"...Stepped out the house, stopped short, "Oh, No!"
I went back in, I forgot my Kangol.." - Slick Rick, "Lodi Dodi"

Am I the only one that is now forever unsure about the lyrics to 'Lodi Dodi', ever since Snoop re-versed it? I sit there thinking, "did Slick Rick say:",

"For all my dogs keepin' y'all in health..."

Or was that just Snoop's rendition?

And why is it that, in my time I've seen people close their eyes, tilt their head back and sing like they're in the church choir when it gets to the part:

"It's all because of you,
I'm feeling sad and blue..."

And am I the only one that remembers where he was the day that Snoop's "Doggystyle" album dropped? Was I the only one who had friends that waited in line outside the store before it opened to purchase it?

Hmmm...I'll just ask the questions...

Elaine: "Ohh, no! The city shuts down 5th Avenue; they never let anyone thru! We're never getting home."
Kramer: "Alright, I'm gonna check it out. ...Aieee! ...mucho trafico."
- Jerry, George, Elaine & Kramer stuck in traffic during the Puerto Rican Day parade, Seinfeld

On Saturday my wife and I went to Dayton to see the fam. We left to head down I-70 East towards home at about 9:45pm. Icy rain had begun to fall about an hour prior to that.

About 10:05p, we noticed that traffic coming in the opposite direction (70 West) was very light. Within a few minutes, it was more than light - there was not a single car going West on I-70. This wouldn't have been so strange except that we had been driving about 25 minutes and still not 1 car. That was kinda creepy. Obviously there must have been a big accident.

Nevertheless, we were still riding smooth down 70 East..... I spoke to soon. About 10:30pm, we hit a dead stop 30 miles outside of Columbus.

We didn't move again until 6:00am Sunday morning.

Yes, we spent the entire night sitting in the car on the highway in 25 degree rainy weather. I'll spare you all the details (or maybe I'll talk about them in another blog, after I recover from the trauma. At least that's what my therapist recommends.)

We later learned it had something to do with two semi's jack-knifing, and maybe a 20-car pileup. But don't bother looking for the details on any news media websites. Apparently if stuff don't happen conveniently enough for it to make the 11pm news, reporters say "screw it". What the...??!!!

Well, at least my story can be told here for the world to see. Remember me, and my struggles... :-)

"....(smacking lips)...Don't nobody go in the bathroom for about 35 or 45 minutes..." - John Witherspoon in "Friday"

I'm still digesting my Thanxgiving food - I'll get back atcha later...

"When I see [pee] coming, I move! When SHE saw [pee] coming, she stayed!..." - 8-year old Riley Freeman in defense of R. Kelly in "Boondocks: The Trial of R Kelly"

Another new show that I like - Boondocks on Cartoon Network. Maybe we truly have come a long way in terms of race and culture in America - we must have, if a show like this is allowed to come on. :-) You'll have to see it to know what I mean, but imagine a scene where Cornell West is kung-fu fighting a group of protesters, and another where a self-hating Black man sings "Don't Trust Dem New Niggas Over There" to a group of white folks at a garden party.

Classic.

Hans: "Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mister Cowboy?"
John: "Yippee-ki-yay....."
- Detective John McClane responding to the villainous Hans Gruber in "Die Hard"

Last night in my men's small group bible study, we read Joshua chapter 1 verses 1 thru 9. I came across a great verse:

"...No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you..." - verse 5

Actually, this is not the first time I've read this verse. For one, as I talked about a few days ago, I've finished reading thru the whole Bible, cover to cover (Praise the Lord!). So even tho I might not remember a verse, I know I've seen it before!

But, when I read this in my old King James Bible that I've had since I was 13 years old, I had that verse highlighted, and I could tell from the paleness of the yellow coloring, and the nearby hand-written notes on that same page, that it was a long time ago when I highlighted that verse. Problably still in my teens.

So I'm betting it spoke to me as loudly then as it does now. God promised Joshua that most people would not be able to stand up against him. (Insert sound of tires screeching to a halt) No, no, no - it actually says NO ONE will be able to stand up against him! I believe God is promising that to us today also! It reminds me of another verse that I've loved since childhood:

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" - Psalm 118:6 (KJV)

God assures the believer a victorious life. But why do I find it so hard to remember these promises? I tell ya like I told my group last nite, the Ricardo that remembers and believes that NO ONE can stand up against him when he's doing God's will is a different Ricardo than the one who doesn't keep that promise in mind. The former Ricardo is much more spiritually bold and confident - willing to take more risks for God. Willing to walk over into the land of giants and say, "Yes, there are giants over there, but we can still win!"

I'm going to try to start my morning Bible reading with these verses, every morning for a few weeks. Try to get it to sink in. :-)

Speaking of my small group (Men of Joy), I'm glad to finally be back meeting with them again. We took a 40-day break to participate in a church-wide ministry. That was a loooooong 40 days! I gots to have my Men of Joy fill-up every week! Big ups to the MOJ!

Inigo: "Who are you?"
Westley: "No one of consequence."
Inigo: "I must know."
Westley: "Get used to disappointment."
Inigo: ".....okay"
- Inigo & Westley during their sword-fighting scene in "Princess Bride"

I just met a new, random brutha last week. Turns out, we have all kind of people in common that we know.

I'm going to a party this weekend / Yeah, I'll be there, too, cuz I know so-and-so.

I've got a friend that does what you do / Yeah, I know him too, we were hanging out last weekend.

What are the odds? I guess it really is a small world. Be careful what you say with folks you don't know - you might know them more than you thought you would. And they might know you, too. :-)

"...Yeah, this is a story of a famous dog
For the dog that chases its tail
will be dizzy
These are clapping dogs,
rhythmic dogs
Harmonic dogs
HOUSE DOGS...." - George Clinton in "Atomic Dog"


I read a post from a friend of mine today where she talked about her dog. It made me think of my babies. :-) We gave them away a couple of years ago. Selfish reasons - we didn't want them messing up our new house. :-( Seemed like a good idea at the time, and even tho I've got less time now than I did then to take care of some dogs, I still miss them from time to time.

So I guess that means stay tuned for future posts where I tell fun stories of the antics of my two puppies (I know, the pictures make them look big & bad, but they're just some lil' puppy dogs IMO) - they're names were Crunch (aka Captain Crunch) & Mansa.

I'm pretty sure Mansa (Rottweiler Shepard mix) was a human masquerading as a dog - he was way too smart and crafty. Every day I just expected him to finally speak and say "Hey, Ric. How's it going? I'm hungry, dude."

Crunch (Boxer) was a brave soldier. Never aggressive to anyone, but I've seen scenarios that made me believe he would "take care of" anybody that messed me with me, my wife, or even his buddy Mansa. Like the time I had a helium balloon hanging in the living room. Crunch was SURE that this was the Enemy. He snorted and stood perfectly still and alert, watching it unwaveringly until I finally took it away. (Meanwhile, Mansa had run into the kitchen like a little b... well, you know what i'm saying.) :-)

more to come.

"...But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you...." - John 14:26 (KJV)

This morning I came to the end of a very long journey - I finally finished reading the Bible from beginning to end (Genesis to Revelations, in order)!

I started almost 2 years ago I think (or maybe it just seems that long). The journey began when I signed up for a Walk Thru The Bible class, where in 1-year we read thru the Bible, 3 chapters a day. I quickly fell behind. I soon dropped out.

But....

SIDENOTE: (don't you just love the word "but"? Especially the way it's used in the Bible:
- "Man is sinful in nature, and destined for damnation. But...."
- "Daniel was in the lion's den, about to be eaten. But...."
- "They threw the 3 Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace. But...."

But, even tho I dropped the class, I kept reading on my own. Not 3 chapters a day, but I just kept going at whatever pace I could handle. Eventually, thru both practice and by wanting to put God first, I started habitually reading at least 1 chapter every morning, AS SOON as I woke up (no breakfast, no shower, no teeth brushing). They say it takes 30 days to develop a good habit - it's true. Now, I do it unconsciously - I don't have to try to remember to read in the morning - IT'S THE FIRST THING ON MY MIND!

Long story short, I kept reading, and now I've read the whole Book all the way thru. It's a good feeling.

Word of advice - if you're trying to get thru the whole book, use something like the NIV version. There's no need to struggle with King James English when you're just trying to get some Word in you. Now that I'm thru the Bible, I can go back and tackle the intricacies of KJV. But to get the meat of the matter - give me modern-day plain English.

But I digress.

I also feel a little more spiritually confident also. A good friend of mine, who also read the Bible all the way thru, reminded me that the best reason to do it is this: if the Spirit is going to bring something to your remembrance to help you in your situation, he can't pull out of you what's not there! Now that I know that I've seen every word in the Bible, I feel like the Spirit is better able to use me. No, I don't have a lot memorized. I don't understand everything I've read. But it's a start. And it's the stepping stone to my next level of spiritual development.

"...If you're not in the paper, you're not popular!..." - policeman pulling over Sean Paul in "Police" skit, "Dutty Rock"

Am I the only one that thinks that folks are going a little overboard with the whole death of Rosa Parks? Have you seen some of the photos of her funeral? Looks like a president died.

Speaking of presidents, they were there, too.

Everybody wants to be down with Rosa. Apparently she did something that no one else ever did. Not.

It's been done before. But apparently, if ones actions aren't legitimized in some way by the mainstream, you gets no love.

Is this a slap in the face to all the unsung heroes who did even more & bigger "I won't give up my seat"-type of actions?

Is it right to celebrate her legacy so extravagantly, as if we're really so very far from the days when we were second-class citizens? What would a New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward resident say to that today?

Hmmm. I'll just ask the questions....

"...So shall it be written, so shall it be done..." - Yul Brynner as Rameses in "The Ten Commandments"



In a million years, when the aliens come from Alpha Centauri to look at the remains of the civilization called Earth, and they study our culture by looking thru our books and archives, and watching our movies and listening to our music, I bet they'll be amazed at how powerful an effect the "N" word had on some earthlings. They'll probably laugh....

"...There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going
There's no knowing where we're rowing
Or which way the river's flowing...." - Willy Wonka

My lil' nephew just finished his soccer season. I just had to travel down to Cincy to see him play in at least 1 game. It was just the most adorable thing I've ever seen. :-)

Of course, at 4 years old, none of them really have much of a concept of what they're doing. It's mostly a lot of running indiscriminately, with a ton of confusion. One kid is usually kicking the ball, with the other 9 kids wondering why all the parents are suddenly shouting at them.

In fact, the biggest challenge for the kids is figuring out the right direction to move the ball, so they can score. No matter how much pointing and explanation the coaches give them, they seem to have already made up their mind which direction they plan on going when the whistle's blown, and it's usually the wrong direction. The coaches are good - they're very patient. They try their best to make the kids see the object of the game. To see that they can easily score if they'll just follow the directions that the coach is giving them.

I would laugh, but then I realize that we do the same thing in life. How many times does Coach Jesus tell us to go one way in life, and we're so anxious to go the opposite direction, the direction we just know is the right one - the direction that will never really lead us to the fulfillment of our goals in life. God is so patient with us. Even tho we're enthusiastically getting it all wrong, he makes sure that we're still staying in the game, and he keeps blowing the restart whistle to give us more chances to get it right. If only we'd listen to Coach Jesus, we'd see that we can score every time. Even if we're not good kickers - He loves us so much that sometimes he moves the whole goal into the path of our ball to make sure we make it! :-)

My nephew's next sport is basketball - I wonder what lessons I'll learn with that.....

"...I miss lots of foods. I miss fresh meat, you know...because, in Brazil we are predominately carnivores - you know, we are not vegetarians. We don't like potatoes - we like meat! Fresh meat!...." - A zoo lion giving an interview about how he feels living in the Zoo, in "Creature Comforts"

I don't eat red meat or pork. I've been that way for about 10 or 11 years. It started in college when I just decided (based on evidence) that red meat is not healthy. I was tired of knowing that the meat was sitting & rotting in my intestine much longer than, say, chicken.

So, it was a health thing at first. I had to conciously deny myself red meat & pork. But now, I can't stand the thought or taste of it. Even if I have a turkey burger that's prepared too much like a beef burger, I can't eat it. (People should really switch to ground turkey instead of ground beef - you can prepare it such that you can hardly tell the difference!)

One time I was out picking up pizza for me & my sister. Mine was mushrooms & chicken & stuff. Hers was pepperoni. Yuck!. The smell of it filling my truck was making me wanna puke.

I just thought about this today cuz I went out to lunch with a couple of guys, and the subject came up, and they asked me why I don't eat it, and I was amused by the fact that it's been so long that I actually had to think for a sec to explain why I didn't eat it anymore.

"Oh, well - I'm a carnivore. I need something with a face - bring on the meat!" was his reply.

"I ain't lyin',
girls be cryin'
cuz I'm on TV
They even bother
my poor father
cuz he's down with me..." - RUN-DMC in "Tricky"

One of my new favorite shows is MTV's "Run's House". Check it out. I'm not at all a fan of reality shows, but I appreciate the ones where folks be having some sense, and some family values. The Venus & Serena show was an example of this, and now so is Run's House.

Judge for yourself, but here are some scenes that I thought were kool in the 2 episodes that have aired so far:

• Run is talking to his high-school daughter and her boyfriend. Run clowns the kid a little for not necessarily having good goals in life, but eventually gets serious and says to the boy that his daughter is very special to him, and that the boy's intentions need to be high, like a high note that breaks the glass in the windows. Thru all of this, his daughter says nothing, but listens. To me it looks like she understands that her father is talking, that he's serious, and she listening too. I believe this is an example of how fathers should set an example for their daughters, and fill their roles as figures of authority.
  
• After talking with brother Russell Simmons about having a "birds & the bees" talk with his sons, he resolves that he should "lead by example" - walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. Good answer.
  
• Run & his wife sit his boys down to explain to them why their sister is getting a big graduation party - because she gets REALLY good grades. I liked seeing these parents make sure that their kids weren't having any issues with jealousy or feelings of neglect. During their talk, Run tells them "Life gives to the givers, and takes from the takers". He tells them to repeat it. They do it without hesitation - even the 16 year old.

Check out an episode, then hit me up with a Comment. I'd be interested to know what y'all out there in blogland think of the show.

"...I'm sure you've discovered my deep and abiding interest in pain. At present I'm writing the definitive work on the subject. So I want you to be totally honest with me on how The Machine makes you feel..." - Count Rugen in "The Princess Bride"

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted on Tuesday.

Yes....I know. You can stop making that face.

I gotta first give props to my dentist. That brother helped me maintain my manhood by making it as painless as possible, and keeping me from becoming a blubbering, wimpering girly-man screaming like a white woman in a 70's horror flick. I was awake the whole time, but with plenty of novocaine or whatever they use. I kept saying the same thing Busta would say - "Gimme Some More"!


You know, I had no idea that these teeth were going to be extracted by brute force. I assumed that in 2005 we had some technology that would use some complex laws of physics in order to separate the teeth from the gums. But apparently the dental practices rampant in the 1700's are still applicable today.

I had at least 2 people who were freaking me out after the fact, warning me of "intense pain", "air pockets", multi-day gum bleeding, etc. None of that stuff happend, tho. Praise Jesus. PRAISE HIM!

Cuz I don't handle pain well. I mean, I'm a Man and all.. shoot. I'm saying... I can take some stuff. 'Nah mean? But...not TOO much stuff....you know?........

"...Say Hello to my lil' friend!!!..." - Tony Montana in "Scarface"

I have 2 nephews, both about 4 years old. They don't see each other often - two different cities. I think in their whole long lives of 4 years, they've seen each other a total of 5 times for a few hours each, and we're talking many months between visits. The point I'm trying to make is, they're not best friends or anything, if there is such a thing at age 4.

They both visited a few weekends ago. That's them in the picture. It took all of about 90 seconds for them to start playing together like they were brothers who had grown up together! I'm talking loud shouting, spinning around holding hands, imaginary gunfights, coloring, sharing toys -type playing. It's like, I go to the bathroom, come out and find that they're best friends already. Wow.

I know adults who would haze you for two years before they would decide to let you be their friend. Why can't us grown folk learn how to build relationships like 4-year olds?

"...You ask me
'Child, do you love me?'
And I say 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!'
'But will you
Just give up everything
[And] follow me?'
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!..."
- Yolanda Adams in "Mountain High...Valley Low"

The other morning I took Yolanda Adams new CD, "Day by Day" into the car with me for the ride to work.

Traffic that morning was a little slow. I got thru about 5 tracks before getting to work.

After work, traffic on the highway was a crawl. I got thru the whole CD before getting home.

Do you think God would jam up traffic just so I could have the undistracted time to listen to the ministry of Yolanda's new album? Would He do all that just for me? Cuz I sho' nuff had a lil' praise party in my car that afternoon! Yolanda be speaking to me!!

"...I used to be on floors just like you. But see...now I'm washing lettuce! Pretty soon I'll be on fries. Then the grill. A couple of years from now, I'll make Assistant Manager. And that's when the big bucks start rolling in!" - Louie Anderson in "Coming to America"

I decided to stop by my friendly neighborhood Burger King the other day for a chicken sandwich. I knew it was probably a bad idea, cuz that Burger King location is notorious for slow service. But I thought, well, it's the evening time, and I'll walk inside instead of doing the drive-thru.

I get in there, and already I'm behind two other customers. Mere seconds after entering, I could already sense that the same taking-too-long shinaningans were occurring tonite as well. The young teenage girl behind the cash register had that familiar "I hate this job" look on her face.

As she paced back and forth, checking order #s and waiting on food from the oh-so-sanitary cooks in the back room, I caught her mentioning to one of the customers in front of me that she had been working there only 2 weeks, but already she was sick of it. She was finally given a real opportunity to vent when a co-worker whispers to her, "I'm ready to get out of here."

"Me, too!", she replied. "My shift is almost over. I can't WAIT to get out of here. I'm sick of this place! As a matter of fact..." She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. "....my shift is gonna be over in....1....2....3...4..." (counting and pointing at the clock) "....5.... in fifteen minutes!...."

...................................now what is we gon' do?

This poor child doesn't realize that she needs to be counting her blessings that she's got a job at Burger King, for there are only so many retail outlets in America that will accept an applicant who has to count the ticks on a wall clock in order to determine she has 15 minutes left in her shift. Instead of going home and turning on the TV to relax after a grueling day of fast food frenzy, she should sit down with her parents and have a heart-felt discussion about how they've failed her in the area of education and proper Burger King etiquette...

I left shortly thereafter, fearing I would be there too long. How long? (looking at my watch) ...1..2..3..4.........

"...yeah, that's right, I did it...I cry two tears in a bucket - f*** it...let's take it to the stage!" - George Clinton in "House Party"

Well, just after I started talking about politicians saying & doing what they want, and We won't do nuthin about it, here comes William Bennett and his lil' comment.

He defends himself by saying that he was speaking hypothetically, to make a point, and points out that he does reject the hypothesis afterwards. And I can sort of buy that.

But this dude should get fired just for being a moron.

Let's see if some other hypotheses that he could have used would have sounded better:

• "If you wanted to reduce racism, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every white baby in this country and your racism rate would go down..."
  
• "If you wanted to reduce the amount of crooked lawyers, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every Jewish baby in this country and your crooked lawyer rate would go down..."
  
• "If you wanted to reduce terrorism, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every Islamic baby in this country and your terrorism rate would go down..."

Naahh... none of these sound too good, either....

"...I'm Morpheus
in this hip hop Matrix,
exposing fake sh*t..." - Common in "The 6th Sense"

Well, it's been a few weeks, and folks seem to be calming down about the Katrina controversy: was the government's slow response due to the fact that New Orleans is mostly Black?

I'm not surprised that We've calmed down, and I'm sure GW nor his Mom is surprised either. I think they know that they can pretty much do whatever they want, say whatever they want, and We're not gonna do anything about it.

Let's say GW said today, "yes, it's true. I don't like Black people. If I had my way, I wouldn't have sent any aid to them..."

What would We do about it? I mean come on, think about it. After We holler and write some letters and make a big press stink for about 2 weeks, what would We do? We wouldn't impeach him. We wouldn't affect his re-election (not that We've ever been good at that, but anyway he doesn't have to worry about re-election). Folks wouldn't go out and join any progressive organizations or re-commit their lives to efforts that empower and liberate Our community.

I submit that We wouldn't do anything, cuz at the end of the day all We want to do, and all that Americans in general want to do, is to be able to come home from work, watch TV, go to dinner on Fridays and go to the mall on the weekends.

If GW ain't rockin' that boat for Us, We'll pretty much let him do whatever he wants. Collectively, We don't have the energy or motivation to actually protest anything, cuz We're too tired from working & paying Our bills.

And They know this.....

"...Sounds to me like you just need to unplug, man. You know, get some R&R..." - Choi in The Matrix

Monday I returned from my 9 1/2 day vacation from work. Travel? No. It was a sit-in-the-house vacation. They are the best.

Instead of dealing with plane tickets, hotel reservations, recreational itineraries, etc, I like just getting up & eating some cereal and staying in my sleeping clothes.

I also like getting stuff done around the house that's been on my mental to-do list since way back when they didn't know Mike Jones (Who???)

Me & my wife (who also took the week off) just woke up everyday and asked each other "what do we do today?". Ended up being stuff like walking around the mall, making a surprise trip to see my folks in Cincy, eating shrimp & catfish with my inlaws in Dayton, going to the movies, playing tennis, watching the first 5 episodes of the 1st season of "24", and so on.

On the last day of my vacation, I started looking at my calendar to plan my next vacation...

"...Where ever you go we can smell you like gas..." - Full Force in "House Party"

'Nuff said...

"My years are not advancing as fast as you might think..." - Phil Conners in 'Groundhog Day'

A couple of recent events made me realize that I'm 30 years old:

• My friends and I have to coordinate via email 2-weeks in advance to play basketball together next Saturday.
• My wife and I chose to stay home and watch Battlestar Galactica (a really great show) drinking iced tea instead of going to the club to hear our friend DJ a hip-hop set.
• We decided we'd go next Sunday nite to the club, only because it's a holiday weekend and we don't have to get up to go to work in the morning (I used to be able to kick it all nite and still get up and go to work).
• I got way too excited in a couple of conversations I had with someone regarding low-interest loans.

...sigh.....

"This place makes Cambodia look like Kansas..." - Blain in "Predator"

I think if I had unlimited resources & money, and nothing else to do, I would spend the rest of my life "making the Travel Channel come to life" (as Ludacris would say). I would hire the best travel guides in the world, and travel to as many diverse countries as possible. I'd tell the guide, "Come up with a schedule that lets me see & experience the most comprehensive view of this country that I can achieve in 1 week".

I think it's one thing to see stuff on TV, but I would imagine that actually being physically immersed in the location and culture would have a totally different 'feeling'.

I would definitely start in Africa. I would begin by visiting the countries of which I have friends that are from there, like Liberia. I would have them show me everything they could, and even live as a guest of their family - I bet that'd be better than a travel guide.

I would also like to get a better feel for all the political drama going on there. Hopefully I'd have enough money to provide myself adequate 'security'. :-)

Then I'd do Central America, since I've got some roots there. Then further down to South America - I'd love to hike thru the Amazon.

Oh, well. It's nice to dream. Well, since I ain't rich [yet], I guess I'll just go to Cincinnati....

"...Ho, Haha, Guard, Turn, Perry, Dodge, Spin, Ha, Thrust!" - Daffy Duck in "Robin Hood Daffy"

I bought a bookcase yesterday so I could shelve all my spare computer parts and stuff. It was one of those Sauder some-assembly-required type shelves. I've probably assembled over a dozen different types of Sauder furniture items in my life. You'd think I'd be an expert at putting them together by now, using the simple step-by-step instructions.

Drats. I flubbed it. I put Part A where Part C should be. Son of a...

Can somebody tell me what good is a college edumacation if I can't screw 2 pieces of wood together properly???

"...I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh, my God, that's horrible'. And then they'll go on eating their dinners...." - Jack in "Hotel Rwanda"

Is it better to not watch the news, and feel a little better about life while you bask in the bliss of your ignorance? Or should we watch the news daily, even though it's 90% filled with all the negative stuff going on, so we can have a 'realistic' view of the horrors of life?

Would a news channel that only reported on positive things be watched by anyone? And if not, what does that say about our society?

hmmm......

"...See, this is why I don't be DJ'ing for free no more - cuz ni**as don't be appreciating s**t!..." - Bilal in "House Party".

I've been doing the entrepreneurial thang for many years now. Among other things, there's one thing I've learned - folks will ALWAYS want a hookup. I don't know, man - something about our People.

In a time when we should be supporting and encouraging the growth of Black business, you would think that we would start to have more respect for the businesses of our brothas & sistas. We need to start to be willing to not just pay for each others services, but pay REGULAR PRICE, and not always look for a discount.

I've had folks try to get me to give them like 90% discounts! That tells me they don't respect the value of my work at all. When I say "No", guess what they probably do - go outside our Community to someone else and pay them full price without asking twice.

Now, what is we gon' do?....

"...your dirty laundry gets out of school at 2:30 every day. It's cursing on the way home, on the bus, train, in the candy store..." - Bill Cosby at the annual Rainbow/PUSH conference

So what side do I take regarding Bill Cosby's comments on Black folk - am I pro- or anti-Cosby? I am definitely down with the Coz!

I appreciate his unwavering stance. Who knows exactly why he's doing this, but here's my thought. I think he realizes two things -

1) it needs to be said, and nobody [worth listening to] is saying it.
2) he can say it and not give a hoot what people think about it.

Cosby doesn't have fans that he fears losing - if he loses his 'fans', that ain't no money out of his pocket.

He has no reputation that he needs to uphold in order to keep working in entertainment. In fact, he doesn't need to keep working!

I'm glad to see that he recognizes his position. Many times we talk about big Black superstars who don't use their position and prestige to make a difference. But that's because those stars know that if they step out there, We as a Community won't back them up! But Cosby doesn't need any backup.

From what I know about Cosby's history, I don't think his actions are unprecedented either. People are trying to act like he's just saying all this stuff from some elevated, holier-than-thou position. But I think Cosby's been there, seen it and done it. I think he's done his part for the Cause on more than one occasion. I think he's earned the right to speak.

Shoot - you give me about 90 million dollars and you'll hear what I got to say about some thangs, too! I'll say my piece and be like "now, what?!?..."

"So, this is planet Houston?..." - General Zod in 'Superman II'

Another space shuttle goes up & down successfully....or so it would seem.

You've heard the conspiracy theory - no man has ever been into space. The pictures we see of guys walking on the Moon are done in a sound stage somewhere using special movie effects.

It sounds preposterous - but why? I can't prove that they're wrong. I can't say, "of course people have been on the Moon. I've been there myself, and that's exactly what it looks like!"

It makes me feel powerless to have to just take the government's word for it. But that's what we do. We plug into a NASA-funded Matrix and we accept their kung-fu.

Maybe the Moon is actually made of cheese, and is used by God as a Heaven for mice....

"What is your deepest fear?" - Ken Carter in "Coach Carter"

I finally saw the movie Coach Carter the other day, mainly because my Pastor mentioned it in his sermon. Great movie. I give it an A.

My deep thought - our Community really doesn't do a good enough job of giving credit (awards, ceremonies, news articles, shout-outs) to our community heroes, who are doing huge & great things for people in our Community, with all the best intentions and no need for praise. I'm not talking about folks who help the community because helping the community is part of their job - but people who do it out of self-conviction, and who make personal sacrifice to do so.

It seem like we don't give folks props unless their work affects 125 people or more. If you only affect 17 people, you're not yet worth the praise. That sucks.

Ken Carter had a good spirit, and was also blessed with fantastic teaching ability. A kool prequel to the movie could be "Coach Carter II - Who Inspired Coach Carter?"

"Industry rule number 4080 - record company people are shady..." - Q-Tip in "Check the Rhime", A Tribe Called Quest

I can't imagine how any up & coming rapper in 2005 could still be susceptible to the financial and legal pitfalls that ultimately knocked down so many of our early rap & hip hop stars in the 80's. I mean, there's been so many news reports, hollywood insiders, exposes, true-life stories, books and interviews about how NOT to get caught up in the bling and then be left without enough money to pay your rent, that I figure I could protect myself if I became a rapper today - and I don't even know nuthin' 'bout the music biz! Jeez! Young rappers - it's called the Internet - use it.

by the way.....I may not know about the record business.......but I knoooow my music!:

"On and-and on and on on and on
Like hot butter on the pop the popcorn..."

fresh.....

"...How can you just leave me standing
alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding.
Maybe I'm just like my father - too bold..." - Prince in "When Doves Cry"

There are two types of people in this world - those that react to the world, and those that cause a reaction.

We all need to be bold enough and confident enough in ourselves that we can commit to being an assertive force in this world, and not just reacting to what life throws our way.

Many live their wholes lives trying to "maintain". They react to the bills and the blows and the bad times that come their way, hoping to just fix this problem and then maintain until the next problem comes along. Their life is a constant attempt to break even.

We need to step out. Step up. Step ahead to something better. The only person that tells us we're not meant to be more than what we are is ourselves.

"...UN researchers predicted the current food crisis in Niger months ago. But only now, as millions face starvation and images of dying children sweep the news media, has the international community begun to respond with food aid..." - NewScientist.com news service

"...the sad fact remains that a country struck by disaster is in real trouble as far as Western governments are concerned, unless it has one or all of three things--resources worth stealing, beaches for European tourists or oil in abundance..." - Daily Trust (Abuja)

My wife was telling me about a news report she was watching on tv that talked about the Niger famine. Besides the gory details of the slow death of thousands of children, one point stuck out in my mind - the lack of humanitarian aid. She said that the report pointed out that, once the Tsunami aid effort got going (which was the "kool & hip" aid effort to be a part of), folks just packed up and said "see ya - we'll get back to ya" to the Niger people.

Lesson to be learned - remember to never assume that this world is inherently good in nature. The world is inherently evil, and we should never assume that anyone in it is looking out for our best interests.

"Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." - Romans 12

Genesis 35:10 - "God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. " So he named him Israel." (NIV)

You would never expect a pimp movie to make you have a deep thought, but...

In the movie Hustle & Flow, there's a scene in a church where a woman is singing a spiritual hymn that I've never heard before. The chorus goes something like:

"I told Jesus it was alright if He changed my name..."

The lady repeats the hook several times, and that made it start to sink in - that's a pretty significant statement! I mean, my name is Ricardo. But what if God comes and says, "Now your name is Thomas..." (as an example) What does that mean to my own self-identity?

Of course, God does this a lot in the Bible. He changed a few of the apostles names. He changed the names of some major players in the Old Testament. And the name change was always spiritually significant.

I even think about modern men who changed their name - El-Haaj changing his name from Malcom X. Kwame Ture changing his name from Stokely Carmichael. Both changes represented a spiritual revolution within those men. But at the same time, they CHOSE their new name.

If God decides to GIVE me a new name that I accept - i dunno, that seems deep. I wonder how the apostles felt initially? "Peter? But my name is Simon. Why I gotta be Peter?..." But he accepted it, and in doing so confirmed God's sovereignty.

I need to get my spirit prepared to accept a new name. Because I think God's got plans so big for me, He's going to need for me to be a "new creature" in order to receive it....

"...you know, it's hard out here for a pimp..." - Shug in "Hustle & Flow"

I saw Hustle & Flow last nite. My review?:

• Pretty darn good
• 3.5 out of 5 stars
• thumbs up
• B+

I read a review that called it another blaxploitation film. A misogynistic movie that represents a "crisis of artistic consciousness" found in today's black filmmakers.

Okay, yeah it's about a pimp. Yeah, it's got some whores in it. But a lot of people today look at movies, art, and music with the wrong assumptions. They wanna act like the world ain't really that gritty. That art is supposed to always reflect light, as if there is no dark to be found.

When I watched the movie, I was like, "okay, what is this movie gonna try to say to me? What's the story?" The message was an interesting one - in a nutshell, it involved the yearnings of several people to make their lives more than what they had become.

Would it have been better if it were presented in some positive context? Like some middle-class black folks who go to church and pay their taxes? Maybe - if I planned on taking my 4-year old nephew to the movie with me. But as a grown-folk, I don't always need such Cosby-esque backdrops to be able to get the point.

I think Hustle & Flow could soon become a classic on the level of movies like Juice or Cooley High. For one, the photography used in the film already makes it feel like you're watching Shaft or something. But also, it really has a realistic feel. The interactions between the characters were consistent with my experiences with, and knowledge of people I've known with those same personalities and backgrounds.

Coincidently, that nite I had a dream with the Hustle & Flow movie as the context. It involved a high-speed car chase in a beat up caddy, in which I was driving faster than is physically possible, and with way more skill than I actually have. In the end, i was able to get away because essentially my car started levitating and flying at super speeds.... don't laugh.

"...you're drunk, Bobby..." - Whitney Houston

I really thought Whitney would be the esteemed Diva of my generation. Is it possible for her to recover from this Being Bobby Brown show, and go on to be honored with the likes of Patti Labelle, Anita Baker, Regina Belle, Aretha Franklin?....

She needs to find Jesus....and then introduce Him to Bobby. Will Jesus say "I do not know you..."?

"...I'm a hustla...." - Jay-Z

I hear Jay-Z on more tracks now that he's retired than I ever did when he was 'working'.

A rapper's retirement = "you'll never see my name as top billing, but you'll hear my lyrics more than ever before...."

"....choice is an illusion created by those with power for those without power..." - Merovingian aka "Merv" in "Matrix Reloaded"

I was thinking the other day about the concept of Freedom. We believe we have a Freedom here (in the US) that most of the rest of the world does not. We believe that we are not enslaved like the children of the Sudan, or like the lower castes of India. But if I have to work everyday in order to have money to eat & provide shelter for my family....

hmmm...how to begin....