guy, but it doesn't make him a hooker either.

Monica flipped this into interviews, books and even had a TV show shortly after the scandal went public.  Only in America can you be a mistress, gold digger or low-budget porn star and get treated like a hero or role model.

Monica was the blueprint for many famous people that we see on TV now.  Kim Kardashian, Amy Fisher and quite a few others went from scandal to household name.  She took what most people, from before my generation, would have been ashamed to admit and turned it into fame and fortune.  Do you remember way back in the day when people used to cheat and actually tried to hide it?  Yeah, those were the good ol' days, huh?  Now, not only will someone steal your significant other from you, they will email the photos/videos of it to you as well.  There's no self-respect now.

Monica will make plenty of money once she releases her book.  I do think that people are still nosy enough to want to know about how Bill and her "got down."  They'll want to hear if he said anything negative about Hillary.  They'll want to hear how Monica, keeping that nasty, stained dress, was simply keeping a memento of the man that she loved and that it wasn't "insurance."  Miss Lewinsky just wants you to understand where her state of mind was back in the late '90's.  She wants to convince the public that she didn't go into the relationship thinking "blow Bill, book deal."  She's not interested at all in being a household name at all, right?

When it's all said and done, remember that you can't spell "household" name without the "ho."

"Like this, right, Monica?"