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I AM...

I am whatever YOU think I am until YOU get to KNOW me. This is true for everyone else too, of course.. so don't make assumptions about anyone or pass judgment; ask questions. You might just make a new friend.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

SHE IS THE OLD NEW ME...

Over time I’ve learned that when someone I care about hurts me, I can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge OR embrace forgiveness and move forward. But this blog entry isn’t about me, it is about my now 18 year old cousin who I now has been living in her own private hell…You see she lives with my mother and aunt who doesn’t treat her with the respect you’d give to another human being. You see my aunt is this bible wielding woman of god who has NO problems in letting you that you are going to hell. I took that abuse for years until I found the strength to stand up to her and let her know that I don’t give a F&CK about her bible AND her beliefs…When I look back, I realized that I took her shit because I was taught to ALWAYS respect your elders…all the name callings, accusations AND hatred came to an abrupt end when she took it upon herself to wish that I get HIV/AIDS for being GAY. @ That moment the man that I was up to that point DIED and I was reborn…

My cousin is pretty dead in need of her own rebirth…I fear that @ this very moment, she is being attacked verbally and being called all the slut AND whore in the world because they can’t see how they have somehow helped to make her that way…I know how hurt she feel because coming to a point in your life when you realize that your family can be wrong and they don’t have all the answers is scary for a young person. They have wounded her and now she has cast her net outward looking for LOVE in all the wrong places. Whenever I see her, I see the feelings of anger, bitterness AND even vengeance that these wounds have left her with. She recently came out of the hospital and she told me that she wish she would have died because she can’t take things the way they are anymore. For a long time I’ve kept my distance because I felt that she just need space and if we didn’t want to loose her completely, we should let her go, so we could get her back…

I can only HOPE that innate awkwardness to being human has taken her so far down the road that she can’t come back from the hurt AND pain…And though she has asked for my help, I fear that with every ounce of HATRED that is cast her way, she is has become FIRMLY rooted in insecurity. Moreover, when that is added with the fact that mom and aunt don’t know how to show REAL LOVE, the inadequacy, isolation, fear AND hopelessness will send you to a place that has NO return date…I fear that EVERY breathe that she takes is plagued by what her they think about her AND that causes her to further robbed herself of HER personal power which renders her unable to feel positive about her life…

I MUST ADMIT THAT I FIND IT A BIT DIFFICULT TO WALK WITH HER BECAUSE I KNOW SHE WOULD REMIND OF THE WOUNDS I STILL CARRY WITH ME TO THIS DAY…& THOUGH I DON’T HATE ANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS, I STILL KEEP MY DISTANCE…IT TOOK A WHILE FOR ME ACCEPT MYSELF WARTS N’ ALL, BUT ONCE I DID THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK FOR ME! NOW I MUST HELP HER TO THE SAME FOR HERSELF…WHO KNOWS MAYBE SHE CAN BECOME THAT TEACHER SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE…MAYBE I CAN STEP IN & SAVE HER THAT SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD KNOW THAT WOULD BRING HIV/AIDS INTO HER LIFE…ALL I KNOW IS THAT BEING SEEN AS THE WORST THING BY MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY IS THE HARDEST THING ANOTHER PERSON TO DEAL WITH, ESPECIALLY A YOUNG FEMALE THAT IS LOST & DOESN’T SEE THE LIGHT @ THE END OF THE TUNNEL…

Monday, June 29, 2009

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 2, EPISODE 3 – SCRATCHES




                   This week's True Blood picked up exactly where last week's left off:



SOOKIE, BILL & JESSICA – Sookie, Bill, and Jessica in car, squabbling. Bill informed Sookie that Jessica is a loaded gun, not a doll for her to dress up and play with, which does not sit well with the headstrong Sookie at all. So in True Blood fashion Sookie bolts from the car into the woods. Jessica helpfully informs Bill that Sookie wants him to go after her and kiss her, but Bill is stubborn so he sits in the car and stews.
 
Sure enough, there is rustling in the bushes and some heavy breathing that belongs to — what exactly? Off in the distance, we see a backlit creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, with the exception of giant, gnarled hands that end in pointed talons. The beast catches up to Sookie and takes a violent swipe across her back. She collapses.
 
Bill does the vampire 50-yard dash and locates Sookie, but it's too late: She's paralyzed, and drinking Bill's blood only worsens the situation, and she starts foaming at the mouth.

He brings her to Fangtasia, where Eric has contracted the services of the surly, diminutive Dr. Ludwig (guest star Marcia de Rousse), whose matter-of-fact (OK, rude) bedside manner is the perfect tonic for such a tense scene. Didn’t you just LOVE Dr. Ludwig and her grumpy ministrations as she worked her magic on Sookie? As I was watching the episode I thought was kinda boring, but now that I think about it…it was a winner after all…
 
The deep, jagged cuts in Sookie's back look really painful, and the doctor is fingering them like she's playing Operation. The doctor explains that Sookie has been poisoned, and the toxins are similar to those of a Komodo dragon, whose mouth is teeming with bacteria; its bite slowly paralyzes and kills its victim.
 
Bill and Eric are stumped about the creature, so Eric dispatches Pam and Chow to search the woods. "He can do it; I'm wearing my favorite pumps," Pam sniffs. But Eric commands her, and her cute exit pout endears her to me.
 
The doctor pours a liquid over Sookie's wounds and though it is really gross, it does the trick; she's now able to accept vampire blood to strengthen her. Eric is all: No sweat, I'll do it, but Bill is like: As if, Sookie is mine, so she feeds from his wrist yet again.
 
Pam and Chow return with the news that the beast's tracks were human, but its smell was distinctly animal. You don't say! Plus: Pam's pumps are ruined, and she is none too happy about it.
 
Sookie wakes up at Fangtasia and it's daylight. Her scratches are totally gone, and Ginger has made her a peanut butter-and-chocolate syrup sandwich. Sookie reads her thoughts and finds out Lafayette is in the basement and that there's a gun under the cash register. Sookie grabs the gun, prompting one of those hilarious, awesome screams from Ginger that screams shoot me.
 
In the dungeon, an incoherent Lafayette mumbles something about being a vampire as Sookie promises that she's going to get him out of there. Sookie tattles to Bill, slaps Eric and threatens to go to police. "I do not respond well to threats, but perhaps we can come to some arrangement," Eric says. Always the negotiator! Eric wants Sookie and Bill to go to Texas to search for the missing vampire in exchange for Lafayette's freedom. They barter on a fee: all expenses paid and $10,000. In exchange, Eric frees Lafayette. On his way out the door, Eric and Lafayette have an eye-contact moment. "Perhaps I'll see you around," Eric says, and Lafayette's thought bubble is all: Bitch, please!
 
This was TOTALLY a Sookie-centric episode, wasn't it? She may have been down and out in the beginning but mid way through she was her typical self.
 
But, but: best exchange of the night: Eric to Sookie, "Perhaps I will grow on you." Sookie to Eric, "I'd prefer cancer."
 
JESUS CAMP – Meanwhile, Jason got a revealing earful from Light of Day boss Steve: "Hate is good" when it comes to vampires, he asserted. But that didn’t stop Eddie the really-dead gay vampire from appearing to Jason in bed seeking some cuddle time, which is interesting on many levels. Just as Jason regains his orientation, Eddie leans in for some sugar, but instead lunges at him and bites him on the neck. Ouch! But... it was just a nightmare, an unconscious metaphor for his inner conflict about vampires…you think?
 
The next day, Sarah is running a support group at which a girl who has been ravaged by a vampire is telling her story. She thought he cared about her, but she was just his "living, breathing snack machine." Ha! Good writing. Sarah encourages Jason to share his story, but he's reluctant. But Sarah plays the honesty-ring card. He goes the brave route and tells the group that he likes Bill, tells them about Amy and Eddie, and confesses that, before Amy staked him, he thought he was a nice person. "He wasn't a person, Jason," Sarah says. Jason gets in a defensive huff, and tells her that Rene killed all these people he loved, and he was a person. He barges out of the meeting, and Sarah follows.
 
She tells him that she and her sister, Amber, once marched for vampire rights. That is, until Amber became addicted to V and disappeared. She's convinced she's dead. Think about it, Jason, she says, "if his kind never existed, then the people you love would still be alive." It's warped logic, but it doesn't take much to convince Humpty Jason. "Everything down to their very blood is seductive," she emphasizes, which is pretty ironic considering the degree to which she's so obviously sweating Mr. Stackhouse. Instead of making out, though, they do the more appropriate thing: They kneel together and pray. It might not be tonsil hockey, but it's still a very intimate moment.
 
The Newlins invite Jason for dinner, and clearly they have something up their sleeve. "Hating evil is really loving good," the good Rev. tells Jason. Ryan Kwanten does "perplexed" really well, and it's clear to see how their confusing rhetoric is, first of all, well-written and secondly, effective. "They're baby killers; that's what they're capable of," he continues. "It's a war, and we all have to choose sides." Does any of these talking points sound familiar? While True Blood prides itself on smart, silly satire, these Fellowship of the Sun scenes are really elevating the game, in my opinion. And who better to brainwash than Jason?
 
"Sarah's pudding is a little slice of heaven," says the Rev., without even a hint at how dirty that sounds — that is, to a dirty old man like me. "I'm going to get the whipped cream," she adds. (I just bet you will, you saucy minx.) "Sarah doesn't just whip out her pudding for anybody," the Rev. tells Jason. (Nods head)
 
LAFAYETTE, SOOKIE & BILL – Lafayette tells Sookie and Bill that he's going to get stitched up by his uncle, who's a vet. He says he's going to tell people he spent the last few weeks "at Club Med drinking a margarita and getting my chest waxed," which Bill thinks would be wise. He's clearly not doing well, and a final shot shows him stumbling into his living room and under a blanket.
 
On the way home, Sookie has a conversation with herself in which it barely matters that Bill is there. After seeing "the barbarousness [vampires] call 'justice,'" she is reconsidering her open-mindedness about vampires. Bill is like: Hello? Eric just saved your life. Also: Hello? I'm a vampire. Sookie counters by saying that knows that there is both goodness and darkness in Bill, and it scares her. These two need a good couples' therapist, amirite?
 
 
@ MARYANN'S – "Perhaps a little more juniper," Maryann says to Karl of his bubbling, blood-red stew/punch/potion/who the hell knows? "Karl knows that if he wants to find fulfillment in life, he needs to be of service," Maryann tells Tara when she says she's not used to having someone wait on her. "So everything he does is really a selfish act." Including getting slapped around by Maryann every now and then?
 
Why does Sam hate you? Tara asks, as Maryann rolls a gigantic joint. "A little technique I picked up in Ibiza," she says with flawless Castillian pronunciation. Who the hell is this woman? Anyhow, Maryann lies and says she barely knows him, but guesses that he's just jealous because Tara has moved on with her life.
 
Then we get to the party. We already know — courtesy last week's impromptu dance party at Merlotte's — that Maryann knows how to get things going, to call this gathering off the hook is an understatement. As everyone partakes in a spirited dancing that quickly devolves into an orgy.
 
Andy is there because there's been a noise complaint about the orgy. Walking around the grounds, he spies a giant pig residing in a playhouse in the backyard. He asks Maryann if she has a livestock permit for the pig. And she's all: What pig? Because it has totally disappeared. Anyone have a theory?
 
Tara and Eggs are just getting comfortable in the hot tub when a lovely, though nekkid lady joins them and offers to give Eggs a massage, which he accepts. (Guys, a massage is never just a massage!). Soon we noticed that everyone's pupils have enlarged to the point where there isn't any white showing at all. It's a vivid image, with its obvious allusion to drug use.
 
Tara storms off, telling Eggs that maybe they're not right for each other if this is his "scene." It raises a question: Is Eggs in on Maryann's master plan... or is he, like Tara, just another pawn in her game? Discuss.
 
@ COMPTON MANOR – Jessica wakes up and nobody is home. She's bored and wants to go out, so she gets all dolled up (literally, her 'do is straight out of the American Girl playbook) and heads out to Merlotte's, where she finds aw-shucks Hoyt sitting alone in a booth. As the deliciously sticky "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground plays in the background, Jessica stares at Hoyt's meaty neck. He thinks she's flirting, so he joins her.
 
"I could stare at that all day long," he says, and offers to buy her dinner. Specifically, he recommends the chicken-friend steak, which he says is "like a chicken and a steak got together and had a baby — a crispy, delicious baby." Ha!
 
Instead, she asks for a TruBlood — B-positive, and there's a moment where his shock and her vulnerability at revealing that she's a vampire create this amazing moment of silence where you're really unsure about what happens next. "Awesome," says Hoyt. Jessica licks her lips. So it's back to Compton Manor for a little neckin' — no, not like that. They commiserate about their living situations. "My momma keeps her doll collection in my closet," Hoyt reports.
 
They decide to play Wii, but quickly it's another "wee" that gets some attention. They start making out, and Jessica's fangs involuntarily spring to action. "So embarrassing," she says, as she holds her hands over her mouth. "I'd die if I wasn't already dead." Heh. Since Hoyt is, like, the nicest guy ever, he doesn't care. He likes her, but he thinks they should wait before they do anything else. "I've waited too long already," Jessica replies, and jumps him. It's unclear what Jessica's plan was at this point, but we don't find out because Bill and Sookie come home and forceably break up the party. Jessica is so grounded!
 
@ MERLOTTE'S – Terry meets up with Sam, who's tells him that he's going to be taking a trip to "not sure yet" (beautiful this time of year!) and needs Terry to take care of the bar for him. He reluctantly agrees, but not before getting inappropriately angry and calling him a coward. I've said this before, but I think our friend Terry knows things, so I wonder if Sam heading for the hills means more danger is on the way.
 
Before Sam leaves, he calls Tara and leaves her a message telling her to "keep her eyes open." He looks at the pictures of the Merlotte's staff over the bar and has a moment, and then he's off.
In the parking lot, he sees his canine buddy, and agrees to one last run before he leaves.
 
They run all the way to the swimming hole, where Sam (as a collie) dives in, turning back into human form, but his friend doesn't follow. Instead, Daphne is there rather suddenly, and she's in the mood for a skinny-dip as well. As she disrobes, we see scars on her back identical to those we saw on Sookie earlier.

The brilliant outro is the chunky, funky "Scratches" by Debbie Davies, a bluesy riff perfectly suited for True Blood's Bayou shenanigans.
 

What did you think of "Scratches"? Who or what is attacking people? What do the Newlins have in store for Jason? What is Maryann's master plan? Which couple is cuter: Jessica and Hoyt or Sam and Daphne? And is Lafayette on his way to becoming a vampire?


Sunday, June 28, 2009

TITHES & OFFERINGS (0 * 10% = ?)




Whether we want acknowledge it or not, religions are controlling structures designed to dominate free will. They’re power structures that aim to convince you to give away your power for the benefit of those who enjoy dominating people. When you subscribe to a religion, you enroll in a mindless minion training program that doesn’t market themselves as such, but this is essentially how they operate…Religions are very effective at turning human beings into sheep and the flock is lead by a man who seeks to LIVEHE gradually convinces his followers to put their trust into some external entity, such as a deity, prominent figure, or a great book. Simply by convincing you to give your power away to something outside yourself, HE will condition you to be weaker, more docile, and easier to control. Such a serious waste of time AND not to mention money…I say all this because the other day I paid my mom a visit and I left feeling confused over her actions when it comes to her church going. You see my mother hasn’t worked for almost 10 years, there is NOTHING wrong with her, she just doesn’t seem interested…However, she and my aunt find money to give to their pastor on a daily bases. They would go without food or basic necessities as long as pastor and his church are fine…And since I’ve been without a job for the last 5 months the phone AND cable got turned off because they can’t seem to NOT donate whatever funds they get their hands on to the expansion of facilitating the enslavement of their fellow humans. When I feel the urge to donate money, I give it to a real and honorable cause, not a fabricated one. Instead both her and my aunt make sure they give their 10% + despite the fact that neither one of them has worked for @ least 10 years. I find it interesting that they don’t see that they are pretty much funding a freeloader who mooches off them while providing little OR no value in return. I guess he deserves their money because after spouting out gibberish like anointing them, proclaiming their womanhood, casting out demons, pronouncing their transgressions forgiven and so on…He doesn’t have to think that hard to sway them because these are the same people that felt that I had a GAYHow can people so blindly fund evil by throwing money they don’t have into a collection plate every Sunday? F&CK! Methinks God should raise his standards… just a tad if he is indeed getting his funds through churches…My mother and aunt’s pastor has a HUGE ass house with guards that chauffer him, women that cook his meals AND so many other fortunate souls who take care of his house and other needs…He is sitting on top of the world and I would worship him and give him my money because only could send such a man to save us from our sins and rob us blind…right?           I know I do NOT consider this sort of organization a good cause worthy of your hard-earned cash because it fills your head with so much nonsense that your only recourse is to bow your head in submission and empty your pockets. I guess they are getting used to spending a lot of time on their knees because submission is how we get treats in life…Now let the church say, YES MASTER!…I mean pastor…same difference right? while he is alive…You see demon of my very own…I FIND IT SO AMAZING HOW CHURCHES MISLEAD THEIR FLOCK INTENTIONALLY. HOW CAN ANYONE NOT SEE HOW DANGEROUS THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE WHEN THEY ARE TAKING FROM PERSONS THAT DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO GIVE? WHEN THEIR LOGICAL MINDS ARE OVERWHELMED BY CONTRADICTORY BELIEFS BECAUSE THEIR MIND DISENGAGES AS THEY CAN’T FIND A PATTERN OF CORE TRUTH AMONG THE NONSENSE, IS ANY WONDER THEY DEVOLVE INTO A MORE PRIMITIVE MODE OF THINKING? I MEAN THEY ARE TAUGHT THAT THIS FAITH-BASED APPROACH IS A MORE SPIRITUAL & CONSCIOUS WAY TO LIVE…TALK ABOUT IRONY…BECAUSE WHEN A MAN GETS YOU TO DISTRUST YOUR MIND SO HE CAN MANIPULATE & CONTROL YOU, HOW CAN HE NOT BE RIGHT? I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT KARL MARX WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID, “RELIGION IS THE OPIATE OF THE PEOPLE,” BECAUSE I HAVE MY MOM & AUNT AS LIVING PROOF…


Saturday, June 27, 2009

CHILDHOOD (THEME FROM FREE WILLY 2)





CHILDHOOD, the corresponding B-side, is a biographical song written and composed by Michael Jackson solely. The theme of the track centers around his difficult childhood experiences. It would become the main theme song for Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, continuing his association with the Free Willy series. The track appeared on several compilation albums, but was met with a mixed reception amongst critics. The song's music video, which had little in common with the supporting film, has been critically praised. GIVEN THAT MICHAEL JUST PASSED, I SAW AN INTERVIEW ON TV WHERE HE SAID THAT IF ANYONE WANTED TO KNOW WHO HE WAS, THEY SHOULD JUST LISTEN TO THIS SONG…

Thursday, June 25, 2009

REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON...




Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).


In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.


Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer has experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.


One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.


After being taken to the hospital in a coma, Jackson was reportedly pronounced dead on June 25, 2009.










Wednesday, June 24, 2009

CHANGE...





“CHANGING THE FACE” CAN CHANGE NOTHING.
BUT “FACING THE CHANGE” CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING.
DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHERS;
CHANGE YOURSELF IF YOU WANT PEACE…


Tuesday, June 23, 2009

JUS' A TASTE...




I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU WOULD THINK IT IS GROSS, BUT I HAVE TO ASK HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TASTED THE SWEET NECTAR THAT YOU POSSESS? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF FINDING JUST HOW SWEET YOU ARE?


Monday, June 22, 2009

TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 – KEEP THIS PARTY GOING


The second episode of True Blood was even better than the second-season premiere last week. The series has found a wonderful tone of humor mixed with suspense, with a dollop of eroticism (that is, when it isn't ladling on big spoonfuls of eroticism). I'm thinking of short but potent scenes last night such as Bill and Eric in the department store, and the way the saleswoman is turned on by Bill -- vampires are irresistible. And the bigger, more important scene later on, when Maryann casts a spell over everyone in the restaurant and they all start wiggling sensuously.


The subplot I loathe the most is Jason's time at the Light of Day leadership conference, where he's charming both leaders, Steve and Sarah (Jason + Sarah = it's just a matter of time, isn't it?). That silver "honesty ring" is going to come into play in a pretty dramatic way, I'm guessing. True Blood is avoiding cheap shots about evangelical Christianity in favor of a more nuanced exploration of the way people want to find and follow leaders, whether they're charismatic spiritual instructors or powerful otherworldly creatures like Bill or Eric.


Last season, Lafayette swanned in and out of scenes with a devil-may-care attitude; now, he's in league with the devil... or whatever it is Eric represents in his infinite cruelty. Lafayette’s impassioned plea for Eric to spare his life (sort of, because turning into a vampire would technically make him dead) was 100 percent true -- Lafayette's powerful, convincing, and damn sexy, all characteristics Eric prides himself on. Lafayette's survival has already strayed far from the books, and turning him into a vampire would add a fascinating layer to the story.


With Sookie and Bill helping Jessica acclimate to her new vampire life, Jason integrating himself into the Fellowship of the Sun, Tara continuing to delude herself into thinking the mysterious Maryann is helping her out of the goodness of her heart, and Lafayette begging for his life, the season's off to a much faster start than last year's slow-building mystery. Last week, Sookie forgave Bill for turning Jessica into a vampire. This week, Sookie struggled with her feelings of guilt about the whole situation (Jessica's creation being a punishment for Bill defending Sookie's honor, after all), and tried to get Bill to treat the new vampire with a little more sensitivity. Sookie asked Bill, ''Parts of your former self are still in there, right? I wouldn't be with you if they weren't.'' Bill's response was brusque and blunt: ''When a vampire is as new as Jessica is, she has no humanity.'' Still, Sookie was suckered into taking Jessica to visit her family, which culminated in a fang-bearing standoff at Jessica's parents' house (more on that next week).


Maryann is still creepy, we still don't know where she came from, and we still don't know what the crap is up with her. We do know that she's back to screw with Sam for some reason, and that she uses sex to her advantage (seducing a young Sam in a flashback we saw last week, hypnotizing the customers at Merlotte's into all but boning each other on the dance floor). And poor Tara is still under the impression that Maryann is helping her out just for funsies.


I don't understand why Tara's been so implicitly trusting of Maryann from the get-go. Her character has always been so cynical about everything that it seems completely out of character for her to just accept Maryann's help. So when she told Sookie, ''Something inside me says 'this is weird Tara, don't trust it,''' I was glad we finally heard her voice of reason. Here's hoping she listens to her instincts.


As a final note, I hereby move that TRUE BLOOD instate a Shirtless Law upon the men this season…What did you think of last night's TRUE BLOOD?



TRUE BLOOD: SEASON 2, EPISODE 1 – NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD


In the second-season premiere of TRUE BLOOD, we pick up right where we left off, in the parking lot of Merlotte's where there's a dead body with painted toenails in Andy's car. We find out who it is, and what that discovery means for Lafayette's future on the show. Bill and Sookie squabble like old marrieds, except now they can also squabble with their surrogate teen daughter, Jessica. We learn how Sam and Maryann know each other, and why the heck Jason is joining an anti-vampire church. Read on to see how it all unfolded...


1. BACK ON THE BAYOU – "Please tell me it's not Lafayette," Tara says, as Andy, Sookie, Sam and Tara lean over the painted toenails hanging out of Andy's car, and it's clear that no time at all has elapsed since the cliff-hanger scene in the finale. But it's not Lafayette (phew!); it's obviously a woman, and someone has gone to the trouble of removing her heart. Ick. But who is it? Yikes! It's Miss Jeannette, the defrauded exorcist, and her facial rictus is harrowing, implying that she was still alive during the extraction. (Cue another scream from Tara.)
2. PSYCHO KILLER – In the immediate aftermath of the discovery of Miss Jeannette's body, Tara tells the cops that she doesn't know her. Sookie, who's in shock and thus can't suppress her psychic abilities, hears Tara's thoughts and realizes she knows the victim, and prompts her to 'fess up.Sheriff Bud tells Andy to go home, since he's overworked and drunk. "I... am not... overworked," Andy protests. Heh.


  • The cops bring Tara in for questioning about the murder of Miss Jeannette (aka Nancy LeGuare). Andy thinks Tara is somehow involved, and plays bad cop on her. It's a hilarious freak-out, and much props go to Chris Bauer for finding just the right combination of Southern stereotypes from In the Heat of the Night, Cops and Sling Blade for his vision of Andy Bellefleur. At any rate, Bud has had enough of Andy's badge-flashing bravado, and dismisses him from the case, seeing as he's both a material witness and a potential suspect.

  • "Mm-mm-mm," says lady-cop Kenya (Tanya Wright), shaking her head in disgust as Andy leaves, hangdog in full effect. This made me realize that the old adage is true: There are no small roles, only small actors. 

  • Tara's mom barges in, and her first concern is, disturbingly, for Miss Jeannette and not Tara. But she has her reasons. Once she finds out that her exorcism may have been a fraud, she asks desperately, "I'm all right now, ain't I?" 

  • Outside the station, Tara tries to make amends with her mom, but to no avail. Why is she so mean to her? It makes me crazy. Just in time, Maryann arrives and gives Tara the big hug she clearly needs. Maryann introduces herself to Tara's mom, and says with a sly grin: "I've heard all about you. What a unique pleasure this is. I always wondered what it would be like to gaze in the eyes of someone so devoid of human compassion that she'd abandon her own child when she needed you most." Burn! She goes on to say that, for someone like Ms. Thornton, there's always someone to blame or credit, "whether it's Jesus or gin." Hey, leave gin out of it! 

  • Back at Maryann's Home for Wayward Cajun Youth, Tara and Eggs are marveling at their hostess' endless supply of tropical fruits and pot. Maryann joins them by the pool and describes the images in a nearby mural. (Pay attention.) It's the god Pan and his human lover. "Who is she?" Tara asks. "She could be any of us, couldn't she?" Maryann replies. Yes, she could! 

  • Maryann leaves the young lovers to lounge, and just when it seems they might enjoy some poolside petting, Carl, the butler, interrupts to bring them some towels. With that, the lovers' spell is broken, and Tara leaves to get ready for work. Inside, Maryann slaps Carl: "Nobody needed towels," she snaps. What a mean Cupid she is! It's clear that Maryann wants very much for Tara and Eggs to make a love connection, but why?

3. AMAZING GRACE – I wish I knew what Ryan Kwanten was like when he isn't acting because I suspect it will confirm that he is a fantastic actor. First up, the dude's Australian! I know, right? Secondly, it takes a smart actor to play dumb convincingly. (Just ask "actor" Mark Wahlberg.)
  • Hey guys, guess what? Jason can read! He's doing a little shirtless bedtime perusing of Children of the Light by the Rev. Theodore Newlin, the assassinated founder of the anti-vampire church called The Fellowship of the Sun. A few passages resonate with Jason, and he mourns the loss of his beloved hippie-chick Amy, whose anti-vampire activities, according to Newlin, make her "a child of God."

  • It's easy to watch True Blood and think that it takes place in some alternate reality, which is why I really like those moments that place all this vampire mishegas within a recognizable present-day reality. You see, the Rev. Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian), Theodore's son and the heir to the Fellowship legacy, and Nan Flanagan (Judging Amy's Jessica Tuck), a representative of the American Vampire League, are debating on a cable news program. Their exchange is snappy, and the accusations fly. Vampires killed the senior Rev. Newlin; Fellowship followers killed the vampires in the Louisiana fire. Also: I love that Nan Flanagan, rather than looking like some slutty, fanged she-beast, is attractive, conservatively attired and intellectually precise. 

  • "You could be governor of Texas if you play your cards right," Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp) says cheerily to her husband after his television appearance. Heh. Sarah is an awesomely constructed, candy-colored preacher's wife who comes to the fore in later episodes, so I'll hold off on my take on her for now. Jason's jailhouse savior Orry Dawson is there to introduce Jason to the Newlins. Dawson says he thinks Jason has potential, and should attend the church's Light of Day Institute, a leadership conference in Texas. One catch: It costs $1,200 plus class fees, which Jason doesn't have. Sarah advises him to pray on it. "God will give you a sign," she advises, with just a touch too much sexy in her voice, no? Just wait, you guys! 

  • Well, God gives Jason a sign when his pervy great-uncle Bartlett dies (more on that later) and leaves $10,000 to Sookie. Obviously, she doesn't want his money, so she gives it to Jason. "Have a good time at church camp!" Sookie chirps, after Jason lies about exactly what kind of church camp it is. If only she knew...

4. HOUND DOG – After Sam's perplexing meeting with Maryann in the season finale, this week we get their backstory, in the form of a woozy, hazy flashback. A 17-year-old Sam uses his shape-shifting ability (he's a beagle here) to break into Maryann's house, sample her ever-present banquet -- literally and figuratively -- and steal stuff from her, including a large amount of cash that just happened to be lying around in her unmentionables drawer.


  • They also totally do it, during which Maryann does her impression of the San Andreas Fault, which justifiably spooks little Sammy. "Baby boy, you're not the only one who's special in this world," she says, which prompts my own personal flashback, but let's not get into that right now.

  • Please take note of Maryann's awesomely crazy disco-diva hair and eye shadow that appears to have been applied with a trowel in these scenes. It's period detail at its most subtle. 

  • In the present, Maryann stops by Merlotte's and Sam attempts to return the pilfered cash to her. "Money... oh, you sweet thing, it's not your money I want," she purrs. "How in the world did you get the impression that this was about you?" They emerge from Sam's office together just in time to catch Eggs and Tara sucking face over the bar. Maryann looks pleased; Sam, standing in for the audience, looks confused.

5. AT THE BAR – While we're at Merlotte's, let's cover a few small details. Arlene brings in Daphne (The Bold and the Beautiful's Ashley Jones) to apply to be the new waitress. Sam and Daphne make sexy-eyes at each other during the interview. That is all... for now.
  • As Andy stumbles around half in the bag questioning the patrons about the Miss Jeannette case, Arlene overhears a few of them talking trash about Rene, including the interesting theory that the vampires dug him up to convert him. (Nah, I doubt it, though Michael Raymond-James would make a great bloodsucker.) Terry, seeing Arlene's distress, comes to her rescue, paying their bills and throwing them out. Arlene is clearly moved by the big lug's gesture, and collapses into his arms. Aw. As Arlene weeps into Terry's barrel chest, he leans over and sniffs her hair. Ew. Also: Heh. I love that goofy bastard!

6. MEET THE BICKERSONS – Over at Chez Dracula, Bill is teaching Jessica how to recycle. Recycle! Stephen Moyer and Deborah Ann Woll play these father-daughter-like scenes really well, as we already knew that Bill was a Confederate stick-in-the-mud, so giving him an out-of-control teenager foil is genius.
  • With Sookie on her way over, having no knowledge of Jessica's existence, Bill orders the slut-in-training to clean up her act, since she looks like a slattern, or lady of the evening. "Awesome!" Jessica replies, instantly becoming my new favorite character.

  • Sookie arrives, and as if on cue, Jessica emerges from the bathroom, wearing only a towel. "Bill, I love your shower," she says. Bill is all: Honey, this isn't what it looks like. She's actually just my young vampire ward, who I had to convert as reparations for having killed a vampire to save you. We totally didn't do it. "Ew, old!" Jessica adds. 

  • This should explain things, but since Bill and Sookie's default behavior is straight out of an episode of The Honeymooners, she argues that Bill has lied to her. "Is she always like this?" Jessica asks, and the audience rolls their eyes, sighs and replies, "Yes, Jessica, she is. Cute skirt, by the way." (We're totally BFFs now, guys!) 

  • Sookie has to clean out her grandmother's room, which is sad, and she cuts her finger on a cardboard box, just as Mr. Lancaster, her grandmother's attorney, arrives with the news of Uncle Bartlett's death. Sookie half-heartedly accepts the envelope with the $11,000 check, bleeding on it symbolically. 

  • Jessica hates TruBlood, which is a problem, Bill exposits, since at her age and with her impulses, she could be very dangerous. "Eric let me feed on a guy with tattoos and nipple piercings," she whines. "I'm not Eric," Bill barks. "You are so not Eric," Jessica whines, pushing an empty bottle into — gasp! — the wrong recycling bin. 

  • Sookie arrives and plays nice-nice with Jessica, asking her for a night alone with Bill; they'll have a girls' night tomorrow. In my head, I started singing, "And that's the way... they became... the Stackhouse-Compton-Hamby Bunch." (And Ann B. Davis as Alice!) 

  • Once Jessica is tucked into her coffin, Sookie confronts Bill about his role in Uncle Bartlett's death. He cops to killing him because he hurt her. Sookie is upset, as she thinks it means that Bill doesn't value human life. Bill says a bunch of nice things to butter her up — I love you; you're my miracle, blah blah. It works, and Sookie cries tears of joy.

7. "BUCKET!" – I have to admit that when I first saw Lafayette chained up in a dungeon, I didn't even recognize him. Maybe it's the facial hair or the lack of appropriately sassy accessories (the man can rock a head scarf), but for about three minutes, I was like: Who is this guy? Figuring out that it was Lafayette alleviated some, but not all of my confusion about this scene. Who are these people? Where the heck are they? And what is the function of the giant wheel they're turning?
  • It starts becoming clearer when one of the rednecks who burned down the vampire house is led in, and chained to the wheel. The guy is kind of a wreck — and, incongruously, a chatterbox. He starts confessing all his sins and otherwise just blathering on, including the amusing detail — in an attempt to show Lafayette that he accepts his homosexuality -- that, when he was 15 at safety-patrol camp, he let his bunkmate blow him.

  • Then all is crystal clear when Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), hilariously all foiled up like he's in the middle of getting his hair dyed (he is 1,000 years old, after all, he must be graying a bit at the temples by now), enters the dungeon, and we realize that Lafayette & Co. are being held captive in the basement of Fangtasia. 

  • The dumb redneck tries to subdue Eric with a silver chain he was wearing, which does not go over well. Eric lifts the man and chomps into the femoral artery (do not do a Google image search for that term) in his leg and basically begins to tear him apart with his teeth — yummy! At this point, I gingerly put the chicken wing I was gnawing on back on the plate and commenced dry-heaving. WELCOME BACK, TRUE BLOOD!




THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT…










SO I’VE DECIDED TO BLOG ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ENTERTAINS ME FROM THE WORLD OF TELEVISION, MOVIES & MUSIC. SO I THOUGHT TRUE BLOOD WOULD BE THE A GREAT PLACE TO START…I KNOW THAT I AM A SEASON BEHIND, BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER…RIGHT? SO HERE IS SEASON 1…

  • Episode #: 1 "Strange Love"Summary: Taking place two years after the revelation that vampires walk among us, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress in Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana, meets vampire Bill Compton, a newcomer to the small town. She's immediately attracted, in part because she can't read his mind, and she's called into action when Bill is attacked by locals. Meanwhile, Sookie's brother Jason is arrested for murdering a local "fang banger" (someone who sleeps with vampires), and Sookie's volatile friend Tara comes to work with her for their boss, Sam Merlotte.

  • Episode #: 2 "The First Taste"Summary: Bill rescues Sookie from the people who attacked him earlier, giving her some of his blood to heal her wounds -- which leaves her with odd side effects. She invites him to meet her family, and she meets his vampire friends. As the two get to know each other, however, Bill must fight his vampiric urges. Elsewhere, Tara deals with her mother's alcoholism, and a new church threatens the vampires.

  • Episode #: 3 "Mine"Summary:Bill wards off his fellow vampires by laying claim to Sookie. Jason seeks the help of Lafayette, Merlotte's cook, for his problems in bed. Meanwhile, Tara and Sam provide each other comfort in ways they never imagined.

  • Episode #: 4 "Escape from Dragon House"Summary:When Jason is arrested for another murder, Sookie seeks to use her powers to find the real killer. Bill takes her to the vampire bar Fangtasia, where she meets Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), a Viking vampire who is the most powerful bloodsucker in the area. Jason suffers the effects of taking vampire blood.

  • Episode #: 5 "SparksFly Out"Summary: Bill reveals details about his past life as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. Trying vampire blood again, Jason finds himself drawn to Tara. Sookie and Sam go on a date.

  • Episode #: 6 "Cold Ground"Summary: Sookie seeks solace from Bill and her friends after facing a tragedy. Jason suffers from withrawal from the "V juice." As Taradeals with her drunk mother, she and Sam share a connection.

  • Episode #: 7 "Burning House of Love"Summary:Bill learns of Sookie's painful past and jumps into action. Jason meets a woman named Amy in Fangtasia as he searches for V juice to feed his desire. A group of locals attack Bill's vampire associates.

  • Episode #: 8 "The Fourth Man in the Fire"Summary: Sookie braces herself for more tragedy. Tarais amazed at her mother's progress and considers drastic steps herself. Amy shows a darker side to Jason when the V juice runs dry. Sookie agrees to help Eric catch a thief.

  • Episode #: 9 "Plaisir d'amour"Summary: Bill must pay for breaking a vampire code of behavior and asks Sam to look after Sookie while he's gone. Jason reluctantly drains a vampire named Eddie at Amy's suggestion. Tara contemplates an exorcism.

  • Episode #: 10 "I Don't Wanna Know"Summary:Sam reveals his secret to Sookie. Jason and Amy try to decide what to do with Eddie. Arlene and Rene have their engagement party at Merlotte's, but the killer decides to pick that time to strike. Bill goes on trial.

  • Episode #: 11 "To Love Is to Bury"Summary: Bill fulfills the requirements of his punishment but must deal with unexpected results. Sookie and Sam try to track the killer. Tara is rescued by a good Samaritan. Lafayettepulls a surprise on an anti-vampire Senator. Jason finds himself in trouble with the law...again.

  • Episode #: 12 "You'll Be the Death of Me"Summary: Sookie finds ties between the murders, and Bill must protect her. Sam encounters an old acquaintance. Jason turns over a new leaf after a jailhouse experience.



Sunday, June 21, 2009

¿HAPPY FATHER'S DAY?

The idea of fatherhood is both personal and universal. We all have ideal concepts surrounding fatherhood, and we also have our real fathers—fathers who were there or not there for us, fathers who provided financial support for our families or failed to do so, fathers who loved or neglected us, fathers who were our role models or gave us someone to rebel against. In a time when mothers, the sacred feminine and female energy are being honored, it is important not to forget the importance of fathers. When this day comes around I always reflect on the father that never got to know me and I always feel sad for him because he won’t hear me say HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to him; and though I’ve reconciled who he is mentally AND fertilely I can’t help but wonder how he must feel on a day like this…How many of you would be celebrating this day with your father?





Saturday, June 20, 2009

BE HAPPY





BE HAPPY was released on December 1, 1994 in the United States, then a week later on December 8, 1994, the single was re-released worldwide, on the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at #29, then on the Hip-hop charts it was gracefully successful, peaking at #14 for the week of December 8, 1994, then breaking at #3 the following week, also on the Adult Contemporary charts it was peaked at #7, and on the R&B charts it served fourteen weeks from December 3, 1994 until its last week on February 25, 1995, becoming popular and successful, and became Mary J. Blige's hit to date. The song talks about a woman's search for a love of her own and to be happy within that relationship. When I hear the words of this song, I believe that we are deserving of great abundance of happiness in this life. However it is up to each and everyone of us to ensure that we are seeking the path to true happiness when it comes to LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS…



Wednesday, June 17, 2009

INFINITE...


I FOUND THIS LITTLE GEM ON CONSTANT MOTION’S BLOG YESTERDAY & I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH A REPOSTING…
There is something about the way you choose to do a certain thing that determines what will happen next in your Life. The way you comb your hair and the way you make your bed. The shirt you decide to wear, or the route you take to work. The cigarette you choose to smoke even as you had previously chose to stop. The person you vowed to love always and the stranger you met online that pushed the love led astray to the edge of no return.

The choices we make dictate the path we are destined to take. Each one is no less in importance than the one before. The choice to be a friend to the man who stands at the corner begging for a slice of bread. The mother with the homeless child cradled in her arms with a desperate look etched upon her face as she knows the child died several hours ago. The soldier whom you dared to save while in the line of fire and as the enemy edged closer, you chose to sacrifice your own life for the sake of saving the life of a father, a brother, a son. The friend who wanted to fly with the angels before his time and you were there to find him before life's blood had crept free from his body forever.

There are an infinite number of choices to be made in a single lifetime. A billion and billion more. Each with their own laws. Each with their own outcome which determines the fate of not only your life but those around you. A friend. A loved one. A stranger whom you have never met. An online acquaintance who gave you the sheer value of insight into an issue which had for so long escaped your thoughts for rationalization. The man of the cloth who aided you in your quest to find salvation. The child you named after your father for the sake of extending the life of the family name.

We are mortal and we will die. We are human and we will discover that for all our faults, we are destined to survive. We struggle to find love. To find our goals. To find ourselves. We seldom ponder the realization that what we fight to keep is never really ours alone. What is factual, too, is that we are bound by our own personal code of hope and persuasion to endure and create. Some might choose to destroy but in the end, even the darkest of times, the greatest of wars, the worst of diseases to strike at the heart of all who are innocent -- there is a lesson to be learned.

One choice of an infinite number is but a single moment in the Life of a single race of beings who are here for the benefit of all who walk beside and after us. Cherish that time. Give of yourself when asked to do so and even if not. Take not for granted the time allowed to you for there will never come another life for you to make the choices you could have made today, tomorrow and all the days left remaining in your tenure here on earth.

There is after all, an infinite amount of stars in the universe but only one chance to view them before they pass from view as surely as we move from bone to dust.




Tuesday, June 16, 2009

THE SCENT OF HIM...




NOEL HAS BEEN GONE FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS NOW & I CAN SMELL HIM IN THE SHEETS ON OUR BED, SO I'VE DECIDED THAT I WON'T CHANGE THEM ANYTIME SOON...¿IS THAT WEIRD, NASTY OR JUS' LOVE?




Monday, June 15, 2009

¿A FRIEND IN NEED OR SELFISH?




So yesterday I got a phone call from a friend of mine asking me if I got his text message. I told him no and then proceed to relay the message which was asking me if I’d cook today? I don’t know if Sunday dinner is a tradition where you guys are from, but here in the Caribbean this is like the sun rising and setting for us…So ask he asked me the question I smiled because he and I had a conversation about this very same thing on Friday. You see during this conversation I told him about protocol and etiquette that I follow when it comes to showing up OR calling another’s house when seeking their hospitality. It was during that time that I told him that I don’t live alone and my room-mate and I plan our meals for the week ahead. Now I know that @ the end of day food is only shit, but being unemployed lace I like to make sure that I am safe guarding myself as best as I possibly can…So I told him I would let him know what my answer was going to be in regards to request for a meal from me. I enjoyed my movie (go see THE HANGOVER btw) and soon after I know that I had to give him an answer. He is down on his luck right now and I helped him in the past, but I can’t help but wonder if there should be limit to my generosity? I have NO problems giving him a meal, but I was conflicted because a week or two ago I’d asked him for $50 dollar loan he said it was fine and that he’ll give it to me when we go to the movies that weekend…So after transferring some credits from my cell to his, I didn’t hear from him for almost a week…I texted and call him, but I got nothing…I was worried so I called a mutual friend of ours and he hadn’t heard anything from him. So I decided to sit and wait for him to surface because they ALWAYS do…So almost a week later his call came in and he told me that he was going through some stress and that he just needed to get away (fine with me) but I couldn’t help but wonder if he couldn’t use some of the credit that I transferred to him to let me know that? Let me know that you are unable to accommodate me so I can go elsewhere to seek help. I know that people think that my life is quite fine because I eat everyday and I still have my car, but come live with me and see is what I say to them…After searching my heart I gave him the food, but not before letting him know that this was his second strike and that I didn’t appreciate him putting me in this type of situation because he felt that I would help him out (his first strike was showing up to my house last week with that idiot boy who calls himself a thug last week)…MY HEART GOES OUT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS PLANET & I WISH I COULD HELP THEM ALL, BUT I KNOW I CAN’T…SO THE ONES THAT I CAN HELP HOW DO DETERMINE IF THEY REALLY NEED MY HELP OR IF THEY ARE BEING SELFISH BY SIMPLY REORGANIZING HOW I LIVE?


Sunday, June 14, 2009

BLACK FOLKS & ATHEISM...




Isn’t it laughable how it is ACCEPTABLE for most black to be a criminal who believes in God and goes to church on Sunday while selling drugs AND doing God knows what than to be an atheist who has a good job, a good education, who contributes to society and supports his/her family? This, for me, is one of THE MOST embarrassing elements of Black culture, our zealous embracement of the God of our kidnappers, murderers, slave masters and oppressors. But I digress because the GOD-LESS N’ SOUL-LESS HEATHENS with NO MORALS like me who doesn’t attend THE FIRST HOLINESS CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD BAPTIST TABERNACLE is the worst thing on this planet…right?  Most would consider me to be an atheist for writing this, but I am not. However I don’t blame the man/woman that is an atheist for the feelings they have because I get their rejection of God, angels AND demons. I’ll take an atheist over the black person that is running to the collection giving their last because GOD said that they MUST give a sacrificial offering for the pastor’s house N’ cars…If only some black people had a brain…I would SO jump for joy if I were see a black person that came out of the RELIGIOUS CLOSET as an atheist…It sure would take them a long way in this world and it would show that they believe in something rather than going along with the flow because they were told they have too…From what I’ve read and discussed with others, atheism isn’t bad because they are persons who tend to be rationalists, which means they seek a rational, logical explanation for basing their particular worldview. So sad that most black persons don’t, can’t OR won’t…They can’t seem to get pass the fact that atheism is NOT dogma OR a religion. As far as I know, there are no rules to follow to be a proper atheist. Therefore if there were a universal atheistic moral code I suppose it would be something along the lines of I shall seek to cause no harm to fellow humans, accept responsibility if/when I do cause harm and attempt to diminish human suffering. I don’t know about you, but think there is something unseemly about black folks being so thoroughly conquered right down to their very minds and spirits. I find it all rather pathetic AND embarrassing. I would RESPECT the person that is all about the relinquishment and denial of all things that had been forced upon them. So isn’t it rational to think that the atheist that questions the existence of some great overseer in the sky in the new millennium is something to question? I HOPE THAT WHEN WE ALL MEET OUR END WE GET EXACTLY WHAT WE THING WE SHOULD…ALL I KNOW IS THAT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER THE WAY WE TREAT EACH WOULD MAKE ANY GOD KEEP US IN THE DARK ABOUT HIS EXISTENCE…I THINK HE WOULD RATHER WE NOT BELIEVE IN HIM IN WAY WE DO BECAUSE IT CAUSE MORE CONFUSION & PROBLEMS THAT IS NEEDED & I THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO FORGET ABOUT HIS EXISTENCE…& IF THAT MEANS WE TRY ATHEISM TO FIND OUR WAY TO LIGHT I AM ALL FOR IT! ISN’T IT TIME WE AS BLACK PEOPLE OPEN OUR MINDS TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE VARIOUS INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN RELIGION, SOCIETY, POLITICS, SCIENCE & MORALITY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED? I AM TIRED OF THE WAYS BLACK PEOPLE DAMAGE THEMSELVES PHYSICALLY, INTELLECTUALLY & EMOTIONALLY SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY WITH NO RATIONAL BEHIND IT, AREN’T YOU?


Saturday, June 13, 2009

IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY





IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY is the lead single from Sheryl Crow's 1996 eponymous album. The song hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #10. The track won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards. The song ties with her other hit "My Favorite Mistake" as her third most popular single in the UK, reaching #9 on the UK singles chart. The song signaled a departure from the good time vibe of the huge hit ("All I Wanna Do") from her previous album, Tuesday Night Music Club. I chose this song because I find that a lot of people feel threatened by achieving REAL happiness. But I am of the opinion that in order for us to experience any sort revolutionary change in our lives we have to find those AH HA MOMENTS that our lives crave. So as the words of this song flow through, you ask yourself if the things in you life REALLY makes you…

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

EASY TO BE MAN: A THUG IS A THUG...¿RIGHT?




Yesterday I was having a chat with Ian a.k.a. Darktomahawk on host of topics and one of them were on THUGS. I said my piece we both agreed on a few things and that was that…Fast-forward to an hour or so later, a friend of mine paid me a visit and he brought along a friend of his (unannounced I might add) and this blog entry is about him. So I put my annoyance aside and exercised etiquette and I soon realized that he was a confused individual that fancies himself as the type of man any man OR woman would want to get with. This man calls himself a Bi-sexual THUG that is down for whatever…He doesn’t have a job, he is rehab for drug use, he smokes weed and MOST of all he ONLY cares about his needs AND wants…His confidence was something to be hold, but after a few questions and observations, I noticed that his cavalier persona started to crack despite the fact that he tried to be indifferent. And it was then that I realized that it didn’t’ matter if I was feeling him because he knows there will be someone that will. So tell how exciting AND adventurous can man like this be when he has no sense of a good future? He reminds me of this one guy that wanted me to F&CK him so badly…He would call OR text me constantly. Now I would have indulged his fantasy, but I couldn’t because he has this notion that since I am not girlie (his words) that he has no problem rolling with me (again his words) he just couldn’t let a feminine man get his goods. Now I understand this internalized homophobic bullshit, but I can’t accept that this type of thinking…I don’t know about you guys, but I know that a man is man NO matter how you try to slice N’ dice him…So to take on a man that thinks of himself as a GOD among we gay men is such a shame in my book. If one were to look @ Wikipedia’s definition of a THUG, they would see that a THUG is a person, often a criminal, who treats others violently and roughly; this type of person is often a member of a gang. I fail to see the intrigue of man that stood before me AND I couldn’t fathom him getting with me despite his NOT so subtle advances. Meeting him made me wonder, how much is too much AND when is enough really enough? How many more of us will consider him the pot of gold @ the end of the rainbow? How long will we grant him sanctuary as he tells us to MAN UP with every stroke of his dick? I find it SO sad that we allow men like him to dehumanize some of us for mimicking Beyonce instead of 50 cent. But what is even sadder is the fact that some of us play apart in this wretched choice of a cat on a hot tin roof…Talk about jumping off OR burning…what a life this is huh? But who is the blame for this? I remember being thirteen and my uncle telling me that he would KILL me I grew up to become a sissy. So are these men simply taking on a persona that would keep them from such intimidations? I get that the being called a sissy OR gay is a UNIVERSAL device used to terrorize men into upholding an acceptable presentation of his gender, but to assert one’s masculinity and suppress their feminine side while trying to dominate those seen as less than is just too left of the middle for me. However, the connection is clear for me…From boys to men, our obsession with homosexuality is not just about a homophobia, although that is an inseparable element. Do you think that our crippling masculine anxieties cultivates fear AND disdain of women and all things feminine? I ask this because if we were to validate the link between homophobia and masculinity, and our belief that women, and by extension homosexual men, are inferior, we need look no further than the messages we transmit to boys…don’t we? In a patriarchal society rooted in the belief of male superiority and the exercise of male dominance, that is a demotion, a huge loss not only of status, but humanity. Gay men are HATED because they are seen as gender traitors for undermining the universal rules of patriarchy not matter how masculine they may be. Hence the THUG who lives among permanently AND irrevocably stained, he is a pure example of how difference and diversity are not respected in this world. So we MUST intervene to save our boys from a lifelong patriarchal crusade to control boys who are seen as not hard enough…BECAUSE WHAT I WITNESSED YESTERDAY IS THE CONSEQUENCES OF TELLING LITTLE BOYS TO MAN UP! WHEN A MAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER MAN BECAUSE HE IS SEEN AS FEMININE ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE OR ARE WE GOING TO SEE OURSELVES AS MEN NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE ON THE MASCULINE & FEMININE SPECTRUM?