There's No Place Like Home

The city that I without fear claim
The city that has brought much heartache and pain
The city where one can rise up to fame
Is now a city being burned down to flames
Fear in the city has never reigned so deep
The climb to non-violence and justice never looked so steep
Guns, weapons, and senseless crime pollute the city streets
No motive, no reason, you hope to achieve what feat?
That's for those who painted the city a cold black and blue
Running around, not giving a care, don't have a single clue
The bullets you shoot have no name, but trust their victims do
Tyrone, Percy, and Derrion (R.I.P.).....just to name a few
Give us back our city, give us our peace of mind
Give us back our joy, stop making it hard to find
Give us back our pride, give our city back its name
Chicago should never be a reason to hang my head in shame

STOP THE VIOLENCE!!!!!!!!!

GNATS!!!!

It could be me, but doesn't it seem like an invasion of these things. I personally despise bugs and have not found a single use for them. But these gnats have to be at the top of my list of bugs I hate as well as things I hate (along with fake shoes). I have never in my life seen so many of these little things. They are EVERYWHERE!!!!! It doesn't make it any better being tall, because they fly high. I feel like I gotta survey the area anytime I speak because I'm of them flying in my mouth when I talk. I've considered walking around with a torch so I could burn any and all of them straight to HELL. Does anybody feel my pain?

Ay Ye' Ye'

So its been about a week since the incident, perfect time for me to drop my 2 cents. I'm not going to debate whether or not what Kanye West did was appropriate. The answer is NOT (though I thought it was hilarious at first glance, sorry sue me). If you haven't seen it, click the link (http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/435995/taylor-swift-wins-best-female-video.jhtml). Anyway, as it supposedly turns out, the entire thing was a publicity stunt. Whether or not that was true, whats to say that this is where Kanye stops. Is this his last time doing this? What if Kanye had access to other venues to cause such madness. For entertainment purposes only, I sat and thought about these things. Whats to say he doesn't interrupt Brett Favre's retirement speech and says "I'm sorry Brett, but MJ retired more times to you". Maybe John Stockton's Hall of Fame speech with "I'm sorry John, but MJ is the greatest of all time". Maybe bust in on Magic Johnson while he announced his sickness blurting out "I'm sorry Magic, but Wilt had 20,000 girls, so he gotta have more diseases than you". I'm surprised he wasn't at the president's induction shouting I'm sorry Obama, but Bill Clinton was the best president of all time". His next appearance on 106th and Park, I am almost certain he snatches the mic from Terrence and Rocsi with this script to follow it "I'm sorry BET, but Yo MTV Raps is one of the greatest hip hop shows of all time". I'd like to talk to someone from his high school graduating class. Did he snatch the microphone form the valedictorian and say "I'm happy for you, but I had some of the highest test scores this year in the school". Every single interruption accented with a not so innocent shoulder shrug. Where does the madness end? Way to rep the Chi...

Made in the 80s, Raised in the 90s (Part 2 of 8)

My dedication to the greatest decade ever continues. And with that I say this: Its not that I'm not a fan of the music scene these days, its just that it doesn't compare to the creative genius of artists from the 90s nor do artists have longevity nowadays. Lets not get it twisted, I'm no music guru...BUT I do know the difference between good and better. The 90s blessed us with Tupac (Keep Ya Head Up, California Love, the list clearly goes on) and Biggie (Juicy, One More Chance,etc.). We felt the presence of New Orleans with No Limit and Cash Money, the candid story that The Life and Times of Sean Carter provided, sick faces when people heard Illmatic. Everyone was constantly reminded what the hood was like on the 1st by Bone Thugs and Harmony. We saw Mary J's rise, demise, and climb back to top...the ageless Mariah Carey. We felt the originality of Outkast, Erykah Badu, and Busta Rhymes to name a few. Everyone enjoyed the plethora of "boy bands" such as Dru Hill, Silk, and Public Announcement. The world is still begging for a Fugees reunion. On that I'll end this segment (otherwise it would go on forever). Part 3 on the way.....

Love For Money OVER Love For The Game

Growing up in my time (the 90s) in the type of environment I grew up in (south side of Chicago), most young boys heading into their teens were more times than not presented with 2 options, join a gang or play ball. Some would say I'm exaggerating, but trust me, there's much truth in what I say. Anyway, most found basketball as a way out and eventually, like myself, fell in love with it. It was all I wanted to do and I had to win. I, like millions, adored and respected the game. That respect, admiration, and will to win is the driving force for a lot of people in the professional ranks. That's not my problem. My issue is with people like Hedo Turkoglu and Trevor Ariza. People like this have no loyalty, no respect. Their loyalties lie with their paychecks. For us real basketball fans it is a slap in the face. Most of us would kill for a chance to play pro ball, let alone have a shot at a championship. But, these guys are only concerned with how many MORE millions they are going to get. It is the reason for watered down competition and lack of rivalries that excited fans everywhere all the way until these last couple of years. It is a disappointment to me and loyal fans of the sport nationwide.

The Supermarket Expierence

Working the cash register at different jobs throughout the years has been quite an experience. Mostly a hilarious one. Aside from random occurences, I found 4 things that pretty much happen everyday.

1. You can say whatever you want to foreigners while at the register as long as you are smiling and do it politely. Because, I believe, odds are if they are with a friend they are talking about you in a language you don't understand and they probably only understand basic words in English and not insults. I'm not encouraging it but I'm just saying the opportunity is there and I would find it hilarious if it was ever done.

2. Why oh why do people swipe their credit/debit card like it has done something to them personally. What is all the anger about? Will the price lower if you swipe the card faster or harder? Answer=NO. Then people wonder why the stripe on their card doesn't work or why the numbers have to be typed in.

3.The Speedy Checkout unlike regular checkout lanes has rules. It has limitations. So when you look up and see the lane light on and then look a little further up and see the sign that reads "10 items or less", why do you glance at your 2 carts full of groceries and decide that this is the right lane for you? Do you not see the sign, can you not read the sign, or do you not care? It plays into a common stereotype but I won't go there right now.

4. Last but not least, it amuses me how people come to the register, check out, and then, for example, hand me the money and say "that's 40 dollars". Oh, because I'm not going to count it anyway. Oh ok complete stranger that I have never met in entire life, I trust that you handed me 40 dollars and I'm just going to slide it in my drawer all folded up and everyhing. That's not how it works, yet it happens like every 20 minutes.

As time goes on, I'm sure my list will grow.

Sweatpants, Hair Tied, Chilling With No Makeup On

That's when you're the prettiest, I hope that you don't take it wrong. Yes, those are the words of one of the hottest rappers out, Drake. He couldn't have said it any better. Of course, when you're going out to the club or an event you're gonna get all dolled up, and trust, the men appreciate it. But, the problem comes when some women feel the need to hide behind the beauty products. It should enhance your beauty not create it. It may be corny (and oh so cliché-like) but true beauty REALLY does lie beneath. Its understood that you won't look your best if you're parading around in jogging pants but still acknowledge that you are beautiful and have someone at your side that feels the same. If that someone disagrees and can't look past the make-up, then maybe you should look past them....

One And The Same?

Over the past few years I've had several retail jobs. All of them sold some sort of clothing apparel. Part of the job includes dressing mannequins. In every instance in every store I always ask (or get asked) what size pants and what size shirt to place on the mannequins. More times than not the answer was the same (except for some clothing lines that sizes run differently). After a while it prompted me to ask the question, who is this generic man/woman that these mannequins are shaped after? Who decided what's the perfect size for an individual? Who decided that a male wearing pants size 36 and a 2XL shirt was ideal? Who decided that a female wearing pants size 5-7 and a medium shirt was ideal? This is not a mistake and definitely not a coincidence. There is someone, rather a group of people, that is behind this. It could be influenced by media's perception of beauty, which is clearly biased, but who knows? If you think I'm lying, pay close attention to window displays the next time you're casually strolling through the mall.

Made In The 80s, Raised In The 90s (Part 1 of 8)

I have decided to dedicate a blog topic to the greatest decade in the common era, that's right the 90s. I felt I should split it into sections because there is so much to touch on (and it would be too long to read at once). Moving on, I felt it was only right to start off with the different words and phrases that the 90s blessed us with. It brought us such phrases like "bling bling", "whats on yo bird?", "talk to the hand", and "all that and a bag of chips". Anytime we like something we would yell it was "da bomb" or "crucial". Every time we beat out one of our friends in anything we get in their face and scream "boo ya!". People didn't feel treated, they were "salty". Whenever a mistake is made we say "my bad", even to this day. Being dressed nice was referred to as "fly", "fresh", or "jiggy". People didn't get beat up, they got "murked". Old folks refer to a beautiful woman as a "tenderoni". Random questions like "Who's your daddy?" ruled the times. The 90s also forever changed the simple white tank top into a "wife beater". Those are just a few I came up with, I'm sure there are millions more not listed. Stay tuned for Part 2....

There's No Place Like Home

Homeless, the equivalent of being without a home. More often than not, when you hear the term homeless you associate it with a person who has no home anywhere on the globe, no way of obtaining one, and no one close to them that has a home to share. With that said, what does the city of New York hope to prove with their latest antic. In an article I read earlier today (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,535241,00.html) NYC is buying all the homeless people that are stationed there a one-way plane ticket away from NYC. TO WHERE????? Where exactly are all the people going? If they are homeless in New York, I'm pretty sure they'll be homeless in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, or anywhere else you send them. Wait NYC, I got an idea...how about we throw them in jail or dump them off a bridge? How about NO!!! This money being spent on plane tickets could be spent on recovery programs or the shelters (that cost too much according to the mayor), something to try to help these people. That is of course if in NYC they are still considered "people"....