TheStr8Up

It's The Return...

2010-10-24T07:26:00.001-04:00

UPDATES COMING SOON...STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!

Life...

2010-05-06T13:15:00.000-04:00

Many people have countless opinions about life, it's meaning, and our purpose. None of those people have the answers, though....at least not for others, just them. I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself those questions, and sometimes I even came up with answers. But they were never the same. I guess as time passes, our perspective changes. Everyone has a story to tell...we have all overcome something that we thought would be the end of us. Some may have wanted to quit, to give in, and give up. I know I did.

This post isn't really about anything, but it's also almost about everything. I remember what it felt like to Know without any doubt that I had been dealt a crappy hand. The trials and tribulations were just too hard, for too long, and just too much to deal with. I remember what it was like to pray to whoever or whatever was listening to just make it stop, because I couldn't take it....yet here I am. I'm back in college in pursuit of my goals. I've met some new, interestingly cool people, and I'm stepping further out into the space that was provided for me.

I just felt like saying how thankful I am that I was able to pick up the pieces and move forward with my life after my bout with depression. Others weren't/aren't so fortunate. It's not easy, but it's okay. Lauryn Hill said, "...what a joy it is to be alive...to get another chance...everyday's another chance...to get it right this time..." that's how I feel, and it feels great!

btw I didn't re-read this...just typed what came to me. So, sorry if it's mumbo jumbo : )

No Harm, No Foul? ...I don't buy that...

2010-04-02T23:54:00.004-04:00

Just thought I'd share this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#36155851

Some will want to discredit the report because of the source, but facts are facts and lies are lies. Those who are afraid of intelligent, fact-based debate are those with the least to offer to that debate. We need to hold our elected officials accountable for their misleading and outright false assertions that lead us to support unjustified actions.
It seems that we just react to what we hear or see...When did we stop thinking?

An organization that assisted an underrepresented segment of our population was forced into nonexistence...and for what? Nothing.

The truth is, what we don't know Can hurt us...a democracy is only effective when its electorate are knowledgeable and active...

What's Going On?

2010-03-24T00:42:00.002-04:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#36010598

This is America, Right?! Where we are entitled to opposing opinions, where we are free to voice our opinions... Why are people acting as if elections no longer matter? When an election takes place, the winner (who apparently represents the majority) then attempts to make good on campaign promises... Instead of working together compromise is now a career ending process in politics and extremists are growing in unsettling numbers, or so it seems.

And why aren't these actions being denounced by every member of congress?

WHAT IS GOING ON????

HCR

2010-03-22T00:38:00.005-04:00

When I returned home Sunday night, I was welcomed by the sight of the electric company trying to turn the lights back on in my area....with no cable, and a laptop dead how was I going to witness the health care reform vote that I had been anticipating? Not too worry, after a trip to Wal-Mart to kill the time I arrived back home to the beautiful sight of lights!

So, I plugged up my HP and logged onto CNN to watch the live coverage and onto Twitter to view the reactions. I tweeted at one point that I felt hopeful, not only because health reform had passed the House but because of the TT (Trending Topics) on Twitter! (For those of you not familiar to the lingo - a TT is what everyone seems to be tweeting about) One after the other, tweet after tweet funny, mean, compelling comments and statements about what was taking place in our nation's capital. Regardless of the content whether substantive or irrelevant, we at least were paying attention...which is HUGE plus for the future of America.
In other MAJOR news! Health Care Reform has passed...ushering in a new day in America. There is still much to be done as it relates to health care, ie. personal responsibility among other things, but at least we finally took this step! So, I say GO AMERICA, GO!
And shout outs to the Twam (Twitter Family) who made HCR (Health Care Reform) a TT (Trending Topic) and maybe proved that we aren't as nonchalant or jaded by the nastiness that has become of our politics as the media would chose to insinuate.
This night of history has strengthened my optimism : )

But, one more thing...While on Twitter I ReTweeted a comment by Rachel Maddow "House under Pelosi has now passed stimulus, cap and trade, wall street reform, and health reform." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserves special recognition.

Media Regret

2010-03-19T22:47:00.003-04:00

I've been relatively quiet about the health care debate....not because I didn't have anything to say, but attributed to the fact that I was surprisingly shocked by things that took place, and I wanted to see how it all played out. All the false talk about death panels and government run health care, etc.

The actions that surprised me most were that opposition to the process based on falsehoods went often times unchecked by our media, which made me wonder....after the disaster the became of the Bush Administration could the media be suffering from guilt of some kind? You know how when you mess up really bad, you overcompensate in attempt to make up for your mistake? Well that's what I mean. When we needed them to "grill" our government about the decision to invade Iraq or the Bush tax cuts, the media was mostly MIA. Afraid to speak up I suppose, but at the very least shouldn't they have given us the FACTS?! Now FAST FWD to the Obama Administration's attempt at health care reform. Instead of providing substantive information, the media spent a HUGE amount of time talking about death panels, Obama's citizenship, and other ridiculous topics. Another analogy...you know they say that when a child is desperately seeking attention, you should ignore them and eventually they stop and move on to something else? Same idea here. Instead of the media saying unequivocally, "These statements are false!" and moving on, they talked endlessly which emboldened some people who thought, "well if they're giving it this much attention something must be up...". They focused an enormous amount of time on those who chose to disrupt town hall meeting instead of making their concerns heard in a civil and productive manner. The point is, that while the media should have been providing the truth about what insurance companies do to their clients or what out of control health care costs were going to do to our economy or even encouraging individuals to take personal responsibly for their health in terms of making lifestyle changes, they just focused on nonsensical BS.

We suffered from all that hoopla....those oppose to reform of any kind were able to just stand by fueling fires and not be challenged.

I saw this yesterday and I think it sums up they hypocrisy that is slowly taking over our political system. When are we ordinary citizens going to say to our representatives and our media that "we're not going to be spoon fed lies and nonsense anymore...when you lie or contradict yourself someone is going to call you out..." it's for the betterment of our country and for the stability of our democracy that something changes in the way we govern and are governed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#35941339

"They Sayin' Luda's Back..."

2010-03-09T19:11:00.005-05:00

Okay...first my disclaimer: Ludacris is by Far my favorite rapper EVER! I think he is ridiculously underrated...Ludacris is one of the most versatile, creative, and consistent rappers in the industry. And, I know when some people first read that they'll be like "What?!", BUT it's my opinion. I mean, he currently has songs out with Justin Bieber (Baby) and DJ Khaled (All I Do Is Win)...and has been featured with artists ranging from Jesse McCartney to The Game, among others. And if I'm not mistaken, he has sold 20 million albums. So people should stop hating on his success and keep it moving.
Now to Battle Of The Sexes... I think this is throwback Ludacris. Even though his albums, for the most part, have displayed a good mix of good times and real talk, his 7th studio release is reminiscent of his early work (meaning more fun oriented). This effort is more commercial than his recent releases and for that reason I think it'll sell really well.

The "Intro" sets the tempo for the album and makes it clear that it's going to be a fun ride. Then it's on to the club with the platinum single "How Low" and the good times continue to roll with tracks, "Everybody Drunk" feat. Lil' Scrappy and "Party No Mo" feat. Gucci Mane who to my surprise didn't ruin the song...because Luda didn't let him rap! LMAO (thank goodness).

Dime Divas (as Keri Hilson calls them) get their shout outs on the 2nd single "My Chick Bad" featuring Nicki Minaj (whom I don't particularly care for, but did her thing). On the "My Chick Bad (Remix)", which Ludacris calls The P***y Rules The World version, Diamond, Trina, and Eve hold it down.

Relationships are discussed on tracks "I Know You Got A Man" feat. Flo Rida, and "Hey Ho" feat. Lil' Kim (she killed it) which addresses double standards. "Can't Live With You" feat. Monica is self-explanatory and chronicles the back and forth, should I go should stay questions about relationships. On "B.O.T.S. Radio" feat. Shawna and Lil' Fate both perspective are expressed about various scenarios in relationships.

As demonstrated on past tracks such as "Woozy" and "Contagious", Ludacris knows how to talk about a woman! And, he doesn't disappoint us female fans on this album. On "I Do It All Night" feat. Shawna they brag and go back and forth about their sexual capabilities. The following track "Sex Room" feat. Trey Songz......I don't really know what to say (you should just listen to it!)....very grown and sexy, and very smooth. "Feelin So Sexy" feat. Shawna is another sexy track portraying Shawna as a woman enticing her man, and on the next song "Tell Me A Secret" feat. Ne-Yo has Ludacris talking to his woman encouraging her to tell him a secret so that he can further please and satisfy her.

On the last track of the album, "Sexting" (which made me LOL), Ludacris pokes fun at Tiger Woods' marital issues, and is portraying a sex addict struggling to cope with his condition.

All in all this album is fun and also manages to keep it real as it relates to relationships. It has a lot of potential singles and I hope it does well for him. Even though the whole album is solild I figured I'd pick some favorites so here goes:
"Sex Room"
"How Low"
"I Know You Got A Man"
"Can't Live Without You"
"Tell Me A Secret"
"Everybody Drunk"
"Hey Ho"
"My Chick Bad(Remix)"
I will be jamming this for a while. This turned out to be kinda long....hope this helps.

Re: Obama's Question Time

2010-02-01T22:19:00.005-05:00

For the first time in American history, the President conducted a Q&A with the opposition party on live TV!

If someone was keeping score, it was clear that Pres. Obama won this battle, hands down. As someone who has been attacked by Republicans for over-using teleprompters, and insinuating that he can't talk or think without them, he was poised and demonstrated intricate knowledge of the issues. The President was sharp, witty, and pushed back against false allegations, and called out the GOP on negative and irresponsible campaigning. Obama was also able to address concerns on both sides of the isle.

This experiment was not successful for the Republican party, as Luke Russert reported, a Republican stated off the record that allowing the cameras to stay on was a mistake. As a result of this question and answer session, the President managed to box in the Republicans and left them with two choices: help generate results or let your constituents and the country see you block progress that America desperately needs.

As I watched Obama's Question Time, I was encouraged because we have a President that is capable of standing on his own, and actually knows what the hell he talks about. The guy isn't perfect, but no one is. Political waters get murky, confusing, and the process is often discouraging and doesn't seem fair at times, but at least he is trying...which is more than can be said for the current Republican party.

WATCH Obama's Question Time

2010-02-01T22:04:00.003-05:00

I tried to get the video, but was unable to for some reason, so click the link and watch the President yield questions from Republicans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-jasxb7NY

Obama's 1st Sate of The Union Address

2010-01-27T22:07:00.004-05:00

President Obama in giving his first State of The Union Address was tasked with taking aim at the history making divisive political games that have taken place in Washington, D.C. upon his arrival. He had a job to to and he did it!

Barack Obama proved tonight, that despite some thinking he is to passive and not "tough" enough, he has managed to get a lot done, and continues to generate plans to confront other items on his agenda. He also demonstrated that if nothing else, he has a pulse on "Main Street, USA", and that he hasn't been living in a bubble these past 12 months.

The President took aim at Democrats who were planning to run scared after the improbable election of a Republican Senator in Massachusetts, at the Republicans who have decided that stalling legislation and saying NO is there policy, and even the Supreme Court for overturning a precedent that stood three decisions over the course of 100 years. He set agendas and encouraged the House and Senate to move forward towards health care reform, tax reform, jobs creation, education reform, energy reform, among other things.

Point blank, the press will spin the speech the way that frames their ideology beliefs, but it is important to keep in mind that President Obama isn't stupid, he isn't bashful, and he isn't afraid of being unpopular. This is a man who knows what he believes and will do what he can to make his thoughts a reality.

The President was effective in relaying the necessary messages on the economy and other issues that he set forth during his campaign. Americans should not only continue to be hopeful, but we should all do what we can to propel out country forward and not wait on others to dictate the future of our lives.

HOPE FOR HAITI NOW

2010-01-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

Text SP to 85944 to donate $10 to Samaritans Purse...
Text GIVE to 50555 to contribute $10 to Hope For Haiti Now...
You can even try calling 877-99-HAITI (42484)...
Make donations online at hopeforhaitinow.org...
And, check out hopeforhaitinow.org/maps to views messages from around the world...
Let's go ppl!

LeToya Luckett's "Lady Love"

2009-10-07T16:20:00.009-04:00

"Lady Love" is THE best R&B Album of 2009!

The album is presented from the perspective of a mature woman who's been there and done that: been in love, hurt by love, grew tired of love, and grew from love.

I LOVE this album and I've been playing this album non-stop since I got it on Sunday, but if I had my favorites, I'd say:

Lady Love - Expresses the reality of the do it all/be it all woman.

She Ain't Got... - This is the "oh Hell NO!" anthem where she effortlessly taunts her cheating boyfriend and proclaims her superiority above the competition.

Not Anymore - She rejects the notion of accepting underappreciation and mistreatment in her relationship and moves on.

Lazy - Depicts the burn out that some people feel with relationships that leads them to ultimately grow weary and lose hope in finding love.

I Need A U - Describes the yearning of wanting "that man" in your life (more specifically, your bedroom...)

Take Away Love Feat. Estelle - Borrows the advice that I've heard from older women that "if you want to end a relationship with someone - STOP HAVING SEX with them!"

Don't Need You - Reaffirms the decision to pursue real happiness and leave a toxic relationship.

Album also includes: "Good To Me", "Over", "Regret" Feat. Ludacris, "Tears", "Matter", "After Party", "Drained", and "Love Rollercoaster" which featured LeToya.

As I said, the whole album is great and If you enjoy Real R&B you'll love it!

It's Been A Long Time...

2009-10-07T16:10:00.002-04:00

Damn, I did not realize it had been such a long time since my last post. It's not like I didn't have tons to say, but sometimes life gets so busy, fast, and whatever else to make time for sitting at the ol' computer.

I'm definitely going to try and do better though.

Quickly:
American is too politically motivated and greedy to make any real changes that will benefit its citizens and EVERY Senator & Congressman who is stalling and ultimately votes against health care/insurance reform should NOT be re-elected!

Furthermore....OBAMA better STRENGTHEN his damn SPINE! I'm a supporter but he is getting on my nerves with his "let's hold hands and be friends"passive aggressive approach. He needs to be forthright about what he wants and get it done!!!

My Reaction to "NOT Born In The USA?"

2009-07-28T16:31:00.009-04:00

There is NO doubt in my mind that the majority of "Birthers" are individuals who are angry that America elected a person of color to the highest office in the world. Some may be racist, but I'll hesitate to generalize on that scale. These people are genuinely frightened and desperate to hold on to what they feel has been taken from them and on the verge of being destroyed. I will say that if there was an individual born to an Irish father attending Harvard University and a mother from Maine, this would be a non-issue. This is the basis of their argument (once people began calling them idiots)....he isn't a "natural born citizen" because his father was a Kenyan in America going to school, which doesn't make him a US citizen, and therefore makes his child Non American because you have to be born to two AMERICAN parents. Are they serious? I don't know the percentage, but I would think that that would make an enormous chunk of the American population Non American. Someone born abroad to foreign parents who moves here as a child, grows up to marry someone born in America to American parents - their child(ren) aren't American? ....which would mean that their grandchildren wouldn't be American either? It's crazy and reckless and dangerous. This careless rhetoric perpetuates hate and breeds anger and fear, which is what happened in the case of Timothy McVeigh and what George Wallace did during the Civil Right Movement.
This is America....this is not behavior becoming of the most powerful and influential power in the world. I don't even know what to say. I'm angry, disappointed, ashamed, and maybe even a little scared. This is supposed to be America - the country who unfortunately consistently falls short of its ideals.

Is this America?

NOT Born In The USA?

2009-07-28T15:47:00.012-04:00

The Birthers' stance is that Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen of the U.S. of A. and therefore was NOT even eligible to become President of the United States.

It's been going on for a while - people....Americans willing to bet their homes and would probably swear on the lives of their children that the 44th President of the United States of America is NOT A CITIZEN of the country he is leading. I mean, really??? Okay, let's go back to the US Senate, the Illinois State Senate, the IRS, employers - you're going to tell me that no one knew until now?

His birth certificate and statement of live birth, the announcement in two Honolulu newspapers, and the conformation by Hawaii's Dept. of Health just don't appear to be enough. Factcheck.org, along with many other journalists and organizations, looked into the matter and concluded that Barack Hussein Obama is indeed a US citizen. Hopefully the chatter is coming to an end.

The American Dream or Fantasy?

2009-07-23T09:06:00.006-04:00

I was listening to NPR. They were playing listener responses to this this question: What is the American dream? Of course this made me think about various opinions that I've heard, such as my FAVorite political junkie, Bill Maher who once said that the American dream was really a fantasy. I thought this was very interesting. So, think about it. What is the 1st image that comes to mind when you here that phrase? Mom, dad, two kids, maybe a dog, a house, and a picket fence, right? And how's they get there? Working hard and playing by the rules, maybe going to college even. Well this isn't how most Americans live these days. Divorce rates at 50% and many people are raised in single-parent households...The majority of Americans do not own their own home, and going to college, earning a degree isn't a guarantee of anything except you'll more than likely have student loans, and other dept. Not to mention the millions of Americans that work at least 40-hours a week, maybe more, and can't afford to supply themselves or their family with health insurance. Since the old playbook doesn't seem to apply anymore, what's the new American dream, and who decides?? As far as I'm concerned, the American dream means having the opportunity to determine my own success or failure. It means being able to pursue a career and provide a happy, healthy, productive life for myself and my family. This is the best country in the world because of the possibilities that exist. The opportunities may not be readily available for everyone (that's a blog for another day) but they are out there. I saw a quote somewhere that said (I think) I dream my painting then I paint my dream. The American dream is no longer narrowly defined, it lies on a blank sheet for each individual to write his or her own life story.

What does the American dream mean to you?

In A Perfect World...

2009-07-23T08:06:00.010-04:00

And, while I'm thinking about music, I HAD to give "Miss Keri Baby", Keri Hilson, a shout-out. Her album, In A Perfect World is dope! I saw an interview where she said that she wanted to represent for all types of women and give real talk, I think she did just that.

My favorites....."Tell Him The Truth", "How Does It Feel", "Alienated"....like I said the whole album is really nice, I didn't even name the singles.

Her album was pushed back for a couple of times, but it was worth the wait (and I'm still late getting hip to it). She is amazingly talented with the pen and her voice is nice too, not to mention she seems really cool (I even saw a youtube video of her juggling - lol)

Anyways, go check it out.

Inda.Arie's Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics

2009-07-23T07:47:00.005-04:00

This is by far one of the best albums I have ever heard. I've always been a fan of India.Arie but this album is amazing. I think this is her best work yet.

"River Rise" is my absolute favorite song on the album (God knows I've been there), along with "The Cure" and "Beautiful Day", which was written with Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America".

Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics is fun and heartfelt and as always, India.Arie keeps it way real. Check it out.

President Obama's First 100 Days

2009-04-26T17:11:00.005-04:00

I've heard about how a President's first 100 days in office is a good indicator of how well they'll do during their term. Some say the Obama Administration is doing too much, others say they aren't doing enough.

The Obama Administration has shown me that they were prepared for the tasks at hand and they have or are tackling the issues that will ultimately determine our fate as a nation. I think they've done a great job setting the tempo and I hope they will continue to move forward.

Is the Obama team living up to the hype?

I thought this CNN web page was neat (only because CNN is planning to make the 29Th comparable to election night and inauguration coverage.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRE: Obama's first 100 days littered with broken promises

DAILY FINANCE: President Obama's first 100 days: An impressive start

THE HUFFINGTON POST: OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS

POLITICO: 100 days: What Obama wants you to read

Barack Obama In Europe

2009-04-04T12:50:00.004-04:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7980835.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6032407.ece

Europe LOVES the Obamas! I just hope their affection for our President will translate into their cooperation with the U.S. on various issues, i.e. war on terror or the global financial crisis.
Time will tell.

Bye Bye, Chrysler?

2009-03-30T11:44:00.007-04:00

I just finished watching the President's press conference about the auto industry. If the American auto industry had been adjusting to the changing times, they would not be in this situation. Chrysler is going to fail and I don't think there is much that can be done about it. I viewed a list of top selling cars so far this year and foreign auto makers dominated the top spots. Apparently, Honda and Toyota make better cars and a funny thing happens - people buy them.

There are a lot of contributing factors to the auto industry having problems, like health care, but someone had to know that this was coming.

If you don't evolve you perish, and that's what happening to the American auto industry as we knew it.

And Another One...

2009-03-27T10:57:00.011-04:00

This situation (in short) involves a young black male who rolled through a red light in route to a hospital, trying to make it before his mother-in-law dies...he is stopped (and understandably so) but then, the officer pulls a gun on him & his family. What was the point? Who knows, but needless to say, it was unfortunate. Watch the videos - Part 1 & Part 2.

Excerpt from SI article:

DALLAS (AP) -- A police officer was placed on administrative leave Thursday over a traffic stop involving an NFL player whom he kept in a hospital parking lot and threatened to arrest while his mother-in-law died inside the building.
Officer Robert Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats in the Dallas suburb of Plano, police said.
"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident. When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."

I won't even say this situation was racist at all, but the cop is an inconsiderate dumbass.

Presidential Press Conference

2009-03-26T12:21:00.015-04:00

I thought President Obama did a great job in terms of his performance and also offered solid information about the future of our country during his press conference March, 24, 2009.

I don't understand how people still don't realize why the solutions to our problems seem so massive. If we, within our government and our society, decided to operate based on what was best for America instead of deciding what was best on the bottom line, health care costs wouldn't be so high, there would be more affordable access to higher education, and we would not have to send billions of dollars around the world to support our oil addiction. All I hear from opponents is, "It's too much.", "We can't afford this now.", and it goes on and on.

(As I write this, I see news that House Republicans have crafted a budget that cuts Obama's proposal in half, I haven't compared them yet, but I'm sure it'll be interesting.)

Stay informed, people. This juncture in our history and in our lives is way too important to hide until we think it's safe to come out. And, it doesn't just mean, following the political games, but taking the necessary steps to educate the children in your lives, conserving energy, recycling, practicing healthy lifestyles, etc. One on my friends is fond of this quote, "It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies." - Noam Chomsky. To me this quote means that if you know better , you should do better, and if you do better, the people and community around you will be better because of it. Let's "be the change" because "in a small way you can shake the world." - Gandhi

Get Involved

http://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org/

http://www.bgca.org/

And if you don't have time to join with an established organization, start where you are. Help the kids in your family, in your community. Let's Go!

Finally, A Financial Plan From The Obama Administration

2009-03-23T10:39:00.003-04:00

http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/23/news/companies/treasury_plan/index.htm

I haven't gone over the details with a fine-toothed comb, but from what I gather this plan will allow private investors to buys bad assets with the government matching what the investors put up. This plan also gets credit flowing again to make it easier to get loans.

And I guess Wall Street like the plan because as I write this, the Dow is up 265 points.

Obama Extends Hand To Iran

2009-03-22T11:17:00.002-04:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52L0P120090322

Iran became a major player in the region because of the War in Iraq, but has since become more financially fragile due to the global economic crisis. I think common ground can be found if the U.S. and Iran worked on having a better relationship - America needs to increase safety measures and Iran needs sanctions to be lifted. I think the Iranian people are growing tired of their government, just as we grew tired of ours...this may be the best time for policy reform (I Hope). Leaders in Iran have voiced their opinions about Obama's recent actions, so I guess we'll have to stay tuned.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

2009-03-19T17:25:00.004-04:00

Some people are expressing anger/disappointment about Pres. Obama completing a Men's NCAA Basketball bracket for ESPN or that he is going to appear on Jay Leno tonight. But, it was not so long ago that Pres. George W. Bush was in office (sometimes) and took more vacation days than any other President in American history. If people have paid attention during the year, it may take 20 minutes to fill in their March Madness brackets.

I know our country is going through a rough time, but Barack Obama is just like anyone else with other interests. I mean, so what he filled out a bracket. It isn't as if he spent time on the job researching his picks, and he isn't going to be watching every game while at work - like millions of people do everyear, costing companies millions of dollars.

Lighten up & enjoy the Madness!!!!

Go Tarheels!!!!!

Random Thinking: What's Gonna Happen To America?...

2009-03-18T12:15:00.006-04:00

Because of the greed and over-consumption in America, do we deserve to fall flat on our faces? Recently we have become outraged with "the big boys" who make all the money, angry at their practices, and annoyed with their excuses, etc. Wall Street and big business were operating with the same mentality before the recession as they are now, so why do we seem surprised? How has America become a reactive nation? The close call we had with the near collapse of our financial services sector (and by default our country) should have served as a warning about being complacent and ignoring the important issues that can either contribute to the benefit or detriment of our society... but as we've seen, those responsible for our problems have not changed their ways which makes it enevitable that we will ourselves in this place again.

Education among the worst of any industrialized nation, the health of our citizens is lagging behind, and we're becoming ancient in our thinking processes. When will we look ahead five, ten, twenty-five years from now, instead of just focusing on the 24-hour news cycle/political election cycles so that we can be prepared to meet the awaiting challenges.

Get involved in your government! Democracies are participatory...

Absinence Only Sex Ed...Still?

2009-03-17T20:44:00.008-04:00

With the Pope's latest remarks reinforcing the practice of foregoing comprehensive sex education, along with the report about the AIDS epidemic in Washington, DC , the conversation about sexual health has been propelled into the forefront.

Abstinence only education is unrealistic. The argument that educating young people about sex will encourage more of them to have sex is ridiculous. If anything, the discussing of sex without details or information will make them more curious and increase the likelihood that they experiment with unsafe sex, because they won't know about contraceptives or the consequences for failing to protect yourself.

I am a proponent of disseminating knowledge and information, as well as encouraging abstinence. All of the females that I know say they wish they had waited until they got older before having sex. This is due to experiencing the physical and emotional consequences of sex. Unfortunately, teenagers think they know everything. If the teenagers exposed to comprehensive sex education decide to have sex, they can make an informed decision. However, if they chose not to put the information they've received to use, they will have no one else to blame.

Sex education of any kind, along with other information should start at home. With that said, it is important to talk to children early, before their friends tell them everything, and then there's no room for what you have to say. There are websites to give parents tools and tips regarding this and other topics, use them.

CEO's: "Gimme More"...

2009-03-15T18:02:00.005-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/15/AIG.bonuses/

So, you do a crappy job running a bank and in order to Not fail you need money from taxpayers... And after all of this you think you deserve to be heavily compensated? Seriously? If your institution received taxpayer dollars not only should there be no bonuses given, but their salaries should be limited.

Rape Used As A Cure?

2009-03-14T11:52:00.004-04:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE52C3MN20090313

I honestly don't even know what to say about this news. Ignorance, intolerance, and the need to feel powerful and in control has been the catalyst for all the hatred, violence, and discrimination in our world. Those who lack something inside of them, at their core, feel the need to compensate by attempting to control the actions of someone else. It's just sad...and I really don't know what else to say.

CHRihanna

2009-03-11T12:12:00.017-04:00

It's hard to find a news source that isn't talking about Chris Brown's assault on Rihanna, and with new details leaking everyday day (it seems) the coverage will no doubt continue to dominate our air waves.

What causes a woman, and in some cases men, to live with the abuse of someone they think they love and that they love back? My guess would be: emotional and financial dependence, poor self esteem and minimal value of self worth. It would appear that Rihanna has everything, but there has to be a void that has allowed her to let her boyfriend control her, and that IS what she has done. It is impossible to control the actions of someone else, but we can choose how we deal with circumstances and situations that arise, right? While listening to The Steve Harvey Morning Show today, I listened to Angel Burt-Murray discuss the many angles, perspectives, and opinions her magazine, Essence, has received about what I heard DeDe McGuire dub, CHRihanna Gate. During the conversation, Mrs. Burt-Murray spoke about violence in teen relationships increasing, and how 80% of abused women return to their abuser. Now, I knew this was a prevalent issue and a taboo, but 80%? That stat struck me to the core. I mean, just imagine the lasting effects that could have on someone, on the children who may witness such violence...look at Chris Brown. He has publicly spoken about the abuse he saw his mother be subject to, and Knew it was wrong, but now here he is.

Now, because this unfortunate incident took place with celebrities at the forefront, there has been widespread attention and countless opinions given about what the parties involved should and/or shouldn't do, but this also gives way to the discussion of a very serious and potentially deadly problem. What Rihanna decides to do with her life regarding her relationship with Chris Brown will no doubt have it's ramifications to her life and career, but what about her young fans. Especially those who may be experiencing similar circumstances, what message does it send?

I hope for her sake, and for the subsequent implications it will have on her young fans, that she is able to obtain the help, strength, and guidance she needs to leave Chris Brown and move on with her life. Then I hope she'll take it a step further and let women know that a man who hits you, chokes you, bites you, smashes your head against a window, and tells you that he is going to kill you, as Chris Brown did to her (among other things) doesn't deserve the least bit of the love you have to offer. However, if she is unable to leave, she could face the similar fate of countess women who are no longer here because the did not leave or those who snapped and are now incarcerated.

As Oprah Winfrey recently stated, as too many women can attest to, if a man hits you once he Will hit you again. According to a statement given to police, this wasn't the first time that Chris Brown had been violent with Rihanna and it's even more sad that this wasn't the first time that she went back.

Talk to the kids in your life. And, I don't want to hear that she provoked him and somhow deserved what she got. I read the reports that she slapped him first or pushed him, but did she send him to the hospital? No. It is never right for a male to strike a female, regardless of age or status. Someone told me about a relative of theirs being assaulted by his girlfriend. He was stabbed in his back while trying to leave. Many would say that he would have been more than justified if he had opted to smack the hell out of her, but he didn't. He left, called police, and moved on with his life. Being a real man or woman is about having control of your actions and being responsible for them.

You can check out http://www.ndvh.org/ for more information about domestic violence, including seeking help. You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

The BIG Leagues

2009-03-10T13:51:00.007-04:00

In life, I've often seen how people make poor decisions, and carry them out with confidence and enthusiasm. It isn't until they get caught or someone gets hurt that they feel sorry and want to shift blame, among other things....I will proclaim that I'm not a baseball fan, I usually only watch the world series, but I don't like how the powers that be have handled the situation.

So, why is it that the commissioner wants to pretend as though he, along with management, doesn't deserve blame for the steroids era? I mean, wasn't MLB dwindling until Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa started launching home runs? Now those in charge seem to be obsessed with punishing and embarrassing the players who "cheated". Recently, the commissioner even thought about suspending A-Rod. For what? The now banned substances weren't being tested for during that time.

Most of the major names from the pre-testing steroids era, ie. Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, among others were power hitters, but since they've begun testing the overwhelming majority of those who tested positive are pitchers. This tells me, or at least makes it reasonable to assume, that the majority of the users were pitchers...so if the pitchers were "juiced" and the hitters were "juiced" they were on a level playing field - sort of. Also, why is it that current players who test positive for banned substances aren't put on blast at the same level as those who "cheated" before they tested? Yes, I know superstar status has a lot to do with it, but you get the point.

The solution? Just slap an * in the record books and get over it. At least they are testing for enhancers now, which is a step in a positive direction. In life when people make mistakes, what do we do? We acknowledge the mistake, seek help, make a correction, and move on - MLB should do the same.

...Robbie Tolan Dec. 31, 2008

2009-03-09T20:50:00.013-04:00

Where was Rev. AL Sharpton when this happened? I maintain, he doesn't generate the media buzz (the majority of the time), he follows it.... If the mass media isn't talking about it, it seems as though he doesn't care.

This was a classic case of racial profiling, and it takes place everyday. A serious problem for a lot of minorities. While most instances do not end in this manner, it is still a major problem that should be discussed and explored.

I took the Implicit Association Test, or I.A.T. (select "I wish to proceed" then select the Race IAT..follow instructions from there), a while ago, and I was somewhat amazed by the results because it showed that I viewed African Americans in a negative light. My first thought was, "Why?". Once I thought about it, it was clear that media depictions had helped to form my views...against my own race. Think about it. In music, movies, TV, the news, etc. African Americans tend to get a bad wrap. Yes, I know that there are examples in these formats of African Americans doing well, but I think that the negative dominates the characterization. I also know that this is not necessarily a racist stance, because America loves violence and drama, and it may be due the fact that there are so relatively few of us in the U.S. Nevertheless, it's not right. There were people who feared for their lives because Obama sought and ultimately won the presidency. It was because the images of people of color had not been positive, and they apparently never met any that dispelled what they saw and heard from new sources and entertainment.

I was prompted to write this after speaking to a friend and learning of the piece done on Real Sports (Clip 1, Clip 2), and wanted to speak on it. I hope people will make the term "open-minded" a verb instead of just an adjective. And you know what I mean....(People like Bill O'Reilly who claim to be open-minded, but yet are surprised when they see black people in a restaurant using utensils and speaking and acting like people and not animals...) Being open-minded is about accepting & respecting people for who they are and not judging them based on what they look like or how they're dressed.

Zoning The Political Landscape

2009-03-09T16:37:00.003-04:00

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/09/high-court-decides-against-expanding-minority-voter-rights/

This isn't the first I've heard about states redrawing the lines, and as a result change the voting dynamics of certain districts to be more favorable to Republican candidates. Is this intentional voter disenfranchisement or not?

Reaction To Obama's Budget...

2009-03-09T13:41:00.004-04:00

Okay, this will be brief...
Why are people still going crazy about the proposed budget? If the government would have been taking action on energy, education, health care, etc. we wouldn't need this much money to fix the problems. I get sooo tired of people who remained passive in the past all of a sudden deciding to get pissed off and block someone's attempt to actually try do something (& that's to Democrats & Republicans alike). The only reason the price tag is so high is because our elected officials were so lax in doing the right things for America and too busy lining their pockets.

When will we reach a point where we take time to THINK about problems, and work together to bring about solutions. Regardless of political ideology, I feel that on most issues (non-moral issues) there is common ground that solutions could be generated and implemented.

The Invisible Controversy

2009-03-08T15:41:00.004-04:00

I know that I'm late commenting about this, but I had to talk about the NY Post cartoon (people are still talking about it).

I saw Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC and immediately changed the channel. I am one of those post racial kids who have no interest in Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. I am an African American woman, so I know that discrimination & racism are alive and well in America, and I've experienced them myself, but this isn't what my blog is about.

The only way I can describe it is to say that when you have spent the majority of your life seeking and bringing light injustices and unlawful act against minorities, you kinda start looking for them everywhere, even if you don't mean to. Al Sharpton saw the cartoon and immediately said, "that's Barack Obama!". I stared at that cartoon for at least 2-3 minutes and saw nothing racist about it. Maybe because I know that congress writes legislation and there was nothing else to suggest that the dead chimp was a depiction of our current president. Once word spread about Mr. Sharpton's displeasure, protests broke out and it seemed that everybody was pissed off, it was like mass hysteria or something. People were mad because someone told them they should be mad.

Needless to say it irritated me. I was disappointed with the reaction and the hype the situation received. Black people tend to be reactive as opposed to being proactive. No one stopped to ask the question, "Why did they think it was okay to print this? They should have known that it could be interpreted in a negative way." It was because there wasn't a person of color contributing to the decision to print the cartoon. An older African American or at least someone aware of our recent history would have said, "I'm not sure about this. I see your point, but this could be viewed negatively. Let's try something else." I get tired of people seeking to be the victim all the time. Instead of reacting to why something happened, think about what could have been done to bring about a different outcome.

Now, I'm not bashing anyone, because Al Sharpton and others from his generation, of all races, have done a lot to bring American to where it is now, but they have to learn to change and adjust in order to be more effective. Being angry and demanding apologies isn't going to change anything or help anyone. There was nothing wrong with the cartoon, I got the point.

Intro

2009-03-08T15:06:00.004-04:00

I'm glad I finally started a blog. I always have something to say about everything, and now I have a place to say it! I also enjoy hearing other perspectives and I look forward to the comments and criticisms.

I Hope You Enjoy TheStr8Up truth about what I feel, how I think, and what I have to say!