Freedom Of Speech vs. Moral Decency: The KKK

(ok, so I put the picture up just because it's hilarious to me... lol)

The other night I happened upon a movie I'd watched a number of times in the past, "A Time To Kill".

For those that don't know, it is the story of a lower income black family in a part of Mississippi (much like many other parts of Mississippi) still drowning in the muck of "Old South" racism and bigotry. Tragedy strikes when the daughter of the family is brutally accosted on the way home from the grocery store by two back country townies. Raped, beaten, and hung for dead, her weight breaks the branch, which was her saving grace. The story surrounds the court case of her father, who takes retribution on the men himself... With an assault rifle as they are headed to court.

A powerful movie, I suggest it to everyone. But this post wasn't meant to be a movie review. There was a particular portion that involved the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) marching down the middle of town in full ridiculous garb, spouting their racist beliefs through megaphone. Not met with legal resistance, the were however met with Molotov Cocktails and a well-deserved beat down. My fiance and I watched and I brought up the question of 'freedom of speech' and 'freedom to assemble'. I asked her if she could, would she make it illegal for certain things to be allowed (marching in klan garb, spewing racist sentiments, etc). She quickly replied 'YES, I'd make it illegal". I, on the other hand, agreed with them being able to.

Now I, ofcourse, don't agree with what they are saying and want more than anyone to hurl a rock at the cowards hiding behind masks though they "claim" to be men of God, but I do not agree with silencing their right to speech. My reason is simple. If we take away their right to speech and to assembly, who is next? What would have happened if all of Dr. King's marches and speeches were silenced before they were given?

Now, on the flip side of the argument, I feel that by doing what you do, you accept the risk and consequence of your actions. Should a klansmen take a brick to the skull, weeeeellllll, that's the risk you took!

So what are your thoughts?

Love Up...

Shadowed Change: Is Ending Adultery Enough Without Confession Of The Past?

So here's the thing. I don't have an answer to the question. So I'm polling YOU!

Check the poll at the very bottom of the page!

The choices are:

If the mate didn't know, no need in tellin them now!

OR

They need to know. If they leave, you had it coming, but at least you'll be free of the lie.

Whatcha think?

Check the poll at the very bottom of the page!

Movie Review: "Precious"

Per http://movies.yahoo.com/-

"Clareece "Precious" Jones is an overweight, illiterate African-American teen in Harlem. Just as she's about to give birth to her second child, Jones is accepted into an alternative school where a teacher helps her find a new path in her life. "

I'm going to attempt to write up my opinion of this movie without giving the movie itself away as this is my first "movie review".

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this movie a 7.5.

The plot, as explained above, was finally something I hadn't really seen as of yet unlike so many others. But perhaps more catching than the plot was the acting. The characters felt "real" to the point of emotional attachment. The players in this film achieved what I think all actors strive for; connection, rather, the ability to make the audience forget they were actors and assign them labels as if watching true situations rather than a movie screen. Perhaps the best display in this movie to me was that of Mo'Nique as "Mary", the physically, emotionally, and verbally abusive mother of 'Precious'. From her very first scene she gave me a sense of utter disgust. Not just with the way Mary treated Precious, but also at the fact that people like the character actually exist. But what took me over the edge with her portrayal was that though the first hour and forty minutes of hatred I'd bred for her character, she managed to evoke a sense of pity in the last minutes of the movie. I have to be honest, anyone that knows me knows that I don't think the highest of Mo'Niques' brand of comedy/acting. A "Meet the Parker's" marathon to me is a chance to thank God for the 'off' button on a television, or power outages. And I'm not opposed to a vulgar joke or a little cursing here and there but her comedy specials make me feel like I should be in somebody's church. So needless to say, I was shocked at how real the character was.

Though there were a few cameos here and there (Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, etc), I also appreciate that the cast didn't consist of a group of big named actors. I feel that also gave it a sense of 'realness'.

Illiteracy, abuse, dreams, and self-image. This movie, in my opinion, is a must-see...

Love Up

Beard vs. The Boss: The Facial Hair Debate

Per "www.answers.com":

"In ancient Egypt, as well as Turkey and India, the beard was regarded as a sign of dignity and wisdom. Beards continued into the Greek civilization until the 4th cent. B.C., when Alexander the Great ordered his soldiers shaved. The Romans, however, actually introduced the practice of regular shaving. The belief that the beard denotes wisdom was widespread in ancient China, and the cult of the beard has been dominant in Middle Eastern cultures from ancient times to the recent past. As a symbol of virility and status, the beard has often acquired religious significance. Muhammad enjoined his followers to grow beards; the Sikhs of India are not permitted to remove a single hair from their bodies; and the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel were bearded."

So the last time I checked, I, nor anyone I know, worked for Alexander the Great or and of the Caesars of the Roman Empire. So when did something revered as a sign of wisdom, strength, and virility become a "may I see you in my office" or cause to never seem to get that deserved promotion? Don't get me wrong, I understand that professions that are 'customer-facing' want their employees to represent a tidy and well put together image, but at what point was it decided that well groomed facial hair was untidy? Perhaps it's more societal rather than strictly corporate, and big business is just following suit. Or perhaps big business sets the overall flow of societal views. Or perhaps elephants on Mars are red. I haven't a clue, but believe it to be wrong.

I myself have only shaved my mustache off once since it began to grow and have NEVER completely shaved off the goatee. For some I guess it's a sense of "self". The same concept as some who were certain types of clothing to express themselves. In conversations with my father a while back during my HORRIBLE stent in corporate america, he'd mentioned that a lot of black men in particular had issue shaving that which they prided so much. For many black men... excuse me... for MOST black men, the task of 'competing' is already healthy task. Having to score higher on tests in college in order to get the same recognition from companies as peers who may have scored lower but have a higher 'hue'; having to come in earlier and leave later to receive equal recognition from "melanin-deficient" managers; having to sit quietly while less qualified candidates get hired on into positions above yours, candidates that all seem to share one particular likeness. After all of this, the notion of shaving one's prided man whiskers could be a bit much.

This says nothing toward those who prefer to be clean shaven. Merely a request that it not be used as a reason to bar what could potentially be the most qualified candidate. Should there be limitations? Perhaps. But more focus should be placed on the actual work the employee does.

What are your thoughts?

Love Up

"Pray and Pray For My Downfall...": The Latest Attack on Obama

True hip-hop heads definitely know the choral lyrics of the late, great Notorious B.I.G.'s song "My Downfall" ("That's not all, MC's have the gall, to pray and pray for my downfall..."

The track, like many others, was eerily prophetic about those against him and how much his 'enemies' sought out his downfall. Is it time, perhaps, for the President of the United States to put a few tracks on wax about the same thing?

We've known since Barack Obamas' announcement to run for President of the United States that he'd be met with extreme disdain from the many that laughed at the thought of a black president. Many (the media included) have predicted scores of assassination attempts from the second he took office. We all feel a sense that there is a large target on his back. So it should be no surprise to hear of yet another disgusting display of hatred thrown his way, but for some reason it always seems to befuddle me the extent that some will go.

This article is a prime example of why you should look into what you support before supporting it. There have been bumper stickers, T-shirts, and all other sorts of paraphernalia distributed with the following on it:

"Pray For Obama, Psalms 109:8"

Many who wouldn't take the time to look up the biblical verse, who in fact support Barack Obama, would don a shirt like this assuming that the biblical verse was one of cheer and good tidings.

Well, not everything in the bible was something "happy"... Has anyone taken a look at Revelations?

What Psalms 109:8 actually states is the following:

8May his days be few;

may another take his place of leadership.

And if you go a bit further, you'll read:

9May his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.

10May his children be wandering beggars;

may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11May a creditor seize all he has;

may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12May no one extend kindness to him

or take pity on his fatherless children.

13May his descendants be cut off,

their names blotted out from the next generation.

So again, I urge you to pay attention to what you support... Retarded people are getting smarter every day.

Here is a link to the story on USAToday

Love Up...

Men vs. Women

Ok, so let me start by admitting (which most won't) that I know NOTHING about the "fairer sex". The more I THINK I learn and amass about the female gender, the less I understand. As soon as I think I have it down to a science, I'm blind-sided by some new development. There is no one on Earth that fully understands their opposite sex... Because in truth, men and women don't truly understand their own sexes...

That being said, there are, however, similarities within the sexes that gives a woman more knowledge on women and a man more knowledge on men, obviously.

But do me a favor when you get the chance... Go into any bookstore and head to the relationship aisle. Pick up 20 books about men. You'll generally be able to spot these by key phrases in the title like "The Truth About..." or "What Men Really Want" or "How to Please Your Man...". Next thing I'd like you to do is take a look at the author...

Get my point? 9 times out of 10 the author's name is Beverly or Nancy or Barbara or something like that. Now, I mean no offense if there are men out there with these names (school must have SUCKED!), but I'd venture to say these names belonged to women.

"What Men Really Want"... by a woman??? Isn't that somewhat oxymoronic in itself?

If you have to buy a book to TELL you want men want and you're not asking... A MAN, you've got problems before you start. For the most part, men are fairly forthcoming with what it is we want, sometimes to a fault. Perhaps the reason you can't seem to "please" him (in whatever aspect that may be) is because either you aren't ASKING and assuming you know or... you've got the wrong man...

Now this goes both ways. There are plenty of books about women, written by men. But to save time you can assume from here on out that my sentiments are meant for both men and women alike.

In my opinion (and that's all it is), many of the problems stem from assumption and expectation. Assumption that "he's gonna like the same things the last guy did". Or perhaps the expectation that "if she has a problem, she'll say so".

The true and simple fact is, as simple as most women assume we are, not all guys like the same things. And perhaps (I say perhaps because again, I can never know anything for 100% sure about women because the manual seems to change hourly) we men assume too often that women are going to react as we would and when they don't, assume everything is ok.

Wonder what kinda world it'd be if women SAID what they meant instead of always waiting for men to "figure it out"... And if men actually ASKED a few more questions to find things out...

Well, as always, this is opinion and definitely open for discussion...

Love Up...

P.S. - CLICK HERE FOR REAL MUZEK

Back In Tha Day...

"... when I was young, I'm not a kid anymore, but some day's I sit and wish I was a kid again..."

Perhaps one of the best examples of a single song superseding and overshadowing the actual fame of the artist... A "one hit wonder" if you will. But I'd venture to say the song's fame had to do with more than the Teddy Pendergrass classic sample. I feel it was more than the video or the artist's vocal pitch. No, I think the reason for the song's timeless popularity had to do with it's message that just about anyone could relate to...

"Back in Tha Day..."

My 'back in tha day' is a place I take mental vacations to regularly... You see like most, my back in the day had NOTHING to do with bills, taxes and racism (or rather, I wasn't aware of it back then). I didn't have to worry about labels; the labels I wore, the labels on the food I ate, the labels I was given. Getting old wasn't going to happen, and tomorrow only held joys and thoughts of "what will I get into?".

Back then my resume only contained "coloring inside the lines (sometimes)", "fastest across the monkey bars", and "expert scab picker (I DIDN'T eat them like some folks did, though!)

If asked to name as many experiences from my childhood as I possibly could, I guarantee negative experiences would be far and few between. Did I ever have bad times as a child? Sure.

But I'm convinced that the true definition of adulthood in most dictionaries is flawed. Sometimes I think adulthood is merely when vulnerability becomes a negative, when magic isn't real anymore, and when "being nice" isn't enough to solve the worlds ills.

No, my recollection would contain the follow...

-The Get-A-Long Gang (the cartoon)

-G.I. Joe

-the Rambo halloween costume that had the fake muscular chest showing thru a ripped open fatigued shirt (of course the skin tone didn't match mine, but hey, I didn't care back then...)

-Teddy Ruxpin (never had one, but the commercials)

-the Domino's "Noid" character

-Slip 'n' Slide

-Super Soakers

-Nerf EVERYTHING

-Guy (the group)

-Pro-Stars (the cartoon)

-Body Glove

-"Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum, in a dish. How many pieces do you wish?"

-See Spot Run

-the belts that had the magnetic toy car on the buckle

-picking every dandelion I saw for my mother

-The Jets (the group)

-SHOWBIZ (pre-Chuckie Cheese) Pizza

-Double Dare

-"You Can't Do That On Television"

-the Michael Jackson "Bad" video premiere

-Fat Albert

-"Buzz-Off" (He-Man Character)

-a poster of Doc Rivers in an Atlanta Hawks jersey that measured how tall you were

-a Dr. J poster

-California Raisins Christmas

-Michael Jackson (The Greatest of All Time)

-The Roots mini-series

-my first kiss (@ Martha's Preschool... I know, shameful, lol. I kinda skipped the 'eeewww, girls' stage)

-Thriller

-Pixie Sticks

-when my grandfather saved my life (lol, quite a few people saved me from quite a few things when I was a child. What can I say, I was adventurous)

-Scholastic Reader Day

...Too many things to name them all...

So I leave you with the aforementioned, timeless lyrics...

"Back in the day when I was young, I'm not a kid anymore, but some days I sit and wish I was a kid again..."

Love Up

-

Simple and plain… A compilation of the things people do that ‘urk’ me…

And for those that may become offended by this post, please accept my sincerest… “GET OVER IT!” Both Mac and PC have that nifty “x” button up top… Close the page if you don’t like it… Or write your own blog!!!

The Hate List

In no particular order…

-Those people that get SO upset when someone says “conversate”… So it’s not a word… Who cares. Neither are half the colloquialisms we use daily!!! GET OVER IT!!! You know what the person means!!!

-People who quote biblical verses as a status message on one of the 50 billion social networks on Monday and then on Thursday they are “cussin” out their ex-boyfriend/girlfriend with every explicative in the book on the status message…

-These particular directors that put the same handful of actors in every single movie they make while millions of highly qualified actors go hungry…

-These people that expect Obama to make the U.S. some Utopian society in the short time he’s been in office, especially when the U.S. just spent two terms under someone not even fit to lead a kindergarten field trip, let alone a country.

-How Canadians put a “u” in so many words… ColoUr, HonoUr, OdoUr… and whats up with “centre???” (I’m kidding Canada, lol, just making fun of my girlfriend, who is Canadian… “Ey”, lol)

-Shows like the Hills or the City (DISCLAIMER: MY GIRLFRIEND MADE ME WATCH IT!!! HONEST!!!!) How is it possible to be so filthy rich from not doing ANY work to get that way (parents) and to still make EVERYTHING so trivial???

-”End of the World Movies”… So how many times can everything blow up and the world come to a cataclysmic end??? I just watched “2012″ and I actually forgot at one point and thought I was watching “The Day After Tomorrow” or was it “Independence Day”? Could have been “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Or maybe it was “War Of The Worlds”…

-Facebook!!!

-When someone in traffic has at least two car lengths in front of them in the other lane, but speed up when they see your blinker on for no other reason but to not let you in front of them even though the are ALREADY going slower than you.

-People driving slower than the rest of traffic… IN THE FAST LANE!!!!

-How people in obviously unhealthy relationships or not in one at all seem to have the most advice on how you should handle your own relationship with the same approach to relationships they use…

-All the “MobWars” and other social network games notification. A small percentage of the reason I got off Facebook was that I was tired of seeing “Fred wants you to join his mafia family!!!” “John wants you to join his mafia family!!!”, etc etc…

-How much the U.S. complains about national debt… Then pays a basketball player 20 Million and the PRESIDENT OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY less than half a million… Let’s see… The president has the power to start a nuclear holocaust and LeBron James (talented as he may be) can dunk… Hmmm….

-CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS!!! WOULD IT KILL YA TO LOOK UP AS YOU WALK!?!?!?!?!? JEEEEEZ

-”Dance” songs aka “Snap Music”… By that I mean a song that’s only purpose is to promote yet ANOTHER new dance. A few every now and then are ok… But I’m from Georgia, and at anyone time there are 17 songs on the radio telling me to do some new dance that looks just like the dance the other song is singing about…

-(an oldie but goodie) The hotdog to bun ratio. Why not sell the same number of each per package?

-how it always seems like the lane I get into in traffic immediately becomes the ’slow lane’ as soon as I get over!

-The word “swag”… It used to be such a cool word… USED to be…

(to be continued… I’m sure)

Love Up…

My REAL Resume

So… First blog… My apologies as I haven’t included anything on Tiger Woods’ infidelity, the late great Michael Jackson’s Death or anything on Afghanistan in this one. Figured you’ve already read up on more of that than I have…
So… You’re here now… (awkward silence)… Ummm… Well, guess I talk about myself with this being the first blog…

Describing Mr. Muzeklyfe in 600 words or less (yeah, I typed this part after counting the words, so what!)

I fear none but God (though long periods of time go by without the indention of my derriere on the pew, workin’ on that)

Ok, well… I am greatness, bottled up in mediocrity. I’m the “golden ticket” BEFORE Charlie unwrapped the candy bar. I’m the forgotten popsicle way in the back of the freezer that is everyone’s favorite flavor, but no one can see me behind the freezer-burned meatloaf that’s been in there a while… Think that sums it up! ;)

I’m an aspiring songwriter (right, like that means anything anymore these days… In my case, “aspiring” means I can’t get producers and execs to listen to actual lyrics and REAL vocal structure. Songs are no longer written, just recycled… But we’ll save that rant for another post…).

Click Here For A Sample Of Some Of My Copywritten Work

Let’s see, what else… Right now, at this point in my life, I am able to do anything and nothing at the same time. I’m winning, in last place… (here’s the part where you go, “oooohhhh, this guy’s DEEP”" and you use this line on your Twitter or Facebook as if you came up with it yourself, lol)

I’m a college grad doing nothing with the degree I have. In all the past employment experiences I’ve had, I possessed the knowledge to complete the tasks given at middle school age, and like most, highly exceeded the intellect of those that were put in charge of me. I was paid far less than my work/worth and treated like the janitorial staff… Side note, that’s not at all to say that a custodial engineer is to be looked down upon or given any less respect than the CEO, but let’s face it, admit it or not, we all look differently at those who’d just cleaned the stalls after Burrito Monday in the cafeteria.

Never been married, no offspring… (before we cue the sad music… I’m only 28 in January so it’s not like it’s the end of the road here. Just listing things)…

In a world full of plastered smiles and hidden agenda, I can’t say I have an abundance of friends, and this is by choice. Those I hold dear and keep close are made aware of who they are.

I’m definitely not an introvert, but I’d say “pleasantly guarded” or “acquaintance conscious”…

Let’s see… I was that one guy that DIDN’T vote for Obama just because he was black. Oh I voted for him, but because I thought he’d make a great president… No problem with racial pride, as I’ve been told my level of it sometimes could be taken as a superiority thing (not true). But a black man can mess up the country just as fast as a white man could… I voted for Obama, not his skin…

Oh yeah, did I mention I’m going to knock Soul/R&B music on its can and change the face of it? Yeah, may have left out that part.

Ok, well talking about myself is getting old and not seeming very “blog-worthy” anymore… So, this is the intro to me…

Love Up…