Scandalous!

"You wanna tweet me, don't you?"

I know that I may upset some of my followers on Facebook and Twitter, but "some things just need to be said."  I use Facebook and Twitter on a regular basis. Twitter more so than Facebook, but I check both of them multiple times per day. However, there is a time that I absolutely despise them both: when a popular television show is on.

(begin rant) 

I absolutely can't stand when people reveal plots from television shows as they air! In the age of DVR's, not everyone watches live TV. If you don't have a friend who will come over and watch the show with you, then don't go running to your 500 friends on Facebook and ruin their chance of enjoying a show!

The other night, the season finale of "Scandal" aired. As you can tell by the title, the show is full of suspense and controversy. The last thing you need before watching a show like this is someone on Facebook or Twitter giving you the play-by-play on what's happening!

Now, I won't embarrass any of my Twitter followers or Facebook friends by printing screenshots of my timelines.  I eventually had to close out of both pages because I could not risk the chance of seeing something that would ruin the suspense for me in the season finale.  I just wish that if they choose to tweet/post about a show that they use discretion and not reveal key components.  No tweets like, "I can't believe (insert character) just got killed" or "I knew (insert character) was the father of her child!"

Memo to people who use social networks as a TV companion: some people are at work, running errands or just like to save shows to watch on the weekends.  It would be appreciated if you DM'd or inboxed your friends rather than blab the entire show plot to the world.  Yes, I could just ignore Twitter and Facebook until I watch the show, but why should I be held hostage by a couch commentator?

I guess I'll be forced to learn more about creating Twitter groups so that I can isolate the tweets that I want to see and ignore the scandalous talk about every prime time show that matters to me.  I'm sorry if this hurts someone's feelings, but try considering someone else's feelings before you send that status update.  No one wants their evening plans to watch a show they love ruined by someone who resist the urge to tweet spoilers.

(end rant)

Flashback to Something Stupid

From the Facebook page of La-A

At least once a month, I'm going to flashback to previous posts for my new followers who may have missed out. A year ago today, I came across something that left me shaking my head. There are plenty of people who want to give their children unique names.

Now, back in my day, "Quincy" was pretty unique. I only met two others up until I reached college. It's nothing compared to the names people have for their kids today. I've heard "ESPN" (pronounced es-spen), twins named "Orangejello" (pronounced oron-jalo) and "Lemonjello" (la-mon-jalo) and even an urban legend about a girl named "La-a" (pronounced la-dash-ah).

Yeah, you read that last one correctly. So, when I came across this particular name last year, I exploded in laughter before starting to sympathize with the child. At some point of her life, I'm sure some of her classmates will pick on her. Here's the post from a year ago with that child's unusual name...

What's the strangest name for a child you've ever heard?

Psycho Dad, Part I

Most of the stories that I tell are humorous in nature. Well, I must unfortunately give the disclaimer that there's nothing humorous about this post other than maybe the title...

Okay, so here's the scenario: I'm mid-20's, living alone in my own home and I'm single. I had two female associates that I'd known since high school who were dying to see my new place. I figured I'd invite both of them over one Friday night and we'd have a belated house warming party. I had no idea that things would take a turn for the worse...

Mia and Rachel (pronounced ra-shell) arrive at my house around 9 PM. They parked near the street despite room in my driveway. I got ready to ask why they didn't park in the driveway, but since a car was passing by unimpeded, I thought nothing of their decision. My cousin, Jay, and I are playing a little music and having a few drinks by the time they'd arrived. Mia and I have a brief history. We never dated, but did share a kiss once when we were back in high school. We had discussions about me being "her first," but neither one of us seriously pursued that happening. I think she wanted me to take the lead on things, but I never did. I was actually interested in her friend, Rachel, who once gave me a chance to get to know her better a few years later, but I turned it down because she'd recently dated a friend of mine. Now that dude and I are no longer friends, I regret not at least trying.

Anyway, I invite them into my den and pass them something to drink. Both girls are now seniors in college and looking to blow off some steam. As they start dancing in the middle of the room, Jay and I are just sitting back and wondering if we're going to hit the club later that night. That's when I get a knock at my door. "You invite someone, Jay?" I ask.

"Nope," he said with a confused look, "I figured it would just be the four of us."

I walk to the door wondering if it's a neighbor or something although I knew my music wasn't that loud. I get to the door and see a 20-something, 5'9", skinny black dude with glasses. "Hey, can I help you?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm looking for my sister, Mia," he said.

"Okay, hold on," I say as I close the door and make him wait.

I know that Mia doesn't have a brother. Who is this dude? He has to be a boyfriend or something. As I return back to my den with a confused look, Mia and Rachel turn my direction. "Uh, Mia, your 'brother' is outside" I said.

Mia's face turned as white as a sheet. Rachel looked concerned, too. "Are you going out there?" Rachel asked.

Mia didn't say a word and slowly walked towards the door. "Who is it?" Jay asked me.

I paid him no mind as I walked over to the window to see the interaction between the two as she walked outside. They both walked to his car which was parked near the street. I immediately recognized the car as the same one driving slowly past my house when I invited the ladies inside. Rachel and Jay walk over to the window as well and that's when Rachel leaks the fact that Mia's so-called brother was actually her boyfriend.

I take an immediate sigh of relief that he wasn't the crazy type because he could have easily been upset with me thinking I was after his woman. Luckily, he didn't try anything stupid when I opened the door for him initially. So, as we sit there and watch, just as I started to get bored and think nothing of this boyfriend showing up, it happened...

Dude grabbed Mia by the back of the head and put his finger in her face. "Whoa," started Jay, "dude is getting a bit rowdy out there."

They were standing near the street, so we were unable to hear the conversation. Dude then smacked Mia with an open hand and knocked her down to the street. "Oh, snap!" I said with a stunned look on my face.

"Help her!" Rachel pleaded as she looked at me and Jay.

Jay and I looked at each other as if to ask "which one of us is going out there?"

Before I could respond with "call the police," dude walked back to his car and drove off. Mia gets up and comes back inside. "We need to go," she says to Rachel with tears in her eyes.

Rachel grabs their purses and the ladies both leave without saying a word.

Jay and I both have confused looks on our faces as the door closes behind them. Did we see that correctly? A guy assaults his girlfriend in front of my home and she just leaves? Where was she going? To the police?

I asked Jay if he was going to go out there to help her when Rachel asked. "Only if you were going out there, too," he replied. "I'm not trying to get shot over some BS."

"Yeah, I feel you on that," I started, "because I was just going to call the police. He could have had a weapon in his car."

Now, there's more to this story that I will share at a later date. This wasn't my last meeting with Pscyho Dad. I have to explain where he got his name from, right?

Let me just add that no man should ever put his hands on a woman (or a woman put hers on a man). A man hitting a woman is one of the most cowardly acts on the planet that comes to my mind. If you are unsatisfied with her or something that she did, then leave. It's just that simple, guys. You can't physically force a woman to conform to your wishes/demands... ever.

Part II



What would you have done to assist her without knowing if her boyfriend had a weapon or not in his car?