Blog

Posted on

NBA Playoffs Preview – Lakers Edition

I’m a Lakers fan from way back.  I got my start watching Lakers games with my dad in the 80’s.  Magic Johnson was my favorite player.  I’ve been there through the good times (Kobe/Shaq 3 peat) and the bad (Kwame Brown and Smush Parker).  Last year was a disappointment as the Lakers got swept in the second round against Dallas.  Things this year looked promising despite a new coach (Mike Brown – Why?) and some curious signings/trades (Lamar Odom-bad, Ramon Sessions-good).

And then Metta World Peace unleashed an elbow.  The player formerly known as Ron Artest has a reputation.  If you are an NBA sports fan, you know the history.  I wasn’t happy when the Lakers signed him.  We had just won a championship with Trevor Ariza and I didn’t see a reason to change that.  But Ron Artest came in and kept the crazy at bay.  He hit some big shots and we won another championship.  All was right in the world.

Fast forward to today.  Metta will be suspended for seven games.  This leads into the playoffs where the Lakers will face either Denver or Dallas.  A challenging post season just turned into mission impossible with LA’s weak bench.  Kobe, Bynum and Gasol will have to play to their highest levels just to get out of the first round.  Now it’s hard for me to see how my team can make it to the Finals.

I am a Lakers fan.  Ride or die with the purple and gold!  This post season should be entertaining.  And if my Lakers don’t make it I will still watch.  There are a lot of good teams in the NBA.  Whoever wins will deserve the trophy.  Just please don’t let it be the Miami Heat.

Any Finals predictions?  What’s your favorite team?

Posted on

Getting Your Hustle On

 

In today’s economy, a lot of people have to work two jobs to make ends meet.  I am thinking about starting a small business on the side to compliment my full-time gig.  The only problem is, would I have enough time to devote to the business and continue with my writing at the same time.

Anybody out there working more than one job?  How do you make time?

Posted on

Cover Design

 

Here is the cover design for the second short story that I am working on.  What do you think?  What does the cover say to you?

 

Posted on

Fake Mommy Wars: What We Moms REALLY Want

Here is a follow up to my post earlier today about the “mommy wars” from the website, My Brown Baby.  This is the quote that resonated with me:

 But are we women really this politically naïve that we’d toss our valuable vote into the ring of a man who neither understands nor gives two crap-filled diapers about what mothers want? What mothers need? Are we really so politically stupid that we’d let this man, his rich wife and their equally rich-and-out-of-touch cronies distract us from the real issues while we bicker and get all emo over who works harder—women who work solely in the home vs. women who hold down full-time jobs outside the home? When, exactly, do we mothers come together and demand politicians—whether Republican or Democrat, rich or poor, black or white—get down to the real issues that affect us mothers? When do we stop arguing over stupid s**** and start exercising our political might to affect real change?

via Millionaire Ann Romney and the Fake Mommy Wars: What We Moms REALLY Want.

Posted on

The “Mommy Wars” Don’t Exist

Do we really need this?

By now everyone has heard about Hillary Rosen and the statement she made to Anderson Cooper on his talk show.  As a reminder, here is what she said,

“What you have is Mitt Romney running around the country saying: ‘Well, you know, my wife tells me that what women really care about are economic issues. And when I listen to my wife, that’s what I’m hearing.  Guess what?  His wife has actually never worked a day in her life.”

And everyone lost their minds.  It didn’t seem to matter that Hillary was talking about Mitt Romney’s economic policies.  No, what people heard was an attack on stay-at-home moms.  Please, stop.

By making this non issue a major news worthy debate, Republican politicans are pulling the old divide and conquer routine.  I believe there is no such thing as the “mommy wars” and here’s why.  Some mothers work outside of the home.  Some work at home.  Whether that decision is make by choice or circumstance, all mothers want the same thing.  We want our families to be safe.  We want access to quality health care (including reproductive health care) and good schools.  We want safe neighborhoods.  And while women are not some monolithic interest group, all mothers make decisions every day that they feel benefit their children.  I don’t think our beef is with each other.

 

There is no such thing as the “mommy wars”.  But there is a war on women.  It seems as if some men in this country want to roll back the clock.  Why are they questioning a woman’s right to affordable health care including contraception, abortion and equal pay for the same job?  Why are issues that were decided years ago in some cases up for debate?  We, as women, need to stay focused on that.

Posted on

Mary J Blige Burger King Commerical is Racist?

So, everyone is upset about a Mary J Blige commercial for Burger King?  Mary singing about chicken wraps is supposed to be racist?  Huh?  Have we as a society thrown around the word “racist” so much that we have forgotten the definition?

This isn’t racist.  This is just a cheesy commercial by the Queen of R&B drama.  I like chicken.  A lot of my friends like chicken.  Who doesn’t like chicken?  Take it easy, people.  See for yourself.

 

Do you think this is racist?  Please explain why.

Posted on

The Teenage Struggle – A Parenting Moment

“Teenagers are the most misunderstood people on earth.  Treated like children but expected to act like adults.”

I saw the above quote on Twitter and it made me think.  As a parent of two teenagers, I know that navigating the transition from child to adult can be tricky.  One minute they seem to have everything under control.  The next minute they see to revert back to being a toddler where the simplest task is a mystery for them to master.

I only focused on my job to help guide my girls through this time.  I didn’t concentrate on things from their perspective.  Princess told me that, “Being a teenage is a struggle.”  The seriousness on her face as she said this gave me pause.  She is right.

Teenagers today have a lot more challenges to overcome.  In my day, we had the usual things like school, dating, sex and drugs.  Today they have all of those things combined with the internet age.  Now a teenage mistake can follow you throughout life.  The internet is forever.

I reminisce on my own teenage years and I remember feeling confused and misunderstood all the time.  I especially felt that my parents were clueless.  I vowed that I would do things differently with my own kids.

They say that you become your parents but I disagree.  Okay, you may have the tendency to follow certain actions and beliefs of your parents.  But I think most people strive to be better than their parents.

I may not always get it right with Princess and Diva but everything is done out of love.  My goal is to raise two responsible adults that will treat people with respect.  I want them to be smart enough to surround themselves with positive people and contribute something good to society.  I want them to be comfortable in their own skin and accept people who are different from them.  I want them to choose a career that is satisfying and enables them to pay their own bills.  I want them to choose a life partner wisely.  I want them to be happy.

Bottom line:  Yes, being a teenager is a struggle.  Being a parent isn’t easy either.  But together, we can make it through.

What do you think?  Any teenage stories to share?  Advice?