I am looking forward to taking my daughter to some of the festivities! Perhaps I can get lucky and get some tickets!
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Uhhhh Not Sure I Get This…
Hey, I am a pretty liberal person when it comes to honoring people’s beliefs. I also have many questions of both Christianity and Islam. But claiming dual religions?
Even I don’t get that!
This sista is confused. Because the question of Christianity is the question of Jesus and whether he holds a place of deification, and whether he is indeed the son of god. Christians who use the bible clearly believe that.
This is not so for the Muslim. They believe Jesus is a prophet like Muhammad… I would argue not even as significant.
So she may take things from both religions that she may enjoy when it comes to worship or teachings. But just by virtue of the doctrines she cannot be both. It’s impossible!
Natalie Cole Get’s Support for Transplant
Saw Natalie Cole the other evening on The Larry King Show. A lengendary singer, songwriter, performer and daughter of the late Nat King Cole revealed that she needed a kidney and dozens of fans called the show to offer theirs.
Cole, a former cocaine and heroine addict took full responsibility for her health issues and was gracious and real in discussing her challenges. She didn’t ask for anything.
I was especially touched because growing up until now Cole’s music still holds a special place in my heart. She is still as beautiful as ever too.
I really hope she gets her transplant and continues to live a productive and healthy life.
Facing Faults and Fears ~ Tick Tick Tick
How does one rectify anger?
I have known for years that I carry anger around for different reasons. And at times it has manifest iself in different ways. For instance, for most of my life I’ve struggled with depression at some times or others. I’ve heard that depression is in effect ‘repressed anger.’ I can believe that.
Most wouldn’t know about the anger because I am generally a “happy- go- lucky” person. When I am around friends or collegues at work this is the side they see most often. My natural make up is to spread joy and offer encouragement. I love to see a genuine smile on someone’s face. And I enjoy helping to create that smile whether it’s by some form of serving, saying a kind word or saying something humerous. I get a lot out of seeing other people happy.
Often, I find myself giving out a lot without asking much in return. Perhaps I get angry because I wish that sometimes people understood that I may need a little something something back. It’s natural for people to think that the “happy guy” is always OK and is never in need of attention or encouragement. And then sometimes when I do ask, sometimes folks are looking around strangly as if I asked for a first born or something. This is because they are not used to it.
“What you? Need something?”
Then there is the supressed anger that I recognize. It happens because sometimes I see things or feel as if someone may be trying to take advantage of the kindness I try to offer or the contributions I try to make. In those cases I get kinda stuck because in one sense I would like to communicate my displeasure. But in my nature if I do I try to do it in a way that preserves the other person’s dignity. I try to approach people the way I want to be approached. I try to avoid being too harsh or just letting them have it.
More times than not however, I find that this approach does not work. In far too many instances people seem to take kindness for weakness. And at some point it’s going to come out and I am going to go OFF. At that point that creates an issue of having to possibly repair the damage done within conflict of the anger expressing moments. I’m saying to myself, “Why could you not listen when I broke it down gently before? I said the same thing basically, except this time I added a MF or SH to it which finally got your attention.”
Then I am angry that I even had to go there.
The thing is this: Most days I can just move on and think of the positive and not carry this stuff with me. But at the same time, I find that many of these issues are not really resolved, but rather just tucked away till the next time. So then there is resentment on top of resentment – anger on top of anger
I know that anger itself is not a totally negative emotion. I know it has it’s place. But I am not sure how to use it to my advantage without doing or saying things against my nature.
The Taxation of Smoke Inhalation!
Roland S. Martin – CNN
We all have our vices. But one that drives me nuts is smoking.
There is nothing — NOTHING! — that I like about smoking.
Why someone in their right mind would want to essentially inhale fire is beyond me.
When relatives come to my home and they smoke, they can’t just stand outside the front or back door. No, I send them to the furthest point in the backyard to get their nicotine fix.
I celebrate when cities pass smoking bans because the only smoke I want in a restaurant should come from a hot, juicy steak. If I’m walking down the street, and the person in front of me is leaving their trail of smoke, I’ll happily speed up to get past them or publicly wave the smoke out of the way when walking by them to show my disapproval. And it angers me to drive down the street and look over to the next car and see a mom or dad puffing away as a helpless child has to sit there and inhale that junk.
So don’t think for a second that you’ll find any sympathy from me for the folks who are up in arms over the federal tobacco tax on a pack of cigarettes jumping from 39 cents to a buck and a penny. The money will be used for the expansion of the president’s health initiatives.
Look, I don’t care if a Democrat, Republican, or independent was behind this tax, I would gladly see it happen.
The folks who are not happy are saying this is far too much taxation and it’s wrong, but we can’t deny the health reality. Cigarettes are unhealthy. Period. This isn’t up for argument or debate.
According to an Associated Press story, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cigarette smoking results in an estimated 443,000 premature deaths each year, and costs the economy $193 billion in health care expenses and lost time from work. Smoking is a major contributor to heart disease, cancer and lung disease.”
But then those who don’t want to see it happen are bringing out the usual prop: the poor, poor people.
Critics say the tax will disproportionately hurt poor people. Fine! Did we somehow forget that poor people already are likely to be in poorer health because they are living in areas where there are food deserts, and that means lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables?
Poor folks are likely to lack insurance, which means when they get sick, they will go to a city or county hospital, and taxpayers have to foot the bill. So their decision to buy cigarettes will probably hit us in the pocketbook later on.
Folks, poor people are always used by someone. And in this case, they are being trotted out so we can say, “Oh, this is so harsh because the poor will be hurt.”
Let’s face it: I don’t want poor, middle or rich folks smoking. I just think it’s disgusting. But if this tax will cause a lot of folks — poor or otherwise — to quit smoking and add a few years to their life, then I call that good legislation.
~ Any thoughts people?
Good decision on this resignation!
I am all down for forgiving this horribly insensitive act. And if he is really sincere, perhaps he will be a better officer if he lands a job on another police force. Certainly before that happens a face to face apology or even a phone call to the Moats family would be appropriate. He’s not going to be sued so that crap apology through his attorney is not going to cut it!
Some may wonder what the big deal is about. He had every right to stop the driver. I understand that perfectly. The inexcusable part was his attitude and his reluctance to let it go especially after a nurse and another officer confirmed that the man’s mother in law really was on her last breath.
You can’t spin that with talk of officer’s lives being on the line everyday and what not. One thing I know from not only being stopped by police but also having friends who are officers; discretion and brevity is something that is used on the daily. In other words, if they followed the letter of the law in every situation, believe me most of us would cringe at their micromanagement. The truth of the matter is that they use discretion all the time. This is a time when it should have been used. Instead, Officer Powell went out of his way not to use it. Rather he wanted to show Moats how in charge he was in one of the worst possible moments of the man’s life.
Mike Anderson Stays A Tiger, Mizzou That Is…
Obviously there is something that Mike Anderson loves about the program he’s built at Missouri. His team reached the Sweet 16 before a hard fought loss against UConn. And as Calipari left for the brinks truck they are giving him in Lexington, Anderson left some $700,000 on the table to stay in Columbia. It was nice to see good things from Mizzou again since Quinn Snyder (a really good guy who didn’t succeed here as coach) left town amid much controversy.
If I Twitted…
I would say that I need about three to five days to myself so that I can hit the RESET button. The RESET button would kill all of the corrupted files I have inside and refresh my hard drives. This would flush the cares and weight of the world and relieve some of the unrealistic expectations that are sometimes placed on my shoulders. I could rest, reflect, write, and be renewed so that my system can once again run smoothly.
Calipari at UK? A With The Devil
I really like John Calipari. I think he is a great coach and a tremendous motivator. I hope he doesn’t chase the dollars and strike a deal with Satan in the Bluegrass state. Remember the movie, “The Devil’s Advocate?” That’s the University of Kentucky when it comes to the basketball program. With all the success of the past decades, the administration is a disaster and they should have listened when Rick Pitino warned them not to fire Tubby Smith. But that’s the SEC – The good ole boy’s network. Guys get fired even when they are successful. Just ask Tommy Tubberville. Teams in the SEC continue to hire the same tired cats that fit the good ole boy mode… instead of the most qualified guys. Remember when Alabama hired football coach Mike Shula? Auburn recently hired a loser in passing over Turner Gill.
UK basketball is the ultimate good ole boy’s network with the exception of when they got Pitino and Smith. After failing miserably the last couple seasons, they want to get Pitino Jr. in hopes of reclaiming the glory days. They want to give Coach Cal something like $35 million from what I hear. And that is my point.
As much as I love college basketball, that kind of jack for one coach is just over the top. That cost will trickle down right to the tuition cost of the average student who wants to get in.
And by the way, if he does take the job I bet you won’t hear anybody screaming about the economy and how Coach should have taken less like they did with Manny Ramirez. But I digress. The money would be good money and I am a capitalist. But sometimes the money and the perks come with too great a cost. They want Coach to see the money and desire the perks that come along with being a part of that system. And that is why vanity is John Milton’s favorite sin.
No.1 Ladies Detective – No Mystery, A Great Series
It’s been no secret that Hollywood has been no friend to African-Americans when it comes to television dramas. They give us 100 Meet The Browns before we get one City of Angels. I am so tired of blacks in comedy’s I seldom watch any of them. The last good one in my opinion was Girlfriends, and that one was cancelled.
Imagine my excitement when HBO premiered The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency last night. Shot in Botswana it’s a beautiful look, a wonderful cast, and imaginative script and Jill Scott is simply majestic! The camera loves her and she is a very talented actress. I plan to watch each and every episode!
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