...on the former President, 'W'.

Picture this:

A Formula 1 race is coming to your city. They are holding a sweepstakes to give one local driver a chance to enter their own car into the race and race alongside the pro's. Your friends try to persuade you to enter the sweepstakes. You do. Lo and behold, you beat the odds and are chosen to be in the race! The big day of the race arrives and you line your 1997 Honda Civic hatchback next to the finely tuned Formula 1 cars. The gun goes off and the other cars dash away from the start line, leaving you and your 110-horse power, rear wheel drive Honda sitting there, amazed at their speed. Needless to say that you lose - embarrassingly. After the race, all of the friends who convinced you to enter the race and mad at you. They feel like you let them down because you didn't win the race. 

Sounds silly? A bit ridiculous, even?

That's essentially what we have done with our former President, George W. Bush. We elected a man who was ill-equipped to handle the demands of the presidency and expected him to lead us into prosperity. We elected a C-student, former alcoholic, owner of two failed companies and a man who lost the popular vote but still won the election. A man who did not have the tools to get the job done. Then, we got upset when he lead us into darkness.

We entered the 1997 Honda Civic that is George W. Bush, into the Formula 1 race the is the Presidency of the most powerful nation in the world, then got mad when he fucked up.

It's not his fault, people. He did the best he could with his limited intelligence and narrow world view. The problem comes in the fact that his best was woefully inadequate. He failed in his execution, not in his effort. He may be an incompetent, insensitive, delusional, elitist war monger, but he honestly believed that the decisions that he made were the best ones for America. And that's the sad part. 

Would you continue to talk shit about a retarded kid who pissed on the floor?

Would you continue to talk shit about the blind kid on your basketball team who couldn't hit a free throw?

I didn't think so.

It's time to lay off the last president, people. Just be thankful that he is gone, waive goodbye and let's move on to Mr. Obama.

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY:

The comment Kanye made was damn near right/Bush hate poor people, be 'em black or white

'That's Life', Killer Mike

Divorce

I am a product of divorce. Chances are that you are too

According to the story I was told, my father just woke up one morning and decided that he no longer wanted to be married. I say 'According to the story I  was told...', because I haven't heard his side of the story. I don't think that our rekindled relationship is at a point where such questions are appropriate. That sounds very plausible though. It seems like something he would do.

Over half of the marriages in this country end up like this. But why? Why can't couples seem to stay married these days. I think I have the answers people. Gather round:

#1 WHAT'S THE RUSH?

When you marry a person, things are never the same. Everything that they do effects you. And everything that you do effects them. You will have to put up with each others bullshit(unless you're a runner. More on that later). You will likely have to put your heads together and determine the best way to raise a child. Don't you think that you should take the time to get to know that person? Their likes, dislikes, fears, hopes, dreams and ambitions. Whether or not the fold under pressure and meet it head-on. If they are reckless with money or frugal. If they are all about family or all about themselves. Whether or not thy are the jealous type or not. There is no way you can gather that information in 6 month. Or even a year. That is the type of information that you can only get after at LEAST 2 years. I believe that if people would just slow down and make sure that they are compatible  with their mate, there would be far less divorces in this country. That is not to say that there is no hope out there for all you 6-month wonder couples out there and that you are headed for divorce court. Only that you would have improved your chances of success by waiting.

#2 PEOPLE DON'T TAKE MARRIAGE SERIOUSLY

In a country where millions of people tune in to watch 'Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire?', 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette', we have turned marriage from a sacred institution into a commodity. A good. Something with little value. Here's the truth: If you don't have children, your marriage should be your number one priority. Nit your career, or your hobbies or your Sunday night basketball league. Your marriage! That's not to say that you shouldn't do any of those things. But hopefully you are with a person who realizes that just because you can't go to that event that they want you to go to because you are working late or because of that championship basketball game, that that doesn't mean that it is more important than your marriage. How do you know if you have a person like that? See #1!

#3 PEOPLE RUN AWAY WHEN TIMES GET HARD

I said earlier that we have turned marriage into a good. And like any good, if it's broken or not working the way we expect, we just return it or exchange it for another. How about we have some patience and see if we can repair it? No one is perfect. People make mistakes. But the key is working past it and moving on, not giving up and throwing in the towel. For some reason, people have gotten into their heads that marriage is easy. That you get married and it's smooth sailing after that. Nothing could be further for the truth. Marriage is a full-time job. And when it gets tough, you put in your mouthpiece and come out swinging. 

I'm not an expert by any means. Just my thoughts, people.

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY:

without the braids/I'm the closest thing to O'dog

Coming soon - video blog!

The YoungGun Chronicles - part 1

Stay tuned people!

Confessions of a predator

Basketball is my first love, always has been. Compared to my peers, I got a late start playing the sport and I can remember not being very good at it. I was always more athletic than the next kid - running faster and jumping higher - but it took a while for my skill level to catch up. 

But once it did...the kid was a PROBLEM on the court. 

My greatest pleasure used to be having a basketball in my hands, knowing that the defender in front of me was at my mercy. The pressure wasn't on me to score, it was on him to stop me form scoring. If he was bigger and slower, I'd take him to the perimeter, shake and bake and head straight for the rim. If he was shorter and quicker, I'd yell 'Mouse in the house!', post him up and use my height advantage. I got very adept at dissecting defenders like that smelly frog in 9th grade biology. On defense, I liked to roam around near the rim and block shots. I have put the fear of Brandon in more than a few ballplayers, took a couple youngsters under my wing, had some epic on-court battles and dunked on more than my fair share of people.

The first time I injured my knee was during gym class in 11th grade. Me and a close friend were in the middle of one of those epic battles that I spoke of in the above paragraph, taking turns abusing each other. I got passed him and laid the ball in off the glass to win the game, but I came down awkwardly and screamed like a little girl. My ACL was torn. If you play sports, basketball especially, you are cringing right now. Because you know that that is the one injury that you DO NOT want. I knew immediately that since I didn't have insurance, and since it wasn't life threatening, that I wouldn't be able to go to the doctor and get the surgery I needed. 

Since then, I have injured  both knees a total of about 7 times. The most amazing part about all those injuries is that I still was able to keep 70% of my athleticism. I could still run fast and jump high; maybe not to the level that I could before the injuries, but enough that when I walked into  a gym, people had to respect me.

Until the last injury...

I always knew that since I never got treatment for any of my injuries, there would come a time when my luck would run out. The last time I injured my knee, which was about 7 or 8 months ago, a strange thing happened. It didn't get better on it's own. Imagine that! Now, I can jump nearly as high as I used to. My lateral movement is pathetic. My reaction time has slowed to a crawl. And my first step is laughable.

I am no longer the predator on the court that I used to be. Now, I'm the prey. Those same ball players who wouldn't dare get out of pocket and run their mouth for fear that they would be my next victim, are now able to do to me what I once did to them. m

So I don't play any more. I'm choosing to go out like the 1998 Mike Jordan, hitting that pull-up jumper over Russell to win the championship. Not like the 2003 Mike Jordan, hanging on just a bit too long; long enough to see the young gladiators come at the throne. Does it suck? Yeah. But for the most part, I'm okay with it. That's how it is supposed to happen: the hunter becomes the hunted, the teacher becomes the pupil. I mean, I wish that it wouldn't have happened at 25 years old, but it's OK. I had a good run. Like I said, I have abused my fair share of ball players and my name still rings out when people mention the top ball players in this city.

And that's enough for me. Rumble, young man, rumble!

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY:

These young boys comin' up/ and they aiming for my neck/ but truth be told/I just take it as a sign of respect

-Me

The Realest Shit We Ever Wrote!

Usually I'm the soldier who never blows his composure.

Even though I have the weight of the whole world on my shoulder.

I ain't never supposed to show it and my girl ain't supposed to know it.

And I ain't never supposed to trip, stumble, fall or blow it.

And I've been able to to handle this persona of a man who

could carry a heavy load and still set an example.

I win my battle everyday but sometimes it feels like I lost it.

Because I carry around a secret...even SUPERMAN gets exhausted!

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY:

Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me yo ear drums/it was a beautiful day off in the neighborhood/ yellows and greens and blues and browns and greys and hues that ooze beneath dilapidated wood

--Dre 3000, Black Ice