Show you azz & azz holes will watch.

Point of order, no more photo journalism from me. Was down and out for three days with chills, fever of 104 and swollen glands, not to mention a sore throat that did not allow me to talk (my students loved that). I was also reminded that it is very hard and even impossible to write when one is sleep – learn something new every day. Any who, was back in class and was about to cover/introduce analysis of variance (ANOVA). I asked my class why we use T-Test and the assumptions of the T-test. They did not know and could not tell me. So I asked them to tell me the name of a reality TV show, and they named about 20. On all case I asked who they were. They looked at me like I was stupid.

So I said in essence, yawl know these folks, who they dating and don’t know what we cover in class. “Tell me who stupid?” Yawl pay about this much”, I proceeded to open my arms as wide as I could and continued. “Is that not more important than some show on TV that aint even real but acting?” They all shut up and I proceeded to write and work my problems on the board. Now what I am about to say is conjecture and the opinion of folk here alone. But I do not see the fascination of looking at something on television that obviously aint real. I mean in most cases, it is merely folks, insincere folks, trying to get famous, make someone or get with some star.

Is the fabric of America so dilapidated that we no longer desire to work for self and cannot think for self and what the easiest way out to what some perceive as success. It seems that folks get on the shows and go to town showing they azz and acting a fool, as if they have no home training. As if the main requirement is to be mentally and intellectually dysfunctional. Not to mention, that many deal with the most morally abject problems in our society – going to jail, greed, and sex. Seems too that the majority of these shows, especially with women, are designed to do what I figure a woman can do without being on TV – find love. What woman in their right mind would be on a show, chasing a man that is boning and grinding and kissing every woman in the house? Women that fight each over in spectacle like the old day gladiators of ancient Rome. And I suspect the men are just as foul too.

Now all this is speculation, for reality TV for me when I was growing up was sports, especially boxing. I figure a reality show should at least be real and teach you something. I remember folks used to say wrestling was real, just as they say this stuff today is real. I have maybe seen a portion of a few of the shows when over folks houses and they would always laugh when I would ask what or who is that. I have only seen two of today’s reality shows that taught me something and close to being real. Survivor man – where I learned how to piss around sand with plastic and a cup underneath to generate water and Man versus Wild (where I learned how to cook a boa constrictor- I normally sauté snake meat).

I don’t know where we are headed, it is as if we care to admire and watch folks that show their azz on TV in an effort to either get attention or attract fame. Even if that means fighting and chasing a man and throwing one’s self after said man as if a groupie or gold digger, when we know their parents or grandparents aint teach them such, or if being a rude tough guy who is disrespectful and self-centered is what defines manhood.

Now I know some of the shows, that deal with singing, or cooking, or moddeling , or designing or home decorating are different in some respects. But still, tell me, why do student I teach care or no more about so-called reality TV than their course work? Why would they laugh at me for not knowing who the fck they were talking about as opposed to laughing at themselves for not knowing what they covered already in class? Well one thing I do know if you show your azz on TV an asshole is sure to be watching.

only thing worse than a recession

is rain. Seeds gotta eat.

open thread (3.27.2009)

How hard is for you during these really bad economic times?

fundamentals still aint sound

As of late I have become disappointed. Now I am a man who lives at his means, well really below my means in the current economic climate. I just wish the folks in Washington, them in the Whitehouse and them on Capital hill could see such. Now I know many get mad because I hold our leadership to task, but it is what we do given the principle of liberty. And if any of yawl know in 2003, I wrote an essay in my book Dirt Behind My Ears, predicting that Obama would be our first African American President. 4 years before he even ran and 6 years before he was sworn in - so don’t trip.

But what bothers me is the lack of clarity and I hate to say it, transparency. I mean the Democrats won the white house by being very critical of the Bush Approach to the war and the Economy. Not to mention John McCain gave them the Whitehouse when he said the “fundamentals of the Economy were sound.” Particularly, it was how Obama kept hammering at Bush by saying that the deficit spending of his administration was irresponsible – which it was. The problem for me is that although in office briefly, his first proposed budget triples this fiscal year’s current deficit.

This is not an example of the government tightening their belts. As an individual American, I cant triple my debt and expect to survive or be economically responsible without fear of loosing my home or my business. I in fact have had to tighten my economic belt just to make ends meet. Why can’t the current administration and the folks in Congress do the same?

And I am talking as a person who started his own business with $60,000 of my own cash, as a person who pays himself and as a single parent. I am not one who depends on others to write me a check to live on and I don’t expect folk who don’t to really get what I am attempting to say. I mean this budget as well as the bail out place US and tax payers to more exposure and risk than the government, more so now than anytime in history.

Not to mention I am tired of folk giving me the okie doke about the Wall Street financial giants saying they are too big to fail. Folk, this is capitalism, business fail all the time and others take their place. If they to big to fail, to me they too big to exist. Then you talk about Banks and Bank holding companies in one breath as if they are the same. They are not. The FDIC can deal with banks, but can’t go into Bank Holding companies like AIG or Citigroup. So You not putting loot in banks, but rather bank holding companies.

Dumping money in a failing institution aint the way to solve this problem Mr. President, we need to restructure our finical system in concert with giving these folk loot. All around the nation, from the local to state level, governments are reducing their budgets not expanding them. Why can’t the federal government do this? And its not just the Dems, it’s the GOP too. They talk all that mess and don’t even have one constructive suggestion to suggest. They just complain. Now true I said a long time ago Geitner was the wrong man for the job and gave out about 10 others I thought were better to get us out this mess. But he there now so I aint tripping, but for the GOP to say he should leave without offering who they would replace him with, and bich over little nit picking shit borders on stupidity.

So I say April 15^th, if you owe some loot tell them folk to suck your private parts and don’t pay. If they aint got the balls to let the banks fail, or tell these mf’s they giving our loot too who still run the companies that got us in this mess to resign, or don’t revisited getting the laws on the book that got us in this mess such as the commodity futures modernization act, they can fail economically too. Cause our fundamentals still aint sound.

Y u biching

Yep, I am asking a question, why are you bitchin'? Why are you complaining? What do you have to complain about? Why you getting mad over bich shit? Did some one call you out your name; are you just a soft person who gets offended at the drop of a dime? If so, then I am likely talking to you.

I have written a zillion of times how I think folks should just work hard and don’t complain and how if you like what you see when you look in the mirror and live every day with kindness in your heart, then each day is a good day to die.

After my homeboys dispatched of Maryland by 19 points, I left the shop early. And it wasn’t a block buster day with respect to sales so I came home and cooked. For the first time in a while I watched the NCAA Wrestling championships. Great matches I must say. But what struck me was a match in which this kid loss. He ended up getting 4th place but he was truly a champion and a representation of what it means to not feel sorry or get upset or complain about shit. His name was Anthony Robles.

And although he did not win he was an All-American for the 2nd year in a row. What struck me besides him walking off the mat with his crutches and the 10 minute standing ovation he received from the entire arena was what he said in his interview. In essence he said he had been made fun off, called all sorts of names and that it never bothered him. That he knew who he was and that they were just words. That he made it because of focus, determination and hard work, and that he never let anything anyone said distract him or hurt him, that he believed and knew he was always a champion.

So for me, it’s a great look to hear such refreshing words in a time when folks get mad and upset over small things; over words, or complain because they think it is hard. It is refreshing to see some one that I would love for all kids to look up too and focus on as opposed to Chris Brown and his court case, or Lil Wayne, Andre 3000 or Kanye West.

So the next time you feel like bitchin about something, or your feelings get hurt when someone’s says something you don’t like, or get mad when a monkey in a CARTOON is shot – reflect and just try and walk in his leg. Yep, he has just one, and although he did not win the NCAA national championship, in my heart he did, and he is a champion. Many of us say can't, or I can't do that, but the real winner never use the word can't. He never did.

lil moma in college

lil momma went to college today again. She was my best student, always wanted to teach my kids at university level. She sat in front row too and said Statistics is her favorite class. So what her pencil upside down.

A nation of Ralph Tresvants

I have come to notice that it seems to be the business of the day for us in this country to be over sensitive and too politically correct. It is as if we have no backbone or fortitude and even intolerant to the point of where we want and expect all to be or think as we do. This is a scary thing for me for it borders on totalitarianism and even fascism. By the first, I mean the ideology in which all social, political, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual activities are subordinated to the purposes of a guidance that purports there is one way to behave or think. Moreover, to the point in which nearly every aspect of public and private life has to fall into a single all-embracing ideology that regulates and restricts free thought, discussion and criticism.

It is so bad that folk can get offended over anything, especially if they are grounded on the correctness of politics and even more so if they attach emotions to their supposedly empirical and rational thought. I feel that such behavior, and I use the word feel intentionally, is detrimental and even dangerous to free thought, creative prowess and ingenuity. I even think such behavior is one reason why as a nation we have fallen collectively as world leaders in science, technology, industry, and education. We have no backbone and will continue to fade into obsurity for we don't even have the ability to stand up forth right in the midst of disaggreement or even accept that folks may think and do differently than our own standards.

So all of us really need to re-evaluate what is it about us that makes us so intolerable and so sensitive about little things that we miss the big picture? What is it about us that always defines a purview with I or me or my before the collective? Get some backbone folk for the way it appears, it is as if we have become a nation of overly sensitive gnomes, even more sensitive than Ralph Tresvant. Good day

May as well tax my farts

Yo, before I start, I wanna thank the President for revisiting and accepting that his recovery plan over looked the folks who produce 80% of the job creation in America – small business owners like me. I appreciate that, although many of us don’t have SBA loans and save our own loot to start our own businesses – like me. So you can still do a little more. Second, glad you finally addressed them original gangsters, I mean bankers I spoke about in my last post with respect to AIG. Now to make a lot of folk happy, press some criminal charges for their criminal behavior. But unfortunately, I have something else I want to say about one of your proposals.

Namely what you speak of in your recover plan (by now I am sure that everyone has read it) regarding legislation to create a cap and trade system on greenhouse gas emissions for the production of energy. Now dumb azz me wants to know what the fuck is a cap and trade system on greenhouse gas emissions? And why does it seems that Carol Browner seem to be able to foster this position without the economist on your team having a say so on this proposal?

I worry both about the short and long term economic impact of mandating energy company’s pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide. To me taxing the release of carbon is a carbon tax that will be passed out to folk like me who hurting the most. This is really just an increases in the cost of energy for not only will production and transportation cost go up but also the cost of staples such as food. For we all know the few manufactures left in America will either pass these costs along to the customer (higher prices) or layoff folk.

Obama’s administration is proposing goals and timelines for reduction of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide. If so, to me this is saying your recovery plan is designed to make unemployment higher and encourage less economic growth. Maybe the President should stop kicking it with the man who lost his own state when he ran for the Presidency and the self proclaimed inventor of the internet Al Gore. Because to me, this sounds like some Al Gore shit. That’s right; him and his folks are SELLING Carbon credits via his new company.

And don’t hate, all I am saying that President Barack Obama’s plan to raise taxes on greenhouse gas polluters (big industry) will just be a tax increase for all. I mean at least think that the possibility exist that these big companies as all normally do, will just mean higher electric bills. I’m sure the President will raise his anticipated $646 billion over 10 years, but at the cost of folk here who will have given a trillion dollars to big banks and Wall Street companies. Because derivative traders the likes that grew out of the Enron school of thought will end up with more loot in their hands - Wall St. crooks. Because this will have the greatest impact on the utility rates of states that depend mostly on electricity from fossil-fuels and them that produce fossil fuels for power generation. Then folk speak of transparency but I don’t see it since the after hour market trading will inevitably just raise up the cost. My query is why pick on carbon? Shit, there are a lot more pollutants more harmful than carbon like mercury and arsenic. I’m still trying to find out when CO2 became an environmental problem.

So for me, its just hard to figure out how the Obama budget will work or is factual seeming that it is purported on getting billions from a program that doesn't exist and for which no legislation is written for. Especially after reading the MIT report on the subject (which says you wont raise as much loot as the administration claims). Maybe I should be looking at Harlem Nights or Baldwin Heights or one of them other BET shows, or maybe even Chris Brown. Naw fuck the dumb shit, if I don’t keep on keeping on, they will be taxing my farts next – they admit carbon too.

OB

Were I'm from, flip town, one town, bluff city, flip town – Memphis; them young boys had a saying called OG. It meant original gangster. Albeit I have never been involved in any thing remotely gangster or regarding being a thug, I was often called and considered an OG by them young cats. In particular them that were in the same social club.

See we did not claim such for on the one had we all got along and would never drive by and shot somebody over petty shit that would put am other person other than the target at risk an innocent person getting injured over a small business conundrum. Yep, them were the days.

Seem that the gang problem has gotten worse if you asked me, and no I’m not talking about Crips, Bloods, Vice Lords or Gangster Disciples, nope I’m talking about these Bankers. Seems that bankers just don’t get it. First It was Madoff, I mean really his indication that he didn’t like jail and that he would prefer to be on house arrest in his penthouse mansion. Then the folks at Goldman Sachs, talking about how they suffering because now when they travel they have to stay in places like Embassy Suites now versus the Ritz-Carlton or the Carlyle. And before all of this, the tirade by that dumb fuck, CNBC's reporter Rick Santelli on the floor of the stock exchange. Santelli, a former financial executive himself, also served as managing director at the Derivative Products Group of Geldermann, Inc., and was Vice President in charge of Interest Rate Futures and Options at the Chicago Board of Trade for Drexel, Burnham, Lambert.

Not to mention it seems also that the folks at the FDIC [Sheila Bair] as well as the SEC [Mary Schapiro] were all former Bankers and the ones that got us into this mess by looking out or worse the other way for their fellow Banking gang members. Bankers don’t give a fuck about the common man, the investor, the home owner. Not to mention it should have been folk on places like CNBC that should have smelled all of this crap as opposed to dumb laymen as myself. But instead, they Applauded folks like former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain when he is appointed as such, but want to grill him after the fact.

I say they should change the name of the gang task force to the banker task force and chase them down wherever they are. They should put these folks in prisons all around the country so they can handle themselves when the face the Mexican Mafia, Crips or the Aryan Nation while on lock down. Maybe even give them the death penalty and apply the three strike rule as well. So I ask you who the real gangsters are. And I also suggest that we call them what they really are – O B’s (the Original Bankers).

Toenail polish on my wall

Now I am a freak and I am proud to proclaim such skill sets and bedroom prowess just as I do my cooking and parenting skills. In addition, I am not one to hold my tongue and have no reservation about saying exactly what I feel and mean at anytime, regardless of the company. Now yesterday I was out side of my shop lounging. It was a pretty 84 degree ATL day. The sun was out and not a semblance of a cloud was in the sky. Had a nice 2004 New Zealand Shiraz. So I’m lounging and beveraging, playing South African House Music and this car comes past and blows, I wave thinking its one of my customers. The car turns around and parks. Out of the car gets two women. And one had a dog – which was a turn on. So I show them the shop, they say all the right shit like “I like your store” and “it’s cute.” So I offer them some grape and they accept. A lil while latter another young lady drives up and joins us.

No as we continue to beverage, I notice that the sun has brought out all of their toes. As I look around, all the toes from the bubble gum pink, to the ice blue to the Sunkist orange seem to be calling my name. The conversation went a little like this:

ME: Dang, yawl got some pretty feet, look yummy.

They laugh and blush.

ME: Let me touch them so I can get a closer look

They all oblige

ME: Very rare three women at the same time, all have toes that I can imagine in my mouth.

BUBBLEGUM PINK: So you have a foot fetish?

ME: No maam, the only fetish I have is a Vaginal fetish

They laughed.

SUNKIST ORANGE: That’s not a fetish.

ME: Why not, I mean I am addicted to vagina, or should I say A-dicked.

They laughed again and I continued. “

ME: But I do like a pretty painted set of toes and believe me you, aint nothing like having one in my mouth as I arch a woman’s legs towards the sun and roto-root that azz.”

ICE BLUE: Boy you wild.

ME: I’m for real, ‘cause aint nothing like my shoulders pressed against the back part of your calf as I stroke you into submission, leaving your toe nail polish on the flat white paint of my wall above my headboard. Scared say you scared.

SUNKIST ORANGE: I aint scared

ME: All yawl scared, or else yawl would accept my invite and give me your number. I’d have all yawl polish on my wall, like the gay rainbow.

They all laughed and I poured more vino in their cups.

Strange thing is that they stayed outside with me for the next 3 or 4 hours, laughing and having fun and you guessed it – calling me wild. So They all gave me their numbers and I gave them mine. Strange thing is that they all called me that night. Go figure.