MY BOYS WON!!!

DALLAS COWBOYS SUCCESSFULLY END THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WINNING STREAK, AND IT FEELS WONDERFUL =] 24-17; DALLAS

a cool christmas gift...

This Christmas is definitely going to be one to remember. It is my first "white" Christmas, thanks to this "blizzard" that blanketed the east coast with snow. It is also going to be my nephew's first ever Christmas, so to see him "opening" up his gifts is going to be nothing short of hilarious. He will probably just try to put the gifts in his mouth, but I'm excited for him. There is one "worldly" thing that I wouldn't mind santa slipping under my tree. I would love to get a puppy for Christmas. I've never had a doggie, I have had pets though. I would particularly love a Bishon Frise. I've done my research and they do not shed much, so pet dander isn't going to be a problem (or so I hope). I did not want a really big dog either, so the size is perfect. How could Santa say no to something as cute as this?

protect and serve

The job description of police everywhere includes these 2 simple words: protect (and) serve. All too often do they do just the opposite. Remember Rodney King? Ronnie Hathaway? You know the schizophrenic 49-year old from Passiac, NJ. How about Marshawn Pitts, the 15-year old special needs student? Unfortunately all of these guys have something in common, they are all black and they are all the victims of unjustified severe police brutality.

Incidents as such are the reason why police departments across the nation cannot forge a working relationship with many communities, especially those densely populated with blacks. Thus, many murders go unsolved. People do not want to talk with police (uniformed or white collared) because they cannot trust them. How often do you see instances as such in affluent white communities? As if "crime" doesn't exist in those areas.

Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. said it best: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

what they don't want you to know about SWINE FLU (H1N1)

Media sensationalism has catapulted Swine Flu to the forefront of the national agenda. Many media reports urge the public to get the vaccine to reduce the chances of contracting the potentially deadly disease. Unfortunately mass media reports have not warned of the dangers of getting the vaccine.

One major danger of being vaccinated is a muscular degenerative disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or GBS. Fourteen-year old, Jordan McFarland, knows the devastating effects of the Swine Flu vaccine. He was diagnosed with GBS no later than a week after receiving the shot. Jordan reports that he is struggling to walk and needs the assistance of a wheel chair to get around. Prior to the vaccine he was an essentially healthy teen. Take a look at the video below.

my nerd moment, dont judge me!

Recently, I have been on a hiatus courtesy of Final Exams at my University (fun, right?). During the "studying" part of my exams, I read a WONDERFUL book, that my professor Dr. H. Hirsch decided to make part of our examination. The book is called "There's Nothing in the Middle of Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos," by Jim Hightower. The book deciphers the underworld of the American Political Arena. In the book, Hightower exposes the government for its faulty practices and for lack of better words "shitty policies." It (the book) is broken up into 5 chapters with subchapters within each to help better illustrate his points.

My favorite part of the book is the fourth chapter, "Pollution." This chapter is the vehicle Hightower uses to make sense of the hoopla surrounding the environment. A vast majority of the chapter is dedicated to agribusiness. There are so many instances that he points out that I was not aware of, which I accredit to naivete'. A good example of this is the "mad cow disease" outbreak in the United Kingdom. This "outbreak" was when many of the cattle supply in the UK had fallen ill to a disease called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, or commonly known as "mad cow disease."With this disease, cows suffer from degeneration of brain tissue and the spinal cord. The symptoms are not caught instantly but are prevalent as early as 4 years after being infected with BSE. Hightower points out HOW COWS GET INFECTED! Cows are naturally herbivores, but the government and those in charge of our beef supply have turned them into essentially carnivores, or CANNIBALS. By this cannibalism, I mean that the cows are fed themselves essentially, well other cows that have been sent to the chopper. When cows consume themselves this triggers the "protein" that causes BSE. If you are interested in the safety of cows, how about the safety of yourself? If you consume these tainted cow products (meat or milk) you can become infected with the human version of the mad cow disease, CJD, or Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which has some of the same symptoms. These symptoms include degeneration of BRAIN TISSUE and the SPINAL CORD. This disease, CJD, has been linked to other dementia disease such as Alzheimer's Disease, hmm? Perhaps that is why we all know someone either diagnosed with the disease or caring for someone who has been diagnosed with the disease.

With that being said, this is definitely a good read. It is extremely informative. I just can't wait until Jim Hightower runs for president, where do I get a ballot? (not that i disapprove of the current president of those of the past)

world AIDS day

I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but in the words of our great president "It's Time for a Change." Today is World AIDS Day! Which means it is time to dispel some common myths.

1. Is HIV and AIDS the same thing?

-No. When someone is said to be living with HIV, that simply means that they have the virus within their body. When someone is said to be living with AIDS, that means their immune system is so weak that it cannot fight off diseases that it could normally.

2. You cannot spread HIV/AIDS or any STDs through oral sex.

-WRONG! Contact with sexual body parts can be a breeding ground for STDs.

3. There is a cure for HIV.

-No. However, there is treatment that could control the virus. The earlier the virus is diagnosed, the higher probability for a longer, healthier life.

4. You can spot someone with HIV, simply by looking at them.

-DEAD WRONG. There is no "HIV Look," in fact people with HIV generally look healthy

rumor has it...

So rumor has it that Oprah Winfrey will be canceling her day time talk show. I mean I know its a recession, but it cant possibly be affecting the Queen of Day Time, or could it?

The Oprah Show is (well was) the highest rated syndicated talk show in American television history. THAT'S HUGE! The television show has been running for over 23 years, which happens to be longer than my entire life. The original show aired on September 8, 1986. Since then there has been over 3000 episodes. The talk show is viewed by 20 million viewers weekly, and is also broadcasted in over 100 countries worldwide.

Oprah is without a doubt one of my idols. She has stared adversity in the face and is even stronger because of it. She is a living testament to the American Dream. Only in American can an impoverished little black girl become a powerfully strong black woman. I admire Oprah, not only for her success but for the mere fact that through it all she has remained humble and gives back to nearly every community. I can only dream of attaining some of her success.

In the words of Swizz Beats "I'm tryna get that Oprah"

gut wrenching...

This is such a heartbreaking story. I learned of this particular story while on Yahoo! today. The story comes out of Georgia Army base. A single-soldier-mom refused deployment and was subsequently jailed by military police. She was jailed because she skipped her flight to Afghanistan. Her reasoning: no relative or close friend could take custody of her son while away for at least 15 months. The father of the child is ABSENT (like many young fathers in America). Her mother (the grandmother of the baby) promised to take care of her grandson while she was away, however she is overwhelmed with taking care of her dying mother, special needs daughter, and her ailing sister.

Military officials suggest that they do not allow single parents to deploy without a plan of action in place for their children. Unfortunately, her plan of action fell through. Initially some military personnel suggested that she go ahead and ship out to Afghanistan while her child be placed in foster care. Of course, the young mother declined because she does not want to abandon her child.

This is a tough situation to be placed in. When in the military there is a Fog of War, or chain of command, which means you have the duty and obligation to do whatever you are told by a "higher up." One side of the argument is that she has made a commitment, which needs to be filled. The otherside of the arguement is that she should not be seperated from her infant son because he could suffer pshycologically.

If it were another issue, for example, paralysis, there would be no question that the commitment to serve and protect the country could be broken. Unfortunately, she is going to have to make a case for herself because she is a female in a male dominated industry. Lets face it, most men don't have to worry about where his child will be while he is deployed.

To read more on this story click here

monday madness part deux

Last night, I was watching bits and pieces of the Larry King Live show. The guest on the show was former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin. The topics covered on the show ranged from being a mom, to her future in the political arena. Larry King invited some of her supporters on the show. Among the supporters were a close ally to Palin, Kristan Cole. Cole was quoted saying "I want our country back."

That statement was puzzling to me. What do you mean "your country?" Maybe she hasn't heard the song with the tune "this land is my land, this land is your land, from California..." Seems as if there are some underlying inuendo she was suggesting.

I may be totally off target. Maybe she meant the Republicans want control of government back. Maybe she meant conservatives want control of the government back. If that were the case, perhaps she should have specified that. Sarah Palin needs to rethink who she appoints as her spokesperson, but then again it is Sarah Palin.

Would you really want her (Palin) to be running your country? Think about it, she quit the governorship of Alaska, what makes you think she wouldn't quit the Presidency if elected? Nonetheless, she has supporters, who might be supporting the candidate and not her qualifications. But, hey what do I know, I'm just a undergrad student?

monday madness part l'un

American movies are often released internationally, "Couple's Retreat" is no different. Or is it? The movie chronicles FOUR couples trip on a relationship retreat. The main headliner of the film is Vince Vaughn, so of course he would appear on all promotional media and products. But what about the co-stars? Well promotional posters in the United States include ALL FOUR couples, but the UK version, leaves out ONE particular couple. The black couple. Truth be told, the film's target market might not know the two black co-stars as well as the A-list Hollywood actors, but is it blatant racism?

Some have offered their opinions on the situation. James Ulmer believes that "the international marketplace is still fairly racist." Even if that is the case, is that acceptable? Universal, obviously does not believe so, although they allowed it to occur. The entertainment group issued a statement that regretted any offense the poster could or would have caused. They also say that the altered posters will not be used and have subsequently been removed.

My Opinion: There is no doubt that the posters are "suggestively" racist. The blacks were "good enough" to be include in the film, but should not reap the publicity benefits that the non-blacks could potentially receive. As far as the international marketplace being racist, I just have a hard time accepting that as an excuse. It is 2009, there are IGOs that exist such as the United Nations, that unite all people of the world. In many modernized countries especially in Western Europe, there are blacks, whites, and asians all living within the same borders. Do incidents as such suggest to minority groups that they should assume a subservient role? Do incidents as such suggest that white supremacy still lives throughout the world?

impromptu.

man life has been going so great now. I genuinely cannot complain right about now. Everything seems to be falling into place as far as school, work, and family life goes. I know there will be more great things in store for me if I simply FOLLOW MY GUT feelings. Therefore, the soundtrack of my day is....WALKING ON SUNSHINE, better illustrated in the picture =]

Creepy Nights...YIKES!

So this kid is nothing short of amazing. Well without further ado, his name is Damey (Dame). He is EXTREMELY talented, and HELLA humble. Luckily, I get to listen to his music. He is a member of the 4 man band, The Diligentz (yes, the ones I blogged about earlier...so. what? bite me.) that hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. I was fortunate enough to hear one of his latest tracks, titled "Creepy Nights" produced by (the other amazing kid i blogged about) SU!.

My First Gray Hair...at 19!?!

So yesterday, November 13th I had the worst scare thus far! My (only) nephew appeared to be having some breathing problems while he was in my care. I know he wasn't feeling too well. Normally he is HYPERactive, giggling, testing his vocal cords, typical 6-month old stuff, but yesterday he just wasn't being himself. Which lead me and his parents to taking him to the emergency room. After performing an array of tests everything seemed to check out. Luckily he was discharged from the hospital. We all were concerned that he might have asthma, or worse SWINE FLU! I'm just thankful my lil "juice-man" is healthy and back to his normal self. Maybe he was acting strange because he was sick of me playing dress up with him? What you think?

this week in pictures

the rebirth.

Lil Wayne is at it again. He is releasing another album this winter. "The Rebirth" is slated to hit music stores his December 15th. Unfortunately, his record label Young Money, has not released a tracklist, after all good things come to those who wait.