#Kardashian Influence

Kris Humphries was voted the most hated person in the NBA by Forbes magazine. For those who don't follow the NBA, Kris Humphries is about as relevant in basketball as a pair of cleats. He wasn't voted most disliked for anything he's ever done on the court, but for what he did off the court:

Marrying Kim Kardashian.

When I saw the survey results, I was surprised. Here I am thinking that the survey was completely basketball-related and it was quite the opposite. Pop Culture influenced these results. Outside of the state of New Jersey, I doubt 1 in 250 people knew who Kris was prior to him dating Kim.

I have to give the Kardashians credit for completely embedding themselves into the lives of millions of people in the country. What started as a sex tape has turned into a multi-million dollar industry. Everything they touch turns to gold which is why guys seem to flock to them.

Guess who else made the list? Lamar Odom. One of the most liked guys on the court is one of the most disliked off of it. Why? You guessed it! He also married a Kardashian. I can't remember if it's Khloe or Kourtney, but she's the one who looks like a white Wendy Williams. "How you doing?"

I could care less about Khloe and Kourtney because they're just accessories. Kim is the main course and drives the money train. Now that she's attempting to get an annulment from Kris, I'm sure she'll move on to another high profile athlete or celebrity to keep the ball rolling. And who can blame her? In a country where ignorance trends on Twitter, can you blame her for cashing in on the country's inability to care about something worthwhile?

As for Kris Humphries, milk this for all you can, dude. You'll make more off of Kim then you'll make in the NBA unless you step your game up a bit. She's a walking cash register with a big booty, so as long as you can get your face on some episodes of her show, then do so. In fact, if I were you, I'd be talking to E! about a Kris Humphries Show to tell your side of the story.

Use that Kardashian influence to collect a few more pay checks. Happy New Year, everyone!




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Got Muscle Milk?

We all have our own idea of what is sexy. Even though this idiot tried to scientifically determine what looks good and what doesn't, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Well, I recently came across a women's body building site, thanks to the randomness of Google, and after viewing a few photos, I thought I'd blog about it and see what my followers had to say.

Now, I'm all for fitness, but I'm just going to give my personal opinion on this: I think some ladies take things a bit too far. Being toned is one thing, but when you're bulky enough to be a tight end (no pun intended) for the Green Bay Packers, then that tends to turn me off a bit. There are varying degrees of weight lifting for women. Here's an example below of a lifter who wouldn't be considered as an extremist:

Still looks feminine despite muscles.

Okay, for a lot of guys, she still has her shape and looks feminine enough to not scare some of us off. Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we're going to do this post based on what a majority of people may think. Ladies, is the above lady acceptable by your standards? Guys, is she eligible to date in your book? Let's move on to the extremist level:

I will crush you with my thighs, puny man!

Wow. Got Muscle Milk? A bit too much? She would be for me. I can only imagine that being in bed with the lady above would be equivalent to laying down with a sack of broken bricks. Again, I'll beat a dead horse on this statement and will repeat that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, having said that once again, ladies, is Helga (I really don't know her name) a bit too much for you? Would you ever desire to have a body like hers? Fellas, do you think she'd be someone you'd love to have on your arm when going out to dinner and a movie?

I'd love to know everyone's opinion on this. What's your take on female muscle mass? As for me, softness and femininity is important to me. I'm all for a toned body, but give me someone along the scale of a Bry Jensen and I'm good.

Nothing wrong with a little balance, right?

#BryJensen




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#Jordan Heads

First, watch the video...



From the NY Times: "In Charlotte, N.C., shoppers smashed glass doors to get to the sneakers. In suburban Atlanta, the police made four arrests when a crowd broke down a door to get into a store before it opened. In Richmond, Calif., a man fired a single gunshot in the air just after a mall opened. In Louisville, officers had to stop fights that popped up among a crowd of waiting shoppers. And in a suburb of Seattle, the police used pepper spray."

I'm not a Michael Jordan fan. I enjoyed watching him play, but I've seen way too many examples of him being a bad person off of the court. He appears selfish, greedy and arrogant. Despite not being relevant as an NBA player any more, he is still very much relevant in the shoe game. Jordan's over-priced kicks still cause people to lose their minds when a new edition is released. What makes this situation even worse? These shoes weren't even new. These were the same pair released in 1995 being re-released, if that's a word.

More than 1,000 people lined up for these $180 pair of shoes in certain cities across the country. I doubt you would see 1,000 crack heads in line for free crack in front of a crack house, yet these "Jordan Heads" chose to wait on a pair of shoes that basically everyone else in the city will also own. Nothing says "having my own identity" like wearing something everyone else has, huh? And I don't want to hear anyone compare this to the iPhone or iPad. At least those products are productive and can provide entertainment. Besides, most people buy those items for personal use, they don't buy them to flaunt.

Do you remember this kid idiot?



He hid in a garbage can when a store was closed so that he could have a good spot in line when it reopened. That's the type of behavior these shoes encourage when parents are non-existent. Now, I can't blame Nike or Jordan for these actions. They do market to the youth, but then again, what company doesn't? I blame the parents because they obviously dropped the ball some where with what's important. I'm not saying that people can't buy what they want, but if you need something materialistic so badly that you're willing to participate in a scene like the above videos, then I really do question your intelligence.

And to top it all off, what really makes me mad, as a black man, is that a majority of these idiots participating in this foolishness are black. We complain about inequality in the job market and how bad the economy is. Yet, we will borrow $20 just to have enough money to pay for a pair of sneakers that we're going to see on every 3rd person who walks by in the mall.

You know what? Maybe I should buy a pair... just so I can give these people a swift kick and bury this shoe straight up their... er, uh, Merry Christmas, all! :)




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Why So Anti-Social?

Okay, so it was time to renew my license, right? It expired shortly after my knee surgery and I haven't been mobile enough to get downtown to take care of it. Well, today, The Mrs. chauffeured me down to what I expected to be a horrible experience. Well, let's just say that I left from there disappointed at the DMV. What I expected to be a horrible experience that would lead to a blog post rant wound up being the most pleasant experience I've ever had there.

Why was my experience so nice? Because for just an additional $4.50 on top of my renewal fee, I could use an automatic kiosk and renew my license within minutes rather than waiting in line forever. When I arrived to the DMV, I pulled a number: 38. As I walked (hobbled on crutches) into the room, what number do they call out? 7. So, more than likely, I'd still be waiting on them to call me had I gone the traditional route. Instead, I did the kiosk. Inserted my old license, verified my address, took the photo and paid with a credit card. Seven minutes, tops! Priceless!

So, I started thinking to myself, "Self, did I enjoy this experience simply because it was fast or did I enjoy it because I didn't have to speak with anyone?"

Let's be real. Some of us want to avoid human interaction as much as possible. Now, I'm not like that because I love to talk. In fact, today, I started a conversation about my knee with a cashier at Office Depot and told her I injured myself being a stunt double for Will Smith. For some reason, she didn't believe me. I tried to convince her that the camera adds weight and shrinks height. However, I made her laugh and probably brightened her day. She'll probably remember me if I come back soon, too.

Anyhoo, the reason I chose the kiosk at the DMV was so that I could get out of the DMV before my beard grew back. I wanted speed. I didn't want to avoid human contact. But, think of how a lot of people love ATM's, self-check outs at the grocery store, shopping online, etc. Anything that keeps us from actually dealing with a person. I'm sure if we could go to a fast food restaurant without talking to a live person, we would jump at the opportunity.

Why so anti-social? The nation that did things based on eye contact and a hearty hand shake has turned into a country that communicates in 140 words or less and a text message. We're already seeing the affects of the change, too. Young people don't even know how to interview for a job because they lack the social skills to carry out a meaningful conversation. Sitting across the table from a live person is probably the equivalent of them seeing Freddy Krueger in a dream.

"So, tell me about your last job!"

How do we get it back? How do we stop a society that allows kids to sit in front of the television or gaming console without talking? Teens sitting at the dinner table with iPod earbuds in their ears. Young people texting other young people who are sitting at the same table (I've seen it happen multiple times).

At what point do we talk to one another? Or is that considered "old-fashioned" now?




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I Do... Until A Hottie Comes Along!

Kobe Bryant joins the list of athletes to recently file for divorce (Tony Hawk, Deion Sanders and Troy Aikman to name a few). And it's for allegedly cheating. Imagine that. Kobe and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Vanessa, met when she was 18 and he was 21 on a music video set.

Back in '03, Kobe got into a scandal that almost landed him in jail as he admitted to having sex with a lady in Colorado who later accused him of rape. Well, that didn't sit well with Vanessa and it took a public apology and a $4 million dollar ring as a gift from Kobe to get back in her good graces. Now, after a 10 year marriage and two daughters, Vanessa says that she's had enough of "The Black Mamba." She seeks spousal support and custody of the two girls and let me also mention that there is no pre-nup. She may receive money that rivals Tiger's ex, Elin Nordegren.

I think this scenario is the perfect lesson for guys out there. Just because you meet someone you really like at a young age doesn't mean you're obligated to marry her. There are steps to a relationship and marriage is the ultimate step. Ultimate means "final." "Final" is a word that should make anyone think when it comes to making a decision. Most of us put more thought into a cell phone commitment of two years than we do a marriage.

I went to school with so many classmates who married their high school sweetheart only to divorce less than 10 years later. Why? Because men are stupid. Sounds harsh? Well, let me explain: a lot of men don't realize at a young age of the opportunities (women) that will come our way once we get older, smarter and established. I was in love for four years when I was 23 years old and was engaged. It would have been the worst decision I could have made in my life had I married her. Not simply because I found out she wasn't the one for me, but because I had no idea how many more women I would meet in my life who would virtually throw themselves at me for whatever reason. Luckily, the engagement dissolved and as a single man at 23 years old, I made the most of my life before my first date with The Mrs. at age 28.

Very few men mature early enough in their 20's to sustain a marriage. Even if we maintain a faithful relationship for the early part of the marriage, at some point, we start to think of what we missed. Kobe probably wanted to be the perfect husband and father when he got married. What he didn't anticipate was women in every city throwing themselves at him. I take that back. He knew that was going to happen, he just didn't know that he was going to eventually give in to it. If he would have not married Vanessa at 21, would she have waited on him? Would she have hung around and allowed him to "sew his royal oats."

Maybe. Maybe not. That's beside the point. If things are meant to be, then they'll happen, right? After all, I took The Mrs. to my high school prom as a one-time thing and a decade later, we started dating. Had we developed a relationship back when I was younger and dumber, she'd probably still hate me to this day because of my immaturity at that age.

The point I want to make to the guys is that there is no rush to get married. Now, I'm not saying date someone for 10 years or anything, but what I'm saying is live your life before you decide to settle down. Enjoy yourself. Travel. Party. Flirt. You'll never get it all out of your system, but you can at least feel as if you've lived your life to the point that you will be able to resist temptation once you're married. Some guys are mature enough to do the young marriage thing, but let's be honest and admit that most of us guys would struggle and/or fail in that situation. It's easy to say "I do..." until a hottie comes along.





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I Now Hate Facebook

I got into Facebook back around the time of my high school's 20th year reunion. It seemed like a good idea to keep up with everyone and get updates on the upcoming events. I had no idea that Facebook would later become an addiction for me.

A few months into it, my "Friends" started to grow. I was up to 50 in no time. Although I enjoyed viewing the photos of old friends, I really got into the conversations. Arguing over sports teams and politics seemed almost like a natural occurrence when it came to Facebook.

100 "Friends." 200 "Friends." 300 "Friends." And now I'm close to 500 "Friends."

I now hate Facebook. Why? Because I don't have that many friends! There are roughly three or four guys that I can honestly call "friends." Everyone else is just an associate. Maybe it was someone I worked with or maybe had some daily interaction with at one time back during high school or college. But, like Real Housewives having a show in multiple cities, sometimes things get taken just a bit too far.

Now I have people who basically know me by name-only trying to be my FB Friend. People who were a brother/sister to one of my classmates now feel as if they're close enough to be my FB Friend. They friend you and you never hear from them again. They don't comment, contribute or anything. They look at your photos to see how fat you've gotten or if your wife is fat and then you're just another number to them on their "Friend" list.

Stop it. Just stop it.




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Chick Flicks Lie

Okay, so I'm seeing the "New Year's Eve" movie advertisement for the 70th time today. This movie features an appearance by pretty much everyone in the world who has ever acted. Pretty much everyone except Andrew Dice Clay has a part in this film.

Anyhoo, these movies draw tons of women to the theaters (along with the guys who are willing to sit through the movie to get into their pants). Well, I hate to be the one to break the bad news to all of you ladies, but you know that here at the Thank, Q site: "Some things just need to be said."

Chick flicks lie. They're modern-day fairytales that never come true. They sell a pipe dream about boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy eventually finds girl and marries her. Well, relationships don't normally work like that. In real life, it's very uncommon to see a guy leave a woman at the altar to run to the woman he truly loves. Rich men don't save prostitutes off the street to show them a better life. A guy doesn't stop banging his sexy boss simply because he's attracted to an intern who's a better fit for him.

Wake up, ladies! It doesn't work like that. These films give false hope that romance still exists behind every corner. It doesn't. Romance isn't dead, but it's on life support. So, make sure you don't leave the theater all starry-eyed and waiting on some Matthew McConaughey to bump into you on a girls' night out with your homies, okay?

To be fair, I need to speak to the fellas, too. Guys, you have to stop thinking that the next woman you meet is going to be just as good as the hooker actress from the last porno you watched. We guys will watch these pornos and then try to figure out how we can get our girlfriend/wife to do some of the things we see in them. Get real, fellas! Stop thinking that life imitates porn! Every woman you date will not be Vanessa Del Rio or Jenna Jameson (sorry, but I don't know any other porn stars).

This could be your girl...  not!

Movies are fantasy. A lot of time, they show us the lives that we wish we could live. They sell a love story to the ladies that preserves hope that they'll actually find that Prince Charming. They can also sell a fantasy to us guys of a double-jointed woman who can suck a BB through a 50-foot garden hose. I have a former co-worker who claims to have watched "The Wedding Planner" over 50 times. She says that it gives her hope that true romance still exists.

Hmmmph. Well, I saw "The Transporter" for the third time the other day. It gives me hope that some day I'll be able to clear a room full of thugs with my martial arts moves.




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You So Nasty!

I absolutely cannot stand nasty people! I think it should be legal to slap someone (as long as it's above the eyebrows) because some people don't have home training and need a jolt of a life lesson every now and then.

Now, I know you're wondering, "what is his definition of 'nasty'?" A homeless person? A porn star? Snooki?

No, I'm talking these two people in particular: Don't Wash Hands After Using Bathroom Guy and Don't Cover Your Mouth When You Sneeze Guy.

Today, I'm just going to discuss the latter since it's winter time and everyone has the sniffles. I'm in the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago and I'm chilling in the waiting room. There's a man, two seats over from me, who was wearing short sleeves, no jacket, on a crisp, cold morning. He kept sniffing, which was distracting me from tweeting on my phone. I kept glancing up at the man wondering how someone that has a constant sniff is too dumb to put on something warm. Then it happened... All of a sudden, without covering his mouth, this dude let out the loudest, sloppiest, wettest sneeze!

I could see the particles floating in the room after this nasty buzzard sprayed his sinuses. Now, given that I'm older, I tend to speak my mind rather than hold my peace these days. Ten years ago, I would have not said a word, but not "Older Q." He'll say anything! So, before I knew it, I was barking at the man. "Dude!," I started, "What's wrong with you? Cover your mouth!"

There was an awkward moment of silence in the room as he glared at me, but there was one other person in the room. An older woman sitting off in the corner. She broke the silence, without looking up, with a mumbling statement, "You so nasty."

I returned the glare to the man now feeling empowered by the endorsement of the lady in the corner. The man got up and went in search of a restroom although he never once looked apologetic for spreading his germs.

People, please always remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze. It's absolutely nasty to see someone sneeze all over the place. Try to think of people other than yourself and realize that no one wants to inhale your particles, okay?




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I Talked to Sonia & Brandon!

Listen to internet radio with ThankQ on Blog Talk Radio

I was fortunate enough to get Sonia of LogAllot and CriTeekMyBlog along with Brandon from My Own Private Idaho to join me on the Talk 2 Q Radio Show tonight! We discussed so many random topics and of course their blogs. It's Sonia's 2nd trip into T2Q, but it was Brandon's first time on the show and he's a natural.

I enjoyed talking about marketing tips with Sonia as she discussed real-time analytics and more. Brandon entertained us all with his stories about life on the road as a salesman and his transition from California to Idaho.

Be sure to check out the podcast and be entertained by two of my favorite bloggers people.

#Sonia #Brandon

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Knee'd Relief?

Well, for those of you wondering where I've been, then just take a look at the Robocop brace I have on my left leg. I had knee surgery on 11/15 to repair my patella tendon that I tore completely from my knee cap on 10/6.

This brace is completely uncomfortable and has pretty much kept me confined to my couch. Since I'm limited to where I can put this monstrosity, I haven't been online much and I definitely can't sit still long enough to blog about anything while my leg is propped up over here. Eventually, it will start hurting and I'll have to lean back in my seat until the pain subsides.

Hopefully, I'll be brace-less within a few weeks and I can get back into the blogging mix. Until then, please forgive the lack of posts and know that I'll probably have plenty to say once I'm able to reclaim my left leg.

In the meantime, it's a great opportunity for you all to check out my blog roll (down on the left side) and catch up with some other great bloggers that I follow. Take care!


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