Pick A Bale Of Cotton

Sometimes these blog posts just writes themselves.  An Arkansas senator named Tom Cotton said that slavery was a "necessary evil".  Well, unlike our American History books, to put things into context, he said that, "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil on which the union was built."

This conversation came up during an interview about how slavery should be taught in schools.  Cotton wants to cut funding for schools who use curriculum from the "1619 Project".

You don't have to be a history major to know that a lot of foul stuff was happening to black people in the 1600's.  That project was created to help students understand how this country was built on the backs of slaves.  It's a painful story to tell, but it does help to enlighten those who know very little about how this country came to be what it is today.  In no way, shape, or form is murdering, beating, and raping a group of people a "necessary evil".  It's evil, but it's very unnecessary.  I don't care in what context you attempt to use it.  However, he later said on Twitter that he wasn't endorsing the Founding Fathers stance on slavery.  Blah, blah, blah.  Cotton also made quotes that insinuated that despite America being a flawed country, it is a great country and he doesn't want it portrayed as being formed by a bunch of greedy, racists crooks.

And this is a huge problem that I have with American History school books.  They are incomplete.  They don't tell the real story of how this country came to be.  The treatment received by minorities would bring about a ton of shame onto a lot of prominent people.  Especially if names were mentioned.

Case in point, Senator Cotton is a descendant of slave owners.  There are documents floating around online now that show a will from his great-great-great-great (I'm unsure of how many "greats") grandfather leaving slaves to an heir.  So, I'm guessing that having to explain that part of history is not something he's wanting to get into.  In fact, I'm sure that a lot of surnames of prominent people would come up if we did a deep dive into the origin of slave owners.  There are a lot of rich people in this country who had wealth passed down to them from those who made it off of the backs of treacherous acts.

It's ironic that a man with the last name of "Cotton" has a problem with how slavery is taught in schools.  History should be no longer "white-washed" to tell "his story".  It should be told in its entirety so that people can begin to understand how "The Greatest Country in the World" has a lumpy carpet from the things being swept under the rug.

White People Need To Stop Being Racists

This logo is as accurate as it is iconic.  PE#1.

Now that I have your attention, let me give some background on myself to explain why that I think that statement is 100% true: I grew up in a predominantly white school system.  I had a lot of white friends in my childhood, so I saw the good in white people.  I was oblivious to a lot of the atrocities in the U.S. because of the type of education that I received and the environment in which I was raised.

Then I went to an HBCU (Google it if you don't know the acronym) and I met other people who looked like me who had totally different experiences growing up.  By the way, this is generally how one learns about the world.  Being exposed to all walks of life is what expands our way of thinking.  But, back to the topic at hand...

I spent a lot of my youth and some of my adult life explaining to minorities how "the conversation" about racism should be approached with white people.  I found myself speaking from a place that protected the good white people that I knew.  It took growing older in society to realize that they didn't need me to defend them.  Their privilege alone gave them the protection that they needed.

The point I'm trying to make is that black people have no responsibility in stopping racism.  White people do.  And it's always been that way despite how others have tried to spin it over and over again.  It's not a woman's responsibility to have "a discussion" with an abusive husband.  He just needs to recognize that he's wrong and stop abusing her.  See how simple that is?  Problem solved.

We don't need a table of "black leaders" to sit down and discuss why we shouldn't be unlawfully shot by police, denied opportunities for leadership positions from being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company to being an NFL head coach, or refused loans and/or housing based solely on the fact that we are enriched with melanin.  Black people have complained for decades on the things that prevent us from truly being equals in this country, so there's nothing new to talk about.  All white people have to do is stop doing it.  It's just that simple.  Nothing else is required.

And for all white people who have done things to help promote the end of racism, I thank and applaud you.  We wouldn't have made it this far without some of you.  But, you're going to have to do more.  Because in order for you not to be unfairly grouped in with racists, you have to convince the racists to cut it out.  So, it looks like you have the responsibility of helping this madness end.  Not black people.

The 1st Time I Felt Black Pride

Back in my teens in the late 80's, I developed more of a sense of pride in my race. It's not to say that I never had any, but it really didn't materialize from a knowledge perspective until in my teens, thanks to music. Specifically, rap music. 

A lot of 80's rap taught its black listeners that we were more than just second class citizens. It made the listeners understand that we were descendants of kings and queens. It made listeners know that there was value in our skin color.

There were quite a few artists who contributed to me blossoming in my blackness.  Listening to Public Enemy introduced me to the Black Panther Party and their contributions to black society. Boogie Down Productions educated me on how the legal system and school system have set black people up to fail. Ice-T educated me on life as a hustler and how the perceived "high life" was only temporary, thanks to jail or death.  There were a number of others I learned things from as well.

Once I developed that pride in myself, then I found pride in those who look like me. Especially black women.  I started to recognize that the media could not dictate what a beautiful woman was to me.  I saw the beauty in dark skin and full lips.  I understood what they represented in my heritage.  I went from falling head over heads for television's definition of beauty and started to appreciate so many of the natural beauties that I encountered regularly.  Who knew that music could give me so much data in which to research and learn about my true self?

Fast forward to today and 80's style of conscious rap is no longer played on the radio.  Despite its educational value to the black community, it's no longer mainstream.  Today's mainstream music usually contains wasteful and destructive messages.  Not just towards our communities, but towards our black women as well.

We need to find some way to reverse this trend.  We need to teach our youth that there's value to our black skin and it should be protected at all times.

Jerrod Carmichael Quits

The Carmichael Show is one of my favorite TV shows.  It is a sitcom that features a family of black people who discuss every day topics from "Plan B birth control" to "the N-word".  They take the topic of the show, no matter how controversial, and do a masterful job of making the topic hilarious, while exposing the audience to different perspectives on it.

Well, the show is coming to an end after 3 seasons.  Not because of ratings.  Not because of protests.  Because the creator and star of the show has decided that 3 seasons is enough and that he wants to quit.

First of all, I totally understand that Jerrod Carmichael has the right to do whatever it is that he wants.  However, this is yet another black-created show, within the past decade or so, that I can recall, that has suffered an unceremonious death.

Chappelle's Show (2003, 2004, 2006)

This show was ground-breaking.  Like "In Living Color" before it, it took stereotypes and racism and turned it into something comical.

Dave Chappelle pushed the envelope on what was offensive and what was funny.  For three seasons, he ruled the airwaves as the funniest man on TV until he walked away from the show and a $50 million dollar contract from Comedy Central.

A lot of people speculated on why he left, but in the end, a very creative show, that opened people's eyes to racism, double standards, and more, was no more.

For years, people waited to see if Chappelle would ever bring the show back, but the closest we got was him reviving some characters from his show on a Saturday Night Live appearance last season.

What could he have done with Obama's election, Tiger Woods scandal, or other things that occurred after his show went off the air.  We'll never know.


The Boondocks (2005-2008, 2010, 2014)

This show started as a hilarious comic strip, that I sometimes wonder how it even got printed in most newspapers.

The show featured a radical, modern day, young Black Panther known as Huey Freeman (named after Huey P. Newton).  The story centered around his family (granddad and little brother) and their new surroundings in suburban America.  From the hood to a white environment, the family dealt with everything from racism to the LGBT community.

This show hit on a ton of topics surrounding the black community, including a number of topics that tend to make black people uncomfortable (our idolization of celebs, gay rappers, etc.).

The show never seemed to get traction as each season always appeared to the last.  The show would take hiatus so much that most viewers thought that it was canceled, when it was indeed not.  Whether it was creative control issues with the creator, Aaron McGruder, or problems finding the right people to voice the characters, the show ultimately disappeared.

I could add another show in Key & Peele, which lasted from 2012-2105 until they decided to move on to bigger and better things.  And now add The Carmichael Show to the list.

Another show greatly appreciated by deep thinking fans that has gone the way of the dinosaur just out of the blue.  I was not a fan of Jerrod Carmichael prior to the show, but I hope to be a fan of his in the future.  All of that remains to be seen as he moves on to his next project.  However, my question is: why are these people quitting?  Why are black creators walking away from their work?  Are we doomed to see Issa Rae drop "Insecure" after three or four seasons?


Looks like I'll be focusing on "Black-ish" again until Anthony Anderson walks away from it.  After all, Season 4 is coming up.

25 Years Later We're Still Fighting The Power - @PublicEnemyFTP

I remember turning on the TV and seeing this video for the first time. I was mesmerized as a 16 year old to see the power within the video of a group of people coming together for a united front.  Even at such an early age I recognized what that video meant to me as a black teen.  It meant that there was still work to do to bring about equality in the United States among the races.  I had no idea how much more this video would mean to me 25 years later after Michael Brown and Ferguson, MO.

Seeing the unity that "Fight The Power" displayed in a rap video was nothing short of amazing.  This wasn't a group of rappers coming together on their own for a cause like "Self Destruction" or "We're All in the Same Gang."  This was a video about a rap group marching down the streets of Brooklyn during the time of a political rally and the people just randomly started joining in.  It was just recently that I found out that the neighborhood people showed up only by word of mouth.  There was no plan to have them all there.

I got on board the PE train with their first album, "Yo! Bum Rush the Show!" in 1987.  I was fascinated with the side of blackness they taught that I couldn't get anywhere else at the time.  Remember that this was roughly five years before people starting regularly using the Internet.  In fact, a majority of the black history that I learned as a youth came from listening to Public Enemy.  I would listen to their album and then go to my city library to learn about the people they mentioned.   Stokely Carmichael.  H. Rap Brown.  Huey P. Newton (Huey Freeman on the "Boondocks" series is named after him).  These were people that were never talked about in any history books that I read at school.  And regardless of how people felt about them and what they represented they were still a very important part of black history which is essentially American history.

The video also contained images that will forever be embedded in my brain of Angela Davis, Medgar Evers, Jackie Robinson, signs that encouraged voter registration, and most importantly, youth participation.  There were kids everywhere in this video.  Also, one of the most powerful scenes at the time was at the 6:00 mark when teenager, Tawana Brawley, was shown standing in all white.

Tawana was part of a huge rape case back in 1987 when she accused six white men of raping and defiling her.  Although it was ruled in 1988 that she made up the false allegations against her accusers, she has always stuck by her story and said that the rape occurred.  Seeing her smiling and participating in the video was a sign that she was still standing strong with the support of the black community.  The community had her back.  That sentiment was also shown in Spike Lee's movie, "Do The Right Thing," with a scene that displayed graffiti on the wall that said "Tawana told the truth."  I can still remember the applause in the theater when people saw it during the movie.

"Fight The Power" would prove to have an impact on the consciousness of many people of all colors as it depicted how black people came together to promote unity.  Another important part of the video to note is that it showed how blacks can be peaceful yet firm in making an impact on society.  Despite the "nervous" police presence according to P.E. front man, Chuck D, there were no incidents.  Not one.

Enter 2014.  Music has changed tremendously.  The only people rapping about political consciousness aren't on the radio.  Gone are the days where KRS-1 is rapping "Why is That?" or Gang Starr is dropping knowledge on "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?"

I'll continue to hold on to old school rap although I know it's next to impossible to pass down to younger generations.  They just aren't buying into things from back in the day.  However, I'll do what I can to expose them to conscious rap with hopes that it catches on.  I won't let Public Enemy die with my generation.

So, click on the video below and "Fight The Power" in 2014.  We still have a long way to go.
 

Is Marvel Comics Going for Shock Value?

I've been a fan of Marvel Comics since I was a kid.  In fact, I still have a ton of comics that I would love to sell if anyone is interested.  Let me refocus on my blog post and get dollar signs out of my eyes.

A lot of comic book fans are purists and hate to see the slightest deviation of their beloved characters.  Well, Marvel has taken deviation to an entirely new level with what they have in store for Thor fans.

Thor the God of Thunder will soon be Thor the Goddess of Thunder.

That's right.  The most masculine guy with long hair in all of Marvel Comics is getting a sex change.  Well, I actually don't know how they plan on writing her into the story, but know that "he" is soon to be a "she."

I wonder if Marvel is doing this for shock value.  Changes like this grabs headlines and there's nothing wrong with a little buzz around your product even if it's from angry purists.  Another alternative could be that maybe they're trying to bring in a female fan base.  After all, girls probably read a lot more than boys these days.  Either way I'm guessing that Marvel will want to keep from causing confusion and this will be a temporary move until the Avengers movie comes out in 2015.  It would be extremely odd to have Thor as a woman in the comics and a man on the silver screen.

In any event, I don't care about this one way or the other.  If I were 8 years old again and still reading comics regularly then I'm sure that I would be pissed.  But, Marvel can do no wrong when it comes to making money, so who am I to question their decision making.

I will admit that the change caught me completely by surprise though.  And I thought Archie Andrews getting shot was a shocker.  The next thing you'll be trying to get me to believe is that Captain America will be replaced by a black man.

  OH, SNAP!

In The Year 2100, Blacks Will Only Be Seen in Museums

I know that the title is unsettling.  I heard my father say that recently. He said that at the rate black people are destroying their communities, that 100 years from now we won't even exist.  Think about that for a second. That's a strong statement!

If you're not black, then you may feel uncomfortable agreeing with that thought or speaking on it. If you are black, then you should feel uncomfortable in knowing that although it may not be true, you can understand the concept.

Here in Jackson, MS, a 15 year old girl was shot outside of Wingfield High School after a fight. She died later at the hospital from a gun shot wound to the chest. Shortly after this tragedy occurred, videos surfaced showing multiple fights at that high school from this year and last year. At least eight videos ranging from classroom brawls to outside gatherings.

Kids fighting is nothing new.  It happened when I was in school, too.  I think that the difference is today is that it's glorified on an entirely new level in 2013.  Teachers no longer have control over classrooms due to the policies put in place that restricts them.  Parents have no control over kids at home because most of them are either single parents or too immature to be a parent.

So, if kids are steadily engaging in acts of violence and parents don't know how to guide them to behave like human beings, then why shouldn't my father feel the way that he does?

Nelson Mandela just passed away a few days ago.  He represented something we may never see again in any leader, regardless of color: restraint.  Mandela could have easily lashed out against white people for putting him in jail for almost 30 years.  But, he decided that it wasn't worth it.  He spent the remaining years of his life trying to install peace into society instead of the opposite.  Sometimes your worst enemy will learn to love you if you show compassion.

For every Mandela, there seem to be 10,000 non-Mandelas born each day.  Black people who just don't believe in leaving the world in a better place than how they found it.  My generation (70's babies) were the cause of that.  We were the generation that decided that we would allow our kids certain freedoms that our parents wouldn't allow us.  Now we have a generation of kids who only want what they want regardless of the end result.

It's that mentality that makes being violent feel like option number one instead of a last resort.  It makes taking care of your kids seem like a burden instead of a responsibility.  It makes dating the opposite sex seem like a game instead of an opportunity to find someone to share your life.

How can a race of people possibly survive against those odds?  Maybe my father was right.  Neither one of us will be here to verify in the year 2100, but maybe this blog post will serve as notice to those who will.

Don't Let The Money Make You

Black people are always looking for role models and we have plenty in the world right in front of us. However, we don't want to make a movie about one unless they're an athlete, singer or actor. Uh, oh, I need to get on my soapbox for a minute.

(steps up)

Where are the movies about black doctors, counselors, teachers and people who make a real difference in the lives of millions? Why am I constantly bombarded with movies about black maids and butlers as if there aren't any black humanitarians? Why can't I watch an inspiring movie about a black person providing help instead of being "The Help?"

Let's think about some of the "black" movies for 2013: "Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain", Tyler Perry's "Temptation" and his movie, "We the Peeples", "Fruitvale Station," "42," "Haunted House" with the Wayans, and "After Earth."  Two comedies, two Tyler Perry flicks, a tragedy, a sports movie on racism and a sci-fi movie with Will Smith and his kid. Those are my options. No movie like the one on Steve Jobs. No "Great Gatsby."  No "Wolf of Wall Street."  Do you see what I'm saying?

People probably think that no one would watch it, but I disagree. Black people attend the movies probably more than any other race. It's not that we don't crave quality movies about role models, it's just that Hollywood won't make movies like that. In fact, we may only be a decade away from all black movies being complete foolishness at the theaters just like today's music is a joke on some of the mainstream radio stations.

Hollywood isn't going to make these movies. People like my man Archie in the Virgin Islands may some day, but he's not financially in a position to do that now to my knowledge. This is why people like Harry Belafonte get upset and preach about social responsibility. Because the black people capable of making this type of impact in society aren't interested in making a difference, they're only interested in making more money. So, since no one wants to be a leader in 2013, then black people who really matter in this country become irrelevant to society.

People are always quick to say "make that money, don't let the money make you." Well, that's what's been happening for the last 15-20 years. Now, what a person does with their money is their business, but what I say with my mouth is mine. And some things just need to be said.

People are letting the money "make them" by dictating everything they do or don't do on their next paycheck. "If I speak out against this group then I'll lose revenue." If you think this way, then make no mistake about it, the dollar is making you.

Back to the movies... I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the movies that I named. I loved "42." I'm sure that I'll laugh at Kevin Hart's movie when I finally see it. I'll even watch "After Earth" once it reaches the $3 everything must go bin at Target.

I'm just saying that black people need some balance in America. We need some good to equal out the bad and the foolishness. For every Trinidad James we need a Kendrick Lamar. For every Shaunie O'Neal, we need a Kerry Washington. We can't have 20 reality shows of black women pulling out each other's weave to every one primetime drama.

If I were a white person who didn't personally know any black folks, I'd lock my doors every time I saw someone who even looked like they had a tan. Because the movies say if they're not working for me, then TV says that I should be afraid of them. All because we don't have representation.

I'm off my soap box now.

(steps down)

98... 99... 100!

My 100th post. Wow. When I first started this blog thing back in July, I never thought I'd post any more than four or five before eventually quiting. But, Jim and Jennie started following me and I thought to myself, "Self, you may actually be able to post a few more and get another follower or two."

42 followers later, I'm at post #100.

I started going back through my posts and of course, I had to start at the original rant that started it all! "A Blood Rush to the Brain". Rush Limbaugh said something that ticked me off enough to start a blog just to make a political point.

I enjoyed being able to say what I wanted and decided to continue blogging. Weeks later came post #25. "Why Am I Not Asleep?" It should have been titled "Why Didn't I Hit Delete?"

It was early in the morning and I was flat-out tired and borderline hallucinating. Although I was still awake, my body was clearly tired. I tried sleeping, but every time I drifted off, I would wind up in a nightmare within seconds. I don't know if that happens to any of you or not, but when my body is dog-tired, I have nightmares. I wonder if I'm the only person cursed like that?

You would think that blog would have been the one to get me to quit, but I kept going. After all, I was up to 20-something followers by then, so blogging became a drug. In the month of October, I cranked out 28 posts in 31 days on a range of topics from if white women care if white men date outside of the race to discussing the plight of guys crossing into "The Friend Zone" with women.

Post #75 was about the growing attention on the Brett Favre "Crank/Crocs" scandal. Brett reportedly sent a photo of his junk while wearing Crocs to a former Jets employee named Jenn Sterger. Although I think Jenn was in it for the publicity and money, I do believe Favre got off (wrong choice of words) with a slap on the wrist in a $50,000 fine. I wondered in the post if there was a bias against black athletes who get criticized for doing a lot less than what Favre did. It was appropriately called "Media Bias Against Black Athletes."

I've really enjoyed blogging, although I've sort have taken a break over the past few weeks. I do intend on working my way to #150 and hopefully generating more feedback. I always get comments from people who agree, but rarely from people who do not. I'm always looking for different opinions, so hopefully I can get more banter on the comment feeds.

To those who have supported the blog as a follower or a casual reader, I truly appreciate it. For those who take the time to comment on a post, you get a special "thank you".

I've had a range of serious topics to discuss as of late, but I'm going to return back to the lighter side of things for a while. To try to recapture the humor from posts like "Get Out of My Back Pocket!", "When Pampering Becomes Tampering", and "Don't Do It, Fellas!"

Again, thanks, all!

Close Your Legs!

Seventy-two percent of black babies are born to unmarried mothers today. Seventy-freakin'-two. Are you kidding me? If you're a single, black mom, then you're getting ready to be upset with me. If you're a single, black "baby daddy", then you're going to be offended.

Good. That's exactly what I want. I hope I step on so many toes with this post that I leave a room full of dislodged toenails after I'm done. I struggled with my approach to this post because at first, I didn't want to upset any one. Afterwards, I thought to myself, "this is one of the many reasons black people are stuck in the rut we've been in for decades now. Why be nice?"

Your child deserves two parents and if you disagree, then you're an idiot. That doesn't mean that a single parent can't manage on their own, I'm not saying that. What I am saying is that a single parent's love can never possibly match the love of a two-parent household.

"Children of unmarried mothers of any race are more likely to perform poorly in school, go to prison, use drugs, be poor as adults, and have their own children out of wedlock" according to the column that Jesse Washington, an AP National Writer, wrote.

It doesn't take much research to figure that one out. If the mother is having to work, clean, pay bills, etc., then who in the world has time to fool with kids, right?

Parenting is meant to be a team effort. That sentence would look good on a t-shirt right about now. It takes a phenomenal person to raise a child successfully solo. Contrary to what most of you believe, most of you aren't that phenomenal.

And to the sperm donors, let me give you my two cents. Some black males have no clue of what "being a man" truly is. It pains me to say that. You're so focused on putting rims on your car, buying jewelery and wearing name-brand garbage that you can't see what it's all about and it sickens me.



You continue to go through life thinking a woman's job is to take care of you because you, too, probably came from a single-mom household.

We gotta break the cycle. Why not be the person to do so? Why not start educating today? Why not bring back that unwed mothers are taboo in the black community?

The black community's 72 percent rate dwarfs that of whites mothers at 29 percent, the most recent year for which government figures are available. The rate for the overall U.S. population was 41 percent.

Dag, if you can't have sex responsibly then close your legs until you say "I do", black people! I've heard the reasons that lead to single-parent households and the main culprit is "irresponsibility". Sure condoms break or other birth control methods fail, but we all know that people have unprotected sex like it's Woodstock 2010. I'm not saying it's all the fault of the female, but given the fact you're normally the one left to raise the kid, it should mean more to you than him.

My parents made it very clear to me that bringing a child home before marriage was not an option! The odds of me surviving a plane crash while riding on the wing was higher than my survival rate of bringing home a baby. And if it were to happen, which it did not, then my days of being "free" were over. They said that I would basically waive my "right to party" the moment that child's heartbeat started.

How many baby mamas and daddies do you see in the club every weekend? More than you can count, huh? They drop off their kid(s) at grandma's and roll out to make more.



That same message that was given to me by my parents is not in our households today. My generation dropped the ball and made it "okay" to have a kid. At one time, having a child out of wedlock was considered taboo. Now, losers like the "Octomom" are coming unhinged at the hip from having a litter of them.

Okay, my rant is over. To all of the single, black moms, I'm not saying that your child has absolutely no chance of being productive in society. I'm not saying your child is a "mistake".

I am saying that you got careless. For whatever reason, you got hot in the pants, wanted to trap your man, birth control failed or maybe you actually thought being a single parent was easily do-able.

Well, regardless if your reason is any of the above, then more than likely, you didn't have the best interest of your child in mind. And if you're not doing all that you can to prevent others from falling into the same trend, then you're not taking the best interest of your community either.

Tell them that pregnancy should be planned after a wedding. Not shacking, but marriage. Why some of you think living with a guy is the same as marrying one is beyond me. Why would a woman think she's good enough to get impregnated and good enough to shack up with, but not good enough to take her baby daddy's last name? Are your standards that low?

So many of my beautiful sisters complain that there are not enough eligible black men in the U.S. who are suitable for marriage. Then where are all of these "suitable" men coming from to impregnate them?

No good black men left in the world? How many black women without kids are left?

I'm guessing less than 28%.

JAN to MCO III (Flatulence and Turbulence)

This isn't my typical rant. Then again, it isn't a rant at all, but I wanted to share more about my recent trip to Orlando. This is part three of three. To see part one, click here.

I thought about using Southwest's Wi-Fi and doing a little blogging from 38,000 feet, but the flight to Jackson is very short. I figured that by the time I connected, we would be descending. So, I decided just to post some tidbits into Microsoft Mobile One Note on my phone until I landed. Here are my notes:



The Mrs. is cracking me up! This is her 4th flight, so it's still new to her. She wanted the window seat (and looked as if she was willing to fight me for it), so I swapped places with her. Unfortunately, for her, she ended up behind a guy who must have eaten a couple of bean burritos before the flight. The Mrs. has the most keen sense of smell of anyone I know. More accurate than a great white smelling a drop of blood. She exclaims, "Oh, my God!"

"What's wrong?"

"Someone farted!"

(LOL!) Now, I know that my immediate action should not have been laughter, but the word "farted" will even make an 80-year old man laugh. That word just cracks men up. I'm actually chuckling as I type now just thinking about her reaction.

So, the smell goes away and a lot quicker than I would have expected for the inside of a plane, but, 10 minutes later, The Mrs. makes the most twisted face I have ever seen. Immediately, I am laughing again because I know why her face is twisted like the love child of the Grinch and Whoopi Goldberg. The dude seated in front of her has passed gas again. Now, he appears to be asleep, so I am not sure if he is aware of his flatulence or not. But, he smelled like he needed an autopsy.



So, just when I thought that things could not be more annoying (for her), the guy behind her starts drumming his fingers on his tray. To top that off, his rhythm sucked. It sounded like a can of biscuits in a dryer.

As The Mrs. does a quarter-turn towards this guy's line of sight, the drumming gets softer and then eventually stops. Hey, there is an advantage, at times, to being stereotyped as "the angry black woman". The Mrs. is completely harmless, but sometimes a stern look gets results.



Now the flight has a little turbulence, but she doesn't appear to be too bothered. She likes flying now. Last year, she took her first flight (at age 35) for her birthday trip in Chicago. I remember the excitement she had and the excitement I felt for her as we took off. For this particular trip, she flew to Orlando on Wednesday by herself, so I guess I can consider her a veteran now. Outside of blogging in my notes, I slept through much of the flight as well as the turbulence. Plane sleep is the best to me. At one time, I couldn't imagine relaxing that much on a plane because I was terrified of flying, but now, I get comfortable and it's lights out until I reach my destination.

Well, the announcement was made for us to turn off our electronic devices. This week has been a pretty good one. I got a lot of work done in preparation for 2011 and The Mrs. and I sneaked in a mini-vacation.

Outside of a little flatulence and turbulence, life is good.

Revoke Your Black License

I was instant messaging a co-worker of mine who resides in Richmond, VA. She's a football fan and we're talking NFL when the subject of other sports came up. I mentioned that I liked the NBA and NCAA basketball, but that I'd really enjoyed the NHL this past season.

There was a long pause in a response to my message and then she replied, "What?"

"NHL. Hockey. Football on ice", I replied.

Then I saw a series of "LOL's" all across my screen. She was laughing at me.

"How can a black man from the south enjoy hockey?"

"Uh, I just do. It's an exciting sport! And the presentation of the Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy presentation I've ever seen."

"That's it. I'm pulling your race card, Q. I'm going to revoke your black license."

Wow. A black man can't enjoy hockey? A person from the south isn't allowed to 'pimp the puck'? One day I decided to give hockey a chance back in '93 and I've followed the New Jersey Devils ever since (I picked them since my alma mater's mascot are Devils). Mix in the fact that we have a minor league hockey team in Biloxi and my interest grew even more.

In fact, The Mrs. and I (who was just a girlfriend at the time) attended Game 7 of the Kelly Cup and sat through double-OT (until 2 AM) until the Mississippi Seawolves hoisted the Cup after an awesome goal (I knew at that point that she was marriage material if she was willing to sit through four hours of hockey with me).

Well, needless to say, I didn't share the fact that I've attended a NASCAR race at Talledega on three separate occasions. My co-worker might have orchestrated a racial intervention at that point.

But, the bottom line is: I love sports. If there's a ball involved or someone being timed, I'll probably watch it. In fact, I think it's sad that some people consider some sports a "white" or "black" sport simply based on stereotypes.

Basketball and Track & Field have always been considered "black" sports, the PGA, NHL, Tennis and NASCAR have always been considered "white" sports.

Does that mean I'm not allowed to view a sport "outside of my race" without getting my "black license" revoked? Of course not.

People need to be more open-minded when it comes to sports, music and movies. Black people need to stop hating on every white rapper that comes along and white people need to put more black people in lead roles on prime time TV.

And so on and so on. Let's get past this crap already.

Why Am I Not Asleep?

It's 5:35 AM... Why am I not asleep? I'm sitting up watching a high school football game I DVR'd last Friday. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) is stomping Skyline (TX) 24-3.

They're playing at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. For those of you who have not seen this stadium on TV/in-person, it is the most impressive structure I've ever seen in my life. I went there for the NBA All-Star game in February and the experience blew me away. Being one of the 108,000+ people in that stadium and part of a world recording breaking attendance event was pretty cool, too.



First of all, as far as the game was concerned, I've never seen so many women at a sporting event. It's something about the NBA that attracts women. I saw seven women to every guy and they were dressed like they were on the Red Carpet.

As a friend and I made our way to the concession stand, we saw Theo Ratliff, an older player, but a player nonetheless, walking through with his 6'11" frame. On his right arm was a 6'4" blonde (at least she was in her heels). Every girl he passed was trying to make eye contact with him. They would bump him as he walked by and say "excuse me" as if it was unintentional. He wouldn't even look down to acknowledge them. I'm guessing that's why the blonde on his arm never appeared concerned about the on-lookers as she chatted away on her iPhone.

I just changed the channel to "The Soup" on E! For those who haven't seen it, it's basically a highlight show for reality TV bloopers and other funny clips. Right now they're showing a clip of Nancy Grace going off on some woman who's defending Paris Hilton's drug charge.

Paris claims that she thought the cocaine that was found in her purse was gum. Nancy is one angry southerner. She goes off on everyone she invites on her show.



Oh, man. I need some sleep. I just saw Jesse James and Kat Von D holding hands leaving a World War II museum. How ironic of her to be there after the controversy going on about her being a Nazi. The fact that I recognize both of these people is probably something in which I should be ashamed.



Wait. Kate Gosselin still has a show? How did that happen? Why is everyone so fascinated by freaks and headcases? I'm one of the rare few who can't do most reality shows. I think they're all scripted and the ones that aren't scripted have participants who are blatantly trying to make a name for themselves instead of acting natural.

And Lord knows I'm tired of always seeing the angry black woman on these shows. Isn't that played out? Sometimes I think reality shows are half of the reason white people are afraid of most black people.

Wow, Kathie Lee on the "Today Show" told Hoda that she wouldn't recognize a sex toy "if it slapped her in the face". LOL! (insert joke here)

It's 6:08 AM and I'm obviously delusional and ranting. Besides, any time you see Larry King singing Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", then you know it's time for bed.

Good night, all.

A blood Rush to the brain?

I have always considered Rush Limbaugh as more of a Howard Stern type than a political figure. A comedian. A beefier version of Jon Stewart or something.

But his latest spew really made me take notice. Here's Rush's quote:

"George Steinbrenner, that cracker was a great capitalist, and he made many African-Americans who worked for him millionaires, as a lot of capitalists do. But he also, as a good capitalist, knew when to die. There is no death tax. George Steinbrenner's family this year will not have to cough up 55% of what they inherit and perhaps lose the New York Yankees. "



Okay, first of all, George died less than 24 hours from your statement. Where is the respect for the dead? The man "knew when to die"?

Secondly, why did you target African-Americans when mentioning he made them rich? He made whites and Latinos rich, too, didn't he? Let's be real, this isn't the NBA. Major League Baseball is less than 11% black and I'm positive those blacks didn't all play for the Yankees. Rush went out of his way to not only talk about a dead man, but also single out a race of people (who currently have very little impact in baseball) as some sort of indication that they couldn't have gotten rich without Steinbrenner.

I'm all for free speech. Heck, that's why I have a freakin' blog in the first place. And I don't dislike Rush. I think he's an idiot, but I don't dislike him. He does what he has to do to make money.

I am concerned about the people who believe he speaks the gospel. They're the ones who scare me. The people who heard this statement on the radio and thought to themselves, "You go, Rush! Speak the truth"!

Conservative and Liberal media has fried our brains. We believe everything we see/hear on MSNBC or FOX News instead of making an educated decision on our own. People like Rush, Sarah Palin, Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews make their money by getting us to hate another group of people we know nothing about other than what we see/hear on TV/radio.

Wake up. Stop being a slave to the machine. Stop being fooled. Wait. No. Stop fooling yourself.